Holly Forrest Teaches

Ring Lardner, Jr. Oral History Interview

2012-02-08T11:56:00.003-08:00

Here is the first of six segments of a lengthy interview with one of the Hollywood Ten.

You can go to youtube for the remaining segments.

The Way We Were

2012-02-08T11:56:00.001-08:00

The Majestic - Peter's Speech

2012-02-08T11:54:00.001-08:00

Joseph Losey inspiration for Scorsese character

2012-02-01T15:09:00.000-08:00

Helen Gahagan Douglas - The Pink Lady

2012-02-01T15:04:00.000-08:00

Dorothy Comingore, inspiration for Dorothy Nolan in Guilty by Suspicion

2012-02-01T15:02:00.001-08:00

Blacklisted!

2012-02-01T14:46:00.001-08:00

http://www.wgbh.org/article/?item_id=3625029

Jenny Holzer: Blacklist

2012-02-01T12:24:00.000-08:00

http://fisher.usc.edu/collections/blacklist.html

Arthur Miller - The Crucible

2012-02-01T12:16:00.001-08:00

The Crucible

Written by	Arthur Miller
Characters	Abigail Williams Reverend John Hale Reverend Samuel Parris John Proctor Elizabeth Proctor Thomas Danforth Mary Warren John Hathorne Giles Corey
Date premiered	January 22, 1953
Place premiered	Martin Beck Theatre, New York City
Original language	English
Subject	Salem witch trials, McCarthyism
Genre	Tragedy, drama
Setting	Salem, Massachusetts
IBDB profile

The Crucible is a 1952 play by the American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatization of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay during 1692 and 1693. Miller wrote the play as an allegory of McCarthyism, when the US government blacklisted accused communists.^[1] Miller himself was questioned by the House of Representatives' Committee on Un-American Activities in 1956 and convicted of "contempt of Congress" for refusing to identify others present at meetings he had attended.

Student made trailer for film version

Walter Bernstein on Blacklisting and Fronts

2012-02-01T12:03:00.000-08:00

http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/walter-bernstein-2

Woody Allen's The Front

2012-02-01T12:02:00.000-08:00

Warning: Bad language

Zero Mostel by Jim Brochu "Zero Hour"

2012-02-01T11:53:00.000-08:00

From the play "Zero Hour" written and performed by Jim Brochu, famed actor Zero Mostel talks about the Hollywood Blacklist and the House Unamerican Activities Committee, and about "Loose Lips," Jerome Robbins who gave names.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM_Tjc1H1t4

Alvah Bessie

2012-01-25T15:08:00.000-08:00

Bessie held strong left-wing views and joined the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War fought alongside Robert Merriman, David Doran, Leonard Lamb, Joe Bianca and Edwin Rolfe, who he described as being "frail; he resembled a bird; he had a fine, delicate bone structure and he did not look as though he should be in an army... I do not think I have ever met a gentler guy, a less pugnacious guy, less of a soldier. But he had the iron of conviction in him just the same. He had a tiny automatic pistol some one had given him, and it became him, though I could not imagine him ever using it."

While in Spain he was interviewed by journalists, Ernst Toller, Ernest Hemingway, Vincent Sheean and Herbert Matthews. Bessie took part in the battle for Gandesa and served under Milton Wolff at the Ebro. On his return he wrote a book, Men in Battle (1939) about his experiences in Spain. He was also appointed as drama and film reviewer of the New Masses (1939-43).

Bessie moved to Hollywood and two of his screenplays were produced by Warner Brothers, Northern Pursuit (1943) and The Very Thought of You (1944). His next screenplay, the extremely patriotic, Objective Burma (1945) was nominated for an Academy Award. This was followed by Hotel Berlin (1945), Ruthless (1948) and Smart Woman (1948).

1986 Hard Traveling (novel "Bread and a Stone")

1974 The Sex Symbol (TV movie) (novel "The Symbol")

1969 Spain Again (screenplay collaboration)

1951 Passage West (story / front Nedrick Young)

1948 Smart Woman (screenplay)

1948 Ruthless (screenplay / originally - uncredited)

1945 Hotel Berlin

1945 Objective, Burma! (original story)

1944 The Very Thought of You (screenplay)

1943 Northern Pursuit (screenplay)

Ring Lardner, Jr.

2012-01-25T15:01:00.001-08:00

Film Clip: Woman of the Year 1942

Blacklisted by the Hollywood studios, Lardner worked for the next couple of years on the novel, The Ecstasy of Owen Muir (1954). He moved to England for a time where he wrote under several pseudonyms for television series such as The Adventures of Robin Hood. The blacklist was lifted when producer Martin Ransohoff and director Norman Jewison gave him screen credit for writing 1965's The Cincinnati Kid. Lardner's later work included M*A*S*H (1970), for which he won the Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay, and The Greatest (1977). His final film project was an adaptation of Roger Kahn's classic book, "The Boys of Summer." To Ring's great regret, funding did not materialize.

According to Hungarian writer Miklos Vamos—who visited Lardner several times before his death—Lardner won an Academy Award for a movie he wrote under a pseudonym.^{Lardner refused to tell which movie it was, saying that it would be unfair to reveal it because the writer who allowed Lardner, Jr., to use his name as a front(as Lardner's pseudonym) was doing him a big favor at the time.}

Howard Biberman

2012-01-25T14:50:00.000-08:00

Howard Biberman

Film Trailer: Salt of the Earth http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDe80G96K1Q

Biberman and his fellow Ten went to jail over their contempt convictions, Biberman for six months. Edward Dmytryk ultimately cooperated with the House committee, but Biberman and the others were blacklisted by official Hollywood movie studio bosses.

Biberman went to work independently after his release from jail. The result was Salt of the Earth, a fictionalized account of the Grant County miners' strike written by Michael Wilson and produced by Paul Jarrico, neither of whom were members of the Ten but both of whom were also blacklisted. Biberman died in New York City.

Salt of the Earth has been deemed "culturally significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. The film has also been preserved by the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Wilson, one of the blacklisted screenwriters who worked under assumed names, later won an Academy Award for a screenplay he wrote under a nom de plume, Bridge on the River Kwai.

Edward Dmytryk

2012-01-25T14:41:00.000-08:00

Give us this Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpSQ0Ha1Gh8

Tender Comrade
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1Nzz8NSDbI

Summoned to appear before the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC), he refused to cooperate and was sent to jail. After spending several months behind bars, Dmytryk made the decision to testify again, and give the names of his fellow members in the American Communist Party as the HUAC had demanded. On April 25, 1951, Dmytryk appeared before HUAC for the second time, answering all questions. He spoke of his own Party past, a very brief membership in 1945, including the naming of twenty-six former members of left-wing groups. He explained how John Howard Lawson, Adrian Scott, Albert Maltz and others had pressured him to include communist propaganda in his films. His testimony damaged several court cases that others of the so-called "Hollywood 10" had filed. He recounted his experiences of the period in his revealing 1996 book, Odd Man Out: A Memoir of the Hollywood Ten (Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale, IL).

The Hawk (1935)
Million Dollar Legs (uncredited; 1939)
Television Spy (1939)
Emergency Squad (1940)
Golden Gloves (1940)
Mystery Sea Raider (1940)
Her First Romance (1940)
The Devil Commands (1941)
Under Age (1941)
Sweetheart of the Campus (1941)
The Blonde from Singapore (1941)
Secrets of the Lone Wolf (1941)
Confessions of Boston Blackie (1941)
Counter-Espionage (1942)
Seven Miles from Alcatraz (1942)
Hitler's Children (1943)
The Falcon Strikes Back (1943)
Captive Wild Woman (1943)
Behind the Rising Sun (1943)
Tender Comrade (1943)
Murder, My Sweet (1944)
Back to Bataan (1945)
Cornered (1945)
Till the End of Time (1946)
So Well Remembered (1947)
Crossfire (1947)
Obsession (1949)
Give Us This Day (1949)
The Sniper (1952)
Mutiny (1952)
Eight Iron Men (1952)
The Juggler (1953)
The Caine Mutiny (1954)
Broken Lance (1954)
The End of the Affair (1954)
Soldier of Fortune (1955)
The Left Hand of God (1955)
The Mountain (1956)
Raintree County (1957)
The Young Lions (1958)
The Blue Angel (1959)
Warlock (1959)
Walk on the Wild Side (1962)
The Reluctant Saint (1962)
The Carpetbaggers (1964)
Where Love Has Gone (1964)
Mirage (1965)
Alvarez Kelly (1966)
Anzio (film) (1968)
Shalako (1968)
Bluebeard (1972)

John Howard Lawson

2012-01-25T14:34:00.000-08:00

John Howard Lawson

Sahara: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBMbxPZSZdQ&feature=related

Lawson appeared before the HUAC on October 29, 1947, but like Alvah Bessie, Herbert Biberman, Albert Maltz, Adrian Scott, Dalton Trumbo, Lester Cole, Edward Dmytryk, Samuel Ornitz and Ring Lardner Jr, he refused to answer any questions. Known as the Hollywood Ten, they claimed that the First Amendment of the United States Constitution gave them the right to do this. The HUAC and U.S. appeals courts, however, disagreed and all were found guilty of contempt of Congress and Lawson was sentenced to twelve months in Ashland Prison and fined $1,000. In his 1951 HUAC testimony, Edward Dmytryk testified that Lawson had pressured him to put communist propaganda in his films.

Lawson had organized and led the attack on Albert Maltz when Maltz published an article, "What Shall We Ask of Writers", in The New Masses, challenging the didacticism of the American Communist Party's censorship of writers. Surprised by the ferocity of attack from his fellow writers, including Lawson, Howard Fast, Alvah Bessie, Ring Lardner, Jr., Samuel Sillen, and others, Maltz publicly recanted.

