War - What Is It Good For?

Greetings again...What are we to make of this saber-rattling?  To me it is unbelievable that ANY folks would support this, applaud this, and even say this makes our nutjob "Presidential" ( I'm glad Rather and some others aren't going along.).  If THAT'S their definition of "Presidential" we all need to say what a CROCK that is!

Shouldn't a President show leadership in seeking a BETTER world.  So I ask, how does war advance that?  Shouldn't a President show more thought and care in making decisions than impetuous missile strikes? So I ask, why wasn't this happening in this case?  And and shouldn't a President show respect for our own Constitution and international law? So I unequivocally state: our nutjob-in-chief has not.

Glenn Greenwald tweeted: US goes to war so often & easily that a good number of Americans believe raining down Tomahawk missiles on a country doesn't count as "war"     and

Cites Rep. Justin Amash tweet: 
Airstrikes are an act of war. Atrocities in Syria cannot justify departure from Constitution, which vests in Congress power to commence war.

And it's not just the offhandedness of the strike authorization  or the flaunting of the Constitution. We need to ask again and again, "War - What Is It Good For?"  If you know the song, or if you know in your heart how bad war is, you know the answer!

"It is well that war is so terrible, otherwise we should grow too fond of it."  was said by, of all people, Robert E. Lee, whose first-hand experience in the horrors of our Civil War surely let him to that conclusion.  With the even more devastating weapons we have now, we should take heed of this thought.

War is NOT something to be entered into so cavalierly as this administration has.  It is very serious business, requiring  cool thought and deliberation.  Lives are at stake, not just those of active combatants but increasingly of civilians. 

War in this technological age is NOT some video game or global virtual chess match.  Real lives are still involved.  We must insist that the media keep reporting this honestly and NOT just become echo chambers for the government.

So War - What Is It Good For ---- ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!  And if you've read along with me, I think you deserve the song!

                                              War - Edwin Starr


If you find this post or any other post here of value, please do comment (would LOVE to hear from readers) and or share. Thanks!

Related Posts:

• What About Keeping Our Cool?
•  Making Peace Is Like...

Alerts If You Haven't Heard...

So here we are again.  The way things are now, there are probably alerts we should pay attention to EVERY DAY.  This tends to make one just a bit tired.

We do, however, need to keep our eyes open, know what is going on, and ready ourselves to resist.  Not that I'm much into marches these days, but there are many forms of resistance and each should do what he or she can. Commondreams.org (see link in my 'Great Sites to Visit' list...) has been having a daily "Resist Day#(whatever day of the current nightmare admin. it happens to be)" there are definitely some ideas there.  FreePress.net also has an e-mail list of "100 Days, 100 Disruptions,"  that you can check out.

Our first alert: Mr. Khizr Khan, who spoke so eloquently at the Dem. convention, now has his travel privileges "under review," leading to his reluctant cancellation of a speaking engagement in Toronto, Canada.  WHAT IS THIS?  He is an American Citizen!!!  This totally reeks of vindictiveness and retribution for his views.  This is NOT what America should be about, nor does it follow our own Constitution!  This also ties in with one action on today's resist list: oppose the 'Muslim travel ban 2.0.'

Our second alert:  Internet privacy (what little there actually may be) is  now greatly at risk.  The new FCC Chairman " has blocked new requirements that Internet service providers (ISPs) like Comcast apply common sense security practices to protect your private data.(emphasis mine)"  Whatever happened to standing up for consumers? There is also a move by GOP members of Congress to make it illegal for ISPs to protect online privacy AND (get this:) prohibit the FCC from enacting "substantially similar" privacy rules going forward.  These moves definitely need to be opposed.

Our third alert: The Fight for 15 Memphis Chapter is alleging that police surveilled and used intimidation tactics on protesters and ----- "police claimed they had 'authorization from the president of McDonald’s' to arrest protesting fast food workers."    I think the surveillance state, the gov't and corporate interests are waaaaaay too seamless now.  The right to peacefully protest and dissent is supposedly enshrined in our First Amendment.  Let's all stand to protect that right!  (And while that Amendment is on your mind, why not check out:  A Little Thing Called "The First Amendment - Updated! )

So, I hope these alerts open an eye or two.  And it would really be a boost to hear from someone in comments! Don't be shy.  I don't bite, but, being a good kitty lover, I have been known to hiss at miscreants in power who abuse authority.

