Category Archives: Censorship

School officials from the Canyons School District changed their book review and selection policy and returned nine titles they removed from the shelves a few months ago. These books were first removed after Utah parents asked school officials in various emails and letters to censor the books because they contained pornographic material. (Andrea Zapata)

Canyons School District school officials returned nine titles to bookshelves after removing them last November because of Utah parents denouncing their pornographic and obscene content.

Utah parents sent several emails and letters to the Canyons School District at the end of 2021, asking them to remove from the shelves some books with content parents claimed were explicit.

We do not want explicit pornographic materials in schools, said Nichole Mason, president of Utah Parents United. Sex does not belong in a public school library, she added, referring to the nine titles parents have targeted for displaying illustrations and content they oppose.

Utah Parents United is one of the groups that led this advocacy mission and was vocal about the schools moral obligation to protect children and remove any harmful material school libraries may have, Mason said.

Utah Parents United has a list of books featuring content they label as pornographic and explicit.

We have been on the news with this, and when we show them the images of these books, they need to blur them out, Mason said. Yet this is what is on our public school library shelves.

In response to the large number of requests and emails Canyons School District received from groups like Utah Parents United, school officials decided to remove the nine most controversial titles from public school library shelves. This action violated the content review policy to which Canyons School District was subject.

There was a feeling that we needed a pause, Canyons School District spokesperson Kirsten Stewart said when asked about why books were pulled off the shelves without following the review process stipulated in their policy.

Librarian associations and First Amendment advocacy groups have been outspoken about the seriousness and illegality of Canyons School Districts actions.

We do believe there is a place for a parent to question what books should be in a library, Utah Library Association Executive Director Mindy Hale said. The problem with these recent attacks and book removals is that they are not following the policies.

Katie Wegner, the Intellectual Freedom Committee co-chair at Utah Library Association, said these actions by the Canyons School District would open the schools to possible civil lawsuits.

One of the groups investigating the situation is the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah.

This action violated the rights of students, said John Mejia, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union. It gave us great concern, particularly because a lot of these books were about marginalized and oppressed identities, and its important that students with these identities have access to books that relate to them and put them in a positive light.

According to several librarians from the Utah Library Association, the real motivation of the Utah parents is not to remove obscene content, but to target those books dealing with race and LGBT issues. Many books out of the nine titles removed have queer or people-of-color protagonists such as Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, Beyond Magenta by Susan Kuklin and Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison.

Mason said these allegations are completely false.

These books clearly violate Utah state code, as they are pornographic in nature, she said. It doesnt matter what race or sexuality it is: That is irrelevant, as those images are still pornography.

The new Canyons School District policy for the School Library Materials Selection and Review was published on Jan. 4, and as of Jan. 20, the books pulled off the shelves have been returned to libraries.

No action has been taken on any title at the moment, Stewart said. Those books are now back on the shelves and will be reviewed by the new policy by the board of education.

She said the new policy is balanced and provides clarity and transparency in how school officials select and review books.

Upon being informed of the action to return the books to the shelves, Mejia said the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah is still in the process of investigating and reaching out to school officials. However, Mejia said since the situation changed and there is a new policy, We will most likely not sue them because our priority is that they reconsider, and although we need to confirm that, it seems like they have by returning the books.

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Pornography and censorship: Controversial books returned to Utah school libraries' shelves - The Daily Universe - Universe.byu.edu

Ted Nugent has railed against large social-media companies that block users from their platforms.

The outspoken conservative rocker is an ardent supporter of former U.S. president Donald Trump who was famously suspended from his social accounts in January 2021 over public safety concerns in the wake of the Capitol riot.

During his YouTube livestream on Thursday (January 20), Nugent once again upped his unsubstantiated accusations that tech companies are censoring his speech as Facebook and other tech companies have attempted to limit coronavirus vaccine misinformation.

"Boy, does Big Tech crush the First Amendment, like some kind of devil grease gangbangers," Nugent said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

"Hey, Big Tech fact checkers, you're lying scum. And they all have to put up a COVID alert misinformation. No, no, no everything from Big Tech and the media and the government, that's the misinformation.

