Politics and religion are often blended together

All of the following quoted paragraphs came from an article dated November 23, 2015 in the Lowell Sun.  The article was written by Andy Metzger and Colin A. Young for the State House News Service.

I want to thank Pamela Geller for providing a link, on her Twitter account, to this article.  That's how I found it.

These are the first three paragraphs of the article.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict surfaced Monday as a central theme in two protests: one speaking out against an ad on the MBTA that some say is designed "to demonize Israelis and Jews," and another urging senators to forgo a planned trip to Israel next month.

After opposing viewpoints on one of the world's most contentious conflicts came to a head before the MBTA's management board on Monday afternoon, the T decided to ban political issue advertising on the transit system.  The T's Fiscal and Management Control Board also banned advertising for electronic cigarettes.

"This change has been in the works for weeks, several weeks.  Long before this particular controversy arose," MBTA general counsel John Englander said.  The new policy was approved unanimously on a voice vote after a closed-door executive session and no public discussion.

Read more: http://www.lowellsun.com/breakingnews/ci_29156216/mbta-bans-political-issue-ads-amid-protest-pro#ixzz3sNOiIHLN

For the benefit of people who don't live in Boston, the M.B.T.A. is the name of the state agency that oversees public transportation in this area.

I want to thank Mr. Metzger and Mr. Young for not identifying, in the first paragraph, the conflicting parties as Israelis and Arabs.  The term "Arab" was originally a term that meant any person or group whose ancestors came from the Arabian peninsula, pictured on the right.

Most of this land is the country called Saudi Arabia.

Palestinian ancestors come from Jordan, which is on the edge of this peninsula, so even if you accept the definition of the word "Arab", they don't qualify.

Jews and Israelis

These are the fourth and fifth paragraphs of the article in the Lowell Sun.

Activists opposed to an ad on the MBTA representing that "Israel's military has killed one Palestinian child every three days" since September 2000 said the ad promoted hate against Jews, and attempted to shout over a man who supported the ad.

"We have the right to criticize government.  Every government in the world needs to be able to be criticized," said Richard Colbath-Hess, of the Palestine Advocacy Project.  Colbath-Hess, who said he is Jewish and his father survived the Holocaust, said it is a "mistake" to link anti-Semitism and criticism of Israel.

Read more: http://www.lowellsun.com/breakingnews/ci_29156216/mbta-bans-political-issue-ads-amid-protest-pro#ixzz3sNdqygRp

Mr. Colbath-Hess is absolutely correct.  Three times.

1. Americans do have the right to criticize government.  The right to do so is an integral part of the Declaration of Independence and the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution.  Multiple decisions of the Supreme Court have said, explicitly, that Americans can criticize their government, verbally, in professionally-written newspaper articles, and in private correspondence.


2. Every government in the world does need to be criticized from time to time by their own people and by the rest of the world.  Link to my essay Presidents must be accountable to their people.  This applies to the president of any country because, as it is stated in the essay, any man can have a mental illness that makes it impossible for him to perform his official duties.  The definition of a mental illness should include alcoholism, which afflicted Joseph Stalin, who then arranged for seven million Ukrainians to starve to death.


3. It is a mistake to link anti-Semitism and criticism of Israel.  As stated in my 2012 essay Do you support Israel, there are four definitions of the word "Israel".
1. a man who was born with the name Jacob,
2. his blood descendants (they eventually became an extended family),
3. a piece of land described in geographic terms, and
4. a group of people, living anywhere in the world, who believe in the principles of a particular religion.  They are often called Zionists, and they often exclude other Jews from their circle of friends if these other Jews aren't strict enough about their religious practices.

This makes it clear that Jews and Israelis are two different groups of people.  Some people are accurately described as Jews and as Israelis, but other people only fit one definition.

A religious argument becomes a political argument

These are the sixth through the tenth paragraphs of the article.

[Richard Colbath-Hess] was subjected to shouting from his ideological opponents.

"He's the cousin of Hitler," said Daniel Hermon, slapping Colbath-Hess on the back.  Hermon also joined those yelling over Colbath-Hess as he spoke to reporters.

Colbath-Hess said there is one ad in the system at the Davis Square MBTA station.  Englander said that ad would be disallowed under the new policy going into effect midnight Nov. 30.

Paul Fleishman compared the ad -- which depicts a girl in pigtails standing outdoors -- to Islamic State recruitment and used it to disparage Palestinian children in comments to the control board.

"If it would be a real Palestinian girl it would have a suicide vest on her.  That's how I know this is probably not a Palestinian girl," Fleishman said.

Read more: http://www.lowellsun.com/breakingnews/ci_29156216/mbta-bans-political-issue-ads-amid-protest-pro#ixzz3sNxUd7w5

The fact that the article identifies Daniel Hermon as an "ideological opponent" is evidence that his conversation with Mr. Colbath-Hess is now a political feud.  When a person who has a strong faith dislikes someone (that's rare, of course - God teaches and practices love), they don't compare someone else to Hitler.  A person who has a strong faith would use words that are in his holy book, not a history book.

C.A.I.R. has poor public relations

This is the 11th paragraph of the article.

Charles Jacobs, who has been accused of Islamophobia by the Council on American Islamic Relations of Massachusetts, told reporters he does not agree that the girl should have worn a suicide vest.

Read more: http://www.lowellsun.com/breakingnews/ci_29156216/mbta-bans-political-issue-ads-amid-protest-pro#ixzz3sO18AC5U

The Michigan chapter of The Council on American Islamic Relations has made two notable and completely contradictory demands.  Lack of a consistent message is a sign of an incompetent public relations department.

