Horrific Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Action

“The Trump administration officially withdrew an Obama-era rule that would set higher standards for the treatment of animals whose meat could be sold as organic. The rule, created under the United States Department of Agriculture, would require poultry to be housed in spaces large enough to move freely and fully stretch their wings. Livestock would be required to have some access to outdoor space year round.” Trump Administration Eliminates Animal Welfare Rules (by Nicole Goodkind for Yahoo)

“While on its face, the bill appears to protect sex trafficking victims, in practice any website where sex work is discussed or advertised could face legal consequences in criminal and civil courts. Advocacy groups for sex workers and sex workers say the bill would endanger sex workers and fail to protect trafficking victims.” Sex workers would be endangered by Senate bill, advocates say (by Casey Quinlan for Think Progress)

Gun Violence

“Speaking at an Axios event Friday focused on the gun debate, Hogg was asked about where the news media tripped up in its coverage of the tragic shooting at his Parkland, Florida school that left 17 people dead. “Not giving black students a voice,” Hogg responded, via Axios. “My school is about 25 percent black, but the way we’re covered doesn’t reflect that.”” Parkland Student David Hogg Says Black Classmates Weren’t Given a Voice by Media (by T. Marcin for Yahoo)

“While the heroism of these students is without question, we shouldn’t forget that the Parkland activists are part of a broader choir of youths — from Columbine to Ferguson to Baltimore — who have harmonized their voices to plead for an end to gun violence in all its forms. Unfortunately, many of us have difficulty hearing each voice equally. The ears of our nation have still not been trained to hear the prophetic voices of poor youths of color.” The young voices we aren’t hearing in the gun-control debate (by Michael McBride for Washington Post)

“Yet there is something else here too, something more than scapegoat-ism. Video games do not lead to direct violence, we believe that firmly. But that doesn’t mean that the way guns and violence are portrayed in our favorite hobby cannot test our consciences or that we cannot be critical of their depiction. Across social media, developers, players, and critics have tried to work out their personal positions in this messy intersection of culture and violence. That messiness is what makes these conversations important. It is valuable to dig into those conflicting feelings, to try to understand our particular dilemma as lovers of a medium in which guns are the uncritical device on which so much action turns.” Let’s Talk About Guns and Video Games (by Austin Walker for Vice)

““No one understood the extent of what had happened,” she added. “No one could believe that there were bodies in that building waiting to be identified for over a day. No one knew that the people who had gone missing had stopped breathing long before any of us had even known that a code red had been called. No one could comprehend the devastating aftermath or how far this would reach or where this would go. For those who still can’t comprehend, because they refuse to, I’ll tell you where it went: right into the ground, six feet deep.”” Emma González Spends 6 Minutes, 20 Seconds In Silence To Remember Parkland Shooting (by Jenna Amatulli for Huffpost)

Racism

“But white male anger is steeped in a lie. It is fighting for what they were never going to have. For the promises that were never going to be fulfilled. White men are the only people allowed to fully believe in the American dream and perhaps that is the cruelest thing to have ever been done to them and the world that has to suffer their anger as they refuse to let go of a fantasy that we were never allowed to imagine ourselves in.” The Anger of the White Male Lie (by Ijeoma Oluo)

“The site describes itself as a “platform for creators, by creators… We believe that creators of all stripes should be able to earn a living doing what they love!” MakerSupport limits fundraising to supposedly creative ventures, from podcasts to YouTube videos to “robotics projects,” and explicitly forbids users from raising money for “personal expenses.”” ‘This is all we’ve got’: Young white supremacists are down to their last fundraising platform (by Casey Michel for Think Progress)

“Among the young girls the reader meets in Pushout, there’s “Mia” (not her real name, as Morris used pseudonyms for all girls interviewed). Mia talked about how a “juvie” teacher assumed that when she asked for other tasks in class, that the girl didn’t complete her work. But Mia told Morris that she had raced through the assignment. Said Mia: “Then I’m like, ‘Can I write or draw?’ Something? I mean, it’s a whole hour to go.’ She was like, ‘No, you can’t do anything. You’re always getting done before the whole class. You know what, get out.’ …. I’m like, ‘Because I do my work, I’m actually trying to do my work now, and now you want me to get out? Hella shit.’”” ‘I’m Not Slow’: Black Girls Tell Their Experiences of School ‘Pushout’ in New Book (by Cynthia Greenlee for Rewire)

“On Wednesday, The Washington Post headlined its profile of Conditt by referring to him as “frustrated,” and led with an idyllic description of the bomber’s hometown, before offering a gentle account of his “quiet and shy” demeanor. The New York Times shed light on Conditt’s “tight-knit” and “deeply religious” family. And the Associated Press led with the perspective of Conditt’s uncle, who described the killer as “smart and kind.”” The double standard on how the media is talking about the Austin bomber (by Elham Khatami for Think Progress)

Sexism in Healthcare

“Feministing Editorial Director Maya Dusenbery pulls back the curtain on the history and current state of the medical profession to explain why women with chronic illnesses are not receiving the care they need. It’s a book every person working in health care should read and all those who identify as women should take with them to the doctor. As Dusenbery writes, “the problems explored in this book don’t solely affect cis women. All women—cis or trans—are affected.” Therefore, we must be our own best advocates in this imperfect (at best) system. Her book is a crucial advocacy tool for individuals as well as those seeking wide-scale change.” It’s Not All in Your Head: New Book Sheds Light on ‘Bad Medicine and Lazy Science’ Harming Women (by Katie Klabusich for Rewire)

Sex Workers

“Still, Dixon and his colleagues say Demand Abolition’s involvement encouraged King County to significantly boost enforcement efforts and change the way they prosecuted people who bought sex. And in 2018–after the World Health Organization and Amnesty International have endorsed research and policies showing that decriminalizing sex work, including buying sex, actually keeps sex workers safer—King County’s involvement with Demand Abolition raises questions about why prosecutors are still increasingly criminalizing the demand-side of sex work.” King County Took Money From an Anti-Prostitution Organization. Then “Unprecedented” Felony Prosecutions of Sex Buyers Began. (by Sydney Brownstone for The Stranger)