Wednesday, December 31, 2003

 

ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY MORALLY EQUIVALENT?

Predictably, Karen Armstrong in The Guardian portrays Islam and Christianity as similarly violent and as morally equivalent. An English reader has emailed me the following riposte to that:

Karen Armstrong's article “When God goes to war” (December 29) seriously misleads about a topic of great importance. The equivalence of militarism between religions which she paints is utterly untrue.

Jesus Christ never retaliated even when he was assaulted and his life threatened, and he preached a gospel of total non-retaliation. His disciples heroically continued this total pacifism through three centuries of martyrdom and other persecution. Christianity grew only by persuasion and the honorable example of its many martyrs. Christian martyrs are still being killed in Pakistan.

By stark contrast, Mohammed was a multiple murderer (sorry but this does have to be said whatever the Mohammedanist censors would prefer), who contrived to get others to kill those who disagreed with him. Evidently he was also a coward. Islam was spread not by persuasion or honorable example but only by the sword-wielding of Mohammed and his collaboraters.

The Crusades were organised by rulers rather than saints and were a reaction to Muslim armies occupying the Holy Land and then trying to conquer Europe too. Of course there are many very honorable and pacifist Muslims, while much murder has been committed supposedly in the name of Christianity. But that original historical basis goes a very long way to explaining why it is only Islam that inspires people to become martyrs and murderers concurrently as suicide bombers. In no way can the anti-democratic militaristic multiple murderer Mohammed be a worthy example for our troubled times. Should we face that fact or retreat instead into politically-correct deceit?

posted by jonjayray 15:46

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Tuesday, December 30, 2003

 

MUSLIM RAPE IS OK

Charming: A female public prosecutor who helped put lots of gang-rapists behind bars has been attacked and discriminated against by all and sundry because the rapists were Muslims. Apparently rape by Muslims is OK. Who cares about the victims? Not the politically correct crowd, that's for sure. Upsetting people is their real aim, their hidden program. They hate ordinary people.

posted by jonjayray 13:04

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NEW YEAR BAD TOO

The PC crowd and the Saudis have a lot in common

"Morality police in southern Saudi Arabia plan to conduct raids to ensure that shops do not sell flowers, candles and gifts to those planning to celebrate New Year, a local newspaper reported on Monday".

posted by jonjayray 13:03

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Monday, December 29, 2003

 

DISGRACEFULLY UNPROFESSIONAL PREJUDICE AGAINST BOYS

But what do you expect of the Leftists and Feminists who dominate U.S. school teaching?

For many years, researchers and educators alike believed that reading problems affect far more boys than girls, with boys suffering problems at rates as high as five to one. About 15 years ago, our research group at Yale decided to investigate the occurrence of reading problems in boys and girls. Using data from our ongoing Connecticut Longitudinal Study (CLS) of learning we, too, found that elementary schools indeed were identifying nearly four times as many boys as girls as having a reading disability. However, when we individually tested each child, we found comparable numbers of boys and girls are affected by reading problems.

Why the difference?

School identification of a reading disability is dependent on teacher perceptions. Examining the CLS data, we discovered that teachers perceive boys and girls quite differently. In fact, they rate males as having more problems than females in virtually every area assessed. According to their teachers, boys are more inattentive, more active and exhibit more behavioral and academic problems. Yet, despite such teacher reports of difficulties in the classroom, we found that boys and girls perform similarly on individual tests of reading and math.

Why are more boys identified by their schools? The answer is behavior. For example, boys who may exhibit normal activity levels for their gender - but excess activity for girls - are perceived as outside the range of normal, and subsequently are referred for testing. Behavior is used as a proxy for a learning disability and here, the normally increased activity level of boys is perceived as pathological.

More here

posted by jonjayray 11:52

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Sunday, December 28, 2003

 

NO FREE SPEECH FOR SCHOOL STUDENTS

A 15-year-old Brookfield Central High School student's homemade rhymes earned him a five-day suspension and could get the honor student expelled because of a lyric deemed threatening toward the principal - perhaps the first such case in Wisconsin.

