Hey Dummy! Watch Jon Stewart to wise up

Liberal study finds comedy show viewers better informed than FOX News watchers

Well wouldn’t you know? A study conducted by Fairleigh Dickinson University’s PublicMind has concluded that FOX News viewers are less knowledgeable on political issues than people who only listened to leftwing NPR, watched the alphabet network biased Sunday morning talk shows or the supposedly comedic “Jon Stewart‘s The Daily Show” — all with a reliable leftward slant.

Fairleigh Dickinson University is a private New Jersey institute with campuses located in Canada and the United Kingdom.  Most telling is the fact that the school has been formally recognized by the United Nations as an NGO by the UN Department of Public Information.

What’s that, you ask? “A non-governmental organization selected to participant in and a witness to an increasingly global civil society,” is their gooblygook answer. But you get the drift. Further, in 2009, the university became the first college to receive special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Since 2002 the university has hosted more than 150 United Nations ambassadors and officials as part of their U.N. Pathways Forum.

The United Nations has provided a forum for despots and mass murderers.  Its members consistently vote against and condemn the United States and our allies, yet we are expected to fund this forum devoted to the extinction of freedom, and the hope of liberty. 

Given the choice, we’ll continue to get our news “Fair and Balanced” from FOX. 

Just another day in an AZ school

KTVK Channel 3 has the report and steamy video captured by a 16-year-old student at The Scholars’ Academy in Quartzsite, Arizona.  You’ll notice the links to the “Principal’s Corner” and “Faculty and Staff” have both been pulled down.

Although the principal was allowed to resign, his secretary — with the unlikely name of Billie Madewell — was fired for their extracurricular activities during school hours.

Principal Steve McClenning’s pledge to parents (previously posted), was “I assure you that I will do my best to make sure your child will have the best educational experience possible.”

No one could accuse him of lying.

 

The only positive in this pathetic scenario is that the two are both adults. Seeing Red AZ has long exposed the sexually predatory teachers in Arizona schools who prey on students. Check out the links to some of the NEA marchers in this “endless parade” here.

Greg Patterson: Regent nomination hits liberal nerve UPDATE

For those who have any doubts about its leftward tilt, the Arizona Republic starkly exposes its liberal underbelly today in a tantrum passing as an editorial.

The newspaper — actually disclosing its own bias against Greg Patterson in its third paragraph –  devotes its sole editorial effort today to a scathing condemnation of Gov. Jan Brewer’s selection of Patterson as a member of the Board of Regents. The screaming title, all in caps, leaves no mistaking the rage of the editorialist: GOVERNOR COULD DO BETTER WITH REGENT CHOICE.

Strikingly, the former state legislator and current elected member of the Maricopa County Special Health Care District, is derided as a “blogger” and vilified as a “lobbyist.” His law degree is acknowledged, though oddly omitted is his other degree as a CPA, which makes him an extraordinarily fine choice for the Regent position which oversees fiscal policies at the state’s three universities.

In this news release, the Board of Regents praised Patterson’s nomination, noting “Greg is well-versed in public policy issues affecting Arizonans and brings experience managing medical systems to the table, all of which will translate well to his work with the university system.”

Where were the editorial outrages when former Gov. Janet Napolitano made extremely partisan selections, including other lobbyists, identified as Government or Legislative Affairs directors, or mysteriously left unmentioned? There was no commotion when a far left retired U.S. Senator was appointed. How’s that for an example of raw politics? Now the newspaper’s position is that there are already lawyers and former legislators on the Board of Regents and “diversity” is needed. In a last ditch effort to persuade, the newspaper clamors for a “business leader“ — words suspiciously akin to those used by Rich Crandall who intentionally shelved Patterson’s senate hearing.

It is no mistake that this hit price on a worthy nominee runs the day before Patterson’s senate confirmation hearing, finally rescheduled for tomorrow, Monday April 9, at 11:30 a.m.

Last week, Seeing Red AZ covered the political machinations behind the ire over this excellent appointment, as the newspaper asserted that “Democrats were riled” over Patterson‘s nomination. It turns out that was true.  The Democrats most exercised just happen to be those who buy ink by the gallon at the daily endeavor, passing itself off as a disseminator of news. It’s clear its actual objective is an agenda of opinion. The Republic smarts over the sometimes stinging exposés of the local newspaper which appear in Patterson’s well written and researched blog. That should not be the determiner of quality of this well-qualified candidate.

For clarification, let it be known that Greg Patterson and those affiliated with Seeing Red AZ have no connection, and have no contact. 

