Tongue Tied 3: November 2021

Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Muslim sensitivities

Boebert, a high-energy, pro-gun conservative was addressing some supporters when she recalled sharing an elevator at the Capitol with Omar.

She noticed an alarmed-looking police officer sprinting toward them just as the elevator door was closing. “What’s happening? I look to my left, and there she is: Ilhan Omar. And I said, well, she doesn’t have a backpack, we should be fine.”

Boebert continued: “the jihad squad decided to show up for work today.”

Is that offensive? Maybe. I am pretty sure that it is intended to be offensive. I am certain, however, that it is also funny. At least, I certainly found it funny.

The regime media, however, and such spokesmen as former Congresswoman Barbara Comstock are (or are pretending to be) in a tizzy of indignation over Boebert’s remarks.

Indeed, the outrage machine has been cranked up to eleven over Boebert’s comments.

I find this a little odd since Boebert is well known for her incendiary rhetoric—it is part of what makes her so refreshing—and has often referred to Ilhan Omar as a member of the “jihad squad.”

This time, though, she seems to have crossed a line, touched some third rail of politics, or [insert your favorite cliché here].

And Boebert, to my regret, seems to agree. On Friday, she issued this apology:

“I apologize to anyone in the Muslim community I offended with my comment about Rep. Omar. I have reached out to her office to speak with her directly. There are plenty of policy differences to focus on without this unnecessary distraction.”

https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_morningbrief/rude-words-spoken-about-ilhan-omar-fake-outrage-and-an-unneeded-apology_4127758.html

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Cancel culture in China

FANS OF HUO ZUN were dismayed in August when images of the pop star were blurred out during a performance on “Call Me By Fire”, a popular Chinese reality show. Mr Huo’s hands were visible during some sequences. But when he came into the frame it appeared as if he was standing in a puff of smoke enveloping his body. “Fogging”, as it is known, has become a sight common on the Chinese internet in recent years. Censorship rules require actors who have committed crimes be blurred out, or completely erased when possible.

Mr Huo’s offence was a public breakup with his girlfriend earlier in the year. He had violated no law. But that was enough for the government to deem him an unsavoury character, unfit to appear in public. Internet users are increasingly affected by a spurt of Communist Party cancel culture targeting ever more innocuous behaviour. The broad aim of the campaign, which has been going on for the past six months, is to cleanse Chinese cyberspace of entertainment at odds with socialist values.

There appear to be two targets. The first is a business model with 4.9trn ($767bn) of annual revenues, the fan economy, that has sprung up around internet celebrities, fan groups and streaming platforms. In the most recent set of rules, issued in late November, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said that brand campaigns featuring celebrities will be allowed to show advertisements only in designated ad spaces. And from now on, China’s huge fan groups, often with millions of fans apiece, are to come under close monitoring by the authorities.

The second target of the CAC’s campaign is celebrity itself. The new rules create an official blacklist of celebrities that bans all mention of the names included. This will formalise the treatment that Mr Huo and many other stars have received after committing social improprieties or wrongdoing such as tax evasion. Permanent cancellation is becoming part of China’s entertainment landscape. On November 23rd the China Association of Performing Arts published a list of 88 internet celebrities who had committed some form of transgression. A common offence was showing support for Kris Wu, arrested this year on suspicion of rape. Weibo, a Twitter-like service, was forced to ban 145 celebrity accounts in August for infractions such as “insulting and slandering martyrs and inciting illegal gatherings”.

https://www.economist.com/business/communist-party-cancel-culture-targets-internet-celebrities/21806541

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My other blogs. Main ones below:

http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)

http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)

http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)

http://awesternheart.blogspot.com.au/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)

https://heofen.blogspot.com/ (MY OTHER BLOGS)

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Lecturer's two years of hell for saying dress had 'racy decolletage'

A fashion lecturer has won an apology after being suspended when students claimed he sexualised outfit descriptions by using phrases such as 'racy decolletage' and 'hot mama'.

Peter Huffam, 55, fought a two-year legal battle against the University of Arts London (UAL) over the suspension from his 'dream job'.

'It has derailed my career, I have done this for 30 years and worked at 19 different universities all over the world,' he said. 'I was really happy, this really was my dream job.

'Then it all came tumbling down. I couldn't believe it. I thought it was a case of mistaken identity at first – it was so surreal, it was almost comical.'

The lecturer had been asked to broaden the fashion vocabulary of overseas students from countries including China, Russia and South Korea on the graduate diploma in fashion at the world-famous Central Saint Martins, part of the UAL.

He asked students to complete an exercise which involved matching six descriptions about style during Milan Fashion Week from newspaper articles to six photos of the outfits.

One newspaper's description of a photo of a woman said: 'Add a lick of purple lippy and some embellished heels and this look makes for one hot mama.'

Within days of the lesson in October 2019, three students complained that Mr Huffam had been 'inappropriate' and had made them feel uncomfortable. They said he had used language including 'racy decolletage to describe a bustline', and the class was 'sexualised'.

Mr Huffam's next lesson with the students was cancelled and he was suspended. He was reinstated after three months and the university, where Stella McCartney studied, has now admitted he was wrongly disciplined. It wrote to Mr Huffam apologising for his suspension, admitting it had been 'mishandled'.

The lecturer, who has been signed off with work-related stress, is seeking compensation from the university.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10252489/Fashion-lecturer-gets-apology-suspended-outfit-descriptions-hot-mama.html

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CEO of Giant US Bank Cowers to China After Making Mild Joke

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon backpedaled Wednesday after saying a day earlier that his bank would outlive China’s dictatorial government.

CNBC reported that Dimon was at a business event in Boston on Tuesday when he cracked a joke at the expense of the Chinese Communist Party.

“The Communist Party is celebrating its 100th year. So is JPMorgan,” Dimon said. “I’d make a bet that we last longer.”

“I can’t say that in China,” the billionaire banker added. “They probably are listening anyway.”

Dimon quickly issued an apology. “I regret and should not have made that comment. I was trying to emphasize the strength and longevity of our company,” he said in a statement issued by JPMorgan.

According to CNBC, JPMorgan has major interests in China. In August, the bank was approved by Beijing as the first foreign-owned securities broker in the country.

https://flagandcross.com/ceo-of-giant-us-bank-cowers-to-china-after-making-mild-joke-i-regret-that-comment/

Monday, November 29, 2021

Indiana admin who says critical race theory is taught in schools put on leave

An Indiana school administrator who went viral for explaining how critical race theory is covertly taught in schools — like “social snake oil schemes” — says he’s now been placed on leave, had his email access cut and is banned from entering school buildings.

Tony Kinnett, who works as a science coordinator for the Indianapolis Public Schools, posted a video on Twitter earlier this month accusing the school system of lying about CRT being taught in its schools.

In the clip, which has now been viewed more than 500,000 times, he claims school administrators use “misdirection” to throw off concerned parents.

Kinnett told The Post Thursday that he has been on leave with pay since he posted the video on Nov. 4.

He said HR had warned him twice since then that he would have to “part ways” with the district if he continued to act as a “whistleblower,” and that staff have “clinical anxiety” working with him in the wake of his criticism.

https://nypost.com/2021/11/25/indiana-school-administrator-on-leave-after-viral-crt-video/

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NJ district to remove Woodrow Wilson’s name from high school

Amusing. As the chief founder of the League of Nations, Woody was for many years a great hero to the Left. But he certainly was a virulent racist. He had a thing about "Aryans", of all things. Adolf was very impressed by him

A New Jersey school district is planning to rename one of its schools named after former President Woodrow Wilson due to what critics say is a legacy of racism.

