thetennesseestar--2020-09-05--Facebook to Ohio Conservative: You Can’t Do That Here

Ohioan Vanessa Treft is a political grassroots consultant who has worked in multiple states – Treft is a Trump supporter .
Treft has been outspoken about Ohio ’ s COVID response – from her grandmother ’ s inability to receive hydroxychloroquine immediately following a COVID diagnosis , to her calling out Ohio Republican Governor Mike DeWine ’ s refusal to adequately address senior living situations .
Treft was also vocal about the former Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton and recently criticized representatives and senators for their lack of gumption to make needed changes , as saw necessary .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s profile without warning , reason or any opportunity for appeal and recovery .
She has since created a new account but lost 7,100 friends and followers – just over 60 days before the 2020 U.S. presidential election .
Cancel culture is a term thrown around loosely .
Over the past year , it has increasingly become a thing – it ’ s as if COVID brought a unilateral mindset to the surface bent on silencing detractors .
Facebook is where it has become especially evident .
The Ohio Star published an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the week of August 24 that confirmed that the virus is most dangerous to people with more than two existing health conditions , but it is likely that not all current COVID deaths were the result – whatsoever – of the virus .
However , Facebook ’ s artificial intelligence did not like the words or phrases and tagged the post with a fact-check warning .
Since May Facebook stepped-up fact-checking and content blocking .
Instead of loosening the grip , Facebook appears to be tightening the content stream as the behemoth social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outlets ) announced Tuesday the Terms of Service ( TOS ) changes coming October 1 .
In the same week Facebook reported their TOS changes , Mark Zuckerberg , founder of Facebook , and Priscilla Chan also announced their $ 300 million commitment to election infrastructure .
The TOS changes and investment in the election process were both pitched as efforts in fairness .
On Thursday , Facebook announced it will limit some ads leading up to the November 3 election but will give more liberty to politicians running ads on the platform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between social media platform and publisher – what the company is deemed is a prolonged debate .
The city-journal.org wrote May 7 , 2018 : Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act immunizes online platforms for their users ’ defamatory , fraudulent , or otherwise unlawful content .
Congress granted this extraordinary benefit to facilitate “ forum [ s ] for a true diversity of political discourse.
” This exemption from standard libel law is extremely valuable to the companies that enjoy its protection , such as Google , Facebook , and Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was assumed that they would operate as impartial , open channels of communication—not curators of acceptable opinion .
But “ curators of acceptable opinion ” is exactly what Facebook appears to have become ; and as such , the left-leaning company does not seem to qualify for the protections of a social media platform .
“ Hours before my account was deleted , I posted a video about phone calls I received that day , ” said Treft .
“ One of them discussed a pastor who lost his sister earlier in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – and he had a second sister in the same facility , also dying , he couldn ’ t ’ see.
” “ The other story was about a woman who had zero access to her mom and wasn ’ t there when she died .
When she went to get her personal effects , she was forced to gather her mother ’ s belongings off the street curb .
My video had been viewed over 15,000 times .
Then , poof !
My account was gone.
” Treft also encouraged Ohioans who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes to reach out to the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman .
Jack Windsor is Managing Editor and an Investigative Reporter at The Ohio Star .
Windsor is also an Investigative Reporter at WMFD-TV .
Follow Jack on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Disabled Facebook Account ” by Global Panorama .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .

Ohioan Vanessa Treft is a political grassroots consultant who has worked in multiple states – Treft is a Trump supporter.
Treft has been outspoken about Ohio’s COVID response – from her grandmother’s inability to receive hydroxychloroquine immediately following a COVID diagnosis, to her calling out Ohio Republican Governor Mike DeWine’s refusal to adequately address senior living situations.
Treft was also vocal about the former Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton and recently criticized representatives and senators for their lack of gumption to make needed changes, as saw necessary.
On September 2, Facebook deleted Treft’s profile without warning, reason or any opportunity for appeal and recovery. She has since created a new account but lost 7,100 friends and followers – just over 60 days before the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
Cancel culture is a term thrown around loosely. Over the past year, it has increasingly become a thing – it’s as if COVID brought a unilateral mindset to the surface bent on silencing detractors. Facebook is where it has become especially evident.
The Ohio Star published an article about the CDC Weekly Index from the week of August 24 that confirmed that the virus is most dangerous to people with more than two existing health conditions, but it is likely that not all current COVID deaths were the result – whatsoever – of the virus. However, Facebook’s artificial intelligence did not like the words or phrases and tagged the post with a fact-check warning.
Since May Facebook stepped-up fact-checking and content blocking.
Instead of loosening the grip, Facebook appears to be tightening the content stream as the behemoth social media company (larger than mainstream media outlets) announced Tuesday the Terms of Service (TOS) changes coming October 1.
