Commentary
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Our commentary partners will help you reach your own conclusions on complex topics.
Greg Abbott and Ron DeSantis have been trafficking migrants into blue states reportedly byway of blatant lies and intentional misrepresentations. Not only are their actions despicably cruel and particularly inhumane, but they very well could be illegal. If their political gamesmanship violates the law, these republican governors should face prosecution and harsh consequences. For several months now, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has been busing migrants from the border to select blue states as a passive-aggressive political stunt. Using Texans’ taxpayer funds, he’s dropped them off in the dead of the night in Chicago, left them on the streets of Washington DC, kicked them to the curb in lower Manhattan, forcing other state’s governors and city mayors to step up. And last week Ron DeSantis figured he’d get in on the action too. The Florida governor proudly used his taxpayers’ funds to fly some fifty migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, where the small island had to use their hurricane response resources to feed, shelter and care for the vulnerable group. DeSantis’s actions were appalling on their face. But then to learn that the Florida governor had reportedly picked up these migrants from Texas, and lured several them onto the planes with promise of being flown to Boston to get expedited work papers… Now that was beyond inhumane. Many, if not most, of these individuals are refugees, fleeing deadly circumstances and oppressive states, only to be lied to by the first American who offers a helping hand. left scared and alone and lied to. If both governors are orchestrating a fraudulent scheme to target and lie to these migrants so they can be used as political pawns, their actions may violate a host of federal laws. They’re transporting vulnerable people across state lines, misrepresenting where they’re going and promising them work. Last I checked, this is along the lines of what human traffickers do. Additionally, I’d like to think DeSantis and Abbott may also be in violation of international law. I’m not an international law attorney, but there’s gotta be something violative here… The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhumane, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and so on. People in need of help deserve better than what DeSantis and Abbott are doing. If there’s going to be any deterrence as it concerns this type of disgusting and destructive behavior, there must be consequences. Our federal government needs to step up and stop acting as though certain people are above the law. Hopefully, We THE PEOPLE in Florida, Texas and other red states, will be doing what’s necessary to elect leaders who put decency and democracy first.
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Supreme Court must end criminalization of homelessness
On April 22, the U.S. Supreme Court addressed the nation’s homelessness crisis, considering whether an Oregon city had the right to ban homeless people from camping in public spaces. A majority of justices appeared inclined to support the city’s efforts to regulate homeless encampments on public grounds. This decision carries significant implications for the growing…
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Why are non-consensual pelvic exams still happening?
More states are beginning to crack down on the surprisingly common practice of medical students and professional staff performing non-consensual pelvic exams on unconscious men and women in hospitals, universities and other medical facilities. Just one year ago today, those practices remained legal in a majority of U.S. states. Now, however, a new directive from…
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Congress should repeal the Foreign Dredge Act
The collapse of Baltimore’s Key Bridge presents challenges for cleanup and construction crews who rely on dredging vessels to complete their work. That’s partly because of the Foreign Dredge Act, a 1906 law that prohibits foreign-made dredging vessels. Congress is now introducing a measure to revise parts of that law, although previous attempts to do…
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Gen Z women must fight for their rights
Gen Z, the first “digital native” U.S. generation, is entering the workforce, studying at university and serving in the military. From school shootings and cyber-bullying to COVID-19 and the overturning of Roe v. Wade, this generation has been shaped by unique trends and events, and how they will behave as citizens and voters is an…
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Users must have rights in Big Tech’s AI race
Big Tech companies across the board, including Meta, X, Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet are racing to draft policies that enable them to use user-generated content to train advanced generative AI models without user permission or compensation. The Federal Trade Commission is investigating where it can, but government regulations lag far behind the rapid pace of…
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