it's funny to me that people see education as an indoctrination into a certain political ideology.....the same people that go to church and/or wear MAGA gear. oh, the irony.
It's another projection..."brainwashed." I know this can be a sensitive topic but I can't think of anything as brainwashing as religion. Except maybe alt-right media.
The education thing is interesting. I was a political science major and I don't remember anyone really pushing anything on me. But 1) as a liberal, I was already there any maybe coming from my echo chambers, I didn't notice (I'm being 89% sarcastic) and 2) I probably don't even grasp the conservative threshold for "indoctrination." I took a class called "comparative politics" and we studied like four different areas. And we learned about the installation of Pinochet in Chile and the US's role and preference for him over socialism. It was useful, and I suppose it may have been included there because some tenure-protected marxist professor wanted to take the United States down a peg. But as far as I know everything I learned actually happened and it's one of the specific parts of those political science classes I recall. #indoctrinated.
The other thing about education is that there's some blowback from decades of high schools and pop culture telling kids that college was the ideal. And I think there was (still is?) and unspoken but obvious shaming of trade schools, the military and, especially, just getting a job. So every time I see social media posts about valuing trade schools (a good message in itself) the majority of responses are pouncing on leaning a useful skill instead of spending four years getting drunk and getting a degree in 17th Century Albanian Literature. I think some of it is a bit of fighting back on the old "college or you're a loser" narrative, but really, is it OK for people to just do whatever's right for them. I don't think it's usually even poltical (though there is the occasional "liberal indoctrination" angle, to be sure). But many people really believe we should all either be going to trade schools or if we want to be going to college we must spend two years at community college to save money (and everything else is wrong). It's all crap and maybe it used to just be college kids looking down at everyone but we're now all looking down at each other.
I'll be honest, I feel into that trap, as well, coming from a family of liberal arts bachelors degrees. I'm fortunate that this was the actual right path for me. Some people learned the hard way (i.e., two years of tuition before dropping out). And you know something, socially, I'd have been hit hard staying home and doing two years of CC. Four years at a big University was absolutely the right thing for me. So sometimes the high-and-mighty return-of-shaming pisses me off. What I'd really like to see is 1) high schools, parents, etc. letting kids know all their options and 2) all of us just letting each other do what's best for us. It might be CC...the military...expensive Ivy League school...whatever.
I will also go to my grave believing that there is value to a well-rounded liberal arts* education along with the "college experience" (which can be had with little/no drinking). But I also understand that that's not best for everyone and the rising cost drives a need to be a bit more utilitarian with these plans.
I think college / high-profile college is still valued in an unfortunate way, as evidenced by the scandal where 50 people (including a couple of celebrities) bribed their kids into high-profile schools. If you're super rich, why isn't it OK for your kid to go to Fresno State or the University of Iowa? Does it have to be Northwestern, USC or Ivy? I think that's an indication that the elitism thing is not totally without merit. And what if a CEO's kid wants to become a plumber? Is that wrong? I think most of us kinda think it is, but why?
*Liberal arts is an unfortunate name that I supect gives a little extra push to the anti-education crowd.
tell me about it. (I know this wasn't the meat of your post, but it struck me because....) last night was my youngest's confirmation mass. when my wife and I got married, and didn't have kids yet, we agreed to raise them catholic (well, not me, her for that portion). Fuck, I just found myself getting angrier and angrier as I sat there during mass, listening to the arch bishop blather on and on about peace and love and husbands and wives and all the bullshit "feel good" shit that comprises about 5% of organized religion (historically speaking). luckily both my kids are already wise to it. they did it for their mom. but this is likely where it stops (and my wife is fine with that-more of a "let's keep the door open for them should they so choose that path). I like to think it has to do with us having a balance in their parenting. But I was also around their age when my lightbulb went on as well. so who knows.
You just described my life right down to the confirmation mass. My oldest has his is this weekend
my wife turned to me during the reception and said "you just can't keep your disdain hidden, can you?". WTF. I'm participating in this sham, aren't I? I could easily have stood up and shouted "fuck you colonial murderers" at the arch bishop and the priest and walked out. Obviously I wouldn't do that to my family, but shit...I was looking around the room thinking "how can you people believe in this shit?".
What I find interesting is that the demographic of (at least in our city) parishioners has changed dramatically since I was a kid. It's fewer and fewer white people and more and more immigrants (just an observation). Hell, the last two priests at this parish have been guys from africa no one can understand because of their thick accents. Super nice and jovial guys though.
Speaking as someone who was brought up in a heavy Catholic home, I'm not sure the majority of the people around you believe in Catholic faith literally. I bet less than 20% of Catholics believe in trans-substantiation and that is a fundamental part of the Mass. For many, there's some comfort in being involved in a routine that you have been engaged in for most of your life. And they appreciate the community and other aspects of the Church or even church (small c). I also think the actual teachings of Jesus, whether you think he is a man or the Son of God, are universal and there is some value in thinking about them often. I say this as someone who hasn't been to Mass in a few years.
fully agree with the teachings of Jesus, but I also think it's funny that many christians believe morality began with him. it didn't. I consider them more the teachings of morality as a general concept, not some epiphany from one guy where the concept didn't exist prior. the essence of christianity existed in many different forms.
You would like the Jefferson bible then.Thomas Jefferson cut out all the supernatural stuff and made it a book on philosophy
i got a copy and I bring it to church when I have to go, just to mess with them
brought it to RCIA class too as I had to convert to get married. Didn’t go over well though
Haha, when I had to do it for marriage classes, I kept quoting stuff from the Gnostic gospels. That wasn't well received either.
Yes but did you add a degree in religious studies just to win religious debates ? Guilty 😂
true story
Technically it’s a minor but totally the motivation. It’s probably why my BA took 5 1/2 years, just kept adding shit
Gospel of Thomas is a personal favourite as it kind of undermines the need for a church structure. God is within you kind of stuff
Right, and that's why the Church banned that one in particular as heresy. I quite agree with Thomas.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
it's funny to me that people see education as an indoctrination into a certain political ideology.....the same people that go to church and/or wear MAGA gear. oh, the irony.
It's another projection..."brainwashed." I know this can be a sensitive topic but I can't think of anything as brainwashing as religion. Except maybe alt-right media.
The education thing is interesting. I was a political science major and I don't remember anyone really pushing anything on me. But 1) as a liberal, I was already there any maybe coming from my echo chambers, I didn't notice (I'm being 89% sarcastic) and 2) I probably don't even grasp the conservative threshold for "indoctrination." I took a class called "comparative politics" and we studied like four different areas. And we learned about the installation of Pinochet in Chile and the US's role and preference for him over socialism. It was useful, and I suppose it may have been included there because some tenure-protected marxist professor wanted to take the United States down a peg. But as far as I know everything I learned actually happened and it's one of the specific parts of those political science classes I recall. #indoctrinated.
