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Aliceinwonderland ~ A scary freak show that creeps you out is a perfect description of what is taking place. It reminds me of those old "B" horror flicks where the teenage spring break kids car breaks down in the old small town. Everyone in the town acts really nice and friendly until the clock tower bell tolls at midnight and they all suddenly turn into flesh eating zombies who's favorite snack is stranded teenagers. Yikes!
I too have written my letters of recent. Almost every other topic I've written about I have received responses to; except, the TPP. The only letter I got concerning that was from Diane Feinstein and it was so ambiguously filled with double talk that I doubt she even knows how she is going to vote. The gist of the flavor of the rhetoric was, "Don't worry, I'll take care of it." Not much else. Nothing to reassure me she wasn't going to sell out and throw us under the bus. With her track record I'm not holding my breath.
Nevertheless, the very idea that Congress would vote yes on anything that they are not fully informed about, or given time to deliberate--short of a national emergency--just boggles my mind. I can't believe they are not demanding all the facts and haven't received all the facts. To me, the logical thing for anyone to do when presented with a vote under such circumstances is to vote unequivocally, no. Traditionally in Democratic politics a bill has to be sold to the Representative and his constituency to earn a yes vote. Unfortunately, thanks to travesties of justice like the "Citizen's United" decision, it makes it possible to buy a vote instead of selling a bill. Now we can all sit back and see just how vulnerable our current batch of Representatives is to bribery. In anticipation of that revelation I might just hold my breath.
Let us hope and pray that our politicians can read and count when it comes to our letter writing campaign. Karma is a very cool mistress. She keeps us out of trouble, does our dirty work for us, and keeps us in line at the same time. Life is much easier staying on her good side. Yet she only springs into action after the fact. When the clock tower bell tolls at midnight make sure you look unappetising; and, are sufficiently coated with zombie repellant.
Man, what a freak show. This creeps me out. I've already done all I can, having sent handwritten letters to the prez and our representatives in Congress, begging them to reject this fascist "trade" deal, while signing all the petitions I could get my hands on... I am so bloody sick of getting screwed by fucking politicians!! Pardon my "French", folks, but this upsets me almost more than I can handle. These so-called public servants don't care about us. They've run our country into the ditch and they're ruining our lives. You'd think we've suffered enough already, just from NAAFTA... and now THIS. Cup your ears and hold your breath... Can you hear democracy's death rattle? It's getting louder, folks. So who gets to pick our next president; Goldman Sachs? McDonald's?! Walmart?!! The Koch roaches?!!!
My hatred runs deep. Change we can believe in?! What a crock. I won't even say what I'd like to do to those fascist clowns (excuse me; politicians) for the mess they've created, and - trust me - we ain't seen nothin' yet. I can only hope karma will do the dirty work. (Martyrdom has no appeal. The older I get, the less appetite I have for drama.) Karma has come through for me in more situations than I'd care to list here, and it's kept me out of jail through the years. Guess that's all I have to say, for the moment... - Aliceinwonderland
Sorry to hear you're going through a difficult period, Loren. Three weeks sounds like a test of endurance. I hope it passes quickly.
Alice: FUBAR is an acronym for a military term of art. The protocol for transmitting it via radio is Foxtrot Uniform Bravo Alpha Romeo. An example of such usage would be, "Objective is now Foxtrot Uniform Bravo Alpha Romeo." Un-acronymized, it means Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition. Such was my week; likewise this week and next week too.
Loren, no apologies needed! The only gripe I have with your post is the goddam acronym. Sorry my friend, but acronyms are one of my pet peeves on this blog, because I don't understand them at least half the time, which drives me crazy. It's almost like another language. If I want to exert the effort to learn another language, I'd prefer SPANISH, thank you! (I can hear Marc groaning when he reads this…)
Anyway I really appreciate your willingness to hear us out in defense of Kucinich. You are one who happens to have very strong opinions, yet I see that you are capable of being open to others' opinions; even swayed by them on occasion. Both are traits I value highly, in those who possess them.
And no, your Second Amendment fundamentalism does not alienate me; not even a little bit. Your reasoning makes perfect sense. I would never insist on outlawing civilians' handguns, although background checks and licensing of such weapons would be nice. I think that's all that most of us gun-control advocates are suggesting. Whether Kucinich wants to outlaw 'em all across the board, I can't say, not having heard him speak on this topic.