If this post or any post here you find of value, please do comment and/or share.  Thanks! 

Heartlessness

Greetings again.  I really thought I'd let the last few posts sit a bit, but in reading the news (yesterday now) I knew I just had to post something about the heartbreak so many immigrants are undergoing. And it's not just here in the U. S., but in other places around the world as well.

I just can not fathom how these people can live with themselves while treating other human beings so cruelly.  I suppose the Milgram Experiment  and the Stanford Prison Experiment explain some of it.

You can read about the "Dreamer" so recently taken into custody by ICE after speaking out.  She's not even the first case that is outrageous, not even the first Dreamer case.  This story details the case of an undocumented women detained after seeking a protection order against an abuser, along with mentions of some other cases. There are some who see the damage these heavy-handed crackdowns are having on the targets and their families.  WHY DON'T MORE OF US?

Since Brexit, there have been many stories of folks having problems staying in the U. K. or being deported.  Here is a very striking example.  This woman is even in a better position than most who find themselves with similar problems, believe it or not.  In the op-ed, Irene Clennell tells her story of being forced to leave her family.  "I’d been in the UK since 1988, married to a British man for 27 years. Yet I was forced from my family, without legal advice, and left in Singapore with just £12."  Further, she adds:  "The authorities have shown their willingness to treat foreign-born people as second-class citizens, no matter how integrated we are – and, worse, treat us like criminals... During my removal from Britain I was treated like a terrorist: I was restrained by the arms, my every word written down, and there were guards on the door when I went to the toilet."

But there is more outrage to come.  I think taking today's low-down prize in heartlessness is the mayor (she has so dishonored the title that NO, I won't capitalize it) of Calais, France.  She is determined to put an end to folks feeding the immigrants that are coming to the area and struggling to survive.  This, the article points out, will particularly hurt young people.  How heartless are you when your lack concern for fellow human beings going hungry is such that you don't even want anyone else to feed them out of concern for their plight?  What kind of heart, what kind of mindset is that?

This really is a challenge for all of us.  Shades of "I was only following orders," one has to wonder about how folks could be so unfeeling (maybe there was something to those experiments after all...). This fine "Views" article from commmondreams challenges all of us.  What would we do?  And this one, also pointed out something I certainly was not aware of;  Nazi death camps were right in urban areas!  Joe Engel, a Holocaust survivor on the tour which gave rise to the article, said: “People say they didn’t know. All the camps were so close to the city. How could they not know? You could smell the ashes, the flesh.”  In his conclusion, the author of the piece also challenges us: "What kind of witnesses shall we be?"  Indeed, each in our own way, WE MUST NOT LOOK AWAY.

If this post or any post here you find to be of value, please do comment and/or share.  Thanks!

I'm In the Mood For...Troublemaking Visuals

Greetings again.  Hope someone IS out there...

This time, to lighten up the mood just a bit, yet still make a point or two, I thought I'd post some visuals of thoughts about what I've been observing.

Excuse my relative lack of graphical skills, but the idea is just to see what I can do, make a point, and maybe even have a bit of fun.

First visual:  I'm sure you've all probably seen that Liberty Mutual Ins. commercial that I just can't stand; the one with the oh-so-perfect Mom and kids.  But can you imagine them doing that with the "perfect" family being African-American?

Next visual: what if there were to be a more open, welcoming approach to immigration?

One more: what about the women (I know it's "words" but I thought this might make a nice presentation)?

Would love to read your thoughts.

And be sure if you find this post or any post here of value, that you comment and/or share. Thanks!

Yemen (Updated!)

Greetings... There's so much going on domestically, it's often hard to keep track of what's going on around the world.  Not long ago I read the article at The Intercept concerning the situation in Yemen.

It's not at all pretty.  Please do read the article.  From the report: "As a result, the United Nations this week declared that Yemen is on the brink of famine."

