Showing posts with label #women. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #women. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

What Do These Stories Have In Common?

 


What Do These Stories Have In Common?

We have a guest blogger this week, but before we get to their article, here’s a story that popped up in the news that I felt is very important. The mainstream media barely gave it any notice, which is telling in itself. It shows just how hard American propagandists in both the public and private sectors are working to keep the public in the dark. This news story has something vital in common with our guest’s submission. Can you find the common thread between these two stories?

First off, here is what Eric Zuesse writing for The Duran Newsletter had to say:

Annually, each year, since 2005, the U.S. Government has been one of only from 1 to 3 Governments to vote in the U.N. General Assembly against an annual statement by the General Assembly against racism and other forms of bigotry — an annual Resolution condemning it, and expressing a commitment to doing everything possible to reduce bigoted acts. For the first time ever, on November 4th, America was joined not only by one or two voting against it, but 55 nations, and almost all gave as reasons that Russia was for it and has invaded Ukraine. Ukraine is the only country that has almost always been joining America in opposing such resolutions...

 This year’s Resolution particularly offended America and its allies because “Nazism” is mentioned and condemned specifically in it.

No specific nation is ever mentioned in such resolutions.

The author of this article explains how the United Nations is notorious for making it difficult to near impossible to find the results of their resolution votes online. A week after a vote, and the information just mysteriously disappears. (I can attest to that fact. The UN website tells you you're not allow to access the information anymore.) After much searching and following of screenshots, here is the outcome of the vote on the resolution to combat the glorification of Nazism:


Item 66(a) draft resolution A/C.3/77/L.5

Combating glorification of Nazism, Neo-Nazism, and …

DATE: 4 November 2022

 IN FAVOR (105): Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dem. PR [N.] Korea, Djirbouti, El Salvador, Equatorial Gunea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Jamaica, Jordan,Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao PDR, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, St. Kitts, St. Vincent, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Solomon Islands, S. Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Surinam, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Trinidad, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, UAR, United Rep. Tanza, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

AGAINST (52): Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kiribati, Latvia, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, N. Macedonia, Norway, Papua, Poland, Portugal, Rep. Moldova, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, UK, U.S.

ABSTAIN (15): Antigua, Congo, Dominican Rep., Ecuador, Egypt, Mexico, Myanmar, Palau, Panama, Rep. of Korea, Samoa, Serbia, Switzerland, Tonga, Turkiye

ABSENT: Afghanistan, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Comoros, D.R. Congo, Dominica, Eswatini, Gambia, Grenada, Iran, Morocco, St. Lucia, Sao Tome, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, S. Sudan, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Venezuela

Data from US and Allies Vote For Nazism at UN https://theduran.com/u-s-and-allies-vote-for-nazism-at-u-n/

Ukrainian stamps glorifying Nazis

Why does the US continue to vote against combating the glorification of Nazism year after year? To blame not voting affirmative on this resolution on the proxy war the US and NATO started in Ukraine seems a rather weak excuse. It's common knowledge that Ukrainians have made a national hero out of Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera and that their very own militia unit, the Azov Battalion, has S.S. symbology as their logo. 

And why didn't the US vote for this resolution when it was first introduced seventeen years ago? Could it be the US has been pro-Nazi all along, and this fact didn't become blatantly apparent until 2022? 

Related Articles:

US and Ukraine Only Two Countries to Vote Against UN Resolution Condemning Nazism (December 2021) https://countercurrents.org/2021/12/u-s-and-ukraine-only-two-countries-vote-against-un-resolution-condemning-nazism/

Why Does the US Government Support Nazis All Around The World

https://countercurrents.org/2022/11/why-does-the-u-s-government-support-nazis-all-around-the-world/

Over 50 Countries Vote Against Russia’s Anti-Nazism Resolution at United Nations  https://orinocotribune.com/over-50-countries-vote-against-russias-anti-nazism-resolution-at-united-nations/

50 Nations Just Defended Nazism at the UN (Video, story starts about 5 minutes in) https://rumble.com/v1t02sk-50-nations-just-defended-nazism-at-the-u.n..html

 

The following article demonstrates that American activists have fought against racism, sexism, fascism, and elitism from our country's very beginnings. The United States' negative vote on the recent United Nations' resolution on combating the glorification of Nazism is an indication that American activists must continue to fight these evils today.

