Monthly Archives: May 2023

May 17 is the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT). Celebrated every year, the day aims to raise awareness of violations against the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

Recent data shows that the issue of violence against the queer community is growing in Canada.

Statistics Canada says 423 hate crimes targeting someone based on their sexual orientation were reported to police in 2021. This set a new record after surpassing the previous high of 265 reported in 2019.

While exact data was not provided, a different Statistics Canada report shows that transgender people are significantly more likely to be on the receiving end of unwanted behaviour in public and at work. Additionally, they are also more likely to be the victims of discrimination and violence.

A protest is being held in downtown Toronto tonight to honour the occasion. From 6 to 8 p.m., at The 519 community centre, people will gather in solidarity to celebrate IDAHOBIT

Anti-2SLGBTQ+ hate is dangerously trending upwards globally and Canada is not immune. Hateful protestors are showing up at drag performances. School boards are navigating heated disputes around raising the Pride flag and the censorship of 2SLGBTQ+ material in books. Gender-affirming healthcare is being impacted by transphobic bills. We cannot allow history to repeat itself. The situation is urgent, and the time for action is now, a statement from The 519 reads.

Dubbed Prance and Protest, tonights rally has been described as an act of radical queer joy which will celebrate the power of community uniting against hate and violence, while calling for allyship.

The rally will also feature local queer and drag performances from Prince Manny Dingo, Kenya Rami, Queer of Sheba and more. MPP for Toronto Centre Kristyn Wong-Tam and City Councillor Chris Moise will also be in attendance.

According to the 2018 Survey of Safety in Public and Private Spaces, an estimated one million people in Canada are gay, lesbian, bisexual or identify as a sexual orientation that is not heterosexual. The survey also found an additional 75,000 people in Canada 15 or older are transgender.

Officials show support on IDAHOBIT

In Canada, the federal government has recognized the importance of advocating against the oppression of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

In recent years, we have taken significant action to make Canada a safer place for people from the 2SLGBTQI+ community. We updated laws to protect gender identity and gender expression, I apologized on behalf of the Government of Canada in the House of Commons for the systemic oppression, rejection, and criminalization of 2SLGBTQI+ people, and we criminalized conversion therapy, to name a few, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement on Wednesday.

But people from the 2SLGBTQI+ community, particularly transgender people, are still facing a crisis of targeted violence in Canada and across the globe, the statement continued, adding that in recognition of work that still needs to be done the government recently launched the first-ever federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan a government-wide approach to strengthen rights and promote equality.

Canada continues to actively promote 2SLGBTQI+ human rights on the world stage, and address the ongoing, widespread criminalization, discrimination, and violence faced by these communities. Through our international assistance, Canada is investing to advance human rights and improve socio-economic outcomes for 2SLGBTQI+ communities in developing countries.

While on a global scale, the United Nations is also speaking out.

As we mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, we face a stark fact. In every corner of the world, LGBTQI+ people continue to face violence, persecution, hate speech, injustice, and even outright murder, United Nations Secretary-General Antnio Guterres said in a statement.

According to the UN, 64 countries worldwide criminalize private and consensual same-sex relationships.

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Toronto to rally against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia ... - NOW Toronto

Te Pti Mori has accused Prime Minister Chris Hipkins of "oppression" after he warned smaller parties to "be careful" with what bottom lines they present ahead of the general election.

"You don't tell indigenous peoples what our bottom lines are," co-leader Rawiri Waititi.

Asked what he made of Waititi saying Hipkins' comment is similar to oppression, Hipkins replied: "I don't agree with that, it's democracy."

The Prime Minister was last week asked about policies Te Pti Mori says it will push for if in a position to do so after the October 14 election.

They include removing GST from food, a wealth tax and pulling New Zealand out of the Five Eyes intelligence group.

Hipkins dismissed the idea of pulling out of Five Eyes as it wouldn't be in New Zealand's "best interests" and said Labour would outline it's own bottom lines prior to the election.

He said MMP typically requires parties to negotiate following an election, while recognising "the proportionate size of parties as well".

"Smaller parties I think need to be careful in whatever they issue in terms of bottom lines or they could find themselves simply not able to be part of any governing arrangement at all because, ultimately, the larger parties do need to be able to implement the commitments that they campaign on."

He recognised those larger parties may need to rely on the smaller parties to form government themselves.

Waititi on Tuesday spoke to reporters about the "two Chrises" - Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins - one that "doesn't want anything to do with Mori and the other is telling Mori what to do".

The first 'Chris' will be a reference to Luxon, who last week ruled out working with Te Pti Mori.

"There's a bit of criss-cross happening here, but I tell you what, come October 15, there'll be a bit of a Chris-tapohe on one of those sides."

Asked about Hipkins' comment that smaller parties should "be careful" with their bottom lines, Waititi repeated his point about the "two Chrises".

"They're not in any position to continue to tell us what to do. You don't tell indigenous peoples what our bottom lines are. That is a continued approach to oppression. We won't be taken by that."

Newshub clarified whether he was saying that Hipkins telling smaller parties to be careful with their demands was tantamount to oppression.

"To be told to be careful about what our bottom lines are is oppression to us," Waititi said. "You don't tell us what to do. You don't have the licence to do that anymore. We send that message to anybody.

"Te Pti Mori has been clear about our kaupapa. We always have been. If you are not willing to work towards a Te Tiriti-centric Aotearoa which means respecting the indigenous people, which means respecting tangata whenua and our plight to bring ourselves up from out of the ashes and to a place that's more equitable and equal, we will continue to make those statements."

Te Pti Mori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said a Te Tiriti-centric Aotearoa is a "top line, it's a middle line".

"That's the difference for us is we are the only party that a true Opposition because we're not fighting to become ministers or to get into Government. We're more focused on that longer-term picture of a Te Tiriti-centric Aotearoa."

Newshub asked Greens co-leader James Shaw whether Hipkins' comments would stop the Greens putting forward their own bottom lines or demands before the election.

"I don't think that any party has the right to make unreasonable demands that aren't based on facts. You see parties large and small in Parliament who are saying things for the sake of election, that they know they can't back up after election day.

"We will certainly be doing, as we always do, going into this election with a strong set of policies that have been thoroughly thought through and do add up.

Shaw said Hipkins' suggestion to be careful with demands should be applied to larger parties as well.

This week's Newshub-Reid Research poll showed Te Pti Mori holding the balance of power.

The rest is here:

Election 2023: Te Pti Mori accuses Prime Minister Chris Hipkins of 'oppression' for telling parties to 'be careful' with demands - Newshub

On this year's International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia, Euronews Culture assesses the current state of LGBTQ rights across European countries.

Anti-LGBTQ violence is here, its everywhere, and it isnt going away any time soon at least, thats the latest assessment made by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in a statement released on the eve of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT), which the world celebrates on 17 May.

In a stinging condemnation of enduring global anti-LGBTQ prejudice, the UN chief urged countries to end the criminalisation and systemic oppression of queer people.

"Being yourself should never be a crime," Guterres stated. "We cannot and will not move backwards."

The current state of LGBTQ rights has particularly alarmed campaigners and analysts, as a flurry of repressive policies from Republican-sponsored bills banning drag shows in several US states to Ugandas criminalisation of LGBTQ+ identities seem to signal a growing hostility towards queer individuals.

But how is Europe faring in the midst of such upheavals? Euronews Culture takes a look at what the past year has meant for LGBTQ rights across the continent.

