Is This Squid Game?

 

Is This Squid Game?

by C.A. Matthews

I've never seen the TV series, but I've read about it. Most viewers express sympathy with the characters and at least a passing familiarity with the premise. They see themselves living in a sick and twisted game show set up so that no one can win and all of their suffering is for the entertainment of a privileged few.

I can relate.  No matter how I try, I never can get a handle on this sick and twisted economic system we're forced to live under. The rules seem to change capriciously in mid-game. All we can really expect playing in the contest of capitalism is to slave away for billionaires at starvation wages and abysmal benefits (if we're lucky to have any) until the day we die.

Well, I don't know 'bout you, but I'm mad as hell. And I'm not going to take it anymore.

What can we do about it? First off, no more lies. Pretending that capitalism somehow benefits everyone in our society is harmful in and of itself. Holding onto this lie keeps beneficial changes from occurring because energy is wasted on upholding the status quo.  (Read Exposing The Lie.)

In practical terms this means no more agreeing with those who think all those who "fail" under capitalism are somehow "lazy" or "deficient" in any way. Uh-uh. Anyone who enjoys profiting off the work of others is a failure--a total failure in the moral decency department. They no longer deserve our respect or regard. Feel free to tell them to shut the f*** up.

Secondly, we must fight the system at every opportunity. The workers have the power when they unite to fight for the rights they deserve. Striketober, General Strike, and Strikesgiving are trending hashtags for a reason. Strikes work. We the workers can't let up with organizing ourselves into unions now.

The third thing is the most important action we can take to defeat the sadistic capitalist game runners. We the ordinary people must stop arguing with each other, especially over trivial things. The elites depend on our mutual animosity dividing us into smaller and smaller factions so they can easily conquer us. Capitalists love race hatred and help sow it at every possible opportunity. They salivate over inter-generational conflict because that means children and their parents and grandparents will never coalesce into one large group and instigate a mass action against the bourgeoisie.

We can't let the billionaires bust We the People up and create conflict in the ranks. It's us versus them. It's the only way we'll succeed in throwing them out of power, so keep the focus on us.

It's time we put away this worldwide game of Monopoly or Squid Game or whatever you call it and replace it with one called Cooperation. If we don't do it soon, we won't have any planet left to fight over.

The climate emergency could be abated if we put an end to the military-industrial complex and the carbon pollution caused by the top 10% wealthiest. Focusing on those mighty tasks together alongside our fellow workers, instead of being distracted by capitalists' games that will destroy life on Earth as we know it, is what we've got to do.

No excuses. Time's a'wastin'! Get mad as hell--and then get out there and take out the madmen who created this hell.

 

Related Articles:

It's Really Weird How Little We Talk About Humanity's Imminent Doom  https://caitlinjohnstone.com/2021/11/03/its-really-weird-how-little-we-talk-about-humanitys-imminent-doom/

Study Warns Luxury Pollution by the Mega-Rich Is Imperiling the Planet https://truthout.org/articles/study-warns-luxury-pollution-by-the-mega-rich-is-imperiling-the-planet/

 Americans Are Rediscovering the Power of Unions https://scheerpost.com/2021/11/08/americans-are-rediscovering-the-power-of-unions/

The COVID Supply Chain Breakdown Can Be Traced to Capitalist Globalization https://truthout.org/articles/the-covid-supply-chain-breakdown-can-be-traced-to-capitalist-globalization/

Seen on Twitter:

"There are more delegates at COP26 associated with the fossil fuel industry than from any single country"

I don't know about you, but I sure am not comfortable with having some of the world's biggest villains influencing & dictating the fate of the world.https://t.co/vjQRBrcoC7

— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) November 8, 2021

***

From Friends of the Earth:

Picture this: Sand-covered baby sea turtles hatching from their shells and making the long journey from the sunkissed beach to the salty water. But something’s wrong -- out of the water sticks a huge metal contraption, casting a shadow over the beach. It’s an offshore drilling rig -- and it’s putting the tiny sea turtles in danger. Take action now.

