French goons shoot themselves in the foot

The French military (the Direction centrale du renseignement intérieur) forced the closure of a Wikipedia page in French  about a French military radio station. 

The page was subsequently reinstated by someone in nearby Switzerland, where  French is also spoken.  As a result of an internet hue and cry, the "censored" page has become the most read page in French Wikipedia! 

The goons who wanted to suppress information ended up spreading it far and wide!  They don't seem to have decided what to do next but they clearly can't win now.

Details here.

Fury about German TV series on the war

But the series spoke truth.  I have a high regard for Poles in general  but I have yet to meet one who did not have a bee in his bonnet about "The Jews".  With a few exceptions, Poles were quick to help Hitler round up Jews in Poland

Poland has accused its neighbour of distorting historical facts and making victims of the war out of the real criminals.  The reason for the allegations is the German TV station ZDF three-part documentary which aired at the end of March 'Our Mothers, Our Fathers'.

It focussed on the fate of five Germans in WWII and upset people in Poland after it depicted Polish resistance fighters as anti-Semitic.

In one scene a group of fighters orders a train with concentration camp victims to carry on when they realise the passengers are Jewish.  In another a partisan says 'we drown Jews like rats.'

The Polish ambassador to Berlin was furious at the depiction of Poles as hostile towards Jews in the programme

ZDF responded saying that in no way was it intending to trivialise historical facts or reduce German responsibility with the mini series.  Producer Nico Hofmann said the depictions of 'the Polish situation... are based on historically vetted material' and there was no intention to defame the Poles.'

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Must not praise  Margaret Thatcher?

Geri Halliwell led stars talking about the late politician on the social networking site but after posting a message praising Lady Thatcher she swiftly deleted it and apologised to her followers.

The Spice Girl appeared to anger fans by writing: 'Thinking of our 1st Lady of girl power, Margaret Thatcher, a grocer’s daughter who taught me anything is possible…x’

Geri quickly deleted the Tweet writing simply: 'I'm sorry if I offended u. X'

The singer has praised Lady Thatcher in the past and in the run up to the 1997 election she said: 'I saw a lot of what Mrs Thatcher did. She was definitely the original Spice Girl rising from the greengrocer's daughter to Prime Minister.'

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The entertainment industry leans heavily Left

Long-winded alternative to "illegal alien"

In a horrific story that the national newspapers are thus far ignoring, the Associated Press is trying out its new linguistic gymnastics on illegal alien and murder suspect Jose Zarate.

According to investigators, 25-year-old Zarate went to Maria Saucedo’s home around 9:30pm on Monday, expressing interest in pursuing a romantic relationship with the woman’s 13-year-old daughter. After Saucedo refused his request, Zarate allegedly pulled out a rifle and shot the 31-year-old mother in the chest at close range while her daughter was in the room.

The Associated Press reports that “The sheriff’s office says Zarate is not a U.S. citizen and has been living in the country illegally.” Or, more concisely, he’s an illegal alien.

Troublingly, this trend of avoiding legal terminology is apparently spreading into the law enforcement community. An Arizona deputy seems to have adopted the AP’s new standard, reportedly referring to Zarate as a “non-U.S. citizen who has been living in the country without proper authorization.”

Why say “illegal alien” when you could use a dozen words to say the same thing?

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Must not mention menstruation

I must say that I would not like to be in the company of an armed female at certain times of the month

An Arizona veterans services official was fired and her boss resigned after she said women might be less suited for combat because of their menstrual cycles.

Former state Rep. Terri Proud, hired as an administrative assistant with the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services, made the comment this week to the Arizona-Sonora News Service.

“I understand that women want to be on the front lines, and they want to do their service and women are very strong. We’ve really come far through the years. We’re extremely strong,” Proud said. But, she added, “Women have certain things during the month I’m not sure they should be out there dealing with. I don’t know how to address that topic in a very diplomatic manner.”

Proud, a Republican, was fired Wednesday and her supervisor, Veterans’ Services Director Joey Strickland, resigned

Proud made national news during her time in the Arizona legislature when she said last year that women who want an abortion should be required to watch one first.