Inspirational Stories Of Black Activists

by Robin Nicole Hamilton

Motivation is a state of mind that helps you achieve your goals and plays an important part in achieving success. It is a feeling or emotion that you get when you want to do something bigger. It keeps you going until you reach your goal.

Black freedom fighters are a source of inspiration. These real-life heroes have always served their people. Freedom fighters like Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Harriet Tubman are always remembered and admired, especially by young people who aspire to be like them one day. Let's remember that they fought hard and did not give up until they achieved what they wanted. They made sacrifices and were hurt, but they did not give up because they believed in themselves and their mission.

Black Activists: A True Source of Motivation

The history of black freedom fighters, Martin Luther King Jr. Malcolm X, and others have inspired many to fight for their rights. These activists have shown us that we can achieve anything if we are willing to fight for it.

There have been many other black freedom fighters and activists who have fought for our rights all over the world, but few know about them or even take the time to remember their names and what they did for us. However, their stories should be heard so that we will know that it is possible to change the world.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a man who dared to dream big to achieve his dreams. He became one of the most cogent civil rights leaders in US history. He was a minister who fought for civil rights for Americans, both blacks and whites. He led a peaceful movement to end injustice and inequality in the USA, especially for people of color. On April 4, 1968, he was murdered by a white extremist, James Earl Ray, while standing on the patio of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. 

Malcolm X

Malcolm X is another great example of a black activist who achieved greatness despite being on the wrong side of society at one point in time. He was a Muslim convert who became an influential leader in the Nation of Islam movement. He spoke out against racism and segregation.

Malcolm was imprisoned for fifteen years for his involvement in a black separatist organization. After being released from prison, he continued his activism with Malcolm X's Organization (MEO) which promoted black pride, self-defense, and economic empowerment through various means like education and employment opportunities. He went through the ups and downs of life and never gave up on his mission despite the obstacles and hardships. Several iconic films and books cover his life journey. In 1965, soon after Malcolm’s death, his biography was published by Alex Haley. (Learn more about Alex Haley's The Autobiography of Malcolm X.)

Fannie Lou Hamer

Fannie Lou Hamer was an American civil rights activist who fought against racial segregation. Fannie participated in civil rights activism from 1962-1973. She became a key figure in many organizations fighting for change. (Watch this film on the legacy of Fannie Lou Hamer).

One of these organizations was the Freedom Democratic Party (FDP), which was founded by her husband, James Hamer. The FDP was formed to give black voters more power over their own lives and communities by organizing around issues like voting rights and school desegregation. Fannie and James obtained success when the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) was passed.

While working on behalf of the FDP, Fannie also focused on other issues such as farm labor unions and sanitation workers' rights. She helped organize boycotts against employers who did not pay their workers fairly or provide benefits such as health insurance or pensions. Even the limitations of being a woman of color in the mid-20th century did not scare her from dreaming big or pursuing her goals.


Mary Church Terrell

Mary Church Terrell was a civil rights leader who fought for better treatment for women of color in America. She was the first African-American female to complete a college degree and manage the school board of a major city. She was one of the founders of the National Association Of Colored Women. (Click here to see the Mary Church Terrell documentary.)

Mary fought for the rights of women of color in colleges and workplaces. What she achieved in the late 19th and early 20th centuries is a source of great inspiration for many black women. 

Black Lives Matter (BLM)

BLM is a present-day movement for blacks' and other minorities' rights. This decentralized movement fights against racially motivated violence, discrimination, and police brutality against people of color and minorities. This movement is growing stronger every day because it gives hope to those who have been oppressed by whites.

