Monthly Archives: August 2021

Imagine what it was like to be a high school football player in Kingsport in 1921.

And what would those student-athlete forerunners think if they were able to walk into J. Fred Johnson Stadium in 2021?

Until someone invents a time machine, arguably the best way to take that 100-year journey is through the pages of a history book. And what would be a better way to enjoy bits and pieces of the past than through the eyes, and words, of a history teacher?

David Hoover has written a book that was recently published by Word of Mouth Press. Titled 100 Years of Glory: 1921-2021, Dobyns-Bennett Football, the book is 266 pages.

When I retired four years ago, I was a little restless, said Hoover, a former Indians baseball coach. I felt I needed a challenge, and this was something I was interested in.

Hoover had a nice foundation for a starting point. In the 1980s, he wrote a book called, Dobyns-Bennett Football: The Sprankle Years, 1921-34. He was able to bring four-decade-old interviews with now-deceased players into his new book.

One major challenge Hoover faced when compiling the new book was a self-imposed deadline.

It took me almost three years to do this, he said. I told myself I wanted to make sure I was finished by the fall of 2021, so my title would be in line with 100 years of D-B football.

Hoover conquered the challenge, overcoming the effects personally and logistically of the pandemic.

COVID cost me a couple of weeks, Hoover said. I had it the first of October (in 2020). But FaceTime worked out well.

Hoover grew up in Kingsport and was a standout shortstop for the Indians from 1967-69. He went on to play collegiately at Carson-Newman before returning to D-B as a history teacher and assistant baseball coach with John Whited.

When Whited left to coach collegiately, Hoover took over as D-Bs head coach for eight seasons. In 1985, Hoover stepped down to spend more time with his baseball-playing sons, who were involved in T-ball and Little League in Colonial Heights at the time.

I had a chance to coach them and be with them, he said.

Hoover stepped back into coaching at D-B in 1994. He coached the junior varsity for 12 years and was the varsity pitching coach for five seasons. But when his son, Rob, was hired as Daniel Boones coach, Hoover didnt want to coach against him. He wound up helping Rob as an assistant for nine seasons.

These days his sons are together at West Ridge. Michael is the head coach and Rob, who is a pastor at Promise Ministries Church in Kingsport, is an assistant.

While Hoovers background is steeped in baseball, he said hes always had a fondness for football.

Ive always loved sports and Ive always been a football fan, he said. Theres no doubt if I felt I had the physical skills, I would have played football. Same thing with basketball.

Hoover said he followed D-Bs football program closely, and his interest grew through the years.

Hoover dug deep into the historical world of newspapers.com. He said he researched every D-B football game, which took about a year.

It was so interesting to see all of those things, he said. That gave me the foundation.

But Hoover didnt want a dry recap of years gone by. He wanted stories, anecdotes and fun stuff to put in his book.

I conducted 110 interviews, from people in the late 1940s all the way to the present, he said. My strategy was getting one or two guys from each senior class. For most years, I was able to find those people.

I would ask them what was a fun thing that happened when they played. I got all kinds of stories in the process of the interviews.

Hoover said he also came up with 80 pictures, including all of the state championship teams.

Then it was a matter of writing the book, he said.

Hoover said he didnt shortchange any of the teams.

I discussed every year what was unique and important, he said. I tried to write it in a way to have things readers would be interested in, but making sure I covered everything. Former players might be interested in what was said about their team.

What I hope is some people will see its not just another high school program in Tennessee. It is the second-winningest program in the state and 26th in the country.

And the fans still come to the games, Hoover said.

This is a subjective statement, and maybe a little bit of Kingsport prejudice, but I dont think theres any doubt we have the most fan support north of Knoxville, Hoover said.

The book, which costs $24.99, can be ordered online at wordofmouthpress.us or by emailing Hoover at [emailprotected].

The book has a lot of different things, Hoover said. I have a short chapter on the Kingsport spirit, the townspeople, and how they have supported the program.

There is an analysis comparing D-B teams of the past to the modern teams. D-B had a great tradition before the playoffs started in 1969, winning 76% of its games. But it might surprise people to see how good the winning percentage has been after the playoffs started.

I got into reasons why D-B had so much success from 1921-68, some based on my own opinion but also based on facts. I also talked about some of the playoff upsets and big victories. And I also have a chapter about Maryville. Whats different with Maryville and why has it had so much success? I have tried to cover many different things.