In the same week Facebook reported their TOS changes, Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, and Priscilla Chan also announced their $300 million commitment to election infrastructure.
The TOS changes and investment in the election process were both pitched as efforts in fairness.
On Thursday, Facebook announced it will limit some ads leading up to the November 3 election but will give more liberty to politicians running ads on the platform.
Facebook is in an ambiguous space between social media platform and publisher – what the company is deemed is a prolonged debate. The city-journal.org wrote May 7, 2018:
Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act immunizes online platforms for their users’ defamatory, fraudulent, or otherwise unlawful content. Congress granted this extraordinary benefit to facilitate “forum[s] for a true diversity of political discourse.” This exemption from standard libel law is extremely valuable to the companies that enjoy its protection, such as Google, Facebook, and Twitter, but they only got it because it was assumed that they would operate as impartial, open channels of communication—not curators of acceptable opinion.
But “curators of acceptable opinion” is exactly what Facebook appears to have become; and as such, the left-leaning company does not seem to qualify for the protections of a social media platform.
“Hours before my account was deleted, I posted a video about phone calls I received that day,” said Treft. “One of them discussed a pastor who lost his sister earlier in the week he was unable to see – and he had a second sister in the same facility, also dying, he couldn’t’ see.”
“The other story was about a woman who had zero access to her mom and wasn’t there when she died. When she went to get her personal effects, she was forced to gather her mother’s belongings off the street curb. My video had been viewed over 15,000 times. Then, poof! My account was gone.”
Treft also encouraged Ohioans who may be struggling with situations involving nursing homes to reach out to the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman.
– – –
Jack Windsor is Managing Editor and an Investigative Reporter at The Ohio Star. Windsor is also an Investigative Reporter at WMFD-TV. Follow Jack on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Disabled Facebook Account” by Global Panorama. CC BY-SA 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-09-06--Man Fired for Refusing to Remove ‘Trump 2020’ Hat

A worker at the Newport News Naval Shipyard was fired recently after refusing to remove a Trump 2020 hat .
Dave Sunderland believes with the November 3 presidential election weeks away , he was unfairly targeted by a superior for wearing a baseball cap showing support for President Donald Trump ’ s re-election .
Huntington Ingalls Industries owns and operates the naval shipyard in Newport News , which builds aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines , and the company has policies against employees wearing clothing that displays any sort of political messaging or can be deemed as campaigning for a political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shipyard for almost nine years before being terminated , says he was simply wearing a ball cap .
“ It wasn ’ t vulgar , racist or discriminatory , ” he said .
“ It just said ‘ Trump 2020 ’ on it.
” Sunderland told The Virginia Star that his wearing of a hat supporting the president wasn ’ t anything new .
In fact , he said this was just the first time anyone took issue with seeing the hat .
“ I had been wearing the hat and ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
“ I have a lot of friends ( at the shipyard ) and get along with a lot of people .
Of course there ’ s disagreements , but there were never arguments .
Nothing ever got ugly or out of hand.
” Typically , Sunderland would wear a baseball hat while he went to and from his job site .
When he was formally on the job , Sunderland wore a hard hat .
Sunderland said a foreman at his job site he hadn ’ t known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 hat , and when he refused , that ’ s when human resources got involved .
“ They said it wasn ’ t allowed and that I was campaigning , ” Sunderland said .
“ But they chalked it up to insubordination and I lost my job.
” Duane Bourne , the manager of media relations for the company , provided the following comment to The Virginia Star regarding the matter .
“ The complexity of our work requires an extraordinary level of teamwork to be successful .
To that end , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything that could negatively impact that teamwork .
These long standing policies and procedures are designed to minimize disruptions and enable our work teams to remain focused on doing their jobs safely , efficiently and effectively .
These policies and procedures are not specific to any particular election or candidate .
Instead , they cover all manner of expression that could cause distractions from our very demanding work .
Typically , when an issue comes to our attention it is handled quickly and informally .
However , if an employee refuses to comply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as insubordination and discipline is administered accordingly , up to and including termination.
” Sunderland believes there ’ s a double-standard at play , because other workers had worn clothing or masks that supported Democrat candidates and the phrase Black Lives Matter .
“ In 2016 I saw the Hillary t-shirts and in 2012 I saw the Obama shirts and didn ’ t hear about anything then , ” he said .
“ They didn ’ t really care .
They just wanted me to give up my First Amendment rights , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that .
This is the United States , and we ’ re supposed to have freedom of expression.
” Sunderland said he hasn ’ t ruled out pursuing a wrongful termination lawsuit against the shipyard , but at the same time , he ’ s also ready to pursue other employment opportunities .
