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romanic
romanic's Journal
romanic's Journal
November 6, 2016
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-boyle-heights-protest-20161104-story.html
Very interesting an emotional article on the subject. I understand the grievances against gentrification and rising rents, but is it really fair to target businesses and people not of the minority/majority of that area versus targeting the city government that allows the rent to rise and displace people?
Boyle Heights activists protest art galleries, gentrification
As a young artist in Romania, Mihai Nicodim had to get approval from a Communist Party commission to show his work.
Smiling portraits of workers and peasants would easily score a place in an art show. Abstract paintings stood less of a chance.
For a chance at freedom, Nicodim swam across the Danube River in 1983, risking capture by Romanian soldiers. A friend met him on the other side and drove him to Italy.
In the United States, he was homeless, then slept on a friend’s couch. He and his wife, Ono, saved money for years before achieving their version of the American dream: an art gallery.
The Nicodim gallery operated in Chinatown and then Culver City before moving to Boyle Heights in early 2015.
But to anti-gentrification activists, the Nicodims are the face of unwanted change. Last month, someone scrawled an obscene reference to “white art” on the gallery’s metal screen door.
On Saturday morning, members of the Boyle Heights Alliance Against Artwashing and Displacement held a news conference on the steps of the Nicodim gallery. They are incensed by the Los Angeles Police Department’s decision to investigate the graffiti as a hate crimeIt’s another way for the LAPD to criminalize youth and create racial divisions in this community, to allege an anti-white hate crime when they’re out there shooting our youth — people of color,” said Elizabeth Blaney, a Boyle Heights resident and co-director of the community organizing group Union de Vecinos.
Josh Rubenstein, an LAPD spokesman, said that detectives initiated the hate crimes investigation based on the available evidence. Parallels drawn by the activists between the investigation and the Aug. 9 fatal shooting of Jesse Romero by an LAPD officer are unfounded, Rubenstein added.
According to an LAPD account, Romero, 14, had been tagging gang-type graffiti when he ran from officers, then pointed a gun at them.
The Nicodim gallery and several other art galleries targeted by the activists are located in an industrial area between the Los Angeles River and the 101 Freeway. The activists want to see laundromats, supermarkets and child care centers in the properties, which had previously housed businesses such as warehouses, print shops and fish packers.
Amid concerns about rising rents, the activists see the galleries as a harbinger of change, which they fear will end with the working-class, mostly Latino neighborhood becoming a second Arts District.
“You are not the cutting edge of culture,” Walt Senterfitt, a tenants’ rights activist, said of the galleries. “You are the leading edge of gentrification, colonialism and destruction.”
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-boyle-heights-protest-20161104-story.html
Very interesting an emotional article on the subject. I understand the grievances against gentrification and rising rents, but is it really fair to target businesses and people not of the minority/majority of that area versus targeting the city government that allows the rent to rise and displace people?
August 6, 2016
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/05/us/college-protests-alumni-donations.html?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethits&_r=3
Very interesting article. I guess colleges really are run like a business, in this case the alumni (or stockholders) pull back when things look awry.
College Students Protest, Alumni’s Fondness Fades and Checks Shrink
“As an alumnus of the college, I feel that I have been lied to, patronized and basically dismissed as an old, white bigot who is insensitive to the needs and feelings of the current college community,” Mr. MacConnell, 77, wrote in a letter to the college’s alumni fund in December, when he first warned that he was reducing his support to the college to a token $5.
A backlash from alumni is an unexpected aftershock of the campus disruptions of the last academic year. Although fund-raisers are still gauging the extent of the effect on philanthropy, some colleges — particularly small, elite liberal arts institutions — have reported a decline in donations, accompanied by a laundry list of complaints.
Alumni from a range of generations say they are baffled by today’s college culture. Among their laments: Students are too wrapped up in racial and identity politics. They are allowed to take too many frivolous courses. They have repudiated the heroes and traditions of the past by judging them by today’s standards rather than in the context of their times. Fraternities are being unfairly maligned, and men are being demonized by sexual assault investigations. And university administrations have been too meek in addressing protesters whose messages have seemed to fly in the face of free speech.
