Food Justice

Crosspost: Glenn Beck’s Bizarre Outburst Against Meatless Mondays and Vegetarians

Written by Imagine 2050 Editors

AlterNet’s Kerry Trueman highlights another absurd attack by Glenn Beck.

Cheap gas and cheap chuck remain American birthrights to loopy libertarians like Beck.

Jon Stewart ended an interview with climate-change contrarian and Super Freakonomics co-author Steven Levitt on Monday night by noting, “I’ve apparently frightened our audience by suggesting that conservation isn’t the only way out of any of the problems of the world. I sincerely apologize.”

He added, “And I do also believe that we should just eat vegetables.”

I’d love to report that Stewart has embraced Michael Pollan’s “eat food/not too much/mostly plants” edict. But, of course, Stewart was only joking. The line drew a big laugh from the

… Read more

Food Justice

Somali Refugee Struggles and Triumphs

Written by Garat Ibrahim

Most of the Somali refugees in central Minnesota were resettled in early 2001, and they have being living and working in communities there for the last decade. Generally, the refugees have had tumultuous experiences while transitioning, although each community dealt with challenges differently.

Ask any Somali and they will tell how they are very grateful to their host country. Having undergone civil strife in their home countries, at least now they are far from the sounds of mortars and the barrels of guns. But every new place has barriers that must be traversed.

Immigration

Will Restricting Immigration Protect the Environment?

Written by Amy Mehta

This is a pressing question being discussed across the country and an issue that the Center for New Community is taking quite seriously. In fact, I take this issue so seriously that it will be my focus for the next two to three years in my role as Field Organizer for the Center for New Community’s new initiative on Migration, Race and the Environment. I think that the two theories, the Malthusian and nativist theories (described in further detail below), that have been used to argue that immigration should be restricted, lack substance and thus my answer to this question is that immigration should not be restricted.

The Malthusian theory was born when… Read more

The Reality of White Nationalism

Written by Sarah Viets

As an anti-racist activist, researching white supremacists, white nationalists, anti-Semites, neo-Nazis and anti-immigrant groups hasn’t always been easy, particularly when I’m trying to figure out the similarities and differences (and yes, there are MANY important differences) between each of these groups. And then there are the militia/patriot groups and those we define as “Christian identity”. (Are you confused yet?)

When I started working with anti-racist leaders I heard the term “white nationalist”, but I had no idea what it meant. Out of fear of looking stupid, I didn’t ask anyone if there was a difference between white nationalism and white supremacy. I assumed that they were the same – a huge mistake for any researcher,… Read more

Immigration

America’s Unfinished History of Scientific Racism

Written by Jill Garvey

Buried in the first half of the 20th century are the shocking practices of our state and federal governments.

One such practice was the forced sterilization of over 60,000 people. These horribly cruel acts were advocated by a group of so-called scientists who thought they had the right to control human reproduction and evolution. They called themselves “eugenicists,” believing that if they could not control the world’s population, they could at least attempt to control America’s.

At the heart of their studies and political ambitions was and is the belief that they could build a superior race of human beings.

Whenever I hear or read about eugenics I can’t help… Read more

Politics

Anti-Immigrant Hysteria Could Block Black Access to Health Care

Written by Eric Ward

In an attempt to placate House Representatives associated with the extremist House Immigration Reform Caucus who are looking for a reason to oppose health care, Congress has put African Americans at risk. It is not the role of Congress to promote anti-immigrant bigotry and further disenfranchise African Americans. It is a false remedy with serious side effects and must be rejected.

Under [H.R. 3200]—America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009– millions of African Americans could potentially be denied Federal payments for affordability credits. H.R. 3200, SEC. 246 (No Federation Payment for Undocumented Aliens) reads:

Nothing in this subtitle shall allow Federal payments for the affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are

… Read more

Dallas Police Ticket Drivers for Not Speaking English

Written by Jill Garvey

Sheesh. Writing tickets for not speaking English? Really? According to the Dallas Morning News several knuckleheaded cops are doing just that.

Dallas police wrongly ticketed at least 39 drivers for not speaking English over the last three years, Police Chief David Kunkle announced Friday while promising to investigate all officers involved in the cases for dereliction of duty.

Pending cases will be dismissed, and those who paid the $204 fine for the charge, which does not exist in the city, will be reimbursed, Kunkle said.

“I was surprised and stunned that that would happen, particularly in the city of Dallas,” Kunkle said. “In my world, you would never tell someone not to speak Spanish.”

Limbaugh Tries Moral Stance on Environment, Sounds Evil

Written by Jill Garvey

Tara Lohan, a senior editor at AlterNet, wrote in an article this week about Rush Limbaugh’s attacks on environmentalist Andrew Revkin.

Once again, Rush Limbaugh is stoking the fires of hate. Yesterday he told millions of his listeners: “Mr. Revkin, why don’t you just go kill yourself, and help the planet by dying.”

He’s talking about Andrew Revkin who writes the Dot Earth blog for the New York Times and is a prominent environmental writer.

What got Rush’s pants all twisted? Some commentary Revkin had given at a symposium discussing the environment and population growth. Revkin explains on his blog, “I had talked, in part,

… Read more

Film Review: Those Who Remain

Written by Stephen Piggott

Imagine you are a child again, lying in bed asleep when all of a sudden you are awakened by your father. He kisses you on the cheek and says “goodbye”. Seven years later he returns from ‘up North’ but now you are 14 and to each other you are almost unrecognizable.

This is the hardship that thousands of Mexican families go through each year when the men of the family head to the United States in search of work. Those Who Remain documents exactly what the title says, those family members who are left behind, almost always women in children.

The film examines a wide range of families from all corners of Mexico, some live… Read more

Politics

Arpaio Will Not Let Federal Government Stop Him

Written by Cloee Cooper

I was talking with some friends from the Repeal Coalition in Arizona – an organization dedicated to repealing all anti-immigrant legislation – just after DHS introduced the idea of stripping Maricopa County’s 287(g) agreement. I asked them if they thought this was a large victory for the immigration rights activists and undocumented peoples of Phoenix. Considering the terror Sheriff Joe Arpaio has caused to undocumented communities I assumed that stripping Joe Arpaio of his federal immigration enforcement powers would be a great success. Somewhat to my surprise my friends said they didn’t think it would make a difference.

“It will only inflame the far right here,” one friend explained.

In addition, they said… Read more