This document is part of an archive of postings on Tongue Tied, a blog hosted by Blogspot who are in turn owned by Google. The index to the archive is available here or here. Indexes to my other blogs can be located here or here. Archives do accompany my original postings but, given the animus towards conservative writing on Google and other internet institutions, their permanence is uncertain. These alternative archives help ensure a more permanent record of what I have written.
This is a backup copy of the original blog
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press" -- 1st amendment
May 31, 2022No more Fort Bragg
North Carolina’s Fort Bragg will be renamed Fort Liberty, according to a new list released Tuesday by the Naming Commission.
Fort Bragg located in North Carolina is changing its name to Fort Liberty after an independent commission deemed the name Bragg was insensitive and racist.
The base’s commission had been formed as officials considered the names of nine U.S. military posts that were named after people with ties to the Confederacy.
Fort Bragg is named after Gen. Braxton Bragg, a Confederate officer, and North Carolina native.
An independent commission is recommending new names for nine Army posts that commemorated Confederate officers.
Fort Bragg would become Fort Liberty. Fort Gordon would be Fort Eisenhower. And, for the first time, Army bases would be named after Black soldiers and women. An independent commission on Tuesday recommended new names for nine Army posts that now commemorate Confederate officers.
The recommendations are the latest step in a broader effort by the military to confront racial injustice, most recently in the aftermath of the May 2020 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Fort Bragg, in North Carolina, is the only base that wouldn’t be named after a person. Two others would be named after Black soldiers, and three would include women’s names. Fort Gordon in Georgia would get the most well-known name — commemorating President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who led allied forces in Europe in World War II.
Other proposed renamings would honor lesser-known heroes, including several who received the Medal of Honor, the military’s highest award. Fort Polk, in Louisiana, would be renamed Fort Johnson, after Sgt. William Henry Johnson, a Black Medal of Honor recipient who served in the Army in World War I.
https://independentminute.com/2022/05/28/why-they-are-changing-fort-braggs-name-is-totally-insane/
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My other blogs. Main ones below:
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)
https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)
https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)
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Monday, May 30, 2022Wimbledon to drop 'Mrs' and 'Miss' before names on women's honour roll boards in line with men's presentation
Wimbledon will replace its honour roll boards before next month's tournament — to remove the marital titles "Mrs" and "Miss" that have been used in front of women's names — in order to bring them into line with the men's boards.
The grand slam event was recently stripped of rankings points for its ban on Russian and Belarusian players
Since the tournament began in 1877, the honorific denoting marital status has always been given to women players while men have been listed on the boards with just their first initial and surname, meaning last year's men's singles winner Novak Djokovic is presented as "N. Djokovic".
The women's champions, meanwhile, have always had an honorific denoting their marital status, so 2021 women's singles winner Ash Barty is listed as "Miss A. Barty".
Former grand slam winner Chris Evert was listed as "Mrs. J.M. Lloyd" when she won the 1981 Wimbledon title after marrying John Lloyd, while her name both before her marriage and after their divorce in 1987 reads as "Miss C.M. Evert". The rule change means she will now be referred to as "C.M. Evert" for all three titles.
The All England Lawn Tennis Club has made moves in recent years to modernise and equalise the game after coming under increased criticism for being outdated.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-27/wimbledon-to-drop-mrs-and-miss-on-honour-roll-board/101104172
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My other blogs. Main ones below:
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)
https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)
https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)
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Sunday, May 29, 2022Woman bullied by Twitter: Social media giant sides with trans rights activists in free speech war
Twitter has today been hauled into a free speech row after locking a feminist entrepreneur out of her account over a Tweet which she claims 'quotes UK law'.
Angela Wild says she is no longer allowed to use her business account after Tweeting: 'All men should be banned from women-only spaces - and they are'.
She says the comment is a quote of UK equality law - which allows single sex services to be provided in certain circumstances.
However she claims the social media giant has suspended her profile until she agrees to delete the Tweet, which moderators say breaches the site's 'hate speech' rules.
The 44-year-old businesswoman, who uses the Twitter account to promote her company's feminist art and clothing, says she has pleaded her case with the social media firm in a bid to get her account back.
However she claims moderators have told her she will not be able to wrestle back full control of account - which has more than 11,000 followers - until she deletes the Tweet.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10860507/JK-Rowling-shares-support-feminist-friend-sabotaged-trans-activists.html
Friday, May 27, 2022Kansas Town Reverses Decision, Will Keep ‘In God We Trust’ on Police Cars
The small city of Haven, Kansas, was bustling Monday evening as residents and journalists gathered for a City Council meeting. On May 3, council members hastily voted to remove the “In God We Trust” decals from police vehicles. But the residents responded to this move with great resistance.
Mayor Adam Wright said he received more than 100 emails from citizens who opposed the abrupt removal of the national motto from police vehicles. Now they packed the community center to voice their thoughts on the move and witness a re-vote.
In support of Haven residents, FRC Action launched a petition last week to inform its nationwide readers of the matter and encourage civic engagement.
Brent Keilen, FRC Action vice president, reports that 19,568 people signed the petition and more than 500 of those were individuals in Kansas.
Carrying a heavy folder with the names of all who took a stand against the council’s decision, the Family Research Council’s Tim Throckmorton arrived at the meeting last night. Since he is not a resident of Haven, Throckmorton would not ordinarily be permitted to address the attendees, but Wright gave up his time for the Family Research Council’s representative to speak.
In his brief remarks, Throckmorton emphasized that approximately 250 law enforcement offices around the country have “In God We Trust” on their vehicles. He talked about the growing concern that God is being removed from the public square at every level and ended by delivering a stack of papers with the names of each of the 19,568 petitioners. The attendees erupted in applause.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2022/05/18/kansas-city-reverses-decision-will-keep-in-god-we-trust-on-police-cars
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My other blogs. Main ones below:
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)
https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)
https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)
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Thursday, May 26, 2022University of Illinois Chicago wants to ban the word 'obesity' because focusing on body size is 'rooted in racism'
Multiple woke academics now claim the word 'obesity' is racist and should be dropped in favor of 'people with larger bodies.'
The University of Illinois Chicago's school of public health published a health brief titled: 'Addressing weight stigma and fatphobia in public health' that explored 'the association between racism, weight, and health.'
According to Amanda Montgomery RD, public health's focus on preventing obesity has brought in an increase of negative attitudes towards 'people with larger bodies' - her preferred alternative term - and is currently one of the only socially acceptable forms of discrimination.
The brief claims that public health approaches related to obesity can be harmful because of the focus on one outcome - weight loss- and because it tends to ignore the root cause of the issue.
Academics say many of the causes are rooted in discrimination borne of settlers driving Native Americans off their land, then forcing black and Hispanic workers to farm that land for low pay.
America is the fattest country in the western world with an estimated 40 percent of people — or 138 million — being obese. It is followed by New Zealand (30 percent), Canada (29.4 percent) and Australia (29 percent).