A backlash from alumni is an unexpected aftershock of the campus disruptions of the last academic year. Although fund-raisers are still gauging the extent of the effect on philanthropy, some colleges — particularly small, elite liberal arts institutions — have reported a decline in donations, accompanied by a laundry list of complaints.
Alumni from a range of generations say they are baffled by today’s college culture. Among their laments: Students are too wrapped up in racial and identity politics. They are allowed to take too many frivolous courses. They have repudiated the heroes and traditions of the past by judging them by today’s standards rather than in the context of their times. Fraternities are being unfairly maligned, and men are being demonized by sexual assault investigations. And university administrations have been too meek in addressing protesters whose messages have seemed to fly in the face of free speech.
Among about 35 small, selective liberal arts colleges belonging to the fund-raising organization Staff, or Sharing the Annual Fund Fundamentals, that recently reported their initial annual fund results for the 2016 fiscal year, 29 percent were behind 2015 in dollars, and 64 percent were behind in donors, according to a steering committee member, Scott Kleinheksel of Claremont McKenna College in California. His school, which was also the site of protests, had a decline in donor participation but a rise in giving.
At Amherst, the amount of money given by alumni dropped 6.5 percent for the fiscal year that ended June 30, and participation in the alumni fund dropped 1.9 percentage points, to 50.6 percent, the lowest participation rate since 1975, when the college began admitting women, according to the college. The amount raised from big donors decreased significantly. Some of the decline was because of a falloff after two large reunion gifts last year, according to Pete Mackey, a spokesman for Amherst.
At Princeton, where protesters unsuccessfully demanded the removal of Woodrow Wilson’s name from university buildings and programs, undergraduate alumni donations dropped 6.6 percent from a record high the year before, and participation dropped 1.9 percentage points, according to the university’s website. A Princeton spokesman, John Cramer, said there was no evidence the drop was connected to campus protests.
At Amherst, the amount of money given by alumni dropped 6.5 percent for the fiscal year that ended June 30, and participation in the alumni fund dropped 1.9 percentage points, to 50.6 percent, the lowest participation rate since 1975, when the college began admitting women, according to the college. The amount raised from big donors decreased significantly. Some of the decline was because of a falloff after two large reunion gifts last year, according to Pete Mackey, a spokesman for Amherst.
At Princeton, where protesters unsuccessfully demanded the removal of Woodrow Wilson’s name from university buildings and programs, undergraduate alumni donations dropped 6.6 percent from a record high the year before, and participation dropped 1.9 percentage points, according to the university’s website. A Princeton spokesman, John Cramer, said there was no evidence the drop was connected to campus protests.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/05/us/college-protests-alumni-donations.html?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethits&_r=3
Very interesting article. I guess colleges really are run like a business, in this case the alumni (or stockholders) pull back when things look awry.
July 11, 2016
https://www.yahoo.com/gma/girlfriend-philando-castile-urges-against-violence-protests-interview-132803647--abc-news-topstories.html#
God bless her, she is so right.
Girlfriend of Philando Castile Urges Against Violence at Protests in Interview
Diamond Reynolds, the girlfriend of police-shooting victim Philando Castile, urged against violence at protests in the aftermath of his death, which she streamed on Facebook Live using her cell phone during the fatal traffic stop in suburban St. Paul, Minnesota, on Wednesday evening.
Reynolds said that she was "baffled" to see some protesters responding to police brutality with more violence.
In St. Paul this weekend, protests forced the closure of Interstate 94. Some participants allegedly threw objects and dropped liquids from overpasses on officers below. Others allegedly directed laser pointers at officers. In Baton Rouge, an officer had his teeth knocked out, according to police.
"Violence is never the key. It’s not acceptable. We have to be able to come together and lead by example," she said. "If we’re not able to stand together and control our emotions then how can we ever expect anyone else in the world to do so
https://www.yahoo.com/gma/girlfriend-philando-castile-urges-against-violence-protests-interview-132803647--abc-news-topstories.html#
God bless her, she is so right.