Excerpt from:

Former history teacher takes 100-year journey with D-B football - Kingsport Times News

Typically, we start game week out here by going over the history of the Cincinnati Bearcats against the upcoming opponent.

That doesnt work this week since the schools have never played before, despite being in bordering states.

The only history the two schools seem to have relates to former Bearcats coach Mick Cronin, who piloted the Murray State Racers before heading to Cincinnati.

In 2005, Cronins Murray State club took on the Bearcats, then coached by interim Andy Kennedy. Their November meeting was the first game since Bob Huggins was ousted over the summer as head coach.

The two teams battled it out in the opener of the 2005 season as Cincinnati hung on for a 79-75 overtime victory.

Unfortunately, I couldnt find highlights of the game on YouTube to post in the article.

But I did find a video of a guy on YouTube playing NCAA Football 06 with a Murray State dynasty team against Cincinnati. In this version, Murray State is ranked number 18 in the country. They also win 28-21.

Read the rest here:

The Video Game History of Cincinnati versus Murray State - Down The Drive

Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the first king of the Sikh Empire, had ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent, expanding his control to the Afghan region in the early years of the 19th century.

Following the zealous evangelist campaigns of the British, a Singh Sabha reformist movement emerged in the subcontinent in response to the proselytisation activities, which arrived in Afghanistan in the early years of the 20th century, writes Inderjeet Singh.

As part of the movement, prominent Sikh preacher Akali Kaur Singh had arrived in Nangararh province of Afghanistan in 1919 to preach the doctrine of Sikhism. Under his leadership, the Khalsa Diwan Afghanistan was established, which is credited with the propagation and preservation of Sikh values in the region.

Sikh Exodus from Afghanistan

The first instance of mass migration of Sikhs from Afghanistan came at the time of the reign of Amir Abdur Rahman Khan when the fundamentalist zeitgeist of the Afghan society had troubled the indigenous Hindus and Sikhs. A large number of Sikhs had left their homeland and settled in India during this time, and formed an Afghan-Sikh community in Punjab's Patiala.

In 1988, Jalalabad's Gurdwara Guru Nanak Darbar has been the target of a terror attack, wherein 13 Sikhs were killed. According to Inderjeet Singh, over a hundred Sikhs died in the subsequent years during the Mujahideen's attacks in Jalalabad. In 1992, when the Mujahideen captured Kabul, the group desecrated Gurdwara Karte Parwan, the largest gurudwara of the city.

In 1992, close to 65,000 Hindus and Sikhs fled Afghanistan and came to India, Singh reports.

With the coming of the Taliban in 1996, the condition further deteriorated "The tolerance of diversity which had hitherto been such a characteristic of Afghan Islam rapidly began to evaporate in the face of the hard line jihadi and fundamentalist attitudes promoted by the Taliban," scholar Robert Ballard observed.

In the late 1980s, there were about 500,000 Sikhs scattered across Afghanistan, many who had been there for generations, according to a Reuters report. By 2005, about 3,700 persons belonging to the Hindu and Sikh communities remained, as per a UNHCR paper.

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Tracing the History of Afghan Sikhs: Who Are They and What Happens to Them Now? - The Quint

Closed beach, Lincoln Street beach, Evanston, 1932. In the 1940s, Northwestern University issued a reminder that the Lincoln Street beach was university property, but Evanston had been permitted to operate the beach for public use. (Photo from Evanston History Center Archives)

Good morning, Evanston.

In light of the Citys decision to provide free beach access to residents several days each week, the Evanston History Center examines Evanstons lakefront through the years in a series called A shifting shoreline.

Evanstons lakefront, which has long faced problems with erosion, is a site that proves to be constantly shifting, both literally and physically. As white settlers moved into the area, indigenous peoples would be moved away from the shores in appropriation of the land that would later be called Evanston. This was the first act of restriction, and it would be followed by others.

Part 1 of the series details the growing interest in Evanston beaches, as well as initial efforts to restrict access by race. As described in Part 2, regulation of the beaches intensified after the Chicago race riots and in the midst of Prohibition. Part 3 discusses the restrictions the City legalized in response to the growing popularity of Evanston beaches, particularly to Chicagoans.

In case you missed any of the most important news last week, heres a roundup of the top stories from the RoundTable this past week.

