October 13 THRU 15, 2017


News and Views


CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA STANDS PROUD

http://www.msnbc.com/am-joy/watch/charlottesville-attack-rally-leaders-now-face-lawsuit-1073423939553
AM JOY 10/14/17
Charlottesville attack: Rally leaders now face lawsuit
The Charlottesville white supremacist rally leaders face a law suit after their event resulted in one death and numerous injuries. Joy Reid is joined by a plaintiff and lawyer in the case. Duration: 7:01


https://www.cbsnews.com/news/charlottesville-officials-file-suit-prevent-future-white-nationalist-demonstrations/
By PAULA REID CBS NEWS October 14, 2017, 7:56 PM
Officials in Charlottesville launch lawsuit to prevent hateful demonstrations

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- The city of Charlottesville, Virginia, launched a lawsuit this week aimed at preventing the hateful demonstrations that resulted in deadly violence this summer.

They marched in formation down the streets of Charlottesville carrying matching shields and wearing combat gear. Many openly displayed weapons, Virginia is an open-carry state.

On Thursday, city officials voted to file a lawsuit alleging the white supremacists who descended on the city in August were acting as an illegal militia.

Virginia law prohibits militias or private military organizations from operating without government supervision.

If the city wins, it would be able to block or strictly limit similar demonstrations.

Mary McCord is the former head of the Justice Department's National Security Division and now works at Georgetown Law School. She filed the lawsuit on behalf of the city. She spoke with CBS News about Charlottesville.

"It was not a normal protest, what we saw was really militaries invading Charlottesville," she said. "The right to peacefully assemble and express views is protected by the First Amendment. The right to assemble as a military organization, engage in paramilitary behavior, is not protected freedom of expression and it's really as simple as that."

171014-en-reid-mary-mccord.jpg
Mary McCord CBS NEWS

There are 22 defendants named in the lawsuit. Jason Kessler is named in the lawsuit for his role in coordinating the August protest.

He took to Twitter with this message: "Almost none of the claims about me are correct. What an embarrassment for these high profile attorneys to attach their names to this garbage."

At least 40 other states have laws that could be used to block similar protests from groups across the ideological spectrum.

"A group that comes organized as a military unit -- whether on the left ... the right or have no ideology at all -- we think would violate these anti-paramilitary activity statutes," McCord said.

At the site of those violent clashes in August, the statue of Robert E. Lee is covered in a black shroud, while a judge decides whether it can stay in the park.

View Gallery 43 Photographs -- Rallies across U.S. protest white supremacists. REUTERS


TO SEE THE PURE CHICANERY OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, LISTEN TO THIS VIDEO.

http://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/-this-was-a-stunt-vp-mike-pence-leaves-nfl-game-in-indianapolis-1066124867959
MORNING JOE 10/9/17
'This was a stunt': VP Mike Pence leaves NFL game in Indianapolis
On Sunday, VP Mike Pence left Sunday's 49ers-Colts game in Indianapolis after players kneeled during the National Anthem. The move, which is being criticized, was said to be pre-planned. Duration: 2:07


GOP AND WHITE NATIONALISM – HOW TO GET THE VOTES

http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/ta-nehisi-coates-the-gop-1064735811636
ALL IN WITH CHRIS HAYES 10/6/17
Ta-Nehisi Coates: The GOP 'has been playing with fire'
Coates compares Breitbart's cultivation of white nationalists to the Republican Party's exploitation of racism going back decades. Duration: 8:25


BEING AGGRESSIVE FEELS LIKE FUN; BEING THE HUMBLER PARTY DOESN’T. THAT’S THE REASON FOR THE NATIONWIDE OCCURRENCE OF SO MANY OF THESE RACIST INCIDENTS. THE AMERICAN WOLVES ARE RUNNING AS A PACK. READ THE BOOK “LORD OF THE FLIES.”

