The Patriot Post® · Wednesday Short Cuts

Insight: “If we are ever in doubt about what to do, it is a good rule to ask ourselves what we shall wish on the morrow that we had done.” —English statesman John Lubbock (1834-1913)

Demo-gogues: “There’s something deeply cynical about constant efforts to roll back progress. I understand folks being worried before [ObamaCare] was passed and there wasn’t a reality there to examine. But once you see folks having health care, you’d think it’d be time to move on.” —Barack Obama, the ultimate cynic

Race bait: “In 2015 America, African-American parents cannot possibly send their children out to play without genuine fear for their safety and lives, from the very authorities tasked with protecting them. … Being a kid is (or should be) one of our society’s most privileged positions, and there are few privileges of childhood more meaningful than the opportunity to play without worries, to enjoy a summer day on its own relaxed terms. This childhood luxury is becoming painfully, unmistakably intertwined with white privilege.” —Fitchburg State University professor Ben Railton

Turning the narrative inside out: “We have a significant population gap among African-American males because so many of them have spent time in jail and, as such, we can’t hire them.” —New York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton

Friendly fire: “It strikes me that awarding the Arthur Ashe Award to Caitlyn Jenner is just a crass exploitation play — it’s a tabloid play. In the broad world of sports, I’m pretty sure they could’ve found someone … who was much closer actively involved in sports, who would’ve been deserving of what that award represents.” —sportscaster Bob Costas

Late-night humor: “Over the weekend, Hillary Clinton supported raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour. She said every American should be able to afford to attend one of her speeches.” —Conan O'Brien