Columnists

Daniel Prude of Rochester New York was slain under heinous and humiliating conditions by local police officers. He was Black and he was having a mental health crisis. Black mentally ill people are often treated worse than white mentally ill people. While I don't have hard evidence to back this assertion, I believe it to be true. And this is based on what I've seen in news coverage and on what I've observed firsthand. -more-

In 1936, Franklin Delano Roosevelt won his second presidential election, garnering 60.8 percent of the popular vote. Until now, that was the largest margin of victory in any presidential contest. But Joe Biden has a chance of defeating Donald Trump by a similar percentage.

Coming out of the Republican National Convention, Trump is at the peak of his popularity. Trump will steadily drive away voters until his base remains -- slightly under 40 percent.

Consider this: 68 percent of Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction (https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/direction_of_country-902.html). Biden has an overall lead of 7.3 percent in the polls (https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-general/national/ ). Trump remains unfavorable (43 percent approve versus 52 percent disapprove). Meanwhile Biden has a net favorable rating (46 percent favorable versus 40 percent unfavorable). (https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trumps-favorability-perceptions-covid-19-response-stagnate-post/story?id=72705268) (By the way: Kamala Harris is viewed more favorably than Mike Pence.) -more-

Needed: A Green New Diction

Conspicuous consumption and competitive conflict are so deeply rooted in our cultural DNA that these destructive traits even pop up in the written proclamations of our most esteemed environmental orgs.

Case in point: The Summer 2020 issue of Friends of the Earth's quarterly newsmagazine begins with a front-page, above-the-headline salute to FOE members who "are fueling the fight for a healthy and just world."

Really!? "Fueling the fight"? Double ding!

A Chance Evening Encounter

Last week's evening walk took us through North Berkeley. The streets were mostly empty. No traffic; no walkers. But on our return, several blocks from home, we noticed someone striding purposefully down Monterey. Just before he reached us, he began to turn up a pathway intent on knocking on the nearest door.

Instead, he caught our eyes, greeted us, adjusted his facemask, and introduced himself as Wayne Hsiung, a candidate running to become Berkeley's next mayor. He briefly laid out some of his objectives: Housing for all, Police reform, and the advancing Green New Deal.

Then he wrapped up with a winning political gesture perfectly tailored for these treacherous times—reaching into a bag, he offered us free, complimentary facemasks.

Salesmanship like that is nothing to sneeze at. -more-

In 2012, the French weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo published editorial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. One showed Muhammad flashing a victory sign—with two extended fingers drawn to resemble the burning World Trade Towers. Another depicted Muhammad as a bomb-toting terrorist. Another showed Muhammad with vampire teeth, drinking wine and smoking a cigar. This caused a wave of protests.

In response, in January 2015, the offices of Charlie Hebdo were attacked by Islamic extremists and 12 members of its staff were killed along with the three attackers. Later, a kosher supermarket was attacked. The attacks set off a wave of violence across Europe. Seventeen in all were killed.

Unrepentant, the first cover of Charlie Hebdo after the attack shows the Prophet Muhammad holding a “Je Suis Charlie” sign with the caption, “All is forgiven.” The newspaper printed a record 3 million copies that week, with financial help from Google, Le Monde and other organizations. It usually prints around 60,000 copies. This edition was translated into six languages including English, Arabic and Turkish. The edition sold out in minutes. This edition triggered a mixed reaction but for the most part, Muslims heeded their leaders and remained calm. -more-