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc-news/watch/racial-slurs-hurled-at-air-force-cadets-academy-fires-back-1059231811877
MSNBC LIVE WITH ALEX WITT 10/1/17
Racial slurs hurled at Air Force cadets, academy fires back
After racial epithets were scrawled on doors at the Air Force academy, Alex sat down with Vernice Armour, a former Marine Corps captain, to discuss the progress minority recruits have made so far. Duration: 4:35


I WONDER. DOES HE PLAN TO TRY TO INTIMIDATE HIM OR MAKE A DEAL?

http://www.msnbc.com/weekends-with-alex-witt/watch/mueller-homes-in-on-trump-orbit-1073433155809
MSNBC LIVE WITH ALEX WITT 10/14/17
Mueller homes in on Trump orbit
New reports confirm that special counsel Robert Mueller has interviewed Pres. Trump's former chief of staff Reince Priebus, and suggest that Trump may be open to meeting with Mueller himself. Duration: 6:29


IN THE GREAT OLD, OLD MOVIE QUO VADIS, THEY SHOWED THE CHRISTIANS KNEELING DOWN IN THE ROMAN AMPHITHEATER BEFORE THE GLADIATORS (OR WAS IT LIONS?). IT IS A PERFECTLY PROPER THING TO DO.

http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/afghanistan-war-vet-to-trump-i-didn-t-fight-for-flag-anthem-1055783491644
9/26/17
Afghanistan War vet to Trump: 'I didn't fight for flag, anthem'
Lawrence O'Donnell says this isn't the first time a president has tried to score political points with the flag. He's joined by Afghanistan veteran, Richard Allen Smith, who says he's glad NFL players continue to take the knee. The Root's Jason Johnson also joins. Duration: 8:18


THIS VIDEO SHOWS A GRAPH DEPICTING A SPIKE IN VIEWING AFTER THAT ALL STARTED, INSTEAD OF A DIP. ANOTHER LITTLE WHITE LIE, LIKE THE UNBELIEVABLY LARGE CROWDS AT TRUMP’S INAUGURATION.

http://www.msnbc.com/velshi-ruhle/watch/trump-blasts-nfl-over-protests-1072839747981
10/13/17
Trump Blasts NFL Over Protests
President Trump claims NFL ratings are "way down" because of players' protests during the national anthem. Is he right? MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle reports. Duration: 2:35


I BELIEVE IN THE THEORY THAT NEW GENES WILL, OVERALL, FRESHEN THE STRAIN AND BRING NEW POSSIBILITIES. I DON’T BELIEVE THAT INTERMARRYING BETWEEN NATIONAL OR ETHNIC GROUPS WILL CREATE “A MUD RACE,” AS THE OLD SOUTHERN WHITE SUPREMACISTS USED TO SAY. I HAVEN’T HEARD THE TERM IN YEARS, BUT I’LL BET IT STILL IS AROUND IN THE VERY MOST “CONSERVATIVE” PARTS OF THE NATION.

http://www.msnbc.com/velshi-ruhle/watch/for-facts-sake-does-immigration-hurt-u-s-workers-1072839235988
10/13/17
For Facts Sake: Does Immigration Hurt U.S. Workers?
President Trump is calling for a sea change to U.S. immigration policy, based on a premise that doesn't stand up to scrutiny. MSNBC's Ali Velshi reports. Duration: 2:10


TILLERSON KNOWS WHICH SIDE HIS BREAD IS BUTTERED ON! THAT’S ALL. THE TRUE TILLERSON IS THE ONE WHO CALLED HIS BOSS “A F**G MORON.” (ONE ARTICLE LEFT THAT WORD OUT, BUT ANOTHER INSERTED IT.) TILLERSON, OF COURSE, HAS TOTALLY DENIED IT EVER HAPPENED. I WASN’T THERE, SO I WILL JUST REPORT BOTH. THAT’S WHAT FOX NEWS DOES TO PROVE ITSELF “ALWAYS FAIR AND BALANCED.”

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tillerson-absolute-alignment-between-state-white-house-despite-appearance-of-disunity/
By EMILY TILLETT CBS NEWS October 15, 2017, 12:53 PM
Tillerson says "absolute alignment" between State, White House despite appearance of "disunity"

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson sidestepped questions about talk of White House infighting on Sunday, saying on "Face the Nation" there is "absolute alignment" between the State Department and the West Wing when it comes to addressing issues such as policies on Iran and North Korea.

"I know the appearance of it certainly looks like there's sometimes disunity," he said.

Tillerson called Mr. Trump a "very unconventional person," saying "the president often takes steps to force an action when he feels things are just not moving."

Transcript: Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on "Face the Nation"
Tillerson's comments came just days after President Trump said his administration "cannot and will not" certify Iran's compliance with the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act (INARA) agreement to Congress.

