Random Acts of Fear and Loathing in America

"Well, there's a certain mean spiritness that's out there, not only in Alabama but it's in America. And that makes this election extremely important." ~Alabama State Senator Hank Sanders
Can you hear him now?

Remember when Alabama State Senator Hank Sanders said in a robo call to democratic voters he was voting for Ron Sparks for Alabama's Governor because he didn't want to return to the days of slavery and Jim Crow ?

Remember how the righty's, as they are wont to do, took his words literally instead of metaphorically and accused him of being a racist, race baiting, fear monger,Dinosaur with no sense of shame or decency, blah blah blab blab?

Here is another blast from the past

Barack Obama deserves credit for turning the country in a more positive direction following the disastrous George W. Bush presidency. Obama has taken steps forward in several key areas--economic recovery, health-care reform, and financial regulation.

But the Obama record, so far, has not been nearly as strong as it could have been. And based on three major news stories from the past two weeks, we are starting to think there is a fundamental reason for that: The Obama administration is terrified of white people.

This fear, in our view, has nothing to do with the fact that Obama is our first black president. Rather, we suspect it has to do with the fact that Obama is a centrist Democrat. And it seems "centrist Democrat" is simply a fancy term for a liberal who is afraid of white people.

The past is prologue

The last time thousands of progressive activists and left-leaning bloggers came together for their annual Netroots Nation conference, Democrats controlled Washington. Much of the focus was on pushing the party -- and President Obama -- further to the left, to stand up for things like the public option, an end to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the value of government spending to fix the economy.

A year later, with the Republicans firmly in control of the House and the 2012 presidential cycle underway, the focus is expected to be much the same. Except there's an expediency: The only way Democrats are going to win back what they lost and keep what they have, organizers and participants in this year's conference say, is to get closer to their progressive roots.

It's only going to get worse

Republicans intend to scare white people so much they'll check their brains at the door to the voting booth -- just forget everything else and vote your race.

Case in point, check out the governments star witness in Lynch Gate

Scott Beason, State Senator – Alabama

It’s one thing to propose Arizona-style legislation. But to actually call for violence against undocumented immigrants is despicable. State Senator Scott Beason has done both. On February 5, 2011, Beason gave a speech on immigration. According to an article in The Cullman Times, Beason said, that “the reality is that if you allow illegal immigration to continue in your area you will destroy yourself eventually.” As The Cullman Times reported, “Beason ended his speech by advising Republicans to ‘empty the clip, and do what has to be done.’”

The gop cuts assistance to low income women, aid for pregnant women and children, food aide for Seniors, while spending $17 billion for defense.

Some times it's not paranoia...they are genuinely after you:

C.I.A. official says that officials in the Bush White House sought damaging personal information on a prominent American critic of the Iraq war in order to discredit him.

What if Liberal Talk Radio were urging listeners to shoot people?

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was released from the hospital yesterday, 5 months after a disturbed guy with a gun shot her in the head at a Congress on Your Corner event. The man, equipped with an oversized, 33 bullet clip, killed six people and wounded twelve others at the same event.

On Tuesday, just one day before Rep. Giffords got out of the hospital, conservative talk show host Neal Boortz urged his listeners to get a gun and use it.

And we got too damn many urban thugs, yo, ruining the quality of life for everybody. And I'll tell you what it's gonna take. You people, you are - you need to have a gun. You need to have training. You need to know how to use that gun. You need to get a permit to carry that gun. And you do in fact need to carry that gun and we need to see some dead thugs littering the landscape in Atlanta. We need to see the next guy that tries to carjack you shot dead right where he stands. We need more dead thugs in this city.

Divide and Conquer

Back in the mid-Nineties, devious right-wing activists at the Bradley Foundation, in Milwaukee, hit upon a “wedge” issue designed to wreck the alliance at the core of the Democratic Party’s urban base. Blacks and public employee unions – particularly teachers – were the foundations of Democratic power in the cities. Aware that African Americans revered education but were often in conflict with largely white teachers unions over issues of racism and community control, the Bradley gang, under president Michael Joyce, created out of whole cloth a “movement” for publicly-funded vouchers for private schools. No such Black community “demand” had ever existed, but well-aimed infusions of millions of dollars among opportunistic politicians like Cory Booker, a first term city councilman who aspired to become mayor of Newark, New Jersey, grafted Black faces onto a Hard Right corporate scheme to divide key progressive constituencies: Blacks and unions.

For every time there is a season

There is not a political solution to our miserable legislature and our disgusting governor. There is not a political solution to our embarrassing and horrific new anti-immigrant legislation. It is now the time for lawyers and activists. Politics can be fun, great sport for sure and entertaining conversation with like minded strategists. But we are now in the struggle of a lifetime and I ask you, will you look back and know you did your best? Will you be able to say that you stood up for what was right when all around you there were those who allowed hatred and ignorance to reign in our elected officials and constituents? Are you outraged enough to do something? I suggest that if you are still playing politics and not becoming and activist then you are missing out on a rewarding and meaningful chance to experience being part of a cause that will give you "peace that passeth understanding". Doing the right thing has that affect upon ourselves and others.

Start candlelight vigils. Attend marches and protests. Go out of your way to become friends with the Spanish speaking people you encounter in your every day life. Educate yourself. Post on face book. Join and be involved with the ACLU. I know some clergy members who are planning to be arrested in this struggle. Are you? Are you willing to help those without power? We are not all called to the same activities, but I believe we are all called to stand up and do the right thing.

Note to melmel, I agree it is important that we all have a place to tell our stories of activism, however LIA is a great place for the chosen to share. My outrage and my activism is what got my Ebony Donkey banned and booted from the front pages. And yes, I'm still whining about it.