discoveryinstitute--2020-11-17--A New American Poverty

A New American Poverty

There ’ s a new American poverty , and it ’ s spreading through every corner of our nation .
The visuals are familiar : boarded-up homes , abandoned downtowns and shuttered factories .
But underneath the visible signs of economic decline , a new social and cultural order has quietly established itself in all of the forgotten cities of the American interior .
I spent five years documenting three of these communities – Youngstown , Ohio ; Memphis , Tennessee ; and Stockton , California – for a feature documentary called “ America Lost.
” Fifty years ago , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social progress .
What happened next has become conventional wisdom : the old industrial economy was automated and outsourced , the new high-growth industries were centralized in coastal megacities , and places like Youngstown , Memphis and Stockton fell into a half-century of decline .
But this is merely the beginning of the story .
As I demonstrate in the film , the new American poverty is not primarily an economic phenomenon – it has become a social , familial and psychological problem that reaches the very foundations of our social order .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ structures , but this is the first time that the social fabric itself has been shredded .
Since Daniel Patrick Moynihan ’ s warning in 1965 , the “ tangle of pathology ” – family breakdown , labor force dropout and chronic poverty – has wrapped itself around every region and demographic group in the country .
It is now the dominant reality for more than 50 million Americans .
At the neighborhood level – which is to say , the level of human experience – the statistical portrait is devastating .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 41 % of all working-age men are unemployed or out of the labor force , and 69 % of all families are headed by a single mother .
In Memphis ’ 38126 ZIP code , the numbers are even worse – only 20 % of all working-age men are employed full-time throughout the year and , out of nearly 6,000 total residents , there are only 10 nuclear families .
In short , the process of atomization that Moynihan feared has reached its grim conclusion .
For people in these neighborhoods , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and community participation has vanished .
What can be done ?
In the recent debate about what to do with America ’ s “ forgotten cities , ” policymakers on the left and right have focused on how to revive these places economically , but this framing misses the point .
The reality is that , despite a half-century of debate , neither side has managed to present a viable solution to the problem of economic and social decline .
The dominant liberal proposition – welfare state intervention – has failed to improve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it has solidified them .
At the same time , the dominant conservative proposition – targeted tax cuts and moral exhortation – has lost the cultural foundation that would make it meaningful .
Unfortunately , as the ideas of both left and right have exhausted themselves politically and empirically , the status quo remains .
The United States continues to spend more than $ 1 trillion per year on means-tested benefit programs , and policymakers engage in a fruitless debate about “ opportunity zones ” and “ expanded benefits , ” neither @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pathologies in places like Youngstown , Memphis and Stockton .
And yet , despite spending five years treading across this vast graveyard of American social institutions , I concluded my work on “ America Lost ” with a sense of hope .
Not in any grand scheme or policy proposal , but in the innate capacities of human beings .
Contrary to the approach of the social scientists , who would reduce man to a mathematical variable , I caught a glimpse of the inner workings of human inspiration , which defies the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hardened felon break down in tears about his scattered family .
I saw a single mother clutching her daughter ’ s high school diploma .
I saw the tattooed hands of a wayward father bring his newborn son into the world .
Ultimately , although the social institutions in America ’ s forgotten cities have been battered down for half a century , there is something inside the human spirit that refuses to forget the meaning of faith , family and community .
This should be the starting point for policymakers : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ universal human impulses .
Only then will we see the chance for widespread renewal .

There's a new American poverty, and it's spreading through every corner of our nation.
The visuals are familiar: boarded-up homes, abandoned downtowns and shuttered factories. But underneath the visible signs of economic decline, a new social and cultural order has quietly established itself in all of the forgotten cities of the American interior.
I spent five years documenting three of these communities – Youngstown, Ohio; Memphis, Tennessee; and Stockton, California – for a feature documentary called "America Lost." Fifty years ago, all three were exemplars of economic and social progress. What happened next has become conventional wisdom: the old industrial economy was automated and outsourced, the new high-growth industries were centralized in coastal megacities, and places like Youngstown, Memphis and Stockton fell into a half-century of decline.


discoveryinstitute--2020-11-12--School Choice (Part 2): The Great Equalizer

[ Editor ’ s Note : This is Part 2 of a 2-part article .
Part 1 can be read here . ]
A common presupposition is that school choice options hurt students who remain in traditional public schools .
This faulty misconception is at odds with empirical evidence that reveals students in traditional public schools benefit from improvements to their education due to choice-incentivized school competition .
When parents have choice options at their disposal , especially to move their students from a low-performing school to a higher-performing alternative , traditional public schools take notice — especially because their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that school .
Traditional public schools , whose monopoly is threatened , must respond by improving the education they offer , or they will continue to lose more students .
The lack of competition in the K-12 public education market has resulted in decades of subpar education for children .
Consequently , the future of our nation is at stake within the increasingly globally competitive economy .
For example , according to 2020 data from World Population Review , U.S. education falls 26th overall , with academic scores placing 17th in reading , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ math despite leading the world in education spending — over $ 700 billion annually .
Today , 70 % of our children do not receive the education required to be prepared for life and the competitive career workforce .
Dramatically expanding school choice has the potential to change the trajectory and revolutionize the U.S. K-12 education landscape .
The Council of Economic Advisers , in their report , Expanding Educational Opportunity through Choice and Competition , explain the significant benefits of school choice for students , especially students from low-income and minority groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ playing field and provide enhanced educational opportunity to all families , particularly when implemented to maximize competition and facilitate participation by disadvantaged students .
The alternative to this modern form of school choice for the masses is the traditional system of school choice for the affluent and mobile , whereby those with financial means relocate to districts with better schools .
In the traditional system , lower-income and minority students are disproportionately left behind in lower-performing schools , while other families may move away from neighborhoods that they enjoy solely to gain access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that provide students with choices of public , charter , magnet , private , or home school can improve quality for all students , including those who remain in DPSs that are forced to adapt because of competitive pressure .
Emerging empirical evidence has identified these positive effects at work in the United States.
” The Council of Economic Advisers , an agency within the Executive Office of the President The state and local governments play the largest role in financing and overseeing K-12 public education .
Here is the funding breakdown : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national level of the U.S. Department of Education , the state and local levels hold the largest leverage over improving public education .
They control 92 % of the money spent and set many of the rules and regulations governing schools .
Therefore , increased school choice measures have to happen at the state and local levels .
The federal government plays its role by allocating more than half of its public education money to support students from low-income families and students with disabilities .
So , the ball is in the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school choice for those who live within their geographical radius of control .
The benefits would be multi-dimensional .
Studies indicate that school choice produces increased learning for students .
It can also bolster civic engagement and reducing criminal behavior .
Furthermore , numerous research studies have found that charter schools and voucher programs improve educational performance while spending less money per student each year .
With all these advantages of school choice , why the adamant opposition from many and lack of widespread support from others ?
The answer boils down to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dominance .
Both passionately fight to keep control of the K-12 education system and the money that goes with it .
The electorate could force the issue , of course .
However , the general population remains painfully unaware of the decided advantages of school choice — particularly the opportunities it extends to America ’ s most disadvantaged and lowest-performing students .
In short , those championing equity , including those promoting the notion of equality of student outcomes , notoriously oppose school choice despite choice providing a powerfully effective avenue for reducing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the great equalizer — but state and local governments as well as teacher unions must relinquish their powerful grip on control and be willing to embrace the basic principles of free market within the U.S. K-12 educational sphere — allowing parents choice and an equitable opportunity for all students .

