More news briefs to keep you informed.
MORE EXAMPLES OF POLITICAL CORRECTNESS – Two of them from right here in Arizona. A Northern Arizona University student had her grade reduced on an English paper for using the term “mankind” rather than a gender-neutral alternative. Dr. Anne Scott disagreed with student Caitlan Jeffers, who appealed, saying the term clearly refers to all people. The professor said “mankind” is sexist and does not mean “all people” to all people, and urged Jeffers to “look beyond her present ideologies” and resubmit her paper.
It’s still Squaw Peak to me.. (billqualls.com)
Some ten years ago, then Gov. Janet Napolitano caused the popular Squaw Peak mountain and Squaw Peak Parkway (State Route 51) in Phoenix to be renamed in honor of Lori Piestewa, a Hopi Indian, who was killed in combat in Iraq. The former Squaw Peal Precinct of the Phoenix police department became the Mountain View Precinct.
The area Hilton resort still carries the name Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort, and if you Google or Bing, “Squaw Peak,” you will see images bearing that name.
But now Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton seems to be hellbent to rename Squaw Peak Drive and Squaw Peak Circle, two streets at the base of the mountain despite opposition by homeowners.
Then there’s the claim by Clara Jeffery of the website Mother Jones, who speculated that Native Americans “might be” offended by the name of the missiles – Tomahawks – launched on the Syrian airfield last week. What the heck, why wait until someone is actually offended. By the way, Tomahawk missiles were introduced to our arsenal in the 1970s by General Dynamics.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), who could always be counted on to speak out for equal pay for women, has been silent on the issue since it was learned that her female staffers are paid $20,000 less than her male staffers. Oops.
ENVIRONMENTALISTS, who are upset with President Trump’s relaxation of power plant emissions and his moratorium on coal mining on federal land, designed to put coal miners back to work, might take solace in the fact that coal executives admit their industry is in decline. On the positive side, Holman Jenkins of the Wall Street Journal, says that if market forces pushing us toward clean energy are so potent, then surely, we didn’t need all the costly Obama-era regulations in the first place. Interesting.
(Courtesy editorial cartoonist Glenn McCoy.)
LIBERAL AND CONSERVATIVES naturally differ on Susan Rice and the unmasking of Americans. Liberals Fred Kaplan of Slate.com wrote that “she was just doing her job,” and The Washington Post’s Jennifer Rubin, wrote “The legal unmasking of names during a legitimate investigation is irrelevant.” Really.
Meanwhile, conservative Andrew McCarthy in National Review.com, wrote “Sorry, but that won’t wash … Rice disgraced herself trying to cover for the Obama administration during the Benghazi scandal, asked for the names so they’d spread down the dissemination chain to people who might leak them.”
“If there’s any evidence Obama officials encouraged intelligence agencies to surveil Trump’s campaign or transition team, it would be a Watergate-level scandal,” wrote conservative Peter Wallison in RealClearPolitics.com.
