Former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney was the Green Party candidate for President in 2008. Ms. McKinney traveled aboard the boat “Dignity”, which tried to bring doctors and medical supplies to Gaza, as a humanitarian response to the recent bombing of the Gaza Strip by the Israeli government.The Dignity is a project of www.freegaza.org. Ms. McKinney writes:

December 30, 2008: Oh What a Day!

I’m so glad that my father told me to buy a special notebook and to write everything down because that’s exactly what I did.

When we left from Cyprus, one reporter asked me “are you afraid?” And I had to respond that Malcolm X wasn’t afraid; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wasn’t afraid. But little did I know that just a few hours later, I would be recollecting my life and mentally preparing myself for death.

When we left Cyprus, the Mediterranean was beautiful. I remember the time when it might have been beautiful to look at, but it was also filthy. The Europeans have taken great strides to clean it up and yesterday, it was beautiful. And the way the sunlight hit the sea, I remember thinking to myself that’s why they call it azure. It was the most beautiful blue.

But sometimes it was rough, and we got behind on our schedule. We stayed on course, however, despite the roughness of the water and due to our exquisite captain.

There were no other ships or boats around us and night descended upon us all rather quickly. It was the darkest black and suddenly, out of nowhere, came searchlights disturbing our peace. The searchlights stayed with us for about half an hour or so. We knew they were Israeli ships. Who else would they be?

They were fast, and they would come close and then drop back. And then, they’d come close again. And then, all of a sudden there was complete blackness once again and all seemed right. The cat and mouse game went on for at least one half hour. What were they doing? And why?

Calm again. Black sky, black sea. Peace. And then, at that very moment, when all seemed right, out of nowhere we were rammed and rammed again and rammed again the last one throwing me off the couch, sending all our food up in the air; and all the plastic bags and tubs–evidence of sea sicknesses among the crew and passengers–flew all over the cabin and all over us. We’d been rammed by the Israelis. How did we know? Because they called us on the phone afterwards to tell us that we were engaging in subversive, terroristic activity. And if that if we didn’t turn around right then and return to Larnaca, Cyprus, we would be fired upon. We quickly grabbed our lifevests and put them on. Then the captain announced that the boat was taking on water. We might have to evacuate. One of my mates told me to prepare to die. And I reflected that I have lived a good and full life. I have tasted freedom and know what it is. I was right with myself and my decision to join the Free Gaza movement.

I remembered my father’s parting words, “You all will be sitting ducks.” Just like the U.S.S. Liberty. We were engaged in peaceful activity, a harmless pleasure boat, carrying a load of hospital supplies for the people of Gaza, who, too are sitting ducks, currently being bombarded in aerial assault by the Israeli military.

It’s been a long day for us. The captain was outstanding. Throughout it all, he remained stoic and calm, effective in every way. I didn’t know how to put my life jacket on. One of the passengers kindly assisted me. Another of the passengers pointed out that the Israeli motors for those huge, fast boats was U.S. made–a gift to them from the U.S. And now they were using those motors to damage a pleasure boat outfitted with three tons of hospital supplies, one pediatrician, and two surgeons.

I have called for President-elect Obama to say something. The Palestinian people in the Gaza strip are seeing the worst violence in 60 years, it is being reported. To date, President-elect Obama has remained silent. The Israelis are using weapons supplied to them by the U.S. government. Strict enforcement of U.S. law would require the cessation of all weapons transfers to Israel. Adherence to international law would require the same.

As we are about to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, let us remember that he said:

1. The United States is the greatest purveyor of violence in the world, and

2. Our lives begin to end the day we remain silent about things that matter.

I implore the President-elect to not send Congress a budget that contains more weapons for Israel. We have so much more to offer. And I implore the Congress to vote “no” on any budget and appropriation bills that provide more weapons transfers, period.

Israel is able to carry out these intense military maneuvers because taxpayers in the U.S. give their hard-earned money to our Representatives in Congress and our Congress chooses to spend that money in this way. Let’s stop it and stop it now. There’s been too much blood shed. And while we still walk among the living, let us not remain silent about the things that matter.

