Homeschoolers Win National Mock Trial Invitational

I am so very pleased. I support home education. There, I said it.

And, the most recent news out of the home education field is that a Tennessee homeschool mock trial high school team won a National Mock Trial Invitational, the American Mock Trial Invitational in New Jersey.

One of the first things they did when they heard that they had won the competition was congratulate the opposing team.

Terrific social skills!

The result list from this competition can be seen here.

Red Alert List

FIRE has begun its
Red Alert List with two notably difficult adversaries: Tufts University and Johns Hopkins University. Those who know about FIRE understand that its mission is to respond to student complaints about the abrogation of their free speech rights by colleges and universities.

The two universities noted above earned their place on the Red Alert List because of their repeated, notable, and arguably unconstitutional restrictions on free speech. They do this primarily through vague terminology and unusually stern consequence.

For instance, Johns Hopkins University now bans speech that is “tasteless” or that breaches standards of “civility” according to the
December 11, 2006 issue of The JHU Gazette. Who is the arbiter of "tasteless" or "standards of civility"? The reasonable person? The highly sensitive person? The person with an opposing viewpoint? The person with "pull" at the university? Who?

Also, Tufts University has repeatedly stated that it honors free speech and protects it, but, according to Greg Lukianoff, "redefined harassment to include even factually accurate statements if some students find them unflattering." The example in this case is one presented in the
April 11, 2007 issue of "The Primary Source."

I understand being upset that other people have a right to say and print what they want (with the exception of liable and slander). That freedom does NOT only extend to those with whom we agree. If we cannot protect the right of others to say/write what they want, then we cannot defend our own right to say/write what we want. Even if it is rude or uncivil (again, who defines those terms?).

Thank goodness for FIRE.

Ohio's OGT for Seniors

As a parent, I do not have to worry about this exam. As an attorney, though, I may need to - as I have had several home educated students contact me about the OGT. That is the Ohio Graduation Test, required to gain a high school diploma.

It appears that there is at least alternative pathway to achieve graduation. Note: Homeshoolers need not apply.

College Republicans Do Not Have to Lie

The Student Senate of the University of Rhode Island (URI)did the right thing. They refused to accept a proposal to derecognize the College Republicans. Further, the College Republicans do not have to apologize for their farcical satire that advertised "scholarships" for white, heterosexual, American males.

Hurray for Freedom of Speech. No compelled speech (forced apology) at URI.

Of course, the SOARC, otherwise known as the Student Organizations Advisory and Review Committee were likely upset, as this oversight committee had directed the College Republicans to either publically apologize (to whom? and for what) or face derecognition.

See FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights in Education) for more, including the letters that went back and forth.

Truckers Are Set to Voice Their Opinion

In the wake of an interesting "international" - err - should I say "national" decision to allow truckers from a neighboring county (here, Mexico) to travel deeper in to the United States (or perhaps all the way through to Canada), U.S. truckers are going to protest.

Imagine that! They are taking their time and money (and time is money in that industry) and are going to Washington D.C.

But why?

Well, they expect that truckers and trucking firms from Mexico are going to undermine the wages (about $.47 a mile around here) that U.S. truckers earn. Outsourcing within our own boundaries. Oh, yeah, I forgot! President Bush wants this. Oh, well. I suppose that what he wants, he will get, no matter the consequences to US citizens.

The taxpayers will likely be paying for the unemployment benefits of a whole lot of truckers. Who cares about that? After all, we consumers (taxpayers) will also be paying less for all our goods - after all, shipping costs are quite a huge part of the price of each and every item that we buy.

Of course, there is also the issue of the road worthiness and safety of the trucks coming from Mexico. But, perhaps, this issue will be solved by charging all the suppliers less money to ship stuff, and more stuff will be shipped, and costs to maintain trucks will be less, etc, etc, etc.

Anyway, U.S. truckers are planning to drive around state capitols and the US Capitol, slowly.

Just keep on trucking!

Ideological Litmus Test in Social Work

This event at HHS (U.S. Dept. of Heath of Human Services)has been brewing since last year. Now, FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights in Education) has written a letter to HHS. FIRE claims that by only hiring social workers who graduate from colleges that are accredited by the CSWE ( Council on Social Work Education ), HHS is indirectly supporting an unconstitutional ideological litmus test. See the letter here.

Since this is the second letter to HHS, and two more organizations, NAS (National Association of Scholars) and ACTA ( American Council of Trustees and Alumni ) joined in the letter, perhaps Rear Admiral Denise Canton will investigate FIRE's claims.

Is Academic Freedom for Pennsylvania Students Real?

Today I received a
report that The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is making strides toward student academic freedom, not just faculty academic freedom. What a thought!

I cannot do justice to this topic, so be sure to go to Frontpage to see more on the developing topic of student academic freedom.

I am all for it. More on this general topic tomorrow.