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Ray Hanania informed commentary, humor, & insight on politics & issues in Chicago, Middle East & Arab/Muslim America
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Friday Nov 11, 2016
Friday Nov 11, 2016
Reason not emotion with Trump can save Palestine
Arab News Friday, Nov. 11, 2016
By Ray Hanania
President-elect Donald J. Trump defied all predictions Tuesday night and soundly defeated his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, causing many who opposed him to wonder what policies he will pursue.
Most shocked were American Muslims who took his campaign rhetoric at face value rather than recognizing it as being typical of the polemic debate that characterizes heated American elections.
Muslims may have made a crucial political mistake, pursuing an emotional response to Trump’s rhetoric rather than recognizing the flexibility of election rhetoric to achieve their goals.
But they overreacted over his comments on fighting terrorism and Muslims, and that debate engulfed all of Trump’s views on the Middle East, including the issue of Palestine.
The trouble between Trump and Muslims began on Dec. 2, 2015 when Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik stormed a San Bernardino County Health Department Christmas party. The Muslim married couple murdered 14 people who had nothing to do with the Middle East conflict. They seriously injured 22 others.
Click to read the rest of the column ...
This is Ray Hanania’s column commentary Podcast … Hanania’s columns are published each week in newspapers throughout the United States and in the Middle East.
He writes on American politics and life in Chicagoland every week in the Des Plaines Valley News, Southwest News-Herald, The Regional News, the Reporter Newspapers,NewsAmericaNetwork.com, and IllinoisNewsNetwork.com.
Hanania also writes a weekly column every Thursday for the Arab News at www.ArabNews.com. And, writes news and features for his website at TheArabDailyNews.com, and for the Arab News at www.ArabNews.com and the Daily Hookah at www.TheDailyHookah.com.
An award winning former Chicago City Hall reporter named Best Ethnic Columnist by the New America Media, and recipient of the Sigma Delta Chi award for writing, Hanania is of Palestinian Arab heritage.
You can reach him and share your opinions and thoughts by emailing him at rghanania@gmail.com. All his columns are archived at RayHanania.com.
This podcast is available at Podbean.com and also for free subscription on iTunes.
(An award winning former Chicago City Hall reporter and columnist. American Palestinian Arab, Hanania writes a weekly column for the Arab News at www.ArabNews.com. He also writes each week for several mainstream American newspapers on American politics and life in Chicagoland. Reach him at rghanania@gmail.com.)
Friday Nov 11, 2016
Friday Nov 11, 2016
Can we ban hate campaign Ads next time?
Nov. 10, 2016 Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Reporter Newspapers, the Regional News, IllinoisNewsNetwork.com
By Ray Hanania
Has anyone else noticed that America is becoming a polarized nation? And worse, the two sides seem to be getting angrier and angrier?
I’ve never been happier to see an election end. The viciousness of the election for President has only set the tone for elections across the country. And it has also set the tone for how we feel as Americans.
How can anyone be happy or confident after watching all the vicious campaign ads this election season?
No matter who wins as president, this country will still have the same problems and our national leaders will solve none.
Healthcare is a disaster and costs keep rising. Crime is spreading and every weekend the death toll rises in Chicago and cities across America. ...
Click here to read the entire column ...
This is Ray Hanania’s column commentary Podcast … Hanania’s columns are published each week in newspapers throughout the United States and in the Middle East.
He writes on American politics and life in Chicagoland every week in the Des Plaines Valley News, Southwest News-Herald, The Regional News, the Reporter Newspapers,NewsAmericaNetwork.com, and IllinoisNewsNetwork.com.
Hanania also writes a weekly column every Thursday for the Arab News at www.ArabNews.com. And, writes news and features for his website at TheArabDailyNews.com, and for the Arab News at www.ArabNews.com and the Daily Hookah at www.TheDailyHookah.com.
An award winning former Chicago City Hall reporter named Best Ethnic Columnist by the New America Media, and recipient of the Sigma Delta Chi award for writing, Hanania is of Palestinian Arab heritage.
You can reach him and share your opinions and thoughts by emailing him at rghanania@gmail.com. All his columns are archived at RayHanania.com.
This podcast is available at Podbean.com and also for free subscription on iTunes.