There is statistical evidence that the illness disproportionately affects minority groups, with white people up to six times less likely to suffer from diabetes than Americans who are black, Latino or Native American.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10829285/Woke-experts-warn-word-obesity-RACIST-suggest-people-larger-bodies-instead.html
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My other blogs. Main ones below:
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)
https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)
https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)
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Wednesday, May 25, 2022Democrats’ National Abortion Bill Replaces Word ‘Woman’ With ‘Person’
Once again, YouTube is trying to affect Americans’ access to the news.
Former President Donald Trump spoke at The Heritage Foundation’s Annual Leadership Conference in Florida on April 21. (The Daily Signal is the news outlet of The Heritage Foundation.)
Trump discussed “rising inflation, disruptions in the supply chain, a southern border overrun by ‘millions’ of illegal immigrants, America’s lower standing in the world, and emboldened enemies,” reported The Daily Signal’s Fred Lucas.
But if you want access to what Trump actually said, forget finding it on YouTube.
The tech giant, which has previously censored videos from both The Heritage Foundation and The Daily Signal, removed the speech from its platform Monday. A YouTube representative emailed The Heritage Foundation that the video was taken down “because it violated our policies pertaining to elections misinformation.”
“Namely, the video contains claims that the 2020 election was ‘rigged’ because of voter fraud,” added the representative.
Kevin Roberts, president of The Heritage Foundation, tweeted, “Big Tech is an enemy of the people, and needs to be held accountable with policies that hit them where it hurts.”
Clearly the video was of enormous public interest—Trump’s words had already garnered over half a million views. And if the people watching—or anyone else—felt Trump’s claim on the 2020 election or anything else was wrong, they were free to speak up in the comments, or record their own video response.
That’s how the public square should work: There should be robust conversation and debate.
And that goes for both sides. I don’t want YouTube taking down videos of President Joe Biden, for instance, making the ludicrous claim, that has no grounding in reality, that the “MAGA crowd” was interested in hurting LGBT kids. “What happens if you have a state change the law saying that children who are LGBTQ can’t be in classrooms with other children?” Biden asked last week.
Why don’t I want it taken down? Because when the president says it, it’s newsworthy. It’s historic. It’s something we need to talk about, not pretend, in some Orwellian fashion, that it never occurred.
Unfortunately, YouTube seems hellbent on censoring conservatives
https://www.dailysignal.com/2022/05/09/youtube-censors-donald-trump-speech-at-heritage-foundation-event
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My other blogs. Main ones below:
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)
https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)
https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)
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Tuesday, May 24, 2022University lecturer who called Sikhs ‘you lot’ and colleague’s turban ‘a bandage’ struck off
A senior paediatric nursing lecturer has been struck off after he had made comments to a Sikh colleague mocking his religion.
Maurice Slaven has been stripped of his nursing licence by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) – after a 22-year-long career – for racially harassing his co-worker from 2016 to 2018, including by referring to his turban as a hat and a bandage.
The former lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University, in Cambridge, also referred to Sikhs as “you lot”, made jokes about the religion’s founder Guru Nanak, and made comments about Sikh children using “swords”, an NMC tribunal heard.
Mr Slaven, who admitted the allegations but did not attend the hearing, claimed his comments were “banter between friends”.
Referring to his colleague’s turban, the NMC heard that Mr Slaven said: “why aren’t you wearing your bandage?”. He also asked, “where’s your hat?”, before insisting “no, it’s a hat” when his colleague corrected him.
He also told his co-worker – who the tribunal referred to as ‘Colleague 1’ – “you seem to take all the religious holidays off, and even Christmas and that’s not your holiday” and “you lot, Sikhs, have all these religious holidays”.
When discussing a charity appeal for toys for Sikh children, Mr Slaven said: “What Sikh toys? Do you mean daggers, knives and swords?”
The Kirpan is a curved sword that is one of the five articles of faith that Sikhs must wear at all times.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/sikh-religion-turban-racial-harassment-b2085702.html
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My other blogs. Main ones below:
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)
https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)
https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)
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Monday, May 23, 2022Ex world boxing champion Glenn McCrory is charged with using threatening and abusive behaviour after calling two teenage waitresses 'pet'
In some parts of Britain, "Pet" is a common way of addressimg a woman. It's actually friendly
Former world boxing champion Glenn McCrory has been arrested and charged with using threatening and abusive behaviour after allegedly calling two teenage waitresses 'pet'.
Mr McCrory, 57, is said to have insulted the two girls at a £5,000-per-head VIP dinner held at the London Academy of Excellence on September 25, sources told the Mirror.
The fighter, from County Durham, has denied the allegations.
Mr McCrory had been a guest of honour at the dinner, held in part of Tottenham's Lilywhite House, before Anthony Joshua's world heavyweight match against Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium eight months ago.
An official complaint was made to the Metropolitan Police about the former Sky Sports pundit's alleged remarks, the Mirror reported.
Mr McCroy was charged in March, and appeared at Highbury magistrates last month accused of using 'threatening, abusive or insulting words to cause harassment, alarm or distress', the news website reported.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10841843/Ex-world-boxing-champion-Glenn-McCrory-charged-calling-two-teenage-waitresses-pet.html
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My other blogs. Main ones below:
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)
https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)
https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)
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Sunday, May 22, 2022I’m a Black Scholar Who Studies Race. Here’s Why I Capitalize ‘White.’
I haven’t always capitalized the ‘W’ in my own writing, but I do now
In recent days, multiple well-respected journalistic outlets have announced to much fanfare that, having reflected on the rapidly shifting American racial landscape, they will be capitalizing “Black” as designations for people and cultures. Some have also clarified why they’re not capitalizing “white.”
“Black is an ethnic designation; white merely describes the skin color of people who can, usually without much difficulty, trace their ethnic origins back to a handful of European countries,” wrote Mike Laws in the Columbia Journalism Review on June 16, before the article was updated with revised language. Dean Baquet and Phil Corbett of the New York Times wrote that “there is less of a sense that ‘white’ describes a shared culture and history.”
Unfortunately, this choice runs the risk of reinforcing the dangerous myth that White people in America do not have a racial identity.
I haven’t always capitalized “White” in my own writing, but I do now. Here’s why.
Whiteness is not only an absence. It’s not a hole in the map of America’s racial landscape. Rather, it is a specific social category that confers identifiable and measurable social benefits.
https://zora.medium.com/im-a-black-scholar-who-studies-race-here-s-why-i-capitalize-white-f94883aa2dd3
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My other blogs. Main ones below:
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)
https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)
https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)
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Friday, May 20, 2022Jokes are very dangerous these days
A young social media manager for a global brand has apologised after being smashed for a joke about alleged domestic violence victim Amber Heard.
Actress Amber Heard, 36, is being sued by actor Johnny Depp, 58, for $US50million ($A67m) for implying he abused her in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed.
Although she did not name him, he claims her allegations are false and cost him lucrative movie roles.
Heard is countersuing for $US100 million (A$134m), claiming she suffered “rampant physical violence and abuse” at his hands.
