Welcome to SWIVL

Character Education Works

Dr. Thomas Lickona, a national leader in the character education movement will keynote the 10th Annual Conference On Character Education to be held on November 5, 2009 in Albany, NY.  The Conference, which is sponsored by John Walko’s Academy for Character Education at Russell Sage College, will focus on the theme, Excellence in Behavior and Academic Performance: The Result of a Comprehensive Character Education Plan.

 

The Center for the 4th and 5th Rs (Respect and Responsibility) The Center for the 4th and 5th Rs, located in the School of Education at the State University of New York at Cortland, was founded in 1994 by education professor Dr. Thomas Lickona.  The Center promotes the power of virtue and ethics, weaving a strong sense of morality and character into the academic and social development of our youth.

No Free Speech at Harvard

You will not here this on the ABC, NBC, or CBS news.  Anti Semite and pornographer can speak at Harvard but an American War Hero cannot.

Yasser Arafat, the terrorist and well known Anti Semite and Larry Flynt, the owner and publisher of Hustler Magazine have spoken at Harvard University in the past, but the anti free speech crowd at Harvard have decided that Jim Gilchrist, the founder of the Minuteman Project – a decorated war hero - cannot.  Regardless of your views, free speech should be the centerpiece of our educational system – even at Harvard.

NFL Power Brokers Say No to Rush Limbaugh

Rush Limbaugh wants to purchase the St. Louis Rams Football team and the National Football League Players Union, the NFL Commissioner, and several NFL power brokers have turned thumbs down.   This is the same NFL Commissioner, NFL owners, and powerbrokers who had no problem with Michael Vick, a convicted dog killer and torturer, playing for the Philadelphia Eagles.   

So let’s get this straight:  A conservative talk show host can’t buy a football team but a dog killer and torture can play football and be welcomed with open arms.  Great message for kids.

New York Times, the ACLU, and the NRA Form Unholy Alliance – Turn Their Back on Animal Cruelty

Thank goodness that the Obama Administration has the common sense to support the ban on videos that display animal cruelty.   At issue is US v. Stevens – a case recently heard by the US Supreme Court – to determine if the law passed by the Congress in 1999 banning the creation, sale, or possession of any depiction of animal cruelty with the intent to distribute and sell is constitutionally sound.  The Obama Administration advocated in favor of the ban and reducing violence.

The specifics of US v. Stevens focus on dog fighting, where dogs literally fight until one is dead. According to the video producer, Bob Stevens, the video depiction of dogs ripping each other to pieces is free speech and has no influence on encouraging violent behaviors.  Stevens and those that support his position, like the New York Times, the ACLU, and the NRA, believe they have no responsibility for the animal cruelty, child abuse, and domestic violence that may result from dog fighting videos. Never mind how violence develops and is encouraged throughout society, these organizations believe that videos depicting dog fighting is protected by the first amendment.  

However, if you ask any law enforcement officer, they will tell you that violence is a system-wide problem and that the media and entertainment industry have a major influence on violent behaviors.   Further, the FBI and similar enforcement agencies have known for a long time that animal abuse is a strong predictor for violence towards humans.  As a result, the effort to allow videos of animal abuse to be sold for a profit under the guise of the first amendment is cultural relativism run amuck.   

For the Southwest Institute for ViolenceFree Learning (SWIVL), violence is as much a state of mind as it is a specific behavior.   Horrific crimes, such as child abuse, domestic violence, and animal cruelty do not happen in a vacuum.  To suggest that videos, movies, news, books, etc., do not influence violent behaviors is to deny reality and solid evidence. Those that commit violent behaviors often have a vicarious experience by viewing or reading about violence and like a drug, violence is seductive.

Freedom of speech has limitations and should first of all be based on common sense. We all know you cannot yell fire in a movie house and you shouldn’t be able to exploit animal cruelty and abuse for profit.