June 26, 2016
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/06/24/black-lives-matter-protesters-interrupt-pride-mural-unveiling-by-toronto-police.html
It seems like BLM is trying to wedge itself into the aftermath of the Orlando shooting. I get that this unveiling by the police could be a PR stunt, but the same could be said for this latest shut-down by BLM.
Black Lives Matter protesters interrupt Pride mural unveiling by Toronto police
Black Lives Matter protesters chanting “No pride in police” crashed a Toronto Police news conference Friday, where Chief Mark Saunders unveiled a mural honouring the local LGBTQ community.
The mural, in the gay village near the corner of Church and Wood Sts., is meant to celebrate the history, diversity and strength of Toronto’s LGBTQ community, according to a police news release.
But the protesters claim the media event, like the Toronto police chief’s public apology this week for the 1981 bathhouse raids, was a publicity stunt.
They are “PR tools used to mask the reality of police relations amongst the queer and trans community: black people, indigenous people, sex workers et cetera,” said Black Lives Matter co-founder Rodney Diverlus, 26, after disrupting the unveiling.
The reverend and gay rights activist, Brent Hawkes, tried to mediate between Black Lives Matter and the police, to no avail, according to the queer activist and journalist, Andrea Houston, who live tweeted the encounter.
Black Lives Matter is still waiting for the police to meet the demands it made after its tent city protest outside police headquarters on College St. this spring, Diverlus added.
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/06/24/black-lives-matter-protesters-interrupt-pride-mural-unveiling-by-toronto-police.html
It seems like BLM is trying to wedge itself into the aftermath of the Orlando shooting. I get that this unveiling by the police could be a PR stunt, but the same could be said for this latest shut-down by BLM.
June 16, 2016
More than 1,000 people crowded the amphitheater on the courthouse grounds for a quickly arranged candlelight vigil organized by 10 campus and community organizations. Although there were moments of discord during the nearly hourlong event, the central message was opposition to anti-homosexual bigotry and gun violence.
“We proclaim that even in the midst of this heartbreak, even though the sorrow is unimaginable, your presence here, our presence together is a sign that there is more love than hate,” said Sarah Nichole Klaassen, pastor of Rock Bridge Christian Church.
The large crowd came together because the campus and community groups decided unity was the most important message they could send, said Dustin Hampton, president of MidMo PrideFest.
“Seeing the atrocity happen, our community has been shaken,” Hampton said.
Mateen was a Muslim born in New York to Afghan immigrants. He died in a shootout with police responding to the nightclub, and investigators are trying to piece together his motive for the attack.
Esam Diab, a Moberly resident and Palestinian who came to the United States 35 years ago, brought his wife, Lori, and grown sons Mohammed and Omar to the rally. Diab said he felt compelled to join the mourners on hand at the rally with his family.
“It is important that we are here,” he said. “I have a duty to humanity.”
The discordant note came when Melecio spoke of her feelings in the aftermath of the killings. Looking out over the crowd, she said she was disappointed that the Latino heritage of many of the victims was being lost in media coverage and commemorative events.
“A lot of those names had something in common — what they had in common were a lot of them were Latino,” Melecio said. “I was really nervous to get up here because there’s a lot of white people in the crowd. And that wasn’t a joke.”
The contributions of blacks and Hispanics to the movement for equal rights in the homosexual and transgender community are being overshadowed and co-opted by whites, Melecio said.
“It is like, who are you really here for?” she said.
Several responses came from the crowd.
“We’re here for everybody,” one person shouted.
Daniel Brizendine and his husband, Carl Brizendine, left the vigil as Melecio was speaking. Daniel Brizendine said he has lived in Orlando, been a customer at Pulse and knows people who go there regularly. Melecio was wrong to bring up race in the way she did, he said.
He has been marching for rights since 1982, he said. “Now all of a sudden I am going to be white-shamed, and I am not going to be white-shamed just because I was born with white skin.”
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/local/vigil-for-orlando-victims-draws-to-boone-county-courthouse-grounds/article_251c40da-0b94-584e-805a-6c5a9681b339.html
What do you all think about what that student did at the vigil? Me personally, I felt the "white people in the crowd" statement was extremely divisive and inappropriate during a time of grief. That's not the kind of venue for such a discussion.
