General Commentary Archives | Page 4 of 9

Who Wants to be an Oligarch?

January 19, 2018 Economic Issues, General Commentary

Does Contestant Donnie Trump have what it takes? This parody makes following the money fun and suggests the so-called "nothing-burger" may in fact be a something-borscht with a side of definitely-a-thing caviar. About Rise and Resist Rise and Resist is a direct action group committed to opposing, disrupting, and defeating any government act that threatens democracy, equality, and our

Love Knows No Boundaries. No Oceans. No Countries.

January 19, 2018 General Commentary

Each year there is a trendy gift that everyone wants. These gifts become most popular around Christmas. The first such gift I remember was the Cabbage Patch Kid. I remember watching news stories of parents fighting over a few remaining at a local Toys-R-Us store. I also remember working in retail when the Furby was the hot gift. One day,

Missing the Point: The Argument for Police Reform

January 18, 2018 Civil Rights, General Commentary, Gun Violence

Every time I see a police vehicle, my heart drops and I immediately fear for my life because I have been the victim of unwarranted physical assault by police officers (as detailed in my article “Ungrateful is the new Uppity”). Many men and women with darker skin can relate to this feeling. There have been many articles on both sides

BRINGING THE PEOPLE BACK TO THE HOUSE

January 18, 2018 Economic Issues, Elections, General Commentary

While politics in the United States has grown more racially and ethnically diverse, and while women continue their march toward parity, the economic diversity of Congress has actually gone down. The shrinking of trade unions has removed the primary ladder for working people to rise to political leadership, and the result is a kind of economic segregation that marginalizes most

Time to Stand in Our Truth and Sing

January 17, 2018 General Commentary, Women in the Age of Trump

The past year has been more than a wake up call for women across America. It has been a forced rebirth. Shortly after the election of 2016 shocked us all, one unexpected event heralded the death of the woman I used to be. The woman who remained of the good Generation X girl who thought that if she excelled at

History Repeating Itself

January 17, 2018 Elections, General Commentary

James Madison, at the constitutional convention: “A President is impeachable if he attempts to subvert the Constitution. I’ve recently been doing a bit of historical research into impeachment. Given our current circumstances with Trump, it did seem to be the logical course of action. As I was reading, I began to notice trends in certain things. Similarities to that situation

What you need to know about the partial DACA reinstatement:

January 16, 2018 Civil Rights, General Commentary, Immigration

DACA was shut down on September 5, 2017, and USCIS has not accepted any renewal applications since October 5, 2017. On January 9, 2018 a federal judge ordered USCIS to resume accepting DACA renewal applications. WHO CAN FILE Any person who meets all the DACA requirements, and has held DACA at some point in the past may now prepare a

Less is Moore

January 16, 2018 General Commentary

As I entered my parents’ home one evening, I was immediately greeted by the hearty tones of my father’s booming voice critiquing the contestants on one of his favorite game shows. “Stupido! Madonna, what a dumb!” I hear him belting out from downstairs. The language he employs is a variable amalgam of Italian, his mother tongue, and English. This is

Brianna Westbrook Biography

January 15, 2018 Elections, General Commentary

I first stepped into politics as a concerned citizen in February 2013 when I was nearly 30-years-old. I argued before the Phoenix City Council to support an Anti-Discrimination measure to include protections for members of the LGBT and disability communities in city contracts, housing, employment and public accommodations. Two months later I argued against AZ Senate Bill 1432, aimed at prosecuting

Kinds of Hunger

January 12, 2018 Economic Issues, General Commentary, Immigration

I’ve been teaching writing classes at a local university for well over a decade now. The quick math in my head tells me I’ve had thousands of students. I have to admit – I don’t remember them all. He was a forgettable kid when he walked in, but he didn’t remain that way for long. The first thing that caught

Americans Must Unite to Rescue Our Sinking Ship of State

January 12, 2018 Elections, General Commentary

We are in the midst of a national emergency, and the elections in November will signal whether America is still serious about being a democracy. A President is actively attacking democratic structures and norms while intentionally stoking racial tensions. Civility itself is endangered. Our elections are not secure and voter suppression is on the rise. There is an active campaign

Twenty Quotes for the #RESISTANCE in 2018

January 12, 2018 General Commentary

We who oppose tyranny in all its guises don’t yet have our own Thomas Paine, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, or Martin Luther King, Jr. - but we have their words. Keep them close. Make them your own. Speak them often. Share with friends and family. Remix at will. And please add to this

RECLAIMING CHRISTIANITY FROM REPUBLICANS

January 11, 2018 General Commentary

The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the

Alt-Reich: The Reemergence of an Old Enemy

January 11, 2018 Civil Rights, Elections, General Commentary, Immigration

It did not begin in Charlottesville, but did not end there, either. In August, 2017, self-described White nationalists marched in Charlottesville, Virginia, carrying Tiki torches and swastikas, chanting “Jews will not replace us”, and “blood and soil”. Any student of history knows from whence these phrases came. Our country fought a war to defeat this very ideology, and here it

Could 2019 Be the Year of the ERA?

