Sunday, May 20, 2007
Happy Malcolm X Day
We declare our right on this earth to be a human being, to be respected as a human being, to be given the rights of a human being in this society, on this earth, in this day, which we intend to bring into existence by any means necessary. — Malcolm X
Thursday, May 10, 2007
War OF Terror
Victims of war.
Victims of war.
There were Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq. They were called U.N. sanctions, implemented by the United States. Sanctions that deprived innocent people of medicine, water, electricity, and basic necessities for life. Sanctions that killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people. And now there are more Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq--the U.S. military. The people of America have brought a war to Iraq that has killed more then a half million people. This is unacceptable if there is ever going to be peace in the world. As Howard Zinn states, “war now, in our time, in the time of high-level bombing and long-range shelling and death at a distance, inevitably means the indiscriminate killing of huge numbers of people. " These innocent people are children. War will not kill the enemy, because the enemy is war.
Victims of war.
There were Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq. They were called U.N. sanctions, implemented by the United States. Sanctions that deprived innocent people of medicine, water, electricity, and basic necessities for life. Sanctions that killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people. And now there are more Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq--the U.S. military. The people of America have brought a war to Iraq that has killed more then a half million people. This is unacceptable if there is ever going to be peace in the world. As Howard Zinn states, “war now, in our time, in the time of high-level bombing and long-range shelling and death at a distance, inevitably means the indiscriminate killing of huge numbers of people. " These innocent people are children. War will not kill the enemy, because the enemy is war.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
The Road I Must Travel
There are several reasons why I am politically active. First, I have read dozens of books about history, government, religion, poverty, and war. I also spend hours reading the news and analyzing world events. I do not claim to be a historian; at best I am a diligent student of history and world events. Yet over the course of my studies I have developed stronger and stronger beliefs, and I have grown less tolerant of war and injustice. And as Howard Zinn reminds us, "you can't be neutral on a moving train."
I believe problems exist in this nation that are inconsistent with American ideals. I am also willing to stand up for these beliefs, whereas most people are not. Malcolm X said, "If we don't stand for something, we may fall for anything." This is true for most Americans who are complacent with their way of life and who are apathetic toward anything other than themselves. This allows America to be misled into war time and time again. I, on the other hand, believe that the health of a democracy depends on informed citizens taking action and that each citizen has an individual responsibility to do so, and our right to petition against the government is the best thing we can do. Therefore, I am an outspoken activist. Activist Abbie Hoffman once said, “Democracy is not something you believe in . . . it's something you do.” I truly believe this.
I believe the first step towards making change begins with educating, not only oneself, but others as well. I have worked in the pubic schools for three years, and I am currently an Education Specialist at the Indiana State Museum. Often times oppressed people are not aware that they are oppressed, someone must teach them. For example, during the Antebellum Period, slave masters prevented their slaves from learning how to read in order to keep them passive and to prevent them from reading a map that led to freedom. Many slaves simply did not know what freedom was. Harriet Tubman, a woman who led hundreds of slaves to freedom using the Underground Railroad, once said, "If I could have convinced more slaves that they were slaves, I could have freed thousands more." This is why I am an educator.
I believe if a person is not influenced by books or education, then one can be influenced by personal experiences. Historian Terry H. Anderson reminds us that a black person growing up in Alabama in 1960 did not need to read any books to be exposed to discrimination, poverty, and suffering, all he had to do was walk down the street. This type of experience can be extremely motivating to a person to want to change his or her environment. Personally, I have not experienced poverty to this degree, but I have witnessed it while working as a social worker. I provided help for children living without basic needs who had mental health problems, mostly due to their harsh environments. The hardest part was denying assistance to several impoverished children because they did not have health insurance. I have also witnessed extreme poverty on an Indian Reservation. In short, I have seen Americans being oppressed by an endless cycle of poverty, all while public officials siphon money away from human services and while billionaires profit from war.
Ultimately, I am politically active because I possess enthusiastic beliefs and meaningful convictions. I believe humanity should reconsider its perception of war. Humans have made progress towards eliminating totalitarianism, theocracy, and slavery, but we have made no moral progress towards eliminating war. Yet, war has made unsurmountable progress towards eliminating us. We have to start treating war differently, especially in our time. Howard Zinn states, “war now, in our time, in the time of high-level bombing and long-range shelling and death at a distance, inevitably means the indiscriminate killing of huge numbers of people, and therefore cannot be accepted as a way of solving problems.” In other words, war is far too dangerous, in terms of technology and global consequences, to keep treating it like we have throughout all of history. H. G. Wells was right when he said, “If we don't end war, war will end us.”
