Papa Can You Hear Me?

Barbra

Oh God-our heavenly Father.
Oh, God-and my father
Who is also in heaven.
May the light of this
Flickering candle
Illuminate the night the way
Your spirit illuminates my soul.

Papa, can you hear me?
Papa, can you see me?
Papa can you find me in the night?
Papa are you near me?
Papa, can you hear me?
Papa, can you help me not be frightened?
Looking at the skies I seem to see
A million eyes which ones are yours?
Where are you now that yesterday
Has waved goodbye
And closed its doors?
The night is so much darker;
The wind is so much colder;
The world I see is so much bigger
Now that I'm alone.
Papa, please forgive me.
Try to understand me;
Papa, don’t you know I had no choice?
Can you hear me praying,
Anything I'm saying
Even though the night is filled with voices?
I remember everything you taught me
Every book 1've ever read...
Can all the words in all the books
Help me to face what lies ahead?
The trees are so much taller
And I feel so much smaller;
The moon is twice as lonely
And the stars are half as bright...
Papa, how I love you...
Papa, how I need you.
Papa, how I miss you
Kissing me good night...

Today is my grandmother's birthday.

Blogging About My Grandmother

My grandmother was born in 1921, the fourth oldest of ten, and the third oldest of eight children that lived. She went to grade school amongst the Lutherans and spent her upper grades under the tutelage of Fess McDavid, the man who would be her brother in law. My grandmother had a knack for poetry and reciting, for writing, conducting, and giving plays, a trait which she has kept to this day. My grandmother is a natural poet, a pure talent. As a high school girl, the teachers at the school she attended all commissioned her to put on their annual plays. She drew up the cast, rehearsed the parts, and put on the plays. She also gave orations. She still has them written in her notebooks along with poems and plays that she’s written. Fess McDavid’s first wife, Mrs. Mary Foster McDavid, once told my grandmother, “ Why Thelma, if Mary MacLoed Bethune had been here to hear you give that speech, she would have taken you back with her this instant.”

After high school, my grandmother received a scholarship to Alabama A&M. She and her cousin Genice, who were the closest together, both received scholarships and went to A&M together, sharing room and board. While Cousin Genice was discovering a husband, my grandmother got sick, loosing her voice and developing an ailment in her throat that sent her back home. Papa told her, when she arrived back home, that if she could wait a couple of months, he would take her to Tuskegee for an operation from the doctors who had a clinic there. As it turns, she had a growth in her throat and my grandmother says, without anesthesia and with her wide awake, they cut the growth out, which fell directly into her lap. She recovered and the next semester enrolled at Alabama State where she took her degree in English Education. She began teaching in Autauga County, her home county, under the tutelage and principalship of her uncle, Fess(Macaulay) Goodson, my great-grandmother’s brother. She says that he told her that if she would teach his geography courses, he would teach math, because he hated geography.

At that time, teaching in Autauga County, were Fess Goodson, Fess McDavid, and Aunt Earnestine, all three of whom were principals, my Cousin Maderia( who was also a principal for a time), and Aunt Bertie. The white superintendents in the county never liked and always resented Fess McDavid, who was over the high school, because he always did things his way and did them better than they did. He had typewriters for his students when they couldn’t even think about them. He also brought professors and such from Tuskegee and Alabama State to teach and give lessons not only to his students, but to the community as well. There was also the incident where a white girl from a well-to-do family got pregnant with a black baby and was therefore taken out of school. Her family wanting her to continue her education, it was decided that they would send her to Fess, to finish high school at the Black school. Fess told them if she wasn’t good enough for their school she wasn’t good enough for his and she never did go anywhere. That was a major point of contention. All of this to pointed to the fact that they hated Fess McDavid, but never could touch him. So, when he died in 1963, they set about getting their revenge.

My grandmother says that a week after Fess’ funeral, the superintendent showed up at Aunt Bertie’s house( she and Fess had lived in the Principal’s home that was provided by Autaugaville High school, and told her that she could stay in the house, because the new principal would live elsewhere, but to “get her sister to stay with her.” Now, it was known throughout Autauga County that Hodges, the superintendent at that time, liked Black women, and slept with plenty of the Black teachers, many of them as a condition of hire. My grandmother said that Aunt Bertie started packing that night. A few weeks later, Hodges informed Aunt Bertie that her services were no longer needed in Autauga County. My grandmother was fired at the end of the year, and Aunt Earnestine was eventually taken down from her principalship and placed back in the classroom. Not long after that, Aunt Bertie made her way to Chicago. My grandmother went to Mobile, then New York (which she said she hated), and then followed to Chicago. She began teaching there in ’65 and taught there until she retired in 1981. She was one of the first teachers to integrate the Northside of Chicago.

I so study my great-great grandmother's face. It is hard to decipher.

Poem after Virginia Tech

Rodents running the country rodents running the country
rodents running the country
fucking up everything

rodents running the country rodents running the country
ants running the country sting
breeding intolerance sting
breeding intolerance
intolerance running the country intolerance running the country
intolerance running the country
foul smells overtaking everything I can't even breath no more
drowning to the sound of sirens security culture on my back
people can't live in steel people can't live in steel
my humanity can't be controlled either my humanity can't be controlled either

people need to be free run wild in the streets people need to be free
run wild in the streets
knock down these walls and disrupt this order knock down these walls and create
dis-order fuck up the problem thats been fucking you
create a new paradigm
because poetry never ends

This Years Kisses

Nina Simone

This years crop of kisses
Dont seem as sweet to me
This years crop just misses
What kisses used to be
This years new romance
Doesnt seem to have a chance
Even helped by mr. moon above
This years crop of kisses is not for me
For Im still wearin last years love.

Beautiful Things

Everything is beautiful. I have been having good vibes lately and there are all of these messages the universe keeps sending me. Like the cover of the new edition of O really spoke to me, then today in the coffeeshop I saw Corretta Scott King's face in a magazine someone else was reading and when I was watching the Oprah Show there was someone in the audience wearing a shirt that said Faith. Her show today also really spoke to me. I am in the universe.

I Finally Figured it Out

Indiana took all of the backwardness, bigotry, and bullshit of the south, but none of the gentility. That is the difference.

The Public Should Not Forget

The public should not forget the case of the first-elected Black mayor that was murdered in Louisiana. I think there are still things to be found about that case.

Remembering David Halbertsam

1934-2007

Prison Uprising in Newcastle, Indiana

I am very curious about the prison uprising at the prison in Newcastle. What were the conditions that broguth these prisoners to riot? There is a lot to be investigated here.

My reasoning for mentioning Nikki Giovanni is because I ran across this blog that blamed her for what he did. The "Angry Black Woman." The question: do these people have something to be angry about?

Nikki Giovanni's Speech at Virginia Tech Vigil

We are Virginia Tech.

