How many more will be sacrificed due to the belligerent agendas of special interest groups that are holding our education system hostage? Here on the Left Coast, the BCTF has refused to use resources provided by Jewish organizations to teach about the Holocaust, while endorsing pro Palestinian resources for the classroom. There was also a booth manned by Teachers for Palestine at their AGM. And now a small group of Jewish teachers are suing their own union for not providing a safe work environment and discriminating against them based on them being Jewish. And remember when schools were about learning stuff? We have the highest levels of spending ever, and the worst results we have ever seen.
And what does their employer, the Province, say about that? Crickets. I blame the media on that, for staying silent on these issues, but the blame mostly is on us, the citizens. On The parents who continue to send their kids into these hostile, sick environments, exposing their kids to these toxic mindsets. And for the taxpayers who shrug their shoulders and refuse to hold their elected officials to account. It’s despicable. No wonder our kids are struggling so much. We keep telling them the value of being truthful and respectful, yet we ourselves do not act that way when faced with evil. We cower and run away. We are all responsible for this impending disaster, so maybe instead of writing about how bad it is, more should actually do something about it. Take some court action, offer better solutions under the public banner, and most importantly take the power and control back from the union when it comes to our kids. Get back to teaching, and invoke tougher standards and penalties if our schools stray from that. School Administrators are the worst. The politicking has to stop. They need to take the lead on this, but it will take hard work to turn this around. It’s such a mess.
It breaks my heart to hear about what is going on in BC. I thought it was only Ontario that had lost its mind.
It's so depressing to see how easily the pro-Hamas loons captured the teachers' unions. I, too, blame the media for this madness. If there can be a bright side, then perhaps it is this: it should be clear to everyone by now that the Jews obviously DO NOT "control the media."
Thanks, Ari. It is very important to keep the memory of Richard's horrendous ordeal alive.
I believe we can call his death a martyrdom. Yes, he may have ended his life by his own hand, but that was only after Those Who Should Know Better already gleefully, recklessly, casually stabbed the heart of what he lived for. All this while cowards stood by and watched, thinking, "Jeez. It's a good thing I kept my mouth shut! That could've been me!" (If you think Canadians are somehow magically immune to Genovese Syndrome, think again. *Every* teacher in Ontario has been such a bystander -- or, worse, a perpetrator.)
Every single teacher in Ontario has by now [July, 2024] experienced staff meetings, PD Day sessions, and various kinds of "training" that denigrate people just for the colour of their skin or "elevate" people just for the colour of their skin. (You might recall that just up until a few short years ago it was considered wicked to judge people by the colour of their skin rather than the content of their character. Or did I merely dream it?)
Anyway, most teachers in these struggle sessions -- I mean, "anti-racist training sessions" -- either join with the woke mob, or remain perfectly silent, not even daring to risk a sideways glance at a colleague, hoping that one day the pendulum will swing back to sanity.
It is not swinging back.
Until the KOJO's of the world experience proper push-back (e.g. lawsuits) and the feed troughs dry up, this highly profitable Grievance Industry will only grow. Why wouldn't it?
The KOJOs are the new high priests and their blasphemy penalties are severe and real. (Try asking Ms. Kojo why the Underground Railway directed American slaves to Chatham, Ontario, *CANADA*, and see how far that gets you.)
This grand inquisition will only grow. Why wouldn't it? The Inquisitors are paid very well, they do almost zero work, they are accountable to no one, and they can crush anyone who sees a problem with their neo-racism. That kind of power is intoxicating.
Repeat after me: Black people can do no wrong, and white people (and don't forget those equally terrible Jews and Asians!) can do no right. There. What can possibly go wrong?!
The precedent is not Kitty Genovese; it's Stalin's Terror. The broader purpose was not so much the elimination of any possible rivals of Stalin's but 𝘱𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴. What's something of a surprise is so far, we haven't seen a huge number of false accusations made for purposes of personal advancement.
I’m really curious as to why the author chose not to mention that Bilkszto committed suicide as a result of his cancellation. Of course, we want to remember him for his integrity, his commitment to the education of children, and his humanist, non-identitarian world view. I suppose that focusing on the tragedy of his suicide could overshadow those traits that made him so special. But, on the other hand, that suicide is an object lesson for all of us and it is essential to the story.
Nobody is invulnerable to the unfairness of being labeled a thought criminal by ideologues who use their political capital to destroy reputations. Could Bilkszto have been more resilient, more tough, more capable of turning the other cheek? Apparently, in this case, he couldn’t. This is not an indictment of him. We are, all of us, only human.
