our 2020 favorites

R.B.G. – a tribute

RobCrandall/Shutterstock.com

Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing in 2020 was the loss of a five-foot one-inch giant: a fighter and guardian of equal rights and advancement of causes for women.

Event:

R.B.G., after long enduring an ongoing battle with cancer, finally succumbed just weeks before the presidential election.  This gave President Trump the unexpected opportunity to dramatically tilt the balance of the court.

Impact:

The ideological balance of the U.S. Supreme Court has been shifted to the right after the death of this extraordinarily insightful and influential individual.

Had Ginsburg resigned while Barack Obama still had a Democratic majority in the Senate, he could have nominated another liberal to replace her.

Whereas some Democrats had hoped the party could take advantage of this opportunity, Ginsburg remained dedicated and decided to stay on.

Amy Coney Barrett’s subsequent appointment was an unexpected gift to President Trump.  Barrett, however, in casting her initial post election votes, seemed dedicated to upholding the integrity of the court.

Outlook:

RBG’s work does not have to end with RBG. Her work can continue, and future court decisions can be made by others, including women. Ginsburg argued that women’s civic duty should also be regarded as equal to that of men.

“This is why she pushed this argument forward as Justice to require female participation on juries, and it’s why she was a trailblazer; the first tenured female law professor at Columbia University’s Law School; and eventually, the first Jewish woman and the second woman to serve in the U.S. Supreme Court.”

Michelle Brucker’s astute tribute demonstrates how “RBG’s contributions to strengthening equality between women and men, and how recent these strides really are.”

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povs – bienvenue

Julia Hope 2020

POVs is Swoppt’s lens looking into various perspectives. Living in a world of pluralism, each of us exists with our own ideas of truth based off all that we’ve experienced. 

Event:

“Different POVs…  No narration, no conclusion.  No solution to the pressing issues of today will ever merit being called a real solution until a maximum of voices are heard and accounted for.”

Impact:

“Points and beliefs are most often argued via rationality… and simply cannot be used as a tool to convince someone of a different truth. Philosopher Sir Isaiah Berlin aims this point towards politics and hits the nail on the head.

“Political views stem from a cultural upbringing, more profoundly from one person’s story. Remembering that someone’s belief comes from their specific past allows a sense of common humanity.

“Listening to an individual’s story prior to arguing one’s own view —a product of one’s own story— allows for an exchange of the most human quality: empathy.”

Outlook:

Our first two POVs series delved into current reactions to Racism and to Patriotism.

We now intend to probe some of the possible political, social and economic changes anticipated for the coming year.  Let’s understand the options and potential ramifications awaiting us in 2021.

Together, we will journey down this intriguing path in preparation of understanding what soon may lie ahead. 

Swoppt Co-Founder Caroline Levin has lined up a select group of individuals to share their views on the impact of the pandemic, exploring our lessons learned and a life beyond.

People get to express their thoughts on the trauma of the past year and striving for a future normalcy plus a new life beyond.  Comments, discussions and debates are most welcome.

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dream or illusion

AA Film Archive/AlamyStockPhoto

“Is the American Dream at the expense of the American Negro?” In 1965, James Baldwin, author of Another Country addressed a Cambridge University audience on this subject.

Event:

“55 years after Baldwin’s historic address, the issue very much remains. Sadly, the American Dream seems only achievable at the expense of African Americans.”  Baldwin made clear the difference in racial POVs.

Impact:

“The U.S. has one constitution, one set of laws and operates a single system of government. But the way it carries these out varies dramatically. All depends on who is affected.

“Justice for Blacks and justice for Whites bear no resemblance. Housing, bank loans, insurance rates, education and even routine police stops are a perfect example. Regardless of the car one drives, Blacks are not treated the same as Whites. And ironically, the results can prove fatal.

“A culture of true diversity thus far remains an ever-elusive dream. Just maybe, the time has come for real change to happen. An age-old question, however, also remains. Can racism ever become a thing of the past?”

Outlook:

Baldwin tackled the ongoing problem of Blacks being denied an equal right to pursue the American dream.

He faced William F. Buckley, the forceful erudite voice of modern conservatism, in a stunning one-on-one debate.

The Cambridge student body was similarly known to be quite conservative in its thinking.

Yet, when Baldwin finished speaking, the audience rose to their feet to give him a truly enthusiastic standing ovation. It declared him the overwhelming winner of the debate.

S.R. Landon thoughtfully examines the relevance of Baldwin’s words and vision at the time. It is ironic how relevant both still remain today. They could have been written now in the era of Black Lives Matter.

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