Category Archives: Freedom

With the countrys eyes on Comey, Trump enlists evangelicals to push Senate on health bill and says he'll prevail, as the Bible says.

Ralph Reed, founder of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, listens to remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast, where President Donald Trump spoke on Feb. 2, 2017. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

As Washington sat transfixed before the image of former FBI Director James Comey spilling some beans on the president of the United States, Donald J. Trump went to work. An expert in creating crises, Trump is not the kind to let his handiwork go to waste.

At a conference of mostly evangelical Christians convened in Washington, DC, by Republican political operative Ralph Reed, Trump reminded attendees of the Faith and Freedom Coalitions annual Road to Majority conference of their agenda and his. If he made any reference to the drama unfolding before the Senate Intelligence Committee, it was this: As you know, were under siege; you understand that, the president said. But we will come out bigger, better and stronger than ever you watch.

BY Adele Stan | February 2, 2017

Expressing his appreciation to members of the Faith and Freedom Coalition for their work on his behalf during the 2016 presidential race, Trump cited some 22 million pieces of mail sent, 16 million videos shared, 10 million phone calls made and 1.2 million doors knocked on in the key battleground states. He quoted the Book of Isaiah from the teleprompter.

He went on to recount what he had already delivered for his religious supporters: a drastic reduction in illegal crossings on the southern border; the appointment of Neil Gorsuch, a foe of abortion rights, to the Supreme Court; an executive action on religious freedom, a withdrawal of aid to overseas humanitarian groups that dare to speak of abortion, and withdrawal from the Paris climate accord. That last one elicited a raucous and sustained cheer from the assembled, seeing as how its very name combines two mutually repugnant ideas: the fact of climate change and a city in which people speak French.

Without naming it as such, Trump noted the leaked draft of a rule revision, dated May 27, under consideration at the Department of Health and Human Services that would appear to definitively permit religious orders that run hospitals and social service agencies to flout the current mandate that employer-provided health insurance include coverage for prescription contraceptives. The Little Sisters of the Poor, Trump said, referring to a Catholic religious order that brought a lawsuit against the Obama administration that challenged the mandate, had just won big with his executive actions on behalf of religious freedom. The president pointed at two nuns in the audience. Stand up, he instructed them. You dont mess with the Little Sisters, he quipped. Never mind that the nuns obediently standing were from an entirely different order (the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist); they were old women in habits. They would do. The optics worked.

BY Theo Anderson | April 20, 2017

He went on at length to describe his instruction to the IRS to refrain from investigating houses of worship for political activity that would threaten their non-profit status as an unleashing of free speech from the pulpits of the nation.

The audience then received an accounting of the agenda yet to be undertaken the part that requires legislation by Congress. Trump came to Road to Majority to set its army of socially conservative, mostly white churchgoers to work on Capitol Hill, lobbying senators and members of the House, as many groups do during national conference. But few get their marching orders directly from the president, even if not said in so many words.

First on the presidents list was the health care bill that is currently stalled in the Senate.

Restoring freedom and opportunity also means repealing and replacing the disaster known as He put his hand to is ear.

Obamacare! the crowd shouted.

That was easy, Trump replied. Something I hope great is going to come out through [Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell in the Senate.

The next big item was tax reform the biggest tax cut ever, he said. But sadly, Trump added, they would have to pass each of these measures without a single Democratic vote, because Democrats are obstructionists who are bad, right now, for the country.

The entrenched interests and failed bitter voices in Washington will do everything in their power to try and stop us from this righteous cause to try to stop all of you, Trump said. They will lie, they will obstruct, they will spread their hatred and their prejudice, but we will not back down from doing what is right. Because, as the Bible tells us, we know that the truth will prevail, that Gods glorious wisdom will shine through, and that the good and decent people of this country will get the change they voted for, and that they so richly deserve.

He patted himself on the back for deporting people he deemed gang members and drug dealers, and characterized his summit with Saudi leaders as a blow against global terrorism.

As the Bible tells us, we know that the truth will prevail, that Gods glorious wisdom will shine through, and that the good and decent people of this country will get the change they voted for, and that they so richly deserve.

He made a call for unity, noting that whether we are black, brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood.

In America, he said, we dont worship government; we worship God.

The speech, delivered at the conference luncheon, was well-received. Afterward, attendees boarded busses headed for the Capitol the Senates Dirksen Office Building, to be exact. There they would be treated to a town hall-style meeting with House Speaker Paul Ryan, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and other Republican lawmakers. The meeting was closed to the press.

Once it concluded, members of the group would lobby the senators from their respective states.

Milling outside the hearing room where the town hall would take place, Rebecca Clutter, a woman who looked to be in her 50s or 60s, offered her assessment of the presidents speech. [I]t was amazing and awesome and it hit all the points, said Clutter, who had traveled to Washington from Ohio, where she had knocked on doors during the campaign under the aegis of Women for Trump.

Casey Matta, a student at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, also loved the presidents speech, naming as his favorite points Trumps anti-abortion rhetoric and something about the Paris [climate accord].

Asked how the US withdrawal from the climate accord agreement fit in with the religious purpose of the Faith and Freedom Coalition event, Matta thought a minute. Well, I think its like a Republican religious convention so when he brings that kind of stuff for conservatives I agree with that.

What did he make of the probe of Russian meddling in the US election, and contacts between Trump campaign figures and Russian officials? Matta said he didnt believe that Russia had intervened in the election. By his lights, it was all a put-up job by Democrats.

I think [Trump] definitely is being targeted, with the Democrats and everything. I mean, they need to cool it, he said. Give him some time to worry about what hes got to worry about now.

Right now, Trump is worrying about, among other things, getting a legislative win. And Casey Matta, Rebecca Clutter, and hundreds of others came to the nations capital to help him get it, all in the name of God.

Read the original here:

Trump Brings Out the Bible for Faith and Freedom - BillMoyers.com

House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) said Friday that Congress should have a "real proposal" on tax reform that lawmakers can start debating by the end of July.

We believe that time is of the essence, Meadows said at an event at The Heritage Foundation.

The conservative Freedom Caucus took a formal positionearlier this week, calling on the House to work through the August recess to advance GOP priorities such as tax reform.

Meadows said that Congress should cancel recess if there's no detailed tax proposal before August "to make sure that we put the priorities of the American people first on the legislative agenda."

Meadows said that he supports lowering the corporate tax rate as well as the tax rate for businesses whose income is taxed through the individual code. He also wants to allow businesses to have the option of repatriating their foreign earnings at an 8 percent rate over the course of 20 months.

Meadows praised House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin BradyKevin BradyConservatives push to drop border tax from tax reform Freedom Caucus chairman: 'Time is of the essence' on tax reform Overnight Healthcare: Conservatives push back on Senate changes to health bill MORE (R-Texas) and the White House for releasing tax reform plans.

But the Freedom Caucus chairman suggested that Congress move on from one part of Brady's plan the border-adjustment proposal to tax imports and exempt exports since it has faced a lot of pushback from lawmakers. Meadows said that Congress should acknowledge that "the political facts are there is not consensus to have a support for the border-adjustment tax.

The Freedom Caucus hasn't taken a formal position on the border-adjustment tax, and its membership is divided on it. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) blasted the provision during the event, while Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) said that he could back legislation that includes the tax.

Brady continued to defend the border-adjustment tax this week, saying it helps to encourage companies to bring jobs back into the United States. He also said that those with concerns about it should "bring us their solutions on how we stop jobs from leaving and more importantly bring them back.

Congressional GOP leaders have said they want tax reform to be revenue neutral.

Jordan said he disagreed.

"Revenue neutral's a fancy way of saying the tax burden stays the same," he said.

Congressional Republicans want to pass tax reform legislation through the Senate with the reconciliation process, which would bypass a potential filibuster and avert the need to court Democratic votes. To do that, Congress first needs to pass a budget for fiscal 2018.