As reported on the website of Arab-American News on April 4, 2013:

The Council on American Islamic Relations of Michigan (CAIR-MI) staff recently met with Dearborn Public Schools Superintendent Brian Whiston to discuss concerns from some parents regarding prayer accommodations in Dearborn Public Schools.

Dearborn Public Schools has implemented a policy which fully accommodates student-led prayer in all the schools, as well as unexcused absences for students who leave early on Fridays for Jumu'ah prayers. CAIR-MI is currently in discussion with Melvindale Public Schools to get similar accommodations for students that are now in place for Dearborn Public Schools.

However, as C.A.I.R. stated in a press release dated October 1, 2009:

The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) said today that a Detroit-area school district has apologized for handing out permission slips for Bible study classes to elementary school students.

CAIR-MI sent a letter to Roseville Public Schools after receiving a complaint from two parents of children who attend Huron Park Elementary School about distribution by teachers of permission slips for the Bible classes at a local Baptist church.

I've been wondering for a long time whether the Michigan chapter of C.A.I.R. has forgiven and then forgotten their arguments against Christians who wanted to study the Bible during school hours. I have known many Christians who were eager to share their love of Jesus with as many people as possible, so that these people will all be together in Heaven some day.

I'm now certain that because of their advocacy of Muslim prayer in a Michigan public school, The Council on American Islamic Relations will have no objection to any student-led Christian prayer or Bible Study in the same school.  If a Muslim can pray in school, why shouldn't a Christian (or a Jew, or a Buddhist, or any other student) also be able to pray or study the Bible, the Torah, or the Buddhist Sutras and Suttas in school?

That is both sensible political harmony and an example of the tolerance that Muslims say that Allah requires of them.

I have an unanswered question.  If Israel is a democracy, as many people claim, then can someone who lives there but who isn't Jewish become the Mayor of Jerusalem or the Prime Minister of that country?

Good ice cream in Arlington

I had a brownie sundae at the Chilly Cow two days ago.  Link to 13 photos on the Yelp website.

451 Massachusetts Avenue Arlington, MA  02474 general phone number (781) 648-4360 catering phone number (978) 852-1624 E-mail: info@chillycow.com

The young woman behind the counter was enthusiastic to take my order.  When she heard what I wanted, she asked me which flavors I wanted.  There was a list on a blackboard attached to the wall behind her.  Some of the flavors were sold out, and those had been erased from the blackboard.  When I asked her how many scoops I could have, the owner, standing near her, told me I could have two scoops.

After I made my flavor choices, she started making it right away.  When it was almost done, she asked me whether I wanted hot fudge sauce, whipped cream, and a cherry.  I had already seen that the whipped cream was the real thing, so of course I said 'yes'.  She told me that making the whipped cream was fun, and I believed her.

Sitting down at a small round table, eating my brownie sundae, was one of the best treats I have had in a long, long time.  There are other ice cream restaurants that have closed.  One very nice one was on the border of Waltham and Watertown.  That place was torn down.  A house was built on the spot.  That's good for the homeowner and the builder but terrible for every ice cream lover in the area.

The Chilly Cow has special deals on their Twitter account @ChhillyCow, but the advertising sign on my table said that these deals don't last very long.

There are also a few other items on their menu.  On the day I visited, I could have had a lobster roll in addition to my brownie sundae, for instance.

Thank you to the owner and my server for a very nice treat!

Winter hours

Monday - Thursday Friday and Saturday Sunday

1pm - 9pm Noon - 10pm Noon - 9pm

Meet a murderer today

I published an essay on this blog on March 8, 2014 called Meet a murderer on March 24th.  It was about a personal appearance that Hillary Clinton was scheduled to make in Boston later that month.

Well, the murderer will be in Boston today.  These are the first four paragraphs of an article dated today in the Boston Globe.

Hoping to keep the focus on policy issues rather than her controversial handling of e-mails as secretary of state, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton will attend an event in Boston Thursday that will focus on substance abuse and its impact on communities.

Clinton, the front-runner for the 2016 nomination, will be joined by Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh and Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey for a “conversation ... on substance abuse and its tragic effects,” her campaign said.

In her travels around the country, Clinton has “heard countless heartbreaking stories of families and communities torn apart by substance abuse disorders,” the campaign said in a statement.

The event will be held at the Boston Teachers Union hall on Mount Vernon Street in Dorchester at 2:30 p.m.

Link to a similar story on the Mass Live website.

This is the location of the event. Boston Teacher's Union Hall. 180 Mt. Vernon Street Boston, MA 02125 Directions

Was it good for you, too?

August 22, 2015 photo of Boston protest against Planned Parenthood

This photo was downloaded from the Twitter account of someone who was at the protest.

This protest was only one of the protest rallies.  Thousands of similar rallies were held today all across the United States, and hundreds of people showed up at the rallies in America's largest cities.

This is a quote from the Twitter account of Life News that was posted today (August 22nd):

"How Can Planned Parenthood Say Babies Aren’t People When It Harvests Their Organs?"

These are the first four paragraphs of a story published today by the Washington Post.  The Twitter account of the White House Press Corps linked to it.  The link in the fourth paragraph was in their story.

Thousands of antiabortion activists descended upon Planned Parenthood clinics on Saturday to participate in a nationwide protest aimed at cutting off federal funding for the controversial health-care organization.

The demonstrations unfolded at about 320 clinics around the nation, according to organizers, with some gatherings drawing a few dozen protesters and others drawing hundreds and perhaps thousands more.

The protests kicked off at 9 a.m. Saturday and included speakers, prayer groups and chants, as well as signs distributed by organizers that said “Planned Parenthood sells baby parts.”

