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Author Archives: Belden Fields
D.J. Trump:Privileged Inciter-in-Chief
The federal anti-riot law (18 U.S. Code § 2101) was originally enacted in 1968 to silence and punish civil rights and anti-Vietnam War activists, but has been amended after constitutional challenges since then. It now states: Whoever travels in interstate … Continue reading
Posted in January 6 insurrection, subversion, Trump
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The 2021 Illinois Police and Criminal Justice Reform Bill
On February 22, Governor Pritzker signed House Bill 3653. This bill, rather a composite omnibus of many bills, was sponsored by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus in both the Illinois House and Senate. Several of the individual bills were sponsored … Continue reading
Posted in Court System, IL, Justice, Police, Police Brutality, Policing
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Police Unions: Solidarity and Accountability
The Police and Solidarity There are two major differences between police officers and other workers in both the private and public sector. The first is a truncated sense of solidarity, the second a lack of accountability. Unionized workers in both … Continue reading
Posted in police accountability, Police Brutality, Policing, union solidarity
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How Are Violent Police Held Accountable in Champaign County?
On April 10, Urbana Police officers threw an African American woman, Aleyah Lewis, to the ground and punched her while she was down. She had protested the arrest of a friend. Caught on video, this led many people in the … Continue reading
Posted in police accountability, Police Brutality, States's Attorney
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Right-Wing Libertarian Minor at UI Springfield
In February of 2013, the University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS) adopted something called a “Liberty Studies” minor. There was dissent within the academic senate, but the proposal carried the day. The description of the minor begins, “It is a … Continue reading
Posted in Academy on Capitalism and Limited Government, Public Universities, Right-wing Libertarianism
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Remembering Willeta Donaldson
Urbana has lost one of its most distinguished citizens, Willeta Mae Hassell Donaldson. She passed away on February 2. Willeta, who worked at the University of Illinois in the Office of Admissions and the School of Social Work, also served … Continue reading
Posted in African American, Urbana school desegregation
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We Need a Medicare for All Health Care System
The parasitic presence of private insurers in our health care system is one of the things that drives up overall medical costs in the United States, costs that are higher than in any other industrialized county, and with poorer results. Despite … Continue reading
Posted in Healthcare
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The 1968 Revolt in France: A Fifty-Year Retrospective
In early June, 1968, I witnessed the second round of the student and worker revolt of May and June, but I had been studying student politics in France since 1963. I can only give a sketchy account of the revolt … Continue reading
Posted in 1968 Revolt, France, Students
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Our County Nursing Home for Sale
(Belden Fields is the Chair of Friends of Champaign County Nursing Home) At its January 9, 2018 meeting, the Champaign County Board decided to put the Champaign County Nursing Home up for sale. All the Republicans voted in favor, and … Continue reading
Posted in Champaign County, Nursing Home, social services, the elderly
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Announcement
[DAVE-please put this announcement on the same page as the article on the artist Nika if possible] ART THROUGH THE GENERATIONS ART EXHIBIT AT CHAMPAIGN COUNTY NURSING HOME 500 S. Bartell Road, Urbana SUNDAY, FEB. 25, 1-5 PM Come to … Continue reading
Posted in County Nursing Home Art Exhibit, Uncategorized
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Israel Anti-Boycott Act a Threat to Free Speech
This article is about a bill introduced in both the U.S. Senate (S.720) and the House of Representatives (H.R.1697). These identical bills are both very complex and very dangerous to our civil liberties. They would outlaw “requests to impose restrictive … Continue reading
Posted in Boycott, Foreign Policy, Israel
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County Nursing Home Deserves and Needs Voters’ Support
Much attention has been given to the election of local officials on April 4, but there is as issue that is equally pressing. That is the fate of the Champaign County Nursing Home (CCNH). Voters will be presented with two … Continue reading
Posted in county goverment, health, the elderly
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Letter to My French Friends
How could this have happened in the U.S.? The reasons are complex, some peculiar to the U.S. and some that are common to both the U.S. and Europe. The most significant one, that applies as well to Europe as here, … Continue reading
Posted in 2016 election, France, Politics, Trump
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State’s Attorney Rietz Goes Easy on Violent Police and Jail Officers
Rape On March 30, 2015, there was a ceremony in the Champaign City Building during which Officer Jerad Gale was given the award for being “Officer of the Year.” About a year later, in May 2016 this same officer pleaded … Continue reading
In Memory, Honor, and Love of Gene Vanderport
It is difficult to write about an untimely death of someone whom one has known for almost half a century. Gene was my student, my comrade, and my friend since the late 1960s. Only a couple of years after my … Continue reading
Posted in Human Rights, Justice, Labor/Economics, socialism
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The Myron Scruggs Case and the Champaign Police Department
by Belden Fields An Ugly Image From the Past In the late 1960s, I joined the newly created chapter of the Champaign County ACLU and became the chair of its investigations committee. I received a call from a woman member … Continue reading
Posted in African Americans, Justice, Policing
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France: The Power of Le Pens
The Left has done well in some recent elections in Southern Europe- in Greece, Portugal, and, most recently, Spain. But not in France. The Socialists, who are now in power, took a terrible beating in the December 2015 regional elections. … Continue reading
Posted in International, Politics
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Man Sentenced to Prison by Fired Former Judge Has Sentence Reduced
On August 13, Bidemi Ajobiewe, a Nigerian national who had been given six years in prison for an fatal accident on I-74 had his sentence reduced from six years in prison to 24 months of parole and time already served. … Continue reading
Posted in Justice
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Police Lying
Do Police Lie? The answer is that some police officers do indeed lie. The major conditions under which police lie are three: to frame a suspect, to protect themselves or fellow officers from detection or punishment of misdeed, and to … Continue reading
DUI Judge Richard Klaus Fired
In June, Champaign Country Associate Judge Richard Klaus was removed from his position by fellow Judges in the Sixth Judicial Circuit. This is the first time in 37 years that these judges have removed a colleague. The reason given was … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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