Culture – Page 7 – Doug's Views

July 16, 2013April 18, 2020

White Supremacists Don’t Always Wear Hoods

created image of a guy in suit wearing a Klan hood

The Supreme Court overturned part of the Voting Rights Act, overturned DOMA based on a ‘state’s rights’ claim, and a jury in Florida found nothing criminal when George Zimmerman shot and killed an unarmed black teenager. Why does this trouble me in the so-called ‘post-racial’ United States? Paul Rosenberg over at Crooks and Liars has the answer. In 2013, white supremacy is alive and well and it isn’t always burning crosses or wearing hoods.

Rosenburg makes a point that we shouldn’t call what is going on racism because it lets white supremacists off the hook. That’s how we get four frames of colorblind racism:

July 14, 2013April 18, 2020

Zimmerman Acquittal A Mind Blower

George Zimmerman

George Zimmerman, the overzealous member of a neighborhood watch, who shot and killed unarmed teen Trayvon Martin was acquitted by a jury of 6 women. He admitted to the killing but the jury decided he was not criminally responsible for his actions. I can tell you this, if the teen had been white and the shooter black, Zimmerman would be in shackles waiting for sentencing right now.

The verdict goes completely against the way actions that cause deaths are handled in other cases. I appreciate the thoughts of Josh Marshall, editor and publisher of Talking Points Memo:

July 7, 2013April 18, 2020

Why Do We Have To Choose Between Privacy Or Security?

created image of guy looking in a window with POLICE on shirt

If you aren’t doing anything wrong then this should not be a problem, right?

The media coverage over what National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden did, by publicly revealing the large surveillance program conducted by the NSA, included ridiculously breathless stories about his whereabouts, if the guy is a traitor (he’s not), and if Glenn Greenwald should be jailed for doing his job of reporting the story. What still isn’t being discussed is the reasons and methods behind the program Snowden exposed and why there isn’t much discussion about the accountability of the program. We have been given a false choice between privacy or security.

Bob Sullivan, on the NBC News website wrote a good essay about the problem of having the false choice of privacy or security:

April 26, 2013April 18, 2020

Weed Should Be Illegal Because It Is So Easy To Obtain

An Ohio legislator has decided that it is time to legalize marijuana in the state. Of course some are opposed. In a TV interview, an undercover police officer made the false gateway drug argument and then claimed, without a sense of irony, that it is too easy to obtain marijuana. Yes, a 27 year veteran of the war on drugs basically said it has failed yet he doesn’t support legalization of marijuana.

April 9, 2013April 18, 2020

Christian Business Owner Reneges On Agreement To Allow Camp Quest Fundraiser

Camp Quest Oklahoma set up a fundraiser at a BBQ restaurant in Broken Arrow. Ten percent of food and beverage proceeds would be donated to Camp Quest. The restaurant even signed off on the flyer people would use to initiate the donation. Just as the event was to take place, the owner pulled the plug because Camp Quest’s “beliefs” did not align with the Christian philosophy of his business. It didn’t matter the group didn’t hide its “beliefs”, the owner just didn’t like the fact that Camp Quest caters to atheist, agnostic, and freethinking families.

Text of the notice posted at the time the fundraiser was to take place: