To everyone who did not reach out to me, today, by wasting money on a colorful greetings card, by refusing to blow up my phone with one of those universal group texts of which I have not spoken directly to you in the last 30-60-90-days or even years, or by posting one of those senseless memes that glitter on my social media, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
If you want to honor me for being a mother, then help me end Medicaid fraud in child welfare and stop human trafficking.
Mother's Day was invented to honor the mothers whose children had died in war.
Anna Jarvis took the initiative to teach mothers how to care for children.
She battled in the courts, the states legislature, and congress until it was a national holiday.
Now, I wish to leave every "Hallmark-cyber-greeting-card-meme-poster" with food for thought.
How come the Child Welfare Industry does not send out any Mother's Day blessings for the mothers whose children have died, or just survived lengthy stints in foster care being raped, drugged, beaten, and trafficked?
It is not like we can find, nor afford, competent legal counsel to be made whole again.
ANSWER: NO ONE CARES & HUMAN TRAFFICKING BY THE STATE IS MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRIAL FRAUD SCHEME COMPLEX AGAINST HUMANITY
While dining at a Philadelphia tearoom owned by her friend John Wanamaker, Anna Jarvis ordered a salad — then dumped it on the floor.
Jarvis hated that the food was called “Mother’s Day Salad,” named after a celebration of mothers that she had pioneered years earlier.
The strong-willed woman saw it not as an honor, but as an affront to a tradition she held so dear.
To her, it was a cheap marketing gimmick to profit off an idea that she considered to be hers, and hers alone.
The incident was recounted in a newspaper article published sometime in the early 1900s, years after Jarvis organized the first Mother’s Day service in the country, said Katharine Antolini, a historian who has studied Jarvis and how Mother’s Day became a national holiday.
Jarvis spent decades fighting an uphill battle to keep Mother’s Day from becoming the commercialized holiday that it is today.
To her, it was simply a day to honor mothers, and she started it to commemorate her own.
So when people co-opted her idea for other purposes, Jarvis was incensed.
[The mother who made George Washington — and made him miserable]
She started fights, threatened lawsuits, wrote letters to politicians, issued bitter news releases, organized protests, fought with Eleanor Roosevelt, demanded an audience with sitting presidents, among other actions.
Anna Jarvis. (Katharine Antolini)
She even claimed legal copyright to the holiday, Antolini said.
Her letters were signed, “Anna Jarvis, Founder of Mother’s Day.”
“It became a part of her identity,” the historian said.
“It was completely tied up in her ego.”
The fight that consumed Jarvis was waged in vain, and her campaign drained the modest fortune she’d inherited from her family.
She died in a sanitarium at age 84 — alone, blind and penniless.
If she were alive today, Antolini said, Jarvis would’ve been thrilled that Mother’s Day remains popular.
“But she’d be upset that people don’t remember her,” the historian said.
She would probably be equally angered to know that the holiday is celebrated in part through Mother’s Day specials and sales, Hallmark cards and floral arrangements.
Antolini, chair of the history department at West Virginia Wesleyan College, said she began studying Jarvis and the history of Mother’s Day in the 1990s, when she visited the International Mother’s Day Shrine, in Grafton, W.Va.
It’s a museum of the original church where the first Mother’s Day service was held.
In the church’s kitchen area, Antolini said, she found several boxes of documents that belonged to Jarvis.
She volunteered to archive them and spent months poring over the records.
She learned about the childless woman who dedicated her life to an obsessive pursuit to create a holiday for mothers.
“The surface image of her is that she was this crazy spinster who dedicated her life to this movement and fought everybody who tried to take her day away from her,” Antolini said.
“It was her life to create this holiday, to perpetuate it and have it spread nationally.”
Born in Webster, W.Va., Jarvis created Mother’s Day because she was inspired by her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, a Sunday school teacher who helped start Mother’s Day Work Clubs to teach women how to care for their children.
After one lecture in 1876, Ann Reeves Jarvis prayed that somebody would create a day commemorating mothers for their service for humanity, Antolini said.
Twelve-year-old Anna Jarvis remembered that.
Her mother died in 1905, and Jarvis, then in her 40s, promised at her gravesite that she’d be the one to answer her prayer.
Over the next years, Jarvis embarked on a relentless letter-writing campaign to persuade governors of every state to declare the second Sunday of May — the closest Sunday to her mother’s death anniversary — Mother’s Day.
She wrote to Mark Twain, President Theodore Roosevelt and any other powerful politician she could think of to help her with her cause, Antolini said. She also sought the help of Wanamaker, the Philadelphia businessman and her friend.
The first Mother’s Day service was held one morning in 1908 at St. Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton.
She bought hundreds of carnations, her mother’s favorite flower, for the service.
A bigger celebration was held that afternoon at Wanamaker’s auditorium in Pennsylvania, where Jarvis spoke.
Two years later, West Virginia passed a law designating the holiday, and other states followed.
But Jarvis was nowhere near done.
She continued writing letters and traveling, all on her own dime, to make Mother’s Day a national holiday.
The amount of her correspondence grew so much that she had to buy a second house for storage.
[Ahead of Mother’s Day, moms protest at Trump hotel, Justice Dept. and Senate]
On May 8, 1914, Congress passed a law declaring the second Sunday of May as Mother’s Day.
The following day, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation declaring the first national Mother’s Day as a day to honor mothers whose sons died in war.
Mother’s Day became a national cause, but not the one Jarvis had in mind.
She spent the next years railing against flower shop owners, cardmakers and the candy industry for profiting off the holiday.
“They’re commercializing my Mother’s Day,” she complained in a letter to newspapers, according to a 1986 Washington Post story.
“This is not what I intended.”
A news release she issued, according to a 1994 Post article, read: “WHAT WILL YOU DO to route charlatans, bandits, pirates, racketeers, kidnappers and other termites that would undermine with their greed one of the finest, noblest and truest movements and celebrations?”
She threatened to sue New York Gov. Al Smith over plans for a Mother’s Day meeting in 1923, according to a Post obituary published in 1948.
In 1931, she fought with then-New York first lady Eleanor Roosevelt over a rival Mother’s Day committee.
At one point, she incorporated herself as the Mother’s Day International Association, although it’s unclear whether the corporation had other members, according to the obituary.
Even charities became the target of her disdain. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, charities held fundraising events on Mother’s Day to help mothers in need. Jarvis resented that.
“She didn’t want it to be a beggar’s day,” Antolini said.
“She didn’t want the day to be turned into just another charity event.
You don’t pity mothers; you honor them.”
In studying Jarvis, Antolini came to sympathize with the tenacious and fiercely independent woman who remained single and childless at a time when women were expected to do the opposite.
[For some gay parents, Mother’s Day (or Father’s Day) is awkward]
“You get behind the motivation for why she’s doing it. She doesn’t sound crazy.
Her argument is sound,” Antolini said.
“Many times, you’d feel she’s justified in being angered about these things.”
But she also felt that Jarvis had a narrow view of what motherhood is about.
Hers is from the perspective of a child, of a daughter who deeply loved her mother.
“Children have a very simplistic view of motherhood,” Antolini said.
