Saturday, June 13, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
From CREDO Action
Today's shooting was a tragedy. The gun violence has to stop.
It's time to close the gun show loophole.
close the gunshow loophole! Criminals and corrupt gun sellers can avoid the background checks required by the Brady Bill at gun shows and other events. Rep. Bright should take swift action to close this egregious loophole.
take action now!
First the murder of Dr. George Tiller by an anti-choice extremist. Now the murder of a security guard at the Holocaust Museum by a white supremacist.
These are two horrifying acts of right wing domestic terrorism in as many weeks. No wonder the Department of Homeland Security issued a report last month labeling "rightwing extremism" the "most dangerous domestic terrorism threat in the United States."
And, as we all know, these acts of terrorism were carried out with guns. Scott Roeder, who's being held for the murder of Dr. Tiller, has a history of mental illness and threatened violence against abortion providers a week before he allegedly shot Dr. Tiller. James W. von Brunn, who allegedly killed a security guard at the Holocaust Museum, has his own white supremacy website and is a convicted felon (he stormed the Federal Reserve Bank in 1981).
Why is it so easy for domestic terrorists to get hold of guns?
Here's one way to make it harder. The Brady Bill requires criminal background checks before the purchasing of guns. But there's a tremendous loophole for gun shows and similar events — a loophole that criminals know only too well how to exploit.
Currently, there's a bill in Congress to close this loophole — H.R. 2234, "To require criminal background checks on all firearms transactions occurring at gun shows." We need this law to reduce future attacks like those on Dr. Tiller and at the Holocaust Museum, but it won't go anywhere without significant support in Congress — and right now it has only seven sponsors.
Click here to tell Rep. Bright to co-sponsor H.R. 2234. We need swift action to keep criminals from getting more guns.
Thank you for working to build a safer world.
Kate Stayman-London, Campaign Manager
CREDO Action from Working Assets
P.S. If you're on Facebook, please help us spread the word on this important action by posting it to your profile. Just make sure you're logged in when you sign the petition, and click "Tell my Facebook friends about this petition!" to post it to your feed.
It's time to close the gun show loophole.
close the gunshow loophole! Criminals and corrupt gun sellers can avoid the background checks required by the Brady Bill at gun shows and other events. Rep. Bright should take swift action to close this egregious loophole.
take action now!
First the murder of Dr. George Tiller by an anti-choice extremist. Now the murder of a security guard at the Holocaust Museum by a white supremacist.
These are two horrifying acts of right wing domestic terrorism in as many weeks. No wonder the Department of Homeland Security issued a report last month labeling "rightwing extremism" the "most dangerous domestic terrorism threat in the United States."
And, as we all know, these acts of terrorism were carried out with guns. Scott Roeder, who's being held for the murder of Dr. Tiller, has a history of mental illness and threatened violence against abortion providers a week before he allegedly shot Dr. Tiller. James W. von Brunn, who allegedly killed a security guard at the Holocaust Museum, has his own white supremacy website and is a convicted felon (he stormed the Federal Reserve Bank in 1981).
Why is it so easy for domestic terrorists to get hold of guns?
Here's one way to make it harder. The Brady Bill requires criminal background checks before the purchasing of guns. But there's a tremendous loophole for gun shows and similar events — a loophole that criminals know only too well how to exploit.
Currently, there's a bill in Congress to close this loophole — H.R. 2234, "To require criminal background checks on all firearms transactions occurring at gun shows." We need this law to reduce future attacks like those on Dr. Tiller and at the Holocaust Museum, but it won't go anywhere without significant support in Congress — and right now it has only seven sponsors.
Click here to tell Rep. Bright to co-sponsor H.R. 2234. We need swift action to keep criminals from getting more guns.
Thank you for working to build a safer world.
Kate Stayman-London, Campaign Manager
CREDO Action from Working Assets
P.S. If you're on Facebook, please help us spread the word on this important action by posting it to your profile. Just make sure you're logged in when you sign the petition, and click "Tell my Facebook friends about this petition!" to post it to your feed.
Racism, the Law, and Class Privilege
Reading an article in the local paper about a homicide/assault case that involved a boating accident, I started to think about what was being implied in the case being presented before the public(through the article) and the rhetoric, if you will, behind the legislation involved. Firstly, I noticed that some prominent society names were involved-Tatum, Cumbie... these are people with some social standing in the South(at least in this region). That led me to considering, as I read further in this article, how this case,and more pertinently the defendant, was being handled. So, apparently one person died instantly in the boat collision, caused by one Mr. Cumbie who was driving a boat while intoxicated and crashed it into a boat belonging to the Tatums (said victims). The other person suffered in the hospital, unconscious, until she died several moths later. What the prosecutors have chosen to do in this case was to charge Mr. Cumbie with homicide by vessel-which carries a sentence of 1-5 years in prison and in the second case, charge him with second-degree assault, which carries a sentence of 1-10 years. The prosecutors decided to only pursue the second degree assault charge. The first question that burdened me was why would they pursue a less severe sentence in the second charge? Is this due to this person's class status? If he were black, I have no doubt that the book would have been brought down on him harshly. The second question that burdens me is, why does the "crime" or homocide-by-vessel only carry a sentence of 1-5 years? Is the person no less dead? Is this not a homicide--at least in the second degree? Might the reasoning for this be perhaps that the people who most likely would be found in these types of predicaments come from certain backgrounds with certain class standings...It is always interesting, and really pertinent to think about these things. It is definitely something to ponder....