The protests come after an antiabortion group secretly filmed a series of videos that show Planned Parenthood staffers discussing the extraction of fetal tissue from aborted fetuses before it is sent to research facilities.  Abortion opponents claim the video captures an illegal operation in which organs are harvested for money, but Planned Parenthood officials have claimed the videos were edited to bolster critics’ false claims, according to the Associated Press.

Posted today on this Twitter account: @JGalt9:

"The most selfish act in the world is to take the life of your child in order to make your own life easier."


Link to my June 2013 essay When it a person not a person?

Progress on the 1990 museum robbery

Background

The museum that was robbed is called the Gardner Museum, named after Isabella Stewart Gardner, descendant of a legendary Scottish King, who began traveling and collecting art with her husband soon after their son died during his second year of life.

This is what the museum looks like on the outside, but unlike most buildings, the interior of this one has a large interior courtyard with a glass roof that allows sunlight to light up the art and to keep a large collection of plants alive.

Gardner Museum 25 Evans Way Boston, MA 02115 (617) 566-1401 Link to information for visitors to the museum.

Details of the robbery

These paragraphs were copied from a page on the website of the museum:

In the early morning hours of March 18, 1990, a pair of thieves disguised as Boston police officers entered the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and roamed the Museum’s galleries, stealing thirteen works of art.

They gained entry into the Museum by posing as Boston police officers and stating that they were responding to a call.  The guard on duty broke protocol and allowed them entry through the Museum’s security door.

Once inside, the thieves asked that the guard come around from behind the desk, claiming that they recognized him and that there was a warrant out for his arrest.  The guard walked away from the desk and away from the only alarm button.  The guard was told to summon the other guard on duty to the security desk, which he did.  The thieves then handcuffed both guards and took them into the basement where they were secured to pipes and their hands, feet, and heads duct taped.  The two guards were placed 40 yards away from each other in the basement.

The next morning, the security guard arriving to relieve the two night guards discovered that the Museum had been robbed and notified the police and director Anne Hawley.

Videos about the robbery

7 minutes and 7 seconds narrated by Randi Kaye, a CNN reporter This video was uploaded Nov. 7, 2013

1 hour and 9 minutes This man was the director of security for the museum.  He is still trying to recover the art.

The F.B.I. says that they have made some progress

These paragraphs were copied from this page, dated March 18, 2013, on the F.B.I. website.

“Today, we are pleased to announce that the FBI has made significant investigative progress in the search for the stolen art from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum,” said Richard DesLauriers, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston Field Office.  “We’ve determined in the years after the theft that the art was transported to the Connecticut and Philadelphia regions. But we haven’t identified where the art is right now, and that’s why we are asking the public for help.”

“With these considerable developments in the investigation over the last couple of years,” said Special Agent Geoff Kelly, who heads the FBI investigation, “it’s likely over time someone has seen the art hanging on a wall, placed above a mantel, or stored in an attic.  We want that person to call the FBI.”

There is a $5 million reward for the return of the art

These paragraphs were also copied from the same page of the F.B.I. website as the previous two paragraphs.

Anthony Amore, the Gardner Museum’s chief of security, explained that the museum is offering a $5 million reward “for information that leads directly to the recovery of all of our items in good condition.  What that means is that you don’t have to hand us the paintings to be eligible for the reward.” Amore added, “We hope that through this type of public campaign, people will see how earnest we are in our attempts to pay this reward and make our institution whole.”

Officials stressed that anyone with information about the artwork can contact the FBI, the museum, or the U.S. Attorney’s Office directly or through a third party.  “An individual who wishes to protect his or her identity can go through an attorney and the reward can be paid through an attorney,” Amore said. “There is no shortage of ways to get information to us.  We simply want to recover our paintings and move forward.  This is the 23rd anniversary of the robbery,” he said.  “It’s time for these paintings to come home.”

We need your help: If you have information about the missing Gardner Museum artwork, you can contact the FBI’s hotline at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip on our website.  All information will be held in the strictest confidence.

Today's update

These two paragraphs were copied from a short Associated Press story, dated August 7, 2015, that was published on the website of the Boston affiliate of Fox News.

The FBI says both of the suspects who masqueraded as police officers to rob a Boston art museum of $500 million worth of masterpieces in 1990 are deceased.

Two years ago, investigators announced they knew who stole the 13 works — including paintings by Rembrandt and Vermeer — from Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. They refused to elaborate at the time, saying only that the investigation was now focused on recovering the missing artwork.

The artwork is still missing, though

This photo was taken by the F.B.I.  It was copied from this page on the website of Boston University.

A painting by Rembrandt was once located inside this empty frame.

Please excuse this editorial comment

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is not always a professional organization.

A truly professional law enforcement organization will investigate, arrest, and prosecute people regardless of race, creed, color, sex, etc.  The man in the following YouTube video has never been arrested for speaking these words or for encouraging people to commit murder based on their belief that the victims belong to a different race than their own.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has a responsibility to protect the public from potential murderers and their friends.

They must look objectively at this video. They must collect usable evidence from this video and other sources, including the name and the current address of the person who is easily identifiable by his looks and his voice.

They must give this evidence to a U.S. Attorney who has the legal authority to prosecute Federal crimes that are committed in the city that this crime took place in, with a recommendation that this man be arrested and prosecuted before he can carry out his threats.

King Samir Shabazz

It is possible that the F.B.I. is protecting the people who have illegal possession of the stolen artwork because they are friends of Mr. Shabazz.

The F.B.I. can easily prove that I am wrong by arresting Mr. Shabazz for no other reason than the fact that he has encouraged people to commit a hate crime, which, as I have already said, is a Federal crime.

