Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Democracy Spring Protest Takes Place Mostly In D.C., Over 1200 People Voluntarily Arrested

Introduction

     This week, I wanted to do a write-up on the Democracy Spring protest that mostly happened over the past week at the U.S. Capital in Washington, D.C. I haven't heard much about it until late last week, and only from Russia Today. With that in mind, I have learned quite a bit about it since then.

What is it, and how did it start?

     Democracy Spring is a coalition of progressive (and pro-Bernie Sanders) groups (100, according to one source) aimed at reducing economic influence in American politics, and promoting voter rights. The protest started with a 10-day, 140-mile march from Philadelphia, PA , to Washington, D.C. on April 2nd, 2016.

What are their goals/demands?

     Democracy Spring wanted to make sure that the U.S. government passes acts and amendments that were in relation to voters' rights and eliminating money in politics. They also wanted to make sure that the Supreme Court confirms a nominee that would ensure political equality. They wanted government-funded vouchers for small donors. Most important, though, is that they wanted to resonate with those who think that the system is rigged.

Arrests

     Approximately 1,240 protesters were voluntarily arrested and fined. They chose to be charged with a misdemeanor and fined for $50. Among those who were arrested were: Cenk Uygur (political activist and co-host of "The Young Turks"), Rosario Dawson (actress), and Lee Camp (stand-up comedian and host of "Redacted Tonight" and its spin-off "Redacted Tonight V.I.P.").

My Opinion

     I like what the coalition behind Democracy Spring stands for, and appreciate that so many people were willing to be arrested in order to stand up for their cause (and, in a way, prove one of their main points). However, they're too centralized, and they're too pro-Bernie Sanders. I feel that they could've gone 1-2 weeks longer to help spread their message more (and maybe get some mainstream coverage). Other than all of that, I'd say they did a great job!

Sources

1. http://www.democracyspring.org/
2. http://dcist.com/2016/04/democracy_spring_caps_off_week_of_d.php
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_Spring
4. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2016/04/16/hundreds-democracy-spring-protesters-arrested-dc/83123326/
5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aYVLfziKu0

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Young girls save friends, friends' mother from van in swamp in Chetek, WI

Backstory

     A friend of mine mentioned on Facebook yesterday that four girls and two of the girls' mom had survived an automobile accident in which a van had slid on a slushy road in the town of Chetek, WI.
Two of the girls involved were his girlfriend's daughters (JoAnna & Erika). I'll have a link to the video of the story posted below, as well as an article from the news station's site covering the crash.

How did this happen?

     On March 5th, 2016, Kayla Conley was driving her two daughters (Bella & Madison), as well as JoAnna & Erika, back to her house for a play date. The van that Conley was driving suddenly hit a patch of slush on Hogsback Road, and went into a swamp.

     JoAnna and Erika proceeded to get Bella & Madison out safely without any injuries. Kayla was helped out of the water by the girls just as police were showing up, but she had to spend five days in the hospital (due to numerous injuries and coming down with pneumonia).

     A passerby helped them by offering a place to sit, as well as a phone to call for help.

My Opinion

     All four girls, especially JoAnna and Erika, deserve all the recognition that they're getting from this. They bravely jumped into action to save themselves, their friends, and their friends' mother, and for that, I give them my respect.

     I also give my respect to the passerby for helping them in their time of emergency. I would've done the same thing if I was there.

Here's the video from my friend of the story from the local newscast (sorry for the bad quality):

https://www.facebook.com/ajpennn89/videos/10206430882073331/

Here's the news station's article, just in case you can't watch the video:

http://www.wqow.com/story/31695625/2016/04/11/chetek-mother-credits-the-quick-thinking-of-two-young-girls-with-saving-her-daughters-lives

Saturday, April 9, 2016

Welcome to News Rebellion! The online paper that, as it says above, is "for those who are sick of the mainstream media 'spin'."

Who am I, And What Is "News Rebellion"?

     Hello, everybody! I'm Lewis Keller, Jr., a.k.a. "The Rebel". I created "News Rebellion" back in March of 2014, because I was getting sick and tired of how the mainstream media were (and still are) putting a "spin" on important news stories, and how they used (and are still using) "fluff" stories (sports, celebrity gossip,etc.) to distract people from the more important events that were going on in the world surrounding them.

     From March 17th, 2014, to March 8th, 2016, I had "News Rebellion" hosted on a site called Paper.li. Then, from March 8th, 2016, up to the present day, I used (and will continue to use as a backup) Newsmix.me. Now, for the foreseeable future, I will host my paper right here on Blogger.

Why am I doing this?

     Perhaps the better question to ask is this: "What's my purpose in doing this?" The answer is that I simply want to provide you, the reader, as much of an unfiltered view of the news as I can. That's it.

What will be covered here?

     "News Rebellion" generally covers the most important news topics of the day, with a little tech news on the side. "Fluff" topics and stories will be kept to as much as a minimum as possible, but some might find their way in.

     A very important reason to read my paper as often as you can is that there will be different views from different sources about whichever topic you want to read about, as I have Twitter and YouTube feeds on hand to retrieve articles and videos and have them readily available for your reading and/or viewing pleasure.

Do I encourage feedback?

     Of course I do! What type of publisher would I be if I didn't take any? (Answer: a rotten one.) Please leave me a comment down below, or e-mail me at panther30rock@gmail.com with feedback and/or questions. No spam and/or shenanigans, please.

My "Call To Action" For You

     Please read/view any of the articles and videos, discuss about them, subscribe to "News Rebellion", and always be sure to come back for more!