Don’t Use My Stuff

You would think that someone as litigious as Donald Trump would be careful not to use the product of other people’s work without permission. But then there have always been rules for Donald, and rules for everyone else. British songwriters have had enough of him using their songs without permission.

After Trump used REM’s It’s The End Of The World As We Know It at a rally, the band’s frontman Michael Stipe said: “Go f*** yourselves, the lot of you – you sad, attention-grabbing, power-hungry little men.

“Do not use our music or my voice for your moronic charade of a campaign.”

I couldn’t have described things better myself.

Vetting Europeans

Donald Trump has now decided that one of our greatest threats is European visitors to the U.S., especially those from France and Germany.

We have to have tough, we’re going to have, tough standards. If a person can’t prove what they have to be able to prove they’re not coming into this country.

Tourism receipts in the U.S. in 2014 were $177.2 billion. Remember, this is the same Trump that said there will be more jobs under his administration. I fail to see how a significant reduction in tourism will create more jobs.

World’s First Ghetto

We’re nearing the 500th anniversary of the world’s first ghetto. Ziyah Gafic took some haunting pictures of this geti in Venice.

In the early 13th century, persecuted Jews from Europe and the Levant began settling in Venice. As their population grew, so did their living restrictions, and in 1516 Venetian authorities forced all Jews to live in confinement in the “geti,” which is where the modern-day term of “ghetto” is derived. In this gated islet, Jews lived in lockdown by night but were allowed to trade by day as long as they wore an insignia.

Jews from the ghetto were send to Auschwitz during WWII. People who think these things can’t happen again are ignorant of history. People who think this can’t happen in the U.S. haven’t been listening lately.

German Gun Laws

Germany has some of the most restrictive gun laws in Europe. Still, this didn’t prevent David Ali Sonboly from obtaining his gun on the Dark Web.

German police said the Glock 17 pistol used by the 18-year-old to kill nine people had its serial number scratched off but appeared to have originated in Slovakia and had been reactivated.

The ability to defend oneself will always provide more protection than any gun law.

Christian Persecution

Christian persecution is on the rise around the world. CNN reports that it reached a record high in 2015 in modern history.

In total, the survey found that more than 7,100 Christians were killed in 2015 for “faith-related reasons,” up 3,000 from the previous year, according to the group’s analysis of media reports and other public information as well as external experts.

Expect this to continue to rise. Neither Presidential candidate has any desire to address this trend. Based on what happened at the RNC convention I expect to see more of it here in the U.S. Churches will no longer be left alon to speak the truth and challenge the current social trend of the nation.

That’s it for today’s Water Cooler. Mingle amongst yourselves in the comments.