Sable Verity Social Commentary - Latest Comments

Re: Let Them Suffer: Health Care Reform And The Prison Industry

Jim Nelson — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 01:03:59 -0000

While I sympathize with the thesis of your argument, a couple things: Prison health care is vastly superior to "street level" health care, as you put it. You're in Seattle, look into the Pike Place Medical Clinic. When their mostly uninsured clientele are lucky enough to get an appointment, the care is quick and lean, and medication is doled out very sparingly, if at all. Prison health care, however, is comprehensive, even excellent. The system is widely known for diagnosing and treating illnesses and conditions inmates had been unaware of, often for years. Among most inmates and their families, health care is the best thing about prison. In fact, the California CDC houses hundreds, even thousands of inmates who intentionally became incarcerated so that serious illnesses like cancer could be treated. Finally, $1.2 million in settlements over five years is in fact a very low number. On the other hand, I agree one-thousand percent with your outrage over the cost of OTC medications to prisoners ... that plus the gouging for inmate phone services which are monopolized by the highest paying (to the state) provider ... all this is nothing more than legalized piracy.

Re: Seattle Anti-Panhandling Law: Political, Baseless And A Threat To Human Rights

ed b — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 18:50:42 -0000

Good commentary

From what you hear for the city councel you would think that downtown was running rampant with rogue panhandlers! Even on the liberal NPR station they
have one of there friday pundents just raving how uncomfortable she is with panhandlers and how this law is the silver bullet for downtown Seattle's ailments.
I wish you could address the clear class issue that is being ignored in this situation.

Thanks

Re: Dear Jamie Oliver: For A Successful Food Revolution, You MUST...

SolvayGirl — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 15:03:41 -0000

Temy—unfortunately the only real cure for obesity (and just plain being overweight) is to eat fewer calories made up of healthier foods and exercise. What do you want to do, give every school kid a coupon for lap band surgery?

Re: Let Them Suffer: Health Care Reform And The Prison Industry

Hennings — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 18:55:18 -0000

this is a very accurate account. we are with washington DOC as well and it isn't a free ride. i wish tax payers would acknowledge that. sure, you want anyone in prison to suffer over and over...but ya know what? Judges punish...the punishemnt has been meted out. the CO's think they get to punish as well. the public wants them all to suffer. it isn't up to you to continue punishing. it is up to you to educate yourself and others about the cost of lack of care as well as paying for young people with life without sentences on non violent crimes...they get old, just like you do and it costs money! figure it out and we will all be better for it. maybe then you will join us in our fight...

Re: Our Country Is Sick. Diagnosis: Racism

White Guy — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 14:10:22 -0000

Why is everyone on this web site against the "white man"? How does the white man prevent you or anyone from being a completely free human being and doing whatever you please on this planet during your lifetime? Isn't it your own fear, lack of imagination and vision, and perceived lack of power that prevents you from doing what you really want to do in life? Maybe it's the profound lack of a spiritual life that prevents you from seeing that you are free to transcend during any and every moment of your life. Transcend and become enlightened. This is what you should be thinking about. No white person can do that for you. If you are not thinking about this, you have only imprisoned yourself. You think white people are not self-imprisoned in the same way?

Re: Seattle Neighborhood's Segregated Past

Nelda Danz — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 13:16:37 -0000

Thanks for this very informative story about my neighborhood. It is important to acknowledge what transpired on the very local bits of earth we inhabit as we move to a healthier future. I am looking for a little more history about the recently renovated Great Hall at Green Lake. We have found references that suggest that the Green Lake Congregational Church, which built the building in 1921 and was active until 1959, was an early and strong advocate for racial equality in Seattle, but have found very few details about such activities. I am checking with the History Project, but if you come across anything about that topic, written or oral, I would appreciate any leads you can give me.
Thanks for this amazing site. I came to it via the Green Lake Blog.

