Category Archives: Freedom

IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Flores says he won't drop suit; fmr. Browns coach accuses team of incentivizing losing10:02

Neo-Nazis, Trump, treat racial disparity fix as attack on white people in health care10:27

DeSantis treats Florida Nazi incidents as political game; condemns Democrats instead03:15

Now Playing

Recovered docs show how Sojourner Truth won sons freedom from white man05:01

UP NEXT

Yair Rosenberg: Whoopi Goldbergs suspension cut off better conversation on truth about Holocaust09:10

Brian Flores: Belichick texts confirmed what we thought happened behind closed doors12:50

FBI identifies six juvenile persons of interest in HBCU bomb threats01:20

'A historic moment': Former Dolphins head coach files suit against NFL06:45

Federal investigators focused on rash of threats against historically Black schools04:56

Two Connecticut detectives placed on leave over handling of Black women's deaths03:02

Nazi gatherings in broad daylight in Florida spark alarm08:46

Black parents organize to protect book on history of racism from school ban in Texas04:59

'For the Love of Henry Greenbaum'07:44

Florida Democrat rails against bill that could restrict classroom discussions06:44

MAGA party lawmakers banning books to ease 'white discomfort'03:42

Caroline Randall Williams: Black woman on SCOTUS would show democracys capacity to heal04:24

Vow to nominate Black woman to Court spurs spiral of racist and sexist tirades10:49

'We've been missing from that bench': The significance of nominating a Black woman to SCOTUS07:28

Anti-Semitism is not a Jewish problem; it's an American problem, says ADL head11:00

Breyer Supreme Court retirement puts spotlight on Biden campaign promise10:17

Princeton history professor and Sojourner Truth biographer Nell Irvin Painter joins Lawrence ODonnell to discuss the strength that Sojourner Truth displayed in 1828 when she became one of the first Black women to successfully sue a white man in court, winning her sons freedom from slavery.Feb. 3, 2022

Flores says he won't drop suit; fmr. Browns coach accuses team of incentivizing losing10:02

Neo-Nazis, Trump, treat racial disparity fix as attack on white people in health care10:27

DeSantis treats Florida Nazi incidents as political game; condemns Democrats instead03:15

Now Playing

Recovered docs show how Sojourner Truth won sons freedom from white man05:01

UP NEXT

Yair Rosenberg: Whoopi Goldbergs suspension cut off better conversation on truth about Holocaust09:10

Brian Flores: Belichick texts confirmed what we thought happened behind closed doors12:50

See the rest here:

Recovered docs show how Sojourner Truth won sons freedom from white man - MSNBC

Free:A Child and a Country at the End of Historyby lea ypiw. w. norton, 288 pages, $27.95

Behind the Iron Curtain, everyone valued freedom. But they saw it in radically different ways. In Free, Lea Ypi describes growing up in Albania, in the long senescence of the Eastern Bloc. Ypi was taught to revere Stalin and the late Albanian autocrat Enver Hoxha. She recalls being horrified when she found out that a much-loved statue of old Uncle Stalin had been decapitated by anti-communists: I tried to think like my teacher. We had socialism. Socialism gave us freedom. The protestors were mistaken. Nobody was looking for freedom. Everyone was free, just like me.

For Ypi, the end of communism meant disillusionment. In Poland, where I live, people had fewer illusions in the first place: Nobody would have admired a statue of Stalin, still less of one of his charmless goons like Bolesaw Bierut or Wanda Wasilewska. At best, communism inspired the grudging acquiescence of a hungry man working for a hated boss.

Poles were quite aware of the contrast between their own society and those of the free world. It would of course be condescending to suggest that they spent their lives dreaming about the multi-colored fruits of Western liberalism. They had their own culture. But people tuned in to Radio Free Europe, and awaited packages if they had relatives abroad. Solidarno was driven by the sense that there could be a better, freer, and more prosperous Poland without communism.

The fall of the Soviet Union exposed the bodies that such monuments were built on, and exposed Ypis own familial skeletons as she learned how much her relatives had sacrificed and lost.

Yet as much as freedom brought hope and opportunity, it brought its own trials. In Albania, as Gavin Haynes explored in a fascinating recent essay, pyramid schemesbuilt so high as to put the Egyptians in their placebrought the country to the point of civil war. Men like Ypis father were made professionally and existentially redundant by economic reforms. Organized criminals exploited and abused vulnerable markets.

