Creeping Up On Halloween With Diversity In Costumes

While there are many issues in costumes at Halloween, we are seeing some improvements. We are seeing more range in the costumes available.

We've moved on from only having cheap plastic masks and cheap plastic smocks printed to match a character. Those still exists, but we have more possibilities to play with.

On of the more pleasant finds is with the Green Lantern costumes. There are a set of Hal Jordan costumes out there. But we can actually find a selection of John Stewart as well.

It's a bit of a surprise. After all, even on the cover they have Hal Jordan butting his head in, and in costumes it's all about the Jordan. But the GL people know best these days is John Stewart, from the Justice League cartoon series. So we better damn well have some John Stewart to dress as!

And we do.

Saves the universe, looks awesome.

Creeping Up On Halloween With Racist Costumes

If we are going to talk about various costumes, we are going to have to talk about these costumes. The racist costumes.

In this day and age you'd think it wouldn't pop up, but people still turn to it. Whenever you're changing your face color to mimic another racial group, maybe you should give pause, and evaluate. When you are about to do a caricature of some group, ask why.

From Last Week Tonight

Trailer In Short - Fresh Off The Boat, Selfie, and Galavant (and a little more)

Almost time for the Fall season to start...TV Shows still have seasons, right?

A lot of bad shows are coming. But might some of them, say from ABC, be any good? ...

...Just be sure to watch, Galavant, okay?

So how is it still okay to use some racial slurs?

I am always fascinated by how society deals with it's racism. Some parts advance, see where mistakes were made, and attempt recompense. Others get angry and talk about tradition or over sensitivity. And others just star ever harder into their smart phone and don't want to get involved.

We have activities that we wouldn't dare do, for fear of offense. We have words we won't say, knowing how disgusting they are...Though, even using the N-word or blacking up are things some white folk are completely fine doing. So people are just assholes.

Still, their are words and activities that maintain active support among a larger part of society, like co-opting other cultures for amusement. One culture that many people find no trouble "borrowing" from is the Native American culture (by which I mean the broad caricature of the many many cultures that predated European colonization of the Americas). Headdresses. Outfits. Dances. Props. Calls. Slurs.

Years back I remember when one issue among these activities arose. It involved the baseball team, the Atlanta Braves (which is in reference to Native Americans). They had a fan chant and hand action, the Tomahawk Chop. I remember a point in the 1990's when people were complaining about the fact a mocking cry and the act of whacking away with an ax is insulting to...the people you are trying to mimic. It's a faux-Native American dance/chant.

I actually thought, not paying a lot of attention at the time, that it had been done away with for at least the reason it is so damn tacky, if it offensive. But no, it is still around, along with those foam tomahawks.

That's not good.

But it pales in comparison to the football team of Washington D.C. the R-words. You know, we have a college football team called the Fighting Irish, and I have always looked at that as such a weird choice. But even that isn't an overt racial or ethnic slur.

Now some defenders say that the name was done in honor of a respected early coach. They say the phrase wasn't offensive back in the day. Some even say it isn't that bad know.

Guys? Take the damn offensive, insulting, tacky ass name off that team. Teams change names for lesser reasons than this. Show some social awareness. Show an ounce of compassion. Show you aren't this stupid a group of businessmen.

Get. A. Clue.

That stuff you say? Yeah, it is obnoxious.

Sometimes people in a dominant group can become oblivious to some odious and tiring casual racism. It's tiring to deal with. Also it can be annoying to watch someone think they are being friendly, supportive, and positive in being like this.

So enjoy seeing things from the other side.

From Buzzfeed:

Dressing up like other cultures. Really?

Wearing the skin of other races. Why do we do it? I know, for a long time it was no big deal to "us". Co-opting another culture for aesthetic, or amusement, was our thing. Throw on a mustache and a sombrero. Throw on a "Native Warrior" costume. Throw on some brown or black face paint and...wait, that's been B.S. for decades now (Yet I can point you to SO MANY examples from the last few years of privileged white asses doing black face.).

But people hem and haw about not mimicking and mocking other cultures still. Really, people? You did hear it's the 21st century?


From Last Week Tonight with John Oliver:

TWIB's A Black Show

The team at TWIB have been working hard at expanding their brand and shows, while engaging with it's audience. In an effort to give Elon James White, the founder of TWIB, a heart attack, they've moved into producing a weekly TV show. A Black Show (#ablackshow). It's every Friday at 8 PM (PT) on the Free Speech network.

Like everything they do, it offers a look at politics and society, with a unique view and sense of humor. They also bring in a number of different voices to discuss topics.

Here's a little from the show, you can find more here. Also, if you can't see it on Free Speech TV, or miss it, they have the latest episodes available on iTunes.


#GrayRacism

Women, Rape Culture, and Boyce Watkins

What? A Right Wing Hero Who Is Racist? *UPDATED*

I think you have the wrong flag up.

