Like many Americans, I was overjoyed by the news that a jury in the state of Georgia had found three white men guilty of murder of Ahmaud Arbery, a young black man. The jury rejected the defence's argument that the three men were "protecting and defending" their neighbourhood and were, therefore, justified in using their trucks to chase and trap Arbery before using a shotgun to shoot him three times at close range. This verdict was especially welcome, coming just a few days after a Wisconsin jury found Kyle Rittenhouse, a white teenager, innocent in the shooting deaths of two other young white men.
Though there were obvious differences between these two cases, at stake in both were issues and values fundamental to the future of America: an obscene, pathological obsession with guns; the right-wing's growing celebration of vigilantism; and racism.
First, a bit of background on the Rittenhouse story: in August of 2020, James Blake, a young Black man, was shot in the back by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He is alive but has been paralyzed as a result of the shootings. Coming on the heels of a series of such incidents nationwide, Kenosha erupted in protests that came to include some rioting and looting.
Heeding the calls of some white nationalist groups, 17-year-old Rittenhouse secured an AR-15 semi-automatic weapon, left his home in Illinois to join the effort to "defend property and help bring law and order" to Kenosha. It was there on August 25 that Rittenhouse killed two men and wounded another. His lawyers argued that Rittenhouse felt threatened and killed the men in self-defence. And the jury, after deliberating for four days, agreed and found him innocent.
The jury verdict in the Rittenhouse case was troubling, as it left several critical questions unanswered. How is it acceptable for a 17-year-old to secure a weapon of war? What is the justification for his crossing state lines with the intent to use this weapon? And if Rittenhouse had been a young black man, wouldn't he have been shot dead by police merely being seen on the streets holding a semi-automatic weapon?
During the past several years, there has not only been an epidemic of police killings of unarmed black men, but also a number of dangerous incidents where armed white men have menaced both unarmed black men and even elected officials with whom they disagree on matters of policy.
Examples include the group of white militia who threateningly took to the steps of Michigan's state capitol in April of 2020 to demonstrate their opposition their governor's Covid-19 lockdown order; and the couple in St Louis, Missouri, who menacingly brandished weapons as Black Lives Matter demonstrators peacefully marched through their neighbourhood. Who can forget the armed militia units who posted themselves along the US's southern border to shoot those whom they suspected were illegal migrants; or for that matter, George Zimmerman who, back in 2012, murdered Trayvon Martin because Zimmerman found it threatening that a young black male was walking in his all-white neighbourhood. And finally, one of the darkest days in US history was January 6, when armed militia groups stormed the US Capitol Building in a violent insurrection with the aim of threatening Congress, in order to overturn the result of the 2020 election.
In each instance, the perpetrators were lionised by the right as heroes because they have been white and their intent was deemed patriotic. Millions of dollars were raised for their defence; the St Louis couple were invited to speak at the Republican National Convention; the January 6 insurrectionists and the "border vigilantes" have been called "patriots" by former president Donald Trump and a host of Republicans leaders; and Rittenhouse has become a cause celebre. He was hosted by Mr Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence, appeared on Fox TV and was offered congressional internships by a number of Republican congressional offices.
The danger all of this poses is real. In legitimising vigilante behaviour, the right is returning us to the days of the Wild West or post-Reconstruction, when mobs lynched thousands of black people and foreigners deemed a threat.
In legitimising vigilante behaviour, the right is returning us to the days of the Wild West
It's also important to consider the issue of guns and the right's insistence that the US Constitution's "right to bear arms" is absolute and without limits. While the Second Amendment does proclaim that right to the citizenry, it does so with the qualification as part of a "well-regulated militia". It is a bizarre stretch to interpret well-regulated militia to include the mobs that stormed the Capitol or threatened the safety of Michigan's governor or a 17-year-old who claimed to be on a mission to "protect property". And despite the successful pressure exerted by the National Rifle Association, Washington's most powerful lobby, the Constitution does not provide citizens the unfettered right to own, brandish and use weapons of war.
Finally, there's the critical issue of race. It is a fact that white vigilantes are often tolerated and celebrated by the right – even when they threaten "law and order" and our democracy. One doesn't have to imagine what the reaction might be should black vigilantes arm themselves with the expressed purpose of defending their communities or threatening a governor or Congress. All we need do is recall the way the Black Panthers group was violently suppressed in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
The fact that the hyperpartisan, polarised political environment in the US is becoming weaponised by white vigilantes, who are being validated by political leaders, poses an existential threat to our democracy. It is a danger we cannot ignore. That is why the guilty verdict in Arbery's murder is so important. While the jury decision in the Rittenhouse case threatened to open the door to the chaos of the "law of the jungle", in rejecting the defendants' argument that Arbery's killers were acting in self-defence and protection of property, the Georgia jury slams that door shut.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
The most expensive investment mistake you will ever make
When is the best time to start saving in a pension? The answer is simple – at the earliest possible moment. The first pound, euro, dollar or dirham you invest is the most valuable, as it has so much longer to grow in value. If you start in your twenties, it could be invested for 40 years or more, which means you have decades for compound interest to work its magic.
