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GET BIG MONEY OUT OF POLITICS
On May 19, the Lafayette County Board unanimously approved a resolution saying that it is in favor of amending the U.S. Constitution to overturn Supreme Court decisions like Citizens United that have given corporations an enormous sway over our political life.
In doing so, Lafayette County became the 164th community in Wisconsin to approve such a sentiment.
The Lafayette County Board resolution concluded:
“BE IT RESOLVED, that ‘We the People’ of the County of LaFayette, State of Wisconsin, seek to prevent and reduce the ...
CIVIC HEALTH IN WISCONSIN
The UW-Madison Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies joins a coalition of nonpartisan Wisconsin-based organizations, in partnership with the National Conference on Citizenship, to release the first-ever report on Wisconsin’s civic health.
With the publication of this report, “Civic Health in Wisconsin: Connectedness in Context,” Wisconsin joins 30 other U.S. states in measuring civic health, laying the groundwork for tracking changes and improvements.
WIPPS is proud to be among the coalition members involved in this initiative, which includes these ...
JUNETEENTH IS THE REAL INDEPENDENCE DAY
(Artwork is by Jennifer Dolan)
I see Juneteenth as the real Independence Day, but the promise of freedom from when emancipation was declared has not been kept. We need to do something to honor that promise. This is an opportunity to do that.
I went on a cross country train trip in 2015. My significant other and I had breakfast with two fascinating older men; one black, one white, and both very progressive. The black gentleman talked about how his daughter was organizing the first Juneteenth celebration in the small town where she lived.
...
NO EXCUSE FOR POLICE VIOLENCE
“I have watched this week’s unfolding events, angry and appalled. The words “Equal Justice Under Law” are carved in the pediment of the United States Supreme Court. This is precisely what protesters are rightly demanding. It is a wholesome and unifying demand — one that all of us should be able to get behind.” General James Mattis, former Trump administration Secretary of Defense
Once again, the country is in turmoil because excessive force by police killed a Black man, George Floyd. Once again people are angry and taking their demands for ...
HISTORY OF JUNETEENTH DAY
Juneteenth is short for June 19. It is the commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States.
It was on June 19, 1865 that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Many slaveowners had moved there with their slaves.
President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862, but the Civil War continued until May 9,1865. Texas was the most remote territory and the last to receive the news of freedom for black ...
A TALE OF TWO PROTESTS
These are frightening times to live in. We have more than one pandemic spreading across these United States. There is coronavirus, but then there is the misinformation, conspiracy theories, and quackery that also pose a great risk to the lives of Americans. There is police brutality leading to the deaths of black people, but then there is the misuse of law enforcement by elected officials trying on the emperor’s new clothes to see if dictatorship is in fashion this year, and the small business owners who have not been able to count on law enforcement to protect ...
EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION
1862
Whereas, on the twenty-second day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, a proclamation was issued by the President of the United States, containing, among other things, the following, to wit:
"That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and the Executive ...
THINGS WE ARE LEARNING
“The question today is whether we can learn something from coronavirus that might not only help us mitigate the harm of this pandemic, but build a new infrastructure of care that allows us to better protect the most vulnerable — and us all.”
Gregg Gonsalves, Yale epidemiology professor and Amy Kapczynski, Yale Law School professor.
We are learning – or should be learning – some important lessons from the pandemic sweeping the country. This tragedy shows how fragile and vulnerable we are as a society. We are finding out that many of our ...
A SIMPLE WALK IN WONDERLAND
This morning, like most mornings, I will walk this plain, little country road. Typical, it carries a few cars, more pickup trucks, a tractor now and then and the occasional bike, motorized and pedaled. The road arouses little interest in the eyes of many who clearly see only a trash can to fill up with what they toss out the window or that blows out of the truck bed. Out of car, out of mind; a road not much remembered.
And yet this unremarkable road correctly walked often leaves me speechless with awe and gratitude. Great music dances out of the ...
LEO THE LION: A FEATURE IN JUNE’S NIGHT SKY
June has arrived quietly and unexpectedly, like a stray cat waiting at our door. For stargazers, there are many great things to see, including Leo. But because of Daylight Savings Time, it doesn’t get really dark until about 10 p.m. One must be especially motivated to wait that long to see the stars. But, believe me, it will be worth the effort. So many stars! On an average dark night, we will be able to see 10,000 stars. What an incredible treat!
Leo the Lion occupies the western sky at this time of year. It sets around midnight. This year there ...