Oberlin college where being an anti Semite is acceptable...

President of Prestigious Liberal Arts College ‘Respects’ Free Speech Rights of ‘Social Justice Writing’ Professor Following Anti-Semitic Facebook Posts

Feb. 28, 2016 11:23am Sharona Schwartz

The president of Oberlin College in Ohio said that his institution “respects” the right of professors to express their views following the revelation that one of his faculty members placed anti-Semitic posts and 9/11 conspiracy theories on social media, and even claimed that the Islamic State group is not a jihadist terrorist group but rather a CIA and Mossad operation.

Image source: Twitter/JoyKarega

The statement by Oberlin’s president was noteworthy as it stood in stark contrast with the statement of California State University’s president regarding the CSU-Los Angeles campus appearance by conservative writer Ben Shapiro. When he conceded in a statement that Shapiro would be allowed to speak on campus Thursday after initially forbidding it, President William A. Covino added, “I strongly disagree with Mr. Shapiro’s views.”

Following an extensive report published Thursday by The Toweron controversial Facebook posts by Joy Karega, an assistant professor of rhetoric and composition, Oberlin President Marvin Krislov issued a statement which notably did not criticize the content of her posts.

“Oberlin College respects the rights of its faculty, students, staff and alumni to express their personal views,” Krislov said.

“Acknowledgement of this right does not signal institutional support for, or endorsement of, any specific position. The statements posted on social media by Dr. Joy Karega, assistant professor of rhetoric and composition, are hers alone and do not represent the views of Oberlin College,” Krislov added.

Screenshot captured by The Tower

The Tower reported that Karega’s social media posts have included blaming Israel for the deadly attack on the Charlie Hebdo magazine office in Paris and promoting a video in which Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan said that “Israeli and Zionist Jews [were] in key roles in the 9/11 attack.”

Several of her posts focused on the Rothschilds, a banking family of Jewish heritage that often comes up in anti-Semitic online forums.

One post appeared to blame the “Rothschilds” for the spread of AIDS. In the same post, it appeared that by “Rothschilds,” Karega intended to castigate Jews and/or Israelis.

“It seems obvious that the same people behind the massacre in Gaza” were behind the 2014 shooting down of the Malaysian Airliner over Ukraine, she argued.

The same post concluded with this statement: “With this false flag, the Rothschild-led banksters, exposed and hated and out of economic options to stave off the coming global deflationary depression, are implementing the World War III option.”

Screenshot captured by The Tower

In one of her Facebook posts, the professor at the $50,000-per-year tuition school noted that she taught a “Social Justice Writing” class.

Harvard Law School Professor Emeritus Alan Dershowitz told The Tower that the Oberlin College response would likely have been far different had the target of the professor’s criticism been blacks, Muslims or gays.

“If Karega had expressed comparably bigoted views about blacks, Muslims or gays, the President of Oberlin would not have posted the boilerplate he posted. He would have condemned those views, even if he defended her right to express them,” Dershowitz said.

Karega did not respond to requests for comment from The Tower; however, JTA reported that she posted a statement on Facebook which read in part: “Trust, when I come up out of my Unbothered state of being, I’ll have a lot to say (analysis, no doubt) about the kinds of intimidation and silencing tactics that are rhetorically enacted in digital spaces, through email, through telephone communication, and propagandized editorial articles, masquerading as ‘journalism,’ and how common it is for Black women, who are early in their career on the tenure track as part of the professoriate, to be prime targets for these kinds of activities and practices.”

Karega’s Facebook page was not accessible for public vieweing as of this writing.

See the full report along with photos of the controversial Facebook posts at The Tower.

Corruption and incompetence in the NYC school system: The school offers one Advanced Placement class, English, but no students have passed it or any other college-prep class.

With principal MIA, staffer puts relatives on school payroll

By Susan Edelman

February 28, 2016 

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Alma Encarnacion (left) with her daughter, Cecily Fonseca Photo: Facebook

The business manager of a crumbling Brooklyn high school has put four relatives on the payroll, whistleblowers charge.