So was the new world just another version of the old? Ypi, in my opinion, tries too hard to draw equivalences between communist and capitalist states. Reflecting on the struggles faced by Albanian migrants, for example, she asks whether there is a difference between the border guards who keep people inside a country and the border guards who keep people out of them. But is there really no difference between a man who holds you hostage and a man who does not leave his door unlocked?

Yet for all the problems one might have with her leftist leaningsand at the end of the book Ypi has embraced Marxism again, if in a somewhat opaque formFree raises troubling questions about the post-Soviet world. What kind of freedom did we envisage for the countries of the Eastern Bloc? What were they free to do?

In Poland, too, freedom brought challenges. Free-market reforms encouraged economic growth but unemployment rose as well. Organized criminals, like the notorious Pruszkw Mafia, cleaned up. Yet what radical transition entails no challenges?

The biggest problem was ideological. Freedom from... can be a very unifying goal. Freedom from communism. Freedom from Nazism. Freedom from imperialism. The sheer scale and power of an oppressive institution unites different enemies around a single aim. Freedom to... is a much more difficult concept. Freedom to what? The answers are more numerous, and more ambiguous.

Poland is far from being alone in struggling with this question, but struggle it has. Achieving freedom from communism, Poles have struggled with the question of what they are free to do. The plan that followed 1989, Ivan Krastev and Stephen Holmes write in Imitation and its Discontents,

Ypi sums it up in an image. Europe was like a long tunnel, she writes, When the journey started it didnt occur to anyone to ask where the tunnel ended, whether the light would fail and what was on the other side.

At the far end of Polands dark tunnel, the divisions hardened. Hold on, asked Polish conservativesnow most prominently represented by the ruling Law and Justice partyhad Poles not been struggling for national independence since 1795? How close did they want to get to a cosmopolitan and increasingly supranational European Union? Had it not been the Catholic Church that had united Poles in their struggles against the communists? So, why now imitate the secular West?

Hold on, Polish liberals said in turn. Had their predecessors not struggled against communist censorship, intrusiveness, and indoctrinationagainst, in other words, the subordination of the individual by the state? Should they not in turn resist conservative attempts to set the boundaries of their individual freedom when it came to reproduction, sexuality, and artistic expression?

Liberals are redirecting freedom from... arguments here, toward governmental and religious authorities. In practice, conservatives tend to do so as well, such as in the philosopher and Law and Justice politician Ryszard Legutkos elegant little book The Demon in Democracy, which argues, with considerable data drawn from Western experiences, that liberal conceptions of freedom from restraint harden into demands for freedom from discrimination, freedom from judgement, and freedom from all forms of inequality.

Freedom, as a concept, is malleable enough that almost everyone can claim to act in its defense. Amid protests against anti-abortion laws, for example, liberals marched in defense of the freedom of women and conservatives stood in defense of the freedom of the unborn. As the COVID-19 pandemic has dragged on, meanwhile, in one of the charming pseudo-paradoxes that a complex world presents our models with, liberals were likelier to emphasize freedom from risk and conservatives were likelier to emphasize freedom of choice.

At a recent event, the powerful Law and Justice chairman Jarosaw Kaczynski was heckled by protestors demanding a free Poland. Kaczynski turned these accusations around, accusing them of being the heirs of the sinister communist security services, and of trying to destroy Poland.

Freedom is never as intoxicating or as unifying as in its absence. Total lack of choice inspires various people to lock arms and to resist oppression. Freedom of choice, once acquired, divides them as it exposes the fundamental incompatibility of values. Freedom is once again construed defensively, though in a more fragmented and bitter fashion.

Perversely, this can inspire nostalgia for totalitarianism, or a sneaking enthusiasm at the prospect of external threats. This is a mistake. Oppression and war are only unifying because they have so many victims.

It is also a cop-out. Polarization, and resultant pessimism, even in nations that have experienced great material development since the fall of communism, illuminates the inescapability of ideological conflict. Nations must develop positive models of freedom, as well as wage war against its absence and endangerment, for people to feel free together and not embattled by division.

Ben Sixsmith isthe author of Noughties: Eleven Echoes of a Dismal Decade.

First Thingsdepends on its subscribers and supporters. Join the conversation and make a contribution today.

Clickhereto make a donation.

Clickhereto subscribe toFirst Things.

