My website is dianeravitch.com. I write about two interconnected topics: education and democracy. I am a historian of education.
Diane Ravitch’s Blog by Diane Ravitch is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at dianeravitch.net.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
For those of you east of the west coast – an update from our state legislature posted by a close follower of public education – because relevance (We’re under a state supreme court order to fund public education as a result of the McClear decision – and we’re in session.
Early in the day yesterday news broke that WA State Senator Doug Ericksen, [R], was going to be taking a job with the Trump transition team at the EPA, and would thus be flying back and forth to Washington DC regularly. When he’s gone the state Senate wouldn’t be able to hold any votes, because it would be a 24-24 tie with Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib [D] sitting there waiting to cast the tie-breaking vote.
Then came word that State Senator Brian Dansel, [R], was quitting the Senate to go to work for the Trump administration in the Department of Agriculture. That’s going to leave at least a 14 day window, until he has a replacement, where the Senate is deadlocked even with Doug Ericksen in town.
THEN came word that State Senator Michael Baumgartner, [R], might be getting a federal job, too. He was gone from his committee meetings all morning, he scrubbed his twitter account of almost everything. Word is he’s always been looking for the next step up–when we thought Cathy McMorris-Rogers [R-WA 5th] was leaving, he was at the front of the line to try and get her job.
If he leaves there’ll be another period of time where his seat isn’t filled, and there may be opportunity in that space.
This article explains the brief window that might prove fruitful for public education in our state.
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I can’t find a comprehensive list of Senators opposing the DeVos confirmation. If anyone has a link, I’d be interested. The following have expressed public opposition: Brown (D-OH), Gillibrand (D-NY), Menendez (D-NJ), Peters (D-Michigan), Kaine (D-Virginia) and Franken (D-Minnesota). Looking for others (would hope that Warren from Massachusetts and Hassan from New Hampshire would be opposed).
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Both Michigan senators will vote no
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That’s got to be pretty unusual for both home state senators to oppose. Both have, indeed, come out publicly with their opposition.
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The only way to do so, if NEA, AFT, etc. are not doing this, is for everyone who reads this to make calls to each Senate office and report back here. Even “unsure” is important to report.
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Donelly (D-Indiana) is opposed. Angus King (I-Maine) is opposed.
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each of their two senators, not every
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Van Hollen (D-Maryland) is opposed. Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) opposed. Casey (D-Pennsylvania) opposed. Wyden (D-Oregon) opposed. Schumer (D-New York) just announced his opposition.
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Here’s a pretty cool vote-tracker link on the DeVos confirmation. It currently has the vote as 51 supporting, 39 opposed, and 9 unknown: http://www.decisiondeskhq.com/2017/01/25/updated-floor-vote-estimate-for-betsy-devos-secretary-of-education/
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Any Democrat who plans to vote for DeVos or is undecided should hear from their constituents. She is uninformed and unfit.
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The link has all 51 GOP Senators supporting the DeVos nomination (Sessions is question mark due to his own pending confirmation). The nine questionable Democrats are: Cantwell (Washington), Heilkamp (North Dakota), Shaheen (New Hampshire), Reed (Rhode Island), Carper (Delaware), Warner (Virginia), Nelson (Florida), Schatz (Hawaii), and Hirono (Hawaii).
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Schatz of Hawaii has been switched from questionable to opposed.
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This is what public servants who love their country do: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/josh-rogin/wp/2017/01/26/the-state-departments-entire-senior-management-team-just-resigned/?utm_term=.d7c777d16dcb
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Not quite. The management team routinely offers their resignation at the change of administrations. Yesterday, they were all told they would not continue in their jobs, and that today they had to leave. As just one example, one ambassador, a graduate of Diane’s alma mater, with 43 years of service to the State Department, had to leave today. Think of how demoralized are all those civil service and foreign service officers under her. Imagine the institutional knowledge loss. Imagine the taxpayers’ investment in their training – gone up in smoke.
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Yesterday, January 25th, countless teachers wore red in solidarity to protest the nomination of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education. We have been tweeting, Facebooking, emailing, and calling our senators, but we wanted to do something that got us more attention.
I have compiled a collage of teachers from around the United States and even some from overseas who wore red yesterday.
I plan on sending this collage to members of Congress who have not yet said that they are voting “NO” on the issue of confirming Mrs. DeVos. We would love some attention from the education bloggers- without you our voices do not resound quite as loudly.
I am happy to send along the collage if you would like to use it.
Thank you for your consideration,
Molly Patrician
Music Educator
Arlington, VA
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That some in the State Department didn’t have as much “skin” to lose as they could have, does not mean their leaving together isn’t making a very clear point–especially when most of the time they would be willing to help with the transition. I thank them, with all my heart, for making that statement.
But perhaps we need to understand that pretty much everything that comes out of Trump and his administration is to be understood as code. For instance,
“The President of Mexico and I decided not to meet.” IS CODE FOR
The President of Mexico cancelled the meeting and I don’t want to admit it, even to myself.
“Mexico will pay us back for the wall.” IS CODE FOR
The taxpayers will pay for it, but I don’t want to tell them that. OR
I don’t know how to pay for it, and it’s looking like it’s not a good idea anyway, I’ll get back to you (which is also code for “Let’s put it off–maybe you’ll forget about it in time.”
“It’s going to be GREAT for the country.” IS CODE FOR
Lots of money to be made off of taxpayers for big business. And we can trash regulation while we’re at it.
“Meeting with the Mexican press will not be fruitful.” IS CODE FOR
The Mexican press will ask questions I cannot answer and, besides, I cannot go after them by, for instance, withholding federal funds or jailing them. Where are those Brown Shirts when you need them?
Six million fraudulent voters. . . . ” **IS CODE FOR
. . . well, you get the picture. And just wait–he’s going after California for Hilary’s win, just like he’s going after big cities (for “hiding” immigrants), but also for the entertainment industry’s “in your face” boycotting of the inauguration.
Pretty much everything he or his acolytes say is CODE. And the whole thing is meant to mess with our heads.
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More resistance: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/twitter-resistance-federal-gag-order_us_588a898fe4b0303c0752d031?dtuyz51svufyzm2t9&
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Suddenly fast actions out here. Democrats say they’ll try Senate takeover Friday to pass ‘levy cliff’ bill
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Franken claims all 48 Democrat Senators united against DeVos (and looking for GOP members to join them): http://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2017-01-27/democrats-to-vote-en-bloc-against-education-secretary-nominee-devos
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<a href=”https://coalitiontoprotectourpublicschools.org/latest-news/forty-reasons-parents-teachers-should-oppose-the-republican-education-plan”>Forty Reasons Parents & Teachers Should Oppose the [Washington State] Republican Education Plan
Fabulous read.
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Sundance Documentary-Joshua Teenager vs. Superpower to be released by Netflix later this year.
I recently saw this film at Sundance which won the Audience Award for World Documentary. It is about a 14 year old boy who begins a movement called Scholarism, which succeeds in fighting the Chinese Govt. who wants to force Hong Kong to teach National Education to Hong Kong students. Joshua and his movement successfully protest against National Education, saying they want to remain independent thinkers and let the schools decide the curriculum. It is a fascinating film about one person’s determination to change the course of his future and the future of fellow Hong Kong youth. It is so inspiring. Following is a CNN article about Joshua. http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/30/world/asia/hong-kong-national-education-controversy/
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That’s the difference between (a) State enforced curricula in a totalitarian or communist state and (b) State mandated education in a constitutional democracy: In the former, you want to break away from the State whereas in the later, you want to keep the relationship between the State and its educational institutions strong.
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Read this entire message before judging.
We must take drastic action to save our failing military. Despite billions of dollars being spent, decades of effort have failed to produce the desired results. While individual soldiers have shown excellence, there is a great deal of difference between different branches of the military and units within a branch. We believe that this is because citizens have no choice in which military unit will serve them. Giving citizens this choice will create elite units of soldiers that will be able to solve our military objectives. Civilians can choose which unit serves them by using tax and private dollars to pay a more appropriate military unit. Plus, citizens who cannot afford the extra expense of elite soldiers can be left behind as less valuable assets that do not require the same quality as more important military objectives. This is how newly formed chartered military units can spend money more efficiently by privatizing our military. This will end government waste. In this way we can choose to innovate instead of using the same stagnant approach we have used for the past 50 years. We can put an end to our failing military and their legacy caused by poorly defined objectives driven by political winds rather than the actual needs of our nation.
Feel offended?
Take out “military” and substitute “school.” And swap “teacher” for “soldier” and “citizen” for “student” and you’ll see why morale is low. You can’t complete the mission without clear, attainable objectives and the proper amount of resources. And siphoning off your best students, leaving the rest behind in underfunded public schools is, well, un-American.
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Was listening to Senator John Neely Kennedy (R-Louisiana) this evening on CNN. He was speaking with adoration about Betsy DeVos. Among his points was that she would finally be someone “for the kids, for a change…not for the adults… not for the parents or the teachers. And I know what it’s like to be a teacher. I’m a volunteer substitute teacher three times a year.”
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Kennedy is among the dullest butter knives in a state filled with useless political utensils.
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This was my introduction to him. Didn’t realize he was a teaching colleague.
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America Is Now Great Again!
By Joseph Batory
It’s morning in America. The presidential election of 2016 has made America great again. Below are the itemized assets of this wonderful rebirth of America.
It is now acceptable for foul mouthed men to walk up to women and grope their genitals.
We now know that all immigrants are rapists and criminals. The Statue of Liberty can be dissembled and its copper sold for tax-free profit. And the phrase… “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” … should now considered to be anti-American.
Military prisoners of war past and present are to now be considered as weak and cowardly for being captured.
Mocking physically disabled persons is a perfectly OK American practice by elected officials.
Multiple bankruptcies while walking away from business failures and debts are the new definition of a “great businessperson.”
Promising to share “university” expertise in real estate seminars and delivering little or nothing of what was promised is now an acceptable practice as long as you settle the lawsuit complaints out of court.
The leadership (dictator) skills of Vladimir Putin, the former KGB agent who has imprisoned thousands, killed others, and illegally invaded countries as the dictator of Russia, are to be admired by all USA citizens.
Insulting and bullying anyone who dares to disagree with you by calling them poisonous names is another new American modus operandi. Courtesy and politeness must be avoided.
It is perfectly acceptable to insult the parents of soldiers killed in action in service to their country.
It is now OK to violate ant-trust laws as long as you eventually pay the huge fines levied by the Federal Trade Commission.
You are now able to “stiff” contractors, waiters, dishwashers, and plumbers who have done work for you. Just arrange for the settlement of lawsuits and have the courts seal the records.
There is no longer any need to pay income taxes in our nation.
Lying is now cool! Inventing “alternative facts” can be used to replace any reality.
America is great again. How lucky we are!
Joseph Batory is the author of three books and has been published extensively re politics and education.
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Came across this today: a 7 year old Olbermann commentary on the Citizens United decisions and it potential implications. Sends real chills up the spine with jaw-dropping head wagging: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPayKb39Kao
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Thanks, GregB–chilling.
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Wonderful…thank you. I follow Oberman’s The Resistance .
EPISODE 26, is my favorite, where he explains how the MEDIA SHOULD COVER TRUM AND KELLYANNE CONJOB!
http://www.gq.com/story/watch-the-closer-keith-olbermann
episode 26 https://thescene.com/watch/gq/the-closer-with-keith-olbermann-how-the-media-needs-to-respond-to-trump-now?save_video=true
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I came across the piece I posted while watching his latest episode, #28.
