Politics

DC Legalization of Marijuana: Who got the Chronic?

No Comments

DC legalizes pot in the district.

Marijuana is a friend DC welcomes. Today was a good day.

DC’s new marijuana law is blazing up the nationwide debate on marijuana legalization, also known as the green rush in D.C. I do not believe marijuana would be a negative for citizens of the district. All I see is green – money, chronic and freedom. When people think of smoking weed in DC – they think of freedom and enjoy a legal intoxicant of freedom. So what do you need to know about the new marijuana law in DC?

I am here to tell you about the ins and out of the new marijuana.

First, there will be no pot shops or outdoor smoking lounges ( or not at the moment). This is the first time in decades DC has the right to govern itself and it’s amazing. I have to shout out Mayor Muriel E. Bowser for supporting the movement ( she’s alumnae of American University. I graduated from that school… excellent education playground for politics and communications).

70 percent of DC’s voters approved of the legalization of marijuana in the district.

I support the DC marijuana law because I support entrepreneurs. It’s another means of improving the economy by selling consumers accessories for cultivating their marijuana plants and eventually marijuana products. I hope Maryland will follow. There is no stopping it – marijuana prohibition will end in the United States …only time will tell when it will happen, but that day is coming.

If you caught with a joint in DC – you won’t be arrested – you will get a ticket instead. This is the freedom DC decriminalization of possession marijuana brings to the district ( keyword small amounts of marijuana). Caught with 1 ounce and you will get a civil fine of only $25.

See the video below to learn about the new marijuana law:

I can’t forget Mayor Muriel E. Bowser. I like Bowser – she has heart.

Continue Reading

Financial investments, Politics

Are Nurses the Solution to America’s Healthcare Spending Problem?

No Comments

There is no secret that nurses are employees overworked and underpaid. But would you be surprised if I said that nurses could help resolve the healthcare spending challenges America faces? Nurses may play a major role in lowering the cost of healthcare insurance in America, while improving quality of service for all Americans.

As I enter the Healthcare Industry, I’ll be touching base on the topic and addressing questions related to the ongoing healthcare reform debate. Please watch the video below to learn about ways nurses can fix American healthcare:

Continue Reading

Financial investments, Politics

How do we manage inequality?

No Comments

20131014-102449.jpg

Just watched an incredible conversation that economist Robert Shiller had with journalist Charlie Rose!

The conversation is about inequality management and risk management in America.

Could an inequality tax on the rich shrink the inequality gap in America between the poor and the rich?

Is the Affordable Care Act ( Obama Care) the first step to correcting not only a broken health care system but also correcting the overall inequality issues we face in America?

Watch this great conversation now : inequality management in America .

Leave a comment for us on the Facebook or Twitter to get in on the conversation. Use the hashtag #FG2G.

Continue Reading

Girltogirl Middle East Studies, Politics

Human Rights in Syria: Should the U.S. intervene in Syria?

No Comments

By Briana Booker

Human rights violations are happening in Syria.  Many Americans are against  the U.S. Intervening in Syria. Do I believe the United States of America government should intervene in Syria with military action?

In my honest opinion, I believe intervention is necessary. I believe we cannot turn a blind eye as chemical warfare used on innocent people.

Who will protect these innocent people from their own government?

The Syrian government has the upper-hand and the citizens are helpless.

I know a U.S. military strike can cost millions of dollars. I know U.S. militants could die in the process of protecting Syrians.

I know there are no winners in war.

But my soul believes in doing something when injustice happens to the vulnerable.

With that said, I also know there are great risks that come with a Syria intervention.

Here are some of the risks:

  • Any U.S. military strike against Syria could stack up the civilian casualties even more. This is why the U.S. government has to make a careful, wise decision.  The U.S. government must come up with a target list that truly will dismantle the corrupt Syrian government.
  • Syria is having a civil war. If Assad feels the civilians are gaining an edge on his military strikes, he will increase the initiative to massacre more civilians so that he may break down his opposition.
  • More chemical weapon usage. Anyone that believes Assad isn’t using chemical warfare is living in a fantasy world. People don’t foam from the mouth without cause.
  • If the U.S. strikes are ineffective, Assad will appear stronger to his allies.  Remember, power is all about perception.
  • Democracy as we know it doesn’t work too well in the Arab world. We cannot take strike on Syria with the goal to make it a mini America.  The U.S. has very little allies in the Arab world. We do not need anymore anti-American movements in the Arab world.
  • The chemical weapons Assad is using on his own people can fall in the wrong hands after the regime collapses. When trouble comes, the chemical weapons will sell fast. There’s always the chance a more horrible villain will take Assad’s place.

