The following is an edited transcript of a Morning Wire interview between Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley and Lora Ries, Director of the Border Security and Immigration Center at The Heritage Foundation. The concerns raised by citizens of Springfield, Ohio about the impact of a massive influx of Haitian migrants were amplified this week after former President Trump brought the town up in his debate with Vice President Harris. While the legacy media has attempted to dismiss the concerns raised by residents there, more details have emerged, revealing troubling and far deeper issues driving the crisis in the small Rust Belt town. We sat down with an expert to follow the money on mass migration in the U.S., and zero in on the Biden-Harris administration’s role in promoting it.  * * * JOHN: Joining us now is Lora Ries, Director of the Border Security and Immigration Center at Heritage. Lora, thanks for joining us. Now, there’s been so much attention on Springfield, Ohio this week because of the debate. We had a committee hearing on Tuesday night where a lot of people came forward from the community talking about situations that are extremely alarming, including some deaths. We’ve had the tragic death of the 11-year-old due to a Haitian migrant who was driving erratically, hitting a school bus. We also had a report that came out Tuesday night from one of the residents saying that her mother, she believes, was killed by a Haitian driver. But the overarching story here is that there are 60,000 people in this town and a reported 20,000 Haitians who are now working in the area, which is obviously a massive population and culture shift. What do we know so far about this situation? LORA: Yes, unfortunately, Springfield is just one example of so many communities, whether it’s small towns, but even large cities that have been suffering under the crush of humanity, dropped off in their communities and towns and cities throughout the country, under the Biden-Harris administration. Because when you look at the numbers that Customs and Border Protection reports – over 10.2 million enforcement actions, inadmissible aliens encountered nationwide, the vast majority of which are being released into the U.S. according to DHS Secretary Mayorkas. Plus another well over two million known “gotaways.” They’re coming to our towns, and so right now the spotlight is on Springfield, and rightly so, because American citizens there are suffering from too many people and too few resources. If you are literally increasing the population by one-third of people, no matter where they’re from, communities can’t sustain that. The public schools, the classrooms are overflowing with students, most of whom don’t speak English or it’s not their first language, which then triggers the need for translators and other services that the schools and districts weren’t prepared for and don’t have the money for. Same thing for healthcare, long waits in emergency rooms to see a doctor, to see a specialist – and the cost to all of this. And that doesn’t even get to the crime that the citizens there are reporting on and people being killed. So it is a microcosm right now in the spotlight and rightly so. And if it is waking up more Americans to what is happening under this administration due to their open border policies, then I’m glad more Americans are waking up to the situation. JOHN: Now again, the reports are around 20,000, specifically Haitians in this area. What have we seen from the Biden administration regarding their policy with Haitians in particular? LORA: So this population could have come in at least three different ways under this administration. First of all, the Secretary of Homeland Security has created dozens of immigration parole programs – unconstitutionally and unlawfully – to bring in tens of thousands of inadmissible aliens each month. One such program is for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans. And so each month, 30,000 aliens without visas from those four countries come into the U.S. and are resettled. So that’s one way this Haitian population could be in Springfield. Another is a program called Temporary Protected Status, which is, Congress intended it to be, about protecting foreign nationals who were already in the U.S. when either a natural disaster, like a volcano or a hurricane happens in their home country, or there are temporary emergency situations. And that’s the language, the clause that the Mayorkas DHS used for Haiti. The problem is this TPS gets extended over and over and over again, over sometimes decades for some countries. And so it is no longer “temporary.” It becomes a permanent form of relief. And Secretary Mayorkas also ”re-designates” Haiti, just did so, for TPS. Now re-designation is nowhere in the immigration statute. But what that does is it moves the date to more recent waves of Haitians who have illegally come into the U.S. to make them eligible for this protection. That was not the intent of Congress at all. The third way this population could be there is if they were resettled as refugees. However, many Haitians have not been in Haiti for a number of years. They were safely resettled in the third country, including Mr. Joseph, who was the one who killed the young boy and injured 20 other students on that school bus you mentioned. He left Haiti, I want to say in 2014, but he didn’t come to the U.S. until 2022. That