Federal crimes can be investigated by the F.B.I., and if there is enough evidence that a Federal crime has been committed, the criminal can be arrested by the F.B.I. and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law by a U.S. Attorney.

The F.B.I. did investigate when some "anti-Muslim" flyers were found at a subway station in a Boston suburb.  Link to a story dated February 21, 2015 on the website of the ABC-TV affiliate in Boston.  The F.B.I. should also investigate the potential genocide of another race (in the mind of Mr. Shabazz) that he is so actively encouraging by his recorded words, made public by the person who uploaded the YouTube video.

Proposed science and technology standards for students

This is a link to a 54-page PDF-format document called "Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Standards" on the official website for the State of Massachusetts, Department of Education.

The first page is the title page.  The next page is the Table of Contents.  After that is a four page introduction to the proposed standards, labelled pages 2-5.  The science standards for pre-kindergarten begin on page 6.

Something important is missing

This is what I disagree with

For the sake of context, this is one complete paragraph of the introduction to the proposed standards, under the headline "The need to integrate science and engineering practices with concepts".  The link in this paragraph was included on the page.

A college and career perspective emphasizes the importance of scientific and technical reasoning for students’post-secondary success.  The skills needed to engage in scientific and technical reasoning are embodied in the science and engineering practices (detailed in a separate “matrix” document,  www.doe.mass.edu/stem/resources/SciEngPractices-Matrix.docx).  Integrating these practices with disciplinary core ideas is critical to students’ ability to apply their understanding to their community and professional work.  Students cannot reason without content but content alone is not what defines a successful student in science and technology/engineering.  Integration of concepts and practices results in better understanding of science and engineering, increased mastery of sophisticated subject matter, a better ability to explain the world, and increased interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields.  A student’s ability to engage in scientific and technical reasoning through relevant experience is key to successful engagement in civic, college, or career contexts.

Also for the sake of context, this sentence is also included under the headline "Key features of the Science and Technology/Engineering Standards."

To support student readiness for citizenship, college, and careers, the Science and Technology/Engineering (STE) standards are intended to drive coherent, rigorous instruction that emphasizes student mastery of both disciplinary core ideas (concepts) and application of engineering practices (skills).

This is why I disagree with this proposed standard

A person that asks an employer to allow him to work in any field of science must be able to do more than simply show a "mastery of both disciplinary core ideas (concepts) and application of engineering practices (skills)."  This person would only be qualified to be a technician, not a scientist.

A technician can apply existing scientific concepts to the needs of a job, but he may not be able to investigate and prove or disprove any new ideas.  A true scientist has the advanced education to design and implement experiments that will, in fact, prove or disprove any new ideas that are within his field of expertise.

This defines the difference between a scientist and a technician.

The missing and necessary ingredient

What is missing from these proposed science standards is any mention of the scientific method.

Centuries ago, most of the people who called themselves scientists believed that all the other planets revolved around the Earth.  They had been taught this concept as students from their own teachers, and they taught this false concept to their own students.  Any student who learned this false concept well enough to discuss it intelligently would be falsely classified as a scientist under the proposed standards in this 2015 document.

The idea that all the planets revolve around the Earth is a false idea.  The truth is that the Earth and the other planets revolve around the Sun, but this truth was proven by a true scientist.  The people who passed along the false idea were nothing more than astronomical technicians.

The following paragraph was copied from his page on the Biography Channel.

Nicolaus Copernicus was born on February 19, 1473 in Torun, Poland.  Circa 1508, Copernicus developed his own celestial model of a heliocentric planetary system.  Around 1514, he shared his findings in the Commentariolus.  His second book on the topic, De revolutionibus orbium coelestium, was banned by the Roman Catholic Church not long after his May 24, 1543 death in Frauenburg, Poland.

The State of Massachusetts must not allow its' students to call themselves scientists until they are thoroughly familiar with the scientific method, outlined here.

I applied the scientific method one day when I was a teenager.  At the time, I questioned whether God was alive, but I designed an experiment to determine the truth.

I made a hypothesis was that he was alive.  I then tested it by saying a prayer at a time and a place when no other person could hear me.  My prayer asked God to show me that he did, in fact, exist.

Less than a week later, I found a $5 bill in my wallet on a day that I was certain that there was no money in it.

I accepted this as the proof of my hypothesis, and I believe in the existence of God now.

Many children who study various sciences in other countries have a better education in those countries than our own children.  Our educational institutions cannot say that they teach science if they do not teach the scientific method.

If United States schools and Massachusetts schools do not teach the scientific method, we will produce people who will be vulnerable to repeating unscientific lies like the statement that the Sun and the other planets revolve around the Earth.

This is one complete paragraph of the proposed standards.

In particular, it is important to note that the science and engineering practices are not teaching strategies; they are important learning goals in their own right.  The term “practices” is used in the standards instead the term“inquiry” to emphasize that the practices are outcomes to be learned, not the method of instruction.  The term “inquiry” has so often been used to refer to an instructional approach as well as the skills to be learned that many educators do not separate the two uses.  Students cannot comprehend the disciplines of science and technology/engineering, nor fully appreciate the nature of scientific and technical knowledge, without learning and using the science and engineering practices.  The term “practices” denotes the skills to be learned as a result of instruction, whether that instruction is inquiry-based or not.

Up until the 16th century, it was expected that students would learn that the Sun and all of the other known planets revolved around the earth.

In the 21st century, we know that they don't, but it required the skills of a 16th century astronomer named Nicolaus Copernicus to prove it.

This proposed standard for Massachusetts schools emphasizes "learning and using the science and engineering practices."

It is inadequate.

Students cannot call themselves scientists until they can use the scientific method to make new discoveries in their field of science.