Monday, June 08, 2009
In the midst of doing some research about my uncle's presence in Autauga County, Alabama, I ran upon this newspaper clipping concerning Stokley Carmichael's visit to Prattville Alabama. Look at the web image of it here
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Dr. George Tiller
I am just now getting around to responding to the murder of Dr. George Tiller. What an egregious act. The very people who are anti-choice are the very one's who will burst hell wide open for their inhumanity....lessons to be learned....
Thursday, May 28, 2009
RIP Ronald Takaki
I am shocked and saddened, having just learned of the death of Ronald Takaki. What a great and brilliant man. What a progressive voice. He was one of the firmest apponents to the effort to end affirmative action in California. He was also one of the most brilliant and profound scholars in the field of ethnic studies. What a loss... Here is the posting from Portside...
Professor Emeritus Ronald Takaki passed away on the evening of May
26th, 2009. Ron Takaki was one of the most preeminent scholars of
our nation's diversity, and considered "the father" of multicultural
studies. As an academic, historian, ethnographer and author, his work
helped dispel stereotypes of Asian Americans. In his study of
multicultural people's history in America, Takaki seeked to unite
Americans, today and in the future, with each other and with the rest
of the world.
He was a professor of Ethnic Studies at the University of California,
Berkeley, where he taught over 20,000 students during 34 years of teaching.
Born in 1939, Professor Takaki was the grandson of immigrant Japanese
plantation workers in Hawaii. He graduated from the College of
Wooster, Ohio, in 1961. Six years later, after receiving his Ph.D. in
American history from UC Berkeley, Takaki went to UCLA to teach its
first Black history course.
In 1972, Professor Takaki returned to Berkeley to teach in the newly
instituted Department of Ethnic Studies. His comparative approach to
the study of race and ethnicity provided the conceptual framework for
the B.A. program and the Ph.D. program in Comparative Ethnic Studies
as well as for the university's multicultural requirement for
graduation, known as the American Cultures Requirement. The Berkeley
faculty has honored Professor Takaki with a Distinguished Teaching Award.
Takaki has lectured in Japan, Russia, Armenia, New Zealand, the
Netherlands, Austria, and South Africa. He has debated Nathan Glazer
and Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. on issues such as affirmative action and
multicultural education.
Professor Takaki wrote 12 books. Iron Cages: Race and Culture in 19th
Century America has been critically acclaimed. Strangers from a
Different Shore: A History of Asian Americans has been selected by
the San Francisco Chronicle as one of the best 100 non-fiction books
of the 20th century, and A Different Mirror: A History of
Multicultural America is read on college campuses across the country
and has over half a million copies in print.
--30--
Professor Emeritus Ronald Takaki passed away on the evening of May
26th, 2009. Ron Takaki was one of the most preeminent scholars of
our nation's diversity, and considered "the father" of multicultural
studies. As an academic, historian, ethnographer and author, his work
helped dispel stereotypes of Asian Americans. In his study of
multicultural people's history in America, Takaki seeked to unite
Americans, today and in the future, with each other and with the rest
of the world.
He was a professor of Ethnic Studies at the University of California,
Berkeley, where he taught over 20,000 students during 34 years of teaching.
Born in 1939, Professor Takaki was the grandson of immigrant Japanese
plantation workers in Hawaii. He graduated from the College of
Wooster, Ohio, in 1961. Six years later, after receiving his Ph.D. in
American history from UC Berkeley, Takaki went to UCLA to teach its
first Black history course.
In 1972, Professor Takaki returned to Berkeley to teach in the newly
instituted Department of Ethnic Studies. His comparative approach to
the study of race and ethnicity provided the conceptual framework for
the B.A. program and the Ph.D. program in Comparative Ethnic Studies
as well as for the university's multicultural requirement for
graduation, known as the American Cultures Requirement. The Berkeley
faculty has honored Professor Takaki with a Distinguished Teaching Award.
Takaki has lectured in Japan, Russia, Armenia, New Zealand, the
Netherlands, Austria, and South Africa. He has debated Nathan Glazer
and Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. on issues such as affirmative action and
multicultural education.
Professor Takaki wrote 12 books. Iron Cages: Race and Culture in 19th
Century America has been critically acclaimed. Strangers from a
Different Shore: A History of Asian Americans has been selected by
the San Francisco Chronicle as one of the best 100 non-fiction books
of the 20th century, and A Different Mirror: A History of
Multicultural America is read on college campuses across the country
and has over half a million copies in print.