The U.S. will remain in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) reached under Obama in 2015. Mr. Trump is now looking to Congress to revise the INARA, as well as to ally nations in the JCPOA to come up with a new set of restrictions on Iran to coincide with the JCPOA. The president accused Iran of not living up to the "spirit" of the original deal.

When asked why Iranian officials felt that they were not given a proper warning of the move, Tillerson said they had a "good sense" of where the president's decision would likely go following conversations on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

"The time will come when we do need to engage with Iran. We want to ensure though that our friends and allies and the other parties to the nuclear agreement have great clarity around the president's policy, which is far beyond just the nuclear agreement," said Tillerson.

He added, "I think one of the unfortunate aspects of our relations with Iran over the last several years has been it has been defined almost entirely by this nuclear agreement to the exclusion of so many other issues that we need to deal with with Iran. So, part of this conversation is to deal with the nuclear arrangement but also deal with these broader issues that concern us."

Tillerson said Mr. Trump now wants Congress to give its sense of the growing issue and present a strong unified voice that represents the American position, "which then allows us to engage with friends, and allies, and other signatories around how do we address these gaps and these flaws in this nuclear agreement."

When asked by CBS News' John Dickerson what the future holds for the deal should Congress not act, Tillerson said if that if Congress does nothing, "everything maintains the status quo, and it'll be up to the president then to decide how does he want to motivate addressing the gaps in this issue."

He added, the president has been "very clear" that "if we cannot see movement, if we don't see some encouragement that we're going to begin to address these, then there's no reason to stay in. And he has every intention of walking out."



HURRICANES IN EASTERN ATLANTIC THREATENING EUROPE – IS THAT A TOTALLY NEW THING? I REMEMBER ONE IN 1987 THAT DID CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE IN ENGLAND; AND OF COURSE, IT IS SAID TO HAVE BEEN A TERRIBLE STORM – BEFORE THE WORD HURRICANE HAD ENTERED THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE -- THAT DEFEATED THE MIGHTY SPANISH ARMADA AS THEY SAT OFF THE ENGLISH CHANNEL DURING THE REIGN OF QUEEN ELIZABETH I. HERE IN FLORIDA WE ALWAYS BREATHE A SIGN OF RELIEF WHEN A HURRICANE “GOES OUT TO SEA.” WE FORGET THAT THEY HAVE TO GO TO SOME OTHER LANDMASS, WHERE PEOPLE WILL ALSO BE AFFECTED.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hurricane-ophelia-path-track-latest-updates-ireland-britain/
CBS/AP October 15, 2017, 2:23 PM
Hurricane Ophelia, Category 1 storm, could bring damage to Ireland and Britain

LONDON -- The remnants of Hurricane Ophelia could bring 80 mile an hour wind gusts, disruption and damage to Ireland and Britain as the work week gets underway, weather services said Sunday.

Ophelia weakened from a Category 2 to a Category 1 hurricane Sunday as it moved north-northeast across the Atlantic, with sustained winds of 90 mph.

It is expected to be downgraded to a post-tropical storm before hitting land in southern Ireland Monday morning, but U.K. Met Office forecaster Luke Miall said it could still pack "hurricane force" winds.

Ireland's Met Eireann weather service said the country's southern and western counties could get gusts of up to 80 mph along with heavy rain and storm surges.

Ophelia is the farthest east an Atlantic major hurricane has existed on record, Philip Klotzbach, a meteorologist at Colorado State University, tweeted Saturday. He said the previous record was Hurricane Frances in 1980.

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This graphic from the National Hurricane Center shows the projected path of Hurricane Ophelia on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2017. NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm could bring 2 to 3 inches of rain in western Ireland and Scotland, with coastal flooding and "large and destructive waves" where it makes landfall.

Hurricane-force winds could reach the southern portions of Ireland by Monday afternoon, the hurricane center said. It warned that "preparations to protect lives and property should be rushed to completion" by Sunday afternoon.

Emergency officials in Ireland said schools would be closed Monday in the eight counties expected to see the strongest winds and under a red weather alert, the highest level. Cyclists and motorists were warned to stay off the roads during the height of the storm.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar tweeted: "Defence forces being deployed in Red weather alert areas and on standby for further action tomorrow."

Dublin and Shannon airports advised passengers to check flight information before travelling, while Cork airport in southwest Ireland said cancellations were likely.

