Saving Private Property

Saving Private Property 
An interview with A. Riche-Persson

Editor's note: Many readers expressed curiosity about the mind behind the recent blog piece, Why I Adore Joe Biden, so we decided to ask its creator, A. Riche-Persson, back for a brief interview about her take on recent events.

The Revolution Continues: Thank you for agreeing to this interview, Ms. Riche-Persson. May I call you Ayn?

A. Riche-Persson: No, you may not, but thanks for the chance to speak to your (*snorts*) audience. It's high time the American public heard the real story.

TRC: The real story?

ARP: Yeah, you know... The real story about how hard it is to be rich in this country nowadays with all these crazy commies and Black Lives this and that and whatever people running around with signs and forcing you to wear a mask in public. (*sniffs*) It smudges my lipstick.

TRC: I see. First off, please tell us what's so difficult about having enough to eat, designer clothes on your back, and a decent place to live in America?

ARP: You make it sound like I control everything in the world with my money. Not so! It's not like I can go to my favorite place to nosh anytime I like anymore--the darn Chinese have made sure of that with their Wuhan flu and mask-wearing cult! And buying clothes online is sooo boring! I miss my front row seats at the catwalks of Paris and Milan.

TRC: But you do have a mansion to live in during your state's COVID lockdown, don't you?

ARP: Yes, but it's a small mansion--we only have a five car garage. We have to park one of the Bentleys on the drive occasionally when we're pulling our his and her golf carts out. It's tacky, I know.

TRC: That must be a real hardship for you. (Shuffles papers.) All right, let's get down to the topic you wanted to cover, protecting private property. Can you explain why this is such a vital issue for you?

ARP: Why? Isn't it obvious? I own property and it's mine. All mine. I can't have the riff-raff running about messing up my property or attempting to take any of it. I have the right to protect it.

TRC: Protect it by brandishing firearms at unarmed individuals like the McCloskeys did in St. Louis?

ARP: If need be. My stuff is very important to me. I can't live without some of it.

TRC: But you can live with a lot less you're saying? Like one less Bentley?

ARP: (*gasps*) Who would want to live with only one Bentley? That wouldn't be a life worth living!

TRC: What do you think life is like for those who can't even afford one vehicle, let alone six?

ARP: Ha! Don't be silly! Everybody has a car in the US. It's like a requirement for citizenship. How would you get around town without a car? It's not possible, so your argument is completely specious.

TRC: Oh...kay. So, what do you think life is like for people of color who are  pulled over in their cars and threatened by law enforcement simply because of their race or socio-economic position?

ARP: Are you kidding me? That's all fake news. It says, "All people are created equal" in the Declaration of Independence or something like that. The police don't treat black or brown people any different from anyone else in America. I mean, I got pulled over the other day for doing seventy in a school zone and the cops didn't treat me that bad at all. They just wrote me a ticket and said, "Have a nice day, ma'am." No big deal.

TRC: Speeding in a school zone? There were no children present, I hope.

ARP: I don't think so... No, I didn't hit anyone this time.

TRC: (*Coughing*) This time? Okay, let's not go down that road. (Shuffles papers.) To restate, you believe that you as a wealthy white woman receive the same treatment from the police as a poor person of color does?

ARP: Of course. Why would the police treat people any differently? Oh, sure, they'll be harder on criminals, but criminals deserve the rough treatment. That's why the cops have to pull their guns and shoot them. Criminals are asking to be shot.

TRC: And peaceful protesters walking down a street? Do they deserve to be shot?

ARP: If they're criminals, sure. That'll teach them not to walk down my street again!

TRC: Interesting. How can you tell who's a criminal and who isn't?

ARP: Hmm... By looking at them, I guess. The security officers who work in our home owners' association always stop people who aren't members of the country club. They can just tell.

TRC: Do these people who are stopped by security tend to be darker in skin tone than most of your fellow country club members?

ARP: Now that I think about it, some of them are a bit darker than me and my friends. But the security guys stop white people, too--especially those who dress like slobs and walk on the sidewalks instead of driving a decent car like all red-blooded Americans should. You know the type... Crazies with their #DefundThePolice signs, shouting "No Justice, No Pizza!"