Jordan said that "right now, a budget cannot pass in the House of Representatives." The Freedom Caucus is discussing accepting a higher budget number if welfare reforms are included in a tax bill, he said.

Excerpt from:

Freedom Caucus chairman: 'Time is of the essence' on tax reform - The Hill

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are toying with the lives of thousands of Gulf residents as part of their dispute with Qatar, splitting up families and destroying peoples livelihoods and education, Amnesty International said today.

The organizations researchers have interviewed dozens of people whose human rights have been affected by a series of sweeping measures imposed in an arbitrary manner by the three Gulf countries in their dispute with Qatar.

For potentially thousands of people across the Gulf, the effect of the steps imposed in the wake of this political dispute is suffering, heartbreak and fear, said James Lynch, Deputy Director of Amnesty Internationals Global Issues Programme, who was in Doha last week.

These drastic measures are already having a brutal effect, splitting children from parents and husbands from wives. People from across the region not only from Qatar, but also from the states implementing these measures risk losing jobs and having their education disrupted. All the states involved in this dispute must ensure their actions do not lead to human rights violations.

All the states involved in this dispute must ensure their actions do not lead to human rights violations

While Amnesty International takes no view on the political dispute itself, which also involves other countries including Egypt, Jordan and Yemen, the organization is seriously concerned about the impact of some of these steps on the rights to family life and education.

In a fresh blow to freedom of expression in the Gulf, people in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and UAE have also been threatened with harsh punishment if they dare to criticize these measures.

On 5 June all three states ordered Qatari nationals to leave their territories within 14 days, and announced that all of their nationals had to return from Qatar, threatening penalties for anyone who did not return within this timeframe. According to Qatars National Human Rights Committee, more than 11,000 nationals of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and UAE live in Qatar. Many Qataris also live in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and UAE. All are potentially affected by these measures.

People with relations from other Gulf states are particularly at risk. Amnesty International has documented several cases of people cut off from parents, children and spouses as a result.

One Qatari man, who has lived in the UAE with his family for more than 10 years, was refused entry and sent back to Qatar as he tried to return home to Dubai from Doha, just after the measures were announced on 5 June. His wife is an Emirati national and is therefore forbidden from travelling to Qatar, while his children are Qatari nationals and so are required to leave UAE. He is now separated from his family and does not know when he will next see them.

He described to Amnesty International how his wife had pleaded with the duty officer to see her husband one last time. The officer said, no way just go back, he said.

He told Amnesty International that he fears his employers in the UAE will dismiss him from his job since he cannot return and because of his nationality.

A Saudi Arabian man, who lives in Doha with his Qatari wife, told Amnesty International that he is unable to visit his mother, who is seriously ill in hospital in Saudi Arabia, because if he did he would not be able to return to Qatar to be with his wife and children:

I go home, I cant see my wife. I stay here, I cant see my mum.

I go home, I cant see my wife. I stay here, I cant see my mum

A newly-wed Qatari woman told researchers she had been in the process of moving to Bahrain to live with her husband, a Bahraini national, when the measures took force.

I was so happy to marry last year Before the ban, while I was looking for a job in Bahrain I would go there every weekend, to see my husband, my family, my house. When they did this, how could they not think of the people?

Amnesty International also interviewed several Qatari students concerned they could not continue their education in the UAE and Bahrain. One student said all her classes in the UAE for the rest of the year had been cancelled with immediate effect.

A states power to regulate and restrict immigration is constrained by international human rights law, and differences in treatment between different categories of non-citizens can only be justified if they are necessary to achieve a legitimate objective. Arbitrarily splitting up families as part of immigration policies violates the right to family life.

Ban on expressing sympathy Residents in Saudi Arabia, UAE or Bahrain have been warned they could face harsh penalties if they make comments in support of Qatar.

Citing existing, flawed legal provisions, the UAEs general prosecutor has announced that people who express sympathy for Qatar could face up to 15 years in jail; while state-controlled Saudi Arabian media stated that such expression could be considered a cybercrime offence. The Bahraini Ministry of Interior has also threatened anyone who shows sympathy or favouritism to the Qatari authorities either on or off line, with up to five years in prison and a fine under the Penal Code.

These statements from governments with a record of repressing peaceful expression are a flagrant attempt to silence criticism of these arbitrary policies. Prosecuting anyone on this basis would be a clear violation of the right to freedom of expression. No one should be punished for peacefully expressing their views or criticizing a government decision, said James Lynch.

Concerns over migrant workers in Saudi Arabia

There are also concerns that migrant workers employed by Qatari nationals to look after their properties in Saudi Arabia may find themselves stranded, unable to return to Qatar where they have residence permits and becoming undocumented in the process, at risk of exploitation or arrest and deportation. Amnesty International has spoken to workers in this situation, who have little information about what might happen to them.

Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states must protect any workers employed by Qatari nationals, including by facilitating the safe return of those who wish to return to their home countries or assisting those who wish to return to Qatar.

Political disputes between states must be handled in a manner that respects human rights. There can be no justification for tearing families apart, suppressing peaceful expression, and leaving migrant workers abandoned and at risk. Arbitrary measures should be suspended immediately, said James Lynch.

Background

Under the nationality laws in the countries involved, women are not able to pass on nationality to their children and as such children inherit their fathers nationality. This in itself is a violation of the rights to non-discrimination and equality. Holding dual nationalities is generally not permitted.

Amnesty International interviewed 35 people nationals of Bahrain, Bangladesh, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE affected by these measures. Researchers met the majority of these people in Qatar. Others, based in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, were interviewed remotely.

Read the original:

Families ripped apart, freedom of expression under attack amid political dispute in Gulf - Amnesty International

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

As Washington sat transfixed before the image of former FBI Director James Comey spilling some beans on the president of the United States, Donald J. Trump went to work. An expert in creating crises, Trump is not the kind to let his handiwork go to waste.

At a conference of mostly evangelical Christians convened in Washington, DC, by Republican political operative Ralph Reed,Trump reminded attendeesof the Faith and Freedom Coalitions annual Road to Majority conference of their agenda and his. If he made any reference to the drama unfolding before the Senate Intelligence Committee, it was this: As you know, were under siege; you understand that, the president said. But we will come out bigger, better and stronger than ever you watch.

Expressing his appreciation to members of the Faith and Freedom Coalition for their work on his behalf during the 2016 presidential race, Trump cited some 22 million pieces of mail sent, 16 million videos shared, 10 million phone calls made and 1.2 million doors knocked on in the key battleground states. He quoted the Book of Isaiah from the teleprompter.

He went on to recount what he had already delivered for his religious supporters: a drastic reduction in illegal crossings on the southern border; the appointment of Neil Gorsuch, a foe of abortion rights, to the Supreme Court; an executive action on religious freedom, a withdrawal of aid to overseas humanitarian groups that dare to speak of abortion, and withdrawal from the Paris climate accord. That last one elicited a raucous and sustained cheer from the assembled, seeing as how its very name combines two mutually repugnant ideas: the fact of climate change and a city in which people speak French.

Without naming it as such, Trump noted theleaked draft of a rule revision, dated May 27, under consideration at the Department of Health and Human Services that would appear to definitively permit religious orders that run hospitals and social service agencies to flout the current mandate that employer-provided health insurance include coverage for prescription contraceptives. The Little Sisters of the Poor, Trump said, referring to a Catholic religious order that brought a lawsuit against the Obama administration that challenged the mandate, had just won big with his executive actions on behalf of religious freedom. The president pointed at two nuns in the audience. Stand up, he instructed them. You dont mess with the Little Sisters, he quipped. Never mind that the nuns obediently standing were from an entirely different order (the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist); they were old women in habits. They would do. The optics worked.

He went on at length to describe his instruction to the IRS to refrain from investigating houses of worship for political activity that would threaten their non-profit status as an unleashing of free speech from the pulpits of the nation.

