Commentary: Plastic: What we eat and breathe
Take a deep breath, drink a glass of water, eat a snack. If you do any of these things, it’s likely that you are also inhaling and ingesting tiny particles of plastic, as much as a credit card’s weight each week. Plastic pollution is everywhere, including in our bodies. From the moment plastic production took off in the 1950s, manufacturers needed to convince people that they … [Read more...] about Commentary: Plastic: What we eat and breathe
On Asian fetishization and the humanity of migrants
by Donald H. Harrison At the end of last month, we ran an article by Korean-American Kelsey Kloza about what she described as “Asian fetishization” by which American males tend to construe any Asian woman as an “exotic and erotic two-dimensional object designed only for tempting male characters into forbidden pleasures.” She commented that for too long she had failed to … [Read more...] about On Asian fetishization and the humanity of migrants
GUILTY, GUILTY, GUILTY(CARTOON AND COLUMN)
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty yesterday on all three counts he was charged with. He will be going to jail for a very long time as he may receive a sentence of 40 years. As my colleagues Mike Luckovich and Steve Sack both drew yesterday, the jury gave a verdict that “black lives matter.” Black lives do matter, but in this country, for too … [Read more...] about GUILTY, GUILTY, GUILTY(CARTOON AND COLUMN)
Editorial: Pandering to the base: Florida protects Confederate holidays, makes felons of protesters
We’re just days away from an official Florida holiday that honors the war dead. The Confederate war dead. Florida remains one of a handful of Southern states that still has a separate, state-sanctioned legal holiday for the soldiers who fought to secede from the union in order to preserve the institution of slavery. Confederate Memorial Day in Florida is on April 26, the day … [Read more...] about Editorial: Pandering to the base: Florida protects Confederate holidays, makes felons of protesters
Needed Gun Laws
How can America solve its problem with guns? Our nation has more deaths and serious injuries due to guns than any other nation in the world. In fact, we probably have more gun deaths than all the other nations in the world combined. Recently, we have seen mass killings by guns on at least a weekly basis. Yet we can’t seem to get a handle on the gun dilemma and cut down on gun … [Read more...] about Needed Gun Laws
‘Last Straw’: Americans confront racism, violence in Chauvin trial
By Brad Brooks (Reuters) - The trial and conviction of former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin for murdering George Floyd came with America at a crossroads, a moment of anguish, but also of possibility, which historians and activists compared to the Civil Rights era. From policing and race relations to the criminal justice system, the three-week trial of Derek Chauvin became … [Read more...] about ‘Last Straw’: Americans confront racism, violence in Chauvin trial
Derek Chauvin: convicted Floyd killer, face of US police brutality
Minneapolis (AFP) - Derek Chauvin, the former police officer convicted Tuesday of murdering George Floyd, had a record of using excessive force before the unarmed Black man died under his knee in a crime prosecutors branded a "shocking abuse of authority." Chauvin, described by colleagues as rigid and silent, knelt on the 46-year-old Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes on a … [Read more...] about Derek Chauvin: convicted Floyd killer, face of US police brutality
CHAUVIN VERDICT(CARTOON)
Breaking: Derek Chauvin found guilty on all three counts in death of George Floyd
The jury has spoken: former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin has been convicted on all charges in the death of George Floyd. The Washington Post: Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been convicted of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd on Memorial Day. He was immediately remanded … [Read more...] about Breaking: Derek Chauvin found guilty on all three counts in death of George Floyd
Will Bunch: In cities across the country, cops flood the zone, violate our rights — and make us less safe
After a veteran officer — also head of their police union — shot and killed a 20-year-old unarmed Black motorist named Daunte Wright during a traffic stop over expired tags and a dangling air freshener, you might think cops in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, would have at least a brief moment of reflection, even contrition. Yeah, right. Instead, officers in the Minneapolis suburb — … [Read more...] about Will Bunch: In cities across the country, cops flood the zone, violate our rights — and make us less safe
