Columns

On March 29, Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz admitted to Fox News host Tucker Carlson that he was facing federal charges for underage-dating—aka, "trafficking a child." But as squeamish as the revelations are, Gaetz' critics may be overreaching in their condemnation. While the "age of consent" in Florida is 18, a 17-year-old is not a child. (Florida actually has a "Romeo and Juliette Law" that allows 16-year-olds to "have sex with someone no older than 23 years." That won't help Gaetz: he's 38.) 

The legal age of consent is 16 in most of the US (including Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia.) In the Golden State it’s 18. 

According to Age of Consent.net, the point at which female sexual activity is judged acceptable varies widely from culture to culture—from 11-to-21 years. 

In Japan, the age of consent is just 13. In the Philippines, 12. In Nigeria, 11. The traditional "Christian" concept of "holy matrimony" and "no sex before marriage" is only in force in 13 mostly-Muslim nations: Afghanistan, Iran, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. 

The Virgin Mary 

Here's another bit of religious reference on the matter of maternity and maturity. Quoting Wikipedia: "some apocryphal accounts state that, at the time of her betrothal to Joseph, Mary was 12–14 years old. According to ancient Jewish custom, Mary could have been betrothed at about 12." 

While Mary is venerated as a saint in Christian culture, most folks in the West would be surprised to learn that Mary is also venerated in the Quran. (The Muslim holy book actually contains more references to Mary (70 citations) than the Holy Bible and devotes two long chapters to Maryam binat Imran and her family. 

The Holy Family — Mom, Dad, Brothers, and Sisters 

The story of the Virgin Mary, the 90-mile donkey-ride to Bethlehem, and the birth in a manger, have been rooted in my head since childhood but only recently did the thought occur to me: "If Mary was married to Joseph, why was she still a virgin?" 

According the Gospels of Google, Joseph and Mary never consummated their union and remained celibate through their long marriage. By some accounts, Joseph was celibate by choice. 

According to the Eastern Orthodox Church, when Joseph met Mary, he was on the rebound from a previous marriage to a woman named Salome. This was not a childless union. The New Testament references Jesus' three step-brothers (James, Joseph, and Judas) as well as a couple of unnamed step-sisters. 

Some Christian texts describe Joseph as Jesus' "step-father" since the Savior was actually "fathered" by the Holy Ghost! (It does get complicated.) Perhaps the reason the Holy Couple remained celibate was simply the fact that Joseph was reportedly 90 years old when he married Mary. 

Mural, Mural on the Wall 

I dropped by the new Kaiser parking lot in West Berkeley a few days ago to catch up with progress on the massive mural being painted single-handedly by a wall artist named Desi Mundo. When I handed him a copy of a recent Planet article citing his work, he responded like the schoolteacher he also is. He squinted at the page and huffed: "You spelled 'Fremont' wrong." 

In the course of a short conversation, I learned that Mundo has been painting murals around the world—sometimes as far afield as Egypt—and also had a starring role in a prizewinning 2020 Oakland documentary called Alice Street that was recently recognized as an Official Selection in the 2021 San Luis Obispo Film Festival. 

Alice Street recounts the struggle of Mundo and fellow muralist, Chilean studio painter Pancho Peskador, who joined forces to create an unprecedented four-story mural in the heart of Oakland. The mural overlooked a mixed neighborhood of Chinese and Afro-Diasporic communities threatened by gentrification-fueled displacement. While the painters enjoyed local support, they soon found themselves targeted by "pro-growth" interests—and a highrise whose construction would completely cover the massive mural. Here's a short taste of the film. 

Tipping, Yes. Handouts, Not So Sure 

Why is it that we get a good feeling whenever we tip a barista for a cup of coffee but we too often cringe and avoid contact with people who are panhandling? Underpaid workers at least have jobs and incomes. People on the street have neither, so you'd think they would be viewed with even greater sympathy. 

Do Lawyers Serve the Interests of the People Or Is It Vice Versa? 

On April 2, the Chronicle reported the case of a blind woman who sued Uber after several drivers refused to let her ride with her service dog, Bernie. The Chron's headline read: "Blind woman denied rides to get $1.1 million." 