“ I ’ m ready to move on , ” he said .
“ I don ’ t know what will happen , and it just doesn ’ t seem right to me.
” Jordan Bondurant is a reporter at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .

by Jordan Bondurant
A worker at the Newport News Naval Shipyard was fired recently after refusing to remove a Trump 2020 hat.
Dave Sunderland believes with the November 3 presidential election weeks away, he was unfairly targeted by a superior for wearing a baseball cap showing support for President Donald Trump’s re-election.
Huntington Ingalls Industries owns and operates the naval shipyard in Newport News, which builds aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines, and the company has policies against employees wearing clothing that displays any sort of political messaging or can be deemed as campaigning for a political candidate.
Sunderland, who worked at the shipyard for almost nine years before being terminated, says he was simply wearing a ball cap.
“It wasn’t vulgar, racist or discriminatory,” he said. “It just said ‘Trump 2020’ on it.”
Sunderland told The Virginia Star that his wearing of a hat supporting the president wasn’t anything new. In fact, he said this was just the first time anyone took issue with seeing the hat.
“I had been wearing the hat and ones like it for the last four years,” he said. “I have a lot of friends (at the shipyard) and get along with a lot of people. Of course there’s disagreements, but there were never arguments. Nothing ever got ugly or out of hand.”
Typically, Sunderland would wear a baseball hat while he went to and from his job site. When he was formally on the job, Sunderland wore a hard hat. Sunderland said a foreman at his job site he hadn’t known previously instructed him to remove the Trump 2020 hat, and when he refused, that’s when human resources got involved.
“They said it wasn’t allowed and that I was campaigning,” Sunderland said. “But they chalked it up to insubordination and I lost my job.”
Duane Bourne, the manager of media relations for the company, provided the following comment to The Virginia Star regarding the matter.
“The complexity of our work requires an extraordinary level of teamwork to be successful. To that end, we have policies and procedures to eliminate anything that could negatively impact that teamwork. These long standing policies and procedures are designed to minimize disruptions and enable our work teams to remain focused on doing their jobs safely, efficiently and effectively. These policies and procedures are not specific to any particular election or candidate. Instead, they cover all manner of expression that could cause distractions from our very demanding work. Typically, when an issue comes to our attention it is handled quickly and informally. However, if an employee refuses to comply with the policy, it is treated as insubordination and discipline is administered accordingly, up to and including termination.”
Sunderland believes there’s a double-standard at play, because other workers had worn clothing or masks that supported Democrat candidates and the phrase Black Lives Matter.
“In 2016 I saw the Hillary t-shirts and in 2012 I saw the Obama shirts and didn’t hear about anything then,” he said. “They didn’t really care. They just wanted me to give up my First Amendment rights, and I didn’t want to do that. This is the United States, and we’re supposed to have freedom of expression.”
Sunderland said he hasn’t ruled out pursuing a wrongful termination lawsuit against the shipyard, but at the same time, he’s also ready to pursue other employment opportunities.
“I’m ready to move on,” he said. “I don’t know what will happen, and it just doesn’t seem right to me.”
– – –
Jordan Bondurant is a reporter at The Virginia Star. Follow Jordan on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].


thetennesseestar--2020-09-06--Commentary: The Inevitable Implosion of Biden’s Campaign

It ’ s tempting to attribute Joe Biden ’ s plummeting poll numbers in key battleground states to his dilatory denunciation of the riots that still ravage their Democrat-run cities .
However , the campaign ’ s fatal flaw is more subtle than Biden ’ s tacit approval of mob violence .
It is rooted in the classism that resulted in his nomination to be the Democratic standard bearer .
Among the progressives who control the party it ’ s an article of faith that President Trump ’ s base consists of undereducated working-class whites .
Thus , they reluctantly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hope that “ working class Joe ” could peel off enough of Trump ’ s benighted blue collar support to capture the White House .
The problem with this strategy is that it is based on a myth .
White voters without college degrees do indeed constitute an important part of Trump ’ s coalition .
But the belief that these Americans are working class clods dumb enough to support a Potemkin candidate nominated by a radicalized party is a progressive fantasy .
This is why Biden ’ s poll numbers remained relatively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that preceded the amateurish Democratic National Convention and only began to go south after that cringe worthy event ended on August 20 .
By the end of August his purported lead over President Trump in the major battleground states had clearly begun evaporating .
It has now been cut in half .
In Michigan , for example , RealClearPolitics showed Biden ahead of Trump by a comfortable 8.4 percent margin as recently as July 28 .
A month later , that lead had decreased by two-thirds and remains at 2.6 percent as of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 24 , the former Vice President led Trump in Pennsylvania by 8.5 percent .
