#are we taking over the government by performing our civic responsibility??? | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

goldiers1 · 1 year

Text

UK Prime Minister to Make a Freedom & Openness Speech.

What is the Lord Mayor's Banquet?

The Lord Mayor’s Banquet is a prestigious event that takes place annually in the United Kingdom. It is held to celebrate the new incumbent of the office of Lord Mayor in one of the main cities with a ceremonial post, such as London, Birmingham, and Manchester. The banquet dates back over 800 years and has been attended by royal figures, dignitaries, and city officials throughout its history. The first recorded Lord Mayor’s Banquet was held in 1215 when King John granted a charter to London allowing it to elect its own mayor, who was responsible for the administration of justice and other civic matters. The mayor at that time was Henry Fitz-Ailwin and he celebrated his appointment with a lavish banquet. In the following years, the mayor’s annual dinner was hosted by other rulers such as Edward I and Henry VIII. The event has since gone through numerous changes, but its core purpose remains the same: to celebrate and recognize the new Lord Mayor of London.

Lord Mayors Banquet 1933. Photo by Richard Asplen. Flickr. Today, the Lord Mayor’s Banquet is hosted in the historic Guildhall of London. The evening consists of a formal dinner, speeches, and performances from prominent figures and a procession through the streets of London. It is attended by members of the City’s livery companies, invited guests, and representatives from major international banks and financial institutions based in the city. The Lord Mayor’s Banquet continues to be a grand affair and provides the perfect opportunity for Londoners to celebrate their city. It is an important part of Britain's cultural heritage, offering an insight into its vibrant past.

UK PM Rishi Sunak. Photo by the UK Government. Flickr

Official UK Government Speech Outine for UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

The Prime Minister will set out his vision for a foreign policy which stands up for the UK’s values throughout the world, and uses a strong domestic economy to underpin our relationships overseas in a speech today (Monday 28th October). Addressing the Lord Mayor’s Banquet the Prime Minister, who has forged strong relationships with international partners in his first month in office at the COP27 and G20 Summits and in meetings with the head of NATO and President of Ukraine, will outline his ambitions for the UK’s overseas policy.

Duke and Duchess of Gloucester to attend the Banquet. Photo by Open Government Licence. Wikimedia.

International relations.

The Prime Minister will argue that states like Russia and China plan for the long-term and the UK needs to follow suit. He will stress the importance of reinvigorating relationships in Europe while also deepening ties in the Indo-pacific. He is expected to say: Freedom and openness have always been the most powerful forces for progress. But they have never been achieved by standing still. Under my leadership we won’t choose the status quo. We will do things differently. We will evolve, anchored always by our enduring belief in freedom, openness and the rule of law and confident that, in this moment of challenge and competition, our interests will be protected and our values will prevail.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Photo by President of Ukraine. Flickr.

War in Ukraine update.

A week after he visited the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv to meet President Zelenskyy, the Prime Minister will point to the UK’s overwhelming demonstration of support to the Ukrainian people as evidence of the strength of the UK’s values. The Prime Minister will underscore his commitment to supporting the people of Ukraine in the face of horrific Russian aggression. He is expected to say: Ukrainian flags have flown over almost every town and city on these islands for the last nine months. No one told people to put them there. They felt moved to show solidarity with people they have never met, in a country most have never visited, to show their faith in fairness, freedom and the rule of law. …Be in no doubt. We will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. We will maintain or increase our military aid next year. And we will provide new support for air defence, to protect the Ukrainian people and the critical infrastructure that they rely on. By protecting Ukraine, we protect ourselves.

President Cyril Ramaphosa to attend the banquet. Photo by Government ZA. Flickr.

International security issues.

The UK is currently in the process of revising and updating the 2021 Integrated Review of security, defence, development and foreign policy to take account of the huge geopolitical shifts we have seen since the review was published, including the sharpening of inter-state competition due to the actions of countries like Russia, China and Iran. This review will ensure that the UK remains on the cutting-edge of defence and security policy, keeping us safe around the world as we strengthen our foundations at home. It will set out the importance of building strong ties in Europe in the era after the UK’s departure from the EU, while also deepening partnerships in other parts of the world. Stressing the importance of evolving and adapting to new challenges and threats, the Prime Minister is expected to say: Our adversaries and competitors plan for the long term. In the face of these challenges, short-termism or wishful thinking will not suffice… …So we will make an evolutionary leap in our approach. This means being stronger in defending our values and the openness on which our prosperity depends. It means delivering a stronger economy at home – because it is the foundation of our strength abroad. And it means standing up to our competitors, not with grand rhetoric but with robust pragmatism.

International Relations and Cooperation visits Germany, 14-16 Nov 2016. Photo by Government ZA. Flickr.

Importance of this event.

This evening’s Lord Mayor’s Banquet is an annual event where the Prime Minister has the opportunity to address business leaders, international dignitaries and foreign policy experts on the subject of foreign policy. It will be the first major foreign policy speech given by Rishi Sunak since he became Prime Minister. Source: THX News , South African Government & The UK Government. Read the full article

#Foreignpolicyspeech #LordMayor'sBanquet #PresidentZelenskyy #RishiSunak #UKPrimeMInister #WarinUkraine

0 notes

kemetic-dreams · 3 years

Text

IGBO RULE BEFORE COLONIZATION

Noo Udala, aged c.102, in Umuaga, 19 June 1973

Before the white man came we had no chief that saw to the affairs of the town. But we had several institutions that helped us organise our activities. The government of this town was not vested in one man.

Even though the oldest village, Umunnacha, had certain privileges, it did not present or produce a paramount chief. In the olden days, each village had a person that we could now call a chief to head the town's political and administrative activities. This man was normally the oldest man of that village, and was called onye ishi ani. Within this village we have another man that heads the affairs of a 'lineage' or .umu.nna called okenye .umu nna.

During any cases affecting the whole town, the ndi ishi ani, village heads, would meet and discuss effectively the issues involved. They met as equals though at times preference was given to the village head from this village, Umunnacha, as we are the oldest village. But before any decision was carried, the issue must have been agreed on by all. After arriving at this decision, each village head would go home to discuss decisions with their respective communities.

All adult males and very aged women were entitled to attend the village level meetings. The meetings were normally held in the village square called obodo. The onye ishi ani of that village presents the issue already discussed by the ndi ishi ani of the whole town, and then would call for some comments. Each person was free to talk during the deliberations, but bad contributions were jeered at with occasional embarrassing shouts of Di anyi, tukwunyo (our colleague, sit down). Good contributions were widely acclaimed with occasional clappings and shouts of Okwu ghi di mma (your speech is good). In most cases, the reaction of those present helped us to know the acceptable line of action. But it was still necessary that the onye ishi ani should give the verdict, but within what the people in general had agreed.

After taking the decision at village level, we then retired to the lineage or umu nna level. Here almost all adults both men and women were allowed to attend. At times very intelligent children, .umu atalu akq, were admitted. The okenye umu nna, normally the oldest man of the lineage, would introduce the issue already discussed in the village level. It is in this umu.nna that people talk as freely as possible, as they are within their very nearest relations. Decisions here are quick, because most people present had heard of the issue at the village level, and because the people saw themselves as very intimate relations that must accept the opinions of the okenye umu nna.

From this umu nna level, the next unit, which though small in numerical strength is important, is the family unit of one man, called ezi na ulo. Here each man heads the decision making of his family unit. His wife and children normally took orders from him. They could be influenced by him to carry out a village decision or refuse it. So the man in his own house was his own chief over his wife and children.

In the same way, decisions could travel from the family to town assemblies.

Age grade societies

The executive function of Umuaga government was the sole duty of the youths, through their age-grade organisation. This organisation is in different grades, each being made up of young men of the same age. Each group took a name and appointed the eldest of them as their head. These age grades perform both civic and military duties in the town. They acted as the nightwatchmen of the town, when threatened by rogues. They also did public works, like clearing the forests and making local paths and roads. These age grades also were charged with guarding public morality through censorship of their members' behaviour. In most cases, they were the people who enforced the decisions of any judicial council.

Umu ada or Umu okpu

We also have another type of government functionary in Umuaga. This is the group known as umu okpu or umu ada. This is made up of women born in the town and married within or without, but in a less distant neighbouring town. They brought much pressure to bear on any bad things that were going on in the town or village. Particularly, they were charged with the affairs of the women in general, but they went far to make sure that women married into the town from other towns were conforming to the norms of the town. They disciplined the offending women through very serious sanctions that ranged from seizure of property, to the isolation of the culprit from their affairs. . . .