(An award winning former Chicago City Hall reporter and columnist. American Palestinian Arab, Hanania writes a weekly column for the Arab News at www.ArabNews.com. He also writes each week for several mainstream American newspapers on American politics and life in Chicagoland. Reach him at rghanania@gmail.com.)
Saturday Nov 05, 2016
Saturday Nov 05, 2016
Dead people voting? It's happened before
Donald Trump has said he believes that the election results on Tuesday Nov. 8, 2016 will be "rigged" and he's received a lot of criticism from the biased mainstream news media. But the truth is that elections are easily rigged and ghost voting and voter manipulation are common. A recent poll suggested that many Americans feel the same, especially the young
By Ray Hanania
Donald Trump has said he believes that the election results on Tuesday Nov. 8, 2016 will be "rigged" and he's received a lot of criticism from the biased mainstream news media.
But the truth is that elections are easily rigged and ghost voting and voter manipulation are common. It's amazing how people are claiming it can't happen that the election can't be rigged and that claims that it will be rigged are examples of why Donald Trump is unfit to be president.
But elections can be rigged and have been rigged in the past. The most notable was the battle between Richard M. Nixon and John F. Kennedy in 1960 and the voter theft occurred in Chicago and in many major Democratically controlled cities.
That election was close and Nixon lost to Kennedy by 112,827 votes nationwide out of more than 68 million votes cast.
A recent poll suggested that many Americans feel the same, especially the young.
This is Ray Hanania’s column commentary Podcast … Hanania’s columns are published each week in newspapers throughout the United States and in the Middle East.
He writes on American politics and life in Chicagoland every week in the Des Plaines Valley News,Southwest News-Herald, The Regional News, the Reporter Newspapers, NewsAmericaNetwork.com, and IllinoisNewsNetwork.com.
Hanania also writes a weekly column every Thursday for the Arab News at www.ArabNews.com. And, writes news and features for his website at TheArabDailyNews.com, and for the Arab News at www.ArabNews.com and the Daily Hookah at www.TheDailyHookah.com.
An award winning former Chicago City Hall reporter named Best Ethnic Columnist by the New America Media, and recipient of the Sigma Delta Chi award for writing, Hanania is of Palestinian Arab heritage.
You can reach him and share your opinions and thoughts by emailing him at rghanania@gmail.com. All his columns are archived at RayHanania.com.
This podcast is available at Podbean.com and also for free subscription on iTunes.
(An award winning former Chicago City Hall reporter and columnist. American Palestinian Arab, Hanania writes a weekly column for the Arab News at www.ArabNews.com. He also writes each week for several mainstream American newspapers on American politics and life in Chicagoland. Reach him at rghanania@gmail.com.)
Thursday Nov 03, 2016
Thursday Nov 03, 2016
Obama failed to deliver on promises to Arabs and Muslims
President Barack Obama grew up politically in an environment that included many prominent Arabs, Palestinians and Muslims before rising to national politics and becoming president. His background having a father who was raised Muslim (who later converted to Anglicanism and later became an atheist) sensitized him to the plight of the Palestinian people and to the challenges against Arabs and Muslims in America. But despite all that, Obama has been ineffective in championing their causes and has abandoned them to the wayside
Published in the Arab News in Saudi Arabia, Nov. 3, 2016
By Ray Hanania
When it comes to the issues of peace, justice and human rights in the Middle East, President Barack Obama is an enigma.
No other president has promised more to Arabs, Muslims and Palestinians and achieved so little.
It’s an important lesson for Arabs in American politics. It’s not what it claims to be.
I’m not just talking about any president. I’ve covered American politics for more than 40 years. Obama has had more personal and professional exposure to the rights of Arabs and Palestinians than any other successful American politician.
Obama matured in close proximity to prominent Arab and Palestinian activists in Chicago, which has one of the country’s largest Palestinian populations.
Nearly one-third of Americans believe Obama is a “Muslim.”
Click here to read the full column in the Arab News ...
This is Ray Hanania’s column commentary Podcast … Hanania’s columns are published each week in newspapers throughout the United States and in the Middle East.
He writes on American politics and life in Chicagoland every week in the Des Plaines Valley News,Southwest News-Herald, The Regional News, the Reporter Newspapers,NewsAmericaNetwork.com, and IllinoisNewsNetwork.com.