Visit link:

Freedom After Communism | Ben Sixsmith - First Things

MOSCOW, February 3. /TASS/. The Kremlin regrets Germanys decision to ban Russian state broadcaster RT DE, presidential spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said on Thursday.

"This situation is absolutely clear. The Russian media, I would even say, the international media are banned from broadcasting in Germany. This is nothing but an infringement on freedom of speech," the Kremlin spokesman noted. "We can only regret [this decision]," Peskov said.

At the same time, the Kremlin spokesman refrained from any comments on Russias retaliatory measures. "The foreign ministry will announce them, there is no need to skip ahead," he said.

The German media regulator has banned RT DE from broadcasting in German in Germany due to lack of a license, the regulator said in a statement on Wednesday. According to the document, RT DE, which requires a broadcasting license under German law, was neither granted nor requested permission. It therefore ordered the channel to halt broadcasting on-air, on the Internet, through the mobile app and through the satellite.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow would announce retaliatory measures on Thursday. The diplomatic service stated that the decision of the German authorities had left Moscow no choice but to implement retaliatory measures against German media accredited in Russia and some Internet intermediaries that groundlessly deleted the RT DEs accounts from their platforms.

Read the original here:

Kremlin slams Germanys move to ban RT DE as violation of freedom of speech - TASS

ST. THOMAS On the final day of the constitutional challenge between two churches and the province of Ontario, section one of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was in sharp focus.

While section two outlines the fundamental freedoms everyone is entitled to freedom of religion, expression, assembly, association section one says these rights are subject to reasonable limits prescribed by law, as long as those limits can be justified.

The Church of God, in Aylmer, southeast of London, and Trinity Bible Chapel, in Woolwich Township, claim their fundamental freedoms were infringed upon when the province imposed limits on their ability to gather as a group.

They say the limits imposed were an overreach by the province, that the COVID-19 virus did not measure up to the doom and gloom presented, and that the province could have slowed the spread of the virus without targeting and restricting the way religious groups practised their beliefs.

At times in spring of 2021, Ontario placed restrictions on religious gatherings so that only 10 could gather indoors and outdoors. Then indoor limits rose to 15 per cent of building capacity. Then 25 per cent and 30 per cent, while outdoor limits rose to 100 people, and then as many as could fill a space while staying distanced two metres apart.

Lawyers defending Ontarios restrictions said when the strict limitations were imposed, COVID-19 was a new and potentially fatal disease that was shown to have the ability to spread quickly through a population. At times when community transmission was at its highest and hospital capacity was at the brink, additional measures were needed.

When things were dire, drastic measures were needed, and they were taken temporarily, said Josh Hunter, a lawyer with the Attorney General. The governments decisions were made in consultation with medical experts.

In the provinces submissions, Hunter responded to some of the questions raised by the churches attorneys earlier this week. The churches legal team presented on Monday and part of Tuesday in virtual hearings, run by a St. Thomas court.

Why not just enforce masking and distancing restrictions without capacity limitations?

When community prevalence was at its highest, when the most limiting restrictions were in place, alternative restrictions wouldnt be enough, he said. With friends and families congregating, distancing requirements wouldnt be followed and masking may not happen. With hundreds of people gathering, it would also be difficult for organizers to control.

The only way to reduce the risk posed by religious gatherings was to put the stringent measures in place, for temporary period of time, while also allowing for online services, drive-in services, or multiple smaller services, he said.

What about retail restrictions, where hundreds were allowed in a building to shop?

Retail settings typically have one door in, so management can ensure people enter with a mask, Hunter said. Retail shoppers are transient. Theyre not sitting with friends, singing and talking for long periods of time like in religious gatherings.

This activity (religious gathering) has a risk, he said. When restrictions were able to be loosened safely, without compromising community spread, they were.

On Wednesday morning the provinces Andrea Bolieiro and Justice Renee Pomerance discussed the impact of provincially imposed capacity limits on the freedom of church members to practice their religion.

Trinity Bible Chapels senior pastor Jacob Reaume wrote in his affidavit that the church needed to gather as one body. A church that does not gather is like a body with its parts scattered across a city, the document read.

Bolieiro said when the churches were limited to 10 people, this was an infringement of peoples freedom of religion, but it can be justified because they were still able to run virtual services or offer drive-in services.

When the limit was 15 per cent capacity, the church could have offered four or five indoor services to serve the entire congregation. This would have been a cost but not an infringement, she said. These were extraordinary times, and at Trinity Bible Chapel at least, multiple services had been held each week before the pandemic anyways.

