Ilhan Omar… Anti-Semitism or Islamophobia?

by with No Comment CultureFeatured

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s recent remarks about Israel’s involvement in US affairs has sparked outrage in our government. In one of her statements to Congress, she said, “I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is OK for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country.” Without ever attacking Jews or Judaism itself, she has been labelled as “anti-Semitic.” Pro-Israel lobbying groups quickly went up in arms to attack her, and multiple people have called for her to be removed from the Foreign Affairs Committee. President Trump even tweeted a response in which he called her comments reflective of a “dark day for Israel.” A picture of Omar has gone viral that depicts her in front of the burning buildings from 9/11.

Despite receiving an inordinate amount of criticism, Omar has not retracted her comments or stepped down from her position on the Foreign Affairs Committee. Plenty of Democrats have voiced their opinions against her, despite belonging to the same party. Several days after Omar’s remarks, a resolution was passed to denounce anti-Semitism and overall hate, which includes anti-Muslim rhetoric as well.

I recently spoke to someone who highlighted something I had never thought of before. When someone says something against Jews or Judaism, they are labelled as anti-Semitic. The use of the prefix “anti” indicates that the person who is committing the action is in the wrong. They are against something that they should not be against. When there is anti-Muslim rhetoric; however, it is most often labelled as Islamophobic. The suffix “phobia” implies that it is not necessarily wrong for someone to be against Islam. In fact, the use of this term categorizes Islam as something to be afraid of, like the dark or spiders. A person who is Islamophobic is seen as a good person who is rightly afraid of something, whereas an anti-Semite is a bad person who is against something good. The usage of these terms are not an accident, and it is clear that there are political associations with both words.

Ilhan Omar brought to light an important matter concerning our country’s undying loyalty to a foreign nation, yet she was attacked for doing so. The U.N. recently found that Israel intentionally shot children, journalists, and the disabled during protests in Gaza; yet, we see more outrage when someone questions our national loyalty than the murder of innocent people. It is clear that there is a major issue with the way that the US blindly supports Israel and its policies, and I hope that Ilhan Omar will not be the last one to call attention to this problem.

Similar Read: Ideas Make This Country Great

NP

2019 State of the Union Address: Fact or Fiction

by with No Comment FeaturedGen ZPolitics

Various news organizations and media outlets analyzed the SOTU transcript. 

According to the U.S. Constitution, The President “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”

President Donald Trump gave this address to a polarized Congress on Feb. 5, 2019, after a 35-day partial government shutdown – the longest in U.S. history. Topics covered included his continued call for immigration reform to the strong economy to the record number of women serving in Congress. 

Starting off his agenda, Trump states he wants to “reduce the price of health care and prescription drugs, to create an immigration system that is safe, lawful, modern and secure, and to pursue a foreign policy that puts America’s interests first.” According to POLITICO, the Trump administration has indeed lowered those costs, particularly on prescription drug prices.

Immigration reporter Ted Hesson confirmed Trump’s claim that in two years he has launched an “unprecedented economic boom.” The Bureau of Economic Analysis reported the U.S. gross domestic product has increased 4.2 percent in the second quarter of 2018, but Hesson added former President Barack Obama surpassed that level four times during his presidency.

We get into a sticky situation when Trump says unemployment has reached the lowest rate in over half a century. Politico staff counter this with links to articles that say in September, unemployment fell to 3.7 percent, the lowest it has been since December 1969. Last month, the unemployment rate was 4 percent.

Trump used his usual rhetoric towards illegal immigration from Mexico, “As we speak, large, organized caravans are on the march to the United States.” The Atlantic criticized President Trump for not devoting more time to speaking on Afghanistan, trade with China, or Venezuela. They reported he “devoted 463 words to immigration and 180 to the wall—a total of 643 words on a subject where he is bound to lose.”

Looming over the State of the Union address was the approaching Feb. 15 deadline to avoid another government shutdown. PBS Newshour reported Democrats have refused to accept Trump’s demands for a border wall, Republicans are increasingly unwilling to shut down the government, and the GOP does not support his plan to declare a national emergency if Congress won’t fund the wall. 

Trump continued by stating, “Year after year, countless Americans are murdered by criminal illegal aliens.” He brought Deborah Bissell, a woman whose parents were burglarized and shot to death in their home by “an illegal alien.” The couples granddaughter Heather and great-granddaughter Madison were also present. Politifact reported there is no quantitative proof specifically documenting how many U.S. citizens have been killed. This is because we do not have a national database on murders committed by immigrants in the country illegally. 

