The Patriot Post® · Wednesday Short Cuts

On this date in history: “In God We Trust” — Congress first authorized the official use of this phrase; it became the national motto in 1956

Non Compos Mentis: “People keep saying, ‘We need to have a conversation about race.’ This is the conversation. I want to see a cop shoot a white unarmed teenager in the back. And I want to see a white man convicted for raping a black woman. Then when you ask me, ‘Is it over?’ I will say yes.” —Pulitzer Prize-winning author Toni Morrison (She wants to see a white unarmed teenager get shot? Isn’t that, by definition, racism? For the record, police are more likely to kill whites than blacks.)

Dezinformatsia: “Mitch McConnell and others who are trying to obstruct climate protections will be regarded one day in the same way we think of 19th-century apologists for human slavery: How could economic interests blind them to the immorality of their position?” —Lexington Herald-Leader editorial

The BIG Lie: “It is not true that regulation holds poor people down or regulation keeps the middle class from advancing. That’s kind of patently bulls—.” —former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Wayne Crews estimates the regulatory state cost the economy $1.863 trillion in 2013. And we’re supposed to believe that doesn’t have any effect on economic mobility?)

Demo-gogues: “[T]here actually is probably less war and less violence around the world today than there might have been 30-40 years ago. It doesn’t make it any less painful. But things can get better.” —Barack Obama (See, his foreign policy is awesome!)

Late-night humor: “An intruder was arrested at the White House [this week] after trying to jump the fence. Authorities aren’t releasing the fence jumper’s identity, but they did say that she tore her pantsuit.” —Seth Meyers