As I'm sure shocks us all, Cliven Bundy (I guess I've been calling him Clive.), of "Get Off My Lawn And Your Lawn To" fame, has shown off a new facet of his charm offensive. Racism.

Now this has stymied some of us. How could he be like this? He's seemed so informed and level headed up to now.

Would someone whose openly said:

• He doesn't recognize the United States government as existing.
• He wanted the local sheriff to disarm the Forest Service officers in the area, and then have those weapons handed to him.

...seem like a person that would spout idiotic racist patter?


Being serious, most of us aren't surprised. Another Right Wing hero tosses out casual confident racism. Somehow people who obsess over a past, where white people were king (Well, more kingly.), look back at how black people were treated, and see it as right and good. It is the sad outcome of their conservative philosophical process. Women back in the house. Blacks and Hispanics working in the back.

Conservatism has become defined by these regressive ideas. But the one lesson most conservative leaders learned is how to couch their horrible ideas in coded language, and pseudo intellectualism. (Clean Air Act, Academic Freedom, Trickle Down Economics, Kenyan)

And that is what is galling about Bundy, and others like Todd Akin and Phil Robertson. Bundy talks like the GOP's many failed candidates, going off on blacks, gays, or birth control.

But they all still share common thinking with the rest of the conservative movement. They are hostile to gay rights, to civil rights, and to reproductive rights. But it's all supposed to be coded. People like Paul Ryan work to hide it. They try and sell "urban" as an innocent and honest. It's really racist and disingenuous. People like Bundy screw up the strategy, by plainly speaking the bigotry and contempt.

The Horror Of...Lovecraft, Should I feel guilty?

Howard Philip Lovecraft. Where do we begin?

For those of you who are blanking on who Lovecraft is, let's start there.

Lovecraft is an early 20th century writer. Primarily he is known for his work in the area of horror stories. Though he also is remembered by some for his letters and poetry.

Lovecraft's impact on horror storytelling will long be remembered. His creations and tales shaped the thinking of many future horror writers, and still inform many stories being told and written today. While he was not a commercial success in his lifetime, his work become fundamental and widely lauded. (His work was mostly to be found in pulp magazines.)

The Necronomicon. Great Cthulhu. The Re-Animator. Arkham. All of these are creations of Lovecraft. From direct retellings of his stories to liberal use of ideas or characters, Lovecraft stays with us.

As well, Lovecraft was in active correspondence with other similar writers. These included Robert E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, Clark Ashton Smith, etc. It was through this that he and other authors batted around ideas and concepts, offered ideas for stories, and shared concepts. As a result you can find similarities in some of their works, common settings or antagonists.

His writing style was distinct and affecting. And his stories could often be haunting, and disturbing. His reoccurring concepts came to form a Lovecraftian Mythos.

"Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn." 

"In his house at R'lyeh dead Cthulhu waits dreaming."

Cover of Art of The Art of H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos
- Drawn by  Michael Komarck

Giving Everyday - Supporting Media - Shilling Shockers, Citizen Radio, and TWiB

Previously, I noted some excellent charities to support. (And I hope you considered them.)

I have also wanted to point to some media that could use some support as well. It's always awkward to me, to put things like this forward. It feels like it comes down to advocating for business. I end up feeling this way even if they try and be altruistic, or are just plain fun.

But being so fun and useful, I do want to see them succeed. So I thought I'd note a few here, and let you see if you are fans, or interested in getting to know them better.



Media to know:


Penny Dreadful's Shilling Shockers

If you haven't seen me say it before, see it now. This is my favorite Horror Hosting show. It's been on 8 seasons so far, and now they are looking for financial support for a 9th.

The show follows the witch, Penny Dreadful, her husband Garou, a werewolf, and their friends, Dr. Manfred Von Bulow and Luna 13. as they watch bad old movies. They offer a lot of interesting insight and humor, and make for a hexcellent. evening's entertainment.

Now it's with Indiegogo, so if you are interested in helping them, be mindful of that system's rules. I am hoping they do get the funding they require, as I would love to see another season of the show. And, if they reach a secondary goal, they will finally be releasing a CD of music they've produced for the show. I've been hoping they'd do this for years now. (They've made some lovely fun songs for the show.)


Citizen Radio

On the more serious side (though with plenty of insightful cutting humor), Citizen Radio. The podcasts of Citizen Radio are free. But the show operates exclusively on donations from listeners, and the blood, tears, and sweat of Allison Kilkenny, Jamie Kilstein, Penny, and Dangles (Well, the last two mostly draw blood, and cause tears.). They pride themselves on their independence. But it also means that they need the support of fans and listeners.

They do a daily (Monday through Friday) show looking at the world around us, informing and advocating. They discuss issues and news. They go out into the streets to get stories. They also do interviews with the likes of journalists, thinkers, and news makers. Jeremy Scahill to Lindy West to Noam Chomsky. And they are rudely funny, with a touch of cat crazy (See Penny and Dangles.).

