Whenever We Wanted To Learn
By Phillip, Age 16
Whenever we wanted to learn
None seemed to teach.
Whenever we wanted to learn,
Some laughed at our speech.
Whenever we wanted to learn,
Few even tried.
When we needed to learn,
We turned to FLY.
I don’t know Phillip, but I wish I did. Phillip demonstrates in his poem the difficulty students labeled at-risk have with successfully negotiating the regular public school system. FLY stands for Fresh Lifelines for Youth.
It is very difficult with an overwhelmed system of public education for teachers to nurture the needs of children who have experienced a sordid life. Most times these youth who need just one person to “really” care come from homes and neighborhoods filled with crime, drugs, gangs, and ridden with violence.
As I have discussed on this blog before I began my career as a teacher at Osborne School at Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall. I quickly learned that what is essential in order to become an effective teacher for alternative youth is a professional relationship built with trust, care, and genuineness at its core. In a trusting student-teacher relationship there is a strong possibility that real academic learning and increased student achievement will occur.
A FLY Board member, Frank Ubhaus, JD, invited me along with his friends and colleagues to attend a fundraising breakfast for FLY last week. I was inspired at the breakfast by the authenticity of the testimonials by the FLY youth. I was brought to tears, along with most at our table, by their life stories.
Our public school system works best for students who are respectful, compliant, and cared for nutritionally and emotionally. In most cases schools do not work well for youth with an edge or attitude…an attitude and edge that comes from circumstances beyond the youth’s control. In fact, as one student shared at the breakfast meeting he held the all-time record in his middle school for suspensions.
The life of an at-risk student can be transformed with just one person who demonstrates caring and love. That person can be a FLY mentor who casts the new lifeline for a path that might take one to a high school diploma, career technical education program, enrollment in college, or travel to new regions of the planet. It can be a lawyer, teacher, probation officer, counselor, or principal who cared enough to change the course of an oppositional student’s life and refer them to FLY.
According to FLY’s website it costs $71,000 to incarcerate one youth for one year in Santa Clara County. Every dollar invested in the FLY program saves $10 to the taxpayer over time. There are three distinct FLY programs: 1. Law Programs that teach the law and consequences of crime; 2. Mentoring Programs which provide positive role models for youth and mentors them to make healthy decisions while overcoming addictions; 3. Leadership Training where law and mentoring program graduates design and complete community service projects.
“In a system that has far too few opportunities for too many kids, FLY provides an invaluable tool to assist them in understanding their behavior and its consequences-and makes them less likely to repeat mistakes,” says Kurt E. Kumli, Supervising Deputy District Attorney of the Juvenile Division, Santa Clara County. As Trustee on the Santa Clara County Board of Education, a system that provides educational programs for all incarcerated and expelled youth from school districts in the county, I would like to see a seamless connection between all our youth and the FLY program.
The Executive Director and brain thrust behind the model is Christa Gannon, a UCSB basketball star, and graduate from the Stanford University Law School. If you would like more information on how you can get involved with FLY go to their website at http://www.flyprogram.org.
Tangentially related to the above topic is the Santa Clara County Board meeting on Wednesday, December 9 at 6:00 where we will discuss and decide on the selection of an expert consultant group that specializes in alternative education to review the SCCOE’s Alternative Education Program and make recommendations for improvement.
Working smartly with heart and head we can make this a safer and happier community for all. The education of our youth is the foundational component of our success. No child can be ever left behind and all children must succeed. Thank you to FLY for helping us with the mission.
Thank you for this wonderful article. Our youth need us to provide the type of support they need and never received. I was an at risk youth who was lucky enough to have several caring adults reach out to me and turn my life around. I guess that is why I got into this type of work myself.
Hopefully people reading this will take a moment to donate or get involved. It means the world to these kids and can change a life.
“When we needed to learn,
We turned to FLY.”
WHEW!!, for a moment there I thought they were talking about Metro’s FLY column as a place to learn
Gosh, what’s happened to our group of young public school teachers? Where’s Chris Patterson et al? No more extra credit for commenting on Mr. DiSalvo’s writings perhaps? No instant payoff for gracing us with their opinions?
