BARBWIRE by ANDREW BARBANO Pirate Laureate of the High Desert Outback of the American Dream The Barbwire Molly Ivins Memorial Columniator Hall of Flames

Barbwire Archives

I don't want to hear another word from Ira until the above headline comes true.

On April 16, Ira spouted off on the Nevada Senate floor that abortion is "in effect the 20th century version of 19th century slavery."

Reno-Sparks NAACP President Lonnie Feemster responded that Ira had drawn a red herring across the path, calling his words a "non sequitur, Latin for 'does not logically flow'."

Merriam-Webster defines it as "an inference that does not follow from the premise, a fallacy resulting from a simple conversion of a universal affirmative proposition."

"It was an unwitting admittance to the belief, by some men in power, that they should have authority to tell women what their health choices will be," Feemster said.

"Men in power in America did this for 240 years during the slavery of African Americans. The choices of health, intercourse, justice, voting and most civil rights were decisions made by men in power for women and African Americans in our country. And like slavery in the 19th century, this practice must stop. Yes, I see the comparison, I hope Sen Hansen will pray on it," Mr. Feemster admonished.

Perhaps it's a malady affecting Tribune Republican columnists. Future Sen. Hansen, R-Sparks, and I shared this space for seventeen years and his huge archive of racist and bigoted writings proved his undoing after he won the speakership of the Nevada State Assembly in 2014. (See BallotBoxing.US/ira.html/).

Last March, my current Tribune colleague in columny Harry Spencer wrote that "Ever since the slaves were freed by Lincoln, their progeny has been able to compete on the same level as other Americans." I begged Harry to correct it as just a typo.

Instead, Harry went full-frontal non sequitur, asserting he was talking about sports.

These guys are intelligent, well-educated anachronisms. But apparently neither took Latin in high school.

So here's my unofficial statement as a Nevada citizen, NOT as a longtime Reno-Sparks NAACP member and officer:

Let Ira put our money and his where his mouth is. If he's serious about life in the womb, let him propose for Nevada and campaign nationwide for a new, liberal, unlimited spending program: Embryo/fetal transplant.

Let all anti-abortion activists, male and female, offer to host those embryos and fetuses to term and support them until maturity.

This no satire like the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. Male pregnancy is now medically viable so this proposal is uni-gender.

Let Sen. Hansen be the first to pledge a tithing, say a 10th of his net worth plus future income, toward this research project so that abortion may become a thing of the past.

And let him put his body where his mouth is: Let him volunteer to become the first male mother.

The only other way to absolutely end abortion is to make all sex illegal save with government permission under controlled, supervised conditions.

Stormy Daniels, call your office.

DEFROCK KATE SMITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. My mother was right. Every old Italian I knew growing up detested the deep-throated songstress for advocating imprisonment of all Italian-Americans during WW2, just like Japanese-Americans. That would have included my entire family.

Now, she's been revealed as a flaming racist. (New York Times, 4-20-2019) The NHL Philadelphia Flyers have stopped replacing the national anthem with Smith's version of "God Bless America." They have also cloaked her statue in front of their arena. The New York Yankees have pulled her from the seventh-inning stretch.

She recorded racist songs including "Pickaninny Heaven" and "That's Why Darkies Were Born." Former Arizona Gov. Evan Mecham was forced to resign over his racism, including frequent use of the P-word, an insult to black children.

For all of the above reasons and more, Sparks' Kate Smith School needs a new honoree. I suggest labor leader César Chávez.

CORRECTION FROM THE 5-22-2019 BARBWIRE: CROW DEPT. When I make a mistake, I own it and eat it. Two local librarians informed me last week that Sparks' Kate Smith Elementary School was not named for singer Kate (Katherine Elizabeth) Smith of "God Bless America" fame, just defrocked by the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Flyers for recently revealed racist recordings.

The longtime Sparks school was named for local educator Kate M. Smith. I apologize and sincerely regret my error. Mea maxima culpa.

¡Sí se puede!

BACK FROM THE DEAD. Senate Bill 398 and Assembly Bill 399 survive. The first, sponsored by Sen. Julia Ratti, D-Sparks, would allow local governments more leeway in affordable housing. "Rent" and "control" are not mentioned. SB 398 passed the senate 13-6 on April 18. All 13 Democrats supported it plus Republicans Pete Goicochea, R-Eureka, and Ben Kieckhefer, R-Reno. It now moves to the lower house. Stay tuned.

