Starving Polar Bears Are Hard to Ignore

The above image is what a polar bear should look like in their natural habitat. But unfortunately, a photographer witnessed the exact opposite in a recent trip to Baffin Island, which is the largest island in Canada and the fifth largest in the world.

https://youtu.be/hhErgCnHQ9M

Science and climate change shouldn’t be political issues; but apparently, they are very political. Paul Nicklen, a photographer from the conservation group Sea Legacy, recently captured this heart-wrenching video of a starving polar bear seemingly on his last days.

“We stood there crying—filming with tears rolling down our cheeks.” 

Regardless of your politics, this 54-second video is extremely hard to watch. And unless you believe this is a normal lifecycle for a polar bear, it’s hard to deny that climate change is real.

Is it too late to address this issue? And if not, do our leaders have the will needed to propose and implement the drastic changes it would require?

I think it’s important to note that polar bears historically hunt and eat less in the summer due to a number of factors, but this image is extreme, and not normal for most polar bears.

For reference, here’s another shot of what a healthy polar bear should look like…

J Lucas – I’m Not A Racist… The LCR Responds

Whenever most people hear a white person say the word “nigga” or “nigger,” they usually stop what they’re doing and commit their full attention to that person. And if you’re Black, you most likely are instantly enraged and probably ready to physically confront that person about why they thought it was okay to use that word. Well in a controversial video from rapper Joyner Lucas, he presents a middle-aged, overweight, white male, with a Trump-sponsored “Make America Great Again” hat on, who takes it there and is met with a strong response. His diatribe is full of negative stereotypes regarding African-Americans. If you can stomach the first few minutes of this video, and that’s a strong “if”, this might be the one instance where a white man repeatedly using the “N” word gets a pass – or maybe not. Either way, if this video makes you challenge your bias or thoughts of others, perhaps it serves its purpose.

If you haven’t seen it, the video is below. We asked several of our contributors to weigh in, and here’s what they had to say…

 “Spending a few minutes watching a video showcasing a large bearded white man wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat while lip syncing disparaging remarks about black people isn’t my ideal form of entertainment or learning. After resisting the urge to cut the video off, I did watch it in its entirety and conclude the message is spot on, for two basic reasons. The viewpoint of many non (and Black Americans) is the ills of Black people today in 2017 are isolated and removed from racism. The second viewpoint is despite self responsibility and/or success, systematic racism still derails Black progress in this country. From beauty standards to credit scores, the nation has structures designed without Black people in mind or specifically designed to go against Black people. Like the video, will people turn it off upon first view and stay the same, or will we as nation watch all of it and use it to get better.” – Independent Texan Male

“As an African American woman, the first verse made me so upset because it was just full of stereotypes. Inside I was screaming I’m not lazy! Where’s your suit? There are plenty of great black fathers! Ever heard of institutionalized racism? Then the second verse came on and I saw where the video was going and my heart rate slowed down and I started to breathe again. This video highlights the essence of what is wrong with America. No one has discussions with others with the intent on seeking understanding. We are so focused and getting our pain out. We don’t take a step back to see what it’s like to live in someone else’s shoes. We cast judgement on a community based on the opinions of those who aren’t a part of, nor living, in said community.  We all need to have more conversations like this to start moving the country in the right direction.” – Left Healthcare Professional

“How can we acknowledge a problem unless we address it honestly and accurately? When something as poisonous as racism is endemic in our society, it has to be addressed. That’s why this Joyner Lucas video is truly art. I was enraged, provoked, challenged, and inspired. Both sides spoke with extreme, intentionally offensive candor to represent the racist animosities that this country should A. Acknowledge and B. Work diligently to abolish. There is truth on both sides somewhere in the fog of historically fueled resentment. We are all races here now and must find a way to not just coexist, but thrive with one another. Despite initial appearances to the contrary, this video is working towards that end.” – Unaffiliated Humanist Musician

“I feel so strong about this video; yet I’m finding it difficult to find the words to describe the reasons why. To me, this was a visual depiction of someone’s comment section under a Facebook status. I’ve seen this argument many times over the last year and some change. When I see people arguing online, it’s clear that the two people going back and forth are not even bothering to read the other person’s comments for comprehension. People are only looking for points to rebut. This is a great reminder to us all that sometimes when you stop and listen, you may be able to at least achieve a level of understanding with one another. We all need to stop coming to the table to argue and instead come willing to listen and learn.” – Center Left HR 

Your perspective is important, let us know what you think.

