Terror Attacks in Mumbai and Responses

Apurva, a blogger from India, writes:

In the midst of all this, we had Mr Advani talking about the need for stricter laws to control terrorism. If that is his solution, I wonder in which India he lives in. Stricter laws have never been a deterrent for crime anywhere in the world and least of all in India. If that were the case, dowry deaths would be non-existent by this time. Untouchability would have been a thing of the past. His unimaginative and primitive mind can only think of draconian laws that will inevitably be used to harass the minorities and the powerless. As John Oliver says in the above video, “when you’re a bankrupt ideology pursuing a bankrupt strategy, the only move you’ve got is the dick one.”

Demokratik Toplum Partisi Under Attack from Turkish State

Shiraz socialist blogs:

Interesting summary in today’s Zaman of goings on at the congress of the Demokratik Toplum Partisi, the left-Kurdish nationalist coalition in the Turkish parliament which is threatened by closure along with the ruling AK Partisi. It would seem that the party’s “moderates”, led by Ahmet Türk, have the leadership but have gotten it on the basis of an accommodation with more radical factions. It is pleasing to see such unity in the face of potentially devastating attack from the state.

Albeit deeply flawed, the DTP is the nearest thing in national level Turkish politics to a significant left-wing force. It is therefore an entity whose persecution should be of some concern to all progressive and left-wing people in the West who care about Turkey and its future. One would certainly hope that, even where people (wrongly in my view) might support the use of the Constitutional Court against the Islamist-descended AKP, they would at least stand in defence of a party explicitly set up to stand for progressive politics and Kurdish rights.

Revolution?

PudgyIndian blogs:

The good news is, “Americans get to keep their guns.” The bad news is, Americans point their guns at their fellow poor instead of the wealthy who are truly the ones “stealing their jobs” and creating suffering world wide so they can have more wealth.

FISA, Tortoises, Obama

JanInSanFran blogs on the recent FISA law passed by the House:

Trusting souls we if we look to Democrats to safeguard liberties. They won’t. At root, they don’t believe that any significant number of their base cares enough to make them uncomfortable when they go along to get along. They trust their white skins and their money ensure their privilege. This seems rather stupid, but one of the features of privilege long-enjoyed is stupidity. An animal without predators ceases to be wary like those poor Galapagos tortoises that stick their necks out to meet humans.

Candian Parliament Votes for Asylum

Sean Purdy blogs:

Yesterday, the Canadian parliament voted 137-110 to give asylum to U.S. war resisters (known in the mainstream media as “military deserters”) and allow them permanent resident status. Officially, there are an estimated 200 U.S. soldiers who have fled to Canada in opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan but there are probably many more resisters who have not come forward yet.

The Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper is free to ignore the decision since it was an unbinding motion. He has said as much. However, it is an extremely important victory in the campaign by the anti-war movement in Canada and the U.S. and will certainly put substantial pressure on Harper…

Revolution and White Privilege

Neela blogs:

I’ve recently watched a couple of documentaries about radical movements in the 1960s and 70s:Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst, The Weather Underground and a narrative film about the Naxalite movement in West Bengal called Calcutta My Love. 

Both of the first two films were fascinating but left me feeling irritated at the ludicrousness of it all – especially at the white privilege that protected many of these so-called revolutionaries, whereas members of the Black Panther Party faced a decidedly different fate.

No Justice for Sean Bell

Brotherpaecemaker blogs about the acquittal of the homicidal cops from New York:

People in the black community need to rethink our relationship with the dominant community. The disparity between the two communities is getting wider and wider. Police murder us in the streets and suffer no repercussions while black pastors are demonized for preaching about racial disparity in our communities. Even when the most extreme forms of this discrimination is caught on tape it is dismissed as our fault because we didn’t prostrate ourselves in front of the cop fast enough or the police officer was having a bad day and had to release his frustrations on the black citizen or whatever. We are in danger every time we come out in public from the very people sworn to protect the public. The police and the courts are doing their best to protect the public from black people.

Carnival Against Sexual Violence 45

The 45th Carnival Against Sexual Violence is up at abyss2hope:

Welcome to the Apr. 15, 2008 edition of the carnival against sexual violence.

Thank you to everyone who nominated a post or who wrote a post against sexual violence whether it was nominated/selected or not. Nominations that came in after the nomination deadline will be considered for the next edition of the carnival.

If you support the purpose of the carnival, you can help get the word out about it and all of the posts included in the carnival.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Blog Against Sexual Violence Day which I coordinated for the second year in a row.

