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antiquie

antiquie's Journal
antiquie's Journal
December 29, 2013

Claremont Church Nativity Scene Replaces Jesus With Trayvon Martin

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Rev. Dan Lewis stands by a Nativity scene at Claremont United Methodist Church featuring
a depiction of Trayvon Martin. Artist John Zachary sought to draw attention to gun violence.
(Credit: Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)


For several years, Zachary has brought his artistic interpretations of the Nativity — as well as the occasional controversy — to the church, as he used a scene that traditionally conveys themes of joy and innocence to spread messages of social justice. Over the last few years, his installations have touched on homelessness, poverty and acceptance of gay families.

http://ktla.com/2013/12/28/claremont-church-nativity-scene-replaces-jesus-with-trayvon-martin/#axzz2otjkvL8s
December 21, 2013

Ask the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board: Where's the enforcement?

Are you going to allow Gerawan to be a Grinch?

From Omaha Steve's OP in GD
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024206747

The state's Agricultural Labor Relations Board ordered the three-year contract into immediate effect on November 19, 2013, but Gerawan has refused to implement it. They are denying their workers the right to finally enjoy the benefits of union representation and hard fought improvements at their workplace. Besides including substantial wage increases, additional paid holidays -- such as Christmas Day, and other worker protections, the contract also provides retroactive pay for some of these benefits.

"We could use this extra money they owe us in delayed benefits to have an even happier holiday season. Unfortunately, Gerawan Farming continues to deny us that right,” said Guadalupe Martinez. "This has caused us - Gerawan workers - the inability to benefit from a union contract, adding much stress and frustration to us and our families this holiday season."
December 19, 2013

California Nullifies NDAA Indefinite Detention - Assembly Bill No. 351, CHAPTER 450

Link to LBN OP by StrictlyRockers

Source: California Legislative Information

Assembly Bill (AB) 351 was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown yesterday. California is the third state to have passed legislation, which nullifies the unpopular federal provision. A selection of AB 351 reads:

The United States Constitution and the California Constitution provide for various civil liberties and other individual rights for a citizen of the United States and the State of California, including the right of habeas corpus, the right to due process, the right to a speedy and public trial, and the right to be informed of criminal charges brought against him or her.

Certain provisions of federal law affirm the authority of the President of the United States to use all necessary and appropriate force to detain specified persons who engaged in terrorist activities.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014676740

December 16, 2013

Before blaming Democrats, perhaps a little more history?

The advent of personal motor vehicles and the improvements in motorized buses caused the rapid disappearance of the tram from most western and Asian countries by the end of the 1950s (for example the first major UK city to completely abandon its trams was Manchester by January 1949). Continuing technical improvements in buses made them more reliable (than before), and a serious competitor to trams because they did not require the construction of costly infrastructure. [3] However, the demise of the streetcar came when lines were torn out of the major cities by "bus manufacturing or oil marketing companies for the specific purpose of replacing rail service with buses."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_trams


The General Motors streetcar conspiracy (also known as the Great American streetcar scandal) refers to allegations and convictions in relation to a program by General Motors (GM) and other companies who purchased and then dismantled streetcar and electric train systems in many American cities.

Between 1936 and 1950, National City Lines and Pacific City Lines—with investment from GM, Firestone Tire, Standard Oil of California, Phillips Petroleum, Mack Trucks, and the Federal Engineering Corporation—bought over 100 electric surface-traction systems in 45 cities including Baltimore, Newark, Los Angeles, New York City, Oakland and San Diego and converted them into bus operation. Several of the companies involved were convicted in 1949 of conspiracy to monopolize interstate commerce but were acquitted of conspiring to monopolize the ownership of these companies.

Some suggest that this program played a key role in the decline of public transit in cities across the United States; notably Edwin J. Quinby, who first drew attention to the program in 1946, and then Bradford C. Snell, an anti-trust attorney for the United States Senate whose controversial 1974 testimony to a Senate inquiry brought the issue to national awareness. Both Quinby and Snell argued that the deliberate destruction of streetcars was part of a larger strategy to push the United States into automobile dependency. Others say that independent economic factors brought about changes in the transit system, including the Great Depression, the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, labor unrest, market forces, rapidly increasing traffic congestion, urban sprawl, taxation policies that favored private vehicle ownership, and general enthusiasm for the automobile. One writer on the subject has suggested that Snell and others fell into simplistic conspiracy theory thinking, bordering on paranoid delusions saying "Clearly, GM waged a war on electric traction. It was indeed an all out assault, but by no means the single reason for the failure of rapid transit. Also, it is just as clear that actions and inactions by government contributed significantly to the elimination of electric traction."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_streetcar_conspiracy

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Gender: Female
Hometown: Southern California
Current location: Orbiting
Member since: Tue Jun 7, 2011, 03:02 PM
Number of posts: 4,299
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