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Champion Student’s Gender Stereotypes Poem Censored For Having An ‘Agenda’

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Michael Barth is a senior at Gordon-Rushville High School in Gordon, Nebraska. Last week at the Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) state championship, a poem he wrote won top honors in the C-1 poetry division, and like all those before him, Barth was scheduled to read his poem on the air for “Best of the Best” on a local Nebraska TV station, NET.

The only problem is that Barth’s poem apparently was too offensive for the head of the NSAA, Executive Director Rhonda Blanford-Green, who demanded Barth choose a different poem — the first request ever made of a student.

What was so offensive?

Barth’s poem “combined lyrics from Mackelmore’s ‘Same Love’ and a slam poem called ‘Swing Set’ by Andrea Gibson,” the Nebraska Journal-Star reports.

Gibson’s poem is about her kindergarten students, who don’t know if she’s a man or woman.

The request from NSAA started a firestorm in the high school speech community, which says it amounts to censorship. Supporters have created a Facebook page called “Support Michael and Acceptance of Speech,” made numerous calls to NSAA officials and alerted the news media.

Blanford-Green says she wants to keep the television recording “as it was intended, to be a showcase for talent, not a platform for individualized agendas.”

Deb Velder, the contest director agreed. Michael Barth is “to be providing us a script, but we have not seen it yet,” Velder told Omaha.com. “This is a taped production, it’s not live, so we have editorial rights all through the production as we have had for the last four years. We have never had to exercise that right, but I didn’t think he’s going to travel all the way from Gordon and think that he’s going to be able to jump on his platform.”

What’s all this “platform” talk? This is a high school student who won a poetry contest, and all of a sudden he’s got an “individual agenda” and a “platform”?

Omaha.com adds:

Barth’s mother, Kim Bachan, said Wednesday her son was on the road heading to Lincoln for the recording session.

“The last time I talked to Michael, I think he decided to dig his feet in,” she said. “This is the speech he won with; it was seen by seven judges at state speech. They found nothing wrong with the content. And there is nothing wrong with the content.”

The speech has nothing to do with lesbian and gay rights, she said.

“All this is about is, basically what his stance is is you shouldn’t look at a man and, because he’s feminine, think that he’s gay,” she said. “And so, the fact that she thinks it’s about lesbian and gay rights, and that’s why we’re denying it, really bothers me.”

Meanwhile, local news stations 1011HD reports that the NSAA has just changed their decision and Barth can read his poem on the air.

“The NSAA recently experienced media attention regarding a non-discrimination policy to protect the rights of students. In an attempt to divert negative attention from the “Best of the Best” NET speech production, a decision was made to focus on the students achievements and the activity of speech in Nebraska.”

“We were encouraged by the amount of support for Michael and freedom of speech. The Executive Director in collaboration with the NSAA Board of Directors, Nebraska Educational Television and Gordon-Rushville High School administration has made the decision to allow Michael to deliver his poetry interpretation as originally performed at the NSAA Speech Championships.”

“The intent of my decision was not to stifle freedom of speech, but rather to avoid any negative connotations for individuals within this statewide production,” said NSAA Executive Director Rhonda Blanford-Green. “The NSAA will continue to advocate for all students and promote equitable opportunities through activity participation.”

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Hat tip: Julia Hinson

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News

‘Absolutely Ridiculous’: Mace Melts Down Over Dem’s ‘Gender-Affirming Care’ Comments

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17 hours ago

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September 10, 2025

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U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) broke decorum in explosive, out-of-order remarks lashing out at a Democratic colleague who was speaking in defense of gender-affirming care and reminding her colleagues that many of them have received such procedures.

“I would just like to point out that I think it’s very interesting that my colleague from South Carolina is so obsessed with the issue of trans people, using slurs to talk about them, when many people in this body have received gender-affirming care,” U.S. Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA) said on the House floor.

Jacobs explained that “filler,” breast implants, and Botox are all gender-affirming care.

“Lots of my colleagues have received gender-affirming care, and let me be clear,” she continued, “I think everyone should have access to the gender-affirming care that they need, and I think we should respect everybody in this country.”

READ MORE: ‘Is He Lying Now?’: Dem Skewers Johnson’s Claim Trump Was an ‘FBI Informant’

As she ended her remarks, Congresswoman Mace, who was not recognized to speak, shouted, “Ridiculous! You are absolutely ridiculous! What the hell is your problem?”

“You are disgusting. You are an insult,” she added, as The Hill reported.

Mace then took her attack to social media.

Addressing Congresswoman Jacobs directly, Mace wrote: “I talk about women’s safety and your response is commentary about my body on the House floor.”

“If you knew anything about survivors you would know some women change their bodies because of the trauma of sexual violence. They live with the consequences for a lifetime,” the South Carolina Republican declared.

“PS,” she added, “I have a good surgeon if you ever want to get your nose done.”