Lester Cole

2012-01-25T14:16:00.000-08:00

Lester Cole, screenwriter

Between 1932 and 1947 Cole wrote more than forty screenplays that were made into motion pictures. After his blacklisting, just three screenplays were made into films, only after friends, and wife Gerald L.C. Copley, Lewis Copley, and J. Redmond Prior, submitted the screenplays under their names.

His best-known work was the highly successful 1966 film Born Free.

Film Clip: Objective, Burma!

1966 Born Free (screenplay / originally as Gerald L.C. Copley)

1965 Onkelchens Traum (TV movie)

1961 Operation Eichmann (written by / originally as Lewis Copley)

1950 Chain Lightning (story "These Many Years" / originally as J. Redmond Prior)

1947 High Wall

1947 The Romance of Rosy Ridge

1947 Fiesta

1946 Strange Conquest (story)

1945 Men in Her Diary (adaptation)

1945 Blood on the Sun (screenplay)

1945 Objective, Burma! (screenplay)

1944 None Shall Escape

1943 Hostages (writer)

1943 The Good Fellows (contract writer - uncredited)

1943 Night Plane from Chungking (screenplay)

1941 Pacific Blackout (screenplay)

1941 Among the Living (screenplay / story)

1941 Bad Men of Missouri (contributing writer - uncredited)

1941 Footsteps in the Dark (screenplay)

1940 The House of the Seven Gables

1940 The Invisible Man Returns (screenplay)

1939 The Big Guy (screenplay)

1939 I Stole a Million (story)

1939 Winter Carnival (writer)

1939 Pirates of the Skies (story "Sky Police")

1938 Secrets of a Nurse (screenplay)

1938 Sinners in Paradise (screenplay)

1938 The Crime of Doctor Hallet (screenplay / story)

1938 Midnight Intruder (screenplay)

1938 The Jury's Secret (story and screenplay)

1937 Some Blondes Are Dangerous

1937 The Man in Blue (screenplay)

1937 Affairs of Cappy Ricks (original screenplay)

1936 The President's Mystery (screenplay)

1936 Follow Your Heart

1935 Hitch Hike Lady (screenplay)

1935 Too Tough to Kill

1935 Dante's Inferno (contributor to treatment - uncredited)

1935 Under Pressure

1934 Nada más que una mujer (screenplay)

1934 Charlie Chan in London (additional dialogue - uncredited)

1934 Pursued

1934 Wild Gold

1934 Sleepers East

1934 Three on a Honeymoon (contract writer - uncredited)

1933 Walls of Gold (writer)

1933 Charlie Chan's Greatest Case (writer)

1932 If I Had a Million

Albert Maltz

2012-01-25T14:08:00.000-08:00

Albert Maltz, screenwriter

For his script for the 1945 film Pride of the Marines, Maltz was nominated for an Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay. He won the 1951 Writers Guild of America Award for Best Written American Drama for his screenplay for Broken Arrow. However, due to his blacklisting at the time, fellow MPAA screenwriter Michael Blankfort put his own name on the script as the only way to get it accepted by any of the Hollywood movie studios. As such, Blankfort was named the winner until things were made right for Maltz, albeit posthumously, in 1997 when the Writers Guild of America unanimously voted to restore screen credit to those who had been blacklisted.

Film Clip: Pride of the Marines

Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970)
The Robe (1953) (originally uncredited)
Broken Arrow (1950) (originally uncredited)
The Naked City (1948)
The Red House (1947)
Cloak and Dagger (1946)
Pride of the Marines (1945)
The House I Live In (1945)
This Gun for Hire (1942)

Adrian Scott

2012-01-25T12:46:00.000-08:00

Adrian Scott, producer and screenwriter

Adrian Scott was the producer of the film noirs Murder, My Sweet (1944), Cornered (1945), and Crossfire (1947), all of which were directed by Edward Dmytryk. Crossfire was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

In October 1947, Scott was called to testify during the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) hearings on Hollywood but - as did nine others - refused to testify and was sentenced to jail. Edward Dmytryk, another of these Hollywood Ten, later, in 1951 testified before the HUAC that Scott pressured him to put communist propaganda in his films.

Here is a clip from Crossfire: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dRDINoVTec&feature=related

1972 The Great Man's Whiskers (TV movie) (play)

1960 Conspiracy of Hearts (story / front Dale Pitt)

1955 The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series)

1946 Miss Susie Slagle's (adaptation)

1943 Mr. Lucky (screenplay)

1941 We Go Fast (screenplay)

1941 The Parson of Panamint

1940 Keeping Company (screenplay)

Dalton Trumbo

2012-01-25T12:45:00.001-08:00

Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9z_Wk8Dz2n8

Trumbo
http://www.youtube.com/movie?v=Y-Fb1bL67J8&feature=mv_sr

Dalton Trumbo
Trumbo with wife Cleo at House Un-American Activities Committee hearings, 1947

James Dalton Trumbo (December 9, 1905 – September 10, 1976) was an American screenwriter and novelist. As one of the Hollywood Ten, he refused to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in 1947 during the committee's investigation of Communist influences in the motion picture industry. Trumbo won two Academy Awards while blacklisted; one was originally given to a front writer, and one was awarded to Robert Rich, Trumbo's pseudonym.

Blacklisting effectively ended in 1960 when it lost credibility. Trumbo was publicly given credit for two blockbuster films: Otto Preminger made public that Trumbo wrote the screenplay for the smash hit, Exodus, and Kirk Douglas publicly announced that Trumbo was the screenwriter of Spartacus. Further, President-elect John F. Kennedy crossed picket lines to see the movie.

His son Christopher Trumbo wrote a play based on his letters during the period of the blacklist, entitled Red, White and Blacklisted (2003), produced in New York in 2003. He adapted it as a film, adding material from documentary footage, Trumbo (2007).

On December 19, 2011, The Writers Guild of America announced that Trumbo will get full credit for his work on the screenplay of the 1953 romantic comedy Roman Holiday, sixty years after the fact.

Spartacus - Dalton Trumbo

2012-01-25T12:44:00.000-08:00


Theatrical release poster by Reynold Brown
Directed by	Stanley Kubrick Anthony Mann (uncredited)
Produced by	Edward Lewis Kirk Douglas (executive)
Screenplay by	Dalton Trumbo
Based on	Spartacus by Howard Fast
Narrated by	Vic Perrin
Starring	Kirk Douglas Laurence Olivier Peter Ustinov John Gavin Jean Simmons Charles Laughton Tony Curtis
Music by	Alex North
Cinematography	Russell Metty Stanley Kubrick (uncredited)
Editing by	Robert Lawrence
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date(s)	October 7, 1960 (1960-10-07)
Running time	184 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$12 million
Box office	$60,000,000

Original 1960 theatrical release poster

Spartacus is a 1960 American epic historical drama film directed by Stanley Kubrick and based on the novel of the same name by Howard Fast. The life story of the historical figure Spartacus and the events of the Third Servile War were adapted by Dalton Trumbo as a screenplay.

The film stars Kirk Douglas as rebellious slave Spartacus and Laurence Olivier as his foe, the Roman general and politician Marcus Licinius Crassus. Co-starring are Peter Ustinov (who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as slave trader Lentulus Batiatus), John Gavin (as Julius Caesar), Jean Simmons, Charles Laughton, John Ireland, Herbert Lom, Woody Strode, Tony Curtis, John Dall and Charles McGraw. The film won four Oscars in all.

The titles were designed by Saul Bass, who also has a credit as "visual consultant".

Anthony Mann, the film's original director, was replaced by Douglas with Kubrick after the first week of shooting.

Screenwriter Dalton Trumbo was blacklisted at the time as one of the Hollywood Ten. Kirk Douglas publicly announced that Trumbo was the screenwriter of Spartacus, and President-elect John F. Kennedy crossed picket lines to see the movie, helping to end blacklisting.

Film Clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8h_v_our_Q

Hollywood Ten: Murrow vs. McCarthy

2012-01-11T12:44:00.000-08:00

From Documentary Excerpt Dawn of the Eye

Hollywood Ten Testimony

2012-01-11T12:40:00.000-08:00

Testimony

Howard Biberman

Dalton Trumbo

History of the Hollywood Ten

2012-01-11T12:38:00.000-08:00

We shall watch this film today and discuss it.

Hollywood Ten - Climate of Fear

2012-01-11T12:00:00.001-08:00

Let's put the events in context. Time travel with me now.

The Hollywood Ten: Silver Screen Blacklisting during the Red Scare

2011-12-27T09:53:00.000-08:00

I'm thrilled to be teaching The Hollywood Ten: American Blacklisting

We'll examine the case of the infamous "Hollywood Ten" - a group of gifted film writers and directors who lost their jobs and were denied employment for many years because of their political beliefs or associations, real or suspected. This course focuses on the silver screen as blacklisting moved on to Hollywood, discussing how the 1950s McCarthy era “Red Scare” impacted the whole country. Mature Learning classes are for people age 55 and older.

$50.00 5 classes W 1/11/2012 - 2/8/2012 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM CTC 337

Go here to register: http://www.campusce.net/Clark/course/course.aspx?C=2679&pc=12&mc=125&sc=0

Morality and the Internet Begins on Wednesday, November 2

2011-10-28T10:07:00.000-07:00

The class is a look at Morality and the Internet. Initially, I'd thought to focus on cases like the Anthony Weiner scandal, a politician who posted pictures of himself in his underpants. But there are so many issues related to the internet beyond that. And they affect regular people like you and me, not just celebrities and political leaders. The internet affects children and young adults who may do foolish or even dangerous things. We'll hear from school administrators and police as well as others to look at issues that are very relevant to our lives, and discuss the moral implications of behaviours related to use of the internet.