--30--
I am reading Shirley MacLaine's Going Within, which I have picked through off and on for a few months now. I am very fascinated by the concept of frequencies. Shirley says that if Pianos played at a higher frequency, they would produce colors instead of sound....I wonder if someone could perhaps compose a symphony that correlates to the frequencies of colors...a red symphony... The universe is a complex, wondrous place....
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Sonia Sotomayor
I am looking forward to learning more about President Obama's Supreme Court nominee. I hope she is another Ruth Bader Ginsberg!
From Salt Publishing
Hello, All,
Many of you have done this already. As I'm sure you've heard, Salt Publishing (like many other small publishers) is having financial difficulties. Would you please consider adding something about Salt's "Just One Book" campaign to your blogs. If everyone who loves poetry buys just one Salt book, they'll be saved.
Here's the note directly from Chris Hamilton-Emery:
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
As many of you will know, Jen and I have been struggling to keep Salt moving since June last year when the economic downturn began to affect our press. Our three year funding ends this year: we've £4,000 due from Arts Council England in a final payment, but cannot apply through Grants for the Arts for further funding for Salt's operations. Spring sales were down nearly 80% on the previous year, and despite April's much improved trading, the past twelve months has left us with a budget deficit of over £55,000. It's proving to be a very big hole and we're having to take some drastic measures to save our business.
Here's how you can help us to save Salt and all our work with hundreds of authors around the world.
JUST ONE BOOK
1. Please buy just one book, right now. We don't mind from where, you can buy it from us or from Amazon, your local shop or megastore, online or offline. If you buy just one book now, you'll help to save Salt. Timing is absolutely everything here. We need cash now to stay afloat. If you love literature, help keep it alive. All it takes is just one book sale. Go to our online store and help us keep going.
2. Share this note on your profile. Tell your friends. If we can spread the word about our cash crisis, we can hopefully find more sales and save our literary publishing. Remember it's just one book, that's all it takes to save us. Please do it now.
With my best wishes to everyone
Chris
Director
Salt Publishing
http://www.saltpublishing..com
--
Thanks so much!
Shaindel
http://www.saltpublishing.com/books/smp/9781844715053.htm
Many of you have done this already. As I'm sure you've heard, Salt Publishing (like many other small publishers) is having financial difficulties. Would you please consider adding something about Salt's "Just One Book" campaign to your blogs. If everyone who loves poetry buys just one Salt book, they'll be saved.
Here's the note directly from Chris Hamilton-Emery:
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
As many of you will know, Jen and I have been struggling to keep Salt moving since June last year when the economic downturn began to affect our press. Our three year funding ends this year: we've £4,000 due from Arts Council England in a final payment, but cannot apply through Grants for the Arts for further funding for Salt's operations. Spring sales were down nearly 80% on the previous year, and despite April's much improved trading, the past twelve months has left us with a budget deficit of over £55,000. It's proving to be a very big hole and we're having to take some drastic measures to save our business.
Here's how you can help us to save Salt and all our work with hundreds of authors around the world.
JUST ONE BOOK
1. Please buy just one book, right now. We don't mind from where, you can buy it from us or from Amazon, your local shop or megastore, online or offline. If you buy just one book now, you'll help to save Salt. Timing is absolutely everything here. We need cash now to stay afloat. If you love literature, help keep it alive. All it takes is just one book sale. Go to our online store and help us keep going.
2. Share this note on your profile. Tell your friends. If we can spread the word about our cash crisis, we can hopefully find more sales and save our literary publishing. Remember it's just one book, that's all it takes to save us. Please do it now.
With my best wishes to everyone
Chris
Director
Salt Publishing
http://www.saltpublishing..com
--
Thanks so much!
Shaindel
http://www.saltpublishing.com/books/smp/9781844715053.htm
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
The Kitchen Table on Torture Photos and Emmett Till
I encourage everyone to pop over to The Kitcken Table and read the very succinct essay on Obama's decision concerning releasing the photos of prisoners being tortured and how it related to Mamie Till's decision to have Emmett Till's body photographed. Very powerful comparison.
Don't let Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue execute Troy
Despite a strong claim of innocence, Troy Davis, an
African-American man from Georgia, faces execution for
purportedly killing a police officer.
Seven out of nine witnesses have recanted or
contradicted their testimony, no murder weapon was
found, and no physical evidence links Davis to the
crime. The Georgia Board of Pardon and Paroles has
voted to deny clemency, yet Governor Sonny Perdue can
still exercise leadership to ensure that Troy Davis's
death sentence is commuted.
Please sign the petition asking him to support clemency
for Davis. The Georgia State Conference of the NAACP,
which has been a leader in the fight for Troy Davis,
will deliver the petition to the governor to ensure
your voice is heard.
The case of Troy Davis highlights the need for criminal
justice reform in the United States. The NAACP, with
its long and accomplished history of promoting civil
rights, is on the forefront of a movement to
revolutionize the criminal justice system.
More than 60% of the people in prison are people of
color. For Black males in their twenties, 1 in every 8
is in prison or jail on any given day. These trends
have been intensified by the disproportionate impact of
the "war on drugs," in which three-fourths of all
persons in prison for drug offenses are people of
color. The most extreme end of the criminal justice
system, the implementation of the death penalty, is no
exception: currently, more than 41% of those on death
row are Black. We must fight for change.
Please help us fight for the rights -- and life -- of
Troy Davis today.
Here are some facts about Davis's case:
Davis was sentenced to death for the murder of Police
Officer Mark Allen MacPhail at a Burger King in
Savannah, Georgia, a murder he maintains he did not
commit. There was no physical evidence against him and
the weapon used in the crime was never found. The case
against him consisted entirely of witness testimony
which contained inconsistencies even at the time of the
trial. Since then, all but two of the state's non-
police witnesses from the trial have recanted or
contradicted their testimony. Many of these witnesses
have stated in sworn affidavits that they were
pressured or coerced by police into testifying or
signing statements against Troy Davis.
One of the two witnesses who has not recanted his
testimony is Sylvester "Red" Coles -- the principle
alternative suspect, according to the defense, against
whom there is new evidence implicating him as the
gunman. Nine individuals have signed affidavits
implicating Sylvester Coles.
Please urge Georgia Gov. Perdue to commute Davis's
sentence and bring justice to this case by signing our
petition today.
The case of Troy Davis highlights the need for criminal
justice reform in the United States.
Please help us fight for the rights -- and life -- of
Troy Davis today by signing the petition below, asking
Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue to act on behalf of
justice and commute Troy Davis's death sentence.
Benjamin Todd Jealous President and CEO NAACP
====
click below to send e-petition
====
I urge you to commute the death sentence of Troy Davis
to ensure that Georgia does not put to death a man who
may well be innocent.
Mr. Davis has a strong claim to innocence, but he could
be executed without a court ever holding a hearing on
his claims. Because of this, I urge you to act in the
interests of justice and support clemency for Troy
Davis. An execution without a proper hearing on
significant evidence of innocence would compromise the
integrity of Georgia's justice system.
As you may know, Mr. Davis was convicted of the 1989
murder of police officer Mark MacPhail, a conviction
based solely on witness testimony. Seven of the nine
non-police witnesses have recanted or contradicted
their trial testimony. The courts, citing procedural
rules and time limits, have so far refused to hold an
evidentiary hearing to examine these witnesses.
Executive clemency exists, and executive action - and
your leadership - is required to preserve justice when
the protections afforded by our appeals process fail to
do so.
Thank you for your attention.
_____________________________________________
Portside aims to provide material of interest
to people on the left that will help them to
interpret the world and to change it.
Submit via email: moderator@portside.org
Submit via the Web: portside.org/submit
Frequently asked questions: portside.org/faq
Subscribe: portside.org/subscribe
Unsubscribe: portside.org/unsubscribe
Account assistance: portside.org/contact
Search the archives: portside.org/archive
African-American man from Georgia, faces execution for
purportedly killing a police officer.
Seven out of nine witnesses have recanted or
contradicted their testimony, no murder weapon was
found, and no physical evidence links Davis to the
crime. The Georgia Board of Pardon and Paroles has
voted to deny clemency, yet Governor Sonny Perdue can
still exercise leadership to ensure that Troy Davis's
death sentence is commuted.
Please sign the petition asking him to support clemency
for Davis. The Georgia State Conference of the NAACP,
which has been a leader in the fight for Troy Davis,
will deliver the petition to the governor to ensure
your voice is heard.
The case of Troy Davis highlights the need for criminal
justice reform in the United States. The NAACP, with
its long and accomplished history of promoting civil
rights, is on the forefront of a movement to
revolutionize the criminal justice system.
More than 60% of the people in prison are people of
color. For Black males in their twenties, 1 in every 8
is in prison or jail on any given day. These trends
have been intensified by the disproportionate impact of
the "war on drugs," in which three-fourths of all
persons in prison for drug offenses are people of
color. The most extreme end of the criminal justice
system, the implementation of the death penalty, is no
exception: currently, more than 41% of those on death
row are Black. We must fight for change.
Please help us fight for the rights -- and life -- of
Troy Davis today.
Here are some facts about Davis's case:
Davis was sentenced to death for the murder of Police
Officer Mark Allen MacPhail at a Burger King in
Savannah, Georgia, a murder he maintains he did not
commit. There was no physical evidence against him and
the weapon used in the crime was never found. The case
against him consisted entirely of witness testimony
which contained inconsistencies even at the time of the
trial. Since then, all but two of the state's non-
police witnesses from the trial have recanted or
contradicted their testimony. Many of these witnesses
have stated in sworn affidavits that they were
pressured or coerced by police into testifying or
signing statements against Troy Davis.
One of the two witnesses who has not recanted his
testimony is Sylvester "Red" Coles -- the principle
alternative suspect, according to the defense, against
whom there is new evidence implicating him as the
gunman. Nine individuals have signed affidavits
implicating Sylvester Coles.
