Must not joke about African names

As Steve Martin found:

Martin was joking with fans when a follower asked him, “Is this how you spell lasonia?” Martin replied: “It depends. Are you in an African-American neighborhood or at an Italian restaurant?”

He was joking about how similar the African name "lasonia" sounded to "lasagna"

He got into big trouble

Details here

Duck victory

'DUCK Dynasty' patriarch Phil Robertson will return to work on US network A&E's reality show despite his comments about gay immorality, the channel said Friday, reversing its decision to suspend him after facing a boycott backlash.

In a statement Friday, the US network that airs the show A&E said it was bringing Robertson back after discussions with his Louisiana family featured in the hit reality series and "numerous advocacy groups."

Last week, the channel had put Robertson on what it called an indefinite "hiatus" because of his comments in a GQ magazine article that the Bible views gays as sinners akin to adulterers, prostitutes and swindlers.

While reiterating that Robertson's views are not those of the channel, A&E noted Friday that he has publicly said he would "never incite or encourage hate." The show itself is more than one man's views, it added.

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A&E's ratings were down so the channel caved, much to the fury of the deviants

"No more black Presidents" = an opinion you must not hold

After Obama, I'm guessing that a lot of people hold that opinion.  Obama is a nonentity who got in purely on the color of his skin and a lot of people probably now see that pro-black racism was a mistake

An Ohio teacher has been suspended without pay for allegedly making racist remarks towards a student, and may be fired from the school.

The Fairfield Board of education suspended Gil Voigt on Monday for telling an African American student earlier this month on December 3, 'we don't need another black president' after the student expressed interest in becoming president one day.

Voigt has taught at Fairfield Freshman school for 13 years and this is not the first time he's gotten in trouble for racist remarks. Board president Dan Murray say the suspension is the first step in dismissing the teacher.

Cincinnati.com reported that Assistant Superintendent Roger Martin compiled a list of all of Voigt's offenses. In 2008, Voigt made an inappropriate racial comment. That same year he got in trouble for improper use of school technology.

In 2012, he received a verbal warning for calling a student 'stupid.'

Voigt believes he was misquoted by the student who he said caused trouble in class.

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Pro-black racism is OK but anti-black racism is not?  Is it impossible for America to become non-racist?  MLK's "Dream" still seems to be a long way off  -- mainly thanks to Democrats who keep stirring the pot of racial antagonism.

Imaginary 'Rape Culture' and Free Speech          

Much has been said about the campus "war on rape" and the way it imperils students' due process rights, but there is another casualty as well: the free exchange of ideas on college campuses when it comes to the subject of sexual offenses.

A particularly revealing recent example comes from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.  On November 5, Katherine Krueger, editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, The Badger Herald, ran a long piece explaining why the previous day's edition had featured a letter to the editor from a student named David Hookstead questioning the existence of "rape culture." Krueger wrote that she had made the decision to run the letter "after careful deliberation and debate with our managing editor and opinion editors."

The fact that Krueger felt the need to justify the letter's publication is remarkable enough; but the reason she gave for publishing it was even more striking.  Hookstead's letter, you see, was an object lesson in "what rape culture looks like," since it expressed "morally repugnant, patriarchal and offensive" views that are "an embodiment of rape culture" itself.

And what exactly are those abhorrent views?  Krueger wrote that Hookstead "peddles the horrifically misguided beliefs that sexual assault victims were asking for it with their clothing or behavior, were drunk or are flat-out lying about being raped."  But in fact, the letter says nothing at all about victims "asking for it."  As for "drunk" and "flat-out lying," here's what Hookstead wrote:

"Not everything that is claimed to be rape is actually rape, and false accusations only take away from the credibility of real victims.

For example, I've heard many women tell me they regretted having sex with somebody, and that if anybody asked them they'd just lie and say they were too drunk to remember. It's people like them that are huge problems.  Why are women so desperate to demonize men that they'll lie about being raped?"

Here's Krueger again, explaining the letter's publication:

We hoped this piece would be torn limb from limb in the ensuing fray, and we haven't been disappointed by the quality of the campus' impassioned debate in response to the letter.

While many of the responses condemned Hookstead's reprehensible opinions, others came out of the woodwork in support of his ideas.

Ironically, Krueger's article unintentionally offers a rather damning picture of the ideological uniformity that exists on the UW-Madison campus on issues related to sexual assault.  Students, she writes, are often "lulled into complacency on these issues" because there is "an understanding that everyone's on the same page."  Needless to say, her idea of "debate" is one in which heretical ideas are "torn limb from limb" (one can only imagine how feminists would respond if a male writer used such violent imagery in calling for vehement criticism of a feminist piece) and ultimately stamped out of existence.

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Hiatus

I am taking the day off from blogging today.  My festive season is still going strong so I am feeling the need to conserve my energies.

JR

Cruciphobia at Mt. Soledad: The Cross the Left Can't Bear

Michelle Malkin

Consider this: Taylor Swift wasn't even born yet when the fight over the Mount Soledad cross began. How much longer will it drag on? Disgruntled atheists first filed suit over the memorial at a veterans park in San Diego in the summer of 1989. The fringe grievance-mongers have clung bitterly to their litigious activities for nearly a quarter-century. It's time to let go and bring peace to the city.

The historic 43-foot cross has stood atop Mount Soledad on public land since 1954. The Mount Soledad Memorial Association erected the monument to commemorate the sacrifice of American soldiers who died in the Korean War, World War I and World War II. The cross has long carried meaning for the city's residents far beyond religious symbolism. "It's a symbol of coming of age and of remembrance," Pastor Mark Slomka of the Mount Soledad Presbyterian Church said years ago when the case erupted. The San Diego Union-Tribune editorial board explained that the cross is "much like the Mission San Diego de Alcala and the cross at Presidio Park, both of which also are rooted in Christianity but have come to signify the birth of San Diego." ....

But still the cross-hunters press on. Fast-forward to Christmas week 2013. U.S. District Court Judge Larry Burns, who earlier had ruled in support of the cross, was forced to rule that it must come down in 90 days in the wake of a liberal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision overturning his prior decision. In anticipation of new appeals, Burns stayed the order. All eyes are on the U.S. Supreme Court, which refused to hear the case last summer.

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British chef who said the word 'golliwog' as he discussed Robertson's jam in front of black colleague is guilty of racial harassment



A chef who apologised after he mentioned the old ‘golliwog’ label on Robertson’s jam in front of a black colleague was still guilty of harassment, top appeal judges ruled today.

Mark McAleese used the word when his back was turned to Denise Lindsay in a discussion about food labelling in the kitchens of the London School of Economics halls of residence, in Bloomsbury, where they both worked.

After 45-year-old Miss Lindsay complained, an employment tribunal described Mr McAleese’s use of the words ‘golliwog’ and ‘golliwog jam’ as ‘unwanted’ and ruled that what he said amounted to ‘an isolated act of harassment’.

That was despite the fact that Mr McAleese had swiftly apologised to his co-worker after the incident in January 2009 and said he had not intended to violate Miss Lindsay’s dignity or to ‘create an intimidating, hostile, degrading or offensive environment for her’.

Three Appeal Court judges today upheld the tribunal’s harassment finding, even though Mr McAleese had spoken with his back turned, in a quiet voice and his comments were not aimed at Miss Lindsay, of Clapham, south London.

Her legal team had argued that the use of the term was ‘inherently racist, whatever the context’.

However, Miss Lindsay was told that she had lodged her complaint too late and that it would not be ‘just and equitable’ to allow her to continue with her compensation claim against the LSE.

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Correcting someone’s grammar is now racist

Did you know that if a professor — whose job supposedly is to teach — corrects a student’s grammar, he is being raaaaaacist?

Of course, the “someone” must be a “person of color” — not just any color, but a person of dark, i.e., “black,” skin color.

