Sunday Reads: Going Green and Non-Prada Pope Footwear
Posted: March 17, 2013 Filed under: court rulings, morning reads, racism, Republican politics, right wing hate grouups, Tea Party activists, the GOP, U.S. Politics, War on Women, Women's Healthcare, Women's Rights, worker rights | Tags: abortion rights, CPAC, North Dakota, Pope Francis, Walmart 80 Comments
Good Morning and
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Hope everyone enjoys their day, I am also hopeful that today we see justice prevail. A verdict is expected in the Steubenville Rape Trial . We will let you know if and when the verdict does come down…
I will start this post off with some political news, CPAC is over, the conservative party has tried to rebrand their image…they sure haven’t changed one bit. Not that I expected anything different, but the conservative nut cases definitely made some people feel unwelcome to the party.
Another graphic example of the right wing’s “minority outreach:” CPAC: Black Man Tossed Out After Breitbart Hack Screams at Him ‘Race Doesn’t Matter’.
In this video from CPAC, a black man seems like he sincerely interested in helping find a way for conservatives to appeal to other African Americans, but then he suddenly gets screamed on by a white guy who insists that “race doesn’t matter.” Which in short, summarizes why the Republicans continually lose the vote of any group that doesn’t have white skin.
And the whole scene was caught on tape:
And if you think this was the only disgusting racist outburst at CPAC you would be mistaken…When The GOP Told Whitey I Aint Gonna Take It No More
Yesterday, a CPAC breakout session on reaching out to black voters broke down in shouting and acrimony as a handful of ‘disenfranchised whites’ attacked the premise of the session (along with black complaints about slaveholders), got into a verbal fight with a black female attendee and with all that managed to unite the crowd against the black woman as the one who somehow spoiled all the fun.
TPM’s Benjy Sarlin was there right as it was all happening and wrote this eye-popping account in more or less real time.
[…]
the bigger thing coming out of this raucous event isn’t what the one or two people said — though that was probably enough to be the takeaway for many for the entire conference — as the fact that the whole imbroglio ended with denunciations of the black woman who was the one person to go into freak out mode — pretty understandably — on hearing the merits of chattel slavery being argued in the 21st century at a panel on racial tolerance and outreach.
From the Benjy Sarlin link…Tea Party Event On Racial Tolerance Turns To Chaos As ‘Disenfranchised’ Arrive
A CPAC session sponsored by Tea Party Patriots and billed as a primer on teaching activists how to court black voters devolved into a shouting match as some attendees demanded justice for white voters and others shouted down a black woman who reacted in horror.
The session, entitled “Trump The Race Card: Are You Sick And Tired Of Being Called A Racist When You Know You’re Not One?” was led by K. Carl Smith, a black conservative who mostly urged attendees to deflect racism charges by calling themselves “Frederick Douglass Republicans.”
Disruptions began when he started accusing Democrats of still being the party of the Confederacy — a common talking point on the right.
“I don’t care how much the KKK improved,” he said. “I’m not going to join the KKK. The Democratic Party founded the KKK.”
Lines like that drew shouts of praise from some attendees and murmurs of disapproval from one non-conservative black attendee, Kim Brown, a radio host and producer with Voice of Russia, a broadcasting service of the Russian government.
But then questions and answers began. And things went off the rails.
Heh…heh, sorry for the laugh, but what the hell would you expect with a discussion entitled “Trump The Race Card: Are You Sick And Tired Of Being Called A Racist When You Know You’re Not One?”
Scott Terry of North Carolina, accompanied by a Confederate-flag-clad attendee, Matthew Heimbach, rose to say he took offense to the event’s take on slavery. (Heimbach founded the White Students Union at Towson University and is described as a “white nationalist” by the Southern Poverty Law Center.)
“It seems to be that you’re reaching out to voters at the expense of young white Southern males,” Terry said, adding he “came to love my people and culture” who were “being systematically disenfranchised.”
Smith responded that Douglass forgave his slavemaster.
“For giving him shelter? And food?” Terry said.
At this point the event devolved into a mess of shouting. Organizers calmed things down by asking everyone to “take the debate outside after the presentation.”
