Tuesday, December 19, 2017




Liberal city is also very racist

Boston is in the heart of Yankee country where the descendants of Puritans still think they know best what is right for everybody.  They are of course a Democrat stronghold.  So of course they believe in racial equality. 

That commitment to racial acceptance provoked the powers that be at the "Boston Globe" to do an extensive set of surveys to find out how well blacks in Boston were in fact accepted.  Did a belief in racial togetherness translate into action?  Did the deeds of Bostonians reflect their avowed beliefs? 

They did not.  The anti-racism in theory went with mostly polite but nonetheless real racism in behaviour in Boston.  They are too polite to wear Klan hoods but they might as well do so



THAT BLACK people find Boston racially inhospitable isn’t news. While angry white faces standing between a black child and a schoolhouse door does not represent the city today, Boston isn’t any more inclusive for black people now than it was during its rancorous busing era four decades ago.

In its seven-part series “BOSTON. RACISM. IMAGE. REALITY,” the Globe’s Spotlight team outlined the indelible stain of racism on Boston’s reputation. It also painstakingly detailed how that mark has deepened and hardened over time. As Boston enjoys an economic boom, black residents still find themselves segregated in housing, schools, and even hospitals, and excluded from boardrooms, job opportunities, and political power.

“To be a black person in Boston, is [often] to be the only one. . . . The only one in the office; the only one in the leadership position. It’s lonely,” Bridgit Brown, a communications specialist from Dorchester, told the Globe. “You’re aware of the racism. You’re aware of the subtleties. It’s like the air we breathe, if you’re black.”

Racism is nimble. It shape-shifts away from the most obvious, headline-grabbing horrors, allowing those in corridors of power, as well as ordinary white people, to insist things aren’t as bad as they used to be. And, in the most superficial sense, they aren’t. Still, such facile readings ignore how racism burrows in, normalized and equivocated, until it becomes just another accepted part of our landscape.

Its toll on Boston’s black community is immeasurable. Yet the price for a city that considers itself world class is also unacceptably high. For all its achievements, pervasive racism forces Boston to operate with one arm tied behind its back.

No city fully realizes its potential unless it makes the most of what political leaders like to call its “human capital.” Those are the people who, given an opportunity to do so, share their singular talents and vision to help stamp a city’s identity. With its many esteemed colleges and universities, Boston has always been in a unique position to welcome fresh young minds into the city every year and make its case that this city is more than just an academic destination.

In recent years, Boston has made it a priority to retain as permanent residents graduating students. In 2013, a Federal Reserve Bank of Boston study revealed that, compared with other census areas, New England retains fewer college graduates, leading to a so-called “brain drain.”

With black college students, even getting them to come to Boston is difficult. Few want to confront what they see as entrenched racism. The Spotlight team found that African-American enrollment in Greater Boston area universities was less than 7 percent in 2015. That’s significantly less than other major metro areas; nationally, the average for black enrollment is 11 percent.

This could be a refreshing infusion of young black people, some who might stay to establish a real black middle class in Boston. Instead, they won’t even step foot in the city.

“I had the impression that it was this liberal city and that the race relations were on par with Los Angeles or New York,” Melissa Potter Forde told the Globe. A 2006 Northeastern University graduate, she left Boston to finish her last semester in New York. “But I realize there’s still a time of evolution that’s still taking place in the city. Racism was a big part of why I left.”

It’s also a big part of why African-Americans generally don’t stay in Boston after college. In a national survey commissioned by the Globe this fall, black people ranked Boston, out of eight major cities, as the least welcoming to people of color. More than half of those surveyed also rated Boston as unwelcoming

When they come at all, many black college students leave the city as soon as they have their degree in hand. For many, four years in Boston is enough, and greater opportunities, they believe, lie in such places as Atlanta, Philadelphia, or Chicago. These cities also have their own persistent issues with racism, yet present more opportunities and cultural balance. It’s a sentiment passed from one generation to the next. Black people who move to Boston are often warned by their families to reconsider. And when black friends visit, they are usually struck by what looks like Boston’s overwhelming whiteness.

As the Spotlight series pointed out, Boston has worked to ensure that the city does not slip back into the tragic errors of its troubled past. Mayor Martin Walsh has sponsored public conversations about race, but there’s still not much of an indication how that talk will be translated into action. We’ve long since answered the question about whether Boston is racist. The question remains how best to address that fact.

Leaders often speak of diversity, but it’s ardent inclusion that allows cities to thrive. Right now, Boston is failing to utilize to the fullest 23 percent of its population. Nor is it doing enough to convince black professionals that this city welcomes what they have to offer.

Boston is a fine city, but systemic racism continues to bleed us of black talent, innovation, and the cultural spark that turns a good place to live for some into a great place to live for everyone.

