HW30: June Cross & Scott Ritter Symposiums

June Cross

June Cross, a former writer for the Boston Globe and current professor at the Columbia University School for Journalism, discussed her story at the Mabel Brown Room and wowed another audience with the work on her documentary entitled Secret Daughter. "As I tell my students, what you think means nothing," says Cross in reaction to her response to being in front of the camera instead of behind the scenes as she was taught as a journalist.

The event featured the documentary which discussed Cross' life of secrets, false faces, and a family's unity through the segregated years in our country's history, not nearly far enough behind. Intertwined inside of her tale were the tales of her parents, who were of different color skin. Due to the ongoing prejudice in the United States in that time period, the child and the relationship needed to be kept secret from both families to avoid any tension. After the breakup June was forced to live two separate lives -- one with her real mother, and one with a trusted friend in Atlantic City -- without ever getting to know her father. She was raised as an "adopted" daughter and did not know the entire family history until her documentary opened a channel for her mother to share the secrets and to finally reveal her tale.


Scott Ritter

Former UN Weapons Inspector in Iraq, Scott Ritter, fueled the audience toward change in the White House. His presentation entitled, "Citizen Soldier: Global Warrior," represents his call for a uproar amongst citizens in this country to fight for their rights. "We own the constitution. Not Bush. Not Congress," said Ritter in an effort to gain the audience's support. He talked about our fourth amendment rights as citizens that are being directly violated by the USA PATRIOT Act. By wiretapping without warrants, the government is committing unreasonable search and seizure as defined in our constitution.

He goes on to talk about our government showing signs of fascism by allowing an oligarchy (leaving government in the hands of the rich few) with a militarism. He also calls the war in Iraq an "illegitimate" war. He talks mostly of the addiction to consumer goods and our expensive lifestyles that is fueling this war. The thought of the United States intentionally and illegally using the resources from another country.