It seems that our dedicated and enthusiastic educators’ interest in discussing education dries up the instant they’re not offered something in return.
I’m shocked. Shocked!
It appears that these students have learned well the basics of today’s “What’s In It For Me” brand of “public” service.
Oh! Last week I volunteered in a soup kitchen so my opinion counts this time. I’m one of the good people now.
Why did you volunteer? Because it was the right thing to do or so you could make some sarcastic comment about it?
Sarcastic comment.
I’m still here Mr. Galt,
I was thinking about how one should respond to your posting style, which seems to be full of sarcasm and anger. Instead of entering the fray you are trying to create, I thought I might offer this quotation for you to contemplate. I hope you find it useful.
“In a controversy, the instant we feel anger, we have already ceased striving for truth and have begun striving for ourselves”
– Abraham J. Heschel
Have a Happy Holiday Season!
Well John G., as much as I love you, I think you walked right into that one!
Chris Patterson,
Very well said and very well played. Checkmate!
Happy Holidays~
Yes, Kathleen. That was very Ghandi of him.
Mele Kalikimaka to you both!
Mr. Galt,
I did require my graduate students to respond to the my weekly posts with candor. They could agree, disagree, or offer a new perspective on the topic at hand. I thought their consistent involvement with the SJI posts added to the community dialogue about education in ways that exceeded my initial expectation.
A few weeks ago when 142 posts came in on the heated topic of race and the achievement gap, I decided to make the assignment optional for them. The students were using their real name and a few felt intimidated by the hostility of some of the posts that particular week.
I, too, hope they will continue to feel comfortable to post on any of the blog posts on SJI. Not only should teachers be involved in discussing and debating educational topics, but also all the topics that dominate our city as addressed on SJI.
I meet with my EDELEM 102 class for the last time this semester today. I want to wish them all a warm and restful holiday season and a very fulfilling career in teaching our valley’s children.
Joseph Di Salvo
Joseph you said,”….Not only should teachers be involved in discussing and debating educational topics, but also all the topics that dominate our city as addressed on SJI.”
And, if as you say, “The students were using their real name and a few felt intimidated by the hostility of some of the posts that particular week.”
If they shy a way from a blog, then how will they handle racism, sexism, drugs/alcohol, mental illness, sexual/physical abuse and all the other real life things their students are going through? My college professor once said that when you are in college you aren’t only going to get an education in the basics, you are going to get an education in LIFE!
I understand you like to play the role of San Jose Inside “den mother”, but you might be jumping to conclusions in thinking that all of Mr. DiSalvo’s students were “shying away” from the blog. Some might have simply decided that engaging in conversation with posters from identified hate groups was of little value to them.
It seems the posts from these outside groups tapered off almost immediately after their collaborative linkage was exposed.
Responding to hate groups said, “I understand you like to play the role of San Jose Inside “den mother”, but you might be jumping to conclusions in thinking that all of Mr. DiSalvo’s students were “shying away” from the blog. Some might have simply decided that engaging in conversation with posters from identified hate groups was of little value to them.”
If we all ran from fighting for what we believe in then “hate groups,” and any other group that harms others would be the only groups we’d hear from. They then would become the majority would they not?
Secondly, define “hate group.” Is that someone you think is wrong because they don’t agree with you, or are they saying something you don’t want to acknowledge, or are they truly being hateful? Labels aren’t always appropriate to use in defining people we disagree with.
Regardless of what you say Mr./Ms. Anonymous, the fact still remains that teachers can’t “shy a way” from tough topics, or unpleasant people. They, aside from parents, are the very examples our youth depend on as role models. Educators and learning institutions are extremely guilty of ignoring hate crimes, bullying and other serious offenses that students face everyday. I’ve worked in these areas so I know this first hand.
Let’s not side step holding educators accountable for THEIR behaviors by using hateful posters as a scapegoat for not using this as a “teachable moment,” shall we?
Kathleen writes;
“If we all ran from fighting for what we believe in then “hate groups,” and any other group that harms others would be the only groups we’d hear from. They then would become the majority would they not?”
