ASU’s “Cronkite’s Kids”: Even bigger leftists than “Uncle Walter”

CBS newscaster Walter Cronkite: “Being a liberal is essential to being a good journalist”

Seeing Red AZ has frequently written about the failing local newspaper, long beset by layoffs and losing subscriptions at breakneck speed. We’ve also related how career reporters have been displaced by ASU Cronkite journalism school students, sans offices and editors, whose writing is rife with factual inaccuracies along with spelling and grammatical errors.

This inexcusable, inept lot is all the radically left, Hillary-endorsing, Trump-hating Arizona Republic can afford.

The pathetic infestation in Arizona has not escaped national notice. A recent exposé in National Review magazine is titled, “Cancel Culture Comes to Cronkite.”  It’s fact-filled and definitely worth reading, though we dispute the overuse of the word “progressive” used to describe radical leftists, previously known as liberals. The left prefers “progressive,” which sounds forward thinking.

These students have long been inundated with far left dogma and are now spewing it to gain creds within the treacherous Trump-hating industry.  Claiming victimhood, however, has not lost its panache, as these black University of Southern California communications students successfully demonstrated.

As to Cronkite himself, he was anything but conservative. He is also an unknown entity to ASU J-school students since he died in 2009 at age 92. Cronkite supported a “limited” global government system, opposing political conservatives who strenuously objected to the dangers in such a scheme. Cronkite voiced support for Bill Clinton during Clinton’s impeachment trial, but opposed the “War on Drugs,” officially launched by Republican President Richard Nixon June 1971, who declared drug abuse “public enemy number one.”

Cronkite’s nightly news broadcasts featuring his paternal demeanor and calming baritone voice, concealed his true intent, which was designed to turn the American people against our involvement in Vietnam, resulting in our returning military personnel, even those missing limbs or wheelchair bound, being spat upon by the dope smoking hippies who avoided military service.

Media Research Center has put together an eye-opening compilation of facts about Walter Cronkite, demonstrating that following his retirement in 1981 after twenty years as anchor of the CBS Evening News, Cronkite had made clear his liberal views on a range of issues, including how being a liberal is essential to being a good journalist. Be sure to read. “Walter Cronkite: Liberal Media Icon” featuring this collection of Cronkite’s liberal pronouncements, and denunciations of conservatives.

You’ll see he was the ideal leftist to name the ASU Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication after.

College education devolves to teaching “Overthrowing the State”

Requires freshmen write their own anti-American manifesto

This Daily Caller article by Mary Margaret Olohan is too important to put off reading. “How to Overthrow the State,” uncovers the extremist ideology being foisted on first year college students, tied to their all-important GPA.

The Washington and Lee University Writing Course 101 compilation delves into “literature of resistance,” with one “anchored by the exploration of four case studies: Muhammad Ali’s refusal to be inducted into the army; John Carlos and Tommie Smith’s Black Power salute at the 1968 Olympics; Serena Williams’s boycott of Indian Wells; and Colin Kaepernick’s kneeling during the national anthem.”

Another focuses on animal rights and environmental activist writing. Then there is how normative and so-called “non-normative” families form,  exploring  how “home” intersects with markers of identity, such as race, class, and gender.

Yet another course explores the complexities of and correspondence between “inferiority and otherness” based on factors such as color, gender, education, sexual orientation, privilege, and language. Among those targeted for study is Fox News’ Tucker Carlson. Oh, to be a fly on the wall in that class! Globalization is a major course of study.

One class is anti-religion at its core, questioning if proof beyond a doubt, using reason alone, is sufficient evidence of the existence of God. Students are asked if they should always base beliefs in evidence, or “is it ever reasonable to believe something for which there is no evidence?”

These courses are just the tip of the radical indoctrination iceberg.

Washington and Lee is a private liberal arts university in Lexington, Virginia established in 1749. The school defends a course offering called “How to Overthrow the State” that requires students write their own manifestos.

The course will “explore examples of revolutionary thought and action from across the Global South,” including Marxists Frantz Fanon and Che Guevara, and Mohandas Gandhi.

For this, parents are expected to shell out $73,000 (listed on its website as average annual cost) to ensure their dimpled darlings will emerge as radicals prepared to demolish the United States of America.

