#guest speaker carolina

[joltning]

someone’s probably already done this before but

[katz-chow]

i remember everything...

synopsis: in which johnny deals with the lingering feelings he has with his coworker 🏷| fluff, american!reader, gn!reader, reader is described as having hair long enough to have to towel dry (its like one sentence), mostly in johnny's pov, prompt 29, culture clash, part of @glitterypirateduck's soap it up challenge

masterlist | taking orders | main menu

“Strange words come on out of a grown man’s mouth when his mind’s broke. Pictures and passing time, you only smile like that when you’re drinkin’…”

“Do you like it?” You ask him, as you both sit on your respective beds in the hotel room. The soft glow of the hotel lamps mixed with the pristine, white sheets gave off the allusion of an ethereal heaven. You both untucked the sheets and wrapped them around you and on the bed in your nests of bedding, shielding away from the blasting AC air. 

Johnny groans, falling back onto the firm queen-sized mattress. ���If I have to hear another Southern accent, I’m gonna blow my brains out. Yours is enough!”

“Bitch!” You scream and laugh as you throw a pillow, aiming for his crotch. A sharp breath stopped itself in his throat as he groaned in discomfort. Another laugh was pulled from you as you too, squirm around in bed. 

Eventually, he recovers and sat back up. “Bonnie, you remember when we first went on this world tour of ours?”

A world tour, that’s what you both referred it to. In reality, it was just a guest speaker program on international joint bases. You were there in the UK as an American, part of a joint company operation. Then Kyle pointed you out when you shared some memories in North Carolina together. Hitting it off with Johnny was just pure fate (maybe, he thinks). 

The first time he saw you, you and your squadron stood shiny in the unfamiliar dress blues in front of that board meeting. An hour later, he discovered you’re all American service members, here on an ally program. 

The second time, fate forced you both together. Chow Hall at dinner time proved to be both bliss and the Thunderdome at the same time– which was no foreign territory for the Americans. They were loud, Johnny thought. The more he heard their wide range of accents, the more intrigued he became with this new group.

He gazed at them, you included, deciding when would be the right time to bud into the conversation. That’s when you spoke up, hinting at the cutest, slowest speech he’s ever heard; a real, Texan accent. 

“I dunno about all this, y’all…It kinda looks, like, bland…” You say as you look at the food on your tray. Kyle right over your shoulder with your friends crowding around the “experimental plate”. 

Kyle laughed and cut open the pastry with a knife, moving the peas around. The meat inside spilled out of the puff pastry as everyone oo-ed and ah-ed and not in a good way. “You telling me you’ve never had a meat pie?”

“Closest thing would be chicken pot pie…and even with that the peas are inside and I don’t have to look at it when I eat it.” One American laughed. Johnny noted that his accent sounded “standard” compared to your more regional one.

Another woman piped up as she shoved his arm with hers, “Chicken pot pies aren’t all that, Johnson, you’re fucking weird.”

“Cut that shit out, Phillips…I’m gonna…fuck your husband.”

Johnny snickered and interjected himself into the appropriate conversation. “How about you shag me instead? A true Scotsman right here.”

“I mean, if you want…” The Standard American, now he knew as Phillips, responded as he turned towards him and smiled. 

He noticed the group of Americans all turned their bodies to include him in their small circle, even when he was about three feet away and on a different table. They were kind and eager, friendly even. 

From then on, he decided to always stick around the group of funny Americans, who always seemed to do the weirdest things. He also got to know the mirage of people within this seemingly rag-tag team. From Edward Phillips, the Washingtonian Linguist, Michelle Hernandez, the New Mexican demolitions expert,  and then you, the Texan. 

After that, he just gravitated towards you, like an asteroid in your presence. He revolved around you, hovering when you need him and jumping in. Never far for you to hold onto, he was right beside you, an equal rather than someone to catch you if you fall or a subordinate waiting upon your every command. You liked that about Johnny, how he’s a partner, and thus on par with you. Your strengths are his weaknesses (reading comprehension) and your weaknesses are his strengths (chemistry). 

Johnny often questions whether fate is real or not, must be the Catholic in him, but the critical, logical part of his brain won’t let him fully believe. He wonders if fate is real if there truly is a bigger spirit that predetermines whether or not he will die horrifically in battle, or how many kids he’ll have— if he is allotted more than one. More often than not, however, he finds himself wondering if he somehow made the right choice to speak up with that lewd comment that led to meeting his best friend. Or was it how God had intended it? Or, perhaps, it was the Roman Moirai that had strung your paths together. In either case, he could only hope that he was making the right choice now. 

The AC continued to blast in the dim light, something he had to get used to. Months ago, when you were merely just a coworker, he had to adjust to the fact that you were afraid of sleeping in the dark. Teases and playful jabs seemed relentless, night after night as soon as you went to turn on the bathroom light and crept the door closed. But now, as whoever’s above fated it, he quite likes the addition to his nightly routine. 

Things are simpler, more clear, and more concise. It’s a lot different building bombs, and awaiting the next mission than simply giving a briefing on demolition safety and code of conduct. One might even say it’s boring, but what’s more boring than your job? At least he’s talking about something interesting! Says the man who eavesdrops on your talk whenever he’s not busy. 

Johnny has more time to journal, draw, and…think. It became routine, you getting ready for bed while Johnny props himself up on his pillows, thinking and scribbling away. So here he is, nightstand lamp casting its low, orange glow against his even yellower pages. Odd drawings of the desk chair in front of his bed, some notes about your lecture, and an odd sticky note drawing on your side profile he did while he waited for you to finish your talk. 

Never leave a man with his thoughts, one of the lessons he had learned when he started to let his mind wander from station to station, train of thought visiting back on when you caught his eye, or when you fell down the stairs and your nose started to bleed (Johnny had never felt his stomach sink so low), and just last week when you convinced him to try authentic Indian food…he thinks of you.

It's almost as if he no longer even lets his mind wander but now he lets his thoughts loose into Your World. His bonnie. His. Fuck him, He rubbed his face with his palms, exasperated.

“You good?” Your voice snapped him away from his consuming thoughts, hands falling to close his leather-bound journal with a snap. 

He looks at you. You had your head tilted, hair falling into the towel that you’re crunching up to dry it. “‘m fine, Birdie.”

Birdie, his songbird. His ears hear the way you scoffed, swinging back into the bathroom to set the towel up and get yourself into the twin bed next to his, the space separated by just a small nightstand holding the phone and now his journal. 

You hop onto bed, throwing the already jostled-up sheets onto you as Johnny stands to turn off the light on the opposite wall. Your laptop, which had now been turned off per his request, tucked itself under your bed, barely peeking out just for a reminder for when you both leave the next morning. 

“I don’t want to go on base tomorrow. I hate Newport.” You say to break the silence between the both of you, simply sitting in the not-so-dark. 

Johnny groans, having heard you say this since the two of you had landed here in Rhode Island. “Oh haud yer wheesht, we’re only here for another day,” he reasons.

