ModernMusings.com

Last week, Congressman Dennis Kucinich made good on his promise that he made back in January to file Articles of Impeachment against the dishonorable President George W. Bush. The House later voted to have the resolution sent to the Judiciary Committee for review. Unfortunately, the Articles of Impeachment Resolution for Vice President Dick Cheney has been stifled in the same committee, which was also filed by Congressman Kucinich.

This is not about politics. I repeat. This is not about politics. This is about measurable accountability of our highest civil servants. You may think that Impeaching this Administration would be a waste of time. I beg to differ strongly on that one. What if we have John McCain as our next President? Would you like him to inherit the legacy of this administration? Or would you like to remind the next administration to take their charge seriously and that they are above all accountable to the full extent of the law. We have the government we deserve, it is time to take a second look at what we expect from our public servants and hold them to the basic tenets of American Democracy.

Honesty must be a requirement. Allegiance to the collective good must be a requirement.

Contact the Judiciary Committee and demand action on the Articles of Impeachment for George W. Bush [H. Res. 1258] and the Articles of Impeachment for Dick Cheney [H. Res. 333].

Contact your Representative and demand that they sign on as a cosponsor to both Resolutions.

Congressman John Conyers is the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

The Honorable John Conyers, Jr
Representing Michigan’s 14th District
John.Conyers@mail.house.gov

2426 Rayburn Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-5126
(202) 225-0072 Fax

2615 W. Jefferson
Trenton, MI 48183
(734) 675-4084
(734) 675-4218 Fax

669 Federal Building
231 W. Lafayette
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 961-5670
(313) 226-2085 Fax

The full text of the 35 Articles of Impeachment for George W. Bush.

Lastly, I leave you with a Democracy Now! Interview with Congressman Dennis Kucinich and also author and Renowned Attorney Vincent Bugliosi Seeks “The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder”.

Part 3 Vincent Bugliosi’s Interview

Bloggers Stand in Remembrance of Humanity on April 27th

RootsofHumanity@gmail.com

I have just finished gathering up all participants in yesterday’s BlogBlast. I am overwhelmed at the strength of our movement.

Bloggers became activists. I am still reeling.

Modern Musings is going to work this blogblast by extending it through spotlights, additional information and there is another Darfur related movement in the mix, collaborating with the UltraViolet Underground on that one.

We are far from done. Humanitarian work feeds the soul and I’m hungry.

Here is the latest compilation of all the conscious bloggers who have expended their time and effort to educate, motivate and activate for our Darfurian family.

I am especially grateful for the promotion of the action items.

If you haven’t added your name to be counted, please do so now.
Email or call the Olympic Corporate Sponsors.

Send a letter to companies sponsoring the 2008 Olympics, hosted by China. (Dream for Darfur’s email system will let you do this with the touch of a button.)

Pledge to turn off the commercials of Olympic Sponsors during the Games.
Olympic corporate sponsors have been silent about China’s financing of the Darfur genocide, even as the sponsors are spending billions to enhance China’s image as Olympic host. If sponsors continue to ignore China’s complicity in the Darfur genocide, we will ignore their million-dollar ad campaigns.

Write to the UN Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace.
Mr. Adolf Ogi represents the UN Secretary-General in contacts with international sports bodies. Tell him you are concerned that the world will gather for the Olympics while the people of Darfur are being slaughtered.

Petition the International Olympic Committee.
Urge the IOC to work with the international community to ensure that China uses its leverage with the government of Sudan to help stop the genocide in Darfur, and avoids tarnishing the 2008 Games in Beijing.

I am so grateful to all participants, my rainbow warriors. You gave my thoughts wings.

On April 13th there will be a Mighty Roar within the Blogosphere Proudly Declaring Genocide No More! Our mission is to educate, motivate and activate toward ending the genocide in Darfur.

Here are some links I have found that you can use to build your contribution that will be published on April 13th.

Be sure to entitle your post In Solidarity: Global Day for Darfur, this essentially creates the blogblast since our work will show up in a search together.