means he was safely resettled in a third country and would not be eligible for refugee protection here in the U.S. LISTEN: Catch the full interview on the Saturday Extra edition of Morning Wire JOHN: And you made a point there that the people who have this protected status have come over illegally. They were illegal immigrants, then granted protected status after the fact, correct? LORA: Right. If you were here legally, you don’t need TPS. Right. So it’s, in essence, it’s for someone who’s here, either they snuck across the border or they came in with a visa and overstayed. But if they were here lawfully, they wouldn’t need TPS. For the parole, Mayorkas is mass paroling inadmissible aliens into the country. What that means is the law requires you to go get a visa with the State Department overseas and then come to the U.S. So all of these parolees do not have a visa because he’s directed would-be illegal aliens, “Hey, don’t cross illegally over the border between ports of entry. Use the CBP Mobile One application, make an appointment, go to a port of entry, and we will parole you in and give you work authorization.” For now they still don’t have visas. It doesn’t make them lawful. CBP is reporting those as enforcement actions. And so if they were here lawfully, CBP would not be reporting them. JOHN: Now, there’s been a lot of conflicting reports about what’s happening in Springfield. We have a reporter on the ground looking into many of them. One report we’re hearing is that residents are seeing migrants using specific debit cards or credit cards. If that’s true, where would those be coming from? Could they be coming from NGOs? LORA: They could be. We’ve seen that in other locations, New York City for example, but all the way throughout Mexico and Central America. The Biden-Harris administration has set up quite an infrastructure with NGOs from Panama North all the way to the U.S. and throughout the U.S. to facilitate this mass migration, and whether that’s transporting them, giving them debit cards. The UNHCR has been involved in giving debit cards to the migrants in Central America. We give billions of dollars through the State Department to UNHCR and other organizations. And so it’s consistent with that, I couldn’t pinpoint which NGO this Springfield population may have received such cards from, but it’s consistent with what this administration has been doing. JOHN: You know, we hear the term “non-governmental organizations,” but you’re saying they work in coordination with the federal government. And they receive federal funds, correct? LORA: Absolutely. Billions of dollars. This has truly become an industrial complex. These NGOs, including faith-based organizations, like Catholic Charities or Lutheran Immigrant Refugee Services or HIAS, the Hebrew equivalent, Church World Services, the list goes on and on. For many of these groups, they now receive more money through federal grants than they do from church donations and so they’ve become very addicted to it. Many of them, if not all of them, are 501c3, they’re tax exempt, and yet they’re spending money to hire lobbyists to advocate for more immigration and to lobby against immigration enforcement. So it’s become a very corrupt, but lucrative business for these groups that this administration relies so heavily on to carry out its open border agenda. JOHN: Have we seen any congressional action related to these NGOs? Are there any investigations going on to look into how these are being possibly abused? LORA: There have been some. There have been letters to organizations, to corporations. The most promising aspect was in H.R.2, the Secure the Border Act which the House passed in May of 2023. There was a section in there about defunding money to these NGOs that facilitate illegal immigration. It drew quite the debate when it was being considered in the House Homeland Security Committee. And the lobbyists that these NGOs hire came out in force to lobby against this provision calling for the stripping of funds. Of course, that bill now sits on Senator Schumer’s desk, not going anywhere. And then meanwhile, Congress continues to fund, through each year’s appropriations bill as well as the supplemental bill they passed this April for Ukraine and Israel. But it is billions of dollars going through multiple departments, whether it’s the State Department, DHS, Health and Human Services, for example, in the Ukraine, Israel supplemental. The State Department received $3.5 billion for “Vulnerable Populations” in the migration and refugee assistance. And the president’s International Disaster Assistance Fund for “Vulnerable Populations” received $5.6 billion. So these are slush funds that can be used easily to facilitate mass migration. Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here! JOHN: Now, finally, there’s been a lot of discussion about the sanctuary city status in some of these cities, particularly New York City as of late. Are some of these small towns sanctuary cities without people realizing it? Or do they have certain designations as places that are friendly to the resettlement of massive populations like this? LORA: It can be a range of how expressly political leaders declare the city or town to be a sanctuary locality. I mean, in some cases you have mayors going on the record – Athens, Georgia, mayor comes to mind, before Laken Riley was killed, being a sanctuary jurisdiction. But in other communities it could be simply a sheriff or a mayor directing law enforcement not to cooperate with ICE — if ICE places a detainer on a criminal alien to prevent a criminal from being released back onto the street. So it can be a de facto sanctuary jurisdiction, or it could be a very public express, sanctuary jurisdiction, where they pass a law or a resolution. JOHN: Final question – about the media’s coverage of this story. We’ve seen a dismissive and even aggressive attack on those highlighting this development in Springfield from the legacy media. What are we to make of that? LORA: There is plenty of evidence of citizens standing up at a town hall or commission meeting saying what is happening on the ground and asking their political leaders, “What do you expect from us? If you’re protecting these illegal aliens, who’s protecting us?” Plenty of video interviews of people who live in the community, citizens explaining what’s happening. And so for the media and the Left to gaslight or attempt to the rest of America saying, ”This really isn’t happening in Springfield, things are fine.” Well, that’s consistent with how they’ve been treating the open border for the past three plus years, but it’s not working. And to just dismiss the concern, real concerns of American citizens shows the contempt that the elite managerial class has for U.S. citizens and their “America Last” attitude. JOHN: Well, as I said, we’re on the ground there digging into this – and making sure those concerns get the attention they deserve. Lora, thank you so much for coming on, and we’d love to talk to you again. LORA: Sure, happy to. JOHN: That was Lora Ries, Director of the Heritage Border Security and Immigration Center – and this has been a Saturday Extra edition of Morning Wire.  *** LISTEN: Catch the full interview on the Saturday Extra edition of Morning Wire

CNN NewsNight anchor Abby Phillip interviewed liberal Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson on Friday and repeatedly tried to get her to attack her colleagues, first as sexists and second for undermining public confidence in the Court by overturning “precedent,” by which she just meant Roe v. Wade. Phillip recalled how, “other women who actually have reached your heights, for example, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg back in 2009. She told our colleague Joan Biskupic that even in spite of all of her extensive experience, her accolades, she didn't always feel like her male colleagues on the Court heard her voice. She said, ‘When I will say something and I don't think I'm a confused speaker, it isn't until someone else says it that everyone will focus on the point.’ I wonder, I mean, do you feel heard now?”     Perhaps disappointedly for Phillip and CNN’s audience, Jackson answered, “Yes, I do actually, and maybe that's just because I'm asserting myself. No, I haven't had that same experience on the Court.” Phillip then marveled, “And you are asserting yourself, asking more questions than many of your colleagues, writing forceful opinions. Is that -- is that intentional to assert yourself in this moment?” Jackson affirmed it was, “If I have a point I want to make, if I'm trying to ask my colleagues to consider an issue, then I feel very strongly that it's my obligation to speak up because this is an important seat and role, and I'm going to take full advantage of it.” The interview with Phillips was just the latest stop on Jackson’s book tour, which Phillip referenced when she tried to get Jackson to attack her conservative colleagues again, “You write in the book about this idea of precedent, which is coming up a lot lately. You talked about how your mentor, Justice Breyer, emphasized that judges are obligated to observe precedent. This Court has overturned precedent in some very significant ways. Is there a risk that in doing so, they could lose the confidence of the public?”     Jackson replied that, “precedent is very important. It is actually one of the constraints on judicial authority that has existed since the beginning of the Court. The idea that judges have limited power… Alexander Hamilton, for example, talked about, and I talk about this in the book a little bit, is that the judiciary would not be the most dangerous branch. In fact, it would be the least dangerous branch, in part because it was constrained in certain ways. And one of them is by understanding that when you get an issue, you're not looking at it cold.” By “precedent,” Phillip really meant abortion, “If years from now the composition of the Court were to change substantially and the issue of women's reproductive rights and abortion came back up, would it be appropriate for the court to revisit and perhaps even overturn the Dobbs decision?” After Jackson refused to discuss hypotheticals, Phillip tried again, “Part of the reason I'm asking these questions is, in this moment, so many Americans are looking at the courts. They see 6-3 decisions being handed down along what seems to be ideological lines. Do you have concerns about that perception that the public might think that legal differences are aligning so closely with political differences?” Jackson claimed “it is a concern for the Court… but at a sort of institutional level, the entire Court is concerned about that.” Earlier in the interview, Jackson discussed how race has impacted her life and her family living in Georgia under segregation, but segregation