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Gosh Nirek – I’ve seen her story all over. Our local paper had it, and they cover very little anymore. Sorry your media don’t seem to care!

» Posted By choicelady On August 24, 2013 @ 11:01 am

When we had legislators who actually knew the laws, some of this did not happen. Today we have ego-driven people who know nothing of the law, so it happens way too often as kes noted below about restraints. Some of it is funny – laws that are archaic and never contradicted by new law – but some is dangerous. I don’t think every legislator has to be an attorney, but it never hurts to have ALL legislators respectful of the law, willing to do the vetting on previous laws, and willing either to stop new, stupid laws or including an over-ride of outmoded stuff. Now we have people in the Tea Party who understand NOTHING, not even the Constitution. Not good.

» Posted By choicelady On August 15, 2013 @ 9:38 pm

Indeed – GO PAM!!! She’s a tiny, quiet woman with a mind and heat as big as the world. Her devotion to human rights is without reservation, and her knowledge of international human rights laws is without peer. We had this conversation privately and within the group. I urged her and her organization to act on exactly these issues. I am agog that it was a step they could take and are taking. Wow. MAJOR good thing!

» Posted By choicelady On August 15, 2013 @ 9:34 pm

Thank you, kes! Pam is a genius at knowing what laws work and how, and she built this case brick by brick from that UN meeting on. If anyone can bring Scott Lively to justice, it would be Pam. I am so glad I got a chance to meet her!

» Posted By choicelady On August 15, 2013 @ 9:32 pm

This morning’s tweet from our site about the Raw Story article on the trial of Scott Lively brought joy to my heart! I started that ball rolling with the attorney, Pam Spees, who is seeing it through. We were both on a UN panel on human rights with respect to LGBT issues, and I urged her to pursue this tactic which she eagerly did. If I never do anything else in my life, this will make me glad I lived. She positively rocks, and I’m honored she thought my suggestion worth the doing.

» Posted By choicelady On August 15, 2013 @ 10:25 am

Their taxes do NOT pay for abortions – the Hyde Amendment – but our taxes do pay for their rescue and return to dry land.

Ahhhh – the comfort of its all being about them…

» Posted By choicelady On August 12, 2013 @ 3:09 pm

When the Church is willing to threaten excommunication for abuses against children, the poor, minorities, and women, and when adopting those policies of inclusiveness extends to the congregational level, then I will believe. Until then – it’s just words.

» Posted By choicelady On July 30, 2013 @ 1:47 pm

They need to take Econ 101 instead of pretending ‘supply side economics’ actually works.

» Posted By choicelady On July 30, 2013 @ 1:45 pm

Assumed – the founding of the Republican Party in Ripon, WI was almost entirely about abolition. At the close of the Civil War however, it shifted – as a major force after the win – to the support of those interests rebuilding the northern economy, and that’s when they lost any semblance of democratic concern. By the time of McKinley, their “reconstruction” had taken the form of supporting anti-labor, pro imperialist expansionism, and they never looked back. Their roots were noble. Their adolescence and maturity utterly corrupt. That said, in the Civil Rights era and even anti-war period, you could easily find some amazingly decent people fighting for those original values.

It was Reagan who put them on the most outrageously destructive path by capitulating to both unfettered anti-government corporatism AND the march toward theocracy. Now they have nothing – and you’re totally correct that calling the GOP “the party of Lincoln” simply erases the dreadful excesses of their more recent past.

» Posted By choicelady On July 30, 2013 @ 1:44 pm

kes – just to change the issue a tad – how are YOU? It’s always so good to see you here again. I hope you’re still mending and that things are regaining a sense of normality? Let us know how you’re doing please?

» Posted By choicelady On July 27, 2013 @ 10:46 pm

Congratulations, Nirek! That’s wonderful!

» Posted By choicelady On July 27, 2013 @ 10:45 pm

This seems as if it will be a happy moment, Sally, even with the uncertainties ahead. I hope it gives you both time together to do things you’ve wanted but deferred, and most of all I hope it gives his poor body a good rest. As one who just went through watching hubby avoid a heart attack, I’d urge some routine activity – walking is great – that is good to do together and that keeps you interested in the scenery AND keeps you healthy. We are about to do “mellow yoga” tonight – restful and relaxing – so we’ll let you know how that goes. Whatever you do and however you do it, may this be a graceful moment of moving into a wonderful dimension of life – together. Congratulations!