TRC: "No Justice, No Peace!"  is what they're chanting. Do you believe your local police department should use tear gas, rubber bullets and other military grade equipment on peaceful protesters?

ARP: If that's what it takes for me and my family to keep our stuff out of their dirty hands, then I'm all for it. What's the difference between shooting at commies here at home or those abroad? We've got to wipe out the enemy no matter where they live on the planet. It's our duty as Americans.

TRC: Protesters of police brutality and racial profiling are "communists" in your opinion? They're not just ordinary people who are sick and tired of the injustices inflicted upon them and their fellow citizens by biased policing?

ARP:  How could they be "ordinary" when they're asking for the moon? They want the cops not to beat up on them, but they're just asking for it by looking the way they do and thinking everyone deserves free health care and $15 an hour. How could anyone afford to pay all those no-goodniks $15 an hour? It would cause corporations to go bankrupt my banker says. I don't even pay my pool boy that much.

TRC: Do you provide health care or paid sick leave for your pool cleaner?

ARP: Of course not! What do you think I'm made of? Money?

TRC: Frankly, I'm not sure you're made of flesh and blood at this point. But I thank you for your insights, Ms. Riche-Persson. This certainly has been a very enlightening interview.

ARP: You're welcome.  I aim to inform. It's the least I could do for you and your "ordinary" blog audience. (*sniggers*) You all need to know who's in charge in this country so you can put down those rude signs and get back to playing video games or whatever it is you people do when you're not mowing our lawns or shouting for pizza.

BIO: A. Riche-Persson is a professional socialite who dabbles occasionally in politics, tennis, and pinochle. If it keeps her in diamonds, she's all for it. It it's anything to do with anyone outside of her social bubble, well... She's late for her tennis lesson. See you at the club!

Related Articles and Videos:

Uprising Against Racism: America's Moment of Reckoning 
https://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/63852-cornel-west-and-keeanga-yamahtta-taylor-on-uprising-against-racism-qamericas-moment-of-reckoning

Missouri Gun-Toting Lawyers Are Screwed
https://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/63763-the-missouri-gun-toting-lawyers-are-screwed

Biggest Corporate Monsters of All Time  (video)
https://youtu.be/hKXBdF14gTc 

The Dirty Hidden History of Central Park (video)
https://youtu.be/OB4Jw_0N0bU

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Make testing and treatment for coronavirus completely free and accessible to ensure containment!

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Months ago, when most of the country went on lockdown to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus, we all hoped that the pandemic would be over soon. Unfortunately, that's far from the case. Instead, huge surges of cases are causing a wave far worse than anything we saw back in March or April. Now that there are upwards of 50,000 new cases in the U.S. every day, there's only one way to slow this deadly virus down: free and accessible testing for everyone, now. Testing is essential because people can be asymptomatic yet still very much infected. Because they don't know they have the virus in their systems, they continue interacting with — and infecting — others. Yet in many places in the country, people are forced to pay out-of-pocket for testing and treatment. One man in Miami was charged more than $3,000 for COVID-19 testing — and that was with his health insurance. This is dangerous and ridiculous. Luckily, state governors can prohibit insurance companies from charging people for testing and resulting care for coronavirus. New York and California have already done so, and now we need the rest of the country to follow suit. If we ever hope to reverse this literally sickening trend, we have to start with making sure everyone can get tested, for free. Sign the petition to tell every U.S. state to follow New York and California's lead by making testing and treatment free to help stop the spread of this disease! Thank you for all that you do, Miranda B. The Care2 Petitions Team P.S. Our only hope to curb the deadly coronavirus is free treatment for all! Demand our lawmakers protect us in every way possible, starting with making all testing and treatment of coronavirus free. ***  Tell Congress: “We need to INCREASE and SPEED UP coronavirus testing, not slow it down. The only way to get back to normal is to crush the virus, and the only way to do that is the same way that every other industrialized country has: An aggressive program of testing, tracing, and isolating infections!” ADD YOUR NAME Donald Trump thinks that increased testing capacity is behind America’s horrific pandemic response. So he’s pledge to slow the testing down. That’s not how you fight a virus. Trump may be happy to sit in his bubble at the White House with his fingers in his ears, but Americans are dying. Tell Trump that we need to EXPAND COVID testing, not slow it down! Other industrialized countries have gotten their outbreaks under control thanks to rigorous testing, tracing, and isolating regimes. In America, we’re being told that we’re on our own. The current approach, where we hope that we’ll look out for each other, is clearly not working. Responsible Americans are being held hostage in our homes by the dumbest and most selfish people among us. We locked down the country in March to buy time to build testing & tracing infrastructure. It was working, slowly, but cases and deaths were finally going down. Donald Trump thinks that he can erase the curve by denying America the data of the pandemic, but things won’t get back to normal with people dying every day. We need to INCREASE testing! ADD YOUR NAME: Tell Trump to pull his head out of the sand and get out of the way of public health experts! We need tests & masks! Thanks, Mike Phelan Progress America

