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| Black foot, but white shoe The murder of Trayvon Martin was a lynching protected by unjust law, but the murder of Emmett Till in Mississippi in 1955 was a lynching outside the law. There is a big difference here, you see, because we are more sophisticated now in this nation, because we are a nation of laws -- BAD laws, like the "stand your ground" law passed in Florida. EDITORIAL - by J. Howard Crews Read More |
Event Reminders:Black boys denied the right to be youngFriday, 07/19/2013 By Eugene Robinson - "Justice failed Trayvon Martin the night he was killed. We should be appalled and outraged, but perhaps not surprised, that it failed him again Saturday night, with a verdict setting his killer free. -- Our society considers young black men to be dangerous, interchangeable, expendable, guilty until proven innocent. This is the conversation about race that we desperately need to have — but probably, as in the past, will try our best to avoid." Beginning Wildlife Tracking Class NY Judge dismisses charges again Vets for Peace Forum: 'The New Jim Crow' series July 22 Monthly Buena Vista Lagoon Bird Count Robert Reich forum, Mira Costa Coll, O'side Special Dinner for Amnesty - No. County Chapter This 'N ThatBy logic and reason we die hourly. By imagination we live.- John Butler Yeats Would that even today you knew the things that make for peace. Respectful dialogue, in the interest of searching for more complete truth, is considerably more productive than arguing for the purity of position. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. When death, the great reconciler, has come, it is never our tenderness that we repent of, but our severity. No, the Lord has told us what is good. What he requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God. No one is so foolish as to prefer to peace, war, in which, instead of sons burying their fathers, fathers bury their sons. The dark night is over and dawn has begun. Rise, hope of the ages, arise like the sun! All speech, flow to music; all hearts, beat as one. Justice is truth in action. The right to swing my fist ends where the other man's nose begins If you love the justice of Jesus Christ more than you fear human judgment then you will seek to do compassion. Compassion means that if I see my friend and my enemy in equal need, I shall help them both equally. Justice demands that we seek and find the stranger, the broken, the prisoner and comfort them and offer them our help. Here lies the holy compassion of God that causes the devils much distress. There never was a war that was not inward; I must fight till I have conquered in myself what causes war. It is easier to fight for one's principles than to live up to them. All violence consists in some people forcing others, under threat of suffering or death, to do what the do not want to do. Man's mind stretched to a new idea never goes back to its original dimensions. Fondly do we hope, ferverently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. There have been periods of history in which episodes of terrible violence occurred but for which the word violence was never used...Violence is shrouded in justifying myths that lend it moral legitimacy, and these myths for the most part kept people from recognizing the violence for what it was. The people who burned witches at the stake never for one moment thought of their act as violence; rather they though of it as an act of divinely mandated righteousness. The same can be said of most of the violence we humans have ever committed. We cannot change the past, but we can change our attitude toward it. Uproot guilt and plant forgiveness. Tear out arrogance and seed humility. Exchange love for hate --- thereby, making the present comfortable and the future promising. The good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge. Each person has inside a basic decency and goodness. If he listens to it and acts on it, he is giving a great deal of what it is the world needs most. It is not complicated but it takes courage. It takes courage for a person to listen to his own goodness and act on it. I claim to be no more than an average person with less than average ability. I have not the shadow of doubt that any man or woman can achieve what I have, if he or she would make the same effort and cultivate the same hope and faith. If we emphasize the life and works of our greatest contributors . . . people will come to realize that moral courage is bravery of the highest type, and America will be called the "Champion of Peace." Conflict is inevitable, but combat is optional. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. You see things; and you say, "Why?" But I dream things that never were; and I say, "Why not?" The miracle of the wicked is reinforced by the weakness of the virtuous. The first thing to be disrupted by our committment to nonviolence will be not the system but our own lives. Nothing could be worse than the fear that one had given up too soon, and left one unexpended effort that might have saved the world. Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages. Instead of tug o' war, let's play hug o' war. Some things you must always be unable to bear. Some things you must never stop refusing to bear. Injustice and outrage and dishonor and shame. No matter how young you are or how old you have got. Not for kudos and not for cash, your picture in the paper nor money in the bank, neither. Just refuse to bear them. God grant me the courage to change the things I can, the patience to accept the things I can't, and the wisdom to know the difference. Through Gandhi and my own life experience, I have learned about nonviolence. I believe that human life is a very special gift from God, and that no one has a right to take that away in any cause, however just. I am convinced that nonviolence is more powerful than violence. We need, in every community, a group of angelic troublemakers. If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality. Why does man have reason if he can only be influenced by violence? No one has a right to sit down and feel hopeless. There is too much work to do. Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of humans as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is not safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. In the struggle rewards are few. In the fact, I know of only two, loving friends and living dreams. These rewards are not so few it seems. Non-violence, which is the quality of the heart, cannot come by an appeal to the brain. The non-violent technique does not depend for its success on the goodwill of the oppressor, but rather on the unfailing assistance of God. Dare to be naive. Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction. In April, we cannot see sunflowers in France, so we might say the sunflowers do not exist. But the local farmers have already planted thousands of seeds, and when they look at the bare hills, they may be able to see the sunflowers already. The sunflowers are there. They lack only the conditions of sun, heat, rain and July. Just because we cannot see them does not mean that they do not exist. It is penance to work, to give oneself to others, to endure the pinpricks of community living. Nonviolence is not a garment to be put on and off at will. Its seat is in the heart, and it must be an inseparable part of our being. When asked what he would do if he knew the world would end tomorrow, Martin Luther said, "I would plant a tree." Non-violence is a very powerful weapon. Most people don't understand the power of non-violence and tend to be amazed by the whole idea. Those who have been involved in bringing about change and see the difference between violence and non-violence are firmly committed to a lifetime of non-violence, not because it is easy or because it is cowardly, but because it is an effective and very powerful way. I'd like someone to mention the day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others. I'd like somebody to say that day, that Martin Luther King tried to love somebody. I want you to say that day, that I tried to be right on the war question. I want you to be able to say that day, that I did try to feed the hungry . . . I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity. Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice; say that I was a drum major for peace; I was a drum major for righteousness . . . I want to leave a committed life behind. If we do not change our direction we are likely to end up where we are headed for. The more we sweat in peace the less we bleed in war. Do you want long life and happiness? Strive for peace with all your heart. Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world: Indeed it's the only thing that ever has. I believe in compulsory cannibalism. If people were forced to eat what they killed there would be no more war. Poetry is an act of peace. Peace goes into the making of a poet as flour goes into the making of bread. We should take care, in inculcating patriotism into our boys and girls, that is a patriotism above the narrow sentiment which usually stops at one's country, and thus inspires jealousy and enmity in dealing with others... Our patriotism should be of the wider, nobler kind which recognises justice and reasonableness in the claims of others and which lead our country into comradeship with...the other nations of the world. The first step to this end is to develop peace and goodwill within our borders, by training our youth of both sexes to its practice as their habit of life, so that the jealousies of town against town, class against class and sect against sect no longer exist; and then to extend this good feeling beyond our frontiers towards our neighbours. If you oppress poor people, you insult the God who makes them; but kindness shown to the poor is an act of worship. Nobody realizes that some people expend a tremendous amount of energy merely to be normal. Activism pays the rent on being alive and being here on the planet. Why not go out on a limb? That's where the fruit is. To save one life, it is as if you had saved the world. Until we have the courage to recognize cruelty for what it is--whether its victim is human or animal--we cannot expect things to be much better in this world... We cannot have peace among men whose hearts delight in killing any living creature. By every act that glorifies or even tolerates such moronic delight in killing we set back the progress of humanity. In Italy for thirty years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love; they had five hundred years of democracy and peace and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock. The idea of absolute freedom is fiction. It's based on the idea of an independent self. But, in fact, there's no such thing. There's no self without other people. There's no self without sunlight. There's no self without dew. And water. And bees to pollinate the food we eat....So the idea of behaving in a way that doesn't acknowledge those reciprocal relationships is not really freedom, it's