You’ve heard that phrase a lot lately, especially as your World Tour is coming to an end soon. Two more bases, a fortnight left. But you can’t blame him, your whining was getting a bit much. 

A comfortable silence fills the air again as you hum in reply to him. Both of you find yourselves lost—or leashed in your worlds, thinking about what’s next.

He’s going to miss this; miss waiting for you to get ready for bed, miss listening in on your colloquies, miss the way your body wash smells, miss your awful music…”Fuck, I’m gonna miss you.”

“What?” 

Johnny freezes, he takes back about the time you fell: this was when his heart dropped the furthest and fastest it’s ever fallen. Almost like the New Year's ball in New York. Fuck, fuckfuckfuckfuck.

“Johnny, what did you just say?” In his peripheral, he sees your head turn to look at him. he turns his head to you. 

He prays that you don’t see the way sweat begins to fall from his skin or hear the quiver in his voice. “I said, I’ll miss you.”

You giggle a bit, letting your head fall back onto the plush headboard, eyes up at the popcorn ceiling. “It’s not like I’m going to die anytime soon, I’ll still be here.”

“I don’t want you to ever leave.” He blurts out quicker than his brain can even pick up. Blood rushes into his ears, he feels his body get hot as he awaits your reaction. 

The tension grows thicker, even as the AC hums. He sees your feet under the sheets moving side to side, you’re thinking of how to respond, formulating the perfect response. God, you were perfect, thinking about what you wanted to say rather than just blurting things out like how he is. You’re so different than him, so precise in your doings, always thinking ahead, always planning for the worst outcomes. And not to mention how good of a teacher you are with those in your field, you spoke eloquently, formally– yet just enough casualty that not only demanded respect but provided a sense of comfort. 

He looks back over to you quickly, your head still in the same position as before, eyes closed, however. For a quick moment, he sighs in relief, thinking you had fallen asleep from talking and whining too much. But instead, when he snaps back into reality, he sees your face smiling at him. 

“I think I’d like that a little too much.” You scrunch up your nose just a bit at the end of your sentence.

He doesn’t know what to make of them, but he smiles back nonetheless. “Yeah?”

You hum again, thinking. Silence washes over the two of you again. You two don’t look at each other, Johnny can feel disappointment wash over him, ready to just retire for the night.

“You wanna watch a movie?” You blurt out, already reaching down to pull your laptop out from under the bed. He looks at you quizzically, but agrees anyway.

To his surprise, however, you find yourself throwing the laptop gently on his bed, shooing him over (which he obeys), and getting under the sheets with him. His heart flutters as he instinctively rests his arm behind you. You scoot closer to him, pulling your laptop onto your lap. But you stop, and his breathing does to match. 

“Is this okay?” 

Johnny nods and smiles softly at you, seeing your worried expression dissipate. You decide that Johnny gets no say in what the two of you watch, and honestly, Johnny seems more interested in the fact that he can smell your shampoo and feel how soft the tips of your hair are in between his fingertips. He zones out after that, rejoicing in the moment as your breathing steadies his old heart. 

You turn your head up to look at him, raising your head slightly from his chest. He looks down at you, an eyebrow raised. “Hm?”

“I’m tired.”

He smiles wider at how your eyes droop down, even after insisting the two of you watch a movie. The screen pauses as he presses the spacebar, timestamp at 23:09. He huffs a laugh. “It’s late, I ken, I ken…”

“Can I sleep here?” You ask, already resting your head on his chest and sinking further into the now-warm sheets. Johnny shifts over a bit, closing your laptop and tossing it carefully over to your empty bed. The strands of your hair lift up a bit as he absent-mindedly messes with them. Your arm found itself hooked under his bicep, the other arm thrown over his chest.

His lips reach down and places a soft kiss on the crown of your head, burying his nose into the inviting smell of almonds and cherries. 

You hum in contentment, yet sleepily mumbling out something just a tab bit too quiet for his ears to pick up. “Speak up, Bonnie.”

You whine and his heart skips a beat. He wonders how long this can go on before he dies of cardiac arrest. Hopefully for decades. “It was always going to be you.” You pout, before nuzzling into him again, not once opening your eyes.

Johnny freezes, and the stands of your hair fall from the tips of his fingers. He looks down and sees how your chest rises evenly now, body heavy and warm against his. “Birdie?”

When you don’t respond, he knows you’re dead asleep. He sits there for a while thinking about the choices he made that led him to this position, as a body pillow for you– not that he is complaining. Surely it wasn’t when he tripped over a pinecone in year 5 right? Or when he decided to disobey orders and blow up a base anyway right? No, it has to be much simpler than that– when he had decided to skip lunch that day the two of you met? He thinks about the choices he made, and how he could’ve missed all the signs you gave him showing him that you were also in a state of yearning for him. And why did you turn on a lame rom-com, knowing you were going to fall aslee– oh. Oh.

Was this your plan the entire time? Clever Birdie. Of course, you had planned this out, had planned on turning the AC up, whining about the cold. Leaving your laptop on a movie website already, drying your hair even when you never really do. You just had to find a window of opportunity: him. 

It was always going to be the two of you. He was just a bit behind. 

masterlist | taking orders

[stevebattle]

Officer Caring – Cambridge Police Department, MA (1987). An ARES robot made by 21st Century Robotics.

"Officer Caring is no ordinary cop. The 5 ft.-4 in., 180-pound officer, who looks like a blender with a glandular condition, comes to the force from 21st Century Robotics of Norcrost, Georgia. He runs on a 12-volt rechargeable cell instead of coffee and donuts, and he can be operated by remote control from 100 yards away. Caring can move forward and backward, spin around, move his right arm, and turn his head. His special effects include sirens, a "laser sound," and the theme from the television police show Hill Street Blues. Officer Caring is the C.P.D.'s new ARES (Auxiliary Robotic Education System) robot. He will visit Cambridge schools to warn high school students against drug abuse, peer pressure, and drunk driving, and to lecture grammar school students about the use of seat belts and school bus safety. Officer Caring will also inform 4th. 5th and 6th graders about the dangers of drug abuse before they reach high school.

Chief Anthony J. Paolillo swore in the new officer before 200 guests at the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, but even before the ceremony began, Officer Caring got a warm reception from the crowd. "The kids love him. The adults love him. He's an attention getter," said Sergeant Richard Bongiorno, Officer Caring's immediate superior.

Instead of a Smith and Wesson, Caring packs a cassette player and V.C.R in his back, a television monitor in his chest, and a red and blue rotating light in his head. The robot's head also has room for a video camera. Bongiorno said robots with cameras have been used in a few cases to interview sexually exploited children who refused to discuss their experiences with adults. However, he said only Alaskan courts have admitted evidence gained in this manner so far.

Officer Caring is the first robot of his kind in New England. Bongiorno said other departments in New York, North Carolina, and Texas have found that robots can keep children's attention longer and that presentations at schools are more memorable for children when the speaker is a robot instead of a human police officer. ... The East Cambridge Savings Bank sponsored a "Name The Robot" contest among Cambridge grammar school students. "Officer Caring" was selected from more than 600 entries."