The Long Flight Of Jim Crow

This week marked the 51st anniversary of the Stonewall Riot.  Featured this week are photos of area activists coming together to use their platform to promote the BLM movement, especially Black LGBTQ and Trans lives.  And keeping with remembering our not-so-shining history, our resident historian takes a look at the long history of racial discrimination in America. Is there an end to it in sight?

The Long Flight of Jim Crow 

by Coast Watcher
photos by C.A. Matthews

Even the name Jim Crow is racist. The original Jim Crow was a black minstrel character found on the Victorian vaudeville circuit, but the term defines the collection of state and local statutes that legalized racial discrimination in the United States.

The history: 19th century

Beginning from 1865—immediately following the Civil War—these laws crept into the statute books as white legislators and their rich white sponsors sought to circumvent the Thirteenth Amendment. By enacting Jim Crow laws they aimed to marginalize black and colored people by denying them the right to vote, hold good jobs, live in decent housing, find an education or do anything else a pre-emancipation slave couldn’t do. Those who fought against the blatant discrimination often faced arrest, fines, jail sentences and death at the hands of lynch mobs.

By means of Black Codes, formerly enslaved people were restricted in how, where and when they could work, and for how much compensation. By creative use of legislature whites forced black and colored people into indentured servitude and even seized children for labor purposes.

For decades after the Civil War, former Confederate soldiers working as civic authorities, police officers and judges ensured the black population of the South would never rise above their former slave status. It became nearly impossible for legal representatives working on behalf of black people to win a court case with such opposition stacked against them.

The Jim Crow laws were designed to work in conjunction with labor camps where prisoners were treated like slaves. Black and colored offenders received longer sentences than their white counterparts. Because of the conditions in which these incarcerated individuals had to live and the appallingly hard work, they often didn’t live out their entire sentence.

About the only bright spots in the whole horrible saga were to be found in the big cities of the South. Greater populations tend to lead to greater freedoms under law. By the 1880s this had led to substantial numbers of black citizens moving to the cities where they would face less oppression. Unfortunately this migration led to a commensurate decrease in the very freedoms that had attracted them. White city dwellers began to feel threatened by the increasing black population of their communities and demanded the enactment of Jim Crow laws to restrict and control African Americans.

This rise in support for their racist measures enabled the white legislators to expand the Jim Crow laws throughout the South and to increase their harshness. Segregation became the way of life, with public transport waiting rooms, restrooms, water fountains, elevators, cemeteries and even amusement-park cashier windows being designated Black and Colored Only. It didn’t end there. Neighborhoods became African American only. Public swimming pools, hospitals, asylums, jails and residential homes also fell under this racist legislation. It was common for towns to set up signs banning African Americans the right of residence or even passage through the township limits.

In the field of education, the old edicts banning the teaching of black people to read and write resurfaced in a new, more oppressive form. Some states required separate textbooks for black and white students. New Orleans regulated prostitutes according to race. In the courtrooms of Atlanta, Georgia, African Americans were even given a separate Bible to whites upon which to place their hand upon and swear. Marriage and even cohabitation between races was outlawed.

This is not to say there wasn’t firm push-back against these increasingly harsh restrictions as we'll soon see.

