Progressive props for Huntsman

Readers,

Yes, I will use this opportunity to lavish some rare praise for a Republican candidate for President (don't get used to it!). I watched Fmr. Governor Huntsman's Announcement for the Presidency this morning and was struck by his tone of civility. Huntsman, a once- Governor of this deep deep fringe-red state, has often struck a liberal tone on social issues: embracing civil unions, the expansion of health care to underserved Utahns and 'Carbon Cap & Trade'. He has since shied away from these 'liberalisms' if not completely turned his back on them (embracing the Paul Ryan plan and other fringe ideas). But, back to his speech.

Huntsman spoke of returning to civility and (jaw-dropper here) said that "I respect the President" and said that he wanted to run on a platform of 'who would be a better President, not a better American' (paraphrase). I was heartened and impressed by this civility. I love and value passionate, even raucous, debate, but I am so tired of the oversimplifications and sensationalism that characterizes political discussion. Do I believe that Obama or Boehner hates America and wants to see babies cry? No. Do I believe that Paul Ryan wants to kill seniors with his bare hands? No. Do I believe that the GOP 'austerity for everyone, but the rich' policy is bad for our country...YES!.

I like Hunstman's return to civility. I hope he also returns to his embrace of a moderate platform. Either way, Obama will win in 2012. YES WE CAN.

Thanks for reading!

Racism and the modern day

Readers,

I was inspired to write this post by recent comments I heard from people close to me (no names here as I don't want to throw anyone 'under the bus'). The comments regarded African Americans, but are in no way limited to that sub-section of the American populace. To set the scene for this monologue, I will venture back in time to the era of my first 'girlfriend', circa 4th or 5th grade. I was 'dating' an African American girl and our relationship was as lovely, unserious, and silly as any 4th/5th grade relationship could be. Looking back through the somewhat foggy lens of past, I never thought her skin color to be odd or different or abnormal or honestly anything to inspire a negative passing thought. She was half-black, half-white and I was (and am) pale and resemble a vampire. A year or so passed, and she moved somewhere north and we stopped talking. I don't remember missing her, though I did call her several years later, but was too shy to talk to her.

I digress, and I'll return to the recent history. I was in College and was attracted to a smart and confident African American individual. I wanted to pursue her, but never really had the chance as I was between relationships. Anyway, I was told by one individual to avoid her. I was taken aback and asked why. This individual responded that white and black relationships don't work, because blacks are so 'different'. I was shocked, saddened and angry. I couldn't believe that people still think that way. I felt as if the victories of the African American equality movement were not as complete as I had hoped. This same individual (typically not a overt racist) recently reiterated that whites and blacks shouldn't be together, because of 'differences' (this argument was also used against Muslims). These differences were never promulgated, but then again, I wasn't listening much at that point.

The other comments to be exposed, are the constant stereotypes I hear of this or that hypothetical African American being a gangster or a marathon runner or a basket ball player. These stereotypes have sickened and saddened me. Have many of us simply internalized and repressed racism and bigotry? The Researchers behind one Harvard/U. of Virginia/U. of Washington project think so:

The 'Implicit Association Test' was designed to monitor implicit associations and biases, such as racial stereotypes, that individuals make in snap judgements. The IAT doesn't measure overt racism or misogyny, etc...it measures the snap associations we make when we read/hear certain words or look at specific pictures representing/depicting particular ethnic groups. The authors suggest that many individuals are implicitly racist, even though most of us will never recognize this. You can take the test here

So, what can we do to combat implicit or explicit racism? Firstly, we can refuse to take part in ethnic stereotypes, e.g. stop spreading unfair and untrue rumors and'observations' about different ethnic groups. Humor is liberating, but some 'jokes' smack of hatred and not humor. Secondly, we can try to root out the implicit stereotypes that we may harbor. We can do this by stopping ourselves when untrue and negative stereotypes enter our mind, albeit briefly, and change those thoughts to better reflect reality. We can also ensure that negative examples of each ethnic group are not the only individuals we think of when we think of that group, e.g. hitler for the Germans, Stalin for the russians, etc etc. Education is not a panacea, but certainly helps to combat racism.

