Monthly Archives: April 2021

Marjorie Taylor Greene is characterizing vaccine passports as Joe Bidens mark of the beast, so they must have some value. But we have to come up with a different name for them if were going to get the conspiracy nutserRepublicans on board.

And that includes rightwing media. The headline in The Washington Post sums up todays health crisis: The Dangerous Game [Fox News] Tucker Carlson is Playing on Vaccines.

If our country is going to open up again in a way that preserves the lives and liberty of millions of Americans whove stayed virus-free so far, were going to have to confront the GOP death cult, head-on. Freedom shouldnt mean the right to force other people to die all alone in a hospital ICU hooked up to breathing tubes.

Airlines, retail stores, restaurants and bars, workplaces, office buildings, colleges, stadiums, theaters, you-name-it all will have to start exercising their Supreme Court-certified right to the freedom to prevent un-vaccinated people from entering their premises.

That sweet new Ad Council Its Up To You campaign wont be enough. Too many Republicans have taken in Donald Trumps lies and Qanons bizarre conspiracy theories to be influenced by sweet pictures and nice words.

Fully 59% of registered Texas Republicans say they have doubts, and about half of all Republicans in Congress where the vaccine is, daily, freely and easily available on demand have chose not to get vaccinated.

Americas venues have to kick some ass to save lives and rebuild our economy. Its going to take both the carrot and the stick.

I got my first vaccine passport in 1979 when I traveled to Kenya, Uganda and had an onward ticket to Somalia on behalf of the Salem international relief organization.

To get on a plane to those countries, and then to get through their own passport control, I had to prove that I was immunized against cholera, yellow fever and typhoid, as I recall, and there might of been a few others; I remember the shots hurt like hell and made me sick as a dog for a day or two.

But that yellow card, with the proof of vaccination stamps in it, periodically updated, sat inside my passport for the next 20 years and not only got me into multiple Third World countries on three continents, but also got me through US border stations and back into the United States from them.

The idea of vaccine passports is nothing new.

Although my kids didnt need them to get into school 40 years ago (the schools just took your word for it), my grandchildren do today. Theres pretty much not a school or summer camp in America thatll let a kid in without proof of vaccination against, at least, measles and a few other childhood diseases.

Right now the Biden administration is reportedly working with 17 different organizations and private companies to come up with some sort of vaccine passport thatll work for America, which is apparently why Newsmaxs White House Correspondent calls the idea totalitarian communism.

Want to own the cons? Put photos on the passports and require states to allow them as voter ID. But, seriously

IATA, the International Air Transport Association, which licensed the travel agency Louise and I owned in the 1980s and oversees international travel, is working on one, as is the office of World Tourism with the United Nations. IBM is developing a digital vaccine passport, and Clear, the company that speeds you through airport security lines, has already announced that they, too, will soon have one.

Israel rolled them out last month, and Denmark has announced theyll soon be doing the same.

The way to sell these freedom passports to right wingers is pretty straightforward: tell them its the free market, andthat it has to do with religious liberty.They love those words even when they dont know what they mean.

These are the same people, of course, who want a business to refuse an LGBTQ person the freedom to patronize that company based on who they are or love. If conservatives believe an American business must legally be able make a decision like that, why shouldnt companies have the freedom to refuse service to someone who may be spreading a deadly disease?

Doesnt freedom include the freedom to stay alive in the midst of the worst pandemic in a century?

Freedom is a much misused word. How is it that anybody can say with a straight face that person A should have the freedom to refuse a vaccine or wear a mask and spread a deadly disease in the direction of person B, but that person B shouldnt have the freedom to remain free of illness?

Its a good argument for calling them Freedom Passports.

For that matter, vaccine passports are the ultimate statement of belief in the sanctity of human life.

Its truly bizarre that legislators in Arkansas and Texas think a woman who wants to get an abortion should go to prison or even get the death penalty, but if a red-state Republican wants to breathe a deadly disease in your face because theyve joined an anti-mask, anti-vaccine cult, thats just fine.

Maybe we should call them Right To Life Passports.

Crazed Republican conspiracy-mongers aside, the main international objection to vaccine passports comes from groups and organizations concerned about increasing the gap around the world between the haves and the have-nots. One billion people in the world dont even have proof of identity, much less a passport or birth certificate, and this would leave them even farther out of the loop.