A striking display of applause from female Democrats dressed in white in solidarity for the suffrage movement came after Trump’s comment that women have filled 58% of the new jobs created in the last year. “You were not supposed to do that. Thank you very much,” Trump joked after the freshman congresswoman erupted in applause.

The internet more specifically erupted at the manner in which Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi clapped. Pelosi, who remained seated for a majority of the address, rose to her feet and clapped at President Donald Trump’s call to end the “politics of revenge.”

Although the Washington Post said Pelosi’s clap wasn’t sarcastic, it still made for some fantastic memes amidst the 82-minute speech.

A detailed fact check of the entire State of the Union address can be found at POLITICO.

SOTU Reactions… From the Left, Center, and Right

by with No Comment FeaturedPolitics

The president delivered his State of the Union speech last night (2/5/19) under a different set of circumstances… with a new speaker of the House in Nancy Pelosi and a Democratic-led House of Representatives, not to forget a government shutdown looming, all eyes were on Trump. The fear of socialism, immigration, and the border wall were just a few of the many topics he spoke about.

We asked a few of our contributors to weigh in and this is what they had to say…

“In regards to the State of the Union address, I had a hard time deciphering if it was truly the annual update on the process of our Nation or a cameo-filled tribute to the President by the President, flashing all the cool things he has done. One thing I will say is the President has improved his cadence while speaking, as I thankfully didn’t cringe during the entire speech. He hid his usual brash outbursts; however, his viewpoints, particularly on the issues of the Southern border and international relations, were not the most unifying. I found it particularly offensive that he did not address, or better yet THANK, all the federal employees and contractors who worked for 30+ days without getting paid. I pray for the sake of our Nation that the President and Congress come to a middle ground so we don’t have a second government shutdown.” – Left Healthcare Professional 

“Listening to the SOTU left me angry and confused.  It felt like a lot of fluff about unity and being morally correct in the same speech he demonized immigrants.  Once again #45 finds way to instill fear instead of understanding just in an effort to get his way. I would have loved to hear about a real threat to America, such as gun control, our crippling education system, immigration reform, and police brutality.  But none of that was mentioned, just another way to push his agenda of fear.”  – Center Single Mom 

“It was much less divisive than anything we have seen from DC in months. The president remains at odds from the House, but undoubtedly he’s going to get a bounce off the floor he’s been on since January. I don’t know that it changes much in the long-term. The wall is coming – and with it will be the court challenges of what’s pretty certain to be an executive action. The Mueller probe will likely bring a House effort against the president no matter what the findings, and polarization is likely to get more poignant rather than less. But for now, the president has some breathing room, and there is still a lot left of his agenda that’s out there to capture. ” – Right Army Veteran   

Perspectives are important, from the Left, Center, and Right. We should not focus on Trump’s approval rating, which will get an inevitable bump similar to most presidents after they rally the country in their SOTU speech. Instead, we should focus on the citizens who are impacted by his leadership and the gridlock in Washington.

Do you agree with our perspectives?

They Love to Hate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

by with 2 Comments Diversity & InclusionFeaturedPolitics

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a 29-year-old Hispanic woman from the Bronx. Despite being outspent 18-1, she defeated 10-term Democrat Joe Crowley in a New York Congressional primary before going on to win 78% of the vote in the general election. By doing so, she became the youngest woman ever to be elected to Congress. She’s everything the average Congressman is not… young, a minority, and an outspoken woman not afraid to speak her mind and ruffle a few feathers.

So yeah, Republicans love to hate her. And (top) Democrats, well… let’s just say they haven’t necessarily had her back and embraced her with love since she was thrust into the political spotlight. Nancy Pelosi downplayed her monumental upset over Crowley. FORMER Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill called her, “a bright shiny new object.” In the same interview, McCaskill went on to say, “I’m not sure what she’s done yet to generate that kind of enthusiasm.”

Politico recently reported that nearly 20 Democratic lawmakers, off the record, are fearful of her influence and her ability to overpower more established Democrats. And such fear probably makes sense considering she represents change, energy, and a new way of doing things and addressing issues. Off the record (again), a Democratic lawmaker said, “She needs to decide: Does she want to be an effective legislator or just continue being a Twitter star… There’s a difference between being an activist and a lawmaker in Congress.” This is probably worth an entirely different article, but why can’t she be an activist and a lawmaker? Why can’t she be both?

Shortly after that Politico news broke, Ocasio-Cortez responded by tweeting to her 2.2 million followers…

“To quote Alan Moore: “None of you understand. I’m not locked up in here with YOU. You’re locked up in here with ME.” ?

Basically, zero F’s given. Don’t forget the emoji.

