kpete
kpete's JournalFrom a high school in Iowa
The following announcement was made this morning by Kevin Biggs, principal of Theodore Roosevelt High School (Des Moines).
"Good Morning Roughriders:
I apologize for the interruption. Please place down your pens or pencils and listen to this announcement. This weekend, much of the world’s attention was focused on an effort by the federal government to impose far-reaching restrictions on the ability of immigrants and refugees to come to the United States. From protesters at airports and on the streets to lawyers and judges in courtrooms, there was a swift reaction by many in support of immigrants and refugees.
To all of our students who are immigrants or refugees – and to their friends and classmates and teachers who are also concerned because of these recent events – know that you belong here – Roosevelt HS and DMPS stands by you. As you know, TRHS is a school of such diversity, with a student body that encompasses over 40 different languages and cultures. Over the years, thousands of refugee students from around the world have attended school at DMPS. Many have labeled TRHS as the most diverse high school in the state of Iowa, which in my opinion is a strength and gift that we are to be extremely proud of, but also use to grow as human beings.
Each one of you is sitting here today because your parents or guardians wanted you to attend a real-world high school, that exposed you to various cultures, religions, languages, experiences, and beliefs…because understanding and respecting these differences is what allows each of us to grow into the respecting, accepting, and loving leaders of tomorrow. Because of your attendance at TRHS, I believe you possess, or will eventually possess, a unique perspective on life and the world, one that will prepare you well for whatever conflict is thrown your way in the next few years.
For our students of immigrant families, we want to help you learn and succeed in school. We want to see you have fun and make friends and find your passions. We want to be there to celebrate that day when you walk across a stage to receive your diploma. We want to help you grow into the people you want to become. At TRHS, we welcome immigrants and refugees as our students and families, as our neighbors and friends. The entire district values our students, no matter where they might come from – this is your home and we are honored to serve you. The adults in the building are here to help in any way that you might need.
When children in Des Moines show up at our schools – no matter their place of birth or religion or language or skin color – they should know that they belong here and we stand by them. America is a country of immigrants; every one of us has roots which began in countries across the globe. America was built on the pursuit of freedoms, and it is our responsibility as citizens to stand-up for what we believe is right and just.
For our immigrant students, especially those of you who’s home country is Iran, or Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen, or Somalia…we are here to support you as this attempt to ban your family from our country is constructed by the federal government. I ask every TRHS student to stand by our friends, support them with unwavering love and empathy, and be respectful during this chaotic time. This is a time where Roughriders can show the world what happens when unity and love can overcome injustice. We love and respect each and every one of you and hope to prove that through our actions each day. Thank you for providing me a few minutes of your time. Go Riders!"
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/1/30/1627556/-From-a-high-school-in-Iowa
puts things in perspective...
https://twitter.com/RonHogan/status/826126335328264192NASCAR's Dale Earnhardt Jr. tweets his family's refugee story'America is created by immigrants'
https://twitter.com/DaleJr/status/825535432523911168http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/1/30/1627498/-NASCAR-s-Dale-Earnhardt-Jr-tweets-his-family-s-refugee-story-America-is-created-by-immigrants
Trump reportedly on verge of signing anti-LGBT executive order
https://twitter.com/aravosis/status/826168139117367296The next assault on humanity from Trump, an executive order legalizing discrimination against gays by federal workers and contractors.
The White House has drafted an executive order that would be an unprecedented attack on LGBT rights and protections. Sources say the order would allow federal employees to refuse to serve LGBT people based on religious beliefs, sexual orientation and gender identity fireable offenses for federal employees and contractors, and allow discrimination against the LGBT community by those who receive federal funding.
http://www.politicususa.com/2017/01/30/trump-attacks-lgbt-rights-protections-executive-order.html
This is what a spine looks like:
https://twitter.com/sunny_hundal/status/826094665636184064Suspect in Quebec Mosque Attack Quickly Depicted as a Moroccan Muslim. He's a White Nationalist.