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Must not criticize native customs

Maori customs certainly are bizarre by Western standards but Pakehas (white New Zealanders) understand them and have adopted them to some extent

A Danish MP has offended New Zealand’s Maoris by describing their traditional welcome dance as ‘uncivilised and grotesque’.

Right-wing politician Marie Krarup went on to say in a piece she wrote for a Danish newspaper that she was shocked to be welcomed by a dancing ‘half naked man’.

The traditional greeting, known as a powhiri, is given as an honour to visitors to New Zealand, but Miss Krarup has left the Maoris in no doubt that she failed to understand the value they all place upon the ceremony.

Miss Krarup recalled that when she arrived at the Devonport Naval Base, the headquarters of the Royal New Zealand Navy located on the North Island, she and the group she was with were greeted by a man shouting and screaming in Maori and poking his tongue out.

She felt like an idiot, she said, as she gave a hongi - rubbing her nose with a warrior - and the waiata, a Maori song, performed by naval personnel sounded like a Danish children’s song about a happy ladybird.  The song, she said, was accompanied by a ‘kindergarten-teacher-guitar-accompaniment.'  

Maoris said today that the politician clearly had no understanding about the local culture and should have, at least, had the decency to read about it before arriving in the country.

Maori culture expert Dr Ranginui Walker, said her remarks showed complete ignorance.

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Students Want Catholic Priest Removed from University

Religious liberty groups are mobilizing to defend the chaplain of George Washington University’s Newman Center after gay students launched an effort to have the priest fired because he preaches against homosexuality and abortion.

“It’s discrimination against Catholics,” said Patrick Reilly, president of the Cardinal Newman Society. “Secular colleges are fast becoming a very unsafe place for Catholics who hold true to their faith. This is a very, very sad situation.”

Two gay students at George Washington told the GW Hatchet student newspaper that they want Father Greg Shaffer removed from campus over his anti-gay and anti-abortion views.

Damian Legacy and Blake Bergen said they want the university’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion to investigate the priest and they are calling for the student government association to defund the Newman Center.

They were particularly offended by a blog post the priest wrote calling gay relationships “unnatural and immoral,” the newspaper reported.

A GWU spokesperson disputed reports that an investigation had already been launched. They said they have yet to receive any complaint.

The university released a statement noting that it “strives to embody the spirit of mutual respect and reasoned debate that is essential to our academic mission.”

They declined to answer specific questions about the controversy or the status of Father Shaffer only to say that he is not an employee of the university.

“We are therefore committed to ensuring that all members of our community are free to express their religious beliefs while honoring the right of others to express theirs,” the statement read.

Reilly told Fox News that he found the incident “absolutely disturbing.”

“Chastity outside of marriage has been the Catholic church teaching for more than 2,000 years,” he said. “The only discrimination occurring there is trying to silence a priest for trying to teach the Catholic faith.”

Michael Sheehy, a 1997 GWU graduate, suggested if the gay students felt uncomfortable with the Newman Center’s teachings – perhaps they should go somewhere else.

“No student is forced to attend Catholic Mass and religious programs at the Newman Center, nor condemned for doing so,” Sheehy told Fox News. “The students in this article are certainly free to avoid this campus center, but also have no right to dictate how other students can or should practice their faith.”

This is “diversity gone too far, and disrespectful to freedom of thought, conscience and practice of established religious doctrine,” he added.

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South African university apologises for running survey saying white people are 'more attractive' than black people

Some opinions must not be uttered.  There is an old saying:  "Concerning tastes there can be no dispute" but not these days apparently.  I wonder if I am allowed to say that I have a preference for redheads?

A South African student newspaper caused a racial storm after publishing a poll that said white people are the most attractive race.

The University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Varsity newspaper conducted a survey of 60 students to decide which race is the most attractive.

It showed that 38 per cent of those surveyed thought that whites were the most attractive, while Africans had the lowest rating with just eight per cent.

The survey took in a wide range of ethnicities, with people from who were white, Indian, East Asian, mixed race, black or ‘coloured’ backgrounds.