-No, they would not. They are fringe groups that have trouble generating sustainable membership.
“Secondly, define “hate group.” Is that someone you think is wrong because they don’t agree with you, or are they saying something you don’t want to acknowledge, or are they truly being hateful?”
-That was done in earlier posts. Perhaps you weren’t paying attention. This is understandable as you seem more interested in playing board monitor.
“Regardless of what you say Mr./Ms. Anonymous, the fact still remains that teachers can’t “shy a way” from tough topics, or unpleasant people.”
-On this blog they most certainly can, which was my original point.
They, aside from parents, are the very examples our youth depend on as role models.
– This I agree with.
Educators and learning institutions are extremely guilty of ignoring hate crimes, bullying and other serious offenses that students face everyday. I’ve worked in these areas so I know this first hand.
-Please cite actual events to back up this claim.
Response,
What do you do for a living? I teach, mediate, and advocate for youth, animals, and victims of crime.
“No, they would not. They are fringe groups that have trouble generating sustainable membership.” Oh that is not true at all! Go to the Internet!
“On this blog they most certainly can, which was my original point.” Then that is their loss and the loss of any student who comes to them in trouble.
Have you a name, or is hiding behind barbs and avoiding the facts something you feel safer doing?
The education system allows bullying on campus daily. Ask any parent whose child is the victim of it, any Police Officer who is assigned to walk the schoolyard because so much violence is occurring, ask Wiggsy Silversten who chairs for the Network For A Hate Free Community, or youth who attends school who fears for their safety, or some of the kids who committed suicide because they’re being picked on everyday. Or pick up a paper and read how many youth have shot and killed fellow students because they’ve had enough of being picked on. Or go to Youtube and get your fill of video taped gang beatings of innocent students.
Rather than wasting your time and mine in trying to lure me into an argument to make yourself feel superior, go educate yourself!
Can’t you come up with ONE example in which a court has deemed the “education system” was “extremely guilty of ignoring hate crimes, bullying and other serious offenses”?.
Maybe you should go back to advocating for animals. At least they will trust that everything you say to them is true.
Kathleen,
I don’t agree with all of what response is saying, but your claim to refuse to engage in disrespectful discourse is rich indeed!
“Downtownster,
I don’t mean this in any disrepectful way, but why don’t you start by educating yourself on the facts and then come back and talk from a point of fact?”
http://www.sanjoseinside.com/sji/blog/entries/SJPD_press_and_perception/
I’m afraid that if the rest of us must suffer your haughty smugness, you will not be able to claim the high ground and strut away with your nose in the air.
Response,
Since you can’t disprove my points with facts of your own, or disclose who you are, or what you do for a living that would make you an expert in this area, and since you continue to choose to try and engage me in disrespectful discourse, something I refuse to participate in, I can only say that your lack of ability to hold an intellectual conversation on this topic leaves us at a stalemate.
I wish you good cheer and a wonderful, safe holiday~
Downtownster said, “I’m afraid that if the rest of us must suffer your haughty smugness, you will not be able to claim the high ground and strut away with your nose in the air.”
That is rather funny given the many times I’ve agreed with you on topics. I guess it’s when I disagree with you, or challenge you on something that I must suffer the consequences of your smugness.
You can see my comments any way you wish, but I really do not want to be a part of nasty discourse any more. It is truly a waste of time, and certainly accomplishes nothing.
I was being sincere when I said I meant no disrespect to you, but you have chosen to ignore that and see my comment as mean spirited. You like this other poster have yet to answer any one’s questions of you, nor have you done anything to disprove any of the facts myself or others have provided, and you continue to post anonymously.
What you and this other poster/posters have done though is tried to marginalize certain posters comments in an effort to discredit them/us. This blog has lost a lot of readers in part because of this, and in part because the same person or people are posting under different names to create conflict here to keep this blog or thread alive. The articles are same old, and the conversations have become angry and mean spirited.