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This classic stuff, Frederick Douglass returns.
http://onehotmessalaska.blogspot.com/2017/02/frederick-douglass-opens-twitter.html
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Borowitz Report, February 2, 2017
Trump Says He Heard Frederick Douglass Was Alive from Betsy DeVos
WASHINGTON — After raising eyebrows by suggesting that he believed that Frederick Douglass was still alive, Donald Trump revealed on Wednesday that everything he knew about Douglass had come from his Education Secretary nominee, Betsy DeVos.
“Betsy told me all about Frederick Douglass,” Trump told reporters. “I think she’s going to be a fantastic Education Secretary. She really made Frederick Douglass come alive.”
Before his breakfast meeting to mark Black History Month, Trump told DeVos, “Betsy, write down everything you know about black history so I can read it at the meeting. She took out a pen and did it in, like, three minutes. She’s fantastic.”
Impressed by the one-sentence summary that DeVos wrote about Frederick Douglass, Trump said that he was now considering Douglass for a top White House post.
“Based on what Betsy said about him, we could really use Fred’s energy around here,” Trump said.
He lashed out at the press for reporting that Frederick Douglass was dead, calling those reports “very unfair.”
“That’s a nasty thing to say about someone who is alive and doing a great job,” he said. “This is why the press is failing and it’s failing very, very badly.”
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This has to be a spoof.
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Sorry, should have pointed that out. From Borowitz Report in The New Yorker. Cracked me up.
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A man named Douglass used to live next door to me. Could that be him? But I really don’t know if he’s still alive. (Fake News Alert).
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(Fake Fake News Alert): Wasn’t he one of the tragic victims of the Bowling Green Massacre? Seem like I remember reading the names of those killed, F. Douglass and D. Truth.
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GregB: It MUST have been HIM! Would you believe it!
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D. Truth is still MIA.
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GregB: NAAAAAAW.
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Kellyanne Conway in her own words…
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Diane: I’d like to add two good reads to that list that some here are keeping about what I would call, the Literature of Political Warnings for those who live in and love their Constitutional Democratic state.
First: C.S. Lewis’ “The Screwtape Letters.” In this work, Screwtape is a demon. He keeps up a correspondence with his “nephew” Wormwood, a new-bee to the conniving, duplicitous, “bad influence” work of tempting his assignment of specific human beings. Screwtape gives Wormwood pointers about how to lead humans to accept and do evil. It’s on the level of Orwell in its universal portrayal of the human foibles that, for instance, we are experiencing today in not only Trump, but his “base.”
Second: Mark Twain’s “Letters from the Earth.” Twain of course was a man of his time, who also was able to see way beyond it–kind of like Shakespeare, in that sense.
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Just what we need, another Billionaire telling educators how to educate! http://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/2017/02/02/h-e-bs-shy-billionaire-explains-donating-100-million-improve-texas-schools
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Washington State School Funding plans revealed by both parties in the state legislature. They’re working hard to defund, it’s just a matter of how much. What is a Constitutional Level of School Funding in Washington State?
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Franken now speaking on the Senate floor about DeVos. https://www.senate.gov/floor/
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Thank you!!!
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“Voucher obsession”: a phrase we should all use, all the time!
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You’re welcome!
Franken: “We wouldn’t hire a Secretary of Defense who didn’t know the branches of the military. We wouldn’t hire a Secretary of State who didn’t know where Europe was. We wouldn’t hire a Secretary of the Treasury who didn’t know multiplication.”
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I literally, LITERALLY (I MEAN LITERALLY!!!!) just transcribed that exact passage and was about to post it. You beat me to it. Doggone you!
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LOL! He’s been good.
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Franken: DeVos hearing was one of the most embarrassing moments in my time in the Senate. Her hearing may have been one of the greatest embarrassments in the history of the United States Senate.
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Twitter is >99% anti-DeVos.
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Franken is an example of extreme clarity. Thanks for the heads-up. I enjoyed the heck out of it.
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“What would it take?” I’ll have to watch Sen. Whitehouse now. He’s the strongest voice on climate change, let’s see what he has to say about education.
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GregB: I liked Whitehouse in the original hearing too. But I think it’s going to take a republican who has finally understood that their job is on the line in the next election in two years, and where his electorate has been vocal and loud back home.
But I almost cried when I heard that lawyer today who said, paraphrasing, the courts don’t respond to the loudness of the argument, but rather to the law. would that Trump himself understood that.
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. . . or her . . . .
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Admittedly, I’m not an academic who has studied these issues in comprehensive depth, but as I’ve written many times here, I have come to the conclusion that effective resistance, especially from those who are initially like-minded, takes years before it manifests itself and even then it may be too late to avert fundamental damage to the mechanisms of governing. The question for us is: will our voices be silenced before they can make a substantive difference? I’m not sure.
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DON’T MISS THIS:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/schumer-gop-trump-putin_us_5898c8b0e4b09bd304bcb74e?&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Politics%202617&utm_content=Politics%202617+Version+A+CID_a4938320ae680239c5ed59ff70565d18&utm_source=Email%20marketing%20software&utm_term=Read%20More&
Schumer won’t let that slithering vermin McDonnell, NORMALIZE the things Trump utters because Trump is THE PRESIDENT, and he is constituently telling the world how awful America is.
THIS MUST STOP and we the people must get behind Schumer, Warren, Sanders, and all those who are TELLING THE REALITY of what is happening.
NOW!
This can’t wait!
Never Normalize: Why Trump’s Presidency Is Illegitimate and How to Respond | Portside
http://portside.org/2016-12-31/never-normalize-why-trump’s-presidency-illegitimate-and-how-respond
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GregB: My thoughts exactly–as some in the press are calling it, it’s a Constitutional crisis we’re coming up against. My view is (and I shudder as I write this), for Trump and Company, the question is: lose or violence. that is, to scare the bejesus out of everyone concerned either with personal attacks from questionable sources, and/or a larger attack that will “prove” (ha) that Trump is right to keep Muslims out of the country, and so the pressure will be on the courts to cave. God bless those lawyers and may the courts stand tall for the Constitution.
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Catherine, I could go on and on in response to your comments. I won’t. But I agree completely with your fears about violence and this administration’s appeal to police and the military do not quell my feelings.
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The malignant narcissist Littlefingers Donald Trump doesn’t represent my America. He’s a fraud and a liar and a womanizing, molesting groper, and a con man, etc.
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Here’s a report many of you might want to archive for future retrieval on freedom, or lack thereof, around the world: https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/freedom-world-2017
Based on a number of discussions we have had, here’s a paragraph that stood out for me: “More recently, however, the authoritarian regimes have reached out to sympathetic parties, movements, and political figures from democracies in Europe and elsewhere. Marine Le Pen, the leader of France’s National Front, frequently praises Vladimir Putin, has received financial assistance from Russian sources, and has called for France to align with Russia as a counterweight to the United States. Populist politicians in the Netherlands, Britain, Italy, and Austria meet regularly with Russian officials, criticize the sanctions imposed by the EU after the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine, and support Russia’s interests in votes at the European Parliament.”
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While I’m glad Collins and Murkowski voted against Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education, I’m a little annoyed with all the credit they’re getting for courage on Twitter. Either could have torpedoed the nomination in committee. They knew their “opposition” on the floor wouldn’t affect the confirmation.
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I think Al Franken had it right in his talk last evening: If they let DeVos’ nomination go through, they’ll let ANYONE’s go through. It’s a TOTALLY political appointment, having NOTHING to do with excellent argumentation, evidence, or doing what is right for the American people and the education of our children.
Devos bought the nomination, and now it’s not worth two cents. I am so totally ashamed of the entire Republican Party. They have turned totally upside-down the whole idea of PUBLIC SERVICE.
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I have tears in my eyes tonight that won’t stop. I don’t know what to do? I am so sad 😦
I don’t have the fight left in me either. I will go on teaching my students, but how can I feel passion when so many people feel public education teachers are the problem? How can I feel confident and safe when my legislators vote against public education?
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Numb,
Don’t be sad, be angry. Join the Network for Public Education. Find out who your allies in your state are. Join them. Fight back.
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You know from your experience (I taught for 32.5 years), how valuable we are to our students and, hence, to our society. Regardless of what these know-nothings believe, WE must continue to fight for public schools as the foundation of true democracy (which the U.S. has never been), and for public school teachers as true patriots.
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This will pass. You are not alone. We are all devastated. It is real shock, this defeat coming upon the defeat of Bernie and then Hillary. Tk e step back and grieve…then get busy. This ain’t over by a long shot. I am TEACHER.
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Portman’s response:
Dear Jon,
Thank you for contacting me to express your views on Betsy DeVos, the Secretary of the United States Department of Education. I appreciate you taking the time to contact me.
I supported Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education because during the confirmation process she committed to strongly support public education and because of her support for local control, instead of having the federal government dictate education policy at the state and local level. I look forward to working with her to improve our K-12 public education system, make college more affordable, stand up for children with disabilities, and close the skills gap by promoting Career and Technical Education (CTE) to give young people more opportunities to succeed.
In addition, I do give some deference to the President choosing his cabinet, as I did when supporting President Obama’s nominees.
In the 21st century economy, a high quality education is critical to the social and economic well-being of our nation. I believe that the most important role in educating tomorrow’s workforce is played by parents, teachers, mentors, and community leaders at the state and local level. At a time when young people are leaving our state, we must work collaboratively in our communities to give students the tools necessary to compete in high demand fields in Ohio.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact my office. For more information you can visit my website at http://www.portman.senate.gov. Please keep in touch.
Sincerely,
Rob Portman
U.S. Senator
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I got this garbage too. I’m guessing the staffer who wrote this is a TFA alum.
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Right! I missed the part where Secretary DeVos committed to strongly supporting public education.
The worst one I ever received was from Senator Brown on how important and necessary “Race to the Top” was.
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Diane, Did you know about this?
“Moments ago, Public Citizen filed a lawsuit against President Trump.
Here’s what you need to know about the case, Public Citizen v. Donald J. Trump:
Our lawsuit takes direct aim at Trump’s plot to put corporate profits before people’s lives and the public good.
If you can, please chip in today to help us prevent Trump’s wild lawlessness, preserve lifesaving regulatory protections and stand up to these stunning abuses of power.
http://qz.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=5I6NC1dIQcVyADZCuke4LqZDew0A4AMD
Donate now.
Thank you for anything you can contribute!
Onward,
Robert Weissman
President, Public Citizen”
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Here is the letter that I sent to Ron Portman after reading Jon’s letter.
It did not go through because of the links.
I think everyone should let the senators know we are watching, and that their alternative facts are not deceiving us…we see what you do!
Dear Senator Portman,
You said, “I supported Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education because during the confirmation process she committed to strongly support public education and because of her support for local control;” This was at the same meetings where Warren, Franken and Sanders vetted her.
YOUR words explain what is so wrong with these hearings and your vote.
Despite all the EVIDENCE (i.e FACTS) that she has committed herself to the utter destruction of public education in Michigan, you say that you TRUST HER hen she promises:
“Yes sir, I will do the job..one about which I know nothing.”
And YOU are so impressed with this stated commitment from this woman who thinks we need guns in schools incase of grizzlies.
Seriously, Senator, how badly do you want to remain in Congress, representing the real people of this nation.