Robot Joins Cambridge Police Force, The Harvard Crimson, November 3, 1987.

[beardedmrbean]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans view college campuses as far friendlier to liberals than to conservatives when it comes to free speech, with adults across the political spectrum seeing less tolerance for those on the right, according to a new poll.

Overall, 47% of adults say liberals have “a lot” of freedom to express their views on college campuses, while just 20% said the same of conservatives, according to polling from the The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the University of Chicago Forum for Free Inquiry and Expression.

Republicans perceive a stronger bias on campuses against conservatives, but Democrats see a difference too — about 4 in 10 Democrats say liberals can speak their minds freely on campuses, while about 3 in 10 Democrats say conservatives can do so.

“If you’re a Republican or lean Republican, you’re unabashedly wrong, they shut you down,” said Rhonda Baker, 60, of Goldsboro, North Carolina, who voted for former President Donald Trump and has a son in college. “If they hold a rally, it’s: ‘The MAGA’s coming through.’ It’s: ‘The KKK is coming through.’”

Debates over First Amendment rights have occasionally flared on college campuses in recent years, with conflicts arising over guest speakers who express polarizing views, often from the political right.

Stanford University became a flashpoint this year when students shouted down a conservative judge who was invited to speak. More recently, a conservative Princeton University professor was drowned out while discussing free speech at Washington College, a small school in Maryland.

At the same time, Republican lawmakers in dozens of states have proposed bills aiming to limit public colleges from teaching topics considered divisive or liberal. Just 30% of Americans say states should be able to restrict what professors at state universities teach, the poll found, though support was higher among Republicans.

Overall, Republicans see a clear double standard on college campuses. Just 9% said conservatives can speak their minds, while 58% said liberals have that freedom, according to the polling. They were also slightly less likely than Americans overall to see campuses as respectful and inclusive places for conservatives.

Chris Gauvin, a Republican who has done construction work on campuses, believes conservative voices are stifled. While working at Yale University, he was once stopped by pro-LGBTQ+ activists who asked for his opinion, he said.

“They asked me how I felt, so I figured I’d tell them. I spoke in a normal tone, I didn’t get excited or upset,” said Gauvin, 58, of Manchester, Connecticut. “But it proceeded with 18 to 20 people who were suddenly very irritated and agitated. It just exploded.”

He took a lesson from the experience: “I learned to be very quiet there.”

Republicans in Congress have raised alarms, with a recent House report warning of “the long-standing and pervasive degradation of First Amendment rights” at U.S. colleges. Some in the GOP have called for federal legislation requiring colleges to protect free speech and punish those who infringe on others’ rights.

Nicholas Fleisher, who chairs an academic freedom committee for the American Association of University Professors, said public perception is skewed by the infrequent cases when protesters go too far.

“The reality is that there’s free speech for everyone on college campuses,” said Fleisher, a linguistics professor at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. “In conversations within classrooms, people are free to speak their minds. And they do.”

Officials at PEN America, a free speech group, say most students welcome diverse views. But as the nation has become more politically divided, so have college campuses, said Kristen Shahverdian, senior manager for education at PEN.

“There’s this polarization that just continues to grow and build across our country, and colleges and universities are a part of that ecosystem,” she said.

Morgan Ashford, a Democrat in an online graduate program at Troy University in Alabama, said she thinks people can express themselves freely on campus regardless of politics or skin color. Still, she sees a lack of tolerance for the LGBTQ+ community in her Republican state where the governor has passed anti-LGBTQ legislation.

“I think there have to be guidelines” around hate speech, said Ashford. “Because some people can go overboard.”

When it comes to protesting speakers, most Americans say it should be peaceful. About 8 in 10 say it’s acceptable to engage in peaceful, non-disruptive protest at a campus event, while just 15% say it’s OK to prevent a speaker from communicating with the audience, the poll found.

“If they don’t like it, they can get up and walk out,” said Linda Woodward, 71, a Democrat in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas.

Mike Darlington, a real estate appraiser who votes Republican, said drowning out speakers violates the virtues of a free society.

“It seems to me a very, very selfish attitude that makes students think, ‘If you don’t think the way I do, then your thoughts are unacceptable,’” said Darlington, 58, of Chesterfield County, Virginia.

The protest at Stanford was one of six campus speeches across the U.S. that ended in significant disruption this year, with another 11 last year, according to a database by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a free speech group.

Those cases, while troubling, are one symptom of a broader problem, said Ilya Shapiro, a conservative legal scholar who was shouted down during a speech last year at the University of California’s law school. He says colleges have drifted away from the classic ideal of academia as a place for free inquiry.

An even bigger problem than speakers being disrupted by protesters is “students and faculty feeling that they can’t be open in their views. They can’t even discuss certain subjects,” said Shapiro, director of constitutional studies at the Manhattan Institute think tank.

About three in five Americans (62%) say that a major purpose of higher education is to support the free exchange and debate of different ideas and values. Even more U.S. adults say college’s main purpose is to teach students specific skills (82%), advance knowledge and ideas (78%) or teach students to be critical thinkers (76%). Also, 66% said a major purpose is to create a respectful and inclusive learning environment.

“I believe it should be solely to prepare you to enter the workforce,” said Gene VanZandt, 40, a Republican who works in shipbuilding in Hampton, Virginia. “I think our colleges have gone too far off the path of what their function was.”

The poll finds that majorities of Americans think students and professors, respectively, should not be allowed to express racist, sexist or anti-LGBTQ views on campus, with slightly more Republicans than Democrats saying those types of views should be allowed. There was slightly more tolerance for students expressing those views than for professors.

About 4 in 10 said students should be permitted to invite academic speakers accused of using offensive speech, with 55% saying they should not. There was a similar split when asked whether professors should be allowed to invite those speakers.

Darlington believes students and professors should be able to discuss controversial topics, but there are limits.

“Over-the-top, overtly racist, hateful stuff — no. You shouldn’t be allowed to do that freely,” he said.

___

The poll of 1,095 adults was conducted Sept. 7-11, 2023, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

[ausetkmt]

North Carolina’s Republican-controlled House passed a previously vetoed proposal Wednesday to restrict how teachers can discuss certain racial topics that some lawmakers have equated to “critical race theory.”

The House voted 68-49 along party lines for legislation to ban public school teachers from compelling students to believe they should feel guilty or responsible for past actions committed by people of the same race or sex.

United in their opposition, House Democrats challenged Republican claims that the bill would reduce discrimination and argued that a comprehensive history education should make students uncomfortable.

Republican seat gains in the midterm elections give them greater leverage this year to override any veto by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who blocked a similar proposal in 2021 and urged legislators this month in his State of the State address, “Don’t make teachers re-write history.” But Republicans, who are one seat short in the House of a veto-proof supermajority, will likely need some Democratic support for the measure to become law.

North Carolina is among 10 states considering such proposals, according to an Education Week analysis. Eighteen others have already limited how teachers can discuss racism and sexism in the classroom.