“Those women who then would become mothers, they have a completely different view of motherhood.
It’s becoming politically active to save the lives of mothers of other children.”
By the early 1940s, Jarvis had become undernourished and was losing her eyesight.
Friends and associates placed her in a sanitarium in West Chester, Pa.
She died Nov. 24, 1948.
Mother’s Day has become one of the most profitable U.S. holidays, with annual spending steadily growing since 2006.
This year, consumers are expected to spend a record high of $23.6 billion, according to the National Retail Federation.
Antolini said Jarvis would be enraged at that.
Every November, the Michigan Supreme Court encourages courts around the state to take time to celebrate Michigan Adoption Month and help make the dreams of thousands of children come true. Participating courts can choose to get involved on Michigan Adoption Day, or select their own day in November to finalize adoptions, hold parties for adoptive families, and educate the public about the adoption process. The Michigan Supreme Court will hold their event on Monday, November 26, 2018.
Make sure you contact us with details on your court's events. We'd love to post your photos to social media.
Michigan Adoption Day typically takes place on or about the Tuesday before Thanksgiving at the Michigan Hall of Justice in Lansing and in courts around the state. Michigan Adoption Day is cosponsored by the Michigan Supreme Court, Michigan Department of Health & Human Services, Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange, and the Child Welfare Services Division of the State Court Administrative Office.
Macomb County Adoption Supervisor Mark Pellecchia of the
juvenile division, from left, state Supreme Court Justice David Viviano
and Circuit Court Judge Matthew Switalski, state purveyors of tiny humans,
outside the courtroom at Adoption Day ceremonies.
Two young children transformed from foster to parental care Tuesday during an adoption hearing made public to encourage people to consider adopting a child.
Genevieve Lukasiewicz of Southgate adopted a 5-year-old boy, Aedon, and a Macomb Township couple who did not want their name used adopted a 10-month-old baby girl, in a hearing presided by Judge Matthew Switalski of Macomb County Circuit Court in Mount Clemens.
The event was held on Michigan Adoption Day, on and around which adoptions are held throughout the state.
State Supreme Court Justice David Viviano, a former Macomb County judge who attended the ceremonial hearing, said the day promotes foster-care adoption.
“Adoption Day is to raise awareness and to really encourage people to open their hearts and home open to adoption … to give young people a safe and loving home to grow and mature,” Viviano said. “There’s a great need for adoption. We’re hoping more people will consider it, particularly as our young people in foster care start to age out. As they grow older their chance of adoption decrease. We want to people consider adoption at any age.”
Switalski, a family judge, said presiding over adoptions is a bright spot in his docket.
“It’s the best of the day at the court,” he said. “There is no conflict, no dispute to resolve, just happy people doing the Lord’s work providing a family for someone who didn’t get what the rest of us have. It’s a great day for everybody.”
There are currently 323 foster children available for adoption. In fiscal year 2018, 1,931 children were adopted from the Michigan foster care system, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.
“It is important for all children to have a loving home that they can call their own,” said HHS Director Nick Lyon. “While our priority is to safely reunify children in foster care with their parents, we rely on adoptive parents when it’s determined that a child cannot safely return to his or her home.”
Children in the foster care system become eligible for adoption following termination of parental rights due to abuse or neglect, HHS officials said. There were 13,710 children in the foster care system as of Sept. 30; the goal in most cases is family reunification, officials said.
Those who wish to adopt a foster child do not have to be a foster parent, although the two adoptions that took place Tuesday were by foster parents who had cared for the child for some time, said Macomb County Adoption Supervisor Mark Pellecchia.
People can adopt whether they’re single or married. They don’t have to be wealthy or own their own home but must have adequate financial resources to provide for a family, officials said.
Switalski, who is parent of three children, commended those who adopt.
“That’s the greatest gift on behalf of the community,” Switalski said. “It’s actually harder than having your own child. You don’t have them from Day One. You’re coming out of the bullpen replacing someone who was never there or didn’t do a good job. So you’re dealing with issues that a lot times the natural parents are not having to deal with. It’s takes a special person, a special commitment. We salute them. We are so grateful for them.”
Anyone interested in adopting from foster care can contact the Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange at 800-589-6273. People also can learn more and view a photo of available children at www.mare.org.
Other types of adoption include direct placement through a private agency, a relative or a foreign country.
THE PRESIDENT: I want to thank Secretary Carson, along with Isaac Newton Farris, Jr., and the many distinguished guests joining us here today. It’s a great honor.
Earlier this week, I had the tremendous privilege to join Isaac and Alveda to sign into law legislation re-designating the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site to the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Park. The new law expands the area to protect it and historic sites for the future generations of Americans — are becoming. So important. And this is a great honor for us and a great honor to Dr. King.
Today, we gather in the White House to honor the memory of a great American hero, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On January 15, 1929, Martin Luther King was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He would go on to change the course of human history.
As a young man, King decided to follow the calling of his father and grandfather to become a Christian pastor. He would later write that it was “quite easy for me to think of a God of love, mainly because I grew up in a family where love was central.” That is what Reverend King preached all his life: love — love for each other, for neighbors, and for our fellow Americans.
Dr. King’s faith and his love for humanity led him and so many other heroes to courageously stand up for civil rights of African Americans. Through his bravery and sacrifice, Dr. King opened the eyes and lifted the conscience of our nation. He stirred the hearts of our people to recognize the dignity written in every human soul.
Today, we celebrate Dr. King for standing up for the self-evident truth Americans hold so dear, that no matter what the color of our skin or the place of our birth, we are all created equal by God.
This April, we will mark a half-century since Reverend King was so cruelly taken from us by an assassin’s bullet. But while Dr. King is no longer with us, his words and his vision only grow stronger through time. Today, we mourn his loss, we celebrate his legacy, and we pledge to fight for his dream of equality, freedom, justice, and peace.
I will now sign the proclamation making January 15, 2018 the Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday and encourage all Americans to observe this day with acts of civic work and community service in honor of Dr. King’s extraordinary life — and it was extraordinary indeed — and his great legacy.
Thank you. God bless you all. And God bless America.
And with that, I’d like to ask a great friend of mine, Secretary Carson, for remarks. Then we’re going to be signing the very important proclamation. Thank you very much.
Ben.
SECRETARY CARSON: Thank you, Mr. President. It’s an honor to be here today celebrating this solemn occasion. And I thank you for signing legislation to designate the birthplace, church, and tomb of Dr. Martin Luther King as a National Historic Park.
His monumental struggle for civil rights earned these places in his life, faith, and death the same honor as Mount Vernon and that famous humble log cabin in Illinois.
This April, we will observe the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination. I remember so vividly that day, as a high school student in Detroit. Far from silencing his dream, death wrought him immortal in the American heart. His message of equality, justice, and the common dignity of man resounds today, urgently needed to heal the divisions of our age.
Today, we honor the legacy of the man who marched on Washington for jobs and freedom, achieving both for millions of Americans of all races and backgrounds. But his legacy also calls us to remember where these ideas — equality, freedom, liberty — get their power.