The audience then received an accounting of the agenda yet to be undertakenthe part that requires legislation by Congress. Trump came to Road to Majority to set its army of socially conservative, mostly white churchgoers to work on Capitol Hill, lobbying senators and members of the House, as many groups do during national conference. But few get their marching orders directly from the president, even if not said in so many words.

First on the presidents list was the health care bill that is currently stalled in the Senate.

Restoring freedom and opportunity also means repealing and replacing the disasterknown as He put his hand to is ear.

Obamacare! the crowd shouted.

That was easy, Trump replied. SomethingI hope greatis going to come out through [Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell in the Senate.

The next big item was tax reformthe biggest tax cut ever, he said. But sadly, Trump added, they would have to pass each of these measures without a single Democratic vote, because Democrats are obstructionists who are bad, right now, for the country.

The entrenched interests and failed bitter voices in Washington will do everything in their power to try and stop us from this righteous causeto try to stop all of you, Trump said. They will lie, they will obstruct, they will spread their hatred and their prejudice, but we will not back down from doing what is right. Because, as the Bible tells us, we know that the truth will prevail, that Gods glorious wisdom will shine through, and that the good and decent people of this country will get the change they voted for, and that they so richly deserve.

He patted himself on the back for deporting people he deemed gang members and drug dealers, and characterized his summit with Saudi leaders as a blow against global terrorism.

He made a call for unity, noting that whether we are black, brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood.

In America, he said, we dont worship government; we worship God.

The speech, delivered at the conference luncheon, was well-received. Afterward, attendees boarded busses headed for the Capitolthe Senates Dirksen Office Building, to be exact. There they would be treated to a town hall-style meeting with House Speaker Paul Ryan, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and other Republican lawmakers. The meeting was closed to the press.

Once it concluded, members of the group would lobby the senators from their respective states.

Milling outside the hearing room where the town hall would take place, Rebecca Clutter, a woman who looked to be in her 50s or 60s, offered her assessment of the presidents speech. [I]t was amazing and awesome and it hit all the points, said Clutter, who had traveled to Washington from Ohio, where she had knocked on doors during the campaign under the aegis of Women for Trump.

Casey Matta, a student at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, also loved the presidents speech, naming as his favorite points Trumps anti-abortion rhetoric and something about the Paris [climate accord].

Asked how the US withdrawal from the climate accord agreement fit in with the religious purpose of the Faith and Freedom Coalition event, Matta thought a minute. Well, I think its like a Republican religious convention so when he brings that kind of stuff for conservatives I agree with that.

What did he make of the probe of Russian meddling in the US election, and contacts between Trump campaign figures and Russian officials? Matta said he didnt believe that Russia had intervened in the election. By his lights, it was all a put-up job by Democrats.

I think [Trump] definitely is being targeted, with the Democrats and everything. I mean, they need to cool it, he said. Give him some time to worry about what hes got to worry about now.

Right now, Trump is worrying about, among other things, getting a legislative win. And Casey Matta, Rebecca Clutter, and hundreds of others came to the nations capital to help him get it, all in the name of God.

Adele M. Stan is a weekly columnist for The American Prospect. Follow her on Twitter @addiestan.

This article was made possible by the readers and supporters of AlterNet.

Read more:

Trump Brings Out The Bible For Faith And Freedom - The National Memo (blog)

SALEM, Va. Camryn Dolby picked her high spots and worked through a lineup determined to bunt and run. Her counterpart Cheyenne Van Pelt responded with a left-handed screwball that twisted away from bats.

The all-Loudoun Virginia 4A softball final between Woodgrove and Freedom-South Riding was a pitchers duel. After the heart of their lineup safely loaded the bases by mere inches, the Wolverines pushed home a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth. Then Dolby struck out the final three batters as Woodgrove won 2-0 at the Moyer Complex.

In their seventh straight state final, the Wolverines repeated as champions for the first time.

Everyone talked about how its inevitable that we were going to lose on odd years, senior Lexi Acton said. It was our goal to break the curse and be the seniors who did it.

Acton started Woodgroves final rally with a soft pop up that dropped out of the air between a retreating shortstop and charging center fielder. Next up, senior Emily Alexander directed a moving bunt down the first base line and sprinted safely to first.

I was bunting for a hit, the senior insisted.

After Dolby laid down a bunt and Acton beat the fielders choice throw to third, senior Jenna Dunn knocked a groundball to second base to score the games first run.

I wasnt trying to hit the fence or anything, just keep the ball on the ground, Dunn said.So happy I didnt avoided a pop out.

In Fridays semifinal, Van Pelt had ended the game with three strikeouts after the tying run reached second base.

Even after they loaded the bases, I still thought we could get three outs, Van Pelt said.I have all the confidence in my team.

Sophomore Maxine Barnes added an RBI single to score Alexander, but Dolby didnt need the insurance run, as she ended the game with her 15th strikeout. Sophomore Camryn Munroe produced Freedom-South Ridings lone hit on bunt that landed between the pitchers circle and second base in the second inning.

Woodgrove (24-0) cruised to last years title with a pair of double-digit wins in the state tournament. This time around, the Wolverines appreciated the challenge.

Last year we knew we were going to win in the first inning, Acton said.Today was so close with two great pitchers. Its more exciting to finish it off with a game like this.

Freedom South Riding (16-9) had never reached a softball state final. Van Pelt struck out six batters in her final game for the Eagles.

Before the season started, wed be in the weight room and coach would tell us were going to regionals at least, and wed laugh and say no way, Van Pelt said.Its still a great accomplishment that we even made it here.

More:

Woodgrove wins Virginia 4A softball title in a pitchers' duel with Freedom-South Riding - Washington Post

The code of ethics is expected to ban professors from voicing political opinions in classrooms or supporting BDS

The umbrella organization of the heads of Israel's universities has blasted a new ethical code formulated at the behest of the Education Ministry that is expected to bar professors from voicing their political opinions in classrooms.

The code, put together at the request of Education Minister Naftali Bennett by Prof. Asa Kasher, an ethics and philosophy professor at Tel Aviv University, would also forbid staff from calling for an academic boycott of Israel, it was revealed Friday.

"The heads of the universities vehemently object to the 'ethical code' outlining 'proper behavior' for academic facility in Israel.

"The ethical code, proposed by Prof. Asa Kasher, undermines institutes of higher education's freedom to decide their own codes of conduct for their academic staffs, and thus infringes on academic freedom in the most serious and fundamental way," it said, saying the right was enshrined as part of Israeli law.

"A closer examination of the code shows that thought it is titled 'Ethical code for the overlap between academic and political activity,' many of its clauses deal with academic matters like research and teaching in a general way. Thus, the code turns into a list of rules dictated by the authorities regarding the overall practices of academic faculty in Israel.

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"The code's content only reinforces the opposition, on principle, to creating a unified code of conduct for all of Israel's academic institutes," they said in a statement.

Bennett had asked Kasher a few months ago to write a set of rules for appropriate political conduct at academic institutions. Kasher had written the Israel Defense Forces' ethics code.

The contents of the document, which were first reported by the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper on Friday, will soon be submitted for the approval of the Council for Higher Education.

The code would require each institution "to establish a unit that would monitor political activity" on campus, the document says. The unit could be an existing system, like an ethics committee, or a new department managed by the institution's academic staff. So far institutions have not been required to reply to students' complaints or inquiries on political activity, according to Kasher. The new units would remedy that.

In a statement, Bennett's office said the code would bar lecturers from "promoting their political worldview in class."

"If a lecturer does talk [about politics], and one of the students complains about it, that lecturer could receive a disciplinary citation from the institution," the statement said. Should the lecturer ignore the warning, he may face harsher disciplinary action.

