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Does Discrimination Cause Cancer?
By Aysha Hussain
July 06, 2007
Does Discrimination Cause Cancer?
Racial discrimination may be tied to breast cancer, according to a new health study. Researchers followed 59,000 black women over six years and found that those who reported frequent encounters with racial discrimination were more likely to have breast cancer. Black women younger than age 50 are at an even higher risk than their older counterparts. Though more studies are needed to confirm these findings, past studies show that over time, perceived racial discrimination can have an adverse effect on a person's health. Are you at risk?
Woman With No Hands Denied McDonald's Service
Dawn Larson, an Illinois woman, is suing McDonald's for $4 million after a drive-thru employee at the fast-food giant refused to serve her because of a genetic syndrome that's left her without hands. Larson does everything with her feet, including driving. When pulling up to the fast-food drive-thru, Larson said she encountered an unpleasant employee who was clearly uncomfortable serving a person with her disability. Rather than serve Larson like other customers, the McDonald's location merely offered her a $10 certificate. Would that have appeased you? Read more.
GLAAD Wants Apology for FOX's 'Lesbian Gang Epidemic'
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is calling on FOX News Channel to issue a formal apology to the lesbian community for a comment made on "The O'Reilly Factor," in which crime analyst Rod Wheeler delivered a report claiming there is a "national network" of so-called "lesbian gangs" that are preying on young girls in the Washington, D.C., area. Wheeler described such gangs as an "epidemic." GLAAD representatives decided to contact the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department to research the accuracy of Wheeler's claims. Sgt. Brett Parson, a member and the former commander of the D.C. Metro Police Department's Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit, said the report was grossly exaggerated, citing the report's false statistics. Is this another situation like CNN Lou Dobbs' falsified reporting on undocumented immigrants, and if so, will FOX step up to the plate? Read more.
(See also: Lou Dobbs Dodges Truth! 4 Funky Immigration 'Facts')
Did Justice Thomas Strike Down School Integration?
Some people are wondering whether Justice Clarence Thomas may have had an impact on the court's recent decision to overturn school integration on June 28. Thomas, who is often described as a quiet presence, is the only black person on the Supreme Court. Many feel his position as court justice and as a person of color gives him great responsibility. In certain circles, some people consider him one of the most influential black men since Thurgood Marshall, while others feel Thomas struggles with his identity as a black man, ultimately affecting his life's work and service. Thomas is known for refusing to grant media interviews, but he has been quoted in the past as saying, "Black students attending historically black colleges achieve better academic results than those attending predominantly white colleges." Did Thomas' conservative views sway the court's decision? Read more.
Ban the 'R-Word'?
Should we ban the word "retard" ... the "R-word"? One mother says yes. Theresa Howard, a USA Today advertising reporter, is the mother of Lydia Catherine, a six-month-old child with Down syndrome. In an opinion piece, Howard expresses her repulsion at how often people use the term in a negative context. She spent most of her life as an advocate for people with disabilities as her sister Catherine Anne had Down syndrome and died four years ago at age 41. The real issue, says Howard, is about accepting people with disabilities. Changing the language will only do so much. Read more.
Immigrants Fight Back
Federal backlogs are trying the patience of new immigrants--and now they're fighting back. Mixed messages from two federal agency, the State Department and the Citizenship and Immigration Services, led highly skilled immigrants to believe a slew of permanent work-based visas were available last month, but when these immigrants applied for them, they were told none existed. What happened? The American Immigration Lawyers Association is bringing a class-action lawsuit against the federal immigration agency. Will they win? Read more.
Apart from this class-action lawsuit, immigrants who have become dismayed by constant federal backlogs, long lines and false promises are taking action against the government. About 150,000 citizenship applications nationwide have a waiting time of more than six months, reports MSNBC. That's unacceptable to many immigrants who are looking to establish themselves in the United States and are frustrated with the wait. Read more.
'Racist White Cop,' Says Arraigned Vivica A. Fox
If convicted, Vivica A. Fox, former Dancing with the Stars contestant, could face up to six months in jail and $1,000 fine for driving under the influence of alcohol on a California highway in March. Breath tests showed Fox's blood-alcohol level was greater than .08 percent, California's legal limit for driving. Recent reports indicate Fox called one of the state patrol officers a "racist white cop" during the arrest. Fox also yelled at the officer's partner. "'Brother, help a sister, are you going to let this racist white cop do this ...Well, are you?'" according to the report. Read more.
Sexual Orientation: Can It Be Altered?
A groundbreaking CNN/Opinion Research Corp. found that 56 percent of Americans believe that gays and lesbians cannot change their orientation even if they want to, marking the first time in 10 years that a majority has ever held that belief regarding orientation in a major study. How do LGBTs feel about this poll? For many, the results shine a light on the clear shift in attitudes towards orientation and the increasing acceptance that follows. Despite these findings, some LGBTs still believe orientation can be altered. Do they have the facts do back it up? Read more.
Spike Lee to Honor Black WWII Soldiers
Spike Lee's new movie will honor black World War II soldiers, who he says fight just as hard as others for democracy and too often are classified as "second-class citizens." The $48-million movie will capture the experience of black soldiers during World War II in a tribute to their courage and often overlooked contributions to this country despite the rampant discrimination and hostility they faced at home. Filming will begin in early 2008.
Read more.
Are Men More Talkative Than Women?
Men have argued that women are the more talkative sex for years. But an article featured in Science dispelled this popular myth. After studying 210 college students, researchers found that women speak a little more than 16,000 words a day, whereas men speak a little less than 16,000 words--a marginal difference. However, University of Arizona psychologist Matthias Mehl says the three top talkers in the study--uttering up to 47,000 words a day--were all men. Read more.
Obama Speaks at New Orleans Festival
Presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama joined others in voicing a message for change at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans this week. Obama addressed the social ills made apparent in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and reminded the crowd that New Orleans was a place plagued by poverty, failing schools and high crime and murder rates, problems that had gone unnoticed for far too long even before the catastrophic hurricane hit. He passionately told audiences that the money currently being spent on the war in Iraq, nearly $275 million a day, would be better redirected toward other problems afflicting the United States. "We've got needs here. We've got wars on the streets of New Orleans that need to be tended to," said Obama. What else did he say? Read more.
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