It takes acts of conscience to bring about civil discourse.

Geneva, March 20, 2018 – UN and regional human rights experts* (click here) have urged States, civil society organisations and activists to step up their efforts to stem the alarming rise in racism and xenophobia worldwide, citing concerns about the impact of populist nationalism on mainstream politics.

“Vile discourses of explicit hate and ideologies of racial supremacy have moved from the fringe to the mainstream,” the experts said in a joint statement** ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination celebrated on 21 March....

Is the USA winning the fight against racism?

What impressed me about this case is there was no formal complaint. The LAW students were mixing it up online and saying some horrible things. They were found to be carrying on and the university would not tolerate their students racism. There is also a question of rape.

No lawyers or prosecutors brought this case forward, just some administrators at a university that had a conscience and the will to bring justice to injustice.

March 20, 2018

A group of law students (click here) have been suspended from the University of Exeter over allegations of racism.

It comes after "vile" comments made by members of a law society on WhatsApp were revealed by a student and shared more than 2,000 times on Facebook.

Police have been informed and "full disciplinary action will be taken as appropriate," the university said.

One student has had a job offer withdrawn by a law firm who said they are "deeply disturbed by the messages".

The WhatsApp messages, screenshots of which are included below, were branded "sickening" and "disgusting" by fellow students.

More Devon stories here

One of the students issued a "sincere apology for his inexcusable comments", saying: "I will not attempt to excuse and deny any of the statements I have made. The comments, which I shall not repeat, are inexcusable and undeniably wrong.

"I would like to make it publicly known that I do not honestly believe any of the things I have said."

The university said it "does not tolerate any form of racist behaviour"....

It didn't stop there:

March 20, 2018

Yesterday, (click here) The Tab revealed Exeter law students' horrifying racism in a group chat. So far they've been suspended from uni, and some have lost their prestigious training contracts at law firms.

Since September we've called out students at Nottingham Trent chanting "we hate the blacks" outside a black student's door.

We've exposed the racism of a Sheffield student comparing Black Lives Matter to Planet of the Apes, and Bournemouth students calling a black woman a "big black ape".

That's without mentioning the countless incidences of people blacking up, but insisting it's not racist.

We're committed to listening to, investigating, and exposing experiences of racial discrimination suffered by students at university....

These are good and decent people in awareness of wrong doing with the conscience to do something about it. The university administrators took it further and made it all the students' business to end any type of racism known to exist on their campus.

UNFORTUNATELY, this is not USA.

In the USA, every aspect of hate is exaggerated into a political dialogue and it is destroying this country. With the issue at University of Exeter there was no political question attached in an odd way to funding. The racism was wrong and there would be consequences for it. 

March 19, 2018
By Jeff Adelson

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, (click here)  in an interview with Trevor Noah on "The Daily Show" Monday night, said a broad discussion on race is necessary to stop the issue from being used by demagogues to divide the country.

An extended version of the interview posted on Comedy Central’s website includes sections where Noah and Landrieu discuss the dangers of a rise in appeals to racism.

“In America one of the great political successes has been turning working-class white people and working-class black people against each other on the issue of race and not talking about how economically we can work together,” Landrieu said. “So we have to work through that.”

The "Daily Show" interview is the latest stop in a national media tour supporting Landrieu’s new book, “In the Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner Confronts History,” which hits stores on Tuesday.

Landrieu has already discussed the book on ABC’s "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," appeared on "60 Minutes" to talk about the Confederate statues he had removed, and is slated to be on "Real Time with Bill Maher" later this week....

We have bombs going off in the USA and two people are dead and others struggling to heal their wounds. There is no rush of conscience to end the hate before it gets started. This level of fear and hate should never exist in the USA, but, it does and everyone needs to ask why.

There is a conscience at FOX. Thank you, Colonel Peters.

Murdoch should terminate contracts and fire the lot. The FCC should be reviewing licenses as well. I wish the Colonel well.

March 20, 2018

By Michael M. Grynbaum

...“In my view, (click here) Fox has degenerated from providing a legitimate and much-needed outlet for conservative voices to a mere propaganda machine for a destructive and ethically ruinous administration,” Colonel Peters wrote in his message, a copy of which was obtained by The New York Times.

“Over my decade with Fox, I long was proud of the association,” he added. “Now I am ashamed.”...  

Cambridge Analytica marketed their ability to hack into Facebook and sell the data. This was no Oops at all.

21 March 2018

By Adam Taylor

...But Cambridge Analytica (click here) may be an issue not only for Americans and Britons. The firm claims to have worked in a wide range of countries, including Australia, Brazil, Kenya, Malaysia and Mexico, and politicians in several of them are calling for investigations of the company's work.

That list comes directly from the company's representatives, who were recently filmed by an undercover reporter from Britain's Channel 4 News. The journalist presented himself as a potential client, a representative of a wealthy Sri Lankan family eager to increase its political influence. During meetings over four months, Cambridge Analytica employees touted their work worldwide....

If a legal agreement is adverse to Ms. McDougal's life, she should have the opportunity to rescind it.

For women, there is always safety in numbers. Ms. Clifford is giving others the strength to come forward. Just filing the lawsuit and letting the public know such underhanded tactics are all part of their experience with Trump is nearly good enough.

