Free Republic

Author’s note: Much of the material from this column was stolen from my friends Kaitlyn and Caleb over at Campus Reform (see www.CampusReform.org). I don’t apologize for the theft. It’s punishment for continuing to associate with people who post foodies on Facebook. I’ve often said that we should ban the rainbow flag from campus because it’s offensive to conservative Christians, orthodox Jews, and immoderate Muslims (read: Muslims). But I’m only kidding when I say it. I’m simply trying to poke fun at campus administrators who often claim they want to ban offensive speech without considering that much their own speech...

University of California, Irvine has banned the “imperialist” American flag in “inclusive” spaces. Portions of the official resolution read: Whereas flags not only serve as symbols of patriotism or weapons for nationalism, but also construct cultural mythologies and narratives that in turn charge nationalistic sentiments.Whereas the American flag has been flown in instances of colonialism and imperialism.Whereas symbolism has negative and positive aspects that are interpreted differently by individuals.Whereas designing a culturally inclusive space is taken seriously by ASUCIWhereas the removal of barriers is the best option at promoting an inclusive space.Whereas it is a psychological effect for individuals to...

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — President Barack Obama said denying climate change is like arguing the moon is made of cheese, as he issued a call to action on global warming to Saturday's graduates of the University of California, Irvine.

On the heels of Brandeis University’s controversial decision to rescind an honorary degree to women’s rights activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali, organizers of a week-long pro-Israel event called iFest, which is currently underway at the University of California, Irvine, say they have been forced to cancel a scheduled speech by Nonie Darwish, a prominent pro-Israel speaker. Lead iFest organizer Daniel Narvy, president of the campus group Anteaters for Israel (AFI), who will be joining the Israeli Defense Forces this summer, says Orange County Hillel was primarily responsible for the cancellation and that the incident is another example of Hillel’s marginalization of...

Lawmakers pass bill to protect language freedom California would protect the freedom of a person to speak any language he or she chooses in a business establishment under a measure approved by the state Legislature today. The bill, authored by Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, is the lawmaker's response to a controversial proposal by the LPGA last fall requiring golfers to speak "effective English." The organization scuttled the proposal after loud objections by Yee and others, and the Democrat says this legislation will ensure it does not happen again. "No one in the state of California should be compelled to...

The City of Irvine, which likes to boast about being a melting pot, is perhaps a fitting location for an immigration reform rally. First, members of SEIU-United Service Workers West activists will make signs and banners from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday as part of their national day of action for immigration reform. Then, they will meet with their fresh news signs at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at 71 Fortune Drive, Irvine, march to the office of Congressman John Campbell at 20 Pacifica and rally for reform. Organizing for Action (OFA-CA) has also been holding rallies throughout Orange County, particularly...

California university now teaching zombie survival online UC Irvine has just announced that it will be extending its studies of the human condition into the undead. By partnering with online learning platform Canvas and AMC, UC Irvine has created a class called "Society, Science, Survival: Lessons from AMC's The Walking Dead." The course, while clearly a bit of a gimmick, will cover a wide range of topics pertinent to surviving a zombie apocalypse. By enrolling, you'll be signing up to learn about subjects from "Nutrition in a post-apocalyptic world — are squirrels really good for you?" to "The spread of...

FULL HEADLINE: PHOTO: Massive Manhunt For Former LAPD Officer Christopher Dorner – Wanted In Double Homicide – Armed/Dangerous Irvine Police looking for double murder suspect Christopher Jordan Dorner, 34 yrs old, a former LAPD officer and Naval officer. He may be driving a blue Nissan Titan pickup 7×03191. He was fired from LAPD by a board of rights several years ago. Dorner was represented by the father of murder victim during his board of rights hearing prior to being fired. He has left a lengthy manifesto, is considered armed and dangerous. He knows how to avoid law enforcement and has...

Many NIMBYs weren’t bothered by the idea that the City of Irvine would siphon off millions of dollars in property tax to develop the ostentatiously named Great Park on the closed El Toro Marine base, turning the expanse into a place to romp and play for those who live around it. We wonder how they feel now that the park is destined to be not so great, thanks to a ruling by state officials that $1.4 billion (with a B) in property funds can’t be spent on the boondoggle, also known as the Balloon-doggle, after its signature floating orange balloon....

