FREE Your Passport to the Caribbean American Community
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Jan/Feb 2018
1 Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr
CARICOM's Statement In Response To President Trump's Comment The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is deeply disturbed by reports about the use of derogatory and repulsive language by the President of the United States in respect of our Member State, Haiti, and other developing countries. CARICOM condemns in the strongest terms, the unenlightened views reportedly expressed. Of additional concern, is this pattern of denigrating Haiti and its citizens in what seems to be a concerted attempt to perpetuate a negative narrative of the country. We are especially saddened that such narrative emerged around the time of the anniversary of the devastating 2010 earthquake which took so many lives of citizens in that country.
"Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others?” MLK JR "The function of education is to teach intensively and to think critically intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education."MLK JR "Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."MLK JR "The ultimate tragedy is not oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people."MLK JR
The Caribbean Community expresses its full support for the dignified statement of the Government of the Republic of Haiti in reaction to this highly offensive reference. It should be recalled that Haiti is the second democracy in the Western Hemisphere after the United States and that Haitians continue to contribute significantly in many spheres to the global community and particularly to the United States of America. CARICOM therefore views this insult to the character of the countries named and their citizens as totally unacceptable.
Orlando's Professionals Annual Networking Event -Blackout Holiday Party raises funds for Caribbean Passport Hurricane Relief Efforts
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L I F E S T Y L E
Guenet Gittens-Roberts, Publisher/Editor
New Year! Are you working on a New You? I truly love the holiday season and the fact that we go straight into the Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations always recharge and reenergize me to be the best person that I can be. Samuel J. Roberts, Publisher/Editor
Over the last few years, I've noticed that I don't hit the new year, armed with a bunch of resolutions about losing weight and...God knows I need to lose weight. I need to be healthier. Last year, just before the hurricanes hit us, I dreamt of checking myself into hospital, just because I needed the rest. I didn't feel great, but I kept putting it off until I had a few days free and then spent them running every imaginable test. It turned out that I was fine. In the space of two days, I had my heart checked, my lungs checked and I detached and focused on nothing. I'm accustomed to working hard, I grew up in a household of entrepreneurs and while we were always able to create our own schedule if we needed it...We. Worked. HARD. I know that if I need money, I can work to create it. It's a wonderful feeling, I wouldn't trade it, for the world. It's as much a part of who I am as the fact that I am a Guyanese, a Woman and a Mother who had her Babies at 21. Working hard is such an integral part of who I am, that I cannot imagine life without that drive and ambition that fuels me. However due to a series of life altering losses last year, I've come to one stunning conclusion; we sometimes take the easy way out and work on the things that everyone around us is working on. Why? Laziness, a need to fit in? I think it's because you don't have to think too hard about who you really are and what you really want. So this New Year, I'm trying harder than usual. I generally know what I like and what I don't like, but deep down...heck if I know what I truly love. I've been too busy working, surviving and living. But this year, I'm taking the time to figure it out before I set any resolutions. I'm a pretty good person: I treat people kindly and with respect. I recycle and treat my environme-
nt with respect. I do my best to give back conscious of leaving my community a better place. I'm not complacent, I always try to challenge myself. I have a growing business that I enjoy, a wonderful family that I worked hard to instill the right values and ethics into. Here's where I know I can do better: Loving myself enough to get to know myself better. Honoring myself enough to realize that this brain, this body that I have, are shells that cover some very important stuff that I take for granted. It's the only body I will ever have. So this January, I'll be taking a self discovery break. I will keep you updated in next month's editorial about the challenges that I intend to put myself through this year on my journey to self discovery. My journey to finding me. If you're ready to work on a NEW YOU this year, I urge you to throw out the usual resolutions that you're just grabbing out of the air around you. We do so much for others but why are we so afraid to be our own ride or die? Take good care of You this New Year! Make it meaningful!