Recently, 79% of over 260 faculty members meeting over Zoom voted to remove the name of General Robert E. Lee. For the change to take effect, the school’s board of trustees must approve it.

Prior to the faculty meeting to vote on the name change, three black law school faculty members urged the school to drop both Washington and Lee, writing, “Washington’s brutality, inhumanity and cruelty are well documented. Lee’s reputation for racial violence and hatred is well known. He was a monster.”

Lee died in 1870, after five years as Washington College president. The college’s name was soon changed to Washington and Lee University, honoring his dedication. Lee is buried in a mausoleum inside the Lee Chapel on campus. How long before the chapel will be demolished and Lee’s bones callously thrown into the Potomac?

Leftist teacher issues death threats to AZ US Rep. Paul Gosar

The online Arizona Daily Independent newspaper does a masterful job of reporting what you won’t see in the radically left wing Arizona Republic. 

Headlined “Republican Congressman Receives Death Threat From Retired Teacher,” it includes the menacing, profanity-laced message left on Congressman Paul Gosar’s voice mail by retired teacher and Democrat political activist, Margaret Kathleen Spangenberg. The thought of this violent hatemonger interacting with young children should make every parent’s blood run cold. It’s a given she’s not an anomaly.

Spangenberg’s Facebook page shown in a screenshot on ADI‘s site, identifies her as a Mark Kelly supporter and Red for Ed protester — teachers who abandoned approximately 844,000 Arizona students for nearly two weeks in 2018, demanding and receiving a 20% pay increase for their part-time jobs from capitulating Gov. Doug Ducey. Like rats following the Pied Piper, they obediently followed self-acknowledged Socialist Noah Karvelis, a 24-year-old uncredentialed hip hop music teacher as they made demands.

Acquaint yourself with the teachers unions and $millions they donate to Democrat candidates. Its all substantiated on the Center for Responsive Politics web site, which states Democrats receive at least 94 percent of the funds they contributed to candidates and parties.

Congressman Gosar, a retired dentist, is doing a phenomenal job on behalf of the people of his 4th Congressional District as well as the entire state of Arizona. Read his impressive bio which includes his top-notch current and career ratings.

AZ teachers abandon students again

AZ Gov. Ducey should emulate Pres. Reagan’s handling of union strikers 

Mass resignations of teachers are occurring in two East Valley public school districts in the wake of schools reopening during the COVID-19 virus. 

Although the majority of parents and health officials want students back in school, the teachers are not only objecting, but are taking a permanent hike. According to news reports, other teachers plan to abandon classes in a solidarity protest with those who have resigned. That’s what they do best since U.S. education standards have been falling for years.

Pew Research Center 2017 data show U.S. students’ dismal academic achievement on science, math and reading scores significantly lag behind those of their peers in Singapore, Hong Kong, Estonia and Taiwan — to name a few

This April 27, 2018 report, “#REDS for ED: Union thugs demand more $ for less,” is worthy of review bringing relevant background to today’s topic.

Gov. Doug Ducey, a McCain protégé, created this monster scenario when he caved to the far-left unionist teacher’s* demands after they walked out for over a week following 24-year-old uncredentialed hip hop music teacher and avowed Socialist Noah Karvelis.

Taxpayers are the teacher’s employers and have a right to expect classes resume. Imagine if necessary government and utility company employees or hospital personnel unilaterally decided they would walk off their jobs due to concerns over conditions over which they had no control. They would be fired and replaced, as the teachers should be.

In 1981 President Ronald Reagan handled the 11,359 PATCO union strikers who walked off their Air Traffic Controller jobs in violation of his order for them to return to work in this instructive manner:

 

In addition, Reagan declared a lifetime ban on the rehiring of the strikers by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). On August 17, the FAA began accepting applications for new air-traffic controllers. On October 22, the Federal Labor Relations Authority decertified PATCO.

 * Center for Responsive Politics

Marxist tax the rich school funding tossed off AZ Nov. ballot

No amount of money satisfies the #RedsforEd crowd

Amid business closures, resulting job losses and a bottom dragging stock market due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some good news emerged Friday.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Christopher Coury blocked a ballot initiative intended to penalize business owners and others who have worked to attain success by levying even higher taxes on them as another means of boosting education funding that delivers abysmal results. Coury found that the 100-word summary on petitions signed by voters to qualify for the November ballot was incomplete. He also ruled that a bonus system the petition company used to enhance the amounts paid to circulators violated a law banning paying per signature, though he allowed those petitions to stay, saying some were invalid but not enough to block the measure.

