Archives for category: Democracy
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RESIST! Public Is Learning How to Fight for Democracy

By dianeravitch
February 18, 2017 //
48

When Republican leaders like Jason Chaffetz encounter a crowd of 1,000 angry constituents in his home district in Utah, that’s a sign that the American people say NO to Trump’s authoritarian rule.

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/02/10/town-halls-become-indivisible-epicenters-trump-resistance-grows

The people in Utah and elsewhere are, knowingly or not, taking the advice of The Indivisibles, a group of former Congressional staffers who explained how to conduct resistance.

https://www.indivisibleguide.com

“Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) was confronted by angry crowds at a town hall in Salt Lake City on Thursday, over what they saw as his failure to properly investigate President Donald Trump’s conflicts of interests, in another showing of a growing resistance to the new administration.

“Almost 1,000 constituents were gathered inside the Brighton High School auditorium, many booing and shouting, “Do your job!” at Chaffetz, who is chair of the House Oversight Committee, as he claimed that presidents are exempt from conflict of interest laws. At another point, when Chaffetz said he wanted to get rid of Trump’s recently-confirmed Education Secretary Betsy DeVos—indeed, he wants to eliminate the Education Department as a whole—an audience member shouted, “We want to get rid of you!”

“Outside, another large crowd shut out of the proceedings despite available seats chanted “vote him out,” and “Chaffetz is a coward.” At least one woman was arrested.

“Chaffetz ultimately left 40 minutes early and refused to take questions from the press.

“Republican lawmakers are increasingly facing protests at town halls and other events, as communities have been taking up the call of numerous resistance factions that formed after the election—with some inspired by the Indivisible Guide, a manual written by former congressional staffers that helps activists organize at the local level using the same tactics that Tea Party conservatives used successfully against former President Barack Obama.”

If you have a Republican Congresdmember, go to the town hall meeting, if they dare hold them. Ask questions. Speak up.

This is what democracy looks like!

Categories Democracy, Resistance

Steve Nelson: An Obituary for the United States of America, 1776-2016

By dianeravitch
February 11, 2017 //
11

Steve Nelson posted an obituary for the great, idealistic and progressive nation we strived to be, with periods of struggle and backsliding. Remember, America the Beautiful, “with liberty and justice for all?”

He rules the death a homicide.

He includes a list of seven organizations to which contributions may be sent in lieu of flowers.

I add: the Network for Public Education.

Categories Democracy, Freedom, Justice

Federal Appeals Court Maintains Freeze on Trump’s Immigration Ban

By dianeravitch
February 9, 2017 //
40

A federal appeals court ruled unanimously to block Trump’s immigration ban, upholding the decision of the federal judge who blocked the ban a few days ago.

If the decision is appealed by the Justice Department, it is unlikely to prevail. At present, the court is divided, 4-4, liberal-conservative. And there is a good chance that the US Supreme Court would rule unanimously against a ban so clearly based on religion. The justices know the Constitution.

The American system of government is based on separation of powers and checks and balances to prevent authoritarian rule. Our democracy scored a victory today.

Categories Democracy

When Trump Quoted Thomas Jefferson….

By dianeravitch
February 9, 2017 //
11

Trump recently quoted Thomas Jefferson to sustain Trump’s campaign against the press, which he has called “The enemy of the American people.”

Trump certainly didn’t read Jefferson, but someone on his staff found this quote for him, to make it appear that Jefferson opposed a free press.

“When Thomas Jefferson said ‘nothing can be believed which is seen in a newspaper. Truth itself,’ he said, ‘becomes suspicious by being put into that polluted vehicle.’ That was June 14 — my birthday — 1807.”

The Washington Post has started a regular column to fact check Trump’s claims, and the fact checker pointed out:

Trump selectively quotes from Jefferson here, who for most of his life was a fierce defender of the need for a free press. When Jefferson wrote to 17-year-old John Novell, urging him to avoid a career in journalism, he was embittered by reports spread by his political opponents that he had slept with Sally Hemings, one of his slaves. Today, most historians now believe she was the mother of six of his children.

This quote from Thomas Jefferson shows his fierce dedication to a free press and literacy:

Paris Jan. 16. 1787.

the basis of our governments being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. but I should mean that every man should receive those papers & be capable of reading them.

Based on his attacks on the press, we can safely assume that Trump would prefer the former.

Categories Democracy, Freedom of the Press

Today the Fight to Save Our Public Schools Begins

By dianeravitch
February 8, 2017 //
39

The Network for Public Education will watch what Betsy DeVos does and report it to you immediately.

We will keep you informed about what the privatizers are doing in your state and community.

We will help you connect with other people in your state who are mobilizing to stop privatization.

The fight to save public education will happen in communities and districts, at the grassroots level.

We ask you to join us, become active, send us action alerts about meetings, protests and demonstrations in your district or town or city so we can help you get the news out.

Here is information you can use:

Get everyone you can to join NPE. Sign them up

http://networkforpubliceducation.org/become-a-member/

Tell others on Facebook to join. We will be mobilizing in the months ahead.

