Each day Bill records a MICKnugget, a one-minute take on some issue that got his attention that morning. Below are the scripts for last week’s NUGGETS.
CLICK HERE if you’d like to hear them. Here are the scripts:
05.16.22- OK, Groomer!
Nobody wants to be called a groomer. But, I have always called them as I see them.
While groomer typically brings child sexual abuse to mind, let’s think about what grooming actually is…conditioning someone to think or behave a certain way.
If that’s not what our schools are doing, what would you call it?
Monday began with Wisconsin students being accused of sexual harassment for not using another kid’s preferred pronouns. In other words, don’t believe your lying eyes; just say what you’re told in spite of evidence to the contrary.
Forced behavior under the threat of discipline is grooming children to behave in a certain way and be accepting of things they may otherwise reject.
While those in education may not like it, grooming is exactly what we are seeing in many schools in America.
If they won’t stop it, it’s up to parents.
05.17.22- Politics of Extremism
Despite a dire outlook for the November midterm elections, Democrats polled by NBC say their politicians are not extreme enough.
63% of them prefer more extreme candidates even as 74% of them said the country is on the wrong track.
Republicans are not exempt from the extremism, either. Governor Ron DeSantis has appointed a legislator known for his confrontational style to be the Secretary of State, our top elections official.
The skill set for legislators and administrators is very different. One requires diplomacy, discussion and even compromise. The other mandates strict adherence to the law and procedures that secure our Republic.
Both the right and the left have participated in protests at officials’ homes. That’s now illegal in Florida. Why, because extremists on both sides fail to respect the process or the people involved.
Extremism is the problem. Common sense could be the solution, if we’ll only allow it.
05.18-22- The Politics of Politics
It’s not just campaigns or elections where politics are played. It’s not restricted to legislative bodies, either.
Committees, commissions and boards have the same politics at play as any of the elected positions.
Brevard’s Charter Review Commission gives us a great example. Recall of School Board Members was in play, but with the additional excuse of member votes as a reason.
This would have opened the board to frivolous recall attempts for unpopular votes- political retaliation. It was a bad idea.
At the last meeting, several advocates for recall were absent. The Republican chair of the commission proposed, and the membership accepted, amended rules for passing or dismissing proposals.
Wisely, a member counted the votes for and against and seeing the odds in his favor, moved to eliminate recall from consideration.
Politics played well, a bad idea killed and just maybe a lesson was learned.
Bill will return May 27 with Representative Tyler Sirois.