As if Nevada parents didn’t already have their hands full, including helping their children navigate the waters of adolescent sexuality. Now gender activists increasingly are using the public schools to lead students down a path their parents may know nothing about. And the Biden-Harris administration is making it worse. Nevada is hardly alone. Nearly 20,000 public schools across the country, attended by 11.5 million students, now have policies that cater to kids’ current sense of “gender identity” but that deliberately keep parents in the dark about that same thing. The Elko County School District’s gender policy, like many others, defines “gender identity” as “a student’s inner sense of being male or female.” That sense might be nothing more than a fleeting feeling, prompted by a suggestion on social media, or a clinically significant diagnosis of gender dysphoria requiring medical intervention. These policies not only don’t distinguish between these radically different situations, they actually prohibit anything beyond taking a student’s self-perception at face value. And by shutting out parents, the schools exclude the very people who are the best source of information about that student’s health and well-being. There’s little dispute that, in general, schools should take the lead on matters such as curriculum or school administration. Sex and gender identity, however, fall in a different category. A federal judge in Pennsylvania put it this way: “[T]eaching a child how to determine one’s gender identity” strikes “at the heart of parental decision making in a matter of greatest importance in their relationship with their children.” But Nevada public schools don’t seem to have gotten the memo. Instead, they are imposing their own opinions, theories, and ideology about this volatile and controversial subject and establishing a significant range of policies based on nothing more than a youngster’s current feelings. The Washoe County School District policy, for example, defines gender identity as “an individual’s understanding, outlook, feelings, and sense of being masculine, feminine, both or neither.” While such things can change at any time, for any reason, school policies dictate that a child’s latest “outlook” will dictate how a school responds. That school’s policy also states that students “have the right to be addressed by the names and pronouns that correspond to their gender identity.” They may use any restrooms, locker rooms, and other facilities, as well as participate in physical education classes and intramural sports for the same reason.   Needless to say, implementing school policies that cater to a student’s current “sense” of his or her sexuality tells the student to expect that others will conform to his or her feelings. Parents may have a very different idea about how to develop their child’s character, but these policies deliberately shut parents out. The Washoe County policy, for example, prohibits school personnel from disclosing any information related to a student’s gender identity “to others, including parents/guardians … [unless] the student has authorized such disclosure.” These same schools, however, handle far less significant matters very differently. Washoe County School District has a 51-page manual dictating procedures for field and activity trips, requiring both parental permission and a liability waiver. The district requires both parental consent and health-care provider authorization for any medication, including over-the-counter medication such as Tylenol. The upshot is that Johnny needs his parents’ permission to go to the zoo, but his parents need his permission to know that he’s undressing in the girls’ locker room. The Biden-Harris administration’s Department of Education just issued a sweeping rule that will push more public school districts in this direction. It reworks Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, the federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in educational programs that receive federal funds. The administration’s rule redefines “sex” to include “gender identity”—something Congress certainly didn’t intend when it passed the law in 1972—and redefines “harassment” so that staff and teachers could face disciplinary action if they “misgender” a student. This massive federal mandate carries the implied threat that billions of dollars in federal funds could be revoked if schools don’t knuckle under and enforce it. Parents might not agree that their child’s latest feelings always deserve indulgence. They might have a well-considered idea of how to guide their children through the challenges of adolescence and establish their own identity. The bottom line is that this is the parents’ decision to make. But by pushing parents aside and imposing the government’s preferred gender ideology, these policies violate the parents’ constitutional right to direct the upbringing of their children. The Supreme Court has called this “perhaps the oldest of the fundamental liberty interests” it has ever recognized. It’s time for parents to fight back against policies in local schools, state laws that allow those policies, and federal rules that promote this agenda at their expense. The post Pay No Attention to the Gender Activist Behind the Public School Curtain appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Racism and sexism endure. Think of the “Unite the Right” white supremacist, neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017. But sometimes unexpected voices fan the flames. As the civil rights movement gathered steam, colorblindness was the endgame. Ballots could not identify candidates by race. Employers could not ask for the racial identities of applicants. As success approached, the Democratic Party was terrified of losing a wedge issue. (A greater percentage of Republicans in Congress voted for the landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act than did Democrats.) Democrats thus changed the game from colorblindness to racial or gender preferences for nonvictims of discrimination. Even as the U.S. Supreme Court embraced colorblindness as a constitutional imperative, the Democratic Party continued marching in an opposite direction. Former President Barack Obama, at a campaign rally endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, amplified: “My understanding, based on reports I’m getting from campaigns and communities, is that we have not yet seen the same kinds of energy and turnout in all quarters of our neighborhoods and communities as we saw when I was running.” He added that it “seems to be more pronounced with the brothers.” Obama continued: And you are thinking about sitting out? Part of it makes me think—and I’m speaking to men directly—part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that. Echoes of the past? President-to-be Woodrow Wilson in 1902 wrote, referring to blacks, that “the dominance of an ignorant and inferior race was justly dreaded.” Sen. Theodore Bilbo, D-Miss., in 1938 chorused, “It is essential to the perpetuation of our Anglo-Saxon civilization that white supremacy be maintained, and to maintain our civilization, there is only one solution, and that is either by segregation within the United States, or by deportation of the entire Negro race.” Obama flirted with racism and sexism for political gain. I was floored. I thought he had higher principles. He urged people to vote for Harris on account of her race and sex, an act of desperation. Former President Donald Trump is making headway with black voters, jumping to 15%, a 6-point climb since 2020. Blacks and other minorities are to the Democratic base what the MAGA crowd is to Trump. Lose that base and Democrats become permanent losers. The Democratic Party has emptied the word “racist” of meaning. It now applies to anyone who subscribes to merit and character over skin color. According to Democrats, everyone is protected against discrimination or bigotry, but some are more protected than others. Whites, Asians, men and heterosexuals need not apply. Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan magnificently explained in his legendary dissent in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896): “In the eye of the law, there is in this country no superior, dominant, ruling class of citizens. There is no caste here. Our constitution is colorblind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens. In respect of civil rights, all citizens are equal before the law. The humblest is the peer of the most powerful.” But when Obama takes the stage to chastise his “brothers” for their inadequate enthusiasm for Harris, it’s acceptable. When Trump tells Jews they would be crazy to vote for Biden or Harris, in contrast, protests erupt like Mount Vesuvius. American leadership is plunging because Democrats have abandoned meritocracy for tribalism. The Securities and Exchange Commission approved a proposal that requires all publicly traded companies listed on Nasdaq to include at least one female, one minority, and one LGBTQ individual on their board, or provide justification for noncompliance. The SEC, however, would never think for requiring diversity of all-black, all-female or all-LGBTQ boards. Isn’t racism or sexism by any other name as reprehensible? We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post Memo to Obama: Race Remains Last Refuge of Scoundrels appeared first on The Daily Signal.

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On a cold winter night in 1941, Nazi soldiers entered the grand halls of the Catherine Palace near Leningrad, Russia, and laid their hands on a treasure that had once been described as the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” Within just a few days, they dismantled one of the most extraordinary creations of Baroque art: the Amber Room, a dazzling space lined with panels made entirely of amber, embellished with gold leaf, and inlaid with mirrors and semi-precious stones. As they packed the precious panels into crates and shipped them off to Königsberg, no one could have imagined that the Amber Room would soon vanish into the fog of war—never to be seen again. Autochrome of the Amber Room in the Catherine Palace, 1917 The Origins of the Amber Room The Amber Room was originally crafted in the early 18th century, a gift from the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm I to Tsar Peter the Great of Russia. Measuring 180 square feet and weighing over six tons, it was installed in the Catherine Palace near St. Petersburg. The room was a masterpiece of Baroque art, with amber panels backed by gold leaf, adorned with mirrors, mosaics, and semi-precious stones. Built with more than six tons of amber, which is fragile, difficult to work with, and extraordinarily