The Camden school district will rename 90-year-old Woodrow Wilson High School after voting on the measure nearly 18 months ago, NJ.com reported.

The campaign for change began with a petition on Change.org in 2019 before gaining support last summer after George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police, spurring protests nationwide.

“We are proud that our schools represent places of diversity and inclusion, and we plan to increase our efforts to reshape the identity of this venerable and cherished school,” the school said in a statement to the outlet. “We plan to collaboratively work with current Wilson students, parents, alumni, and community leaders on an inclusive process to rename the school.“

“Wilson’s racism was significant and consequential even by the standards of his own time. He segregated the federal civil service after it had been racially integrated for decades, thereby taking America backward in its pursuit of justice,” university President Christopher L. Eisgruber wrote in a statement on the board’s decision. “He not only acquiesced in but added to the persistent practice of racism in this country, a practice that continues to do harm today.”

https://nypost.com/2021/11/28/new-jersey-district-to-remove-woodrow-wilsons-name-from-high-school/

Friday, November 26, 2021

Australian city to ditch slave-link name

This is absurd. "Moreland" is a perfectly normal Anglo name. Google records 17 million uses of it. Are they all wrong and racist?

A Melbourne council is making moves to change its name after discovering its namesake was a Jamaican slave estate.

Traditional owners and other community representatives presented the City of Moreland with information showing the name came from land between Moonee Ponds Creek to Sydney Road, that Farquhar McCrae acquired in 1839.

He named the land 'Moreland' after a Jamaican slave plantation his father and grandfather had operated from 1770 to 1796, which produced sugar, rum and slave trading with 500 to 700 enslaved people there in any one year.

In 1994 the local government areas of the City of Brunswick, the City of Moreland and part of Broadmeadows were amalgamated and the state government named the new local government area Moreland.

Mayor Mark Riley said the council was "shocked and deeply saddened" by the discovery. "The history behind the naming of this area is painful, uncomfortable and very wrong. It needs to be addressed," he said.

"Moreland stands firmly against racism, we are one community, proudly diverse. Council is committed to working with Wurundjeri people and we take the request very seriously."

A new name would be developed after a consultation process with the Moreland community, but ultimately it is the state government that must make the change.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/melbourne-council-to-ditch-slave-link-name/ar-AAR44S8?ocid=msedgntp

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In Belarus, Media Jailing Used as Tool of Censorship

Glafira Zhuk’s belongings fit into one small piece of luggage. The Narodnaya Volya journalist left her home country of Belarus last month after spending 30 days in prison for her reporting earlier this year.

“I left the country because I want to be a journalist, and I want to write about my country,” Zhuk told VOA from Kyiv. “I understood that I can't do it in Belarus because I can immediately be arrested.”

Zhuk spent 30 days in prison in May over her coverage of a court case that involved student activists. She was later expelled from the state university’s school of journalism for missing her exams, which took place while she was in prison.

The reporter is one of hundreds to be detained in Belarus since the contested reelection of President Alexander Lukashenko in August 2020. Journalists working for the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees VOA, are among those affected.

The Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), of which Zhuk is a member, reported 480 detentions in 2020 alone. The nongovernmental media association continues to track cases despite the country’s Supreme Court legally dissolving it

https://www.voanews.com/a/in-belarus-media-jailings-used-as-tool-of-censorship-/6315919.html

Thursday, November 25, 2021

Georgia refuses to rename any of its 75 buildings with ties to slavery or racial segregation because 'history can teach us important lessons'

Georgia's public university system refused to rename any of its 75 buildings with ties to slavery or racial segregation in a vote on Monday and explained 'history can teach us important lessons'.

Back in June 2020, the Board of Regents Chairman Sachin Shailendra and Chancellor Steve Wrigley asked an advisory group to review 75 of the University System of Georgia's (USG) more than 3,800 buildings across 26 colleges and universities that are named after Confederate leaders and champions of slavery and segregation.

After more than a year of deliberation, the board released a statement announcing that it 'will not pursue name changes on USG buildings and colleges as recommended by the advisory group’s report'.

According to Fox News, the vote was unanimous.

'The intent of the advisory group was to better understand the names that mark our buildings and colleges, recognizing there would likely be a number of individuals who engaged in behaviors or held beliefs that do not reflect or represent our values today.

'Understanding the history of names fulfills a knowledge mission that has guided USG for the past 90 years,' the statement added, noting that 'the purpose of history is to instruct' and suggesting that understanding the 'important lessons' behind the names of the facilities could 'make Georgie and its people stronger'.

However, the Board did add that 'going forward, (it) is committed to naming actions that reflect the strength and energy of Georgia's diversity'.

The decision came two years after Georgia Code Title 50 was passed - a law that prohibits state and local agencies from renaming any buildings named after 'historical entity' or removing any historical monument.

However, the board did not reference the 2019 law and failed to mention why the board's members ultimately decided against the renamin

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10238459/Georgia-refuses-rename-75-buildings-ties-slavery-racial-segregation.html

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People are afraid to say what they think for fear of being 'cancelled' and left wing activists have 'hijacked' social media says British Culture Secretary

Nadine Dorries has accused left-wing activists of 'hijacking' social media - adding that people are too scared to say what they think for fear of being 'cancelled'.

In her first TV interview since becoming Culture Secretary, the Liverpudlian MP criticised 'cancel culture' for frightening young people away from serious debate.

She also said she does not plan 'to charge out on a culture battle' after being branded the 'minister for culture wars' by The Observer last month, a label she described as 'what other people say about me, not what I say.'

The label stemmed from outspoken tweets by the politician, before she took up her new role, in which she blasted 'left-wing snowflakes' for 'ruining comedy' and accused the BBC of left-wing bias.

Speaking to BBC's culture editor Katie Razzall on Tuesday, Ms Dorries also said she disagrees with the removal of statues and artworks dedicated to historical figures.

On the idea of removing statues and artworks dedicated to historical figures linked to the slave trade or other troublesome pasts, she said: 'You can't, with this whole cancel culture, wipe it all out like it didn't happen and pretend it didn't exist.

'You can't wipe away our history, either the good or the bad.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10221123/Left-wing-activists-hijacked-social-media-says-Culture-Secretary-Nadine-Dorries.html

'Experts:' Don't Refer to The Bay Area Looting as 'Looting,'

Example:

More than 80 people stormed and robbed a Nordstrom in California on Saturday night, according to a police report from the Walnut Creek Police Department. The robbery was over within minutes as thieves armed with crowbars and wearing ski masks streamed out of the Nordstrom into the dozens of cars lining the block. "Nordstrom employees began calling 911 when approximately 80 people entered the store and immediately began stealing merchandise," says the Walnut Creek Police Department in a press release. One employee was pepper-sprayed and two were punched and kicked, says the Walnut Creek Police Department. The incident took place around 9 p.m. right around Nordstrom's closing time, and the police began receiving calls about reckless driving shortly before 9 p.m. PST.

As the Bay Area grapples with a wave of seemingly organized smash and grab robberies this weekend, policing and journalism analysts are cautioning against the use of the term looting...To some, the distinction may be small, but Lorenzo Boyd, PhD, Professor of Criminal Justice & Community Policing at the University of New Haven, and a retired veteran police officer, emphasized that words matter. "Looting is a term that we typically use when people of color or urban dwellers are doing something. We tend not to use that term for other people when they do the exact same thing," said Boyd...To be clear, we don't know the identities or races of the majority of the thieves involved in this crime wave. But we do know there was no local emergency declared in the Bay Area cities that experienced smash and grabs this weekend. However, the crimes did follow the contentious verdict in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial Friday.

