[時事英文] 美國暴警引發示威
我仍記得1992年美國的洛杉磯暴動(LA Riots)。該事件乃肇因於三名歐裔白人警察與一名拉丁裔白人警察毆打一名涉及交通違規事件的黑人羅德尼・金(Rodney King)。惟當地陪審團宣判四名被控使用過當武力的警察無罪(acquitted for the use of excessive force),導致上千名對此判決不滿的非裔與拉丁裔美國人上街抗議,最終引發一連串暴動(a series of riots),波及包括亞裔在內的各個群體。
當時,我還在唸國中。直到現在,我還清楚記得,一大堆韓裔美國人在他們住家的屋頂上,拿著散彈槍捍衛自己的家園(defend their businesses and homes)。由於我當時還小,雖於電視上目睹了暴動,但並不完全理解非裔美國人如此憤怒的原因。根據事後統計,暴動所引發的內亂,約造成10億美元的財產損失,並至少有53人死亡,數千人輕重傷,震驚全球。
二十多年過去了,至少在表面上種族間的張力(racial tension)有所改善,但近來不負責任的政治修辭(political rhetoric)——尤其是總統的言論,導致移民與少數民族遭受赤裸裸的種族歧視。在喬治・弗洛伊德(George Floyd)於5月25日不幸逝世前,社群媒體上也已廣泛流傳著近年來警方對非裔美國人施暴(police brutality against African Americans)的影片。
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在美國,新型冠狀病毒的大流行已奪走10萬多名的寶貴生命。但就在美國努力遏制疫情之際,警方執法過當所造成非裔美國人死亡的案件,讓大眾的不安持續動盪。非裔與拉丁裔美國人受疫情的影響尤鉅,因為他們大多住在大城市,收入相對較低,獲得醫療照護的機會也相對較少。
週五,美國總統川普卻在推特貼文中火上加油(added fuel to fire):
“Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts.”
「剛跟州長沃茲聊完,並告訴他,軍隊絕對會支持他。我們將採取措施以控制各種問題,但當搶劫開始,也是槍響之時。」
總統在第一時間並未尋求與抗議者公開和談,反倒持續以言語攻擊他的政治對手,甚至威脅要對示威者「更加強硬」(MUCH tougher),並聲稱他將動用「我們軍隊的無限力量」(the unlimited power of our Military)來加以干預。
資訊來源:
https://bit.ly/2XHgWzc
https://youtu.be/zAAiKJAbkhg
延伸說明: https://n.pr/3doBALf
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EDIT: Updated at 6:08 p.m. ET
President Trump on Friday evening struck a more conciliatory tone talking about the death of George Floyd and recent protests in Minneapolis.
"We have peaceful protesters and support the rights for peaceful protesters — we can't allow a situation like happened in Minneapolis to descend further into lawlessness, anarchy and chaos," Trump said. The president said he had spoken with Floyd's family before the news event.
Trump also said he understood the hurt and pain of people who have "been through a lot."
資訊來源:https://n.pr/3gDKUNg
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弗洛伊德於週一逝世,享年46歲。這與近年發生的數起案件相似,事發過程都被鉅細靡遺地錄了下來。這些影片在網路上流傳,引發了兩黨的(bipartisan)憤怒。
週五晚間,在一名前明尼亞波利斯(Minneapolis)市警察遭到逮捕並被以謀殺罪名起訴(was arrested and charged with murder)的幾個小時後,喬治・弗洛伊德的死亡激起了全美各地的憤怒。儘管洛杉磯與紐約街頭的遊行大多相當和平(largely peaceful),但部分示威者棄置垃圾,甚至有警車失火。CNN位於亞特蘭大的總部也遭到示威者的破壞。
資訊來源:https://bit.ly/2XHgWzc
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身為成年人,我終於明白非裔美國人為何抗爭。他們之所以為自身權益奮鬥,乃因當局並未傾聽他們的聲音(their voices go unheard)。他們之所以提出抗議,乃因他們在生活中遭到系統性的歧視而面臨無形的阻礙(face systemic discrimination and invisible barriers)。他們之所以走上街頭,乃因他們每日皆須為自身性命而感到惴惴不安 (fear for their lives)——哪怕是因輕微的交通違規(minor traffic infractions)而被警察攔下,甚或是在光天化日下慢跑之時。但是,當局依舊無視他們的哭聲與請求(ignore their pleas and cries),並以空話與暴力(use rhetoric and violence)來對待他們。
我們是否記取了過往的教訓?各級政府機關乃為人民服務。當他們侵犯這些基本人權,並以不公不義甚至是殘酷的方式對待人民,反對與抗爭勢將來到。但在人們為自身權益挺身而出時,也有少數人士利用這樣的機會搶劫與行竊,這不僅違背大眾的訴求,也是我們須嚴正譴責的行為。
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參考資料:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/05/30/george-floyd-protests-angry-demonstrations-have-spread-across/
https://www.npr.org/2019/07/16/742000247/with-latest-nativist-rhetoric-trump-takes-america-back-to-where-it-came-from
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/05/29/george-floyd-protests-intensify-atlanta-memphis-indianapolis-milwaukee/5288305002/
