Introducing Magnum! Thanks to the talent and generosity of Natalie in Tennessee, the digest has a new and improved look. Welcome to the big time... send.better.email.
Has there ever been a better time to send a friend the opt-in form!?! I think not! I'd also like to thank those of you who have (and continue to) send in recs and dogs. I've got some of each stockpiled for future digests, but keep them coming! I want more of each.
As always, happy Wednesday and happy reading!
This Day in History
1987 – Mikhail Gorbachev, a man who probably deserves a bit more credit than he gets in Western history books, indicates willingness to limits on missiles, thus reigniting talks that would result in an agreement to ban certain types of missiles. Timely much?
This Time, Iran
Generally speaking I'm in favor of using diplomacy to solve the Iranian nuclear threat (and other issues when possible). There are reasons to be skeptical of the deal that has emerged, but I don't see a real alternative other than war or an ayatollah with a bomb. The world must remain vigilant, and perhaps the agreement will not avert a war, but there is precedent for diplomacy working (from the New York Times), and perhaps this is a loss for Iran (from Haaretz). How we enforce and monitor the implementation of this deal, especially in the face of Iran's proud public displays of anti-Western sentiment are crucial to the success of the endeavor.
A Tsunami of Crime
Is apparently what immigrants are not (from the Wall Street Journal). What could be America's greatest strength is what is too often one of our glaring weaknesses: diversity, or rather how it manifests negatively. It's easy to view immigrants in a harsh light, and the stress of illegal immigration does strain our resources, but people from elsewhere are not destroying our country, they're coming here to be a part of it, and we need to capitalize on the skills and perspectives immigrants bring to our economy. Sensible immigration reform would seem to be such a simple bipartisan issue, but alas, is there such a thing?
Speaking of Emigration
I love to travel. I try to leave the country at least once a year, and I'm frequently jealous of other people's social media pics. But I've also got my limit. While this author seemed a touch bitter, I nevertheless agree that this is silly advice (from Medium). There is a lot of value in exposure to other cultures and perspectives, and it is something we should all strive for, but it shouldn't be an end unto itself. In no number of lifetimes could you see the entire world and acquire its knowledge, and if you choose to pursue that, more power to you. But there is a lot of good to be said for acquiring and applying that knowledge, in the value of working towards something, and in the pursuit of other types of fulfillment. Pausing your life to travel works for some people, but it is not a mandatory step in the path to building a happy life.
I, Racist?
Both of these next articles come from Joe in New York. The first is an enlightening piece on the history of slavery in New York (from the Gothamist). While we Southerners are often vilified for a history and ongoing legacy of racism (both rightfully so and yet simultaneously unfairly so), we often fail to realize that racism is neither a southern, nor even an American phenomenon.
I hope that by taking a step back from racism as a black/white issue that is contained within the American south we can better see its insidious reach, and examine how it affects all of us without feeling personally attacked. And indeed, many do feel personally attacked, and I think that the language used by many trying to end racism does not lend itself to the cause of unity with which we should replace our systemic segregation. As an example I cite this op-ed on the seemingly inherent racism of white people (from Medium). I think the author makes many good and strong points, but I don't believe that messages of disunity are the way to heal our wounds. I don't believe that NOT talking about race will help end racism, and while I can recognize - to an extent - what the author means by this, I can't get onboard with it:
"And White people, every single one of you, are complicit in this racism because you benefit directly from it."
I agree only to an extent. We white people DO benefit from systemic racism, but we inherited it, and many of us, in many different ways are working to fight it. Being born white makes me an heir to systemic racism, but not an advocate for it. No white person is born any more racist than a black person is born a criminal. Silence may be complicity, but being white in and of itself does not represent a character flaw anymore than being black does. I firmly believe white people have an obligation to use our voices to bring change, but as someone who tries to do that, I firmly reject the notion that I am complicit in extending racism, and I would say that any white person who is using their voice to do the same has a right to be frustrated by a stereotype applied so broadly.
Alienism, the Final Frontier
In case you haven't picked up on this yet, I'm a space nerd. In fact, on new year's day 2010, I predicted to my friend Andrew that we would find life somewhere else by 2020. I have absolutely no standing to make that claim, but I don't think it's all that outrageous. We continue to learn more and more about the worlds around ours, with "remember when I was a planet" Pluto being the most recent celestial object we've gotten to see up close (from NASA). I hope we continue to have our sights set on the exciting mysteries of space, and I'll admit that if we do find ET, I'm likely to be biased against him...at least at first.
This is Scout
Meet Scout, no not Scout Finch, BUT named FOR Scout Finch. Scout lives with her human Charlie in Florida, where she is an avid swimmer, and recently won gold in a local "cute dogs splashing in the fire hydrant" competition. Like many dogs, Scout also loves human food in copious quantity, and well-earned time snoozing on the couch. Scout is also a cancer survivor, so she is one tough cookie. Big thank you to Charlie for sharing Scout with us!
If You Say Prayers, Save a Few
There is no shortage of horrible sadness in the world, and while I am not generally a prayerful person, I save the ones I have for incidents such as those in Charleston and Chattanooga recently. You could probably spin the globe, throw a dart, and hit either water or a hot spot. As we seek to make the world better together, please find a moment to remember those whose story ended too soon. They would have played a role in this struggle, and now we must carry their memories with us.