They are passionate and driven in their work. And if you like their efforts, and can afford it, they are worth investing in.


TWiB - This Week In Blackness

TWiB is another story of people covering news and society, and bringing a sense of humor to the reality around us, one podcast at a time. Led up by Elon James White, the team at TWiB put out a number of shows, from This Week in Blackness to Sportsball to We Nerd Hard. There is a variety of great programming.

They do a lot of good. They offer an underheard voice. And they create engaging conversation for you to be drawn into. And, like Citizen Radio, TWiB can bring in interviews you will likely not hear anywhere else.

But they can use support to maintain their quality of work, and take it to new levels. Also, they are moving their operations, and building a new studio. They are in the midst of plans to update there productions, and expand into more video production. They need support from listeners.



So, I hope if you do like any of these endeavors, and are in a place, financially, to help, you consider it. They all seem decent people making the world a bit better. And, if anything, their work is worth you getting to know.



Also, for Citizen Radio and TWiB, you can donate your Twitter and Facebook accounts. This means you agree to an occasional tweet/post promoting their shows on your account. I know for some that isn't desirable. But what it comes down is, at most, a single tweet a day promoting the podcasts. It's a minimal way to support them out.

Columbus Day/Native American Day?

Source

Today is Columbus Day, per federal and some state law. It's seen as a chance to acknowledge the efforts and results of Christopher Columbus's search for a new route to the East. It has been celebrated in one way or another for centuries. The national acknowledgement began in the U.S. in 1937.

Part of what helped it flourish was the move to help improve the image of the Italian American community in the U.S. It, like many other immigrant groups to this country had been tarred with stereotypes and derision. Out of that abuse and hate they clung to images that help tie them to the American story. And Columbus nicely did this.

Now, not every state joins in for this. Hawaii celebrates Discoverers' Day, in honor of the Polynesian discovery of the Hawaiian islands, though it is not a legally sanctioned holiday. South Dakota celebrates Native American Day on this day (Other California and Tennessee also have a Native American Day, but in September.), to acknowledge and honor native peoples. And Oregon just stays out of the debate.

What debate?

Well, while most of us went to school and all somehow picked up:

"In 1492, Columbus sailed the oceans blue."

The story and reality of exploration, discovery, and colonization of the Americas proves to be a dark one.

Exploration and colonization have had their positive results, new spaces for people, new foods and resources, expansion of knowledge, and chances to meet and connect with cultures. These can be great and truly monumental periods.

But times of colonization, moving into new lands, taking new resources, and coming in contact with new peoples, can and too often has been allowed to mean DEATH.

Columbus. The Treaty of Tordesillas. The Mayflower. Jamestown. The Homestead Act. The Gold Rushes.

Now let's consider Columbus's trip. (partly from here and here)

• He did not "discover" the Americas. The native people had long arrived there. And then we have the Vikings. And then there are the questions of others that may have reached the continents. (In fact people are reevaluating how native people arrived, reconsidered if they arrived in staggered groups, and entering at different places.)
• Columbus came for gold. Route to Asian? Pfft! He pushed the natives he met on the Caribbean Islands for gold, or sources of gold he could go to.
• Columbus saw the natives as soft touches. "I could conquer the whole of them with fifty men and govern them as I please." And Columbus was interested in governing them.
• Columbus brought syphilis to the Old World.
• When he returned, seeking gold, he demanded gold, food, and women for his men. When natives balked, he had them mutilated. And when they fought back, he had a reason to go to war on them. (The Spanish forces even gave captives to their dogs to eat.)
• When the attacks and threats didn't get him enough gold. He took slaves instead.
• In the Americas, other natives were kept as slaves to work and feed the Spanish. When many fled into the wilderness to stay free, Columbus's forces hunted them for sport.
• Then a tribute system was set up. Give the Spanish gold, and you would get a pass. From what? Having your hands cut off and put around your neck.
• And then there are the sex slaves that were a boon that Columbus would give his men. (Often they were 9-10 year old girls.)
• Columbus was deemed so brutal and so greedy, he was stripped of power and dragged back to Spain in his later years.
• And then we could talk about the MILLIONS that rapidly began dying across North and South America as the Spanish, Portuguese, French, English, and Dutch arrived. Civilizations collapsed and died out across TWO continents over less than than a century.

SLAVERY, PLUNDER, and DEATH.

Instead of being aware and learning about this, we make it about some myth. Myths do have their value. But when you let myth blot out real tragedy, you wrong us all.

And I think that is a good point. We need to talk and discuss what happened when Europeans started coming across the Atlantic Ocean in large numbers. The cost. The pain. The impact. Let's rip the lid off of myth and get to the reality. It needs to be real, and unforgotten.

Instead some have suggested celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving today or celebrating another figure, like Bartolome de las Casas. Taking Canadian Thanksgiving means just ignoring the issue, so you can enjoy the day off.  The realities of what happen should exist in our cultural dialogue. And switching figures? Come on.