Several European countries and cities have for years sat comfortably at the top of global rankings for LGBTQ rights and attitudes, and there are no signs of this changing any time soon.

In 2022, Amsterdam was pronounced the worlds most queer-friendly city by Open for Business, with the report citing the Dutch capitals "welcoming attitudes," and heralding it a "strong global beacon" for pro-LGBTQ attitudes. London, Berlin, Stockholm and Dublin also ranked highly.

As for the latest Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) report, Malta has once again been proclaimed Europes best country for LGBTQ rights, holding onto the Rainbow Europe indexs top spot for the eighth year in a row.

The Mediterranean countrys overwhelmingly Catholic population and conservative stance on certain social issues namely, abortion make it an unlikely candidate for Europes rainbow crown. Nevertheless, it has turned itself into something of a haven for queer folks.

Speaking to Euronews Culture, one young LGBTQ Maltese identifies growing secularism and strong government policies as key factors for why the small country has carved out a place for itself among the worlds most queer-friendly places.

"Religious [attitudes] are starting to decline," said Paul (his name changed upon request), a software engineer who identities as bisexual. "And the government is progressive for the community especially for trans people recently."

Pauls assessment is backed by the facts: Despite being one of Europes last remaining strongholds of religious devoutness, church attendance in Malta has plummeted from around 80% in the 1990s to 30-40% in recent years.

Over the past year, an array of European countries have taken several steps forward on various LGBT+ issues, providing some much-needed encouragement to activists across the continent.

Last July, Switzerland legalised same-sex marriage, joining a growing list of countries that allow gay couples to tie the knot.

The decision followed a referendum held in September 2021, in which just under two-thirds of voters supported "Marriage for all," as the new legal amendment had been billed.

It may come as a surprise to some that the Alpine state frequently perceived as a bastion of high living standards would take so much longer than many of its neighbours to legalise same-sex marriage. But its worth noting that Switzerland a confederation where cantons preserve significant autonomy has not always shined on the civil rights front.

Back in 1990, Switzerland was the last European country to fully extend voting rights to women, after a Federal Supreme Court decision approved women's suffrage in the small canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden.

Following in Switzerlands footsteps, Slovenia also introduced gay marriage, while Croatia allowed same-sex couples to adopt.

While LGBTQ rights in Eastern Europe often make headlines for all the wrong reasons, Moldova a deeply Orthodox country, and one of Europes most impoverished has made significant progress in improving conditions for its queer citizens, jumping up 14 places in 2022s Rainbow Index.

Trans rights have also made significant headway, after new laws were passed in Finland and Spain that allow people to change their legal gender without undergoing gruelling medical procedures and assessments.

"This is what pride in ones country means," tweeted Spains equality minister last week, sharing an article on how the new law had helped boost the countrys ranking on the Rainbow Europe index.

Such gender recognition reform has been pilloried by certain conservatives and radical feminists, who decry what they consider attempts to erode sexual identity.

Nevertheless, many human rights campaigners and trans activists see such laws as indispensable steps to offering further equality and recognition to a deeply disenfranchised community.

As rosy a picture Europe's long list of newly acquired LGBT+ rights may paint, such advancements cannot, alas,paint over some of the widening cracks on the surface.

In Visegrd states, namely Poland and Hungary, the situation for the queer community leaves much to be desired, as LGBTQ individuals lack almost any legal protections, with few rights to spare.

Tomasz Leniara, a Polish writer now based in Glasgow, testifies to the challenging situation for gay people like himself back at home, while also acknowledging burgeoning signs of improvement.

"As the ultra conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party has been in power since 2015, the legislative situation is just as bad as ever," Leniara told Euronews Culture. "It is crucial for the ruling party to be changed in order for more progress to be made. However, it will be hard to achieve considering the financial aid that PiS offers, and a range of social/welfare options, payments and grants, especially for working classes."

Where Leniara sees hope, however, is in the changing attitudes of the people themselves.

"[Polish] society is much more accepting and more comfortable with LGBT+ individuals," he said. "There is a lot of work to be done, and some areas are more accepting than others."

Further east and beyond EU borders, Russia Europes "pariah" following Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine last February has further expanded its anti-LGBT legislation, after an existing law banning "gay propaganda" for children was extended to all age groups last December.

Looking west, Italy also seems to be going through something of a rough patch.

The country has long trailed behind its western neighbours on LGBTQ rights, only introducing same-sex unions seven years ago and it's still a long way away from taking the leap towards sanctioning same-sex marriage itself.

The election of a hard-right government last September, led by impassioned nationalist Giorgia Meloni, has not been a welcome change for many in the LGBTQ community.

Back in 2021, Melonis Brothers of Italy party then part of the opposition vehemently opposed a bill that would have enshrined anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people, cheering jubilantly after it was struck down by the Senate.

Meloni whose roots lie in the countrys far-right, neo-fascist Italian Social Movement was widely portrayed as a radical, reactionary firebrand prior to taking office. But some analysts claim her bark may have been worse than her bite, as she has tried to toe a relatively Brussels-friendly line during her first six months in office.

When it comes to LGBTQ+ rights, Melonis government has already signalled that its conservative stance is not budging any time soon and has been intent to make good on that promise.

Indeed, the government has controversially tried to clamp down on same-sex couples by telling city councils to stop registering their children.

At an LGBTQ panel discussion held at Romes Porta Portese theatre on the eve of IDAHOT, the overall atmosphere remained upbeat and buoyant in spite of such developments. The new governments looming shadow, nevertheless, was an unavoidable presence.

This is a largely homophobic government, warned journalist Francesco Lepore, one of the events speakers, while addressing the audience.

Another speaker, Marilena Grassadonia a left-wing politician and lesbian activist further called upon people to avoid complacency.

We are living a political context in which everything is being called into question, she stated. But there is something important we can do that is, taking a side.

Some of those present, however, retained a more positive outlook.

In the midst of everything thats happening, perhaps well see the creation of a more compact, close-knit [LGBTQ] movement, said event organiser, Antonino Tosto.

One of the most concerning changes noticed by LGBTQ watchdogs over the past year is a surge in queerphobic hate crimes.

"In 2022 there was a stark rise in violence against LGBTI people," stated ILGA. "[N]ot only in numbers but also in the severity of that violence."

France, Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK were among the countries cited as having reported such an increase.

SOS Homophobie in France also noted that homophobic and transphobic violence are up 28% and 27%, respectively, from last year.

In a newly released press report, the EU Commission commented on such developments with deep concern.

"We have seen a rise in anti-LGBTI rhetoric, fuelled by disinformation and false narratives, often leading to violence, harassment and stigmatisation," read the statement. "We are deeply concerned about the situation within Europe and worldwide."

ILGAs latest study does however leave some room for optimism: increasing violence aside, the legal situation for LGBTQ people in Europe has improved overall.

"Despite intense anti-LGBTI attacks in several countries, equality is still advancing across Europe," the report stated.

"While the public discourse is becoming more polarised and violent, particularly against trans people, political determination to advance LGBTI rights is paying off."

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What's the current state of LGBTQ rights in Europe? - Euronews

May 12, 2023 Baptist Health Foundation announced today that a donation of $3 million has been made on behalf of the Jos Milton Foundation to establish an endowed chair at Baptist Health Orthopedic Institute. The endowment, which will be named the Jos Milton Foundation Endowed Chair in Orthopedics, will support the work of John William Uribe, M.D., chief medical executive and founder of Baptist Health Orthopedic Care.