21 March 2018

...Karen McDougal (click here) filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against American Media, publisher of the National Enquirer, which paid her US$150,000 in 2016 to keep quiet on the matter, according to a copy of the lawsuit provided by her lawyer, Peter Stris....

...The New Yorker article noted that American Media head David Pecker has described Trump as a "personal friend".

"AMI lied to me, made empty promises, and repeatedly intimidated and manipulated me," McDougal, who was Playboy magazine's 1998 Playmate of the Year, said in a statement today.

"I just want the opportunity to set the record straight and move on with my life, free from this company, its executives, and its lawyers."

Adult film actress Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, sued the President on March 6, stating that Trump never signed an agreement for her to keep her quiet about an "intimate" extramarital relationship between them....

21 March 2018

Former US President Obama heads off to golf course with Former Prime Minister John Key (click here for live coverage).

Barack Obama has landed at Kauri Cliffs, near Matauri Bay in the Far North for a round of golf.

Obama landed in New Zealand early this morning and our own former Prime Minister, John Key, and his family flew north for a golfing rendezvous with the former president.

New Zealand was hit by a terrible Pacific cyclone, but, it was the worst in the South Island. (click here)

The only conspiracy here is the Murdoch conspiracy or reeking havoc with democracy.

What Donald Trump and FOX News advocate as a "Deep State" is called routine work by most government employees.

Trump needs to think about leaving. If he does not have the character strength to even stay on task long enough for an interview with Former Director Mueller he doesn't have the character strength for much in life; which is why he needs so many lawyers at any point in his life. It is ridiculous to realize the costs surmounted by the RNC because of his temperament or should I say lack of it.

A democratic government is ORGANIZED around function and not dysfunction. The federal government has to operate in order to bring about national security at the very least. No one in the federal government should be sitting on their hands waiting for word from the emperor.

That is the problem with Trump's administration. He believes he can only trust his family and there isn't enough of them to go around to make the government function. They don't have the understanding and/or ability to handle this level of responsibility and not feel threatened by the need for control. There is not a possible outcome within that administration except more and more dysfunction.

It is convenient for Trump to have FOX News at his beckon call. It provides him with plenty of media cover regardless of the lousy administration that exists.

I have a question for FOX News, does Trump's shit stink?

I just thought maybe one level of reality and truth could spark some real reformation at FOX news.

Ted Kaczynski had a manifesto. He wasn't territorial though. He also didn't live in a city where people could notice his activity as odd in some way. He secluded himself in a way only his family would have any information about his hate. I suppose he could be considered territorial in that he coveted corporate executives. If I recall it correctly.

It makes sense there is a number of FBI agents because it hits at the heart of the USA economy. So, this is a major concern. I suppose there is a bit of an economic focus, but, if the police believe it is racial, then it says a lot about the bomber.

The diagram of the location of the bombs forms a right triangle, so the bomber had scoped out his/her targets. The targets don't appear random. Also there is a repeating number in the dates of the explosion. The number two.

They all have occurred in the month of March and the number 3 is understood, but, the day of the explosions are 02, 12 and now today 20. If the explosion in the FedEx facility was planned it would be 20, but, if the destination was the place the bomb was to explode it may or may not be 20 or 21. There were also two bombs on the 12th. Computers can run on a binomial basis, if that means anything. Usually, that is the numbers 0 and 1. I think a computer with AI might be able to synthesize a potential pattern and/or identity.

This is probably affiliated with the death of a police officer and/or the death of a African American. As an example:

January 26, 2018

7:40 a.m.update: A man (click here) who broke into a Central Austin home early Friday morning was killed by police after shooting at two officers who confronted him, authorities said.

When the suspect, described as a white man, entered the home in the 4500 block of Avenue G, the residents hid in a closet and called 911 around 3:40 a.m.

Officials said two officers arrived and announced themselves to the suspect, who then shot at the officers. One of the officers returned fire, killing the man at the scene, Assistant Chief of Police Troy Gay said....

There is also a map with this report, so this must be a methodology of the crime reporting community. That method may or may not be part of the strategy to terrify the community as well as kill what are believed to be innocent people. The backgrounds of the people targeted might prove a pattern as well.

One other thing about the numbers, is that when a date is reliable in producing violence, there will be higher fear quotients that can be affiliated with that. The public will begin to recognize the pattern and anticipate that explosion. That could be used as a public strategy to avoid packages on those days. Then with a pattern realized, the bomber could simply change the pattern and cause greater terror. I tend to think the dates are less important than the identity of the victims or intended victims.

I doubt any of this is new thinking for the police or FBI, but, why assume anything in an investigation.

I am sorry to hear this is happening to Austin. I have the greatest sympathies for the victims, intended victims, their families and friends. The city is a good city and the problems it faces are not very different than other cities.

If this is racially based it could be an effort greater than one person. Every American wants their cities to be safe and happy places for it's citizens. We all struggle with the racial problems the USA exhibits. It is not fair and it is not unique. Racial issues have been a problem throughout the world, otherwise, there would be no Robben Island. That is not an excuse, but, it is a reality.

I know the fear that lives in every African American man's heart and it effects their life. That is not a minor problem. Fear raises stress and can result in health problems. Fear of one being a target in society brings an entirely odd family dynamics. The USA needs to resolve it's racist problems, that includes ending the hate of White Supremacy.

I hope law enforcement will solve this swiftly, but, when it comes to these type of issues, it can be a longer timeline. I wish everyone safety and peace during this difficult time.