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New Prison and Jail Population Figures Released by U.S. Department of Justice

May 17, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

The Sentencing Project (www.sentencingproject.org) is a long-standing expert non-profit organization that researches our criminal justice system (especially prison sentencing) and provides advocacy to promote fairness.  They are highly credible.  I have been financially supporting them for many years. The Sentencing Project released this information on April 25, 2019: New Prison and Jail Population Figures Released by U.S. Department of Justice By yearend 2017, the United States prison population had declined by 7.3% since reaching its peak level in 2009, according to new data released by the Department of Justice. The prison population decreases are heavily influenced by a handful of […]

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Several reasons why the right wing has built its power at the expense of liberals and the Left

April 30, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

The article at this link provides insights into the effectiveness of RIGHT-WING MEMES — and why the Left falls short in that:  https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/04/right-wing-groups-are-training-young-conservatives-to-win-the-next-meme-war/?utm_source=mj-newsletters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=econundrums-2019-04-08   The Left had raised the issue of “globalization,” but the Right stole the issue and converted it into right-wing nationalism, racism, and anti-immigrant hysteria.  This allowed Trump and right-wing extremists to gain power in various countries that used to be “liberal democracies.”  This article provides insights:  https://fpif.org/sieg-heil-deja-vu-understanding-the-global-rise-of-the-extreme-right/   In the U.S and elsewhere, the dominant economic and political systems are not working, so mainstream (“white”) people feel victimized.  The right wing has promoted the current conservative […]

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Yes, we can organize more effectively at the grassroots for many important issues.

April 26, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Globally, nationally, and locally, we are confronted with very serious problems. Some people feel overwhelmed and disempowered, so they feel powerless to solve the problems.  But that only allows the horrible problems to get worse. I strongly support the opposite approach:  Recognize that WE CAN INDEED LEARN HOW TO ORGANIZE EFFECTIVELY at the grassroots level (“Think globally and act locally”) to solve the problems. Sometimes people and organizations merely vent or flail about with random activities without a clear strategy for how to make the political and social changes we want.  We can do better than that! Specifically, I seek […]

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We need an “Animal Society for the Humane Treatment of People.”

April 23, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Various non-profit organizations bring people together to urge the humane treatment of animals. We also need to REVERSE that.   We need an “Animal Society for the Humane Treatment of People.”   Animals don’t discriminate. A dog will sniff any dog’s butt, regardless of what color the dog’s fur, whether it’s short-haired or fluffy, etc. Dogs and other animals should teach people how to treat other people humanely.      

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Death penalty cases at U.S. Supreme Court: Information and insights

April 22, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

The death penalty is wrong in so many ways, but the conservative Republicans who dominate the U.S. Supreme Court have trouble recognizing the problems.  Although they claim to be “pro-life,” they keep supporting death. This article provides interesting information and insights: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/04/13/1850008/-Death-At-The-Court?detail=emaildkcs        

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The Sentencing Project performs excellent research and advocacy. Here is their 2018 Annual Report.

April 13, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

For a long number of years I have been impressed by the very high quality of research and advocacy conducted by The Sentencing Project (www.sentencingproject.org).  I have been donating financial support too. In March 2019 The Sentencing Project released its 2018 Annual Report.  Among other things it shows how this great non-profit organization has been intelligently and vigorously been supporting what it calls “a rapidly growing consensus that we must reduce the country’s misguided reliance on mass incarceration.” Read their 2018 Annual Report at this link: https://www.sentencingproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Annual-Report-2018.pdf?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=3c52607d-63f7-47e6-b14c-7e3ac7965612            

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The Southern Poverty Law Center identified 28 hate groups in Washington State

April 13, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

People who live in Washington State tend to think we are more enlightened than the rest of the nation.  But the Southern Poverty Law Center (www.splcentner.org) has identified 28 hate groups in Washington State. Sure, some might be small.  But they can be dangerous.  Decent people need to figure out various ways to make our local communities more welcoming and to discourage the kind of mean-spiritedness, bias, etc., that can cause some people to join up with hate groups. Here is the SPLC’s article: https://www.splcenter.org/states/washington    

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More federal judges overrule Trump’s census question about citizenship

April 12, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Previously I have posted information on this blog about Trump’s desire to ask a citizenship question on the 2020 census.  Look for those posts on my blog’s “Immigration” and “Trump” categories. This is part of his racist, anti-immigrant efforts that intersects with the Republican Party’s intense corruption to deny fairness to people who live in Democratic localities.  It also intersects with the Trump/Republican hostility to truth and honest scientific inquiry, which the Census should be promoting. In early April 2019 a THIRD federal judge has stopped Trump’s citizenship question on the 2020 census.  See this article:  https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/4/5/1848049/-Third-judge-halts-Trump-Administration-s-citizenship-question-on-the-2020-Census?detail=emailLL In early March […]