The class is out at Columbia Tech Center on the east side.

Click on the title to go to the registration website at Clark College.

Morality and the Internet

People have behaved promiscuously since the dawn of time. But the internet poses all sorts of new opportunities. This course will evaluate the special challenges to being “well behaved” that arise from our new access to worldwide communication and digital media, especially in light of recent scandals. We'll hear from a variety of speakers and engage in lively discussion. No class 11/23.

#9416 FMLS 050 J0 11/2-12/7 Wed 1:30 - 3:30P

$50.00 CTC 337 H .Forrest

Second Amendment: Local Law Enforcement Perspective and Challenges

2011-04-25T22:10:00.001-07:00

Our speaker today was Commander Michael McCabe.

Commander McCabe has experience working in both the jail system and within the patrol division. He is the Clark County Sheriff’s Office community outreach sergeant for S.A.L.T., a cooperative effort of the Clark County Sheriff's Office, Camas Police Department and Senior Citizens of East Clark County. Seniors and Law Enforcement Together (S.A.L.T.) program in Clark County, strives to improve senior crime prevention and education. An Arizona native and a former employee of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office in Phoenix, Arizona, Sargeant McCabe moved his family to Vancouver and joined the Clark County Sheriff’s Office in 1994.

We viewed these clips, among others.

This piece by KATU highlights the open carry controversy in Vancouver:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_zg7H0e4sE

Should guns be allowed in public parks? Clark County Commissioners make policy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiDNavX8otw

This piece by KATU discusses the recent tragedy involving the death of an officer's child in Battle Ground, with references to the 2003 fatal shooting by another officer's child of the child's sibling. It includes a statement by Sheriff Gary Lucas:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5sXCEsEa3s&feature=related

Second Amendment: Do Guns Belong in Kindergarten?

2011-04-20T15:06:00.000-07:00

Parents and children react with fear and shock to the shooting in Houston

In today's news:

Police look at how Houston kindergartner got gun

(click on title to open full article)

Houston police are trying to determine how a kindergartner got a loaded gun that he brought to an elementary.

I tried to find something on the NRA website in response to the shooting. A quick search of Houston school yielded this 2008 article about Texas Governor Perry and his view that - well let me just share the beginning quote:

Gov. Rick Perry said Monday that local school districts should be able to decide whether to allow concealed weapons on their campuses.
"I'm pretty much a fan that if you've been trained, if you are registered, then you ought to be able to carry a weapon," Perry said.

He's talking about adults, of course. Presumably he doesn't support kindergarteners bringing guns to school.

I couldn't readily find a statement by Perry to the recent shooting, though.

Second Amendment: NRA in the last Presidential Election

2011-04-17T13:52:00.000-07:00

I found an interesting site created by the NRA related to Barack Obama's presidential race. Take a look and share your comments.

GunBaNObama

Second Amendment: Mama Politico Goes to the Gun Show

2011-04-16T10:16:00.000-07:00

Wide selection to fit all budgets!

One of my favorite political bloggers, Mama Politico, recently shared an experience she had when she and some friends ventured forth into a gun show.

You can read the details by clicking here. Feel free to comment on her site, but I'd love to have your comments here as well.

Second Amendment: CDC

2011-04-13T20:20:00.000-07:00

I call this one the
Curious Case of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Can you guess why?

Check out this link and try to figure out what's missing on this page.

Hint: The writer uses different nouns to name various causes of violent deaths and injury (e.g. motor vehicle crashes, drug overdoses) but there is no mention of a word that begins with g and ends with n.

A search of the term "gun" on that site yields a whole bunch of hits for nail guns, BB guns, tattoo guns.....but recent pieces about, you know....GUNS are a little tough to find. I wondered why that was so I've contacted them to learn more.

Will let you know what I find out.

Second Amendment: Politics of the Matter

2011-04-12T20:50:00.000-07:00

Hillary Clinton's campaign attacked Barack Obama when she was running against him for the Democratic nomination. Here's a look at the piece they mailed out. Double click on the image to enlarge.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0508/Clinton_mail_attacks_Obama_on_guns.html#

There were ads from the Republican National Committee against Obama regarding his stance on Second Amendment rights. You can view one by clicking here.

Obama talked about the issues during the campaign. Here's an excerpt from one of his speeches:

When he was elected, there was an upswing in gun sales because of fear that he would restrict gun sales. Click here for some stories about this.

Steve Chapman, a columnist and editorial writer for the Chicago Tribune, analyzes some of the recent politics of the Second Amendment in a piece from February 2010, Obama Spurns Gun Control: Why the anti-gun lobby is disappointed with Obama's first year

A guest writer at Floyd Reports claimed the President is waiting for an opportunity to take action against the Second Amendment in a piece published online at the end of last month, Obama's Gun Grab? It's a Matter of Time.

Now read Obama's own thoughts on the subject as President, in an opinion editorial he wrote published in the Arizona Daily Star in mid March: We Must Seek Agreement on Gun Reforms

Please comment on any of the pieces in this post.

Second Amendment: Brady Foundation Skype Session

2011-04-10T10:46:00.000-07:00

This Monday, we'll be talking with Dennis Henigan, Vice President of the Brady Center and author of Lethal Logic: Exploding the Myths that Paralyze American Gun Policy. Take a moment to review some of this material and prepare questions for him.

Brady Center website
http://www.bradycenter.org/

Lethal Logic by Dennis Henigan
http://www.lethallogicthebook.com/

Gun Show Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baPgr_tw79Q&feature=channel

Dennis A. Henigan is the Vice President of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and Founder of its Legal Action Project. He is the author of Lethal Logic: Exploding the Myths that Paralyze American Gun Policy (Potomac Books 2009).

For twenty years, he has been a leading advocate for stronger gun laws, appearing dozens of times on national television and radio shows, including 60 Minutes, The Today Show, Nightline, Larry King Live and Dateline. He also has written and spoken extensively on liability and constitutional issues relating to gun laws and gun violence, including testifying before several Congressional Committees.

Under his direction, Brady Center lawyers have recovered millions of dollars in damages for gun violence victims, as well as winning precedent-setting decisions on the liability of gun sellers. In 2004, he was named one of the top ten “Lawyers of the Year” by Lawyers’ Weekly magazine. His work as a public interest lawyer has been profiled in The New Yorker.

Henigan received his B.A. from Oberlin College in 1973 and his law degree in 1977 from the University of Virginia School of Law. Prior to joining the Brady Center in 1989, he was a partner in the law firm of Foley & Lardner.

Second Amendment: Legal Community Against Violence

2011-04-09T19:39:00.000-07:00

LCAV's Work on Second Amendment Issues

As the nation's only organization devoted exclusively to providing legal assistance in support of gun violence prevention, LCAV is actively involved in supporting state and local governments' defense of Second Amendment litigation, educating courts, governments, and the public about the meaning of the Second Amendment, and developing common sense gun violence prevention legislation that complies with the Heller decision.

You can read more by clicking here.

Second Amendment: Conservative Satirist PJ O'Rourke

2011-04-08T19:44:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to a lengthy discussion by Satirist PJ O'Rourke about a variety of American politics issues. He's speaking to the National Press Club of Australia. You can go directly to the 3 minute piece about Gun Control by scrolling down the menu to part 12 and click on that to play it in the video window.

Do you agree or disagree with what he says? Take a minute and post your reactions in the comments section.

You might want to spend some time checking out some of the other videos at the site, FORA.tv - I found a number of intriguing pieces on there.

Second Amendment: Various Viewpoints and Interpretations

2011-04-06T23:10:00.000-07:00

There are a number of different websites put together by individuals who support the right to bear arms. It's often difficult to figure out who the actual writer is, and whether their facts are correct.

Still, I thought it would be valuable to share some of these with you to give a sense of what people believe.

GunCite

The Second Amendment Under Fire: The Uses of History and the Politics of Gun Control by Saul Cornell, Associate Professor, Department of History, The Ohio State University

Cornell explores A Well-Regulated Militia on C-SPAN

The Embarrassing Second Amendment by Sanford Levinson, University of Texas at Austin School of Law

After Tucson Shootings, NRA Again Shows Its Strength by NPR Staff - this includes an interview with Robert Spitzer, political science professor at SUNY Cortland, who has authored 13 books and hundreds of articles on American government and the Second Amendment.

Professor Cass Sunstein, University of Chicago Law School, explores the Second Amendment

Second Amendment: Library of Congress

2011-04-06T21:24:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite places in Washington, DC is the Library of Congress. Since we can't easily travel there, let's take a peek at what they have online:

Primary Documents in American History

Here are just a couple of the items they have to share:

The James Madison Papers

The James Madison Papers consists of approximately 12,000 items that document the life of the man who came to be known as the “Father of the Constitution.” Includes an essay on Madison's role in the Constitutional Convention. Also contains Madison's original notes on debates in the Federal Convention of 1787, Part 1 and Part 2, as well as John C. Payne's copy of Madison's original notes.

Search this collection to locate additional documents related to the Constitution.

The Thomas Jefferson Papers at the Library of Congress

Thomas Jefferson received a copy of the Constitution in November, 1787, while living in France. Beginning on the second page of a letter to James Madison dated December 20, 1787, Jefferson expressed his opinions on the new Constitution, including his belief that a Bill of Rights was needed. This collection also contains Alexander Hamilton's proposals from the Constitutional Convention and Jefferson's notes on the Constitution from 1788.

Second Amendment: Duel Over Gun Control in America

2011-03-31T02:01:00.000-07:00

Today begins the first of five sessions on the Second Amendment. It promises to be a thought-provoking examination of different viewpoints.

