From the Minnesota State Fair:
Wanda Jackson was at the Minnesota State Fair! plus more Fair thoughts
We were thinking the quality of the music might've declined at the fair, and then today, we were looking for a seat and something sounded familiar. An old woman was rocking out on the Leinie's stage. And we stared in awe, because it was Wanda Jackson.
Why kids might know her:
But Emma and I know her 'cause she was the queen of rockabilly:
Today was our last day at the fair, and that was a fine show for it.
Food consumed and recommended:
Mostly, it was a very nice, lazy day. But we've done five days at the fair; I think we'll be content with three or four henceforth.
Why kids might know her:
But Emma and I know her 'cause she was the queen of rockabilly:
Today was our last day at the fair, and that was a fine show for it.
Food consumed and recommended:
- Cream puffs.
- French fries from the Fresh French Fries stand.
- A "doubles" from Harry Singh's: chickpeas and roti, nom!
- Leininkugel's lemon shandy
- Cheese curds from the "original" curds booth, which may have improved, 'cause we thought they were as good as the Mouth Trap's, which was certainly not the case fifteen years ago.
- Minne-apple pie with cinnamon ice cream. I thought the ice cream was a little too sweet, but Emma liked it. The pie was very good, but not so good that we'll definitely have it next year.
- Coffee from Farmer's Union.
- Emma had more all-the-milk-you-can-drink; I had more honey lemonade.
Mostly, it was a very nice, lazy day. But we've done five days at the fair; I think we'll be content with three or four henceforth.
Today's reasons I'm a socialist: links
From One in Four Mississippi Residents Struggle to Afford Food:
In 15 states, at least one in five Americans say they struggled to afford the food they needed at least once during the past 12 months. Nationwide, 18.2% of Americans so far in 2012 say there have been times when they could not afford the food they needed, on par with the 18.6% who had trouble affording food in 2011.And more evidence that the rich cheat more than the rest of us: from Harvard Investigates "Unprecedented" Academic Dishonesty Case | News | The Harvard Crimson:
Harvard College’s disciplinary board is investigating nearly half of the 279 students who enrolled in Government 1310: “Introduction to Congress” last spring for allegedly plagiarizing answers or inappropriately collaborating on the class’ final take-home exam.
triggered by trigger warnings online? who has honestly been "triggered" online?
My theory: if you need trigger warnings, you need to stay off the internet. Diagnosed PTSD sufferers function in life without trigger warnings; they learn to recognize what might trigger them or what is triggering them, and they react accordingly.
Are there any real sufferers of PTSD who are triggered by text? If so, wouldn't the trigger warning itself be triggering?
ETA: For some context:
When “Trigger Warning” Lost All Its Meaning | The Awl
The Illusion Of Safety/The Safety Of Illusion - The Rumpus.net
Are there any real sufferers of PTSD who are triggered by text? If so, wouldn't the trigger warning itself be triggering?
ETA: For some context:
When “Trigger Warning” Lost All Its Meaning | The Awl
The Illusion Of Safety/The Safety Of Illusion - The Rumpus.net
how to write a book, plus a little about the Minnesota State Fair
I tweeted this yesterday;
Coolest freebie at the fair is a collapsible water bottle from AARP in the Education Building.
Best food? Um, all of it? Okay, best macaroons Emma has ever eaten—and Emma may be the premiere macaroon judge—are from the Salty Tart, whose regular bakery is about a mile from us. (Yes, two of the best bakeries in the Twin Cities are within bicycling distance. Life is good.)
Ole's Cannolis in Heritage Square are actually great. The lightly battered cauliflower and new potatoes on a stick nearby are also mighty fine.
The salmon wrap at Giggle's is well worth having again.
The $2.50 breakfast burrito at Tejas was ideal for the one time we managed to get to the fair before 11 am.
I liked the Leininkugel's berry shandy, but the lemon shandy is better, and Summit on a Stick—three samper beers in a paddle—is best. Though the Brau Brothers beers at the tasting in the Ag Building were grand.
Seed art is eternally cool.
The art at the art building is, as usual, much better than it needs to be.
The sky glider ride over the fair grounds is mighty fine.
Bonnie Raitt was great, and so was Mavis Staples.
Volunteering for the ACLU booth was heaps of fun.
All the milk you can drink was as wonderful as I remembered. So was the honey lemonade and the honey ice cream at the Ag Building.
I was mighty fond of O'Gara's battered green beans.
I'm sure I'm forgetting something else I really liked. The only thing that was a bit disappointing were the garlic french fries—there was plenty of garlic, but I would've liked a thicker and darker potato with it.
Well, there may be another post about State Fair love within a few days.
ETA: Deep fried cheese curds! How could I forget? We're traditionalists—we always get them in the Food Building, though I know we should check out the competition.
How to write a book: write a book.In other news, there is no other news. Well, Emma and I are going to the State Fair a little too often, which I didn't think was possible, so we'll stop doing that soon.
Coolest freebie at the fair is a collapsible water bottle from AARP in the Education Building.
Best food? Um, all of it? Okay, best macaroons Emma has ever eaten—and Emma may be the premiere macaroon judge—are from the Salty Tart, whose regular bakery is about a mile from us. (Yes, two of the best bakeries in the Twin Cities are within bicycling distance. Life is good.)
Ole's Cannolis in Heritage Square are actually great. The lightly battered cauliflower and new potatoes on a stick nearby are also mighty fine.
The salmon wrap at Giggle's is well worth having again.
The $2.50 breakfast burrito at Tejas was ideal for the one time we managed to get to the fair before 11 am.
I liked the Leininkugel's berry shandy, but the lemon shandy is better, and Summit on a Stick—three samper beers in a paddle—is best. Though the Brau Brothers beers at the tasting in the Ag Building were grand.
Seed art is eternally cool.
The art at the art building is, as usual, much better than it needs to be.
The sky glider ride over the fair grounds is mighty fine.
Bonnie Raitt was great, and so was Mavis Staples.
Volunteering for the ACLU booth was heaps of fun.
All the milk you can drink was as wonderful as I remembered. So was the honey lemonade and the honey ice cream at the Ag Building.
I was mighty fond of O'Gara's battered green beans.
I'm sure I'm forgetting something else I really liked. The only thing that was a bit disappointing were the garlic french fries—there was plenty of garlic, but I would've liked a thicker and darker potato with it.
Well, there may be another post about State Fair love within a few days.
