TODAY'S TALKING POINTS 09-04-15

TODAY'S TALKING POINTS

Dylann Roof is facing the death penalty. Prosecutors said the decision to move forward with seeking the death penalty was based on "the fact that more than two people were killed, and that others' lives were put at risk." Roof, 21, is accused of fatally shooting nine people in a racially motivated attack in Charleston, South Carolina.

Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis was sent to jail. A federal judge found Davis in contempt of court and remanded her to jail until she agrees to issue same-sex marriage licenses. Her refusal has drawn both scorn and support from across the country. While she’s behind bars, five of Davis’ deputy clerks are back in the office issuing licenses.

The case drew hundreds of protesters to the courthouse who chanted “Love won! Love won!” after the judge’s ruling. Meanwhile, Savage Lovecast host Dan Savage claims that Davis is just trying to “cash in.”

The UK vowed to accept thousands more Syrian refugees. While the leaders of other countries are saying "please don't come," Prime Minister David Cameron said they'd welcome refugees from UN camps bordering Syria. Meanwhile, Hungary's Parliament is expected to vote today on whether to further secure the border.

Want to know the latest? Here's a quick guide to the world's response to the migrant crisis in Europe.

The Justice Department tightened cell phone tracking policies. Federal officials will now need to get a warrant before they can locate and track your phone. The new rules will put caps on how much data can be collected and how long it can be stored. Oh, and now they actually need probable cause.

Tom Brady basically won Deflategate. A judge nullified his four-game suspension, but the NFL vowed to appeal it for the love (and integrity) of the game.

Remembering That Time Republicans Deported 2 Million Mexican-Americans

During the Great Depression, the American government forcibly deported between  2 million American citizens and legal residents of Mexican descent. This mass deportation, known as the Mexican Repatriation, took place from 1929 to 1939 and was fueled by panic over unemployment in the United States. Although the repatriation changed the lives of millions, historians have only recently began to study and understand what happened.

The Early 1900s

In the early 20th century, several factors led to increased immigration from Mexico. The violence of the Mexican Revolution and the American demand for labor made the United States an appealing option for many who wanted safety and stability for their families. Legal immigration was easy at the time, with no quotas or restrictions on immigrants from Mexico and an inexpensive and quick visa process at the border. By 1930, the population of Mexican Americans had grown to almost 1.5 million. Over half of these people were born in the United States.

The Stock Market Crash

The stock market crash of 1929 signaled the onset of the Great Depression, a time of economic devastation and extremely high unemployment. As many Americans panicked, they began to blame immigrants for their problems. As a result, people of Mexican descent were systematically denied jobs, subjected to raids and illegally detained without warrants. In 1931, federal and state governments began to support a process of instructing social workers to encourage Mexican Americans to leave. Torture, illegal imprisonment and other methods of coercion were also used. The government began to send trains with thousands of people of Mexican descent to Mexico. Many of these were American citizens who did not speak Spanish.

Repatriation

When the repatriated Mexican Americans arrived in Mexico, some were able to locate family members to live with, but many others had nowhere to go. The Mexican economy was not prepared to accommodate the new influx of people, and although it attempted to create agricultural colonies for the repatriated, starvation and disease resulted in dozens of deaths, permanently ending the project. The citizens of Mexico also did not welcome the new arrivals, resenting that they had left during the revolution and the burden that their presence created.

Results

As a result of the repatriation, families were forced to transition from comfortable lifestyles in the United States to conditions of extreme poverty. Lack of housing, plumbing, food and access to education created hardships for many when they arrived in Mexico. Returning to the United States also proved to be a serious problem. Historians estimate that at least 60 percent of the repatriated Mexican Americans were citizens of the United States; however, unless individuals were able to produce papers proving their nationality, they were not readmitted. Because it was impossible for many to access their documents, many citizens were never able to return to the U.S.

President Obama to Award 2014 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal

On Thursday afternoon, September 10, 2015,  President Obama will award the 2014 National Medal of Arts and the National Humanities Medal to distinguished recipients in the East Room. The First Lady will also attend.

The National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities were established by the Congress in 1965 as independent agencies of the Federal Government. To date, the NEA has awarded more than $5 billion to support artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with State arts agencies, local leaders, other Federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector. The National Endowment for the Humanities brings the best in humanities research, public programs, education, and preservation projects to the American people. To date, NEH has awarded $5 billion in grants to build the nation’s cultural capital – at museums, libraries, colleges and universities, archives, and historical societies—and advance our understanding and appreciation of history, literature, philosophy, and language. Both Endowments are celebrating their 50th anniversaries this year.