“Sending Them Back To An Impoverished Land Is Simply Cruel!”

First Nicaragua, now Haiti…

On January 12, 2010, Haiti experienced a devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake that ravished the island, killed more than 200,000 people, and displaced more than 1.5 million residents. Immediately following that earthquake they had a cholera outbreak that killed an additional 9,000 people, and just last year Hurricane Matthew slammed the island and damaged 80% of the homes. Considering the impact of the initial earthquake in 2010, Haitians were granted temporary status in the United States.

Their temporary protected status (TPS) was extended by John Kelly, the previous Secretary of State and current Chief of Staff. However, it was set to expire on January 22, 2018. With that being said, I think we’d be foolish to believe the extensions would continue considering Trump’s campaign stance on immigration. Also, for the past few months administration officials have been echoing his position on immigration, specifically mentioning their intent to end special programs like TPS that allow Haitians to stay and work in the United States. And not just Haitians, Nicaraguans TPS ends January 2019, and a decision for Hondurans and El Salvadorians is expected to be made soon – in all, roughly 325,000 people representing 10 countries.

On September 18, 2017, members of South Florida’s congressional delegation, both Democrats and Republicans, including Frederica Wilson and Marco Rubio, wrote a bipartisan letter to the acting Secretary of State Elaine C. Duke requesting an 18-month extension (July 2019) for the 60,000 Haitian immigrants in the United States. And last night, the officials from the Department of Homeland Security announced plans to do just that.

Their bipartisan letter stated…

“The government of Haiti has outlined plans to rebuild the country and boost economic activity, and the United States remains steadfast in assisting Haiti. In order to allow full implementation of these efforts, and given the ongoing extraordinary conditions in Haiti, we urge you to extend the TPS designation for 18 months, within all applicable rules and regulations, for Haitian nationals who are currently living in, and contributing to, our great country.” 

This letter was signed by 10 members of South Florida’s congressional delegation, from both parties. If there were no plans for an additional extension, is 18-months was considered a win? Also, do Florida Republicans like Marco Rubio deserve credit for joining their Democratic colleagues in signing this letter?

Why did they decide to write a letter? Well many Haitians here in the U.S. under TPS reside in South Florida. Many of them work in healthcare, and according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, their immediate absence would cause a shortage in labor, which would likely have a negative impact on South Florida’s economy. 

When asked about this sudden announcement, Gary Coichy, a Haitian American and marketing professional in NYC, said…

“How quickly do we forget the catastrophic earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010. TPS has allowed these Haitians a new sense of hope, a new start. No statistical data can point to Haitians causing violence or committing any act of terrorism. This action by the U.S. Government is inhuman and illogical. There’s ways to monitor this program and ensure they go through the due process to become legal Aliens. Sending them back to an impoverished land is simply cruel!” 

Is there anything that can be done? Is this an example of Trump over-stepping with his aggressive immigration agenda, or should such policy decisions be viewed as customary and inevitable?

Regardless of how you might feel politically, it’s hard to believe that Haiti’s economy and infrastructure will be prepared to welcome and support 60,000 people in just 18 months.

Alabama Republicans: Politics Over Everything, Literally

Roy Moore, who is the current Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Alabama, is just the latest prominent male figure to be accused of dispactable sexual harassment and/or sexual misconduct since the recent Harvey Weinstein allegations. He’s being accused of initiating a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old when he was a 32-year-old assistant district attorney (in 1979).

If that’s not disturbing enough, Alabama Republican reactions might be worse.

Mitch McConnell and other Republicans have asked Roy Moore to step down in the Alabama Senate race; however, Alabama Republicans are singing a different tune.

When asked about the allegations, here’s what one of them had to say…

“Take Joseph and Mary. Mary was a teenager and Joseph was an adult carpenter. They became parents of Jesus… There’s just nothing immoral or illegal here. Maybe just a little bit unusual.” – Alabama State Auditor Jim Zeigler

The details of the Roy Moore allegations are hard to read, but such responses from anyone, Republican or Democrat, are inexcusable. At best, Jim Zeigler is a lousy human being and extremely confused about the conception and birth of Jesus Christ. At worst, his response speaks volumes regarding the current division and state of our political system – that he, as well as other Alabama Republicans who came to Roy Moore’s defense, would rather have a sexual predator in office than a Democrat.