Gaston County Republican Rep. John Torbett said the proposal, which now heads to the Senate, would prohibit schools from endorsing controversial concepts, including that one race or sex is inherently superior.

“This great education state must have an educational system that unites and teaches our children, not divides and indoctrinates them,” said Torbett, the bill’s sponsor.

Several Democrats, including Reps. Rosa Gill of Wake County and Laura Budd of Mecklenburg County, raised concerns that the language is vague and does not outline clear boundaries for teachers. Budd said this “massive failure” places unnecessary pressure on teachers who may feel like they need to stifle productive classroom discussions to keep their jobs.

“The bill, on its face, is the obvious attempt to micromanage from the General Assembly into the classrooms,” she said during floor debate. “It’s overreach and will have a chilling effect on teachers and educators in curtailing what they think they’re allowed to teach.”

Republican lawmakers in committee had applauded the measure for “banning” critical race theory, a complex academic and legal framework that centers on the idea that racism is embedded in the nation’s systems and institutions that perpetuate inequality.

The bill does not explicitly mention the framework, but it would prohibit teaching that the government is “inherently racist” or was created to oppress people of another race or sex. Its language mirrors a model proposal from Citizens for Renewing America, a conservative social welfare group founded by a former Trump administration official to rid the nation’s schools of critical race theory.

Republicans nationwide have spun the phrase into a catchall for racial topics related to systemic inequality, inherent bias and white privilege. While many K-12 public schools teach about slavery and its aftermath, education officials have found little to no evidence that critical race theory, by definition, is being taught.

North Carolina schools would also be required under the bill to notify the state’s Department of Public Instruction and publish information online at least a month before they plan to host a diversity trainer or a guest speaker who has previously advocated for the beliefs restricted by the legislation.

Cary mother and activist Michelle O’Keefe was among several parents who testified against the bill in a Tuesday committee meeting. O’Keefe said she doesn’t want her young child sheltered from learning about racism and other atrocities in history, as long as those lessons are age-appropriate.

“The best way to keep history from repeating itself,” she said, “is to know the history.”

Another mother worried she could be banned from speaking at her child’s school career day because she has a documented history of speaking out against social injustices. Democratic Rep. Julie von Haefen of Wake County expressed a similar concern that she might no longer be able to substitute teach because of her record on racial justice issues and gender equality.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Chad de Guzman at Time:

Tulsi Gabbard, a onetime Democratic presidential candidate turned independent, announced at a Donald Trump rally in North Carolina on Tuesday that she’s officially joining the Republican Party.

“I’m joining the party of the people, the party of equality, the party that was founded to fight against and end slavery in this country. It is the party of common sense, and the party that is led by a President who has the courage and strength to fight for peace,” Gabbard said. “You know, I was a Democrat for over 20 years. Today’s Democrat Party is completely unrecognizable,” she continued. “When you look at the party of Kamala Harris, for example, she is anti-freedom. She is pro-censorship, she is pro-open borders, and she is pro-war without even pretending to care about peace.” Gabbard, 43, becoming a Republican should come as no shock to anyone who has followed her career, particularly in recent years, as the former lawmaker from Hawaii has long made a name for herself by openly criticizing Democrats and has become a staunch supporter of former President Trump. Her announcement of her party switch comes after prominent Republicans, such as former Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter former House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney, have endorsed Harris in the 2024 election. Gabbard cited the Cheneys’ support of Harris as evidence that the Democratic Party is one of “warmongers.”

Gabbard, the daughter of educators and small business owners who were involved in local politics, began her political career in 2002, when she became the youngest person ever elected to the Hawaii state legislature, representing District 42 in West Oahu as a Democrat. She left politics in 2004 to serve in the Army National Guard before returning after deployments to Iraq and Kuwait to run and win election in 2010 for Honolulu City Council. When Gabbard threw her hat into the ring in 2011 for the Democratic primary for Hawaii’s second district seat in Congress, she was still a relative unknown and underdog. But after beating five other challengers, including the former mayor of Honolulu—on a campaign largely defined by her vocal opposition to Bush Administration-era foreign wars and her personal reversal on same-sex marriage, which she’d previously opposed but now supported—Gabbard quickly emerged as a “rising star” of the Democratic Party, as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called her. Then-President Barack Obama endorsed her congressional bid, and she was invited to speak at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

[...] In 2019, Gabbard launched a presidential campaign and announced that she wouldn’t seek reelection to Congress. But, particularly after a vote of “present” in Trump’s first impeachment trial, she came to be the “most disliked” candidate in the extensive Democratic field. One of the standout moments of her short-lived campaign came during a primary debate in which she challenged then California Sen. Kamala Harris’ record as a prosecutor. But it wasn’t enough to propel her candidacy, which never polled higher than single digits and was suspended in March 2020, after which she endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden. She was not invited to speak at the 2020 Democratic convention. After leaving office in 2021, Gabbard became an even more outspoken critic of the Democratic Party, often appearing on Fox News and even serving as a guest host for Tucker Carlson’s show on multiple occasions. She expressed support for Republican candidates and policies and spoke at the 2022 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). In October 2022, she announced that she was officially leaving the Democratic Party, which she decried as “under the complete control of an elitist cabal of warmongers driven by cowardly wokeness.” She went on to endorse a number of GOP candidates in the 2022 midterms, including Trump’s now-running mate Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance.

This week, Tulsi Gabbard officially became a Republican. In reality, she was leaning towards becoming one the moment she voted present on both counts during Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial in 2019 while still being a Presidential candidate for the 2020 elections.

Gabbard exited the race in March 2020 and endorsed Joe Biden for the general; however, after Biden’s win, she steadily veered far to the right.

[lichen-soup-scribe]

so I recently was summoned to North Carolina for my company's big annual corporate rah-rah meeting, and I gotta say, they had the oddest combination of surprise guest speakers I could possibly conceive of:

David Kwong, NYT crossword puzzle maker and close-up magician, who built a crossword puzzle live on stage (with secret themed clues from his magic act earlier in his talk built in!)

and

Rev Run from Run DMC, who mostly told us how much he loves a good bubble bath

[floraleevee]

There’s a lovely woman in North Carolina in the US who calls herself Mossin’ Annie. I don’t really keep up with it all too much anymore, but I assume she’s doing the same thing she’s been doing for decades: sustainably harvesting moss to culture and sell.

Because yes she does strip areas of moss. But ya know what areas? Places scheduled for demolition. Undersides of bridges, old building walls, etc. And she actually has a license to do so (not that licensing is synonymous with legitimacy/sustainability, but in this case it’s certainly more credible than poaching). Then she takes them back to her “mossery” as she likes to call it, sorts by species, and grows the moss.

