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Listen Now Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Today on Point of View, Penna Dexter is your host. Her first guest is Dr. Lucian Spataro who serves as president and CEO of the of the Joe Foss Institute: a non profit organization that serves Veterans and students in schools across the country. He tells us more about The Civics Education Initiative which seeks to promote civics education and prepare students to be informed and engaged citizens.
Also on the show today is Star Parker, founder and president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education. She tells us more about Zubik v. Burwell, more popularly known as Obamacare v. Little Sisters of the Poor, is about the Obamacare mandate requiring employers and private insurance plans to provide cost-free coverage for contraceptives, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs.
In the last hour, we hear from Robert Knight, Senior Fellow for the American Civil Rights Union; he tells us more about The Left and Free Speech. We will also revisit the issue of the bathroom bill which is still having resounding impact on our culture.
Penna Dexter
Point of View Co-Host, Penna Dexter frequently sits in as guest host for Kerby Anderson. Her weekly commentaries air on the Bott Radio Network. Penna’s heart is in educating and encouraging Christians to influence the culture and politics. She worked as a consultant overseeing the launch and production of the Family Research Council’s nationally syndicated radio program, Washington Watch Weekly. For eight yearsRead More
Guests
Dr. Lucian Spataro
President and CEO - The Civics Education Initiative
Dr. Lucian Spataro Jr. is a noted researcher, educator and author with more than 30 years of experience working in both education and the private sector. With experience as an educator and administrator, both in the United States and internationally, he served as Academic Director and Professor at the University of Arizona in Tucson and Vice Rector of Academic Affairs for the Universidad del Noroeste in Sonora, Mexico.
Dr. Spataro’s educational credentials also include a tenure as Chief Operating Officer for Education 2020, an educational software and service provider, and serving as President & CEO of TesseracT, which at the time was the largest for-profit education company in the United States. More recently he served as President of FlipSwitch, a national educational software provider.
He led the nonprofit Joe Foss Institute from 2011 – 2014 as President & CEO, and currently sits on the Board of Directors for both the Joe Foss Institute and the Civics Proficiency Institute, an affiliate of the Joe Foss Institute.
Dr. Spataro’s educational credentials also include a tenure as Chief Operating Officer for Education 2020, an educational software and service provider, and serving as President & CEO of TesseracT, which at the time was the largest for-profit education company in the United States. More recently he served as President of FlipSwitch, a national educational software provider.
He led the nonprofit Joe Foss Institute from 2011 – 2014 as President & CEO, and currently sits on the Board of Directors for both the Joe Foss Institute and the Civics Proficiency Institute, an affiliate of the Joe Foss Institute.
Why Civics Is About More Than Citizenship
Amid stagnant performance on civics exams and abysmal youth voter turnout, one group has endeavored to make the U.S. citizenship exam a high-school graduation requirement in every state.
Only one in five Americans aged 18 through 29 cast a ballot in last year’s elections, marking 2014 as having the lowest youth voter-turnout in 40 years. Some reason that young Americans are apathetic about public affairs. Others argue that cynicism about the electoral process is what’s keeping young adults from the polls: They’re so disillusioned with politics they’ve simply given up on it.
Given Millennials’ lifestyle habits and the general public’s ever-growing skepticism of people in power, perennially low voter turnout may seem inevitable. But perhaps schools are largely to blame for the rather pathetic participation numbers; perhaps young adults’ ignorance of civic affairs helps explain why so few of them cast their votes. Perhaps that means change is possible.
Only one in five Americans aged 18 through 29 cast a ballot in last year’s elections, marking 2014 as having the lowest youth voter-turnout in 40 years. Some reason that young Americans are apathetic about public affairs. Others argue that cynicism about the electoral process is what’s keeping young adults from the polls: They’re so disillusioned with politics they’ve simply given up on it.
Given Millennials’ lifestyle habits and the general public’s ever-growing skepticism of people in power, perennially low voter turnout may seem inevitable. But perhaps schools are largely to blame for the rather pathetic participation numbers; perhaps young adults’ ignorance of civic affairs helps explain why so few of them cast their votes. Perhaps that means change is possible.