"When I share [information from physician group] Frontline Doctors and epidemiologists and virologists, experts, lifetime dedicated, professional healthcare specialists, doctors and scientists, when I express their findings, that's not misinformation; that's pertinent information," he continued.

"Big Tech, the media and the government, academia and Hollywood, when they identify stuff coming out of me 'cause I don't have any medical or science hunches; I'm cocky but I'm not that stupid. So I go to the professional healthcare, dedicated Frontline Doctors, and I share truth, logic and medical common sense. And when they identify it as misinformation, that's the misinformation. Okay? So let's be forewarned."

Addressing the fact that he is still able to share his views on most of the major social media networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and even YouTube, Ted said: "I can't believe they haven't kicked me off yet. Twitter has kicked off Shemane [Nugent, Ted's wife]. She's like Mother Teresa, Joan Of Arc. She's the greatest, sweetest, harmless woman that ever walked the earth, and she's kicked off Twitter because she said something positive about Donald Trump inconsequential; just a compliment.

"By the way, you know the First Amendment? That was not given to us by the government," Ted added. "That didn't start when they wrote it in the Constitution. Tell me you know that when they wrote down self-evident truth in the Constitution and the Bill Of Rights that those rights and those freedoms didn't begin there; they already existed. We didn't need a man to put it to paper. We got 'em from God, from the Creator. We were born with all those freedoms, all those self-evident-truth rights. We just wrote it in the documents in case we experience some prick like King George Joe Biden who's gonna try to play tyrannical emperor kingpunk. We just want it on paper just to reference those punks that would try to pry it from our soul. But we know we have it when we're born, whether it's on paper or not."

Last May, Nugent said that he beat COVID-19 by following "intelligent, professionally guided care from the Frontline Doctors," referring to the aforementioned group of doctors who made a video in July 2020 calling for the use of hydroxychloroquine to battle the novel coronavirus, despite warnings from public health experts.

In the above-mentioned video, a group of people wearing white lab coats calling themselves "America's Frontline Doctors" staged a press conference in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. and made a number of dubious claims, including that "you don't need masks" to prevent spread of the coronavirus, and that studies showing hydroxychloroquine is ineffective for the treatment of COVID-19 are "fake science" sponsored by "fake pharma companies." According to Politifact, many of the doctors' claims contradicted recommendations from public health organizations and experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci. The video quickly went viral on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube before it was taken down for promoting misinformation.

Last month, Nugent told the Des Moines, Iowa radio station Lazer 103.3 that he beat COVID-19 by "listen[ing] to what the government told me to do and [doing] just the opposite. And whatever the government told me not to do, that's exactly what I did do, and I was cured in about two days."

Nugent, an outspoken conspiracy theorist who has refused to take the vaccine, also once again falsely claimed that public health measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic violate the Nuremberg code, a set of medical experimentation guidelines set after World War Two, as the vaccine is experimental.

In April, Nugent talked about the darkest days of his battle with COVID-19, saying that he had "never been so scared" in his entire life. The 73-year-old pro-gun activist, who had previously claimed the virus was "not a real pandemic," said: "It was really scary. I didn't think I was gonna make it. I literally couldn't function for about 20 hours, and then they came and they rescued me The six-foot-two, 225-pound headache [this time] was like nothing I have ever experienced. I mean, from my tip of my toes to the top of my hair, I literally was dizzy and weak and struggled to get up to go to the bathroom. And I would lay in the bathtub a couple of times a day with the water as hot as I could take it just to divert."

In the past, Nugent had referred to the virus as a "leftist scam to destroy" Trump. He had also repeated a narrative pushed by conservative media and disputed by health experts that suggests the official death count from the coronavirus is inflated.

Read more from the original source:
TED NUGENT Rails Against Big Tech Censorship: 'I Can't Believe They Haven't Kicked Me Off Yet' - BLABBERMOUTH.NET

By GARRY RAYNO, InDepthNH.org

CONCORD A bill to update a Cold War teacher loyalty law drew a crowd in opposition Thursday calling it censorship and an attempt to whitewash the nations history.