On the other hand, those are not generally the folks trying to get into the Super Bowl, your local supermarket or wanting to sit next to you on a flight from Omaha to Cincinnati.

Back in the 1980s, restaurants around the country experimented with being all non-smoking, or having well-spaced smoking sections with separate ventilation. Restaurants today could do something similar.

The taco place down the street might only let you in with a vaccine passport, a modern-day variation on the no shoes, no shirt, no service slogan. Farther down the block, the burger joint may opt to ignore the passports and run at 1/3 capacity or even throw caution to the wind and pack the place in.

Nobody, at least so far, is arguing passports should be required by the gummint the way those communist drivers licenses are issued and required to speed down the highway. Although I disagree with President Biden on this issue, it looks like its going to be entirely up to the free market.

The NFL has already weighed in, promoting vaccination among their fans so people can show up knowing that Covid isnt floating around inside the stadium.

Meanwhile, Floridas Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, arguably responsible for thousands of unnecessary deaths (that he appears to be hiding), is swearing that hell never allow a private business in his state to require a vaccine passport for service.

Hes fine with Florida businesses refusing to do business with LGBTQ folks, but Republican cult members who refuse to get vaccinated because theyre convinced Bill Gates is gonna chip them so they can be tracked? No way! (Dont tell them about that GPS thing in their cell phones, please; they may not be able to handle it.)

As Republican politicians, judges and lawyers constantly repeat, private business should be able to refuse service to people on their deeply held beliefs. This ones gone all the way up to the Supreme Court, and repeatedly gotten the Republican seal of approval.

And, even for them, Freedom Passports could encompass it all: Freedom! America! The Free Market!Saving innocent lives!

What red blooded, Nazi-arm-band-wearing, Confederate-flag-waving, Capitol-invading, gun-toting American patriot could possibly object?

Continue reading here:

Call Them 'Right to Life" or 'Freedom' Passports! If They Are Vaccine Passports, Conservatives Will Freak Out - CounterPunch.org - CounterPunch

Posted: Mar 30, 2021 / 03:22 PM CDT / Updated: Mar 30, 2021 / 03:22 PM CDT

(WTVO) Do average Americans feel pressure from cancel culture? A new study suggests so.

As exclusively reported by The Hill, a new poll released by the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard and The Harris Poll, 64% of Americans view cancel culture as a threat to freedom.

The survey also found 54% of respondents were concerned that they could be banned from social media or fired from their job for expressing their opinions online. 46% said they were not concerned.

It is a chilling finding that most people in the country now are afraid they would be fired if they expressed their real views on social media, saidMark Penn, the director of the Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll survey.

The public generally gives negative ratings to social media companies and sees the movement as more about censorship rather than trying to correct wrongs. It is growing as a national issue, he added.

Only 13% of the participants said they did not consider cancel culture to be a problem, with 32% calling it a moderate problem and 20% said it was a small problem.

Merriam-Webster defines cancel culture as the practice or tendency of engaging in mass canceling as a way of expressing disapproval and exerting social pressure.

A total of 1,945 registered voters participated in the study.

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Is cancel culture a threat to freedom? Poll says 64% of Americans think so - WGN TV Chicago

Jerusalem

A year ago, Giordana Grego's parents spent Passover at home in Israel, alone but grateful that they had escaped the worst of the pandemic in Italy. This year, the whole family will get together to mark the Jewish feast of liberation and deliverance from the pandemic.

Israel has vaccinated over half its population of 9.3 million, and as coronavirus infections have plummeted, authorities have allowed restaurants, hotels, museums and theaters to re-open. Up to 20 people can now gather indoors.

It's a stark turnaround from last year, when Israel was in the first of three nationwide lockdowns, with businesses shuttered, checkpoints set up on empty roads and people confined to their homes. Many could only see their elderly relatives on video calls.

For us in Israel, really celebrating the festivity of freedom definitely has a whole different meaning this year after what we experienced, said Grego, who immigrated to Israel from Italy. Its amazing that this year were able to celebrate together, also considering that in Italy, everybody is still under lockdown."

Passover is the Jewish holiday celebrating the biblical Israelites' liberation from slavery in Egypt after a series of divine plagues. The week-long springtime festival starts Saturday night with the highly ritualized Seder meal, when the Exodus story is retold. It's a Thanksgiving-like atmosphere with family, friends, feasting and four cups of wine.

