Talking It Out

In lieu of the Friday news links, I'm going to share with you a Twitter thread that went viral the other day: 1. I can always appreciate a genuine inquiry regarding #NotAllWhitePeople & #NotAllMen ; join me as I take a more creative route to explain. https://t.co/fxzZJTrn6U — Adrian C. Jackson (@AdrianCJax) August 23, 2017 2. Imaging 13 kids (weird number, I know, but it'll make sense soon enough): 10 of them wear white t-shirts; 3 of them, brown tees. — Adrian C. Jackson (@AdrianCJax) August 23, 2017 3. Everyday, the "white tee" kids get to leave class early to attend lunch ahead of everyone else; the "brown tee" kids follow afterwards. — Adrian C. Jackson (@AdrianCJax) August 23, 2017 4. Unfortunately, like clockwork, the 3 brown tee kids are bullied by 6 of the 10 white tee kids waiting for them & steal their lunch money. — Adrian C. Jackson (@AdrianCJax) August 23, 2017 5. So, naturally, the brown tee

He's a local guy, born in the Bronx to a German Jewish immigrant father who fled the Nazis for a better life in America, and an American Jewish mother whose family hailed from England.  He was raised here on Long Island, in Hicksville.    He's been quite successful in his professional life, but he never forgot where he comes from. For awhile he used the name William Martin, but you might know him better as Billy Joel. Anyone who knows me knows that i have been a Billy Joel fan since at least 1977 -- The Stranger dominated the charts during my junior year in high school -- but what has earned my declaration of undying love? This:   Billly Joel Dons Jewish Star Against Neo-Nazis . Yes, Billy Joel, apolitical Billy Joel, made a simple but very profound statement during his Madison Square Garden concert on August 21, 2017. Jews throughout Nazi-occupied Europe were compelled to wear yellow stars to signify their faith and culture during the Holocaust.   When

You know what everyone's been talking about this week. A few takes you might not have seen: When bad things happen, you can either complain or do something. And sometimes doing something can be giving back to organizations that do good. After Charlottesville, someone on Twitter did a thread about organizations doing good there. Here's a link to a blog post with that same information . The Washington Post  did a piece on how all this might look if this were being reported in another country . Chilling. There was a president who knew how to tweet about the weekend's events . Not the current one, of course... A blog post from someone who is fed up . (Aren't we all? Give it a read. It's worth your time.) This was a great tweet thread that went viral (in case you haven't already seen it). Something to think about if these people are marching in your town: Nazis coming to town? Here's a positive and creative response. #Resist pic.twitter.com/gcrHa

Have you seen the VICE video? If not, take 22 minutes...

One of the first posts on this blog was my comment about the  ACLU .  I spoke about neo-Nazis and their desire to march through the streets of Skokie, IL in 1977. My ideals were sorely tested yesterday, as White Supremacists marched through the streets of Charlottesville, VA, wreaking havoc with their hate, spreading fear, advocating violence. Yes, they have a right to express their views.  And the rest of us have the right to condemn those views. But what happened in Charlottesville goes well beyond "free speech" and "peaceful protest". Fear-mongering, intimidation tactics, violence, terrorism, murder.  Criminal acts that are  not protected by our Constitution.   It scared me to see how many of them showed up for this rally.  How much hate exists in this country today.  How emboldened the bigots and fear-mongerers have become, What used to exists in the shadowy outskirts of the political spectrum is moving  has moved to center stage. I was

Assuming that we're still around come Friday, here are a few news links you might have missed: As of July 21st, a list of 45's lies (from the New York Times ). Would 45 let you immigrate to the U.S.? Take the quiz to find out. (I couldn't. I only got a 20, and I'd need a 30 minimum.) A psychological analysis of 45's supporters probably won't surprise you. "Authoritarian personality syndrome—a well-studied and globally-prevalent condition—is a state of mind that is characterized by belief in total and complete obedience to one’s authority." (In case you're still trying to grasp how some people are still supporting him.) “He’s the opposite of Teddy Roosevelt. He speaks loudly and carries a small stick.”  Diplomats laughing at Trump over leaked Mexico transcript article worth it for that quote alone. 45 may have elevated his threat from mere bluster to a specific vow to start a nuclear holocaust in part because of his love of this one pe