Learning From The Germans: Race and the Memory of Evil, by Susan Neiman (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 2019, 415 pages).

Book Review by Dennis Moore

Update Nov. 14, 2019: Hear our interview with Susan Neiman during her recent visit to San Diego. Click here to listen.

September 22, 2019 (San Diego) - As an increasingly polarized America fights over the legacy of racism, Susan Neiman, author of the contemporary philosophical classic Evil in Modern Thought, asks what we can learn from the Germans about confronting the evils of the past.

Susan Neiman is the director of the Einstein Forum. Her previous books, include Why Grow Up? Subversive Thoughts for an Infantile Age; Moral Clarity: A Guide for Grown-Up Idealists; Evil in Modern Thought: An Alternative History of Philosophy; The Unity of Reason: Rereading Kant; and Slow Fire: Jewish Notes from Berlin. She studied philosophy at Harvard and the Free University of Berlin, and was a professor of philosophy at Yale and Tel Aviv Universities. She is the mother of three grown children and lives in Berlin. This background, perhaps, says a lot about the impetus behind her writing this thought provoking book; Learning from the Germans: Race and the Memory of Evil.

By Jose A. Alvarez, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photo:  The Beacon apartments, in East Village, will open Sept. 20.

September 22, 2019 (San Diego) - High rental prices and low vacancy rates have made it extremely difficult for many San Diegans to find affordable places to live.

As part of its ongoing effort to help ease the affordable housing crisis impacting families, seniors and those experiencing homelessness, the County and its many government and social service partners are building more than 3,000 new housing units to help people find a stable place to live.

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

September 22, 2019 (San Diego) - The Aztec football team (3-1, 0-1) suffered their first loss of the 2019 season falling to Utah State (2-1, 1-0) 23-17 at SDCCU Stadium Saturday evening.

After the Aztecs scored a field goal on their opening possession, the Aggies responded with 23 unanswered points to take a 20-point lead early in the third quarter. SDSU quarterback Ryan Agnew threw a pair of fourth quarter touchdown passes to bring the Aztecs within six points with 5:19 remaining.

By Maryanne Jackson, real estate broker, CRE, CPRES

September 21, 2019 (Mt. Helix) - Dear Maryanne,

My son purchased a home in Mt. Helix recently.  I have been staying at the house and have noticed a strange noise coming from the dishwasher when I open the door.  The appliance company came out and said they cannot remove the dishwasher to do the necessary repair, as the tile floor was placed too high and is now preventing the dishwasher from being removed at all.  The dishwasher repair is a relatively inexpensive fix, but the floor will need to be torn up and replaced.  Do we have any recourse to get this fixed?

Any suggestions appreciated,

CVS, Mt. Helix

By Miriam Raftery 

September 21, 2019 (Spring Valley) - Sheriff's homicide investigators today announced the arrest of Waverly James, 49, for the murder of Stanford Roy Johnson, 52.

By Miriam Raftery

September 21, 2019 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – The Jacumba Community Service District invites you to a Fall Festival on Saturday,  Oct. 5 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Jacumba Community Park (44653 Old Highway 80).

By Miriam Raftery

September 20, 2019 (Campo) – Guests kicked up their heels in more ways than one at the Campo Creek Vineyards first-ever Grape Picking and Stomping Party on September 7^th. 

Wine club members and other visitors first got a taste of what it’s like to pick grapes, getting tips on harvesting ripe Pinot Noir grapes on the vines. 

Located on a cattle ranch that dates back to 1888,  the vineyard now has 10,000 vines and the winery produces hand-crafted wines, many with labels featuring cattle, cowboys and ranching themes.

East County News Service

September 20, 2019 (El Cajon) -- The German-American Club of San Diego hosts its annual Oktoberfest at its headquarters in El Cajon on the last weekend of September and the first weekend of October.  A trip for two to Germany will be the grand prize for a lucky winner in prize drawings during the event.

“We applaud the 26 California jurisdictions that have taken these steps and encourage El Cajon to join them.” – Dana Stevens

By Dana Stevens, Community Action Service & Advocacy (CASA)

By Miriam Raftery

September 20, 2019 (San Diego) – In addition to student climate action strikes taking place today across the nation,  East County will be hosting a climate action event at Lake Murray Community Park today at 3 p.m. to stand in solidarity with youth activists on this important issue.

Katie Eder, a 19-year-old climate justice activis, and the executive director of Future Coalition is a helping to coordination the coalition of youth-led organizations organizing and mobilizing today’s climate strike in over 500 U.S. cities and 100 nations.

“I’m proud to announce that the US Climate Strike youth coalition has finalized a set of bold demands,” she says.  “Too often, we think about solutions in a very small-minded way, inside the box, way. We don’t have time to stay in the box. We need to be more innovative with our solutions and ask for what we need, not what we think could be possible or has been possible in the past.”

By Jonathan Goetz

Photo: Screenshot, City of La Mesa video

September 20, 2019 – (La Mesa) – La Mesa Police Chief Walt Vasquez presented a report on citizen police oversight practices at last week's City Council hearing and made suggestions for an 11-member Citizen Public Safety Panel to exchange information for the betterment of public safety in La Mesa. But his panel would lack investigative powers to look into complaints involving the police department.

Public testimony was against the Chief's proposal, and Councilwoman Dr. Akilah Weber grilled Vasquez on whether he adequately canvassed residents for input.

Suicidal Tendencies?

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

September 20, 2019 (San Diego) -- Suicide is on the rise. Regardless of race, gender, age, fame, financial status, it is rising! Having suicidal thoughts does not mean someone is weak or flawed.

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

“The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.” —Major General James Jackson

September 19, 2019 (San Diego) -- It’s been 18 years since United Airlines flight 175 and American Airlines Flight 11 were purposely flown by hijackers into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Shortly thereafter, the Pentagon was severely damaged by the impact of an additional airliner and resulting fire. Hijackers also crashed a fourth plane into a field near Shanksville, Pa., after the passengers and flight crew attempted to regain control of the aircraft.