In gratitude for the Foundations support, the gift will be recognized with the naming of the Jos Milton Foundation Waiting Area at the Baptist Health Orthopedic Institute Sports Medicine clinic, which houses Dr. Uribes medical offices and is located at 1150 Campo Sano Avenue in Coral Gables.

We are very grateful to the Jos Milton Foundation for this generous gift, said Alex Villoch, CEO of Baptist Health Foundation. It will support the first endowed chair at Baptist Health Orthopedic Institute an important milestone for Baptist Health. This endowment will allow Dr. Uribe and his team to pursue advanced orthopedic therapies and treatments for patients throughout our community.

Dr. Uribe is a world-renowned specialist in orthopedic sports medicine and orthopedic surgery. He is the team physician for the Miami Dolphins football team and Florida Panthers hockey team, professor and chair of the Department of Orthopedics for Florida International Universitys Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and a founding member of the UHZ Sports Medicine Institute. He has led several research studies in orthopedics, orthopedic surgery and sports medicine and published his findings in numerous prestigious medical journals. Funds from the endowed chair will support his research work in minimally invasive resurfacing techniques of the knee and shoulder, as well as ligament and tendon restoration, among other areas.

It is truly an honor to accept this endowed chair, said Dr. Uribe. I thank the Jos Milton Foundation for their immense generosity in supporting the science of orthopedic medicine at Baptist Health. We are excited for the opportunity to lead in the field of orthopedics research, making discoveries that result in less-invasive surgical techniques, quicker recovery times and better quality of life.

As a beneficiary of Dr. Uribes and his exceptional teamsorthopedic expertise, I am inspiredto help make sure the orthopedic team at Baptist Health continues to help asmany people as possible, said Cecil Milton, Trustee of the Jos Milton Foundation. TheJosMilton Foundation EndowedChair in Orthopedics will provide Dr. Uribethe resources to conduct and applyresearch that will ultimately improve outcomes andbetter serveour community.

Added Ana VeigaMilton, Esq., President of the Jos Milton Foundation, My family foundations main focus is to increase access to quality healthcare. Ourinvestment inDr. Uribe,as the inaugural holder of theJosMilton Foundation EndowedChair in Orthopedics,and Baptist Health Orthopedic Institute will help fund research that will offer greater insight into orthopedic care andtherapies. We are excited to see the Institute continue to grow!

In 2019, Baptist Health Orthopedic Care opened its flagship, the Miami HEAT Sports Medicine Center at Baptist Health Orthopedic Institute, on the Doctors Hospital campus in Coral Gables. This 49,000 sq. ft., four-story facilityhouses most of the programs orthopedic specialties under one roof, including an ambulatory surgery center. The Center also serves as a clinical trial site for new orthopedic surgery techniques, novel implants and genetically engineered cartilage, bone and revolutionary biologics.

Baptist Health Orthopedic Institute is part of Baptist Health Orthopedic Care, which is known for its expertise in the fields of orthopedics and sports medicine, with nearly 82,000 patient office visits and more than 5,300 surgeries a year. Baptist Health Orthopedic Care is comprised of highly specialized, Board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopedic physicians. They are supported by advanced practice providers and athletic trainers. Physicians and support staff provide sports medicine services for pro athletes including the Miami Dolphins, Miami HEAT, Inter Miami CF and Florida Panthers, as well as high school and collegiate athletic programs and international sporting events. They also treat professional and Olympic athletes from around the world.

About Baptist Health Foundation

The mission of Baptist Health Foundation is to inspire philanthropy and build extraordinary donor relationships in support of excellence, innovation, community wellness and global leadership in healthcare at Baptist Health South Florida. Through philanthropy, the Foundation supports and expands Baptist Healths ability to provide outstanding patient care and bring the latest treatments to patients and families affected by a serious illness. Donor contributions also allow the Foundation to assist Baptist Health facilities in keeping pace with technology and equipment advances, perform cutting-edge research and offer continuing education opportunities to medical staff. Learn more atBaptistHealth.net/Foundationand connect with us onFacebookandInstagram.

About theJos Milton Foundation

The Jos Milton Foundation works to continue the legacy of founder and family patriarch, Architect Jos Milton, reflecting his entrepreneurial spirit, generosity, common sense, determination, fiscal responsibility, and love for South Florida. Mr. Milton, a Cuban immigrant of Lebanese heritage, arrived in Miami with a dream, a brilliant mind for business, and a degree in Architecture from Universidad de La Habana. He leveraged his education and strong work-ethic to become a successful entrepreneur, developer and builder, and inspiring leader who loved South Florida, to him the most beautiful place on Earth. Mr. Milton understood the value of education and commitment in a society free from government oppression. In addition to the many buildings and communities he developed, he founded the Jos Milton Foundation (est. 2012, first grant 2013) under the premise that his legacy support programs and organizations in South Florida that improve quality of living, with a special focus on education, research, and access to quality healthcare. Sons Cecil, Frank, and Joseph Milton serve as Trustees of the Foundation. Grandchildren Alec, Diana, Daniella, Eric, Jessica, Joseph Jr., Justin, and Nicholas serve on the Junior Board, and daughter-in-law Ana VeigaMilton serves as President.www.MiltonPhilanthropy.org

About Baptist Health South Florida

Baptist Health South Florida is the largest healthcare organization in the region, with 12 hospitals, more than 27,000 employees, 4,000 physicians and 200 outpatient centers, urgent care facilities and physician practices spanning across Miami-Dade, Monroe, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Baptist Health has internationally renowned centers of excellence in cancer, cardiovascular care, orthopedics and sports medicine, and neurosciences. In addition, it includes Baptist Health Medical Group; Baptist Health Quality Network; and Baptist Health Care On Demand, a virtual health platform. A not-for-profit organization supported by philanthropy and committed to its faith-based charitable mission of medical excellence, Baptist Health has been recognized by Fortune as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America and by Ethisphere as one of the Worlds Most Ethical Companies.For more information, visitBaptistHealth.net/Newsroomand connect with us onFacebook,Instagram,TwitterandLinkedIn.

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Baptist Health Foundation Receives $3 Million Gift from the Jos ... - South Florida Hospital News

Seun Kuti slapping a police officer was covered extensively in Nigerian mainstream media, which led to a lot of discussion both online and offline. Like what the mainstream media did when Portable, also known as Habeeb Olawunmi, attacked a police officer. The Kuti case has continued to elicit conflicting responses from the public in recent days, particularly from netizens on social media, reinvigorating the conversation about police brutality and the abuse of authority by law enforcement officials.

Despite this, our analysis of several tweets suggests that many users view the actions of Seun Kuti and Portable as unacceptable and indicative of a larger problem within Nigerian society. Several users mentioned the concept of government liability, which appears to refer to the idea that the government is responsible for the behaviour of its citizens, including musicians and other public figures.

Some users also expressed frustration with the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) and their handling of these incidents, suggesting that the police are not held accountable for their actions in the same way that citizens are. Others criticized Seun Kuti and Portable for their supposed lack of respect for the law and authority figures.

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From a political and moral economy perspective, the tweets suggest a sense of frustration with the status quo in Nigeria, particularly with regards to corruption and impunity. The concept of government liability highlights a perceived lack of accountability among Nigerian leaders, as well as a belief that ordinary citizens are held to a higher standard than those in positions of power.