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Should you desire to review past copies of the publicationgo to http://caribbeanamericanpassport.com and click on the 'Print Archive'. Editor & Publisher............................................................... Sam Roberts Publisher ........................................................... Guenet Gittens-Roberts Graphic Design & Layout .................................................Samuel Roberts Contributing Writers: ............................................................ Tony Dyal ................................................................................................Ryan Davis .............................................................................................Sandra Fatmi ...............................................................................................Gail Seeram ...........................................................................................Sasha Watson ..........................................................................................Kamal Abdool Contributing Photographers ............ ...................................Ted Hollins ..................................................................................................Dilia Castillo .............................................. .......................................Nancy-Joe Brown Central Florida Distribution...................................................Roy Benn South Florida Distribution ...........................................Norman Williams NorthFlorida Distribution ......................................................Theo Jack Jr. Tampa Distribution ...........................................................Kadeem Roberts Copyright (C) 2016 GGR Marketing & Public Relations. All rights reserved.
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From Orlando to Haiti: We flew directly on Sunrise Airways
Marcia Miller
Sunrise Airways Rep Sandy Laborde with Sandra Fatmi
On December 21st, 2017 a team from Caribbean American Passport News Magazine was invited by Sunrise Airways to PortAu-Prince, Haiti to celebrate the 5th Anniversary of the airline. We flew First class on Sunrise Airways and went directly that evening to the El Rancho Hotel in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. The Anniversary Party was fun, and our 1 day trip was memorable indeed. We did not get the opportunity to see much of Haiti but felt the heart of the people and would love to return to truly experience the true culture of Haiti.
Parramore Kidz Zone Student Entrepreneurs Bottle and Packaged Honey then sold it at the New Parramore Farmers Market
Through the City of Orlando’s Parramore Kidz Zone program, local high school and college students gained first-hand experience running their own business, bottling and packaging Black Bee Honey to be sold at the new Parramore Farmers Market with the help of District 5 City Commissioner Regina I. Hill. Part of PKZ’s Youth Employment Program, this sweet start-up business provides work-related educational and entrepreneurial experiences to further develop the youth of the Parramore community into future workforce leaders. The kids ran a booth and sold honey at the new farmers market when it officially opened outside the Orlando City Stadium on Saturday, January 6, 2018. The PKZ Youth Employment Program was launched in summer 2017 and has helped to match more than 100 students with jobs to date.
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Commissioner Victoria Siplin COMMISSIONER SIPLIN CONDEMNS PRESIDENT TRUMP’S REPORTED DIVISIVE REMARKS ABOUT HAITI, EL SALVADOR AND AFRICAN COUNTRIES On the eve of the commemorative day of the 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti, I find President Trump’s reported comments about Haiti, El Salvador and African countries unacceptable and inaccurate. Haiti has long history with the United States, dating back to the American Revolutionary War, where 500 heroic Haitians volunteered to fight alongside the American troops for America’s independence. Haiti is a country with rich natural resources and remains a desirable tourism destination. While President Trump’s reported comments are harsh, he is regrettably misinformed about one of the United States closest neighboring allies. Victoria P. Siplin is the Commissioner of Orange County District 6, which encompasses the heart of Central Florida hospitality and tourism industry that employs a significant number of hard-working and tax paying immigrants, specifically Haitians.
JetBlue Celebrates the New Year with New Growth in Florida and Caribbean Strongholds JetBlue is adding even more travel choices in its Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood focus city in 2018 with new service between South Florida and two top Caribbean markets: Santiago, Dominican Republic’s Cibao International Airport (STI) and Grand Cayman’s Owen Roberts International Airport (GCM). These new routes continue to solidify JetBlue’s leadership position in South Florida and in the Caribbean where we’ve built a robust and successful network over the years,” said John Checketts, vice president network planning, JetBlue. “With expanded Caribbean service in Fort Lauderdale we are laying the groundwork for even more growth in already popular destinations.” Flights between Fort Lauderdale and Santiago, D.R. will operate once daily roundtrip beginning June 14, 2018, subject to government approval. Seats are on sale starting at $99 one way. The route boosts JetBlue service in the Dominican Republic, where it operates more daily flights than any other carrier. The airline, which first started flying to the Dominican Republic in 2004 with service to Santiago, now serves five airports in the country – La Romana, Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, Santiago and Santo Domingo. The latest new route will link Santiago with a fifth U.S. city nonstop and offer customers even more connecting opportunities throughout the growing JetBlue network.
