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July 2017

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What I’m Reading – July 16, 2017

Written by , Posted in What I'm Reading

Fight Back

“But Nikkita has run a surprising campaign in spite of the lack of respect from mainstream press. Her campaign launch party had lines around the block as hundreds of Seattleites of all races, genders, sexual orientations, and classes showed up excited for a truly progressive candidate. Her supporters are strong and growing. It has been a tough race, but Nikkita is not giving up.” When A Changemaker Runs For Mayor: An Interview With Nikkita Oliver (by Ijeoma Oluo for The Establishment)

“The action began at North Seattle College where community members gathered with their signs, flowers, and sacred items to prepare and discuss the agenda for the day. Before marching, participants gathered for a prayer lead by Sweetwater Nannauck of the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian tribes of Southeast Alaska. From there marchers, led by a banner made by Nannuack that read “Justice 4 Charleena #SheCalledForHelp #TheyShotHer,” marched to the North Precinct and created an altar in honor of Charleena Lyles and all the people killed by the police in King County. A protective shield from possible violence by the police or aggressors was formed, mostly by White allies who linked arms and surrounded the queer, transgender, bisexual, people of color (QTBIPOC) creating the altar.” No Justice? No Celebration. Community Members Participate in Direct Action at SPD Community Picnic (by DJ Martinez for South Sound Emerald)

Horrific Executive, Legislative, and Judiciary Action

“The elimination of two years of funding for the five-year projects shocked the professors and community health officials around the country who run them. Health officials say cutting off money midway through multiyear research projects is highly unusual and wasteful because it means there can be no scientifically valid findings. The researchers will not have the funds to analyze data they have spent the past two years collecting or incorporate their findings into assistance for teens and their families.” Trump administration suddenly pulls plug on teen pregnancy programs (by  Jane Kay for Reveal)

“The drop in turnout in these six states led to 400,000 fewer votes relative to turnout in states where ID laws did not change. In Mississippi, Virginia, and Wisconsin, strict voter-ID laws had an especially pronounced negative impact on African-American voters.”  Wisconsin’s Voter-ID Law Suppressed 200,000 Votes in 2016 (Trump Won by 22,748) (by Ari Berman for The Nation)

Racism

“This rhetoric is yet another example of how white men are constantly and conveniently positioned as children whenever they mess up. We’ve seen it with Ryan Lochte, and even more recently with former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick. Grown men, given the benefit of the doubt in situations where others would most certainly be dragged. Yes, Trump Jr. is experiencing his fair share of (deserved) scrutiny over this incident, but the very fact that people including the president of the United States are defending him by using the word “kid” is still incredibly significant.” Can We Stop Calling Grown White Men ‘Kids’? (by Zeba Blay for Huffington Post)

Police Violence

“Lyles told the court Camphor had been violent for at least four years out of the eight years they had been together and was known to punch holes in walls, even hitting her while she was pregnant. “I feel so scared for my safety, and I just got out of the hospital from having our 6-days-old baby boy, and I had a c-section. I think he ripped my stitches open,” she wrote in her June 2nd petition for an order for protection. She ended by noting that she “didn’t see him changing.” She asked the court for help.” Who was Charleena Lyles? Family, court records paint picture (by Lilly Fowler for Crosscut)

“Data from 2017 show that armed white males are the category of people killed the most by police officers, a continuing trend over the past two years. However, black males are killed at disproportionately higher rates. While black men account for only 6% of the U.S. population, they make up about a quarter of police shooting victims. According to Mapping Police Violence, a database that tracks the number of black people killed by police officers, blacks are three times more likely to be fatally shot by officers than white people. The Post’s police shooting database shows that the number of black men killed by police has been declining — 50 were killed in the first half of 2015, 34 in the same period in 2016 and 27 so far this year.” Learn The Stomach-Turning Numbers Behind America’s Police Violence (by Celisa Calacal for The Establishment)

Health Care

“The case for doctor-assisted suicide — or “aid in dying,” as it is sometimes referred to— is perhaps most convincing when applied to those who are terminally ill. But the choice to end one’s life is decidedly more fraught in other situations.
Sandra Bem, a prominent feminist and professor at Cornell University, made the news with her own suicide in 2014. She wasn’t terminally ill in accordance with the general standards of current right-to-die legislation, but she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. She wrote extensively about her wish to end her own life before she lost the ability to decide for herself.” Who Decides Who Gets To Die With Dignity? (by Katelyn Burns for The Establishment)

Misogyny

“The iconic pin-up artist Gil Elvgren, for example, often slimmed his subjects’ waists and expanded their chests and hips to conform to a 1950s hourglass silhouette. Before now, casual mainstream consumers had no way of knowing the lengths he went to to preserve this exclusive view of feminine sensuality, but a new series of photographs released by Nerve.com showcases the real-life models behind the famous images. These charming snapshots, when transformed into marketing images, are indeed snipped and sculpted to unrealistic and cartoonish shapes. Of course that’s the artist’s personal aesthetic, but we should nonetheless consume media, especially ad images, with a critical eye. Take a look.” The Real Women Behind Your Favorite Pin-Ups Looked A Little Less Photoshopped (by Brenda Pitt for Bust)

“The league’s salary cap is $315,000. What this means is that if one person out of the NWSL minimum 18-player club makes $41,700 for the season, there will be $273,300 left to pay the other 17 players on the team or about $16,076 per player for the season. That’s the league minimum of $15,000 plus an equal portion of what remains of the cap ($1,076). It would be nearly impossible for any club in the league to keep 17 players around at $16,076 while a single player on their roster is making $41,700. Not when salaries can’t happen in a vacuum.” The NWSL Salary Maximum Is A Lie (by RJ Allen for Backline Soccer)

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