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:
04.10.23- Jeopardy
Our individual freedoms are in jeopardy; and I don’t mean the game show.
From freedom of speech to self defense and even the right to choose what we buy and how we live, they are all under attack.
Riley Gaines, speaking on women in sports, was attacked last week at the San Francisco State University and physically assaulted.
A Texas man was convicted of murder in what police ruled a self-defense shooting.
An appeals court ruled a teacher must use trans-kids’ preferred names and pronouns or lose his job.
Tesla employees are using the vehicles’ onboard cameras to intrude on its customers’ lives while the government is trying to force electric vehicle purchases on us all.
Those who are crushing dissenting thought actually fear it. They know their arguments can’t withstand the scrutiny of rational debate.
If we don’t stop this there won’t be jeopardy; we’ll have nothing left to lose.
04.11.23- The Words You Say
The words we choose are important.
A Volusia County lawmaker is learning that the hard way.
Rep. Webster Barnaby was commenting after trans-activists had spoken to a committee considering a new FL bathroom bill.
Barnaby referred to the activists by saying, “…as if they were mutants from another planet.” He also called them demons and imps pretending they are part of this world.
You can imagine the outrage.
What I can’t imagine is that someone on the right side of this issue saw any value in the terminology. He was not going to win anyone over with his rhetoric. I expect better from our elected officials.
Not that he is far from right on the mutant idea, but there would be better ways to express it.
Say what you mean, but say it in a way that doesn’t lose the audience.
Otherwise, you’re only making noise.
04.12.23- The Battle WITH Education
We’d like to think that the fight in America is for quality education. Sadly, the battle is instead WITH the education establishment.
Several stories in play this week make it clear.
Riley Gaines accosted after addressing students at San Francisco State University.
The university offering little protection for its guest.
The president of students claiming victim status for students saying Gaines’ words made her the aggressor.
A Maryland school district refusing to allow parents to opt their kids out of lessons on sexuality that are not age appropriate.
It’s clear this battle is not about quality education, but rather stopping education from improperly indoctrinating our kids.
Thankfully we are seeing success by Moms for Liberty and other groups. It won’t be easy; education doesn’t like being told what to do.
But someone has to; education has no real leadership.
04.13.23- Man vs AI
Florida Today Editor John Torres challenged ChatGPT to write a column as if it were him. It did. And it was pretty good.
John first wrote an introductory column expressing his concerns about AI to introduce the concept. He then wrote his own column about it. Neither had been filed or posted online.
He talked about science fiction AI disasters and fears. Then he talked about current technology and his wife urging him to be polite to devices with verbal requests and closed with the explosive growth of its use.
ChatGPT was to write in John’s style. It expressed similar concerns as John had. It too talked about the astonishing growth rate. And it talked about the benefits of being polite to the AI.
It talked about showing respect to technology that is evermore part of our lives. It closed with being polite to it potentially showing benefits.
Maybe John was right in the first place.
04.14.23- D-33’s Inconsistency
From Bud Light to our back yard LGBT issues have dominated the cultural discussion of late.
Bud Light and Nike using trans-activist Dylen Mulvaney has backfired big time on the former advertising giants. It was a big mistake.
Even a Texas venue catering to drag events has decided having kids in attendance is a bad idea.
Not so for a worthy cause holding a fundraiser in Melbourne, and a controversial lawmaker from Brevard is in the middle of it.
The D-33 Rep’s wife is a host and performer in the Spring Forward for Autism event. The Miami based Rainbow Circus is a featured act. The Rep. himself is a major sponsor.
The cause is a good one, the event- not particularly family friendly. It may draw a lot of money and for the kids it helps, I hope it does.
But it’s the glaring inconsistency of the Rep’s words and actions that should concern us.
Sadly, it’s typical for D-33.