Women deserve better, voters deserve better.

Can our politics ever return to civility and respectable discourse? Can the Republican Party survive with a Roy Moore in the Senate considering the results of the recent elections?

Elizabeth Warren Agrees, DNC Cheated Bernie

In an interview Thursday [11/2/17], CNN’s Jake Tapper asked Elizabeth Warren, “Very quickly Senator, do you agree with the notion that it was rigged?” Without hesitation, Warren answered “Yes.”
The DNC has nobody to blame but themselves seems to be the sentiment many picked up in the Politico article that highlighted excerpts from Donna Brazil’s new book set to be released November 7th. Nearly a year after Hillary Clinton’s shocking loss to Donald Trump, Donna Brazile, the former interim chair of the Democratic National Committee, is making strong claims against the DNC and others.
What are the claims? President Obama left the DNC in significant debt ($24 million in debt to be exact), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz was not a good leader and a terrible fundraiser are among them. The biggest claim; however, states that Hillary rigged the DNC and Bernie never had a fair chance to win the nomination.

“If the fight had been fair, one campaign would not have control of the party before the voters had decided which one they wanted to lead. This was not a criminal act, but as I saw it, it compromised the party’s integrity. I had to keep my promise to Bernie. I was in agony as I dialed him. Keeping this secret was against everything that I stood for, all that I valued as a woman and as a public servant. “Hello, senator. I’ve completed my review of the DNC and I did find the cancer,” I said. “But I will not kill the patient.” I told Bernie I had found Hillary’s Joint Fundraising Agreement. I explained that the cancer was that she had exerted this control of the party long before she became its nominee. Had I known this, I never would have accepted the interim chair position…” – Donna Brazile

She regretfully called Bernie to discuss the findings of her investigation. Despite basically telling Bernie he had been cheated, she quickly went on say that his support was needed to secure Hillary’s victory.

“but here we were with only weeks before the election… I had to be frank with him. I urged Bernie to work as hard as he could to bring his supporters into the fold with Hillary, and to campaign with all the heart and hope he could muster. He might find some of her positions too centrist, and her coziness with the financial elites distasteful, but he knew and I knew that the alternative was a person who would put the very future of the country in peril. I knew he heard me. I knew he agreed with me, but I never in my life had felt so tiny and powerless as I did making that call. When I hung up the call to Bernie, I started to cry, not out of guilt, but out of anger. We would go forward. We had to.” – Donna Brazile

This is a stunning revelation – maybe great leadership in her ability to focus on the big picture and try to get Bernie and his supporters on board? Or maybe not, considering CNN fired her for apparently sharing debate questions with Hillary prior to one of the presidential debates.
I’m sure people from Hillary’s camp and others at the DNC will respond to this article and Donna’s book that comes out in a few weeks. Whether some of her claims or all of them are true, its appears that our political system is broken at best and corrupt at worse.
If Donna’s claims regarding Hilary and the DNC are true, where does this leave the party?
How will this hurt their voting base and ability to attract millennials and/or working class voters who decided to vote for Trump in 2016?
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Indicted For Conspiracy… The LCR Responds…