November 29, 2015 update

These are the first four paragraphs of a November 21, 2015 New York Times story:

It has been one of the most stubborn problems in education:  With 50 states, 50 standards and 50 tests, how could anyone really know what American students were learning, or how well?

At a dinner with colleagues in 2009, Mitchell Chester, Massachusetts’s commissioner of education, hatched what seemed like an obvious answer — a national test based on the Common Core standards that almost every state had recently adopted.

Now Dr. Chester finds himself in the awkward position of walking away from the very test he helped create.

On his recommendation, the State Board of Education decided last week that Massachusetts would go it alone and abandon the multistate test in favor of one to be developed for just this state.  The move will cost an extra year and unknown millions of dollars.

Links to other stories about the same subject (listed in chronological order)

This October 22, 2015 Boston Globe article was written prior to the November vote by the Massachusetts Board of Education.  The article was written by a former senior associate commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, who is opposed to Common Core.

National Public Radio, November 17, 2015

Public Broadcasting Stations, November 23, 2015

June 25, 2018 update

These are the first paragraphs of a June 21, 2018 article written by the editorial staff of the Pioneer Institute.  The link in the first paragraph was in their article.

The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education should reject a proposed rewrite of the Massachusetts History and Social Science Curriculum Framework in its entirety and immediately restore the state’s 2003 framework, considered among the strongest in the country, according to a new research paper titled, No Longer a City on a Hill: Massachusetts Degrades Its K-12 History Standards, published by Pioneer Institute.

“The 2018 revision fails to provide effective history education. It must be replaced with a framework that requires much of students but offers them, in return, a share of our common treasure,” wrote the paper’s authors, David Randall, director of research at the National Association of Scholars; Will Fitzhugh, founder of the The Concord Review, and Jane Robbins, senior fellow at the American Principles Project.

The authors argue that the draft of the new framework, released for public comment in January, “eviscerates” the 2003 framework and degrades it in five ways.

1. It replaces coherent sequences of American and European history with incoherent fragments.
2. It is 50 percent longer than the 2003 framework and presents the standards in “unreadable education-school jargon.”
3. It replaces the earlier framework’s full account of our country’s European past and replaces much of it with “the history of politically correct protest movements.”
4. It allots insufficient time for students to learn European and American history.
5. It eliminates the already developed 2009 history MCAS assessment and substitutes hollow “expectations” for each grade.

“Each of the 2018 Revision’s failings is sufficient to disqualify it as an adequate standard for K–12 history instruction,” according to the authors. “It should be rejected outright.”

This is the mission statement of the Pioneer Institute.  The logo was on their page.

Pioneer Institute is an independent, non-partisan, privately funded research organization that seeks to improve the quality of life in Massachusetts through civic discourse and intellectually rigorous, data-driven public policy solutions based on free market principles, individual liberty and responsibility, and the ideal of effective, limited and accountable government.

The education of students in Massachusetts and the rest of the country should not be subject to political whims.  I agree with the authors of this article.  This revised history curriculum framework should be rejected outright.

Summary

The last words in this essay belong to Nicolaus.

Memorial Day 2015

The following material has been copied and pasted with love from this page on the official website of the State of Massachusetts.

All of the links that you see here were on the state's website.

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Massachusetts proudly supports and honors military members who have died fighting for our country, and Memorial Day — May 25, 2015 — offers residents of the Commonwealth an opportunity to remember fallen heroes. The Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT) and the Department of Veterans’ Services (DVS) have information on Memorial Day events from Boston to the Berkshires.

Parades in Massachusetts

There are more than 40 Memorial Day parades scheduled this year in cities and towns across Massachusetts. Check with your municipality or the sponsor that organizes the parade in your area for start times and routes.

Ceremonies at Veterans’ Cemeteries

Annual events at state veterans’ cemeteries and other resting places for military members in the Commonwealth include poignant Memorial Day ceremonies. You can find burial site information for veterans using the nationwide gravesite locator from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

• Winchendon Cemetery — A one-hour outdoor ceremony begins at 9 a.m. on the grounds of the Massachusetts Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery in Winchendon.
• Agawam Cemetery — The event at the Massachusetts Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery in Agawam, where thousands of veterans have been laid to rest, lasts approximately one hour and starts at 1 p.m.
• Massachusetts National Cemetery — Operated by the VA, the Massachusetts National Cemetery is located in Bourne, on Cape Cod. The Avenue of Flags lines the entrance to the cemetery and proudly displays flags donated by the families of interred veterans. A remembrance will occur on May 24 at 1 p.m. Notable gravesites include those of Medal of Honor recipients and unknown soldiers who fought for the Union during the Civil War.

Free Events for Veterans and Service Members

If you serve our country or want to do something special with a veteran or active duty military member, consider a free event during Memorial Day weekend.

• Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Preservation Month — Get involved in DCR‘s Preservation Month 2015 during May, which celebrates historic sites in Massachusetts. This year’s theme is War and Peace, to mark the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War. Programs at DCR parks around Memorial Day involve military monuments and structures, including Castle Island’s Fort Independence, Fort Warren on Georges Island, Civil War-era Camp Andrew at Brook Farm Historic Site, and the Massachusetts Veterans War Memorial Tower at Mount Greylock State Reservation. Most programs and events are free, but parking and ferry fees may apply.
• Battleship Cove — Active duty, reserve, and retired military members get free admission on Memorial Day weekend from May 23–25. A 21-gun salute and flag-raising ceremony takes place at 12 p.m. on Memorial Day and is free to the public.
• Blue Star Museums — Nearly 70 Massachusetts museums collaborate with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the Department of Defense (DoD), and Blue Star Families (BSF) as part of this project. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day — September 7, 2015 — active-duty military personnel and their families receive free admission to participating museums.
• Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) — Admission is free for everyone from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. during the MFA’s Memorial Day Open House. The temporary Over There! Posters from World War I and permanent Art of the Americas exhibitions feature paintings, pictures, and sculptures that may be of interest to Memorial Day visitors.
• National Parks and Historic Sites — The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass for U.S. military covers entrance and amenity fees at sites managed by the National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and Bureau of Reclamation (USBR). Military members can get a pass with a valid military I.D. at most Massachusetts locations that issue annual passes. Check with each location before you visit to make sure the pass is accepted. Sites related to American military history include Minute Man National Historical Park, Springfield Armory National Historic Site, and the Washington-Rochambeau National Historic Trail.