With all the risks at hand, I still believe an intervention is necessary.

I believe the U.S. government needs to protect Syrians because  the United States is a world leader and we say we stand for human rights.

When we say we stand for something, we have to show we stand for protecting human rights. Otherwise, we down play our creditable as true leaders of human rights.

What’s happening in Syria is a genocide. It is a war crime, a crime against all humanity.

More than 100,000 Syrians have already died at the hands of their own government. 5 million Syrians are already displaced.

2 million Syrians are now refugees because of the atrocities the Syrian government has committed.

If this civil war continues to escalate Christians, Sunnis, Alawites and other groups in Syria could become victims of genocidal violence.

Yet we are okay with the international community ignoring  cries for help by Syrian civilians?

I am not okay with that.

When we allow injustice to happen, we volunteer ourselves to repeat history.

Do we save lives or do we say “not our problem,”?

Would we want the world to ignore our cries for help if our government violently attacked us?

I think not.

If you are not familiar with R2P, also known as the responsibility to protect,  you need to get familiar.

R2P allows the international community to protect civilians from governments that fail to protect civilians or willingly attack their civilians.

Under R2P, military action is  a last resort and the U.N. Security Council must approve of military action.

However many in the Arab World believe R2P actually helps regimes to harm their civilians by impeding the process for civilian protection.

But the high level of political involvement correlated with R2P can help subdue violence, from diplomatic efforts to outright military action.

In the case of Syria, I think diplomatic efforts are out of the question.  No conversation is going to stop Assad from slaughtering civilians.

Syria we  should have addressed two years ago with R2P when the Assad Regime shot protesters to death. Now, it’s out of control.  It is time to dismantle the Assad regime. I think it’s time for a military strike and not just from America. The international community needs to come together about this crisis.

What are your thoughts? Should we intervene or not? Why?

Continue Reading

Politics

Cory Booker For Senate: The Comeback of Do Something Politics

No Comments

http://cor.bo/votebooker

By Briana Booker

Cory Booker is the Mayor of Newark, New Jersey. He has been Mayor since 2006. Now in 2013, Cory Booker is taking a shot at being the Senator of New Jersey.

What are my thoughts on Cory Booker for Senate?

I think he would be a hell of a Senator.  Better yet, I think someday he would make hell of a President ( if he decided to take on that level of responsibility).

I think Cory Booker would make an excellent Senator for a variety of reasons but my main reason for believing in his capabilities comes down to two things.

1. He is a hard worker.  2. He leads with his good intentions.

I like to call him the Do Something dude.

I still remember at Cornell University’s 2013 graduation his Do Something speech. It was powerful. It was inspiring. It was humorous.

Cory Booker allows the goodness in his soul to help him lead while empowering his community.

I’m not saying he is perfect. None of us are perfect.

But the care he demonstrates for all kinds of people is a rarity in Today’s politics.

Cory Booker is one of those Do Something politicians that inspire citizens to do something too. That’s powerful to me. That’s what real leaders do.