[Editor’s Note: This is Part 2 of a 2-part article. Part 1 can be read here.]
Enhancing Educational Opportunities
A common presupposition is that school choice options hurt students who remain in traditional public schools. This faulty misconception is at odds with empirical evidence that reveals students in traditional public schools benefit from improvements to their education due to choice-incentivized school competition.
When parents have choice options at their disposal, especially to move their students from a low-performing school to a higher-performing alternative, traditional public schools take notice — especially because their withdrawal can create a revenue loss for that school. Traditional public schools, whose monopoly is threatened, must respond by improving the education they offer, or they will continue to lose more students.
The lack of competition in the K-12 public education market has resulted in decades of subpar education for children. Consequently, the future of our nation is at stake within the increasingly globally competitive economy. For example, according to 2020 data from World Population Review, U.S. education falls 26th overall, with academic scores placing 17th in reading, 23rd in science, and 31st in math despite leading the world in education spending — over $700 billion annually. Today, 70% of our children do not receive the education required to be prepared for life and the competitive career workforce. Dramatically expanding school choice has the potential to change the trajectory and revolutionize the U.S. K-12 education landscape.
The Council of Economic Advisers, in their report, Expanding Educational Opportunity through Choice and Competition, explain the significant benefits of school choice for students, especially students from low-income and minority groups:
“School choice can level the playing field and provide enhanced educational opportunity to all families, particularly when implemented to maximize competition and facilitate participation by disadvantaged students. The alternative to this modern form of school choice for the masses is the traditional system of school choice for the affluent and mobile, whereby those with financial means relocate to districts with better schools. In the traditional system, lower-income and minority students are disproportionately left behind in lower-performing schools, while other families may move away from neighborhoods that they enjoy solely to gain access to better schools. School choice programs that provide students with choices of public, charter, magnet, private, or home school can improve quality for all students, including those who remain in DPSs [district public schools] that are forced to adapt because of competitive pressure. Emerging empirical evidence has identified these positive effects at work in the United States.” The Council of Economic Advisers, an agency within the Executive Office of the President
State & Local Governments
The state and local governments play the largest role in financing and overseeing K-12 public education. Here is the funding breakdown:
47% from state
45% from local
8% from federal
While there is much criticism at a national level of the U.S. Department of Education, the state and local levels hold the largest leverage over improving public education. They control 92% of the money spent and set many of the rules and regulations governing schools. Therefore, increased school choice measures have to happen at the state and local levels. The federal government plays its role by allocating more than half of its public education money to support students from low-income families and students with disabilities.
So, the ball is in the state and local governments’ court to expand school choice for those who live within their geographical radius of control. The benefits would be multi-dimensional. Studies indicate that school choice produces increased learning for students. It can also bolster civic engagement and reduce criminal behavior. Furthermore, numerous research studies have found that charter schools and voucher programs improve educational performance while spending less money per student each year.
The Current Reality
With all these advantages of school choice, why the adamant opposition from many and lack of widespread support from others? The answer boils down to this: big government and teacher union dominance. Both passionately fight to keep control of the K-12 education system and the money that goes with it. The electorate could force the issue, of course. However, the general population remains painfully unaware of the decided advantages of school choice — particularly the opportunities it extends to America’s most disadvantaged and lowest-performing students.
In short, those championing equity, including those promoting the notion of equality of student outcomes, notoriously oppose school choice despite choice providing a powerfully effective avenue for reducing the opportunity gap. School choice could be the great equalizer — but state and local governments as well as teacher unions must relinquish their powerful grip on control and be willing to embrace the basic principles of free market within the U.S. K-12 educational sphere — allowing parents choice and an equitable opportunity for all students.
[Editor’s Note: This is Part 2 of a 2-part article. Part 1 can be read here.]
The American Center for Transforming Education promotes the expansion of public support for families to choose the schools they believe will best serve their children, whether traditional public schools, public charter schools, private schools, homeschooling, or virtual schools. To learn more about our work, please visit our Parental Choice webpage.


discoveryinstitute--2020-11-13--Will it be the Hammer or the Constitution that Determines the People’s Vote?

The only source of legitimacy of government in America is from the people .
At the time of the founding of the United States , Samuel Adams stated , “ Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that…he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country.
” At a turning point in the survival of the nation after the Civil War ’ s bloodiest battle , Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address , stating that “ this nation , under God , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and that government of the people , by the people , for the people , shall not perish from the earth.
” The American people have already endured two major efforts at a coup d ’ état against President Trump Fast forward to the present , two years into Donald Trump ’ s Presidency , almost exactly two years before she passed away , Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg reminded us that “ We have the oldest written constitution still in force in the world , and it starts out with three words @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Since honest elections are the only source of legitimacy of government in the U.S. , there is really no choice but to investigate and adjudicate vote counting irregularities and ballot fraud in states with a high incidence .
Failing to do this would be a fundamental betrayal of who we are—a sort of national suicide .
The American people have already endured two major efforts at a coup d ’ état against President Trump .
The first being the Russia collusion conspiracy based on a fabricated Russian dossier originating with Democratic Presidential candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign and the Presidency of Donald Trump—all sanctioned by CIA director John Brennan , FBI director James Comey and others .
The second was the failed impeachment launched by Nancy Pelosi , Adam Schiff and the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives .
Since there have been neither results nor penalties from these previous coup attempts , which in the first case involved seditious multiple felony crimes , it ’ s only natural that Democrat Party leaders were emboldened to make a third coup attempt by taking advantage of the Coronavirus lockdowns and public fear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November 3 .
First they legitimized the wholesale expansion of mail-in balloting , and then they blanketed the swing states with armies of lawyers filing suits to challenge voter ID laws , signature verification laws and , more than anything else , extend the deadlines for mail-in ballots—all of which created chaos and opened the door to massive vote fraud .
The common denominator of all the swing states with contested outcomes is that they employed polling place technology provided by a company called Dominion Voting Systems , a company that was rejected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state of Texas for failing to meet basic security standards .
It ’ s a known fact that a source code error in Dominion ’ s software flipped 6,000 seats from Trump to Biden in Michigan and also shut down ballot casting in two Georgia counties in the morning of November 3rd .
Other problems need to be reported and investigated .
Another as yet unproven source of vote tally manipulation is known as the “ THE HAMMER and “ THE SCORECARD , ” which is a signals based supercomputer and software @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a CIA contractor hired to penetrate Al Qaeda ’ s systems after 9/11 .
The computer program he developed , which came to be known as THE HAMMER , was modified seven or eight years later with an application called THE SCORECARD that was designed to penetrate voting systems so as to affect foreign elections .
Lt. General Thomas G. McAnarney reports that Montgomery and other sources told him that “ HAMMER was used against Americans under the Obama Administration.
” U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters ( D-CA ) has publicly disclosed that Obama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important people inside and outside of Washington .
In 2012 , Montgomery was again approached by the intelligence community , this time to hack into and manipulate the Florida voter registration system .
By 2015 Montgomery had seen enough and became a whistleblower about the abuse of surveillance technology—and specifically THE HAMMER and THE SCORECARD—by the Obama administration .
McInerney was joined by Sidney Powell , the lead defense attorney for Lt. General Michael Flynn , on NewsMax on November 2nd , warning that the next day ’ s national election was specifically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SCORECARD being secretly deployed to change the vote tally at the point of data transfer between voting stations and data storage hubs .
If so , Dominion Voting Systems—with its weak security system operating in all the swing states—was an easy target .
THE HAMMER and THE SCORECARD Thus the “ fix ” to assure a Biden victory and a Trump defeat may have been in and would have likely taken place after vote counting and poll watching was shut down in the wee hours of November 4 .
Montgomery , who signed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to settle his whistleblower case , reported that states like Wisconsin , Michigan , Pennsylvania , Georgia , and Arizona exhibited vote tally change patterns that reflect manipulation by THE HAMMER and THE SCORECARD .
To build a legal case proving vote fraud affected the outcome of the November 3 election , Defense Intelligence Agency computer engineers need to gain access to the respective states ’ voting tabulation , network and storage technology to investigate and substantiate whether there was electronic vote fraud committed .
At the same time the Republican legal team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other manner and scope of voter fraud .
Since national election vote count is normally certified in December , things must happen fast .
With distrust and division being so extreme in the present environment , if there is evidence of massive vote fraud in a given state , the Supreme Court may be compelled to adjudicate .
If the decision requires the disqualification of the popular vote , the remedy is fortunately in the Constitution , which puts the vote in the hands of the state legislatures , whose members are elected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ govern the state ’ s electoral college vote .
The other more time consuming remedy for massive electoral fraud would entail calling a new election to be conducted with bipartisan supervision at every stage in the states where the Court finds that fraud invalidates the November 3 results .
The American people can not allow fraudulent election results or even the appearance of such to stand .
It undermines the Constitution and demoralizes the citizenry .
And while some Americans might be inclined to choose the easier course of denial and shame avoidance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what we do .
Correcting our failure shows the strength of our system .
Letting proven election and vote fraud stand is a choice that destroys the nation ’ s moral authority and relegates the United States to the status of banana republics and communist regimes .
A corrective is imperative , and fortunately the remedy is found in the Constitution that provides a clear course to restore an unassailable sovereignty of the people .
Justice Ginsburg reminds us from her grave that our Constitution is worth upholding and its sole authority comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is the voters not the vote counters .