The high-profile case, which is being heard at Fairfax County Court House in Virginia near Washington DC, has been broadcast online.
It means members of the public have been active viewers and many have taken sides. Heard has been the target of criticism on social media platforms, especially TikTok, over her testimony.
But when the language-learning app Duolingo waded into the commentary it backfired spectacularly.
The brand wrote: “Yall think Amber watches Tik Tok?”
But PR and marketing expert Chris Harihar made the comment go viral when he shared it on Twitter with the following message: “On what planet does a brand - even @duolingo
- think it’s cool to crack jokes about an alleged victim of domestic violence? The Depp fandom bubble on TikTok is very real but no brand should get anywhere near it.”
The brand’s young social media manager responded, apologising and explaining that the comment had been deleted.
“I made a mistake, it’s deleted and I’m listening. I’m 24 — a yr out of college — managing an account that I didn’t expect to grow how it did & learning social responsibility on a curve. Taking full ownership. It’s an early career lesson for me and I’m learning to be better,” the staff member wrote.
https://www.couriermail.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/languagelearning-app-duolingo-makes-joke-about-alleged-domestic-violence-victim-amber-heard/news-story/22ad4adabafd84c9156a3b385da7f6be
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My other blogs. Main ones below:
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)
https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)
https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)
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Thursday, May 19, 2022Middle schooler, 13, is terrified he'll be shunned by colleges after he was accused of sexual harassment for using wrong pronoun when talking to non-binary classmate
A teenager fears he'll be shunned by colleges after his school accused him of sexual harassment for using the wrong pronoun when talking to a non-binary classmate.
Braden Rabidoux, from Kiel in Wisconsin, spoke out after he was hit with a Title IX complaint for referring to the student as 'she' rather than 'they' or 'them.'
Speaking to Fox News Wednesday, he said: 'I was anxious and scared and upset because I didn’t know what was going to happen. 'But mostly anxious for my present self and my future self because a charge like that on my record could shatter my chances at getting into a college when I grow up.'
Braden and two of his classmates, who have not been named, were hit with the complaint earlier this month. They were said to have been berated by the non-binary classmate who screamed abuse at the three students for using female pronouns instead of gender-neutral ones.
Using the wrong pronoun for a transgender or non-binary person is known as misgendering.
Braden insisted it was his First-Amendment right to refer to his classmate using whatever pronouns he wished to.
His family have now instructed lawyers to fight the charge. Luke Berg, from the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, said the allegations are 'a gross misapplication of Title IX sexual harassment charges.'
He added: 'Sexual harassment covers really egregious stuff, not simply using the so-called wrong pronoun.
'The school’s theory seems to be that any use of a wrong pronoun is automatically punishable speech under Title XI, and if that is truly their position, that is a truly egregious First Amendment violation.'
Meanwhile, Braden's mother Rosemary Rabidoux, who joined him for the Fox News interview, blasted plans by a woke Virginia school district to suspend students for 'malicious misgendering.'
Rosemary said: 'This is middle school. These guys are kids, they’re learning how to interact with each other, and they’ve been taught all their life to see a girl and use pronouns "she" and "her." They don’t understand using plural pronouns for one student," she said.
'Schools should be focused on education, on math and science and social studies, and not … pronouns.'
Last week, Rosemary told of her horror at being contacted by Braden's school with the sexual harassment complaint. She said: 'I immediately went into shock! I'm thinking, sexual harassment? That's rape, that's inappropriate touching, that's incest. What has my son done?
'(The investigating principal) said he's being allegedly charged with sexual harassment for not using proper pronouns. I thought it wasn't real! I thought this has got to be a gag, a joke — one has nothing to do with the other.
Asked whether Rabidoux and her son were anti LGBTQ, Rosemary quickly rose the defense of her family. 'Not at all. Not at all! My children have been raised to love everybody equally,' she said.
Kiel School District has refused to comment on the incident, other than to say that it does not tolerate bullying.
A spokesperson added that district officials 'continue to support ALL students regardless of sex (including transgender status, change of sex or gender identity)'.
The Wisconsin Institute of Law and Liberty's full letter to the school blasting its action against the boys' has also been published.
It says: 'The mere use of biologically correct pronouns not only does not constitute sexual harassment under Title IX or the District's own policy, it is also speech protected by the First Amendment,' a May 12 letter to the school superintendent, counselor, and principal reads.
'The District has also violated Title IX procedures and its own policy in its handling of the complaint. The District should promptly end the investigation, dismiss the complaints, and remove them from each of the boys' records,' the letter added.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10829443/Boy-13-misgendered-non-binary-classmate-says-hes-scared-wont-college.html
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My other blogs. Main ones below:
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)
https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)
https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)
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Wednesday, May 18, 2022Wikipedia Deletes Page of Top US Senate Candidate
Wikipedia editors deleted a page for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kathy Barnette after arguing she is not a notable person.
Barnette’s page was later restored, but could be deleted at any time, editors said.
Discussion was triggered in April 2021, when an editor said that the references on the page “do not establish notability beyond routine campaign coverage.”
Another editor agreed, saying Barnette had “not received an unusual amount of national-level coverage,” pointing to a page for former Republican Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell. “Obviously, if Barnette wins the election the article can be recreated,” the editor said.
Editors cited Wikipedia guidelines outlining “notability,” which state that being a candidate for political office “does not guarantee notability.”
The page was deleted but later restored.
On May 9, an editor deleted the page again.
Within 24 hours, a different editor stepped in to restore the page.
No reasons were given for the deletion or the restoration.
The Wikimedia Foundation, a nonprofit that manages Wikipedia, did not respond to a request for comment.
Several other candidates, including Republican businessman Jeff Bartos, do not have Wikipedia pages.
A note on Barnette’s page says it may be deleted at any time by editors without further discussion.
Barnette, a military veteran who is seeking to become the first black U.S. senator representing Pennsylvania, took note of what happened, telling supporters, “When they cancel me, they’re cancelling you.”
“No one said this would be easy. They don’t like giving up power. They forget that the true power is with the people, though,” she wrote on Twitter.
Voters are set to head to the polls on May 17 to choose which candidates to pick in the primaries.
Barnette is one of about half a dozen candidates vying to get the Republican nomination.
Dr. Mehmet Oz and businessman David McCormick are among the others.
Recent polls indicate Barnette has gained traction since the recent release of a Supreme Court draft opinion that suggests the court is poised to strike down Roe v. Wade. Barnette had 23 percent in a Trafalgar Group survey, behind only Oz.
Barnette’s mother was just 11 years old when she was raped but she chose to have Barnette rather than get an abortion.
Barnette has said she’s pro-life and would oppose abortion restrictions.
Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Pa.) and Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman are among the Democrats seeking the Democrat nomination for the seat.
The open election comes after Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) announced he will not seek reelection.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/wikipedia-deletes-page-of-top-us-senate-candidate_4457707.html
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My other blogs. Main ones below:
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)
https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)
https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)
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Tuesday, May 17, 2022Calling men ‘bald’ at work now considered sexual harassment in the UK
Insulting a man for being bald in the workplace amounts to sex harassment in the UK, a panel of balding judges have ruled, according to a report Thursday.