 At next week's event, the President will deliver remarks and present the awards to the following individuals and organizations:

2014 National Medal of Arts

· John Baldessari, Visual Artist, (Venice, CA)

· Ping Chong, Theater Director, Choreographer, and Video and Installation Artist, (New York, NY)

· Miriam Colón, Actress, Theater Founder, and Director (New York, NY)

· The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (New York, NY)

· Sally Field, Actress and Filmmaker, (Los Angeles, CA)

· Ann Hamilton, Visual Artist, (Columbus, OH)

· Stephen King, Author, (Bangor, ME)

· Meredith Monk, Composer, Singer, and Performer, (New York, NY)

· George Shirley, Tenor, (Ann Arbor, MI)

· University Musical Society, Performing Arts Presenter (Ann Arbor, MI)

· Tobias Wolff, Author and Educator, (Stanford, CA)

2014 National Humanities Medal

· Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, Historian, (Auburndale, MA)

· Annie Dillard, Author, (Key West, FL)

· Clemente Course In The Humanities (Annandale-On-Hudson, NY)

· Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, Novelist and Philosopher, (Boston, MA)

· Alice Waters, Chef, Author, and Advocate, (Berkeley, CA)

· Larry McMurtry, Novelist, Essayist, and Screenwriter, (Archer City, TX)

· Everett L. Fly, Architect, (San Antonio, TX)

· Jhumpa Lahiri, Author, (New York, NY)

· Fedwa Malti-Douglas, Professor and Scholar, (Rhinebeck, NY)

· Vicki Lynn Ruiz, Historian, (Irvine, CA)

Below are the 2014 National Medal of Arts Citations, which will be read at the ceremony:

John Baldessari for his contributions as a visual artist. His ambitious work combines photography, painting, and text to push the boundaries of image, making him one of the most influential conceptual artists of our time.

Ping Chong for his contributions as a theater director, choreographer, and video and installation artist. Mr. Chong's innovative performances explore race, history, technology, and art to challenge our understanding of humanity in the modern world.

Miriam Colón for her contributions as an actress. Ms. Colón has been a trailblazer in film, television, and theater, and helped open doors for generations of Hispanic actors.

The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation for supporting creative expression across the country. With generosity and a bold commitment to artistic risk, this foundation has helped artists, musicians, dancers, and actors share their talents, enriching the cultural life of our Nation.

Sally Field  for her contributions as an actress and filmmaker. The dignity, empathy, and fearlessness of her performances have touched audiences around the world, and she has deployed those same qualities off-screen in her advocacy for women, LGBT rights, and public health.

Ann Hamilton for her contributions as a visual artist. Ms. Hamilton uses time as process and material, and her work demonstrates the importance of experiencing the arts first-hand in the digital age.

Stephen King for his contributions as an author. One of the most popular and prolific writers of our time, Mr. Kingcombines his remarkable storytelling with his sharp analysis of human nature. For decades, his works of horror, suspense, Science fiction, and fantasy have terrified and delighted audiences around the world.

Meredith Monk for her contributions as a composer, singer, and performer. Renowned for her groundbreaking vocal techniques, Ms. Monk has reimagined the instrument of voice with her innovative work.

George Shirley for his contributions as a tenor. The first African American tenor to sing in a leading role at the Metropolitan Opera, Mr. Shirley has captivated audiences for more than 50 years with his masterful performances. As a pioneer and as a teacher, Mr. Shirley has paved the way for generations of aspiring African American opera singers.

University Musical Society for presenting the performing arts to communities in Michigan. For over a century, the Society has brought world-class orchestras, dance ensembles, jazz performers, and theater companies to Michigan, while supporting the study and creation of new works.

Tobias Wolff for his contributions as an author and educator. His raw works of fiction examine themes of American identity and individual morality. With wit and compassion, Mr. Wolff's work reflects the truths of our human experience.

Below are the 2014 National Humanities Medal Citations which will be read at the ceremony:

The Clemente Course In The Humanities for improving the lives of disadvantaged adults. The Clemente Course has brought free humanities education to thousands of men and women, enriching their lives and broadening their horizons.

Annie Dillard for her profound reflections on human life and nature. In poetry and in prose, Ms. Dillard has invited us to stand humbly before the stark beauty of creation.

Everett L. Fly for preserving the integrity of African-American places and landmarks. A landscape architect, Mr. Fly has worked tirelessly to win historical recognition for Eatonville, Florida, Nicodemus, Kansas, and other sites central to African-American history, preserving an important part of our broader American heritage.

Rebecca Newberger Goldstein for bringing philosophy into conversation with culture. In scholarship, Dr. Goldstein has elucidated the ideas of Spinoza and Gödel, while in fiction, she deploys wit and drama to help us understand the great human conflict between thought and feeling.

Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham for illuminating the African-American journey. In her writings and edited volumes, Dr. Higginbotham has traced the course of African-American history, and deepened our understanding of the American story.

Jhumpa Lahiri for enlarging the human story. In her works of fiction, Dr. Lahiri has illuminated the Indian-American experience in beautifully wrought narratives of estrangement and belonging.

Fedwa Malti-Douglas for her studies of Arabic letters. Dr. Douglas has mapped the discourse of gender and letters in the Arab Middle East and applied her insights to American culture.

