Lendingmemo.com via Flickr.com
Some of these statistics have me scratching my head. As a progressive who votes Democrat, and a New Yorker, I’m almost hoping some of it is wrong, but the NY Times does pretty good reporting, so the numbers are likely accurate!
President Obama hasn’t been the greatest at handling America’s race issues, or even addressing them for that matter. But he took an admirable step in that direction recently:
“President Obama announced on Monday [July 13th] that he was commuting the sentences of 46 drug offenders, intensifying a campaign to overhaul the nation’s criminal justice system as he more than doubled the number of nonviolent criminals granted clemency during his time in office.”
As Obama Reveals New Rules to Fight Housing Discrimination, Nearly One-Third of Whites Would Legalize It
As was reported in The Washington Post, the General Social Survey, which has been conducted since 1973, gives whites two options. One choice says a homeowner “can decide for himself whom to sell his house to, even if he prefers not to sell it to blacks,” while the other says a homeowner “cannot refuse to sell to someone because of their race or color.” The second choice is part…
View original post 884 more words
By Robert A. Vella
I stumbled upon this fine exposé by David Nir of the Daily Kos which delves deep into the white supremacist psyche of Charleston Massacre shooter Dylann Roof. It reveals not only Roof’s hatred of blacks and other ethnic minorities, but also his disturbingly confused attitude towards Jews.
Although I won’t cite the text and quotations here (they’re very offensive), I strongly urge everyone to read the article for yourself. Keep in mind that the racist views of Roof are not limited to the lunatic fringe of right-wing extremism, and that they are indicative of a far more extensive problem in America regarding racial attitudes.
See: Dylann Roof: ‘If we could turn every jew blue for 24 hours, I think there would be a mass awakening’
Tanya’s Comment: Very good news. The tide seems to be finally turning against the display of the Confederate flag. The flag is not just a symbol of the history of the American Civil War, but has come to be used as a symbol of racism and all its violent manifestations. It has been used to terrify Black people with its promise of lynchings, torture, and murder, and to whip up racist hysteria. Finally, it’s reign is nearly over.
Courtesy of Commons.Wikimedia.org
If you still think Islamic terrorists pose one of the gravest threats to Americans, it’s because you haven’t seen the stats on gun violence. BillMoyers.com, as well as a small number of other high quality news organizations (including The Guardian) fill in the gaps left by many bigger news providers to give us a true picture of who presents the biggest threat.
Tanya’s Comments: It’s about time that Republicans acknowledge what the Confederate flag means to Black people, and most Americans in general. This move represents progress. I commend Gov. Haley for making this tough (for her political career), but brave decision.
“A day after thousands mourned the slayings of nine black worshipers at Charleston’s Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, leaders of diverse ages, races and backgrounds came together to say a symbol of segregation has no place at the state Capitol.” (CNN.com)
Tanya’s comment: I admit that I also bought into the black father myth. Unfortunately, many black women have bought into it, too, and often blame black men when family problems arise. I have even heard black women say they hate dating black men for these reasons. I’m pleasantly surprised that the CDC took interest in this issue.
We’ve been told, quite frequently and repeatedly that the problems in the black community that we’ve seen in Ferguson and Baltimore recently are not the fault of biased, paramilitary, paranoid and violent policing (even if the Bureau of Justice Statistics indicates that black people are three times more likely to be subject to law enforcement uses of force). They are not the fault of racist red-lining that created these impoverished neighborhoods in the first place. They are not the fault of bigoted lending and hiring practices that create roadblocks for those attempting to escape those neighborhoods. And the fact that black students are disciplined, suspended and expelled far more easily and quickly for the same or lesser offenses, isn’t the problem.
None of that is the problem. Nope. All of that is just too bad. Life is tough all over. Lots of people have…
View original post 237 more words
Courtesy of clickypix.com
NBCNews.com just published an editorial by Bernice A. King about her thoughts this year on Martin Luther King Day, the day we honor her father’s work. She reminds us that we mustn’t honor him passively, however. She says:
I recently received this message, and an accompanying petition, in an email from the ACLU:
“On August 9th, local police fatally shot an unarmed African-American 18-year-old named Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. In the days that followed, there have been massive protests in Ferguson and heavily armed SWAT teams are roaming the streets in response. Our communities are not war zones.”
Illuminate 