June 2017 - Kit O'Connell: Approximately 8,000 Words

A Closer Look At Toxins And Lies In Hemp & Cannabis

A road runs between fields, one with drying hay, on a farm. (Pixabay / wobogre, free image)

June 30, 2017

Kit

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A Closer Look At Toxins And Lies In Hemp & Cannabis

Posted in Journalism, and Ministry of Hemp

We love hemp, but we’re sick of lies and inflated promises about it.

At Ministry of Hemp, we’re dedicated to spreading knowledge about hemp and hemp-based products like CBD oil. But some sites are more concerned with sales than sharing honest, scientific information about hemp.

While thousands of people have experienced the benefits of CBD, it’s not a miracle cure for every disease despite the ridiculous claims some websites make. In other cases, dishonest vendors rely on misleading labelling and inflated pricing to make their products seem more powerful than they really are.

A Brief Timeline Of Fascist Activity In Austin, Texas Since The 2016 Election

Antifascist activists face off with Texas Department of Public Safety State Troopers in riot armor at the June 10, 2017 counterprotest to the "March Against Sharia." (Flickr / Ann Harkness, CC license)

June 26, 2017

Kit

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A Brief Timeline Of Fascist Activity In Austin, Texas Since The 2016 Election

Posted in Austin, Creative Commons, and Journalism

Summer 2016 – present: Emboldened by the increasing success of Donald Trump and the “alt-right” fascist agenda, white supremacist groups step up recruiting and propaganda efforts on college campuses. Racist posters & graffiti tied to white supremacist groups like Vanguard America and Identity Evropa routinely appear on and around UT Austin.

November 19, 2016: The hate group “White Lives Matter” stages a protest outside the Texas Capitol to coincide with the unveiling of the African American History Memorial. The white supremacists are met by an overwhelming force of counter protesters, but are defended by Austin Police Department horse cops and Texas DPS State Troopers in armored riot gear. A handful of arrests are made but the fascist event is effectively surrounded and shut down.

March 4, 2017: The far right rallies at Woolridge Square park as part of a national “March 4 Trump” day of action on “Confederate Flag Day.” Local organizers include known fascist Jennifer Drabbant. Trump supporters happily march and rally side by side with neo-nazis and fascist 4chan trolls. A small counter-protest is surrounded by violent fascists, including Gregorio Rendon who assaults activist and gonzo journalist Kit O’Connell by slamming him head-first into a lamp post. Kit is arrested by Austin Police Department and charged with misdemeanor assault, while Gregorio is briefly held in cuffs than released without charges. Kit is admitted to the hospital with injuries to his head, arm and leg.

June 24, 2017

Kit

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Religious Liberty, Bathroom Bigotry (Traitor Radio Podcast)

Posted in Audio, Journalism, LGBTQIA, and Traitor Radio

Increased visibility has become a double-edged sword for transgender, intersex and non-binary Americans, who are increasingly targeted by religious conservatives and Republican lawmakers. You’ve probably heard of “bathroom bills” like HB 2 in North Carolina, which force people to use public restrooms according to the gender they were assigned at birth. But in addition to playing bathroom police, politicians are also championing “religious liberty” legislation — bills that are, in actuality, just about letting people discriminate against trans, intersex, non-binary and other queer folk if they claim Jesus told them to.

We’re at a pivotal political moment, and allies must support trans, intersex, non-binary and queer activists in their fight for freedom. On this episode of Traitor Radio, we talk about how.

June 22, 2017

Kit

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The Democrats’ ‘Resistance Summer’ Is Really Resistance To Change

Posted in Act Out!, Creative Commons, Journalism, and Video

We’ve got a hot summer ahead, and I don’t just mean record-breaking temperatures thanks to climate change.

Assuming the fuck-ups in the GOP clown car, currently careening out of control across our nation, can get their act together, we’re poised to see devastating legislation targeting some of the most vulnerable people in America. People are angry, and ready to active against the system, in a way we haven’t seen in years.

And huddling in corner number two — are the Democrats. And despite their feeble attempts at both resistance and distinct alternatives, their proposed “Resistance Summer” is designed to attract new activists and bring a flood of new liberal voters to the polls in upcoming elections.

Despite the catchy, chic, goes-with-a-beach-tote name, we’ve seen this sort of thing before from the Democrats. Indeed, while the party claims to support progressive causes, Democrats have a long history of sucking the life out of grassroots movements, taking their momentum for revolutionary change and directing the energy back into the American status quo at the ballot box.

You’re Never ‘Just’ A Journalist: Reporting From The Left & The Far Right (Gonzo Notes)

A photographer focuses his camera on a subject. (Unsplash / Dương Trần Quốc. free image)

June 20, 2017

Kit

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You’re Never ‘Just’ A Journalist: Reporting From The Left & The Far Right (Gonzo Notes)

Posted in Creative Commons, Gonzo Notes, and Journalism

It’s a gift to be a journalist in this moment.

Or at least that’s what we tell ourselves. It’s the only way to get through.

Freelancers (like I am right now) spend every month counting our pennies, making sure we’ll make rent and have a little left over for food and coffee and the other vices of our profession. For those lucky few with a steady job, they’re wondering how long until downsizing and budget cuts will put them out on the street.

In addition to journalism’s grim financial picture, we’re finding ourselves targeted by the government and by far-right fascists for violence and repression in a way we haven’t faced in decades.

New Large Scale Study Proves Effectiveness Of CBD For Epilepsy

A young child with a pensive expression in a yellow shirt against a blue background. (Unsplash / Sean Gorman, free image)

June 19, 2017

Kit

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New Large Scale Study Proves Effectiveness Of CBD For Epilepsy

Posted in Ministry of Hemp

A newly released study adds more scientific evidence that CBD oil can relieve the symptoms of epilepsy.

Published May 2017 in the New England Journal of Medicine, the new research focuses on CBD as a treatment for Dravet syndrome, a complex and difficult to treat form of childhood epilepsy.

Worldwide, parents of kids with epilepsy, along with adult sufferers as well, are already using hemp-based CBD extract to great benefit. The medical establishment and the law, however, have been slower to catch up.