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Daily Archives: June 5, 2017
London a reminder that deadly political correctness perpetuates terrorism – The Hill (blog)
Posted: June 5, 2017 at 7:31 am
A toxic and deadly political correctness has enveloped Western Europe and enabled an unending wave of terrorist attacks. Refusing to utter the words radical Islamic extremism, opening the door to millions of half-vetted refugees and decrying the concepts of borders and assimilation have resulted in a culture in crisis a culture without democratic, freedom-loving identity and constantly under murderous attack from cancers within.
Seven dead in London. Twenty-two dead in Manchester. Twelve in Berlin. Eighty-seven in Nice. Forty-nine in Orlando. Thousands dead in the Middle East. All in the last year alone.
This is the reality we live in, and yet far too many have chosen to bury their heads in the sand of ignorance.
The fact that last Ramadan the Muslim holy month during which ISIS called for all-out war on infidels an Islamic terrorist attack occurred once every 84 hours. The fact that far-left Chancellor Angela Merkel admitted mistakes in admitting millions of refugees into her country. And the fact that 65 percent of all people convicted of terrorism or terrorism-related offenses in the U.S. were foreign-born, pointing to a clear, inextricable link between immigration and terrorism.
These are facts, in the face of which fictitious falsehoods are embraced.
To be sure, most immigrants are good and most Muslims are peaceful. But responsible leaders must nevertheless acknowledge the radical Islamic extremists that seek to cross our borders and kill our people.
America and Europe face a choice a choice between realism and idealism. While the American people chose the former on Nov. 8 in the election of Donald TrumpDonald TrumpTHE MEMO: Is Trump a victim of the 'Deep State?' London a reminder that deadly political correctness perpetuates terrorism The path to a strong middle class moves forward, not backward MORE, Europe and the establishment political classes in American society consistently choose the latter.
Angela Merkel chose idealism when she lectured President Trump at the NATO headquarters just over a week ago, saying it is not isolation and the building of walls that make us successful. The American courts have chosen idealism in striking down Trumps revised travel pause from seven countries where vetting proves impossible, despite the action being well within Trumps Article II powers. And Congress has chosen idealism in its refusal to allocate money for building a border wall along our southern border.
In stark contrast, President Trump has embraced realism full throttle. In addition to being maligned for his executive order on travel and his border wall, he was mocked by the severely out-of-touch chattering class for a slew of spot-on tweets in the aftermath of the London attacks, warning that [w]e must stop being politically correct and get down to the business of security for our people. And he appropriately chastised London Mayor Sadiq Khan for suggesting there is no reason to be alarmed. This is the same London mayor who previously suggested that terrorism is just part and parcel of living in a big city.
Trumps realistic take was nevertheless shunned and rejected with flashy headlines.
"Donald Trumps ugly tweets on London are a step too far even for him," read the Telegraph.
Other headlines followed suit.
The Panic President.
Trump criticized for tweet on London mayor after bridge attacks.
We must stop being politically correct and get down to the business of security for our people. If we don't get smart it will only get worse
At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is "no reason to be alarmed!"
Meanwhile, the twisted truth is that the London mayor, not President Trump deserves criticism for his soft, idealistic approach to terrorism.
Prime Minister Theresa May, for her part, took a tough, self-critical tone in acknowledging that the United Kingdom has shown far too much tolerance of extremism in our country.
But the time for words is over. The time for action is now. The words of European leaders ring hollow, especially contrasted with the actions of a president willing to defy political correctness in protecting the American citizenry.
Realistic, bold, unwavering action is not just advisable, but indispensible to protecting the homeland. Its easy to dismiss terrorism and point to its rarity, until someone you know and love becomes a victim of it. Our children, our brothers, our sisters, our mothers, our fathers will perish in a world of idealism.
Kayleigh McEnany (@KayleighMcEnany)is a graduate of Harvard Law School. She completed her undergraduate degree at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and studied politics at Oxford University.
The views expressed by contributors are their own and are not the views of The Hill.