Please urge Georgia Gov. Perdue to commute Davis's
sentence and bring justice to this case by signing our
petition today.
The case of Troy Davis highlights the need for criminal
justice reform in the United States.
Please help us fight for the rights -- and life -- of
Troy Davis today by signing the petition below, asking
Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue to act on behalf of
justice and commute Troy Davis's death sentence.
Benjamin Todd Jealous President and CEO NAACP
====
click below to send e-petition
====
I urge you to commute the death sentence of Troy Davis
to ensure that Georgia does not put to death a man who
may well be innocent.
Mr. Davis has a strong claim to innocence, but he could
be executed without a court ever holding a hearing on
his claims. Because of this, I urge you to act in the
interests of justice and support clemency for Troy
Davis. An execution without a proper hearing on
significant evidence of innocence would compromise the
integrity of Georgia's justice system.
As you may know, Mr. Davis was convicted of the 1989
murder of police officer Mark MacPhail, a conviction
based solely on witness testimony. Seven of the nine
non-police witnesses have recanted or contradicted
their trial testimony. The courts, citing procedural
rules and time limits, have so far refused to hold an
evidentiary hearing to examine these witnesses.
Executive clemency exists, and executive action - and
your leadership - is required to preserve justice when
the protections afforded by our appeals process fail to
do so.
Thank you for your attention.
_____________________________________________
Portside aims to provide material of interest
to people on the left that will help them to
interpret the world and to change it.
Submit via email: moderator@portside.org
Submit via the Web: portside.org/submit
Frequently asked questions: portside.org/faq
Subscribe: portside.org/subscribe
Unsubscribe: portside.org/unsubscribe
Account assistance: portside.org/contact
Search the archives: portside.org/archive
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Where Love Begins- Patti Labelle
Talkin bout love
sing it sing it Patti
Love love love love
What I'm talkin' bout
Talk about it Patti
Everybody's lookin' for somethin
somethin
An answer to believe in
Come on and talk about it
Don't nobody trust what they're feelin'
Ain't nothin' like the real thing
I've lived and I've learned
from every ruse, every burn
to follow my heart
with every road, every turn
That's why i'm free as a bird
as wild as the wind
Cruisin' up high
I've got my faith on my wings
there's no lookin back
I'm forgivin' my sins
the truth is my song
and it comes deep from within
cause that's where love begins
yes it does
yeah yes it does
Everybody's waitin' for tomorrow
to do what they could do today
do what they could do today
one feels that holdin' onto sorrow
the past keeps gettin' in your way
See I've lived and learned
a bit of wisdom I've earned
there's a place in your soul
where you can always return
That's why i'm free as a bird
as wild as the wind
Cruisin' up high
I've got my faith on my wings
there's no lookin back
I'm forgivin' my sins
the truth is my song
and it comes deep from within
because that's where love begins
I sing it loud
so proud
strong
wherever I go
to the day this Patti's gone
The voice in my heart won't leave me alone
That's why I'll keep on
keep on
holdin' on
Free as a bird
free as a bird
wild as the wind
as wild as the wind
Cruisin' up high
I've got my faith on my wings
there's no lookin back
I'm forgivin' my sins
the truth is my song
and it comes deep from within
because that's where love begins
I'm free as the wind
Up high
I got faith on my wings
There's no lookin back
I'm forgiven my sins
truth is my song
because that's where love begins
Yeah.
sing it sing it Patti
Love love love love
What I'm talkin' bout
Talk about it Patti
Everybody's lookin' for somethin
somethin
An answer to believe in
Come on and talk about it
Don't nobody trust what they're feelin'
Ain't nothin' like the real thing
I've lived and I've learned
from every ruse, every burn
to follow my heart
with every road, every turn
That's why i'm free as a bird
as wild as the wind
Cruisin' up high
I've got my faith on my wings
there's no lookin back
I'm forgivin' my sins
the truth is my song
and it comes deep from within
cause that's where love begins
yes it does
yeah yes it does
Everybody's waitin' for tomorrow
to do what they could do today
do what they could do today
one feels that holdin' onto sorrow
the past keeps gettin' in your way
See I've lived and learned
a bit of wisdom I've earned
there's a place in your soul
where you can always return
That's why i'm free as a bird
as wild as the wind
Cruisin' up high
I've got my faith on my wings
there's no lookin back
I'm forgivin' my sins
the truth is my song
and it comes deep from within
because that's where love begins
I sing it loud
so proud
strong
wherever I go
to the day this Patti's gone
The voice in my heart won't leave me alone
That's why I'll keep on
keep on
holdin' on
Free as a bird
free as a bird
wild as the wind
as wild as the wind
Cruisin' up high
I've got my faith on my wings
there's no lookin back
I'm forgivin' my sins
the truth is my song
and it comes deep from within
because that's where love begins
I'm free as the wind
Up high
I got faith on my wings
There's no lookin back
I'm forgiven my sins
truth is my song
because that's where love begins
Yeah.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Einstein and Zionism
Reclaiming Einstein: New Book Reveals Famed Scientist
as an Opponent of Israel
By Jaisal Noor
>From the May 15, 2009 issue
Countless books and articles have been written about
the life of the great physicist and thinker Albert
Einstein, and since his death in 1955, a near consensus
has existed that Einstein was a staunch supporter of
the state of Israel.
