Members of Congress express concern over Jay-Z and Beyonce's trip to Cuba

From caribjournal.com:

Florida Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart have written a letter to Adam Szubin, director of the United States’ Office of Foreign Assets Control, seeking information on the type of licence the pair of stars received for their travel to Cuba.

US citizens are permitted to travel to Cuba only under certain licences, such as people-to-people travel or educational endeavours.

Really guys? In this day and age we're still caring about Cuba and our embargo against them? Even if we were at active war with a country, which we're not with Cuba, but even then, U.S. citizens should be free to travel to whatever country they damn well please, at their own risk of course. But our cold relationship with Cuba is one of the most embarrassing situations for the U.S. over the last 50 years. Of all the problems going on in the world, some tiny ass island off the coast of Florida is somehow one of the biggest threats justifying our hatred and barring of all relations. Just because our government doesn't like their government, the well-meaning people of both sides are prevented from interacting with each other, from trading with each other, and even from seeing each other.

It all boils down to a bad decision years ago, and the continuance of that bad decision, all because we don't want to admit we made a mistake. So we double down on it and pretend we're doing the right thing. It's time to admit that we made a mistake and move forward, the embargo hasn't done a damn thing of good for either side, and continuing it and pretending like we're achieving something with it isn't going to save face one bit.

The two said that, because Cuba’s tourism industry is “wholly state-owned,” “US dollars spent on Cuban tourism directly fund the machinery of oppression that brutally represses the Cuban people.”

Complete bullshit. If the Cubans traded with the U.S. they'd probably be more open to ideas of change and freedom, but since we've neglected them, we've done nothing to help their situation. Do these idiots really think we're helping them by blocking travel and trade? 

Girls kicked out of school after racist rant goes viral on Youtube: What happened to free speech?

From The Huffington Post:

After two minors from Gainesville High School in Gainesville, Fla., posted a nearly 14-minute-long racist rant on YouTube, the girls are "no longer students at the school."

Watch the video for yourself here:




You may not like what they were saying, but what happened to free speech? For the most part they were simply speaking their opinion about the racial makeup and differences at their school. Maybe their assessment was entirely incorrect but maybe it was the truth. At the end of the day it's their viewpoint and they're entirely entitled to that viewpoint. We should defend all speech no matter how much it differs from our own views or offends us.

Apologies have now been issued by the girls:

"I am one of the girls who were in the racist video that got posted. I’m writing this so that I can tell people how truly sorry I am. I could never, in a million years, have pictured this happening with me involved. I wasn’t raised to hate people for their race, and I still don’t. I made a horrible decision in being a part of this video ... "

It has been reported that the girls received several death threats and now had to have police protection.

Does nobody else have a problem with this? We have to put fear into people and beat into submission the people we disagree with and force them to apologize? It's complete bullshit. No one should ever have to apologize for their opinions. If you have a certain perspective or way of looking at things, as long as that's your honest opinion why is that something to be ashamed of? For all we know her school really could be full of a bunch of kids who don't give a shit about their future and that's what she was reacting to. Instead of pointing our finger at someone talking about a problem, why not look to see what she's talking about? She just might have a point.

By the way, take a look at this line from the apology letter:

I know people are wanting to blame the parents for this, for our opinions and what we said, but I want it known that I wasn’t raised how I portrayed myself in that video. My parents never taught me hate or to judge someone like that. I honestly don’t know where that came from, but it was wrong no matter what.

You don't know where it came from? Oh I don't know, it could be that you experienced things and formed an opinion on them and then voiced that opinion?

Have a spine. How embarrassing for someone to have to pretend they don't have a viewpoint or feel shame in holding it. If that's what you really feel, then stand by it. Maybe the way you voiced it was in bad taste, but if there is a real problem going on in that school then that concern needs to be raised.

A&M University fires band director after hazing incident

A&M University in Florida announced today that they will be firing band director Dr. Julian White after drum major Robert Champion died during a hazing incident on Saturday.

From 11alive.com:

Champion, 26, a graduate of Southwest DeKalb High School, died following the Florida Classic football game in Orlando last Saturday.

Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said he suspects hazing is involved in Champion's death. In Florida, hazing is a third degree felony. Sheriff Demings said charges could be forthcoming.

This is a very sad story all around, but we can't help but wonder: how does a 26 year old man die in a college hazing incident? I mean isn't he a little old to be one of the guys getting hazed? At the very least shouldn't he be one of the guys doing the hazing?