Culture and Conflict
Joel Raney
- Location
- Eau Claire, Wisconsin, United States
- Birthday
- December 28
- Bio
- I live in Eau Claire, WI, with my wife, Kristen, and our three sons. I teach high school English and work as a Culturally Relevant Teaching Coach.
I am active in local politics. I don't see much difference between my mission as an educator and a political activist. I want my students and my children to lead happy and successful lives in an equitable world.
MY RECENT POSTS
- Walker's Texas Deer Czar--'Dr.
Dough'--Eager to Prostitute
Public Land
May 22, 2012 10:53PM - Recall Offers Gift of 20-20
Hindsight: Vote Barrett
May 07, 2012 11:01PM - Barrett's Numbers Rise Amid
Negative Attacks
May 06, 2012 11:11PM - No Debate: Vote for Barrett
May 05, 2012 08:20PM - Barrett Will Restore Decency
to WI Politics
May 04, 2012 05:10PM
MY RECENT COMMENTS
- “Thank you for this
insightful post. I consider
myself a
moderate, but because
I'm…”
February 21, 2012 04:28PM - “Okay, the link didn't
work, so please click on my
wife's
beautiful face in the
up…”
February 21, 2012 04:20PM - “Thanks Desnee
Flakes,
It's hard to
imagine that people still deny
the biases that…”
February 21, 2012 04:17PM - “rRr,
I had a
difficult time following your
many points. Race is
culture.
When we
d…”
February 21, 2012 01:52PM - “Thanks for the comments.
We have to work at
honest
conversations about
race every…”
February 21, 2012 10:41AM
Joel Raney's Links
Walker's Texas Deer Czar--'Dr. Dough'--Eager to Prostitute Public Land
Meet 'Dr. Dough', who
likes to hunt freakishly big bucks, custom made with selective
breeding inside privately-owned, high-fence farms. It's a bit like
shooting fish in a barrel. Prepare for Kroll's report to boss
Walker this June. Given his purely free-market mindset when it
comes to/… Read full post » Recall Offers Gift of 20-20 Hindsight: Vote Barrett
Before the
2010 election, Jay Heck, executive director
of Common Cause in Wisconsin, expressed concern about big money:
“So many of these outside groups have weighed in
that I’m afraid that the message is from these
outside groups…those are the people that are
trying to set the agenda." He
was… Read full post » Barrett's Numbers Rise Amid Negative Attacks
Even
as Walker continues to spend millions on the recalleffort, Barrett gains momentum every day. Question #6: We like Tom Barrett, but can he survive all the negative attack ads?
Many people have expressed concern about all the negative campaign ads running against Barrett. When we look a/…
No Debate: Vote for Barrett
Democratic candidates during the May 4 debates in Madison, WI.
NOTE: This is day 5 in a one-week series of posts discussing the many ways in which Tom Barrett is the best candidate to defeat Scott Walker in Wisconsin’s recall election.
Question #5: The Democratic candidates… Read full post »
Barrett Will Restore Decency to WI Politics
We
hosted a house party for Tom Barrett in July,
2002. Question #4: You've said you've supported
Barrett for a long time. What is it that you like about him as a
political leader? We support Barrett because he's the candidate with the strongest assets to achieve our ultimate objective: remo/…
Recall Walker: Barrett Stands with Workers
Barrett Transcends Idealism and Emotion
Our
good friend, Jim Kasmarek, hangs a Barrett sign on Clairemont Ave.
in Eau Claire.Our Ultimate Objective is Simple: Defeat Walker
Dave
Obey has been a voice of reason throughout Wisconsin's recall
efforts.By Joel and
Kristen RaneyMore than one year ago, after Walker unleashed his Budget Repair Bill, thousands of protesters gathered in Madison and circled our capitol. We called in unison, “Recall Walker. Recall Walker. Recall/…
Local 'Good Guy' Racists Deny Racism
Republican Leadership's Desire for Sameness Destructive
Why does Republican leadership desire for all to think and believe the same ideology? Republican leaders continuously push such contradictory beliefs we need to ask, are they malicious, insane, or just plain ignorant?