Star Parker
Founder|President - The Center for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE)
Star Parker is one of the names on the short list mentioned when anyone speaks of national black conservative leaders. Star Parker is the founder and president of The Center for Urban Renewal and Education, a public policy think tank that promotes market-based solutions to fight poverty. Before involvement in social activism, Star had seven years of first-hand experience in the grip of welfare dependency. After consulting on federal Welfare Reform in the mid-90s, she founded UrbanCure to bring new ideas to policy discussions on how to transition America's poor from government dependency. Star has a bachelor's degree in Marketing and International Business from Woodbury University and has received numerous awards and commendations for her work on public policy issues. She regularly consults with both federal and state legislators on market-based strategies to fight poverty; she has spoken on more than 190 colleges and universities about anti-poverty initiatives; has authored several books; and is a nationally syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate. Many of national acclaim would agree that Star Parker has established herself as a thoughtful and energetic leader in Washington D.C and her UrbanCure advisory board includes folks of note such as Generals John Ashcroft and Ed Meese; Doctors Ben Carson, Robert P. George, George Gilder, Marvin Olasky and Walter E. Williams.
'Black babies matter': The black anti-abortion movement's political problems
This summer, the white-led anti-abortion movement looked more like a 1960s civil rights rally.
Clasping signs that read #blackwomenmatter, black and white women linked hands and walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, where Martin Luther King, Jr. once led marches for voting rights.
"If black lives matter, then black women matter … if black lives matter, then black children matter … if black lives matter, then black babies matter," conservative black activist Star Parker told the crowd after it gathered in front of a clinic in June that allegedly performs unlicensed abortions.
The march was a rare moment in the anti-abortion movement, which for decades has been dominated by white conservatives. But activism on abortion may be starting to become more racially integrated, as black activists seek to have their voices heard and leaders of the movement's most powerful groups begin to recognize a need for diversity.
Clasping signs that read #blackwomenmatter, black and white women linked hands and walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, where Martin Luther King, Jr. once led marches for voting rights.
"If black lives matter, then black women matter … if black lives matter, then black children matter … if black lives matter, then black babies matter," conservative black activist Star Parker told the crowd after it gathered in front of a clinic in June that allegedly performs unlicensed abortions.
The march was a rare moment in the anti-abortion movement, which for decades has been dominated by white conservatives. But activism on abortion may be starting to become more racially integrated, as black activists seek to have their voices heard and leaders of the movement's most powerful groups begin to recognize a need for diversity.
Robert Knight
Senior Fellow - American Civil Rights Union
Robert Knight is a Senior Fellow for the American Civil Rights Union and a regular weekly columnist for The Washington Times, Townhall.com, OneNewsNow.com and Barbwire.com, and is frequently published by AmericanThinker.com, DailyCaller.com and others.
He was a journalist for 15 years, including seven as an editor and writer at the Los Angeles Times. He has B.S. and M.S. degrees in Political Science from American University, and was a Media Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University.
He has held senior positions at the Culture & Family Institute at Concerned Women for America, the Family Research Council, the Heritage Foundation, Coral Ridge Ministries, and the Media Research Center. He wrote and directed the documentary videos Hidden Truth: What You Deserve to Know about Abortion, and The Children of Table 34, about sex researcher Alfred Kinsey.
He was a journalist for 15 years, including seven as an editor and writer at the Los Angeles Times. He has B.S. and M.S. degrees in Political Science from American University, and was a Media Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University.
He has held senior positions at the Culture & Family Institute at Concerned Women for America, the Family Research Council, the Heritage Foundation, Coral Ridge Ministries, and the Media Research Center. He wrote and directed the documentary videos Hidden Truth: What You Deserve to Know about Abortion, and The Children of Table 34, about sex researcher Alfred Kinsey.
The Dawn of Totalitolerance
Ever notice how threats of force invariably follow the left’s pleas for “tolerance?”
Let’s call this criminalization of dissent “totalitolerance.” This term has been around since at least 2013, but it deserves wider circulation, given the ferocity and frequency of progressive attacks on free speech.