» Posted By choicelady On July 25, 2013 @ 4:44 pm

Now, now – we can exist in a world where many things happen at once! News of a baby is always good. OK – a little overblown to be sure, but it’s a happy story. Nice to have as an interlude. Now – back to reality. BTW – MSNBC did NOT have it on. Only CNN did the slavering blow by blow detail…

» Posted By choicelady On July 23, 2013 @ 10:25 pm

This is where the Twilight Zone theme comes in….

» Posted By choicelady On July 20, 2013 @ 8:11 pm

Cramer is hardly one to talk, is he? When self appointed ‘analysts’ turn out to be no better than side show fortune tellers, well…

Of COURSE regulation helps. It is clear to anyone with a brain that slavering self interest is often the step preceding total collapse. There is NO such thing as ‘enlightened self interest’ there is ONLY self interest, smart or not. Cramer himself is the living embodiment of that.

The only alternative is social conscience that permits facts concerning the impact on both self and others to weigh heavily on one’s decisions, and that’s Elizabeth Warren’s viewpoint. NOT Cramer’s.

» Posted By choicelady On July 20, 2013 @ 8:09 pm

I have had the sense he’s sociopathic. Hope I’m wrong for the sake of any other person who gets in his way.

I read a credible story that he faces child molestation charges from YEARS of abuse to his girl cousin – often done in FRONT of his family who never stopped him. If this is true as the cousin alleges, the sick dysfunction of them all is nauseating.

» Posted By choicelady On July 17, 2013 @ 8:01 am

Stand Your Ground ought to have a ‘Whites Only’ sticker slapped on it. Data show no evidence that any person of color has ever been let off for that reason. Quite the opposite.

That IS the reason the law exists – to let white people kill people of color who scare them, no matter what the circumstances. The horrific audio tape of a white man disobeying police orders to STAY INSIDE crowed – absolutely CROWED – he was getting his gun and going outside to shoot two kids taking something from his absent NEIGHBOR’s house. You can HEAR the gun shots. No warning, nothing. And this guy got off on Stand Your Ground. He was in no way personally threatened, and the pilfering was minor. But he got SYG dispensation because, after all, killing Black teens is what it’s for.

» Posted By choicelady On July 17, 2013 @ 8:00 am

My rather extensive experience testifying for the prosecution in both municipal and federal courts would verify your question. The prosecution DOES help novice witnesses understand what will happen and how, how best to answer questions (not substance but in form – short, direct answers; no volunteering of info, etc.)

The only times that never happened is when the prosecution did not wish to prosecute, when the fix was in. (The cases in question were highly political, too.)

So if it happened to me, think how easy it was to dismiss Jeantel the non-US, non-English first witness when the prosecution did not wish to win this one.

» Posted By choicelady On July 17, 2013 @ 7:56 am

Right from the beginning, I figured the prosecution wasn’t really into winning this. Dealing with Jeantel was too hard – cultural issues since she is Haitian gave them the excuse not to work with her. The fact she’s trilingual never seemed to enter their minds as a factor in her intelligence, and yes, had she been taught the fundamentals of being a witness on the stand, she’d have been more profound. I thought her well spoken and honest. But it was just too easy to dismiss her, wasn’t it. And that includes a white prosecutorial staff who were themselves probably intimidated by the mere idea of winning this in Florida.

» Posted By choicelady On July 16, 2013 @ 9:20 pm

funk – they will do whatever is provable. Walking down the street is free passage which is a right. The kink in it all, as one attorney explained, is that it was inside a gated community that may make for a jurisdictional problem. So yes, a hate crimes issue may work better. But I know that whatever they do, they WILL do it if at all possible.

» Posted By choicelady On July 16, 2013 @ 9:15 pm

As for the Civil Rights action, I will wait and see given the private nature of the walkway. The federal law is very complex, and there may well be a way to do this. We shall see.

But the civil suit CAN be brought, I learned from an attorney, when there has been an arrest. That alone, even with the not guilty verdict, makes the SYG law moot as a factor. Had he not been arrested, the Martin family could not sue. But Zimmerman was, was tried, and it changes the access to the civil remedy even in Florida. Presuming the attorney who wrote what I’m citing knows what he is talking about, then yes, a civil suit is in order. And if the suit goes forward, Zimmerman HAS to testify. He cannot avoid it. Even given the inherent bias of the area, his lies will be exposed for everyone to hear and may very well make a difference. in addition, there have to be 12 jurors not the 6 that Z. got meaning there is far greater likelihood that he would lose or at least – at the very least – there would be people unafraid to rule for the plaintiffs on these demands.

