Important and true news and stories about our world
There are so many forms of racism and social oppression being carried out in America, it just boggles the mind. This morning, I posted on Facebook a link to an article that details sad facts about a practice I first learned about from a Nightline TV news show report “Stolen Babies”, a court-sanctioned family destruction that has been going on for way too many years. I linked to a Colorlines story on families being shattered when immigration officials detain or deport parents who work hard and abide laws, except that they lack legal United States residency status – a holy grail that is impossible for so many immigrants to obtain. Colorlines tells us,
All hell has broken loose in conservative political camps this week. The stronger President Obama’s position has become, the more determined GOP extremists have become to defeat him at all costs – including the sacrifice of a favoured son, and just about all of whatever formerly passed for these people’s morality. God save them. At some Pennsylvania polls, voters were being told they had to have IDs and were turned away if they didn’t
Tuesday, Nov. 6, 12:10 p.m. EST: Report: Pennsylvania voters illegally turned away: Civil rights group the Advancement Project tells The Root that it’s investigating and addressing what seems to be a pattern in Pennsylvania of poll workers turning away voters if they don’t have voter ID, which violates a recent court order stipulating that voters do not need ID for this election. “It’s not surprising, because despite the judge’s ruling, the state continued to run ads telling voters to get ID,” an Advancement Project representative says.
Things people say can be really funny – because sometimes we garble our intended message completely. Here are some turns of phrase I’ve found amusing.
I hope you enjoy this extraordinary essay by gifted writer, thinker and egalitarian, Peggy McIntosh as much as I do. For your downloading pleasure, here’s a condensed list of 50 ways white privilege is experienced in America (thanks for the link Helen Tinsley!).
Through work to bring materials from women’s studies into the rest of the curriculum, I have often noticed men’s unwillingness to grant that they are overprivileged, even though they may grant that women are disadvantaged. They may say they will work to women’s status, in the society, the university, or the curriculum, but they can’t or won’t support the idea of lessening men’s. Denials that amount to taboos surround the subject of advantages that men gain from women’s disadvantages. These denials protect male privilege from being fully acknowledged, lessened, or ended.
I am honored by the opportunity to display this message on my website. Rev. Dr. William Barber II shares the historical time line of Black and ethnic minority acquisition of the rights to vote, to have equality in housing and economic opportunities and reminds us, “If there was ever a time to vote that time is NOW.”
Check the facts
Issues
ProCon.org: The leading source for pros & cons of controversial issues
Legends, myths, misleading emails
Pinocchio Tracker
Washington Post Fact Checker
FactCheck.org (Annenberg Public Policy Center)
Politifact’s Truth-O-Meter (Pulitzer Prize winner)
2012 Presidential Campaign
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TED features a MOOC project this week
Shimon Schocken and Noam Nisan developed a curriculum for their students to build a computer, piece by piece. When they put the course online — giving away the tools, simulators, chip specifications and other building blocks — they were surprised that thousands jumped at the opportunity to learn, working independently as well as organizing their own classes in the first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). A call to forget about grades and tap into the self-motivation to learn.
A West Indian friend writes to ask,
This country is becoming more like a 3rd world country. Why aren’t people demanding jobs instead of talking about racism. Sick and tired of hearing about racism. Everything is racism. Find some other excuse rather than racism. If anything is done wrong it’s blame it on racism. People need to stop blaming and stop looking for hand me out. It seems as though some people like to keep stoking the word racism and using the blame game too much. What about Solyndra all the billions that cost tax payers money. That money could have been used to help students pay for their school loans. The unnecessary spending while unemployment is still above 8%.
While the Republicans keep dishing out lies, Obama has to keep reminding people of the realities. Otherwise the liars win. After Ryan’s completely lying performance at RNC, the GOP rose in the polls. People haven’t known what to believe.
Fortunately, since President Obama is consistent, can back up his assertions with proof and encourages people to check out what he says, the public is slowly learning that it’s possible to trust what he says and conversely, much of what the Republicans say is suspect, if not downright BS.
Short version of audio interview
In this 2010 interview, Irish President Michael D. Higgins – then labor party leader – takes Megyn Kelly to task for attempting to spread Tea Party lies. President Higgins says, “(Your) tactic is to get a large crowd, whip them up, try and discover what is the greatest fear, work on that, and feed it right back in a frenzy.” He speaks of living and working in the United States in the 1970s in “Willie Nelson country,” and being astonished to discover that many decent, hard working Americans, the type of people, “…who are very proud, as they should be, of the man (Obama) they’ve elected president…” and continues
Excellent thoughts about Alyssa Douglas’ unfortunate Tweet about Obama.
Here are three examples of camera journalists in London, Canada and the United States encountering attempts to block them from exercising their legal right to stand in public spaces and use cameras to shoot street views or film public proceedings they have the right to share with their followers, and under the circumstances may have a moral obligation to do so as well.
Secrecy surrounds the reporting of certain public events and anything having to do with the financial district. Freedom of speech and reporters’ public access rights are being curtailed, which bodes ill for all citizens of organized societies. Film equipment is being seized and arrests are being made, although no security threats are perceived. These seem to be simply moves to prevent disclosure of every day proceedings in public spaces associated with Big Money interests and at certain government meetings.
These are books and stories that I’ve found useful or that are special to me. If they resonate with you too, please tell me in a comment. Disclaimer: if you buy one of these titles from Amazon, I will get a very small commission.
Friend and civil rights attorney Bennet D. Zurofsky posts a link to an extensive new 84 page study of the detrimental effects of austerity entitled Prosperity Economics: Building An Economy For All. “Worth reading,” he says.