The other thing about education is that there's some blowback from decades of high schools and pop culture telling kids that college was the ideal. And I think there was (still is?) and unspoken but obvious shaming of trade schools, the military and, especially, just getting a job. So every time I see social media posts about valuing trade schools (a good message in itself) the majority of responses are pouncing on leaning a useful skill instead of spending four years getting drunk and getting a degree in 17th Century Albanian Literature. I think some of it is a bit of fighting back on the old "college or you're a loser" narrative, but really, is it OK for people to just do whatever's right for them. I don't think it's usually even poltical (though there is the occasional "liberal indoctrination" angle, to be sure). But many people really believe we should all either be going to trade schools or if we want to be going to college we must spend two years at community college to save money (and everything else is wrong). It's all crap and maybe it used to just be college kids looking down at everyone but we're now all looking down at each other.
I'll be honest, I feel into that trap, as well, coming from a family of liberal arts bachelors degrees. I'm fortunate that this was the actual right path for me. Some people learned the hard way (i.e., two years of tuition before dropping out). And you know something, socially, I'd have been hit hard staying home and doing two years of CC. Four years at a big University was absolutely the right thing for me. So sometimes the high-and-mighty return-of-shaming pisses me off. What I'd really like to see is 1) high schools, parents, etc. letting kids know all their options and 2) all of us just letting each other do what's best for us. It might be CC...the military...expensive Ivy League school...whatever.
I will also go to my grave believing that there is value to a well-rounded liberal arts* education along with the "college experience" (which can be had with little/no drinking). But I also understand that that's not best for everyone and the rising cost drives a need to be a bit more utilitarian with these plans.
I think college / high-profile college is still valued in an unfortunate way, as evidenced by the scandal where 50 people (including a couple of celebrities) bribed their kids into high-profile schools. If you're super rich, why isn't it OK for your kid to go to Fresno State or the University of Iowa? Does it have to be Northwestern, USC or Ivy? I think that's an indication that the elitism thing is not totally without merit. And what if a CEO's kid wants to become a plumber? Is that wrong? I think most of us kinda think it is, but why?
*Liberal arts is an unfortunate name that I supect gives a little extra push to the anti-education crowd.
tell me about it. (I know this wasn't the meat of your post, but it struck me because....) last night was my youngest's confirmation mass. when my wife and I got married, and didn't have kids yet, we agreed to raise them catholic (well, not me, her for that portion). Fuck, I just found myself getting angrier and angrier as I sat there during mass, listening to the arch bishop blather on and on about peace and love and husbands and wives and all the bullshit "feel good" shit that comprises about 5% of organized religion (historically speaking). luckily both my kids are already wise to it. they did it for their mom. but this is likely where it stops (and my wife is fine with that-more of a "let's keep the door open for them should they so choose that path). I like to think it has to do with us having a balance in their parenting. But I was also around their age when my lightbulb went on as well. so who knows.
You just described my life right down to the confirmation mass. My oldest has his is this weekend
my wife turned to me during the reception and said "you just can't keep your disdain hidden, can you?". WTF. I'm participating in this sham, aren't I? I could easily have stood up and shouted "fuck you colonial murderers" at the arch bishop and the priest and walked out. Obviously I wouldn't do that to my family, but shit...I was looking around the room thinking "how can you people believe in this shit?".
What I find interesting is that the demographic of (at least in our city) parishioners has changed dramatically since I was a kid. It's fewer and fewer white people and more and more immigrants (just an observation). Hell, the last two priests at this parish have been guys from africa no one can understand because of their thick accents. Super nice and jovial guys though.
Speaking as someone who was brought up in a heavy Catholic home, I'm not sure the majority of the people around you believe in Catholic faith literally. I bet less than 20% of Catholics believe in trans-substantiation and that is a fundamental part of the Mass. For many, there's some comfort in being involved in a routine that you have been engaged in for most of your life. And they appreciate the community and other aspects of the Church or even church (small c). I also think the actual teachings of Jesus, whether you think he is a man or the Son of God, are universal and there is some value in thinking about them often. I say this as someone who hasn't been to Mass in a few years.
fully agree with the teachings of Jesus, but I also think it's funny that many christians believe morality began with him. it didn't. I consider them more the teachings of morality as a general concept, not some epiphany from one guy where the concept didn't exist prior. the essence of christianity existed in many different forms.
You would like the Jefferson bible then.Thomas Jefferson cut out all the supernatural stuff and made it a book on philosophy
i got a copy and I bring it to church when I have to go, just to mess with them
brought it to RCIA class too as I had to convert to get married. Didn’t go over well though
Haha, when I had to do it for marriage classes, I kept quoting stuff from the Gnostic gospels. That wasn't well received either.
Yes but did you add a degree in religious studies just to win religious debates ? Guilty 😂
true story
Technically it’s a minor but totally the motivation. It’s probably why my BA took 5 1/2 years, just kept adding shit
Gospel of Thomas is a personal favourite as it kind of undermines the need for a church structure. God is within you kind of stuff
Right, and that's why the Church banned that one in particular as heresy. I quite agree with Thomas.
"become a passerby"
It's very confusing and who knows WTF he meant by this.
A witness who supports abortion rights during the House Judiciary Committee's abortion hearing
Wednesday said she believes a person can choose what gender they
identify as and that, therefore, men can get pregnant and have
abortions.
Aimee Arrambide, the executive director of the abortion advocacy group Avow Texas, was asked by Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) what she believes the definition of a woman is.
“I believe that everyone can identify for themselves," Arrambide said.
When asked if she then believed that men could therefore
get pregnant and have abortions, her response was a simple "yes." Bishop
did not push the topic any further.
Do all Democrats believe this? Democratic hero Jerry Nadler provided this witness to the House Judiciary Commitee, FYI.
The question was what’s the definition of a woman. Anyone who identifies as such was the response. I don’t see an issue. They aren’t discussing chromosomal makeup.
If a biological woman identifies as a man then yes a man can get pregnant.
I’m not referring to any person with XX chromosomes who identifies as a man, a woman. I’m referring to them by their gender identity so yes Mike can be pregnant
A witness who supports abortion rights during the House Judiciary Committee's abortion hearing
Wednesday said she believes a person can choose what gender they
identify as and that, therefore, men can get pregnant and have
abortions.
Aimee Arrambide, the executive director of the abortion advocacy group Avow Texas, was asked by Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) what she believes the definition of a woman is.
“I believe that everyone can identify for themselves," Arrambide said.
When asked if she then believed that men could therefore
get pregnant and have abortions, her response was a simple "yes." Bishop
did not push the topic any further.
Do all Democrats believe this? Democratic hero Jerry Nadler provided this witness to the House Judiciary Commitee, FYI.
The question was what’s the definition of a woman. Anyone who identifies as such was the response. I don’t see an issue. They aren’t discussing chromosomal makeup.
If a biological woman identifies as a man then yes a man can get pregnant.
I’m not referring to any person with XX chromosomes who identifies as a man, a woman. I’m referring to them by their gender identity so yes Mike can be pregnant
Yep. I saw that earlier and assumed these right wing rags would take it out of context trying to smear them. Sure enough!
The line of questioning from from these republican congressmen was just disgusting. I thought the doctors handled themselves very well actually. Here in PA we have a nut job who just got the repub nomination for governor. Abortion issue should help dems as this guy who is way out of the mainstream.
it's funny to me that people see education as an indoctrination into a certain political ideology.....the same people that go to church and/or wear MAGA gear. oh, the irony.
It's another projection..."brainwashed." I know this can be a sensitive topic but I can't think of anything as brainwashing as religion. Except maybe alt-right media.
The education thing is interesting. I was a political science major and I don't remember anyone really pushing anything on me. But 1) as a liberal, I was already there any maybe coming from my echo chambers, I didn't notice (I'm being 89% sarcastic) and 2) I probably don't even grasp the conservative threshold for "indoctrination." I took a class called "comparative politics" and we studied like four different areas. And we learned about the installation of Pinochet in Chile and the US's role and preference for him over socialism. It was useful, and I suppose it may have been included there because some tenure-protected marxist professor wanted to take the United States down a peg. But as far as I know everything I learned actually happened and it's one of the specific parts of those political science classes I recall. #indoctrinated.
The other thing about education is that there's some blowback from decades of high schools and pop culture telling kids that college was the ideal. And I think there was (still is?) and unspoken but obvious shaming of trade schools, the military and, especially, just getting a job. So every time I see social media posts about valuing trade schools (a good message in itself) the majority of responses are pouncing on leaning a useful skill instead of spending four years getting drunk and getting a degree in 17th Century Albanian Literature. I think some of it is a bit of fighting back on the old "college or you're a loser" narrative, but really, is it OK for people to just do whatever's right for them. I don't think it's usually even poltical (though there is the occasional "liberal indoctrination" angle, to be sure). But many people really believe we should all either be going to trade schools or if we want to be going to college we must spend two years at community college to save money (and everything else is wrong). It's all crap and maybe it used to just be college kids looking down at everyone but we're now all looking down at each other.
I'll be honest, I feel into that trap, as well, coming from a family of liberal arts bachelors degrees. I'm fortunate that this was the actual right path for me. Some people learned the hard way (i.e., two years of tuition before dropping out). And you know something, socially, I'd have been hit hard staying home and doing two years of CC. Four years at a big University was absolutely the right thing for me. So sometimes the high-and-mighty return-of-shaming pisses me off. What I'd really like to see is 1) high schools, parents, etc. letting kids know all their options and 2) all of us just letting each other do what's best for us. It might be CC...the military...expensive Ivy League school...whatever.
I will also go to my grave believing that there is value to a well-rounded liberal arts* education along with the "college experience" (which can be had with little/no drinking). But I also understand that that's not best for everyone and the rising cost drives a need to be a bit more utilitarian with these plans.
I think college / high-profile college is still valued in an unfortunate way, as evidenced by the scandal where 50 people (including a couple of celebrities) bribed their kids into high-profile schools. If you're super rich, why isn't it OK for your kid to go to Fresno State or the University of Iowa? Does it have to be Northwestern, USC or Ivy? I think that's an indication that the elitism thing is not totally without merit. And what if a CEO's kid wants to become a plumber? Is that wrong? I think most of us kinda think it is, but why?
*Liberal arts is an unfortunate name that I supect gives a little extra push to the anti-education crowd.
tell me about it. (I know this wasn't the meat of your post, but it struck me because....) last night was my youngest's confirmation mass. when my wife and I got married, and didn't have kids yet, we agreed to raise them catholic (well, not me, her for that portion). Fuck, I just found myself getting angrier and angrier as I sat there during mass, listening to the arch bishop blather on and on about peace and love and husbands and wives and all the bullshit "feel good" shit that comprises about 5% of organized religion (historically speaking). luckily both my kids are already wise to it. they did it for their mom. but this is likely where it stops (and my wife is fine with that-more of a "let's keep the door open for them should they so choose that path). I like to think it has to do with us having a balance in their parenting. But I was also around their age when my lightbulb went on as well. so who knows.
You just described my life right down to the confirmation mass. My oldest has his is this weekend
my wife turned to me during the reception and said "you just can't keep your disdain hidden, can you?". WTF. I'm participating in this sham, aren't I? I could easily have stood up and shouted "fuck you colonial murderers" at the arch bishop and the priest and walked out. Obviously I wouldn't do that to my family, but shit...I was looking around the room thinking "how can you people believe in this shit?".
What I find interesting is that the demographic of (at least in our city) parishioners has changed dramatically since I was a kid. It's fewer and fewer white people and more and more immigrants (just an observation). Hell, the last two priests at this parish have been guys from africa no one can understand because of their thick accents. Super nice and jovial guys though.
Speaking as someone who was brought up in a heavy Catholic home, I'm not sure the majority of the people around you believe in Catholic faith literally. I bet less than 20% of Catholics believe in trans-substantiation and that is a fundamental part of the Mass. For many, there's some comfort in being involved in a routine that you have been engaged in for most of your life. And they appreciate the community and other aspects of the Church or even church (small c). I also think the actual teachings of Jesus, whether you think he is a man or the Son of God, are universal and there is some value in thinking about them often. I say this as someone who hasn't been to Mass in a few years.
fully agree with the teachings of Jesus, but I also think it's funny that many christians believe morality began with him. it didn't. I consider them more the teachings of morality as a general concept, not some epiphany from one guy where the concept didn't exist prior. the essence of christianity existed in many different forms.
You would like the Jefferson bible then.Thomas Jefferson cut out all the supernatural stuff and made it a book on philosophy
i got a copy and I bring it to church when I have to go, just to mess with them
brought it to RCIA class too as I had to convert to get married. Didn’t go over well though
Haha, when I had to do it for marriage classes, I kept quoting stuff from the Gnostic gospels. That wasn't well received either.
Yes but did you add a degree in religious studies just to win religious debates ? Guilty 😂
true story
Technically it’s a minor but totally the motivation. It’s probably why my BA took 5 1/2 years, just kept adding shit
Gospel of Thomas is a personal favourite as it kind of undermines the need for a church structure. God is within you kind of stuff
Right, and that's why the Church banned that one in particular as heresy. I quite agree with Thomas.
"become a passerby"
It's very confusing and who knows WTF he meant by this.
this jives with my vague first impression when I came across this while I was in treatment 16 yrs ago.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
The cliffhanger contest between Oz and David McCormick, another claimant to Trump's legacy, is the marquee race from Tuesday's round of primaries -- and carries calamitous echoes of 2020 election controversy and ill omens for 2024.
As does the runaway victor in the commonwealth's GOP gubernatorial primary -- state Sen. Doug Mastriano, who ran a campaign rooted in Trump's falsehoods about the last presidential election being stolen and who could oversee the 2024 White House race in the state if he wins in November.
In a state that could be pivotal to control of the US Senate, top Republicans are raising concerns that Mastriano could drag the party's Senate nominee down, while Democratic nominee Josh Shapiro is already shaping the race by warning the state could fall into the clutches of a dangerous extremist.
Why it matters that Trump is up to his old tricks
Trump is barging into the Senate race in Pennsylvania because there's still a chance that Oz, whom he endorsed last month, could lose out to the candidate the ex-President spurned, former hedge fund executive McCormick, when all votes are counted.
