Quick Hits Of Wisdom, Knowledge And Snark #13
Quick Hits Of Wisdom, Knowledge And Snark #12 - Totalitarian Jab Edition...
Quick Hits Of Wisdom, Knowledge And Snark #11
Wednesday, September 15, 2021
“This Work Terrifies Me”: Virginia Tech Professor Triggers Free Speech Debate Over “Who I Am” Statement
It is now common for faculty to include diversity statements with their syllabus. Indeed, such statements are encouraged at most schools. However, a statement by a human development and family science assistant professor at Virginia Tech University has triggered a debate over academic freedom and free speech. Crystal Lynn Duncan Lane reportedly added a “Who I Am” section to her syllabus that has drawn criticism on sites like Campus Reform and from some of her students over an apology for being white and middle class. While Lane states that dealing with her own latent racism is “work [that] terrifies me,” her statement has outraged others who felt that it was itself racist against white students and colleagues. As will come as little surprise to regulars on this site, I believe this is protected speech by Lane. The question for me is whether the university would tolerate a statement denying such inherent racism from a professor. That is the true test of free speech and academic freedom.
In her statement, Lane declares:
“I am a Caucasian cisgender female and first-generation college student from Appalachia who is of Scottish, British, and Norwegian heritage. I am married to a cisgender male, and we are middle class. While I did not ‘ask’ for the many privileges in my life: I have benefitted from them and will continue to benefit from them whether I like it or not.” At the end of her statement, Duncan Lane apologizes to students for the “inexcusable horrors within our shared history.”The site Campus Reform further quotes Lane as saying
“This is injustice. I am and will continue to work on a daily basis to be antiracist and confront the innate racism within myself that is the reality and history of white people. I want to be better: Every day. I will transform: Every day. This work terrifies me: Every day. I invite my white students to join me on this journey. And to my students of color: I apologize for the inexcusable horrors within our shared history.”The statement is reminiscent of other such declarations discussed earlier on this site. Last year, we discussed the controversy over the acting Northwestern Law Dean declaring publicly to “I am James Speta and I am a racist.” He was followed by Emily Mullin, executive director of major gifts, who announced, “I am a racist and a gatekeeper of white supremacy. I will work to be better.” Other faculty have been more accusatory of others like the Brandeis dean who declared “all whites are racist.”
Such statements reflect deep-seated political and social views from faculty. Those views may be deeply insulting for students or other faculty. However, I believe that they are still protected speech and reflect intellectual views protected under academic freedom.
The concern that I have is the inconsistent treatment of such controversies where conservative or contrarian faculty are given little accommodation, including a recent case at St. Joseph’s University. A conservative North Carolina professor faced calls for termination over controversial tweets and was pushed to retire. Dr. Mike Adams, a professor of sociology and criminology, had long been a lightning rod of controversy. In 2014, we discussed his prevailing in a lawsuit that alleged discrimination due to his conservative views. He was then targeted again after an inflammatory tweet calling North Carolina a “slave state.” That led to his being pressured to resign with a settlement. He then committed suicide just days before his last day as a professor.
Professor Lane is expressing her views of racism, including her...
The Third Time Is The Charm Right??
No, The Fifth...
Sixth...
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Stanford Faculty Smear Professor Who Accurately Summarized Data On Masks
Open scientific discourse is especially critical during a public health crisis such as a pandemic. It is deeply troubling when scientists try to limit rather than engage in scientific debate.
Open scientific discourse is especially critical during a public health crisis such as a pandemic. Academics should be free to pursue knowledge wherever it may lead, without undue or unreasonable interference. It is deeply troubling when scientists try to limit rather than engage in scientific debate.
Last week, anonymous posters with the portrait of Stanford University Professor of Medicine Dr. Jay Bhattacharya were plastered on kiosks around the Stanford campus, linking him to COVID deaths in Florida. Even though cumulative age-adjusted COVID mortality is lower in Florida than in most other large states, these smears appeared.
Taking it one step further, the chair of Stanford’s epidemiology department, Professor Melissa Bondy, circulated a petition among faculty members demanding that the university president exercise his obligation “to clarify for the faculty the limits of public pronouncements when proclaiming on public health policy.”