City of Evanston mandates mask in all businesses and indoor public spaces. To reduce the spread of COVID-19 and the highly contagious Delta variant, all individuals two and older, regardless of vaccination status, will be required towear a face covering in all businesses and indoor public spacesin Evanston beginning Aug. 27.Cases per week have risen in Evanston, suburban Cook County and Chicago.

Cleanup of downed and damaged trees continues. The City of Evanstons Forestry Division, as well as private tree and landscape companies, continue to deal with the aftermath of a powerful wind and rainstorm on Aug. 10. Eleven trees were uprooted due to the high winds, and an additional 20 trees needed removal due to extensive damage.

Reimagining Public Safety Committee considers restorative practice circles. Evanstons Reimagining Public Safety Committee a group that reevaluates the Citys Police Department policies, functions and funding is working to build trust with the community.The Moran Center for Youth Advocacy an organization that provides legal and social services to youth and families in need proposed the use of restorative practice circles, in which community members and committee members sit in a circle and discuss public safety and the reimagining of Evanston policing.

Rottweilers owner pleads guilty, fined $150. The owner of a Rottweiler that attacked an Evanston woman July 31 was fined $150 at a hearing Aug. 19. The owner, Michael Prendergast, a vascular surgeon, assured the victim and police that the Rottweiler was up-to-date on its rabies vaccinations.

Two rescued, eight boats crash to shore during heroic lakefront rescue. The Evanston Fire Departmentresponded last Tuesday to multiple reports of several overturned sailboats in the lake with swimmers struggling in the water.First-responding companies encountered high winds, heavy rain and sleet conditions along the lakefront, with a total of eight overturned boats in the water and along the beachfront.

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Excited to be back at King Arts School. As school buses lined up at the curb and parents arrived on foot and bicycle, a palpable sense of anticipation was in the air outside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Literary and Fine Arts School. All eyes were on the front doors. One of the first parents to arrive, Arvin Hutcherson, was excited to hear all about his 5th and 7th graders first day back to in-person learning.

COVID-19 vaccination mandate for all District 65 employees passes with unanimous vote. The District 65 board voted unanimously to support a requirement that all employees provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination by Oct. 15 or submit documentation to the Superintendent for a medical or religious exemption.

Two ETHS teachers honored. Evanston Township High School teacher Eric Brown was recognized by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for his commitment to ETHS students as well as his leadership in helping schools across the country navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Brown, a biology teacher in the Science Department at ETHS, plays an active role in making ETHS a safer space for LGBTQ+ students and increasing achievement for students of color.

In addition, ETHS biology teacher Karen Johnson was named a Stellar Educator by the Society for Science and will serve in the organizations Advocate Program in the coming school year.

Greeting from Supt. Horton to District 65 families. Dear District 65 Families With much excitement, I want to proudly welcome back all of our students and staff for another school year! It is no secret that our community has responded with an amazing amount of flexibility to a multitude of changes caused by the ongoing pandemic. With each change, we have courageously and seamlessly adjusted to any challenge that arose.

Back to School event brings together 50-plus community organizations. It was a resource fair, fun fair and back-to-school celebration all rolled into one nurturing, community-building experience. Evanstonians turned out by the hundreds for Back to School Back to the Future on Aug. 21 at Mason Park.The event was a multi-faceted opportunity to discover resources and enjoy food, music, games and giveaways.

Greeting from Supt. Witherspoon to Wildkits: We still have our humanity It is exciting to have all of you back at ETHS. As you know, ETHS has not been fully opened since March 13, 2020. Welcome freshmen and sophomores. You will have your first full experience of walking these hallways with all your classmates. Welcome juniors. You experienced only seven months in your school during your freshman year. Youre back! And seniors, what can I say? Weve missed you.

The Lighthouse Keeper sees that from Evanston Made to the Art Makers Outpost to the informal association of artists in West Evanston, a lot of talented people live in our town. Local artist Casey Christensen created this torn paper collage (above) for the RoundTable to give this column a look that clearly distinguishes it from the actual structure and Park District adjacent to the Citys northernmost beach. You can see more of her work atthepurplelineart.

My next door neighbor drinks. Dear Gabby, My next door neighbor drinks sometimes, and when she does, she can get angry or overly emotional and sappy. Not sure which is worse. And on any given day, you never know what side of her you will get. The problem for me is that when shes angry, she says things that makemeangry.Im conflict averse, so I make nice-nice, but then Im left resenting her and her occasional nasty moods.