Create a local group in support of public schools. Use Facebook or create a website. Then join our Grassroots Network.

http://networkforpubliceducation.org/grassroots-education-network-3/

Read our emails. We will be regularly launching campaigns at the national and state level.

Make a donation. If we are to fight this we will need funds. http://networkforpubliceducation.org/about-npe/donate/

Together, we will build a movement so powerful that we can beat Donald Trump, Betsy DeVos, and all others who aim to privatize our public schools. Together we can keep the for-profit privateers and frauds out of our schools.

Work with us. We need your help.

Categories Betsy DeVos, Budget Cuts, Charter Schools, Corporate Reform, Democracy, For-Profit, Fraud, Network for Public Education, Networkfor Public Education Action Fund, Privatization, Trump, Vouchers

David Frum: How to Build an Autocracy

By dianeravitch
February 4, 2017 //
14

When large numbers of people send me the same article, I know that it has struck a chord. This article, by David Frum, describes the fears that many people share about Trump’s lack of respect for the norms of democracy. Frum is a conservative: he was a speechwriter for George W. Bush. He is now a senior editor at The Atlantic. He did not vote for Trump because he sensed that Trump was neither a Republican nor a conservative. He is an authoritarian.

https://www.theatlantic.com/amp/article/513872/?client=safari

It is a long read but worth it.

Here some selections:

“If this were happening in Honduras, we’d know what to call it. It’s happening here instead, and so we are baffled.”

“Yet the American system is also perforated by vulnerabilities no less dangerous for being so familiar. Supreme among those vulnerabilities is reliance on the personal qualities of the man or woman who wields the awesome powers of the presidency. A British prime minister can lose power in minutes if he or she forfeits the confidence of the majority in Parliament. The president of the United States, on the other hand, is restrained first and foremost by his own ethics and public spirit. What happens if somebody comes to the high office lacking those qualities?”

“Trump has scant interest in congressional Republicans’ ideas, does not share their ideology, and cares little for their fate. He can—and would—break faith with them in an instant to further his own interests. Yet here they are, on the verge of achieving everything they have hoped to achieve for years, if not decades.”

“A scandal involving the president could likewise wreck everything that Republican congressional leaders have waited years to accomplish. However deftly they manage everything else, they cannot prevent such a scandal. But there is one thing they can do: their utmost not to find out about it.”

“Do you have any concerns about Steve Bannon being in the White House?,” CNN’s Jake Tapper asked Ryan in November. “I don’t know Steve Bannon, so I have no concerns,” answered the speaker. “I trust Donald’s judgment.”

“Asked on 60 Minutes whether he believed Donald Trump’s claim that “millions” of illegal votes had been cast, Ryan answered: “I don’t know. I’m not really focused on these things.”

“What about Trump’s conflicts of interest? “This is not what I’m concerned about in Congress,” Ryan said on CNBC. Trump should handle his conflicts “however he wants to.”

“As Ryan’s cherished plans move closer and closer to presidential signature, Congress’s subservience to the president will likely intensify. Whether it’s allegations of Russian hacks of Democratic Party internal communications, or allegations of self-enrichment by the Trump family, or favorable treatment of Trump business associates, the Republican caucus in Congress will likely find itself conscripted into serving as Donald Trump’s ethical bodyguard.”

“Donald trump will not set out to build an authoritarian state. His immediate priority seems likely to be to use the presidency to enrich himself. But as he does so, he will need to protect himself from legal risk. Being Trump, he will also inevitably wish to inflict payback on his critics. Construction of an apparatus of impunity and revenge will begin haphazardly and opportunistically. But it will accelerate. It will have to.”

“The United States may be a nation of laws, but the proper functioning of the law depends upon the competence and integrity of those charged with executing it. A president determined to thwart the law in order to protect himself and those in his circle has many means to do so.”

Categories Democracy, Trump

Please Send a Tweet to Senator Deb Fischer of Nebraska @Senatorfischer

By dianeravitch
February 1, 2017 //
46

Senator Deb Fischer of Nebraska is the deciding vote on the nomination of Betsy DeVos.

Apparently DeVos promised not to force vouchers and charters on Nebraska. But, Senator Fischer is making a decision that will affect every state in the nation, not just Nebraska. State’s like North Carolina, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Florida, the Rust Belt, the Deep South, the Midwest will see hundreds of millions–nay, billions–of public funds taken away from public schools and transferred to religious schools with no certified teachers and to charter schools that are neither accountable nor transparent, with academic performance no better than public schools and possibly worse.

Senator Fischer’s mother was a public school teacher. Senator Fischer served on her local school board and was president of the Nebraska School Boards Association.

Please reach out to her. Her twitter handle is @senatorfischer.

She needs to know that the future of public education in America hangs in the balance.