But bill sponsors said it is intended to ensure teachers are educating students not indoctrinating them, offering anecdotal evidence that they said is happening in schools today.

Only one person beyond bill sponsors spoke in favor of the bill or the amendment they are working on, while the remainder of people testifying opposed the bill saying it will ultimately hurt students who will not learn the good and the bad history of this country.

A tally of people signing in to the public hearing on House Bill 1255 before the House Education Committee, was 2,232 opposed, 26 in favor and 1 neutral.The bill as written would prohibit a teacher from advocating any doctrine or theory promoting a negative account or representation of the founding and history of the United States of America in New Hampshire public schools which does not include the worldwide context of now outdated and discouraged practices.Such prohibition includes but is not limited to teaching that the United States was founded on racism.

The bill would also add socialism and Marxism to a list that teachers would be prohibited from advocating.

A violation of the law, would be a violation of the states codes of ethics and conducts for educators which could result in the loss of a teachers state credentials.

Opponents of the bill said it would double down on the provision passed last year in the budget that has already chilled the teaching of some subjects.

Devon Chaffee, executive director of the ACLU New Hampshire, said the best way to discourage free and open discussions is to have vague limitations coupled with serious and career ending consequences for teachers.

That is what this bill does, Chaffee said. This is fundamentally about censorship.

History teacher Jennifer Given said she took a personal day to represent herself, and her kids, both biological and those in her classroom.

Given told the committee she teaches the slavery of Rome, China and Egypt, and compares types of forced labor around the world.

She took issue with the anecdotes supporters used and their vague assertions.

In trying to solve a problem, Given said, you are reaching so far into my classroom to say what I can and cannot say.

The prime sponsor of the bill, Rep. Alicia Lekas, R-Hudson, said her intent is to ensure teachers are educating students not indoctrinating them.

She has had conversations with high school students who believe slavery only occurred in the United States, she said, a war was fought over it and that it is over.

That is clearly not the case, she said, noting it is important for students to understand slavery happened all over the world and it is still going on.

My intent is to expand the worldwide content, that is my goal to get it out there, Lekas said, so it is not limited to the U.S. did this, it happened and its over. I want to ensure it does not happen again.

Lekas said the fact that there was a civil war over slavery indicates there were people opposed as well as those favoring it not that the founders were racists.

She asked for help to produce an amendment that better explains what she wants to accomplish.

A bill co-sponsor, Rep. Erica Layon, R-Derry, said the intent of the bill is to make sure teachers teach kids how to think, not what to think.

I have heard of teachers saying all our founders were racist, she said. These things do happen in our schools.

Students should not have to parrot what a teacher believes, she said, to receive a good grade.

But Oyster River School District officials told the committee it is reaching too far and any anecdotal incidents should be handled at the local level.

Superintendent James Morse said the bill is vague and unnecessary.

I would suggest legislation that would fit the majority, not anecdotes, Morse said. Those should be addressed at the local level.

Board chair Tom Newkirk said many districts have a policy that prohibits teachers from using their position to advocate their personal political beliefs.

The greater danger is teachers are reluctant to teach subjects of American history that have been suppressed and desperately need to be taught, Newkirk said. With their teacher credentials at stake, who can blame them for not touching certain subjects.

The presidents of the two largest teachers unions in the state, The National Education Association-NH and American Federation of Teacher-NH, both opposed the bill saying the law passed last year has already chilled open and honest discussions.

Deborah Howes, president of AFT-NH said the bill is so vague it would be impossible for teachers to know what is permissible in the classroom.

She said the bill would limit teachers ability to teach and would take away tools students need to learn.

It is subjective. These laws do not help kids learn, Howes said. Indoctrination is in the eye of the beholder.Dover teacher Eric Schlapak and the 2021 recipient of the Christa McAuliffe Sabbatical, noted her picture hanging on the wall of the committee room.

We know her story, he said, noting she wanted her students to understand specific perspectives, humanizing her lessons, something the bill would stifle.