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7 marketing Resolutions to make for your business' successful growth in 2018 By Rieva Lesonsky, SBA.Gov
What can your small business do differently in 2018 to boost the results of your marketing efforts? Here are seven marketing resolutions every entrepreneur should make for the coming year. 1. I resolve to build relationships with customers. Consumers and B2B buyers alike have seemingly endless options for purchasing almost any product or service they could possibly want. With so much “noise” out there, how can your small business hope to stand out? By targeting your most valuable prospects and customers— those who aren’t just hunting for a bargain, but want lasting relationships with the companies they do business with. Find out what customers want and need, then personalize your marketing to help build relationships. 2. I resolve to understand the customer journey better Customer journey mapping is growing in importance for 2018. Essentially, this means figuring out how your customers get to the point of buying your product. Where do they first learn about your business? How do they research products like yours? Whose opinion influences their purchasing decision? How long does it take them to make up their minds? Your website, tools for managing customer relationships, and social media analytics can help you visualize the customer journey so you can reach out to customers at the times they’re most likely to take action. (See Resolution No. 3 below.) 3. I resolve to take content marketing to the next level. That doesn’t mean churning out more and more content, but instead crafting better content. For example, your understanding of the customer journey will help you come up with content that answers your prospects’ most common questions at each stage of the process. Just 41 percent of marketers create marketing content based on specific stages of the customer journey, according to a recent study; doing so will give you a huge advantage. You should also target content to specific types of customers.
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7 marketing Resolutions to make for your business' successful growth in 2018 By Rieva Lesonsky, SBA.Gov
Continued from Page 6
4. I resolve to learn more about micro-influencers
6. I resolve to make time for marketing.
“Influencers” are celebrities, athletes, and other people with huge social media followings. For most of us, it’s not realistic we’ll get our businesses on the radar of Kim Kardashian or Selena Gomez. That’s why the rise of microinfluencers is such good news for small businesses. Microinfluencers are people with small, but devoted, fan bases— for example, a fashion blogger that your target customers love, or a local musician with a big following. MDG Advertising cites micro-influencers as one of 2018’s top marketing trends, and getting micro-influencers to review, mention, or share your product or service online can really boost your sales.
According to a survey by Infusionsoft, more than one in five small business owners say their biggest challenge is finding enough time toproperly market their business. There are two ways to make time: 1) Block it off on your calendar and treat it as sacred and 2) automate as much of your marketing as you can, using tools like email autoresponders, social media scheduling and CRM software.
5. I resolve to harness the potential of email marketing. It’s hard to believe, but only 27 percent of small business owners currently use an email marketing service, according to Infusionsoft’s latest Small Business Marketing Trends Report. Email may be old hat, but it’s the best way to speak directly to prospects one-on-one. Plus, with the number of e-mail users in the U.S. projected to grow to 254.7 million by 2020, up from 244.5 million in 2018, email isn’t going away any time soon. If you’re not using email marketing, make 2018 the year you start. If you are, make sure you’re taking advantage of transactional emails, segmenting and personalizing emails, and monitoring your email analytics to continuously improve. Use eye-catching design and fun features like gifs, videos, or surveys to make your emails stand out.
7. I resolve to stay up-to-date on marketing technology. Artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality and voice search are just a few of the technology trends that will transform marketing in 2018. More than two-thirds (68 percent) of marketing executives in a recent survey say they will spend more on marketing technology in 2018. If you’re uncertain which tools will work best for your business, connect with industry associations, marketing consultants, other business owners or SBA resource partners like SCORE, Small Business Development Centers or Women’s Business Centers for assistance. The tools we use to market our businesses change, but the basic principles of marketing don’t. Your prospects still want to know that you care about them, understand their needs, and are ready to solve their problems. If you’ve got those elements in place, you’re well on your way to a successful 2018.
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Jamaican Women’s Bobsled Team Qualifies for 2018 Olympics
Jamaica's bronze medal-winning female team of Jazmine Fenlator-Victorian (left) and Carrie Russell
The Jamaica Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (JBSF) will be sending a women’s team to the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games in South Korea next month. It is set to mark Jamaica women’s bobsleigh team's first appearance at the Olympics, though the announcement comes three decades after the small tropical island made its debut Winter Olympic Games appearance. Though not medalling, Jamaica men's bobsled team boggled minds with an impressive show at the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Canada. Their performances inspired the 1993 film Cool Runnings. “This is one of the happiest moments of my life, I never dreamed that I would become a bobsleigh athlete. Today also marks three years since I lost my father, which makes this journey even more meaningful," said brakeman Carrie Russell, a first timer at the Winter Games.