She’s got a page devoted to IDing moss

She’s actually big on education and has been a guest speaker at several botanical gardens, libraries, and master gardener symposiums. She engages in outreach education in her local community (which makes her sosososo important in my books, though as a previous outreach educator in the conservation field I’m a bit biased)

This woman legitimately loves moss and works so hard to get people to care about their continuation. Due to some restrictions that have been put in since the last time I talked with her, her shop is limited in where they’ll sell (phytosanitary regulations in many states have become more strict, but I think the chemicals used to eliminate the newest invasive is harmful to the moss). But so so so recommend them. They’re called Mountain Moss.

Oh also she really likes purple :) it might be the only thing she likes as much as moss

Tumblr won’t let me add more photos. But she’s literally always wearing purple. She’s so cool. I know this post was originally focused on reindeer moss (lichen), but since you touched on Appalachian moss a bit I thought I’d highlight this gem of a human :)

Oh my god I'm sooooo mad right now

So. I have no business telling people not to collect wild plants/materials.

I do it all the time.

However.

The words "wildcrafted," and "foraged," even "sustainably harvested," are terrifying to see in an ad on Etsy or Instagram

There is a such thing as the honorable harvest where you ASK the plant if it is okay to take, with the intention of listening if the answer is NO. Robin Wall Kimmerer talked about this, She did not make it up, it is an ancient and basic guideline of treating the plants with respect.

Basically it is not wrong to use plants and other living things, even if this means taking their life. But you are not the main character. You have to reflect on your knowledge of the organism's life cycle and its role in the ecosystem, so you can know you are not damaging the ecosystem. You have to only take what you need and avoid depleting the population.

Mary Siisip Geniusz also talked about it in an enlightening way in her book Plants Have So Much to Give Us, All We Have To Do is Ask. She gave an example of a woman who was on an island and needed to use a medicinal herb to heal her injured leg or she would not survive the winter. In that situation she had to use up all of the plant that was on the island. This was permissible, even though it eliminated the local population, because she had to do it to save her life. But in return the woman had the responsibility to later return to the island and plant seeds of that plant.

And what makes me absolutely furious, is that there are a bunch of people online who have vaguely copied this philosophy of sustainability in a false and insulting way, saying "wildcrafted" or "foraged" materials to be all trendy and cool and in touch with nature, when it is actually just poaching.

If you are from a capitalistic culture the honorable harvest is very hard and unintuitive to learn to practice. I am not very good at it still. This is why it is suspicious if someone is confident that they can ethically and respectfully harvest wild materials with money involved.

So there's this lichen that is often called "reindeer moss." It looks like this:

It grows only a few millimeters a year.

This is "preserved" reindeer moss.

It is from Etsy, similar is also sold in many other online shops, many of which have the audacity to describe it as a "plant" for decorations and terrariums that needs no maintenance.

It is not maintenance-free, it is dead. It has been spray-painted a horrible shade of green. The people buying it clearly don't even know what it is. It is a popular crafting material for "fairy houses," whatever the hell those are. So is moss, also dead, spray-painted, and wild-harvested. Supposedly reindeer moss is harvested sustainably in Finland, where it is abundant, for the craft industry. However poaching of lichens and mosses is absolutely rampant.

It's even more upsetting because there's hardly any articles drawing attention to the problem. This one is from 1999. And the poaching is still going on.

There is a "moss" section on Etsy, and it is so upsetting

These mosses and lichens were collected from the wild. Most of the shops are in the Pacific Northwest or Appalachia, which are the major locations of moss and lichen poaching. There are some shops based in Appalachia selling "foraged" reindeer moss.

Reindeer moss may be abundant in Finland, but in Appalachia it should NOT be harvested to be sold on Etsy as craft supplies! Moss doesn't grow quickly. Big, healthy colonies like this took years to grow. Some of these shops have thousands of sales, all of bags and bags of moss and lichen, and thinking of how much moss and lichen that must be, I am filled with horror.

Clubmosses do not transplant well, and these ones have no roots. The buyers do not realize they have bought a dead plant because clubmoss stays green and pliable after it is dead.

This is especially awful because in Mary Siisip Geniusz's book she talked about clubmosses being poached so much for Christmas wreaths that they had almost disappeared from a lot of forests.

I don't even know if this is illegal if it's not a formally endangered species so I don't know if I can report them I'm just. really sad and angry

[millipedereads]

Yaupon: a quick linguistics rabbithole

Time for a niche linguistics post. Join me through a stumble though some etymological weeds.

Yaupon (scientific name: Ilex vomitoria) is a species of holly, growing in the coastal plains from Virginia to Texas, and is the only plant native to North America that contains caffeine (other than the closely related I. casine which has a smaller range south of yaupon's in Florida and nearby Caribbean islands as well as a lower percentage of caffeine). If you google it, you're given the factoid that there are 4 caffeinated holly species- which also doesn't include I. casine- the others growing in South America (yerba maté (I. paraguariensis), guayusa (I. guayusa), and té o’ maté (I. tarapotina). Despite my love of tea, coffee, and tisane, I've not had yerba maté and can't give you a comparison of the flavors.

Yaupon was used by Indigenous groups in the southeast for medicinal and ceremonial uses, and would induce vomiting, which gives it its Latin name vomitoria. Ilex is the genus for holly, but in Latin it referred to a species of oak whose leaves superficially look similar to holly (in size, are evergreen, have spines; or is better to say that holly looks superficially like the so-called 'ilex'? the one rabbithole I did not descend into...yet).

It's common name is taken from the Catawban word yą́pą [jãpã], where yą- is tree and pą is leaf, possibly implying a high status for the plant to get such a generalized name. Colonists would have been introduced to this plant early on, as it's a plant given to acknowledge and welcome guests.

Catawban is a Siouan language - considered extinct since the death of the last fluent native speaker in 1959. The endonym for Catawbas is Ye Iswąˀre [je iswãʔre] (or "yeh is-WAH h’reh," as per the Catawba Nation website), meaning 'people of the river,' particularly the Catawba river between the present-day Carolinas. Their name has also been transcribed as Issa, Iswa, and Esaw. The name Catawba itself comes from katapu, which is the fork of a river. There is a program under the Cultural Center of the Catawba Nation to support revitalization and maintenance at https://catawbalanguage.org/ that you can also check out.

All the other nations and tribes in the Souian language group on the East coast also only have extinct languages among them, though they have their own efforts at compiling dictionaries and so on. Living Siouan languages include but aren't limited to Apsáalooke (Crow), Dakhóta, Lakhota, Quapaw, and Hocąk (Ho-Chunk).

Aforementioned I. casine takes its name from the Timucua work for yaupon. The Timucua were multiple groups that spoke languages within the same language family in present-day North Florida, but the name was taken from the French recording of an exonym of one of the chiefdoms for another. I. casine's common name is dahoon holly. Dahoon itself has unknown etymological origins, don't know what's up with that.

Though uncaffeinated, other holly species have also been used for tisane elsewhere. In China, a common ingredient of 苦丁茶 (kǔdīngchá / Kuding Tea / Bitter Nail Tea) is I. kaushue, a holly grown in the south. This scientific name is not from Latin but its Chinese name 扣樹 (in standard Mandarin: kòushù, in Cantonese: kau3syu6).