Re: Unwanted Pregnancy In The Black Community- "Womb-Lynching" or Mis Education (or both)?

s sommer — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 21:40:10 -0000

Guess, what, same problems are everywhere. White, Asian, Black, Brown, (who am I leaving out?) Same dumb story, "Don't sit on boys' laps!" That is ALL my mother told me.
You are so right: unless parents consciously choose what to teach their kids, they get their ideas from music, videos, friends, magazines.. Everybody LOOK and LISTEN...
Not what you really want girls and boys to believe about themselves now, is it???
I did start teaching my kids about sex when they were tots together in the bathtub, with proper names for body parts, even though my son thought his little sister was "broken" because her body did not match his. Always used proper names, even when the kids used them in front of people and I turned bright red. Always answered their questions honestly. Talked about how one makes choices about having sex, when they were 8-10.
You are so right, they are far more rational before they hit 12. We had deep talks.
It was not about sin, it was about taking good care of yourself, and other people.
Both grew up to be responsible adults, a bit late to the party with sex lives..
Did not chase around in high school. Did not drink in high school, or do drugs.
Talking about really taking care of oneself seems to spill over into all kinds of good choices.
We can do this. We can influence our kids to live healthy, thoughtful, good lives.
I am pro-choice.. as a back up plan, not as a lifestyle.
Birth control does fail. Rape happens. I know, it happened to me. We need choices.

Re: Unwanted Pregnancy In The Black Community- "Womb-Lynching" or Mis Education (or both)?

hippiechik — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 20:47:05 -0000

womb-lynching through having more abortion clinics in low-income areas?...that's kind of like saying that they put a disproportional amount of soup kitchens in low income areas, which encourages people to stay poor in order to eat for free...it's ridiculous...

cause and effect...they are there because that's where they are used...

education IS the answer...and calling girls 'bitches and hoes' and to glorify gang culture in popular culture is a major part of the problem...it teaches boys to disrespect women, girls to disrespect themselves, and everyone to disrespect simple morality and responsibility.
we ALL should stop shunting responsibility of teaching onto others and take it on ourselves as a community (including schools, mentoring programs and at home)...kids WILL learn about sex early...it's unavoidable in today's global information-network based world and culture...so let's make sure they ALL make informed choices, regardless of race...♥

Re: Seattle Anti-Panhandling Law: Political, Baseless And A Threat To Human Rights

Dawn — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 19:57:03 -0000

Councilmember remarks that panhandlers would have a negative impact on tourists. This need to show Seattle as a one dimension population extends beyond the presence of panhandlers. Seattle City Council likewise does not promote tourism to communities to the South; read Rainier Valley with beautiful views of Mt. Rainier while walking the Seward Park Look, Kobota Gardens, or to experience the color of the village of 98118 fondly known as Rainier Valley.

Re: Unwanted Pregnancy In The Black Community- "Womb-Lynching" or Mis Education (or both)?

sableverity — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 15:38:22 -0000

I should have used the term "age appropriate". We can teach Kindergartners what a penis or a vagina is when they say "what's that called?" Instead we say isht like "cookie" and "noodle". No good. We can age appropriately teach kids as young as 5 about sex by giving them facts as they ask for them.

Re: Unwanted Pregnancy In The Black Community- "Womb-Lynching" or Mis Education (or both)?

@bfloyd86 — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 15:15:09 -0000

I love how you kept this article balanced. But I don't think I agree that we should be teaching our kids about sex as early as kindergarten. Maybe 3rd or 4th grade, based on how I remember my own sexual consciousness beginning to develop. At 5-years-old any explanation of sex would have left me blindly curious, without the real cognitive awareness necessary to negotiate what I've heard with what I'm thinking.

Re: Unwanted Pregnancy In The Black Community- "Womb-Lynching" or Mis Education (or both)?

protectedstatic — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 13:29:28 -0000

...clearly these folks haven't spent any time around clinics where the protesters will shout things at apparent bi-racial couples like "Don't to it, it could be white!" *shudder* I didn't hear that often as a volunteer patient escort, but I heard it more than once in both St. Louis & DC.

Re: Unwanted Pregnancy In The Black Community- "Womb-Lynching" or Mis Education (or both)?

JG* — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 11:57:08 -0000

You made excellent points. Sex is just ignored until it's too late. IT'S SEX PEOPLE. It's not some major secret. Just about everyone in the world will at some point do it. "Just Say No" doesn't work with drugs and it for sure won't work with Sex. Time to get smart about this.

Re: Pioneer Square: We'll Take One Neighborhood Code, Hold The Homeless

sableverity — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 18:47:29 -0000

BOOM- Temy got it.

