tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26545776858342034112024-03-05T13:41:39.312-05:00Line Crosser 21Race, politics, with some complete randomness sprinkled in for fun.Kevin Locketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08238649458932164077noreply@blogger.comBlogger110125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2654577685834203411.post-60680226445670776082010-01-29T16:07:00.005-05:002010-01-29T16:12:14.641-05:00Shifting BlogsYou haven't heard from me for a while. Actually, I decided to shift - well, broaden - my focus. I have a new blog, The Pen Warrior: tpw215.blogspot.com
If you enjoy LC21, you'll like this new blog. It's got lots of the same great topics, only with even more added in. In fact, I just posted an LC21-ish musing, so go check it out, and be sure to leave comments.
Peace,
KevinKevin Locketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08238649458932164077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2654577685834203411.post-83107355992834438782009-06-02T16:45:00.006-04:002009-06-02T21:56:11.312-04:00The "wise Latina" CommentWhether born from experience or inherent physiological or cultural differences, a possibility I abhor less or discount less than my colleague Judge Cedarbaum, our gender and national origins may and will make a difference in our judging. Justice O'Connor has often been cited as saying that a wise old man and wise old woman will reach the same conclusion in deciding cases. I am not so sure JusticeKevin Locketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08238649458932164077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2654577685834203411.post-38816974359633290592009-05-28T15:08:00.002-04:002009-05-28T15:11:13.287-04:00A Quick NoteBlack people don't like Clarence Thomas. So when Republicans complain that Democrats got to oppose Thomas without alienating black voters, it just makes them sound out of touch and stupid.Kevin Locketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08238649458932164077noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2654577685834203411.post-84075284257291550332009-05-28T07:17:00.003-04:002009-05-28T08:19:03.903-04:00Bonnie Sweeten Proves I'm Still a Default CriminalThis is the last thing that I wanted to write this morning.Over the last few days, the nation has been gripped by the story of a mother and daughter abducted. The family is from Bucks County, just outside of Philadelphia, the same region I have lived in my entire life.Today, I awoke to find out that it was all a hoax. I also found out for the first time (although there were probably others payingKevin Locketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08238649458932164077noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2654577685834203411.post-15469226245233500822009-05-27T22:52:00.005-04:002009-06-02T21:52:18.704-04:00Do the White Kids Have to do This, Too?Consider these BackgroundsBarack Obama:Columbia UniversityHarvard Law School, first African American editor of the Harvard Law ReviewNotably successful community organizerConstitutional law professor, University of ChicagoEffective state legislator for seven years, popular on both sides of the aisleHistory-making U.S. SenatorSonia Sotomayor:Princeton UniversityYale Law School, editor of the Yale Kevin Locketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08238649458932164077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2654577685834203411.post-92196152753671956602009-05-26T10:38:00.003-04:002009-06-02T21:54:02.039-04:00Thoughts on Likely SCOTUS-Justice-To-Be Sonia SotomayorPresident Obama has selected federal judge Sonia Sotomayor as the next new Supreme Court justice. If confirmed, she will be the first Latina and the third woman to serve on the court. Here are some relevant things that popped in my mind while watching coverage:NBC analyst noted that the pick should excitete liberals because she is Latina. What? Let me just say that I'm a liberal and picking Kevin Locketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08238649458932164077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2654577685834203411.post-34214922463013061022009-05-22T06:00:00.005-04:002009-05-22T06:49:13.340-04:00Louis Ramirez - Apparently, it's OK in PA to Beat People to DeathHow incredibly disgusting can the racist debate over illegal immigration get? How much further can or xenophobia plunge us into a love of lawlessness? Apparently, in my home state of Pennsylvania, it can get to the point where beating a man to death is OK. I received this e-mail yesterday:KEVIN: After they had beaten Luis Ramirez to death, the white teenagers who attacked him sent an ominous Kevin Locketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08238649458932164077noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2654577685834203411.post-76660205554230060682009-05-21T08:21:00.007-04:002009-05-22T06:52:59.342-04:00Race, Drugs, and Michael PhelpsLast week, swimmer Michel Phelps, arguably the greatest Olympian in the modern history of the games, returned to the sport for the first time since pictures of him smoking weed surfaced. I was shocked, and, frankly, offended by the way in which the situation was discussed. Understandably, many in the media were excited for Phelps's return after the way he electrified the Beijing games. From a Kevin Locketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08238649458932164077noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2654577685834203411.post-45368265532579111962009-05-05T08:14:00.003-04:002009-05-05T09:35:24.746-04:00Why