The plain truth is that in today’s America, under the sway of Leftwing Tyranny, criticizing a person of color about ANYTHING is being racist.  That’s what Val Rust, a professor emeritus of education and information studies at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), discovered.

Robby Soave reports for The Daily Caller, Nov. 26, 2013, that members of an UCLA student group, Call 2 Action: Graduate Students of Color,launched a sit-in protest against Professor Rust because he had the temerity to — GASP! – correct the grammar, punctuation and capitalization in “minority” students’ assignments.

According to Inside Higher Education, some 25 students participated in the sit-in, including five of the 10 members of Professor Rust’s class.

Rust, who was guest-lecturing in China at the time of the sit-in, sent a letter to his colleagues in the education department, saying he meant no offense to “minorities”: “I have attempted to be rather thorough on the papers and am particularly concerned that they do a good job with their bibliographies and citations, and these students apparently don’t feel that is appropriate.”

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Scott Walker Signs Bill Making it Harder to Change Native American Mascots

As pressure mounts from activists nationwide on schools that use Native American mascots for their sports teams, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker signed legislation last week that would make it harder for Wisconsin public schools to change their name.

The Republican measure requires a petition to trigger a state review of a nickname — a departure from current law, which states a single complaint is enough to prompt an evaluation. It also wipes out all previous state orders for schools to drop race-based mascots.

Walker, a Republican, signed the measure privately Thursday afternoon. He released a statement saying he's worried current law infringes on free speech. A person's right to speak doesn't end just because what they say is offensive, he said. The best approach is to educate people about how some phrases and symbols are offensive when used as nicknames and mascots, he added.

"If the state bans speech that is offensive to some, where does it stop?" Walker wrote.

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Christmas!

A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL WHO COME BY HERE!

And if you are going to church, I hope the sermon is a good one.  The sermons can get pretty boring in some of the old-line churches these days.  With a bit of luck the minister might even talk about Redemption, which is what Christmas is all about.  But talking about Redemption involves talking about SIN!  So I doubt that you will hear much about Redemption in a lot of churches.

I am not so far planning to attend a service this year but we will see.  I went to a rather good Christmas carol service at Wynnum Presbyterian church on Sunday.
 
I am not posting on all my blogs today.  Just DISSECTING LEFTISM plus  POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH and AUSTRALIAN POLITICS.  I may not post at all tomorrow but again we will see.  It is hard to keep a good blogger down.

Must not deny that homosexuality is inborn

Nothing else is inborn according to Leftists  -- only homosexuality

Andrea Minichiello Williams, the founder of lobby group Christian Concern, has been accused of exacerbating suicidal thoughts among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people across the world.

It comes as LGBT campaigners within the Church of England brand her unchristian and her comments 'deeply damaging to the Christian faith and the Church'.

She is said to have rejected the notion that homosexuality is inborn, blaming the 'lack of the father' and 'sometimes a level of abuse' for creating homosexual thoughts, the Independent reported.

Drawing an example, Mrs Williams, who was speaking at a conference in Jamaica, pointed to the case of Olympic diver Tom Daley, who came out in a YouTube selfie video last month.

She blamed the death of Daley's father Robert in 2011 as being the catalyst for his homosexual feelings.  She said Daley had been 'loved by all the girls and had girlfriends', but had 'lost his father to cancer just a few years ago'.

Mrs Williams, who is an elected member of the Church of England General Synod - the body which passes measures which once approved by Parliament become law - was visiting the Caribbean island to lobby against moves to change the law, which currently bans sex between men.

Source

Good to see that the C of E Synod has SOMEBODY who accepts Bible teachings

No more muffin tops or cankles: British Minister calls for ban on 'fat talk' used to shame women over their bodies

So are politicians going to stop their "war on obesity" too?

A minister has called for an end to so-called 'fat talk', including terms such as muffin tops, bingo wings and cankles.

Scottish MP Jo Swinson believes the 'body shaming' language damages people's confidence and wants women and children to ban the terms from everyday conversation.

The equalities minister said: 'It's depressingly commonplace to hear women - and even young girls and children - insulting their own bodies.  'Muffin tops, thunder thighs, cankles - fat talk and body shaming too easily become a habit and an expectation.'

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From what I can see, fatties tend to be in denial about their weight.  If we think realism would be best for them, we may need MORE fat-talk

Must not mention that AIDS is running riot among South African blacks (but not whites)

A PR executive for major media company IAC who tweeted a racist 'joke' on Friday that sparked a social media revolt has been fired from her position following the incident.

Justine Sacco - the now-former Communications Director for IAC, a company owned by Barry Diller - was about to board a 12-hour flight from London to Cape Town when she Tweeted: 'Going to Africa. Hope I don't get AIDS. Just Kidding. I'm White!'

The post had been retweeted over 3,000 times and was picked up by media outlets around the world, however Sacco remained completely unaware of it all because she was in the air.

A spokeswoman for the company has now confirmed Sacco has indeed been sacked.

'There is no excuse for the hateful statements that have been made and we condemn them unequivocally,' a rep told The Daily Beast.  'The offensive comment does not reflect the views and values of IAC.

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Must not remind people to pay their rent

While most Christmas cards might have a pretty picture of a church in the snow, Santa on his sleigh or another suitable festive scene, the same can’t be said for this one sent out by council officials.

The ‘insulting’ card was sent to social housing tenants in 17,000 properties by Hammersmith and Fulham Council in West London, reminding them to avoid ‘overindulging’ and to pay their rent.

It shows a pound coin fizzing in a glass of water like a tablet, with a picture of holly and ivy - and the slogan ‘Don't overindulge this Christmas. Pay your rent!’.

The council also printed a message underneath the image saying ‘If you are having trouble paying your rent, we want to help', before including a telephone number with which to contact them.

But Tina Buckley, 43, who has lived in a council property with her 82-year-old mother Mary for 25 years, said the card made her angry because they have never been behind with their rent.

She told BBC London: ‘When we were young and there wasn't much money, she would pay her rent before she would feed us and clothe us and heat the house.

‘Keeping the roof over our head was more important than anything else so to get this disgusting, threatening piece of literature masquerading as a Christmas greeting, it's insulting.’

However, the council said the cards - which cost around £2,000 to produce - formed part of a ‘hard-hitting’ campaign that was required because 46 per cent of its tenants were in rent arrears.

SOURCE

British Tory councillor, 72, ordered to undertake diversity training for claiming golliwogs are 'nostalgic not racist'

She's pretty right but that's no defence, of course



A Conservative councillor is to undergo diversity training after offending ethnic minorities with her claim that golliwogs are 'nostalgic, not racist'.

Cllr Dawn Barnett was found guilty of bringing Brighton and Hove City Council into disrepute with her remarks.

In August, Cllr Barnett said she thought golliwogs were 'nostalgic, not racist'.

And she dismissed complaints against a city homestore selling golliwog placemats as 'political correctness gone too far'.

However, a panel of three fellow councillors cleared the 72-year-old of failing to treat others with respect and breaching the Equalities Act.

The board - sitting in a closed hearing on Thursday - also recommended that all councillors should undergo diversity training in the future.

Her comments provoked four 'separate but similar' complaints from three people and the council's Black and Minority Ethnic Workers' Forum.

Yesterday's hearing - lasting more than five-and-a-half hours - was also attended by a number of senior council staff.  They included a monitoring officer, head of complaints, and head of democratic services.

Cllr Barnett, of the Hangleton and Knoll ward, said: 'They threw out the two most serious charges but said I was guilty of breaching the code of conduct.

'I am pleased they have let me off on the other two serious charges but very disappointed they have judged I broke the code of conduct.

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'I don't like the term plus-size': Tyra Banks on how body-image labels in the fashion industry are harmful to women

The lady undoubtedly has large assets but a faith that changing the name changes the reality is undoubtedly dumb.  It's the reality that people react to, not the name

Tyra Banks, who is currently campaigning with Special K to ban 'fat talk' and promote positive body image, has admitted that the label 'plus-size' is harmful to women.

