Published on VICE.com A strip-club regular in Rialto, California, was so obsessed with a dancer he went to the club for several months specifically to see her. But when she refused to go home with him one night a few weeks ago, he shot her in the face—and then he shot himself in the head. The … Continue reading »
Author Archives: Ray Downs
The Former Civil Rights Activist Who Created the Right to Bear Arms As We Know It
Originally published 4/11 on VICE.com The first time I saw a gun was in high school, when a stoned friend of mine decided it would be funny to point one at my head. Five very long seconds later, he put the gun down, laughed his ass off, and I didn’t end up on the local … Continue reading »
States using taxes to implement their own ‘gun control’ laws
Originally published 4/8/13 on Raycom News Network (RNN) – While the federal government grapples over national gun control, several states are entering the debate by raising or lowering taxes on guns and ammunition. The results reflect the stark philosophical divide over gun rights in America. “There’s a real war going on between the two sides … Continue reading »
Why Kat Stacks – the Ex-Prostitute Turned Rap Groupie – is a True American Hero
A former prostitute turned loudmouth rap groupie seems like an unlikely poster child for the immigration movement in the US. But not only has Kat Stacks become a symbol for DREAMers—undocumented immigrants who came to the country as children and are fighting to stay—her story is so American, it should be printed on the flag… Read … Continue reading »
Is Burma’s Anti-Muslim Violence Being Led by ‘Buddhist Neo-Nazis?’
Originally published on Vice.com 3/28 When most Westerners think of Buddhism, they think of smiling men with potbellies and inspirational quotes from Phil Jackson. “Buddhist neo-Nazi” sounds like a contradiction in terms. But in Burma, vicious anti-Muslim sentiment has been on the rise, and Buddhist extremists are responsible for attacking Muslims and burning down their houses … Continue reading »
Interview with Wenonah Hauter, author of ‘Foodopoly’
Originally published 3/12/13 on Raycom News Network (RNN) – Most conversations about food don’t take the form of a political discussion. But with fewer companies in charge of the food we eat, rising costs, and chemicals and additives that only trained scientists can recognize, the word “crisis” is being used more and more to describe … Continue reading »
Poultry processing plants are ‘houses of pain’ for workers, says new report
Originally published 3/8/13 on Raycom News Network. MONTGOMERY, AL (RNN) – From Chick-fil-A to chicken wings, the average American eats more than 50 pounds of chicken each year. But according to a new report, the workers who process chicken for the largest poultry companies in the country are exposed to harmful conditions. And if new … Continue reading »
Sequester scare indicates military spending is too high
Originally published March 1, 2013 on Raycom News Network. (RNN) – The federal sequester that will cut military spending has spawned concern that hundreds of thousands of jobs will be lost and the country will be less safe. But is that an exaggeration or a sign that the military is an indispensable part of the … Continue reading »
Job loss numbers in military, defense industry vary by source
Originally published Feb. 27, 2013 on Raycom News Network. (RNN) -The defense industry and the military are the two groups complaining the loudest about job losses that will be caused by sequestration, but they also happen to be the two that profit most from defense spending remaining high. Some sources claim their numbers are skewed. … Continue reading »
False internet rumors claim Obama impeachment trial to begin in March
Originally published Feb. 26 on Raycom News Network. (RNN) – Facebook, Twitter and other social media have been abuzz with claims that President Barack Obama will face impeachment trials next month. None of the claims are true. The rumors seem to spring from a rash of impeachment threats by members of Congress because of U.S. … Continue reading »