Tag Archives: think-progress

#UseMeInstead: Ministers & Priests Send In Their Pics To Replaces Photos Of Black Men Used As Target Practice By Florida Officers

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Clergy Members Send In Their Pictures To Replace Pics Of Black Men Used For Target Practice By Florida Police via Think Progress When National Guard Sgt. Valerie Deant arrived at a shooting range in Medley, Florida for annual weapons qualifications training in December, she was expecting a typical military exercise. But as she readied for target practice, she noticed several bullet-hole-ridden mug shots of young black men hanging near the range, left behind by the North Miami Beach Police snipers who had just finished using the facilities. That alone was enough to frustrate Deant, but she suddenly came to an even more horrifying realization: one of the pictures was of her brother. Over the past few weeks, dozens of priests, ministers, and seminarians — including celebrated progressive Christian author and pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber — have protested the actions of the North Miami Beach Police Department by using a Facebook page and the hashtag “#usemeinstead”, posting images of themselves and daring police officers to shoot at pictures of collared faith leaders instead of black youth. Kudos to these clergy members for publicly standing up for what’s righ t. Clap for ‘em.

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#UseMeInstead: Ministers & Priests Send In Their Pics To Replaces Photos Of Black Men Used As Target Practice By Florida Officers

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WHAT?!? VA Police Plan “Forced Arousal” Of Teen Sexting Violator To Compare Pics Of His Peen For Investigation

Posted on July 11, 2014 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

This CAN’T be legal…. Virgina Police Plan Forced Arousal Of Teen Sexting Suspect We’ve all heard of extreme measures that PIGS have gone to to get what they need in a police investigation, but this latest proposition from the VA police just might take the cake. via Think Progress A 17 year-old Virginia teenager who is under investigation for sending a consensual sext to his 15-year-old girlfriend may be forced to have an erection in front of police as evidence in the case. The boy, who the Washington Post will not identify for privacy reasons, is being charged with two felonies — one for possession of child p**n*graphy (sexts from his girlfriend) and one for manufacturing child p**n*graphy (taking video of himself). He faces time in prison, as well as permanent placement on the sex offender registry. Police have already taken photos of the boy’s genitals as a part of their investigation, his lawyer told the Post. But they want to bring the teen to the hospital and inject him with something that will force an erection, to compare his erect penis to that in the video found on his phone. University of Pennsylvania law professor David Rudovsky, who specializes in invasions of privacy by police, doubts that there is legal standing for police to pursue such measures. “In my view, it’s not [a legal search] for this reason: Normally the police can get a warrant to conduct a search if they have probable cause that it will find evidence they can use in criminal trial,” Rudovsky said. “What the courts have said in a number of situations is that even if there’s some cause to believe that the procedure might lead them to evidence, where it involves a serious intrusion of personal dignity and privacy, you have to balance that with the nature of the intrusion.” Shortly after this story went viral and was met with rightful public outrage, Virginia police confirmed that they will no longer pursue this “forced arousal” for investigative purposes. Do you think the police should have been able to proceed with this plan?

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WHAT?!? VA Police Plan “Forced Arousal” Of Teen Sexting Violator To Compare Pics Of His Peen For Investigation

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Random Ridiculousness: University Librarian Refuses To Lend Laptop To Gay Student Because He’s “A Man That Sounds Like A Girl”

Posted on October 28, 2013 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Gay Student Denied Use Of University Laptop Because Of His Lifestyle A Florida college student who attempted to check out a school laptop has the community talking after he says he was denied access to the laptop by one of the university librarians because of his gay lifestyle. Think Progress Florida Atlantic University senior Abdul Asquith was trying to get some studying done at the campus library this past Wednesday, but when he attempted to check out a laptop, he was told that he could not because of his gender presentation: “She looked down at the ID, and said, “You sound, look, and act like a girl and in this ID is a man, therefore I’m not giving you a laptop.” It looks just like me. I identify with my ID. I wasn’t there dressed up. I didn’t have on dress. I wasn’t dressed in character. Though Asquith admits he sometimes wears feminine clothes, on this particular day he was wearing shorts and a hoodie and had his hair pulled back. He identifies as a gay man, but this would constitute discrimination based on his perceived gender identity, demonstrating how comprehensive nondiscrimination protections are important for all communities. Asquith was finally able to use a laptop for his studies, but only after he asked three different librarians. Everyone is entitled to their own personal opinions, but this student’s lifestyle should have absolutely no bearing on whether not he’s allowed to use school property like any other enrolled student. SMH. Shutterstock