But there is more: There is that ‘local support’ you speak of, — a case of alternative facts — because her ‘support’ for religious schools, and no -accountability charter schools is OUT THERE!. The result is that Michigan is at the bottom of the US in what its poor kids can do!”
You ALSO cleverly include a meme of truth: “In the 21st century economy, a high quality education is critical to the social and economic well-being of our nation. I believe that the most important role in educating tomorrow’s workforce is played by parents, teachers, mentors, and community leaders at the state and local level.” Now, who could argue with that?
But “What Wait!”
There is that word STATE!
Love it! Ordinary folk would miss THAT ONE, which demonstrates exactly where YOU stand to anyone and everyone who HAS THE REAL FACTS about just WHAT state legislators do when they geg their hands on the school budgets!!!!
Those of us who actually KNOW that there are 15,880 school systems for a purpose… to actually WITNESS and support what is GOING ON IN THE SCHOOLS WHERE THEIR KIDS ATTEND!
Here is what is afoot in THE 15,880: http://www.opednews.com/Series/15-880-Districts-in-50-Sta-by-Susan-Lee-Schwartz-140921-34.html
In ALLl the states, including your own — where public education was defunded, when the war on public schools began to cause catastrophic public school failure- the LEGISLATURES THAT TOOK OVER had NOT a single educator on board. None, zip, nada, not a single academic or PROFESSIONAL EDUCATOR who knows what LEARNING actually requires! But lots of hungry business folk, just drooling to get their hands on the taxpayer money and telling the MEDIA what bad teaching looks like,
The only profit was NOT for the children, but for the hedge funds and the charlatans that kept the technology and the real estate when the schools failed… and fail they did.
In all the states, where legislators took over (as can be verified at the Diane Ravitch blog: https://dianeravitch.net/?s=Legislature or my own series here:
http://www.opednews.com/Series/legislature-and-governorsL-by-Susan-Lee-Schwartz-150217-816.html
Here is a look at what Betsy, sweet Betsy and her billionaire friends do when they COMMIT to education.
http://www.opednews.com/Series/Charlatans–Liars-by-Susan-Lee-Schwartz-151219-107.html
Yes, I will “Keep in touch with you, in that I and the rest of US educators and parents will keep an eye on you,!
We intend to see what you do next to end public education!
We the people may have lost this one, but your words to nothing to cover your deed!
WE ARE WATCHING the ploy and the plot to “GET “EM YOUNG;” to give the education to the scions of the wealthy, and to ensure that the people are unskilled and poor, stressed at having to decide between rent or food, or medical care.
Nice Letter Rob Portman.
You can read this one at the Ravitch blog , too., and at OPED, where I will share it with my readers.
Bye NOw,
Respectfully,
Susan Lee Schwartz
suelee10901@mac.com
OpEdNews – – Author’s Page for Susan Lee Schwartz
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Saw it! Disgraceful but it energized her. I just sent her a donation.
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Utah Senator sponsoring bill to get rid of the Department of Education
http://www.ksl.com/?sid=43127916&nid=757&title=chaffetz-on-co-sponsoring-bill-we-simply-dont-need-the-department-of-education
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Numb,
Getting rid of the Department would not get rid of its programs. They used to be part of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. But it would take away the only job that Betsy ever had.
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Here’s an uplifting story for a change: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/man-who-hated-muslims-refugees-omaha_us_589ca5d0e4b04061313c13f0?gulb30hv1icp1ra4i&
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GregB: I don’t remember that Machiavelli’s “The Prince” made that reading list? Correct me if I am wrong, but it needs to be added, including the time it was written for.
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Don’t get me started on Niccolo, arguably the most maligned and misunderstood thinker in history! Had I stuck with my plan to pursue a PhD, it would have been focused on him. Should it interest you, Niccolo’s Smile by Maurizio Viroli sets the record straight.
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Another front of the Bannon-led wars, now against dogs, cats, horses, and other animals. If you love animals, take 5 minutes for this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzWppkh4JJY
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GregB: It does belong on that list, however. This is off-point for this blog but, first, I don’t know your reference, and, second, I read “The Prince” some years back so my memory is “thin.” However, I do remember thinking at the time that it was not a plan of what NM thought should be done, but rather an analysis of what WAS being done by the Medici (?) family that ruled everything in Italy at the time. Didn’t he write from having been ex-communicated? I am probably exposing you to my vast wealth of ignorance here but, at the time, I wondered if it wasn’t one of the greatest paybacks in history?
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I’m a mom of two daughters in Highlands Ranch, CO (an affluent south suburb of Denver, which is heavily Republican). My school district (DCSD-Douglas CO School District) has been under siege since our local 2009 elections, when a majority of “Reform” candidates were elected from within our 7 district “boundaries”, and more in 2013. I admit, I voted for most of them, and I’m so sorry. I didn’t understand what the “Reform” movement was, or how it could dismantle an entire thriving and successful district so quickly. Over the last 4 to 5 years, as I’ve watched the teacher’s union be dissolved, charter schools (from outside CO) invade and fail, and vouchers drain public money away from neighborhood schools. I’ve watched on-site school teachers/administrators who I have great respect and admiration for, either leave (for neighboring districts… they’re actually called “refugees” within the school systems), retire early, become fearful of speaking up, and sink into a slump of morale. I’ve never been a political person, and I’ve traditionally leaned conservative, but the last 4 years, I’ve become active with other parents in our district to stand up against this “reform” DCSD board agenda that has depleted and destabilized our local school system. We’ve gone from once being the top performing district in the state (attracting top educators/teachers), to having the highest teacher turnover in the state, and massive budget shortfalls. The board’s pet project, creating the new C.I.T.E. teacher evaluation program, is a dismal failure, and has cost us as taxpayers millions. Our district’s legal fees over the last 8 years are staggering, not to mention millions in fines from the CO BOE, for non-compliant decisions of our Reform board directors. Bottom line… our district needs help.
This November’s election will give citizens the opportunity to replace several of the Reform board members, and despite our county being heavily Republican, I feel parent and teacher grass root groups have a chance. But my concern is that SO many residents in our county simply don’t understand the complexity, and direct links between these board members, and harm in our schools. I’ve been a (moderate) registered republican most of my life, but in this area, I’ve become pretty darn “liberal”, based on watching the impacts on my daughter’s schools, and researching “why”.
We are a county/district packed with “families”. Many Denver citizens have/had moved to our suburbs specifically to get into our school district. I BELIEVE, despite resident’s political identification, that this is an issue that can be persuasively won (taken back) in our county. However, during our last few election cycles, lobbyists, money, and out-of-state players seem to flood into our little district. I’ve come to realize Douglas County, CO, is somehow very important to much bigger players. A group called LPR (Leadership Program of the Rockies… http://www.leadershipprogram.org ) has been a major influence on our district, and I’ve come to feel as though our local citizens are being manipulated by this group. More directly, by its members and graduates (the 4 remaining “reform” board members are all affiliated with LPR.) They and have even appointed/hired other LPR members to positions within the district… (I.e. the F-Time attorney recently hired to work in our school administration). Is it even normal for a previously highly successful school district to have a FT “in-house” attorney as a school district employee?
I’m really just one small person, and there are certainly others also advocating in my district who are much more knowledgeable about everything that has occurred over the last 10 years. I’m reaching out to you, because of what I’ve read about you, your passions, and your impressive educational and professional background. Do you have any insight or advice for how our grassroots citizens (who understand the need to stand up and “do something”) should proceed between now and the crutial elections this November? Specifically…
* what are the best and most effective ways to get our local community “aware” of these issues? (as many people just find the topic boring, and/or assume no matter who is elected, the “district” is bigger than any one board member)
* assuming we get local voters better educated, what practices result in getting them to ACT (I.e. voting; and potentially across their GOP “party” identifications, if only on this ONE local issue)?
* How do we find, solicit, and promote the best potential “anti-reform” school board candidates for this November’s local election? The “Reform” candidates in previous elections have come across as VERY intelligent, highly educated, and very “successful” people with high level jobs… even I incorrectly “assumed” (in prior elections) that these professional smart people (I.e. an attorney, a rocket scientist etc) would make logical good decisions for our kids and schools. Because they had very professional “day jobs”, and kids in our schools, I guess I assumed lobbyists or outside influences wouldn’t have much effect on them. Now I know each received sizable campaign donations from places like the local GOP party, and LPR sources.
* how can we most effectively raise money for our future candidates, to be able to compete against heavily funded “reform” candidates?
* Is it possible to keep these special interest and even “national” entities out of “our” small local elections?
Thank you for the important work you do. And if I don’t hear back from you, know you have inspired “little people” like me about the crutial importance of public education, and why we can’t treat it as a for-profit commodity.
Most Sincerely,
Amy Smith
Highlands Ranch, CO
Citizen and mom in the Douglas CO School District
YouCanReachAmySmith@gmail.com
PS: these are websites involved local parents and teachers have formed over the last few years…
Involved Douglas County teachers and Citizens…
https://www.facebook.com/groups/dc4publicedu/
SPEAK for DCSD…
https://www.facebook.com/SPEAK-for-DCSD-113649758761679/
Douglas County Parents…
https://www.facebook.com/DouglasCountyParents/
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An end to bipartisan education policy (but, interestingly, the Trump Administration has negated Education Department power and regulations on how ESSA must be implemented): http://www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2017-02-09/bipartisan-education-politics-a-thing-of-the-past
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http://www.jointhefuture.org/join-the-future/kasich-budget-calls-for-teachers-to-intern-with-local-businesses-as-license-renewal-criteria
Not sure how to fact check this… but REALLY???
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Here’s a fact check for you: http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2017/02/ohio_teachers_externship.html
Just when you thought you couldn’t stuff anymore stupid into Kasich’s administration and the Assembly. And this was the “adult” in the room during the Republican primaries.
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Not trying to change the direction of the current conversation, but I have an important question. Although I have sent an email to the NEA concerning this topic, I need help with a project. I am writing a tentative platform on education and need to find as many educators, pro public school educators, who can help hone and strengthen the education portion. I have a basic outline of ideas, but would love to have as much input as possible. Both my wife and I are products of Public education, She is going to be entering law school (after getting her bachelors in legal studies) and I am currently going for my business management degree (bachelors) with a leaning toward education. Her hopes are to run for office in 2020 or 2024 and I am helping her write a platform. I want to help her have the most solid platform possible, leaving no stone unturned and no topic unaddressed. Our main concern is education and neither of us believe in the current “reforms” taking place in education. I have long held that the education of our youth was not a monetary investment that would ever pay monetary dividends, but was an investment made in hopes that we would have a better future through creating better leaders than what we have today. I have witnessed, as a stepparent, the worst that the current ideas of “reform” can offer such as a child being allowed to remain at a second grade reading level even though she should be at fifth grade level and then being passed on to the next grade simply because a teacher and a school was afraid of losing their funding during the NCLB phase, then watching a child fail miserably because Common Core confused them. Now, with the rampant support of private charters-based on the misconception that public education is failing and that teachers are paid too much-I am alarmed at what education has become. As a possible future leader, I want to reverse what is going on and fix the original problem: how school funding (as it was explained to me by a superintendent) is determined. I want to remove the policies that see school population as a measure of the amount of funding to send. Schools, no matter the size, still need equal funding to ensure they can properly educate through offering an acceptable number of subjects within their offered curriculum. this means that they need enough to offer the arts without having to sacrifice something else. Can you send me to the right people who can help me on my endeavor?