Throughout the week, observant Jews abstain from the consumption of bread and other leavened foods to commemorate the hardships of the flight from Egypt. Instead, they eat unleavened matzah.

Holiday preparations involve spring cleaning to the extreme to remove even the tiniest crumbs of leavened bread from homes and offices. Cauldrons of boiling water are set up on street corners to boil kitchenware, and many burn their discarded bread, known as chametz. Supermarkets cordon off aisles with leavened goods, wrapping shelves in black plastic.

Most Israeli Jews religious and secular alike spend the Seder with extended family. Last year's Passover was a major break in tradition.

Government-imposed restrictions forced the closure of synagogues and limited movement and assembly to slow the virus' spread. Some conducted the ritual meal with their nuclear family, others over videoconference, while an unfortunate few held the Seder in solitude.

Another lockdown was imposed over the Jewish High Holidays in September, again preventing family gatherings, and a third came earlier this year with the emergence of more contagious variants of the virus.

By the third lockdown, Israel had launched one of the most successful inoculation campaigns in the world after the government secured millions of doses from Pfizer and Moderna. Israel has now vaccinated more than 80% of its adult population.

It's too early to say that Israel's coronavirus crisis is over, as new variants could emerge that are resistant to the vaccines.

The vaccination campaign in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza has been slow to get off the ground, withIsrael facing criticism for not sharing more of its supplies. Israel has vaccinated over 100,000 Palestinian laborers who work in Israel and West Bank settlements, and has sent a couple thousand doses to the Palestinian Authority.

The Palestinians have imported more than 130,000 doses on their own, but it could be several months before shots are available for the vast majority of the nearly 5 million Palestinians in the territories.Experts say that could pose a risk to Israel's own public health efforts.

For now, however, Israelis are enjoying what feels like a post-pandemic reality, lending special significance to Passover.

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Its not only symbolic that its the holiday of freedom, but its also the holiday of the family, said Rabbi David Stav, chief rabbi of the city of Shoham and head of the liberal Orthodox organization Tzohar.

This year, families are uniting. People that were so lonely, especially older people, who were disengaged from their families, all of a sudden they discover the freedom and the joy of being together with them.

More here:

Passover in Israel: Celebrating pandemic progress and freedom - The Christian Science Monitor

"In an era when everyone is online, everyone is a public figure." Bill MaherWilliam (Bill) MaherWhy the unhinged woke brigade is a profound threat to our freedom The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - Happy anniversary to ObamaCare Elon Musk: Not broke, never woke, and in on the joke MORE on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, Mar. 26

That's 100 percent correct. Social media gives everyone and anyone a broadcast studio that can potentially reach millions in a viral minute.

And that means everyone is a potential target for the woke brigade as it continues to add scalp after scalp to its trophy room.

How utterly ridiculous is our country getting thanks to an increasingly woke media that is replacing the isms in going from journalism to activism?

Consider Exhibit A: The Washington Post publishesa guide called Social Justice for Toddlers.

Social justice for toddlers: These new books and programs start the conversation early https://t.co/yWtMAftxCW

"Leigh Wilton and Jessica Sullivan, Skidmore College psychology professors who study race and social interaction, say that children develop implicit bias as early as 3 months old, and at 4 years old are categorizing and developing stereotypes, the Post reports.

Yep, you read that correctly: Children begin to become racists at three months old, before they speak or even crawl. At four years old, before even beginning kindergarten, kids are developing stereotypes.

The books hatching from this mentality includeA to Z for Preschoolers,where"A" isn't for apples, but for activists, and E isn't for elephant, but equality. T isn't for train, but forTrans.

This is utterly confusing to kids (for no good reason) and insulting to parents for the assumption that their kids are racist and need to be reprogrammed.

Exhibit B: Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne.

The story highlights a growing pattern in WokeLand.

Summary: Morgan expresses an opinion about Prince HarryPrince HarryTucker Carlson to air Piers Morgan interview on Fox streaming service Why the unhinged woke brigade is a profound threat to our freedom Hillicon Valley: House lawmakers fired up for hearing with tech CEOs | Zuckerberg proposes conditional Section 230 reforms | Lawmakers reintroduce bill to secure internet-connected devices MORE and Meghan MarkleMeghan MarkleWhy the unhinged woke brigade is a profound threat to our freedom Piers Morgan pens Daily Mail op-ed about recent scandals, defends Sharon Osbourne after her 'The Talk' exit Sharon Osbourne leaving 'The Talk' amid allegations of racism MORE by stating that he didn't believe her claims that the royal family didn't provide assistance when she was having suicidal thoughts. Nor did he believe her allegation of racism within the family since she didn't name names. One could agree or disagree with that opinion, which is what Morgan is paid to provide. But on cue, a petition to remove Morgan from the air is drawn up. Tens of thousands sign it. The British governmental regulatory aim, OfCom, opens an investigation...into an opinion.