SOURCE





Traditional Depictions of Mothers to be Banned in Adverts From Next Year Amid Ongoing War On ‘Gender Stereotypes’

Cooking, cleaning mums will be banned in advertisements across the UK from next year, following a study which claimed traditional gender roles are “harmful and outdated”.
The decision to tighten regulation was announced by the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) this week, after a report published in summer identified gender stereotypes in adverts as a driver of inequality between men and women.

“Wherever they appear or are reinforced, gender stereotypes can lead to mental, physical and social harm which can limit the potential of groups and individuals,” the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) alleged in its study.

Depictions deemed problematic include “family members creating a mess while a woman has sole responsibility for cleaning it up”, and adverts which “[suggest that] a specific activity is inappropriate for boys because it is stereotypically associated with girls, or vice-versa.”

Nanette Newman, an actress who appeared in 1980s Fairy Liquid commercials, told the Daily Mail the ban is “ridiculously over the top”.

“What a bizarre world we live in where the adverts I starred in might today be considered harmful, yet it’s considered perfectly acceptable for women to be shown on mainstream TV having sex,” she told the Mail.

While campaigns to change the view of society presented in advertisements is intended to increase equality, it may be having the effect of skewing representations in a different way. Breitbart London reported in August a major survey of major advertising companies in Britain which found that businesses are over-representing ethnic minorities and homosexual in their marketing in order to ward off accusations of bigotry.

The majority of 500 advertisers surveyed admitting producing campaigns which featured same-sex couples and non-traditional families even if doing so clashed with their brand identity, while half of respondents reported using fewer white people, who they said no longer represented “modern society”.

SOURCE





 
Alliance Defending Freedom helps Blaine Adamson
 
Blaine Adamson never expected to get caught up in the legal battles over religious freedom. He's just a regular guy. In fact, he's probably a lot like you.

Blaine owns Hands On Originals, a small promotional printing shop in Lexington, Kentucky. He works hard to support his family, provide jobs for his employees, and honor God in all he does.

He was just living life, like we all do. He wasn't bothering anyone.

But his world was suddenly and unexpectedly turned upside down when the City of Lexington threatened to take away his freedom. And government officials who were opposed to Blaine's beliefs decided to teach him a lesson.

What had Blaine done? Why did the government come after him? It's all because he politely declined a request to print a shirt promoting a local gay pride festival. Blaine simply could not in good conscience print a message that was so clearly at odds with his faith and its teachings.

Blaine even offered to connect the festival organizers to another printer. He thought it was a good and reasonable solution, but the situation escalated quickly.

He thought he would lose his business

The pride-festival group sent a press release to the Lexington newspaper. LGBT groups called for a boycott of Blaine’s business. He received hateful emails, phone calls, and Facebook comments. Lexington’s mayor publicly criticized him. And large customers began pulling their business.

Blaine remembers sitting with his wife on the floor of their bedroom, pouring out their pain and uncertainty to God.

“I was almost sure we were going to lose the business,” Blaine says. “I felt sick, thinking about what might happen to the people who worked for us. But worse even than that — I just felt so very alone.”

Blaine was beginning to understand just how frightening it can be to face the coercive power of the government on your own.
 
But when Blaine realized he wouldn't have to fight alone, he resolved to endure to the end

The very next morning, an ADF attorney walked into Blaine’s office. And after introducing himself, he told Blaine that other Christians were struggling through similar legal attacks, and that Alliance Defending Freedom would be glad to take on his case, completely free of charge.

Blaine still remembers the relief he felt: “It was just like, ‘Okay, God — You’ve got this. It’s going to be all right. It’s going to work out.’ ”

Almost immediately, the City of Lexington launched an investigation into Blaine’s business. The process was invasive and intimidating. The investigator demanded that Blaine produce thousands of pages of documents about his business, and the city ordered him to come in for questioning.

But ADF succeeded in limiting the investigator's overwhelming requests. And ADF attorneys sat with Blaine during the government's attempts to question him, ensuring that he was treated fairly during the process.

Because of generous ADF supporters, Blaine didn't have to go through any of this alone. ADF — and many Americans — stood with him in a very tangible way. 

Not only did the legal team at ADF begin working on Blaine’s case, but our experienced communications team leapt into action and quickly turned the tide on the negative press Blaine had been receiving.

Within days, the calls for boycotts ended, and the Lexington paper published an article that set much of the record straight. This was crucial, because, whether we like it or not, the court of public opinion often affects the outcome of cases. More than that, Blaine needed to make sure that he wouldn’t be driven out of business by the relentless smear campaigns launched by his opponents.
 
Blaine knew he was facing a long struggle

The government agency that had launched the investigation against Blaine eventually ruled against him, declaring him a lawbreaker, and ordering him to attend “diversity training.”

Blaine knew that unless that decision was reversed, he would likely be forced to close or sell the business that he worked so hard to build.