Hair loss is far more common among men than women, so using the term is “inherently related to sex” — and equivalent to commenting on the size of a woman’s breasts, the employment tribunal said, according to the UK Telegraph.
The finding — made by three judges who lament their own lack of locks in the judgment — came in the case of an electrician, Tony Finn, who sued a small Yorkshire-based family business over the term.
Things first got hairy when one of Finn’s supervisors, Jamie King, allegedly called him a “fat bald c—” and he was later fired from the West Yorkshire-based British Bung, which makes wooden cask plugs, according to the outlet.
The accusation resulted in the panel, headed by Judge Jonathan Brain, deliberating on if King’s baldness bash was simply insulting — or rose to the level of harassment.
“In our judgment, there is a connection between the word ‘bald’ on the one hand and the protected characteristic of sex on the other,” the tribunal said. “We find it to be inherently related to sex.”
The finding also declared that criticizing Finn for his hairless head was “degrading” and “humiliating.”
“This is strong language. Although, as we find, industrial language was commonplace on this West Yorkshire factory floor, in our judgment Mr. King crossed the line by making remarks personal to the claimant about his appearance.”
https://nypost.com/2022/05/12/calling-men-bald-at-work-now-considered-sexual-harassment-in-the-uk/
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My other blogs. Main ones below:
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)
https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)
https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)
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Monday, May 16, 2022Op-Ed Says George Washington University Has to Change Its Name
How did this ever get published—and in The Washington Post no less? You don’t have to publish woke garbage, guys? Twitter is not the real world. Social media may make your marketing and communications teams be flooded with progressives frothing with rage, but there’s a shelf life to that nonsense. It goes away.
On this, a bunker mentality should be adopted because this opinion piece about how George Washington University is exactly what you’d expect from the woke Left who thinks that the erasure of American history is the cure to the dark times we’ve had as a nation. They can’t see the forest through the trees. We’ve made progress. Is there more work to be done? Sure—but the woke Left is addicted to being perpetually miserable.
We have moved past the dark days of Reconstruction and Jim Crow. And no, voter ID laws are now Jim Crow. This op-ed which was written by some senior is just a list about this, that, and the other regarding what’s wrong with the school.
It’s a window into the soul of these people—hapless, lifeless, and totally without joy. The only joy woke left-wingers feel comes from their endless crusades in making others as miserable as they are
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2022/05/11/we-knew-this-was-coming-oped-says-george-washington-university-has-to-change-its-name-n2607055
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My other blogs. Main ones below:
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)
https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)
https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)
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Sunday, May 15, 2022Democrats’ National Abortion Bill Replaces Word ‘Woman’ With ‘Person’
Democrats’ latest abortion bill does not include the words “woman,” “women,” or “female.” Instead, the bill uses the word “person” to refer to those who bear and give birth to children.
Although Schumer insisted abortion is a “woman’s right,” the legislation states that its purpose is to “protect a person’s ability to determine whether to continue or end a pregnancy.”
“Nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize any government to interfere with a person’s ability to terminate a pregnancy,” the bill explains, “to diminish or in any way negatively affect a person’s constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy, or to displace any other remedy for violations of the constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy.”
A 2021 version of the bill used the word “women” in the text 13 times. But it also clarified that the “terms ‘woman’ and ‘women’ are used in this bill to reflect the identity of the majority of people targeted and affected by restrictions on abortion services.”
“However,” the 2021 bill continued, “access to abortion services is critical to the health of every person capable of becoming pregnant.”
https://www.dailysignal.com/2022/05/10/democrats-national-abortion-bill-replaces-word-woman-with-person/
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My other blogs. Main ones below:
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)
https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)
https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)
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Friday, May 13, 2022Parasitic worms get sucked into gender bias row amid claims of names being sexist
Parasitic worms have been sucked into the gender bias row after a report claimed the naming of the creatures was sexist.
A team of scientists, led by parasitologist Robert Poulin, scoured studies in eight journals published between 2000 and 2020.
Around 2,900 species were discovered during that period - with 200 in 2007 alone.
However, of the 596 species named after eminent scientists, only 111, or 19%, recognised women, according to the experts from New Zealand's University of Otago.
And of 71 scientists honoured in the Latin names of two or more species, only eight were women.
Eight scientists who had lent their names to six or more species were men.
"We found a consistent gender bias among species named after eminent scientists, with male scientists being immortalised disproportionately more frequently than female scientists," said the study, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
It said that the gender bias had shown "no evidence of improving over time in the past two decades".
They also cited a problem with "etymological nepotism and cronyism" in the naming of helminths.
https://news.sky.com/story/parasitic-worms-get-sucked-into-gender-bias-row-amid-claims-of-names-being-sexist-12610468
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My other blogs. Main ones below:
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)
https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)
https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)
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Thursday, May 12, 2022Expanding on the consent of the governed
Now a new and (I think) much needed expression: ‘disagreement consent’. It’s a play on a more familiar expression I learned from Nigel Farage: ‘loser’s consent’. In a speech he gave in Sydney he said that ‘democracy depends on loser’s consent’ – something the Democratic Party failed to do spectacularly in 2016, and were then surprised to see Donald Trump spring back on them in 2020.
If ‘loser’s consent’ is essential to the working of democracy, ‘disagreement consent’ is essential to civilised discourse. The reason social media is so angry and bitter is because of the absence of ‘disagreement consent’.
If we are to start teaching students about ‘consent’ perhaps it could be extended from moments of intimacy to moments of debate. Perhaps they could be taught that a condition of taking part in public debate is that you give your consent to others to disagree with you.
It’s a simple expression (and not a complicated idea) but without it the public square becomes the scorched earth of a bitter battle zone
https://spectator.com.au/2022/05/language-12/
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My other blogs. Main ones below:
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)
https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)
https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)
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Wednesday, May 11, 2022Reddit Censors Forum That Makes Leftists Look Like Nazis
The radical left is driven purely by hate. They don’t try to hide it as they openly scorn straight white men for merely existing.
When one forum on Reddit sought to expose that vile hatred from the left, it found itself censored by the platform.
The forum, Men Kampf, was temporarily banned from the platform before it was quietly brought back to the site without any explaination.
The forum’s name is a play on the title of Adolf Hitler’s infamous screed “Mein Kampf” and seeks to highlight just how terribly the left treats people it doesn’t like by replacing all instances of the words white, straight, or male in an article with the words “Jew,” “Jewish,” and “Jewishness.”
Frequently, the results sound like they could have been straight out of Nazi propaganda.
In one example, users replaced the word “whiteness” with “Jewishness” in an article in the left-wing black-oriented site The Root to horrific results.
“Jewishness is a public health crisis,” the altered text begins before concluding, “the only way to stop it is to locate it, isolate it, extract it, and kill it.”
In another example, parodying Vice magazine, jokingly altered to Weiss Magazine to reflect the German word for white, a user changes the original “white people” to “Jewish people” in an article arguing racism against Caucasians isn’t real.