If the churches believe that all members needed to meet in person, as one body, in order for their rights to be upheld, the lawyers didnt show evidence of that belief, she said. As they are the ones claiming their rights have been violated, the burden is on them to show evidence to prove this point, and they didnt, she said.

Justice Pomerance said she would review arguments on both sides and return with a decision at a later date.

Originally posted here:

COVID restrictions vs. freedom of religion: charter challenge arguments conclude - TheRecord.com

The grieving friends and family of Louth murder victims Bethany Vincent and her son Darren Henson walked out of Lincoln Crown Court in solidarity, as killer Daniel Boulton was escorted away to spend his next 40 years in a cell.

A jury this week found Boulton, 30, guilty of murdering his ex-partner Bethany, 26, and her nine-year-old son Darren, known as DJ,and a judge did not delay in sentencing him to life in prison.

The case may now be closed from a legal perspective, but the torture faced by Bethany and DJs family and friends is far from over.

Bethany Vincent and her son Darren were killed in a devastating stabbing attack. | Photo: Facebook

Bethanys mum Caroline Vincent hasdescribed how her world came to end when police officers knocked on her door and said her daughter had passed away on May 31 last year, stabbed to death by Boulton at her own home.

She said: When they told me DJ had passed away as well, I just wanted to die.My beautiful girl and my grandson were gone.

I was sure they had got it wrong.DJ was my special boy, he was born just 12 weeks after my dad passed away.

Daniel Boulton has ruined so many lives.No mother should have to bury their daughter, never mind their grandson.

It is all because of one selfish man Daniel Boulton.

And DJs father, Kieran Henson, says his whole reason to live has now been taken away.

He said: I took my son home to his mum at 4pm, and a few hours later a police officer woke me and told me my son is no longer with us.

The worst part was that I will never hear him (DJ) again shout daddy.

I have gone from being a dad, to not being a dad. I dont work anymore.

My whole reason to live was taken away.

Tragically, Mrs Vincent also revealed her daughter had been due to move house just four days later to an address unknown by Boulton.

People laying flowers in memory of Bethany and Darren. | Photo: Graeme Whitworth

Following Bethany and DJs deaths a charity called Be Their Voice was set up in Louth to speak up for victims of domestic abuse.

In a statement after the verdict, the charity said: Our hearts and minds have never been far away from Bethanyand DJ since their deaths, and never more so now.

We shared inthe shock of their deaths with our community, and from thisdeveloped our passion and commitment to ensure they did notdie in vain.

We will move forward to create a fitting legacy tothem, by raising awareness of relationship and domestic abuse tohelp individuals recognise the early signs of toxic behaviours, andby signposting victims to support.

We send our continued love and support to Bethanys family andfriends; and hope the creation of such a legacy brings a measureof peace and comfort to them moving forward.

Daniel Boulton must serve at least 40 years in jail. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police

Read the original here:

Freedom Parade will be top Lincoln soldier's "last flagship event" - The Lincolnite

Indian pacer Harshal Patel heaped praise on newly-appointed Indian white-ball captain, Rohit Sharma, stating that the Mumbaikar is calm and composed and gives all the freedom to the bowlers.

Virat Kohlis captaincy stint came to an end in all formats. Rohit has taken over and will be expected to deliver considering his excellent record as captain for Mumbai Indians in the IPL.

He [Rohit Sharma] will basically give you the ball and if he has confidence in you, he will not tell you about what to do. You know what to do, just go and do it. So, he is really good as captain and I really enjoy playing under those captains.

I have my plans- Plan A, B, C so even when I get hit, I know what to do. I dont like a lot of outside input and he fits in that personality as a captain. He is very relaxed and gives you the freedom, Harshal told on the Star Sports show Follow The Blues.

Harshal received his maiden cap for India after a stellar season for RCB. It was a T20I match against New Zealand where he ended with figures of 2/25. Before the game, Harshal received advice from Dravid that paid dividends.

We know that you are a very confident bowler. We know what you want to do, you can or cannot do. I just want you to go out there and express yourself and enjoy the moment. We are going to back you no matter what, Dravid said as per Harshal.

Harshal has made his mark in T20Is for India already and might soon be pushed into the ODI squad as well.