ETA: Deep fried cheese curds! How could I forget? We're traditionalists—we always get them in the Food Building, though I know we should check out the competition.
Hope Springs Eternal
Living can be such a torturous, tormenting and painful experience at times. And yet, it is, after all, a transcending, powerful and wondrous sojourn. Within the magnificent caldron of self, we move about with a kind of reckless endeavor and energy. We hunger for the transcendent; we crave admiration and affection like deranged love junkies. We long for understanding and seek leadership that will guide us through the seemingly endless miasma. The choices we make that are driven by such a compulsive desire to be saved are usually disastrous.
In our thirst for solace, we plunder the earth for its treasures. We are all members of an unfinished species that is awed and persuaded by the power of mindless emotion. We are the prisoners of our own lack of imagination. Given these imperfections and in spite of them, there remains that alluring and still possible future of a planet where the dominant species is no longer the destroyer and purveyor of ruinous chaos, but the keeper of a peaceful and harmonious Earth.
volunteering at the ACLU booth
Emma and I at the ACLU booth at the Minnesota State Fair, supporting gay marriage and opposing photo ID voting requirements.
I'm hopeful about Minnesotans voting down the marriage bill—though not confident—but worried about the photo ID bill. It'll take $80,000,000 from the state's general fund—meaning it'll hurt public education, most likely—to solve a problem that doesn't exist. Currently, Minnesota is number one in the nation for voter turnout. If this passes, that claim will go to someone else, because the inevitable consequence of increasing ID requirements is decreasing voter turnout, especially from students, the elderly, and renters, who move more often and therefore are more likely to have out of date IDs.
RAPPORT 2012-13 Up & Running!
Last night we had over two dozen people at the kick-off to RAPPORT 2012-13, our RAPPORTientation! Folks from RAPPs XXIV-XXVII and ARJ 2012 were in attendance and we enjoyed conversation about a variety of current issues.
Check out the 2012-13 RAPPORT schedule!
Check out the 2012-13 RAPPORT schedule!
 |
| A group reading and discussing "Siks Are Not Muslims" Sends a Sinister Message |
 |
| A group reading and discussing Michelle Obama Undressed: Lost in Translation or Just Racist? |
 |
| A group reading and discussing two Student Press Law Center pieces on UC's Free Speech Zone |
Dear liberals, please stop appropriating Malcolm X
Liberals like Ta-Nehisi Coates are fond of comparing Barack Obama to Malcolm X. At Coates' blog, I outraged many liberals when I noted:
Coates objected, noting, "Malcolm's Ballot Or The Bullet speech is almost wholly premised on capitalism and an engagement with electoral politics."
Which is true, but shows a complete misunderstanding of Malcolm and socialism. Marx said, "Democracy is the road to socialism." Malcolm never advocated initiating violence; he said, "Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery."
After I quoted Malcolm's thoughts on capitalism, imperialism, and foreign war, Coates said:
But that's apparently why Coates said, "Barack Obama reminds me of Malcolm, in his bearing, in his sense of irony, and in the almost epic quality of narrative. But mostly it's in his curiosity about the world, in his deep belief in intelligence and altering your views as evidence presents itself. The great tragedy of Malcolm X's life is how that curiosity was circumscribed and perverted. The great joy of Barack Obama is seeing that curiosity unbounded and rewarded."
Dignity, irony, narrative, curiosity, intelligence, and flexibility are hardly unique to Malcolm. What was unique was what he learned, something the black bourgeoisie, by definition, is incapable of learning: poverty will be racially disproportionate until the world's wealth is shared.
Because bourgeois folks are especially sensitive to words, they were greatly upset over the suggestion Malcolm would use a word that he used:
Here are my favorite Malcolm X quotes.
And here are lightly-edited versions of older posts I've made about him:
1. Malcolm or Malik?
People who are obsessed with race like to talk about "Malcolm," because race was Malcolm X's obsession, too. But Malcolm X became El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. Identity mattered to him, and his changing names reflect his changing thought: Malcolm Little was not Malcolm X, and Malcolm X was not Malik El-Shabazz. Malcolm X believed that race mattered. Malik El-Shabazz believed that humanity did.
Malcolm X said, "Blacks and whites cannot live together and agitation for integration is suicidal."
Malik El-Shabazz said, "The earth's most expensive and pernicious evil is racism, the inability of God's creatures to live as One."
I respect Malcolm X, but I love Malik El-Shabazz.
2. Malcolm X on Afghanistan, I mean, Vietnam
His thoughts on Vietnam apply perfectly to Afghanistan if you substitute Karzai for Diem and the USSR for France. (Killing Diem doesn't apply, but I'm leaving it in 'cause I like the quote.)
Malcolm X in 1965, speaking about the US in Vietnam:
As Manning Marable notes in The missing Malcolm:
malcolm x - documents > the pierre berton interview
5. if you're interested in Malcolm X or Manning Marable's book about him
Tony Bouza 's Manning Marable's 'Malcolm X' is worth a read. I've known Bouza by reputation since he was the police chief of Minneapolis. He always impressed me as an honorable man; I'm not surprised that he admired Malcolm X and went to his funeral. While I'm sure there were plenty of cops who were glad to see Malcolm X die, I'm also sure there were others like Bouza. His take on the death of Malcolm X may not be accurate, but I'm sure it's honest and I find it convincing.
Malcolm X had very harsh things to say about capitalism and good things to say about socialists. Barack Obama, in many ways, continues the neoliberal policies of his predecessor. In Malcolm X's terms, Obama is a house-- Hmm. Do you have a policy on the n-word here?"Malcolm opposed colonialism, capitalism, and imperialist wars. The idea that he, a Muslim, would support Obama's wars in the Middle East is something only a liberal could believe.
Coates objected, noting, "Malcolm's Ballot Or The Bullet speech is almost wholly premised on capitalism and an engagement with electoral politics."
Which is true, but shows a complete misunderstanding of Malcolm and socialism. Marx said, "Democracy is the road to socialism." Malcolm never advocated initiating violence; he said, "Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery."
After I quoted Malcolm's thoughts on capitalism, imperialism, and foreign war, Coates said:
I thought about quoting from The Ballot Or The Bullet, and decided against it. People who are legitimately curious should read, and listen, to the speech themselves. I'd urge that, instead of playing this kind of game where we seek out quotes to buttress the particular analysis of Malcolm which we like. I'm writing specifically against that--not just for Malcolm X, but for everyone.