We really can promote peace and have it if we demand it of our leaders.

COLUMN OF THE AMERICAS
JAN. 1. 2009
AMERICA’S SOUL SICKNESS & PERMANENT WAR: OBAMA’S RUDE AWAKENING
BY ROBERTO RODRIGUEZ

Obama’s first challenge will not be the unresolved Middle East crisis.
Nor will it be Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantanamo or the economy. His
primary challenge will come in coming face to face with the
Bush/Cheney doctrine of permanent worldwide war. Unless Obama
renounces it on inauguration day, this doctrine will continue to be
U.S. policy.

Beyond that, an even larger challenge – one which he may not ever be
able to meet – is healing a nation that for too long has been sickened
by what American Indian historian, Jack Forbes terms in Columbus and
other Cannibals: soul-sickness. It is a disease that historically has
allowed a majority of EuroAmericans to believe that God has chosen
them lead the rest of the world into the light, permitting the United
States to employ massive military might in achieving that so-called
mandate.

Over the past eight years, it is the Bush-Cheney doctrine that has
drawn the particular ire of the entire world – because it permits the
United States to unilaterally attack any nation with massive force or
to attack any target within any nation, regardless of civilian
casualties. This doctrine has also permitted this outgoing
administration to assert and amass extraordinary powers that have
virtually rendered the U.S. Constitution meaningless. This doctrine
includes the assertion that the executive branch and its extraordinary
powers can not be questioned or hindered by Congress or the courts
during times of war, thus the assertion of permanent war (the war on
terror).

Yet, even if Obama were to reject this Bush-Cheney doctrine, the soul
sickness would remain.

That notwithstanding, the president’s first order of business has to
be the rejection of the Bush-Cheney doctrine. Failure to do so
immediately, will cause the promise of change [to the United States,
the world and the future] to fall on deaf ears.

It will not be enough to wind down the Iraq War if it means that the
president will simply shift resources to broaden the war in
Afghanistan and to also continue the Bush-Cheney endless worldwide war
against undefined enemies into the foreseeable future.

Eradicating that soul-sickness is probably not possible; it is what
sustains the myths of this nation. It is what defines this nation. The
secular equivalent of believing that God has chosen the United States
for a special mission is the belief that being a superpower is an
elected position and that with that title, the United States and its
allies are entitled to invade, topple or occupy any nation they see
fit. And it is not something that began with Bush and Cheney.

It can be no irony that those that initiated the invasion and
occupation of Iraq – in defiance of the UN – were the United States,
Britain & Spain… on Portuguese territory. In the past 500 years,
these are the world’s leading imperialists and colonialist nations.
Essentially, they have been the world’s architects of the policies of
dehumanization – feeling entitled by God and blinded by greed to
trample over the lands, bodies and rights of peoples [of color]
worldwide.

Despite this imperial club, there’s a reason the U.S. government is
particularly despised by most of the world. It isn’t just the
Bush-Cheney regime, though they have certainly put a face to the “ugly
American.” It’s that smug soul-sickness that permits Americans to
believe that they indeed know what’s best for the rest of the world.

When Obama was elected president, it was the hope of the world –
evidenced by massive celebrations worldwide – that he would indeed
reverse the arrogance of the Bush/Cheney doctrine. Though for those
expecting president-elect Obama to bring about radical change to the
world, all signs indicate that we are all in for a very rude
awakening.

But it’s a sleep or dream that many Americans don’t want to wake from.
To be sure, being elected U.S. president is not the same thing as
being elected high commissioner for human rights or prince of peace.
Since WWII, the United States has become the most powerful military
empire in the history of the planet. In the path of this machine,
millions of casualties are strewn about in Asia, Africa and Central
America. Some have been the result of secret, proxy, unnecessary,
foolish and illegal wars – such as Iraq – but truly, which war or
military action by the United States since WWII has been necessary and
legal and not foolish?

This is what Obama is inheriting; not just a permanent war and a soul
sickness, but also the reins to a voracious military-industrial
complex that needs to be constantly fed. There’s little indication
that he will starve this machine. But there is always hope.