I wonder if she would be able to tell her story with this bill without having her credentials threatened, Schlapak asked.

Jonah Wheeler of Peterborough said he was the only black student in all white schools.

But his third grade teacher pulled him aside to talk openly about what Martin Luther King Jr. stood for, his teachings and the reality of what he was doing at the time.

Without that meeting, I may not be here today and probably would have already taken my life. It is that real for (people of color.)

He noted in his work, teachers are coming to him and saying they are already feeling the chilling effects of the new law.

If they dont have the same conversation with kids today, what if kids feel as isolated as I did, Wheeler said. Thats a real fear. I hope we try our best not to chill this speech.The bill was also opposed by the NH Council of Churches.

The Rev. Heidi Heath, the organizations executive director, called the bill harmful and dangerous saying the nation and state need to face systemic racism if the country is to reach its goal of a more perfect union.

As religious leaders, we believe in the power of truth telling, Heath said. We want to empower our teachers to tell the truth, nothing more, and nothing less.

The committee did not make an immediate recommendation on the bill and will wait for Lekas to come back with her amendment.

Garry Rayno may be reached atgarry.rayno@yahoo.com.

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Opponents Say Bill Is Censorship and Whitewashing History - InDepthNH.org

Google has asked the High Court of Australia to overturn a 2020 ruling it warns could have a devastating effect on the wider internet. In a filing the search giant made on Friday, Google claims it will be forced to act as censor if the countrys highest court doesnt overturn a decision that awarded a lawyer $40,000 in defamation damages for an article the company had linked to through its search engine, reports The Guardian.

In 2016, George Defteros, a Victoria state lawyer whose past client list included individuals implicated in Melbourne's notorious gangland killings, contacted Google to ask the company to remove a 2004 article from The Age. The piece featured reporting on murder charges prosecutors filed against Defteros related to the death of three men. Those charges were later dropped in 2005. The company refused to remove the article from its search results as it viewed the publication as a reputable source.

The matter eventually went to court with Defteros successfully arguing the article and Googles search results had defamed him. The judge who oversaw the case ruled The Ages reporting had implied Defteros had been cozy with Melbournes criminal underground. The Victorian Court of Appeals subsequently rejected a bid by Google to overturn the ruling.

From Googles perspective, at issue here is one of the fundamental building blocks of the internet. A hyperlink is not, in and of itself, the communication of that to which it links, the company contends in its submission to the High Court. If the 2020 judgment is left to stand, Google claims it will make it liable as the publisher of any matter published on the web to which its search results provide a hyperlink, including news stories that come from reputable sources. In its defense, the company points to a 2011 ruling from the Supreme Court of Canada that held a hyperlink by itself is never a publication of defamatory material.

Weve reached out to Google for comment.

Read the rest here:
Google claims court ruling would force it to 'censor' the internet - Yahoo Tech

The arrival of February might mean Valentine's Day for some, but for Shudder, it's another business-as-usual month of bringing in great new movie exclusives, great TV shows, and classic catalog horror.

Shudder's latest batch of new movies kicks off on February 1 with Censor, the well-received 2021 movie about a British film censor linking a disturbing horror movie to her own sister's mysterious disappearance. According to an official synopsis, Enid "sets out to solve the past mystery of her sister's disappearance, embarking on a quest that dissolves the line between fiction and reality."

On February 14, a pair of horror movies striking quite different tones will come to Shudder. Corporate Animals stars Demi Moore as a delusional CEO who takes her staff on a "disastrous" team-building retreat led by an overeager guide played by Ed Helms. Also hitting the platform that day is XX, an all-female helmed horror anthology featuring four stories written and directed by "fiercely talented" women: Annie Clark (St. Vincent), Karyn Kusama (The Invitation), Roxanne Benjamin (Body at Brighton Rock), and Jovanka Vuckovic (Riot Girls), featuring a cast that includes Natalie Brown, Melanie Lynskey, Breeda Wool, and Christina Kirk.

Take a look at the complete list of everything arriving on the platform next month below. Additionally, you can also check out our similar lists for Disney+ and Netflix.

