Page 134 – saobserver

San Antonio Pools Dive into Early Season Fun

Community

-

2024-05-14

San Antonio Pools Dive into Early Season Fun

In a splash of summer fun, the City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department announces an early treat for residents by opening eleven preseason pools as of last Saturday. Amid the escalating temperatures, this comes as a refreshing opportunity for families to beat the heat.

Residents are invited to enjoy these amenities free of charge every weekend from 1 to 7 p.m., marking a significant kickoff to the upcoming summer months. The pools, known for their cleanliness and excellent facilities, are located throughout the city, ensuring easy access for all. These locations include popular spots such as the expansive Woodlawn Lake, scenic Lady Bird Johnson Park, and the historic San Pedro Springs.

With safety and comfort in mind, all pool-goers are required to wear appropriate swimwear. Moreover, in a bid to ensure the safety of the youngest visitors, children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult. This policy underlines the city’s commitment to providing a safe and enjoyable environment for all ages.

For those seeking more than just a leisurely swim, the Woodlawn Lake Pool offers morning lap swimming sessions from Tuesday to Friday between 7:30 and 9:30 a.m. This initiative caters to early risers looking to kickstart their day with an energizing swim.

The locations set to open their gates this preseason include:

– Dellview: 500 Basswood

– Heritage: 1423 S Ellison Dr.

– Kingsborough: 350 Felps St.

– Lady Bird Johnson: 10700 Nacogdoches Rd.

– Lincoln: 2803 E. Commerce

– Roosevelt: 330 Roosevelt

– San Pedro Springs: 2200 N. Flores

– Southside Lions: 3100 Hiawatha

– Spring Time: 6571 Spring Time

– Westwood Village: 7627 W. Military

– Woodlawn Lake: 221 Alexander Ave.

This early opening not only offers a cool respite from the heat but also provides a spot for community gathering, physical activity, and relaxation. As temperatures begin to rise, San Antonio’s city pools are ready to welcome everyone looking to make a splash this season.

Spurs Secure 2 Top Ten Picks in 2024 NBA Draft

Waseem Ali

-

2024-05-14

0

Spurs Secure 2 Top Ten Picks in 2024 NBA Draft

San Antonio Spurs will select 4th, 8th, 35th, and 48th in the 2024 NBA Draft

After a month of preparation, the San Antonio Spurs have determined their selection spots in the 2024 NBA Draft. Entering the Draft Lottery with a chance to pick twice in the top 14, their outcomes were tied to the Toronto Raptors’ performance. The Spurs secured the fourth overall pick with their own selection and the eighth overall pick via Toronto. The pick from Toronto, part of the Jakob Poeltl trade, was protected and would have remained with the Raptors had it fallen within the top six.

The Spurs had a 10.5 percent chance of landing the first overall pick, and with two top-ten picks this season, General Manager Brian Wright appeared thrilled on the podium as the Lottery concluded. Having won the Victor Wembanyama lottery last season by securing the first overall pick, the Spurs now have two top-ten selections available to recruit more young talent to complement him in their pursuit of building a championship team.

The Atlanta Hawks secured the first pick, followed by the Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets, and Spurs. The Detroit Pistons, despite having the highest odds for the first overall pick, will select fifth for the third consecutive year. The Portland Trail Blazers, with the 7th and 14th picks, join the Spurs as the only teams with multiple lottery selections. The Raptors, Golden State Warriors, and Houston Rockets each lost a pick, though Houston acquired the third overall pick from the Brooklyn Nets.

This year, the Spurs will also make selections at the 35th and 48th spots in the second round, bringing their total to four picks.

Reducing the Number of Voters Decade by Decade… If We Let Them!

Voting

Gordon Benjamin

-

2024-05-14

0

Reducing the Number of Voters Decade by Decade… If We Let Them!

Policy Decisions On Voting Rights

As we move ahead, in this important upcoming general election, it is also most important to look back and to reflect on how certain policies, about voting rights were determined and subsequently implemented.

As early as the 1700’s, the right to vote was only afforded to white males, who “were property owners” and probably of a certain age.

