The world is fucked.
We are fucked.
Buy lots of vaseline, then maybe it won’t hurt so much when the state fucks us all up the ass.

Of course the very people now advocating a limit to free-speach will in the end be then ones to suffer from these limits.  This is the irony of righwing reactionism.

Cyrena, I didn’t read your June 16 post until now.  I don’t think the assault on academic freedom portends to “end times” in the biblical sense (but then I am an atheist).  I do think that it serves as a dire warning about how close we are to losing our constitutional democracy and degenerating into a totalitarian America.

Fuck all the right wing reactionaries then send them off the the unnamable war.

For Earnest on #78193…

Just getting a chance to read that from 2 days ago, on the Dirty Thirty at UCLA. I’ve been hearing bits and pieces of that here at my campus as well. And, for a while now.

Now we see from earlier in the week that Dr Finklestein has been denied tenure at DePaul, and that is just one more disgusting event of the ever increasing nightmare of us being a police state now.

When the system starts targeting academia, and locking up that segment of the population that encourages reason, it just somehow feels like that is pretty close to “end times”.

ABC NEWS did a story on this play this evening. first time i’ve seen it on the MSM

Alan Benfield…

News media and fast food have a lot in common:

1). They serve billions.

2). They have exactly zero to do with nutrition.

Creg,

Next time don’t inhale.
-------------------------
Laugh so you don’t cry

Very random indeed.

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They should outlaw Unregistered commenter/posters at this site because they usually do not come back to apologize or respond when they are sober.

Craig Adams advice:  Use large print, otherwise the NSA will be merciless because you caused them to strain their eyes.

Craig Adamsappleboonesfarm, It’s dangerous (and embarrassing) to drink and type.

I would again note that Wilton High must be placed within a broader assault on academic freedom and freedom of expression.  As noted by a 2/13/06 Matthew Flamm article in “The Nation,” entitled “UCLA’s Dirty Thirty,” David “Horowitz and his allies seek to impose external political control over central educational functions like curriculums, hiring and firing, and teaching methods.  A group calling itself the Bruin Alumni Association, which “appears to be a single person:  Andrew Jones, a 2003 UCLA grad who headed campus Bruin Republicans” created a website featuring “lengthy reports on each of thirty professors he targeted, but they contain nothing about misconduct in the classroom.” Instead, Jones believed these professors should be targeted for “supporting affirmative action..., organizing a memorial meeting for Edward Said..., opposing the confirmation of John Roberts as Chief Justice...supporting gay rights...and arguing that Bush stole the 2000 election.”

These assaults on academic freedom have a disturbing historical precedent when, during the waning days of the Weimar Republic, Nazi students promoted the dismissal of pacifist professors, promoted the establishment of racial studies and military science and advanced the idea that academia should serve only the national interest, as opposed to the pursuit of knowledge as an end in itself.

The suppression of this play at Wilton must also be placed within the context of an image-conscious information dominance system in which the right to peaceably assemble has been relegated to “free speech” zones, far removed from events like the Democratic and Republican National Conventions and removed from the watchful eye of the corporate media cameras.

Inside and outside academia, the rights embodied in the First Amendment are under assault.

I think it was Cheney who explained, “ That particular reality doesn’t apply any longer, we’re an empire.” Or perhaps it was some Dr.

thermonuclear holocaust for everyone. it would be glorious.

Dr Know,

As you can see, I don’t subscribe to name-calling or character attacks. I am trying to understand your point of view on this topic. What continues to escape me is how “tax-payers money” has any bearing on the nature of a play. Our country is a democracy, but high school curriculums are NOT formed through a democratic process. The concerns of tax-payers are voiced through duly-elected school board members, not through referendums.

Why does any play have to equally serve both sides of an argument? Are you saying that, because the students are identified as coming from Wilton, CT, people who see the play will leap to the conclusion that Wilton is some kind of east coast Berkeley?

The fact that you used the term “elitist agenda” suggests that you feel that objecting to the war is somehow an elitist perspective. Where’s the justification for that conclusion?

These students did nothing wrong, and the reaction of the administration is nothing more than censorship. I have seen nothing mentioned about a “community outcry” over the play, so I wonder what’s happening behind the scenes. You have been arguing on behalf of the taxpayers, but why haven’t we heard from them?

