Republicans can't erase diversity, but they're sure trying hard

Jaden Amos | Paste BN

Here's what we have for today. Happy reading.

Republicans can't erase diversity, but they're sure trying hard

By Jill Lawrence

Once upon a time there was a pretend country where pretty much everyone was Christian, heterosexual and healthy. Nobody needed to worry about catching a disease like COVID-19 or spreading it to someone it might kill. Nobody had a transgender child who needed medical treatment. And nobody ever needed or wanted an abortion – not even for a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy.

No children had to put up with unpleasant history lessons, nobody had trouble voting, nobody unarmed got shot by police, and nobody needed protests or science.

Sounds crazy, right? But it’s clear from proposals many conservatives are pushing that this is the kind of country a lot of Americans want. It’s as if they’re trying to erase entire groups of people, big chunks of history and reality itself.

Asian American women still in danger a year after deadly spa shootings

By Sung Yeon Choimorrow

As the head of a national organization for Asian American and Pacific Islander women and girls, I knew my colleagues and I had to act. Immediately, I went back and forth with our staff, especially those in Atlanta, to understand what our members needed. At the same time, we had to speak up for our community, so we released a statement. Before I knew it, I was caught in a whirlwind of media requests and coverage, giving more than 50 interviews in just four days.

All the while, I dealt with the same conflux of emotions as millions of Asian American women. Rage and guilt. Grief and revulsion. Devastation for our community.

Zelenskyy challenged Americans to live up to our highest ideals

By Austin Bogues

The images Volodymyr Zelenskyy showed Wednesday morning in his virtual address to the U.S. Congress graphically portrayed the worst of humanity. Infants lying bloodied in hospitals. Innocent civilians lying dead in streets. Neighborhoods that were vibrant and bustling only three weeks ago reduced to rubble by the horrors of war.

The scenes in Ukraine have been horrifying and maddening, heartbreaking and sickening as Russia's barbaric invasion has wantonly targeted once-flourishing cities and humble farm towns.

Zelenskyy reminded Americans that we have witnessed similar horrors on our own soil. He pointed to Dec. 7, 1941, a day that lives in infamy more than 80 years later. He reminded us of Sept. 11, 2001, when we quaked in shock, horror and anger.

Then Zelenskyy couched his appeal for America's help in words that stirred our nation's moral conscience to fight injustice. “ ‘I have a dream,’ – these words are known to each of you. Today, I can say, I have a need. I need to protect our sky."

Republicans can't erase diversity, but they're sure trying hard