Tag Archives: racism

Abbott tells state agencies and universities to hire more white people

Posted on February 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I mean, let’s be honest, that’s what this is about. Gov. Greg Abbott’s office is warning state agency and public university leaders this week that the use of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives — policies that support groups who have … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The poisoned fruit of the anti-Critical Race Theory tree

Posted on October 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Pass stupid, racist laws, get stupid, racist outcomes. A top administrator with the Carroll Independent School District in Southlake advised teachers last week that if they have a book about the Holocaust in their classroom, they should also offer students … Continue reading →

Posted in School days, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

More May election post-mortems

Posted on May 4, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

From the DMN: Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson bet the second half of his first term on these two council seats. Here’s how it looked after polls closed. Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson bet the second half of his first four-year term … Continue reading →

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More on the poll watcher problem

Posted on April 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s all right here. You just have to pay attention to what they’re saying. As Texas Republican lawmakers seek to expand the powers of partisan poll watchers — and Democrats warn doing so will lead to intimidation of minority voters … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Please shut up, CM Travis

Posted on December 31, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

And delete your Facebook account while you’re at it. The mayor, city activists and some of District G Councilmember Greg Travis’ colleagues are denouncing offensive comments he made online about former first lady Michelle Obama, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

Keith Nielsen resigns

Posted on December 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Better late than never, I guess. Harris County Republican Party Chairman Keith Nielsen resigned Monday, the party’s secretary confirmed, ending a brief tenure dogged by his social media post that displayed a Martin Luther King Jr. quote next to a … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Good riddance to a bad person

Posted on September 8, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We should all be thoroughly disgusted by this. A Texas assistant attorney general sent dozens of tweets over the past several months threatening violence against progressives, spouting racist and transphobic rhetoric, casting doubt over the seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic … Continue reading →

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Your Harris County Republican Party

Posted on August 8, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

What can one possibly say? Keith Nielsen has taken office as the chairman of the Harris County GOP, despite saying he would not do so earlier this summer after facing backlash to an image he posted on Facebook juxtaposing a … Continue reading →

Posted in General snarkiness, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Kaylynn Williford

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Goodbye, and good riddance. The head prosecutor for Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg’s trial division resigned Monday after posting a meme on Facebook last week that equated protesters who remove Confederate statutes with Nazis. The meme posted by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

UT athletes take a stand

Posted on June 15, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. Several athletes at the University of Texas at Austin are refusing to participate in recruiting incoming players or show up at donor-related events if university and athletics officials fail to respond to a list of demands geared … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , | 30 Comments

Where do they find these people?

Posted on June 6, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

News item: Five Texas GOP county leaders share racist Facebook posts, including one juxtaposing an MLK quote with a banana. Republican leaders in five Texas counties shared racist Facebook posts, some of which also floated conspiracy theories, leading Gov. Greg … Continue reading →

Posted in General snarkiness, Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

I don’t have anything to say this morning

Posted on August 4, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Twenty people murdered in El Paso by a racist piece of shit. Just families, out shopping for back to school supplies. You’re not safe anywhere from an asshole with an automatic weapon and a manifesto. I grew up in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , | 17 Comments

What’s next for the now-canceled white nationalist rally at A&M

Posted on August 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The legal experts are weighing in. Saunie Schuster, an attorney for The NCHERM Group, which provides consulting for schools on First Amendment issues, said that was the organizer’s big mistake. “You can be here and you can speak even if … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Hate groups are getting busy on college campuses

Posted on April 15, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the Anti-Defamation League, another reason to be worried, if you needed one. White supremacists, emboldened by the 2016 elections and the current political climate, are currently engaged in an unprecedented outreach effort to attract and recruit students on American … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , | 13 Comments

Family of Ahmed Mohamed files lawsuit against his former school

Posted on August 9, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I’d sue, too. Nearly one year after 14-year-old Ahmed Mohamed was arrested for bringing a “suspicious-looking” homemade clock to class, his family has filed suit against his former Texas school district, the principal of the high school and the city … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Friday was a very good day for voting rights

Posted on August 1, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

In North Carolina: The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit’s opinion in North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP v. McCrory is nothing short of a beat down. The court does not simply tear apart major provisions … Continue reading →

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Abbott, Patrick, and Trump

Posted on June 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

William Saletan: Republicans who have sworn allegiance to Donald Trump—the majority leaders of the United States House and Senate, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, and numerous governors and members of Congress—don’t think this country can return to the … Continue reading →

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The Dream takes on The Donald