We are sad today, and we will be sad for quite a while. We are not moving on, we are embracing our mourning.

We are Virginia Tech.

We are strong enough to stand tall tearlessly, we are brave enough to bend to cry, and we are sad enough to know that we must laugh again.

We are Virginia Tech.

We do not understand this tragedy. We know we did nothing to deserve it, but neither does a child in Africa dying of AIDS, neither do the invisible children walking the night away to avoid being captured by the rogue army, neither does the baby elephant watching his community being devastated for ivory, neither does the Mexican child looking for fresh water, neither does the Appalachian infant killed in the middle of the night in his crib in the home his father built with his own hands being run over by a boulder because the land was destabilized. No one deserves a tragedy.

We are Virginia Tech.

The Hokie Nation embraces our own and reaches out with open heart and hands to those who offer their hearts and minds. We are strong, and brave, and innocent, and unafraid. We are better than we think and not quite what we want to be. We are alive to the imaginations and the possibilities. We will continue to invent the future through our blood and tears and through all our sadness.

We are the Hokies.

We will prevail.

We will prevail.

We will prevail.

We are Virginia Tech.

Always Connections and Something to Think About

Nikki Giovanni just had to be teaching at Virginia Tech, and just had to be one of thos young man's teachers? Oh how the universe works. I definitely feel sorry for that young man.

Happy Birthday to Albie on yesterday! Happy Birthday to Barbra today!

Iraq is such a Quagmire

And the U.S. military is learning that it must respect the sovereignty of the Iraqi government, i.e halting building that horrid wall.

Boris Yeltsin Dead

Perhaps not the most progressive person in the world, but what a passing.

For one whole summer while I was at my Uncle's house, I stayed up in the room with the inlaid wood and watched K.D. Lang's "Constant Craving," and Madonna's "This Used tto Be My PlayGround," on MTV. Interesting what things come to me.

I am not sure if I have blogged about this before, but I so remember my mother making me polish my shoes so we could attend Harold Washington's funeral. I remember standing in line at the funeral for the viewing of the body. I have so many memories.

French Elections

We want no right wing government in France!

Come On Segolene Royal! The French should definitely choose her!

The Way We Were

I used to be so pissed at Hubbel. I still don't like him so much, but I am not as virulently against Hubbel as I used to be. He was just a wasp boy who partied all the time and never cared about anything and Katie was a Jewish girl with a conscience. Id have kicked his ass and I certainly wouldnt have begged him to come back to me.

Poem No. XXXVI: A Beautiful Boy

with braids that hung like the hanging vines of Babylon
skin a soft almond with
noble eyes
that tell what he knows and lips that betray his heritage.
Beauty in its purest form.
He wears blue beads in his hair like the ancient Egyptians with scented henna.
A beauty, a charm
Something to be experienced.
To be allowed to praise his flesh is to be allowed to have witness of the divine.
Something to love,
Something to cherish,
Something to be kept as sacred.

Poem No. LXXXVI

My cousin Brooke was always "Ms. Go"
While I was always too busy being content.

Fred Hampton

They Shot him while he was in his bed
And yea I'm mad
and you say it was thirty years ago
My wounds are still fresh and every time I think about it I want to pick your brain
with the finest toothed axe available.
You shoot through him and you shoot through me
Yet I remain and must maintain in the effort of kicking your ass.
There is no room for weeping
Because tears cannot express the agony I feel and it
does not need your validation
Therefore I say
This needless tete-a-tete
must cease and desist.

Mos Def

Mos I run my hands up and down to feel you
Bearing the need to find the moss to lead myself to freedom.
I need to round myself around your chocolate earthy face
stick my tongue in your mouth and claim your lips for an elusive moment
Take a drink of your sustaining water
def definitely slide myself up and down
using you as my whimsical maypole.
Let me use you as my licking stick,
use you as my rocking horse
While I feel your heartbeat within you
You, electric rod, god of matter, run your current through my body giving me life
And a wish for shallow breathing.

Sharing My Poetry

Poem For Nina II

Nina sits at the piano in her bright colors
Bejeweled fingers against the keys, the elegant amber of her soprano
lets out into the air soaking up the beauty of the world.
When she hums bees are making honey
When she sighs, the world is set freely floating
Her groans possess the bitter irony of the world and the magic of the notes she plays
distinctively conjure up the secrets of the earth, the answer to the very existence of life.
This poem is for Nina, the sorceress, the goddess
who can change the seasons from winter to spring,
who brings the darkness into the night.
Nina is Mother Earth who makes the world's blood curdle in the soil. The priestess who testifies, the prophet who decries the army of sins racked up against humanity.
She is the medicine woman connected to every spirit and who in turn touches every soul. The Rasta with long braids and lips that personify truth.
Nina Simone is that cosmic rock that sets the world to spinning,
always in constant motion.
She brings to the world the ire that is the only force with the
power to make the volcano erupt.

When I Was Little I Used to Think this Song Was About Dr. King

He's got the whole world in His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands.

He's got my brothers and my sisters in His hands,
He's got my brothers and my sisters in His hands,
He's got my brothers and my sisters in His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands.

He's got the sun and the rain in His hands,
He's got the moon and the stars in His hands,
He's got the wind and the clouds in His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands.

He's got the rivers and the mountains in His hands,
He's got the oceans and the seas in His hands,
He's got you and he's got me in His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands.

He's got everybody here in His hands,
He's got everybody there in His hands,
He's got everybody everywhere in His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands.

When I first moved to Lafayette I was very excited. It was a new place and I was out of Alabama. I had much to learn.I have learned a lot about people and the nature of human society as I reflect on my years existing in conservative environments. I have learned that there are good people everywhere and I have learned the value and the importance of human connection. I have learned and embraced the possibility of bonding across social and political spectrums. I have learned patience and I am beginning to learn to embrace myself. When I ran from Alabam into the web of Indiana, I had naive dreams of utopia filled with intellectual stimulation, exciting exchanges, and a new found freedom and liberation in which I could explore, discover, and mine the depths of my self and the world in order to make a connection to humanity. I have become familiar with patriarchy, its insides, outsides, and its very core. I know it, identify it, and know it for what it is. I know hegemony and I have recieved the gift(most definitely in the Duboisian sense) of sight. I have tasted of the tree and the knowledge I possess is something I must learn to handle. This knowledge is not rare, many people have it--the people I look up to and admire have it and I have known of it, but I now have come into cognition of it, which for sure makes a difference. I know and it is a blessing and I will continue to learn. Knowledge exists on two waves, something that the Germans readily express with the terms kenne and wisse. It is the difference between an intimate knowledge and a superficial one or a surface knowledge. To possess an intimiate knowledge is a blessing and this understanding must be used to make the world into a better place. We have only to live and learn.