“Dear Jewish People, Please Stop Pretending Racism Is Real” reads the altered title. “It’s literally impossible to be racist to a Jewish person.”
An edited headline and text from Vice. The name Vice has been changed to Weiss as a play on words with the German word for white.
The contrast is jarring. Is the rhetoric of the modern left really that similar to how Nazis referred to Jews? Men Kampf clearly showed that it was, which exposed the radical left for the hateful people they are.
As such, the forum clearly couldn’t be allowed to remain online.
According to Astro4545, a moderator of the forum before it was temporarily removed from the site, Reddit’s actions against Men Kampf took everyone completely off-guard.
“This ban was completely random for us,” he said in an interview with The Daily Signal. “We had no warnings or communication from the admins before it occurred.”
Another moderator, Kuato2012, said that while they never heard directly from the site administrators before the banning, the message that displays when they try to access the forum says it was removed for “promoting hate.”
“That’s an ironic pretense, considering that it was obviously an ‘anti’-hate [forum], whose purpose was to point out sexist and racist speech,” Kuato2012 told The Daily Signal.
He added that Reddit had previously taken action against other forums that exposed those on the radical left for their hatred.
“Several months ago, I also used to [moderate a forum called] r/misandry, which was intended to expose contemporary sexism against men in a more thoughtful, non-satirical manner,” Kuato2012 said, “I say ‘intended,’ because the admins banned that one after about a week. They didn’t contact us with any warning or explanation that time, either.”
A message between a moderator and a site administrator leaked onto the forum Left Wing Male Advocates vindicates Kuato2012’s concerns. The administrator admits that the site doesn’t view attacks against white people or all men as a problem and won’t take action against users or forums that target them.
In other words, on one of the largest social platforms on the internet, abuse directed at white people and all men is acceptable. And Reddit doesn’t want you to talk about it.
The Daily Signal reached out to Reddit for comment, but did not receive a response.
The story of Men Kampf is reminiscent of the attempt by The Washington Post’s Taylor Lorenz to smear and dox Libs of TikTok, a Twitter account that shares unedited videos and documents from the radical left to reveal how crazy they are. Lorenz also felt that she had to wield her influence as a journalist to destroy someone for daring to expose radical leftists grooming children online.
As more means to expose the left emerge, the left will do its best to censor them and shut them down. Often, the reasons given will be flimsy excuses of “fighting hate” or “protecting vulnerable communities.”
It’s a tactic designed purely to protect a movement whose views are out of step with the majority of Americans. Most people view racism—regardless of who’s the target—as unacceptable. They also prefer that children remain pure and unexposed to sexual ideology until they’re older.
In short, they oppose much of what the radical left stands for.
That’s why forums like Men Kampf are so important. While it’s positive that the forum was eventually restored, it’s a problem it was ever banned in the first place.
The radical left must be exposed for what it truly is. The flashlight must be shone on the monster under the bed.
They’ll try to censor us—not unlike the Nazis, whose rhetoric they echo. But that didn’t work too well for Hitler in the end, did it?
https://www.dailysignal.com/2022/05/05/reddit-censors-forum-that-makes-leftists-look-like-nazis/
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My other blogs. Main ones below:
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)
https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)
https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)
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10 May, 2022
Biden sued for ‘colluding’ with Big Tech to suppress free speech on Hunter laptop
Two Republican-led states have reportedly filed a lawsuit against President Joe Biden and other top administration officials, alleging they “pressured and colluded” with Big Tech companies to squash The Post’s Hunter Biden laptop story and censor information related to COVID-19’s lab origins.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, accuses top government officials of conspiring to suppress information with social media giants Meta, Twitter and YouTube “under the guise of combating misinformation,” Fox News reported.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and Nina Jankowicz — the head of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) new and controversial “Disinformation Governance Board” were among the other top officials and federal agencies named as defendants in the suit, which was filed in the US District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.
The 86-page suit accuses the federal government of violating free speech rights by threatening big tech companies into silencing conservative viewpoints.
“Having threatened and cajoled social-media platforms for years to censor viewpoints and speakers disfavored by the Left, senior government officials in the Executive Branch have moved into a phase of open collusion with social media companies to suppress disfavored speakers, viewpoints, and content on social-media platforms under the Orwellian guise of halting so-called ‘disinformation.’ ‘misinformation,’ and ‘malinformation,’” the filling claims.
“Labeling disfavored speech ‘misinformation’ or ‘disinformation’ does not strip it of First Amendment Protection … with the common understanding that some false statements are inevitable if there is to be an open and vigorous expression of views in public and private conversation … the First Amendment seeks to guarantee.”
The suit specifically accuses the government of suppression in the case of The Post’s Hunter Biden laptop story, the theory that COVID-19 stemmed from a Wuhan lab, the effectiveness of wearing masks to stop the spread of COVID-19 and the security of mail-in voting during the pandemic.
Hunter Biden’s laptop contained compromising photos of him and emails relating to international business dealings.
“Perhaps most notoriously, social media platforms aggressively censored an October 14, 2020 New York Post expose about the contents of the laptop of Hunter Biden, which had been abandoned in a Delaware repair shop and contained compromising photos and email communications about corrupt foreign business deals,” the filing states.
After The Post report on then-candidate Biden’s son was published, Twitter locked the paper out of its account for more than two weeks over baseless charges that the exposé used hacked information.
Twitter also blocked users from sharing the link to The Post article calling the link “potentially harmful.” Facebook also said it would limit the spread of The Post’s story on its own platform. Just last month — 17-months after The Post’s report was published — The Washington Post and New York Times both quietly confirmed the existence of Hunter Biden’s laptop and emails.
In addition, the two attorneys general said that Facebook censored posts that mentioned the COVID-19 lab-leak theory — which claimed the virus may have originated from a lab in Wuhan, China. The suit alleges Dr. Fauci “was orchestrating a campaign to falsely discredit the lab-leak theory” with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg who only stopped censoring the theory on the platform after media reports suggested it as feasible.
Landry and Schmitt noted that YouTube blocked videos posted by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul that questioned the efficacy of wearing cloth masks during the pandemic — which the CDC later confirmed to be less effective than other face coverings.
The lawsuit further accuses social media platforms of “aggressively censoring speech that raised concerns about the security of voting by mail, a major election-security issue.”
“There is a common theme to all these examples of wrong-headed censorship: Each involved censoring truthful or reliable information that contradicted left-wing political narratives,” the suit states.
The attorneys asked the court to declare that the defendants violated the First Amendment and that the defendants had exceeded their statutory authority. They’ve also asked the court to stop the officials from “continuing to engage in unlawful conduct” to suppress free speech.
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My other blogs. Main ones below:
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM -- daily)
https://immigwatch.blogspot.com/ (IMMIGRATION WATCH)
https://awesternheart.blogspot.com/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)
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9 May, 2022
Breastfeeding counsellors exit amid row over use of ‘mother’
Use of the word is “intimidation and bullying” (!!)
