THE CLASSROOM. STOP TRUMP: Muslim registry and tech companies. Robert Cruickshank, Democracy for America to you

David --

One of the most horrifying proposals Donald Trump offered during the campaign was a plan to create a registry of Muslims in the United States.

This registry brings to mind some of the worst aspects of American history, and is rooted in bigotry and hate. Trump's plan wouldn't be the first attempt -- a previous version used during the Bush Administration didn't lead to any convictions on terrorism charges, but it did lead to tens of thousands of cases of harassment, arrest, and deportations.

Trump's transition team has signaled they plan to go ahead with this awful plan anyway. We need to stop him -- and that includes making it hard for Trump to actually assemble a registry.

That's where the tech companies of Silicon Valley and beyond come into play. They have amassed huge amounts of data on people living in the United States. If they cooperate with Trump in building a registry of Muslims, those tech companies could do immense damage.

Initially, only Twitter told a reporter from The Intercept that they would refuse to help build such a registry, but other leading tech companies refused to respond. So Democracy for America joined CREDO and human rights groups and sent a letter demanding other tech companies follow Twitter's lead.As a result of that pressure, Facebook and Microsoft announced this week they too would refuse to help Trump build a registry of Muslims.

But other tech companies -- including Google and Apple -- still won't answer. And their CEOs met with Donald Trump just this week. 

Government targeting of individuals based on religion and ethnicity violates the Constitution and our core values as a country. It also threatens millions of people. But some of the largest tech companies still haven't responded to our letter, including Google, Apple, IBM, Booz Allen Hamilton, SRA International, and CGI.

Each of these companies has massive technological capability and/or data that would be essential to Trump's plans to register Muslims in the United States. Without their help, Trump will have a much more difficult time carrying out his horrible plan.

Even though the CEOs of these corporations haven't responded yet, the engineers who work there are already mobilizing to stop Trump's registry plans. Employees from the leading tech companies in Silicon Valley are signing a pledge that they will never help create a registry of Muslims.

Those engineers are taking a bold stand --  while their bosses are busy meeting with Donald Trump in Trump Tower. We need to fight back and stop Trump from targeting Muslims in America. Will you help?

Thank you for standing up against Trump and his bigoted plans.

- Robert

Robert Cruickshank, Senior Campaign Manager
Democracy for America

THE CLASSROOM. SENATOR AL FRANKEN- DESTROYING MEDICARE.

David, What’s still ringing, you ask? I’m talking about the giant ringing alarm bells I mentioned in a recent email. I rang those bells because the GOP is angling to end Medicare as we know it. It’s a big deal, and we need to act fast. Oh, you didn’t hear the giant ringing alarm bells? Well, allow me to ring them for you again -- the GOP is planning to end Medicare as we know it, and we need to organize to stop them.  Donald Trump and Republicans in Washington have shown a remarkable capacity to push their preferred storylines in place of, you know, facts. That means we can’t get distracted by the latest scandal coming out of Trump Tower. Not because the latest scandal isn’t important (or a different degree of terrifying) but because saving Medicare definitely is and right now, we’re organizing a defense. The GOP would very much like us to focus on something else while they’re dismantling one of the most successful public health programs in American history. We are not going to let them do it.  ...tell the GOP that you’re ready for this fight. Thanks, Al

ETHICS AND MORALITY. PERSONAL ETHICS VS INSTITUTIONAL ETHICS, OR FINDING GOD VS FORCING GOD. PT 7.

I Believe that the CONCEPT of PERSONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM BEING MISINTERPRETED, MISUNDERSTOOD, OR MISUSED, IS ONE OF THE MOST PERVASIVE AND HARMFUL ATTITUDES THAT INHIBITS SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PROGRESS IN THE U.S.

It is Fascinating, and at the same time Disturbing, to Hear Individuals relate how Their Religious Convictions are being ignored by Politicians and Lawmakers.  How?

BY OTHER AMERICANS BEING ALLOWED TO ENGAGE, PARTICIPATE AND ENTER INTO CONTRACTS, ACTIVITIES AND BEHAVIORS, WITHOUT ANY SANCTIONS FROM THE LEGAL SYSTEM...

