If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Shooting has not been outlawed as a sport, nor has it been excluded from the Olympics, but several members of US Olympic and Paralympic shooting teams are getting censored on Instagram. The reason is photos showing them and their firearms. One is Paralympian McKenna Geer, whose account has been “restricted” – so far, according to reports, without the possibility of appeal. The message notifying this user of Instagram’s censorship contains an appeal button – but “it doesn’t work.” “I have always feared the day the media would censor my sport and speech just because I use firearms. That day has finally come,” Greer said in a post, along with screenshots of Instagram’s notifications. In Greer’s case, three posts were flagged and are not being recommended to non-followers. In addition, the notice said, her account and content have been banished from Instagram’s Explore, Search, Suggested Users, Reels, and Feed Recommendations sections. The athlete was given the option to edit or remove the flagged posts, or “edit her profile” in order to remedy the situation. All this is happening just days before the start of the Paris Games, which will be followed by the Paralympics, and Greer wrote that athletes such as herself rely on social media to promote the sport, but also firearm safety. In addition, it is also a tool to build personal brands and secure sponsorships – and, given that the sport itself is far from providing competitors with a lucrative income, with actions like these, Instagram is undermining that aspect as well. “(I) received messages from the last 24 hours from athletes, Paralympic medalists, and up and coming shooters that can’t grow their following because of this,” Greer told Just the News. “Our social media presence can often be the avenue that pays for us to continue competing,” Greer, who won a medal in 2016 in Rio and participated in the Tokyo Paralympics, added. Greer got the USA Shooting PR involved, who got in touch with Meta. The giant responded with an email stating that they may allow a certain type of content, but choose not to get it recommended, and explained this as the need to “foster a safe community.” However, the USA Shooting media manager was unable to understand how that policy is violated by images showing Olympic and Paralympic athletes with their firearms. “Our athletes have never made any posts that insinuate any sort of violence, unsafe use of firearms, or an unsafe community,” the manager wrote. Meta’s response was that “posts that include regulated goods are not allowed on our platforms under any circumstances, even if they are non-threatening in nature. There may be some instances after appealing, where the decisions are overturned.” And they “encouraged” taking the appeals route, at the same time admitting they are aware Greer is unable to appeal – but did not know why, and were investigating. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post Instagram Restricts Paralympian Shooter Over Gun Content appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

A cat left outside in the blazing sun didn't know how to trust. He turned out to be the biggest softie and a kitten at heart. SunnyClifton Animal ShelterSunny, the cat, came to Clifton Animal Shelter with a broken heart that needed mending. He had been left in a trap outside the shelter door, hours before it opened.Volunteers were stunned to find him sitting in the blazing sun and rushed to get him inside. "He came to us very broken. At first, he did not trust any of us," Clifton Animal Shelter shared.After the ordeal, the cat was stressed and terrified. He wouldn't let anyone touch him and huddled quietly in his kennel, looking defeated. A couple of months after Sunny was rescued, he started taking treats from volunteersClifton Animal ShelterBehind his fearful exterior lay a sweet soul, eager to be loved. Volunteers saw a glint of hope in his eyes and made it their mission to help him. "We knew he deserved better, so we vowed to make a difference for him and teach him to trust us."Once they discovered his favorite food, they got right to work. It took another 2-3 months before he began accepting petsClifton Animal Shelter"Sunny loves lickable cat treats and fresh chicken - these have helped lower the walls he has put up after being treated so poorly."After a few months of tireless efforts, he began blinking at the volunteers, allowing them to stroke him and even showing them some belly. Through daily positive reinforcement, he slowly came out of his shell as he warmed up to his people. Clifton Animal Shelter"Our amazing volunteers have spent so many hours working with him and letting him know that not all humans will fail him."About five months into socialization, Sunny reached another milestone when he decided to take a leap of faith to cuddle. He cozied up with a volunteer on her lap and leaned into her for cheek scratches. One day, he decided to cuddle on a warm lapClifton Animal Shelter"We are so deliriously happy with the progress Sunny is making. He can be held now and even sat on a volunteer's lap. All it takes is love and patience."Then, earlier this year, he surprised his caregivers with yet another breakthrough - he switched on his purr engine for the first time. With his newfound confidence, he began to explore the world around him and reveal his playful and adventurous side. With his newfound confidence, his playful side also emergedClifton Animal ShelterHe fell in love with various cat toys, pouncing and chasing after them with new zest. "Sunny is getting a chance to be a kitten again, and we absolutely love it."With his growing interest in toys, they introduced him to more feline entertainment. Sunny was enthralled by videos and games on a screen and even put his paws on the devices like a proper businessman. He discovered a love for Cat TVClifton Animal ShelterIt's been over a year since Sunny came to the shelter. He's no longer that fearful cat they once knew but a giant love bug with kneady paws and a purr motor that never stops running."Sunny loves to be held. He holds onto you like a koala bear and likes to sit on laps or lay on your chest." He's blossomed into a giant cuddle bugClifton Animal Shelter"He likes to sit up high and watch things around him. His purr will just melt you. He wants a snuggle buddy in a quiet environment.""He now waits every day for us to come in and be with him, sitting at the front of the cage waiting for attention. He is looking for 'his person.'" Sunny waits for volunteers to shower him with snuggles every dayClifton Animal ShelterSunny, who is FIV+, is ready to embark on a new chapter with a caring family who will cherish and spoil him endlessly. He is ready to embark on a new chapter with a loving familyClifton Animal Shelter"Life has dealt Sunny a challenging hand, but his resilient spirit shines through those soulful eyes. Thanks to all the love and time our volunteers have given him, he has become the biggest mush." Clifton Animal ShelterShare this story with your friends. More on Sunny the cat and Clifton Animal Shelter (in NJ) on Instagram and Facebook.Related story: Shy Cats Depend on Each Other Their Whole Lives Meet Person Who Comes Back to Shelter Just for Them

