protest
- Massive Protests First Day of RNC- The first day of the Republican Convention may have been stifled by the hurricane in the gulf, but protesters refused to let it stop their message. Whether anti-war, pro-universal health care, pro-choice, anti-choice, or anti-government in general, protesters packed the streets of St. Paul, Minnesota hoping to impact convention goers.
- Perspicacity of Jesse Helms-
I have not written about Jesse Helms because, frankly, he was a racist, misogynistic homophobe and deserves no further attention. He warned the citizens of North Carolina, in an 1963 editorial, that “The Negro cannot count forever on the kind of restraint that's thus far left him free to clog the streets, disrupt traffic, and interfere with other men's rights." Jesse Helms never repented those sentiments. More recently he alleged that “Homosexuals are weak, morally sick wretches”, and he warned the voters of North Carolina that, “Your tax dollars are being used to pay for grade school classes that teach our children that cannibalism, wife-swapping and murder of infants and the elderly are acceptable behavior”. Jess Helm’s loyalist are now feasting on the poverty of his legacy.
- Pete Seeger on the 4th of July: The Truest American Hero- My wife and I saw "Pete Seeger: The Power of Song" last night. Part of PBS's superb American Masters series, "The Power of Song" may well win an Emmy this year, and it would be eminently deserved. One of the best portraits of a singer - someone far more than a singer - I've ever seen.
- "CSNY: Deja Vu"- A film by Neil Young
Due in theaters July 25
The Trailer
The war in Iraq is the backdrop as the Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young "Freedom of Speech Tour" crisscrosses North America. Echoes of Vietnam-era anti-war sentiment abound as the band connects with today's audiences.
I caught a fresh Reuters Article, with interview, about the film just a short while ago, read through it and it peaked my interest, as a fan of CSNY and Neil Young, in finding some more.
- "May Day! May Day! May Day!"- MAKE MAYDAY A "NO PEACE, NO WORK HOLIDAY"!
The following was written by Jack Heyman a longshoreman who works on the Oakland docks
Longshoremen to close ports on West Coast to protest war
- The American Insanity Conundrum- It just goes to show that some people will never “get it”. The Progressive Press has whipped up a cauldron of molten ire against George W. Bush’s statement that the war in Iraq was “worth it”. My God, how could he say such a thing? The Progressive Press remarks; “Doesn’t he know that almost 4,000 Americans and untold Iraqi’s have died in a quagmire? Doesn’t he realize that the cost of this war is in the trillions? Doesn’t he realize that we are no closer to victory than we were five long years ago?”
- What are you and me gonna do about Iraq?*-
They'll discuss it in Detroit.
They'll write letters in Cornwall, Ct.
They'll march in Duluth, rally in White Plains, and vigil in Cincinnati.
Amd they've been getting arrested in San Francisco.
Friday is Iraq Moratorium #7, and people across the country are marking it in dozens of different ways, from rallies, marches, protests, vigils to individual actions to call for an end to the war and occupation.
- 25,000 Say: Close the SOA!- This is a followup to my post yesterday, on a few boards and my site. on the happenings at our Very Own Terrorist Training School, the once known as 'The School Of The America's'!
- Saturday at the gates of Fort Benning- I received the update on Saturdays action at Benning, in Georgia, yesterday afternoon. Sadly I couldn't make the event but wanted to share what they have going on with others who also couldn't or are not a subscriber to the School of the Americas Watch Newsletter.
- ACTION - New 'Winter Soldiers', Stop the War, Help VFP Chapter 009- Back in our day, from January 31-February 2, 1971, an Extremely Important Event took place by a number of Extremely Brave Vietnam Vets, that challenged the morality and conduct of the war by showing the direct relationship between military policies and war crimes in Vietnam!
This event was organized by Vietnam Veterans Against The War and was called the Winter Soldier Investigation
Well History, being repeated daily for the last 6yrs. in the Debacle of Iraq and here at home, will Repeat for 'The Winter Soldiers'!
IVAW Kicks Off Winter Soldier Campaign
- No Time Left To Compromise with Evil-
Crossposted from Docudharma.
Some people believe we shouldn’t complain too loudly, protest too vigorously or argue too passionately – the theory being that if we appear too leftist, too radical or too seriously committed to our beliefs that people who don’t share those beliefs will be offended and therefore unlikely to become seriously committed radical leftists themselves one day. Well I have big news; those dim bulbs are not likely to ever shine – certainly not in response to our stifling ourselves. For once, let’s let the smart people have their say.
- Adventures in Activism: Episode 4, Now What?- Hello again everyone. Sorry this one is running late. Although, given the events this past week the timing works out better.
There has been a lot of talk around here lately about "radicals" and taking some action. All the effort everyone put into the 2006 election and since have been ignored, marginalized and apparently officially condemned by the Senate. What the hell happened?