Five volunteer counsellors at Australia’s largest breastfeeding support group have left their roles after colleagues complained about social media posts that allegedly included “near obsessive use of the word mother”.
Seven long-term volunteers were investigated by the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) after allegedly repeatedly commenting on social media posts using terms such as “mother” or “breastfeeding” even if the original poster had used “parent” or other gender-neutral language.
Five of the women left the organisation between November and February after the months-long complaints process. Two of them were removed from their roles by the association.
The association said the complaints were made by other counsellors who considered the comments on social media posts by the organisation and other counsellors as “intimidation and bullying”.
According to documents seen by The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, the complainants said they were caused harm and believed “the near obsessive use of the word mother suggests that others are not welcome in the ABA”.
The investigations prompted 37 association members, including two former board members, to write to the association’s board stating the complaints were “frivolous and unjustified”. The members called for an external investigation and an apology to those being investigated.
“This treatment of the seven volunteers falls below the reasonable standard of care that any workplace should provide,” the letter said.
“The accusation is that the use of the word ‘mother’ represented a subtle ‘correction’ when others used the word ‘parent’. Those using the word ‘parent’ interpreted this as an ‘attack’ on their use of the word ‘parent’.”
The association has been considering the continued relevance of traditional “mother-to-mother” communications this year as it develops its new language policy.
A source with knowledge of the draft policy said it retains more sexed language about mothers and breastfeeding than has been kept by other large, international breastfeeding support groups.
Words such as “mother” and “breast milk” are expected to be retained, but some desexed language, such as chestfeeding, will also be adopted to ensure parents who do not wish to identify as mothers are safely welcomed and included.
Of the seven counsellors investigated, two had complaints upheld and were involuntarily removed from their volunteer duties, one was put on probation but has since been allowed back, one left of her own volition, and the last was removed for inactivity this year.
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My other blogs. Main ones below:
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://awesternheart.blogspot.com.au/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)
https://heofen.blogspot.com/ (MY OTHER BLOGS)
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8 May, 2022
UK: GPs are urged not to use language that could belittle patients: Doctors should stop using phrases like 'sending' home patients who present a 'complaint'
Woke medics are calling for a revamp of language used by doctors so it does not 'belittle' patients.
Common medical phrases like 'take' a test or 'send' someone home may potentially make patients feel 'childlike', they said.
Instead of saying things like the patient 'denies' chest pain, doctors should use the word 'reports' so it does not sound like the patients is being doubted.
Saying medication 'failed' to work implies it was the patient's fault so doctors should say a drug was 'not effective' instead.
The recommendations were made by consultant physician Dr Zoe Fritz and junior doctor Dr Catriona Cox, both from the University of Cambridge.
They laid out an argument for more empowering language in an editorial published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).
The changes are 'not a matter of political correctness', the medics argue.
Simple words or phrases, both verbally and in written notes, can 'insidiously' affect the relationship between doctors and their patients, they claim.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-10758821/GPs-told-not-use-language-belittle-patients.html
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My other blogs. Main ones below:
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://awesternheart.blogspot.com.au/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)
https://heofen.blogspot.com/ (MY OTHER BLOGS)
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6 May, 2022
Australia: Football cheer squad given list of BANNED words that are never to be chanted during games
Collingwood's cheer squad has been issued a list of banned words which are never to be uttered by supporters at AFL games featuring the Magpies.
The extraordinary step follows recent cultural awareness training for club members, where many terms deemed offensive and racist were clearly outlined.
The training was part of the club's Do Better report, as Collingwood look to promote the importance of cultural difference to their fans.
In the online Zoom presentation, run by Collingwood's Indigenous programs manager Deb Lovett, specific reference to terms which are offensive to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were explained.
An example was the term 'Aborigines', which is deemed derogatory by many Indigenous people.
'The purpose for cultural awareness training is to ensure all people of Collingwood uphold the club values to provide a welcome and inclusive environment for all,' the club said in a statement.
'Collingwood's cheer squad all agreed and were open to having a code of conduct and all members signed a 'Declaration of Commitment' which states their obligation to uphold club values, to provide a welcome and inclusive environment, and exhibit appropriate behaviour on game days.'
The Do Better report, released by the Magpies on February 1 last year, is an independent review that challenges Collingwood to take a leadership position in Australian sport by confronting racism.
It was released after a number of former players, notably Brazilian-born defender Heritier Lumumba, publicly accused the club of systemic racism stemming from his time with the team from 2005-2014.
His allegations were dismissed by influential club figures such as former coach Mick Malthouse and McGuire - but were confirmed by his ex-teammates such as Chris Dawes and Leon Davis.
On Tuesday, Lumumba bristled at talk of the cultural awareness training sessions, stating the club 'cannot be trusted to pursue genuine reconciliation with its past' before accusing the club of 'continued misconduct'.
Collingwood said the cultural awareness training had been part of a wider attitude to learning more about race.
'Feedback of cultural awareness training has been positive with members of the club enthusiastic to educate themselves further and be a part of the club's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community programs and initiatives.'
'Our people have been open to listening and learning about how we create a welcoming and safe club environment for all,' the Pies said in a statemen
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My other blogs. Main ones below:
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://awesternheart.blogspot.com.au/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)
https://heofen.blogspot.com/ (MY OTHER BLOGS)
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5 May, 2022
Unanimous Supreme Court Flies Flag for Free Speech in Case Against City of Boston
In a rare unanimous ruling on Monday, the Supreme Court secured a major victory for free speech.
In the opinion in Shurtleff v. Boston, authored by retiring Justice Stephen Breyer, the court ruled that the city of Boston violated the Constitution when it prohibited a group from flying a Christian flag on a flagpole it had held open to other groups and their flags.
The court determined that simply by permitting private groups to fly their flags on the City Hall flagpole, the city was not endorsing any message behind those flags and that, therefore, the flag and what it represents did not constitute government speech.
As a result, its refusal to allow a religious group to raise its flag simply because of its religious viewpoint was a violation of the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment.
Boston had historically allowed groups to raise a flag on one of the city’s three flagpoles in conjunction with ceremonies held on the City Hall plaza. Over a period of 12 years, between 2005 and 2017, the city approved the flying of 50 different flags in conjunction with 284 events.
Its unofficial policy was to accommodate all applicants. But when Harold Shurtleff, director of a group called Camp Constitution, asked to fly what he described as a “Christian flag” in conjunction with an event on the plaza celebrating the civic and social contributions of the Christian community, the city denied his request, claiming that flying the flag would violate the Constitution’s Establishment Clause by “promot[ing] a specific religion.”
Notably, before Shurtleff’s request, the city had never denied other groups’ requests to fly a flag, including the “Pride” flag, the flag of a local bank, a flag for emergency medical service workers, and many others.
The First Amendment’s protections regarding the right to speak and assemble vary based on the speakers’ chosen forum.
In its 1983 ruling, Perry Education Ass’n v. Perry Local Educators’ Ass’n, the high court divided forums into three types: traditional public forums, limited or designated public forums, and nonpublic or private forums.