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FREE
The story of Black History Month begins in 1915, half a century after the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States. That September, the Harvard-trained historian Carter G. Woodson and the prominent minister Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), an organization dedicated to researching and promoting achievements by black Americans and other peoples of African descent. Known today as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), the group sponsored a national Negro History week in 1926, choosing the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The event inspired schools and communities nationwide to organize local celebrations, establish history clubs and host performances and lectures. In the decades that followed, mayors of cities across the country began issuing yearly proclamations recognizing Negro History Week. By the late 1960s, thanks in part to the Civil Rights Movement and a growing awareness of black identity, Negro History Week had evolved into Black History Month on many college campuses. President Gerald R. Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976, calling upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” Since then, every American president has designated February as Black History Month and endorsed a specific theme. The 2018 theme: “African Americans in Times of War,” commemorates the centennial of the end of the First World War in 1918, and explores the complex meanings and implications of this international struggle and its aftermath.
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SUNDAY . FEB. 25TH . 2PM - 5PM ORLANDO FASHION SQUARE MALL 3201 E. COLONIAL DR. ORLANDO FL. 32803
Celebrate Black History Month this February at Fashion Square Mall with a dynamic showcase of the Art, Culture and Business Community. Celebrate the beauty of Black History WWW.CARIBBEANAMERICANPASSPORT.COM 407-427-1800
TOAST TO THE HOLIDAYS CHRISTMAS PARTY
The 6th Annual Toast to the Holidays Christmas Party is a joint Holiday Party. This year's event was sponsored by The African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida Inc, The Central Florida Association of Black Journalists, The Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce of Florida Inc, The Black Business Investment Fund and the Central Florida Black MBA's.
Paula & Ken Bradshaw
Laura Dorsey & Chet Glover
Caribbean Passport Contributing Writer Roger Caldwell
DJ ANDRE MACK
Caribbean Passport VP of Business Development Jonathan Blount with Tina Wong
38th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Luncheon
Presented by The local Central Florida chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. (Delta Xi Lambda)
The 6 scholarshiprecipients
The Orlando chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. (Delta Xi Lambda).= with guest speaker Karen Hunter
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At Death's Door by Tony Deyal The newspaper headline announcing the death of a former president of Trinidad and Tobago, Professor George Maxwell Richards, blazoned, 'MAX IS DEAD'. One of my Facebook friends was appalled. She called it, "Classless, uncouth and beneath the dignity of a rag" and was supported by more than 60 other people. I can understand the sentiment. When I was at university doing a degree in journalism, we all had to spend time trying to master the different skills and jobs that are the staples or backbone of the business. One of these is writing obituaries or articles that report the news of a recent death of a person with an account of the person's life, and if possible, information about when and where the funeral will take place. I was in the obituaries section of our class newspaper when Sir Noel Coward died. Wikipedia describes Sir Noel as "the famous English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called 'a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise'."
I wonder what he would have done to the writer of the 'MAX IS DEAD' or other headlines that preceded it about other deaths throughout the world. The Sun: 'He was 42 and alone. KING ELVIS DEAD'. Sunday Express: 'The Queen Mother Is Dead'. The Dallas Times Herald: 'PRESIDENT DEAD'. Then the most deplored of all, 'Marilyn Dead' and 'Diana Is Dead'. In fact, another Diana headline was even worse than the previous one: 'Diana Was Still Alive Hours Before She Died'.
Of course, few people complained about 'Hitler Dead' or even 'Castro Dead'. CONSERVATIVE CULTURE The fact is that I can see both sides of the issue. We Caribbean people tend to be very conservative and what is called 'proper' about the way we deal with issues and personalities.
BITING WIT
Below-the-belt remarks about a prime minister, and worse, his mother, in a region where people have been killed for insulting the mothers of their murderers, are inevitably frowned upon. Seeming to be too flippant about death is another.