Over the course of three months, Sashwat Singh wrote and recorded a 32-minute, 14-track rap compact disc featuring rants that made reference to illegal drug use and explicit sexual acts. He denigrates classmates, his mother and his high school. One track is a rap he used when campaigning to be class treasurer...

Singh's suspension may mark the first time a high school student in Wisconsin has been removed from school for a song he'd written, said Ken Cole, the executive director of the Madison-based Wisconsin Association of School Boards... Dan Macallair, the executive director of the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice in San Francisco, said the suspension is indicative of a national trend toward zero tolerance in schools.

"We're punishing kids for things that we adults never would have been punished for when we were that age," he said. "If we try to criminalize every comment that adolescents made, all our kids would be locked up."

Neither Macallair nor Cole was familiar with any other case of a student being disciplined for a song recorded outside school...

More here

posted by jonjayray 15:29

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PROTECTING CRIMINALS IN THE NAME OF PRIVACY

Police Chief Drew Akings of Great Bend, Kan., hit a brick wall of silence when he tried to check on two murder suspects wounded in a shootout last May. Hospital officials refused even to say when the men would be discharged. "We worried these criminals might slip away, but protecting their privacy was more important to the hospital," he said. "It ultimately worked out, but it was very frustrating — and dangerous."

posted by jonjayray 15:29

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Saturday, December 27, 2003

 

ANIMAL RESEARCH IS VERY INCORRECT

Better to let people die preventable deaths

"The Sunday Times published the details of a leaked Cabinet Office document on 21 December 2003, which suggested that Professor Colin Blakemore was not recommended for a knighthood because of his 'controversial work on vivisection'. Blakemore says he is now reconsidering his position as chief executive of the Medical Research Council (MRC).

This is not a case of sour grapes. Blakemore tells me 'it has nothing to do with whether I deserve an honour or not - that is not the issue'. His concern is that these revelations may discourage scientists from speaking out on controversial matters. 'My research is not particularly controversial', he points out; 'neither in terms of the animals I have experimented on - mice - nor in terms of the techniques I have adopted. But the point is that I have spoken out on these issues.' Indeed, Blakemore is one of the few British scientists who has consistently spoken out in favour of animal research".

More here. Background on the courageous Prof. Blakemore here.

posted by jonjayray 11:48

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Friday, December 26, 2003

 

AMERICA'S PC MILITARY

"If we do a Darwin Award for individuals who manage to kill themselves through stupidity what do we give to honor those who manage to destroy lives and opportunities for others through manipulation of legislation and policy? Muddy thinking is a waste of time and resources. It hurts individuals and confused the issue. Our military has been used as a re-engineering ground for the idea that male/female individuals are basically the same. This is like using your best china for Frisbees."


FOOD FASCISTS

Food fight "'Public Health Is Everybody's Business,' read the button a chirping woman pushed into my hand at November's annual meeting of the American Public Health Association in San Francisco. A day later I discovered firsthand that public health is everybody's business but mine. I was 'escorted' out of the meeting for the crime of documenting what America's food fascists have planned for our plates."

posted by jonjayray 12:35

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Thursday, December 25, 2003

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL WHO COME BY HERE

I am an atheist but I still love Christmas and am profoundly grateful for my Judeo-Christian roots. I hope other non-Christians can enjoy as much as I do this season of goodwill and hope.



HORRORS! "HOLIDAY" = "HOLY DAY"

"And if you think labeling our spruces and firs 'holiday trees' is the solution to the season's wars, just wait until the ACLU realizes what the dictionary already makes clear: That the word 'holiday' itself comes from the Old English 'holy day'." -- The Wall Street Journal. Via The Federalist



IN DEFENCE OF BAD LUCK

A society which can't accept that 'accidents happen' is destined to be governed by a stifling culture of blame. More here

posted by jonjayray 16:26

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Wednesday, December 24, 2003

 

SOME GOOD NEWS

How goes the annual battle to delete Christmas from schools and the public square? News is mixed, but on the whole, things are not going well for the Grinches. In New Jersey, for example, the Hanover Township school district said it was considering a ban on Christmas carols and other religious songs at school concerts. Parents protested and threatened to sue, so the school board beat a hasty retreat. "If a school wants religious music, they can have it, the way they could before," said the school board president.