Re: Pam Grier's "Foxy" Memoir: A Life In Three Acts

sableverity — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 18:47:15 -0000

You're MOST welcome!

Re: Pam Grier's "Foxy" Memoir: A Life In Three Acts

Pam Grier — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 14:31:16 -0000

Sable, you have scribed the most impressive commentary of my history, Your writing and thoughts are brilliant. Thank you. xox Hugs, Pam Grier

Re: E.Badu's "Window Seat" Video: It's Not About The Ass!

Temy — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 20:02:24 -0000

I completely agree with this. I had not heard of Erykah before this. Most of the reponse to her video proves her point very well. I "got" her message and agreed. The only thing that ticked me off about the video was the blurring of parts of her very appealing anatomy.

Re: Pioneer Square: We'll Take One Neighborhood Code, Hold The Homeless

Temy — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:54:06 -0000

It seems that "values" here means that the wealthy are superior people - after all they're wealthy, and the poor ar inferior.

Re: Our Country Is Sick. Diagnosis: Racism

Temy — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:49:25 -0000

I agree with much of this piece. I agree that the problem of racism is likely to get much worse before (if ever) it gets better. One reason for that is the endless repitition of the fiction that the Civil War was all about slavery. Obviously , it was an issue, but one of many. The average Johhny Reb never did or never could have owned, even land, much less slaves. To a great many of these the driving issue was that people foreign to most of them - yankees - had invaded their territory, behaving as invading armies usually do, and they saw themselves as defending their homes and lives. Others believed they had the Constitutional right to separate themselves from a Union - after all if you are not allowed to leave a union - any union - you are, by definition, a prisoner.

Re: Dear Jamie Oliver: For A Successful Food Revolution, You MUST...

Temy — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:21:20 -0000

"the foods he prepares cost more money". This is no small thing for huge numbers of people. In the case of schools too, with teacher lay-offs, school closings and endless budget cuts. Granted obesity is a problem. The solution should be finding ways to stop that other than being more physical. This only perpetuates our animal nature. We must get past that.

Re: Pioneer Square: We'll Take One Neighborhood Code, Hold The Homeless

Reader — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 17:37:21 -0000

I think the residents are more concerned with the issues that follow the homeless - meaning drugs and crime. Comparing these very real problems to racism of the past is a bit of a stretch, to me.

Re: Dear Jamie Oliver: For A Successful Food Revolution, You MUST...

LizB — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 06:05:44 -0000

Funny you should say that... Check out this USDA press release dated 4/12/10:http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0...

Re: KFC's Double Down Dose of Death

eRiC — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 17:13:21 -0000

Now that's MY type of Chicken Sandwhich!!! I can't WAIT to get back to America!!! I'm going STRAIGHT to KFC! (I don't eat cheese, though.--substitute the cheese for some lettuce...and it's GOLD!)

Three Cheers for the Colonel!

Re: Dear Jamie Oliver: For A Successful Food Revolution, You MUST...

Aunt LoLo — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 16:01:13 -0000

Thank you for this!! I may not be as vehement as you in my stance on public school foods - If a piece of pizza dough is big enough, I feel it should DEFINITELY count as two grain servings, not one! - but I liked what you said about schools focusing on kids feeling FULL rather than being FED.

Re: A 'lil Left Coast History Lesson

eric — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:28:21 -0000

cont'd:
Now, if you consider the fact that Black American men have a tendency to scrutinize, analyze, and re-analyze situations in hopes of detecting the "surprise;" then Rap music should be much easier to understand. There are coded messages in the music, because we live lives of coded meanings. We reside outside areas and spaces of Power, and we are continually kept out of those places of Power by the PowerHolders. This is not a stagnant battle....this is a battle that is in CONSTANT flux.
...and there is something is Rap music that nurtures the PSYCHOLOGY of the Black Men who live the lives. QUALITY rap music is for this Particular Man. Rap music is for the psychological stress relief of the Brotha who is waging an honest war against the machine. Sometimes his psychological state is Righteous. Sometimes it is Misogynistic. Sometimes it is Happy. Sometimes it is Sad. Sometimes it is Loving. Sometimes it is Conservative. Sometimes it is Gratuitous. But, QUALITY rap music, like that of 2Pac Shakur's, will be revered by Black American men.....because it is communication that speaks to the Souls of [some] Black Folk.