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READER’S EDITORIAL: TRUMP MUST BE STOPPED
By Jeanne Fleetwood Photo: C-Span screenshot of Donald Trump rallying supporters at the Capitol ellipse, moments before they marched to attack the Capitol. January 6, 2023 (El Cajon) — As we mark the third anniversary of the January 6th insurrection, it’s important to remember how we got to that moment and who was responsible for it. Donald Trump and his allies engaged in a months-long criminal conspiracy after the 2020 election. They spread lies about voter fraud and used those lies to put pressure on state officials to illegally overturn election results. When their scheme to interfere with Congress’ certification of the 2020 election results failed, Trump and his co-conspirators incited a violent mob to attack the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021. MAGA Republicans nationwide have continued this assault on our democracy by introducing radical voter suppression bills in Congress and state legislatures, spreading false election conspiracy theories, and threatening to overturn election results they disagree with. Now, Trump is running for president again and he and his allies are planning for a second term that is even more extreme and authoritarian than the last one. If he is re-elected, he plans to pardon himself and his supporters, use the Department of Justice to exact revenge on his enemies, and purge the federal government of anyone who doesn’t agree with him until there’s no one left to say no. Just last month, Trump said if he was reelected, he would attempt to be a dictator on “day one.” We need to take him at his word. Too much is at stake for the American people to allow Trump to take back power. It’s up to all of us to say no to a second Trump presidency now, before it’s too late. The opinions in this editorial reflect the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of East County Magazine. To submit an editorial for consideration, contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org.
SDSU FEELS THE FALLOUT FROM ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
By Donald H. Harrison, San Diego Jewish World, a member of the San Diego Online News Association Photo: Adela de la Torre. Photo by SDSU January 4, 2024 (San Diego) – San Diego State University is under investigation for alleged “Islamophobia” in the wake of SDSU President Adela de la Torre’s condemnation of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and statement of support for impacted members of the campus community. The U.S. Department of Education has not discussed the merits of the complaint from unidentified complainants, only that the complaint has come under its jurisdiction. Here, in full, is what President De La Torre said: “Throughout this weekend and today, SDSU has been in direct communication with dozens of impacted community members after the horrific reports of killings and kidnappings following the Hamas attacks on Israel during Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah, a major Jewish holy day. What is being reported is heartbreaking. We have heard from SDSU community members who have family, close friends and colleagues in the region. Many have spent several terrifying days praying for their safety. Some have not had those prayers answered. We cannot express to you the depths of emotion and anguish we have felt and encountered since Saturday. “We are grieving for all those who are suffering in the wake of this outburst of violence. We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, any act of violence, especially those against innocent civilians. We are deeply struck by the sheer scale of the loss of life – of innocent Israelis, Palestinians, and countless others. We also recognize that this follows a long history of loss of life of civilians in this region. It is our utmost priority that SDSU respond by setting a different tone – one of compassion, learning and dialogue, and, above all, empathy for what our campus community may be experiencing. To be sure – understanding that the events from this weekend will affect members of our diverse campus in different ways, we are writing to share our encouragement to utilize the support services available to all our students, faculty and staff. “We also urge all members of our campus community to do the following: –Seek support as you need it. Rely on the range of support services available, including counseling support, and, for university students, emergency financial assistance by filling out the online form. –Check in on your peers and colleagues. Many members of our community are hurting. We encourage you to check in on them and offer support during this time. –Read the SDSU Principles of Community for guidance in connecting with and speaking to others. We urge all members of our one SDSU community to abide by principles that encourage open dialogue and that also remind us to treat others with dignity and respect. –Report issues of concern. The university does not accept any instance of harassment and discrimination based on a person’s background. Rely on online tools to report harassment and discrimination. –Connect with community and learn more. SDSU is fortunate to have faculty with extensive knowledge of the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We encourage you to connect and learn more about the history of the conflict from them. Many SDSU centers will be hosting events, speaker series and community gatherings in the coming weeks to foster this dialogue. No matter your background, we encourage you to become informed and engaged. –As with any time of conflict and unrest that may impact our SDSU community, we ask that you come together to support one another. This is our most important role, as we each cope with the impact of this ongoing tragedy.” San Diego State University confirmed that it received notice from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights on Jan. 2, 2024, regarding a complaint that the university discriminated against Islamic, Arab