Britain's Met Office said 80-mile-an-hour gusts could hit Northern Ireland -- part of the U.K. -- and warned of potential power cuts, flying debris and disruption to transport and phone signals. Strong winds could also hit Scotland, Wales and England.

Deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history

© 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.



THIS ARTICLE SHOWS THE HUMAN TOLL ON REFUGEES TAKEN BY THEIR TOTAL INSECURITY AND PRIVATION. LOOK AT THE PHOTO OF THE HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS OF DISCOURAGED PEOPLE SLOWLY WALKING FORWARD. LET’S TRY NOT TO BE TOO HARD ON THEM EVEN IF THEY ARE MUSLIMS.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/review-ai-weiwei-documentary-human-flow-on-the-plight-of-refugees/
By DAVID MORGAN CBS NEWS October 14, 2017, 9:39 AM
Review: Ai Weiwei's "Human Flow," on the plight of refugees

Photograph -- Refugees face a police line at the Idomeni Camp, in Greece, in the documentary "Human Flow." AMAZON STUDIOS

"The more immune you are to people's suffering, that's very, very dangerous."

The cold, hard facts can be staggering: Last year, almost 66 million people were forced -- by war, natural disaster, famine, economic plight, or persecution -- to leave their homes and seek shelter elsewhere. The waves of refugees that washed up on Europe's shore from the Middle East and Africa alone became a political crisis that stirred nativist reactions across the continent, and inspired similar anti-immigrant feelings elsewhere.

A new documentary, "Human Flow," directed by the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, explores the political and personal cruelties imparted upon refugees -- stateless persons who find themselves at the mercy of border guards, humanitarian organizations, and the Fates, as to whether they might survive.

Ai can attest to the depersonalization that comes from living in exile; as a child his own family was persecuted by the Communist government in China. As a dissident artist and filmmaker he has been jailed in his home country, and has since relocated to Germany -- a nation that has experienced a massive influx of refugees in recent years.

For this film, Ai traveled to 23 countries to witness mass migrations of people fleeing war in Syria, Iraq, the Middle East and Afghanistan, famine in Africa, religious persecution in Southeast Asia, and violence in Central America. There are also those who are trapped -- within virtual prisons (such as the inhabitants of Gaza) or in border areas (where men, women and children are blocked by police with tear gas and clubs).

human-flow-01.jpg
Refugees walk near the Idomeni Camp, in Greece, in the documentary "Human Flow." AMAZON STUDIOS

Ai's cameras capture smugglers transiting their human cargo, or border officials processing arrivals with bureaucratic, mind-numbing precision, the migrants glittering in mylar blankets like hundreds of marathon athletes. We see the symmetry of thousands of tents at camps for the displaced; and the wretched conditions facing migrants exposed to the elements without shelter, food, water or electricity. And the ruins of war-ravaged cities are made more haunting by their emptiness -- and we know the people who once called these shattered buildings home are now lost.

The film immerses the viewer in the long, hard, soul-crushing journeys that are embarked upon to escape almost certain death, towards something less certain. In wide shots, the teeming lines of migrants marching for miles on foot or fording rivers show desperation and fear, but also hope that beyond the horizon lies salvation.

And in interviews with those fleeing war and with activists trying to give assistance, we see that the global problems causing such migrations are too massive and complex to parse into coherent, logical arguments, beyond the very simple fact that humanity can, and should, do better to help those in need.

human-flow-kutupalong-camp-ukhia-bangladesh-2016-620.jpg
The Kutupalong Camp, in Ukhia, Bangladesh, as seen in the documentary "Human Flow." AMAZON STUDIOS

Watching the film can be elevating and disorienting; graceful drone footage and formally composed, artistic shots are interspersed with intimate images taken at the level of quiet suffering.

"Art has to be involved with the moral and philosophical and intellectual conversation," Ai said. "If you call yourself an artist, this is your responsibility." And as fellow human beings, it's our responsibility to watch and listen.

"Human Flow" (distributed by Amazon Studios), is now playing in theatres in select cities (click here for tickets and showtimes). 145 mins. The film is not rated.

To watch a trailer for "Human Flow" click on the video player below.

Video -- Human Flow Official Trailer [HD] | Amazon Studios by Amazon Studios on YouTube
© 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

David Morgan
David Morgan is a senior editor at CBSNews.com and cbssundaymorning.com.



