Employer Sanctions, Border Security is Anti-Civil Rights
Some folks vehemently believe US borders are weak and feeble. They believe porous borders threatens American security, strains American social services, declines US wages, and fosters unemployment. Now, I can either create a counter argument for each claim, or I can change how people debate immigration.
I choose the latter. But, it’s also important to address American’s hearts and minds. Each of us is frustrated by the direction of our country. And each of us desperately desires an alternative to our current status quo.
But blaming immigrants for old problems confuses me. Inadequate social services, educational resources, low wages, and high unemployment are not read more
In Support of Mother Nature
A study released on June 16, 2008 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences lends further evidence to the biological origins of homosexuality. It has become generally accepted that homosexuality is a predisposed orientation that cannot be rejected at will; although genetics is increasing being ruled out as a factor in that predisposition. In other words there probably isn’t a “gay gene”. This new study finds that the areas of the brain that develop according to the levels of hormones a fetus is exposed to during gestation may be the same areas that distinguish sexuality. Basically if a read more
Forgotten Matter
Mornings I still wake and find I must Talk myself
Back into existence.
That tuft of hair risen
Above me
A reminder of restless sleep.
There were times in my youth
That I could not wait
for morning
and lie awake
Waiting
For the promises of dawn.
These days I lie awake
Anticipating tomorrow
Agonizing today
Left with that hope
That pride
That Sense,
That Nothing,
So frequent
Imagination is hopeless
My father would say
He believes that
His life
Is the one that counted
All male
And hardened
But death and read more
SPORTS: Unstoppable Forces of Nature
Here in the United States, many of us idolize the unstoppable athlete. We love our most valuable players, Olympic Gold Medal winners, and first place finishers. But if there is something we love more it is the injured or flawed athlete succeeding while fighting an internal or near impossible battle.
Example 1: Paul Pierce injured his knee (some say it was sprained) in Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals, only to come back less than 2 minutes later and rain on the Lakers parade. Pierce got into the locker room with trainer Brian McKeon and after they discovered he could put wait on both legs, they sent him back out on the court. read more
Is Don Imus Racist?
Tuesday morning, Don Imus, a national radio host for MSNBC, got slammed a racist. (Again)?!
Here’s the gist:
The sports announcer on Imus’ radio show, Warner Wolf, rehashed why the Tennessee Titans suspended Adam Jones (also known as Pacman) for the entire 2007 NFL season, and Jones’ recent involvement in a shooting in a Las Vegas nightclub. In response, Imus asked, “What’s color is he? Wolf answered and said, “He’s African American.”
(And here’s where it gets read more
St. Louis, MO: Ain’t She a Beauty!
Can I ask you a question? Have you ever had one of those “just incredible weekends”? You know what I mean. The kind of weekend that makes you wish you had a three-day weekend. The type that makes you want to retire at forty, the sort of weekend you thank American organized labor for winning on our behalf.
I just had one of those weekends, and I’m still giddy about it so I feel the need to share. (Thanks in advance for being such a good listener, err I mean reader.)
I’m deeply in love and have been for nearly three years. Mia (that’s what I call her) likes to travel. And it works well for us read more
Divorce: Social Ill or Social Progression?
Growing up in the ’80s (I was born in 1979), divorce among my friends’ parents was common; as were blended families and single parent households. Despite its prevalence, divorce was still a scandalous affair to my parents; they had children later than most (between 30 and 40) and both came from conservative backgrounds where divorce simply wasn’t an option. When my parents married in 1967, the divorce wave had yet to engulf them, but for most couples raising kids in the ‘80s and ‘90s divorce was already a routine fact of life.
One morning, around the age of seven or so, sprawled across my mom’s side of the bed while my parents dressed for work, I recall read more
Building American Identity
When I talk about my American Identity, I also talk about race. But when I do, some folks wonder why I bring it up. They say talking about race distorts or clouds the real problems, like family food budgets superceding monthly paychecks, gas prices over $4 a gallon, rising healthcare costs and even immigration. Or better yet, some folks say I’m pitting black people against white people or white people against people. They say that by talking about race, I’m dividing Americans rather than bringing us together.
But I’m not trying to weaken and tarnish our American identity; I’m not trying to deepen the read more
Attacks against Immigrants, attacks Black America
I’m African-American and my family moved to California almost a hundred years ago after a lynching took place outside their hometown in Kentucky.
I’m also undocumented, or in the current anti-immigrant vernacular, “illegal.” I don’t have the necessary documents to prove my identity. Therefore, within four years, I won’t be able to vote, have access to social services, or receive state identification to travel.
Let’s start from the beginning:
In May 2006, I lost my passport and Social Security card at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (I don’t have a driver’s license because of a visual disability). When I went home to Chicago, I learned that read more
My Brain, My Body, Our World
Does the old saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” really apply to me? Can I ever manage to truly change things about myself at will?