Here are some of the clips we considered:

Fred Friendly's 1984 video series: Constitution, That Delicate Balance
School Prayer, Gun Control and the Right to Assemble Arthur Miller leads a roundtable discussion simulation - begin 34:10 - 41:38)

Second Amendment Timeline by Annenberg (open PDF)

Second Amendment in the News: Sharron Angle (end at 5:09)

Hannity on Violent Rhetoric

CSPAN Classroom - Lott on Gun Bans

Supreme Court oral argument in District of Columbia vs. Heller

Judge Laurence Silberman on his ruling in favor of right to keep and bear arms (influenced Heller case)

Stephen Breyer on the Framers and the Second Amendment (to 5:21)

ACLU on 2nd Amendment post-Heller

Commentator on DC vs. Heller (SC 2008 4:01)

Race and Religion in Revolutionary America: More on Williamsburg's African American Programs

2011-03-29T17:47:00.000-07:00

James Ingram portrays Gowan Pamphlet

One of you had raised a question about Gowan Pamphlet, the freed slave who became a Baptist minister in Virginia. You wondered if he himself had owned slaves, since he was a landowner. I contacted our speaker, Harvey Bakari, who said there is no evidence that Gowan owned any slaves. You can learn more about Gowan by clicking here.

There's a great article about visitors' reactions to the African American experience programs in Williamsburg in the Washington Post. You can read it by clicking here.

Race and Religion in Revolutionary America: Williamsburg's African American Programs

2011-03-20T22:32:00.002-07:00

James Hogan, as a 1775 parson

I'm excited that we'll be joined by two different reenactors in our final class!

I've already shared some information about James Hogan, who portrays a 1775 parson at the Minuteman National Park in Concord, Massachusetts.

Here's a look at the people involved in the African American program at Williamsburg. Harvey Bakari will definitely be joining us. He may be joined by some other interpreters as well.

Click here to go to the video:

http://www.history.org/media/videoplayer/index.cfm?cat=african%20americans&file=AA30_April_800K_ws

Race and Religion in Revolutionary America: Whitewashing The Patriot

2011-03-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Whilst researching popular culture films dealing with the issue of slavery during the Revolutionary War, I considered showing a clip from the film The Patriot.

What I learned surprised me even though I know that Hollywood takes a great deal of dramatic license.

Check out this article for details:

Spike Lee Slams Patriot

Here's another:

The Patriot: More Flag-Waving Rot with Mel Gibson

What do you think about this? Comment below!

Race and Religion in Revolutionary America: What's in a Name? Washington

2011-03-15T06:55:00.000-07:00

Double click on picture to read the caption.

Wondering what our first President thought and did about slavery?
Here's an interesting piece with some details:

Washington: the 'blackest name' in America

Race and Religion in Revolutionary America: Music and other Clips from 3/14

2011-03-14T07:09:00.000-07:00

Our intended guest who will join us next week instead:
http://www.historyfestival.org/hogan.html
where he's from:
http://www.nps.gov/mima/index.htm

These are the pieces we will examine in class today:

1776 - I played the DVD, but you can see excerpts at
youtube.com such as

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yk5NAeIRY4k&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9xV1LA6EHU&feature=related

Randy Newman's Sail Away

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chaP4MCXp4w

Lyrics:
http://www.lyricsdepot.com/randy-newman/sail-away.html

Orchestra New England performs a stirring rendition of Chester, the first American national anthem. William Billings first wrote this in 1770.

Lyrics:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chester_%28song%29#Lyrics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxhRXHtX4pg&feature=related

Field trip to the Library of Congress: (click on images to enlarge)

Religion and the Founding

http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel03.html

African American Sites in the Digital Collection

http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/afam/afam-1763.html

Colonial Williamsburg African American Experience Program

http://www.history.org/media/videoplayer/index.cfm?cat=african%20americans&file=FreedomBound

Interactive Role playing Game:

http://www.history.org/history/teaching/dayinthelife/interact_role.cfm

Video link:

http://mfile.akamai.com/17525/mov/colonialwil.download.akamai.com/17525/ditl/DITLS-1-512k.mov?obj=25277

Slave Work Songs: Electronic Field Trip

http://www.history.org/history/teaching/enewsletter/february03/worksongs.cfm

Reenactors consider our topic:

http://www.patriotsweek.com/friday.php

http://www.revolutionarywararchives.org/slavery.html

HBO’s John Adams – Slaves Building the White House 3:28

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0PE_kC-3EY

Wall of Separation: Americans United for Separation of Church and State

2011-01-19T07:36:00.000-08:00

While many people think of ACLU when identifying organizations that deal with religious freedoms, there's an organization entirely devoted to the separation of church and state.

Here's a peek at some of the issues they work on. We'll hear from members of the organization on January 31.

The Wall of Separation Blog

Wall of Separation: Library of Congress exhibit

2011-01-18T15:45:00.000-08:00

The Library of Congress website has some great online exhibits on a wide variety of subjects.

Here's a link to the exhibit on Religion and the Founding of the American Republic. It provides a glimpse at the original documents written by Franklin, Madison and Washington, among others.

Click here for a look at it! http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel06.html

Wall of Separation: Your Tax Dollars at Work? The Case of Noah's Ark Theme Park

2011-01-17T15:00:00.000-08:00

Check this out and leave a comment.

Critics blast potential taxpayer funding Noah's Ark theme park

Wall of Separation: Netroots Nation Discusses the Concept of the Wall

2011-01-16T10:15:00.000-08:00

This one could take you a while to get through. It's a panel discussion by a wide diversity of discussants

Bruce Ledewitz, Professor of Law at Duquesne University School of Law, led a panel debating a proposal concerning the future of the separation of church and state in America. The proposal was entitled, A New Progressive Vision for Church and State: How I Learned to Accept "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance and Stop Losing Elections. The substance of the proposal was set forth as follows:

"The old liberal vision of a total separation of religion from politics has been discredited. Despite growing secularization, a secular progressive majority is still impossible, and a new two-part approach is needed--one that first admits that there is no political wall of separation. Voters must be allowed, without criticism, to propose policies based on religious belief. But, when government speaks and acts, messages must be universal. The burden is on religious believers, therefore, to explain public references like 'under God' in universal terms. For example, the word 'God' can refer to the ceaseless creativity of the universe and the objective validity of human rights. Promoting and accepting religious images as universal will help heal culture-war divisions and promote the formation of a broad-based progressive coalition."

There's a link to an article and a one hour and 22 minute video clip at

Netroots Nation Discusses the Concept of Separation of Church and State

Wall of Separation: Thomas Jefferson and Texas

2011-01-15T16:02:00.000-08:00

Graphic from http://forum.prisonplanet.com/index.php?topic=163505.0

Poor Thomas Jefferson. Texas has decided he isn't worthy to be on a list of Enlightenment thinkers in their new syllabus. And they have some things to say about the separation of church and state, too.

Check out the report here:

Texas Schools To Get Controversial Syllabus

Here are a few commentaries about the story:

Texas School Syllabus is Political Indoctrination?

Religious RightWatch

Here's a forum discussion of the situation:

Thomas Jefferson to be Removed from School Textbooks in Texas

What do you think? Comment!

Wall of Separation: History Lesson

2011-01-14T12:28:00.000-08:00

Click this link (lavender title bar) for an interesting essay by Christine Leigh Heyrman of the Department of History, University of Delaware as part of a series by the National Humanities Center:
		The Separation of Church and State from the American Revolution to the Early Republic

Wall of Separation: ACLU on Religion Issues

2011-01-10T15:30:00.000-08:00

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is one of the organizations that comes to mind immediately when one is talking about First Amendment issues.

Here's a link to their Washington state chapter webpage on Religious Issues:
http://www.aclu-wa.org/issues/religion

Take a minute to browse it and share your thoughts in the comments here. Do you think the work of the organization serves a useful purpose? Why/why not?

Wall of Separation: Freedom From Religion Foundation

2011-01-08T22:51:00.000-08:00

I've discovered a number of different organizations who are active in separation of church and state issues.

One such organization is FFRF, Freedom From Religion Foundation. I learned about them from this post at The Colorado Independent:

Just try it — ‘Imagine No Religion’

That led me to google "imagine no religion billboard." The search yielded over 69,500 hits. The group has purchased numerous billboard ads over the years throughout the country.

What is your reaction to the billboard?

Wall of Separation: The Case of the "Righteous" California DMV Clerk

2011-01-07T23:46:00.000-08:00

Plenty of people complain about their experience at the Department of Motor Vehicles, but here's a tale of a clerk who went out of his way to make it extra hellish for one citizen.

Read the article here:

http://www.examiner.com/humanist-in-national/amber-yust-update-dmv-clerk-resigns-after-harassing-transgender-woman

and then comment below if you'd like. Personally, I am sort of speechless.

Here's one blogger's comments on the situation: http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/18208/transphobia-as-an-apparent-government-function

Lecture One Clips: Varying Viewpoints on Separation of Church and State

2011-01-03T00:07:00.000-08:00

MYSTERY CLIP:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DQUAuNUvw

What does separation of church and state mean to you?

Why did you take this course?