It is, as I've argued before, necromancy and comes from an unwillingness to accept people with all of their wrinkles and complications. It comes from a desire to make history into a comforter under which we so sweetly slumber in our ideology of choice. It's wrong when the neo-Confederates do it. It's wrong when the anti-capitalists do it.
Malcolm X does not have to be right. That's the whole point.But if that's the point, what's left? Why cite Malcolm X at all if you don't care whether he was right? Why would anyone call on the imagery and ignore the substance?
But that's apparently why Coates said, "Barack Obama reminds me of Malcolm, in his bearing, in his sense of irony, and in the almost epic quality of narrative. But mostly it's in his curiosity about the world, in his deep belief in intelligence and altering your views as evidence presents itself. The great tragedy of Malcolm X's life is how that curiosity was circumscribed and perverted. The great joy of Barack Obama is seeing that curiosity unbounded and rewarded."
Dignity, irony, narrative, curiosity, intelligence, and flexibility are hardly unique to Malcolm. What was unique was what he learned, something the black bourgeoisie, by definition, is incapable of learning: poverty will be racially disproportionate until the world's wealth is shared.
Because bourgeois folks are especially sensitive to words, they were greatly upset over the suggestion Malcolm would use a word that he used:
If the master's house caught on fire, the house Negro would fight harder to put the blaze out than the master would. If the master got sick, the house Negro would say, "What's the matter, boss, we sick?" We sick! He identified himself with his master, more than his master identified with himself. And if you came to the house Negro and said, "Let's run away, let's escape, let's separate," the house Negro would look at you and say, "Man, you crazy. What you mean, separate? Where is there a better house than this? Where can I wear better clothes than this? Where can I eat better food than this?" That was that house Negro. In those days he was called a "house nigger." And that's what we call them today, because we've still got some house niggers running around here.
Here are my favorite Malcolm X quotes.
And here are lightly-edited versions of older posts I've made about him:
1. Malcolm or Malik?
People who are obsessed with race like to talk about "Malcolm," because race was Malcolm X's obsession, too. But Malcolm X became El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. Identity mattered to him, and his changing names reflect his changing thought: Malcolm Little was not Malcolm X, and Malcolm X was not Malik El-Shabazz. Malcolm X believed that race mattered. Malik El-Shabazz believed that humanity did.
Malcolm X said, "Blacks and whites cannot live together and agitation for integration is suicidal."
Malik El-Shabazz said, "The earth's most expensive and pernicious evil is racism, the inability of God's creatures to live as One."
I respect Malcolm X, but I love Malik El-Shabazz.
2. Malcolm X on Afghanistan, I mean, Vietnam
His thoughts on Vietnam apply perfectly to Afghanistan if you substitute Karzai for Diem and the USSR for France. (Killing Diem doesn't apply, but I'm leaving it in 'cause I like the quote.)
Malcolm X in 1965, speaking about the US in Vietnam:
You put the government on the spot when you even mention Vietnam. They feel embarrassed - you notice that?... It's just a trap that they let themselves get into. ... But they're trapped, they can't get out. You notice I said 'they.' They are trapped, They can't get out. If they pour more men in, they'll get deeper. If they pull the men out, it's a defeat. And they should have known that in the first place. France had about 200,000 Frenchmen over there, and the most highly mechanized modern army sitting on this earth. And those little rice farmers ate them up, and their tanks, and everything else. Yes, they did, and France was deeply entrenched, had been there a hundred or more years. Now, if she couldn't stay there and was entrenched, why, you are out of your mind if you think Sam can get in over there. But we're not supposed to say that. If we say that, we're anti-American, or we're seditious, or we're subversive... They put Diem over there. Diem took all their money, all their war equipment and everything else, and got them trapped. Then they killed him. Yes, they killed him, murdered him in cold blood, him and his brother, Madame Nhu's husband, because they were embarrassed. They found out that they had made him strong and he was turning against them... You know, when the puppet starts talking back to the puppeteer, the puppeteer is in bad shape...3. when reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X...
As Manning Marable notes in The missing Malcolm:
Malcolm did not have access to the final manuscript. He didn’t see it. And it was published nine months after Malcolm’s death. Betty Shabazz was in no shape to check and recheck facts. So all that says to me is you have to read the autobiography very, very carefully, very suspiciously. It’s a wonderful book. It is a great work of literature. But it is a work of literature. It is not an autobiography. It’s a memoir. And it’s gone through the prism of Haley who was a Republican, integrationist, and a defender of U.S. power.4. highly recommended
malcolm x - documents > the pierre berton interview
5. if you're interested in Malcolm X or Manning Marable's book about him
Tony Bouza 's Manning Marable's 'Malcolm X' is worth a read. I've known Bouza by reputation since he was the police chief of Minneapolis. He always impressed me as an honorable man; I'm not surprised that he admired Malcolm X and went to his funeral. While I'm sure there were plenty of cops who were glad to see Malcolm X die, I'm also sure there were others like Bouza. His take on the death of Malcolm X may not be accurate, but I'm sure it's honest and I find it convincing.
More Quick Videos: Why Join RAPP?
RAPP XXVIII applications are due by this Friday, August 31st! After last night's RAPPORTientation (RAPPORT Orientation), several RAPP alumn stuck around to share their thoughts on why folks should join RAPP.
If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about RAPP for 2012-13 and/or applying, head over to www.uc.edu/sald/rapp/9month.html!
If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about RAPP for 2012-13 and/or applying, head over to www.uc.edu/sald/rapp/9month.html!
A Fierce Epidemic
By Nicole Hodnett
 | ||
|
'If only'
Hiv/Aids has grown to be a fierce academic in the republic of South Africa and if the youth of today fails to be educated enough the future of this beautiful country will be in dire strait.
Statistics of Hiv/Aids are getting fierce, impulsive comments are being thrown at our youth, policemen are pulling the trigger without a second thought and corruption in government is ever so fierce. We ought to fear for the future of this beautiful country.
It all stems from apartheid. Like the devil in disguise the mind-set of our forefathers still stays etched within the depths of our psyche. Reasons for so much corruption amongst South African citizens today stems from 1 thing, poverty.
Today’s democracy comes with severe responsibility, especially with the youth of today. More and more young people are getting hit with the stigma of Hiv/Aids.
Based on statistics, sample of 32,225 women attending 1,424 antenatal clinics across all nine provinces, the South African Department of Health study estimates that 30.2% of pregnant women (aged 15-49) were living with Hiv in 2010.