was a long-standing Supreme Court precedent that was also, rightly, overturned. Phillip should’ve asked about that, not just softballs about Roe. Here is a transcript for the September 13 show: CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip 9/13/2024 10:31 PM ET ABBY PHILLIP: Other women who actually have reached your heights, for example, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg back in 2009. She told our colleague Joan Biskupic that even in spite of all of her extensive experience, her accolades, she didn't always feel like her male colleagues on the Court heard her voice. She said, "When I will say something and I don't think I'm a confused speaker, it isn't until someone else says it that everyone will focus on the point." I wonder, I mean, do you feel heard now? KETANJI BROWN JACKSON: In the Court? PHILLIP: Yeah. JACKSON: Yes, I do actually, and maybe that's just because I'm asserting myself. No, I haven't had that same experience on the Court. PHILLIP: And you are asserting yourself, asking more questions than many of your colleagues, writing forceful opinions. Is that -- is that intentional to assert yourself in this moment? JACKSON: Well, you know, I was a judge for seven, eight years before I joined the Court. And for most of that time, I was a district judge, which is at the trial level. And you have your own courtroom. It's been a challenge, I think, to have that translate into the collective decision-making model of the Court. If I have a point I want to make, if I'm trying to ask my colleagues to consider an issue, then I feel very strongly that it's my obligation to speak up because this is an important seat and role, and I'm going to take full advantage of it. … PHILLIP: You write in the book about this idea of precedent, which is coming up a lot lately. You talked about how your mentor, Justice Breyer, emphasized that judges are obligated to observe precedent. This Court has overturned precedent in some very significant ways. Is there a risk that in doing so, they could lose the confidence of the public? JACKSON: Yes, I mean, you know, precedent is very important. It is actually one of the constraints on judicial authority that has existed since the beginning of the Court. The idea that judges have limited power. And one of the things that Alexander Hamilton, for example, talked about, and I talk about this in the book a little bit, is that the judiciary would not be the most dangerous branch. In fact, it would be the least dangerous branch, in part because it was constrained in certain ways. And one of them is by understanding that when you get an issue, you're not looking at it cold. PHILLIP: If years from now the composition of the Court were to change substantially and the issue of women's reproductive rights and abortion came back up, would it be appropriate for the court to revisit and perhaps even overturn the Dobbs decision? JACKSON: Oh, I'm not going to predict what would happen in the future. I can't say whether or not it's appropriate in the abstract. PHILLIP: Part of the reason I'm asking these questions is, in this moment, so many Americans are looking at the courts. They see 6-3 decisions being handed down along what seems to be ideological lines. Do you have concerns about that perception that the public might think that legal differences are aligning so closely with political differences? JACKSON: I think it is a concern for the Court, as an institution, because public confidence is basically all we have. You know, the Court does not have the power of the purse, it does not have an army, it can't make people enforce or follow its opinions. And so, it's really important for maintenance of the rule of law that people believe in the justices and their rulings especially in these very contentious cases. So, you ask me do I have a concern? Yes, but at a sort of institutional level, the entire Court is concerned about that.

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Researchers have revealed that unlocking the brain’s “neural code" could be the key to creating superhuman AI. A group of researchers with the Taylor and Francis Group says that building artificial intelligence (AI) that can surpass human capabilities is not only possible but could also happen sooner than we ever expected. Eitan Michael Azoff, an AI analyst, argues in his book that humans' “superior intelligence” is all tied to the neural code that makes our brains work. And, if we can figure out how to crack that code, we could replicate it to use in creating better, faster, and more capable AI. This, of course, is probably one of the biggest fears for people who are concerned AI will take over humanity, but there’s no discounting the capabilities of the human brain, either. Image source: Kilito Chan/Getty Images In fact, many have even tried to think of ways to blend machine and man, combining the mechanical power of machines and AI with the processing power of the human brain. Despite being a living organ, the brain can actually process data much faster than any processor out there. As such, many believe the key to superhuman AI lies in being able to bring that same power to AI processors. Azoff says that he hopes that computer simulations will be able to create a virtual brain that can emultate consciousness as a “first step,” while also remaining free of self-awareness. This could allow the AI to predict possible events and even recall past incidents more clearly. Additionally, it would allow for more visual thinking from the AI. AI doesn’t typically actually “think.” At least not in the way that humans do. Normally, they rely on the power of large language models (LLMs) like GPT 4o and Gemini to power what they do. But, if they can understand how the brain works and processes data, superhuman AI could possibly think for the first time. Of course, we’re probably still a ways off from pulling off such a feat. But that isn’t stopping some researchers from trying. Don't Miss: AirPods 4 announced with noise cancelling and more new features The post This is the breakthrough that may lead to superhuman AI appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals Best deals: Tech, laptops, TVs, and more sales Best Apple Watch deals for September 2024 Today’s deals: $129 Apple Watch Cellular, $750 Hisense 75-inch TV, $29 humidifier, $140 standing desk, more Today’s deals: $189 Apple Watch SE, $1,000 off Sony OLED TV, $350 Dyson V8 Plus, $30 JBL earbuds, more

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Missed the other parts? Find them here: Check out Part 1 Part 2 is here. Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Dear Diary, It’s me, Jessica. We got a cat. No.  Wait.  That is not right. As Mom said, “The cat adopted us.” I was helping Mom weed the gardens when I turned around, and there was this cat, out of nowhere, walking cat-like up to me and gave a small, “Meow.” I bent over, and it let me pick it up, putting its head on my left shoulder as I scratched it behind its ears.  It let out a purr like a small motor.  Carefully rubbing its belly, I turned it over to check its sex.  It was female.  I carried her into the house to feed it some of the leftover cured and hot smoked chicken Dad made yesterday.  She eagerly took the strips of chicken as I fed her.  She had a very interesting “splotch” like black and white pattern, so I decided to name her “Oreo.” I wanted to keep Oreo with us in the house, but Mom said, “No.  I do not want a mess in the house, and she needs to earn her keep by being a good mouser.” I was about to argue with her when something Billy said came to mind, “All the livestock earn their keep.  Cows, sheep, goats, hogs, rabbits, and chickens turn forage into milk, meat, or eggs.  The horses and beasts of burden are transportation or provide labor we cannot do at their kind of strength unless we use the tractor.  Eventually, we will run out of fuel.  They all fertilize the fields or provide compost for improvement of the gardens.” As much as I wanted Oreo to sleep with me, out she went.   I fed her every day with whatever we had for breakfast and dinner.  Otherwise, she was left to her own devices.  Dad built a small “house” for her on the front porch where she would sleep during the day.  I kept a bowl of water on top for her.  I would find “gifts” from her on the front porch in the form of a dead mouse or mole.   I saw her with a good-sized rat in her mouth as she took it away.   Oreo gets a few ear scratches every day from me, and treats too.  Joanna said she saw her around her house and garden too, sometimes finding a “gift.”  I asked her not to feed Oreo as I wanted her to be “my” cat.  Joanna smiled and said okay.   Dad had finished his outdoor oven and stove and was doing his first firing to “cure” it with a very intense fire when they also held the first community council meeting in our backyard.  It was a open meeting for anyone in the community to attend, but seemed kind weird.  The council stood and talked about what they were thinking as a group to everyone else who attended, sitting in camp chairs or even on the ground.   HAM guy reported they were still working on the community’s version of a Constitution.   Rae reported school would start the following week for the children.  We learned who was teaching what, and who was coaching sports or other activities.  I was assigned to teach reading to those under the age of ten and marksmanship with Jack.  For the past two weeks, Jack had been training me on how to be a good marksmanship instructor.  Breathing, natural point of aim, sight alignment, sight picture, squeezing the trigger, focus on the front sight, and, of course, safety.  It was only to be a basic course on marksmanship.  Advanced marksmanship would be taught at militia training.    Dad pointed to his oven and stove with their hot fire and said everyone was welcome to use them if they brought their own fuel and cleaned up afterward.   Mr. Miller talked about how he and the other farmers were planning on bringing livestock and crops to our community for trade and working with Sean to Four Corners.  He also spoke of how the farmers were putting into place a “breeding” program of livestock, horses, and even working dogs.  Jack had traded for two German Shepard puppies to raise and train as trackers and guardian dogs from one of the outlying farms.  The woman he traded the puppies for asked Jack to ask around at the market if anyone else had German Shepard dogs that could breed.  She wanted to avoid inbreeding and diversify the line.  Samson did not seem thrilled as the puppies playfully bit at his ears.  A low growl from Samson seemed to get the message to the puppies not to “play” with him.   Diary, the puppies were so cute! But their teeth were sharp! I could relate to Samson as one of them attacked my shoe. Its teeth went through the nylon mesh and nipped my big toe. Entry two It had been about two weeks since we had been to market, and what a change!   