No Justice, No Peace in Louisville
You can say Breonna Taylor's name as much you want, but it doesn't mean she's going to get any justice. A grand jury in Louisville, KY charged only one of the four police officers accused of her murder, and that was for shooting someone else in the next room. Taylor's family had already settled with the city for $12 million in a civil trial. The Feds have yet to complete its investigation into the incident, but they'll be under enormous pressure to satisfy Taylor's supporters, who took to the streets of Louisville and other cities as soon as the verdict was announced. This does not bode well for what will happen in Minneapolis when the police officers allegedly responsible for George Floyd's death will come to trial.
Change Over RBG's Dead Body
Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death at age 87 on September 18 is a win-win for President Donald Trump. With a few weeks remaining before the Presidential election, Trump and his Republican pals in the Senate can ignore Ginsburg's dying wish that her replacement wouldn't be approved and seated before the people elect a new leader. Not only would Trump have an insurance policy in his favor in case of a tight election, but should he lose to Joe Biden (a fact the President has been known to dismiss as his way of staying in power no matter what), the Democratic candidate (and future Presidents) would be stuck with a 6-3 conservative majority for the foreseeable future unless his plan to "pack the Court" (ala FDR) gets past Congress
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who has rightfully been recognized as a role model and trail blazer for women and others who believe in social justice, deserved better than to be a cold body stepped over by those who couldn't wait for a more conservative future for the Supreme Court. Everything she ever championed on the bench might not survive her death.
A Grim Milestone--And Counting
The death toll in the United States in the six months since a health emergency was declared over COVID-19 has risen (as of 9/24/2020) to over 201,000, with nearly seven million confirmed cases. This is a tribute to the confusion, denial and mismanagement of the pandemic caused by our elected leaders, choosing fear over the advice of scientists and doctors that they themselves had hired, resulting in untold misery for those who are working from home--or not, kids who are learning from computer screens instead of in classrooms, and for those who could not see their loved ones. According to those scientists, the pandemic might actually run its course by mid-2021--if all goes well, a safe vaccine can be found, and enough people take precautions. The politicians and business leaders run the risk of prolonging things unnecessarily if they continue to believe the bottom line is being affected, and if they continue to believe the rising death toll from COVID amounts to, well, nothing.
The Emmys Go Up a "Creek"
The Canadian sitcom "Schitt's Creek", in its final season, swept the comedy category at the 72nd Emmy Awards September 20. No other show has ever done that. Awards went to its stars Catherine O'Hara (actress in a comedy), Eugene Levy (actor in a comedy), Daniel Levy (supporting actor), Annie Murphy (supporting actress), and "Creek" itself (best comedy).
Elsewhere, two shows from HBO dominated the Limited Series and Drama categories. "Watchmen" won for Best Limited Series?Movie, along with stars Regina King (best actress) and Yahya Abdul-Mateen (supporting actor). "Succession" won for best drama, and Jeremy Strong won for best actor in a drama.
The Emmy telecast was staged virtually from Staples Center in Los Angeles, was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and shown on ABC. It was, as Kimmel predicted, the lowest-rated Emmy ever. You can't just blame competition from sports for the low numbers. Many of the shows that were nominated were ones that weren't familiar to most viewers, and the few that were depended on where they got their TV. Or are people just tired of awards shows where Hollywood stars preach at them to vote and to end racism and sexism?
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