April 25, 2024
Dear friends,
It is important to look up from the head-spinning events of the present. Check out the sky and the trees. Then, level your eyes and take in the positive developments that are happening in the midst of turmoil.
Portugal’s President acknowledged this week that Portugal was responsible for crimes committed during the transatlantic slave trade and the colonial era, when millions of African people were kidnapped and enslaved.
"We have to pay the costs," he said. "Are there actions that were not punished and those responsible were not arrested? Are there goods that were looted and not returned? Let's see how we can repair this."
This public declaration, though vague, marks an important shift, since
European leaders for the most part have sought to steer clear of meaningfully addressing the call for reparations.
The Caribbean island state became the first in the region to win its independence in 1804 after a revolt by enslaved people. But in a move that many Haitians blame for two centuries of turmoil, France later imposed harsh reparations for lost income and that debt was only fully repaid in 1947.
In a perverse twist, the French had been paid back by the people whose livelihoods they stole and now, it appears, there is pressure on France to pay the “moral debt” it has acknowledged.
Here in the US, as conflict over US support for Israel has been eclipsing campus life and spilling into the streets for many months, there has been debate over whether progressive leaders will be turned out of office.
Summer Lee, a member of the Squad in Congress who called for a ceasefire in the war on Gaza, won a decisive victory in her primary this week. Lee’s triumph was a good indication that the people are comfortable with her stance on the war and her continued support of Biden.
This is part of our ongoing study of nuance and two-things-can-be-true-at-the-same-time: Trump would not offer sound policy for the Middle East, and Biden’s stance is also a serious problem. Progressives can criticize the president and still favor him over the only real alternative.
I’ve been writing to the President daily. Today’s theme is that support for Palestinians is not anti-semitism.
Let the president know what you think about anti-war protests.
A group of Southern governors issued a joint statement ahead of the vote to tell workers that
“unionization will stop [economic] growth in its tracks, to the detriment of American workers.”
Workers didn’t buy it. The AFL-CIO polled Americans last fall and found that more than 70 percent, including majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and independent voters, approve of labor unions.
Maine’s legislature passed gun safety legislation ahead of the six month anniversary of the October mass shooting in Lewiston. The new laws, which have the support of Governor Janet Mills,
strengthen the state's yellow flag law, boost background checks for private sales of guns and make it a crime to recklessly sell a gun to someone who is prohibited from having guns. The bill also funds violence prevention initiatives and opens a mental health crisis receiving center in Lewiston.
Sammy was killed in 2013 by a driver going at a high speed when he went into the street to grab a soccer ball. He was 12 years old.
Reduced traffic speeds make it more likely that drivers are able to stop and more likely that a pedestrian struck by a car will survive the collision.
There is also new legislation that includes severe penalties for drivers in New York who obscure their license plates to avoid paying tolls. Enforcement will under the purview of the MTA Bridges and Tunnels police force, since NYPD
officers are themselves guilty of covering their plates to evade tolls or red light cameras.
The news remains relentless, and I’m going to stop here, arbitrarily, so that I can go out for a walk. You should, too, the first chance you get.
with love,
L