“EXPERTS SAY FIRES LIKE THOSE BURNING UP CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTRY WILL BE MORE FREQUENT, MORE INTENSE AND LAST LONGER AS GLOBAL TEMPERATURES RISE.” WE WON’T BOTHER THE KOCH BROTHERS ABOUT THAT, THOUGH, BECAUSE IT ISN’T THEIR PROBLEM. NOT HAVING A SUFFICIENTLY HIGH PROFIT MARGIN IS THEIR PROBLEM!

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-wildfires-effects-of-climate-change/
By STEFAN BECKET CBS NEWS October 13, 2017, 6:00 AM
How climate change is "turning up the dial" on California wildfires

The deadly wildfires ravaging northern California have destroyed more than 3,500 homes and businesses, leveling entire neighborhoods and forcing thousands of residents to flee the flames.

At least 31 people have died in the blazes, which have burned 265 square miles of land and rank among the most destructive in California's history. The wildfires kicking off California's fire season come after millions of acres in the western U.S. went up in flames over the summer.

Experts say fires like those burning up California wine country will be more frequent, more intense and last longer as global temperatures rise. While no single fire can be said to have been caused by climate change, variations in temperature and precipitation are already affecting the complex dynamics that determine how wildfires develop and spread.

California Gov. Jerry Brown laid the blame squarely at the feet of climate change on Wednesday.

"With a warming climate, dry weather and reducing moisture, these kinds of catastrophes have happened and will continue to happen and we have to be ready to mitigate, and it's going to cost a lot of money," Brown said.

02-santa-rosa-wildfire-fire-line-northwest-10oct2017-swir-digitalglobe.jpg
The northwest line of the Santa Rosa wildfire in California is seen burning on Oct. 10, 2017, in a satellite image provided by DigitalGlobe. ©2017 DIGITALGLOBE

Scientists and fire experts back up that claim. They point to an alarming increase in the severity and frequency of wildfires in the West over the past several years, warning that the problem is only going to get worse.

"When we step back and look at the whole West, fires are increasing everywhere at different rates," said LeRoy Westerling, professor of management at the University of California, Merced who studies how climate affects wildfires. "The goose is cooked in someplace like Yellowstone. The frequency of fires is expected to increase so much, and the ecosystem is really going to change."

"Turning up the dial"
In California, weather patterns over the past several seasons have laid the perfect groundwork for a devastating fire season, which typically peaks in October.

As the climate changes, extremes in seasonal conditions are exacerbated, Westerling says. Climate change affects wildfires from two directions at different times of the year: Winters become wetter and shorter, while summers become hotter and last longer.

"Climate change is kind of turning up the dial on everything," Westerling said. "Dry periods become more extreme. Wet periods become more extreme."

California wildfires highlight emergency alert system problems
Play VIDEO
California wildfires highlight emergency alert system problems

Somewhat counterintuitively, more rain and snow in the winter lays the groundwork for more destructive wildfires. More precipitation in the winter means more vegetation can grow in the spring. Over the summer months, that vegetation dries out and becomes the fuel that feeds wildfires when ignited.

Higher temperatures in the summer months mean the trees, brush and grass are significantly drier once fire season rolls around. High-speed Diablo winds from the interior of the continent and increased evaporation due to higher temperatures contribute to drying out the plant life. Higher temperatures also mean fire season lasts longer.

California suffered a historic drought last summer, followed by a very wet winter. This dynamic created a tinderbox that was primed to go up in flames, said Susan Jane Brown, an environmental attorney with the Western Environmental Law Center.

"We had a wet winter and that provided moisture to vegetation, which grew a lot -- grasses, brush, trees," Brown said. "When you have a lot of vegetation that grows, it then dries out and stays around longer than usual."

Brown added that grazing and logging have contributed to the conditions fueling severe wildfires across the West.

"We've done a lot of commercial logging that removed old-growth trees that were fire resistant," Brown said. "We've also increased grazing. When you remove low-intensity fuels, what you've got left is a condition on the ground that's more flammable and less resistant to responding well to fire."

Warmer temperatures also mean insects like the mountain pine beetle, which attacks and weakens trees, can extend their range further north, leaving more fuel in their wake, according to Climate Nexus.

Little hope for the future
Even under the most optimistic climate projections, the risk of wildfires will remain elevated for decades to come. Westerling warns of dire consequences in the years ahead as global temperatures continue to rise, even if countries cut greenhouse gas emissions.