Do Republicans Think They'll Ever Get Black VotesIt seems like for the past two election cycles, Republicans have been talking about how they need to expand their party to include more minorities. It's as if they think that by simply saying that they want black people to be Republicans, we'll suddenly become Republicans, never mind the issues. I find it hard to believe that the reason many blacks never or almost never vote Republican is not Kevin Locketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08238649458932164077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2654577685834203411.post-22554275456749162582009-05-04T08:25:00.002-04:002009-05-04T09:23:03.542-04:00How Race Impacts PerspectiveJust a quick note: I've been less active in writing lately, due to some computer problems. Hopefully, I'll reach a final resolution soon.Now, on to the topic at hand. I stumbled on this video of Andy Campbell while spending some time on YouTube. I don't really know who Andy Campbell is, but I thought this video of him presented an interesting case study.Now, on the surface, this seems all good, Kevin Locketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08238649458932164077noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2654577685834203411.post-74682897860355971852009-04-14T06:37:00.005-04:002009-04-14T06:49:56.274-04:00News: US Citizens Illegaly DeportedFrom ABC News / The Associated Press:Pedro Guzman has been an American citizen all his life. Yet in 2007, the 31-year-old Los Angeles native — in jail for a misdemeanor, mentally ill and never able to read or write — signed a waiver agreeing to leave the country without a hearing and was deported to Mexico as an illegal immigrant.He's not the only one: In a drive to crack down on illegal Kevin Locketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08238649458932164077noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2654577685834203411.post-70529489247382498012009-04-13T08:14:00.004-04:002009-04-13T08:53:06.627-04:00Speak For Yourself: Buchanan thinks more Latinos bad for USIs Pat Buchanan racist? Is he a xenophobe who wants only whites to live in the United States? Well, there are lots of clips I could show you to let him answer that question for himself, but I'll post this more recent exchange with MSNBC's Andrea Mitchel.Pat Buchanan, speak for yourself:So, Buchanan sees a rising Latino population as a threat to the United States? Well, that's what he just said, Kevin Locketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08238649458932164077noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2654577685834203411.post-36541024736300725742009-04-11T11:16:00.002-04:002009-04-11T11:37:34.481-04:00The New Confederacy: Tea Bag RevolutionSo, while watching the latest installment of the Rachel Maddow show, I find out that what I've named the new Confederacy has moved into a new stage of aggression. On tax day, they will be tea bagging to protest taxes (which, by the way, Obama and the Democrats cut for the vast majority of United States citizens).That's right, tea bagging, blatantly paying homage to the Boston Tea Party a protest Kevin Locketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08238649458932164077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2654577685834203411.post-16699177726023736262009-04-11T08:50:00.007-04:002009-04-11T10:34:50.380-04:00Stat of the Day: Being Searched By the PoliceAccording to the US Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2005, whites, African Americans, and Hispanics were essentially equally likely to be stopped by police for a traffic stop.However, once stopped, blacks and Hispanics were more likely to be searched or to have their cars searched.3.6% of whites were searched9.5% of blacks were searched8.8% of Hispanics were searchedThis Kevin Locketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08238649458932164077noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2654577685834203411.post-25976870873210564112009-04-09T09:07:00.003-04:002009-04-09T09:18:09.585-04:00News: Black College accused of RacismFrom CBS News / The Associated PressA historically black college in South Carolina has been sued after three white faculty members say they were passed over for jobs or let go for because of their race, federal officials announced Wednesday.Alleging that Benedict College "engaged in unlawful practices," the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission also said that the Columbia school had agreedKevin Locketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08238649458932164077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2654577685834203411.post-58989226770895079732009-04-09T08:43:00.005-04:002009-04-09T09:02:13.460-04:00Stat of the Day: Hate Crime IncreaseSo, obviously, I'm not going to be able to do these EVERY day.Also, feel free to submit a stat, and you can even submit one to counter one that I've posted, just be sure to include a source.In 2006, the FBI reports a 7.8% increase in the number of hate crimes from the previous year.Source: Human Rights FirstAs I can gather, this is the most recent information available.After reading the Human Kevin Locketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08238649458932164077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2654577685834203411.post-79184934396621309532009-04-06T08:34:00.003-04:002009-04-06T09:05:50.557-04:00This White Privilege ThingJust some thoughts here...Recently, I've been thinking a lot about this whole concept of white privilege. Growing