Additionally, some users view the actions of Seun Kuti and Portable as symptomatic of a broader culture of impunity and disrespect for the law, particularly among those with wealth and influence. This could be seen as reflecting a larger issue of inequality and a sense that those in power are not held accountable for their actions.

The Key Political and Moral Economy

Power dynamics and abuse of power: Many of the tweets highlight the power relationships that exist between citizens and the police as well as within citizens. While some users contend that Seun Kuti violated his obligations as a public figure by hitting a police officer, others contend that the police have also abused their authority and should be held accountable.

Justice and accountability: The need for justice and accountability in cases of police brutality and assault is a major theme in many of the tweets. While some users contend that Seun Kuti and Portable should both be held responsible for their actions, others criticise the Nigerian police for not holding its officers responsible for comparable transgressions.

Political representation and citizenship: Some tweets touch on issues of political representation and citizenship, with users questioning the legitimacy of the federal government and arguing that citizens have a right to resist oppression and abuse of power.

Substance abuse and mental health: Some tweets make assumptions about the role of drug abuse while highlighting the need for resources and support for mental health in Nigeria.

According to our analyst, Nigerian netizens responses to the two incidents reveal a complex web of attitudes and beliefs about Portable and Seun Kutis deeds as well as about the countrys political and social contexts, which have been linked to a number of problems over the years.

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The Politics and Moral Economics of Seun Kutis Police Assault - Tekedia

Abdulai Mansaray: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 11 May 2023:

Politics in Sierra Leone may be reaching its crescendo, but its the political musical chairs that is making the headlines in the rag tags and social media. After Kandeh Yumkella went semantic with forming a Strategic Alliance, three members of the Coalition for Change (C4C) swapped their horses in midstream to join the ruling SLPP government.

We are not surprised at this, as both sets of swingers were scions of our traditional APC and SLPP parties. Both have understandably come under considerable scrutiny and criticism for making these lane changes on our political highways. Equally, they have received the prodigal son treatment from some quarters, while the remaining disciples of C4C accuse the government of preventing them via a High Court injunction, from participating in the soon to be held general elections.

C4C claims that the injunction was served on the eve of their Delegates Conference. Sounds familiar? So, what is the attraction between the High Court and the Opposition Delegates Conferences? Does it begin to feel platonic?

Interestingly, whenever our political situation gets into a quagmire, our politicians and especially the aggrieved opposition parties call on the international community for redress. Whats ironic is that after 62 years of self-governance, we are quick to crawl back to the International Community to arbitrate among us. It is a sad reflection of our incapability to discharge the very self-rule that our forefathers fought for.

As a nation and a people, it shows that not only are we apparently incapable of self-governance but reflective of the fact that, we are still tethered to the umbilical cords of our colonial masters. So, whats the fuss about all this chest beating, flag hugging and lung bursting noise about realm of the free on Independence Day?

In case you did not notice, Alhaji Alpha Khan, former apprentice of EBK has officially joined the SLPP to become the ferryman. The joke on the street is, Alpha Khan is going to ferry across as many converts as possible to the SLPP. Sounds like a contingency plan while waiting for the Lungi Bridge, which is in its gestation period. I guess.

Victor Foh, the man who replaced the erstwhile Sam Sumana during the dying embers of the APC reign as Vice President has also changed his tune. While some see them as traitors and betrayers, others idolise them as patriots. Depends on which side of the bridge youre sitting.

However, Yumkellas strategic Alliance has come in for praise and condemnation in equal measure. While some see his move as selfish, others believe that he has Put Salone Foss, by relegating his own personal ego in exchange for a political bed with his former opposition. Like Churchill once said, some people change their party for the sake of their principles; others their principles for their parties. So, why did these guys change their parties? Did they do so for any of these two reasons? Time will tell.

Those who defend and support our flip-flopping politicians would have you believe that those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. By joining the SLPP, will KKY and the others change anything or help change some things? That is the fervent hope of his supporters and those who think like him.

On the other hand, when Maada Bio raised the olive branch to KKY, did he see something in KKY that he considers an asset in his government? By returning for Strategic Alliance, did KKY see a room with a view in Bios government that he thinks he can fill? If this alliance is born out of a symbiotically osmotic necessity, who stands to gain from this political alchemy?

This and many more, is one of the questions most Sierra Leoneans would be pondering before they decide on which party is best placed to take their blame. Nevertheless, and even though some see these recent defections, cross carpets, returnee, etc as a common feature of our political DNA, others who might see this as political expediency at its best, sense an insidious car crash towards a one-party state. This is especially so, when you consider that these defectors are seasoned household names on our political playgrounds. Does that tell us anything about the state of the opposition APC party? Is the APC party, all sail and no anchor?

So, why do our politicians cross the Rubicon in our political system?

Many politicians thrive on the notion that if you cant convince them, confuse them. In most parts of the world, politicians and political parties define themselves by ideologies, which form the bedrock of their political parties. Social studies define a political ideology as a certain set of ethical ideals, principles, doctrines, myths, or symbols of a social movement, institution, class or large group that explains how society should work and offers some political and cultural blueprint for a certain social order. We sometimes use this to bracket our politicians into Democrats, Communists, Socialists, Republicans, despots, autocrats, Conservatives etc.

While some might consider political ideologies as mere time savers that tell you what you think about things you know nothing about, others see them as the yardsticks to calibrate their value-based political beliefs.

In the case of Sierra Leone, other than tribal or regional affiliations, youll struggle to differentiate or identify any of our political parties based on ideological blueprints. Do we as the electorate have any ideology by which we can calibrate these parties? This is not to say that politics needs an ideology to thrive, because ideologies also have the potential to corrupt the mind and even science. Nevertheless, do they have any belief systems other than nepotism, tribalism, regionalism and all the isms that define their relationships with the electorate? By the way, One People, One Country is not an ideology. Nor is Action pass intention or Talk & DO. These can pass for hot air. Manifestoes dont qualify as ideologies either.

There are those who think that defections across political parties dont have any impact. Wrong. When politicians switch parties, it shows there is disunity. Unity is very crucial for political parties. When a party is united, it becomes more effective in passing its policies into law. Political party unity can only be good for the citizens because a unified party is seen as more responsible and trustworthy. History shows that parties that fail to keep their flock together often suffer electoral defeats. In general, defections hurt a partys reputation and, in some cases, even endanger their survival.

With that said, will the recent defections from APC (Alpha Khan & Victor Foh), C4C (Musa Fofanah, Rebecca Yei Sam and Saa Emerson Lamina), NGC (Yumkella Kandeh- strategic alliance) have any implications for the abandoned parties. It is safe to conclude that the defections from NGC and C4C could probably mark their death knell respectively, considering their embryonic nature in political terms.

On the other hand, these parties can go on to prosper during such disruptions. Despite the damage and potential threat to their survival, they can still survive. But first, they urgently need to restore their image by focussing on the valence issues, which are special policy areas. One of the valence issues in Sierra Leone is corruption. Every citizen in Sierra Leone is against corruption. If C4C and NGC, or whats remaining of them can focus their campaign on such valence issues, they might just prove their relevance to a point. But as I mentioned earlier, defections hurt a partys reputation and, in some cases, even endanger their survival.