Alma Encarnacion has been running the show at the Urban Assembly HS of Music and Art in Downtown Brooklyn since Principal Paul Thompson is often absent, four teachers told The Post.

“He’s out of the building so much, there’s literally no one running the school except Alma,” one said. A lone assistant principal quit last year.

According to DOE records, a business manager works directly under the principal and oversees budget, finance, personnel and other administrative matters. Encarnacion made $99,916 last year.

Her daughter, Cecily Fonseca, is the school’s parent coordinator, with a $40,185 salary.

Adam Collado, whose mother’s cousin is married to Encarnacion, is the school’s computer technician, making $37,047.

Amy Rosa, a niece, is the school secretary and handles payroll. Her salary is $56,681.

Diana Hernandez, Rosa’s cousin, is the attendance coordinator, collecting $41,531.

Under Department of Education rules, employees may not hire, employ or supervise a “near relative,” which includes a son or daughter, niece or nephew.

Diana Hernandez, Rosa’s cousinPhoto: Facebook

The DOE said it will investigate the family ties. “We take the allegation of a conflict of interest seriously,” said spokeswoman Devora Kaye.

After 11 years, academics are abysmal at the 387-student UAMA, located on the seventh and eighth floors of a Flatbush Avenue building that also houses two other schools. The graduation rate is 56 percent, but only 4 percent are college-ready, based on low Regents exam scores.

The school offers one Advanced Placement class, English, but no students have passed it or any other college-prep class.

Teachers say the principal pressures them to pass up to 80 percent of the students — most of whom don’t deserve it.

One teacher called the school “a horror show . . . kids fighting all the time, no one to break it up, throwing books, throwing things at teachers, cursing — beyond any X-rated thing you can imagine. There’s no respect or policies about anything. It’s basically a free-for-all.”

Another staffer said of Thompson, a musician who sources say was a substitute teacher before becoming principal in 2005, “It’s hard to tell when he’s in the building because he just doesn’t come out. There are days when we don’t see him at all. Half the students don’t know his name.”

Adam Collado whose mother’s cousin is married to EncarnacionPhoto: Facebook

The school reports 56 percent of students “chronically absent,” but the teacher believes attendance is falsified. Three students whom “I’ve never seen” or missed several months last semester were marked absent just 17 days on official records. Schools get funding based on daily attendance.

Insiders believe Thompson, who made $150,333 last year, has gotten away with an absentee performance because he’s well-connected. His wife is Saskia Levy Thompson, a former DOE official who rose to deputy chancellor in charge of opening and closing schools in 2013, and Chancellor Carmen Fariña’s special adviser for educational policy in 2014.

Thompson did not return messages. Encarnacion would not discuss her relatives: “I have nothing to say.”

Irrational compassion: Do you see any children here? I see only military age men

Jude Law's security team was attacked and mugged by migrants when the cameras stopped after the Hollywood star left the jungle camp in Calais

• Jude Law visited 'Jungle' migrant camp in Calais last week with other stars
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• He was filmed as he called for action to save refugee children from eviction
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• But his security staff were reportedly mugged after cameras stopped
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• Understood to have had their phones stolen by rock-throwing migrants

By STEPHANIE LINNING FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 04:09 EST, 28 February 2016 | UPDATED: 07:36 EST, 28 February 2016

Security guards hired to protect Jude Law when he visited the 'Jungle' migrant camp were reportedly targeted by rock-pelting migrants just moments after the actor boarded the coach home.

The star made the journey to northern France last week to highlight the plight of child refugees who are being evicted under a move by French authorities to demolish the southern part of the camp. 

He was joined by singer Tom Odell and a film crew, who captured him on camera as he urged David Cameron to let the hundreds of children at the camp come to the UK. 