I do not see myself as a patriot, at least not as it is defined by the United Sates. Patriotism in this country is always associated with war. Why? Well, because, as international peace activist Cindy Sheehan wrote, “all through school we are taught that somehow our leaders are always right and have our interests at heart when they wave a flag and convince us to hate fellow human beings who stand in the way of their making immense profit from war.” I am extremely glad I got through eighteen years of institutionalized education without believing this. I was taught that Christopher Columbus discover the New World; that the Constitution included everyone; that Manifest Destiny was put forth to spread freedom and democracy to “uncivilized” people; that Lincoln freed the slaves; that nuclear weapons had to be used on Japan; and that it is unpatriotic to question our leaders. I was brainwashed for eighteen year! Nevertheless, I do not posses false ideas of patriotism; because, as Mark Twain suggests, I never let school interfere my education.
Instead, I believe in the equal treatment of all human beings, not just Americans. I believe it is important to stand up for all people of the world, and to stand up against every war. It takes a considerable amount of integrity to speak out when others are not. Current polls suggest most people are against the Iraq War and the current state of affairs, yet only a minority are passionate enough to do something. Again, Mark Twain was correct when he said that Americans have three precious things: “freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence never to practice either of them.” This is unfortunate, because the health of a democracy depends on informed citizens taking action, and our right to petition against the government is the best thing we can do. This is exactly what I am doing. I try to educate people, agitate policy makers, and motivate others to march with me. The road is long, but it can be done.
The End I Cannot See
Summer 2004 - I joined the Lafayette Area Peace Coalition (LAPC) in protest to America’s interventionist foreign policy. I also joined an organization called Change 2004. It was a coalition of organizations in the Lafayette area that came together to campaign for the 2004 election. I passed out flyers, tabled at dozens of community events, including county fair, the Jazz festival, the Taste of Tippecanoe, and outside of Plan Parenthood. This was all in an attempt to spread information about the election, spread anti-war material, and to gain support for candidates in the election. Change 2004 registered 10% of all new registered voters in Tippecanoe county. We supported Indiana Representative for District 26 Democrat Joe Micon. He won by 640 votes.
Aug. 2004 - I met John Kerry in Las Vegas. Pic.
Aug. 2004 - Began working in the public schools in special education departments.
Fall 2004 - I continued to campaign for progressive candidates and register voters weekly. I helped comply lists and made several dozens calls to newly register voters.
Nov. 2004 - I voted. I had met every candidate I voted for.
Spring 2005 - I continued to be an active member of the LAPC and Change 2004, which was renamed Progressive Alliance of Greater Lafayette (PAGL).
March 2005 - I attended the Midwest Peace Summit in Indianapolis. I met author Michael Parenti, attended various workshops, and heard progressive thinkers discuss current issues around the world. It felt like being part of a teach-in.
March 2005 - I attended a anti-war rally in Indianapolis marking the 2 year anniversary of the war in Iraq. It was part of the world wide protest of the war. Pic
April 2005 - I attended Homeward Bound, a 5k walk for the homeless in Lafayette. I pledged money and altogether the walk generated nearly $50,000 for homeless.
July 2005 - I began working at Wabash Valley Hospital as a child and adolescent case manager. I provided direct assistance to impoverish children with mental health issues within a school and helped them gain access to community services.
Summer 2005 - I continued to be an active member of the LAPC and PAGL. I also joined Lafayette’s branch of Democracy for America (DFA). I was also part of several subcommittees for these organizations, including the coordinating committee and Alternatives to Military Recruiting for PAGL, and I was the Garage Sale Coordinator for DFA. I was extremely active in the community: I tabled all time, passing our flyers at the movie theaters, the Farmers Market, and several community events; I attended various candle light vigils; helped create flyers; attended Drinking Liberally weekly; and I helped raise money for Katrina victims and to bring Iraqi artist Wafaa Bilal to Lafayette.
September 2005 - I was the garage sale coordinator for Lafayette’s branch of Democracy for America. I organized volunteers, tables, items and posted signs. The sale generated $350 for the 2006 election.
September 2005 - I marched on Washington with hundreds of thousands of people. Pics
March 2006 - I attended the 2nd annual Midwest Peace Summit in Indianapolis. I met Ann Wright and heard her speak twice.
May 2006 - I voted in the Primary. I have met and campaigned for everyone I voted for.
May 2006 - Moved to Indianapolis where I am less active then I would like to be; however, I try to be active in my career as an educator. I also try to raise conciseness of everyone I come in contact with through conversation. I pass on knowledge by making points about war and injustice, and I make suggestions regarding a good book or good website.
Nov. 2006 - Voted in the Midterm.
Jan. 2007 - Another massive march in Washington D.C. for peace and justice. Pics
April 2007 - Attend 3rd Annual Midwest Peace Summit with my family in Indianapolis. There were several organizations from the state advocating peace and social justice. It was filled with music, food, art, tabling, and a wide variety of workshops and speakers. I met international peace activist Cindy Sheehan and the former chaplain at Guantanamo Bay, James Yee.