Public schools are run by parents, all parents, through their school boards/committees.  Their purpose is “make students into life-long learners” or some such broad mission.  You can try to push some “elitist” agenda but it’s probably not going to fly, not in a taxpayer funded public school. There may have been a teaching moment here where students could (and maybe were) guided through research and dialogue/debate about pros and cons of public schooling, about academic freedom, about school control, about democracy in public education, about freedom of speech, etc.  I still say the drama club trod on shakey ground and, if their goal was to make a statement, they accomplished it.  But like the Imus flap, you can say what you want but be prepared for the consequences, which might include dressing down and censure and maybe even losing your job.

BilltheDik, I agree with what you say.  Students ought to be allowed academic freedom.  How do you accomplish that in public pre-collegiate schools financed by taxpayers?  If you have half the taxpayers who think as you do and half who disagree with you, what do you do?  Tell the latter they’re stupid and you’re going to go ahead and spend their money as you see fit.  I don’t think that’s very “democratic,” do you?

Wilton High is but a single example of an ongoing assault on academic freedom by the hard-right’s thought police.  The effort is headed by David Horowitz, author of “The Professors: The 101 Most Dangers Academics in America.”

Horowitz, a former Marxist turned right-wing intellectual who subscribes to the Leninist doctrine that in “political conflicts, the goal is not to refute your opponent’s argument, but to wipe him from the face of the earth,” heads “Students for Academic Freedom” (SAF).  At the SAF web site, Horwitz takes the position that a professor has no right to criticize the war in Iraq or President Bush unless the subject of the class is war or contemporary American presidents.  He contends that such offending remarks are a violation of a student’s right to academic freedom--a rather Orwellian twist that suggests that the radical right has the “freedom” to suppress all forms of thought, speech and expression the far-right feels should not be heard whereas the basic concept behind Academic Freedom involves the free flow of information sans outside political interference and censorship so as to maximize the diversity of thought and study.  Horowitz encourages students to report offending professors.

James Madison, in setting forth the proposals that would become our Bill of Rights, proclaimed:  “The people shall not be deprived or abridged of their right to speak, to write, or to publish their sentiments; and freedom of the press, as one of the great bulwakrs of liberty, shall be inviolable.” Nowhere in the documentthat is our Constitution is there any hint that “liberty” entails the freedom to silence others with whom you do not agree.

Aside from his neo-fascist views as to the permissible range of speech within academia, Horowitz does not seem to grasp that criticism of Bush administration policies can be quite relevant to a broad range of subjects beyond war and contemporary presidents.  Such criticism may be essential for a biology professor lecturing on the benefits of stem cell research, the dangers of global warming or evolution.  Likewise, a law professor lecturing on constitutional law would be compelled to address the administration’s tortured views on unchecked executive power. 

Omnimously, Horowitz, et al, have not only targeted professors but are actively seeking legislative intrusions into the realm of academia under an “Academic Bill of Rights.” In Ohio, for example, Sen. Larry Mumper introduced legislation to “restrict what university professors could say in the classroom...”

Despite the fact that the war in Iraq is, for most Americans, “the” most important current event, Ms. Goodman quotes a student as saying that they are not allowed to talk about the war when discussing current events.  If that is the case, whatever the students are getting at Wilton High, it certainly can’t be called an education.

Dr. Know,..But it IS reactionary to assume that students are mere recepticles to receive accepted wisdom.  It IS reactionary to assume that education is one-way.  It IS reactionary to deny the adults: parents, teachers, administrators, and yes, even Phony PhDs, a chance to learn.  It IS reactionary to ignore the fact that students are less indoctrinated with horseshit than myth-laden ‘deciders’.  Again, private schools can be dressed up as stalls and stys to propagandists’ dreams’ content, but in the real democratic world students are valued and their critical thinking skills are encouraged, not banned.

Dr Mike, I guess I’d have to see the play before I could go any further.  War is by nature political and this one has divided the country.  Maybe the play isn’t political.  I’d be surprised if it weren’t. Don’t the students perform Richard’s letter in the play?  In fact, I don’t see how it couldn’t be.  I’m very surprised, knowing how public schools work, that the teacher even went ahead with it.  It may not be fair for you to characterize the objectors as “reactionaries.” They simply could be people concerned about what’s being taught in the town’s schools and how the tax money is being spent.  When those kids perform, they are known as the drama group from Wilton, CT high.  That’s significant.  This kind of thing goes on all the time.

