In the last week, this blogger has often been reduced to stunned silence and anguished utterances as she looked on with the entire world at the happenings in Ferguson, Missouri. To say that the images, information and lack thereof, coming out of this town have been enough to make one feel heartsick, rage-filled, and utterly helpless is an understatement. Continue reading
civil rights
10 posts
Today thousands of Americans will gather in Washington, DC and many other cities across America to protest the mass surveillance by the United States government on millions of people who are not suspected of any crime and have broken no laws. As a fellow citizen of the internet, I am asking for your help. Continue reading
Since the NSA’s extensive domestic and international monitoring was revealed by Edward Snowden via The Guardian’s Glenn Greenwald in June 2013, much ink (or many pixels, as the case may be) has been spilled discussing whether or not the NSA has gone too far, whether the programs are unconstitutional, and a variety of other issues.
One view that I have not yet seen is that of someone on the front lines of information security, who deals with many of the threats that the NSA has been monitoring on a fairly regular basis.
Someone like me. Continue reading
A New Jersey doctor has allegedly denied an HIV+ man his medication during a stay at Trinitas Regional Medical Center “for going against God’s will“. This was a foreseeable result of the slippery slope of putting individual’s biases before the public health and the health of individuals.
This article was first published on Crasstalk last year in honor of Malcolm X’s birthday.
Today would have been the 86th birthday of Malcolm X, had he not been gunned down at the age of 39 at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan while delivering a speech to the Organization for African-American Unity. In an editorial following his death, the New York Times called his worldview “distorted and dark,” his intentions based on a “ruthless and fanatical belief in violence.” Such opinions on Malcolm X were not uncommon; to many he was a demagogue, a troublemaker, the dangerous antithesis of Martin Luther King Jr.
While these charges are still thrown about today, you probably are not likely to hear or see this: “We respect anyone who respects us.” Continue reading
Today in an interview with ABC News’ Robin Roberts, President Obama has reversed his position on same-sex marriage and affirmed his support. Continue reading
Last night the US Senate approved the National Defense Appropriations Act (NDAA) by a vote of 93-7. The bill contains a controversial provision that requires the US military to take custody of all defendants accused of terrorism and allows for the indefinite detention of US citizens, even if they have not been charged with a crime. The bill must still be reconciled with the House version of the legislation. President Obama has threatened to veto the bill if it contains the detention provision. However, it now looks like there are enough votes in the Senate to override the veto. Continue reading
EthologyNerd and Alluson, two (sexy) liberal ladies who both happen to own guns and have had similar experiences with guns throughout their life, sat down last night and decided to mull over what gun control means to them, the problems we face in the USA as a trigger-happy nation, and what happens next.
A few years ago I did some freelance transcription work while I was unemployed. One gig I had was someone’s college thesis from 1979. The topic was CORE, the Congress on Racial Equality, which was responsible for the Journey of Reconciliation in 1947 and the Freedom Rides in 1961, both important events in the civil rights movement. Continue reading
Hi gang. Looks like we are getting off to a good start this week.
Since today is the anniversary of the assassination of Dr. King I thought I would post this. It is rare that anyone watches it all the way through, but in our own troubled times it is a nice reminder that the human spirit does sometime triumph over adversity. In a world of so much injustice and suffering it it important to remind ourselves that although progress is often slow, sometimes things really do get better.
Have a wonderful night.