Also Read IND v SL 2022: Sri Lanka To Begin India Tour With T20Is; Bengaluru To Host Second Test Under Lights

Go here to see the original:

Rohit Sharma Is Very Relaxed And Gives You The Freedom - Harshal Patel - Cricket Addictor

In the face of a growing number of complaints about the content of books in Maine schools, several education groups have launched a campaign promoting intellectual freedom and offering resources to educators.

Groups including Educate Maine, the Maine School Superintendents' Association, the state teachers' union and the Maine Department of Education have released a joint statement saying that challenges to books are "an attempt to silence and erase the truths and humanity of the books characters and creators."

Iris Eichenlaub, an instructional coach and school librarian at Camden Hills Regional High School, said she hopes the campaign will help educators know what policies and laws to reference when responding to such attacks.

"It's that knowledge that, yeah, it's really important to stand up for their students and their rights. And that there are so many organizations here to back you, that you don't have to feel alone," she said.

Kelsey Stoyanova, a teacher at Reeds Brook Middle School in Hampden and the 2022 Maine Teacher of the Year, was another organizer of the statement. She said she's recently faced such pushback over books in her own classroom.

"If I had been lesser in my career, and less confident, I think that whole scenario could have played out a lot differently for me as a professional," Stoyanova said.

Stoyanova said the new campaign offers resources, policies and talking points for teachers, staff and school board members if they face challenges in their own district.

The American Library's Association Office of Intellectual Freedom reports a 60% increase in challenges to books last September over the year before.

Go here to see the original:

Maine education groups call for intellectual freedom in the face of growing calls to ban books in class - Maine Public

If the Federal Reserve adopts a central bank digital dollar, the American government will be on a surefire path to authoritarianism.

Central bank digital currencies, or CBDCs, have caught the Fed's attention in recent months as the agency explores developing a digital dollar based on the blockchain, fueled by the meteoric rise in popularity of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. While some compare CBDCs with Bitcoin as CBDCs can be based on the blockchain, similarities between the two end there. In fact, CBDCs are a wolf in sheep's clothing, co-opting Bitcoin's appeal while undermining every one of its underlying principles.

A CBDC adopted by the U.S. government would involve digitally represented dollars sidled with all of the issues of fiat currency that Bitcoin was created to solvewith a sinister new spin: by centralizing Americans' financial information and holdings in a digital database controlled by the U.S. government, CBDCs would create an authoritarian surveillance state and constitute a severe overreach of government power. With an American CBDC, the government would become both money printer and bank, destroying any checks and balances to the governments' power over Americans' financial holdings. By granting the government ownership over the root technology of money, CBDCs allow the government complete discretion over how and whether people can use their money.

They would give the government total control and oversight over every person's holdings and transactions. In an ironic inversion of bitcoin's fundamental objectives as an anti-inflationary, decentralized currency free from third-party mediation, CBDCs would appropriate mainstream interest in Bitcoin and principles such as security and decentralization that have become synonymous with Bitcoin, while being its antithesis. CBDCs are a highly centralized form of currency absent of Bitcoin's anti-inflationary properties as the government could continuously mint more of the digital currency just as it does with fiat currency, constantly devaluing it.

CBDCs have been embraced by the Chinese government. One might think that by being championed by an authoritarian state as a mechanism of financial surveillance, CBDCs would lose their charm to the American government; however, China's interest has served as the impetus for American exploration of the technology. Having banned Bitcoin numerous times, most recently in September of 2021, China has barreled forward with plans for its digital yuan or e-CNY, which is now being trialed by millions of consumers across the nation. The digital yuan will be an invaluable tool for the Chinese government to obtain vast amounts of public data and strengthen its surveillance state. CBDCs will give the Chinese government authority to turn off people's money like a light switch. While fiat currencies may be devalued over time by inflation, CBDCs can be devalued in an instant at the government's whim.

Russia is also currently developing its own digital currency, the crypto ruble, which contrary to its name, will be issued by the government with no mining involved. Numerous western nations, including England, Canada and the central banks of Uruguay, Thailand, Venezuela and Singapore are also exploring CBDCs.

CBDCs would plunge American democracy and free markets into crisis. Representative Tom Emmer recently introduced a bill to prohibit the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency. "It is important to note that the Fed does not, and should not, have the authority to offer retail bank accounts," said Emmer, stressing that the move would launch the Fed onto a "path akin to China's digital authoritarianism" subverting financial privacy and leaving Americans vulnerable to attacks and government surveillance.

