Before we delve into the posts we’re reading and loving elsewhere on the internet, read E. Young’s review of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, a sweet tween film that also advances Asian-American representation.
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‘The Story of a Gun‘ (Molly Osberg for Jezebel)
We’ve talked about gun violence in the US from many angles. What about the perspective of the gun?
The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, signed into law in 2005, grants firearms dealers and manufacturers legal immunity from crimes committed with their products, including Ivanov’s rifle. Families have gone bankrupt trying to sue anyway, forced to pay the legal fees accrued during litigation against gun-sellers. But the sale to Ivanov in July was one of the millions that year, enriching a vast network of people before it ever reached his hands.
‘Louis C.K. and Men Who Think Justice Takes as Long as They Want It To‘ (Roxane Gay for the New York Times)
Mediocre men accused of sexual harassment and assault are trying to creep their way back into the mainstream via ‘redemption.’ Roxane Gay explains why this is hogwash.
In each instance, it has been less than a year since the allegations against these men surfaced, and in each instance, the men have done little in the way of public contrition. When they have apologized, they have done so with carefully worded, legally vetted statements. They have deflected responsibility. They have demonstrated that they don’t really think they’ve done anything wrong. And worse, people have asked for the #MeToo movement to provide a path to redemption for these men, as if it is the primary responsibility of the victimized to help their victimizers find redemption.
‘Everywhere and Nowhere What it’s really like to be black and work in fashion.‘ (Lindsay Peoples Wagner for The Cut)
This series of interviews explores the reality of working in the fashion industry while Black, and unsurprisingly, there is a lot of racism involved.
In a season where 16 magazine covers feature black women, it may appear that things are starting to shift. This year’s CFDA awards were more diverse than ever. In fact, fashion is having a real love affair with “blackness” right now. The appointments of Virgil Abloh as men’s artistic director at Louis Vuitton and Edward Enninful as editor-in-chief at British Vogue are legitimate milestones. But I cannot help but wonder, in an industry that prizes progressiveness, is this just another fad?
‘The Casual Imperialism of the American Tourist‘ (Aditi Natasha Kini for Bitch Magazine)
Tourists from the US are used to getting their way wherever they go, treating the process of browbeating people into a fun game. It’s an exploitative one, argues Kini, and it needs to stop.
As I drove away from the pyramids in an expensive imported rental, I thought about why an American who can average a handsome income compared to the many parts of the world would find it so natural to withhold that extra $5 while visiting a country so negatively impacted by NAFTA? But the kind of generosity that would encourage me to consider brutal demand-and-supply configurations, like purchasing power and international trade agreements, didn’t come naturally.
‘Why Does Violence in Chicago Attract So Much Attention, Even Though It’s Not the Murder Capital of The U.S.?‘ (Breanna Edwards for The Root)
Certain people are fixated on violence in Chicago. Why, given that the city isn’t even close to being the most violent place in the US?
Who can forget the controversial closing of more than 50 public schools in 2013, the largest school closure in Chicago’s history, closings that disproportionately impacted black and brown children and those living in poverty? Then there’s the fact that Emanuel closed half of the city’s 12 mental health clinics about 6 years ago, effectively gutting the mental-health care system, again, disproportionately affecting underprivileged communities, leaving those in the community who need help vulnerable.
Photo: David Hilowitz/Creative Commons