This grim reality could soon become even more entrenched for everyone who calls the Gulf Coast home. The Department of Interior is preparing to sell 80 million acres of the Gulf coast to the fossil fuel industry. The massive sale will pollute Gulf waters with toxic fumes and chemicals, threatening iconic marine life like sea turtles, native fish, birds, dolphins, and whales.

But the sale isn’t final yet, and you can help stop it if you show a groundswell of resistance. Will you act to save marine life from pollution, C.A.?

Tell the DOI: Don’t sell the Gulf of Mexico to Big Oil polluters! 

SIGN NOW

While the Gulf was just starting to recover from the Deepwater Horizon disaster of 2010 and the decades-long Taylor Oil Spill of 2004, Hurricane Ida caused dozens of rigs and pipelines to rupture, spilling even more toxic sludge into the Gulf. The Gulf experienced 2,000 new incidents of pollution in its waters after Hurricane Ida. And that’s not all -- in the past two years, the region suffered the worst red tides in over a decade.  

Oil spills aren’t a rare occurrence in the Gulf. In fact, offshore pipeline leak rates in the Gulf are more than 10 times higher than the national rate. And these spills cause a host of health issues. People living nearby can experience respiratory problems and pneumonia from the fumes of oil spills alone.

The federal government should be protecting our Gulf waters and the people and wildlife who call it home -- not sacrificing them to fossil fuel mega-corporations. But the only way we’ll save the Gulf is if people like you take a minute to sign your name and demand the DOI cancel this sale.

Demand the DOI put people, wildlife, and the planet before Big Oil profits!

SIGN NOW

Once a sea turtle swims through an oil spill, there’s no way to guarantee it will survive. Wildlife rescue efforts after oil spills are far from 100% effective.

But if the DOI sells more of the Gulf coast to Big Oil, the spills and their catastrophic impact will only become more frequent. And the sale will impact everyone from Texas to California by increasing carbon emissions from fossil fuels and hurtling us closer to climate catastrophe. 

The climate crisis has already been declared a code red for humanity. Selling off more land to fossil fuel developers is exactly the opposite of what we should be doing. But instead, President Biden is breaking his campaign promises to end oil and gas leasing in our ocean. The only way to stop this is if you raise your voice and speak out against fossil fuel destruction now.

Help send 30,000 comments: Tell the DOI to keep Big Oil out of Gulf waters! 

SIGN NOW

Standing with you,
Hallie Templeton,
Senior oceans campaigner,
Friends of the Earth

 ***

From OpenMedia:

Have any of your posts ever been taken down on a platform? Do you want to see more regulations online? Do you wish freedom of expression was the rule online? This is the opportunity to share with OpenMedia what you think about content moderation by social media platforms.

While the First Amendment of the constitution restricts the ability of the government to penalize people for what they say on online platforms, platforms are currently able to set their own rules for speech on their services. Some people want platforms to set fewer rules, while others want to see more restrictions over harmful speech such as misinformation and harassing behaviour. We want to know YOUR preferences regarding the content you see on online platforms. Any changes should be made based on people’s actual needs and requests. This is your opportunity to participate!

We have partnered with Simon Fraser University and research funder Mitacs to develop an in-depth survey to consult your opinion about content moderation and the type of values you prioritize when deciding on online content.

Take me to the survey!

A lot of our best ideas start with our incredible community members, like you. Would you take some time to take this survey and share your thoughts?

We hope this research will provide significant information about the public's preferences when it comes to regulating private online spaces. The results of the study can contribute to public policy decisions based on the opinion of the citizens to shape the digital regulations of the years to come.

Give your opinion

Thanks for all that you do,

The OpenMedia Team

 ***

---

We're demanding that the U.S. government accept responsibility for the harm caused by Agent Orange — the toxic chemical used as a weapon of war on the people and land of southeast Asia from 1961-1971 — and provide assistance to American veterans, Vietnamese and Vietnamese-American victims, and their children. For the past six decades, millions of people sprayed directly by Agent Orange as well as their descendants have suffered from various cancers, birth defects, and other deadly diseases. Contaminated areas in Vietnam continue to poison the food, soil, water, and wildlife.