"Say you have an increase of even 2 degrees Celsius," Westerling said, referring to the target limit in the increase in temperature over pre-industrial levels by 2100 set out in the Paris climate accord, which the U.S. abandoned in June. "You would need so much more precipitation to counteract the drying that comes with that. No amount of precipitation in any of the models is enough to counteract the drying."

Brown said that increased development in areas now prone to more severe fires means further destruction is almost an inevitability.

"People are coming to realize that many of these places have a mind of their own," she said. "When we try to manipulate natural processes to the extent that we have, we're going to see some effects."

Northern California wildfires
46 Photos
Northern California wildfires



THIS MAY NOT BE AN 8TH GRADE BOOK. PEOPLE SHOULD READ IT WHEN THEY HAVE BECOME MATURE ENOUGH, BUT THEY SHOULD READ IT!

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/to-kill-a-mockingbird-mississippi-school-district-removes-lesson-plan/
CBS/AP October 14, 2017, 1:04 PM
Mississippi school district pulls "To Kill A Mockingbird" for making people "uncomfortable"

Photograph -- Harper Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird" TIM BOYLE/GETTY

BILOXI, Miss. -- "To Kill a Mockingbird" is being removed from a junior-high reading list in a Mississippi school district.

The Sun Herald reports that Biloxi administrators pulled the novel from the 8th-grade curriculum this week. School board vice president Kenny Holloway says the district received complaints that some of the book's language "makes people uncomfortable."

Published in 1960, the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Harper Lee deals with racial inequality in a small Alabama town.

School bans two literary classics
Play VIDEO
School bans two literary classics

"There were complaints about it. There is some language in the book that makes people uncomfortable, and we can teach the same lesson with other books," the district's vice president, Kenny Holloway, told The Sun Herald. "It's still in our library. But they're going to use another book in the 8th grade course."

A message on the school's website says "To Kill A Mockingbird" teaches students that compassion and empathy don't depend upon race or education. Holloway says other books can teach the same lessons.

The book remains in Biloxi school libraries.

Harper Lee 1926-2016
16 Photos
Harper Lee 1926-2016


FOR A CHUCKLE, READ HARPER LEE’S LETTER TO A SCHOOL BOARD WHO BANNED HER BOOK FOR “IMMORALITY.”

http://www.businessinsider.com/harper-lee-letter-to-a-school-board-trying-to-ban-mockingbird-2016-2
After a school banned ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ Harper Lee wrote this incredible letter
Tech Insider
Kim Renfro, Tech Insider
Feb. 19, 2016, 3:41 PM 2,723

Nelle Harper Lee died on February 19 at age 89. The Pulitzer Prize winning author had only published two novels in her lifetime, but is widely regarded as one of the greatest 21st century novelists.

Part of Lee's notoriety comes from anecdotes of her bold nature and unwillingness to succumb to those to [sic] believed her novel to be too controversial.

One favorite story comes from a 1966 local paper called the Richmond News Leader. When the nearby Hanover County School Board voted unanimously to ban "To Kill a Mockingbird" from their schools, Lee sent in an editorial letter.

She accused the board members of being unable to read, and sent them a donation to be used for their re-enrollment in grade school.

Here's the full letter, as it appeared in the paper and as was recorded in Lee's biography by Charles J. Shields:

Editor, The News Leader:

Recently I have received echoes down this way of the Hanover County School Board's activities, and what I've heard makes me wonder if any of its members can read.

Surely it is plain to the simplest intelligence that "To Kill a Mockingbird" spells out in words of seldom more than two syllables a code of honor and conduct, Christian in its ethic, that is the heritage of all Southerners. To hear that the novel is "immoral" has made me count the years between now and 1984, for I have yet to come across a better example of doublethink.

I feel, however, that the problem is one of illiteracy, not Marxism. Therefore, I enclose a small contribution to the Beadle Bumble Fund that I hope will be used to enroll the Hanover County School Board in any first grade of its choice.

Harper Lee

Harper Lee Chip Somodevilla Getty Images
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

This anecdote has made it onto Reddit's "Today I Learned" page multiple times, where people are frequently impressed by her gumption. "F-ck yeah, Harper Lee," Redditor cvillemade wrote.

"Now that is some Grade-A sass right there!" user DictatorKris said on a different post.