Also this:  'And signs are that Yemen is in for more suffering at Trump’s hands. Trump’s Defense Department is reportedly considering a proposal to designate Yemen a formal battlefield in the war on terror, which would allow for an “intensified pace of operations, rather than one-off raids or drone strikes.” '

On the heels of that report, there was an air strike on a funeral which has killed at least five.

There's related material in an old post here (link to full post is below):  "Back to Yemen.  The Guardian has a great overview of the MSF bombings and the situation in Yemen.  From the article, Ayora again : “Once more, it is civilians that bear the brunt of this war,” she said.  Sadly, that has been increasingly the case with 20th Century Wars.  I didn't notice a date on that UNICEF article, but I'm sure updates would show the trend is continuing."

You might consider donating to an organization which does relief efforts in Yemen, such as Doctors Without Borders (MSF) or Oxfam.  I believe MSF does allow you to earmark your donation to a region or program... I have been meaning to give to them for a while, and will check into this and update.

Let's look at the corner of the world where one can find Yemen.  Maybe we could send them some good vibes and prayers.  First, the location of area on globe, then the area of interest in detail.

I found an unlabeled map, cropped a bit, worked with colors and put in labels. Apologies, but it turned out to be difficult to put in labels for Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan (it's VERY difficult to change stuff in Paint once you put it in...).  Lebanon is country in dark blue, bottom left of Syria.  Israel is just below that.  And Jordan is just below Syria, bordering Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

UPDATE:

Truth is stranger than fiction for sure.  Well, it turns out Ofam doesn't do earmarked donations, and when I called MSF, the first words I heard were "May I have your area code please?"  They were pretty adamant about needing my phone number if I were to donate.  So I searched a bit more and hit on Mercy Corps.  They have a good rating and I remember also that a gal who was also on a mailing list with me spoke well of them.  When I called, the representative said they a) could earmark my donation and b) were also not hard and fast needing a phone number, so I did donate there!  If you're thinking of donating, I would definitely consider them.  Their website:  Mercy Corps
If anyone would like the phone number it is:  1-888-747-7440.

 
Related Post:

More Hospital Bombings... 

Remember, if you find this post or any post here of value, please do comment and/or share.  Thanks!

Stand For Refugees

Greetings to whomever.  Come out, come out, wherever you are.  Let us know you're there!

This short-sighted administration is now detaining refugees.  I see there have already been protests and I do believe more are planned. A lawsuit  by CAIR is also being planned.

This unjust discrimination and total disregard for the human beings whose lives they're disrupting is sickening.  I think they also forgot something.  We are a nation of immigrants.  Some time ago, back in 2015, when there was controversy over allowing in Syrian refugees, I penned the following poem.  Looks as though it needs to be read again.  What is the old saying.. "the more things change...?"

So here it is, along with an image of the lady who Sen. Schumer said now has tears running down her cheeks.



Reminder Needed

We forget that we are a country of immigrants
That many hands of diverse ancestry built this country
And continue to do so
It seems we forget when someone whispers, "The terrorists are coming."

We forget things such as "Chinese Exclusion",  
The stain of Japanese incarceration,
Those against admitting Jewish refugees from the Holocaust
Have we not learned from our history?
But it seems we forget if someone intones, "The terror threat is high."

We forget that we face risks everyday
We forget that liberty should not be sacrificed for security
But it seems civil liberties and even common sense
Seem to be discarded if someone pronounces, "We just want to keep you safe."

We forget, but there's a certain statue in New York harbor
Which should be a reminder to us
She stands as a token of friendship and a beacon of liberty
So will we stand with her?

Oh, if anyone just happens to wonder, yes, there will be really new posts... so will anyone read them?

And please, if you find this or any post of value, please comment and/or share.  Thanks! 

Bridges Not Walls!

Greetings once again, Readers - at least I hope some of you are out there somewhere (hmmmmm. anyone hear echoes of the tagline of a tv show?).

It seems our nutjob popular vote loser just signed an order to build a border wall.  Aside from being predicated by hate, it's probably just not practical.  Go figure.  Don't he and his minions do ANY sort of critical thinking? And he also thinks torture works (!), despite it has been shown that it is actually counterproductive.  Have they also no sense of morality, no thought that any fellow human beings should NOT be tortured?  

