LeBron James Opens First 'I Promise' School

[sunshinehighway]

Isn't RT backed by the Russian propaganda news agency? Or am I thinking of something else? I avoided clicking on the link as the last thing I want is cookies rom such a site . . .




(and Daily Mail is tabloid at it's worst, with a strong anti immigrant bent just to add some flavour, so I refuse to ever provide traffic for their site)---I tend to agree with you that if those are the sources being linked, well, that says little for the validity of any argument.

RT is the Russian government propaganda news agency. It's a "news" outlet directly funded by the Russian government. It's known to spread false and misleading information. Also, it was forced to register as a foreign agent under FARA last year. That means it had to register because it's acting in the interest of a foreign government.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Yes. It's a Russian tv station funded by the Russian government.

thanks for that.

I cannot imagine intentionally choosing that as a source of anything, beyond an example of blatant propaganda--wow

 

[jrmasm]

My husband is a vet and a LEO (and a Republican ) ... He doesn't care, neither do most of his friends in similar situations. Just like anything else, blanket statements like the previous poster made will never cover everyone.

You know your experience will be ignored right? Doesn't quite go along with the narrative.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

I think this is great. I know that it doesn't fix every problem with the educational system, but no one person can be expected to fix it. What Lebron has done is give a set of students a betrer start, a better chance at this world.

When I was a kid, I went to elementary at a wonderful, well-funded school. My family was very poor, but through my school I was exposed to amazing programs. We started computer lab in Kindergarten several times a week (this was the late 80's)- by the time I graduated 5th grade we had apple macintoshes, we had a student produced in house news program; science, art , and math fairs; twice a week library time at out huge school library, weekly art and music classes, weekly character development class run by the school counselor, small class sizes, lots of developmental play areas, daily phys. ed.. It was an absolutely amazing place for kids to learn and develop.

After I finished 5th grade, we moved to a school district that had a lot less funding. It was astonishing to me how backwards it felt. Middle school was part of the elementary school and we were treated as such. 30 kids per teacher.The kids didn't get daily recess, and the playground was small and uninviting. Art was once a month. There was no music. Library time was every other week. Computer lab was a rare occurence, I never could figure out the schedule, and the computers were outdated, older than the 80's model DOS run computers of my kindergarten days.The was no news program. It was awful. My high school didn't offer AP classes, and we were strongly encouraged to attend the vocational training center.

A well funded school can inspire and encourage kids to learn and be their best. When you are opened up to the possibility of a better world, you are more likely to aspire to attain more for yourself. A poor school is depressing, suffocating, and leaves you with a sense of hopelessness.

Kudos to Lebron for doing his part in making the world a better place.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

It is a very complicated mission to try to grow anything in the SA climate.

Instead of attempting to bend nature to our whim, we shouldn't live where stuff can't grow. This applies to everywhere, not just South Africa. I mean, look what this attitude has done to California.

 

[monsterkitty]

You just move on. You work harder and smarter. Better than being lazy and stupid.

Am I reading this correctly in that you say those who are still suffering from past atrocities or living on a reservation are lazy and stupid? Have you ever been to South Africa, or any Third World countries, where daily survival and conditions outweigh education? Have you ever been to a reservation here and have seen their struggles? The people in these situations are usually far from lazy or stupid. In fact they probably work harder to just survive than many of us who read the DIS.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Please tell me that you aren't saying that living on a reservation is "profiting off of past atrocities."

You know as well as I that wasn’t the point.

 

[mefordis]

thanks for that.

I cannot imagine intentionally choosing that as a source of anything, beyond an example of blatant propaganda--wow

Whether you want to believe that farmers are being attacked, murdered, and thrown off their land in SA is your choice. However, I posted two other examples of atrocities and genocide happening right now in other parts of the world. The point is, the US is NOT the worst in the world when it comes to oppression of racial and ethnic groups like another poster claimed. Not by a long shot. That was the only point of the post.

Here's a Reuters article. Maybe you'll trust that. I just assumed it was common knowledge what was happening in SA for anyone who is up on world events, so I took the top two links I found.

https://reuters.screenocean.com/record/831849

 

[mefordis]

Instead of attempting to bend nature to our whim, we shouldn't live where stuff can't go. This applies to everywhere, not just South Africa. I mean, look what this attitude has done to California.

I agree with this but the people are there now.

 

[goofyernmost]

I'll have to go back and read page one, but I have to say if you think we are the most backward country in the world I have a few key words for you to Google so you can learn what is happening in the world right now that might make you feel a bit better about where you live.