Another praised her for showing class. "That's is the most high-class way of calling them little b-tches I've ever heard," W1ULH wrote. "Yet more proof she was a true bard."

The consistent top comment whenever this story gets shared is usually a suggestion for a new book title: "To Mock a Schooling Board."

With her recent death, it is likely fans of her work will share this example of her spunky-personality even more.



“AS THE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HARVEY WEINSTEIN REMIND US, WHEN ONE WOMAN SPEAKS UP, TITANS FALL. WHEN WE ALL SPEAK UP TOGETHER, WE HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE THE WORLD.” I WANT TO SAY THAT AS A RESULT OF FIERCE AND CONSTANT AGITATION, THE FEMINIST MOVEMENT OF 1970 AND THE DECADES BEFORE THAT – THE 19TH AMENDMENT RATIFIED ON AUGUST 18, 1920 -- GRANTED AMERICAN WOMEN THE RIGHT TO VOTE. CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE LADIES. THINGS HAVE CHANGED A GREAT DEAL ON THE WHOLE WOMEN’S FRONT DURING MY LIFETIME, BUT MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE. YOUNG WOMEN, DO NOT GIVE UP AND GET PREGNANT WITHOUT GETTING YOUR COLLEGE DEGREES AND GOOD EMPLOYMENT IN A POSITIVE COMPANY. ALSO, IF YOU DON’T MARRY, LIFE ISN’T OVER. BEING A “SPINSTER” IS NO LONGER SHAMEFUL. IN FACT, IT’S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FREEDOMS, UNLESS YOU DO WANT THE FAMILY. ALL THINGS COME WITH A PRICE.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gretchen-carlson-on-sexual-harassment-in-the-workplace-be-fierce/
CBS NEWS October 15, 2017, 10:08 AM
Gretchen Carlson on sexual harassment in the workplace

Photograph -- The former Fox News anchor says the revelations about Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein give hope that women are standing up and fighting back. CBS NEWS

The sexual scandal that's rocking the movie world is hitting all too close to home for TV journalist Gretchen Carson, who reached an out-of-court settlement with Fox News last year. She's written a new book, "Be Fierce," about harassment in the workplace:

The horrific sexual harassment revelations this past week about Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein actually give me hope -- that women standing up and saying "We're not going to take it anymore"? It's working.

NYT's Jodi Kantor on "pattern" and "financial trail" behind Harvey Weinstein's alleged harassment ("CBS This Morning," 10/06/17)
Harvey Weinstein accused of raping 3 women in New Yorker exposé (CBS News, 10/10/17)
How much did the Weinstein Company's board of directors know? ("CBS This Morning," 10/11/17)
Harvey Weinstein's former assistant recounts working for movie mogul as allegations mount ("CBS This Morning," 10/12/17)
Why didn't the New York D.A. pursue charges against Weinstein? ("CBS Evening News," 10/11/17)
Women face an excruciating decision when sexually harassed: take the abuse, or take on a culture where the odds are stacked against you.

Will you be believed? Retaliated against? Lose your job?

be-fierce-gretchen-carlson-cover-244.jpg
CENTER STREET

It's crazy that in 2017 these fears are still realities for millions of working women.

And it must stop.

Making it professionally is the American dream.

I believed in it growing up in a small town in Minnesota with a mom who told me I could be anything I wanted to be. I learned early on that being fierce was about building self-esteem from the inside out. Through hard work and perseverance, I became fierce -- as a concert violinist, a Stanford grad, a Miss America, a journalist.

But even those accomplishments didn't protect me from sexual harassment.

Former Fox host Gretchen Carlson sues Roger Ailes (CBS News, 07/06/16)
Behind Fox and Carlson's $20M sexual harassment suit settlement ("CBS This Morning," 09/07/16)

And after I told my story, thousands of women reached out to share theirs. Because for so many, their professional dreams had been stripped away by some random jerk.

One executive told me when she was fired she "stopped existing." Life went on at her company as if she had never been there.

A police officer said her harasser got to stay on the job while she was demoted in rank.

This overwhelming fear is one reason studies show 70 percent of women never report workplace harassment.

The culture of harassment goes way beyond Harvey Weinstein (CBS Moneywatch, 10/12/17)
Workplace sexual harassment at a "tipping point of public attention" ("CBS Evening News," 04/20/17)
Donald Trump: I'd hope Ivanka would find new career if she were harassed (CBS News, 08/02/16)

So how do we fix this?

