The Daily What

I will admit, I don't keep up nearly half as much as I need to with politics. BUT, I do know that his blanket statement about Muslims is ignorance at its finest. This is what comes to mind when I say we NEED TO QUESTION EVERYTHING. For many of us Americans, we are willing to believe his statements without asking the proper questions and the fact that this kind of talk can't possibly be true in this day and age. After digging deeper into it, it's a 13 story community center 2 blocks away from ground zero complete with a "500-seat auditorium, theater, performing arts center, fitness center, swimming pool, basketball court, childcare area, bookstore, culinary school, art studio, food court, September 11 memorial and Muslim prayer space that would accommodate 1,000–2,000 people." Yes, it can be called a mosque with community amenities but if it serves a community of people who need those resources then why not? But who will ever know that?! He can run around preaching that it's a mosque everywhere he goes because we're afraid of the boogie-man they like to call Muslims (and anything in relation) ever since 9/11. But do we not get yet that what happened on 9/11 will never characterize all Muslim people? It's propaganda. This is why prejudice and racism still exists in this  world. Lack of understanding, compassion and empathy once again.

I just had a debate with my Dad and I understand there are different sides to its choice of location and its still very sensitive to a lot of people but all I'm saying is that I don't think you should make statements like that that can perpetuate stereotypes and prejudice against people (especially a lot of innocent people who have to deal with the stereotypes that extremists have brought upon them). Granted, if 9/11 never happened, this discussion probably wouldn't exist but I guess the better question is when will we begin to be more accepting? What will it take for us to start?!

My heart hurts over hearing the verdict over Oscar Grant's death. There are a lot of people who are slowly losing faith in our system but how can you blame them? I have a lot of questions and what ifs... Like what if it was a white man that was killed from an affluent community? Or how the fuck does he mistakenly pull out his gun that was in a holster made to prevent early release and simply SHOOT?? He's human I get that, but there are HUMANS all around the world who are given the maximum sentence no matter how much sympathy someone shows. Our law enforcement is supposed to enforce justice and and protection for our communities, how does this get let off with involuntary manslaughter? It's fucked up and it goes to show that YES, we do have a black president, but there are still victims of police 'mistakes' / misconduct that will go unnoticed especially against people of color. SEAN BELL? AMADOU DIALLO? ABNER LOUIMA? KATHRYN JOHNSTON? & all the daily bullshit people of color are dealing with?

Yes, it's a race issue. Having a black president doesn't excuse racism.

If you think you're having a shitty day... meet Tony Hayward, BP Chief Executive, and you won't be complaining anymore. The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a tragedy all around. For the 11 families that lost loved ones, for the environment & fragile ecosystems in general and the millions of barrels now sitting in it and for all the executives who have to take responsibility for all of it.... but they're human too and they have families and kids that they have to come to at the end of the day just like we all do. The news paints a picture that he single-handedly allowed this accident to happen, but it takes a village of people to make decisions... a series of very, very poor decisions at that. Jailing him won't make the oil disappear and no amount of his own apparent sorrow, grief and apologies will ever make any families who lost a loved one feel better. But I read there's a $20billion escrow fund in the works... we'll see how that plays out.

Southbound 405 reclosed at National Boulevard after CHP officer crash

I'm just posting this because driving on the 405 in LA is a pain in the ass and to have it shut down completely must have pissed off a LOT of people. Not to mention I've never seen the 405 this empty before. Hope everyone involved was OK, please stop speeding people. :(

Jerry Brown backs family of California Marine suing funeral protesters

California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown has joined the case pending at the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of the family of a Marine from Twentynine Palms whose funeral was picketed by an anti-gay group.

The family of Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder sued members of the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church for invasion of privacy and emotional distress after the group picketed Snyder's funeral in Westminster, Md. The group pickets military funerals out of a belief that soldiers' deaths are God's punishment for the U.S. promoting homosexuality.

Snyder, 20, was killed in Iraq on March 3, 2006.

A trial court awarded $10.9 million to the family, reduced to $5 million by the judge.

But an appeals court, citing the 1st Amendment, threw out the verdict and ordered the Snyder family to pay legal costs of $16,500 to Fred Phelps, founder of the Westboro church. (On behalf of the Snyder family, those costs were reportedly paid by Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly.)

The high court has announced it will hear the Snyder family’s appeal.

Brown joined other state attorneys general in signing a friend-of-the-court brief.

"Free speech is a cherished American right," Brown said in a statement today, "but disrupting a private funeral with vicious personal attacks on the grieving family goes too far."

Snyder was assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 7 at Twentynine Palms as a generator mechanic.

-- Tony Perry in San Diego / LATIMES.COM

The fact people are this cold-hearted in the world is sad. Shame on anyone who thought that this was right and who use our rights to free speech to do such things. What would these people do if someone crashed their own sons funeral... people need to get off their own agendas and THINK sometimes. THINK. THINK. THINK!