I myself have experienced ostracism for my views, lost friends and been characterized as a bigot for not being progressive enough. It infuriates, depresses and disgusts me. But my livelihood and reputation have not been the target of a public campaign to destroy my ability to do the valuable work that I’ve committed my life to.
I believe it’s important not to hide, but to shine a light on the cruelty and inhumanity of the cancellation industry and the free pass given to those who use the identitarian victim vs. oppressor paradigm as a weapon. The death of Richard Bilkszto is a tragedy as much as what was done to him while he was still alive.
I first became aware of Richard's case when a supporter of his shared his story on Jodi Shaw's Solid Ground support group. It is clearly outrageous. It is unclear whether the greater blame rests with his maliciously self-righteous harassers of the spineless administrative "leaders" who acquiesced to his persecution. This is a case of hecklers' veto with a vengeance. Unfortunately, it is the "good ones" who make the best targets for the zealots and true believers.
As Lukianoff and Schlott reported in Cancelling of the American Mind, over a thousand college and university educators have been targeted in recent years, and over 200 have been dismissed from their teaching positions (at a rate about double that of the McCarthy era). I am one of the 200.
My case, now on appeal to the 6th Federal Circuit, began in 2018... I remain cautiously optimistic, but the litigious route is lengthy and costly. Despite having acquired two excellent lawyers on a contingency basis, other court fees and costs already exceed $65K and an additional $11K in college copying costs is part of the appeal.
It was disgusting the way Ojo-Thompson treated Richard. I listened to the clip of that training. It was embarrassing that this professional trainer acted just like a bad-tempered child. The glee in her voice when she later referenced the initial confrontation with Richard made me flinch. What a snotty, childish response to what was clearly a sincere and well-meant response to her presentation.
This story is a tragedy. Imagine having gone through life as a good person and being completely destroyed by those you think would stand up. I know no one wants to lose their job, but maybe if we see one person stick their neck out for all of us, we should be another and another and another. No one truly thought the division was a good idea except for those who might gain from it and those who got off having a tiny piece of power for a moment in time. How does a person handle power? It's a sure way to know who shouldn't be in charge.
Yeah I was about to ask the author about his suicide related to this incident…what happened? And what happened to Kike Ojo-Thompson? As far as I can determine although a lawsuit was filed, (by whom? Is it still valid after his death?) she has carried on just fine.
I believe this is a memory post rather than a Rogan-style rehash of Richard’s story. We can all go back, Google, search his full story. If it was a long read many wouldn’t think to work through it.
I feel Ari gave a good memory to remind us of the horrific people who ignored the sane, honest pleadings of a good teacher.
For some reason, my edited comments will not show up. I previously asked the author, Ari, what happened to Ms Kike Ojo-Thompson? (Nothing that I know of, she is still operating her business) other than a lawsuit was filed, but with the plaintiff dead what is the status of the lawsuit? Is his estate pursuing it? Is someone else? What was the outcome or the government’s investigation? Is it still ongoing? Lots of questions that should have been addressed more clearly. It suggests he died of cancer and not suicide- or was his suicide because of cancer and not his being labeled “a white supremacist” and being “cancelled”/ dismissed from his job after taking leave for “mental anguish” over his reputational& career smear?
Thank you, Ari, for not letting the Richard Bilkszto story die. His strenghth was incredibly honourable and his lack of support from other teachers dishonourable.
I hope many people speak out also in hopes that Richard’s story helps other students across Canada.
What about him committing suicide? What about Ms like Ohio-Thompson, what happened to her (nothing?) A lawsuit was filed, but with him dead what is the status of that?
Woke proponents are heartless, merciless -- which frankly is enough to tell me about their doctrine, in addition to the sheer hypocrisy and blatant self-centeredness.
How many more will be sacrificed due to the belligerent agendas of special interest groups that are holding our education system hostage? Here on the Left Coast, the BCTF has refused to use resources provided by Jewish organizations to teach about the Holocaust, while endorsing pro Palestinian resources for the classroom. There was also a booth manned by Teachers for Palestine at their AGM. And now a small group of Jewish teachers are suing their own union for not providing a safe work environment and discriminating against them based on them being Jewish. And remember when schools were about learning stuff? We have the highest levels of spending ever, and the worst results we have ever seen.
