Category Archives: Uncategorized

I’llRideWithYou?

After North Carolina made the brilliant decision to police its citizens’ bathroom habits, a movement arose urging cis folks to be available to accompany trans or genderqueer folks to the restroom or other gendered spaces.  It’s called “I’ll Go With You.”   It has a website … and buttons!

This week, two more Black men were assassinated by the police under circumstances that defy rational understanding, but that share with so many other similar murders this feature:  they would not have happened to a white person.

What can a random middle age white lady do about all this killing?  I can march, shout, post . . . all things that announce my horror, anger, and sadness.  But I can’t force grand juries to indict murderous cops or juries to convict them.  And worst of all, I can’t stop the shooting from happening in the first place.

Or can I?   What if I were there?  Could enough of us be there for our Black friends, allies, and fellow citizens to stop some of the random killing?  If we’re willing to go to the bathroom as a show of solidarity with our trans and genderqueer friends, is there a way we ride along with our Black friends to show solidarity or, y’know, be a human shield?  Call it the White-People Ride-Along program*, placing random white people in the cars of random African-Americans while they drive to work, run errands, go out to dinner, stay up late, joy ride, and other things white people can do in cars without risking death at the hands of law enforcement.  It would work like a sort of reverse Uber. When the Black driver is ready to go somewhere, he or she enters the information in the WPRA app and connects with an available white passenger.  Voila!  Instant, if unfounded, respectability and potential survival.

Wild-ass idea, right?  Or maybe not.  Anyone with the balls & tech skills to get this rolling:  I’m in.

***************

*Yes, I’m intending to copy the police “Ride-Along” label.

You can’t make a judge recuse himself by being an asshole.

It has long been established …  that a party cannot force a judge to recuse himself by engaging in personal attacks on the judge.

Standing Comm. on Discipline of U.S. Dist. Court for Cent. Dist. of California v. Yagman, 55 F.3d 1430, 1443 (9th Cir. 1995).
You’re welcome.

Full [kick-ass] remarks from Loretta Lynch on HB2

Let me also speak directly to the transgender community itself. Some of you have lived freely for decades. Others of you are still wondering how you can possibly live the lives you were born to lead. But no matter how isolated or scared you may feel today, the Department of Justice and the entire Obama Administration wants you to know that we see you; we stand with you; and we will do everything we can to protect you going forward. Please know that history is on your side. This country was founded on a promise of equal rights for all, and we have always managed to move closer to that promise, little by little, one day at a time. It may not be easy – but we’ll get there together.

Source: Full remarks from Loretta Lynch on HB2 | WCNC.com

“On Becoming Anti-Bernie”

I’ve been a Bernie Skeptic from the start, largely for strategic reasons: we need to keep a Dem in the White House or face losing the Supreme Court for a generation. I think Hillary has the best chance of doing that. But here are some thoughts from a former Bernie Leaner.
 
 
[T]hose themes [magical thinking and ideological purity over practicality] reveal a person who, while he has deep convictions about the ills of income inequality (which I wholeheartedly share), seems to be constitutionally incapable or unwilling to undertake the difficult task of actually coming up with workable, meaningful legislation.
Just remember, in the immortal words of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler:
Tina Fey: I think what bothers me the most is when people say that Hillary is a bitch. And, let me say something about that: Yeah, she is! And so am I! And so is this one!

Amy Poehler: Yeah, deal with it!

Tina Fey: You know what? Bitches get stuff done.

So, my fellow Democrats, if you want intellectual purity, vote Bernie.  If you want to get stuff done, vote Hillary!

 

Excellent typo

Reading through a site survey, the surveyor referred to the window at the pharmacy counter as the “consoltation” window.  Perfect!  “I’m so sorry you have to take statins now.”

Guest Post: Bill of Rights According to Leading Republican “Scholars”

First Amendment – Government shall not make any law that has any potential effect on religious people, or companies owned or run by religious people, feeling like they can’t make everyone else around them conform to their views. The right not to practice religion is meh. Companies and media outlets shall not discipline racist or homophobic people from spewing hate. All other free speech is meh.*


Second Amendment – The right to have and carry openly lots and lots of guns, assault rifles, whatever, shall not be impacted in any way, especially if you are white. Militias are awesome, and have a little bit to do with this Amendment, but only if you are white.

Third Amendment – Blah blah blah, something about soldiers.**

Fourth Amendment – Some types of searches and seizures are not cool, but by seizure we don’t mean killing an unarmed black person. That’s not really a seizure so that’s totally ok. Or it’s reasonable, or something. This Amendment is only occasionally important.

Fifth Amendment – Due process! For corporations! And right not to self incriminate for corporations, bank executives, and pharma bros. No double jeopardy, we can all agree to that.

Sixth Amendment – Speedy trials for accused, but you can totally waive that. An impartial jury is important but “impartial” is really quite relative, isn’t it? And assistance of counsel, but we’ll be pretty flexible about what’s considered competent and totally underfund public defenders and not require assistance of counsel for misdemeanors or other things that may land you in jail like debt.

Seventh Amendment – Definitely a jury should be required for civil actions, except if the corporate defendant has made someone sign an arbitration clause as a condition of employment or use of a service, in which case juries aren’t really that crucial (not mentioned twice in the first seven amendments or anything).

Eighth Amendment – Torture and capital punishment are not cruel or unusual punishments, and this amendment only applies to citizens. And “excessive bail” shall not be required but what does “excessive” really mean?

Ninth Amendment – Blah blah blah something about the rights here not affecting other rights? Who knows.**

Tenth Amendment – States rights! Except for liberal states (including states that want to legalize marijuana or that have sanctuary cities).

 

*Except for libertarians, who take this Amendment at its words.

**No one really uses this one.

Bomb squad safely detonates device after police arrest man who threatened Muslims

Call it what it is:  terrorism.

RICHMOND — Members of a police department bomb squad safely detonated a possible explosive device at the house of a Richmond man arrested early today in connection with threats against the city’s Muslims.

Source: Richmond: Bomb squad safely detonates device after police arrest man who threatened Muslims – ContraCostaTimes.com

Featured Philosop-her: Elizabeth Barnes

Fantastic post.  Can’t wait to read her book!

It’s a strange thing – an almost unnatural thing – to construct careful, analytically rigorous arguments for the value of your own life, or for the bare intelligibility of the claims made by an entire civil rights movement.

Source: Featured Philosop-her: Elizabeth Barnes

Trevor Noah Called Out GOP Hypocrisy on Planned Parenthood in His First Great TV Moment

“The point is, if pro-lifers would just redirect their power toward gun violence, the amount of lives they save could reach superhero levels,” Noah said. “They just need to have a superhero’s total dedication to life. Because right now they’re more like comic book collectors: Human life only holds value until you take it out of the package, and then it’s worth nothing.”

Source: Trevor Noah Called Out GOP Hypocrisy on Planned Parenthood in His First Great TV Moment