Somehow in all the rhetoric, it made me decide to dust off a poem I wrote for International Day of Peace back in 2015 (original post would be in the Sept. 2015 archives).  Why?  Well, believe it or not, the title of the poem is Bridges Not Walls. And isn't that what we REALLY should be about?

So I've given the poem a "background" and here it is:

And remember, if you find this post or any post here of value, please comment and/or share.  Thanks!

Ritual

Greetings!

A poetic musing...

Ritual 

She calls her brothers each night
Just hearing their voices reassures,
But the ease to her anxiety is only temporary
Requiring the next day's call for another dose of talk therapy
A daily ritual,
Not a response to news of a natural disaster
Or buzz about some mechanical mishap
A daily ritual,
A reminder that she cannot take for granted
The casual ease some others feel
And that her eyes have seen
The grieving of some victims of violence
Can be haunted by a focus on lack of perfection
A daily ritual
For nerves must be quieted for sound sleep
Imagine yourself with such an ongoing routine
As a continuing cycle of wellness calls
(That is, if you have not such a ritual already)
Now, imagine a more desirable one in its place



Read the article which inspired this here.


Related Posts: 

• Too Much Deja Vu 
• Is This Justice? 
• This Concerns ALL of US (With an Update) 

And please, if you like this post (or any other post here) please share and/or comment.  

 

Human Lives Matter

I think everyone is saddened by the tragedy in Dallas.  It's a horrible taking of lives.  And one unfortunate thing about the situation is that it may take focus away from the epidemic of killings, abuse and over-militarization by police.

Speaking of over-militaristic policing, it has come out that a "killer robot" was used to kill the suspected shooter. I hope that others find this VERY alarming.  In the article, several experts raise various concerns.  To me, this thought from Marjorie Cohn,  Professor Emerita, Thomas Jefferson School of Law, sums things up nicely :

"Police cannot use deadly force unless there's an imminent threat of death or great bodily injury to them or other people. If the suspect was holed up in a parking garage and there was nobody in immediate danger from him, the police could have waited him out. They should have arrested him and brought him to trial," Cohn said. "Due process is not just enshrined in our constitution, it's also enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which the U.S. has ratified, making it part of U.S. law."

We had better start being pro-active.  We have drones - so far only striking overseas but could it happen here?  We have robots which can activate water canons --- and for the first time it seems in the U. S., apply deadly force.  That better concern us and we had better stop being in denial.  This trend of LE being judge, jury AND exctutioner runs counter to what we say the U.S. should be about. We had better start demanding that HUMAN LIVES MATTER, and that technology be used to serve us, be accountable to THE PEOPLE, and used in accourdance with our civil and human rights and the rule of law.

Too Much Deja Vu

Too Much Deja Vu

Too much deja vu
Two more fatalities
Playbook we've seen before,
Way too often
Where is the lesson learned?
For after marches, studies, settlements,
After tears and red-faced bitterness,
After too little accountability and progress,
We are confronted with two more senseless tragedies
Which indict us as they ask:
When will this end?
... Rest in Peace, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile

World Refugee Day

Would you believe - I was just doing an unrelated search and saw the note on Google that this is World Refugee Day.  So I absolutely have to get out a quick post.  With the curent bigoted political climate, which more than likely led to the murder of UK MP Jo Cox, we need to remembe that, in the U. S. at least, we're a nation of immigrants.  And when I hear someone disparaging 'economic refugees' I think they need reminding that most Europeans came to what is now the U. S. to better their lives.  There is a very ugly political atomphere here in the U. S. and the U. N. High Commissinoer for Refugees recently spoke of the 'climate of xenophobia' gripping Europe.

The theme this year is "We Stand Together With Refugees."  Let's hope many of us do just that.

Here is a poem which I originally posted back in November 2015.  It's appropos again now.

Reminder Needed

We forget that we are a country of immigrants
That many hands of diverse ancestry built this country
And continue to do so
It seems we forget when someone whispers, "The terrorists are coming."