He's frustrated that Oz is having to wait for counts of absentee ballots and delayed votes counted in person. Those votes are just as valid as any cast in person. But Trump is running the same corrupt playbook that he used nearly two years ago to falsely claim he won a second term.
"Dr. Oz should declare victory. It makes it much harder for them to cheat with the ballots that they just happened to find," Trump wrote on his ironically named social media network, "Truth Social," on Wednesday. The ex-President claimed the Keystone State's election was a "MESS," making the same kind of baseless claims he conjured after losing to President Joe Biden.
Americans keen to move on from the former President might wonder why it matters what Trump wrote on a social media platform with a far smaller reach than Twitter, from which he was banned after the January 6, 2021, insurrection for inciting violence.
But Trump's pressure on Oz, who late Wednesday had a lead of less than 1,300 votes among 1.3 million cast, represents a fresh attempt to stain the integrity of American democracy simply because it is not delivering the result he wants. If the former President was settled into his retirement on the fairways and greens of Florida, his dive into the Pennsylvania election wouldn't be so consequential. But there is every sign Trump means to be a major player in November's midterm elections as a launch pad for an attempt to win the White House back in 2024.
He's proving that despite leaving Washington in disgrace after launching a campaign of lies designed to overturn his election loss, which resulted in an insurrection, he would have no qualms about doing so again. Trump has shown his power over his followers ever since 2020: his fraud falsehoods are now believed by millions, while many GOP candidates this year have made them a part of their campaign messaging. But this new example of interference in Pennsylvania is not history -- it's an active effort to delegitimize an election. And if Oz loses, it could seriously delegitimize McCormick's victory among hard-core pro-Trump voters.
Trump's mendacity places intense pressure on Oz and McCormick to end their race with grace and for the loser to accept the result -- as candidates have done in America for nearly 250 years -- in order to preserve faith in US elections. Whoever comes out on top, a recount could be automatically triggered if the margin is narrow enough.
Oz has not, so far, taken Trump's advice and claimed victory, seeming to trust the election system in a state that the ex-President claimed was corrupt two years ago. Aides to McCormick, who has previously raised doubts about electoral integrity in the state, argue that uncounted absentee ballots -- the very outstanding votes that Trump falsely claimed in 2020 were proof of fraud -- will put him over the top.
Republicans fear Mastriano could damage Senate chances
Another Pennsylvania Republican candidate who suddenly has no problem with Pennsylvania's election system is Mastriano. A cynic might conclude that this is because it delivered him a handsome victory.
But his win in the gubernatorial primary means that an outright election denier from 2020 is now one step from power in one of the nation's most closely fought swing states. Mastriano is on record saying that the 2020 vote was compromised and the state legislature had the authority to appoint a new slate of electors, in defiance of voters, to send to Washington. So his victory is already ringing alarm bells in Washington.
Add to that the fact that as governor, Mastriano would have the authority to appoint a secretary of state who would run the commonwealth's election in 2024. Mastriano also won a late endorsement from Trump, who may be on the ballot in the next presidential election. This confluence of threats to the state's democracy prompted Shapiro, the state's current attorney general and his opponent in the fall, to label Mastriano a "dangerous extremist."
And some GOP senators in Washington, salivating at the chance to win back their chamber in November, are worried.
"I don't think 2020 is what people are going to want to think about," Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told CNN's Manu Raju on Wednesday. The reaction from GOP Senate Whip John Thune was a considerable understatement. The South Dakota Republican said that some of Mastriano's statements "aren't ideal."
The fear among Republicans is that Mastriano is so radical, he could not just emulate Trump in trashing Pennsylvania's electoral system. He could also lose badly statewide by tanking among suburban moderate voters, just like Trump did. He might also stigmatize the eventual GOP Senate nominee in a seat that could decide the destiny of the chamber.
Thune is banking on that not happening.
"I think people hopefully are, when it comes to the fall election, are very discerning and will be able to differentiate candidate for governor from the candidate for Senate," he told Raju.
For Trump, however, the calculation is simple. He backs candidates who strongly support him -- and who paid the price for his endorsement by amplifying his lies about election fraud.
However, Tuesday's election results, like other primaries this year, contained a lesson for the former President, if he were minded to learn it. Whether he endorsed them or not, candidates were almost all running on Trumpism -- the "America First" populist nationalism that now dominates the Republican Party's grassroots.
If Trump forgot 2020 and concentrated on that message -- and worked exclusively to highlight President Joe Biden's vulnerabilities, including the raging inflation and high gas prices that helped send Wall Street into a 1,000-point plunge on Wednesday -- he might significantly boost his hopes of a new White House term.
But that would require him to do something unthinkable: Admit he lost.
The cliffhanger contest between Oz and David McCormick, another claimant to Trump's legacy, is the marquee race from Tuesday's round of primaries -- and carries calamitous echoes of 2020 election controversy and ill omens for 2024.
As does the runaway victor in the commonwealth's GOP gubernatorial primary -- state Sen. Doug Mastriano, who ran a campaign rooted in Trump's falsehoods about the last presidential election being stolen and who could oversee the 2024 White House race in the state if he wins in November.
In a state that could be pivotal to control of the US Senate, top Republicans are raising concerns that Mastriano could drag the party's Senate nominee down, while Democratic nominee Josh Shapiro is already shaping the race by warning the state could fall into the clutches of a dangerous extremist.
Why it matters that Trump is up to his old tricks
Trump is barging into the Senate race in Pennsylvania because there's still a chance that Oz, whom he endorsed last month, could lose out to the candidate the ex-President spurned, former hedge fund executive McCormick, when all votes are counted.
He's frustrated that Oz is having to wait for counts of absentee ballots and delayed votes counted in person. Those votes are just as valid as any cast in person. But Trump is running the same corrupt playbook that he used nearly two years ago to falsely claim he won a second term.
"Dr. Oz should declare victory. It makes it much harder for them to cheat with the ballots that they just happened to find," Trump wrote on his ironically named social media network, "Truth Social," on Wednesday. The ex-President claimed the Keystone State's election was a "MESS," making the same kind of baseless claims he conjured after losing to President Joe Biden.
Americans keen to move on from the former President might wonder why it matters what Trump wrote on a social media platform with a far smaller reach than Twitter, from which he was banned after the January 6, 2021, insurrection for inciting violence.
But Trump's pressure on Oz, who late Wednesday had a lead of less than 1,300 votes among 1.3 million cast, represents a fresh attempt to stain the integrity of American democracy simply because it is not delivering the result he wants. If the former President was settled into his retirement on the fairways and greens of Florida, his dive into the Pennsylvania election wouldn't be so consequential. But there is every sign Trump means to be a major player in November's midterm elections as a launch pad for an attempt to win the White House back in 2024.
He's proving that despite leaving Washington in disgrace after launching a campaign of lies designed to overturn his election loss, which resulted in an insurrection, he would have no qualms about doing so again. Trump has shown his power over his followers ever since 2020: his fraud falsehoods are now believed by millions, while many GOP candidates this year have made them a part of their campaign messaging. But this new example of interference in Pennsylvania is not history -- it's an active effort to delegitimize an election. And if Oz loses, it could seriously delegitimize McCormick's victory among hard-core pro-Trump voters.