Posted on January 30, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

You tell ’em, Hakeem. Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon, a devout Muslim splitting his time between homes in Houston and outside London, England, on Saturday called the proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States “not worthy of a president.” … Continue reading →

Posted in The making of the President | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

#IWillProtectYou

Posted on December 26, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This is great and terrible at the same time. Melissa Yassini and her 8-year-old daughter, Sofia, spend some time every evening reading messages from the thousands of people who have told Sofia not to be afraid just because she’s Muslim. … Continue reading →

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Our stupid social studies

Posted on October 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Unbelievable, except that it totally is believable. The publisher of one of Texas’ controversial social studies textbooks has agreed to change a caption that describes African slaves as immigrant “workers” after a Houston-area mom’s social media complaints went viral over … Continue reading →

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I stand with Ahmed

Posted on September 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Jesus H. Christ on a cracker. Ahmed Mohamed — who makes his own radios and repairs his own go-kart — hoped to impress his teachers when he brought a homemade clock to MacArthur High on Monday. Instead, the school phoned … Continue reading →

Posted in General snarkiness | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Katrina, ten years after

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Hurricane Katrina made landfall ten years ago this weekend. The Chron looks at the role Houston played in the aftermath, and the changes that resulted. Before and after Katrina’s Aug. 29 landfall as a strong Category 3 storm, more than … Continue reading →

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Dashcam video from Sandra Bland arrest released

Posted on July 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Press has a good writeup. I’m just going to quote the two bits of transcript they provided: “What’s wrong?” the trooper asked as he delivered Bland her ticket. “You seem very irritated.” “I really am, because I feel like … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Ralph Garr

Posted on April 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

On the anniversary this week of Hank Aaron’s 715th home run, the Chron profiles his teammate and resident of nearby Richmond, Ralph Garr. With Henry Aaron sitting on 714 career home runs as the Braves prepared to play the Dodgers … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Don’t expect much from the review of Judge Edith Jones

Posted on June 19, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

History says that nothing much will happen. Federal judicial disciplinary action is extremely rare in the United States, where district and circuit judges enjoy lifetime appointments and more than 95 percent of complaints are dismissed. However, some jurists have been … Continue reading →

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Review ordered for Jones allegations

Posted on June 16, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Moving forward. Chief Justice John Roberts of the U.S. Supreme Court formally ordered on Wednesday that a rare public judicial misconduct complaint against 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Edith Jones be reviewed by officials in a different circuit … Continue reading →

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Sebastien De La Cruz

Posted on June 15, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

You da man, Sebastien. A soft-spoken boy with a big voice isn’t about to let obnoxious online remarks bring him down — especially when he has so many positive ones in his virtual corner. Fans of Sebastien De La Cruz … Continue reading →

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Complaints filed against federal judge Edith Jones

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This is a potential blockbuster. A broad coalition of groups — including an agency funded by the Mexican government (the Mexican Capital Legal Assistance Program), various civil rights organizations, legal ethics experts, and law professors — filed the complaint against … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

RIP, William Wayne Justice

Posted on October 14, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

One of the great protectors of civil rights has passed away. U.S. District Judge William Wayne Justice — beloved by some, loathed by others — changed Texas civil and inmate rights in ways few political figures have over the past … Continue reading →

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Justice for Hispanic farmers

Posted on September 16, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I received an email about this and thought it was worth passing on. Hispanic farmers and ranchers deserve justice! Join us in calling on President Obama to end discrimination and bring transparency to USDA-administered farm programs. Sign the petition online here. … Continue reading →

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Retired general calls out Perry

Posted on September 11, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Damn. A retired Air National Guard general called Thursday with three worries. “Something bad’s gone wrong in this country,” said retired Brig. Gen. Tom Daniels, 62, of Fort Worth. “Something’s wrong in Arlington. Something’s wrong in Austin. And something’s wrong … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Jones and Caynon, take two

Posted on August 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

If you thought that the fight between Council Member Jolanda Jones and Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association president Jeff Caynon was over, think again. Earlier this week, City Councilwoman Jolanda Jones sent out a letter with nearly 70 names collected … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Tuesday Council roundup

Posted on August 4, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Council Member Sue Lovell, who is running hard for re-election after her close win in 2007, has added some fundraising muscle to her team. Houston Vice Mayor Pro Tem Sue Lovell announced today that Robert Miller would lead the Finance … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2009 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Jones versus HPFFA

Posted on July 23, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Yeesh. The head of the Houston firefighters union blasted City Councilwoman Jolanda Jones for her handling of allegations of racism and sexism in the Houston Fire Department, saying in a sharply worded letter on Thursday that she had disparaged “thousands … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments