Category Archives: National Vanguard

Opinion

By Abdulai Braima

Dear Guru Oswald Hanciles,

I think your curious attempt to clean up Sylvia and present her in the bright light of her ethnic pedigree is a disservice to what you profess to represent as well as to the Creole people in whose brilliant image you want to define Sylvia.

In the first place, there is nothing inversely or overtly relevant about your unwarranted tumbling into the derogative diction of slave-catcher/seller historicity of OUR (Creoles and non-Creole) collective past with reference to Sylvia Blyden and her mischief!

And, CERTAINLY, Sylvia is not one of the stellar representatives of a glorious line of a people who were/are not just known to be very brainy but who were/are verifiable champions of the fight to instil morality in, especially, public life!

On the contrary, it is my candid opinion that your strenuous attempt to decorate Sylvia and instal her in the hall of fame to which the phalanx of commendable creole notables rightly belong is a disingenuous disservice to our great national patriots, both living and dead.

In some of your writings you sound like a fair-minded dude. I would advise you to stick to your global call for trillion dollar slave trade reparation and your even more plausible advocacy on climate change. Your attempt to launder your ghastly Tolongbo comrades and sell them off as gold is a dead lead sinker! For you might be the only APC elite who does not know that TOLONGBOISM is not about Creole history or Mende-Themne/etc interest. It is about tethered Human Cows eating every blade of stolen grass in their sight. It is about thieves STEALING from every tribe in every region! Simple!

So your syllogisms coated in such utterly divisive ethnic slave-seller phraseology is sadly self-debasing and ultimately deluding!

In actuality, your lengthy preamble not withstanding, you have failed on the most vital counts on which the theme of your post really rested. No, it is not unity. The under-current thrust here is an attempt to showcase why you think Sylvias divisive rants against the current government should be accepted as a call to peace and unity.

I dont know if any other person has, but I directly accused Sylvia of the showboating you referenced. If somebody else saw her that way then that would be a welcomed addition to my candid conclusion.

And speaking of contextualisation I wonder why you didnt reference the shifty statements that provoked the showboating characterisation of your unity champion. WHERE is the unity in any of Sylvias sarcastic jibes?

Okay, let me draw your attention to the context: Sylvia scribbled a nonsensical post in which she tried to disparage Rtd. Brig Kellie Conteh, Hon. Dr. Alpha Wurie and President Julius Maada Bio by patronisingly (even flippantly) describing these three respectable and respected gentlemen as non medical persons leading the fight against the Covid-19 menace.

Her unnecessary emphasis on the non-medicality of our leaders in this battle was a calculated art of mischief that has nothing like Creole heritage and smells nothing of unity in its input or implications. So I challenged her to produce the equivalent TOLONGBO MEDICAL-LADEN leadership line-up during our fight against Ebola and I even went further to educate her on the wrong-headed premise built into her piece suggesting that national leadership should be predicated upon medical qualifications.

Bro, your attempt to sanitise Sylvia may understandably be a pandering to past or present political (or perhaps ethnic) proximity but it certainly has ZERO to do with the trans-Atlantic slave trade era. If anything, her attitude (if not her conduct) is a typical manifestation of the mindless cash-flushed Slave Catchers and the sneaky Uncle Tom House Niggers both of whom may come from different ethnic backgrounds but all of whom belong to the same nation-selling category! Dont you realise that Sylvias butt of attacks has been constantly directed at someone who is a woman who also happens to be APC and who is even more Creole than Sylvia claims to be?

Mayor Aki-Sawyer is miles above Sylvia Blyden in every category that spells decency!

And NO, Sylvia Blyden has not resisted...being overtly or obliquely cowered into silence by the descendants of the slave-catchers and slave-sellers; on the contrary, Sylvia has actively participated, at the highest level, in silencing the descendants of the slaves as well as the descendants of the Slave-sellers.

By pitching her tent with crooks in the Tolongbo camp who banded together to plunder our land, Sylvia actively helped to defile our national institutions and deprive our people.

In your own words, the APC is a party that practised State-sanctioned terrorism. Knowing that you have been inside or around the APC for decades, I can take your word for that.

But the question is: When did you realise that the APC is a terrorist outfit? After the bludgeoning of Bank Governor Sam Bangura? After the murder and burning of love rival Mustapha? After the cold blooded slaughter of Major S.O. Williams? After criminally selling off our rutile resources for 99 years and plundering everything else in sight including a highly lucrative iron-ore mine or after the daylight rape of our national constitution with disdain?

Oswald, do you really want to play the political lawyer to absolve Sylvia and create a saint out of this broken-pen EBK-trusted SEA, from acts that led to sinking our nation? Really? You need an undiluted pipe of pouring bleach!

My brother, Sylvia Blydens sainthood can only receive a crown from those who worshiped in the same den of the APC DEBUL... perhaps in the self same pew in a State House that fed its ranks on Ebola cheques and hard Hajj cash.

What is so Creole about that shameful level of sacrilegious robbery?

Bo do ya unu lef dem Creole out of unu Tolongbo dabaru saful! True true Creole man (or woman) nor mix pan Ojukokoro business.

Nar so me see ahn; en Nar so Ih be!

See the original post:

Cautioning Oswald over Sylvia - The Patriotic Vanguard

CAN President, Dr Samson Ayokunle***Urges govt to be transparent, inclusive in the distribution of COVID-19 palliativesBy Luminous Jannamike, Abuja

As the Christian world over celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Sunday, the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has directed churches across the country to make relief packages available to the poor.

This directive is in the light of the lockdown ordered by various governments to stem the spread of Coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic in Nigeria.

CAN President, Rev. Dr Samson Ayokunle, in a special Easter message titled: We Shall Have Victory at Last, said: I bring Easter greetings to all Christians in Nigeria and all over the globe.

There is no other time the hope of victory over circumstances of life which Easter brings is more relevant to humans than now when we are forced to celebrate Easter for the first time in over one hundred years in lockdown.

The Coronavirus disruptions of human activities, however, cannot deter us from our joy and victory over all evils which Christs unique resurrection from the dead has brought to us.

Beloved and fellow Nigerians, we shall see the end of all evils challenging us in the name of Jesus including COVID-19.

Let all local churches remember to make relief packages available to the poor among them at this time. This is the time we would know the true church of Christ and those that are just commercial outfits.

Ayokunle commended the Federal and State governments for rising strongly to confront the COVID-19 pandemic but urged them to be transparent and inclusive in the distribution of palliatives to the poor and vulnerable in the society.

He also called on them not to be deterred in confronting the pandemic headlong until normalcy is restored across the nation.

The CAN President said: We further urge the governments to be transparent and inclusive of all regions and religious persuasions in the identification of the poor to which pandemic relief materials and payments are being made available.

Even after the government has explained the mode by which they identified the beneficiaries, many Nigerians, including the National Assemblys members are still really not convinced that the poor around us are the beneficiaries.

We know the government cannot touch every poor in the society for lack of enough resources, but the equal selection of the poor per state with the balance in religious persuasions would have done better justice.

We shall continue to pray for the government for right and inclusive decisions always for our general good.

I am fully persuaded that very soon, coronavirus will become history and we shall all have victory over it.

Let us intensify prayers for a quick recovery for as many that are recuperating from its attacks.

Related

See the article here:

Easter: CAN tasks churches on charity to the poor - Vanguard

There are fears of a second wave of Covid-19 pandemic, if lockdown ends too soon.

