Obituary of local interest | Sona A. Current (nee Aznavorian)
Still think we live in a democracy? | The maniacal display of a POTUS hoisting “a Bible” over his head is sickening enough. His dictatorial response to every situation is to threaten and “attack the peaceful protesters there with teargas, rubber bullets, and flash-bang explosives.” This continued slide to an authoritarian dictatorship can only be stopped by getting the elected public servants at the local, county, state and federal levels to restore sanity. Restore integrity and meaning of the Declaration of Independence.
“‘An Abuse of Sacred Symbols’: Trump, a Bible, and a Sanctuary | “After peaceful protesters were dispersed with tear gas, the President stood before St. John’s Episcopal Church and held a Bible aloft like a product on a home-shopping network. – The New Yorker
A study | ” Trump’s support for police served as ‘dog whistle’ to voters with racial resentment” – Journalist’s Resource
Guv’s say no to “tough-guy DIC” | “Democratic Governors Tell Trump They Don’t Want Military to Deal With Protests” – Route Fifty
Civility and law enforcement | “Officers across the country shared messages of unity and support for protesters.” – Newsy
Some strange form of transparency | This notice is at the Columbia Borough School District Website: There’s a meeting agenda for the June 4 committee meetings: “Virtual Committee Meetings (Link to view meeting will be available at 5:55 p.m.).” Typically, more than five minutes notice is given by any organization or entity when informing constituents and stakeholders about meetings. It takes longer than five minutes to prepare for online viewing for many. And how will the link be transmitted to possible viewers? Who makes decisions like this?
and this is why | One more reason why black Americans — all Americans — have lost faith with the “system”: “Fired for pornography, Berks County police officer will get job back without computer access.” – Pennsylvania Record
Columbia news, views & reviews 
The following is from today’s(6/03/20) New York Times Wednesday Briefing which has five Big Stories. Here is #2 Fear of ‘autocracy’:
Attorney General William Barr gave the order to clear the square across from the White House on Monday night, (the Times explains in a story reconstructing the incident). The order led law enforcement to use smoke and flash grenades to scatter peaceful protesters so that Trump could appear at a church for a photo opportunity.
Former military leaders and democracy experts condemned the use of force against citizens. Retired Adm. Mike Mullen wrote in The Atlantic that Trump had “laid bare his disdain for the rights of peaceful protest in this country.” Kori Schake, a former Pentagon official and Republican policy adviser, said, “If we were seeing this in another country, we would be deeply concerned.” Gail Helt, a former C.I.A. analyst, told the Washington Post: “This is what autocrats do. This is what happens in countries before a collapse. It really does unnerve me.”