(c) Column of the Americas 2009

Rodriguez can be reached at: XColumn@gmail.com

Here’s TGW’s pick for the Number One Sexist Ad of 2008. . . the honor goes to Dolce and Gabbana for selling shoes by promoting rape.

Jon Favreau might want to send Dolce and Gabbana his resume.

Aren’t you glad we’ve left those bad old sexist days of the 1950s so far behind?

Alex Leo on sexist ads of 2008:

RAPE — The world of high fashion has been the worst offender in the violence-as-art game. Cavalli had pirates, Chanel had a wife beater, and now Dolce and Gabbana has this.

Let’s get this out there now: It’s not edgy, it’s ridiculous. This is a gang rape, and any woman that sees those shoes instead of that message deserves those shoes. Any man who doesn’t see that this is rape is probably looking at one of the hard bodies in the background and therefore not really a threat to women.

Feminist Politics Gender News Misogyny Patriarchy Year of Misogyny 2008

Like they say, yesterday’s solutions are today’s problems. And Rep. Bobby Rush is making a mockery of everything that MLK ever stood for. According to Rep. Bobby Rush, if Harry Reid and his band of Democratic senators fail to seat a Blagojevich appointee, the Democratic senators will be proved to be racist — or the equivalent of George Wallace and Bull Connor!

A day after making racially charged remarks warning critics of Roland Burris’s appointment to the U.S. Senate to “not hang or lynch the appointee as you try to castigate” disgraced Gov. Rod Blagojevich, U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush said today that senators “don’t want to see themselves in the same position” as George Wallace, Bull Connor and others who promoted segregation in the Civil Rights era. . . in his interview this morning, he harkened to the days of segregation and the civil rights battles in Little Rock, Ark., and in Alabama in the 1950s and 1960s in warning the U.S. Senate Democratic majority shouldn’t try to block Burris.

“You know, the recent history of our nation has shown us that sometimes there could be individuals and there could be situations where schoolchildren — where you have officials standing in the doorway of schoolchildren,” Rush said. “You know, I’m talking about all of us back in 1957 in Little Rock, Ark. I’m talking about George Wallace, Bull Connor and I’m sure that the U.S. Senate don’t want to see themselves placed in the same position.”

Bobby Rush, Not Done Yet
graphic via The Heretik
Lynn Sweet: Davis said thanks, but no thanks - ‘TOO MUCH TURMOIL’ | Congressman had sought seat, but when offered turned it down

Blagojevich Chicago Burris Politics Race Democratic Senate News Obama

Rachel Maddow’s Ms. Information: OSHA Literally Asleep at the Wheel and the RNC in Disarray

From The Rachel Maddow Show Dec. 29, 2008. Sadly as someone who has read Molly Ivins’ book Bushwhacked and after watching the debacle during Hurricane Katrina, nothing any Bush appointee does surprises me very much.

But first, it‘s time for a few underreported “holy mackerel” stories in today‘s news. The “Washington Post” front-pages a story today on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA, the part of the federal government that deals with workplace safety. They provide information about workplace hazards. They regulate workplace conditions so that they are safer.

Of course, in the Bush administration, OSHA does a lot less of that. They do 86 percent less of that, if you want to be precise here. OSHA under President Bush issued 86 percent fewer significant workplace safety rules and regulations than OSHA under Bill Clinton. Now, that‘s not necessarily a big political surprise. Republicans are the pro-corporation, anti-regulation party even when they can‘t really agree on anything else.

But what is a surprise about OSHA under President Bush which we learned in today‘s “Washington Post” is—I‘m not actually sure that I can improve on the facts as they are presented in today‘s “Washington Post” article by the reporter, R. Jeffrey Smith.

Quote, “In 2006, Bush‘s first OSHA director, a former Monsanto employee was replaced by Edwin G. Foulke Jr., a South Carolina lawyer and former Bush fundraiser who spent years defending companies cited by OSHA for safety and health violations. Foulke quickly acquired a reputation inside the Labor Department as a man who literally fell asleep on the job.