January 11, 2018 General Commentary

In 1972, both the Senate and the House passed the Equal rights Amendment and sent it to the states for ratification. Requiring the approval of thirty-eight states, it received only thirty-five before the Congressionally-mandated deadline for ratification expired. Thirty-six years later, the ERA is still not part of the Constitution, but a wave of women running for office could prompt

#In300Days You Can Change the World – But You Must Start Now

January 10, 2018 Elections, General Commentary

Today marks 300 days before the Midterm Congressional election. That’s right – we’re nearing the halfway point of the Trump regime, and for many of us, this election will be the first chance we have to voice our disapproval at the ballot box. But you won’t be heard if you can’t vote. Last November’s elections proved beyond a doubt that

Women in the Age of Trump – Being A Woman In Trump’s America: Year One

January 8, 2018 General Commentary, Women in the Age of Trump

Women in the Age of Trump - A Patriot NOT Partisan Exclusive Series In 2016, three million more Americans voted for the first woman to occupy the Oval Office than did for the man who currently occupies it. The impacts were swift and significant. In 2018, PatriotNOTPartisan is collecting the stories of these impacts, told by the women who are impacted.

The Unlikely Lesson I Learned

January 5, 2018 Elections, General Commentary

It was a cold night on October 30, 2017, in downtown Chicago. I was in line, outside, with hundreds of people waiting to hear a speech. I saw people from all walks of life. The ladies from the Gold Coast, the men from the south side, the nice, elderly ladies from Suburbia, the college kids from universities far and near,

The God of the Left

January 4, 2018 General Commentary

There was a time I believed that those on the right, or conservatives, were the anti-science party. I felt that their denial of obvious scientific reality clearly made the right wing the anti-science party. For the most part, a lot of conservatives believe in God, and their religion would come into conflict with science. In short, for someone to deny

VLADIMIR PUTIN’S LONG GAME

January 2, 2018 General Commentary, international, Russia

One nasty morning Comrade Stalin discovered that his favorite pipe was missing. Naturally, he called in his henchman, Lavrenti Beria, and instructed him to find the pipe. A few hours later, Stalin found it in his desk and called off the search. "But, Comrade Stalin," stammered Beria, "five suspects have already confessed to stealing it." -- Vladimir Bukovsky This

Take a Knee Bernie

January 1, 2018 Elections, General Commentary

A week ago, The Washington Post ranked the top 15 Democratic presidential candidates for 2020. The article appeared in The Post on Friday before Christmas weekend and was like a package that an unreformed Grinch would leave on the doorstep. If America is suffering now, trying to determine how to recover from the one-man circus that has corrupted the nation,

Countdown!

December 31, 2017 General Commentary

Tonight marks one of the most focused of all global countdowns. People around the world will wait in anticipation for the last seconds of another year to tick away. In Manhattan tonight, almost 2 million revelers will pack into Times Square and countdown with the famed ball. Around the nation and across the globe, millions more will be counting down

Top 10 DNC Fails, 2017

December 29, 2017 General Commentary

Coming on the heels of the 2016 election debacle, which saw the resignation of its chairman and an unthinkable loss to a remarkably unpresidential and unqualified man, the Democratic National Committee clearly needed a renewed focus and image makeover in 2017. While there were some large victories (electoral wins in Virginia and Alabama come to mind), there were some major

Ten Most Important Tweets of 2017

December 28, 2017 General Commentary

2017 became the year of the Twitter Presidency – but it wasn’t all about @RealDonaldTrump. From social movements to political movements, causes to humor, here are the 10 tweets that we feel carried the most weight this year. 10. "No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion..." pic.twitter.com/InZ58zkoAm

Year End Review of the RussiaGate Fraud

December 27, 2017 General Commentary, Russia

As amazing as it is, there are still people out there who are totally sold on any number of Russia/Trump based conspiracy theories. So it falls to me to illustrate a few of the multitude of reasons we Trump supporters scoff and get a good laugh almost daily over the latest “RussiaGate” nonsense. It’s almost amazing the degree to which

Hollow Populism

December 26, 2017 Economic Issues, Elections, General Commentary

McKean County, Pennsylvania: I’ve been visiting this place since I was a kid. It’s quiet, with good hunting. Next to the Allegheny River, near the northern border of the state, it’s removed from pretty much everything. There’s a college town about 25 miles away, but in the winter, the mountain roads are often impassable. As a young boy, I found

The Top 10 Immigration Developments of 2017

December 25, 2017 General Commentary, Immigration, international

That 2017 has been a tumultuous year for immigration in the United States is not exactly a revelation. President Trump campaigned on this issue and has sought to deliver on many of his campaign promises. If you’re pro-immigration, there are not many positives to report this year except that public opinion remains strongly pro-immigration and resistance to the President’s immigration

Game On?

