The Voting Problem No One Is Talking About

Just issues, news, and other stuff that matters to you [Fusion] November 29, 2016 Today is #[GivingTuesday], but did you know it’s also [National Day of Listening]? We would have told you sooner, but we were too busy hearing [LGBTQ concerns about Donald Trump’s secretary of education] (watch out), [Bill O’Reilly’s latest rant] (we shouldn’t have), and [House Republicans] (who seem to be living in an alternate universe at the moment). If you’ve been flapping your gums all day, no worries—there’s still time to call up that friend you haven’t spoken to in a while, or indulge your mom in some family gossip. Or, soak in some of the voices we’ve gathered in this newsletter. We’ll leave you with these words from President Calvin Coolidge (alias “[Silent Cal]”): “It takes a great man to be a good listener.” Hear, hear. —[Anne Branigin] THAT'S NOT HOW THIS WORKS 🤔 Trump’s suggestion that flag burning should be punished with a loss of citizenship comes “[right out of the dictator’s handbook].” REST IN PEACE 🙏 These [haunting images] show the Brazilian soccer team Chapecoense hours before their deadly plane crash. WHAT HOPE MEANS 🗽 Theo Shaw, a member of the Jena Six, knows what it’s like to be wrongly imprisoned. Now he’s committed to [reforming the criminal justice system]—and wants the president to join him. MIXED FEELINGS 🇨🇺 Even though he upended her parents’ lives, Miriam Zoila Peréz just couldn’t bring herself to celebrate or mourn Fidel Castro’s death. [Here’s why]. RECOUNT IT ✔️ The biggest problem with the popular vote is one [nobody is talking about]. [Disney's Moana Is a Powerful Movie Starring a Brown Girl—but I Still Have Issues With It] by Isha Aran Watching [Moana], Disney’s latest animated movie, was an extremely emotional experience—I cried for probably half of it. It’s a powerful, visually stunning, epic tale, about a resourceful and determined young woman, and it smashed the box office into smithereens, making [$81 million over Thanksgiving weekend] (although it didn’t do as well as Frozen). It’s immensely successful as a story and a profit machine, it celebrates brown women, and it is definitely culturally problematic. Welcome to the identity crisis of being a brown girl in a Disney world. When I first heard that Disney was adding a Polynesian princess to their roster, I was cautiously excited. I always root for brown representation, but I was worried about what the corporate behemoth might do to Polynesian culture—seeing as how Disney’s treatment of [Middle Eastern] and [Indigenous American] characters has been dicey at best. Sitting in the theater watching Moana, I felt the very same push and pull of optimism, joy, and deep cultural discomfort. [Read more]. LET'S TALK ABOUT CHOICE TUNES While 2016 dealt us a whole lot of BS, it also gave us some great music. Check out Rolling Stone’s list of the year’s [50 best albums], which includes obvious fan favorites like Radiohead and both Knowles sisters, as well as indie picks like [Mitski]. The Latest [The government effort to crack down on Standing Rock protests may have just taken a terrifying new turn] [Read More] --------------------------------------------------------------- [These Mexican-American twins are separated by jerseys and united by love] [Read More] [Facebook] [Twitter] [Vine] [Instagram] [Youtube] Remember, you can always [click here to unsubscribe] and never see another one of these emails until the apocalypse (at which time it'll be nothing but emails). This email was sent to {EMAIL} Fusion · 419 Lafayette St · New York, NY 10003 · USA