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"This is a people as pirates, and we are stealing back the truth..." - Alix Olson
"Truth is ammunition" - Pamela Means
This page is dedicated to Audre Lorde and bell hooks, whose works informed my life and changed the direction of my art...
I am myself a biracial queer american female using my voice and guitar in the fight for social change and revolution. Martin Luther King, Jr. called us to action, saying "freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed." A generation later, Audre Lorde reminded us that "...to survive in the mouth of this dragon we call america, we have had to learn this first and most vital lesson - that we were never meant to survive." And the wisdom of bell hooks explains that "living as we do in a white-supremacist capitalist patriarchal context that can best exploit us when we lack a firm grounding in self and identity (knowledge of who we are and where we have come from), choosing "wellness" is an act of political resistance."
Audre Lorde has been a particular inspiration for me. She was a Black-woman-lesbian-mother-warrior-poet who dared to speak the truth in a society that prefers to remain insulated in ignorance, blindness and indifference. A society that chooses to overlook, underplay or simply ignore the reality of inequality and those forces (seen and unseen) that perpetuate inequality and maintain a system of oppression. Audre defined courage as the ability to do what you must do and say what you must say despite the fear in doing so. And she also said we must "each find our work and do it". This is my goal in songwriting.
February 16th, 2004
Sunday, April 25, 2004
The time is right for a public demonstration of historic size in support of abortion rights and reproductive freedom for all women. Our rights are under attack as they haven't been in over a decade, and Roe v. Wade hangs by a thread in the Supreme Court. You can help build the momentum we need to preserve our rights. Please join us to March for Women's Lives. Learn more:
www.marchforwomen.org
REGISTER FOR THE MARCH FOR WOMEN'S LIVES AT:
www.ppaction.org/ct/q7z07wS12aWv/March-website/
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July 17th, 2003
Hello friends,
We have much work to do. Namely, preventing a re-occupation of the 'White House' by one unoffically elected, officially selected, small size swaggering shrub. Replacing all Strom Thurmond and Trent Lott disciples on Capitol Hill with a few more Eleanor Holmes Norton and Russ Feingold folk is an incredibly important task. For these are the people who decide what legislation to pursue and what to filibuster.
Did you ever wonder who your state (or local) representatives were in the first place? Did you ever wonder how they vote(d) on issues, particularly, ones that affect YOU? Were you ever curious about who bends the ear of your representative with the most corporate campaign contributions?
Here is an excellent website to find out all the public information that most of us never really think about, much less realize we have access to. Truth is ammunition. Be informed.
Created out of a reaction to the increase in government awareness of citizen activity, this site is a resource to increase citizen awareness of government activity.
http://opengov.media.mit.edu
# # #
November 6th, 2002
THE MORNING AFTER
A sad, sad day. High winds and heavy rain in Boston reflect the gloom of today's national mid-term election results. 29 out of 50 governorships across America were up for grabs, as were nearly all the seats in the House of Representatives and most seats in the United States Senate. Results? Republicans in the Senate became the majority with 50 seats and (ex-male chearleader) Trent Lott as the new Senate Majority Leader. (He has already vowed to speed up passage of George Bush's conservative judicial nominees). And Republicans in the House expand their majority; creating, along with the White House, a Republican flush.
Here at the homefront, I am stunned, saddened, angered, and worried that there now exists a "Governor-elect Mitt Romney". Shannon O'Brien was no diamond in the rough, but she definitely would have been more progressive than Senor Romney. A Jill Stein/Green Party victory would have been tremendous. Hopefully, the day is not too distant when Americans will elect Green Party candidates to powerful positions and direct all crooked cronies of both Democrat and Republican teams to take a long walk off a short pier. The fight goes on. One thing is certain, however, Mitt Romney will be no friend to anyone outside of the straight white money belt status quo.
How did this happen? How could it have happened? Massachussetts is 85% Democrat. Yet, "we" elected a Republican. Mitt has already said his first task will be to trim the budget. Hmmm, which areas will be trimmed first. He is in support of the English Immersion program. This was Question 2 on the Massachusetts state ballot. I believe the wording of the question was designed to confuse voters into thinking a "Yes" vote to "changing the system" would benefit non-english speaking students. On the contrary, it will force non-english speaking students to assimilate into school (and society) without a bridge for understanding (that being their native language used to explain english and the subjects they are studying). They will be in classrooms where only english is allowed, and teachers can be sued if they dare speak the native language of the student, in the process of trying to help the child excel. But, hey, Mitt doesn't support everything. In fact, he said "I don't support gay marriage. Call me old-fashioned, but I believe marriage should be between a husband and wife of opposite genders." Call me queer, but that sounds like plain old homophobia to me.