Now that I’m a single mother of two absorbent human beings, I’ve come to realize the importance of the way I live my life. I’ve realized that the choices and patterns in my own life aren’t just affecting me, but also the lives of my daughters. As I move through this life my children are watching my every move. With that realization I’ve began to seek to change those patterns in my life that I do not wish to overflow into the lives of my read more
Who You Calling Illegal, Pilgrim: Children of Men review
By Walidah Imarisha
“As a struggle for the rights of immigrants and against discrimination emerged, Haitians and Dominicans began to coalesce, but the Irish were a bit stand-offish. Immigrant rights activists were at first perplexed until they uncovered that the Irish were being encouraged by Irish American politicians to keep themselves separate from other immigrant groups because it was likely read more
American by default
By Majorie Nemes
One of the things I struggled with while studying abroad was taking on the label of an “American.” I was born a US citizen, and have lived on the U.S. mainland for most of my life, but I have never felt that long-time U.S. citizens, particularly Americans of European decent, saw me as a fellow American. The perceptions of others was not, however, the only reason I struggled to see myself as an American.
When people would ask where I was from, I would say Puerto Rico. The fact that I did not have a “traditional” Latino accent often prompted people to ask why I spoke like an American. I would have to read more
Is there a Woman in the House?
Like many progressive women across the nation I faced a tough decision leading up to the democratic primaries. I began to question my friends about who they would choose and why. One friend told me she voted for Hillary in the primary because her seven year-old daughter asked that she vote for a woman. Other friends have told me they voted for Clinton simply because she’s a woman, not because they identified with her on particular issues. Then there are the women who wanted to vote for her, but didn’t. One friend conveyed her discomfort with Clinton’s adeptness at playing a man’s game. I can’t blame her for suspecting Clinton is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Oddly enough, both read more
"The Nation," Advertising, and Bigots, Oh My!
Before I get to the point at hand, let’s set a few things straight. Before you accuse me of censorship you should know that I oppose any government interference that infringes on freedom of speech, curbs freedom of press, or restricts American’s ability to petition the government. Maybe it’s the civil libertarian in me, but I embrace the concept of free speech whole-heartedly. So, you may find it strange to hear that I’m pissed at The Nation for utilizing our First read more
Hurricane Zambrano
Having two baseball teams in one city can be pretty interesting at times. Only Chicago and New York have cross-town rivals in the Major Leagues, both of which have high levels of scrutiny of the players, coaches, manager and owner coming from the media. Chicago has Ozzie Guillen on the South Side and the Lovable Losers (newly turned winners) on the North Side.
Last week, Guillen took a beating from the press after his tirade, including his boss Ken Williams. Chicago sports writer Jay Mariotti called for Guillen to be fired. They said his latest explosion was the icing on the cake of a man read more
Immigration Strengthens our American Identity
Over the last few years, the topic of immigration has filled our hearts and minds. Is it good for our country? Who benefits from the flow of immigrant labor? What about our schools, our local hospitals? What about our jobs?
All we hear is how little money we have for education, how much our health care plans have increased because the state must pay the tab for uninsured patients, like undocumented immigrants, or how American businesses prefer to hire immigrants because they work at a low wage.
How can any of these concerns strengthen, preserve, and protect what it means to be an American?
Being an American means to read more
Audio: 2050 Inaugural Blogcast!
Yes, the Imagine 2050 blogcast is here! It’s a simple beginning for a wonderful project. I invite you to send in your ideas and input to 2050audio(at)gmail.com. This week we hear the opinions of some people “on the street” about this projected 2050 demographic shift and how that might impact our identity as Americans.
If you are reading this post through blogger.com and don’t see the audio player, you may download this weeks program by here. read more
Hurricane Zambrano
Having two baseball teams in one city can be pretty interesting at times. Only Chicago and New York have cross-town rivals in the Major Leagues, both of which have high levels of scrutiny of the players, coaches, manager and owner coming from the media. Chicago has Ozzie Guillen on the South Side and the Lovable Losers (newly turned winners) on the North Side. Last week, Guillen took a beating from the press after his tirade on his team, including his boss Ken read more
The Nation, “Advertising, and Bigots, Oh My!
Before I get to the point at hand, let’s set a few things straight. Before you accuse me of censorship you should know that I oppose any government interference that infringes on freedom of speech, curbs freedom of press, or restricts American’s ability to petition the government. Maybe it’s the civil libertarian in me, but I embrace the concept of free speech whole-heartedly. So, you may find it strange to hear that I’m pissed at The Nation for utilizing our First Amendment right to run a full-page advertisement sponsored by some bigots in the June 16, 2008 issue.
The Nation is part of a long line of read more
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