{"id":19458,"date":"2016-01-31T05:53:39","date_gmt":"2016-01-31T13:53:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=19458"},"modified":"2016-01-31T05:53:39","modified_gmt":"2016-01-31T13:53:39","slug":"squatchs-open-thread-30012016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2016\/01\/31\/squatchs-open-thread-30012016\/","title":{"rendered":"Squatch’s Open Thread 30\/01\/2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

I completed the Open Thread and went to save it only to get a message of an error, and the content went into cyber purgatory never to be seen again.  I wonder if it was something I said?  Yesterday was busy with teaching.  After finishing an ESL lesson, I tutoured grade 7 math and grade 3 English spelling.  By the time I arrived home at 20:30, the furbabies were ready to lynch me and I was too tired so no Open Thread yesterday.  Today has been much calmer, that is until I lost my thread.<\/span><\/p>\n

Short Takes<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Huffington Post<\/span><\/a><\/strong> — The poisoning of the majority-black population of the city is a product of a system failing the people of Flint on many levels over a long period of time. To really start unpacking the historical roots of the crisis, you have to go back to slavery itself, which debased the humanity and devalued the lives of black people from well before our nation's founding; followed by the Jim Crow era of legal segregation, discrimination, and violence against black Americans, which resulted in early 20th century migrations of black people from the segregated south to urban manufacturing centers of the northern United States. When they got there, they found cities without legal segregation, yet with de facto segregation and discrimination alive and well in both white attitudes and systems. The arrival and growth of black populations in northern cities was followed shortly thereafter by white flight to the suburbs, aided by discriminatory housing policies that effectively prevented the vast majority of black people from joining them and blocked the financing of black homes even in the cities.<\/p>\n

I came across this piece and thought to share it and the following 28 minute video <\/span>"America's Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, and the Bridge to a New America"<\/strong><\/span><\/a>.<\/span>  Wallis talks of racism and white privilege as moral issues that are "…in the air that we breathe and the water we drink." At Politics Plus, we often talk about pseudo Christianity and authentic Christianity, especially as it relates to the political scene.  We talk also about white privilege and the political effects.  As Wallis says "So let's change the water — and the air."<\/span><\/p>\n

Think Progress<\/span><\/a><\/strong> — <\/span>The Ku Klux Klan has gotten a bad rap<\/a>, according to one Georgia lawmaker. He says the terror group “was not so much a racist thing but a vigilante thing to keep law and order” that “made a lot of people straighten up.”<\/p>\n

That leader is now hellbent on stopping the “cultural cleansing” of the South’s heritage. So far this year, State Rep. Tommy Benton (R) has co-sponsored two bills to preserve the Confederate’s legacy.<\/p>\n

Another Republican nutter.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mother Jones<\/strong><\/span><\/a> — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's presidential campaign never really caught steam. In Iowa, he's barely registering<\/a> in the polls, and in New Hampshire (seemingly friendlier territory) he's generally<\/a> in sixth place. So with the first votes fast approaching, he's settled on a strategy of attacking the non-Trump frontrunners, particularly Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, as dishonest politicians who are lying to voters.<\/p>\n

This from Pignocchio whose nose is so long that he would be unable to do a field sobriety test of touching his finger to the end of his nose!  That's rich!<\/span><\/p>\n

Alternet<\/strong><\/span><\/a> — “It’s really frightening,” survivor Al Munzer told the newspaper. “When you see these mass rallies that Trump is able to attract, you really wonder: How are they buying into this message of hate?”<\/p>\n

The most direct answer to Munzer’s question can be found in the words of Trump’s followers themselves, who aren’t so much buying into hate as they are enthusiastically supporting the guy boosting the hate and racism they already feel. For all his self-aggrandizement, even Donald Trump wouldn’t likely claim to have hypnotized his supporters. He’s merely speaking directly to a huge demographic of overwhelmingly white voters who want blacks, Mexicans, Muslims and others out of the country they believe belongs to them. This is what they mean by "making America great again."<\/p>\n

We hear a lot of references to Adolf Hitler when talking about Trump and his racist, xenophobic ideas.  I am not enamoured of such talk, but some survivors of Hitler's final solution see distinct similarities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Huffington Post<\/strong><\/span><\/a> — A veteran MP losing his voice to the ravages of Lou Gehrig's disease found an innovative way to make himself heard in the House of Commons Wednesday.<\/p>\n

\"mauril<\/p>\n

And Mauril Belanger made history in the process.<\/p>\n

This is a story of perseverence and courage.  Mauril Bélanger, MP has represented Ottawa-Vanier for 20 years. Immediately following the Canadian federal election of 19\/10\/2015, he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrigs disease.  Some thought he would step down, but that is not his style.  His voice is greatly affected so he has come up with an idea to allow him to continue.<\/span><\/p>\n

My Universe<\/strong> — <\/span><\/p>\n