Will Stancil Profile picture
Aug 27, 2019 13 tweets 3 min read Read on X
Okay, important HOUSING CIVIL RIGHTS ALERT: Trump is currently trying to shoot a bunch of holes in the Fair Housing Act. They're trying to insert a huge carveout, especially for financial institutions, in the part of the Act that bars racial segregation and discrimination.
There's actually something you can do it about sitting that'll only take a minute and doesn't require you to leave your computer - yes, you, random Twitter person - but I'm going to do a little thread about why it's important so folks have context.
So, right now, the Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to create racial disparities in access to housing - including by creating housing segregation. It doesn't matter if you're a public or private entity, and it doesn't matter if the discrimination was unintentional!
It took fair housing advocates 47 years after the passage of the Act - i.e., until 2015 - to get the Supreme Court to admit the existence of this part of the law. It was a huge win for civil rights...

and now, after only 4 years, Trump's HUD is trying to dispose of it.
(Here is where I note that Trump's first act in public life was facing a fair housing complaint for barring black people from his buildings.)
HUD is undercutting the Fair Housing Act by redrafting the rule that lays out disparate impact liability, to add a bunch of conditions and exemptions. They claim to be following the 2015 Supreme Court case, but they've added a bunch of stuff that has nothing to do with the case.
There are many problems with the new rule, but the worst part is probably a giant carveout for algorithms, which would essentially exempt all financial institutions from having to worry about discrimination or segregation AT ALL. It's bonkers.
Even if Dems win in 2020, to reverse this they'd have to go through the whole rulemaking process again. That can be blocked and takes years (which is why Trump has only gotten around to doing it in late 2019). So it's MUCH better to stop the new rule now than to fix it later.
Here's the thing: HUD has to read and address comments it receives on the rule. Civil rights organizations have set up an online portal to submit those comments. You can go here and tell HUD to abandon the rule right now. It'll take less than a minute. defendcivilrights.org/make-a-comment
There's a form letter if you're not sure what to say, and that's totally fine, but if you've got more thoughts, that's even better. You don't have to be an expert, at all.
If you want to see some specific problems and language to complain about, here's a thread talking about the awful algorithmic exclusion. Again, they have to address your comments, regardless of whether you're an expert:
And here's an article giving an overview of the whole mess: citylab.com/equity/2019/08…
If you're even slightly concerned about housing discrimination or segregation I also recommend following @NAACP_LDF and @PRRAC_DC, diehard civil rights orgs that have been fighting racism for decades and haven't given an inch to the Trump administration.

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More from @whstancil

Oct 28
The moment I heard that Puerto Rico line, I messaged some Dem friends and said "This is gonna be catastrophic." And right on cue, Trump's fascist rally is ballooning into a full-blown campaign crisis. The reason why is that it's a perfect storm: Image
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-shocking racism that hasn't been on a US political stage in 100 years
-basically every electorally important group was a target
-so bad that the GOP actually ran for cover, creating permission for press to chase the story
-perfectly validated weeks of Dem attacks on Trump
Just a full-blown disaster, and richly deserved: the campaign clearly decided it was a lock to win, and let all the worst creeps in its roster all come out and say whatever would get their blood pumping. Surprise, it turns out what gets their blood pumping is Nazism
Read 4 tweets
Oct 22
My working theory for What’s Gone Wrong is that the plethora of media sources have enabled extremist ideologies - not by LIMITING people’s exposure to ideas, but by INCREASING it. This enables people to select whichever narrative supports their inner emotional universe best.
Ultimately most of these extreme ideologies are about intellectual laziness and indulgence - substituting prejudice and simplicity and emotion for the hard work of thinking through complicated problems, confronting uncertainty, and developing a consistent set of beliefs.
The endless all-you-can-eat buffet of information in front of us, as it’s grown wider, makes it easier for people to avoid contradictions and difficult thoughts. They can always find some bubble that will indulge their worst, most incoherent beliefs.
Read 9 tweets
Oct 21
It's insane that the main policy proposal of one major-party candidate is "Carry out the largest domestic purge in history by a factor of twenty, and no, I won't be telling you exactly what groups will be removed" and the media is like "Cool! What's your plan for health care?"
If Trump follows through on his plan to remove 20 million people (again, he won't say who, because there aren't even 20 million undocumented immigrants in this country) that means one in every 15 Americans will be disappeared. Every workplace, every classroom, every street
We are talking about armed men coming and grabbing one in fifteen people - young people, old people, workers, mothers, kids, neighbors, customers. It's pure unadulterated insanity, it would destroy the social fabric, crush the economy, and morally stain the country for all time.
Read 6 tweets
Oct 18
the structure of media has changed, and it's changed what kinds of political messaging successfully reaches and persuades people, and democrats are the ones that have been getting left behind
HOW HAS THE STRUCTURE OF MEDIA CHANGED?

primarily, it's vastly more fragmented. instead of large centralized outlets, media consumption is fragmented across an incredibly wide range of TV, print, online, and social media outlets
fragmentation has happened at every level - e.g., people can choose between TV and TikTok, but also choose between more TV channels, and, online, choose the exact sources and accounts and websites the listen to. it's like a supermarket transitioning from one product to thousands
Read 14 tweets
Oct 18
One thing the Harris campaign seems to understand, explicitly or implicitly, is that you should perform the emotions you want the audience to feel, not tell them how to feel. Don’t tell them to be mad at Trump - actually be angry at him. Don’t tell them he’s too old - mock him.
Democrats are really bad about this in the often and I think it’s been terrible for them. People don’t want to be informed, they want to join in. This is why the right’s bullying is so effective - it models an interaction and encourages people to join.
Which interaction is more likely to elicit a FEELING of contempt? A laundry list of all the problems with that person, directed at you, or watching someone brutally mock that person? The former may leave you better informed but you’ll never feel it in your gut like the latter.
Read 5 tweets
Oct 17
This moment has gone viral because it's the most important question of the election. What's incredible is that it had to be asked by a construction worker because the political press refuses to focus on these questions or hold Trump's feet to the fire.
January 6 was a "day of love"? Trump tried to overturn an election with a violent mob. He encouraged the mob to invade the Capitol, and refused to call them back. As we speak, a court stands about to release evidence of Trump's utter contempt for democracy.
Most of his former staffers and officials have rejected him. More than that, they've called him dangerous, a fascist. Trump hasn't expressed even the slightest bit of contrition - he's called for military action against US civilians! He's said he'd act as a dictator!
Read 10 tweets

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