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New On Shudder February 2022: Censor, XX, And More - GameSpot

More than a dozen House Republicans sent a letter Friday to Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal threatening to hold social media companies accountable for censoring conservative voices.

The letter highlighted Twitters suspension of the account of Dr. Robert Malone, a researcher involved in the development of mRNA vaccines who has been critical of the vaccine program. The lawmakers said the reasons for Twitters censorship were not transparent and those who are banned or censored dont have a clearly available recourse.

For far too long, Big Tech companies, such as Twitter, have been able to censor important voices without recourse available to those affected, said the letter, which was spearheaded by Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas. While the 117th Congress has failed to address the need to update and modify Federal law and regulations impacting the internet and social media, it is highly probable that under new leadership in 2023, Congress will spearhead an effort to hold Big Tech accountable for its arbitrary censorship practices.

Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Dr. Malone has questioned the U.S. government and pharmaceutical industrys conduct responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and developing vaccines. Twitter banned him in early January after his tweets questioned the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines.

The ban came just three months after Mr. Agrawal took over the top job at the social media platform. Since then, several high-profile accounts were banned, suspended or their content was restricted. The recently targeted posts appeared to mostly involve COVID-19 or criticism of the Biden administration.

Censored Twitter accounts include those of Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, the Daily Wires Matt Walsh, the Blaze Media Podcaster Daniel Horowitz, Project Veritas Chief of Staff Eric Spracklen and scientist Michael Makris.

The House members asked Mr. Agrawal several questions about Dr. Malones suspension from Twitter including the specific post that Dr. Malone violated within Twitters COVID-19 misleading information policy that led to the suspension of his Twitter account.

In the letter, which was sent Friday, the Congress members asked Mr.Agrawalseveral questions about Dr.Malones suspension from Twitter, including what was the specific post by Dr.Malonethat violated Twitters policy on misleading information about COVID-19 and led to the suspension ofhisTwitter account.

They also asked if Twitters COVID-19 misleading information policy is synthetic and manipulated media policy changed since your becoming CEO? If so, would Dr. Malones account have been suspended under the prior policies for the same post?

The letter notes that one of Twitters stated principles is Making it straightforward. Simple is good, but straightforward is better. Our product, our behavior, and our work habits should all be transparent and to the point.

They also asked if Mr. Agrawal believes that suspending accounts without explanation complies with his companys principle of being straightforward and transparent?

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House GOPers demand answers from Twitter CEO about censorship, Robert Malone suspension - Washington Times

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On New Years Eve Badiucao, a famous Chinese dissident artist, was landing in Melbourne on his way back from Italy, where the Chinese government had severely pressuerd his exhibition in Brescia. Currently, the so-called Chinese Banksy, is in self-exile in Australia.

In this interview Badiucao explains the role of his art, linked to a past of family persecutions since the Mao era. How did this former law student become a dissident artist under the wing of Ai Weiwei, through artistic projects that mix human rights awareness and new technologies? Above all, the dialogue with Badiucao is crucial to understand how China exerts its propaganda outside its borders through multiple levels: from coercion and boycotts to judicial accusations, stalking, and death threats.

How did you experience Beijings attempt to boycott your exhibition in Brescia?

Threats and boycott attempts are common in my performances, but I can say in Italy I enjoyed a whole menu of warnings. It all started with a letter from the Chinese government where they threatened to jeopardize future collaborations with the Brescia Museum and the city. I really appreciated the reaction of Brescia. They welcomed me, giving an example to the world and opposing Beijing.

Get briefed on the story of the week, and developing stories to watch across the Asia-Pacific.

The second attempt was online, where accounts related to the government started a hate campaign against me. There were also soft warnings Chinese people who showed up during the exhibition claiming to be supporters while warning me about the dangers of staying in Italy, where people die on the streets for no reason. I havent told anyone yet, but in Brescia I was forced to change hotels every day. So I thought: Now, I could work for Yelp [the business review website].

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In a recent documentary you decided to reveal your identity, explaining both your reasons and the consequences: threats to you and your family, canceled exhibitions, surveillance on your phone, home invasion, and stalking. You say the CCP awaits the moment of revenge when there is less media attention. What do you mean? How did they find out your identity? How is your family now?