The city acknowledged that by allowing the public to participate in flag-flying on the plaza, it had established a traditional “public forum.” In a traditional public forum, the government’s content-based restrictions on speech are considered highly suspect.
But, as Breyer wrote in Shurtleff, “the line between a forum for private expression and the government’s own speech is important, but not always clear.”
In assessing Shurtleff’s claim, Breyer wrote that when the government invites the public to participate in a program, the court has to look at particular “holistic” factors to determine whether the government intends to speak for itself, or to regulate another’s private expression.
These, Breyer wrote, were derived from the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision, Walker v. Texas Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans, and included the history of the particular expression, the public’s perception as to who is speaking (the government or a private person), and the extent to which the government has actively shaped or controlled the message.
Breyer stated the record showed that Boston did not actively control the flag-raisings or shape the messages that the flags sent. In fact, the city had no written policy or guidance about what flags groups could fly and what those flags could communicate.
In addition, all flag-raisings had been approved prior to Shurtleff’s request in 2017. Therefore, the court held, the city’s refusal to let Shurtleff fly his flag was viewpoint discrimination and violated the Free Speech Clause.
Breyer wrote:
When the government encourages diverse expression—say, by creating a forum for debate—the First Amendment prevents it from discriminating against speakers based on their viewpoint. … [I]t may not exclude speech based on ‘religious viewpoint; doing so ‘constitutes impermissible viewpoint discrimination.’
In a separate, concurring opinion—perhaps the shortest we’ll see all term—Justice Brett Kavanaugh took one paragraph to distill the case to its essence, writing:
Under the Constitution, a government may not treat religious persons, religious organizations, or religious speech as second-class.
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My other blogs. Main ones below:
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://awesternheart.blogspot.com.au/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)
https://heofen.blogspot.com/ (MY OTHER BLOGS)
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4 May, 2022
Senator Rand Paul praised for standing against ministry of truth
Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement urging all senators to join Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) in blocking the confirmation of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Undersecretary nominee Kenneth Wainstein:
“Senator Paul struck a blow for the First Amendment today when he blocked the confirmation of DHS Undersecretary nominee Kenneth Wainstein. The revelation that the Department has set up a Disinformation Governance Board prompted Senator Paul to use his power to put a hold on the Wainstein nomination. Every Senator who is concerned about the federal government establishing a ministry of truth should join Senator Paul in his effort to stop this unconscionable abuse of power.
Go to www.cisa.gov/mdm to learn more about what the Department of Homeland Security has already done in coordination with social media companies on Covid, election integrity and many other issues.”
https://getliberty.org/2022/05/senator-paul-praised-for-standing-against-ministry-of-truth/
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My other blogs. Main ones below:
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://awesternheart.blogspot.com.au/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)
https://heofen.blogspot.com/ (MY OTHER BLOGS)
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3 May, 2022
YouTube Bans Video Featuring Conservative Expert on Voter Fraud
UPDATE: Jacob Kersey, whose video was removed from YouTube as described below, informed The Daily Signal that a day after this story was published on Wednesday and two days after YouTube’s action, the video was restored to the site without notification. Kersey said he still has not received an explanation for why the video was taken down in the first place.
YouTube on Tuesday removed a video of a podcast discussion of vote fraud and the 2020 election from its platform, but the participants in the discussion insist they did or said nothing wrong.
The video featured an expert from The Daily Signal’s parent organization, The Heritage Foundation, and had been on YouTube for more than a year without incident before being taken down.
Hans von Spakovsky, manager for the Election Law Reform Initiative at Heritage, was interviewed on “The Jacob Kersey Program” podcast at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February 2021.
The interview covered election integrity and how Americans can regain trust in election systems, which von Spakovsky described as “full of security holes.”
Kersey and von Spakovsky discussed the security of American elections, a series of actual examples of where voter fraud affected elections, and proposed solutions to restore confidence in the voting system.
YouTube on Tuesday sent Kersey an email informing him that the episode featuring von Spakovsky had been removed from the platform for violating the platform’s “misinformation” policy surrounding the 2020 presidential election.
In an interview with The Daily Signal, Kersey disputed that he or von Spakovsky had spread any misinformation about the election.
“We stated that there are legitimate concerns of voter fraud in the nation, and that they happen on the federal, state, and local levels,” said Kersey. “Hans gave two examples in the episode that were not about the 2020 presidential election, but they were state and local elections that were derived from Heritage’s voter fraud database.”
When Kersey tried to appeal the ban, he was unable to access the page where users can reach out to YouTube to do so. Since the ban, he hasn’t heard anything back from YouTube.
In an interview with The Daily Signal, von Spakovsky said YouTube is engaged, ironically, in the very sort of action it claims to be against.
They’re doing it on the basis of what they call ‘disinformation’ or ‘misinformation.’ But in fact, that’s what they are engaging in.
That YouTube interview was just kind of a general discussion about election fraud and election integrity, which happens in American elections.
Kersey and von Spakovsky’s experience is not the first time YouTube has removed content featuring employees of The Heritage Foundation discussing voter fraud and election integrity.
Last month, I was a guest on St. Louis radio station NewsTalk STL’s “The Vic Porcelli Show” for a discussion of election integrity legislation following the contentious 2020 election.
Following my appearance on the show, YouTube removed the station’s channel from the platform, accusing it of “misinformation” surrounding the 2020 presidential election as the cause.
The conversation focused explicitly on Americans’ perceptions of the election, not whether the election was stolen.
The parallel between that case and that of Kersey and von Spakovsky is that YouTube appears to want to silence discussion of voter fraud. That fact should make all Americans—regardless of their thoughts on the 2020 election—very nervous.
The fact that unelected Big Tech arbiters are deciding what Americans can and can’t see is a huge problem. They have proven themselves repeatedly to be one-sided political actors, more concerned with maintaining their leftist priorities than with allowing the truth to spread.
The values that make America great are based substantially on free expression and the right for people to speak their minds without fear of censorship.
As Kersey notes:
YouTube wants to call it ‘misinformation,’ but here’s the thing I know. We live in America, not in Russia or China. I personally believe that people can listen to content and decide for themselves whether it’s misinformation or not.
He’s absolutely right. It’s not up to YouTube to decide whether something is disinformation. It’s our right and responsibility as individuals to consume information and come to our own conclusions.
Sometimes, those conclusions run contrary to the fragile sensibilities of the Silicon Valley leftist tech geeks, but that’s not a sufficient or acceptable reason to ban someone from the digital public square.
To that end, we must demand free speech online.
To bring things full circle, the integrity of our elections depends on it. But so, too, does the integrity of our republic.
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My other blogs. Main ones below:
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://awesternheart.blogspot.com.au/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)
https://heofen.blogspot.com/ (MY OTHER BLOGS)
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2 May, 2022
UK: Ministers want officers to stop using politically correct language in prisons
Prison guards will be banned from describing criminals as ‘clients’ in a war on woke language behind bars.
