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21 Oct 2010 13:44

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Politics: NPR’s firing of Juan Williams pretty much a huge mess

  • It’s not a bigoted statement. I said what I meant to say, that it’s an honest experience. … I have a moment of anxiety, of fear, given what happened on 9/11.
  • NPR news analyst Juan Williams • Defending his comments on Muslims that got him fired from NPR. He made this comment on Fox News today – and he made his earlier comment (that “people who are in Muslim garb” at the airport make him “nervous”) on “The O’Reilly Factor.” NPR has been getting some harsh rebukes from the right about all this, and we’re going to say, they’re deserved to some degree. It’s obvious what he meant – he still has some lingering post-9/11 fears, even if they’re a bit misguided – and we don’t think they were anywhere near as bad as the comments Rick Sanchez made that got him fired. Sure, they were questionable, but how many people share Williams’ opinion on this? If anything, he’s reflecting a view that isn’t uncommon (as proven by the whole “Ground Zero Mosque” drama), even if it is straight-up racial profiling. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 4 Comments • Permalink

29 Apr 2010 11:23

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U.S.: Time for a lawsuit! Arizona immigration lawsuit on the way

  • four number of groups that will be suing over the controversial new law
  • two of those groups are related to the American Civil Liberties Union source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Apr 2010 17:12

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U.S.: Arizona governor signs super-harsh immigration bill into law

  • What the law does The law gives law enforcement the right to question those they think are illegal immigrants. It forces them to keep their papers on them at all times. And it punishes those that help harbor them – by hiring them or knowingly transporting them.
  • Why it’s controversial Simply put, critics of the law feel that it gives into racial profiling. Obama, specifically, calls the law “misguided” and says the law threatens “to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans.”
  • A key compromise Republican Gov. Jan Brewer signed the bill into law, but also pushed through an executive order designed to train law enforcement officials not to engage in racial profiling. Will it work? Who knows, but it might be a fun ride. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

08 Oct 2009 20:54

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U.S.: America’s biggest prick … er, “toughest sheriff” investigated

  • He’s unconstitutionally acted to racially profile many persons in the community, persons who appear or are Latino.
  • ACLU lawyer Dan Pochoda • Describing why Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio is a big jerk who they’re suing for racial profiling. He’s also under investigation by the Justice Department for violating civil rights. This is the guy who puts people (including Charles Barkley!) in jail wearing old-school prison stripes and pink underwear. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Jul 2009 09:15

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U.S.: When not discussing health care, Obama jumped head-first into race

  • … the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home …
  • President Barack Obama • Discussing last week’s arrest of Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. during last night’s prime-time press conference. (BTW, in case you’re wondering – we’d quote the whole sentence, but the sentence was particularly massive, and this was the important part.) Obama’s stance on the Gates issue stands out because it may be the furthest he’s stuck his neck out on any one race issue since going into office. It was the moment – even beyond all of the health care gobbledygook – which will stand out from this press conference. Last week, his statement on role models also stood out for similar reasons. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Jul 2009 14:32

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U.S.: Cambridge police will forget about the Harvard professor arrest

  • I think both parties were wrong. I think that’s fair to say. It wasn’t Professor Gates’ best moment. and it was not the Cambridge Police Department’s best moment.
  • Cambridge Police Department Spokeswoman Kelly Downes • Regarding the drama that both the police department and Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. went through after Gates was arrested last week for disorderly conduct. While Downes says there was “probable cause” to arrest the professor, both the police department and Gates are looking to get the drama behind them. Gates’ arrest stirred up lots of criticism due to the fact that he’s black and the circumstances appeared to be racial profiling. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 3 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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