Global
“Numerous foreign-born individuals have been convicted or implicated in terrorism-related crimes since September 11, 2001.”
As Donald Trump sets out to “protect America,” I dedicate the words of his explosively controversial proclamation banning people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States, to one of his supporters: Alexandre Bissonnette, the white nationalist Canadian who shot up a mosque in Quebec City a few days ago, murdering six people and injuring eight others.
Bissonnette is the latest native-born lost soul who figured out how to combine a simmering hatred for a preselected “enemy” with guns and ammo and set out to save the world. He won’t be the last. He’s part of a burgeoning North American tradition of mass murder that is fed by racism, war, fear and guns — a tradition the American government happily exploits but is clueless on how to address effectively.
I gather these are the features people have concerns about in the recent U.S. raid in Yemen.
1. It was fought on the ground rather than from the air.
2. An American died.
3. The American was a Navy SEAL Team 6 member, more valuable than other Americans.
4. Trump approved it instead of Obama.
5. Trump didn't have "proper" "intelligence."
6. Trump had the wrong accomplices in the room.
7. Trump wasn't in the room.
8. The U.S. hasn't declared war against Yemen.
9. Trump, who is legally responsible for this crime, sounds like an intoxicated idiot.
10. Last and certainly least, a bit too many children and women were killed.
May I respectfully request everyone pushing these ideas to stick a "Make America Great Again" hat in their mouth and eat it?
What in the hell is the matter with you people?
President Trump has pushed forward with his campaign promise to build a wall to help decrease the continued influx of illegal immigrants who enter the USA from Mexico. There are many who oppose this wall being built for reasons that they feel are important. There are others who support this wall being built for reasons that they feel are just as important. But the main question that I have is who benefits from this wall being built or not built?
Let’s start with the American who used to be able to support his or her family by working in skilled trade jobs. The men, of all races, were able to become plumbers, masons, landscapers, roofers, construction workers, cooks, auto mechanics and a host of other skilled labor jobs. The women, of all races, were able to provide for their families as housekeepers, cooks, seamstress, caregivers and more. And of course, for the African Americans, these jobs were at times in America, the only jobs they could get, educated or not to support their families.
I have been in a funk since the day after last year’s presidential election. About a month before the voting, I began to feel as though Donald Trump would beat Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. I thought the only hope was that she could eke out a win through the Electoral College. Well, we all know that didn’t happen.
Welcome to the post-Obama world. I am of two minds about the Obamas’ departure from the White House. On the one hand, I am glad that they are no longer in the public eye, a clear target for the virulent, naked racism that has been on display in America since the day they moved into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. On the other, I wish they could stay forever. They are the embodiment of what we claim to be about in America – excellence, equal opportunity, meritocracy – and they make me so proud. And so since last year’s election, I’ve been thinking about how I feel about the Obama presidency.
I have been in a funk since the day after last year’s presidential election. About a month before the voting, I began to feel as though Donald Trump would beat Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. I thought the only hope was that she could eke out a win through the Electoral College. Well, we all know that didn’t happen.
I have been in a funk since the day after last year’s presidential election. About a month before the voting, I began to feel as though Donald Trump would beat Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. I thought the only hope was that she could eke out a win through the Electoral College. Well, we all know that didn’t happen.
“First Person Singular” is an occasional column that focuses on impactful personalities in Central Ohio.
It is written by JP Marat, a DJ and Producer for WCRS FM Community Radio in Columbus.
Super Heroes
When I was a kid my idols were super heroes like The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man and Luke Cage. When I got a bit older, I gravitated towards military commanders (oh youth!). It’s only as an adult that I’ve come to appreciate the last great hero of our age . . . a Columbus Parks and Recreation Department staff worker.
Everett Smith
When Columbus Blue Jackets defensemen Seth Jones was traded to Columbus two years ago hardly anyone took notice because the team was in their usual mid-season funk and headed for another year out of the playoffs.
But now the entire city is beginning to jump out of their seats – even African-Americans, a group not often associated as hockey fans because almost all NHLers are white. They’re taking notice because Seth Jones is black and a star-in-the-making. He made the NHL all-star roster this year. Better yet, he embraces the fact he’s an African-American role model in a sport that has slowly warmed to African-Americans. In a way, he’s a pioneer for the 21st century.
“There have been a few African-American kids who have come up to me and said, ‘You’re my favorite player,’ ” said the 22-year-old Jones to the website The Undefeated recently.
Columbus in the past has been labeled a “Black middle-class” capital of the world. Yet many young African-American children have lamented the city lacks a “pro team.” But there is a pro-team and local African-American children are starting to take notice.
For a lot of IT geeks, information security – InfoSec – has been little more than a hobby that lets us delve into the world of online spy tech. Most of us haven’t been doing anything any more illegal than the occasional movie torrent or text to a pot dealer, and the average InfoSec geek has traditionally been more likely to be a Breitbart-reading Reddit troll than someone who is actually part of a marginalized group.
That’s got to change, and soon, because the Breitbart-reading Reddit trolls are now running the asylum, and the only free speech they actually care about is their own.
In December’s issue I went over some basics: turn off geotagging, use encrypted cloud services, use the Tor browser whenever you can. But those were kinder, gentler days, when we didn’t yet know that we were walking right into the worst case scenario, as much as we may have suspected it.