Book ‘em Dan Uu!  Thanks for the link, I’m on it…

Everybody is right about how sad this is. However, having been there and fought the “dumming down” for most of my life, this really IS a vindication for those students, and in the long run (and I hate to sound trite) but this really has turned out to be a blessing in disquise. It’s the kind of thing that more and more people are experiencing these days, once they understand that it actually IS a blessing.

As most of you have noted, this kind of stuff happens all of the time...teachers and professors being fired for teaching, a definite lack of any comments in the mainline media. It’s as if the war isn’t happening for over half the nation. When Rumsfeld was “fired for show” last year, an independent reporter in Iraq told the story of how two soldiers were on patrol and having coffee or tea in the residence of one of the Iraqis.(which I know for a fact that they regularly do...at the beginning there, the Iraqi civilians were feeding our kids because they weren’t getting fed by the Halliburton contractors assigned to those duties)Anyway, the Iraqi civilian serving them the coffee or tea asked the young soldiers what they thought about the firing of Donald Rumsfeld. One of the kids asked him who Donald Rumsfeld was.

Now this is of course horribly sad. The troops ALREADY don’t even know WHY the hell they are THERE, and this kid didn’t even know who had SENT him there.

So, I’m delighted that these kids thought-up their show, and did it ANYWAY, with the help of their teacher. I’m sure she’s exceedingly proud of them, and they will probably share their message to a far wider audience, since the principle made this very bad decision. It backfired. That’s what’s been happening in the campaign to dumb people down. It’s blowback. People are beginning to take back their minds, and that is a very good thing!!!

So, this is a good thing

Folks, please, don’t stop here. How about sending brief, firm and polite Emails to the main actors? [OK, I just did it, so kindly follow in my footsteps so I don’t feel alone in cyberspace, lol]

Teacher Bonnie Dickinson: dickinsonb at wilton dot k12 dot ct dot us; she sure could use a bit of support!

Superintendent Dr. Gary Richards: richardsg at wilton dot k12 dot ct dot us; how about asking him to embrace the force of reason in his work?

Complaining is fine, acting is better still!

Love,

Dr Know,

Admitting that I don’t know all of the details surrounding the play, what exactly does this have to do with it taking place at a public school? The students were inspired to express themselves in part because an alumnus was killed in Iraq. As a result of this search, they collected FIRST-HAND accounts of the difficulties encountered by soldiers in Iraq.

A dramatic rendering of these accounts is not a political exercise in any way, shape or form. The students were merely trying to better understand the emotions and thoughts of soldiers living each day under threat of death. The only other way that these students could gain the knowledge that they sought was to enlist in the military.

Not only that, if any of the parents were concerned about their childs participation in the play, they could have insisted that they not take part. Do you think that their parents didn’t know what their kids were doing in drama class? The play got cancelled because some reactionaries in the school board put pressure on the Principal to “not make waves”.

There was nothing partisan or “left-wing” about the motivations of these kids. They were using the medium of theater to expand their horizons. It was a healthy outlet and I am glad that they prevailed in the end. The Principal and the school board should be ashamed of themselves.

As the bard so rightly stated, “The truth will out”. Despite attempts by this administration to twist reality the fact remains history is not re-written with spin & propaganda. It is re-written with newly discovered facts. Fascist regimes will use any means to be secretive & not allow the populace any opportunity at discovering what the historical truths are.

It took the public at large awhile to discover the truth about this war, despite attempts like the censorship of this play, and the Amererican people are becoming aware it was poorly conceived, breaks numerous international laws against war crimes, instituted for the sole benefit of a few large corporations (read oil companies & material providers within the military-industrial complex here), and conquest driven in the same pattern as the meglomaniacal Nazi attempt to rule the world.

The initiators deserve the rope, chair, chamber, lethal injection, or firing squad, just as any other traitors to American democracy & world peace do.

Actually, if Prescott Bush (W’s grandfather)had been held to task for aiding & abetting the Nazis in WWII we wouldn’t be in this situation today, because with Prescott strung up for the traitor he was little Georgie wouldn’t even be around today. It just goes to show the apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree, especially when an errant family that is blessed with funding sets it’s sites on dynasty & eventual world conquest.

