Angela Davis: America Needs a New Political Party

Political activist Angela Davis says she is not impressed with America’s presidential candidates. Davis, who’s work surrounds issues of gender, race, class and prison, believes America needs a new party, “a party that is grounded in labor, a party that can speak to all of the issues around racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia—what is happening in the world. We don’t yet have that party." 

When asked about Donald Trump she said she condemns Donald Trump and his failure to denounce the endorsement of David Duke, former leader of the Ku Klux Klan, and notes that, “the Ku Klux Klan, of course, evokes the racist, terrorist, violent history associated with the era following slavery up to the present. It doesn’t seem to me to be a question whether one would disavow the Ku Klux Klan.”

On Hillary Clinton she said "It seems to me that if she’s interested in the votes of not only African Americans and people of color, but of all people who are progressive and attempting to speak out against the racism of over incarceration, she would simply say, ‘I was wrong then,’ that ‘superpredator’ is a racially coded term. It’s so interesting that she is—she tends to rely on a kind of universalism that prevents her from acknowledging the extent to which racism is so much a force and an influence in this country.”

In my opinion, I kind of agree with her because I feel like this election is kind of a joke in a way. At first I was thinking about voting for Hilary Clinton but after analyzing her history of the previous years I just feel like she's saying things only to get votes but won't do if she were to win. With Trump I feel like he is just a joke and the other republican candidates I feel like I can't trust them. The only person so far who I think might be a good candidate is Bernie Sanders. 

Source: http://www.essence.com/2016/03/30/angela-davis-america-needs-new-political-party 

AG advocates legal representation for children facing deportation

Attorney General Bob Fergusson who works for the state of Washington, spoke out on a recent article regarding children and deportations. He said that children shouldn't be forced to represent themselves in deportation hearings. 

The article says that the class-action lawsuit was filed on July 9, 2014 on behalf of thousands of children, challenging the federal government's willingness to carry out deportation hearings against them without legal representation. For the most part, these children are fleeing to escape violence and crime back in their home countries. A majority of the children are coming from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala.

In 2004, One teenager was murdered only 17 days after being deported. At least 83 deportees from the U.S. have been reported murdered upon their return to Central America since January 2014. Many children flee their country for a reason because they want to avoid the violence that happens. However if they return back to the country then they are more likely to get killed because then people would have known that they did to escape. 

It's really sad that children are deported when all they want is a better future. I feel like ICE should focus on criminals and not children who want to get an education. 

Source: http://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-advocates-legal-representation-children-facing-deportation

Students protest in support of the College of Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State

Recently SFSU said it can’t keep funding the college of Ethnic Studies because of the consistent deficit of about $200,000 annually, given tight budgets across California public institutions. If they were to continue funding it then they would have to cut all funding to the college’s César E. Chávez Institute for research, community-based work, work-study for students, core graduate classes, classes taught by faculty members on sabbatical, suspending new hires for several years, even those to replace faculty members who have retired or gone elsewhere.

“When you say you can’t afford to offer those classes, then the eventual effect will be that you don’t have a viable major," said Dorothy Randall Tsuruta, chair of the Department of Africana Studies. 

“San Francisco State is still recovering from systemwide budget cuts and consistent underfunding of the California State University by the state, However, our five values of equity, community, resilience, courage and life of the mind will see us through the decisions that will enable the College of Ethnic Studies to continue to thrive and serve our students for decades to come." said Les Wong, president of San Francisco State

In my opinion, I think that the college should continue to have this program even if it takes funds from other programs because it has been here for a long time "The country’s first and only such freestanding college" and I think it has really affected many students. Just this Wednesday there was a protest again on the campus to support the College in hopes that it keeps getting funded. 

Source: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/03/03/iconic-ethnic-studies-college-san-francisco-state-says-it-cant-pay-its-bills

Trump attacks judge's ethnicity

Just recently, a lawsuit was made against Donal Trump after a one-year apprenticeship that Trump University students were promised ended after students paid for a three-day seminar. Attendees who were promised a personal photo with Trump received only the chance to take a photo with a cardboard cutout. Many of these instructors were bankrupt real estate investors. Trump in a statement to Fox News said the Judge has to do a lot in this because the case should've been closed a year ago. 

He said "I think it has to do perhaps with the fact that I'm very, very strong on the border, very, very strong at the border, and he has been extremely hostile to me, It's a small deal, very small, but because it was me and because there's a hostility toward me by the judge — tremendous hostility — beyond belief. I believe he happens to be Spanish, which is fine. He's Hispanic — which is fine." 

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said the following "I will not engage in a debate about ongoing litigation, But there is no place in this process for racial demagoguery directed at respected members of the judiciary."

In my opinion, I think Trump is just out of his mind. There is a line between business and personal which I think Trump is misinterpreting. Judge Gonzalo Curiel, may be Hispanic but I don't think it has to do anything with his ethnicity. I think what his company did is wrong and he just doesn't want to accept it because he doesn't want to face the consequences. Even Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz acknowledge that what he did to those people was a fraud but Trump is taking it personal saying that because he had said certain things about Hispanics now the judge is making a big deal.

In 2013, his University committed fraud and fleeced 5,000 people out of millions of dollars!! This shouldn't be anything new to him because he has done it in the past. What's even worse is that the New York supreme court ruled that his University operated illegally because it was an unlicensed educational institution. No wonder he has so many complaints! 


Source: http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Trump-attacks-judge-s-ethnicity-6859621.php