‘Gay’ teachers conference reveals latest plans for school children

“GLBT” teachers conference in Boston reveals latest plans to push homosexuality even further into schools. Well organized, fueled with taxpayer dollars.

Exclusive report from MassResistance. Coming to your school soon.

What are the latest homosexual and transgender tactics targeting your schools? In the school “culture wars” nothing happens by accident. It is usually the result of careful planning and execution. Here is a look behind the scenes.

Homosexual teachers, school officials, and education activists (and their “allies”) — along with children as young as fifth grade — converged at GLSEN’s 2014 Annual Conference in Boston last month. At this “hands-on” event they to introduced and discussed their latest strategies for thoroughly pushing homosexuality and transgender issues and behaviors into the minds of kids.

The conference program.

Powerful national group heavily connected to state education system

GLSEN (Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network) is the nation’s largest homosexual and transgender activist organization working inside schools in all 50 states. It has set up “gay straight alliance” student clubs (GSAs) inside thousands of high schools (and even some middle schools) across the country. GLSEN pushes a wide range of psychologically penetrating homosexual and transgender programs activities into the schools, such as the controversial “Day of Silence”. It also directly organizes and trains teachers to integrate their techniques throughout the curriculum. Founded in the early 1990s by super-activist Kevin Jennings, it has a multi-million dollar budget, lavishly funded by corporate America and private foundations. The conference program.

This just one of the things GLSEN is implementing in high schools and middle schools across America.

In 2000, the Boston-area GLSEN Conference gained national outrage when MassResistance (then known as Parents’ Rights Coalition) exposed the sickening “Fistgate” workshop which involved adults teaching young kids explicit sex acts. Nevertheless, the Massachusetts Legislature (and corporate America) has continued to support GLSEN.

In Massachusetts, much of GLSEN’s activities in the schools are funded with taxpayer dollars though the Massachusetts Commission for GLBT Youth. They are also closely coordinated through the State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

All-day conference in Boston

The all-day conference was held on Saturday, April 5, 2014, at Madison Park Vocational High School in Boston. It included keynote addresses outlining their overall plans and direction, and 21 workshops dedicated to specific topics and strategies, by both national and local experts.

Madison Park Vocational High School in Boston.

It was attended by approximately 325 people. About two-thirds were students who were brought in from across the state — from middle schools, high schools, and (according to the conference organizers) some from elementary schools.

MassResistance was also there that day. We attended the keynote sessions, workshop sessions, and just about everything else.

The other objective: Using kids as the vanguard in schools

The GLSEN Conference is run by adults and is meant to train adults. But they go to great lengths to bring in as many students as possible, no matter how young. They come from schools across the state, and usually seem part of a “gay club” or affiliated with a homosexual activist on the school’s staff, such as a teacher or guidance counselor.

That’s because there are big roles for kids in the GLSEN strategies. Part of that is to be the “hands on” teaching of the new techniques. In the workshops, there is a fair amount of role-playing, for instance.

But even more important, the students are seen as the vanguard within the schools, to bring these ideas into the schools and interact with other kids and with authority figures in a way that other staff members can’t. For example, kids are trained to help form the gay clubs and other activities, how to talk about “coming out” to their friends, and how to deal with stubborn school administrators who resist these programs.

Students at the conference taking in the latest propaganda and marching orders.

The Conference’s keynote speeches: Setting the tone for the kids

The opening session that morning included two keynote speeches, both directed at the students. In many ways, these set the tone for the rest of the day. A general message we got from both speeches was that there is no sense of truth, or reality, or of right and wrong. Any way you want to express yourself in life is fine.

The first keynote speaker was Eliza Byard, Executive Director of GLSEN, from their New York office. She told the kids about the necessity of being “out and proud.” She goes to a lot of schools, both here and overseas, and makes it a point to counsel kids and teachers to publicly “come out of the closet” and declare their homosexuality. And GLSEN will support you, she said. She’s also pushing the radical “pronoun” issue — taken from so-called Queer Theory and coming into schools — that people can decide for themselves whether they’re “he” or “she” or something else, and everyone else needs to adjust to that.

Eliza Byard, Executive Director of GLSEN, from New York, giving her keynote speech to the attendees.

The second speaker was a student from western Massachusetts. who talked about her experiences as a GLSEN activist in her high school. She talked about “creating change” in the school, and how she does that, working with both students and adults. Small groups can make change, she said. But she said that “space must be available” for that to happen – i.e., accommodating teachers and school officials and “guidance by adults who allow youth to express themselves and not stifle themselves.”

Then, a middle school student spoke about how she helped organize the “Day of Silence” in her school. One teacher balked at having posters put up because of parent conferences that evening, saying that parents might not be comfortable that. The girl labeled the teacher “ignorant” and “no longer working at the school” (which caused a cheer). She said she’s a bisexual (in middle school!) and that her sister is a lesbian.

These stickers were given out.

The workshops

Below are some of the workshops from this year’s conference. This is what they’re training teachers and administrators to do, as well as the activist students. In one way or another, this is what you can expect to see coming up in your schools. A few of the topics had been introduced in past GLSEN conferences and are being refined. But all of them are about changing the schools and the minds of children in some way.

1.1 The Trevor Project: Empowering Youth to Save Lives!

Wondering how you can make an impact? Learn about The Trevor Project! We’ll discuss language, stereotypes and how to respond to signs of suicide. [Note: The “Trevor Project” steers kids to books portraying “gay” sex. See our MassResistance report.]

Presenter(s): Kate McGravey, Manchester Essex Regional School District; Jaclyn Kinsman, North Reading Public Schools

1.5 When a Teacher Makes a Gender Transition

We will share the successful experience of a faculty member’s gender transition at Milton Academy, K-12, as well as communications strategies, documents and lessons learned.

Presenter(s): Marshall Carter & Sam Landau, Milton Academy

1.6 Strengthening Youth/Adult Collaboration

This workshop will provide participants with helpful tips for achieving healthy, successful collaborations between youth and adults in school and community based settings. [Note: The “youth and adult” connection in the homosexual movement is particularly disturbing.]

Presenter(s): Jessica Flaherty & Giftson Joseph, BAGLY, Inc.

1. 7 Teaching “Out”

This workshop is a space for LGBTQ people to discuss the personal, professional, and political impact of being an LGBTQ teacher, particularly in a K-12 setting.[Note that this starts in Kindergarten!]

Presenter(s): Ryan Ambuter, Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School

2.1 Supporting Transgender Youth in Schools

This workshop will serve as both a Trans* 101 and a resource for those looking for more knowledge about the rights of transgender students in schools.

Presenter(s): Ryan Ambuter, Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School

2.2 When They Jump to Conclusions: Education on LGBTQ Topics

LGBTQ youth are often approached as “experts” on LGBTQ topics, by their parents and peers. Join QSA students in this engaging discussion on this multi-layered issue.

Presenter(s): Boston Area Homeschoolers’ QSA

2.5 Reversing the Erasure of LGBT History

Using Los Angeles Unified School District and Lowell School District as case studies, this workshop examines strategies for introducing vital LGBT inclusive history curriculum into schools. [Note: The concept of “LGBT History” is an important psychological tool for legitimizing it to kids. It also introduces deviant figures such as Harvey Milk and NAMBLA activist Harry Hay as worthy of admiration.]

Presenter(s): Debra Fowler, Debbie Costello & Erin Kehoe, Lowell High School

3.1 Starting a Middle School GSA: A Sustainable, Grassroots Approach

Practical advice and encouragement for students, staff, parents and community members who would like to establish a sustainable GSA in their local middle school.

Presenter(s): Anna Watson, Friends of the Ottoson Middle School GSA

3.2 Queering the Classroom: Providing a Safe Learning Environment for All

Providing a safe environment for GLBTQ youth promotes a more comfortable, creative environment for all students. Resources and discussion will address your classroom needs.

Presenter(s): Marie Caradonna, WAGLY (West Suburban Alliance of GLBTQ Youth)

3.3 Coming out to Parents

Coming out to parents as LGBTQ is a big decision. Learn what to expect and get support. Interactive workshop and resources for participants.

Presenter(s): Pam Garramone, Greater Boston PFLAG

3.4 Responding to LGBTQ Partner Abuse In Black & Latin@ Communities

This workshop will define partner abuse, the tactics of abuse, and discuss overcoming challenges for seeking support. The workshop will focus on Black/Latin@ LGBTQ communities. [Note: Abuse and violence in homosexual relationships has become such a problem in Massachusetts that it’s even discussed in “gay club” settings for kids and at “Youth Pride” activities.]

Presenter(s): Ricky Granderson & Corey Yarbrough, Hispanic Black Gay Coalition

3.6 Changing the Game: The GLSEN Sports Project

Participation in sports and Physical Education has positive effects health, self-esteem, sense of school belonging and academics. Unfortunately, some research suggests that LGBT students may not have access to these and they may be less likely than their non-LGBT peers to attend Physical Education classes or play sports teams. This session focuses on developing strategies to create inclusive conditions where all students can benefit from participation and learning. Note: This is the national homosexual movement introducing strategies for “queering” high school sports.]

Presenter(s): Jenny Betz, GLSEN National

Coming up

Unfortunately, most people – and especially most parents – have no idea the extent of the radical homosexual and transgender psychological propaganda being pushed at children in their schools, much less what’s going on behind the scenes. We hope to begin to remedy that.

We’ve just scratched the surface on this Conference. In upcoming emails, we will be reporting in greater detail what took place in some of the workshops, as well as posting some of the handouts.

Pamphlet handed out to kids at the Conference reveals the new “upgraded” name for state-funded radical group:Massachusetts Commission on Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Queer/Questioning (not well defined yet) Youth. They keep adding letters.

