The Jessie Sansone Case: Canadian Educators Think They Have A Duty To Be "Co-Parents"; Similar Trends Manifesting In The United States

The true agenda of our progressive public education system has been laid bare for all to see up in Canada. Canadian educators now openly admit they want to be "co-parents", which means they think the state should share parental rights with parents. Of course, since power cannot abhor a vacuum, "sharing" will inevitably lead to "hijacking". And similar trends are taking root in the United States.

The latest Canadian controversy erupted in the wake of an incident in which a four-year-old girl drew a picture of a gun in her kindergarten class in Kitchener, Ontario. School administrators panicked and launched a witch hunt. When the girl's father, Jessie Sansone, arrived to pick up his daughter, he was met by Waterloo Police, who charged him with possession of a firearm, handcuffed him, and placed him in a squad car. At the police station, Sansone was told to disrobe, lift his testicles and bend over. Police also descended upon the Sansone residence, told Sansone's wife that Sansone had been charged with possession of firearms, and that she would have to come with them. Social workers also swooped down upon the children, grabbed them, and interviewed each one separately.

And what did police find at the Sansone residence? A plastic toy gun that shoots foam darts. The Sansones have since been released and the family re-united. But Jessie Sansone wants answers. The Waterloo Regional Police have since issued a convoluted explanation in which they justify their intervention by saying that they've seen toy guns altered and used in the community to facilitate commission of armed robbery.

But another answer was forthcoming from the regional school authority -- an explanation -- an answer exposing the true agenda of the Canadian public education system. Gregg Bereznick, who is the Superintendent of Education in the area, defends the school's actions by saying that educators are "co-parents" of kids, to which many commenters to the story responded by suggesting that if educators thought they should be "co-parents", then maybe they should be willing to "co-pay" the expenses of child-rearing. Don't laugh, though; school districts already "co-pay" to a certain extend through the ever-expanding school meals racket. In 2011, then-Anchorage School Board candidate Bob Griffin revealed that 42 percent of Anchorage School District students got either free or reduced-price meals. And school meals aren't always voluntary; in North Carolina, state inspectors forced two preschool kids to accept school lunches because they decided the lunches brought from home didn't meet so-called "nutrition guidelines".

How To Participate In The Alaska Republican Presidential Preference Poll On March 6th, 2012

Super Tuesday occurs on March 6th, 2012. This is when the largest bloc of states, ten altogether, holds their presidential primaries, caucuses, and other similar forms of voter expression. And on this date, the Alaska Republican Party will be holding its Presidential Preference Poll. This is further described in the Alaska Republican Party 2012 Convention Process.

Four candidates will appear on the ballot, certified in the following order: Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, and Rick Santorum. All registered Alaska Republicans are invited to cast their vote for their preferred candidate between 4:00 to 8:00 P.M. on March 6th at various designated locations. The Presidential Preference Poll vote binds the 24 Alaskan National Convention Delegates to the Republican National Convention in Tampa, FL from August 27-30.

How To Vote: Note that the normal election polling stations are not used; a list of special polling stations is available HERE. However, these polling stations are based upon the new House Districts determined through the re-districting process.

-- First, determine within which House District you now live, either by consulting the Proclamation Maps, or by visiting SteveColligan.us and typing in your home address.

-- Second, consult the list of designated polling stations and visit the station that correlates with your new House District.

-- Third, visit your designated polling station between 4:00 - 8:00 P.M. on March 6th and cast your vote. You must be a registered Republican to vote; you will be permitted to register as a Republican on the spot. Bring some form of official photo ID.

Black Lesbian Judge Tonya Parker Refuses To Perform Any Marriages In Dallas County Because Gays Can't Get Married In Texas

A black lesbian judge in Texas has decided to use her office to make a partisan political statement. Dallas County 116th Civil District Court Judge Tonya Parker says she won't perform any marriage ceremonies until gay couples can wed.

Judge Parker, who was elected in November 2010, made the announcement during a February 21st, 2012 meeting of the Stonewall Democrats of Dallas (Parker herself is a Democrat). She explained that she's doing it to give the public a lesson about marriage inequality in this state. She thinks it's oxymoronic for her to perform ceremonies that can’t be performed for her.