And what does their employer, the Province, say about that? Crickets. I blame the media on that, for staying silent on these issues, but the blame mostly is on us, the citizens. On The parents who continue to send their kids into these hostile, sick environments, exposing their kids to these toxic mindsets. And for the taxpayers who shrug their shoulders and refuse to hold their elected officials to account. It’s despicable. No wonder our kids are struggling so much. We keep telling them the value of being truthful and respectful, yet we ourselves do not act that way when faced with evil. We cower and run away. We are all responsible for this impending disaster, so maybe instead of writing about how bad it is, more should actually do something about it. Take some court action, offer better solutions under the public banner, and most importantly take the power and control back from the union when it comes to our kids. Get back to teaching, and invoke tougher standards and penalties if our schools stray from that. School Administrators are the worst. The politicking has to stop. They need to take the lead on this, but it will take hard work to turn this around. It’s such a mess.
It breaks my heart to hear about what is going on in BC. I thought it was only Ontario that had lost its mind.
It's so depressing to see how easily the pro-Hamas loons captured the teachers' unions. I, too, blame the media for this madness. If there can be a bright side, then perhaps it is this: it should be clear to everyone by now that the Jews obviously DO NOT "control the media."
Thanks, Ari. It is very important to keep the memory of Richard's horrendous ordeal alive.
I believe we can call his death a martyrdom. Yes, he may have ended his life by his own hand, but that was only after Those Who Should Know Better already gleefully, recklessly, casually stabbed the heart of what he lived for. All this while cowards stood by and watched, thinking, "Jeez. It's a good thing I kept my mouth shut! That could've been me!" (If you think Canadians are somehow magically immune to Genovese Syndrome, think again. *Every* teacher in Ontario has been such a bystander -- or, worse, a perpetrator.)
Every single teacher in Ontario has by now [July, 2024] experienced staff meetings, PD Day sessions, and various kinds of "training" that denigrate people just for the colour of their skin or "elevate" people just for the colour of their skin. (You might recall that just up until a few short years ago it was considered wicked to judge people by the colour of their skin rather than the content of their character. Or did I merely dream it?)
Anyway, most teachers in these struggle sessions -- I mean, "anti-racist training sessions" -- either join with the woke mob, or remain perfectly silent, not even daring to risk a sideways glance at a colleague, hoping that one day the pendulum will swing back to sanity.
It is not swinging back.
Until the KOJO's of the world experience proper push-back (e.g. lawsuits) and the feed troughs dry up, this highly profitable Grievance Industry will only grow. Why wouldn't it?
The KOJOs are the new high priests and their blasphemy penalties are severe and real. (Try asking Ms. Kojo why the Underground Railway directed American slaves to Chatham, Ontario, *CANADA*, and see how far that gets you.)
This grand inquisition will only grow. Why wouldn't it? The Inquisitors are paid very well, they do almost zero work, they are accountable to no one, and they can crush anyone who sees a problem with their neo-racism. That kind of power is intoxicating.
Repeat after me: Black people can do no wrong, and white people (and don't forget those equally terrible Jews and Asians!) can do no right. There. What can possibly go wrong?!
The precedent is not Kitty Genovese; it's Stalin's Terror. The broader purpose was not so much the elimination of any possible rivals of Stalin's but 𝘱𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴. What's something of a surprise is so far, we haven't seen a huge number of false accusations made for purposes of personal advancement.
I’m really curious as to why the author chose not to mention that Bilkszto committed suicide as a result of his cancellation. Of course, we want to remember him for his integrity, his commitment to the education of children, and his humanist, non-identitarian world view. I suppose that focusing on the tragedy of his suicide could overshadow those traits that made him so special. But, on the other hand, that suicide is an object lesson for all of us and it is essential to the story.
Nobody is invulnerable to the unfairness of being labeled a thought criminal by ideologues who use their political capital to destroy reputations. Could Bilkszto have been more resilient, more tough, more capable of turning the other cheek? Apparently, in this case, he couldn’t. This is not an indictment of him. We are, all of us, only human.
I myself have experienced ostracism for my views, lost friends and been characterized as a bigot for not being progressive enough. It infuriates, depresses and disgusts me. But my livelihood and reputation have not been the target of a public campaign to destroy my ability to do the valuable work that I’ve committed my life to.
I believe it’s important not to hide, but to shine a light on the cruelty and inhumanity of the cancellation industry and the free pass given to those who use the identitarian victim vs. oppressor paradigm as a weapon. The death of Richard Bilkszto is a tragedy as much as what was done to him while he was still alive.