The only source of legitimacy of government in America is from the people.
At the time of the founding of the United States, Samuel Adams stated, “Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that…he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country.”
At a turning point in the survival of the nation after the Civil War’s bloodiest battle, Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address, stating that “this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
The American people have already endured two major efforts at a coup d’état against President Trump
Fast forward to the present, two years into Donald Trump’s Presidency, almost exactly two years before she passed away, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg reminded us that “We have the oldest written constitution still in force in the world, and it starts out with three words, “We, the people.”
Since honest elections are the only source of legitimacy of government in the U.S., there is really no choice but to investigate and adjudicate vote counting irregularities and ballot fraud in states with a high incidence. Failing to do this would be a fundamental betrayal of who we are — a sort of national suicide.
The American people have already endured two major efforts at a coup d’état against President Trump. The first being the Russia collusion conspiracy based on a fabricated Russian dossier originating with Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, illegal spying on the campaign and the Presidency of Donald Trump — all sanctioned by CIA director John Brennan, FBI director James Comey and others. The second was the failed impeachment launched by Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff and the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives.
Since there have been neither results nor penalties from these previous coup attempts, which in the first case involved seditious multiple felony crimes, it’s only natural that Democrat Party leaders were emboldened to make a third coup attempt by taking advantage of the Coronavirus lockdowns and public fear to increase the odds of victory on November 3. First they legitimized the wholesale expansion of mail-in balloting, and then they blanketed the swing states with armies of lawyers filing suits to challenge voter ID laws, signature verification laws and, more than anything else, extend the deadlines for mail-in ballots — all of which created chaos and opened the door to massive vote fraud.
Dominion Voting Systems
The common denominator of all the swing states with contested outcomes is that they employed polling place technology provided by a company called Dominion Voting Systems, a company that was rejected three times by data communications evaluators in the state of Texas for failing to meet basic security standards. It’s a known fact that a source code error in Dominion’s software flipped 6,000 seats from Trump to Biden in Michigan and also shut down ballot casting in two Georgia counties in the morning of November 3rd. Other problems need to be reported and investigated.
Another as yet unproven source of vote tally manipulation is known as the “THE HAMMER and “THE SCORECARD,” which is a signals based supercomputer and software system originally developed by Dennis Montgomery, a CIA contractor hired to penetrate Al Qaeda’s systems after 9/11. The computer program he developed, which came to be known as THE HAMMER, was modified seven or eight years later with an application called THE SCORECARD that was designed to penetrate voting systems so as to affect foreign elections.
Lt. General Thomas G. McAnarney reports that Montgomery and other sources told him that “HAMMER was used against Americans under the Obama Administration.” U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) has publicly disclosed that Obama had the most massive database of all important people inside and outside of Washington. In 2012, Montgomery was again approached by the intelligence community, this time to hack into and manipulate the Florida voter registration system. By 2015 Montgomery had seen enough and became a whistleblower about the abuse of surveillance technology — and specifically THE HAMMER and THE SCORECARD — by the Obama administration.
McInerney was joined by Sidney Powell, the lead defense attorney for Lt. General Michael Flynn, on NewsMax on November 2nd, warning that the next day’s national election was specifically at risk of THE HAMMER and THE SCORECARD being secretly deployed to change the vote tally at the point of data transfer between voting stations and data storage hubs. If so, Dominion Voting Systems — with its weak security system operating in all the swing states — was an easy target.
THE HAMMER and THE SCORECARD
Thus the “fix” to assure a Biden victory and a Trump defeat may have been in and would have likely taken place after vote counting and poll watching was shut down in the wee hours of November 4. Montgomery, who signed a non-disclosure agreement with the U.S. government to settle his whistleblower case, reported that states like Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona exhibited vote tally change patterns that reflect manipulation by THE HAMMER and THE SCORECARD.
To build a legal case proving vote fraud affected the outcome of the November 3 election, Defense Intelligence Agency computer engineers need to gain access to the respective states’ voting tabulation, network and storage technology to investigate and substantiate whether there was electronic vote fraud committed. At the same time the Republican legal team members must continue their investigations of all other manner and scope of voter fraud. Since national election vote count is normally certified in December, things must happen fast.
With distrust and division being so extreme in the present environment, if there is evidence of massive vote fraud in a given state, the Supreme Court may be compelled to adjudicate. If the decision requires the disqualification of the popular vote, the remedy is fortunately in the Constitution, which puts the vote in the hands of the state legislatures, whose members are elected by the people and whose vote would govern the state’s electoral college vote. The other more time consuming remedy for massive electoral fraud would entail calling a new election to be conducted with bipartisan supervision at every stage in the states where the Court finds that fraud invalidates the November 3 results.
The American people cannot allow fraudulent election results or even the appearance of such to stand. It undermines the Constitution and demoralizes the citizenry. And while some Americans might be inclined to choose the easier course of denial and shame avoidance, the world is watching to see what we do. Correcting our failure shows the strength of our system. Letting proven election and vote fraud stand is a choice that destroys the nation’s moral authority and relegates the United States to the status of banana republics and communist regimes.
A corrective is imperative, and fortunately the remedy is found in the Constitution that provides a clear course to restore an unassailable sovereignty of the people. Justice Ginsburg reminds us from her grave that our Constitution is worth upholding and its sole authority comes from “we the people” — that is the voters not the vote counters.


discoveryinstitute--2020-11-20--The Kitzmiller v. Dover Trial and Intelligent Design Fifteen Years On

In 2005 a high profile trial saw the Dover School District taken to court for promoting Intelligent Design ( ID @ @ @ @ @ to evolution in classrooms .
15 years on Mike Behe , a prominent biochemist and @ @ @ @ @ stand as a defence witness , talks about what the case meant for the ID @ @ @ @ @ a biologist and Christian who is strongly critical of ID .
He engages with Behe @ @ @ @ @ the ID proponent ’ s most recent book ‘ Darwin Devolves ’ which critiques evolutionary @ @

In 2005 a high profile trial saw the Dover School District taken to court for promoting Intelligent Design (ID) as an alternative theory to evolution in classrooms. 15 years on Mike Behe, a prominent biochemist and ID advocate who took the stand as a defence witness, talks about what the case meant for the ID movement.
Joshua Swamidass is a biologist and Christian who is strongly critical of ID. He engages with Behe on the Kitzmiller-Dover case and the ID proponent’s most recent book ‘Darwin Devolves’ which critiques evolutionary theory.


discoveryinstitute--2020-11-19--Darwin Is on the Roof — New Book from Michael Behe, Available Now