The 40-year-old supermodel and America's Top Model judge, who uses the term 'fiercely real' instead, told Huffington Post Style: 'I don't like the label "plus-size".

'I don't want to use the term "plus-size," because, to me, what the hell is that? It just doesn't have a positive connotation to it. I tend to not use it.'

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Christian star blasted for criticizing  homosexuality

Homosexuality is FAR more sacred than the Bible, apparently

Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson has linked homosexuality to bestiality.

The 67-year-old reality TV star has come under fire from gay rights group GLAAD after making the homophobic comments in the January 2014 issue of GQ magazine and it's possible his show could now be at risk.

He told the magazine: 'Everything is blurred on what’s right and what’s wrong… Sin becomes fine. Start with homosexual behaviour and just morph out from there. Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men.'

Phil, who claims to be devoutly Christian, then grouped homosexuals in with terrorists and prostitutes in a paraphrased Bible quote.

He said: 'Don’t be deceived. Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers - they won’t inherit the kingdom of God. Don’t deceive yourself. It’s not right.'

Phil, who has been married to his wife Kay since 1966, then got even more explicit, stating: 'It seems like, to me, a vagina - as a man - would be more desirable than a man’s anus. That’s just me. I’m just thinking: There’s more there! She’s got more to offer. I mean, come on, dudes! You know what I’m saying? But hey, sin: It’s not logical, my man. It’s just not logical.'

GLAAD hit back soon after the interview was released online, calling him a ‘stain’ on the network A&E which airs the show.

While A&E have not yet commented, they released a statement from Robertson in which he addressed the controversy.

'I myself am a product of the Sixties', he said. 'I centred my life around sex, drugs and rock and roll until I hit rock bottom and accepted Jesus as my Saviour. My mission today is to go forth and tell people about why I follow Christ and also what the Bible teaches, and part of that teaching is that women and men are meant to be together.

'However, I would never treat anyone with disrespect just because they are different from me. We are all created by the Almighty and like Him, I love all of humanity. We would all be better off if we loved God and loved each other.'

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UPDATE: A&E have suspended Robertson but have now themselves come under heavy attack for doing so. See e.g. here

Some very serious Leftist hate-speech

Last week, when news broke that former-President Clinton Chief of Staff John Podesta had agreed to join the Obama White House as a "counselor," Townhall reported that, "Podesta Hire Shows Obama Is Done Dealing With Congress."

The move to hire Podesta now, as opposed to waiting till after the 2014 elections, is an admission by the White House that their second term legislative agenda (immigration reform, gun control, and climate change) is already dead.

Today, Politico confirmed that governing-by-executive-fiat is exactly what Podesta has in mind. The only shocking part of the story is Podesta's justification for shredding the Constitution:

In effect, I was told, it represents the clearest sign to date of the administration’s interest in shifting the paradigm of Obama’s presidency through the forceful, unapologetic and occasionally provocative application of White House power.

Podesta, whose official mandate includes enforcement of numerous executive orders on emissions and the environment, suggested as much when he spoke with me earlier this fall about Obama’s team. “They need to focus on executive action given that they are facing a second term against a cult worthy of Jonestown in charge of one of the houses of Congress,” he told me.

That's right. Obama's new counselor, the man in charge of saving his presidency, believes the Republican Party is a murderous cult and that this justifies Obama's extra-constitutional use of executive power.

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Reddit has banned climate change deniers, and ripped its own reputation to shreds

Reddit, the massively popular links-sharing website where users post stories, pictures or info that they find interesting, prides itself on being open and liberal. It describes itself as “passionately dedicated to free speech”. In which case, why has it banned from its forums anyone who raises awkward or annoying questions about the science of climate change?

In a move that has been described by one British academic as “positive censorship”, a Reddit moderator has announced that Reddit is becoming “increasingly stringent with deniers”. The Reddit moderator says climate “contrarians” were too often expressing “uninformed and outspoken opinions”, and so the site decided to adopt a much more “proactive moderation”. Now, whenever a user makes a “potentially controversial submission” on climate change, the moderators issue that user with a “warning”. If the user persists in posting “potentially controversial submissions”, he’s “banned from the forum”.

Reddit’s moderators are really happy with the results of their war against the expressers of “outspoken opinions” on climate change. They found that by “negating the ability of this misguided group to post to the forum” (a long-winded way of saying “banning them”), there has been a “change in the culture within the comments”. “Where once there were personal insults and bitter accusations, there is now discussion of the relevant aspects of [scientific] research”, we are told. In short, having expelled outspoken, controversial “deniers” from its forums, Reddit now finds that its discussions of climate change are more measured – that is, on-message, conformist, uncontroversial.

This is pretty shocking stuff. Of course, all online forums – including Telegraph Blogs – moderate their discussion threads, removing libellous, racist, homophobic, and gratuitously offensive material. That is absolutely fine. Such moderation often helps to keep debates on track.

But Reddit is talking about something quite different. It’s talking about removing specific political opinions; it’s talking about targeting the expression of a particular idea – that the case for climate change is overblown – and squashing it. This is political censorship, designed to silence the expression of dissent

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Only government speech is free speech

 We must face up to it. The Western democracies have a great and serious problem which appears only to be growing: the general public are developing views highly questionable to those in positions of power. Larger and larger swaths of people, when asked their opinion of certain matters, keep coming back with the wrong opinion. Whether it is opposition to the EU in Europe, or to Obamacare in the U.S., or to a hopeless deal with Iran to keep it from producing nuclear weapons, something, surely, must be done about this!

Take the latest example, a different matter that came to light with a school in Glasgow, Scotland. The institution was recently forced to call in a crack-squad of head-scarf wearing Muslim women to help correct what the school felt was a “racist” view of Islam held by some of their students. When the school asked the pupils to say which which words came to mind when people talked about Muslims — and the response included “terrorist,” “oppressed,” “a threat” and “scary” — re-educating the pupils was found to be necessary. Some pupils even, outrageously, said “9/11.”

After the BBC and other media promptly picked up this disturbing story and asked what more can be done to “educate” Scottish youngsters, the school apparently corrected this problem. But what to do about the recognition that problems like these may well be more widespread?

The reaction to the Glasgow story was reminiscent to that which followed the publication of a poll carried out by BBC Radio 1 in June of this year. When it was released in September, it transpired that of 1,000 young people polled, 27% said that they did not trust Muslims, with 44% saying they thought Muslims did not share the same views as the rest of the population.

On that occasion, too, the BBC and other media went into overdrive to work out what had gone wrong and how Britain could better “address” the problem that so many people thought this way. Conversely, when the same poll showed that 15% of young people did not trust Jews, 13% did not trust Buddhists and 12% did not trust Christians, those facts were not deemed figures of significance.

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When free speech has friends like this, it doesn't need enemies



Jerusalem-based Al-Quds [Arab] University was in the hot seat again on Friday because of a clumsy attempt to regain international credibility lost by the school after students held a Nazi rally on campus, leading Brandeis University to suspend their decade-long alliance with the Arab university.

The move by Brandeis led the much larger Syracuse University to also cancel it’s foreign exchange program with Al-Quds, while York University, in Toronto, said it was “investigating” the matter and George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences said it would evaluate an exchange program with al Quds that had been dormant since 2008. Only Bard College, in New York, said it would maintain its partnership with the beleaguered Arab school.

The maelstrom on Friday came after Al-Quds announced it would begin teaching a course “to discuss ways of combating hate-speech and racism,” in an attempt to make good after the Nazi-style student rally where Al-Quds students wore black military gear, carried fake automatic weapons, gave the Nazi salute, and surrounded the main square of their campus with banners depicting images of suicide bombers and terrorists.

The school said it even planned to invite “prominent experts to deliver lectures in this course,” and would “extend an invitation to its critics, including the President of Brandeis, Dr. Frederick Lawrence, to participate.”