I am heartened by the election of Barack Obama for many reasons, but the fact that he is half- Black is a testament to the fact that we are healing as a nation-albeit slowly. I hope we are healing-it breaks my heart to hear people close to me anathematize an interracial/interethnic relationship.

Love to hear your comments.

Thanks for reading!

Cameron

The

In support of Marriage Equality

Friends,

This is my soon-to-be published Letter to the Editor. Look for it in the Standard Examiner.

Thanks for reading!

The United States is in three wars, its economy is stagnant at best, and Americans are struggling with issues like sky-high gas prices, unemployment, and any number of other problems in their day to day lives. Yet, to some, it’s not enough to be distracted and worried by global crises and economic woes, so they invent a new bogeyman: marriage equality. The New York Senate is soon to vote yay or nay on a marriage equality act and to some it is inconceivable that two same-sex individuals who love each other should get married. But why? Well, the reasons run the gamut from selective quoting of the bible to their own insecurities and biases against people that are different from themselves. Some even seem to believe that a same-sex marriage will bring about the end of procreation and even society itself.

The surprising part about this rhetoric is not the novelty of this bigotry, but the fact that these ‘arguments’ are simply re-hashed and shameful slanders from those of our recent history in which African American & White marriages were routinely attacked. In fact, until 1967, some states outlawed interracial marriage. For approximately 300 years, there were laws in the Colonies, and later, the States, that prohibited the union of Whites and Blacks- something we are no doubt ashamed of today. The underlying cause for such opposition to interracial marriage, as well as same-sex marriage, is ignorance and fear, mixed with that ever-present discrimination which has too often yoked our great history of tolerance and liberty. It is time that we speak out for marriage equality and the fulfillment of the American Dream.

Back to the grind

Friends (a ramble will ensue),

I have decided to kick-start the old blog again. I feel creatively and intellectually stymied as of late, so I hope this will galvanize that snow-buried spark. I visited the World Refugee Day event at Granite Peaks High School today and again marveled at the hidden diversity in Utah. I am simply heartened at the gathering, which brought together peoples from all walks of life and all corners of the globe. I wish more of the outside community knew about these events, and truthfully, cared to attend these events. We have so much to learn from other cultures, i.e. 'American Exceptionalism' is not "The End of History", but a good and imperfect effort to capture that mis-guided ideal. I say mis-guided, because I don't believe that we can ever stop in our quest for moral and socio-economic 'greatness' (and our system is surly not the end). We can never stop striving to improve the lives of others, for once we do, we have unknowingly regressed to barbarism.

I digress, and move on to another topic. As my friends know, I am fascinated by all things political. I enjoy watching the master rhetoricians (a euphemism for liars and poet-salesmen) engage in their craft. I find it fascinating that the GOP can convince voters time and time again that its platform is commensurate with the hopes and aspirations of the middle and lower classess (while eviscerating the programs and institutions that support said groups). I squirm uncomfortably when another straight-faced tuxedo tells the American people that he/she wants to cut taxes on the unfathomably rich to benefit them (the 'others'). Or, when that same millionaire attacks food stamps and aid to pregnant women in the name of the ALL-MIGHTY DEFICIT! This same DEFICIT is not appeased by raising some taxes on the wealthy (or on oil companies) and is definitely not appeased by closing some of our many military bases or by scaling back our fruitless wars on drugs. No, this DEFICIT is pleased only vis a vis the suffering of the middle class and poor.

Anybody else think that it is not right to throw the poor under the mighty-bus of the DEFICIT? Now, we should not persecute the rich for simply being rich-many even give half of their incomes to charity-but we should and can and must ask them to pay their fair share to the wonderful country and the wonderful people who made their riches possible. I am speaking of a return to true PROGRESSIVISM! I will state, for the record (as diminutive as it is), that the congress can and should and must raise my taxes to close the deficit. The congress must raise my neighbors taxes and must (especially) raise the taxes of my wealthy friends and colleagues in Fruit Heights and in the Avenues. It is patriotic to pay your fair share. It is patriotic to push for equality. It is class warfare to keep attacking the poor and the middle class to keep the top 2% infinitely more rich than the bottom 98%.