Sharon Osbourne, a good friend of Morgans, appears onCBSs The Talk to react. Osbourne defends Morgan not the opinion itself, but his right to it.

. @piersmorgan I am with you. I stand by you. People forget that youre paid for your opinion and that youre just speaking your truth.

Like Morgan, CBS pays Osbourne for her opinions and has for more than a decade. And for the sin of the most benign opinion in the history of talk shows defending one's free speech rights the show decided to go on hiatus before parting ways with Osbourne.Again, over her opinion in defending someone else for giving his opinion.

What is happening to this country? Seriously.

Exhibit C: Alexi McCammond'steenagetweets means she may never be able to work in journalism again.

She was offered the job that any 27-year-old journalist would dream of: editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue, which falls under the umbrella of publishing giant Conde Nast. The possibilities from there would have been endless.

But McCammond, like so many her age, grew up at a time when social media was prominent, particularly during her teen years. And like clockwork, a few of McCammond'sold racially insensitive tweets were unearthed, albeit a few years ago. McCammond apologized for them at the time. She also proactively broached the tweets in question during the interview process at Teen Vogue, where she was assured they wouldn't cause a problem.

But this could not stand. McCammond, who is African-American, could not be permitted to work again because of what she wrote on social media when she was just 17, according to the mob. Staffers internally at Teen Vogue implored management to nix the deal to bring her on as EIC.

Ultimately, the Teen Vogue powers folded: Earlier this month, it was announced that McCammond was out. Worst part: She will officially be deemed toxic to most other publications for the foreseeable future.

A recent CATO Institute poll showed that 62 percent of Americans are afraid to share their political views. That's nearly two-thirds of the country saying their First Amendment rights are sometimes too scary to exercise, even if most of those views are perfectly reasonable and pragmatic.

For more on this, take Exhibit D in Justin Kucera, now a former teacher and coach of Walled Lake School District in Michigan.

The former part comes because Kucera tweeted the following: "I'm done being silent. (Donald TrumpDonald TrumpThe Hill's Morning Report - Biden may find zero GOP support for jobs plan Republicans don't think Biden really wants to work with them The biggest campaign issue of 2022? MORE) is our President.

He was fired shortly thereafter.

Kucera later explained his dangerous, unhinged thought process around the basis for the tweet.

"I felt a lot of people were rooting against our president and I just felt like we should be rooting for him to succeed," Kucera toldFox 2 in Michigan. "Because when he succeeds. we all succeed."

Yep. Don't let this guy around children. Fire him in the middle of a pandemic instead.

It also begs the question: What if Kucera had written "Barack ObamaBarack Hussein ObamaOver 260 groups call on Biden to improve whistleblower protections Why the unhinged woke brigade is a profound threat to our freedom Biden seeks to learn from Obama errors MORE is our president" in 2015 or "Joe BidenJoe BidenThe Hill's Morning Report - Biden may find zero GOP support for jobs plan Republicans don't think Biden really wants to work with them Lack of cyber funds in Biden infrastructure plan raises eyebrows MORE is our president" in 2021. Does he keep his job after sharing such sentiment?

Fortunately, there appears to be some pushback from the left and right and everyone else in-between.

A group of alumni from the San Francisco school system, for example, is suing its school board in hopes of permanently blocking any effort to change schools over their allegedly racist names. The list of horrible racists that need to be erased from history in the Bay Area include Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. Earlier this year, the Board had voted 5-2 to change the names before backlash from parents forced it to walk the decision back, albeit temporarily.

"(Americans) see a problem and we ignore it, lie about it, fight about it, endlessly litigate it, sunset clause it, kick it down the road and then write a bill where a half-assed solution doesnt kick in for 10 years," Bill Maher explained brilliantly onReal Timethis month."China sees a problem and they fix it. They build a dam; we debate what to rename it.