Eyewitnesses said they saw him suddenly doze off at staff meetings, during teleconferences, in one-on-one briefings, at retreats involving senior deputies, on the dais at the conference, at an awards ceremony for a corporation, and during an interview with candidate for deputy regional administrator.

His top aides said they rustled papers, wore attention-getting garb, they pounded the table for emphasis or gently kicked his leg, all to keep him awake. But if these tactics failed, sometimes they just continued talking as if he were awake - ‘We‘ll be sitting there and things will fall out of his hands; people will go on talking like nothing ever happened,‘ said a career official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to a reporter.

In an interview, Foulke denied falling asleep at work, although he said he was often tired and sometimes listened with his eyes closed,” end quote.

Listening with his eyes closed? The man George Bush put in charge or keeping your workplace safe, America. Twenty-one days left - 21 days.

And the Republican Party is having a little bit of trouble settling on its leadership for its post-Bush, post McCain-Palin rebuilding period. There are, at last count, roughly 400,000 people running to be the next chairman or chairwoman of the Republican Party, if you round off for the nearest 400,000.

Honestly, I don‘t know. It‘s very hard to tell how many people are actually running for RNC chair. But there are a lot, and it‘s turning out to be sort of an exciting race. One reason why is that RNC chair is the only national leadership job in the Republican Party now.

The White House and House of Representatives and the Senate will all be headed by Democrats starting very soon. Also, the question of whether or not Republicans can find their voice as the loyal, honorable opposition to the nation‘s first black president is turning out way more comically difficult for them that might have been expected.

First, there was the South Carolina Republican Party chairman who had to resign his long-term membership in a whites-only country club. Now, another candidate, the former Tennessee party chairman, has sent out as a holiday gift, a parody song about Barack Obama called “Barack the Magic Negro.”

RNC candidate Chip Saltsman‘s defense to the inevitable outrage here is that “Barack, The Magic Negro” is hilarious. You stay classy, GOP, don‘t ever change.

(Crooks and Liars)

EXCLUSIVE: RNC draft rips Bush’s bailouts

Republican Party officials say they will try next month to pass a resolution accusing President Bush and congressional Republican leaders of embracing “socialism,” underscoring deep dissension within the party at the end of Mr. Bush’s administration.

Those pushing the resolution, which will come before the Republican National Committee at its January meeting, say elected leaders need to be reminded of core principles. They said the RNC must take the dramatic step of wading into policy debates, which traditionally have been left to lawmakers.

“We can’t be a party of small government, free markets and low taxes while supporting bailouts and nationalizing industries, which lead to big government, socialism and high taxes at the expense of individual liberty and freedoms,” said Solomon Yue, an Oregon member and co-sponsor of a resolution that criticizes the U.S. government bailouts of the financial and auto industries. Republican National Committee Vice Chairman James Bopp Jr. wrote the resolution and asked the rest of the 168 voting members to sign it.

“The resolution also opposes President-elect Obama’s proposed public works program and supports conservative alternatives,” while encouraging the RNC “to engage in vigorous public policy debates consistent with our party platform,” said Mr. Bopp, a leading attorney for pro-life groups who has also challenged the campaign finance legislation that Mr. Bush signed.

(Washington Times, via the Huffington Post)
—
So, anything to help this country is socialist and “big government” but if it hurts this country and removes individual freedoms, then they love government intervention.
What a strange world they live in!

Online Natural Supplement Dealer Offers New Product Containing Vitamin D, SolarCal-D

Coral Calcium Direct, a leading provider of Bob Barefoot’s natural supplements, is now offering his latest product, SolarCal-D. Vitamin D is one of the most important nutrients for the body, especially for people who have reached middle age, but it is most often found in foods as inferior Vitamin D2. SolarCal-D supplies naturally occurring Vitamin D3.

Navarre, FL (PRWEB) December 31, 2008 — This week Coral Calcium Direct will be offering Bob Barefoot’s latest product, SolarCal-D. This is a Natural Mineral and Vitamin D product like few others as it is constituted of naturally occurring Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol); other supplements typically use artificially created vitamin D2 which is little more than worthless.