A summer camp and a community for seniors create intergenerational bonds. Staff at Three Crowns retirement community are all too familiar with the sight of children and preteens flooding the facility and bouncing off the walls on hot summer days.Although staff experienced some changes this summer due to COVID-19 precautions, three things stayed the same: children, ice cream and intergenerational friendships. The children were campers at GoodSports Youth Summer Camp, and after camp ended at 1:30 p.m., they poured into the retirement home.

The art of making art: Joanna Kramer. You broke it? Im so glad you were using it! As a functional ceramicist, Joanna Kramer makes products that are meant to be used: mugs, vases, bowls and more. When one of her creations leaves her studio, Kramer feels a certain contentment knowing it survived the perilous creation process and that in the days and years to come, the piece will be part of someones daily rituals and special celebrations.

I walked the length of the Greenleaf Street pilot program. When I discovered the Citys plans to launch a pilot program on Greenleaf Street, limiting traffic and creating space for pedestrians and cyclists, I knew I had to check it out for myself.I always appreciate a good walk, so I called up my friend Suzy Vazquez, and together we strolled the length of Greenleaf Street from McDaniel Avenue to Lake Shore Boulevard, documenting the walk in pictures.

Rebuilding swim team will count on Consiglio. Lily Consiglios high school resume includes State-qualifying performances in each of her first three years competing for Evanston, either as an individual or member of a freestyle relay team. Now the Wildkits swim standout is aiming to make an even bigger splash as a senior.

Opportunity knocks for next soccer senior class. Players in the Evanston boys soccer program know from past history that no matter how good you are, and what skill level you reach, youll usually have to wait until your senior year to get major minutes when it comes to playing time.

Wildkits seeking answers as grid season opens. Evanston Township High School head coach Mike Burzawa is embracing the uncertainty that comes from the fact that the Wildkits, like every other program in Illinois, are coming off a pandemic-induced half season last spring and only return a half dozen starters from a team that posted a 3-3 record.

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Evanston History Center takes a look at Evanston's lakefront through the years - Evanston RoundTable

VALDOSTA Moody Air Force Base has had a long history with the violent, troubled nation of Afghanistan a history of blood, sweat and tears.

In the wake of President Joe Bidens decision to pull U.S. troops out of the country after two decades of fighting, chaos erupted as thousands of Afghans tried to flee the country, clogging the capitols airport in an effort to escape the Talibans brutal rule. U.S. military personnel and dozens of Afghans were dead late last week after suicide bombers attacked the airport.

The Taliban traces its roots back to the lengthy Soviet-Afghanistan war of the 1980s, said Joe Robbins, professor and head of the department of political science at Valdosta State University.

He said the Talibans operations are influenced by sharia, a form of Islamic religious law. Taliban followers oppose women in schools and in most jobs outside the home, he said.

The Taliban rose to power in the 1990s on a platform of combating corruption in the government, Robbins said.

In late 2001, following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the U.S. accused the Taliban of harboring the al-Qaida terrorist group that carried out the attacks, and launched an invasion of Afghanistan intended to overthrow the Taliban, which became an insurgent front fighting the U.S. as invaders. That battle has lasted 20 years. With Bidens decision to withdraw U.S. troops from the country to focus on security threats elsewhere, the Taliban launched an offensive that has overrun most of Afghanistan.

In the beginning

Moody Air Force Base entered Afghanistans picture in March 2002.

The 41st Rescue Squadron, based at Moody, headed for Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Flying HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters, the 41st specialized in saving downed air crews.

The aircraft were involved within 12 hours and the crews were involved within 48 hours, former 41st RQS commander Lt. Col. Lee dePaulo said in a 2014 interview.

This was the beginning of many deployments of 41st RQS assets to Afghanistan.

On March 4 of that year, Sgt. Jason Cunningham of Moody was a pararescueman with a search-and-rescue team searching for two airmen downed in al-Qaida and Taliban territory.

When enemy fire brought their helicopter down, the SAR team formed a hasty defense, while Cunningham worked inside the helicopters burning wreckage to treat wounded men.

The sergeant began carrying the critically wounded to a place of safety, braving small-arms fire and rocket attacks. He was mortally wounded in the process.

The citation for his Air Force Cross, awarded posthumously, credited him with saving 10 lives. He was buried March 11, 2202, at Arlington National Cemetery.

That Others May Live

Cunningham was not the last of the Moody personnel who would die in Afghanistan.

