In this clip, civil libertarian Hentoff describes a meeting he once had with Che Guevara.
Hentoff notes that even in a simple interview, Guevara, a tyrant and mass murderer masquerading as a liberator, was dissembling, initially choosing to hide behind an interpreter.
The Cato Institute filmed noted civil libertarian Nat Hentoff discussing topics of liberty in honor of his eighty-sixth birthday. Age has scarcely slowed Hentoff down, and he writes and speaks frequently on topics in law (and jazz, for which he is equally well-regarded).
In this clip, Hentoff discusses the traditional American right to anonymous speech.
YouTube – Anonymous Speech is Protected Speech (Nat Hentoff).
Good morning.
The forecast calls for pleasant weather ahead, with mostly sunny skies and a high temperature of seventy-four.
Whitewater’s Library Board meets tonight, at 6:30 p.m. The meeting agenda is available online.
Wired offers a list of Animals’ Most Amazing Acoustic Feats, with audio clips of lions roaring, blue whales singing, and the striking sounds of other animals, too.
Here’s just one example, of a pistol shrimp — if anyone asks you if you know what sound a crustacean makes, you’ll be able to answer affirmatively:
There’s a story at the Gazette, that nicely summarizes area schools’ performance on the federal government’s ‘No Child Left Behind’ (NCLB) standards. Although one school in Whitewater appears on the list, there’s no reason for concern: the challenge is so limited that it holds no overall meaning or statistical significance for our schools. Whitewater shows on the report only because of the appearance of one small group of special education students’ performance in one subject area.
(For the state’s overall results on ‘adequate’ yearly progress, see Wisconsin Schools and Districts that Missed AYP, with data for one special education population in one school in Whitewater.)
The NCLB flag for Whitewater is merely for one year’s result, in one school, in the tiniest and most vulnerable population in that school, in a single subject area.
1. The result is statistically insignificant — the population is too small as a part of the whole district, and by its definition is the one population with special needs that makes comparison to the rest of the district foolish. Candidly, anyone looking at these results — and thinking carefully about education — should see that one will know very little about the thousands of students in the district from special education students’ performance in one school, on one subject, in one year.
2. The problem isn’t that standards have increased this year — it’s that the results for the small group of special ed students in the middle school is a reed too slender on which to pile conclusions. Even if testing standards were the same as every other year, the data are slight and unpersuasive.
3. Stigmatizing the vulnerable. If there are problems in this community, they will not be solved through a crude reliance on inadequate data to further stigmatize a fragile population. Of all the challenges to highlight as a problem of education, or of the community, or of Wisconsin, this one would be on the very bottom of any sensible person’s list. Flagging this issue belies a claim of understanding of it.
One can see that I have been willing to criticize any number of policies in this community; yet that criticism, and all criticism, depends on discerning big problems from petty concerns. Worry about our schools because of these NCLB results is a petty concern.
4. Generally, for all America, No Child Left Behind is bad legislation. Nationalizing these standards has been a mistake for America — we need diverse and competitive local standards, not a one-size-fits-all federal standard. The scholarship against No Child Left Behind is compelling, and nearly overwhelming. Here are a few good starting points, from the fine education analysts and scholars at Cato:
See, also, Neal McCluskey, No Federal Failure Left Behind and End, Don’t Mend, No Child Left Behind.
5. A challenge: I will debate anyone in this community — anyone at all — on this issue, or the general NCLB policy. Readers many reach me at adams@freewhitewater.com. I’ll devote as much space at this website as needed for a debate of these results or of NCLB.
We’ve no reason to be concerned about these results — the real work of teaching special needs students goes on just as well as before — and limited federal data do not change that truth.
Eight Steps for Responding to Political Wrongs | FREE WHITEWATER http://bit.ly/l4g9wt
10 Jun
Among worst bills a Whitewater politician has ever offered On Wisconsin Assembly Bill 173 | FREE WHITEWATER http://bit.ly/ioIKNX
9 Jun
Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin : Bike to Work Week June 6-10 http://bit.ly/mMzFYP
6 Jun
Summer offers all sorts of outdoor adventures, but also the indoor adventure found in watching blockbuster films. Fall may be the season for harvesting crops, but summer is the season for reaping big films. (It’s been this way for a generation, at least since the mid-seventies. One often hears that Jaws started this trend, and that seems about right to me. )
So what looks promising to you?
Here are trailers for films that have attracted lots of attention. Readers can vote in the poll (multiple selections possible for this poll), or add comments to the post.
Super 8
Green Lantern
Captain America
Cars 2
Smurfs 3D
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
The use of pseudonyms and anonymous postings is, of course, fine. Although the comments template has a space for a name, email address, and website, those who want to leave a field blank can do so. Comments will be moderated, against profanity or trolls. Otherwise, have at it.
The forum will be open until Sunday morning, and this post will stay at the top of the website during that time. Other posts will be up during that time; they’ll just appear below this one until Sunday. more >>
There are political decisions of all kinds, but few are truly wrong. Most are simply efficient or inefficient, practical or impractical. There are times, however, when a politician offers a proposal that works a great wrong, and stands against America’s fundamental principles. When a politician takes that course, what is to be done?