December 22, 2017 General Commentary

There’s a game being played somewhere in Donald Trump’s mind. No one is quite sure of what the game is or what the rules are, or even what the objective is. None-the-less, yesterday afternoon Trump declared, “America is in the game and America is going to win.” While 325 million people scratched their collective heads on Monday, Trump apparently had

Women are equal. Period.

December 22, 2017 #MeToo, Civil Rights, Economic Issues, General Commentary

You’ve heard the statistics: 40% of women are the primary breadwinners of their home, if women got paid equally as men the US economy would double, etc. These statistics are irrelevant. Women don’t deserve equal opportunity because “it’s good for our economy” or “good for their children” or “good for their family.” A woman’s value isn’t dependent on her relationship

Make America Hate Again

December 21, 2017 Civil Rights, General Commentary, Healthcare, Immigration

Jonathan Swift famously said, “We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.” I am Jewish, as are both my parents, and as were my four grandparents. They instilled in me the concepts of Tzedukah, (charity) and Mitzvot (good deeds). As with Christianity, I was taught the Golden Rules: do unto

How to Write a College Application Essay

December 21, 2017 General Commentary

Putting together a college application can feel like an impossible task. After all, this is your future we’re talking about. There’s a lot at stake here. But here’s the good news: you’re more prepared than you may think. All of those writing assignments you completed throughout high school have provided you with the experience and skills needed to write a

WHAT MAKES A VIRGINIAN FIGHT?

December 20, 2017 Elections, General Commentary

Growing up in Virginia gives one a unique perspective. We Virginians spend our formative years immersed in history, and almost daily we’re reminded of the role our state played in the forging of America. We’ve been on both sides of history, and our pride is tempered with a healthy dose of humility. When Massachusetts started a fight it couldn’t win

POLITICAL CARTOON

December 20, 2017 Elections, General Commentary

Cokes the Self-Preservation Out Differing from presidents of the past, President Trump appears to execute the typical day in favor of personal interests. Each day the president engages in excessive social media use and cable television. President Trump continues to challenge normative presidential behavior. Appearing in the New York Times, Inside Trump's Hour-by-Hour Battle for Self-Preservation states, "For other presidents, every day is a

#KeepTellingPeople

December 20, 2017 #MeToo, General Commentary

From the office, to the dorm room, to everyday life - sexual harassment, assault, and rape are an epidemic. The time for change is NOW. With every new voice that speaks up, another person is empowered to tell their story. Another person calls out harassment. Another person becomes an ally in the fight against assault. We will speak up. We

Creative Coalition urges victims of sexual assault and harassment to #KeepTellingPeople

December 19, 2017 #MeToo, General Commentary

The Creative Coalition launched a PSA campaign to encourage people who have experienced sexual harassment and assault to keep talking and fight back. The Creative Coalition Tim Daly, Cheryl Hines, Alyssa Milano and Wanda Sykes want you to #KeepTellingPeople. In a PSA out Tuesday, the actors lead a team from The Creative Coalition to shine a spotlight on the wave of allegations

Behind the Mask: A Look at Anonymity and Online Activism

December 19, 2017 Elections, General Commentary, Net Neutrality

Red’s morning routine could only be called normal. There’s coffee involved, and a kid who needs a ride to school, and in the empty spaces of the morning, he tweets. Just a few lines here and there, maybe a pic or a video to go with it. And over time, as practice becomes habit, and habit becomes a lifestyle, people

ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY LEADERS UNANIMOUSLY FORM AND FUND COMMISSION FOR ELIMINATING SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND ADVANCING EQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACE

December 18, 2017 #MeToo, Civil Rights, General Commentary

Anita Hill named Commission Chair LOS ANGELES – December 15, 2017 – Following widespread revelations of pervasive sexual harassment and assault in the media and entertainment industries, executives, independent experts and advisors have come together in a unanimous effort to tackle the broad culture of abuse and power disparity by forming and funding the Commission on Sexual Harassment and

The Daily Dog: A Web of Greed

December 18, 2017 General Commentary, Net Neutrality

The Trump regime took another goose-step down the yellow-brick road of fascism on Thursday as the FCC voted to repeal Net Neutrality rules. The rules, another Obama-era accomplishment and clear target of Little Donnie Dotard’s ego, protected America’s free use of the internet as an extension of freedoms of speech, expression, and information. With the repeal vote, there could be

Little Boy Blue

December 15, 2017 Elections, General Commentary

The dust had barely settled on Alabama’s election, when the Trump regime kicked into full gear again to ram through its sham of a tax reform bill. On Wednesday, White House lapdog and sometimes Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell demanded that a vote be held on the tax bill…before Doug Jones is sworn in as Alabama’s new senator. Trump, McConnell,

Why the Masses Vote to Make the Rich Richer

December 14, 2017 Economic Issues, General Commentary

Many explanations have been offered for the current political situation. How do Republicans control Congress when more votes are cast for Democratic congresspersons? Gerrymandering and vote suppression. How did Trump win so much support despite disadvantages that would have disqualified any previous candidate? White, working-class, tribalist anger over minority progress, stoked by Russian fake news. But how do the rich,