Don’t assume that because Judge Coury was appointed to the bench by Republican Gov. Jan Brewer that the decision indicated his aversion to this far left money grab. He stated otherwise. His decision was based on technicalities.

The judge said backers were required to write a transparent summary but instead “circulated an opaque ‘Trojan Horse’ 100-word description, concealing principal provisions of the Initiative.” They also persisted in deceptively referring to the new tax as a “surcharge” rather a tax, which was previously addressed in an earlier Supreme Court ruling. He said that ruling provided backers the “rare luxury” of an Arizona Supreme Court decision discussing how to phrase the proposed tax increase. Instead, they used the confusing term “surcharge” instead of “tax increase.” 

In January SRAZ wrote, “AZ educrats revive $5 billion “tax the rich” scheme,” which includes a link to the “Invest in Education Act.” We described it as contrived to extract an additional $500 million annually — specifically earmarked for teachers’ salaries — from higher wage earners, who already pay the highest taxes. They are the latest enemies. The most recent grab has now magically increased to nearly a $Billion yearly for the state’s education system. Taxpayers should be aware these astronomical amounts won’t obliterate routine school bond elections and budget overrides. “Underpaid” teachers put their money here.* As you scroll through the site, be sure to check out the fourth graph headlined, “Party Split, 1990-2020.” These donors are the people who turned your kids into Socialist Bernie Sanders supporters.

Leftists conveniently forget that “the rich” supply jobs that raise up individuals and benefit families. None of them work 8 1/2 months a year as teachers do. They are the people who took risks and worked long hours to realize their dreams of entrepreneurship or professions. They are those we should aspire to emulate. The Left view them with contempt.

Passage of ballot propositions — 301 in 2000 increasing the state sales tax and 123 in 2016 a grab from the state land trust — guaranteed more money for education, which apparently is never enough. School districts routinely hold budget overrides and bond elections to “get more money into the classroom” —- eduspeak for bolstering teacher’s salaries. A major premise of passing the Arizona Lottery in 1980 was that money from ticket sales would fund schools.

Education has become a big business, with undisguised leftist leanings,* that routinely produces a shoddy product — pathetically under-educated American students. Teachers, its first line marketers, now routinely go on strike as we witnessed in Arizona, where they closed over 1,000 schools and abandoned over 840,000 students for nearly two weeks.

Gov. Doug Ducey ended up caving to their demands for a 20% pay increase, after publicly stating he would not capitulate.

This model would never survive in a truly competitive environment where outcomes matter.

For a memory jogger, read #REDSforEd: Educrats push socialist political agenda.

* Center for Responsive Politics

Calif. teachers union’s outrageous politically-based demands

There was a time when Arizonans were confident all rain “came from California.” More sophisticated today, we’re no longer focused on the weather, from which there is no summer relief. However, we do know with certainty that political nuttiness has its inception just across the state line.

A case in point, the Los Angeles teacher’s union has declared it won’t reopen schools unless police are defunded, Medicare for all is implemented, along with the imposition of a “wealth tax,”— as if wealthiest Americans didn’t already pay the highest taxes — the closures of charter schools, and a federal bailout. United Teachers of Los Angeles’ scheme is laid out in a crazed, leftist, race-based report bearing the catchy title, “The Same Storm, but Different Boats: The Safe and Equitable Conditions for Starting LAUSD in 2020-21.” To get the gist of the slant of the publication, this description of students explains why schools can‘t reopen: [They are] “more likely to live in high-density housing (making social distancing difficult), because of decades of residential housing segregation caused by institutional racism.”

When the Los Angeles City Council recently voted to cut the LAPD budget by $150 million, it declared the money will be earmarked for “disadvantaged communities,” actually most in need of police protection. Meanwhile, those “underpaid” California teachers, who work part-time jobs and will be paid not to teach have found enough ready cash to generously donate $246,528,592 to Democrats over the past two decades.  According to the Center for Responsive Politics:

“Teachers unions have steadily amped up their political involvement: From 2004 to 2016, their donations grew from $4.3 million to more than $32 million — an all-time high. Even more than most labor unions, they have little use for Republicans, giving Democrats at least 94 percent of the funds they contributed to candidates and parties.

