Charley James: Even though America has become far more accepting of non-straight lifestyles over the past decade, for those who are living on the fringe of society, being “different” can add to their woes.
“Return” of the Welfare Queens: Feminism, Secularism, Anti-Racism
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Sikivu Hutchinson: In the American imagination, Black women are the poster children for disreputable irresponsible motherhood and Latina “illegals” a close second.
Historic Roots of Homophobia in Black America
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David Love: Another reason for the rift between blacks and the LGBT community has been the historic lack of synergy and inclusion regarding blacks and the gay rights movement.
Executed Man Innocent: It Could Have Been Me
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Franky Carrillo: I was wrongfully convicted when I was 16 years old and served 20 years in prison before proving my innocence. That mistake took two decades from me; but it took Carlos De Luna’s life.
Time to Retire the 99 Percent
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Walter Brasch: It’s time to retire the 99 percent. Not the people, but the slogan that identifies the Occupy Movement.
Black Ministers Follow Obama on Same-Sex Marriage Stance
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Rev. Irene Monroe: For African-American ministers, the liability of Obama losing his 2012 re-election bid is far greater than being publicly outed for not being in lockstep with their homophobic brethren.
Obama’s Evolving Position on Same-Sex Marriage Similar to Lincoln’s Evolution on Antislavery
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Like Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama has been “tardy.” Pushed by developments beyond his control, Obama’s public positions on marriage equality have continued to progress, though gradually.
ACLU Next: Death Penalty on the Ballot — May 21
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Guest Speakers: Jeanne Woodford (former San Quentin warden) and Obie Anthony (exonerated after being wrongfully convicted of murder) Monday, 21 May
Friday Feedback: “The Role of the Middle-Class Revisited”
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Friday Feedback: This week, Rosalio Munoz comments on Dr. Rodolfo Acuña’s article that states, “Chicanas/os and Latinos remain political pochos because once they are out of college most do not remain politically active.”
The Role of the Middle-Class Revisited
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Rudy Acuña: Today the rights of Mexican Americans and immigrants are being blatantly violated by state and local officials in Arizona. Where are the voices of middle-class Latinos? Where is the fight back?
America Heads Back to the Future
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Randy Shaw: Many white Americans yearn for the days when racism was not “an issue.” White attitudes toward George Zimmerman’s actions confirm this.
Can New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez Fix GOP Ladies’ Problem?
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Victoria Defrancesco Soto: Its going to take more than seeing a fellow woman on the presidential ticket to woo Independent and Democratic leaning women, but then again didn’t the GOP already learn that lesson?
Mass Incarceration: Points of Agreement on the Right and the Left
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Diane Lefer: When a community sees daily injustice and doesn’t see the rule of law equally applied, it becomes morally and ethically easier to choose to live in a lawless way.
Most Read Led by Jasmyne Cannick’s “White Feminists Don’t Care about Black Women”
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This week’s top 10 most read was led by Jasmyne Cannick’s White Feminists Don’t Care about Black Women, which points out how major liberal feminist organizations were slow in chastizing local radio hosts when they called Whitney Houston a “crack ho.”
Purpose Driven Lies and Gender Equality
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Tina Dupuy: Both Arizona and Kansas are considering bills giving your doctor the legal authority to withhold potentially crucial information about your health and, in this case, your child’s.
What We Can Learn from Surveys
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Steve Hochstadt: Once the enforced segregation of black and gay Americans into closets and ghettos was broken, discriminatory ideas have lost their persuasive power.
“Sluts” Tell Moralistic Busybodies to Pound Sand
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Julie Driscoll: I’ll be damned if I’ll get my boss’ permission to be a slut on my own time. If I start having sex on my office desk, then maybe it’s his business – until then, stay out of my bedroom.
The AIDS-like Disease Seldom Mentioned
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Karen Lambert: We talk openly about preparing for an impending Avian Flu pandemic. Why not talk about the HIV-NEGATIVE AIDS epidemic that already exists (and is spreading) amongst us?
What’s Happening to the “Human” in Human Services?
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Vivian Rothstein: We seem to be taking the humans out of a system that I thought was organized to make life better for actual people. As the cynics say, human services would be so much easier if it weren’t for the humans.
Are Republicans Smoking Too Much Pot?
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Rob Tossberg: I am no fan of Clinton – a child of poverty who forsook the poor and gave us deregulation – but our country seemed to prosper with his policy of, as Republicans call it, ‘Tax and spend’ government.
White Feminists Don’t Care about Black Women
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Jasmyne Cannick: why have these two female powerhouse organizations been missing in action on the two Los Angeles talk radio hosts who offended women, particularly Black women, when they called Whitney Houston a “crack ho” three days after her death?
The Pen Proves Mightier than the Chicotte: 1st Battle
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Mac Mckinney: This had really been the first battle in what would evolve into a relentless and global propaganda war, and Williams was really the first martyr in the Good Cause of wrestling the Congo from Leopold’s “talons” through the power of the pen.
Romney Ignites Democratic Base
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Randy Shaw: Barack Obama’s campaign has lots of money, but there is no way it could match Romney’s success at getting this base to align with the President.
Controlling Women’s Bodies
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Ruth Rosen: What neither side wants to say is that this is a counter-reformation, an attempt to return women to the early 1960s, before birth control pill existed and the Supreme Court established the right of contraception in the United States.
Ending California’s Death Penalty to Solve More Crimes
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Jeanne Woodford: By replacing the death penalty, California will free up much-needed funds for DNA testing and other vital tools needed to tackle the shocking 46% of murder and 56% of reported rape cases that remain unsolved in our state every year, on average.
Racial Justice in the Criminal Justice System
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Sharon Kyle: While most Americans are cognizant of the disproportionate representation of Black and Brown men in our prisons, fewer are aware of criminal justice system’s selective enforcement of laws and selective use of penalties which often results in racially biased outcomes.
Latinos in the South, A Political Piñata
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Victoria Defrancesco Soto: The 2010 mid-term election demonstrated that immigration issues could be a potent political force within the GOP. Candidates across the country, and in particular in the South came into office by espousing harsh anti-immigration policies.
Lanny Davis Defends Limbaugh, Smears Liberals
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Brent Budowsky: Where I take offense is when Lanny smears, demeans, misrepresents and ridicules liberals as McCarthyites when they (perish the thought) call for a boycott of Limbaugh sponsors.
We Are a Nation of Bullies
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David Love: Breitbart, Limbaugh, J. Edgar — This nation has a love-hate relationship with bullies. In one breath, society condemns bullying. And yet our society thrives on it, encourages it and glorifies it.
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Friday Feedback: Same-Sex Marriage Ban Bigotry
This week, Reggie Brown comments on Sheria Reid’s article, “Same-Sex Marriage Ban: Bigotry Isn’t Only a Southern Brew” which addresses the banning of same-sex marriage in 31 states.