1:38 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · MBAPBSAllAmericaDem| Politics| Washington DC · 1 Comment
29 Jun 2007
Between last night’s debate and an early flight out of DC, I’m exhausted but thrilled to have gone and given the opportunity, not just to cover the event, but meet some other bloggers whom I admire.
That said. I sleepily searched through the Spanish language media for some report on the debate last night and found nada. Did I take a nap or was this ignored in the Latino press? Maybe the press was too preoccupied with the immigration issue?
10:28 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · MBAPBSAllAmericaDem · 3 Comments
28 Jun 2007
There is discussion here as to the debate/forum. Many issues were not covered or were barely touched upon. If this really was a forum aimed at the people of color community why were there no women’s issues discussed? Sure these issues were touched upon in the areas of educating our children but what about reproductive rights and domestic violence, two huge problems plaguing women of color. Also the big story of the day was immigration and why was that not mentioned. Some bloggers are suggesting that if anyone needed to bring the issue up it should have been Ruben Navarrette, as the token Latino on the panel, or that Bill Richardson, who proudly touted himself as the first Latino to run for president, should have said something. This of course then begs the question : are latino issues only to be brought up by and for Latinos?
When I asked Governor Richardson (yes I asked him-look how sweaty he got upon seeing me) about such forums/debates for Latinos, he pointed to the upcoming National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed officials Democratic forum. But that forum, to my knowledge, isn’t televised nationally like tonight’s forum was. So are Latinos being pandered to but not really brought into the political process. Are we an afterthought/add on to other race issues?
Perhaps I expected too much. Perhaps I got caught up in the spin in the media room and lost my jaded edge and actually believed in electoral politics.
10:19 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · MBAPBSAllAmericaDem · Comments Off
28 Jun 2007I think this is a legitimate issue because of the massiveness of it and the US willingness to intervene in other nations when it is convenient and highlights the trend of ignoring the killing of people of color if the US isn’t doing it directly. Kucinich made great points about this but he comes off as too kooky for most people.
Time flew, let’s see who comes back to talk in the media room. Rumor has it Obama will not be coming….
10:01 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Justice| MBAPBSAllAmericaDem · Comments Off
28 Jun 2007These 30 second answers are leading to answers with zero substance. Basically what people are doing is the given, get rid of mandatory drug sentences but what is the focus on drugs, as if all POC are in jails and arrested because we are all crackheads, when it goes deeper than that.
Someone needs to do a word count on how many times the words drugs, crack, jail have been used because it seems like the candidates seem to think that is the root of evil rather than what causes those things to be used the way they are
9:07 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · MBAPBSAllAmericaDem · Comments Off
28 Jun 2007I’m currently in the Blackburn Center at Howard Univeristy lie blogging the PBS All American Forum (after some tech problems). I’ve already mentioned that the debate is based on the Covenant with Black America which makes me think that while this debate is being framed as a forum for people of color, color is being looked at through the strictly black/white lens. Latinos need a national plan of action too especially if we are to become that swing vote that people have been saying we are.
The first question asked was if race was still the #1 factor today, especially in light of today’s Supreme Court decision which basically elimates race as a factor in terms of educational considerations for grades k-12. So far Hilary and Biden have given answers that everyone wants to hear but I wish that Bill Richardon would have conquered the issue of the black/white paradigm. And you know you have a problem when John Edwards can’t even say slavery.
As expected, the event is an Obama lovefest (someone please play that reggaeton song). I’m pleased that Obama did go beyond the black/white issue of race by at least mentionaing Latinos (although you have to wonder if he said that because Bill Richardson shouted himself out as the first Latino running for president.
2:19 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Immigration| MBAPBSAllAmericaDem| Washington DC · 1 Comment
28 Jun 2007
I was on my way to Washington DC to cover the PBS All-American Presidential Forum (Democratic version), just as “comprehensive immigration reform” died, again. Not that I’m surprised, my coverage of the issue has been a series of “told you so’s” because as I heard a commentator on FOX News say today (on the in-flight Direct TV it was Fox or Dora – both are screamy and annoying), the Republicans and their base have shown their power. Well obviously overwhelmingly white men who vote are going to have more agency than however many thousands of overwhelmingly Latino immigrants who cannot vote and hit the streets peacefully. I’m curious to see if and how the immigration issue is brought up tonight given the fact that the forum tonight is based off the Contract With Black America that mentions immigration and its relationship with the larger black community, um nowhere.
VivirLatino is a daily publication published by 2 Mujeres Media, dedicated to featuring all the latest politics, culture, entertainment of interest to the diverse and influential Latino and Latina community in the U.S.
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