I heard a wonderful theological discussion that explained the evolution of Christianity and modern culture(especially american culture). It was said that the Calvinists expressed the belief that "I am damned to hell, thank you father for your blessings" believing in the idea of the select, and since one didn't know whether one was select or not, it was assumed that you would exist in purgatory. Getting tired of this, Americans/ modern culture adopted the idea that the lord's favor is seen in how much one attains or how much wealth one accumulates. This is the modern idea of Christianity--the idea of God's blessings tied to material wealth and capitalist principles. Oh, what a world we live in.

Back to Life

Soul II Soul

Back to life, back to reality
Back to life, back to reality
Back to life, back to reality
Back to the here and now yeah
Show me how, decide what you want from me
Tell me maybe I could be there for you

However do you want me
However do you need me
How, however do you want me
However do you need me
However do you want me
However do you need me
How, however do you want me
However do you need me

Back to life, back to the present time
Back from a fantasy Yeah
Tell me now, take the iniative
I´ll leave it in your hands until you´re ready oh
However do you want me
However do you need me
How, however do you want me
However do you need me
However do you want me
However do you need me
How, however do you want me
However do you need me
However do you need me
However do you need me
However do you need me
However do you need me

I live at the top of the block
No more room for trouble or fuss
Need a change, a positive change look
Look it´s me writing on the wall
However do you want me
However do you need me
How, however do you want me
However do you need me
However do you want me
However do you need me
How, however do you want me
However do you need me

Back to life, back to the day we have
Let´s end this foolish game
Hear me out don´t let it waste away
Make up your mind so
I know where I stand

However do you want me
However do you need me
How, however do you want me
However do you need me
However do you want me
However do you need me
How, however do you want me
However do you need me
However do you want me
However do you need me
How, however do you want me
However do you need me
However do you want me
However do you need me
How, however do you want me
However do you need me

Keep on Movin

Soul II Soul

Keep on moving, don't stop like the hands of time
Click clock, find your own way to stay
The time will come one day
Why do people choose to live their lives this way?

Keep on moving, don't stop, no, keep on moving
Keep on moving, keep on moving, don't stop, no
Keep on moving

It's our time, time today, the right time is here to stay
Stay in my life, my life always, yellow is the colour of sunrays
I hide myself from no one, I know the time will surely come when
You'll be in my life, my life always, yellow is the colour of sunrays

Keep on moving, don't stop like the hands of time
Click clock, find your own way to stay, the time will come one day

Keep on moving, don't stop, no, keep on moving
Keep on moving, keep on moving, don't stop, no
Keep on moving

I know the time, time today, walking alone in my own way
Extreme cold and rainy day, friends and I have fun along the way
Yes we do! I hide myself from no one
I know the time will really come when you'll be in my life
My life always, yellow is the colour of sunrays

Keep on moving, don't stop like the hands of time
Click clock, find your own way to stay, the time will come one day
Yes

Keep on moving, keep on moving, don't stop, no
Keep on moving
Keep on moving - the time will come one day....

Why Are the Americans Obsessed with Building Walls and Don't They Need to Be Castrated for Fucking with the Iraqis?

Read this article. Isn't it some bullshit. These people need to go to hell. Real quick.

French Elections

I endorse Segolene Royal in the upcoming elections in France. She seems to be a most progressive person and it is time that the French had a female president.

Partial Birth Abortion Ban

I reissue the slogan I came up with: Castration is the key to our Liberation!

Gonzales Should Be Out

Gonzales used the phrase "can't recall" fifty times while testifying before congress. It is high time he was taken down from the post of Attorney General.

Today I thought about my Aunt Earnestine's yard as I saw some flowers that looked like some of those that she had. She had a huge, tall tree that grew tulips that hung over the porch, then she had several bushes full of very scented roses and other flowers. She also had jonquils that grew at the foot of the porch and several other flowers growing throughout the yard. My aunt kept a wonderful yard.

Reminiscing All Morning

I so love the Pointer Sisters!

Sinnerman

Nina Simone

Oh Sinnerman, where you gonna run to?
Sinnerman, where you gonna run to?
Where you gonna run to?
All along dem day
Well I run to the rock, please hide me
I run to the rock,please hide me
I run to the rock, please hide me, Lord
All along dem day
But the rock cried out, I can't hide you
The rock cried out, I can't hide you
The rock cried out, I ain't gonna hide you guy
All along dem day
I said, Rock, what's a matter with you rock?
Don't you see I need you, rock?
Lord, Lord, Lord
All along dem day
So I run to the river, it was bleedin'
I run to the sea, it was bleedin'
I run to the sea, it was bleedin'
All along dem day
So I run to the river, it was boilin'
I run to the sea, it was boilin'
I run to the sea, it was boilin'
Along dem day
So I run to the Lord, please hide me Lord
Don't you see me prayin'?
Don't you see me down here prayin'?
But the Lord said, go to the devil
The Lord said, go to the devil
He said, go to the devil
All along dem day
So I ran to the devil, he was waitin'
I ran to the devil, he was waitin'
Ran to the devil, he was waitin'
All on that day
I cried -
POWER!!!!!!!
(Power to da Lord)
[8x]
Bring down,
(Power to da lord),
[4x]
POWER!!!
(power to da lord)
[12x]

(Instrumental)

Oh yeah, Woh yeah, Woh yeah
Well I run to the river, it was boilin'
I run to the sea, it was boilin'
I run to the sea, it was boilin'
All along dem day
So I ran to the Lord
I said, Lord hide me, please hide me
please help me
Along dem day
He said, child, where were you
when you oughta been prayin'?
I said,Lord, Lord, hear me prayin'
Lord, Lord, hear me prayin'
Lord, Lord, hear me prayin'
All along dem day
Sinnerman you oughta be prayin'
Oughta be prayin', Sinnerman
Oughta be prayin',
All on that day
I cried -
POWER!!!!!!!
(Power to da Lord)
[12x]
Go down
(Power to da Lord)
[3x]
POWER!!!!!!!
(Power to da Lord)
[3x]
Power, Power, Lord
Don't you know I need you Lord
Don't you know that I need you
Don't you know that I need you
Power, Lord!

I only caught today's segment of Oprah's show on the Imus fiasco. I must say, I have lost what little respect I had for the likes of Russell Simmons and Common. They sat up there on that panel and evaded every issue concerning sexism and misogyny in the products that they put out. They need to have their power taken away until they put an end to the bullshit. God Bless Stanley Crouch! I was so with him today and I could not have agreed with him more. You go Stanley!