Let’s hear from some others, and discuss what they have to say:

JFK

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAvHHTt2czU

Palin and Biden

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUPAvEP8m7M&NR=1&feature=fvwp

President Obama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOwzy-vKaFI&NR=1

Hillary Clinton

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIqgK9wfPwk

Colorado US Sen. Candidate Ken Buck

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v21H8Bs14I&feature=related

Delaware's US Sen. Candidate Christine O’Donnell (showed up to 1:12 of 2:37 clip)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdQiunzKXx8&feature=related

Rush Limbaugh defends O’Donnell 1:44

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFcF2me6z2A

Bill Maher on O’Donnell and church/state (showed up to 2:20)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWi7F-b1Xvs&feature=related

Chuck Norris on getting Bible taught in public schools

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pnFg0Sp2Xw&feature=related

Separation of Church and Politics:

West Wing – Alan Alda and Martin Sheen – campaigning & churchgoing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulk3hDwxnmg

Huckabee on Amending Constitution to God's Standards

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D08Dq_iNMRk&feature=channel

– art imitates life –

Using Religious Grounds and/or Bible references to justify Positions on Issues/Policies:

West Wing Martin Sheen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eD52OlkKfNs&feature=related

O'Reilly on Washington state Christmas displays

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=po2xTshs9uk&feature=related

Colbert Displaying Ten Commandments 5:37

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/180282/september-05-2008/better-know-a-district---lynn-westmoreland-update

Viewer Comment: Haha, anyone notice the point at the very end? Colbert goes, "Thank you for taking time away from keeping the Sabbath holy to talk to me." Priceless!

The Wall of Separation: First Amendment Says What?

2011-01-03T00:04:00.001-08:00

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abriding the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Wall of Separation or Good Neighbor Fence?

2010-12-29T22:04:00.000-08:00

Whilst looking for the perfect illustration, I found this at http://garlicgingerturtles.blogspot.com/

What do you think about the concept of the wall of separation between church and state? It seems to be a particularly hot button topic these days, but it usually comes up pretty regularly at this time of year because of Christmas displays in public places and celebrations in schools.

We'll take a look at what the Supreme Court has said about these types of issues. Have they built a tall wall of separation or a good neighbor fence?

Religion and Race in Revolutionary America

2010-10-24T21:57:00.000-07:00

Thanks to http://blog.lib.umn.edu/duver001/nwn/025980.html from whom I borrowed this fab image.

Did I mention that I was also teaching a second class after the one on Separation of Church and State?

Religion and Race in Revolutionary America

Religion and race during the Revolutionary period created contradictions and tensions that determined how the nation saw its soul. Learn how the Founding Fathers tried to let experience guide them as they defined the values of the new nation. Team taught w/Elliot Trommauld.

2/14-3/21 M 1:30-3:20 pm No class 2/21.

The Wall of Separation Between Church and State

2010-10-24T21:42:00.000-07:00

Announcing my Clark College class for next quarter:
The Wall of Separation Between Church & State

Exercise your right to speak your mind in this discussion-based class, as we examine some of the principles and practices arising from the First Amendment. We’ll begin with a review of the historical basis of the Free Exercise Clause and Establishment Clause, then dive into some recent examples in our community and Supreme Court decisions. Team taught w/ Elliott Trommald. 1/3-2/7 M 1:30-3:20 pm No class 1/17.

I can't wait! I'm really excited about this topic, because I think we'll have some great discussions. I'm busy gathering material to share, so if you have any ideas, lay them on me.

Right To Offend: The First Amendment Protects Some Liars

2010-10-19T21:34:00.000-07:00

I found a great article called Truth in Advertising? Not in Political Ads.

Read it and post your comments.

Tools to Fact Check

2010-10-19T16:21:00.000-07:00

With the explosion of information that's occurred thanks to the internet, and the rapid dissemination of all kinds of material via emails, it's helpful to have reliable tools to research facts.

Here are a couple of sites I've discovered and recommend:

Snopes.com

FactCheck.org

What sites do you use to verify information?

Even Supreme Court Justices Deal with Their Speech Taken Out of Context

2010-10-19T15:25:00.000-07:00

Back in 2001, when she was an Associate Court Judge, Sonia Sotomayor spoke at Berkeley Law School. Her words would come back to haunt her when she was before the Senate for confirmation as a Supreme Court Justice. She had said:

Justice O'Connor has often been cited as saying that a wise old man and wise old woman will reach the same conclusion in deciding cases. I am not so sure Justice O'Connor is the author of that line since Professor Resnik attributes that line to Supreme Court Justice Coyle. I am also not so sure that I agree with the statement. First, as Professor Martha Minnow has noted, there can never be a universal definition of wise. Second, I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life.

Here's a clip from the confirmation hearing:

Here is more from the speech Sotomayor gave in 2001:

Let us not forget that wise men like Oliver Wendell Holmes and Justice Cardozo voted on cases which upheld both sex and race discrimination in our society. Until 1972, no Supreme Court case ever upheld the claim of a woman in a gender discrimination case. I, like Professor Carter, believe that we should not be so myopic as to believe that others of different experiences or backgrounds are incapable of understanding the values and needs of people from a different group. Many are so capable. As Judge Cedarbaum pointed out to me, nine white men on the Supreme Court in the past have done so on many occasions and on many issues including Brown.

However, to understand takes time and effort, something that not all people are willing to give. For others, their experiences limit their ability to understand the experiences of others. Other simply do not care. Hence, one must accept the proposition that a difference there will be by the presence of women and people of color on the bench. Personal experiences affect the facts that judges choose to see. My hope is that I will take the good from my experiences and extrapolate them further into areas with which I am unfamiliar. I simply do not know exactly what that difference will be in my judging. But I accept there will be some based on my gender and my Latina heritage.

You can read the full text here.

What do you think? Did context matter in this case?

Out of Context Redux

2010-10-19T15:10:00.000-07:00

Here are some additional cases of words used out of context. As you may well imagine, campaign season provides plenty of examples.

The Case of the Sheriff and the Billboard

Here's an article that discusses the case:
http://pinalcountyaz.gov/Departments/Sheriff/Lists/News/DispFormA.aspx?List=b382d514-09a1-4490-80f0-4f0e76b7b4c9&ID=270

What do you think? Was the billboard misleading? Should the speech be protected? Was the sheriff wrong to publicize the artist's phone number?

The Right to Offend: Out of Context

2010-10-19T15:05:00.000-07:00

I was talking to my children the other day about how to show the idea of something taken out of context, where a person manipulates another's words to make it seem like they are saying something they're not. My kids directed me to this:

Consider the case of Shirley Sherrod, a federal employee (USDA Director of Rural Development in Georgia) who was fired in response to a conservative blogger's post about her. Andrew Breitbart alleged that Sherrod, a black woman, was racist against white people. He posted a video clip of her speaking to the NAACP to support his claim.

But to paraphrase Paul Harvey, Breitbart didn't show "the rest of the story." Take a look at this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cwnlp-i-G10&feature=channel

Do you know of examples where someone was harmed because their words were excerpted or taken out of context?

You can read more about the case here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2010/07/21/GA2010072104380.html

The Right to Offend: President Andrew Shepherd on Free Speech

2010-10-19T15:00:00.000-07:00

One of my blogging friends suggested this clip to illustrate the concept of free speech. I think it's pretty nifty too.

What do you think?

Westboro comes to Vancouver

2010-10-18T11:59:00.001-07:00

Here in Vancouver, at the close of May 2010, Heritage High students were picketed by Westboro Baptist Church. You can read about it here:

We'll be joined today by a former Heritage student, Meagan Ames, who led a counterprotest against the hatred of WBC.

The Case of the Funderal Protesters: Westboro Baptist Church

2010-10-18T11:37:00.000-07:00

The Supreme Court recently heard arguments in the case of Snyder v. Phelps. Just in case you've been living under a rock for the past year or two, here's a clip about the case:

Here's Al Snyder, father of the slain soldier, discussing his view of the case:

Here is the view of the Phelps family, who lead the Westboro Baptist Church:

Here's a look at what Dorian de Wind, retired US Air Force Major, has to say about the case. He wrote a piece called Snyder v. Phelps: Does Hate Speech Trump the Right to Mourn with Dignity?

What do you think?

The Right to Offend: Defending Free Speech on the Internet

2010-10-11T11:03:00.000-07:00

Let's hear from Australian media commentator Cassandra Wilkinson on the dangers to children related to the internet:

Who is this woman, anyway? Pluto Press lists her author biography this way:

Cassandra Wilkinson is a public-access media advocate, a winning short play writer and co-founder and president of Australia's only all Australian music radio station, FBi FM Sydney.

Cassandra has been a senior political advisor to the NSW Treasurer and other Labor Ministers, and the devoted mother of Holiday, parliamentary wife and one time guitarist with obscure '90s fuzz-pop band Raymond Luxury Yacht.

She has half a degree in fine arts and theatre, half a degree in economics and one whole degree in politics. Cassandra lives in Bundeena with her family and visiting deer.

Interestingly, The Australian newspaper notes her law enforcement background: Cassandra Wilkinson is a director in the NSW public service and was a senior adviser to two former police ministers.

What do you think of her contentions related to the balancing the dangers of the internet and the right of free speech?

The Right to Offend: Controversial Tweets

2010-10-11T10:46:00.000-07:00

The New York Times reported on tweet cases:

In some cases, the payback is extreme: Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association, was fined $25,000 for criticizing a referee in a tweet after a game.
Blogs, of course, have long been rife with the discontented heaping abuse on foes. But academics and researchers who study online attitudes say that same behavior has been less common on Twitter, in part, because many people use their real names. Now it is migrating to the service, attracting lawsuits and leaving users to haggle among themselves about what will be tolerated.
Complicating matters, there are few prescribed social norms on Twitter like those in more closed communities like Facebook. The service has attained mass popularity without much time to develop an organic users’ culture. On top of that, with tweets limited to 140 characters, users come right to the point without context or nuance.
“It’s the same reason why schoolyard fights don’t start out with, ‘I have a real problem with the way you said something so let’s discuss it,’ ” said Josh Bernoff, a researcher and an author of “Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies.” “You get right to the punch in the nose. Twitter doesn’t allow room for reflection. It gets people to the barest emotion.”
...
Bryan Freedman is the lawyer in Los Angeles who is representing Dawn Simorangkir, a designer who markets clothes under the Boudoir Queen label, and who sued Ms. Love for libel in March. The lawsuit contends that Ms. Love “became infatuated” with the designer, asking her to create costumes using vintage material the singer owned.
When Ms. Simorangkir asked to be paid, Ms. Love balked at the price. Ms. Simorangkir, in return, refused to return Ms. Love’s vintage material, according to legal documents filed by Ms. Love’s lawyers. The singer accused the designer of being a liar and thief (among other things) in a number of rambling, misspelled tweets.
“You will end up in a circle of corched eaeth hunted til your dead,” read one tweet from Ms. Love in March.

