Newspapers Need to Clean Up Their Act Regarding Drugs and Trayvon Martin

Liberal/Progressive

Written by J.F. Sargent, Managing Editor Thursday, 17 May 2012 20:18

Let's not play games: headlines haunt minorities in this country, and as of 11:00PM EDT, things are no different for Trayvon Martin.

Take, for example, this headline from the New York Post: "Trayvon Martin had drugs in system at time of death." At first, that fact seems to communicate a great deal: how can we assume Martin acted reasonably in this incident if he had drugs in his system? Already, your perception of the kid has shifted: he's not just a black kid in a hoodie anymore (which, society tells us, is already pretty scary), he's a black kid in a hoodie on drugs.

Read more: Newspapers Need to Clean Up Their Act Regarding Drugs and Trayvon Martin

How Romney's Bullying May Have Cost Him the Election

Liberal/Progressive

Written by J. F. Sargent, Managing Editor Thursday, 10 May 2012 20:20

Earlier today, the Washington Post broke a troubling story about how Republican Presidential Hopeful Mitt Romney harassed, assaulted and bullied one of his fellow classmates during their time at the Cranbrook High School. The Post reported that Romney's bullying was in response to the student's non-conformist appearance, which the nominee described as "wrong." The student later came out as a gay man, and it has been alleged that Romney's high school bullying included other students that later turned out to be homosexual.

Just hours later, Romney issued his own response on a Fox radio station, saying:"Back in high school, I did some dumb things, and if anybody was hurt by that or offended, obviously I apologize for that," and clarified that he "does not remember that incident." With those words, Romney may have lost himself the election.

Read more: How Romney's Bullying May Have Cost Him the Election

On Criticizing International Aid and "Skying Out"

Written by J. F. Sargent, Managing Editor Tuesday, 03 April 2012 08:40

There's a concept I've become aware of in my work as a teacher called "skying out." It's when you start talking about something, and then keep going deeper and deeper into it with more and more analysis and abstraction until, finally, you've gotten so "deep" into the matter that you're not actually talking about it anymore -- you're talking about a completely self-indulgent abstraction, and the matter itself is forgotten. You're so deep, you've broken through the ground and gone into the sky. It's really common among privileged white dudes with Liberal Arts degrees, and I do it all the time. But when it happens when we're discussing politics, it allows someone to care more about the constructed integrity of the idea than the idea itself -- even if that integrity exists wholly independent of anything real or tangible that will affect peoples' lives. 

Read more: On Criticizing International Aid and "Skying Out"

Patriot, or Hypocrite? Rush Limbaugh Defended Joseph Kony and the LRA

Moderate/Independent

Written by Taylor A. Barnette, Editor-in-Chief Friday, 09 March 2012 23:03

During a monologue delivered on October 14^th, 2011, Rush Limbaugh went on record to slam President Obama’s decision to send 100 military advisors to central Africa. What’s astonishing, particularly in the light of the “Joseph Kony 2012” video having gone viral, is Limbaugh’s outrageous assertion that Obama, in moving against Joseph Kony and the LRA, was targeting Christians.

Read more: Patriot, or Hypocrite? Rush Limbaugh Defended Joseph Kony and the LRA

Obama Holds the Keys to Israel's Security

Conservatism

Written by John M. McKenna, Contributor Sunday, 04 March 2012 17:35

“…When the chips are down, I have Israel’s back.”

Obama uttered this, his strongest public commitment to Israel’s security, at a recent AIPAC conference. While at face value this might seem to be political posturing, don't be fooled. Obama ultimately holds the keys to Israel’s safety.

Read more: Obama Holds the Keys to Israel's Security

Woman Sexually Harassed and Slut Shamed By Rush Limbaugh

Liberal/Progressive

Written by Josh Sargent, Managing Editor Friday, 02 March 2012 22:04

“So Miss Fluke, and the rest of you feminazis, here’s the deal. If we are going to pay for your contraceptives, and thus pay for you to have sex, we want something for it. We want you post the videos online so we can all watch.” — Rush Limbaugh

That’s how Rush Limbaugh feels about contraception, the 9th Amendment, personhood and religious freedom — which is to say that he doesn’t understand. This isn’t about sex or religion, it’s about a woman’s right to her body — which she has. You know, because of the Constitution.

Read more: Woman Sexually Harassed and Slut Shamed By Rush Limbaugh

Julian Assange, Leftist American Activists in the Pay of the Kremlin

Conservatism

Written by John M. McKenna, Contributor Tuesday, 28 February 2012 00:31

 There was a time I thought well of Julian Assange. I admired his role in uncovering abuse of power in the US government in Iraq and Afghanistan. I never fully supported Cablegate, since diplomacy relies on secrecy, and diplomacy, one could argue, is the best counterweight to the overwhelming martial force the US has been too prone too use recently. Assange’s efforts did much to undermine the State Department at a time when the US and the world needed more of its laudable efforts.

But the honeymoon ended when news broke that Assange will be hosting a TV series on the outlet Russia Today, better known by its acronym, RT. The show will premier in March of 2012.

Don't know about RT? You should, because it is Kremlin-funded. That’s right, RT is Moscow’s state-funded mouthpiece, and it is radically pro-Putin, pro-Tehran, and virulently anti-West. It's goal is to improve Russia's image abroad, usually through KGB-style propaganda. Even Xinhua manages to scrap together a little more objectivity than these guys. So it's a bit surprising that Julian Assange is set to host a show on a network funded by the same government that rules a country Reporters Without Borders ranked 142nd in its annual Press Freedom Index. Can anyone say sell-out?

Read more: Julian Assange, Leftist American Activists in the Pay of the Kremlin

The End of Darfur?

Liberal/Progressive

Written by Lydia Seidler Monday, 27 February 2012 12:56

The phrase “You can’t go home again” -- derived from Thomas Wolfe’s novel – was for many years a reality for many Darfur refugees.  Ever since war in Sudan commenced in 2003, people in the area were displaced and forced to settle in camps.  Now, all that seems to be changing.

Read more: The End of Darfur?