South Africa has one of the fastest expanding epidemics in the world.
In our real stories gallery (www.realstoriesgallery.com),anorganisation endeavouring to educate society about the Hiv/Aids epidemic that has instated a partnership programme with Art for Humanity.
I spoke to Isabella Malgas, 81, who had a lot to say about the youth of today and during her time.
‘We couldn’t even kiss our boyfriends without going to confession first, everything today is tainted including the food’, she said.
Art for Humanity initiated the Break the Silence Hiv/Aids print in 2000 to instil a greater sense of social morality within the consciousness of our society.
A break the silence artist, Dominic Thorburn expresses the responsibility of halting the horrific Hiv/Aids pandemic and needs to be communally shouldered through emphatic, coordinated and unified national intervention.
What we're doing at the Minnesota State Fair
Emma covers the basics best: Dark Roast - Meet me at the Fair...
We love the State Fair so much.
But we do not love the Republican legislature's ballot measures to restrict voting and marriage rights, so we're doing our little bit to encourage Minnesotans to Vote No 2012.
Quick Video: Why Join RAPP?
We ran into so many RAPPers at the 2012 Student Activities Fair that a person-on-the-street video made sense! Check out these folks' thoughts on why people should join RAPP:
RAPP XXVIII applications are due this Friday, August 31st! You can learn more about the program and download an application at www.uc.edu/sald/rapp/9month.html.
RAPP XXVIII applications are due this Friday, August 31st! You can learn more about the program and download an application at www.uc.edu/sald/rapp/9month.html.
RAPP at the 2012 Student Activities Fair
Farooq (XXVII) and Jojo (XXIV) staff our table for the two-hour event, getting nearly 20 people signed up for the recruitment process and giving an additional 50 more people interest forms!
Be sure to catch us at more fun welcome events this week, including Thursday's Hispanic Student Welcome and Friday's Asian Student Welcome!
about Socialist Bible Verses
I've made a blog for Socialist Bible Verses and other things I've written about Christianity, Judaism, and the need to share. If I post anything new there, I'll mention it here.
In totally unrelated news, I was amused by a search string that brought someone to this blog: "I hate social justice warriors."
In totally unrelated news, I was amused by a search string that brought someone to this blog: "I hate social justice warriors."
about Social Justice Warriors: Do Not Engage
I'm done ranting posting about scifi’s Social Justice Warriors on this blog. If you want more, visit my dedicated blog, Social Justice Warriors: Do Not Engage. The first new post there is Social Justice Warriors, Self-Righteousness, and The Merciless War on Unconscious Racism.
RAPP at Arts and Sciences 2012 Welcome Day
On Friday we enjoyed a beautiful, sunny lunchtime with the new first-year students of McMicken College of Arts & Sciences Welcome Day event! RAPP leaders Matthew (XXVI) and Jojo (XXIV) promoted RAPP and SALD - and enjoyed some snacks and dancing with the new Bearcats.
We got to end the time connecting with Dean Ron Jackson, new Dean of McMicken and RAPP III alum!
.JPG) |
| Matthew & Jojo welcome folks to the RAPP/SALD booth! |
.JPG) |
| A crowd shot early in the event! |
how racist am I? on Project Implicit and other tests for racism
For most of my life, I believed the theory that inspired the Avenue Q song, “Everyone’s a little bit racist”.
Then, wondering how racist I was, I took the race test at Project Implicit. I was scared. Was I a little racist? A lot? I didn’t think I was especially racist, but I knew I had been raised “white” in a society that valued “whiteness”—maybe I was more racist than I suspected. All I could do was pray I didn’t have a strong unconscious prejudice for white folks.
The result:
Your data suggest a slight automatic preference for African American compared to European American.
That startled me, but when my wife and another "white" friend also found they had implicit preferences for African Americans, I realized the notion everyone’s racist is nonsense. Our biases come from our reaction to our culture, not from our culture itself—every culture creates people who want to improve it.
Project Implicit debunked the idea that everyone favors their race:
75-80% of self-identified Whites and Asians show an implicit preference for racial White relative to Black.
Saying everyone is racist is nonsense. Saying three-fourths of the population has some implicit preference for their race might be accurate, but as Project Implicit’s researchers note, an implicit preference may not have a practical effect on the way people live their lives.
More importantly, people may be less racist than Project Implicit implies.
In a series of scathing critiques, some psychologists have argued that this computerized tool, the Implicit Association Test, or I.A.T., has methodological problems and uses arbitrary classifications of bias. If Barack Obama’s victory seemed surprising, these critics say, it’s partly because social scientists helped create the false impression that three-quarters of whites are unconsciously biased against blacks.
Whether Project Implicit’s conclusions are right or its critics are, anyone who thinks everyone's racist has fallen for an unscientific notion promoted by their friends or is projecting on everyone else their recognition of their own racism.
Every test I’ve found rejects the idea that everyone’s racist. Here are two:
“Color Blind or Just Plain Blind?” tells of researchers who "created a situation in the laboratory in which white participants witnessed a staged emergency involving a black or white victim". They found:
When white participants believed that they were the only witness [to an accident] they helped both white and black victims very frequently (over 85 percent of the time) and equivalently. There was no evidence of blatant racism. In contrast, when they thought there were other witnesses, they helped black victims only half as often as white victims (38 percent versus 75 percent).
“The Police Officer's Dilemma” from Stereotyping & Prejudice Research Laboratory at the University of Chicago takes a pragmatic approach to uncovering implicit preference. In a videogame shooter scenario, you must distinguish between people of different races. Some are innocent. Some have guns. If you’re too slow to react, you may be killed. If you’re too fast, you may kill innocent people.
My first time through the test, I shot one or two more innocent dark people than pale ones—whether that's statistically insignificant or my encounters with SJ Warriors had made me a bit racist, I don't know. The second time, I shot one or two more innocent pale folks than dark ones. I'm content with the result.
Tutor Training on Diversity & Cultural Competence
While many other Bearcats are buzzing about campus with Welcome Weekend activities, these student leaders are participating in a multi-day Tutor training. One of the many topics they're training on was Diversity & Cultural Competence. RAPP staff got to spend an hour in discussion with the group of five dozen Bearcats as we explored how diversity & cultural competence relates to their Tutor role, dove into issues of diversity at UC, and reflected on five key skills of inclusive leadership that can enhance their work and growth in their role.
RAPP offers free workshops and trainings to the UC and Cincinnati community. Learn how you can schedule a free session with us through our Outreach page.