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CNN’s Sally Kohn Wants To Fight Terrorism With ‘Tolerance’ And ‘Political Correctness’ – The Daily Caller
Posted: at 7:31 am
Liberal CNN contributorSally Kohn wants to fight terrorism with tolerance and political correctness.
President Trump demanded an end to political correctness in counterterrorism following the London terror attacks that left seven people dead and dozens more wounded. Kohn took offense at the presidents tweets and fired back, saying that political correctness are, according to her, the solutions to terrorism.
Political correctness is simple idea everyone should be treated with equal dignity [and] respect. Its not cause of terrorism. Its antidote, Kohn wrote in a series of tweets. When we make political correctness the scapegoat, we undermine values of tolerance and equality that are ALWAYS our best weapon against hate.
Of course we cant snap our fingers make all current terrorists just become more tolerant and respectful, she conceded. But long term, do we help future would-be terrorists turn toward respect, tolerance, away [from] hate? Or do we become more hateful ourselves?Our values of pluralism and inclusion and equality are under attack. The answer to terrorism CANNOT be to throw away our values.
Kohn previously took issue with then-candidate Donald Trumps call for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States.
Kohn claimed that Sharia law isnt a threat because even progressive Muslims adhere to it.
Follow Hasson on Twitter @PeterJHasson
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Trump’s ire: London mayor, political correctness on security – LA Daily News
Posted: at 7:31 am
WASHINGTON >> President Donald Trump said Sunday he will do whatever is necessary to protect the United States from a vile enemy that he says has waged war on innocents for too long, vowing: This bloodshed must end, this bloodshed will end.
Trump commented on the vehicle and knife attack that killed at least seven people in London at the conclusion of a fundraiser for Fords Theater, scene of one of the most famous acts of bloodshed in American history: the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.
America sends our thoughts and prayers and our deepest sympathies to the victims of this evil slaughter and we renew our resolve, stronger than ever before, to protect the United States and its allies from a vile enemy that ha swaged war on innocent life, and its gone on too long, Trump said in his first public comments on the attack late Saturday in a busy section of London. He previously had commented via a series of Twitter posts.
This bloodshed must end, this bloodshed will end, said the tuxedo-clad Trump, standing on stage with his wife, first lady Melania Trump.
As president, I will do what is necessary to prevent this threat from spreading to our shores and work every single day to protect the safety and security of our country, our communities and our people, he said.
Trump said he had spoken with British Prime Minister Theresa May to express Americas unwavering support and offer U.S. assistance as the British government works to protect its citizens and bring the guilty to justice.
After more than 20 people were killed in a bomb attack last month at a concert in Manchester, England, Trump condemned the assault as the act of evil losers and called on nations to band together to fight terrorism.
Earlier Sunday, Trump had criticized Londons mayor after he sought to reassure residents about a stepped-up police presence following the attack, the third in the country in past three months, arguing on Twitter for leaders to stop being politically correct and focus on security for our people.
The mayors spokesman said he was too busy to respond to Trumps ill-informed tweet.
In a series of tweets that began late Saturday, Trump also pushed his stalled travel ban, mocked gun control supporters and pledged that the United States will be there to help London and the United Kingdom.
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Trump challenged London Mayor Sadiq Khan for saying there was no reason to be alarmed. Khan spoke those words in a television interview Sunday in the context of reassuring Londoners about an increased police presence they might see.
No reason to be alarmed, Khan said, describing a more visible presence as one of things the police and all of us need to do to make sure we are as safe as we possibly can be.
Trump wasnt satisfied and responded Sunday with a trio of tweets:
We must stop being politically correct and get down to the business of security for our people. If we dont get smart it will only get worse.
At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is no reason to be alarmed!
Trump ended with: Do you notice we are not having a gun debate right now? Thats because they used knives and a truck!
Khans office dismissed the tweet, saying the mayor is busy working with the police, emergency services and the government to coordinate the response to this horrific and cowardly terrorist attack and provide leadership and reassurance to Londoners and visitors to our city. He has more important things to do than respond to Donald Trumps ill-informed tweet that deliberately takes out of context his remarks urging Londoners not to be alarmed when they saw more police including armed officers on the streets.