Hanania also writes a weekly column every Thursday for the Arab News at www.ArabNews.com. And, writes news and features for his website at TheArabDailyNews.com.
An award winning former Chicago City Hall reporter named Best Ethnic Columnist by the NewAmerica Media, and recipient of the Sigma Delta Chi award for writing, Hanania is of Palestinian Arab heritage.
You can reach him and share your opinions and thoughts by emailing him at rghanania@gmail.com. All his columns are archived at RayHanania.com.
This podcast is available at Podbean.com and also for free subscription on iTunes.
(An award winning former Chicago City Hall reporter and columnist. American Palestinian Arab, Hanania writes a weekly column for the Arab News at www.ArabNews.com. He also writes each week for several mainstream American newspapers on American politics and life in Chicagoland. Reach him at rghanania@gmail.com.)
Thursday Nov 03, 2016
Thursday Nov 03, 2016
Cleveland Indians should change their name
The Cleveland Indians were defeated by the Chicago Cubs in the World Series championship on Wednesday night, Nov. 2, 2016 at Progressive Field in Cleveland in the 10th inning by a score of 8 to 7. But before the game was played, I wrote this column looking at the racism of the Cleveland Indian's name and how they should be disqualified from playing baseball until they change it.
Published in the Southwest News-Herald newspaper, Nov. 3, 2016
By Ray Hanania
If the Cleveland Indians end up winning the World Series, as it seems as I write this on Sunday, Game 5, I don’t think they should be given the World Series title until they own up to their historical disregard for humanity and American history.
They need to change their name, first.
“Cleveland Indians” is an offensive name and their symbol or mascot, Chief Wahoo is and has been disturbing.
That professional athletes would even want to be a part of a baseball team that denigrates and offends the cultural heritage of an entire race of people is disgusting.
Before the team was known as the Cleveland Indians, it had many official names and many nicknames. One nickname was the “Indians” because in the late 1890s, one of its key players was Native American player Louis Francis Sockalexis, who was an outfielder when the team was called the Cleveland Spiders.
Click here to read the print column ...
This is Ray Hanania’s column commentary Podcast … Hanania’s columns are published each week in newspapers throughout the United States and in the Middle East.
He writes on American politics and life in Chicagoland every week in the Des Plaines Valley News,Southwest News-Herald, The Regional News, the Reporter Newspapers,NewsAmericaNetwork.com, and IllinoisNewsNetwork.com.
Hanania also writes a weekly column every Thursday for the Arab News at www.ArabNews.com. And, writes news and features for his website at TheArabDailyNews.com.
An award winning former Chicago City Hall reporter named Best Ethnic Columnist by the NewAmerica Media, and recipient of the Sigma Delta Chi award for writing, Hanania is of Palestinian Arab heritage.
You can reach him and share your opinions and thoughts by emailing him at rghanania@gmail.com. All his columns are archived at RayHanania.com.
This podcast is available at Podbean.com and also for free subscription on iTunes.
(An award winning former Chicago City Hall reporter and columnist. American Palestinian Arab, Hanania writes a weekly column for the Arab News at www.ArabNews.com. He also writes each week for several mainstream American newspapers on American politics and life in Chicagoland. Reach him at rghanania@gmail.com.)
Thursday Nov 03, 2016
Thursday Nov 03, 2016
Patlak campaign receives thousands from lawyers who appear before his board
In the race for the Cook County Board of Review, challenger Marty Stack is calling for a moratorium on all campaign and election donations from tax law firms whose lawyers appear before the county's tax review board, and is criticizing incumbent Dan Patlak for accepting thousands in campaign donations from law firms that appear before the board through his campaign election fund
Originally published in the DVN, The Regional, The Reporter Nov. 3, 2016
By Ray Hanania
Cook County’s Board of Review has a big problem and Marty Stack wants to change it.
It won’t be easy, though. Stack is the underdog in the race for the Cook County Board of Review, which is supposed to help taxpayers appeal their property taxes if those taxes are higher than the average tax on the same homes in your community.
The innocuously named Board of Review doesn’t really help taxpayers at all, but does seem to help tax lawyers make easy profits, and board members loads of campaign donations.
The system is confusing for many taxpayers, especially seniors. The forms are confusing. The deadlines are confusing. Even if you manage to fill out everything and provide all the legal documents, chances are the board will reject it.
