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Living Liberally BlogLiving Liberally Blog July 3 News RoundupSubmitted by Molly Ford on Fri, 07/03/2009 - 1:25pm.The Working Families Party Mayoral ForumSubmitted by Justin Krebs on Thu, 07/02/2009 - 5:10pm.Josh Bolotsky and I are seated in the auditorium at the Hotel Trades Council union hall, gearing up to cover the Working Families Party Mayoral Forum. We'll be doing the live posting over at Open Left -- and you can also watch the forum for yourself at: http://www.workingfamiliesparty.org/liveforum/ The rules and timeline are up; the forum should begin at 5:30pm.
Live Coverage of NYC Mayoral Forum Today, 5:30pm ESTSubmitted by Justin Krebs on Thu, 07/02/2009 - 1:29pm.At 5:30pm today, the Working Families Party will be hosting a Mayoral Forum -- they'll be interviewing Democratic hopefuls Bill Thompson and Tony Avella, and incumbent Michael Bloomberg. You can watch the live feed here. Or tune back in for live blogging coverage. Daily News Round-up - Foreign Policy EditionSubmitted by Brian Sonenstein on Thu, 07/02/2009 - 10:34am.
The Left Has Comedians, But The Right Makes Us LaughSubmitted by Justin Krebs on Thu, 07/02/2009 - 7:10am.After Mark Foley, David Vitter & Larry Craig, While Americans want healthcare & energy reform, And every time Michael Steele opens his mouth, Sure the Left may have Senator Al Franken, But be careful, Dems - with 60 Senate seats, Head into the holiday with reason to smile, DRINKING LIBERALLY Correcting Subtle Racism Requires Keen Eye, Creative SolutionsSubmitted by Chris Partridge on Wed, 07/01/2009 - 1:40pm.Last Month Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor caught the brunt of conservative criticism for certain comments made regarding race and how it factors into a judge’s decision-making. Sotomayor said, “I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life." Then Monday the Supreme Court ruled white firefighters in the New Haven Fire Department were victims of reverse discrimination when the city threw out a promotion exam after minority candidates categorically tested poorly. The measure was intended to promote diversity in the workplace. The Supreme Court overturned the decision previously upheld by Sotomayor and two other judges on a panel to determine the legitimacy of New Haven’s policy. A quick read through our headlines shows desperate need for a new understanding of bias. The Right’s stubborn faith in the myth of the American meritocracy depends on an outmoded conception on how discrimination is exercised. They argue that because official channels of slavery and segregation ended generations ago, the field is level. But only rarely is racism explicit these days. More frequently, racism continues to be exerted through inherited disadvantage, and conversely, inherited privilege. In order to counteract racial inertia, many liberals argue the need for corrective measures which temporarily give favor to minority candidates in the workplace/schools/etc. in service of long-term equality. It is a common myth that after Brown v. Board of Education everyone was equal. While all became supposedly “equal” under the law, whites had a head-start--better-funded schools, inherited wealth, 200 years control of government--not to mention the failure of many states to comply with desegregation. In yesterday’s Huffington Post, Mitchell Kapor, Freada Kapor Klein, and Martha Tae-Shin Kim address the need for creativity when it comes to deracinating institutionalized and structural discrimination. “The [New Haven] case itself, while raising complex questions about workplace bias, involved civil rights law fashioned in an era that saw far more blatant discrimination. Back then, the urgency of segregation and widespread, institutional racism did not allow for a thoughtful undertaking of more nuanced forms of bias. Now, subtle bias has become more insidious.” Check out the full article here. This is an issue steeped in nuance and requires compassion for all parties involved. White firefighters don’t want to be discriminated against for their race any more than black, Hispanic, or Asian firefighters for theirs. No one wants to feel indicted for something they didn’t choose. But affirmative action is not about blame. It is about starting to amend past injustices that echo still today. It is not enough to eliminate the barriers; true equality requires a cathartic process of diminishing white privilege and providing access to beneficial social programs. Now how do we make that a reality? Anyone with suggestions about involvement, links to groups that do anti-discrimination work, policy ideas, here’s your chance to sound off. I’m sure you liberals out there in the grassroots, netroots, and beyond have your fingers on the pulse of some great organizations. Let’s get a list going in the comments section. Daily News Round-UpSubmitted by Jenny McCartney on Wed, 07/01/2009 - 11:08am.
Takin' It to the Streets!Submitted by Molly Ford on Tue, 06/30/2009 - 3:56pm.Here's the final video from the people over at Haarm.org! Enjoy, and pass it around! Daily News RoundupSubmitted by Living Liberally on Tue, 06/30/2009 - 11:52am.
Stonewall Anniversary a Chance to Evaluate Nation's ProgressSubmitted by Chris Partridge on Mon, 06/29/2009 - 6:03pm.Sunday marked the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, one of the first instances of gay resistance to government-sponsored repression of sexual minorities. Not only was this a time to look back at a proud moment for the equal rights movement, but a chance to analyze how far we’ve come as a country. Standards are particularly high for one President Barack Obama, and rightfully so. After opposing Don‘t Ask Don‘t Tell and the Defense of Marriage Act during the campaign, Obama’s rhetoric and action since taking office have become tepid. As Michael Rowe writes in today’s Huffington Post, the excuses granted to the administration on delaying equality are becoming tiresome. “There is a great deal that can be done now, and if there is to be a culture war, it's an inevitable one. The quest for "bipartisanship" should not be an excuse for sacrificing political integrity, or honoring a long-overdue commitment to a long-loyal and significant voting bloc. Ignoring the problem isn't going to make it go away, nor is pointing out the obvious fact that the Republicans are no friend of the LGBT community, or that a McCain-Palin administration would have been an express train to oblivion for gay rights. LGBT Americans voted for Obama to be their president too, not just the lesser of two evils.” Check out the rest of Rowe’s razor-sharp inculpation here. Obama is an incrementalist, but it has been 40 years since the Stonewall Riots. His expansion of rights to same-sex partners of federal employees was commendable, but hardly daring. The President’s conflicting takes on DOMA need to be reconciled and repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell must become a top priority. *******UPDATE******** Said Obama, "It's not for me to tell you to be patient anymore than it was for others to counsel patience to African-Americans who were petitioning for equal rights a half-century ago." Check out the full article over at Alternet. |
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