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Senator Sherrod Brown’s (D-Ohio) constituent letter on DeVos (NOTE: Brown was 100% with Obama/Duncan/King on education policy):
Thank you for expressing your thoughts regarding the nomination of Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education.
Mrs. DeVos’s lack of experience as a public school educator or administrator shows that she is unqualified to serve the students of Ohio. Her attack on the public education system is a threat to thousands of educators across the United States who have dedicated their careers to supporting public education.
The Department of Education is an agency responsible for serving all of America’s students by ensuring equal access to education. Betsy DeVos’s track record does not reflect these ideals and her actions go against the very mission of the Department of Education. Moreover, during her confirmation hearing, she appeared to be unfamiliar with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a law that provides for free and appropriate education for all students with disabilities. Betsy DeVos’s only experience in education is in her advocacy for for-profit charter schools in Michigan – the same policies that have proved disastrous in Ohio.
I am also troubled by the $5.2 million that DeVos owes to the people of Ohio in fines for illegal political activity by a pro-charter school PAC she helped fund. Instead of paying the money that she owes the people of Ohio, Betsy DeVos has spent millions pushing the same style of for-profit education that has ripped off Ohio taxpayers and short-changed our students. For these reasons, I cannot support Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education.
Thank you again for reaching out to me about this important issue. I will be sure to keep your views in mind.
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I just watched Diane on the Tavis Smiley show (PBS)–here is the link for the interview. Go Diane!
http://www.pbs.org/video/2365959312/
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I just saw the posting “The press is the enemy of the people – no no no” and I was reminded of George Lakoff’s commentaries spinning off of his work in metaphor – that was clearly articulated on the Tavis Smiley show. I think this is the url: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/tavissmiley/interviews/
Maybe what Lakoff would says is: The press is the protector of the people and our first amendment rights”?
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Press is the fourth estate protected by the first amendment to the U.S. Congress so the people have the possibility of being informed as to the truth. Without a press free by the first amendment of government censorship, the public will be unable to make informed decisions regarding the policies of this Republic.
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Jim2812; I probably don’t need to tell you this, but I’m going to say it anyway:
The importance of a free press in a democracy is WHY what Trump is doing to screw around with it in people’s heads is so damaging to that democracy.
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The 1st amendment doesn’t protect the press from corporate control and today 90 percent of the media is owned and controlled by six corporations. That doesn’t count NPR and PBS, and that probably explains why the malignant narcissist in the White House and the corrupt GOP want to get rid of the public’s media. And the BBC, the most trusted media source in the world (according to surveys), is also not controlled or owned by a corporation.
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jim2812 and Lofty
I don’t see where anyone wants to get rid of the press other than to make sure the fake news issue is pointed out. I remember Obama crying many times over Fox and radio jockeys that countered different opinions of his admin – even on State of the Union addresses.
One can easily find examples of “fake News” and how the press had to adjust the story when confronted with the facts.
The press and its freedom is address in the !st amendment but when you read it it does NOT give immunity from opposition, it does NOT give protection from criticism. And I think journalists believe they are –
The free press is important but it looses its importance when it can not be trusted to present just the facts leave the rest to the editorial pages and opinion comments — the bias from both sides does not help either side
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The biggest generator of fake news is Donald Trump, Breitbard, Alex Jones, and FOX.
The press must be free, free to criticize Trump’s daily lies.
It must also be responsible, and must check facts.
The facts are that Trump is the biggest liar who has ever sat in the White House. Go to Politifact. Trump lies more often than he tells the truth.
He is trying to intimidate the free press. As John McCain said, this is how authoritarians start.
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Dear Ms. Ravitch
After reading your DeVos post today I enrolled in an online course via the Coursera platform called: American Education Reform: History, Policy, Practice.
I am one of the few people in this country that has walked to school from my first day of kindergarten to final day of college. All at public schools. My mother was a public school art teacher, my spouse a public school speech therapist. I have worked in both the public and private sectors. The last 30 years as support staff at a public university.
Only when Scott Walker became governor of Wisconsin and my local legislator recommended I watch “Waiting for Superman” did I realize that our public school system was under heavy assault. That was when I started reading your work.
Today, I believe most of the general public still does not understand the threat. Now, at 66 years of age I decided I needed to know more about the history of our public school system. The course I enrolled in is from the University of Pennsylvania and is taught by Dr. John Puckett and Dr. Michael Johanek. (Are you familiar with either?) I must admit to being leery of anything with “Education Reform” in the title as I have learned how words can be easily twisted to promote agendas, but we’ll see how the course unfolds.
If anyone is interested, here is a link to the course preview:
https://www.coursera.org/learn/edref/home/welcome
Thanks for all you do for public education.
Rick
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Rick,
If you have read my last two books–“Death and Life” and “Reign of Error”==you are in a good position to judge the value of what you are taught in the course. And you have a lot of life experience.
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Jscheidell: The Press’ allegiance is to the truth, not to any one person–so you are right that they should stay to the facts and put opinions in opinion columns.
The big “however,” however, is that to report the FACTS of “what Trump says” when “what Trump says” is a lie, they are still beholden to that truth–and are called to say so quickly–lest that lie “stick” in millions of people’s heads. A correction on page 10 in a later edition won’t do. The damage to the truth is done.
In my view, the Press didn’t start such corrections soon enough–they trusted Trump and the system. It’s at least part of why we are where we are presently–dealing with a serial liar who is also president of the United States.
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Some of us have been saying this from the get go, but Trump supporters could not grasp the importance of this distinction: “Trump wasn’t a real CEO. No wonder his White House is disorganized. Running a family business isn’t the same as running a public corporation.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2017/02/21/trump-wasnt-a-real-ceo-no-wonder-his-white-house-is-disorganized/?utm_term=.8162eee52f5b
It’s no wonder that, from the starting gate, he has acted as if being president means he’s the only one in charge calling all the shots, he can do no wrong, and he’s accountable to no one. He still only cares about his own wealth, business and family, but what kind of father rolls back environmental protections to the benefit of big business and risks leaving a dying planet to his offspring?
I guess one whose priorities are in that order: wealth and business first, then family. I thought he said Ivanka makes him do the right thing. Why the hell isn’t she stopping him from repealing environmental protections and dismantling the EPA, to make sure her kids inherit a healthy planet? Like father like daughter?
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In an interview with the malignant narcissist’s four or five biographers (forgot the exact number) they all agreed that even his family, including Ivanka, has a limited influence on Trump’s final decisions. At best, he might listen to and follow through on about a third of the advice Ivanka might give him.
Her influence is limited. He might say yes, he agrees with her, and then later make a different final decision nowhere near what Ivanka recommended. One biographer said even at dinner with the family, the only voice heard is Trump’s and when he’d done eating, dinner is over.
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Let’s not fall for the myth that Ivanka is a closet liberal.
Let’s judge Trump by what he does, not claims that his daughter is moderating his worst impulses
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The Times-Picayune has AP report on 1700 Louisiana teachers who will lose jobs mostly due to tenure issues. Link to Tulane University study in the report: http://www.nola.com/education/index.ssf/2017/02/teacher_tenure_study.html#incart_river_home
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Also, even if Trump were a competent CEO, running a business is not the same as governing, for reasons too obvious for conservatives/regressives to accept.
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What is that old saying about the chip off the old block, or something like that?
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Right, and the acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree…
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“It’s what you do that makes you who you are.” – Barbara Kingsolver, in Animal Dreams.
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The following is one of the most alarming articles I have ever read in regard to where we are and where we’re headed, so I think it should not be missed:
“Why We Could Be on the Verge of a Constitutional Apocalypse: If Republicans get full control of a few more State Houses, they will have the frightening power to amend the Constitution into their own authoritarian image.”
http://www.alternet.org/activism/verge-constitutional-collapse
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The back story on why we’ve been finding ourselves where we are now, even before Trump, dealing with the corporate take over of America, which includes both parties, relates to the 1971 Powell Memo, see “The Powell Memo: A Call-to-Arms for Corporations:” http://billmoyers.com/content/the-powell-memo-a-call-to-arms-for-corporations/ as well as the GOP take over of State Houses across the country, both of which also relate to the 1973 establishment of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), see “The United States of ALEC:” http://billmoyers.com/episode/united-states-of-alec-a-follow-up/
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Great links. This kind of commentary is what makes this blog so outstanding.
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Secretary DeVos and Randi communicating: http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/02/23/devos-cpac-i-want-find-common-ground-teachers-unions/
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What is going on with the Ellen Show and Walmart? It sounds like scholarships were funded by Walmart and were given to all students at a charter school. Were public schools also eligible? What role did the Ellen Show play in the scholarship opportunity? I am just putting it out there to see what anyone knows and if this is a confirmation of Walmart’s support of charters.
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Walmart/Walton Foundation gives $200 million a year to charters.
$15,000 a year to local Bentonville schools.
Hates unions.
93% of charters are non-union
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Fordham concerned about ESSA regulation changes: https://edexcellence.net/articles/40-essa-rules-endangered-by-republicans-repeal-efforts?utm_source=Fordham+Updates&utm_campaign=4f71d40f2c-20160918_LateLateBell9_16_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d9e8246adf-4f71d40f2c-71494877&mc_cid=4f71d40f2c&mc
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Joshua, I am writing about this for tomorrow.
About 10 friends in Texas sent me this story! What a jerk, to debate kids and lose!
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Here’s the story reported by channel 8 in DFW tonight:
http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/state-senator-offers-partial-apology-for-rant/415777396
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OMG, Diane. Have you seen this? “Insane Betsy DeVos Press Release Celebrates Jim Crow Education System as Pioneer of “School Choice””
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/02/28/betsy_devos_press_release_praises_segregated_jim_crow_education_system.html
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All that money and she couldn’t even buy a little common sense.
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AgggggH! Not before breakfast!
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GregB: Some things, like commonsense, are not for sale.
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Why do you promote standardized testing? It’s so damaging to those who don’t meet a very narrow definition of intelligence.
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I spoke to my local school board last week and wrote a letter to our local weekly community paper to correct the reporting of my remarks. I encourage everyone out there to act with your local school boards and communities to educate and lay the groundwork for collective activism that will be needed to protect public education in the coming months and years. Here’s the letter:
While I appreciate mention of my concerns about the Ohio General Assembly House Bill (HB) 628, your story [in the Feb. 23, 2017, issue,] (“Copley-Fairlawn board approves building improvements”) failed to characterize both the scope and intent of my remarks.
HB 628 is just one of many threats to the very existence of public education, which scholar Diane Ravitch has called “the bedrock of our democracy.”
These ideas are coming out of Columbus and Washington, D.C., from politicians and “think tanks” and from corporations and crass profiteers. Far too few are taking notice.
The most immediate assault, as we have seen in years past, is Gov. [John] Kasich’s annual budget proposal. It continues to reward failed, unaccountable charter and electronic distance learning profiteers by plundering funds from public schools.
Gov. Kasich again penalizes school districts where voters have approved tax increases to support their schools, including Copley-Fairlawn City Schools, by reducing their share of state funding.
He would substantially increase funds in other districts, not to improve schools, but to create larger cash cows for predatory charter and voucher schemes to target, plunder and transfer more public funds directly into their pockets.
This year Gov. Kasich’s budget contains a provision to force teachers to shadow someone in private business in the summers to renew their teaching certificates. It also requires every local school board have three nonvoting members from the business community.