I have to quote a bit more of this TPM post because it is just too fantastic…
Brown, who took offense at the suggestion modern Democrats were descendants of the KKK, tried to ask a question later once things finally calmed down. She was booed and screamed at by audience members.
“Let someone else speak!” one attendee in Revolutionary War garb shouted.
“You’re not welcome!” a white-haired older woman yelled.
Eventually she asked a question. It was about whether Republicans should call out racist ads.
Attendees interviewed by TPM afterwards expressed outrage at the way the event turned out. Not at Terry and Heimbach — they were mad at Brown.
Chad Chapman, 21, one of the few black attendees, said overall he enjoyed the event — except “there were lots of interruptions, mainly because of the woman.”
I asked whether he was concerned about the question from Terry and Heimbach.
“No they were just telling the truth,” he said. You mean you agree blacks are systematically disenfranchising whites, I asked?
“I listen to anybody’s point of view, it doesn’t really matter,” he said.
A media scrum formed around Terry immediately after the close of the event. A woman wearing a Tea Party Patriots CPAC credential who had shouted down Brown earlier urged him not to give his name to the press.
She wouldn’t give her name either, but I asked her what she thought.
“Look, you know there’s no doubt the white males are getting really beat up right now, it’s unfair,” she said. “I agree with that. My husband’s one of them. But I don’t think there’s a clear understanding about what really is going on. He needs to read Frederick Douglass and I think that question should be asked to everyone in this room who is debating.”
Alright, just go to the link and read the rest…including a statement from K. Carl Smith, the man who led the session…wow.
Ralph Nader is the author of this next link: Walmart Bosses and the Minimum Wage
Last weekend on a bright, sunny day a dozen of us demonstrated at shopping malls where Walmart has three of its giant stores, supplied heavily by products from China and other serf-wage countries. But outsourcing the jobs of its American suppliers to China was not the focus last Saturday. We were drawing attention to the plight of one million Walmart workers who are making far less than what Walmart workers made in 1968 when the minimum wage was the inflation-adjusted equivalent of $10.50 an hour today.
In 1968 Walmart was run by its founder, the legendary Sam Walton, who started with one store in Bentonville, Arkansas. Sam had to pay his workers wages that were worth much more than wages today because the law required him to do so.
The clenched-jawed CEO opposition to catching the minimum wage up with 1968 for their workers continues to manifest itself today. CEOs seem to have little concern for the budget-squeezed daily lives of their employees.
These days, however, Walmart is feeling some heat with the rising demand for increasing the stagnant federal minimum wage finally coming from Washington, backed by over 70 percent of the people in polls. A Walmart rival, the successful Costco, has a CEO who already endorsed a federal minimum wage over $10.00 an hour. Costco starts its entry-level workers at $11.50 per hour plus benefits that Walmart workers do not receive. As blogger Alan DiCara said, “Walmart’s benefits department is the U.S. taxpayer.”
Yup, and read the rest of Nader’s post. I’d comment more on the sad situation with Walmart employees….but you all are well aware of the difficulties that come with working for minimum wage.
One thing I find funny is this latest image of the new pope…or should I say…the poor man’s pope.
Hey, look at that…no designer ruby slippers for Pope Francis. You can read Andrew Sullivan’s take on the new pope here.
Meanwhile, here in the states…North Dakota Passes Ban on Abortions After 6 Weeks of Pregnancy
The North Dakota legislature approved the most restrictive abortion laws in the United States on Friday, cutting off abortion access as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. The bill, HB 1456, makes it illegal for doctors to perform an abortion if a heartbeat is detectable in the fetus—something that can happen as little as six weeks after conception. It passed the Senate by a vote of 26 to 17, and will now head to the desk of Republican Gov. Jack Dalrymple.
North Dakota lawmakers have been considering a variety of anti-abortion bills. While this wasn’t their most extreme option—another bill would have outlawed all abortions, period—it does mean that North Dakota now has the most restrictive abortion law in the country. This comes just over a week after Arkansas claimed the crown for most restrictive abortion laws, passing a twelve-week ban.
