Day: September 22, 2017

Metro Nashville Public Schools Ignores the Constitution During Constitution Week

Tennessee Star Staff

Metro Nashville Public Schools has not promoted Constitution Day or Constitution Week at the district level. District spokeswoman Michelle Machaud told The Tennessee Star that “we are not as a district” promoting Constitution Week but that “it may be possible social studies teachers are observing this.” The Star contacted several Metro Nashville schools but messages were not returned. Metro Nashville Public Schools does have an interest in promoting other topics for inclusion in the curriculum used by middle and high school social studies teachers. In August, for instance, the president of the Islamic Center of Nashville spoke at an in-service for Metro Nashville middle and high school social studies teachers. He posted on Facebook about how he ended the presentation with the question, “Is Islam compatible with the West?” The district did not respond to pointed questions by The Star about the presentation. Constitution Week celebrates the 230th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution by the delegates attending the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787. Constitution Day was Monday, September 18, and Constitution Week runs through Sunday, September 24. President Trump issued a proclamation last Friday to observe the occasion. (When Constitution Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, it is…

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Recognition of Constitution Week Spotty in Middle Tennessee Public Schools Outside of Nashville

Wendy Wilson
Signing the Constitution painting

Constitution Week will soon be over and Tennesseans who want to see the annual tradition promoted are worried it has gone by unnoticed by too many public schools. While some educators and outside groups have thrown themselves into promoting the week, there has been a lack of coordination at a higher level for school programs. However, The Tennessee Star is committed to promoting the U.S. Constitution and is holding a Constitution Bee on Saturday. Several Middle Tennessee school districts contacted by The Star reported they do not have district-led initiatives to celebrate Constitution Week, but rather leave it up to individual schools and teachers. Rutherford County Schools spokesman James Evans said, “Those types of events are typically handled by social studies teachers at the school level as it relates to the curriculum and academic standards.” A spokeswoman for Wilson County Schools said she was not aware of any activities. At the district level, Williamson County Schools seems to be doing more than some. “We’ve provided a number of resources and information to teachers to support their own ideas of how to incorporate Constitution Day into their lessons,” said spokeswoman Carol Birdsong. “At the elementary level, the Daughters of the American Revolution…

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Commentary: The Swamp Goes All In Against Judge Roy Moore in Alabama GOP Senate Runoff Election

Tennessee Star Staff

by ConservativeHQ.com Staff   The independent polls show Judge Roy Moore with a strong, and holding, 7-point lead over appointed establishment Republican Senator Luther Strange in Alabama’s upcoming Republican primary runoff. The depth of the panic sparked by the idea of a Roy Moore victory has driven Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his lowlife political operatives to new levels of gutter politics by claiming the Judge Moore opposes the border wall when the opposite is true. The Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), a super PAC backed by McConnell, is supporting Judge Roy Moore’s opponent Luther Strange in the GOP runoff election set to take place next Tuesday. Here’s the script of the phony ad: MALE VOICE: “Who will fight with President Trump to change Washington? Not career politician Roy Moore. He’s on the wrong side of Trump’s border wall.” VIDEO CLIP OF MOORE: “I’ll tell you a little secret. Does it take a wall?” VIDEO CLIP OF MOORE: “I don’t think it would take a wall.” REPEATS THE SAME CLIP OF MOORE: “I don’t think it would take a wall.” MALE VOICE: “Roy Moore. Dead wrong on President Trump’s wall to protect our borders.” AUDIO CLIP OF MOORE: “You can’t…

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Franklin Graham Speaks in Nashville at Fundraiser for The Bridge Ministry

Wendy Wilson

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Franklin Graham spoke Thursday evening at a fundraiser for The Bridge Ministry held at Lipscomb University. More than 700 people attended the event at Allen Arena, which included dinner and entertainment by Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum. The Bridge is a Nashville area Christian nonprofit that serves the poor and homeless and partners with agencies to help the needy with everyday necessities. The group works to educate people and help them get back to work, and to encourage others to help those who are hungry and homeless. “It’s an honor to be here to support a ministry like this,” Graham told the crowd. The son of famed evangelist Billy Graham, who turns 99 on Nov. 7, Franklin Graham is president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and the international Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse. In May, Franklin Graham spoke in Clarksville as part of his Decision America Tennessee Tour. At Thursday’s event, he encouraged people to give generously to The Bridge, which was founded in 2004. “At The Bridge, people are fed, people are clothed and people are given an opportunity for a better life, for education and training, and to hear the gospel of the…

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Sharyl Attkisson Rips Media for Ignoring Weaponization of Intel Agencies under Obama

Tennessee Star Staff
James Brennan

Investigative reporter Sharyl Attkisson says media outlets are “diving deeply into minutiae” to avoid a stark development: President Trump’s previously ridiculed “wiretapping” claims appear to be true. Ms. Attkisson has warned of the weaponization of intelligence agencies since her laptop for CBS News stories was hacked on multiple occasions in 2013. An op-ed she wrote for…

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RTA: Mt. Juliet Not Paying for Music City Star Commuter Rail Service

Wendy Wilson

The Regional Transit Authority (RTA) and Mt. Juliet city officials are sparring over costs of operating the Music City Star commuter rail service. The RTA claims that Mt. Juliet has not paid its operating contribution since 2014. The Lebanon Democrat reports that RTA staff members plan to meet with Mt. Juliet officials to discuss how the shortfall could affect Music City Star service in the city. “We really don’t want to do anything punitive to Mt. Juliet, but it’s become an issue because this is an ongoing problem,” Sumner County executive Anthony Holt told the local paper. “We’re not asking them to pay more. We’re asking them to really contribute their fair share.” The problems in Mt. Juliet come as Nashville Mayor Megan Barry is pushing plans for a proposed $6 billion regional transit project to be phased in over 25 years. Plans call for adding commuter trains in Middle Tennessee. Currently, the Music City Star is the only commuter rail service in the area. Music City Star service runs from Lebanon to downtown Nashville and has stations in Mt. Juliet, Lebanon, Martha, Hermitage, Donelson and Riverfront Station. Holt said Mt. Juliet has the largest ridership but pays the least. Mt. Juliet…

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Randy Boyd Only Gubernatorial Candidate Not Represented at Knox County GOP Forum

Laura Baigert

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee – At the Knox County Republican Party Gubernatorial Candidate Forum held Monday evening at the Knoxville Expo Center, five of the six candidates were represented. Sen. Mae Beavers, Speaker Beth Harwell and Kay White appeared in person, while Congressman Diane Black and Bill Lee had surrogates. Randy Boyd was the only candidate not represented and no public explanation was offered for the absence. Knox County GOP Chair Buddy Burkhardt told The Tennessee Star that Boyd had a “prior commitment” and Lee had a fund raiser. Burkhardt also told The Star that he would only be involved in such an event if it was organized to provide all candidates an equal opportunity. Scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m., the event started with about 30 minutes of the candidates mingling with attendees followed by comments one at a time at the on-stage podium. The remainder of the event was to be another period of one-on-one time with the candidates, but the event quickly broke up after the formal comments segment. Brief stump speeches were made to an audience of approximately 100, the majority of whom were elected officials, candidates or campaign staff and volunteers, including State Representatives Martin Daniel, Roger…

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