I only knew Sir Noel for his biting wit. He was not an opera fan and said, "People are wrong when they say opera is not what it used to be. It is what it used to be. That is what's wrong with it." Some of his other quips included, "I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me", "I have a memory like an elephant. In fact, elephants often consult me," and "I don't believe in astrology. The only stars I can blame for my failures are those that walk about the stage."
When I was growing up, everybody listened to the death news on radio, and those who lived in areas where the newspaper was available and could afford one read the obituaries and death news religiously. It was a major subject of discussion in rum shops and taxis, even when we were not sure about the pronunciation of the names or facts. I remember a lady announcing, "All youh hear Dog dead?" It turned out to be Dag Hammarskjold, the UN secretary general.
Even though the Internet and Google were not around at that time and I was using an old Smith Corona, I proudly pounded out my story with what I believed was the crowning glory, a funny and appropriate headline befitting a famous and sparkling wit. I wrote, "Curtains for Coward." It was almost curtains for me. Our print journalism lecturer was livid. He fretted and fumed, cussed and quarrelled, raved and ranted about my poor taste and disrespect, my smart-aleck and impertinent approach to life and people, and went on for a long, long time. At one stage in the dressing-down, I wanted to tell him, "Prof, at least I made the deadline," but figured that would add to the bonfire of vanities that he perceived as my undoing.
I tend to be less religious and tell people that at my age, what I do is remain in bed until the newspaper is delivered and then quickly open it to the obituary page which I scan carefully. If my name is not in it, I get up and go about my business.
"username and password, please."
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As I thought about the death news, the only radio station in Trinidad for a long time was Radio Trinidad. Its popular death announcements always ended, "Friends and relations are kindly asked to accept these intimations." For the benefit of the announcers who, it was assumed, already knew the words, the phrase was abbreviated.
"Hello Doc! This is the hypochondriac, guess where I'm calling from."
Behind the Myth & Hype - 4 Part Series
Article courtesy of : http://www.history.com/topics/history-of-marijuana
Hemp, Cannabis, Marijuana, THC Marijuana, also known as cannabis or pot, has a long history of human use. Most ancient cultures didn’t grow the plant to get high, but as herbal medicine, likely starting in Asia around 500 BC. The history of cannabis cultivation in America dates back to the early colonists, who grew hemp for textiles and rope. Political and racial factors in the 20th century led to the criminalization of marijuana in the United States, though its legal status is changing in many places. The cannabis or hemp plant originally evolved in Central Asia before people introduced the plant into Africa, Europe, and eventually the Americas. Hemp fiber was used to make clothing, paper, sails and rope, and its seeds were used as food. Because it’s a fast-growing plant that’s easy to cultivate and has many uses, hemp was widely grown throughout colonial America and at Spanish missions in the Southwest. In the early 1600s, the Virginia, Massachusetts and Connecticut colonies required farmers to grow hemp. These early hemp plants had very low levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the chemical responsible for marijuana’s mind-altering effects. There’s some evidence that ancient cultures knew about the psychoactive properties of the cannabis plant. They may have cultivated some varieties to produce higher levels of THC for use in religious ceremonies or healing practice. Burned cannabis seeds have been found in the graves of shamans in China and Siberia from as early as 500 BC.
MEDICAL MARIJUANA In the 1830s, Sir William Brooke O’Shaughnessy, an Irish doctor studying in India, found that cannabis extracts could help lessen stomach pain and vomiting in people suffering from cholera. By the late 1800s, cannabis extracts were sold in pharmacies and doctors’ offices throughout Europe and the United States to treat stomach problems and other ailments. Scientists later discovered that THC was the source of marijuana’s medicinal properties. As the psychoactive compound responsible for marijuana’s mind-altering effects, THC also interacts with areas of the brain that are able to lessen nausea and promote hunger.