This new law will more than likely be challenged in court, but damn…six weeks? That is ridiculous.
Now for some real interesting stories…in link dump fashion.
Remains of Teutonic Knights Identified
Polish archaeologists have identified the remains of three grand masters of the Teutonic Knights, a medieval religious and military order that ruled much of the Baltic coast in the late Middle Ages.
Take a look at this post and you may find something new to read…New Books on the Middle Ages: March | Medieval News
There is a beautiful gallery here about Science as art: Photography competition brings the two disciplines together
Albert Einstein’s claim that “The greatest scientists are artists as well,” is illustrated by some of the contenders for a photography competition at Cambridge University on Tuesday.
And since it is St. Patrick’s Day, we will end with something green…Globe glows green: It’s St Patrick’s Day fever
Sláinte is the traditional greeting today, and the normal toast is made with a pint of a certain black stout. More extreme fans of St Patrick’s Day – as found among those of Irish descent in the US – will be dressing in as much green as they can lay their hands on, painting their faces and even dyeing their hair.
This year, in celebration of the Celtic saint’s day, more than 40 international landmarks are being lit in green. From the pyramids and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, to the Sydney Opera House and South Africa’s Table Mountain: some of the most recognised man-made and geographical attractions will join a host of British landmarks to “go green”.
Be sure to check out those go green images at the link.
So what are you doing today? Share your thoughts with us…
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Okay, I know this may be offensive to a lot of people, but that CPAC story up top made me think of this episode of Chappelle: Frontline – Clayton Bigsby – Video Clip | Comedy CentralClayton Bigsby, black white supremacist.
part two: Frontline – Clayton Bigsby, Pt 2 – Video Clip | Comedy Central
And then you have this…no joke: Republican Party outreach to the black community—Editorial – NYPOST.com
No words…I can only shake my head…read more at the link.
There is video of the discussion at this link: Racism Talk At CPAC Derailed When Attendee Says Slaves Should Have Been Grateful | Mediaite
I wrote about it yesterday in my morning post.
CPAC, a collection of the armpit-farters of the Republican Party.
As a recovering Catholic, I do have to admit I am enjoying watching Francis clear the deck.
Did you see this?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21813874
Priceless.
Interesting.
You know if all of us “recovering Catholics” got together we could form our own “church” and make demands on the government to ignore the Catholic bishops.
Great idea!
I’ll vote for that
Both defendants in the Steubenville trial were found guilty & sentenced to serve at a juvenile detention facility until their 21st birthdays, as well as register as sex offenders.
Ohio high school football players guilty in rape case
Good. Too bad that’s all the law allowed.
Thank goodness the judge was a good one.
A few years? That’s all?
Based on what I’m seeing on twitter, it sounds like there’s a lot of crying for the poor boys whose lives have been ruined. {gag}
Don’t parents, coaches & others in authority teach kids that actions have consequences any longer? Isn’t that part of shepherding children into adulthood? Oh, I forgot, the rich and/or privileged live by a different set of rules.
No one in Steubenville is “rich and privileged.” This is just a reflection of our nationwide rape culture. These kids would have gotten away with it if it weren’t for all the publicity.
It’s a near deadly combination of rape culture and sports worship. BB is right, without all the publicity they would have almost certainly walked.
bb, that’s why I said and/or. Athletes, regardless of their parents’ net worth, are part of the privileged class. It’s part of the sports worship that Ralph noted.
I understand, but one reason these high school athletes were so spoiled in Steubenville is that the town is poor and their main claim to fame was the high school football team. I grew up in a small Indiana city where the high school football players were treated like gods–I’ve seen it firsthand. In a larger, wealthier city the focus would be on pro athletes. In fact, here in Boston, when pro athletes commit rape or other violent acts, there is a lot of outrage–there just isn’t the same type of excuse-making.
Within smaller communities, the dynamic still holds–e.g. rape scandal at Boston U.–but the greater community doesn’t sympathize as the Steubenville community did. (BU probably has a bigger populaiton than Steubenville!) Obviously the rape culture exists everywhere. I’m just saying the small-town poverty contributes.
