[Content Note: Homophobia.]
Yesterday, ESPN aired a report on first out gay NFL player Michael Sam's bid to earn a spot on the St. Louis Rams' final roster which included information on Sam's showering habits: The reporter noted a "defensive player told me that 'Sam is respecting our space' and that, from his perspective, he seems to think that Michael Sam is waiting to take a shower, as not to make his teammates feel uncomfortable."
Some people had a wee problem with that, for reasons that I'm going to assume are obvious to anyone with a functioning sense of decency.
This morning, ESPN responded to the criticism with this tepid statement: "ESPN regrets the manner in which we presented our report. Clearly yesterday we collectively failed to meet the standards we have set in reporting on LGBT-related topics in sports."
Ya think?
By the way, it takes some fucking cheek to reference your own "standards" in reporting on LGBT topics, as if they're sterling, in your non-apology for a report that invoked the despicable stereotype of the gay male predator.
Good Grief
Quote of the Day
[Content Note: Police brutality; racism; victim-blaming.]
"He wasn't unarmed. He was armed with his incredibly strong, scary self."—The relentlessly execrable Ben Stein, discussing the killing of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown.
That is a perfect, terrible example of the sort of horrendous, reprehensible, racist apologetics circulating among lots of white people, as though it is simply a fact, which all of us are meant to understand, that black men are "scary." Their very "selves" are scary. They are inherently scary.
And note that this racist characterization of black bodies serves a very specific twofold purpose: It serves to demonize black people, and simultaneously to write the narrative that racists' reflexive fear of black people is a natural reaction to innate scariness, rather than a totally unreasonable and unjustifiable projection of their own rank racism.
Whoops for America 2: The Rewhoopsening
Mitt Romney keeps saying he's definitely for sure absolutely not running for president again, but that doesn't mean the all-time winner in being the least worst in Republican primaries isn't still Republicans' least worst of the possible candidates for the 2016 election:
A USA Today/Suffolk University survey of Iowa voters released Wednesday should add to the feeding frenzy over a possible 2016 presidential bid by the 2012 GOP nominee.LOL. Well, that oughta convince him!
...According to the new poll, if Romney was added to the list of potential 2016 GOP White House contenders, 35% of Iowa Republicans say he'd be their first choice in the Iowa caucuses, which kick off the presidential primary and caucus calendar.
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who won the 2008 Iowa Republican caucuses and is considering another bid in 2016, is a distant second, at 9%. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, who narrowly won the 2012 caucuses, are each at 6%. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Texas Gov. Rick Perry are each at 5%, with the remaining potential candidates tested were all in the lower single digits.
...[A recent CNN/ORC poll] suggested Romney losing to Hillary Clinton by a 55%-42% margin in a hypothetical 2016 matchup.
Good luck least-worsting yourself all the way to another non-victory, Mitt Romney!
Daily Dose of Cute
I mean. LOL.
As always, please feel welcome and encouraged to share pix of the fuzzy, feathered, or scaled members of your family in comments.
Wage Stagnation: Our Central Economic Challenge
[Content Note: Class warfare.]
This economic report by Elise Gould for the Economic Policy Institute is a must-read: "Why America's Workers Need Faster Wage Growth—and What We Can Do About It." Here is just part of the intro:
The last year has been a poor one for American workers' wages. Comparing the first half of 2014 with the first half of 2013, real (inflation-adjusted) hourly wages fell for workers in nearly every decile—even for those with a bachelor's or advanced degree.Emphasis mine.
Of course, this is not a new story. Comparing the first half of 2014 with the first half of 2007 (the last period of reasonable labor market health before the Great Recession), hourly wages for the vast majority of American workers have been flat or falling. And even since 1979, the vast majority of American workers have seen their hourly wages stagnate or decline—even though decades of consistent gains in economy-wide productivity have provided ample room for wage growth.