Similarly, the fight for freedom and equal rights continues and inspires people to become a part of such organizations and follow those individuals who stand for their people. These legends from the history of black activism motivate us to think big and inspire us to achieve our goals.

In conclusion, these people are proof that anyone can achieve success if they have enough drive and perseverance!

BIO: Robin Nicole Hamilton is an American journalist, writer, television host, and principal at "ARoundRobin Production Company". She has worked as a broadcaster in Florida, New York, Boston, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C. Working at the intersection of media and policy, her work is guided by the principle of providing information to promote transformation. She directed four documentary films from 2015 to 2022. Her fourth film, Odessa’s Reign, profiles the life of a female gangster in 1950s Washington, D.C. The film earned Robin her fourth Emmy. Hamilton has won and been nominated for several awards for her work on the DCW50 TV (WDCW) Living Black History series. She also served as a Public Media Corps (PMC) Fellow which allowed her to promote social media tools to under-served communities. Hamilton is currently offering film and video production services to clients in Capitol Heights, Bethesda, Baltimore, Columbia, Annapolis, Rockville, Maryland, Alexandria, Fairfax, Arlington County, and Tysons, Virginia and in Washington D.C.

 * * *
 

The Revolution Continues
is now featured on Substack--
 

Sign up there to have a free weekly column 
delivered to your email box today.
(And spread the word!) 

 

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Make The Handmaid's Tale Fiction Again/Power to the Peaceful

Think it's past time we entered the 21st century and left the last century's narrow-mindedness behind? Read on!

Make The Handmaid's Tale Fiction Again
#StopTheBans Protest 2019
photos and words by C. A. Matthews

It's spring--and it's time for all good activists to come out of their warm homes and hit the streets with signs in hand. This past week thousands of women across the nation came out to protest recent legislation in states like Alabama and Ohio that severely limit--if not altogether prohibit--a woman's right to seek abortion care. The following photos come from the Toledo #StopTheBans demonstration.
The creativity in the signage and costuming was superb. There's something about having your very existence threatened that brings out the latent talent hidden in the depths of a woman's soul. We aren't "having brunch with the gals" here. This ain't no garden party. We are fighting for our right to determine our own destinies; our right to live our lives as we see fit--not as others deem proper.
Are we equal with men, or are we "just a womb"? The Handmaid's Tale is a novel, not a guidebook, right? Are we heading toward a sadistic patriarchal society were women are barely seen behind their red capes and bonnets with wings, to be used simply as brood mares? The women on the protest corner give a resounding "No!" to that nightmare scenario. They are strong. They will fight back.
This recent spate of abortion ban laws just reinforces the fact that outlawing abortion isn't a "moral issue" (or  a "Save the babies!" issue) but a "control issue" to keep women, minorities, and the poor in general in their place. The elites can't have women determining their own destinies, especially their economic destinies. If they have the freedom to decide when or if they are going to have children, women could choose to focus on their education and/or careers and eventually learn to out-think their bosses. Smart women could challenge the system and demand change to make a better world for their children and future children... Anti-abortion legislation is just another way the 1% on top in positions of power use punitive measures to control the 99%  "beneath" them--with an added side of self-righteousness to boot.
Intelligent, capable women (and their allies) aren't having it. They're not taking this latest attack against Roe V. Wade lying down, with their hands held down by their rapists. They are taking the conversation to the streets and demanding to be heard. Their cry is "Never again." We aren't going back to the dark ages. We aren't going to allow women to die in back alleys. We will keep the clinics open and accessible to all who need their services. The Handmaid's Tale will remain fiction. And this time, there will be a happy ending for all who live in the freedom to choose their own path.