The 20th Century
 
As the twentieth century progressed the oppression of African Americans began to be marked by increasing violence. Lynching incidents rose significantly in number and frequency. As they rose, so too did race riots. As the lethal Spanish Flu pandemic began to subside in 1919, twenty-five such riots occurred across the country. The scale of these uprisings led to the period earning the name the "Red Summer." One of the last incidents of that summer was not a race riot yet proved the deadliest of them all. Some two hundred African Americans died in and around the city of Elaine, Arkansas, following an all-out assault by armed white men afraid of a Communist insurrection by black workers. The final death toll is uncertain, as witnesses spoke of seeing black people taken by whites—including US army troops—off to undisclosed locations never to be seen again.

The 1920s saw a significant migration of educated black people into the North, which had its own Jim Crow-style laws. Some states required black citizens to own property before they could vote. Segregation had even infected the cities with black only neighborhoods and schools. The pervasive influence of segregation extended nationwide with the popular "Green Book" travel guides having a separate African Americans only issue listing places where they could stay, visit or find entertainment.

The Great Depression marked yet another upswing in lynchings. World War II created a kind of intermission because everyone was needed for the war effort, yet black veterans returning from the war were still met with discrimination and violence. Suburban developments both North and South were built with segregation in mind. Blacks found it difficult to impossible to find mortgages in some locations. The city of St. Louis, Missouri, was not alone in having an entire real estate industry dedicated to keeping black and white property owners in separate neighborhoods.

Jim Crow crashes and burns...

Inevitably the pendulum of history began to swing back the other way. In 1948 President Harry S. Truman ordered the integration of the US military. Before this date African American troops mostly saw service in labor battalions or as transport drivers. Increasing awareness of civil rights in the African American population led to increased focus on the right of blacks to vote. The Jim Crow laws began to erode, starting with the famous 1954 Brown vs. the Board of Education, a landmark Supreme Court ruling for desegregation of schools across the country. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act in 1964 which legally ended the segregation brought about by Jim Crow laws. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 stopped efforts to prevent minorities from voting, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968 ended discrimination in the property market.

The 21st Century—Has anything truly changed?

Not much. If anything the rise of white supremacists under the Trump presidency has made matters worse. Police forces across the country are guilty of killing African Americans with little to zero provocation. Black Americans account for around 13% of the US population yet the percentage of those shot and killed is twice as high as that of white Americans. Black Lives Matter protests are frequently harassed by armed gangs of white supremacists, and sometimes with the full cooperation of the local police departments. Lynchings are back, with a number of black men killed recently in California and the Carolinas. Incarceration of African American citizens is at an all-time high as unscrupulous capitalists take advantage of the involuntary servitude clause of the Thirteenth Amendment to exploit their free labor in prison sweatshops.

In 2012 Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer. In August 2014 the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, led to days of rioting. This year the death on camera of George Floyd ignited protests worldwide. In Louisville, Kentucky, Breonna Taylor was shot dead by cops while asleep in her own home. Louisville business owner David McAtee was shot dead by officers from that same police department during a protest over Breonna Taylor’s death. Many others have died at the hands of the police before and since simply for the crime of not being white.

Perhaps things are finally changing as the momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement grows. Perhaps white liberals are getting involved because it’s "fashionable." In any case, the country is now addressing the blatant discrimination against those who happen to have a darker skin color. Statues of well known racists are toppling across the world. 

With Trump’s popularity declining—poll numbers show his support dwindling daily even in his heartland states—it looks like the GOP may lose control of the White House and Senate come November. However, I very much doubt Joe Biden will be much better as president in protecting the civil liberties of persons of color. This is the man who helped to create the Patriot Act and supported segregation in Delaware when he served as their senator, after all. Regardless of the duopolist political party sitting in the White House, the BLM movement has gathered such a pace that it appears nothing can stop it. It's high time to bury all the legislation of Jim Crow and his bastard children, too.

BIO: Coast Watcher studies history and hates to see it repeat itself over and over again in violent and oppressive cycles. Now is the time for us to fight free from this destructive pattern. Black Lives Matter!

