The News

Young Wilson appeals; What Conservative sex scandals say about power

Will There Be Justice For Genarlow Wilson? Cruel and Unusual punishment of a Black man.
Today the Georgia Supreme Court is set to hear two appeals surrounding the imprisonment of Genarlow Wilson…in prison for a consensual sexual act he committed as a minor with a person two years his junior. Supporters of Wilson are hopeful the the Georgia Supreme Court decision to hear the appeals early favors the possibility that they will give Wilson back his freedom.—Too Sense.

German UNICEF ad puts kids in blackface. You just gotta see the photo. —Racialicious.

U.S. farm aid shortchanges minority farmers: Oxfam. . Forget aiding cities…
Only 18 percent of black farmers got any support at all, compared to 34 percent of white farmers, the group found. “USDA sees the face of American farmers as white, and it will stay that way unless changes happen in the farm bill,” said Minor Sinclair, Oxfam’s director of regional programs.—Reuters.

Apartheid-era officials charged. Reconciliation takes new form.
South African national prosecutors have charged two of the most senior public security officials of the apartheid era with attempted murder.—BBC

Latino support aids cardinal in abuse storm. Pro-immigration cardinal gets second life.
Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles faces a firestorm after a $660 million settlement with victims of priest abuse, but he is considered unlikely to resign as legions of Latinos stand behind him.—Reuters.

Racist E-Mail to Troopers Sparks Call for an Inquiry. What Homeland Security’s paying for…
Scot X. Esdaile, president of the state conference of the N.A.A.C.P., said that the messages were “despicable” and “deplorable” and that the state police should have a zero-tolerance policy for racist behavior. The messages included a photo of a black man lying on a street, surrounded by pieces of watermelon and a bucket of chicken, and a video of a white girl repeating racial slurs.—NYTimes.

Imprisonment disparities persist, activists say. Midwest on the rise.
In Iowa, blacks are imprisoned at a rate more than double the national average. For every 100,000 people, Iowa incarcerates 309 whites and 4,200 blacks, the study said.—AP

Katrina helpers no longer welcome. Hell no, we won’t go.
His roadside-tent operation, God’s Katrina Kitchen, is being forced to move for the second time since September, with officials citing neighborhood complaints. Unable to find a new home, Porter expects to close it at the end of the month.”I think it bothers them to face the fact that for a lot of people, it’s not over yet,” he said.—Detroit Free Press

Chicago Revamps Investigation of Police Abuse, but Privacy Fight Continues. Take a look at the pic on the story.
“As the data show, the Chicago Police Department has proven it is utterly incapable of policing itself,” said Craig Futterman, a civil rights lawyer involved in a case that produced the document with the officers’ names. “Behind each scandal there are all these warning signs that are ignored.”—NYTimes

Abstinence Education Faces an Uncertain Future. It’s about time.
Opponents received high-caliber ammunition this spring when the most comprehensive study of abstinence education found no sign that it delayed a teenager’s sexual debut. And, after enjoying a fivefold increase in their main federal appropriations, the abstinence programs in June received their first cut in financing from the Senate appropriations committee since 2001.—NYTimes

College Republican Convention: Meet the Next Generation of GOP Hypocrites. Bring em out, Bring em out!
From Iraq to homosexuality and abortion, a visit with the next crop of Republican leaders reveals the utter hypocrisy and delusional thinking that sustains GOP politics.—Blumenthal for Hufftington Post.

The Deeper Meaning in the Republican Sex Scandals. Close the door for this one.
1. Vitter’s defiance, to refuse resignation, is the default Bush strategy, the corporate-politics vamp. You refuse to take responsibility for anything, and deny the obvious. If they can’t force the scepter out of your hand, you hold on for dear life, and keep cashing the checks. You simply write your own reality— SusieBright.com.

Posted at 6:21 AM, Jul 20, 2007 in News | Permalink | View Comments