A group of men used axes to fell trees.  Another group would strip all the branches into a single long log.  Depending on the size of the branches some would be made into lumber, others used as firewood.  Nate took old sheets of thin metal and used hack saws to cut teeth into the sheets.  He then used files to sharpen the teeth, and attached wooden handles on both sides to make an eight-foot long wood saws.  He then made a “jig” to keep the saw straight while cutting the lumber out of the tree log.  Men would swap out as they tired from the effort of sawing a big log, giving the others well-deserved rest.  Another pair of men used files to sharpen the saws for maximum efficiency and swap them out when a saw became noticeably dull from the effort. There were a number of carpenters in the market who used their trade in trade to build weather-tight small stalls along the main road.  Some of the carpenters would build a stall with no trade for some of those who could or did not have the resources on hand out of charity.  Some of those who could not trade for their work, offered credit in the form of food as harvest came in, handmade clothing, or their own skills.  To ensure people kept their “word,” they would go to Sean to tell him of the deal, he would enter the deal into a ledger he began to keep, they both would sign the deal and he would after them.  While one’s word was generally good in Four Corners, this backed it up and ensured fair trade in the market. All of the carpenters used nails until all the nails had been used.  Then, they all got together with Nate to discuss how to solve their new problem.  One of the carpenters had been to Japan.  He took a tour of old temples and even some castles built with nothing so much as intricate wooden joinery that made dovetails look simple.  After much debate, they settled on a joint that would be strong, efficient and easy to construct.  Depending on the size of the structure, the main members would have to be larger to support both the cross members and the “skin” of the structure.   With the lumber available, a group of carpenters could put up a small structure in a few hours. Even two or three a day.   Dad and Jack have never ridden horses or were comfortable on them.  When Mr. Miller and Billy arrived at our house that morning with the horses for Rae and me, Dad and Jack had already left on foot at daybreak for the market.  We passed through East Gate giving our thanks to Tom and Collins and the others as we passed through, Tom, as always, noting on Rae and I “lovely presence,” with his flourishing bow of his ball cap. Collins just said, “Good morning.” Once out of earshot from East Gate, Rae leaned over to me and said, “I can’t decide if I am going to slap Tom or give him a kiss!”  We rode up to Sean to find he had expanded from him simple “log,” at the four corners, to his own covered “shack.”   A half dozen people were sitting on small logs before him, waiting to confirm a “deal.”  His banjo nowhere to be seen. After we tied up the horses to the picket line behind his shack, with a few other horses from other owners, I shouted from behind the logs that were waiting on Sean, “Dad?” “Nate,” he responded and hiked a thumb Southward.   I nodded and gave him a thumbs-up in thanks. He did not respond as he addressed the next “deal.” Mr. Miller caught Sean’s eye and nodded, meaning he wanted to have a word with him. He took up an empty space on a log and chatted with the others. I found Dad with Nate going over their drawings to build some kind of “mill” powered by the river for everything from lumber, to grain.  They kept going between three drawings and then penciling in for a new one, taking the best from the others.  Dad looked up to see I had arrived and gave me a quick smile.  Nate  gave a similar smile then they both went back to their intense discussion of how to build the mill. Knowing Dad and Nate were in their engineering mindset, oblivious to everything around them  Rae, Billy and I set off into the market to trade.  That is when we heard someone shout, “Trouble at North Gate!” Entry three Word passed quickly through Four Corners by word of mouth. Someone would shout out what the issue was and where, and the next person who heard it would then repeat it.   In less than thirty seconds, the whole market knew something was up. People began running in all directions. It seemed to me that everyone should be heading for North Gate, but I later learned that Sean and the sheriff had assigned everyone to a gate in case an attack at one gate was a “distraction” from the real threat. Having no assignment, Rae, Billy, and I ran for North Gate with others, unslinging our rifles as we went.  We arrived to find Jack and Samson already there in a rusted-out van that made up part of the Northern barrier.  Jack was looking through his binoculars through a broken-out window and, without looking at us, said, “Armed men on horseback.  I count fifty-three of them.  Wagons behind them.  This might be the group HAM guy heard about on the radio nets.” A week or so ago, HAM Guy got reports of a cult-like group who claimed, in the name of God, to convert sinners to their religion.  It was some kind of weird mash-up of different religions.  There were snakes involved.  