Friday, July 18, 2008
Above the Law?
Why isn't Karl Rove arrested for contempt of Congress?
Labels: Rove
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Hearing on Impeachable Offenses
FYI--Step One: 35 Articles of Impeachment are scheduled to be before the Judiciary Committee.
While no public announcement of impeachment hearings has been issued by the Judiciary Committee, Chairman Conyers has notified Veterans for Peace that they will begin hearings on Impeachable Offenses at 10 am on July 25 in the Rayburn Office Building. The National Impeachment Network is organizing a rally a the Rayburn Office Building on the Independence Av. side, to begin at 9 am on July 25.
See http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/34804go
To read the articles of impeachment before the committee go to: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/busharticles
If you want to read historic articles of impeachment (Jackson,Nixon, Clinton) go to:http://www.lib.auburn.edu/madd/docs/impeach.html
While no public announcement of impeachment hearings has been issued by the Judiciary Committee, Chairman Conyers has notified Veterans for Peace that they will begin hearings on Impeachable Offenses at 10 am on July 25 in the Rayburn Office Building. The National Impeachment Network is organizing a rally a the Rayburn Office Building on the Independence Av. side, to begin at 9 am on July 25.
See http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/34804go
To read the articles of impeachment before the committee go to: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/busharticles
If you want to read historic articles of impeachment (Jackson,Nixon, Clinton) go to:http://www.lib.auburn.edu/madd/docs/impeach.html
Labels: Articles of Impeachment
Friday, July 11, 2008
Sexism in the Media
Clip from Soundbites to Solutions:Bias, Punditry and the Press in the 2008 Election --the Women's Media Center June 17th conference:
http://www.womensmediacenter.com/soundbites.html
http://www.womensmediacenter.com/soundbites.html
Friday, July 04, 2008
Helms
Jesse Helms iconic bigot, racist, homophobe and misogynist died July 4th. While he is being remembered by some as a true patriot --and much will be made of the fact that he died on Independence Day--same as Thomas Jefferson and John Adams.
I say: Yes, it is OUR Independence Day from his bigotry, racism, homophobia and misogyny!
See http://www.truthout.org/article/jesse-helms-isolationist-who-targeted-tehran-dies.
I say: Yes, it is OUR Independence Day from his bigotry, racism, homophobia and misogyny!
See http://www.truthout.org/article/jesse-helms-isolationist-who-targeted-tehran-dies.
Independence Day
July 4th--our national holiday marking the signing of the Declaration of Independence. We all should take some time and read that document and our constitution.
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/index.htm
http://www.constitution.org/constit_.htm
Realizing as we read both our founders were trying to implement this new idea of a modern liberal democratic state where citizens were free and had rights. Citizens were "rational" male, property owners, over the age of majority--slaves were counted as 4/5th a person and white women were counted as full persons for representation purposes only.
We have expanded the enfranchisement of citizenship--all the rights and responsibilities afforded to citizens --3 times over the course of our history--to include black men, women and to give 18-21 year olds the right to vote.
But that does not mean that everyone is equal, or even treated as equal--we have public policies that impinge and entrench people in a second-class citizenship because they do not hit all the markers of our hegemonic norm; white, male, property-owning, Christian, heterosexual.
Plus, we have traded much of our constitution away for so-called "national security" --The U.S. Patriot Act, The Military Commissions Act . . .
Today, we need to reflect on all of this and what this liberal democratic republic means--not just for ourselves but for the entire nation.
In my humble opinion if we want a productive citizenry we need to be educating them to be critical thinkers able to problem solve; we need a healthy citizenry able to go to work to be productive; we need to respect the rights and needs of citizens over the rights and needs of corporations; we all need to earn living wages so we can live and save to achieve the American Dream . . . Unfortunately, we have been living with an administration--all 3 federal branches-- regime that has implemented the Leave No Child Behind Act, that could hardly increase the minimum wage, yet pays themselves handsomely (though not as handsomely as corporate CEOs); and one that rewards corporations and punishes individuals.
We, the citizens, need to hold our elected and appointed officials accountable and responsible. We need to take back the spirit of our founding documents and act on them. We need to be true patriots and reclaim our country!
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/index.htm
http://www.constitution.org/constit_.htm
Realizing as we read both our founders were trying to implement this new idea of a modern liberal democratic state where citizens were free and had rights. Citizens were "rational" male, property owners, over the age of majority--slaves were counted as 4/5th a person and white women were counted as full persons for representation purposes only.
We have expanded the enfranchisement of citizenship--all the rights and responsibilities afforded to citizens --3 times over the course of our history--to include black men, women and to give 18-21 year olds the right to vote.
But that does not mean that everyone is equal, or even treated as equal--we have public policies that impinge and entrench people in a second-class citizenship because they do not hit all the markers of our hegemonic norm; white, male, property-owning, Christian, heterosexual.
Plus, we have traded much of our constitution away for so-called "national security" --The U.S. Patriot Act, The Military Commissions Act . . .
Today, we need to reflect on all of this and what this liberal democratic republic means--not just for ourselves but for the entire nation.
In my humble opinion if we want a productive citizenry we need to be educating them to be critical thinkers able to problem solve; we need a healthy citizenry able to go to work to be productive; we need to respect the rights and needs of citizens over the rights and needs of corporations; we all need to earn living wages so we can live and save to achieve the American Dream . . . Unfortunately, we have been living with an administration--all 3 federal branches-- regime that has implemented the Leave No Child Behind Act, that could hardly increase the minimum wage, yet pays themselves handsomely (though not as handsomely as corporate CEOs); and one that rewards corporations and punishes individuals.
We, the citizens, need to hold our elected and appointed officials accountable and responsible. We need to take back the spirit of our founding documents and act on them. We need to be true patriots and reclaim our country!
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Truth & this Administration's M.O.
This administration has been following the practice of saying whatever they believe to be the truth, and thinking that saying it often will make it the truth--or at least believed by most--including the Vice President ( just review Cheney's statements regarding why we went to Iraq).
Finally they are being called on this practice: a 3 judge panel from the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia circuit found that the argument made by the administration for declaring a detainee an "enemy combatant" was based on the "fact" that the accusations must be true because they were repeated in 3 secret documents.
See http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/washington/01gitmo.html?_r=1&ref=us&oref=slogin
Finally they are being called on this practice: a 3 judge panel from the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia circuit found that the argument made by the administration for declaring a detainee an "enemy combatant" was based on the "fact" that the accusations must be true because they were repeated in 3 secret documents.
See http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/washington/01gitmo.html?_r=1&ref=us&oref=slogin
Labels: enemy combatants, Truth
