Last call for cats

The coming Sunday Cat feature is going to be about your cats! If you’d like your cats to be included, lease sent a picture to me at:

jj.second@gmail.com.

Gross Miscarriage of Justice

Feminist philosopher Louise Antony is one of the leaders of the Justice for Jason campaign.

Early on the morning of February 3, 2008, Jason Vassell, an African American student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, was in his dormitory. Two intoxicated white men, Jonathan Bowes and Jonathan Bosse, approached Jason’s dormitory window repeatedly referring to him as a “nigger” and breaking in the window. They then forced their way into the dormitory lobby where they assaulted Jason, breaking his nose and giving him a concussion. Under this continuing assault Jason was forced to defend himself with a pocketknife, injuring his assailants.

As a result of defending himself against this unprovoked assault Jason, the victim of the attack, was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon. These charges carry a possible thirty year prison sentence. One of the perpetrators, Jonathan Bowes, was charged only with misdemeanors carrying a maximum eighteen month sentence. The other, Jonathan Bosse, was not charged at all.

There are lots of ways that you can help in the campaign. Most urgently at the moment, they need donations for the silent action to be held on 21 February (to help fund Jason’s legal defense). But there is also a petition. Finally, and very importantly, they need this to get as much media attention as possible. If you have a blog, please consider writing something about it! (Thanks to Sally for passing this on to me.)