These proposals do nothing to improve teaching and learning; they attack the professionalism and autonomy of every teacher and democratically elected local school board.
State Rep. [Andrew] Brenner’s [R-District 67] bill, HB 628, is identical to many being introduced in state houses throughout the nation to create statewide voucher systems based on false, failed ideas of “choice.”
In a coordinated approach instigated by the American Legislative Exchange Council, [U.S.] Rep. [Steve] King (R-Iowa) [District 4] has introduced H.R. 610 in the U.S. House of Representatives to dovetail with Rep. Brenner’s bill. It would only grant federal education funding to states that have implemented statewide voucher policies designed to undermine public schools.
The confirmation of unqualified billionaire Betsy DeVos as secretary of education is the glue that holds all these pernicious ideas together. Throughout her life, DeVos has been hostile to public schools and spent millions to shift public funds to religious schools.
My plea to the Copley-Fairlawn School Board of Education — to school boards everywhere — was to urge them to convene and educate the public to explain these coordinated threats against our public schools.
We must speak loudly, consistently and with unified voices in support of public education, whether we have children in schools or not. Apathy, ignorance and indifference at the local level will make us complicit in the destruction of public education throughout our nation, and with it, the most important institution that binds our social fabric.
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Excellent letter.
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YES! This is th oNLY WAY. Speak loudly AND let them know they cannot “rule’ the schools in ways that MKE LEARNING IMPOSSIBLE, or that sell education to those who can afford it.. Good job.!
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http://progressive.org/public-school-shakedown/a-growing-body-of-evidence-showing-that-school-vouchers-are-/
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The all out attack on public education in America has already begun with the introduction of House Bill 610:
“This bill eliminates the Elementary and Secondary Education Bill of 1965. If passed, it would redistribute Federal funds for public elementary and secondary education in the form of vouchers for eligible students; it would repeal a rule relating to nutrition standards in schools and would cut programs for special needs, advanced, and language learners.
That’s why I signed a petition to The United States Senate, which says:
America needs fair and equal rights to education! Regulations need to stay in place to protect all American school children. Please vote NO to HB 610.”
Please sign this petition and share it with others:
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/vote-no-to-house-bill
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/common-core-debate-bots_us_58bc8bf3e4b0d2821b4ee059
From the article:
But even though extreme opponents of Common Core came to dominate the discussion on Twitter, Common Core State Standards are still dictating what and how children learn in most places. Common Core’s opponents never developed truly viable policy alternatives.
Common Core ultimately “won the policy war,” Supovitz said.
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I received this post from a fellow educator and it was put out by Iowans for Public Education
“My husband and I have decided the local parks just aren’t good enough for our kids. We’d rather use the country club, and we are hoping state tax dollars will pay for it. We are advocating for Park Savings Accounts, or PSAs. We promise to no longer use the local parks. To hell with anyone else or the community as a whole. We want our tax dollars to be used to make the best choice for our family.”
Sound Ridiculous?
Tell your legislator to vote NO on Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), aka school vouchers.
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Here are some comments I ran into on Huffington Post that were in the comment section to the article Ben Carson: Slaves Were Immigrants Who Came Here And Worked Really Hard ‘For Less’ ( I have removed the names):
I had to get on my daughter’s teacher for calling slaves indigenous workers. This is their new talking points. Her teacher was showing her CNN and MSBNC telling the class it was fake news and such. They are trying to rewrite history smh.
Wth? Can you file a complaint with the school board?
Wow!!!
Oh I made a complaint but I doubt it will get anywhere. The Principal is a proud Trump voter. Really smh. I’m in the south believe me I told her to make sure she speak up when he is talking like that. First day of class he told the kids everything they learned from their parents about politics is wrong. I was up there the next day. He’s a Civics and Economics teacher.
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Two thoughts: I can relate to your issues with your teachers and principal. My high school U.S. history teacher characterized Crispus Attucks presence at the Boston Massacre as, “he was probably some drunk just hanging around.” Told him what I thought about his racist remark and got the best bad grade of my life.
As to Carson, think about it: People who had been violently torn from their homes and society, put on ships in worse than inhuman conditions, and who had no idea where they were going—if, indeed they were to survive. It makes complete sense, as Carson opines, that they were thinking of generations of their offspring, “I hope my great-grandchildren will be able to pursue prosperity and happiness in my blessed new home. I’m so happy I had the opportunity to be placed on this ship to fulfill my progeny’s dreams in America.” Quite logical and humane, if you ask me (dripping with sarcasm for those who don’t get it). How can someone so educated be so damn stupid?
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GregB,
Or, thanks for the free passage to the New World?
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And free meals!
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My goodness. He’s now calling slaves “involuntary immigrants.” He would have failed my 6th grade Louisiana history class.
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Andy Borowitz says Ben Carson says people pushed out of windows get unique opportunity to fly through air
http://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/ben-carson-says-people-pushed-out-of-windows-get-unique-opportunity-to-fly-through-air
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GregB, Diane,
I hope you were as disturbed when Obama said the same and according to the Federalist 11 times – Wow – didn’t see anything from the group here, but Ill give you the Google sites you can spend time on choose anyone – and from the liberal press which amazes me – And your 6th grade class reacted to your history listen how?
Obama also referred to slaves as ‘immigrants’ – USA Today
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2017/03/07/obama-also-referred-slaves-immigrants/98875122/
21 hours ago … Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson caused a stir Monday when he referred to slaves as “immigrants” — but he wasn’t the …
Compare and contrast: Ben Carson and Obama on slaves as – Hot Air
http://hotair.com/archives/2017/03/07/compare-and-contrast-ben-carson-and-obama-on-slaves-as-immigrants/
17 hours ago … Obama’s point: Slaves are immigrants of a sort, and like other immigrants, they dreamed that their children might one day have a better life in …
Obama Also Referred to Slaves as Immigrants – Breitbart
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/03/07/sorry-ben-carson-critics-obama-also-referred-to-slaves-as-immigrants/
1 day ago … Sorry Ben Carson Critics: Obama Also Referred to Slaves as Immigrants. Ben- Carson-Reuters-and-Barack-Obama-AP. Reuters/AP. by Charlie …
11 Times Barack Obama Compared Slaves To Immigrants
https://thefederalist.com/2017/03/07/11-times-barack-obama-compared-slaves-to-immigrants/ – 54k – Cached – Similar pages
23 hours ago … This week, liberals savagely mocked Ben Carson for supposedly comparing slaves to immigrants but were quiet when Obama did the exact …
Obama beat Carson to slaves-as-immigrants punch – WND.com
http://www.wnd.com/2017/03/obama-beat-carson-to-slaves-as-immigrants-punch/ – 81k – Cached – Similar pages
10 hours ago … But President Barack Obama used similar language to include African-Americans descended from slaves among the immigrants who helped …
Like Ben Carson, President Obama also compared slaves to …
http://theweek.com/speedreads/684656/like-ben-carson-president-obama-also-compared-slaves-immigrants – 22k – Cached – Similar pages
12 hours ago … Carson, the only black member of Trump’s cabinet, clarified his point on Facebook Monday night, noting that “the slave narrative and immigrant …
Critics say Carson’s slavery and immigration remarks similar to Obama
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/critics-carsons-slavery-immigration-remarks-similar-obamas/story?id=45981911 – – Cached – Similar pages
16 hours ago … Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson’s comment Monday classifying slaves brought to America as “immigrants” sparked …
Slaves as immigrants, from Ben Carson and the academy [UPDATE …
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2017/03/06/slaves-as-immigrants-from-ben-carson-and-the-academy/ – – Cached – Similar pages
1 day ago … [UPDATE: See below for slaves-as-immigrants quotes from President Obama, reported by The Blaze.] Housing and Urban Development …
Obama Calling African Slaves Immigrants In 2015 – YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-ii9Urw2o4 – 203k – Cached – Similar pages
1 day ago … Twitter reacted in a frenzy when Ben Carson called Africans brought over on ships immigrants, and was called the usual names – Uncle Tom, …
Obama Called Slaves ‘Immigrants’ Who Hoped to Build a Better Life
http://freebeacon.com/politics/flashback-obama-slaves-immigrants-themselves-hoped-better-life/ – 113k – Cached – Similar pages
1 day ago … Then-President Barack Obama made almost the exact same comparison between slaves and immigrants as Ben Carson during a 2015 …
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Jscheidell,
I don’t usually read Breitbart and other right wing sites.
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Once again, js, you demonstrate that righties have little-to-no awareness of context and nuance. I’m guessing in your world slaves were just more abusers of entitlements given to them by their benevolent patrons.
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But that is th plan to ‘GET ‘EM YOUNG!
Diane posted the entrance into the school curricula, in North Carolina, of the Koch Brothers
North Carolina Plans to Adopt Koch-Funded Social Studies Curriculum | Diane Ravitch’s blog
Civics Lessons Financed by the Koch Brothers | Diane Ravitch’s blog
An authoritarian regime has to erase history and rewrite it to watch their rational.
This is the plan of our very own, ‘deep state,’ (I am seeing that appellation more often these days, name that many progressives use to allude to th e’billionaire’s boys club,’ that is our shadow government. Look at the inability of our Congress to do anything we th epee must have, and you see the work of the ‘deep state’, which elected these traitors to the people, when Ctiizen United pulled out the stops, and allowed money, money money from the rich man’s world to flow into elections.
When this kind of inequality happens, that guy standing at the end of this video can tell the nation’s school-age kids anything he wants.
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I hate auto-spelling…” that we the PEOPLE MUST HAVE”
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Wondering where we stand on stripping of ESSA regulations. Reformers tend to favor keeping them: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/445503/education-limit-federal-power-essa-regulations
Senator Portman (R-Ohio) supports keeping the regulations: http://www.westernjournalism.com/republican-opposes-overturn-of-obama-era-education-regulations/
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Any way we could come up with an NPE rating for politicians on education policy. I’d like to start by giving a score to current governors. How do we create a scoring system? I’d like the model to give Cuomo (D-NY) and Kasich (R-OH) under 10 out of 100.
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Governor Kasich wants teachers to spend time at businesses to retain licensure. A new bill proposes that he spend 40 hours observing various K-12 schools: http://nbc4i.com/2017/03/07/ohio-lawmakers-propose-bill-to-have-gov-kasich-intern-at-public-schools/
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Love it.
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pushing people out windows so they can experience flying
Good idea, but only if we push all the billionaire oligarchs starting with Betsy Devos and her entire family followed by Bill Gates out of the highest floor of the One World Trade Center in New York City. The Koch brothers will be #3 and then the entire Walton family #4.
Who should be gifted with the #5 slot? Wait, that would be the malignant narcissist and his family.
So, who wins the #6 slot?
We can have drones accompany them on their flight to record their every sensation and word while a volunteer tweets about each flight.
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LOL! I second your idea!
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Again GregB
you didn’t address the fact that the former leader – African American – President – said the same thing as Dr. Carson – Your reply was quick, thus You probably couldn’t stomach Obama saying the same thing — I wonder if you agree with the many tweets noted in one of the links that Carson was called “Uncle Tom” — so I guess you concur that Obama should be referred to as “Uncle Tom” ???
Must be a conundrum for many when you can google mirrors of hypocrisy
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Watch it. It’s very different than just reading the transcript. And look at their body of work when it comes to talking and educating about race issues. Not even close. Try not to salivate too much. You can go back now to read about your civil rights icon David Duke. He’s standing up for oppressed white folks like you.
