This and that for your Sunday reading. – Zeynep Tufecki writes about the deadly delay in recognizing the reality that COVID-19 spreads largely through aerosol transmission. Elliot Hannon reports on new research suggesting that the U.S.’ already-appalling official death toll from the coronavirus represents a severe undercount. notes that the
Continue readingTag: bigotry
wmtc: the concept of intersectionality: what it is, what it’s not, why we need it
Women Friendly Cities Challenge After the recent, horrific murders in Atlanta of eight people, six of whom were Asian or Asian-American spa workers, there was a lot of discussion online about the nature of these killings. Were they acts of anti-Asian hatred? Were they acts of misogyny? Were they motivated
Continue readingwmtc: george floyd + 1,000 others annually: justice is not possible, but accountability might help
Derek Chauvin, the police officer who murdered George Floyd, was found guilty on all charges. At long last, after millions protested around the country and the world, a police officer was held accountable for murder. Or as one of the memes says, we only had to burn down the country
Continue readingwmtc: what i’m reading: the sword and the shield: the revolutionary lives of malcolm x and martin luther king jr.
When I read a review of The Sword and The Shield: the Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr., I knew it was a book I’d been waiting for someone to write. I despise the way Martin Luther King, Jr. has been sanitized and diluted for public
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Andrew Nikiforuk calls out the premiers who continue to spout talking points about “balance” while failing utterly to control the spread of deadly COVID-19 variants. Jillian Kestler-D’Amours discusses how Ontario’s medical calamity was entirely preventable, while David Moscrop makes the case for Doug
Continue readingwmtc: roots and icebergs: decolonizing community spaces: a workshop
I recently attended a six-hour workshop called Decolonizing Community Spaces. The workshop was led by two facilitators, one a Native American speaking to us from her traditional territories in Montana, and the other a Filipina-Canadian. About 30 people attended; I believe all were health and service providers in the province
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Kendall Latimer reports that epidemiologists are calling for far stronger public health measures as COVID variants have become the dominant strain – and spread to an alarmingly high number of people already – in Regina. German Lopez discusses the value of a
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Andrew Nikiforuk takes a look at two proposals to get to COVID Zero – including one from Canada and one from Germany. – Mickey Djuric reports on Saskatchewan’s deceptive COVID-19 reporting – which results in a public announcement that people have “recovered” no
Continue readingwmtc: what i’m reading: ghosts of gold mountain, the epic story of the chinese who built the transcontinental railroad
Ever since reading, in 2006, The National Dream and The Golden Spike, Pierre Berton’s books about the building of the Canadian railroad, I’ve been interested in the Chinese railroad workers. Two details stuck in my memory: Chinese workers retaining their food traditions (and the racism and abuse they encountered over
Continue readingwmtc: fact: you cannot wave the confederate flag or the swastika flag and rightly call yourself a patriotic american
This post has been half-written and sitting in drafts for many months. Days after an armed mob tried to violently subvert the results of an election seems like a good time to finish it. * * * * Here’s a statement that should be completely obvious. You cannot wave the
Continue readingwmtc: the post of orphaned notes
Like many writers, especially those of us who grew up before the digital age, I keep a notebook. I use it to capture ideas, capture thoughts about I’m reading, take notes on experiences, and take notes on various activist or community meetings I attend. I’ve learned that I have to
Continue readingwmtc: all eyes on the united states: election day and beyond: the dark side laid bare
Election day in the U.S. tomorrow. My American family and friends are all quietly freaking out. The whole world is quietly freaking out. The massive turnout through mail-in voting and advance polling are very good signs. Thousands who didn’t vote in 2016 have already voted in 2020. Personally, I think
Continue readingwmtc: africans were involved in the slave trade. why do you think that matters?
The statement If you are exposed to any bigoted, right-wing media or social media — whether by misfortune, sport, or a delusion that you must counter their arguments — and someone raises the subject of slavery, you will doubtless see on this trope. They were sold by their own people.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Gloria Dickie documents how the Arctic region may already be in a death spiral caused by climate change. Katharine Murphy reports on IMF research showing that current policies and plans are woefully inadequate to address the climate crisis. Joseph Winters notes that
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Joshua Schiffer highlights how the best response to COVID-19 for now involves the use of imperfect but easily-applied means of reducing its spread, rather than doing nothing until some perceived perfect answer is available. And Jessica Corbett reports on Oxfam’s new study showing
Continue readingwmtc: "you guys": change language, do no harm, but can we please leave space for learning and growing?
First reactions: the language police I’ve recently learned that calling a group of people you guys may be considered insensitive to transgender people. My first reaction to this was an inner eye-roll, and thoughts along the lines of, “Oh come on, that’s going too far.” The same reaction I had to
Continue readingwmtc: which side are you on: the unprecedented strike by nba players is a watershed moment for justice
First of all, it’s not a boycott. It’s a strike. And a wildcat strike to boot. When the players on the Milwaukee Bucks chose not to play in the NBA playoffs — joined by their baseball counterparts, the Brewers, with other teams quickly following — they became part of a tradition
Continue readingwmtc: missing nyc: spontaneous political street art in bloom
This story in The New York Times made me miss New York City more than anything has in a very long time. All over the city, artists have created murals protest racism and police abuse. This critic surveys the murals, and compares them to the Neolithic cave art in the
Continue readingwmtc: wmtc "what i’m reading" posts to celebrate black august 2020
I thought Black August was something newly created by Black Lives Matter, but it turns out it has existed since the 1970s. I’m sorry I haven’t heard about it sooner, and I thank the Movement for Black Lives for bringing it to my attention. Black August commemorates the rich history
Continue readingwmtc: what i’m reading: how to be an antiracist by ibram x. kendi
How To Be An Antiracist is an important, powerful, thought-provoking book. With unflinching precision, Ibram X. Kendi defines the roots of racism and explains how we can work to eliminate it. The structure of the book is disarming: the explanatory chapters are interwoven with the story of Kendi’s personal journey
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