Upon the end of the Civil War, the country entered the “Reconstruction Era”, wherein large numbers of formerly enslaved people were voters and enjoyed great political success and power. This period ended, within ten years, when former slave masters were able to take over local county offices and a large number of municipal governments, for their benefit, and thus began the “disenfranchisement” of the black voting power. Locals generally employed “poll taxes and literacy tests” as the means by which formerly enslaved persons, were found to be ineligible to vote. A great amount of these actions were aimed at ignoring the right to vote, afforded black men, by the passage of the 15th Amendment of the U.S.Constitution. As late as the early 1900s, women had not yet been granted the right to vote, which was eventually rectified via the Women’s Suffrage movement.

Fast forward, through the end of World War II, through the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, we find, in the 1980s, new Think Tanks, such as the Heritage Foundation, conservative groups such as ALEC – the American Legislative Council, whose efforts concentrated on “reducing the number of voters.” One of their principles was known to say “our leverage goes up when the voting populace goes down.”

As a result, of the foregoing, it’s well known now that a significant number of ” Republican – controlled state legislatures” have been openly passing state laws that are designed to reduce the number of people voting.

How is this happening, one might ask?

Well, in 2013, once the Supreme Court ruled the “Section 5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act” was no longer needed, multiple states began openly implementing laws designed to disenfranchise Blacks, Latinos, Senior Citizens, Women and Students. We’ve seen restrictive Voter ID laws, empowering partisan poll watchers here in Texas, and criminalizing certain duties, as performed by election workers. In other states, it has become a potential crime, to offer water or food, to voters, who are standing in line to cast their votes. There are also efforts, in other locales, that allow “challenges to any voter eligibility”, without justification. In some states unjustified “purges” are occurring, again without justification.

Texas’s SB1, which has been challenged, in federal court, a portion of which was found to be unconstitutional, last fall and the final arguments in the case, were held in February, and that decision is being awaited.

By and large, voters must be sure that their registration is current, which can be checked via Bexar County’s website at HERE.

Advocacy groups remain diligent, in getting more people to “get registered”, as well as to get out and vote.

Change can only be achieved, by disturbing the status quo, and remaining diligent to see that it continues to unfold.

VOTE, You’ll Be Glad You Did!

These mothers lost children to opioid overdoses. This Mother’s Day, they offered new approach.

National

Observer Staff

-

2024-05-14

0

These mothers lost children to opioid overdoses. This Mother’s Day, they offered new approach.

Aimee Dunkle often ruminates about the call that could have saved her son’s life.

A friend was with her 20-year-old son when he was in the grips of a heroin overdose in 2012, but the young man never called 911 for fear he’d be locked up for violating the terms of his drug diversion program. Ben suffered a catastrophic brain injury as a result of the delay in getting medical help. He died after eight days on life-support.

More than a decade later, as fatal opioid overdoses are skyrocketing across the U.S., Dunkle, 63, and other grieving family members have joined forces to call for compassionate treatment rather than criminalization of drug users like Ben’s friend.

These types of punitive drug laws, Dunkle said, “cost my boy his life.”

As more than 100,000 people died from overdose deaths for a second consecutive year, lawmakers proposed a slew of bills aimed at doling out harsher sentences – including murder charges – for people who sell or distribute drugs such as fentanyl, a synthetic opiate that’s exponentially stronger than heroin. Families who have lost children to overdoses say such policies won’t reduce deaths like those their relatives suffered. Instead, they’ll push chronic health issues of addiction into prisons. They will perpetuate but not curtail the country’s decades-long war on drugs, the families said.

“We all want to see a reduction in overdose deaths, but punishment is not the answer,” Dr. Tamara Olt, a mother from Peoria, Illinois who lost her 16-year-old son Josh to an opioid overdose in 2012, said at a recent news briefing.

Olt serves as executive director of Broken No More, an organization founded by families and friends of people with substance use disorders. The organization held a virtual news conference in the lead-up to Mother’s Day to share their support for drug policies informed by evidence-based public health practices, rather than punitive approaches.