On March 23, 2005, another rescue helicopter from Moody crashed into a mountain seconds after detaching from an in-flight refueling aircraft.

The crew of the Pave Hawk helicopter had been on an urgent mercy mission to pick up two Afghan children with serious head wounds.

All six people aboard the helicopter died instantly, a review board found.

They were Lt. Col. John Stein, 1st Lt. Tamara Archuleta, Staff Sgt. John Teal, Staff Sgt. Jason Hicks, all of the 48th Rescue Squadron; and Master Sgt. Michael Maltz and Senior Airman Jason Plite, both with the 38th Rescue Squadron.

No clear reason for the crash was ever given. In 2008, a learning center at Moody AFB was named for Maltz.

Archuletas death hit home hard for children in Lake Park; she had written letters and sent a package including an American flag to third-grade students at Lake Park Elementary School. Taylor Thomas, then age 9, cried when students were told of Archuletas death. I was very sad, because she was the very first person who had sent a letter to us.

Separately, Moody Airman First Class Jesse Samek died that year during a rescue mission for a United Nations worker. The UN operative survived and the Air Force named a camp after Samek.

On June 9, 2010, another helicopter crash in Afghanistan impacted the Moody community. Killed were 1st Lt. Joel C. Gentz, Tech. Sgt. Michael P. Flores, Staff Sgt. David C. Smith, Senior Airman Benjamin D. White and Capt. David A. Wisniewski.

Moody in Combat

In 2007, the 23rd Fighter Group moved from Pope AFB in North Carolina to Moody. A descendant of the legendary Flying Tigers American Volunteer Group of World War II, the 23rd was fitted out with A-10C Warthog planes for low-level air-to-ground combat. Squadrons from the 23rd Fighter Group were sent to Afghanistan in 2008 and 2009, providing close air support for ground forces in battles against the Taliban, racking up 23,000 combat hours.

Keeping bases secure

During the last 20 years, it became routine to hear that members of Moody AFBs 823rd Base Defense Group were being deployed to Southwest Asia.

Their mission was to protect air bases and support base operations. It wouldnt be until the units returned months later that the Air Force would announce they had been in Afghanistan.

In 2016, two sergeants with Moodys 824th Base Defense Squadron Master Sgt. Aaron Frederick and Staff Sgt. Bradley Mock won the Bronze Star with Valor, the Air Force Combat Action Medal and the Purple Heart for dealing with a suicide bomber the previous year.

Frederick, a patrol leader, was with his team of 13 men at six kilometers from Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan on Dec. 21, 2015, when a Taliban suicide bomber on a motorcycle stopped nearby. Frederick lunged toward the bomber just as he detonated his explosives, killing six airmen and wounding five others.

Despite his injuries, he organized a landing zone for a medical evacuation and refused treatment until he knew everyone else was accounted for, according to a formal citation.

Mock, a radio operator in the same patrol, summoned help, provided first aid and secured important gear even though he had taken facial injuries.

Winning bronzeand silver

There were other medals awarded to Moody personnel; other tales of heroism in Afghanistan to be told.

Capt. Yonel Dorelis, a co-pilot with the 41st RQS, received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his bravery on March 2, 2002.

In another case, Staff Sgt. Aaron Metzger, 38th Rescue Squadron pararescueman, carried two Afghan partners who were severely injured by a grenade to safety despite danger to himself in 2019. He was honored with the Bronze Star with Valor for his efforts.

In February 2020, Staff Sgt. Nicholas Brunetto, 38th Rescue Squadron pararescueman, Brunetto performed a lifesaving procedure on a wounded teammate and managed the evacuation of nearly a dozen patients while under attack. These actions earned Brunetto a Silver Star.

Training Afghan pilots

In 2014, Moody was tapped to support 20 A-29 aircraft, 17 USAF instructor pilots, and 24 maintenance and support personnel to train Afghan pilots and maintenance personnel.

The training program came to an end in November 2020 when the last class of Afghan A-29 pilots graduated. More than 30 pilots and 70 support personnel were trained at the base in the program.

On Dec. 7, 2015, two Afghan personnel were reported missing from Moody. The Department of Homeland Security, Air Force investigators, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and local law-enforcement agencies began searching for the two men after they failed to report for duty.

In the years since, the federal government has never clearly stated what happened to the two men.