We should remember the poem by Lutheran Pastor Martin Neimoller from 1945 who spent 8 years in a German Concentration Camp. Shortened as:
First they came for the Communist
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist.
Repeat saying trade Socialists
Repeat saying trade unionists
Repeat saying Jew
And then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me.
I first became aware of Richard's case when a supporter of his shared his story on Jodi Shaw's Solid Ground support group. It is clearly outrageous. It is unclear whether the greater blame rests with his maliciously self-righteous harassers of the spineless administrative "leaders" who acquiesced to his persecution. This is a case of hecklers' veto with a vengeance. Unfortunately, it is the "good ones" who make the best targets for the zealots and true believers.
As Lukianoff and Schlott reported in Cancelling of the American Mind, over a thousand college and university educators have been targeted in recent years, and over 200 have been dismissed from their teaching positions (at a rate about double that of the McCarthy era). I am one of the 200.
https://www.nas.org/blogs/article/an-open-letter-to-lyle-d-roelofs-president-of-berea-college
Another account of my treatment by the college administration can be found here: https://www.jamesgmartin.center/2021/07/why-did-a-christian-college-fire-a-tenured-professor/
My essay suggesting that such cancellations damage the entire educational ecosystem submitted to the AAUP was predictably rejected. Fortunately, a colleague reviewed and endorsed it on his substack: https://lawrencekrauss.substack.com/p/we-have-met-the-enemy-and-they-is
My case, now on appeal to the 6th Federal Circuit, began in 2018... I remain cautiously optimistic, but the litigious route is lengthy and costly. Despite having acquired two excellent lawyers on a contingency basis, other court fees and costs already exceed $65K and an additional $11K in college copying costs is part of the appeal.
oooops: the "of" in the third line should be an "or"...
It was disgusting the way Ojo-Thompson treated Richard. I listened to the clip of that training. It was embarrassing that this professional trainer acted just like a bad-tempered child. The glee in her voice when she later referenced the initial confrontation with Richard made me flinch. What a snotty, childish response to what was clearly a sincere and well-meant response to her presentation.
RIP Richard. ❤️
This story is a tragedy. Imagine having gone through life as a good person and being completely destroyed by those you think would stand up. I know no one wants to lose their job, but maybe if we see one person stick their neck out for all of us, we should be another and another and another. No one truly thought the division was a good idea except for those who might gain from it and those who got off having a tiny piece of power for a moment in time. How does a person handle power? It's a sure way to know who shouldn't be in charge.
This piece says nothing where a great deal needs to be said (and heard). For shame, FAIR.
Here's the backstory from The Free Press all about this man's literal fall from grace:
https://www.thefp.com/p/a-racist-smear-a-tarnished-career-suicide
Yeah I was about to ask the author about his suicide related to this incident…what happened? And what happened to Kike Ojo-Thompson? As far as I can determine although a lawsuit was filed, (by whom? Is it still valid after his death?) she has carried on just fine.
I believe this is a memory post rather than a Rogan-style rehash of Richard’s story. We can all go back, Google, search his full story. If it was a long read many wouldn’t think to work through it.
I feel Ari gave a good memory to remind us of the horrific people who ignored the sane, honest pleadings of a good teacher.
For some reason, my edited comments will not show up. I previously asked the author, Ari, what happened to Ms Kike Ojo-Thompson? (Nothing that I know of, she is still operating her business) other than a lawsuit was filed, but with the plaintiff dead what is the status of the lawsuit? Is his estate pursuing it? Is someone else? What was the outcome or the government’s investigation? Is it still ongoing? Lots of questions that should have been addressed more clearly. It suggests he died of cancer and not suicide- or was his suicide because of cancer and not his being labeled “a white supremacist” and being “cancelled”/ dismissed from his job after taking leave for “mental anguish” over his reputational& career smear?
Thank you, Ari, for not letting the Richard Bilkszto story die. His strenghth was incredibly honourable and his lack of support from other teachers dishonourable.
I hope many people speak out also in hopes that Richard’s story helps other students across Canada.
Ari Ari David Blaff:
What about him committing suicide? What about Ms like Ohio-Thompson, what happened to her (nothing?) A lawsuit was filed, but with him dead what is the status of that?
Woke proponents are heartless, merciless -- which frankly is enough to tell me about their doctrine, in addition to the sheer hypocrisy and blatant self-centeredness.