In September, hundreds of grieving family members issued an open letter to lawmakers to call for “lifesaving health responses to the overdose crisis.” They pushed back on laws that establish murder charges for “drug-induced homicide” if someone sells or shares drugs that result in a fatal overdose and on mandatory minimum sentences and increased punishment for drug use. Instead, the letter urged lawmakers to find ways to decriminalize drugs and work on providing better access to needle exchanges and overdose-reversing medications like naloxone, and focus on evidence-based treatment options and broadening education on opioid use disorder.

States shift approach on fentanyl

Several states have changed the penalties for distributing or manufacturing fentanyl, according to an August analysis by the National Conference of State Legislatures. This includes new laws in Arkansas and Kansas that impose life imprisonment for manufacturing fentanyl that could appeal to a minor through shape or packaging. Tennessee also allows prosecutors to charge people with murder if they give fentanyl to a person who dies from an overdose.

While these laws have cropped up in Republican-led states that traditionally embraced tougher drug laws, advocates at the briefing this week warned that Democratic-leaning states are embracing similar approaches at the peril of people suffering from substance use disorder.

In 2021, Oregon became the first state to decriminalize illicit drugs. The policy, backed by the American Pharmacists Association, would allow people using illegal substances to retain their employment while involved in treatment. But following the recent explosion in synthetic opioid deaths, the blue state brought back criminal punishment for use and possession of narcotics in 2024. The law never had a chance to work, Jeffrey Bratberg, clinical professor in the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy, told USA TODAY at the time the law was reversed.

California, where Dunkle lives, has also shifted its drug policies, cracking down harder in recent years on people who perpetuate use. In her son Ben’s memory, in 2015, Dunkle founded the nonprofit Solace Foundation of Orange County, the first naloxone distribution program in her region of Southern California. Dunkle also began distributing fentanyl test strips and worked with a needle exchange until Santa Ana city officials shut it down in 2018.

After that, Dunkle said, “I took to the streets of Santa Ana with a backpack to hand out supplies and naloxone.”

In the years she’s been focused on these issues, she’s seen a push for punitive measures fueled by other grieving families. She has thought long and hard about that. But she’s seen that, all too often, the people who give someone a drug that causes a fatal overdose are also users. Fentanyl − a drug far more powerful than heroin that replaced it on streets in the U.S. in recent years − poses even greater danger to people with substance use disorders.

“They didn’t choose fentanyl,” she told USA TODAY. “Fentanyl was chosen for them.”

One instance of families pushing for harsher laws is a bill by California State Senator Tom Umberg, D-Orange County, whose legislation “Alexandra’s Law” requires educating people convicted of distributing opioids publicly within the court setting. The bill requires a judge to read a “fentanyl admonishment” to anyone convicted of a fentanyl-related drug offense, stating, “You are hereby advised that all illicit drugs and counterfeit pills are dangerous to human life and become even deadlier when they are, sometimes unknowingly, mixed with substances such as fentanyl and analogs of fentanyl.” The bill is named after a 20-year-old Temecula, California woman, Alexandra Capelouto, who died from a fentanyl overdose. Several families who lost loved ones to fentanyl overdoses, including Capelouto’s family, backed the bill.

The admonishment is similar to statements judges must read to people convicted of a DUI. The current draft language for “Alexandra’s Law” says that if a convicted person sells or administers fentanyl in the future that results in someone’s death, they could be charged with murder. The bill is stuck in the state Legislature.

“While any purchase of drugs from the street or black market inherently carries a risk, what we are seeing today is the unprecedented poisoning of young Americans,” Umberg, a former prosecutor, said in a statement to USA TODAY. “There is no fear of addiction, or need to ask for help when a victim dies almost immediately of a substance they never assumed would kill them.”

Dunkle said such legislation doesn’t address the overdose problem in its entirety, especially for young people like the man who was with her son when he overdosed. Umberg, a lawmaker in Dunkle’s county, said in his statement that he knew Dunkle and felt for her family and others who have lost loved ones to the opioid crisis.