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Moody and the Afghans: Base has long history with war-torn country - Valdosta Daily Times

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Roman Hamrlik, Washington Capitals (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

Before the Washington Capitals reached the top of the hockey world, they made several mistakes along the way. Im not just talking about on the ice but within the front office. These mistakes proved costly for the team financially as the Caps overpaid for these guys.

Sometimes though the Caps can get it right with their contracts. For example this summer when they extended Alex Ovechkin. Some people were negative about the deal but honestly it wouldve strapped the Caps if it was over 10 million. The fact he will be making $9.5 million per year allows the Caps to spend a little bit to remain competitive.

Anyway heres the worst of the worst.

Roman Hamrlik, Washington Capitals (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)

Back in the summer of 2011, the Caps added veteran defenseman Roman Hamrlik. They signed him to a two year deal worth $7 million. He did well in his first season of that contract so at the time it didnt look bad. He had two goals and 11 assists for 13 points in 68 games while averaging 19:13 minutes of ice time.

The next year he struggled and part of it was due to the lockout shortened season. After recording just one assist he was waived by the Caps after just four games.

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Washington Capitals: Top 5 worst contracts in team history - Stars and Sticks

Leah Allen is Assistant Professor of Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies at Grinnell College.

Although right-wingers likeRudy Giulianiargue that left-wing cancel culture is dangerous to free speech, the ongoing right-wing movement to ban Critical Race Theory (CRT) from school curriculums fits into the rightslong history of attacks on progressives free speech. TheTexas Senate billremoving Martin Luther King, Jrs I Have a Dream speech, Native American history, and the history of white supremacy from public school curriculums may be blocked from passing right now, but it has madewaves throughout the internet. This bill comes amidst nationwide right-wing outrage over CRT, which Fox News reportedly mentioned nearly1300 times between March and Junethis year.

This hysteria reached a boiling point last month when aVirginia school board meeting was shut downby right-wing protestors over a curriculum that allegedly promotes CRT, although Loudoun County Schools officials publicly stated that CRT is not part of their curriculum.The ongoing distress over CRT is fueled by amassive,right-wing media-backed movementto control school curriculums. Fox News host Tucker Carlson, for example, recently called for teachers to wearbody camerasto monitor CRT teaching, despite previouslyarguing in favor of free speech on campuses.

The panic over CRT may seem to have come out of nowhere,with media coverage of it skyrocketing in recent months,but progressive movements in academia have caused alarm for decades. This began withconspiracy theories about critical theory(CT), a method of systemic critique which was the predecessor of CRT. These conspiracy theories focus on the developers of CT, the Frankfurt School thinkers, who were mostly Jewish, and claim that they infiltrated American universities with the goal of destroying Western culture and implementing Cultural Marxism.

While these theories may seem far-fetched, they are still promoted today by right-wing thinkers likeBen ShapiroandJordan Peterson. Frankfurt School historian Martin Jay traced these conspiracy theories back to LaRouche movement writer Michael Minnicinosessaythat relies on little to no source material to make false, exaggerated claims. Minnicino claims, without evidence, that the heirs of Marcuse and Adorno completely dominate the universities and teach their students Politically Correct ritual exercises.The essay reduces the Frankfurt Schools complex intellectual history into a sound-bite sized package available to be plugged into a paranoid narrative,according to Jay. Despite the suspicious beginnings of this conspiracy theory, right-wing thinkers like Jeffrey A. Tucker and Mike Gonzalez continue to blame the Frankfurt School thinkers for todaysattacks on free speech, going as far as tosuggest executive actionto prevent their influence.

While the evidence supporting CT conspiracy theories is dubious, there is historical evidence to suggest that the Frankfurt School thinkers were far too divided to have devised such a world-changing plot. One must only look towards Adorno and Marcuses final letters to each othertheircorrespondence on the German student movementin the 1960sto see these divisions on full display.

In these letters, the two thinkers debated whether it was justified for Adorno to have called the police on a group of students who occupied his classroom demanding that he engage in self-criticism. While Adorno dismisses the students and their demands as pure Stalinism,Marcuse aligns himself with the students and their goals, finding it more helpful to aid the movement than disparage it. These thinkers differ in one key aspect: while Marcuse finds solidarity with the students in their goals, and is less concerned with how they achieve them, Adorno is repulsed by the means. How can a group that cannot even agree on which movements are good for society have possibly conducted such a mass, societal shift? The historical, fact-based evidence makes it clearthey didnt.