Trump's mendacity places intense pressure on Oz and McCormick to end their race with grace and for the loser to accept the result -- as candidates have done in America for nearly 250 years -- in order to preserve faith in US elections. Whoever comes out on top, a recount could be automatically triggered if the margin is narrow enough.
Oz has not, so far, taken Trump's advice and claimed victory, seeming to trust the election system in a state that the ex-President claimed was corrupt two years ago. Aides to McCormick, who has previously raised doubts about electoral integrity in the state, argue that uncounted absentee ballots -- the very outstanding votes that Trump falsely claimed in 2020 were proof of fraud -- will put him over the top.
Republicans fear Mastriano could damage Senate chances
Another Pennsylvania Republican candidate who suddenly has no problem with Pennsylvania's election system is Mastriano. A cynic might conclude that this is because it delivered him a handsome victory.
But his win in the gubernatorial primary means that an outright election denier from 2020 is now one step from power in one of the nation's most closely fought swing states. Mastriano is on record saying that the 2020 vote was compromised and the state legislature had the authority to appoint a new slate of electors, in defiance of voters, to send to Washington. So his victory is already ringing alarm bells in Washington.
Add to that the fact that as governor, Mastriano would have the authority to appoint a secretary of state who would run the commonwealth's election in 2024. Mastriano also won a late endorsement from Trump, who may be on the ballot in the next presidential election. This confluence of threats to the state's democracy prompted Shapiro, the state's current attorney general and his opponent in the fall, to label Mastriano a "dangerous extremist."
And some GOP senators in Washington, salivating at the chance to win back their chamber in November, are worried.
"I don't think 2020 is what people are going to want to think about," Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told CNN's Manu Raju on Wednesday. The reaction from GOP Senate Whip John Thune was a considerable understatement. The South Dakota Republican said that some of Mastriano's statements "aren't ideal."
The fear among Republicans is that Mastriano is so radical, he could not just emulate Trump in trashing Pennsylvania's electoral system. He could also lose badly statewide by tanking among suburban moderate voters, just like Trump did. He might also stigmatize the eventual GOP Senate nominee in a seat that could decide the destiny of the chamber.
Thune is banking on that not happening.
"I think people hopefully are, when it comes to the fall election, are very discerning and will be able to differentiate candidate for governor from the candidate for Senate," he told Raju.
For Trump, however, the calculation is simple. He backs candidates who strongly support him -- and who paid the price for his endorsement by amplifying his lies about election fraud.
However, Tuesday's election results, like other primaries this year, contained a lesson for the former President, if he were minded to learn it. Whether he endorsed them or not, candidates were almost all running on Trumpism -- the "America First" populist nationalism that now dominates the Republican Party's grassroots.
If Trump forgot 2020 and concentrated on that message -- and worked exclusively to highlight President Joe Biden's vulnerabilities, including the raging inflation and high gas prices that helped send Wall Street into a 1,000-point plunge on Wednesday -- he might significantly boost his hopes of a new White House term.
But that would require him to do something unthinkable: Admit he lost.
It’s not just POOTWH. It’s the majority of the repub party and those who support them in any way, shape or form.
Proposed Central Bucks library policy targeting ‘sexualized content’ spurs worries about sweeping book removal
The policy could eliminate classics ranging from "A Tale of Two Cities" to "Romeo and Juliet," said a retired teacher. The debate is the latest in a series of controversies in the district.
Central Bucks School District Superintendent Abram Lucabaugh is applauded by school board president Dana Hunter (right) and vice president Leigh Vlasblom (left) after criticizing “false narratives” circulating in the community during a May 10 board meeting. The board is now considering a library policy that some fear could result in sweeping restrictions on books available to students.Read moreTOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer
by Maddie HannaUpdated May 19, 2022
Now a new issue is roiling the Central Bucks School District: A push to prohibit books in school libraries with depictions of sex acts — both visual and “explicit written descriptions” — that some worry could result in a sweeping removal of books.
The Republican-dominated school board is expected to take up the proposed library policy during a special committee meeting Thursday night. The policy, which calls for more control for parents, specifies that in libraries at every grade level, “no materials ... shall contain visual or visually implied depictions of sexual acts” or “explicit written descriptions of sexual acts.”
It also requires that books being added to libraries first gain approval from the school board and that a library supervisor read books before proposing them — standards that some described as prohibitively burdensome.
Katherine Semisch, a retired English teacher in Central Bucks, told school board members during a meeting last week that the language prohibiting sexualized content “pretty well takes out” an array of literary works, including A Tale of Two Cities, The Canterbury Tales, Romeo and Juliet, Dracula, The Odyssey, East of Eden, and Madame Bovary.
“So that’s it for the classics,” she said.
She also questioned how board members — who “weren’t elected based on your literary experience or training” — would decide whether to approve new books, expressing concern they could be prompted to “seek out alarmist corners of the internet to see what doubts, suspicions and fears others have devised.”
The proposed policy appears to borrow language from one put forward by state officials in Texas. It comes amid a surge in challenges to books nationally, including some focused on LGBTQ characters that have drawn particular attention as GOP politicians and conservative activists have accused public schools of “indoctrinating” children around the topics of gender and sexuality.
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The debate over library books is the latest in a series of controversies in the Bucks County district, which has been under fire for actions community members have decried as hostile to LGBTQ students, from removing Pride flag to edicts regarding what pronouns may be used.
Board president Dana Hunter and policy committee chairperson Lisa Sciscio did not respond to emailed questions Wednesday, including about who authored the policy.
Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, said the policy, which she reviewed before speaking with The Inquirer, was misguided.
“It appears to me that it’s a policy not intended to develop a robust collection that serves a wide variety of readers’ needs, and in fact is designed to exclude materials that might well meet the information needs of students ... by arbitrarily fencing out materials based on a very vague description of sexual content,” she said.
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Caldwell-Stone said the language “risks excluding material with the lived experiences of persons who are gay, transgender or queer, and may even provide an opportunity to remove books that have previously been found to be appropriate for the library in the past.”
The board’s policy committee didn’t take up the issue during its meeting last week. But on Tuesday, it called a special meeting for Thursday to review the library policy, along with others related to classroom resources.
In a message to the community Tuesday night, the district acknowledged that it had called for the removal of Pride flags from classrooms, which it said had become a “flashpoint for controversy and divisiveness” in schools. (During a school board meeting last week, the superintendent, Abram Lucabaugh, faced criticism for likening the flags to political statements.)
The district is also grappling with protests at Lenape Middle School, where LGBTQ students have been calling for the reinstatement of a suspended teacher, Andrew Burgess, whom they saw as an ally. A petition supporting Burgess claims he was suspended for supplying a trans student with a phone number to call if they were being bullied.
The district hasn’t disclosed the reasons for Burgess’ absence, though it said in its statement Tuesday that “all faculty and staff must adhere to a process for reporting potentially harmful events and situations.”