One more thing, Loren, before I go… dyed-in-the-wool feminist amazon that I am, I would never begrudge any man his inalienable right to admire - and comment on - a stunningly gorgeous redheaded woman, or even a blond haired woman… long as the comment is respectful as yours certainly is. That does not make you a male-chauvinist pig; reconstructed, resurrected or otherwise. 'Til next time… - Aliceinwonderland
After government gives a free signal to same sex marriage, wedding bells are already starting ringing in several cities and states. American government supports same sex marriage and declared same sex living relationship as legal, so every odd couple (same sex couple) used to take better advantage from this law.
Marc and Alice -- Again my apology for being so late to the fair: it's been a real bastard of a totally FUBAR'd week.
Apropos Kucinich, you have me thinking I may be not just wrong but gravely wrong in my dismissal of him.
At this point however -- and I dearly hope this does not alienate either or both of you -- I should note (as I have before on this site), that I am nearly as much a Second Amendment fundamentalist as I am a First Amendment fundamentalist. And in that context, because I am neither a stranger to the realm of grizzly bear and mountain lion -- a domain in which we humans are not at the top of the food chain -- nor a stranger to the bipedal world of would-be killers, where my skill with a handgun has a couple of times been lifesaving though without the discharge of even a single round, I profoundly object to any efforts to outlaw civilian possession of handguns. Indeed I believe Kucinich is the only U.S, politician to have proposed a total ban on civilian handgun possession -- which of course would leave those of us who are law-abiding at the utter mercy of criminals who, as in England, will remain armed no matter what.
In a much lighter vein, and at the risk of sounding like an unreconstructed male-chauvanist pig, anyone who foolishly imagines Kucinich to be a wimp has obviously never gazed upon his stunningly gorgeous red-haired wife, who is also an intellectual powerhouse: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Kucinich
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Marc, you are one cool dude. I love battin' the ball with you. Your posts have brought much laughter and merriment; not only to me but also, mah hubby. Let's keep 'em rolling! - AIW
P.S. By the way, as to your urging me to "keep stirring up the pot..." was that intended as a pun? If so, very punny.
Aliceinwonderland ~ That was quite a story. I guess your neighborhood isn't immune from the effects of Reagan's closing of mental institutions. The caller you described reminds me of a typical low brow, "mentally challenged" type who tend to take the drug war overly passionately. (ie. They believe hook line and sinker every lie they are told.) My experience suggests that such people are already so mentally unstable that the very thought of reshuffling their half full deck terrifies them to the bone. To them anything that alters conscious is evil personified. Although relatively harmless--in most circumstances--you should definitely avoid confronting them with any facts that they can't absorb or process. It will fall on deaf ears and only upset them. (ie. You can't win.) Therefore your approach with anonymity is reasonable, creative, and appropriate. I like it. It does indeed sound like a lot of fun too. Please keep stirring up the pot. It might be a dirty job but if it was good enough for Ben Franklin it certainly can't be a waste of time. As current trends against marijuana prohibition suggest, the efforts have not been in vain.
"rjwin" reminds us that Mandela didn't accomplish all he did by himself. I'm sure that's true. But Mandela will always be one of my heroes. His political triumph, in all liklihood, was the most spectacular such event I'll see in this lifetime. - AIW
Marc, I just want you to know how much I've appreciated your repeated efforts at drawing attention to the so-called "war on drugs". This issue is one I've held close to my heart for many, many years. It is a problem for which we've mainly our lawmakers to blame, for catering to the oligarchs whose interests it serves. (Yep! More of THAT.) As always, money trumps everything including life itself. With the "war on drugs" it's just one more manifestation of the same old ugly truth. Money comes first. Money, money, money... money$money$money$money$money!
It's been almost forty years since I first began realizing how the drug war is all about money and little else. More recently in the late '90s, while in college, I took a research writing class and for a class project, researched the history of hemp & marijuana prohibition; not only how it developed and manifested, but the true motives behind it. What I learned went way beyond validating my initial theory. It exceeded my already cynical expectations & assumptions, so much so that it radicalized me to the core.
Just so happened that at the time, there was a lot of media attention on drugs; drug use, drug addiction, drug enforcement ad nauseam, reflected in the letters I saw every day in the opinion column of our local paper. There were many pot-bashing letters in there, full of assumptions based on misinformation and lies, and it grated on me. They were so strident, so self-rightous and so full of crap. Made me crazy to see all that ignorance and stupidity out there in print, and with very little to counter it. So I began writing letters to the newspaper's public forum column, calling these people out while presenting actual facts. I ruffled some feathers, but that was fine. After all, I wasn't trying to win a popularity contest! But then came the inevitable hate call, on Friday Feb. 12th, 1999. I returned home that afternoon and checked out our message machine, and heard the following: (later transcribed for posterity!)
