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Showing content with the highest reputation on 09/12/2016 in all areas

  1. The arc of justice is indeed long, but whether it bends toward justice depends on your perspective. For example, I doubt any of the indigenous people, the few left, of North America, South America, or Tanzania would agree. It has been centuries since Europeans began pillaging Africa; how many more centuries must pass until that arc bends toward justice for those people? I'm also not confident change (positive or otherwise) somes from below. Generally, change is initiated by those with, or supported by those, with the biggest club. I'm happy to consider any contradictory examples.
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  2. @Pioneer1 I hear you about "winning" versus justice, but you'll see that the arc of history is long and it does bend toward justice - DESPITE the legal system. I contend that as the man on the street starts to really analyze the legal and other words we all take for granted (like in the Pledge of Allegiance), they begin to question the system. Change comes from below, from fearless individuals (like Kaepernik, the man who stood in front of the tanks in Tiananmen Square), not through the lawyers, who get lost in the shuffle of justice and/or who tend to lose sight of what brought them into the profession in the first place.
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  3. I actually use Twitter a lot, to advertise my novel. I love Twitter, although less so, now that my novel is published. But I can tell you that it is a great place for networking, more than Linkedin because you must use photos on LinkedIn (which I think hurts more than helps Black people--I make my living on the Internet as an attorney, and my clients have no clue of my race until the discussion of race comes up -- AFTER I've proven what I can do for them). I think Twitter's usefulness depends upon what you use it for. I like to talk politics, and it's opened my eyes to a lot of diverse views. I have a lot of conservative followers with whom I discuss Black issues, because the dialogue is important and they don't always talk with Black people candidly. I found @aalbc on Twitter! I have made a lot of contacts. I've had people with whom I've dialogued purchase my novel. I think Black people have a larger voice because of Twitter. #BLM, Shaun King, and even Joy Reid, Deray got their fame and/or jobs because of Twitter, to my knowledge for better or for worse. I could go on and on. So, I'm a Twitter fan, but less so, now that I need to market my novel in brick and mortar stores. Personal contacts ALWAYS work, but access to people is the problem. Facebook advertising is 100% better than Twitter - $50 goes a long way (I'll be using @aalbc during the holidays). Let me just add that the reason Twitter works is that corporations get to hear from their customers. I have tweeted corporations to complain, to extol good customer service, etc., and get a 99% reply. I've been mentioned 3 times on C-span. I would not get a voice otherwise, in my opinion. Corporate America cares about demographics. They get it on Twitter. I agree that the shaming on Twitter is deplorable, and the fact that it is anonymous is problematic. And I hope that is changed (I read that Twitter is going to stop the trolling). Just my thoughts.
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  4. @Cynique - As a lawyer, and someone who has been a serial victim of copyright infringement [my novel addresses the issue], let me assure you that copying the text of another person is perfectly okay if it is done so to advance discourse, in the sciences, arts--in other words, to advance discussion and to enlighten people. Copyright laws kick in when you make money off of what someone else writes. So, copy away! As @Troy said, just provide the name and original source of the information you're copying, and you're good to go.
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