Senate Passes Hate Crimes Amendment Lacking Free Speech And Association Protections

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American Civil Liberties Union
7/17/2009

ACLU Calls For Adoption Of House Provision, Instead

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: (202) 675-2312; media@dcaclu.org
WASHINGTON

The Senate late Thursday passed an amendment as part of the Department of Defense Authorization bill that would give the federal government new authority to prosecute certain violent acts based on race, color, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and disability. However, the Senate version of the hate crimes bill lacks the strong protections for speech and association included in legislation passed by the House of Representatives in April. The American Civil Liberties Union believes that without the speech and association protections included in the House bill, the Senate hate crimes legislation could have a chilling effect on constitutionally protected speech and membership.

The following can be attributed to Christopher Anders, ACLU Senior Legislative Counsel:

“It has been our experience that the fight for better and stronger civil rights protections is more successful when free speech and association are protected along the way. Fierce protection of free speech rights has historically created the space for the improvement of civil rights protections. Unless amended to block evidence of speech and association not specifically related to a crime, the Senate hate crimes amendment could chill constitutionally protected speech and association. An otherwise unremarkable violent crime should not become a federal hate crime simply because the defendant visited the wrong website, belonged to a group espousing bigotry, or subscribed to a magazine promoting discriminatory views, however wrong and repugnant those beliefs may be. We urge Congress to instead adopt the House version of the hate crimes bill, which protects both civil rights and free speech and association.”

see

Dems add long-sought hate crimes measure to Defense bill

The Hate Crimes Bill: How Not to Remember Matthew Shepard By Alexander Cockburn

Exclusive: The First Amendment in trouble… again! by Rocket Kirchner

Predictable Chaos As Guantánamo Trials Resume by Andy Worthington

by Andy Worthington
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
www.andyworthington.co.uk
18 July 2009

At Guantánamo this week, the Military Commission trial system convened for only the second time since President Obama announced a four-month freeze on all proceedings on his first day in office to give the new administration’s inter-departmental Guantánamo Task Force an opportunity to review the best ways in which to deal with the remaining prisoners inherited from the Bush administration.

Reviving the Commissions, ill-advisedly

In May, in a major speech on national security, Barack Obama signaled that he was planning to revive the Commissions, arguing that, with some amendments, they would be “fair, legitimate, and effective,” and promising to “work with Congress and legal authorities across the political spectrum on legislation” that would fulfill these aims.

Germany And NATO’s Nuclear Nexus, Part IV by Rick Rozoff

by Rick Rozoff
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
Stop NATO
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stopnato/message/40753
July 18, 2009

Part IV

The reunification of Germany and the start of NATO’s post-Cold War expansion, drive east and beginning of its transformation into a global military force occurred on the same day, October 3, 1990.

On that date East Germany was absorbed into the Federal Republic and simultaneously into NATO, the first of thirteen additions to the bloc from that time to the present year.

United since 1990 within its pre-1938 borders, Germany has cast aside most all post-Potsdam Agreement and Nuremberg Principles constraints and become a military power engaged in wars on the European and Asian continents (Yugoslavia in 1999, Afghanistan since 2001) and naval surveillance and interdiction operations in the Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Michael Jackson is dead, it is too late to develop a conscience By Roland Michel Tremblay

By Roland Michel Tremblay
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
The Marginal
18 July, 2009

We Are the World, but do we have a conscience? I’m sure you believe we do. Sometimes though it could be opened to debate as we can easily point out many human beings, Black or White, who do not appear to have any conscience at all. Mostly politicians, religious leaders, management and all sorts of Smooth Criminals. They send us Off the Wall. Maybe none of them require a conscience to reach ultimate power and wealth. As Michael Jackson stated, They Don’t Care About Us. Is it too late to develop a conscience?

This last decade will be remembered and talked about in HIStory, perhaps as much if not more than both first world wars. Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough. As we appear to have avoided another world war and another Hitler, but still, some financial sharks stole all our money and here comes a second great depression crowned with Swine Flu. This world is really sick, and there is no one left to Heal the World, now that MJ is but a corpse, Gone Too Soon.