Talkin' Bout my Generation - Tomorrow!
WelcomeWeekend 2012
Come on a journey with us! This award-winning play will surely bring down the house.
FREE DINNER!
Talkin' Bout My Generation
Saturday, August 25
4:00-6:00 P.M.
Tangeman University Center Cinema
Presented by the LGBTQ Center, Women's Center, Enough is Enough, Student Wellness Center, African American Cultural & Resource Center, and Ethnic Programs & Services
FREE DINNER!
Talkin' Bout My Generation
Saturday, August 25
4:00-6:00 P.M.
Tangeman University Center Cinema
Presented by the LGBTQ Center, Women's Center, Enough is Enough, Student Wellness Center, African American Cultural & Resource Center, and Ethnic Programs & Services
"Tabling Season" Hits Early in 2012!
 |
| The RAPP info table staffed by Kevin, Jojo, and Mel! |
RAPP Intern Brice Mickey again coordinated volunteers for tables this year. Yesterday afternoon was our first big one of fall semester: The International Student Welcome Coffee Hour, an annual event hosted by UC International.
Many thanks to Kevin W (XXVI), Jojo (XXIV), and Mel (XXVI) for promoting RAPP at the event!
Yet Another Killing Spree
Within the short space of a few weeks, the nation has witnessed two separate instances involving a lone gunman who has taken innocent lives using that implement of death that has become so ubiquitous in our nation, the gun. Each of these horrific instances took place in different settings - one occurred at a movie theatre in Colorado during the showing of the latest Batman movie and the other took place at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin while individuals in attendance were involved in worship. Although the apparent motives of the killers involved were uniquely different, the fact that both men were seriously mentally deranged is quite clear.
Although it may serve some cathartic purpose to level all the communal anger and frustration at the killers, it does little to address the underlying societal malaise. Any human society will necessarily have members who, for whatever reason, are so mentally unstable that within the fever of their own misguided and distorted thinking they see the need to exact punishment on others. The larger question, however, needs to be addressed – How are such individuals able to procure such deadly weapons?
The answer to this question is quite obvious and it lies within the purview of national policy. A rational society would place reasonable restrictions and limitations on the ability of ordinary citizens to obtain firearms. Most nations attempt to do just that. In the United States, however, reasoned judgment has been held hostage by the extraordinary economic and political clout of the National Rifle Association (NRA) – an organization that has managed to turn gun control into a so-called, "hot button" social issue. The NRA is backed by corporate interests that actually make huge profits in the selling of firearms not only domestically but around the world.
In addition, there has been a disturbing trend in many states, Arizona and Florida for example, where legislation has been passed that liberalizes even further the "right" to bear arms to the remarkable extreme that gun owners have been given the legal authority to shoot individuals who they feel is a threat to their safety whether or not such a threat actually exists. This represents a very disturbing trend in social development – a culture in which an overwhelming majority of citizens feel the need to possess and bear arms does not suggest a productive and viable future.
Given the long history of this nature's apparent affinity towards violence and barbarism as the recent anniversary of the horrific atomic bombings of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki suggests, it is possible that the current trend is essentially irreversible. In my estimation, our proclivity towards addressing vexing problems through the application of violence as an integral part of our foreign policy is inseparable from the readily apparent trends in the ways we have come to relate to one another in the life of the nation. If this is so, we can anticipate an unpalatable future; unless, we collectively begin to apply sound and reasonable judgment to the problems we face in the present.
Supplemental Instruction Leader Training on Diversity & Cultural Competence
Here's what that is, according to the SI website:
Supplemental Instruction (SI) is a series of weekly review sessions for students in "historically difficult courses" — courses in subjects with a high rate of D or F grades and withdrawals. SI is provided for all students who want to improve their understanding of the course material and improve their grades.
These review sessions are facilitated by SI Leaders, who are students who demonstrated success in the topic and are trained to facilitate students' learning in these review sessions.
The week before classes start, these SI Leaders participant in a multi-day training. One of the topics was Diversity & Cultural Competence. RAPP staff got to spend an hour in discussion with the group as we explored how diversity & cultural competence relates to their SI Leader role, defined diversity at UC and how we are each a part of it, and played with five key skills of inclusive leadership that can enhance their work and growth in their role.
The Department of Colored Opportunity
By Nicole Hodnett
A man of 16 waits to complete his arithmetic exam for his apprenticeship. He has a heart of gold and the intelligence that had the potential to exceed boundaries. He has one thing in mind when completing it,‘I am doing this for my family’
According to South African history, South Africa was colonized by the English and Dutch in the 17th century .English of the Dutch descendants (known as the Boers and Afrikaners) resulted in the Dutch establishing the new colonies of Orange Free and Transvaal.
With the enactment of Apartheid laws in 1948, racial discrimination was institutionalized. Race laws touched every aspect of social life, including a prohibition of marriage between non-whites and whites, and the sanctioning of ‘white jobs only’. In 1950, the Population act required that all South Africans be racially classified into one of four categories, black, white, Indian and coloured.
According to South African History, long before the inception of apartheid ‘Coloured ‘people in South Africa occupied this precarious position between white and black South Africans. This position was intensified during Apartheid by the creation of a separate identity, reinforced by the various apartheid laws that strived to keep racial groups apart. Some of these laws included the Mixed Marriages act, immorality act and the Group areas act.
As a journalist of the arts I get inspired by everything I witness whether its good or bad. I still take it as an experience and inspiration for my future articles. My inspiration for choosing to be a journalist was an inspiration from my parents and everything they went through to get to where they are today. Apartheid was a true struggle.
I spoke to that man that was once 16 years old as he sits in his home.
“If I lived in your age of generation, I would of definitely went to University, but coloured men were limited with what they wanted to study’, he said.
Back in the day opportunities were limited for the person of colour. Nowadays with Democracy in our grasp, the world is our oyster.
A man of 60 waits at his daughters PhD graduation at the University of Cape Town .He has a heart of Gold and the intelligence that he passed down to his children. Even though opportunity was restricted for him during apartheid he always had this in mind,
‘I am doing this for my family.
His name is Stanley Hodnett and He is my father. I love you daddy!!!
