Josh Marshall channels what I have been thinking these past few days: I still cannot believe the Charleston Massacre has triggered quite this total a collapse of support, not just for flying the Confederate battle flag in places of honor at Southern state capitols, but for public display and honor for the Confederacy and the War of the Rebellion in … Read More
Luke Leaves Port Charles
Again. Thirty-seven years after first playing Luke Spencer on “General Hospital,” actor Anthony Geary recorded his final episode of the long-running ABC soap yesterday. That probably means nothing to most people under the age of 35. But trust me, Geary was BIG once. By the early ’80s, you knew what “Luke and Laura” was, even if you never watched soap operas. Those-of-us-of-a-certain-age … Read More
More Confederate Flag Fallout
I want to preface this flag round-up by saying this: although I welcome the removal of the confederate flag from the public (and commercial) square, and while doing so may garner some sniping from the likes of Bill Kristol and Haley Barbour, we must remember that taking down the flag is easy. No matter how good it will be to see … Read More
Removal Of Confederate Flag From South Carolina Capital (UPDATE: And Elsewhere)
It didn’t seem that long ago that this issue was debated. But it was 2000, so… yeah, 15 years. Back then, like today, presidential candidates were asked their views on whether South Carolina should fly the Confederate Flag on government property, and many of them punted (“it is a state issue”), just like many of the GOP candidates did this … Read More
For The Last Time, The Civil War Was About Slavery
It gets exhausting sometimes having to explain to some people that the US Civil War was not about “states’ rights” or some other nonsense. That’s all 19th and 20th century revisionism, and it is not true. The Civil War was about slavery, and the reason we KNOW this is because there is an historical record. I will share some of … Read More
Obama Uses N-Word; Media Misses The Point
President Obama appeared on the WTF podcast with Marc Maron and had a long, thoughtful, and useful conversation about race in America, which included this point: “We’re not cured of it. And it’s not just a matter of not being polite to say ‘nigger’ in public. That’s not the measure of whether racism still exists or not. It’s not just a … Read More
The REAL Guilty Party Is Located In Charleston Church Massacre
Charles Cotton is a member of the NRA’s board, and he knows who killed those people. No, not Dylann Storm Roof, the alleged gunman who has since confessed, silly! It was Rev. Clementa Pinckney, state senator and pastor at Emanuel AME Church, according to Cotton. How did Pinckney manage that? By voting against a bill that would have allowed people to … Read More
Fun Fact About The South Carolina Confederate Flag
The South Carolina Capitol did not display the Confederate Flag until 1961. In fact, it was raised on April 11, 1961 — the one hundredth anniversary of Fort Sumter. Here’s other news that happened that week: Sen. Marrion Gressette, the head of the State Segregation Committee, created in 1951 to recommend measures to maintain segregation, was supporting a resolution condemning … Read More
Don’t Call ‘Em Crazy
I really have a problem with the second-day opinion that the Charleston shooter was “mentally ill” or “disturbed”. 99% of the time, the person offering that assessment isn’t at all a qualified doctor, and 100% of the time, he hasn’t examined the shooter. There’s a ridiculous circular logic that the shooter’s actions explain his mental state, and his mental state … Read More
The Conservative Denial That This Is About Race Is Getting Bizarre
This conservative columnist for the Miami Herald (and Fox News contributor) may be the most desperate person on the internets: UPDATE: Still in denial, she later tweeted, “None of this story adds up. Even if a ‘white supremacist,’ their targets/hatred isn’t usually church-going African-Americansty” Huh?!? She got a lot of blowback and has sense set her Twitter account to private.
Deadly History of Attacks on Progressive Houses of Worship
Last night, in a horrific act of hateful violence, a white gunman shot and killed at least nine people at the historically black Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, South Carolina. The incident, which is being investigated as a hate crime, immediately sparked outrage, with many wondering aloud how someone could commit such an act — especially in a church, were … Read More
Mass Murder Hate Crime Leaves 9 Dead In Charleston Church
I may have been one of the first 1000 people to know what happened in Charleston last night. I was at rehearsal for a play I am in (barely), and backstage, I checked my phone. Nothing on the Breaking News app, nothing big on Twitter. I opened Periscope, and there was a guy working in some Charlotte newsroom who was … Read More
Do College Rape Prevention Programs Work?
Surprisingly, there is not much research on this issue. But last week, a study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine which helps shed light on the issue. The study first noted what programs don’t seem to work well, or for which there lacks study. Targeted programs for men and for women that have been evaluated for sexual assault … Read More
Is Race Mutable?
I suppose if you could go back in time, and ask someone in the year 1915 “Is Gender Mutable?”, they would say something like “I think this kid Baby Ruth who is pitching for the Red Sox won’t amount to much. Now what was your question?” Seriously, though. They would look at you strangely and say “Uh, no. Boys are … Read More
The Pope Goes Severe Against Climate Deniers
Pope Francis this week is going to come out for changes in lifestyles and energy consumption to avert the “unprecedented destruction of the ecosystem” before the end of this century, He will warn that failure to act would have “grave consequences for all of us.” Pretty severe verbiage. It all comes from a draft document leaked to the Italian press and … Read More