But – and this is a big, wealthy, fat check of a “but” – if a taxpayer “hires” a tax appeals law firm to complete the forms, your chances of getting your appeal approved increases.
Who are these tax law firms? You could go online and spend months researching their names. Or, you could go to Patlak’s campaign forms at the Illinois State Board of Elections, www.Elections.IL.Gov, which reads like a Yellow Pages listing of tax appeal lawyers.
Click here to read the print column ...
This is Ray Hanania’s column commentary Podcast … Hanania’s columns are published each week in newspapers throughout the United States and in the Middle East.
He writes on American politics and life in Chicagoland every week in the Des Plaines Valley News,Southwest News-Herald, The Regional News, the Reporter Newspapers,NewsAmericaNetwork.com, and IllinoisNewsNetwork.com.
Hanania also writes a weekly column every Thursday for the Arab News at www.ArabNews.com. And, writes news and features for his website at TheArabDailyNews.com.
An award winning former Chicago City Hall reporter named Best Ethnic Columnist by the NewAmerica Media, and recipient of the Sigma Delta Chi award for writing, Hanania is of Palestinian Arab heritage.
You can reach him and share your opinions and thoughts by emailing him at rghanania@gmail.com. All his columns are archived at RayHanania.com.
This podcast is available at Podbean.com and also for free subscription on iTunes.
(An award winning former Chicago City Hall reporter and columnist. American Palestinian Arab, Hanania writes a weekly column for the Arab News at www.ArabNews.com. He also writes each week for several mainstream American newspapers on American politics and life in Chicagoland. Reach him at rghanania@gmail.com.)
Monday Oct 31, 2016
Monday Oct 31, 2016
Ray Hanania's podcast on the myth of the Billy Goat curse on the Chicago Cubs by a Greek Immigrant in 1945. It was really put there by an Arab who sought to force the Cubs to rehire an Arab baseball player. Podcast column commentary, Oct. 24, 2016
The first Cubs curse was by an Arab
The first Cubs curse was by an Arab, but it was for a good reason. It was issued by Abdullah al-Tidhatch in 1908 after the Cubs refused to reinstate the league's first Arab player, Fareed Habibi, according to sources, myths and old wive's tales
By Ray Hanania
I worked at Chicago City Hall and I knew Mike Royko. I sat at Billy Goats many a time when he waxed poetic about the Cubs curse, and the truth.
The truth was the curse wasn’t put on the Chicago Cubs in 1945 by a Greek immigrant who owned a tavern and a goat, but by an Arab, the masters of the placing curses, with a goat and then several lambs.
This is a true story about the "Abdullah Goat" curse on the Cubs. Wallahi!
I learned about it through hints from Royko and other great journalists at City Hall, Bob Davis and Harry Golden, Jr., who, when learning I was Palestinian Arab, exclaimed, “Seriously, you’re not Puerto Rican?”
The curse was placed by an American Arab immigrant Abdullah al-Tidhatch in 1908 after trying three times beginning in 1906 to get the baseball team to rehire the league's only Arab American player, Fareed Habibi. Abdullah was told he could not bring a goat into Wrigley Field to bring luck to the team, even though he had season tickets that he got from his local alderman. The Cubs lost the 1906 World Series to the Chicago White Sox.
This is Ray Hanania’s column commentary Podcast … Hanania’s columns are published each week in newspapers throughout the United States and in the Middle East.
He writes on American politics and life in Chicagoland every week in the Des Plaines Valley News, Southwest News-Herald, The Regional News, the Reporter Newspapers, NewsAmericaNetwork.com, and IllinoisNewsNetwork.com.
Hanania also writes a weekly column every Thursday for the Arab News at www.ArabNews.com. And, writes news and features for his website at TheArabDailyNews.com.
An award winning former Chicago City Hall reporter named Best Ethnic Columnist by the New America Media, and recipient of the Sigma Delta Chi award for writing, Hanania is of Palestinian Arab heritage.
You can reach him and share your opinions and thoughts by emailing him at rghanania@gmail.com. All his columns are archived at RayHanania.com.
This podcast is available at Podbean.com and also for free subscription on iTunes.