Trumps first comment after the attack came late Saturday on Twitter. He promoted a proposed travel ban on visitors from six mostly Muslim countries and refugees from around the world that has been blocked by U.S. courts.
The Trump administration last week formally asked the Supreme Court, the highest court in the U.S., to allow the ban to take effect, arguing that restricting immigration by refugees and visitors from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen is necessary to protect U.S. national security. A date for the court to hear arguments in the case was not immediately set.
We need to be smart, vigilant and tough. We need the courts to give us back our rights. We need the Travel Ban as an extra level of safety! Trump tweeted Saturday after the attack.
U.S. lawmakers from both political parties criticized Trump for raising the travel ban and assailing Khan.
Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, said on CBS Face the Nation that he was concerned about Trumps call for a travel ban even though the courts have continued to turn that down.
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, a Republican member of the Senate intelligence panel, said the ban was too broad but agreed with Trump that better immigration procedures are needed.
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Donald Trump Slams His Own Justice Department Over Travel Ban ‘Political Correctness’ – Mediaite
Posted: at 7:31 am
In a furious early morning tweet storm, President Donald Trump took on his own justice department, suggesting that it should have defended his original travel ban to the Supreme Court rather than offer what he called the watered down politically correct version.
He also offered some pointed advice to the department, headed by his close ally, former Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions.
Theres a lot of other stuff to unpack here as well. As both CNN and MSNBC immediately began crowing, the tweets also put to rest any terminological confusion over whether or not it was a travel ban. During a Januarypress briefing, Sean Spicer pointedly said it was not and that the president had only been parroting the media.
Its not the first time Trump has gone after his own allies either. The president even slammed his own Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch (someone who hes going to need soon) after the Justice suggested he shouldnt personally attack the federal judiciary.
[image via screengrab]
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Will LSU’s "Fighting Tiger" be next to fall prey to unCivil War political … – Bayoubuzz
Posted: at 7:31 am
In our toxic age of political correctness, nothing is immune from liberal political attacks, even the beautiful, majestic and endangered tigers.
It seems obvious that tigers should be supported since their numbers are dwindling the in the wild and their natural habitats are constantly shrinking.
Most people probably think it is harmless for Louisiana State University (LSU) to feature tigers as their mascot and display a well maintained Mike the Tiger in an air conditioned, deluxe cage right outside the football stadium.
Unfortunately, all those assumptions are incorrect in an age of stifling political correctness. Today, it seems that the fighting tigers are racist symbols of oppression to African American students at LSU.
In 1895, the nickname Fighting Tigers was adopted at LSU to honor the Louisiana infantry in the Civil War. These fighters were known as tigers and were celebrated for being particularly courageous and battle-hardened warriors.
Since that time, the nickname has both honored the beautiful big cats of the jungle and the Louisiana Confederate soldiers.
Now, in an age where Confederate monuments are under attack across the country, anything associated with the South during the Civil War has become controversial, even a harmless nickname.
Today, an online petition at http://www.Change.org is gathering signatures demanding that LSU remove the tiger mascot. The organizer, LaMallori LSU, claims that the tiger mascot is the most prevalent Confederate symbol in the United States and that it is incredibly insulting for black students to deal with the racism associated with the mascot.
LaMallori LSU also states that the Louisiana Civil War infantry mistreated slaves by engaging in violent abuse of the innocent African Americans of that era.
This petition is just the latest outrageous move by leftists to remove monuments and change names of anything associated with the Confederacy. The left was emboldened when the liberal Democrat Mayor of New Orleans, Mitch Landrieu, was successful in removing four Confederate monuments in the city. In the aftermath, organizers have targeted dozens of other monuments to remove and names to change.
Obviously, mascots are not immune to this crazed, destructive movement.
Currently, the petition has generated only 500 signatures, but it is creating significant publicity nationwide. With the politically correct leadership of universities across the nation, including LSU, there is no guarantee that these types of demands will not be given earnest consideration.
