Once again a terrible tragedy unfolds in the United States, this time in Texas, but it could have been anywhere: one of the biggest school shootings of all time.
The republican governor’s time would be well spent doing something, doing anything, to keep guns out of the hands of maniacs like the late 18-year-old shooter who bought over $7,000 worth of guns and ammunition on his birthday to prepare for his murderous spree.
But sadly it won’t likely happen. Republicans, now basically the so submissive servants of the NRA, are staunchly against any reasonable form of gun control, despite 90% of the American People supporting such protective measures.
No other civilized, modern nation has the problem of gun-violence, and particularly mass casualty events, that the United States has. The politicians, especially on the right, refuse to recognize that easy access to powerful guns is a contributing factor in these horrible crimes.
And without a change in laws and policies, the problem won’t go away on its own.
Beto O’Rourke, former congressman and Presidential candidate, vigorously challenged the governor at his press conference, admonishing him for doing nothing when another shooting, so common now in the U.S., was predictable (one happens somewhere n the country almost every week).
More Americans need to stand up to challenge their leaders, like O’Rourke did, on this issue, to fix this serious gun problem, so more innocent people won’t die.
And the greatest and most effective challenge happens at the ballot box. Americans can and must vote for leaders at all levels of government who will put sensible and effective anti-gun violence laws in place.
For the first time in many years a sitting President will attend and participate in the traditional White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Watch this entertaining and iconic event!
Home is a 2009 French documentary film by Yann Arthus-Bertrand. The film is almost entirely composed of aerial shots of various places on Earth. It shows the diversity of life on Earth and how humanity is threatening the ecological balance of the planet.
We at Face Activities enjoy the Academy Awards, and feel it’s an important cultural and artistic event, not just for the U.S. film industry, but also for the world. Unfortunately an incident occurred that marred this year’s celebration, which we want to address.
Will Smith, angered by a thoughtless joke the emcee, comedian Chris Rock, made about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, jumped up on stage and struck Rock, and later shouted obscenities.
The audience was stunned, as were many viewers at home and around the world. This act of violence was unacceptable, unnecessary, and should never have happened. It was in fact a shameful and unfortunate incident staining the history of the Academy Awards.
Though clearly Rock hit a nerve with his joke, there’s a long standing tradition at the Oscar’s for emcees to joke about the celebrity guests, and it’s generally taken in good humor.
Will Smith’s violent outburst is a terrible example to set for kids and the public at large. And to be absolutely clear, his actions were illegal, and he’s lucky he won’t be held legally responsible, mostly because Chris Rock chose not to file a police report.
Will Smith won an Academy Award that night, 40 minutes after the assault, for his critically acclaimed portrayal of Venus and Sarena Williams’ father (and coach for many years.) It was a strong performance, worthy of recognition.
But sadly, the violence showcased that evening took away from what should have been a very special moment, a triumphant moment, for the tennis stars, who had labored for years to get this ground-breaking film made.
Smith has subsequently apologized, which of course was the correct thing to do. It remains to be seen what action the academy will take, if any, but in large part the damage has already been done.
We hope for better days for the academy, and expect better of Will Smith in years to come.
Join the Lowy Institute for a special panel to discuss the unfolding war in Ukraine. From the brutal invasion to the imposition of crippling economic sanctions – where are we now? What are Putin’s goals? How is Europe responding? What should we read into China’s reaction, and what are the implications for the Indo-Pacific?
Our hearts go out to the people of Ukraine in these trying times, as Russia invades their Sovereign territory on false pretexts. Let’s learn more about the current situation and the history of the Ukraine / Russia relationship.
Join Briarwood Leadership Center Director Robert Smith and University of North Texas Professor Vojin Majstorovic as they discuss the current conflict. (recorded February 17, 2022)
The modern Olympic movement was inspired by ancient Greece, but what elements actually go back that far? And how did 19th century ideas about ‘gentlemen amateurs’ connect to the history of passports and the early days of radio? Find out as we explore the etymologies of Olympic sports and look back at the many ‘firsts’, Olympic and otherwise, that happened a century ago in 1920.