The Kinks: Preservation: Act 1 – Money And Corruption + Here Comes Flash

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h/t: Bruce Gagnon for both videos

msspuremusic
October 05, 2008

more about “The Kinks: Preservation: Act 1 – Mone…“, posted with vodpod

Artist: The Kinks
Album: Preservation: Act 1
Released: 16 November 1973
Song: Money & Corruption / I Am Your Man
Track-No: 09/13

The Album:

Preservation: Act 1 and Preservation: Act 2 are a 1973 concept released as separate albums in 1973 and 1974 by the English rock group, The Kinks.

Bill Moyers Journal: The Evolution Of God with Robert Wright

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Bill Moyers Journal

July 17, 2009

In his new book, THE EVOLUTION OF GOD, bestselling author Robert Wright examines how the idea of God has changed through history. Wright sits down with Bill Moyers to discuss why he thinks the notion of God — real or not — is imperative to a moral society.

transcript: Bill Moyers Journal . Watch & Listen | PBS.

more about “Bill Moyers Journal: The Evolution Of…“, posted with vodpod

see

Jesus was a Communist by Darren Pedigo

Bill Moyers Journal: Cornel West, Serene Jones, and Gary Dorrien

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Bill Moyers Journal: Obama and Environmentalists

And just where were these environmentalists last year during the campaign, obviously not listening very closely to what Obama said and certainly not to Ralph Nader.  Shame on them for not voting for Nader.  “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” ~ DS

Dandelion Salad

Bill Moyers Journal
July 17, 2009

Bill Moyers talks with two environmental activists who are disappointed in Obama’s progress on climate change. Also, check out the debate among environmentalists over Obama’s initiatives.

Learn more about the debate over the climate change bill.

transcript: Bill Moyers Journal . Watch & Listen | PBS.

more about “Bill Moyers Journal: Obama and Enviro…“, posted with vodpod

see

Bush, Obama and the Corporate Love Affair by Gary Sudborough

Kucinich: We All Want To Protect Our Planet! Does The 2009 Clean Energy Act Do That?

Barack Obama on Dandelion Salad

Meet the new boss the same as the old boss

from the archives:

“Meet the new boss, same as the old boss” (music video)

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Bill Moyers Journal: Money and Health Reform

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Bill Moyers Journal
July 17, 2009

A Bill Moyers Essay.

via Bill Moyers Journal . Watch & Listen | PBS.

more about “Bill Moyers Journal: Money and Health…“, posted with vodpod

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Kucinich Secures Congressional Victory for States’ Single Payer Drive

Bernie Sanders: Public Healthcare Plan

Healthcare: Change the Debate Support a Real Public Option + Urgent by Dennis Kucinich

Tell Media: Include Single-Payer in Healthcare Debate

Wendell Potter: They Dump the Sick to Satisfy Investors

Bill Moyers Journal: Health Care Reform + Wendell Potter (must-see)

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More Robber Class Perfidy by Cindy Sheehan

By Cindy Sheehan
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
Cindy Sheehan’s Soapbox Blog
Cindy Sheehan’s Soapbox
July 18, 2009

Perfidy:
Deliberate breach of faith or trust; faithlessness; treachery

According to foreclosure listing service RealtyTrac Inc., more than 1.5 million households received at least one foreclosure-related notice during the first half of the year. That’s a jump of nearly 15 percent.

The nation’s official unemployment rate in June rose from 9.4 to 9.5 percent, its highest in 26 years. But, it’s even far worse than that: the nation’s actual unemployment rate in June rose from 16.4 to 16.5 percent, the highest figure by far since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began keeping the data in 1994. During the Great Depression of the ‘30’s and ‘40’s unemployment reached 25%.

Kucinich Secures Congressional Victory for States’ Single Payer Drive

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by Congressman Dennis Kucinich
Washington, July 17 , 2009

Kucinich Amendment Allows States to Seek a Federal Waiver

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today created an opening for the single payer health care movement by winning adoption of an amendment which eliminates a federal barrier to states choosing to enact single payer health plans. The amendment won on a bipartisan basis during lengthy committee action on HR 3200, America’s Affordable Health Choices Act.

