Friday, December 19, 2008

I don't think "racism" is what's dead...

I find it absolutely unbelievable that something like this can happen in the so-called "city on a hill" that is America. I think people need to wake up and realize that like in any country in the world, America has some serious problems. Brushing them under the rug or pretending they don't exist isn't patriotic, and it isn't going to make them go away.

The fact that vigilantes were allowed to basically hunt people without any retribution is unbelievable to me. These people need to be throw in jail for the rest of their lives like the swine that they are.

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From colorofchange.org:

Dear Friend,

A new report in The Nation[1] documents what many have claimed for years--for some Black New Orleanians the threat of being killed by White vigilantes in Katrina's aftermath became a bigger threat than the storm itself.

After the storm, White vigilantes roamed Algiers Point shooting and, according to their own accounts, killing Black men at will--with no threat of a police response. For the last three years, the shootings and the police force's role in them have been an open secret to many New Orleanians. To date, no one has been charged with a crime and law enforcement officials have refused to investigate.

The report is helpful, but given Lousiana's horrible record on protecting its Black citizens, justice will only come if we demand it.

I've joined ColorOfChange in calling on Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, Louisiana's Attorney General Buddy Caldwell, and the U.S. Department of Justice--to conduct a full investigation of these crimes and any police cover-up. Will you join me? It takes only a moment:

http://www.colorofchange.org/nation/?id=1949-411545

In the two weeks after Hurricane Katrina made landfall, the media created a climate of fear with trumped-up stories of Black lawlessness. Meanwhile an armed group of White vigilantes took over the Algiers Point neighborhood in New Orleans and mercilessly hunted down Black people. "It was great!" said one vigilante. "It was like pheasant season in South Dakota. If it moved, you shot it."

The Nation's article tells the story of Donnell Herrington, Marcel Alexander, and Chris Collins--a group of friends who were attacked by shotgun-wielding White men as they entered Algiers Point on September 1, 2005. As they tried to escape, Herrington recalls, their attackers shouted, "Get him! Get that nigger!" He managed to get away. Alexander and Collins were told that they would be allowed to live on the condition that they told other Black folks not to come to Algiers Point. Herrington, shot in the neck, barely survived.

And there's the story of Henry Glover, who didn't survive after being shot by an unknown assailant.[2] Glover's brother flagged down a stranger for help, and the two men brought Glover to a police station. But instead of receiving aid, they were beaten by officers while Henry Glover bled to death in the back seat of the stranger's car. A police officer drove off in the car soon afterward. Both Glover's body and the car were found burnt to cinders a week later. It took DNA analysis to identify the body.

These are only a few of the stories of Black folks who were accosted in Algiers Point, and you can read more in The Nation. But unless you speak out, we may never learn the full extent of the violence. Journalists have encountered a wall of silence on the part of the authorities. The coroner had to be sued to turn over autopsy records. When he finally complied, the records were incomplete, with files on several suspicious deaths suddenly empty. The New Orleans police and the District Attorney repeatedly refused to talk to journalists about Algiers Point. And according to The Nation journalist A.C. Thompson, "the city has in nearly every case refused to investigate or prosecute people for assaults and murders committed in the wake of the storm."

The Nation article is important, but it's just a start. For more than three years now, these racist criminals have by their own admission gotten away with murder while officials in New Orleans have systematically evaded any kind of accountability. We have to demand it.

Please join me in calling on state and federal officials to investigate these brutal attacks and the conduct of Orleans Parish law enforcement agencies, and please ask your friends and family to do the same.

http://www.colorofchange.org/nation/?id=1949-411545

Thanks.

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1. "Katrina's Hidden Race War," The Nation, 12-18-2008
http://www.colorofchange.org/link/?id=1949-411545&cat=nation&link=1

2. "Body of Evidence," The Nation, 12-18-2008
http://www.colorofchange.org/link/?id=1949-411545&cat=nation&link=2

Monday, December 15, 2008

I don't think he's going to go gracefully...

Bush shoe thrower cools his heels in jail

It seems like the only time Bush is in the news lately is when someone is throwing a shoe at him. He might be one of the biggest lame ducks ever, and talk about a bad way to make a headline.

I feel for the Iraqi people and realize that their plight is no joking matter, but this reporter throwing his shoe at Bush kinda cracked me up. I'm not going to lie.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Seems to fit our M.O. lately...

U.S. keeps silent as Afghan ally removes war crime evidence

As I continue to lose faith in the decency and moral fortitude of our leaders, I can't say this really surprises me. We've pretty much given our leaders a free pass to throw the moral fabric of our country down the toilet in the name of the "War on Terrorism". As long as Americans remain quiet while atrocities are committed with our assistance, or at least without our rebuke, we're all at fault. I doubt very much that history will treat our lack of moral resolve over the past 7 years with much kindness.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Pardons for the biggest criminals of them all

I fully expect Bush to preemptively pardon his cronies that have managed to trample the Constitution over the last 8 years. It's in his power, and like we saw with Scooter Libby, he's not afraid to use it, despite how bad it looks. Clearly with his public approval running so low, he doesn't have much to lose.

Let your voice be heard and let him know that we're watching:
http://action.aclu.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Pardon_gallery

In America, no one is supposed to be above the law, including our President. The buck needs to stop here.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

How you know our schools are in trouble...

Cash-strapped teacher sells ads on tests

Count this as one more wake up call that our educational system needs some revamping. Kudos to this teacher for being innovative in finding a way to get his students what they need to succeed.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

The many faces of genocide

Priest tried to warn of Cambodia's insanity

The genocide that occurred in Cambodia a little over 30 years ago is not often talked about here in America. That may be because we took excruciatingly long to condemn it or take any action on it, or because people like Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (who throughout his post seemed to give two sh*ts about human rights) thought befriending the Khmer Rouge was a good idea considering we had a common enemy in Vietnam. Regardless of our involvement, it is apparent that even in what most would consider "modern" times, we need to be ever vigilant about ensuring the humanity of people around the world. Silence in the face of such atrocities proved, once again, to be the worst possible option. Hopefully people can begin to look beyond their own self-interest and the agenda of their nation to condemn such atrocities as they occur in the future. Wrong is wrong, regardless of whether or not you stand to benefit from it or your life is easier by remaining silent.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Torture and the Moral Fabric of America

AN INTERROGATOR SPEAKS

I'm Still Tortured by What I Saw in Iraq

This is one of the best writings I've seen on the issue of torture in the "War on Terror". It is written by a former interrogator who was partly responsible for the U.S. taking out Al-Zarqawi. His argument against torture goes beyond just condemning it as a practice that goes against the values and spirit of this country. He argues that it is ineffective and actually leads to the death of more Americans, especially American troops.

I couldn't agree more with his assessment of the situation. If we are ever going to "win the hearts and minds" of the people in Iraq and Afghanistan, we need to start taking the moral high ground. When Iraqis see the pictures of Korans in toilets or pyramids of their fellow countrymen (not all of whom were "terrorists") piled naked on the floor, I'm sure it doesn't warm them to our cause. We need to rethink how we treat people, both friends and enemies, if we are going to change how we project ourselves in the world. It's easy to be nice and treat people well in times of prosper and peace, but it's much more telling how we treat people during times of war and strife.