indulgence. Peace is not a relationship of nations. It is a condition of mind brought about by a serenity of soul. Peace is not merely an absence of war. It is also a state of mind. Lasting peace can come only to peaceful people. War is an act of violence pushed to its utmost limits. Such as it is, the press has become the greatest power within the Western World, more powerful than the legislature, the executive and judiciary. One would like to ask; by whom has it been elected and to whom is it responsible? With each dawn, fill us with your love that we may sing and rejoice all our days. Give us joy to balance our affliction, for the times when we know misfortune. The law, in its majestic equality, forbids both rich and poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread. You can't lead anyone else further than you have gone yourself. We must be the change we wish to see. Whenever you are in doubt or when the self becomes too much with you, try the following experiment: Recall the face of the poorest and most helpless person you have ever seen and ask yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be for any use to him or to her . . . Then you will find your doubts and your self melting away. | Articles & News: GITMO Prosecutor: Leaks Caused No Harm to U.S. News Pvt. BRADLEY MANNING Trial - Former chief prosecutor at Guantánamo Bay, Col. Morris Davis, who has just wrapped two days of testimony for the defense. Davis told the court that many of the files Manning leaked on Guantánamo were already out in the public and that they had no value to enemy groups and could not have harmed U.S. national security. --- Testimony of Col. Morris: "... there were four of Private Manning's former military colleagues—two captains and a chief warrant officer and a sergeant, so all people that were superior to Private Manning in rank, who were with him in Iraq. And it was really interesting to talk with them both, you know, in the witness waiting area, but also in their testimony, because, you know, the government has painted this picture of Private Manning as being inept and a malcontent. Their testimony was that he was their go-to guy, you know, the guy that really knew what was going on. If you needed information, he was the person to go to and, you know, was really a star performer. So it was interesting. It was a totally opposite perspective from the way he's been portrayed by the government as a malcontent. SD jury finds chalk artist protester 'Not Guilty' Pine Valley Gestappo - 'Ihre Papiere, bitte!'
PINE VALLEY, CA -- Driving down an American Interstate Highway (I-8), a man was stopped at a roadblock set up by federal agents demanding that he produce his papers. These internal checkpoints are now regularly set up well within U.S. territory under the guise of protecting the border. There are dozens of permanent highway checkpoints all over the southwest United States. When the Federal agents attempted to question the driver, Robert Trudell, he simply remained silent. His car was rigged with multiple cameras which recorded the entire encounter. No right to remain silent - After being ignored by the citizen, one of the Gestapo agents deployed a spike strip in front of his vehicle. German Shepherds were used to perform a scent search on the exterior of his car. Finally he was ordered to a secondary checkpoint area, where the agents broke into his window and forcibly extracted him. He was cuffed, patted down, and his vehicle was searched. He remained handcuffed for 6hrs, did not get to use a toilet for 10 hours. He was fingerprinted, photographed, and left in a jail cell. Robert says on his video that he was given a "10 second Interrogation", and then was dropped off on foot at 10:30 PM in El Cajon, more than 25 miles away. This is the way they used to do it in 1939 in The Third Reich. Violence erupts after Trayvon Martin verdict Elizabeth Warren: Floor Speech on Student Loans
One of the most glaring, egregious examples of Republican intransigence and refusal to deal with our Nation's most important problems -- Student Loan Debt and run-away education costs. Sen. Elizabeth Warren realizes the massive crisis looming and works to address it. This is our NATION'S FUTURE! FLASHMOB Dancers for Bradley Manning, SF Pride http://vimeo.com/67875827 How to get a Marriage License in North County B of A whistle-blower: Horrid scheme exposed Elizabeth Warren makes mincemeat from reporters
LOVE ELIZABETH WARREN. -- Entertaining and informative watching CNBC "reporters" trying to "explain" finance and regulation to Elizabeth Warren. Seriously? She made mincemeat out of them. Did they not read her bio before they thought these children thought they could tangle with a grownup? This is a WONDERWOMAN! Manning Video:American troops slaughter civilians
Video depicts a US Apache attack helicopter killing 12 civilians and wounding two children on the ground in Baghdad in 2007. The helicopter then fired on and killed the people trying to rescue the wounded. Finally, a US tank drove over one of the bodies, cutting the man in half. These acts constitute three separate war crimes. All with calloused video-game contempt for human life. - Manning fulfilled his legal duty to report war crimes. He complied with his legal duty to obey lawful orders but also his legal duty to disobey unlawful orders. -- The Army covered up the evidence and declared the war crime "justified". Now they say that exposing the massacre is criminal. INFO CLICK HERE: Troopers evict scornful woman from Texas Senate