Let's remember how the "New World" started. And let's beware of everything that was done to build and sustain it.

It's a dark, bloody, nasty, and cruel story at times. Let's not buff out the untidy bits of history. How else can we right things? How else do we learn?

Sleepy Hollow Review - Episode 2 - Blood Moon - "Aren't you dead?" *UPDATED*

Hey! Did you get the Star Trek reference in the title?

"Spoilers!"

NOBODY CARES! (Shh. I do. I'm the only one that gets you...)

Abbie has no time for your
B.S.

But more or less seriously, time for another review, to see how Sleepy Hollow holds up as it enters it's season proper. And, hey, it's still the same week as the episode came out! (Wait? Is it? ...Kind of.) Pretty snazzy. It would have been out quicker...but I feel into a deep sleep. Buying it? Oh, you bought me procrastinapping? Thanks, you guys are all heart. (...Even if I did actually take a 6 hour nap today.)


Before we get into that I wanted to point to a Tumblr post I made earlier this week. It's in regards to relationships in shows. I just wanted to remake the point, I don't fault people for shipping characters on a show. Enjoy it. I will try to stick to what looks to me like the narrative in front of me, on the screen, and not say anything about your personal fun.

But the fact that some people are giving the character of Abbie Miller crap for her race. Never acceptable. If you are the type of person who gripes when a nonwhite actor gets a led role, leave now. Just go.


The second episode starts with a recap of everything up to now…Or the last episode.

Ichabod was a cop who only knew how to break all the rules. The Headless Horseman was joker, whose jokes always fell flat. Abbie was a nun who kept to her vow, to kick some ass. And when they got together, it was mathematical.

See? We’re all caught up. (Or look at the last review.)

Learning after last week.

This last week has been an intense news week in the United States. It quickly got to the point that we largely became oblivious to what was happening elsewhere in the world (Yes, and the obvious joke is, "And that's new?" ha ha). So, logically I would talk about what we've been missing (bombings in Iraq, Chinese earthquake, etc.). But no, I want to address what the US has been through this week.

So, Boston. Patriots Day turned terrifying in Boston. The two bombs placed near the finish lines, thankfully, did not kill more, but more than a hundred were cruelly injured; some lost limbs, and three died. As with any terror act, fear flittered through the city and on the news. And some news resources were eager to get out information, real, confirmed, or not. I have not seen a clear indication yet how many additional people spreading bad information or rumors endangered this week.

Then, slowly information, streamed out, the police and FBI narrowed down the threat, and the media was still too eager. Worse though pundits and talking heads couldn't resist starting fights and finding ways to push nonsensical agenda bullet-points.

• We shouldn't put in background checks on guns, because of this.
• We have to close our borders, because...foreigners.

Then we learned who the bombers were. Young men, two brothers, who immigrated from Chechnya and Russia with their families, who were also Muslim. And it ramps up.

• We need guns!
• See! We let these immigrants in and they are all terrorists!
• We need to catch them and hand them over to the military!

And finally they were caught up to. One brother dead, the other fled. Finally the other was found and captured. Injured, he was taken to hospital. The decision, as of now, is to not mirandize him...yet.

• He's an enemy combatant!
• People "like this" should never be mirandized.
• Muslims shouldn't be allowed to immigrate.

Now this is a complicated question to me, rights vs public safety. We have had a "public safety" rule for awhile now in the US. It allows for Miranda reading to be delayed, and extend holding people. What do I think of that?

Sigh...Miranda rights are important. And it was a hard right to get police to guarantee. Before it, many people had their constitutional rights abused. Many police abused the accused. And, many like the idea of rolling back Miranda, and have wanted to since it was established.

BUT. Public safety. The idea that law enforcement would delay the evidence taking process to determine risks seems acceptable; it depends though on if the fact it is pre-Miranda is respected. Sometimes their are abducted people to recover, a possible bomb threat, or shooter to find. If we are going to separate what is admissible in court from the public safety work, it makes sense. Public safety should trump a conviction.

BUT. But if the information being taken will be used as evidence, that is wrong. We need to respect out law and process; why else have them? As well, it does worry we a little. It's an exception to Miranda. Creating exceptions to basic critical legal rights is worrisome. Once you say their is a space where you can just hold people indefinitely, and can classify for the greater good, you have to be vigilant for abuse, or expansion of uses. We citizens need to be cognizant of what is going on and hold criminals and the systems accountable. It is one of our basic duties.

I hope we will soon see this guy mirandized, and then we can get to arraigning him. (At present, he is apparently awake and communicating. So we'll see.)

But it is curious this week how eager conservatives are to fight hard for the 2nd Amendment, while not particularly caring for the 5th. But I've seen a lot of contempt for plenty of the amendments (15th, 19th).

Veering over to immigration...I just wish it was surprising to see conservatives take any opportunity to demonize immigrants. Really digging deep into that dark place of human fear. I expect better, and seldom get it.