Vigil for Orlando at Boone County Courthouse shows solidarity and racial discord.
Interesting article in the link concerning the tragedy and some inputing "intersectional" discussions into it.
More than 1,000 people crowded the amphitheater on the courthouse grounds for a quickly arranged candlelight vigil organized by 10 campus and community organizations. Although there were moments of discord during the nearly hourlong event, the central message was opposition to anti-homosexual bigotry and gun violence.
“We proclaim that even in the midst of this heartbreak, even though the sorrow is unimaginable, your presence here, our presence together is a sign that there is more love than hate,” said Sarah Nichole Klaassen, pastor of Rock Bridge Christian Church.
The large crowd came together because the campus and community groups decided unity was the most important message they could send, said Dustin Hampton, president of MidMo PrideFest.
“Seeing the atrocity happen, our community has been shaken,” Hampton said.
Mateen was a Muslim born in New York to Afghan immigrants. He died in a shootout with police responding to the nightclub, and investigators are trying to piece together his motive for the attack.
Esam Diab, a Moberly resident and Palestinian who came to the United States 35 years ago, brought his wife, Lori, and grown sons Mohammed and Omar to the rally. Diab said he felt compelled to join the mourners on hand at the rally with his family.
“It is important that we are here,” he said. “I have a duty to humanity.”
The discordant note came when Melecio spoke of her feelings in the aftermath of the killings. Looking out over the crowd, she said she was disappointed that the Latino heritage of many of the victims was being lost in media coverage and commemorative events.
“A lot of those names had something in common — what they had in common were a lot of them were Latino,” Melecio said. “I was really nervous to get up here because there’s a lot of white people in the crowd. And that wasn’t a joke.”
The contributions of blacks and Hispanics to the movement for equal rights in the homosexual and transgender community are being overshadowed and co-opted by whites, Melecio said.
“It is like, who are you really here for?” she said.
Several responses came from the crowd.
“We’re here for everybody,” one person shouted.
Daniel Brizendine and his husband, Carl Brizendine, left the vigil as Melecio was speaking. Daniel Brizendine said he has lived in Orlando, been a customer at Pulse and knows people who go there regularly. Melecio was wrong to bring up race in the way she did, he said.
He has been marching for rights since 1982, he said. “Now all of a sudden I am going to be white-shamed, and I am not going to be white-shamed just because I was born with white skin.”
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/local/vigil-for-orlando-victims-draws-to-boone-county-courthouse-grounds/article_251c40da-0b94-584e-805a-6c5a9681b339.html
What do you all think about what that student did at the vigil? Me personally, I felt the "white people in the crowd" statement was extremely divisive and inappropriate during a time of grief. That's not the kind of venue for such a discussion.
June 1, 2016
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/europes-border-crisis/dalai-lama-thinks-europe-has-let-too-many-refugees-n583701
I agree with his point. Europe just cannot bear the burden alone in taking in so many people. I don't know about his point regarding their return home; I agree with the sentiment behind it, I'm just not sure how that would be financially possible and also how many refugees would be willing to go back to their homelands. What do you all think?
Dalai Lama Thinks Europe Has Let In 'Too Many' Refugees
The Dalai Lama said that "from a moral standpoint" he thinks refugees should "only be accommodated temporarily" — with the goal of them returning home to rebuild their countries.
Germany took in over 1 million refugees last year from war-torn countries such as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan over the past year.
The influx of migrants and refugees has led to a spike in anti-foreigner sentiment in Germany.
Germany took in over 1 million refugees last year from war-torn countries such as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan over the past year.
The influx of migrants and refugees has led to a spike in anti-foreigner sentiment in Germany.
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/europes-border-crisis/dalai-lama-thinks-europe-has-let-too-many-refugees-n583701
I agree with his point. Europe just cannot bear the burden alone in taking in so many people. I don't know about his point regarding their return home; I agree with the sentiment behind it, I'm just not sure how that would be financially possible and also how many refugees would be willing to go back to their homelands. What do you all think?
May 30, 2016
DETROIT (WXYZ) - Dozens of men, women, and children marched in northwest Detroit Saturday, as part of a rally cry to end gun violence.