Those who did not convert were killed in a ritual, sacrificed, or taken as slaves.  Especially women or young girls.  HAM Guy heard one report they would even sacrifice young girls and boys, but he thought that was really “out there.”  Jack said he would not be shocked or surprised if they did.   After what she had gone through when she was taken as a slave, Rae agreed with a cold look in her eyes. Winded, Sean ran up to the van. “What is going on, Jack?” Jack handed him the binoculars but kept his eyes on the men on horseback.   “Fifty-three of them.  Armed.  Likely more in  the wagons behind them.” “Think they will attack?” “Unless there are many more of them in the wagons or they have heavy weapons we’re not seeing, no.  Be stupid to attack a fortified position like this.” Then two men trotted their horses up, stopping just shy of the defensive trenches. One was dressed in all black, with a wide-brimmed hat and a white collar like a preacher. He held a book to his chest with what looked like a cross on it. He was surprisingly young.   The other man wore a long-sleeved white button-up shirt tucked into black pants.  He was older, with a touch of gray in his short hair.  Both were clean-shaven.  In a clear, commanding voice, the man in black announced, “I am the good reverend, Ishmael.  I lead the Children of Light, spreading the word of our Lord to all those we cross.  It was all our sins that turned us away from the face of our Lord.  Our hedonistic ways!  Our debauchery!  Turning from His Face, to technology for false salvation!  For our sins, He punished us by plunging us into darkness!  But not all is lost!  Just as it is the darkest before the dawn, a new day is here!  Lay down your arms, open your hearts, and welcome us to relieve you of your sins!”  He raised the book in one hand.  “It is our Lord’s will for me to show you the error of your ways!  To show you the righteous path!  To forgive you for your sins!  To show you the light of a new day!” Those behind him, some bowed their heads.  A few cried out, “Amen!” “I stand corrected,”  Jack said.  “They are not stupid.  Worse.  They are zealots.” The reverend, Ishmael, held his bible up before us all along the Northern barrier like a talisman.   “Well, I am the mayor,” Sean said.  “I suppose I should go out and talk with him.” “I will go with you,” Jack said. The two of them ducked out of the van, reached a narrow opening in the barrier, and walked up to the defensive trench, crossing the two men on horseback. “I am Sean, mayor of Four Corners.  This is my good friend Jack.” “Mayor, Jack,” Ishmael nodded.  “I have been sent by the good Lord to show you and the people of Four Corners the light of His word!  To forgive them of their sins!” “I was raised as a good Irish Catholic.  I know the good Lord’s word.  But some may not be so inclined to your interpretation of the good Lord’s word.  Nor would I.” Ishmael eyes hardened.  He leaned back in his saddle, holding the bible close to his chest. “All need forgiveness for their sins.  I am here to give it.” “Methinks they do not need your forgiveness.  They can do it themselves.” Jack watched them and the other man closely.  He later said the reverend, Ishmael, and Sean then began to exchange a flurry of bible scriptures, each trying to one-up the other in their religious debate Jack could not follow.  Jack was never religious but, as he said, “After my first firefight, I became spiritual.” Sean outmaneuvered Ishmael with script to the point that Ishmael got red in the face. The other man seemed to make a motion for his pistol, but Jack made a slight but equally meaningful motion with his rifle. Jack and the other man exchanged a long, hard look.   Ishmael took notice and looked around, seeing how exposed they were to the Northern barrier.  He then leaned forward, “It is our Lord’s will that I shall bring forgiveness to you and the people.  Accept it or face His wrath!”  The two men then spun their horses around and galloped off. Sean and Jack watched as they went. “That went well,” Sean said ironically. “We have a problem,” Jack responded.  “The gang was one thing.  These are true believers.  He is a religious leader but the other was a military tactician.  And a true believer.  That’s a dangerous combination.” Sean turned and walked back to the Northern barrier, Jack next to him. “What do we do?” “I don’t like it.  We may have to go on the offensicee.  I have always been one to defend a person’s freedom of religion even if I do not agree with that religion, but when it comes to someone forcing their religion on others, I cannot abide it.” “Things are going to get ugly.” “If Four Corners wants to survive, yes, it will.” Diary, after Jack said about not being shocked or surprised and Rae agreed with that look in her eyes, I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. About 1stMarineJarHead 1stMarineJarHead is not only a former Marine, but also a former EMT-B, Wilderness EMT (courtesy of NOLS), and volunteer firefighter. He currently resides in the great white (i.e. snowy) Northeast with his wife and dogs. He raises chickens, rabbits, goats, occasionally hogs, cows and sometimes ducks. He grows various veggies and has a weird fondness for rutabagas. He enjoys reading, writing, cooking from scratch, making charcuterie, target shooting, and is currently expanding his woodworking skills. The post Dear Diary, It’s Me, Jessica: Part 18 appeared first on The Organic Prepper.