The overall ultimatums of the petition are quite chilling. The organizer calls for an end to not only the tiger mascot, but also for the day when every symbol of white oppression is torn down.
This march toward justice is a march toward insanity or a march toward destruction.
The efforts to erase history, remove monuments, change names and mascots must stop immediately. If not, our country will disintegrate before our very eyes.
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Letter: Keep politics out of Health section – Fredericksburg.com
Posted: at 7:31 am
Dr. Patrick Neustatter provides an interesting report on his visit to the Hygiene Museum in Dresden, Germany, and his grandfathers involvement with the founding of the museum [Lessons learned from trip to Germanys hygiene museum, May 28 column].
He explains the Nazi takeover of the museum in the 1930s, then makes a leap to compare Nazi eugenics to the present-day political debate on immigration.
Reasonable people can disagree on the need for a border wall (physical or otherwise). And Donald Trumps insulting campaign comments related to our immigration problem were not helpful. But to suggest that were headed toward a Nazi-style eugenics movement is without logic and irresponsible.
Dr. Neustatter offers no evidence to support this claimonly that he perceives a move toward nationalism and isolationism. Its a long way from nationalism and immigration enforcement to the medical/eugenics extremes he discusses.
If anything, the opposite is occurring. Its the jihadi terrorists who are the murderers of fellow Muslims as well as people of other religions.
I find it interesting that Dr. Neustatter hints at Trumps possible support of eugenics when, if anyone, it is his opponents who promoted these ideas. Recall that Planned Parenthoods founder, Margaret Sanger, was an early champion of eugenics in the United States. She is still admired and honored by many in the progressive movement.
Finally, when I read The Free LanceStars Health section, I look forward to informative medical articles, not political columns.
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Letter: Keep politics out of Health section - Fredericksburg.com
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Food truck evolution: Some food truck owners moving toward more … – The Salem News
Posted: at 7:30 am
DANVERS Not all food truck owners want to open a permanent cafe or restaurant, but lately, some have decided to roll with the idea.
Two local food businesses on wheels, Cookie Monstah of Danvers and Joes on a Roll in Beverly, have opened or are in the process of opening a storefront. Meanwhile, the Goodnight Fatty cookie pop-up in Salem has a semi-permanent location along the alley of Higginson Square, while its founders set about building a commercial kitchen.
Cookie Monstah has opened a bake shop at 75 Newbury St., whileJoes on a Roll plans to open a takeout window this summer on Federal Street in Beverly.
Bill Samenfink, dean of the School of Hospitality Management at Endicott College, said gourmet food trucks are an evolution from the canteen trucks that used to serve workers at construction sites.
They have their advantages over brick-and-mortar restaurants.
Its a lower cost of capital for a startup business, Samenfink said. It gives you more flexibility because you can go to where the people are. Food trucks also provide a boost to local businesses, such as craft breweries, that often dont serve food.
Its not a given, however, that a food truck will morph into a restaurant or cafe.
I dont think its the main goal of people starting out with a food truck, Samenfink said.
Joes on a Roll
The Joes on a Roll food truck (its a trailer pulled by a pickup) can be found during the season on Water Street, Friday through Sunday, and at the Beverly Farmers Market on Monday afternoons. It originated from the Birarelli familys lobster business.
Three years ago, Nicki Birarellis husband, Joe, a commercial fisherman, died from liver cancer at age 45. Now, two of their three sons, Tim, 20, and Tom, 17, run two lobster boats, Shooting Star and Hat Trick, respectively. Their third son, Trey, is 14.
I started Joes on a Roll in honor of my husband, Nicki Birarelli said. The lobsters that feed the food truck come fresh from her boats.
Joes on a Roll is now in its third season since Birarelli first outfitted the trailer, added a logo, and parked it on Water Street. Its menu is simple: lobster rolls for $14, hot dogs for $3, clam and corn chowda or lobster bisque, each for $6.
The first year in business, she sold 5,700 lobster rolls; last year, more than 10,000.
I think its caught on, Birarelli said. Our community has been so welcoming and so wonderful.
