The Shirley Sherrod & The Right-Wing Hate Campaign

I am so angry about what happened to Shirley Sherrod that finding words is very, very hard. Why the fuck are Fox "News" and the right-wing hate mongers running this country?

Shirley Sherrod is the victim of their racism and the impotence of the Obama Administration. Thank God CNN didn't swallow Andrew Breitbart's bullshit whole. This morning, CNN took them on, giving Ms. Sherrod a chance to state her case. Before the interview was over, it was very clear that Ms. Sherrod had been horribly smeared by Andrew Breitbart. No one should ever believe anything that comes from a man who is nothing more than a liar with an agenda. No one should ever believe anything that comes from Fox news or their psycho talking heads. Enough!

Shirley Sherrod MUST be reinstated. She is a good woman who is just about the last person to deserve what has happened to her. If she is not reinstated, the Obama Administration will suffer HUGE losses in terms of voter support. Furthermore, EVERYONE who is a not part of the Fox/right-wing hate campaign MUST start calling them out at every turn. We cannot continue to let them jerk us all around like a bunch of sock puppets.

It's time to get a backbone.

One blogger said it well: Stop running the country on bullshit!

Here is the full video that not only vindicates Ms. Sherrod but proves that she is a good-hearted, moral woman: NCAA Sherrod video.

But "Tea Party" Sounds So Harmless

Today's "Tea Party" in Washington, DC, was sponsored in part by NARLO, The National Association of Rural Landowners. If you are a citizen of the US, you need to know about NARLO and their involvement in the Tea Party movement.

This is from their home page:

"THE SECOND AMERICAN REVOLUTION"
Has just begun. Join it or buy a gun,
because you are going to need it!

Here is one of their videos: The Coming Civil War.

They use the rhetoric we are all so used to by now:

• Obama is a socialist.
• The country is overrun by "illegal aliens" who are going to get free health care and amnesty.
  
• Global climate change is a "fraud."

And some we have not yet heard much about:

• The government is mandating indoctrination into socialism, multiculturalism, and the one-world-order in our schools.
• It's time to put a stop to the "producers" paying for and supporting the "nonproducers" in this country.
  
• The government is lying when it claims this is a democracy.

That's RIGHT! According to NARLO, this is NOT a democracy, not even a democratic republic. They demand that the government "return to a Constitutional Republic" that protects not the rights of citizens but "the rights of states."

Their solution:

• Citizens must rise up against national health care, cap and trade, environmental protections, and all other evils of this socialist government.
  
• Citizens must warn the President and Congress that if the government does not comply with their demands, the result will be disorder and cessation in accordance with the 10th Amendment.
• They are willing to be civil for now, but that willingness will come to an end if their demands are not met.
  
• This will eventually lead to civil war in America "that will tear out it's very heart."
  

"Rest assured," they say, "the coming Civil War will not be like the Civil War of 1861." They warn of mass vigilante violence against individuals, the government, immigrants, and revolts of every sort leading to devastating economic collapse.

These people are serious about destroying America--every bit as serious as Al Qaeda, and they are a hell of a lot closer to home.

Sadly, they are gaining support among the politically naive who have no idea what they are getting into. Groups like this, along with the Republican Party, are manipulating worried, gullible people into joining "the movement."

The leadership of the GOP, television commentators like Glenn Beck, and radio radicals like Limbaugh know exactly what they are doing. I wonder how long they plan to play this dangerous game. They are fooling themselves if they think they can control the mobs they are creating. What they are doing is so irresponsible, so outrageous, so . . . well, you can come up with your own adjectives; there are so many that fit.

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Here are a few pictures with commentary from someone who actually went to today's rally: Teabaggers love their signs, from The D.C. Universe. He's taking all of this much better than I am.

In The Wake of Van Jones: Showing Themselves As They Are

As I said previously . . . like wolves with fresh kill. Now this from Phil Kerpen at FOXNews.com:
it's "one of the most significant things I've ever had the honor of being involved in."

