In the hopes of encouraging a more civil, and illuminating, discourse, here is another episode of William F. Buckley, Jr.’s “Firing Line”.
Journalists acting as if they are a special protected class or simply better than others is nothing new, as is the actual protection from “shield” laws the allow journalists to refuse to testify in court to protect sources. William F. Buckley, Jr. discusses just how much protection for the press there ought to be with Charles Rembar and C. Dickerman Williams.
Another “quick takes” on items where there is too little to say to make a complete article, but is still important enough to comment on.
The focus this time: Live in the pod while paying reparations Gaia, complete with lawyer’s expenses.
First, a little mood music:
Carrying on…
Mother Nature thinks they’ve missed the point…[/caption]
Your purported better know where you ought to live, and they are looking at empty low-density states to build their utopian cities.
“The beginnings of a new, sustainable city in the American desert could emerge within just eight years, according to billionaire Marc Lore, founder of Diapers.com and Jet.com, and others working on the Telosa project.
“…
“‘Despite capitalism and all its strengths, and the great material progress we’ve made, it’s not perfect,’ he said. ‘So we thought about: Is there another way?’
“Scandinavian countries such as Denmark fund their extensive social services through taxes, Lore said. The full tax rate for an individual in Denmark is 52%, though the effective tax rate is lower in most cases due to deductions.”
Of course this will be post-capitalism.
And of course it will be one of those “walkable” cities dense urban hellhole lovers wax poetic about.
“Telosa will have 36 districts, each of which is envisioned as a ‘15-minute city’: It will take residents of each district no more than a 15-minute walk or a shorter bike ride to reach their daily needs, including offices and living spaces.”
Gun-grabbing politicians are at it again, this time in New Mexico, by trying to outlaw and seize all “assault weapons” and magazines that holds more than ten rounds… and there is no grandfathering in of existing guns. You either sell them or surrender them. HB 101 (2023) says:
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
SECTION 1. A new section of Chapter 30, Article 7 NMSA 1978 is enacted to read:
“[NEW MATERIAL] RESTRICTIONS ON LARGE-CAPACITY MAGAZINES.–
A. A person shall not possess, manufacture, purchase, sell or transfer any large-capacity ammunition feeding device regardless of whether the device is attached to a firearm. This section shall not apply to magazines originally designed to accept more than ten rounds of ammunition that have been modified to accept no more than ten rounds and that are not capable of being readily restored to a capacity of more than ten rounds.
B. For the purposes of this section, “large-capacity ammunition feeding device” means a magazine, belt, drum, feed strip or similar device that has a capacity of, or that can be readily restored or converted to accept, more than ten rounds of ammunition. “Large-capacity ammunition feeding device” shall not include an attached tubular device designed to accept, and capable of operating only with, .22 caliber rimfire ammunition.
C. Any person who may not lawfully possess a large-capacity magazine commencing July 1, 2023 shall, prior to July 1, 2023:
(1) remove the large-capacity magazine from the state;
(2) sell the large-capacity magazine to a licensed firearms dealer; or
(3) surrender the large-capacity magazine to a law enforcement agency for destruction.