Related articles:

Abortion limits carry economic costs for women
https://www.npr.org/2019/05/23/726294656/a-look-at-the-economics-of-ending-a-pregnancy 

Abortion bans have some women preparing for the worst
https://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/56769-abortion-bans-have-some-women-preparing-for-the-worst-it-involves-auntie-networks
 ***


Power to the Peaceful (No War in Iran)
Northwest Ohio Peace Coalition Demonstration 
photos and words by C. A. Matthews

A few days later, on the same street corner, another demonstration materialized. Although at first glance these two protests seem to have little in common, the more I ponder their messages, the more I see them as two aspects of the same fight. Standing up for a woman's right to choose and for the right of all human beings to live in peace are both struggles against a corrupt system that seeks to control our lives.


These peace activists protesting against another US intervention in Iran display the response we should all take when faced with injustice--one of strength and grace. They're not afraid to stand up to the military industrial complex and its paid-off politicians. They're not afraid to love their neighbors as themselves--even if their neighbors live halfway across the globe and don't share the same language, culture or skin tone with them.

True power is found in true love of self and neighbor. By respecting and cherishing our neighbors through providing health care for all (including women's reproductive health care) and ensuring a safe and peaceful planet, we are bringing about a just and healthy society. We are creating the beautiful world we all envision.

It can happen today. We can have it all--peace, love, justice, mercy and compassion--but first we have to  have the courage to take it to the streets.





***



From Credo:

An a historic act of resistance to Trump's homophobic and hateful agenda, the House of Representatives recently passed the Equality Act to extend civil rights protections to the LGBTQ community and ban discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.1
 
But the fight to win full, equal rights under the law for everyone is far from over. 

The Trump administration can wage war against the LGBTQ community because there are no explicit legal guarantees of their civil rights. Now, it's on the Senate to take a stance against bigotry and ensure protection from discrimination for the LGBTQ community. Can you add your voice in support of the Equality Act?

Tell the Senate: It’s long past time for LGBTQ people to have full civil rights. Pass the Equality Act now. Click here to sign the petition.

From inciting and enabling anti-LGBTQ violence to stripping away hard-fought LGBTQ rights under the guise of "religious liberty," Trump is trying to invisibilize and marginalize the LGBTQ community. By making incendiary, bigoted policy proposals to ban transgender people from military service, allow health care workers to use their religious beliefs to discriminate against LGBTQ patients and roll back an Obama-era redefinition of "discrimination based on sex" to include gender identity, Trump is refusing to create a climate of safety and inclusion, and proactively attempting to dismantle LGBTQ people's rights.2–4

The Equality Act would affirm that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 applies to LGBTQ people, banning discrimination in education, employment, housing, credit and federal jury service.5 The majority of Americans in every state support equal protection under the law for LGBTQ people, but with Republicans controlling the Senate, passing the Equality Act will be an uphill battle.6

Now more than ever, we need to send a strong message to every senator that the vast majority of Americans support equal protection under the law for LGBTQ people and we expect our elected officials to stand with us. Can you help demand that the Senate use its power to stand up for LGBTQ people now?
Tell the Senate: Pass the Equality Act and extend civil rights protections to all Americans. Click the link below to sign the petition:
https://act.credoaction.com/sign/Equality-act-senate?t=9&akid=32703%2E7206293%2E8SNb5_

Thanks for fighting back,
ThaĆ­s Marques, Campaign Manager CREDO Action from Working Assets
 

Add your name:

Sign the petition ►
References:

  1. German Lopez, "The House just passed a sweeping LGBTQ rights bill," Vox, May 17, 2019.
  2. Erica L. Green, Abby Goodnough and Margot Sanger-Katz,"Trump Administration Proposes Rollback of Transgender Protections," The New York Times, May 24, 2019.
  3. Ann Marimow, "Restriction on transgender troops serving in military can stand for now, D.C. federal appeals court rules," The Washington Post, Jan. 4, 2018.
  4. Bil Browning, "Trump admin issues rule that gives healthcare workers right to discriminate against LGBTQ people," LGBTQ Nation, May 2, 2019.
  5. National Center for Transgender Equality, "The Equality Act Introduced to Congress with Over 230 Co-Sponsors," March 13, 2019.
  6. Brian McBride, "Major National Survey Finds Majority of Americans in Every State Oppose LGBTQ Discrimination," Human Rights Campaign, May 2, 2018.