Commentators said their glaring omission was to make this venture only a special summer class, rather than a real part of the curriculum, and offer the course in English, not Arabic.

Pro-Israel blogger Elder of Ziyon wrote, “Why is the course only going to be offered in English? Offering the course for Westerners who already agree that hate speech is bad doesn’t help things one bit, except for PR.”

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The usual Muslim hypocrisy.  They think they can hate just about anybody -- especially the JOOOOS -- but nobody should even criticize them.  Very juvenile.

Fit Pride Isn’t ‘Hate Speech’

By Maria Kang -- accused of insulting "fat pride"

Will a “real woman” please stand up? In the age of Photoshop, plastic surgery and celebrity idolatry, it seems women are constantly debating what is considered a “real” woman. And, as I found out recently when I posted a picture of myself looking fit and healthy in workout clothes with my three sons (playfully asking the question “What’s your excuse?”), apparently I don’t count. My voice as an apparently nonreal woman counts so little, in fact, that Facebook recently banned me temporarily from the site — shutting down my account for almost three days for supposedly violating the site’s terms of service — after a number of users flagged a post of mine venting about the damaging culture of fat acceptance. After my post had garnered thousands of likes, comments and shares, these users apparently reported what I wrote as “hate speech.”

While I accept Facebook’s explanation that the post was pulled down automatically, as can happen when users flag content as offensive, it’s amazing to me that a company that hosts so much conversation and debate isn’t far more proactive about making sure that controversial views don’t get squelched on its network. It’s also amazing, frankly, that it took such a long time to get reinstated. Most disturbing, however, is that we now apparently live in a culture where other people deliberately try to — and feel entitled to — censor speech they dislike by labeling it hateful.

Have we really created a society so sensitive and weak that we cry “hate speech” whenever someone points out the fine line we’re walking as a nation by promoting a healthy body image above actual health? Has the growing movement promoting “fat acceptance” and even “fat pride” gone so far that now we need a countervailing movement promoting “fit pride”?

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Surprising LA Times Verdict: "Expressive" Businesses Should Not Be Forced to Serve Gays

Los Angeles is a hub of diversity, which is perhaps why the L.A. Times showed such a deep understanding of individual liberty in Thursday’s editorial. The team tackled the gay rights question, “can discrimination be legal?”

Not only did they urge the United States Supreme Court to acknowledge discrimination as legal in certain cases, they came to their conclusion via the United States Constitution (emphasis added):

 “Elaine Huguenin, a wedding photographer, has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a ruling by New Mexico's highest court that she was required by a state public-accommodations law to take pictures of a female couple's "commitment ceremony." Last week, a judge in Colorado ruled against a baker who had refused to supply a gay couple with a cake for their wedding reception.

Although religious scruples were at issue in both cases, the issue is primarily one of free speech. The 1st Amendment protects not only the right to express one's own views but also a right not to be compelled to convey someone else's.

In her petition to the Supreme Court, Huguenin warns that the decision against her threatens other "expressive professions" including "marketers, advertisers, publicists and website designers."

Much as we support same-sex marriage and oppose discrimination, we do see a distinction between businesses that provide the same product or service to all comers and those that collaborate in the creation of a personalized message. We acknowledge that drawing that line will sometimes be difficult.”

This form of understanding is coming from a paper in a city with a huge gay community.

Source

Oprah: Generations 'marinated' in racism will need to die out for discrimination to end

So it's people marinated in racism that made her a billionaire?  Does she think she is white?

Oprah Winfrey has said racism is still a problem around the world and the only way for it to end is for generations of racists to die out.

In an interview with the BBC to coincide with the release of her latest film The Butler, the chat show host said generations had been 'marinated' in racism.

The 59-year-old added that President Obama was treated with disrespect because of the color of his skin and said she feels fortunate to have been born after segregation ended in the U.S.

When asked if some of the challenges faced by Obama were down to the color of his skin, Winfrey, who had been a high-profile backer of his presidential campaign, said: 'There's no question'.

She highlighted an incident in 2009 when Republican congressman Joe Wilson called out 'you lie', as Obama gave a speech to Congress.

'I think there's a level of disrespect for the office that occurs,' she said. 'And that occurs in some cases ... because he's African American. There's no question about that. And it's the kind of thing no one ever says, but everybody's thinking.'

Her opinion upset some critics, with a news website dedicated to 'exposing and neutralizing liberal media bias' accusing her of 'playing the race card'.

The News Busters site said Winfrey was narrow-minded for focusing solely on racism against the black community, and added that it was 'patently absurd to suggest that racism is caused by old white people when racism and religious bigotry cut across all generations and ethnicities'.

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Judging by crime levels, the major source of racism in America today is black hatred of whites

ESPN Reverses Decision to Reject 'Birth of Jesus' Ad

ESPN has changed its mind and has decided to allow a St. Louis Children’s Medical Center to air an ad referencing “the birth of Jesus” and “God’s healing message.”

In an email to CNSNews.com, Josh Krulewitz, VP of ESPN Communications says, “We have again reviewed the ads submitted for the SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center and have concluded that we will accept the original requested commercial.”

“It will run in Saturday’s VCU at Northern Iowa basketball game on ESPNU.  This decision is consistent with our practice of individual review of all ads under our commercial advocacy standards.”

As CNSNews.com previously reported, the ad had been initially rejected.

Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital says the commercial was rejected by ESPN because it references “the birth of Jesus” and “God’s healing message.”

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NY Students Protest Restrictive Protest Laws

Free speech is free, isn’t it? That may not be the case at these New York City schools. Students at The City University of New York and Cooper Union are beginning to realize that protesting could soon cost them their education.

Although Cooper Union has been tuition-free for over 100 years, this past week the school made the unpopular announcement that it was going to begin charging students tuition as a way to ease its financial burdens. As expected, students didn’t take the news well and now, in response to their vocal complaints, the school is taking some drastic measures:

The new code of conduct administrators are drafting would prohibit “deliberate or knowing disruption of the free flow of pedestrian traffic on Cooper Union premises” and “behavior that disturbs the peace, academic study or sleep of others on or off campus.”

Meanwhile at CUNY, administrators are proposing restrictions on free speech after witnessing protests against the school’s tuition hikes, hiring of David Petraeus, and the closing of the Marales-Shakur Center, which had been the political heart of City College of New York since 1989, according to Gothamist.

A draft from June declared free speech and assembly to be subject to the needs for public order. It would restrict gatherings and the distribution of leaflets to approved areas and times and would forbid faculty members from taking part in protests during working hours. Sponsors of planned protests with as few as 25 students would have to give at least 24 hours’ notice of location, date, time and expected turnout, subject to the college’s approval or alteration.

Ironically, these drafted laws did the exact opposite of what they intended: they disturbed the peace.

In addition to their anger over the proscribed action at Cooper Union, student leaders also took offense at being given a reduced role in the disciplinary process and in the drafting of the document itself. “The whole community at Cooper got really riled up,” said Hadar Cohen, a member of the engineering school’s student council. Along with faculty members, they objected vehemently at a meeting in the university’s Great Hall last week.

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Sounds like Leftist students are getting the treatment routinely handed out to conservatives and Christians -- and they don't like it!

Fox News anchor declares that 'Jesus and Santa are 'verifiably white'



Both were Middle Easterners and Middle Easterners are generally white  -- though not as white as the Irish or the Poles, of course.  St. Nick was what we now would call a Turk and Turks today would be most offended if you said they were not white.  The very white  lady above has a Turkish name: Aydan Ulugun

Fox News host Megyn Kelly caused controversy last night as she confidently declared that not only is Santa Claus white but Jesus Christ is too.

Despite logic dictating that a man born in the Middle East more than 2,000 years ago would at the very least have been olive-skinned - Kelly announced her asertion that Jesus was white to be fact and 'verifiable'.