There is a joke about a cat on a roof : A man left his cat with his brother while he went on vacation for a week .
When he came back , he called his brother to see when he could pick the cat up .
The brother hesitated , then said , “ I ’ m so sorry , but while you were away , the cat died.
” The man was very upset and yelled , “ You know , you could have broken the news to me better than that .
When I called today , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the roof and wouldn ’ t come down .
Then when I called the next day , you could have said that he had fallen off and the vet was working on patching him up .
Then when I called the third day , you could have said he had passed away.
” The brother thought about it and apologized .
“ She ’ s on the roof and won ’ t come down.
” Jokes when analyzed lose their humor .
At the risking of my bludgeoning this particular joke , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accept shocking news when it ’ s given to them in partial steps .
Not , “ The cat is dead , ” but first , “ The cat is on the roof.
” Something like that is going on in the debate about evolution .
As biochemist Michael Behe explains in the Introduction to his new book , out today — A Mousetrap for Darwin : Michael J. Behe Answers His Critics — the public is being prepared very slowly for the demise of Darwinian evolutionary theory .
It wasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how things are playing out .
All Is Still Well ?
As popular media and biology textbooks present the matter , all is still well with Darwin .
He is on the roof , but safe .
ID scientists , such as that scoundrel Michael Behe , may pose their “ anti-science ” challenges .
However , it is merely a gentle breeze on a cat ’ s fur .
But wait… Actually , the cat ’ s fate has advanced a step beyond that .
Behe writes : Since the turn of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have written books critically evaluating evolutionary theory .
None of them think that Darwin ’ s mechanism is the main driver of life .
It may surprise people who get their information about the state of science from gee-whiz puff pieces in the mainstream media , but , although strong partisans still hold out , the eclipse of Darwinism in the scientific community is well-advanced .
A few years ago the journal Nature published an exchange between two groups of scientists , one defending Darwin and the other saying it ’ s time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nice to have defenders , but when an idea has been around for 150 years — wished well by all right-thinking people , investigated to death by the scientific community — and a piece appears in the world ’ s leading science journal saying it ’ s time to move on , then it ’ s time to move on .
The question of course is , move on to what ?
Those books by scientists dissing Darwin offer their own clever ideas , but so far the scientific community isn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new ideas — self-organization , facilitated variation , symbiosis , complexity theory , and more — are quickly concluded to be nonstarters , to have the same problems as Darwin ’ s theory , or both .
In the absence of an acceptable replacement — and because of its usefulness as a defensive talking point in fending off skepticism from the public — intellectual inertia maintains Darwinism as textbook orthodoxy .
Actually , for Darwinism , the situation is even worse than that .
Books by Behe , and other ID theorists doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , find devastating faults in the theory .
But hold on , the critics have their responses to the ID proponents .
They say Behe never answers their rebuttals !
As a trio of prominent scientist authors , Nathan Lents , Joshua Swamidass , and Richard Lenski , wrote in the journal Science last year in reply Dr. Behe ’ s book Darwin Devolves ( emphasis added ) : • “ Behe…ignores the fact that some of his prior arguments have been dismantled.
” • “ Behe doubles down on his claim that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by random mutations is exceedingly unlikely because at least two mutations are required , neither of which is beneficial without the other .
His calculations have already been refuted.
” • “ Ultimately , Darwin Devolves fails to challenge modern evolutionary science because , once again , Behe does not fully engage with it.
” That sounds pretty bad .
He “ ignores ” critics .
He “ double down on his claims ” that “ have already been refuted.
” He fails to “ engage.
” Behe ’ s purported unresponsiveness was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attack by Lents et al .
Surely the cat is safe after all .
It is on the operating table .
It may be under veterinary anesthesia but is expected to recover just fine .
Right ?
Unfortunately for Darwin ’ s partisans , no .
Dear Sir or Madam , we regret to inform you of the passing of your pet theory .
Claims that Mike Behe doesn ’ t answer critics are massively refuted now with the publication of his new book .
It is 556 pages of answers to critics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ customary wit and rigor .
The chapters cover the range of criticisms that have been aimed at his books .
Some , including devastating answers to Lents , Swamidass , and Lenski , were published first by us here at Evolution News .
This giant book is among the strongest indicators yet that the cat is dead .
The public hasn ’ t been informed yet and evolution theory ’ s loyal defenders are in denial .
It ’ s just a matter of time , though .
Michael Behe demonstrates as much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your copy now !

Photo credit: Bruce Gendler via Unsplash.
There is a joke about a cat on a roof:
A man left his cat with his brother while he went on vacation for a week. When he came back, he called his brother to see when he could pick the cat up. The brother hesitated, then said, “I’m so sorry, but while you were away, the cat died.” The man was very upset and yelled, “You know, you could have broken the news to me better than that. When I called today, you could have said he was on the roof and wouldn’t come down. Then when I called the next day, you could have said that he had fallen off and the vet was working on patching him up. Then when I called the third day, you could have said he had passed away.” The brother thought about it and apologized. “So how’s Mom?” asked the man. “She’s on the roof and won’t come down.”
Jokes when analyzed lose their humor. At the risking of my bludgeoning this particular joke, the premise here is that people more readily accept shocking news when it’s given to them in partial steps. Not, “The cat is dead,” but first, “The cat is on the roof.” Something like that is going on in the debate about evolution. As biochemist Michael Behe explains in the Introduction to his new book, out today — A Mousetrap for Darwin: Michael J. Behe Answers His Critics — the public is being prepared very slowly for the demise of Darwinian evolutionary theory. It wasn’t planned that way, but it is how things are playing out.
All Is Still Well?
As popular media and biology textbooks present the matter, all is still well with Darwin. He is on the roof, but safe. ID scientists, such as that scoundrel Michael Behe, may pose their “anti-science” challenges. However, it is merely a gentle breeze on a cat’s fur.
But wait… Actually, the cat’s fate has advanced a step beyond that. Behe writes:
Since the turn of the millennium a raft of distinguished biologists have written books critically evaluating evolutionary theory. None of them think that Darwin’s mechanism is the main driver of life. It may surprise people who get their information about the state of science from gee-whiz puff pieces in the mainstream media, but, although strong partisans still hold out, the eclipse of Darwinism in the scientific community is well-advanced. A few years ago the journal Nature published an exchange between two groups of scientists, one defending Darwin and the other saying it’s time to move on. It’s nice to have defenders, but when an idea has been around for 150 years — wished well by all right-thinking people, investigated to death by the scientific community — and a piece appears in the world’s leading science journal saying it’s time to move on, then it’s time to move on. The question of course is, move on to what? Those books by scientists dissing Darwin offer their own clever ideas, but so far the scientific community isn’t buying any of them. All the new ideas — self-organization, facilitated variation, symbiosis, complexity theory, and more — are quickly concluded to be nonstarters, to have the same problems as Darwin’s theory, or both. In the absence of an acceptable replacement — and because of its usefulness as a defensive talking point in fending off skepticism from the public — intellectual inertia maintains Darwinism as textbook orthodoxy.
An Independent Audit
Actually, for Darwinism, the situation is even worse than that. Books by Behe, and other ID theorists doing an independent of audit of evolutionary thinking, find devastating faults in the theory.
But hold on, the critics have their responses to the ID proponents. They say Behe never answers their rebuttals! As a trio of prominent scientist authors, Nathan Lents, Joshua Swamidass, and Richard Lenski, wrote in the journal Science last year in reply Dr. Behe’s book Darwin Devolves (emphasis added):
“Behe… ignores the fact that some of his prior arguments have been dismantled .”
the fact that some of his prior arguments have been .” “Behe doubles down on his claim that the evolution of chloroquine resistance in malaria by random mutations is exceedingly unlikely because at least two mutations are required, neither of which is beneficial without the other. His calculations have already been refuted .”
on his claim that the evolution of chloroquine resistance in malaria by random mutations is exceedingly unlikely because at least two mutations are required, neither of which is beneficial without the other. His calculations have .” “Ultimately, Darwin Devolves fails to challenge modern evolutionary science because, once again, Behe does not fully engage with it.”
That sounds pretty bad. He “ignores” critics. He “double down on his claims” that “have already been refuted.” He fails to “engage.” Behe’s purported unresponsiveness was one of the main themes of the attack by Lents et al. Surely the cat is safe after all. It is on the operating table. It may be under veterinary anesthesia but is expected to recover just fine. Right?
Unfortunately for Darwin’s partisans, no. Dear Sir or Madam, we regret to inform you of the passing of your pet theory. Claims that Mike Behe doesn’t answer critics are massively refuted now with the publication of his new book. It is 556 pages of answers to critics, all written with Behe’s customary wit and rigor. The chapters cover the range of criticisms that have been aimed at his books. Some, including devastating answers to Lents, Swamidass, and Lenski, were published first by us here at Evolution News.
This giant book is among the strongest indicators yet that the cat is dead. The public hasn’t been informed yet and evolution theory’s loyal defenders are in denial. It’s just a matter of time, though. Michael Behe demonstrates as much in A Mousetrap for Darwin. Order your copy now!


discoveryinstitute--2020-11-19--Remedy for Election Irregularities and Vote Fraud is Found in the Constitution