Folks have been clapping, praying and hoping for a swift recovery for Boris Johnson, on Thursday the Prime Minister came out of ICU without having been on a ventilator. Johnsons lively spirit and leadership is being missed. The cabinet operates on an C18th convention of collective responsibility, the system of confidential free and frank discussion before reaching a decision for which they are collectively accountable. Dominic Raab, First Minister of State, is temporarily deputising for the PM, if Raab were to fall ill then Chancellor Rishi Sunak would step in.The Labour opposition led by newly elected Leader Keir Starmer, economists, industry, institutions, businesses of all shapes and sizes are braying for government to declare their plan to end the lockdown, thus providing an exit strategy. The benefit of the lockdown is only just beginning to show and such calls to end the lockdown may be premature. However, one can sympathise that people cannot plan their business life and financial future when the situation is still open-ended. And the governments caution is understandable as UK have not yet reached the Covid peak and deaths are still rising. The fear looms that if the lockdown ends too soon the second wave could be as fatal as the first, thus Raab announced the lockdown will continue.

When the time comes to phase out the lockdown it will hopefully include surveillance, early detection, testing, contact tracing, a decreasing rate of transmission and case fatality rate. Liam Fox MP and former Brexit Minister recommends categorising the population according to the risk they pose to themselves and to others, then to keep the high risks, the elderly and those with underlying health issues under lockdown until a vaccine is available. The rest of the population could be categorised into sub-groups, for instance, those who have had antibody or antigen tests, who could return to work. This combined with the recently improved NHS facilities would make the pandemic (and the economy) more manageable posits Dr Fox.

Regarding the phasing patterns some say construction should be the first to resume, others say financial services, others claim businesses with less than 50 employees should be in the vanguard, tourism, mass public and sporting events will be the last to return to normal. Although a YouGov poll found that 91% of citizenry supported an extended lockdown, it will be very difficult to dribble out the restrictions without a mass exodus. The only permanent way out of future episodes of lockdown is a vaccine or mass antibody testing.

In other news the board of Imagination Technologies Group, the British chip designer company who make GPUs for Apple and Samsung, that was acquired by Canyon Bridge Capital Partners in 2017 for 550million, feared they were to be usurped by Canyons main investor, the state-owned $30billion China Reform Holdings. The possibility of the intellectual property rights and profits being relocated to China was shocking, and the possible threat to national security was flagged to GCHQ and the National Cyber Security Centre. David Davis MP and former Brexit Secretary intervened insisting on a government investigation. Oliver Dowden MP, Secretary for Digital-Culture-Media and Sport has replied saying his officials are working to understand the facts, and the National Security and Investment Bill will give the government extra powers to scrutinise foreign investment, Dowden plans to update Davis promptly. In 2017 President Trump blocked the by-out by Canyon Bridge Capital of Lattice Semiconductor in Portland, Oregon, citing national security concerns; Trumps administration has successfully implemented technology blockades from US to China. The question is why did Davis have to bring this to the attention of the Digital Secretary in the first place. It is understood that this debacle will encourage the UK government review on Huawei 5G.

View original post here:

No exit in sight for UK as lockdown continues - The Sunday Guardian

File Photo: An arrested suspect

The coronavirus pandemic that has crippled big-box retailers and other small businesses worldwide may be making a dent in illicit business, too.

In Chicago, one of Americasmost violent cities, drug arrests have plummeted 42% in the weeks since the city shut down, compared with the same period last year. Part of that decrease, some criminal lawyers say, is that drug dealers have no choice but to wait out the economic slump.

The feedback Im getting is that they arent able to move, to sell anything anywhere, said Joseph Lopez, a criminal lawyer in Chicago who represents reputed drug dealers.

Overall, Chicagos crime declined 10% after the pandemic struck, a trend playing out globally as cities report stunning crime drops in the weeks since measures were put into place to slow the spread of the virus. Even among regions that have the highest levels of violence outside a war zone, fewer people are being killed and fewer robberies are taking place.

Still, law enforcement officials worry about a surge ofunreported domestic violence, and what happens when restrictions lift or go on too long.