As if on cue, Last Friday, 5th May 2023, Arthur E Pearce and over four hundred former members of the National Grand Coalition (NGC) Party in the Western Area, including a youth group, the Progressive NGC Youth Organisation East formally joined the All-Peoples Congress (APC) at a ceremony held in the APC Party Head Office, Old Railway Line, Brookfields, Freetown. It is expected that NGC members in other parts of the country will also declare for the APC in their own areas in the coming days. (Sierraleonetelegraph.com). Be Twaa?

When KKY formed his strategic Alliance with the SLPP, his former NGC members were spitting feathers about betrayal. It goes without saying that this alliance between NGC and APC is in response to KKYs betrayal. Do you remember COPP? It was a coalition of NGC, C4C, and APC. In their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), COPP said that The parties maintain that their main aim is to defend democracy in Sierra Leone and to vigorously oppose all types of political oppression, intimidation and authoritarian tendencies. We all said Amen to that at the time.

In my article titled Consortium of Progressive Political Parties (COPP): How Deep is Your Love? (sierraleonetelegraph.com-March 28), I questioned Coalition Parties credentials for longevity and that Their triumphs never last, because they are a compact majority.

Coalitions are a collection of conspiracies. In its MOU, COPP bandied around phrases like harness the collective strength, condemn bad governess, eventually put an end to the suffering of the people of this country, tighten our collaboration as opposition political parties, to function individually or collectively as political parties, challenging tribalism and sectionalism etc. hallelujah.

So, where does the NGC party get its moral right to condemn KKY?

This election cycle has seen the electorate treated to an orgy of coalitions. The recent defections, sorry coalition between NGC members and the APC party should not come as a surprise.

Let us look at this with another lens. If the NGC, C4C and APC had envisioned a coalition under the guise of COPP in opposition to SLPP, does that mean that the NGC is angry with KKY, not because he formed a strategic alliance, but because he did so with the wrong crowd? Having jumped into bed with the APC, are they angry that KKY beat them to it and jumped first? Is this a case of the pot calling the kettle black? NGC andC4C had already declared their intention to jump ship when they formed the COPP. It was just a matter of time, before they signed their respective death warrants as viable political parties.

After completing its last rites as a political party, where does it get the moral rectitude to condemn KKY for doing the same stunt they have pulled with the APC? Indeed, politics in Sierra Leone is too important to take seriously. Where is George Orwells Animal Farm when you need one?

A coalition, in a political term, defines as a conditional and non-significant journey that starts risking the collapse without notice; whereas it also mirrors a hollow and unstable organ, to decide and solve wide-scale subjects and issues.-Ehsan Sehgal.

Now that we are all witnessing a deeply divided body politic, where half of our population believes that our elections are broken and the other half believes that it is fixed, you cannot help but get that sinking feeling that, the more you observe our politics, the more youve got to admit that each party is worse than the other. Such a backdrop should generate apathy among voters. Interestingly, the electorate is more energised to actively participate in the forthcoming elections. This can only be good for our democracy because when we vote, we do so because of our convictions that there are extraordinary possibilities in ordinary people.

At face value, Democracy is a government by the majority. Realistically, it is a government by the majority who participate. As for the irreparably apathetic and disillusioned voter, remember that if you dont take an interest in politics doesnt mean that politics wont take an interest in you.

Is there any scope for a third political party in Sierra Leone?

Sierra Leone has seen a lot of third parties erupt like volcanoes, only to fizzle out unceremoniously. One common denominator is that they have all been scions or former appendages of either APC or SLPP. They were borne out of reactive stress that was emotionally laden.

We know that coalition is a synonym for conspiracy. Coalitions though successful have always found that triumph short lived. Coalitions, as every married man will tell you have their troubles.

Despite the imperfections of our political system, we still need perfect participation of the citizens. As the electorate, we cannot just be consumers of good governance, but also co- creators and participants. Our elections should therefore represent our greatest participation and political reform. We can only achieve this through Free, Fair and PEACEFUL elections. We hope that our elections will come to pass freely, fairly and peacefully. After all, there is only one Mama Salone.

Dont forget to turn the lights out when you leave the room.

See more here:

Is a temporary coalition of anger against the old regime a basis for ... - Sierra Leone Telegraph

The government of Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador (AMLO) is approaching its final year. His tenure has been fraught with complications at all levels: the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic crisis driven by it, unchecked violence, bashing by the right wing, etc. Nevertheless, polls indicate his support stands at over 65 percent. He enjoys massive support among the poorest. Against the odds, his personal backing will allow the party that he formed, Morena, to win the elections next year, notwithstanding something out of the ordinary.

Many who try to analyse what is happening in Mexico fail to understand why support for AMLO is so strong when we consider that the COVID-19 crisis of 2020 led to an 8 percent drop in GDP. Although the following years have seen some recovery, the economy still has not reached pre-pandemic levels.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) figure for excess deaths in Mexico stands at 626,000 dead between 2020 and 2021. The governments own numbers put the figure at 333,000 as of April this year. On top of this, there is everything that has resulted from the pandemic, such as the 5 million students who have dropped out of school, soaring domestic violence in 2020, with a 100 percent increase in calls for help from women, and so on. Those who limit themselves to superficial analysis will look at this and be disoriented.

The first thing that should be explained is that the arrival of AMLO to government in 2018 opened an escape valve after 30 years of unprecedented attacks at all levels against the working class, women, and youth.

The previous governments, particularly those of Felipe Caldern (2006-2012) and Pea Nieto (2012-2018), conducted a one-sided civil war, in which narcos, colluding with the state apparatus, attacked women and young people, murdering and disappearing thousands of youth. Counter reforms introduced by those governments in labour, energy, education, etc. were intended to complete the privatisation of electricity and oil, and to sweep away labour rights.

All bourgeois institutions were extremely discredited. It can be said that the political situation shortly before the end of the Pea Nieto government, was one where the country was on the verge of a massive explosion of struggle on the streets. This would have taken on an insurrectionary character, like the uprisings in Ecuador and Chile in 2019.

We already had the precedent of the struggle against election fraud in 2006 and the Oaxaca commune of the same year. There were struggles, but they didnt come together in a unified manner. As in 2006, AMLO has used his authority to contain the movement and prevent it from taking on a generalised character of a struggle to overthrow the government. Instead, he channelled all the energy of the mass movement into the electoral terrain.

In the absence of a revolutionary leadership to lead the movement towards a struggle for power, millions of workers, poor peasants and youth placed all their hopes and illusions in the victory of Lopez Obrador in the 2018 elections.

AMLO never said that his government was going to put an end to capitalism. From the beginning, he set his main task as the fight against corruption and neoliberalism. This is where he believes the problem of all societys ills lies.

Under his liberal conception, this fight should be waged by strengthening state institutions, lowering onerous salaries of highly paid officials, and trying to avoid waste and theft from state coffers. Hence his emblematic struggles against fuel theft (huachicol), the reduction of salaries of high ranking state officials, the disappearance of secret funds, a fight to increase tax collection, against all companies and contracts that were harmful to state finances, etc.

At the same time, he used all his political capital, all the sympathy people felt for him, to reestablish the legitimacy of the discredited state institutions. For him, the most important thing was to show that there was no longer a bad guy in the presidency, and that from this place he could now lead a moral battle that would save and renew whoever placed themselves at his disposal.

