It's tragic watching Georgia destroy its economic future because of HATE and IGNORANCE.
Great article below!
John Nichols | Bernie Sanders Just Won Two of His Biggest Endorsements in a Long Campaign
John Nichols, The Nation
Nichols writes: "As pundits rush to declare the race over, Robert Reich, Tulsi Gabbard and Alan Grayson say 'not so fast.'"
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John Nichols, The Nation
Nichols writes: "As pundits rush to declare the race over, Robert Reich, Tulsi Gabbard and Alan Grayson say 'not so fast.'"
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Justice Thomas Asks Questions From Bench, for First Time in Ten Years
Mark Joseph Stern, Slate
Stern writes: "For 10 years, Justice Clarence Thomas has sat on the bench of the Supreme Court through innumerable oral arguments without asking a single question. That all changed today."
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Mark Joseph Stern, Slate
Stern writes: "For 10 years, Justice Clarence Thomas has sat on the bench of the Supreme Court through innumerable oral arguments without asking a single question. That all changed today."
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Chris Rock Couldn't Have Done a Better Job Hosting the Oscars Amid #OscarsSoWhite
Willa Paskin, Slate
Paskin writes: "Chris Rock raised the issue of #OscarsSoWhite throughout the night in funny, provoking, and lively ways. He ensured that the members of the academy stayed on the hook, instead of helping them get off of it."
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Willa Paskin, Slate
Paskin writes: "Chris Rock raised the issue of #OscarsSoWhite throughout the night in funny, provoking, and lively ways. He ensured that the members of the academy stayed on the hook, instead of helping them get off of it."
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Gay Tech Executive: Why We're Leaving Georgia
Kelvin Williams, Advocate
Williams writes: "Things have gotten too ugly in the state for the people behind 373K, a tech company currently based in Decatur, Georgia."
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Kelvin Williams, Advocate
Williams writes: "Things have gotten too ugly in the state for the people behind 373K, a tech company currently based in Decatur, Georgia."
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Things have gotten too ugly in the state for the people behind 373K, a tech company currently
based in Decatur, Georgia. (photo: Shutterstock)
ast Friday as I was watching the casket holding the body of Justice Antonin Scalia being carried up the stairs, I posted on social media that I was watching just to see if the pallbearers could make it up the steps without dropping him. I can’t lie — I didn’t feel one ounce of sadness learning of Scalia’s death. How could I? This would be the chance to get a progressive-leaning court, finally. But a friend of mine, Steve Ruge, commented, “You’re not watching this?” and provided me a link to the Georgia Senate’s live stream.
To be honest, I try to ignore everything done under that gold dome in downtown Atlanta — both chambers are controlled by closed-minded conservatives, Christians in name only. Everything they do is backward and oppressive, so I know better than to follow their shenanigans — it’s bad for my blood pressure.
But I clicked the link.
As I watched the debate preceding the vote, I sat there staring in disbelief that this House Bill 757 could even be debated. I opened another browser window and did a little research and learned the bill started life as the Pastor Protection Act (in the House), another unnecessary piece of legislation, but nothing compared to the First Amendment Defense Act it had morphed into when it reached the Senate.
At first, HB 757 was intended to protect pastors from lawsuits for refusing to marry people of the same sex due to their religious beliefs or church doctrines. It passed the House and went on to the Senate, where it became the most ugly piece of pro-discrimination legislation I’ve ever seen. When it passed the Senate it enabled any individual or organization with “deeply held religious beliefs” to deny services to a person whose marriage or lack thereof goes against their “deeply held religious beliefs.”
In case you missed it, this legislation that enables hate — officially the Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act — passed the Senate by a vote of 37-15. At that moment I sat speechless. During the debate, one of our Democratic senators, Emanuel Jones, actually asked the bill’s sponsor if it presented a problem to him that the Ku Klux Klan could classify itself as a faith-based organization. To which Republican Sen. Greg Kirk responded, “No.”
After a few moments, I started thinking, I’m gay; one day I may get married. Employees of my company are gay or lesbian. With the exception of two employees, both white, conservative, heterosexual Christians, every single one of my other heterosexual employees could be discriminated because they’re divorced, had children out of wedlock, are in an interracial relationship, or aren’t Christian. The fact of the matter is, we’re a high-tech company. We hire people based on their skill set and abilities; their genetic or religious makeup means nothing to us. And we’re in hiring mode. I asked myself, If you didn’t live in Georgia and you were offered a job, would you go? And the answer was a definiteHell, no! So after a brief chat with the rest of the team, we published this tweet, which apparently was heard around the world.