D. Any person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a fourth degree felony.”
SECTION 2. A new section of Chapter 30, Article 7 NMSA 1978 is enacted to read:
“[NEW MATERIAL] RESTRICTIONS ON ASSAULT WEAPONS.–
A. As used in this section:
(1) “assault weapon” means any:
(a) semi-automatic rifle that has the capacity to accept a detachable magazine and has one or more of the following: 1) a pistol grip or thumbhole stock; 2) any feature capable of functioning as a protruding grip that can be held by the non-trigger hand; 3) a folding or telescoping stock; or 4) a shroud attached to the barrel, or that partially or completely encircles the barrel, allowing the bearer to hold the firearm with the non-trigger hand without being burned, but excluding a slide that encloses the barrel;
(b) semi-automatic pistol or any semi-automatic, centerfire or rimfire rifle with a fixed magazine that has the capacity to accept more than ten rounds of ammunition;
(c) semi-automatic pistol that has the capacity to accept a detachable magazine and has one or more of the following: 1) any feature capable of functioning as a protruding grip that can be held by the non-trigger hand; 2) a folding, telescoping or thumbhole stock; 3) a shroud attached to the barrel, or that partially or completely encircles the barrel, allowing the bearer to hold the firearm with the non-trigger hand without being burned, but excluding a slide that encloses the barrel; or 4) the capacity to accept a detachable magazine at any location outside of the pistol grip;
(d) semi-automatic shotgun that has one or more of the following: 1) a pistol grip or thumbhole stock; 2) any feature capable of functioning as a protruding grip that can be held by the non-trigger hand; 3) a folding or telescoping stock; 4) a fixed magazine capacity in excess of five rounds; or 5) an ability to accept a detachable magazine;
(e) shotgun with a revolving cylinder; or
(f) conversion kit, part or combination of parts from which an assault weapon can be assembled if those parts are in the possession or under the control of the same person; and
(2) “assault weapon” does not include any firearm that has been made permanently inoperable.
B. A person shall not manufacture, import, possess, purchase, sell or transfer any assault weapon.
C. Subsection B of this section shall not apply to:
(1) any government officer, agent or employee, a member of the armed forces of the United States or a peace officer to the extent that such person is otherwise authorized to acquire or possess an assault weapon and does so while acting within the scope of that person’s duties;
(2) the manufacture of an assault weapon by a firearms manufacturer for the purpose of sale to any branch of the armed forces of the United States or to a law enforcement agency in the state for use by that agency or its employees; provided that the manufacturer is properly licensed under federal, state and local laws; or
(3) the sale or transfer of an assault weapon by a dealer that is properly licensed under federal, state and local laws to any branch of the armed forces of the United States or to a law enforcement agency in the state for use by that agency or its employees for law enforcement purposes.
D. Any person who may not lawfully possess an assault weapon commencing July 1, 2023 shall, prior to July 1, 2023:
(1) remove the assault weapon from the state;
(2) render the assault weapon permanently inoperable; or
(3) surrender the assault weapon to the appropriate law enforcement agency for destruction.
E. Any person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a fourth degree felony.”
Texas has seen bills introduced to stop Critical Gender Theory and Critical Race Theory. Now, a bill has been introduced to stop the state colleges and universities engaging in the praxis of “Diversity”, “Inclusion”, and “Equity” (AKA “DEI”, or more accurately the “DIE” agenda). HB 1006 (2023) states, in part:
(f) Each institution of higher education shall adopt a policy detailing students’ rights and responsibilities regarding expressive activities at the institution. The policy must:
(1) demonstrate a commitment to intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity;
(2) prohibit:
(A) the funding, promotion, sponsorship, or support of:
(i) any office of diversity, equity, and inclusion; and
(ii) any office that funds, promotes, sponsors, or supports an initiative or formulation of diversity, equity, and inclusion beyond what is necessary to uphold the equalprotection of the laws under the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution; and
(B) the endorsement or dissuasion of, or interference with, any lifestyle, race, sex, religion, or culture.
You can’t censor those who call for “DEI”, but you can make sure that they can’t censor or punish you for dissent.
In the hopes of encouraging a more civil, and illuminating, discourse, here is another episode of William F. Buckley, Jr.’s “Firing Line”.
After the poor showing for some Republicans in this past election, while other Republicans did great, we come back to the question of the role of conservatism and more particularly the question of conservatism itself and the challenges it faces. This same question of what are the challenges for conservatives fifty years ago was discussed by William F. Buckley, Jr., Gabe Pressman, Richard Reeves, and Mary Perot Nichols.
“Thomas Jefferson high’s principal, Ann Bonitaibus, told a concerned parent in an email that the school had received the National Merit certificates in mid-October, and that she had signed them within 48 hours. But the awards were not distributed by homeroom teachers until November 14, after the early application deadline had passed, the report stated. “Teachers dropped the certificates unceremoniously on students’ desks,” Nomani wrote.