Transphobia and Homophobic Violence and Hate Crimes

Jack, at Angry Brown Butch, blogs:

On February 10, Sanesha Stewart, a young trans woman of color, was brutally murdered in her apartment in the Bronx. This is tragic and deeply saddening in and of itself, and part of a frightening and enduring pattern of violence against trans people. But because of this woman’s identities – trans, woman, person of color, low income – the tragedy doesn’t end with her death and the grief of those who knew and loved her. Instead, the mainstream media, specifically the Daily News, has managed to add to the tragedy with grossly disrespectful and transphobic journalism – if such garbage can even be called journalism. This, too, is part of a pattern, one that I’ve written about before. And yet, every time I read another disgustingly transphobic article, I’m still shocked and appalled that some media sources will stoop so low. Even in death, even after having been murdered, trans people are given no respect and are treated as less than human.

…

Perhaps advocates of hate crimes legislation believe that such laws would send a message to people that homophobia, transphobia, and other forms of prejudice and hatred are wrong. I don’t think it will. How could such laws counteract the prejudices that permeate our society? I seriously doubt that hate crimes legislation that is only brought up after someone is hurt or killed can make a dent in the ubiquitous flood of messages that we receive from politicians, religious leaders, the media and pop culture that queers and trans people are less deserving of respect and rights than straight and non-trans people.

40th Carnival Against Sexual Violence

Marcella Chester hosts the 40th Carnival Against Sexual Violence which deals with sexual violence issues involving: gender, the law, the media, personal stories, and other subjects.

Fire in the Delta

Black Looks blogs on the situation in the Niger Delta and posts a video:

In 2005, the High Court declared gas flaring illegal yet both the Nigerian government and oil multinationals have ignored the court ruling. Last year the Nigerian government once again promised to stop all gas flaring on the 1st January this year – a promise that goes back nearly 40 years. Companies defying the order were to be shut down. Once again the government has shown complete disregard and insensitivity to the communities in the Niger Delta and given into pressure from Shell, Chevron, Elf etc. The date has now been set for the end of the year but no one really believes that the government will once again bow to the oil multinationals.

[Hat Tip:  Change Seeker]

Race and Law

The Field Negro blogs about a recent murder case in Northern California involving a white home owner shooting and killing two (of three) robbers who broke into his house and were Black:

OK I must admit that this case has me torn. On one hand I am thinking that it was racism why this Northern California prosecutor chose to charge this young man with first degree murder under the rarely used “Provocative Acts Doctrine.” On the other hand I am thinking; Renato, just what the fuck were you thinking when you broke into that man’s home with your friends?

Your ignorant ass actions set into motion an act that cost two of your friends their lives, and now you are on the verge of losing your freedom; and if the good folks of California have their way, maybe your life as well.
But please don’t think I am letting Mister homeowner off the hook either. Yes, he has a right to defend his home, but he doesn’t have a right to shoot two fleeing individuals in the back. Had I been the DA I would have charged his ass with at the very least, voluntary manslaughter. But we know how that works; small county, every one knows each other, no one wants to upset the order of things. Heck I am sure the DA was a friend of Mr. Homeowner, or maybe even a family member.

Arrest on Site (of Brown Skin)

Marisa Trevino, of Latina Lista, blogs on the recent deportations of Latinos in Irving, Texas:

Between June 1, 2006 and September 18, 2007, at least 1,600 people have been deported. That’s about 1% of the city’s total population.

The Mayor of Irving says that the police are just doing an excellent job of law enforcement, but there are enough doubts to those claims to make the Mexican Consulate issue a rare travel warning to Mexican nationals — Avoid Irving, Texas. Looking Mexican can get you harassed and deported.

A Noose, is a Noose, is a Noose

Pop Startled posts a blog entry on the Jena Six with links to some news articles about the incident:

The status quo is a white dominated society. Sure, its possible to think that nooses are not racially charged when you’re a white person. That comes from the unwavering idea held by most white Americans that racism is dead and that everyone is equal in our enlightened American society. However, the fact that you can see a noose and think a radically different thought than a fellow American who happens to be black shows that the status quo is actually just an imposed historical forgetfulness, an amnesia of only 1-2 generations after the struggles of the civil rights protesters and the death spasms of Jim Crow (who’s ghost continues to haunt white suburbs vs black urban neighborhoods).

“You’ve Had Sex Before?…Well Than You Couldn’t Have Been Raped!”

Vanessa, on Feministing, writes:

Rape victims in Scotland are being questioned more than ever about their sexual history despite a previous victim committing suicide after being forced to show her underwear in court.

After the incident five years ago, the law was changed so that lawyers must request an application to “investigate” the person’s sexual history. (How considerate of them!) Unfortunately, that hasn’t changed much; more than three-quarters of rape trials include a request for an application. Scotland is also among the worst of rape convictions in the world with 3.9% of reported rapes ending in conviction in 2005.