While no physical descriptions of Jesus definitively exist, Kelly made her absurd statement during Wednesday's edition of The Kelly File as she discussed a Slate article that suggested a more inclusive Santa for the tens of millions of Americans who are not white.

Kelly said when she saw the piece by Aisha Harris titled, 'Santa Claus Should Not Be a White Man Anymore' she laughed.

'Oh this is so ridiculous,' she said, 'Yet another person claiming it's racist to have a white Santa. You know?'

'And by the way, for all you kids watching at home, Santa just is white,' she added, 'but this person is just arguing that maybe we should also have a black Santa.'

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Romanian state TV condemned for Christmas carol show where choir sang about burning Jews

Europe generally has always been antisemitic  -- and still is.  They are usually more discreet about it than this, though.  Ask almost any Pole what he thinks of Jews and you will hear it all

A state owned TV channel in Romania has sparked outrage after broadcasting songs by a choir who sang anti-Semitic 'Christmas carols' which celebrate the burning of Jews.

TVR3, which is ran by the Romanian government, broadcast the performance by a folk group from Cluj last week.

As part of their set, they sang a carol which glorified the Holocaust and called for Jewish people to be burned in the chimney.

According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, the broadcast aired on December 5 and reached many rural parts of the Eastern European country.

Romania's Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean has publicly criticised the broadcast and has even called on prosecutors to take action against the channel.

In a statement, TVR said they were not responsible for the songs performed by the choir, insisting a selection was chosen by a local culture committee. 

According to the Jewish Telegraph Agency, a complaint has been sent to Romanian President Traian Basescu and Prime Minister Victor Ponta which reads: 'It is outrageous that members of the public weren't scandalized by an anti-Semitic song calling for people to burn Jews.'

Bosses at TVR are already in the process of being replaced after previous unacceptable conduct. It's head Claudiu Saftoiu and the rest of the management have been removed from their posts.

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Ryanair's racy calendar advert featuring stewardesses in bikinis is 'banned' by Spanish judge for being sexist



Adverts for a Ryanair charity calendar featuring stewardesses posing in bikinis have reportedly been banned by a Spanish judge for being sexist.

Amanda Cohen ruled that the low-cost airline's adverts for its annual Girls of Ryanair campaign depicted the stewardesses in 'a sexually suggestive manner' following a formal complaint from a consumer group, according to Spanish reports.

The calendar, which has been released every year since 2008, shows female cabin crew stripped down to their beachwear.

The company has raised more than £587,000 for charity through sales with next year's proceeds to go to the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Judge Cohen, sitting at the Commercial Court in Malaga, ruled the cabin crew are shown in 'a sexually suggestive manner' and that 'the female body is being used as a mere object and as part of the appeal of the advert.'

She described the advert as 'illegal, discriminatory and unfair.'

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Must not say that Islam encourages terrorism

 Under Obama administration guidelines, for intelligence officers - and for that matter, law enforcement, Homeland Security and military personnel - to talk about Islamic jihadism and shariah as the motivation for terrorism can be a career-ending offense.

For example, on May 10, 2012, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey, used a press conference to denounce a highly decorated and up-and-coming Army officer, Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Dooley, for teaching an elective course at the Joint Forces Staff College using an approved curriculum.

 According to Gen. Dempsey, what prompted this extraordinary action was that a student - who it turns out had not actually been enrolled in Col. Dooley's class - "was concerned that the course was objectionable and that it was counter to our values...our appreciation for religious freedom and cultural awareness. And the young man who brought it to my attention was absolutely right. It's totally objectionable."

At the core of what was so "totally objectionable" is the fact that students were exposed to information that made plain the gravity of the threat of which Sen. Feinstein warned: the supremacist, totalitarian Islamic doctrine of shariah and the jihad or holy war it obliges adherents to perform. 

Col. Dooley's promising career was cut short and the files of his institution and that of the rest of the national security community have been purged of all such information deemed by unidentified subject matters experts engaged for the purpose to be "counter to our values."

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British police launch 'Badvent' calendar with wanted criminals lurking behind every door... but then have to change the name because it's 'disrespectful to Christmas'

A police force's 'badvent calendar', which reveals the faces of suspected criminals in the run-up to Christmas, was hailed as an original and eye-catching way of fighting crime.

But despite its positive reception from the public, Nottinghamshire Police have been banned from using the term, after their own staff complained it was offensive to Christians.

Police bosses have now been forced to rename its 'Badvent' calendars to the far less catchy 'Festive Crime Calendar'.

The Nottinghamshire Police initiative - in which the name and face of a different wanted person is released from behind an online 'closed door' every day until December 25 - received an 'overwhelmingly positive' reception from the public.

But several of its own staff complained the calendar, which appears on the police's website and features a large photograph of a snowman wearing a policeman's helmet, was in 'poor taste'.

It is believed many of the objections were on religious grounds. Staff reportedly suggested it was disrespectful to Christians who traditionally use advent calendars to count down the days until the nativity of Jesus on December 25.

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Christians get some respect!  That's a change.

Must not comment on black swimming ability

Apparently because of their generally heavier bodies, blacks are in general poor swimmers.  How many have you seen in Olympic  swimming events?  The "black" lady on this occasion was however Puerto Rican and only light brown

Brandi Glanville managed to offend her Real Housewives of Beverly Hills castmate Joyce Giraud by insinuating she didn't want to get her hair wet because she's 'a black person' who wouldn't want to get her 'weave wet.'

Brandi upset the Puerto Rican beauty queen Joyce after learning that the model couldn’t swim.

'Actually, you know that I cannot swim? I kid you not,’ said Joyce after being pressured to get in.

‘You’re a black person,’ exclaimed Brandi - to the obvious shock of the other women.

Joyce looked furious as she put her clothes back on. She later commented that she considered what Brandi said a 'racial remark.'

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Shopkeeper was quizzed for eight HOURS by police - and had his computer seized and his DNA swabbed - after cracking 'bad taste' Nelson Mandela jokes on the internet

A sandwich shop owner endured eight hours of questioning by police and had his computer seized for three weeks – after making tasteless Nelson Mandela jokes on the internet.

Neil Phillips, who runs Crumbs in Rugeley, Staffordshire, says he was also finger-printed and DNA-swabbed after officers received complaints about what he insists were harmless gags.

In one online post, the 44-year-old wrote: 'My PC takes so long to shut down I’ve decided to call it Nelson Mandela.'

Mandela, the former South African leader, and Nobel Peace Prize recipient, died on Thursday, aged 95.

Mr Phillips was arrested at his home on September 10 and was taken to a police station where he was quizzed about the postings on the Rugeley Soap Box website.

He said: 'It was an awful experience. I was fingerprinted, they took DNA and my computer.  'It was a couple of jokes, Bernard Manning type.  'There was no hatred.

'You can question the taste, but they’re not hateful. I told the police they got plenty of "likes". What happened to freedom of speech?

Staffordshire Police declined to go into detail about the nature of their interview with Mr Phillips. But a spokesman said: 'We can confirm a man was arrested in Rugeley on September 10.

'He was bailed pending further enquiries.

'When he answered bail on September 30, he was informed that there would be no further action based on CPS decision of there being insufficient evidence to support a prosecution.'

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The British cops had hours to spend on this nonsense but too bad if your car is stolen.  They don't want to know about that.

Must not comment on the skin colour of a baby

A midwife told a black mother she should be in the Guinness Book of Records because she had given birth to ‘such a white baby,’ a tribunal heard today.

Bernadette McDaid is alleged to have made the comments after a complaint was made against her by the patient.

The 52-year-old appeared in front of a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) disciplinary hearing today accused of a number of offences, including blowing the whistle on a case in which foster parents were not told that their baby was HIV-positive.

McDaid was struck off in 2012 for going public with the story, but after a successful appeal at the High Court she now faces fresh proceedings against her.

Althea Daley, team leader at Deanery Road Midwifery Group Practice, told the hearing in Aldwych, London that a new mother, known only as Patient A, had complained about McDaid and asked to be removed from her care.