To grow the food truck business, Birarelli needs her own commercial kitchen, so she bought a commercial building on Federal Street. The plan is to create a walk-up, takeout location there.
I think it will be a nice addition to the neighborhood, she said.
Cookie Monstah
Cookie Monstah, which sells cookies and ice cream sandwiches in downtown Boston, is the brainchild of Melissa Missy Gale and her family. Gale is the foodie and the baker, who learned to bake from her mother, Rita.
After studying hospitality at Boston University, she prepared desserts for West Street Grill, Locke-Ober and other restaurants, according to the company website. She opened her own bakery at Filenes Basement named Dessert Oasis.
After selling the bakery, she worked in management for Starbucks for eight years.
I learned so much about the integrity of the product, she said. A little over six years ago, the mother of four, her husband, Scott Lindeman, and her brother, were all out of work at the same time. Gale, who has the entrepreneurial bug, said the only way to get her back into baking would be with a food truck.
They built one, and July will mark the sixth anniversary of the Cookie Monstah. They are now building out their fifth truck.
It was never our plan to go brick and mortar, Gale said. But after outgrowing one location in Danvers, they rented a space on Route 1, doing the baking out back. But Gale asked her husband to save some space up front. She thought the bake shop would only serve vanilla and chocolate ice cream, and be a place where someone would pick up cookies on their way home from work.
Now, they have 19 seats and serve 10 flavors, and the cafe is busy from 2 to 9:30 p.m.
The town has taught me something, Gale said. Not only was there a need for another hangout, but there is just something about the fun of the throwback of just having cookies and ice cream.
Goodnight Fatty
Goodnight Fattys co-owners Jennifer Pullen and Erik Sayce, both 29, say their goal is tomake their pop-up cookie business sustainable.
After starting their late-night cookie pop-up last fall, they toured Salem eateries, popping up at Notch Brewery and Tap Room, Ugly Mug Diner, Deacon Giles Distillery, Far from the Tree Cider, Bitbar and Derby Joe.
The engaged couple, who have day jobs at Salem Academy Charter School, have leased space from the multimedia production company Sperling Interactive in downtown Salem for a pop-up on Friday and Saturday nights.
The pop-up is accessed through a storefront on Higginson Square, an alley that runs from Essex Street behind the block of buildings along Washington Street that contain Rockafellas restaurant. Pullen, who has a background in food safety, said customers often find them by following the scent of freshly baked cookies.
But to make sure their business remains viable, not only have they leased space, they are building a new commercial kitchen on Jefferson Avenue, which could also serve as a base for delivery orders or catering. They are renting a commercial kitchen at the moment.
Right now, the goal is not a food truck or a cafe. They want to make sure they can keep their cookies popping up.
We sell cookies and milk and thats it, Sayce said. And I think that the more simplistic and the more honed in we can keep it, the better.
The No. 1 conclusion that we came to when we thought of this idea, Pullen said, was if we do this, we are going to keep it clean and simple.
Staff writer Ethan Forman can be reached at 978-338-2673, by email at eforman@salemnews.com or on Twitter at @DanverSalemNews.
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‘Darwinism doesn’t quite cut it,’ says Tonko, rallying North Country Democrats – Sun Community News
Posted: at 7:30 am
ALTONA Rep. Paul Tonko (D-Amsterdam) does not think the country is headed in the right direction.
The pullback from the Paris Climate Agreement is "a scar." Income inequality remains an issue. Proposed cutbacks in scientific research have his scientistfriends outraged and pushing him to take action. And the looming rollback of the Affordable Care Act lacks compassion.
Were not going to take this anymore, Tonko said, throwing his arms up in frustration.
The crowd whooped and hollered.
Tonko, speaking Friday night at a labor dinner organized by the Clinton County Democratic Committee, repeatedly assailed Republican policy in Washington, D.C. in a half-hour stemwinder.
Darwinism doesnt quite cut it, Tonko said on White House policies, including the court-entangled travel ban from Muslim-majority counties, efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act and proposed deep budget cuts to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and social programs.