That lead has since been cut in half and now stands at 4.2 percent as of Thursday .
The story is much the same in North Carolina , where Biden was ahead of Trump by 4.7 percent on July 31 .
That lead has now dropped to less than 1 percent .
Overall , according to RealClearPolitics , Biden ’ s average lead in the all important battleground states has shrunken from 6.3 percent on July 28 to 3.3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spiral in Biden ’ s numbers is the progressive myth that all voters without college degrees are by definition working class and not very bright .
Ironically , this nonsense was debunked as early as 2017 .
Nicholas Carnes of Duke University noticed that the “ working class voter ” narrative had become a staple of media commentary concerning Trump ’ s 2016 victory over Clinton and responded with a Washington Post column titled , “ It ’ s time to bust the myth : Most Trump voters were not working class.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that journalists writing about Trump ’ s blue collar base had failed to produce any data supporting what had by then become conventional wisdom : But what about the vast education deficit that allegedly characterizes most Trump voters ?
This is little more than a variation on the “ conservatives are dumb ” cliché that has long served as a balm for defeated Democrats and their dysphoric supporters .
In Trump ’ s case , it emerged early in the 2016 primary season and was debunked by Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ college degrees … higher than the 33 percent of non-Hispanic white adults , or the 29 percent of American adults overall , who have at least a bachelor ’ s degree.
” In the 2016 general election , the percentage of Trump voters with four-year college degrees equaled that of all American adults that year .
This brings us back to the Biden campaign ’ s fatal flaw .
The former Vice President was chosen to lead the Democratic ticket because it was believed he was the candidate most likely to “ recapture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delivered Donald Trump ’ s 2016 upset victory over Hillary Clinton .
Unfortunately for the Democrats and the Biden campaign this voting bloc is nothing more than Beltway swamp gas .
As Professor Carnes points out above , white voters without college degrees making below the median household income made up only 25 percent of Trump voters .
In other words , only 1 in 4 of Trump ’ s 2016 supporters can be classified as working class by any reasonable definition of the term .
These voters aren ’ t dumb enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ class shtick .
As the Washington Post recently put it , “ Democrats have ceded the working class to the GOP.
” Biden ’ s acceptance speech at the DNC dwelt on such pressing blue collar issues as climate change , gun control , and social justice .
He also insulted our intelligence by blaming President Trump for job losses caused by COVID-19 .
Meanwhile , he has endorsed another nationwide lockdown , called for a universal mask mandate , and taken multiple positions on fracking .
The collapse of Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ riots but , ultimately , they mark the inevitable implosion of a campaign built on a progressive myth about Trump ’ s base .
David Catron is a recovering health care consultant and frequent contributor to The American Spectator .
You can follow him on Twitter at @ Catronicus .
Photo “ Joe Biden ” by Gage Skidmore .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .

by David Catron
It’s tempting to attribute Joe Biden’s plummeting poll numbers in key battleground states to his dilatory denunciation of the riots that still ravage their Democrat-run cities. However, the campaign’s fatal flaw is more subtle than Biden’s tacit approval of mob violence. It is rooted in the classism that resulted in his nomination to be the Democratic standard bearer. Among the progressives who control the party it’s an article of faith that President Trump’s base consists of undereducated working-class whites. Thus, they reluctantly supported Biden’s nomination in the hope that “working class Joe” could peel off enough of Trump’s benighted blue collar support to capture the White House.
The problem with this strategy is that it is based on a myth. White voters without college degrees do indeed constitute an important part of Trump’s coalition. But the belief that these Americans are working class clods dumb enough to support a Potemkin candidate nominated by a radicalized party is a progressive fantasy. This is why Biden’s poll numbers remained relatively stable during the ten weeks of riots that preceded the amateurish Democratic National Convention and only began to go south after that cringe worthy event ended on August 20. By the end of August his purported lead over President Trump in the major battleground states had clearly begun evaporating. It has now been cut in half.
In Michigan, for example, RealClearPolitics showed Biden ahead of Trump by a comfortable 8.4 percent margin as recently as July 28. A month later, that lead had decreased by two-thirds and remains at 2.6 percent as of this writing. Likewise, on July 24, the former Vice President led Trump in Pennsylvania by 8.5 percent. That lead has since been cut in half and now stands at 4.2 percent as of Thursday. The story is much the same in North Carolina, where Biden was ahead of Trump by 4.7 percent on July 31. That lead has now dropped to less than 1 percent. Overall, according to RealClearPolitics, Biden’s average lead in the all important battleground states has shrunken from 6.3 percent on July 28 to 3.3 percent.