The poor performance of American workers' wages in recent decades—particularly their failure to grow at anywhere near the pace of overall productivity—is the country's central economic challenge. Indeed, it's hard to think of a more important economic development in recent decades. It is at the root of the large rise in overall income inequality that has attracted so much attention in recent years. A range of other economic challenges—reducing poverty, increasing mobility, and spurring a more complete recovery from the Great Recession—also rely largely on boosting hourly wage growth for the vast majority.
There's so much good information in this article, which makes clear how wealth redistribution upwards has been happening; how theft of both workers' wages and productivity have enriched the top 1%; and how increasing income inequality stagnates quality of life improvements for the vast majority of the population, whose labor is being harvested by the top 1%.
In recent decades, the vast majority of Americans have experienced disappointing growth in their living standards—despite economic growth that could have easily generated faster gains in their living standards had it been broadly shared.Our economy is being destroyed by greed. People's lives are being destroyed by greed. It is not that there isn't enough to go around. It's that the 99% are busting our asses so that the 1% can accumulate more money than they could spend in a hundred lifetimes.
...It is clear that most of the overall income gains from 1979 to 2007 bypassed the vast majority of American households. As such, their living standards are lower than they would be had these gains been shared more broadly. In other words, there is a growing wedge between economy-wide average income growth and income growth of the broad middle class—a wedge we sometimes refer to as the "inequality tax"—that has effectively reduced middle-class incomes.
...The U.S. economy has generated enormous amounts of income in recent decades, even in the post-1979 period when overall growth slowed. It can certainly provide far faster growth for the broad middle class than it has over the past generation, and its failure to do so is an economic catastrophe.
We know this intuitively, but Elise Gould's work here makes the irrefutable case.
[Related Reading: The Haves and the Have-Nots.]
In the News
Here is some stuff in the news today...
[Content Note: Racism] Charles Belk, a black film producer "who was in Beverly Hills to attend a pre-Emmy party Friday night, was handcuffed and detained for about six hours before authorities investigating a nearby bank robbery realized they had the wrong man." In a statement, Belk wrote: "What I don't get...is why, during the 45 minutes that they had me on the curb, handcuffed in the sun, before they locked me up and took away my civil rights, that they could not simply review the ATM and bank's HD video footage to clearly see that the 'tall, bald-headed, black male'...did not fit MY description."
[CN: Guns; death] A firearms instructor in Arizona has died after he was shot by his 9-year-old student who lost control of the 9mm Uzi he was teaching her to use. Apparently, her family was on vacation at the "property in the Mohave desert, which creates a 'Desert Storm' atmosphere for shooters, their websites says. At the range, guests can take guided tours that include a private range and a certified ex-military firearms instructor. The tours require children to be at least 8 years old and stipulate that minors under 18 must be accompanied by parent or legal guardian at all times." I am sad this man died, and I am sad for this little girl, who now has to spend the rest of her life knowing she killed someone because all the adults around her thought it was okay for a 9-year-old to handle an Uzi.
[CN: Class warfare] Whoooooooops: "At a Koch Brothers-hosted secret strategy conference of right-wing millionaire and billionaire political activists in June, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) promised that if his party wins control of the United States Senate this November, the Senate will not waste time on things like increasing the minimum wage for people making only about $15,000 annually. ...McConnell, who has been attacked by his opponent for voting 17 times against minimum wage increases, made it clear that under his leadership there would not be any increase in the current $7.25 federal minimum wage. 'And we're not going to be debating all these gosh darn proposals. That's all we do in the Senate is vote on things like raising the minimum wage,' he told the billionaires in attendance." What a jackass. A cruel, shameless jackass.
This is good news: "Three retired U.S. generals added their names Tuesday to growing calls for the U.S. military to repeal its ban on transgender service members, arguing that doing so would not harm the armed forces' readiness or require major changes to administrative or medical policies. In a joint statement, Maj. Gen. Gale S. Pollock, former acting surgeon general of the Army; Brig. Gen. Clara Adams Ender, former chief of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps; and Brig. Gen. Thomas A. Kolditz, a professor emeritus at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, said 'allowing transgender personnel to serve openly is administratively feasible and will not be burdensome or complicated.' 'Implementation could proceed immediately and will be successful in its execution,' they added." I really love how they anticipated all the usual arguments and preemptively dismissed them out of hand. Nice.
