I don’t want to hear another word from Ira until the above headline comes true.
On April 16, Ira spouted off on the Nevada Senate floor that abortion is “in effect the 20th century version of 19th century slavery.”
Reno-Sparks NAACP President Lonnie Feemster responded that Ira had drawn a red herring across the path, calling his words a “non sequitur, Latin for ‘does not logically flow’.”
Merriam-Webster defines it as “an inference that does not follow from the premise, a fallacy resulting from a simple conversion of a universal affirmative proposition.”
“It was an unwitting admittance to the belief, by some men in power, that they should have authority to tell women what their health choices will be,” Feemster said.
“Men in power in America did this for 240 years during the slavery of African Americans. The choices of health, intercourse, justice, voting and most civil rights were decisions made by men in power for women and African Americans in our country. And like slavery in the 19th century, this practice must stop. Yes, I see the comparison, I hope Sen Hansen will pray on it,” Mr. Feemster admonished.
Perhaps it’s a malady affecting Tribune Republican columnists. Future Sen. Hansen, R-Sparks, and I shared this space for seventeen years and his huge archive of racist and bigoted writings proved his undoing after he won the speakership of the Nevada State Assembly in 2014. (See BallotBoxing.US/ira.html/).
Last March, my current Tribune colleague in columny Harry Spencer wrote that “Ever since the slaves were freed by Lincoln, their progeny has been able to compete on the same level as other Americans.” I begged Harry to correct it as just a typo.
Instead, Harry went full-frontal non sequitur, asserting he was talking about sports.
These guys are intelligent, well-educated anachronisms. But apparently neither took Latin in high school.
So here’s my unofficial statement as a Nevada citizen, NOT as a longtime Reno-Sparks NAACP member and officer:
Let Ira put our money and his where his mouth is. If he’s serious about life in the womb, let him propose for Nevada and campaign nationwide for a new, liberal, unlimited spending program: Embryo/fetal transplant.
Let all anti-abortion activists, male and female, offer to host those embryos and fetuses to term and support them until maturity.
This no satire like the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. Male pregnancy is now medically viable so this proposal is uni-gender.
Let Sen. Hansen be the first to pledge a tithing, say a 10th of his net worth plus future income, toward this research project so that abortion may become a thing of the past.
And let him put his body where his mouth is: Let him volunteer to become the first male mother.
The only other way to absolutely end abortion is to make all sex illegal save with government permission under controlled, supervised conditions. Stormy Daniels, call your office.
DEFROCK KATE SMITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. My mother was right. Every old Italian I knew growing up detested the deep-throated songstress for advocating imprisonment of all Italian-Americans during WW2, just like Japanese-Americans. That would have included my entire family.
Now, she’s been revealed as a flaming racist. (New York Times, 4-20-2019) The NHL Philadelphia Flyers have stopped replacing the national anthem with her version of “God Bless America.” They have also cloaked her statue in front of their arena. The New York Yankees have pulled her from the seventh-inning stretch.
She recorded racist songs including “Pickaninny Heaven” and “That’s Why Darkies Were Born.” Former Arizona Gov. Evan Mecham was forced to resign over his racism, including frequent use of the P-word, an insult to black children.
For all of the above reasons and more, Sparks’ Kate Smith School needs a new honoree. I suggest labor leader César Chávez.
¡Sí se puede!
BACK FROM THE DEAD. Senate Bill 398 and Assembly Bill 399 survive. The first, sponsored by Sen. Julia RattI, D-Sparks, would allow local governments more leeway in affordable housing. “Rent” and “control” are not mentioned.
AB 399 sponsored by Assemblymember Ellen Spiegel, D-Henderson, represents the first mild attempt to do something about payday loan vampires by starting state-sponsored employee savings accounts for workers without retirement options. Non-penalty withdrawal could make a small dent in payday loan desperation. Other payday loan bills have been assassinated by money.
GAS CON. The corporate Oilogopoly raises pump prices on any publicity. The latest goosing has nothing to do with Iran or Venezuela. The US is now a net exporter. I’ve written on the con for decades but BigOil has more clout. See the Oilogopoly Archive at NevadaLabor.com/
Be well. Raise hell. Esté bien. Haga infierno.
Andrew Barbano is a 50-year Nevadan, editor of NevadaLabor.com, executive producer of Nevada’s annual César Chávez Day celebration and first vice-president of the Reno-Sparks NAACP. As always, his opinions are strictly his own. E-mail barbano@frontpage.reno.nv.us Barbwire by Barbano has originated in the Tribune since 1988.