Organizer Al Williams said the "Man Up, Guns Down" march was put together in response to the senseless shootings that have hurt or killed children. The most recent incident happened Wednesday night, when two-year-old Makanzee Oldham was shot in the head during a dispute between men on Fairmount Drive on the city's east side.
“It’s a shame first of all that we have to lose a child to all come together, but second of all, it’s a shame that it continues to happen," Williams said.
He led dozens down several blocks off 7 Mile in an effort to recruit neighbors to pledge peace.
Activists say it's going to take more than changing mindsets to end the violence.
Mouchettee Muhammad, who teaches youth boxing at his Hands On Boxing gym, says young men need opportunity.
"We’re looking to take young boys off the street and give them an avenue where they can channel their aggression," he said.
“This is our city. This is our people. We’re going to cut the murdering out. It’s time for us to stand up. Man up, guns down," said Pastor Maurice "Mo" Hardwick of the Live in Peace movement.
Activists say the recent loss of young lives should leave neighbors outraged and eager to be part of the change.
http://www.wxyz.com/news/region/detroit/man-up-guns-down-rally-draws-dozens-after-recent-gun-violence-against-kids
As the article states, this rally was held due to all of the gun violence in Detroit involving children. Sadly the recent victim (2 yr old Makanzee Oldham) just passed today after being on life support for a week.
More of these rallies need to be done in protest of gun violence and not just in Detroit but nationwide.
Detroit: 'Man up, guns down' rally draws dozens after recent gun violence against kids
DETROIT (WXYZ) - Dozens of men, women, and children marched in northwest Detroit Saturday, as part of a rally cry to end gun violence.
Organizer Al Williams said the "Man Up, Guns Down" march was put together in response to the senseless shootings that have hurt or killed children. The most recent incident happened Wednesday night, when two-year-old Makanzee Oldham was shot in the head during a dispute between men on Fairmount Drive on the city's east side.
“It’s a shame first of all that we have to lose a child to all come together, but second of all, it’s a shame that it continues to happen," Williams said.
He led dozens down several blocks off 7 Mile in an effort to recruit neighbors to pledge peace.
Activists say it's going to take more than changing mindsets to end the violence.
Mouchettee Muhammad, who teaches youth boxing at his Hands On Boxing gym, says young men need opportunity.
"We’re looking to take young boys off the street and give them an avenue where they can channel their aggression," he said.
“This is our city. This is our people. We’re going to cut the murdering out. It’s time for us to stand up. Man up, guns down," said Pastor Maurice "Mo" Hardwick of the Live in Peace movement.
Activists say the recent loss of young lives should leave neighbors outraged and eager to be part of the change.
http://www.wxyz.com/news/region/detroit/man-up-guns-down-rally-draws-dozens-after-recent-gun-violence-against-kids
As the article states, this rally was held due to all of the gun violence in Detroit involving children. Sadly the recent victim (2 yr old Makanzee Oldham) just passed today after being on life support for a week.
More of these rallies need to be done in protest of gun violence and not just in Detroit but nationwide.
May 29, 2016
Read more: http://www.politico.com/media/story/2016/05/the-fall-of-saloncom-004551#ixzz4A2PuhH9v
Agree, disagree, or do you think this piece from Politico is ironic (as it could be considered clickbait itself)? Me personally, I sort of agree that Salon has gone down the tubes in real content and integrity - but it's still a step up from Vox and Buzzfeed.
Politico: The fall of Salon.com
A Facebook page dedicated to celebrating the 20th anniversary of digital media pioneer Salon is functioning as a crowdsourced eulogy.
Dozens of Salon alumni have, over the past several months, posted their favorite stories from and memories of the once-beloved liberal news site described as a “left-coast, interactive version of The New Yorker,” a progressive powerhouse that over the years has covered politics with a refreshing aggressiveness, in a context that left plenty of room for provocative personal essays and award-winning literary criticism.
“We were inmates who took over the journalistic asylum,” David Talbot, who founded the site in 1995, wrote on the Facebook page. “And we let it rip — we helped create online journalism, making it up as we went along. And we let nobody — investors, advertisers, the jealous media establishment, mad bombers, etc — get in our way.”