And we meant it. I instructed our president and general counsel to immediately find a new home for this corporation. Because under no circumstances would I want to stay domiciled in this state, paying taxes to this state, this state that has almost legalized hate. With the diverse group that we already have working together, and knowing that our next hire may not meet the requirements of someone’s “deeply held religious belief,” I was not going to take the chance of us not being able to attract the talent we need to keep this company growing.
Police Shoot 17-Year-Old Teenager for Refusing to Drop Broomstick
Carimah Townes, ThinkProgress
Townes writes: "On Saturday night, two Salt Lake City officers shot a black teenager in his torso because he refused orders to drop his weapon - a broomstick. The shooting, which left the teen in critical condition, led to clashes between protesters and police."
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Carimah Townes, ThinkProgress
Townes writes: "On Saturday night, two Salt Lake City officers shot a black teenager in his torso because he refused orders to drop his weapon - a broomstick. The shooting, which left the teen in critical condition, led to clashes between protesters and police."
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Abdi Mohamed. (photo: KTLA5)
n Saturday night, two Salt Lake City officers shot a black teenager in his torso because he refused orders to drop his weapon — a broomstick. The shooting, which left the teen in critical condition, led to clashes between protesters and police.
The Salt Lake City Police Department says the shooting occurred when two officers saw two men, including 17-year-old Abdi Mohamed, attacking another man with metal objects. In the officers’ version of events, Mohamed refused to drop his weapon and moved to attack the victim, prompting the officers to open fire.
But witness Selam Mohammad says that his friend was holding a broomstick and “barely even turned around” before the officers started shooting.
“We were trying to break it up before the police even came, but the police ran in on foot and pulled their guns out already,” he told KSTU. “They already had them, like, as soon as he was running he was already grabbing for his gun, not even trying to Tase him or anything.” Mohammad also told the Salt Lake Tribune that officers ordered his friend to put the object down one time and “started shooting him as soon as he turned around.”
Mohamed was hit in the upper and lower torso. He was in a coma the following morning, but has sincewoken up.
An investigation is currently under way, and the two shooting officers have submitted footage from the body cameras they were wearing at the time of the incident.
Angry demonstrators took to the streets almost immediately. They were met by an estimated 100 officers, many of whom wore riot gear. Police say people in the crowd were hurling rocks and bottles.
According to scathing findings reported by the Salt Lake Tribune in 2014, fatal police shootings have become an epidemic in Utah. From 2010 to October 2014, 45 people were killed by cops. Officers committed 15 percent of all homicides, surpassing the number of people murdered by gang members, drug, dealers, and child abusers. One officer was charged for manslaughter during that time period, and a judge dismissed the case.
UN Human Rights Chief Says Thousands May Have Starved to Death in Syria
Suman Varandani, International Business Times
Varandani writes: "Thousands of people in Syria's besieged areas may have died of starvation, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said Monday. The comments from the U.N. human rights chief came during the opening of the U.N. Human Rights Council's main annual session."
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Suman Varandani, International Business Times
Varandani writes: "Thousands of people in Syria's besieged areas may have died of starvation, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said Monday. The comments from the U.N. human rights chief came during the opening of the U.N. Human Rights Council's main annual session."
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Leonardo DiCaprio Devotes Oscars Speech to Climate Change
Lorraine Chow, EcoWatch
Chow writes: "After six nominations, Leonardo DiCaprio won his first Oscar for Best Actor for his role in The Revenant at last night's Academy Awards. The noted environmental activist devoted half of his acceptance speech to call for urgent collective action to fight climate change, calling it 'the most urgent threat facing our species.'"
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Lorraine Chow, EcoWatch
Chow writes: "After six nominations, Leonardo DiCaprio won his first Oscar for Best Actor for his role in The Revenant at last night's Academy Awards. The noted environmental activist devoted half of his acceptance speech to call for urgent collective action to fight climate change, calling it 'the most urgent threat facing our species.'"
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