Masquerade body

You also have the masquerade cult mmanwu as a government functionary. Much of the function of these masquerades is to effect obedience to the sanctions of the town on a culprit. These masquerades could invade a culprit's home, and seize all his belongings until the owner paid the stipulated fine for his crime, and again reclaimed his property by a further fine. This police action of the masquerades is generally referred to as iri iwu. Some masquerades, the clever one of the young boys, called Iga, also kept surveillance over the village streams during the dry season, to see that water wasn't misused.

Oha eshi

We also have another women's group called oha eshi. This was a governing and police council made up originally of very aged women. Eventually, energetic middle-aged women joined. This council of oha eshi was originally a group responsible for the sanitation of the town as a whole. This council kept up a day-to-day inspection of all parts of the town, and each village or lineage had a representative. This reported to the council on the sanitary situation of her area. If she could not effect a remedy by compelling the people to be clean, she reported to the enlarged aha eshi council. This council then visited the offender and made away with his belongings, especially a woman's own, like cooking utensils and fowls. These were reclaimed after some payments ....

#kemetic dreams #african #igbo #igbo culture #eshi #ethiopia #west africa #nigeria #alaigbo

80 notes · View notes

dontmeantobepoliticalbut · 3 years

Text

A "disgrace to our country." "The tyranny we rejected." "An embarrassment to every American."

In presiding over the cases of hundreds of people accused of breaching the US Capitol on January 6 in support of then-President Donald Trump, federal judges have not held back when describing the unprecedented nature of the events of that day.

"You called yourself and everyone else patriots, but that's not patriotism," Judge Amy Berman Jackson told defendant Karl Dresch earlier this month. "Patriotism is loyalty to country, loyalty to the Constitution -- not loyalty to a head of state. That is the tyranny we rejected on July Fourth."

As the congressional investigations grow more partisan -- and Democratic and Republican viewpoints on the significance of the Capitol attack grow farther apart -- it's notable that judges appointed by presidents of both parties have described the riot as an existential danger to American democracy.

"It means that it will be harder today than it was seven months ago for the United States and our diplomats to convince other nations to pursue democracy," Judge Randolph Moss said at a July 19 sentencing hearing. "It means that it will be harder for all of us to convince our children and our grandchildren that democracy stands as the immutable foundation of this nation. It means that we are now all fearful about the next attack in a way that we never were."

There have been various points in the judicial process in which judges have stepped back to elaborate on what the January 6 riot was, fundamentally, about. Sometimes it's when a judge is knocking down defenses that downplay the seriousness of the breach. On other occasions, a judge is explaining why she is not willing to free a defendant who allegedly was part of the mob. The most striking examples come during sentencing hearings, when judges put into context the punishments they're handing down.

The willingness to opine on the broader circumstances varies from judge to judge, Michael McConnell, a professor at Stanford Law School and a former federal appellate judge, told CNN.

"The sentencing is a public event and when the underlying justice has been challenged, even indirectly, I think many judges consider it part of their civic responsibility to speak to the public," he said. "They're talking to the defendants nominally, but they're really speaking to the public -- to restore and protect the rule of law."

That includes in situations, like in the sentencing of Dresch, where the penalty -- six months in prison, which was effectively time served -- may seem light for how starkly the judges describe the crimes

"The sentences have not been incredibly punitive, which is why their comments, putting the sentence in context, are so important," said Nancy Gertner, a former federal district judge who now teaches at Harvard Law School.

Replacing 'the will of the people' with 'the will of the mob'

Time and time again, judges have made the point that the defendants were not ransacking just any federal building, nor was it a typical proceeding that they were disrupting.

What they were able to interrupt was "a critical function required by the US Constitution for a peaceful transition of power in our democracy," as DC Chief Judge Beryl Howell put at a February 23 hearing with a Proud Boys member.

At his August 4 sentencing, Jackson said that Dresch, who pleaded guilty to illegally demonstrating in the Capitol, was an "enthusiastic participant" in an effort "to subvert democracy, to stop the will of the people and replace it with the will of the mob."

Moss, a nominee of President Barack Obama, said that the attack "threatened not only the security of the Capitol, but democracy itself," as he sentenced Paul Hodgkins, a rioter who pleaded guilty to obstructing an official proceeding.

"Our elected representatives from both political parties came together that day to perform their constitutional and statutory duty to declare, in the word of the statute, the person elected president," Moss said at the July 19 hearing. "The mob's objective was to stop that from happening. They were prepared to break the law to prevent Congress from performing its constitutional and statutory duty. That is chilling for many reasons."

The judges don't just have a symbolic viewpoint on the insurrection. Their courthouse sits only a half mile from the Capitol complex and is on the route that the rioters took from the rally in front of the White House. Howell has said that from her chamber window she could see the National Guard stationed at the Capitol in the wake of the attack.

"I teach in various countries and I'm always touting the greatness of America. It's going to be difficult for me to convince people in other parts of the world that we are that shining light upon a hill because of what happened that day," Judge Reggie Walton said at a Capitol riot plea proceeding that unfolded as the House Select Committee on the January 6 attack held its first hearing in late July.

"It's an embarrassment to me," he added. "It should be an embarrassment to every American."

'Gullible enough' to believe Trump

Judges have cited Trump's continued promotion of the same election fraud lies that propelled the riot that day as a reason that defendants should not be released from detention. Further, judges have rejected the justification put forward by some of the rioters who have argued that they deserve mercy because of how Trump encouraged the riot.

Howell, in her February 23 hearing with Proud Boys member William Chrestman, who is pleading not guilty, said that if that defense were recognized, it "would undermine the rule of law."

"Because then, just like a king or dictator, the president could dictate what is legal and what isn't in this country, and that is now how we operate here," said the judge, an Obama appointee.

But regardless of the legal conclusion they're making, judges have not shied from acknowledging the role that Trump played on that day -- even if they have not said his name explicitly.

"The defendant came to the Capitol because he placed his trust in someone who repaid that trust by lying to him," Jackson, an Obama appointee, said in her sentencing hearing for Dresch.

Earlier in Dresch's case, Jackson had denied his bond, in part because Trump "continues to propagate the lie that inspired the attack on a near daily basis," according to her May 5 opinion.

Likewise, during a plea hearing for Lori and Thomas Vinson, a couple who had stormed the Capitol, Walton said that Trump "is still making those statements" and the rioters "were gullible enough" to believe him then.

"Why should I believe they aren't prepared to do it again?" said Walton, who was appointed by President George W. Bush. "Why should I believe, if there's some type of uprising again in response to what is still being said by the former President, why should I believe they won't join in again?"

He called the situation "threatening to our democracy."

The directness and the candor may be, in part, because federal judges are seated on the bench for life. Still, former judges told CNN that they believed those judges had put thought into their comments and the public should take notice of how they view January 6.

"At times when the nation is being torn apart, it's especially useful that the branch of government that still commands the highest trust of the American public -- and, I think most of the time, does behave in the less partisan, less divisive ways -- for that branch to speak up and remind the American public the principles underlying this," said McConnell, the former appellate judge.

Even though, in theory, the federal bench occupies a place above the partisan fray on Capitol Hill, at least once a judge has felt the need to address that fray directly. Alluding to a remark made by Republican Georgia Rep. Andrew Clyde, Judge Royce Lamberth, a President Ronald Reagan appointee, said that he was "especially troubled by the accounts of some members of Congress that January 6th was just a day of tourists walking through the Capitol."

At a June 23 hearing, Lamberth described the attack as a "disgrace to our country" and referenced the videos from the Capitol riot that the court was working to release publicly.

"We are getting them out as best we can now and it will show the attempt of some congressmen to rewrite history and say this was all just tourists walking through the Capitol is utter nonsense," the judge said.

19 notes · View notes

citylightsbooks · 3 years

Text

A Women’s History of City Lights: Interview with Nancy J. Peters

We'll be celebrating Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s 102nd birthday on March 24, and what better way to remember his legacy AND to mark Women’s History Month, than to honor Nancy J. Peters, Lawrence’s business partner, friend, and longtime comrade at City Lights Books. While Ferlinghetti certainly deserves all of the accolades he’s received, the fact of the matter is there would literally be no City Lights without Nancy Peters. Beyond shepherding City Lights through various fiscal crises and providing the steady anchor that allowed Ferlinghetti to travel the world as a poet and activist, Nancy's vision as an editor and acumen as a publisher were a vital key to the success and longevity of City Lights Publishers.

***

City Lights: How did you come to know what City Lights was? How did you meet Lawrence Ferlinghetti?

Nancy Peters: In Greece in the early 1960s, I became friends with Nanos Valaoritis and Marie Wilson who were at the center of an international bohemian/surrealist community. They had a large home which was always full of traveling writers and artists whom they made welcome. The Beat writers were among their guests, and City Lights was frequently talked about as a place everyone would meet up someday. I met Philip Lamantia there and in 1965 he introduced me to Lawrence in Paris at one of Jean-Jacque Lebel’s anarcho-surrealist festivals of free expression. Before a riotous crowd Lawrence gave a show-stopping rendition of his “Lord’s Prayer.” I was impressed by his powerful stage presence. Later that year, when Philip and I were living in Andalusia, Lawrence wrote Philip, asking for a selection of poems for a Pocket Poets Series volume. We corresponded some while we were putting the book together, but I didn’t see him again until 1971 when I moved to San Francisco.