The headline was misleading. In the article's fourth paragraph we learn that an arbitrator decided in the plaintiff's favor, "awarding her $324,000 in damages plus legal expenses of $805,313." In other words, the aggrieved lady only pocketed 27% of the judgment. The real winner was the legal firm that collected 73% of Uber's pay-out. 

While lawyers are frequently portrayed as justice-seekers serving the needs of mistreated victims, this case show that, far from serving the needs of clients, sometimes it's the clients who serve the needs of the lawyers. 

Full-a-Bluster Filibuster 

To the delight of our DC Democrats, the Senate parliamentarian has ruled that Joe Biden's Senate allies can employ the tool of "budget reconciliation" two more times this year. That effectively means that the White House's trillion-dollar infrastructure bill might well be "filibuster-proof." Bad news for Mean Mitch McConnell, the Grinch from Kentucky—aka the Grim Reaper of Progressive Legislation. 

Now, instead of a 60-vote supermajority, an infrastructure bill can be passed with only 50 votes—plus Vice President Kamala Harris. But there's a glitch that will please the Grinch: Two Democrats—West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin and Kyrtsen Sinema of Arizona, both share an unfortunate fondness for the filibuster. 

Manchin has been complaining that Biden's Build Back Better bill will raise the corporate tax from 21% to 28%. Fellow Dems have been reminding Manchin that the corporate tax rate used to be 35%—before Trump lowered it in 2017. 

Cruz Control: Voter Suppression Tricks in Texas and Georgia 

(April 1, 2021) — Watch Greg Palast tell it to Thom Hartmann. 

Adam Schiff on Louis DeJoy 

"You might be wondering why Republican mega-donor and Donald Trump’s hand-picked Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is still sabotaging our Postal Service under the new Biden Administration. I am too," says California Representative and road-tested Trump Trouncer Adam Schiff. 

Schiff is more than miffed over DeJoy's appalling “10-year plan” to imposed "the largest rollback of consumer mail services in a generation." DeJoy's postal horror show calls for longer first-class mail delivery times, reduced operating hours, and higher prices! 

DeJoy has already achieved notoriety for his brazen attempt to skew the 2020 presidential vote in the favor of T****. As Schiff recalls, DeJoy "banned employee overtime, decommissioned mail-sorting machines, and removed drop boxes. He did this during a deadly pandemic that had millions of Americans relying on the mail for their medications, businesses, and safely voting by mail in November’s election." 

When you attack the Post Office, Schiff noted, you also attack the people who depend on it. "We’re talking about veterans, the elderly, and small businesses who are most impacted by these policies. If we don’t act now, things will get even worse, and you can be sure that Republicans will point to mail delays to justify even more cuts to the Post Office." 

So, what to do? "It’s simple," says Schiff. President Biden simply has to appoint new members to fill the empty seats on USPS Board of Governors. The new, pro-PO quorum would be able to sack DeJoy and send him packing. The good news: Biden's made those nominations. The not-so-good news: until the Senate confirms the new members of the board, DeJoy will be free to further damage the hallowed 246-year-old institution. 

If the plot to gut the Post Office has got you POed, deploy this ploy to dis-employ DeJoy. Here's a petition you can sign. 

More positive news: There's a good chance that Congress will approve a bill to repeal the gosh-awful 2006 law that forces the Postal Service—alone among every other branch of government—to "pre-fund" retiree health benefits 75 years in advance. 

The Contest for Control of Pacifica 

As KPFA's fervent fan-base knows all too well, it's time for another divisive showdown over the future of the pacifist-founded, free-wheeling network. A looming vote could determine whether a majority of listeners support or reject a proposal known as the New Day Bylaws. 

The Pacifica Foundation's website explains how, if the new bylaws are adopted, "significant modifications will be made to the foundation's governance structure affecting both the national and local station boards, including how you, as a listener sponsor, are represented and can participate." The referendum is set to begin on June 7 and run for 30 days. 

According to New Day Pacifica, new bylaws are needed "to ensure accountability by Pacifica’s leadership to the listeners and members" and to "ensure a national rather than parochial perspective." The NDP folks point to a looming fiscal collapse—one that threatens the survival of the five-station network—to justify a reduction in the size of the Pacific board and a centralized approach that would diminish the role of "parochial" station decision-making at the local level. 

