Why is the New York State United Teachers Union
Hiding the Truth About Van Jones?
NYSUT’s recent curriculum publication, “Speak Truth to Power,” ( http://blogs.nysut.org/sttp/about/ ) focuses on 19 issues from Abubacar Sultan’s “Children’s Rights” to Kailash Satyarthi’s “Child Labor.” Of the 17 countries represented, the only native-born US writer is Van Jones – his contribution is titled, “Police Brutality.”
The skimpy biography of Van Jones omits important information about his background – information that might alarm parents and teachers –information about a man whom most would want to shield their children from.
Education
Jones earned his BA from the University of Tennessee and, in 1990, entered Yale Law School. He was described as an “angry black separatist…wearing combat boots and carrying a Black Panther bookbag.”[1]
In 1992, while still a law student at Yale, Jones became a monitor at a protest rally in San Francisco at the Rodney King trial. He was arrested and charges were dropped. He writes about a conversion while in jail:
“I met all these young radical people of color – I mean really radical, communists and anarchists. And it was like, ‘This is what I need to be part of.’ I spent the next ten years of my life working with a lot of those people I met in jail, trying to be a revolutionary. I was a rowdy nationalist on April 28th, and then the verdicts came down on April 29th. By August, I was a communist.” [2]
“Revolutionary” Organization Leader
“Van Jones was a leader of Bay Area Marxist-Leninist-Maoist organization Standing Together to Organize a Revolutionary Movement (STORM)” [3] which was founded in 1994 and disbanded in 2002. [4] The summary of the organization’s history unwittingly illustrates the futility of communism. It was designed “as a loose cadre collective whose structure borrowed from both the anarchist and communist traditions,” [5] and had strict racist and gender quotas for the core and general memberships. [6]
The group studied organizational theories of Saul Alinsky, SNCC, Marx, Lenin [7] and the Black Panther Party for Self Defense. [8] It “…came to believe that the central role of revolutionaries today is to help build ‘resistance struggles’ in oppressed communities around immediate reform issues and to use this resistance work to lay the groundwork for the development of a more clearly revolutionary struggle.” [9]
Anti-Cop Activism
Van Jones founded the Bay Area Police Watch in 1993 – “…a hotline and lawyer-referral service that began as a project of LCCR (Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights) and specialized in demonizing local police.” [10] Shannon Bell said that the Police Watch group was, “basically a bunch of thugs keeping tabs on the police and reporting ‘abuses’ by law enforcement.” [11]
Support for Cop Killer
On December 9, 1981, Officer Daniel Faulkner of the Philadelphia Police Force stopped a driver in a Volkswagen early in the morning. While attempting to handcuff the driver, another man, Mumia Abu-Jamal, came from across the street and shot the officer in the back. “As Officer Faulkner fell to the ground, he was able turn around, reach for his own firearm, and fire at Abu-Jamal, striking him in the chest. Abu-Jamal, now standing over Officer Faulkner, fired four shots at close range. One shot struck officer Faulkner between the eyes and entered his brain.” The officer died and Abu-Jamal was taken to the hospital. [12]
Mumia Abu-Jamal “…confessed in the hospital by saying, ‘I shot the mother f**ker, and I hope the mother**ker dies.’” He was found guilty and sentenced to die – the death sentence was appealed and changed to life imprisonment. [13]
Van Jones led more than 150 demonstrators through Oakland, California on October 7, 1999. The group demanded “…that the Justice Department reopen its corruption investigation of the Philadelphia Police Department…after the Supreme Court…rejected claims that Abu-Jamal…did not receive a fair trial.” [14]
The protest march disrupted and forced the cancellation of a police / youth dialogue event. Van Jones said, “We knew there was another event going on, but the timing of the court decision is what dictated when the protest was held.” [15] Insight from STORM’s document offers a different perception:
“In addition to studying theory and history, it is crucial that revolutionaries study current events….Studying the current conditions allows revolutionaries to understand the terrain on which they’re operating, what we’re up against and our strategic opportunities and challenges.” [16]
9-11 Truther
Van Jones resigned from his Green Jobs Czar position as appointed by President Obama in September, 2009, after it was revealed that Jones had signed a petition alleging that “high-level government officials may have deliberately allowed the September 11th attacks to occur.” [17]
The ABC article reports that Jones claimed that he had not read the petition carefully before signing it. Given that the man was a lawyer at the time and had a strong journalism background, his excuse contains an element of doubt. In fact, Van Jones, has admitted to a propensity for manipulating perceptions about himself. He said, “I’m willing to forgo the cheap satisfaction of the radical pose for the deep satisfaction of radical ends…” [18] Whereas he once wore boots and carried a Black Panther bookbag, and had a full head of dreadlocks, he now wears suits and his pate is as shaven and shiny as Mr. Clean.