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Call for action: The British actor visited the migrant camp to highlight the plight of child refugees 

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Aggressive: One member of the group said the migrants were acting like 'football hooligans'. Pictured migrants wait for clothes to be handed out at the camp on Thursday, when the evictions began

But moments after the celebrities had boarded the production team coach back to Britain, their security team was ambushed, according to the Sunday People.

The attackers reportedly hurled stones at the men before stealing their mobile phones. 

A source told the newspaper: 'We were shocked to see some of the migrants acting like football hooligans. The security team had stones thrown at them and two had phones smashed and stolen.' The official deadline for migrants to leave the most southern part of the camp was on Tuesday and the first phase of clearing migrants started on Thursday after a judge approved mass evictions.

Charities working in the camps say the demolition will destroy the homes of 3,000 people, including hundreds of children.

It will, they claim, 'uproot again those who have already had to abandon their homes due to war and persecution'.

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Captured on camera: A team of videographers are making a film of the camp that viewers will be able to watch in 3D virtual reality, allowing viewers to 'better understand' the dire conditions experienced at the camp

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Mr Law said the Prime Minister and the Government must 'urgently work' to alleviate the humanitarian crisis. He is pictured here with comedian Shappi Khorsandi and actor Toby Jones (far right)

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Jude Law watches on as Tom Odell performs for a small crowd as part of the Letters Live show

Jude Law at 'Jungle' camp, reads Jewish letter to Nazis

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But opponents point out that many of those living in the Calais jungle are economic migrants simply trying to get into Britain for a better life.

Ministers have resisted calls to take more migrants from the continent – for fear it will encourage others to risk their lives trying to get to Europe. 

Mr Law said last week: 'These are innocent, vulnerable children caught up in red tape with the frightening prospect of the demolition of the Jungle hanging over them.

'David Cameron and the British Government must urgently work with the French authorities to alleviate this humanitarian crisis.'

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The event was organised by Letters Live, which gets actors, such as Jude Law, and comedians to read letters from famous historical figures. Eviction is now underway at the camp after a judge approved removals 

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Jude Law makes his point. The situation at the camp has been called a humanitarian crisis, but opponents point out that many of those living there are economic migrants trying to get into Britain for a better life

The Talented Mr Ripley star appeared at the camp with Toby Jones, who stars in the new Dad's Army film and veteran playwright Tom Stoppard. 

Singer Tom Odell and comedian Shappi Khorsandi were also there. 

The group read out letters from famous historical figures in front of 200 people at the campsite in an event organised by Letters Live.

Figures from charity Help Refugees show that there are 440 children living in the southern section of the camp, 291 of whom are unaccompanied. Around 3,700 people in total live in the camp.

MailOnline has contacted Mr Law's representative for comment. 

Damning report claims Marine CH-53 Super Stallions are in a sad, sorry state

Brandon Turkus

This post is appearing on Autoblog Military, Autoblog's sub-site dedicated to the vehicles, aircraft and ships of the world's armed forces.

The Virginian-Pilot has obtained an internal, classified report indicating that there are very serious problems in the United States Marine Corpsheavy-lift helicopter fleet. The independent study, ordered by the Marines last year, focuses on the CH-53 Super Stallion and is marked as "For Official Use Only."

According to the Super Stallion Independent Readiness Review, there's serious concern about the ability of the Marines to put CH-53s into action. For one, there just aren't enough – the current fleet of 146 choppers is 50 fewer than needed and is down significantly from the 230 originally purchased by the Marines. The report also cites "unacceptably poor readiness" due to parts shortages and maintenance backups. According to the report, only 23 percent of the fleet is ready to fly – the typical readiness requirement is 75 percent.

Perhaps the more glaring problem is how much the Marines are spending on the CH-53 fleet. The Corps spent just $100,000 on each of its Super Stallions after withdrawing from Afghanistan and used temporary contractors to do the work. The Army, meanwhile, spent $1.2 million per helo and put in over 6,000 man hours restoring its fleet. There's also concerns about flight time for pilots.

This, of course, is not necessarily new information. Late last month, we reported on a Marine Corps investigation into its helicopter fleet. That report found a distinct lack of training time for its pilots, and questioned whether this was the reason there have been so many fatal training accidents.