The source of this downward spiral in Biden’s numbers is the progressive myth that all voters without college degrees are by definition working class and not very bright. Ironically, this nonsense was debunked as early as 2017. Nicholas Carnes of Duke University noticed that the “working class voter” narrative had become a staple of media commentary concerning Trump’s 2016 victory over Clinton and responded with a Washington Post column titled, “It’s time to bust the myth: Most Trump voters were not working class.” Carnes was ill-mannered enough to point out that journalists writing about Trump’s blue collar base had failed to produce any data supporting what had by then become conventional wisdom:
When journalists wrote that Trump was appealing to working-class voters, they didn’t really know whether Trump voters were construction workers or CEOs.… In short, the narrative that attributes Trump’s victory to a “coalition of mostly blue-collar white and working-class voters” just doesn’t square with the 2016 election data. According to the [American National Election Study], white non-Hispanic voters without college degrees making below the median household income made up only 25 percent of Trump voters. That’s a far cry from the working-class-fueled victory many journalists have imagined.
But what about the vast education deficit that allegedly characterizes most Trump voters? This is little more than a variation on the “conservatives are dumb” cliché that has long served as a balm for defeated Democrats and their dysphoric supporters. In Trump’s case, it emerged early in the 2016 primary season and was debunked by Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight: “About 44 percent of Trump supporters have college degrees … higher than the 33 percent of non-Hispanic white adults, or the 29 percent of American adults overall, who have at least a bachelor’s degree.” In the 2016 general election, the percentage of Trump voters with four-year college degrees equaled that of all American adults that year.
This brings us back to the Biden campaign’s fatal flaw. The former Vice President was chosen to lead the Democratic ticket because it was believed he was the candidate most likely to “recapture” the undereducated working class whites who delivered Donald Trump’s 2016 upset victory over Hillary Clinton. Unfortunately for the Democrats and the Biden campaign this voting bloc is nothing more than Beltway swamp gas. As Professor Carnes points out above, white voters without college degrees making below the median household income made up only 25 percent of Trump voters. In other words, only 1 in 4 of Trump’s 2016 supporters can be classified as working class by any reasonable definition of the term.
These voters aren’t dumb enough to fall for Biden’s working class shtick. As the Washington Post recently put it, “Democrats have ceded the working class to the GOP.” Biden’s acceptance speech at the DNC dwelt on such pressing blue collar issues as climate change, gun control, and social justice. He also insulted our intelligence by blaming President Trump for job losses caused by COVID-19. Meanwhile, he has endorsed another nationwide lockdown, called for a universal mask mandate, and taken multiple positions on fracking. The collapse of Biden’s poll numbers may be accelerated by the riots but, ultimately, they mark the inevitable implosion of a campaign built on a progressive myth about Trump’s base.
– – –
David Catron is a recovering health care consultant and frequent contributor to The American Spectator. You can follow him on Twitter at @Catronicus.
Photo “Joe Biden” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-09-06--Commentary: The New Maoists Bind and Gag Academics

Recently I spoke with a teacher at an exclusive private school , tuition $ 40,000 per year , located in Northern Virginia .
He described the ongoing deterioration of the school ’ s standards , including a dumbing down of academics , more cheating , parents demanding higher grades for their children , and a pervasive climate of political correctness .
Last week the school ’ s administration ordered all personnel to attend racial sensitivity sessions .
My acquaintance made an innocuous comment having nothing to do with his classroom or with race , but with his disinterest in some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A black female administrator took umbrage with his comments and labeled him as indifferent and insensitive .
He ’ s now scheduled to meet with the dean and may lose his job after 25 years .
This scenario is played out daily in our universities and our secondary schools .
We can imagine a history professor giving a lecture on Thomas Jefferson and being reported to college administrators for not being “ woke enough.
” A literature teacher asking students to read Huckleberry Finn is condemned for bringing a racist book to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to join in some protest or another and finds herself sitting before a committee probing her political beliefs .
As John McWhorter writes in “ Academics Are Really Worried About Cancel Culture , ” these cases have a ripple effect , silencing not only conservatives but liberal teachers who might “ dissent , even slightly , with the tenets of the woke left.
” McWhorter , who teaches linguistics at Columbia University , reports an increasing number of university teachers have written him about their fears of being ostracized or fired for expressing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three-week period earlier this summer , he received approximately 150 such messages and gives samples of these emails including the two below : An assistant professor of color who can not quite get with the program writes , ‘ At the moment , I ’ m more anxious about this problem than anything else in my career , ’ noting that ‘ the truth is that over the last few years , this new norm of intolerance and cult of social justice has marginalized me more than all racism I have ever faced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ read a passage from an interview with a well-known Black public intellectual who mentions the rap group NWA , and because few of the students knew of the group ’ s work at this late date , the professor parenthetically noted what the initials stand for .
