Four days after George Zimmerman was acquitted in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, civil rights activists decried Florida's controversial self-defense law, with one calling for a possible boycott of the state's orange juice.
Speaking at the NAACP's national convention in Orlando, Martin Luther King III said one possible way to protest the state's controversial "Stand Your Ground" law is to stop consuming Florida orange juice.
"The true way generally when people don't understand your plight is when you decide to exercise your buying power elsewhere," King said.
King is not the first to suggest a boycott of citrus from the Sunshine State since the verdict. According to philly.com, several hundred protesters at Philadelphia's Love Park on Sunday called for a boycott of Florida oranges and orange juice.
A message left with the Florida Department for Citrus was not immediately returned.
Since Zimmerman was acquitted, the state of Florida has been the target of boycotts and online petitions. Music legend Stevie Wonder said Sunday that he wouldn't perform in the state so long as the "Stand Your Ground" law is still in existence. A petition on MoveOn.org and various Facebook pages are urging people to boycott Florida tourism and its economy at large.
Florida oranges have been the target of boycotts several times over the years. In 1977, anti-gay comments by celebrity spokesperson Anita Bryant sparked a national boycott. In 2011, Republican presidential candidate Fred Karger called for an orange boycott after Florida said it would move the primary election date by two months.
Meanwhile, Al Sharpton said he plans to visit the capitol of Florida to begin lobbying against the law, which he called the "worst violation of civil rights in the country." He hopes to make Florida a test case for similar laws.
The comments came a day after Attorney General Eric Holder reiterated to the NAACP that the Justice Department has an open investigation into what he called the "unnecessary shooting" of Martin.
WASHINGTON (AP) ? House Speaker John Boehner on Wednesday soundly rejected suggestions that the United States boycott the Winter Olympics in Sochi if Russia grants asylum to National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden.
"Why would we want to punish U.S. athletes who've been training for three years to compete in the Olympics over a traitor who can't find a place to call home?" Boehner told reporters at a news conference.
The Ohio Republican was asked about Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham's idea that if Russia provides a safe haven for Snowden, the United States should consider keeping its athletes home during the 2014 Winter Olympics next February.
Boehner said Graham was "dead wrong."
Snowden, who disclosed details about U.S. intelligence surveillance of Internet activity, has applied for temporary asylum in Russia three weeks after arriving at a Moscow airport from Hong Kong. The United States wants Snowden sent home to face prosecution for espionage.
In the 1980s, the United States boycotted the Olympics over Russia's invasion of Afghanistan. The U.S. Olympic Committee said in a statement Wednesday that it strongly opposes the idea that a boycott is in the country's best interest.
"If there are any lessons to be learned from the American boycott of 1980, it is that Olympic boycotts do not work," said committee spokesman Patrick Sandusky. "Our boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games did not contribute to a successful resolution of the underlying conflict. It did, however, deprive hundreds of American athletes, all whom had completely dedicated themselves to representing our nation at the Olympic Games, of the opportunity of a lifetime."
Snowden's fate has roiled already tense U.S.-Russian relations.
At the White House, spokesman Jay Carney said he wouldn't speculate on any boycott of the Olympics, but added that the U.S. agrees with Russian President Vladimir Putin that Snowden's case needn't and shouldn't harm U.S.-Russian relations.
"It's a broad and important relationship," Carney said. "We want to continue to see that relationship strengthened."
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Associated Press writers Josh Lederman and Eddie Pells contributed to this report.
Yonhap is reporting that the United Nations Human Rights Commission doesn't like South Korea's compulsory military service (HT to GI Korea at ROK Drop):
More than nine out of 10 people being imprisoned worldwide for refusing to serve in the military on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, or religion are South Koreans, a report showed Monday.
According to the report released by the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) earlier last month, of the 723 conscientious objectors worldwide, 92.5 percent or 669 are South Korean nationals.
