…. is long, but it bends towards justice.” – MLK
The quote at left conveys another equally optimistic perspective on racism.
But in addition to believing that truth and unconditional love will ultimately prevail, it may be instructive to examine the forces that keep racism rooted in place. (more…)
Re: the quote here, James Littleton notes: I’m a military veteran, I wore that uniform proudly and honorably, but the Dalai Lama’s point is well appreciated.
Chrissy Sneden notes:
Not sure to whom to attribute this little gem, but it speaks loudly, doesn’t it? Especially given the context of the Big Lie of 2021?
Arguably the highest profile attorney in the United States, Rudy Giuliani, was suspended from practicing law in New York on Thursday because he made false statements while trying to get courts to overturn Donald Trump’s loss in the presidential race. (more…)
Here’s something you probably wouldn’t find in the United States: a musical exercise at a high school in France that not only teaches kids the theory behind beat and meter associated with what is arguably the world’s most beloved piece of the classical repertoire, but does so in the most expressive and beautiful way imaginable.
I had a friend who grew up in Holland, and I was awed at his capacity to play pieces by Chopin and Liszt that were far beyond my reach, like this waltz in Gb. He explained that all graduates from high schools in Europe learn to play the piano, and he would be considered average at best. He went on to explain how Western philosophy is also a requirement; he struggled to understand why young Americans aren’t exposed to Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, etc.
That was 40 years ago; it’s hard to guess how much further we’ve fallen back since. It’s a sad state of affairs.
From this:
The “Trump Train” vigilantes who endangered a Biden campaign bus in Texas last fall are going to have to answer for their actions in court. A White House staffer, a former Texas state representative and two Biden campaign staff are suing the Trumpers involved, alleging that they violated the Ku Klux Klan Act in a coordinated and illegal act of political intimidation. (more…)
Bakker selling a false remedy against COVID-19.
From MSN:
A Missouri court has ordered televangelist Jim Bakker and his church to pay $156,000 after viewers purchased a fake COVID-19 cure during the pandemic.
The settlement, announced by the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, bans Bakker from advertising or selling the product to “diagnose, prevent, mitigate, treat or cure any disease or illness.” The total value represents $90,000 from the agreement in addition to payments and refunds that Bakker has already made. (more…)
From the New York Times:
Rudolph W. Giuliani, a former top federal prosecutor, New York City mayor and lawyer to a president, now faces the possibility of disbarment after a New York court ruled on Thursday that he made “demonstrably false and misleading statements” while fighting the results of the 2020 election on behalf of Donald J. Trump. (more…)
From Politifact:
A blog post that argues for an audit of the 2020 presidential election in the swing state of Pennsylvania claims results there “show a statistically impossible pattern,” and accuses election officials of deciding to “manufacture” votes for Joe Biden.
The post, widely shared on Facebook, was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.) (more…)
I’m sure there are world leaders who don’t agree with Trudeau, but they certainly aren’t U.S. allies.
How does Putin feel, for example, now that his puppet is no longer in power, and more likely headed for prison than a second term? What about Kim Jong-un, Bolsonaro, Erdogan, Duterte, and Orbán? It’s clear that the tyrants of the world all wish that American democracy would go the way of the fax machine and the rotary dial phone.
The planet is in a very perilous situation with respect to freedom just now.
