The Buzz 11.14.24

FREE SPEECH

As he did during his first term as president and his latest campaign, President-elect Donald Trump has made it no secret that he despises the media, specifically those that criticize him. In one of his last campaign speeches, Trump said “I don’t mind that so much” if members of the media are shot. Trump’s election victory prompted several press freedom groups to issue warnings about the next four years. The Freedom of the Press Foundation, in a statement, warned that Trump’s “campaign against free speech online will be even worse this time around,” noting that his rhetoric has already emboldened people, including politicians, to retaliate against the media. “With their leader back in the White House, Trump wannabes nationwide will feel even more empowered to harass the press – and they’ve spent Trump’s years in exile priming their base to tolerate it,” the statement reads. The Committee to Protect Journalists proclaimed this a “pivotal moment in U.S. history,” and stressed that while persecution and violence against journalists is familiar around the world, it “must not now also become commonplace in the United States.”

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“We will persist, resist and insist.” - Esther Hobbs, lead organizer of the Women’s March Monterey Bay, speaking at a Nov. 9 gathering at Window on the Bay in Monterey in response to Donald Trump’s presidential election victory (see story, montereycountynow.com)

GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK

GOOD:

Nonprofit Transformative Justice Center, an organization dedicated to amplifying the voices of those impacted by the criminal justice system, celebrates the opening of its new space on Tyler Street in Monterey on Thursday, Nov. 14. The nonprofit organizes the Empathy in Action program, which serves as a vital space for hope and healing, recognizing the talents, struggles and potential for transformation among the incarcerated. It gives previously incarcerated people the tools to successfully reenter society. Attendees of the grand opening have the opportunity to engage with the center’s programs, explore art and literature created by incarcerated individuals, and experience a unique replica of a 6-by-9 prison cell. The Transformative Justice Center aims to help hundreds of “Brothers in Blue” at the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad find meaning and solace despite their circumstances.

GREAT:

Where do the differently abled children play? Thanks to a vision from Amanda Bakker, whose daughter, Tatum Bakker, was born with spina bifida, there is a playground for kids of all abilities in Salinas, Tatum’s Treehouse. But the need for inclusive playgrounds is bigger than one family, so they founded nonprofit Tatum’s Garden Foundation which on Nov. 10, celebrated the groundbreaking of its second fully inclusive playground. Developed in partnership with another nonprofit, Carmel Valley Community Youth Center, the new destination at the CVCYC playground in Carmel Valley Community Park is designed by Leathers & Associates, which has built over 3,400 custom playgrounds – this one will be built with the help of hundreds of volunteers. “Tatum’s Treehouse represents our commitment to ensuring every child in Monterey County has a place to belong, play and thrive,” Amanda Bakker said in a statement. The playground is expected to open in early December.