They are mourning a publication they barely recognize today.
“Sadly, Salon doesn’t really exist anymore,” wrote Laura Miller, one of Salon’s founding editors who left the site for Slate last fall. “The name is still being used, but the real Salon is gone.”
Salon, which Talbot originally conceived of as a “smart tabloid,” began as a liberal online magazine and was quickly seen as an embodiment of the media’s future. For a while, particularly ahead of the dot-com boom of the late 1990s, it even looked as though it might be a success story. It lured famous writers and tech-company investors and went public in 1999. At the time, Salon was valued at $107 million.
“I think it’s very similar to what a Vox or a Buzzfeed seems today,” said Kerry Lauerman, who joined Salon in 2000 and would serve as the site’s editor in chief from 2010 to 2013. “There was, at first, a lot of money and excitement about Salon. There was no one else, really, in that space. ... It was kind of a brave new world, and Salon was at the forefront.”
Over the last several months, POLITICO has interviewed more than two dozen current and former Salon employees and reviewed years of Salon’s SEC filings. On Monday, after POLITICO had made several unsuccessful attempts to interview Salon CEO Cindy Jeffers, the company dropped a bombshell: Jeffers was leaving the company effective immediately in what was described as an “abrupt departure.”
While the details of Salon’s enormous management and business challenges dominate the internal discussion at the magazine, in liberal intellectual and media circles it is widely believed that the site has lost its way.
“I remember during the Bush years reading them relatively religiously,” Neera Tanden, the president of the Center for American Progress, told POLITICO. “Especially over the last year, they seem to have completely jumped the shark in so many ways. They’ve become — and I think this is sad — they’ve definitely become like a joke, which is terrible for people who care about these progressive institutions.”
So, what happened?
Dozens of Salon alumni have, over the past several months, posted their favorite stories from and memories of the once-beloved liberal news site described as a “left-coast, interactive version of The New Yorker,” a progressive powerhouse that over the years has covered politics with a refreshing aggressiveness, in a context that left plenty of room for provocative personal essays and award-winning literary criticism.
“We were inmates who took over the journalistic asylum,” David Talbot, who founded the site in 1995, wrote on the Facebook page. “And we let it rip — we helped create online journalism, making it up as we went along. And we let nobody — investors, advertisers, the jealous media establishment, mad bombers, etc — get in our way.”
They are mourning a publication they barely recognize today.
“Sadly, Salon doesn’t really exist anymore,” wrote Laura Miller, one of Salon’s founding editors who left the site for Slate last fall. “The name is still being used, but the real Salon is gone.”
Salon, which Talbot originally conceived of as a “smart tabloid,” began as a liberal online magazine and was quickly seen as an embodiment of the media’s future. For a while, particularly ahead of the dot-com boom of the late 1990s, it even looked as though it might be a success story. It lured famous writers and tech-company investors and went public in 1999. At the time, Salon was valued at $107 million.
“I think it’s very similar to what a Vox or a Buzzfeed seems today,” said Kerry Lauerman, who joined Salon in 2000 and would serve as the site’s editor in chief from 2010 to 2013. “There was, at first, a lot of money and excitement about Salon. There was no one else, really, in that space. ... It was kind of a brave new world, and Salon was at the forefront.”
Over the last several months, POLITICO has interviewed more than two dozen current and former Salon employees and reviewed years of Salon’s SEC filings. On Monday, after POLITICO had made several unsuccessful attempts to interview Salon CEO Cindy Jeffers, the company dropped a bombshell: Jeffers was leaving the company effective immediately in what was described as an “abrupt departure.”
While the details of Salon’s enormous management and business challenges dominate the internal discussion at the magazine, in liberal intellectual and media circles it is widely believed that the site has lost its way.
“I remember during the Bush years reading them relatively religiously,” Neera Tanden, the president of the Center for American Progress, told POLITICO. “Especially over the last year, they seem to have completely jumped the shark in so many ways. They’ve become — and I think this is sad — they’ve definitely become like a joke, which is terrible for people who care about these progressive institutions.”