RELATED STORIES:

Hundreds contact FBI about pedophile teacher case – New York News
Janesville superintendent issues apology for ‘Kids React to Gay Marriage’ video : WSJ
State Department Sacrifices Children for ‘Gay’ Imperialism
Chuck Hagel: Transgender ban in military should be reviewed

Behind the Scenes on the Chicago Teachers Union Anti-Common Core Resolution

On May 7, 2014, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) passed a resolution against the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

That evening, I wrote this post and included my own experience and conversations on Lewis’ position on CCSS. In the post, I figuratively note that this is now a battle between Lewis and American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten, who has stated that if it comes down to AFT constituency rejection of CCSS and keeping CCSS at the AFT convention in July 2014, she plans to keep CCSS.

Though I metaphorically describe the battle as being between Weingarten and Lewis, I know from my interactions with Lewis that she is a union president who serves her constituency. Unlike Weingarten’s dealings with AFT members, Lewis does not try to force CTU membership into the mold of her top down choice.

On May 10, 2014, fellow blogger Anthony Cody posted a guest article by CTU member Michelle Gunderson. In it, Gunderson describes the process by which CTU arrived at and crafted CTU’s anti-CCSS resolution.

Include below is Gunderson’s post in part:

By Michelle Gunderson.

Wednesday evening I stood before my brothers and sisters at the Chicago Teachers Union to speak in favor of our resolution opposing the Common Core State Standards. When I finished speaking, there was a call for the vote. It was unanimous. It was resounding – not a single voice raised in opposition.

There are times when the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) seems like an engine; that we are able to accomplish great and difficult work seemingly overnight. I would like to pull back the curtain for a moment, and help others understand the purposeful and deliberate process we take in order to form our decisions and actions at CTU.

There are those in the media who contend we are being reckless and blindly following Karen Lewis, the president of our local. Nothing could be further from the actual case.Michelle.jpg

As much as we admire Karen Lewis and are grateful for her talents, this work was not generated from her. In fact, characterizing this event in such simplistic terms denigrates the social justice transformation of the Chicago Teachers Union, a long and hard-won struggle that involves many. We do not act on Karen Lewis’ behalf or her wishes. She acts on ours, with our guidance, and we love her for it.

It is hard to imagine a union in existence where a full democratic process is expected by everyone involved – leadership, rank and file, and union staff. Yet, in Chicago, we hold this ideal in such high regard we cannot imagine a union working any other way.

Several months prior to the passing of the resolution, the Caucus of Rank and File Educators began discussing and debating the Common Core in our open meetings. We read Diane Ravitch’s bookThe Reign of Error in small study groups. And many of us followed Anthony Cody’s work on this blog. Through conversations and study we came to a strong conclusion. The authors of the Common Core view the purpose of education as college and career readiness. We view the purpose of public education as a means for educating a populace of critical thinkers who are capable of shaping a just and equitable society in order to lead good and purpose-filled lives.

With our philosophical underpinning so drastically divergent from that of the Common Core we did not see any room for common ground.

That is why we say no to Common Core.

My hat is off to CTU.

To read the rest of Gunderson’s piece on Anthony Cody’s blog, click here.

EDITORS NOTE: The featured photo was taken by firedoglakedotcom. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

America’s New Textbooks are Coming

In just six months, the state of Texas will adopt new social studies textbooks and educational materials for its five million students.  Approximately 50 new textbooks and 100 workbooks, CDs, and other educational materials will be put before the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) for approval in November.  The committee’s determinations are not only essential in Texas, where the state purchases almost all educational materials for its school districts, but for the nation at large.  As a bulk purchaser of over 150 million textbooks, the Texas market is substantial enough to influence the textbook publishers themselves.  Major publishers align the content of textbooks offered nation-wide to comply with Texas’ requests in order to ensure their books have a place in this substantial market.

What happens in Texas does not stay in Texas, but impacts parents, teachers, and students around the nation.  The textbooks that the SBOE chooses in November could very easily be on the desks in middle schools and high schools around the country in 2015.  It behooves citizens across the country to pay attention to the choices Texas will make and to understand the content of the books.

So, how is Texas planning to decide which textbooks to adopt?

In January, the SBOE changed the rules for its review process to mostly exclude individuals who are not Texas teachers or professors from reviewing textbooks.  The selection process has become more opaque and the standards for review unknown to those outside the process.  The public only knows that reviewers will meet for a week in Austin over the summer and are instructed not to discuss the process with outsiders (including publishers).  According to a Star-Telegram article, we do know that the changes are specifically designed to prevent citizens from raising controversial issues at the November hearings.

The public does not know who will be chosen to review the textbooks, the degree of scrutiny the books will face, or if the review process will even examine factual accuracy, objectivity, and overall content responsibility.  Newer textbooks, especially the slew of new material now marketed under the aegis of “Common Core,” contain an alarming degree of inaccurate material and need to be scrutinized and analyzed by independent experts who are guided by honesty and objectivity.  An independent review of these educational materials is crucial for students, parents, the education system, and our civic society.

Residents of Texas and other states should be alarmed that such important decisions will be made essentially “under the radar” of the citizenry.  A group of citizens called “Truth in Texas Textbooks,” under the leadership of Lt. Col. Roy White is leading an effort to bring citizen input to the SBOE.  This group has been planning and organizing since the fall of 2013 and is committed to making citizens’ voices heard.

At Verity Educate, we are working hard to provide parents, communities, and schools with the information they need to know about the content of these new textbooks.  Our experts – independent, non-partisan scholars – review material in their specialized content areas.  Textbooks are examined line-by-line for factual inaccuracies and content objectivity.  The in-depth reports we compile note every error, explain biased material, and examine the impact of particular inaccuracies on students’ education.  We spend up to 60 hours reviewing each book, researching the facts, and compiling reports.  How can the SBOE complete a thorough review of all the textbooks in one week?

Because the state will be coming to the November hearings with reviews from its hand-picked expert panels, citizens must also arm themselves with credible, authoritative, and scholarly evidence.  Some of the textbooks up for adoption will be great – factual, objective, and honest.  However, other textbooks will be inaccurate, biased, and un-truthful.  It is important for citizens to be informed about the content of these books before their adoption by the state of Texas and before the books come home in students’ backpacks.  When parents, taxpayers, and citizens inform themselves about the content of these books they can have input with their schools boards, state boards of education, and elected representatives.

An education riddled with factual inaccuracies and biased content affects the heart of our civic society.  When factual accuracy is not accounted for, students will grow into citizens lacking the most basic historical knowledge.  When presented, over and over, with biased content and one-sided arguments students fail to develop critical thinking skills.  The effects of a poor history education are playing out as we speak.  Influential leaders bring their ignorance of key historical events like the Monroe Doctrine and the Crimean War to the attention of the world through their actions and their speech.  When history is taught incorrectly, the nation suffers.

If you are interested in learning more about the content of new textbooks and efforts to ensure accuracy and objectivity, visit www.VerityEducate.org.  Follow us on twitter @VerityEducate and Facebook for regular updates.

US Muslim groups won’t move to excommunicate Boko Haram

Notice that the Daily Caller’s Neil Munro repeatedly asks Muslim leaders in the U.S. to offer Islamic counter-arguments to Boko Haram’s claims for Islamic justification for its actions, and they refuse to do so. This is, as I am quoted as saying in this piece, because they can’t.

“US Muslim groups won’t move to excommunicate Boko Haram,” by Neil Munro, Daily Caller, May 12, 2014:

U.S. Islamic leaders won’t try to formally excommunicate the Islamist Boko Haram group unless they can meet with its leadership to debate the religious legitimacy of its actions, a spokesman for a leading mosque told The Daily Caller.

“There is a great reluctance to excommunicate someone by extension. … It would be like convicting someone in absentia,” said Imam Johari Abdul-Malik, the spokesman for the “Home of the Migrants” mosque, or Dar Al Hijrah mosque, in Falls Church Va. If crimes have been committed, the Nigerian government should punish the individuals, he added.

On May 7, Abdul Malik led a group of Muslim advocates at a press conference at the National Press Club, where they denied that Islamic strictures are shaping Boko Haram’s years-long campaign of killing and kidnapping Christians.

“Islam is not the problem,” said Ahmed Bedier, a Florida-based Islamic advocate. “We’re tired of people coming on television and asking where does this ideology come from,” Bedier said. “Well, this ideology comes from nowhere,” he insisted….

At his May 7 event, Abdul-Malik urged Boko Haram to change its view of Islam, even as he declined to challenge its religious claims. “Groups like Boko Haram desire to take us back to a medieval … world where kidnapping of women and girls and enslavement and rape are acceptable,” he said.

“The world has changed … [and] in particular we are saying as modern day Muslims that we now reject all of these acts and that they are contrary to our faith,” he said.

However, Abdul-Malik didn’t promise any religious or political action by U.S. Islamic groups. When pressed May 9 by The DC to cite Islamic texts that contradict Boko Haram’s Islamist arguments, Abdul-Malik quickly ended the phone call….

In a February video, Shekau justified his murder of Christians by quoting the Quran. The verse cited by Shekau, “We have rejected you, and there has arisen, between us and you, enmity and hatred for ever, unless ye believe in Allah and Him alone,” is found in the fourth verse of the Quran’s 60th chapter.

“We wish to reiterate that our [jihad] is not for personal gain; it is meant to ensure the establishment of an Islamic state by liberating all Muslims from the excesses of the infidels,” the group’s spokesman, Abu Qaqa, said in 2012, according to study of the group. “We don’t kill innocent Muslims. The fact is the bottom line of our struggle is to set the Muslims free from enslavement. We only kill the unbelievers,” he said.

The Muslim groups aren’t excommunicating Shekau’s group because his Islamic claims are based on iconic Islamic texts, said Robert Spencer, the author of several best-sellers on Islamic law and traditions.

Slavery is endorsed in several sections of the Koran, where is described as “those whom your right [sword] hands possess,” he said.