The army is the backbone of a regime of oppression by the capitalist state, yet AMLO presents them as the people in uniform / Image: Tomascastelazo, Wikimedia Commons

Thus, seeing that the entire state apparatus was rotten, he set himself the goal of using the Armed Forces as his battering ram. It is not that there was no corruption there, but that discipline was maintained there and acts of corruption are well-kept secrets among the armys top brass.

Everyone knows the role that the armed forces have played, particularly in the student movement of 1968, when they massacred hundreds of students in the Plaza de las Tres Culturas. Then there were the forced disappearances and the siege of the communities of Guerrero in their fight against the guerrillas in the so-called dirty war in the 1970s. And, more recently, they participated in the disappearance and murder of the 43 students from Ayotzinapa. The army is the backbone of a regime of oppression by the capitalist state, yet AMLO presents them as the people in uniform, as loyal to the country and as a pillar in the fight against corruption.

In order to ensure that the military leadership has a good relationship with his government, he has not hesitated to give them economic and political concessions at all levels. Their budget has been repeatedly increased every year. The National Guard has been created, and he is determined that it should remain under the administration of the army as he says, to prevent it from being corrupted.

He has given the Army, for an indefinite period of time, the role of administration over the new Mayan Train project, of the hotels that are being built around the train route, of the new Felipe Angeles International Airport (AIFA). They are in charge of guarding customs, hospitals, roads, the new airports that are being built in the south of the country, etc.

The army and navy are the tools with which AMLOs government has been fulfilling its strategic projects, in exchange for which it has given them economic and political power, the likes of which they have not had since the time of the revolution, when armies occupied the centre of the political stage.

Right now, thanks to AMLO's support, the armed forces (army, navy and national guard) enjoy a level of popular support exceeding 65 percent. This is despite the fact that disappearances and murders continue, as do femicides. The only crimes that have dropped substantially are robberies, kidnappings and car theft. Fundamentally, violence continues.

This also means that, although the government has made some progress in recognising the role of the state in the dirty war, there are very clear limits to how far it wants to go in uncovering the truth. Neither the army as an institution, nor any of its representatives can be touched.

We have seen this in the case of the Ayotzinapa students. Progress has been made in the investigation, and some of the political responsibility has begun to be clarified. But the central role played by the army in the disappearance of the 43 students, its links with the drug traffickers, etc. are outside the bounds of what is permitted, and there is clearly no intention to pull this thread. The expectations that the relatives of the students and those fighting for justice had in his government have been frustrated.

Another of the central aspects of this administration is the way AMLO has used the state and its finances. On the one hand, it has given a series of subsidies to the poorest sectors of the country, mainly in the central and southern states. On the other, it has carried out his new strategic projects the Mayan Train, the AIFA airport, and the Transisthmian Train that crosses from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic, and the industrial parks that will be opened along the railway line all of which are aimed at attracting foreign investment to fill the country with maquiladoras (i.e. sweatshops).

In the first case, AMLO has said in his morning press conferences that social programmes now reach 25 million families, another 5 million have a family member working for local or state governments. That is, 30 million families receive money from the state out of a total of 32 million families living in the country.

This welfare policy ranges from support for the elderly ($266 every two months); student scholarships from primary school to university level (which vary in amount depending on the level of studies); the youth programme Building the Future with which the government pays the salary ($361 a month) for a year to young people who are employed in registered companies to give them training; the Sowing Life programme, which has planted 6 million timber trees (paying $361 a month); supplying free fertiliser to farmers and buying their products at a subsidised prices; universal health care proposals, etc. In addition, it has decreed a 90 percent increase in the minimum wage.

All these programmes for the poorest sectors have had a tremendous effect in maintaining the presidents approval ratings. None of these programmes solve chronic poverty, nor the lack of study opportunities or well-paid jobs. They are all palliatives. But compared to what the right wing did in government, these policies are seen in a positive light and are supported by the people.

Using the laws at its disposal and state money, the government has proposed the above-mentioned infrastructure projects. At first, it was announced that private enterprise would be involved in all of them. However, there has been sabotage of these initiatives, and the government has used the army and the state budget to develop the infrastructure necessary for foreign companies to come to the country.

There is talk of 60 percent of the transport on the Mayan Train (which is supposed to be a tourist route) being freight. The Transisthmian Train is designed to compete with the Panama Canal and to be the new route for North American and Chinese goods. In addition, there will be a tax exemption for new capital investment in this region, just as there is on the northern border, where hundreds of large companies are now arriving under the relocation phenomenon known as near-shoring.

In 2022, foreign investment reached $35 billion, the highest figure since 2015. The outlook is that this sum will continue to increase in the coming years. Taking into account that interest rates have been rising almost in parallel with those in the US; right now the interest rate is 11.25 percent. This has prevented a massive outflow of capital and has helped the peso to appreciate against the dollar. Right now, one dollar is equivalent to 18 pesos on average, whereas under the last administration it was, on average, one dollar for 20 pesos.

The government also repeatedly calls on Mexican migrants in the US to send their remittances and has enabled various companies to charge cheaper remittance fees. The impact of this money has been substantial on overall finances. In 2022, remittance money was at a historic high of over $58 billion, a growth of 13.4 percent over 2021. AMLO has claimed that this money has a direct impact on 10 million families.

Mexicos subordination to its powerful neighbour to the north has been deepened, especially in migration policy / Image: Amyyfory Wikimedia Commons

The bourgeoisie does not see AMLO as one of their own. As such, it has treated him badly since the beginning of his administration. They regard his connection with the popular masses and his virulent attacks on what he calls the power mafias as potentially dangerous to themselves.

Businessmen like Claudio X. Gonzlez, heir to the Kimberly Clark emporium, is leading and coordinating the opposition of the right-wing parties in order to present a united front at the 2024 elections. Big business is unable to see eye to eye with this government, and continues to stand in political opposition to AMLO. It now has to pay taxes whereas previous governments returned taxes or exempted companies from paying them. It has taken away big contracts and reduced the amount of money in advertising campaigns, etc.

As such, big business are the organisers of the smear campaigns and all the attacks on the government, which have a strong component of class hatred. They reflect the way they despise the masses for their alleged low level of formal education, ignorance, etc. The executors and front men are the right-wing parties (PRI, PAN and PRD) who follow the instructions of the capitalists slavishly.

These campaigns are one of the main topics addressed in the maaneras, the president's daily press conference. There, AMLO responds to them and exposes their lies. This has helped the government to capitalise on all these attacks in its own favour, and those close to AMLO close ranks in response and remain attentive to calls for mobilisation. The language AMLO uses in denouncing the right wing connects with a healthy class hatred among millions of workers and peasants who consider the president their president. However, AMLO stays within the narrow confines of bourgeois nationalism in his language, criticising neoliberalism, corruption, mafias, but never the capitalist system itself, nor imperialism.

This mass support is limited to AMLO himself, and does not extend to the Morena bureaucrats in the states and municipalities. The party has become an electoral machine that reproduces all the vices of the old regime parties: corruption, cronyism, etc. There has been an influx of right-wing politicians into Morenas structures at all levels, a process that AMLO himself has encouraged, and which has provoked widespread discontent among the rank and file.

Notwithstanding this back and forth with the right wing, AMLOs government has facilitated and promoted the accumulation of capital by the national and international bourgeoisie. The figures do not lie and the government boasts of this.