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Fascinating info: How UW research convinced our state’s highest court to toss out the death penalty

March 28, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Some of my previous posts to my blog have provided information about the Washington State Supreme Court’s UNANIMOUS decision in October 2018 that the death penalty is UNCONSTITUTIONAL because of its long pattern of racial bias. I followed this case after having heard the main defense lawyer speak to an audience in Tacoma in May 2016. We expected a decision that autumn, but the prosecution delayed the case by getting their own “expert witness.” In the end, the U.W. professors’ research convinced the Washington State Supreme Court to rule our state’s death penalty unconstitutional based on their research proving a […]

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In December 2018 Congress passed the “FIRST STEP ACT” to reform prison sentencing.

March 24, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

For several decades the U.S.’s criminal “justice” system — at federal, state and local levels — was dominated by harsh, vindictive laws and policies.  Politicians were elected on platforms promising to “lock them up and throw away the key.”  Of course, those cruelties were especially biased against people who were already victimized by political and cultural systems.  People of color, people with mental disabilities, people suffering from poverty and substance abuse were especially victimized.  They were “collateral damage” in this “war on crime” and “war on drugs.” Science has always refuted that cruelty.  Bit by bit the reality has been […]

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How We Got into Our Current Crisis — and How to Get Out

March 16, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

This essay is long (29 pages) but worth reading because it is smart, insightful, and profound. Click either the Word version (the first link) or the .pdf version (the second link). How We Got into Our Current Crisis – And How to Get Out — THOROUGH article How We Got into Our Current Crisis – And How to Get Out — THOROUGH article

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Updates: Protect the 2020 census from Trump’s anti-immigrant bias

March 9, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Four times before I had posted information about Trump’s scheme to pervert the 2020 census in order to hurt immigrants and the communities where immigrants live now.  Those previous posts provide background, for today’s post, which provides newer information, including a way for Congress to fix the problem. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: On January 3, 2019, I posted this update on my previous posts:  http://parallaxperspectives.org/federal-judge-blocks-trumps-immigration-question-on-2020-census On November 13, 2018, I posted this:  http://parallaxperspectives.org/trumps-anti-immigrant-2020-census-question-is-going-to-court Previously, on July 22, 2018, I posted this:  http://parallaxperspectives.org/more-about-trumps-blatantly-racist-xenophobic-partisan-citizenship-question-in-2020-census Initially, on July 17, 2018, I posted this:  http://parallaxperspectives.org/urgent-info-and-action-alert-protect-the-2020-census-from-trumps-abuse   NEW INFORMATION and ACTIONS: From February 2019 here are FOUR […]

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Remove Washington State’s death penalty law altogether.

January 31, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

In October 2018, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled our state’s death penalty unconstitutional because of pervasive, systemic racial bias.  Now in February 2019 the State Senate is considering Senate Bill 5339 to remove the law altogether. I will testify to the State Senate’s Committee on Law and Justice at 10:00 a.m. February 5, 2019. Here is a longer version of what I will say.  The time for each person’s testimony is short, so I will mention only the main points, but the document at this link includes supporting information.  I hope you will find it useful. TESTIMONY 2019.02.05   […]

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Insights and strategies for opposing right-wing extremists, fascists, etc.

January 25, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

We know that NONVIOLENCE is MORE POWERFUL than violence. We know that DIPLOMACY WORKS BETTER than war. These truths are very well documented.  See the “Nonviolence” and “Peace” parts of my blog, www.parallaxperspectives.org   Here are some insights and strategies for opposing right-wing extremists, fascists, etc.: The “white nationalism” that has become popular lately really is a form of racism:  https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/1/15/1826385/-Why-White-Nationalism-is-Bigoted-A-Primer-for-Congressional-Representatives-from-Iowa-Others?detail=emaildkre Nazis design their rallies and rhetoric to fool mainstream journalists into thinking Nazis are reasonable folks:  https://truthout.org/articles/those-nazi-rallies-are-not-for-the-left-theyre-for-centrist-journalists/ George Lakey wrote this article, “How to take on fascism without getting played” — https://wagingnonviolence.org/feature/how-to-take-on-fascism-without-getting-played/ Use these eight lessons of history to help […]