I’d been working as an executive-trainee librarian at the Library of Congress in the fall of 1968. In April, Martin Luther King was assassinated and the impassioned protests that ensued left Washington neighborhoods in ruins. There was shockingly little assistance to residents from the government and my part of the city was under military surveillance, helicopters hovering over my apartment through the night. A Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam took place in Washington the following year. Over 750,000 people peacefully demonstrated. In a small way, I was involved in the planning and, during the protests, my apartment was crammed with fellow activists.

The Library of Congress was an amazing, fascinating place with compatible co-workers from all over the world—thousands of book people all in one place. However, the mission of the Library is to serve Congress, and the institution was a huge conservative bureaucracy serving a conservative and ineffective Congress as I saw it. I believed that if I stayed there I would have little contact with actual books or opportunities for civic activism.

So I moved to San Francisco, where Philip was living and urging me to come, and spent an enormous amount of time at City Lights while I was job hunting. It seemed like paradise, such a stimulating atmosphere where people could sit down to read, share ideas, and have conversations about books, politics, art. One day in early 1971 when I was walking down the street in North Beach, Lawrence hailed me and asked if I would like to help him with a bibliography of Allen Ginsberg’s writings. After just a brief meeting at the publishing office, Lawrence went to Europe and his editorial assistant Jan Herman suddenly decided to move to Germany. Jan showed me how all the editorial work was done in the office, told me Lawrence “wouldn’t mind,” and so I found myself beginning an exciting new career in publishing.

What was your experience taking over as executive director and co-owner in 1984?

The store back then employed seven people: six men at the bookstore and one (me) at the publishing branch. So “executive director” is far too grand a title. City Lights was a small, failing organization by 1982. The store was not founded to make profits for the owners and it never did make a profit. Breaking even was the goal. But every year the losses mounted and there came a time when there were very few books left on the shelves. No one had seen a customer venture downstairs to the lower part of the store for many months.

At the time, Lawrence was immensely popular and in great demand as a performer and a speaker, so he was traveling much of the time, visiting foreign colleagues, living abroad, finding new writers to translate. At this low point in the store’s history Lawrence told me in a frustrated moment that if I’d like to own City Lights, he would give it to me outright if I would run the business, freeing him to do all the other things he wanted to do. I declined, but told him I would be honored to be his partner. Theft was seriously addressed, and a protracted payment plan was agreed to by Book People, the East Bay employee-owned distributors who extended us credit for a generous period. Savvy booksellers Richard Berman and Paul Yamazaki headed the re-stocking plan. The three of us would go every week to Book People and Lou Swift Distributors to collect enough books to sell the following week. As time went on, everybody at the store consulted book catalogs and took on the responsibility for buying subject sections. I envisioned a participatory structure. If not a co-op, I wanted a bookstore where all the staff had responsibilities and power.

Why the decision not to have multiple bookstore locations around SF?

At one time we seriously considered additional locations. We explored sites in San Francisco’s Mission district and visited city officials in San Jose to talk about a second store there. But our resources were limited, and we were concerned about the time and money that would be required to create a sister store that would embody the same spirit and ethic as the original. During my time as director, the evolving challenges from chain stores and especially Amazon made beginning a new store a very risky enterprise. In retrospect, so many independents were closing that we decided to invest in our present, iconic location. In retrospect I think it was a good decision after watching attempts by other stores fail to duplicate their success elsewhere.

How has North Beach changed, how has it stayed the same? With the exodus of Big Tech and falling rents, how do you think that will affect North Beach and San Francisco in general in the future? Will there be “a rebirth of wonder”?

North Beach when I came to SF was a small bohemian village, where neighbors shared meals on their flat rooftops watching the sun set over the Bay. My rent was $125 a month, cheap even then. City Lights and the Discovery Bookstore (used books) next door to Vesuvio were key places to spend an evening. Two large Italian grocers delivered (no charge) bags of groceries up four flights of stairs to my apartment. The neighborhood was full of inexpensive Basque, Italian, and Chinese restaurants, and many cafes, many of which seemed unchanged since the 19th century. Change happens, and City Lights is well prepared for the future. It’s never easy to predict how things will develop, but the feeling of a lovely Mediterranean town persists, with the wooden buildings painted pastel colors, and the shimmering sea light on misty days. I feel certain that the light of City Lights will prevail for a long time to come.

Do you feel that your gender had any impact on your experience during your 23 years as director? Do you have any comments about women in bookselling or publishing in general?

Gender always has an impact. The Beat movement was certainly male focused. Even though the undaunted Diane di Prima was recognized, she was never enthusiastically supported by the inner nucleus of Beat poets. It was a long time before the Beat women came into their own. From the start, Lawrence, who insisted he wasn’t a Beat, had eclectic tastes and was open to women’s poetry. He admired Marianne Moore and Edna St. Vincent Millay as much as he did T.S. Eliot, Jacques Prévert, and Allen Ginsberg. In the Pocket Poets Series, he’d published di Prima and, very early in the series, both Marie Ponsot and Denise Levertov.

Women’s rights and opportunities are always vulnerable and cyclic. The Women’s Movement of the 1970s was very powerful and widespread, its impact on women’s lives enormous. At City Lights we hired more women; we published more women. There have always been outstanding women in publishing and bookselling, and during that time increasingly more women writers were published, reviewed, and were given accolades and awards. Women opened general bookstores and women’s bookstores, founded feminist and lesbian presses. It was a thrilling development, to see so many marginalized writers, and not just women, finding established publishers or creating their own presses. Together they created a larger, much more diverse national literature.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with many talented women at the bookstore. And in the publishing branch: Stella Levy, Kim McCloud, and Patricia Fujii. Gail Chiarello collected and edited our bestselling Bukowski stories. Annie Janowitz proposed the timely Unamerican Activities, and Amy Scholder brought us classics by Karen Finley, Rebecca Brown, and others. I’m happy to say that Amy Scholder is again working with City Lights as an editor.

When did you meet the now current publisher and executive director Elaine Katzenberger? What was her position at the bookstore? When did you know that she was the right person to take over as director?

Ah, Elaine, the woman who can do everything! Elaine began at the bookstore sales counter, then reorganized files and the store accounts, and very soon excelled as a book buyer. She had a great feeling for good writing, so I asked her to become an editor and she immediately began adding excellent books to City Lights’ list. She’s smart, witty, multitalented, and politically astute. We are very lucky to have her at the helm.

What is your understanding or vision of what of City Lights is and what it could be? How has Lawrence’s passing impacted this?

Lawrence’s democratic inclusiveness made him the best-selling poet in the U.S. His moral principles, his courage and resilience are a model to be emulated. He conceived City Lights as an educational institution that would open minds to explore and relate to the world through books. “One guy told me he’d got the equivalent of a Ph. D just sitting in the basement reading all our great books,” he often reminded us.

His “literary gathering place” was to be a fulcrum of San Francisco cultural experience, where our bookselling and publishing could amplify the voices of diverse experiences, connect with other creative communities, and serve as a center of dissent and, at the same time, a force for creating a better society.

Lawrence’s vision will continue to be our guiding light. An optimistic realist, he believed that City Lights would long endure as the co-creation of all the dedicated people who work here and make it what it is.

#nancy peters #lawrence ferlinghetti #womens history month #city lights bookstore

42 notes · View notes

friendofspidermannedleeds · 3 years

Text

Fictober Day 9

Prompt #9: “there’s no right side to this” Fandom: Spider-Man (MCU) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: None Characters: Peter Parker & Ned Leeds Words: 719 Summary: Peter and Ned have to write a Civics paper on the Accords. Author’s Note: I literally don’t know anything about the specifics of the Accords, so if anything here is inaccurate, I apologize and wholly confess to getting all of my information off online Marvel Wikis.

No Right Side

“Hey, Ned—have you read up on the Accords for the Civics paper yet?”

They’re sprawled out in Ned’s room doing homework, Peter at the desk and Ned sitting cross-legged on his bed.

“Nah, not yet. Why?”

Peter doesn’t know where to start with this.

“It’s just, um—we’re supposed to pick a side and explain our reasoning, and I’m not sure how I feel about them.”

“About the Accords?”

“Yeah.”

Ned peeks over his laptop at Peter’s screen. “You’re reading them now?” Peter nods as Ned shrugs and goes back to typing. “I’m finishing this lab report first.”