The Quran is said by Muslims to be a direct transcription by Muhammad of statements by their god, Allah.

Close. Muhammad didn’t make transcriptions, according to Islamic tradition; his followers did. But in any case the Qur’an is considered to be a perfect transcription of the perfect and eternal book.

So “it is perfectly legitimate for a Muslim to capture a Christian woman and use her for sex,” Spencer said. “This is something that Mohammad did himself,” according to Islamic traditions, Spencer said.

The acid test of opposition to Shekau’s Islamic claims is whether the U.S. Islamic groups will declare that Shekau’s groups and ideas are heretical, said Spencer. But Islamic debates are very legalistic, so any attempted excommunication would require Islamic groups to cite Islamic texts before pronouncing “takfir” on Shekau and his movement, Spencer said.

TheDC asked Abdul-Malik if Americans Muslim groups would pronounce “takfir” on Boko Haram. “There is a great reluctance to excommunicate someone by extension. … It would be like convicting someone in absentia,” he replied.

The groups won’t take that step, Spencer said, because “they know Boko Haram has a perfectly good case based on the Koran … [and] they know that Muslims in their community … would be indignant towards them if they pronounce ‘takfir’ on a group that is following the Koran.”

Numerous U.S. Islamic groups contacted by TheDC declined to offer Islamic counter-arguments against Boko Haram. Instead, they merely said its actions are “unjust” and “un-Islamic.”

Shekau was trained as a Muslim cleric, according to a report by the International Crisis Group. He includes an Islamic title — imam — in his war-name, which is “Imam Abu Mohammen Abubakar bin Muhammad Shekau.” The name is also a salute to one of Islam’s earliest caliphs, Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr….

RELATED STORIES:

Terrorists Who Kidnap Little Girls
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Muslim cleric: “Islam allows a man to have intercourse with his slave woman”
Nigeria: Abducted girls forced to convert to Islam
Boko Haram: Girls who haven’t accepted Islam will be traded for jihadi prisoners
Islam’s role in Boko Haram’s kidnapping of schoolgirls — on The Glazov Gang
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Dear Chairman Gowdy – America is Counting on Your Backbone!

To: The Chairman Trey Gowdy and the Select Committee on Benghazi

Your investigation is a huge relief to millions of Americans like me who have wondered and agonized over the past almost-two years about the actual events that happened before, during and after the September 11, 2012, attack in Benghazi, Libya, that resulted in the horrific murders of Ambassador Christopher Stevens, information officer Sean Smith, and embassy security personnel and former Navy SEALs Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods.

Another State Department employee, diplomatic security agent David Ubben, was gravely injured while under attack with Woods and Doherty, but like other survivors he has been forbidden by the Obama Administration from speaking publicly about his ordeal.

However, as reported by Catherine Herridge of Fox News, when the late Florida Congressman Bill Young met Ubben at Walter Reed Medical Center last summer, he said that Ubben “emphasized the fact” that the attack on the Benghazi compound “was a very very military type of operation…they had knowledge of almost everything in the compound…they knew where the gasoline was, they knew where the generators were, they knew where the safe room was, they knew more than they should have about that compound.”

Will the Select Committee include the testimony of Ubben and the other muzzled victims and will it explore who sabotaged the Americans by revealing to the terrorists “more than they should have known about the compound”?

Of course, neither your Select Committee nor my letter to you would have seen the light of day if the conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch had not been successful in their Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, which revealed “the smoking gun” e-mail in which Benjamin J. Rhodes, then-White House Deputy Strategic Communications Adviser laid out several goals for U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice to meet on the five Sunday-morning TV shows she was scheduled to appear on, chief of which was: “To underscore that these protests are rooted in an Internet video, and not a broader failure of policy.”

According to Dick Morris, former advisor to President Bill Clinton, a full day and a half before Rhodes sent his email advising Susan Rice to blame the Benghazi attacks on the video, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton used the identical language in a statement of her own.

This suggests, Morris says, “at the very least, a close coordination between and White House and Hillary Clinton to deceive the American people about the true nature of the attack in Benghazi. And it may also be evidence that Hillary Clinton engineered that decision immediately following the attacks. Was the cover-up Hillary’s idea?”

In addition, Morris is emphatic in saying that the CIA talking points were in no way related to the White House talking points, which seem to have been made up out of whole cloth.

Will the Select Committee vigorously investigate the allegation that this 19-month cover-up was instigated by Hillary Clinton? Alternatively, will you get to the bottom of who exactly created the fiction of the video?

On the Sunday morning talk shows, on September 16, 2012, Susan Rice obediently told the nation that the murderous Benghazi attack was the result of a demonstration in Cairo (that had spread to Benghazi) protesting an obscure anti-Muslim video, and not a highly organized terrorist offensive that was launched with the full knowledge – and possible collaboration? – of the White House in order to burnish Barack Obama’s reputation as a strong leader and thereby maximize his chances for reelection in the run-up to the 2012 presidential race. Those talking points were repeated for weeks on end by Barack Obama, Jay Carney, Hillary Clinton, and a media – save for a few exceptions – acting more like a protection racket than journalists

Among the top administration personnel who received the Rhodes memo were White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, then-White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer, and then-White House Senior Advisor and political strategist David Plouffe, all of whom – and others – launched a massive disinformation campaign that persisted until Rhodes’ incriminating e-mail surfaced last month and Speaker John Boehner backed a vote for a Select Committee, with subpoena power, to untangle almost two years worth of White House web-weaving.

Interestingly, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has been asking the State Department for Rhodes’ and other relevant e-mails since last August, but they were purposefully withheld.

Will the Select Committee address the criminal action involved in withholding evidence from a congressional committee and if such action is found will the consequences be commensurate with the crime?

According to blogger Jeff Dunetz, a State Department e-mail that was released by Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz on May 1, 2014, proves the State Department was certain on the day of the Benghazi attack that it was conducted by al Qaeda affiliate Ansar Al-Sharia. The e-mail was entitled “Libya update from Beth Jones” and was sent the very day of the attack, September 11, 2012.

Jones, who was then Assistant Secretary of State to Hillary Clinton, wrote in her e-mail: “the extremist group Ansar Al-Sharia has taken credit for the attack in Benghazi…”

Jones’ e-mail was copied to Deputy Secretary William Burns; Under Secretary for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman; Jake Sullivan, then-Deputy Chief of Staff (now national security advisor to VP Joe Biden); Under Secretary of State Patrick Kennedy; Cheryl Mills, then-Secretary Clinton’s Chief of Staff, and Victoria Nuland, then-State Dept. spokesperson (now Asst. Secretary of State).

The idea that the above CC list received Jones’ stunning report but that it somehow eluded Hillary Clinton, her boss, who proceeded to meet the grieving families, look in their eyes, and repeat the preposterous falsehood that the attack was the result of a video insulting to Muslims, simply begs credibility.

Will the Select Committee interview all of the above people to reinforce the fact that State knew immediately that it was Ansar Al-Sharia who attacked our citizens and that anyone who said otherwise committed perjury?

The kidnapping plan was ostensibly formulated and financed by then-President of Egypt Mohamed Morsi who, for three months prior to the attack, had been loudly demanding the release of the “Blind Sheik” Omar Abdel-Rahman, now serving a life sentence in North Carolina for his role as the mastermind of  the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993. In fact, Morsi assured hundreds of thousands of his supporters in Cairo that he would exact Rahman’s release, a promise he repeated just one week before the Benghazi assault.

A month earlier, in August 2012, Morsi’s de facto boss, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, the leader of al Qaeda, issued a Fatwa that was published worldwide and demanded that Muslims attack American citizens, interests, and military installations anywhere and everywhere for the purpose of freeing Rahman.

The objective of Morsi’s plan was to grab Ambassador Stevens, make sure that he was unharmed, and then exchange him for the blind sheik. The result, of course, would be that Morsi would get his sheik and Obama would look hold an elaborate Rose Garden ceremony in which he’d be seen as “heroic” for “saving” our ambassador – just weeks before the 2012 election!

Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Valerie Jarrett and Huma Abedin all have a close ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. Were they too abetting Morsi by doing Al-Zawahiri’s bidding? It appears that Al-Zawahiri was calling the shots and our White House was obeying his directives! It is not a stretch to imagine that Morsi set up the faux attack on our Cairo embassy to distract the media while his kidnapping plot was unfolding in Benghazi.

All this explains why Stevens’ repeated requests for additional security – on July 9, 2012; on August 16, 2012, when a classified cable, reported on by Fox News, warned Sec. Clinton and other State Department employees of an emergency meeting in Benghazi as a result of rapidly deteriorating security; and when Stevens screamed and pleaded for help while being dragged through the compound’s courtyard – were turned down by Sec. Clinton. Simply, the Benghazi facility had to be unprotected for the kidnappers to carry out their mission.

Does this not also explain why on the most provocative day of the year – September 11th – and in one of the most dangerous hotspots on earth, there was not only a complete lack of security in the Benghazi compound but why no rapid-response teams were sent immediately after the powers-that-be in the White House were notified of the attack?

And is it not now crystal clear why it took the FBI a full three weeks to visit the burned-out facility, conveniently giving Morsi’s operatives on the ground in Benghazi the opportunity to clean out and destroy any incriminating evidence?

Will the Select Committee demand all videotapes and transcripts of the night of the Benghazi attack, including of Drones, and conduct an in-depth examination of the ongoing relationship between the Obama administration and Mohamed Morsi, including assistance of any kind given to the deposed Egyptian president to this day?  

The ties of this administration to the Muslim Brotherhood are troubling to those of us who know of that organization’s philosophy and close ties to al Qaeda. Clearly, the words of Refaat Saïd – leader of Egypt’s Socialist party, al-Tagammu’, and previously close friend of former Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide, Mahdi Akef – must be taken literally:

“The organization of the Muslim Brotherhood is a terrorist organization, and anyone who asks either to reconcile with them, to join them or to ally with them is himself a terrorist.”