2012-13 RAPP Leaders Pre-Service Training
More detailed biographies will come later, but in the meantime meet the 2012-13 team:
Brice Mickey (back row, center) - RAPP XXVIII Facilitator, RAPP XXVI Peer Leader, Social Justice League 2010-2012, RAPP XXV alum
Farooq Alkhateeb (back row, left) - RAPP XXVIII Peer Leader, RAPP XXVII alum
Jamiesone Williams (front row, center) - RAPPORT 2012-13 Facilitator, RAPP XXVII alum
Kristin Myers-Young (back row, right) - RAPP XXVIII Peer Leader, RAPP XXV alum
Rebecca Lehman (front row, left) - Program Coordinator, RAPP XXII alum
Tianshu Lu (front row, right) - RAPP XXVIII Peer Leader, RAPP XXVI alum
Accelerating Racial Justice 2012!
We did it! RAPP successfully premiered a new intensive: Accelerating Racial Justice!
Sixteen UC students participated in the inaugural run, diving wholeheartedly into the challenges of racial justice and inclusive leadership. Nine students and staff led the experience as ARJ staff.
Check us out below!
Many thanks to the outstanding, creative, and hard-working committee of folks who helped make ARJ a possibility!
Sixteen UC students participated in the inaugural run, diving wholeheartedly into the challenges of racial justice and inclusive leadership. Nine students and staff led the experience as ARJ staff.
Check us out below!
 |
| Our official group photo for the RAPP Office. We're excited to be displayed as the first in what will hopefully soon grow into a wall of ARJ photos! |
Participants spent sessions in a variety of groupings: solo work, pair work, trios, small groups, half groups, racial groupings, and the large group. Each day, people also spent time with their Small Group - 6-7 people with whom they built intentional relationship as well as worked with to give feedback on the day. Each group was facilitated by a Peer Leader.
 |
| Jalisa's Small Group: Peggy Shannon-Baker, Kara Mate, Maesa Idries, Taylor Turnbull, Brian Barney, and Jalisa Holifield |
 |
| Laura's Small Group: Sally Amkoa, Greg Gamble, Naila Merchant, Ryan Fox, Vicky Nguyen, Laura Perez, and Ben Kitchen |
 |
| Matt's Small Group: Kate Khazanova, Jazmyn Battie, Kenzie Austin, Kenny Day, Matt Miller, and Amanda Pancioli |
 |
| ARJ 2012 Staff: Rebecca Lehman, Laura Perez, Jalisa Holifield, Melissa Meyer, Ani Naik, Jojo Azevedo, Matthew Woodruff, Matt Miller, and Shyamal Ruparel |
Many thanks to the outstanding, creative, and hard-working committee of folks who helped make ARJ a possibility!
Alleged Defiance of the Unmoved Miners
By Sphe Masondo
Tomorrow a memorial service will be held for more than 46 dead mine workers of Lonmin platinum mine in Rustenburg.
An eyewitnesses account published in the Sunday Times dated August 19th ,2012 highlights how 3000 miners ,who were defiant and “unmoved” had gathered at the koppie which they had adopted as a gathering area demanding to see management “we want management to come talk to us ,’ thy demanded. Therefore the question is how did this demand urn into what has been labelled as the “bloodiest day in post –apartheid SA”? Which side to take whose action should be condoned and whose should be condemned?
According to an extract from the Sunday Times, the police had used all available alternatives before using live ammunition, in a section that reads “at 4 pm water cannons were used but this didn’t deter most workers. Then came the tear gas...then the first shots were heard.
On the frontline a large number of miners were walking and crouching along the pathway and moving from the koppie. This may have been a distraction, as a mob of workers, armed with rocks and bricks were seen heading towards the police –crouching low I the bushes like warriors in the middle of a war. It was then that the police opened fire-rubber bullets at first .then several shots of live ammunition were heard.
Then for barely three minutes, all hell broke loose as what sounded like firecrackers that reverberated all around, with police firing their automatic weapons and pistols. When he dust settled blood soaked bodies lay on the ground”, these were dead mine workers who only wanted management to speak to them.
Looking at these circumstances its beyond obvious that people were robbed of rights and died fighting against an injustice. AFHs new project seeks to educate and promote human rights education in South Africa. It stated in its aims that: “in light of the many social injustices facing South Africa 15 years into our democracy” AFH seeks to embark on an Art and Poetry project whereby we wish to inspire all south Africans with a new realisation of the value and significance to us all of this very important document ‘the South African Bill of Rights.
Therefore believing that there is a way through art and poetry that we can unpack the social ills facing our south African society such as this of Lonmin mine workers who died whilst fighting social and economic problems which were leaving them in poverty through low salaries, deprivation which sets a struggle to the future wellbeing of all those the Bill of rights is meant to protect. South Africa has a young constitutional democracy that needs not only to be protected at all times but also needs to be continuously brought to the attention of all South Africans. The following observations illustrate the social, cultural and economic threats to our Bill of Rights. South Africans comprise a divided society in terms of racial relations, economically between extreme poverty on the one hand and extreme wealth on the other. AFH bridges Human Rights and the Arts advocacy and educational objectives by making visible the ethical values as contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights through the visual arts and the creative articulation as in poetry.
Therefore without choosing sides lets tackle these issues head with all possible avenues if the politicians and society weak, let’s make art and poetry be the platform that we can use to communicate these flaws in order to make sure that our Bill of Rights does not become undermined by those in power.
on "nigger" and "niggerlover" and "n-word"
This is another grabbag of old posts on a theme, inspired in part by the kerfuffle over Weird Tales and Save the Pearls. The most sensible post about it that I've seen is The World in the Satin Bag: The Weird Tales / Save the Pearls Fiasco: Preliminary Reactions.
• defining "nigger"
“If you define 'niggers' as someone whose lifestyle is defined by others, whose opportunities are defined by others, whose role in society are defined by others, then Good News! You don't have to be black to be a 'nigger' in this society. Most of the people in America are 'niggers'.” —Ron Dellums, co-founder and chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus.
• Henry Louis Gates, Jr. on speech codes
from Presidential Lectures: Henry Louis Gates, Jr.: Commentary: J. Slaughter:
• "No’m. Killed a nigger."
What happens in a novel does not necessarily represent a writer’s belief.* Some people misread Huckleberry Finn because it uses “nigger” and has this scathing bit of dialogue that demonstrates the thorough racism of the South at the height of US slavery:
* There must be a lit'ry term for this, but it's escaping me at the moment.