‘She said she didn’t want you to come back to her home, to provide her with any further care. She didn’t want you back in her house and the reason being, you made a derogatory remark about her child, her family.

‘She gave me examples of three things, and you said, “oh my God, the baby is very white”. Secondly you said, “have you had an egg donation?” and “have you been mistaken for the nanny?”.’

McDaid denied this, saying she had asked to be taken off the case in January 2009 because she was offended by the patient’s [white] husband who kept going on about ‘his Aryan genes being superior’ to hers.

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Lesbian waitress fired after 'anti-gay' hate speech hoax

A US waitress who raked in thousands in donations after claiming a couple didn't tip her because she's gay was fired from her job on Saturday.

Dayna Morales, 22, was finally canned from Gallop Asian Bistro in Bridgewater — nearly a month after she made international headlines over what's likely a hoax.

The restaurant announced her termination on Facebook Saturday shortly after it was revealed she was returning donations from supporters across the world.

The waitress, a former Marine, claimed the couple stiffed her on a $93.55 bill and left a note saying, "I'm sorry but I cannot tip because I do not agree with your lifestyle."

But her tale of prejudice began to unravel after the unnamed diners came forward with receipts showing an $18 tip.

The purported incident created a media firestorm, with well-wishers sending Morales at least $3,000 in donations through a PayPal account.

Morales claimed she'd send proceeds to the Wounded Warrior Project, a veteran's group, but the organisation said it hasn't received anything.

Acquaintances say Morales — who was dishonorably discharged from the military — has a history of fibbing and at one point pretended she had terminal cancer.

"She exaggerated every story," former coworker Julie Howat told The New York Post. "I knew [the receipt] was fake. When the articles came out, everyone at my job laughed

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British Leftists want to "eradicate" certain speech
 
Communities in Camden have experienced a surge in hate speech over the last two years, with Holocaust denial and Islamophobia promoted by speakers in the borough.

It has prompted the creation of a cross-party taskforce at Camden Council to tackle the problem, spearheaded by Cllr Tulip Siddiq, Labour’s cabinet member for communities and culture.

Last night, the council’s cabinet approved the taskforce’s plans to eradicate hate speech in Camden.

Cllr Siddiq, who is standing as Labour parliamentary candidate for Hampstead and Kilburn in the 2015 general election, said: “It is a fact that hate speech has risen in the last two years.

The incidents reported to the council include speakers in Camden promoting anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial, religious speakers promoting misogyny and groups advocating Islamophobia.

After months of consultation with various groups, including local faith communities, think-tanks, the Home Office, police and other London councils, Cllr Siddiq said the taskforce had come up with a framework for dealing with hate speakers.

“From now on, if someone applies to speak in the borough, we will look at stuff they’ve said in the past and events they’ve spoken at,” said Cllr Siddiq.

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Pasta company sparks outrage after tweeting an inappropriate advert on the anniversary of Pearl Harbor



SpaghettiOs made a faux pas on the 72nd anniversary of Japan's attack on the Pearl Harbor naval base when it decided to remember the event by tweeting a photo of it's grinning mascot with an American Flag.

'Take a moment to remember #Pearlharbor with us,' read the tweet last Friday night.

Pearl Harbor commemorates the death of 2,386 Americans and is a national tragedy.

This photo of a smiling pasta-O holding an American flag left many saying, 'oh no'

Once SpaghettiOs caught wind of the fact that they offended the blogosphere, they issued a formal apology on December 7.  They have since deleted their original posting.

SpaghettiOs which is an American brand under the umbrella company Campbell's Soup features circular pasta covered in a cheese and tomato sauce. It comes in a can and is marketed to parents as 'less messy' than regular pasta.

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A storm in a teacup

A common fallacy:  Comments about a group construed to mean ALL members of the group

Congressman Joe Walsh commemorated the anniversary of Martin Luther King’s most famous speech by rewriting it as a laundry list of things that are wrong with black people

When Joe says he has a dream that “young black males and females graduate from high school,” he’s saying they don’t do that now, and that white kids do. News flash: black kids do graduate from high school, and even college, and lots of white kids don’t.

When Joe says he’s got a dream that “young black men don’t become daddies until after they’re married, and until after they have a job,” he’s saying that young black men don’t do that now. They do, and lots of young white men don’t.

When Joe tells “Jesse” and “Al” that he dreams that “blacks cease their dependency on government, which has enslaved them to a life of poverty,” he is saying that black people are dependent on government, and white people are not. Hell, even Newt Gingrich knows that’s not true.

When Joe says black people should learn that “it’s up to me not to hang around with people who shoot other people that look just like me,” I’m not even sure how that’s supposed to work. If the police can’t even tell which ones are the troublemakers, how are black people supposed to? Should they Stop and Frisk themselves? Are they supposed to move away from all other black people? Should they also avoid standing in their own driveways?

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The writer does not seem to understand that generalizations can be useful even if they do not cover all instances of a thing. It is simply perverse and dishonest to insert a word "All" where none was in fact used.  What Joe said was perfectly correct.  He did not say "ALL" blacks do XYZ, only that many or most do.

GOVERNMENT TARGETS BUSINESS OVER 'THANK A VETERAN' SIGN

A sign hovering above a Huntington Beach saloon for the last six years, thanking veterans for protecting our freedom, has been ordered to be removed.

When he arrived at work on Monday, Johnny Kresimir, the owner of Johnny’s Booze and Pool, discovered a citation had been placed on his door. A city spokeswoman for Huntington Beach said the establishment lacked the proper permits to display the sign that reads, “Thank a Veteran for your Freedom.”

Kresimir posted on Facebook that the City was threatening him with a $1000 fine if he didn’t produce the necessary permits to hang the sign. "If the sign goes down, it's not going to hurt our business. It's just going to hurt the community," Kresimir lamented.

However, the patriotic proprietor isn’t giving up and plans to lobby the city to see if he can keep the sign in place. If he loses the battle, Kresimir vows to invite veterans from the area to come and say goodbye to the symbol that honors them.

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Kanye, Go Away

The rapper Kanye West is known as one of the Western world's largest egotists, which is really saying something in the boastful world of rap. He's appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone in a crown of thorns, and if that wasn't obvious enough, his latest album is titled "Yeezus." In one song, he said Jesus was "the most high," but he was "a close high."

Now he's offending the Jews. In a radio interview with MTV personality Sway Calloway in New York City, he came to President Barack Obama's defense, asserting, "Black people don't have the same level of connections as Jewish people. Black people don't have the same connection as oil people." Still no comment from liberals — except to maintain that criticism of West is driven by racism.

The Daily Beast published an article titled "In Defense of Kanye West," with the subheading "Saying Kanye West Is 'crazy' or 'childish' or 'out of control' follows the socially sanctioned belittlement and demonization of black men." In this piece, Rawiya Kameir completely sidestepped the Jewish-connections remark and stuck to the racism charge.

To sum her up: West doesn't have a problem sounding stupid. You have a problem for failing to understand his genius. Apparently, that would even include Obama, who was overheard in a 2009 interview calling West a "jackass" after the rapper grabbed the microphone away from Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards as she was making her acceptance speech, saying she didn't deserve her win.

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Cricket Australia apologises for 'offensive' Monty Panesar tweet



I don't really see what's offensive.  Panesar is a Sikh and their turbans tell us that the guys in the picture are Sikhs.  And Indians are fonder of bright colours than Anglos are.  Why are we not allowed to mention that Panesar is a Sikh?  He even wears a Sikh head-covering while playing.  Sikhism is a religion, not a race

Cricket Australia has apologised for referencing England spinner Monty Panesar with a photo it tweeted of four bearded men wearing turbans.

CA posted the picture - taken from Instagram - on its official Twitter account late Thursday morning, day one of the second Ashes Test in Adelaide, with the caption: "Will the real Monty Panesar please stand up".

