International

Bosnian Immigration Issue Symptom of International Corporate Robbery

Written by Ana Turck

International discourse on immigration and Human Trafficking in Western Europe has focused on Balkan states, especially Bosnia and Herzegovina as one of the main culprits. Illegal activity and organized crime in Bosnia, the implication of all Bosnians as corrupt, as well as the rampant corruption at all levels of Government are seen as obstacles to stopping the destabilizing effect of undocumented immigration in Europe.

At the heart of these arguments is an implication that Bosnians are unable to “get it together” and establish a viable economy, re-establish a legal system and re-claim their borders. It is viewed mostly as an internal issue with external implications. That is, it is framed as a Bosnian problem that… Read more

Politics

The Winners and Losers of 2008

Written by Guest Blogger

By Thomas Wrenn

HOPE – If you listened to CNBC in 2008 you would swear the sky was falling. Yet somehow Americans for the first time in awhile seem honestly excited about the prospect of change and the idea of a bright future. Using something as nebulous as ‘hope’ might seem a bit cheap. But this country is basically split down the middle between the left and right. Half of those people have been subject to far right failed policies for 8 years. The idea of having their voice heard and the country taken in a better direction has managed to shed a… Read more

Addressing the lack of diversity in the US Senate

Written by Stephen Piggott

When Barak Obama left his seat in the US Senate he left behind a government institution that has no African Americans.

When I was researching the number of African Americans throughout history who have been elected to the US Senate I was shocked to learn that since 1870, there have only been five. Today there are about 23 million African Americans living in the United States but not one in the Senate. Before Barak Obama there was another senator from Illinois, Carol Moseley Braun, who was a senator from 1993-1999.

Before Mrs. Braun there was Edward Brooke who held a seat from 1967-1979. But before Mr. Brooke you have to go back a long, long… Read more

Politics

Anti-immigrant Extremist Eyes Emanuel’s Congressional Seat

Written by Rev. David L. Ostendorf

Just when you thought you had heard it all when it comes to Illinois politics, along comes anti-immigrant extremist Rosanna Pulido in a run for Rahm Emanuel’s vacated seat in the 5th Congressional District.

A field representative of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) – identified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center – and an active member of FAIR’s Hispanic front “You Don’t Speak for Me,” Pulido is one of a bevy of candidates (close to twenty) running for the seat in the upcoming primary. She rounds out her resume as Director of the Illinois Minutemen Project and an outspoken critic of the Catholic Church. We can… Read more

Aging Farmers in America

Written by Katie Bezrouch

Farmers in America are getting older, and younger Americans are not filling in their ranks. The USDA releases the census of agriculture results every 5 years, and they become increasingly terrifying as time goes on.  Since 1978, the average age of the farmer has been rising by about 1 year or more, each census year.

In 2002 the average age of a farmer was 55.3 years, and 26.2% were over the age of 65. The 2007 results will be announced this February, and are expected to parallel these results.

Americans, with Reservations

Written by Rev. David L. Ostendorf

The removal, relocation—and yes, the slaughter—of indigenous peoples and their subsequent “settlement” onto reservation lands is yet another “American story” that few want to recollect and fewer still want to deal with.

Over three centuries and to this very day expendability has been the operative word here—move the “savages” (so designated by generations of white religious and “civic” voices) out of the way for westward expansion and white settlement at any cost.

A Star Falls in New Mexico

Written by Jill Garvey

It’s a shame Gov. Bill Richardson withdrew his name from nomination for Commerce Secretary. While it may not have been the coveted Secretary of State spot, it would have put him in Washington with Obama, where he belonged. And it’s a real shame when politicians like him become ensnared in one little pay-for-play scandal while Governors like Blagojevich are still appointing Senators.

Here in Chicago we hated Blagojevich before we even knew why we should. That’s how it’s done here, corrupt politicians are elected and then voters grumble about them until they go to jail. Richardson on the other hand was a governor you could be proud of. Now his political star is… Read more

The Abraham Lincoln Brigades’ Biggest Victory

Written by Eric Ward

This week, over seventy years ago, American men and women formed the Abraham Lincoln Brigades to stand against the political ideology of fascism in Spain. On January 6, 1937 over 2,500 U.S. volunteers left behind their homes and friends to defend a fledgling Spanish democracy that was under attack.

With Nazi Germany under Hitler and Fascist Italy under Mussolini supporting the overthrow of Spain and other nations calling for “non-intervention”, the Abraham Lincoln Brigades served as a beacon during a time when the clouds of intolerance and extremism seem to cover Spain. For nearly two years the brigades fought advancing fascist troops on behalf of the democratically elected government of Spain.

Finding My Voice in Language

Written by Ana Turck

As I organized my bookshelves the last couple of days, I came across a dozen or so old journals, each unique in its size, design and color. Some are thinner, hard cover bound with lined pages, and some are wrapped in a cloth or vinyl, with unlined sketch book pages. While they all differ from each other in appearance, there is a common thread than unifies them. They are all blank save for the first few couple of pages, all chronicling my inability to tell my story of war and survival.

Muslim Americans Wronged by Airline and Passengers

Written by Jill Garvey

A family of nine traveling to Florida on New Year’s had a very unpleasant holiday. The family was benignly discussing the safest place to sit on a plane when fellow passengers became “suspicious”. The family, including three children, was escorted from the plane by federal marshals and questioned extensively. Once it became clear to the FBI agents interviewing them that they were in fact just a regular family traveling on holiday, they were cleared to fly. AirTran refused to rebook them on another flight however. The family had to buy tickets on a different airline.

I’ve heard the “safest place to sit” conversation at least a dozen times on… Read more