Volunteering Opportunities to Benefit Veterans

Support service members this Memorial Day by getting involved with charitable groups and programs that focus on helping Massachusetts veterans.

• The Women Veterans’ Network (WVN) — Join the WVN volunteer committee and host networking or social events for women veterans in your area as part of this DVS initiative.
• DVS Soldiers’ Homes — Volunteer, offer a memorial gift, or donate to one of the services or programs at one of the two DVS Soldiers’ Homes, located in Chelsea and Holyoke.
• New England Center for Homeless Veterans (NECHV) — Serve meals, sort supplies, and teach veterans at this Boston-based center and join the more than 1,400 people who volunteer annually.
• The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) — Find volunteer opportunities in your area, learn how to start your own service project, and invite others to join your new program with CNCS resources.

Memorial Day is a time for reflection as well as celebration. Honor service members and veterans this holiday and enjoy the many commemorative events in the Commonwealth.

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Thank you, Governor Baker !

A Marine from Gloucester was accidentally shot in Georgia

These paragraphs were copied from an article dated today (March 28, 2015) published in Stars and Stripes.  They reprinted an article, also dated March 28th, in the Gloucester Times.  A link to this article appeared on the Twitter account of Stars and Stripes (@starsandstripes), and that's where I saw it.

GLOUCESTER, Mass. (TNS) — When Gloucester resident Josie Cary got the call that her son, Dan, had been accidentally shot at the Kings Bay Naval Base in Georgia, her first thought was that it was a prank. It wasn't.

Dan Cary, a 19-year-old Marine, Gloucester native, and a 2013 graduate of North Shore Technical High School, is recovering after being been shot in the back Tuesday with an M-16 rifle.

Cary was shot while coming out of a break area on the base, when the weapon went off as one person attempted to hand it over to someone else, Cary's mother said in a phone interview Friday.

The bullet entered his back and exited through his abdomen, causing major damage to his intestines and spleen. He is recovering in Jacksonville, Florida, where he went through his third surgery Friday morning.

"We got the best news we could get today," Josie Cary said, calling from the hospital waiting room. "We just spoke with the surgeon, he's in recovery. They haven't taken the breathing tube out, but hopefully (will) today."

Dan did not know who had shot him, but later learned that it was one of his friends at the base, said Tina Russell, Dan's aunt. She said he has expressed forgiveness for his friend's accident, and is asking people to keep him in their prayers as well.

Josie Cary said her son's fellow Marines performed first aid immediately, and the doctors were impressed at how little blood he lost, given the circumstances.

Those paragraphs are about a third of the entire article.

The Gloucester Daily Times published a followup article today.  These are the first paragraphs.

The nonprofit Gloucester Fund has joined in the effort to raise money for the family of 19-year-old U.S. Marine Dan Cary, the Gloucester native who is recovering after being shot with an M16 rifle and critically wounded on a base in Georgia.

Family and friends of Cary — a 2013 graduate of North Shore Technical High School, and the son of Dan and Josie Cary of Gloucester — have set up a GoFundMe.com account to seek support for covering costs associated with visiting and assisting in his recovery.

But Barry Pett, who heads up The Gloucester Fund, said that some residents and others might like to make a tax deductible contribution to the effort.

"As such, The Gloucester Fund has opened an account for this purpose," Pett said.

Pett noted that "100 percent" of the money collected through the fund will be passed on to the Cary family. He said anyone seeking to make a tax-deductible contribution may do so by sending a check to The Gloucester Fund, 45 Middle St., Gloucester, MA 01930.

Contributors must include the name "Dan Cary" in the memo section to ensure that funds get directed to the proper account, Pett said.

Those seeking to help the Cary family may also contribute through the GoFundMe account at http://www.gofundme.com/pw3q4w.

Get well soon, Marine. They have your back.

Vote for Hannah Kane for State Representative

She is running in the 153rd District in the Massachusetts State House.  This is part of the State Legislature, the part of our state government that passes laws and hopes that the Governor will sign those laws.

This is a map of the House districts in our state.

This is an enlargement of the 153rd district, colored purple in this map.

It includes all of Shrewsbury and Precincts 4 and 5 in Westborough (about half of that town).

The election date is March 31, 2015.


This is a special election.  Matt Beaton, who was the State Representative for that district is now working in a different part of the state government, so the seat is currently vacant.

She hosted a nice going-away party for him last December.  The following two paragraphs and the photo were all copied from this undated article in the Shrewsbury Lantern.

Candidate for State Representative Hannah Kane will hold a farewell and thank you to outgoing State Representative Matt Beaton from 7-9pm on Wednesday, December 10, 2014 at the Italian American Victory Club, 26 Dewey Road, Shrewsbury. All are welcome to wish Matt Beaton well in his new position as Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs for the Commonwealth.

Link to the website of The Governor's Secretary for Energy and Environmental Affairs.

