Dutch airline panders to puritanical religious beliefs

Anglicans, presumably.  I doubt that I need to name more likely religions.  I would have thought that this was contrary to Dutch law.  Most Western countries these days have laws supporting public breastfeeding

A mother issued a warning to any nursing mothers who are considering travelling with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines: don't.

In a Facebook post to the airline's page, Shelby Angel detailed an incident on a flight from San Francisco to Amsterdam where she said the attendant told her to cover up while breastfeeding her 1-year-old daughter.

Angel said she nurses her child to calm her during the flight and make her comfortable.

"I do my best to be discreet, but sometimes some skin shows. Before we even took off, I was approached by a flight attendant carrying a blanket. She told me (and I quote) 'if you want to continue doing the breastfeeding, you need to cover yourself,'" the mom wrote. "I told her no, my daughter doesn't like to be covered up. That would upset her almost as much as not breastfeeding her at all."

According to Angel, the flight attendant told her that if anyone on the flight complained then it would be the attendant's issue to deal with. While no one protested her breastfeeding in public, Angel said she felt disrespected by the flight attendant.

The mom said she filed a complaint with the airline when she got home, to which they told her their employee was acting in accordance with their policy and she needs to be respectful of other people's culture.

"So instead of standing up for and protecting breastfeeding mothers and our children, already under the duress faced by flying with our young children, KLM would rather hold up antiquated values that shame women's bodies," Angel wrote.

KLM confirms breastfeeding policy

A spokesperson for the airline Manel Vrijenhoek, said that although breastfeeding is allowed on their flights, not everyone is comfortable with it, which results in complaints to cabin staff. "To keep the peace on board, in such cases we will try to find a solution that is acceptable to everyone and that shows respect for everyone's comfort and personal space," the statement read. "This may involve a request to a mother to cover her breast."

Angel's post received an overwhelming amount of comments from fellow travellers saying they would boycott the airline for their behaviour.

"Thanks for the heads up, will (definitely) not book with KLM," wrote one commenter.

But a few backed the airline's decision. "I wouldn't have any problem covering up," wrote another. "I breast fed both my children on planes under a light scarf or something similar. I understand that there are people in the world who object for religion reasons or otherwise. I am happy to go about my life doing what I want ( breastfeeding my child) but being considerate of others beliefs and cultures."

SOURCE 






Business owner who says he offered a Florida panhandler a job but was told 'absolutely not!' joins him on intersection with his OWN sign

A Florida resident is taking a stand against panhandlers in his town after a homeless man allegedly rejected his offer of a $15 per-hour job by unceremoniously kicking his car and swearing at him, demanding instant cash instead.

Ryan Bray was travelling back to his home in Bradenton on Sunday when he encountered a panhandler, one of five or six encounters he has each week, on the corner of Manatee Avenue West and 75th Street.

Determined to offer the man in need a more permanent solution to finally get off the streets rather than just handing over cash, Bray offered a proposition for the man instead.

Bray, who works for his family's remodeling business, says he offered the man a $15 per-hour job doing yard work with the firm, as well as offering guidance to help find the man a permanent place to stay.

But instead of being grateful, the panhandler reportedly lashed out. 'He reached his arms inside my vehicle, resting them and said 'Hey, do you have any money?' Bray recalled for FOX35. 'I said, 'No I have one better for you.'

According to Bray, the panhandler responded, 'Absolutely not!', before becoming physically aggressive and cursing at him. He then kicked the tire of Bray's Jeep and told him to leave.

But Bray was determined for that not to be the end of the interaction, and instead returned home to make up his own sign begging for change – urging passing motorists to start ignoring the beggars and stop handing money over in a bid to drive them out of town.

The sign reads: 'I offered him $15 an hour to do yard work for me and he refused. If we as a community stop paying them, they will leave our neighborhood!'

Bray explained: 'I can't have my 13-year-old daughter and my wife driving with their windows up and being berated the entire time if they don't get money. 'Every time anyone comes down 75th they are there. None of us want them in our neighborhood. They get irate and curse at you if you don't give them any money. 'One guy was yelling, 'I'll rape your mother and kill your wife,' Bray claimed.

Bray returned to the corner with the sign, standing next to the same culprit who apparently kicked his car, telling passing motorists the man begging for their hard-earned cash wasn't willing to work for it himself.

During the three-hours, Bray said the man 'didn't receive a dime' but said more needed to be done among neighbors to end the issue once and for all.

'It's not the way I wanted to spend my Sunday,' Bray added. 'I care about our homeless veterans and such but these people yell profanities at you if don't give them money. So the only way to get them to leave is people need to stop giving them money. We're tired of it.'

Speaking to Fox, the homeless man, who didn't want to be identified, insisted he wasn't doing anything wrong for asking for passing drivers' help. 'You can't shut me down brother,' the man insisted.

Her later told ABC News that Bray was the aggressor and never offered him a job.

'He's a rich preppy f***ing, piece of s*** who thinks I'm supposed to take his f***ing job because he's got money and he lives down here. I don't care what you got brother,' Alabama said. 'I never had no trouble until this dude shows up. Just because he's got money, don't mean as homeless people, we don't have rights.'

Bray is urging the local council to take a harder stance against aggressive panhandling in Bradenton.

'I understand the plight of homelessness,' Bray said. 'I feel bad for him. But, this isn't homelessness. They are making more money sitting here on this corner than they would doing an honest living.

'Enough is enough. It's out of control. It's getting worse and worse and worse now they are coming into northwest Bradenton.'

He said the intersection has been worked by a group of homeless people for the past year, each taking it in turn to work the corner.