Weve been cutting these agencies since Republicans controlled the House, Tonko said. Were asking unimaginable things with this budget.
On the reduction in funding for scientific research: Its foolish, foolish thinking.
Tonko, who represents the Capital District, serves on the Science, Space and Technology and Emergency and Commerce Committees, as well as the Subcommittee on Research and Technology.
Doing so gives him a firsthand perch to witness what he said are science deniers sitting on top GOP-controlled House committees.
Thats what drove him to author the Scientific Integrity Act, a bill he said would put watchdogs at every federal agency to make sure when the federal government invests in research, federal officials cannot manipulate, misrepresent, mischaracterize, suppress or not share those findings.
Tonko did not mention President Donald Trump by name, nor the lawmaker who represents the 21st Congressional District, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-Willsboro).
The lawmaker took particular relish in eviscerating the American Health Care Act, calling the bill a poison pill."
And on the Paris Agreement: What a scar across the face of America, Tonko said. A deep scar shared with the entire world.
Jobs in the renewable energy sector including the manufacture of turbines and solar panels will instead go elsewhere, he said.
Whos going to produce these jobs now? The nations who are at the table.
The countrys infrastructure is deteriorating to the point where the electric grid is currently unable to import renewables from Canada, Tonko said, citing field visits across the country as part of a congressional task force.
The White House is expected to roll out a $1 billion infrastructure plan this week.
But the plan, said Tonko, needs to be detailed and paired with how it will be paid for not vague commitments or promises of tax relief to contractors.
This is the kind of smart government that America needs and deserves, Tonko said.Were going to Make America Great Again, were going to put you to work do not give us broken promises. Do not tell us you stand for something and then you pull our job opportunities away.
CANDIDATES EMERGE
The speech was red meat to Democrats disaffected with current administration policy including prospective candidates Tonko acknowledged were in the audience, including Patrick Nelson, a Stillwater-based political organizer who has already declared his candidacy to run against Stefanik, and Emily Martz, a Saranac Lake resident who has been involved in community organizing since last falls election.
Im looking at running at the congressional level as well as the local level, Martz told the Sun after the event. Im committed to running for something.
Martz, a registered Democrat, said she appreciated the lack of partisan politics in the area.
That to me is important. The lack of party politics is strong at the local level, and I wish we could get that at the state and local level, Martz said. We need to move beyond that. Its not about party its about the people.
Mike Derrick, who challenged Stefanik last year as a Democrat, also expressed interest in a rematch.
I havent decided yet, said Derrick, who attended the event.
EYE ON 2017
This year is a local election year. On the tailwinds of last November's combative national election, Clinton County Democratic Chairman Sara Rowden said she has seen an uptick in local interest and enthusiasm over the previous local election cycle.
The activity isnt only coming from the left, she said, but also the center, with health care as a driving interest.
Grassroots groups were scant ahead of last years election, she said. But now she estimated there are 40+ independent groups actively involved in the region.
I think we need to take advantage of this momentum and everyone that is there, Rowden said. This is our time.
Clinton County was the only county in the 12-county congressional district that went for former Sec. of State Hillary Clinton, who notched a razor-thin 1 point margin over Trump, besting him by just 265 votes.
Stefanik defeated Derrick by 35 points the highest margin for a Republican in the state.
Rowden said the Democratic Party has become complacent due to recent big-ticket accomplishments, including social justice issues.
The party, she said, must now return to their roots if they want to start winning elections again.
Social justice may have overshadowed our commitment to the working class, Rowden said.
Clinton County Republican Chairman Don McBrayer said he respects true grassroots involvement, but questioned if some of the recent local protests he witnessed in the area could be categorized as locally-organized.
To me, it looked more like protests being organized by state and federal level organizers to promote populist politics, McBrayer told the Sun. It is not something I wish to be a part of.
McBrayer said the GOP prefers to work with people individually, educating them on issues, and finding dedicated candidates willing to put in the sweat-equity required to keep local government efficient, transparent and honest.
McBrayer said local Republicans are excited about the reelection prospects for a number of local and county races, and the committee looked forward to recruiting more candidates this spring and summer.
