General Commentary Archives | Page 2 of 9

Brady Campaign Announces Endorsement of Gov. Andrew Cuomo for Re-Election

July 26, 2018 Elections, General Commentary, Gun Violence

Gun safety organization hails Cuomo’s proven leadership, including passage of SAFE Act Avery Gardiner: “When it comes to the issue of gun safety, you are literally talking about life and death, and at a time when Washington is cowtowing to the NRA, this nation needs proven and experienced leaders like Andrew Cuomo.” Washington, D.C., July 21, 2018 – Today, the

White Fragility

July 21, 2018 General Commentary, Gun Violence

It was May of 2018, and there was, yet again, another mass shooting in America. This time, a High School in Santa Fe, Texas had been the target. Like many Americans, I was outraged. I posted Facebook, talking about the blood that was now on the hands of the NRA. One of my insightful activist friends, Darnell, added a comment

Transactional Humanity

July 7, 2018 General Commentary

Before we begin, I’d like to ask a small favor. Reach into your pocket, a desk drawer, or that cup we all keep in our cars, and grab a quarter. Look at it. Both sides. Pay special attention to the phrases “In God we trust” and “E pluribus unum” that you’ll find on each and every one. Then ask: “What

SUPPORT THE VICTIMS OF THE ATTACK IN BOISE

July 3, 2018 General Commentary

From Better Idaho Sunday night, refugee families at a low-income apartment complex in Boise were attacked by a knife-wielding man who ultimately stabbed nine people, including six children. At least four of the victims have sustained life-threatening injuries. Our heart is broken for everyone involved in this senseless attack, but we know that our community will rise up to support those involved. Better Idaho's

The Toolmakers Call For Civility

July 2, 2018 General Commentary

He says Max is mad, and Hillary is screeching, But when he screeches madly, it's seen as divinity preaching, To the choir of forgottens, who gleefully shout out, 'illegal', To describe those 'yearning to breathe free', instead of seeing them as people. But he is one of the toolmakers, lest we not forget, His double gender-ethnic privilege, is like a

Breaking: Kennedy Retiring from SCOTUS

June 28, 2018 General Commentary

My “no” to a SCOTUS nominee until after the election is an act of radical love: This no is a “yes” for my mother and my mother-in-law and my sisters and my daughters, so they can access the health care they need. This no is a yes for immigrants and their children. This no is a yes for Daniel Pearl

Let The Games Begin…

June 28, 2018 General Commentary, international, Russia

Oh, Vladamir! Where Art Thou Vladamir? We know you are out there hiding in the shadows of our democracy.. You have been softly whispering into the ears of those who knew what games you play.. Those that decided they were beyond the rules of the games.. Those that decided they could change the games in their favor.. Those that decided

10 Years Later, Heller Continues to Resonate

June 28, 2018 General Commentary, Gun Violence

New Brady Center report explores decade following Supreme Court decision Washington, D.C., June 26, 2018 - On June 26, 2008, the Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in District of Columbia v. Heller, finding for the first time that the Second Amendment gives law-abiding, responsible citizens the right to have a gun in the home for self-protection. While leaders in

Trauma at the Border

June 27, 2018 General Commentary, Immigration, international

The Trump administration’s cruel immigration policy has created a humanitarian crisis at our border. Trauma at the Border, a new short video by Brave New Films, exposes the emotional, psychological and physical damage that can be done when children are imprisoned – even with their families. Childhood trauma, like imprisonment and family separation, provokes long-lasting implications caused by high levels

This November, there’s a new voting bloc: the class of 2018.