"Don’t call it 'looting because that’s a term typically used for crimes by people of color/urban dwellers, but not white people -- because racism," snarks Mary Katharine Ham. "Also 'we don't know…races of the majority of the thieves,' which would make use of 'looting' here hard to attribute to racism, no?" It's of course totally incoherent, which is the whole point. The woke brigade capriciously embraces and discards terms as "acceptable" or "problematic," based on perceived, fleeting utility. It's exhausting. Even the word woke is now a problem, for some reason. On that score, I'll leave you with this:

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2021/11/23/experts-dont-refer-to-the-bay-area-looting-as-looting-guys-n2599546

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Author J.K. Rowling Details Horrific Harassment From Transgender Activists

Author J.K. Rowling, the female author who wrote the Harry Potter series, has been outspoken in recent years about protecting the rights of women and keeping definitions of biological gender intact. As a result, she's been tagged as an "anti-transgender" bigot.

Just last week, HBO Max confirmed she would not be invited to the 20th anniversary celebration of the series, despite her becoming one of the most successful fictional novelists in the history of the world.

Most recently, Rowling faced harassment by transgender activists at her home and detailed the experience

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2021/11/22/author-jk-rowling-details-horrific-harassment-from-transgender-activists-n2599501

Tuesday, November 23, 2021

Google Blocking Some Kyle Rittenhouse Searches

Google has no apparent interest in helping users purchase merchandise related to Kyle Rittenhouse, who on Friday was found by a jury to have acted in self-defense when he shot and killed two men in Wisconsin last summer.

The Big Tech titan has other plans for people seeking to buy items such as shirts related to the 18-year-old. If you conduct a Google search for “Kyle Rittenhouse shirts” under the shopping tab, you’re met with a message that reads: “Your search – Kyle Rittenhouse shirts – did not match any shopping results.”

There are, of course, numerous shirts which are available for purchase to support the teen who has become the face of self-defense against mob violence — if you dig deeper.

Google’s bias against Rittenhouse is more apparent when other searches are performed. For example, in just a few clicks, a search for “Che Guevara shirts” yields numerous ads where you can buy items with the face of the communist killer on websites such as eBay and Etsy.

Google takes you straight there, as it does when you search for shirts containing the likeness of murderous Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. In both other searches and numerous others, Google offers entire pages of shopping for Guevara, Stalin, Mao Zedong and other heroes of the far left.

Furthermore, a Google search in the news tab of “Rittenhouse” Saturday puts coverage of the teen’s trial from ultra-liberal CNN at the very top.

The treatment of the teen by Google is, of course, no surprise to people who have witnessed the way he has been treated by Big Tech from the beginning.

Some social media users were actually blocked from defending the teen last summer when he shot Joseph Rosenbaum, Anthony Huber and Gaige Grosskreutz in self-defense during a riot. Facebook and Twitter both prevented Rittenhouse from being portrayed as anything but a killer after he was arrested last year.

https://flagandcross.com/google-blocking-some-kyle-rittenhouse-searches/

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Seven-year-old grounded over 'foul language' misunderstanding

The thought of their child swearing at school is enough to make most parents see red - but one dad is worried his wife has taken punishment of their daughter too far after a misunderstanding in the classroom resulted in the seven-year-old getting in trouble for using 'foul language'.

The dad took to Reddit to ask for advice after returning home one day to find his daughter had been grounded for two weeks by her mother. His wife said the teacher had reprimanded the little girl for using the word "sex" during a classroom conversation.

"I asked my daughter where she had learnt the word and she said that she had heard mum telling her friend that she'll be there in a sec," explained the father. "She had then learnt that it means second, so she used it in plural form i.e. 'secs' while talking to her friend and the teacher called my wife after hearing her.

"I relayed the same to my wife but she said that it's still not acceptable for a kid to use such language and our daughter has to be disciplined. I told her to stop overreacting to such an innocent mistake. She told me I'm being very lax and that I'm not a good parent. She's refusing to talk to me or our daughter now."

Commenters agreed the little girl should not have been punished over a simple misunderstanding, with some saying the word 'sex' should not even be considered foul language.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/lifestyle/familyandrelationships/seven-year-old-grounded-over-foul-language-misunderstanding/ar-AAQYumD

Monday, November 22, 2021

Homosexual charity ambivalent about word "mother"

Stonewall has dropped guidance advising groups on its workplace schemes to remove the word “mother” from their policies.

The lobby group said that it would no longer reward higher ranking scores to employers who replaced “mother” with gender-neutral alternatives.

Nancy Kelley, the Stonewall chief executive, denied in an interview that such a policy existed. “We’re not interested in removing or erasing the word ‘mother’,” she said. Kelley, who has two adopted children with her wife, added: “I’m a mum. I’m married to another mum. It’s a deeply emotive term. I would be really upset if my children didn’t call me Mum.”

When presented with its recent advice to Dundee University, which contradicted Kelley’s claims, Stonewall said it would change its guidance.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/stonewall-agrees-that-mother-knows-best-7jhmfljtf

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Biden Dept. of Interior moves to remove 'derogatory' names from federal lands

The Biden administration has begun the process of replacing the names of some of the nation’s federal lands that have been deemed "derogatory."

Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced in a press release Friday that her department has formally established a "process to review and replace" derogatory names such as "squaw" from federal usage.

The statement adds, "Secretarial Order 3404 formally identifies the term "squaw" as derogatory and creates a federal task force to find replacement names for geographic features on federal lands bearing the term. The term has historically been used as an offensive ethnic, racial, and sexist slur, particularly for Indigenous women. There are currently more than 650 federal land units that contain the term, according to a database maintained by the Board on Geographic Names."

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-dept-of-interior-moves-to-remove-derogatory-names-from-federal-lands

Friday, November 19, 2021

French anger at gender neutral pronoun

A newly coined pronoun that aims to please all genders has stirred the wrath of the government and other defenders of the French language.

Compilers of the popular Petit Robert dictionary prompted the latest French backlash against what is seen as American-inspired wokeism by inserting the word iel as an alternative to il (he or it) and elle (she) in its latest online edition. The word, which can also be given the feminine and plural endings, ielle and iels/ielles, is defined as a pronoun for the third person “used to refer to a person of any gender”.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/french-anger-at-gender-neutral-pronoun-ttl25dzlb

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"Naughty" art

The Vienna Tourist Board announced in late September that it had moved their “explicit” content to OnlyFans. There, for a fee, viewers can access the art from Austria's museum collections that Instagram has censored or would probably censor if it was posted. The account thus far stars a male-only cast of famous artists including Schiele, Modigliani and Titian, along with antiquities. A promotional video proclaims: “Vienna strips on OnlyFans”.

News of this move made waves with artists who are regularly censored on Instagram. Long-wearied in their battles against the "Community Guidelines", artists rejoiced and proclaimed this an opening shot aimed at Instagram’s censorship practices. Finally, it seemed that institutions would stand up to support beleaguered artists. But in the subsequent weeks, Vienna has stood practically alone.

It is rather poetic that Vienna would take this stand. Art censorship in the name of “protecting the community” is not new. Some of the artists now moved to Only Fans were among those considered “degenerate artists” by the Nazis in 1937, whose work was not just censored but also mocked and destroyed. While the Nazis made a public spectacle over what they considered obscene, Instagram takes a subtler route. On Instagram an artist’s work is silently removed, leaving them with professional anxiety and little ability to appeal.

Instagram’s guidelines are especially fixated on the female-presenting body, made most obvious by their specific exclusion of the “female nipple”. This alone makes a female-presenting body twice as likely as a male-presenting body to be flagged, and artists along with advocates of all kinds are censored as a result.