"Yeah this [?] uh….uh…..dope addicts, uh, that write in the newspaper all the horrible things an' tryin' to get kids hooked on dope… I just thought you'd like to know that a lot of people around here aren't real happy with dope, an' it's wrecked a lotta lives an', uh, you out there spreadin' this kinda crap all around sure makes me wanna move outa Coos Bay or…. sure…. certainly outa yer neighborhood, because I happen to be one of yer neighbors! So, uh, had I known you were dope addicts, uh, I prob'ly wouldn't a'moved in there! So, uh, I'll be seein' yuh up an' down the road but, uh, keep yer dope peddlin', uh, outa my neighborhood an' if… if I see yuh peddlin' dope, uh, to any of the kids around there yer gonna pay, okay! So just keep yer dope outa m'life, okay, b'bye!"
Given the intensity of emotion from both sides of this issue, I'd already begun feeling a need to hide my identity for self protection. But this little hate call was the game changer for me. It really galled me how the newspaper editor's policy required us to submit our names, addresses and so forth. They always print people's names with their letters, along with the town each resides in. To get around this, I hit the phone book, randomly picking names and addresses from different areas throughout the county. Not wanting others to be targeted as a consequence of my actions, I'd change names and/or initials while altering numbers on addresses, all in ways that would be easy to overlook (like substituting an "8" for a "6" or "3" for example; an "e" for an "o"; or an "r" and "n" side-by-side in place of an "m"). And by jingles, it worked! And there were no more hate calls.
Since I had to go to all that extra effort faking my identity, it occurred to me that I might as well have fun with it. So I took on a different identity with each letter; sometimes as a male, sometimes a female. I even took on different personalities for each one, ranging from belligerant & confrontative to mild-mannered & diplomatic, with a few other shades in between, creating the illusion of all these people writing in to refute the drug war from various angles. I had some defending the virtues of hemp & pot while others had more of a live-and-let-live kind of message, or just plain old common sense. There are so many facets to this issue and so many angles from which to debate it, I had myself a field day. Made some waves around here... yep, and sparked a dialogue too! I recall one letter written by a nurse from the local hospital, highlighting the hypocrisy of criminalizing drug use while at the same time, offering no detox clinics or other means of treatment, all shared from a valuable perspective only a healthcare provider in his position could have contributed to the discussion. I can't say for a fact that my letters gave him the courage to do it. However it's not impossible.
Anyhoo... yeah, that's me! Born rabble-rouser and troublemaker, doin' her mischief. I got away with this for a long time before the newspaper folks caught on to my game. I can only guess that's what happened, because eventually they stopped printing my letters. But it sure was fun while it lasted, and I reckon I got some folks pretty riled up. Oh well... it's a dirty job but somebody's gotta do it! - Aliceinwonderland
P.S. After this was all over and done with, I later learned how Ben Franklin, as a teenager, pulled the same trick on his local paper... while working for them, if I recall. Now ain't that a hoot! One of the characters he invented was a middle-aged woman, a housewife and mother. For a sixteen-year-old boy to pull off such a disguise is quite a feat, I'd say! Guess I'm in good company.
joebhead -- And even worse they do it illegally. For example, UBS laundering drug money.
Lets also remember that Nelson Mandela did not do it all by himself: that many made the ultimate sacrifice, without which we would not be celebrating "his" contribution to the ending of Apartheid. Without the sacrifice of the ANC, Cubans, MPLA and ohers, Nelson Mandela would have never been released from prison! Mandela's accomplishments were no more a solo act than those of Geronimo ji-Jaga Pratt in his release from prison after 27 years of captivity...
Sorry for yet another off topic comment. I just saw a most interesting documentary on the History channel about Drug cartels in Mexico. It would appear that the symbiotic relationship the US has with it's neighbor revolves completely around unwise laws that have set up a most nefarious and profitable illegal trade. In the US we have a war on drugs. In Mexico guns are banned. Consequently and quite ironically both legal systems set up a very lucrative trade route. Guns are sold legally in the US at gun shows and smuggled into Mexico where they are sold at an incredible profit. While there drugs are purchased and smuggled back into the US where they are sold at an incredible profit. Americans get higher and higher with ever more efficient and cheaper drugs and criminals in Mexico become better armed than any army on Earth--with no end in sight. In the wake of this trade is death, pain and misery. The fact that our representatives in Washington are aware--and as the documentary clearly states--involved, just goes to show that the key in resolving these problems lies with our law makers. We must get Big Money out of politics once and for good. There is no other way to address the problems that we face as a nation; or, as a world.