So, what happened?
Read more: http://www.politico.com/media/story/2016/05/the-fall-of-saloncom-004551#ixzz4A2PuhH9v
Agree, disagree, or do you think this piece from Politico is ironic (as it could be considered clickbait itself)? Me personally, I sort of agree that Salon has gone down the tubes in real content and integrity - but it's still a step up from Vox and Buzzfeed.
May 19, 2016
#DisabilityTooWhite
Saw this hashtag on another forum and thought it was a hoax. Turns out it's an actual thing.
https://storify.com/SFdirewolf/disabilitytoowhite?awesm=sfy.co_j1Ohz&utm_content=storify-pingback&utm_medium=sfy.co-twitter&utm_campaign=&utm_source=t.co
I can agree that there is a lack of visibility for disabled minorities in some publications; but some of the tweets ive seen are just unbelievably bigoted and reek of oppression olympics. What do you all think of this?
May 1, 2016
Alarming but it seems like many Turks disagree and are uneasy by such laws.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/05/01/europe-s-first-islamic-constitution-what-could-possibly-go-wrong.html
Europe's First Islamic Constitution? What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Calls by a top member of the ruling party of Turkey for an Islamic constitution to replace the secular basic law currently in place in the country, a NATO member and crucial U.S. ally, have been rejected by politicians from all stripes, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, himself a pious Muslim. But as Erdogan is trying to avoid a debate that could harm him politically, the question remains: How should the relationship between state and religion be defined in a country with a 99 per cent Muslim population?
Turkey’s current constitution, which enshrines the principle of secularism in Article 2, was drawn up under military rule in 1982. All parties in Ankara agree that a completely new text should be written to give Turkey a more modern and more democratic outlook.
Erdogan is trying to convince Turks to also change the form of government from the current parliamentary to a U.S. style presidential one, with himself at the helm. The opposition says his real aim is absolute power without the sort of checks and balances that limit executive excesses elsewhere, amid speculation in the media that a referendum on a new constitution could be called this year. Erdogan cannot be sure that a majority of Turks would accept a presidential system in such a vote, with some polls saying support for his plan is as low as 35 per cent.
That is why remarks by Parliamentary Speaker Ismail Kahraman about the need for an Islamic constitution came at a bad time for Erdogan. Kahraman, a member of Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), told a conference in Istanbul on April 25 that secularism should not even be mentioned in the planned new constitution. “We are an Islamic country,” Kahraman said. “There has to be a devout constitution.”
Turkey’s current constitution, which enshrines the principle of secularism in Article 2, was drawn up under military rule in 1982. All parties in Ankara agree that a completely new text should be written to give Turkey a more modern and more democratic outlook.
Erdogan is trying to convince Turks to also change the form of government from the current parliamentary to a U.S. style presidential one, with himself at the helm. The opposition says his real aim is absolute power without the sort of checks and balances that limit executive excesses elsewhere, amid speculation in the media that a referendum on a new constitution could be called this year. Erdogan cannot be sure that a majority of Turks would accept a presidential system in such a vote, with some polls saying support for his plan is as low as 35 per cent.
That is why remarks by Parliamentary Speaker Ismail Kahraman about the need for an Islamic constitution came at a bad time for Erdogan. Kahraman, a member of Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), told a conference in Istanbul on April 25 that secularism should not even be mentioned in the planned new constitution. “We are an Islamic country,” Kahraman said. “There has to be a devout constitution.”
Alarming but it seems like many Turks disagree and are uneasy by such laws.
But many Turks are less enthusiastic. Rejection of calls to bring Turkey’s constitution into line with Islamic rules is not limited to die-hard secularists. “Even many devout Turks (are) likely to be queasy about this,” Howard Eissenstat, a specialist on Turkey at St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY, tweeted about Kahraman’s statement. Eissenstat pointed to polls showing that only a minority of 12 per cent of Turks want their country to be ruled by Islamic law and that 90 per cent think women’s decision to cover their hair should be voluntary.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/05/01/europe-s-first-islamic-constitution-what-could-possibly-go-wrong.html
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