In California, Attorney General Kamala Harris demanded the names of donors to conservative nonprofits in order to expose them to the kind of harassment endured by supporters of the Proposition 8 marriage amendment referendum in 2008. Last month, in a case involving the Americans for Prosperity Foundation, she was rebuffed by a federal judge who issued a permanent injunction against this “chilling effect on First Amendment rights.”
Meanwhile, Ms. Harris joined New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and 18 other liberal attorneys general in an investigation of ExxonMobil’s charitable contributions to groups that question climate change dogma. After Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) writer Hans Bader criticized the inquiry, U.S. Virgin Islands Attorney General Claude Walker sued for access to CEI’s donor lists.
Let’s call this criminalization of dissent “totalitolerance.” This term has been around since at least 2013, but it deserves wider circulation, given the ferocity and frequency of progressive attacks on free speech.
In California, Attorney General Kamala Harris demanded the names of donors to conservative nonprofits in order to expose them to the kind of harassment endured by supporters of the Proposition 8 marriage amendment referendum in 2008. Last month, in a case involving the Americans for Prosperity Foundation, she was rebuffed by a federal judge who issued a permanent injunction against this “chilling effect on First Amendment rights.”
Meanwhile, Ms. Harris joined New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and 18 other liberal attorneys general in an investigation of ExxonMobil’s charitable contributions to groups that question climate change dogma. After Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) writer Hans Bader criticized the inquiry, U.S. Virgin Islands Attorney General Claude Walker sued for access to CEI’s donor lists.
Gender Idiocy
Not long ago, I was talking to a university-based research scientist in New York City about a particular project he’s working on. It was interesting stuff, and I said that his research might have fascinating implications for broader society in light of the radical and relatively swift changes in social norms around sex, marriage, and gender. Ever thought about exploring that? I asked.
The scientist said he wouldn’t even begin to think about it. In his work, he stays far away from anything related to race, sex, and gender, unless it can’t be avoided, and even then he treads very, very carefully. Too risky politically. You never know where the land mines are hidden. You could say something you think is entirely uncontroversial and scientifically neutral, but if someone decides to make trouble for you, and call you a racist, homophobe, transphobe, or whatever, it can ruin your academic career.
The Social Justice Warriors have done their work well. Especially in New York City.
The scientist said he wouldn’t even begin to think about it. In his work, he stays far away from anything related to race, sex, and gender, unless it can’t be avoided, and even then he treads very, very carefully. Too risky politically. You never know where the land mines are hidden. You could say something you think is entirely uncontroversial and scientifically neutral, but if someone decides to make trouble for you, and call you a racist, homophobe, transphobe, or whatever, it can ruin your academic career.
The Social Justice Warriors have done their work well. Especially in New York City.
Man In Dressing Room Says He Was ‘A Woman Today’
A female shopper at the Ross Dress for Less Department store in Mesquite, Texas, could not believe her ears when she heard a man’s voice in the woman’s dressing room.
Lisa Stickles told CBSDFW what happened at the Ross Dress for Less Department store in Mesquite, Texas.
“I was in the dressing room, when we heard a man’s voice,” she said.
She says she immediately complained, but after management went inside the dressing room and came back out, she was told the man, “was representing himself as a woman today.”
Stickles says he did not look like a woman.
“He was in no way dressed as a woman. He had on jeans, a t-shirt, 5 o’clock shadow, very deep voice. He was a man.”
“(The manager) told me that if I felt uncomfortable in the dressing room with him there…I’d have to wait until he’s finished.”
Businesses are allowing customers to use bathrooms and other facilities, like dressing rooms, based on the users’ gender identity and not the sex at birth.
Lisa Stickles told CBSDFW what happened at the Ross Dress for Less Department store in Mesquite, Texas.
“I was in the dressing room, when we heard a man’s voice,” she said.
She says she immediately complained, but after management went inside the dressing room and came back out, she was told the man, “was representing himself as a woman today.”
Stickles says he did not look like a woman.
“He was in no way dressed as a woman. He had on jeans, a t-shirt, 5 o’clock shadow, very deep voice. He was a man.”
“(The manager) told me that if I felt uncomfortable in the dressing room with him there…I’d have to wait until he’s finished.”
Businesses are allowing customers to use bathrooms and other facilities, like dressing rooms, based on the users’ gender identity and not the sex at birth.
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