“You get growth upon growth upon growth, followed by more growth. The earlier you start the process, the more it will all roll up,” says Chris Davies, chartered financial planner at The Fry Group in Dubai.
This table shows how much you would have in your pension at age 65, depending on when you start and how much you pay in (it assumes your investments grow 7 per cent a year after charges and you have no other savings).
|
Age
|
$250 a month
|
$500 a month
|
$1,000 a month
|
|
25
|
$640,829
|
$1,281,657
|
$2,563,315
|
|
35
|
$303,219
|
$606,439
|
$1,212,877
|
|
45
|
$131,596
|
$263,191
|
$526,382
|
|
55
|
$44,351
|
$88,702
|
$177,403
|
RESULT
Kolkata Knight Riders 169-7 (20 ovs)
Rajasthan Royals 144-4 (20 ovs)
Kolkata win by 25 runs
Next match
Sunrisers Hyderabad v Kolkata Knight Riders, Friday, 5.30pm
The five stages of early child’s play
From Dubai-based clinical psychologist Daniella Salazar:
1. Solitary Play: This is where Infants and toddlers start to play on their own without seeming to notice the people around them. This is the beginning of play.
2. Onlooker play: This occurs where the toddler enjoys watching other people play. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any effort to begin play. They are learning how to imitate behaviours from others. This type of play may also appear in children who are more shy and introverted.
3. Parallel Play: This generally starts when children begin playing side-by-side without any interaction. Even though they aren’t physically interacting they are paying attention to each other. This is the beginning of the desire to be with other children.
4. Associative Play: At around age four or five, children become more interested in each other than in toys and begin to interact more. In this stage children start asking questions and talking about the different activities they are engaging in. They realise they have similar goals in play such as building a tower or playing with cars.
5. Social Play: In this stage children are starting to socialise more. They begin to share ideas and follow certain rules in a game. They slowly learn the definition of teamwork. They get to engage in basic social skills and interests begin to lead social interactions.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
The British in India: Three Centuries of Ambition and Experience
by David Gilmour
Allen Lane
Bugatti Chiron Super Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,600hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.4seconds
0-200kph in 5.8 seconds
0-300kph in 12.1 seconds
Top speed: 440kph
Price: Dh13,200,000
Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,500hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.3 seconds
0-200kph in 5.5 seconds
0-300kph in 11.8 seconds
Top speed: 350kph
Price: Dh13,600,000
FIGHT CARD
From 5.30pm in the following order:
Featherweight
Marcelo Pontes (BRA) v Azouz Anwar (EGY)
Catchweight 90kg
Moustafa Rashid Nada (KSA) v Imad Al Howayeck (LEB)
Welterweight
Mohammed Al Khatib (JOR) v Gimbat Ismailov (RUS)
Flyweight (women)
Lucie Bertaud (FRA) v Kelig Pinson (BEL)
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (BEL) v Regelo Enumerables Jr (PHI)
Catchweight 100kg
Mohamed Ali (EGY) v Marc Vleiger (NED)
Featherweight
James Bishop (AUS) v Mark Valerio (PHI)
Welterweight
Gerson Carvalho (BRA) v Abdelghani Saber (EGY)
Middleweight
Bakhtiyar Abbasov (AZE) v Igor Litoshik (BLR)
Bantamweight:
Fabio Mello (BRA) v Mark Alcoba (PHI)
Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Magomedsultan Magemedsultanov (RUS)
Bantamweight
Trent Girdham (AUS) v Jayson Margallo (PHI)
Lightweight
Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) v Roman Golovinov (UKR)
Middleweight
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Steve Kennedy (AUS)
Lightweight
Dan Moret (USA) v Anton Kuivanen (FIN)
Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The First Monday in May
Director: Andrew Rossi
Starring: Anna Wintour, Karl Lagerfeld, John Paul Gaultier, Rihanna
Three stars
Results
United States beat UAE by three wickets
United States beat Scotland by 35 runs
UAE v Scotland – no result
United States beat UAE by 98 runs
Scotland beat United States by four wickets
Fixtures
Sunday, 10am, ICC Academy, Dubai - UAE v Scotland
Admission is free
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