Overall,a solid majority of Americans seecancel culture that stems from wokeness as a threat to their freedom, while 54 percent say they are "concerned" they could be fired if they express their opinion on social media.

Overall,according to a Harvard CAPS-Harris survey released Monday, a solid majority of Americans(64 percent) see cancel culture that stems from wokeness as a threat to their freedom, while 54 percent say they are "concerned" that they could be fired if they express their opinion on social media.

More than a few of you reading this agree with that perspective.You likely avoid fiery debates between friends on Facebook.You've taken your Twitter app off your phone.

At parties or at work, perhaps you'd like to join in on a discussion about the border or schools reopening or unprecedented spending but decide in the name of self-preservation to walk away or stay silent.

That's not who we are or have ever been in this country.

Apologies don't appear to be the answer. The mob doesn't care if you feel remorse or have learned a lesson if you said or wrote something idiotic or insensitive in high school.The scalp is all that matters.

"Criticism is great. What cancel culture is about is not criticism, former New York Times writer Bari Weiss correctly told Maher on his HBO show not long ago. It is about punishment. It is about making a person radioactive. It is about taking away their job."

So, if and when the mob comes for you, here's some free advice: Don't apologize. Don't back down.Tell your employer or boss to do the same.There is no appeasement in this culture war.May common sense eventually prevail.

Joe Concha is a media and politics columnist for The Hill.

Continued here:

Why the unhinged woke brigade is a profound threat to our freedom | TheHill - The Hill

Lana Del Rey perfoms at the Grammy Museum in October 2019. (Courtesy: Justin Higuchi via Wikimedia Commons)

Lana Del Rey has long thrived in a moral and cultural gray area, creating a reputation that precedes her in discussions of her music. Some of this persona was molded by Del Rey herself, especially earlier in her career. Although Del Rey has grown beyond this early persona (think Lolita, sugar daddies and cocaine), this reputation remains fueled by misguided neoliberal feminist critiques and new ideas of what it means to be a woke celebrity.

Disclaimers and qualifiers about past scandals have precluded coverage of Chemtrails Over the Country Club, her seventh studio album released March 19, obscuring it from musical interrogation. This is a shame, as the album is another career high for Del Rey and a worthy follow-up to 2019s critically acclaimed Norman Fucking Rockwell! an album so chock-full of poignant meditations that Pitchfork called her one of Americas greatest living songwriters.

But dismissal of Del Reys music altogether due to past errors isnt the answer; in fact, it would rob listeners of a singular voice unafraid to challenge mainstream narratives of political events and issues. Missteps and all, Del Rey is an essential star in a lane all her own. The folksy grandeur of Chemtrails further cements her as a musical powerhouse and cultural icon.

Considering Del Reys standing in the pop culture-sphere, its easy to understand why her main desire on Chemtrails is for a release from fame and a return to obscurity. The opening track White Dress is a piano-fueled ballad that finds Del Rey straining against the upper register of her voice in an airy falsetto whisper as she reflects on being an unknown waitress pre-fame. In the songs sprawling outro she sings, It made me feel, made me feel like a god / It kinda makes me feel like maybe I was better off.

On the albums title track, she fantasizes about not having to answer to anyone and being nowhere and everywhere all at once. Im in the wind, Im in the water / Nobodys son, nobodys daughter, she sings, sounding at peace. The stunning Dark But Just a Game finds her evading the new responsibilities of celebrity that demand her comments on the state of the world. Sounding apathetic, she sings Life is sweet or whatever baby / You gotta take them for what they got / And while the whole world is crazy / Were getting high in the parking lot.

Del Rey is an apt example of the dangers of subscribing to a new mode of celebrity that holds famous people up as political talking heads, which both cheapens political discourse and overshadows the celebritys art. To prevent an artists half-baked take on a current media frenzy, we could stop demanding celebrities do better and relieve them of the responsibility of being moral or political compasses. In doing so, we would have more productive political conversations; celebrity hot takes and cancellations often have a negligible effect on material conditions of injustice.

This is not to let celebrities off the hook: Someone who is abusing their power to inflict real harm should face consequences. But expecting celebrities to speak on every issue under the sun and seeking out their takes on current events as fodder for cancellation creates discourse that gets us nowhere. It perpetuates a cycle where celebrities become cognizant of this expectation and spit out misguided takes in an attempt to get out in front of potential cancellation, leading to more backlash.

