remember his name

 

A name popped up this morning on Facebook that I was not familiar with, but he just became more relevant due to the recent release of a movie about WWII, and the release of a video on Tuesday of last week.

 First of all, his name is Hugh Thompson, Jr, and this is his story:

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Thompson_Jr.

 Hugh Clowers Thompson Jr. (April 15, 1943 – January 6, 2006) was a United States Army officer, serving as a warrant officer in the 123rd Aviation Battalion of the 23rd Infantry Division. He is credited with ending the My Lai massacre of the South Vietnamese village known as Sơn Mỹ on March 16, 1968, alongside Glenn Andreotta and Lawrence Colburn.

During the massacre, Thompson and his Hiller OH-23 Raven crew, Andreotta and Colburn, stopped many killings by threatening and blocking American officers and enlisted soldiers of Company C, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 11th Brigade, 23rd Infantry Division. Additionally, Thompson and his crew saved a number of Vietnamese civilians by personally escorting them away from advancing United States Army ground units and assuring their evacuation by air. Thompson reported the atrocities by radio several times while at Sơn Mỹ. Although these reports reached Task Force Barker operational headquarters, nothing was done to stop the massacre. After evacuating a child to a Quảng Ngãi hospital, Thompson angrily reported to his superiors at Task Force Barker headquarters that a massacre was occurring at Sơn Mỹ. Immediately following Thompson's report, Lieutenant Colonel Frank A. Barker ordered all ground units in Sơn Mỹ to cease search and destroy operations in the village.

In 1970, Thompson testified against those responsible for the Mỹ Lai massacre. Twenty-six officers and enlisted soldiers, including William Calley and Ernest Medina, were charged with criminal offenses; many were either acquitted or pardoned, notably excepting Calley, who was convicted and served a commuted sentence of three-and-a-half years under house arrest. Thompson was condemned and ostracized by many individuals in the United States military and government, as well as the public, for his role in the investigations and trials concerning the Mỹ Lai massacre. As a result of what he experienced, Thompson experienced post-traumatic stress disorder, alcoholism, divorce, and severe nightmare disorder. Despite the adversity he faced, he remained in the Army until November 1, 1983, then continued to make a living as a helicopter pilot in the Southeastern United States.

In 1998, 30 years after the massacre, Thompson and the two other members of his crew, Andreotta and Colburn, were awarded the Soldier's Medal (Andreotta posthumously), the United States Army's highest award for bravery not involving direct contact with the enemy. Thompson and Colburn returned to Sơn Mỹ to meet with survivors of the massacre at the Sơn Mỹ Memorial in 1998. In 1999, Thompson and Colburn received the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award.

A couple of weeks ago, I saw "Nuremberg", which was an outstanding movie. The defense that the Nazis used was that they were simply following orders, but  that argument did not let them escape the punishment that they deserved.

On Tuesday of last week, 6 Democratic lawmakers (Mellissa Slotkin of Michigan, Mark Kelly of Arizona, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, Chrissy Houlahand of Pennsylvania, and Jason Crow of Colorado release a video reminding people in the military that they did not have to follow illegal orders.

Predictably, Trump went nuts.

He accused them of seditious behavior, and said that they should be tried for treason and hung.

The two people who SHOULD be tried are Pete Hegseth and Stephen Miller, the people most responsible for the murders near Venezuela.

Lt. Calley's actions might be considered proper in view of the fact that it started only 2 months after the Tet Offensive started, which was a major conflict in the Vietnam War. Although the United States won the battle, the battle turned public opinion against our involvement in the war. As a result, President Johnson announced on March 31, 1968, that he was not seeking re-election.

Pete Hegseth gathered military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia on September 30, 2025. The meeting included hundreds of flag and general officers from around the world who were summoned for an address by Hegseth and President Trump. 

• Location: The event was held at Marine Corps Base Quantico, a Marine Corps base in Northern Virginia, near Washington, D.C..
• Who was gathered: The meeting included a rare gathering of nearly the entire senior officer corps, or a significant portion of it.
• Reason for the meeting: Hegseth used the meeting to announce new directives and discuss his vision for the U.S. military. 

Since Pete Hegseth is one of the worst Department of Defense leaders we have ever had, it did not take long for the Pentagon to decide to investigate Senator Mark Kelly.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2025/11/24/mark-kelly-sedition-investigation-donald-trump/87449880007/?utm_source=azcentral-newsalert-strada&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsalert&utm_term=hero&utm_content=pphx-phoenix-nletter17

You can read Hegseth’s entire speech at the link below, but it is utter nonsense, so do not waste your time.

https://www.war.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/4318689/secretary-of-war-pete-hegseth-addresses-general-and-flag-officers-at-quantico-v/

Hegseth's recent gathering of military leaders from around the globe at Marine Corps Base Quantico. was an absolutely stupid thing to do - and a reminder why we need more people like Hugh Thompson in the military. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to talk to your children about sex

 

In her latest book (“Why Fascists fear Teachers”), Randi Weingarten mentions a book that some people have had banned. It is titled “It’s Perfectly Normal”, and it discussed the physical and emotional changes that teens and adolescents go through as they are growing up.