The poll, which was conducted to accompany an article entitled ‘Is Love Colour Blind’ by student Qamran Tabo, has been condemned as racist.

The paper was forced to apologise after students and human rights activists complained.

The UCT Young Communist League of South Africa lodged a complaint with the country’s Human Rights Commission as they believe that the ‘charade of a survey’ incited racial hatred.

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Canada calls Muslim customs "barbaric"

Jason Kenney, the federal immigration minister, deserves congratulations for releasing an updated guide for newcomers that refers to certain unacceptable cultural practices as “barbaric.”

Those practices include any that “tolerate spousal abuse, honour killings, female genital mutilation, forced marriage or other gender-based violence.” The term “barbaric” is strong, but it leaves no room for misinterpretation. That is the most important issue here.

There is no question that some will be offended by “barbaric” and its connotations of primitive cultures and a lack of sophistication. It is a provocative adjective to use in reference to another culture, especially in Canada, where it does not quite fit with our self-image of a multicultural, all-accepting country that embraces other peoples with open arms.

But there are three overriding points that justify the term’s use. One, the most obvious, is that honour killings, spousal abuse, female genital mutilation and forced marriage are unjustifiable and savagely brutal acts that have no place in Canada. Mr. Kenney is absolutely right about that.

Secondly, these sorts of gender-based cruelties have no place in any country, and Canada is sending a strong message about it. Gender equality is a basic human right, and countries that embrace it as such tend to fare better economically than those that don’t. Not that a basic human right needs economic justification, but Canada is a prosperous and safe place to live, and its attitudes about the rights of women and girls are a critical part of that success.

Finally, the absolute clarity of the government’s position on barbaric cultural practices is a healthy step toward pluralism and away from the illusion of multiculturalism. The latter – a word that gets tossed around liberally in Canada – presumes there is no dominant culture. But that is not true about our country. We are a pluralist society that welcomes other peoples and encourages them to celebrate their unique cultures and traditions but only, as Mr. Kenney’s updated guide also says, as long as they “are consistent with Canadian values such as human dignity and equality before the law.” Anything else is non-negotiable.

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Britain attempts to opt out of EU rules that let people easily delete their online data

Freedom to shut up

Britain is attempting to opt out of a European initiative allowing people to easily remove their details from online service providers such as Facebook.

The controversial move has caused uproar among privacy campaigners, who today accused the government of blocking an 'essential move'

The rule, known as the 'right to be forgotten' has been developed by the EU justice commissioners in the face of growing complaints about the way Facebook and other social media giants retain information.

In its current form, which is not finalised, article 17 of the Data Protection Regulation provides for punitive fines – up to 2% of global turnover – for companies that refuse to comply with requests to erase customers' personal details.

Nick Pickles, director of privacy and civil liberties group Big Brother Watch, said: 'The right to be forgotten is a political sound bite that got out of control, but the idea behind it is an essential move.

'It’s absolutely right that for companies who do not legally need to keep data, if you leave a service you should be able to delete your data wherever it appears across that service.  'This change gives citizens that right.'

Britain's objection to the EU move is that unrealistic expectations will be created by the right's expansive title because the controls proposed will be relatively modest in their impact on the way data spreads, or is traded, across websites.

Mr Pickles agreed with these concerns, but called for the bill to be saved.

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Associated Press drops “illegal immigrant” from stylebook

Leftist orthodoxy to be enforced

"The Associated Press, the largest news-gathering outlet in the world, will no longer use the term 'illegal immigrant.' ...

AP Stylebook editors sat down with a number of groups who were concerned about their entry on the the term in recent years and 'sought the views of a cross section of AP staffers' on the issue, according to Colford.

Kathleen Carroll also noted in the Tuesday blog post that the AP prefers to label 'behavior' rather than 'people,' writing that instead of using the term 'schizophrenic,' the AP now prefers saying that one is 'diagnosed with schizophrenia.'"

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Ohio school takes down Jesus portrait under legal threat‏

A portrait of Jesus that had adorned a southern Ohio public school district building since 1947 has been taken down after officials decided they could not risk losing a lawsuit to the American Civil Liberties Union.

