“Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has signed a bill to allow public schools to offer yoga, ending a ban that stood for nearly 30 years. Christian conservatives who back the ban said yoga would open the door for people to be converted to Hinduism.
The new law allows yoga to be offered as an elective for grades K-12. While it erases a ban that, over the years, some schools had not realized existed, it also imposes restrictions on how yoga should be taught. Students won’t be allowed to say, ‘Namaste,’ for instance. Meditation is not allowed.
‘Chanting, mantras, mudras, use of mandalas, induction of hypnotic states, guided imagery, and namaste greetings shall be expressly prohibited,’ the bill states. It also requires English names be used for all poses and exercises. And before any students try a tree pose, they’ll need a parent’s permission slip.”
— “Alabama Will Now Allow Yoga In Its Public Schools (But Students Can’t Say ‘Namaste’),” Bill Chappell, NPR News
Image (“Zoom Yoga, after a 19th century Joga Pradīpikā manuscript”) by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
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In 1993 the state of Alabama outlawed yoga classes in public schools, fearing the exercizes would turn young Christian children into Hindus. School regulations specifically prohibit use of the greeting “Namaste.” If only students had started class by saying “How-do, y’all ….”
State Rep. Jeremy Gray, who also teaches Yoga, recently introduced a bill to legalize K-12 Yoga, and the Alabama House of Representatives approved it last month. The bill went to Alabama’s upper house, but state senators upheld the ban.
More:
“Alabama fails to reverse ban on school yoga as conservatives say they fear rise in Hinduism,” Akshita Jain, The Independent
“Yoga can leave you injured, psychotic and a Hindu, Christian groups claim,” Ed Pilkington, The Guardian
Image (“Zoom Yoga, after a 19th century Joga Pradīpikā manuscript”) by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
“They spread slanderous lies and made numerous false accusations. They attacked my character. They dragged my reputation through the mud. They even attacked my wife and family. But instead of being held accountable in a court of law, the Washington Post just won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for their lies and slander against me and my family. Meanwhile, I’m being sued for standing up and defending myself and my family from ruthless lies and attacks. And it’s exactly why you and I must stand strong in our legal fight against the forces of evil.”
Hey, y’all. Pulitzer. That some kinda Jewish name?
More:
“Roy Moore fundraising off Pulitzers won for stories about him, cites ‘forces of evil,'” Leada Gore, AL.com
“RNC to support Roy Moore in Senate race in Alabama, weeks after cutting ties with his campaign,” Sean Sullivan, Michael Scherer and David Weigel, Washington Post
Related:
“What About the Girls Roy Never Molested, Asks Roy Moore’s Spokesperson,” Jonathan Chait, New York Magazine
“Church under fire for ‘They falsely accused Jesus. Vote Roy Moore.’ sign,” Tribune Media Wire
“These corporations are helping elect an alleged child sex abuser to the U.S. Senate,” Josh Israel and Danielle McLean, Think Progress
“Trump’s agenda matters more than child abuse accusations, the White House clarifies,” Heather Timmons, Vox
“Roy Moore speaks at a black church; social media erupts,” Roy S. Johnson, AL.com
“Moore Suggests Jewish Philanthropist George Soros Is Going To Hell,” Esme Cribb, TPM Livewire
“Woman shares new evidence of relationship with Roy Moore when she was 17,” Stephanie McCrummen, Washington Post
“Let me just tell you, Roy Moore denies it. That’s all I can say. He denies it. And, by the way, he totally denies it.”
“I can tell you one thing for sure: We don’t need a liberal person in there, a Democrat, Jones.”
“Women are very special. I think it’s a very special time, a lot of things are coming out, and I think that’s good for our society and I think it’s very very good for women and I’m very happy.”
In 1977, Gena Richardson was a high school senior working in the men’s department of Sears at the Gadsden Mall when Roy Moore introduce himself:
“Moore, she says, asked where she went to school before asking for her phone number. Richardson declined to give it to him, telling Moore that her dad was a Southern Baptist preacher, and wouldn’t allow them to date. Moore was a 30-year-old lawyer working in his hometown of Gadsden at the time. A few days after their first encounter, Moore called Richardson’s school to try and ask her out again. From the [Washington] Post:
‘A few days later, she says, she was in trigonometry class at Gadsden High when she was summoned to the principal’s office over the intercom in her classroom. She had a phone call. “I said ‘Hello?’ Richardson recalls. “And the male on the other line said, ‘Gena, this is Roy Moore.’ I was like, ‘What?!’ He said, ‘What are you doing?’ I said, ‘I’m in trig class.’ ”
Richardson says Moore asked her out again on the call. A few days later, after he asked her out at Sears, she relented and agreed, feeling both nervous and flattered. They met that night at a movie theater in the mall after she got off work, a date that ended with Moore driving her to her car in a dark parking lot behind Sears and giving her what she called an unwanted, “forceful” kiss that left her scared.’
Moore’s pursuit of Richardson at the Gadsden mall wasn’t unique, according to the Post’s reporting. Eventually, Richardson would hide when Moore came into the store, and the manager at the store would tell new hires to “watch out for” Moore. Kayla McLaughlin, a classmate and co-worker of Richardson’s, corroborated her story to the Post.”
— “A High School Senior Wouldn’t Give Roy Moore Her Number So She Says He Called Her at School,” Elliot Hannon, Slate
Related:
“Roy Moore Dated ‘Younger Ladies’ For Their ‘Purity,’ His Pastor Friend Says,” Cameron Joseph, TPM Livewire
“Roy Moore admits his wife, who is 14 years his junior, first caught his eye ‘when she was just FIFTEEN and performing in a junior college dance recital,’” Hanna Parry, Daily Mail
“Retired Officer: We Knew Moore ‘Liked Young Girls,’ But Never Got A Complaint,” Nicole Lafond, TPM Livewire
“Flip Benham: Roy Moore Pursued Teenagers Because All The Other Women Were Married,” Kyle Mantyla, Right Wing Watch
“6th Moore accuser claims he groped her in his office,” Haley Britzky, Axios
“Two more women describe unwanted overtures by Roy Moore at Alabama mall,” Stephanie McCrummen, Beth Reinhard and Alice Crites, Washington Post
“Woman: When I Was 17, Moore Said, ‘I Go Out With Girls Your Age All The Time,’” Esme Cribb, TPM Livewire
“Roy Moore admits his wife, who is 14 years his junior, first caught his eye ‘when she was just FIFTEEN and performing in a junior college dance recital,'” Hanna Parry, Daily Mail
“Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby joins GOP leaders in shunning Roy Moore,” Lisa Mascaro and Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times
“3 Ways Republicans Can Block Roy Moore From the Senate,” Bridget Bowman, Roll Call
“How the Senate could expel Roy Moore if he wins,” Shane Savitsky, Axios
“GOP leaders weigh drastic plan to save Alabama Senate seat,” Alex Isenstadt and Eliana Johnson, Politico
“Moore Amid Mounting Pressure To Drop Out: I’m Facing A ‘Spiritual Battle,’” TPM Livewire
“Moore: ‘We are everything the Washington Elite hate,'” Mallory Shelbourne, The Hill
“Roy Moore’s Lawyer Just Sent a Grammatical Apocalypse of a Letter Threatening Local Media,” Elliot Hannon, Slate
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