The University of Wisconsin – La Crosse has been much in the news these days and, for some, the news is not good. The school seems at the heart of a national trend toward hyper-sensitivity and intense scrutiny over the use of free speech. In one recent inside, a student objected to a Harry Potter mural that was condemned as depicting “Man power. Cis power. Able power. Class power.” Then there is the school’s “Hate Response Team” which has investigated such alleged offensive terms as “All Lives Matter” and “Trump.” Then last December, the Vice Chancellor apologized for the “fear and angst” caused by a truck that drove through campus with a rebel flag on its grille. Now the Ethnic and Racial Studies Department of UW LaCrosse have posted signs for the review of Halloween costumes to determine if they are racist.
Category: Bizarre
Saudi Arabia continued this week to prove to the world that it is every bit as extremist as counties like Iran and radical Sunni groups. Our closest Arab ally arrested a teenager named Abu Sin for engaging in “unethical behavior” by appearing in online video chats with an American vlogger named Christina Crockett. The video was deemed “enticing” under the Kingdom’s medieval morality laws.
Top women chess players are considering a boycott in the face of a decision by the World Chess Federation (or “Fide”) to hold the world championship in Iran where female grandmasters will be required to play in hijabs to avoid arrest by the Islamic morality police. It is another example of an international organization disregarding the interests of competitors in cutting deals with countries like Iran. Not only is Iran an authoritarian theocracy, but the country denies women, journalists, political dissidents and others basic rights. One would think that a condition of being considered as host would be a guarantee that competitors will be afforded their human rights.
The University of Michigan this week have issued a new directive to faculty that they must accommodate students in their preferred pronouns, including “they” and “ze.” Those pronouns will appear on class lists and professors are told to acknowledge any mistaken pronoun use and correct the mistake as “one of the most basic ways to show your respect for their identity and to cultivate an environment that respects all gender identities.” That may not sit well with faculty who have deep-seated objections to the use of pronouns like “they” to refer to a single person as a matter of personal, religious, or intellectual matter. However, the university added that “If there were a persistent pattern of ignoring a student’s preference, we would address that as a performance matter.” One student has already registered his protest by changing his pronoun to “His Majesty.”
China is a land of gross contradictions and crippling ironies from its “Red Aristocracy” to its billionaire communists to its luxury lifestyles for party members. However, perhaps the greatest irony is how the “Worker’s Paradise” regularly arrests those who advocate workers rights. The latest such case involves Zeng Feiyang, director of the labor rights group the Panyu Workers’ Center and his colleagues Tang Huanxing and Zhu Xiaomei. Their crime was tied to their successful advocacy for better worker wages and benefits. After the workers were given the benefits, the government arrested the three advocates.
Customs officials at Graz airport in Austria made a shocking discovery in the carry on luggage of a Moroccan woman: the entrails of her husband. If that is not bizarre enough, Austrian police insist that there is nothing illegal in taking body parts of your loved ones as carry on — subject to any size limitations of the airline of course.
We have yet another story of educators showing no regard for the interests of students in the imposition of a thoughtless and baseless punishment. In this case, the Wayne-Westland Community Schools had children using discolored and tainted water in their restrooms. Hazel Juco took a picture of the disgusting water and posted it in the hope of getting action. The school administrators responded by suspending her.
I recently expressed unbridled pride in my alma mater, The University of Chicago, in taking a stand for free speech and rejecting the notion of sheltering students from opposing or disturbing views with “safe spaces” and speech codes. Now, across town, my other alma mater, Northwestern University, appears intent on embracing the opposing view. Northwestern President, Morton Schapiro, has called faculty and students who adhere to views underlying the “Chicago Principle” as nothing more than “lunatics.” Fortunately, I only went to Northwestern for graduate school and was able to secure my undergraduate degree at Chicago in a free and robust community of free thought and free expression. The contrast in the two schools on different sides of the city captures the deep division among academics. However, as one of those “lunatics” and “idiots” denounced by Schapiro, there is no question in my view where the better educational environment can be found in light of Schapiro’s comments. He also denounced those with opposing academic views as just speaking from their privileged backgrounds and lifestyle.
Continue reading “Northwestern University President Calls Faculty And Students Opposed To Safe Zones “Lunatics””
There have been many past tort cases involving questions of whether pools had sufficient lifeguards at a pool to avoid a drowning. The City of New Orleans could face a rather unique tragedy where a fully clothed man drowned at a party for lifeguards with 100 lifeguards partying around the pool at the time.
Continue reading “Man Drowns At New Orleans Lifeguard Party Surrounded By At Least 100 Guards”
Let it not be said that football does not bring people together . . . or at least the hatred of certain teams. When South Carolina Officer Michael Blackmore saw a man about to jump off a bridge, he struggled to find a common connection or interest. He found it in their mutual hatred for the Dallas Cowboys. With the crushing defeat of my Chicago Bears last night, I also have found a new reason to live.
Continue reading “Hatred For the Dallas Cowboys Gives Suicidal Man Reason To Live”
Three Phoenix police officers have resigned after a bizarre and disturbing case of abuse. Richard G. Pina, Jason E. McFadden, and Michael J. Carnicle are accused of making a 19-year-old Phoenix man eat marijuana found in his car after a stop — an act that left the man feeling ill. The resignations occurred just before the officers were fired, but there remains a couple of disturbing questions.
Sharon K. Bidell, 55, was pulled over in her car by police on suspicion of drunk driving. Those suspicions were not elevated when she objected to police that her 1965 Chevy Nova was “not my drinking car.” Perhaps but it turned out to be her impounded car.
Continue reading ““Not My Drinking Car”: New York Woman Comes Up With Worst DUI Defense Ever”
Former congressman Anthony Weiner appears intent on showing that he is without a single redeeming quality. Long a favorite of liberals for his acerbic attacks on the right, Weiner lied when he was first accused of sending naked unsolicited pictures to women. He attacked the media and denied everything until the proof became insurmountable. He then professed shame, resigned from Congress, and promised to reform. Later he ran an embarrassing mayoral campaign, though not without liberal supporters who continued to defend him. He was then outed again as “Carlos Danger,” this assumed name in sending new texts. He again faded away with promises of reform. Friends gave him jobs as a political commentator and even a public relations expert. He was then shown to be again sexting this year, including pictures showing his infant son. After his wife (Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin) left him, it has now been revealed that Weiner has been sexting a 15-year-old girl and allegedly knew that she was a minor. In the most recent scandal, Carlos Danger has emerged as “T Dog.” On this occasion, however, Weiner could have crossed the line into criminal misconduct.
I have long been a critic of government bans on lawful products to prevent consumers from making poor health or lifestyle choices, including Michael Bloomberg’s failed effort to ban “Big Gulp” sodas. Now a group of African-American doctors are asking President Obama to ban the sale of menthol-flavored cigarettes because they are too popular with black smokers. We can certainly have a debate over a possible prohibition of tobacco products as inherently dangerous. However, if tobacco use remains lawful to smoke or sell (as I believe it should be), there are serious legal and policy problems with a ban on a product solely because it is too popular with one group.
The controversy over Donald Trump’s use of his charitable foundation is growing this week. Previously, Trump was fined $2,500 by the IRS for making a $25,000 gift from his charity to support the re-election of Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. That donation occurred just a few days after Bondi said that she was considering joining the state of New York in a lawsuit against Trump University. It was a highly problematic use of a charity with obvious concerns over the timing. Now, there is an even more surprising disclosure that Trump used more than a quarter-million dollars from his foundation to settle lawsuits involving his for-profit businesses. That is a very serious allegation and I am surprised that, if true, legal counsel would have signed off on such an arrangement.