June 26, 2018 Elections, General Commentary

Let me start with an introduction. My name is Henry Marshall, I’m 19 years old, and I just graduated from high school. In many ways, my graduating class, the class of 2018, is like any other. But in a few important aspects, our young lives have been completely different. Our high school years were punctuated by violence, tragedy, and the irresponsibility

Immigrant Prisons

June 23, 2018 General Commentary, Immigration

Immigrant Prisons Few Americans know about our nation's system of immigrant detention centers. Each year, the U.S. government locks up roughly 440,000 immigrants in over 200 immigrant prisons. Companies like the CCA and Geo Group, got started in the 1980s, and have since made over $12 billion in profits, largely from immigrant detention. These facilities have grown into a highly

I’m Done

June 18, 2018 General Commentary, Immigration

I’m done. I have spent the last week debating the morality of placing children or anyone for that matter in warehouses and tent camps. I’m done appealing to the better nature of people who approve of such behavior from our government. It has mattered little to them that these are people acting in desperation. It matters little to point out

The Military and NFL Can Finally Meet on the National Pitch

June 11, 2018 Civil Rights, General Commentary

For the few of us who have had the honor of being part of the U.S. military, we swear an oath to obey the orders of the officers above us and, ultimately, the President of the United States. We are citizen soldiers who serve those who elect the Leader of the Free World. During my time in the Army, from

DELAWARE MOMS DEMAND ACTION, EVERYTOWN APPLAUD THE HOUSE FOR UNANIMOUSLY ADVANCING LIFE-SAVING RED FLAG LEGISLATION

June 8, 2018 Elections, General Commentary, Gun Violence

Red Flag Law Would Empower Family and Law Enforcement to Petition Courts to Temporarily Suspend a Person’s Access to Firearms If They Pose a Risk to Self or Others Red Flag Law Could Help Prevent Firearm Suicides and Mass Shootings DOVER, Del.– The Delaware chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety,

Bring Back the “Liberal Republican”

June 5, 2018 Elections, General Commentary

Did you know that the Republican Party used to be moderate to liberal on many social, economic, and domestic issues? Around the 1940's, up until the 1970's, the dominant wing of the GOP consisted of this "Liberal Republican" coalition. Made up mostly of well-educated east coast politicos and elites, this faction came to be after President Franklin Delano Roosevelt implemented

Brady Campaign Endorses Gun Violence Prevention Champions

June 5, 2018 General Commentary, Gun Violence

Gun violence prevention organization endorses 16 elected officials and candidates. Washington, D.C., June 4, 2018 - As voters across the country #WearOrange in honor of Gun Violence Awareness Month, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence announced a set of endorsements for gun safety champions at the federal and state level in California and New Jersey ahead of Tuesday’s primary

Wear Orange to Stop Gun Violence in All Its Forms

June 1, 2018 General Commentary, Gun Violence

Washington, DC (June 1, 2018) -- This weekend, the nation will wear orange to mark the beginning of gun violence awareness month. The “wear orange” movement began after 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton was shot in a Chicago park in 2013; following her death, her friends and family encouraged people across the country to raise awareness about gun violence by wearing orange

HANDGUN PURCHASER LICENSING LAWS LINKED TO FEWER FIREARM HOMICIDES IN LARGE, URBAN AREAS

May 31, 2018 General Commentary, Gun Violence

--States that adopt handgun licensing laws see fewer gun homicides in their urban centers State laws that require gun purchasers to obtain a license contingent on passing a background check performed by state or local law enforcement are associated with a 14 percent reduction in firearm homicides in large, urban counties, a new study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School

NEWTOWN AND NEW YORK CITY STUDENTS WILL HOLD A STUDENT DIE-IN AT WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK IN NEW YORK CITY TO DEMAND ACTION AFTER THE SANTA FE SHOOTING TRAGEDY

May 25, 2018 General Commentary, Gun Violence

What: Today is the one week anniversary of the Santa Fe High School shooting when a gunman used his father’s Remington shotgun and a .38 revolver to kill 10 students and educators and injured 13 others in Santa Fe High School in Texas. To stand with the students, educators and the community of Santa Fe, the Newtown students from Jr