The petitioners are upset that “several Stanford faculty members have publicly advocated for policies for others that are contrary to those the university has adopted” and that “these recommendations are disturbing and contrary to public health standards; they foster uncertainty and anxiety and put lives at risk.”
While insidiously not naming anyone, the petition explicitly targets Bhattacharya by quoting his answer to a question from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis about masks on children. He responded that “there is no high-quality evidence to support the assertion that masks stop the disease from spreading.” To deserve trust, scientists must be honest about what is and what is not known, and we agree with Bhattacharya.
Randomized trials provide the best available research evidence to inform health-care decisions and are considered the gold standard for determining intervention effects. But no randomized studies have shown that masks in children are effective. Instead, there are observational studies of uneven quality that reach conflicting conclusions.
For example...
Where’s the media? Far-left activist convicted in domestic terror attacks against Washington trains
The first of the two defendants pleaded guilty in July, with both now facing up to 20 years in federal prison.
We at Law Enforcement Today previously reported on the arrests of now 28-year-old Samantha Frances Brooks and 24-year-old Ellen Brennan Reiche.
Both of them were charged on November 30th of 2020.
The Justice Department charged the two with a terrorist attack lodged against the BNSF Railway tracks near Bellingham in Whatcom County.
According to a September 9th press release from the Justice Department, Reiche was found guilty of violence against a railroad carrier after having gone to trial.
Her co-defendant, Brooks, pleaded guilty to interference with a railroad signaling system on July 9th. Both of them are facing 20 years in federal prison.
Case testimony from Reiche’s trial noted that on video surveillance, Reiche and co-defendant Brooks were seen...
Both of them were charged on November 30th of 2020.
The Justice Department charged the two with a terrorist attack lodged against the BNSF Railway tracks near Bellingham in Whatcom County.
According to a September 9th press release from the Justice Department, Reiche was found guilty of violence against a railroad carrier after having gone to trial.
Her co-defendant, Brooks, pleaded guilty to interference with a railroad signaling system on July 9th. Both of them are facing 20 years in federal prison.
Case testimony from Reiche’s trial noted that on video surveillance, Reiche and co-defendant Brooks were seen...
BREAKING: Two Healthcare Insiders at Aegis Living Blow Whistle on Alleged Elder Abuse and Medical Fraud ... ‘Aegis Living is Grossly Taking Advantage of Severely Vulnerable Adults’ ... ‘Signature Had Been Forged Multiple Times’
- Cassandra Renner, Aegis Living Insider: “I came to Project Veritas because I believe that Aegis Living is grossly taking advantage of severely vulnerable adults through fraud on care plans.”
- Renner: “I had overheard a chemical restraint being given to one of the residents I worked with in order to get her to take the COVID vaccine…They had given her a PRN, like Xanax, and they were successful after giving her the PRN in order to get her to take the COVID vaccine. The resident was lied to about what shot she was receiving. She was told that it was the flu shot… She's no longer with us and in her last moments of life, she had to have her dignity removed.”
- Renner: “I don't think that the neglect is coming directly from the care managers, as much as it is coming from the facility making the choice to be short-staffed.”
- Renner: “We can probably, on a good day, get about 50% of what these people are paying for done.”
- Renner: “In the past I had not signed for certain things that I knew I hadn't completed, and I was told by the ACD [Associate Care Director] who had told me to sign them, that I needed to just sign them anyways. Even if I hadn't completed the task…I noticed the other day, or like a little bit ago that one of my signatures looks like it wasn't mine.”
- Renner: “I had found out that my signature had been forged multiple times. Someone signed for me to claim that I had completed a service that I specifically did not sign because it was not completed.”
- Jonathan Schlect, Aegis Living Insider: “I was told by the care director, Jen, if I didn't [forge signatures], I would be out of compliance with my job and not following her direction, and I'd be written up.”
- Schlect: “Adam, who was another ACD replies back [in the group text], ‘Falsify documents. It will pay off.’”