Our good efforts alone are not enough to lend them meaning. For by what shall I be called equal to another man? It cannot be by wealth, for there will always be one richer than me. It cannot be by strength, for there will always be one stronger than me. It cannot be by success or happiness or beauty or any other pieces of the human condition which are distributed through providence. So perhaps providence alone is the answer.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
With these familiar words, our Declaration of Independence recognizes the true author of our common dignity — one that is beyond every human law and institution. If we forget this source of our fundamental equality, then our fight to recognize it in our society will never be fulfilled.
This is a truth that Dr. King carried with him from Selma to Montgomery, from a pulpit in Atlanta to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, from a cell in Birmingham to the entire world.
This year, we will not remember his slaying as the ending but as a beginning — as a moment when his truth rose stronger than hatred, and his cause larger than death; as a moment when he called to new life with his Creator, before whom all men shall one day stand in equal rank bearing with them no riches but the content of their character.
If we keep this conviction at the center of our every word and action, if we look upon out countrymen as brothers with a shared home and a common destination, then instead of meaningless words rolling off of our tongue, we will truly create one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
And we’re going to have a word from Pastor Isaac Newton Farris, the nephew of Dr. Martin Luther King. (Applause.)
MR. FARRIS: President Trump, Vice President Pence, and to all assembled here: If my uncle were here today, the first thing he would say is, “What are we or what are you doing for others?” And that’s why it was so important that my aunt, Coretta Scott King, returned to the Congress, now about 10 years ago, and asked that the meaning of the holiday be changed.
We did not want the King holiday just to be a day of hero worship. As his nephew, I certainly think that he was one of the greatest Americans that we have produced. But it should not be a day of hero worship. And that’s why the Congress agreed with my aunt, and also made it a day of service so that we, on that day — as a matter of fact, at the King Center, we refer to it as “a day on, not a day off.”
It’s not a day to hang out in the park or pull out the barbeque grill. (Laughter.) It’s a day to do something to help someone else, and that can be as simple as delivering someone’s trash or picking up the newspaper for that elderly person who can’t get to the end of the driveway.
Bottom line: You’re doing something that benefits someone other than yourself. That’s the proper way to remember my uncle and the proper way to celebrate the King holiday.
So, President Trump, thank you for taking the time to acknowledge this day. Thank you for remembering that we’re all Americans and, on this day, we should be united and love for all Americans.
Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Mr. Vice President. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: This is a great and important day. Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday 2018, by the President of the United States of America, a proclamation. Congratulations to him and to everybody.
[The proclamation is signed.]
PARTICIPANT: Thank you, Mr. President. (Applause.)
"Please Do Not Fire Me & Make Me Homeless" the Mandatory Reporter Whistleblower
Once upon a time there was a little Mandated Reporter, who goes by the name of, "Please Do Not Fire Me & Make Me Homeless", but sake of brevity, we shall address them, in the collective form as a member of "The Poors" (always said with clinched teeth).
The Michigan Auditor General has just released a report on the ills of the State's Child Protective Services System.
But, as you well know, I shall craft my famous incremental inquiry for the next level of legal scrutiny through the lens of civil rights.
Do Foster Kids Have Civil Rights when it comes to reporting fraud?
Because it is all about chattel law, or rather SystemSucks because Mandatory Reporters are not mandated by law or policy to report child welfare fraud and retaliation is real, because the child welfare system is privatized, whereby the Mandatory Reporter has no civil rights.
The following is an tutorial on what a SystemSucks is.
So, how can a Foster Kid report fraud and a violation of their civil rights when the Mandated Reporter knows that it has previously been reported and nothing has been done?
Report the fraud to the fraudfeasors?
Considering the fact that we are dealing with a licensed foster home that, obviously, is not being monitored, we have an issue of fraud, because someone is not doing their job, or maybe they are.
Here is where I present for public discussions, the question of how a Foster Kid can report a violation of their civil rights without the Mandated Reporter being arrested, fined and stripped of their professional license for simply just helping a Foster Kid who does not want to end up tricking in the streets to eat.
Foster Kids only get $150.00 a month in SNAP, you know, and all the "U-Buy-We-Fry" joints do not take EBT benefits anymore, now, praytell, how does one eat when the foster care placement is not, how shall we say this, conducive to a proper dining experience?
I thought it best to ask the professionals up there in Department of Health and Human Services since the Mandated Reporter is a paycheck away from meeting the eligibility criteria for SNAP.
In the spirit of fuchsia, of course...
Greetings Linda,
It has been brought to my attention that there are open questions surrounding the proper way to address how foster youth may file a complaint.
Although the foster home provider is said to be under multiple investigations, there continues to exist the environment of deteriorating living conditions of food and improper electrical, like running extension cords and limited outlets that spark.
Can a mandated reporter direct the foster youth to contact their elected officials to file subsequent complaints against Child Protective Services?
Can a mandated reporter assist the foster youth in filing formal complaints to the Michigan Auditor General in the light of the September 2018 Child Protective Services conditions illuminated in the audit?
Can a mandated reporter guide the foster youth in the filing of a Civil Rights Complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice?
Do foster youth have civil rights, and if not, please elaborate?
Can a mandated reporter instruct, in a professional, educational setting, on how to file a grievance, as reporting fraud to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector? I only present this question as it is suspect to questionable cost reimbursement activities by the Child Placing Agency.
I look forward to your expertise, or referral, so we may address the continued, systemic ethical deficiencies in the Michigan Child Welfare System, by which it has been the global leader in child welfare policy development.
I strongly encourage you to reach out to me if you have any concerns.
Have a great day!
Here is a great video I just so happened to have stumbled across to teach a Foster Kid on how to file a child welfare grievance, and I am not even a Mandatory Reporter and I know Bill Schuette is too busy campaigning to do anything about child trafficking or child welfare fraud in Michigan.
Hey Bill, Smooches!
Please share to all Foster Kids you know!
Now, here are a few more questions I have about Mandatory Reporters.
If a report is submitted to CPS about living conditions, does CPS report the living conditions to the City of Detroit Building, Safety and Environment & Engineering, since the Mayor has implemented city wide inspections or rental properties?
What if the home is one of those Detroit Land Bank Authority homes?
Would not that demand a conjugal collaborative in an open, working relationship with state, county and local governments?
Oh, wait... it is all up under those state registered foreign corporations called Public Private Partnerships where there are no civil rights, so I just answered my own question, again: Child have no civil rights, and if someone even slightly mentions that bloody Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) fake authority transfer, I shall pummel words of shame in your general direction.
A GAL, I know, in many states, is not even a mandatory reporter.
See, a foster home is not considered a tenant in a rental property, and, as such, a foster kid is not a tenant, nor is a youth who has aged out of foster care and has to live in an Adult Foster Care Home.
Then, you have those instances, where you have no idea of who really owns the actual real property where the foster care license is issued to the foster parent, and not attached to the property address, meaning, there are multiple options of running foster care payment scams, like running a multiple roomed building, as a foster parent, where the majority of the foster kids are running the streets doing what they do best to survive, while those foster care payment checks are cashed and split with the foster care worker and case manager, because you know they are also billing for non-existent services.