Michelangelo Signorile tells is like it is on (lots of) corporate displays of support for LGBT rights.
Wowwwww: "Cosmic effort provides best view yet of distant colliding galaxies."
Michael Rooker (Yondu) and Dave Batista (Drax the Destroyer) reenact the Dancing Groot scene from Guardians of the Galaxy. Everyone I know seems to have Groot fever!
And finally! "A new law has been passed in California that will allow pet owners to dine together with their pets at restaurants outdoors when patio seating is available. Governor Jerry Brown, proud pet parent of a Welsh corgi named Sutter signed the bill into law together, and they couldn't be happier about the decision. The rules seem pretty basic. The dog must remain leashed, can only be seated in an outdoor-dining section, and must remain well behaved at all times. Also, the dog cannot be brought into any areas where food is being prepared. So it all seems fairly simple. ...The law fully goes into effect as of January the 1st." Yay! I think this is really excellent news for people whose dogs are not official service dogs, but whose companionship nonetheless helps them get out and about.
John Crawford Update
[Content Note: Racism; guns; police brutality.]
Earlier this month, I wrote about John Crawford, the 22-year-old black man in Ohio who was killed by police in a Walmart after another customer called 911 to report a man waving an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle, even though Crawford was actually holding a BB/pellet rifle which is sold at the store. The original police account was this:
"The officers gave verbal commands to the subject to drop the weapon," [police chief Dennis Evers] said in a statement. "The subject … was shot after failing to comply with the officers' commands. The quick response of officers was instrumental in containing this situation and minimizing the risk to customers."LeeCee Johnson, who was on the phone with Crawford at the time, said she heard "the police start shooting, and they said 'Get on the ground,' but he was already on the ground because they had shot him."
So, right from the start, there was a conflicting account with what the police were claiming.
Now, Michael Wright, the attorney for Crawford's family, says that surveillance video from the incident, made available to Wright and Crawford's family for viewing by the Ohio's attorney general, also contradicts the police account.
"John was doing nothing wrong in Walmart, nothing more, nothing less than shopping," Wright said.Although an investigation by a special prosecutor is underway, the police officers are not under arrest, and one of the officers involved is already back on duty.
The attorney said surveillance video showed Crawford facing away from officers, talking on the phone, and leaning on the pellet gun like a cane when he was "shot on sight" in a "militaristic" response by police.
...He said the video suggests Crawford probably did not see or hear officers as they arrived.
And, just like in Ferguson, "evidence" is being released piecemeal to the public, in a way that favors police:
Wright said the family objected to the piecemeal release of evidence, such as dispatch audio and video on the day of the shooting, was biased toward the police.Meanwhile, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine says the surveillance video will not be released to the public, "to avoid tainting the jury pool." Without, of course, a trace of irony that withholding it taints the jury pool, too, but in a way that facilitates the posthumous criminalization of another black man killed by police.
"Everything released is one-sided," Wright said. "There is nothing favorable to John Crawford. You can't show different pieces, show it all, don't trickle pieces to gain favor of the public."
Video Games!
In the spirit of our Books! thread yesterday: What video games are you currently playing? Anything you've played recently that you'd recommend?
Ferguson
[Content Note: Police brutality; racism; white supremacy; lynching.]
Here is some difficult but important recommended reading that sets what happened, and what is ongoing, in Ferguson in context, both currently and historically:
Jelani Cobb: Between the World and Ferguson
Joseph Shapiro: In Ferguson, Court Fines and Fees Fuel Anger
Adam Serwer: Eighty Years of Fergusons
Tamura Lomax: For Lucia Mcbath, Sybrina Fulton, and All Other Black Mothers Who've Considered Righteous Rage When Black Respectability Politics Ain't Enough
Natasha Chart: Want Peace? Killing Black People Needs to Be Treated as a Crime
And finally, a current report from the AP: Ferguson Shooting Protests Move to St. Louis.