The only source of legitimacy of government in America is from the people—that is the voters rather than the vote counters .
At the time of the founding of the United States , Samuel Adams stated , “ Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that…he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country.
” At a turning point in the survival of the nation after the Civil War ’ s bloodiest battle , Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address , stating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , shall have a new birth of freedom , and that government of the people , by the people , for the people , shall not perish from the earth.
” Fast forward to the present , two years into Donald Trump ’ s Presidency , almost exactly two years before she passed away , Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg reminded us that “ We have the oldest written constitution still in force in the world , and it starts out with three words , “ We , the people.
” It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ irregularities and ballot fraud in Michigan and other states with a high incidence because honest elections are the fundamental source of legitimacy of the United States government .
Because that legitimacy only comes from the people , it would be a betrayal of who we are—a sort of national suicide—to allow massive vote counting irregularities and ballot fraud in multiple states to stand .
After attempting but failing to remove Trump from office through the Mueller Commission ’ s alleged Russian collusion investigation and Nancy Pelosi ’ s impeachment hearings , it should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operatives seized on the Corona Virus crisis in Trump ’ s fourth year .
They took advantage of the lockdowns and public fear and pushed specific actions to game the system to increase their delivery of votes leading up to Election Day on November 3 .
First they legitimized the wholesale distribution of ballots and mail-in balloting , and then they blanketed the swing states with armies of lawyers filing suits to challenge voter ID laws , signature verification laws and extending the deadlines for mail-in ballots , which was first approved by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but then reversed in October by the Michigan Court of Appeals .
The fact is that changing rules in these ways in Michigan and the other key swing states in the months leading up to Election Day created ambiguities that contributed to voting irregularities , such as filing fraudulent ballots from dead people still on the voter rolls , ballot harvesting , ballot dumps and other fraud and poll place shenanigans .
While many have justified taking extreme action to stop Trump because they don ’ t like his manner of talking and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far more important than political personalities , and certainly bigger than the Presidency itself .
Electoral integrity is the very bedrock of our constitutional republic and the democratic process .
With the mainstream media coverage of the Trump administration continuing to be 90 % negative and state officials ’ and lower courts ’ inclination to take the course of denial rather than deal with the shame of widespread vote fraud , the way forward continues to be an uphill battle .
With distrust , division and corruption being so prevalent—particularly in the big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the seriousness of over 500 affidavits of vote fraud , computer driven vote manipulation and polling place irregularities , the Supreme Court may be compelled to adjudicate .
There are pending cases in Federal District Courts in Pennsylvania and Georgia that are likely to rise to the Supreme Court ’ s adjudication .
With the wheels of justice turning toward the Supreme Court state legislators and their electors in contested states should refrain from certifying the vote pending a SCOTUS ruling .
Few may realize it , but the genius of the Constitution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should either the states ’ failure to certify their vote or the Court ’ s ruling to call a new election or disqualify the certification of votes in contested states deny either candidate from achieving the necessary 270 Electoral College votes .
In such unusual circumstances , Article II of the Constitution has a provision to put the election of the President in hands of the U.S. House of Representatives—the people ’ s house—with each state getting one vote , with that vote being decided by the weighting of Party representation in each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November 3 election , with 27 states now having more Republican than Democratic Congressmen , and 20 states having more Democratic than Republican Congressmen , and three states being evenly split , the Presidential election would be called for Trump .
Even if it delays inauguration day , we must see this process through to identify and eliminate election and vote fraud problems , or we may never again have free and safe elections .
We simply can not remain a free people with a government that is of the people , by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we fail to defend and uphold the Constitution and fail to restore integrity and trust to the electoral process .

The only source of legitimacy of government in America is from the people — that is the voters rather than the vote counters.
At the time of the founding of the United States, Samuel Adams stated, “Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that…he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country.”
At a turning point in the survival of the nation after the Civil War’s bloodiest battle, Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address, stating that “this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Fast forward to the present, two years into Donald Trump’s Presidency, almost exactly two years before she passed away, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg reminded us that “We have the oldest written constitution still in force in the world, and it starts out with three words, “We, the people.”
It’s necessary to investigate and correct vote counting irregularities and ballot fraud in Michigan and other states with a high incidence because honest elections are the fundamental source of legitimacy of the United States government. Because that legitimacy only comes from the people, it would be a betrayal of who we are — a sort of national suicide — to allow massive vote counting irregularities and ballot fraud in multiple states to stand.
After attempting but failing to remove Trump from office through the Mueller Commission’s alleged Russian collusion investigation and Nancy Pelosi’s impeachment hearings, it should come as no surprise that Democratic Party operatives seized on the Corona Virus crisis in Trump’s fourth year. They took advantage of the lockdowns and public fear and pushed specific actions to game the system to increase their delivery of votes leading up to Election Day on November 3. First they legitimized the wholesale distribution of ballots and mail-in balloting, and then they blanketed the swing states with armies of lawyers filing suits to challenge voter ID laws, signature verification laws and extending the deadlines for mail-in ballots, which was first approved by a Michigan appellate judge in September, but then reversed in October by the Michigan Court of Appeals. The fact is that changing rules in these ways in Michigan and the other key swing states in the months leading up to Election Day created ambiguities that contributed to voting irregularities, such as filing fraudulent ballots from dead people still on the voter rolls, ballot harvesting, ballot dumps and other fraud and poll place shenanigans.
While many have justified taking extreme action to stop Trump because they don’t like his manner of talking and tweeting, the integrity of elections is far more important than political personalities, and certainly bigger than the Presidency itself. Electoral integrity is the very bedrock of our constitutional republic and the democratic process.
With the mainstream media coverage of the Trump administration continuing to be 90% negative and state officials’ and lower courts’ inclination to take the course of denial rather than deal with the shame of widespread vote fraud, the way forward continues to be an uphill battle. With distrust, division and corruption being so prevalent — particularly in the big cities of the contested states — as to nullify the seriousness of over 500 affidavits of vote fraud, computer driven vote manipulation and polling place irregularities, the Supreme Court may be compelled to adjudicate. There are pending cases in Federal District Courts in Pennsylvania and Georgia that are likely to rise to the Supreme Court’s adjudication. With the wheels of justice turning toward the Supreme Court state legislators and their electors in contested states should refrain from certifying the vote pending a SCOTUS ruling.
Few may realize it, but the genius of the Constitution provides a way forward in Presidential elections should either the states’ failure to certify their vote or the Court’s ruling to call a new election or disqualify the certification of votes in contested states deny either candidate from achieving the necessary 270 Electoral College votes. In such unusual circumstances, Article II of the Constitution has a provision to put the election of the President in hands of the U.S. House of Representatives — the people’s house — with each state getting one vote, with that vote being decided by the weighting of Party representation in each state. As a result of the November 3 election, with 27 states now having more Republican than Democratic Congressmen, and 20 states having more Democratic than Republican Congressmen, and three states being evenly split, the Presidential election would be called for Trump.
Even if it delays inauguration day, we must see this process through to identify and eliminate election and vote fraud problems, or we may never again have free and safe elections. We simply cannot remain a free people with a government that is of the people, by the people and for the people if we fail to defend and uphold the Constitution and fail to restore integrity and trust to the electoral process.