But there has been the good to. In the wake of those explosions, people were there for each other. Stopping bleeding, getting people to help, reaching out with compassion. It was heartening to see. It is a reminder of what we can and do do.

And the emergency services worked just as they are meant to. As one person put it, they are the people that run towards the screaming and explosions as a daily function. We out it to appreciate just what these government workers do and endure. Better than allowing them to be lambasted and belittled as unnecessary and wasteful. It is in times of disaster that we remember just why we rely on all of these people, and why people take these jobs, even when the pay isn't the best.

It was a very sad and painful week in Boston. But in the midst of it, we were shown some of the light that exists within our society.

And then their was Texas. A fertilizer plant exploding in West, Texas is...terrifying. The fact it was surrounded by a nursing home, school, park, housing, etc; that is something all the more shocking following the actual failure of the safety measures at the facility. Thankfully the worst case scenario did not play out and the deaths (known so far) are not as large as I could have imagined (See the before and after images.).

But what we've seen since is that inspections of this facility haven't been done in some time. But inspection and regulation are such a burden and such a hindrance to...eh...something...guess I'm being distracted from hating regulation and inspection at the moment. If Texas wants to draw in new business and people, it might want to care about the safety of Texans and business not literally detonating on them.

And in the wake of this, we've seen Republicans, who have denounced federal funds, and others that have blocked federal aid to disasters make an about face. Gov. Perry now is eager to receive funds. And Sen. Cruz, who opposed aid to New York and New Jersey post-Hurricane sees a need to expedite aid to his state. It's funny. No, it isn't. It's predicable.

But this tragedy also was a moment where people around West were there to help people escape the damage, rest, and begin recovering.

To the people in Massachusetts and Texas who acted to help those in need. Thanks. To those struck by these tragedies. My sympathies. Plenty of lessons to take away from this week, as we mourn, heal, rebuild, and make tomorrow a better place.

Jokes, cinema, and guys not getting stuff.

Well, it's been awhile since Oscar Night '13, and I could have just not said anything and not completed that old saying about the fool successfully confirming the standing hypothesis...but what's the point of being a fool then?

Yes. Comedy! I've been meaning to say something on it for awhile now. It is hard to talk about. So I've avoided and procrastinated writing. Still, it is worthwhile to discuss.

Comedy can be many things, and be legit. It can be tame. It can be kind. It can be kid friendly. It can be edgy. It can be dark. It can be cruel. It can be horrible. It can true. It can be lies. It can be uncomfortable.

And as I see controversy arise from comedic events, comic sets, and jokes not well received, I keep seeing comics exasperatedly shrug (Not all, but many comics.). The comics see upset people and get upset back. They don't care the least for people not being able to "take a joke". And I can sympathize some. They are in a profession where they put themselves out, rely on being allowed to try out ideas, and challenge convention. So when they see alum getting booed or jeered for what they say, they can get uncomfortable.

And I do feel unsure when people say, "You can't joke about..." Because, I don't think so. You can joke about pretty much anything. You can do it badly, fail at it, turn an audience against you, but it's done. Worse, you can go into nasty areas that will sell. And there are many profitable areas that comics rely on that are just garbage. The go into generic mocking of women, gays, people of other races and ethnicity, etc. There is a treasure trove of crap that many subpar comedians rely on. So many club are full of this crap, and it males audience laughs... It's garbage, but it sells. And that does make me sad. Because it is shit, that helps support and affirm the worst slurs and views of whole groups. It's weak humor. Anemic.

Decent comedians should be embarrassed protecting this crude. And, frankly, if you want to do comedy that causes offense, or is controversial...You don't get to complain when people take offense or it's seen as controversial.

As well, if you want to say things that are controversial, don't be shit at it. People like George Carlin and Louis C.K. have gone to those places, and shown that they've thought about it, have something to say, and then share ideas. If you are not going to be putting that effort in, you're just going to point and mock. You are just going to be an ass.

And speaking of asses, let's suddenly pivot to the Oscars. WOOOOOOO!!!

Oh, god. I couldn't watch the whole show (How many hours are required?), but, from the half I saw and the clips later, that was horrible.

So what did Seth MacFarlane go with?

• A song that broke down the careers of several respected actresses to their breast. (This included examples of rape scenes and one that comes from private photos being stolen and spread around.)
• The idea that women who come to these events may throw up and do other unhealthy things to "look good" is a joke to throw out.
• Using a 9 year old girl to make a weak joke about George Clooney's sex life. (And then he apologized...to Clooney.)
• Broke down the concept of Zero Dark Thirty to the story of a nagging woman.
• Breaking down Django Unchained to a Chris Brown/Rhianna joke.
• Saying women like Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz are around to look beautful. (Cause you can't understand them with their weird foreign accents. Don't worry, he also mocked Javier Bardem for his accent to.)
• Saying that Jennifer Aniston was once a stripper, mocking her and women who strip. And, just a random mean joke...