Moving on. I am gleefully awaiting New York's adoption of Marriage Equality, aka Gay Marriage. There is no strong argument against marriage equality. Selectively quoting archaic words to justify hatred will never win the day. Human Rights can not be denied for long (relatively speaking here) and at the end of the day, humanity will be one step closer to realizing true human kindness and compassion. We can not be a truly moral nation when we deprive individuals of their right to equality and the equal pursuit of happiness.

On another note, I am in the process of learning Swahili and French (still nascent). I hope to be a strong linguist as this is one of the best ways to open up myself to the world and to help the most individuals. Every time that I forget about the paramount nature of service, I forget my reason for living. Service and compassion (the same concept) are the zenith accomplishment of the Homo Sapien. I am humbly trying to advance that great legacy, but I have stumbled too many times. I am heartened (and re-motivated) by the selfless individuals I see around me daily.

Thank you all and sorry for the word salad ramble.

Best,

Cameron Morgan

Short Speech on Social Justice

Here is my speech that I gave at the Adrian Maxson Scholarship for Social Justice Benefit Concert. It was meant to be spoken, not read, but thanks for reading!

Social Justice is...

You heard some rocking music, some sweet grooves, and now…a boring speaker! Woo! Haha My name is Cameron Morgan, and unlike a far more talented speaker and man than myself- Barack Obama, I was not born in Hawaii or raised in Indonesia, but born and bred in the heartland itself-Kaysville, Utah. I am going to tell you a little about who I am and why you should support this wonderful cause.

My life was more or less a blur until I discovered the joy of service toward the end of high school and-that joy culminated in my founding of Weber State STAND, a student anti-genocide organization that raised thousands for victims of genocide and gave voice to the struggles of the Sudanese and Congolese. It was an absolute pleasure to hear that I had received the Adrian Maxon Scholarship for Social Justice 2 long years ago-ah to be young again! I am now very old-and perhaps wiser-and an alumnus of this fine University. I will soon be starting a position as a job developer for the refugee population of Utah at a local non-profit organization. I digress, it was an honor to receive this scholarship because I felt like I was some small part of the great human struggle of social justice.

What is Social Justice? Social Justice is the Dream of Martin Luther King Jr. Social Justice is the march on Selma’s bridge. The little old lady who refused to move to the back of the bus. The courageous African Americans and whites who risked-and-gave their lives to make America whole-proclaiming loudly that separate is not equal. The LGBT and their allies that refuse to deny anyone their equal rights because of who that person wants to take to the prom. Social Justice is the election of the first black President of the United States-Barack Hussein Obama-YES WE CAN.

Social Justice is a woman having the right to vote-is fighting against the evils of racism, bigotry, and intolerance in any form-in embracing Catholics, Muslims, Jews, and all believers and non-believers alike. Social Justice is expressed in the fact that children can go to school instead of the factory , is heard in the mass that won’t stay quiet in the midst of immoral wars or in the face of bold and ugly- hatred. Social Justice is the love of true Democracy, of tolerance, of critical thinking, of consistent-founding-father-approved civil disobedience. Social Justice is embraced by every major religion and creed-love thy neighbor as thy self, “Do not forget to do good to one another” (Quran), ahimsa (Buddhism); social justice is a trait expressed by a dedicated, but fierce minority of all colors, stripes, and beliefs. Social Justice is the very epitome of Patriotism.

Working on behalf of social justice through STAND and Amnesty international has been the highlight of my life. This is why I was thankful and humbled to receive this scholarship and this is why I urge you to generously support the Scholarship fund and social justice as a whole. Thank you so much for being here and please stop by the STAND and Amnesty International tables outside. Thanks!

-Cameron

My blog is re-opening!

Friends/Family/readers

I am reviving my blog for the sheer fun of it. I have graduated from WSU and am beginning a whole new life-exciting, frightening.

I spent the summer in DC working on two separate internships. I will be posting 'letter to the editors' on here, along with my poetry and other relevant thoughts.

Here are my letter to the editors from the summer!