» Posted By choicelady On July 14, 2013 @ 9:31 pm

Murph – sometimes the first step is finding acceptance and sharing grief. That does NOT mean there’s no passion, just that for those people at that moment it was a different experience. That’s entirely their call. The work is being done – the NAACP posted an online petition to the DOJ to reopen the civil rights inquiry. They did this in ’92 after the police who beat Rodney King were exonerated by an all white jury in an affluent area west of LA. They were convicted. They did time. It can happen.

But first sometimes, people just have to mourn.

Their ages old experience, one they THOUGHT they’d put behind them, requires deep reflection and not impulsive reaction. How they process this is just not our call. That is the reaction for many Black people in the nation today. But across the land there are also demonstrations, and there will be work – hard and dedicated work – to end these massive injustices, all made manifest in the injustice to one, lone, 17-year-old boy whose betrayal by the system needs deep and thoughtful consideration. That’s not wrong. It’s what they need right this moment.

I have long thought that the only thing we white, privileged people can do is ask, “What do you need? How can we help?” then do what is asked of us. So stand by. The request is coming.

» Posted By choicelady On July 14, 2013 @ 9:23 pm

funk – that’s superb advice. I was living in Tennessee in 1968. When Rev. King was murdered, Black people disappeared from the streets, from my classes at a major university, from the hospital where I volunteered. It was the ONLY sensible thing to do in an area where the good ol’ boys sat in front of the bars whittling and gleefully celebrating King’s death. Sometime retreat is the best tactic.

There are massive demonstrations though – and in numbers there IS security. But going to and from? Risky stuff.

I hope upon hope that no one is harmed. What a dark night of the soul this has been.

» Posted By choicelady On July 14, 2013 @ 9:15 pm

Even here in Sacramento, the online comments at the Sacbee are deeply alarming. Scary and awful and ubiquitous. Wherever you are, friends, stay safe.

» Posted By choicelady On July 14, 2013 @ 9:12 pm

Dear Assumed – I’m scrolling UP from the bottom so just got here to welcome you. Prickly is welcome. Nasty isn’t, but you don’t strike me as one who would be. So welcome to the Planet! We’re pretty good company in agreement AND disagreement!

» Posted By choicelady On July 14, 2013 @ 9:10 pm

Assumed – there is no safe place for most young Black males in America. Not today. There may have been a brief moment in the past, but it’s long gone. All your son can do is be careful. And that’s the stupidest thing any of us can say.

From your comment below I’d suggest that yes, Canada is a viable option. It’s easier to adapt to the cold than to the cold hearts of the South and way too many northern areas as well.

» Posted By choicelady On July 14, 2013 @ 9:07 pm

As anyone here can tell you, I’m the resident ‘churchlady’ as well as choicelady. All I can say as one who works for and with thoughtful Protestant denominations is that the idea that “God will take care of it” is a violation of first principles. We were given minds, hearts, hands for a reason – and that is to MAKE IT HAPPEN. Passivity was no answer during the Civil Rights movements, and it’s no answer today. Whether or not one believes in God, the universal reality is that WE make history and WE create justice, period.

» Posted By choicelady On July 14, 2013 @ 9:04 pm

It will be up to us to assure that it is so.

The NAACP has an online petition asking for the DOJ now to reactivate the civil rights investigation. It cannot be accessed it is so overwhelmed with people trying to sign. Over 100,000 have already done so. I did it last night right when it first came online, so stick with it. It’s important.

In your community there will be local actions. Join if you can – they are to be peaceful everywhere, but they are to be powerful, too. It is important that white people participate to send a message as we did with the election and re-election that not all white people are racists. Is it risky to do this? In some areas, yes. Is it worth the risk? Yes. It is.

If we do not do this – make manifest that the majority of us want a peaceful inclusive America, then we lose. If we do it, we will eventually make things better. Doing it in the name of our youth is critical – we can no longer make young Black and Brown men the sacrificial lambs of our bigotry.

It really is up to us.

» Posted By choicelady On July 14, 2013 @ 11:09 am

That HP allows this but censors all of us says all you need to know about Arianna’s loyalties.

» Posted By choicelady On July 13, 2013 @ 10:17 pm

Those who are about to lose always have a futile victory dance.

It’s their last hurrah. But it IS their last one.

» Posted By choicelady On July 13, 2013 @ 10:12 pm