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Greg
I’m sorry I directed my response to your comment on Carson and his comment – It is the comparison of 2 individuals on one topic..slaves/immigration comment. a pathetic retort from a teacher – hope you do better by your students in 6th grade –
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Haven’t taught for more than 25 years. Now I just ruin my own children.
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Diane,
When did the Washington Post – a paper website that you and many here reference – become right wing?
ABC – Right wing?
USA – Right wing??
Baffling – At least I gave balanced resources –
And GregB –
yes, where is your understanding of “Nuances and Context” regarding Carson ? And Carson didn’t use a teleprompter – he should have but – whereas Obama did – Obama therefore was not contemporaneous speech and his comments were well thought out and written…hmmm
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Just realized I missed the larger point. Let’s assume, for the sake of argument, you are correct. Was it appropriate, in your view, in either case?
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“jscheidel”: I don’t know about GregB, but I can easily say that it’s okay for Obama, but not for Carson, just on the overall intelligence and, as GregB says, the personal comportment, nuance, and context of the statements. Judging from other inane statements Carson has blessed us with HIS statement is out of ignorance and, to be kind, his inexperience in the world of politics and probably of his lack of knowledge of history. Judging from Obama’s overall intelligence and comportment, and now experience, I go with GregB on this.
The other thing is this: if statements and behaviors DID carry the same meaning in either case of Obama or Carson, (and they do not in the sense of personal comportment, nuance and context) then they are wrong for all–and so your constantly pointing to Obama or others does NOTHING to take away from negative judgments about Carson–based on your own silly diversions.
When I read your notes, I am often transported back to the schoolyard.
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CBK, thanks.
Although I disagreed with him about education issues, Obama is an intelligent and well informed man, deeply knowledgeable about the Constitution.
Dr. Carson was a great surgeon but seems to know little about history, government or the Constitution.
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Catherine
I hope you’re not in the school yard with Greg and his history class.
It is never “OK” for any person, especially at the level of President – his ed background and Constitutional – history – background to make an irresponsible remark – And Obama has made many inane remarks in his position – I guess Obama is speaking “out of ignorance” because of his former inane remarks?
I did not make any issue of minimizing, nor taking away from negative judgements in comparing Obama – just the issue that you nor any of the group here, as far as my memory serves<yes, this is a liberal base> thought negatively of B Hussein Obama.
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jscheidel: I think Obama has more dignity and respect for the audience, the American people, than to get up there speaking off the cuff, dredging up “stream of consciousness” garbage (like Trump does).
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Yes, Obama’s dignity and respect for his audience was diminished by an inaccurate historical and his was written and presumably by his speech writers that checked it over —
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Diane: Yes, and Carson actually says that about himself–which gives him several “stars” in my book. But that doesn’t make him any more knowledgeable generally–only that he KNOWS that he isn’t qualified, which is more than we can say for some others who made the national stage.
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I listened to what Obama said, an diehard it on The Daily Show.
THIS is how Fake NEWS works.
Take a word our of context BY REMOVING THE PRECEDING SENTENCE
in which Obama made it clear that black Africans were brought here unwillingly
. HIs context was that from the worst beginnings they had a chance, eventually to enter the culture. He is proof.
and Carson is the worst kind of mental midget.
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Amen sister!
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*jscheidel** You cannot seem to get away from diversion by comparison. But to indulge you, I’m not in agreement with everything Obama said or did. Inane is inane. Okay? Are you happy now?
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Jscheidel Is that all you have? or more to the point, are you REALLY defending what’s going on with Trump and his cabinet?
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GregB
Very simple answer – NO for both of them!
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I was just informed by Pastors for Texas Children that the parents of two babies born here were deported. The babies were brought to the church for safekeeping.
Is this what Christians do?
Is this what Americans do?
This is what Trump does. He is evil.
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Here’s an example of Trumpian evil:
Head of Homeland Security John Kelly proposes to separate children from their mothers when they are detained at the border is the most horrific idea I can imagine. It constitutes child abuse.
“We have tremendous experience of dealing with unaccompanied minors,” he told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on “The Situation Room.” “We turn them over to (Health and Human Services) and they do a very, very good job of putting them in foster care or linking them up with parents or family members in the United States.”
He continued: “Yes I’m considering (that), in order to deter more movement along this terribly dangerous network. I am considering exactly that. They will be well cared for as we deal with their parents. … It’s more important to me, Wolf, to try to keep people off of this awful network.”
http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/06/politics/john-kelly-separating-children-from-parents-immigration-border/index.html
Since the target for these round-ups and deportations seem to be Latinos, it amounts to ethnic cleansing. We need to refer to it that way.
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Christine and Diane,
My question regarding the “Trumpian Evil” reference — is what kind of parents would place their children in a journey of danger involving human traffickers , risk of exploitation, assault and injury by them and add the physical dangers of the treacherous journey north
There has been a drop — attributed to the cost of travel — human smugglers or “coyotes” have ” hiked their prices by nearly 130 percent, according to DHS. Previously it would cost someone $3,500 for a coyote to guide them on their journey north, but since the election in November, those fees have jumped to $8,000 in some cases.”
If the Trumpian Evil has created an immigration stance which gives us border control, less chances of those who might harm us, drug traffickers, etc – I’m all for it
If this is basically seen by you as ethnic cleansing I feel you have over stepped the situation – but that is your evil- fear mongering – And according to the article you referenced Chriistine, it sounded like the unaccompanied children are being placed in foster care for their protection UNTIL parents are dealt with or family presently in US are found- Cleansing? Ethnic – where are the numbers of death reports one usually gets?
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If through his “evil” stance on the border is causing a drop then I would say a different view might be looked at- you have less “ethnic Cleaning” as Catherine sees it.. Thus a plus for Americans, a plus for the kids
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Yes, a “plus” separating children from their parents. A plus for evil.
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Here in Boston, it’s budget season and our schools are on a famine diet once again, facing major funding cuts in schools across the city. Two BPS parents have posted this incisive blog on how teachers make do by using Donors Chose, and what the implications are for what constitutes acceptable school funding.
http://bostonpoliticaleducation.blogspot.com/2017/03/when-donors-choose-some-win-and-some.html?platform=hootsuite
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As long as the bloated war budget takes more than 54% of the total discretionary budget, schools, health care, and all other programs which help people will suffer. Trump wants to increase that to 65%.
We are currently waging illegal wars of aggression on seven Muslim countries which do NOT threaten the U.S.: Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen. U.S. Special Forces teams are deployed in more than 130 nations. More than 800 U.S. military bases operate in more than 80 nations. most of them whose people want those foreign bases out. Obama, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, budgeted for a ONE TRILLION DOLLAR “modernization” of the U.S. nuclear arsenal so these omnicidal weapons could be made “more usable” for our generals and NATO.
Why do we need a war/military budget greater than that of the next 15 nations COMBINED? Because war profiteers are a key part of this destructive, predatory capitalist economy, with subcontractors in every Congressional district, and greedy, craven Congresspeople only care about funding their next campaigns.
Our problem is way beyond a psychopath such as Trump. Our entire economic/political system is built on, and devoted to, immense greed, which creates only worldwide death and destruction.
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jscheidell
Here’s a piece about a teacher who made a difference by quitting his job as a teacher and living in the community where the children that he taught came from, and how he made a difference there. “In the 10 years that the Skei family has been in the Lowell neighborhood, quality of housing and academic scores have increased, crime rates have decreased and a sense of community has been built .”
This is not Trumpism. This is not DeVosism. This is not Kochism. This is not Waltonism. This is not racism. This is making a difference where it counts.
View at Medium.com
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Lloyd,
There recently was a post about a writer – I looked for the post but could not find the name or article – who made the point that the reformists and billionaires are not closing the gaps in academics etc. with all their money and that they are always trying to implement grandiose programs rather than starting small and more directed programs.
This article you sent should be sent to them so that they could create a model and install in neighborhoods. …”quality of housing and academic scores have increased, crime rates have decreased and a sense of community has been built — more and more people are tutoring out of their homes and hosting events in their front yards, such as movie nights and carnivals.” Its nice to have money – without strings, but more importantly individuals like the Skei family – success breeds success
This kind of success should also filter up to our local state and federal representatives – our money would be better spent –
Thanks for the article!
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JScheidell: Just for the record, I didn’t say anything about ethnic cleansing–must have been someone else.
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It was Christine Langhoff.
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Yes, it was me. I don’t think it’s an overstatement.
A Puerto Rican man was detained for three days and told he would be deported. Puerto Ricans have been US citizens since 1917.http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/eduardo-caraballo-puerto-rico-deportion-94795779.html
ICE lingers outside a church which provides shelters to the homeless, then arrested six Latino men when they left in the morning. http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/ICE-Agents-Arrest-Men-Leaving-Alexandria-Church-Shelter-413889013.html
ICE has been following parents as they drop their children off at school, then taking their parents into custody.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/03/us/california-father-ice-arrest-trnd/index.html
All of these targets are Latinos, or “Latino-looking”.
I live in Boston, where we have a large community of undocumented Irish. So far no raids in the Allston or Dorchester neighborhoods at Irish bars or churches. I don’t know of any Irish afraid to leave their homes due to fear that ICE will detain them.
We’ve created the immigration problem and have done nothing to solve it because it’s an economic gain not to do so. 11 million people did not take up residence here overnight.
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From the Kenyan-born Somali poet Warsan Shire:
no one leaves home unless
home is the mouth of a shark
you only run for the border
when you see the whole city running as well
your neighbors running faster than you
breath bloody in their throats
the boy you went to school with
who kissed you dizzy behind the old tin factory
is holding a gun bigger than his body
you only leave home
when home won’t let you stay.
no one leaves home unless home chases you
fire under feet
hot blood in your belly
it’s not something you ever thought of doing
until the blade burnt threats into
your neck
and even then you carried the anthem under
your breath
only tearing up your passport in an airport toilets
sobbing as each mouthful of paper
made it clear that you wouldn’t be going back.
you have to understandthat no one puts their children in a boat
unless the water is safer than the land
no one burns their palms
under trains
beneath carriages
no one spends days and nights in the stomach of a truck
feeding on newspaper unless the miles travelled
means something more than journey.
no one crawls under fences
no one wants to be beaten
pitied
no one chooses refugee camps
or strip searches where your
body is left aching
or prison,
because prison is safer
than a city of fire
and one prison guard
in the night
is better than a truckload
of men who look like your father
no one could take it
no one could stomach it
no one skin would be tough enough
the
go home blacks
refugees
dirty immigrants
asylum seekers
sucking our country dry
niggers with their hands out
they smell strange
savage
messed up their country and now they want
to mess ours up
how do the words
the dirty looks
roll off your backs
maybe because the blow is softer
than a limb torn off
or the words are more tender
than fourteen men between
your legs
or the insults are easier
to swallow
than rubble
than bone
than your child body
in pieces.
i want to go home,
but home is the mouth of a shark
home is the barrel of the gun
and no one would leave home
unless home chased you to the shore
unless home told you
to quicken your legs
leave your clothes behind
crawl through the desert
wade through the oceans
drown
save
be hunger
beg
forget pride
your survival is more important
no one leaves home until home is a sweaty voice in your ear
saying-
leave,
run away from me now
i dont know what i’ve become
but i know that anywhere
is safer than here
Quoted in Common Dreams.org
http://www.commondreams.org/further/2015/09/04/no-one-leaves-home-unless-home-mouth-shark
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Apology Catherine!