Sources:
https://www.history.com/topics/early-20th-century-us/jim-crow-laws

https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/elaine-arkansas-riot-1919/

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/personal-history/the-purpose-of-a-house

https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2020/05/28/police-shootings-black-americans-disproportionately-affected-infographic/#6ede37659f7c

Related Articles:

Finally Healing the Wounds of Jim Crow
https://www.fathommag.com/stories/finally-healing-the-wounds-of-jim-crow

Black Lives Matter Want To End Police Brutality. History Suggests It Will Go Much Further
https://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/63696-black-lives-matter-wants-to-end-police-brutality-history-suggests-it-will-go-much-further

Trump Made Racist Joke in a Phoenix Megachurch and the Crowd Went Wild
https://theintercept.com/2020/06/24/trump-made-racist-joke-phoenix-megachurch-crowd-went-wild/

3 North Carolina Police Officers Fired Over Racist Remarks

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/nation-world/national/article243779512.html

Colorado Governor Appoints Special Prosecutor to Reopen Probe of Young Black Man Killed in Police Custody

https://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/63690-colorado-governor-appoints-special-prosecutor-to-reopen-probe-of-elijah-mcclain-a-young-black-man-killed-in-police-custody

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This introverted 23-year-old was just walking home when he was murdered for being Black. Charge these killer cops, now!

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"I'm an introvert. I'm just different. That's all. I'm so sorry. I have no gun. I don't do that stuff... You all are phenomenal. You are beautiful. And I love you. Try to forgive me. I am a mood Gemini. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Ow, that really hurt. You all are very strong." Those are the final words of young Elijah McClain, a Black massage therapist who loved to play the violin for lonely shelter cats to calm them down. After going out to buy his brother an iced tea, he was walking home and listening to music when someone called the police to report "suspicious behavior" because they couldn't see his face. Elijah had anemia, so he often felt cold and wore many layers and a mask to stay warm. When three police officers arrived, they didn't even wait for him to take his headphones out of his ears before they pounced, locking him in a chokehold. As he sobbed and repeatedly vomited, authorities injected the 23-year-old with twice the amount of ketamine needed to subdue someone as small as him. He suffered two heart attacks, and by the time he arrived at a nearby hospital, he was brain dead. Police clearly don't want us to know about this. They claim that all three of their body cameras mysterious fell off, but audio recorded at the scene captured one officer telling another, "move your [body] camera, dude." To this day, not one of these cops have been fired or charged with murder. All three are still out patrolling the streets of Aurora, Colorado, even though they have blood on their hands. Sign the petition to demand justice for Elijah! Thank you for all that you do, Miranda B. The Care2 Petitions Team P.S. Police from killed him just for wearing a mask while Black, even as he forgave and praised them. Demand that these sadistic murderers finally face real justice now!

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From UltraViolet:

Imagine a world where the website that's home to some of the "most violently racist content" on the Internet bans hate speech.¹

It may sound unbelievable, but together we can make it happen. Reddit has long harbored white nationalists, extreme misogynists, the alt-right, and other hate groups. But in this moment of reckoning on systemic racism and hate, millions of Reddit users, tech leaders, and UltraViolet members have come together to say it's time for Reddit to be on the right side of history. Right now, the COO of Reddit is speaking on a virtual panel about the importance of community. If Reddit truly wants to build community, it must ban hate speech against protected groups, ban hateful users and moderators, hire more women and people of color, and hire paid community managers.

Can you take a moment to send a tweet to tell Reddit that if it wants to build community, it must ban hate speech?

Send a tweet now: Reddit must ban racism and hate speech--and hire more women and people of color.

Share on Twitter ►

Reddit has shown that it will listen to complaints about hateful pages on its site, and together we can push Reddit to act now. Reddit even shut down one so-called men's rights group for inciting violence against women after a petition and negative publicity. By showing public support for the demands of Reddit community members, we can force Reddit to take action and stop the spread of white male supremacy online.

As long as Reddit continues to allow racist, sexist, homophobic, and transphobic groups to have a home on its website, it is complicit in promoting violence and hate.

Send a tweet to demand that Reddit ban racism, sexism, and other hate speech on its platform.

Thanks for speaking out!
--Shaunna, Kat, Kathy, Anathea, Sonja, Melody, Lindsay, Pam, Maria, Kimberly, Katie, and Elisa, the UltraViolet team
Source:
1. Reddit Is Finally Facing Its Legacy of Racism, The Atlantic, June 12, 2020

We Won't Be Silent Anymore

Happy Juneteenth!