What I don’t get is why parents allowed this kind of partying without any supervision. Where were they at the homes where the parties took place?
bb, I’m not disavowing that the community, which has suffered with the horrible economy & offshoring, pinned their hope on the football team. However, it seems to me that athletes in general are treated as above the law & privileged. Don’t you recall the recent case where a young co-ed committed suicide after being raped by a Notre Dame athlete? She wasn’t believed, she was hounded by other students & athletes & slut-shamed leading to her suicide. The attitude toward athletes seems pervasive to me. Maybe that’s a bias I have.
I’m not sure about the small town aspect. How about pro quarterback Rothlisberger? I seem to remember he’s been accused of sexual assault twice and he’s still playing football.
Ecocat,
Yes, of course I recall the Notre Dame case. I wrote an in-depth post about it. Notre Dame is a perfect example of what I’m talking about–South Bend is a small city in which ND is the primary claim to fame, money, and respect.
I’m not disagreeing with you about athletes being privileged. I gave the example of BU hockey players. But in a larger, wealthier city like Boston there are many sports teams to focus on. College and high school sports are not taken that seriously. You rarely see coverage of high school sports in Boston newspapers, for example and not that much coverage of college sports either.
Ralph, pro athletes in many cities are given carte blanche. All I said was that in Boston, a Rothlisburger wouldn’t survive.
There is no doubt that athletes tend to be treated as special, and I’ve never denied it. I was simply trying to discuss some other layers of the issue.
Boston may be unusual in that we don’t worship our athletes as much as many other places. For example there would never be a possibility that Mass. or Boston would fund a pro-sports stadium. We have had pro-athletes who acted out in violent, abusive ways and they have been vilified and driven out of town. Boston fans tend to be pretty angry and judgmental, I guess.
BB, I think my point was that Boston is unusual, in a good way, where that’s concerned. It seems to be the more normal case that athletes are cut a lot more slack than the average person on the street.
Ma’Lik Richmond, Steubenville Rape Suspect, To Speak Out In ’20/20′ Interview (VIDEO)
Teenagers Found Guilty in Rape in Steubenville, Ohio – NYTimes.com
I think that 20-20 interview has been taped already. I read quotes from it yesterday.
Yeah, it airs on the 22nd.
I won’t be watching. Why don’t they interview the victim? About time for a little media sympathy for her.
I think her father has done an interview before but the parents are trying to protect the daughter from the media. They evoked the rape shield law even though the defense attorney kept using her name. Surprised he wasn’t held in contempt.
I understand. I just think it’s disgusting that the perpetrators are being interviewed in national media. They should be shunned. ABC will probably treat the kid like a victim.
Happy St. Paddy………….what a week, and glad justice was served on 17 Mar 2013……….let the healing begin.
HuffPo:Iraq War 10th Anniversary Reminds Us Of The Questions We Didn’t Ask
Howard Fineman owns up to some of the responsibility of the press, and his own, failed reporting before the Great Iraq Mistake. There should be much more of this for this anniversary.
Amen.
The last thing I’ll say about Steubenville in this post anyway:
Jane Doe is a very brave young woman for pressing charges and following through by testifying at trial. She did what the majority of rape victims don’t or can’t do, and she should be treated as a hero for it.
The crying and wailing about the supposedly “good” boys whose lives are ruined by a “slut” sickens and disgusts me. It’s not just athletes who are enabled and given the benefit of the doubt for rape. It’s a general societal attitude that victims should be blamed.
That’s why I believe the focus should be on the victim and how her life was changed against her will and how she will carry the pain with her for her entire life and how she didn’t deserve what happened no matter how much she drank (I personally think she was drugged.)
Fuck the perpetrators. They should be shunned by society and marked for life.
I know no one here really disagrees with me, just as I don’t disagree about the sports issue. But I’d like to see more focus on the victim and what this has an will cost her.
Now I’ll shut up.
Amen. But please don’t shut up. When you’re right, you’re right.
I won’t shut up. I just don’t want to argue about this, because I know we all really agree.