Its rare for a city to see a double-digit drop in crime, even over a much longer period. DuringNew York Citys 1990s crime decline, one of the biggest turnarounds in American history, crime dropped about 40% over three years. That makes the drop-offs occurring now in a period of just a couple of weeks even more seismic.

Across Latin America, crime is down to levels unseen in decades.

Killings are down, and the gangsters arent harassing so much, Eduardo Perdomo, a 47-year-old construction worker, said while getting off a bus in San Salvador. I think theyre afraid of catching the virus, and they arent going out.

El Salvador reportedan average of two killings a day last month, down from a peak of 600 a day a few years ago.

Much of the decrease has taken place because of tougher security policies and gang truces. But the imposition of near-total limits on movement is likely driving it down further, according to analysts and national statistics.

In Peru, where crime levels fell 84% last month, Lima mortician Ral Gonzlez usually has as many as 15 bodies a day many are homicide victims. This week he napped on a bench after six hours without a client.

There are almost no killings or car accidents these days, Gonzlez said.

In South Africa, police reported a stunning decline during their first week of lockdown measures. Police Minister Bheki Cele said reported rapes were down from 700 to 101 over the same period last year. Serious assault cases plummeted from 2,673 to 456, and murders fell from 326 to 94.

The U.S. virus epicenter in New York saw major crimes murder, rape, robbery, burglary, assault, grand larceny and car theft decrease by 12% from February to March. In Los Angeles, 2020 key crimes statistics were consistent with last years figures until the week of March 15, when they dropped by 30%.

Theres a lot fewer opportunities for criminals to take advantage of, said Joe Giacalone, a former New York Police Department sergeant who now teaches at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Most burglars, they wait for you to leave the house.

Policing has also changed in the face of the pandemic. Officers are increasingly getting sick; the NYPD, the countrys largest department with more than 36,000 officers,has more than 7,000 officers outand more than 2,000 diagnosed with COVID-19.

And U.S. authorities say theyre issuing citations instead of making low-level arrests, policing social distancing and putting detectives into patrol cars which could, in turn, bring down crime rates.

While departments are unlikely to announce theyve backed off policing certain crimes, thats going to be the case, said Bowling Green State University criminologist Philip Stinson.

In many respects, over the next weeks, theyre really in survival mode, he said.

But while narcotics arrests are down, drug sales continue, with dealers likely forced to change their strategies, said Rodney Phillips, a former gang member in Chicago who now works as a conflict mediator in the city.

These guys already face poverty and death in these areas, he said. They might be selling more online now. But they arent going to give up just because of the coronavirus.

A Maryland man accused of operating a Darknet store selling prescription opioids boasted on his vendor page: Even with Corona Virus the shop is running at full speed.

He told an undercover FBI agent he was just waiting for a shipment because this corona virus (sic) is (expletive) up inventory, according to court documents.

Other crimes, however, may be fueled by shutdown orders.

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said the citys aggravated assaults were up 10% in the last three weeks, and half of those were domestic violence, a significantly higher proportion than normal. Calls to Missouris child abuse and neglect hotline dropped by half as the virus first struck the state. Advocates said the calls arent made because the kids arent in school.

And Chicago did see a spike in gun violence this week, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, which reported 60 shootings 19 fatal between Sunday and Thursday.

San Jose, California, Police Chief Eddie Garcia hopes the downward trend will continue after the pandemic is over. But his officers are preparing for the worst.

The longer were in a lockdown, he said, the more were playing with fire.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. But for others, especially older adults and people with health problems, it can cause severe symptoms like pneumonia. More than 1.5 million cases have been diagnosed worldwide.

[Associated Press]

Vanguard News Nigeria.

Related

View original post here:

Lockdown: Crime drops around the world as COVID-19 keeps people inside - Vanguard

The inter-service rivalry between the United States Army and the United States Navy is one that is typically expressed on the football field and dates back to the 1890 but when it comes to actual military operates the services have shown that they can work quite well together.