Veteran journalist Fred Jerome uses hundreds of pages
of Einstein's own letters, articles and interviews -
many published for the first time - to refute this
thesis.
It is well known that Einstein, a German Jew, witnessed
European anti-Semitism firsthand and spoke out against
both prejudice and Nazism. These experiences convinced
Einstein to support Zionism and a Jewish homeland.
After gaining immense fame for his scientific
breakthroughs, he was offered the presidency of Israel
in 1952 after the death of the country's first
president, Chaim Weizmann.
In reality, while Einstein was sympathetic to the
Zionist cause, he repeatedly warned that a "narrow
nationalism" may arise if a Jewish-only state was
founded and peaceful co-existence with the Palestinians
was not achieved. Instead, Einstein advocated Cultural
Zionism - the creation of Jewish cultural and
educational centers within a bi-national state with
equal rights for both Arabs and Jews.
When Einstein was offered the Israeli presidency,
Israeli Prime Minister David Ben Gurion stated, "I've
had to offer him the post because it was impossible not
to, but if he accepts we are in for trouble." In a
letter written in the same year, Einstein compared the
Zionists' project with that of the Pilgrims, noting,
"how tyrannical, intolerant and aggressive [they]
became after a short while." And in Einstein's last
media interview, which ran in the New York Post a month
before his death, he stated "We had great hopes for
Israel at first. We thought it might be better than
other nations, but it is no better."
Jerome has authored two previous books about Einstein;
The Einstein File: J. Edgar Hoover's Secret War Against
the World's Most Famous Scientist and Einstein on Race
and Racism, co-authored with Rodger Taylor. These books
are essential to understanding Einstein, a self-
described "revolutionary," who publicly stated that he
would use his fame and celebrity status to bring
attention to the causes important to him. For example,
Einstein on Race and Racism details for the first time
Einstein's 20-year friendship with Paul Robeson. While
the first two books were aimed at filling a large gap
in the knowledge about Einstein's radical beliefs and
political activism, Einstein on Zionism and Israel
seeks to debunk the myth that Einstein was a supporter
of Israel.
In the process, Jerome reveals much about the nature of
mainstream propaganda. Einstein's opposition to Israel
was widely known and reported on during his life. In
fact, the myth of Einstein's support of Israel was born
the day after Einstein's death in his obituary in The
New York Times, which shamelessly wrote that he
"championed" the establishment of the Jewish state.
This contradicted decades of reporting from the "Paper
of Record." Jerome provides some examples, including a
1930 article headlined "Einstein attacks British Zion
Policy," a 1938 article stating Einstein was "Against
Palestine State" and a 1946 article stating Einstein
"Bars Jewish State."
The book ends with a quote from author and intellectual
Gore Vidal, "The only question that really matters:
Why?" Jerome follows with, "Why have we not known?"
The New York Society of Ethical Culture will host a
reception to celebrate the release of Einstein on
Zionism and Israel May 28, 6:30 p.m. 2 West 64th Street
in Manhattan. The event is free.
The Indypendent's Jaisal Noor sat down with author Fred
Jerome to discuss why Albert Einstein is remembered for
his physics and not his politics.
Jaisal Noor: Why did you decide to write this book on
Einstein and his views on Israel and Zionism?
Fred Jerome: When Einstein met Paul Robeson in 1952,
Einstein had just turned down the offer to be president
of Israel. According to Lloyd Brown [who was present at
that meeting] Einstein told Robeson why he had turned
down the invitation: He didn't agree with Israel, with
the nationalism, the establishment of the state of
Israel, and so on. In both my previous books, there was
a brief discussion about Israel. In addition, it is so
clearly one of the central issues of today's world. We
cannot ignore this issue and pretend to be concerned
about the world or people in the world. It seemed
logical to me that if I was going to be concerned about
what was happening in Israel, particularly the Israeli
oppression of the Palestinians .. it would be a logical
step to write more on what Einstein had to say. I
contacted the Einstein Archives in Jerusalem, and they
actually thought it would be a good idea and encouraged
me and said that they could provide information that
probably had never been published before.
JN: You started with the Einstein Archive in Jerusalem
- where else did you go?
FJ: Einstein gave all his papers to the Hebrew
University in Jerusalem because he actually helped to
found the Hebrew University. As a Cultural Zionist, he
was in favor of cultural centers, like universities,
but opposed to a Jewish state or nation. I also tried
to talk to as many people as possible who talked to
Einstein, knew Einstein, who remember Einstein. The
most important was [eminent Egyptian journalist]
Mohammed Heikel in Cairo. I included this interview,
which was certainly never mentioned in any of the more
than 100 books on Einstein.
JN: Could you describe the reaction the press had to
your previous works on Einstein and the reaction you
expect from this one?