Those who have caught the news recently have probably heard all about the many benefits that both calcium, magnesium and Vitamin D have to offer. These are crucial nutrients that the body needs, especially once one reaches middle age as they are known to soothe inflammation, prevent osteoporosis, and even support the immune system.

The World Health Organization has stated that up to 80 percent of people have a vitamin D deficiency. Even though this vital nutrient is being added to many foods nowadays, it is almost always inferior Vitamin D2. Bob Barefoot does not allow just anyone to sell his products, so they can not usually be found in stores. They can, however, be found on www.coralsupreme.com.

For more information, please visit www.coralsupreme.com.

About Coral Calcium Direct:

Coral Calcium Direct, Inc. was founded in 2002 by Brad Riley in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Since then it has become the leading online source for all of Bob Barefoot’s mineral and calcium products. The company has been a proud provider of these products, such as Coral Calcium Supreme, Bob’s Best Coral Calcium 2000, Bob’s Best Oxy Supreme, and Bob’s Best Vitamin D3 for over 6 years.

( An http://IPRWire.com Press Release )

Contact Info:

Name: Bradley W Riley

Address: 8668 Navarre Pkwy #356

City: Navarre

State: Florida

Country: United States

Zip: 32566

Web Address: http://www.CoralSupreme.com

Business Blog: http://iblogit.com/coralsupreme

Phone: 800-510-4074

###

Contact Information

Bradley W Riley


Coral Calcium Direct

http://www.CoralSupreme.com


800-510-4074

[Via http://www.prweb.com]

• Apolipoprotein(a): A Natural Regulator Of Inflammation

Artist/Web Designer to Sell Work for Dyslexia, Multiple Sclerosis Charities

Artist/web designer Steven Roach is setting up a section on his Web site www.sroachart.com to sell some of his artwork for charity. One-hundred percent of the proceeds from the selected art will be donated to the International Dyslexia Association and the Montel Williams MS Foundation.

(PRWEB) December 31, 2008 — Artist/web designer Steven Roach is setting up a section on his Web site www.sroachart.com to sell some of his artwork for charity. One-hundred percent of the proceeds from the selected art will be donated to the International Dyslexia Association and the Montel Williams MS Foundation.

“The goal for this event is to raise some money for the International Dyslexia Association and the Montel Williams MS Foundation,” said Roach, who plans to host a charity event for the two charities as well.

Those interested are welcome to visit www.sroachart.com for more information.

About the International Dyslexia Association:

The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) is an international organization that concerns itself with the complex issues of dyslexia. The IDA membership consists of a variety of professionals in partnership with dyslexics and their families and all others interested in the association’s mission. The organization believes that all individuals have the right to achieve their potential; that individual learning abilities can be strengthened and that social, educational and cultural barriers to language acquisition and use must be removed. The IDA actively promotes effective teaching approaches and related clinical educational intervention strategies for dyslexics. It supports and encourages interdisciplinary research. It facilitates the exploration of the causes and early identification of dyslexia and is committed to the responsible and wide dissemination of research-based knowledge.

About Multiple Sclerosis:

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is literally a “disease of many scars.” The scars — or scleroses — form on nerve fibers in the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves, which are the basic components of the central nervous system (CNS). Also known as plaques, these scars are the result of lesions that destroy the protective material that surrounds the nerve fibers. This material is called the myelin sheath. Much like the insulation on an electrical wire, an intact myelin sheath keeps nerve impulses traveling rapidly and accurately along the nerve fiber. These impulses are essential to normal movement and sensation throughout the body. MS lesions eat away at the myelin sheath, eventually healing into hardened scar tissue. This process is called demyelination.

About Steven Roach:

Steven is an artist, graphic designer, and web designer. His work can be viewed online at www.sroachart.com. Steven is fully dyslexic.

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Contact Information

Steven Roach


sroachart.com

http://www.sroachart.com


503-313-7515

[Via http://www.prweb.com]

• Health Affirmations