Your friend Jim George thinks you'd be a great addition to Ricochet, so we'd like to offer you a special deal: You can become a member for no initial charge for one month!
Ricochet is a community of like-minded people who enjoy writing about and discussing politics (usually of the center-right nature), culture, sports, history, and just about every other topic under the sun in a fully moderated environment. We’re so sure you’ll like Ricochet, we’ll let you join and get your first month for free. Kick the tires: read the always eclectic member feed, write some posts, join discussions, participate in a live chat or two, and listen to a few of our over 50 (free) podcasts on every conceivable topic, hosted by some of the biggest names on the right, for 30 days on us. We’re confident you’re gonna love it.
Jeff Poelvoorde, whom I met through mutual friends, is a smart, charming, lively, funny guy, a professor of history and politics at Converse College in South Carolina, and an orthodox rabbi. He is also courageous, and when I read his open letter to colleagues and friends, published by the National Association of Scholars, I was sad but not surprised.
The powers that be at Converse had set out “a series of measures to demonstrate the College’s seriousness in addressing the existence of racism and racial bigotry… [including] the mandatory viewing of several videos that purport to address the issues of sensitivity, bias, prejudice, diversity and inclusion.” In his response, Jeff lays out the reasons for his refusal to comply, and it is a refreshing change from the long, abject line of apologizers. The letter is also a model of understanding and manly restraint, and I believe that it is unanswerable, at least from a civilized point of view.
According to Jessica Vaughan at the Center for Immigration Studies, Thomas Eric Duncan — the Dallas Ebola patient — should never have been granted a visa.
By Vaughan’s estimation, Duncan has six “strikes” against his application, namely, being: single, unemployed, Liberian (“5th highest overstay rate of any country in the world”; I wonder which are first, second, third and fourth), living outside his country of citizenship (he was living in Ghana), first-time traveler to the U.S., and having a sister living in the United States. So, probably not a tourist. Vaughan also points out that — unlike the United States — three African countries have actually banned travelers from countries where Ebola is a problem.
This is a kind of immigration problem that doesn’t get much attention. Is there any reason this issue hasn’t been taken up by any GOP candidate? How much opposition would there be to better visa controls, besides that from within the administration?
According to