...But really they all were. It's the weak random crap we get in the Family Guys these days...Or maybe it's always been like this. But it was just shit.

Now, some have tried to say that this was all subversion. He just said nasty thing about women, and others, to make a point about...stuff. Yeah. He talks about women baring their bodies in movies, women vomiting to look thin, because he care. And then went on to judge all the women their based on their looks and sexual value to him and other men. Remember what I said above? Theirs smart and then theirs being an ass. He wasn't saying nasty things about groups because he has something to say about misogyny or racism, but because, with his main audience, it gets a laugh. He's a real Jeff Dunham.

But that was the point. The point of all of this was to make the Oscars a Guys Event. Why? ...I don't know. Why are they doing a Wizard of Oz movie about one of the nonheroes of the books? Cause guys are more important than women...As MacFarlane tried to explain with his hosting duties.

And as we all know, media and society is so unfair and leveled against us guys. Am I right?

The changing face of racial prejudice and bigotry in America? *UPDATED*

From the Caroline County Court of Virginia:

"Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, malay and red, and he placed them on separate continents. And but for the interference with his arrangement there would be no cause for such marriages. The fact that he separated the races shows that he did not intend for the races to mix."

These were the words of the trial judge that Richard Perry Loving and Mildred Jeter Loving faced. They were found guilty of miscegenation, the mixing of the races. In particular, marrying in Washington D.C., then returning to live in Virginia. They were sentenced to 1 year in jail. To avoid jail they were allowed to leave the state. The case led to a Supreme Court ruling 10 years later ending anti-miscegenation laws in the country.

That was 1959.

In 2013, Texas Assistant Attorney General Sam L. Ponder said:

“ You've got African Americans, you've got Hispanics, you've got a bag full of money. Does that tell you — a light bulb doesn't go off in your head and say, ‘This is a drug deal?’ ”

This is how he wants to present his case. Blacks. Hispanics. Money. That only happens with drugs. Because that's how those people get money.

It's been more than half a century, and we still seem to have shifted only so far. You can look at the statistics for arrests, convictions, and sentencing by race, and the difference are quite stark. Stop and frisk. Papers please. And on and on. We still have many issues yet to seriously address in society and law.

Justice Scalia

And you can look at voting. Some communities get access to machines and facilities, and some just have to do with fewer broken voting machines and lines that stretch on for hours on end. Or faulty information released on the when's and where's of voting. Or new rules meant to discourage or bar minority voting.

And still, Justice of the Supreme Court Antonin Scalia was out and about today denouncing the Voting Rights Act as just a "perpetuation of racial entitlement." I wonder what Right Wing pundit he picked that up from? Racial entitlement? Voting? That's charming, isn't it? But he's one of the conservative movement that is eager to pave over protection of rights for minorities. Rights which certain states have for decades shown a certain eagerness to go after (Forgive me. Conservatives in those states have been eager to do this.)

The Voting Rights Act is up before the Supreme Court this year. Will see what's left of it, if Scalia can get his way.

_____________
ADDENDUM:

Meant to also add a link to a piece considering the impact of the end of the Voting Rights Act.

Wrapping up an election - Demographics *UPDATED*

The demographic results of the 2012 election are quite useful to understand where the population of the united states is going.

From Here:

As you can see outside whites, Obama won over every racial group. And lost men, but clearly won over women. And among age groups, Obama won clearly among people 44 years and younger.

So, Obama won over a minority of whites, men, and people over 44 years. And he clearly won the popular vote in this country.

That is how this country has changed, and will be continuing to change. Old, white, and male are no longer the key to electoral success. The changes in this country make it unwise to cater just to this part of the population, if only for the sake of the maths.

Likewise, Hispanics and Asians clearly support Democratic interests at present, despite anger from some conservatives that racial groups they deem conservative should vote and align themselves to GOP interests exclusively. Democrats need to continue to work to ensure this connection.

Josh Marshall has some thoughts on the dynamics.

The risk to Democrats is that the GOP could learn to better communicate and drive out vote in minority communities. Or, they could actually change some and be a genuinely more palpable option for these voters. Trouble for us the GOP is that they are the GOP. And they are too easily driven to become angry and enraged at blacks and Hispanics, and voice the feeling and push law to enact suffering.

And the GOP is so heavily made up of people who too dearly love the power of white people in America. They do a great job of reminding us all just what lies behind any friendly Republican facade.



And then we had Rush Limbaugh throwing his fit about how Santa Claus won. Apparently women and the various minority groups that supported Obama only did it because we are just children, who love free gifts and toys. You embrace Limbaugh's vision, or your a spoiled baby. This is a major Republicans voice, loved by the Conservative base, sought for support by Republican politicians.

This is the GOP that can't quite figure why it can't garner votes from minority groups.

The GOP is a great ally to liberals in uniting minority groups.

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ADDENDUM:

David Simon has an interesting look at the change in demographics to consider.
Jessica Valenti considered the power of women in voting.