The code also bars academic staff from taking part in or calling for an academic boycott of Israel, and forbids collaboration with organizations that are considered political. The education minister's office said that while it supports absolute academic freedom, it opposes "the promotion of lecturers' political agendas in the academe."

"It's unacceptable that students are afraid to express their opinions in class for fear for their grades, or that lecturers call for a boycott of the institution where they teach," the statement said. "This isn't against any political side and anyway there is no reason for any side to object."

In December, the Committee of University Heads urged Bennett to scrap a plan to draft an ethics code after Haaretz first reported on it. Universities need to continue maintaining independent disciplinary systems, the committee said at the time, warning that a code dictated by an outside authority would violate the freedom of expression.

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Israeli University Heads Blast New Ethical Code as Undermining Academic Freedom - Haaretz

Omni Shoreham Hotel Washington, D.C.

12:30 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Ralph. He said we got 81 percent of the vote. I want to know, who are the 19 percent? Who are they? (Laughter.) Where do they come from?

Thank you, Ralph, for really kind introduction, and for your great leadership. Its wonderful to be back here with all of my friends. It is the fifth time. Who would have known this was going to happen? But we had a feeling, didnt we? (Applause.)

And, Ralph, I want to congratulate you and your wife, Jo Anne, and each and every person in the audience today. In just a few years, youve helped turn a small organization into a really nationwide, beautiful movement. (Applause.) Really, so true. And what you have achieved is extraordinary. Ive spoken to this group so much, so often -- Ill be back -- most recently one year ago this week when I came here to ask for your support, your help, and your prayers. And wow, did you deliver. (Applause.)

You really did. Last year, you knocked on more than 1.2 million doors in the key battleground states where, as you remember, we focused. Supposed to be focusing on those states. You sent 22 million pieces of mail, shared 16 million videos, and made 10 million phone calls. Thats something. (Applause.)

And Im honored by your incredible support, and grateful for your commitment to our shared cause. Thank you for all that you do. Thank you very much. (Applause.) Thank you. You didnt let me down, and I will never, ever let you down. You know that. (Applause.)

We will always support our Evangelical community, and defend your right, and the right of all Americans, to follow and to live by the teachings of their faith. And as you know, were under siege. You understand that. But we will come out bigger and better and stronger than ever. You watch. (Applause.)

You fought hard for me, and now Im fighting hard for all of you. I have one goal as President: to fight for the American people and to fight for America and America first. (Applause.)

We are going to battle for every American who has lost a job, for every family who has lost a loved one, for every American of faith who has lost their rights and lost their freedom. The forgotten men and women will never, ever be forgotten again. You know about that. (Applause.) Remember they said, where did all these people come from? And you know what? Theyre still trying to figure it out. They dont get it. (Laughter.) They dont get it.

Your voices will resound across the halls of our Capitol, and across the world. We recite today the words of Isaiah Chapter 1, Verse 17: Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.

The entrenched interests and failed, bitter voices in Washington will do everything in their power to try and stop us from this righteous cause, to try to stop all of you. They will lie. They will obstruct. They will spread their hatred and their prejudice. But we will not back down from doing what is right. Because, as the Bible tell us -- (applause) -- we know that the truth will prevail, that Gods glorious wisdom will shine through, and that the good and decent people of this country will get the change they voted for and that they so richly deserve. (Applause.)

Nothing worth doing ever came easy, but we know how to fight better than anybody. And we never, ever would give up, and we dont give up. We are winners, and we are going to fight, and win, and have an unbelievable future. (Applause.) Unbelievable future. And its going to be together. (Applause.)

We are keeping the solemn promises that we made to the great citizens of our country. We are eliminating job-killing regulations, reversing government overreach, and returning power back to everyday Americans, the way the country started. (Applause.)

In just a short period of time, weve already added nearly one million new jobs, and approved historic increases in military spending. Weve achieved a record reduction in illegal immigration. Did you see at the southern border? Seventy-five percent. (Applause.) Seventy-five percent. If they do one percent in the past, it used to be, oh, were doing so well. Seventy-five percent. General Kelly is doing a great job.

And we are protecting our families, schools, and cities by removing the gang members -- MS-13. (Applause.) MS-13. Were spreading them out, the drug dealers and criminals from our country, and cracking down on the sanctuary cities that protect them. (Applause.) And we believe that people who come to our country should love our citizens and embrace our values -- our values, folks. (Applause.)

In my first 100 days -- and I dont think anybody has ever done more, or, certainly, not much more -- I appointed and confirmed a Supreme Court justice in the mold of the late, great Antonin Scalia -- (applause) -- and now Justice Gorsuch has a seat on the United States Supreme Court. (Applause.) Made a promise.

We have also proposed a historic tax cut -- biggest in the history of our country, by the way -- and we are fighting for fair trade that creates a level playing field for all of our American companies and our American workers. We are not on a fair playing field, but its getting fairer by the day. We are bringing back our jobs. (Applause.)

To protect those jobs, and the sovereignty and freedom of the United States, I followed through on my promise to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord. (Applause.) Thank you. You understand it. You understand how bad it was for our country. Its going to strip us of our jobs, our wealth, our companies. And they keep saying, oh, its non-binding -- so innocent. I figure between that deal, the Iran Deal, NAFTA -- weve got some beauties, dont we? (Laughter.) Dont worry, youre going to see some real good ones coming about very soon. Youre going to see some great ones coming about very soon.

America will continue to lead the world on environmental protection. Were going to have clean water -- crystal clean. Were going to have clean air. (Applause.) But what we wont do is let other countries take advantage of the United States anymore and dictate what we are doing and dictate our future. (Applause.)

From now on, we will follow a very simple rule: Every day I am President we are going to make America first -- not somebody else, not some other country. We are going to make America first. (Applause.) Thank you.

As I am sure you know, I have also reinstated the Mexico City policy first put into place by Ronald Reagan to protect the unborn. (Applause.) Thank you.

And, in a really beautiful ceremony at the White House, on the National Day of Prayer, I signed, as I promised I would, a new executive action to protect religious liberty in America, including protecting the rights of groups like yours -- the Little Sisters of the Poor. Thank you. Stand up. The Little Sisters of the Poor. (Applause.)

They fought so hard for so many years. All of sudden, they heard, "we won." (Laughter.) Right? They were tough. Dont want to mess with the Little Sisters, right? (Laughter.) They hung in, and they had a lot of losses. They sustained a lot of losses. But all of the sudden, one day, a few weeks ago, it was over. They won. So congratulations. Great toughness. Great. Great people. (Applause.) That executive order also followed through on my campaign promises to so many of you: to stop the Johnson Amendment from interfering with your First Amendment rights. (Applause.) It was my promise. This executive order directs the IRS not to unfairly target churches and religious organizations for political speech. So the people that you most respect can now feel free to speak to you, like my friends sitting right over here. I can now hear them and theyre unimpeded. So I just want to congratulate everybody in this room because that was a big deal, and it was a very important thing for me to do for you. And were not finished yet, believe me. Were not finished yet. So thank you very much. (Applause.)

No federal worker should be censoring sermons or targeting pastors. (Applause.) These are the people we want to hear from. How about the people we do hear from every night on television? You want to hear from them? I dont think so.

AUDIENCE: Booo --

THE PRESIDENT: No, no, we want to hear from the people that we want to hear from.

As long as I'm President, no one is going to stop you from practicing your faith or from preaching what is in your heart and from preaching -- and really, this is so important -- from the bottom of my heart -- from preaching from the people that you most want to hear and that you so respect. So we have taken a very, very strong position, and you picked a winner. (Applause.)

So we want our pastors speaking out. We want their voices in our public discourse. And we want our children to know the blessings of God. (Applause.) Schools should not be a place that drive out faith and religion, but that should welcome faith and religion with wide, open, beautiful arms. (Applause.) Faith inspires us to be better, to be stronger, to be more caring and giving, and more determined to act in selfless and courageous defense of what is good and what is right. It is time to put a stop to the attacks on religion. (Applause.) Thank you.