It's far past time for the U.S. government to address the poisonous legacy of the American war in Vietnam. Join us in telling Congress to pass H.R. 3518: Victims of Agent Orange Relief Act of 2021.


This May, Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) introduced H.R. 3518, the Victims of Agent Orange Relief Act, saying: “The United States has a moral responsibility to compensate the victims of the Agent Orange campaign. In the same way we are focused on beginning to repair the damage of systemic racism in the form of reparations, and the war on drugs with restorative justice, it is also our responsibility to try and atone for this disgraceful campaign during the Vietnam War.”

H.R. 3518 calls on the U.S. government to:

• Fund significant assistance to Vietnamese Agent Orange victims
• Clean up the lands and eco-systems contaminated by Agent Orange in Vietnam
• Provide additional assistance and health care for U.S. veterans' children affected by Agent Orange
• Address the health needs of affected Vietnamese-Americans
• Require the Department of Veterans Affairs to continue to conduct research on the health effects of Agent Orange

Tell your U.S. Representative in Congress to co-sponsor this important bill to help alleviate those suffering from Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam and the U.S.!

Thank you for taking action,

Greta Zarro
Organizing Director
World BEYOND War
greta@worldbeyondwar.org

---

 

Exposing The Lie

Exposing The Lie

by C.A. Matthews

I never quite fell for the lie.  And, perhaps, that's been a saving grace.

I never quite believed what my ninth grade Civics teacher told us one day in class. Our economy was supposed to go on and on and grow and grow, forever and forever. Literally. When I dare questioned, "Why?" I was told, "Because it has to." 

"But what if everyone already has two cars, a home, and all the stuff a family could possibly ever want or need in it?" I wondered aloud. 

I got strange looks from my classmates upon that utterance. No worries, I was used to it even back then. I figured I wasn't supposed to think outside the box and expose the lie. I was supposed to just keep quiet and accept it. I pretended I did to get through the rest of the unit and receive a decent grade on the test, but I never really believed what I read in our textbook or wrote on those tests.

Flash forward to middle age and then some: Now more than ever, I don't believe anything anyone with any so-called "expert qualifications" tells me about the lie. I go along with billions of others worldwide who believe just the opposite. Economies aren't supposed to expand exponentially forever at the expense of the planet's and the people's health and well-being. 

Those of us in the know realize what we have in the US is a fiat currency. Simply put, we'll always have more than enough money for endless wars and weapons spending and tax cuts and bailouts for the rich, but we'll never have enough to cover health care costs for our people or education costs from pre-K through college for everyone or guaranteed housing for all. Nope, we no can do under the lie that the powers-that-be operate under and force us to follow. We're told that We the Little People will have to manage without, or spend out all the "ones-and-zeroes" in our bank accounts just to provide the bare necessities of food and shelter and health care for our loved ones.

"That's the way of the world," we're told by our so-called elected officials as they vote themselves a pay raise, give more "free money" to banks and corporations who mismanaged their ones-and-zeroes in their ledger sheets, and ignore our increasingly worsening plight.

But it doesn't have to be that way. How do I know? Remember, I don't believe in the lie and once one's eyes are opened (or re-opened) one can't see things the way the liars would like us to see them. I don't see how it can be considered "fair" or "legal" to allow people to die because they can't afford an operation or medicines to keep them healthy and alive. I don't accept the lie simply because those with more ones-and-zeroes on their bank statements tell us to. I don't see these persons as my superiors to be obeyed like a mindless slave. I resist and I speak up.

Even worse, I encourage others to resist the lie and speak out against it too. 

Are you in the know? How do you know if you are? How do you know you've not fallen hopelessly into the pit of liars?

