04 January 2007

'007 News, Good and Bad

Positive spin:
Quranic Brothers: Keith Ellison and Thomas Jefferson


House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., left, administers the House oath to Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., during a re-enactment swearing-in ceremony, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 4, 2007. Ellison's wife Kim holds Thomas Jefferson's Quran which was provided by the Library of Congress. (AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson)


Not to be left out, Maryland will welcome it's own Muslim Representative to the State House soon, Greenbelt software engineer Saqib Ali

By the way, apparently while nobody noticed, two Buddhists were elected to the US House as well, Reps. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Hank Johnson of (D-GA). Wonder if they were sworn in while holding copies of the Four Noble Truths?

No wonder (so-called) "Christians" are nervous -- the infamous "THEY/THEM" are obviously 'taking over!'

And while we're talking Islam, here's a holiday/New Year's message from Black Gay Muslim leader Imam Daayiee Abdullah: 'Perhaps if the leaders of the religious right had the true Christmas spirit in their hearts, they would avoid insulting friends and fellow citizens with their insistence on public dogmatism, and spread some peace on earth and good will to all people')












And now the Bad News:

George W sings, "Wait a minute Mr Postman" in yet another not-even-close-to-legal "Signing Statement"

How many more rights can this administration take away, deliberately mis-reading or ignoring the law, before it's stopped? This one seems particularly egregous to me, and brings us one more step closer to a day when the Government can invade our privacy with impunity. "Illegal immigrants" don't have the right to privacy via the US Mails? The FBI and others can read the letters of "possible terrorists?" Add this to the ongoing warrentless wiretapping controversy, and the end of habeas corpus the pattern of disregard for privacy on display by Bush and his minions would be obvious to a deaf mute. But where's the outrage? Why is no one in the streets? Perhaps they're on the phone to the new Congress, and maybe Nancy P can make stopping this part of the 100 Hours.


And in ongoing negative news:
Baltimore's first murder victim of the year was 17 year old Leon Nelson. How many more young Black men (and women) are we going to lose to violence? Again, where's the outrage?

A Chicago House Party Shooting at the 'hood's "Gay House"

I have a Chi-town contact with a little 'inside info' about this (which I suspect some will use to discredit the victims). I may be able to discuss as more becomes public about this. For now, I'll say once again I'm dissapointed by the lack of outrage or action (so far) from many black and white and black gay 'activists' over this.




Let us all try to make 2007 the year when our communities recognize that all our lives are important and worth saving.

1 comment:

John K said...

The shooting struck me as a more complicated issue than it was originally portrayed. The public responses of neighborhood residents, from what I've read, have so far been pretty ignorant, but it does seem that rather than it being a bias crime, there was some beef involving one of the shooters and some of the people at the party, at least that's what I've read and heard. Does your contact have other info?

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