The key phrase here is "threatened to sue." In the old days, when an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer would show up to hammer some tiny school board into submission, the legal costs of resisting were so high that the boards usually caved in. Now the anti-Grinches have legal muscle of their own. The Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund, which supported the Hanover parents, claims to have 700 lawyers ready to fight anti-Christmas assaults around the country....

More here

posted by jonjayray 13:51

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JEWISH SYMBOLS ARE INCORRECT OF COURSE!

A homeowners association in California removed holiday signs from light posts because they had images of and words associated with the Hanukkah on them and some of its members complained that they were fostering religious messages, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The Dos Vientos Ranch East Homeowners Association thought the blue banners featuring a silver menorah and small dreidels would be a nice addition to the annual holiday display.

But less than two weeks after they went up, they were replaced by white banners with images green, red and blue presents on them. Association board member Kevin Corbett said the board was trying to stay away from religion.

"Many holidays have both a religious and a social context and it's the social context that the board feels is appropriate to publicly acknowledge," Corbett said. "The religious component is something that members of the community should celebrate in their own way."

Now, some Jewish residents are irked. Mark Alyn says the remaining banners symbolize Christmas, with their candy canes and red ribbons. "While this isn't blatant anti-Semitism and discrimination, it's intolerable," said Alyn. "Why can't we celebrate the holidays together and appreciate our differences?"

From Tongue-Tied

posted by jonjayray 13:50

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Tuesday, December 23, 2003

 

ATTEMPTED RECOVERY FROM PC EDUCATION

One of the most unlikely recent successes in the book world has been Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss. Being a light-hearted guide to the importance of correct punctuation, it is hardly the kind of thing you would have expected to fly off the shelves....

I believe that behind the success of Truss' book is anger at the British education system. Two generations now have not been taught grammar. The post-1960s consensus, that state education should be less didactic and 'pedantic', and more creative and pupil-orientated, has left a sizeable proportion with a feeble grasp of the English language and, consequently, little interest in it.

It is a serious matter. Studies have shown that there is a direct correlation between poor education and disposition to crime. Inarticulate people who cannot spell properly are also more likely to be unemployed.

More here.

posted by jonjayray 12:31

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EVEN BEING "ABRASIVE" IS NOW GROUNDS FOR CENSORSHIP

And saying anybody but whites can be prejudiced is DEFINITELY abrasive. Truth, of course, does not matter

No Free speech on the internet? "When Glendale Community College math Professor Walter Kehowski sent e-mails criticizing some Latino students' views as racist, the students fought back. They accused him of bigotry and demanded that something be done about it. The incident stopped there because little could be done legally to prevent professors from expressing their views outside the classroom. That would change if Rep. Steve Gallardo has his way. The Phoenix Democrat will introduce a bill in the Legislature that would prevent professors from using college computers to spread comments considered offensive or inflammatory toward minorities.... "

posted by jonjayray 12:30

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Monday, December 22, 2003

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE MORMONS

I walked past the beautiful Mormon Temple here in Brisbane last night and just inside the main gate was a large, well-done and well-lit nativity scene. Obviously the politically correct brigade have not got inside Mormon temples yet. Give them time. In the meanwhile it was good to see someone keeping alive the traditions of the culture which created the modern world.

posted by jonjayray 12:14

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Jesus' birth if it happened today!

"And Joseph went up from Galilee to Bethlehem with Mary, his espoused wife, who was great with child. And she brought forth a son and wrappedhim in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. And the angel of the Lord spoke to the shepherds and said, "I bring you tidings of great joy. Unto you is born a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."

"There's a problem with the angel," said a Pharisee who happened to be strolling by. As he explained to Joseph, angels are widely regarded as religious symbols, and the stable was on public property where such symbols were not allowed to land or even hover. "And I have to tell you, this whole thing looks to me very much like a Nativity scene," he said sadly. "That's a no-no, too."