SOURCE 





Exodus Movement Launches State Chapters to Battle LEFT-Wing Anti-Semitism

The Exodus Movement, a group of self-described “proud Jewish Americans who reject the hypocrisy, anti-Americanism, and anti-Semitism of the rising far-left” announced today that they are launching a nationwide chapter program “to educate Jewish Americans – and all Americans more broadly – about the dangerous creep of anti-Semitism emanating from far-left extremists.”

“These chapters, which are located in diverse, strategic locales, will serve as a means for supporters of The Exodus Movement to gather and push a platform of opposition to liberal anti-Semitism and will enable Jewish Americans to unite in support of issues that reflect their Jewish values,” states the organization on its website.

The chapters will be located in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas. Of these states, five have a higher-than-average Jewish population.

“As an American-Jewish elected official in New Jersey, I’ve found that college campuses and local communities are often the front lines of combating anti-Semitism, including for example the appalling BDS movement,” said Mark Schwartz, the deputy mayor of Teaneck County, New Jersey, as reported in the Daily Wire.

“Unfortunately, too often our voices in opposition are not adequately heard. Organizations like The Exodus Movement are urgently needed right now in our political discourse to encourage active participation and engagement to confront the very real issues of concern for the Jewish community, such as rising anti-Semitism and security,” said Schwartz.

David Ludwig, president of the Maricopa County chapter in Arizona, said, “I’m honored to be working with the Exodus Movement as president of the Maricopa County Chapter here in Arizona. Given the current political climate where supporting Israel and recognizing critical Jewish concerns seems to be taboo among the far-Left, an organization like the Exodus Movement is needed now more than ever.”

“With such a strong, diverse Jewish community in our county and across Arizona, I’m very excited to be involved, helping to highlight the issues that are truly relevant to our people, and encourage broad participation across the spectrum,” said Ludwig.

The goal of The Exodus Movement is to speak out against anti-Jewish and anti-Israel forces on the liberal/left side of the political aisle.

“Progressives, Democrats, and far too many Jewish organizations have taken our support for granted for far too long,” states the organization.  “We are now determined and unafraid to speak for ourselves.  We’re done standing with allegedly supportive liberals who consistently side with our enemies, and disregard our values and beliefs.”

The founder and president of The Exodus Movement is Elizabeth Pipko, a model, athlete, and writer from New York City. A Millennial Jew, Pipko is the “daughter of immigrants and granddaughter of world-renowned Jewish artist Marc Klionsky, known for his work with Elie Wiesel,” states the organization.

SOURCE 






Australia: The Federal Court has dismissed action by Aborigines against a nuclear waste dump in South Australia

The Federal Court has dismissed a bid by a group of native title holders to influence and potentially block the construction of a nuclear waste dump on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula.

The Barngarla people had argued that a poll of residents planned by the Kimba District Council, to gauge local support for the dump, was unlawful because it excluded native title holders.

Two sites near the town have been short-listed as potential locations for a low-level radioactive waste storage facility, while a third is near the Flinders Ranges town of Hawker.

The federal government is yet to reveal its preferred location but following the court ruling said it was mindful of the need to reach a decision.

It has also vowed to continue to consult with all stakeholders as it thanked local communities for their patience.

The Barngarla had claimed their exclusion from the Kimba ballot was based on their Aboriginality and would impair their human rights or fundamental freedoms as native title owners.

But on Friday, Justice Richard White ruled that the council's actions did not contravene racial discrimination laws.

Justice White found the council had not excluded the Barngarla because of their Aboriginality but had reasonably restricted the ballot to members of the Kimba community who had the right to elect council members.

"An enlargement of the franchise for the purpose of the ballot would have required a number of subjective judgments about the extent of the enlargement and raised issues concerning the proper identification of those within the expanded franchise," the judge said.

The federal Department of Industry, Innovation and Science said it would study the judgment in detail before advising communities on the next steps in the selection process.

Jeff Baldock, who has nominated his Kimba farming property as one of the possible sites, welcomed the ruling and urged the government to move forward.

He said the project had good support in the local community and was a "once in a lifetime opportunity to secure Kimba's future."

Mr Baldock said the waste facility would potentially provide jobs and much-needed revenue for the region, which was beginning to lose businesses and services, for hundreds of years.

But the Greens said the court decision had sidelined traditional owners and called for an independent expert panel to take over selection of the waste site.

"The entire process has been badly botched from the start, with community concerns ignored and the Adnyamathanha and Barngarla people sidelined," South Australian Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

"South Australia is not going to just roll over and be the country's dumping ground. This plan would lock generations of South Australians to nuclear waste."

The Kimba council had been about to distribute ballot papers for a vote on the dump when the ballot was halted by a South Australian Supreme Court injunction last year.

The council said on Friday it would make a comprehensive statement on the court judgment in the coming days and would continue to liaise with the federal government on the conduct of the ballot.

SOURCE  

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Political correctness is most pervasive in universities and colleges but I rarely report the  incidents concerned here as I have a separate blog for educational matters.

American "liberals" often deny being Leftists and say that they are very different from the Communist rulers of  other countries.  The only real difference, however, is how much power they have.  In America, their power is limited by democracy.  To see what they WOULD be like with more power, look at where they ARE already  very powerful: in America's educational system -- particularly in the universities and colleges.  They show there the same respect for free-speech and political diversity that Stalin did:  None.  So look to the colleges to see  what the whole country would be like if "liberals" had their way.  It would be a dictatorship.

For more postings from me, see TONGUE-TIED, GREENIE WATCH,   EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL, AUSTRALIAN POLITICS and  DISSECTING LEFTISM.   My Home Pages are here or   here or   here.  Email me (John Ray) here.  Email me (John Ray) here. 

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