However, he refuted the notion that California is prosecuting fentanyl users by applying harsher penalties, and putting them behind bars instead of offering treatment.

“To suggest so and equate it to the ‘War on Drugs’ is dangerously misleading and borderline irresponsible,” Umberg said. “This epidemic requires an ‘all in/every tool’ approach to the crisis,” including prevention, education, treatment and stopping repeat sellers. “Arresting and prosecuting fentanyl dealers alone is an insufficient response to meet this crisis,” he said.

Dunkle said she understands the anger that families feel. She felt it, too, after Ben’s death. But it changed a few weeks after his death. Her younger son, then 17, bumped into Ben’s friend who had refused to call for help the day of the overdose. The friend looked terrible, her younger son said.

She wanted people to look for light out of the darkness, she said. Fentanyl overdoses happen quickly. People should feel assured that saving their friends is not just the right thing, it’s something they can safely do without being punished.

It’s Called “Hygge” and We All Need It

Life Style

Fernando Rover Jr.

-

2024-05-14

0

The State of Peace

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. There is no doubt that mental health has evolved from a topic that, while always being in the background of concern, has become a central topic of discourse across various platforms. According to a 2023 survey conducted by the National Alliance on Mental Alliance (NAMI), anxiety is the most commonly reported mental illness among U.S. adults, with nearly 1 in 5 (19.1%) affected with some of the less commonly reported illnesses include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

In recent years, much surrounding the topic of mental illness and mental health has focused on awareness of symptoms, the pursuit of treatment options, and, especially since returning from the COVID-19 coronavirus shutdown, reassessing the role that peace has in the workplace and in everyday life. Introducing a peculiar word to the cultural zeitgeist: “hygge”.

Added to the Oxford dictionary in 2017, hygge (“hooga”) is a Danish word that means the state of peace. It can take on a mental form such as a state of mind such as being content or being calm, or it can take on a literal form as in finding a place that personifies peace. This can be a place where one’s peace is most at play, such as the beach, a porch behind the house, the park, or being with family and friends.

According to the Denmark website, “in brief, hygge is about taking time away from the daily rush to be together with people you care about – or even by yourself – to relax and enjoy life’s quieter pleasures…there is no agenda. You celebrate the small joys of life, or maybe discuss deeper topics. It is an opportunity to unwind and take things slow.” What is interesting about this phenomenon is that its country of origin implements it to the point that it is the same as practicing acts of patriotism or even acts of sabbath. It’s more than just a concept. It’s an act.

What would it take for hygge to be something implemented into practice in the United States? Is hygge already something implemented into practice in the United States? The answer is unclear because the data shows there are more reported cases of mental breakdowns, individuals removing themselves from toxic work environments, and cases of youth of all ages exemplifying developmental issues as a result of interrupted education during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Although therapy has been largely brought into the mainstream conversation, there are still some areas where unintentional exploitation can take place and not to mention the United States still operates on an antiquated 40+ hour/ 7 days a week system of work that many Millennial and Gen Z communities find unsuitable and unsustainable.

Though it may not be the word that comes to mind when it comes to mental health hygge is a concept that will no doubt play a role in how mental health will be implemented beyond what already has been done.

Mother’s Day San Antonio 2024 Events

Events

Observer Staff

-

2024-05-07

0

As we approach Mother’s Day this coming Sunday, May 12th, The San Antonio Observer extends a heartfelt Happy Mother’s Day to all moms celebrating in our vibrant community.

Mother’s Day is celebrated as a way to honor and appreciate mothers and mother figures for their invaluable role in our lives. The modern American version of Mother’s Day was created by Anna Jarvis in the early 20th century. Jarvis wanted to fulfill her own mother’s dream of having a day where all mothers would be recognized for their efforts and contributions to their families and society. The idea was to set aside a day to express gratitude and appreciation to mothers, acknowledging their sacrifices and hard work.