Del Reys reputation has also been fueled by a specific criticism that has hounded her relentlessly, which is that she glamorizes abuse and her music is disempowering to women. However, she is one of the only well-known female artists whose music doesnt fit neoliberal ideas of watered down female empowerment.

Del Reys explorations of relationships unearth darker undertones of the female experience that the most visible form of feminism the type co-opted by capitalism and hyper-focused on optics tends to gloss over in favor of girlboss-esque narratives. Not all women are rising corporate ranks or doing hours-long #selfcare; some are being emotionally abused or are stuck in toxic relationships, and singing about that isnt glorification but an indictment of reality. She explores these dynamics artfully, never shying away from taboos and often showing womens agency in complex situations.

This accusation has continued to frustrate her and boiled over into her much discussed Question for the culture Instagram post in May 2020, in which she lamented being stripped of control over her own story by the misguided feminist critiques that continue to follow her. In a convoluted and roundabout way, she used successes of many women of color in music to try to illustrate how what women are allowed to sing about is expanding and she should be allowed to push similar boundaries without being accused of glorifying abuse.

Many people were upset that she seemed to position herself in opposition to these women and offer a reductive and over-sexualized account of their music. While her methods were hurtful, her point that there is no right way to feel empowered as a woman was a necessary reminder. And, not only can empowerment be accessed in a thousand different ways, but empowerment itself shouldnt be thought of as the end goal of womens art, which Del Rey explores as she juxtaposes fragility and power.

Trying to categorize Del Rey and her art into good and bad does a disservice to her and is telling of our own discomfort in those spaces, especially as they apply to women. Contradiction and hypocrisy are not necessarily the enemy; they can be catalysts for important conversations that push us toward increased empathy and understanding. Backlash and backlash to the backlash drags us further and further from more important conversations and makes it harder to see what is right in front of us and in the case of Del Rey, whats right in front of us is an exquisite new album.

Mirabella Miller SC 23 is TSLs music columnist and an English major from Portland, Oregon. She shows up to most events drinking a Yerba Mate.

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Originally posted here:

Amped up: Lana Del Rey dreams of freedom from fame on Chemtrails Over the Country Club - The Student Life

Updated 9:10 p.m.

Two people were arrested Wednesday for involvement in one of two shootings a day earlier near Freedom Drive that Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said were connected. Three minors went to the hospital with injuries from the shooting, including a 7-year-old girl.

The arrests were in the case involving the 7-year-old, CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings said.

Alvin Steele, 20, was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, among other charges. A 23-year-old man was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

A third person was in Steele's car at the time of his traffic stop and arrest, and he was charged with unrelated possession of drug paraphernalia.

Jennings said the news that a 7-year-old had been shot was particularly difficult.

"Shes in good spirits so that makes me happy," he said. "But at the same time, the frustration that she shouldnt be put in that situation in the first place. So yeah, when I see that come across my phone or when I get that phone call and we have a small child involved, thats one of the things thats hardest things to deal with as a police chief."

The first shooting occurred Tuesday afternoon on Hovis Road. CMPD says two teenagers outside of a convenience store were shot by someone in a car.

Hours later, about a mile away on Marble Street, a 7-year-old girl was hit by gunfire when suspects were shooting at each other in anapartment complex parking lot.

All three shooting victims are in stable condition.

Police believe the shootings are connected based on the close proximity of the incidents and evidence found that links them together but wouldnt go into detail as to what that evidence is. CMPD has identified "persons of interest" , but no arrests have been made.

CMPD Maj. Brian Foley said police need more witnesses to come forward with what they saw.

"I was there and I can tell you I saw a lot of community members out in their driveways on the street, looking. I know there are people in that community who know what happened and know who did it," Foley said. "Yet they do not come forward to talk to police and provide us any information to help us. CMPD cannot do this job alone. Weve got to have help."

Anyone with information can contact police by calling 911, or to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 704 334-1600.

Want to read all of WFAEs best news each day? Sign up here for The Frequency, WFAEs daily email newsletter, to have our top stories delivered straight to your inbox.

Original post:

Arrests Made In 1 Of 2 Shootings Near Freedom Drive - WFAE

When Sahar Khalifeh was young, her family didn't support her dream of becoming a writer. They regarded art as a sin that would ultimately destroy the family's reputation.

