“Even if you did not participate in slavery, you do live in a society that continually places you in a position of at least slight privilege because of your race. A black person can not help their race any more than you can help yours. Nor can they help the constant and pervasive deprivileging they experience. Whether you are conscious of that privilege at all times and actively perpetuate that privilege or not, you have to acknowledge that your privilege has given you an edge for most of your life. To talk about a system that gives slight privilege to people of color being “unfair” when we live in a system that is constantly “unfair” to people of color is a little bit, well, hard to swallow.” — My response to SDS on affirmative action (via robot-heart)
“I think the better explanation for why the media hasn’t picked it up is because the little girl is black. This is appalling and someone should be covering it. But they won’t, unless the little girl miraculously turns white overnight. Please note that this little girl was originally arrested for prostitution because there had been reports of white prostitutes in the neighborhood.” — Robot Heart: Final arguments in trial against 12-year-old girl mistaken for hooker - Boing Boing
Iceland’s Government Collapses -
(via mattlehrer)
“Iceland has been mired in crisis since the collapse of the country’s banks under the weight of debts amassed during years of rapid expansion. Inflation and unemployment have soared, and the krona currency has plummeted.”
insane debt, rapid expansion, inflation, unemployment, falling currency…that sounds familiar.
Sea Ice in Retreat: This summer saw a record-breaking loss of Arctic sea ice. -
“I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on earth.” - Barack Obama
“Watching the Growth of Walmart Across America [is] like watching the spread of a terrible disease. Walmart is the ebola virus of retail.” — joe lazarus
My immediate reaction is, “But what did I do?” And then I rush to see if they unfollowed me.
Update: Since posting this I’ve lost three followers, so maybe my paranoia is founded?
A biotechnician with the Cape Hatteras National Seashore U.S. National Park Service waits with an endangered North Atlantic right whale. Officials planned to euthanize the whale, since it was too young to fend for itself in the ocean.
(WSJ)
Why would you NOT want a leader who gave you hope?
Why would you NOT want people to be hopeful?
Why would you NOT get excited at the prospect of change and progress?
Why are some people so fucking bitter that they try to pick apart other people’s optimism?
Why are some people so quick to jump on the “I told you he would fail” bandwagon before he’s even had a chance to start?
Do you know what the real problem with America is? It’s not “big” government. It’s “small” minds.
“Not to be all “Woe is me, feel sorry for me”… But I feel like since I was very young, I have been held to a higher standard by people in positions of authority over me. Example: In sophomore AP English, I sat right next to this girl who slept through 30 minutes of the class, every day. She was LITERALLY ASLEEP, PASSED OUT- while our teacher was giving a lesson, and I didn’t feel well, so I put my head on my desk while I took notes. He told me to pick my head up. I said, “Umm, Tara’s asleep.” I got sent outside. And then I got detention.” — afghanistanbananastand