Celebrated on the second Sunday of May in the United States and in many other countries, Mother’s Day involves giving gifts, writing cards, and spending quality time with mothers to show love and appreciation. It has become a significant occasion, reflecting the deep emotional connection and respect for mothers. Over the years, it has also evolved to include mother figures, such as grandmothers, stepmothers, and mother-in-laws, expanding the celebration to honor all influential women who play nurturing roles in people’s lives.

If your looking for last minute Mother’s Day gifts on a budget take a look at this years top gift for mom here.

Mother’s Day San Antonio 2024 Events:

Brittney Griner Interview: ‘I did not feel like a human’

News

Observer Staff

-

2024-05-07

0

The Brittney Griner Interview by the WNBA star was overwhelmed by despair when she arrived at her cell in a Russian jail in 2022. “I didn’t feel human anymore, and the uncertainty of it all started to really hit me,” she explained in an interview with NPR. “I just sat there, contemplating ending it all, thinking of ways I could do it.” Griner was in transit to play her final season with a EuroLeague team in Russia when she was detained at a Moscow airport after customs officials discovered two vape cartridges containing traces of cannabis oil, prescribed by a doctor, in her luggage. Months after her arrest, she was found guilty on drug charges and received a nine-year sentence in a Russian penal colony.

Brittney Griner was detained for 10 months before her release was secured through a prisoner exchange involving a notorious Russian arms dealer. In her new memoir, “Coming Home,” Griner details the mental and physical humiliations she endured at the hands of the guards, the continual discomfort of fitting her 6-foot-9 frame into small beds and cages, and her decision to cut off her locs after they froze due to the extreme cold.

She spoke with All Things Considered host Juana Summers about her experience, and the conversation begins with Griner describing what went through her mind when she was first detained. The Brittney Griner Interview is raw and beyond real.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Brittney Griner Interview

Brittney Griner: Oh my God, it was kind of like one of those moments people talk about before a crash or something, and you see your life flash [before your eyes], or it’s just like the breath is completely took out of your lungs. That’s the exact feeling. And I literally started contemplating everything that could go wrong.

Juana Summers: That was the start of a story for you that you detail in this book. And for those that may be hearing these details, this part of your story, for the first time, can you describe some of the conditions and situations that you faced, first in detention then during your trial, and later in the labor camp?

Griner: The detention center, I’ll never forget the first day walking into quarantine and literally seeing some scissors and a pretty nice-sized knife just sitting on the table. And I’m like, “Well, this is already different.” One person barely spoke English a little bit. So it was a lot of pointing and just unknown. Not knowing if my lawyer knows where I’m at, or if anyone knows where I’m at. I basically had to drink this milky sediment water that came out of the sink. Just the isolation, the most filthiest place you can think of times 10. And on top of the blistering cold and having to stand outside, it was very harsh.

Summers: You wrote that, at one point, you had thoughts of ending your life. How often did you feel like that?

Griner: Definitely when I got put in the county cell and I had literally nothing – no toothbrush, no soap, no necessities. Nothing. I literally had two shirts, sweats and a hoodie. And my shoes on my feet. And I had to take a shirt and rip it up into different pieces to use to clean myself, wash off with. It was the most degrading and just flat-out dirtiest I’ve ever felt in my whole entire life. I did not feel like a human at that point. And everything was setting in on the unknown. I didn’t know anything at that point. Like, it was very early on. And I just sat there and thought about ending it – just came up with a plan on how I could do it. But, you know, after a couple of days and just thinking about it, you know, “What is my mom gonna say? What is my dad, my brother, my sister, my wife…” I couldn’t do that to them. I’m already locked up abroad. I can’t add any more stress to them like that.

If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 9-8-8, or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.

Summers: You write about your time in Russian detention and prison. But you also talked so much about the ways in which you had already been denied certain privileges and freedoms because of your appearance, because you’re a Black queer woman. And I can’t help but see some clear parallels between those two situations.

Griner: I’ve definitely seen the other side of being discriminated against just being part of the LGBT community and being a Black athlete and being told that I need to shut up and play, I’m just an athlete, I just need to be grateful. The pay inequity that we have in between our league and the men’s league — quite frankly, that’s why I was even in Russia in the first place, to make up that pay gap that we have here, unfortunately.