I moved to Australia in 2009 and started making political cartoons in 2011.

During the Hu Jintao administration?

Thats right, I can say it was an okay period.

Better than Xi Jinping?

Yes, there was much more digital freedom. Xi on the other hand never stops providing material for satirists; hes like Trump. However, this does not mean that the government wouldnt want to control the internet in 2011 as well. In that period they arrested Liu Xiaobo, Nobel laureate for peace. So, social networks were simply a new, not-regulated thing [in 2011].

I applied for Australian citizenship to be more protected and free. I hid my identity for seven years but through traces left on social media and my ties with Ai Weiwei in Berlin, finally the government connected the dots and got my identity. This exposed my family in China to different risks, so I canceled my exhibition in Hong Kong and made a documentary (the director was threatened as well) to show my real face. The more I make art, the more I feel protected by public consideration.

My family is still in China, but I prefer not to contact them to avoid them being persecuted.

So they forced you not to hear from your family?

No, it was my choice.

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A free choice?

No, it hurts me.

Recently, you revealed: I want to extend the definition of art. I consider myself an artist; being an activist is just a side effect of being an artist in China. Why did a law student decide to become an artist? How did you meet Ai Weiwei and how did he inspire you?

I come from a family of filmmakers who were persecuted during the Maoist 100 Flowers Campaign in the 1950s. I always wanted to be an artist, but art was not well seen at home. I initially followed my family wish, which was to be a lawyer, but then I met Ai Weiwei on Twitter. Although he is very famous, he is also very helpful and easy-going. He gave me a lot of advice, until I started working with him and a magical friendship was born. Ai Weiwei is an inspiration for human rights, not only Chinese but also European ones.

Indeed, you often talk about Chinese government problems, but since you live in Australia, what idea did you have of the critical issues of Western liberal-democratic systems?

Ai does not use the internet to promote his art, he makes art with the internet itself and he spoke, for example, about the migrant tragedy in Europe. I think that if Europe and the U.S. want the world to respect human rights, they must do more at home. Because every time China is accused of not respecting them, the [Chinese government] propaganda replies, violations still persist in the West as well. This does not mean we should not continue to report violations around the world. Human rights issues remain universal.

However, I am also thinking of leaving Australia to see if other places like Europe or the U.S. are more open-minded. In Melbourne, the links between the Australian and Chinese governments often impose self-censorship or prevent me from accessing certain spaces or developing certain initiatives.

During the Tiananmen anniversary you began a campaign against Twitter, requesting the social media giant create a tank man emoji to remember the Tiananmen massacre. How is this initiative going? What do you mean when you say dont use the internet to promote art but make art with the internet?

The tank man emoji is exactly one of the many ways of making art with the internet. It is also bringing the scientific community to take a stand. Creating a new emoji means working with the Unicode language, and every year the Unicode community meets to decide what can be integrated or removed. Furthermore, now I am thinking of a project with NFTs (non-fungible tokens) where the blockchain technology will prevent them from being modified or censored.

What ways do people use to circumvent Beijings censorship? How popular is your art in Chinese communities around the world and in rural areas of China?

There are tons of ways to avoid censorship in China, but you need knowledge about basic English and VPNs. It is not for everyone. Some Chinese think I am a CIA agent. As mentioned, propaganda and censorship also go abroad, not necessarily with intimidation and agreements, but simply through systems like WeChat. If you are an entrepreneur who wants to promote tourism in China, you must use it, and if your attitude is unwelcome, you will have problems. So, if you want to do business, you better keep politics or even human rights out of it. Furthermore, Chinese people can only have one citizenship and many of those living abroad want to remain Chinese and to keep contacts with their country.

I understand both sides, those who are more closed and those who are more open. They too face a struggle for their identity, just like me.

Read more from the original source:
Badiucao Explains How China Exports Its Propaganda and Censorship to the West - The Diplomat

Five for Fighting frontman John Ondrasik spoke out against censorship on Monday during an appearance on "Americas Newsroom" after YouTube temporarily removed and then reinstated a music video of his song "Blood on my Hands," which criticized the U.S. for its handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal.