Rohingya
South african farmers
Libyan slave trade

Anyway, good for LeBron or anyone else who is offering a helping hand to their fellow human (or animals).

There are worse places, but, that is no excuse for us to act like jerks. We should be the place that tries to help those people instead of basically encouraging evil actions. We used to be a leader in human rights, we are now a laughing stock of the whole world. This is not the country that I went to war for and until we get back some type of morality that is really morality and not just weak justification for our awful, awful actions, I will continue to shout, from the rooftops, about just how backwards we, as a society, really are until it is finally recognized for what it is. I guess we will all understand better when we have to ask the government if it's OK to go to the bathroom. It's coming to that. The logic of "do what I say or I will destroy you" may be a good plot for a movie, but, it shouldn't be the slogan of the USA. Now I understand how the Statue of Liberty ended up face down in the sand from the Planet of the Apes.

 

[soccerdad72]

Not even close to the most off-topic I've seen.

At a minimum, it cracks the Top 10

 

[Gumbo4x4]

There are worse places, but, that is no excuse for us to act like jerks. We should be the place that tries to help those people instead of basically encouraging evil actions. We used to be a leader in human rights, we are now a laughing stock of the whole world. This is not the country that I went to war for and until we get back some type of morality that is really morality and not just weak justification for our awful, awful actions, I will continue to shout, from the rooftops, about just how backwards we, as a society, really are until it is finally recognized for what it is. I guess we will all understand better when we have to ask the government if it's OK to go to the bathroom. It's coming to that. The logic of "do what I say or I will destroy you" may be a good plot for a movie, but, it shouldn't be the slogan of the USA. Now I understand how the Statue of Liberty ended up face down in the sand from the Planet of the Apes.

Wasn’t it you who insinuated that anyone who disagrees with the kneeling protest must be a bigot who doesn’t recognize a black man’s 1st Amendment rights? Nevermind someone just might happen to disagree, or even that they agree, but disagree with the format of the protest. No, now it’s no longer enough to support someone’s rights. Now, everyone is expected to support the message “or else”.

Don’t you see the issue with taking such a hard line stance? We’ve become a nation of “you’re either with me 100%, or you’re against me 100%. Now choose your side!”. There’s no allowance whatsoever for any kind of middle ground or rational discussion. And THAT is backward thinking.

Shoot, we saw this recently when Michael Jordan was asked to weigh in on the public pissing match Lebron James is having with a certain someone. MJ came out in support of James, but in doing so, he took the high road. And he was immediately blasted on social media for not taking a more aggressive stance, and specifically for failing to say anything nasty about the other party. Seriously?

 

[soccerdad72]

Shoot, we saw this recently when Michael Jordan was asked to weigh in on the public pissing match Lebron James is having with a certain someone. MJ came out in support of James, but in doing so, he took the high road. And he was immediately blasted on social media for not taking a more aggressive stance, and specifically for failing to say anything nasty about the other party. Seriously?

I would argue it's not been a pissing match, at least from LeBron. He offered an opinion and left it at that. He hasn't engaged in any of the discussion that has followed (which, in my view, would constitute a 'pissing match').

 

[goofyernmost]

Wasn’t it you who insinuated that anyone who disagrees with the kneeling protest must be a bigot who doesn’t recognize a black man’s 1st Amendment rights? Nevermind someone just might happen to disagree, or even that they agree, but disagree with the format of the protest. No, now it’s no longer enough to support someone’s rights. Now, everyone is expected to support the message “or else”.

So, if they make a protest like that, a quiet non-violent protest, who is getting hurt by it. Is it so terrible that they use that method to express their unhappiness about the way things are happening. They want to point out a problem and instead of understanding the "other side" is demanding that they be punished for making their feelings heard. They are not disrespecting the flag and there is certainly no connection to that and not supporting the military. But, the "other side" is attempting to make it into something that it isn't.

Besides it's a damn football game, it's not world court. What exactly do the others lose by that happening. What harm was done to anyone other then getting a message across. I hope they all go out and kneel, if for no other reason then to show solidarity. You want to see a football game, well pucker up buttercup, you may have to watch reruns. Those guys make more money in a week then most of the "other side" do in their lifetime, but, that doesn't make them any less covered under the freedom of speech/protest amendment of the constitution. THE CONSTITUTION! Remember that if anyone feels the right to ignore the constitutional rights of others, it's only a matter of time before yours are ignored as well.