Question of the Day
Suggested by Shaker RachelB: "What book / essay / article / poem that you read years ago are you still thinking about?"
Quote of the Day
[Content Note: Police militarization.]
"Fusion has learned that 184 state and local police departments have been suspended from the Pentagon's [controversial '1033 program' program to equip local and state police departments with military surplus weaponry] for missing weapons or failure to comply with other guidelines. We uncovered a pattern of missing M14 and M16 assault rifles across the country, as well as instances of missing .45-caliber pistols, shotguns, and 2 cases of missing Humvee vehicles."—Daniel Rivero and Jorge Rivas, in an incredible report on their investigation into the number of police departments across the US which have lost "loads of military-issued weapons."
According to their investigation, police departments in the state of Mississippi alone have lost track of 12 M14s, a 12-gauge shotgun, two flyer helmets, and a .45 caliber pistol, which was sold at a gun exchange.
So, basically, apart from all the other problems with police militarization, which have been on abundant display in Ferguson, a lot of police departments are having trouble holding onto the military-grade weaponry they're getting care of the Pentagon.
Terrific.
AMAZING
[Content Note: Homophobia.]
As I mentioned earlier, the three judges empaneled for the 7th Circuit review of Indiana's and Wisconsin's same-sex marriage bans were predicted to lean toward equality. But Maude Almighty they really let the bigots have it and it was terrific.
Judge Richard Posner, who was appointed by President Ronald Reagan, was dismissive when Wisconsin Assistant Attorney General Timothy Samuelson repeatedly pointed to 'tradition' as the underlying justification for barring gay marriage.YES!!! But wait—there's more!
"It was tradition to not allow blacks and whites to marry — a tradition that got swept away," Posner said. Prohibition of same sex marriage, he said, is "a tradition of hate."
Posner frequently cut off Indiana Solicitor General Thomas Fischer, just moments into his presentation and chided him to answer his questions.Blah blah yawn. That's a garbage-ass argument even outside the context of a judge specifically asking you about the children of same-sex couples. Within that context, I think it's pretty commendable that Judge Posner managed to not laugh directly in Fisher's face.
At one point, Posner ran through a list of psychological strains of unmarried same-sex couples, including [their children] having to struggle to grasp why their schoolmates' parents were married and theirs weren't.
"What horrible stuff," Posner said. What benefits to society in barring gay marriage, he asked, "outweighs that kind of damage to children?"
The answer has to do with "procreation," Fisher answered.
"All this is a reflection of biology," Fisher said. "Men and women make babies, same-sex couples do not... we have to have a mechanism to regulate that, and marriage is that mechanism."
There was some levity during the hearing. As Samuelson struggled to offer a specific reason for how gay marriage bans benefit society, he suddenly noted a yellow courtroom light signaling his allotted time was up.HA HA HA HA fuck you. What a fun day in court playing a silly game with people's lives for Mr. Samuelson. Jokity-joke-joke.
"It won't save you," [Judge Ann Claire Williams, a Clinton appointee] told him, prompting laughter in court.
Samuleson smiled, saying "it was worth a try."
The court will issue its ruling soon. I have a pretty good feeling about how this one's gonna go.
Good Grief
[Content Note: Christian Supremacy; anti-atheism.]
Oh brother. Have y'all seen the trailer for God's Not Dead, the terrific new film starring Kevin Sorbo as a meany atheist professor who hates god? It actually came out in theaters (allegedly) earlier this year, but the trailer is running on a fucking loop on my cable provider's OnDemand service, just to make sure all of us who somehow missed its debut at the cinemaplex get a chance to see it.
Anyway, the trailer is full of great things like:
* Dean Cain, wearing a business suit, talking on the phone to his good Christian sister who tells him he should come home to see their ailing mother, to which he responds, "What's in it for me?"
* Kevin Sorbo, wearing a tweed jacket, telling his classroom full of college students that god is dead.
* One of the dudes from Duck Dynasty (???), wearing a beard and patriotic bandana, telling a reporter that being Christian is the best, or whatever.