I can tell you that there is not a rich person in Mexico who has lost money during the time I have been governing, and I refer to the evidence. They have done very well, he has stated. This statement is true. In 2022, the 50 largest fortunes with investments in Mexico grew by 30 percent compared to the previous year. Banking capital is one of the biggest beneficiaries. The 15 richest families in the country have increased their fortunes by 645 billion pesos. All this contrasts with the increase in poverty from 51.9 million to 55.7 million.

The government has stopped investing in infrastructure in order to encourage private investment: a classic neoliberal policy, but which is only applied in certain sectors. In others, such as energy, the government is determined to win a majority and invests in buying up private companies so that state-owned companies have a majority in decision-making and production of electricity and oil.

Although we cannot go into detail in this article, in the international arena AMLO has followed a policy of gestures that distance him from US imperialism. At the same time, however, Mexicos subordination to its powerful neighbour to the north has been deepened, especially in migration policy and with the signing of the new Free Trade Agreement.

This government suffers from the classic contradictions of capitalism: poverty continues to increase, crime, labour exploitation, murders, drug trafficking, the lack of decent and well-paid jobs, etc. In addition, it suffers the contradictions of a country that shares borders with an imperialist country: the flow of migrants and their whole tragic journey, drug trafficking and human trafficking, the invasion of maquilas that plunder natural resources and devastate the environment. We must add to this the permanent sabotage of a part of the bourgeoisie that takes millions of dollars out of the market, that maintains a permanent campaign in the media against any government initiative.

The governments welfare policy has had an impact on keeping mass mobilisations in check. This is not to say that class contradictions are not expressed. For example, in the trade unions there has been a 150 percent increase in strikes since the beginning of his six-year term, because the different reforms made by the government give the workers the possibility of expressing themselves. This happened in Matamoros in 2019, in different unions in the struggle for union democracy, etc. When these worker-employer conflicts break out, the government tries not to intervene, that is to say, to let the conflict break out and develop. In some cases, depending on the organisation of the battalions in the struggle, the working class wins. In others, it is crushed.

The strongest and most direct mobilisations have been in the field of student and womens struggles. In both cases, it is the youth that maintain a fighting spirit. Although the pandemic was a period in which these two sectors were unable to take to the streets, once classes resumed, student mobilisations were not long in coming. On International Womens Day this year, the mobilisation was massive and went on for hours.

To the left of MORENA there is no mass left with a correct alternative / Image: Juan Carlos Fonseca Mata, Wikimedia Commons

The right wing has cynically tried to intervene in these struggles and capitalise on them in order to beat the government. In general, the movement itself has been able to get rid of these intruders and carry forward the struggle for its just demands.

To the left of MORENA there is no mass left with a correct alternative. In next years elections, AMLOs party will surely win the presidency regardless of the candidate, but that government will be diametrically different from the current one.

The majority tendencies within Morena point to a continuity of AMLOs policies with Claudia Sheinbaum, or else a turn to the right and open negotiation with the bourgeoisie, as with Ebrard. These are the two strongest candidates.

But the situation is more complex. Many of the measures AMLO has taken make the Mexican economy increasingly dependent on the US economy. Everything points to a recession in the neighbouring country to the north, which will drag down the Mexican economy and complicate things even more for the next government. Some of the economic phenomena that have benefited AMLO (near-shoring, high energy prices, etc.) are about to come to an end. The contradictions and struggles in the trade union and youth sectors will intensify, and the possibilities for the intervention of the Marxists will be exceptional.

The problem is not neoliberalism, nor corruption. These are only symptoms of the crisis of capitalism itself. While rejecting the attacks of the reactionary right, we must patiently explain the limits of AMLOs programme.

In order to substantially improve the living conditions of the masses, it is not enough to have one-off welfare plans, but rather to upend the balance of power in society. Only by putting the resources of society in the hands of the majority of the population (workers, peasants, working-class women, youth) will it be possible to guarantee a dignified life, housing, health, education and work for all. For that, it is necessary to expropriate the tiny number of capitalist parasites who control the means of production, and put them under the control of the working class, who produce all the wealth.

We are preparing for big events in the class struggle.

Read more:

Mexico: against 'neoliberalism' or capitalism? The final year of ... - In Defence of Marxism

Earlier this month, the Montana super-majority party voted to scapegoat Rep. Zooey Zephyr because she would not submit to their tyrannical suppression of free speech and the right to peaceful assembly.

I admit Speaker Matt Regier has a different perspective on his decisions to silence an oppressed minority.

Regier was triggered when Zooey spoke against Senate Bill 99, which denies a vulnerable minority of young Montanans access to medical treatments supported by a long list of the most reputable professional medical organizations. Furthermore, the treatments SB 99 prohibits for these young people and their families are recommended and accepted by sound medical science. The likely result of this egregious bill is an increase in suicides within this oppressed minority group of young people.

The super-majority party in control of Montana politics holds a variety of ideological beliefs, but one of the dominant ideologies is White Christian Nationalism. The adherents to this ideology are not offended by the label. On the contrary, they proudly insist that their view of religion, history, culture, politics and education are superior to all other belief systems. The Regier family, Keith (father), Matt, and Amy, currently hold a great deal of power over the lives of everyday Montanans. They are perfect examples of White Christian Nationalism.

White Christian nationalism is the dangerous belief that America is and must remain a Christian nation founded for its white Christian inhabitants and that our laws and policies must reflect this premise. Denying the separation of church and state promised by our Constitution, white Christian nationalists oppose equality for people of color, women, LGBTQ people, religious minorities and even genuine Christians who practice the teachings of Jesus (such as feeding the poor, healing the sick, and loving your enemies).

Matt Regier and I have a few things in common.

One, we were both born in Montana.

Second, we have bachelors degrees in business from the University of Montana.

Third, we both left Montana for a while to attend seminary. I graduated from the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California, with a master of divinity; Matt evidently dropped out of Dallas Theological Seminary.

Last week, Matt Regier failed to honor the wisdom contained in the gospel accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus. Instead, Regier became irate because Zooey Zephyr used words similar to those of Jesus when he was angry and frustrated with the tyranny and oppression of the dominant voices of his religious tradition. He failed to recognize Zooey as a modern-day prophet speaking truth to power.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth. So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawless

Therefore I send you prophets, sages, and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town, so that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth.

Matthew 23: 2728, 3435.

The early Jesus movement developed within the Jewish population during the oppressive occupation of the Middle East by the Roman Empire. As is often the case in human history, the religious power holders abandoned the fundamentals of their faith in exchange for wealth and power from the empire. During the first 400 years of the Jesus movement, the empire oppressed, imprisoned and murdered the followers of Jesus.

Jesus also organized a nonviolent protest as a counter-action to the empires annual show of military power leading up to the Jewish Passover celebrations. Christians celebrate this event as Palm Sunday. Jesus entered the capital city of Jerusalem on a donkey through the East Gate while the Roman Governor rode in on a horse with his soldiers through the West Gate. The action offered two choices to the people, asking: Which will you choose? The kingdom of tyranny or the kingdom of God?

On April 24, representatives of the LGBTQ+ community and allies staged a nonviolent protest in the House Gallery. The Montana House of Representatives space belongs to the people of Montana, not the supermajority partys leaders. There was no risk to the safety of the members on the House floor unless you count a flying crumpled paper cup as a danger.

The hypocrisy of Regiers insistence on maintaining decorum is stunning given the members of his party who describe the violent insurrection in our nations capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as just a bunch of tourists. On that day, law enforcement officers were killed and injured by White Christian Nationalists supported by many of the members of Regiers party. They were chanting about hanging Vice President Mike Pence. Tyrannical White Christian Nationalists use violence and oppressive tactics to silence their opposition. Nothing even close to that happened in the Montana Capitol Building.