“Although the amendment does not create a single payer health care system, it removes a major obstacle for any state that wishes to pursue the single payer option. This amendment builds on the momentum of the national movement for single payer health care,” said Kucinich.

Honduras Repression Intensifies

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Soa Watch
July 17, 2009

The situation in Honduras is getting worse each day since the SOA graduate-led military coup against the government of President Manuel Zelaya.

The Committee of Family Members of Detained and Disappeared in Honduras (COFADEH) published a report yesterday, detailing hundreds of cases of human rights abuses committed by the coup regime, including four political assassinations. You can take a stand against this injustice right now: http://www.soaw.org/contactcongress

No to the Military Coup! Urge your Representative to Take a Stand for Democracy!

Despite US government claims that they’ve cut all military ties with the Honduran golpistas, the SOA continues to train Honduran soldiers. This is not real support for democracy.

Representatives Bill Delahunt, José Serrano and Jim McGovern have introduced a resolution that calls for the return to democracy and the reinstatement of Manuel Zelaya as President of Honduras. Ask your Representative to take a stand for democracy by suspending operations of the SOA and restoring the rightful government of Honduras: http://www.soaw.org/contactcongress

No Wonder the Israelis Didn’t Want Photos Taken by Cynthia McKinney + Israeli warships attack Gaza coastline

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Cynthia McKinney (OFFICIAL)

by Cynthia McKinney
July 17, 2009

The Viva Palestina convoy, led by George Galloway, is about to leave Gaza after having been permitted to enter for a period of 24 hours after waiting 11 days in Cairo for permission to enter Gaza. That in and of itself is a major story when expanded to include the inability of Gazans to exit The Strip–even if only to enter another part of their country, the West Bank or to move about freely in the fictional “Palestinian State.” I say fictional because it continues to dwindle even while peace talks are underway. Fictional, because Palestinian elections deemed by international observers to be free and fair, don’t count if the US- and Israel-approved party loses, and the winners get to sit for years in an Israeli jail. Fictional, because they use Israel’s currency here, the shekel, and the international roaming on our US cell phones indicates calls are from Israel.

Gaza is beautiful. Gaza is full of life, despite Israel’s Operation Cast Lead. And now, I have seen, Gaza has been bombed to smithereens. I think I’ve mastered my video camera enough to share some images with you. I’ll post them on the sites below when I return. In the meantime, my fellow Americans and citizens of the world, we have a lot to do to put right all the wrong things done in our name. Much love to all of you who helped me, guided me, prayed for me, to make this successful entry into Gaza happen.

Viva Palestina!!
Free Gaza!!

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Israeli warships attack Gaza coastline

PressTV
Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:21:49 GMT

The coastline along the Gaza Strip has come under the fire of patrolling Israeli warships which invariably monitor the shores.

The barrages, which had taken aim at vast swathes of the littoral area on Friday, caused no casualties, the Palestinian Ma’an news agency quoted locals as saying.

Doctor Muawiyah Hassanein, the director of the Gazan Health Ministry’s Emergency and Ambulance Services confirmed there had been no casualties.

The naval bombardments frighten off the local fishermen further restricting the sources of livelihood for the blockaded sliver.

The patrols have been staged on a regular basis since the recent three-week-long Israeli attacks on the strip which killed more than 1,400 Palestinians and left thousands of others injured.

via Israeli warships attack Gaza coastline.

Other interesting stories in the news:

Secret US-Israeli meeting to focus on Iran

Israel planned ‘Ahmadinejad assassination’

see

Viva Palestina: 24 Hours in Gaza By Soozy Duncan

Viva Palestina US Crosses Into Gaza through Rafah – Short Speech By George Galloway

Viva Palestina aid convoy enters Gaza + We are in Gaza (photos)

Israel-Palestine-Gaza-Occupation

Spirit of Humanity Free Gaza 21