If you feel that awards should be bestowed in recognition of excellence of some kind, consider this:
First, in Arizona, Jevin Hodge, an 18-year-old senior at McClintock High School in Tempe and co-chair of the Governor's Youth Commission, had an idea to create an award for high school students who completed more than 200 hours of community service. According to The Wrangler: "Hodge says he created the bill to boost a student's chance of college acceptance. 'Colleges aren't looking for just a high GPA anymore; they're looking for student leaders," he said. "This award would reassure colleges that a student has the qualities they are looking for."
Sounds good, right? Not to Arizona's Republican Governor Jan Brewer, who vetoed SB 1066, calling the bill unnecessary, redundant and a violation of constitutional separation of powers.
I'm sure the fact that the bill was co-sponsored by a Democrat, Senator David Schapira played no role in her decision, whatsoever. Senator Schapira called her reasoning "total baloney."
Said a disappointed Jevin Hodge: "It's disheartening to see that partisanship played a factor in nullifying an attempt to formally recognize students for their service and volunteerism in the community. Arizona would have been the first state to formally recognize youth for their community service…it could have possibly persuaded other states to follow suit." "Other states" is where bright students like Jevin Hodge will be moving to if this remains the M.O. in Arizona. At any rate, Mr. Hodge should get an award for trying.
Second, move over Pulitzers, there's a new journalism award in town. The Heritage Foundation and the Franklin Center will honor the late Andrew Breitbart's legacy by bestowing the Breitbart Awards in three different categories: full-time professional journalism; the new media frontier; and bold citizen action by conservatives.
According to their website:
"Full-time Reporter: In a media environment that tells reporters to go along to get along, a few still consider it a sacred trust to keep the people informed. A few still recognize the awesome responsibility in belonging to the only profession to be enshrined in the Bill of Rights. We'll present one Breitbart Award to a full-time news reporter to honor courage and honesty in telling the real stories that matter to people's lives."
It's true: when I think Breitbart, I immediately think "awesome responsibility."
So just to recap, awards to enterprising high schools students is an anti-constitutional scam of some sort, while Breitbart can and will give out awards for excellence in journalism. Enjoy your messy democracy.
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Of course Gov. Jan Brewer wants all Arizonans to be as closed minded, heartless, hate filled and dumbed down as she is, isn't that the GOTP way?!?
And don't forget, best pimp outfit category for the Breitbart awards.
Oh, I'm sure little Jimmy will get an award of some type...
I would love to hear Jan Brewer's full explanation. What was conveyed in this post makes her sound like a cold hearted partisan at best and totally crazy loon at worst.
Ah,but she is...
The words "Breitbart and journalism award" in one sentence? This has to be a joke.
"Separation of powers"? It's like she has some weird teabagger Tourette's that makes her compulsively cite Constitutional terms even when it makes no sense whatsoever.
That's because you're trying to read "separation of powers" in traditional American English, where it refers to structural checks-and-balances between various constitutionally defined governmental brances to ensure that no one branch can consolidate undue authority. Brewer, on the other hand, is speaking in Wingnuttia. In Wingnuttia, "separation of powers" means "that which must be done to separate Democrats from any power." See? Makes perfect sense in her native language.
Having lived on a farm in a very rural area and no car of my own and having a husband who did the same and was essentially the only labor on his farm, and knowing that a lot of urban kids have jobs or simply can't get to things too, I know that many kids simply have *no* chance to do "community service" and get screwed when schools think they can require it as part of getting into college. Still more evidence that the working poor haven't a real chance anymore.
I live and teach in a very rural and poor part of Maine, where many kids live on farms and do not have access to a vehicle. Because of family situations, many of my students also have jobs. We have a requirement of 60+ hours of community service for graduation - and as far as I know, in the 11 years I have been teaching there, no student has not graduated due to this requirement. In fact, every year, we have students that earn well over a thousand hours of service, and they are usually not the students from the more affluent families. Teachers, administrators, and parents find ways for students to meet this requirement, despite whatever perceived difficulties there are with it. I applaud this young man for recognizing the positive impact teens can have on their communities, and the positive outcomes that community service can have on teens.
It seems that Gov. Brewer has escalated her "war on women" to a "war on youth." Does she think that they won't vote?
No, but I'm sure she's working on that.
Pathetic. Mentally deranged conservative thinking. In MO in complete secrecy, another deceitful hatemonger drug addicted lying propaganda radio show host was enshrined as an upright citizen with his bust in the MO hall of fame... and now a Breitbart award. How can the term mentally ill not be applied. You can see the sickness in Brewer's face... a cancerous soul completely lacking empathy whose hatred is eating her alive. Bon apetite.
I here by rename the Breitbart Awards the Burpfart Awards in keeping with the true nature late (not great) man. The sounds that came out of that man's mouth were disgusting.
Saw the picture of the award out of the corner of my eye, and thought it was a uterus. Maybe that's the problem?