Speaker Regier and the House Republicans who voted to scapegoat Zephyr deem anything that confronts their abuse of power to violate their rules of decorum. Their definition of order is White Christian Nationalists holding power and forcing the rest of us (the majority) to submit to their ideological whims. This attitude has been present in many House and Senate Judiciary hearings this session. Keith Regier raised his children to be just as authoritarian as he is. Most opponents of their harmful bills were limited to 60 to 90 seconds of testimony. Once, when I used the word tyranny in my testimony, I was immediately cut off mid-sentence.

One of the saddest aspects of the floor debate on April 26 was watching formerly moderate Republicans condemning what was merely a nonviolent protest. I still remember when the Montana Republican party believed the government should stay out of our personal lives. There is nothing conservative about the party anymore. Dissenting voices are treated harshly by their party leaders. Any remaining small-government conservatives have submitted to tyranny out of fear of repercussions or fear of becoming the next scapegoat for the White Christian Nationalists.

Yes, the gallery intentionally disrupted the proceedings. They were shouting, Let Zooey speak.

During the Palm Sunday nonviolent march into Jerusalem, Jesus was criticized for the decorum of his followers. He responded, I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.

The national and international news coverage has elevated Zephyrs voice. The stones really do cry out. Speaker Matt Regier will fade into obscurity because he is a weak, ineffective leader, not a follower of Jesus but a tool of religious oppression.

Zooey has elevated her voice to the national stage.

Morrison lives in Helena.

See original here:

White Christian Nationalism and the 2023 Montana Legislature ... - Daily Montanan

A group of House progressives led by Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., have revived discussions at the federal level about giving reparations to Black Americans who descended from slaves and Americans of African descent.

Bush held a press conference on Wednesday unveiling her Reparations Now resolution, which declares "that the United States has a moral and legal obligation to provide reparations for the enslavement of Africans and its massive harm on the lives of millions." She suggested the total amount would be at least $14 trillion, which she described as the gap in wealth between Black and Whites.

She spoke alongside fellow Squad members Reps. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., as well as Senate candidate Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., and freshman Rep. Summer Lee., D-Pa., and a host of activists from around the country.

"Black people in our country cannot wait any longer for our government to begin addressing all of the harm it has caused since the founding, that it continues to perpetuate each and every day all across our communities, all across this country," Bush said. "Let us speak this truth, uncomfortable as it may be: Our country was not founded on the principle that all people are created equal. It was founded at the expense of the lives, freedom and well-being of Black people, African folks who they stole."

CALIFORNIA REPARATIONS PANEL SAYS TOTAL COST 'LEAST IMPORTANT' ASPECT DESPITE POTENTIAL $800B PRICE TAG

Rep. Cori Bush is leading a resolution demanding the government look into reparations for Americans of African descent.

"The truth is uncomfortable," Bush added, before explaining how slavery was an "integral part of our country's development."

"By 1831, the United States was delivering nearly half of the world's raw cotton crop as a result of chattel slavery. In 1861 alone, the value placed on cotton produced by enslaved Black people was $250 million, or more than $8 billion today. All of this happened not in spite of the federal government, but because of it," the St. Louis Democrat said.

At the end of the press conference, Bush fielded a question from Fox News Digital about where federal funding for a federal reparations program would come from but did not give an answer.

CALIFORNIA REPARATIONS PANEL APPROVES PAYMENTS OF UP TO $1.2 MILLION TO EVERY BLACK RESIDENT

Rep. Bush led a group of House Democrats and activists from across the country in unveiling the resolution outside the U.S. Capitol. (Fox News Digital)

"We're still having those kinds of conversations," the congresswoman said. "We're working with this administration, we're talking with other members of Congress but I'll say this, if we can continue to fund these endless wars, or we can continue to put trillions of dollars into forever wars we're talking about things that are happening now."

She and the other progressives repeatedly called on Congress to take up H.R. 40, a bill re-introduced in January by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, which would establish a federal task force to "examine and develop" proposals for reparations for African Americans.

CALIFORNIA REPARATIONS PANEL TO RECOMMEND 'DOWN PAYMENTS' TO BLACK RESIDENTS, ABOLISHING CASH BAIL

It comes just as the reparations debate gains steam in the blue stronghold of California, where state lawmakers are now tasked with considering recommendations of a task force that include giving up to $1.2 million to every qualifying Black resident. California entered the Union as a free state in 1850, though it still allowed enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act.

Rep. Barbara Lee, who co-led H.R. 40 alongside Jackson Lee and is running for an open Senate seat in California, praised the task force's recommendations when it was her turn at the podium.

Rep. Barbara Lee, who is running for the U.S. Senate, praised the reparations efforts in her home state of California during the press conference.

"I'm proud of California for leading the way, but I want our country to follow suit," Lee said. "It's far past time for the federal government to catch up, and to make sure that Congress understands that it must move forward."

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"We know it can be done. And now we begin our efforts to build a commission on truth, racial healing, and transformation. And of course, our truth commission, the transformation aspect of it is reparations. It's not about reconciliation, because there's nothing to reconcile. It's about transformation. It's about dismantling these systems of oppression and the systems of discrimination and repairing the damage."

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Left-wing lawmakers press for federal reparations for Black Americans: 'We're here to demand it' - Fox News

Javed came into the limelight in 2019 a time when the Government of India had unilaterally abolished the special status of Kashmir and there was a widespread crackdown on free speech in the Himalayan region. His debut album Little Kid, Big Dreams, was an instant hit, but back home things were getting worse. After releasing his album in New Delhi, Javed came home and saw people restricted in their houses.

There wasnt much to do during the curfew days. So, I used to go near The Jhelum River for leisure, where I found other rap artists looking for a platform to exhibit their talent, he said. There, they came together to form a hip-hop community called "Kashur Nizam (Kashmiri Culture)."

Comparing their motivation to Rage Against the Machine, whose unapologetic rock targets everything from Americancorporations and warmongeringto racial discrimination and police brutality. Like them, Javed says, Kashmiri hip-hop also refuses to shy away from reality.

We (rappers) are not political people. We just rap about what we see and observe," he explains. "And if our circumstances led us to rap about the atrocities that are happening around us, it is not our fault. It is conscious music.

Hip-hop first made its way to Kashmir in early 2000s when the valley was introduced to rappers likeEminem, 50 Cent and Tupac. The lyrical themes of oppression, poverty and racism resonated with young people, who saw mirrors of theirown experiences.

Thirteen years since Illahi's popularity threw a light on Kashmiri hip-hop, the scene is small but passionate. There are aroundrappers in Kashmir today spitting about politics, human rights violation, militarisation and speaking truth to power. In doing so, they are inspiring generations to come.

Among the crowd to watch Javed are two young boys from downtown Srinagar nodding their heads to beats.Arsalan (18) and Dawood (19) have been friends since childhood, and listening to hip-hop for eight years now. For them, Kashmiri hip-hopreflects what young people like them go through in their day-to-day lives.

Its like someone is singing our story, they say. We live in the most volatile area in the city, and we have seen so much turmoil right from our childhood. This music gives us a chance to listen to our own feelings.

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Underground cyphers are helping young Kashmiris reclaim their ... - Huck Magazine