ACLU Wisconsin files records requests for banned books across school districts

ACLU Wisconsin files records requests for banned books across school districts

Menomonee Falls School District banned 33 titles. The same day the ACLU made its open records requests, Elkhorn Area School District received a request from a parent challenging 444 books, prompting the temporary removal and review of those titles.

Related:

ACLU of Wisconsin Files Open Record Requests with Six School Districts That Recently Banned Books

The letter to the school districts accompanying the requests notes that removing books from school libraries threatens the First Amendment rights of students and their families. The Supreme Court held over 40 years ago that “local school boards may not remove books from school library shelves simply because they dislike the ideas contained in those books.”

The largely forgotten book ban case that went up to the Supreme Court

Pressley Bill Would Classify Discriminatory Book Bans as Civil Rights Violations

The bill would also require public and school libraries to have a diverse book collection.

Pressley Bill Would Classify Discriminatory Book Bans as Civil Rights Violations

Parents should be able to have a say in their children’s education (although, they shouldn’t be astroturfed). The thing is, these articles are selective in revealing the money behind some of these groups. I’ve included links to a few, of the financials/partnerships, below the cut. I wasn’t able to find information on a couple of them, though. Another thing, PEN has ties to the CIA and the Congress for Cultural Freedom.

Related:

Read More »

The Phony War on American Culture

The Phony War on American Culture

Consider how gender is one focus of their culture war campaign. Transgender people hardly affect our personal lives, despite the Republican campaigns to make it a voting issue. In America, only 1.3 million adults and 300,000 children identify as transgender out of a population of 332 million. Only 36 transgender athletes compete in college sports that include over half a million participants. Yet the Republican legislature in Kansas recently banned transgender girls from female high school sports, despite having only three transgender girls out of 41,00 competing in the state. Indeed, they should be respected and accommodated in some way. Yet, GOP legislators are considering a flood of bills to restrict transgender behavior, flooding email boxes with requests for donations, blasting isolated events on Fox News, and making them campaign issues.

TSA is testing facial recognition at more airports, raising privacy concerns

BALTIMORE (AP) — A passenger walks up to an airport security checkpoint, slips an ID card into a slot and looks into a camera atop a small screen. The screen flashes “Photo Complete” and the person walks through — all without having to hand over their identification to the TSA officer sitting behind the screen.

TSA is testing facial recognition at more airports, raising privacy concerns

Related:

TSA Confirms Biometric Scanning Soon Won’t Be Optional Even For Domestic Travelers

[12-2022] TSA Quietly Deploying Facial Recognition Scanners At Major US Airports

State Dept. gives law enforcement, intelligence agencies unrestricted access to Americans’ personal data

The State Department is giving law enforcement and intelligence agencies unrestricted access to the personal data of more than 145 million Americans, through information from passport applications that is shared without legal process or any apparent oversight, according to a letter sent from Sen. Ron Wyden to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and obtained by Yahoo News.

State Dept. gives law enforcement, intelligence agencies unrestricted access to Americans’ personal data

A Final Word on “MAGA Communism” and Social Conservatism

Opportunism and foolishness have resulted in the latest example of U.S. decline, the concept of “MAGA Communism.” This absurdity is proof that a true socialist movement is badly needed.

A Final Word on “MAGA Communism” and Social Conservatism

Yes, it’s a thing! At least on Twitter and YouTube! Almost makes me want to open up a Twitter account just for laughs!

There’s so many other philanthrocapitalist organizations that need to be “destroyed” than just Open Society Foundations! Trump is also a war criminal for assassinating Qasem Soleimani, dropping the mother of all bombs on Afghanistan, eased restrictions on drone and air strikes, which resulted in more airstrikes than Obama, and so much more (no healthcare)!

Gross! He gives his sexual partners the same toothbrush!