In South Korea, all able-bodied men are required to serve about two years in compulsory military, and conscientious objectors who refuse to serve without justification face up to three years in prison if convicted.
Noticeably, 17,208 South Korean male members of the Jehovah's Witnesses have been criminally punished since 1950 for refusing to perform in the military service for their religious beliefs, the report said.
The report said that many countries have either abolished or postponed mandatory military conscription, citing examples such as Germany and Croatia.
I'm not sure how I feel about the UN chiming in on this. South Korea remains in a declared state of war, and it is South Korea's continued readiness (or perception thereof) plus the guarantee of US intervention, that keeps North Korea (and its patron China) at bay.
But when the South Korean media starts putting out these stories, especially with comparisons with other countries, it likely signals the beginning of a dialogue on policy (if media stories and public opinion polls can be called such, in any country) that could eventually mean the end of mandatory service in favor of a voluntary professional military.
Frankly, I do like the UN's suggestion of providing an alternative civil service to military conscription for true conscientious objectors (like Jehovah's Witnesses), but I fear that such a change would be rife with abuse. And that in and of itself would be troublesome, not just because those with fewer economic or social means would probably end up more likely doing the tough military jobs, but also because a change in the status quo would remove the great equalizer?that ROK military service represents: whether one is rich or poor, from Ch?lla or Ky?ngsang or Seoul, highly educated or poorly educated, every ROK male is expected to take time to do their military service (or some equivalent time in special civil service) unless they fall into a very narrow set of exemptions.
(Truth be told, what I'd really to see is a shortened national service period ? say, eighteen months versus the current two years ? that is required of all citizens, including females,?that can be military service, volunteer service, or some civil service.)
So why is the media talking about military service at all? From discussions with policymakers and academics, I believe that one major impetus toward a change is that ROK military service hinders the fertility rate, which is abysmally low in the Republic of Korea.
Its Demography 101 that the longer the period is that people are screwing a spouse or would-be spouse who is fertile, the more babies they will produce on average (even with high abortion rates).?But military service takes men out of some of the most productive years for their partner's fertility. At least for the two years or so they do military service and then longer as they try to finish up school and then seek work to pay for said children. (This is also a drag on economic output; South Korea pays a huge amount in real costs and social and economic opportunity costs with the current level of military readiness.)
Ending mandatory military service could tick up the fertility rate by a few tenths of a percent, which could have a dramatic impact on public policy in the coming decades. This may be an enticing idea as legislators realize that South Korea can't maintain the population on immigration and hopes for a unified Korea alone.
(And I should admit that the all-gender mandatory national service idea of mine would, at best, be a wash in terms of the fertility rate.)
Anyone who has had their website get some traction on Reddit knows that it truly lives up to its "front page of the Internet" label -- the kind of traffic the site drives can be remarkable. But the process by which a link takes off on the site is still pretty mysterious. For the most part, you submit something to Reddit, and cross your fingers and hope that it gets some attention. Well, a cool new hack called Reddit Insight finally sheds some light on the methods behind Reddit's madness.
Sex and BC East Asian teenagersPublic release date: 17-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Tracy Tang tracy.tang@nursing.ubc.ca 778-888-6848 University of British Columbia
A new study by University of British Columbia researchers shows that although 90 per cent of East Asian adolescents in British Columbia are not sexually active, those who are may engage in high-risk sexual behaviours.
"Most East Asian-Canadian adolescents have not had sex, but among those who have, one in four used alcohol or drugs before sex last time, and one-third have had two or more partners," says Yuko Homma, lead author and a post-doctoral research fellow with UBC School of Nursing. "Nearly half the girls had not used a condom."
"Since about half of these students were new Canadians and spoke a language other than English at home, we wonder if they might be missing key information in sexual health classes because of language barriers," says Elizabeth Saewyc, senior author and Professor with UBC School of Nursing.
This study is also the first population-based survey in Canada that asked East Asian adolescents their reasons for abstaining from sex: the top two reasons for waiting were not feeling ready and wanting to meet the right person.