Both Walid Shoebat – a former Muslim Brotherhood member who converted to Christianity and now exposes the terrorists among us – here, and Pamela Geller, here, report that Rhodes’ ‘smoking gun’ email revealed the instruction to Susan Rice to blame the Benghazi attack on a video and also exposed a recipient of that e-mail named Mehdi K. Alhassani, the former leader of the Muslim Student Association, which is a Muslim Brotherhood front group.

“It is a mystery,” Geller says, “how Alhassani slipped through the cracks to become a Special Assistant to the Office of the Chief of Staff, National Security Council Staff, and Executive Office of the President,” adding that “it is unknown why a few hours before the Benghazi attack, Alhassani met in the White House with Samir Mayekar, a George Soros ‘fellow’ for an unscheduled visit.”

The American Thinker’s James Lewis says that most people are still missing the strategic meaning of Benghazi. “Under Obama we have secretly joined the terrorist side in the Jihad War. That is the strategic meaning of Benghazi…a forty-year policy led by the Left to favor Islamic fascism is not, repeat not, an accident.”

Lewis cites intelligence analyst and former CIA officer Clare Lopez and a group of distinguished retired military and intelligence experts “who released a statement last week that was quickly covered up by the media.” But Britain’s Daily Mail did report that after a seven-month review, the group determined that the Benghazi attack “could have been prevented – if the U.S. hadn’t been helping to arm al-Qaeda militias throughout Libya a year earlier.”

According to Lopez, “the United States switched sides in the war on terror with what we did in Libya, knowingly facilitating the provision of weapons to known al-Qaeda militias and figures.” She said the Obama administration tacitly approved the diversion of half of a billion dollars of Qatari arms shipment to al-Qaeda-linked militants” – arms that killed “Christian children in Syria and Kenya in the name of Allah.” The full report is here.

Further, Lewis makes this connection: “Huma [Abedin] was Hillary’s closest aide as Secretary of State, and therefore privy to numerous secrets. You can bet that Mohammed Morsi in Egypt knew all about the inner workings of Hillary’s State Department. Hillary was in charge during the Benghazi debacle. Just connect the dots.”

Walid Shoebat has connected a lot of dots and expands at length on Abedin and her extensive ties to the Muslim Brotherhood in “The Abedin Affairs with Al Saud.”

In addition, it is well known that Barack Obama, Valerie Jarrett, Sec. of State Hillary Clinton and her chief-of-staff Huma Abedin enthusiastically supported Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood election and have worked vigorously against the Egyptian military that launched the successful coup d’ état that deposed Morsi in July of 2013. In fact, Abedin not only edited a Muslim Sisterhood magazine, but has close ties through her family to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Of great concern is the large number of sharia advisors that Barack Obama has appointed to high-security positions, including Homeland Security, as detailed by writer Leon Puissegur, who says that “their plans are to place their candidates into elections to win so they can destroy the Constitution and create a nation of Islamic laws!”

Journalist John Rossomando further documents the degree to which the Muslim Brotherhood has infiltrated the Obama administration, including the White House.

And that is not to omit the fact that in 2011, as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton refused to designate Boko Haram, the al Qaeda affiliate, as a terrorist organization despite the repeated urging of the FBI, CIA, and DOJ and over a dozen senators – the same Boko Haram (which means “Western education is forbidden”) that just kidnapped 276 young Nigerian Christian girls with the goal of raping and enslaving them. No doubt the terrorist group used weapons that were never secured after Gaddafi’s ouster in Libya and made their way to Boko Haram. Was this yet another example of Sec. Clinton’s blind eye?

Will the Select Committee exhaustively explore the possibly seditious links between the current administration and with al Qaeda-affiliated Muslim Brotherhood and Boko Haram?

Initially, it appeared that the Morsi-orchestrated event went as planned, with a cell-phone video showing Stevens being removed from the charred building and the audio portion recording the voices of witnesses yelling, “Allahu-Akbar, Allahu-Akbar! He’s alive! He’s alive!” before whisking him off to an al Qaeda-operated hospital, where tragically he died.

In a damning report, Doug Ross confirms the kidnapping scenario and provides a detailed and Complete Benghazi Timeline.

With Stevens’ death, however, Morsi’s grand kidnapping scheme failed. But six long hours passed before anyone knew what had become of Ambassador Stevens. It appears that Morsi was waiting for word from his kidnapping squad on the ground so he could then inform his pals in the White House. But no word was forthcoming.

Journalist/author Jack Cashill is curious about what Obama did on September 11, 2012 and spells out an hour-by-hour scenario that includes where he wasn’t. According to national security spokesman, Tommy Vietor, Obama was not in the White House Situation Room where military strategy is planned.

It is of more than passing interest that blogger Dunetz reports that when Vietor spoke to Fox News’ Bret Baier a couple of weeks ago, he told the anchor that he himself was involved in editing the Benghazi talking points. But Mike Morell, deputy director of the CIA at the time, said in sworn testimony that except for changing one word, the White House had no role in changing the talking points. “Either Tommy Vietor lied to Bret Baier or Mike Morell lied during his testimony to Congress,” Dunetz writes.

Will the Select Committee definitively determine if Tommy Vietor lied or if Mike Morell committed perjury?

Cashill continues: “At 3:40 p.m. Washington time” “[Ambassador] Stevens called his number two man in Tripoli, Greg Hicks, and told him, `Greg, we’re under attack.’ At 4:05 p.m. the State Department Operations Center issued an alert to all relevant agencies: `U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Benghazi Under Attack.’ There was no lack of communication to the outside world.”

General Carter F. Ham, Commander of U.S. Africa Command, who was visiting the Pentagon, said that the fact attackers were using rocket-propelled grenades and well-aimed small arms fire made it clear to him that “this was certainly a terrorist attack…” He personally shared the news with General Martin E. Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and both “immediately” briefed then-Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta.”

At 5 p.m. Obama met with Panetta and Dempsey in the White House for a prescheduled meeting, and he “authorized the pair to take relevant steps, leaving the specifics up to them. They had no further contact with the president that evening and none at all with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.”

“About 10 p.m. that evening,” Cashill says, “Obama made another phone call. Five months would pass before anyone admitted he did so…soon after that 10 p.m. phone call, Secretary Clinton released a memo on the Benghazi attack. The timing suggests she and Obama coordinated the blame-the-video misdirection during their call. To this point in the evening, no one in the military or on the ground in Libya had mentioned the video or suggested that the assault on the consulate was anything other than a coordinated attack.”

Cashill concludes that on the night of September 11, “Obama retreated…for the next two months he did what the Clintons did after the demise of TWA Flight 800: he just kicked the investigatory can down the road and hoped that the media would not call attention to the kicking. If the Clintons could get away with it, why not he?”

Will the Select Committee interview or re-interview Tommy Vietor, Gen. Martin Dempsey, Leon Panetta, Gen. Carter Ham, and, again, Hillary Clinton, to determine the accuracy of the above timeline and if there was any collaboration between Clinton and Obama in both (1) hatching the idea for the Benghazi attack, the better to satisfy Morsi’s goal of freeing the sheik, and (2) creating the idea of blaming the attack on an anti-Muslim video? Will the Select Committee determine if either Vietor or Morell lied? And will the Select Committee include the White House’s collaboration with the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Morsi as a primary line of inquiry? In addition, instead of dispatching Drones for observation of the attack, on whose orders did General Ham fail to send out fighter jets for several low-flying passes over the Benghazi attack area to scare and drive off the terrorist attackers?

During the attack in Benghazi, no military force came to the rescue of Ambassador Stevens and the three other Americans who died.  Was the military given orders to stand down? While there are plenty of denials about this, including from our military, Chad Miller at www.dcclothesline.com has written that it might have been none other than Valerie Jarrett who issued such an order. He cites an August 2013 Rush Limbaugh broadcast in which the radio host presents a timeline of the evening of September 11, 2012, when Obama seemed to be missing in action.

Will the Select Committee determine who exactly is running the foreign policy of the United States of America? Is it White House advisor and assistant to the president Valerie Jarrett? Obama top political advisor David Axelrod? Top Democrat donor George Soros? The Muslim Brotherhood?

As reported by writer and private investigator Douglas Hagmann, a CIA whistleblower faces the ire of an angry Justice Department over Benghazi questions regarding illegal gun-running.

Hagmann reports that Robert “Tosh” Plumlee posted 11 “questions” to his Facebook page, which placed him under the threat of a subpoena by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to (1) legally silence him and (2) found out the sources of the information he revealed.

Here is a small sample of Plumlee’s questions:

  1. Is the United States secretly arming and supporting various factions of the Syrian Rebels with high caliber impact weapons from The United States arsenals?
  2. Will our troops one day again face these American made weapons on some foreign battlefield?
  3. Did our Ambassador and others, weeks before they were murdered, notify our State Department and CIA that Syrian Rebels had obtained US Weapons, including “Stinger missiles’ from Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan, shipped from CIA safe houses?
  4. Were they told to “Stand Down?

Will the Select Committee investigate what the CIA was doing in Benghazi? Were guns being smuggled covertly and illegally from Benghazi through Turkey to the Syrian rebels – who were members of al Qaeda? And was Ambassador Stevens protesting that operation or facilitating the transfer? Will the Select Committee expose the fact that the al Qaeda jihadists that American taxpayers armed and financed to overthrow Gaddafi’s Libyan regime in October 2011 are the exact same jihadists who murdered the four Americans in Benghazi?

Chairman Gowdy, Americans are aware that for investigating this important event, you have received death threats from those who are deeply threatened by this line of inquiry. Please know that you and your committee members will remain in the thoughts and prayers of the liberty-loving people in our country.

