The Salt Lake branch of the NAACP is at it again. They've launched an "investigation" of Bingham High School after receiving a report that students in an Advanced Placement (AP) political science class were "marching around like Nazis" during a week dedicated to learning about dictatorship. The complainant wasn't identified by name, but it appears to be a parent.
A Bingham High student, Will Christensen, said students do wear arm bands during the "infamous" dictator week, where a student dictator and two assistants get to make rules for their classmates, but he isn't aware of any chants or signals related to Nazism.
Unlike the Canyons School District, the Jordan School District, within whose boundaries Bingham High lies, actually has a spine. Jordan School District spokesman Steve Dunham rejects the NAACP's claim. He says that in the 20 years the class has been taught, there have not been any complaints. Furthermore, no complaints have been filed at either the school or district level, and the district is not currently involved in an investigation. This means the complaining parent didn't even bother to give the school or the district an opportunity to hear the concern first, but instead went immediately crying to the NAACP. Presuming, of course, that the NAACP is actually telling the truth.
Meanwhile, Salt Lake NAACP overseer Jeanetta Williams said she hopes Bingham High, and the district, will cooperate with the investigation. "There needs to be more sensitivity," she said. "If they want to teach dictatorship, there are other ways to teach it." Of course, Williams offered no suggestions on how it could be taught with more "sensitivity", because the NAACP is not in the business of solving problems.
The Jordan School District has reacted correctly. There is no need for them to cooperate with an NAACP investigation, not only because the NAACP has no statutory authority, but it actually has no "moral" authority save it be that which we choose to give it. And considering how Jeanetta Williams exploits every deviation and seeks to turn molehills into mountains, the Salt Lake NAACP is not worthy of respect.
Furthermore, the Salt Lake NAACP has no stroke. Chris Buttars stood up to the NAACP after the "black baby" remark, and not only did nothing happen to him, he was subsequently re-elected, albeit by a narrow margin. The NAACP does not have a big red S on its chest; they can't leap over tall buildings a single bound.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
LDS Members Get Their Faith Recharged At The 181st Annual General Conference; LDS Church Leaders Seek To Quietly Counteract Growing Feminist Influence
Up to 100,000 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who descended upon Salt Lake City as well as millions more worldwide got their faith recharged at the 181st Annual General Conference of the church held on April 2nd and 3rd, preceded a week earlier by the General Young Women Meeting. A sudden spring snowstorm in the Salt Lake Valley did not dampen enthusiasm. The highlights: Three new temples were announced for Fort Collins, Colorado; Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; and Meridian, Idaho; the Church has 134 temples in operation and 26 more either under construction or planned. LDS membership is now reported at 14,131,467. Detailed reports on LDS humanitarian and welfare services were provided; the Welfare Program is anchored by Welfare Square in Salt Lake City. The facility includes a cannery, milk and cheese processing facility; a landmark 16-million pound grain elevator that can been seen for miles; and a bakery, storehouse, thrift store and employment center, all of which are run mostly by volunteers serving church missions.
On the cultural front, there were at least three calls for LDS men to quit putting off marriage, primarily because the longer one waits, the more likely one becomes set in one's ways and the more difficult it can be to find a compatible spouse. The customary admonishments to observe the law of tithing and the Word of Wisdom were also extended, although towards the end of the conference, Elder Jeffrey Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve reassured Church members that, despite the constant entreaties for improvement, he considered most Latter-day Saints to be genuinely worthy people and need not fear that they are constantly under a microscope.
-- Official audio and video archives (transcripts available by mid-week)
-- LDS Church News stories on all speeches
-- Church News Saturday photo gallery
-- Church News Sunday photo gallery
KSL news video of Day 1 embedded below:
KSL news video of Day 2 embedded below:
On the cultural front, there were at least three calls for LDS men to quit putting off marriage, primarily because the longer one waits, the more likely one becomes set in one's ways and the more difficult it can be to find a compatible spouse. The customary admonishments to observe the law of tithing and the Word of Wisdom were also extended, although towards the end of the conference, Elder Jeffrey Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve reassured Church members that, despite the constant entreaties for improvement, he considered most Latter-day Saints to be genuinely worthy people and need not fear that they are constantly under a microscope.
-- Official audio and video archives (transcripts available by mid-week)
-- LDS Church News stories on all speeches
-- Church News Saturday photo gallery
-- Church News Sunday photo gallery
KSL news video of Day 1 embedded below:
Video Courtesy of KSL.com
KSL news video of Day 2 embedded below:
Video Courtesy of KSL.com
Two White Teens Allegedly Jumped And Beaten By a Dozen Polynesians Near LDS Chapel In Taylorsville, Utah; Similarities To The D.J. Bell Case
On April 2nd, 2011, KSTU Channel 13 reports that two White teens were allegedly jumped and beaten by an estimated dozen males near an LDS chapel adjacent to the Taylorsville City Softball complex in the Salt Lake Valley. One must both read the print story and watch the news video to get the whole story; the suspected racial identity of the attackers as Polynesian is not revealed until the tail end of the video. I found a YouTube version of Channel 13's video, which is a bit easier to work with; video embedded below:
Justin Bonner was one of the teens attacked, and he spoke for both victims. He said they were jogging through the softball complex on Wednesday March 30th when they were suddenly confronted by the twelve attackers, who were identified as hanging around the parking lot of the adjacent LDS chapel. Initially the confrontation was verbal; apparently the attackers thought the teens were talking trash about them, but when the two teens tried to run away, they were caught and given a beatdown.
Both teens were eventually taken to the hospital. While Bonner was primarily bloodied and bruised, his friend, who is considerably lighter in weight and more slender, suffered a broken face and various other fractures. Some of the attackers were reported to have escaped in a vehicle described as a white Chrysler or Dodge, possibly a Charger, with a partial plate number of 242.
