truth

14Mar

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

CULTURE, TOP FOUR

What Is The Truth About St. Patrick’s Day

In 1997, my students and I traveled to Croagh Patrick, a mountain in County Mayo, as part of a study abroad program course on Irish literature I was teaching for the University of Dayton. I wanted my students to visit the place where, each July, thousands of pilgrims pay homage to St. Patrick, who, according to lore, fasted and prayed on the summit for 40 days. While there, our tour guide relayed the story of how St. Patrick, as he lay on his death bed on March 17 in A.D. 461, supposedly asked those gathered around him to toast his heavenly journey with a “wee drop of whiskey” to ease their pain. The mention of whiskey left me wondering if St. Patrick may have unintentionally influenced the way most of the world celebrates the holiday today: by drinking. It wasn’t always this way. The F...

The Jan. 6 Committee Could Learn From The Failures Of Truth Commissions To Bring Justice And Accountability

17Oct

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

POLITICS

The Jan. 6 Committee Could Learn From The Failures Of Truth Commissions To Bring Justice And Accountability

The U.S. congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attacks is resuming its hearings on Oct. 13, 2022, and is expected to produce a report before the November midterm elections about rioters’ attempted coup and efforts to prevent President Joe Biden from assuming office. The bipartisan committee is not authorized to indict or arrest anyone. Still, the committee hearings have prompted speculation about whether former President Donald Trump or his top advisers might face charges. The group does have the power to recommend legal actions for the Justice Department to take action against Trump and others. But even without legal teeth, the committee can serve other purposes, like influencing public opinion, for example, or recommending policy reforms. There’s a long p...

bell hooks – She Lives On Through The Truth Of Her Words And Will Never Leave Us

17Dec

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

Journalism

bell hooks – She Lives On Through The Truth Of Her Words And Will Never Leave Us

I was introduced to the work of bell hooks for the first time when I was 14 years old, sitting on my Nana’s porch, complaining about the mosquitoes and the heat. My Nana, who was probably frustrated by my endless complaints about being bored, stuck a copy of “Ain’t I A Woman” in my hand and told me just to “shut up and read.” I remember that summer because after I read that book, all we talked about was bell hooks and who she was and who I wanted to be. I said then that I wanted to be a writer, like bell hooks, and change the world with my words. I took her words with me when I went off to college, and by then, I had my own dog-eared copies of some of her books. I went to her work whenever I needed to be reminded of my strength. The world felt much safer when bell hooks and Toni Morrison...

Disinformation campaigns are murky blends of truth, lies and sincere beliefs – lessons from the pandemic

3Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

COVID-19

Disinformation campaigns are murky blends of truth, lies and sincere beliefs – lessons from the pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has spawned an infodemic, a vast and complicated mix of information, misinformation and disinformation. In this environment, false narratives – the virus was “planned,” that it originated as a bioweapon, that COVID-19 symptoms are caused by 5G wireless communications technology – have spread like wildfire across social media and other communication platforms. Some of these bogus narratives play a role in disinformation campaigns. The notion of disinformation often brings to mind easy-to-spot propaganda peddled by totalitarian states, but the reality is much more complex. Though disinformation does serve an agenda, it is often camouflaged in facts and advanced by innocent and often well-meaning individuals. As a researcher who studies how communications technologies...

Studies of Other Countries Show Truth-Telling Leads to Racial Healing

29Jun

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

Journalism, SOCIAL JUSTICE

Studies of Other Countries Show Truth-Telling Leads to Racial Healing

As the U.S. prepares to celebrate another year of its independence, the country is paying renewed attention to the founders, and how their legacy of slavery is linked to systemic racism. Calls for reform to policing across the nation can help to directly reduce police violence against civilians but don’t address the centuries-old underlying problems in American society. Our research indicates that the country is not likely to escape its historic cycles of violence and racial oppression without addressing this painful and troubled history. Sparked by the killing of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police, protests have emerged across the United States demanding police and criminal justice reform. Reform efforts abound—including Minneapolis city councilors declaring they will d...

After Incarceration: The Truth About a Loved One’s Return from Prison

6Aug

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

Journalism

After Incarceration: The Truth About a Loved One’s Return from Prison

Author Ebony Roberts gives voice to the unspoken struggle many women face when a loved one comes home. We often talk about the impacts of mass incarceration, particularly on society, but rarely as it relates to how the epidemic is affecting individual families and personal relationships. We don’t talk about how it’s mostly women in families who carry the weight of their loved ones being locked away. It is usually women who have to maintain the home alone, find a way to visit the incarcerated loved one, explain to their children why that particular loved one is gone, and at the same time go without—in the case of being a wife—physical intimacy. And I don’t just mean sex. But what happens when that loved one returns home? Is the relationship that was cultivated in prison hea...

Stop Trump Commercials – Spread Messages of Truth, Unity and Love

9Jun

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

Journalism

Stop Trump Commercials – Spread Messages of Truth, Unity and Love

Since Donald Trump took the presidency, more people took to the streets to protest his policies. In fact, just a day after his inauguration, a record-breaking protest was held at the same spot where he was inaugurated. Hundreds upon thousands of women marched in Washington, DC to support women's rights and other important issues. Parallel rallies were held across the country, and even outside the US. Despite the strong messages against Trump and his agenda, it didn't deter him. In fact, he has continued signing executive orders favoring big businesses and oil companies, while placing the environment and middle-class workers at risk. The good thing is that some businesses have also taken measures against Trump. In a powerful rebuke against his controversial policies, these businesses have...