In an attempt to stem backlash, Judge Parker issued the following statement on February 23rd:

I faithfully and fully perform all of my duties as the Presiding Judge of the 116th Civil District Court, where it is my honor to serve the citizens of Dallas County and the parties who have matters before the Court.

Performing marriage ceremonies is not a duty that I have as the Presiding Judge of a civil district court. It is a right and privilege invested in me under the Family Code. I choose not to exercise it, as many other Judges do not exercise it. Because it is not part of our duties, some Judges even charge a fee to perform the ceremonies.

I do not, and would never, impede any person’s right to get married. In fact, when people wander into my courtroom, usually while I am presiding over other matters, I direct them to the Judges in the courthouse who do perform marriage ceremonies. If my deputy is not busy, I will even ask him to escort or help these individuals find another Judge who performs the ceremonies. I do this because I believe in the right of people to marry and pursue happiness.

But even though she says performing marriages is not one of her formal duties, Judge Parker lies when she says she executes her duties faithfully. One of her duties is to uphold the law as it is written, and to perform her job without political bias. By publicly linking the performance of marriages with the gay marriage issue, she has cast her integrity and objectivity into doubt. She can no longer be trusted to rule fairly and impartially in other cases. She has issued a standing invitation to every defense attorney whose clients appear in her court to ask for Judge Parker to recuse herself because of a public record of bias.

KDAF Channel 33 documents some Dallas-area reaction. While GetEQUAL Texas Dallas area Coordinator Daniel Cates says he's "extraordinarily proud" of Judge Parker, Dallas Tea Party member Katrina Pierson thinks Judge Parker should leave Texas (but for God's sake, don't send her to Alaska). Public comments on NBC5 and WFAA show strong public disapproval of Judge Parker. Comments on the Dallas Voice are much more supportive of Judge Parker, but since the Dallas Voice is the area's "hippie" newspaper (like our Anchorage Press), it merely reflects their primary demographic.

Surprisingly, no other public officials have spoken out against Parker. In particular, where's the social conservative Governor Rick Perry on this? Why does he remain silent? Texas judges may be removed in one of four ways:

-- The state commission on judicial conduct investigates, and if warranted, prosecutes allegations of misconduct by Texas judges. Upon a commission recommendation of removal or retirement, the supreme court selects a review tribunal from among court of appeals judges to verify the findings and enter a judgment. Judges may appeal decisions of the review tribunal to the supreme court.

-- Judges may be removed by the governor on the address of two thirds of the house and senate.

-- Judges may be impeached by the house of representatives and removed by two thirds of the senate.

-- The supreme court may remove district court judges from office.

Pro Skier Elyse Saugstad Survives Avalanche In Washington State, Triggers Renewed Interest In Avalanche Airbag System, Which Can Cost Over $1,000

By now, most readers know that four people were caught up in an avalanche in Washington State on February 19th, 2012. Three of them lost their lives, but the fourth person, Alaskan pro skier Elyse Saugstad, survived. Why did she survive? She was equipped with an avalanche airbag system (ABS). While her three cohorts were buried, Saugstad was not buried, but came to a stop with her face and her arms out of the snowpack. She still needed rescuers to dig her out; they arrived within 10 minutes.

Elyse Saugstad, a graduate of Dimond High in Anchorage, not only further describes her experience on her website, but says that in April 2012, Chugach Powder Guides will be hosting an Epic Athlete Experience with her at Girdwood. It will include heli-skiing.

So what is an avalanche airbag system? First, here's a photo of a system when it is deployed:

Skiers can wear the ABS on their backs either deployed or undeployed. However, most skiers will wear it undeployed, because once the pressurized capsule in the activation handle is released, the activation handle and cartridge must be returned to a dealer for replacement. Deploying the system is simple and virtually instantaneous; before the ride, the skier simply screws the pull lever into the left strap, connecting it to a nitrogen canister inside. In case of emergency, the skier can pull the lever, which will inflate the pack into a full-sized body buoy (illustration HERE). Survival rate of ABS users caught in avalanches is said to be 90 percent, although the ABS cannot protect one against trauma from running into trees or rocks.