This was reaffirmed last month when the U.S. Navy Expeditionary Landing Base ship USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB 3), which was assigned to the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (USNAVENT), conducted joint naval and air integration operations in the Arabian Gulf with U.S. Army AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters. The helicopters were assigned to U.S. Army Central Command's (USARCENT) Task Force Saber.

The operations were designed to enhance the capabilities of U.S. forces to respond to surface threats. It involved the Puller performing as a landing base platform for the Army's helicopters, whilst Cyclone-class Patrol Coastal (PC) ships were able to select simulated targets for the choppers to engage. The joint operations exercise was further supported by the U.S. Navy's guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60).

"The integration of U.S. Army air weapons teams with other joint fires into the maritime environment greatly enhances our ability to expand reconnaissance and attack capability," said Capt. Peter Mirisola, commander of the Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 50, and Combined Task Force (CTF) 55. "The Apaches, in coordination with our surface ships, allow us to hold an adversary at high risk at extended ranges. Combined with other joint fires, these aircraft significantly increase the precision lethality of our joint maritime forces."

The Army's Apache AH-64E is a twin-engine, four-bladed, multi-mission attack helicopter and its origins date back to the post-Vietnam Era. It remains one of the world's premier attack helicopters, as it is designed as a highly stable aerial weapons-delivery platform that is capable of destroying an array of mobile armored targets on land or sea. It is armed with a 30mm automatic gun, aerial rockets and AGM-114 Hellfire missiles.

The Navy's Cyclone-class Patrol Coastal comprise America's naval vanguard in the Persian Gulf, and are the only U.S. warships that permanently operate off the Iranian coast.

The exercises are important for training, as the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy have conducted similar integration operations with Special Operations assets in region in the past. This included U.S. naval forces working with Army MH-6M Little Bird helicopters during Operation Earnest Will from 1987 to 1988, during the Tanker War phase of the then ongoing Iran-Iraq War.

This cooperative exercise highlighted how the Army and Navy can come together in the volatile Gulf region.

"Working with USARCENT forces represents another key capability in our ongoing integration of naval and air assets across our joint and coalition force to ensure maritime superiority," said Vice Adm. Jim Malloy, commander, USNAVCENT/U.S. 5th Fleet. "This kind of cross-domain integration allows us to maintain highly lethal and effective defensive capabilities, regardless of what platforms are operating in theater."

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer who has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites. He is the author of several books on military headgear including A Gallery of Military Headdress, which is available on Amazon.com.

Read more:

Why Are U.S. Army Attack Helicopters Landing on U.S. Navy Warship? - The National Interest

See how theatres throughout California are responding to the current pandemic and how they're preparing for the life after Covid-19.

The Newport Theatre Arts Center has canceled its production of Working, with no future plans in place as of yet. The company is currently set to present Neil Simon's "Chapter Two" beginning May 29 and is considering a September date due to the current state of the pandemic which has closed Broadway through June. Newport's November offering Absurd Person Singular remains on its original Novemver 11 with The Diary of Anne Frank set to begin performances in January.

Segerstrom Center has postponed visits from the national tours of both Chicago and Les Miserables. Tickets will be honored for new performance dates, to be announced.

Laguna Playhouse has canceled the world premiere musical To Sir, With Love as well as postponing its production of Hershey Felder's Monsieur Chopin" to October. The company is currently considering delaying the one-woman play, Ann, to next season.

Costa Mesa's Vanguard University's first professional production The Marvelous Wonderettes is still slated to open this May but could be pushed to fall. The company has announced its 2020-21 season which includes the new musical Broadway Bound, Much Ado About Nothing, 42nd Street and more!

South Coast Repertory has canceled three productions from its season as well as the Pacific Playwrights Festival. Costa Mesa Playhouse is currently considering this season's offerings, Silent Sky and A Streetcar Named Desire as openers of the 2021 season. Dates have not yet been announced. Golden West College is currently planning a production of Hamlet for the fall.