None of the Black students batted an eye , according to my correspondent , but a few white students demanded a humiliating public apology .
When McWhorter tweeted about these concerns , some accused him of twisting the facts or of outright lying .
To back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ readers to this study : This year , the Heterodox Academy conducted an internal member survey of 445 academics .
‘ Imagine expressing your views about a controversial issue while at work , at a time when faculty , staff , and/or other colleagues were present .
To what extent would you worry about the following consequences ?
’ To the hypothetical ‘ My reputation would be tarnished , ’ 32.68 percent answered ‘ very concerned ’ and 27.27 percent answered ‘ extremely concerned.
’ To the hypothetical ‘ My career would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very concerned ’ and 28.68 percent answered ‘ extremely concerned.
’ In other words , more than half the respondents consider expressing views beyond a certain consensus in an academic setting quite dangerous to their career trajectory .
Heterodox Academy is a “ non-partisan collaborative of thousands of professors , administrators , and students ” whose goal is to promote free inquiry and constructive disagreement .
During the last decade , this attack on free inquiry , freedom of speech , and dissent from what McWhorter calls “ new Maoism ” has left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into corporations and workplaces .
In many companies , diversity training of all kinds is now mandatory , and freedom of speech means offering one ’ s opinions within the accepted consensus of one ’ s fellow workers .
The engines of social media routinely suspend accounts of those people who offer constructive disagreement .
Some are brave enough to buck this trend .
One young man I know works for a software company with a staff of 30 .
He is the only employee who will , when political discussions arise , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Republican party .
Others voted for Trump in 2016 , and will do so again in this election , but are afraid to defend him in public .
For the last six months , we have watched this insidious trend grow among our bureaucrats , politicians , and mainstream media .
Give data that contradicts their take on the coronavirus , for example , and you will be attacked as insensitive and even murderous .
Condemn the looting and burning that has occurred in some of our cities , and you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be why mayors in places like Portland and Minneapolis have let mobs demolish their cities .
When making an arrest , the police read the suspect his Miranda Rights .
This direct statement begins with these words : “ You have the right to remain silent .
Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.
” Substitute “ the public square ” for “ a court of law , ” and those two sentences pretty much sum up the dilemma faced by many academics and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives in Front Royal , Virginia , and may be found online at jeffminick.com .
He is the author of two novels , Amanda Bell and Dust on Their Wings , and two works of non-fiction , Learning as I Go and Movies Make the Man .

by Jeff Minick
Recently I spoke with a teacher at an exclusive private school, tuition $40,000 per year, located in Northern Virginia. He described the ongoing deterioration of the school’s standards, including a dumbing down of academics, more cheating, parents demanding higher grades for their children, and a pervasive climate of political correctness.
Last week the school’s administration ordered all personnel to attend racial sensitivity sessions. My acquaintance made an innocuous comment having nothing to do with his classroom or with race, but with his disinterest in some of the mundane issues outside his purvey. A black female administrator took umbrage with his comments and labeled him as indifferent and insensitive. He’s now scheduled to meet with the dean and may lose his job after 25 years.
This scenario is played out daily in our universities and our secondary schools. We can imagine a history professor giving a lecture on Thomas Jefferson and being reported to college administrators for not being “woke enough.” A literature teacher asking students to read Huckleberry Finn is condemned for bringing a racist book to the classroom. A chemistry teacher refusing to join in some protest or another and finds herself sitting before a committee probing her political beliefs.
As John McWhorter writes in “Academics Are Really Worried About Cancel Culture,” these cases have a ripple effect, silencing not only conservatives but liberal teachers who might “dissent, even slightly, with the tenets of the woke left.”
McWhorter, who teaches linguistics at Columbia University, reports an increasing number of university teachers have written him about their fears of being ostracized or fired for expressing the “wrong opinions.” In a three-week period earlier this summer, he received approximately 150 such messages and gives samples of these emails including the two below:
An assistant professor of color who cannot quite get with the program writes, ‘At the moment, I’m more anxious about this problem than anything else in my career,’ noting that ‘the truth is that over the last few years, this new norm of intolerance and cult of social justice has marginalized me more than all racism I have ever faced in my life.’
A white professor read a passage from an interview with a well-known Black public intellectual who mentions the rap group NWA, and because few of the students knew of the group’s work at this late date, the professor parenthetically noted what the initials stand for. None of the Black students batted an eye, according to my correspondent, but a few white students demanded a humiliating public apology.