Having said that, believe it or not I do wish you and others a very Happy Holiday, and Peace in the New Year~
Now that we know the Mayor will be running for re-election on the platform provided for him by the racially-charged roll-out of SJ2020, we welcome the news that SJSU students were required to give public input on that issue. A nice wedding of coerced students, an ambitious Mayor, and a round-heeled county office of education.
But let’s not forget that the racial slur was in the original posting, and the rebuttals were against that slander. The re-use of the term “the achievement gap” above shows that there is still a willingness to embrace the racially-charged position that there is just one achievement gap.
The postings died down when the racism ended in these posts. When hatred is injected into the Internet, hatred is what the Internet pushes back. Too bad.
If you were really interested in the prevention of racially charged commentary you wouldn’t allow your website to be linked to the many groups that spout hatred on the web.
In my opinion you’re an absolute fraud.
Chairman Joseph has given us all magenta books at SJSU. Thoughts from Chairman Joe.
We intend to march as a roving people’s court. We will begin as Chairman Joe demands to detain counter revolutionaires such as Constant. Next we will ban American History. Mathematics is next.
“We intend to march as a roving people’s court.”
Sounds like a perfect depiction of Bo Sears of resisitingdefamation.org who used the news arm of a white nationalist hate group (European Americans United) as identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center to call for an attack on Mr.Disalvo’s blog?
http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=8070
http://www.splcenter.org/intel/map/type.jsp?DT=25
Thank You and thank the rest of the good people hear trying to out racist hate groups.
In Santa Clara, Santa Clara Plays Fair is working with SAVE SANTA CLARA.ORG. Robert Smith, the head Kleagle of this gtroup and the local branch head of the one founded in Indiana, actually has said that “Americans” are leaving our county, and that affordable housing in San Jose is being funded just for “the Chinese.” Other people working with Bill Bailey have said, “the Unions are working in San Jose and Santa Clara to get jobs for Latinos” Perhaps. like their ally, Smith, SCPF is a white only hate group.
School 1959 vs. today:
Scenario 1:
Jack goes quail hunting before school and then pulls into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his truck’s gun rack.
1959 – Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack’s shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack..
2009 – School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers..
Scenario 2:
Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.
1959 – Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2009 – Police called and SWAT team arrives—they arrest both Johnny and Mark. They are both charged with assault and both expelled even though Johnny started it.
Scenario 3:
Jeffrey will not be still in class, he disrupts other students..
1959 – Jeffrey sent to the Principal’s office and given a good paddling by the Principal. He then returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again…
2009 – Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. He becomes a zombie. He is then tested for ADD. The school gets extra money from the state because Jeffrey has a disability.
Scenario 4:
Billy breaks a window in his neighbor’s car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1959 – Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college and becomes a successful businessman.
2009 – Billy’s dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang.. The state psychologist is told by Billy’s sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy’s mom has an affair with the psychologist.
Scenario 5:
Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.
1959 – Mark shares his aspirin with the Principal out on the smoking dock.
2009 – The police are called and Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. His car is then searched for drugs and weapons.
Scenario 6:
Pedro fails high school English.
1959 – Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college.
2009 – Pedro’s cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against the state school system and Pedro’s English teacher. English is then banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.
Scenario 7:
Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the Fourth of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up a red ant bed.
1959 – Ants die.
2009 – ATF, Homeland Security and the FBI are all called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates his parents —and all siblings are removed from their home and all computers are confiscated. Johnny’s dad is placed on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.
Scenario 8:
Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.
1959 – In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing…
2009 – Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.
What is the point of this post? It is poor fiction, and certainly has no basis in anything resembling reality.
I agree with the other commenter that this post is pointless, but I want to correct a common misconception that shows up in Scenario 3. A school district does NOT get extra money when a student is deemed in need of special education. In fact, that is one of the problems with education funding. The school district is required to spend whatever it takes to provide an equal education to all children, even if it costs significantly more for those who need extra services, without any extra resources coming into the district. As a result, the amount of money available to educate everyone else is reduced.
I fully support providing an equal education to all children, but schools must be provided the funds to do so. To suggest that a school district would push for a certain medical diagnosis for a child in order to gain some financial benefit is ludicrous.
