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Author: Kit

Kit is a gonzo journalist from Austin, Texas.

Why Austin (& The US) Must Resist Fascism & The March Against Sharia On June 10 (AUDIO)
Masked activists show their middle fingers during a protest in Sao Paolo, Brazil and February 22, 2014. (Flickr / dfactory, CC license)
June 6, 2017
Kit
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Why Austin (& The US) Must Resist Fascism & The March Against Sharia On June 10 (AUDIO)

Posted in Audio, Austin, and Journalism

On Tuesday, I appeared on the Smooth and Demented Show to discuss the March Against Sharia, an upcoming nationwide mobilization of the Islamophobic group ACT For America.

Islamophobia Monitor describes ACT For America as “an anti-Islam hate group.” According to its founder Brigitte] Gabriel, “‘every practicing Muslim is a radical Muslim,’ a Muslim ‘cannot be a loyal citizen of the United States,’ and that Arabs ‘have no soul.’ She also argues that, ‘America is at stage two Islamic Cancer.'”

ACT has called for a nationwide “March Against Sharia” in cities all over the United States on Saturday, June 10. In addition to local supporters of ACT, we expect numerous neo-nazis, alt-right fascists, and dangerous 4chan trolls to mobilize for the event. It’s crucial that communities come out to support and protect their Muslim neighbors from this bigoted event which occurs during their holy month of Ramadan.

Read moreWhy Austin (& The US) Must Resist Fascism & The March Against Sharia On June 10 (AUDIO)
June 2, 2017
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What Is American Fascism And Who Are The Antifa?

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

You’ve seen them on TV: black clad activists marching against, and even openly fighting with neo-nazis, nationalists, and white supremacists. Since the election, antifascists have seemingly been everywhere online and in the media. Some call them terrorists, while others call them heroes, but really they’re just humans like you and me. Humans who hate fascism.

Who are the antifa, where did they come from aaaand what, really, is fascism anyway?

A question that’s no longer simply academic: across the U.S., and indeed, in Europe too, far right forces are growing in power. Whether they call themselves “nationalists” or claim to be opposed to “radical” Islam while targeting innocent Muslims for threats and violence, the bad old days are coming back round again on insanity’s loop.

Read moreWhat Is American Fascism And Who Are The Antifa?
Trump’s Budget Suckerpunches The Poor & Disabled; Democrats Respond With A Whimper
A huge "15" sculpture is held over a crowd of Fight For 15 activists in Columbus, Ohio on April 14, 2015. (Flickr / Stephen L, CC NC license)
May 30, 2017
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Trump’s Budget Suckerpunches The Poor & Disabled; Democrats Respond With A Whimper

Posted in Archive, Journalism, and Lee Camp

Pres. Donald Trump’s proposed budget would slash the social safety net to ribbons, while continuing the process of dismantling or privatizing virtually all parts of the U.S. government that don’t directly benefit the war machine.

In response, Bernie Sanders and the Democrats have come out SWINGING with a comprehensive and radical list of human-rights centered amendments. They’re even threatening to SHUT DOWN the government! …Just kidding. They promised to raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2024.

Read moreTrump’s Budget Suckerpunches The Poor & Disabled; Democrats Respond With A Whimper
‘Hemp For Victory’: The Government Made This World War II Cannabis Film Disappear
Troops in a landing craft approach "Omaha" Beach on D-Day during the invasion of Normandy, June 1944. (Wikimedia Commons / Army Signal Corps Collection in the U.S. National Archives.)
May 30, 2017
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‘Hemp For Victory’: The Government Made This World War II Cannabis Film Disappear

Posted in Journalism, and Ministry of Hemp

During World War II, hemp was so desperately needed by the Allies that the United States briefly reversed its stance on hemp and encouraged farmers to grow it. Afterwards, they tried to erase all records of the campaign.

Millions of people are rediscovering the benefits of hemp, both as a health remedy in CBD oil and a raw ingredient in dozens of hemp-based products. Far fewer are aware of hemp’s history in the U.S. as a cash crop, or the lengths that the government went to suppress that history.

One of the most remarkable examples is “Hemp For Victory,” an educational film produced by the USDA in 1942 that encouraged farmers to grow hemp. After the war, when growing hemp again became illegal again, the government hid the existence of the film for years until pro-cannabis activists forced them to bring it back into the light.

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Kit O’Connell Guest Hosts @WeAreDisabled, Disability Twitter Account
Kit O'Connell, wearing an "Occupy Love" t-shirt, tweets on his phone from the Occupy Austin encampment in early 2012. In the background, activists hold protest signs. (Larry Singleton)
May 25, 2017
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Kit O’Connell Guest Hosts @WeAreDisabled, Disability Twitter Account

Posted in Journalism

From May 18 to May 25, I hosted the Twitter account @WeAreDisabled. Similar to other group accounts like @sweden or @realscientists, this Twitter passes from person to person with the only common theme being disability.

The account admins created a Storify of all my tweets, but below I’ll link to my main threads so you can click through and read them if you like.

First I introduced myself:

Read moreKit O’Connell Guest Hosts @WeAreDisabled, Disability Twitter Account
Hemp Makes Great Plastic, So Why Isn’t Hemp Plastic Everywhere?
Sea turtle mosaic art constructed from plastic trash found discarded on a beach. (Flickr / Colleen Proppe, CC NC license)
May 22, 2017
Kit
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Hemp Makes Great Plastic, So Why Isn’t Hemp Plastic Everywhere?

Posted in Ministry of Hemp

Plastic is an inescapable part of our everyday lives, so why is almost all of it still made from polluting, non-renewable petrochemicals?

You may have heard that agricultural hemp, the non-mind-altering cousin of cannabis (commonly known as marijuana), has dozens of potential uses from clothing to paper.

Since virtually all climate scientists agree that we must replace our dependence on fossil fuels, and given that hemp can even make the soil cleaner, it’s surprising that this miracle crop isn’t in wider use.

Read moreHemp Makes Great Plastic, So Why Isn’t Hemp Plastic Everywhere?