If you've noticed the increasing number of  COVID-19 deaths in the US, heard on a podcast or via the grapevine how many workers worldwide are currently on strike or are voting to organize and/or strike or are simply walking off their jobs because they've had enough of the liars' manipulations and ill-treatment of workers, then you're part of the billions like me. We don't believe in the lie called capitalism. We don't see it as a fair and equitable way to distribute resources to all human beings because simply there's no proof that it actually works for the majority of us.

Sure, there are thousands and thousands of private non-profits and "charity organizations" worldwide that fill in the gaps, but why are there "gaps" in the first place? Could it be because our so-called "democratically elected governments" don't want to fill in the gaps because they don't give a sh*t about hungry and homeless people and wish they'd just fade away? Just look at how the US government puts all the onus of picking up the slack of not taking care of all its people onto the backs of those most easily guilted into doing so. And these charity groups do it because they've come to believe the lie all along that it is their job to do so.

What if we told them that it shouldn't be left in the hands of private charitable agencies to take care of the public's needs? What if we opened their eyes as well to the lie and how their good natures have been taken advantage of for centuries by evil and selfish men who want to keep the majority of resources to themselves? What would happen? Would these charitable persons demand an end to the lie of capitalism and expose its ugliness to the world?

We'll have to see. Some folks are really into being bigwigs in the non-profit realm and see themselves as successful capitalists, too. They've joined the "Liars Club" and profit immensely from the status quo. They might not want to give up giving out  old clothing to poor homeless vets and the occasional free meal or donating canned goods that were given away as a favor to clear the shelves for new products to be stocked at well-to-do grocery stores. But maybe, just maybe, once the charitable bigwigs become a part of the working class living from paycheck to paycheck, hand out to hand out, they'll start to see the bigger picture, too.

Until then, don't close your eyes and forget how you see the lie at work in the world. Help others to see it and denounce it. And don't cross the picket lines.
 

Related articles:

US Billionaires Got 70% More Wealth Under COVID. They Didn't Deserve Any of It.  https://www.rsn.org/001/us-billionaires-got-70-more-wealth-under-covid-they-didnt-deserve-any-of-it.html

Capitalism is Violence https://caitlinjohnstone.com/2021/10/26/capitalism-is-violence-notes-from-the-edge-of-the-narrative-matrix/

Don't Believe the Corporate "Labor Shortage" Bullsh*t  https://scheerpost.com/2021/10/25/dont-believe-the-corporate-labor-shortage-bullsht/

 

***

 

Climate chaos or a clean energy future – that’s the choice before world leaders at COP26. Demand that they move to keep fossil fuels in the ground and pass a Fossil Fuel Treaty.   TAKE ACTION

In less than two weeks, I’ll be with leaders from around the world in Glasgow, Scotland for COP26 to discuss how the world will combat climate change.

I firmly believe that if we’re to stave off the worst of the climate crisis, a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty based on the principles of no new exploration, a managed wind down of existing production, and a just transition must be a major topic of conversation.

However, we’ve learned from past COPs that without significant amounts of public pressure, world leaders can avoid hard questions and decisions. We can’t let that happen.

World leaders need to not just understand what’s at stake, but that they’ll be held accountable if they don’t do what’s necessary in the fight to maintain a habitable climate.

Will you sign the petition demanding world leaders start working on a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty at COP26?

PASS A FOSSIL FUEL TREATY

The record breaking heat waves, extreme weather events, and catastrophic wildfires we’ve seen over the past few years are nothing compared to what’s coming if the global community doesn’t come together to keep fossil fuels in the ground and initiate a just transition to clean energy.

It’s incredible that this hasn’t happened sooner. As historic as the Paris Climate Accords were, there was no mention of coal, oil, or gas – the fossil fuels responsible for 86% of global emissions [1] – in the entire document. Not once! You can’t solve a problem if you won’t even recognize it.

And let’s be clear – we have plenty of solutions and a clear path forward to transition from fossil fuels to clean energy while keeping workers employed and economies strong. 