Anyway, I believe it is time to end all that anonymous and mandatory reporting through threats of enforcing policies of economic deterrence against the Mandatory Reporter, and just put it all, out there on the front lawn, dirty panties and all, because neither do Mandatory Reporters have civil rights due to privatization, leaving the reporting of child welfare fraud open to prosecution in breaching privacy laws about foster kids.
And that ends the tale of the Mandatory Reporter, who hails from land of "The Poors" (always said with clinched teeth) and the search of civil rights for children.
First of all, I want to wish all the real fathers out there a very happy Fathers Day.
For those who are fighting, I wish you the best for your children who need their dad's in their lives and for you who are suffering with the pain of not being able to be there. I know the pain and I know the struggle. I know God chose you to be that kids dad.
Sadly, I also know how CPS likes to rub it in our faces and use this day to tout their cause by highlighting a foster parent or a dad who adopted a child from the system, like Eric DeVoe here from Liberty Township Ohio.
It's not about what you can do, it's about what you are willing to do.
That's Eric DeVoe's take on being a father and opening his home to about 25 children in need of a home since 2012. Eric, 43 and his wife, Teri, have worked with Fairfield County Job and Family Services to offer respite and foster care to children of all ages for the last six years.
CPS often engages with news reporters in an effort to raise awareness about the "need for foster parents" for an ever growing number of children who have been taken away from their parents. They put the necessary information in the middle of a heartwarming story about a family that grew thanks to the foster care system and their "personal calling" to get involved.
Apparently, Fathers Day is extra special for them or something like it is for Kenneth Sutton of Warren Michigan.
Kenneth Sutton of Warren has to work on Father’s Day. But he got the week after the holiday off and he and his wife Keisha are taking their girls to Michigan Adventures. Sutton and his wife became foster parents first and are now in the process of adopting both girls.
But these types of stories have a specific purpose. That purpose is recruit more foster parents as the article goes on to say...
The adoptions also mean Michigan’s foster care system is down by two parents.
“That’s how we lose most of our foster parents and the reason we need to recruit more,” said Kelli Dobner of Clinton Township, new chief advancement officer for Samaritas. “In 2017, 42 percent of our foster families became adoptive families, and in 2018, to date, 68 percent have become adoptive families.”
As you can see, CPS uses this day to promote the Foster Care Fairy Tale of love and happily ever after which is an attempt by a reporter and CPS to move ones hearts towards becoming a foster care provider. It's a way to plant the seed. It's a way to get people to look into it. What it leaves out is discussion about all the challenges that one might face in dealing with a kid who has been bounced through 10 different homes or walks around like a zombie from all the psych meds they pump into them.
But if you think all of that's bad, get this. In West Virginia they're using Father's Day to recruit gays.
The Dixons said they would highly recommend fostering to other families who love kids and have room in their home. The hurdles in the process, the Dixon’s said, were worth it to be able to get their son.
“I think a lot of people don’t think they can do it if they are single, if they are gay, if they are a different race … even myself I was worried about that, but that’s not the case at all,” Lee Dixon said. “There was always a way around it. I think it is the best thing even if they are not with us forever, but at least that moment in time, we know we made an impact on that little boy’s life.
Now I'm not against Gay people adopting children. I know a few who are great parents. But I am against CPS stealing babies and I do need state that this is a whole new potential market of foster care providers who are helping them to do so by providing warehousing space, and who are targeted as an audience by this particular author.
I think it's quite pathetic really that people buy into this crap, but they do. It's that sheeple mentality that you read so many conspiracy theorists talking about. It's that pretty picture that the media tends to paint about Child Protective Services and the Foster Care System. It's because it takes CPS being up ones ass for that person to see the light and most people haven't experienced it yet.
The fact is that real dad's make their own babies and Father's Day should be a day for them. Fathers Day should be a day to promote the importance of a dad being in a child's life and and help them to get involved.
What U.S. curriculum intentionally omits is U.S. history.
Yes, today is day we shall celebrate the new Day of Memories by preserving the annals of history.
See, this is the Quantum Renaissance and we must make sure we document everything so we can pull it up later to see if you were stealin', or, more readily understood in the community of "Legal Geniuses" (trademark pending), checking that chit in multiple attestation.
Stealin' is applicable to what has been done to our legacies through the breach of the public trust, which is for the children, the future, not for rewriting history to cover up the pilfering of our national treasury through the artifices of fraud.
Falsely promulgating a fraudulently manufactured narrative to cover up human atrocities of our great nation is false advisement in obviation, or rather a sophist insurrection, which just pisses me off.
All you have to do to verify this version of history is to pull up the public record, which is free, well, if you have an internet provider, it is not.
It says 250 Union soldiers died at a race track with the town, missionaries and families.
I have an issue with missionaries because they controlled what was taught and what was recorded, under christian chattel law, of course.
So, you go pull the birth records, the land records, the school records, the business records, the slave ownership records, Native rolls, the birth, marriage and death records of the churches.
You can pull up legal records, you can pull up tax records, you can pull up military records to see who these Union soldiers were.
Heck, if you get on social media like Facebook or Twitter and ask for relatives of these Union soldiers, I bet you could find some family members who can provide video testimony of their memories to preserve their legacies, more specifically, posterity, in the blockchain, where people cannot come in and bleachbit history, anymore.
Every soldier, past, present and future, should be memorialized through more than just headstones, flags and flowers that will wilt in a few days, along with their armoralities, which are part and parcel to their legacies of their families, this nation and the world.
That way, everyone is included in history, with equal treatment, and you have a replicable, transposable model to bear witness to the heavens when someone is stealin' in times of war, which is why Lincoln's Law, otherwise known as the False Claims Act, came to be.
NOTE TO SELF: ASSIGN THIS DATABASE MODEL TO U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND GIVE THEM 30 DAYS TO LAUNCH OR I WILL GET SOMEONE TO DO IT FOR THEM, WHO MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL.
P.S. MAKE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DISMANTLE THAT STUPID DEFENSE LOGISTIC AGENCY
They were referred to as "union soldiers" who are vets
not slaves.
Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, conjuring images of picnics, barbecues or just a lazy day off. But originally the holiday was charged with deeper meaning — and with controversy.
The exact origins of Memorial Day are disputed, with at least five towns claiming to have given birth to the holiday sometime near the end of the Civil War. Yale University historian David Blight places the first Memorial Day in April 1865, when a group of former slaves gathered at a Charleston, S.C., horse track turned Confederate prison where more than 250 Union soldiers had died. Digging up the soldiers' mass grave, they interred the bodies in individual graves, built a 100-yd. fence around them and erected an archway over the entrance bearing the words "Martyrs of the Race Course." On May 1, 1865, some 10,000 black Charleston residents, white missionaries, teachers, schoolchildren and Union troops marched around the Planters' Race Course, singing and carrying armfuls of roses. Gathering in the graveyard, the crowd watched five black preachers recite scripture and a children's choir sing spirituals and "The Star-Spangled Banner." While the story is largely forgotten today, some historians consider the gathering the first Memorial Day. (See the photo essay "Our World at War.")
