The News

Hate Crimes go up in LA; McCain flip flops on affirmative action

McCain changes mind on affirmative action
When asked about the new Arizona referendum, Senator McCain replied that he had always opposed quotas, and that the new ballot measure, which seeks to end race- and gender-based affirmative action, had his support. The senator’s opinion contradicts past commentary, in which he called other efforts to end affirmative action “divisive.” While a campaign spokesperson claimed that this latest measure “is different,” others claim that McCain seeks to bolster his support among conservatives. ABC News

Illegal wall in Bil’in to come down
Even though the Israeli High Court of Justice ruled that the path was “highly prejudicial” back in 2007, it wasn’t until this past week that sources claim the illegal wall separating Palestinian farmers from their farmland in Bil’in village will come down. Troops will only scale bay 2.4km, despite weekly protests since 2005, in which various activists and others have been injured. The army regularly controlled the peaceful crowds by spraying tear gas. Int’l Middle East Media Center

Australian gov quarantines federal aid to indigenous communities
A previous government had already instated “welfare quarantining” in some Northern aboriginal communities, a process in which portions of payments can only be used at specified shops, and in which parents deemed “neglectful” by unclear measures will have their payments withheld. Now, a coalition is calling to expand the measures to the “wider Australian community.” Spokesman Tony Abbot claims, “taxpayers have a right to know that their money is being properly spent.” However, when asked about extending the Constitution to include indigenous Australians, he replied, “I think a lot of people thought that the formal apology (to the stolen generations) would have made this kind of thing unnecessary.” Melbourne Herald-Sun

Rise in LA hate crimes
The Los Angeles Police Department has reported a twenty-eight percent increase in hate crimes within the county, even as overall crime has dropped five to six percent. The Anti-Defamation League has identified more than three hundred racist skinhead gangs in the county, most of which didn’t exist a decade ago. Spokesperson Amanda Susskind also said that the city is currently “the center of the white-power music industry.” LA Times

Posted at 7:20 AM, Jul 28, 2008 in Permalink | View Comments