We know that we have more than enough renewable energy potential to replace fossil fuels without needing any new production. [2] We know that renewable energy is cheaper than fossil fuels, and the disparity keeps growing. [3] We know that, at least in the United States, there are three times more clean energy jobs than fossil fuels jobs. [4]

Join me in calling on world leaders to choose a clean energy future over climate chaos by negotiating a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Climate change is a global problem and it’s time that the world started acting accordingly. 

As a member of the Stand.earth community, you know that we can do anything we put our minds to. 

We’ve gone up against multinational oil, gas, and coal companies worth billions of dollars and come out victorious, blocking dozens of their projects that would have poisoned local communities and accelerated the climate crisis. We’ve protected millions of acres of forests that people thought couldn’t be saved. We’ve shifted billions of dollars of purchasing from corporate powerhouses like Starbucks, Staples, and Levi’s onto sustainable pathways.

Because of people like you, we're achieving victories that others thought were impossible. This community is more than half a million people strong (and growing!). Together, we're using our collective power to fight climate change, protect wild spaces, stand with impacted communities, and say no to new fossil fuels.

Now, let’s make the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty a priority at COP26.

With hope and determination,

Tzeporah Berman
International Program Director
Stand.earth

[1] https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGI_TS.pdf
[2] https://indd.adobe.com/view/e0092323-3e91-4e5c-95e0-098ee42f9dd1
[3] https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/07/renewables-cheapest-energy-source/
[4] https://www.forbes.com/sites/energyinnovation/2019/04/22/renewable-energy-job-boom-creating-economic-opportunity-as-coal-industry-slumps/?sh=329027a93665

***

From Hip Hop Caucus:

We need to kill the oil industry before the oil industry kills us.

What we definitely do not need to be doing is approving the hundreds of petrochemical plants Biden is set to approve. Creating oil and plastics is bad for our water supply. It’s bad for our air supply. It’s bad for our very survival. And if Joe Biden is as serious as he claims to be about protecting our future, he’ll stop this madness before it goes even further.

TELL JOE BIDEN: Stop pouring fuel on the raging fire of the Climate Crisis. Stop Approving Petrochemical plants.

Big oil makes money for big oil. In the process, these are the companies which dodge their taxes, poison every community they enter, give us cancer, and burn the very planet we rely upon for life. It’s disgusting enough we have to fight the fatal impacts of the petrochemical plants which already exist.

The very least we can do is not create any more.

For Future Generations,

Rev Yearwood
President & CEO
Hip Hop Caucus

***

Next week, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments about Texas’s extreme anti-abortion law. But the mere fact that they refused to overrule it on sight two months ago has sent other states scurrying to craft knock-off legislation. We need to send a loud, clear message: Abortion is a right, and we’re not going to allow it to be taken away by a rigged Supreme Court or a gerrymandered state legislature. Sign the petition: Stop six-week abortion bans! Protect our reproductive freedoms! SIGN NOW The People United fights for politicians who will work to unrig the courts and codify the right to an abortion in law, by passing the Women’s Health Protection Act and repealing the Hyde Amendment. Together, we will win. In solidarity, The People United

The People United is new, but our fight is as old as democracy itself. Corporate interests use big money to make politicians betray the People. But there are more of us―and together, we can push things forward. We're fighting to elect candidates who don’t take power for granted, and are willing to use it to fight for the People as hard as Mitch McConnell fights for corporations. We won’t have deep-pocketed corporate donors. This is only going to work if The People are United. DONATE NOW

 

Power to the Peoples!