I recently borrowed the book from the library, and found it both educational and entertaining.

 

The book contains numerous drawings of male and female genitalia, and also discusses some controversial topics, such as abortion, birth control, STD, and sexual abuse. In at least one case, it helped prevent further sexual abuse of a girl whose father was sexually abusing her.

Before I go any further, I need to give you a little background:

I grew up during the 1950’s - a time when “Ozzie and Harriet” was on prime-time television, and it remained there from 1952 until 1966, The couple also had a radio program from 1944 until 1954. In all, the television series lasted 14 years, and can still be viewed on YouTube

The 1950’s were a conservative era, and public discussion about sex, if it occurred at all, was pretty rare. Married couples on TV were not seen in bed together, and discussions about sex, even in family units was also sparse.

Starting in 2021, there have been thousands of books banned or challenged in parts of the United States. Most of the targeted books have to do with race, gender, and sexuality. Unlike most book challenges in the past, whereby action began locally with parents or other stakeholders in the community engaging teachers and school administrators in a debate over a title, local parent groups have received support from conservative advocacy organizations working to nationalize the efforts focused on certain subjects. They have also been more likely to involve legal and legislative measures rather than just conversations in local communities. Journalists, academics, librarians, and others commonly link the coordinated, often well-funded book challenges to other efforts to restrict what students should learn about systemic bias and the history of the United States. Hundreds of books have been challenged, including high-profile examples like Maus by Art Spiegelman, New Kid by Jerry Craft, and The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.

The American Library Association documented 1,269 demands of book censorship in 2022. It was the highest the organization had ever recorded since it began collecting censorship data more than 20 years prior. A 2023 analysis by The Washington Post found that a majority of book challenges in over 100 school districts from the 2021–2022 school year were filed by just 11 people

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_banning_in_the_United_States_(2021%E2%80%93present)

One of the books that had been banned is “It’s perfectly Normal”.

 The exact number of times “It's Perfectly Normal”has been banned is not available, but it has been removed from libraries and schools multiple times, making it one of the most frequently challenged books in recent years. It was removed from libraries in Florida's Walton County School District and has been pulled from school shelves at least seven times in one recent school year alone, according to CBS News. 

• It's Perfectly Normal is a children's book about puberty and sex education by Robie Harris.
• The book has been challenged and removed from school libraries and classrooms due to its frank discussions about sexuality.
• It appears on lists of frequently challenged books, such as those compiled by the American Library Association.
• The reasons cited for banning often include its content being considered "unsuited to age group" or due to its religious viewpoint. 

 

Not surprisingly, Florida is the state that has had the most books ban. As of 2022, the state had the most book bans in place, and Texas was in second place, with 625 book bans. Florida’s dubious record is due to the fact that the ultra-conservate group, Moms for Liberty, is based there.

https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/banned-books-by-state

 

Moms for Liberty is an American political organization that advocates against school curricula that mention LGBTQ rights, race and ethnicity, critical race theory, and discrimination. Multiple chapters have also campaigned to ban books that address gender and sexuality from school libraries. Founded in January 2021, the group began by campaigning against COVID-19 responses in schools such as mask and vaccine mandates. Moms for Liberty is influential within the Republican Party.

Moms for Liberty has been variously described as populist, reactionary, extremist, and far-right group. The group has been criticized for harassment, for deepening divisions among parents, for making students' education more difficult, and for having close ties to the Republican Party rather than being a genuine grassroots effort

Moms for Liberty was co-founded in Florida on January 1, 2021, by former school board members Tina Descovich and Tiffany Justice, and by then-current school board member Bridget Ziegler, the wife of Florida Republican Party Chairman Christian Ziegler. In spring 2021, Christian Ziegler was removed from his position in the party because of a sexual assault history. Republican activist and campaign consultant Marie Rogerson is the third-leading member of Moms for Liberty. Descovich receives a stipend as Moms for Liberty's executive director.

Like fascists everywhere, Governor DeSantis does not like an educated public, and his treatment of New College of Florida provides a good summary of his approach.

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/11/19/new-college-florida-desantis-makeover-cost/

Nearly three years ago, as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis championed his culture-war policies during the run-up to a bid for the White House, he vowed to overhaul a small, quirky liberal arts college in Sarasota that was part of the state education system.

New College of Florida was “more into DEI, CRT, the gender ideology,” the Republican governor said, using abbreviations for diversity, equity and inclusion and for critical race theory. He added: “We’re going to be able to offer some reforms.”

DeSantis has largely succeeded in transforming what was one of the most liberal institutions in the state into a school that is now hailed by conservatives across the country. He handpicked a new president and appointed a board of trustees who fired and denied tenure to veteran professors. The school closed its gender studies center. It added sports teams and turned classrooms in a historic campus building into donor-friendly spaces with cigar smoking allowed on the balcony overlooking Sarasota Bay.