...THAT ARE CONTRARY TO THE INDIVIDUALS CODE OF MORALITY, WHICH IS OFTEN DERIVED FROM RELIGIOUS FAITH AND DOCTRINE.

I Often wonder how They Define Religious Freedom, if it is done at all.  In Most Cases, it seems that the PASSAGES IN THE U.S. CONSTITUTION ARE IGNORED, IN FAVOR OF SOME KIND OF TRADITIONAL INTERPRETATION OF AMERICAN HISTORY.  THIS IS COMPLETELY SUBJECTIVE IN NATURE, AND IGNORES LEGAL PRECEDENT, THE FOUNDING FATHERS INTENT WHEN DRAFTING THE CONSTITUTION, AND HOW THE BILL OF RIGHTS NOW PROTECTS ALL CLASSES OF AMERICANS.  

Women, Children, Racial Minorities, Certain Religious Faiths, The Disabled,and Political Dissidents etc., are EXAMPLES OF GROUPS THAT AT ONE TIME WERE NOT GIVEN EQUAL PROTECTION UNDER THE LAW.  However, the U.S. CONSTITUTION WAS DESIGNED TO EVOLVE, AND IN THIS WAY CORRECT ANY INJUSTICES IN THE SYSTEM THAT WERE TO BECOME KNOWN AS TIME WENT ON.

THE MYSTERIOUS WORLD. HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT TO BELIEVE? #5.

It is VERY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THE FOLLOWING:

THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD COULD NOT EXIST AS A VALID, TESTABLE, 

AND RELIABLE PROCESS, WITHOUT THE RULES OF LOGIC BEING ITS

BASIC FOUNDATION. IF CERTAIN CONCEPTS SUCH AS DEDUCTIVE AND 

INDUCTIVE REASONING WERE NOT SET IN PLACE, AND USED IN A 

MANNER THAT WAS BOTH APPROPRIATE AND UNDERSTANDABLE, THE

SCIENTIFIC METHOD COULD NOT EXIST IN THE FORM WE USE IT TODAY.

The Things we take for granted Today, Advancements that make Life EASIER, SAFER, AND LONGER ARE THE RESULT OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF PRINCIPLES THAT ALLOW US TO REMOVE MUCH, IF NOT ALL, OF THE "GUESS WORK" THAT USE TO BE THE LARGEST PART OF TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, PREDICT, AND IF POSSIBLE, CONTROL THE WORLD AROUND US.

How many Times have you heard the Following:

-  TRIAL AND ERROR.-  OR, CREATE A HYPOTHESIS THAT SEEMS TO BE INDICATED BY THE EVIDENCE GIVEN. BREAK IT DOWN, MAKE SURE YOUR PREMISES ARE SOUND, AND SUPPORT THE CONCLUSION. DOES IT WORK? DOES IT WITHSTAND SCRUTINY? IF NOT, TRY AGAIN.

-  FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE.-  IF IT TAKES YOU IN ONE DIRECTION, FOLLOW

IT.  MAYBE IT'S NOT THE WAY YOU EXPECT, OR EVEN WANT, BUT TRUTH 

DOES NOT DEPEND ON YOUR FEELINGS, OR EGO. 

-  HASTE MAKES WASTE.-  CONSIDER ALL THE EVIDENCE, NOT JUST THE PORTION THAT SUPPORTS A PRE- CONCEIVED CONCLUSION.  ANALYZE ALL THE PREMISES, DISCARD WHAT DOESN'T FIT, THAN REEVALUATE. 

-  PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE.-  IF YOUR GOAL IS TRUTH AND ACCURACY, SLOW AND STEADY MAY WIN THE RACE.                                                     

While you may have never associated these Phrases with SCIENCE AND EDUCATION, THEY CAN BE USED TO REPRESENT DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD.  HOWEVER, THE REASON THAT THEY MAKE SO MUCH SENSE TO US IN PRACTICAL TERMS, IS THAT THEY FORCE US TO UNDERSTAND AND OBEY THE RULES OF LOGIC...