When McWhorter tweeted about these concerns, some accused him of twisting the facts or of outright lying. To back up his anecdotal data, McWhorter points readers to this study:
This year, the Heterodox Academy conducted an internal member survey of 445 academics. ‘Imagine expressing your views about a controversial issue while at work, at a time when faculty, staff, and/or other colleagues were present. To what extent would you worry about the following consequences?’ To the hypothetical ‘My reputation would be tarnished,’ 32.68 percent answered ‘very concerned’ and 27.27 percent answered ‘extremely concerned.’ To the hypothetical ‘My career would be hurt,’ 24.75 percent answered ‘very concerned’ and 28.68 percent answered ‘extremely concerned.’ In other words, more than half the respondents consider expressing views beyond a certain consensus in an academic setting quite dangerous to their career trajectory.
Heterodox Academy is a “non-partisan collaborative of thousands of professors, administrators, and students” whose goal is to promote free inquiry and constructive disagreement.
During the last decade, this attack on free inquiry, freedom of speech, and dissent from what McWhorter calls “new Maoism” has left the campus and spread like a contagion into corporations and workplaces. In many companies, diversity training of all kinds is now mandatory, and freedom of speech means offering one’s opinions within the accepted consensus of one’s fellow workers. The engines of social media routinely suspend accounts of those people who offer constructive disagreement.
Some are brave enough to buck this trend. One young man I know works for a software company with a staff of 30. He is the only employee who will, when political discussions arise, defend the policies of President Donald Trump and the Republican party. Others voted for Trump in 2016, and will do so again in this election, but are afraid to defend him in public.
For the last six months, we have watched this insidious trend grow among our bureaucrats, politicians, and mainstream media. Give data that contradicts their take on the coronavirus, for example, and you will be attacked as insensitive and even murderous. Condemn the looting and burning that has occurred in some of our cities, and you will be labeled a racist, which may be why mayors in places like Portland and Minneapolis have let mobs demolish their cities.
When making an arrest, the police read the suspect his Miranda Rights. This direct statement begins with these words: “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.” Substitute “the public square” for “a court of law,” and those two sentences pretty much sum up the dilemma faced by many academics and the rest of us.
But let’s remember one thing: Qui tacet consentit.
Silence gives consent.
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Jeff Minick lives in Front Royal, Virginia, and may be found online at jeffminick.com. He is the author of two novels, Amanda Bell and Dust on Their Wings, and two works of non-fiction, Learning as I Go and Movies Make the Man.


thetennesseestar--2020-09-06--Brookings: Creative Arts Industry Lost 2.7 Million Jobs, More Than $150 Billion in Sales in Four Mon

Brookings: Creative Arts Industry Lost 2.7 Million Jobs, More Than $150 Billion in Sales in Four Months

The creative arts industry lost 2.7 million jobs and more than $ 150 billion in sales of goods and services over four months of pandemic shutdowns , a report published by the Brookings Institution estimates .
In its report , “ Lost Art : Measuring COVID-19 ’ s devastating impact on America ’ s creative economy , ” the authors estimate that of the 50 states , “ California will be hit hardest in terms of absolute losses for creative industries and occupations , followed by New York and Texas.
” Regionally , the South is estimated to suffer the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the West and the Northeast , respectively .
The West and the Northeast will be hit hardest in terms of estimated sales revenue losses .
The analysis studied the industry from April 1 to July 30 .
Of the 53 metropolitan areas with populations of more than one million , New York and Los Angeles will suffer the “ worst absolute losses , ” the authors found .
But Las Vegas , Nashville , New Orleans , Orlando , Memphis , Baltimore , Jacksonville , Tucson , and Austin are expected to suffer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fine and performing arts industries will be hit the hardest , the authors write , suffering estimated losses of nearly 1.4 million jobs and $ 42.5 billion in sales , representing 50 percent of all jobs in the sector .
The researchers “ estimate losses of more than 2.3 million jobs and $ 74 billion in average monthly earnings for the creative occupations ” directly resulting from state governors issuing executive orders shutting down businesses and industries deemed non-essential , instituting social distancing guidelines and restricting travel in the name of public safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Creative occupations include those in fine and performing arts ( visual arts , music , theater and dance ) , film , television and radio , advertising , fashion and others .
Those in fine and performing arts will be disproportionately affected , representing roughly a third of wage employment losses , the report states .
In Texas , Houston is expected to be hit especially hard , Andy Olin at Rice University ’ s Kinder Institute , says .
From April to July , creative industries in the Houston metro area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 1.3 billion worth of earnings and $ 1.6 billion in sales .
The Brookings estimate is greater than the initial estimate published by the Houston Chronicle .
Its report was based on Houston Arts Alliance data , which at the time saw a 50 percent unemployment rate in the Houston area ’ s creative industry , with “ arts organizations expected to see about $ 75 million in lost income and more than $ 10 million in lost donations.