In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved two drugs with THC that are prescribed in pill form (Marinol and Syndros) to treat nausea caused by cancer chemotherapy and loss of appetite in AIDs patients. RECREATIONAL WEED An ancient Greek historian named Herodotus described the Scythians—a large group of Iranian nomads in Central Asia—inhaling the smoke from smoldering cannabis seeds and flowers to get high. Hashish (a purified form of cannabis smoked with a pipe) was widely used throughout the Middle East and parts of Asia after about 800 AD. Its rise in popularity corresponded with the spread of Islam in the region. The Quran forbid the use of alcohol and some other intoxicating substances, but did not specifically prohibit cannabis. In the United States, marijuana wasn’t widely used for recreational purposes until the early 1900s. Mexicans that immigrated to the United States during the tumultuous years of the Mexican Revolution introduced the recreational practice of smoking marijuana to American culture. Massive unemployment and social unrest during the Great Depression stoked resentment of Mexican immigrants and public fear of the “evil weed.” As a result—and consistent with the Prohibition era’s view of all intoxicants—29 states had outlawed cannabis by 1931.
MARIJUANA TAX ACT The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 was the first federal U.S. law to criminalize marijuana nationwide. The Act imposed an excise tax on the sale, possession or transfer of all hemp products, effectively criminalizing all but industrial uses of the plant. Fifty-eight year-old farmer Samuel Caldwell was the first person prosecuted under the Act. He was arrested for selling marijuana on October 2, 1937, just one day after the Act’s passage. Caldwell was sentenced to four years of hard labor. CONTINUED ON PAGE 15
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Behind the Myth & Hype - 4 Part Series Hemp, Cannabis, Marijuana, THC Industrial hemp continued to be grown in the United .States throughout World War II, when its domestic cultivation was encouraged after the Philippines —a major source of imported hemp fiber—fell to Japanese forces. The last U.S. hemp fields were planted in 1957 in Wisconsin.
Article courtesy of : http://www.history.com/topics/history-of-marijuana
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12
The amount of THC in marijuana—the chemical responsible for the drug’s potency—has increased dramatically in recent decades. In the mid-1990s, the average THC content of confiscated weed was roughly 4 percent. By 2014, it was about 12 percent, with a few strains of pot containing THC levels as high as 37 percent.
MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION As part of the “War on Drugs,” the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, signed into law by President Richard Nixon, repealed the Marijuana Tax Act and listed marijuana as a Schedule I drug—along with heroin, LSD and ecstasy— with no medical uses and a high potential for abuse. In 1972, a report from the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse (also known as the Shafer Commission) released a report titled “Marijuana: A Signal of Misunderstanding.” The report recommended “partial prohibition” and lower penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana. Nixon and other government officials, however, ignored the report’s findings. California, in the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, became the first state to legalize marijuana for medicinal use by people with severe or chronic illnesses. Twentynine states now allow the use of cannabis for limited medical purposes. As of 2016, eight states and Washington, D.C., have legalized marijuana for recreational use. Colorado and Washington became the first states to do so in 2012. Adults also can light up without a doctor’s prescription in Alaska, California, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada and Oregon. Cannabis is still illegal under U.S. federal law, however, and the evolving legal status of marijuana is a subject of ongoing controversy in the United States and around the world. EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA Marijuana’s effects—both mental and physical—are partly responsible for its checkered legal status. Short-term effects can include euphoria or other mood changes, heightened sensory perception and increased appetite. While many people experience a pleasant “high” feeling after using marijuana, others may experience anxiety, fear, or panic. Negative effects may be more common when a person uses too much marijuana, or the cannabis is unexpectedly potent.