"It seems that freedom of expression only matters when the censorship applies to our side, our tribal team," Ondrasik told co-host, Dana Perino. "If its criticizing somebody thats on our side, well so what, censorship. Its all political."

Ondrasik went on to say that bringing attention to the American citizens and allies left behind, the children sold for food, the lesbians and gays who have been murdered, and the women who have had their rights stripped away was not a political message, but rather a moral one.

JOHN ONDRASIK RELEASES GRAPHIC VIDEO FOR 'BLOOD ON MY HANDS' FEATURING FOOTAGE OF AFGHANISTAN UNDER TALIBAN

He also took aim at celebrities and human rights activists that "stand on their soapboxes and preach about their moral compassion" while remaining silent on the abuses occurring within Afghanistan as a result of U.S. indifference and complicity.

John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting at PBS' 2017 National Memorial Day Concert Rehearsals at U.S. Capitol on May 27, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Capital Concerts)

"Frankly none of them stood up for me when YouTube took my video down. Their silence I think speaks loudly, and it makes you wonder if the whole thing's an act."

The video, which used real-world footage depicting atrocities by the Taliban and the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, was reportedly flagged as having violated YouTubes "graphic content policy."

Once the video gained traction, Ondrasik claimed YouTube removed the video, citing issues with its graphic imagery, despite other similar videos of Taliban atrocities existing on the tech platform. Roughly nine hours after the songwriter tweeted about his video having been removed, YouTube reinstated it. The platform added a warning that the video could be "inappropriate or offensive to some audiences."

Hundreds of people gather near a U.S. Air Force C-17 transport plane at a perimeter at the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. (AP)

"This was our mistake, and weve reinstated your video. So sorry this happened, and thanks for being patient while we worked this out," Team YouTube said on Twitter, followed by a prayer hands emoji.

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The singer-songwriter added that the flip-flop by YouTube was perplexing and probably would have never occurred without a national outcry to reinstate the video.

Fox News' Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.

Continued here:
John Ondrasik warns of political censorship after YouTube temporarily removed Afghan withdrawal music video - Fox News

TULLY, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) An overwhelming week for Tully High School Senior Tyler Johnson didnt get any easier.

I get a phone call from one of my friends and they said did you hear what is happening and I said no what are you talking about and at this point Im like oh no here we go again.

A high school English teacher assigned students a worksheet on verifying sources, using recent news articles about Tyler. It asked questions like how do you know its a credible web page? How do you know this is a reputable author?

Essentially trying to what seems to be censoring me just like Mr. OBrien and Mr. Hughes have done to me and Kyle and it feels like were not making any progress within the situation, Johnson said.

The assignment has since been removed. Superintendent Hughes responded to NewsChannel 9s request for comment saying in an email in part:

We trust our teachers to develop lesson plans that help our students learn and grow. Obviously given the emotional nature of the issue, this lesson was not appropriate and when we learned of it, we instructed the teacher to stop it immediately.

They put out in their letter how theyre going to support all LGBTQIA+ students and staff, but they still, its the third letter now and they still havent told us how theyre going to do that.

Now, Johsnon says he feels uncertain in a place where he used to feel so confident.

For me, that building has become such an uncomfortable place for me to be. When I walk in my anxiety is through the roof, Johnson said.

Hoping he can start to move forward and begin to heal.

Read more:
Controversy continues at Tully: English teacher calls into question credibility of recent gay censorship - WSYR

Just a few years ago, as freshmen in Regis Jesuit High Schools student media program, we memorized the First Amendment, discussed the dangers of censorship, and listened intently to Mary Beth Tinker preach the power of a free press.

Unfortunately, students at our former high school have been robbed of those freedoms. On Dec. 17, the winter issue of Elevate, Regis Jesuits student magazine, was released. The issue included an opinion piece on abortion in which a freshman advocated for the basic human right of choice. Nothing she wrote contradicted the magazines editorial policies, which read that school officials shall not practice prior review or to censor any student media. The policy only notes narrow exceptions, like legally obscene content and the termination of employees. Nonetheless, the school retracted not only the article but the entire magazine.