FJ: The press's reaction to the first book, The
Einstein File [2002], was one of very significant
interest, maybe because J. Edgar Hoover had fallen out
of favor with the media in the past 20 years. And so
you have a bad guy versus a good guy, Einstein being
the good guy. He had just been named Person of the
Century by Time Magazine in the year 2000 when I was
working on the first book, and I had come up with this
file that no one else had - the entire file. So it was
a combination of new information and kind of a sexy
theme. Then The New York Times devoted a full page of
its science section when the book first came out - that
helped get the book covered by lots of other media
outlets.
When the book Einstein on Race and Racism [2006] came
out, there was virtually no coverage in the mainstream
media. There was some coverage in the Black press,
including the Amsterdam News, some of the websites and
so on. Publisher's Weekly did a review in which they
said that it was a good book, was well written, well
researched, no complaints, no criticisms. Einstein was
a race man, but so what? Six months after the book came
out The New York Times finally did do a review of the
book, a very favorable review of the book, and
published it only in the New Jersey edition, which has
very few readers compared to their other editions.
So the contrast was striking. I think primarily because
the mainstream media in America really don't want to
write about racism in America and certainly don't want
to identify Einstein with an antiracist position. The
other reason the media have ignored this book is that
part of the book is Einstein's friendship with Paul
Robeson and while they finally did put Paul Robeson on
a postage stamp, after much struggle and protest,
clearly the mainstream media and the corporate
interests they represent are still afraid of Paul
Robeson's leftism, his socialism, activism, the
resistance to them he represented. Outside of the
mainstream media it has gotten a very positive
reaction. [Co-author] Rodger Taylor and I are still
getting invited to speak, five years after the book was
published, by students and other groups around the
country. But the media reaction was clearly "don't
touch it."
And my anticipation for this book is that most of the
mainstream media will have the same reaction to this
book, because I think that their attitude on Israel-
Palestine for the most part is well over 150 percent
support for Washington's total backing of the Israeli
government. They have been saying in the mainstream
media that Einstein was a big supporter of Israel, and
they have been saying that since the day he died, over
60 years ago. They never said it while he was alive.
_____________________________________________
Portside aims to provide material of interest
to people on the left that will help them to
interpret the world and to change it.
Submit via email: moderator@portside.org
Submit via the Web: portside.org/submit
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as an Opponent of Israel
By Jaisal Noor
>From the May 15, 2009 issue
Countless books and articles have been written about
the life of the great physicist and thinker Albert
Einstein, and since his death in 1955, a near consensus
has existed that Einstein was a staunch supporter of
the state of Israel.
Veteran journalist Fred Jerome uses hundreds of pages
of Einstein's own letters, articles and interviews -
many published for the first time - to refute this
thesis.
It is well known that Einstein, a German Jew, witnessed
European anti-Semitism firsthand and spoke out against
both prejudice and Nazism. These experiences convinced
Einstein to support Zionism and a Jewish homeland.
After gaining immense fame for his scientific
breakthroughs, he was offered the presidency of Israel
in 1952 after the death of the country's first
president, Chaim Weizmann.
In reality, while Einstein was sympathetic to the
Zionist cause, he repeatedly warned that a "narrow
nationalism" may arise if a Jewish-only state was
founded and peaceful co-existence with the Palestinians
was not achieved. Instead, Einstein advocated Cultural
Zionism - the creation of Jewish cultural and
educational centers within a bi-national state with
equal rights for both Arabs and Jews.
When Einstein was offered the Israeli presidency,
Israeli Prime Minister David Ben Gurion stated, "I've
had to offer him the post because it was impossible not
to, but if he accepts we are in for trouble." In a
letter written in the same year, Einstein compared the
Zionists' project with that of the Pilgrims, noting,
"how tyrannical, intolerant and aggressive [they]
became after a short while." And in Einstein's last
media interview, which ran in the New York Post a month
before his death, he stated "We had great hopes for
Israel at first. We thought it might be better than
other nations, but it is no better."
Jerome has authored two previous books about Einstein;
The Einstein File: J. Edgar Hoover's Secret War Against
the World's Most Famous Scientist and Einstein on Race
and Racism, co-authored with Rodger Taylor. These books
are essential to understanding Einstein, a self-
described "revolutionary," who publicly stated that he
would use his fame and celebrity status to bring
attention to the causes important to him. For example,
Einstein on Race and Racism details for the first time
Einstein's 20-year friendship with Paul Robeson. While
the first two books were aimed at filling a large gap
in the knowledge about Einstein's radical beliefs and
political activism, Einstein on Zionism and Israel
seeks to debunk the myth that Einstein was a supporter
of Israel.
In the process, Jerome reveals much about the nature of
mainstream propaganda. Einstein's opposition to Israel
was widely known and reported on during his life. In
fact, the myth of Einstein's support of Israel was born
the day after Einstein's death in his obituary in The
New York Times, which shamelessly wrote that he
"championed" the establishment of the Jewish state.