The men were dressed in bright purple, red, green and yellow clothes, depicting children's TV characters the Teletubbies and orginated from here.

The tweet sparked claims of racism and CA promptly deleted the post.  "We apologise for any offence caused by our earlier tweet. That was certainly not the intention. It has been removed," it wrote.

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Antisemitic black rapper

He is of course objectively correct in all he says about interracial differences but the undertone of resentment is disturbing

Kanye West has found himself facing accusations of racism after his recent comments regarding Jewish people. The rapper took part in a radio interview in which he claimed that African-Americans are less connected professionally than Jewish people, and therefore have fewer opportunities. It’s the latest in a string of potentially racist actions and comments that West has had in recent weeks.

In the interview, West called out Obama critics who felt the President hadn’t done enough during his two terms in office. “People want to say Obama can’t make those moves or he’s not executing. That’s cause he ain’t got those connections. Black people don’t have the same level of connections as Jewish people,” he said. “You know we don’t know nobody that got a nice house … with paper that we can go to when we’re down. Can you guarantee your daughter could get a job at this radio station? If you own this radio station, you could guarantee that.”

In response, the Anti-Defamation League has slammed West for his comments about Jewish people and demanded an apology. “This is classic anti-Semitism,” said ADL national director Abraham Foxman in a statement. “As a celebrity with a wide following, Kanye West should know better. We hope that he will take responsibility for his words, understand why they are so offensive and apologize to those he has offended.”

West also ranted about the lack of successful African-Americans in proportion to other ethnicities. “When I tell you [there are] only seven black billionaires, look at that marginalization,” he said. “And we feel like we’re happy because Rick Ross or I got a Maybach, or they put [in] a black President."

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AZ: Activist challenges city over “Guns Save Lives” ads

"A gun-rights activist is taking the city of Phoenix back to court over its refusal to put up a bus-stop ad that declares 'Guns Save Lives.' The case is as much about the First Amendment as it is about the Second. The Arizona Republic reports that the three-year legal battle is heading to the Arizona Court of Appeals on Tuesday.

The decision could have sweeping implications for free speech in the state, and on whether advertisers should be limited in what topics they can and cannot address on city property.

The battle started when the city removed 50 of the ads, put up by activist Alan Korwin, from city bus stops."

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Advertiser blamed for people's own dirty minds

ITV came under fire from viewers today for screening an 'offensive' e-cigarette advert during I'm A Celebrity which appeared to show a woman talking about oral sex.

A woman in a black cocktail dress uttered a series of suggestive phrases in the 20-second commercial screened just after the watershed.

Advertising watchdogs have launched a full investigation into the advert after receiving a 'significant number' of complaints.

In the commercial, the woman said 'I want you to get it out' and 'I want you to put it in my mouth', in an apparent reference to a sex act.  She added: 'I want to see how great it tastes'.

However, in a twist at the end she makes clear that she is actually referring to an electronic cigarette.

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Was Katy Perry’s AMAs Performance Really Racist?

While Miley Cyrus and her kitty cat may have stolen the show at Sunday's American Music Awards, the next-day conversation is less warm and fuzzy and centers around Katy Perry's controversial performance.

For her song "Unconditionally," the 29-year-old went full geisha. Mimicking the well-trained Japanese women whose job is to entertain men through singing, dancing, and playing instruments (sometimes, though less frequently, in sexual ways too), Perry dressed in a long floral kimono and had her hair styled in the typical updo with bangs. She also had traditional makeup — dramatic black eyes, bright red lips, and, yes, whiteface.

Perry, who changed out of the Oscar de la Renta gown she wore on the red carpet, then launched into an Asian-infused act with other similarly attired women dancing behind rice-paper screens and emerging from a garden. There were also lanterns, fans, and cherry blossoms aplenty.

All of those components, especially her makeup, riled up viewers and pundits who — similar to Selena Gomez's incident with the bindis earlier this year — branded it culturally insensitive and racist.

"Katy Perry's AMA performance is offensive," Shivana Jorawar, who is the Reproductive Justice Program Director at National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum, tells Yahoo Music. "It is yet another example of Orientalist, exoticizing stereotypes about Asian women being reinforced. When you consider the pairing of her ensemble, which for the average viewer invokes the stereotypical 'geisha' image, with the words of the lyrics, 'I will love you unconditionally … don't need apologies,' it's clear that — intentionally or not — Katy is encouraging the kind of racist fetishization of Asian women as submissive and powerless that harms us and clouds the strength and resilience we demonstrate every day in this country as we support our families, contribute to the economy, and lead movements for social change."

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Some people will find offense in anything

Band’s shirt is being called racist and insensitive



Mastodon have found themselves on the awkward side of Thanksgiving storytelling after the release of their new holiday t-shirt. Billed as “the real Thanksgiving shirt,” the controversial new design has detractors calling it both racist and insensitive. One look at the design (above) should make it clear why.

Printed on a bright yellow tee, the design features a grinning pilgrim smirking as he points his blunderbuss at a submissive, scantily clad native woman who’s holding a big juicy turkey up for his approval. Earlier today, the band posted a non-apology for the shirt on Facebook:

"Regarding our thanks giving shirt, whether you choose to believe or not, the American Indians were massacred by the white settlers who became the Americans we are today.

this shirt represents this atrocity and celebrating in the face of this atrocity is chilling.

we may have a sick sense of humor, but we are far from being “Racist” as some of you who might not get it are calling us."

We get it. And we can see how it can be seen as funny in the crassest of ways, but this elaboration tells us nothing. Mastodon aren’t the first to open the public’s eyes to the atrocities of the holiday’s origins, and while we doubt they meant any harm with the shirt, framing it as some sort of statement might not be the right move.

Mastodon aren’t racists, and nobody should jump to the conclusion that they are. But funny as you (or they) might see it, this shirt is insensitive.

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Everything is offensive to someone these days

American politics

Conversion of Jews unmentionable

Christians have long prayed for the conversion of the Jews.  They do it to this day in my old Presbyterian church.  But some people do more than pray -- they  evangelize Jews.  Jews tend to find that obnoxious.  But should Jews actively oppose and block such evangelism?  It seems they do -- JR

George W. Bush granted Messianic Jews a brief shining moment in the spotlight last week — and then just as quickly sent them back into the shadows.

The Messianic Jewish Bible Institute in Dallas had advertised Bush as the keynote speaker at its annual fundraiser on Nov. 14, prominently featuring the former president’s appearance on its website alongside pages describing the group’s mission to bring “Jewish people into a personal relationship of faith with Yeshua the Messiah.”

But after a reporter for Mother Jones wrote about the fundraiser, any mention of the dinner disappeared from the institute’s site. Otherwise solicitous staff refused comment. Bush went ahead with the speech behind closed doors.

The turn of events is emblematic of what Messianic Jews have faced since their emergence in the 1960s: a tantalizing taste of acceptance followed by a pronounced repudiation by the mainstream Jewish community.

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An unfortunate sense of humor

Many people find an Indian accent amusing and some are good at imitating it.  Jokes in public can be unwise, however.  Monty Panesar is actually England-born of Indian descent.  He is a Sikh



An Australian cricket announcer has been sacked on the spot after using an Indian accent to pronounce the name of Engand spinner Monty Panesar.

David Nixon was fired from his match-day duties by Cricket Australia after his announcement in England's tour match at Traeger Park.

He appeared to mock the cricketer, who plays for Essex, and was relieved of his duties after lunch on the second and final day.

There were reports that he used an Indian accent when announcing the name of England bowler Monty Panesar, but CA would not comment on the specifics of the dismissal.

But Nixon took to his Twitter account to explain that his 'style' did not work with the broadcaster.  He wrote: 'Really? I love Monty P - cult hero. He should bat 3. My style didn't fit theirs. That's all.'

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The announcer concerned was known for banter

Asian Girlz: Racist or Insensitive?



