Free speech is like a rosebush: It is a beautiful thing, but one must be careful of the thorns.
The Laconia School Board’s overreaction to an angry citizen’s challenge of assurances about the teaching of Critical Race Theory did nothing to quell the anger; in fact, residents became even angrier when the board chair abruptly called a recess and most of the members left the room.
Chair Heather Lounsbury now says she is willing to hold a public question-and-answer session to discuss Critical Race Theory and the broader subjects of diversity and inclusion education in Laconia. She defends her earlier decision to cut off the discussion by saying it would have interrupted important board business, pointing out that it was not on the meeting’s agenda.
”We are in service to our community, family, and students,” she told Roberta Baker of the Laconia Daily Sun, “and we welcome their input on whatever issue it may be. … We want them to come even if we don’t agree with their thoughts and differences. That’s what makes the world go round.”
The Military’s View
When Florida Republican Matt Gaetz suggested that Critical Race Theory was weakening the United States military, General Mark Milley, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, responded, “A lot of us have to get much smarter on whatever the theory is, but I do think it’s important, actually, for those of us in uniform to be open-minded and be widely read. I want to understand white rage, and I’m white, and I want to understand it. So what is it that caused thousands of people to try to overturn the Constitution of the United States of America? What caused that? I want to find out.”
He continued, “[I]t is important that the leaders, now and in the future, do understand it. I’ve read Mao Zedong. I’ve read Karl Marx. I’ve read Lenin. That doesn’t make me a communist. So what is wrong with understanding — having some situational understanding about the country for which we are here to defend?”
Finally, the general said, “I personally find it offensive that we’re accusing the United States military, our general officers, our commissioned, noncommissioned officers of being, quote, ‘woke’ or something else, because we’re studying some theories that are out there.”
Free And Open Indo-Pacific
The United States has long avoided formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, which China claims as its own, but Raymond Greene, deputy head of the American Institute in Taiwan, said President Joe Biden’s administration no longer sees relations with the island as being a problem.
“We see it as an opportunity to advance our shared visions for a free and open Indo-Pacific and also as a beacon to peoples around the world who aspire for a more just, safe, prosperous, and democratic world,” he said.
In recent months, China has been more forcible in trying to persuade Taiwan to accept its sovereignty, but most people in the democratically governed island have shown no interest, Reuters reports.
The News Café is a virtual meeting place where we discuss the news of the day. An effort by the Liberty Independent Media Project, the work does not rely on advertising, as most media outlets do, freeing us to provide an independent focus on events and cultural issues. The project instead relies on direct monetary support from donors and subscribers.
If you like what we’re doing, please give what you can. Subscriptions to this newsletter are available for as little as $5 per month. Subscribers can share their knowledge, thoughts, and questions about any topic, and we may select some of those subjects for more in-depth analysis.
If you’re unable to pay but still want to receive all of the free public posts in your in-box, click the Subscribe button and select a free subscription.