Elizabeth Kolbert, in a January, 2009, New Yorker article, described Van Jones talking to a group of 30 high-school dropouts in New Bedford, Massachusetts. His motivational speech on the language level of the kids moved them. After, he said to Kolbert, “That was my street rap…You get to hear my elite rap later on.” [19] Kolbert reveals much about Van Jones and his ability to communicate on different levels to different groups from, as Jones would say, the street to the elite. It’s curious, however, that she failed to mention the man’s communist identity. Jones seems to have perfected a slick and persuasive charm as evidenced by the laudable comments Kolbert includes from Al Gore, Nancy Pelosi, Tavis Smiley, and Thomas Friedman to name a few.
What isn’t surprising is that Jones could claim to have been misled about including his name on the 911 Truther petition and that some would believe him.
Racist Comments
“According to Jones, America is plagued by ‘eco-apartheid,’ where low-income people typically live in more polluted environments than wealthy people. In a January, 2008 speech, Jones said, ‘The white polluters and the white environmentalists are essentially steering poison into the people-of-color communities because they don’t have a racial justice framework.” [20]
While not surprising, it is a disappointment that President Obama would appoint a man with a background such as Van Jones has to a White House position – a man who is closer to the black power thinking of Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Minister Louis Farahkan and Mumia Abu-Jamal than he is to the inclusive Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Conclusion
NYSUT’s selection of a curriculum unit by a documented radical communist, anti-police activist, cop-killer supporter, 9-11 Truther and racist is appalling. Our children deserve the truth – not the hidden agenda of a man who has proven to be a chameleon and who seeks to overthrow our government through revolution.
The document, “Speak Truth to Power,” is an affront to the values that we share and the principles expressed in the Constitution. It undermines respect for the dedicated and professional police officers who maintain the peace and our safety and wellbeing. Either NYSUT didn’t adequately investigate Van Jones or it may be that the leadership is sympathetic to the man and his causes.
In any event, NYSUT should withdraw the curriculum and either discard it or rewrite it with the Van Jones material deleted; and, local school districts should remove the offending documents from the schools.
This curious photograph of Van Jones found in the "Speak Truth to Power" curriculum adds to the projection of a "Mr. Clean" image.
The Christian Look
The clerical-like collar and the cross would lead us to assume that Mr. Jones is a Christian. The reality is that a Marxist-Leninist (see p. 19 of "STORM") cannot follow the teachings of Christ and claim allegiance to Him.
The "cadre" or "collective" demands compliance to the group.
“Our style of work was also characterized by a high level of discipline. By “discipline” we mean a willingness to subordinate one’s own needs and desires to those of the group. We pushed ourselves beyond our fears and apprehensions…We also worked to overcome the individualistic and destructive tendencies that we were taught in this society.”
“STORM”, p.87
Overcoming those "individualistic and destructive tendencies" were necessary to enforce the conformity of the revolutionary movement. Cult dominance of the individual whether in religion or politics is counter to the freedom found in Jesus Christ. "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1
And, so, it would appear that the clerical collar and cross are merely props to deceive the unweary.
The Physical Affectations
The suit, bald and polished head, round-frame glasses and neatly-trimmed facial hair convey a normal appearance and not that of a revolutionary.
The "Assuring" Pose
Van Jones' eyes and hands are posed to convey a message of peace and authority. There seems to be the effort to lead us to believe that his wisdom is sufficient for us.
[1] www.DiscoverTheNetwork.org, “Van Jones”, p. 1
[2] www.en.wikipedia.org/Van_Jones, “Van Jones”, p. 4
[3] Loudon, Trevor, “New Zeal”, www.trevorloudon.com/2009/08/obama-file-81…, p. 1
[4] “STORM” – available online at www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=Page.printable&pageId=108445.
[5] “STORM”, p. 9.
[6] “STORM”, p.9, 83, 84.
[7] “STORM”, p. 18.
[8] “STORM”, p. 54.
[9] “STORM”, p. 19.
[10] www.DiscoverTheNetwork.org,/printindividualProfile.asp?indi…, “Van Jones”, p. 2.
[11] Bell, Shannon, “Obama Green Jobs Czar Communist? Van Jones Green Jobs Czar”, www.rightpundits.com/?p=4324.
[12] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Faulkneer, p.2
[13] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumia_Abu-Jamal, p. 3, 4, 5
[14] SF Gate, “Timing of Protest Suspect,” www.sfgate.com.
[15] Ibid.
[16] “STORM”, p. 65.
[17] “Controversial Obama Administration Official Denies Being Part of 9/11 ‘Trutrher’ Movement, Apologizes for Past Comments,” blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/09/controversial-oba…, p. 1.
[18] “Van Jones”, www.conservapedia.com/Van_Jones, p. 4.
[19] Kolbert, Elizabeth, “Greening the Ghetto,” The New Yorker, www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/01/12/09012fa_fact_kolbe…
[20] www.DiscoverTheNetwork.org, “Van Jones”, p. 4.
A brochure suitable for reproduction is available at:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/53565415/Who-is-Van-Jones-Brochure-PDF