This morning Special prosecutor Robert Mueller’s office announced the indictments of Paul Manafort, Donald Trump’s former campaign manager, and Rick Gates, his longtime business associate. Twelve counts in total… including conspiracy against the United States, money laundering, making false statements, and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign principal. We asked several of our contributors to weigh in regarding this groundbreaking development, and here’s what they had to say…
“Mueller is sending a message with two revelations today: cooperate like Papadoulous and you’ll get a good deal, or else you’re going down. While the indictments aren’t necessarily tied to the President they can definitely be used as leverage to force others to cooperate in the investigation. And let’s not forget the immediate fact that President of the United States had as his campaign manager a man who was simultaneously serving as an unregistered foreign agent and laundering large amounts of money. That should be startling enough in and of itself. If nothing else it’s yet another black mark on the first year of a presidency that has been marred by scandal.” – Center Left College Student
“This is a long way from an indictment of the President – both for reasons he will tout and reasons he will not.  First, as he says, it is not clear yet that there’s a determination that anyone who was making policy decisions was actively colluding with Russia. Secondly, he remains a billionaire with pardoning power and those indicted and likely to be indicted later are unlikely to be able to work for anyone else ever again. Even if there was collusion, his ability to influence those indicted remains very strong.” – Right Army Veteran
“It’s disappointing to me that these charges are not directly related to the Trump campaign, but I realize that baby steps are needed here so that we can cover the immense swath of ground that the Russian influence seems to cover on many levels of our democratic process. How long will it take? No idea. But we can’t start jumping to conclusions – this is a marathon, not a sprint.” – Registered Independent Voter 
“Unlike before when an administration was placed under findings of wrong from Watergate to Iran Contra, supporters of that administration distanced itself and soon after voting reflected the distance. It will be interesting to watch how the support for the Trump administration unfolds, especially with midterm elections on the horizon. In support, I’m talking about the rank and file, not Republican Party leadership.” – Independent Texan Male
“Chickens come home to roost… What more can I say? People need to wake up and stop allowing racism to control their vote. Whenever hate and racism motivate any action, utter destruction will be the result. This administration and those who support it will continue to feel the residual effects of “Making America Great Again.” – Apolitical Elected Official
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What Frederica Wilson SHOULD’VE DONE

“He knew what he signed up for… but when it happens it hurts anyway.” – Trump’s remarks according to Congresswoman Frederica Wilson and the family of La David Johnson.

[Prior to Chief of Staff John Kelly’s remarks about Frederica Wilson] After talking to people on both sides of the aisle, I’m convinced that most Democrats think that the politicization of this “private call” is President Trump and his administration’s fault, and most Republicans think it’s Rep. Frederica Wilson’s fault. Attempting to remove politics, and considering President Trump lacks tact and compassion in the most obvious situations, I still think it’s safe to assume that he did not call this gold star widow with malicious intent.

Unless you’ve chosen to ignore this story, by now you know that Congresswoman Frederica Wilson is a close family friend of Sgt. La David Johnson’s family. She’s known the family for quite some time… La David Johnson and his brothers were alum of her 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project, a mentoring program she started in 1993 geared to help “minority male students graduate high school, go to college, vocational school or the military, and be positioned to become contributing and self-sustaining members of society.” She was also the principal of a school that La David Johnson’s father attended.

I don’t think anyone would blame the Congresswoman for “defending” the Johnson family, or speaking up if she felt they were slighted or disrespected in such a time of grief and anguish. But, the family should be her #1 priority. Considering Trump’s inability to take the high road in any situation, considering Trump blatantly disrespected a gold star family during his campaign, did the Congresswoman really think that publicly expressing her frustration with Trump’s remarks would render an immediate apology from him?

More importantly, did she think the inevitable media attention it would create would be in the best interest of the family or help them heal? If you believe so, then maybe she made the right decision. But if you don’t believe her immediate response of going to the media would be in the best interest of the family or help them heal, then maybe a different plan of action would’ve been better.

What should she have done? 

She should’ve reached out to the President and the White House in private expressing her frustration, as well as relaying the pain his words caused the widow. It’s a snowball’s chance in hell it would’ve rendered a positive reaction or an apology; but, it wouldn’t have appeared to be political, and most importantly it would’ve allowed the family to mourn and grieve in peace without the media frenzy. If the President or a White House Offical chose to ignore her or not render a positive reaction or an apology, then going public with a statement would’ve probably been better received as less political, and truly genuine regarding her concern for the family.

It’s hard to give the Congresswoman the benefit of the doubt when it feels like she’s capitalizing on the moment especially when she’s calling herself a “rockstar” in the process.

With that being said, in such situations, we’d hope the president could take the high road and just render an apology. By doing so, he proves that he can show empathy, it makes the Congresswoman’s point irrelevant, and most importantly, it preserves the privacy of a family forced to mourn the loss of their hero.

Unlike the other 3 U.S. soldiers who were killed and retrieved when the other soldiers were rescued, La David Johnson was left behind and his body was retrieved a mile away and 48 hours later. The family was not allowed to I.D. the body and they had to have a closed casket funeral, which suggests that La David Johnson’s body was mutilated or in extremely bad condition when they found him.