 We forget things such as "Chinese Exclusion", 
The stain of Japanese incarceration,
Those against admitting Jewish refugees from the Holocaust
Have we not learned from our history?
But it seems we forget if someone intones, "The terror threat is high."

 We forget that we face risks everyday
We forget that liberty should not be sacrificed for security
But it seems civil liberties and even common sense
Seem to be discarded if someone pronounces, "We just want to keep you safe."

 We forget, but there's a certain statue in New York harbor
Which should be a reminder to us
She stands as a token of friendship and a beacon of liberty
So will we stand with her?

Related Post:
         Excursion Together

Respect for Those Defending Human Rights Needed - Updated!

It just seems as though there always seems to be something more atrocious coming along in the news.  It's been reported that Florence Hartmann, journalist who exposed that war crimes' evidence was withheld.has been jailed.  She was actually convicted of contempt of court for revealing the war crimes tribunal at The Hague withheld evidence of war crimes by Serbs from the Court of Justice.  And get this: she didn't actually reveal the contents of the documents: just the fact they had been withheld.  The story is here.

And now she is in solitary, until at least after the Easter holiday. Here is an even more recent report.  We must pray that when the holiday ends, her situation can be resolved in a satisfactory manner. This is shameful conduct by what it supposed to be a guardian of international justice.  All over the world there seems to be so little regard for real journalism, real respect for human rights and for those fighting for them.

Some folks linked to criticism of the Chinese pres. Xi Jinping have been detained or disappeared:
detained Chinese journalist      and family members disappeared

In Sudan female activists and journalists defending human rights have been abused.  Human Rights Watch has a story and did a detailed report.

Two Turkish journalists are facing a closed door trial for "divulging state secrets," etc.  The move has drawn harsh criticism.  Read the Guardian report, and you can also read two other linked, related stories that may be of interest.

A prominent Bahraini activist has been jailed and allegedly tortured.  I also found this interview with his also courageous wife.

And that is just SOME of what is going on.  And methinks we should be VERY VIGILANT here in the U. S..  Already there has been surveilling and harassment of protesters.  Whistleblowers seem to bet few real protections, and true investigative journalism is rare.  We need to be aware of the potential for abuse and stand together to protect civil liberties, human rights here at home (and elsewhere), the right to dissent and peacefully protest, and our freedoms and rights that are supposedly Constitutional.  We really need to realize how precious they are and work to safeguard them.

UPDATES:

Florence Hartmann has been released!  Wonderful development although she shouldn't have been punished in the first place.

And in another outrage, some activists in Angola have been sentenced to jail for the crime of:  READIING!

Hall of Shame 2

Not feeling very optimistic yet.  But feeling cynical enough to do another edition of  "Hall of Shame."  I hereby present the following exhibits:

• Intolerance Division: Rebbecca Bradley, a WI Supreme Court Justice.  She wrote some extremely intolerant remarks about LGBTQ people when she was a student.  Now, admittedly it was, what, 24 years ago now, and people can (hopefully) grow out of such mindsets. But understand that folks are rightly going to be skeptical, at least.

• Prosecutorial Hubris Division: Kelly Siegler.  After watching the CBS "48 Hours" show on 'Playing by the Rules,' I was totally put off by her blase attitude about giving the defense drips and drops --- and saying still that she gave the defense of David Temple (convicted of murdering his wife, Belinda) 'all he was entitled to.'  But the appeals judge, Judge Gist (who seems to be hard on defendants generally) recommended he be given a new trial, citing 36 points of info the defense should have been given.  Of course the judge, the former prosecutor who looked into the case, and the defense, all of them were wrong but her.  I wanted to find out if the series she was on, "Cold Justice" on TNT would be back or not (hadn't seen or heard anything for some time).  I haven't seen definitely whether or not it has been cancelled, but I did find this:  the show has been sued - twice!  Now I'm all for putting bad folks away but not a) at the expense of a really fair trial and b) not if they're not actually guilty. You readers can decide for yourselves in this case, but I would agree with Judge Gist that a new trial is in order here.  