Yaupon's name in Chinese is 代茶冬青. 冬青 is the word for holly while the most sense I can make of 代茶 is 'stands in for tea,' perhaps a way of translating tisane.

[oldsalempost-blog]

The Old Salem Post

Our  Local Tamassee-Salem SC Area News each Monday except holidays                                          Contact: theoldsalempost@gmail.com                 

Distributed to local businesses, town hall, library.    Volume 7 Issue 46                Week of November 11,  2024                https://www.tumblr.com/settings/blog/oldsalempost-blog                         Lynne Martin Publishing                                                                                                                               EDITOR: The tug of war election is over.  There was a winner and a loser.  Many are relieved.  Many are disappointed.   I had long resolved and had peace that God is in control—before the election and after the election.  God wants us all to live peacefully with one another, no matter our race, religion, personal (lawful) preferences, and political alliance.  We shouldn’t care how anyone voted.   Simple rules we should all live by:  “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you,”  “Love one another,” and “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Because, just living in America makes us all winners!  Thank you to all our veterans that we can call America our home!  Lynne Rogers Martin 

TOWN of SALEM: 5 Park Avenue  Monday-Friday 8AM-5PM. Closed 12-1 for lunch.  We are collecting Toys for Tots and also accepting applications for those who need Toys for Tots.  Mark your calendars for the Salem Christmas Parade, Sunday, December 8 at 4PM.  Line up early if you want to be judged.  Call the Town to register to be in the parade!  864-944-2819                                                                                                                                       

FRIENDS OF JOCASSEE:  November 23, 12PM-3:30PM Annual Meeting and Plan to meet Santa in the picnic area in front of Eclectic Sun.  Guest speaker Heyward Douglass.  Soups*Sweets*Crafts and * SANTA! Everyone Welcome!                                                                                                                    

HEALTH CARE COMES TO SALEM This Week:  MOBILE PRIMARY CARE thru the Clemson Rural Health Mobile Unit  November Dates are: Nov 12 and Nov 21 across from the Salem Fire Department.  Offering comprehensive primary care that includes chronic disease management and acute care. Call 864-656-3076 to schedule an appointment.                      

Jottings from Miz Jeannie  by Jeannie Barnwell    VETERANS' DAY    This Veterans' Day serves as the perfect occasion to put away all of the ill will that politics can stir up!  Let the bitterness and name calling be replaced by solemn recollection of each other's sacrifices.  My family is just one example of the sacrifices required of Americans.  Life would have been so much more joyful if my Uncle Jack Chitwood had survived the war.  My mother never got over the loss of her "little brother" who was only 22 years old. My father served in the Medical Corps.  As well as treating battle field injuries, Daddy's outfit were the first to liberate German concentration camps.  Daddy could NEVER discuss what he did in the war.  On Veteran's day, I encourage you, "DON'T TURN THE PAGE!" Share your family's stories of sacrifice. Listen to your neighbors as they share theirs.  Miz Jeannie

ASHTON RECALLS by Ashton Hester    TOXAWAY DAM BREAK CAUSED SEVERE FLOODING IN 1916 - (The following story was in the August 16, 1916 issue of the Keowee Courier. Due to its length, I will post it in three installments. Following is the first installment). . .There was great apprehension felt in Walhalla Sunday evening at about 7 o'clock when the announcement came that the dam at Lake Toxaway in the Sapphire section of North Carolina had given way, and that the great dam was rapidly emptying its pent-up waters in flood proportions into the streams that run through the eastern section of Oconee. . .Immediately upon hearing the news, Mayor W.M. Brown started for the Jocassee section of Oconee in order to warn the residents and to look after his interests there, where he has a large hotel which at this season is filled with guests from other parts of the State. . .Other parties were made up hurriedly, and auto after auto left at top speeds, carrying people to different sections to warn residents along streams that would be affected. . .Mr. Brown, however, got to Jocassee after the waters had reached there, and for some hours he was unable to reach his property. Fortunately, all of the people managed to escape although there were a number of narrow escapes. . .TO BE CONTINUED

JOCASSEE VALLEY BREWING COMPANY,(JVBC) & COFFEE SHOP* 13412 N Hwy 11  Hours:    Wed–Sat 9am-9pm & Sunday 12pm-7pm.  Events this week: Wed– 9AM-9PM    Thurs:  BLUE RIDGE GRILL 4PM  OLD TIME JAM at 6:30PM   Fri: Food: Reid Farm to Fire Pizza  5PM  Music: Rachel Van Slyke at 6:30PM  Sat:  Food:  BLUE RIDGE GRILL   Music:  BRENDAN NOLAN– Authentic Irish & more!   6:30PM   Sun: 12pm-7pm

Thought-FOR YOUR HEALTH— Our government allows unhealthy additives in the foods we feed our children. Research reveals many additives are associated with behavioral problems, hyperactivity, and inability to concentrate.  Why do we continue to use those products and then, place our children on medications to improve these ADHD problems?  Maybe a a little discipline and healthy eating might help solve the problem.                      

ONGOING FRESH LOCAL FOOD **The Clemson Area Food Exchange has been selling produce and table items from the farm in Pickens, Anderson and Oconee counties for the last 15 years.  SALEM is on the drop off on Tuesday 4:30pm -6pm, hosted by  Sisters Restaurant on the porch, 281Stamp Creek Rd. Order between Friday pm- Monday noon. First two orders complimentary, then $ 20/ year per household. Order on line at Clemsonareafoodexchange.com                             Also:  Picket Post Produce:  farm fresh milk, eggs, produce, honey, jams, etc

EAGLES NEST ART CENTER, 4 Eagle Lane, Salem SC

2024 UPCOMING EVENTS       Treasure Store open every Saturday 9AM-12PM!  Drop off donations too!                                        YOUNG APPALACHIAN MUSICIANS– Sign up for YAMs for an evening class each week on Tuesdays at 5:30PM. Cost is $50 each month.  3rd grade through adult.   Call 864-280-1258                                                                                                                                  Eagles Nest Senior Exercise Program:  Join friends to exercise at the Eagles Nest Art Center!  Classes  each Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 9:30AM –10:30AM with Stretching and walking geared for 55 plus.  Cost $2.50  each class you attend.                                                                                                                                   OCONEE MOUNTAIN OPRY:  November 23, 2024 at 7PM.  Tickets $10 at the door or Ticketleap on the eaglesnestartcenter.org website.  OPUS Trust will be offering a meal for $15 at 5:30PM prior to the show.  Purchase early to ensure your dinner.  Come hear the acoustic Appalachian blues of Scott Low on slide guitar.  The acoustic rock, Americana sounds pf Dog Day Blue Jay, the original and mountain tunes of Conservation Theory plus surprise guests! Come early to visit the OpusTrust  room of CCC artifacts, the memorabilia  room of former students, and the Tamassee-Salem elementary student Christmas art project on display in the auditorium hall.    

Christmas at Eagles Nest Art Center:  Plan to view the Tamassee-Salem Elementary Christmas Art in the auditorium hall soon.