We will end the discrimination against people of faith. Our government will once again celebrate and protect religious freedom. (Applause.) Restoring freedom and opportunity also means repealing and replacing the disaster known as --

AUDIENCE: Obamacare!

THE PRESIDENT: That was easy. (Laughter.) Do you see how its failing? Okay. So Ive been saying 116 percent for so long -- it was Arizona. So yesterday, I have a new number -- 204 percent, in Alaska, increase. Its a catastrophe. Obamacare, as one of the big insurance companies had said, is in a spiral. Its in a death spiral. It is dead. Dead. Some of the states are losing their insurance companies. Yesterday, Ohio lost one of the big ones. And Ohio has got problems now. They all have problems -- Kentucky, Tennessee. Every place I go.

But were dealing with obstructionists. The Democrats are obstructionists. You know what, it would be great to get along with them, but it seems to be impossible. They are obstructionists. And they have a healthcare plan thats a disaster, called Obamacare. Again, the insurance companies are fleeing, the premiums are through the roof. The deductibles -- I mean, unless you die a long, horrible, slow death, those deductibles are so high -- sadly, folks, youll never get to use them. It is a disaster whats going on with Obamacare. Nobody wants to talk about it. But you take a look at the premiums, how high; you take a look at those deductibles. You have nothing.

And then, of course, the mandate. Lets pay to get out of it, okay? Were the only one -- we pay to get out of not paying. Thats how bad it is.

So Obamacare is dead. And dont let them pin it on the Republicans, by the way. Weve only been here for a short period of time, okay? But a good bill passed in the House. Something, I hope, great is going to come out through Mitch McConnell and the Senate. And were working very hard. I can tell you, were really working hard.

And if we had the best plan in the history of the world, we wouldnt get one Democrat vote. Just remember that. If we had a plan that gave you the greatest healthcare ever in history, you wouldnt get one Democrat vote because theyre obstructionists. Theyre bad, right now, for the country. Theyve gone so far left that I dont know if they can ever come back.

Now as a -- believe it or not -- politician -- I never would call myself a politician, but I guess thats what I am. I became President; I guess Im a politician. (Laughter.) Selfishly, I love where theyve gone because I think theyve taken the wrong path. But they have gone so far left, trying to appease a certain group, that I think theyve made a horrible mistake.

But what they have done is theyve tried to obstruct. And thats why, when it comes to the elections in 18, we have to get more, because were only up by two in the Senate and a pretty small number in the House. And we have to build those numbers up because were just not going to get votes.

Now, maybe times will change, and that could happen at some point. I remember when Republicans and Democrats would fight like hell, then theyd go out, have lunch together, have dinner together, go back, fight like hell, and get a lot of things done. Now the lunches and dinners dont take place. The level of hatred is beyond anything that Ive ever seen.

So theyre obstructionists, but were going to get healthcare done. Were going to get the tax cares done -- the tax cuts. We have the biggest tax cut and great tax reform. Were going to get it done, but sadly, were going to have to do it as Republicans because we wont get any Democrat votes. And thats a very, very sad, sad thing.

I have filled my administration and Cabinet with people who share our priorities and who want to deliver for the American people. And even that, as you know, its so hard -- the process -- because of the obstruction. Its so hard. You know, they say resist, but they really should say obstruct. But its so hard because you put -- when you hear that we have vacancies, its true. But take a look at whats going on. Getting the simplest appointment is a big deal that takes forever.

Our wonderful Vice President Mike Pence will be here later this week -- what a great guy he is -- (applause) -- great guy -- when Dr. James Dobson -- (applause) -- stand up, James -- stand up, James -- good -- great man, great guy -- thank you, James -- receives a Lifetime Achievement Award. But today I also want to congratulate Dr. Dobson and his wife, Shirley, who was with me at the beginning of the campaign -- right at the beginning of the campaign. And I called back -- she was substituting for James because he was so busy preaching. And I said, you know what, James, she may be better than you are. She was good. (Laughter.) She was good. We had a good time, right? And Ill tell you what, the audience -- they loved her.

So in advance on that recognition, James, and for everything they have both done to keep the Focus on the Family, I just want to congratulate you. Its just so amazing. Thank you. Great. Great people. (Applause.) Great people. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks, Shirley. Thanks, James.

Family is the foundation of American Life and we are proud to stand together with all of you to promote and protect family values. Were here today to celebrate two values that have always been linked together, and where Ralph, frankly, has done such a great job in linking them: faith and freedom.

They're linked together because liberty comes from our Creator. Our rights are given to us by a divine authority, and no earthly force can ever take those rights away. (Applause.) That is why my administration is taking power out of Washington and giving it back to the people where it belongs. Said right from the beginning. (Applause.)

For too long, politicians have tried to centralize authority among the hands of a small few in our nations capital. People are getting very rich. Bureaucrats think they can run your lives, overrule your values, and tell you how to live.

But we know that families and churches, not government officials, know best how to create a strong and loving community. (Applause.) We know that parents, not bureaucrats, know best how to raise children and create a thriving society. And above all else, we know this: In America, we dont worship government. We worship God. (Applause.) Right? We worship God. (Applause.)

Thank you. Our religious liberty is enshrined in the very First Amendment in the Bill of Rights. The American Founders invoked our Creator four times in the Declaration of Independence. Dont worry, were not going to let them change it. (Laughter and applause.) You see what goes on nowadays, right?

Benjamin Franklin reminded his colleagues at the Constitutional Convention to begin by bowing their heads in prayer. Inscribed on our currency are the words: In God We Trust. And we proudly proclaim that we are One Nation Under God, every time we say the Pledge of Allegiance.

You just heard a brave six-year-old patriot named Christian Jacobs beautifully recite that Pledge of Allegiance. I first met Christian last week, after the Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, where we honor and remember the American patriots who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

Christian was in perfect Marine dress blues, as a tribute to his dad - his beautiful dad. And he walked right up to me, in a big crowd of people. And without hesitation, he asked if I would like to come see where his daddy is resting. Next, he led me over to where Marine Sergeant Christopher Jacobs lies among his brothers-and-sisters-in arms, in Section 60, and showed me pictures of his fallen father who was so great and so important to him.

Not only does young Christian carry those photos, but he carries his fathers love in his heart, and his courage in his beautiful, beaming young face. With his mom, Brittany, by his side -- terrific mother -- I said, is your mother good or is she great? He said, shes great. I said, you better say that. (Laughter.) He looked me square in the eyes and gave me a firm handshake.

That six-year-old stood strong and tall and proud in front of the Commander-in-Chief, just as I am sure his dad would have wanted him to be. Hes extraordinary. (Applause.)

Christians father gave his life to defend our freedoms and our flag. Christian, your father was an American hero, and we are so proud of what you are doing every day to carry on his legacy. (Applause.) And, Christian, we hope to prove worthy of the sacrifices your family has made. And believe me, were going to work very hard to live up to your standard. Christian, stand up. Come on, Christian. (Applause.) Thanks, Christian. Good job. Good job. Special guy.

Every day, our brave men and women in uniform are risking their lives to keep this country safe from murderous groups like ISIS, al Qaeda, and so many more. We must confront this evil that plagues humanity, and eradicate it from our planet. (Applause.)

The vicious slaughters in Manchester and the streets of London underscore the depths of depravity that we face. But these atrocities only harden our resolve. Were getting better and better and tougher and tougher and smarter and smarter, Christian.

We cannot allow radical Islamic terrorism to spread in our country, or allow extremists to find sanctuary on our shores. (Applause.) We will protect our country, we will protect our families, and our ways of life will always be protected. We will crush this enemy that is waging war on all of civilization.

