America At Crossroads On Race, Gender, Ethnicity, Religion, Sexual Orientation, Class

After recent events in Florida on racial profiling; in Texas and other states on abortion restrictions; in Arizona and other states on legislation regarding undocumented immigration; the push for theocracy by the Religious Right; the move in many states to allow discrimination against gays and lesbians in employment; and the growing chasm between workers and management regarding labor rights and conditions, it is clear that America is at a crossroads on issues of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and class!

African Americans, women, Latinos and Hispanics, those for separation of church and state, gays and lesbians, and the middle class and the poor face constant attack on their basic rights and their quality of life, as the Right is moving to curb advancements that have been made over the past 60 years since the time of Dwight D. Eisenhower onward by the Supreme Court, Congressional action on civil rights and civil liberties, and courageous Presidents of both parties who have seen the need to lower the barriers on race, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and class!

We are at a crossroads in the constant struggle for American democracy and fair play, as even when progress is made, there is aggressive action to reverse the progress, trying to wipe out what has been accomplished!

The country is changing, but we have negative elements who are trying to return America to what it was many generations ago, and the fight for continued progress and advancement to a “more perfect Union” is a never ending one, and no one can give up their participation in the struggle, as that only advances the movement toward negativism, regression, and reversal!

10 comments on “America At Crossroads On Race, Gender, Ethnicity, Religion, Sexual Orientation, Class

  1. Princess Leia July 16, 2013 11:04 am

    Excellent article Professor!

  2. Gus Espejo July 16, 2013 7:06 pm

    Is prohibiting abortion after 5 months, except in case of danger to the life of the mother, something that should be considered as restriction? I mean unreasonable restrictions? After the Gosnell trial it seems pretty reasonable in my humble opinion. Also what events of racial profiling occurred in Florida. As far as I can tell the Trayvon Martin case was not about racial profiling but about self-defense, if that is what you are referring to.

  3. Princess Leia July 17, 2013 5:37 am

    @Gus

    Zimmerman created this situation. He followed Martin, with announced aggressive intentions, cursing that he was going to “get away.” He ignored the police dispatcher who told him to desist. If Martin did attack Zimmerman at that point, shouldn’t it have been Martin who was protected by Stand Your Ground? MARTIN was acting in self-defense, not the raving thug who was following him. Zimmerman creates the confrontation, and then gets off on self-defense for shooting the person he targeted, followed and menaced? That is absolutely insane! No matter what the jury believed about the actual fight, Zimmerman was the initial aggressor. Without his actions, there’s no confrontation, and Martin could not possibly have posed a threat to him. It’s as simple as that.

  4. Princess Leia July 17, 2013 6:08 am

    My stance on abortion – safe, legal, rare, and a woman’s right to choose. Politicians should not be forcing women to have ultrasounds if they decide to have an abortion.

  5. Ronald July 17, 2013 8:47 am

    Princess Leia, I am ONE HUNDRED PERCENT in agreement on what you said above on abortion. If men faced the intrusive nature that women are forced to face in Texas, Wisconsin, Ohio, and elsewhere, there would be an armed revolution against those calling for government intervention in their privacy on such a personal level as their bodies! That is totalitarianism at its worst, and yet, ironically, this is what the right wing rails against constantly, government intrusion, except when it affects women. It is such a double standard!

  6. Ronald July 17, 2013 8:49 am

    And, Princess Leia, your discussion of the Zimmerman case is right on, well expressed, and I totally agree with what you have said above!

  7. Maggie July 17, 2013 3:05 pm

    I would like to mention some observations about the trial. In viewing the pictures shown by the defense. Zimmerman’s head showed 2 small abrasions requiring nothing more than two small bandaids. As a nurse I have seen every level of head trauma. The tissue on the head is especially vascular and will bleed That’s hardly evidence of repeated head bashing. I think Trayvon did attempt to stand his ground and yes he popped Zimmerman in the nose knocking him on his ass and that’s when GZ lightly bumped his head. The story of Trayvon jumping on his chest landing repeated blows to Zimmerman’s face was not supported by any evidence other then Zimmerman’s word. I believe it’s quite feasible that Trayvon may have leaned over Zimmerman and that is when GZ pulled his weapon from behind his back and shot the kid. I believe Zimmerman already had his weapon out… and if he shot Trayvon while Travon was on top of him.. where is the blood? The photos of him taken at the police dept show not one speck of Trayvon’s blood. no way did he tell the truth! I believe Trayvon hit him knocking GZ down and maybe Trayvon leaned over and tried to grab or knock the gun out of Zimmerman’s hand…and that’s when Zimmerman pulled the trigger. Why are these explanations any less a possibility than the many BS stories Zimmerman told?
    The prosecution did a lousy job in so many ways. The judge I question as well. Why were videos of Trayvon having nothing to do with the case. These videos clearybtrying to impugn TV character yet nothing was admitted about Zimmerman’s considerably troubled past?
    We will never know the truth other than a kid was walking home when a man with a loaded gun, with no safety decided he was John Wayne and went hunting for “the suspect “. Had he stayed in his car and waited for the police, Trayvon Martin would still be alive.

  8. Ronald July 17, 2013 3:14 pm

    Maggie, you summarized the case extremely well, and I wish you had been a juror in the case, fighting against the others, refusing to bend, and maybe convincing them, or at worse, having a hung jury, which would have been better, and led to a second trial and maybe a mix of racial backgrounds and some men on the jury. This was NOT a fair balance of people on the jury, and the prosecutors should have fought for diversity!

  9. Princess Leia July 17, 2013 3:20 pm

    @Maggie

    That’s the kind of stuff that makes me highly skeptical of Zimmerman’s story as well.

    ———————-

    The NAACP has a petition about the case on their website. http://www.naacp.org
    There are over a million signatures on the petition.

  10. Princess Leia July 17, 2013 3:24 pm

    The botching of this trial reminds of the botching of the OJ trial.

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