And shame on America. Here was an opportunity, in the eyes of the world, to send a message to George W. Bush, saying we don't want your war, we don't want your rollbacks on clean air, and clean energy, and deforestation. We don't agree with your pullout of the Kyoto treaty or your arrogant exit from the International Conference on Racism. Instead, "we the people" patted him on the back and essentially validated the phony election that placed him in the oval office in the first place. Voters in the country also gave George renewed confidence to swagger into the sacred halls of the U.N. and say 'Your Irrelevancies, I'll take care of Saddam' and bombs away.
If you were eligible but did not register to vote, shame on you. If you were registered and still didn't vote, lame. lame. lame. The Republican Party swept everything because they (just like the Democrats) went out there and pounded the pavement and shook hands and spent tons of money (Dick Cheney raised a cool $20 million in the last 10 weeks alone). They banded together and got out the vote. The Republicans won all those seats in Congress and all those governorships because Republicans, with more consistency than Democrats, actually go out and vote.
I believe there are more people in this country who (would) vote Democrat or Green than those who vote Republican. But the numbers this morning certainly do not reflect that. I understand the apathy. Why should anyone outside the status quo believe their vote counts. It hasn't counted for anything thus far. Figuratively or literally. Especially if you are a registered Florida voter, and your skin is brown or your name resembles that of a convicted felon. Or if you are a resident of Washington D.C., which is not a recognized state, and therefore its residents, who are mostly black, have no right to vote. Why should you have faith in a system that shows blatant disdain and disregard for you. In the real world, social security is dwindling, pensions are non-existent, welfare to work programs force parents to spend more time at a $5-10/hr job than at home parenting, the homeless population is growing (and fast), and the gap between rich and poor continues to divide and conquer. If you've got 3 homes and a yacht, you probably aren't feeling this pain. But, if you need 3 jobs to raise 3 kids in an apartment, you feel it every moment. I think more Americans relate to the latter. And, I think many Americans are disillusioned, disgusted, apathetic and feeling out of the loop. And, that's exactly what the minority in power wants. They want to stay in power unchallenged by the masses who suffer the consequences of their selfish misdeeds and non-actions.
This is precisely why it is of utmost importance for the masses to stand up, take notice and take action. We are no more oppressed than we allow ourselves to be. Dormant voters arise! There are millions of dissatisfied voices in America, and we can make a whole lot of noise if we want to. It takes motivation and mobilization. Remember, the Bush Administration stalled and had to search for new tactics to sell the war on Iraq when anti-war rallies picked up steam. So, hitting the streets and making noise does work. Let's do more of it. And more and more and more until this disastrous machine finally stops.
# # #
October 28th, 2002
NO MORE WAR
The Bush Administration is feeling the pressure of domestic and international resistance to its long term plan of global domination. But, this business of unilateral action is illegal. The Bush administration is disregarding the authority of the United Nations and the Nuremberg Charter, which forbids a preemptive strike, unless a country is under attack or an attack is imminent. The Nuremberg Charter was created because Hitler preemptively attacked at will and to do so is (obviously) wrong. Such illegalities are impeachable offenses.
"For the sake of peace...I'm a peaceful man...for the sake of peace...if the U.N. doesn't act the U.S. will..." This is the latest soundtrack repeated in every Dubya speech. For the sake of peace we're gonna drop more bombs on a land already devastated from U.S. bombs. The Gulf War killed 150,000 Iraqis and subsequent sanctions have caused the deaths of 1.5 million Iraqis, including women, children, and little old grandmas. A group of independent journalists have been monitoring effects of U.S. sanctions on the people of Iraq. Their reports can be found at www.iraqjournal.org
But this is no spontaneous call to action by the current administration. The wheels of the 'New American Century' began with the first Bush Administration. Once the Soviet Union disbanded and the Cold War was over, eyes were fixed on the prize of absolute power. Visions were hatched of an American military presence in every global corner we sought to control. Notions of an 'American Peace', an era in which the world's greatest power, would own and control everything. These designs were leaked to the press at the time and the plan went underground. Until now.