Joseph had a bright idea. "What if I put a couple of reindeer over there near the ox and ass?" he said, eager to avoid sectarian strife. "That would definitely help," said the Pharisee, who knew as well as anyone that whenever a savior appeared, judges usually liked to be on the safe side and surround it with deer or woodland creatures of some sort. "Just to clinch it, throw in a candy cane and a couple of elves and snowmen, too," he said. "No court can resist that."

Mary asked, "What does my son's birth have to do with snowmen?" "Snowpersons," cried a young woman, changing the subject before it veered dangerously toward religion.

Off to the side of the crowd, a Philistine was painting the Nativity scene. Mary complained that she and Joseph looked too tattered and worn in the picture. "Artistic license," he said. "I've got to show the plight of the haggard homeless in a greedy, uncaring society in winter," he quipped. "We're not haggard or homeless. The inn was just full," said Mary. "Whatever," said the painter.

Two women began to argue fiercely. One said she objected to Jesus' birth "because it privileged motherhood." The other scoffed at virgin births, but said that if they encouraged more attention to diversity in family forms and the rights of single mothers, well, then, she was all for them.

"I'm not a single mother," Mary started to say, but she was cut off by a third woman who insisted that swaddling clothes are a form of child abuse, since they restrict the natural movement of babies. With the arrival of 10 child advocates, all trained to spot infant abuse and manger rash, Mary and Joseph were pushed to the edge of the crowd, where arguments were breaking out over how many reindeer (or what mix of reindeer and seasonal sprites) had to be installed to compensate for the infant's unfortunate religious character.

An older man bustled up, bowling over two merchants, who had been busy debating whether an elf is the same as a fairy and whether the elf/fairy should be shaking hands with Jesus in the crib or merely standing to the side, jumping around like a sports mascot. "I'd hold off on the reindeer," the man said, explaining that the use of asses and oxen as picturesque backdrops for Nativity scenes carries the subliminal message of human dominance. He passed out two leaflets, one denouncing manger births as invasions of animal space, the other arguing that stables are "penned environments" where animals are incarcerated against their will. He had no opinion about elves or candy canes.

Signs declaring "Free the Bethlehem 2" began to appear, referring to the obviously exploited ass and ox.

Someone said the halo on Jesus' head was elitist. Mary was exasperated. "And what about you, old mother?" she said sharply to an elderly woman. "Are you here to attack the shepherds as prison guards for excluded species, maybe to complain that singing in Latin identifies us with our Roman oppressors, or just to say that I should have skipped patriarchal religiosity and joined some dumb new-age goddess religion?"

"None of the above," said the woman, "I just wanted to tell you that the Magi are here." Sure enough, the three wise men rode up. The crowd gasped, "They're all male!" And "Not very multicultural!" "Balthasar here is black," said one of the Magi. "Yes, but how many of you are gay or disabled?" someone shouted. A committee was quickly formed to find an impoverished lesbian wise-person among the halt and lame of Bethlehem.

A calm voice said, "Be of good cheer, Mary, you have done well and your son will change the world." At last, a sane person, Mary thought. She turned to see a radiant and confident female face. The woman spoke again: "There is one thing, though. Religious holidays are important, but can't we learn to celebrate them in ways that unite, not divide? For instance, instead of all this business about 'Gloria in excelsis Deo,' why not just 'Season's Greetings'?"

Mary said, "You mean my son has entered human history to deliver the message, 'Hello, it's winter'?" "That's harsh, Mary," said the woman. "Remember, your son could make it big in midwinter festivals, if he doesn't push the religion thing too far. Centuries from now, in nations yet unborn, people will give each other pricey gifts and have big office parties on his birthday. That's not chopped liver."

"Let me get back to you," Mary said.

posted by jonjayray 12:13

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Sunday, December 21, 2003

 

INSENSITIVE TO EXPECT LAWFUL BEHAVIOUR FROM MUSLIMS?