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2021/11/17/viennas-onlyfans-account-does-not-help-living-artists-sidestep-instagram-censorship

Thursday, November 18, 2021

‘He must apologise’: Indian comedian’s monologue lauded, hit with legal complaints

The comedian from Mumbai stood onstage Friday night at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC with a camouflage-print shirt on his back and fire in his belly.

Before closing his sold-out show, Vir Das told his Washington audience he needed to talk about his homeland. He didn’t come from one India, Das said, but two Indias, seemingly at odds.

Today’s India is a country that is proudly vegetarian yet oppresses protesting farmers, Das said. It’s a country that worships women but grapples with horrific rape cases. It’s a country brimming with a huge, young population but is led by septuagenarian leaders with outdated ideas.

Now, two Indias are responding to Das’s soliloquy: one with rapturous applause, another with sputtering rage.

After Das uploaded his six-minute speech to YouTube this week, it has gone viral on social media in the country and become debate fodder on prime-time television. Liberal politicians, performers and writers emerged to cheer Das’s jabs at India’s authoritarian turn and swelling nationalism. On the other side, critics lashed into Das for broadly painting India as, among other things, a country plagued by rape.

Das, a high-profile, 42-year-old comedian who has released several specials on Netflix, was savaged on social media and quickly issued a clarification. On Wednesday, angry citizens filed two cases against him with the police in Mumbai, where he is based, and in Delhi.

“I don’t mind if he makes mockery of Indian politicians, but he made a mockery of India, which is my country, my pride. He hurt the sentiments of India,” said Ashutosh Dubey, a lawyer for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who filed a defamation case in Mumbai in a personal capacity.

https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/he-must-apologise-indian-comedian-monologue-lauded-hit-with-legal-complaints-20211118-p599wj.html

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Rupert Murdoch slams Big Tech’s censorship of conservatives

Rupert Murdoch criticized Big Tech’s censorship of diverse views on Wednesday.

In remarks to shareholders of News Corp., which owns the New York Post among other publishers, Murdoch attacked Facebook and Google for censoring conservatives.

“For many years, our company has been leading the global debate about Big Digital. What we have seen in the past few weeks about the practices at Facebook and Google surely reinforces the need for significant reform,” the News Corp. executive chairman said. “There is no doubt that Facebook employees try to silence conservative voices, and a quick Google News search on most contemporary topics often reveals a similar pattern of selectivity — or, to be blunt, censorship.”

The Post was gagged last year when Twitter shut down its account over a story about the business dealings of President Biden’s son, Hunter, and his efforts to monetize his family connections in China.

Robert Thomson, News Corp.’s CEO, said the company opposed “cancel culture designed to silence diverse voices.”

“As Rupert mentioned, there’s obvious censorship, as was experienced at the New York Post, and the more subtle institutionalized censorship in Big Digital,” he said. “It’s a confluence of the institutional, the technological, the social and political, and it is important that we stand firm against that morbific movement to mute.”

https://nypost.com/2021/11/17/rupert-murdoch-slams-big-techs-censorship-of-conservatives/

Wednesday, November 17, 2021

Judge Hears 3 Teachers’ Stand Against Transgender Policy Requiring Them to Ignore Students’ Biological Sex

A Virginia courtroom was the scene of a debate over teachers’ religious and free speech rights Monday as three Loudoun County teachers challenged a school district policy requiring them to call students by their preferred pronouns regardless of biological sex.

The policy directly violates the constitutional rights of Tanner Cross, Monica Gill, and Kim Wright, argued Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian legal aid organization representing the three teachers.

“Policy 8040 gives the Loudoun County superintendent the power to silence and punish teachers because of their views about sex and gender,” Tyson Langhofer, a senior attorney at Alliance Defending Freedom, said during a press conference following the hearing in Loudoun County Circuit Court.

Loudoun County, one of the wealthiest counties in America, is located about 45 miles west of Washington. The county has been a hotbed of debate for months as parents voiced concerns over the district’s teaching of critical race theory and endorsement of controversial transgender policies.

The Loudoun County School Board adopted the transgender policy, formally known as Policy 8040, with a 7-2 vote in August. Alliance Defending Freedom asked the court to issue a preliminary injunction to protect the three teachers’ rights while their case moves forward.

https://www.dailysignal.com/2021/11/15/judge-hears-3-teachers-stand-against-transgender-policy-requiring-them-to-ignore-students-biological-sex

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New Hampshire high schooler allegedly suspended for saying there are ‘only two genders’ sues school district

The student is alleging that the school violated his free speech and religious liberties

A New Hampshire student-athlete is suing his school district after he was suspended from a football game for allegedly expressing his views that there are "only two genders."

The lawsuit, filed in Rockingham Superior Court on November 4, alleges that the September suspension violated the student’s constitutional right to free speech and the New Hampshire Bill of Rights because he expressed his religious beliefs.

The plaintiff is also aiming to block the enforcement of Exeter High School’s gender-nonconforming student’s policy because of what he says is its infringement on his First Amendment rights.

The district’s policy on transgender and gender nonconforming students "requires that all programs, activities, and employment practices be free from discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity."

https://www.foxnews.com/us/new-hampshire-high-school-student-suspended-only-two-genders-suing-school-district

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

'Everybody's so worried about offending everybody': Crime writer Patricia Cornwell reveals frustration at trying to figure out politically-correct alternatives to words forbidden by woke 'progressives'

American crime writer Patricia Cornwall said she has to find politically correct ways to refer to people in her books because 'everybody's so worried about offending everybody'.

The best-selling author revealed she recently spent 45 minutes trying to figure out the least offensive way to refer to people who fish for a living and also criticised social media for making people 'divisive'.

In an interview with the Sunday Times, she discussed how she was abandoned by her father and psychotic mother, before focusing on the political pressures currently facing writers.

Cornwell, 65, told the newspaper some words have been forbidden because of wokeist 'progressives'.

She added: 'I deal with this all the time, like you can't say a vehicle is "manned". It has to be "crewed".

'I spent about 45 minutes yesterday trying to figure out the politically correct way to refer to people who fish for a living. Can't call them '"fishermen". So I called them fisherfolks.

'Everybody's so worried about offending everybody. I mean, when are they going to say you can't call them black holes any more? What will it be? A non-white hole?'

Cornwell also criticised social media for its 'brutal categories' that cause 'endless rage'.

She added: 'Instead of pulling everybody together it's divisive.

'They keep saying we are different. We're treated different because I'm a woman, or I'm gay or I'm black or I'm white, or I'm Hispanic or trans or whatever it might be. And that is a real shame.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10200807/Crime-writer-Patricia-Cornwell-reveals-frustration-using-politically-correct-words-writing.html

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Data scientists aim to detect internet censorship in real time

While the internet has proven a force for freedom, controlling the flow of online traffic is one of the most powerful methods used by 21st-century totalitarian governments.

By blocking or throttling areas of the internet, a nation-state can slow or even entirely cut off the spread of information, or prevent the use of applications and tools it considers dangerous or threatening to its rule. But for obvious reasons, these governments involved do not advertise their activities, making it hard to detect these restrictions.

A new multi-institutional study led by University of Chicago Prof. Nick Feamster will build new AI and data science tools to monitor and detect internet censorship, develop new statistical techniques to identify censorship with greater levels of confidence, and ultimately create a “weather map” for certain types of nation-state interference and control of online information. The $1 million grant, funded by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), brings together researchers from the UChicago Data Science Institute (DSI), Princeton University and SRI International.

“Our goal is to increase our levels of confidence about what is being censored, when censorship occurs, and where it is being censored,” said Feamster, Neubauer Professor of Computer Science and director of research for the Data Science Institute.

