Citizen Revolt: Week of September 1
Prisoners of Their Environment, Fight the Gravel Pits, Democracy at Stake, An African Girl's Story
By Katharine Biele @kathybiele
Prisoners of Their Environment
The state is moving its prisoners to an industrial and mosquito-infested area in Salt Lake City, and it's time to pay attention to the connection between incarceration and environment. Take a short trek at Prison Ecology and New World Coming with ecologist Dr. Nalini Nadkarni and University of Utah Prison Education Program organizer Uyen Hoang, as they discuss their work "on prison ecology involving the intersections between mass incarceration and environmental degradation." Across the country, prisoners are being trapped in toxic conditions like contaminated drinking water or, in the Salt Lake Valley, polluted air. This experience is part of Humanities in the Wild, "an exploratory outdoor experience that empowers participants to step into the landscapes that inspired some of the American West's greatest literature." Swaner Preserve & EcoCenter, 1258 Center Drive, Park City, Thursday, Sept. 8, 6 p.m. Free/register at https://bit.ly/3Ko5alp
Fight the Gravel Pits
The Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining has approved the Jesse Lassley/Granite Construction application for a 20-acre limestone quarry in Parleys Canyon, just as Geneva is trying to expand its gravel pit at Point of the Mountain. "The future of the Salt Lake Valley and Utah's capital city should not be clouded (literally) by continuous dust from gravel pits in the heart of where 2 million people live and work," writes the Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment. Make your voice heard by contacting the division, writing to newspapers and signing a petition. https://bit.ly/3RgC3CJ
Democracy at Stake
No one knows how the Supreme Court is going to address voting rights, but if our recent past is any indication, it won't be good. Join the National Voter Corps in a Call for Action! Our Democracy is at Stake! by calling U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney and writing letters to the editor. Romney voted against the Freedom to Vote Act, although it's unclear why. Republicans generally dislike a provision to reveal donors' names because, as the high court said in its Citizens United ruling, money is "free speech." If you believe that all citizens should be able to vote without undue barriers, then get active. Election integrity is being stifled and voters are being removed from the rolls without due process. Voting is a right that, if left up to individual states, will be available only to the few. https://bit.ly/3wyvhjD
An African Girl's Story
While women face hardship and discrimination worldwide, there may be hope for some. Finding Hope in Hardship: Experiences of an African Refugee will familiarize you with the African Girls Hope Foundation, which provides girls in Sub-Saharan Africa with a quality, formal education. "By empowering them through education, these girls will gain the knowledge and confidence to grow into women who will positively contribute to their communities, nations and the world." Dr. Grace Faraja Nkundabantu, CEO of the foundation, will speak of opportunities and challenges. U of U Hinckley Institute of Politics, 60 S. Central Campus Drive, Room 2018/virtual, Wednesday, Sept. 7, noon, free. https://bit.ly/3wAnrpJ
About The Author
Katharine Biele
A City Weekly contributor since 1992, Katharine Biele is the informed voice behind our Hits & Misses column. When not writing, you can catch her working to empower voters and defend democracy alongside the League of Women Voters.
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