Last month, I traveled to Saudi Arabia to speak to the leaders of more than 50 Muslim and Arab countries, and to rally them in the common fight against the terrorism, which is a menace to people of all religions. There can be no coexistence with this violence. I told these leaders that they must drive out this enemy from the face of the Earth. Every child of God, no matter where they live, what language they speak, or what book they live by, deserves to be able to grow up in harmony, dignity, and peace.

In that summit, the likes of which there has never been any summit like it -- youve seen, you watched it -- we reached historic agreements to fight not only terrorism but the wicked ideology that really drives it -- I mean, its really driving it -- and to starve this enemy of the funds -- the billions and billions and billions of dollars thats being poured out into the enemy. I think it was one of the great, great summits. And I think its going to have a profound effect on terrorism. (Applause.)

Finally, because my administration is deeply committed to the right of religious believers everywhere to be free from persecution, I called on these leaders to protect Muslims, and Christians, and Jews, and people of all faiths. Because you know whats going on there. And its horrible -- horrible. Terrorism is a threat, and it is a big threat to religious liberty around the world. And all responsible nations must protect the right of people to live and worship according to their conscience. (Applause.)

Here in America, my administration is determined to work with you to protect your religious liberty not just for some but for everyone. Together, we can crush the horrors of terrorism. We can usher in a new era of faith, family, and freedom.

Because we understand that a nation is more than just a geography. A nation is the sum of its citizens, their hopes, their dreams, their values, and their prayers. America is a land rich with history and culture, and filled with people of courage, kindness, and strength. And though we have many stories we all share at home, the one thing we do share is one beautiful destiny. And whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood. (Applause.) We all salute the same great American flag. (Applause.) And we are all made by the same Almighty God. (Applause.)

We face many challenges. There are many hills and mountains to climb. But, one by one, we will scale those summits and we will get the job done and get the job done correctly. We will prove worthy of this very, very important moment in history. As long as we have pride in our beliefs, courage in our convictions, and faith in our God, then we will not fail. (Applause.)

And as long as our country remains true to its values, loyal to its citizens, and devoted to its Creator, then our best days are yet to come because we will make America great again.

Thank you. God bless you. (Applause.)

END 1:04 P.M. EDT

See the rest here:

Remarks by President Trump at the Faith and Freedom Coalition's ... - The White House (blog)

Anna Amezola is a Filipino parathlete who joined Saturdays Freedom Walk of PWDs in Quezon City. She is part of the countrys delegation in the 2017 Asean Para Games to be held in Malaysia in September.-Jhesset O. Enano

Rising early and braving the rains on Saturday morning, Anna Amezola was all smiles as she wheeled herself out of her Quezon City home, with a Philippine flag in each hand and a third planted in her ponytail.

Born with cerebral palsy, the 47-year-old Barangay Bagong Silangan resident was one of more than a thousand persons with disabilities (PWDs) who turned up for their annual Freedom Walk, an event timed with the upcoming Independence Day to spread awareness of the challenges faced and gains steadily won by Filipino PWDs.

Amezolas participation in the 7-year-old activity marked her transformation from being a shy, wheelchair-bound girl to a forward-looking achiever: She is one of athletes who will be representing the country in the 2017 Asean Para Games in September.

When I was younger, I just stayed at home and avoided people, she told the Inquirer. But then someone told me to accept my disability and encouraged me to live my life.

I need to win this for the Philippines, she said of her upcoming match in boccia, a ball game specifically created for athletes with cerebral palsy and severe locomotor disabilities such as muscular dystrophy and Lou Gehrigs disease.

Representatives from different cities in Metro Manila and several PWD groups used Saturdays event to celebrate the successes of the sector. This years host, Quezon City, was also the site of the first Freedom Walk in 2011 and where at least 51,000 residents are considered PWDs.

According to the 2010 census of the Philippine Statistics Authority, PWDs account for around 1.4 million or around 1.57 percent of the national population.

More than a thousand PWDs join Saturdays event in Quezon City.NIO JESUS ORBETA

The country was one of the first in Asia to have its own law on PWD rights, with the passage of the Magna Carta for Persons with Disabilities in March 1992.

Carmen Zubiaga, director of the National Council for Disability Affairs, noted that more and more local governments had been paying attention to the needs of PWDs. Quezon City, for example, opened a PWD affairs office in 2012.

In the local government units that previously hosted the Freedom Walk (such as Taguig, San Juan and Mandaluyong), they have given more services to PWDs and provided more accessible environments, she said. Now, more and more PWDs are working and studying.

Emer Rojas, president of New Vois Association of the Philippines, said theres a reason why Freedom Walk is held just before the countrys Independence Day.

We seek freedom from the barriers (that keep us from being) productive members of society, said Rojas, who had lost his voice box to laryngeal cancer and needs an electronic device pressed against his throat to make himself audible. We want to show that we are not hindering the country from growth; instead, we want to contribute to that progress.

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PWDs mark challenges, gains in Freedom Walk - Inquirer.net

Outside the student centre, the UBC Free Speech Club is holding a Blasphemathon, to protest Parliaments anti-Islamophobia Motion 103. At the top of his lungs, Louis Jung, a second-year visual-arts student, is urging passers-by to come over and draw the most offensive picture possible. In graphic, foul language, he suggests people might want to depict one religious figure, who shall remain nameless, sodomizing another. For the most offensive drawing: Fifty-dollar cashprize!

A young man pauses briefly to listen. Mr. Jung urges him to draw something. Im good without, thanks. The young man walksaway.

Mr. Jung acknowledges that his group is doing this, in part, because its edgy and cool. But theres a more serious purpose. As Cooper Asp, a co-founder of the Free Speech Club explains: The idea is to criticize all religions, be offensive as possible, as a way of demonstrating that the idea of blasphemy isridiculous.

A few hundred metres away, Amel Aldehaib shakes her head when told about what her fellow students are up to. Speech must be free but it must be challenged, and the other side must also be protected, the PhD student from Sudan responds. Toxic language can lead to toxic acts. Words can incite violence. You cannot say its not there. Itsthere.

Between Mr. Jung and Ms. Aldehaib, it seems clear where wisdom resides. But in the broader context, wisdom can be hard tofind.

On university campuses across Canada, a cold war rages between two principles: the right to academic freedom of inquiry or, more broadly, to free speech, on the one hand; on the other, the right to be protected from harm, to feel safe. As with all powerful but potentially conflicting principles, the key to avoiding conflict lies in compromise, accommodation, goodwill. But goodwill can be increasingly hard to find, and universities seem to be always failing to get a handle on the latestcontroversy.

Universities are very thoughtful, stable institutions, and the world is changing quickly, and its hard for institutions like universities to keep up, says Angela Redish, provost of University of British Columbia. Free speech-versus-protection controversies are one more expression ofthat.

The elevation of multiculturalism into a core Canadian value, combined with a high intake of foreign students from beyond the boundaries of Western Europe, have together enriched the diversity of the student mix. But they have also brought an ever-more expansive, border-pushing range of ideas onto campuses, and in the process, created the potential forconflict.

And not only the makeup of the student body has changed. Increased reliance on corporate funding means that private donors can exert major influence on public campuses. New strains of philosophy and ideology, meanwhile, have been challenging conventional forms of dispute resolution. And social media sprays itself over everything like lighter fluid, longing for amatch.

Meanwhile, the construction cranes hover over the latest STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) towers, as the liberal arts struggle to convince a skeptical, consumerist society that they have anything meaningful tosay.

What todo?

UBC President Santa J. Ono speaks outside a student residence under construction on Sept. 15, 2016. His predecessor, Arvind Gupta, allegedly faced conflicts with the administration before leaving the job in2015.

JOHN LEHMANN/THE GLOBE ANDMAIL

UBC, one of Canadas largest and most diverse universities, is hardly immune fromcontroversy.