I don't know about you, but having to read all her typos might prompt me to file a lawsuit for emotional distress.

The Right to Offend: Terrorist Tweet

2010-10-11T09:47:00.000-07:00

I've always cautioned my children not to make any jokes about bombs when we go to the airport because security people do not have a big sense of humour. Check out what happened to one British man when he used a social networking site to make such a joke.

http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=conWebDoc.35466&usg=AFQjCNFwsCc-ElD3AekeD1MGOHA96mTTSw

A recent article in the UK paper The Guardian noted

...he tweeted to his 690 followers: "Crap! Robin Hood airport is closed. You've got a week and a bit to get your shit together otherwise I'm blowing the airport sky high!!"

His lawyer argued the case in court, noting

"This [message] is obviously facetious," he said. "There are at least three exclamation marks. The first to add to the slightly naughty word 'crap'. The last two to the parody of 'to blow the airport sky high'."

The paper concludes:
...

In a case with echoes of Chambers' trial, US standup comedian Joe Lipari also landed in court on terrorism charges following an outburst on Facebook over the state of his iPhone.
He bought the phone a year ago and, after it repeatedly crashed, took it back to the Apple Store in Manhattan. They tweaked it, it crashed again, and the next day he went back to get a replacement. After waiting hours he stormed home with no replacement and, while watching Fight Club, updated his Facebook status in parody of a cherished line from the film: "Joe Lipari might walk into an Apple store on Fifth Avenue with an Armalite AR-10 gas powered semi-automatic weapon and pump round after round into one of those smug, fruity little concierges."
In no time at all plain clothes police armed with MP5 machine guns were knocking on his door. It didn't help that he had been smoking dope and found the whole scene hilarious, amusement that continued into court, where he was charged with making terrorist threats.
His case is currently adjourned and expected to be dropped.

What do you think about this? Is some speech too explosive, even if it's said or written in jest? Is this what Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes meant when he talked about falsely shouting fire in a crowded theatre? Or do authorities need to lighten up?

The Right to Offend: The Case of the Callous College Football Player

2010-10-11T09:39:00.000-07:00

Check this out and tell me what you think.

OU suspends receiver Jaz Reynolds for Twitter comments about Texas

http://newsok.com/ou-suspends-receiver-jaz-reynolds-for-twitter-comments-about-texas/article/3499714?custom_click=lead_story_title#ixzz124jLS6di

The Right to Offend: Defending Democracy Doninger Daughter's' "Dbags" Dis

2010-10-11T09:33:00.000-07:00

Kids these days!

Read this and tell me what you think.

http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local-beat/LeBeau-Takes-Free-Speech-Fight-to-Internet.html

The Right to Offend: Schwarzenegger vs. Violent Video Games

2010-10-09T17:37:00.000-07:00

When you think of Arnold Schwarzenegger, it's hard to forget his action hero (and some anti-hero) roles in violent films like Conan the Barbarian, True Lies and The Terminator. Now that he is Governor of California, he plays a slightly different role. The Washington Post reports that the upcoming Supreme Court docket includes this:

Schwarzenegger v. Entertainment Merchants Association

Nov. 2: California is the latest state attempting to prevent the sale of "violent" video games to minors. An appeals court said, similar to decisions of courts elsewhere, that the law violates First Amendment free-speech rights.

The Wall Street Journal described the conflict:

California argued in its petition to the Supreme Court that lawmakers should be able to ban sales of violent videogames to those younger than 18 just as they can restrict the sale of sexual material to minors.

The state said violent videogames are "a new, modern threat to children" that cause psychological harm and make minors more likely to exhibit violent or aggressive behavior.

Two trade associations challenged the law before it went into effect, arguing that videogames are a modern form of artistic expression entitled to First Amendment protection.

For a look at how the video games industry reports the story, check this clip:

What do you think?

Now look at this and tell me what you think.

The Right to Offend: Civic Courage

2010-10-08T15:58:00.000-07:00

I like to call this one The Case of the Bashful Petition Signers. In Doe vs. Reed, the US Supreme Court examined the rights of those who signed a petition to place on the ballot a measure which would

NY Law School Professor Arthur S. Leonard describes the case in his blog:

The case arose out of Washington State’s 2009 enactment of a law expanding the state’s existing domestic partnership bill. Senate Bill 5688, referred to as the "everything but marriage bill," built upon the state’s existing domestic partnership law to provide that registered domestic partners would have virtually all the state-law rights of married couples. This proved to be a step too far for some committed opponents of same-sex marriage, who promptly began circulating petitions seeking a referendum to repeal the law. Under Washington procedures, if the petitioners acquired sufficient signatures the law would be stopped from going into effect pending the referendum vote. They got the signatures, and the measure went on the 2009 general election ballot as Referendum 71.

The Referendum passed - 53% of Washington voters approved the expansion of rights to all domestic partners. Confused? Here's a look at the wording and arguments:
http://wei.secstate.wa.gov/osos/en/PreviousElections/2009/GeneralElection/Pages/OVG_20091103.aspx#ososTop

The Supreme Court decided 8-1 that free speech and open access trumps privacy of the signatories.

Here is some background:

http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2010/04/supreme-court-debates-case-with-maj.html

http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/doe-v-reed/

Lyle Denniston writes at the SCOTUS blog:

Justice Antonin Scalia, using history, sarcasm and political taunts, laid down a barrage of objections Wednesday to a plea that the Supreme Court create a new constitutional right of anonymity for individuals who sign petitions to get policy measures onto election ballots.

...

Declaring that the rough-and-tumble of democracy is not for the faint-hearted, what Scalia referred to as the “touchy, feely” sensitivity of some political activists, the Justice said “you can’t run a democracy” with political activity behind a First Amendment shroud. “You are asking us to enter into a whole new field,” Scalia told James Bopp Jr., the lawyer for Washington State signers of an anti-gay rights petition. Politics, the Justice went on, “takes a certain amount of civic courage. The First Amendment does not protect you from civic discourse — or even from nasty phone calls.”

The Right to Offend: The Univiting of an Author

2010-10-03T16:41:00.000-07:00

Recently, the news was abuzz about a young adult author who'd been invited to attend and speak at a Teen Lit Fest in a suburb of Houston. She was subsequently contacted by the superintendent, who uninvited her because some parents had objected to her inclusion because her subject matter was considered provocative. Her books deal with drug addiction, incest and teen prostitution. Ellen Hopkins blogged about her experience here: http://ellenhopkins.livejournal.com/11666.html
Publishers Weekly blog reported on the situation here: http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/PWxyz/?p=1620

Several authors pulled out in protest, and Superintendent Sconzo (described as "no Atticus Finch" in one article) cancelled the festival altogether.

What do you think about this?

The Right to Offend: Nationwide Banned Book Events

2010-10-03T16:32:00.001-07:00

A simple search of the internet yields many results for events celebrating Banned Book week, September 25-October 2nd. (Some celebrate the entire month of September or October.) Talk about great timing to look at this topic, huh?!

Here's the description of one at North Georgia College and State University, in which people read aloud from banned books:
http://media.www.ngcsuthesaint.com/media/storage/paper1392/news/2010/10/01/News/Banned.Book.Week.Draws.Attention.To.Censorship-3937641.shtml

Can you find some examples of events? Post them in the comments.

The Right to Offend: Sassy Librarians

2010-10-03T11:26:00.000-07:00

What would Marian the Librarian think if she went into libraries these days? My son's high school librarian was wearing this little number the other day. She was publicizing Banned Books Month, an effort by the American Library Association to highlight attempts to censor books.

There's a great blog post about this from a teacher at http://ggpreviews.blogspot.com/2010/09/banned-books-seem-to-be-topic-of-month.html. Take a minute and read it now. Then tell me what you think about this in the comments.

Personally, I think Marian would have loved that shirt.

The Right to Offend: National Coalition Against Censorship

2010-10-03T10:57:00.000-07:00

There are a variety of organizations devoted to opposing censorship. Let's take a field trip to the website of one of them, The National Coalition Against Censorship. The Coalition oversees a wide variety of projects:

Blogging Censorship: NCAC launches a blog where staff weigh in daily on current censorship issues, underreported censorship incidents, and policy decisions.

Follow NCAC on Twitter
Get quick updates on NCAC cases, and reporting and analysis of censorship news. All in under 140 characters at our Twitter account.

Our new video page! Watch the winners of NCAC's youth film contest, a video of the March 2009 Youth Voices Uncensored event, and videos addressing censorship from around the internet.