• about The Nigger of the Narcissus
At Sea with the N-Word by Mikita Brottman: "I don’t know how The N-Word of the Narcissus is selling, but the radical change of title does seem to be a pointless move. If the book’s original name is considered too offensive to use, then why not simply publish it under the alternative title Conrad chose for it, The Children of the Sea? As a matter of fact, this is how the novel was first issued in the U.S. because the publisher, Dodd, Mead and Company, felt no one would be interested in a book with the word “nigger” in its title. Did the US publishers display a racial sensitivity that was ahead of their time? Hardly. They simply thought that a book about a black man couldn’t possibly sell."
• Louis CK on bad words
Louis C.K - Cunt & Nigger - YouTube
The first two minutes are about "cunt." They're amusing. At two minutes in, he talks about "the n-word." No, not about "nigger." About "the n-word." I agree 100%.
• Boss Nigger, a blaxploitation film written and co-produced by its star, Fred Williamson
Boss Nigger - Wikipedia
Boss Nigger trailer:
• a reluctant defense of Laura Schlessinger
I don't like the woman any more than anyone left of Jerry Falwell does, but let's be clear: She didn't call anyone a "nigger." She merely observed that the word is often used in some places and taboo in others. If she had said, "Turn on HBO and and all you hear is motherfucker, motherfucker, motherfucker..." would there be this much outrage? If anything, progressives would defend her, because the right to speak taboo words was once a free speech issue.
As Lenny Bruce knew too well. Amusingly, the first video I could find of his famous routine is from the movie about his life, so here's Dustin Hoffman:
If anyone has any evidence that making words forbidden improves people's attitudes about race, please let me know. This seems to be another issue of faith by Critical Race Theorists.
• Patti Smith - "Rock and Roll Nigger'
The comments at youtube (when I read them) are surprisingly insightful: Patti Smith "Rock n' Roll nigger". Maybe my favorites:
This version starts with Dick Cavett interviewing Lennon:
• Chris Rock, classist creep
YouTube - Chris Rock-Niggas Vs. Black People Pt 1
He focuses on poor blacks for most of this, then gets to poor whites at the end. It's fascinating that he saw, in a raw, despise-the-poor way, the class divide that has 40% of black Americans saying there are now two black races.
Note the venue. The only poor folks in there were either showing the people who could afford those tickets to their seats or waiting to clean up after the audience had left. Now, Rock is funny. But his humor here is all about class rage.
I was reminded of his routine by David Mills: The 'Nigger' Top 10.
• on Leadbelly's "Bourgeois Blues" and the Bowdlers of the world
From Wikipedia: "In all but the earliest recording of the song, the original line "Some white folk in Washington / they know just how, call a colored man a nigger just to see him bow" was altered to "give a colored man a nickel just to see him bow", presumably to avoid causing offense." In another place, Leadbelly says he heard a white man saying he didn't want a "Negro" around.
In Ry Cooder's version, Cooder uses "nigger" in both places on the grounds that's how Leadbelly wrote it.
A modern Reverend Bowdler would say the word's too racist to repeat, especially by a white guy, and should be changed to something nicer. After all, didn't Leadbelly change it?
Yes. Leadbelly changed it for middle-class folks who value words more than reality. My biggest complaint with the Bowdlers of the world is they don't respect art. Some things are supposed to shock. Words have power—that's why the Bowdlers want to control them. Cooder, singing the original words, hits the audience harder than Leadbelly does when he pulls his punches.
Mind you, I'm not criticizing Leadbelly. A black recording artist in the 1930s had hard, hard choices.
• You can call me Niggerlover
A social justice warrior once asked me not to call her "Dude," and then called me "William", which no one has ever done. I said I preferred "Will" or "Shetterly" or "Your Awesomeness." But I forgot to add that "Niggerlover" is fine, too. That's what racists called me when they beat me back during the civil rights struggle, so I earned it with blood. And after taking the race test at Project Implicit, I found I'm in the surprisingly large minority of white people who have an implicit preference for black folks, so it's very accurate.
Hmm. Which makes it a little surprising that I ended up with a white woman. There is a black woman in my romantic history who I often wished I could see again.
But then, there was a black guy who never knew Emma had a crush on him. Maybe her crush and mine are very happy together now, but once in a while, they think wistfully of us....
Let's end with some James Brown:
I started this post wanting to write something profound about insults and love, because I've always thought "niggerlover" was a bizarre insult in an ostensibly Christian culture. But I just wasn't in the mood for serious.
• defining "nigger"
“If you define 'niggers' as someone whose lifestyle is defined by others, whose opportunities are defined by others, whose role in society are defined by others, then Good News! You don't have to be black to be a 'nigger' in this society. Most of the people in America are 'niggers'.” —Ron Dellums, co-founder and chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus.
• Henry Louis Gates, Jr. on speech codes
from Presidential Lectures: Henry Louis Gates, Jr.: Commentary: J. Slaughter:
People do bad things, things they know that are bad, for what they feel at the moment were good reasons. One is to institute speech codes. Trample all over the First Amendment, the right of free speech, because we decide that using certain language hurts our fellow human beings--it demeans their humanity. While that might seem like a good idea, the long-term consequences on the right to free expression are far greater than whatever immediate hurt or pain a woman would feel for being called a bitch or a black would feel for being called a nigger. If we're talking about actual physical harm, laws against that exist already. It's not worth it to me to assuage the pain by killing off the First Amendment.
Speech codes are symbolic acts. They let a group of people say, 'This symbolizes that we at the University of Wisconsin are not the sort of community where we would tolerate someone saying the word 'rigger.'' Well, big deal. But there are other symbolic consequences, like what's the effect on freedom of inquiry. I think we're all bigger and more secure than that. I think we have to allow people to say even unpopular things and nasty things in order to protect the right of us to attack our government and say whatever's on our minds.
What happens in a novel does not necessarily represent a writer’s belief.* Some people misread Huckleberry Finn because it uses “nigger” and has this scathing bit of dialogue that demonstrates the thorough racism of the South at the height of US slavery:
“We blowed out a cylinder-head.”Huckleberry Finn is the story of a boy learning that “niggers” are people. Some anti-racists demand that it not be taught in school and call for its removal from libraries because it is “racist.” It is not racist. It is challenging.
“Good gracious! anybody hurt?”
“No’m. Killed a nigger.”
“Well, it’s lucky; because sometimes people do get hurt.”
* There must be a lit'ry term for this, but it's escaping me at the moment.