The Corps response, thankfully, is to spend a big bunch of money bringing its CH-53s back up to snuff. Around half of the $650 million the Corps allocated for reset programs is being spent on the Super Stallion, with the goal of returning the fleet's readiness to acceptable levels by 2019. But even with this spending on maintenance and training, the Marines will still be shorthanded and stuck waiting not for more Super Stallions, but for its replacement, the CH-53K King Stallion.

According Foxtrot Alpha, the CH-53E will be stuck in service until at least 2031. That's when the last Marine Corps will require the last of the 200 K models it's ordered will be delivered (provided there are no further setbacks).

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Mugabe's birthday party...

Robert Mugabe: Zimbabwe leader's birthday party criticised

 
• From the section Africa

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Media captionThousands turned out to celebrate Mugabe's birthday as Nomsa Maseko reports

Zimbabwe's ruling party has been criticised for hosting lavish 92nd birthday celebrations for President Robert Mugabe while swathes of the population face food shortages.

The event reportedly cost almost $800,000 (£575,000).

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) called the celebrations "obscene".

Mr Mugabe has dominated Zimbabwe politics since independence from the UK in 1980.

The event, which was televised and featured schoolchildren reading poetry about the president, was held in the drought-stricken south eastern city of Masvingo.

Birth of a Mugabe dynasty?

The elderly leader, accompanied by his wife Grace, released 92 balloons to kick off the event at the Great Zimbabwe monument, with tens of thousands of people attending.

In a speech, Mr Mugabe attacked Western donors, and said he would not accept "rotten, filthy" aid if it was contingent on Zimbabwe accepting same-sex marriages, the government-owned newspaper the Herald reported.

But the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said the celebrations were "ill-conceived".

Money used for the event should be used to import maize "to avert the impending starvation" in Masvingo and other areas, said Obert Gutu, a MDC spokesman.

Image copyrightEPA

Image captionZimbabwe has asked for nearly $1.6 billion in food aid amid severe drought

Image copyrightEPA

Image captionEarlier in the week, a separate event was held at state house in Harare, the capital

Image copyrightAP

Image captionMr Mugabe has not announced any plans to step down

Eddie Cross, an MP for the MDC said: "The obscenity of this particular exercise is that he throws this bash not just based on public funds... but he does it in one of the worst-affected drought-stricken parts of the country."

The UN's World Food Programme said food production had fallen by half compared to a year earlier, because of severe drought.

The government said about three million people were food insecure and earlier this month it asked for nearly $1.6 billion in aid.

Mr Gutu said the ruling Zanu-PF "should be utterly ashamed" for hosting the costly celebration while "more than 90 %of Zimbabweans are wallowing in grinding poverty".

However, a youth leader for the ruling Zanu-PF party defended the birthday celebrations.

"Money is not the issue here," Pupurai Togarepi told the Reuters news agency.

"You cannot put a price on the contribution of President Mugabe to the history and development of this nation. All these things are worth more than money."

Zimbabwe has faced severe economic challenges in recent years, which critics blame on policies including the seizures and redistribution of white-owned farms in 2000.

Hyper-inflation left its currency worthless and required the use of foreign currencies for most transactions.

Mr Mugabe has blamed his country's economic troubles on Western meddling.

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Who is Robert Mugabe?

Image copyrightAP

Veteran leader Robert Mugabe has presided over Zimbabwe for the past three decades. 

Born in 1924 in the village of Kutama, south-west of the capital Harare, he was educated by Jesuits and went on to become a teacher before joining the liberation struggle against British rule. 

He became a key figure in the fight for independence from white minority-rule as leader of the Zimbabwe African National Union, and spent 11 years in prison before becoming Zimbabwe's first post-independence prime minister in 1980.

In December 2015, Mr Mugabe was endorsed once more as the ruling party candidate for the 2018 presidential elections but media continue to speculate about a potential successor.