Matthew A. Beaton is in charge of this important state agency now.

She has been active in the community for many years

This a photo of her at the Shrewsbury Garden Party in June 2011, copied from this undated article about the event in the Shrewsbury Lantern.

The man next to her is Peter Blute.  He was a U.S. Representative for two terms, from 1993-97, and he ran for re-election a third time, but he was defeated by Democrat James McGovern in November 1996.

Peter was later named the Deputy Chairman of the Massachusetts Republican Party.

Link to the page on her campaign website that shows her professional achievements.  There are many examples of executive experience that would help any member of the State Legislature perform his or her professional duties.

June 5, 2016 update. On the date that this essay was published, her campaign website was active, but now that she has won her race and is now a Massachusetts State Representative, this campaign website is no longer active, but she is now using a different website.

Link to her new website.

Her Twitter account is @HannahEKaneMA

The Shrewsbury Garden Club isn't just a social event

It's a fundraiser for local groups that need the money. These two paragraphs and the photo were copied from another article in the Lantern, written after the 2011 event emceed by Peter Blute.

The Shrewsbury School Committee was honored to welcome to last nights meeting, Heather Logrippo, and Hannah Kane, representing the many members of the Shrewsbury Garden Party Committee in attendance, who presented the School Department with a check for $25,000.  These funds are raised from the fantastic annual Garden Party event, held each year in mid-June, which in three short years has become a part of the very fabric of Shrewsbury.

This years event, emceed by Shrewsbury’s own Peter Blute, was held in the gorgeous gardens of the Fallon Home in Shrewsbury center, and attracted hundreds of Shrewsbury residents, along with countless generous sponsors and a plethora of some of the best silent auction items ever compiled in one place.  This was the third year of the event, and the second year in a row in which $25,000 was raised to benefit the students of Shrewsbury.

Look closely at the two women in the photo above. They both have warm smiles on their faces, they both have comfortable, casual body language, and they're both sitting close to each other, without any awkwardness or stiff poses.

These two women have known each other as friends for a long time.  The photo proves it.

The qualities of a good fundraiser

Raising this much money for local schools requires a person to have certain qualities, all of which will enable Hannah to be an effective State Representative.  She had to help organize the event weeks in advance, including making sure that her schedule allowed her to be there, rain or shine.

She had to be friendly enough to ask for donations and friendly to everyone who gave a donation.  She had to be honest enough to make sure that the donated money was all delivered to the school department, and she had to keep good records so that all of this money could be accounted for.

Some of the organizations that have endorsed her

• The National Federation of Independent Business SAFE Trust PAC
• Massachusetts and Northern New England Laborer's District Council, which is part of the AFL-CIO
• Citizens for Limited Taxation, 2½ Political Action Committee
• Shrewsbury Firefighter's Association (their Facebook page)
• Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus Political Action Committee

Link to the page on her campaign website that a copy of all of these endorsement letters.

The issues that she cares about

These three paragraphs were copied directly from the priorities page of her campaign website, the best place to find any candidate's list of issues.

The key issues of my campaign will be applying a tourniquet on unfunded mandates, restoring and improving state aid to cities and towns, improving care for our most vulnerable without stripping their dignity and reversing regulations that stymie growth.

As a small business owner, I see daily the challenges and roadblocks that prevent economic growth, allowing me to bring that perspective to State government. We cannot continue on the path of obstruction.

I am prepared to be a voice of reason on Beacon Hill, and am willing to hear all sides of the issues, compromise with others who may not share my point of view, and work to make progress every step of the way.

There's a refreshing freshness and honesty in her campaign

Listen to her, in the following YouTube video, announcing the beginning of the campaign.  I see and hear an unusual combination of inexperience as a public speaker combined with a lot of experience being a valued member of a community of friends.

People who are State Representatives can learn how to give speeches in committee rooms and at the podium inside the Legislative Chamber of the Massachusetts State House.  State Representatives do need to be able to relate well to a wide variety of other people.

She has already given talks to large groups, but she's obviously not as experienced in this area as some other people are, people who have been working as legislators for many years.

During the announcement of the beginning of her campaign, she makes eye contact with her audience instead of staring into the video camera.  She has the vital quality of being a friend, even when she knows that she will be speaking to a large online audience.

I like what I see.  You will, too.

The official announcement of her candidacy

Link to the announcement that was printed January 15, 2015 in the Worcester Telegram.

At the beginning of her 15-minute remarks, a woman walks behind her, moving some helium balloons out of the camera's viewpoint.  An experienced public speaker would have had this done before she began speaking.

Hannah doesn't put the microphone right in front of her mouth.  This reduces the volume of her voice a bit, and it distorts the sound of her voice a bit, but again, I get the impression that she is more used to talking one-on-one with friends and relatives, or as part of a small group.

She isn't wearing a Hillary-style pantsuit or a professional woman's suit that includes a matching jacket and slacks.  On the day that she decided to make this very important announcement, she wore clothes that I might expect her to wear on any other day of the year.  That tells me that she still considers herself a member of the same family that wants her to run for public office, a member of the same group of friends who want her to run for office, and a member of the same organizations that want her to run for office.

She mentions her husband and three children in the first minute of the video.  There is a softness in her voice when she talks about them that tells me that she loves all of them very much.

She mentions her parents at the end of her second minute of the video, and she looks right at them when she mentions them.  They also mean a lot to her.

Her audience, judging by the sound of their applause, is seated very close to her, indicating that they are her friends and neighbors and that, because she knows them very well, she is comfortable having them near her when she makes announcements.  Whenever she hears applause, she patiently waits for them to finish before she speaks again, reinforcing her respect for them.