Wrapping up an election - What the Right learned. *UPDATED*

It would be nice to say now, that the Right in this country have sagely taken some lessons away from this election. That they see where some ideological extremes they embraced were too far. That some of their attacks on rights were morally wrong. That the Tea Party, the Religious Right, and the billionaire backers asked for things no one should agree to do.

Let's pretend for a moment that happen. Steve Schimdt, a one time adviser to John McCain says the GOP needs to break from reactionary angry voices like Rush Limbaugh. Good. Frum is also unhappy with conservative media (which booted him). But they seem to be a minority.

Among the conservative voice online, we heard a very loud message. "That !@$#ing #!@&*+ has done it to us again." At the University of Mississippi students went out into the street screaming and throwing rocks in anger.

In a more established grouping, as seen in the piece on Steve Schimdt's concerns, it was also noted that the Tea Party Patriots had a message. WAR. They will not stand for "moderates" like Mitt Romney leading anymore. They are naming themselves the rightful heirs of the conservative movement. This group is eager to fight, Republicans, and they have many billionaire backers to help. Not a good start for change, except a shift further Right.

An odd addendum to the Tea Party right comes from Boehner who acted like their was no Tea Party caucus in the House. Seems like a disconnect, but will the Tea Party make life easy if Boehner were to actually break? He's already been made to walk with back a bit.

For the Family Research Council their is an eagerness to increase it's aggression against what it deems as an attack on morality. With the passage in multiple states of marriage equality, they want more aggressive civil disobedience against these rights. What then? Will they be ruining people's weddings. Will they be trying to humiliate and terrorize newlyweds? Yeah. That's a winning strategy, isn't it?

On the business front, we are hearing now that a number of CEO's are cutting jobs and trying to blame it on Obama. Pathetic. From coal magnates to the owner of Red Lobster, they took this electoral loss, and punished their employees. They took the risk of a loss of ANY profits, and decided to take it out of the hides of the workers. This is how they do business. I wouldn't care to do business with them.

Among advisers, Grover Norquist wants everyone to believe that the election was good and positive for the GOP, on many levels. Others have tried to go as far as saying that Republicans have a mandate coming out of the election. I know, it is crazy. A lot of sad opinions.

Some want to reach out to Latinos by doing a little immigration reform. Put Rubio up to talk it up, and then have him run for president. So, it's not about helping Latinos or understand their issues or concerns, just buy them off.

Some also are saying that the GOP needs to reach out to women. Karen Hughes wants to cut the tongues out of GOP representatives if they talk like Akins. That is great. Except, they aren't upset at the ideas. They are still pushing the denial of reproductive rights. They still oppose equal pay. They still think of women who use the Pill as sluts. As I heard today they think open talk on this costs votes. It's a strategic pain. They aren't growing and learning about their mistaken policy positions, as we see in Ohio.

Melina Mara/ The Washington Post via Getty Images

In Ohio the Republican party has now decided, post-election to renew an attack on the reproductive health care access of women. Wednesday, the 14th, they will be voting on restricting access to abortion. That is the reaction, "Onward, damn those women."

And in Florida, the governor still is avoiding the media and now is refusing to acknowledge the utter failure his election day was.

And in the Congress? In talking about the coming budget fight, Speaker Boehner offers as a way forward, effectively, the plan that Romney ran and lost on. They are complaining that the president must meet their expectations. How is that moving things forwards? How is that finding answers to our problems?


How is any of this showing that ANY lessons were learned?


The Conservatives are active in these days following the election. They are prepping for in four years. Hell, they are looking for the soonest local election where you are. They want to put the usual suspects from their clique on your school board. They want to put a pal in the mayor's office, or on the city council. They are grooming a like minded fellow ready to be voted onto the PUC or onto a court.

This is what Nordquist was hinting at. They can loose a presidency. They cannot take the Senate. But they are establishing bases of power lower, they are writing law to keep liberals out, or to get to the US Supreme Court to get desired rulings.

The key reason that their was little change in the House of Representatives is all the states that the GOP gained control of State Legislatures. With that power they redid the shapes of districts, limiting the places that Democrats could win House races, and bolstering the ability of Republicans to hold and keep seats across the country. Those state races that they fought for were pivotal. We can't let them keep them.

We have to be active on the ground. We need to find people to run against Republicans for all offices. We need to be seeing the decisions they are making in office NOW. We need to not decide that the elections over and now we get to disengage.

Don't disengage now. Don't let others. We all have to care what happens on the school board. We have to care what the city council is doing. We have to care what out legislature is up to. AND we need to bother to be heard with what will be happening in Congress.


Stay active and engaged.

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ADDENDUM:

In Texas, the treasurer of the Hardin County Republican Party is calling for Texas to secede from the the nation.

...“We must contest every single inch of ground and delay the baby-murdering, tax-raising socialists at every opportunity,” Morrison wrote. “But in due time, the maggots will have eaten every morsel of flesh off of the rotting corpse of the Republic, and therein lies our opportunity.” 