“Okay,” Peter says, his stomach turning as he returns to the lengthy document they were assigned.

He can’t tell Ned why this is bothering him, but he needs to talk this out, because a few months ago, Peter was fighting on the side of the guys who believed in the Accords, and now—well now, he’s not so sure.

At the time, Mr. Stark had explained the basics. (Sort of.) He’d said Captain America wanted to perform his acts of superhero-ing unchecked, but that the Avengers needed to be held accountable for all the destruction they’d caused over the years, and Peter had agreed. (More or less.) And after the airport battle, when Peter had stopped to consider everything that went down, Captain America did seem a little shady, what with going off the grid and all—so Peter was fairly confident he’d made the right choice. (Maybe.)

Now he’s reading things that make his skin crawl.

Those with secret identities must reveal their legal names and true identities to the United Nations.

If all those people new Peter was Spider-Man, how would he protect May?

Those with innate powers must submit to a power analysis, which will categorize their threat level and determine potential health risks.

So, the world’s scariest, most invasive doctor’s appointment, basically.

Those with innate powers must also wear tracking bracelets at all times.

Like a prisoner on probation?

Peter squeezes his eyes shut.

“Ned?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m just thinking here, for…for the assignment—you know the basics of the Accords, right?”

Ned shrugs. “I mean, I guess. Avengers have to register and take orders from the government, right?”

“Right,” Peter says, “but it’s more complicated than that, I mean—regulations are good, right? So we don’t have a repeat of the Nigeria thing?”

“Yeah. Makes sense.”

“But, I just—it says here every person who has super powers has to be, like—registered, I guess, and tested so they know what their powers are like, and have their secret identities known.”

“Uh-huh,” Ned says, “so what’s your point?”

“I guess I’m just trying to see what side I’m on, you know—for my paper—and uh—what side would you be?”

He tries to keep the question casual, but his throat is so dry it feels like the last words are being choked out of him.

“I don’t know,” Ned says, “I’ll write my paper as pro, I guess. Seems like the Avengers would be even more awesome if they had help to be responsible.”

“Okay,” Peter nods, “okay yeah, but what about—like the enhanced people, right? I mean they’d be tested, and it’s like—like they’re experimented on, basically, which—don’t you think that’s kind of taking it too far? I mean they didn’t ask for powers.”

“They didn’t? Isn’t volunteering for the super-serum, like, Captain America’s whole thing?”

Peter can’t say anything to that, because if he opens his mouth, he might ask what Ned would say if he knew his best friend was enhanced—not by choice, but by a freak accident. So he swallows and opens a document to begin his paper.

Ned takes his computer off his lap and leans forward with his elbows on his knees. “Peter, you good? You look a little stressed.”

“I’m fine.” He quickly types the assignment header. “Just wasn’t sure which direction to go with this.”

“Okay,” Ned leans back again, “but dude, it’s only a Civics paper, they don’t care what you actually think. And besides, it seems like there’s no right side to this—don’t worry so much about it, just pick one—pro, or against.”

“Yeah. Okay.”

But Peter would worry a lot less about choosing if he could rewind to a time before he already had.

#fictober21 #ned leeds #peter parker #spider-man fic #my fic #i got plans today #so this was the FASTEST write-to-post i have ever done #gonna check it for typos later #hopefully there aren't too many #ah i am nervous now #anyway here's this #fos fic

6 notes · View notes

xtruss · 3 years

Text

A Muslim Writer on Finding Her Voice in Post-9/11, Post-Trump America

— By Aisha Sultan | 09/01/21 | Newsweek.

A new generation of Muslim Americans is making its mark. Spencer Platt/Getty

Like most Americans old enough to remember, I know exactly where I was and what I was doing on September 11, 2001 when the first hijacked plane hit the World Trade Center in New York City. I was showering when I heard my husband yelling for me. Dripping wet and wrapped in a towel, I watched in shock, along with tens of millions of others, as the Twin Towers fell, killing thousands of people inside.

Emotions from that day feel so much closer than two decades ago.

My stomach turned in revulsion. My body tightened with fear for my relatives who worked there. Dread settled like a heavy rock on my chest. Like other Americans, I wondered, who was attacking us. But as a Muslim, I had other questions too: Did the attackers claim to be Muslims? And, if so, what would happen to the rest of us?

I quickly got dressed and headed to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, where I worked as an education reporter. I talked to stunned school officials and students while still trying to process what was happening.

That evening, I checked in with my family in Texas. My brother, then in middle school, had been in class when his teacher broke the news. He became nervous and, in the teacher's eyes at least, asked too many questions. "Is this World War III? Did they bomb downtown? Are they going to bomb our town next?" The teacher told him to shut up and leave her classroom, that she couldn't bear to look at his face.

Riz Ahmed attends the "Mogul Mowgli" press conference during the 70th Berlinale International Film Festival Berlin at Grand Hyatt Hotel on February 21, 2020 in Berlin, Germany. Ahmed recently criticized “dehumanizing and demonizing portrayals of Muslims" in films. Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

My mother's co-workers at the department store where she had worked for years suddenly refused to speak to her. Cops escorted my hijab-wearing cousin off her college campus because it was no longer deemed safe for her to be there.

In the immediate aftermath of that day's horror, my grief and anger as an American was so compounded with my fear and anxiety as a Muslim that it compelled me to do something unthinkable for me: I poured my heart out to the readers of the Sunday paper.

Back then, it was unusual for a news reporter to pen a personal response to a national tragedy. This was long before social media made us all performative, confessional animals. I needed my neighbors in the Midwest to know that while Muslim Americans shared their grief and anger, we also feared whether our country would turn on us.

I ended that column with the questions my college-aged sister had asked me: "Will the government come after us like they did with the Japanese? Will other Americans stand up for us?"

I told my readers the same thing I told her: I don't know.

I wasn't sure what to expect but dozens and dozens of readers responded to her question with expressions of support: Yes, we will stand up for you, you and your family are one of us, they said, in one way or another, in message after message. There were just two negative, Islamophobic emails in the bunch.

Such an overwhelmingly positive response seems inconceivable now, given how polarized our discourse is now and how normalized hate speech has become—an irony, when you consider how heightened anti-Muslim sentiment was at the time.

Key moments after 9/11 also feel unimaginable now. Back then, a Republican president, George W. Bush, visited the Islamic Center in Washington D.C. days after the attack to tell the American people that the attacks violated the tenets of Islam—"Islam is peace," he famously said—and to defend Muslims as equal citizens worthy of respect and protection. Our last Republican president, by contrast, touted a "Muslim ban" across the country. Even my state, Missouri, now bright partisan red, was a swing state back in 2001, where Democrats sometimes voted for Republicans and vice versa.

Coming together after tragedy: U.S. Muslims sing "God Bless America" at an interfaith memorial service in Pasadena, California for 9/11 victims two days after the attacks. Lucy Nicholson/AFP/Getty

It was against this backdrop that I felt moved to share my vulnerability with readers who may never have met a Muslim before.

Their responses reassured and comforted me, but the expressions of support didn't always—or even mostly—translate into action on a national scale. Instead, the Muslim community bore the brunt of the fallout of 9/11 for years. The government targeted Muslim communities with surveillance, questioning and confinement. It seemed law enforcement and the media used the label of "terrorism" for heinous crimes only if the perpetrator was Muslim. The number of anti-Muslim hate crime incidents reported to the FBI rose from 28 in 2000 to 481 in 2001— and those are just the official numbers. Countless incidents are never reported to the FBI.

Yet, in those ensuing years, creative work by Muslims also bubbled up in the country. A trio of Muslim comedians—Preacher Moss, Azhar Usman and Azeem Muhammad—launched the "Allah Made Me Funny" comedy tour in 2003. Writer Laila Lalami's debut novel, Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits, was published in 2005. Actor Aasif Mandvi began appearing on The Daily Show in 2006. G.Willow Wilson published her first graphic novel, Cairo, in 2007.

People who had lived as Muslims in America prior to 9/11 became American Muslims, more engaged in its civic, cultural and political institutions. Muslims creatives were reclaiming the narrative and telling our own stories instead of responding to the false dichotomy of victim or villain told about us.

I was among them. Seven years after the attacks, I began lobbying my editors for a features column, a departure from a decade of straight news reporting. I had become a mother with two small children. I was trying to make sense of the confusion and isolation that parenting provokes. My first column in 2008 described a bleak winter day when I was sleep-deprived and frustrated and feeling slightly suffocated by the tight bonds of motherhood.

The author: St. Louis Post-Dispatch syndicated columnist Aisha Sultan. Elizabeth Wisemen

Again, readers in the heartland responded with overwhelming support and commiseration. I wasn't making any overtly political arguments. As readers got to know me, they appreciated the commonalities in our parenting experiences despite our differences. I wasn't trying to be an ambassador or spokeswoman for my faith or an ethnic community. I was sharing my observations and struggles as a suburban, middle class American mom who happened to be Muslim and of Pakistani descent.