For those stuck at home, GEM Theater directors Damien Lorton and Nicole Cassesso have launched a weekly online cocktail hour chat. After canceling both of its 2020 productions, UC Irvine's New Swan Shakespeare Festival is offering online streams of its 2018 shows, A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Winter's Tale

Read the full story at The Los Angeles Times.

Go here to see the original:

California Theaters Respond to COVID-19 And Look to the Future - Broadway World

Dana White wants to have a "fight island" for his UFC cards, which until; baseball turned up was the dimmest and most arrogantly misguided idea for resumption yet proposed.

Fortunately for him, baseball floated an idea that would send all the teams to Arizona for a mid-May start because well, why should Dana White get all the stick for not understanding the issue?

The story, provided us by ESPN's Jeff Passan, claims that MLB, the players union and the state of Arizona are focusing on a plan that would send all 30 teams to the greater Phoenix area for upwards of five months, sequestered except for the games at Chase Field and the 10 spring training ballparks has the potential imprimatur of federal health officials, which means that we have three separate groups who do not comprehend the nature of the virus besetting us all. Passan explains:

"The logistics to pull off such a plan would be enormous and cumbersome on the league side and require the buy-in of players, who sources expect to be skeptical of separating from their families for an indefinite amount of time perhaps as long as 4 months, if the inability to stem the coronavirus outbreak keeps teams from playing in their home stadiums in 2020.

"Still, there is hope among leadership on both sides that the combination of receiving paychecks for playing and baseball's return offering a respite to a nation beset by the devastation of COVID-19 would convince players to agree to the plan, sources said."

So once again, we have people in sports who think they understand more about virology than virologists. Or, and this is demonstrably worse, they don't care because the only thing that matters is playing the games with a new emphasis on the word "sacrifice."

In the case of UFC, White's avaricious core is well on display but is not really surprising, since he is essentially Vince McMahon-Light. Baseball, though, is taking White's idea, multiplying it by a dozen venues and 20 times the humans, all in search of all that delicious television and associated media money, because after all, that is the real national pastime, and the respite the games would offer is from the nestling of money in pockets other than those of Major League Baseball.

One suspects that like the NBA's discussed colonization of Las Vegas for the completion of its season, or, according to some Canadian sources, the NHL's potential flirtation of sites that would include the University of North Dakota, this will collapse under the weights of safety, logistics and logic. But it does say something that each league has chosen as its capital-in-exile an area in keeping with its essential view of itself. White is talking about a secret island, hockey is choosing places where 50 degrees is malaria weather, basketball is choosing the mecca of neon, and baseball is choosing one of the most conservative states in the union.

But in every case, the central idea is that the will of the wealthy can overwhelm a disease that doesn't take no for an answer and if history is any guide is only getting started, and that accelerating the virus among the athlete class is deemed by the people who pay the athletes a sufficiently small price to pay.

In the end, no pun intended, we suspect saner and more scientifically trained heads will prevail, even though that has not always been the way to bet during the life of this virus. But the business of sports keeps on plugging away as though it ought to be immune from viral persecution just because TV says so. I mean, Tiger King might have shown people the event horizon of crap entertainment, but there is something worse, namely this:

Finding out that your favorite team might be hell-bent on being part of the growing problem, and that every team's new logo is a skull.

See the original post:

Ratto: Sports as the vanguard of anti-science - 957 The Game

By Murcel Rahimi

Advocate groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) are urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to address the communication issues between incarcerated people and their families.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, incarcerated people and their families are being deprived of communication and family visits across the country in conditions that make them at risk for COVID-19. Over 50 organizations joined to write a letter during this unprecedented crisis on behalf of the countrys most vulnerable people in terms of health and economic stability: incarcerated people and their loved ones.