UPDATE: CONFIRMED:
Alexandre Bissonnette Identified As Quebec Mosque Shooting Suspect
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/01/30/alexandre-bissonnette-mohamed-khadir_n_14495374.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-city-mosque-attack-alexandre-bissonnette-1.3958559
http://www.salon.com/2017/01/30/canadian-mosque-shooting-suspect-was-a-white-man-who-showed-support-for-donald-trump-on-social-media/
https://twitter.com/frank_meehan/status/826171946610077697
https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2017/01/30/the-white-house-just-cited-the-quebec-mosque-attack-to-justify-trumps-policies.html
https://twitter.com/theintercept/status/826156303659720706
A MASS SHOOTING at a Quebec City mosque last night left six people dead and eight wounded. The targeted mosque, the Cultural Islamic Center of Quebec, was the same one at which a severed pig’s head was left during Ramadan last June. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the episode a “terrorist attack on Muslims.”
Almost immediately, various news outlets and political figures depicted the shooter as Muslim. Right-wing nationalist tabloids in the UK instantly linked it to Islamic violence. Fox News claimed that “witnesses said at least one gunman shouted ‘Allahu akbar!’,” and then added this about the shooter’s national origin:
https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/826120752529301504
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer exploited the attack to justify President Trump’s ban on immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries. “It’s a terrible reminder of why we must remain vigilant and why the President is taking steps to be proactive rather than reactive when it comes to our nation’s safety and security,” Spicer said at this afternoon’s briefing when speaking of the Quebec City attack.
But these assertions are utterly false. The suspect is neither Moroccan nor Muslim. The Moroccan individual, Mohamed el Khadir, was actually one of the worshippers at the mosque and called 911 to summon the police, and played no role whatsoever in the shooting.
The actual shooting suspect is 27-year-old Alexandre Bissonnette, a white French Canadian who is, by all appearances, a rabid anti-immigrant nationalist. A leader of a local immigration rights groups, François Deschamps, told a local paper he recognized his photo as an anti-immigrant far-right “troll” who has been hostile to the group online. And Bisonnette’s Facebook page – now taken down but still archived – lists among its “likes” the far right French nationalist Marine Le Pen, Islam critics Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens, the Israeli Defense Forces, and Donald J. Trump (he also “likes” the liberal Canadian Party NDP along with more neutral “likes” such as Tom Hanks, the Sopranos and Katy Perry).
https://theintercept.com/2017/01/30/suspect-in-quebec-mosque-attack-quickly-depicted-as-a-moroccan-muslim-hes-a-white-nationalist/
http://heavy.com/news/2017/01/alexandre-bissonnette-quebec-city-mosque-gunman-photos-pictures-facebook/
GOP congressman shrugs off detainment of Iraqi war heroes: This happens to people of this color
Issa insisted he wasn’t sure whether Bannon, who has said he believes Christians are engaged in a “very brutal and bloody conflict” against Muslim “barbarity,” helped draft the executive order.
“The president is trying to react to a crisis that has been ongoing for a period of time,” Issa said, and then tried to change the subject.
The GOP congressman, who is Lebanese-American, disputed Costello’s characterization of the order’s implementation as “chaotic,” saying that was simply her opinion and that only a few travelers were detained.
“Carol, I don’t want to argue, but you’re conflating what happens every day with to people of this color,” Issa said, pointing to his own cheek, “every day at the airport — and has been happening for 16 years. When you take these anecdotal examples, that’s what you’re doing. The numbers are relatively small, I think Americans like myself who have been stopped — even as a congressman — (for) secondary (screening) or even refused to be boarded on an airplane once, this sort of thing happens.”
http://www.rawstory.com/2017/01/gop-congressman-shrugs-off-detainment-of-iraqi-war-heroes-this-happens-to-people-of-this-color/#.WI91SBeKW1g.twitter
Senate Dems will filibuster Trump's Supreme Court pick no matter who it is
https://twitter.com/BraddJaffy/status/826117605765369856http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/senate-democrats-filibuster-supreme-court-pick-234368
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