9
Street roots
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Dec. 19, 2014
Notable
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A sampling o f insight from some of our
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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
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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