Monday, April 15, 2019

Women Power!

Sheena Barnes and Stefania Czech

Women Power! 
observations by C.A. Matthews 

It's exciting living in America in the year 2019, and it's not because we're never sure we won't wake up some morning to a giant mushroom cloud exploding over  the horizon because Trump has a tiny-handed finger resting on the nuke arsenal button. It's exciting because in the last two years we've seen a huge surge in progressive first-timers entering into the political arena both at the local and the national level. Here are some images and thoughts on two such women, both single moms, taking on the establishment and running for office to make changes for the better for both theirs and others' children.

Sheena Barnes is running for Toledo Public School (TPS) Board. She is raising three kids so she knows what's really going on in public schools and what should be happening to provide brighter outcomes for all Toledo public school students. Running for school board in a large city (over a quarter million residents) isn't as easy as you might think, but Sheena is up for the challenge. She first needs to secure 300 valid signatures in order to gain ballot access. It's imperative that she raise a war chest to promote herself in what will probably be a large field of already well-known (and better off financially) candidates.


 Stefania Czech like Sheena is also a single mom, living in subsidized housing
and attending school full-time. She's an activist with Toledoans for Safe Water, the group that brought forth the successful Lake Erie Bill of Rights (LEBOR) citizens' initiative, and a college student studying environmental science. Stefania feels that Toledo City Council doesn't take the new law to protect drinking water seriously. The council current non-support of LEBOR in the face of lawsuits from Big Agriculture demonstrates how council members seem more intent on pleasing their corporate sponsors than their constituents. 

Stefania wasn't about to sit idly by and watch her young son's future be jeopardized by a future of toxic blue-green algal blooms on Lake Erie. She decided to run for city council, district 2, and unseat the current city council president, Matt Cherry. Mr. Cherry is known primarily as a trades union leader who voiced opposition to LEBOR. He isn't even particularly well-liked by members of his own party, the Lucas County Democratic Party, but he will be listed on the ballot as their "endorsed" candidate with a large war chest to fall back on. 

Can an activist-mom running as a Green-Independent take on an icon of the corrupt establishment? Stefania knows she can, but she also knows it's not going to be easy. Luckily she has another powerful young woman, Monika Perry, helping to run her campaign. Sheena's campaign manager is the power-filled Kwinlyn Tyler. Women power is found in all roles--from those running for office to those who work behind the scenes to bring these candidates to the public's eye.
Kwinlyn and Monika discuss their campaign strategies.

Some other instances of Women Power witnessed recently... 
 The right to freely access abortion health care is being denied in Ohio. Activists have taken to the streets once again to express their disgust with the government interfering with a woman's right to make decisions about her own body. Recently Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed the 6-week abortion ban. The protests will continue. Pro-choice women have the power and the voice, and they're not going back to coat hangers in back alleys. Be sure to sign the link below to show your support.
Who do you know is a powerful woman in your life? What gives her that power? How do you support her in the fight for justice and equality? Let us know in the comments section. Power to the people--all peoples, of  all gender identities!

Websites:

***

 





DeWine
Add your name to the Declaration for Reproductive Freedom:

 

"We, the undersigned, pledge to build an Ohio where reproductive health and safety are guaranteed, where Ohioans from all walks of life have equal access to a full range of reproductive health care, and where we are united in our commitment to health equity for all Ohioans, to reproductive freedom, and to safe and legal abortion.

 

"As Ohioans, we believe in our right to make decisions about our own bodies, and we believe that reproductive rights are human rights."