Which side are you on? If you choose to remain neutral in situations of injustice,  Bishop Desmond Tutu states you have chosen the side of the oppressor. The following are some photos of a local Juneteenth march and community event celebrated by those who have chosen to take the side of the oppressed. They have chosen to take this message to the streets and declare boldly, "Black Lives Matter!"

Juneteenth celebrates the date June 19, 1865, the day when the last of the slaves in the defeated Confederacy were informed of the Emancipation Proclamation. If you're not familiar with it, you're not alone. It's not a holiday that's taught much in American schools because history texts are written predominantly by the "winners," and we all know from the past 155 years that white supremacy has reigned in the good ol' U.S. of A.

 

But this year the holiday has taken on special meaning in the wake of the George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery killings (among others). It has become a wake up call that freedom for all may be proclaimed by those in power, but in reality it doesn't exist until all are free from the tyranny of police brutality and governmental manipulation.

 

There was music, singing and public declarations of solidarity once the marchers made it to their destination at the Frederick Douglass Community Center. This is the beauty of Juneteenth--the continued freeing of the minds of those enslaved by the predominant racist culture in America.

As the song says, "Somebody is hurting our people, and it's been going on far too long. And we won't be silent anymore!" 2020 is the year to break both the chains of bondage and silence that keep the immoral oligarchs in power.

Our lives begin to end the day that we become silent about things that matter. --MLK

We Won't Be Silent Anymore
by C.A. Matthews
 
This past Saturday, June 20, the first day of summer, the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival was to take place in Washington, DC. Unfortunately the coronavirus pandemic shut down the marches, protests and speeches that were planned to be given live in our nation's capital. Still, this seemingly insurmountable obstacle didn't stop the PPC organizers.

The Poor People's Moral March on Washington went digital instead. The three and half hour broadcast was available on Facebook and other online platforms and gathered an audience of (at last count) two million and a half. It was filled with interviews, songs, sermons and prayers, but most of all it was filled primarily with the visuals and the voices of the poor themselves--people of all colors, ethnicities and religions, children, LGBTQ folks, immigrants (documented and undocumented), indigenous Americans, the elderly, the health challenged, workers making slave wages, unprotected "essential" pandemic workers, workers who are persecuted when they try to organize into unions for their own welfare and protection...

These are the voices that need to be heard after all--not those of celebrities or the ordained clergy who sympathize with the plight of America's poor. The poor can eloquently and succinctly tell their own stories, thank you very much. There's no need to patronize them or treat them as less than able. There's no need to have an overly self-entitled, educated person "interpret" the poor and their life stories as many in the mainstream media are wont to do.

The strength of this "Call for Moral Revival" comes from the unvarnished, uncensored narratives of those affected directly and intensely by racial discrimination, sexual harassment, police violence, capitalist exploitation, environmental devastation of their communities and lack of adequate health care. The Poor People's Campaign gives these voiceless people a voice and a chance to change their narrative for the better.

But will those who hoard the nation's wealth and power listen to these newly-voiced poor? It remains to be seen. But perhaps, combined with millions of masked activists marching in the streets this summer, our voices will at last be heard and become an undeniable fact to the immoral status quo. Perhaps, at last, we will be able to cry out as Martin Luther King Jr. did over fifty years ago and sincerely mean it, "Free at last, free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

For those who didn't get a chance to watch the broadcast, the following link will get you up to speed on the Poor People's Campaign.

https://youtu.be/r7kWAdL2xOg

PPC co-chair Dr. Barber speaks at about 2 hours 48 minutes into this video. (Thanks to The Tim Black Show for recording the broadcast on their You Tube channel.)

https://youtu.be/eviTAayTGT4

The Sunday before the Moral March, Dr. Barber gave the sermon at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.  It's a "truth to power" talk you can't afford not to hear. His spirited oratory is very reminiscent of the late Dr. Martin Luther King's. Listen carefully to his outline for how we can make life better for all Americans. Let your elected officials know that you support the PPC and want them to heed Dr. Barber as well.