The thing is that rape is excused in our society, not just for athletes, but for the vast majority of perpetrators. There is no special context for rape. It happens everywhere, every day, and most of the time victims are blamed. Doctors get away with it, relatives get away with it, coaches get away with it, teachers get away with it–getting away with it is the default.
I would like to see a societal focus on the effect of rape on victims rather than the poor boys whose lives are supposedly “ruined.”
Mariska Hargitay pushing to end silent acceptance of violence against women: Kathleen Parker http://bit.ly/132aF1u
Judge reading verdict video and defense attorney responses now. We can also call it “Whose Crying Now?”
Just judge’s verdict … judge says teenage abuse of alcohol is a particular danger but says nothing about the rape culture in sports.
Amen to all that. Please don’t shut up.
I agree that the young woman is very, very brave. The “slut shaming” of this young woman by the defense and some who support the young men is so typical of the attitude of a society that blames women for the criminal sexual behavior of men. We’ve come a long way baby to get to where we were in 1950. And women need to quit buying into and often times parroting the stereotypes of the “bad girl deserves it” that are constructed by men to serve and excuse men. There is NO scenario by which a woman brings the crime of rape upon herself. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever. Never quit speaking out.
I agree with both you & Ralph (don’t shut up). Any victim of violence or rape who is courageous enough to get beaten up in court by the defense attorney (and sometimes the press & judge) should be applauded. To relive the details publicly has to a horrendous experience for the victim.
Thanks. Don’t you ever shut up either!
Hear hear. Preach it sister. Never shut up.
I feel no joy in all of this. My heart aches for Jane Doe and all she has endured and will endure because of these assholes. Fuck them all.
Thank you.
No better illustration of what you’ve said is this from Raw Story: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/03/17/cnn-grieves-that-guilty-verdict-ruined-promising-lives-of-steubenville-rapists/ This passage from the end of article is beyond belief:
Echidne @Echidne
The rape culture inside CNN. We are all Steubenville football players today. http://echidneofthesnakes.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-rape-culture-inside-cnn.html …
That is disgusting…Has there been any protesting against CNN on the social media scene?
massive protests and tweets… same with many of the blogs and media outlets
Yeah, I went and looked them up and re-tweeted some.
The CNN video:
That’s fucking sick! They’re criminals and they are sex offenders.
Poppy needs to go back to school.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/highschool–steubenville-high-school-football-players-found-guilty-of-raping-16-year-old-girl-164129528.html
With the descriptions of what took place on the basement floor, posted in one of the links in jj’s post, made me feel they treated the young girl as if she were either an inanimate object (certainly not another human being) or the acts were like carving their initials into the trunk of a tree. She was nothing more than a “thing” for them to “play” with and throw away when they were bored with it. Seems to me that women simply aren’t viewed by too many as not human and not deserving of dignity or respect.
Damn well better. May they have nightmares the rest of their lives. The survivor definitely will.
And that, you misogynist sadist, is called “Justice.”
Never shut up — that’s what the arrogant callous MFs want.
Thank you for speaking out for me, a victim of gang rape, who was drugged, and whose rape was carried out with rope and a bloodbath to go with. It was me who was made to think that for the rest of my living days I should take the blame, it’s my fault. I wish you could look me in the eyes, and watch me talk about it. I have learned to take two or three steps forward, and back, other wise, I fall to pieces, with anger, with tears, and I know “nobody was looking out for me then, even now I question, if others are looking out, and sometimes I know they turn their heads to this violence, and refuse to vote for Violence Against Women’s Act, they are not looking out for girls and women.” Then I watch tv, and see Merlina, another brave woman trying to help educate people, and see and hear her story, and then Fox News telling her, telling me it’s a waste of your time to educate boys and men, and girls, and families.
It’s a fucking madness, and 50 some odd years later, I still cross over the fucking bridge.
Thank you for sharing your truth and your strength, Fannie.
Thank you Fannie for speaking your truth. You are an amazing woman. I hope you can feel the love we all have for you. Keep taking those steps forward.
Fannie, you are so valued here and loved. Your story is compelling and your strength is amazing.
I second that!!!!!
Just want to echo the sentiments of everyone else. It takes amazing courage and personal strength to survive not only the physical but the psychological brutality.