Summers: I want to ask you about that pay gap. I mean, we’re in this moment that is an incredible celebration of women’s sports, of women’s basketball due to some of the superstars in the college game who recently were drafted – people like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese – and yet, this pay gap that you’ve discussed prominently still persists. How do you square those things? How are you feeling about this moment for your sport?

Griner: I mean, I’m feeling hopeful for sure. I mean, just this last March Madness, the ratings definitely show that people are tuning in to the women’s game. We’ve come a long way. And we’re starting to get into those rooms and being able to advocate for ourselves. And with Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, even the younger ones coming up, Paige [Bueckers] and JuJu [Watkins], it’s just going to keep getting better. We’re just going to keep growing and keep pushing the envelope.

Summers: There is this moment that you write about in the book that I’m hoping is a story you can tell us. It’s when you and your wife Cherelle were reunited on the tarmac in San Antonio, after you spent 293 days separated from one another. What was that like?

Griner: Breathtaking. It just reminded me of the first time I ever saw her on campus. It was just, I didn’t think I was going to see her again anytime soon. I thought it was going to be a good nine years before I saw my person. When I saw her through the window, I immediately broke down. I couldn’t get off that plane quick enough. I’ll never forget that. It was just hugging, hugging, hugging and just holding each other crying.

Summers: After what you’ve been through, how do you cope when you hear people suggest that you don’t deserve to be home with your wife, with your family, to be back with your teammates?

Griner: It hurts. It definitely hurts. I mean, I’m human, so it hurts a little bit. But at the end of the day, everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. And I can’t let it affect me. But I will say this, if it was up to me, and it was in my hands, everybody that was in Russia would have come back. And I remember getting on that plane when I did get the chance to come back, and I was really hopeful that Paul was on that plane with me.

Summers: You’re talking about Paul Whelan, who’s among the other Americans who have not been able to return home yet. Throughout the book, you wrote so movingly about the guilt that you felt and about the fact that something that was an honest mistake, as you’ve said, led to months away from your wife and family, months under the conditions that you’ve been telling us about. And you also wrote about how, despite getting forgiveness from your family, from your wife, it was hard to let go of that guilt. How did you get to a place where you felt able to let that go and to forgive yourself, if you have?

Griner: A lot of counseling. Just therapy, talking. Everybody kept telling me to give myself grace, and that was the hardest thing to do. Because at the end of the day, my dad taught me that you just take ownership for things that you’ve done, like willingly and unwillingly. So I had to take responsibility. And it was just, it’s really hard. I think at times, I still feel like I haven’t forgiven myself, honestly, because I’m just like, I robbed my family of time with me. You know, I robbed my wife of those special moments graduating and just being there for her. That’s probably my last healing piece that I will hopefully get to eventually.

Summers: How are you thinking about the future, Brittney?

Griner: When I think of the future, I think it’s gonna be good. You know, we have a little one on the way.

Summers: Congratulations.

Griner: Thank you. We’re expecting a little boy on the way. So I’m just looking forward to parenthood and just enjoying every single moment of it.

Summers: Last year, you said that you would not play overseas again, unless you were representing the United States and the Olympics. And the Paris Games are less than 100 days away. Do you think that’s going to be in the cards for you?

Griner: I hope so, because that will be an amazing return back to overseas and represent my country that literally came to my rescue. I wouldn’t be here without my country. And to go and potentially win another gold medal for us, it’s just going to mean so much standing on that podium and watching the flag go up.

University Protests Israel-Hamas, Spread Nationwide

Cover Story

Observer Staff

-

2024-05-07

0

University Protests Israel-Hamas, Spread Nationwide

University Protests Israel-Hamas- Student Movements Spark Nationwide Protests Over Israel-Hamas War

University Protests over the Israel-Hamas Conflict are being met with a strong police presence resulting in arrest’s in college students across the nation.