Burn It Down

American cities are entering a period of chaos .
Protests and riots have dominated headlines , but beneath the surface , activists are launching an unprecedented campaign to overthrow the traditional justice system and replace it with a new model based on a radical conception of social justice .
In Seattle , where this campaign may be most advanced , activists have crafted a narrative about police brutality , mass incarceration , and punitive justice that leads to a natural sequence of solutions : “ abolish the police , ” “ divest from prisons , ” and “ defund the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the city ’ s radical-progressives have seized control of municipal government — with the notable exception of the criminal-justice system , which they see as the final obstacle to total control .
If they can dismantle it , activists believe , they can bring about their transformation of society .
The city ’ s political establishment has joined the campaign to “ deconstruct justice.
” Since the outbreak of the George Floyd–related protests starting in late May , elected officials in Seattle and King County have announced their intentions to defund the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ county ’ s largest jail , and gut the municipal court system .
They believe that , when the oppression of the justice system is lifted , a new society can be shaped through criminal diversion , psychotherapy , and harm reduction .
The theoretical underpinnings of this movement can be traced back to the academic currents of “ critical race theory , ” long pervasive in university humanities departments , which holds that all legal structures — and society generally — can be understood as a function of embedded racism .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , critical race theorists believe , which must be rigorously identified and dismantled if true justice is to be achieved .
In recent years , critical race theory has expanded beyond the academy and become a force in progressive politics .
For today ’ s radical-progressives , the nation ’ s traditional institutions are little more than vestiges of white supremacy , capitalist exploitation , and colonialist domination .
Seen in this light , the recent unrest in America ’ s progressive cities becomes clear : the chaos is the necessary price — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
During the recent occupation of Seattle ’ s Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone , self-described “ abolitionist ” Nikkita Oliver translated the sentiments of the graduate seminar into the language of the streets , calling for the overthrow of “ racialized capitalism ” and “ patriarchy , white supremacy , and classism.
” Motivated by such goals , mobs have seized control of police precincts .
If radicals are successful in moving Seattle toward police abolition , the results will be catastrophic .
The city is coming apart .
Crime has exploded in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their windows , and citizens fear that the city will collapse into anarchy .
Yet the activists and political class are moving forward with their experiment at astonishing speed .
Nearly every week , they offer new proposals for transforming the constituent parts of the criminal-justice system .
“ Burn it down ” has evolved from a street slogan into a political platform .
In the progressive narrative , American police forces were established to catch fugitive slaves and have acted as the guardians of white supremacy ever since .
As the activist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police have never served as an adequate response to social problems .
They are rooted in violence against Black people .
In order to protect Black lives , this moment calls for investing and expanding our safety and well-being beyond policing.
” Reform , then , is no answer .
The irredeemably racist institution of policing must be excavated root and branch—and then demolished .
With this in mind , the Seattle City Council recently released draft legislation that suggests a path for replacing the police with a civilian-led Department of Community Safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ predicated on the idea that “ institutional racism ” and “ underinvestment in communities of color ” are the underlying causes of crime .
Once the department is abolished and its budget redistributed to minority communities , social workers and nonprofits can keep the peace with a “ trauma-informed , gender-affirming , anti-racist praxis ” — more activism , in other words .
The legislation also calls for race-based redistribution and “ the immediate transfer of underutilized public land for BIPOC [ black , indigenous , and people of color ] community ownership.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the outside , mobs have been patrolling the streets of residential neighborhoods and paying midnight house calls to wavering public officials .
One group , which calls itself Every Day March , has assembled gatherings as large as 300 people and descended on the personal residences of Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan , former police chief Carmen Best , and nearly all city council members .
They bang drums , chant slogans , and leave threatening messages on the driveways and doors of their perceived enemies : “ Liberate oppressed communities , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” “ Guillotine Jenny.
” In one incident , the mob marched to the home of Councilman Andrew Lewis after midnight and rousted him out of bed .
When Lewis arrived at his building ’ s entrance , ringleader Tealshawn Turner demanded that he verbally commit to defunding the police .
Lewis , standing alone at the gate , was visibly frightened — and he relented , promising to cut the police budget by 50 percent , fire cops with citizen complaints against them , and redirect millions to “ communities of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Turner left with another threat : “ If you don ’ t keep your promise , we ’ re for sure coming back.
” Even as chaos engulfed Seattle , the city council passed a measure depriving police of essential crowd-control tools , including pepper spray , tear gas , blast balls , and stun grenades .
In a desperate letter to business owners and residents , Chief Best warned that officers had “ no ability to safely intercede to preserve property in the midst of a large , violent crowd.
” In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of law and order within the city .
Though the crowd-control munitions ordinance was blocked by a judge hours before taking effect , one veteran cop told me that the activists have settled on a bare-knuckled strategy : reduce police power enough to achieve “ mob rule ” in the streets .
If the activists can defund the police and disarm officers , they can break the state ’ s monopoly on violence .
Whenever it can mobilize a crowd of 250 people or more , the mob will dominate the physical environment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intimidation of public officials , 53 percent of Seattle voters in a recent telephone poll supported the plan that would “ permanently cut the Seattle Police Department ’ s budget by [ half ] and shift that money to social services and community-based programs.
” According to police officials , officers are in “ disbelief.
” They find themselves besieged both on the streets and in city hall .
For now , the chaos-to-revolution strategy has the momentum .
As black-clad mobs smash the windows of banks and storefronts , the city council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the stage for police “ abolition , ” and activists have pushed out Chief Best through a campaign of legislative humiliation and political intimidation .
“ Our leadership is in chaos , ” says one frontline cop .
“ The mayor has made a decision to let a mob of 1,000 people dictate public safety policy for a city of 750,000.
” Prison abolition has long been a goal of radical movements , from the storming of the Bastille during the French Revolution to the jailbreak of Kresty Prison during the Russian Revolution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the revolution is developing from within .
According to a set of leaked documents that I obtained from inside the King County Executive ’ s Office , policymakers have laid out the rationale for permanently closing the region ’ s largest jail and ending all youth incarceration — including for minors charged with serious crimes such as rape and murder .
The documents cast the prison system as an institution of “ oppression based on race and built to maintain white supremacy.
” In a pyramid-shaped graphic , policymakers claim that crime and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the iceberg.
” On a deeper level , the justice system is rooted in “ white supremacist culture , ” “ inequitable wealth distribution , ” “ power hoarding , ” and the belief that “ people of color are dangerous or to be feared.
” Once these premises are established , the conclusion is foregone — white supremacy must be eradicated .
To this end , days after I released the internal documents , King County Executive Dow Constantine announced a plan for terminating youth detention and closing the downtown Seattle jail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ county ’ s jail capacity .
More than half of all inmates are incarcerated for violent crimes ; the plan will release such violent criminals onto the streets .
County corrections officers , who were not consulted on the executive ’ s surprise announcement , were horrified .
One senior manager told me that “ activists [ are ] seeking to rewrite the narrative of society , ” and , if the shutdowns come to pass , “ the ones who will suffer in the end are [ people of color ] , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ norm.
” Frontline correctional officers and medical staff within the jails are in a state of “ chaos ” and bracing for “ mass layoffs , ” the manager told me .
According to the internal documents , the county executive warned his team to expect “ stress , confusion , and a sense of overwhelm ” within the department , but reassured them that this should not impede their work to create a “ shift in power structure ” that would let “ internal discrimination and racism come to the surface.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Budget for Justice , the leading coalition of the progressive-justice movement , the government should “ transfer resources from formal justice systems to community-based care ” programs “ rooted in restorative justice practices that are trauma-informed , human rights- , and equity-based.
” Specifically , the activists highlight three nonprofit programs as models for the new justice system — Community Passageways , Creative Justice , and Community Justice Project — which will offer programs such as “ healing circles , ” “ narrative storytelling , ” art-based therapy , and community organizing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ predicated on the assumption that poverty , racism , and oppression force the dispossessed into crime and violence .
The programs are designed to reveal how “ systems of power create conditions that perpetuate violence in our homes and daily lives ” and help offenders “ reimagine a society in which their liberation is not only possible , but sustainable by the community itself.
” Though these programs are ideologically aligned with revolutionary goals , they have failed to serve as practical replacements for the “ formal justice system.
” In one high-profile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ named Diego Carballo-Oliveros into a “ peace circle ” program , in which nonprofit leaders burned sage , passed around a talking feather , and led Carballo-Oliveros through “ months of self-reflection.
” According to one corrections official , prosecutors and activists paraded Carballo-Oliveros around the city as the “ shining example ” of their approach .
However , two weeks after completing the peace circle program , Carballo-Oliveros and two accomplices lured a 15-year-old boy into the woods , robbed him , and slashed open his abdomen , chest , and head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ placed a desperate phone call to his sister and a passerby called an ambulance , but the youth later died at the hospital .
Despite public setbacks and no tangible record of successful alternatives , County Executive Constantine is moving forward with his plan to close the downtown jail and end all youth incarceration .
For activists , however , the revolution is not happening fast enough .
To increase the pressure , they dispatched a mob to Constantine ’ s home one night to demand that he speed things up .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spray paint , calling on Constantine to release all youth prisoners , including minors charged with murder , because “ the police are murderers all the time.
” Constantine , standing under a streetlamp with his arms crossed , tried to placate them .
Seattle ’ s activists have long sought to limit the scope and authority of the municipal courts .
For years , influential organizations such as Budget for Justice and the Public Defender Association have advocated for eliminating cash bail , ending probation , reducing the number of municipal judges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all under the rubric of “ dismantling systems of racism , oppression , and poverty.
” Now , with momentum from Black Lives Matter , the activist coalition is mobilizing behind a much more ambitious agenda : abolishing the municipal court altogether and transferring authority to a “ shadow court system , ” administered by ideologically aligned nonprofit organizations such as Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion ( LEAD ) , which provides “ crisis response , immediate psychosocial assessment , and wrap-around services including substance-abuse disorder treatment and housing ” — that is , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one .
The reforms put into place so far are already spiraling into anarchy .
In recent years , Seattle has become a haven for tent encampments , public drug use , and street disorder , and the city now has one of the nation ’ s highest property-crime rates .
LEAD , which receives $ 6 million in annual city funding , has repeatedly failed to produce results .
In its original “ scientific study , ” when controlling for old warrants , LEAD had no statistical effect on new arrests — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was as effective as doing nothing .
Despite mounting skepticism from the public and even Mayor Durkan , LEAD executives have refused to release detailed recidivism data since 2015 , even hiding critical participant information from municipal court judges .
Finally , last year , following a series of high-profile “ repeat offender ” cases , Seattle Municipal Court Judge Ed McKenna tried to raise the alarm about the city ’ s failure to prosecute career criminals like Francisco Calderon , a homeless man who had garnered more than 70 criminal convictions but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the prosecutor and public defender ’ s offices .
The Calderon trial was widely covered in the media and dovetailed with an explosive report about the city ’ s “ prolific offenders ” who had been terrorizing residents and businesses .
But McKenna ’ s call to restore public order provoked a powerful backlash .
Almost immediately , progressive leaders — City Attorney Pete Holmes , Public Defense Director Anita Khandelwal , and LEAD cofounder Lisa Daugaard — waged a public-relations war against the judge and pressured him to retire two years before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McKenna warns that the progressive-justice coalition is perilously close to establishing a shadow court system .
He argues that Holmes , Khandelwal , and Daugaard are becoming “ modern-day lords and landowners , ” with the power to dispense justice outside the constitutional framework .
McKenna believes that nonprofit diversion programs , which exist beyond the confines of the state and are not subject to meaningful public oversight , are potentially violating the Sixth Amendment , which guarantees the right to a public trial before a jury of one ’ s peers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , potential defendants are contacted by prosecutors and told that if they ‘ voluntarily ’ participate in specific programs , criminal charges will not be filed against them , ” McKenna says .
“ The ethical concern , however , is whether accused persons are waiving their rights ‘ knowingly and voluntarily ’ or whether accused persons feel compelled to waive those rights under threat of prosecution and jail.
” Despite such concerns , the campaign to replace traditional justice with activism continues .
After the George Floyd–related unrest , dozens of King @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & Justice Workgroup , issued a letter encouraging their own office to stop filing charges for assault , theft , drug dealing , burglary , escape , fare evasion , and auto theft .
In effect , they want to move all but the most serious crimes into the nonprofit-diversion process .
Meantime , LEAD , seeing a chance to extend its power , severed ties with the Seattle Police Department and declared its intent to move “ beyond policing ” and serve as the centerpiece of the new progressive-justice complex .
According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve spoken , a sense of foreboding is pervasive within the municipal court .
Its officers believe that their entire branch of government , designed to provide an open forum for justice and a bulwark against tyranny , could be obliterated .
“ The system does not wish to be remade and it resists remaking , ” Daugaard told reporters .
“ And there ’ s no doubt that we would not be having anything like the scale of a redesigned conversation that is occurring if not for the top-line demands of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the movement to “ abolish the police , prisons , and courts ” is not simply the dream of marginalized radicals ; it has also been adopted at the highest levels of municipal government .
Activists have demanded that the public imagine a world beyond justice , and the political class is trying its best to imagine it , too .
These modern remakers of society are not hoping to achieve new policies within the given social order .
Rather , they are looking to overturn that social order completely .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of society , ” declared socialist city council member Kshama Sawant in a recent committee hearing .
“ We are coming to dismantle this deeply oppressive , racist , sexist , violent , utterly bankrupt system of capitalism — this police state .
We can not and will not stop until we overthrow it and replace it with a world based instead on solidarity , genuine democracy , and equality — a socialist world.
” Though the new revolution is couched in the language of science — its programs are “ data-driven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ objective is a revolution in values .
The activists seek to establish what might be called a “ reverse hierarchy of oppression , ” destroying the final remnants of tradition , law , and order , and establishing the dominance of the outcast , the minority , and the oppressed .
In the leaked documents from the county executive ’ s office , policymakers suggest that prisoners should be seen as society ’ s legitimate “ rights holders ” and that the “ government is responsible for the problem [ of crime ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on this view , and the criminal is the ideal citizen .
It ’ s a disorienting inversion of values .
In reality , the progressive revolutionaries are replacing traditional justice with street justice ; they are supplanting the rule of law with the rule of the mob .
The early results of this experiment are sobering : armed gangs roam downtown , while fatal shootings are up nearly 50 percent from last year .
For the first time in living memory , the police department is losing its position as hegemon of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Every Day March have begun to descend on residential neighborhoods , demanding that white homeowners “ open [ their ] wallets ” and “ give black people back their homes.
” As they move down the street , they chant in a call and response : “ Who do we protect ?
Black criminals !
” One veteran Seattle police officer told me that he thinks that the recent disorder is merely the prelude to a long and dark era for the city .
“ Derek Chauvin is the Gavrilo Princip of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comparing the Minneapolis police officer charged with murdering George Floyd to the Serbian assassin who sparked World War I .
“ The tide of public opinion is on the side of the activists , and they ’ re pushing the envelope as far as they can .
It ’ s not hyperbolic to say that the endgame is anarchy.
” But anarchy , too , is a feature of the revolution .
The activists leave no room for grace , humility , or continuity .
Like their historical predecessors , they will burn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for utopia .

