What I’m Reading: April 5, 2015
Written by Ashley Kelmore, Posted in What I'm Reading
Racism
– ““As Rafi points out, regardless of what photos were available of the black suspects, the white suspects definitely had mugshots taken. In trying to justify the discrepancy, The Gazette explained they must make a formal request in order to get mugshots, yet they were clearly willing to take that extra step when it came to the black suspects.”” Charged with same crime, Iowa paper shows black suspects’ mug shots but whites get yearbook pics (via @RawStory)
– “But rather than keep things private, Lui wants to have a real dialogue with Starbucks and, potentially, the employee. “I have the right to be someone who rages against a corporation,” he said, “but I want to see real change from Starbucks, because they’re the ‘big man’ [in the coffee industry]. I really want to see them follow through in terms of the integrity of their corporate leadership.”” Asian American Man Says Starbucks Employee Accused Him of Wanting to Steal Company Secrets to Take to China (H/t @FakeDanSavage)
Reproductive Health
– “Sterilization coerced by the legal system evokes a dark time in America, when minorities, the poor, and those deemed mentally unfit or ‘‘deficient’’ were forced to undergo medical procedures that prevented them from having children.” Nashville prosecutors require sterilization as part of plea deals (h/t @JessicaValenti)
– “Ultimately, Patel didn’t fit other people’s ideas of how a proper grieving mother should behave — which would hardly be the first time that prosecutors have pushed to level charges against women deemed to be “bad mothers.”” More Shitty News from Indiana (via @shakestweetz)
Homophobia
– “These bills rationalize injustice by pretending to defend something many of us hold dear. They go against the very principles our nation was founded on, and they have the potential to undo decades of progress toward greater equality.” Tim Cook: Pro-discrimination ‘religious freedom’ laws are dangerous (h/t @splcenter)
– “If you do that, you will find that the Indiana statute has two features the federal RFRA—and most state RFRAs—do not. First, the Indiana law explicitly allows any for-profit business to assert a right to “the free exercise of religion.” The federal RFRA doesn’t contain such language, and neither does any of the state RFRAs except South Carolina’s; in fact, Louisiana and Pennsylvania, explicitly exclude for-profit businesses from the protection of their RFRAs.” What Makes Indiana’s Religious-Freedom Law Different? (h/t @dliebelson)
Labor
– “Bob Donegan, Ivar’s president and CEO, said that the Lake Union restaurant will be the only location of his restaurant chain to introduce the no-tipping system. Ivar’s will follow the city’s new minimum-wage ordinance for its fast-food seafood bars, but is immediately raising wages to $15 an hour for everyone who works in its full-service restaurant. “We are testing different models in different divisions,” says Donegan.” Ivar’s Salmon House Is Going Tipless (h/t @goldyha)
– “A fair wage for all McDonald’s workers would be one that allowed them to get by without food stamps and other public assistance. Research indicates that half of fast-food workers rely on public aid, with an estimated $1.2 billion a year in taxpayer dollars going to supplement low wages at McDonald’s. That is money that should be coming out of corporate coffers and going into worker pay.” McDonald’s Minimum Raise (h/t @fightfor15)
Police Violence
– “He said he believes it is best to let police departments “make informed decisions based on the facts at hand,” rather than adhering to a 60-day period like the one laid out by the bill.” Arizona governor vetoes bill that would have hidden names of police officers who shot people (h/t @WesleyLowety)
– ““I don’t know where you’re coming from, where you think you’re appropriate in doing that; that’s not the way it works. How long have you been in this country?” Cherry, who is white, barked at the driver after pulling him over in an unmarked car with flashing lights, according to video of the encounter.” Cop caught berating Uber driver in xenophobic rant is NYPD detective, police sources say (h/t @ryanjreilly)
– “Agustin Ayala of Ayala Towing said he was driving down Grape Street in his tow truck when he saw two police cars on the street and two officers trying to handcuff a man…The two officers, including a K9 officer, handcuffed the suspect and brought him to the ground, he said. Ayala said he asked the officers to stop because he was concerned for the man’s welfare.” Witness: NJ police punched, kicked, allowed dog to bite Phillip White before he died in custody (h/t @shaunking)
Family
– “What does make a difference? Mom’s “social status resources”, like her level of education and family income. But chiding women for being bad parents is far more popular than working to provide all families with support structures and resources like parental leave and affordable child care.” Don’t stress out. Our kids are just fine when their mothers work late (via @JessicaValenti)
Celebrity
– “Chill out. Your fave is problematic. Deal with it. I don’t care who your fave is. It’s true for all of them. The fact that your fave is problematic isn’t a big deal — the big deal is if we ignore it.” Admit It: Your Fave Is Problematic (via @IjeomaOluo)