Discriminations has a story that I find a bit too sickening to reproduce here. We are really asking for trouble if we pander to Muslim arrogance that way.

posted by jonjayray 13:36

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MORE CAMPUS "TOLERANCE"

Mike Adams has some good questions:

Communications Professors: Last week, the College Republicans appealed a decision to de-recognize them as an official student group. During their appeal, a professor called the president of the group "arrogant" and their advisor "paranoid." He shouted them down every time they tried to make an argument. He also used a condescending voice just like that guy in the movie "Office Space" (did you get the memo I sent you?). The professor has tenure and teaches, of all things, communications. So, which one is easier to get, a hunting license or a PhD in communications?

Adrien Lopez: Why did former Student Body President Adrien Lopez (hereafter A. Lo) ask me to leave the university because I frequently criticize the campus diversity movement? How can you promote diversity and tolerance by kicking someone off campus because they don't share your views?

posted by jonjayray 13:36

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Saturday, December 20, 2003

 

VOODOO CORRECT TOO?

"Prosecutors in a trial in Miami complain that their seats and evidence boxes are being covered with voodoo powder. US District Judge Patricia Seitz has been shown a large quantity of the greyish dust which was dumped in what's believed to be a Santeria ritual. ... Veteran Assistant US Attorney Richard Gregorie said he respects all religions but is tired of getting his suit coats cleaned of powder residue."

posted by jonjayray 12:43

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THE WAR ON CHRISTMAS

Vdare has some good posts about the PC war on Christmas. Excerpts:

"Just last night, for example, a Russian-speaking reader pointed out that our photograph of the multilingual but Christmas-free Queens Post Office "Holiday Greetings Board" actually did contain a reference to Christmas, cunningly disguised in the Cyrillic alphabet....

It's OFFENSIVE. Tom Fleming, the ferocious editor of "Chronicles Magazine", put it best it in his powerful article "Taking the Kwannukah Out Of Christmas", when he denounced "the insulting and Christophobic 'Happy Holiday.'" That's the point. "Happy Holidays" is Christophobic. It insinuates that the religion that founded America is unfit to be mentioned -- even allusively, even though Christianity pervades the English language.... "

posted by jonjayray 12:42

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Friday, December 19, 2003

 

**

posted by jonjayray 11:39

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MORONIC CORRECTNESS

Opinion Journal reports: Clay-Chalkville High School in Pinson, Ala., has suspended 15-year-old Ysatis Jones, a sophomore, for a "major drug offense," the Birmingham News reports. The offense? She took ibuprofen for menstrual cramps. "It is harsh. I will admit that," Nez Calhoun, a Jefferson County School District spokeswoman, tells the paper. "If we don't have consequences for aberrations of the rule, then we never will get a handle on drugs in the school."

posted by jonjayray 11:34

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FASCISTIC UNIVERSITIES -- USA STYLE

"In a recent Washington Times commentary (December 7, 2003), I used language suggesting that the tactics of campus diversity proponents sometimes resemble tactics the Nazis used during World War II. A recent letter to the editor by UNC-Wilmington professor Dick Veit (rhymes with spite) lends credence to the analogy.

The UNCW College Republicans (CRs) have recently been involved in a highly publicized conflict with the university administration. The controversy began when the CRs tried to limit their membership to Republicans. The university wanted to force them to admit Democrats. When the CRs refused to capitulate, they had their official group status revoked and had their funds frozen by the university......"

More from Mike Adams here

posted by jonjayray 11:33

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Thursday, December 18, 2003

 

THE LAW IS NOW WHATEVER THE PC ELITE THINK IS A GOOD THING AT THE TIME

PP McGuiness on judicial activism: He notes that Australian High Court judge Kirby "goes further, attacking the critics of judicial activism and asserting that judges should not hesitate to make new law and overthrow old law on the basis of their own beliefs about what constitutes justice and human rights... He never faces up to the major complaint about his so-called reformation, that it removes any certainty about the law when a rule which evolved over hundreds of years, or an approach which has become relied upon over decades, suddenly becomes subject to unpredictable reversal on a retrospective basis" Sowell gives an American perspective on the same problem -- pointing out that a judge is now called "conservative" in the media if he sticks to applying the law instead of creating new law.