Last week, the band Day Above Ground released their single and “tribute” to Asian women called, Asian Girlz. The video went viral, but for all the wrong reasons. Many found the song offensive and accused the band of being racist. With lyrics that include, “”I love your creamy yellow thighs / Ooh your slanted eyes,” and “it’s the Year of the Dragon / Ninja p***y I’m stabbin,’” it’s little wonder why some might be offended.

The band eventually released a statement stating that the video was simply “satirical.” Plus, according to the band, there is no way they can be racist because they have an Asian friend – one of the band members is Indonesian.

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Bob Dylan sued by Croatia for racism after saying 'Just like Jews can sense Nazi blood... the Serbs can sense Croatian blood'

The hostility between Serbs and Croats is chilling  -- so Dylan is correct to express that truth in his elliptical way

Famous musician Bob Dylan is being sued along with the French version of Rolling Stone Magazine for ‘racist’ comments in the cover interview of September’s edition.

A Croatian group in France didn’t like Dylan’s answer to the question about whether or not he sees similarities between America today and the civil war era, reported Slate.fr.

‘This country is just too f***** up about color. It's a distraction. People at each others throats just because they are of a different color. It's the height of insanity, and it will hold any nation back – or any neighborhood back. Or any anything back, ‘said Dylan.

It was Dylan’s next comment in the interview referring to the ongoing dispute between majority Roman Catholic Croats and Christian Orthodox Serbs that caused outrage in the Croatian community. Signs of the tension are still visible. Balkin Insight reported that Croatian vandals tore down bilingual and Cyrillic signs in Serbian minority institutions—an act of blatant discrimination, reported Business Insider Australia.

 ‘Blacks know that some whites didn't want to give up slavery – that if they had their way, they would still be under the yoke, and they can't pretend they don't know that. If you got a slave master or Klan in your blood, blacks can sense that. That stuff lingers to this day. Just like Jews can sense Nazi blood and the Serbs can sense Croatian blood,’ he continued.

Bob Dylan has never been accused of being racist before and was at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement.

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Humanists Sue Teacher Who Prayed for Injured Student

The latest allegations from the American Humanist Association are shocking, titillating, and (cue the 1950s soap opera organist) downright scandalous.

In a complaint filed by the organization on November 20 a Missouri public school teacher has been accused of praying for an injured student, organizing a project to feed hungry children and (brace yourself) -- cavorting with a Methodist.

“Teachers simply cannot participate in prayers with students at school, nor can they promote their religious beliefs in any other way to their students,” the AHA said in a statement.

The humanists filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of two students accusing Gwen Pope and the Fayette R-III School District of violating the Constitution by allowing a Christian club to meet before the start of the school day. The school's former principal is also named in the lawsuit.

Mrs. Pope, who is no longer teaching at the school, was the sponsor of the Fellowship of Christian Students at Fayette High School. Since 2010, students have voluntarily gathered before the start of the school day to pray and read the Bible in her classroom.

The American Humanist Association said the two unnamed complainants had been subjected to “unwelcome encounters with the classroom prayer sessions.”

It seems her classroom is near the entrance door of the school and apparently non-believing students could see their classmates engaged in religious activities.

They alleged that Mrs. Pope and the students were seen reading Bible verses and (again, brace yourself) praying for the ill.

“When a student was sick or injured, Pope frequently asked the students in attendance to pray for the afflicted student and joined the attending students in prayer by bowing her head, closing her eyes and saying amen,” the lawsuit alleged.

Can you believe a public school would tolerate such diabolical behavior?

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Must not criticize fatties

Only governments can do that

An exercise-loving mother-of-three claims she was blocked from Facebook after launching a tirade against a group of plus-size women who posed in lingerie to promote body confidence.

Maria Kang, 32, from California, wrote on the site last Friday that she was 'annoyed' by 'news stories about how overweight, nearly obese women should be proud of their bodies' - referring directly to a story by MailOnline highlighting a 'selfie' photo campaign launched by Curvy Girl Lingerie.

The post, which reportedly received thousands of 'Likes' from her 230,000 followers, was deemed a 'hate speech' by Facebook Ms Kang says, and she was locked out of her account as a result.

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Must not tell the plain truth

A UKIP councillor faces an investigation after asking children in care how it felt 'to be takers from the system'.

A dozen complaints have been lodged against Gordon Gillick who also demanded to know when the children would 'give back to society'.

The 74-year-old Cambridgeshire County Councillor left other councillors stunned with his remarks, but his wife insisted he was 'challenging them' like US President John F Kennedy with his famous 'Ask not what your country can do for you' speech.

Mr Gillick was among several councillors invited to a briefing on their responsibilities as 'corporate parents' to protect children from abuse.

Three youngsters had made a film about their experiences in foster homes, and were explaining it to the councillors when Mr Gillick interrupted.

He asked: 'How does it feel to be takers from the system?'  He reportedly also asked the youngsters when they would 'start giving back to society' before walking out of the session.

Tory, Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors have all submitted complaints about the incident.

However, Mr Gillick has received the backing of UKIP, which is the third largest group on the authority.

Group leader Peter Reeve said: 'As long as he's being honest and transparent and saying what he believes, I've no problem with that.

'It may or may not be that I agree with him or that people find his views offensive, but I would rather a councillor is honest than cover up their beliefs because they are worried about it not being politically correct.'

His wife Victoria told MailOnline: 'He is very, very popular with young people. He has 15 teenage grandchildren.

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Is this ad for the new Renault Koleos sexist?

Renault has launched an advertising campaign promoting its new Koleos SUV.  In the good-looking ad, against a catchy, cheesy sound track, a couple embark on a ‘glamping’ trip in their new SUV.

As they set up camp the woman pretties up the tent arranging flowers, while the man erects a satellite dish, then goes fishing. He returns victorious, and his partner transforms the catch into a dainty sushi platter, which she then proceeds to feed to him with chop sticks.

On the website Campaign Brief, viewer comments include “charming”, “cute” and “funny” but, oddly, no-one seems to have raised the issue of sexism. Thankfully, YouTube commenters are a little more forthcoming – “This is so sexist it made me feel physically ill,” writes a riled-up 'Bertie Page'.

The campaign’s slogan “Beautiful meets capable,” we’re told by advertisers, is their way of saying Aussie car buyers no longer need to sacrifice style for practicality.

That’s all very well, but why does the woman in the film have to represent all that is stylish and beautiful, while the male “tradie” character gets to be the hunter-gatherer-solver-of-problems-macho-man?

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You can praise feminism all you like but praising a traditional life is offensive?  No tolerance there!

But sexism from the Left is OK

Democrats in New Hampshire wasted no time in attacking conservative and four term State Representative Marilinda Garcia when she announced she will run for election yesterday in the state's second congressional district.

Garcia was elected for the first time in 2006 at the age of 23 and already has an impressive resume of successes including serving as Majority Whip for the Committee on Legislative Administration and is on the advisory board for GOPAC, a group dedicated to supporting young Republican leaders. She currently serves on the Finance Committee and received a Master of Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in 2010. She believes economic and social values are equally as important to each other when it comes to how they affect the nation and its health.

Despite her impressive background, immediately after her announcement Monday morning Democrat Peter Sullivan, a prominent New Hampshire State Representative, took to Twitter and compared Garcia to reality star Kim Kardashian (who has a sex tape) and talked about her "stiletto heels."

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Hiatus

I am going in later today for more day-surgery so I am taking the day off from blogging

Will be back tomorrow, I hope

JR

Founder of Website critical of the French President arrested

On charges of "insulting the president", thirty policemen arrested the founder of the French website "http://hollande-démission.fr/" last week and impounded his car according to a translation from Les Observateurs.

The website owner and four passengers were detained for 16 hours. "Démission" means resignation.

Here is a translated excerpt from the "hollande-démission" site that got the website owner arrested:

"Enter the site Hollande-Resignation to view and / or sign the petition.  Demand the resignation of François Hollande presidency!"

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