An older, childless white man who lives in a conservative exurban county wrote to say I was the only Muslim he knew besides the attackers on 9/11. He said he had changed his perspective on Muslims in America after reading my column for years. We weren't just a faceless enemy to him anymore. He saw me as a person, my humanity very real to him.

We've stayed in touch for more than a decade.

Over time more Americans have become like that reader, increasingly comfortable with the idea and presence of Muslims—as neighbors and even family members. Yet simultaneously, the conservative right turned Islam into an effective political weapon and used it to bludgeon Muslims who have sought greater representation and political power.

These opposing forces once again became evident in the correspondence I got from readers, The tone and tenor changed notably in the summer of 2016 as the political rhetoric of the presidential campaign came to a boiling point. Public writers have always had our share of angry critics. But the criticism I received turned increasingly vitriolic, with a deep undercurrent of anger. People who disagreed with what I'd written weren't merely looking to dissent but to silence me.

Increasingly, pushback was laced with profanity, racial slurs and calls to go back to where I came from. Anonymous writers called me a 'raghead c*nt' and others told me to "get out of America, you towel head bigot b*tch." One reader mailed a handwritten letter after I wrote about talking to my children about the killing of Travyon Martin, the Black teenager fatally shot by a white member of a neighborhood watch patrol in Florida. She said she would make a point of cutting out my column photo from the paper every weekend so she could put it in the toilet and piss on it.

After the 2016 election, the heightened anxiety about personal safety I'd felt right after 9/11 returned, even stronger and lasted for years. It's not hard to understand why. During the period between 2015 and 2016, the number of assaults against Muslims rose significantly, surpassing the aftermath of 9/11, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of hate crimes statistics from the FBI. Over the following years, disinformation and conspiracies began taking hold in America at a level I'd never seen before. White rage was palpable online and eventually, on the streets.

The memories and feelings associated with the events of 9/11 continue to play a role in attitudes toward the American Muslim community in some quarters. Here, the annual 'Tribute in Light' memorial in lower Manhattan near One World Trade Center. Spencer Platt/Getty

And yet during this period, Muslims in America continued to create art and cultural capital at an unprecedented level. Playwright Ayad Akhtar produced his Pultizer-winning play Disgraced. Hasan Minhaj reclaimed the title Patriot Act, launching a show that became a cultural touchpoint for a generation of American Muslims too young to know firsthand how that legislation was wielded against the Muslim community. Ramy Youssef won a Golden Globe, Mahershala Ali won two Oscars and Lena Khan is directing Hollywood films. Models, pundits and Olympic athletes came into the spotlight while wearing a hijab.

At some point, I too decided that whatever the costs of speaking out, far greater was the cost of silence. If someone was going to attack me for speaking out against white supremacists, that was a risk I was willing to take. I couldn't back down from writing about controversial issues that I knew would provoke an angry backlash, even when it felt reader abuse could possibly escalate to violence.

What I've observed and experienced over the past 20 years, as a columnist and as a Muslim, perhaps boils down to this: As the politics of exclusion grow more strident, parts of the culture embrace inclusivity. Each force is a reaction to the other.

Certainly this has happened in my own relationship with readers. Even as the negative emails ramped up in intensity and bile, I still have far more readers who send words of kindness and encouragement than hatred. Many reveal their own secrets and most vulnerable stories.

My goal when I began writing a column was to give a voice to parents struggling to raise kids in this digital, social media saturated age. I hope I've done that but along the way something else important happened: I found my own voice too.

My youngest sister, who was in college when I wrote my first personal story in the aftermath of 9/11, decided to attend law school after she graduated. She eventually ran for state judge in the 113th District in Houston and was elected in 2018 as part of the record-setting number of Muslims who won public office that year.

With the benefit of two decades of hindsight and the insights I've gained from my interaction with readers over the years, I realize I could have given her a better answer when she turned to me as a frightened college student in 2001. I could have reassured her: Yes, there will be other Americans who will stand up for us.

More importantly, we will learn to stand up for ourselves.

— Aisha Sultan is a syndicated columnist based at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

4 notes · View notes

freevoltsolarnv · 3 years

Photo

Welcome to FreeVoltNV. FreeVolt is a global leader in the renewable energy sector with over 100 offices in 11 countries. Different than most companies, FreeVolt is a one-step-shop that handles your solar project from creation to installation of its solar modules. FreeVolt manufactures one of the most efficient solar modules on the market backed up by an industry leading 30-year warranty. FreeVolt’s committed to providing the world with the highest quality products and most professional service under the sun. Our underlying mission at FreeVolt is to educate homeowners and businesses about the ways they can buy power, and to empower them to make decisions that provide the greatest value and most benefit to themselves and their families or organizations. Our mission is to develop and implement modern renewable and efficient energy technology to have a significant and positive impact on the environment and our planet as a whole.  Evolution of a solar manufacturer: Established in 2005, Free Volt has evolved into one of the most technologically advanced solar manufactures in the world. In addition to being a manufacturer on the global stage, FreeVolt has developed its own research and development program, resulting in breakthroughs in efficiency and durability in solar modules that are unsurpassed in the current marketplace.  Mission: Our mission is to develop and implement modern renewable and efficient energy technologies to have a significant and positive impact on the environment and our planet as a whole. FreeVolt aims to fully integrate power generation and consumption systems utilizing sustainable methods that are not only beneficial to the environment, but also financially beneficial to our clientele and their community. FreeVolt will be an integral part of building the new “smart” energy grid through distributed resources and energy management, providing for a more stable and resilient power supply system for the United States and around the world.  Achievements:  Through our franchise network, FreeVolt has deployed solar throughout eleven countries and over two continents. In a short time in the United States, FreeVolt has disrupted the traditional solar market with our innovative approach to sales while we have also redefined what it means to deliver an exceptional customer experience. FreeVolt is committed to the United States market and its community and is involved in several civic and community organizations. The work of FreeVolt is on display at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert, a demonstration of our dedication to the natural habitat in which we serve.  Residential: The FreeVot Advantage is that your system is not only installed by FreeVolt, but FreeVolt manufactures the modules as well. Each project is tailored to the specific needs of the household to provide the home with clean, affordable energy for decades.  Government: FreeVolt systems generate power for many government and public entities including schools, hospitals, offices, and more. With FreeVolt’s patented technology, these institutions are able to save a significant amount of money which allows them to direct more resources to other endeavors more aligned with their various purposes. With fourteen years of experience in constructing large projects in Europe, FreeVolt is built to handle projects of this magnitude in the United States.  Commercial: Owning your own power generation system can greatly increase the value of your commercial building. FreeVolt is the most cost-effective commercial solar solution available. Are demand charges affecting your bottom line? Add energy storage and take complete control. Whether you have tenants, or you run your own business from your building, the value will grow year after year. Take advantage of tax incentives to reduce your overall cost significantly.  •SOLAR TECHNOLOGY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY•  *LIVE LONG TECHNOLOGY - KEY BENEFITS: -30-year Product Warranty -Resistant to temperature fluctuation and salt exposure -Increased strength and durability -thermal stress encapsulation technology *STAY POWERFUL TECHNOLOGY - KEY BENEFITS: -Energy production is 35% higher than standard solar technology -Industry-leading temperature coefficient -Shorter return on investment -More production per square foot *WORK SMART TECHNOLOGY - KEY BENEFITS: -Less impact from shading -No performance reduction as a result of micro-cracks -Millions of connection points -Zero resistance to the flow of electrons High Quality at Low Price  •FREEVOLT PRODUCTS•  FreeVolt offers a wide range of products to help make your home or business more energy-efficient. Our solar modules stand out due to their high-efficiency, high power output, low degradation, and rapid return on investment – all covered by a 30-year warranty, the k=longest in the industry. In addition to solar panels, FreeVolt manufactures solar lamps, electric-vehicle charges, smart-home technology, and more. We complete our solar systems with state-of-the-art inverters (central and micro), energy storage, and advanced energy management systems which are only available through FreeVolt.  •PV GRAF MODULES (NEW!)  PV Graf modules are up to 35% more efficient than traditional solar panels and carry an industry-leading 30-year warranty. •PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR MODULES Photovoltaic solar modules use the energy from the Sun to power your home or business and can last for up to 40 years. •INTELLIGENT GRID MICROINVERTERS  Intelligent Grid Microinverters offer real-time digital energy management resulting in increased energy cost savings for the end-user as well as communications and control for energy markets. •ENERGY MONITORING FreeVolt monitoring allows you to track solar energy production as well as potential contributions from energy storage. •ELECTRIC-VEHICLE CHARGES FreeVolt Phase-One charging station is a compact, high power, fully suited electric vehicle charging station with advanced technology and smart grid features. •SOLAR LAMPS Solar lamps from FreeVolt offer high-quality LED lighting powered by the sun in a variety of configurations and controlled via remote. Large orders can be customized to match any design or decor. •ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS Adding an Energy Storage systems allows homeowners to store their excess solar energy to use at night and provides critical backup power in the event of a grid outage. •SMART HOME Control your home lights, windows blinds, climate and more with your phone, using your Wi-Fi network and our free app. •ENERGY MANAGEMENT In addition to being able to generate and store electricity, FreeVolt offers an advanced energy management platform that allows businesses and homeowners to maximize their investment with the fastest return-on-investment in the industry. •THE FUTURE OF ENERGY• Energy is changing. The grid, as we know it, is evolving, and FreeVolt is affecting that evolution. In the future, power generation will be more localized, and large powerplants will be replaced with community solar farms and other renewable energy sources, with energy storage playing major role. The current grid is inefficient, and solar on its own does not help. By combining solar with energy storage and advanced energy management, the grid can become efficient, responsive, and secure. FreeVolt can offer this technology today. Along with our partners, FreeVolt can install an advanced solar energy and storage system that has the ability to communicate directly the grid, allowing the energy to be used in the most efficient and financially beneficial manner possible. Only FreeVolt can offer this technology. As the regulatory framework for this new grid develops, FreeVolt clients will have the opportunity to become a resource for the grid, bypass their utility, and sell their excess electricity on the wholesale energy market.  THIS IS THE FUTURE, AND THE FUTURE IS FREEVOLT.