How Van Jones Happened and What We Need to Do Next

I've come across much uglier things about Van Jones, such as one person who was happy that he he'd been "lynched," but I'm not going to provide further links to venomous diatribes. We've seen and heard enough.

Another Victory for Insanity: Van Jones Resigns

A little more than a year ago, I sat a few rows in front of Van Jones as he addressed the 2008 National Conference for Media Reform in Minneapolis. I could not have been more impressed. He was genuine, passionate, dedicated--a good man, a good citizen, doing work that no sane person would criticize. He was working to create green jobs, jobs that are good for the environment, good for the economy, and good for Americans. As Jones says, "One dollar spent to create a green job is the hardest working dollar you can spend."

Hiring Van Jones is one of the best things President Obama did. Sadly, Jones resigned yesterday after attacks from Glenn Beck, Republican legislators, and the right-wing blogosphere.

Maybe Mr. Jones' biggest problem is that he recently called Republicans "assholes." Can you imagine using such nasty language against people who regularly call President Obama a "racist socialist Nazi"? Yes, Jones' use of the word "assholes" apparently proves he is a dangerous man.

Here is an example of the ravings of this man who is being called an "avowed communist":

Video: CSPAN, 5/18/09, Students & Leaders 2009

<<<< >>>>

You know, I learned an amazing lesson growing up: most bullies keep beating on you until you make it abudantly clear that they have made an unwise choice.

I understand why Jones left, and I don't blame him. But the extremist right is celebrating like wolves with fresh kill.

Enough!

Yes, average, civilized Americans like to play nice. But some people do not play by the rules of civil society. I've seen it work time and time again: you must make a bully respect you. Turn the other cheek in the true meaning of that phrase: stand up and call them out.

It's high time.

Olbermann Is Right; I Am Wrong

In my post of August 9, I expressed my outrage with the healthcare 'AstroTurfers,' calling them "some of the stupidest people on the planet." Last night I listened to Keith Olbermann's special comment on the topic. He is also outraged. But in this special comment, he expresses compassion for demonstrators who are truly frightened at the prospect of healthcare reform.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Keith is correct. The right-wing and insurance-industry spin machines should be ashamed for vicitimizing gullible people who are terrified by what they are hearing.

Compassion is always good, and I am trying to tap into my sense of compassion for people who allow themselves to become wrapped up in this nonsense-based hysteria. But I have to ask, what is it about them that leads them to swallow the absurd propaganda?

I'm struggling to find a good answer to that question. Do you suppose it honestly has nothing to do with skin color?

The Right Is Scaring Me

. . . but not in the way they hope. I mean, crazy stuff is happening. Check this out:

The Obama Birthplace Memorial Challenge

These people are fooling somebody--a lot of somebodies--even some people I know. (If you're one of them, please read this from FactCheck.org.)

WTF is going to happen with all these crazies who are disrupting town hall meetings on health care reform? One caller to a radio show suggested today that citizens may need to resort to violence in order to reclaim the freedom to attend these forums without disruption from lunatics.

Actually, many of them are not lunatics. They may not even believe the crap they spout. The are intentionally trying to rob citizens of their right to be informed and be heard. They are quite purposeful in the use of anti-democratic tactics to further an extremist agenda.

What scares me is, where will it end? Some citizens aren't willing to give up what remains of this democratic republic without a fight. We used to be pissed at Bush. Now that he's gone, has the battle simply moved closer to the streets?

And It's About Damn Time

It was the greatest thing I’ve ever seen. Between the announcement on MSNBC and the acceptance speech, I sat alone outside in the dark where thousands of stars were watching the monumental shift on this planet. Something was right in the Universe.