They shout for government to stay out of our private liv… Read full post »
My Grandpa's Republican Party is Dead and Gone
This graphic illustrates a basic principle that my grandfather and old-school Republicans understood. The memories of men like A. Edwin Raney--fiscally responsible business leaders--have a great deal to teach today's Republicans.
My dear "Republicans," I'd like to introduc
… Read full post »Thank Our Immigrant Heroes
Garrison Keillor's words capture
the reality of
immigrant heroes in our culture, unlike the hateful,
single stories so many of our politicians try to sell
about immigrant populations.
The next time you hear someone make hateful, racist, or ignorant statements about… Read full post »
The Ugly Faces of Racism
After reading some news stories on Newt Gingrich's recent victory in South Carolina, I realized I could use more pictures on my blog.
I've noticed it's not just K-12 students I work with, but many full-fledged adults sometimes struggle to put their finger on racism. "Was that racist?" "Are… Read full post »
Niels Nielsen: The Story of an Immigrant Republican
Niels Nielsen, an immigrant with a fifth-grade education,
successfully ran his business in Minneapolis for over 30
years.
'I Would Vote for a Lawn Gnome in Place of Walker'
Thank You Gov. Walker!
On a cold Saturday in December, some of the most active volunteers in our area collected signatures in Bloomer. In this picture the tall gentleman in the foreground is Jake Welle who personally knocked on every door in his hometown of New Auburn. Next to him is Steve Shilts. Pa… Read full post »
Gov. Walker's $125,000 Deer Czar from Texas: It's Not About the Herd or the Hunters
Don't Buy Gov. Walker's Dangerous and Single Story
Gov. Walker's only defense against the recall election is for
you, the voter, to believe his single story.
I started my day with over 100 volunteers at Eau Claire's
Democratic office on Saturday morning. We enjoyed conversation and
french toast before we headed out to collect signatures to recall
Gov.… Read full post »
Republican Chair Poster Boy for Blind Privilege
Brian Westrate's recent letter in the Leader-Telegram,
"The
real myth about the wealthy," is so profoundly ignorant and
simple, it's almost endearing.
Westrate is Chairman of the Eau Claire County Republican Party.
He's quoted by the Leader-Telegram and
local TV stations on an almost/… Read full post »
'I Just Don't Agree With The Recall'
My friend Archie Ecker puts some final touches on my trailer, now transformed into the Mobile Recall Unit. We all know people who claim to not be political, but reality is biting them in the butt. Health care is political; clean air and water is political; our children's future is politi… Read full post »
Texas Deer Czar Gives Advice to Wisconsinites; We Should Reciprocate
Dr.
Deer pictured on Texas Trophy Hunters Association
website.
Wisconsin's new Deer Czar James Kroll, "Dr. Deer," just
established a relationship with one of the most corrupt
politicians operating in our country today.
Gov. Walker serves the billionaires who put him in power. To… Read full post »
Fighting BobFest North: Exposing the Less-Than-One-Percent Club
Who's Shaping WI Policies? Political Biases?
"This
Is Outrageous! They're Beginning To Fight Back..."
Gov. Walker's Policies Exploit Our Children In Unprecedented Ways
on any culture in the world without mentioning
these characters and their famous shorts" (tvtropes.org).
When I was a kid in the 1970s, I watched cartoons every Saturday morning, like Looney Tunes. I never missed my Saturday-morning ritual/…
Local Billionaire, John Menard, Named Million-Dollar Koch Supporter
"The
subject of a 2007 exposé in Milwaukeemagazine,
Menards is known throughout Wisconsin as a particularly bad
operator, abusive to its employees and dismissive of environmental
protection laws" (The
Investigative Fund).If you live in the Chippewa Valley, you've probably heard countl/…
Ezili Danto
Desnee Flakes
Ted Frier
Kristen Raney
Kerry Lauerman
Joan Walsh
Salon.com