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Trump just denied his ‘shithole’ comment. In the process, he confirmed the worst. By Greg Sargent, The Plum Line blog
President Trump is now denying that he ever described developing nations as “shithole countries.” But he is acknowledging that he did use “tough” language in the context of the debate over whether to take in people from said shitholes, and in so doing, he is only confirming that the mask has now been torn off for good. Multiple TV journalists have flatly declared that Trump has revealed himself as a racist. It’s good that it’s now safe to say this on prime-time television, but we already knew that. What this episode also does is shatter the endless euphemisms and dissembling that Trump and his allies have employed to obscure a related truth: that the nationalism at the core of Trumpism is heavily driven by a reactionary backlash to the current ethnic and racial mix of the U.S. population — it is white nationalism, despite all the whatme-racist protestation to the contrary. Trump’s comments also reveal that this basic truth is shaping the White House’s policy stances in the current immigration debate, something that is also being obscured with all sorts of rhetorical trickery. Trump’s comments have upended the negotiations underway over a deal to protect the “dreamers.” But it can no longer be denied that Trump opposes the deal at least in part because it does not do enough to resist or roll back ongoing racial and demographic trends. Consider the particulars of the current immigration talks and Trump’s response to them. In the White House, a bipartisan group of senators yesterday presented an agreement that would grant protected status to the dreamers who were brought here illegally as children, pump more money into border security, tweak family-based immigration and end the “Diversity Visa Lottery Program,” which distributes visas to countries with historically low immigration rates, many in Africa and Central Asia, channeling those visas to some U.S. residents with temporary protected status (TPS) from countries like El Salvador, Nicaragua and Haiti, a program Trump is rolling back. Trump reportedly reacted to a discussion of that last component of the deal by saying: “Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” before suggesting the United States should instead allow in more people from countries like Norway. Trump now claims he only used “tough” language about this deal, but his reported comments illuminate his actual policy stance: Trump is, in fact, rejecting the deal because it lets in too many people from what he thinks are “shithole countries,” or lets too many of them remain.
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Trump objects to the agreement because he claims it makes so-called chain migration (family-based immigration) and the lottery system “worse,” meaning we must take in “large numbers of people” from “high crime … countries which are doing badly.” That openly concedes that Trump wants fewer people from those countries here. Trump also opposes the current deal because it would restrict family-based immigration (in which current immigrant citizens or permanent residents sponsor relatives for entry) only for the parents of the dreamers and some others, whereas Trump wants much greater reductions in family-based immigration. But as Dara Lind points out, while this debate is complicated, this functionally means large reductions in the numbers of people from countries who already have large immigrant populations here — which means resisting trends shaping our current ethnic and national mix. In light of Trump’s apparent claim that he wants to prioritize people from countries such as Norway, the uglier white nationalist cast of all of this is inescapable. Trump’s fellow travelers have gone to great lengths to obscure this basic reality. In a now-infamous exchange, CNN’s Jim Acosta asked White House immigration hardliner Stephen Miller whether Trump’s policies are designed “to engineer the racial and ethnic flow of people into this country.” Miller reacted with outrage and repeatedly cast the goal as reducing the mere numbers of immigrants — ostensibly to protect U.S. workers from competition — which he said was in keeping with previous periods of lower immigration. It is very hard to disentangle the goal of reducing the overall numbers of immigrant arrivals from the goal of shifting our current ethnic and racial mix. But Trump has now left little to no doubt that the real animating impulse is the latter.
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DID YOU KNOW WHAT YOU SUPPORT WHEN YOU PLAY THE LOTTERY?
FLORIDA LOTTERY CELEBRATES NEW MILESTONES Recognizing $32 Billion in Transfers to Education TALLAHASSEE - As a new school year begins, the
Florida Lottery today announced it has reached the $32 billion mark in contributions for the state’s Educational Enhancement Trust Fund. “We are extremely proud of this achievement and what it means for Florida’s students and schools,” said Lottery Secretary Jim Poppell. “Under Governor Scott’s leadership, the Lottery is committed to doing everything we can to help ensure Florida’s children have the resources they need to compete in the new global economy; it all begins with a good education.”
The Florida Lottery has proven itself to be a dependable funding source for education. For 15 consecutive years now the Lottery has transferred more than $1 billion to education, while remaining one of the most effi ciently operated lotteries in the nation. The Lottery has also contributed more than $5 billion to the Bright Futures Scholarship Program, sending over 775,000 students to college.
AWARDS & REWARDS from grade school and beyond
The Florida Lottery sponsors education-centered events. Among programs: • Chancellor’s
Best
Practice
many those
Awards
allow Florida college system institutions to learn from proven strategies that increase performance for the entire college system. • Florida College System’s Academic Team Awards
All-Florida
recognizes outstanding college students based on academic achievement, leadership, and community service.
honors outstanding classroom teachers who inspire a love of learning in students. In 2017, 22 of Teachers of the Year honorees were Bright Futures recipients.
• Florida
Teacher
of
the
Year
• Sunshine State Scholars and Florida State Science and Engineering Fair
brings together high-caliber STEM students, the universities that hope to enroll them, and the employers who might hire them.