They urge the FCC to immediately request that predatory prison phone companies offer free phone and video callswith no fees to incarcerated and detained individuals immediately for the next 60 days, to press the prison phone industry to commit to the Keep Americans Connected Pledge, and to deny Securus and all companies request to stop paying into the Universal Service Fund.

Incarcerated people are not able to socially distance while inside and therefore are most vulnerable to contracting COVID-19. Moreover, in conditions where communications are limited, unjust practices may occur because incarcerated people are unable to communicate about the dangerous crowding or lack of access to medical care. Adequate communications are a matter of civil rights and public health.

Justice-involved families in areas most at risk for the virus with limited access to health care are more disconnected than ever from loved ones. Prison call rates, which could cost over $1 a minute, and exploitative charges for video calls, have forced families to choose between needs like food, power, and regular contact. This problem is further exacerbated as low wage workers are losing their jobs.

They also argue that the FCC should deny Securus Technologies self-serving and short-sighted petition to waive its obligation to pay into the Universal Service Fund (USF) at a time of national emergency when low-income people, schools, libraries and rural tele-health providers will need the fund most. Each telecommunications company must bear its fair share in order to meet the needs of all people in the U.S.

The needs of incarcerated people and their families must be prioritized, the statement said. The three actions outlined in the letter will contribute positively toward humane treatment and safety during this crisis.

To sign up for our new newsletter Everyday Injustice https://tinyurl.com/yyultcf9

See more here:

Protection of Incarcerated Individuals and Families during COVID-19 - The Peoples Vanguard of Davis

By Murcel Rahimi

GRAND RAPIDS, MI- With the coronavirus pandemic expanding, many prisons across the nation are working to release eligible incarcerated individuals to prevent the further spread of the virus.

A Michigan clothing brand, Forgive Everyone Co., is releasing a collection and will be donating a portion of its profits to bail out pre-trial detainees.

The spread of COVID-19 has caused many local and state governments to adhere to social distancing measures and shelter-in-place mandates in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus. However, social distancing is impossible in prisons due to overcrowding and poor hygienic standards. Jails are the perfect environment for a massive spread of COVID-19.

If were saying no, that those people deserve to stay in there and face this with no resources, no healthcare and complete lack of ability to do any measures of protection, then youre saying that potentially every single person going into jails right now potentially deserves that death penalty, said Skyler Rich, Owner and Founder of Forgive Everyone Co.

Rich, a senior at Calvin University, started the company in 2018 to raise awareness and empathy for those who have been incarcerated. On Friday he debuted the shops Decarceration collection, in which 20 percent of all profits will be donated to the National Bail Fund Network.

The National Bail Fund Network works with bail funds in all 50 states to counter mass incarceration and reduce harm in the communities in which they operate. The remaining proceeds will go to fund Forgive Everyone Co.s advocacy efforts, which include criminal justice reform events, storytelling initiatives, and the development of advocacy materials.

Although he has never been incarcerated, Rich says his heart goes out to those behind bars, saying that through his work with former incarcerated people, he knows the dangers they face amid the pandemic.

Its incredibly overcrowded, sometimes over 100 beds in one room in some of these mass areas in California, and so its really impossible for people to social isolate, social distance or quarantine if it does get in, Rich said. Staff is going in and out and so its really a ticking time bomb waiting to happen. Weve already seen it take over Rikers.

Their new Decarcerate collection features three pieces that are designed to promote forgiveness, decarceration, and humanity. It can be found on their website.

To sign up for our new newsletter Everyday Injustice https://tinyurl.com/yyultcf9

View post:

Fashion Line Profits to Go to National Cash Bail Network Fund in Response to COVID-19 - The Peoples Vanguard of Davis

It was a highly anticipated move by the California Judicial Council and while we captured some reaction from across the state but interestingly enough, other than Jackie Lacey, a DA facing a runoff in November, the DA leaders in California including the California District Attorneys Association along with individual DAs like Sacramentos Anne Marie Schubert and Yolo Countys Jeff Reisig were silent on the ruling.