If Democrats refuse to join – or choose to boycott – your efforts, as Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) so shamefully suggested on a recent news show, they will be viewed as aiding and abetting what appears to be a massive cover-up and therefore appropriately guilty by association.

In closing, I cite former U.S. attorney, prosecutor of the “Blind Sheik,” writer and author Andrew C. McCarthy, whose new book – Faithless Execution: Building the Political Case for Obama’s Impeachment – will be published June 3.

“The chief executive, James Madison asserted, would be wholly ‘responsible for [the] conduct’ of his subordinate officials. Therefore, it would ‘subject [the president] to impeachment himself, if he suffers them to perpetrate with impunity high crimes or misdemeanors against the United States, or neglects to superintend their conduct, so as to check their excesses…when AFRICOM abstains from battle, or Lois Lerner obstructs an investigation, or Eric Holder misleads Congress, or Michael Morell doctors talking points, or Susan Rice serially lies on national television, Barack Obama is responsible. It is his bidding that they do, and by failing to fire or discipline them he implicitly endorses their malfeasance.’”

Godspeed, Mr. Chairman.

RELATED STORY: Unanswered questions for Benghazi special committee to ask

Bonilla Calls Out Alan Grayson to Volunteer for House Select Committee on Benghazi

Jorge Bonilla

Jorge Bonilla, Republican Candidate US Congress Florida District 9.

Republican congressional candidate, Jorge Bonilla, is renewing his call for Congressman Alan Grayson (D-FL 9) to voluntarily join the House Select Committee on Benghazi.

“Last week Speaker John Boehner announced both the creation of a Select Committee on Benghazi, and Congressman Trey Gowdy as its chairman. In the wake of this announcement, many on the left and in the media went “Full Grayson”.

Rather than lending bipartisan cooperation to the pursuit of justice, House Democrats have attempted to mock and de-legitimize the Select Committee.

Chief among these is Congressman Alan Grayson, who called Benghazi “the scandal that never was”, and has tried to explain away the terror-related deaths of four Americans with several variants of “bad things happen”.

House Democrat leadership has suggested that it might not participate in the Select Committee.

Bonilla states:

“I renew my call for Congressman Alan Grayson to put his ‘Guts’ where his mouth is, and join the Select Committee on Benghazi. Someone who prides himself on asking the right questions in committee hearings should have no problem getting to the truth. That is, if there is any interest in pursuing the truth above partisan loyalty. The death of four Americans demands a diligent search for justice regardless of where it may lead.”

RELATED STORIES:

Bachmann spars with Wasserman Schultz over insulting new Benghazi spin
Liberal journalist’s shocking claim ‘Chris Stevens was not murdered,’ he died of smoke inhalation
Kyle Shideler at Free Fire Blog: CAIR Spokesman Whitewashes Islamic terrorism, Compares Boko Haram to Mere Criminals
Deceptive Islamist Support for Nigerian Girls
Nigeria kidnapped girls ‘shown’ in new Boko Haram video – BBC
Nigeria: Jihadists screaming “Allahu akbar” stormed church, started shooting everyone
Does Hollywood and America Finally Get It About Sharia?
Islamic leader: Muslims should humiliate Christians so they’ll convert to Islam
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CAIR and Lawfare: An Interview with Brooke Goldstein

PA Attorney General Charges and Arrests Test Cheaters — FL AG Bondi Missing in Action

Taking a cue from former Georgia Attorney General Mike Bowers (R) and former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue (R), Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane (D) charged and arrested a principal and four teachers for cheating on standardized tests at Cayuga Elementary School in Philadelphia over a four year period (2008-2012).

Kane said the educators changed student answers, provided test answers to students and improperly reviewed Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) test questions before giving the tests. After the cheating stopped in 2012, the schools test scored dropped dramatically, Kane noted.

In 2008-09 state proficiency tests, Cayuga’s fourth graders excelled: 88.8% pass math and 83.9% pass reading. By 2012-13, the most recent numbers available, fourth graders at the school struggled with 31% passing math and 25% passing reading.

Those charged are:

  • Evelyn Cortez, 59, Dresher, Montgomery County;
  • Jennifer Hughes, 59, Jeffersonville, Montgomery County;
  • Lorraine Vicente, 41, Philadelphia;
  • Rita Wyszynski, 65,  Philadelphia; and
  • Ary Sloane, 56,  Philadelphia.

In Georgia, numerous teachers, and principals were convicted or took plea deals and are in prison. Superintendent Beverly Hall had her plea deal rejected and awaits trial in August 2014.

Unfortunately for Florida students and taxpayers, Attorney General Pam Bondy and Governor Rick Scott took a different course of action in response to test cheating: they did absolutely nothing.

Hard evidence was sent to both of these Constitutional officers and elected officials concerning various violations concerning professional development fraud, teacher certification fraud, teacher observation and evaluation fraud, and test cheating – all of which were documented in a state report issued by the Auditor General of Florida and the Miami-Dade OIG Final Report which concluded that, “Miami Norland has benefited in the form of attaining a higher school grade and may have received financial compensation or other benefit resulting from its high pass rate on the industry certification exams” (page 13).

Katherine-Fernandez Rundle, Miami-Dade State Attorney of the 11th Judicial Circuit, did not respond nor take action on these allegations, stating she can do nothing per “local control,” and that the responsibility for investigation and resolution rests with the employee of the perpetrators – Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

After appearing before investigators with the Office of the Auditor General for the State of Florida and the Miami-Dade Office of Inspector General in April and May 2012, in which sworn statements, evidence, and produced two witnesses (teachers who corroborated the test cheating) were given, to ensure that these investigations would be acted upon by the state, the findings were sent to Governor Rick Scott for action.

Governor Scott’s Inspector General emailed a written response declining assistance for lack of jurisdiction and deferred to the Miami-Dade OIG, who declined to investigate this particular matter as the Auditor General’s Office was investigating it.

On February 6, 2013, the FLDOE OIG, sent a written response claiming “lack of primary jurisdiction.” One would think they would have a secondary jurisdiction to investigate violations of state law pertaining to test cheating and any and all related frauds (money) to protect students, teachers, and taxpayers.

Worse yet, I emailed Florida’s and Miami-Dade’s chief law enforcement officers, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez-Rundle respectively, and the response was disappointing.

On March 8, 2013, Attorney General Bondi emailed the whistle-blower, Trevor Colestock, back basically citing lack of jurisdiction and passing the buck to the school district of all places and various local and federal agencies.

The Miami-Dade State Attorney did not respond whatsoever, though she did prosecute teachers and school administrators in the MOTET teacher certification scandal 8 years earlier.

These improprieties and related crimes (using computers to commit fraud, wire fraud, malfeasance, test cheating, and 20,000+ counts of record tampering and teacher certification fraud) were reported on by multiple media outlets. However, Governor Scott, Attorney General Bondi, FLDOE bureau chiefs and Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez-Rundle appear to have a “see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil” when it comes to stopping cheating and fraud in Florida’s public schools.

Though the state has inherent police and supervisory powers to enforce and regulate its laws, Florida (unlike the States of Georgia, Texas, and Pennsylvania) has been a passive spectator concerning school districts and test cheating to the detriment of Florida students, teachers, and taxpayers.

Perhaps it is time for Governor Scott and Attorney General Bondi to stop passing the buck and stand against cheating in Florida’s public schools?

Global Warming/Climate Change: Its all about the Global Religion of Greed

Jon Huntsman wrote an oped article in the New York Times titled “The G.O.P Can’t Ignore Climate Change.” He is a very bright, successful individual but he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Climate Change is now the new expression. It used to be Global Warming, but Climate Change affords flexibility in blaming both heating and cooling on the energy industry. The “debate” if one can call it that, is driven by a kind of Eco-religion in which consensus replaces facts. Many “scientists” make a living on government grants so they dare not opposed the political views emanating from the granting agencies.

So here are some facts:

First the debate is not over whether the planet is warming or has ever warmed. There is considerable evidence that beginning roughly in the year 1000 CE the planet began to cool. The average temperature reached a minimum in 1640, a year that coincided with a minimum in sun spot activity. Hold that thought. Solar activity coincides with global warming. Then from 1640 to the present the average temperature of the earth rose. This is irrefutable, based on scientific data. Then about 30 years ago when it became possible to measure the average temperature from satellites, the average temperature appeared to enter a flat period, i.e. temperature has not risen much, if at all over the last 30 years. The present average temperature is about what it was in the year 1000. Now remember that coal was not used in large quantities until the 19th century and oil was not used until the 20th century, so how can fossil fuel be responsible for a temperature rise that began in 1640?

Let look back further in time. There was an ice core dug out of Antarctica in 1958 (I’m not absolutely sure of the year, but trust me it’s about right). This core provided data on temperature and CO2 going back 250,000 years. It showed that both temperature and CO2 cycled with roughly a 10,000 year periodicity. It did not indicate which was cause and which was effect, but in my view increasing temperature will cause CO2 to outgas from the oceans, causing a concomitant rise in CO2 in the atmosphere.

But wait. What about the Greenhouse effect and the heating by the CO2 in the air? The theory is that CO2 in the atmosphere causes heat to be trapped near the earth instead of being radiated to space. Unfortunately all the mathematical models based on this phenomenon were proven to be wrong. They did not predict the average world temperatures correctly over the last 30 years. Not even close.

So why is everyone talking about CO2 and global warming? It’s about the money. It’s always about the money. Those greedy, nasty energy companies make their money providing coal, oil and gas all of which end up as CO2 in the atmosphere. If they can be shown to be polluting the planet and causing distress, they can be taxed. Really taxed. Then the money raised, after the tax man takes a reasonable cut, can be used to provide economic aid to the third world, where the energy moguls are stealing their oil. It’s all about the money.