Some figures on the right have cancelled the Frankfurt School, reducing their complex history into buzzwords, and rendering their ideas meaningless. This is just one example of how right-wing figurescancel things that counter their worldviewthrough misinformation. CT conspiracy theories fit with former Trump advisor Sebastian Gorkas claim that theGreen New Deal will take your hamburgers, despite the proposal making no mention of meat. The theories also fit with the Governor of South Dakota Kristi Noems claim that we need todefend the soul of our nation against gay rapper Lil Nas X, just because he released Satan-themed shoes. We saw this pattern of regressive fear-mongering at its worst last month when there were two-stabbings at aprotest at a Los Angeles spa,spurred by a transphobic hoax. There is a pattern of misinformed reactionary cancelling in which even formerPresident Barack Obamahas been tied to the recent outrage over CRT. And these cancelling efforts clearly have had a wide-reaching effect, with26 states making steps against CRTjust recently.

Although reactionary cancelling is doing some damage, we can fight it through progressive cancelling. While reactionary cancelling serves oppression,pushing racist, anti-Semitic, or homophobic agendas, progressive cancelling advocates consequences for socially unjust actions and amplifies marginalized voices.

In his essayRepressive Tolerance,Marcuse says that to realize universal tolerance, we first need to escape from our repressive society. One part of doing this is, instead of tolerating all opinions equally, to retract tolerance from opinions that perpetuate violence and oppression. Marcuse calls on us to fight the forces that serve oppression. We cannot play into the pocket of the oppressor like the Loudoun School Board meeting protestors. Instead, we must resist oppression like the 1960s student protestors who used progressive cancelling against perceived injustices like the United States involvement in Vietnam.

Progressive cancelling is the same form of cancelling that hit J.K. Rowling, Harvey Weinstein, or even Christopher Columbusone that centers marginalized people and says enough to violence and oppression. On a wide-enough scale, we could achieve what Marcuse called a Great Refusal. To change our societal trajectory to one towards Marcuses opposite of hell,we need to fight reactionary cancelling through progressive cancelling.

Here is the original post:

Critical Theory Opposes the Right Wing's Cancel Politics - History News Network (HNN)

Fontanet, Ind. (WTHI) - Local residents enjoyed a day full of bounce houses and free beans!

Many would say it doesn't get much better than that.

This is all thanks to the Fontanet Bean Dinner Association.

On Saturday, the 125th annual bean dinner took place from noon to 8 p.m.

The dinner included big bowls of beans, with a side of bounce houses for the kids, a cruise-in open to all classes of cars, trucks, and motorcycles, and even a live band.

This event is a long-running tradition in the small town of Fontanet, and it's of historical importance.

"A gathering of the Civil War veterans that basically started it, and their basic mealwas beans and hardtack...so we've continued that tradition," President of the Fontanet Bean Dinner Association Kevin Payton said.

The association is accepting donations to help pay for next year's beans, bacon, and bands.

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Keeping history alive with bushels of beans - WTHITV.com

After 5 NBA championships, 3 Coach of the Year awards, 25 seasons as the Spurs head coach, and the most wins for any coach with just one team, Gregg Popovich is rumored to want to add another achievement to his overcrowded mantle: the all-time wins record for a head coach.

While he may never say it out loud, according to New York Times reporter Marc Stein via his subscription-based Substack, he has heard whispers that Pop really hopes to pass his friend and mentor Don Nelson as the winningest coach in NBA history. Pop, who has 1,310 regular-season wins to his name, is a mere 26 victories away from breaking Nelsons 1,335 win record. For his part, Nelson is reportedly rooting for Pop to achieve his goal as well. (Its worth noting that for whatever reason, the official record only includes regular season wins, but if it included the playoffs, Pop would have broken the record a long time ago.)

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he shouldnt have too much trouble adding his name to the record books. For the first time in three seasons, the Spurs should have a full 82-game slate to work with, and while the team is entering the season in rebuild mode, they have a solid, young foundation whose ceiling is well above 26 wins. And while Vegas has their over/under relatively low at just 28.5 wins for the upcoming season, that would still be enough for Pop to comfortably break Nelsons record.

If the 72-year-old decides to retire at seasons end, breaking the record would be a memorable sendoff for arguably the greatest coach in basketball history. Regardless of what happens, Pop has made a lasting impact both on and off the court, and the Spurs are very fortunate to have such a great mentor leading the team.

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Rumor: Gregg Popovich wants to become the winningest coach in NBA history - Pounding The Rock