AB 399 sponsored by Assemblymember Ellen Spiegel, D-Henderson, represents the first mild attempt to do something about payday loan vampires by starting state-sponsored employee savings accounts for workers without retirement options. Non-penalty withdrawal could make a small dent in payday loan desperation. Other payday loan bills have been assassinated by money.

Read my full bulletin to lawmakers at Barbwire.US, then sign up because time's up. Lives are on the line.

GAS CON. The corporate Oilogopoly raises pump prices on any publicity. The latest goosing has nothing to do with Iran or Venezuela. The US is now a net energy exporter. I've written on the con for decades but BigOil has more clout. See the Oilogopoly Archive at NevadaLabor.com/

¡Sí se puede!

Peruse the Underbelly of the News —> Subscribe to Barbwire Confidential

For all the news you never knew you needed to know 'til now: Tell your friends and friendly enemies to subscribe to Barbwire Confidential for warm laughter, cheap thrills, hot scoops and occasional cold logic at BallotBoxing.US/ Cheap at twice the price. (Hush Hush!)

BLACK LIKE ME 2119: The problem as solution
Barbwire by Andrea Luigi Barbáno / Expanded from the 2-13-2019 Sparks Tribune / Updated 2-14 and 2-16-2019
Breaking News —> Culinary Union defeats decert at Circus Circus Reno
Dear Readers: The above column served as the conclusion of remarks I submitted before the "Tahoe Talks: Racism in America" symposium at the Incline Village, Nev., Library on February 12, 2019. So you might want to read "FADE TO BLACK" before you read "Black Like Me 2119".

	Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners Max Blank and Isaac Harris. Is not Mr. Harris eerily familiar to television junkies?
From the Emmy-winning opening slate of the blockbuster "Cheers" television series. Combined with its "Frasier" spinoff, it lasted 20 years.	The "shirtwaist kings" immigrated from Russia and made a fortune manufacturing "Gibson Girl"-style blouses. (Photo, "The American Experience"/PBS)	The Emmy-winning opening slate of the "Cheers" television series before the "slate" of creators is superimposed. Looks like Mr. Harris' dead ringer (at left) is having a bloody good time.

"Who ya gonna believe, me or your own eyes?" — Chico Marx disguised as Groucho Marx in "Duck Soup" (1933)
Back to the story of the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist holocaust

Triangle tragedy recalled as requiem "The Fire in My Mouth," a new oratorio by Pulitzer honoree Julia Wolfe, premiered with the New York Philharmonic Jan. 24 By Michael Cooper / The New York Times 1-23-2019

SITE NAVIGATION TIPS: When all else fails, read the instructions (A favorite John Hanks aphorism I've been using for decades)

NevadaLabor.com | U-News | Bulletins + Almanac Casinos Out of Politics (COP) | Sen. Joe Neal Guinn Watch | Deciding Factors | BallotBoxing.US DoctorLawyerWatch.com | Barbwire Oilogopoly Archive Barbwire Nevada Corporate Welfare Archive The Barbwire Molly Ivins Memorial Columniator Hall of Flames Annual César Chávez Celebration War Rooms: Banks, Cabbies, Cabela's/cabellyup, Cable TV, Cancer Kids/Mining, Energy, Food, Health Care, Resurge.TV/consumers, Starbucks, Wal-Mart We Don't Need No Education Search this site | In Search Of...

Barbwire Archives

Copyright © 1982-2019 Andrew Barbano

Andrew Barbano is a 50-year Nevadan, editor of NevadaLabor.com and SenJoeNeal.org; and former chair of the City of Reno's Citizens Cable Compliance Committee. He is the executive producer of Nevada's annual César Chávez Day celebration and serves as first vice-president and political action chair of the Reno-Sparks NAACP. As always, his opinions are strictly his own. E-mail barbano@frontpage.reno.nv.us.

Barbwire by Barbano moved to Nevada's Daily Sparks Tribune on Aug. 12, 1988, and has originated in them parts ever since.
Whom to blame: How a hall-of-famer's hunch birthed the Barbwire in August of 1987
Tempus fugit.

Betty J. Barbano 2-7-1941 / 12-27-2005

Get ahead of corporate-influenced news—>Subscribe to Barbwire Confidential

Site composed and maintained by Deciding Factors, CWA 9413 signatory

Comments and suggestions appreciated. Sign up for news and bulletins