This contradicted decades of reporting from the "Paper
of Record." Jerome provides some examples, including a
1930 article headlined "Einstein attacks British Zion
Policy," a 1938 article stating Einstein was "Against
Palestine State" and a 1946 article stating Einstein
"Bars Jewish State."
The book ends with a quote from author and intellectual
Gore Vidal, "The only question that really matters:
Why?" Jerome follows with, "Why have we not known?"
The New York Society of Ethical Culture will host a
reception to celebrate the release of Einstein on
Zionism and Israel May 28, 6:30 p.m. 2 West 64th Street
in Manhattan. The event is free.
The Indypendent's Jaisal Noor sat down with author Fred
Jerome to discuss why Albert Einstein is remembered for
his physics and not his politics.
Jaisal Noor: Why did you decide to write this book on
Einstein and his views on Israel and Zionism?
Fred Jerome: When Einstein met Paul Robeson in 1952,
Einstein had just turned down the offer to be president
of Israel. According to Lloyd Brown [who was present at
that meeting] Einstein told Robeson why he had turned
down the invitation: He didn't agree with Israel, with
the nationalism, the establishment of the state of
Israel, and so on. In both my previous books, there was
a brief discussion about Israel. In addition, it is so
clearly one of the central issues of today's world. We
cannot ignore this issue and pretend to be concerned
about the world or people in the world. It seemed
logical to me that if I was going to be concerned about
what was happening in Israel, particularly the Israeli
oppression of the Palestinians .. it would be a logical
step to write more on what Einstein had to say. I
contacted the Einstein Archives in Jerusalem, and they
actually thought it would be a good idea and encouraged
me and said that they could provide information that
probably had never been published before.
JN: You started with the Einstein Archive in Jerusalem
- where else did you go?
FJ: Einstein gave all his papers to the Hebrew
University in Jerusalem because he actually helped to
found the Hebrew University. As a Cultural Zionist, he
was in favor of cultural centers, like universities,
but opposed to a Jewish state or nation. I also tried
to talk to as many people as possible who talked to
Einstein, knew Einstein, who remember Einstein. The
most important was [eminent Egyptian journalist]
Mohammed Heikel in Cairo. I included this interview,
which was certainly never mentioned in any of the more
than 100 books on Einstein.
JN: Could you describe the reaction the press had to
your previous works on Einstein and the reaction you
expect from this one?
FJ: The press's reaction to the first book, The
Einstein File [2002], was one of very significant
interest, maybe because J. Edgar Hoover had fallen out
of favor with the media in the past 20 years. And so
you have a bad guy versus a good guy, Einstein being
the good guy. He had just been named Person of the
Century by Time Magazine in the year 2000 when I was
working on the first book, and I had come up with this
file that no one else had - the entire file. So it was
a combination of new information and kind of a sexy
theme. Then The New York Times devoted a full page of
its science section when the book first came out - that
helped get the book covered by lots of other media
outlets.
When the book Einstein on Race and Racism [2006] came
out, there was virtually no coverage in the mainstream
media. There was some coverage in the Black press,
including the Amsterdam News, some of the websites and
so on. Publisher's Weekly did a review in which they
said that it was a good book, was well written, well
researched, no complaints, no criticisms. Einstein was
a race man, but so what? Six months after the book came
out The New York Times finally did do a review of the
book, a very favorable review of the book, and
published it only in the New Jersey edition, which has
very few readers compared to their other editions.
So the contrast was striking. I think primarily because
the mainstream media in America really don't want to
write about racism in America and certainly don't want
to identify Einstein with an antiracist position. The
other reason the media have ignored this book is that
part of the book is Einstein's friendship with Paul
Robeson and while they finally did put Paul Robeson on
a postage stamp, after much struggle and protest,
clearly the mainstream media and the corporate
interests they represent are still afraid of Paul
Robeson's leftism, his socialism, activism, the
resistance to them he represented. Outside of the
mainstream media it has gotten a very positive
reaction. [Co-author] Rodger Taylor and I are still
getting invited to speak, five years after the book was
published, by students and other groups around the
country. But the media reaction was clearly "don't
touch it."
And my anticipation for this book is that most of the
mainstream media will have the same reaction to this
book, because I think that their attitude on Israel-
Palestine for the most part is well over 150 percent
support for Washington's total backing of the Israeli
government. They have been saying in the mainstream
media that Einstein was a big supporter of Israel, and
they have been saying that since the day he died, over
60 years ago. They never said it while he was alive.
_____________________________________________
Portside aims to provide material of interest
to people on the left that will help them to
interpret the world and to change it.
Submit via email: moderator@portside.org
Submit via the Web: portside.org/submit
Frequently asked questions: portside.org/faq
Subscribe: portside.org/subscribe
Unsubscribe: portside.org/unsubscribe
Account assistance: portside.org/contact
Search the archives: portside.org/archive
Friday, May 08, 2009
Take This Hammer: James Baldwin talks Race, Religion, and Activism
Watch this documentary made in 1963 by James Baldwin concerning the state of the Negro in America.
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