And some relevant satire: "Just moments after former Vice President Al Gore endorsed former Vermont Governor Howard Dean for President in Harlem yesterday, the Supreme Court overturned his endorsement by a 5-4 margin. The Court, finding the former Vice President's endorsement of Mr. Dean unconstitutional, transferred his endorsement to President George W. Bush instead. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice William Rehnquist said, 'There's really no explanation necessary -- we're the Supreme Court, and if you don't like it, you can stick it where the moon don't shine.'"

posted by jonjayray 17:48

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Wednesday, December 17, 2003

 

A MOST INCORRECT LADY

Suzanne Fields says feminists don't know what it's about: "It's not very hip to consider the plight of single women who yearn for something so old-fashioned as men, all male and very virile." I’ll bet Suzanne has a lot more fun than the feminists!

posted by jonjayray 11:34

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BULL CONNOR AT U.S. COLLEGES

College Republicans have been engaging in guerrilla theater, dramatizing the unfairness of Affirmative Action by selling cookies at lower prices to favored groups:

Want to buy a cookie? If you are a white male, that'll be $1; for white females, 75 cents; blacks, 25 cents. The price structure is the message.

The response by colleges and universities is usually to find an excuse to shut down these satirical acts of free political speech, and even to blame the Republicans for acts of violence and vandalism against them!

This is consistent with the elite view in 2003, during which the Supreme Court, following the whims of Sandra Day (Bull) O'Connor, has twice demonstrated its support for this attitude. First, it enshrined racism in its new disguise of Required Actions of Colleges In Support of Multiculturalism® (abbreviated RACISM). More recently it upheld the Campaign Finance "Reform" Act's suppression of political speech.

At Fox (where else could this story be told?), Wendy McElroy tells the inspiring story of this latest civil rights trend, where young college students are being harassed and attacked by the modern Bull Conners who are still defending racial discrimination.

(also posted at Useful Fools)

posted by John (Useful Fools) 05:57

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Tuesday, December 16, 2003

 

CHRISTMAS SUPPRESSED

It is only a week and a half until Christmas but I have noticed hardly any sign of it anywhere this year. I used to enjoy hearing the wonderfully joyous carols of Christmas everywhere I went before Christmas but that all seems to have stopped -- or at least it has in my neck of the woods. The killjoys of political correctness will no doubt be delighted to have deprived so many of such a simple pleasure.

posted by jonjayray 11:39

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PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS UNDERWAY

David Limbaugh has some new examples:

"The first involves the Meriden Public Library in Meriden, Conn., which banned five paintings of Jesus Christ, not because they were blasphemous or disrespectful, and not even because of ludicrously exaggerated concerns over church/state interaction.

The images were disallowed under a policy that prohibits "inappropriate" and "offensive" fare. That's right: Jesus is offensive. Library officials were concerned that children might be disturbed by these images. What kind of mindset is it that sees offensiveness in portraits of the One who embodies pure love, and wholly ignores the egregious intolerance of those who want to ban them?

In the second example, the Supreme Court is about to hear a case concerning Northwest College in Kirkland, Wash., denying student Joshua Davey a $3,000 scholarship because he wanted to use it for the study of divinity. Thankfully the Bush administration is not infected with the anti-Christian virus. U.S. Solicitor General Ted Olson pointed out that the denial of the scholarship shows a government bias against religion (the Christian religion).

The third example involves Islamic indoctrination in California public schools -- a subject also addressed in my book. Seventh-grade history students at Royal Oak Intermediate School in Covina, Calif., didn't just learn about Islam. They practiced the religion, by fasting to celebrate the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The school clearly endorsed the religion: The teacher enticed students to participate by offering extra credit".

posted by jonjayray 11:38

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Monday, December 15, 2003

 

SCHOOLS SHOULD BE BODYGUARDS??

"Two hours before she would be stabbed to death during sixth period, a lawsuit contends, Ortralla Mosley complained to teachers at Reagan High School that her ex-boyfriend was becoming increasingly violent with her and that she was worried about her safety. That suit, filed in Austin last week, says school officials knew of Marcus McTear's violence with girls but were 'deliberately indifferent.' Now Ortralla's mother, Carolyn, is suing the Austin Independent School District for wrongful death under Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sexual discrimination in public schools. She seeks $23 million in damages."