The U.S. and Texas constitutions guarantee the right to protest, encompassing freedom of speech and assembly. These rights enable individuals to engage in symbolic actions and organize peaceful demonstrations on designated public areas, though they come with certain restrictions.

Amid escalating tensions over the University Protests about Israel-Hamas, students at universities nationwide have held demonstrations in solidarity with Palestinians, garnering attention both locally in Texas and nationally.

In response, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, in late March, mandated public universities to amend their free speech policies, hinting at disciplinary measures for non-compliance.

University Protests, Israel-Hamas Conflict

Following Governor Abbott’s directive, each university’s board of regents chair is required to submit evidence within 90 days that confirms the implementation and enforcement of these updated free speech policies.

The ongoing Israel-Hamas war has notably tested free speech boundaries at colleges across Texas and the U.S., with pro-Palestine and pro-Israel student groups actively protesting and engaging in vigorous debates, challenging campus administrators to maintain a balance between moderation and promoting intellectual discourse.

Authorities, including law enforcement and university administrations, may enforce reasonable regulations regarding the time, place, and manner of protests, ensuring these rules are impartial and do not disproportionately affect specific groups. Many institutions establish “free speech zones,” although generally, outdoor campus protests are legally supported.

Significant protests ignited by Columbia University students in mid-April concerning the Israel-Hamas conflict have spread to other institutions, culminating in over 2,000 student arrests nationwide.

These demonstrations have echoed across prominent Ivy League campuses, including Yale, University of Connecticut, Harvard, Princeton, Brown, Northwestern, University of Southern California (USC), University of California (UCLA), University of Texas at Austin (UT), and many others.

In San Antonio, the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) witnessed mainly peaceful protests. Conversely, at UT Austin, a substantial student walkout in support of Palestine led to nearly 80 arrests, with 45 detainees unaffiliated with the university.

Students across campuses are advocating for universities to cut ties with entities that support Israeli military actions in Gaza and, in some cases, are pushing for complete disassociation from Israel. They demand divestment from companies involved in manufacturing military equipment and those backing the Israeli government, including arms providers.

The resurgence of antiwar protests in the U.S. reflects opposition to Israel’s military actions in Gaza, triggered by a significant attack from Hamas on October 7, where nearly 1,200 Israelis were killed, and over 34,000 Palestinians lost their lives.

Discussions on anti-war college protests often recall the Vietnam War campus demonstrations of the 1970s, notably marked by the Kent State shootings and the iconic “Make love, not war” slogan.

Historically, during the Kent State protests 54 years ago, the Ohio National Guard’s intervention led to the shooting of 13 students, four of whom died, sparking nationwide unrest. Fortunately, the recent demonstrations have not seen such tragic outcomes, yet they underscore enduring concerns over America’s foreign policy and the fundamental right to protest.

The recent wave of student-led protests across university campuses against the Israel-Hamas conflict highlights the critical role of protest in American democracy, underscoring the importance of free speech and civic engagement in shaping public discourse and policy. As these tensions continue to unfold on academic grounds, the enduring spirit of protest and the need for a thoughtful approach to managing dissent in a free society are more apparent than ever.

Ralph Yarl’s family sues homeowner in wrong-door shooting

Crime

Observer Staff

-

2024-05-07

0

Ralph Yarl’s family sues homeowner in wrong-door shooting

The family also blames the homeowners association for allegedly failing to do enough to prevent the attack.

The family of Ralph Yarl, a Black teenager who survived being shot in the head after he rang the wrong doorbell in Kansas City, Missouri, filed a lawsuit Monday against the white homeowner who fired at him.

The lawsuit filed in Clay County Circuit Court says that Andrew Lester was careless in shooting Yarl, now 17, and that the Highland Acres Homes Association should have been aware of Lester’s “propensity for violence, access to dangerous weapons and racial animus.”

Both Lester and the homeowners association are named as defendants. Messages for Lester’s lawyer, Steven Salmon, weren’t returned Monday, and the homeowners’ association could not be reach for comment.

The family says in the lawsuit that Lester never gave Yarl a verbal warning before firing his gun and that he should have known Yarl wasn’t a threat.

