Working Americans Suffer Most As Debt Collectors Go Wild

Mort de Ben Laden : explosion de joie américaineDes milliers d'Américains ont manifesté leur joie devant la Maison Blanche ce dimanche soir, chantant "USA, USA" après l'annonce du président Barack Obama de la mort d'Oussama Ben Laden

Osama Bin Laden KilledRelated »

Osama bin Laden Is Dead, Obama AnnouncesTHE GUARDIAN: Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind al-Qaida, is dead, President Obama announces from the White HouseOsama bin Laden, the criminal mastermind behind al-Qaida and the world's most sought-after terrorist since the attacks of 11 September 2001, has been killed by a US operation, President Barack Obama has announced.

In an address to the

Only in America! Fatty Food as Lifestyle ChoiceWelcome to the Heart Attack Grill, a Texan restaurant that celebrates cholesterol.The pick of the menu? The quadruple bybass burger.

Al Jazeera's Rob Reynolds reports on how some people are choosing to buck the politically correct healthy eating trend.

Not a Holiday Destination

contributed by Laura González

Former Marine Becomes Face of New Vieques Battle

by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
October 11, 2009

Marrero is a key witness in a lawsuit seeking billions of dollars in compensation for illnesses that past and current Vieques residents have linked to the bombing range, where the U.S. and its allies trained for conflicts from Vietnam to Iraq. ... Marrero, who was born in Puerto Rico and grew up in New York City, has had colon cancer twice. He is losing his vision and suffers from more than dozen other illnesses, including Lou Gehrig's disease, that he believes are lingering effects of his 18 months at Camp Garcia. He said he was recently diagnosed with a new bout of cancer that is inoperable in part because of a lung disease that requires him to stay on oxygen around the clock."

Click here to read the entire article on 'The New York Times' website.
Read Laura's article about Vieques, 'Paradise Lost,' in the latest issue of The Yale Journal of Human Rights.

Homeless in New Haven

Contributed by Sunnie Jaye Tölle

On the way home from basketball practice Sunnie met Will, a New Haven homeless man who frequents Temple Street. Will urged her to share this Youtube interview of him (embedded below) with her friends. Sunnie is at a loss as to how a man becomes homeless merely by losing his job. The only people Sunnie spots on the street in her hometown of Zurich, Switzerland are people who have "...really messed up- drug addicts, criminals. In Switzerland there are too many safety nets, too many social programs that prevent you from losing your home as soon as you lose your job."

Has America failed Will? Or has Will failed himself?

A Predictable Future

By Ashley Gutierrez, Filipina

Silliman College, Yale 2010

Will the Philippines put its foot down against the United States (U.S.)? The Department of Foreign Affairs (Philippines) is reviewing the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), which governs the treatment of American troops engaged in joint military exercises in the Philippines, after recommendations from the Senate and the House Human Rights Committee. There are complaints of the VFA being a "downright unconstitutional treaty" and that the Philippines has been getting the "short end of the stick." Highlighted by the case of the American Marine placed under United States' custody last year instead of in a Philippine prison after raping a Filipina, the claims of the VFA being "lopsided" is a fact that I personally believe most Filipinos know about - and have chosen to ignore.

Or will that now change?

Re-evaluating or possibly terminating the VFA is a bold move. Yes, it will do a lot for Philippine sovereignty. Yes, it will affect RP (Republic of the Philippines)- U.S. relations. But the VFA is also necessary for stability in the region and the fight against terrorism.

That said, I am almost positive of how this will turn out: The review will indeed find that the VFA is lopsided. There will be many recommendations for change. The U.S. is getting the most out of this deal. But nothing will change. Because at the end of the day, the Philippines is still too dependent on the U.S. The country is too unstable at the moment given the conflict between the government and the Muslims in Mindanao. President Arroyo is trying to forge a strong relationship with Obama before the 2010 Presidential elections. The Philippines needs the U.S. much more than it needs us.

In short, once again, the Philippines will bend backwards to accommodate the U.S.

Read more on this issue here.

LGBT Hater Gets a Stage at Toads

From: Name Suppressed
Date: September 14, 2009 1:25:15 AM EDT
Subject: Violent hate singer at Toad's Place New Haven, CT

Hey guys,

I wanted to share with you an email I received from a friend about Buju Banton coming to Toad's on Wednesday: Reggae singer Buju Banton began his US tour last night in Philadelphia. His shows in Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Dallas, and Houston have all been cancelled. That's because there's a big campaign going on to try to get him cancelled everywhere because of his hateful singing about gay people. I don't mean the usual "no homo" bullshit in hip- hop. He sings about torturing and murdering "queers". It seems he's not just talk, either. He was charged for being a part of a group of about a dozen people who allegedly beat six men believed to be homosexual. One of the victims lost an eye. You can see why people would be outraged by his tour, then, and why most major promoters canceled his events.

But he's still coming to Toad's, this Wednesday! Seems like something we should address. Ideally we should try to force them to cancel it last minute, or, if that doesn't happen, we should let everyone know what kind of person is coming to Toad's.

Here's some information--

The main web page for the campaign to cancel his tour: http://cancelbujubanton.wetpaint.com/ (including explanations of his homophobic lyrics as well as a list of his shows and which ones have been cancelled)

LA Gay & Lesbian Center's press release about promoters AEG Live and Live Nation canceling their shows with him: http://www.lagaycenter.org/site/DocServer/2009-08-28_Live_Nation_and_AEG_Cancel_Buju_Banton.pdf?docID=7541

The relevant Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=124784767349

If you have a minute, and you feel so inclined, send an email to Hollis@toadsplace.com encouraging them to cancel this concert on Wednesday. What a shame it would be for New Haven to be the exception out of all of these places refusing to hand a pulpit over to someone who spews hate and violence.

Thanks, Name Suppressed

Chris Brown is Sorry

20- year old hip- hop artist, Chris Brown, has released a video apologizing for violently abusing his then girlfriend, the singer, Rihanna.



Sadly for him, he has a lot to be sorry for. According to the report filed, Chris Brown strangled Rihanna and hit her so severely that she bled from the mouth and endured several bruises.

The case highlights the prevailing problem of violence against women, and in particular domestic and dating abuse, even in developed and democratic countries like the United States. In United States, a woman is raped every 6 minutes and battered every 15 seconds. In most cases, the perpetrator knows his victim and has witnessed or personally experienced abuse in the past - Chris Brown was no exception, he saw the effects of domestic violence in his own family.

While the United States has a federal law, the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, it has not legally committed itself to the United Nations' Convention on the Elimination Against the Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), putting it in a league of nations that includes Afghanistan, Iran, and Sudan. Although the United States has signed CEDAW, America is not bound by international law to respect women's rights, until it ratifies the convention.

Segregated Proms Remain A Southern Tradition

A New York Times Article