LifeLine

One night I dreamed I was in slavery, 'bout 1850 was the time
Sorrow was the only sign, there's nothing about to ease my mind
out of the night appeared a lady leading a distant pilgrim band
First mate, she cried point her hand, make room aboard for this young woman


Come on up, I've got a lifeline
Come on up to this train of mine
Come on up, I've got a lifeline
Come on up to this train of mine
They said her name was Harriet Tubman
And she drove for the Underground Railroad


Hundreds of miles, we traveled onward gathering slaves from town to town
Seeking all the lost and found and setting those free that once were bound
Somehow my heart was growing weaker, I fell by the wayside sinking sand
Firmly did this lady stand, she lifted me up and took my hand

Sadie

The Spinners

In a world like today
It’s a rare occasion to be able
To see young mothers like the ones
That were around when I grew up
But they live on in memory
To quite a few of us
And this song is dedicated
To those who cherish that memory

Early one Sunday morning
Breakfast was on the table
There was no time to eat
She said to me, “Boy, hurry to Sunday school”

Filled with her load of glory
We learned the Holy story
She’ll always have her dreams
Despite the things this troubled world can bring

Oh, Sadie
Don’t you know we love you
Sweet Sadie
Place no one above you

Sweet Sadie (Well, well, well)
Living in the past
Some times it seems so funny
But no money will turn your life around

Sweeter than cotton candy
Stronger than papa’s old brandy
Always that needed smile
Once in awhile she would break down and cry

Some times she’d be so happy
Just being with us and daddy
Standing the worst of times
Breaking the binds with just a simple song

Oh, Sadie (Oh, Sadie, baby)
Don’t you know we love you (She’ll love us all in a special way)
Sweet Sadie (Well, well, well)
Place no one above you

Sweet Sadie (Sweet Sadie livin’ in the past)
Living in the past
Oh, she’s never sinnin’
In love she’s always winnin’, yeah

Sadie (My, my, my, my, my)
Don’t you know we love you (I love you, mama)
Sweet Sadie
Place no one above you (I just can’t forget)

Sweet Sadie (How you gave me love, oh, Lord)
Living in the past
If there’s a heaven up above
I know she’s teaching angels how to love

Sadie (It’s a mean world without you)
Don’t you know we love you
Sweet Sadie (All the love you showed)
Place no one above you (Oh, I could never, ever doubt her lovely word)

Sweet Sadie
Living in the past
Ain’t it funny that in the end it’s not money
It’s just the love you gave us all

60 Minutes Tonight

I detest the way the media is handling the Lacross Rape case. Leslie Stahl's broadcast concerning the exoneration of the three men was totally insensitive to the young woman who was raped and made every attempt to criminalize, demonize, and assault her person. This is not how you treat any rape victim, no matter whether the crime is solved or not. Alas, I feel no sympathy for these boys. They might perhaps have benefited from serving sentences for this affair in order to foster some empathy and understanding for those who have endured such for hundreds upon hundreds of years. Alas, wherever the white male power structure acts and talks like this new North Carolina prosecutor is, I doubt wholeheartedly and with my whole being that any sort of justice is being done. Who paid him to get these men off? Somebodys wealthy white connections....

This is a very interesting article about American expatriates/ immigrants living in Mexico from Dissent.

Midwest Peace Summit

The Midwest Peace Summit came off beautifully this year. I am not sure how detailed I will be in this post,but I will assuredly give a full report. The numbers were down this year, however the summit was still a great success. We had two speakers this year. Cindy Sheehan spoke to a crowd of a little under four hundred(I really am surprised that so few came out in Indy). It was an empowering evening. James Yee spoke Saturday night to a fuller crowd and his testimonies concerning what he witnessed at Guantanamo Bay prison were stirring and absolutely upsetting. Everyone should have their ears perched to hear, find, read about James Yee's experience at Guantanamo Bay and his own later incarceration and mistreatment at U.S. hands. I will write more later.

Cindy Sheehan at Purdue

Cindy Sheehan addressed a jam-packed, five hundred seated crowd at Fowler Hall tonight with an over flow into other rooms. She was brilliant and wonderful and reminded us of the importance of speaking truth to power.

Venezuelsa's National Healthcare System a Success

Read here about the new graduates of Venezuela's new medical training program which is modeled off of Cuba and is one example of the great collaboration and friendship between Venezuela and Cuba and the great blossoming of socialism throughout Latin America.

I so cannot read my great-great grandmother's face. I spend a lot of time studying it.

I think one thing should be pointed out with respect to both the Tawana Brawley and the Duke Rape cases. The case is not being made that nothing ever happened. There is no evidence on which to convict. Anything could have happened to either of those two women.

U.S. Hands are Tainted with Torture of Iranian Diplomat

An Iranian diplomat, one of those seized by the U.S. not too very long ago as part of their underhanded actions, has just revealed, confirming this with the International Red Cross, that he was tortured by the CIA. The Bush Administration's response has been that they had nothing to do with this man's detention. How clever. It's all about the language folks, these people want to maintain their power and authority. They perhaps had no part in his detention, but did they torture him? This country has so much to pay for.

I Got an Article Published

I just got an editorial published in the Spanish newspaper, La Specula. Im excited.

Security Culture

This new security culture is such bullshit. Advertisments are now using such phrases as "get caught" at such and such, and borrowing other elements from security culture. Two things to learn: You can't control everything and we all will die, including you. God Bless Alice Walker.

My aunt used to have this wonderful electric picture of the city of chicago that hung at the house in Chicago and later at Aunt Earnestine's house. I used to love to play with it and light up all the different parts of the picture. It was a scene of the city, with tall skyscrapers intersected by the Chicago River and there was a big boat that was making its way down the river and the entire thing was filled with light.

One Thing I Learned at the Conference

The experience was great, but one thing really sticks in my mind. I never knew Marlon Brando was bisexual. Wowee

My Trip to Boston

Boston was wonderful. I felt absolutely comfortable the entire time I was there. I walked everywhere. I love walking around big cities.I went out to the South End one night...and from what I saw, their gay nightlife is just as sad as Lafayette's. I think I just didnt go to the right place. I met some wonderful people at the conference and made some great contacts. It was great to see Susan, she is a godsend. The Fat Studies and African American contingents were really great. Im very glad I got a chance to meet them. I got really sick on the way back on the train. Also, I got hit on three times, all three times by women(hmm).

I find it interesting reading in the papers how Purdue discuss their drop in U.S. News and World Report rankings.

Happy Birthday! Be Blessed!

Happy Birthday to Brooke and my sister on their birthdays! A year and a day apart.