Yarl went to the wrong house on April 13, 2023, to pick up his two younger brothers. When he rang the doorbell, Lester, then 85, fired multiple rounds from a handgun, grazing Yarl in the head and striking him in the arm.Lester called police, telling them he fired because he was scared.

The shooting sparked protests across the country and demands for Lester’s immediate arrest. Lester surrendered to police days later after being charged with first-degree assault, a felony, and armed criminal action. He has pleaded not guilty, and his trial is scheduled to start Oct. 7.

Yarl’s mother, Cleo Nagbe, could not be reached for comment. In a statement, she said that by filing the lawsuit, she hoped to start a dialogue on responsible gun ownership and community safety measures “of using words, not weapons.”

“It’s disheartening that a year has passed without tangible progress or accountability for the grave injustice inflicted upon Ralph,” Nagbe said. “No child should fear for their life simply for innocently ringing a doorbell at the wrong house.”

Earlier this month, Yarl exclusively told NBC News how he coped with the shooting.

“It’s definitely a bumpy journey,” Yarl said in his first in-depth interview about how the shooting had affected him a year later.

“Whenever there’s something that goes on that reminds me of what happened … I just have, like, such a negative wave of emotions, like anger, like disgust,” he said. “It’s always a mix of good and bad days. And I feel like the good days are when I’m able to be around people that help me build myself up.”

The family is seeking unspecified compensation, court costs and legal fees.

Article by Deon Hampton

Willow reflects on debut single ‘Whip My Hair’: “My message hasn’t really changed”

Entertainment

Observer Staff

-

2024-05-07

0

Willow reflects on debut single ‘Whip My Hair’: “My message hasn’t really changed”

‘Singer-songwriter Willow releases sixth studio album “Empathogen”.

Singer-songwriter Willow Smith, better known as Willow, has released her sixth studio album Empathogen, on May 3rd, 2024. This is the 23 year old musician’s first album in two years, following 2022’s Coping Mechanism. Known for her eclectic sound of alternative rock and punk with some subtle pop sensibilities, heard in her recent hits like “Transparent Soul”, “Meet Me At Our Spot,” and “Maybe It’s My Fault”, the twelve song LP showcases the singer maintaining her signature sound while experimenting with jazz and soul melodies.

Writer Brad Callas, in his 2024 article for Complex, “Willow Returns With New Album ‘Empathogen’”, writes, “Willow, 23, detailed the creative process behind Empathogen… where she credited Ella Fitzgerald, Chet Baker, and Sarah Vaughan as her musical influences behind the album… ‘I just grew up a little bit, and I really am starting to figure out what kind of musician I really want to be,’ Smith shared…. ‘It’s about being a well-rounded musician more than anything for me and not being pigeonholed into any specific genre.’”

Willow has been making music since 2011 when she debuted with her viral hit, “Whip My Hair.” The former Red Table Talk co-host reflected on its legacy in a recent interview for Billboard. “‘Whip My Hair’ is like, ‘be yourself, live out loud, don’t care what anybody thinks, express yourself!’ Willow explains to Billboard News. ‘That hasn’t really changed. I really feel like ‘Whip My Hair’ is just a foundation for everything that has come later … It was a lot of fun. I am so grateful — I would never take it back.’” Adding to the diverse sound catalog of her family, WIllow has carved out her own distinct sound with a collection of songs that is reminiscent of 90’s/ 2000’s female rock singer-songwriters Avril Lavigne, Paramore, Alanis Morrisette, Tracy Chapman, and Natalie Merchant.

Titled after the psychoactive drug that increases a person’s feelings of empathy, the album sees Willow collaborating with the likes of John Batiste and St. Vincent on tracks like “Home” and “Pain for Fun”, respectively. The album also includes recent singles, “Big Feelings”, “Run”, and “Symptom of Life”.The former and latter songs were performed live for the first time when Willow made her debut on NPR’s Tiny Desk while she performed “Home” on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

Empathogen can be streamed on Spotify and Apple Music.