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Random Ridiculousness: University Librarian Refuses To Lend Laptop To Gay Student Because He’s “A Man That Sounds Like A Girl”

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Race Matters: New Statistics Show Black Community Most Affected By The GOP Refusing To Fully Implement The Affordable Care Act

Posted on October 5, 2013 by Benny Hollywood

Statistics Show Black People Most Affected By Obamacare Rejection The statistics are surfacing in the wake of the recent government shutdown that occurred earlier this week when Congress failed to reach an agreement on implementing The Affordable Care Act, among other things, and it seems that African-Americans will feel it the most if something is not done sooner than later on Capitol Hill. via Think Progress Republicans’ refusal to fully implement the Affordable Care Act will leave more than half of the nation’s uninsured working poor, approximately 8 million people, without access to health insurance, a New York Times analysis of census data finds. The 26 GOP-controlled states not participating in the law’s Medicaid expansion are home to a disproportionate share of low-income Americans who aren’t poor enough to qualify for the existing Medicaid program and make too much to be eligible for subsidies in the ACA’s insurance marketplaces. As a result, hundreds of thousands of cashiers, cooks, nurses’ aides, waiters and waitresses will still struggle to afford coverage. “Blacks are disproportionately affected, largely because more of them are poor and living in Southern states,” the New York Times reports. “In all, 6 out of 10 black [people] live in the states not expanding Medicaid.” Despite the slightly shady nature of these statistics, this is huge problem. What will it take for the GOP to stop allowing millions of Americans to suffer just so they can have their way??? Continue reading →

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White Supremacist Busted With 18 Guns, 45,000 Bullets And List Of Black & Jewish Leaders To Kill

Posted on September 1, 2013 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

You can’t be serious … White Supremacist Busted With 18 Guns And 45,000 Bullets Via Think Progress reports: Federal agents were tracking Ohio resident Richard Schmidt’s imports of counterfeit sports jerseys when they stumbled upon his arsenal of 18 guns, more than 40,000 rounds of ammunition, and bulletproof body armor. Besides the arsenal, he had lists of Jewish and black leaders in Detroit, MI. He is also an ex-felon who killed a Hispanic man and wounded two others 24 years ago. Yet before December, no one even noticed that Schmidt, 47, was amassing weapons illegally, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Instead, federal investigators zeroed in on his sports memorabilia shop around September 2011, tracking his shipments of knock-off jerseys from China for over a year before they discovered the cache of firearms. Schmidt plead guilty to federal gun charges and the counterfeit racket last month, and will be sentenced in October. But many connected to the crime are still scratching their heads over how an ex-felon with ties to white supremacist groups was able to get his hands on so many guns. “I can’t tell you how he got all those guns and ammunition,” U.S. Attorney Steven Dettelbach told the Plain Dealer. “It’s not that I won’t tell you; it’s that I can’t. This is somebody who should never have had one gun, one bullet. But he had an entire arsenal.” Schmidt is technically banned from possessing a gun for the rest of his life. In 1989, he pulled a gun on three men during a traffic argument, killing one man and wounding the other two. He was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and served 12 years in prison. Scott Kaufman, the head of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, was spooked after discovering he was on Schmidt’s list. “For a convicted violent felon to amass an arsenal with 40,000 rounds of ammunition with no red flags popping up is problematic,” he told the Plain Dealer. “No matter where you stand on the gun issue, it makes you wonder. The moment I saw my name in this guy’s notebook, I freaked out.”

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White Supremacist Busted With 18 Guns, 45,000 Bullets And List Of Black & Jewish Leaders To Kill

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Race Matters: Dying 15-Year-Old Black Boy Denied Heart Transplant By Hospital Because Of His Past Troubles With The Law