Monday Oct 31, 2016
Monday Oct 31, 2016
Waking up to the new world of a Cubs Pennant
The Cubs defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers and reserved their place at the 2016 World Series against the Cleveland Indians. But before the World Series battle with the Cleveland Indians, the Cubs pennant victory inspired a generation of people nurtured in the aura of the "underdog" culture.
Oct. 27, 2016 DVN, SWNH, Regional News, Reporter Newspapers
By Ray Hanania
I've always loved the Chicago Cubs, ever since I was a kid on the South Side of Chicago where most of my neighbors were all diehard White Sox fans.
Still, maybe my love was with the Cubs' name. But I admired its players and fell in love with one of the greatest baseball parks in America, Wrigley Field.
Cheering for the Cubs to win the Pennant has always been fun, in a large part because they have always fallen short -- it's been 108 years since their last World Series victory (1908) and 71 years since winning their last Pennant (1945).
The Chicago Cubs were the "underdogs" of baseball, and maybe that
helped Cubs fans survive the losses and a mythical curse many claimed as the excuse.
The "underdog" is a powerful symbol of determination, persistence, and stubbornness. I'm definitely an "underdog" fan, especially in politics. But my love came from the popular “Underdog” animated TV series from the 1960s. ...
This is Ray Hanania’scolumn commentary Podcast … Hanania’s columns are published each week innewspapers throughout the United States and in the Middle East.
He writes on Americanpolitics and life in Chicagoland every week in the Des Plaines Valley News,Southwest News-Herald, The Regional News, the Reporter Newspapers,NewsAmericaNetwork.com, and IllinoisNewsNetwork.com.
Hanania also writes aweekly column every Thursday for the Arab News at www.ArabNews.com. And, writesnews and features for his website at TheArabDailyNews.com.
An award winningformer Chicago City Hall reporter named Best Ethnic Columnist by the NewAmerica Media, and recipient of the Sigma Delta Chi award for writing, Hananiais of Palestinian Arab heritage.
You can reach him andshare your opinions and thoughts by emailing him at rghanania@gmail.com. Allhis columns are archived at RayHanania.com.
This podcast isavailable at Podbean.com and also for free subscription on iTunes.
Tuesday Oct 25, 2016
Tuesday Oct 25, 2016
Orland Park sidesteps the will of the people
The Orland Park Board approved a plan to significantly increase Mayor McLaughlins salary 375 percent from what it was (a 275 percent increase). But the board action ignores the rights of the village's taxpayers and voters.
Oct. 20, 2016 Des Plaines Valley News, The Regional, The Reporter
By Ray Hanania
I joined the Oct. 4 village-wide teleconference when Orland Park Mayor Dan McLaughlin and Trustee Jim Dodge announced the Board is planning to make the job of mayor full-time rather than part-time.
I broke that story that this was coming in this column last September.
The mayor’s salary will increase to $150,000 a year -- from $43,000 a year (which also includes $3,000 a year as liquor commissioner). That doesn’t include a 2nd pension McLaughlin will get from the Building Trade Association that he now heads as Executive Director.
This all came about following the vacancy created when the very competent Paul Grimes left as village manager. The board named Tim McCarthy, the village’s highly regarded police chief, as temporary successor. The village website lists two assistant Village Managers, Joe La Margo and Ellen Baer, though Baer reportedly resigned last year.
Sadly, I don’t think the Village has been totally honest with residents. Sure, they can raise the mayor’s salary anytime. But can they simply dump the Village Manager system without going directly to the people?
Tuesday Oct 25, 2016
Tuesday Oct 25, 2016
Raising taxes is never about healthy living
Southwest News-Herald Oct. 20, 2016
By Ray Hanania
I’ve been drinking Coke and Diet Coke now for more than 40years, so I kind of take offense when Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle says she’s concerned about the public health and wants to impose a draconian sales tax hike on soft drinks.
What is troubling to me is how politicians slam things like smoking cigarettes, car pollution, drinking alcohol, and drinking pop because it’s “not healthy.”
If smoking cigarettes are so bad, why not ban them? Why not ban alcohol, if it is so bad for our health? Why not ban all soft drinks, too, or limit how far we can drive in our cars?
It’s not about our health and never was. It is about money.Your money. And the special word they use to refer to “your money” is “taxes”.They need your taxes and they think that they can waste our taxes by pitting tax hikes against “caring” for our health. ...