Notes from the CCDS Meeting

The CCDS meeting went wonderfully well this season. At this meeting, one of the two we have each year, there were a little over twenty people present from around the Midwest--Chicago, Kentucky, Indiana,etc. The first part of the meeting, Mildred gave a brilliant analysis and rundown of the healthcare crisis that is in Chicago now. She pointed out firstly that there are 45 million people in the U.S without health insurance and that the number is growing. She then pointed out that the Pharmaceutical companies and the Insurance companies wrote the legislation that now serves as our federal and most of our state laws concerning health care--which is the beginning of the bullshit beginning to stink. She said, making a very powerful and critical statement that what we must be about now is to fight to make the government recognize itself as a public service provider. Not a subsidiary of the corporate sector, not as a tool for imperialism, but as a public service provider. She then went on to very strongly emphasize and underscore the problem of privatization. The government is slowly closing down every public entity in the effort to privatize. She made an example of the fact that the Cook County police that once protected Cook hospitals were all laid off and replaced by a private security firm. She pointed out that the Chicago Hospital System was incorporated into the city municipal government in 1843 and that it is now the largest part of city government and the city has a $3 billion dollar budget. Charity Hospital in New Orleans has not been open since Hurricane Katrina. Also, George Bush proposes a 60.9% cut in the federal budget for Healthcare services over ten years.The Question to ask: Where is the money going? Whose pockets?

She informed us that the first free, public federally funded health clinic was founded in Mt. Bayou, Mississippi in 1963. She said that up until two days ago( that was two days ago this Saturday), Cook County had 26 clinics open and available to the public. Two days ago, ten of them were closed. She then informed us that the surrounding counties made it their practice to send their patients to Cook County Hospitals for treatment and care. My question to that was how did these people get there? Did they take the El? If you have a toothache or something , I suppose you just simply ride the El or the train til you get to Cook County. Now thats something to think about. Woodlawn Healthcare Clinic in the Chicago area was the only clinic that was destined for closure that avoided it because they have an active patient advisory board that sent thousands of signatures with a petition to the city of Chicago. She said the Bush administration could bear a heavy part of the blame for the crisis underhand, but a lot of it was due to mismanagement by the Chicago Hospital Administration and its board of Directors.

She emphasized that the current head's, Dr. Robert Simon's, politics were most unprogressive and served as a catalyst for a lot of what is going on in terms of health care in Chicago. One of his current campaigns and public pronouncements is his effort to make it where undocumented peoples cannot recieve treatment in Chicago Hospitals, including emergency rooms. She says that Dr. Simon and the powers that be that run Chicago Hospitals have cut funding for std, hepatitis, and TB testings in the Chicago Jail system, which is a large sector of Chicago Public Health and the direct results of this will be a rise in rates of HIV, TB, Hepatitis and other communicable diseases in the population at large(with released inmates spreading the communicable diseases when released). She said the Emergency Rooms all over the country are in trouble. They have an unfunded mandate to care for anyone that comes into a hospital for treatment, without regard to their ability to pay. On top of this, and complicating this, this unfunded mandate means that hospitals all over the country(this was a topic of conversation on NPR recently) have to only deal with medical issues, but also social issues as the homeless population uses this mandate to find shelter and food at public hospitals. Mildred asks where is the funding for public housing? For shelters? For Job programs? I think we can pause here to say that looking at these issues in American health care, isnt it wonderful and interesting that Cuba has a higher life expectancy than the U.S. and that many other nations depend on Cuba for their own healthcare systems? Cuba has some of the best doctors in the world....And where is the United States?

Along with this looming crisis has been a series of political firings of dozens of Doctors, nurses, and other staff who are speaking out against the policies of the Chicago Hospital Administration. This all spells out an ineffective and crumbling public healthcare system in Chicago. Interestingly enough Mildred and Ira pointed out that many rightwingers now even, want a socialized, free healthcare system. the makings of odd political bedfellows. Its a national crisis and its a Chicago crisis. Oh, what will we see coming out of Chicago?

The second half of the meeting I addressed student and youth activism and where I thought it was today. I detailed the history of my involvment in activism, starting at Huntingdon in Montgomery, my work with CDR, and here at Purdue and I gave some assessments of youth and the state activism amongst youth. Primarily, people, and young people in general are too comfortable( with their ipods, video games, and consumeristic values), and that at Purdue, there is a repressive environment which works to keep people(most people) effectively quiet. Alas, even those organizations represeted on campus that advocate progressive causes are stifled and inefficient. You have POWER, a Women's Rights and equality group that cannot use the word feminism and can't take a stance promoting abortion because it might be offensive. You have other groups that take up weekend causes(weekend causes for them, and not that they arent important), but who leave pertinent and important issues, especially local issues unadressed(such as the issue of racism at Purdue). There is a disconnect among what activists there are in terms of what activism truly means and the activity that occurs. Yes we definitely address global issues, and address them loudly, but you must also take care of local issues as well. Also, as a part of the repressiveness, you have students afraid to be associated with the word radical and who work really to make everything as pc and totally gendered neutral as possible, which of course stifles any movement. Howard Zinn is the one who said you can't be neutral on a moving train. After my presentation( it was supposed to be a student panel, with people from Purdue, Ball State, Bloomington, Earlham, Valparaiso, and other places invited, yet no one showed up to the meeting. There were two Purdue students present-not for the panel-but it was nice.

After my presentation, Ira gave some wonderful insight and brilliant commentary. Ira is a former member of SNCC. He said that we must figure out how to select targets to disrupt the empire. He said this was a very big and widely discussed deal in the sixties, but that it is no longer a topic of conversation amongst progressives. We are two generations removed from the Civil Rights movement and there is no longer a clear vision or understanding of movement, especially amongst the youth. Fred beautifully pointed out that Venezuela, Cuba, and Latin America as a whole are the models which we should look toward as inspiration. In twenty years time they have thrown off the shackles of capitalism and hegemony and all over Latin America Marxism is relevent. Ira also gave the brilliant and beautiful commentary that Oppression does not make revolution or revolutionaries-it is resistance that does. God I jumped for joy when he said that. Alice Walker's statement from Possessing the Secret of Joy found its way into my brain--that RESISTANCE IS THE SECRET OF JOY. Mildred also pointed out the importance of Mentors in the process. She pointed to her own, among them the most beautiful Harry Belafonte. Ira also made the great statement that Capitalism has a remarkable resiliency--and has adapted quite well to every new situation, but it cannot last very much longer at all. Other statements that were made and points that were brought up were Fred's assessment that all efforts should be made to bring progressive evangelicals into peace and justice movements. I think here it is most necessary and pertinent to point out that Jane Fonda is an evangelical. This was a great meeting. It always is. I am definitely rich for having the experience.

I want to go to Paris and sing in French and be Eartha Kitt or Nina Simone!

Today I thought about my cousin Wynetta. I also saw a picture of Audre Lorde. What beautiful things.

The CCDS meeting yesterday was wonderful. Mildred was brilliant and some very powerful and insightful things were said. I will write more about it later.

This is Mattie Roper and Morgan Goodson with two of their daughters. Morgan Goodson was a fierce, bold, and strong-willed man. He was also very keen and intelligent and inspired reverence from those that knew him. It is also said that he was the meanest man in Autauga County.