American cities are entering a period of chaos. Protests and riots have dominated headlines, but beneath the surface, activists are launching an unprecedented campaign to overthrow the traditional justice system and replace it with a new model based on a radical conception of social justice.
In Seattle, where this campaign may be most advanced, activists have crafted a narrative about police brutality, mass incarceration, and punitive justice that leads to a natural sequence of solutions: “abolish the police,” “divest from prisons,” and “defund the courts.” Over the past three decades, the city’s radical-progressives have seized control of municipal government — with the notable exception of the criminal-justice system, which they see as the final obstacle to total control. If they can dismantle it, activists believe, they can bring about their transformation of society.
The city’s political establishment has joined the campaign to “deconstruct justice.” Since the outbreak of the George Floyd–related protests starting in late May, elected officials in Seattle and King County have announced their intentions to defund the Seattle Police Department, permanently close the county’s largest jail, and gut the municipal court system. They believe that, when the oppression of the justice system is lifted, a new society can be shaped through criminal diversion, psychotherapy, and harm reduction.


discoveryinstitute--2020-11-12--Antibiotic Resistance & Bacterial Evolution: What’s the Real Story?

Bacterial evolution and antibiotic resistance is one of the all time greatest hits regarding evidence for Darwinian evolution .
It @ @ @ @ @ do stop working sometimes , AND antibiotic resistance is a form of evolution .
But @ @ @ @ @ the creative power of Darwinian evolution , or is there something else going on ?