“Our past work on measuring internet censorship has developed tools to identify possible instances of censorship, but the measurements have some amount of uncertainty, and thus we need to develop more robust statistical techniques,” he said. “We also aim to derive and provide real-time insights from that data—another significant data science challenge since the scope and scale of the internet is so massive.”

https://news.uchicago.edu/story/data-scientists-aim-detect-internet-censorship-real-time

Monday, November 15, 2021

Lawyer who brought anti-vaccine case has practising certificate suspended

A Sydney lawyer who unsuccessfully challenged the NSW COVID-19 vaccine mandate has had his practising certificate suspended, after posts on his law firm’s social media accounts claimed the vaccine decision “basically said it is ok to kill anyone you like”.

Nathan Buckley, the high-profile principal of G&B Lawyers, raised more than $575,000 in crowdfunding to challenge various COVID-19 public health orders, including vaccine mandates.

In October, when Mr Buckley’s client lost the challenge to the NSW public health orders which required vaccination against COVID-19 in certain industries, G&B Lawyers made a range of posts on social media.

In one Facebook and Twitter post, G&B wrote: “Justice Beech-Jones today said that no one in NSW has any rights. No one has a right to bodily integrity. He basically said it is ok to kill anyone you like.”

When a Twitter user responded, asking if it meant someone could cut the testicles off paedophiles, the G&B Lawyers account replied: “You’re correct based on today’s judgment. Go for it. Pedos have no rights.”

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/lawyer-who-brought-anti-vaccine-case-has-practising-certificate-suspended-20211112-p598ja.html

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Yoga studies college professor orders students to use gender pronouns on assignments or grades take a hit

A yoga studies professor at California's Loyola Marymount University allegedly warned students that points will be deducted from their grade if they don’t include gender pronouns in their blog posts.

"I added a new syllabus to Brightspace and the one major change we all need to take note of is that all are required to include their pronouns next to their name in their blog posts," an email from Professor Christopher Miller at Loyola Marymount University posted by the Twitter account Libs of Tik Tok said. "I will count this toward your grade when I check for your name each time I grade the blogs."

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/college-professor-warns-students-gender-pronouns-grades

Sunday, November 14, 2021

“THE GREAT NEGRO!”: Biden Makes Eyebrow Raising Comment During Speech

He is still living in a bygone era

During a speech on Thursday, President Joe Biden referred to pitcher Satchel Paige as “the great negro.” Biden has a history of referring to black people in a negative way.

“Thank you for your service to our country. I want to tell you, I know you are a little younger than I am, but I have adopted the attitude of the great negro at the time — pitcher in the Negro league who went on to become a great pitcher in the pros…” Biden said. “His name is Satchel Paige. On his 47th birthday, he pitched a win against Chicago. All the press went in and said it‘s amazing, 47 years old.”

Biden’s comments towards black people has been an issue for him in the past. Leading up to the 2020 election, Biden told the black community that if they don’t vote for him, they “ain’t black.”

https://patriotfetch.com/2021/11/the-great-negro-biden-makes-eyebrow-raising-comment-during-speech/?omnisendContactID=6188becc0f9e7b00206e83a5

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Judge in Rittenhouse trial makes off-color 'Asian food' joke

Kenosha County Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder, the longest-serving active trial judge in Wisconsin, appeared to make an off-colour joke about supply chain backlogs and Asian food as the court discussed a lunch break.

It wasn’t the first time the judge presiding over the closely watched double homicide trial of Kyle Rittenhouse – who faces mandatory life in prison if convicted on the most serious charge against him after killing two men and injuring another in the aftermath of protests against police violence in Kenosha – has been criticised outside the courtroom for his questionable comments throughout the trial.

“I hope the Asian food isn’t coming – it’s not, isn’t one of those boats in Long Beach harbor,” Judge Schroeder said on Thursday as the defence rested the case moved on to the jury.

His apparent reference to “Asian food” coming from boats in congested southern California ports has been perceived as anti-Asian. John Yang, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice-AAJC, told CNN that it “harms our community and puts us in the crosshairs of microaggressions as well as actual physical violence”.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/kyle-rittenhouse-judge-bruce-schroeder-b1956301.html?r=46918

Friday, November 12, 2021

Liberals Melt Down, Claim Judge Is Biased Because His Ringtone Is ‘God Bless the USA’

Apparently, American judges can no longer be proud of their country. Otherwise, liberals may see them as potentially biased.

This has certainly been the case in the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse — the 18-year-old currently facing homicide and other charges in the shootings of three men during a riot in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Aug. 25, 2020 — where the judge, Bruce Schroeder, is currently being accused of bias for having a “God Bless the U.S.A.” ringtone on his phone.

The court was made aware of this fact when the judge’s phone began to ring during court proceedings.

On Twitter, independent left-wing journalist Aaron Rupar has suggested such a ringtone proves the judge’s bias, with many leftists agreeing and sharing his message.

https://flagandcross.com/liberals-melt-down-claim-judge-is-biased-because-his-ringtone-is-god-bless-the-usa/

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Newsmax Reporter Permanently Suspended From Twitter for Spreading ‘COVID-19 Misinformation’

Newsmax White House correspondent Emerald Robinson has been permanently suspended from Twitter for repeatedly violating the platform’s policy against spreading what it calls “COVID-19 misinformation,” a Twitter spokesperson confirmed to The Hill on Tuesday.

After regaining access to her account, Robinson received her fifth violation, resulting in a permanent ban, the Twitter spokesperson said.

The permanent suspension comes just hours after Robinson returned to Twitter following a temporary seven-day suspension she received last week after claiming the COVID-19 vaccines contain a tracking substance.

Robinson took to the social media platform last Monday to warn that, “the vaccines contain a bioluminescent marker called LUCIFERASE so that you can be tracked.”

“Read the last book of the New Testament to see how this ends,” she said.

The post was later removed by Twitter and replaced with a note stating that the original content violated its rules.

Newsmax, a conservative news outlet, sought to distance itself from Robinson’s claims and promptly took her off air.

In a statement to The Hill last week, Newsmax said it was, “currently reviewing the posts and during that period, Ms. Robinson will not be on air but continue with duties for the network.”

https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_morningbrief/newsmax-reporter-permanently-suspended-from-twitter-for-spreading-covid-19-misinformation_4096496.html

Thursday, November 11, 2021

MSNBC Writer Claims 'Let’s Go Brandon' is Worse Than Nazi Salute

The phrase "Let's Go Brandon" is worse than a Nazi salute, according to one MSNBC author.

In a new article on the left-wing media's website, the author wrote that comparing "Let's Go Brandon" to the Nazi "Sieg Heil" salute was an "insult to nazis."

They said, “Calm the hell down; that’s an insult to Nazis. And furthermore, Biden doesn’t have the gall to steamroll these would-be Nazis like Joseph Stalin’s army did in Berlin.”

That was in reference to the following tweet:

“Let’s Go Brandon” has become the MAGA version of “Sieg Heil.”

Really? So.. uttering the words "Let's Go Brandon" as a way to signal that you do not agree with President Joe Biden and would like him out of office is worse than someone who helped kill millions of people in the deadliest holocaust in history?

https://dailypoliticalnewswire.com/wut-msnbc-writer-claims-lets-go-brandon-is-worse-than-nazi-salute/

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Australian Licorice and Chocolate Factory dumps ‘Bottle of Boobs’ product after claims of sexism

A popular organic chocolatier has scrapped its “Bottle of Boobs” product after activists accused the NSW company of being sexist and dehumanising women.

Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory has been selling containers of the chocolate – depicting disembodied women’s breasts – for about 14 years, but after Collective Shout began a social media campaign this week, the product was quickly removed.

Collective Shout spokeswoman Caitlin Roper told NCA NewsWire the chocolatier had reduced women to sexualised parts “for literal consumption”.

“This is an example of everyday sexism and the casual dehumanisation of women,” she said.

“It’s not about offence … it’s about the known, established harms of objectifying women.”

Junee managing director Neil Druce told NCA NewsWire the company donated a portion of the profits to breast cancer charities.

He said it first started when women raising money for breast cancer awareness approached the company about making the chocolates, which they were happy to do.

“Our staff followed it up and made it happen,” he said.

The chocolates were sold all-year round, with a small percentage of sales going to charity, he added.

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/eat/junee-licorice-and-chocolate-factory-dumps-bottle-of-boobs-product-after-claims-of-sexism/news-story/cca6c391a900cce4ebe6db9ee4b4e896

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My other blogs. Main ones below:

http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)

http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)

http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)

http://awesternheart.blogspot.com.au/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)

https://heofen.blogspot.com/ (MY OTHER BLOGS)

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Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Tweet About Superman’s Bisexual Son Has Professor Fighting Against Cancel Culture

“What if Christian parents of children reading comic books don’t want their kids exposed to bisexual characters?”

Sophia Nelson thought it was a reasonable question in the wake of DC Comics’ announcement that Superman’s son, Jon Kent, would have a pink-haired boyfriend in an upcoming comic.

Nelson, a scholar-in-residence at Christopher Newport University in Virginia and a bestselling author, never expected her Oct. 11 tweet to ignite her own ordeal with cancel culture.

Students petitioned, professors protested, and the university’s president—a former Republican U.S. senator from Virginia—acquiesced to the pressure rather than defending Nelson.

https://www.dailysignal.com/2021/11/08/tweet-about-supermans-bisexual-son-has-professor-fighting-against-cancel-culture

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Surgeon General Warns of Spread of 'Misinformation'

Trust the government??

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released a brochure this week warning Americans that memes and online graphs may lack context and be considered a type of "health misinformation."

"With the authorization of COVID-19 vaccines for children 5 to 11 years old, it is more important than ever that families have access to accurate, science-based information," Murthy said in a Tuesday press release. "Health misinformation is spreading fast and far online and throughout our communities."

"The good news is that we all have the power to help stop the spread of health misinformation during this pandemic and beyond," he continued. "That’s where this toolkit comes in – to provide Americans with resources to help limit and reduce this threat?to public health."

The Community Toolkit for Addressing Health Misinformation includes a misinformation checklist, tips on how to speak to loved ones about health, an outline of common types of misinformation and examples of times people may have encountered misinformation.

The toolkit targets memes, edited videos, illegitimate websites, outdated images and "cherry-picked statistics" as tools of coronavirus misinformation. It added that information provided through these mediums may contain a "kernel of truth" but sometimes "lack context."

The documents urge Americans not to share health information online until they verify it with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, a health care professional or another credible source through an online search engine.

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/landonmion/2021/11/09/surgeon-general-warns-of-spread-of-misinformation-through-memes-n2598844

Tuesday, November 09, 2021

DISSECTING LEFTISM censored

I have received a couple of notices from blogger.com saying that some of my posts have been depublished on the grounds that I was spreading misinformation. My post of 22 August was particularly mentioned. It was a rather extreme post so I am not too bothered by its loss.

What is not clear is whether today's post is visible to readers. It starts with a media report about Sweden. I would be obliged if people would let me know if they can see it. My email is jonjayray@hotmail.com

The second post today was about an alternative way to medicate covid so maybe that was the problem. I have deleted it but will keep a record of it

UPDATE: Twitter wiped a post on the topic as soon as I put it up

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Pompous 9/11 responder obstructs emergency response over a swear word

People in a panic must be allowed for

A 17-year-old Michigan girl was arrested for reportedly swearing during a 911 call while her father was having a seizure.

Adrianne Ledesma, of Lincoln Park, Michigan, called 911 after her father collapsed in their kitchen and began seizing, just three weeks after he was hospitalized and underwent brain surgery, 7 Action News reported at that time.

Adrianne didn’t get an answer on her first attempt, so she tried again. Panicked, she said, “What the f***,” while the phone was ringing, but Officer Robert McFarland picked up at exactly that moment.

She asked McFarland for an ambulance to be sent to her address, to which he replied, “Well okay, first of all, you don’t need to swear over 911 and slow down.”

“OK, send me a f****** ambulance!” Adrianne responded, frustrated.

Adrianne told 7 Action News that she was worried her father was going to die, but she wasn’t given the opportunity to explain that on the call because the officer hung up the phone after she said a swear word.

She tried calling back and asked the officer, “Are you going to give me an ambulance?”

“Are you going to swear again, you stupid a**?” McFarland responded.

“Are we going to have a f****** problem?” Adrianne said.

“No! You’re not going to get one!” McFarland replied, presumably referring to an ambulance.

After Adrianne’s several attempts to have an ambulance sent to her home, McFarland finally transferred the call to the fire desk.

“I kept getting a 911 call from this filthy-mouthed girl that wanted a rescue,” he said as he transferred the call. “I never found out what it was and I was never able to transfer it over to you.”

McFarland said the same thing as he dispatched a squad car to her home.

Adrianne rushed to the police department to get help, as she was unaware McFarland had dispatched a patrol vehicle. Her brother stayed by their father’s side as they waited for help.

When she arrived at the headquarters, McFarland said to her, “Are you the girl with the foul mouth?”

McFarland then proceeded to arrest Adrianne on the spot for disorderly conduct and abusing 911, a charge that doesn’t exist.

The officer refused to comment on the incident when confronted by 7 Action News. He was suspended for two weeks without pay following the incident and was sent for additional training.

https://dailyheadlines.net/teen-girl-who-dialed-911-to-get-help-for-dad-having-seizure-arrested-for-word-she-used-during-call/

Monday, November 08, 2021

Woke San Diego BANS the use of 'he' and 'she' in future city policies and laws

San Diego banned the use of 'he' or 'she' in future city laws and policies to accommodate the roughly 1% of people nationwide who don't identify as male or female.

The traditionally conservative southern California bastion announced the progressive policy on Tuesday after a unanimous City Council vote.

Councilmember Raul Campillo and Council President Jennifer Campbell - both Democrats - proposed the Inclusive Language Policy, which was passed in July and approved by the Council this week.

According to the new policy, San Diego 'must draft its Council Policy Statements, regulatory legislation, proposals to amend the City Charter by ballot, and amendments to the current municipal code in a gender-neutral, non-binary manner when referring to a person or group of people to promote inclusive language in San Diego.'

Campillo was among a blue wave that swept into office after last year's elections, giving the Democrats an 8-1 supermajority on the City Council.

Moving forward, city policies will be required to use 'they' and 'their' instead of 'he' and 'she,' and to use words such as 'humankind' instead of 'mankind.'

'To truly be America's Finest City, we must be an inclusive and welcoming City for all,' Campillo said in a statement. He explained that the policy was necessary to: 'more properly reflect its diverse and dynamic residents and employees.'

Campbell, who identifies as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, also released a statement following the Council's approval.

'It is an important step to make our governance a more welcoming place for all of San Diego's people; especially those who do not see themselves reflected within a gender binary,' Campbell said.

San Diego became the fifth city in the country, and third in California, to enact such a policy. Oakland and Berkeley, along with Boston and Portland, Oregon, have already adopted similar inclusive language initiatives.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10169269/Woke-San-Diego-BANS-use-future-city-policies-laws.html

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Liberals Want A Police Commissioner To RESIGN For A Shirt She Wore 25 Years Ago!