You do not have to support the message, but, you do have to tolerate the fact that they have the right to express it without any form of punishment or belittlement. You do not have the right to take that away from anyone. You can disagree, but, you cannot take action to stifle it.

 

[CarolAnn856]

You know as well as I that wasn’t the point.

Not only do I not, since I asked the question, but someone else on this thread seems to agree with that interpretation.

Disneyjunky, in attempting to understand you, asked if you thought that profiting off of atrocities is fine. You quoted her and said everyone does, even Native Americans living on reservations. So, by specifying those who live on reservations, you are indicating that those locations are benefits of atrocities. I'm not the only person who read your post that way.

 

[monsterkitty]

Not only do I not, since I asked the question, but someone else on this thread seems to agree with that interpretation.

Disneyjunky, in attempting to understand you, asked if you thought that profiting off of atrocities is fine. You quoted her and said everyone does, even Native Americans living on reservations. So, by specifying those who live on reservations, you are indicating that those locations are benefits of atrocities. I'm not the only person who read your post that way.

I read the post the same way as you have. I'm sitting here asking myself, just how are the Native Americans benefiting from living on the reservations? Weren't they "given" the worst of the lands? The lands that are almost impossible to live off? Or did my step-father, the guy with the doctorate in archaeology, lie to us all those years?

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I would argue it's not been a pissing match, at least from LeBron. He offered an opinion and left it at that. He hasn't engaged in any of the discussion that has followed (which, in my view, would constitute a 'pissing match').

Fair enough

 

[GreatLakes]

Am I reading this correctly in that you say those who are still suffering from past atrocities or living on a reservation are lazy and stupid? Have you ever been to South Africa, or any Third World countries, where daily survival and conditions outweigh education? Have you ever been to a reservation here and have seen their struggles? The people in these situations are usually far from lazy or stupid. In fact they probably work harder to just survive than many of us who read the DIS.

I read it the opposite. That every one of us that owns a home or land likely are on land taken from Indians, often violently. We are benefiting from the atrocities of early settlers.

ETA: Regarding the anthem protests. I don't think anyone should protest while at work. I don't care if it is non-violent or not. I don't care if you are an athlete or a cashier at the grocery store. I don't care what your race or country of origin is or what you are protesting. Don't do it at work.

If I started to protest anything on the job in front of my customers that would be my last day here and that is exactly how it should be. Leave politics at home and work while at work.

Of course none of this side discussion takes away from Lebron doing a good thing. That probably needs said sadly.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

So, if they make a protest like that. I quiet non-violent protest, who is getting hurt by it. Is it so terrible that they use that method to express their unhappiness about the way things are happening. They want to point out a problem and instead of understanding the "other side" is demanding that they be punished for making their feelings heard. They are not disrespecting the flag and there is certainly no connection to that and not supporting the military. But, the "other side" is attempting to make it into something that it isn't.

Besides it's a damn football game, it's not world court. What exactly do the others lose by that happening. What harm was done to anyone other then getting a message across. I hope they all go out and kneel, if for no other reason then to show solidarity. You want to see a football game, well pucker up buttercup, you may have to watch reruns. Those guys make more money in a week then most of the "other side" do in their lifetime, but, that doesn't make them any less covered under the freedom of speech/protest amendment of the constitution. THE CONSTITUTION! Remember that if anyone feels the right to ignore the constitutional rights of others, it's only a matter of time before yours are ignored as well.

You do not have to support the message, but, you do have to tolerate the fact that they have the right to express it without any form of punishment or belittlement. You do not have the right to take that away from anyone. You can disagree, but, you cannot take action to stifle it.

Absolutely you have the right to express displeasure or “belittle” someone else’s free speech. WBC & KKK have rights. That doesn’t mean you’re in violation of their rights if you try to silence them by expressing your own free speech.

And I’m sorry but yes, your employer has the right to stifle your free speech while you’re at work, and even in some cases when you’re not. And private citizens have the right to campaign in favor of that (see: Jimmy Johns). The government doesn’t have that right. But, the people certainly do.

 

[luvsJack]

My husband is a vet and a LEO (and a Republican ) ... He doesn't care, neither do most of his friends in similar situations. Just like anything else, blanket statements like the previous poster made will never cover everyone.

Which was my entire point when I even said anything! I didn't realize that I would have to defend knowing more than one person with the same opinion. Gee Whiz.

Not everyone has the same opinion about the issue whether they are military, police, or any average Joe.