 Now the bill for that effort has arrived, and it shows a remarkably high price. According to a report released this month by the Florida Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the cost to produce a degree at New College is $494,715 — the highest among public colleges in Florida and more than three times the $150,729 cost at the state’s flagship school, the University of Florida.

Operating expenses at New College are $83,207 per student, compared with $45,765 at UF. New College also has the largest number of administrators per student, or 33.3 per 100, compared with 26.9 at UF, a school with nearly 62,000 students.

Enrollment has increased since the overhaul, but with 732 current students, New College is still short of the school’s stated goal of 1,200. More than a third of the new students are athletes recruited to fill recently created collegiate sports teams, including baseball, basketball and softball.

One of the new trustees DeSantis appointed was Christopher Rufo, the conservative activist who has led campaigns against critical race theory and gender identity in schools and has advised DeSantis on education policy.

 

The DeSantis administration pledged to model New College after Hillsdale College, a private Christian school in Michigan. New College adopted what it calls a “classical” curriculum centered on the Western canon. Freshmen are required to take a class on Homer’s “Odyssey.”

 

(Hillsdale College  is a member of the advisory board of Project 2025, a collection of conservative and right-wing policy proposals from The Heritage Foundation to reshape the United States federal government and consolidate executive power, since Trump won the 2024 presidential election.)

 

Attorney Alan Dershowitz, a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, spoke at New College’s commencement in May. Corcoran announced in September that the school is commissioning a statue of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk for the campus, to be funded by public donation

 But, let’s get back to the book>

For parents who are not comfortable discussing sex with their children, and for kids who simply do not know what questions to ask, this book can be a valuable resource.

 

 

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I love the poorly educated.

 

 

During the 2016     Presidential campaign, Donald Trump said that “we won with the poorly educated. I love the poorly educated”.

Before you go any further, I should warn you that his story is NOT about Donald Trump.

It is actually a book report.

Randi Weingarten has been the president of the American Federation of Teachers since 2008, and she recently release a book titled” Why Fascists Fear Teachers”. At 177 pages, it is a quick read, and is definitely worth the effort.

First of all, what exactly is a fascist?

Here is one definition:

 Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology characterized by a centralized dictatorship, suppression of opposition, extreme militarism, and the subordination of individual rights to the interests of the nation or race. It is an anti-democratic system that seeks to create a strong, unified nation under a single, all-powerful leader and party, controlling nearly all aspects of public and private life. 

 Historically, Hitler and Mussolini are the best examples of fascists, but Trump fits the definition as well. In March of this year, Bernie Sanders and AOC took their oligarchy tour on the road.

 Trump’s cabinet in his second term is worth $381 billion – higher than the GDP of 172 counties. Elon Musk, the world richest man, spent $270 million to get Trump elected, which includes the $45 million that he spent on mis-leading ads.

 If you are wondering why Trump likes the poorly educated, consider this:

 States that tend to vote for Democrats spent more money on education.

 Here is a breakdown of per public spending by state:

 Arizona is one of the worst states:

 https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/per-pupil-spending-by-state

 I’m a fan of Heather Cox Richardson, and she is mentioned in this book. In “Democracy Awakening: Notes on the state of America”, she mentions that fascist leaders may compete for our votes, but modern democracies fail because of autocratic candidates who work within the system to change it”

 That sure sounds like Project 25, doesn’t it?

 What do fascists do when the afraid that students will learn the truth on their own?

 They ban books, and Moms for Liberty is one of the worst offenders

 According to the ACLU, more than 3000 books were banned in America, and these restrictions also app to college and universities, who face   loss of funding if they even mention DEI.

 Two months after Hitler came into power in 1933, he presided over the first book burnings in Germany, and 20,000 books were destroyed.

 A Democratic society needs PUBLIC schools, in addition to private and religious schools, yet many states, including Arizona, use vouchers to divert public money for private schools. Although the original intent of vouchers was good, the program has grown to the point that they will cause nearly $1 billion in the state’s budget

 As a result, every public school in Arizona will receive $300,000 less in state funding. 3 out of 4 students who benefit from vouchers were already attending private schools, so the vouchers effectively result in a tax break for wealthy parents.  

 https://edtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Lessons-From-Arizona-1-Pager-FINAL.pdf

 

I’ve been a teacher, either full time or part time for more than 20 years, so can assure you that teaching is NOT an easy job- and Ranid Weingarten has been a teacher longer than that, which is why her book is worth reading.

 Another book worth reading is “Reign of Error”, written by Diane Ravitch,

 Diane Silvers Ravitch (born July 1, 1938) is a historian of education, an educational policy analyst, and a research professor at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Previously, she was a U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education. In 2010, she became "an activist on behalf of public schools."^[ Her blog at DianeRavitch.net has received more than 36 million page views since she began blogging in 2012. Ravitch writes for the New York Review of Books.

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diane_Ravitch

 Randi Weingarten has written an excellent book about education. Although the book itself is only 177 pages, the supporting notes add up to another 59 pages, and it is worth reading.

 

 

 

 

 

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