You might also want to check out these member organizations:

Participating Organizations

Actors' Equity Association
American Association of School Administrators
American Association of University Professors
American Association of University Women
American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression
American Civil Liberties Union
American Ethical Union
American Federation of Teachers
American Federation of Television & Radio Artists
American Jewish Committee
American Jewish Congress
American Library Association
American Literary Translators Association
American Orthopsychiatric Association
American Society of Journalists & Authors
Americans United for Separation of Church & State
Association of American Publishers
Authors Guild Foundation
Catholics for Choice
Children's Literature Association
College Art Association
The Creative Coalition
Directors Guild of America
Dramatists Guild of America
Educational Book & Media Association
First Amendment Lawyers Association

International Reading Association
Lambda Legal
Modern Language Association
National Center for Science Education
National Communication Association
National Council for the Social Studies
National Council of Churches
National Council of Jewish Women
National Council of Teachers of English
National Education Association
The Newspaper Guild/CWA
Office of Communication, United Church of Christ
PEN American Center
People for the American Way
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Screen Actors Guild
Sexuality Information & Education Council of the U.S.
Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators
Student Press Law Center
Union for Reform Judaism
Union of Democratic Intellectuals
Unitarian Universalist Association
United Methodist Communications, United Methodist Church
Women's American ORT
Writers Guild of America, East
Writers Guild of America, West

The Right to Offend: Librarians are Scandalous

2010-10-02T17:14:00.000-07:00

Chaucer! Balzac! We must protect our youth!

Just a fun bit for you.

The Right to Offend: Shut Up! The Case of the Vancouver City Council

2010-09-27T11:13:00.000-07:00

This photo was taken at a town hall meeting in April, not the council meeting in question.
It was used by the Columbian to illustrate a story about the September incident.
http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/sep/15/2-city-councilors-seek-ethics-probe-of-harris/?print

Vancouver City Council member Jeanne Harris has presented workshops on stress management and mediation to public officials. Two weeks ago, she demonstrated the antithesis of the behaviors she recommends. During a city council meeting, she repeatedly berated a citizen who was addressing the council, demanding that Mayor Tim Leavitt "gavel down" the man. She continued to attempt to shut down his public comment and later, when fellow Council member Jeanne Stewart remonstrated her, she snapped "Shut up."

But don't take my word for it. Check out the video clip for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB2mkAF4Miw

Mayor Tim Leavitt went on the Victoria Taft radio show (AM 860/KPAM) to discuss the issue. You can hear the clip at http://www.kpam.com/upload/file/86137.mp3

The Columbian called for a reprimand of Harris' behavior. But their editorial noted that Harris' underlying concern was correct:

Leavitt said the council will decide next week about any action against Harris, but the correct decision is clear. Harris’ belligerence warrants a reprimand, at minimum, by her fellow councilors. Then the mayor and the council should make more clear the policies for council meetings. City Attorney Ted Gathe says the meetings are not public forums. Citizens comments must address current city issues, should be limited to three minutes and must not be political ax grindings.

The Right to Offend: City of Vancouver Special Events Ordinance: A Study of Right to Assemble

2010-09-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra from http://www.pdxaudio.com/gallery.html

In June 2010, Vancouver City Council confronted a dilemma: how to manage large crowds of people while upholding the right to assemble.

It's one thing when you're dealing with a group of music lovers, seated quietly, as in the photo above at Esther Short Park. It's another thing entirely when there's a protest rally and matters get out of hand, as it did at the WTO Rally in Seattle in 1999.

http://www.realitymod.com/forum/f18-pr-bf2-suggestions/17892-ak-101-reloading-small-suggestion.html

Here's a look at the local issue and the players:

By Andrea Damewood
Columbian Staff Reporter

Monday, April 19, 2010

Update

■ Previously: The Vancouver City Council has been debating whether “expressive activities” — political rallies or other First Amendment-protected speech, for example — in groups of larger than 100 should require a permit and insurance. Monday was the fourth time the group has debated the topic as part of a special events ordinance.

■ What’s new: The council voted 4-3 Monday night against requiring permits, instead instructing staff to create recommendations for notifying the city and for insurance.

■ What’s next: New language will be drafted by the city’s staff and attorneys; the revamped ordinance and recommendations will go before the council again.

The best rule for political and other First Amendment protected speech in Vancouver is to have no rules at all, a narrow margin of the city council decided Monday night.

The seemingly unsexy topic of crafting a comprehensive special events ordinance in time for the city’s concert, fireworks and festival season has sparked a feisty debate over free speech between council members and concerned citizens — particularly members of the Tea Party movement.

You can read the rest of the piece at

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/apr/19/council-opts-against-rules-for-free-speech-gatheri/

Then there is an article about the final decision at
http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/jun/21/city-council-to-vote-on-free-speech-gatherings/

What do you think? We'll hear from Mayor Tim Leavitt, City Attorney Ted Gathe and Special Events Manager Cara Cantonwine today.

The Right to Offend: Michael Moore's take on Patriot Act

2010-09-20T12:01:00.000-07:00

Michael Moore has long been a critic of the government. Many criticize him for his moviemaking techniques which take bits and pieces of things to make his points. They argue that his films such as Fahrenheit 911 employ excerpts out of context and don't really contribute to a thoughtful analysis of issues.

Nevertheless, he has his fans. He represents viewpoints shared by many in the US about a variety of topics. In this clip, he looks at the US Patriot Act which followed as a response to the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001.

Think about how this contrasts with the presentation of the Alien and Sedition Acts issue in the film John Adams.

Rt to Offend: Herblock on Nixon

2010-09-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

Let's take a field trip to a great site about the power of the political cartoonist as exemplified by Herbert Block. We're off to Washington, DC to the Library of Congress' Swann Gallery!

http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/swann/herblock/crook.html

The Right to Offend: Nixon's Take

2010-09-20T11:58:00.000-07:00

President Richard Nixon was not an enthusiastic supporter of free speech, particularly when it came to speech by those who sought to undermine his objectives. In this clip from June 29, 1971
on the White House Telephone system, he talks with legal adviser Charles Colson about the leaked secret government documents about the Vietnam War, the Pentagon Papers. They discuss the leaker, Daniel Ellsberg, and Nixon hopes that Ellsberg can be tied in with subversives. The president complains about "intellectual types who have no loyalty" and who weren't elected who think they are the ones to determine what's best for the country.

Nixon refers to Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers in his Speech to Former POWs, May 24, 1973

From Oct. 26, 1973 Press Conference, six days after the Saturday Night Massacre. The Saturday Night Massacre was the term given by political commentators to President Richard Nixon's executive dismissal of independent special prosecutor Archibald Cox, and the resignations of Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus on October 20, 1973 during the Watergate scandal.

Free Speech: McCarthyism

2010-09-20T11:55:00.000-07:00

Reporter/newscaster Edward R. Murrow warns of the dangers of McCarthyism on his show "See it Now" on March 9, 1954:

The same comments were used by actor David Strathairn (pronounced struh-THAIRN) when he depicted Murrow in the 2005 film Good Night, and Good Luck.

Free Speech: John Adams' Changing Viewpoints

2010-09-20T11:51:00.000-07:00

As an American Revolutionary leader, when speaking as Delegate from Massachusetts, John Adams declared that "Liberty will reign!"

As President, Adams endorsed the Alien and Sedition Acts to maintain order.

The Right to Offend: Name this Woman

2010-09-20T11:34:00.000-07:00

Look in comments for a link to the answer.

The Right to Offend: Freedom of Speech in America

2010-08-05T22:37:00.000-07:00

From the clever people at http://www.motifake.com/free-speech-protected-right-demotivational-poster-104133.html

I'm really excited about my upcoming course at Clark College. Do you remember the Fred Friendly series about the Constitution? I used to love those shows. Yes, I am a politics/history geek and proud of it. He kicked around a lot of interesting questions with various people who sat in a big circle.

I decided to offer a similar experience to local mature learners. This first set of classes will focus on the First Amendment freedoms of speech and of the press; in the winter, I will offer an examination of the freedom of religion (some say "from religion") found in the Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses.

I am psyched!!

Here's the official course description. Let me know what you think I should include. I have some ideas, of course, but I am always open to your thoughts, interwebs!

Exercise your right to speak your mind in this discussion-based class, as we examine some of the principles and practices arising from the First Amendment. Class will begin with a review of the historical basis of the right to free speech, and then dive into some recent examples in our community and in Supreme Court decisions. This is the first of a series examining the Bill of Rights. Mature Learning classes are for people age 55 and older only.

Musicians in Art

2010-05-28T11:27:00.000-07:00

The intersection between music and art is our topic for today.

Our first artist is Marc Chagall.

Marc Chagall was born on July 7, 1887 in Vitebsk, Russia. In 1932 he moved to France. He lived in the United States from 1941 to 1948, and then returned to France. He died in France on March 28. 1985. His painting styles are Expressionism and Cubism. In his paintings, he often painted violinists because he played the violin and also in memory of his uncle, who also played. He was also famous for his paintings of Russian-Jewish villages.

Here is a video of some of his work set to music by Jerry Bock. The music is from a score of "Fiddler on the Roof" and the violin solo is by Isaac Stern.Photo taken by David Michael Kennedy in 1982

Stern was a Ukranian-born violin virtuoso who moved to the US with his family as a baby in 1920. He died just 10 years ago. He was famous for his wonderful musical ability.

Fiddler on the Roof by Marc Chagall animated by Raz Shelach

Three Takes on Pablo Picasso's The Three Musicians :43 and 2:17 and :38

Now it's time for a mini-field trip. We're off to Seattle to see EMP - Experience Music Project!

The building is really unusual. It was designed by architect Frank Gehry. Some people say it is shaped like a giant guitar that was smashed.

Inside are many interesting exhibits about music, with interactive displays so you can make your own music. Here, an artist used many guitars to create a multi-story sculpture.

If you're interested in visiting EMP, you can take advantage of the Free Smithsonian Day offered in September. Visit this link for more details. Admission to EMP includes entry to the very interesting Science Fiction Museum.

Now let's zip down to New Orleans and meet artist George Rodrigue.

His work often features musicians, especially jazz band musicians. He's going to talk to us about one of his iconic figures, the Blue Dog.

Finally, I have a fun image to share with you - a poster of a band painted as though they were from centuries ago.

CAT ART

2010-04-30T12:52:00.000-07:00

History of Cats
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8oK9Quhdfg&feature=related

Feline images in the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hi/hi_anfe.htm

Cats in Art - a Virtual Exhibit
http://www.delmars.com/cats/gallery/index.htm

How to make a tiger - flip through parts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhQcT3wN8Ks

How to make a sheep's body

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zh3c8ooow1o&feature=PlayList&p=6AC2FC3B4E4E89BF&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=2

How to sculpt a cat's head
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex87Fj1tFAg

Add detail to face
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3qnLCrfPhM&feature=channel

American Dreaming: Learning to Live Without

2010-03-27T18:14:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting article about how people are changing their lives and expectations. Does any of this sound like something you've done, or that others you know have done?

American Dreaming: The New American Dream

2010-03-27T18:12:00.000-07:00

I found an interesting website for an organization called The New American Dream, which emphasizes a more sustainable lifestyle. Check it out here. Tell me what you think about it in the comments.

American Dreaming: 1931 article about James Truslow Adams

2010-03-27T18:10:00.000-07:00

The Milwaukee Journal covered the publication of James Truslow Adams' book which coined the term The American Dream. You can read the article from 1931 here.

American Dreaming: Frank Capra

2010-03-27T18:08:00.000-07:00

Here's a review of the Capra film we watched.

American Dreaming: Library of Congress Resources

2010-03-25T16:07:00.000-07:00

The Library of Congress has some interesting online resources about The American Dream. Go over and take a look!

America Dreams Through The Decades

American Dreaming: German students look at the topic

2010-03-25T16:00:00.001-07:00

As part of my research to present this course, I encountered a number of websites created by students. Here's one put together by some in the Westphalia region of Germany. Take a look and see what you think.

The American Dream

American Dreaming: Hungry Planet

2010-03-01T19:43:00.000-08:00

Italy: The Manzo family of Sicily
Food expenditure for one week: 214.36 Euros or $260.11
© Peter Menzel www.menzelphoto.com from the book Hungry Planet: What the World Eats

I've also seen another exhibit of Menzel's photographs relating to a comparison of international standards of living. It's entitled Hungry Planet. Here's how his website describes it:

30 Families, 24 Countries, 600 Meals
One Extraordinary Book

In Hungry Planet, Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio present a photographic study of families from around the world, revealing what people eat during the course of one week. Each family's profile includes a detailed description of their weekly food purchases; photographs of the family at home, at market, and in their community; and a portrait of the entire family surrounded by a week's worth of groceries.

To assemble this remarkable comparison, Menzel and D'Aluisio traveled to twenty-four countries and visited thirty families from Bhutan and Bosnia to Mexico and Mongolia. Accompanied by an insightful foreword by Marion Nestle, and provocative essays from Alfred W. Crosby, Francine R. Kaufman, Corby Kummer, Charles C. Mann, Michael Pollan, and Carl Safina, the result of this journey is a 30-course documentary feast: captivating, infuriating, and altogether fascinating.

Michelle Norris of NPR's All Things Considered reports on it here.

Time Magazine offers a slideshow of some of the images. Part 1 is here; 2 is here.

American Dreaming: Material World Photo Exhibit

2010-03-01T19:31:00.000-08:00

Economist Scott Bailey mentioned an interesting exhibit of photographs taken of families around the world surrounded by all their earthly possessions. I'd seen it on display a while ago, and was intrigued by the concept.

It's called Material World: A Global Family Portrait.

There is a book available which has reproductions of all the photographs. One Amazon.com review describes it:

In honor of the United Nations-sponsored International Year of the Family in 1994, award-winning photojournalist Peter Menzel brought together 16 of the world's leading photographers to create a visual portrait of life in 30 nations. Material World tackles its wide subject by zooming in, allowing one household to represent an entire nation. Photographers spent one week living with a "statistically average" family in each country, learning about their work, their attitudes toward their possessions, and their hopes for the future. Then a "big picture" shot of the family was taken outside the dwelling, surrounded by all their (many or few) material goods.
The book provides sidebars offering statistics and a brief history for each country, as well as personal notes from the photographers about their experiences. But it is the "big pictures" that tell most of the story. In one, a British family pauses before a meal of tea and crumpets under a cloudy sky. In another, wary Bosnians sit beside mattresses used as sniper barricades. A Malian family composed of a husband, his two wives, and their children rests before a few cooking and washing implements in golden afternoon light. Material World is a lesson in economics and geography, reminding us of the world's inequities, but also of humanity's common threads. An engrossing, enlightening book. --Maria Dolan

American Dreaming: The Honeymooners vs. Father Knows Best

2010-03-01T12:07:00.000-08:00

The Vanity Fair article notes that television "reinforced the seductive pull of the new, suburbanized American Dream" and cites the difference between the "grubby, schlubby shows" like The Honeymooners and

I thought it would be fun to look at the difference between the two:

and

Musical Interpretations of the American Dream: Family Life

2010-03-01T11:57:00.000-08:00

Here are a pair songs that relate to our theme. Can you think of others?

American Dreams by Casting Crown (2003) focuses on a man who pursues his career at the cost of spending time with his family.

That reminded me of this song by Harry Chapin, Cat's in the Cradle (1974). Here's a live version preceded by a short interview with his widow, Sandy (who wrote the lyrics) and his son, Josh, reflecting on the impact it made in people's lives.

In fact, Chapin's life reflected his attitude about the American Dream. In the mid-1970s, Chapin focused on his social activism, including raising money to combat hunger in the United States. His daughter Jen said: "He saw hunger and poverty as an insult to America." He co-founded the organization W orld Hunger Year. Many of Chapin's concerts were benefit performances, and sales of his concert merchandise were used to support World Hunger Year.

Holly Forrest Teaches

Ring Lardner, Jr. Oral History Interview

The Way We Were

The Majestic - Peter's Speech

Joseph Losey inspiration for Scorsese character

Helen Gahagan Douglas - The Pink Lady

Dorothy Comingore, inspiration for Dorothy Nolan in Guilty by Suspicion

Blacklisted!

Jenny Holzer: Blacklist

Arthur Miller - The Crucible

Walter Bernstein on Blacklisting and Fronts

Woody Allen's The Front

Zero Mostel by Jim Brochu "Zero Hour"

Alvah Bessie

Ring Lardner, Jr.

Howard Biberman

Edward Dmytryk

John Howard Lawson

Lester Cole

Albert Maltz

Adrian Scott

Dalton Trumbo

Spartacus - Dalton Trumbo

Hollywood Ten: Murrow vs. McCarthy

Hollywood Ten Testimony

History of the Hollywood Ten

Hollywood Ten - Climate of Fear

The Hollywood Ten: Silver Screen Blacklisting during the Red Scare

Morality and the Internet Begins on Wednesday, November 2

Second Amendment: Local Law Enforcement Perspective and Challenges

Second Amendment: Do Guns Belong in Kindergarten?

Police look at how Houston kindergartner got gun

Second Amendment: NRA in the last Presidential Election

Second Amendment: Mama Politico Goes to the Gun Show

Second Amendment: CDC

Second Amendment: Politics of the Matter

Second Amendment: Brady Foundation Skype Session

Second Amendment: Legal Community Against Violence

Second Amendment: Conservative Satirist PJ O'Rourke

Second Amendment: Various Viewpoints and Interpretations

Second Amendment: Library of Congress

Second Amendment: Duel Over Gun Control in America

Race and Religion in Revolutionary America: More on Williamsburg's African American Programs

Race and Religion in Revolutionary America: Williamsburg's African American Programs

Race and Religion in Revolutionary America: Whitewashing The Patriot

Race and Religion in Revolutionary America: What's in a Name? Washington

Washington: the 'blackest name' in America

Race and Religion in Revolutionary America: Music and other Clips from 3/14

Wall of Separation: Americans United for Separation of Church and State

Wall of Separation: Library of Congress exhibit

Wall of Separation: Your Tax Dollars at Work? The Case of Noah's Ark Theme Park

Wall of Separation: Netroots Nation Discusses the Concept of the Wall

Wall of Separation: Thomas Jefferson and Texas

Texas School Syllabus is Political Indoctrination?

Wall of Separation: History Lesson

Wall of Separation: ACLU on Religion Issues

Wall of Separation: Freedom From Religion Foundation

Just try it — ‘Imagine No Religion’

Wall of Separation: The Case of the "Righteous" California DMV Clerk

Lecture One Clips: Varying Viewpoints on Separation of Church and State

The Wall of Separation: First Amendment Says What?

Wall of Separation or Good Neighbor Fence?

Religion and Race in Revolutionary America

The Wall of Separation Between Church and State

Right To Offend: The First Amendment Protects Some Liars

Tools to Fact Check

Even Supreme Court Justices Deal with Their Speech Taken Out of Context

Out of Context Redux

The Right to Offend: Out of Context

The Right to Offend: President Andrew Shepherd on Free Speech

Westboro comes to Vancouver

Rallies at Heritage High draw hundreds: Locals preaching tolerance vastly outnumber radical Kansas group

The Case of the Funderal Protesters: Westboro Baptist Church

The Right to Offend: Defending Free Speech on the Internet

The Right to Offend: Controversial Tweets

The Right to Offend: Terrorist Tweet

The Right to Offend: The Case of the Callous College Football Player

OU suspends receiver Jaz Reynolds for Twitter comments about Texas

The Right to Offend: Defending Democracy Doninger Daughter's' "Dbags" Dis

The Right to Offend: Schwarzenegger vs. Violent Video Games