#solar

1 note · View note

writinggeisha · 5 years

Link

“A simple guide to 8 police ranks you’ll encounter in a law enforcement careerBefore we get started, it’s important to note that the naming conventions and rank structures of law enforcement agencies aren’t all uniform. Federal agencies have their own structures, while local law enforcement organizations can vary depending on the community served. The following police ranks best align with the hierarchy most commonly found in municipal police organizations.

1. Police technician This entry-level position involves assisting sworn personnel in follow-up investigations of assigned cases, enforcing parking laws and issuing citations, directing traffic at accident and crime scenes—and a myriad of other tasks that support police departments. These professionals also prepare paperwork for incident reports, provide general citizen assistance and keep records organized and up to date. Most police technicians need a high school diploma or equivalent. No experience is typically necessary.

2. Police officer, patrol officer, police detective This “rank” is the most well-known. While police officers, patrol officers and police detectives may have differing job descriptions depending on who employs them, these law enforcement officers often respond to emergency and nonemergency calls, patrol assigned areas, obtain warrants, arrest suspects and testify in court, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).* Most officers and detectives need to complete a training academy in their area. Education requirements beyond that range from a high school diploma to a Bachelor’s degree—all depending on the employer, the specific job and the local regulations.

3. Police corporal The title of corporal is a common next step on the hierarchy of a law enforcement career. Police corporals often act as supervisors and watch commanders in small agencies, but the title can also apply to nonsupervisory members of a specialty unit. This position is typically the first in a supervisory role, placing officers in some measure of authority over other officers.Officers who become leaders and differentiate themselves on the job might be promoted to corporal as an official way to acknowledge their leadership on the force.

4. Police sergeant A police sergeant’s job duties depend on the size of their employing agency. Some agencies skip certain rankings and assign those tasks to other positions. But in the case of this generalized overview of police sergeant duties from the Minneapolis Police Department, a sergeant is expected to interpret and apply ordinances to a wide variety of situations, supervise and train personnel, weigh in on disciplinary situations, help develop new policies and act as a liaison between upper management and subordinates.Sergeant responsibilities are often a step up from the general supervision tasks of a corporal, as they also investigate internal complaints and envision ways to improve their department. These positions require law enforcement experience. Expect to serve about five years of employment as a minimum in your police department before you become eligible for this promotion.

5. Police lieutenant The work of a police lieutenant is sort of like a middle-management role for law enforcement. They take broad direction from superiors and turn them into a plan of action for sergeants all the way to the front-line officers and detectives. In this role, lieutenants may select and assign staff, ensuring equal employment opportunity in hiring and promotion and set the work schedule and priority tasks for employees. They evaluate officers and other staff in performance reviews and identify development and training needs for the department. On top of these precinct duties, police lieutenants work with other law enforcement agencies in the area and also act as ambassadors of the police department in civic meetings, schools and other community efforts.Promotion to this rank will likely involve many years of experience as well as a demonstrated ability for leadership and strong public relations skills.

6. Police captain Yet another step up, police captains report direct to police chiefs—or in the case of large departments, deputy police chiefs, as they manage and direct activities of the department. Captains train personnel, prepare and monitor programs and budgets and enforce department policies. They are relied on to maximize citizen involvement in community policing, make smart hires and promotions, represent the department in the community and local government and to step in when situations become critical or when the department requires a pinch hitter.Police captains might also conduct research and prepare reports related to crime and policing in the community. For this position, officers will need experience working in supervisory roles and, depending on the organization, may require a college degree. The ability to command and lead a group under stressful situations as well as having strong public speaking skills will be assets for officers at this stage of their career.

7. Deputy police chief Often found in large municipal law enforcement agencies, deputy police chiefs are responsible for the effective administration of a bureau or division of police and technical staff personnel. They do everything a police captain might do, but also stand prepared to assume control of the divisions as acting police chief, should the need arise. They have a huge part to play in designing programs like crime prevention that the department or local organizations will implement. These officers also typically oversee budget decisions and all important choices related to the department’s resources. Deputy police chiefs also keep a constant eye on compliance issues, ensuring that their departments stay up to date with current laws and regulations. Becoming a deputy police chief is likely to require several years of service in a law enforcement management position. A Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice is typically required, and some agencies may prefer additional training or education like completion of the FBI National Academy.

8. Chief of police The chief of police is usually the top authority of the police department. These officers oversee all operations of the department, develop procedures and programs to increase effectiveness and safety and assign officers to special investigations. Most police chiefs are appointed by elected officials. As the public head of a law enforcement agency, they work closely with mayors and city government officials. They implement law enforcement programs for their cities and review criminal cases to look for trends and patterns. They handle the department’s budget, direct the systems that maintain records and legal documents, handle grievances and address the public in the event of crisis incidents. As the high-profile leaders of a public law enforcement agency, the buck stops with them. They are ultimately responsible for any issues or incidents in the agency under their watch. Because of this, they often face criticism from public leaders, activists and local politicians if things aren’t going well. This means most successful police chiefs are educated, articulate and at least a little politically savvy. Room to rise

As you can see, police ranks can be extensive, offering lots of room for promotion and career advancement. The specific titles will vary as some departments skip certain ranks due to their sizes and needs. But knowing the framework will give you a better idea of what advancement in law enforcement looks like.As officers rise through the ranks, their job duties might change, but the core of what they do stays the same—working toward creating safer communities. Officers who excel at this tend to be the ones chosen to lead their departments. But excellence on the force doesn’t always look like what people expect. Learn more about what the best officers bring to their work in our article, “8 Often Overlooked Qualities You Need to Be a Great Police Officer.”

In case anyone needs these for fics!

#links #tools

3 notes · View notes

naag-mysuru-blog · 5 years

Text

Legalising Land Mafia ?

DALIT ONLINE – e News Weekly

Spreading the light of humanity & freedom

Editor: Nagaraja.M.R.. Vol.15..Issue.12..........24 / 03 / 2019

AKRAMA SAKRAMA

- Are BDA , MUDA , Karnataka HC Judges favoring Land Mafia & Murdering Innocents ?

Recently Karnataka high court gave clearance to Karnataka government’s regularization of illegal buildings ( AKRAMA SAKRAMA ) scheme.

1. Law is one & same for all.

2. Government authorities , police razes down , demolishes small temporary hutments built by tribals , dalits without mercy , takes suo motto action. No court comes to their rescue.

3. Till date bagar hukum lands are not given to dalits , tribals are not given land rights over their huts in forests. Is Cout blind , deaf ?

4. However when rich crooks build bungalows , commercial complexes illegally , no suo motto action taken by government authorizes , police , why ? Courts go a step further it gives stay orders against demolition of rich crook’s illegal buildings , asks government to modify plan , law itself to save illegal buildings of rich crooks.

5. Does Karnataka HC has details of exact number of building violations , buildings built on forest lands , lake beds , raja kaluves with respective after affects on neighbouring buildings , road traffic , ecology , etc and contingency plan by authorities to overcome those after affects casewise backed by technical studies. Make it public.

6. What criminal action initiated against revenue , police & other officials who failed in their duties at the first instance to stop the illegal building construction.