Sorry, Pelosi Plotters: If POTATUS Quits, the Country Rates a 'Proof of Life'

Democrats and Republicans Unite: Cheatle Is an Embarrassment

Some House Democrats dedicated time during Monday's House Oversight and Accountability hearing on Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to push for gun control in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.The would-be assassin used an AR-style rifle, taking eight shots at Trump, with one bullet piercing the top of his right ear. Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) barely mentioned the shooter during his opening statement. In contrast, Raskin said "AR-15" nearly a dozen times and said mass shootings with AR-15s are the issue at hand.'I wanted to discuss one of the roots of political violence: Guns.' "A weapon that can be used to commit a mass shooting at an event under the full protection of the Secret Service together with dozens of state and local police is obviously an intolerable threat to the rest of us who do not receive such protection and obviously does not belong in our communities," Raskin said.Despite the shooter using his father's AR-15, Raskin still called for universal background checks and to close the gun show "loophole." — (@) Washington, D.C., Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton said, "I condemn the political violence. It is a threat to democracy. I wanted to discuss one of the roots of political violence: Guns."Norton then went on to criticize Republicans for their efforts to overturn D.C. gun laws. — (@) Cheatle got into a testy exchange with Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who began his line of question by stating, "There are some things my friends on one particular side of the aisle don’t really want to talk about, like AR-15s and access to them by a 20-year-old or anybody for that matter."Connolly then asked Cheatle if the ubiquity of firearms in the United States makes her agency's job of protecting political leaders more difficult. Cheatle said the threat of firearms is not unique because it is an environment the Secret Service operates in every day, a response that enraged Connolly because it didn't go along with his questions."I didn't ask that question. I'm not questioning the Second Amendment. I'm asking for a simple analysis. ... Please answer the question," Connolly said, repeatedly asking Cheatle if American's access to firearms makes her agents' jobs difficult.When Cheatle would not give Connolly a direct answer, Connolly accused her of avoiding the question and said that has become a reason not to have confidence in her continued tenure as director. — (@) Connolly said he is aware of political violence because his office was attacked by someone who used a bat.Cheatle admitted during the hearing that the shooting was "the most significant operational failure of the Secret Service in decades" but went on to say she is the best person to lead the law enforcement agency.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

