PA-Sen: A Report from Rural Pennslyvania

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Sunday November 12, 2006 · 10:28 AM PST

2006/11/12 · 10:28

(Read more of Ben Waxman's writing and analysis at For Our Future.)

Pennsylvania's 9th Congressional District is one of the most conservative in the entire state. President Bush's approval rating is still higher than 50% and Democrats have not won a race for state legislature in over 100 years. Republicans are the fully dominant party and often run in elections unopposed.

Despite these staggering political realities, Bob Casey still defeated Rick Santorum by more than 1,000 votes. According to the Altoona Daily Mirror, the final tally was 182,961 to 181,341. How did this happen? Read More

OP-ED: Five Things Democrats Can Do for Young People

benwaxman

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Thursday November 02, 2006 · 12:07 PM PST

2006/11/02 · 12:07

Five Things Democrats Can Do for Young People

Philadelphia Daily News -- Thursday, November 02, 2006
http://www.philly.com/...

By Ben Waxman

It appears that a tidal wave of voter unrest will sweep Republicans out of power. Good riddance. Conservative policies have been a disaster for the youth of America. Thankfully, there are five things that Democrats can do immediately to improve the lives of young people across the nation.

Bring our troops home from Iraq. Nearly 3,000 American soldiers have died fighting in a pointless and destructive war. The vast majority of those killed have been under 25 years old. Countless Iraqi youth have also died and their deaths fan the flames of extremism across the Islamic world. Young people will be forced to grow up in a world that hates America. Unless there is a radical shift in U.S. policy, we will be facing the consequences for many generations. It's time for the United States to withdrawal from Iraq.
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Brown Panel Calls on University to Atone for Slavery Ties

benwaxman

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Thursday October 19, 2006 · 7:25 PM PDT

2006/10/19 · 19:25

(Cross posted from "For Our Future".)

In recent years, African-American activists have pressured modern institutions with historical involvement in the slave trade to acknowledge their role and make amends. Some have called for companies to pay a form of reparations. Most institutions have rejected this idea, but have made some concessions.
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Ohio Democratic Party Reaches Out to Students

benwaxman

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Tuesday October 17, 2006 · 8:28 PM PDT

2006/10/17 · 20:28

Cross posted from "For Our Future."

Ohio was a critical state in 2004 and will play a crucial role in 2006. Democrats have a real chance to turn Ohio blue. Thankfully, the Ohio Democratic Party is taking the appropriate steps to engage young progressives. According to a post on the National College Democrats website, the Ohio party will be paying for transportation, food, and housing. This makes it extremely easy for young people to volunteer and should be replicated across the country.

I really encourage people to visit the website and consider going. This is a critical election and could give progressives a great champion. Congressman Sherrod Brown is running for senate and would be best member of that body since Paul Wellstone. He is an economic populist with thoroughly progressive values.

Check it out! Young activists rarely have accesses to such exciting opportunities. The Ohio Democratic Party should be commended for providing the funding to increase youth participation.

Wisconsin Lawmaker Wants to Arm Teachers

benwaxman

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Tuesday October 10, 2006 · 8:56 AM PDT

2006/10/10 · 08:56

(Cross posted from "For Our Future.")

File this one under worst ideas ever:

To make our schools safe for our students to learn, all options should be on the table," [Republican Rep. Frank Lasee] said. "Israel and Thailand have well-trained teachers carrying weapons and keeping their children safe from harm. It can work in Wisconsin."
In Thailand, where officials have been waging a bloody fight with Muslim separatists for the last two years, some teachers carry weapons for self defense as they are viewed as part of the government. In Israel, teachers are not allowed to carry weapons in the school, but security guards at the entrances are armed.
Lasee said he planned to introduce legislation that would allow school personnel to carry concealed weapons. He stressed that it would hinge on school staff members getting strict training on the use of the weapons, and he acknowledged he would have to work around a federal law that bans guns on school grounds.

benwaxman

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Monday October 09, 2006 · 6:36 AM PDT

2006/10/09 · 06:36

(More writing on youth and student issues can be found at "For Our Future.")

My latest op-ed on youth and student issues was published by the Philadelphia Daily News. You can can read the whole thing by clicking on the extended entry. Read More

On the Silencing of Right-Wing Speakers

benwaxman

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Sunday October 08, 2006 · 12:19 PM PDT

2006/10/08 · 12:19

(Cross posted at "For Our Futre.") A group of student activists recently disrupted an anti-immigration speech at Columbia University. Progressives should immediately distance ourselves from this kind of behavior. It is both anti-democratic and hurtful to the progressive cause.

Free speech is a basic freedom cherished by the vast majority of Americans. It is the basic foundation of a democratic society. We cannot have important debates about the future of the country without a broad sharing of views. No one should be prevented from speaking, no matter how despicable we may find their views. Progressives can win on the power of our ideas--we don't need to shut down our opponents. Read More

Five Things Democrats Can Do For Young People

benwaxman

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Tuesday October 03, 2006 · 7:30 AM PDT

2006/10/03 · 07:30

(Cross posted at "For Our Future.")

The recent scandals rocking the Republican Party have make it likely that Democrats will control at least one and maybe two branches of government after the 2006 elections. Conservative policies have been a disaster for the youth of America. Thankfully, there are five things that Democrats can do immediately to improve the lives of young people across the nation. Ranked by importance, here they are: Read More

The Crisis Facing Young Workers

benwaxman

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Monday October 02, 2006 · 3:24 PM PDT

2006/10/02 · 15:24

(Cross posted at "For Our Future.")

A story in today's New York Times reports that Wal-Mart is trying to save money by enforcing salary caps and relying even more on part-time workers. America's largest employer is already being criticized for failing to provide healthcare and other benefits to their workforce. This latest revelation is another sign that Wal-Mart and their Republican allies plan to screw young people with their pro-corporate policies. Read More

Conservatives Respond to Foley

benwaxman

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Sunday October 01, 2006 · 4:55 PM PDT

2006/10/01 · 16:55

(Cross posted from For Our Future.)

The conservative grassroots has responded to the news that Congressman Mark Foley made inappropriate advances towards congressional pages. Not surprising, it's filled with homophobia and racism. You'll be amazed by some of the stuff that people ars saying. Check out the full entry.
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Who Will Take on Ann Coulter?

benwaxman

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Thursday September 28, 2006 · 6:28 AM PDT

2006/09/28 · 06:28

(Cross posted at For Our Future.)

Iara Peng, the executive director of Young People For, has written an article outlining the training programs available to conservative youth. She contrasted that with the opportunities offered for young progressives and argued that the left needs to put more money into youth outreach. I wrote about this issue almost two years ago. I agree with the general premise of her article, but I think Peng ignores a major failure of progressive movement's outreach programs for young people.

It's not enough to train youth to be activists and organizers. The left needs to invest in building a training infrastructure that nurtures young people to be strong public proponets of progressive values. Ann Coulter and Michelle Malkin didn't come from nowhere. They were created by the right-wing media machine. If the progressives want to win the battle of ideas, we need to build the next generation of pundits and intellectuals. Read More

Another Bad Idea from the Bush Adminstration

benwaxman

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Wednesday September 27, 2006 · 10:57 AM PDT

2006/09/27 · 10:57

Yesterday, the Department of Education unveiled plans for a national database that tracks the academic performance of students from kindergarten to college graduation. As a student, I am strongly opposed to the proposed database because it has the potential to be a gross violation of privacy and could actually undermine the quality of higher education. Read More

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