IndiePundit.com Blog

Mahmoud Khalil 0

Mahmoud Khalil’s Arrest Should Worry Everyone Who Cares About Free Speech

Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and recent Columbia University graduate, was detained by federal immigration agents. This unprecedented action has sparked demonstrations and debates about the use of immigration enforcement in political contexts. Khalil, known for his advocacy rather than violence, was arrested without being charged with a crime, highlighting a use of power that seems to target his free speech rather than any unlawful activity which should concern us all. Khalil’s detention drew outrage from civil rights groups and free speech advocates, who accused the administration of using its immigration enforcement powers to squelch criticism of Israel. — apnews.com Trump...

Don't say gay in school 0

Do you agree with the father’s objection to an LGBTQ article in a high school English lesson?

In the latest episode of Nuance, we discussed a recent tweet that has sparked considerable discussion, a father expressed dissatisfaction with his daughter’s 9th-grade English assignment. He was upset that the class used an article about Bayard Rustin, a notable LGBTQ activist and key figure in the civil rights movement, for a grammar exercise focusing on punctuation. His message to the teacher highlighted his concerns about “slipping in LGBTQ activism” into the curriculum and hinted at deeper issues related to family values and educational content. The assignment itself was straightforward: students were tasked with correcting punctuation errors in sentences about...

Which companies are on the Wall of Shame? 0

Should local governments publish lists of unscrupulous activities by private employers?

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander recently unveiled a new tool aimed at promoting transparency and accountability in the business sector: the “Employer Violations Dashboard.” Known colloquially as the “Wall of Shame,” this dashboard is a public resource that catalogs and displays a range of labor law violations committed by businesses across the city from 2020 to 2023. This initiative, according to Lander, is designed to spotlight businesses that fail to uphold workers’ rights. Publishing this list will inform the public and other stakeholders about these entities’ unethical practices. The Office of the New York City Comptroller has created this...

Should Arabic numerals be taught in schools? 0

Were you taught in school that the numbers we use are Arabic numerals?

A recent poll by CivicScience has revealed a big misconception that might highlight a significant gap in American educational awareness. The poll asked 3,624 respondents whether “Arabic numerals” should be taught in schools, revealing that 56% of participants opposed their inclusion in the curriculum. Ironically, these are the very numerals (0-9) used universally in daily life and critical for basic literacy in mathematics. The survey didn’t provide an explanation of what “Arabic numerals” meant, a move that CivicScience CEO, John Dick, said was employed to “tease out prejudice among those who didn’t understand the question.” fox10phoenix Poll: 56 percent of...