More here

posted by jonjayray 12:22

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Enid blighted again

The following story appeared in the Brisbane “Sunday Mail” on December 14th., 2003 but does not appear to be online anywhere

THE word police have struck again at Enid Blyton's tales of adventure and mystery that have delighted generations of children. Censors have ruled the names of three central child characters in “The Magic Faraway Tree”, “The Enchanted Wood” and “The Folk Of The Faraway Tree” are offensive and changed them.

Bessie was axed because of connotations of black slavery. She is now Beth. Fanny and Dick have become Frannie and Rick to stop youngsters' suggestive giggles.

In other changes the word "girls” has been deleted from Mother's instruction: "You girls can put up a little bed for him." And "I say!" has been changed to "Hey!"

The stories by Britain's most prolific writer had earlier lost Gilbert the Golliwog, while Noddy no longer feels "queer" or climbs into bed with his pal Big Ears. Stephen Green, of Chorion, which owns the rights to Blyton's books, said: "This is not about being politically correct, but about making the characters relevant to today's consumers. It in no way alters the magic of Enid Blyton."

posted by jonjayray 12:21

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Sunday, December 14, 2003

 

A PC ARMY

The new, politically correct British Army seems to be ready for everything except fighting a war. As "Spiked" asks: "Which British institution describes itself as a 'broad-based, diverse, people-oriented organisation', whose central aim is to 'develop network-enabled capabilities designed to achieve a range of strategic effects'; as a 'major provider of training and education', which 'makes a substantial contribution to the government's drive to raise standards of education and skills'; as an 'exemplary employer in improving the literacy, language and numeracy skills of its personnel'? An educational body, perhaps? Some local council?" Rather amazingly, it is the official decription of the British Army.

posted by jonjayray 12:21

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HAND-WRINGING ABOUT BRITISH YOUTH

“One in five 15-year-olds are obese, one in four are regular smokers, teenage drinking is on the increase, and as many as 60 per cent of 16- to 24-year-olds admit to not using condoms. Dr Peter Maguire, deputy chairman of the BMA's Board of Science, told the BBC: 'The UK is facing a crisis in adolescent health... All the talk of a 'health timebomb', however, seems to be contradicted by statistics that show that fewer people die young than ever before” More here

posted by jonjayray 12:21

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Saturday, December 13, 2003

 

NOW TUNA IS BAD FOR YOU

The Japanese must feel foolish. They eat tons of the stuff. And they eat it raw

"The federal government plans to warn pregnant women, nursing mothers and even those thinking of getting pregnant to limit their consumption of tuna as part of a broad advisory concerning the dangers of eating fish and shellfish with elevated levels of harmful mercury. A draft advisory from the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency cautions women of childbearing age as well as young children to limit their intake of tuna and other fish and shellfish ..."

posted by jonjayray 12:00

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A BIT OF SATIRE

"Researchers have concluded that nursery rhymes show a cynical disregard for injuries, particularly to children. Sarah Giles and Sarah Shea, from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada, say Humpty Dumpty should have been put on a spinal board immediately after his big fall. In a satirical letter to the Canadian Medical Association Journal, they added the presence of all the King's men suggests a 'shocking lack of crowd control.'"

posted by jonjayray 11:59

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Rich Lowry has some good sarcasm about “Holiday Trees”

posted by jonjayray 06:07

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Friday, December 12, 2003

 

CAROLS BY FLASHLIGHT??

PC oppression seems to be pervasive throught the English-speaking world now. I noticed that one of the suburbs near me is putting on a carols by flashlight celebration this year. That nasty hot wax from candles might burn someone, you see. So in future many kids will grow up without ever having been to carols by candle-light. I suppose it is lucky that there are still any carols at all. I rather suspect that songs such as “Rudolf the Red-nosed reindeer”, “Frosty the snowman” and “Jingle Bells” -- which do not mention Christmas -- will be the main fare.

posted by jonjayray 16:40

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DIVERSITY? CALL THE COPS!