Published August 4, 2010 in the Standard Examiner:http://www.standard.net/topics/opinion/2010/08/04/hatch-bennett-should-vote-arms-reduction

Hatch, Bennett should vote for arms reduction

Last updated Wednesday, August 4, 2010

(UNEDITED)"I have a dream of a world without nuclear weapons." Ronald Reagan reportedly told this to his aides while advocating for a drastic reduction of those devastating arms in the Soviet Union and the United States. The Soviet Union fell, Europe was freed from the shackles of Communism and Democracy immerged in Siberia.

In the words of President Obama, "Today the Cold War has disappeared but thousands of those weapons have not." According to the Pentagon, the U.S. has 5,113 nuclear warheads at its disposal, more than enough to destroy the world many times over.
The United States enjoys the dubious distinction of being the only country in the world to have ever used nuclear weapons in war-in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We have learned of the horrors of nuclear attack and can vividly picture the likely consequences of nuclear war. No nation in the world (no matter how eccentric its leaders) wants nuclear war. Russia poses no major threat militarily, economically, or ideologically to us any longer. The

true threat to our survival is a terrorist attack on the poorly-defended Russian nuclear silos-and, as a consequence, a terrorist group with such a weapon. It is in our best interest for Russia to disarm, and thus for us to begin disarming.

Senators Hatch and Bennett should vote yes to the arms reduction treaty that President Obama negotiated with Russia. The Cold War has indeed ended-it is time to move on. It is time for a new, nuclear free age to begin.

Cameron Morgan

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Published in the Standard Examiner: July 14, 2010


Every citizen of Davis County has been killed by their own government. Over 2.5 million residents of Utah have been forcibly displaced from their homes by government-sponsored militias. Tens of thousands of Utah women have been raped by gun-touting thugs.

Food, health care, and employment have been consistently denied to tribal minorities in Utah as a form of punishment for being born. A veritable genocide has occurred.

As you might have guessed, I am not talking about Utah at all. I’m not even talking about World War II-era Germany, or Rwanda or the Balkans in the 90s. I am talking about the arid western region of the largest country in Africa: Darfur, Sudan.

The dictator-in-chief of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir, has recently been charged by the International Criminal Court (ICC) with three counts of genocide for the systematic murder, rape and displacement of more than 300,000 of the Fur, Masalit, and Zaghawa ethnic groups in Sudan since 2003. The Holocaust is still occurring and the crimes of today’s Hitler, i.e. Mr. Bashir, are being recognized by the international community, albeit after seven long years

The issuance of the arrest warrant for Bashir should motivate every Utahn to demand that the U.S. government cooperate with the ICC in ensuring that Bashir is captured and thus that this modern Holocaust ends. We have said ‘never again’ time and time again only to watch as the world burns.

This time we can not capitulate, we can not cower. Bashir must be arrested for his genocide.


Cameron Morgan

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Here is my letter to the editor, published June 11 in the Standard Examiner:

(UNEDITED) A new report by the non-profit group, Physicians for Human Rights (PHP), documents evidence that strongly suggests that the Bush administration authorized illegal medical experimentation on individuals who were accused of having terrorist sympathies.
The experimentation was established to justify and improve the use of techniques, such as water boarding, severe sleep deprivation, and stress positions. These so called 'enhanced interrogation techniques' have been widely accused of constituting torture.

PHP notes that the experimentations could be violations of the Nuremberg Code (established after the Holocaust), the Common Law (established after the Tuskegee experiment) and numerous federal and international laws.

Additionally, the 'research' may well constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. The illegal and unethical nature of the research stemmed primarily from the fact that the 'patients' did not provide their un-coerced consent to be experimented upon and the experiments were not designed to reduce pain and maximize the patient's well-being.

If this evidence is collaborated and found to be true, the United States will indeed have lost its moral authority on the world stage. The Obama administration should immediately issue an executive order banning the use of unlawful and unconscionable coerced human experimentation.