These are the names of nominees who came before the Senate Education Committee for confirmation and the votes they received. The names will then be sent to the full senate:

STATE BOARD FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS:

Royce M. Jenkins             Passed unanimously

Todd A. Juhl                     Passed unanimously

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION:

Amy E. Hamilton              Passed unanimously

Roger L. Jacks                 Passed unanimously

SCHOOL FACILITIES BOARD:

Jeffrey J. Smith                Passed unanimously

ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS:

Ram R. Krishna, M.D.      Passed unanimously

Gregory D. Patterson        Passed with 6 ayes and 1 no

The often jocular interactions with the first six nominees, took a decided turn When Gov. Brewer’s nominee to the state Board of Regents, Greg Patterson, stood before the senate committee. After giving an overview of his impressive resume — including his background as a legislator, RICO head, an elected member of the Board of Maricopa County Hospital, along with his degrees in accounting and law — Patterson was initially asked about his blog by the chairman and put on the hot-seat by Sen. David Schapira (D-Dist.17).  Schapira contentiously called Patterson’s response to a question his “Etch-A-Sketch” moment, and used his time to relentlessly hammer the Regent’s nominee, even reading from yesterday’s negative editorial.

Patterson was clear to state that Education is an investment in the individual and also the state, speaking of economic decisions and outcomes as they relate to the cost of a university education. “You have to learn skills, be able to compete,” he said. As to his blog, Patterson said it would go dark for a month or two, making a dramatic change, inferring a complete hiatus.

Sen. Jerry Lewis (R-Dist.18) asked for reassurance that Patterson would not be blogging regarding the Regents post. Patterson said he has long been thinking of writing an e-book, “but my days of predicting Sen. Schapira’s demise” are gone. My next post after a “thank you” will be titled “For Sale, Espresso machine, heavily used.”

Patterson recommendation passed out of committee with 6 aye votes and Schapira’s “no.”

Greg Patterson: Well qualified to serve as Regent

Conservative label poses problem for governor’s appointee

Lawyer, CPA and former legislator Greg Patterson has been appointed to the Arizona Board of Regents by Gov. Jan Brewer.

If confirmed by the state senate, the well-qualified Patterson would replace departing board member Ernest Calderon, a Democrat appointee of former Gov. Janet Napolitano. 

In 2009, The Arizona Capitol Times selected Patterson for the ten-person list of the 2000 -2009 Decade’s Most Influential in the state.

But whadd’ya know? The Republic reports that Democrats are riled with the selection of Patterson, a CPA, lawyer, former state legislator and in his free time, a “conservative blogger.” In 2008, Patterson won election as one of the five-member board of directors of the Maricopa County Special Health Care District with oversight of the county’s public hospital system. His public-service background is extensive.

And those riled “Democrats?” Let’s see who was actually dug up to slice and dice the eminently well-qualified Greg Patterson. Former state legislators Chris Herstam (an iffy Republican), who derisively dismisses Patterson as a “blogger,” and Sue Gerard, whose picture shows up in the dictionary as an illustration of the acronym RINO — or Republican In Name Only. She uses the opportunity to further deride the able Patterson. And then there’s Rich Crandall (R-Dist.19) who has been a stunning embarrassment during his legislative tenure.

Crandall, chairman of the Senate Education Committee has removed Patterson’s name from the agenda. He claims members of the state business community are pressuring him, by asking “Can one of the three [new appointees] be from a large organization? There are lots of big-time names to bring to the table,” according to Crandall.

“They wanted to see someone who spent their time signing the front of the paycheck, not the back of the paycheck,” he said.

Really? Which of these folks would fall into that category? It appears most of them have spent a career on the “backside” of the paycheck, so distained by Crandall’s friends. 

The Regent’s Mission and Vision can be read here. Interestingly, not a single word is devoted to their penchant for tuition and fee hikes, or outrageously generous contract extensions in the face of the state’s worst economic calamity since the Great Depression.

Although Patterson can legally serve up to one year on the board without confirmation — as is the case with all gubernatorial appointments — who have not won confirmation, this would be a travesty.

Governor Brewer needs to take this fine appointment to another committee for passage.

Public schools, unionist teachers, victimize students

The Louisiana News Star reports that a teacher was present in the classroom while two third graders engaged in oral sex. Try wrapping your thoughts around that. The teacher has been dismissed because the principal felt that she was “not monitoring the classroom adequately.”

Another teacher in the district is under investigation for drug usage while on the job.

The Superintendent is on record desiring to “change the culture” of the district. “We are working on creating a culture where children can feel safe, loved and protected, and that’s quite a challenge,” she said.

Monitored and loved? How about instructed? Isn’t it the responsibility of educators to impart knowledge to students in preparation to be productive citizens who are able to compete in the workforce? Babysitters monitor and parents provide love.