- Margie Massa, Associate Care Director, Aegis Living: “If there’s not a signature there then that means you didn’t do the service. If I knew who worked that day, then I might jot in an initial because I'm kind of saving their asses too. You know?”
- Averi Robinson, Associate Care Director, Aegis Living: “The people we do have are there [at Aegis Living] because we need a heartbeat and not because they're actually capable caregivers…They [Aegis Living] literally cannot afford to fire any of us. If we have anything, it’s job security.”
[ISSAQUAH, Wash. – Sept. 14, 2021] Project Veritas released a new video today that features two healthcare insiders blowing the whistle on their employer, Aegis Living, for engaging in alleged elder abuse and medical fraud.
Cassandra Renner, who worked as a Medical Technician at Aegis Living, said she came forward because she could no longer bear the corruption in her workplace.
“I came to Project Veritas because I believe that Aegis Living is grossly taking advantage of severely vulnerable adults through fraud on...
Cassandra Renner, who worked as a Medical Technician at Aegis Living, said she came forward because she could no longer bear the corruption in her workplace.
“I came to Project Veritas because I believe that Aegis Living is grossly taking advantage of severely vulnerable adults through fraud on...
COUP: General Milley Secretly Pledged to Warn Chinese Communist Party if Trump Planned a Strike.
Excerpts from the new Bob Woodward book reveal a partisan coup at the heart of the U.S. government.
Through secret backchannels unbeknownst to then-President Donald Trump, General Mark Milley informed leaders from the Chinese Communist Party and Democratic Party that he would not carry out “any kind” of military action ordered by Trump.
The revelations represent a stunning admission of an effective coup d’etat at the top of the U.S. government, with U.S. officials colluding with the Chinese Communist Party in order to limit Donald Trump’s powers.
Backchannels.
General Milley – who controversially defended teaching Marxist “critical race theory” in the military – telephoned his Chinese Communist Party counterpart, General Li Zuocheng, twice in the final months of the Trump administration.
Milley’s calls – according to Bob Woodward’s and Robert Costa’s new book entited Peril – were aimed at restricting the President of the United States’ abilities to wage kinetic war against China. Stunningly, Milley even secretly pledged to inform Beijing ahead of any potential U.S. military action.
On the first call on October 30th, 2020, just four days before the U.S. election, Milley assured his Chinese Communist Party friends that the U.S. would not attack China:
“General Li, I want to assure you that the American government is stable and everything is going to be okay. We are not going to attack or conduct any kinetic operations against you.”– Gen. Milley
“General Li, you and I have known each other for now five years. If we’re going to attack, I’m going to call you ahead of time. It’s not going to be a surprise,” he added. “Li took the chairman at his word,” The Washington Post notes.
The second call between the two generals, of which Milley did not inform Trump, took place on January 8th, 2021.
“Things may look unsteady,” Milley posited to Li, adding “but that’s the nature of democracy, General Li. We are 100 percent steady. Everything’s fine. But democracy can be sloppy sometimes.” In response, Li suggested that the Chinese Communist Party felt that the United States government was unstable during the hour and a half phone call.
Milley believed that Trump would attempt to create a crisis in an effort to seize power, “similar to Hitler’s exploitation in 1933 of an arson fire at the German Reichstag to help institute emergency powers,” according to The Washington Post.
In reality, it was the anti-Trump establishment that turned a small fracas at the Capitol on January 6th into a full-blown “insurrection” – a framing which an increasing number of Americans now reject.
To address these unfounded fears, Milley spoke to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, informing her that he would prohibit Trump from using “any kind” of military force.”
Partisan Military Leadership.
As The New York Times recounts:
In reality, it was the anti-Trump establishment that turned a small fracas at the Capitol on January 6th into a full-blown “insurrection” – a framing which an increasing number of Americans now reject.
To address these unfounded fears, Milley spoke to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, informing her that he would prohibit Trump from using “any kind” of military force.”
Partisan Military Leadership.
As The New York Times recounts:
Later that day, General Milley spoke to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was growing increasing concerned Mr. Trump would lash out and use military force.
“This is bad, but who knows what he might do?” Ms. Pelosi said. “He’s crazy. You know he’s crazy. He’s been crazy for a long time. So don’t say you don’t know what his...