Russia detains Navalny allies, raids offices on eve of protest
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian police detained several allies of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny on Tuesday and raided two of his regional offices, a protest monitoring group said, a day before his supporters plan to stage mass protests over his deteriorating health in jail. Navalny, 44, President Vladimir Putin's staunchest critic, declared a hunger strike three weeks ago to demand … [Read more...] about Russia detains Navalny allies, raids offices on eve of protest
Murderer or ‘reasonable officer?’ Jury begins deliberations in Chauvin trial
By Jonathan Allen MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) - Jurors in the murder trial of Derek Chauvin began deliberations on Monday after a prosecutor implored them to "believe your eyes" as he replayed video of the former Minneapolis police officer kneeling on a dying George Floyd's neck. Chauvin's lead lawyer, Eric Nelson, countered in his own closing argument that Chauvin behaved as any … [Read more...] about Murderer or ‘reasonable officer?’ Jury begins deliberations in Chauvin trial
OBEDIENCE
“The disappearance of a sense of responsibility is the most far-reaching consequence of submission to authority”. - Stanley Milgram, "Obedience to Authority", 1974 A week ago, I received a death threat on Facebook. It was in response to a discussion about gun control, something that I strongly advocate. It was a display of male dominance that went like this: “Debby … [Read more...] about OBEDIENCE
Democratic bill attempts to undo voter restrictions of past 15 years
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and fellow Democrats address reporters on H.R. 1 at the Capitol in Washington on March 3, 2021. J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photos Nicholas Espíritu, University of California, Los Angeles The recent national elections — conducted in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic — highlighted difficulties Americans face to … [Read more...] about Democratic bill attempts to undo voter restrictions of past 15 years
Satire: Short Takes
By Laurie Baron, Ph.D Bernie Madoff died in prison this week. In accordance with his will, his tombstone will be shaped like a pyramid. Matt Gaetz cancelled his appearance as a contestant on the Underage Bachelorette. The FDA and CDC ordered a temporary suspension in the use of the Johnson and Johnson Covid-19 vaccine after six cases of a rare blood clotting disease … [Read more...] about Satire: Short Takes
Bush, in op-ed and book, steps into US migration debate
Washington (AFP) - Former president George W. Bush has stepped into the US debate on immigration, saying migrants are "a force for good" and arguing for a gradual process to allow undocumented immigrants to earn legal status. Bush, a past governor of Texas -- a border state heavily impacted by migration -- made his points in an op-ed article in the Washington Post previewing … [Read more...] about Bush, in op-ed and book, steps into US migration debate
Spin around Mars makes Ingenuity first craft to fly on another planet
NASA's Ingenuity helicopter has completed a flight on Mars, becoming the first man-made craft to take to the sky on another planet, the US space agency said on Monday. The tiny helicopter, which weighs 1.8 kilograms and is powered by four lithium batteries, took off at about 6:34 am (1046 GMT) and flew about 3 metres into the air, briefly hovered in place for 30 seconds and … [Read more...] about Spin around Mars makes Ingenuity first craft to fly on another planet
A Sunday Evening Fluff Piece
While browsing through previous writings in preparation for my "Afghanistan: It’s Done. No More. 3.0," I came across a piece on military family separations. The article describes some of the sacrifices our military women and men make when they decide to serve their country: Not being there for the birth of your first child; missing out on your children’s birthdays, … [Read more...] about A Sunday Evening Fluff Piece
Sikhs in America: A religious community long misunderstood is mourning deaths in Indianapolis mass shooting
Members of the Sikh community in Indianapolis gather after a mass shooting in which eight people, including four Sikhs, died, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Jon Cherry/Getty Images Simran Jeet Singh, Union Theological Seminary On April 16, 2021, a gunman opened fire at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis killing eight people and injuring several others before … [Read more...] about Sikhs in America: A religious community long misunderstood is mourning deaths in Indianapolis mass shooting