7. Small houses of poor people who have smaller building violations but who failed to bribe officials were dealt mercilessly. Their houses were razed down . Now , will the HC order the government to compensate them , to rebuild houses for them as the court is now saying they are legal now.

8. Government & HC has given a cut off date for consideration of regularization of illegal buildings. When a crime before that cut off date becomes legal , why cann’t it be legal after that date ?

9. What guarantee HC gives no illegal buildings has come up after cut off date and will never come in future ?

10. If comes what criminal action against the concerned officials ?

11. The land encroachments & illegal buildings and it’s continued existence since years is not possible without tacit , covert support of jurisdictional revenue officials. What disciplinary action has been taken against concerned officials with respect to each case of land encroachment & illegal buildings , case wise ?

12. If not , why ?

13. Is not “land AKRAMA SAKRAMA SCHEME” itself illegal ?

14. Is not the move of government of Karnataka to legalise land encroachments & illegal buildings , in itself illegal ?

15. Till date in some cases of land encroachers are evicted & some buildings violating building byelaws demolished , you could have spared them to enjoy the benefit of land akrama sakrama scheme. Why you didn’t spare them ?

16. Is this scheme applicable for only chosen few ?

17. Does this scheme also benefit rich people above BPL ?

18. Does this scheme also benefit big land developers , land developing companies ?

19. To my previous RTI appeals to MUDA , BDA only partial information was given , conveniently hiding the truth. Is it not violation of RTI act ?

20. Does not hiding information about land crimes , in itself also a crime ?

21. I have shown in detail some land crimes in Karnataka. What action by government of Karnataka , casewise ?

https://sites.google.com/site/sosevoiceforjustice/judges-cover-up-land-scams ,

https://sites.google.com/site/sosevoiceforjustice/land-grabbers-in-m-u-d-a ,

22. Does not hiding a land crime , embolden land grabber to commit more land crimes ?

23. What action taken against BDA , MUDA & Revenue department officials who are covering crores worth land scams inspite of my repeated appeals & RTI Requests ?

Bottomline : Judges open your eyes , listen , think & then act.

PIL – Jail Killer Judges

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA ORIGINAL JURISDICTION

CRIMINAL WRIT PETITION NO. OF 2017

IN THE MATTER OF

NAGARAJA . M.R

editor , Indian’s Diary & Dalit’s Diary ,

# LIG 2 , No 761 ,, HUDCO First Stage , Laxmikantanagar ,

Hebbal , Mysore – 570017 , Karnataka State

....Petitioner

Versus

Honourable Chief Justice of India & Others

....Respondents

PETITION UNDER ARTICLE 12 to ARTICLE 35 & ARTICLE 51A OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA FOR ISSUANCE OF A WRIT IN THE NATURE OF MANDAMUS UNDER ARTICLE 32 & ARTICLE 226 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA.

To ,

Hon'ble The Chief Justice of India and His Lordship's Companion

Justices of the Supreme Court of India. The Humble petition of the

Petitioner above named.

MOST RESPECTFULLY SHOWETH :

1. Facts of the case:

Judges Murder Innocents

In the recent past , in bangalore city & other parts of karnataka incessant rains played havoc on civilians. Due land grabbings , lake grabbings , lake tributaries grabbings by land mafia rain water entered many houses killing civilians , livestock and caused crores of rupees losses.

There are many statutory reports by A T Ramaswamy , Subramanyam , Koliwad , etc regarding lake encroachments , raaja kaluve / tributaries encroachment , revenue land / forest land encroachment , etc. What is the action taken by government ?

Authorities enacted lake encroachment clearance drama by clearing / demolishing commoner’s houses on the fringes , when it came to big bungalows of ministers , crores of worth apartment clusters , it stopped all of a sudden.

In the same way , Authorities enacted Raaja Kaluve / tributaries encroachment clearance drama by clearing / demolishing commoner’s houses on the fringes , when it came to big bungalows of rich , commercial complexes , crores of worth apartment clusters , it stopped all of a sudden.

A Karnataka High Court Judge was shame less in his act to favor the rich. That judge was not moved , sympathetic when small hutments , small houses of poor were demolished. He became wise when authorities wanted to demolish big bungalows , commercial complexes of rich. He asked BDA , BBMNP why cann’t authorities divert Raaja Kaluve itself ?

Wise Judge Sir , one has to buy pant , shirt according to his height , waist , etc but you cann’t change your body size , height , waist according to size of shirt or pant ? One has to build house , complex based on plan given by the authorities leaving aside civic / revenue lands. It is a grave crime by both seller & buyer of that illegal encroached land , irrespective of rich or poor , commoner or minister, those lake encroachments , Raaja Kaluve encroachments must be removed & guilty severely punished.

Authorities & few judges are hand in glove with land mafia and are not acting against rich , powerful violators. Since years we are requesting for information under RTI about land grabbings from MUDA , MCC , BBMNP . BDA , KIADB no answer ? Appealed to courts , no use. Years back , when we questioned a Judge / District Magistrate about hebbal lake encroachment , he threatened me personally over phone. The recent move of Government of Karnataka to legalize illegal land encroachments ( AKRAMA SAKRAMA ) iself is illegal. If timely action was taken by SCI Judges & Karnataka HC Judges these losses could have been averted. Due to this unholy nexus , negligence of duties even by judges resulted in loss of lives , properties in karnataka during recent rains. The guilty judges must also be punished.

Who will bell the cat.

Specifically in Karnataka Rich & Influential people have illegally encroached Lakes , Public grazing fields , Temple Lands , Raaja Kaluve / feeder canals , etc. Concerned public servants are not doing their duties and encroachment continues since years. Even appeals to Law Courts of Justice by way of PILs have not yielded any results. Even criminal nexus with help of government has gone a step further to legalize their crimes of land grabbing in the name of “AKRAMA SAKRAMA”. Courts are deaf , dumb & blind.

These crimes can continue since years only with connivance of judges , public servants. Throughout this petition term “Judge” includes even quasi judicial officers like Revenue Inspector , Assistant Commissioner , District Magistrate , etc apart from Law Court Judges. Due to these illegal land encroachments , road accidents are taking place , buildings are falling down , rain water is gushing into houses and killing people. For all the recent deaths due to rains in Bengaluru & other parts of Karnataka JUDGEs are solely responsible. For all these JUDGEs are responsible.

2. Question(s) of Law:

Is robbing another’s property right , legal ? is robbing land , lake – a public property for private , individual use right ?

3. Grounds:

Requests for equitable justice , Criminal Prosecution of Judges , master minds of land grabbing ,frauds.

4. Averment:

Covering up Land Frauds & Land Mafia . Please read details at :

https://sites.google.com/site/sosevoiceforjustice/rti-first-appeal---muda-bda-kiadb ,

Hereby , I do request the honorable supreme court of India to consider this as a PIL for : “writ of Mandamus” and to issue instructions to the concerned public servants in the following cases to perform their duties & to punish guilty judges.

The Petitioner has sent many letters / appeals / petitions to supreme court of india & other courts through e-mail , DARPG website & through regular mail requesting them to consider those as PILs. But none of them were admitted , even acknowledgement for receipts were not given. See How duty conscious ,our judges are & see how our judges are sensitive towards life , liberty of citizens , commonmen & see how careless our judges are towards anti national crimes , crimes worth crores of rupees. That the present petitioner has not filed any other petition (which are admitted by courts) in any High Court or the Supreme Court of India on the subject matter of the present petition.

PRAYER:

In the above premises, it is prayed that this Hon'ble Court may be pleased:

a . Hereby , I do request the honorable supreme court of India to consider this as a PIL for : “writ of Mandamus” and to issue instructions to the concerned public servants & to criminally prosecute , punish guilty judges , to order Government of Karnataka authorities in the following cases to perform their duties & to answer the questions.

b . to pass such other orders and further orders as may be deemed necessary on the facts and in the circumstances of the case.

FOR WHICH ACT OF KINDNESS, THE PETITIONER SHALL BE DUTY BOUND, EVER PRAY.

Kindly read full details at following web page :

https://sites.google.com/site/sosevoiceforjustice/rti-first-appeal---muda-bda-kiadb ,

Dated : 24/10/2017 ………………… .FILED BY: NAGARAJA.M.R.

Place : Mysuru , India…………………….PETITIONER-IN-PERSON

Editorial : Judges Murder Innocents

Who will bell the cat.

Your’s ,

Nagaraja Mysuru Raghupathi.