I fear that this explanation may not be entirely consistent with the facts.
A number of years back, it came to light that fully ten percent of the students in public school were classified as “special ed”.
At first, this was sensationalized as proof of some horrible, mysterious, crisis undoubtedly related to environmental pollution, businesses making profits, global warming, or some such.
It eventually came out that the funding gods would give out extra dough for special ed students —UP TO TEN PERCENT OF A SCHOOL’S STUDENT POPULATION.
PRESTO!! The number of special ed students in California shot up overnight to—amazingly—ten percent.
Many non-special ed students were suddenly classified as special ed.
> A school district does NOT get extra money when a student is deemed in need of special education.
This is a fib!
I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!
Special education is the largest Categorical Program in the California education budget. 2007-2008 funding for Special Education was $3,159 BILLION dollars.
http://www.ed-data.k12.ca.us/articles/article.asp?title=Financing Schools#categoricalaidprograms
Bravo! Absolute genius!
Confirms the wisdom of the Roman proverb: In iocus illic est verum” (“In jest, there is truth”).
The doofus who posted at 1:36 PM and called it “poor fiction” needs a megadose of laxatives and a full-body hazmat suit.
Whenever I hear about horrific criminals on the news, I have this odd habit of questioning what the now criminals were like as children. I wonder how they acted in elementary school, and what potential trials or tribulations they may have faced while in school. I also wonder if their teachers took the time to foster relationships with them. FLY seems like a wonderful program. I think it would be extraordinarily beneficial to somehow combine credential programs with FLY mentoring programs so that teachers would be better-suited to meet the diverse needs of their students.
Stop Conservative Nonsense asks,
“What is the point of this post?” And then says, “It is poor fiction, and certainly has no basis in anything resembling reality.”
Unless you live in utter solitude, never read the paper, never listened to a radio, or had conversations with parents, you’d understand that JMO is speaking the truth. Back a few decades ago, things were handled much different than they are now. Why do you think the world is such a mess now? The lack of one on one communication, case by case discipline, and looking at people without labels is a starting point we need to re-vist….
We not only need hidden cameras in mosques but in our college classrooms as well.
http://www.thefire.org/public/pdfs/9239ef598b87a328c3240fccbf21c942.pdf
Coming to a thought camp (public school) near you…
“What Successful Beginning Teachers Need to Know & How to Assess and How to Teach Them (Charges & Deliverables Numbers 2-4)
Future teachers will understand themselves as beings who position themselves and are positioned by others in relation to dimensions of differences (racial, social class, gender), and other hierarchies in school and society.
Our future teachers will be able to discuss their own
histories and current thinking drawing on notions of white privilege, hegemonic masculinity, heteronormativity, and internalized oppression.
Future teachers will understand that they are privileged & marginalized depending on context
Future teachers will recognize & demonstrate
understanding of white privilege”
Courtesy of the University of Minnesota College of Education and Human Development.
Have a series of Di Salvo deja vu moments whilst reading the above? Me too.
> http://www.thefire.org/public/pdfs/9239ef598b87a328c3240fccbf21c942.pdf
> White suburban schools have
approximately twice the funds per student as compared with urban schools
where students are congregated . . .
Well then, why don’t the urban schools work harder, be more responsible and productive, and double the funds THEY invest in THEIR schools instead of waging class warfare and wallowing in anti-white bigotry.
I’m sure Joseph DiSalvo would have some thoughtful ideas about how to de-progam the inmates of the urban school systems about their lack of initiative and their albinophobic attitudes.
Doofinator,
Low-income people work just as hard as high-income people. Often they have multiple jobs. Show some respect.
> Low-income people work just as hard as high-income people.
Then why aren’t they paid as much?
Are you saying that employers are SO stupid that they will pay rich people a lot more money when low-income people will work just as hard for a lot less?
We could solve the state budget crisis by replacing ALL of the high-income state employees with low-income people, if, as you say, “low-income people work just as hard.”
The Moderate and Respected Doofinator,
Give it a rest. You know exactly what downtownster means. You know it because you’ve seen it and probably experienced it yourself.