This is my great-great grandmother, Mattie Roper. She was a strong, industrious woman.

Up To Canann Land

(I'm on my way I'm on my way)
Well I'm on my way to Canaan's land I'm on my way to Canaan's land
I've done sunup made up my mind I'm on my way to Canaan's land

If my mother don't go don't you hand to me
If my mother don't go don't you hand to me
I've done sunup made up my mind I'm on my way to Canaan's land
Well I'm on my way...
[ piano ]
If my brother don't go don't you hand to me
If my brother don't go don't you hand to me
I've done sunup made up my mind I'm on my way to Canaan's land
Well I'm on my way...
**********

I think I am discovering what my purpose is. I am supposed to teach. I am supposed to teach on a fundamental level. And I am supposed to teach assholes that they can't neccessarily do whatever they might think they want to. My name means light from the beacon hill. I am supposed to bring others into the light. Allow them to truly see.

Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for the springing fresh from the word
Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where his feet pass
Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's recreation of the new day

From Killing Rage

It was not a question of your giving up the seat, it was an occasion for you to intervene in the harassment of a young black woman and you chose your own comfort and tried to deflect away from your complicity in that choice by offering an insincere, face saving apology... It was this sequences of racialized incidents involving black women that intensified my rage against the white man sitting next to me. I felt a 'Killing Rage.' I wanted to stab him softly, to shoot him with the gun I wished I had in my purse. And as I watched his pain, I would say to him tenderly 'racism hurts.'-bell hooks, Killing Rage

King Adbullah of Jordan Condemns the U.S. Occupation of Iraq

This is a great statement from a very powerful voice in the Middle East. As a sidenote, I heard someone on television say that now U.S. companies control 85% of Iraq's oil wells.

Ella Fitzgerald was a beautiful woman.

I am a Goodson, a Deramus, and a Smith.

Thank god for bell hooks.

Tony Blair must rot in hell. When are the British going to get some integrity and get rid of that man?

Those in the know say that the U.S. is searching for war with Iran. Great Britain, the United States, and Israel. Watch closely now.

At the rally yesterday, a very astute 7th grader pointed out to me that Monument Circle in Indianapolis is surrounded by nothing but banks and churches. Very, very perceptive. A monument to capitalism...

Those in the Know Say the United States is Looking for War With Iran

The University of Flordia Won't Give Jeb Bush an Honorary Degree!

Hip Hip Hooray!!

The rally today was both Student organized and student attended.

A Turning Point

Today's rally on Monument Circle in Indianapolis was quite encouraging. There were between 3 and 4 hundred people there and the astounding part was that 90 percent of them were under the age of 20! This war is on its last legs.

Queen Latifah's new movie, Life Support is absolutely powerful. Ive watched it twice in the past two days.

Papillion

Chaka Khan (My Song for Charles)

A faded photograph i mailed to you
With feelings i don't want to face
And a long song of surrender in blue
I remember when you took my breath away

Chorus:

Chanson papillon, we were very young
Like butterflies, like hot butterfly
Chanson papillon, we had just begun
We let it slide on by
We didn't realize

All our memories are burning in time
Like a bittersweet perfume


Can you tell me how a love that's so fine
Could have climaxed in a single afternoon

Gone are the days of instant romance
And the nights of slow goodbyes
That was a time of life when foxy was the dance
But then you got wise to all my lies

Chorus

Chanson papillon, chanson
Chanson papillon, chanson
Chanson papillon, chanson
Chanson papillon, chanson

A Little Ditty My Mother Taught Me

"That's tough!"
"What's tough?"
"Life."
"What's life?"
"A magazine."
"Where d'you get it?"
"Drugstore."
"What's it cost?"
"A dime."
"shucks, I only got a nickel."
"That's tough.
"What's tough?"
"Life."
"What's life?"
"A magazine."

What's With This New Incident With Iran?

Those in the know say that the U.S. is searching for war with Iran. Britain, The lapdog, has just created an incident with the Iranian government. We ask what is going on?

Ahmadinejad Should Come to the United States

Ahmadinejad should come to New York and address the U.N! He shouldh't change his plans.

I had a mint julep at Mary Mac's Tea Room in Atlanta. It was divine.

Mame

You coax the blues right out of the horn, Mame,
You charm the husk right off of the corn, Mame,
You've got that banjoes strummin'
And plunkin' out a tune to beat the band,
The whole plantation's hummin'
Since you brought Dixie back to Dixie land.
You make the cotton easy to pick, Mame,
You give my old mint julep a kick, Mame,
Who ever thought a Yankee would put
A little Dixie mouse to shame.
You've made us feel alive again,
You've given us the drive again,
To make the South revive again, Mame.
Beauregard Burnside:
You've brought the cake-walk back into style, Mame
You make the weepin' willow tree smile, Mame,
Your skin is Dixie satin,
There's rebel in your manner and your speech,
You may be from Manhattan,
But Georgia never had a sweeter peach.
All:
You make our black-eyed peas and our grits, Mame,
Seem like the bill of fare at the Ritz, Mame,
You came, you saw, you conquered
And absolutely nothing is the same.
You're special fascination'll prove to be inspirational,
We think you're just sensational, Mame.
Since you brought Dixie back to Dixie land.
Since you brought Dixie back to Dixie land.
You coax the blues right out of the horn, Mame,
You charm the husk right off of the corn, Mame,
You've got that banjoes strummin'
And plunkin' out a tune to beat the band,
The whole plantation's hummin'
Since you brought Dixie back to Dixie land.
You make the cotton easy to pick, Mame,
You give my old mint julep a kick, Mame,
Who ever thought a Yankee would put
A little Dixie mouse to shame.
You've made us feel alive again,
You've given us the drive again,
To make the South revive again, Mame.
Mame! Mame! Mame! Mame!

Stop all funding for the war on Drugs. No more money to fund CIA operations in Columbia. Stop the murder of teachers and union organizers in Columbia. Not one more dime!

I feel very sad for Woody Harrelson.

