Search Results for: BID

The political divisions of 1860 and 1968 as a lesson for the 2020 elections

By Austin Sarat, Professor of Jurisprudence and Political Science, Amherst College Nasty, divisive elections are nothing new in the United States. As someone who teaches and writes about the importance of historical memory in American law and politics, I believe the 2020 election will rival the ugliest America has ever witnessed. There are lessons that can be learned from examining this election’s parallels with two previous presidential elections – 1860 and 1968 – both of which left America deeply divided. Slavery and geography in 1860 In the lead-up to the 1860 election, the nation was splintered by the question...

Read More

How Wisconsin can prosper by adopting an inclusive approach to undocumented immigrants

Undocumented immigrants come to Wisconsin in search of opportunity, looking for safe communities for themselves and their families. In return, they benefit our communities by bringing cultural and economic vibrancy, entrepreneurship, and an expanded workforce for some of the state’s most critical industries. Wisconsin lawmakers should implement policies that promote prosperity for immigrants who are undocumented, their families, and the communities that welcome them. Giving undocumented Wisconsin residents access to better opportunities would enable them to earn higher wages, spend more at local businesses, and contribute even more via their taxes to schools and other public investments that are...

Read More

The Power of Street Art: Conversations with the New Tosa Muralists

If you’ve driven or walked on North Avenue recently, in the East Towne corridor of Wauwatosa, you’ve surely encountered a satiated racoon and a glaring tiger, a pinball spiral and fluid figures, a hummingbird mandala and swimming goldfish, a cloaked woman emerging from a verdant forest. Seven artists – local, national, and international – spent two weeks in July bringing new life to the already up-and-coming stretch between 65th and 71st Streets, which is now more than a destination for food, yoga, and flowers – but also for beautiful art. As one of the jurors who helped choose the...

Read More

China’s method of control in Hong Kong seen as a harbinger for American politics in 2020

By Deana Rohlinger, Professor of Sociology, Florida State University The summer of 2019 has seen week after week of protest in Hong Kong. The unfolding events, and how the China’s government benefits from the civil disobedience, serves as a potential propaganda playbook for the Trump administration’s reaction to racial tensions in the run up to the 2020 presidential elections. The protests began June 9 when as many as a million people marched against a bill that could allow suspects to be extradited to China. Hong Kong’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, who was appointed by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in...

Read More

Fact-Checking in an era where outrageous satirical headlines are indistinguishable from real news

By R. Kelly Garrett, Professor of Communication, The Ohio State University; Robert Bond, Associate Professor of Communication, The Ohio State University; and Shannon Poulsen, PhD Student in Communication, The Ohio State University People have long mistaken satire for real news. In July, the website Snopes published a piece fact-checking a story posted on The Babylon Bee, a popular satirical news site with a conservative bent. Conservative columnist David French criticized Snopes for debunking what was, in his view, “obvious satire. Obvious.” A few days later, Fox News ran a segment featuring The Bee’s incredulous CEO. But does everyone recognize satire as...

Read More

If “All Lives Matter” then why can’t Americans love migrants as much as they do handguns

It’s a real shame that migrants aren’t handguns. If migrants were handguns, this President would treat them with kid gloves. He’d be ever so careful with his words so as not to cause offense. He’d exercise the rarest of restraint to avoid angering those who love them; couching his words in every moment, being the closest thing to decent that he ever is. He would suddenly find compassion for them. If migrants were handguns, Republican politicians would passionately protect them. They’d go to bat for them and plead for them and legislate every possible way to make their existence...

Read More