This is a very perverted family that has no concept of real ethical considerations, common decency & morality, and the sooner they are gleaned from the gene pool the better off the world’s citizens will be. I’ll settle right now for just seeing Bush & co-conspirators behind bars for a long long time. And I don’t give a tinkers damn about what Pelosi states about ,"Impeachment is off the table”. She doesn’t speak for me or the majority of Americans now.

Dr.Know, public schools are the schools where a variety of views must, by definition, be welcomed.  Private schools are the places where it might be appropriate (and constitutional) to give one slant, be it religious, political, social, etc.  In our democracy if one presents one’s view in isolation from opposing views in a public school, one is in the profession of indoctrination, not education.  This is the domain of private schools, or home ‘schools.’ Hence, if you propose a Christian bias in a public school you must permit, even promote, other religious takes.  This is one of the reasons it’s best to keep religious speculation in private forums.  War is not a theory.  The reasons for wars can be theory and they must remain as open to challenge as they are to promotion.  Except in private schools or other quasi-totalitarian structures.

#77673, Billy, I hear what you’re saying, but this is about the teacher/advisor, the school department and tax money.  How did you propose that the school and the advisor produce an anti-war play while respecting the probable divergent views of the community and all its taxpayers?  If you started a private school and made it known at the outset that students might get involved with political controversary in their curriculum, then parents could make an educated decision about whether they wanted their kid in that kind of school.  I don’t think you have that freedom in a public school, which may be one reason parents opt out.

David Newell, tonight (wed.) is the premier of “Lil’ Bush” on Comedy Central.  It’s a cartoon about young furious George who hates falafel or something.  And check out who does Lil’ Cheney’s voice.  It’s at 10:30pm ET.

Catherine Anna, maybe you shold read the article.  The funk in the water has not been as deeply imbibed by the young as by the professional peanut-brained propagandists monitoring the corridors.  Remember, Levin based Stepford Wives on this funny little community that time forgot, and 15 miles away the same water-logged logic is at play.  Besides, ‘something in the water’ is faceciousness with the masks of comedy and drama snug.

Dr.nowinthrall, these are the very future bullet-stoppers who must educate themselves and each other. The decision-makers will not be going and, in this case, their opinion is void.  I can’t remember a more cowardly intrusion on the rights of those who will be expected to fight somebody else’s corporation’s war after graduation.  Graduation from what?  From involvement in the topic of war?

When public school teachers venture onto political territory with students they’ve got to be careful.  I know I wouldn’t touch this with a ten foot pole.  It would be pretty difficult to judge whether or not the end product was the result of the teacher manipulating students to advance his/her own political agenda (not altogether unheard of) unless there were ongoing supervision by some party (possibly parents) to make sure that the work was completely the students’ own.  I understand the concern here, even though I’m all for kids becoming more politically astute and I detest the war.  Parents, school administrations and towns are kind of sensitive about stuff like this.  If the kids wanted to be creative, maybe they should have chosen a “safer” subject or found some neutral forum and advisor to write, rehearse and perform this work.  Do you know what might be the fallout these days if a high school orchestra teacher programmed Wagner, notwithstanding Wagner’s creative genius?

I guess the only theater we want kids to be in is the Theater of War.

And it IS the decider, after all…

Didn’t Hitler do the same thing with the SS in WW II ? Maybe it won’t be long before King Bushit orders gas chambers and concentration camps built here in the U.S. for those who do not support him....

I mean since It’s “HIS GOVERNMENT” Now…

Well, at least military recruiters get to perform at the high school, and they can put on some pretty convincing performances.  It’s about talent, you see.  Can you imagine the giggles if an amateur tried to make it sound reasonable to put oneself in harm’s or hell’s way for a Piltdown President who is qualified maybe to work at KFC?  Oh, the reviews would be brutal.  Better to let the pros depict the version that will toe the company line.  Minimize confusion and independent thought.  Why do ya’ think they call it screwl?

War is not to be discussed in history class, is this because history is doomed to repeat itself? 
Do they have sex education classes, guess as long as they do not discuss sex?  Let’s stay away from numbers in math class and their school library must be as big as The Bush’s library in the Royal John.  Well, now I know were Republicans come from.