First, speak or write in opposition to the proposal. Silence is acquiescence.
Second, encourage others to speak, write, and organize against the proposal. Contribute to their efforts in time and money, and for an opposing candidate in an election, contribute to the maximum allowed by law. If there are other adults in your household, encourage them to contribute to the maximum, too.
Third, be supportive of those who share your views, and friendly to their efforts, whatever those efforts may be. Any help is good help, and deserves praise. Any amount in support of a good cause — in time or money — deserves a grateful thanks. Every hour and every dollar makes a difference.
Fourth, remain resolute, watchful, tenacious. One should neither forget the risk the community faces, nor flag in one’s efforts against the proposal. Some days will be longer than others, and one will arrive home, or awaken the next day, tired. Praise others for any and all that they do, but as for oneself — one should do all one possibly can.
Fifth, have confidence in one’s community. Americans are a fair and compassionate people. From among the community, many will speak against a wrong.
Sixth, if a wrongful proposal is defeated, be grateful for success against it. Remember, though, that the man or woman who proposed it is unsuited to political office, and lacks the understanding of fairness and liberty to merit re-election. A wrongful proposal is different from a mistaken one. Those who are in the wrong do not deserve re-election, and should be replaced by a man or woman of better judgment.
Seventh, if a terrible proposal becomes law, one’s obligation is both to oppose the candidate who sponsored the proposal, and to resist the proposal’s implementation through legal challenge at each and every opportunity. A wrong — unlike a mistake — should not work its way through a community without a lawful response. One should be prepared to seek legal redress against each and every exercise of a wrongful law in one’s community. Time for this effort, and the cost of that time, however much may be needed, should be offered without charge or expectation.
Eighth, be disappointed for the necessity, but grateful for the opportunity, to defend America’s deepest traditions against unjust, harsh, and extreme proposals.
Good morning.
It’s a cool and rainy day ahead for Whitewater, with a high temperature of sixty-four degrees.
School’s out, and for countless thousands across Wisconsin, summer begins.
J.J. Abrams has a new movie, Super 8, out today. It’s both homage to film-making and suspense film. One of the great pleasures of summer is the number of big, exciting films, and Super 8 looks to be among this summer’s crop.
Enjoy.
The Phantom Stranger, a defender of sound principles and good literature, kindly passed along a link to a Journal Sentinel story about local bookstore support for ebooks.
From June 9 to 11, three bookstores (Boswell, Next Chapter, and Books & Company) will sell ebooks from Unbridled on their store websites for only 25 cents. That’s both a great deal and a step toward a local store-online hybrid that may bolster independent sellers.
Many thanks to the cloaked avenger for sending the story.
Yesterday, Rep. Don Pridemore’s Arizona-syle immigration legislation received a numerical designation: Assembly Bill 173. The full text of the bill is online at the Legislature’s website.
The bill has the following initial sponsors: “Representatives Pridemore, Wynn, LeMahieu, Kleefisch, Steineke and Jacque; Cosponsored by Senator Lasee.”
One could have expected Wynn to support this measure. His earlier support for the elimination of association rights for workers, and a photo ID requirement that disenfranchises thousands of citizens (students, minorities, the elderly)– along with sponsorship of AB 173 — makes Wynn among the most extreme politicians in the state.
Each of these measures is contrary to America’s broad and generous tradition of liberty and fairness. Collectively they are a greater wrong.
A majority will reject this approach. Conservatives, moderates, liberals, and libertarians will come to see in this harsh, bitter agenda a dead-end for Whitewater, for the 43rd District, and for all Wisconsin.
There’s fuss — but there shouldn’t be surprise — that the WISGOP and Sen. Majority leader Fitzgerald have schemed to run fake Democrats against real Democrats in recall races. Their goal is to force recall primaries, before recall general elections against GOP senators, to buy the GOP candidates an additional month to fund raise, etc.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel — a paper that endorsed Gov. Walker, and opposes recall elections — sees the brazen Fitzgerald plan for what it is:
Wisconsin Republicans acknowledge that they are recruiting other Republicans to run as phony Democrats in upcoming recall elections so that GOP senators facing recall have more time to prepare. If more than one Democrat runs, there will be a primary election and the general election would be pushed back four weeks to Aug. 9.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald wholeheartedly endorses the plan: “It gives us another month to campaign,” the Republican from Juneau crowed.
What Fitzgerald doesn’t tell you is that his party’s high jinks will cost taxpayerstens of thousands of dollars. La Crosse County Clerk Ginny Dankmeyer estimated costs to the county and various municipalities would total $50,000 for a primary in Republican state Sen. Dan Kapanke’s recall election alone.
To see Fitzgerald in action, here’s a clip of him talking about his prospects, and those of his younger brother (Assembly Speaker) Jeff Fitzgerald, to run next year for Senator Kohl’s office. It’s a cringe-worthy performance: if there’s ever been a man unsuited for a Wisconsin federal senate seat, since Joe McCarthy, it would be Scott Fitzgerald.
He goes on about himself, as though he had a significant statewide following, all the while insulting the reporter in a failed attempt at humor. The Wisconsin Reporter‘s a right-of-center publication, but in publishing this clip they’ve done Fitzgerald no favors.