• Insensitive Racism Division:  Joe's Crab Shack Restaurant in Roseville. MN, where a very racist photo was found embedded on a table.  While the chain apologized and the offending table removed from that restaurant, according to the article, there have been reports of other racist images at other restaurants in the chain in other states.  WHY, in 2016, now are we still going trough this?

• Islamophobic and Misogynistic Division:  The  French Embassy in Wash. D. C..  Saima Ashraf-Hassan said she was harassed at her job there because of her religion, and also that when she informed her supervisor she was pregnant, she was fired.  She sued.  A judge ruled in her favor, although the embassy is still fighting the ruling.

• Intolerance Division (again!): Missouri Republicans. They seem to be intent on passing anti-gay legislation.  Can't they learn that treating some as SECOND CLASS CITIZENS IS WRONG?

• Let's Criminalize the Homeless Division:  LA and its City Council.  They are forcing folks from tiny houses a good-hearted Elvis Summers builds for them.  Believe it or not, other cities have had success dealing with homelessness with tiny houses or other innovative housing solutions.  Unfortunately, there have also been places where homelessness is being criminalized.  Bless Mr. Summers who vows to keep up his activism! 

• The Nasty, Dangerous, Nutjob Egomaniac Division:  You know who.  I hate to give him any more "coverage" here, but if there's one person who still needs to be convinced how awful and dangerous he is, I guess I should include a few links.  The furor over the violence at his rallies, his absolute refusal to take any responsibility, his wanting protesters to be beaten up is absolutely sickening to ANYONE of any good will at all.  First read an excellent article by Robert Mackey at The Intercept.  Then please read Lucia Graves' story at The Guardian.  She has some first-hand perspective on the way the press has been treated by this campaign and what is says about the "candidate."  Then, for a sample of what he has been saying in the wake of this mess here's something from NPR News.  It also covers reactions from other candidates.  Yes, the others SHOULD contemn him, in no uncertain terms, as should we all.  Oh, yes: he supports torture as well.  Although he finally did say he'd abide by laws, a Congressman noted he didn't yet specifically disavow torture.  From the article: The lead Democratic member of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Adam Schiff of California, said that while Trump "has now said he would obey the law, he has yet to specifically disavow torture or killing the families of our enemies."    Schiff also noted that these are war crimes! There should be no place for this type of total disrespect for : protest and dissent, Freedom of the Press, and treating other human beings with a degree of civility and humanity.  He has stoked "anger" and refuses to see the problems with the mob mentality that's floating around.  This needs to be totally rejected by ALL!

 So there's another edition of our "Hall of Shame."  Would love to have some comments or suggestions.  Would really love some encouragement here.  So - let me hear from some of you.

More Hospital Bombings...

Greetings.

There doesn't seem to be much good news recently.  A lot of campaign bile.  Not much good economic news (there was a report we're adding jobs, but Macy's and DuPont will be cutting, so are things really very rosy?)  And there's lots of controversy about migrants/refugees (despite the facts that we, the "West", certainly have had a hand in creating the problems that led them to migrate in the first place AND that some are in conditions, we shouldn't even want our dogs to live in...)

But I just didn't know what to blog about until I saw this report on NPR News site:  A MSF Hospital was hit in Yemen.  Unbelievably, this is the third time in 4 months an MSF facility in Yemen has been bombed.   What is it a PATTERN of behavior shows?

From the article:  "All warring parties, including the Saudi-led coalition, are regularly informed of the GPS coordinates of the medical sites where MSF works," Ayora says. "There is no way that anyone with the capacity to carry out an airstrike or launch a rocket would not have known that the Shiara Hospital was a functioning health facility."    [Ayora is Raquel Ayora, MSF director of operations.]

And we cannot forget the U. S. bombing of the MSF Hopsital in Kunduz, Afghanistan back in October.  The U.S. has called it a mistake, but there's lots of evidence it WAS NOT (see related posts).  It was, according to MSF executive director Jason Cone, "a serious viiolation of the law."