Several months ago, I wrote an unpublished piece called Puttin’ Out The Trash—And It’s About Damn Time on our national dialog about race. It included several comments from callers to talk radio shows, along with my own unspoken responses. My hope was that all the trash people were putting out into the public discourse would eventually lead to some measure of understanding and healing. One call from before the Iowa primary stands out in my mind more than any other:

Caller: I’m a black man, and I will not vote for Barak Obama because he cannot win. White people will not vote for a black man, so why should I waste my vote?
My response: It’s a damn lie; you must get past it. Don’t live that lie.

In the wake of this racially charged election and Barak Obama’s landslide election, I hope we’ve learned some things about our collective myths and our personal lies. Perhaps many of us have learned that we can judge people by the content of their character, not the color of their skin--or their body shape, sexual orientation, social class, citizenship, or any other simplistic and narrow-minded measure. Discerning character is not rocket science; it is revealed by words and actions. And words and actions have revealed much about us in these last few months.

Come what may, many of us are ready to move beyond the ugly past. Some will want to stay behind, and that is their choice. Some are angry and bitter today because the world is challenging their small notion of reality. But the rest of us—thank God—find ourselves in a better place, and we won't stop here.

I regret that my health made it impractical for me to be in Grant Park last night, sharing the cheers, the tears, and the pride with that crowd of beautiful Americans. It was a great, great moment for democracy, the human spirit, and maybe even the Universe.

Amen, Sister!

Recommended reading: A Real Dialogue on Race by Courtney Martin in The American Prospect.

Unity or Division?

Stupidity, ignorance, and resistance to change present one kind of social problem, but blatant racial hatred is a completely different matter. The willingness of so many of us to put our ignorant foot in our mouth seems to have emboldened those who only want to flaunt their hatred. There is no room in our public discourse for those who wish to promote division and racial hatred. No matter how upset we may be with one another or how deeply we may disagree, those of us who intend to weather this storm together ought to find instant and powerful unity the moment we encounter hatred. Such messages ought to meet with sound rebuke or stone-cold silence.

And, lest there be any misunderstanding, I am not talking about the controversy surrounding Rev. Wright and Trinity UCC in Chicago. In all the sound bytes I've heard, I've heard no hatred, nor have I been threatened or offended by Rev. Wright's words. Pat Robertson, Rev. Falwell, and hundreds of other preachers have criticized this country with equally harsh condemnation. Many of Rev. Wright's recent critics are evangelists for the kind of jingoism that took us into Iraq; a jingoism that has damaged this nation and has the power to destroy us. There is nothing OBL can do to us that is so powerful as what we can do to ourselves.

I've said my peace on the firestorm surrounding Senator Obama's skin color. I'm moving on. What will you do, America?

The Great Shift: Racism

Political, social, economic, and religious structures are shifting like the movement of the great tectonic plates. We have a chance right now to make great strides for our country and our world.

The deep and devastating legacy of American racism has risen from a life-sucking undercurrent to a churning surface storm. If we are willing as a people to get in the boat together and ride this storm, we will prevail. We will find ourselves on the other side in a far better place.

Are you ready to move on or are you determined to hold us back? Stay behind if you choose, but move aside for those who are coming through.

A Whole Lotta Racism

I'm weary of hearing people argue about Barak Obama's skin color. This morning, I found myself yelling at the TV, "What is wrong with all you pinheads? Why is everyone so obsessed?" Then I realized.

IT’S 2008
AND A BLACK MAN COULD BE PRESIDENT

Every radio and TV broadcasts the incessant voices of
People of every color and political persuasion
Saying stunningly inane and ignorant things
About the color of his skin
And what they think it means.

Suddenly, we are hemorrhaging racism,
Like puss bursting from a quarter million wounds.

OK, then.
Let's get it out.
I'll show you mine, if you show me yours.

Slop it on the walls.
Fling it on the ceiling.
Dig it out from the corners
Where we tried to hide it for a dozen lifetimes.
Go ahead,
Stomp around and slip and slide in
It.

Get it in your hair and on your face and up your nose.
Pay no mind if it stinks and stains your clothes.
Let’s get it out there in the air for everyone to see and feel.

Maybe then
We heal.