Another dangerous joke

Just because of the T-shirt she wore 25 years ago, Philadelphia’s acting Police Commissioner feared losing her job.

Philadelphia City Council hearing on racist social media posts by police officers took a dramatic turn when Coulter apologized for a controversial t-shirt she wore in the 1990s, prompting a councilwoman to call for her resignation.

Christine Coulter ignited an uproar when a 25-year-old photo showed her donning a white T-shirt with the words, “L.A.P.D. We Treat You Like a King,” written in black. The T-shirt seemed to joke about the beating Rodney King got from police officers with the Los Angeles department.

The T-shirt has been interpreted as a reference to the beating of King in 1991 by four Los Angeles officers, which was videotaped.

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Coulter said she didn’t realize at the time that the shirt was an apparent reference to the highly publicized King beating, but said she was “profoundly sorry” for wearing it, nonetheless. She previously said the photo had been taken during a gathering with other officers at the Jersey Shore when she policing the city’s 25th district.

At the time the picture was taken, Coulter was at the New Jersey beach with a couple of her fellow officers. She told the members present at the hearing that she didn’t believe that the t-shit referenced King, but she still apologized.

“My heart has been broken over this. There are folks in this room who I have served in their communities who know my heart and know that for 30 years I have served in black and brown communities with all that I ever have to give, never treating people unfairly or unjustly because of their race. Even people I’ve had to arrest, I treated like gentlemen or gentle ladies going through the process,” Coulter added.

After her statement, city councilwoman Cindy Bass read a letter that she had written to Mayor Jim Kenney, calling for Coulter’s immediate resignation.

https://theinformedamerican.net/liberals-want-a-police-commissioner-to-resign-for-a-shirt-she-wore-25-years-ago/

Sunday, November 07, 2021

Maher roasts snowflakes who change words because they can’t deal with reality: ‘repeat kindergarten’

No one would confuse HBO host Bill Maher for having anything remotely close to conservative ideas. He is a self-proclaimed liberal. However, Maher also does not mince words. He is especially frustrated with many aspects of the radical woke culture.

In a recent episode of his show “Real Time”, the usually very liberal media darling told people they needed to “stop changing words because they cannot deal with reality.” He is frustrated with the woke culture’s insistence upon changing the definition of certain words.

Maher targeted eight words specifically. He has problems with the redefining of hate, victim, hero, shame, violence, phobic and white supremacy. Maher went on to point out Comedian Hannah Gadsby’s condemnation of Dave Chappelle’s controversial Netflix special.

Gadsby referred to Chappelle’s reference as “hate speech dog-whistling.” Maher pointed out on his show, “Well, dog whistle refers to when someone puts things in code because they’re afraid to come out and say what they really think.”

He clearly noted that Dave Chappelle says exactly what he means, not the opposite. Chappelle has never been accused of self-censorship over what people “might think”. Maher went on to talk about his aversion to an endless barrage of things being labeled as phobic.

Maher read the definition of phobic. It comes from the Greek word used to explain an irrational fear of something such as spiders. The liberal talk show host went on to blast how the word is now attached as a suffix to anything the liberal cancel culture doesn’t like.

Maher continued with an attack on the woke culture’s manipulative use of the word violence. He used a story of a naked man running into an elevator as an example. Two women on the elevator just continued to talk as if nothing was happening.

However, writers for the show airing the report, “All Rise” found it objectionable. They labeled the event as violence. Maher says sorry, but that is insane. He blasted the twisted definition of the word used by the CBS drama writers.

Maher further stressed his feelings. “No, it’s not. Violence is when it hurts. It usually involves leaving a mark of some kind. Of course, innumerable things can lead to violence, but I’m sorry, you can’t take that word and use it for stuff that’s just scary to you or just verbal, which is something I literally learned in kindergarten.”

It’s almost refreshing to hear common sense from the mouth of a professed liberal host blasting these insane leftist ideas. It’s rather remarkable, too. Maher summed up his feelings with an amusing childhood chant, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but … if you don’t know how that one ends, you need to repeat kindergarten.”

https://steadfastclash.com/the-latest/watch-maher-roasts-snowflakes-who-change-words-because-they-cant-deal-with-reality-repeat-kindergarten/

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Australian State government attempts to ‘censor’ political rivals with social media giants

Digital Editor Jack Houghton says the Palaszczuk government “embarrassed itself yet again” by attempting to censor political rivals critical of the state’s COVID-19 messaging.

The state’s Health Minister Yvette D’Ath wrote to Twitter, asking them to ban Opposition Frontbencher Jarrod Bleijie from the platform for his tweets.

Ms D’Ath described the tweets as: “Undermining not only public confidence in the vaccine, but the Queensland Government’s rollout of the vaccine, which could ultimately lead to vaccine hesitancy and harm to Queenslanders”.

According to Mr Houghton, her bid “thankfully” failed. “But this is a crazy move from an administration which tweeted anti AstraZeneca misinformation in the heat of the pandemic,” he said.

“In fact, Annastacia Palaszczuk herself spread vaccine hesitancy on social media by falsely claiming that the AstraZeneca vaccine was not safe for those under the age of 40.

“Her government completely botched vaccine messaging and they are now trying to say that criticisms of Palaszczuk’s false information tweets are the real fake news.

“This is something Queenslanders must not forget.”

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/other/palaszczuk-government-attempts-to-censor-political-rivals-with-social-media-giants/ar-AAQlI5u?ocid=chromentpnews

Friday, November 05, 2021

UK: Open University criminology professor who said 'male-bodied' trans women should NOT be in female prisons suffers public harassment

A Professor of Criminology at the Open University has described how she was compared to a 'racist uncle at a Christmas dinner table' for her gender critical beliefs.

Professor Jo Phoenix has crowdfunded more than £80,000 to fight her current employers for not protecting her from a bullying campaign after she expressed views about the silencing of academic debate on transgender issues.

She claims the Open University, who she began working for in 2016, 'shattered' her dreams and made her feel 'like a pariah'.

Professor Phoenix said she has been publicly vilified and suffered public harassment for launching the Open University gender critical research network.

She also said her view that male-bodied prisoners should not be allowed in female prisons resulted in her being compared to a transphobic and racist.

By bringing the Open University to an employment tribunal, she hopes to protect female academics from 'the vicious bullying perpetrated by those who disagree with our beliefs on sex and gender'.

The Government's policy to house transgender women in female prisons was ruled lawful by the High Court in July earlier this year amid claims from an inmate it raised the risk of sex attacks.

In 2018, Karen White - who was born a man but was placed in women's prison HMP New Hall after telling authorities of his identification as a woman - sexually assaulted two female inmates.

Prosecutors questioned whether White really wanted to transition to become a woman, or just used it as a ruse to target other women. He is now being housed in a male prison.

Professor Phoenix was also caught up in controversy with another university in 2019 following 'transphobe' accusations.

The University of Essex had to apologise in May, 18 months later, after a planned seminar was called off due to protestors.

It was set to explore tensions around placing transgender women - who were born men - in female prisons in Britain.

The Centre for Criminology cancelled the event a few hours ahead of it taking place, citing concerns that the 'open debate and discussion might be obstructed'.

The seminar was cancelled partly due to security concerns, but an investigation later found that the decision 'amounted to a breach of Professor Phoenix's right to freedom of expression'.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10165133/Professor-hounded-job-saying-male-bodied-trans-women-NOT-female-prisons.html

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UK: 'Censoring' of history as portrait of Sir Thomas Picton -- who died at Waterloo - is taken down

BBC presenter Huw Edwards today hit out at 'censoring' history after a picture of a slave owner who was the most senior British officer to die at the Battle of Waterloo was removed from the Welsh national museum.