“Texas was once its own country, and many Texans already think in nationalist terms about their state. We need to do everything possible to encourage a long-term shift in thinking on this issue. Why should Vermont and Texas live under the same government? Let each go her own way in peace, sign a free trade agreement among the states and we can avoid this gut-wrenching spectacle every four years,” he wrote. 

The contents of the letter were first reported by the Texas Observer and TFN Insider. 

Morrison also wrote that “many members of minority groups are simply racist against the party most white people happen to vote for.” He singled out Asian Americans, who he said should be Republican “as they earn more money and pay more in taxes than white Americans.”...

WOW! That is some hardcore racist BS. The party head in the county said he didn't know what the treasurer was thinking or writing. But that isn't to say he disagrees. Like with the rape talk they are upset at, how does their rhetoric or legislating differ? Maybe in coarseness. But I have seen a lot of resentment towards business Hispanics already, for not getting in place with Republicans.

But this is how the GOP is acting and reacting now. They are pissed the country didn't go the way they want. And they are pissed the demographics they deem to be theirs won't just do and vote as the party wants.

Today in GOP dog whistles.

Well it is another day in the 2012 Election Fun. And the GOP has been hard at work blowing on their dog whistles.

What does that mean? What's this about dog whistles? Well, to those not up this lingo, dog whistles relates to the nature of these whistles to not be heard by humans, but by dogs. To use a dog whistle in talking is to imply one harsh and negative thing while trying to portrait a comment as being harmless or benign. Dinesh D'Souza and others calling President Obama "anti-colonial" is one example. It is meant to convey that he isn't "one of us" and is a threat to the country. Another is to allude to racial stereotypes or imagery, trying to connect to racistly inclined people in your audience.

When it comes to dog whistles in politics, the GOP, from top to bottom, has gone quite red faced this year blowing away.

To see this, just look at today. One day.

Look to disgraced former governor Mark Sanford. Apparently all is forgiven and FOX has taken him to their bosom as a contributor. What does he contribute?

... 

“Obama’s going to come out in this case much more forcefully, and he’s going to throw a lot of spears,” Sanford opined. ...

Throwing spears? Odd choice of words, isn't it? Why say it? Because it is a long used term to describe black men. The term, decoded, is spearchucker. A word meant to hearken back to the imagery of Africans using and throwing spears in some tribal setting. It is meant to imply savagery and being something other and less than whites. It was a common enough term, once. If you see the original MASH (the movie adapted from the play), it is used as a nickname of a black surgeon at camp who once played football. It can seem innocent enough, without context.

But we should remember the context, and why it is still used. Sanford wanted to berate Obama and imply something troubling about him, particularly if and when he would defend himself in a debate. He's going to chuck spear, because, to people like Sanford, he's not one of us, he's alien. If Sanford wasn't already disgusting he'd have earned that badge today.

In another place Jason Thompson, son of former governor and senate candidate Tommy Thompson (of panicking people about poison gas after 9/11 fame), spoke before a County Republican Party event. He wanted them to know that (w/ video):

... 

"We have the opportunity to send President Obama back to Chicago - or Kenya," Jason Thompson, an attorney at Michael Best and Friedrich, said during a fall brunch hosted by the Kenosha County Republican Party.  

...

Back to Kenya...because, apparently, that is where he's from. Of course, it is long established, since his birth, that President Obama is an American, and a Hawaiian. But repeating the wild claim, and to a disturbing level believing it, is bread and butter from Republicans still today. They will go on the news, smile coldly, and say, "Of course, the president is an American citizen." Then they will go out and blow the dog whistle, getting crowds of conservatives cheering madly and giddily. Mostly though, they let surrogates do it, keeping the myth alive. The myth that the president is really a foreign threat, alien in thinking and an enemy in agenda.

Parties often want to present an opponents ideas as wrong. But this is a new sick level. It breeds disturbing levels of fear and hate among conservatives. But it also gets ignorant voters out for them. So they blow that whistle.


And is TWO examples of people on major stages talking like this. Feel free to contemplate how much more was said at smaller venues, in emails being sent around by politicos and campaigns, and so on.

This is how, for some folk, you still win office, or keep power. It is a big part of a Southern Strategy of old, and Dog Whistle Strategy of today and tomorrow.

In the end they want to make Barack Hussein Obama, husband and father, the 44th president, and American citizen, just some alien/foreign/outsider/unAmerican caricature meant to sicken you and haunt your dreams.

They want to do all of that to THIS.

Call me mad, but this this is in anyway alien/foreign/outsider/unAmerican, I want to be that. (And props to the news story that used this pic instead of the racist images conservatives pass around.)

Be aware that these dog whistles are blowing all the time. They are trying to bolster the hate and fear of the ignorant. Also, they are trying to cajole those that should know better to embrace the lesser angels of their natures.

Don't stand for it.

And be sure to vote.