- Kozol in Denver-
Last night I realized one of my dreams, to see and hear Jonathan Kozol. It was a warm fall evening in the historic LoDo district of Denver. As the last light of day fell on the old brick warehouses, across from Union Station upwards of 200 people gathered at the Tattered Cover Bookstore to listen to the man who is perhaps America's best known advocate for the educational rights of children. Kozol, despite being visibly gaunt from his partial fast, did not disappoint. It was an evening to remember and hopefully a touchstone for greater awareness and activism on the part of Colorado teachers. [Crossposted at www.educatorroundtable.org and dailykos.]
- Adventures in Activism: Episode 3, Civil Disobedience- Welcome back everyone!
In case you missed part one and two, this is a continuation of my experiences last weekend at my first protest. So far I've covered traveling and the march itself. This diary will cover the civil disobedience that took place at the Capitol Building.
- Adventures in Activism: Episode 2, Taking to the Streets- Hello again everyone!
In case you missed the first one, this is a continuation of my experience at the protest this past Saturday in DC. It was my first taste of activism and I wanted to give people who have never been to something like this an idea of what to expect.
- Adventures in Activism: Episode 1, On the Road- I just got home a few hours ago from the protest in DC this past Saturday. I smell, I'm tired, sunburnt, sore and happier than I've been in months. I've never participated in any political action besides voting and posting here, until this weekend. I dipped my foot in the water, dove in headfirst and loved every minute of it.
- Photo Essay on the 9/15 March in DC-
Having decided at the last minute to fly rather than drive to D.C., my son and I were separated by virtue of our seat assignments. I asked the young man sitting next to me if he was going home and he said yes, but only for a brief visit. He asked why I was going to Washington and I told him to march against the war. "That’s interesting," he replied, "I’m headed for Iraq." Turns out he works for an NGO and had been to Iraq twice before. He had recently graduated from American University with a degree in International Relations with a specialty in the Middle East. We had a fascinating conversation for the duration of the flight. I encouraged him to write about his experiences and invited him to consider blogging at dailykos. Hopefully he will.
- A Message To Families That Believe We Dishonored The Dead At Anti-War Protest- It saddened me when I read that many of the Families of slain soldiers In Iraq and Afghanistan believe it dishonors the dead to symbolize the unnecessary American deaths that occur almost daily in the Middle-East. As of September 13, 2007, there have been:
- Support the Troops = Support the Policy?- Cross-posted to DailyKos.
While covering the anti-war protests in Washington D.C. today, The NBC Nightly News interviewed a woman who was taking part in the "pro-war" counter protest. A mother, with two children serving in Iraq, she made a claim that has been repeated by many of the Iraq War's supporters: That, in order to "support the troops," you must also "support what they're doing."
Because war is a type of policy, this statement, at the most fundamental of levels, amounts to saying that "support for the troops" equals a "total and unqualified support for a particular governmental policy," no matter how ill advised it may seem. Tying support for the troops together with support for governmental goals, however, raises disturbing questions about what that would mean for democracy itself.
- Our War Crime in Iraq is Going Swimmingly!-
And our plan to nuke Iran is shaping up nicely too.
- 9/15 and ANSWER: Why you should be there anyway.- On September 15, the International ANSWER coalition is leading an anti-war demo in DC. I've heard a number of people say that they're reluctant to attend because of ANSWER itself, their leadership style, and the politics of other potential attendees. Frankly I don't care for ANSWER -- (I had a Trotskyist phase about 3 years ago and it's done now.) But there is no excuse, moral or practical, to skip out on these events. And here's why:
- Is The State Of The Nation Making Us Fanatics?- This morning, Doug Thompson at Capitol Hill Blue published a long overdue article on what's happening at CHB, and throughout the Internet on other sites as well:
When politics gets personal, everyone loses
September 3, 2007 - 4:06am.
We need to replace hate with reason
By DOUG THOMPSON
- America-
In the realm of political thought there has never been a more powerful idea than America. For the first time in history a nation was formed expressly to protect the liberty of its citizens, who were conceived as equals, from the predations of tyrants. The founders knew tyranny first hand and were determined to design a system that would preclude it from ever taking hold in the United States of America.
- Another Day In Asheville- Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing
click to enlarge
- Ending the War 25 feet (or more) Away from the Protest-
Philadelphia-I came to Market Street to hand out the Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) strategy flyer to protesters waiting for the President. There were not that many protesters so I did my best to get the two-sided orange flyer into everyone's hands. It didn't take that long.
- Civil Disobedience 1: An Eye For an Eye Makes the Whole World Blind-
Crossposted from Daily Kos
::
Civil disobedience becomes a sacred duty when the State becomes lawless or, which is the same thing, corrupt. -- Mahatma Gandhi
::
- Chicago, 8/1968 - Chicago, 8/2007-
I remember what happened in Chicago in August 1968. Do you?
It was a watershed event. We had a draft during Vietnam, so the American people were engaged. If you weren't alive during those dark days, you have no idea what an engaged citizenry is all about.
- I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night-
- The Shape Of Things To Come- (Updated below)
Plus ça change, plus c'est pareil. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
We all know this old (french) saying. But what does it really mean?
- If Not Now........- Every once in a while something pops up on YouTube that reminds me what a great tool for promoting activism it can be. This is Melissa Etheridge's performance last Saturday in two parts. Enjoy!!
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