MINOT, N.D. — Purchase an ebook by George Orwell and you may not be getting the original work. Per a recent New York Times report, you may be getting some other version created by publishers exploiting loopholes in copyright law. It’s an ironic thing to happen to happen to Orwell, of all people. Downright Orwellian, you might say. It’s…
Senator Kevin Cramer: Sometimes People Are Racist Against North Dakotans
Senator Kevin Cramer recently made some comments defending President Donald Trump in his feud with Rep. Elijah Cummings, and in them suggested that he’s at times a victim of racism because people make “snide” remarks about North Dakota. From the Washington Times: “I could be a victim of racism, but I don’t offend easily, I…
John Andrist: A Second Face of Racism and Sexism
There is a subtle form of racism that exists even among those who decry the practice. I noted a few weeks ago that those who think Native Americans require special benefits are, in fact, racists. An estimated 80 percent of them function just like the rest of us, having walked away from reservation life. The…
Are We Sure We Aren’t Overreacting to These Racist Snapchat Photos at UND?
People at the University of North Dakota, from the administration to students to members of the faculty – are overreacting to a couple of racist Snapchat photos. An anti-racism rally prompted by the photos is scheduled for later today, and according to the Grand Forks Herald, “the school will form a diversity advisory council to…
Trump Will Survive The "Mexican Judge" Controversy Because We Have Become Inured To Accusations Of Racism
Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan has said that Donald Trump’s comments about the Mexican heritage of a judge presiding over a lawsuit against him were “the textbook definition of a racist comment.” I agree with Speaker Ryan. Maybe the judge has an ideological bias which would preclude him from presiding objectively over a…
On Television: The North Dakota National Guard Is Not Racist
I had a good time on television last night with Chris Berg, as usual. We discussed my post from yesterday about the North Dakota National Guard responding to accusations that one of their recruiters was behaving in a racist manner at basketball tournament. For those of you tuning in, a University of North Dakota instructor…
Do We Need To Convene A Commission Every Time Some Idiot Graffitis?
Someone in the City of Grand Forks scrawled something ignorant and bigoted on the side of a building recently (see above) and now activists are demanding the city form a commission in response. Because we need to start a dialogue about race, or something. As if Americans weren’t already bombarded with that dialogue every day, day after…
James Kerian: Alleged Ferguson PD Racism Is Nothing Compared To Senate Democrats
Last week the Justice Department, under Attorney General Eric Holder’s supervision, released its report on the shooting of Michael Brown by Darren Wilson of the Ferguson Police Department. The report stated that there is “no evidence” that Wilson did anything illegal and that the “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” myth that has been perpetrated by Wilson’s critics…
Matt Evans: What If It Isn't Racism?
Racism is on everyone’s mind lately. This seems to be a result of a few high profile altercations between white law enforcement and black civilians. National examples include the Ferguson shooting, the NYPD choking, and the killing of the kid with the toy gun. Closer to home, we have the case of the black student…
From The Left: Can We Have An Adult Conversation On Race?
As the situation in Ferguson, MO, has continued to simmer; it appears we have again fallen into the discussion of race in our country. Now I want to make something very clear, I don’t know what happened with Darren Wilson that led him to shoot an unarmed Michael Brown and honestly, I am not interested…