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About this blog: I am a native of Alameda County, grew up in Pleasanton and currently live in the house I grew up in that is more than 100 years old. I spent 39 years in the daily newspaper business and wrote a column for more than 25 years in add...  (More)

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Safe Spaces documents scary trend

Uploaded: Dec 12, 2019
If you are concerned about freedom in speech in America, you should check out Safe Spaces, a documentary featuring conservative commentators Adam Carolla and Dennis Prager.

We saw the film Tuesday evening and it pulls together the attack on free speech that characterizes many college campuses today. As expected, there are several scenes from what used to be known as the home of free speech—the University of California Berkeley. I attended Cal in the late 1960s after the free speech issue on campus had been resolved and am frankly stunned at the way speech is shut down there today.

Of course, that’s not unique to Cal. As the documentary shows, it widespread across college campuses and not limited to the rare conservative voice invited to speak on campus. It also includes liberals who dare to vary from what’s now considered the orthodoxy on campus. It showed two Evergreen University professors who dared to challenge a campus event that asked white people to stay away. They lost their jobs and received a $500k settlement.

The documentary also includes comments from liberals such as retired Harvard professor Alan Dershowitz, CNN commentator and progressive Van Jones and talk show host Dave Rubin. All echo the conservative concerns about minds and ears that are absolutely closed to speech with different viewpoints and decide to shout down and take out (jobs in the case of the professors) those people.

Prager operates Prager University, which produces five minute videos on various topics distributed as PragerU. Utube has put about 100 of the PragerU videos on the restricted list for failing to meet its standards. Among those being censored is one on the 10 Commandments, presumably, as Prager notes in the film, because it contains the admonition not to murder.

The run in theaters likely will end in the next week, but it should be available on streaming services.

Incidentally, my wife’s cousin, Noah Yaffe, was one of the producers. See his name on the big screen in the credits truly was cool.

We were fortunate enough to join the thousands of people who have enjoyed Hamilton last week in San Francisco. The play exceeded all expectations—high-energy, superbly acted and sung.
What amazed me is how miserable the creature comforts are at the Orpheum, an historic movie theater changed into a site for musical theater by the Shorenstein organization. Way, way back when, when I was attending Amador Valley High I remember taking a field trip to San Francisco to see a movie on the big screen there.
It appears the owners have done almost nothing, other than some Americans with Disabilities Act work, to upgrade. The lines for the restrooms, particularly the women’s were astonishingly long, particularly given the tight 15-minute intermission. And the seats were tiny as was the leg room as I watched taller guys stuff themselves in place with the legs jammed against the seats in front of them.
Rather amazing that the organization can command premium ticket prices with such outdated facilities

Democracy.
What is it worth to you?

Comments

Posted by Melinda, a resident of Alisal Elementary School,
on Dec 12, 2019 at 11:03 pm

Melinda is a registered user.

I concur about the Orpheum and ditto the Golden Gate and Geary Theatre. It is difficult to sit without having your knees rub the seat in front of you (I am 5'7") and not having adequate women's' stalls is plain ridiculous. Worst is the tiered seating. When people lean forward slightly, you can not see the performance! This is usually a rookie or someone would does not give a dam that you paid a lot of money for your ticket. Maybe the owners should take out a few rows and adjust the seats to make it comfortable and not torture. . Then you have to deal with the mentally ill, the drug addicts and filthy sidewalks. Cleaning the sidewalks and adding more security or the PC patron ambassadors would be a good community gesture.


Posted by John, a resident of San Ramon,
on Dec 13, 2019 at 11:12 pm

Safe Spaces are a disaster for America. I'm hoping we can find a way to navigate through this. People are growing up to be so weak now.


Posted by Spudly, a resident of Laguna Oaks,
on Dec 16, 2019 at 9:37 am

The only people who are weak are those in charge who cannot address the concerns of all citizens in a logical and respectful manner.


Posted by Rich Buckley, a resident of Livermore,
on Dec 17, 2019 at 5:44 am

Rich Buckley is a registered user.

The People vs a weaponized City Clerk's office.
The Livermore Referendum has now gone full circle into a first amendment attack by the city against the people, evidenced by a City inspired lawsuit by a weaponized City Clerk's office.

In this regard we might wish to consider The FIRST Amendment Project, an aspect of actor Richard Dreyfuss not seen before: Web Link

Make sure your state prohibits “Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation" [SLAPP]. If SLAPP is allowed, then push your state legislators to pass Anti-SLAPP legislation. The First Amendment is vital to holding our public officials and our public processes accountable. Web Link


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