Any assertion that administrators suspended a teacher for advocating for LGBTQ students is “categorically untrue, and disturbing,” the district said in the Tuesday night message — which also accused an adult and two minors supporting the protests of causing “chaos” by bringing pizza onto school grounds last Thursday, spurring administrators to call the police. Protesters said the incident was blown out of proportion.
Lauren Schneiderman
Lenape Middle School students protest the suspension of teacher and LGBTQ ally Andrew Burgess.
Central Bucks also announced this week that its sex-education lessons for fourth, fifth, and sixth graders would now be offered online, rather than in person. Earlier this spring, administrators had told school counselors that transgender students would have to attend the classes in line with their sex assigned at birth, take the lessons alone, or opt out — a directive that marked a shift from past practice, and drew immediate questions from counselors, according to one who spoke with The Inquirer.
“You can’t say we’re not discriminating” when “that’s exactly what we’re doing if we tell a nonbinary or trans kid if they can’t participate in the group along with their gender identity,” said the counselor, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to concerns of retribution from the district.
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The proposed library policy follows school board meetings earlier this year in which community members spoke out against books with sexually explicit content. Among the opposed books were a number with LGBTQ themes that have been the focus of challenges in other districts and states across the country.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott cited Gender Queer and In the Dream House — both memoirs featuring LGBTQ characters — in calling last year for statewide standards to prevent “pornography” in public schools. In response, the state’s education agency this spring produced guidance for school districts that appears to be the source of some of the language in the Central Bucks policy.
While the “sexualized content” language doesn’t appear in the Texas guidance, both policies share a focus on “avoiding inappropriate material,” and nearly identical provisions for school board approval of all new library materials and “opportunity for parent review.” The Texas connection was first reported by the Bucks County Beacon, a progressive news website.
Librarians said the Central Bucks policy likely would greatly reduce the number of new books that could be added, given the requirements that the district’s library supervisor read every proposed book and that the school board then grant approval. They noted that libraries may add hundreds of books in a given year.
“How is one person supposed to read all 300-plus books on each of 23 schools’ library lists?” Chris Kehan, an elementary school librarian in Central Bucks, asked during last week’s policy committee meeting. “That is as unrealistic as this policy.”
The proposal also calls for librarians to create a master list of all material for parents to review. Kehan questioned how librarians would supply such a list to parents, noting that many district collections have more than 25,000 books — and that library catalogs are already online.
Semisch, the retired teacher, told board members the policy would not only restrict library collections, but intensify pressure on teachers to “self-edit” rather than face allegations of violating the rules. She said the district should instead direct families to speak with their children about what books are appropriate for them — “just as we always have done.”
“Your job isn’t to avoid controversy,” but to serve “all of the students in our community,” she said. “That means a wide array of books. Lots of books. Including new books.”
I’m not really up to speed on all the political who supports who, etc., mostly because it makes me sick to my stomach, but living in PA I just don’t see Shapiro or Fetterman (barring further medical issues for JF - hope I used that correctly) losing. Shapiro is outstanding and seems like everyone loves Fetterman so hopefully we won’t have to worry about PA come November.
Fundamentally republicans don’t read books anyway. It’s just a way to punish liberals who read.
as adults I personally know 0 republicans into literature (excluding political books hannity, Cruz etc. or the Bible ) almost all the liberals I know are
I've decided it's time to start making republicans' heads explode (figuratively, not the ted nugent way). Writing a series of "adult themed" books for adults based on children's books characters.
first up: Clifford and his Big Red Dong.
maybe next will be Charlie Brownstone.
"Oh Canada...you're beautiful when you're drunk" -EV 8/14/93
I've decided it's time to start making republicans' heads explode (figuratively, not the ted nugent way). Writing a series of "adult themed" books for adults based on children's books characters.
first up: Clifford and his Big Red Dong.
maybe next will be Charlie Brownstone.
Republicans can’t even figure out pro life and replacement theory are in direct conflict.
Just wait until they replace themselves, legally and not through immigration. Talk about heads exploding
As to books “Curious George” is where I would start
I've decided it's time to start making republicans' heads explode (figuratively, not the ted nugent way). Writing a series of "adult themed" books for adults based on children's books characters.
first up: Clifford and his Big Red Dong.
maybe next will be Charlie Brownstone.
Republicans can’t even figure out pro life and replacement theory are in direct conflict.
Just wait until they replace themselves, legally and not through immigration. Talk about heads exploding
As to books “Curious George” is where I would start
The question was what’s the definition of a woman. Anyone who identifies as such was the response. I don’t see an issue. They aren’t discussing chromosomal makeup.
If a biological woman identifies as a man then yes a man can get pregnant.
I’m not referring to any person with XX chromosomes who identifies as a man, a woman. I’m referring to them by their gender identity so yes Mike can be pregnant
It's sad that you have to explain this...clearly the washington examiner is not doing its job
Remember the Thomas Nine !! (10/02/2018) The Golden Age is 2 months away. And guess what….. you’re gonna love it! (teskeinc 11.19.24)
1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago 2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy 2013: London ON, Wrigley; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE) 2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston 2020: Oakland, Oakland:2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana 2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville 2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana; 2025: Pitt1, Pitt2
A witness who supports abortion rights during the House Judiciary Committee's abortion hearing
Wednesday said she believes a person can choose what gender they
identify as and that, therefore, men can get pregnant and have
abortions.
Aimee Arrambide, the executive director of the abortion advocacy group Avow Texas, was asked by Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) what she believes the definition of a woman is.
“I believe that everyone can identify for themselves," Arrambide said.
When asked if she then believed that men could therefore
get pregnant and have abortions, her response was a simple "yes." Bishop
did not push the topic any further.
Do all Democrats believe this? Democratic hero Jerry Nadler provided this witness to the House Judiciary Commitee, FYI.
do democrats believe that women can get pregnant even if they identify as a man? yes
Remember the Thomas Nine !! (10/02/2018) The Golden Age is 2 months away. And guess what….. you’re gonna love it! (teskeinc 11.19.24)
1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago 2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy 2013: London ON, Wrigley; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE) 2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston 2020: Oakland, Oakland:2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana 2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville 2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana; 2025: Pitt1, Pitt2
The question was what’s the definition of a woman. Anyone who identifies as such was the response. I don’t see an issue. They aren’t discussing chromosomal makeup.
If a biological woman identifies as a man then yes a man can get pregnant.
I’m not referring to any person with XX chromosomes who identifies as a man, a woman. I’m referring to them by their gender identity so yes Mike can be pregnant
It's sad that you have to explain this...clearly the washington examiner is not doing its job
Evidently you never saw the documentary Junior. If you did, you'd know that liberal scientists are trying to impregnate men in order replace women with transexuals who will vote D. It's full out replacement.
Can someone help me out? Does anyone know or have they heard about all the preppy popped collar Lacoste polo shirt and loafers with no socks wearing BLM'ers and Antiiiiiiiiiiiiiiifa Stop the Steal protesters are in PA? I heard they were banging on the glass and intimidating the ballot counters. Is it true? Apparently, they don't believe in Oz. Any links?
The question was what’s the definition of a woman. Anyone who identifies as such was the response. I don’t see an issue. They aren’t discussing chromosomal makeup.