DARRYL DYCK FOR THE GLOBE ANDMAIL

Nary a university campus is free of controversies involving the right to free speech versus the right of the less powerful to be protected from verbal or social harm by those who wield more power (or who belong to social groups that do). In some cases, such as the Facebook page in which Dalhousie University dentistry students assessed the physical attributes of female students and made other rude comments, the offence was clear, and the debate mostly overpunishment.

But most times, the shades are greyer, or the truth of the circumstances harder to suss out. In March, lawyer Danielle Robitaille, who was part of the team that secured an acquittal on assault charges for former radio host Jian Ghomeshi, cancelled a speech at Wilfrid Laurier Universitys campus in Brantford, Ont., after students complained that her presence would undermine efforts to protect students from sexual violence. Queens University faced complaints of racism last November, after pictures emerged of an off-campus costume party in which white students dressed in the clothing of other cultures, such as Buddhist monks and Rastafarians. Last fall, Henry Parada stepped down as director of the School of Social Work at Torontos Ryerson University after allegedly offending members of the Black Liberation Collective, who complained he walked out of a gathering while one of them wastalking.

Anti-abortion groups struggle to be granted status on campuses across the country. Conversely, at the University of Calgary, a court ruling now allows Campus Pro-Life to display graphic images of aborted fetuses in the hallways of university buildings, despite protests from both students and faculty. Its something a lot of people arent very happy about, but the university is powerless to control it, said Dean of Arts RichardSigurdson.

As one of Canadas largest and most diverse universities, UBC is hardly immune from controversy. The most recent one concerned a speech by John Furlong, who as CEO of the Vancouver Olympics was credited with pulling off the most successful Games that Canada has yet hosted. In 2012, a newspaper alleged that Mr. Furlong abused Indigenous students when he was a teacher more than 40 years ago. Mr. Furlong vehemently denied the allegations, and won a defamation lawsuit related to thecase.

Last year, he was invited to speak at a UBC athletics fundraising event. When a student filed a complaint, saying that his presence belittled the alleged victims of his abuse again, those allegations have never been proved the university cancelled the invitation. But UBC President Santa Ono reinvited him. About a dozen protesters stood silently outside as Mr. Furlong delivered his speech this pastFebruary.

Typically, when such controversies arise, opinion writers protest the latest, spineless caving-in to political correctness, social warriors, snowflakes and other terms ofderision.

But such dismissive rhetoric silences people, say students such as Dallas Hunt, a PhD candidate at UBC whose research focuses on Indigenous issues. He comes from the Wapisewsipi (Swan River) First Nation in Northern Alberta. Mr. Hunt sees academic freedom and freedom of speech as principles that are often put forward by the privileged to defend that privilege. A lot of what I hear is predominantly white men in power who have an unwillingness or inability to grasp other ways of knowing or being, heexplains.

He was among those who objected to allowing Mr. Furlong on campus. Im not sure if institutions, in this ill-defined pursuit of academic freedom, should be legitimizing these people when they come to campus, when what they say might have real material impacts on students and faculty who workhere.

Although Mr. Hunt was interviewed before the Blasphemathon, its easy to make the connection between his concerns and that events invitation to sacrilege. Whatever the merits of arguing for the freedom to draw those cartoons, they also encourage hateful speech. And anyone who believes there is no connection between speech and action has never been the victim of thataction.

Students from racial or sexual minorities and women students at risk of violence know all about the intersection of power, speech, race, sexuality and violence: emotional, physical, sexual. A lot of people are doing this work in the university, says Mr. Hunt, but theyre doing it in the community as well, as theyre seeing these violences and issues firsthand. And to simply ascribe them to some sort of hogwash that doesnt have any immediate impact on everyday life is reductive at best and harmful atworst.

The hogwash Mr. Hunt refers to consists of a set of cultural and philosophical approaches known as postmodernism, structuralism and poststructuralism that have been present and sometimes dominant on university campuses since the 1960s. Though they come in many different varieties, philosophers such as Michel Foucault and Jacques Derrida and their successors teach that language is slippery; that the reality it refers to may not exist; that perceived values and truths may be relative, not absolute; that social systems generally protect the power and privilege of certain elites especially white, middle-class men and exclude everyone else, everyone else being some combination (the preferred term is intersection) of racial minorities, sexual minorities, women and all those outside thepatriarchy.

Recognizing these imbalances, universities place a strong emphasis on protecting and promoting these marginalized communities within the liberalarts.

But not everyone is comfortable with the growing influence of these newisms.

James Brander wonders, in fact, whether theyre taking over. They seem to dismiss ideas of there being a thing called truth, says the economist, who teaches at UBCs Sauder School of Business. Honesty doesnt matter; its all about influence and perception and interpretation. Ive been surprised by the extent to which that point of view has become influential within the liberalarts.

He believes its time to call relativism relativism. If what we are doing is compromising intellectual freedom because we want to put more weight on sensitivity, thats fine. That might be the right call, he declares. But I think we should admit thats what were doing, as opposed to claiming were expanding both frontiers at the same time, which I dont think istrue.

The clash of intellectual freedom and cultural sensitivity often becomes an issue when Frances Widdowson speaks in public, as she did Thursday at the annual Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, at Ryerson University. The political scientist, who teaches at Mount Royal University in Calgary, believes that many First Nations reserves marginalize and entrap those who live on them, and that many Indigenous cultural features are ill-suited to the realities of an advanced 21st-century economy such asCanadas.

Her talk this week centred on the residential-school system, which she believes honestly sought to equip Indigenous youth with the tools needed to live within an industrializing Canada. Though Prof. Widdowson acknowledges the abuse that occurred in the schools, and that the necessary resources were often not provided, she rejects the accusation that the system was culturallygenocidal.

People listened politely, she reports, and the extra security on hand was not needed. But at previous events, Prof. Widdowson has been harangued, shouted down, even accused of hate speech. Although Mount Royal has stoutly protected her freedom of inquiry, she says the Canadian Political Science Association no longer schedules her to sit on relevant panels, for fear of aggravating other panelists and audiencemembers.

Prof. Widdowson delivered her paper as part of a panel whose topics were unrelated to her own, even though there were several panels at the Congress on Indigenous issues and residential schools. Theyre trying to prevent different viewpoints from being expressed in the same venue, Prof. Widdowson believes, which I find is very disturbing for an academicbody.

She regrets that she is unable to engage in scholarly debate with those who hold opposing views. I might be able to learn, she says, in a conversation with my adversaries. But, she adds, the people who think the residential schools were cultural genocide dont want to sit at the same table as someone who is making the kind of arguments I am. That, she adds, is a real pity, because I think thats how we could move forward somewhat and try to figure out where the truthlies.

A student uses a laptop computer in the Sauder building on the UBC campus on Aug. 20, 2015. The Sauder School became a hotbed of controversy that year over academicfreedom.

DARRYL DYCK FOR THE GLOBE ANDMAIL

The controversy began after Jennifer Berdahl, who studies gender and diversity issues in business environments, wrote a blog post speculating about the reasons for Arvind Guptas exit as UBCpresident.

JEFF VINNICK FOR THE GLOBE ANDMAIL

Mr. Gupta, shown here in January, 2016, had lost the masculinity contest among the leadership at UBC, as most women and minorities do at institutions dominated by white men, Prof. Berdahl wrote. That got her a rebuke from John Montalbano, who was chair of the Board of Governors and the patron who funded herprofessorship.

RAFAL GERSZAK FOR THE GLOBE ANDMAIL

Mr. Montalbano stepped down from the UBC board after an assessment by a retired B.C. Supreme Court justice found the university hadnt done enough to protect Prof. Berdahls academic freedom at the business school. She is currently on a leave ofabsence.