* Kevin Sorbo, wearing a tweed jacket, shouting at his rebellious Christian student: "You think you're smarter than me?! You think there's any argument you can make that I won't have an answer for? In that classroom, there is a god: I'm him!"
* Ladies playing important supporting roles in men's lives, including creating a trenchant life lesson for them by getting cancer.
* Kevin Sorbo, wearing a tweed jacket, shouting at his rebellious Christian student, while gesturing at the rest of the classroom full of students: "You just want to ensnare them in your primitive superstitions!"
DAMN. Atheists are the worst!
Also? That was definitely exactly like my college experience, lolololololol.
Clearly, this movie already made billions at the box office, which is why we have all for sure heard of it and been converted to its perfect brand of Christianity by its compelling message, but Kevin Sorbo is nonetheless promoting its DVD release in Big Time Media, like End Times fanatic Rick Wiles' radio program, where the two gentlemen discussed why it is that atheists are so angry.
[T]he two concluded that atheists are so angry because they secretly know that God does exist and hate him for "judging how they live their life."Perfect deductive reasoning. And let's face it: They should know the imaginary reason that the angry straw-atheists they've invented are super angry all the time.
Sorbo said he doesn't understand why atheists are so "filled with just hatred and anger," saying that he feels sorry for them but also can't help but laugh at them for spending "so much time ranting and raving about something that they don't believe in."
Wiles agreed, saying that he doesn't "believe in the Tooth Fairy but I don't spend all my time from trying to stop people from believing in the Tooth Fairy."
Of course, one could just as well make the same point in response to Sorbo and Wiles, noting that while they don't believe in atheism, they sure do seem to be spending a lot of time ranting and raving about it.
In the end, both Wiles and Sorbo agreed that the real reason atheists are so angry is because, deep down, they know that God exists.
"The truth is," Wiles said, "they know he exists and they hate him. That's what it's all about."
"That is exactly what it is," Sorbo responded. "I know these guys must believe in something, otherwise they wouldn't get so angry about it and they don't like the fact that there is a higher power out there that is judging how they live their life."
"Hey, get back here, Christian scum! I need to yell at you some more!"
I know there are some angry atheists or whatever; there are lots of people who believe lots of things who are angry and yell about those beliefs. But there are a lot of atheists, like myself, who are essentially apatheists and really just don't give a shit.
And would kindly like you to shove your caricatures of atheists into the nearest bin, thankyouverymuch.
I mean, not for nothing, but if the worst complaint you can make is that some atheists are kind of aggressive about their atheism, you really need to STFU.
Animal Rights Victory
[Content Note: Animal cruelty.]
Earlier this year, we reached an important milestone when South Dakota became the final state in the US to enact a felony provision for animal cruelty. And now Oregon is leading the way in legally recognizing that animals, even if they are still considered property, can be victims.
In two landmark rulings earlier this month, the Oregon Supreme Court said that animals -- whether they be horses, goats, dogs or cats -- shall be afforded some of the same basic protections as human beings.This is very good news indeed for animals, and for the humans who care about them.
The dual rulings are expected to make it easier for police to rush to the aid of ailing animals without first obtaining a warrant. They also could result in harsher criminal repercussions for those found guilty of abusing or neglecting animals.
"These are hugely helpful to the prosecution of animal-cruelty cases," said Jacob Kamins, a Corvallis-based prosecutor assigned to pursuing such cases across Oregon.
Specifically, in State v. Arnold Nix, the supreme court ruled that a Umatilla County man who was convicted of starving 20 horses and goats on his property could be sentenced -- not just on one count of second-degree animal neglect -- but on 20 different counts, meaning each animal counted as a separate "victim."
...In State vs. Linda Fessenden and Teresa Dicke, the supreme court found that a sheriff's deputy was legally justified in 2010 in rushing onto a Douglas County pasture to get medical help for a horse that was so malnourished every one of its ribs was showing. The state's high court ruled that the deputy, who thought the horse was in immediate danger of falling and dying, didn't need a warrant to step onto private property and get the animal to a veterinarian.