Here are some of the NDP's dire stats: 

• Pacifica has failed every audit since 2015. 

• Pacifica was just kicked out of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Before that, Pacifica’s Board had forfeited nearly $7 million dollars in Corporation for Public Broadcasting grants since 2013.  

• Pacifica has no money to pay a $3.2 million loan payment due April 2021; we could lose Pacifica’s last three buildings as a result.  

• Pacifica has no financial reserves and is close to financial collapse. 

In order to address these challenges, the NDP has proposed: 

• Creating a "more democratic" organization by reducing the size of the Pacifica National Board from 22 to 15 seats. 

• Members of the new National Board would be chosen by "direct elections, rather than our present, baroque two stage voting process.” 

• Local boards would surrender "unproductive managerial duties" and focus instead on "fundraising, community outreach and local oversight" 

On the other side of the debate, members of the Pacifica Democracy Project view the solution to these apocalyptic threats through a different lens. 

In a petition to the Pacifica Foundation, the PDP prescribes the following remedies: 

• The Pacifica Foundation should remain united as a strong network of 5 radio stations, a historical archive and over 200 affiliated stations 

• Conflict resolution should be used to resolve disputes and find common ground 

• Local and national boards should continue to be elected democratically 

• Local boards should include staff 

• The National Board should continue to include staff and Affiliate representation 

• Pacifica should maintain its democratically elected local governing boards to provide meaningful oversight over radio station management and budgets 

• A public, network-wide effort to improve the Pacifica Bylaws that includes all concerned stakeholders should be conducted 

And the PDP opposes: 

• Lawsuits and threats of legal action that divide us and waste our resources 

• Bylaws revisions that diminish democracy, eliminate local oversight and concentrate power in the hands of a few 

• Efforts to shut down or sell any of the 5 Pacifica stations 

More information (much, much more) is available online.

The Free Speech Movement Archives (www.FSM-A.org) recently reached out to the hundreds of FSM veterans on its mailing list to share an invitation from the Bob Hicks Foundation. The appeal follows: 

Are you a civil rights worker who spent time in Louisiana (esp. Bogalusa and Washington Parish) or other parts of the South where the Deacons for Defense and Justice were active?” 

The Robert “Bob” Hicks Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit collecting materials for an online digital archive and future museum honoring the work of the Bogalusa and Washington Parish Civil Rights Movement. The Foundation’s mission is to create a civil rights museum and cultural center inside two historic houses that were at once homes to the Hicks family [and provided] safe havens for civil rights workers, and bases of operation for the executive members of the Bogalusa Civic and Voters League and the Deacons for Defense. 

We will be enormously grateful for any materials or memories you can share, either originals or digital copies; your photos, memoirs, letters, documents like flyers and newsletters, and physical artifacts like Freedom Now t-shirts or pins, to help keep this history alive for future generations . . . . We are also conducting remote oral histories with civil rights veterans to speak about their experiences in Bogalusa and how that impacted their lives. 

If you are willing to share, please contact foundation researcher Theresa Schwartzman at theresaschwartzman@gmail.com. . . . The mailing address is: The Robert “Bob” Hicks Foundation, 2682 South Columbia Road, Bogalusa, LA 70427  

The letter ends with: "We want to express our thanks to [Berkeley resident and FSM veteran] Anita Medal who organized the Summer Berkeley CORE recruiting drive in 1965 and has become a steadfast ally and supporter of the Foundation today." 

Big Online Nonviolence Event on April 13 

Join Nonviolence International (NVI) for "the largest Palestinian-Israeli Peace event" in history, on April 13. https://afcfp.org/memorial/ Also available: a selection of NVI videos of webinars and speakers on the NI website and YouTube channel. 

Standing Up to Lay the Guns Down 

The Founders SIng 

In this Founders Sing original, inspired by the musical stylings of Prince, we tackle America’s outrageously high rate of gun violence. In the wake of 2 mass shootings in one week, some legislators STILL insist our gun safety laws are too restrictive. But the stats don’t lie: over 38,000 Americans are killed by guns in an average year, which is 25 times the rate of other high-income countries. Sending a big shout-out to Emma González and David Hogg, survivors of the Parkland shooting, and prominent leaders in the gun safety movement.