Thank you for speaking truth. Thank you for enduring. By speaking up you give strength and insight to all of us, and especially those who have also been through forms of psychological and physical damage. May you always have strength and resilience and integrity and see thru the bullshit. Thank you.
Fanny – I read your comment first time and started to cry – it brought all my bad memories back. Then I returned and read it again. You are one brave, very strong woman. I also worry about the culture that has not changed but unlike you, I’ve retreated however unlike the Murdoch calamitious fake news people’s intimations it is not a waste of time to educate – not at all. Education is the most important thing going, which is probably why goverments around the world want to starve it into non existance.
Thank you, all of you for all the support you have provided over the years……..not just to me, but all the faces that carry that violence, and all of us who were told not to talk about, like it never happened. I refuse to shut up, I do look out for girls and other women, and it’s cost me family and friends to this very day. I am so tired of it all being swept under the rug, at home, at school, at work, at the courthouse, and in the hospitals. And you’d be glad to know that I did take it to high school girls, and had them scream and yell at the top of the lungs, to get a baseball bat, and learn to use a gun, and how to protect themselves, and be alert.
Society is sick, and we need to educate about the differences between fear and respect, and have that conversation, again and again, about rape, and do something to stop it, because the victims aren’t the only ones paying…………..it affects everybody. As of late, the media is spewing it like it won’t help to look out for others, or to educate others, and we know it does. Like what’s her name Gerda that wrote Black Like Me, she said women have got to help women, and it is through that our story, our history comes alive.
You are one helluva woman Fannie. Wish I had the same intestinal fortitude back when I was raped – for years I retreated into a shell. Yeah it does cost – family and friends however I finally figured out if they truly loved you, they would have believed you. I agree that society is sick – not all people but the social constructs as they exist today. Rape is the under reported and under investigated crime of the century and the media and certain social groups are co-conspirators in keeping it that way. I worry because I know that my son would maim anyone who hurt his sister and my daughter would maim anyone who hurt her brother – they know my history and the toll it took on me – but the law wouldn’t view it in that context. Society is indeed sick – not everyone – but the media, half the police forces and lawmakers – geez will it never end?
Right now some guy on CNN is talking about how the victim and her family needs to find it in their hearts to forgive Mays and Richmond–maybe Richmond’s dad?
It’s way way too early for forgiveness, if it’s ever appropriate.
Agreed. Forgiveness is not a right. It’s not an obligation. It’s an option. Enough of trying to take away the victim/survivor’s choices.
Can CNN not hire people who are not idiots? Seriously, they need to STFU.
It seems like they’ve been deliberately hiring idiots for years. At least they got rid of Bill Hemmer. But this attitude permeates the corporate media–not just CNN. Candy Crowley should know better, that’s for sure.
I personally think they’ve been told everything every one says is an opinion and just a difference and to always say alleged so they don’t piss off any ‘conservatives’. They’re overly cautious about a ‘liberal’ bias that they ignore facts now.
Why should they forgive?
Next thing they’ll say is be thankful they didn’t kill you……………or that God planned it this way.
What bullshit
Another gang rape in India. The Swiss tourist was raped and beaten while he husband was tied up & witnessed it: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/16/swiss-tourist-gang-raped-india_n_2890209.html
Wonder what the government will do with this situation – the defense lawyer in the current trial of the bus rape is quoted as blaming the victim. This time it’s a foreign national – a Swiss couple – and the Swiss government is already demanding answers. Should be a turning point for India (one hopes). In the interim, if anyone is thinking about an Indian vacation, ensure you are with a large group which include very defensively trained people.
Cops: Pa. Guard Shot Finger Trying to Remove Wedding Ring During Fight
Just to lighten the day up a bit, this may be one of the better possible outcomes from this mix of alcohol, domestic disputes and a handgun.
Whoa! That’s one stupid drunk.
Freedumb!!!!!
Just hope it wasn’t his trigger finger.
At least now I can celebrate the fact that I have 2 number 1 seeds to root for in the NCAA tournament–Indiana and Kansas both seeded number 1.
Yes, I admit that I still like to follow sports…