Florida Lottery contributions represent approximately six percent of the state’s total education budget. Lottery funds are appropriated by the Florida Legislature and administered by the Florida Department of Education.
ABOUT THE FLORIDA LOTTERY The Florida Lottery is responsible for contributing more than $32 billion to education and sending more than 775,000 students to college through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program.
• Take Stock in Children helps deserving
low-income youths and students to escape the cycle of poverty through education. • Just Read, Florida!, Celebrate Literacy Week, and Summer Literacy Adventure
encourages reading throughout Florida’s public schools.
Since 1988, Florida Lottery games have paid more than $56.3 billion in prizes and made more than 2,000 people millionaires. For more information, please visit www.fl alottery.com.
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At Death's Door by Tony Deyal
Continued from Page 12
A regional media hero, Frank Pardo, in his youth and anxious to get a job as a radio announcer, was getting a tryout at the station, and among his tests was reading the death announcements. After completing the last one with a long East Indian name which he pronounced perfectly, Frank then paused and said in his most English upper-class voice, "FARAKATATI." Frank was mortified but still got the job. He must have felt like the famous Hollywood producer, Sam Goldwyn who said, "If I could drop dead right now, I would be the happiest man alive."
Jones, your shoes are dirty. One hundred push-ups. Smith, your mother died last night." Poor Smith. He collapsed and had to be taken to the hospital.
People like Frank who dealt with death using the appropriate tone and demeanour are now absent, lost, or presumed dead. We have entered a different world where respect, manners and gentility seem to be lost. One of my favourite jokes is about an army sergeant major. His lieutenant told him, "Look, Private Smith's mother is dead and I want you to break the news gently to him." The sergeant, who was in charge of the daily parade, started with his ritual inspection of the troops. "Straighten your hat, Brown!
Out on the parade ground, the sergeant major called his men to attention. "All those whose fathers are still alive take one step forward," he roared. Then he shouted, "Private Smith, where the hell you think you going?"
A few weeks later, Private Smith's father died and again the sergeant major had to break the news to the poor man. His lieutenant warned him, "I'm watching you. I want you to break the news gently to Smith. Remember what happened the last time, so if you mess up this time, you'll be demoted to corporal."
Tony Deyal was last seen recalling the words on a dentist's tombstone: Stranger approach this spot with gravity, John Brown is filling his last cavity."
NEW CARIBBEAN JOBS BANK OPENS Sparked by the need to assist Caribbean tourism industry workers impacted by last fall's hurricanes, the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) has created a "jobs bank" to match candidates with tourism-related employment opportunities. The jobs bank, which was launched last month, has already assisted a number of individuals from hurricane impacted destinations find new employment opportunities in the region and the United States. The initiative is made possible by the Caribbean Tourism Recovery Fund, a partnership between CHTA and the Tourism Cares organization. CHTA's CEO and Director General Frank Comito explained the new platform is open to all CHTA member hotel industry professionals at all levels across the hospitality sector. While the focus is on assisting the temporarily or permanently unemployed from the affected destinations, it is a Caribbean-wide initiative. "While the jobs bank has been created to serve an immediate and urgent need, our intention is for it to become the permanent go-to resource for career opportunities at every level in Caribbean hospitality - from line cook to general manager," stated Comito as he urged hotels throughout the region and elsewhere to post
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vacancies.He explained that in the near term it is CHTA's hope that those displaced employees from the region's six destinations most impacted by the hurricanes will be able to take advantage of the time to keep their skills fresh and that employers will utilize the service. "We are confident that those employers, who contract with an impacted employee for the season or while their home hotel is under refurbishment, will realize tremendous value in their expertise while helping to mitigate the hardship employees are experiencing." Comito predicted that in the not too distant future, destinations in the region that were impacted by the recent hurricanes will emerge with a new, fresh and exciting tourism product matched by a motivated, energized and highly professional workforce. He said CHTA, the local industry and the local hotel and tourism associations will roll out training initiatives in the months ahead to help sharpen the skills of Caribbean hospitality professionals. Through the online jobs bank, CHTA has simplified the process for both employers and employees to post and respond to vacancies. The site is accessible at: https:// caribbeanhotelandtourism.site-ym.com/networking/ default.asp
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