Aliceinwonderland ~ Thanks for those kind words! By the way, Gandhi also said,
I particularly love that quote.Two particular problems arise when you deal with a bully. First and foremost, when fighting fire with fire, you must become a bigger bully in order to address the problem. If you succeed you gain a reputation that invites more bullies to challenge you. If you don't you have the choice of forming an alliance with other bullies --who now you are subservient to--or submitting to the original bully by putting yourself back into the same place you started in. The Nazi menace was defeated by much bigger bullies--namely the Pentagon and the KGB. The world is free of the third Reich; but, now has to contend with the fourth Reich. Where does this course of action lead to--the fifth Reich? Personally, I hope and pray that the world never sees the entity that is capable of taking down the Pentagon.
Back to the school yard bully. As the old saying goes, there are more than one way to skin a rat. (I like cats so I chose to refer to rats instead.) In this nation we are conditioned to believe that might makes right. It is a conditioning that is so rooted in our psyche that we often fail to see the forest through the trees. Let us approach the bully from an "outside the box" creative "rock-paper-scissor" perspective. Any 80 pound, underdeveloped nerd can easily take down a 300 pound, muscle bound football jock with a little imagination. First, the knowledge of germs and viruses can cripple anyone. Blow a little infected air the way of the nostrils of the brute and you will send him to a sick bed. In a confrontation a knowledge of the anatomy is most useful. If the brute throws all his weight into a punch simply turning the head slightly will cause his small hand bones to collide with your dense skull bone and the bones in his hand will literally shatter upon impact; thus, rendering him defenseless. If the brute grabs you driving the heal of your foot down upon his big toe will send him hopping away, hobbled in agony. Finally, you can simply go over his head. Bring the school Principal, Teacher, Yard Aid, or even contact the child's parents will quickly end a rather unpleasant confrontation. The bottom line here is that hatred and anger make us stupid and unable to see the simple ways to resolve our problems. As a result we react rather than respond; and, in doing so, we create bigger and badder problems. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. famously said,
Personally, I do not want to see the manifestation of the entity that is capable of defeating the Pentagon in my lifetime. This madness has to stop here. The war to end all wars has not yet been fought; and, when it is, it will not be fought with armies, weapons, or violence.
The reason we call them the banksters is because they commit legal crimes.
They control the country's money supply, and therefore the economy, because we have been using the bankers' school, debt-based money system which percolates financial gain to the top.
For a discussion of this system and the alternative, public-monied currency school system of money, have a visit to German prof of economic sociology Dr. Joseph Huber's website at sovereignmoney.eu
It's the money system. That's how they do it.
http://youtu.be/O7H3i6wZZ9g
I hope the people of Detroit can put a stop to this by appeals etc, the judge who gave to ok sounds like a right wing activist judge,we have go tto get rid of these republicans next year, and make sure they dont get elected again.
Lorin and Marc, I anticipate this'll be one of my longer posts. You guys give me much to respond to, so here goes...
Loren, I understand all too well how you came to love those post-midnight hours. It's been a pattern with me for the last fifty years, staying up all hours of the night. As a creative person I crave the solitude, the quiet time, when I can write, compose my music or read without distraction.
By the way, I did check out the video of Kshama's victory speech in Seattle. This woman rocks! I loved her. She speaks with clarity and power, just as you've described her. It renews my sense of hope for the next generation of adults, listening to someone like this. I noticed other speeches of Kshama's displayed on the side bar, so I'll have to re-visit that link and watch them too.
Also noteworthy is the young rap artist who took the mike a few minutes later. WOW. Other than this, words evade me. Do you recall that part of the video, Loren? If not, check out this brilliant, fiery young poet! The guy is simply amazing.
For a long time I dismissed rap, tagging it "blabber-mouth music"... 'til one day I heard a rap song with a message worth hearing. I discovered that, quite the contrary, it's a viable art form; not all thuggish, misogynist drivel. Let's not forget, the corporate media will emphasize the worst of any genre created by America's untouchables. Turns out there's more to rap music than "wham-bam" and "kill-the-pig". It's a powerful way to deliver political messages, if one has the talent. And this guy blew me away.