Two organizations account for practically all of the contributions made by teachers unions: The National Education Association (about $20 million in 2016) and the American Federation of Teachers (almost $12 million). Both groups — which compete for members, but also collaborate with each other through the NEA-AFT Partnership — are consistently among the organizations that contribute the most money to candidates and political groups.“

Major school districts such as Los Angeles and San Diego will stay closed this fall, despite pressure from the White House to reopen. Randi Weingarten, the leftist president of the American Federation of Teachers, one of the country’s largest teachers unions, gives the federal government an “F” grade.  Weingarten, married to another woman, draws an annual salary of more than $540,000. The unionist introduced Hillary Clinton at the Democrat National Convention, while blasting Donald Trump.

As if on cue, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) exhibiting delusions of grandeur, recently announced plans to introduce an amendment to a bill that would withhold federal assistance payments to states that do not require face masks to be worn.

This comes as survival of businesses grow increasingly uncertain amid another shutdown. When the economy shrinks, the tax base will, as well.

It’s clear from reading the report that the people who spend more time with America’s children than their parents often do, are political radicals who have propagandized so many youngsters with tenets of Marxism, that it’s no wonder within a few years they hold cities hostage, loot, terrorize and destroy what previous generations proudly built and those who followed honored and gratefully held in esteem.

UofA: Education tax $$, steep tuition, fund racial division

If you believe the United States was built on a foundation of systemic racism, discrimination, and white supremacy, you’ll want to send your kids to the University of Arizona, regardless of the ever-increasing cost. It’s a certainty they’ll get an infusion of anti-white propaganda characterized as “awareness and education.”

This pile-on ignores the fact that interracial marriages have steadily increased, as this 2017 Pew Research Center survey of Social & Demographic Trends illustrates.

Previously known as a party school due to its close proximity to Mexico, UofA is now settling down to the serious business of generating and honing racial division through the Honors College on Systemic Racism.

This insulting letter addressed to “Honors students” is signed “In solidarity,” by:

Dr. Terry Hunt, Dean

Dr. John Pollard, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Curricular Innovation

Dr. Karna Walter, Assistant Dean for Student Engagement

Dr. Cheree Meeks, Assistant Dean for Programs, Diversity & Inclusion

Since 2003, Arizona has seen a steep hike in its published figures for in-state tuition. Previously one of the four lowest states for public university tuition, it now ranks in the top 15, according to the College Board, once known as a source for comparative information, but is now self-described as “Diaspora” in “tears, rage and resolve.”

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, thinking more clearly, sued the Arizona Board of Regents in 2017, accusing board members of “dramatically and unconstitutionally increasing the price of in-state tuition and mandatory fees at Arizona’s public universities by 315 to 370%  since 2003.” On an annualized basis, he said, that computes to 14.1 percent, “the third fastest rate of growth among all 50 states.” Read the AZ AG’s lawsuit.

This was prior to the pandemic altering our lives and the riots, looting and widespread national destruction following the needless death of the now martyred, multi-time-incarcerated criminal George Floyd.

Lawlessness takes root in Dem run cities & Update

America’s education establishment, controlled by Leftists, bears responsibility      

As Antifa political thugs take over American cities rioting, looting and now toppling historic monuments, it’s important to recognize that many ot the anarchists who align with the group identify as communists and socialists. Yet their goal far supersedes advancing a political agenda. Instead, they are committed to obliterating those they consider fascists, — mainstream American citizens, often conservative Republicans.

Under-educated in today‘s far left public schools, they abhor law enforcement, our legal system and public institutions, and justify using violence to prevent law abiding Americans from exercising such constitutionally enshrined First Amendment rights as free speech or public assembly. As far back as 2016, the Department of Homeland Security formally classified their activities as “domestic terrorist violence.”

Many are young, members of Generation Z, lacking memory of events we considered transformative, such as September 11, 2001 and not having it, or basic American history included in school curriculum. In seizing six city blocks of Seattle, (Hannity video) including the now abandoned police department, which they have renamed CHAZ* (Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone) the mob is now in control. 

Their List of Demands is preposterous, illustrating their abysmal lack of understanding the fundamentals of what has made America a beacon of hope since the Declaration of Independence was ratified on July 4, 1776.