Despite scattered celebrations in small towns, it took three more years for the holiday to become widely observed. In a proclamation, General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic — an organization of former soldiers and sailors — dubbed May 30, 1868, Decoration Day, which was "designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion." On Decoration Day that year, General James Garfield gave a speech at Arlington National Cemetery. Afterward, 5,000 observers adorned the graves of the more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers entombed at the cemetery. (Read a TIME cover story on how not to lose in Afghanistan.)
At the outset, Memorial Day was so closely linked with the Union cause that many Southern states refused to celebrate it. They acquiesced only after World War I, when the holiday was expanded beyond honoring fallen Civil War soldiers to recognizing Americans who died fighting in all wars. It was also renamed Memorial Day. Some critics say that by making the holiday more inclusive, however, the original focus — on, as Frederick Douglass put it, the moral clash between "slavery and freedom, barbarism and civilization" — has been lost. Most Southern states still recognize Confederate Memorial Day as an official holiday, and many celebrate it on the June birthday of Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederacy. But Texas, for one, observes the holiday on Robert E. Lee's birthday, Jan. 19 — which also happens to be Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The long-cherished Memorial Day tradition of wearing red poppies got its start in 1915. While reading Ladies' Home Journal, an overseas war secretary named Moina Michael came across the famous World War I poem "In Flanders Fields" by John McCrae, which begins, "In Flanders fields the poppies blow/ Between the crosses, row on row." Moved, she vowed always to wear a silk poppy in honor of the American soldiers who gave up their lives for their country. She started selling them to friends and co-workers and campaigned for the red flowers to become an official memorial emblem. The American Legion embraced the symbol in 1921, and the tradition has spread to more than 50 other countries, including England, France and Australia. (Watch TIME's video "An 'Honor Flight' for WWII Vets.")
With the National Holiday Act of 1971, Congress moved Memorial Day from May 30 to the last Monday in May. But critics say guaranteeing that the holiday is part of a three-day weekend promotes relaxation instead of stressing the holiday's true meaning. In 1989, Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii introduced a bill to move the holiday back to the fixed date of May 30. He has reintroduced it in every Congress since then — with no success.
While traditional Memorial Day rites have dwindled in many towns, they remain strong at Arlington National Cemetery. Since the 1950s, on the Thursday before Memorial Day, soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division have placed American flags at each of the more than 260,000 graves there. During the weekend, they patrol around the clock to make sure each flag remains aloft. On the holiday itself, every year about 5,000 people turn out to see the President or Vice President give a speech and lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. And other Americans are encouraged to observe in a more solitary fashion. At 3 p.m. local time, according to the 2000 National Moment of Remembrance Act, which was passed to emphasize the meaning of Memorial Day, all Americans should "voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to 'Taps.'"
RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIRPUTIN: Distinguished Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, negotiations with the president of the United States, Donald Trump, took place in a frank and business-like atmosphere. I think we can call it a success and a very fruitful round of negotiations. We carefully analyze the current status the present and the future of Russia and U.S. relationship [and] key issues of the global agenda. It's quite clear to everyone that the bilateral relationship are going through a complicated stage. Yet those impediments, the current tension, the tense atmosphere essentially have no solid reason behind it. The Cold War is a thing of past. The era of acute ideological confrontation of the two countries is a thing of remote past, is a visage of the past. The situation of the world changed dramatically.
Today, both Russia and the United States face a whole new set of challenges. Those include a dangerous maladjustment of mechanisms for maintaining international security and stability, regional crises, the creeping threat of terrorism and trans-national crime. It's the snowballing problems in the economy, environmental risks and other sets of challenges. We can only cope with these challenges if we join the ranks and work together. Hopefully, we will reach this understanding with our American partners. Today's negotiations reflected our joint wish, our joint wish with President Trump to redress this negative situation in the bilateral relationship, [and] outline the first steps for improving this relationship to restore the acceptable level of trust and going back to the previous level of direction on all mutual interest issues. As major nuclear powers, we bear special responsibility for maintaining international security.
[Inaudible} vital, and we mentioned this during the negotiations, it’s crucial that we fine-tune the dialogue on strategic stability and global security and nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction. We submitted [to] our American colleagues a note with a number of specific suggestions. We believe it necessary to work together further to interact on the disarmament agenda, military and technical cooperation. This includes the extension of the strategic offensive arms limitation treaty. It's a dangerous situation with the global American and missile defense system. It's the implementation issue with the INF treaty. And of course the agenda of nonplacement of weapons in space. We favor the continued cooperation in counterterrorism and maintaining cybersecurity. I'd like to point out specifically that our special services are cooperating quite successfully together. The most recent example is their operational operation within the recently concluded world football cup. In general, the contacts among special services should be put to a system-wide basis should be brought to systemic framework. I reminded President Trump about suggestion to re-establish the working group on antiterrorism. We also mentioned the plethora of regional crises, not always that our postures dovetail exactly. And yet the overlapping and mutual interests abound. We have to look for points of contact and interact closer in a variety of international forum. Clearly, we mentioned the regional crisis, for instance, Syria. As far as Syria is concerned, the task of establishing peace and reconciliation in this country could be the first showcase example of the successful joint work. Russia and the United States apparently can proactively take leadership on this issue and organize the interaction to overcome humanitarian crisis and help Syrian refugees to go back to their homes. In order to accomplish this level of successful cooperation in Syria, we have all the required components. Let me remind you of that. Both Russian and American military have acquired useful experience of coordination of their action, established the operational channels of communication which permitted [us] to avoid dangerous incidents and unintentional collisions in the air and in the ground. Also crushing terrorists in the southwest of Syria, the south of Syria should be brought to the full compliance with the treaty of 1974 about separation of forces, about separation of forces of Israel and Syria. This will bring peace to Golan Heights. And bring more peaceful relationship between Syria and Israel and also to provide security to the state of Israel. Mr. President paid special attention to the issue during today’s negotiations and I would like to confirm that Russia is interested in this development and this will act accordingly. Thus far, we will make a step toward creating a lasting peace in compliance with the respective resolutions of [the U.N.] Security Council, for instance the Resolution 338. We’re glad that the Korean Peninsula issue is starting to resolve. To a great extent, it was possible thanks to the personal engagement of President Trump, who opted for dialogue instead of confrontation. We also mentioned our concern about the withdrawal of the United States from the JCPOA. Well, the U.S. — Our U.S. counterparts are aware of our posture. Thanks to the Iranian nuclear deal, Iran began [to be the] most controlled country in the world, it’s submitted to the control of IAEA, it effectively ensures peaceful nature of Iranian nuclear program and strengthens the non-proliferation regime. While we discussed the internal Ukrainian crisis, we paid special attention to the bona fide implementation of Minsk agreement by Kiev. The United States could be more decisive in nudging the Ukrainian leadership and encourage it to work in this. We paid more attention to economic ties and economic operations. It’s clear that both countries, businesses of both countries are interested in this. American delegation was one of the largest delegations in the St. Petersburg Economic Forum. It featured over 500 representatives from American businesses. We agreed, me and President Trump, we agreed to create high level working group that would bring together captains of Russian and American business. After all, entrepreneurs and businessmen know better how to articulate this successful business cooperation. Let them think and make their proposals and suggestions in this regard.