Any criticism she’s doled out to the party is likely deserved. While many might not agree with her politics, her passion to create change should be admired by all who believe Washington is broken. Democrats shouldn’t shun her. By doing so they’re sending a few signals to millions of fairly new and inspired voters, many of whom are millennials, which could doom them and their party…

1 They think she is an anomaly and hundreds if not thousands of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s can’t pop up and take their seat like she took Joe Crowley’s… and 2 While they talk a good game about the importance of change, the moment it starts to threaten their position of power and the system which preserves said power, all bets are off.

Ocasio-Cortez is getting enough hate from the right side of the aisle, the left better embrace her. Because she’s genuine, her following is growing, and whether they like her or not… she’s going to be here a very long, long time. 

The Race for the South

by with No Comment Diversity & InclusionFeaturedPolitics

2018 saw a new wave of Democratic candidates coming out of southern states. Alabama ushered in a surprise wave of excitement at the end of 2017 with the special election of U.S. Senator Doug Jones. However, that Alabama excitement did not spread into southern states for the 2018 midterms. States like Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi and Florida all had big races at the U.S. Senate or gubernatorial levels. The top tickets Democrats in those states lost.

Some lost by small margins while others were a gap large enough to consider it a landslide.  

Candidates like Stacy Abrams of Georgia and Beto O’Rouke of Texas tapped into new voters through the excitement surrounding their campaigns, but ultimately failed to secure the victory.  In Abrams case, voter suppression played a major role. As the first African American female to secure the Democratic nomination for governor – ever – she fought against the state’s Republican Secretary of State, Brian Kemp, who refused to resign even as he administered over the electoral process while running competing against Abrams in the race.

O’Rouke narrowly lost – 48.3% to 50.9% – to Republican incumbent Ted Cruz who saw his lead tightening closer to election day. Having served as the congressman for Texas’ 16th district, O’Rouke ran a campaign that didn’t rely on the traditional polling to advise him.  He pledged not to accept PAC contributions and raised nearly $2 million in the first three months through small donations.

Florida also held a gubernatorial election where Democratic nominee Andrew Gillum fought hard against the Republican nominee Ron DeSantis, falling by less than a percentage point.  Gillum was the first Black nominee for governor in the state of Florida in a racially tinged campaign. And down in Tennessee and Mississippi, U.S. Senate races were top ticket competitive races, but both Democratic nominees lost to their respective Republican candidates.

So, what happened? Voters were energized by the Democratic slate, but failed short to secure the top ticket seats. Conversely, these competitive races did usher in a new wave of Democratic talent for down ticket races. In Texas, Republican judges lost control of the Third Court of Appeals and the Fifth Court of Appeals.  In Tennessee, a wave of twenty African-American women were elected to local and state seats in Shelby County. Alabama had 55 women run for state-level offices. Gun violence advocate, Lucy McBath, won her congressional seat in Georgia’s 6th Congressional District.

While the larger races did not turn out how Democratic voters in the respective states might have hoped, they did help bring change in other down-ballot races and energize new voters. 2019 is here and now campaign teams are gearing up for 2020. Looking to the past, candidates can only hope for a better future. 

The Day After: 2018 Midterm Elections

by with No Comment FeaturedGen ZPolitics

Two years ago I wrote a piece on the day following the 2016 presidential election. I was full of emotions that day—sad, angry, confused, frustrated, devastated, scared, and most of all, hopeless—and I needed to express them somehow. Two years later I’m here again to write a new version of my post-Election Day thoughts. This piece, however, will not be nearly as emotionally charged as the original. I have a lot of feelings about last night’s election, but above all else this time I feel hopeful.

​I want to start by talking about Election Day itself. One question that often gets asked is why Election Day is not a national holiday. I believe it should be. People are missing out on the opportunity to vote because they have to go to work or class. I also believe that on Election Day, all public transportation should be free. All people should have fair and equal access to voting and I believe that includes free transportation to get to the polls. Uber and Lyft have already implemented free rides to polling places on election day, so public transportation should be doing the same in order to ensure that everyone has a chance to vote. If we want to continue the pattern of growing voter turnout, we need to make sure that everyone has equal opportunity and access.

I also believe that every state should have same-day voter registration. A lot of people miss out on the opportunity to vote because many states require registration to be completed weeks before Election Day. Allowing people to register through the day of the election gives more opportunity for people to be able to vote. Voting should be a quick and easy process that everyone should have access to. After speaking to a few first-time voters yesterday I realized the process of voting might not be intuitive to those who have never done it before. There should be someone available at all polls to assist first time voters and anyone else who might need help.