Jacob's Ladder --Paul Robeson

We are climbing Jacob's ladder
We are climbing Jacob's ladder
We are climbing Jacob's ladder
Brothers, sisters, all

Every rung goes higher and higher
Every rung goes higher and higher
Every rung goes higher and higher
Brothers, sisters, all

We are dancing Sarah's circle
We are dancing Sarah's circle
We are dancing Sarah's circle
Sisters, brothers, all

Every round a generation
Every round a generation
Every round a generation
Sisters, brothers, all

We are climbing Jacob's ladder
We are climbing Jacob's ladder
We are climbing Jacob's ladder
Brothers, sisters, all

Open a New Window, Open a New Door-- From Mame

Open a new window,
Open a new door,
Travel a new highway,
That's never been tried before;
Before you find you're a dull fellow,
Punching the same clock,
Walking the same tight rope
As everyone on the block.
The fellow you ought to be is three dimensional,
Soaking up life down to your toes,
Whenever they say you're slightly unconventional,
Just put your thumb up to your nose.
And show 'em how to dance to a new rhythm,
Whistle a new song,
Toast with a new vintage,
The fizz doesn't fizz too long.
There's only one way to make the bubbles stay,
Simply travel a new high way,
Dance to a new rhythm,
Open a new window ev'ry day!
If you follow your Auntie Mame
I'll make this vow, my little love,
That on the last day of your life
You'll be smiling the same young smile
You're smiling now, my little love,
If you wake up ev'ry mornin'
And you pull aside the shutter,
And you promise me that these'll be
The first words that you utter
Open a new window,
Open a new door,
Travel a new highway,
That's never been tried before;
Before you find you're a dull fellow,
Punching the same clock,
Walking the same tight rope
As everyone on the block.
The fellow you ought to be is three dimensional,
Soaking up life down to your toes,
Mame and Agnes:
Whenever they say you're slightly unconventional,
Patrick:
Just put your thumb up to your nose.
Mame and All:
And show 'em how to dance to a new rhythm,
Whistle a new song,
Toast with a new vintage,
The fizz doesn't fizz too long.
There's only one way to make the bubbles stay,
Simply travel a new high way,
Dance to a new rhythm,
Open a new window ev'ry day!
All:
Open a new window,
Open a new door,
Travel a new highway,
That's never been tried before;
Before you find you're a dull fellow,
Punching the same clock,
Walking the same tight rope
As everyone on the block.
The fellow you ought to be is three dimensional,
Soaking up life down to your toes,
Whenever they say you're slightly unconventional,
Just put your thumb up to your nose.
And show 'em how to dance to a new rhythm,
Whistle a new song,
Toast with a new vintage,
The fizz doesn't fizz too long.
There's only one way to make the bubbles stay,
Simply travel a new high way,
Dance to a new rhythm,
Whistle a new love song,
Toast with a new vintage,
Open a new window ev'ry day!

Rove and Others Must Testify Under Oath

Castrate that son of a bitch Bush if he tries to have it any other way!

Rove Has to Go Before Congress!

Yea! They forced that bastard to go before congress! Next step is the removal of Alberto Gonzales!

The Ten Boom Legacy

This is a drawing of the Ten Boom family home, Barteljorisstraat 19, Haarlem, Holland. The drawing looks very much like the house does today. In 1837 Willem ten Boom opened a watch shop in this house. His family lived in the rooms above the shop. The home was later passed down to Willem’s son, Casper, and then to Casper’s daughter, Corrie. In 1987 the Corrie ten Boom House Foundation purchased the building. To continue this family’s witness, in 1988 the Foundation opened this home as a museum. It is often called the Hiding Place. It has become a symbol that surpasses national boundaries. Let us share the inspiring story of the Ten Booms and the Hiding Place with you!

The Ten Boom family were devoted Christians who dedicated their lives in service to their fellow man. Their home was always an "open house" for anyone in need. Through the decades the Ten Booms were very active in social work in Haarlem, and their faith inspired them to serve the religious community and society at large.

During the Second World War, the Ten Boom home became a refuge, a hiding place, for fugitives and those hunted by the Nazis. By protecting these people, Casper and his daughters, Corrie and Betsie, risked their lives. This non-violent resistance against the Nazi-oppressors was the Ten Booms' way of living out their Christian faith. This faith led them to hide Jews, students who refused to cooperate with the Nazis, and members of the Dutch underground resistance movement.

During 1943 and into 1944, there were usually 6-7 people illegally living in this home: 4 Jews and 2 or 3 members of the Dutch underground. Additional refugees would stay with the Ten Booms for a few hours or a few days until another "safe house" could be located for them. Corrie became a ringleader within the network of the Haarlem underground. Corrie and "the Beje group" would search for courageous Dutch families who would take in refugees, and much of Corrie's time was spent caring for these people once they were in hiding. Through these activities, the Ten Boom family and their many friends saved the lives of an estimated 800 Jews, and protected many Dutch underground workers.

On February 28, 1944, this family was betrayed and the Gestapo (the Nazi secret police) raided their home. The Gestapo set a trap and waited throughout the day, seizing everyone who came to the house. By evening about 30 people had been taken into custody! Casper, Corrie and Betsie were all arrested. Corrie’s brother Willem, sister Nollie, and nephew Peter were at the house that day, and were also taken to prison.

Although the Gestapo systematically searched the house, they could not find what they sought most. They suspected Jews were in the house, but the Jews were safely hidden behind a false wall in Corrie’s bedroom. In this "hiding place" were two Jewish men, two Jewish women and two members of the Dutch underground. Although the house remained under guard, the Resistance was able to liberate the refugees 47 hours later. The six people had managed to stay quiet in their cramped, dark hiding place for all that time, even though they had no water and very little food. The four Jews were taken to new "safe houses," and three survived the war. One of the underground workers was killed during the war years, but the other survived.

Because underground materials and extra ration cards were found in their home, the Ten Boom family was imprisoned. Casper (84 years old) died after only 10 days in Scheveningen Prison. When Casper was asked if he knew he could die for helping Jews, he replied, "It would be an honor to give my life for God's ancient people." Corrie and Betsie spent 10 months in three different prisons, the last was the infamous Ravensbruck Concentration Camp located near Berlin, Germany. Life in the camp was almost unbearable, but Corrie and Betsie spent their time sharing Jesus' love with their fellow prisoners. Many women became Christians in that terrible place because of Corrie and Betsie's witness to them. Betsie (59) died in Ravensbruck, but Corrie survived. Corrie’s nephew, Christiaan (24), had been sent to Bergen Belsen for his work in the underground, and never returned. Corrie’s brother, Willem (60), was also a ring leader in the Dutch underground. While in prison for this "crime," he contracted spinal tuberculosis and died shortly after the war.

Four Ten Booms gave their lives for this family’s commitment, but Corrie came home from the death camp. She realized her life was a gift from God, and she needed to share what she and Betsy had learned in Ravensbruck: "There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still" and "God will give us the love to be able to forgive our enemies." At age 53, Corrie began a world-wide ministry which took her into more than 60 countries in the next 33 years! She testified to God’s love and encouraged all she met with the message that "Jesus is Victor."

Corrie received many tributes. Corrie was knighted by the Queen of Holland. In 1968, the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem (Yad Vashem) asked Corrie to plant a tree in the Garden of Righteousness, in honor of the many Jewish lives her family saved. Corrie’s tree stands there today. In the early 1970’s Corrie’s book THE HIDING PLACE became a best seller and World Wide Pictures released the major motion picture "The Hiding Place." Corrie went on to write many other inspiring books and make several evangelical videos.