A company called ABS provides a graphical illustration comparing the ride of an unequipped skier with an equipped skier:

The ABS has 10 different components. On the Engadget website, Gary posts a comment providing a more in-depth technical explanation of how the ABS works, but uses plain English:

Immediately upon triggering and becoming involved an avalanche the wearer pulls a rip cord, bags inflate. This increases the wearers buoyancy in the moving snow hopefully preventing burial when the snow stops. If the wearer is buried then the bags will slowly deflate, this accomplishes two things; prevents the mechanical suffocation of the wearer due to being encased in snow(avalanche debris sets up like concrete within moments of stopping due to the heat generated by friction during the slide) and will have a breathable air pocket.

These devices typically use a venturi vacuum inflation device where high pressure gas forced through a narrowing opening increases in velocity, on the other side of the narrowing there is a low pressure zone. Positioning holes at the low pressure zone causes surrounding air to be sucked in and then forced through a check valve into the bags. Using this method, bags inflate but do not pressurize, users will not be crushed by the bag deploying in a confined space and the volume of the air canister for the system can be reduced.

As mentioned by others, these bags do not prevent trauma which is a high percentage of avalanche fatalities.

You can also read a list of FAQs provided by ABS.

Cost of Unit: North Face says the total cost of their ABS Patrol 24 Pack and ABS Vest, which is slated to be launched by fall 2012 in specialty stores, will be around $1,050. This includes $900 for the basic unit and $150 for the nitrogen tank. TeamCCWasilla has information on how Alaskans can get one of these units. Whether this is a good purchase depends upon where and how often one is exposed to the threat of avalanches. Someone who goes skiing in back country on a regular basis ought to consider it; but the ABS website indicates that some dealers may rent these units on a one-time basis.

But as Alaska Dispatch's resident curmudgeon Craig Medred reminds us, beacons and ABS backpacks are no substitute for common sense. They're merely last-ditch survival and recover tools.

Wasilla High School "Vagina" Sculpture Generates Mixed Emotions, But Critics More Upset Over $100,000 "One Percent For Art" Price Tag

Screenshot of sculpture

A controversial sculpture at Wasilla High School has been covered up by school officials after a number of parents and students decided it looked too much like a vagina. The stone and concrete sculpture, crafted by Jim Dault and Shala Dobson of Meadow Lakes over a period of nine months, was named "Warrior Within", and is designed to fit in with the school's motif along with its nickname, the Wasilla Warriors. While the primary story was published by the Mat-Su Frontiersman, the Anchorage Daily News (316 comments) also ran it, as well as the Drudge Report.

Before installation, the sculpture was fully vetted by a One Percent For Art program committee and approved by the Mat-Su School District before work began. The state launched the One Percent For Art program in 1975, and it requires the expenditure of one percent of the capital construction costs of public buildings for the acquisition and permanent installation of artwork. The sculpture features oblong shields, one made of aluminum and another of bronze, which are emblazoned with warrior symbolism; it was installed on January 29th, 2012.

But three days later, Wasilla High School Principal Amy Spargo decided to cover the sculpture with tarp after receiving complaints from students and parents. Some decided it looked like a vagina. So Spargo decided to revisit the issue of whether the art is best suited for display at a high school. She's also concerned that vandals might damage the artwork; I could just see some miscreants trying to superglue hair around the sculpture in the middle of the night as a joke.

Spargo said she plans to convene another committee that includes students, parents, staff and school administration to examine the art project. Also, the artists will give a presentation at the high school on February 24th to educate students about the symbolism in their art. The March 2008 edition of ArtSceneAK indicates that Jim Dault and Shala Dobson have previously created pieces with a sexual connotation, including Forbidden Fruit and Fossil Fig. Dobson claimed surprise at the resemblance of Forbidden Fruit to certain female anatomical characteristics.

Public Reaction: 57 comments have been posted to the main story in the Frontiersman so far. Over two-thirds of the comments are negative. Of the critics, the majority are concerned about the $100,000 price tag; some suggest the money could have been better spent on homeless students in the Valley. Here's a sampling of some of the comments that bring out interesting points (after the jump):