#NoRA Statement on BlackRock’s Accountability For Sturm, Ruger Actions

May 23, 2018 General Commentary, Gun Violence

Today, BlackRock, a global funds management firm, holds its shareholder meeting in New York. BlackRock holds a 17% stake in Sturm, Ruger, the nation’s largest gun manufacturer. Sturm, Ruger made the AR-556 assault weapon which killed 26 people in the Sutherland Springs church massacre and has among the most aggressive stances against gun violence prevention of any weapons company. It

DC Activists: Metro Police Department’s Violence, Recklessness, and Lack of Accountability Requires Immediate, Substantive Action from Elected Officials

May 15, 2018 Civil Rights, General Commentary, Gun Violence

WASHINGTON - On Wednesday, May 9th, an off-duty officer with the Metropolitan Police Department opened fire in northeast DC, killing 24-year-old D’Quan Young. Witnesses report that the officer “shot wildly, as children ran for their lives,” and that the officer reloaded his weapon and continued shooting after D’Quan Young was on the ground. This follows the May 4th killing of

Don’t Rationalize Donald Trump

May 14, 2018 General Commentary

The greatest mistake that the American people made in 2016 was giving Donald Trump the “first amendment” soapbox where he was allowed to echo white nationalist dog whistles from the past fifty years. In a world where he should have been ostracized, ridiculed, and tossed aside as another reactionary nut job: our society, with great naivety, gave him the benefit

Tea Time with Renato Mariotti

May 1, 2018 General Commentary

Renato Mariotti is quickly becoming a name synonymous with justice and fairness. Renato is someone whose ideas and voice can be seen at various times on CNN and MSNBC almost daily. My belief on why he gets the invites are simple, he is able to take the complexity of law and explain it to the masses in plain English, without

5 financial moves DREAMers should make now

April 24, 2018 General Commentary, Immigration

If you’re a DREAMer, you face a difficult financial situation. In February 2018, the Supreme Court declined to hear the Trump Administration’s appeal challenging the Deferred Action for Child Arrivals program — better known as DACA. And in March, Congress failed to develop a permanent solution to protect DREAMers from deportation. With the future of DACA still uncertain, many dreamers

Sentencing Reform: Drug Addiction

April 20, 2018 General Commentary

Sentencing Reform: Drug Addiction Keith Whiteman was first locked up in 1995, at age 20. Three years in prison, five months out—then he offended again. Another two years in prison, seven months out. Three more times he returned, spending years behind bars and then a few months free. Each time he committed yet another offense (or several), all a byproduct

Political Cartoon

April 15, 2018 General Commentary

To Fire or Not to Fire Contributing Editor: Jamie Domnick Twitter: @JNick9456 Instagram:JNick9456 Currently a student at the University of Wisconsin--Green Bay; double majoring in Democracy & Justice Studies, and History. At the beginning of my college career, I intended to major in Art and then perhaps teach the subject. However, as I continued to take various classes, I soon

CONSCIENTIOUS PROGRESSIVISM – KEEP THE BABY, THROW OUT THE BATHWATER

April 9, 2018 General Commentary

"I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace

Unintended Consequences: FOSTA-SESTA and Sex Work

April 6, 2018 General Commentary

Things are happening quickly following FOSTA-SESTA’s 97–2 vote in Congress. Although the radically flawed legislation — which amends Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act — has yet to actually be signed in to law, major websites and companies are scrambling to enact preemptive measures in order to save themselves from facing culpability for any potential “misuse” of their platforms and services. The toppling

Immigrants Are the New Negros

April 4, 2018 Civil Rights, General Commentary, Immigration

Immigrants are the backbone of our country. This country was literally built on the backs of African slaves. Slaves built railroads, presidential estates, Wall Street, the White House, and everything in between. I will make a distinction early on in this article, though: slaves were not immigrants. I am merely mentioning the work that the “Negro” did in America right

Immigrant Stories: Doctors and Nurses

April 2, 2018 Elections, General Commentary, Healthcare, Immigration, international

Keep Hospitals Safe From ICE Since Trump has taken office, the Department of Homeland of Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have aggressively targeted undocumented immigrants. With increasing reports of ICE roundups and arrests near and inside hospitals, more and more undocumented immigrants must choose between remaining with their families or risking deportation for medical care -