Related articles:

A Moral Agenda for a Troubled America
https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/21/opinions/moral-agenda-troubled-america-barber-theoharis/index.html

Greta Thunberg on Black Lives Matter Protests: People Are Starting to Find Their Voice
https://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/63604-greta-thunberg-on-black-lives-matter-protests-people-are-starting-to-find-their-voice

Trump ally Senator Rick Scott is calling for sanctioning countries that request aid from Cuba’s medical missions, including the teams fighting COVID-19 around the world! For Trump & friends, spreading lies is more important than saving lives!

Trump and his allies are at it again, trying to convince the world that Cuban medical volunteers treating COVID-19 in 27 countries are actually victims of human trafficking. This time Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) is the one peddling the lie, and he’s gone so far as to ask the White House to sanction countries that receive help from Cuban doctors!
We know the truth: Cuban doctors are working all over the world as an expression of solidarity and love. As we formally launch the campaign to award the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize to Cuba’s Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade, we must also fight the vicious smears they are receiving. 
Click here to tell Senator Scott that demonizing Cuba’s medical missions is cruel, completely misguided and irresponsible, particularly during a global pandemic!
The claims about human trafficking are completely baseless. Cuban medical personnel volunteer for their missions abroad and earn more money on these missions than they make at home. Not all the missions earn revenue - only the countries that can afford it actually pay for the services. Some of this revenue goes to the doctors, while most goes directly to Cuba, where it is then reinvested in education and healthcare, thereby contributing to the wellbeing of the Cuban people and enabling Cuba to send even more missions abroad. That is a far cry from human trafficking, but Trump and his allies are more interested in spreading lies than in saving lives!
This is part of a coordinated plan to ruin Cuba’s economy. Just last week, the Trump administration imposed new sanctions on Cuba’s tourism industry and on its ability to handle remittances. Cuba’s medical cooperation is another important part of its economy. Rather than exporting weapons and violence, like the U.S., Cuba exports medical assistance!
Tell Senator Rick Scott that Cuba’s medical missions are an example of solidarity we should imitate, not sanction! Medea will deliver the petition to his office in Miami later this week.
Of course, the best response to Trump, Scott and their allies would be for Cuban medical personnel to win the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. CODEPINK is proud to be part of an international coalition seeking to recognize Cuba’s solidarity and internationalism. Check out the links in the p.s. for more info!
In friendship,Medea, Teri, Michelle and Leonardo
P.S. The Cuba Nobel campaign officially launched this week! Here’s what you can do to follow this campaign:

1. If you haven’t already, sign the petition!
2. Like and follow the campaign on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram 
3. Check out the campaign’s website!
4. Tell your friends about the campaign and help it grow!
5. Check out Medea and Leonardo’s article on the Trump administration’s latest sanctions and threats towards Cuba

P.P.S. On Thursday at 11 a.m. Eastern / 8 p.m. Pacific, listen to Medea Benjamin talk about the campaign on CODEPINK radio!

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Black men were found hanging from trees, but police dismissed their deaths as suicides. Demand justice now!

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White Americans are increasingly waking up to the reality of racist police brutality, and now we're being faced with yet another terrible realization: that the evil of lynchings isn't confined to the past. In the last two weeks, three Black men have been found dead in public areas, their corpses dangling from ropes strung up in trees. The symbolism of using a noose to hang African Americans shouldn't be lost on anyone — this is directly related to hundreds of years of terror that have been inflicted on Black people. Yet police near Los Angeles and in New York don't seem to care about that. In fact, in all three cases, officials have jumped to label the deaths as "suicides" — before autopsies had even been performed. In one case, police even lied about there being "no security cameras" nearby that could have recorded the murder, when in fact at least four existed. Malcolm Harsch, Robert Fuller, and Dominique Alexander all had full lives ahead of them. They had families who loved them, dreams, and aspirations. Now all three are dead, and the police have been reluctant to take their hangings seriously. Sign the petition to demand that police investigate these men's deaths as homicides, and that the U.S. Department of Justice review them as probable hate crimes! Thank you for all that you do, Miranda B. The Care2 Petitions Team P.S. At a time when the public is increasingly demanding police accountability, it's disturbing that they're so quick to assume "no foul play" in these lynchings. Demand that authorities find the racists who murdered these three men!