• about The Nigger of the Narcissus
At Sea with the N-Word by Mikita Brottman: "I don’t know how The N-Word of the Narcissus is selling, but the radical change of title does seem to be a pointless move. If the book’s original name is considered too offensive to use, then why not simply publish it under the alternative title Conrad chose for it, The Children of the Sea? As a matter of fact, this is how the novel was first issued in the U.S. because the publisher, Dodd, Mead and Company, felt no one would be interested in a book with the word “nigger” in its title. Did the US publishers display a racial sensitivity that was ahead of their time? Hardly. They simply thought that a book about a black man couldn’t possibly sell."
• Louis CK on bad words
Louis C.K - Cunt & Nigger - YouTube
The first two minutes are about "cunt." They're amusing. At two minutes in, he talks about "the n-word." No, not about "nigger." About "the n-word." I agree 100%.
• Boss Nigger, a blaxploitation film written and co-produced by its star, Fred Williamson
Boss Nigger - Wikipedia
Boss Nigger trailer:
• a reluctant defense of Laura Schlessinger
I don't like the woman any more than anyone left of Jerry Falwell does, but let's be clear: She didn't call anyone a "nigger." She merely observed that the word is often used in some places and taboo in others. If she had said, "Turn on HBO and and all you hear is motherfucker, motherfucker, motherfucker..." would there be this much outrage? If anything, progressives would defend her, because the right to speak taboo words was once a free speech issue.
As Lenny Bruce knew too well. Amusingly, the first video I could find of his famous routine is from the movie about his life, so here's Dustin Hoffman:
If anyone has any evidence that making words forbidden improves people's attitudes about race, please let me know. This seems to be another issue of faith by Critical Race Theorists.
• Patti Smith - "Rock and Roll Nigger'
The comments at youtube (when I read them) are surprisingly insightful: Patti Smith "Rock n' Roll nigger". Maybe my favorites:
My friend worked at a hotel kitchen, and was playing this song on the kitchen boom box. The manager told him to turn if off because it sounded racist, so Matt got all the black people in the kitchen together, told them the lyrics and philosophy behind the song, and asked the brothers, "Is this racist?" There was a unanimous, "No."And:
[They then said, "You want to end racism in the workplace? Why are all the dishwashers black, and all the cooks white?"]
It's unfortunate that the Afro-American movement didn't make "nigger" an honorific as the Gay movement made "queer"--i.e., "Queer Studies," the queer vision.• "Woman is the Nigger of the World" - John Lennon
This version starts with Dick Cavett interviewing Lennon:
• Chris Rock, classist creep
YouTube - Chris Rock-Niggas Vs. Black People Pt 1
He focuses on poor blacks for most of this, then gets to poor whites at the end. It's fascinating that he saw, in a raw, despise-the-poor way, the class divide that has 40% of black Americans saying there are now two black races.
Note the venue. The only poor folks in there were either showing the people who could afford those tickets to their seats or waiting to clean up after the audience had left. Now, Rock is funny. But his humor here is all about class rage.
I was reminded of his routine by David Mills: The 'Nigger' Top 10.
• on Leadbelly's "Bourgeois Blues" and the Bowdlers of the world
From Wikipedia: "In all but the earliest recording of the song, the original line "Some white folk in Washington / they know just how, call a colored man a nigger just to see him bow" was altered to "give a colored man a nickel just to see him bow", presumably to avoid causing offense." In another place, Leadbelly says he heard a white man saying he didn't want a "Negro" around.
In Ry Cooder's version, Cooder uses "nigger" in both places on the grounds that's how Leadbelly wrote it.
A modern Reverend Bowdler would say the word's too racist to repeat, especially by a white guy, and should be changed to something nicer. After all, didn't Leadbelly change it?
Yes. Leadbelly changed it for middle-class folks who value words more than reality. My biggest complaint with the Bowdlers of the world is they don't respect art. Some things are supposed to shock. Words have power—that's why the Bowdlers want to control them. Cooder, singing the original words, hits the audience harder than Leadbelly does when he pulls his punches.
Mind you, I'm not criticizing Leadbelly. A black recording artist in the 1930s had hard, hard choices.
• You can call me Niggerlover
A social justice warrior once asked me not to call her "Dude," and then called me "William", which no one has ever done. I said I preferred "Will" or "Shetterly" or "Your Awesomeness." But I forgot to add that "Niggerlover" is fine, too. That's what racists called me when they beat me back during the civil rights struggle, so I earned it with blood. And after taking the race test at Project Implicit, I found I'm in the surprisingly large minority of white people who have an implicit preference for black folks, so it's very accurate.
Hmm. Which makes it a little surprising that I ended up with a white woman. There is a black woman in my romantic history who I often wished I could see again.
But then, there was a black guy who never knew Emma had a crush on him. Maybe her crush and mine are very happy together now, but once in a while, they think wistfully of us....
Let's end with some James Brown:
"Said the long hair hippies and the afro blacks
They all get together across the tracks
And they party..."
I started this post wanting to write something profound about insults and love, because I've always thought "niggerlover" was a bizarre insult in an ostensibly Christian culture. But I just wasn't in the mood for serious.
this is the method of the enemy
The title's another popular search string for this blog, so:
WWII-era poster via Vagabond Scholar: Torture Versus Freedom
It's funny (not) how liberals have stopped talking about torture since Obama took over. But if you think it's gone away because he changed the regulations, here're a few of the results of a very quick googling:
At Guantanamo tribunals, don't mention the 'T' word - US news - NBCNews.com
Obama Administration Outsources Torture: Can U.S. Ever End Human Rights Abuses?
Obama sued over indefinite detention and torture of Americans act — RT
Chomsky: Bush kidnapped and tortured, Obama murders | The Raw Story
It's funny (not) how liberals have stopped talking about torture since Obama took over. But if you think it's gone away because he changed the regulations, here're a few of the results of a very quick googling:
At Guantanamo tribunals, don't mention the 'T' word - US news - NBCNews.com
Obama Administration Outsources Torture: Can U.S. Ever End Human Rights Abuses?
Obama sued over indefinite detention and torture of Americans act — RT
Chomsky: Bush kidnapped and tortured, Obama murders | The Raw Story
you want some Gahan Wilson?
Gahan Wilson searchers come to my blog. I've been a fan of his work most of my life, but so far as I know, there are only two reasons Google connects him to me: he did a sweet review of Dogland (alas, not on the web), and I once shared a cartoon that I found at Chris McLaren: Bachelors, Playboy, Cartoons.
Be sure to visit the Gahan Wilson Virtual Museum.
Be sure to visit the Gahan Wilson Virtual Museum.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)