The 'heroic' portrait of lieutenant general Sir Thomas Picton has hung at the museum in Cardiff for 100 years, but will now be sent to its stores after it was reappraised in light of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Reacting to the news, the News At Ten host tweeted: 'As a journalist I feel uneasy about this element of ''censoring'' history. Should not Picton remain on display as a reminder to Wales of an aspect of its past - no matter how disgraceful?'

Picton is notorious for his cruel treatment of his slaves, including executing a dozen and torturing and mutilating others.

He was known to have used the slave trade to build up his considerable fortune and in 1806 was also found guilty of torturing Luisa Calderon, a 14-year-old mixed-race girl, during his rule of Trinidad.

The portrait will be replaced by Hedger and Ditcher: Portrait of William Lloyd, which was painted by Albert Houthuesen, a Dutch artist who became fascinated with the working life of Flintshire colliers while on holiday with his wife in the 1930s.

Curators are handing artists a £12,000 commission to produce new artworks that will 'reinterpret' Picton's life by telling it from the view of his victims. When these new works are finished a committee will decide whether Picton can be rehung as part of a new display.

The future of the painting will be determined by the Sub Sahara Advisory Panel, whose director Fadhili Maghiya welcomed its removal. He said: 'It's almost like a new era in some ways, especially looking at who he was, what he stood for, what he did. 'It does bring a new chapter in terms of conversations about race, diversity, inclusiveness.'

In July 2020 councillors voted to remove a statue of Picton in Cardiff City Hall amid a Welsh government probe into offensive statues. Councillors said the statue was an 'affront' to black people in Cardiff and 'no longer acceptable'.

But last December counsellors in Carmarthen voted against removing or renaming a monument to the local hero.

The memorial has stood in Picton Terrace in the south-western town since 1888

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10160801/Picture-slave-owner-Sir-Thomas-Picton-removed-Welsh-national-museum.html

Thursday, November 04, 2021

Woke curators target Hogarth: Famous cartoonist's depictions of 18th century Britain now come with notes about their 'sexual violence and slavery' in new Tate Britain exhibition

He was the godfather of satire, the man whose depictions of drunken debauchery in Britain made him a household name. But now, 18th century painter William Hogarth has become the latest target of the woke warriors.

A new exhibition at Tate Britain showcasing the famous painter's work also highlights what curators claim is the 'sexual violence, anti-Semitism and racism' in his paintings.

One of Hogarth's famous early works, A Midnight Modern Conversation, which shows drunken men inebriated by lavish helpings of punch, is among those highlighted in Hogarth and Europe.

According to The Telegraph, visitors are told in a label alongside the scene that, whilst the picture is meant to be funny, the 'punch they drink and the tobacco they smoke are material links to a wider world of commerce, exploitation and slavery.'

A catalogue accompanying the painting says the men may be 'queasily celebrating such manly misdemeanours - what we might today called "laddishness".'

Meanwhile, a self-portrait showing Hogarth sitting on a wooden chair while painting at an easel should also be seen within the context of slavery, according to the commentary accompanying the picture.

Artist Sonia Barret is said to claim in the note that Hogarth's chair was made from 'timbers shipped from the colonies' and asks if it could 'stand in for all those unnamed black and brown people enabling the society that supports his vigorous creativity?'

Planning for the new exhibition began a decade ago but curators decided to change its focus in part because of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Sixty of Hogarth's works are deliberately displayed alongside those of European painters, in an attempt to show him in a 'fresh light'.

The new exhibition's curators, Alice Insley and Martin Myrone have also tried to highlight the alleged marginalisation of black people in Hogarth's work.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10155783/Tate-exhibition-highlights-slavery-links-William-Hogarths-paintings.html

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Facebook Unleashed 2 Tools That Helped Suppress Conservative Content

The Wall Street Journal has run a series of articles as part of a project called “The Facebook Files.” One installment published Sunday is entitled “Facebook’s Internal Chat Boards Show Politics Often at Center of Decision Making.”

The Journal reviewed company documents and scoured internal employee communications to gain an understanding of how Facebook decides which news stories will be promoted and which will be suppressed.

The importance of these decisions cannot be overstated. Citing Pew Research Center, the Journal reported that over a third of Americans use Facebook as a regular source of news. The Big Tech company’s ability to determine the content its users read gives it the power to actually influence users’ views.

The Journal’s Sunday article focused on the simmering tension between Facebook employees and management over two tools the platform uses to detect “misinformation.” Surprisingly enough, employees are far more eager to censor conservative sites than managers who know the company would face backlash if its methods became too obvious.

The Journal reported that these tools — called “Sparing Sharing” and “Informed Engagement” — weren’t developed for the purpose of stifling conservative content. But that’s what they did.

In 2019, the social media giant conducted an analysis of the tools and found that if they were eliminated, traffic on “very conservative” sites would increase significantly — Breitbart’s would rise 20 percent, The Washington Times’ 18 percent, The Western Journal’s 16 percent and The Epoch Times’ 11 percent.

Facebook had essentially labeled conservative content as misinformation and prevented stories from going viral.

Heated debate followed. One company researcher wrote, “We could face significant backlash for having ‘experimented’ with distribution at the expense of conservative publishers.”

Much of the company’s attention was directed at Breitbart, a site many employees believed published prolific amounts of misinformation.

For example, when riots spread across the U.S. in June 2020 following the death of George Floyd, an employee wrote a message on a Facebook chat board saying, “Get Breitbart out of News Tab.” The News Tab feature “aggregates and promotes articles from various publishers, chosen by Facebook,” according to the Journal.

The employee cited several Breitbart headlines: “Minneapolis Mayhem: Riots in Masks,” “Massive Looting, Buildings in Flames, Bonfires!” and “BLM Protesters Pummel Police Cars on 101.”

These headlines, the employee said, were “emblematic of a concerted effort at Breitbart and similarly hyperpartisan sources (none of which belong in News Tab) to paint Black Americans and Black-led movements in a very negative way.” The Journal reported that many employees agreed.

A Facebook researcher responded by saying that removing Breitbart from News Tab could face internal opposition due to concerns about political backlash. “At best, it would be a very difficult policy discussion.”

Another employee wrote, “My argument is that allowing Breitbart to monetize through us is, in fact, a political statement. … It’s an acceptance of extreme, hateful, and often false news used to propagate fear, racism and bigotry. On a daily basis, it publishes articles that I believe insult our values as a company.”

In the end, Facebook kept Breitbart on News Tab. It eliminated the Informed Engagement tool but kept Sparing Sharing.

“We make changes to reduce problematic or low-quality content to improve people’s experiences on the platform, not because of a page’s political point of view,” Facebook spokesman Andy Stone said. “When it comes to changes that will impact public pages like publishers, of course we analyze the effect of the proposed change before we make it.”

Yes, Facebook obviously analyzes the effect of its algorithms. It wants to know how far it can go without getting caught. What can we do to undermine conservative sites before they figure it out? Management seems far more cognizant of the potential consequences than the company’s more aggressive employees.

Over the past few years, Big Tech has come under tremendous public scrutiny — and with good reason. The CEOs of Facebook, Google and Twitter currently wield more power over political discourse than the federal government.

Unfortunately for us, they work in tandem with the federal government. When you throw the establishment media into the mix, we are in the fight of our lives.

https://flagandcross.com/facebook-unleashed-2-tools-that-helped-suppress-conservative-content-wj-among-its-victims/

Tongue Tied 3