Ministers want to stop officers using ‘wishy-washy, politically correct’ phrases such as ‘residents’, which suggest inmates enjoy a comfortable life in their prison ‘rooms’.
Under a new style guide being issued today, prison and probation staff have been ordered not to use the terms ‘resident’, ‘client’ or ‘service-user’ to refer to a criminal.
Instead, Justice Secretary Dominic Raab wants to call them ‘prisoners, people in prison or offenders’.
The ‘style guide for prison communications’ unveiled at a meeting with senior prison and probation figures last night suggests released convicts should be referred to as ‘ex-offenders’ or ‘prison leavers’.
But staff can use a vaguer term for those let out on licence – ‘people resettling in the community’. The guide also says prison ‘cells’ should never be called ‘rooms’.
Mr Raab ordered a blitz on political correctness after concerns that the ‘wishy-washy’ terms have become widely used and were damaging confidence in the justice system.
In a speech last year, Jo Farrar, chief executive of the Prison and Probation Service, said: ‘All prison governors will be given funding to spend on in-cell activities and extra technology to help our incredible staff support residents.’
Guidance at Wandsworth prison in south-west London says: ‘Residents have phones in their rooms and are able to make outgoing calls.’
The move away from referring to inmates as prisoners was part of efforts to avoid labelling people as offenders in the belief that it will help their rehabilitation. But prison officers have voiced alarm at the language, saying it sends mixed messages.
Solicitor General Alex Chalk insisted last May that staff must not ‘pretend that these people are angels residing in a cell out of choice’. But he stopped short of calling for a formal ban on specific terms.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10761289/Jail-guards-told-stop-calling-inmates-clients.html
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My other blogs. Main ones below:
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://awesternheart.blogspot.com.au/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)
https://heofen.blogspot.com/ (MY OTHER BLOGS)
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1 May, 2022
Illustrator of Biff, Chip and Kipper children's book is 'profoundly upset' at decision to pulp his work over 'Islamophobia' claims
The illustrator of the Biff, Chip and Kipper children's book is reportedly 'profoundly upset' at the decision by his publisher to pulp his work over claims the children's book is Islamophobic .
A friend of Alex Brychta who received an MBE for his work - that is used by children learning to read - say he is 'sensitive and empathetic' to the region where his wife's family lives in Jordan.
But the Biff, Chip and Kipper story has been removed by Oxford University Press who has apologised for any offence caused by the book published 21 years ago.
Speaking to the Telegraph, defending Mr Brychta the pal maintains that the 'racism' row is 'incredibly silly' and point out that he is married to Dina, a Muslim, and has recently gave readings of his books in Abu Dhabi and Dubai where children 'loved' the Magic Key series.
Mr Brychta, who got his honour from the Queen in 2012 Alex for services to children's literature, fled from the Russian occupation of Czechoslovakia to London, and collaborated with Roderick Hunt who wrote the books.
His Oxford Reading Tree book, entitled The Blue Eye, sees the protagonists magically transported to a generic Middle Eastern-looking country.
In one scene baddies - which are seen to be Muslim chase after the heroes - and are also described as 'unfriendly' and 'scary'.
The adventure also features a princess named Aisha, who is being chased by a hoard of angry men determined to steal a magic stone called The Blue Eye from her.
She tells the child protagonists, Wilf and Biff, - who now star in a Cbeebies TV show - that she cannot become Queen in her homeland without the blue crystal.
He has not commented on the allegations publicly but a 'close friend' told The Telegraph: 'This is all incredibly silly. Alex is profoundly upset that his work has been accused of being Islamophobic.
'He is married to a Muslim woman of Iraqi origin, whose family now live in Jordan. He has visited that country and the Middle East on several occasions and his work is sensitive and empathetic to the region.
'Only a few years ago, he gave readings of his books to hundreds of children at schools in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and they loved it.'
The book - published in 2001 - was pulled last month by publishers Oxford University Press (OUP) with the firm saying their own few remaining copies had been destroyed.
In one market scene, men wear white flowing robes and white turbans with dark glasses and facial hair, while a woman can be seen strolling through the stalls dressed in what appears to be a niqab - a veil covering the face from below the eyes - and a headscarf.
The child characters suggest some of the shoppers seem 'unfriendly'.
In another scene, the protagonists find themselves in a narrow backstreet after being dragged through a magic portal, before a man in a turban and combat trousers is illustrated kicking open a wooden door - which Wilf says is 'scary'.
Canadian think tank Anti Bias Curriculum Project said it was 'disgusting' the book had been printed and this was a 'clear example' of how parents and educators have a a responsiblity to prevent children being 'racist'.
English teacher Sherish Osman said: 'What else makes me uncomfortable is teachers who claim to see nothing wrong with this, and continue to expose our children to it, not realising the damage they are causing.'
But many people on social media have pointed out that the language was used towards the story's baddies and was not reflective of the fictional children's attitude towards anyone else in the land.
Leonardo de Waal said: 'What perhaps is inappropriate is that we jump to conclusions before setting the context.
'This is precisely what we should avoid. 'It's a story where these children must hide something precious and become paranoid in the process.'
Asma Jaleel said: 'Those two characters are used in literacy books and travel to different locations to teach children. 'As it's Ramadan it makes sense they are witnessing a marketplace in an Eastern country!'
In a follow-up tweet she added: 'Unfriendly yes...in judgement! But this is how you break down biassed views by having a debate. 'We don't judge on appearance! Why are they dressed different, culture/ faith?'
Oxford University Press previously confirmed the tale was no longer in print and said in a statement: 'The title in question - The Blue Eye - was originally published in 2001 and amended in 2012; the last sentence of text on the page in question was changed to read: "It would be easy to lose each other in such a crowded place".
'The book was then taken out of print completely in March this year, following an independent review, and is no longer available to purchase.
'OUP destroyed its own remaining stock of the book, although a small number of copies may still remain in the supply chain; some older titles may still be available in libraries, or as second-hand copies.
'At OUP, we regularly review and make changes to our list of titles to ensure they are up-to-date, diverse, inclusive, and reflective of the world we live in, and we take steps to remove any products that are no longer appropriate from our collection.
'We also continuously listen to feedback from our customers, and we take our responsibility to learn and improve very seriously.'
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My other blogs. Main ones below:
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://awesternheart.blogspot.com.au/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)
https://heofen.blogspot.com/ (MY OTHER BLOGS)
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For the notes and pix appearing in the sidebar of the original blog see HERE
Most pictures that I use in the body of the blog should stay up throughout the year. But how long they stay up after that is uncertain. At the end of every year therefore I intend to put up a collection of all pictures used my blogs in that year. That should enable missing pictures to be replaced. The archive of last year's pictures on this blog is therefore now up. Note that the filename of the picture is clickable and clicking will bring the picture up. See here (2021). See also here (2020)
My Home Pages are here (Academic) or here (Personal); My Home page supplement; My Alternative Wikipedia; My Blogroll; Menu of my longer writings; My annual picture page is here; My Recipes;
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