Posted on August 13, 2013 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Teenage Black Boy Denied Heart Transplant Due To Juvenile Record An Atlanta-area teenager fighting for his life with less than six months to live is being denied a necessary transplant that would save his life all because the hospital says his past run-ins with the law indicate that he wouldn’t take the follow-up steps necessary to effectively make the transplant a success. via Think Progress Fifteen-year-old Anthony Stokes has less than six months to live unless he receives an emergency heart transplant. But his family has been told that Anthony doesn’t qualify for the transplant list because he has a “history of non-compliance” — partly due to his history of earning low grades and having some trouble with the law. “They said they don’t have any evidence that he would take his medicine or that he would go to his follow-ups,” Melencia Hamilton, Anthony’s mother, told WSBTV News. Hamilton explained that her son has an enlarged heart, and a transplant is the only thing that will help his condition. The doctors at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta weren’t very specific about what exactly contributed to their decision to label Anthony as “non-compliant.” But family friends explained to WSBTV News that they were told it’s partly because of Anthony’s performance in school and run-ins with law enforcement. His family and friends don’t accept that as a valid reason to deny the teen life-saving treatment. “We must save Anthony’s life,” family friend Mack Major, identified as Anthony’s mentor, told CBS Atlanta. “We don’t have a lot of time to do it, but it’s something that must be done.” This might be some of the dumbest, most bogus bunch of bullisht we’ve ever heard. How can a hospital even deny a patient for these reasons anyway?? Shutterstock

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Race Matters: Dying 15-Year-Old Black Boy Denied Heart Transplant By Hospital Because Of His Past Troubles With The Law

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Bogus Bolitics: U.S. Treasury Secretary Confirms That No Federal Bailout Funds Will Be Used To Help Detroit Through Bankruptcy

Posted on July 30, 2013 by Benny Hollywood

Treasury Secretary Says Federal Bailout Funds Won’t Be Used For Detroit The federal government has made it clear that they have no intention of extending a monetary olive branch to the state of Detroit in the midst of their bankruptcy woes. Despite the fact that the government famously bailed out the “Too Big To Fail” banks and the auto industry during the height of the most recent U.S. recession back in 2010, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew says Detroit is on their own this time. Think Progress On CNN’s State of the Union show on Sunday, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew was firm in saying that there will be no federal bailout for the city of Detroit, which is going through the largest city bankruptcy in America’s history. While claiming that the administration “stand[s] by Detroit,” Lew said, “I think the issues Detroit has in terms of problems with its creditors it’s going to have to work out with its creditors.” He said that it has “serious financial problems” that have “been a long time in the making,” and that the federal government will only offer “the kinds of normal programs the federal government has” such as the Treasury Department making funds available to take down blighted properties. When host Candy Crowley asked why the government offered bailouts for big banks and the auto industry but isn’t offering one here, Lew responded, “I think the situation we had in 2009 and 2010 was unique and something that hopefully we will never see again.” We think this is pretty shady, especially considering the fact that the government all but forced-fed some of the banks bailout money during the financial crisis/recession when they adamantly refused. It will also be interesting to see exactly what these “federal programs already in place” to assist Detroit consist of. What’s your take on this, Bossip fam? Continue reading →

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Hunger Games: Shady GOP Goon Tries To Live On Average Amount Of Food Stamps For One Week And Finds That It’s Not Enough

Posted on June 25, 2013 by Benny Hollywood

Skeptical GOP Advocate Unable To Live On Average Allotment Of Food Stamps Last week, we reported on a GOP advocate who enrolled to temporarily live on food-stamp benefits for one week to prove his point that decreasing the current average allotment of food stamps given to recipients in the program wouldn’t leave them hungry if they’d spend wisely and not “intentionally” buy expensive items. Well, it looks like his words have come back bite him in the azz, as he recently found himself having to come out of pocket after his allotment of food stamps ran out. via Think Progress An aide to Rep. Steve Stockman (R-TX) failed the so-called “SNAP Challenge” last week, just days after accusing Democrats of “intentionally buying overpriced food and shopping at high-priced chains.” The aide, Donny Ferguson, accepted the challenge in response to dozens of Democrats who lived off the program for a week to draw attention to the inadequacy of the average benefit of $4.50 per day. In a press release issued by Stockman’s office, Ferguson initially bragged that he “was able to buy enough food to eat well for a week on just $27.58, almost four dollars less than the $31.50 “SNAP Challenge” figure.” The list, which is posted on Stockman’s website, included prepared foods like red beans and rice, peanut butter, and even popsicles, but no vegetables. “That is my diet for the week and I’m not eating outside of it. Feeling great and I’ve gained two pounds,” Ferguson told ThinkProgress on Wednesday, adding,”Reality has a way of mocking liberalism.” But days later, it seems that the challenges of living on just a little more than $31.50 a week caught up with Ferguson. The Dallas Morning News reported on Monday that the communications aide had to buy additional food after embarking on an unexpected trip. Since he was unable to carry his canned purchases onto the plane, “Ferguson limited himself to $9 in meals while traveling” and ended up “going about 14 percent over budget.” As the paper notes, “While it could be assumed most SNAP recipients don’t have to worry about flying and carry-on charges, unexpected changes in plans can happen to anyone. Someone who relied on the program might not have had the cash to buy additional food if they faced a similar situation.” While it may or may not be true that the average person enrolled in the program doesn’t normally incur traveling expenses, this just goes to show that there are plenty of other unforeseen situations that could arise and deplete the average allotment to the point where it’s not enough. Sounds like the GOP goon-squad just got a taste of their own medicine! Continue reading →