This explains the sudden shift from bombing Afghanistan to targeting Iraq. (And the U.S. military IS bombing Iraq daily and has been for quite some time). This is why the Administration didn't get ruffled over recent revelations of North Korea's nuclear weapons program. This is why Bush invited Jiang Zemin of China to the Crawford Ranch, without acknowledging the allegations of human rights abuses, (i.e., the disappearance and torture of Falun Gong followers), essentially maintaining the silence and condoning the massive atrocities perpetrated by the Chinese government. 'W' said he "brought up human rights, but basically, some countries just do things differently." Our sights are set on Iraq at the moment. And the administration wants/needs the support of China for the Let's Get Saddam Operation.
It's all part of the plan. Iraq has countless untapped oil fields, and we gotta have 'em. 'Regime change' is a kinder, gentler way of saying 'assassination and overthrow'. We want someone in there to do what we need them to do. And if the next guy doesn't get with it, we'll get rid of him, too.
We must increase the pressure on the Bush Administration. We can and must prevent this war. We must protest all war. War is never the answer. Let your voices be heard. And loudly. Get out there and protest. Write letters to your representatives. Call the White House. VOTE on primary day.
(Fellow Massachusetts residents, Republican gubernatorial candidate, Mitt Romney, is homophobic. And he wants to do away with bilingual opportunities for school kids whose first language is not english. Democrat, Shannon O'Brien, is in favor of Civil Unions and she is Pro-Choice. Please make your vote count. If you don't vote, you don't count.)
The following is an excerpt from the latest Editor's Note in the Progressive:
"The Bush Administration and the media are in a for a big surprise. Despite the polls, support for the war is thin; opposition thick. The level of organization and sophistication of the anti-war movement is far advanced in comparison to the early days of the Vietnam War.
I urge you to hook up with some of the major peace groups and attend protests in your hometown. Here are a few such groups:
www.endthewar.org: This is a coalition of more than 140 peace and justice groups. It has a map that you can click on to get information about actions in your state. Call 301.270.4858 or 650.326.9057.
www.unitedforpeace.org: Led by Global Exchange, this group has links to local events by state and tips on how to organize events. Call 800.497.1994 x 263.
www.peace-action.org: The successor to SANE/Freeze, Peace Action has information on current campaigns and links to other groups. Call 202.862.9740.
The Bush Administration is about to commit an act of outright aggression, and we all must do everything in our power, nonviolently, to stop it."
-Peace
# # #
August 22nd, 2002
Anyone can be an activist. It is certainly not limited to marching on Washington. Start simple. Be informed. Seek alternative independent news sources (some links are provided here). Practice fiscal responsibility. Know where your money goes. Eat organic. Refrain from supporting corporations known to exploit workers and poison consumers with GMO's and tainted produce and animal products.
The anti-gay, anti-woman, anti-choice agenda is as strong as ever. Far right organizations, such as the Christian Coalition, spend millions of dollars a year spreading hateful messages of intolerance and bigotry. People of influence are making efforts to write and pass discriminatory legislation, ultimately paving the way to a reversal of hard-won human rights. This is no time for apathy. This is a call to action.
Consider these words from James Dobson, President of Focus on the Family, a religiously conservative group. In a recent Philadelphia speech, Mr. Dobson encouraged the national Big Brother/Big Sister organization to ban homosexuals, saying "the American lifestyle of sin, including homosexuals, is ruining the nation...The homosexual agenda is destroying the family and preserving and revitalizing the family is why we're at war with the homosexual agenda."
At war? Did you know this war was being waged? If we don't defend ourselves and protect each of our civil liberties, they will be voted out of existence by fat-pocketed right-wing conservatives. This is another election year and an opportunity to unanimously voice our opposition to hateful legislation and the politicians who support and enact those measures. Take the time to research your local, state and national candidates. Voting does count. (Except in certain presidential elections...)
This is a warmongering nation, birthed on a battlefield and still at war with everything. The war on poverty, the war on drugs, and of the course the borderless war on terrorism. But, war is an unacceptable response to conflict. Howard Zinn stated that "war inevitably, ultimately means the indiscriminate killing of large numbers of people and that reason alone overwhelms whatever moral cause is somewhere buried in the war."
But war is big business. And there is money to be made from this war. Especially for huge defense contractors and their stockholders. So the current administration has enormous incentive to make sure our 'patriotic' nation is down with the program. Did you know that in the days after 9/11 White House officials met with Hollywood producers to discuss how to 'sell the war'? Immediately, key phrases ("good vs. evil") were implemented and used in repetition to seep into our language and 'get us all on board'.