Larry McMurtry for his books, essays, and screenplays. Mr. McMurtry's work evokes the character and drama of the American West with stories that examine quintessentially American lives.

Vicki Lynn Ruiz for her contributions as a historian. In monographs and edited volumes, Dr. Ruiz has pioneered the history of twentieth-century Latinas in a distinguished career that began with collecting oral testimony from Mexican immigrants who worked in U.S. canning factories.

Alice Waters for celebrating the bond between the ethical and the edible. As a chef, author, and advocate, Ms. Waters champions a holistic approach to eating and health and celebrates integrating gardening, cooking, and education, sparking inspiration in a new generation.

The Anti-Gay Group Behind KY County Clerk Kim Davis

While Kentucky clerk Kim Davis insists that her decision to break the law by ordering her office to deny marriage licenses to same-sex couples “has never been a gay or lesbian issue,” the right-wing legal group defending Davis, Liberty Counsel, has made no secret of their contempt for gays and lesbians. Liberty Counsel, which is closely tied to Liberty University, the school founded by Jerry Falwell, has urged Davis to flout the law and defy the courts.

The way Liberty Counsel sees it, the Supreme Court’s landmark Obergefell decision is illegitimate and can be ignored. In a lawsuit that Liberty Counsel filed for Davis against the governor of Kentucky, the group claims that Davis cannot act “in contradiction to the moral law of God, natural law, or her sincerely held religious beliefs and convictions” or it would be a violation of her oath. Liberty Counsel adds that the enforcement of the marriage equality ruling is inherently unconstitutional as it “creates a religious (or anti-religious) test for holding office — which the United States and Kentucky Constitutions expressly forbid.”

By invoking “God’s authority” even after the Supreme Court rejected her appeals, Davis is closely following Liberty Counsel’s own legal reasoning that her own interpretation of divine law trumps whatever the courts say, and as a public official she must follow this higher authority.

Davis has now become a figure that Liberty Counsel uses to claim that Christians in America are not only facing oppression, but have no need to follow the Supreme Court’s ruling on marriage.

If Davis can defy the courts, Liberty Counsel chairman Mat Staver argues, then other elected officials can turn their counties (or cities and states) into “sanctuary cities” safe from gay marriage. “If they come out with a decision that is contrary to God's natural created order,” Staver said before the court had ruled, “I personally will advocate disobedience to it ... and collectively, we cannot accept that as the rule of law.”

Staver is no stranger to anti-gay activism, as he has predicted that President Obama will impose “forced homosexuality” upon the nation, regularly likened gay people to terrorists, labeled the gay rights movement as “demonic” and defended countries that outlaw same-sex relationships. Gay equality, Staver warns, will lead to the end of civilization and cause America to “implode” and “unravel.”

He has also been intent on finding an anti-gay version of Rosa Parks who can become a model for others. Staver believes that anti-gay activists must act like Rosa Parks and launch a new Civil Rights Movement.

Source RightWingWatch

Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis has been found in contempt of court

will be transported to Kentucky's Carter County Detention Center. If she agrees to issue licenses, she will be released.


UPDATE: Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis has been found in contempt of court and has been taken into custody. She is expected to remain in custody until she agrees to begin issuing marriage licenses, according to WDRB's Lawrence Smith, who was inside the court hearing

"The court doesn't do this lightly," District Court Judge David Bunning said.

Rowan County, Ky, clerk Kim Davis escorted out of courtroom; judge says she can be released if she complies with order to issue licenses, says fines would not be enough -

U.S. District Judge David Bunning this morning heard from Kim Davis, her deputy clerks, and several Rowan county judges, all of whom have refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples ever since the Supreme Court ruled in June the same-sex couples have the right to marry.

Judge Bunning found Davis in contempt of court and ordered Davis to jail. U.S. Marshals reportedly have her in custody.

THE LAST WORD 09-03-15

THE LAST WORD

Sitting is literally killing you. It can harm your brain, body and even your sex life. But Mic’s Max Plenke has good news: Just 150 minutes of exercise each week can help counteract these devastating effects, and simultaneously give you a sharper mind, help prevent Alzheimer’s and make you a happier person, which your coworkers will definitely appreciate.

CONVERSATION STARTERS 09-03-15

CONVERSATION STARTERS America’s love affair with caffeine has sparked unexpected overdoses. The Washington Post Millennials tell stories about the one email they never should have sent. Mic When will everyone you know be married? FiveThirtyEight Don’t worry, most people don’t actually feel like an adult until age 29. Mic There’s a simple trick to acting heroically. The New York Times (paywall) What Hillary Clinton’s TV streaming queue should look like. Mic You might be a millennial, but your heart could be a Gen X-er. The Los Angeles Times What your favorite summer movie says about you. Mic This is what happens when everyone is terrified of carbs. The Washington Post The college students who smoke weed now outnumber those who smoke cigarettes. Mic