The kind of labor militancy Loren speaks of is long overdue in our country. Since growing up in the fifties & sixties, the so-called "golden era" for workers, I've watched this steady decline and it hasn't been pretty. There's got to be a limit to how much abuse people can tolerate in their efforts to provide for themselves and their families. Those Walmart "associates" and fast food workers out there, striking all over the country right now, are so courageous to be walking off the job. When you're living paycheck-to-paycheck, that's a very big deal, and many of these folks have children. In those circumstances, there's not much keeping you and yours off the streets. You're just one paycheck away from being discarded, joining the ranks of the homeless.
Loren, when you answered my question about Ms. Warren's safety as prez, and how she might be protected with a vice prez like Bernie Sanders, my thought was - DUH. Why I hadn't connected those dots myself, I can't say, because it makes perfect sense and is so obvious. Bump off the German Shephard and now there's a Pit Bull to be dealt with! Great fantasy, anyhoo...
You've stated that we're the "most savagely oppressed working class in the developed world". More than the Chinese or the Russians? I'd like your take on that, Loren.
It intrigues me when you disclose tidbits from your background. Sounds like you were a prodigy of sorts, still a kid when your career began. Photo journalism definitely suits you. That age & circumstance spared you from getting sucked into the Vietnam War is indeed a blessing.
What about Dennis Kucinich's behavior as mayor did you find so objectionable, by the way?
And Loren, I checked out the link you provided, to that article about Senator Kucinich and the Affordable Care Act. Having read the article, I must say, there's not a thing in it that would give me doubts about his integrity. With all due respect I ask you: what the heck was the poor man supposed to do?! All I see is a guy struggling to make the best of a no-win situation. At the risk of putting you at odds with me, Loren, I'll have to confess that were I in his shoes, I probably would have handled it very similarly. I agree that the ACA sucks, but it's still better than nothing, and that was the choice he had: ACA or nothing.
Kucinich had put up a helluva fight for single payer. Unfortunately President Obama, in his relentlessly lame quest for bipartisanship, dropped the ball on single payer healthcare immediately, before the debate had scarcely begun. Single payer advocates were denied a seat at the proverbial table, kept out of the discussion altogether. Even that watered-down public option Pelosi had promised us went down the toilet, despite the efforts of Kucinich and his allies (what few he had).
I have to agree with Marc on this. Kucinich was not to blame for the position that ultimately, he got forced into. And frankly, I think none the less of him for it. He fought the ACA to the bitter end until finally, when it was either that or nothing, he grudgingly relented. What's more, I think Marc's characterization of Kucinich is spot-on: a small, wimpy-looking guy with the heart of a tiger. Despite outer appearances, he's a force to be reckoned with, which is why the elites hate him so much.
Marc shares much wisdom on the inescapable reality of the cards that are dealt us, and this unwelcome balancing act of juggling our ideals with the choices available. It's always frustrating and disheartening to settle for so much less than we need and deserve... especially when it comes to the simple necessities of life, held as ransom by the piggish One Percent.
When it comes to pacifism - to be or not to be - that's a hard question with no clear-cut answer. From his perspective as historian, Thom has said repeatedly that no lasting change has ever come from violence. There's a lot of truth to that. Marc's mention of Mandela's spectacular victory is indeed fitting. I think it was Ghandi who said "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win" (or something like that). But I also agree with Loren when he points out how nonviolence would never have cut it with the Nazis. Having said that, I still have serious doubts about our prospects for winning a violent conflict with these oligarchs who could easily out-gun us. In our circumstances, creativity and imagination could be our only salvation.
Loren's observations on the clever tactics of psychological manipulation, used against us by the ruling class, never fail to grab my attention. Noam Chomsky puts much emphasis on this as well. Your assessment of how the hard-won gains of the civil rights movement were slowly destroyed brings to mind that old frog-in-the-water metaphor, where the frog ends up boiling to death after the water is gradually heated. When we fall asleep at the wheel, failing to recognize the cunning of our enemies, we pay a heavy price.
One last thing before I go, on an unrelated topic. I too have run up against the random arbitrariness of an edit button made available on only some of my posts. And yes, Marc, it is frustrating. When you do manage to edit a post, it gets moved down to the end of the blog, which can be a problem when you're replying to something. I don't know how easy it is to get answers from appropriate sources. But I wanted to commiserate with you on that.
Anyway my friends, guess I've rambled long enough. Sure has been fun though. - Aliceinwonderland
Content repeated, therefore deleted.