Corrie was a woman who was faithful to God. She died on her 91st birthday, April 15, 1983. It is interesting that Corrie's passing occurred on her birthday. In the Jewish tradition, it is only very blessed people who are allowed the special privilege of dying on their birthday!

Corrie's story is recounted in her books THE HIDING PLACE and TRAMP FOR THE LORD. These, and many other books and videos about this family are available from the Book Shop on this web site.

My mother described to me a couple of nights ago my great-great grandparent's home, Mattie and Morgan's. She said when you pulled up intothe yard there was a huge arbor full of scuffonongs and you walked underneath it up some very high steps to the porch of the house. She said when you walked in there was an expansive living room and off from it were the bedrooms and the kitchen, dining room, etc. She said the rooms in the house were large rooms with high ceilings and it had magnificent wood floors(many of my uncles, Mattie Roper's sons, were carpenters--and reputable carpenters in their era and place). She said that when Mattie Roper lived in it the kitchen was off separate from the house and you had to walk down a little runway to get to it. It was later added to the house. I would have loved to have seen that house.

Abbey Lincoln could definitely be one of my aunts. She looks a lot like my Aunt Betty. She has the style and glamour of my Aunt Sadie.

Michael Knight rocked on Rip The Runway . His clothes were absolutely chic. I was envisioning J.Lo, Jennifer Hudson, and Halle Berry as they were modeled across the stage. Much love to Steve Harvey and Monie C as well!

Sweet, Sweet Spirit

There's a sweet sweet spirit in this place
And I know that it's the spirit of the Lord
There are sweet expressions on each face
And I know that it's the presence of the Lord
Sweet Holy Spirit
Sweet heavenly dove
Stay right here with us
Filling us with your love
And for these blessings
We lift our hearts in praise (hearts in praise)
Without a doubt we'll know that we have been revived
When we shall leave this place

Something I Just Learned-- A Lesson in Deconstruction

The Greek word for what we now know as Iran(formerly Persia) is Persis, from which we derive the word Persistant. The Greeks used the word Persis with fear.

Why Scooter Libby's Pardon is a Slam Dunk by Frank Rich from Truthout.org Via The NYT

Everyone should read this article. Frank Rich delivers a stirring assessment of the cause and effects of Scooter Libby's trial and the entire underhanded effort of the White House et al to 1. Get us into war with Iraq and 2. Cover up its mistakes and messes after the fact. Rich alerts us to the creation of the White House Iraq Group(WHIG) composed of Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, Scooter Libby, and others, whose task it was to concoct lies and a sexy credible story to sell to the all-too consumeristic American public as a great reason to go to war with Iraq.(Lesson: Stop Buying Everybody's bullshit and stop this wreckage which is our consumer culture). With this effort in their hands Libby, Rove, et al played the nuclear war game, invoking the fear of nuclear war and nuclear holocaust if Saddam Hussein wasn't removed (oh, the same as if all the Communist weren't imprisoned, the Negroes quelled, and the Welfare mothers kicked off of the dole).

This effort worked until actually put into effect when America LOST THE WAR IN IRAQ and all the shit started to fall apart. Then it was time to lie and do other bullshit stuff. When Valerie Plame's husband, Joseph Wilson came out and refuted George Bush's claim that Iraq was buying depleted uranium from Libya and was therefore destroying Bush's entire reason for war, WHIG--and Mr. Scooter Libby most incriminatingly, decided it was time to use some tried and true practices from Nixon and Mr. J. Edgar Hoover by blowing Valerie Plame's CIA cover and trying to discredit her and her husband in any way they could( anyone remember the actress Jean Seberg who was active with the Black Panther Party and how J. Edgar Hoover decided to leak to the press that the child that Seberg was carrying was fathered by a Black Panther and not by her husband, which caused her to go into early labor and have a stillborn child? Anyone remember her suicide about a decade later?) So this little underhanded effort on the part of Cheney, Rove, Libby, et al would have worked had it not been for whatever brave journalists who still have their integrity intact who forced the question which has now resulted in Libby being convicted of perjury. Now, what Rich does here is also interesting in that he ties all of this (because it is all connected) into the scandals of this new escalation of the war (with a "surge" and then several other calls for additional troops after that) and the horrific treatment of the veterans who come back here maimed and otherwise injured at a poorly funded Walter Reed Hospital or a Bethesda, Maryland because Bush, Cheney, et al have spent a billion dollars on a warplane and not on healthcare. And with this poor treatment of the recent veterans (not to mention the old ones) we also have the Bush Administration trying to tidy up it's shit and make everything "look" rosy and using all of its power to do so. Selling this war, make it smell good, and deliver it in the most capitalistically effecient way possible(sex, greed, and violence). Rich talks about the trumped up stories of Jessica Lynch and Pat Tillman that were put front and center on the White House's banner.

And this is how the Bush administration is attempting to cover up the mess which is spilling out of Iraq. Firstly, it banned all photographs of the dead coming back from Iraq in any news media and secondly, it shut up the solders; when this mess known as the war in iraq first started you could hear soldiers voicing their complaints and disagreements all over NPR--then there was nothing, and there still nothing to be heard. Then, the Bush administration has started to censor coverage and depictions of veterans in the media-- they don't show the wounded in military hospitals at all, the wounded only arrive at these hospitals at night. Also, Bush has decided and made it his policy not to attend U.S. military funerals for fear that media attention might come to all of it. Alas, there was incident in which Bush was honoring an amputee from this current war with a medal and another soldier was told he was not welcome to the ceremony when he announced that he would be wearing short pants and not long pants(which would cover his amputated leg) to the ceremony. You even had General Kiley, the Sergeant General of the army, blaming the presence of rats and roaches in the veteran's rooms at Walter Reed Hospital on "the well-feed, well taken care of" soldiers bring food into their rooms. All of this is boiling to a head. People are taking notice (Rich talks about Cher's frantic phone call to CSPAN in October of 2003--I watched that program on television as it happened--where she was asking why the wounded veterans were not being seen or talked about in the media) and people are beginning to demand accountability.

I hope this glass house is broken. I hope we can finish off this most wicked administration and the most wicked system for which it works( capitalism, patriarchy, the militery industrial complex, whatever you call it). We need to bring about a just peace in the world where the lives of the vulnerable and the ordinary are not at the mercy of the vile and the inhumane. We need to envision a new world.

Something I Wrote a Long Time Ago in a Book on the Nth Time of Watching Bowling for Columbine

"Lockheed Martin makes war, bombs, and poverty." Isn't that the trend for all of capitalism?

Mary Matalin ought to be ashamed of herself. How can she be married to James Carville and still have so little integrity as to stand with the people that she stands with?