Here’s what I like about Cory Booker and his Do Something politics:

  1.  He speaks to the youth, urban youth, to tell them of the importance of a quality education.  Cory Booker has helped raise funds to improve the quality of education for urban youth. Yes, this includes having Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, offer New Jersey city schools a $100 million matching grant. There’s something intriguing about a man not afraid to stand up for universal education. Cory wants to give every child the opportunity, the resources to excel.
  2. Cory Booker is okay running into burning buildings to save lives. How many politicians do we know run into burning buildings to save lives? Now, how many politicians can we name that would trample people to save their own lives from a burning building? I rest my case.
  3.  Cory cares about the community he serves. He shovels snow for citizens. He  asks ” What can I do to make things better?”  When Cory Booker says he is going to do something, you can count on him to do it or die trying. He simply has that political courage and authentic leadership that moves people to do better.
  4. He goes on hunger strikes and lived on food stamps for a week to get his point across that people matter. That’s humbling.
  5. Cory is a highly accessible politician. He is a real political activist and promotes the rest of us to do the same because he leads by example. I’m not even from New Jersey and I’m impressed by his leadership. He makes me want to do good when I wake up in the morning. We need more Cory Bookers in Congress.

 

Bottom line: Cory Booker is the missing puzzle piece Washington needs.

 

The Democratic primary voting is Tuesday August 13th! My soul tells me Cory Booker is the man for the job. Booker has a way of getting things done. That’s what Bookers do. I know because I’m a Booker too.

Cory is more than worthy of being New Jersey’s next U.S. Senator. Do Something and vote Cory Booker for Senator. He won’t disappoint.

To learn more about my political views, Like me on Facebook and don’t forget to visit Fromgirltogirl daily.

Continue Reading

Black Community Empowerment, Black History, Fromgirltogirl Global world, Fromgirltogirl.com, Politics

Trayvon Martin vs. Black on Black Crime: What is the victimization of black communities?

No Comments

 

Picture by MillionHoodies a movement for justice formed by Daniel Maree ( posters coming soon).

By Briana Booker

For those trying to connect the topic Black on Black violence as a reason for people to not voice their thoughts on the killing of black teen Trayvon Martin, I urge you to sit back and give thought on the reasons why black on black violence occurs and why Trayvon Martin got confronted by George Zimmerman for looking suspicious because he was a black young man. I occasionally check my Facebook feed to see discussion on social and cultural issues. Daniel Maree, political activist/human rights activist, status caught my eye. His status had the following remarks:

People love to talk about black on black crime as if it’s Trayvon Martin vs. Black on Black Crime. As if we have to pick between the two. Ok. Let’s talk about it. Let’s talk about drugs and guns in our inner cities. Let’s talk about how they got there. Let’s talk about Ronald Reagan. Let’s talk about Iran Contra. Let’s talk about poverty. Let’s talk about the victimization of black communities.

These black talking heads should be ashamed of themselves for not making that point. Let’s be honest about the crises that exist in our communities. Let’s not just use them as excuses for not finding justice for Trayvon. #GetSerious #Millionhoodies


I feel passionate about the matter as well. I thank Daniel Maree for speaking up about this matter. It’s time for ‪America‬ to have discussions on the tough topics. ‪Drugs‬ & ‪guns‬ didn’t come to ‪inner cities‬ simply from people in ‪‎poverty‬ being there. Drugs and guns come from people in ‪positions of power‬ whom profit off of the poorest of the poor. The ‪‎education system has failed to teach people why these problems exist or people have failed to listen. Perhaps it’s both.

Poverty isn’t about people ” just not trying hard enough.” Anyone that truly believes that really needs to find sources that teach them why society is the way it is. When people are willing to visit the communities that have been forgotten, that is when we can find solutions together. To empathize with those that suffer, you need the will power to ask tough questions and get out of your comfort zone. We can’t wait for people in positions of power to correct a system that wasn’t made for everyone to succeed or have a good quality of life. We need to set up real ‪family values , we need effective ‪‎business plans, and we need more ‪‎community unity. It’s time to wake up and ‪‎do something. For more of my outlooks on racial issues in America, subscribe to the blog and Like me on Facebook .

Continue Reading

Black Community Empowerment, Entertainment, Fashion, Fromgirltogirl Global world, Fromgirltogirl.com, Local Topics, Politics, Public Relations, Women Empowerment

Event Promotions for only $5 a Day

No Comments

Need help with event promotions? For only $5 a day ( only $2 more for an image related to your event) Fromgirltogirl will post your DMV event to our Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/fromgirltogirl Message us on our Facebook company inbox or email me at BrianaBooker@fromgirltogirl.com .