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Shady Bolitics: New Report Shows 42% Of Lowest Earners Are Minorities As GOP Still Refuses To Increase Minimum Wage

Posted on June 22, 2013 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Are Republicans to blame for minorities being stuck in poverty? Minorities Remain In Poverty While GOP Refuses To Increase Minimun Wage Republicans have found yet another way to indirectly have a negative impact on the lives of thousands of minorities, as new reports show that the GOP’s refusal to approve the proposed minimum wage increase is keeping at least 300,000 people of color living in poverty. via Think Progress Three and a half million people of color would be lifted out of poverty if Congress raised the minimum wage to $10.10, according to a new report from the restaurant workers’ group ROC United. They would be the majority of the six million people overall who would be lifted out of poverty. People of color are far more likely to work minimum wage jobs, as they represent 42 percent of those earners even though they make up just 32 percent of the workforce. That big number is in large part thanks to the overrepresentation of people of color in low-wage restaurant industry jobs. Over 500,000 of those lifted out of poverty by a raise in the minimum wage would be restaurant workers, 300,000 of whom would be workers of color. Restaurants are the single largest employer of people of color, but they are disproportionately concentrated in the lowest paying positions. As the report notes, “Two of the lowest-paying jobs, dishwashers and fast food preps and cooks, are 59% and 35% people of color, and earn a median wage of $8.78 and $8.85, respectively.” Forty percent of tipped workers — who make an even lower minimum wage of $2.13 — are people of color. The people of color who hold these jobs are also more likely to live in poverty. They make up more than half of tipped workers and restaurant workers with incomes below the poverty line. There’s no doubt that the Republican party is hardly interested in improving the lives of minorities, as they continue to prove, but do you think they are to blame for this abundant amount of people of color living in ‘poverty’ by our society’s standards. Or are the people themselves to blame? Let’s discuss.

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Shady Bolitics: New Report Shows 42% Of Lowest Earners Are Minorities As GOP Still Refuses To Increase Minimum Wage

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For Discussion: Fox News Commentator Says Women Making More Money Than Men Is “Hurting Our Children” ….Is He Right?

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Benny Hollywood

Fox News Commentator Says Women Making More Money Than Men Hurts Our Children Earlier this week, a report came out confirming that women are the breadwinners in many U.S. households today . Naturally, the conservative base wasn’t too pleased with this news, and now one of their own are speaking out against the notion that it’s acceptable for mothers to have careers and earn just as much money as their men, if not more. via Think Progress Conservative commentator Erick Erickson earned himself a lot of detractors Wednesday night when, responding to the news that a record number of families rely on women’s income, he argued on Fox News that it was “natural” for men to take the “dominant role” and that women being the primary breadwinner for families is “hurting our children, and it’s going to have impact for generations to come.” But Erickson stood by his comments on Thursday, first tweeting, “Husbands and wives should play complimentary roles w/ dad as breadwinner,” and then penning a longer piece on the site he edits, Red State, making the case for why women shouldn’t be the primary earner in a household. “In modern society we are not supposed to say such things about child rearing and families. In modern society we are not supposed to point out that children in a two-parent heterosexual nuclear household have a better chance at long term success in life than others. In modern society, we are supposed to applaud feminists who teach women they can have it all — that there is no gender identifying role and women can fulfill the role of husbands and fathers just as men do. Feminists and politicians on both sides of the aisle view these statements as insulting to single moms and antithetical to their support for gay marriage. What should be insulting to single moms is for society to tell them they can do it all and, in fact, will subsidize their doing it all. I know a number of wonderful, nurturing single mothers. They do as best they can. Most of them have wonderful children. But not one of them prefers to be a single mother.“ What do you think, Bossip fam? Do women who choose to balance a work and home life deprive the children? Or are they setting a positive example for their children in showing the strength of mothers and women in general? Shutterstock Continue reading →

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