Categories Betsy DeVos, Charter Schools, Corporate Reformers, Democracy, Education Industry, Privatization, School Choice, Supporting public schools, Vouchers

Ken Bernstein: Politico Writer Leaves, with a Warning

By dianeravitch
February 1, 2017 //
30

Teacher Ken Bernstein calls our attention to a farewell column written by Roger Simon of Politico.

Simon is retiring–at least for now–but he leaves with a warning.

“We live at a pivotal time because Donald Trump and his thugs have done us a favor. They have shown us that democracy is not inevitable. They have shown us it can fail.

“In just a matter of days, they have shown us how democracy can be transformed into something evil. And we can imagine a future of jackboots crashing through our doors at 2 a.m., trucks in the streets to take people to the internment camps, bright lights and barking dogs — and worse.

“Does this make me sound hysterical? Maybe. But this is my last chance to be. In its first week, the Trump administration demonstrated its contempt for Mexicans, for Muslims and for Jews. I imagine the true list is longer. Much longer.

“Should we keep quiet as we watch this? Is this why America was created?

“If, for amusement, you wish to pay attention to the opinion polls, do so. (Jimmy Kimmel said: “Hillary underperformed with women, African-Americans, Latinos and young people. The only group she did well with was pollsters.”)

“But the most important poll was created by Henry David Thoreau when he wrote, “any man more right than his neighbors constitutes a majority of one … ”

“You are a majority of one. You have a duty to act like it. You have a duty to do something to preserve democracy. Something nonviolent, I hope, but something.

“Trump tells civil rights leader John Lewis to keep his mouth shut and then Trump smiles his porcine smile. In what fantasy land, in what delusional world would one desire the words of a bellicose Donald Trump and the silence of John Lewis?…

“We are told today that truth no longer matters. It does.

“We are told human decency is the concern of the weak. It isn’t.

“We are told civil liberties can be brushed aside when it is convenient to the wielders of power to so do. Such people should be stopped. They must be stopped.

“And there is only the people to stop them.”

Categories Democracy, Freedom, Freedom of Speech, Freedom of the Press

Say No to Trump’s Vouchers

By dianeravitch
February 1, 2017 //
23

The best way to stop Trump’s plan to privatize public schools is to say no to vouchers, writes Frank Adamson of Stanford University.

 

“Vouchers violate the American ideal of democracy because they transfer educational decisions from the public domain (through school boards and elections) to private management companies and organizations. This has already occurred in charter schools run by private charter management organizations that refuse public input into teaching and curriculum decisions. Furthermore, these organizations often prioritize profits over learning, using public tax dollars to hire inexperienced, cheaper teachers and pocketing the difference. By permitting entirely private schools, vouchers would further decrease public accountability and create a wall between the public and the education sector, thereby diminishing democracy and the role of education as a public good.

 

“Finally, it is critical to understand that the debate about education vouchers is nested within a larger battle over labor. Vouchers can disenfranchise teacher unions because they disperse teachers across many types of institutions and constrain their capacity to collectively bargain. In Chile, teacher unions were dissolved, teacher salaries decreased by over half, and teaching became deprofessionalized based on non-competitive salaries and working conditions. In the U.S., the push for education privatization comes from foundations of wealthy companies and families, such as the heirs of Walmart, a company notorious for its anti-labor policies and practices.

 

“Trump and DeVos’s proposed voucher system promises to concurrently segregate students by class, ethnicity, and ability level while socially ostracizing individual students based on their ethnicities and identities. This system—driven by underlying agendas of marginalizing labor and generating private profit—will violate three core American principles: the separation of church and state, meritocracy, and democratic participation. In Chile, hundreds of thousands of people have marched in the streets to recapture public education after the vouchers decimated their system; U.S. citizens would do well to protest a national voucher policy before losing public education as a foundation of and for democracy.”

 

Categories Accountability, Charter Schools, Democracy, Segregation, Separation of church and state, Trump, Vouchers

Nebraska: Bigoted Rightwing Extremist Takes Control of Senate Education Committee

By dianeravitch
February 1, 2017 //
56

Nebraska has one of the best state school systems in the nation. It does not have vouchers or charters. Its students do far better on NAEP than most states that won Race to the Top grants.

But the public schools of Nebraska are under attack by mean-spirited politicians who want to destroy public education and turn children over to the free market to monetize.

The meanest of them is Senator Michael Groene, who is chair of the state senate committee on education. Hard-right Republicans in Nebraska have been following the same plan as Hardliners in Kansas, North Carolina, and Michigan, which is to replace reasonable, moderate Republicans with extremist ideologues. Groene is one of them.

Read his email exchange with a constituent about education, and you will see his hatred for teachers and his grand ego.

Teachers are lazy and second-rate, he says, protected by tenure. As the exchange continues, his hatred grows more intense.

People like this want to destroy public education, destroy teaching as a profession, and drag down a great democratic institution that made America great. Like his peers in other red states, he wants to turn schools over to profiteers and Wall Street, to turn taxpayer dollars into profits for investors.

Shame on him.

Categories Accountability, Corporate Reformers, Democracy, Education Industry, Education Reform, Nebraska, Privatization
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