And while the nation was distracted and distraught in the post 9/11 frenzy, Congress quickly passed the USA Patriot Act. This act has virtually legalized racial profiling and practically given the government carte blanche to place any of its citizenry under surveillance. The lone dissenter on this bill was Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI). (Senator Feingold also co-authored the Campaign Finance Reform bill with Senator John McCain).
Consider the messages in recent footage of "W" wearing casual clothes on a golf course, pausing to tell the camera that "we must fight the terrorists everywhere!" then stepping back to the tee to whack the golf ball. How calming and reassuring to see the seriousness and commitment old "43" is giving.
We obviously still live in a time of misogyny, homophobia, racism, sexism, classism and other social diseases that keep us from achieving wholeness. The far right movement spouting 'good, christian values' has employed intimidation and violence to persecute those whom they perceive as 'other' or 'sinful'. Hate groups are on the rise and Hate Crime statistics keep adding up.
We live in a world where women are terrorized for exercising free choice about their bodies and their lives and doctors are murdered for offering safe and legal healthcare to these women. A world where lesbians are murdered on camping trips and gay men are beaten to death simply because they are gay. A world where transgendered warriors are harassed daily. A world where a woman is sexually abused every 18 seconds. A world where a Pakistani woman is publicly raped by 4 men as punishment for her brother's crime of sleeping with a woman outside of his social class.
We all desire the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. To love whom we choose and to go about our lives without feeling afraid or threatened. These are our constitutional rights and they are suffering from erosion. We are the only ones concerned with saving them and the only ones who can and must stand up and fight for our very lives.
# # #
| News Items Lost in the Shuffle |
~ Top 10 Fruits and Veggies to Eat Organic
Some crops are safer than others. Certain fruit and vegetable crops tend to have the highest pesticide residues according the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit research group based in Washington D.C. In fact many of the below conventional foods were six times as likely as organic to contain multiple pesticide residues. If you can, do yourself and your family a favor by picking organic when purchasing the following fruits and veggies:
1. Strawberries
2. Bell Peppers
3. Spinach
4. Cherries
5. Peaches
6. Cantaloupe
7. Celery
8. Apples
9. Apricots
10. Green Beans
www.horizonorganic.com
~ Phyllis Bennis, New Internationalism Fellow, Institute for Policy Studies and Independent Journalist, Washington DC, has recently published "Before and After: U.S. Foreign Policy and the September 11th Crisis." This valuable work exposes the inner workings the U.S. government in action. Phyllis Bennis has also written an article entitled, "U.S. Draft Security Council Resolution," in which the Bush Administration's resolution on Iraq is dissected and its veiled intents brought to light. Highly suggested. Read the article here: www.tni.org/archives/bennis/usdraft.htm
~ The European Union has banned all American beef imports. The E.U. also paid $150M to the American beef industry to appease their whiny claims of potential "lost profits" just to keep the ban in effect.
~ Under the USA Patriot Act, the FBI can legally enter your home when you're not there and plant a device in your computer which records every keystroke you make (even those you've deleted!).
~ As of September 11, 2002, under the USA Patriot Act, the federal government will be fingerprinting all persons entering the United States from any Middle Eastern country.
"A People's History of the United States" - Howard Zinn
"Sister Outsider" - Audre Lorde
"Killing Rage" - bell hooks
"Refusing to be a Man" - John Stoltenberg
"Nobody Knows My Name" - James Baldwin
"Transgendered Warriors" - Leslie Feinberg
"Food Revolution" - John Robbins
"Stupid White Men" - Michael Moore
"Before and After: U.S. Foreign Policy and the September 11th Crisis" - Phyllis Bennis
"The Best Democracy Money Can Buy" - Greg Palast
"Power and Terror" - Noam Chomsky
"The CIA's Greatest Hits" - Mark Zepezauer
"Blood in the Face" - James Ridgeway
"Autobiography of a Blue Eyed Devil - My Life and Times in a Racist Imperialist Society" - Inga Muscio
Please visit the listed websites often and read their publications. They are each, in one way or another, dedicated to resistance and the fight for social change and human rights. It is our responsibility to find out what's really going on in the world. Get the news that CNN and the 'evening news' can't/won't report. Your suggestions to lengthen the list are most welcome.