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And this could all be done without vouchers, corporate charter schools, school choice, the Common Core Crap, VAM, high-stakes tests that rank and punish teachers and public schools, while ignoring failing voucher and corporate charter programs that are making a few wealthy while supporting segregation and racism.
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I agree with each item…I have stood and railed against the Common Core, VAM and high stakes test in my state at local school board meetings, and also at one of the state board of ed’s journey outside their cocoon to a local community college.
I even – from time to time – comment in the papers regarding these issues and OPT OUT support.
Charters and ChOICE are not issues our local school board confronts.
A lot of money would be better used if funneled to programs like Skies.
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jscheidell,
One fact that is never mentioned about undocumented/illegal immigrants risking their lives to cross our southern border is that most if not all of them are Catholics or Christians, not Islamic terrorists.
Most if not all Muslim immigrants do not reach the United States by illegally crossing the U.S. Southern border. In fact, most Muslim immigrants can only reach the U.S. legally.
“The Pew Research Center’s 2013 National Survey of Latinos and Religion finds that a majority (55%) of the nation’s estimated 35.4 million Latino adults – or about 19.6 million Latinos – identify as Catholic today. 1 About 22% are Protestant (including 16% who describe themselves as born-again or evangelical) and 18% are religiously unaffiliated.”
http://www.pewforum.org/2014/05/07/the-shifting-religious-identity-of-latinos-in-the-united-states/
The odds of being murdered by an illegal immigrant are 1 in 10.9 BILLION per year
https://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/terrorism-immigration-risk-analysis
Terrorism and illegal immigration in the United States
“Empirically, the case is simply false. Foreigners who’ve carried out terrorist attacks have entered the United States legally on immigrant, non-immigrant work/study, or tourist visas. While some of them may have been ‘illegal’ in the sense of overstaying their visas, this is a qualitatively different problem than border crossing.”
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LLoyd,
Kate Steinle’s case is the most well known of all the cases below and we wait for a law to be installed in Washington State….
But”
Interesting fact you proffered — “The odds of being murdered by an illegal immigrant are 1 in 10.9 BILLION per year” . I would hate to note this in talking to the families, friends, children grandchildren etc, So if one of your children, grandchildren or immediate family encounters their fate of being that 1 in 10.9 billion would that fact would provide you solace in your loss?
So what would you say to the families of these individuals – and what reaction would you expect to get? And One can get a list for each year back to 2004.
According to DeadlyDrivers.org, an activist site dedicated to keeping unlicensed drivers — immigrant or otherwise — off America’s streets, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety estimated 20 percent of fatal car accidents per year involve unlicensed drivers. According to research by Don Rosenberg, who lost his son, Drew, to an illegal immigrant driver in 2010, more than 90 percent of those driving without a license in America today are in this country illegally. In 2014, there were 32,675 traffic fatalities. If 20 percent of those fatalities involved unlicensed drivers, and 90 percent of those driving without a license are illegal aliens, then upwards of 5,800 Americans lost their lives to illegal alien drivers in 2014 alone.
Many resources – links – but heres a start:
Powerful: Mothers of Children Killed By Illegal Aliens Tell Their …
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2016/08/24/powerful-mothers-of-children-killed-my-illegal-aliens-tell-their-stories-n2209488
Aug 24, 2016 … Unfortunately, Steinle’s case wasn’t isolated and is one of hundreds. Americans are killed by illegal aliens, many of them previously deported, …
May 2, 2016 … Click here to join Todd’s American Dispatch: a must-read for … speaking the truth – about how illegals are killing Americans – on American soil.
Family of People Killed by Undocumented Immigrants Speak Out at …
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/family-people-killed-undocumented-immigrants-speak-gop-convention/story?id=40685407
January 2017 — A Mexican illegally in the United States;, Leonard Pennelas-Escobar, was shot dead in Arizona as he assaulted a police officer by banging his head against cement after Pennelas shot and wounded the officer who had stopped to render assistance after Pennelas driving at a high speed had rolled the car killing the woman passenger.
January 2017 — Alexis De La Rosa Sosa, an illegal alien from Mexico, was sentenced in Texas to four concurrent terms of 12 years in prison for the deaths of two persons as a result of his crashing into their vehicle while driving recklessly and then fleeing the scene of the crime. (Breitbart News January 11, 2017)
November 2016 — A Mexican illegal alien , Claudia Raquel Herrera Ibarra, pled guilty to possession of a firearm in Laredo Texas and was sentenced to three years imprisonment. She and a partner were caught smuggling weapons to the violent “Los Zetas” narcotics smuggling gang in Mexico. (Breibert News , November 30, 2016)
October 2016 — A previously deported illegal alien is jailed in Michigan after admitting to strangling his girlfriend. Raul Perez had been deported to Mexico in 2004 and again in 2005 after a judge found him guilty of illegal reentry. He also had been in police custody five days before the murder for driving under the influence. The local authorities established his identity from his fingerprints – he was using an assumed name – but according to a news account – there was no request from ICE that he be detained (perhaps because he was detained on a weekend). ICE has now issued a detainer request for whenever Perez is released. (WoodTV, Channel 8, Grand Rapids Mich.)
September 2016 — Cecil Burrows, an immigrant from India, is due to be deported following more than three years imprisonment for his involvement in orchestrating a gang rape in his home in 2012. (Washington Post, September 25, 2016)
September 2016 — A British illegal alien, Michael Steven Sandford, pled guilty in Nevada to possession of a gun—that he tried to take from a policeman – and disrupting and official function—a campaign rally by GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump. Sandford said he was attempting to kill the candidate. A psychiatrist found that Sandford was “delusional” according to an AP report. Sentencing guidelines call for 18 to 27 months in prison. (Daily News. September 13, 2016)
September 2016 — September 2016 – Jorge Elizade Sanches, an illegal alien confessed to the beating death of his common-law spouse in Texas. (12newsnow.tv September 15, 2016)
September 2016 — September 2016 – Walter Gomes DaSilva, a Brazilian illegal alien, pled guilty to the murder of his teen-aged daughter in Massachusetts. (Boston Herald, September 7, 2016)
September 2016 — September 2016 – Ecuadorian illegal aliens, Paul Esteban Estrella Villota and his wife Magaly Alemania Malagon Sandoya were respectively sentenced in Texas to six and five years respectively in federal prison for an alien smuggling operation. (Breibart News September 7, 2016)
August 2016 — Two Salvadoran illegal alien gang members were convicted of murder in the Virginia suburbs of Washington DC. Jose Lopez Torres was convicted of a brutal stabbing death of another MS-13 gang member suspected of being an informer. He was sentenced to life imprisonment plus 20 years. According to the Washington Post, “His conviction was part of a sweeping federal case against Northern Virginia members of the El Salvador-based gang, in which six defendants pleaded guilty and six more were found guilty at trial.” The other just convicted Salvadoran was Jesus Alejandro Chavez, who was sentenced to two life terms plus 10 years for two murders. (Washington Post, August 11, 2016)
July 2016 — Mauricio Morales-Caceres, an illegal alien from El Salvador was sentenced in Montgomery County, Maryland to life in prison without parole for the stabbing death of another Salvadoran. Morales identified himself as an MS-13 gang member, and testimony indicated he had no remorse for his crime. (Washington Post July 15, 2016)
June 2016 — Aroldo Castillo-Serrano, a Guatemalan illegal alien, was sentence to 15 years in prison in Ohio for forced labor conspiracy, forced labor, witness tampering and encouraging illegal entry into the country. Castillo paid smugglers to smuggle teen-aged Guatemalan youth into the country under the promise of getting them into school and then put them to work as indentured servants in an egg farm. (Fox News Latino, June 27, 2016)
June 2016 — A Mexican illegal alien, Juan Carlos Sepulveda-Castro, was sentenced to two and one half years in prison in Idaho for threatening people with an assault rifle. The news report notes that illegal aliens are prohibited from possessing a firearm. (Pocatello TV channel 8)
June 2016 — Eleven illegal alien members of the Salvadoran MS-13 gang have been convicted of a series of crimes including murder. Jorge Enrique Moreno-Aguilar, Juan Alberto Ortiz-Orellana and Minor Perez, all from Maryland were convicted in mid-May of murder and conspiracy in a racketeering enterprise. (MRC-TV May 24, 2016) New Jersey gang members Santos Reyes-Villatoro, Mario Oliva, Roberto Contreras, Julian Moz-Aguilar, Hugo Palencia, Jose Garcia, Cruz Flores, and Esau Ramirez were convicted in late May in New Jersey of various murder, racketeering and firearms crimes. (MRC-TV, June 2, 2016)
May 2016 — Illegal aliens, Reinol Vergara and Edson Benitez, pled guilty to second degree murder for the death of a 90 year-old Minnesota man they beat and tied up while they stole from his home, leaving him to bleed to death. (Breibart News May 11, 2016)
April 2016 — A Salvadoran illegal alien, Mauricio Morales-Caceres, was convicted of first degree murder in Maryland and sentenced to life imprisonment. (Washington Post, April 30, 2016)
March 2016 — Juan Razo, a Mexican illegal alien living in Painesville, Ohio, agreed to plead guilty to a crime spree that included the shooting death of a 60-year old woman, attempted rape of a 14-year old girl, kidnapping and burglary. His plea was to avoid the death penalty and accept a life sentence. (Cleveland.com, March 4, 2016)
February 2016 — Three illegal aliens from Mexico were sentenced to federal prison for alien smuggling and illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportations. One man was sentenced to 57 months, another will serve 24 months, and the last man was sentenced to serve 12 months and one day in prison. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, February 2, 2016)
January 2016 — An illegal alien from Mexico was sentenced to nearly 6 years in prison after having been convicted for transporting illegal aliens, which resulted in the death of two illegal aliens. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, January 20, 2016)
December 2015 — A 40-year-old illegal alien, Michael Rodriguez Garcia, was sentenced to four life terms for the rape and sodomy of two children in Alabama. (Breitbart News, December 2, 2015)
November 2015 — Humberto Erazo-Medrano and Ricardo Castaneda, two illegal aliens, were arrested and charged with second-degree promoting prostitution in Alabama. The bond for each man is set at $100,000. (Gadsden Times, November 2, 2015)
October 2015 — Marco Hernandez Ramirez, a 34-year-old illegal alien from Guatemala, was sentenced to 40 years in prison for killing a couple and their 5-year-old daughter in a car crash. (Athens Banner-Herald, October 14, 2015)
September 2015 — An illegal alien from Mexico, Martin Margarito-Casimiro, was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for kidnapping a man in Texas. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, September 24, 2015)
August 2015 — Jose Angel Villarreal-Sanchez, a 42-year-old illegal alien from Mexico, was convicted of possessing a firearm in Texas. According to federal law, illegal aliens are not permitted to possess firearms. Three baggies of cocaine were also found hidden in his backyard. Villarreal-Sanchez is expected to be sentenced in December. He could face up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, August 11, 2015)
July 2015 — Ever Olivos-Gutierrez, an illegal visa overstayer, was convicted of second degree murder in Colorado for the death he caused while driving intoxicated. It was the fourth time since 2000 he had been arrested for DUI, but there was no record of immigration authorities ever being notified. He was sentenced to 40 years imprisonment. (Denver Channel 7)
June 2015 — A Salvadoran, Mauricio Hernandez, convicted of rape and murder of the baby born to his victim was sentenced to 50 years in prison in Texas and faces deportation when he has served his sentence. (The Dallas Morning News, June 5, 2015)
May 2015 — A Salvadoran, Julio C. Saravia, faces deportation following a prison sentence of 29 years for rape of a minor, to which he pled guilty in Virginia.