The following is an interview with “OC Apostate,” a former UC Irvine student who made the decision to leave Islam and the Muslim Student Union at UCI. Though as OC Apostate describes it, the two decisions were not related. This interview provides a unique firsthand description of the MSU from an insider’s perspective, something usually unavailable to the outside community. As readers will see, OC Apostate did not have an easy time disengaging from the MSU. Why did you decide to leave Islam and the Muslim Student Union? Were the two decisions related? My parents were not religious before; they...

The University of California, Irvine suspended its Muslim Student Union (MSU) for a year after a school investigation concluded the group organized disruptions of a February speech by Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren, then lied about it. The suspension is effective September 1. The chapter must complete 50 hours of community service before it can apply for reinstatement. If that is granted, the MSU faces another year of disciplinary probation. In a 14-page letter dated May 27, UCI Housing Senior Executive Director Lisa Cornish detailed the findings of the school investigation. It found that MSU violated four student policies involving dishonesty,...

Obama amputates our nuclear arms By: Charles Krauthammer ...snippet...Under President Obama’s new policy, however, if the state that has just attacked us with biological or chemical weapons is “in compliance with the Non-Proliferation Treaty,” explained Gates, then “the U.S. pledges not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against it.” Imagine the scenario: Hundreds of thousands are lying dead in the streets of Boston after a massive anthrax or nerve gas attack. The president immediately calls in the lawyers to determine whether the attacking state is in compliance with the NPT. If it turns out that the attacker...

Islamic activist Amir Abdel Malik Ali spoke at noon Thursday at UC Irvineas part of "Israeli Apartheid Week" presented by the Muslim Student Union. He said before a crowd of several hundred that a movement is occurring in which people aren't afraid of being called anti-Semitic for criticizing Zionism and calling attention to Palestine. Click here to watch his speech. Malik Ali has spoken at UCI in previous years and been among the more controversial speakers to talk at the university. UCI became a microcosm for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict this week as hundreds of students, faculty and visitors took...

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Higgens was paid by dozens of foreign students -- mostly from the Middle East -- who were paying him to sit in class, take exams and write papers for them so their student visas would remain valid. Investigators with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the demand was so great that he hired employees, including a blond woman who they believe posed as an Middle Eastern man to take a test. Agents are continuing to investigate the case and believe Higgins had several co-conspirators.

Assemblyman DeVore seeks ban of Muslim Student Union from UC Irvine IRVINE — Assemblyman Chuck DeVore sent a letter to UC Irvine's chancellor asking him to ban the Muslim Student Union from campus following several of the group members' arrests while disrupting a speech by Israel's ambassador to the United States. DeVore, R-Irvine, who is seeking the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat held by Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., also accused the Muslim Student Union of "passing the hat'' for Hamas at a fundraiser for the "terrorist organization'' last year. "It's time to ban this organization from campus,'' DeVore...

IRVINE, Calif. (AP) - The Zionist Organization of America on Tuesday asked potential students and donors to the University of California, Irvine to look elsewhere after months of growing tension between Jewish and Muslim students. In a statement, the New York-based organization lambasted Chancellor Michael Drake for not condemning anti-Semitic speech on campus and enabling a years-long history of "bigotry, discrimination and the violation of civil rights" by the school's Muslim Student Union. "We're not asking the university to infringe on anyone's free speech rights, but our contention all along is that the chancellor has his own free speech rights,...

MSNBC Countdown host Keith Olbermann calls Roger Ailes a liar while his guest Arianna Huffington piles on by accusing Fox by profiting on Americans misery.

Note: The following text is a quote: Two Individuals Plead Guilty to Offering to Bribe U.S. Army Contracting Official in Afghanistan Two dual Afghan/U.S. citizens today pleaded guilty for their roles in a scheme to offer $1 million in bribes to a U.S. Army contracting official in Afghanistan. Rohullah Farooqi Lodin, 48, from Irvine, Calif., and Hashmatullah Farooqi, 38, from New York City, pleaded guilty to one count of offering to bribe a public official before Judge Liam O’Grady in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The U.S. Army in Afghanistan is responsible for the Commander’s Emergency...

Screen shot of UC Irvine sign: "Israel: The Politics of Genocide"