Once again, President Trump mentioned issue of so-called interference of Russia with the American elections. I had to reiterate things I said several times, including during our personal contacts, that the Russian state has never interfered and is not going to interfere in internal American affairs, including election process. Any specific material, if such things arise, we are ready to analyze together. For instance, we can analyze them through the joint working group on cybersecurity, the establishment of which we discussed during our previous contacts.
Clearly, it’s past time we restore our cooperation in the cultural area, in the humanitarian area. As far as I think you know that recently we hosted the American congressmen delegation. Now it’s perceived and portrayed almost as historic event, although it should have been just a current affair, just business as usual. In this regard, we mentioned this proposal to the president.
We have to think about practicalities [inaudible]. But also about the rational, the logic of it. We have to engage experts on bilateral relationship who know history and background of our relationship. The idea is to create an expert council that would include political scientists, prominent diplomats and former military experts in both countries who would look for points of contact between the two countries. That would look for ways on putting the relationship on the trajectory of growth. In general, we are glad with the outcome of our first full-scale meeting because previously we only had a chance to talk briefly on international forum. We had a good conversation with President Trump and I hope that we start to understand each other better. I’m grateful to Donald for it. Clearly, there are some challenges left, when we were not able to clear all the backlog. But I think that we made a first important step in this direction. In conclusion, I want to point out that this atmosphere of cooperation is something that we are especially grateful for to our Finnish hosts. We’re grateful for Finnish people and Finnish leadership for what they’ve done. I know that we have caused some inconvenience to Finland. We apologize for it. Thank you for your attention.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Thank you very much. Thank you. I have just concluded a meeting with President Putin on a wide range of critical issues for both of our countries. We had direct, open, deeply productive dialogue. Went very well. Before I begin, I want to thank the President [Sauli] Niinistö of Finland for graciously hosting today's summit. President Putin and I were saying how lovely it was and what a great job they did. I also want to congratulate Russia and President Putin for having done such an excellent job in hosting the World Cup. It was really one of the best ever. Your team also did very well. It was a great job. I’m here today to continue the proud tradition of bold American diplomacy. From the earliest days of our republic, American leaders have understand that diplomacy and engagement is preferable to conflict and hostility. A productive dialogue is not only good for the United States and good for Russia, but it is good for the world. The disagreements between our two countries are well-known. President Putin and I discussed them at length today. But if we're going to solve many of the problems facing our world, then we're going to have to find ways to cooperate in pursuit of shared interests. Too often in both recent past and long ago we have seen the consequences when diplomacy is left on the table. We have also seen the benefits of cooperation. In the last century, our nations fought alongside one another in the Second World War. Even during the tensions of the Cold War, when the world looked much different than it does today, the United States and Russia were able to maintain a strong dialogue.
Our relationship has never been worse than it is now. However, that changed as of about four hours ago. I really believe that. Nothing would be easier politically that to refuse to meet, to refuse to engage. But that would not accomplish anything. As president, I cannot make decisions on foreign policy in a futile effort to appease partisan critics or the media or Democrats who want to do nothing but resist and obstruct. Constructive dialogue between the United States and Russia affords the opportunity to open new pathways toward peace and stability in our world. I would rather take a political risk in pursuit of peace than to risk peace in pursuit of politics. As president, I will always put what is best for America and what is best for the American people.
During today's meeting, I addressed directly with President Putin the issue of Russian interference in our elections. I felt this was a message best delivered in person. Spent a great deal of time talking about it. And President Putin may very well want to address it and very strongly, because he feels strongly about it and he has an interesting idea. We also discussed one of the most critical challenges facing humanity, nuclear proliferation. I provided an update on my meeting last month with Chairman Kim on the denuclearization of North Korea. After today, I am very sure that President Putin and Russia want very much to end that problem. Going to work with us, and I appreciate that commitment. The president and I also discussed the scourge of radical Islamic terrorism both Russia and the United States have suffered. Horrific terrorist attacks, and we have agreed to maintain open communication between our security agencies to protect our citizens from this global menace. Last year, we told Russia about a planned attack in St. Petersburg. They were able to stop it cold. They found them. They stopped them. There was no doubt about it. I appreciated President Putin's phone call afterwards to thank me.
I also emphasized the importance of placing pressure on Iran to halt its nuclear ambitions and to stop its campaign of violence throughout the area, throughout the Middle East. As we discussed at length, the crisis in Syria is a complex one. Cooperation between our two countries has the potential to save hundreds of thousands of lives. I also made clear that the United States will not allow Iran to benefit from our successful campaign against ISIS. We have just about eradicated ISIS in the area. We also agreed that representatives from our national security councils will meet to follow up on all of the issues we addressed today and to continue the progress we have started right here in Helsinki.
Today's meeting is only the beginning of a longer process. But we have taken the first steps toward a brighter future and one with a strong dialogue and a lot of thought. Our expectations are grounded in realism, but our hopes are grounded in America’s desire for friendship, cooperation and peace. I think I can speak on behalf of Russia when I say that also. President Putin, I want to thank you again for joining me for these important discussions and for advancing open dialogue between Russia and the United States. Our meeting carries on a long tradition of diplomacy between Russia, the United States, for the greater good of all. This was a very constructive day. This was a very constructive few hours that we spent together. It's in the interest of both of our countries to continue our conversation. And we have agreed to do so. I'm sure we will be meeting again in the future, often, and hopefully, we will solve every one of the problems that we discussed today. Again, President Putin, thank you very much.
TRANSLATOR: The journalists would have chance to ask two questions — two sets of question each. First the Russian journalist will ask a question. Please give your affiliation.
QUESTION: Good afternoon. I have a question to President Trump. During your recent European tour, you mentioned that the implementation of the Nordstream 2 gas pipeline, it makes Europe hostage of Russia. You suggested that you could free Europe from this by supplying American LNG — this cold winter actually showed the current model, current mechanism of supply of fuel to Europe is quite viable. At the same time, as far as I know, U.S. Had to buy even Russian gas for Boston. I have a question. The implementation of your idea has a political tinge to it or is this practical one? Because there will be a gap formed in the supply and demand mechanism and first it's the consuming countries who will fall into this gap. The second question, before the meeting with President Putin, you called him an adversary, a rival. And yet you expressed hope you will be able to bring this relationship to a new level. Did you manage to do this?
TRUMP: Actually I called him a competitor and a good competitor he is. I think the word competitor is a compliment. I think that we will be competing when you talk about the pipeline. I'm not sure necessarily that it's in the best interests of Germany or not. That was a decision that they made. We will be competing. As you know, the United States is now — or soon will be, but I think it is right now, the largest in the oil and gas world. We're going to be selling LNG and we’ll have to be competing with the pipeline. I think we will compete successfully. There's a little advantage locationally. I wish them luck. I discussed with Angela Merkel in pretty strong tones. I also know where they're all coming from. They have a very close source. So we will see how that all works out. We have lots of sources now. The United States is much different than it was a number of years ago when we weren't able to extract what we can extract today. Today, we're No. 1 in the world at that. I think we will be out there competing very strongly. Thank you very much.