Well then, if the models don’t work, and the sun along with some continental drift and other things we won’t get into, are really causing changes in climate why would we burden our economy and the world economy with energy taxes, not to mention crazy schemes to use cockroach dung instead of oil? It’s because the Global Climate debate has degenerated into Global religion and Global greed.

Let’s go back to Huntsman. Basically he says it is prudent for the Republican party to have a position on Climate that addresses threats to our economy. Fine, but if it is being implied that fossil fuel is the culprit that needs to be taxed and generally avoided we will be damaging our economy in the interest of protecting our economy. If the average global temperature continues to rise people will make rational decisions based on this observation. If Florida gets too hot people will move to Canada. We can’t engineer the climate. We don’t know how and even if we did it would be far too expensive. Better to accept that climate is a natural phenomenon and we need to adjust to it, not try to change it.

Two more facts before I stop. First CO2 is not a pollutant as defined by the EPA. They only included it as a pollutant so they could regulate the energy industry, in particular the coal industry, on the theory debunked above. Without CO2, plants would not grow, food for humans and animals would not be available. Second, when the government gets into things it doesn’t understand and uses its power to regulate our lives based on some false scientific premise, we are all in serious trouble.

EDITORS NOTE: The featured image is by H. Hemken. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Is Congressman Ted Yoho (R-FL 3) a do nothing seat warmer?

Steve McDonald is a constituent of Congressman Ted Yoho who represents Florida’s District 3. Rep. Yoho was elected because he took a strong stand, verbally, against the policies in Washington, D.C. During his campaign he stated that “Obamacare is racist against white people“. Yoho was a darling of Florida conservatives. However, when McDonald received a District 3 postcard asking for his support of Rep. Yoho he sent an email with some questions for the Congressman. The following is the full text of McDonald’s email to Yoho:

Dear Ted:

As I have repeatedly stated in the past (for which I recognize that I am no longer on your contact list), you are not exhibiting the leadership expected by your representing our district in Congress.

First, your campaign promise made at the Gathering Restaurant in Branford, Florida, before many attendees, before you were elected to FILE impeachment against Obama has not been fulfilled.

I have carefully followed your voting record. Your votes are mostly conservative until major issues are up for a vote. In these major issues, you have almost consistently, not voted conservatively, but voted with the establishment.

Today I read your postcard mailing which stated, “This is why I co-sponsored or introduced the following legislation.” I did some investigating and discovered that you introduced NONE of your listed legislation!

Legislation Introduced by:

HRes 442 Tom Rice SC
HR 3973 Ron DeSantis FL
HRes 411 Pete Olson TX
HR 2507 Thomas Massie KY
HR 75 Dr. Paul Broun GA
HR 73 Dr. Paul Broun
HR 3855 Cynthia Lummus WY
HR 3076 Ron DeSantis FL
HR 3361 James Sensenbrunner WI
HR 2399 John Conyers DEMOCRAT MI
HR 1852 Kevin Yoder KS
HR 637 Ted Poe TX

What’s the truth Ted? It increasingly appears to me that you are warming a seat and exhibiting ZERO leadership.

Talk is cheap.

-You and I have discussed Boehner yet nothing gets accomplished. – We have talked impeachment of Obama, yet nothing is done.
-I have mentioned to you that impeaching Holder is the WRONG way to handle this. Federal criminal prosecution for the criminal acts of lying to Congress and perjury is the correct avenue, not more worthless rhetoric about impeachment.
-This Congress continues to dither about Benghazi. The guilty need to be punished.
-Nothing is accomplished about IRS abuses.
-TOTAL repeal of the Affordable Care Act is not accomplished. Government should not be involved in health care PERIOD.
-Audit of Federal Reserve has never been accomplished. (Yes I realize that this issue is a death warrant for the author of such legislation).
-Reigning in the EPA not accomplished.
-Reigning in the TSA/DHS not accomplished.
-Reigning OSHA is not accomplished.
-Get the Federal Government out of Education (a Reagan Campaign promise unfulfilled). Education is a 100% local matter
-Building the Keystone Pipeline still blocked.
-What is being done to stop the Administration efforts to close coal as a source fuel for power.
-Amnesty continues to rear its ugly head, while little to nothing is done to close the southern border and expel the illegal criminals.
-I have maybe 50 more objections to the lack-of accomplishments for which this Congress is guilty.

In the time you have been in Congress, others like DeSantis, Bridenstine, Cruz, & Flake have served the same length of time. They are each now nationally recognized figures for publicly standing for what is right (against more government encroachment).

I must not be the Lone Ranger in my criticism because I have been contacted by a lawyer in Gainesville to investigate his challenging you for the seat. My long time belief is that I would oppose any lawyer being in the Congress, but he talks the talk you did 2 years ago. Problem you have is that you have not walked the walk that you talked about.

McDonald made attempts to talk with Rep. Yoho but to no avail. McDonald did speak with a staffer for Rep. Yoho. This is how McDonald characterized that discussion:

I regret that a Yoho Washington staffer telephoned with specific talking points laid out for her yesterday afternoon (4/14/14. When I challenged her on her talking points, she had NO clue what she was talking about. I am VERY offended to now be down to a third level staffer (which she denied being) who didn’t have the intelligence or background to handle her conversation with me.

There is a growing feeling that members of the Florida Congressional delegation are not doing their jobs by representing the interest of Floridians. That feeling may turn into a backlash in November 2014 when all House members are up for re-election.

US Department of Education’s War On School Choice in Florida

The Office of the Inspector General for the United States Department of Education, by their actions, seems to have a double standard for wrongdoing and impropriety concerning charter schools and public schools in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

Last month, The Miami Herald reported that South Miami-based Academica Corp., Florida’s largest charter school management company, is being investigated by the USDOE for “potential conflicts of interests in its business practices.”

Charter school critics said the Inspector General’s findings were a reason to push back on HB 7083, the bill that could weaken the power of school districts over new charter schools. HB 7083 died in the House K-12 Education Committee.

Critics of charter schools and school choice were quick to pounce on the USDOE audit that spotted “potential,” but not proven and definite, improprieties akin to those committed by the school district in terms of bogus teacher evaluation training, teacher certification fraud, and test cheating at Miami Norland Senior High School.

Raquel_Regalado-2012

Miami-Dade School Board member Raquel Regalado

“Obviously, there are some serious questions about the way the system works in Florida. The prudent thing for the Legislature to do would be to wait for the federal government to finish its work [on the audit] and then consider changes to the charter school law,” said Miami-Dade School Board member Raquel Regalado.

Jeff Wright, of the Florida Education Association, concurred: “If an audit like this is going on, the Legislature should not give charter schools more opportunities to game the system.”

But Rep. Manny Diaz, the Hialeah Republican sponsoring the bill, who left his job with the M-DCPS last year to become dean of a private college managed by Academica, said his proposal would not open the door to questionable business practices.

“This is not about opening up the Wild Wild West. We want there to be controls [over charter schools]. We just want to make sure the controls are uniform and transparent,” said Diaz.

It is interesting how Ms. Regalado and Mr. Wright come out on an unsubstantiated issue concerning charter schools, but where do they stand on substantiated wrongdoing by Miami-Dade County Public Schools on bogus teacher evaluation training, teacher certification fraud, and test cheating at Miami Norland Senior High School, and why have they not been vocal on those issues?

Furthermore, and more disturbing, the whistle-blower, Mr. Trevor Colestock, reported these issues to the USDOE OIG and they have done nothing to address them. Neither the USDOE or state officials have held anyone from Miami Norland Senior or M-DCPS to account.

Is it because charter schools and proponents of school choice espouse innovative teaching and offer students freedom from the Common Core and other federal government mandates and M-DCPS Superintendent Alberto Carvalho embraces Common Core, Race To the Top, and other federal initiatives?

Miami-Dade: Student, Not Teachers, Feels Heavy Hand of Justice

In Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), there exists a double standard by the school system and its police department when dispensing justice between students and teachers.

For evidence of this, examine the circumstances between a student, Jose Bautista, an 18 year old senior at Dr. Michael Krop Senior High School, and Mr. Emmanuel Fleurantin and Mrs. Brenda Muchnick, two teachers at Miami Norland Senior High School. Each did something terribly wrong, each was treated very differently.

The question: Has justice been served?

According to a local news report, Mr. Bautista, was arrested and charged with eight felonies counts for allegedly obtaining the principal’s network password and offering to change grades for four students for an unknown sum of money. He was on track to graduate with his class at the end of May. On Friday, May 2nd, a judge set Bautista’s bond at $20,000 and ordered him to be placed under house arrest with a GPS monitor. He has since been released from jail.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools released a statement saying, “The school district takes incidents like this very seriously.  In addition to the arrest and ongoing criminal investigation, the Code of Student Conduct provides for corrective strategies up to and including recommendation for expulsion.”

It is unclear if Bautista will be allowed to graduate.

During the 2011-2012 school year, Mr. Fleurantin and Mrs. Muchnick gave the answers to standardized tests, industry certification exams, to a large number of students. Seventeen students confessed to this, some saying whole classes received the answers.

The Miami-Dade OIG Final Report concluded that, “Miami Norland has benefited in the form of attaining a higher school grade and may have received financial compensation or other benefit resulting from its high pass rate on the industry certification exams” (page 13).

With the assistance of cheating, undertaken by Mr. Emmanuel Fleurantin and Mrs. Brenda Muchnick, Miami Norland’s school grade went from a “C” for the 2010-11 school year to an “A” for the 2011-12 school year.

As a result, total federal funds (SIG, RTTT) given out due to a grade influenced by cheating was $100,560; the total state funds per FSRP was between $130,000- $140,000; the total overall combined federal and state incentive funds were $230,560- $240,560.

Each teacher at Miami Norland Senior High School received $1730.41 from all three payouts.

On October 16, 2013, the Miami-Dade School Board voted to terminate Mr. Emmanuel Fleurantin for his role in what has become known as Adobegate.