The superintendent of Jackson City Schools told The Associated Press that the decision was made after the district's insurance company declined to cover litigation expenses. Phil Howard said a student club that the school says owns the portrait took it down Wednesday morning at his direction.

"At the end of the day, we just couldn't roll the dice with taxpayer money," Howard said. "When you get into these kinds of legal battles, you're not talking about money you can raise with bake sales and car washes. It's not fair to take those resources from our kids' education."

The "Head of Christ," a popular depiction of Jesus, had been in an entranceway's "Hall of Honor" in a middle school building that was formerly a high school.

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Buckley had it right

And Orwell understood too

Facebook trumps the media

The painfully politically correct media howl if anyone just mentions the word race.  But nobody likes to be preached to all the time so it's no wonder that the less monolithic messages found on Facebook are influential.  Facebook gives you the diversity of views that you cannot get in the media.  And the Left always tell us what a good thing diversity is

According to a new study, the longer you spend on Facebook, the likelier you are to agree with racist sentiments.

The research—published in the latest issue of the academic journal Computers in Human Behavior (it's behind a paywall)—was led by Shannon Rauch, assistant professor of psychology at Providence College, and Kimberley Schanz, a doctoral candidate at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Rauch and Schanz took 623 participants (69 percent of them were female) and asked them to rate their level of Facebook usage on a scale of 1 to 8, with the higher number indicating a higher frequency of consumption of the social network.

They were then asked to read one of three different Facebook notes about race, supposedly written by "Jack Brown," a fictional 26-year-old male.

The first, dubbed the "superiority message," it argued that whites as a whole were superior to blacks. The second, "victim message," insisted that whites had become the "oppressed racial group in America." The third post was called "the egalitarian message," arguing that all races were equal and that anti-black sentiment was still an issue.

The study's subjects were then asked to indicate how much they agreed with the message that they read. Rauch and Schanz found that users who spent more time on the social networks were more likely to find truth in Brown's racist notes.

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CO:  False "hate speech" allegation harms the accused.  No consequences for the accuser?

Perjury might be considered for starters.  But the "teen" who abused Gagne is probably black, so that gives him special protection

Hate crime charges against an Oak Creek Town Board member have been dropped. The Town Board member says he was the victim of a false accusation as a result of an altercation.

An Oak Creek Town Board member says he was the victim of a false accusation after hate crime charges stemming from a dispute were dropped.

According to Steamboat Today, Gagne was arrested on Sept. 24 following an altercation. He was charged with Class 5 felony bias-motivated crime, misdemeanor bias-motivated crime, misdemeanor third-degree assault and misdemeanor menacing.

Bernard Gagne Jr. said in a statement Thursday it was an easy accusation to make and a hard accusation to dismiss.

“I was the victim of a false accusation,” Gagne Jr. said. “Not just any accusation, but that of racism. It is such an easy accusation to make, but one of the most horrible accusations that can be brought against someone, especially when it is not at all true.”

According to authorities, a 17-year-old boy said he was threatened while leaving a store and alleged racial threats were made after Gagne hit him.

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New York Times accused of sexism after obituary to brilliant rocket scientist leads with her cooking

Nice to see a liberal icon falling foul of its own rules

She was one of the first female rocket scientists in the U.S. but the New York Times decided to lead an obituary for Yvonne Brill with her penchant for cooking beef stroganoff and being 'the world's best mom'.

The obituary opened with the following: 'She made a mean beef stroganoff, followed her husband from job to job and took eight years off from work to raise three children.'

The Grey Lady met the ire of several high-profile scientists and scholars following the publication of the obituary which led to a plethora of angry reactions on websites like the Daily Beast and Jezebel.

Brill was awarded a National Medal of Technology and Innovation by President Barack Obama in 2011.  Writing for Jezebel, Doug Barry chided the newspaper for burying the quite obvious lead.

'Oh yes, by the way, Number One Mom Yvonne Brill, Preparer of Divine Beef Stroganoff, Cleaner of Messy Diapers, also invented a little system that helped make satellites work. It's nothing, really, just the industry standard.'

