Author name: Buffalo Latino Village

SLEEPY FLORIDA MAN SEEKS TO TURN US INTO A NATIONWIDE FLORIDA

SLEEPY FLORIDA MAN SEEKS TO TURN US INTO A NATIONWIDE FLORIDA When my wife and I announced to our family and friends that we were leaving Florida after twelve years and moving back home to Buffalo, the common question we were asked was “why do you want to go back to the cold?” I cannot say anything negative about my time there, as the State of Florida was exceptionally good to me, both personally and professionally. My family and I made many memories that we will forever hold onto and although I love the hot weather, ironically, the climate helped make our decision to come back home. The political climate that is. In the months since we left the Sunshine State, I have been keeping an eye on the happenings on the local and state level, seeing the politicization of classrooms and colleges/universities has made my wife and I feel better about our decision to leave. Florida (Man) Governor, Ron DeSantis, has decided to fight the culture war as he begins his quest, a shadowy one at that, of running for the White House in the 2024 general election. DeSantis is using a similar playbook that 45 used, one that plays up fears and xenophobia as well as focusing on issues that only evangelical White voters will latch onto. I learned as a Florida homeowner, back in 2021, that many insurance companies were raising rates and outright dropping coverage due to high costs of insurance rates throughout the state of Florida. My home at the time was one of the thousands throughout the state, whose insurance was dropped, due to the age of our roof, and thus, we were forced to have a completely new roof installed to have homeowners insurance. Thankfully, that new roof was a selling point many months later as we decided to sell and move back north, however, many Floridians did not have that option. In the months and years since the homeowner’s insurance issues arose, State Representatives in Tallahassee refused to work on legislation that would have helped Floridians. Instead, they decided to focus their attention on “Critical Race Theory,” limiting classroom teachers from saying “Gay,” banning books from school libraries that were too “woke” and now in the past few months, attacking drag queens and Disney because of the Mouse’s inclusivity. When I saw reports that books on Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente were on the banned book list, alongside any books that mentioned America’s racist past, it just made me shudder at the thought of my Brown children sitting in a Florida classroom learning an edited version of America’s history, one that did not cover the Civil Rights movement nor the struggles people of color in this country have had to endure throughout its history. All because Florida Man is playing up to his base, trying to seek support from the ignorant and “sleepy” people, who are against anything that would be considered “woke.” We are seeing fascism take hold of the Sunshine State and Florida Man may well be the Republican nominee for President in 2024. Do not think that these policies or measures will only be exclusive to Florida however, as many other Republican governors nationwide are adopting similar measures. Look, I am not anti-Republican nor anti-Conservative. Although I have always been leaning to the left, however, as I get older, I find myself more conservative on some issues and liberal on others. I have voted for Republicans in the past and may very well do so in the future, one day when they rid themselves of the fascist wing of their party, however as it stands currently, the fascist leanings hidden behind “patriotism” needs to be met head-on and called out. We cannot let America become Florida because it will be a cold place. Read More From This Writer All Post Business Culture Entertainment Food Government Health Interviews Lower West Side Business & Economic Development Medical Our Community Peace People Sports SLEEPY FLORIDA MAN SEEKS TO TURN US INTO A NATIONWIDE FLORIDA April 23, 2023/No Comments POST TITLE (CAPITAL) Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus Read More Where Are We Going? March 23, 2023/No Comments Where Are We Going? A few weeks ago, as I was on my way to jump on the 190 from Read More “BORICUA SOY YO” A JOURNEY THAT STARTED ON A ROOFTOP IN YABUCOA February 23, 2023/No Comments Special to the Latino Village: “BORICUA SOY YO” A JOURNEY THAT STARTED ON A ROOFTOP IN YABUCOA Almost four years Read More Load More End of Content.