On November 19, 2013, the Miami-Dade School Board voted to suspend Mrs. Brenda Muchnick for 30 working days without pay for her role in Adobegate.

Mr. Fleurantin is still awaiting the results from his Department of Administrative Hearings case, and Mrs. Muchnick served her inconsequential 30 day suspension without pay and has been back to work at Norland Since January 8, 2014, whereas the whistle-blower, Trevor Colestock, was illegally removed from Norland and has yet to be returned.

Mr. Fleurantin and Mrs. Muchnick were both investigated by M-DCPS and Schools Police, but unlike the student Jose Bautista, both were not charged, handcuffed, or appeared before a judge.

How does Bautista, a student who did something juvenile yet serious, gets charged, cuffed, goes before a judge, has a $20,000 bond, confined to home with a GPS monitor, local media scrutiny, and now has a felony record for the rest of his days, but yet two teachers who should have known better were never charged, cuffed, appeared in court despite unduly influencing the school grade and caused, or attempted to cause, an erroneous $250,000 payout of state and federal incentive funds?

Fleurantin and Muchnick engaged in far more serious crimes than Bautista: multiple potential counts of using a computer to commit and perpetrate a fraud, wire fraud, defrauding (or attempting to defraud) an out of state corporation (Certiport, the test vendor), and defrauding (or attempting to defraud) the State of Florida and the federal government and the taxpayers thereof.

Perhaps Fleurantin and Muchnick got off easy because they were doing what they were told and/or their actions benefited the school district and school/district administrators across the board in terms of recognition, promotion, and pay, and Bautista gets the heavy hand of justice because his actions only benefited himself and not M-DCPS whatsoever.

RELATED STORY: Teacher caught on video manhandling kindergartner will make your blood boil

EDITORS NOTE: The featured photo is courtesy of the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s office.

Combat Veterans creating memorial statue to honor Benghazi heroes Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods

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Artist’s rendering of the Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods Memorial Statue courtesy of VeteransArt.org. For a larger view click on the image.

Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods, the two heroes from the Benghazi attack to whom many owe their lives, will be honored in a monument created by their fellow US military combat veterans. Doherty and Woods selflessly gave their lives on September 11, 2012 knowing that there would be no reinforcements. They sacrificed their lives in service to their nation. Honoring them is both fitting and proper.

This idea of combat veterans honoring their fallen brothers in arms via the fine arts is something new and unique. It helps honor the fallen while providing meaningful and creative jobs for former combat veterans.

Veterans from VeteranArt.org under the guidance of renowned sculptor Greg Marra, who made and donated the Chris Kyle statue, are doing just that, honoring these two men in everlasting bronze; these two warriors immortalized the warrior spirit and military ethos—it is only fitting these two brothers in arms, close in life and death, be immortalized together in bronze for eternity, by their fellow combat veterans.

Mr. Woods said “Thank you for honoring my son in a bronze statue.”  Kate Doherty Glenns sister stated, “ she wishes us success and luck in the process, that she is so pleased the statue will help veterans.

VeteranArt.Org received the final graces they needed to start a statue of Tyrone Woods and Glenn Doherty.

Greg Marra, founder of VeteranArt.org, has enlisted the help of local Sarasota veterans, like Jason Collins, Army Military Intelligence and Michael Scelia former US Army forward observer, for the project. Mr. Marra has a pool of veteran talent, and he can hire more veterans as he is commissioned to do other projects. Marra is training US military veterans to represent themselves in the memorial process. Marra stated “Warriors honoring warriors in bronze for eternity is my life long mission.”

Marra, who sculpted the Chris Kyle Memorial Statue, has started the sculpting process and hired veterans to help sculpt this fitting tribute of these two warriors. “I’ve  run into more vets daily that wanted to pursue art and that understood the power of art than I would ever fathom; empowering them with fine arts training, and encouraging themselves as gallant warriors instead of victims is god’s work.” What a better tribute then to have brothers in arms, immortalize two of their own who made the ultimate sacrifice protecting life.

Jason Collins and Mike Scelia veteran artists have a pet name for the statue “Dueling machine guns, which they feel fits the statue because of its heavy guns and all the casings which lay at Tyrone’s and Glenn’s feet. They added that, “Veteran art is an amazing concept and gratitude is an understatement toward how we feel about Mr. Marra, his actions show that people actually care about us, and our service to this nation.”

Veteran Art/Sculpting Our Heroes is in need of donations to make this fitting tribute a reality. The cost of this memorial, fair market value, would be $85,000 total for two life-size statues to the bronze stage. More funding might be required to get these statues bronzed. These statues will employ up to four veterans, full time—Mr. Marra is donating his time and expertise as a thank you gesture to all veterans.

This is a groundbreaking organization. No other veteran organization has a renowned artist opening his studio-for free, donating his time and services, and paying veterans to come and learn how to sculpt without taking any money for himself-only for supplies; while simultaneously—those veterans are making memorials to other veterans who have died heroically serving or helping their own countrymen and women.

Donations can be made at: SculptingOurHeroes.com  or by calling the Veteran Art studio at (941) 993-1772 or cell (267) 885-9203 or via email: veteranartorg@gmail.com. NOTE: Donations are not tax deductible. 

Downsizing Australia’s Government and Repealing Green Laws

Try to imagine a commission of the U.S. government recommending that it get rid of the Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services, countless agencies, and, for good measure, restructure Medicare so it doesn’t go broke. There are few Americans who will argue that our federal government isn’t big enough and many who trace our present problems to Big Government.

That is why what has been occurring in Australia caught my attention because its voters rid themselves of a political party that imposed both a carbon tax and renewable energy tax on them. The purpose of the latter was to fund the building of wind turbines and solar farms to provide electricity.

Taxing carbon emissions—greenhouse gases—said to be heating the Earth has happily died in the U.S. Senate, but in Australia the taxes were a major reason that the Liberal Party (which is actually politically conservative despite its name) took power after a former Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, pushed it and the renewable energy tax through its parliament.

Gillard became the first woman PM after she challenged then PM Kevin Rudd to lead the Labor Party (which is politically liberal.) Like John Kerry, Gillard was against the taxes before she was for them. How liberal is Rudd? In February he was named a senior fellow of Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Like Obama, Rudd came out in favor of same-sex marriage when he was the PM.

Bjorn Lomborg, writing in The Australian in late April, noted that both of the taxes “have contributed to household electricity costs rising 110 percent in the past five years, hitting the poor the hardest.” I repeat—110 percent!

It didn’t take Australians long to discover what a disaster taxing carbon emissions was and how useless renewable energy is. In both cases the taxes were based on the notion that “fossil fuels”, coal, oil and natural gas, are a threat to the environment. Despite an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the Earth has been cooling for the last seventeen years. Mother Nature always has the last word.

As of this writing, the repeal of the two Green laws is in the Parliament’s Senate after having won assent in the lower House. A September 2013 election provided enough new Senate lawmakers  to ensure the repeal.

The Commonwealth of Australia is the sixth largest nation by total area. It was claimed by Great Britain in 1770 and New South Wales was used as a penal colony initially. As the general population grew and the continent was explored, five more self-governing crown colonies were established. On January 1, 1901, the six colonies and several territories federated to form the Commonwealth. The population is approximately 23 million is highly urbanized and lives primarily in the eastern states.

Australia is the world’s 12th largest economy making it one of the wealthiest in the world, but the environmentally-inspired taxes had a deleterious impact on its economy, particularly the mining of coal and iron. As noted, the cost of electricity skyrocketed.

The present Prime Minister is Anthony John “Tony” Abbott. He has held the office since 2013 and has been the leader of the Liberal Party since 2009. A Member of Parliament, he was first elected in 1994 as the representative of Warringah. He made a lot of news when he protested a proposed Emissions Trade Scheme and forced a leadership ballot that defeated it, becoming in the process the Liberal Party leader and leader of the opposition to Rudd and Gillard’s Labor Party.

As reported in the April 30 edition of the Sydney Morning Herald, Abbott’s Commission of Audit “has recommended massive cuts to the size of government, with whole agencies to be abolished, privatized, or devolved to the states, in what would be the biggest reworking of the federation ever undertaken.”

The Commission, the Herald reported, has 86 recommendations, among which are “calls for the axing of multiple agencies and the surrender of huge swathes of responsibility back to the states in education, health, and other services.”

The Australian reported that Joseph Benedict “Joe” Hockey, Australia’s Treasurer as part of the Abbott government, said that the proposed budget would axe “the vast number of (environmental) agencies that are involved in doing the same thing.” Hockey is no fan of wind power, saying “If I can be a little indulgent, I drive to Canberra to go to parliament and I must say I find those wind turbines around Lake George to be utterly offensive. I think they are a blight on the landscape.” That kind of candid talk, if he was an American politician, would be considered astonishing.

The best “transformation” America could undergo is not President Obama’s version, but a return to the limits set forth in the U.S. Constitution, a document that reflected the Founder’s distinct distrust of a large central government and its allocation of civic responsibilities to the individual states to the greatest degree possible, and to “the people.”

Australia is way ahead of the U.S. in that regard, learning from the errors of environment laws and the expansion of its government into areas of health and education. We would do well to follow its example.

© Alan Caruba, 2014

Florida Common Core Protest Results in Face to Face with Governor Scott

For over a year I’ve been trying to get an opportunity to talk with the Governor about Common Core concerns to no avail.  We have been diverted to staff and flatly refused an audience after dozens of requests, letters and calls.  My curiosity has been growing for some time why such a good family man would possibly embrace what we know are the many dangers to our children and our society as a whole in Nationalizing Education under Common Core.

Being a logical and intelligent business leader, how could he swallow the line presented by those who stand to gain power and money from Common Core without logical proof of results?  In fact, we have mountains of evidence of the damages that children are now experiencing in the classroom. How could he violate the Constitution of the United States as well as Florida’s Constitution by implementing FED ED and removing parental control?