Here are some reactions we did capture.

Yolo County Public Defender Tracie Olson:

Two people are charged with the exact same crime. One is rich. One is poor. One pays money in order to go home. The other stays in jail. Thats our current bail system and one of the causes of mass incarceration.

It took a worldwide health crisis to lower bail to amounts that public defender clients can afford, which is $0 in most misdemeanor and low-level felony cases.

The new bail schedule is designed to alleviate the problem of high bail in cases that have been delayed due to the COVID-19 crisis. However, the new bail schedule is considered temporary and is set to terminate once the crisis is over. This means, once again, that people will be stuck in jail simply because theyre too poor to buy their way out.

San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju:

This decision will reduce the flow and the churn of people into the jails coming into the front end of system which will hopefully reduce impact of the delay that the lack of arraignments and preliminary hearings create in releases on the back end.

I think its also important that they recognized the huge importance of individuals personal appearance at hearings and made it clear that they have to personally waive their appearance in order to conduct hearings via video because the purpose of these hearings is to present a fuller picture of individuals and the fact, our ability to do that is severely diminished if these hearings are conducted remotely.

Jessica Bartholow, policy advocate at Western Center:

Ending money bail has been a long-time advocacy position of Western Center and we are grateful for this temporary pause of the unconstitutional practice of denying people freedom while they await trial unless they can afford to pay bail.

We are hopeful that the Judicial Council will ensure that bail data collected during this time, which is required by Senate Bill 36 and is intended to prevent and document racial bias in pre-trial jail detention decisions, will still be pursued and reported to the Legislature during the pandemic, and that the Council will work to permanently end money bail beyond the pandemic.

Michael Mendoza, National Director at #cut50, a program of the Dream Corps:

The Judicial Counsels decision to set an emergency bail schedule to $0, for most offenses, will save lives.

We at #cut50 welcome this temporary solution during this pandemic and look forward to ending the practice of money bail as we move past the immediate risk of COVID-19s rapid spread and toward a justice system that prioritizes healing and restoration over punishment. More needs to be done beyond this temporary measure to keep people in jails and prisons safe and to reduce the number of people behind bars. We urge all local, state and federal lawmakers to continue taking urgent steps now, before more lives are needlessly lost.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey:

I applaud the Chief Justice and the Judicial Council for adopting a statewide zero bail for people charged with most misdemeanors and low-level felonies.

In Los Angeles County, we implemented a zero-bail measure last week that allows us to further reduce the number of people in county jails and courthouses.I appreciate the collaboration among criminal justice leaders in Los Angeles County that has resulted in the rapid deployment of new and innovative approaches as we work to try to stop the spread of COVID-19 in our community.

George Gascon Candidate for LA DA:

California continues to solidify its role as the national leader in adopting aggressive, life-saving initiatives during this crisis, said former District Attorney and Assistant Chief of the LAPD, George Gascn. The novel coronavirus has forced our system of justice to confront a not-so-novel question, one thatlargely defined the criminal justice reform movement even prior to the pandemic: Does keeping huge numbers of people in-custody on small-time offenses pose a greater threat to us allthan letting them out?

Prior to Covid-19 the answer was well-studied andabundantlyclear, but the pandemic has made the implications of mass-incarceration far more tangible andlethal than ever. This virus does not care if youre a prosecutor, victim, or a defendant. Innocent or guilty, this viruscanstill kill you.

While New Yorks leaders aretaking us backwards, Californias leaders are demonstrating that they are up to the task of protecting the health and wellfare of our community. The samecannot be saidof LAs criminal justice leaders whomust make an urgent, life-savingcourse change to protect the public from the threat posed by this pandemic.To sign up for our new newsletter Everyday Injustice https://tinyurl.com/yyultcf9

View original post here:

Reaction to the Judicial Council Reducing Bail to Zero - The Peoples Vanguard of Davis