Though many Americans are riveted, watching the raw hubris exemplified by aggression and hostility to what has made America great, focus should be directed to the fundamental causes.  Teachers unions have been donors to the radical left for decades and the proliferation of fatherless homes have corresponded to the increase in crime.

To more fully comprehend the depth of the left’s tentacles into the educational demise, read the enlightening,“Witness to Public Schools Brainwashing,” posted on American Greatness. It’s an outstanding insight.

*As of June 14, 2020, the lawless area has been renamed Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) by the mobsters who have not only not been forcibly removed from the 6-block area, but the city of Seattle has caved in to their outrageous demands providing no inducement to leave. Instead of removing these lawless squatters, the radical leftist city leaders, whose priorities are skewed, have brought in portable toilets and are supplying them with free food, as businesses in the multi-block area remain shuttered and their owners suffer.

UCLA Prof dismissed: denied black students grading leniency

Although Arizona abuts the state of California where the university system is under the direction of rabid leftist Janet Napolitano — formerly an appalling Arizona governor — don’t expect to see this astonishing story covered in the hemorrhaging subscriptions Arizona Republic. It doesn’t fit the narrative.

The UK’s Daily Mail, approximately 5,300 miles away, gave it prominence, since it is so outlandish as to warrant extensive coverage.

According to the Daily Mail, “The saga unfolded after students, who described themselves as ‘non-black allies,’ wrote to accounting professor Gordon Klein at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, asking him to effectively cancel final exams for their black peers given the current civil unrest in the wake of George Floyd’s death.

The students demanded a ‘no-harm’ final exam intended to boost students’ grades, insisted on shortened exams and extended deadlines for final assignments and projects.

They absurdly wrote, in light of recent “traumas, we have been placed in a position where we must choose between actively supporting our black classmates or focusing on finishing up our spring quarter.”

“We believe that remaining neutral in times of injustice brings power to the oppressor and therefore staying silent is not an option,” they wrote. They followed the message up with threats.

 Prof. Klein replied, denying their request for special treatment. Read the entire article. including the petition signed by 20,000 students demanding his dismissal. The school complied, placing Prof. Klein on involuntary leave after students condemned him with the ultimate slur of being a “racist.”  He’s taught at the school for 39 years without incident, but that was before mob rule following the clearly unnecessary death of George Floyd, a career criminal, (rap sheets) who has morphed into a worshiped martyr.

No-news AZ newspaper filled with leftist drivel

Following the death of former AZ Governor Jane Hull, the gasping its own last breaths local newspaper put one of its ace reporters to work on two inane articles, “How state has mourned past governors” and “With Hull’s death, 4 former Arizona governors still alive.”

Andrew Oxford — whose twitter account is laden with anti-Trump and Pence contempt along with liberal doses of Republican bashing, while lavishing praise on Meet the Press’ leftist Chuck Todd — writes as though he expects to be filing obits of the “still alive” governors.  He no doubt has them pre-written.

Oxford credits Hull for “successfully pushing through a sales tax for schools,” which was unnecessary and fought due to the funding mechanisms already in place.*  Yet his slanted report neglects to mention her well known animus toward John McCain, she pointedly did not endorse for President in 2000, instead giving the nod to George W. Bush. 

One of his posts takes on Republican Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich. Oxford unambiguously shows his bias, writing “Arizona’s top prosecutor cannot go around suing whomever he wants.”

Oxford expresses concern that leftist propositions won’t file enough valid signatures to make the ballot since paid collectors are being hampered due to the Wujan Coronavirus pandemic.

 *Arizona has long had permanent education funding streams. Passage of ballot propositions — 301 in 2000 increasing the state sales tax and 123 in 2016 a grab from the state land trust — guaranteed more money for education, which apparently is never enough for the teachers who work 8½ months a year in addition to getting long Spring and Winter breaks not accorded to any other state workers. School districts routinely hold budget overrides and bond elections to “get more money into the classroom” —- eduspeak for bolstering teacher’s salaries. A major premise of passing the Arizona Lottery in 1980 was that money from ticket sales would fund schools. When Arizona striking teachers abandoned over 840,000 students for nearly two weeks statewide in violation of their contractual agreements, Gov. Doug Ducey foolishly caved to their 20% pay hike demands, further emboldening them and their left-wing unions. Scroll through this Follow the Money/Open Secrets link which has the unvarnished facts.