Week in Review

Now just saying voter fraud is illegal is…wait for it…Racist

An election-related billboard in Cleveland’s Ward 5 has caused a stir, prompting some complaints that it discriminates against minority groups and felons.

The advertisement, posted at the intersection of Community College Avenue and East 35th Street, warns that “voting fraud is a felony” in bold lettering. It also states that the penalty is punishable by up to three and a half years in prison and a $10,000 fine. […]

“They usually try to push cognac and cigarettes on people here in this neighborhood, now they are trying to intimidate them to keep them from voting,” Cleveland said.

Cleveland said the ward has been a heavily canvassed area politically because voter turnout has been low in the past. She said some people could misinterpret the sign and therefore, not go to the polls on Nov. 6.

Canadian Catholic schools can no longer claim abortion is immoral

On Wednesday, Ontario’s Minister of Education rocked Ontario taxpayers, sending a shockwave across Canada, and even beyond our borders, with an announcement that can only be described as “totalitarian”.

Laurel Broten, Minister of Education told reporters that under its new anti-bullying law, Bill 13, The Accepting Schools Act, Catholic schools would no longer be permitted to teach that abortion is wrong!

A transcript of the remarks from Premier McGuinty’s office to LifeSiteNews quoted Minister Broten:
“We do not allow and we’re very clear with the passage of Bill 13 that Catholic teachings cannot be taught in our schools that violates human rights and which brings a lack of acceptance to participation in schools,” she said.“I don’t think that there is a contrast or a conflict between choosing a Catholic education for your children and supporting a woman’s right to choose,” she added.

Asked for clarification she said again: “Bill 13 has in it a clear indication of ensuring that our schools are safe, accepting places for all our students. That includes of LGBTQ students. That includes young girls in our school. Bill 13 is about tackling misogyny, taking away a woman’s right to choose could arguably be one of the most misogynistic actions that one could take.”

Old news: Global Warming stopped more than a decade ago

The world stopped getting warmer almost 16 years ago, according to new data released last week.

The figures, which have triggered debate among climate scientists, reveal that from the beginning of 1997 until August 2012, there was no discernible rise in aggregate global temperatures.

This means that the ‘plateau’ or ‘pause’ in global warming has now lasted for about the same time as the previous period when temperatures rose, 1980 to 1996. Before that, temperatures had been stable or declining for about 40 years.

The new data, compiled from more than 3,000 measuring points on land and sea, was issued  quietly on the internet, without any media fanfare, and, until today, it has not been reported.

This stands in sharp contrast  to the release of the previous  figures six months ago, which went only to the end of 2010 – a very warm year.

Ending the data then means it is possible to show a slight warming trend since 1997, but 2011 and the first eight months of 2012 were much cooler, and thus this trend is erased.

How many of these reports need to be published before we can dispel the myth, and quit lining Al Gore’s pockets?

Florida State Board of Education doesn’t think Black students are as smart as Asians or Whites

The Florida State Board of Education passed a plan that sets goals for students in math and reading based upon their race.

On Tuesday, the board passed a revised strategic plan that says that by 2018, it wants 90 percent of Asian students, 88 percent of white students, 81 percent of Hispanics and 74 percent of black students to be reading at or above grade level. For math, the goals are 92 percent of Asian kids to be proficient, whites at 86 percent, Hispanics at 80 percent and blacks at 74 percent.

The soft racism of low expectations.