this just in: racism in the u.s. now less obvious

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the day in court, in brief

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About 25 or 30 supporters of war resisters woke up early and bundled against the damp, chilly morning to show their support for Jeremy Hinzman and other war resisters seeking refuge in Canada. This blogger and a friend drove in from Buffalo; my friend M@ was there holding a banner; many Quakers attended, as they always do; plus a few Campaigners who don't work regular hours. Those who could stay made our way through security and sat in the back of the courtroom. The court was kind enough to supply extra chairs, and we all squeezed in. Lawyer Alyssa Manning was masterful. When the Crown rose to respond, you could hear crickets chirping. They had nothing. I took copious notes and can report at length tomorrow if anyone is interested. (Yes? No?) Meanwhile, here's a story from Canadian Press via CBC. [Link has been fixed.] A Canadian immigration official failed to consider the hardships a high-profile American deserter and his family would face if forced to return to the United S...
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what i'm watching: before the flood: good information but ultimately a weak message

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Tonight we watched " Before the Flood ", Leonardo DiCaprio's film about climate change, which I had heard such good things about. It's well done, and is chock full of appropriately terrifying and depressing information. But in the end, the film delivers yet another "it's up to each of us" message, focusing on individual actions, rather than systemic solutions. Early in the film, we hear that discussions of climate change used to focus on individual solutions -- change your light bulbs, bring your own coffee mug -- but now we know that's not enough. Yet in the end, the film concludes: "Consume differently: what you buy, what you eat, how you get your power." Vote for people who promise to do something. After seeing miles of gray, dead coral reef, rainforest devastation in Indonesia, and the monstrosity of the tar sands, "consume differently" is an empty platitude. And how you get your power? Most of us have no choice about that. Su...
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updates on baseball and the border

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