CBI RTI Srinath Murder

https://sites.google.com/site/eclarionofdalit/cbi---rti-srinath-muder

HC Judges Favoring Mafia

https://sites.google.com/site/sosevoiceforjustice/hc-judges-favoring-mafia ,

Why NOT Demolish Illegal Bungalows of Ministers

https://sites.google.com/site/sosevoiceforjustice/why-not-demolish-illegal-bungalows-of-ministers ,

Judges Murder RTI

https://sites.google.com/site/sosevoiceforjustice/judges-murder-rti

BEML Housing Society - RTI Murders

https://sites.google.com/site/eclarionofdalit/beml-rti-murders

Edited, printed , published owned by NAGARAJA.M.R. @ # LIG-2 No 761, HUDCO FIRST STAGE , OPP WATER WORKS , LAXMIKANTANAGAR , HEBBAL ,MYSURU – 570017 KARNATAKA INDIA Cell : 91 8970318202

WhatsApp 91 8970318202

Home page :

http://eclarionofdalit.dalitonline.in/ ,

https://dalit-online.blogspot.com

Contact : [email protected] , [email protected] ,

1 note · View note

agritecture · 6 years

Photo

How "Plant" Is Designing The Future Of Food And Education

CONTENT SOURCED FROM FORBES

Karim Giscombe is one of those quiet revolutionaries. Meeting him in the exclusive Spring Place members club in Tribeca in NYC, he cuts an unassuming figure, stylish and low key. He speaks with a measured intensity, his eyes watching you to see if you’ve understood the full gravitas of what he is attempting to do.

This former Bank of America Merrill Lynch director (his LinkedIn Profile calls himself a ‘reformed capitalist’) has embarked via his new venture Plant on a crusade to feed the world (using the power of schools, technology and branding) and create a new category which he dubs ‘Agriculture as a Service.' When asked why he’s doing it, his response is simply, “Everybody’s gotta eat.”

Karim Giscombe

First some context: The global demand for food is rising exponentially and will reach all-time highs by 2050 as the population approaches 10 billion people - and agriculture is not prepared for that. There are many efforts underway aimed at potential solutions and Controlled Environment Agriculture (indoor farming as it most commonly labeled) is taking center stage because of the many benefits of this growing process. If the goal is to find the balance between resources and production, right now it seems clear that the future of food must be indoor, local, energy efficient and infinitely scalable.

The business of food is changing and forcing the incumbents to respond to the new dynamic. Amazon acquired Whole Foods, while in Europe Tesco and Carrefour have launched a NATO-style alliance to increase purchasing power, Dell Computer has partnered with vertical farm operator AeroFarms to better understand crop data, and Wendy’s recently announced plans to only purchase greenhouse grown tomatoes beginning in 2019. Other notable mentions include moves by industry leaders such as Tyson Foods, Bayer, Hormel, and Nestle.

Investment has also gained momentum seeing the opportunities, with names like SoftBank, Google Ventures, and KKR placing big bets on the future of agriculture. William Blair & Co. has dubbed it “the AgTech Revolution” and Goldman Sachs has said the growing market may be worth $240 billion by 2050.

Giscombe and the team at Plant are taking an innovative approach looking at under utilized land in and near city centers and applying cutting-edge technology to modernizing food production and distribution - while re-imagining public education at the same time. This first-of-its-kind Public/Private Partnership model is a combination of equally ambitious Infrastructure Development and Social Design projects that have the potential to change many narratives.

“Plant is a platform solution. A service provider operating high-tech greenhouses that can produce and deliver a wide range of fresh, post-organic fruits and vegetables at competitive price points, locally. We’re unconstrained by land availability in most geographies and even with a starting footprint of 6 million sq. ft. per market, we’re just scratching the surface. Solving the production problem is only a part of the challenge; there are numerous improvements needed to the supply-chain itself. This is our focus. It’s the holy grail of retail known as the “Last Mile” and this is where we believe we can have the most impact. This is what On-Demand Agriculture is all about. This is what consumers want. There is no reason to limit our thinking,” Giscombe states. "It’s about resources, balance, and most importantly- people. We believe in building systems for people, not around them.”

Plant’s operation is carbon neutral and more environmentally sustainable, using concentrated solar power and hydroponic systems to refine a process that already out-performs traditional agriculture. Nutrients are delivered through a treated water system and there is no use of agri-chemicals such as pesticides or insecticides and food safety measures control who and what enters facilities, reducing the risks of contamination and food-borne illness.

Proximity to urban centers makes it possible for them to optimize produce for quality and taste in lieu of shelf life and providing year-round access to fresh produce.

It's not just the hardware - but the software that’s taking the game to a whole new level. Giscombe says “It’s not widely understood that Big Data is now an integral part of agriculture and that the two will be inextricably connected going forward. When we tell people we’re in the data business there’s this look of confusion at first, but after a while they get it. To be the best at our core service business, we made the decision to partner with the best in component providers early on. One of our key partners is iUNU out of Seattle. Their crop management and analysis system LUNA, uses computer vision and artificial intelligence to monitor the health and progress of all crops under cultivation allowing us to detect growth down to the millimeter and create 3D models of plants to improve growing recipes — the light, water, temperature, and nutrients — with each new planting. In other words, we’re collecting and synthesizing a lot of data.”

What may be the most exciting element of the work Giscombe and his team are doing though, is Plant for Tomorrow, #P4TMRW, the not-for-profit research and development initiative the company has launched to collaborate with School Districts and educational institutions. Starting with middle-school grades, the initiative provides access to relevant and in-demand skills (technical and humanities-based) for more students at the peak of their developmental curiosity. There is no cost to the schools as the initiative has been designed to be self-sustaining.

Plant-operated commercial farms on district-owned land (up to 1 million sq. ft.) generate revenue from produce sold to distributors within the predetermined local service area. “It’s not really a solution if we can’t reach everybody. Outside of school, there’s still a community that needs to eat. Our produce makes its way to commercial and residential kitchens giving us greater reach and making a greater impact. We’re starting with Broward County Public Schools because this is home. They’re also the sixth-largest in the country, serving a highly diverse population,” Giscombe says.

The Plant4Tomorrow Prototype.

And what’s the secret sauce? “Design. We literally started with the design. We needed to create an experience that would grab our audience (the kids), while seamlessly integrating into the civic landscape and N55 made that possible,” Giscombe says, referring to the partnership with the Denmark-based group (architect Anne Romme, artist Ion Sørvin and engineer Anne Bagger) to create the eye-catching structures.

The Plant for Tomorrow mission is to foster lifelong learning for all, through active education transforming schools into more expansive learning hubs for the broader community. It’s a quadruple bottom-line idea in terms of producing social value and an economic development catalyst as the initiative also creates a significant number of jobs.

“One of our guiding principles at Broward County Public Schools is applied learning, where we seek to create opportunities for students to apply what they are learning to real-world scenarios. This innovative Public/Private Partnership with Plant for Tomorrow will deliver on this goal; giving our students a unique educational experience while addressing major agriculture/food issues. This partnership will also generate funding for in-school programs and ensure the sustainability of this initiative. This is a win for our students, it’s a win for public and private partners, and it’s a win for the environment.”

— Robert Runcie, Superintendent, Broward County Public Schools

Plantation Middle School, the site for the first Plant4Tomorrow.

Giscombe, a father himself, is passionate when he says “Our kids are far ahead of us when it comes to processing power, yet we continue to empower them to blindly follow old paths. In case you haven't heard, they’re hip to that- and have not-so-politely declined. Their voices today, sound a lot like we once did. And though we willingly set aside the aspirations of our youth, this generation won’t be silenced, and we couldn't if we tried. Everything is connected today, and how we engage our kid's factors into their view of what's next, and more importantly, what they choose to do about it.”

Now if you’re thinking this seems like an enormous undertaking all around, you’re right. To create the kind of runway necessary to commit to and see through what will take years to fully deploy, the company is partnering with leading boutique investment bank, B.C. Ziegler, to lead the issue of tax-exempt revenue bonds for the bulk of the financing across the U.S. markets in which the company is establishing operations.

The bonds are expected to be available in the market before year-end, with further international expansion on the cards, though the company is tight-lipped about which ones specifically. Plant and Plant for Tomorrow are also open to working with brands, especially those who have an interest in helping innovate across the food and education systems, to partner in scalable and sustainable ways.

Beyond the technology and the business opportunity, what gets Giscombe really energized is the potential for whole scale transformation of the social contract between people and their food. He speaks passionately about this new era.

“It’s a new relationship, plain and simple," he explains. "Around the world, social systems are failing, people aren’t interested in new rhetoric and instead opt for new approaches to old and new challenges. The new standard to which government, industry, and business at-large are being held accountable, is purpose. The new kids on the block are taking over the conversation, bringing new solutions to the table announcing a new paradigm; now we’re bringing the people to the table; through food."

"If it wasn’t a movement before, we’re taking responsibility for making it one."

#urban agriculture #urban farming #education #STEM #STEAM #food #food systems #vertical farm #greenhouse #double-size

43 notes · View notes