A woman’s fiery and sarcastic testimony against an extreme anti-abortion bill in Texas was cut short when state troopers escorted her out of the state Senate. Sarah Slamen began her testimony to the Texas Senate Committee on Health and Human Services by stating she decided to speak out because she was upset by the "misogyny and greed dominating the state I was born, raised, and schooled in." - GO, GIRL. GO! Student tells CIA why he shouldn't work for them
MATT DAMON, in movie "Good Will Hunting" gives the definitive answer to CIA recruiters as to why he should't accept their offer of a job to him. OUCH !! Trans Women Win Employment Discrimination Suits Massive hacker attack made on Moveon's website NSA director lying at US Senate hearing on drones
This is PERJURY ! - March 12, 2013- Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) asks questions in Senate Intelligence Committee on warrantless geolocation surveillance and National Security Agency tracking. -- One viewer wrote "Lie, after lie, after lie. They track, they spy, they have everyone's emails and phone calls. We know all about the way this regime is treating it's citizens. IRS, AP, FOX reporter Rosen. Do YOU still trust Obama and his thugs? Wake up!" -- In fact, after the newly leaked documents from the Guardian, we know the NSA director, James Clapper was lying to the senators. We await the prosecution of Clapper for perjury. Sign the PETITION for prosecution of CLAPPER: Cartoons of the Week Obama, the negotiatorPlease don't make me do this!Unions & the Middle ClassObama plays poker with GOP HUMOR: The end of the paper age
I-pads, computers, cell phones, etc --- So you think it's the end of the printout and paper age? Guess again. RAP NEWS: Fearless white knight Greenwald
The past week's remarkable series of events. It started off as a slow news day, and a routine update on the state of the Free World Order with NSA Director General Baxter. But then the news broke of startling revelations from the fearless paladin of adversarial journalism, guardian of civil liberties, journalist Glen Greenwald. The Coolest Dog in Southern California
Southern California is the coolest place in the world, and the coolest dog here loves surfing, skateboarding and "hanging ten". This is A really FUN video -- only in Southern California! Shy 16-yr old boy singer blows away the judges
Just for enjoyment - Luke Lucas might have been nervous about getting up in front of the beautiful and famous judges, but once he started singing you would never be able to tell. He blows the judges away with a Jackson 5 cover - get ready to be impressed! Late-breaking news: This just in ...
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Marriage Equality in America has not come easy, and it is the younger generation which has been largely responsible for the successes. Lest we forget, witness the eloquence and courage back in Feb of 2011 of Zach Wahls, a 19-year-old University of Iowa student spoke about the strength of his family during a public forum on House Joint Resolution 6 in the Iowa House of Representatives. Wahls has two mothers, and came to oppose House Joint Resolution 6 which would end civil unions in Iowa. This is our new generation of courageous and rational leaders.
NSA director lying at US Senate hearing on drones
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This is PERJURY ! - March 12, 2013- Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) asks questions in Senate Intelligence Committee on warrantless geolocation surveillance and National Security Agency tracking. -- One viewer wrote "Lie, after lie, after lie. They track, they spy, they have everyone's emails and phone calls. We know all about the way this regime is treating it's citizens. IRS, AP, FOX reporter Rosen. Do YOU still trust Obama and his thugs? Wake up!" -- In fact, after the newly leaked documents from the Guardian, we know the NSA director, James Clapper was lying to the senators. We await the prosecution of Clapper for perjury.
CA Democrats in Marin Co. pickedt Nancy Pelosi
News
"It isn't every day that there's a placard-waving political demonstration on the quiet residential streets of wealthy Belvedere. And it's even rarer when the demonstration involves Democrats protesting against fellow Democrats. -- But that was the highly unusual scene Saturday afternoon, when some 70 picketers, carrying signs that said things like "Big Brother is watching you" and "One nation under surveillance," gathered up the street from a Belvedere home where a big ticket Democratic Party fundraiser attended by Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the House Democratic leader, was being hosted by first term congressman, Rep. Jared Huffman.." Marin Independent Journal
Manning Video:American troops slaughter civilians
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Video depicts a US Apache attack helicopter killing 12 civilians and wounding two children on the ground in Baghdad in 2007. The helicopter then fired on and killed the people trying to rescue the wounded. Finally, a US tank drove over one of the bodies, cutting the man in half. These acts constitute three separate war crimes. All with calloused video-game contempt for human life. - Manning fulfilled his legal duty to report war crimes. He complied with his legal duty to obey lawful orders but also his legal duty to disobey unlawful orders. -- The Army covered up the evidence and declared the war crime "justified". Now they say that exposing the massacre is criminal.
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