"The word 'art' means to uneducated people, and to most semi-educated people in the Arab world, singing, acting and belly dancing," Sahar explains. "To become a singer or actress means to be exposed to people's eyes in a shameful manner."

"A woman's natural place is at home," she continues. "A decent woman is supposed to be hidden, not exposed. A decent woman should follow the rules. Mainly, a woman is supposed to get married, breed children, cook and clean and hide from real contact with real life."

Despite her conservative upbringing, Sahar went on to write two novels and then a third that was published, giving her the financial independence she needed in order to leave her husband, and as she describes, a "lousy marriage".

Today, Sahar is one of the best-known Palestinian authors and has 12 novels to her name that have been translated into multiple languages. She has won several awards, including the Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature.

Sahar is from Nablus, and despite leaving to study for her MA at the University of North Carolina and then a PhD at the University of Iowa, she returned to the region and lives between Amman and Nablus. Palestine still remains at the very heart of her work.

"I am a committed writer," she says, "I have a cause. I am a Palestinian who witnessed what happened to my people and my country. I lived, and still live, under Israeli occupation. My writings reflect what I feel and think, and what my people live through. I am very politicised."

"But this does not mean that my writings are colourless or rigid," she continues. "By 'politicised', I mean that I understand my society and its problems and limitations. I also understand the occupiers' drives."

"My writing is political and artistic. Political in the sense that it deals with national politics and sexual politics. At the same time, it is full of humane characters and enjoys a high amount of humour. This is what makes good art. It should be meaningful and beautiful."

READ: 'Writing saved me from my demons,' says Palestinian author Huzama Habayeb

Sahar's latest novel released this week in English, My First and Only Love, is set during the final days of the British Mandate. The story is told through a young woman, Nidal, who falls in love with a freedom fighter, Rabie. "Women of my generation viewed freedom fighters as similar to Guevara, Castro and Mandela," recounts Khalifeh.

At the same time as navigating her feelings for Rabie, Nidal falls in love with the revolution and the struggle for Palestine, which ebbs and flows, much like her feelings for Rabie. "That's how we were two birds, lost and confused, searching for a purpose and a meaning, and loving life," reflects Nidal in the novel. "But life was too harsh and powerful. What could we do?"

The shape that these two characters carve out in the resistance against the British occupation is rounded with details inspired by interviews that Sahar carried out with older people who had lived through this moment in history. They are the forests, caves and quarries that the revolutionaries hide in, meals of prunes and goats' milk gifted by villagers, or Fairuz's velvet voice on the radio, "that helped us forget or pretend to forget what had happened yesterday and what was to come tomorrow," in the words of Nidal.

Most of the heroines in Sahar's novels are women: "The interesting thing is that we do not ask why male writers mainly write about men," remarks Sahar. "We think this is normal and natural. Why? Because we are used to the idea that men are the centre of the universe. They are the important beings, while women are secondary, they are on the periphery."

Not only are her female characters centre stage, but they are different to the women painted by the media in Europe and America. "We see how the West suffers, until now, from racism which is deeply rooted in its system," she says. "We see how America treats the Blacks and People of Colour. We also see how other Western societies, whether in Europe or Australia, treat people of different colour and different religions."

"When I read or hear how we, Arab women, are presented in Western popular culture, I feel embarrassed and sometimes furious. We are portrayed as ignorant, wrapped up creatures with hidden faces and dumb features. In my novels, I portray women as humans who suffer from different types of chains."

"Women suffer from internal and external manipulations at the same time," she continues. "They suffer from Arab patriarchy and Western colonisation and occupation. Women are victimised by both powers. Most women find it difficult, even impossible, to rebel against both powers. Ironically, Palestinian women find it easier to rebel against their Israeli occupiers than rebelling against their own men. This guides us to the conclusion that women find it easier to break external chains than internal ones."

Ghada Oueiss: 'Saudi has based its rule on the suppression of women'

All these years on from when Sahar broke her own chains and rebelled against her family, who believed that a woman's proper place was at home, her family have finally come to terms with the path she chose to take.

"When my family saw what I have done with my life, outside the regular rules, outside marriage, they were at the beginning cautious, and later on satisfied," she says. "Now they are proud of me. I don't know how to put it. They are really very proud. They consider me a great writer and artist. The word 'art' is no longer bad or shameful for them. It is glorious and beautiful."