Political Cartoon

April 1, 2018 General Commentary

Kushner Downgrade Contributing Editor: Jamie Domnick Twitter: @JNick9456 Instagram:JNick9456 Currently a student at the University of Wisconsin--Green Bay; double majoring in Democracy & Justice Studies, and History. At the beginning of my college career, I intended to major in Art and then perhaps teach the subject. However, as I continued to take various classes, I soon discovered my passion for

Political Cartoon

March 30, 2018 Economic Issues, Elections, General Commentary

Who will be next to leave the White House? Trump recently stated that he enjoys the chaos of the White House staff turnover. At the annual bipartisan dinner, he joked, "who's going to be next to leave? Steve Miller, or Melania?" Perhaps as a result of Trump's U.S. tariff proposal on steel and aluminum, Gary Corn resigned as director of

Online Cruelty

March 30, 2018 General Commentary

i joined twitter in 2006. i hated it, immediately. it seemed ridiculous. you know what, though? sometimes ridiculous is good. seemingly meaningless updates on people’s lives didn’t interest me at first. but it grew on me. from there, twitter became a powerful platform for me and others for a lot of reasons. a lot of “happy collisions” on twitter have

Empathic Gun Safety

March 28, 2018 General Commentary, Gun Violence

A few years ago in the month of March, my partner got me an all day package at LAX Firing Range in Southern California as a birthday present. She figured as a former pro athlete who did archery & rifles at youth summer camps, that it would be a welcome surprise, and it was. Shooting with her that day, and

Crack, Voting Rights, and Black Lives Matter: A Primer For White People

March 27, 2018 Civil Rights, General Commentary, Gun Violence

Black Lives Matter didn't happen in a vacuum, and it didn't happen solely because Michael Brown was shot and killed. Or Trayvon. Or Philando. Or Stephon. Or when they killed Sandra. Or broke Freddy’s neck. Or solely because of any of the unarmed, untried black Americans who have been killed by law enforcement since the genesis of Black Lives Matter

CREATING A STRONG, COHESIVE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM

March 23, 2018 Elections, General Commentary

“If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace.” -- Thomas Paine The 2018 midterms are rapidly approaching and Democratic enthusiasm is higher than most of us can ever recall. As a recent convert to the Democratic Party, I am inspired by our mix of conviction, fury, and energy. I have hope

President or Dictator: It’s America’s Choice

March 22, 2018 Elections, General Commentary

I start this out by saying that I am an independent voter. My leaning is left. I don’t argue that. Yet, I grew up and still live in a state that is predominately conservative and voted for Trump. I didn’t, but my family did. A few of my friends did. We have talked politics and on many things, we have

200 Minds Held Hostage at Pennridge High

March 21, 2018 General Commentary, Gun Violence

On Saturday, 200 brave, patriotic, dedicated, and focused leaders of tomorrow sat in detention at Pennridge High School in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Northeast of Philadelphia, Bucks County is home to some of the highest rated school districts and communities to live in the nation and a perennial republican stronghold. The county's politics could be one reason that Pennridge School District

Forced Resignation of Broward County’s Sheriff Deputy: Where are the #BlueLivesMatter voices?

March 19, 2018 General Commentary

A little more than three years ago, a countermovement formed to critique the perception that media and public opinion were “anti-police” following the spate of high-profile police-involved shootings that spawned the Black Lives Matter movement. This countermovement, Blue Lives Matter, helped officers and their families in need and raise awareness of the difficulties and dangers that police officers face in

Tea Time with Chris Kennedy

March 16, 2018 Elections, General Commentary

Last year I attended a gala and I met Chris Kennedy. I have met many politicians in my life and Chris did something remarkable that impressed me during our first meeting. He asked if I would help him. Most politicians immediately go into their plans to make your life better. Chris genuinely wanted to know, directly from me, what would