and/or Palestinian students by sending an all-campus email on Oct. 9. The complaint alleges that the email “promoted hate and racism against Arabs and Muslims.” The email … does not promote hate or racism.” “Since October 7, SDSU has been actively in communication with our many San Diego and campus partners given the significance of the community impact of the ongoing war. SDSU has continually affirmed that any instances of harassment, discrimination or acts of violence targeting individuals or groups based on their background within our SDSU community will not be tolerated. “University safety professionals have been in contact and offered support and resources to those impacted, including members of our Islamic, Arab and Palestinian communities. Student Affairs and Campus Diversity team members have and continue to reach out to individual students, advisors and student organizations who have been impacted by the violence in Israel and Gaza. Staff have provided resources, including letters to students and to their faculty about the challenges they are experiencing through our CARES (Campus Assistance, Response, Evaluation and Support) Team. “Additionally, university administrators have also consulted directly with members of the Islamophobia SWANA/MENA (Southwest Asian And North African/ Middle East North Africa) Task Force at SDSU, one that was established to create recommendations for collecting and disaggregating data for Muslim and SWANA/MENA students, faculty and staff; identify opportunities to improve campus climate; and to also provide recommendations on how SDSU can develop community and a sense of belonging for the Muslim and SWANA/MENA community. “Further, the university relies on reports from SDSU community members to appropriately report any instances of harassment and discrimination and encourage students, as well as faculty and staff to use SDSU’s online reporting tools to report issues as quickly as they are able and to also rely on the many support services that exist on campus.” Elsewhere in the United States and Canada, there are other controversies stemming from the Israel-Hamas War in Gaza. Hailie Soifer, the CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA) has issued a statement that “denying the rapes of Israelis harms all women.” JDCA has scheduled a webinar at 9 a.m. PT Wednesday, Jan. 10 “to discuss Hamas’s sexual violence and how the subsequent silence from international organizations
SDSU TRACK & FIELD ANNOUNCES 2024 SCHEDULE
Source: goaztecs.com Photo courtesy goaztecs.com January 4, 2024 (San Diego) – As the new year begins, head coach Shelia Burrell has announced the indoor and outdoor track and field schedules for the upcoming 2024 season. The Aztecs will open the indoor slate at the Dr. Martin Luther King Invitational on Saturday, Jan. 20 at the University of New Mexico. The one-day meet will be the team’s first of four separate trips to Albuquerque during the indoor season. SDSU closes out January at their lone indoor meet away from New Mexico with a trip into the Pacific Northwest for the UW Invite in Seattle, Wash. The Scarlet and Black head back into Albuquerque the following two weekends to close out their regular season with the New Mexico Collegiate Classic (Feb. 2-3) and the Don Kirby Invitational (Feb. 9-10). Following a weekend off from competing, the postseason begins with the Mountain West Indoor Championships. The Albuquerque Convention Center will be the host for the conference championship meet for the ninth consecutive season (2021 cancelled) beginning on Thursday, Feb. 22 and running through Saturday, Feb. 24. This year, the NCAA Indoor Championships will be hosted in Boston, Mass. on Mar. 8-9. The outdoor season begins on the same weekend of the NCAA Indoor Championships with the Aztec distance runners heading up I-5 for the Ben Brown Invite hosted by Cal State Fullerton. The following weekend will be the pole vaulters’ first outdoor action at the Sharon Ross Invite hosted by Point Loma Nazarene here in San Diego. The 45th edition of the Aztec Invitational will take place Mar. 21-23. The three-day meet continues to be one of the best meets in the state with over 1250 entries last year. Next on the schedule is the Stanford Invite for the distance runners on Mar. 29-30 before the next full team meet at the UCSD Triton Invitational on Apr. 5-6. April continues with competition at the Bryan Clay Invitational (Apr. 11-13) and the Mt. SAC Relays (Apr. 17-20). The Aztecs spread out for the final weekend of the regular season as the throwers and distance runners head to Irvine, Calif. for the Steve Scott Invite, while the pole vaulters go to Provo, Utah for BYU’s Robinson Invitational and the rest of the team travels to Arizona for the Desert Heat Classic in Tucson, Ariz. The Mountain West Championships will be hosted by Fresno State on May 9-11 to begin the postseason. The NCAA West Preliminaries will be hosted by the University of Arkansas May 22-25 and the NCAA Championships return to Hayward Field in Oregon June 5-8.
SING, DANCE AND LEARN WITH KATHRYN THE GRAPE JAN. 12 AT GROSSMONT CENTER
East County News Service January 4, 2024 (La Mesa) — Families are invited to come sing, dance and learn with Kathryn the Grape for a Fun Friday morning January 12 from 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. in the Grossmont Center Courtyard in La Mesa. Enjoy positive, upbeat, award-winning children’s music at this interactive concert. Your little ones will love singing and grooving along at this live music experience. Through Kathryn the Grape, children are exposed to mindfully created books, songs, and videos with social-emotional character development themes about kindness, self-love, gratitude, joyfulness, compassion, inclusivity, empathy, friendship, resilience, and conflict resolution. Kathryn Cloward is a best-selling author, award-winning songwriter and heart-centered creator. Click “Learn More” for additional information about Kathryn. The shopping center is located at 5500 Grossmont Center Drive in La Mesa.