Although they have an average student-to-teacher ratio of 16.6, and are spending $10,000 a year per child, academic scores are pathetic, ranked with a grade of “D” by the local school directory. By any standard this school is failing the children who attend.

The directory states that “the overall school rating shows that Tallulah Elementary School performed on average worse than many other schools across the state on iLEAP and LEAP state exams in the following subjects: English Language Arts, Math, Science and  Social Studies.”

An interesting accompanying statistic would be the percentage of teachers who are members of the NEA – National Education Association or the left-wing union known as the Louisiana Federation of Teachers.

“After birth abortion” condoned in medical journal

Infanticide defended by so-called ethicists

The Journal of Medical Ethics calls itself “an international peer-reviewed journal for health professionals and researchers in medical ethics” — which proves that grandiose titles can be worthless.

Under the heading of Law, ethics and medicine, the journal prints a paper co-authored by former Oxford University ethicist Dr. Francesca Minerva and Dr. Alberto Giubilini, a bioethicist from the University of Milan, titled “After-birth abortion: why should the baby live?”

In the report published by the BMJ (British Medical Journal) both newborns and pre-born human life are referred to as “potential persons,” as the duo opines that “the moral status of an infant is equivalent to that of a fetus, that is, neither can be considered a ‘person’ in a morally relevant sense. It is not possible to damage a newborn by preventing her from developing the potentiality to become a person in the morally relevant sense.”

In case the point was missed, repeated closely on its heels is this: “The moral status of an infant is equivalent to that of a fetus in the sense that both lack those properties that justify the attribution of a right to life to an individual.”

The so-called ethicists argue that “after-birth abortion” should be permissible in all cases in which abortion is, stating that like an unborn child, a newborn has yet to develop hopes, goals and dreams — the baby is not a person in the truest sense — someone with a moral right to life. In contrast, parents, siblings and society have aims and plans that could be negatively affected by the arrival of the child and their interests should take priority.

Adoption as an alternative is belittled. Minerva and Giubilini write: “Indeed, however weak the interests of actual people can be, they will always trump the alleged interest of potential people to become actual ones, because this latter interest amounts to zero. On this perspective, the interests of the actual people involved matter, and among these interests, we also need to consider the interests of the mother who might suffer psychological distress from giving her child up for adoption.”

According to this rationale, murder would be  far less distressing to the mother than allowing her child to live in a family ready to provide a loving home.

Reading the dispassionate arguments for death, we are witnessing the slippery slope of marginalizing life from natural birth through natural death as it becomes a hedonistic avalanche. 

AZ’s sexual predator teachers: The “endless parade”

Betrayal of trust continues

After seeing repetitive reports with only slight variations in facts, Seeing Red AZ began referring to the ongoing saga of sexually exploitive teachers as “the endless parade” — having written about their appalling abuses of students and other minors on numerous occasions.

Today we introduce you to a sterling character named Carl Mosher. The 32-year-old  married physical education teacher at Saint Gregory’s Catholic Elementary School has pleaded guilty to one count of sexual conduct with a minor and two counts of attempted sexual conduct with a minor.

Mosher was arrested in February on suspicion of four counts of sexual conduct with a minor. The 14-year-old female victim was 13 and a student at the school when he first began a relationship with her. Mosher is scheduled to be sentenced on December 16.

The Phoenix New Times has a detailed account of Mosher’s exploits.

These are just a few previous posts on the topic of sexual predators in positions of authority in Arizona schools here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

This is  an example of the far left indoctrination teachers get from the NEA — one of the nation’s largest unions. Listen closely as the list of the group’s accomplishments are ticked off. You won’t hear a single word about students or standards. But the national membership did vote to increase their own dues in order to provide greater funding  to Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign.

NEA’s plan to indoctrinate child activists thwarted

Grandiose words get a workout these days. Even the most discerning ears become inured to the overuse of “awesome” and “amazing.” Nevertheless, their equally tired adjective partner “outrageous” works to describe this headshaker:  

The National Education Association, the nation’s largest labor union, offered a $5,000 Learning and Leadership Grant to two Wisconsin teachers who intended to use the funds to “help first and second grade students” become “activists.”

The description of the grant for teachers Andrea Burmesch and Tara Krueger of Muskego Elementary, a public K – 4 school read:  Ms. Burmesch and a team of colleagues will develop a critical literacy inquiry based unit of study to help their first and second grade students understand the role that power plays in their lives. The teachers will learn how visual literacy and technology, particularly website and podcast development, can be used by students to create activist messages that make a positive difference in their lives and the lives of others. The students will create their messages around issues important to their lives.