CNN Editor and Daily Beast Washington Bureau Chief Howard Kurtz also wrote a rebuke to the obituary. 'Would a male scientist have drawn such an obit opening about his great fatherhood skills? Obviously not.'

Shortly after the uproar, the obituary for Brill was altered with a new introduction that at least introduced her career as a rocket scientist. 

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Classic sandwich bar drops 'Chink' name

Another Leftist assault on history and custom

A classic Philadelphia cheesesteak restaurant is changing its name after almost seven decades from "Chink's" because of fear of causing racial offense.

Chink's Steaks has been renowned for its girth-busting meat and melted cheese sandwiches since it was opened by Samuel "Chink" Sherman in 1949, according to a history on the eatery's website www.chinksteaks.com.

Sherman gave what was at first just a sandwich shop his own nickname and after he died in 1997, his protege Joe Groh kept on the tradition.

Only recently, Groh told CBS television, have people started to complain about the potential for seeing the name as a racist term for Chinese.

"We did not associate it with the racial slur," he said, but change is needed so that "we no longer inadvertently alienate anyone in the Philly community."

The website says the new name will be "Joe's Steaks and Soda Shop."

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Must not compare ANYTHING to slavery

Some hysteria below from a female Harvard graduate who works as an obstetrician.  What she is reacting to is also hysterical but to call it racist is a huge stretch. I have no dog in the fight concerned but think that homebirth advocates have a case.  Homebirth was after all normal for most of human history.  To this day, Britain accommodates homebirth -- and mortality there is no different from in the hospital system  -- perhaps in part because homebirths evade the real dangers of treatment-resistant hospital-borne infections and the frequently negligent standard of obstetric care in British government hospitals

Nothing says “racial insensitivity” quite like invoking slavery to describe something that you don’t like. I’ve written before about the unbearable whiteness of homebirth advocates, and the white homebirther’s burden, but Jan Tritten’s histrionic blather in this month’s issue of Midwifery Today reaches a new low.  Even as I copy these words, I cannot believe that Tritten had the unmitigated gall to write them:

    … [The] anti-slavery movement parallels our movement to free women in pregnancy and birth from the jaws of the medical establishment. This plays out all around the world with some countries being worse than others. The treatment of motherbaby is often abusive—horrendously so. Perhaps nothing is as horrible as slavery and I don’t mean to downplay it in any way by this comparison, but the effects of pregnancy, birth and the first year of life affect both mother and child for their entire lives

Tritten’s claims skate perilously close to racism.

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Ms Tritten specifically said:  "nothing is as horrible as slavery and I don’t mean to downplay it in any way" but that was not enough, apparently.

Black surgeon slammed for "homophobic" comment

It's just a typical Leftist stretch to say that he "equated" homosexuality with pedophilia

Johns Hopkins neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson told Andrea Mitchell Friday that he is prepared to refrain from speaking at the university’s School of Medicine commencement ceremony, after students and faculty petitioned over comments he made this week that were widely seen as anti-gay.

Carson told FOX News host Sean Hannity Tuesday, “My thoughts are that marriage is between a man and a woman. It’s a well-established, fundamental pillar of society and no group, be they gays, be they NAMBLA, be they people who believe in bestiality–it doesn’t matter what they are–they don’t get to change the definition.”

Carson’s comparison of gay relationships to pedophilia (NAMBLA stands for the North American Man/Boy Love Association) and bestiality has caused the pediatric neurosurgeon to fall from his perch as a Republican rising a star in recent days.

Carson also offered an apology for his Tuesday comments and addressed his mention of bestiality and pedophilia.

“What I was basically saying and if anyone was offended, I apologize to you. What I was basically saying is there is no group. I wasn’t equating those things, I don’t think they’re equal. If you ask me for an apple and I give you an orange you would say, that’s not an orange. And I say, that’s a banana. And that’s not an apple either. Or a peach, that’s not an apple, either. It doesn’t mean that I’m equating the banana and the orange and the peach. In the same way I’m not equating those things.”

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