...The high court agreed that animals are still defined by law as "property." But the court ruled that the deputy didn't violate the constitutional search and seizure rights of its two owners because "exigent circumstance" existed -- that is that swift action was required to prevent harm to people or to property.
...In making its findings -- some of the strongest favoring animal rights to date -- the high court noted how Oregon law is evolving to reflect the sentiments of society in general.
..."To acknowledge that animals are victims of crime, that's really common sense to us," said Lora Dunn, staff attorney for the Animal Legal Defense Fund in Portland.
Daily Dose of Cute
"Yes, Two-Legs. Right there. FOREVER."
As always, please feel welcome and encouraged to share pix of the fuzzy, feathered, or scaled members of your family in comments.
In the News
Here is some stuff in the news today...
[Content Note: War] In Israel and Gaza: "Israel and the Palestinians have agreed to an indefinite ceasefire, putting an end to seven weeks of catastrophic loss of life and destruction—but on terms that are likely to leave many on both sides of the conflict wondering what had been achieved. ...The terms of the deal—brokered by the Egyptian government, and reached on the 50th day of the conflict—are expected to be similar to those agreed at the end of the previous war 21 months ago. Israel will open crossings on its border to allow the movement of people and goods, and extend the permitted fishing zone off the coast of Gaza. Rafah, the border between Gaza and Egypt will also be opened; reconstruction of Gaza will begin. More difficult issues will be deferred for further talks in about a month. They include Hamas's demands for an airport and seaport in Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners, and Israel's insistence of the disarmament of militant groups and the return of the remains of two of its soldiers killed in the fighting."
[CN: Police brutality] Why Civil Rights Groups Are Calling for the Ferguson Prosecutor to Step Down: "Prosecutors are law enforcers, like police. In most every case they take, they rely on police to provide them with cases, make arrests, present evidence, and even testify at trial. If prosecutors can't work with cops, they can't convict anybody. And they don't want to alienate those very same people, particularly because they often maintain personal relationships. As a result, when faced with a case charging the police, 'prosecutors face enormous pressure from both police and fellow prosecutors not to go forward with such cases,' explains law professor David A. Harris in a law review article on police accountability."
[CN: Police brutality] I don't even have words: "A coroner's report obtained exclusively by NBC News directly contradicts the police version of how Victor White III, a 22-year-old black man, died in the back seat of a Louisiana police cruiser earlier this year—but still says the man, whose hands were cuffed behind his back, shot himself. ...'You can't make me understand,' said Rev. Victor White II, 53, a Baptist minister and former substance abuse counselor. 'You can't make me understand how my son took his left hand, when he was handcuffed behind the back, and shot himself. I don't believe a thing they’re saying at this point.'" Yeah, I don't blame him.
[CN: War on agency] Today in pushing back on the strategy to chip away at Roe until it is an empty statute: "Friday, the Center for Reproductive Rights joined a federal lawsuit challenging a Louisiana TRAP (Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers) law set to take effect September 1. The suit, filed on behalf of health care workers in Baton Rouge, seeks an injunction against Louisiana HB 388, which requires abortion providers in the state to obtain local hospital admitting privileges. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal signed HB 388 into law in June. In the written complaint, the Center for Reproductive Rights argued that the law makes an impossible demand since hospitals will not be able to respond to providers about admitting privileges before the law takes effect."
[CN: Homophobia] In good news, the three-judge 7th Circuit panel who will hear today's same-sex marriage case are probably favorably disposed toward ruling in favor of equality.
[CN: Religious supremacy; war on agency] Imani Gandy says "The Obama Administration Should Stop Bending to the Religious Right's Will," and I agree with her. I know you are so shocked!
Here is a complete list of last night's Emmy winners. I'm thrilled the Emmys took my advice and just gave all the awards to Breaking Bad!
And finally! DOG POOL PARTY! (If you can't view the video, it's a pool party at a doggy daycare with SO MANY DOGS HAVING SO MUCH FUN!)
Books!
By popular and repeat request: What are you currently reading? Anything you've read recently that you'd recommend?