Earlier, Mace had posted to Jacobs, “there is no such thing as a ‘tr*ns child.'”

Jacobs replied, “I feel sad for you. Stop lashing out against trans kids and pretending it’s to ‘protect women’. Hope you get the help you need.”

READ MORE: ‘Not Particularly Deep’: Trump Mocked for Response to Russia Attack

 

Image by Gage Skidmore via Flickr and a CC license

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News

‘Is He Lying Now?’: Dem Skewers Johnson’s Claim Trump Was an ‘FBI Informant’

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19 hours ago

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September 10, 2025

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U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) spent about four minutes mocking the Republican Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, for having claimed that President Donald Trump had been an “FBI informant” in the Jeffrey Epstein case.

“The Speaker of the House, the third-highest-ranking U.S. official, third in line to be the President, looked into the TV cameras and told us that the current president of the United States was an FBI informant,” Congressman Moskowitz, known for his wit, said on Wednesday during a committee hearing. ”

“I don’t think in the history of this country, we’ve had a Speaker of the House, say the President was an FBI informant,” he also noted.

“I consider that to be gigantic news, and I’m just curious, have we reached out to the FBI,” he asked, “to confirm whether the President was at any time an FBI informant? I only say that ’cause the Speaker of the House obviously gets significant briefings.”

READ MORE: ‘Not Particularly Deep’: Trump Mocked for Response to Russia Attack

He went on to say that the committee needs to ask, “if he was an informant, is that because he was working with the FBI after he was hanging out with Jeffrey Epstein?”

“Did he turn because he got caught with Jeffrey Epstein? You know, when you’re an FBI informant, there are lots of questions about how you became an FBI informant,” he said, continuing to mock the Speaker. “When did his service to the FBI stop, you know, being a member of the deep state?”

Noting that Speaker Johnson “said afterwards, ‘well, I may have misspoke,'” he asked: “What was his misspeak?Instead of ‘informant’ did he mean ‘agent’? I mean, what is the misspeak for ‘informant’? I mean, I don’t know another word that we use when we’re describing an FBI agent or FBI informant or undercover.”

“And if he was lying then, is he lying now?” Moskowitz challenged, before suggesting that “maybe the Speaker should come to our committee and tell us what he meant when he said that.”

“If he wasn’t an FBI informant, and that’s fine if the answer is no, I just think we need to hear from the FBI. The Speaker has confused the American people whether Trump was working with the FBI against Jeffrey Epstein because he had information about Jeffrey Epstein, because he was there for a long period of time, and then and then got turned, maybe by the FBI. I mean, did Trump ever go undercover?”

Watch the video below or at this link.

READ MORE: Ex-Trump Officials Warn on Putin After Poland Strike as Critics Rip Trump

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News

‘Not Particularly Deep’: Trump Mocked for Response to Russia Attack

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21 hours ago

on

September 10, 2025

By

President Donald Trump is under fire for waiting more than twelve hours before addressing Russia’s unprovoked attack on Poland, a NATO ally, and then delivering a short statement.

Russia launched more than a dozen drones into Poland, in what some critics believe is a testing of the waters to see if and how NATO would respond. Political scientist Ian Bremmer called it “a critical geopolitical test of the alliance from russia.”

NATO launched numerous fighter jets but none were from the U.S., despite American having troops in Poland.

“NATO fighter jets shot down Russian drones over Poland, the alliance has confirmed,” reported Chris Gordon, Pentagon editor for Air & Space Forces Magazine. “This is the first time NATO planes have engaged potential threats in Allied airspace,” Col. Martin L. O’Donnell, the spokesperson for NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, told Air & Space Forces Magazine.

READ MORE: Ex-Trump Officials Warn on Putin After Poland Strike as Critics Rip Trump

Wednesday morning at 11:09 AM, President Trump posted this response on his Truth Social website: “What’s with Russia violating Poland’s airspace with drones? Here we go!”

Journalist Aaron Rupar noted that “it took the president more than 12 hours to come up with this.”

The Bulwark’s Sam Stein added, “After 12 or so hours, we finally get word from Trump on the Russian drone operation in Poland and it is not particularly deep.”

Political commentator Brian Allen remarked, “Trump waited 12 hours just to post ‘Here we go!’ after a NATO country was attacked by Russia. No plan. No leadership. Just another day where the man who once called Putin a ‘genius’ has no clue what Article 4 means. America can’t afford this level of unserious.”

Meanwhile, ABC News reported that “Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski had strong words for Trump during a news conference on Wednesday, telling reporters Russian President Vladimir Putin ‘laughs’ at Trump’s peace efforts.”

“Putin laughs at President Trump’s peace efforts,” Sikorski said. “Since Alaska, he has only intensified the war. I hope that [Trump] backs his words with action.”

READ MORE: ‘I Love the 90s’: RFK Jr. Mocked for Latest Outdated Take on Mass Violence

 

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