Click here to read the column ...
This is Ray Hanania’s column commentary Podcast … Hanania’s columns are published each week in newspapers throughout the United States and in the Middle East.
Topic: Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle wants to impose an outrageous tax on soda pop sales to fill the gaps in her bloated, waste-filled budget of $4.4 billion. Oct. 20, 2016
He writes on American politics and life in Chicagoland every week in the Des Plaines Valley News, Southwest News-Herald, The Regional News, the Reporter Newspapers, NewsAmericaNetwork.com, and IllinoisNewsNetwork.com.
Hanania also writes a weekly column every Thursday for the Arab News at www.ArabNews.com. And, writes news and features for his website at TheArabDailyNews.com and TheDailyHookah.com.
An award winning former Chicago City Hall reporter named Best Ethnic Columnist by the New America Media, and recipient of the Sigma Delta Chi award for writing, Hanania is of Palestinian Arab heritage.
You can reach him and share your opinions and thoughts by emailing him at rghanania@gmail.com. All his columns are archived at RayHanania.com.
This podcast is available at Podbean.com and also for free subscription on iTunes.
(An American Palestinian Arab, Hanania writes a weekly column for the Arab News at www.ArabNews.com. He also writes each week for several mainstream American newspapers on American politics and life in Chicagoland. Reach him at rghanania@gmail.com.)
Thursday Oct 13, 2016
Thursday Oct 13, 2016
Iran threatens Middle East peace and Palestinian interests
This is Ray Hanania’s column commentary Podcast … Hanania’s columns are published each week in newspapers throughout the United States and in the Middle East.
Topic: Iran threatens Middle East peace and Palestinian interests, published in the Arab News on Oct. 13, 2016 at www.ArabNews.com
He writes on American politics and life in Chicagoland every week in the Des Plaines Valley News, Southwest News-Herald, The Regional News, the Reporter Newspapers, NewsAmericaNetwork.com, and IllinoisNewsNetwork.com.
Hanania also writes a weekly column every Thursday for the Arab News at www.ArabNews.com. And, writes news and features for his website at TheArabDailyNews.com.
An award winning former Chicago City Hall reporter named Best Ethnic Columnist by the New America Media, and recipient of the Sigma Delta Chi award for writing, Hanania is of Palestinian Arab heritage.
You can reach him and share your opinions and thoughts by emailing him at rghanania@gmail.com. All his columns are archived at RayHanania.com.
This podcast is available at Podbean.com and also for free subscription on iTunes.
(An award winning former Chicago City Hall reporter and columnist. American Palestinian Arab, Hanania writes a weekly column for the Arab News at www.ArabNews.com. He also writes each week for several mainstream American newspapers on American politics and life in Chicagoland. Reach him at rghanania@gmail.com.)
Thursday Oct 13, 2016
Thursday Oct 13, 2016
10-13-16 Readers share stories of living in the shadow of street gang violence
This is Ray Hanania’s column commentary Podcast … Hanania’s columns are published each week in newspapers throughout the United States and in the Middle East.
Topic: Readers share stories of living in the shadow of street gangs and street gang violence.
Click here to read the Print column.
Published Oct. 13, 2016 in the Des Plaines Valley News, Southwest News-Herald, The Regional News and the Reporter Newspapers, and Illinois News Network online and the NewsAmericaNetwork.com online news site. Also published on www.RayHanania.com.
He writes on American politics and life in Chicagoland every week in the Des Plaines Valley News, Southwest News-Herald, The Regional News, the Reporter Newspapers, NewsAmericaNetwork.com, and IllinoisNewsNetwork.com.
An award winning former Chicago City Hall reporter named Best Ethnic Columnist by the New America Media, and recipient of the Sigma Delta Chi award for writing, Hanania is of Palestinian Arab heritage. He also writes a weekly column every Thursday for the Arab News at www.ArabNews.com. And, writes news and features for his website at TheArabDailyNews.com.
You can reach him and share your opinions and thoughts by emailing him at rghanania@gmail.com. All his columns are archived at RayHanania.com.
This podcast is available at Podbean.com and also for free subscription on iTunes.
(An award winning former Chicago City Hall reporter and columnist. American Palestinian Arab, Hanania writes a weekly column for the Arab News at www.ArabNews.com. He also writes each week for several mainstream American newspapers on American politics and life in Chicagoland. Reach him at rghanania@gmail.com.)