I believe we must change our laws. Did you know forced arbitration clauses -- common now in employee contracts -- keep women's complaints secret, take away your 7th Amendment right to an open jury process, and many times allow perpetrators to stay in their jobs?

Bystanders must become allies. Anyone who witnesses sexual harassment has the power to help, and men are especially important partners in this fight. The more men are determined to hold their peers accountable and reject the "boys will be boys" excuse, the faster we can stop harassment cold.

Every time another woman tells her story, others discover they can, too, Iike [sic] a chain of inspiration. My own daughter told me, "When people ask me what happened to you, Mom, I feel so proud to say you are my mom."

And later, when she found the courage to stand up to kids making her life miserable, she said, "I knew I could do it, Mom, because I saw you do it." Giving that gift of courage is contagious.

And here we are -- at a national tipping point, with more and more women bravely coming forward.

As the allegations against Harvey Weinstein remind us, when one woman speaks up, titans fall. When we all speak up together, we have the power to change the world.

For more info:

gretchencarlson.com
"Be Fierce: Stop Harassment and Take Your Power Back" by Gretchen Carlson (Center Street), available October 17 in Hardcover, eBook, Unabridged Digital Audio Download and Unabridg
ed Audio CD formats; Available via Amazon
Download a sample chapter of "Be Fierce"


THIS IS JUST ONE MORE REASON WHY I DON’T WANT A SELF-DRIVING CAR. REMEMBER ONE THING ABOUT LIFE FORMS – ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS NOT INTELLIGENCE, JUST CAREFUL PROGRAMMING. IF YOU HAVE DOUBTS, WATCH THE GREAT OLD MOVIE “2001” AT THIS WEBSITE: HTTPS://ARCHIVE.ORG/DETAILS/VIDEO_20160419

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2150330-driverless-cars-could-let-you-choose-who-survives-in-a-crash/?cmpid=ILC|NSNS|2017_webpush&utm_medium=ILC&utm_source=NSNS&utm_campaign=webpush-driverless-cars
DAILY NEWS 13 October 2017
Driverless cars could let you choose who survives in a crash

By Abigail Beall

Would you ride in a car that was prepared to kill you? An “ethical knob” could let the owners of self-driving cars choose their car’s ethical setting. You could set the car to sacrifice you for the survival of others, or even to always sacrifice others to save you.

The dilemma of how self-driving cars should tackle moral decisions is one of the major problems facing manufacturers. When humans drive cars, instinct governs our reaction to danger. When fatal crashes occur, it is usually clear who is responsible.

But if cars are to drive themselves, they cannot rely on instinct, they must rely on code. And when the worst happens will it be the software engineers, the manufacturers or the car owner who is ultimately responsible?

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People’s attitudes to the issue are also complicated. A 2015 study found that most people think a driverless car should be utilitarian, taking actions to minimise the amount of overall harm, which might mean sacrificing its own passengers in certain situations. But while people agreed to this in principle, they also said they would never get in a car that was prepared to kill them.

Go “full altruist”
“We wanted to explore what would happen if the control and the responsibility for a car’s actions were given back to the driver,” says Guiseppe Contissa at the University of Bologna in Italy, who along with his colleagues has come up with a solution.

The team have designed a dial that will switch a car’s setting from “full altruist” to “full egoist”, with the middle setting being impartial. They think their ethical knob would work not only for self-driving cars, but for all areas of industry that are becoming increasingly autonomous.

“The knob tells an autonomous car the value that the driver gives to his or her life relative to the lives of others,” says Contissa. “The car would use this information to calculate the actions it will execute, taking in to account the probability that the passengers or other parties suffer harm as a consequence of the car’s decision.”

Me, me, me
But there are issues with the idea. “If people have too much control over the relative risks the car makes, we could have a Tragedy of the Commons type scenario, in which everyone chooses the maximal self-protective mode,” says Edmond Awad of the MIT Media Lab, lead researcher on the Moral Machine project there.

Another concern is that people may be unwilling to take on moral responsibility. If everybody were to choose the impartial option, the ethical knob will not help with the existing dilemma.

“It is too early to decide whether this would be a good solution,” says Awad. But he welcomes a new idea in an otherwise thorny debate.

Journal reference: Artificial Intelligence and Law, DOI: 10.1007/s10506-017-9211-z