If your town didn't celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day this week, here are some resources to help you establish it in your area:

https://www.zinnedproject.org/campaigns/abolish-columbus-day

Related Stories:

Free Indigenous Prisoner Leonard Peltier!

https://therealnews.com/free-indigenous-political-prisoner-leonard-peltier 

Indigenous Led Alliance Moves to Stop Bolsonaro's Ecocidal Destruction of the Amazon

https://therealnews.com/indigenous-led-alliance-moves-to-stop-bolsonaros-ecocidal-destruction-of-the-amazon

Indigenous Coalition Tells Biden Communities Need Clean Water and Climate Action

https://truthout.org/articles/indigenous-coalition-tells-biden-communities-need-clean-water-and-climate-action/

The US Has Used Conservatorships to Exploit Indigenous Peoples

https://truthout.org/articles/the-us-has-used-conservatorships-to-exploit-indigenous-peoples/

https://scheerpost.com/2021/10/11/happy-indigenous-peoples-day-from-those-who-made-it-possible/

More information on IPD below this week's article. Power to all Indigenous Peoples!

***

October 15th is the day for a #General Strike

https://octoberstrike.com/

A Week in View

by Coast Watcher

In Alabama over a thousand mine workers have been on strike for over over two hundred days, demanding higher pay and benefits. Nabisco workers recently won their strike after closing all the company’s plants in the US. Kellogg's workers are out on strike over pensions, healthcare and more. Hollywood is grinding to a stop over the IATSE strike. All the above labor disputes were voted for by over 98% of the workers concerned. Next Saturday will see a national general strike.

Things are turning at last. We are seeing a seismic shift in public attitudes toward the corporate world, with its pathetic wage structure, benefit cuts, ever demanding work hours and atrocious working conditions. The public is finally becoming aware that too many people are now finding they have to spend more money to work than they actually make in wages and salary.

The current COVID-19 situation is analogous to that pertaining during and after the Black Death of the fourteenth century. Europe’s population dropped by between 30-40%, leading to a chronic shortage of labor. The feudal system, which depended heavily on forcing workers to live and labor all their lives on land owned by the lord of the manor, suddenly faced a surviving population empowered by this shortage of labor and the lack of any effective means of coercing the people to work. 

That’s not to say things will be easy in our modern world. A steady increase in store prices began not long after COVID shut down the economy for several months. The capitalists saw far enough ahead to realize the threat their cozy system faced, and they’re trying to force people back to work through raising prices across the board. All we have to do is stay the course. Without labor, the rich will not get richer. Now is the time to pile on the pressure and force through real change for the better for the 99%. Strike!

BIO: Coast Watcher says it's time to strike while the iron's hot. The workers have been burnt  and the capitalists and their politician puppets have been throwing our human rights into the fire for far too long. Organize your place of work if you're not represented by a union. Don't cross picket lines. Support those workers who are on the picket lines with food, water, money, and your gratitude for their courage. Power to the people!

 

It’s a great time for the entire working class population to go on strike. #GeneralStrike

— DEMEXIT_HARD (@MonroePuzzle) October 11, 2021

Tired of working for the man? You can find a Workers' Co-operative in your area:

https://www.usworker.coop/directory/

 ***

Important Stories You Might Not Have Heard Anything About In The Mainstream Media This Week:

The Science of Propaganda is Still Being Developed and Advanced https://soundcloud.com/going_rogue/the-science-of-propaganda-is-still-being-developed-and-advanced

Julian Assange: Silence in the Face of CIA Murder Plots https://progressivehub.net/julian-assange-silence-in-the-face-of-cia-murder-plots/

 Assange and Donzinger Attacked (video) https://www.portable.tv/series/redactedtonight?v=86fddabd-b3a0-440c-8970-e9f45f48c2c8 

***

 

Osiyo,

Today — Indigenous Peoples Day (IPD) — marks the highlight of the Indigenous year. I hope you will join us as we gather to celebrate, heal, and re-Indigenize. This long weekend represents a reprieve from trauma, sadness, and grief as we travel with good hearts to see close family and distant relatives, celebrate together, and share our cultures. 