As a young girl fighting against her parent's expectations, Khalifeh had received a letter from Palestinian art historian and writer Ismail Shammout, praising her work and encouraging her. As a frustrated housewife, she returned to read it numerous times. Has she ever written such a letter to someone else?

"Yes, I have," Sahar replies. "In fact, all my writings are letters to someone else. Whether that someone is women, leading men, educated and semi-educated readers, and hopefully outside readers. My writings manage to reach quite a large audience."

"Women love my writing; it speaks about them and for them. Highly educated men also appreciate my writings so, in a way, I am a good letter writer. When I receive letters from readers or read reviews about my writings, I feel connected. I am no longer speaking to myself. People hear me. We correspond. I am not alone."

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'Women of my generation viewed freedom fighters as similar to Guevara, Castro and Mandela' - Middle East Monitor

Sameera Reddy has lately been quite vocal about body positivity by talking about her journey of overcoming the challenges of unrealistic beauty standards.

The 42-year-old mother recently shared yet another Instagram post to talk about how she is finally in a place of pure freedom to be herself without giving in to any form of pressure to meet peoples expectations.

The former actor shared a short video clip to show her journey from the time when she had to look perfect in all her pictures to being just me.

From padded bras, coloured contact lenses, airbrushed, enhanced perfect pictures. To todays pure freedom to be myself. No judgement. No pressure. Just me, Sameera captioned the post.

Sameeras fans also took to social media to appreciate her.

Youre perfect the way you are! one user wrote.

I have soo much to learn from you! You are definitely a true representation of what self love is, and how we should all accept ourselves for who we are instead of trying to be someone else, another expressed.

Such a strong personality I (have) ever seen in social media, another social media user commented.

Sameera also shared an Instagram story recently in which she thanked people for their love. Im overwhelmed with the positive response. Thank you for wanting a real conversation, she wrote.

Sameera is quite an inspiration.

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From padded bras to pure freedom: Sameera Reddy shares inspirational post on self-love - The Indian Express

Maya Njies perfume Discovery Set (30) is a masterclass in unboxing: inside, a waxy, transparent envelope holds a booklet printed on the kind of opulent cream paper you might associate with summer weddings; family photos show scenes from 70s Sweden: children of mixed heritage playing outside a cottage, coiffed ladies in tailored twinsets, a bride and groom sipping champagne; and wrapped in their own miniature envelope are five vials of scent ranging from feral and warm toboozy and delicious. Their names are familiar and strange: Nordic Cedar, Vanilj, Les Fleurs, Tobak and Tropica. The perfumes and postcards might each be received with delight on their own; together they feel like a considered gift from a dear friend. The imagery makes people interested, says Njie from her east London studio, all cropped hair and flawless skin against a backdrop of bottles. It makes them feel something.

Njie grew up in Vsters, a small city just west of Stockholm. The youngest of three, with Gambian-Swedish parents, she remembers her and her sisters being the first mixed-heritage generation in the city an experience that instilled a sense ofotherness and an appetite to explore new territory. Aged 19, she moved to London where her love of perfume, her studies in Surface Design and memories of childhood began to come together. When she started making her own fragrances, it made sense for me to work from images when it came to smell. In 2016, she founded her eponymous perfume brand, channelling the spirit of 1970s Scandinavia with her West African heritage. Though her perfume references are specific, the feelings of nostalgia they evoke are designed to feel universal. That smell of freedom and frolicking, she says, describing her Tropica scent. For me, its connected toGambia, but it could be anywhere, for anybody, when theyre on holiday.

At a time when we are rarely in sniffing distance of each other, Njie has been touched by customers describing how her scents (90 for 50ml) have brought them comfort while living alone or missing their families. Njie has alsofound that the unique circumstances following thedeath of George Floyd last summer have brought support from the black community wanting to champion women of colour. They want to wear something they can relate to. And I think thats a new thing in the fragrance industry, she says.

The broader function of perfumery across culture and wellness is also promptingNjie to explore the role of scent inwellbeing treatments. Im interested indoing workshops with people who havedementia, she says. How can that connection betweenscent and memory help bring people back a little? Other upcoming projects explore scent in a museum setting, and an expansion into cleansing gels and creams. I see the brand being involved in so many aspects of olfaction not just fragrance, says Njie, smiling. Isee myself as something more.

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The Kudos Project: I want to bottle the smell of freedom and frolicking - Financial Times