​When it comes to the results of yesterday’s election, I have a lot of mixed feelings. However, like I said before, the emotion I’m feeling most strongly is hopefulness. As a registered Democrat, I am overjoyed to see the flip of the House of Representatives. Although the Dems were not able to flip the Senate as well, I find some joy in other smaller victories. For example, record-breaking numbers of women were elected to the House. There were many firsts of this election as well. For example Sharice Davids, the first openly gay and Native American woman to be elected to Congress, Jared Polis, the first openly gay male Governor, and Ihan Omar, the first Muslim woman in Congress.

​Although we may not have come away with the “Blue Wave” that so many people were hoping for, I see the victories from this election as a step in the right direction. I feel very optimistic about our future and I hope we continue to make history going forward in our elections by pushing for more minority representation in out Congress.

IT’S NOT ABOUT HIS VOTING RECORD

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John McCain was one of the great Americans of our era. Far too many people caveat their remarks with their disagreements over one stance or another… but that’s the point.

He was a true legislator who wasn’t afraid of compromising or siding with anyone to get the best deal he could find… And yet, when he disagreed with anyone on either side, he pulled at them with all his might. That meant at one time or another, he fought with everyone, but we saw his true heart in his belief that our country’s values would set the whole world free, such as his bipartisan work on campaign finance reform.

Those who chastise McCain for his spectrum of politics or his view on an issue miss the point. He was one of the few men left in Washington that throughout his life proved that he believed in something greater than himself and directed his entire life’s work toward those goals.

If we had 100 senators who approached their own constituents and principles (liberal or conservative) as McCain did, we would be a much better country. And without his example, we are probably less.

Training for the Government Shutdown

by with No Comment News

“Let’s be clear, the government shutdown could have been avoided. For a federal shutdown is not about lack of funding, but literally because of political agenda indifferences, congress has decided to place an “out for lunch” sign on the federal government.”

In Training Day, Alonzo asks Jake “you want to go jail, or do you want to go to home?” to pressure him into looking past the criminal actions of his scandalous drug unit, for the betterment of his own career and the actions his unit committed against a drug dealer. So, no love lost. The “go to jail” part, would be Alonzo and his unit framing Jake for the outright murder they committed on the drug dealer. Jake, had the initial inclination to report that the murder was unwarranted. The “go home” Part, would be a recommendation from Alonzo to advance Jake’s career in the future and Jake could get Alonzo another day. Jake decided to “go home”, movie-wise not really, but you get the point. He waited to go after Alonzo on another day.

So how does that relate to the government shutdown? The principals involved.

Trump and the Democrats in Congress have used their push of personal political interests to allow spending for nonessential federal services to stop. Pathetic.  The Democrats for months have been working with Trump and the Republicans in Congress to resolve issues surrounding DACA. DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival) and immigration as a whole was one of the core issues that propelled Trump to the presidency. Trump has insisted issues such as funding for the wall be a part of any immigration deal; the Democrats essentially told Trump to kick rocks, which led to an impasse on the issue and the subsequent government shutdown. The shutdown, which has nothing to do with immigration or any political issues for that matter, has been used to prove a point.

In Training Day, Alonzo and his crooked clan of cops shot and killed a drug dealer in his home to steal thousands he had underneath the floor. Alonzo needed that money to pay off a Russian mob debt he accumulated in Las Vegas. Given this is an election year, Trump must pander to his following and stay true to his wall claim and about being tough on immigration. The Democrats must pander to their following and fight on behalf of those who fall under the guidelines of DACA. And like Alonzo they took benefits and money away from the American people, by shutting down the government, for the betterment of their own agendas.

I told you I could relate the government shutdown to Training Day!

So, who is going home and who is going to jail? Trick question. For both the Democrats and Trump have realized how bad it looked for them to stop the operation of the government for their personal gain. They both don’t want to go jail, which would be political backlash, and both have decided to go home and fight this another day.

In the movie Training Day, Jake went through a lot to eventually get Alonzo, but eventually he went down. The Democrats allegedly pulled all the stops to try and satisfy Alonzo, I mean Trump, including adding funding for the wall on the Mexican border. The DACA issue is important, however the Democrats should not put themselves in the position of using political issues against the primary duty of their job, running the government. A lack of duty that will not be forgotten at the polls. In Training day Jake eventually brought Alonzo down, a combination of his intervention and Alonzo’s crooked history brought his demise.  Trump’s continual doubling down on his outlandish ideals and agenda, which are highly unpopular outside his base, should hurt Republicans in November. The Democrats just have to construct a feasible plan for their agenda, go home, and watch Trump go to jail. At this rate not just figuratively, but possibly literally.

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

by with One Comment FeaturedPolitics
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.