At our protest against Common Core at his fundraiser in Fort Myers yesterday, he graciously got out of his car and came over to talk with our orderly crowd of about 40 people waving Stop Common Core signs.  He looked certain that if we only knew what steps he had taken, we would realize there is no more danger.  Here is the exchange:

[youtube]http://youtu.be/SSKX9Meo7fo[/youtube]

Here is the summary of the point, counterpoint. I have added some comments to his points we were unable to make then.

He started by repeating numerous statistics showing how great Florida’s children are doing on tests.  He didn’t say which year these statistics reflect, but it must be 2-3 years ago.

We retorted, “Those figures are from past years, before Common Core was implemented.”  If we were doing so well, why is there a need give up parental control, local control and state control over education and pay Billions of dollars implementing a new program copyrighted by unaccountable Washington Bureaucrats?

He repeated more figures about minorities doing so well in Florida’s results.  We now say that Common Core’s effects will be impacting minorities the worst, as parents won’t be as available to guide them and tutor them through the hurdles.  One in our audience was autistic and talked earlier about the heavy impact on special needs students who cannot work within a “one size fits all” education formula.

Governor Scott changed the topic again, saying how he had held town hall meetings all over the state.  Not so fast, Governor…the group responded that there were only three meetings held in the entire state after a great deal of public pressure, and the cries to stop Common Core were ignored.  Experts were brought in from all over the country and met with Commissioner Stewart who also ignored their grave concerns about Florida’s adoption of Common Core’s standards which are lower than previous Florida standards and deeply flawed.  Less than 1% change was made to the standards and then they changed the name and claimed the standards are our own.

Governor Scott then started talking about the bills passed this legislative session that would prevent data mining and sharing of data.  This is another subterfuge which does not pass the smell test.  The Federal Law, FERPA,  which used to protect privacy, has been changed by the Obama administration to allow sharing of data without parental permission with a much wider group, including the education materials providers such as Microsoft and Pearson PLC, as well as data collection and testing companies.

This is an excerpt from the enrolled language of SB188:

(2) RIGHTS OF STUDENTS AND PARENTS.—The rights of students and their parents with respect to education records created, maintained, or used by public educational institutions and agencies shall be protected in accordance with the FamilyEducational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. s. 1232g,  the implementing regulations issued pursuant thereto, and this  section. In order to maintain the eligibility of public educational institutions and agencies to receive federal funds and participate in federal programs, the State Board of Education shall comply with the FERPA after the board has evaluated and determined that the FERPA is consistent with the following principles…

KEY POINT: The section does not provide how and when the “board” evaluates and determines FERPA is consistent with the principles outlined, and how they would possibly object to the data sharing required under the law.  In fact, FERPA has been watered down by the Obama administration and is not consistent with those principles so this bill is not functional on its face.

Here is a statement in the Ed Code defining privacy rights and providing that Federal FERPA law trumps Florida Law.  This means data will be sent to the Federal Government where FERPA laws apply and data WILL be distributed as planned and without parental consent in order to keep federal money flowing.

Title XLVIII
K-20 EDUCATION CODE

Chapter 1002 
STUDENT AND PARENTAL RIGHTS AND EDUCATIONAL CHOICES

View Entire Chapter

1002.221 K-12 education records.—(1) Education records, as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. s. 1232g, and the federal regulations issued pursuant thereto, are confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.(2)(a) An agency, as defined in s. 1002.22(1)(a), or a public school, center, institution, or other entity that is part of Florida’s education system under s. 1000.04(1), (3), or (4), may not release a student’s education records without the written consent of the student or parent to any individual, agency, or organization, except in accordance with and as permitted by the FERPA. Education records released by an agency, as defined in s. 1002.22(1)(a), or by a public school, center, institution, or other entity that is part of Florida’s education system under s. 1000.04

Then the Governor brought up how he restored local control over textbook adoption with SB 864, which is subterfuge once again.  All textbooks and materials must be Common Core aligned and schools, teachers and students will be tested only on Common Core Standards.  With high stakes testing, there is no choice.   We can only choose which Common Core aligned education providers will poison our children’s brains the least.

These carefully planned “end around” bills do nothing to eliminate Common Core, and serve only to obfuscate this governor’s shameful effort to sell our children down the river for his political ally, Jeb Bush.  Meanwhile, HB 25 by Debby Mayfield, which actually would have stopped Common Core, died without a single committee hearing.

It seems either that Governor Scott has not read or understood the entire argument about Common Core,  and is so insulated by his bubble in the Capitol  that he actually believes his talking points, or he is complicit in a large scheme to obfuscate the realities of Common Core and sell our children down the river for political gain.  Perhaps it’s a little of both.

No matter which is true, the opposition to Common Core is growing and will continue to raise their voices to oppose Common Core and those who are force feeding this poison to our children.  There is a political consequence for their actions as was seen in the recent race for Congressional District 19 in Southwest Florida where the political outsider, Curt Clawson, handily won over the well -funded State Senate Majority Leader, Lizbeth Benaquisto, by 12 points.  She had sponsored the bill implementing Common Core in 2013 and the voters did not forget.  It is not just an issue to us.  It’s our children and our future.

RELATED STORY: Dad Arrested for Protesting Soft Core Porn in Common Core Curriculum

Report: Rising al-Qaeda presence in Sinai Peninsula is a growing threat to Egypt and Israel

Al Qaeda training manual found in Afghanistan in 2001. Photo courtesy of the the US Department of Defense.

A new Henry Jackson Society report – Terror in the Sinai – provides the first statistical analysis of its kind on the evolution of the terrorist threat in the Sinai since the Egyptian revolution three years ago.

Terror in the Sinai, launched today by the Henry Jackson Society, examines the terrorist threat coming from the Sinai Peninsula. The report assesses the presence of al-Qaeda and its ideology in the Sinai, emerging ties between Salafi-jihadist groups and local Bedouins, and the successes and failures of the Egyptian army’s recent military efforts in confronting the threat. It finds strong indications of an influx of foreign fighters and weapons into the Sinai and a threat against the Egyptian state and Israel that is more co-ordinated and sophisticated than ever before.

Among the report’s key findings:

  • Rate of attacks: Mohamed Morsi’s removal from power in mid-2013 sparked a fifteen-fold increase in militant attacks. During the first three months of 2014, the rate of attacks has risen six-fold in comparison to the same period last year.
  • Type of attacks: Attacks launched from the Sinai are becoming more organized and sophisticated, with groups increasingly using the peninsula as a launchpad to target the Egyptian mainland. Groups are also increasingly favouring al-Qaeda-style methods: so far in 2014, bombings have overtaken shootings as the most common type of attack (rising from 18% in 2013 to 54% during the first three months of 2014).
  • Location of Attacks: 20% of attacks attributed to groups active in the Sinai have taken place in Cairo this year (up from 2% in 2013). As 2014 progresses, bomb attacks are increasingly likely to take place in Cairo and other major cities in Egypt.
  • Al-Qaeda’s presence in the Sinai: Militant groups in the Sinai appear to be increasingly adopting al-Qaeda ideology. There are also strong indications that al-Qaeda central (AQ), Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) are attempting to make inroads into the peninsula.
  • Foreign fighters: Individuals from Yemen, Somalia, the Sudan, Algeria, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Afghanistan are reported to have travelled to the Sinai in order to join armed groups.
  • Arms: Weapons are believed to be falling into the hands of militant groups in the Sinai through smuggling routes from Libya, the Sudan, the Gaza Strip and Iran. Moreover, Hamas reportedly operates warehouses, rocket-production facilities and factories in the peninsula.
  • Threat to Israel: Since 2010, groups operating in the peninsula have targeted Israel at least 19 times, including a group named the Mujahideen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem, which stated that its obligation from God is to attack Jews as “unbelievers”. Additionally, ongoing attacks to the natural-gas pipeline connecting Israel to Egypt have cost an estimated $166 million.
  • Bedouin-jihadist ties: The government’s deteriorating relationship with the Sinai’s Bedouin tribes appears to be increasing the overlap between Bedouin youths and Salafi-jihadist ideology and activity.
  • Military action: The Egyptian army’s recent military operations in the Sinai – despite its claims of successful arrests and killings of militants – do not appear to have effectively curbed the terrorist threat in the peninsula.

Oren Kessler, Henry Jackson Society Research Fellow and co-author of the report, said:

“Salafi-jihadist militant groups – some of whom appear to include fighters from abroad – are increasingly using the peninsula as a key base of operations. With Egypt’s elections approachingattacks against political and military figures on the Egyptian mainland – as well as cross-border strikes against Israel – pose a greater threat than ever before.”

Mohannad Sabry, a Cairo-based journalist, said:

“Terror in the Sinai shows that Egypt’s terrorist threat is not going away anytime soon, rather, it is poised to grow far beyond its current state. Thoughtful and nuanced analysis is therefore urgently needed for decision-makers to effectively confront and contain the ongoing crisis. This report is an invaluable contribution to that effort.”

Terror in the Sinai [full page]

For a larger view click on the infographic.

‘Terror in the Sinai’ is available to download here.

HJS’s work on terrorism and Egypt includes:

  • Terrorism and Islamism in the MENA Region, March 2014, available here
  • The Presumption of Innocence: Difficulties in Bringing Suspected Terrorists to Trial, Robin Simcox, December 2013, available here
  • Al-Qaeda’s Global Footprint: An Assessment of Al-Qaeda’s Strength Today, Robin Simcox, September 2013, available here
  • Al-Qaeda in the United States – A Complete Analysis of Terrorism Offenses, February 2013, Emily Dyer and Robin Simcox, available here

RELATED STORY: Judicial Watch: DHS may have special “hands off” terrorist list​