I strongly recommend using the action items listed below. There are 5 specific actions sponsored by Dream for Darfur that are user friendly and targets China and the Beijing Olympics as well as the United Nations. Directing your readers to these actions will dramatically increase our impact, but you are of course free to post any other action that you have unearthed. In every case, we should take all actions presented on April 13th.

Since acting for the betterment of humanity feels so gooood and is addicting, Modern Musings will be joining forces with the UltraViolet Underground in the coming weeks for a dual campaign for Darfur and Tibet.

Educate
Reports and Studies
Five Years On: No Justice for Sexual Violence in Darfur : This is a full report by the organization Human Rights Watch available online as well as a pdf file.

Trip to Darfur Travelogue : The Res Publica Team that runs Darfurgenocide.org conducted a six-week trip to Darfur and the surrounding areas. This travelogue describes their encounters with the Darfuri people, political leaders as well as the Sudanese Liberation Army.

Creating a Peace to Keep in Darfur - A Joint Report by the ENOUGH Project and the Save Darfur Coalition : This is a very detailed report suggesting real and tangible suggestions on ending the genocide in Darfur as well as healing her.

News Items and Commentaries
UN Peace Missions Falter in Africa : This article explains that the United Nations along with the African Union currently have 7,467 troops in Darfur but are being strangled into incompetency due to the lack of donations from UN member states. Kofi Anaan warned that the United Nations has taken on too many peacekeeping missions with too limited support from member countries.

China’s Genocide Games : This article goes into the connection between Darfur and China. In effective activist campaigns you have to hit them where it hurts. With the heated protests that have been seen throughout the journey of the Olympic Flame and the Chinese response, The Beijing Olympics are a powerful target to be pursued.

Rape widespread in Darfur : This article demonstrates that women and girls [as young as 11] live in constant fear of sexual violence and rape in Darfur. These most shameful acts of violence are committed by Sudanese military as well as the Janjaweed.

Facts and Stats

Sudan - The Quick and the Terrible: A Frontline presentation gives a history of the region and crisis.

International Crisis Group - Crisis in Darfur : A plethoria of information about Darfur with reports, action suggestions, news reporting and so much more.

Viral Videos
Our Choice, Too: On the Edge in Darfur : Produced by the Pulitzer Center in association with Azimuth Media, World Security Institute.

What will it take to Stop Genocide in Darfur? : “A live panel presentation at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum including Dr. Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, Samantha Power, Ambassador Michael Ranneberger, and journalist Jon Sawyer. Moderated by James Rosen. Panelists discussed possibilities to end genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. This program was originally Webcast live from the Museum on April 17, 2006. It was re-broadcast via LinkTV on April 23, 2006.”

International Musicians Mattafix’s video for their song “Living Darfur” filmed on the border of Chad and Darfur.

Voices from Darfur from the Save Darfur organization

Organizations dedicated to ending the genocide in Darfur

• 24 Hours for DarfurSave Darfur
• Darfur Genocide
• Amnesty International
• Eyes on Darfur
• Human Rights Watch
• Crisis Group
• United States Holocaust Museum
• Dream for Darfur

Activate

All actions sponsored by Dream for Darfur

1. Write to the ambassadors of the US, the UK, Russia and France to the UN.
Urge them to help China insist that Khartoum stop its obstruction.
2. Email or call the Olympic Corporate Sponsors.
Send a letter to companies sponsoring the 2008 Olympics, hosted by China. (Dream for Darfur’s email system will let you do this with the touch of a button.)
3. Pledge to turn off the commercials of Olympic Sponsors during the Games.
Olympic corporate sponsors have been silent about China’s financing of the Darfur genocide, even as the sponsors are spending billions to enhance China’s image as Olympic host. If sponsors continue to ignore China’s complicity in the Darfur genocide, we will ignore their million-dollar ad campaigns.
4. Write to the UN Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace.
Mr. Adolf Ogi represents the UN Secretary-General in contacts with international sports bodies. Tell him you are concerned that the world will gather for the Olympics while the people of Darfur are being slaughtered.
5. Petition the International Olympic Committee.
Urge the IOC to work with the international community to ensure that China uses its leverage with the government of Sudan to help stop the genocide in Darfur, and avoids tarnishing the 2008 Games in Beijing.

Current Pledged Participants of April 13th’s In Solidarity: Global Day for Darfur

Last night I experienced a vivid, empathic nightmare. Malicious, vile, brutality was being inflicted on an innocent girl while her mother removed herself from maternal instincts in a room down the hall. The girl’s cries were muffled even though coming from the bathroom, she had been through this before and didn’t want to provoke further attack. She was placed in the hallway to absorb her “lesson”.

She sat on the floor with silent tears streaming down her broken face. Her breath was far too heavy for a five year old. I could see and sense her spirit shrinking. I was confined to observance. I couldn’t reach her with my body so I sat down opposite of her. I matched my breath with hers sending her as much love and compassion that I am capable of. This energy was transferred through multicolored tendrils of smoke. The vibrancy diminished though when it reached this little girl.

My heart sank and I began to sob as I tried to bridge the gap between pure intention and tangible action. I slowly crawled toward her in time with her labored breath. The moment I was within reach suddenly the abuser approached, her face winced and I faded as he stepped on my head in front of her ordering her to go to bed. With a calmness that sunk the soul she said “I can’t see.”

I awoke from the nightmare so shaken. A few days ago, while studying for a midterm, I listened to Anne Deavere Smith on Ted Talks. Anne is a storyteller who brings to life American stories in her performances. She told the story of Paulette Jenkins, the mother of the abused child of my dreams. The child died and her story lingered in my subconscious and produced my nightmare. That little innocent, powerless girl lived this nightmare of existence.

There are millions of people throughout the world that are enduring nightmares of malicious, vile, brutality with many of us confined to observance. Thoughts of love and compassion dwindle in substance when met with the reality of distance. Only tangible action can awaken humanity from the nightmare.

A five year old child living in Darfur has led a life colored red with the blood of relatives and neighbors. Children who have not known peace in their existence. These children are our children. My children. The awareness of the genocidal murder of our brothers and sisters in Darfur needs to be expanded so that tangible action can be provoked from the power of empathy. China needs to be pressured.

Last week I received an email from Amnesty International concerning the upcoming Global Day for Darfur. On April 13th, thousands of people from around the world will stand in solidarity for Darfur. There will be a exhibition on the National Mall in D.C. entitled Displaced which will feature the artwork of youth and speeches by Darfur activists.

I decided to create a blogblast for Darfur and sent out a prelimary action alert to Wayne of the Electronic Village, Purple Zoe of the UltraViolet Underground and Vanessa of Vanessa Unplugged. Wayne forwarded the message to fellow bloggers and we have confirmation that these blogs will participate:

I heard about this open letter through the Electronic Village and the UltraViolet Underground and the level of torture this family has had to endure propels me beyond color lines to further this message.

When we act as one, we become ONE.

Subject: The Dunbar Village Atrocity

Synopsis:

In the past week, a rapidly-moving viral email campaign was launched, and thousands of concerned black citizens spread the word about a shocking crime against a Black woman and her 12 year old son, in which crimes against nature were committed. (read more details of the crime here)

This email, entitled “Stop Al Sharpton and the NAACP from endangering Black Women,” described a stunning betrayal in which the NAACP and Al Sharpton held a press conference and demanded bail consideration for three suspects in custody for the crime. (source1) (source2)

Concerned Black citizens all around the country were outraged by the actions of the NAACP and Al Sharpton, and many vowed to withdraw volunteering and financial support from these agencies “until they make the safety of Black women and children a priority.”

On March 24, 2008 an NAACP memo that attempted to defend this betrayal was sent to Beverly Neal, who is the Director of the NAACP’s Florida State Conference. The memo claims that the NAACP was brought into this fray by Rev. Al Sharpton. Moreover, the memo was written by Maude Ford Lee, who is President of the West Palm Beach Branch of the NAACP. (read the memo here)

On March 27,2008, activist Al Sharpton went on the air to clarify his position on the treatment of the Dunbar Village Suspects. He invited writer Tonyaa Weathersbee and blogger Arlene Fenton to his show, to discuss the matter. Rev. Sharpton claimed that he never said that the Dunbar Village suspects were being treated unfairly, and that he did not want bail for the suspects in question.

Ms Weathersbee and Ms Fenton said that their research indicated otherwise, as indicated by video footage, eyewitness accounts, and the reporting from the Florida Sun Sentinel and the Palm Beach Post.

At the end of the radio show, Al Sharpton strongly condemned any activity that would promote bail consideration for the suspects in question. Rev. Sharpton admitted that “if the suspects were white, he would have been there sooner.” He stated that this is a problem with many black civil rights organizations. He apologized and vowed to uphold his prior promise to advocate for the residents of Dunbar Village. He also challenged all activists, bloggers, and writers to be accountable to each other.

To date, the NAACP has not made an official statement denouncing the Dunbar Village Atrocity, nor have they officially expressed regret to the victim. The NAACP also has not officially retracted their statement requesting bail consideration for the alleged rapists/torturers. To our understanding, neither agency has contributed to the Victim’s Assistance Fund or created a reward program geared toward the apprehension of the remaining rapists/torturers.

Conclusion

WE ARE SATISFIED with Al Sharpton’s qualifying statements that he made on his radio show on 3/27/2008. We will watch to see if he fulfills his promise to advocate for the residents of Dunbar Village, and we are willing to assist any effort that promotes safer black neighborhoods in West Palm Beach, FL.

WE ARE NOT CONTENT with the reckless, irresponsible actions of the NAACP (West Palm Beach chapter). We continue to urge all black people, women especially, to refrain from volunteering or giving financially to this organization until they take our safety seriously.

WHAT WE WANT

We want law enforcement to make a concerted, sustained effort to apprehend the remaining suspects. We want to see a genuine reward system in place to encourage members of the community to come forward with the knowledge of the whereabouts of the remaining suspects.

We want the NAACP (West Palm Beach chapter) to reverse their position that the alleged rapists/torturers of this case should be considered for bail.

We want both the NAACP and the National Action Network to cease downgrading the gang rape/torture/atrocity of the Dunbar Village by comparing it to an unrelated gang rape, in which guns, maiming, and forced incest were not involved.

We want to see genuine victim advocacy in the form of financial support for the relocation, medical expenses, and mental therapy for the true victims in this case.

The Dunbar Village Victim Assistance Fund

Individuals who would like to donate money to the victims can go to any Wachovia Bank and donate to the St. Ann’s Victim’s Assistance Fund. Donations will go directly to the mother and her son.

St. Ann’s Catholic Church will also accept donations. Checks can be made payable to the “Dunbar Village Victim Assistance Fund - St. Ann’s”.

Donations can be mailed to: St. Ann’s Catholic Church, 310 N. Olive Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33401

If you would like to post this Open Letter on your blog, you can copy the HTML here:

(Blogger HTML) A New Underground Railroad is Born
(General HTML) A New Underground Railroad is Born

For more information about this Dunbar Village Campaign, you can visit any of the following blogs:

http://www.purplezoe.blogspot.com

http://www.dunbarvillage.blogspot.com/
http://adifferentstory.wordpress.com/
http://anonymissblog.blogspot.com/
http://auntjemimasrevenge.blogspot.com/
http://blackfirewhitefire.blogspot.com/
http://blackwomenvote.blogspot.com/
http://charactercorner.blogspot.com/
http://electronicvillage.blogspot.com/
http://episcopalienne.blogspot.com/
http://essentialpresence.blogspot.com/
http://focusedpurpose.blogspot.com/
http://h-essays.blogspot.com/
http://lareinacobre.blogspot.com/
http://mynewblog-ravenelvenlady.blogspot.com/
http://politicalseason.blogspot.com/
http://privyconcepts.blogspot.com/
http://thesowingcircle.blogspot.com/
http://tributetoblackwomen.com/news
http://web.mac.com/roslynholcomb/iWeb/Site/Blog/Blog.html
http://whataboutourdaughters.com/
http://whattamisaid.blogspot.com/
http://www.blacksapience.blogspot.com/
http://yanmommasaid.blogspot.com/
http://www.somethingwithin.com/blog

Need more reasons to boycott the Beijing Olympics?
Link

*Updated
Misanthropic Philanthropy
I’m sorry.
But I don’t want to be an emperor.
That’s not my business.
I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone.
I shall like to help everyone, if possible.
Jew, gentile, black man, white.

Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people.
Now let us fight to fulfill that promise.
Let us fight to free the world.
To do away with national barriers.
To do away with greed, and hate and intolerance.
Let us fight for a world of reason.
A world where science and progress will lead to all men’s happiness.
Soldiers in the name of democracy let us all unite.

The above I found out is actually the last speech of Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator.

The creative flow of Lotus Tribe featuring S.E.L.F., has brought this speech toward the forefront with a gentle yet prodding beat and gives us Chaplin’s speech 70 years later under the moniker of Misanthropic Philanthropy.

A great review of Lotus Tribe can be found here.

We are fast approaching the fifth anniversary of the illegal and immoral war in Iraq and Afghanistan. There will be protests throughout the country from March 10th through the 22nd.

If you CARE check out Resist in March to find a protest organized near you.

Here in Las Vegas, my family and friends will be joining the Nevada Workers against War on the 22nd to protest.

Realistically, these movements will not in themselves stop the war but will garner media coverage and remind the pundits and politicans that millions of Americans strongly oppose the American War in Iraq for a vast number of reasons.

As a mother, the consequences of war on families and children are soul wrenching.

The corporate media will not fairly show the consequences of war but I will.

All images from DemocracyRising.us

Comcast admits Paying Attendees at FCC hearing

from CommonDreams.org, originally published by The Philadelphia Inquirer

The hearing took place at Harvard University and the main topic was net neutrality. Many legitimate potential attendees were left out by 30-40 Comcast funded seat warmers, two of which were so concerned over the issue that they fell asleep while activists were outside. This is another example that government hearings are a sham.

Timothy Horrigan recalls his failed attempt to attend the hearing.

“The ultimate weakness of violence is that instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you can murder the hater but you do not murder hate. In fact violence merely multiplies hate. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Martin Luther King Jr.

Israeli Occupation of Palestine Causing Terrorism according to the U.N.

from The Largest Minority, originally published by the Associated Press

Manila delivers a first line that can’t be beat: “From the UN Council of Things Which are Obvious to Everyone but Still Need to be Stated Publicly for the Sake of Imperialist Leaders Who Have Their Heads up Their Asses, came this report published on Tuesday.“

One line struck me in particular: “Dugard says in the report that “common sense … dictates that a distinction must be drawn between acts of mindless terror, such as acts committed by al-Qaida, and acts committed in the course of a war of national liberation against colonialism, apartheid or military occupation.” John Dugard, is an independent investigator on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and author of the report. In the 1980s he was a South African lawyer who campaigned against apartheid.

If I were the decider, if you will indulge, I would employ this strategy in regards to Palenstine, no money to Israel until Palestine is a state, the Israeli settlements are removed from Palestinian territory and a road is built from the West Bank to the Gaza strip that would prevent Israel from blocking free Palestinian movement.

If we are going to have the balls to say we are a Super Power than at least use that leverage and cut the crap.

Good reads:

Noami Klein to Obama: Being Called a Muslim is not a Smear published by The Nation.

Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman’s interview with Michael Pollan the author of “In Defense of Food” and “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”. Listen/Watch/Read