DARRYL DYCK FOR THE GLOBE ANDMAIL

The conflicting principles of championing academic freedom and protecting vulnerable communities have one thing in common: Both are susceptible to the influence of private money. In the 1960s and seventies, federal and provincial governments funded 90 per cent of the costs of postsecondary education; today that figure sits at around 50 per cent. Universities have responded by hiking tuition fees and beating the bushes for corporate and philanthropic donations. These acts of generosity are supposed to arrive with no strings attached. Such is rarely thecase.

Jennifer Berdahl, who studies gender and diversity issues in business environments, arrived at UBC in 2014 as the first Montalbano Professor in Leadership Studies at the Sauder School. At first, things went well. But then, Arvind Gupta resigned as UBC president. (Although no reason was given, the Globe and other media uncovered alleged conflicts between Mr. Gupta and the universitys administration and board of governors.) Prof. Berdahl speculated in a blog post that Mr. Gupta, who is Indo-Canadian, had lost the masculinity contest among the leadership at UBC, as most women and minorities do at institutions dominated by whitemen.

Within hours, she recalls, all hell broke loose. John Montalbano, who was chair of the Board of Governors as well as the patron who funded her professorship, called her about the blog post. Members of the administration raised concerns about the impact of the blog post on fundraising. Though she fought back, the confrontations sometimes left her in tears. It was, she says, a toxic environment forme.

Lynn Smith, a retired B.C. Supreme Court justice, was brought in to assess the situation. She concluded that the university had not sufficiently supported Prof. Berdahls right to academic freedom. Mr. Montalbano stepped down from the board. Prof. Berdahl, who is no longer Montalbano Professor, is on a two-year leave ofabsence.

Prof. Berdahl is adamant that academic freedom should be protected regardless of venue, and that donors should not have any influence over who gets hired, what gets taught, or who can say what. For her, the principle should be: You give the money and you walk away. But today, people want tomeddle.

Accelerating and complicating everything is the fell power of Twitter, Facebook and other social media, which can turn controversies that need to be managed into crises that need to be contained within a matter ofhours.

It took only a few hours for Twitter to turn Andrew Potters musings on a Montreal snowstorm and anomie within Quebec society from a column in Macleans magazine to a firestorm that had the Premier of Quebec condemning his thesis. Not that many hours after that, the McGill University professor was on Facebook apologizing for and disowning his remarks. Not that many hours after that, word arrived that he was no longer director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada, though he continues to be a professor. Mere minutes after that, the Twittersphere turned its collective outrage away from Prof. Potter and toward McGill, for violating his academicfreedom.

In a gentler age, Macleans would have been subjected to a barrage of letters to the editor complaining about the column, and Mr. Potter would still be the director ofMISC.

Anthony Par, head of the Department of Language and Literacy Education at UBCs Faculty of Education, invokes the story of Mary Bryson, a professor at UBC who debated Jordan Peterson, a University of Toronto psychology professor who has spent the past year denouncing human-rights legislation that protects gender expression, which he believes could potentially infringe on his freedom of expression. (My colleague Simona Chiose looks at Prof. Petersons story in this weekends Globe andMail.)

As a result of that debate, Prof. Bryson was subjected to a highly unflattering column in the National Post. Far worse, she was vilified and denounced on social media to the point where she began to fear for her safety, Prof. Par relates. Prof. Bryson declined to be interviewed for this piece, saying she did not wish to be subjected to a repeat of the previousexperience.

Social media allow isolated individuals to connect with others of like mind, allow communities to support and protect each other and to influence public discourse far more easily than in the disconnected past. But they can also pose a threat to academics speaking out on controversial topics, Prof. Par believes. Those threats come from quite different sources than in the past. And they arrive on yoursmartphone.

A student walks past the UBC Chemistry Building. At UBC, investment in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) is flourishing while the liberal arts struggle to convince a skeptical society of theirvalue.

DARRYL DYCK FOR THE GLOBE ANDMAIL

On UBCs campus, Neil Guppy, Senior Advisor to the Provosts on Academic Freedom, welcomes the cultural ferment in progress: Over my time at University of British Columbia, students have become smarter, theyve become more vociferous, theyve become better and better as time has goneon.

DARRYL DYCK FOR THE GLOBE ANDMAIL

Newspaper readers by definition understand that democracy cannot survive the loss of free expression and free inquiry, which may be why so many columns and editorials attack so-called political correctness and identity politics. But university professors are not nearly as vulnerable as they and their friendsfear.

Academics may believe that their freedom is under threat, but they remain vastly more free than any other group in society able, for example, to publicly criticize their employer with impunity (though Prof. Berdahl would take issue with the word impunity). Yes, they are sometimes subject to savage attack on social media; anyone in the public square is equally vulnerable. We live in thesetimes.

Yes, an increased reliance on private donations makes the university more vulnerable to pressure and influence from corporations and individuals. But universities are equally compliant to direction from governments, which increasingly see postsecondary institutions primarily as engines of economic growth, and fund themaccordingly.

The universitys mission of protection is ancient and honourable and vital. The sit-ins and demonstrations that roiled campuses in the 1960s advanced the cause of women and defended racial and sexual tolerance. That women and racial and sexual minorities still need protection half a century later speaks to the depth of the discrimination and persecution theyface.

One reason that Parliament will soon pass a bill protecting the human rights of people who are transgender is that universities allowed academics and students to explore the boundaries of gender and sexuality. The day universities cease to be a place of refuge is the day they will lose theirsoul.

If the children of Michel Foucault and Jacques Derrida and other -ists and post-ists err, it is in failing to understand that their own world view, born as it is of ideological certainty, is incomplete. It may provide a map of reality for them; it does not for many others. This can make their views and actions harder tocomprehend.

Defending the value of a liberal-arts education is challenge enough in the algorithm-obsessed world in which we live. Proclaiming universities to be cesspools of rape culture, transphobia and white privilege only makes the liberal arts a hardersell.

That said, Neil Guppy thinks we worry too much. The veteran sociologist taught his first course at UBC in 1979. Last year he took on an additional role as Senior Advisor to the Provosts on Academic Freedom. He sees his job as troubleshooter, advising the administration on how to handle emerging controversies before they get out ofhand.

But he welcomes the foment on campus. Over my time at University of British Columbia, students have become smarter, theyve become more vociferous, theyve become better and better as time has gone on, he believes. They are pulled in many, many more directions now than they were 20, 30 yearsago.

So let the poststructuralists question everything, he says. There is more debate and discussion. And let the students confront the powers that be. We want people to protest; we want people to object. And let those in power be careful what they say. I personally think that political correctness is a good thing, is a progressive thing, and Im very much in favour of trying to speak politicallycorrectly.

Freedom and protection both survive through compromise, a principle despised by so many, who seek to wreck it. And yet this ground must be held. However much freedom and protection conflict, neither can survive without the other. Without either, both arelost.

John Ibbitson is writer at large for The Globe and Mail. Follow him on Twitter @JohnIbbitson

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Mandela Foundation remembers Namibian freedom fighter Toivo

Namibian freedom fighter Andimba Toivo ya Toivo died on Friday at the age of 92 in Windhoek.

A screengrab of Namibian freedom fighter Andimba Toivo ya Toivo during an interview with Namibia Media Initiative in 2014. Picture: YouTube.

JOHANNESBURG - The Nelson Mandela Foundation has sent its condolences on the passing of Namibian freedom fighter Andimba Toivo ya Toivo, who died on Friday at the age of 92 in Windhoek.

The foundation notes the friendship Toivo shared with the late former president of South Africa Nelson Mandela while imprisoned during the apartheid years on Robben Island.

The foundations CEO Sello Hatang says Madiba often described him as a stubborn freedom fighter, who was determined to win independence for his people in Namibia.

Hatang says its important to note that their friendship was warm and heartfelt.

I remember seeing the two of them in 2010 Toivo was in town and he popped in to see Madiba. At the time, the two of them exchanged some really beautiful stories of Robben Island but also to check on each others health.

(Edited by Zamangwane Shange)

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