> Give it a rest. You know exactly what downtownster means. You know it because you’ve seen it and probably experienced it yourself.
I do NOT know what downstater means. I strongly suspect the neither you nor downstater know what downstater means.
Downstater seems to think that all work is equal. If true, I’ll be a matress tester and you can shovel chicken guts for Archer Daniels Midland.
It’s probably poor judgement to even engage in this ugly conversation with Doofus. These posts are the most bigoted things I’ve read here. Palo Alto property taxes are higher than East Palo Alto. No matter how “hard” anyone in East Palo Alto works, that won’t change. Once somebody has the means, they move to the city with the higher housing prices. Why are the housing prices higher? Because the schools are better. Why are the schools better? Because housing prices are higher.
California’s screwed-up, unequitable distribution of education funding guarantees that will be the case. All the money doesn’t go into one pot and get divided equally by # of students. Rich districts are allowed to keep their money locally. So Palo Alto has TWICE as much money per student as poorer districts. And they continue to tax themselves – now at $500+ per parcel to add to that disparity.
Good for them. But to suggest that the culprit is the residents of East Palo Alto because they don’t work hard enough is just plain insulting.
Those with more schooling end up in higher paying jobs. It’s exactly what the free market dictates. The same people who most vehemently support the free market seem to think that a hard worker with a high school education who is a janitor should make the same amount of money as the PhD scientist developing the next biotech product. And to suggest that level of pay is based on how hard one works and not on the type of job one has shows an utter divorce from reality.
The Moderate and Respected Doofinator said, “I do NOT know what downstater means.”
Okay, may be my assumption that you understood was unfair to you. I think the statement means that SOMETIMES highly paid people get paid for doing less/nothing, and that underpaid employees carry the bulk of the dirty work no one wants to do. How often in a corporation do you see this? I see it a lot especially in government~
You say, “Downstater seems to think that all work is equal.” I can’t speak for Downtownster but I can agree with you that ALL work is NOT equal. Some officials sit on their butts collecting a large salary while hard working underpaid aides do all their dirty work.
I think I’m starting to figure this board out. It seems there are many people here who feel they could run San Jose, California, the USA, and the World better than anyone else.
The problem is they can’t get off their lazy-boy asses to make a difference. Either that or they have skeletons in their closet that prevent them from holding office.
Shut up and help out already!
> It’s probably poor judgement to even engage in this ugly conversation with Doofus. These posts are the most bigoted things I’ve read here.
I’m offended and my feelings are hurt.
> The same people who most vehemently support the free market seem to think that a hard worker with a high school education who is a janitor should make the same amount of money as the PhD scientist developing the next biotech product.
Can you name one authoritative free market proponent who thinks this? Adam Smith? Ludwig von Mises? Friedrich Hayek? Milton Friedman?
What else do you think that’s wrong?
I’ll bet you believe in human caused global warming and drowning polar bears.
> Either that or they have skeletons in their closet that prevent them from holding office.
You’ve nailed it! I have skeletons in my closets.
I repeated Monica Lewinsky jokes back when Clinton was President.
Response,
Have you ever sat on a government board, task force, committee, or commission because you really cared and want to make a difference? I have and I can tell you it is a waste of time because these boards etc. are set up to shut you up. Every great thing that you come up with is shot down by city staff.
I have chosen not to run for office because I don’t want to deal with the BS, but rather to work in non-profits so I can be hands on where help is needed. Lots of good people want to run for office and have, only to be defeated by BIG money~
-“Have you ever sat on a government board, task force, committee, or commission because you really cared and want to make a difference?”
No, but I did rule the world for a few centuries. It wasn’t too difficult, except for that stubborn Peloponnesian war.
What a headache that was!
“Able was I ere I saw Elba”
Welcome back from your long exile, Novice!
John,
Thanks for the kind words. Would’ve replied sooner but the censors at SJI are quite rigorous these days.
Ah well, I’m off to find some Cuban or Chinese hosted discussion forums where the censorship is sure to be less harsh.