Bacterial evolution and antibiotic resistance is one of the all time greatest hits regarding evidence for Darwinian evolution. It’s true that antibiotics do stop working sometimes, AND antibiotic resistance is a form of evolution. But is this a demonstration of the creative power of Darwinian evolution, or is there something else going on?


discoveryinstitute--2020-11-22--A Mass Educational Exodus

A Mass Educational Exodus

School closures began last March , and today over half of K-12 public schools remain closed to in-person learning .
According to a report from Bellwether Education Partners , upwards of three million students have cut ties with schooling .
For comparison , that is roughly the same number of K-12 public school students in the entire state of Florida .
A mass educational exodus is underway , and the longer schools opt to keep their doors closed , the more the number will climb .
The rate at which teenage students have dropped out of school has soared .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to school to connect with peers or participate in athletics and other extracurricular activities .
It ’ s another thing to expect an unsupervised , unmotivated teenager to faithfully log onto a device to attend remote school sessions and complete homework assignments .
The non-academic factors that motivate numerous students to attend school have been removed — many have , in turn , lost interest and accountability .
Dropping out of school has become all too easy .
Prior to the pandemic , school officials would promptly attempt to contact the students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ student to return to school .
Friends would often reach out and try to convince their peers to return .
Students out of school and roaming their neighborhoods during the school day were highly noticeable .
The fear of isolation from their friends deterred some from dropping out .
However , all these factors are no longer in play when school is virtual only .
The positive peer pressure for students to return to school has been eliminated , as have other social barriers preventing student dropout .
With non-academic activities eliminated , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and social events , that external motivation has been stripped away .
Once students stop attending school , getting them back and engaged is unlikely .
A research study conducted by the Institute of Education Science within the U.S. Department of Education found that “ two-thirds of high school dropouts never reenrolled , and among those who do , about half drop out again.
” Even if a student returns and commits to finishing , the lost learning and lack of credits may ultimately prevent on-time graduation or graduation at all .
School @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disadvantaged students are the hardest hit .
For example , homeless , disabled , and students with severe learning difficulties have missed out on extra services and support provided by schools .
The makeshift remote schooling is insufficient to provide the extra care required to serve these students ’ needs adequately .
Many students are throwing in the towel .
Picking it back up , after an extended period without access to the services and support schools provide , is not promising .
Other students making an exodus from school due to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students or those whose parents are non-native English speakers .
School departures are occurring also among students facing trauma in their home exacerbated by parental job losses and financial hardship .
Mental health crises are skyrocketing among adults , teenagers , and children alike due to government-enforced lockdowns .
Attempting to self-manage remote learning and function as an independent learner with limited parental support and teacher availability has been more than several of these students can bear .
Sadly , school has completely fallen out of their daily routine .
Our youngest students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closure of in-person schools .
The great kindergarten recession is underway , in which a significant percentage of parents have decided to delay their child starting school when only online options are available .
Washington State , for example , has experienced a 14 % kindergarten enrollment decline .
Other states are seeing similar percentages .
Hawaii ’ s kindergarten enrollment is down 15 % , and the Los Angeles Unified School District is down 14 % ( equating to 6,000 fewer kindergarten students this year ) .
Nationally , more than half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not in school this year are students who were scheduled for kindergarten .
Parents already fight to limit screen time with their children ; therefore , the thought of enrolling their five-year to be glued to a device for several additional hours a day does not sit well with them .
Other parents conclude that managing their young , pre-reading child ’ s online school would be too overwhelming , given their other daytime responsibilities .
A consensus among parents has been that one more year of informal play-based learning , often with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remote learning , would be better than attempting to confine their child to a chair and screen for long periods of time .
The hope of their students grasping and mastering the foundational year of learning appears dismal through that type of educational delivery .
Weighing the options , many selected to delay kindergarten this year , asking what ’ s the rush ?
The value of kindergarten delivered remotely does not stack up .
Taken together , the teenage student dropout climate , disadvantaged students departing , and the great kindergarten recession @ @ @ @ @ @ @ K-12 students in school than should be the case .
With roughly 56.6 million K-12 students in the United States , that equates to 5.5 % of K-12 students abandoning schools in a single year .
Combine that with the four and a half million young people , ages 16-24 , neither in school nor employed , the future of the U.S. workforce and government services is headed for disaster .
While two and a half ( assuming the half a million sitting out kindergarten enter school next year , ) of these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good , it ’ s not too late to stop perpetuating the problem .
The solution is two-fold , yet simple .
First , schools reopen and return to providing on-campus , in-person learning five days a week .
Second , schools implement intense measures aimed at making up for lost learning .
This solution must be employed sooner versus later to end the mass educational exodus taking place .

School closures began last March, and today over half of K-12 public schools remain closed to in-person learning. According to a report from Bellwether Education Partners, upwards of three million students have cut ties with schooling. For comparison, that is roughly the same number of K-12 public school students in the entire state of Florida. A mass educational exodus is underway, and the longer schools opt to keep their doors closed, the more the number will climb.
Teenage Student Dropout Climate
The rate at which teenage students have dropped out of school has soared. It’s one thing to show up to school to connect with peers or participate in athletics and other extracurricular activities. It’s another thing to expect an unsupervised, unmotivated teenager to faithfully log onto a device to attend remote school sessions and complete homework assignments. The non-academic factors that motivate numerous students to attend school have been removed — many have, in turn, lost interest and accountability.
Dropping out of school has become all too easy. Prior to the pandemic, school officials would promptly attempt to contact the student and family, seeking to get the student to return to school. Friends would often reach out and try to convince their peers to return. Students out of school and roaming their neighborhoods during the school day were highly noticeable. The fear of isolation from their friends deterred some from dropping out.
However, all these factors are no longer in play when school is virtual only. The positive peer pressure for students to return to school has been eliminated, as have other social barriers preventing student dropout. With non-academic activities eliminated, such as athletics, the arts, and social events, that external motivation has been stripped away.
Once students stop attending school, getting them back and engaged is unlikely. A research study conducted by the Institute of Education Science within the U.S. Department of Education found that “two-thirds of high school dropouts never reenrolled, and among those who do, about half drop out again.” Even if a student returns and commits to finishing, the lost learning and lack of credits may ultimately prevent on-time graduation or graduation at all.
Disadvantaged Students Departing
School closures have hurt all students. But disadvantaged students are the hardest hit. For example, homeless, disabled, and students with severe learning difficulties have missed out on extra services and support provided by schools. The makeshift remote schooling is insufficient to provide the extra care required to serve these students’ needs adequately. Many students are throwing in the towel. Picking it back up, after an extended period without access to the services and support schools provide, is not promising.
Other students making an exodus from school due to a lack of academic support are non-native English-speaking students or those whose parents are non-native English speakers. School departures are occurring also among students facing trauma in their home exacerbated by parental job losses and financial hardship. Mental health crises are skyrocketing among adults, teenagers, and children alike due to government-enforced lockdowns. Attempting to self-manage remote learning and function as an independent learner with limited parental support and teacher availability has been more than several of these students can bear. Sadly, school has completely fallen out of their daily routine.
The Great Kindergarten Recession
Our youngest students have also been negatively affected by the closure of in-person schools. The great kindergarten recession is underway, in which a significant percentage of parents have decided to delay their child starting school when only online options are available. Washington State, for example, has experienced a 14% kindergarten enrollment decline. Other states are seeing similar percentages. Hawaii’s kindergarten enrollment is down 15%, and the Los Angeles Unified School District is down 14% (equating to 6,000 fewer kindergarten students this year). Nationally, more than half a million of the three million students not in school this year are students who were scheduled for kindergarten.
Parents already fight to limit screen time with their children; therefore, the thought of enrolling their five-year to be glued to a device for several additional hours a day does not sit well with them. Other parents conclude that managing their young, pre-reading child’s online school would be too overwhelming, given their other daytime responsibilities. A consensus among parents has been that one more year of informal play-based learning, often with siblings who are also home due to remote learning, would be better than attempting to confine their child to a chair and screen for long periods of time. The hope of their students grasping and mastering the foundational year of learning appears dismal through that type of educational delivery. Weighing the options, many selected to delay kindergarten this year, asking what’s the rush? The value of kindergarten delivered remotely does not stack up.
Implications & Solutions
Taken together, the teenage student dropout climate, disadvantaged students departing, and the great kindergarten recession adds up to approximately three million fewer K-12 students in school than should be the case. With roughly 56.6 million K-12 students in the United States, that equates to 5.5% of K-12 students abandoning schools in a single year.
Combine that with the four and a half million young people, ages 16-24, neither in school nor employed, the future of the U.S. workforce and government services is headed for disaster. While two and a half (assuming the half a million sitting out kindergarten enter school next year,) of these three million students may be gone for good, it’s not too late to stop perpetuating the problem. The solution is two-fold, yet simple. First, schools reopen and return to providing on-campus, in-person learning five days a week. Second, schools implement intense measures aimed at making up for lost learning. This solution must be employed sooner versus later to end the mass educational exodus taking place.