December 5,6,7, and 8  is the Annual Living Nativity Drive -Through at the Center, located 4 Eagle Lane, Salem. The drive - through presents the Christmas Story  in "Bethlehem" from 6:00-8:00 p.m.  Please call 864-280-1258 if inclement weather.  A love offering will be gratefully accepted..     

December 14 at 6:00 p.m. is the Christmas Talent Showcase.  Showcase your family or friends with a friendly Christmas song, story or dance performance, or just come over and enjoy!  Tickets $10 online or at the door. Call for more information 864-280-1258 or eaglesnestartcenter@gmail.com.  Come join the fun!  Sign up by December 7.  Rehearsal on Dec 13 at 6PM

December 21 at 7:00 p.m. features the Johnson Edition Christmas Show- bring the whole family out for a wonderful Christmas evening.  Tickets$10 online at eaglesnestartcenter.org or at the door.  Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Enjoy treasure shopping, home baked concessions, coffee, cocoa, soft drinks prior to each event .                                                      

Name a Seat at the ENAC:   This makes a wonderful gift and will help us continue to support more opportunities for our community  Please call Darlene at  864-710-8758 or email eaglesnestartcenter@gmail.com for more information.  

CHURCH NEWS_____________________________                                                                                                                                  Bethel Presbyterian Church (PCUSA),  580 Bethel Church Rd Walhalla, 29691. Worship at 10:30 a.m.  Mel Davis will give the sermon every Sunday in November Come Visit Us!                                                                                                                         Prayers for our Nation:   Greetings Church, please continue to pray fervently and regularly for our nation.   Blessings, Sandy Lord God, we pray for peace in our nation in the coming weeks surrounding our national elections;  we pray for civility, respect for one another, swift and effective response to incidents that would undermine the  safety and security of our nation and our people.  Our faith is in You Jesus and we will not live in fear or angst for our salvation is assured through the blood of Your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ

Quote this week is from Mark Whitmire, shared in church: “We should have a whole month to honor our Veterans!  None of us would be here!”                                                                                                            Thank you God for our Veterans! LRM

[edvancedlearn58]

East Coast Colleges

When considering higher education options, many students find themselves drawn to East Coast colleges. Renowned for their rich history, diverse academic offerings, and vibrant campus cultures, these institutions provide a unique blend of tradition and innovation. Whether you're aiming for Ivy League prestige or a smaller liberal arts experience, the East Coast has something to offer every student.

A Diverse Array of Options

The East Coast is home to a wide range of colleges and universities, each with its distinct character. From prestigious institutions like Harvard and Yale to excellent public universities like the University of Virginia and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, students can find a fit that aligns with their academic and personal goals. Additionally, there are many well-regarded liberal arts colleges, such as Williams College and Swarthmore College, that emphasize a well-rounded education in a more intimate setting.

Strong Academic Programs

East Coast colleges are known for their rigorous academic programs. Many institutions offer a wide variety of majors, along with opportunities for interdisciplinary study. Students can engage in research alongside faculty, participate in internships, and take advantage of study abroad programs that enrich their educational experience. Schools like Johns Hopkins University and Georgetown University, for instance, are renowned for their strong programs in the sciences and international relations, respectively.

Networking Opportunities

One of the significant advantages of attending an East Coast college is the networking potential. Many schools are situated in or near major metropolitan areas, providing students with access to internships, job opportunities, and professional connections. New York City, Boston, and Washington D.C. are just a few of the hubs where students can connect with industry leaders and gain practical experience that enhances their resumes.

A Rich Cultural Experience

Attending college on the East Coast also means immersing yourself in a vibrant cultural scene. From art galleries and theater performances to music festivals and historical sites, students can explore a diverse array of cultural activities. Schools often offer their own events, bringing in guest speakers, hosting concerts, and organizing exhibitions that encourage students to engage with the arts and sciences beyond the classroom.

Community and Campus Life

The campus life at East Coast colleges is vibrant and engaging. With a strong emphasis on community, students often find numerous opportunities to get involved, whether through student government, clubs, or athletic teams. Schools like Boston College and the University of Pennsylvania foster a sense of belonging, where students can forge lifelong friendships and build a supportive network.

Cost and Financial Aid

While many East Coast colleges can be expensive, numerous financial aid options are available. Schools often offer scholarships, grants, and work-study opportunities to help alleviate the financial burden. It's essential for students to research and apply for financial aid early, as this can significantly impact their overall college experience.

Conclusion

Choosing a college is a significant decision, and East Coast colleges present an array of compelling options for prospective students. With strong academics, rich cultural experiences, and vibrant campus life, these institutions provide the foundation for personal and professional growth. For those interested in learning more about specific schools and opportunities available, check out this resource on East Coast colleges. The journey ahead may be challenging, but the rewards of a quality education and a memorable college experience make it worthwhile. Embrace the possibilities and take the first step toward your future!

[heypapipromotions]

🎉🚨The excitement is building! Only days left until the spectacular New Redeem Ministries NC Tent Revival! 🎉 

🙈Join us for an unforgettable day in Downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, at the vibrant Moore Square! 

✨Meet Our Inspiring Speakers:

⭐️Bishop Will Davis, ⭐️Elder Nicole Roach, ⭐️Minister Frances G. Holloway, ⭐️Pastor Chris Jones.

🔥And get ready to groove with our special musical guest, the electrifying Gospel Go-Go Band, ⭐️Body of Evidence! 🎶 This incredible event will be hosted by the dynamic ⭐️Pastor Anthony M. Goode, Sr. and the wonderful First Lady ⭐️Teresa Goode.

📅 **Mark Your Calendars!** 

Join us on ⏰️Saturday, October 5, 2024, from 1 PM to 4 PM at Moore Square, 200 S Blount Street, Raleigh, NC 27601. 

😇😁Prepare for a day filled with FREE food, fun, fellowship, fabulous giveaways, and the uplifting Word of God! 🙏This is your chance to connect with God and His amazing community. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by!

👀We can’t wait to see YOU there! For more details, check out 📲https://newredeemministriesimpact.org/events

❤️Let’s come together to celebrate faith, friendship, and fellowship! 

#NewRedeemMinistriesNC #TentRevival #BodyofEvidence #GospelMusic #Community #Raleigh #Fun #FreeEvent #NRI #Explore #Jesus #Fellowship ✨

[meandmybigmouth]

HYPOCRITE DAY AND SOMEWHERE A PASTOR AND A GUEST SPEAKER IS SPREADING THE MADE UP GOD'S MESSAGE!

[beardedmrbean]

The University of North Carolina is the latest addition to the list of institutions of higher education facing scrutiny over their handling of campus Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter.

Campus free-speech advocacy group Speech First filed a complaint on January 31 with Jonathan Sauls, senior associate vice chancellor of student success and administration at UNC, alleging that the university’s SJP chapter violated both state law and university policy by obstructing the ability of two guest speakers — Duke University professor and former New York Times columnist Frank Bruni and Free Press founder Bari Weiss — to participate in an event held on January 22.

