Monkeys Eat Bananas: Black Virginia History Teacher Sues 10th Grader for Allegedly Racist Banana Insults
The history and continuation of racism in Newport News may be what has brought this teacher to the courts for relief when the school system cannot be relied upon to issue a sufficiently serious punishment against a teenager allegedly committing racist harassment of a teacher on a daily basis. It is a mockery of justice for the administration to issue a two-day suspension instead of expulsion when a white teenage student is caught on video regularly mocking his African American teacher with a banana in his doorway. This is an act which seems to imply the African-American teacher is some sort of monkey - a deeply outrageous and frightening insult and a threat especially in a state with a horrid history of KKK activity and lynchings.
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Congratulations Fellow UC Hastings Alumna Vice President Elect Kamala Harris
It is here that I hope that Ms. Harris uses her excellent legal education acquired at UC Hastings, the memorable influence of noble and ethical professors such as Ms. Carrillo, and her experience as a criminal prosecutor to bring the Trump Administration and its cronies to justice!
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Defund the Police: An Audit and Analysis of Police Brutality, Corruption, Inefficiency, and Waste
As Rep. Ilhan Omar (Minn.-D) stated at a Defund Police Movement protest on June 7, 2020: “Not only do we need to disinvest from police, but we need to completely dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department. The Minneapolis Police Department is rotten to the root. And so when we dismantle it, we get rid of that cancer, and we allow for something beautiful to rise, and that reimagining allows us to figure out what public safety looks like for us.”
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The Fiduciary Rule, “Regulation Best Interests”, and Suitability Standards: Trump's Rollback of Obama Investor Protections
It should come as no surprise that since he entered office Pres. Trump has undone the investor protection regulations that President Obama instituted in 2015. Five years ago under orders from Pres. Obama, the Department of Labor proposed regulations that would have implemented the “Fiduciary Rule”. This rule would have expanded the fiduciary obligations that already apply to investment advisors by also making them apply to brokers and insurers who sell investment instruments (e.g., stocks, bonds, annuities, life insurance, etc.) or provide related advice. Such fiduciary requirements mandate that investment professionals provide their clients with duties of loyalty and care, among other protections, thereby putting the client investors’ interests and needs above their own financial and other interests.
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Write Your Representative to Speak Out for Police Reform and BLM Protestors
We all need to use our political powers to support police reform and stand up for the Black Lives Matter movement. In addition to voting in every election and giving your business to companies that reflect your values, you should also regularly voice your concerns directly to your political representatives. You can find the name of your federal, state, and local representatives via the Common Cause online database tool.
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DeVos Title IX Rules Strengthen Due Process Rights in Schools
Imagine a society where you can be accused of committing a wrong; where you are never permitted the right to counsel or the opportunity to confront your accuser; where you are never permitted the opportunity to fully investigate the evidence against you; where in a matter of days your entire case is processed in a kangaroo court of biased officials at the whim of popular politics rather than faithful to the facts; and when you are invariably found guilty, you are swiftly deprived of life, liberty, and/or property. It is exactly this fate that thousands of students have faced in our nation’s schools when accused of a sex offense, be it an unwelcome sexual comment to a classmate, discrimination, harassment, stalking, assault, or rape.
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Treason Pure and Simple: Trump and the Ukraine Call
By freezing US military aid to Ukraine and also using such aid as leverage in the July 25 phone call with Ukraine to benefit his own 2020 Presidential campaign, Mr. Trump has committed treason against the United States by giving military aid to our greatest enemy - Russia - by facilitating its colonial and military efforts against Ukraine and its fearsome efforts to revolve into a superpower-level villain. We’re talking about treason here! This is not just a federal election campaign violation issue, Ms. Pelosi. There is no more serious crime nor more serious reason for impeachment. It’s treason, like what Benedict Arnold did or what Judas Iscariot did.
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"Heartbeat" Laws Take the Abortion Fight to the Next Level
Governor Kemp’s decision to effectively ban all abortions in Georgia is a regressive threat to the life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness of unknowing expectant mothers and a serious blow to the public welfare. Worse still, Georgia is not alone. Ohio, Mississippi, Kentucky, Iowa, and North Dakota have all enacted similar “heartbeat” laws. The ACLU and others are fighting such laws in court, but who knows what we can expect from this and other abortion related litigation now that the federal courts and the Supreme Court have more Republican appointees than Democratic ones. This is all the more reason to take seriously the 2020 election and to consider the abortion stance of each of the candidates.
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On the Rights of the Natural Person: The Unhealthy State of the Human Animal, the Environment, and Regulation.
Nature is more than an economic resource. It is a temple of spiritual nourishment. Ideally, if you are far enough from the city and deep in a natural landscape, you will find solace from city noises and lights, from cars, trucks, and hopefully even planes. You will be able to hear the wind, the quiet shuffle of the leaves, or a squirrel’s claws against the wooden branches of a tree. Better still, you will be able to hear nothing at all: “the sound of silence.” And at night, you’ll see the moon like you’ve never seen it before, and you’ll see the stars: so many stars! You’ll be able to breathe clean air, and it will feel sweet and healing to your lungs - like you are feeding yourself with each breath. The water will be so cool and clear, and with a bit of filtration, it will taste so alive and delicious, rather than the stuff we have pouring from our taps and even purchased in fancy bottles. In the woods, up in the mountains, by the beach, and on the rivers, there are gorgeous opportunities to experience so many profoundly simple and necessary activities.
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Precedented: Mr. Trump Fits Perfectly into US History of Elitism, Nepotism, and Corruption.
With few tools at our disposal, we must use them maximally and wisely: Protest, resist, vote, and support businesses that reflect your politics. Most importantly, let’s not make Mr. Trump into some sort of lightning rod. The corruption and anti-democratic actions of US politics is a much bigger story than our current President. Our resistance efforts should be similarly multi-pronged.
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