They deserve answers… not sure receiving an apology or the current back and forth between a Democratic Congresswoman and the White House supersedes those answers and the speed in which they receive them. 

Eminem Rips Trump… Will “Working Class” Jump Ship?

Detroit rapper Eminem has never been shy about attacking his adversaries, NEVER. And if you didn’t know where he stood, he unequivocally stated his position and disdain for President Trump during the 2017 BET Hip Hop Freestyle Cypher. He also dedicated several lyrics in support for Colin Kaepernick and other NFL player who’ve chosen to kneel in protest.

Eminem’s lyrics in the 2017 BET Cypher Link: The Storm Eminem Verse

Colin Kaepernick immediately reacted on Twitter by thanking Eminem for his support.

Twitter was quick to react, including LeBron James and fellow rapper J. Cole…

I think it’s a foregone conclusion that Trump will respond… but should he is probably the better question?

Eminem explicitly drew a line in the sand for his fans who choose to support Trump, assuming many of them are considered the “working class” – will they listen to Eminem? Many Republican’s and celebrities have publicly denounced Trump and it seems to have had little effect on his base. Will Eminem’s appeal be any different?

Looting… Crime or Survival? The LCR Weighs In…

In the past few weeks, the Caribbean has experienced devastating hurricanes, which has caused millions to lose electricity and access to necessities like food and gas. Do you think looting, particularly stealing food, in the aftermath of such extreme weather, should be considered a crime?

We asked several of our contributors from across the political spectrum this very question, and this is what they had to say…

“Islands in the Caribbean are facing a major humanitarian disaster in the wake of the recent spate of hurricanes. This has forced some residents to loot and steal food and other necessities in order to survive. When you have no food or water your government has forgotten about you, and you have no other options – it is no longer looting, it’s self preservation. It’s the job of the government to ensure that its citizens don’t have to resort to such measures. If the government is unable to do so on its own then the international community has a responsibility to assist them.” – Center Left College Student  

“Post-disaster looting is often polarizing: it’s an either-or scenario: loose morals versus survival instincts. I have personally witnessed firsthand three major hurricanes on the Texas Coast: Rita, Ike and Harvey. If coastal cities such as Houston are not adequately prepared for natural storms given their geographic location and flat lands, at or below sea-level, then they should be prepared for citizens’ survival instincts to kick in. Food banks and shelters should be stocked and ready, given the cities flood-prone nature. It’s important to distinguish between taking resources for survival and non-essential luxury goods. With normal life disrupted, and no way to pay for the goods, people may just take what they need to keep living. We can debate whether or not that is really stealing, but if it were me, I would take cheese and bread if I could not get to a shelter. A Rolex; however, is a different story.” – Right Southern Female 

“In the aftermath of a natural disaster, the looting of basic, immediate necessities (food, water, clothes, supplies, and shelter) can be condoned and possibly forgiven. It’s the looters’ pursuit of long term gains (high priced, non-essential luxury items) at the expense of citizens and businesses that should be treated as crimes, just as if the disaster had not occurred.” – Unaffiliated Humanist Musician 

“If you think of looting in a very narrow sense, I assume that one would call it a criminal act. Although the word “loot” has such a simple definition, in devastating situations such as in Puerto Rico currently, the act of looting to survive is not so cut and dry. People need to live. Plain and simple. And although a systematic distribution process would be the best way to ensure that everyone would receive what they need to survive, human instinct will not allow calm and rationalization in such an extreme crisis. Taking items such as food or medical supplies to assist your family should not be considered a crime under these circumstances; however, if it is shown that these scarce resources were stolen for any other reason, then criminal penalties should apply.” – Apolitical Elected Official

“The Caribbean is a collection of islands where the majority of residents are living well below the poverty line. Most of these people cannot afford a moral dilemma. I liken it to poaching the king’s deer in a medieval forest or even stealing a loaf of bread in eighteenth century Europe. Les Miserables, anyone?”  – Registered Independent Voter 

“When people are suddenly hit with a major weather disaster, resources become scarce. Those effected are compelled to rely on assistance from other sources, which is where the governmental should step in. However, the government isn’t perfect. With that being said, whenever the government fails to respond adequately there should be leniency on the people. If there isn’t any assistance following a major disaster in a reasonable time, looting for food in particular should not be a crime.” – Detroit Democrat Male 

What are your thoughts?

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