The supreme and dark irony of CBDCs is that they are riding on the coattails of Bitcoin's popularity while undermining every element that makes it a force for good. By adopting CBDCs, American and Chinese monetary systems would convergeboth destroying the financial sovereignty of individuals and luring citizens into a financial mousetrap predicated on a false sense of security, by appropriating Bitcoin's virtues of decentralization and immutability at the expense of unsophisticated account holders.

It is imperative that Americans become aware of the dangerous implications of CBDCs and quell any efforts to develop an American CBDC currently at play in the government, as the Fed prepares to launch its discovery report on CBDCs exploring future applications.

In looking into CBDCs, the government is also driven by the ethos of "if you can't beat them, join them." Bitcoin's rise to astronomical heights of popularity over the last year has been ruefully received on the Hill. While members of the American government may remain stubborn adversaries to Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, I urge members of Congress, for the good of the nation, not to give further consideration to assets that can only be used as devices of authoritarianism that would destroy the fabric of our nation.

CBDCs are an urgent threat to people across the world. The Hill must support Emmer's bill to prevent further action toward CBDCsthe alternative would be the death of American freedom.

Aubrey Strobel is head of communications at Lolli.

The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.

Continued here:

CBDCs Will Be the End of American Freedom | Opinion - Newsweek

This week marks the eleventh annual celebration of National School Choice Week, where thousands of Americans across the country celebrate the successes of school choice programs and advocate for school choice in their communities. At its core, school choice is a bipartisan issue; its not about red states versus blue states, but asking what is best for our children. School choice as a philosophy says that every childs learning situation is unique, and education policy should be geared towards what helps a child learn best, whatever that may look like.

If recent years have taught us anything, its that families are demanding more and more say in their childs education; whether that be in-person learning, virtual learning, or homeschooling, parents are more serious about childhood education than ever before. As they should be, considering how a quality education is vital for future life goals and career prospects.

This week, we recognize the solemn fact that traditional public schools let many students down. Particularly for poorer and marginalized communities, public schools are rarely a viable option for successful education. Meanwhile, many students simply cannot thrive in a public school environment because of a physical or learning disability, problems with bullying, or issues with the teaching style.

The fact that so many students are struggling in public education is not the fault of the hardworking teachers and administrators in public schools, but simply a reality that comes with diverse student backgrounds. Public schools are a great option for some; but for millions of families, they are yearning for choice in education. In areas with failing public schools, and where families cannot afford private school tuition, kids are slipping through the cracks. A childs future should not be determined by zip code; this vicious circle needs to end. School choice seeks to change all that, by throwing government support behind a bevy of options for families, and empowering those families to choose the education option that works best for their children.

For example, the Missouri General Assembly recently approved the Missouri Course Access and Virtual School Program (MOCAP)a publicly-funded, public school alternative that allows parents to withdraw their students from a brick and mortar public school and place that child in a virtual classroom environment at an online public school funded by the school district. Programs like MOCAP expand the choices available to families and provide a publicly-funded alternative that many families yearn for.

This School Choice Week, I think we all need to recognize that parents are not domestic terrorists for being concerned about what their children are learning about and wanting to have a say in education. Thats the entire spirit behind National School Choice Weekfamilies are in the best position to decide what is best for a childs education and welfare. Whether that be traditional schools, charter schools, private schools, virtual schools, or homeschools, families should be in charge of their childrens destinies. The purpose of our education systemand the tax dollars behind itis to give every child a quality education they need; that is the first and foremost priority of K-12 education. Instead of thinking of public education only in terms of the public schoolhouse, its time we recognize the diversity of interests, personalities, and learning styles across America.

I encourage every Missourian to look more into school choice as a movement. Even if you are happy with public schools, you can still consider the needs of other families who yearn for alternatives. School choice comes down to the freedom to choose what is right for children, and empowering families to pursue those options, so that the next generation has a hope and a future.

Jean Evans is the Missouri State Lead for the American Federation for Children.

Go here to read the rest:

Opinion: National School Choice Week reminds us the importance of freedom in education - The Missouri Times

What better way for Freedom High Schools wrestling team to celebrate senior night than with a victory over archrival Liberty.

The Patriots recognized their six seniors prior to Wednesday nights match at Joseph McIntyre Gymnasium, and the four who competed all contributed something to the 39-20 Eastern Pennsylvania Conference Division B triumph.