In 1852, Frederick Douglass was invited to give a 4th of July speech in his hometown of Rochester, New York. After praising the framers of the Constitution and the nation they established, Douglass turned to the cruel hypocrisy of commemorating American independence while millions remained in the bondage he had only recently escaped, pointedly addressing white Americans in the second person:"What, to the American slave, is your Fourth of July? ... To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; ... There is not a nation on the Earth guilty of practices, more shocking and bloody, than are the people of these United States, at this very hour."If anyone had reason to condemn America as irredeemably lost, it would be a man like Douglass, legally reduced to chattel for the first 20 years of his life. And yet Douglass ended his speech with a stirring affirmation of faith in “the Declaration of Independence, the great principles it contains, and the genius of American Institutions.” He had the wisdom to distinguish the lasting ideals of the founders from the human wickedness that had perverted them. For Douglass, these ideals remained worth protecting; indeed, they are what allowed him to hope that his abolitionist cause would soon triumph. Ten years later, as the American Civil War raged, Douglass gave another 4th of July speech. This time, he used the third person plural, aligning himself with both his countrymen and the Founding Fathers and describing the Union effort as “continuing the tremendous struggle, which your fathers and my fathers began eighty six years ago.”Douglass had urged President Lincoln to let black soldiers fight for the Union since the war began. When the 1863 signing of the Emancipation Proclamation permitted this, two of Douglass' sons were among the 200,000 black Americans who enlisted. In a little less than two years, America will celebrate the 250th anniversary of its founding. As we contemplate that milestone from this particularly volatile moment in our history, may we ponder what divides us and, like Douglass, strive to discern the unity it conceals.

Marvel’s surrender to wokeness has all but ruined the franchise. Longtime comic book fans have fled for hills when their favorite MCU characters have been gender-bent, race-bent, or altered to be more socially acceptable. However, Disney+ will soon debut a new series called “Agatha All Along,” which follows Agatha Harkness, the villain from Marvel Studios’ "WandaVision.” Could “Agatha” reverse Marvel’s downward spiral? Lauren Chen, Blaze Media’s cinema critic, discusses the upcoming series. Disney's NEXT FLOP: 'Agatha' Trailer Breakdown www.youtube.com Although the series won’t drop until September, the trailer alone has Lauren fearing that the show will be yet another money pit. First, she doesn’t think the series will generate enough interest. “It's not like this was a particularly popular character in the comics and even in ‘WandaVision,’ the show that introduced her,” she says. Further, according to rumors Lauren is privy to, “the reason they're giving Agatha her own series is not just because she's potentially another girlboss character they can exploit, but also because they are hoping to resurrect Scarlet Witch in the MCU.” Even the show's producers seem wary about the series, given that it was announced in 2021 but is premiering three years later. “It definitely seems like the prolonged production period was due, at least in part, to uncertainty on behalf of the show's creators,” says Lauren, adding that the series “has had four different names at different points in time” – names that “had already been announced to the public,” further solidifying the theory that there’s an air of doubt surrounding the show. MCU fans are also skeptical about the series appearing to be “more horror-centric” than other MCU shows, but Lauren would enjoy a darker series “if Disney could pull it off.” As for the series’ wokeness meter, rumors have suggested that “they may make Agatha herself gay or at the very least bisexual,” says Lauren, referencing a Bounding into Comics article. “I think we should expect this show to be completely lockstep in line with the M-She-U as of late,” she predicts. “I personally cannot wait to see how much of a flop [‘Agatha All Along’] ends up being.” For all its faults, Lauren does see a couple of bright spots for the show. “It doesn’t look cheap,” she says. And Aubrey Plaza stars in it, but Lauren doubts that “she's going to be enough to save this series.” To hear more about “Agatha All Along,” watch the clip above. Want more from Lauren Chen?To enjoy more of Lauren’s pro-liberty, pro-logic, and pro-market commentary on social and political issues, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Theorists who believe the Moon landing was staged point to uneven shadows, the lack of stars in photos, and the famous picture of a waving flag as proof. The post Was The Moon Landing Fake? Inside The Conspiracy Theory That Man Never Walked On The Moon appeared first on All That's Interesting.

A Harris-Buttigieg Ticket? Donald Trump Would Be the LUCKIEST Politician in the World

AWFL Demands 'White Ladies' Vote for Kamala Because It's Up to White Women to Get a Black Woman Elected