As you likely know, many places do not yet celebrate with us. They’re still celebrating Columbus Day, perpetuating the myth that Christopher Columbus discovered so-called America. Columbus arrived on October 12, 1492 on Taino homelands. This first voyage was a reconnaissance mission wherein he later established La Navidad in present-day Haiti — America’s first colony. The following fall, he returned with an invasion force of 17 ships and 1,500 soldiers. He found La Navidad destroyed by Taino People, who had retaliated against rapes and murders carried out by the Spaniards.

Watch: Giniw Collective’s Tara Houska talks about the journey of Indigenous Peoples of these lands historically until the present day.

European weapons (like cannons and muskets), armour, horses, and dogs soon overwhelmed the Indigenous warriors, who were armed only with clubs and spears. Celebrating Columbus, therefore, condones genocide and colonization. Many think of these issues as only existing in the past. But these systems, set in motion hundreds of years ago by Columbus and other conquistadores, continue. All Taino homelands, from Puerto Rico to the Bahamas, remain colonized today — many by the United States. 

To combat the Columbus-as-hero narrative, we’re working to replace Columbus Day with IPD everywhere. Our hope is that more people like you will come together with us, as Indigenous People focus throughout the long weekend on empowerment through solidarity and sharing pathways to action. 

Watch Tara Houska’s Ted Talk. As our skilled Anishinaabe relative points out, many of these struggles are deeply rooted in trauma. But today is about sharing successes within our sustained resistance to colonization. We see ourselves in the faces of our relatives while they reflect on Indigenous sovereignty, land and water rights, education, economic development, language preservation and promotion, and religious freedom. 

Our celebrations feature Indigenous poets, musicians, artists, singers, leaders, and performers from across Turtle Island, who offer their gifts. Everyone who attends an event can actively participate in round dancing and be uplifted by traditional prayers. The overwhelming feelings of celebration and open-heartedness are palpable. This is the chance for settlers and non-Natives to catch us in our most generous mindset. As we come together across nations to actively decolonize and re-Indigenize our communities and share our gifts, I hope you will join a celebration in your area.

Wado — thank you for your ongoing solidarity with our Indigenous nations.
Sarah Rose Harper
Social Media Coordinator
The Lakota People’s Law Project

***

 From Hip Hop Caucus:

Christopher Columbus didn’t just commit genocide against Indigenous people. He also set the precedent of cruelty and massacre which would haunt the American continents for hundreds of years; a precedent that is still active in the present brutality against Indigenous and Black communities.

Ceasing to honor a genocidal maniac won’t bring back the millions of lives lost to white supremacy and violent imperialism- but it will, at the very least, stop giving that maniac state sanctioned respect.

Write your representatives, and tell them that it is time to stop honoring a murderous criminal, and begin uplifting the beautiful contributions Indigenous communities make every single day.

President Biden, this year, has finally acknowledged the holiday which we should never have had to fight for. It’s time to go a step further, and ensure that this holiday is a permanent federal holiday- and that Columbus day is not one.

Tearing down statues and removing inappropriate holidays may seem small to some.

But we know it’s the difference between a society which gleefully uplifts murder, and one which is actively attempting to heal.

For Future Generations,

Rev Yearwood
President & CEO
Hip Hop Caucus

 ***

Stand Up for BIPOC Facing Climate Change Goal: 50,000 Did you know that approximately 74 million people of color live in counties with at least one failing grade for ozone pollution? While climate change is a global issue, centuries of oppression mean that Black people, Indigenous people and people of color (BIPOC) face the brunt of it.   In local terms, this oppression manifests as redlining, residential restrictions and unfair zoning laws. Globally, it comes through as economic and environmental discrimination. In the U.S., minority populations are more likely to live near toxic facilities and polluted areas than White communities. Despite making up 13% of the population, minorities in the U.S. are 38% more likely to be exposed to nitrogen oxide, a pollutant from cars, construction equipment and industrial operations.   Climate change isn’t going away soon, for any of us. But as fires, floods and pollution continue to get worse, the numbers show that the playing field isn’t level for BIPOC. Sign our petition today and tell the EPA to enact legislation that limits emissions in minority communities. Sign Today