Bishop Tutu has said that Israeli policy is worse than apartheid!
Loren ~ Back to the original topic--Dennis Kucinich. Pacifism comes in various levels. In his stage character even Bruce Lee purported to be a pacifist. He stated that his art was, "The art of fighting without fighting." Of course he resorted to fighting when needed and with astonishingly decisive results. Just because one is dedicated to exhausting all options of peace doesn't mean that they are incapable of resorting to physical force when necessary. When a pacifist is pressed to the wall they usually come out fighting like a tiger and take their opponents by surprise and to task.
Comparing Dennis Kucinich with Neville Chamberlain--a man who literally gave away a country--is not a fair comparison. Dennis has been libeled and slandered quite effectively by the Reich Wing media machine for being a wimp. He's a small man who looks wimpy. Yet, he obviously instills fear in his political opponents and the 1%. Despite his stature and reputation in Congress he fights like a tiger. He displays no fear of any one or fear to say anything. Even with the ACA vote he was very reluctant to concede. In the article you provided he is quoted as saying that he listened to his constituents who demanded that he change his vote because they believed that anything was better than nothing. The recent news that Vermont is taking the next step to turn the ACA into a single-payer system shows that Dennis probably made the right decision. Quite frankly, one of the main characteristics I want in the person who occupies the oval office is the ability to listen to their constituents and act accordingly. Dennis has also demonstrated the ability to swallow his pride and admit he was wrong. To me those are characteristics that I place much higher than the ability to sign an order for a preemptive strike on a defenseless nation.
You have adequately made your argument that pacifism has its place as does aggression. In matters of social inequality, international aggression, political tyranny, or class struggle I agree that resorting to violence, or merely seriously threatening to do so, may indeed be the only solution to detour a greater evil. The founding fathers realized that and set up the Constitution accordingly. They saw both ends of the shotgun themselves and wanted to spare as many future generations from that horror as possible. That is particularly why someone with pacifist leaning is uniquely qualified to manage the halls of Washington DC. The POTUS--unlike our media would have us believe--does not need the skills of Bruce Lee or the movie-like characteristics of a Dirty Harry or a Rambo. I still fail to see why Dennis Kucinich would not make a fine running mate for Elizabeth Warren; or, for that matter, a fine President of the United States? The Reich Wing has spent enough time, money, and effort to discredit the man to show that his occupancy of the oval office is their worst nightmare. Who better to shield and protect Elizabeth Warren than such a conservative nemesis?
What could he have possibly done, that I obviously don't know of, that would have you compare him with Neville Chamberlain?
I grew up in the Deroit area in the 50's and 60's. My neighborhood, my school, my church were all lilly white. Occassionally we would hear a rumor that a black family had bought a house in our neighborhood, but before they could move in, the house would mysteriously burn. What we are now seeing is the culmiation of decades of racism - no different than the Jim Crow south. And, yes, I know it is more complex than that. However,those who will not speak up when others are mistreated will eventually suffer the same fate. Remember pre WWII Germany - When they came for the Jews, the Catholics, the union members, etc. , no one spoke up because it had nothing to do with them. Until they were the ones being targeted. Then there was no one left to speak up.
I blame our churches who were more preoccupied with busing, homosexuality, abortion/birth control, etc. than they were with justice. The hubris we now see in so many of our "Christian" politicians began to take root 40 years ago when some of them decided that the only important people were wealthy, white men. I watched this phenomenon as long as I could stand it. Then I left.
All of us need to take a look in the mirror and examine all that we have done to enable this situation. Did we speak up? How did we vote? Who have we enabled by buying products which sponsor the kind of vicious propaganda so many listen to? Who have we allowed to be labeled "Communist," "Liberal" , "Socialist" etc. because they were addressing serious issues. And were we willing to pay the price ourselves - of job loss, rejection by our social set or family members - even limited opportunities for ourselves and/or our children?
Make no mistake, Detroit is only the first. This has been a planned take-down from the start. There will be many more. And we are all responsible. Every morning of every week of every year, evil gets up and goes to work. And those of us who would stop it must remain vigilant. These battles are never fully won, but must be fought over and over in every generation.
Loren ~ You make a great argument. After careful consideration I must concur. Thank you for pointing that out.
We gotta carry on the torch! There's a campus divestment movement against Israeli apartheid in Palestine that's not getting much traction. The best way to honor Mr. Mandela's life would be to fight on.