The fact that the attackers were hanging around the parking lot of an LDS chapel is not necessarily indicative that they actually belonged there or are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That remains to be determined and proven.
If this went down the way it's been reported, it sounds highly reminiscent of the D.J. Bell case. In that case, Polynesians overreacted to a perceived slight by Bell and his housemate Dan Fair, invaded and trashed their home, and beat them to within an inch of their lives. However, the perpetrators must be found to confirm their identities and resolve these questions. That's why Taylorsville police want for anyone who can help resolve this case to call them at 801-743-7000.
Justin Bonner was one of the teens attacked, and he spoke for both victims. He said they were jogging through the softball complex on Wednesday March 30th when they were suddenly confronted by the twelve attackers, who were identified as hanging around the parking lot of the adjacent LDS chapel. Initially the confrontation was verbal; apparently the attackers thought the teens were talking trash about them, but when the two teens tried to run away, they were caught and given a beatdown.
Both teens were eventually taken to the hospital. While Bonner was primarily bloodied and bruised, his friend, who is considerably lighter in weight and more slender, suffered a broken face and various other fractures. Some of the attackers were reported to have escaped in a vehicle described as a white Chrysler or Dodge, possibly a Charger, with a partial plate number of 242.
The fact that the attackers were hanging around the parking lot of an LDS chapel is not necessarily indicative that they actually belonged there or are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That remains to be determined and proven.
If this went down the way it's been reported, it sounds highly reminiscent of the D.J. Bell case. In that case, Polynesians overreacted to a perceived slight by Bell and his housemate Dan Fair, invaded and trashed their home, and beat them to within an inch of their lives. However, the perpetrators must be found to confirm their identities and resolve these questions. That's why Taylorsville police want for anyone who can help resolve this case to call them at 801-743-7000.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Another Osmond Becomes A Public Figure: Aaron Osmond Selected By GOP Delegates To Replace Utah State Senator Chris Buttars
Another member of the extended Osmond Family has become a public figure. On March 31st, 2011, South Jordan real estate broker Aaron Osmond was elected by 190 Republican delegates to replace outgoing District 10 Senator Chris Buttars. Osmond defeated House District 47 Rep. Ken Ivory in the second round of voting with 69 percent of the vote. The specific results of the voting are documented HERE; there were 12 candidates. Osmond's name will now be forwarded to Governor Gary Herbert, who is expected to approve the selection and formally appoint Osmond to fill the remainder of Buttars' term, which expires in 2014. Media references include Salt Lake Tribune, KSL Channel 5, and KSTU Channel 13.
And yes, Aaron Osmond is one of "those" Osmonds. He is the son of George Virl Osmond Jr., one of the oldest of the original Osmond brothers and who was born with hearing disabilities. But despite the famous name, Aaron Osmond has achieved success in his own right, running a real estate investment education company called Real Estate Investor Support LLC. So while his name may have gotten him through the door, his political skills took care of the rest. Osmond unsuccessfully challenged South Jordan Mayor Kent Money in 2009. KSTU video embedded below:
Osmond believes Ken Ivory's involvement with HB477 influenced delegates. HB477 triggered a firestorm of criticism because it was perceived as excessively restricting public access to public records, and was subsequently repealed. Osmond said “In my perspective the people as well as the delegates were saying ‘you know what, it’s time to tell government enough is enough. Get out of our way, listen to us as a people. From House Bill 477 to House Bill 165, the people were very concerned about transparency in government. They’re concerned about their ability to make their voice known. And this tonight was the first election in the state of Utah that really gave that referendum back to the people up at Capitol Hill.” Ivory was on the committee that originally passed HB477. A secondary reason for the rejection of Ivory may have been the fact that he was already a serving House member. Had he been chosen, another special election would have been necessary to fill his seat.
Aaron Osmond says his primary focus as a senator will be in getting the government out of the way of small business. Osmond's credentials as a conservative are burnished by the fact that he was an early supporter of U.S. Senator Mike Lee, long before the state convention which propelled him to the primary and to subsequent election in November 2010. The support wasn't merely political; it was financial as well. Osmond also appeared to have some tentative support from the Utah Education Association (UEA).
And yes, Aaron Osmond is one of "those" Osmonds. He is the son of George Virl Osmond Jr., one of the oldest of the original Osmond brothers and who was born with hearing disabilities. But despite the famous name, Aaron Osmond has achieved success in his own right, running a real estate investment education company called Real Estate Investor Support LLC. So while his name may have gotten him through the door, his political skills took care of the rest. Osmond unsuccessfully challenged South Jordan Mayor Kent Money in 2009. KSTU video embedded below:
Osmond believes Ken Ivory's involvement with HB477 influenced delegates. HB477 triggered a firestorm of criticism because it was perceived as excessively restricting public access to public records, and was subsequently repealed. Osmond said “In my perspective the people as well as the delegates were saying ‘you know what, it’s time to tell government enough is enough. Get out of our way, listen to us as a people. From House Bill 477 to House Bill 165, the people were very concerned about transparency in government. They’re concerned about their ability to make their voice known. And this tonight was the first election in the state of Utah that really gave that referendum back to the people up at Capitol Hill.” Ivory was on the committee that originally passed HB477. A secondary reason for the rejection of Ivory may have been the fact that he was already a serving House member. Had he been chosen, another special election would have been necessary to fill his seat.
Aaron Osmond says his primary focus as a senator will be in getting the government out of the way of small business. Osmond's credentials as a conservative are burnished by the fact that he was an early supporter of U.S. Senator Mike Lee, long before the state convention which propelled him to the primary and to subsequent election in November 2010. The support wasn't merely political; it was financial as well. Osmond also appeared to have some tentative support from the Utah Education Association (UEA).
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