We offer event promotions for:

-School Events
-Fundraiser Events
-Holiday Events
-Album Debuts
– Movie Premieres
– Club Promotions/Parties
-And more!

We are here to serve you!

Continue Reading

Briana Booker, Fromgirltogirl Global world, Fromgirltogirl.com, Girltogirl Middle East Studies, Politics, Public Relations

Government Legitimacy: Protecting Human Rights In The Arab World

No Comments

By Briana Booker

The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a government legitimacy conflict.

Why?

The protection of human rights by government is not being upheld.

A rule of law that protects human rights of Palestinians and Israelis has implementation potential (whether a one state or two state solution).

Which statehood would truly legitimize Palestinians and Israelis’ human rights?

There are two proposed state solutions. One is a bi-national state where the two groups agree to power-sharing but have distinctive collective identities within one polity.

The other proposed solution is a single democratic polity where ethnic and national distinction would not exist between civilians.

What state do I believe would work best in the long-term?

I think the single democratic polity without ethnic distinction would work best because it removes collective entitlements and focuses more on personal rights. Individual rights are components of universal human rights we can all appreciate. It’s America morals.

Individual rights are components of universal human rights we can all appreciate.

I feel an Israeli rule over a Palestinian majority is out of the question. Peaceful resolution can never come from schemes of coercion.

Prominent Zionist leaders did favor a Jewish rule over Palestinians such as Chaim Weizmann and Chaim Arlozoroff.

This idea reminds me of racial movements and separatism in America.

I do believe a well-balanced political institution of Palestinians and Israelis is an effective conflict resolution.

This political process can begin with training the youth to focus on social/political compromise for the greater good.

If neither group has over representation in political institutions, ambiguity about ill intentions towards one group could be prevented.

The core problem between Palestinians and Israelis is accepting unilateral actions as the only means of getting their needs met.

Unilateral actions are the reason bi-nationalism has failed in history.

If human rights are the focus, it could legitimize the needs of both groups. Empathy for others can transform foes into friends.

Continue Reading

Fromgirltogirl Global world, Fromgirltogirl.com, Politics

Palestinian Israeli Conflict Resolution: Establishing Even Handed Public Opinion

No Comments


 

By Briana Booker

Can Palestinian and Israeli civilians non-violently resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict? It’s an age-old question.

Do I believe it’s possible to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict? Yes. I believe a peaceful conflict resolution is the only means of resolving the conflict.

To resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the civilians will need to show empathy for multiple perspectives.The civilians will have to let go of mutual annihilation and embrace collaboration.

There’s no such thing as a one party imposing peace solution. It’s going to take a real team effort to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Civilians must prove to community leaders that achieving peace is more cost-effective than escalating violence.

World leaders respected by Middle East civilians will need to express their preference for peace.

Palestinians will need to humanize themselves more to the media, especially western media.

What do I mean?

Those in favor of the Palestinian cause of an independent, thriving statehood cannot use any form of violence in the name of Palestinian civil rights and human rights. No suicide bombings.  No attacks on Israeli civilians.

Those in favor of the Palestinian cause will need to think outside the box to gain a moral upper hand.

There are ways to make a former enemy a friend or at least be on friendly terms.

It takes apologizing even when  you deeply don’t feel you are completely at fault.

It takes letting go of  generations of grudges.

It takes explaining why hatred is  no gain for any group involved.

More importantly it takes actions towards peace.

Utilizing even-handed public opinion is one of many conflict resolutions  for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

If the Palestinian non-violent movements have the majority approval of the west, it will inspire Israelis to come to a mutual compromise with Palestinians. Remember,  Israel receives monetary funds  from the west ( including military funding).

If Palestinians participate in non-violent movements obstructive to  Israeli authorities, positive social  change can happen.

Water resources could be key components in emphasizing the importance of non-violent  resolution. Both sides need the profit that comes from a well structured water system and the water resources are life essentials.

The non-violent path will not be easy. People will lose their lives in the name of universal human rights. Nothing worth it comes easy.

Collaboration & dominance over public opinion in media could develop a path to economic and social recovery for not just Palestinians but the Arab world.

This is power. This is legitimacy.

Continue Reading