Futures Up In Smoke
In today's Akron Beacon Journal there is an article by Scott Burns reminding us of the dangers of cigarette smoking.

Nothing new?

Think again.

Only 13% of more affluent Americans, but 34% of the poorest Americans smoke.  Smokers' life expectancy is ten years less than nonsmokers.  The average smoker spends at least $165 a month (often a lot more) and if these funds were invested and earned standard rates of return it would mean an additional $576,000 for the smoker upon retirement...or an additional $5,304 per month for those extra ten years they will live by not smoking.

40 million Americans still smoke today.  480,000 of us die from the effects of smoking every year to support an industry that employs 2 million workers, or one American death per year for every four jobs.

In 2015 Alria spent $9.6 million on lobbying elected representatives.  Philip Morris spent $4.7 million.  Reynolds $2 million.  Not to mention the many millions more they spend on advertising directly to consumers.

While there is plenty of blame to go around in this story, we cannot overlook the importance of seeing the connection between private sector elites (tobacco CEOs in this case) choosing to reframe the conversation about smoking from 'it will kill you' to 'it will make you cool or sexy or happy.'

This reminds me of the power book Fast Food Nation from some years ago...well worth another look or a first look if you have not read it, because it lays out the strong connections between private sector elites willingness to mislead us and the enormous negative health consequences that result...costs that tax payers usually end up picking up the tab for...another hidden subsidy to private sector leaders who choose to be death merchants.

Beyonce
Okay, let me start by saying I doubt I would recognize a Beyonce song on the radio or even be able to pick her out of a line up.  

But I did see the half time show and thought nothing of it until the next day when it was at the center of a firestorm. 

I see understanding this as requiring two steps.

This image helps me see Beyonce's performance as some who see the world very differently from me might see it.  This image helps me see how images like the confederate flag or panther-like attire have meaning.  

Then, I feel obligated to go one step further, because while this image helps me see something in her performance that I otherwise missed, these are not equivalent.  

When the powerful group uses racist images to prolong and deepen and extend their intimidation and subordination of the power-poor group, that is racism...using race as a tool to preserve white privilege.  

When the power-poor group uses images rooted in their own history of resistance to racism to remind us that we still have a long way to go in the context of Tamir Rice and Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown, Jamaal Crawford and Sandra Bland and more...this is resistance to racism.  

It is important to be able to see and appreciate and honor competing and alternative perspectives and to do this in two steps so that doing this is never confused with claiming a moral equivalency where there is none.