From Opinion Journal

“The Christian Science Monitor reports a "religious upsurge" among American college students: "Religion on campus--particularly evangelical groups . . .--is thriving these days, but it doesn't always find an easy home in the intellectual, secular world of higher education." Example:

Evangelism, intolerance of homosexuality and other lifestyles, and the "our way is the only way" version of Christianity can be awkward fits in secular higher education, with its increasingly inclusive culture. At the University of Chicago, the school was so nervous about an evangelical speaker that it called in the campus police. And a few years ago, Tufts University derecognized the local InterVarsity [Christian Fellowship] chapter--though the group was later reinstated--after a very public dispute when a lesbian student filed a discrimination charge against InterVarsity.

See what we mean about the perversity of the left? An "increasingly inclusive culture" is one that deals with disagreement by calling in the cops and shutting down groups whose views are deemed unacceptable”

posted by jonjayray 16:40

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Thursday, December 11, 2003

 

A RARE WIN

"Three federal judges in Michigan now have ruled that school districts violated the free speech rights of students. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Gerald E. Rosen said the Ann Arbor School District acted improperly in the case of a Roman Catholic student who wanted to express her views on homosexuality. The case is 'about tolerance of different, perhaps, 'politically incorrect' viewpoints in the public schools,' Rosen wrote."

posted by jonjayray 14:36

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ANOTHER PC BURDEN FOR THE TAXPAYER

A very kind-hearted lady I know (she works as a geriatric nurse) told me with some horror recently about the current rules governing institutionalized female subnormals in Australia. Apparently they are allowed to have babies if they show any recognition of what a baby is! Any ability to look after, provide for or bring up the baby is apparently not required.

posted by jonjayray 14:36

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Wednesday, December 10, 2003

 

Blogger.com is having one of their "Improvements" today -- with the usual disastrous results. Apologies to those who have logged on and found no new posts. The posts have been there but blogger.com have not been publishing them onto blogspot.

posted by jonjayray 20:02

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posted by jonjayray 19:57

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THE MUSLIM U.S. POSTAGE STAMP

“In response to an email about the Muslim holiday stamp, one well-meaning person wrote the following: “Christ set an example of tolerance and acceptance. Christ taught of loving thy neighbor. Christ taught of feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, and clothing the naked – he did not call them names and denigrate them. He embraced them and earned their respect.”

This man was well-meaning, but ignorant of much of the Scripture that does not support his contentions. “Tolerance and acceptance”? He neither tolerated nor accepted the money changers when he drove them out of the Temple with a whip. “He did not call names and denigrate them.” How about when he called the religious leaders of His day “hypocrites” and likened them to whitewashed graves? He didn’t care about “earning their respect.” He told the truth, and didn’t care one bit whether His listeners liked it!

Well, here’s some truth our politicians won’t like even a little bit. The reissuing of a US postage stamp commemorating a Muslim religious holiday (EID) which celebrates the end of Ramadan was a dumb move that has infuriated millions of Americans. The stamp was first issued in September, 2001 just ten days before the World Trade Center bombings. By that time good old short-memory America had already forgotten the thousands of Americans murdered by Muslim terrorists in the first World Trade Center attack in 1993, Pan Am 103, the Marine barracks in Lebanon, the military barracks in Saudi Arabia, the American Embassies in Africa, and the bombing of the USS Cole (to name just a few).

Prior to 911 many Americans were buying the “Islam means Peace” lie and the first printing of the stamp went pretty much unnoticed. But to re-issue the stamp in post-911 America is a slap in the face to the family members of the thousands who died because Muslims thought it was “holy” to kill them. And I’m not the only one who thinks so. Just one of the dozens of Internet polls on the subject asks that very question. When I checked the results earlier today 22,500 had responded. By a margin of almost three to one, Americans felt that re-issuing the stamp was a “slap in the face” of those bereaved families.....

As I write this there is a movement forming to remove Christmas as a national holiday! And in its place they choose to honor a religion whose stated goal is the destruction of America and all that it stands for!

Americans are banding together to vocally boycott this stamp at our Post Offices. Boycott leaders are encouraging patriots to not only refuse to buy