rare, the room was an engineering marvel. The room contained ornate architectural features, such as gilding, carvings, amber panels, gold leaf, gemstones, statues of angels and children, and mirrors that illuminated the room with candle light. For over 200 years, the Amber Room adorned the Catherine Palace, symbolizing Russian imperial wealth. Its dazzling beauty even caught the eye of famous figures like Empress Elizabeth and Catherine the Great, both of whom had the room restored and expanded. By the time World War II broke out, the Amber Room had become an integral part of Russian cultural heritage, attracting visitors from all over the world. Yet, with the advance of the German army toward Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) in 1941, the fate of this priceless treasure took a darker turn. Real Amber Room (pre-war photo) Nazi Looting and Disappearance As part of their campaign in the east, the Nazis sought to plunder art and artifacts, and the Amber Room was a prime target. Despite efforts to conceal it behind plain wallpaper, the Nazis—who had been meticulously tracking valuable artifacts across Europe—knew exactly where to find it. When German forces captured the town of Pushkin, where the Catherine Palace was located, they dismantled the room over a period of 36 hours and transported it to Königsberg Castle in East Prussia (modern-day Kaliningrad, Russia). There, it was displayed in a museum under the supervision of Alfred Rohde, a German art historian with a particular interest in amber. After being transported to Königsberg, the capital of East Prussia, the Amber Room was displayed briefly before disappearing amid the chaos of war. The room remained there until 1944, when Allied bombing raids began to target the city. At that point, records become murky. In the final months of the war, the Amber Room vanished. Some believe it was destroyed during bombing raids on the city, while others suggest it was hidden by the retreating Germans. The lack of definitive evidence has fueled a plethora of theories. Hand-coloured photograph of the original Amber Room, 1931. Search Efforts and Theories Over the years, numerous expeditions have been launched to locate the missing Amber Room, but none have been successful. One of the most straightforward explanations is that the Amber Room was destroyed in the Allied bombing of Königsberg in August 1944. Declassified documents from the Russian National Archives that were written by Alexander Brusov (head of the Soviet team charged with locating lost arts), concluded that the Amber Room was most likely destroyed in the resulting damage to the castle. His report also stated that three out of four of the Amber Room’s Florentine mosaics were discovered damaged and burnt in the castle’s cellar. Despite this, the Soviets continued to conduct extensive searches for the Amber Room within the castle grounds. It has been suggested that this was a means of early Cold War propaganda to hide the fact that they were responsible for its destruction during the artillery bombardment (placing the blame on the Nazis), or that they were simply investigating their own soldiers for its destruction. Königsberg Castle (Photo: Wikimedia Commons) Another theory posits that the Amber Room was hidden in a secret underground bunker or mine in Germany. This belief has been bolstered by the discovery of several art repositories used by the Nazis during the war, such as the Altaussee salt mines in Austria, where stolen artworks were recovered. However, extensive searches of such sites have yet to yield any evidence of the Amber Room. Some researchers believe that the Amber Room was loaded onto a ship that was sunk by the Allies during the final stages of the war. One name often cited is the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship torpedoed by a Soviet submarine in January 1945, resulting in one of the deadliest maritime disasters in history. While divers have explored the wreck, no trace of the Amber Room has been found. In more recent years, there have been suggestions that Russian authorities may have already recovered parts of the Amber Room and are keeping it hidden for political reasons. This theory, however, is considered highly speculative and lacks credible evidence. In 2017, a team of Polish divers announced they had discovered a sunken German ship that might contain the Amber Room, but subsequent investigations found no evidence. In 2020, another search was launched in a cave system in Germany, based on newly uncovered documents, but again, no trace was found. Reconstruction of the Amber Room in the Catherine Palace Reconstruction In 1979, under the direction of Russian craftsmen, a project was launched to recreate the Amber Room based on historical photographs and descriptions. After 24 years of painstaking work, the replica was completed and installed in the Catherine Palace in 2003. The reconstruction was a massive undertaking, costing about $11 million and taking 25 years to complete. Its opening in 2003 marked the 300-year anniversary of St. Petersburg. Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, visitors from around the world could view a reconstruction of the original Amber Room at the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum-Reserve. The post The Eighth Wonder of the World: The Story of the Stolen Amber Room appeared first on Anomalien.com.