[Prefatory Note: Slightly revised at the end.]
GAZA: Grief, Horror, Outrage, Remembering
GRIEF
How can one not feel intense grief for the young Palestinians who out of despair and fury joined the Great March of Return, and so often found death and severe injury awaiting them as they approached the border unarmed!!?
The strategic and tactical genius of the US Civil Rights Movement
by Ian Sinclair
Morning Star
25 April 2018
The recent death of American nonviolence guru Gene Sharp and the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King provide a good opportunity to reflect on the key role nonviolent action has played in winning progressive change.
George W Bush signs the 2006 Voting Rights Act renewalIn July 2006 George W. Bush signed a bill to renew the Voting Rights Act. Earlier that same month it had passed the House 390-33. All 33 NO votes were right-wing Republicans. More than a few of them are still in the House and one, Nathan Deal (R-GA), is now the governor of his state. These 14 racists are still Members of Congress:
Above is a 10-minute highlights video of President Obama's speech yesterday at the Selma 50-year anniversary memorial. The White House has also released the entire two hour and thirteen minute speech. After the speech, the President and his family led the march-- which included 100 Members of Congress and former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura-- across the infamous Edmund Pettus Bridge, named for a Confederate general and later KKK Grand Dragon and Alabama senator.
by Denise SullivanYou can thank Stevie Wonder for the move toward making today a federal holiday, and it all started with the song “Happy Birthday," from his album, Hotter Than July.The idea to honor the birthday of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. with his own national observance was first mooted by Rep. John Conyers in 1968, but the collection of millions of citizen signatures from city to city was Wonder's doing (along with that of his tour mate, Gil Scott-Heron).
-by Melody SieglerLast week I wrote a piece for DWT, celebrating my congressman, John Lewis. It drew an intriguing comment: “ABC interrupted the airing of Judgement at Nuremberg to report on the event in Selma. Interesting fact.” I wanted to know more. And, there was more. Barbara Harris Combs spoke about this in her book From Selma to Montgomery to Freedom: The Long March to Freedom:
-by Melody Siegler,constituentWho is John Lewis? Easy answer: he’s my congressman- the GA-05 district. DWT readers may find my experience shocking (or not)-- but a lot people I know one way or the other from around the country don’t actually know the name of their congressman. And, if I say (rather proudly) “mine is John Lewis” that simply doesn’t register.
With apologies to Ken-- and in recognition of all the work he's done to make sure everyone at DWT knows everything there is to know about The Nutcracker-- I wanted to mention something not many people do remember about the score to that 1892 ballet.