Cameron Morgan

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War in Afghanistan has now claimed 1,000 Americans [Published in the Standard Examiner]


Last Edit: May 18 2010 - 1:48pm


(UNEDITED) As voters rush to the mid-term polls to decide the direction of their parties, whether Democratic or Republican, the War in Afghanistan will likely not be on the top of their minds. The Afghanistan War, in its 8th year, has reached a terrible

milestone of 1,000 American soldiers who have been killed in combat. The war has lasted longer than American involvement in World War I, II, or Korea and we don't seem to have a viable definition of 'victory' to strive to. The renowned Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, John Mearsheimer, said that the best option for the U.S. now is to, "acknowledge defeat and pullout completely." It is clear that the U.S., via the War in Afghanistan, can't defeat the amorphous al-Qaeda force or the deeply-entrenched Taliban insurgency. There will always be

somewhere for terrorists to hide and the war will not end the threat the US faces from these groups. Furthermore, the war is unpopular domestically, with a CNN poll demonstrating that only 30% of Americans now support the war effort in Afghanistan.

President Obama should honor his commitment to withdrawal from Afghanistan next year and increasingly rely on smart power techniques that address the root causes of terrorism while using predator drone attacks to prevent imminent threats.

Cameron Morgan

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More letters to come soon! Thanks for Reading!

With hope,

Cameron Morgan

My published article on Kenya

Hey,

This is the column I published in the Signpost: Please read it!

A tale of two cities
By Cameron Morgan

Published: Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Updated: Wednesday, January 13, 2010

**Signpost columnist, Gina Barker, worked with Cameron Morgan in Kenya.

Nairobi, Kenya, is a tale of two cities. Walk its crowded streets and you might be surprised to hear the tormented teen vampire Edward courting clumsy Bella at a high-tech movie theater, the nostalgic smell of popcorn and chocolate more reminiscent of Ogden than the third world. Take a left or two and everything changes — you are in the Kibera slums. The smell of popcorn fades to the stink of sewage and garbage and you realize you are not in Kansas, or Utah, anymore.
Kenya is a hot spot for tourism. Its Great Rift Valley — specifically its lions, flamingos and zebras, attract westerners: Muzungus, from Europe and the United States. Tourists typically congregate in up-scale shopping malls and dance halls, but increasingly, so do middle-class Kenyans. Expensive shopping malls accommodate comparatively wealthy tourists, but are supported primarily by middle class Kenyans — a group gaining increased sway as its numbers grow. The Kenyan middle class and upper class defy the somewhat stereotypical notion of a universally starving and poor Kenya.The country’s elite, the top 10 percent who are most likely the friends and family of Kenya’s rulers, controls 34.9 percent of Kenya’s wealth. This wealthy group, when not investing their money in Swiss bank accounts, are helping to finance new banks, cafes and concert halls.

Wealthy Kenyans live well, sheltered behind gates, security guards and suites — these are not the emaciated women and children with bulging bellies, sad realities are amply covered by the major western news outlets. According to The Daily Nation, a Nairobi-based periodical, rich Kenyans are spending $534 million a year on lavish weddings alone. A sharp contrast to the millions of Kenyans who live on less than a dollar a day.

It is hard to dispute that Kenya’s elite is largely tainted by cronyism, nepotism and corruption — Kenya is consistently listed as one of the most corrupt countries in the world by the western governments and NGO’s. However, this shouldn’t discount the fact that distinct, albeit narrow segments of Kenyan society are living the capitalist dream.

Where does Kenya go from here? The country is the most stable and prosperous of its east African neighbors; its people are friendly and love Americans, especially Obama. It borders a failed state to its east, a country devastated by the messianic cult the Lord’s Resistance Army to the west, and a genocide and civil-war-ravaged Sudan to its north. Too many still starve in Kenya today; too many can’t afford to attend its supposedly free primary schools; too many face violence, a 40 percent unemployment rate and an uncertain future.

It is hard to say if Kenya will follow the economic path of the Asian nations like South Korea and Singapore or if perennial election violence and tribal hatreds will drag the country to the depths of a Somalia or Sudan. The next time water-bottle-wielding tourists stroll down the pock-marked streets of Nairobi, they may well hear the wail of Tchaikovsky’s violin in place of the sickening sounds of gunfire. This time I’m pulling for Edward and his obsessive audience, Kenya’s blooming middle class.

[from http://www.wsusignpost.com/editorial/a-tale-of-two-cities-1.1010680] -structure changed with copy and paste-read original there]

Thanks!
Cameron