Ahead of the engagement, the campus SJP chapter posted on X that “Bari Weiss and her lies are NOT welcome on campus” and advertised a “walkout.” The text of the advertisement included lines describing Weiss as someone who “frequently reviles intersectionality, solidarity politics, anti-Zionism, pro-Palestinian voices, and any functional critique of Israel.” 

As a video of the event posted on YouTube demonstrates, SJP members stood up and chanted “Bari, Bari, you can’t hide; you’re committing genocide” while slowly walking out of the venue. According to a written account of the event, some of the activists stayed outside the auditorium’s doors and heckled the audience as the room emptied following the panel.

A Speech First press release notes that “the event was brought to a standstill for several minutes until the students — who were warned that they were violating the Campus Free Speech Act — were removed from the room by campus security.”

The Campus Free Speech Act, signed in 2017, includes language requiring colleges and universities to sanction any student, faculty, or staff member who “substantially disrupts the functioning of the constituent institution or substantially interferes with the protected free expression rights of others,” meaning that exercising the “heckler’s veto,” as it is known, is legally prohibited.

Speech First executive director Cherise Trump told National Review that many student activists have a twisted view of what constitutes free speech.

“Universities need to take responsibility for the fact that many of their students genuinely believe they are exercising their First Amendment rights when they are shouting down speakers,” Trump said. “We should be deeply disturbed by the fact that so many students across the country think it’s not only acceptable but that it is their right to silence views they disagree with . . . the right to free speech in America does not include the right to silence others.”

Because UNC is a public university system, it is required to incorporate the provisions included in the Campus Free Speech Act as institutional policy. The university’s own website states that its “mission includes the transmission and advancement of knowledge and understanding, the pursuit of which is dependent upon the ability of our faculty and students to remain free to inquire, to study and to evaluate, to gain new maturity and understanding.” 

Its code holds that the university “shall enforce a range of disciplinary sanctions, up to and including dismissal or expulsion, for anyone under the jurisdiction of the UNC System Office or the constituent institution who materially and substantially disrupts the functioning of the UNC System Office, a constituent institution, or any other entity or unit of the University, or substantially interferes with the protected free expression rights of others.”

Trump told NR that UNC has not gone far enough in disciplining the students who shouted down Bruni and Weiss at the January event.

“Removing students who are disrupting the event is not a form of discipline, especially considering the SJP chapter fully intended to walk out after their disruption anyway,” she said. “They took up 45 seats in order to leave half the auditorium empty and to prevent those seats from going to their fellow students who actually wanted to hear the lecture.”

Trump said that, instead of simply escorting the students out of the event, UNC should take more concrete action.

“It’s pretty simple: if the SJP chapter conspired to violate campus and state policy, they should lose club status,” she argued. “Speech First wants to know what ‘disciplinary sanctions’ actually means. Policies that have no accountability measures publicly stated signal to students and administrators that there is a low chance of enforcement. At this point, it seems the UNC policy is an empty promise to protect free speech, and the whole thing is just for show.”

Trump told NR that UNC has an opportunity to significantly impact free speech protections on campuses nationwide by enforcing its own policies.

“If they take free speech protections as seriously as they claim, then we will see them do more to deter speaker shout-downs,” she said. “This means clearly defining what the ‘disciplinary sanctions’ are and then following through on those promises.”

UNC’s media relations department told National Review in an email that, while the complaint will be addressed “in accordance with our regular policies and procedures,” the university believes its handling of the incident to have been in accordance with both state law and its own policies.

“The University’s response was consistent with our policies regarding free speech,” a spokesperson wrote. “The event began with a verbal reminder of our free speech policies and expectations for all attendees. Once the protesters began disrupting the program, they were told to leave and approx. 45 protesters were guided out of the event within a few minutes. The program then continued without further interruption.”

[billmaher]

HBO Real Time Guests July 12, 2024

[[MORE]]

The guest information for this week's REAL TIME episode airing on Friday, July 12th is below.

Interview 1 (In-Studio)

KEVIN McCARTHY - 55th Speaker of the House and former Republican Congressman who represented California's 20th district

Panel (In-Studio):

BAKARI SELLERS - Former South Carolina State Representative, podcast host, and author of The Moment: Thoughts on the Race Reckoning That Wasn't and How We All Can Move Forward

BEN SHAPIRO - The Daily Wire Co-Founder and Editor Emeritus who hosts the syndicated radio show and daily podcast The Ben Shapiro Show

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Eric Hananoki at MMFA:

Right-wing commentator and U.S. House nominee Addul Ali appeared in an interview with far-right podcaster Jesse Lee Peterson, wherein they made misogynistic statements about women holding leadership positions.  After prompting by Peterson, Ali said, when it comes to women taking leadership roles, “There is a type of woman that is not suited for that — i.e., Kamala Harris is not suited. I can't see her sitting down with serious men.” After Peterson said he notices “that every time men listen to women today, they suffer,” Ali replied: “I ain't going to argue that. I’m not going to argue that one.”  Ali is a media consultant who hosts a podcast. He also recently appeared in an MSNBC focus group. He is the Republican nominee for Congress in North Carolina’s 12th Congressional District and previously served as the chair of the Cabarrus County GOP in North Carolina. 

The North Carolina Republican Party has been backing his campaign, and Ali has said he’s received the support of North Carolina state Senate Majority Leader Paul Newton and state House Speaker Tim Moore. Ali was listed as a special guest at the opening of a Trump Force 47 campaign office in North Carolina and recently attended a rally featuring vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), whom he met.  Ali appeared as a guest on the September 20 edition of The Fallen State, a podcast hosted by Jesse Lee Peterson that streams online.  Peterson has a long history of making extreme remarks, including against women, declaring in 2012 that “one of the greatest mistakes America made was to allow women the opportunity to vote.” In 2021, he wrote, “If women didn’t vote there would be no such thing as ‘LGBTQ rights’ ‘reproductive rights’ (right to kill babies), and all the mess that’s going on today,” and in a post this year said: “I do not recommend women get involved in politics — they cannot handle power in the right way. Women were created to follow, not to lead. If she’s not married, or doesn’t have kids, she should work though.”

As he has in the past, Peterson asked his guest for his opinion on the role of women in society, arguing that “God did not create women to be leaders” and women being in the forefront is “not good for our country.”  Ali responded by saying, in part, that he’s “all for, you know, women representing their community. If they can run for office and represent their community and represent the interests of their community, I'm all for women, you know, running and, you know, leading their own businesses and being entrepreneurs and things like that. But I think that there is a type of woman that is not suited for that — i.e., Kamala Harris is not suited. I can't see her sitting down with serious men like Xi Jinping or Vladimir Putin.” 

Serial misogynist podcaster Jesse Lee Peterson and NC-12 GOP House nominee Addul Ali trafficked in sexist and misogynistic attacks against Kamala Harris and women in leadership roles on Peterson’s The Fallen State podcast.