PUTIN: If I may, I throw in some two cents. We talked to Mr. President, including this subject as well. We are aware of the stance of President Trump. I think that we as major oil and gas power and the United States is a major gas and oil power as well, we can work together on regulation of international markets because neither of us is actually interested in plummeting of the prices. The consumers will suffer as well. The consumers in the United States will suffer as well. The shale gas production will suffer. Because beyond a certain price bracket, it's no longer profitable to produce gas. Nor we are interested in driving prices up, because it will drain live juices from all other sectors of the economy. We do have space for cooperation here, as a first thing. Then about the Nordstream 2. Mr. President voices his concerns about the possibility of disappearance of transit through Ukraine. I reassured Mr. President that Russia stands ready to maintain this transit. Moreover, we stand ready to extend this transit contract that's about to expire next year, in case, if the dispute between the economic entities — dispute will be settled in Stockholm arbitration court.
QUESTION: Thank you. Mr. President, you tweeted this morning that it's U.S. foolishness, stupidity and the Mueller probe that is responsible for the decline in U.S. relations with Russia. Do you hold Russia at all accountable for anything in particular? If so, what would you consider them that they are responsible for?
TRUMP: Yes I do. I hold both countries responsible. I think the United States has been foolish. I think we have all been foolish. We should have had this dialogue a long time ago, a long time, frankly, before I got to office. I think we're all to blame. I think that the United States now has stepped forward along with Russia. We're getting together and we have a chance to do some great things, whether it's nuclear proliferation in terms of stopping, we have to do it. Ultimately, that's probably the most important thing that we can be working on.
But I do feel that we have both made some mistakes. I think that the probe is a disaster for our country. I think it's kept us apart. It's kept us separated. There was no collusion at all. Everybody knows it. People are being brought out to the fore. So far, that I know, virtually, none of it related to the campaign. They will have to try really hard to find something that did relate to the campaign. That was a clean campaign. I beat Hillary Clinton easily and, frankly, we beat her and I'm not even saying from the standpoint, we won that race. It's a shame there could even be a little bit of a cloud over it. People know that. People understand it. The main thing — we discussed this also — is zero collusion. It has had a negative impact upon the relationship of the two largest nuclear powers in the world. We have 90 percent of nuclear power between the two countries. It's ridiculous. It's ridiculous what's going on with the probe.
QUESTION: For President Putin if I could follow up as well. Why should Americans and why should President Trump believe your statement that Russia did not intervene in the 2016 election given the evidence that U.S. Intelligence agencies have provided? Will you consider extraditing the 12 Russian officials that were indicted last week by a U.S. grand jury.
TRUMP: I’m going to let the president answer the second part of that question. As you know, the concept of that came up perhaps a little before, but it came out as a reason why the Democrats lost an election, which frankly, they should have been able to win, because the Electoral College is much more advantageous for Democrats, as you know, than it is to Republicans. We won the Electoral College by a lot. 306 to 223 I believe. That was a well-fought battle. We did a great job. Frankly, I'm going to let the president speak to the second part of your question. Just to say it one time again, and I say it all the time, there was no collusion. I didn't know the president. There was nobody to collude with. There was no collusion with the campaign. Every time you hear all of these 12 and 14 — it's stuff that has nothing to do — and frankly, they admit, these are not people involved in the campaign. But to the average reader out there, they are saying, maybe that does. It doesn't. Even the people involved, some perhaps told mis-stories. In one case the FBI said there was no lie. There was no lie. Somebody else said there was. We ran a brilliant campaign. That's why I'm president. Thank you.
PUTIN: As to who is to be believed, who is not to be believed, you can trust no one. Where did you get this idea that President Trump trusts me or I trust him? He defends the interests of the United States of America. I do defend the interests of the Russian Federation. We do have interests that are common. We are looking for points of contact. There are issues where our postures diverge and we are looking for ways to reconcile our differences, how to make our effort more meaningful. We should not proceed from the immediate political interests that guide certain political powers in our countries. We should be guided by facts. Could you name a single fact of that would definitively prove the collusion? This is utter nonsense. Just like the president recently mentioned, yes, the public at large in the United States had a certain perceived opinion of the candidates during the campaign. But there's nothing particularly extraordinary about it. That's usual thing. President Trump, when he was a candidate, he mentioned the need to restore the Russia-U.S. relationship and it's clear that certain parts of American society felt sympathetic about it and different people could express their sympathy in different ways. But isn't that natural? Isn't it natural to be sympathetic towards a person who is willing to restore the relationship with our country, who wants to work with us? We heard the accusations about it [inaudible]. As far as I know, this company hired American lawyers and the accusations doesn't — doesn't have a fighting chance in the American courts. There's no evidence when it comes to the actual facts. We have to be guided by facts, not by rumors.
Let's get back to the issue of this 12 alleged intelligence officers of Russia. I don't know the full extent of the situation. But President Trump mentioned this issue. I will look into it. So far, I can say the following. Things that [are] off the top of my head. We have an existing agreement between the United States of America and the Russian Federation, an existing treaty that dates back to 1999. The mutual assistance on criminal cases. This treaty is in full affect. It works quite efficiently. On average, we initiate about 100, 150 criminal cases upon request from foreign states. For instance, the last year, there was one extradition case upon the request sent by the United States. This treaty has specific legal procedures we can offer. The appropriate commission headed by special attorney Mueller, he can use this as a solid foundation and send a formal and official request to us so that we would interrogate, hold questioning of this individuals who he believes are privy to some crimes. Our enforcement are perfectly able to do this questioning and send the appropriate materials to the United States. Moreover, we can meet you halfway. We can make another step. We can actually permit representatives of the United States, including the members of this very commission headed by Mr. Mueller, we can let them into the country. They will be present at questioning. In this case, there's another condition. This kind of effort should be mutual one. Then we would expect that the Americans would reciprocate. They would question officials, including the officers of law enforcement and intelligence services of the United States whom we believe — who have something to do with illegal actions on the territory of Russia. And we have to request the presence of our law enforcement. For instance, we can bring up the — Mr. Browder in this particular case. Business associates of Mr. Browder have earned over $1.5 billion in Russia. They never paid any taxes. Neither in Russia nor in the United States. And yet, the money escape the country. They were transferred to the United States. They sent huge amount of money, $400 million as a contribution to the campaign of Hillary Clinton. That's their personal case. It might have been legal, the contribution itself. The way the money was earned was illegal. We have a solid reason to believe that some intelligence officers, guided these transactions. So we have an interest of questioning them. That could be a first step. We can extend it. Options abound. They all can be found in an appropriate legal framework.
QUESTION: Did you direct any of your officials to help him do that?
PUTIN: Yes, I did. Yes, I did. Because he talked about bringing the S.S./Russia relationship back to normal.
PUTIN: I think there can be three questions from the Russian pool. You have the floor.
QUESTION: Thank you so much. Good evening in everyone. [Inaudible] Mr. President, would you please go into the details of possibly any specific arrangements for the U.S. to work together with Russia in Syria, if any of these arrangements were made today or discussed? My question to President Putin in Russian. Since we brought up the issue of football several times, I ask — I use the football language. Mr. Pompeo mentioned that when we talk about Syrian cooperation, the ball is in the Syrian court. Mr. Putin, in Russian court, is it true? How would you use this fact of having the ball?