General Milley's Treachery and Betrayal Merit A Court Martial
Under our system of military justice, Milley must be held accountable
Revelations about the conduct of Gen. Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, contained in a new book are beyond alarming. If accurate, they constitute court martial offenses. If proven at trial, they merit conviction and imprisonment.
In the book titled “Peril,” Washington Post associate editor Bob Woodward and national political reporter Robert Costa describe in intimate detail conversations that Milley had with senior Pentagon officials, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and a top general in the Chinese military toward the end of Trump’s presidency.
According to the book, Milley usurped the authority of the president as the elected civilian leader of the United States, sought to defy any order with which he disagreed, and inserted himself into a chain of command where he did not belong in order to arrogate power over the nation’s military operations and nuclear codes. But that’s not all.
The authors contend that Milley secretly informed China that he would warn them in advance of any attack by U.S. military forces. Pentagon sources have admitted that Milley made the calls to the Chinese, as Fox News reported. But they insist that the general assured China that there would be no surprise attacks. It is a distinction with very little difference.
Given the gravity of these accusations and the corresponding national security threat they posed, Milley should be immediately suspended from all military duty —including his position as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff— pending a thorough investigation. If there exists credible evidence to support the claims against him, he must face a court martial by military tribunal to answer for his perfidy.
Usurping Authority
Two days after the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, Milley spoke by telephone with House Speaker Pelosi. In a transcript of the call obtained by the authors, Pelosi demanded that the general wrest control of the nuclear codes from Trump by instituting precautions and otherwise prevent him from taking any adverse military action. Milley offered his resolute assurances to the speaker.
Shortly thereafter, Milley convened a covert meeting with senior Pentagon officials, including the chain of command for the nation’s nuclear arsenal. Asserting unfettered power that he did not have, the general instructed them that no one was to act on any orders for military strikes —even from President Trump— unless he, Milley, was personally involved and approved. He insisted that everyone in the room verbally commit to effectively place him in charge.
As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Milley serves only as an adviser to the president. That is all. His position is not within the chain of command overseeing the codes that control U.S. nuclear weapons. Indeed, by law he is prohibited by from having any operational command authority over America’s armed forces. As such, his actions as described in the book were both treacherous and lawless.
Under Article 94 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), a person is guilty of sedition if he acts “with intent to cause the overthrow or destruction of lawful civil authority.” Usurping the power of the president as commander-in-chief and undermining his constitutional authority are grounds for a court martial. Actively subverting or defying the elected, civilian control of the military is nothing more than a hijacking of our government by an advisor who thinks he can do so because he...
Trump on ‘Dumbass’ Milley: ‘Action Should Be Taken Immediately’ for Secret Calls with China
Former President Donald Trump castigated Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley in a statement on Tuesday, after a new book alleged he had taken secret action to limit the president’s authority in the wake of January 6 and told China that he would give them advance notice if the U.S. were to attack it.
The book, by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa, alleged that Milley called a secret meeting at the Pentagon after the Capitol breach on January 6 and told senior military leaders to notify him in case the president wanted to order a nuclear weapons attack.
The book also alleged that Milley held two secret phone calls with his Chinese counterpart four days before the 2020 election and after January 6, to reassure him that the U.S. would not attack China and if it did, he would alert him immediately.
Trump blasted Milley in his statement:
If the story of “Dumbass” General Mark Milley, the same failed leader who engineered the worst withdrawal from a country, Afghanistan, in U.S. history, leaving behind many dead and wounded soldiers, many American citizens, and $85 Billion worth of the newest and most sophisticated Military equipment in the world, and our Country’s reputation, is true, then I assume he would be tried for TREASON in that he would have been dealing with his Chinese counterpart behind the President’s back and telling China that he would be giving them notification “of an attack.” Can’t do that!
The good news is that the story is Fake News concocted by a weak and ineffective General together with two authors who I refused to give an interview to because they write fiction, not fact. Actions should be taken immediately against Milley, and better generals in our Military, of which we have many, should get involved so that another Afghanistan disaster never happens again. Remember, I was the one who...
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