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'Darwinism doesn't quite cut it,' says Tonko, rallying North Country Democrats - Sun Community News
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Evolution as Bingo: Darwinists Seek Better Ways to Indoctrinate – Discovery Institute
Posted: at 7:30 am
Its shocking. Darwin died 135 years ago, with his home country largely converted to his beliefs. Why dont students embrace the teachings of their national hero? England has largelyabandoned its religiousheritage, so thats not it. Everybody knows about Darwin. Evolution should be an easy sell in the classroom.Whats the problem?
Evolution is one of the trickiest subjects to teach and not just because some people find it controversial. The ideas are subtle and the language and concepts can be confusing; how many of us have thought that survival of the fittest was an encouragement to go to the gym. Many studies have sought to discover the reasons why evolution is so difficult for students to understand and accept, but few have attempted to find ways to improve the understanding of evolution in the classroom. [Emphasis added.]
So writes Lawrence Hurst in The Conversation, along with an associate professor and an educator. At the University of Bath, a mere 100 miles from Down House, they conducted experiments on how to get children to understand evolution, using secondary school students as their lab rats.
They published their results in PLOS Biologyunder the title, Teaching genetics prior to teaching evolution improves evolution understanding but not acceptance. Sarah Chaffee responded earlier in light of Discovery Institutes education policy.
Notice, as she pointed out, the distinction between understanding and acceptance. They cant even get to the acceptance part! They just want to get students to understand it.
But is evolution so hard to understand? Its simple; people evolved from bacteria ancestors; no source of intelligent designwas involved; everything advances by a blind process of natural selection, not that different from dog breeding. Things change over time. Whats the problem? You can explain it in a few sentences. Finches change. Peppered moths change. Your children will change, even if you dont go to the gym, as long as you leave more offspring than the bodybuilder next door. Simple concepts. There must be an obstacle to understanding. Yes, its those deplorablecreationists again. The paper identifies them:
Students grasp of evolution is often poor and does not always agree with the scientific understanding. Commensurately, numerous studies report low levels of understanding among first year undergraduate students. These factors likely contribute to the poor public understanding of evolution reported by many researchers, including in the UK context. This tempts the question, what are the best methods to teach evolution?
This issue here is currently much debated, particularly at the secondary school level. This is because the theory of evolution can be a controversial issue. Strong opposition is well documented in the United States, but there is increasing concern about the impact that religious movements or strong cultural and social traditions may have on evolution education in other countries, including Northern Ireland, Poland, Turkey, and the UK. There are also concerns that creationism has been taught in UK schools and that religious-motivated groups have attempted to influence science lessons. More generally, numerous studies have focused on impediments to understanding and acceptance of evolution. While religious orientation, prior acceptance/rejection of the theory of evolution, and views of authority figures including teachers and religious leaders are commonly cited reasons, reasoning skills are also considered to be of importance.
And so they sought ways to improve teaching methods, presuming that if students only understood evolution, they would be more likely to accept it. Their hypothesis was to teach genetics as a prerequisite to teaching evolution. Our original idea was what psychologists called priming preloading with some facts to make it easier to take in other information. They continue:
It seemed intuitive to us that a good understanding of genetics should help understanding of evolution: DNA is the heritable material through which variation needed for evolution occurs. If you understand DNA, you can understand what mutations are. And if you understand what mutations are, you can understand that they can change frequency in populations and bingo, evolution can happen. In its simplest, evolution is no more than mutations changing frequency. The differences between species started out as new mutations that went from being rare within one species but then became very common.
Bingo, evolution can happen. The metaphor is very apt. You win at bingo by unguided natural processes. The winner (the fittest) may not be the smartest; just the luckiest. Its not like the chance component of Battleship, where you can infer from past successes where the Destroyer is likely to be. Bingo is a variant of the Lottery: you win by having the luckiest card by pure chance, and each card you get is a new start.
In short, the educators think that by understanding how Bingo works, students will accept the game. Are they missing something?