This was a good win because I grew up wrestling for the Little Canes, and now I beat them as a senior, said Freedoms Reinaldo Lebron, who avenged a loss in the Bethlehem Holiday Classic to Kamal Abboud with a wild 10-5 decision at 126 pounds in the matchs final bout.

Patriots senior Chris Jurado earned a 16-7 major decision over Ed Force at 145. Jurado gained the bonus team point with a takedown with 1 second remaining after he allowed Force to escape with less than 10 seconds to go and reduce the score to a regular decision.

One bout later, at 152, Freedom senior Connor Bevan built an 11-2 lead over Elijah Reid before slapping on a headlock for the fall 35 seconds into the second period.

Bevans pin was the Pates third straight win after Libertys Javien DeLeon, ranked fourth this week by lehighvalleylive.com, opened the match by converting five takedowns into a 12-3 major decision over Cameron Wickemeyer at 132.

We came in 15-2 as a team, and we wanted to push on the gas and get the momentum with our fans, said Bevan, who also weighed in at 145. We feed off the crowd. I think getting the pin sparked us.

Freedoms fourth senior competitor, Anthony Lyden, gave up 14 pounds to Sawyer Quayle in their 189-pound bout. Lyden saved a team point by avoiding Quayles late cradle to drop a 9-2 decision.

Limiting the oppositions bonus points has been key to the Patriots current nine-match win streak. Its something they didnt do in a 38-18 loss to Easton two weeks ago.

The team message in the locker room tonight was Do your job, Bevan said. Even if you lose, dont get pinned. Easton wasnt our best match because we gave up way too many bonus points. When we limit bonus points, like we did against Parkland (32-24 win on Jan. 20) we look like a team ready to take that next step.

Coach Dante Terenzio certainly got his message through to his Patriots.

Easton was a wake-up call; we had a long talk with the kids after the Easton match, Terenzio said. We told the kids whove been struggling that their contributions are just as important as the ones who are winning for us.

Freedom won eight of the 13 bouts, including pins from Joey Bodnar at 138 and Jared Karabinus at 172 and a 22-6 technical fall from fourth-ranked CJ Horvath at 120.

I think weve got more chemistry and were working harder, said Lebron of the Patriots win streak though they have Bethlehem Catholic on deck Thursday night. Were not individuals. Were learning how to win as a team.

There were bright spots for Liberty (9-8, 2-4), which was missing a 113-pounder and had wrestlers competing despite nursing injuries.

We fell short, but the effort was there, said second-year Liberty coach Brandon Hall, who had spent eight seasons as Freedoms head coach and was greeted by many of his former Patriots after the match. Ed Force was out there with some busted up ribs, but we needed him, and Chandler Drew was out of the lineup (at 138) because hes been sick. It certainly was an entertaining match for the fans.

Senior Christian Reids 29-second pin over Freedom freshman Noah MacIlroy in a battle between a pair of wrestlers ranked among the honorable mentions this week at 160 was a Hurricane highlight.

Liberty also gained a major decision at 215 from Rafi Harrington and a 7-4 decision from Jasiah Pagan over Jomar Medina in a test of talented freshmen at 106.

Freedoms Nick Farrel edged John Notchey Jr. by a 6-4 decision at 285 and was presented the Daniel P. McIntyre Award as the matchs outstanding wrestler. Farrel scored all his points by countering a trio of Notcheys offensive shots into takedowns, including the go-ahead takedown with 1:23 left in the third period.

Two years ago, Nick Farrel weighed 180 pounds and wrestled at 220; he didnt have any wins, Terenzio said. Hes put on 60 pounds and put the work in. Now hes around right around .500. Hes been doing a heck of a job for us.

While Notchey came up a few points shy of the victory, he, too, was a winner in the eyes of his coaches, teammates and anyone who knows his story.

John Notcheys been battling cancer for the last two years, said Hall who became emotional talking about his senior heavyweight. I told him if we can get him back in shape we were going to get him on the mat.

He wrestled for the first time for us this weekend, and I made the decision to let him wrestle tonight. It was probably tough for Levi (Levy, Libertys other 285-pounder) not to wrestle against Freedom, but we have a team thats pretty close. You only get to do this one time, and some things are bigger than winning the match.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting lehighvalleylive.com with a voluntary subscription.

Corky Blake may be reached at sports@lehighvalleylive.com.

View original post here:

Freedom senior wrestlers bring the noise on their night to topple Liberty - lehighvalleylive.com