“The report also states that Brandon Kosatka, the director of student services at Thomas Jefferson high, admitted on a call with the concerned parent, Shawna Yashar, that the decision not to inform parents of the National Merit awards and to inform the students in a low-key manner was intentional. ‘We want to recognize students for who they are as individuals, not focus on their achievements,’ Kosatka told Yashar, according to the report.
“Yashar found out about the school’s decisions about informing students about their awards after she learned that her son was recognized as a ‘commended student’ for being among the nation’s top 3 percent of students. ‘Keeping these certificates from students is theft by the state,’ Yashar told Nomani, who first reported the story in City Journal. Nomani’s report was republished in the New York Post. Nomani’s son graduated from Thomas Jefferson high in 2021, and she wrote that she learned that he was a National Merit commended student ‘two years after the fact.’
Nomani reported that the decision by Thomas Jefferson high’s leaders to delay the notification of National Merit awards comes as the school is implementing a new strategy of ‘equitable outcomes for every student, without exception.’ School administrators, she reported, have implemented an ‘equitable grading’ policy that eliminates zeros, and gives student a grade of 50 percent just for showing up. “It’s a race to the bottom,” Nomani wrote.”
“Dr. Julie Chancellor, Atherton High School’s assistant principal, didn’t even shy away from her objective in her presentation ‘Racial Equity Work and Your Majority White Faculty.’
“Right there in black and white: Critical Race Theory
“Chancellor even cites the book Towards a Critical Race Theory of Education and the article ‘Towards a critical theory of whiteness.’
“One slide includes a quote from author bell hooks (she doesn’t capitalize her name) reminding white people, even the liberals, they’re white supremacists: “When liberal whites fail to understand how they can and/or do embody white supremacist values and beliefs even though they may not embrace racism as prejudice or domination (especially domination that involves coercive control), they cannot recognize the ways their actions support and affirm the very structure of racist domination and oppression that they wish to see eradicated.”
“bell hooks chose not to capitalize her name because she wanted ‘to place focus on her work rather than her name, on her ideas rather than her personality.’”
The joy of teaching doesn’t have to educating children in the three “R”s anymore… the joy of teaching is all about the teacher sharing [insert pronouns here] queerness.
“The Twitter account titled ‘Nalo’ stated, ‘My students call me Professor Nalo because I prefer not to use Mrs. or Mr. in my classroom. I teach all subjects as a 1st grade teacher, but my favorite moments are always when my students ask about my queerness.’”
A woman in the U.K. was literally arrested for committing thought crime. Specifically she was standing and praying silently. She was across the street from an abortion clinic but wasn’t protesting, interfering with anyone coming or going, or otherwise doing anything except standing there praying silently. And yes, her admitting to praying silently is the reason why she was arrested.
Police in the UK arrest a woman for silently praying:
More on the arrest of Isabel-Vaughan-Spruce, who has been charged with breaking a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) for praying silently nearby an abortion facility in Kings Norton, Birmingham, on four occasions. pic.twitter.com/SOHFWzUX1U
The Texas legislature has moved in recent years to stop the indoctrination of children into Critical Race Theory. Now they are moving to do the same by stopping the indoctrination of children into Critical Gender Theory, specifically the praxis of preaching woke gender ideology. HB 1155 (2023)reads, in part:
SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 28.0043 to read as follows:
Sec. 28.0043. RESTRICTION ON INSTRUCTION REGARDING SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY. A school district, open-enrollment charter school, or district or charter school employee may not provide or allow a third party to provide instruction regarding sexual orientation or gender identity:
(1) to students enrolled in kindergarten through eighth grade; or
(2) in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate.
The bill also requires full disclosure from the school and prohibits teachers and staff from hiding anything from the parents or to encourage students to hide anything from their parents, as it pertains to the students mental or physical health, or well-being.
Sec. 26.0083. RIGHT TO INFORMATION REGARDING MENTAL, EMOTIONAL, AND PHYSICAL HEALTH AND HEALTH-RELATED SERVICES.
(a) Each school district shall adopt a procedure for notifying the parent of a student enrolled in the district regarding any change in:
(1) services provided to or monitoring of the student related to the student’s mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being; or
(2) the district’s ability to provide a safe and supportive learning environment for the student.