While this connection might seem self-evident, genetics and evolution are typically taught to 14 to 16-year-old secondary school students as separate topics with few links and in no particular order. Sometimes theres a large time span between the two. Our idea was simple: teach genetics first and look at how that affects the understanding and acceptance of evolution.
Like good lab experimenters, they divided their lab rats into an experimental group and a control group.
Using questionnaires, we conducted a study of almost 2,000 students over three years. Importantly, all that was changed in our study was the order of the teaching material exactly what was to be taught was left to the teachers. This meant our study was a realistic mimic of what would happen should any switch be made. We tested students before and after the two subjects were taught and so could examine the extent to which students improved in their understanding.
The experiment was only partially successful (according to their criteria). Yes, the more students understood microevolution by genetic mutations (the Bingo theory of evolution), the more they understood evolution. We found that students who were taught genetics before evolution performed 7percentbetter on knowledge-based questions about evolution than those who learned about evolution first, they say, proud of this strikingly large effect. But alas, it did not help the students accept evolution very much. Both before and after testing, the students with a better understanding were those with higher levels of acceptance, they said. However, these effects were not strong. So they investigated why students fail to accept evolution.
We also set up a series of focus groups to find out why the understanding and acceptance of evolution are not more strongly coupled. Evidence from these suggests that what is more important for evolution acceptance is not what is taught, but who provides the endorsement. For some students, being told that key authority figures such as parents or teachers approve of scientific evidence for evolution made a big difference to their ability to accept it.
Television documentaries were commonly given as a source of reassurance about evolution, and some students felt that these, and their presenters, were important in helping them accept evolution. Perhaps more predictable, religious leaders, and their views on evolution, were also of key importance. For students from a Catholic background, being told that the Pope approves of evolution was important in helping them to approach evolution as any other science.
The challenge, in their view, becomes one of reducing the impact of authority figures who put obstacles in the way of student acceptance of evolution. Religious leaders are making evolution a scary idea. Avoid the E-word, they say, to soften the blow:
Perhaps helping them understand that mutations can change frequency under the banner of genetics enabled students to learn with less of a clash of ideas? We suggest a simple test: dont teach students material labelled as evolution, teach it as population genetics instead and then tell them after the fact that they have just learned about evolution.
Its a bit like pinching and wiggling the arm before sticking the needle in, for a child afraid of needles. Before the child knows whats going on, the needle is in. When are you going to stick me? Johnny asks. Oh, I already did; now, that didnt hurt a bit, did it? And use less scary words: its not a needle; its a syringe. Its not Darwinism: its population genetics. The indoctrinators conclude:
Whatever the underlying cause, the data suggest a really simple, minimally disruptive and cost-free modification to teaching practice: teach genetics first. This will at least increase evolution understanding, if not acceptance. As with many emotive subjects, it takes more than teaching the facts to shift hearts as well as minds.
Heres a conundrum to end on: these educators, so concerned about student acceptance of evolution, do not accept evolution themselves! Think about it:
The astute reader recognizes that reasoning about evolution is self-refuting (listen to Nancy Pearcey on ID the Future). Lets teach that to the teachers. Bingo! Education happens.
Photo: Bingo cards, by Edwin Torres [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons.
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‘Super Soaker’ Inventor Funds Robotics Teams Through Non-Profit – News One
Posted: at 7:29 am
Mobile, Alabama native Lonnie Johnson, the creator of the Super Soaker, is using his platform to pay it forward by funding high school robotics teams through his non-profit organization, reports NBC News.
From NBC News:
Lonnie Johnson is now focusing on new battery technology, but his most rewarding pursuit may be sharing his knowledge with a new generation of engineers.
Now, hes getting serious about giving back. His nonprofit helps fund high school robotics teams. One of them the DISCbots from the nearby DeKalb International Student Center is made up of refugees from nine countries. Incredibly, in just its second year, the DISCbots qualified for the world-wide robotics competition in Texas.
According to the outlet Johnson, who grew up during the civil rights movement and once worked as a NASA rocket scientist during his career, says that he simply wants to make a positive impact.
SOURCE: NBC News
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