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PEACE IN UKRAINE AND WORLDWIDE! VIVA DIPLOMACY

PEACE IN UKRAINE AND WORLDWIDE! VIVA DIPLOMACY No hay camino hacia la paz – La Paz es el camino. – A. J. Muste As people on this and other continents are aware, the USA started as an invasion/occupation, with aggression, racism, and violence paving the way to “Manifest Destiny” from “sea to shining sea.” As the years have gone by, the push and pull both toward and away from peace, justice, and democracy has continued. After the tragedy of 9/11, then-President Bush used the terrible event to get Congress to pass a War Powers Act that ushered in the current era of the “Forever Wars;” Congress gave up the requirement that the President/Executive branch needs their approval for entering the war. The new War Powers Act enabled the president to take military action anywhere in the world, at any time. Thus, US militarism has ramped up even more! US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq went on for decades (neither country was involved with Al Qaida or 9/11); and US drones have also struck Yemen, Somalia, Libya, Pakistan, and more.  This rampant military activity, approximately 900 US military bases worldwide, our military spending almost as much as the entire rest of the world put together, and our being the #1 arms merchants worldwide (sometimes arming both sides of a conflict), make us continue to be what Rev. Dr. King called “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world.” Throughout the Forever Wars of the past two decades, the US military-industrial-Congressional-media complex has shown an insatiable appetite for war and ignores the wreckage left behind. Meanwhile, business is booming for weapons manufacturers and war profiteers; while people’s needs for health care, education, infrastructure, etc. go unmet (worldwide). In the last year alone, the United States sent $27.5 billion in military assistance to Ukraine. The war in Ukraine takes us deep into a proxy war with Russia, with nuclear arms on both sides, as well as nuclear power plants in the war zone – potential nuclear weapons all by themselves!! The danger of nuclear war was emphasized when scientists set the Doomsday Clock for 2023 to “ninety seconds before midnight.” They also warned of the Russia-Ukraine war’s undermining global efforts to combat climate change. While Russia’s arrogance and violent land grab is a huge problem, it is clear that the US’s reneging on its pledge to stop expanding NATO eastward towards Russia was a key element precipitating the Russian aggression. We have got to stop the madness. Shero activist and author Medea Benjamin has been sounding the alarm since co-founding CodePink (and before): fighting for peace, telling the truth about the war machine and the war economy. Medea is not pro-Russian; rather she is pro-truth, pro-diplomacy, and pro-negotiations. Come hear her at 1 pm, on April 23 at Fitz Books & Waffles, 431 Ellicott St, Buffalo; or April 24 (4:30 pm) at Niagara University. Her book, War In Ukraine – Making Sense of a Senseless Conflict, shares the history and analysis of this dangerous conflict. For more info, check wnypeace.org or our Facebook page. Read More From This Writer All Post Food Health Interviews Lower West Side Business & Economic Development Peace People RACISM IN THE BUFFALO POLICE DEPARTMENT (BPD)? March 16, 2023/No Comments “The beauty of anti-racism is that you don’t have to pretend to be free of racism to be anti-racist. Anti-racism Read More BLIZZARD RESPONSE? February 16, 2023/No Comments We must rapidly begin the shift from a ‘thing-oriented’ society to a ‘person-oriented’ society. When machines and computers, profit motives, and Read More The WNY Peace Center had a great 55th Annual Dinner — A follow-up: January 16, 2023/No Comments The WNY Peace Center had a great 55th Annual Dinner — A follow-up: Algunas personas preguntan, “Como estaba, la Cena Read More Load More End of Content.

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NO FRACKING WAY!

NO FRACKING WAY! As I witness the finale of Women’s History Month, and enter Earth Month, I think about the air quality after a train carrying toxins derailed in Ohio last month as the polluted plume of air was said to be traveling downstream of the Ohio River at about 1 mph. I also observe my FB news feed to learn how many Buffalonians will be concerned about how this affects our water and air quality as it’s only 200 miles away. I began pondering which uncrowned ComeUnity member I would be highlighting. One person came to mind who was not only an advocate, but a sponsor of a Bill turned Law, that banned not only fracking in Erie County but the “treatment” of fracked water coming into Erie County, through Buffalo and the surrounding areas to be “processed and cleaned.”  I remember when a handful of friends were sharing this information by presenting the “Gasland” documentary at different venues in 2012 & 2013. I had not heard about fracking before then. Although, it has been around in some form or another since the 1940s. I learned that it is a process of hydraulic drilling deep into the Earth’s crust, beyond the hard rock, which allows for the extraction of natural gas and oils. I remember being at the Burchfield Penney Museum — there was an art exhibit and a documentary being shown. I asked the former Erie County Legislator, Betty Jean Grant if she was going to attend. She said she “was going to stay as long as she could.”  She stayed until the end!  The documentary sparked discussions among the audience; they spoke about what they were witnessing on roads in the suburbs: Vehicles suspected of carrying the polluted waters from the fracking process traveled, there were concerns about birds and other animals found dead on the roads and in fields, and numbers, they had not seen before. Mrs. Grant let the audience know she was looking into these claims, and that she would do everything in her power to prevent these trucks from moving in and around our County. For months, activists rallied by the bus load to the State Capitol in Albany; carpooled to Erie County Legislative & Buffalo Common Council meetings; and even a “Welcome Brigade” for former Governor Cuomo (on his visit to Buffalo), who was considering allowing Fracking in NYS.  We were front and center, with handmade signs on wooden sticks that read “No Fracking Way,” “Just Say No to Fracking,” “Don’t Frack Erie County,” and “Vote Yes” (to Ban Fracking)! It was an exciting period in the Activism community that brought people of all social-economic statuses TOGETHER IN THE CAUSE TO SAVE OURSELVES from the damages caused by fracking. I am proud to know Mrs. Grant who took this Cause and not only listened to the concerns of her constituents that elected her but the whole county as well. She watched, listened, and most importantly, DID SOMETHING ABOUT IT!  As we enter Earth Month and are enjoying the upcoming warm breezes that the Spring will surely bring, take a moment to appreciate this very important Law that was sponsored by Mrs. Betty Jean Grant, Former District 2 Erie County Legislator and Author of “Falling Through the Cracks.” If you see or run into her: SALUTE HER! Watch “Gasland” on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/6mp4ELXKv-w; and Rita Yelda’s article celebrating this win:  https://www.buffalorising.com/2014/01/with-a-fracking-waste-ban-poloncarz-does-right-by-erie-families/ Read More From This Writer All Post Food Health Interviews Lower West Side Business & Economic Development People NO FRACKING WAY! April 13, 2023/No Comments POST TITLE (CAPITAL) Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus Read More “MODERN MODESTY BEGINS WITH ME” March 13, 2023/No Comments “MODERN MODESTY BEGINS WITH ME” “Our  Mission  is to  help  women  feel  Empowered in their  modest  clothing,  leaving  you  feeling Read More “PULLING THE RACE CARD”, LITERALLY February 13, 2023/No Comments “PULLING THE RACE CARD”, LITERALLY As we celebrate Black History Month, I wanted to feature my Sisters Sarah Pearson Collins Read More Load More End of Content.

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