Saturday Oct 08, 2016
Saturday Oct 08, 2016
This is Ray Hanania’s column commentary Podcast … Hanania’s columns are published each week in newspapers throughout the United States and in the Middle East.
He writes on American politics and life in Chicagoland every week in the Des Plaines ValleyNews, Southwest News-Herald, The Regional News, the Reporter Newspapers,NewsAmericaNetwork.com, and IllinoisNewsNetwork.com.
An award winning former ChicagoCity Hall reporter named Best Ethnic Columnist by the New America Media, and recipient of the Sigma Delta Chi award for writing, Hanania is of PalestinianArab heritage. He also writes a weekly column every Thursday for the ArabNews at www.ArabNews.com. And, writes news and features for his website at TheArabDailyNews.com.
You can reach him and share your opinions and thoughts by emailing him at rghanania@gmail.com. All his columns are archived at RayHanania.com.
This podcast is available atPodbean.com and also for free subscription on iTunes.
Don’t call us MENA in the Census, call us Arabs!
Published in the Arab News, SaudiArabia Oct. 6, 2016 at ArabNews.com
By Ray Hanania
In a continuation of his efforts to change the U.S. Census, President Barack Obama has proposed a new classification to identify “Middle Eastern and North African” people in a new category called “MENA.”
Although many are hailing Obama’s efforts, placing Arabs in the “MENA” category might actually dilute American Arab empowerment by avoiding the word “Arab.
We should be called “Arab” because that is what we are.
Classifying people by race and ethnicity began during the 1960s Civil Rights era and focused mainly on the status of African Americans, but by the 1970s was expanded to allow for the U.S. Census to provide detailed statistics on up to29 ethnic and sub-ethnic identities.
America conducts a population Census every 10 years. Data from the Census is used to ensurethat minorities receive their fair share of American society. ...
Friday Oct 07, 2016
Friday Oct 07, 2016
Ray Hanania's column commentary podcast of his weekly columnin the Des Plaines Valley News, Southwest News-Herald, The Regional News, theReporter Newspapers and IllinoisNewsNetwork.com. Topic: designating street gangs as terrorist organizations and denying them legal rights. Arrest known street gang members on sight. Published Oct. 6, 2016 in the Des Plaines Valley News, Southwest News-Herald, The Regional News and the Reporter Newspapers, and Illinois News Network online and the NewsAmericaNetwork.com online news site. Also published on www.RayHanania.com.
Stop murders by making street gang membership a jailable crime
SW News Herald, DVN, The Regional, The Reporter Oct. 6, 2016
By Ray Hanania
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is doing all he can to reduce skyrocketing violence plaguing many neighborhoods. Hiring 1,000 more police officers is a good start, but it’s not enough.
While we are all shocked by the escalating violence and murders in Chicago and to a lesser extent its neighboring suburbs, most of us don’t really experience it directly. We see it on TV and in the newspapers.
So I decided to help us understand the real problem, asking people who live in street gang infested neighborhoods plagued by violence and killings to share what it is really like.
After reading the responses, I’ve come to the conclusion street gangs are the problem. They are behind the majority of shootings and murders. We need to give the Police the power not only to respond to street gang violence, but they need to be able to aggressively crack down hard on it.
Most street gang members are known to the public and the police -- even if parents of these murderous thugs are afraid to acknowledge the truth about their own children. ...
Monday Oct 03, 2016
Monday Oct 03, 2016
Rahm Emanuel deserves support to fight violence
SW News Herald Sept. 29, 2016
By Ray Hanania
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel unveiled a three-part plan to confront Chicago’s rising murder rate.
The crime wave in Chicago is so bad that people don’t feel safe walking downtown any more. This weekend, a 54 year old man was shot in his head twice while walking by Millennium Park. Every day and every weekend people are shot and killed, mainly by street gang members.
Emanuel pleaded to both the citizens of Chicago to work with Police and not give them a hard time as they investigate killings. And he pleaded to the police to not dismiss the needs of the city’s residents.
The truth is most police are good Cops who are trying to do their job in a difficult situation. And many of those suspects killed by police are actual street gang members, only a few have been victims of excessive force and even the racism of a few individual police officers. ...