TRUMP: I guess I will answer the first part of the question. We have worked with Israel long and hard for many years, many decades. I think we have never — never has any one country been closer than we are. President Putin also is helping Israel. We both spoke with Bibi Netanyahu. They would like to do certain things with respect to Syria, having to do with the safety of Israel. In that respect, we absolutely would like to work in order to help Israel. Israel will be working with us. So both countries would work jointly. I think that when you look at all of the progress that's been made in certain sections with the eradication of ISIS, about 98 percent, 99 percent there, and other things that have taken place that we have done and that, frankly, Russia has helped us with in certain respects. But I think that working with Israel is a great thing. Creating safety for Israel is something that both President Putin and I would like to see very much. One little thing I might add to that is the helping of people. Helping of people. Because you have such horrible — if you see — I've seen reports and I've seen pictures. I've seen just about everything. If we can do something to help the people of Syria get back into some form of shelter and on a humanitarian basis. That's what the word was, really a humanitarian basis. I think both of us would be interested in doing that. We will do that. Thank you very much.
TRUMP: Our militaries do get along. Our militaries have gotten along probably better than our political leaders for years. Our militaries do get along very well. They do coordinate in Syria and other places. Thank you.
PUTIN: We did mention this. We mentioned the humanitarian track of this issue. Yesterday, I discussed this with French President Mr. Macron and we reached an agreement that together with European countries, including France, we will step up this effort. On our behalf, we will provide military cargo aircraft to deliver humanitarian cargo. I brought up this issue with President Trump. I think there's plenty of things to look into. The crucial thing is that huge amount of refugees are in Turkey, in Lebanon, in Jordan, in the states that border or are adjacent to Syria. If we help them, the migratory pressure upon the European states will drop, be decreased many-fold. I believe it's crucial from any point of view, from humanitarian point of view, from the point of view of helping people, helping the refugees. And in general, I agree, I concur with President Trump, our military cooperate quite successfully together. They do get along. I hope they will be able to do so in future. We will keep working in the [inaudible] Russia, Turkey and Iran, which I informed President Trump of. But we do stand ready to link this effort to the so-called small group of states so that the process would be a broader one, a multidimensional one. We will maximize our fighting chance to gather ultimate success on the issue of Syria. Speaking about the — having the ball in our court in Syria, President Trump has just mentioned that we have successfully concluded the world football cup. Speaking of the football, actually, Mr. President, I will give this ball to you and now the ball is in your court. All the more the United States will host the World Cup in 2026.
TRUMP: That's right. Thank you very much. We do host it. We hope we do as good a job. That's very nice. That will go to my son Barron. We have no question. In fact, Melania, here you go.
SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS: Final question from the United States will go to Jonathan Lamier from the AP.
QUESTION: Thank you. A question for each president. President Trump, you first. Just now President Putin denied having anything to do with the election interference in 2016. Every U.S. intelligence agency has concluded that Russia did. My first question for you, sir, is who do you believe? My second question is would you now with the whole world watching tell President Putin, would you denounce what happened in 2016 and would you warn him to never do it again?
TRUMP: So let me just say that we have two thoughts. You have groups that are wondering why the FBI never took the server, why haven't they taken the server. Why was the FBI told to leave the office of the Democratic National Committee. I've been wondering that. I've been asking that for months and months and I've been tweeting it out and calling it out on social media. Where is the server? I want to know. Where is the server, and what is the server saying? With that being said, all I can do is ask the question. My people came to me, Dan Coats came to me and some others and said they think it's Russia. I have President Putin, he just said it's not Russia. I will say this. I don't see any reason why it would be, but I really do want to see the server. But I have — I have confidence in both parties. I really believe that this will probably go on for a while, but I don't think it can go on without finding out what happened to the server. What happened to the servers of the Pakistani gentleman that worked on the DNC? Where are those servers? They're missing. Where are they? What happened to Hillary Clinton's emails? 33,000 emails gone, just gone. I think in Russia they wouldn't be gone so easily. I think it's a disgrace that we can't get Hillary Clinton's 33,000 emails. So I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today. And what he did is an incredible offer. He offered to have the people working on the case come and work with their investigators with respect to the 12 people. I think that's an incredible offer. OK? Thank you.
PUTIN: I'd like to add something to this. After all, I was an intelligence officer myself. And I do know how dossiers are made up. Just a second. That's the first thing. Now the second thing. I believe that Russia is a democratic state and I hope you're not denying this right to your own country, you're not denying that United States is democracy. Do you believe the United States is a democracy? And if so, if it is a democratic state, then the final conclusion in this kind of dispute can only be delivered by a trial, by the court, not by the executive, by the law enforcement. For instance, the Concord company that is brought up is being accused, it's being accused of interference, but this company does not constitute the Russian state. It does not represent the Russian state. I brought several examples before. Well, you have a lot of individuals in the United States take George Soros, for instance, with multibillion capitals, but it doesn't make him — his position — his posture the posture of the United States. No, it does not. It's the same case. There is the issue of trying a case in the court and the final — the final say is for the court to deliver. We are now talking about the private individuals and not about particular states and as far as the most recent allegations is concerned about the Russian intelligence officers, we do have an intergovernmental treaty. Please do send us the request. We will analyze it properly and we'll send a formal response. As I said, we can extend this cooperation, but we should do it on a reciprocal basis because we would await our Russian counterparts to provide us access to the persons of interests for us, who we believe can have something to do with intelligence service. Let's discuss the specific issues and not use the Russia and the U.S. relationship as a loose change for this internal political struggle.
QUESTION: A question for President Putin, thank you. Two questions for you, sir. Can you tell me what President Trump may have indicated to you about officially recognizing Crimea as part of Russia? And secondly, sir, do you — does the Russian government have any compromising material on President Trump or his family?
PUTIN: President Trump — well, the posture of President Trump on Crimea is well known and he stands firmly by it. He continues to maintain that it was illegal to annex it. Our viewpoint is different. We held a referendum in strict compliance with the U.N. Charter and international legislation. For us this issue [inaudible] — and now to the compromising material. Yeah, I did hear these rumors that these allegedly collected compromising material on Mr. Trump when he was visiting Moscow. Distinguished colleague, let me tell you this, when President Trump was in Moscow back then, I didn't even know that he was in Moscow. I treat President Trump with utmost respect, but back then when he was a private individual, a businessman, nobody informed me that he was in Moscow. Let's take St. Petersburg Economic Forum, for instance. There were over 500 American businessmen, high-ranking, high-level ones. I don't even remember the last names of each and every one. Do you think that we try to collect compromising material on each and every single one of them? Well, it's difficult to imagine [inaudible] on a bigger scale of this. Please disregard these issues and don't think about this anymore again.
TRUMP: And I have to say if they had it, it would have been out long ago. And if anybody watched Peter Strzok testify over the last couple of days, and I was in Brussels watching it, it was a disgrace to the FBI. It was a disgrace to our country. And you would say that was a total witch hunt. Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you.