“You’ve Had Sex Before?…Well Than You Couldn’t Have Been Raped!”

Vanessa, on Feministing, writes:

Rape victims in Scotland are being questioned more than ever about their sexual history despite a previous victim committing suicide after being forced to show her underwear in court.

After the incident five years ago, the law was changed so that lawyers must request an application to “investigate” the person’s sexual history. (How considerate of them!) Unfortunately, that hasn’t changed much; more than three-quarters of rape trials include a request for an application. Scotland is also among the worst of rape convictions in the world with 3.9% of reported rapes ending in conviction in 2005.

Padilla Convicted On No Evidence

Tom writes:

Before 9/11 and “preventative detention” and legal torture and scary new laws like the USA-Patriot Act and the Military Commissions Act eliminated habeas corpus, Padilla would have sat in jail a day or two. He might have gotten roughed up. Then he’d have walked.

That was under democracy. In Bush’s neofascist security state, Padilla rotted in solitary confinement–in a military brig–for three and a half years. (Read Henry Charriere’s classic prison memoir “Papillon” if you doubt that solitary confinement is a form of torture.) No family visits. No lawyer. They subjected him to sensory deprivation, covering his eyes and ears to make him lose his mind.

And still no trial. Because the government knew Padilla was innocent.

Gay Bashing and Hate Crimes

Terrance DC, at Pam’s House Blend, blogs about the recent gay bashing against Michael Wrenn:

Part of the reason I started the Hate Crimes on Wikipedia Project was to make information about the kind of hate crimes that have been committed against LGBT people more widely available, because that I think the facts are the most powerful resource we have in terms of making it clear what the hate crimes bill is really about.

I’m a couple of days late on this one, but I while catching up with my blog reading, I came across a story that underscores another aspect of the hate crimes bill. Jim Burroway posted the full text of the bill at Box Turtle Bulletin a while back. He also challenged the opposition to post the text of the bill on their sites, and point out where it threatens their religious beliefs or religious speech. To date, none of them have taken up that challenge that I know of, but I’ll refer to his post to show how the hate crimes bill might come into play, when police fail to investigate or report a hate crime.

“Did the defendent…uh…Ape-ray you?”

Bean, at the blog Lawyers, Guns and Money, writes a bout a recent court case in Nebraska:

I couldn’t help but think of that scene reading Dahlia Lithwick’s most recent article today. Lithwick reports on a Nebraska state judge who is presiding over a rape trial and who granted a defense motion to bar the attorneys from saying the words “rape,” “rape kit,” “victim,” “sexual assault,” or “sexual assault kit.” The prosecution responded by seeking to have the words “sex” and “intercourse” banned, as those words seem to suggest consent in the same way as the use of the word “victim” connotes lack of consent. The judge denied the prosecution’s motion, noting that without those words, there’d be nothing left to describe the alleged rape. And the jury has been kept in the dark the whole time – they don’t know that the attorneys have been prohibited from using these words.

“Did the defendent…uh…Ape-ray you?”

Bean, at the blog Lawyers, Guns and Money, writes a bout a recent court case in Nebraska:

I couldn’t help but think of that scene reading Dahlia Lithwick’s most recent article today. Lithwick reports on a Nebraska state judge who is presiding over a rape trial and who granted a defense motion to bar the attorneys from saying the words “rape,” “rape kit,” “victim,” “sexual assault,” or “sexual assault kit.” The prosecution responded by seeking to have the words “sex” and “intercourse” banned, as those words seem to suggest consent in the same way as the use of the word “victim” connotes lack of consent. The judge denied the prosecution’s motion, noting that without those words, there’d be nothing left to describe the alleged rape. And the jury has been kept in the dark the whole time – they don’t know that the attorneys have been prohibited from using these words.

Supreme Court Decision Part II

Race Wire blogs:

The Applied Research Center is dismayed by today’s decision from the United States Supreme Court to overturn lower court rulings allowing the districts of Seattle, Washington and Louisville, Kentucky to use race in making school assignments. This decision is especially disappointing, given that the majority of the Court affirmed race as an important factor to consider in educational equity and school integration. For more than half a century, the moral compass of 1954’s Brown v. Board of Education has guided our nation toward integration and equal treatment. The Court’s conservative bloc has led us backwards.

Michael L. Westmoreland-White comments:

For much of U.S. history, the judicial branch of our government, led by the Supreme Court, was the most regressive branch, defending slavery, defending the rich over the poor, defending corporations against workers, etc. Only from the mid-1930s to the late 197os was the Court a friend to the poor. Only from 1954 until 1980 was the Court strongly on the side of racial justice–something which began to be eroded with the judicial appointments of Ronald Reagan and both Bushes. Now, the Court is clearly, if narrowly, again against the creation of a just society. We must be creative in our response, but we must not let this wrongheaded decision stand in our way.

