On this anniversary of "Birmingham Sunday" where tears of sorrow flow for 4 little girls who did not choose to be, but were, sacrificed upon the alter of freedom; I'm taken aback at home far we've come for the better. And yet I can see its getting better for the worse. Democracy is coming in here - and seeks to rush out the door over there.
This month the people spoke that we want no more wars. It was a befuddlement that America's policy to stop Syria from bombing Syrians, was for the U.S. to threaten to bomb Syrians. For that issue I'll end this D with Bill Maher as my Syrian Guide.
Meanwhile, there's much banter in the Senate about "Shield Law". Our Government is going to give more power/klout to corporate media persons; and less standing to any journalist wannabe. We have the right to be shielded; but not the way big gov wishes. Even the great DailyKos and other Progressive realms would be in jeopardy if this Law is not properly vetted. Just imagine a Jeb Bush WH, with a Boehner Congress and a Romney Senate having a "shield law" way to smack down the DK realm! We need to be shielded from Shield Laws.
First I give you a proper insight by the poetic Cohen - Democracy is coming and it's coming to America 1st - with the best and the worse;
Have we learned anything, will we learn anything
We are in the age of a non-Caucasian man being voted into the White House, doing so with an odd-ball name akin to those off shore. America did a beautiful thing reviving its sense of purpose with POTUS Obama, after the illegal defeating of Al Gore.
But have we learned anything?
Today is the 50th Anniversary of 4 sweet little girls being blown up in an Alabama church. Kossack Denise Oliver Velez has a wonderful D on this issue that swells my heart with emotion, titled "Birmingham Sunday". The D tells the sad tale of the 4 precious gifts sacrificed upon the alter of freedom. The D also denotes that President Obama signed a bill designating the Congressional Gold Medal to commemorate them.
But we still have whites trying to nix the black vote - regularly.
As Denise Oliver Velez reflects, we are in the age of George Zimmerman, where racism is still a part of our daily lives. A young black youth was killed and the first instinct of the Police was to cover up many key issues by labeling the killer GZ as "squeaky clean".
Isn't that why the KKK where's white - to appear clean?
FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover made it dang near impossible to get justice form the 4 murdered children, who were bombed in a church that signed up African Americans to vote. Democracy came to America, in spite of the bombing and elected one who represents much to be proud of in President Obama.
But that doesn't mean we shouldn't be vigilant in the fight for Democracy.
While I'm all for President Obama in many things, I still have the right to say NO to things he and his Administration seek to do, in the name of Democracy. Being a Democrat and seeking democratic process means that we have little tolerance for a bullying philosophy akin to the Right Wing mentality of power, money and might makes right.
Most of U.S. have no idea what truly motivated Private Manning, Julian Assange and Snowden. Regardless of their motives, each and every one of them have brought to the fold issues of an abusive government. The new "Shield Laws" are a purported resolution of the current digital era to offer protections for "real" journalists. That law they seek to make means that Thomas Paine and Julian Assange and Crystal Cox and David Parkman and Professor Jonathan Turley are NOT journalists. I'm of the mind and body that corporate media already has too much power; and that shield laws are a way for them to keep that power and put to silence journalist wannabes.
Will the Shield Law shield U.S. from big gov attempt to shield U.S. from views?
Bill Maher is a journalist - is he not? Does Bill Maher report on issues of the times? Does Bill Maher give you and I a voice when corporate media would seek to drown that voice out? On Syrian issues and the notion that America is a bully that needs to stop bullying, I'm in agreement with Bill Maher.
There's NO main stream media saying we shouldn't bomb Syria; but Bill Maher says NO!
So I'll end this piece with Bill Maher's questions for peace! Bill says that the policy of America always seeking to bomb someone is the itch to use force and the pretense it is self defense.
You know - the George Zimmerman philosophy.......