December 2007 - I relocated to Chicago to work at the Museum of Science and Industry. I continue to be active through my career as an educator, and I plan to be get involved in the great city of Chicago, the birth place of working-class politics in America.
Jan 2008 - Heard civil rights activist Angela Davis speak in Chicago.
March 2008 - I attended a rally and march in downtown Chicago to mark the 5th year anniversary of the occupation of Iraq.
April 2008 - Saw Hillary Clinton speak on the campaign trail in Valparaiso, Indiana. I asked her to hold private military companies accountable for their actions.
April 2008 - Met Ralph Nader and heard him speak in Chicago.
May 2008 - Saw the "Justice Tour" with the Nightwatchman and Ben Harper.
September 2008 - Saw Ralph Nader and Matt Gonzales speak on the campaign trail.
Oct. 2008 - Saw Barack Obama speak on the campaign trail in Indiana
Nov. 2008 - Voted in a truly historic election.
I believe problems exist in this nation that are inconsistent with American ideals. I am also willing to stand up for these beliefs, whereas most people are not. Malcolm X said, "If we don't stand for something, we may fall for anything." This is true for most Americans who are complacent with their way of life and who are apathetic toward anything other than themselves. This allows America to be misled into war time and time again. I, on the other hand, believe that the health of a democracy depends on informed citizens taking action and that each citizen has an individual responsibility to do so, and our right to petition against the government is the best thing we can do. Therefore, I am an outspoken activist. Activist Abbie Hoffman once said, “Democracy is not something you believe in . . . it's something you do.” I truly believe this.
I believe the first step towards making change begins with educating, not only oneself, but others as well. I have worked in the pubic schools for three years, and I am currently an Education Specialist at the Indiana State Museum. Often times oppressed people are not aware that they are oppressed, someone must teach them. For example, during the Antebellum Period, slave masters prevented their slaves from learning how to read in order to keep them passive and to prevent them from reading a map that led to freedom. Many slaves simply did not know what freedom was. Harriet Tubman, a woman who led hundreds of slaves to freedom using the Underground Railroad, once said, "If I could have convinced more slaves that they were slaves, I could have freed thousands more." This is why I am an educator.
I believe if a person is not influenced by books or education, then one can be influenced by personal experiences. Historian Terry H. Anderson reminds us that a black person growing up in Alabama in 1960 did not need to read any books to be exposed to discrimination, poverty, and suffering, all he had to do was walk down the street. This type of experience can be extremely motivating to a person to want to change his or her environment. Personally, I have not experienced poverty to this degree, but I have witnessed it while working as a social worker. I provided help for children living without basic needs who had mental health problems, mostly due to their harsh environments. The hardest part was denying assistance to several impoverished children because they did not have health insurance. I have also witnessed extreme poverty on an Indian Reservation. In short, I have seen Americans being oppressed by an endless cycle of poverty, all while public officials siphon money away from human services and while billionaires profit from war.
Ultimately, I am politically active because I possess enthusiastic beliefs and meaningful convictions. I believe humanity should reconsider its perception of war. Humans have made progress towards eliminating totalitarianism, theocracy, and slavery, but we have made no moral progress towards eliminating war. Yet, war has made unsurmountable progress towards eliminating us. We have to start treating war differently, especially in our time. Howard Zinn states, “war now, in our time, in the time of high-level bombing and long-range shelling and death at a distance, inevitably means the indiscriminate killing of huge numbers of people, and therefore cannot be accepted as a way of solving problems.” In other words, war is far too dangerous, in terms of technology and global consequences, to keep treating it like we have throughout all of history. H. G. Wells was right when he said, “If we don't end war, war will end us.”
I do not see myself as a patriot, at least not as it is defined by the United Sates. Patriotism in this country is always associated with war. Why? Well, because, as international peace activist Cindy Sheehan wrote, “all through school we are taught that somehow our leaders are always right and have our interests at heart when they wave a flag and convince us to hate fellow human beings who stand in the way of their making immense profit from war.” I am extremely glad I got through eighteen years of institutionalized education without believing this. I was taught that Christopher Columbus discover the New World; that the Constitution included everyone; that Manifest Destiny was put forth to spread freedom and democracy to “uncivilized” people; that Lincoln freed the slaves; that nuclear weapons had to be used on Japan; and that it is unpatriotic to question our leaders. I was brainwashed for eighteen year! Nevertheless, I do not posses false ideas of patriotism; because, as Mark Twain suggests, I never let school interfere my education.
Instead, I believe in the equal treatment of all human beings, not just Americans. I believe it is important to stand up for all people of the world, and to stand up against every war. It takes a considerable amount of integrity to speak out when others are not. Current polls suggest most people are against the Iraq War and the current state of affairs, yet only a minority are passionate enough to do something. Again, Mark Twain was correct when he said that Americans have three precious things: “freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence never to practice either of them.” This is unfortunate, because the health of a democracy depends on informed citizens taking action, and our right to petition against the government is the best thing we can do. This is exactly what I am doing. I try to educate people, agitate policy makers, and motivate others to march with me. The road is long, but it can be done.
