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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 19, 2014)
9 Street roots n W /-' Dec. 19, 2014 Notable W ft, Atraer » M l, A S' A sampling o f insight from some of our M A ' most interesting interviews o f 2014 hen you realize the unique scale of not enforcement agency in the country, and it’s just American poverty, but American double thé size of Ecuador’s'army. It’s inequality in the 21st century,, the fact that gigantic. France doesn’t have it, Germany doesn’t - Author Todd Miller, “The border war,” have it, Canada doesn’t, Australia doesn’t. - April 11 Even England, which is the closest to us in terms of economic models. Even the United ‘ f the first female executive editor of the Kingdom doesn’t have the levels of New York Times can’t get equal inequality and social immobility that treatment, what hope does anyone else • America has. have? She didn’t feel comfortable. She - Sasha Abramsky, “Sasha Abramsky talks spoke up. She was punished for it. And not poverty - American style” Jan. 17 only was she punished, she was punished using the same language that has been used to demean and browbeat women all through history. he values of justice and fairness and - B itch M edia’s A ndLZeislef “Redefining speaking truth to power supersedes any of the concerns that I might have about| Bitch,” J u ly l 8 staying above the fray. W I ’ still developing and you don’t want to be using this drug or other drugs. It’s cautionary. It’s not scary. What we have right now is moralistic, and you’re a bad person and you’ll die if you use it< so there’s no ? credibility. I was a " ' - E rika Moen o f Oh Joy Sex Toy, “Drawn to manager at Hooper Sex,” Sept 12 — City A uditor LaVonne Griffin-Valade, Detox for nine ublishing has changed in the last 2Q-plus “The other corner office,” Jan. 31 years, and we never ome people are really determined but years because international corporations detoxed someone are also really evil. So determination and bought out all the major publishers and nce you are an addict, you are an addict for marijuana. So it’s struggle and doing good and interesting began handling books as commodities, like for life. Of course Philip (Seymour not the same level work — I do admire those people. Nelson Hoffman) was one of the greatest actors of potatoes or corn. Amazon is just the big ofjdanger that’s occurring with other drugs, Mandela is obviously one. I think he may super bully in the. commodities market. all time but he was a person first and sadly Right now the message is, it will makeyou have been one of the greatest people who an addict as well I’m sure if he could, Philip Well, you know what’s happened with sick or kill you, and it’s not an effective has ever lived. Because, he is not calling on. potatoes and corn. Toxicity, obesity, would want his death to be a reminder to all mess’agew ith adults. So you can’t run god, he is not saying he is a saint, he’ is just tastelessness. Who cares, so long as it sells? education and prevention programs that addicts who slip and a guy but he did push very hard and did it » ' — Ursula K. LeGuin, “The otherworldy and sadlycdurt death,' " aren’t credible. with such honour. He learnt Afrikaans, he utterly Portland Ursula K. Le G uin,” Aug. 1 - Addiction specialist Richard Harris, that rather than learnt the language of people who were “Legalize, regulate p o t. . . ” Oct. 10 shoot up, pick up the against him. And I am learning languages obin Williams phone and ask for now and doing stand-up in the languages of great influence , onestiy, I really believe that the world is people who are not against us, but who in help before on me was that he .at a really our history we have been pitted against. I’m experimenting yet always reminded me interesting place doing stand-up m German this year. again with a to be grateful for the where people are, - Comedian Eddie Izzard, “Radar, phone premature death. ■ sheer joy of being on tired of black issues. bugging, death rays and N azis!” Sept. 12 Philip’s passings stage. I met him, First of all, we’re overdosing rather - maybe, three times. turning the page from t’s emotional qontagion to know that . it bugged me, as He was always an ; Ferguson already. If What’s happening in your country - the much of a genius as. he was ... (Lewis trails advocate of standup. you notice the news off to a moment of silence). But what we widow stoning, the rape of infants, the and everything else, r should really focus more on is that there are He loved doing it and oppression of women of color — is loved watching it. He we’re on to the next a lot of people in his position and ifhe had happening everywhere. You start to band was a good guy to be around at a comedy drama. I think together to stop it. If we have a less free picked’up that phone instead of the heedle, show. Which is another great way to ; America does in very Internet, less free access, it does not bode he’d still be with us. \ influence comics - hell, people. Leading by interesting ways sort — Comedian Richard Lewis, well for this revolution of positive the example of courtesy and support. of says to us, ‘When afe you gonna be OK “Relax ..., ” Feb. 14 transformation led by women. - Comedian Jackie Kashian, now? You’ve got your black president, you —Jensine Larson, “Addicted to standup,” Aug. 15 got Oprah, what else do you want?’ “The heart o f a universal pulse, ” Sept. 26 e’re going through a sea change. We T P O understand they need to give permission. Who don’t understand that permission is not a one time thing and then it’s a free pass forever. That permission can be rescinded. That when, you agree tp something, if it starts feeling bad you can rescind your agreement. And it stops. And both sides of this equation don’t know that. S R H I W are sending billions to Mexican drug leasure and consent go hand-in-hand and cartels, and it’s like A1 Capone. Prohibition that needs to be taught. Our society is made A1 Capone. We need better research producing people who don’t understand how on marijuàna impacts. The DEA, with its sex works. Who don’t understand that they kids, restrictive research, need to ask permission. Who don’t will give research grants to people who show how bad . marijuana is but not the therapeutic aspects. We need a good test to determine who is impaired to drive, because the traces stay in the system for days when they may not be impaired at all. Let’s get this squared but. P 1 Rep. E arl Blumenauer, “Talking pot, polls and politics with E arl B lum enauer,”July 04 order Patrol in thé early 1990s, in the whole country, there were fewer than 4,000 agents. And now it has increased to 21,000. And they’re part of Customs and . Border Protection, which is actually 60,000, and they have an air and marine division. Sixty thousand - it's the largest federal law B - Charles McGee, founder, Black Parent Initiative, “Em pow eringM inds,” O ct.10 ost of the literature tells you right now that marijuana used responsibly, not using it while driving, is OK for adults. For the message would be, your brain is M hy doesn’t anything change? It’s a big, big subject, and politicians have sort of caught on to it. Obama talked about it at different times, Elizabeth Warren talks about i t It’s just very hard to address — and it also is not a subject that the people who fund politicians really want to hear about. So it may be something to talk about, but not too boldly. I don’t know. There’s a lot to say ; about why nothing changes on that front, but the fact is nothing changes. In fact, it got worse with the financial crisis and the recession. W - New Yorker journalist George Packer, “The Divided States o f America, ” Nov. 7 was driven to do this as I was firmly against the war in Iraq and didn’t see the point in kicking the hornets’ n est When I started to see people coming back without their limbs, I felt compelled to say something. It wasn’t enough just to march in protest. The politicians weren’t listening to the people. I - B ryan Adams, “Scars o f w a r ” Nov. 21