Back to Yemen.  The Guadian has a great overview of the MSF bombings and the situation in Yemen.  From the article, Ayora again : “Once more, it is civilians that bear the brunt of this war,” she said.  Sadly, that has been increasingly the case with 20th Century Wars.  I didn't notice a date on that UNICEF article, but I'm sure updates would show the trend is continuing.

The Guardian report says that Yemen peace talks have been postponed but are being scheduled.  We really should keep this situation in our prayers.

And before we leave off thinking of the Middle East, here's something to note:  aid should be coming to some besieged towns in Syria.  I'd read of thie dire position those residents were in; truly heartbreaking stuff.  We must hope and pray the aid does indeed reach them!

Your Thoughts?  Would live to hear...

Related Posts:

• MSF Hospital Bombing (Updated Again!
•  MSF Hospital Bombing - INDEPENDENT Inquiry Needed - UPDATED AGAIN!
• UPDATE!!! Reply From C-Span Re: "Afghanistan 1982" and MSF Hospital Bombing  

 

Is This Justice?

I'm shaking my head in dismay over the FAILURE of that Cleveland grand jury to indict the officers in the death of Tamir Rice.  If you haven't heard or read reports, here's the one from The Guardian.

That prosecutor, McGinty, should be totally ashamed of the way he handled the case.  Of course, he probably is immune to that feeling.  And the grand jury? Really, people, what does it take to hold cops accountable?  

NPR News has a follow-up article with reactions.  I could barely get through McGinty's.  Check out the article's quote from Aviva Shen of Think Progress. And Radley Balko of the Washington Post had some good comments - a snippet: "We shouldn't be asking if the police actions were legal or within department policy; we should be asking if they were necessary. Or if you'd like to use a word with a bit more urgency behind it, we should ask if they're acceptable."

Then there's the shooting of Bettie Jones and Quintonio LeGrier in Chicago.  The cops couldn't hold back even a bit while Bettie was "in the way"?  And why was their first option shooting - when LeGrier wasn't carrying a gun?

We had all better wake up and start demanding accountability, demand better policing, and work to address the problems in our justice system at the very least.  Just remember ---- what affects "the others" today may affect you tomorrow.

Oh yes, remember to vote in the poll to your right and that feedback as per the post previous to this would be soooo welcome! 

And of course your thoughts and comments on this or other posts would be great!

Fear-Mongering Alerts - I

The news lately has been fairly abysmal, especially after my last post.  The tragedy of San Bernadino certainly dominated headlines.  And there didn't seem to be much other good news around.

But look at what's going on in the aftermath of San Bernadino.  Why the media is giving the extremely dangerous, divisive Trump ANY airtime or credibility is beyond me.  I cringe just seeing his face on news reports.  Literally.  And he has now hit an even new low for him, calling for a ban on Muslims entering the U.S.  On what?  Suspect data, that's what! Then there's Jerry Falwell, Jr., President of Liberty University, urging students to carry firearms.  Seems as though clarifications were issued and the University issued a statement.  Ok, but I will say that Mr. Falwell, Jr.  should pay strict heed to the Moody Blues: "Say What You Mean"  Might help avoid gaffes.

At this point, let's remember a few things. (Since I am a Christian, this comes from this perspective ---- and I hope it's clear that ALL faiths should be respected:) Jesus talked graciously with the Samaritan woman at the well.  Yes, a Samaritan woman, and she noted Jews then generally had no dealings with them.  And what about the parable of "The Good Samaritan"?  We certainly concentrate on the kindness of that stranger in the story, but are we losing another point: that the do-gooder was "one of them (not us!)?"  And I must now include one of my favorite Bible verses here: Acts 10:34-35: "And Peter opened his mouth and said: 'Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him."  (RSV)

We need to reject demagogues who want to demonize whole groups.  We need to see common humanity and use some common sense when addressing "threats."  We need more media folks to expose demagoguery, false data, and bogus claims.  And we need people to wake up to the dangers even such ill-advised remarks have; and ENSURE their rejection in practice.

(Part II is coming...) 

UPDATE!!! Reply From C-Span Re: "Afghanistan 1982" and MSF Hospital Bombing

Is anyone there???