Published recently in the Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, the study used data from the British Columbia Adolescent Health Survey to examine the prevalence of sexual behaviour among both Canadian-born and immigrant East Asian adolescents in B.C. The study looked at contraceptive use, health outcomes as a result of sexual activity, and differences in behaviour among male and female adolescents.
Background
The study, Sexual health and risk behavior among East Asian adolescents in British Columbia, is available on request. Yuko Homma and Elizabeth Saewyc are available for interviews by contacting Tracy Tang at 604-827-3367 or tracy.tang@nursing.ubc.ca.
Quote from Nancy Edwards, Scientific Director, Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Population and Public Health (study funder):
"Through the use of large-scale school surveys, this study shines an important light on previously unknown sexual health behaviours of East Asian adolescents. The results argue for the need to tailor programs that take into account where adolescents live."
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Sex and BC East Asian teenagersPublic release date: 17-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Tracy Tang tracy.tang@nursing.ubc.ca 778-888-6848 University of British Columbia
A new study by University of British Columbia researchers shows that although 90 per cent of East Asian adolescents in British Columbia are not sexually active, those who are may engage in high-risk sexual behaviours.
"Most East Asian-Canadian adolescents have not had sex, but among those who have, one in four used alcohol or drugs before sex last time, and one-third have had two or more partners," says Yuko Homma, lead author and a post-doctoral research fellow with UBC School of Nursing. "Nearly half the girls had not used a condom."
"Since about half of these students were new Canadians and spoke a language other than English at home, we wonder if they might be missing key information in sexual health classes because of language barriers," says Elizabeth Saewyc, senior author and Professor with UBC School of Nursing.
This study is also the first population-based survey in Canada that asked East Asian adolescents their reasons for abstaining from sex: the top two reasons for waiting were not feeling ready and wanting to meet the right person.
Published recently in the Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, the study used data from the British Columbia Adolescent Health Survey to examine the prevalence of sexual behaviour among both Canadian-born and immigrant East Asian adolescents in B.C. The study looked at contraceptive use, health outcomes as a result of sexual activity, and differences in behaviour among male and female adolescents.
Background
The study, Sexual health and risk behavior among East Asian adolescents in British Columbia, is available on request. Yuko Homma and Elizabeth Saewyc are available for interviews by contacting Tracy Tang at 604-827-3367 or tracy.tang@nursing.ubc.ca.
Quote from Nancy Edwards, Scientific Director, Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Population and Public Health (study funder):
"Through the use of large-scale school surveys, this study shines an important light on previously unknown sexual health behaviours of East Asian adolescents. The results argue for the need to tailor programs that take into account where adolescents live."
###
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
It will be a long road for any of them to make an NBA roster, but former Hoyas Chris Wright, Hollis Thompson, and Henry Sims have impressed observers in the NBA Summer League.
Wright, who played in the NBA for the Dallas Mavericks last season, had a solid showing for the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA Summer League in Orlando and is now playing in Las Vegas for the San Antonio Spurs. From Nets 101:
The other player that was impressive throughout the week was point guard Chris Wright out of Georgetown. Wright is battling multiple sclerosis but is not letting it stop him from accomplishing his goal of making an NBA roster. He played extremely well this week, showing some range from deep and running the offense smoothly when the ball was in his hand. Although there will not be space for Wright in Brooklyn this season, he will have another chance to make an NBA roster in Las Vegas when he plays with the San Antonio Spurs.