If a biological woman identifies as a man then yes a man can get pregnant.
I’m not referring to any person with XX chromosomes who identifies as a man, a woman. I’m referring to them by their gender identity so yes Mike can be pregnant
We discussed this here in the office and WBE companies. I don't know how the laws work but if I identify as a woman and register it as a WBE but get denied that a woman does not run/own that business then I would have a lawsuit for being denied.
I’m not really up to speed on all the political who supports who, etc., mostly because it makes me sick to my stomach, but living in PA I just don’t see Shapiro or Fetterman (barring further medical issues for JF - hope I used that correctly) losing. Shapiro is outstanding and seems like everyone loves Fetterman so hopefully we won’t have to worry about PA come November.
Yeah I think Shapiro is the best possible candidate to run against that extremist Mastriano. I mean one guy was literally in court fighting to protect people's votes while the other guy was trying to get them thrown out and was marching past police on January 6th at the Capitol. Difference could not be more stark. God I hope it's a blood bath.
I’m not really up to speed on all the political who supports who, etc., mostly because it makes me sick to my stomach, but living in PA I just don’t see Shapiro or Fetterman (barring further medical issues for JF - hope I used that correctly) losing. Shapiro is outstanding and seems like everyone loves Fetterman so hopefully we won’t have to worry about PA come November.
Yeah I think Shapiro is the best possible candidate to run against that extremist Mastriano. I mean one guy was literally in court fighting to protect people's votes while the other guy was trying to get them thrown out and was marching past police on January 6th at the Capitol. Difference could not be more stark. God I hope it's a blood bath.
In 2020 I started donating to out-of-state-candidates for federal offices. I would never bother with a state office in some other state I have no connection/history with. (Checks out Mastriano) Well, that's changing.
1995 Milwaukee 1998 Alpine, Alpine 2003 Albany, Boston, Boston, Boston 2004 Boston, Boston 2006 Hartford, St. Paul (Petty), St. Paul (Petty) 2011 Alpine, Alpine 2013 Wrigley 2014 St. Paul 2016 Fenway, Fenway, Wrigley, Wrigley 2018 Missoula, Wrigley, Wrigley 2021 Asbury Park 2022 St Louis 2023 Austin, Austin
I’m not really up to speed on all the political who supports who, etc., mostly because it makes me sick to my stomach, but living in PA I just don’t see Shapiro or Fetterman (barring further medical issues for JF - hope I used that correctly) losing. Shapiro is outstanding and seems like everyone loves Fetterman so hopefully we won’t have to worry about PA come November.
Yeah I think Shapiro is the best possible candidate to run against that extremist Mastriano. I mean one guy was literally in court fighting to protect people's votes while the other guy was trying to get them thrown out and was marching past police on January 6th at the Capitol. Difference could not be more stark. God I hope it's a blood bath.
In 2020 I started donating to out-of-state-candidates for federal offices. I would never bother with a state office in some other state I have no connection/history with. (Checks out Mastriano) Well, that's changing.
He is frightening. I would consider looking at Arizona too because I think that Kari Lake lady has a better chance at winning than Mastriano does.
I’m not really up to speed on all the political who supports who, etc., mostly because it makes me sick to my stomach, but living in PA I just don’t see Shapiro or Fetterman (barring further medical issues for JF - hope I used that correctly) losing. Shapiro is outstanding and seems like everyone loves Fetterman so hopefully we won’t have to worry about PA come November.
Yeah I think Shapiro is the best possible candidate to run against that extremist Mastriano. I mean one guy was literally in court fighting to protect people's votes while the other guy was trying to get them thrown out and was marching past police on January 6th at the Capitol. Difference could not be more stark. God I hope it's a blood bath.
It’s going to be close no matter what, for sure within a few points.
The senate race is a perfect example. Trump is calling for Oz to just “declare victory”. IMO Oz loses when all the votes are counted but that’s not the point. Trump wants to ignore Republican votes in a Republican primary and is accusing Republicans (presumably) of cheating. It’s insane.
Ultimately Republicans don’t care about any of it, and will vote for McCormick anyway even though he will have stolen the election from Oz, just like they all will also vote for Mastriano. He’s the “R” on the ballot
I’m not really up to speed on all the political who supports who, etc., mostly because it makes me sick to my stomach, but living in PA I just don’t see Shapiro or Fetterman (barring further medical issues for JF - hope I used that correctly) losing. Shapiro is outstanding and seems like everyone loves Fetterman so hopefully we won’t have to worry about PA come November.
I like Fetterman. Man of the people.
Remember the Thomas Nine !! (10/02/2018) The Golden Age is 2 months away. And guess what….. you’re gonna love it! (teskeinc 11.19.24)
1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago 2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy 2013: London ON, Wrigley; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE) 2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston 2020: Oakland, Oakland:2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana 2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville 2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana; 2025: Pitt1, Pitt2
Comments
"become a passerby"
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Aimee Arrambide, the executive director of the abortion advocacy group Avow Texas, was asked by Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) what she believes the definition of a woman is.
“I believe that everyone can identify for themselves," Arrambide said.
When asked if she then believed that men could therefore get pregnant and have abortions, her response was a simple "yes." Bishop did not push the topic any further.
The line of questioning from from these republican congressmen was just disgusting. I thought the doctors handled themselves very well actually. Here in PA we have a nut job who just got the repub nomination for governor. Abortion issue should help dems as this guy who is way out of the mainstream.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/19/politics/trump-pennsylvania-election-fraud-lies/index.html
Trump taints Pennsylvania GOP Senate primary with fresh fraud lies
(CNN)New election. Same lies.
Why it matters that Trump is up to his old tricks
Republicans fear Mastriano could damage Senate chances
Proposed Central Bucks library policy targeting ‘sexualized content’ spurs worries about sweeping book removal
The policy could eliminate classics ranging from "A Tale of Two Cities" to "Romeo and Juliet," said a retired teacher. The debate is the latest in a series of controversies in the district.
by Maddie HannaUpdated May 19, 2022
Now a new issue is roiling the Central Bucks School District: A push to prohibit books in school libraries with depictions of sex acts — both visual and “explicit written descriptions” — that some worry could result in a sweeping removal of books.
The Republican-dominated school board is expected to take up the proposed library policy during a special committee meeting Thursday night. The policy, which calls for more control for parents, specifies that in libraries at every grade level, “no materials ... shall contain visual or visually implied depictions of sexual acts” or “explicit written descriptions of sexual acts.”
It also requires that books being added to libraries first gain approval from the school board and that a library supervisor read books before proposing them — standards that some described as prohibitively burdensome.
Katherine Semisch, a retired English teacher in Central Bucks, told school board members during a meeting last week that the language prohibiting sexualized content “pretty well takes out” an array of literary works, including A Tale of Two Cities, The Canterbury Tales, Romeo and Juliet, Dracula, The Odyssey, East of Eden, and Madame Bovary.
“So that’s it for the classics,” she said.
She also questioned how board members — who “weren’t elected based on your literary experience or training” — would decide whether to approve new books, expressing concern they could be prompted to “seek out alarmist corners of the internet to see what doubts, suspicions and fears others have devised.”