” “ Small , stop-gap measures will not undo the damage ; a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is required , ” the Brookings authors write .
“ This strategy must be bottom-up , but supported across the board and led by local public-private partnerships between municipal governments , arts and cultural organizations , economic development and community groups , philanthropy , and the private sector , with support from federal and state levels of government , national philanthropy , and large corporations.
” The good news , the Brookings report suggests , is that “ there is an opportunity for communities to shift to locally sourced culture .
Communities can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ create online portals and platforms to allow residents and businesses to hire local artists , musicians , and performers for smaller-scale , local events.
” But James Nelson , executive director at the Houston Ballet , told Urban Edge , “ It ’ s not as if there ’ s a guarantee that when this is all over that we can just press reset and we all come back with the ability to do the work we did before.
” Several creative groups have already been engaging in online experiences , including the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understand , unless they ’ re closely connected with an arts nonprofit , is that it ’ s often a very delicate situation even in the best of times , ” Nelson added .
“ We are not a profit-generating industry .
To do what we do for our community is always a struggle .
The ability to do that relies on a combination of earned revenue and contributed revenue , and that ’ s very tenuous even at the best of times.
” Bethany Blankley is a contributor to The Center Square @

by Bethany Blankley
The creative arts industry lost 2.7 million jobs and more than $150 billion in sales of goods and services over four months of pandemic shutdowns, a report published by the Brookings Institution estimates.
In its report, “Lost Art: Measuring COVID-19’s devastating impact on America’s creative economy,” the authors estimate that of the 50 states, “California will be hit hardest in terms of absolute losses for creative industries and occupations, followed by New York and Texas.”
Regionally, the South is estimated to suffer the most losses in employment, followed by the West and the Northeast, respectively. The West and the Northeast will be hit hardest in terms of estimated sales revenue losses.
The analysis studied the industry from April 1 to July 30.
Of the 53 metropolitan areas with populations of more than one million, New York and Los Angeles will suffer the “worst absolute losses,” the authors found. But Las Vegas, Nashville, New Orleans, Orlando, Memphis, Baltimore, Jacksonville, Tucson, and Austin are expected to suffer larger losses in percentage terms.
The fine and performing arts industries will be hit the hardest, the authors write, suffering estimated losses of nearly 1.4 million jobs and $42.5 billion in sales, representing 50 percent of all jobs in the sector.
The researchers “estimate losses of more than 2.3 million jobs and $74 billion in average monthly earnings for the creative occupations” directly resulting from state governors issuing executive orders shutting down businesses and industries deemed non-essential, instituting social distancing guidelines and restricting travel in the name of public safety to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Creative occupations include those in fine and performing arts (visual arts, music, theater and dance), film, television and radio, advertising, fashion and others.
Those in fine and performing arts will be disproportionately affected, representing roughly a third of wage employment losses, the report states.
In Texas, Houston is expected to be hit especially hard, Andy Olin at Rice University’s Kinder Institute, says.
From April to July, creative industries in the Houston metro area were expected to lose 42,587 jobs – $1.3 billion worth of earnings and $1.6 billion in sales.
The Brookings estimate is greater than the initial estimate published by the Houston Chronicle. Its report was based on Houston Arts Alliance data, which at the time saw a 50 percent unemployment rate in the Houston area’s creative industry, with “arts organizations expected to see about $75 million in lost income and more than $10 million in lost donations.”
“Small, stop-gap measures will not undo the damage; a substantial and sustained national creative-economy recovery strategy is required,” the Brookings authors write. “This strategy must be bottom-up, but supported across the board and led by local public-private partnerships between municipal governments, arts and cultural organizations, economic development and community groups, philanthropy, and the private sector, with support from federal and state levels of government, national philanthropy, and large corporations.”
The good news, the Brookings report suggests, is that “there is an opportunity for communities to shift to locally sourced culture. Communities can develop strategies to hire local creatives and create online portals and platforms to allow residents and businesses to hire local artists, musicians, and performers for smaller-scale, local events.”
But James Nelson, executive director at the Houston Ballet, told Urban Edge, “It’s not as if there’s a guarantee that when this is all over that we can just press reset and we all come back with the ability to do the work we did before.” Several creative groups have already been engaging in online experiences, including the ballet.
“What people may not understand, unless they’re closely connected with an arts nonprofit, is that it’s often a very delicate situation even in the best of times,” Nelson added. “We are not a profit-generating industry. To do what we do for our community is always a struggle. The ability to do that relies on a combination of earned revenue and contributed revenue, and that’s very tenuous even at the best of times.”
– – –
Bethany Blankley is a contributor to The Center Square.