up as an African American in suburban Philadelphia, I've always had an awareness that certain avenues were open to whites that I could not as easily pass through. However, it wasn't until I was about to go to college that I read an article that pulled together all the things that I Kevin Locketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08238649458932164077noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2654577685834203411.post-55724763562746890752009-04-03T11:43:00.004-04:002009-04-03T11:53:21.204-04:00Stat of the Day: Diversity in Public EducationAccording to the Pew Hispanic Center Publication:In the 1994 - 1995 school year, 35% of white public school students attended nearly all-white schools (less than 5% non-white); In the 2005 - 2006 school year, this number shrank to 21%Over the same period, the number of Hispanic and black students attending nearly all-minority schools grew. For Hispanics, this number grew from 25% to 29%, and for Kevin Locketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08238649458932164077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2654577685834203411.post-65813516675718613322009-04-03T08:50:00.003-04:002009-04-03T08:57:17.483-04:00White Privilege: Tim WiseNot long ago I posted a set of videos attacking the teaching of white privilege, among other things, at the University of Delaware. For this post in our ongoing series on white privilege, I decided to post a video that takes an opposite view. In this video, Tim Wise makes the case for the existence of white privilege.I don't want to offer too much commentary here, but I do want to say that I Kevin Locketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08238649458932164077noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2654577685834203411.post-31113128254936041102009-04-02T14:12:00.003-04:002009-04-02T14:18:09.786-04:00LC21?: Why Focus on Minorities?Haven't had one of these in a while. Here are some questions to think about.Why, when we talk about race, do we focus on minorities? Why do we always talk about what non-whites can or can't do?Why, during the presidential campaign, was the focus on how Barack Obama's blackness would help or harm him? Why was their not a focus on how John McCain's whiteness would help or harm him?Why, when we talkKevin Locketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08238649458932164077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2654577685834203411.post-6803612576924494662009-04-02T13:36:00.005-04:002009-04-02T14:18:32.456-04:00Stat of the Day: Incarceration RatesNationwide, black men are sent to prison on drug charges at 13 times the rate of white men.Source:Human Rights Watch, "Racial Disparities in the War on Drugs" (Washington, DC: Human Rights Watch, 2000)Kevin Locketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08238649458932164077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2654577685834203411.post-51499288923654035802009-04-02T13:27:00.005-04:002009-04-02T13:36:16.301-04:00Oh, No. Here We Go. More from O'Rilley the Hate-MongerThis headline made me sick:O'Rilley's Writing Obama Book.This just made me wish that hate was a commodity. I wish there was only a finite amount of hate in the world that couldn't be waisted on ignorant baboons like Bill O'Rilley. The man makes me sick, and the idea that he could be considered even close to being a journalist, or that his show could be considered anything close to news is Kevin Locketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08238649458932164077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2654577685834203411.post-37254301271253982952009-03-31T06:09:00.002-04:002009-03-31T06:12:09.027-04:00News: Philly Cop Under Fire for Racist CommentsFrom the Philadelphia Inquirer:A college class assignment may have gotten a Philadelphia police officer into some hot water. William Thrasher, a white cop in the 22nd District, at 17th and Montgomery, has been put on desk duty after an article written by a Temple University student quoted him describing his disgust for black people in the district where he works, likening them to animals and Kevin Locketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08238649458932164077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2654577685834203411.post-58137943229593079732009-03-30T19:14:00.002-04:002009-03-30T19:18:02.264-04:00Chair of RNC = Leader of Free WorldMichael Steel, chair of the Republican National Committee, and source of perpetual entertainment for Democrats, apparently thinks that his job is on par with being president, and he even left the door open to the possibility that President Obama is jealous of him.Each time this man opens his mouth, I simultaneously am amused and a little less desiring to acknowledge my blackness. Again, why does Kevin Locketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08238649458932164077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2654577685834203411.post-86871636861171879472009-03-30T07:46:00.004-04:002009-03-30T07:56:03.110-04:00Stat of the Day: Racial Violence?Ever hear people talk about how it's really black people who are so racist because they are so much more likely to commit violent crimes against white people then the other way around? Conservatives often use this argument to paint a picture of white America under attack from blacks. This is an image in which blacks are some great threat to the white community.Well, according to the U.S. Kevin Locketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08238649458932164077noreply@blogger.com4