Then Mark Belling, the afternoon drive time host on News/Talk 1130 WISN-AM inMilwaukee took up the issue, questioning the use of grant funds to turn seven-and-eight-year-olds into activists for the NEA.

Muskego-Norway Superintendent Joe Schroeder responded to an inquiry from Belling, and noted “upon inspection, I found a description of the grant that, while rooted in the development of critical thinkers and positive community members, was described with some very concerning language,” the Muskego Patch reports.

Schroeder said he had specific concerns over “helping first and second grade students ‘understand the role that power plays in their lives’ in effort to ‘create activist messages’ is language that, especially under the umbrella of a national union’s grant foundation, can understandably raise concern.”

This is that “national union” — the NEA:

 

Here is a sampling of “activists“:

You‘re teaching WHAT to my child?

No wonder home schooling is gaining adherents

This New York Post article on sex ed curriculum to be taught in New York City public schools is more than eyebrow raising.  The topics are shocking — yet the courses will be mandatory in middle and high schools next year.

If that’s not bad enough, check out the asterisk* marked subjects that will be taught to 11 and 12-year-old children. The specifics are graphic enough that we’ll let you check out the topics of study yourselves. There are four short paragraphs marked in this manner. Whereas the first two will have you steamed, the last two are guaranteed to enrage.

Student field trips will include a visit to the local pharmacy, where they will compare and contrast condoms in terms of brand, price, and specific features. Others will research and map out a route from school to clinics providing birth control and STD tests. The children are also directed to Columbia University’s Go Ask Alice astoundingly graphic website.

Johnny might not be able to read, but he’ll soon find out that bestiality is not a course in grooming and obedience training for pooches at the neighborhood veterinarian’s office.

The proficiency percentages of New York City school children on National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) tests are unacceptably low. Just 22 percent of the city’s eighth graders and just 29 percent of the city’s fourth graders are reading at grade level.

Eighth-grade reading has shown no improvement since 2003. But even with “significant” fourth-grade gains, only 35 percent of city fourth-grade students are proficient in math, according to NAEP data.

Students won’t be prepared for the competitive international marketplace, but they’ll be able to price shop condoms and probably teach Bill Clinton a thing or two about….well, you know.

Here is the research report titled “Sex Ed in the NYC Public School System.” Prepared by the long-controversial SIECUS and NARAL Pro-Choice New York, it includes the Obama administration’s HHS Director Kathleen Sebelius’ stamp of approval. NARAL has gone through several incarnations since its 1969 inception — first as National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws. It then became the National Abortion Rights Action League and later National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League. Now it merely uses the less revealing acronym. But don’t be fooled. The objective is still to undermine family and religious values.

Jerry Lewis fingered in “Backpackgate”

Backpacks donated to homeless kids attending Jerry Lewis’ school diverted to private yard sales

Espresso Pundit has poured out a steaming brew — no cream, no sugar, no fluff — on a shocking scandal that is getting no coverage in the Arizona Republic.  The reason?  The perp is Jerry Lewis, the newspaper’s beloved state senate candidate whom they hope will beat the pants off conservative Senate President Russell Pearce.  A lot is riding on this election.  Pearce is the architect of Arizona’s SB 1070, the nationally copied law addressing the costly and crime-laden problem of illegal immigration. If Sen. Pearce is defeated it will make national news and embolden those who support the unlawful invasion. 

Arizona is the portal through which the majority of illegals pass as they fan out across the U.S. or decide to put down roots here. But the Periódico de la República de Arizona (Arizona Republic) is adamantly pro-amnesty, so Sen. Pearce rings the bell on the newspaper’s Despise-O-Meter. It’s not unusual for tag-team sucker-punches to brutalize Pearce with manufactured front page stories posing as news and simultaneous, hit-piece columns by Laurie Roberts and EJ Montini.  Angry editorials are topped with a blistering Steve Benson offering posing as a cartoon.

But when recruited challenger Jerry Lewis, a charter school principal and former LDS Stake President and Bishop engages in shamefully deceptive practices, nary a word.

In Your News is Carefully Scripted, Espresso Pundit exposes the yearly major charity drive aimed at securing corporate and private donations for the homeless schoolchildren Lewis’ Children First Academy serves. But there’s a stomach-turner of a story behind the actual recipients of the donated backpacks, school supplies and clothing.  Rather than needy kids being gifted with the essential items, some of them end up with a friend of Jerry Lewis, who then sells them at a private yard sale, while Lewis keeps the lucrative solicitation machine going, as he claims the youngsters need more supplies.

We are linking to this exposé, which includes the lawsuit filed by a whistle-blowing assistant principal dismissed for exposing Lewis’ treachery. This story has far-reaching implications. We urge you to read the entire post.