» READ MORE: A Bucks County school district dropped its diversity program. Black families say the district isn’t acknowledging racism.
The proposed policy appears to borrow language from one put forward by state officials in Texas. It comes amid a surge in challenges to books nationally, including some focused on LGBTQ characters that have drawn particular attention as GOP politicians and conservative activists have accused public schools of “indoctrinating” children around the topics of gender and sexuality.
The debate over library books is the latest in a series of controversies in the Bucks County district, which has been under fire for actions community members have decried as hostile to LGBTQ students, from removing Pride flag to edicts regarding what pronouns may be used.
Board president Dana Hunter and policy committee chairperson Lisa Sciscio did not respond to emailed questions Wednesday, including about who authored the policy.
Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, said the policy, which she reviewed before speaking with The Inquirer, was misguided.
“It appears to me that it’s a policy not intended to develop a robust collection that serves a wide variety of readers’ needs, and in fact is designed to exclude materials that might well meet the information needs of students ... by arbitrarily fencing out materials based on a very vague description of sexual content,” she said.
Caldwell-Stone said the language “risks excluding material with the lived experiences of persons who are gay, transgender or queer, and may even provide an opportunity to remove books that have previously been found to be appropriate for the library in the past.”
» READ MORE: These are the most commonly banned books in U.S. schools
The board’s policy committee didn’t take up the issue during its meeting last week. But on Tuesday, it called a special meeting for Thursday to review the library policy, along with others related to classroom resources.
In a message to the community Tuesday night, the district acknowledged that it had called for the removal of Pride flags from classrooms, which it said had become a “flashpoint for controversy and divisiveness” in schools. (During a school board meeting last week, the superintendent, Abram Lucabaugh, faced criticism for likening the flags to political statements.)
The district is also grappling with protests at Lenape Middle School, where LGBTQ students have been calling for the reinstatement of a suspended teacher, Andrew Burgess, whom they saw as an ally. A petition supporting Burgess claims he was suspended for supplying a trans student with a phone number to call if they were being bullied.
The district hasn’t disclosed the reasons for Burgess’ absence, though it said in its statement Tuesday that “all faculty and staff must adhere to a process for reporting potentially harmful events and situations.”
» READ MORE: Central Bucks students say district killed production of musical ‘Rent’
Any assertion that administrators suspended a teacher for advocating for LGBTQ students is “categorically untrue, and disturbing,” the district said in the Tuesday night message — which also accused an adult and two minors supporting the protests of causing “chaos” by bringing pizza onto school grounds last Thursday, spurring administrators to call the police. Protesters said the incident was blown out of proportion.
Central Bucks also announced this week that its sex-education lessons for fourth, fifth, and sixth graders would now be offered online, rather than in person. Earlier this spring, administrators had told school counselors that transgender students would have to attend the classes in line with their sex assigned at birth, take the lessons alone, or opt out — a directive that marked a shift from past practice, and drew immediate questions from counselors, according to one who spoke with The Inquirer.
“You can’t say we’re not discriminating” when “that’s exactly what we’re doing if we tell a nonbinary or trans kid if they can’t participate in the group along with their gender identity,” said the counselor, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to concerns of retribution from the district.
The proposed library policy follows school board meetings earlier this year in which community members spoke out against books with sexually explicit content. Among the opposed books were a number with LGBTQ themes that have been the focus of challenges in other districts and states across the country.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott cited Gender Queer and In the Dream House — both memoirs featuring LGBTQ characters — in calling last year for statewide standards to prevent “pornography” in public schools. In response, the state’s education agency this spring produced guidance for school districts that appears to be the source of some of the language in the Central Bucks policy.
While the “sexualized content” language doesn’t appear in the Texas guidance, both policies share a focus on “avoiding inappropriate material,” and nearly identical provisions for school board approval of all new library materials and “opportunity for parent review.” The Texas connection was first reported by the Bucks County Beacon, a progressive news website.
» READ MORE: Hey, Central Bucks: Classrooms shouldn’t be “apolitical” | Opinion
Librarians said the Central Bucks policy likely would greatly reduce the number of new books that could be added, given the requirements that the district’s library supervisor read every proposed book and that the school board then grant approval. They noted that libraries may add hundreds of books in a given year.
“How is one person supposed to read all 300-plus books on each of 23 schools’ library lists?” Chris Kehan, an elementary school librarian in Central Bucks, asked during last week’s policy committee meeting. “That is as unrealistic as this policy.”
The proposal also calls for librarians to create a master list of all material for parents to review. Kehan questioned how librarians would supply such a list to parents, noting that many district collections have more than 25,000 books — and that library catalogs are already online.
Semisch, the retired teacher, told board members the policy would not only restrict library collections, but intensify pressure on teachers to “self-edit” rather than face allegations of violating the rules. She said the district should instead direct families to speak with their children about what books are appropriate for them — “just as we always have done.”
“Your job isn’t to avoid controversy,” but to serve “all of the students in our community,” she said. “That means a wide array of books. Lots of books. Including new books.”
as adults I personally know 0 republicans into literature (excluding political books hannity, Cruz etc. or the Bible ) almost all the liberals I know are
cant be a coincidence
first up: Clifford and his Big Red Dong.
maybe next will be Charlie Brownstone.
-EV 8/14/93
As to books “Curious George” is where I would start
-EV 8/14/93
The Golden Age is 2 months away. And guess what….. you’re gonna love it! (teskeinc 11.19.24)
1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago
2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy
2013: London ON, Wrigley; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE)
2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston
2020: Oakland, Oakland: 2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana
2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville
2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana; 2025: Pitt1, Pitt2
The Golden Age is 2 months away. And guess what….. you’re gonna love it! (teskeinc 11.19.24)
1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago
2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy
2013: London ON, Wrigley; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE)
2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston
2020: Oakland, Oakland: 2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana
2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville
2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana; 2025: Pitt1, Pitt2
-EV 8/14/93
The Golden Age is 2 months away. And guess what….. you’re gonna love it! (teskeinc 11.19.24)
1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago
2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy
2013: London ON, Wrigley; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE)
2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston
2020: Oakland, Oakland: 2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana
2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville
2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana; 2025: Pitt1, Pitt2
I am shocked that this hasn't happened yet.
2013 Wrigley 2014 St. Paul 2016 Fenway, Fenway, Wrigley, Wrigley 2018 Missoula, Wrigley, Wrigley 2021 Asbury Park 2022 St Louis 2023 Austin, Austin
The senate race is a perfect example. Trump is calling for Oz to just “declare victory”. IMO Oz loses when all the votes are counted but that’s not the point. Trump wants to ignore Republican votes in a Republican primary and is accusing Republicans (presumably) of cheating. It’s insane.
The Golden Age is 2 months away. And guess what….. you’re gonna love it! (teskeinc 11.19.24)
1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago
2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy
2013: London ON, Wrigley; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE)
2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston
2020: Oakland, Oakland: 2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana
2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville
2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana; 2025: Pitt1, Pitt2