The End I Cannot See
Summer 2004 - I joined the Lafayette Area Peace Coalition (LAPC) in protest to America’s interventionist foreign policy. I also joined an organization called Change 2004. It was a coalition of organizations in the Lafayette area that came together to campaign for the 2004 election. I passed out flyers, tabled at dozens of community events, including county fair, the Jazz festival, the Taste of Tippecanoe, and outside of Plan Parenthood. This was all in an attempt to spread information about the election, spread anti-war material, and to gain support for candidates in the election. Change 2004 registered 10% of all new registered voters in Tippecanoe county. We supported Indiana Representative for District 26 Democrat Joe Micon. He won by 640 votes.
Aug. 2004 - I met John Kerry in Las Vegas. Pic.
Aug. 2004 - Began working in the public schools in special education departments.Fall 2004 - I continued to campaign for progressive candidates and register voters weekly. I helped comply lists and made several dozens calls to newly register voters.
Nov. 2004 - I voted. I had met every candidate I voted for.
Spring 2005 - I continued to be an active member of the LAPC and Change 2004, which was renamed Progressive Alliance of Greater Lafayette (PAGL).
March 2005 - I attended the Midwest Peace Summit in Indianapolis. I met author Michael Parenti, attended various workshops, and heard progressive thinkers discuss current issues around the world. It felt like being part of a teach-in.
March 2005 - I attended a anti-war rally in Indianapolis marking the 2 year anniversary of the war in Iraq. It was part of the world wide protest of the war. Pic
April 2005 - I attended Homeward Bound, a 5k walk for the homeless in Lafayette. I pledged money and altogether the walk generated nearly $50,000 for homeless.July 2005 - I began working at Wabash Valley Hospital as a child and adolescent case manager. I provided direct assistance to impoverish children with mental health issues within a school and helped them gain access to community services.
Summer 2005 - I continued to be an active member of the LAPC and PAGL. I also joined Lafayette’s branch of Democracy for America (DFA). I was also part of several subcommittees for these organizations, including the coordinating committee and Alternatives to Military Recruiting for PAGL, and I was the Garage Sale Coordinator for DFA. I was extremely active in the community: I tabled all time, passing our flyers at the movie theaters, the Farmers Market, and several community events; I attended various candle light vigils; helped create flyers; attended Drinking Liberally weekly; and I helped raise money for Katrina victims and to bring Iraqi artist Wafaa Bilal to Lafayette.
September 2005 - I was the garage sale coordinator for Lafayette’s branch of Democracy for America. I organized volunteers, tables, items and posted signs. The sale generated $350 for the 2006 election.
September 2005 - I marched on Washington with hundreds of thousands of people. Pics
March 2006 - I attended the 2nd annual Midwest Peace Summit in Indianapolis. I met Ann Wright and heard her speak twice.May 2006 - I voted in the Primary. I have met and campaigned for everyone I voted for.
May 2006 - Moved to Indianapolis where I am less active then I would like to be; however, I try to be active in my career as an educator. I also try to raise conciseness of everyone I come in contact with through conversation. I pass on knowledge by making points about war and injustice, and I make suggestions regarding a good book or good website.
Nov. 2006 - Voted in the Midterm.
Jan. 2007 - Another massive march in Washington D.C. for peace and justice. Pics
April 2007 - Attend 3rd Annual Midwest Peace Summit with my family in Indianapolis. There were several organizations from the state advocating peace and social justice. It was filled with music, food, art, tabling, and a wide variety of workshops and speakers. I met international peace activist Cindy Sheehan and the former chaplain at Guantanamo Bay, James Yee.
December 2007 - I relocated to Chicago to work at the Museum of Science and Industry. I continue to be active through my career as an educator, and I plan to be get involved in the great city of Chicago, the birth place of working-class politics in America.
Jan 2008 - Heard civil rights activist Angela Davis speak in Chicago.
March 2008 - I attended a rally and march in downtown Chicago to mark the 5th year anniversary of the occupation of Iraq.
April 2008 - Saw Hillary Clinton speak on the campaign trail in Valparaiso, Indiana. I asked her to hold private military companies accountable for their actions.
April 2008 - Met Ralph Nader and heard him speak in Chicago.
May 2008 - Saw the "Justice Tour" with the Nightwatchman and Ben Harper.
September 2008 - Saw Ralph Nader and Matt Gonzales speak on the campaign trail.
Oct. 2008 - Saw Barack Obama speak on the campaign trail in Indiana
Nov. 2008 - Voted in a truly historic election.
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