Mikhaela Reid blogs:

The Bush court says that not only is segregation totally cool (as long as it’s the “natural” result of segregated housing areas), it’s actively RACIST to oppose segregation. Why? Because racial diversity is AGAINST the spirit of Brown vs. Board of Education.

Jeff Lam writes:

the goal of the school district is to provide the same, excellent education to everyone, and considering race is one (perhaps flawed) way to do that. there are huge differences in parental involvement, school achievement, and teacher qualifications between some of the whiter north-end schools and the colored schools south of downtown. but some seem to believe that ignoring race means eradicating racism. absurd. devastating for broke colored kids in the ghetto. another victory for the privileged.

Supreme Court Decision Part I

Bloggers from around the blogosphere voice their concern and outrage over the Supreme Court’s recent ruling.

Christopher Bracey over at blackprof.com:

I’m sick and tired of having to respond to this silly argument. Given the prevailing disparities in health, wealth and society between blacks and whites, you have to be an idiot or a sophisticated bigot not to appreciate the difference between state action that excludes minorities and subordinates people on the basis or race, and state action designed to bring together people of all races. The voluntary – yes, voluntary – efforts by the local school boards in Seattle and Louisville fall into the latter category, and ought not be confused with the former. Whatever you may think about the virtues of diversity, it is abundantly clear that the motivation behind such a policy is light-years removed from the motivations of segregationists of years past.

Rick Perlstein writes:

Though call me crazy – when official municipal policy judges blacks as attempted murderers for the same actions whites commit without consequences, is it that hard to imagine that within Jena’s dual school system, the black schools might be less well taken care of? And that those same town fathers who claim they deliver equal justice to blacks and whites would claim these schools were equal, even if separate? That, as Chief Justice Earl Warren ruled with ringing finality in that decision Justice Roberts affects to so respect, “separate but equal,” when the separation is between a historically privileged race and a subaltern one, is inherently unequal?

Under Justice Roberts’s new ukase, we would never know. We wouldn’t be allowed to call Jena’s new schools “separate.” Because that would require counting how many students of each race attended them.

And we can’t do that. Because counting is racist. “The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.”

The Field Negro:

We all know by now that the Supremes in a very close decision (5-4) came down with a ruling yesterday, that in essence, invalidated programs in hundreds of public school districts all over the country. Programs that sought to maintain school by school diversity by using race as one of the factors to admissions to certain schools. The Seattle and Louisville School Districts had actually been victorious in lower Federal court, but…well you know some white folks weren’t going for that: “Honey it’s just not fair, why should those black kids get special treatment over our child just because they are black? This is not what Martin Luther King was talking about being judged by the content of their character. I spend good money on private tutors and I will be damned if I let some bureaucrat let my child miss out on a good education.”

Time To Stand UP Against…Straight Bashing??

Yolanda, fellow editor at The Blog and the Bullet, writes on her blog:

Four African American lesbian women from Newark, New Jersey were sentenced this past June 14th to excessively long prison terms in New York for the crime of defending themselves against homophobic harassment and violence. These young sistas were railroaded by both a dismissively misogynist judge and by the reactionary, sensationalist media.

Time To Stand UP Against…Straight Bashing??

Yolanda, fellow editor at The Blog and the Bullet, writes on her blog:

Four African American lesbian women from Newark, New Jersey were sentenced this past June 14th to excessively long prison terms in New York for the crime of defending themselves against homophobic harassment and violence. These young sistas were railroaded by both a dismissively misogynist judge and by the reactionary, sensationalist media.

Is a “Marriage Moment” Coming Up?

Citizen Crain blogs:

The victory in Massachusetts last week strongly encourages the idea that the sweep of history is with progress on marriage equality for gay couples, just as it was 40 years ago for interracial couples. But have we arrived finally at our “marriage moment”?

Cheryl Jacques, a former Massachusetts state senator who led the Human Rights Campaign in 2004, popularized that phrase during the halcyon months after her home state’s highest court struck down the hetero-only marriage law a year earlier.

Then came the horrific backlash, as dozens of states passed laws and constitutional amendments banning gay marriage. Karl Rove managed to wedge the issue into the 2004 presidential election. And even state supreme courts in friendly states like New York and Washington state declined to follow their black-robed predecessors in Massachusetts.

Now, as the good news returns, have the tables turned back in our favor? Are we ready, this time, for a “marriage moment” of more far-reaching and permanent effect?