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/30/us/politics/trump-george-floyd-protests.html
https://www.npr.org/2017/04/26/524744989/when-la-erupted-in-anger-a-look-back-at-the-rodney-king-riots
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/500278-trump-condemns-out-of-state-protestors-threatens-unlimited-power-of
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亞伯瑞(Ahmaud Arbery)槍殺案: https://bit.ly/2Melyrp
美國抗議聲浪:https://bit.ly/2ZWWU6v
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A large group of protesters decrying the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis demonstrated in several Los Angeles’ neighborhoods as police declared an unlawful assembly in the Mid-Wilshire area and the governor declared a state of emergency in the L.A. County and dispatched National Guard troops to help keep order.
https://ktla.com/…/demonstrators-decry-death-of-george-flo…/
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「克流感並無聲稱療效」,羅氏藥廠遭美國政府控告求償。
quote:"The lawsuit claims the drugmaker's scheme involved publishing misleading articles falsely stating that Tamiflu reduces complications, severity, hospitalizations, mortality and transmission of influenza. The company then used those articles to aggressively market the drug to the government for pandemic use. Relying on the supposed truthfulness of Roche's claims, federal and state governments spent about $1.5 billion to stockpile Tamiflu to combat influenza pandemics, according to the complaint."
訴訟文件指出原告控訴羅氏公司長時間以「誤導性」文章不實聲稱克流感能減緩各種流感症狀、死亡率與傳染性。並據此涉嫌使美國聯邦與州政府錯誤信賴從而購入價值$15億美元的克流感。
""As alleged in the complaint – Tamiflu does not do what Roche promised," said attorney Mark Lanier of the Houston-based Lanier Law Firm. "Roche hid this fact for many years by selectively citing its studies and suppressing the data about Tamiflu. The company utilized lobbyists, key opinion leaders and ghostwriters to promote Tamiflu with a deceptive promise to governments fearful of an influenza pandemic.""
原告律師 Mark Lanier指出羅氏公司透過「選擇性引述其研究並掩蓋克流感真實資料的手法,雇用遊說公司、意見領袖與隱形寫手行銷克流感...」
羅氏藥廠除了此訴訟外,還額外因False Claims Act可能要負擔三倍損害額的懲罰性賠償。
"According to the data as analyzed by the Food and Drug Administration, Tamiflu's effectiveness is limited to a small benefit of reducing the duration of flu symptoms and preventing onset of symptoms but not transmission or infection. In addition, as early as 2000, the FDA had warned Roche that data did not support its broader efficacy claims and that such statements were misleading."
根據FDA的分析資料,克流感的效果十分有限...此外早在2000年,FDA已經警告羅氏藥廠該公司之資料並不支持其聲稱的廣泛性效果,其宣傳用詞是誤導大眾。
""The lawsuit alleges that Roche was well aware that Tamiflu is an ineffective product for fighting influenza pandemics," said attorney Clayton Halunen of Minneapolis-based whistleblower law firm Halunen Law. "Yet Roche masterfully marketed this drug to fill Roche's coffers at taxpayer expense. This is precisely the type of corporate behavior the False Claims Act is designed to stop.""
吹哨人的律師Clayton Halunen 表示羅氏藥廠明知克流感對流行性感冒是無效產品,卻還大肆行銷騙取納稅人稅金。
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tamiflu-fraud-bilked-1-5-billion-from-government-alleges-whistleblower-300985769.html
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