Thompson, who signed a 2-year deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder before last season but was never able to crack the NBA roster, is playing alongside Chris Wright for the San Antonio Spurs this summer. From Pounding the Rock:
My player to watch for the game, Hollis Thompson, had anther quiet game where he kept doing the right things. He kept rebounding, defending, and playing within the system all night long; and even had a big play down the stretch where he stole an inbounds pass right under the bucket and scored with an and-one to keep the game alive. Now, I don't think that Thompson has a shot to make this team. and if anyone is added to the Spurs from the summer league roster it's likely to be be DeShaun Thomas because of the Spurs forever needing more shooters. But, I still enjoy watching Thompson play. In a way, his game reminds one of cliches like "He does the little things" and "He plays the right way." It most likely won't be with the Spurs, but Thompson has a game that will help somebody somewhere in need of a role player.
Sims, who played with the Knicks in the Summer League last season and played his first NBA game with the New Orleans Hornets, is playing with the Charlotte Bobcats this summer alongside former Hoya Patrick Ewing, Jr. Though there wasn't much I could find out there on Ewing's performance, here's a nifty pic of him. From the Charlotte Observer:
I don't know whether any of the non-contract players on the Bobcats' squad will be invited to training camp, but Georgetown center Henry Sims is intriguing. He's quite a good athlete for his size. Not so much in basketball skills, but there's something to work with there.
And from Bobcats blog Rufus on Fire:
Henry Sims could work his way into the training camp roster. He has some solid talent and skill and could be a decent third guy in the frontcourt depth chart, and an inexpensive option at that. He might not make it onto the team completely, but he could do well pushing the frontcourt players.
Best of luck to all three former Hoyas as they pursue their NBA dreams.
A portrait of Igor Sechin, the head of state oil firm Rosneft and a close Vladimir Putin ally, in Pussy Riot's new music video, 'Like a Red Prison.'
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MOSCOW - Four members of Pussy Riot danced on an oil pipeline in garish masks, tights and short dresses in a new video released on Tuesday, comparing President Vladimir Putin to an "ayatollah in Iran" and attacking his allies in Russia's rich energy sector.
In their first performance in almost a year, posted on Youtube, the feminist punk protest collective also accused Putin of being homophobic after passage of what is widely seen as anti-gay legislation.
Like a Red Prison is one of Pussy Riot's few performances since its anti-Putin protest in a Russian Orthodox church last year won global fame for the band members but led to three of them being jailed.
In the new video, which includes profanities, one of the women pours what appears to be oil over a large portrait of Igor Sechin, the head of state oil firm Rosneft and a close Putin ally.
Another clutches a microphone and while a third brandishes a guitar as they clamber onto the roof of a petrol station. In another segment of the more than three-minute-long clip, band members climb up a gas flare. At times they are watched by mystified workers in hardhats as they writhe to the music.
The aim of the video, the band explains, is to draw attention to what they say is Putin's practice of allowing only close allies to share in the vast proceeds generated by the Russian energy industry. Rosneft declined comment.
In another part of the video, the women reprise their criticism of Putin's close ties with the Russian Orthodox Church.
"Your president is like an ayatollah in Iran and your church is like in the United Arab Emirates," they chant, without explaining the reference to the United Arab Emirates.
Much of the video also refers to "homophobic vermin" in Russia and denounces Putin as a homophobe after the president signed into law legislation banning the spread of gay "propaganda" among minors. Russian officials have denied the law is homophobic.
Pussy Riot and other opposition activists such as anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny, who is mentioned in the video and is on trial on theft charges, accuse Putin of cracking down on dissent since returning to the presidency in May last year after protests against his 13-year rule.
The Kremlin denies there has been a clampdown.
Three members of Pussy Riot were sentenced to two years in jail last August for "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" over their "punk prayer" in Moscow's Christ the Saviour Cathedral in February 2012.
Yekaterina Samutsevich was freed last October but Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, who wrote some of the lyrics on the new video, are still in a prison colony.
The trial and punishment of the women angered many Western governments and they won support from international celebrities such as Madonna and ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney.
But the 2012 protest and sentence divided Russians. Many people, liberals and conservatives alike, disapproved of the protest because it took place in a church but fewer thought they deserved such a touch sentence, opinion polls showed.
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Public release date: 17-Jul-2013
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