Virginia Schools Reinstate Confederate Names & Two Habits Neuroscientists Say Encourages Alzheimer's
NBA's Karl-Anthony Towns Wins KAJ Social Justice Champion Award, Target Retreats from LGBTQ+ Commitment in Some Stores, What I'm Watching on TV, The Fleetwoods Sing "Come Softly to Me"
What I’m Discussing Today:
Kareem’s Daily Quote: We can’t outrun the history train, so better we get on the right side of the tracks.
Towns Wins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award: Karl-Anthony Towns shows us what a real athlete and role model looks like.
Target Pride merchandise only available at select stores after rightwing backlash: Target’s compromise encourages bigots.
Schools in One Virginia County to Reinstate Confederate Names: Racism for Dummies is the one book the members of this school board have in common.
Kareem’s Video Break: I wish my coming home gave as much joy to someone.
Neuroscientists Warn of 'Cascading' Alzheimer's Risk From These Two Habits: Alcohol and stress can contribute to the risk of Alzheimer’s.
Poor reviews, missing product: firms’ anti-woke offerings soak consumers: Right-wing companies are charging much more money for inferior quality products by promoting anti-woke gibberish.
What I’m Watching: The Mentalist, Will Trent, and Elsbeth—one is very good, and two are in need of actual mystery writers.
The Fleetwoods Sing “Come Softly to Me”: This dreamy song is like a lovers’ lullaby.
Kareem’s Daily Quote
You can beat us with wires
You can beat us with chains
You can run out your rules
But you know you can't outrun the history train
Paul Simon from “Peace Like a River”
I love the phrase “the history train” because it suggests perpetual motion. It’s not just about where the train is going—to some future point that will look back and judge us—but it’s also about where it came from. It carries a heavy cargo of the past, which can tell us exactly how to choose in the present. If only we cared to look closely.
Simon warns, “You can beat us with wires/You can beat us with chains,” echoing our penchant for violence against those we wish to dominate or those we disagree with. Whether it’s slaves or protestors, whether it’s literal wires and chains or symbolic weapons of oppression like voting restrictions, enforced poverty, sub-standard education, or laws that discriminate, the motivation is still the same. To force one’s will on others for the benefit of the one doing the forcing.
Those wielding the wires and chains “run out their rules” by finding some faux-righteous justification based on religion, “common decency,” or tradition that they think absolves them of their crimes. Biblical passages have been cited to excuse slavery, war, torture, and the subjugation of women. But the history train doesn’t care about irrational and selfish justifications. It judges on truth, facts, and reason. Like Death, it can’t be outrun.
Remember, our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will be passengers on that train. Will they be looking back from the future at the oppressors of today and see only a mob of angry villagers shaking pitchforks and torches, screaming, “Burn the witch!”? Or will they see humane and compassionate people who embraced reason and defended justice?