Yet, what worried Blaine more was the risk that his employees would lose their jobs. “I got a call from someone,” Blaine explained, “and they said to me, ‘You know you’re going to cause all your employees to lose their jobs.’ ”

Blaine is demonstrating what it means to “run with endurance” the race God has set before him. Realizing that he had so much support, Blaine resolved to march ahead, and so we did. Almost immediately, we asked the state court to correct the government’s wrong decision. And thankfully, the court did just that.

The court said that Blaine is free to live out his faith and that the government cannot force him to violate his beliefs.

Although the appeals in his case continue, Blaine is currently free to live out his faith thanks to your faithful support of ADF. And his employees are still able to support their families.

Via email






More Kids Should Play Football Despite 'Some Inherent Dangers,' Former Player Tells Congress

Violent face-offs like the recent Steelers-Bengals football game have raised the NFL’s awareness of the seriousness of concussions, traumatic brain injuries and other major impacts, former player Shawn Springs told Congress on Wednesday.

“Football is a beautiful sport when played properly within the confines of the rules. Even when played correctly, there are some inherent dangers that are unavoidable,” Springs said in his opening remarks before the House Science Subcommittee on Research and Technology.

The former cornerback, who spent his 13-year career with the Seattle Seahawks, Washington Redskins and New England Patriots, added later: “We saw what happened a few weeks back when … (Steelers linebacker) Ryan Shazier was hit in the Steelers-Cincinnati game, and I think every player is aware of the seriousness of the sport and injuries, and I think the NFL is also doing its best and trying to educate the players, as well.”

The Steelers announced this week that Shazier will miss the rest of the season after undergoing spinal stabilization surgery hours after a tumultuous game on Monday Night Football in week 13. Shazier was injured when he led with the crown of his helmet while making a tackle on a Bengals players crossing the middle after a catch. Shazier went limp on contact and appeared unable to move his lower body. He was taken off the field on a stretcher and taken to the hospital.

The game included several other brutal hits, and following the 23-20 Steelers win players from both teams were suspended for unsportsmanlike conduct. Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and Bengals safety George Iloka were each suspended one game. Smith-Schuster in the fourth quarter blindsided Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict, who is infamous for dirty play, and then stood over him in celebration. In an apparent payback hit, Iloka laid a helmet-to-helmet hit on Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown in the end zone, while he scored a game-tying touchdown.

Wednesday’s hearing was held to discuss how federal resources can best be deployed to address head trauma issues, for the sake of competitive sports and for the military. Rep. Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) noted that concussion protocol at the high school level in his state has been raised to a higher standard in recent years. Great Bend High School, for example, has a “super concussion protocol,” he said.

“There’s no more pressure from the coaches that, ‘Hey, your kid’s the star running back,’” Marshall said. “‘He’s got to get back in there for this big game.’ That stigma’s gone away.”

Springs, who was born in Virginia and attended Springbrook High School in Maryland, now serves as chief executive officer of Windpact, a Northern Virginia company that specializes in protective gear. He told Marshall that the awareness at the youth level has risen as mothers, and the community as a whole, have a better understanding of the seriousness of the issue.

“When I came up, my generation, they would tell you to sniff a little smelling salt and go back in,” said Springs, who suffered concussions throughout his career. “Now I think the teachers, parents, coaches, everyone who’s involved with the youth or kids playing is aware of the seriousness of traumatic brain injury and concussions.”

In his opening testimony, Springs noted that the growing negative attention surrounding the sport has resulted in lower participation at the youth level.

“I feel strongly that this is the opposite reaction that is needed,” he said. “Team sports and recreational activities are invaluable in what they provide to our communities and our children.”

Last month, Boston University released findings showing that former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, a convicted murderer who committed suicide in prison at the age of 27, “suffered the most severe case of chronic traumatic encephalopathy ever discovered in a person his age.” The findings raised questions about the impact of CTE on a person’s decision-making and overall mental state.

The NFL is currently collaborating with the National Institute of Science & Technology and others on a four-year, $60 million partnership started in 2013 to better understand traumatic brain injury.

SOURCE

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Political correctness is most pervasive in universities and colleges but I rarely report the  incidents concerned here as I have a separate blog for educational matters.

American "liberals" often deny being Leftists and say that they are very different from the Communist rulers of  other countries.  The only real difference, however, is how much power they have.  In America, their power is limited by democracy.  To see what they WOULD be like with more power, look at where they ARE already  very powerful: in America's educational system -- particularly in the universities and colleges.  They show there the same respect for free-speech and political diversity that Stalin did:  None.  So look to the colleges to see  what the whole country would be like if "liberals" had their way.  It would be a dictatorship.

For more postings from me, see TONGUE-TIED, GREENIE WATCH,   EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL, AUSTRALIAN POLITICS and  DISSECTING LEFTISM.   My Home Pages are here or   here or   here.  Email me (John Ray) here.  Email me (John Ray) here

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