Her body language, while she speaks, visually and in the tone of her voice, shows humility and modesty.  She is clearly appreciative of the many friends she has, who have all worked hard to help her prepare for that moment.

This woman deserves to be a State Representative.  Please vote for her.

November 25, 2016 update

Hannah didn't have a Republican opponent in the primary election that was held on September 8, and she didn't have a Democrat opponent in the general election that was held on November 8, so she is still the State Representative in the 11th Worcester District.  Link to her page on the Ballotpedia website.

July 12, 2018 update

The Hannnah Kane Charity Classic is an annual golf tournament that benefits the Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services.  The link above has the final financial results, which are reproduced here.

In its' first year (August 2015), the event raised $45,000 for this charity.

In August 2016, they raised $51,000, and in August 2017, they raised $54,000.  The photo on the right was taken at the end of the 2016 event.  The photo below shows the 2017 results.

Tweets written by her or about her

Note: Some of these tweets mention an effort to build a new school.

Spending time on Primary Day with my friend and our @MassLtGov asking for voter's support! #Shrewsbury #Westborough #mapoli pic.twitter.com/8xfbBR2lwa

— Hannah Kane (@HannahEKaneMA) September 4, 2018

Thanks to @HannahEKaneMA & @SenMikeMoore for their update to the School Committee last evening & for their ongoing advocacy & efforts on behalf of our schools – esp. their leadership to enable acquisition of the Glavin Center for the site of the possible new Beal School! pic.twitter.com/mOUbw4qCgp

— Joe Sawyer (@SPS_Supt) September 13, 2018

Great to join so many in celebrating the Spirit of #ShrewsburyMA - a vibrant and friendly community I am so happy to call home and honored to represent!! @ShrewsburyMAGov pic.twitter.com/tBGkBQFx4A

— Hannah Kane (@HannahEKaneMA) October 1, 2018

Excited to be back in #WashingtonDC for a @WomenInGovt State Directors Conference & Healthcare Summit. Great to be with women legislators from across the country (and 4 from MA!) to discuss challenges & opportunities & exchange good policy ideas. #WIGDistrict2District pic.twitter.com/8sPoudittf

— Hannah Kane (@HannahEKaneMA) October 3, 2018

Jess & I enjoyed attending @WhiteHouse Conference w/ #Massachusetts, Maine & Vermont State & Local Leaders today. Many briefings incld. Secretary Labor Alexander Acosta, acting Dir. of National Drug Control Policy, Depty Sec. of VA & sr. Transpo & Educ. officials. #mapoli pic.twitter.com/6QxHfss0nm

— Hannah Kane (@HannahEKaneMA) October 17, 2018

Hannah Kane and Jason Palitsch are standing out in support of the Beal School project in the center of town today - vote YES for Beal School on Nov 6th! #SupportBeal pic.twitter.com/XqJixrBHTD

— Community Supporters for Beal (@SupportBeal) October 20, 2018

A huge thank you to Town Meeting members for their overwhelming “Yes” vote to approve the borrowing for the new Beal School! I’m hopeful the full community will vote “Yes” on November 6 to authorize funding this critically important building project. pic.twitter.com/TxOko9neha

— Joe Sawyer (@SPS_Supt) October 23, 2018

A huge thank you to Town Meeting members for their overwhelming “Yes” vote to approve the borrowing for the new Beal School! I’m hopeful the full community will vote “Yes” on November 6 to authorize funding this critically important building project. pic.twitter.com/TxOko9neha

— Joe Sawyer (@SPS_Supt) October 23, 2018

ADVISE (Against Domestic Violence in #ShrewsburyMA Education Project) held their annual vigil to remember victims & survivors of domestic violence in our community. We stand together ready to help anyone living with violence who come forward seeking help. #LoveShouldNotHurt pic.twitter.com/8CDqkWfRgJ

— Hannah Kane (@HannahEKaneMA) October 25, 2018

Very excited MA School Building Auth. voted to advance #ShrewsburyMa proposed new K-4 Beal school project scope & budget today - now Shrewsbury voters need 2 come together & vote YES to approve the project to get $34M in state funding! https://t.co/3MAJVgUca1. #EarlyVoteToday pic.twitter.com/4HlBL1CFf4

— Hannah Kane (@HannahEKaneMA) October 31, 2018

Wonderful to join former Attorney General Martha Coakley & my legislative colleague Representative Kay Kahn on a panel "Women in Public Office: A Conversation with @BU_Tweets Alumnae" tonight! #TerrierPride #Vote #RunWomenRun pic.twitter.com/LLhN6whXok

— Hannah Kane (@HannahEKaneMA) November 2, 2018

Thanks so much for all the beeps, waves and votes today!!! #GoBeal pic.twitter.com/fe9XQuVrFx

— Hannah Kane (@HannahEKaneMA) November 7, 2018

Working in Boston today for this Transportation Task Force meeting. Honored to be appointed to this task force and serve with @HannahEKaneMA . This is a natural extension of my role as the House Chair of the RTA Caucus. pic.twitter.com/oi2oTCX6Xo

— Sarah Peake (@skpeake) November 8, 2018

November 19, 2018 update

This half-hour video, uploaded on October 12, 2018, shows a round-table discussion of local issues, including a new school.  This discussion was hosted by State Representative Hannah Kane. Link to a September 6, 2018 news story in the Shrewsbury Post.  She had just won a primary election. Because no Democrat ran against her, she will be reelected.

August 21, 2019 update

I found another video of Massachusetts State Representative Hannah Kane. This one shows her, sitting at her desk in her statehouse office, talking about legislation that deals with rare diseases.

Her Twitter account is @HannahEKaneMA  Link to her Facebook page.