We recognize the schools prerogative to educate students on the beliefs of the Catholic Church. Indeed, the school has made its anti-abortion stance clear in theology classes, its pro-life club, and official messaging. But the issue is not whether those with uteruses have a right to abortion. The issue is whether students should be able to question, speak, and reach their own conclusions. In essence, the question is whether students should be educated.

It is true private schools are allowed much greater latitude surrounding the First Amendment. However, there is legal theory and precedent for private school students deriving legal protection from school policies. The Student Press Law Center writes, Where a private school voluntarily establishes a set of guidelines or rules, it must adhere to them. Otherwise, there exists a breach of a legally enforceable promise .

Regis Jesuit voluntarily adopted its editorial policies, which were publically available until this week. The question of legality is not as straightforward as some may argue. Regardless, the legality of censorship does not render it appropriate.

Regis Jesuits website proclaims, We do not teach our students what to think; we teach them how to think It also states, We are called to create environments in which our students may encounter and engage multiple points of view that are presented thoughtfully and respectfully. In light of recent events, this is false advertising.

What is so disheartening about this censorship is that it does not reflect our education at Regis Jesuit. Previously, the school allowed an OpEd praising Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Roe v. Wade. Why start censoring students now?

We believe one reason to be a fear of conflict with the Denver Archdiocese, which is supported by the statement released by Archbishop Aquila. Although the Code of Canon Law allows Jesuit institutions self-governance, it also permits the bishop to issue directives regarding staffing decisions and other matters. Regis Jesuit depends on Archbishop Aquila for its recognition as a Catholic school, which has been leveraged against Jesuit schools before.

Aquila dictated that Catholic schools must be unabashedly defending the anti-abortion movement no matter what the cost. In this case, the cost was two beloved teachers, Nicole Arduini and Maria Lynch, who were fired for allowing the article to be published.

We dispute the notion that censorship is equivalent to defending a position. The school should have released the article in conjunction with their own statement, or alongside a pro-life stance, as was common practice. The decision to fire faculty also sparked a culture of fear among teachers and contributed to dire staffing shortages. A third teacher quit when burdened with an unfair workload. First and foremost, Regis Jesuit must honor its responsibility to educate students, which is impossible when educators are constantly looking over their shoulders or even leaving.

Censorship is not a new issue in schools, private or public. While the rights of schools to control student speech vary, the importance of student voice remains the same. Georgetown Universitys Free Speech Tracker has recorded 34 instances of student press censorship since 2017, and countless more go unreported. Regis Jesuit, and all Jesuit institutions, should follow Georgetowns lead in affirming the free speech of students. Georgetown explains its policy as being necessitated by the Catholic and Jesuit traditions citing the Catholic teaching about autonomy of reason and reverence for conscience.

Beyond religion, all American schools should be committed to promoting democracy. The press is a corollary of democracy, and opposing it discourages students from participating in the democracy that guarantees the freedom of religion. The future of democracy is directly threatened by polarization and unwillingness to have civil discussions.

Finally, all schools should be committed to effective education. The free sharing of ideas is the cornerstone of education. When students are sequestered to echo chambers, they cannot encounter diverse viewpoints and thus receive a less rigorous education than their peers.

Accordingly, all schools, including Regis Jesuit, should adopt policies to ensure their publications are classified as public forums for student expression. To censor student journalists is not just immoral, it is ineffective education.

Madeline Proctor is beginning her second semester at Harvard University, where she writes for the student weekly Harvard Independent. She was editor-in-chief of Regis Jesuits Elevate magazine, as well as former editor of the Opinion and Editorial section. Sophia Marcinek is a second-year nursing student at Seattle University and is a staff writer for the student newspaper, The Spectator. Marcinek was editor-in-chief of Elevate magazine and the head of Student Media in 2020.

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Opinion: Private schools, like Regis Jesuit, must resist the temptation to censor student voices - The Denver Post