Believe it or not I just got a reply from a C-Span journalist to the e-mail I sent them regarding their airing of the Reel America segment, "Afghanistan 1982"  You will remember from my older post, MSF Hospital Bombing - INDEPENDENT Inquiry Needed - Updated Again!     

This particular update: 
I was tuning in to a C-Span (American History TV) program and saw a blurb about one of their "Reel America" segments that is supposed to air a few times today (10/10) and the next day or so. I was stunned.  What do you all make of this?  Here is the description of "Afghanistan 1982" from their website:
"This U.S. Information Agency film chronicles events in Afghanistan from the 1979 Soviet invasion until the end of 1982, and includes a 1982 interview with a Doctors Without Borders official following the Soviet bombing of hospitals."

I don't know if I'm jumping to any conclusions, but the timing of this seems QUITE odd. It just couldn't be an effort to distract from the U. S.  bombing of a MSF hospital in Afghanistan, now could it?  I e-mailed C-span about this and will update if I get a response.  What are your thoughts, readers?  I have NOT so far heard anything from C-Span.  Anyone have a take on this?

I have just received a reply from C-Span's Richard Hall, a video journalist.  He indicated that the program was selected weeks in advance.  He also said they receive no government money and would have no interest in defending government actions.

I have sent the following follow-up e-mail to Mr. Hall.  And I will update if I get a response.

Dear Richard –

First of all, thank you for replying.  I appreciate you taking the time to do that.However, your reply does raise more questions in my mind.

The first one being:  if “Afghanistan 1982” was selected weeks before the Kunduz MSF Hospital bombing, why wasn’t it dropped from the schedule after that event?  In my mind, the timing was quite insensitive.

The second one being: you asked why c-pan would be interested in defending the actions of the government, as you get no government money.  I’m sorry to say that I wonder more and more about the coziness of the media and the government.  It was the part of the blurb about the show that really caught my notice – the part about the Russians bombing an MSF hospital.  I’m sure you’re knowledgeable about how things can very subtly be gotten across via media messages.  I have to wonder if this was some subtle way of saying ---- “Hey, someone else did something---- look at them!”  Maybe that was the case, maybe that wasn’t, but it surely raised the question in my mind. Again, I do appreciate your time.

Sincerely,

Your thoughts, readers???

 

Drone Documents

Sorry if I put too much onto your plates, readers, but this is HUGE:

The Intercept has a series of stories provided by a security agency whistleblower  (the source) providing some details of drone strikes and targeted killings.  I don't think I've read every story, but I have read several and they are chilling.  The disregard for things like due process and not taking innocent civilian lives if not absolutely unavoidable is sickening.

The articles are a lot to take in.  So I'll make a few comments.  Jeremy Scahill had in his stories often termed these targeted killings - extrajudicial killings I'v often used - as assassinations; something that sounds pretty UNlawful to me. Scahill points out at the beginning of story #1, The Assassination Complex, that the POLICY is assassination and Congress has not legislated about nor even defined "assassination." I think we should all take that point and look again at a root cause and make sure we address this underlying mentality that seems to be creeping into the gov't-military-industrial complex.

And I'll reiterate, I HATE drones.  My feeling is SCRAP THEM ALL!!! At least it would make "assassinations" harder to accomplish.  "The military is easily capable of adapting to change, but they don’t like to stop anything they feel is making their lives easier, or is to their benefit. And this certainly is, in their eyes, a very quick, clean way of doing things. It’s a very slick, efficient way to conduct the war, without having to have the massive ground invasion mistakes of Iraq and Afghanistan,” the source said. “But at this point, they have become so addicted to this machine, to this way of doing business, that it seems like it’s going to become harder and harder to pull them away from it the longer they’re allowed to continue operating in this way."

Let's not forget also, that there are spy drones NOW in the U. S. and that North Dakota has ok'd drones with non-lethal weapons.  We need to take this seriously, folks.

And PLEASE - would someome comment so I know actual people not robots are reading this? I really need/want to know if this is still worthwile.   I feell as though I'm begging - but some word of encouragament or feedback or something would mean so much.  I try to give good content here - I really do; but is it kinda lonely ----- some company would be so appreciated. 


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