May 2015 — Two Mexicans, Juan Hernandez-Sanchez and (FNU) Canela-Perez, pled guilty in Portland, Oregon and were sentenced to seven years in state prison for distribution of methamphetamines and heroin. (Oregonian, May 14, 2015)
May 2015 — Zeng Liang Chen and Dong Biao Lin, illegal aliens from China, were convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison in New Jersey. (NJ.com, May 5, 2015)
May 2015 —Bernabe Flores, a Mexican illegal alien, pled guilty to first-degree rape in California and was sentenced to eight years in prison. (Times-Herald Record, May 7, 2015)
April 2015 — Victor Garzon-Alvarez, a Mexican illegal alien pled guilty and was sentenced in New Jersey to 14 years in prison for murder. (NJ.com, April 22, 2015)
April 2015 — Sergio Quezada Lopez, a Mexican illegal alien who had been deported four times, was sentenced in Oregon to 15 years in prison for a heroin overdose death. His brother, Gerardo Chalke Lopez, also a previously deported alien, was earlier sentenced to 18 years in prison on the same charges. (Oregonian, April 29, 2015)
April 2015 — Three illegal aliens, Uriel Ramirez-Perez, Darwin Zuniga-Rocha, and Eliseo Mateo Perez, pled guilty to first-degree sexual abuse (rape) in New York and were sentenced to time served in jail and will be deported. (Daily News, April 29, 2015)
March 2015 — Javier Guerrero Molina, a Mexican illegal alien, was sentenced in federal court in Jacksonville, Florida to 10 years imprisonment for attempting to transport a minor to engage in sexual activity. Guerrero said he had entered the United States illegally in 1999 or 2000. (Dept. of Justice, Middle District of Florida, March 30, 2015)
March 2015 — An Idaho judge sentenced Phuong Hoang Le, a Vietnamese illegal alien, to prison for 36 months. Le was convicted of possession of a stolen car and stolen credit card. The judge commented, “Stealing cars and credit cards strike at the hearts of average middle class citizens.” The prosecutor said that Le had 10 prior felony convictions, but that according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he is not likely to be deported because if Le were to be deported to Vietnam “he would be killed.” (http://magicvalley.com/news/local/mini-cassia/ — March 25, 2015)
March 2015 — Luis Daniel Cabrera-Guzman, a Mexican illegal alien, was sentenced in Kansas City to two years in federal prison for conspiracy to produce and distribute false and counterfeit identification documents that were sold to illegal aliens. He had previously been deported twice in 2009. Four other Mexican illegal aliens have pled guilty to the same conspiracy and await sentencing. (Kansas City infozine, March 25, 2015)
February 2015 — Sergio Cobaruvias-Romero, an illegal alien from Mexico, was convicted of possessing with intent to distribute drugs in Texas. He was found with 20 bundles of methamphetamine weighing 46 pounds and four bundles of heroine weighing 13 pounds. He was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, February 17, 2015)
January 2015 — Jaime Gerardo Serrano-Villegas, a 28-year-old illegal alien from Mexico, was convicted of transporting illegal aliens. He assisted in moving a boat filled with illegal aliens and faces up to 10 years in federal prison. (U.S. Department of Justice, Southern District of Texas, January 14, 2015)
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Jscheidell,
What shall we say to the mothers of children murdered or raped by people born here?
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JScheidel: :o)
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Not having the training of a rabbi priest or minister etc i would be left with condoences an hugs which offer little in comfort but in the other circumstance besides the above anger to representatives of sanctuary cities sanctuary college campuses sanctuary communities, rally organizations to make sure they are put out of here after jail time , vote the liberals the hell out of office and lead demonstrations against them and if one could sue the he double hockey sticks for not up holding their oath to protect American citizens
What would u do?
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Diane, I have been generally impressed with the perceptive commentary by you and your posters. Do you not have a means to tamp down gratuitously offensive (and disruptive) emotionalism by someone who clearly is not interested in advancing understanding?
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My opinion. You are an idiot.
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Jim,
When you are confronted with a loss because a family member lost their life to one of the illegals who are criminals – come back to me and I want to see/hear how you are full of your liberal Xian understanding – was I emotional – you bet – and I will not apologize for it and neither will you when it happens to you and yours. “Tamp down” is another free speech block from one who sits in the perch above with safety blanket and a binky? I didn’t call anyone here an “idiot” – as Xians are you lacking empathy or sympathy – as well as an understanding…If emotionalism is offensive to you find out why about yourself and maybe those who express an issue in that form might just have a reason – but don’t you dare care now – it would at this time be repugnant….and you are a disgrace as a human being – hope you are not one of Lloyds 1 in 10 billion>
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Take out the word “illegals” and replace it with Irish, grandmothers, Alabamans, engineers, martians, priests, teenagers, African Americans, conservatives, or whatever to understand how stupid this remark is. I endorse Lloyd’s succinct observation.
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GregB I am saddened by such an event, as I am sure you are. However, the logic of responsibility reminds me of a long-ago event when I asked a work-friend to swing by my house on her way to work to give me a ride as my car was in the shop. On the way, however, she got into an accident. Then she blamed me for the accident.
The same logic: If I had NOT asked, and she had an accident on the way to work, it would have been my fault for not asking. The upshot is that it’s hard to deal with unknowns.
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CBK, sadly the distance between willful rationalization and scapegoating is infinitesimal.
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I never saw name calling as enhancing the sharing of ideas. My much greater concern goes to vast trends causing or relieving vast misery. A series of puny events with 5, 50, 500 deaths is of little consequence in comparison to wars, failing education systems, humanitarian crises, climate change, mass loss of rights or jobs. “Arguing from tiny specifics” is narrow-minded, or perhaps doctrinaire, effort to derail rational thought.
In the bigger picture, across the web I have seen provocateurs sully and impede forum after forum. They form a kind of viral infection effectively choking off efforts to get at the truth and work out reasonable responses. That’s why I had to moderate my (non-political) listserv, to prevent those types from derailing discussion.
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Jim,
I agree with you. That is why I moderate comments. Some bad ones slip through. When the same people act as provocateurs again and again, I put them on “moderation,” so that I have to approve every comment before it is posted. When they act solely as provocateurs and name callers, I ban them.
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Jim, write at a news-site, Oped News. not a social blog, but even there, the ‘name-callers’ and the sly destructive voices, try to derail serious conversations. What is cool, is that the publisher and editors glad ‘ad hominem attacks, and also ‘nasty’ remarks that derail serious conversation.
There is a meanness that pervades the internet, because it is an open space. Chaos reigns when there are no rules for human behavior and the sociopaths take over, driven by the very same inner malignancy that drives they model, now sitting and spitting from the top office.
And, I see the egregious nature of comments like ” A series of puny events with 5, 50, 500 deaths is of little consequence in comparison to…”
When it is one’s own son or brother, or father who died, it has serious consequence!!
Moreover, a democracy is set up so that the individual has the right toe LIFE, and those things that enhance survival like education etc.
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It should read “I write at…www.opednews.com/susanleeschwartz
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Let’s look closer at Lloyd observation.
In 2015, according to the FBI,1.3-percent of violent crimes resulted in murder. The estimated number of murders in the U.S. was 15,696.
https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/latest-crime-statistics-released
“Only a tiny percentage of the nation’s violent crimes are handled by the federal court system. Yes, undocumented immigrants accounted for 9.2% of federal murder convictions in 2013, but that represents a grand total of eight murder cases. When you consider that the FBI estimates there were 14,196 murders in the U.S. in 2013, those few cases handled by the federal court system don’t quite register as a reliable sample set.”
EIGHT murder cases committed by undocumented immigrants in 2013 out of 14,196.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/07/16/voices-gomez-undocumented-immigrant-crime-san-francisco-shooting/30159479/
To punish millions of undocumented aliens who are mostly Catholic/Christians for 8 murders is idiotic.
The same reasoning for this idiotic, ignorant, stupidity wants to take away due process rights for all teachers in the United States because 1-to-3 percent of teachers might be incomplete and must be removed from the classroom quickly and easily without protest or due process rights that are spelled out in the U.S. Constitution.
In other words, let’s punish everyone for the actions of a few. Next step, extermination camps just like Nazi Germany during World War II.
This is that reasoning. If 8 undocumented immigrants are convicted of murder, then we must get rid of the other 11 million and ignore the fact that there are more than 15-thousand murders annually by U.S. citizens.
And let’s ignore the top 10 causes of death that also cause loved ones to die so the living who loved them suffer from their loss.
Heart disease Deaths: 614,348
Protecting the heart – Lowering blood pressure and cholesterol can significantly lower heart disease risk. Several lifestyle and dietary modifications can dramatically reduce the risk of heart disease.
Cancer (malignant neoplasms) Deaths: 591,699
Can cancer be prevented? A substantial proportion of cancers are preventable, and all cancers caused by cigarette smoking and heavy use of alcohol could be prevented.
Chronic lower respiratory disease Deaths: 147,101
How can COPD be prevented? In the U.S., tobacco smoke is a key factor in the development and progression of COPD, although exposure to air pollutants in the home and workplace, genetic factors, and respiratory infections also play a role.
Accidents (unintentional injuries) Deaths: 136,053
Possible prevention measures – By their very natures, accidents are unintentional, but there are many ways to reduce the risk of accidental death and injury. Some key components of accident prevention include those focused on road safety, such as seat-belt use, and improved awareness of the dangers of driving while intoxicated.
Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases) Deaths: 133,033
How can stroke be prevented? High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking are major risk factors for stroke. Several other medical conditions and unhealthy lifestyle choices can increase your risk for stroke. Although you cannot control all of your risk factors for stroke, you can take steps to prevent stroke and its complications.
Skip to #10
Suicide Deaths 42,773
And the new GOP health bill will get rid of coverage for mental illnesses.
And the malignant narcissist in the White House wants to strip the EPA of its power. That, in time, while a few billionaires are raking in more ill begotten gains, cause more deaths from #3 and #2.
And who wants to focus on less than 10 murders by undocumented aliens out of about 15,000 annually in a country with almost 320-million people?
Here is the definition for idiot: very stupid person
Here are the synonyms: fool, jerk, moron, nitwit, stupid, twit, etc.
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Lloyd: Such is the same thinking behind “welfare mom” and all those able people who “just want a handout.”
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With an equal dose of resentment, i.e., “why don’t I get a handout like they do?”
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Are you referring to the millions of able bodied people that earn poverty wages working in the fast-food industry and for corporations like Wal-Mart. Working people that don’t earn enough to eat so they apply for food stamps because they qualify?
I’ve read that Wal-Mart even has workshops to show their poverty wage paid employees how to apply for food stamps.
For instance, Politifact.com said this statement was mostly true.
Barbara Lee says 60 percent of people on food assistance are working.
“First of all, $7.25 an hour. Can anyone live off that?” Lee said. “Secondly, I just have to say, 60 percent of people on food assistance are working. They’re part of the working poor.”
Lee’s 60 percent doesn’t refer to the entire population of food stamp recipients. Rather, it refers to the subset of recipients who are “expected” to work — that excludes children, the elderly and the disabled.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2013/dec/11/barbara-lee/barbara-lee-says-60-percent-people-food-assistance/
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