The Afghanistan War is now the longest war in U.S. history. If an end-date isn’t set, we could be there forever. We want a responsible withdrawal that’s complete no later than December 2011. Can you contribute $15 to help us send a strong message that politicians will understand?

As Pentagon Papers whistle-blower Daniel Ellsberg says in our new video, “It was always a bad year to get out of Vietnam.” We need to make sure the same doesn’t happen with Afghanistan.

If we can raise $10,000.00 by Wednesday, Rethink Afghanistan and our partners at TrueMajority.org will buy a full-page in Politico telling Congress and the President that we want our combat troops out of Afghanistan by December 2011.

Can you contribute $15 to send a strong message to our elected officials that this war has gone on long enough? We’re spending $1 million per troop, per year, and we’ve already lost 1,000 people in Afghanistan. Please donate today, and watch our latest video showing why we need to end this war next year.

Sincerely,
Robert Greenwald & Derrick Crowe
and the Brave New Foundation Team

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

National Women’s Law Center

06/07/2010 Nativegrl77

Keep Families and States Out of the Red

Tell your Senators to support struggling families.

The last time we checked, our economy hasn’t fully rebounded, state budgets are still in dire straits, too many families are living from paycheck to paycheck ― if they are lucky enough to have a paycheck at all ― and the health of too many families is at risk.

So we must ensure that our Senators support legislation that extends a lifeline to struggling families. We need legislation that allows jobless workers to continue their health insurance coverage through COBRA, supports funding for states to prevent families from losing Medicaid, and extends vital unemployment insurance benefits and cash assistance to low-income families through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

Make sure your Senators get it. Tell them to support critical extensions for at-risk families today.

States are running in the red. Without these funds, many states will make deeper cuts to health care, emergency assistance and other vital services for children and families. Don’t let our Senators short-change our country ― tell your Senators to pass legislation that helps America grow and families thrive.

Thank you for continuing to fight for women and families during these hard times.

Sincerely,

National Women’s Law Center

P.S. Women and families need help now more than ever. Please donate today to support our fight for real solutions for the unemployed.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

ThinkProgress.org

06/07/2010 Nativegrl77

RADICAL RIGHT — ARTISTS ASKED TO LIGHTEN SKIN COLOR ON ARIZONA MURAL AFTER COUNCILMAN STOKES RACIAL FEARS: “Nearly 500 people turned out Saturday to protest” changes to the skin color of a mural at an elementary school in Prescott, AZ. School officials recently asked the artists to “lighten the faces of the mural’s main subject,” a Hispanic boy. The school’s principal denied that his request has anything to do with race, saying he just wanted the artists to make the students “look happier and more excited,” and to “remove some shadowing that made the faces darker than they are.” But the mural, which depicts students using various forms of energy efficient transportation, attracted heated, racially based opposition early on in the mostly white town. R.E. Wall, the artist who heads the group that created the mural, told the Prescott Daily Courier that passersby regularly shouted racial slurs at his group as they worked, such as, “Get the ni—– off the wall,” “Get the sp– off the wall,” and, “You’re desecrating our school.” An article on the Courier’s website about the unveiling of the mural in late May attracted dozens of comments with racial undertones. Wall “attributes the start of the racial controversy to recent comments that Prescott City Councilman Steve Blair made” on his radio show. “I am not a racist,” Blair said last month in one of many segments on the mural, “but I will tell you depicting a black guy in the middle of that mural, based upon who’s President of the United States today and based upon the history of this community, when I grew up we had four black families. … I would have to ask the question, ‘Why?'” A school official said the “black guy” in the mural is actually a Hispanic student. Blair was fired last week from his radio show over the comments but he said he has no immediate plans to resign from the city council. Arizona recently passed a harsh new immigration law, which many believe will lead to racial profiling.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Child Removed from Seattle,WA School/White Teacher claims allergey to Afro

06/07/2010 Nativegrl77

In Seattle, Wash., a white male teacher had an 8-year-old /Biracial American girl removed from the classroom. In most cases, children are removed for behavioral and disciplinary issues, which is clearly understandable and acceptable; however, this wasn’t the case here.

The teacher removed the girl, claiming her Afro was making him sick. Naturally, the father of the child, Charles Mudede, was extremely concerned after the incident, and, as a result, the girl, who was the only black child in the advanced-placement class, has missed two weeks of school.

The incident, which occurred at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School, was featured on KIRO-TV. The segment showed the hair product the girl used, Organic Root Stimulator’s Olive Oil Moisturizing Hair Lotion, as well as interviews with her mother and lawyer.

While the girl was eventually relocated to another class down the hall, the fact remains that such a decision could be made by a teacher alone, without the school contacting the parents directly — especially given the implications on the surface of a white teacher picking on a single black child as being the origin of his allergy. The NAACP stated that it will file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education.

The fact that a teacher would engage in such behavior is troublesome — especially in front of other students. If America is in a post racial period, it appears that “post” and “pre” may be synonymous. Teresa Wippel, school district representative, said, “We’re certainly concerned about the incident and are looking into it. … Our goal is to make sure the student returns to school. The parents have, so far, not wanted to put her back in school. They want to be sure everything is resolved to their satisfaction.”

We, as a people, have endured many centuries of being degraded just for our physical features. I understand the strength and pride that Charles Mudede is displaying with respect to this situation. I, too, am a parent, and teach my children that the way they speak and look and act makes me proud, and that they should maintain such fortitude when others cannot acknowledge what they see in themselves. –torrance stephens, ph.d.

For more with Dr. Stephens, visit twitter.com/rawdawgbuffalo and rawdagb.blogspot.com.

~ my 2cents ..., ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

mindful Monday &some News

06/07/2010 Nativegrl77

Today is definitely a day to be mindful and a week to be much more aware of what our future as Americans could be if folks in Congress would just vote for the People, get the peoples work done by letting the current administration complete its cabinet, get the people needed to govern in place instead of holding up the process and trying to keep the Obama Admin from running a competent administration. The President is giving a Commencement speech today …grads need hope/change; hopefully the new generation of workers will continue to support this President, see where he wants Americans to be and that includes the Middle Class. The idea that a less than competent staff being the plan of attack… not to mention voting no on all things to help Americans seems like an eye opener to me …the campaign is over the votes in and 53% voted for President Obama; people can disagree with the policies maybe some of the right of center behavior but as he stated in 2008 it is time to change; but change is hard and obviously the Republican party does not want to change the ways things are done even if the economy needs both Political Parties to work together

Republicans obstruct, vote against the people, were for reform until most Republicans decided the only way to bring down the current admin is to say NO to all things Obama? let me just say -saying no to any and all bills, amendments and legislation is a vote against Americans; these things maybe be against the Obama campaign but they are for Americans because Obama isn’t affected by medicare payments or lack of them, unemployment benefits or jobs bills it’s We the People and even their own constituents have lost out on so much because Republicans stay the self-interested fools they have always been… come on folks wake the heck up …tell what member of Congress is having financial problems, which one is underwater because a bad mortgage tell me who has sick children or family members who are being discriminated against and refused health care by the insurance industry… time for a change; 53% voted it in though people on the right and Republicans continue to lie

Other News …

**Elton john sang at the limbaugh wedding&james carville was there too.

**SC still spewing racists comments and covering up the racism by stating the comments were a joke … raghead is not only offensive he …said we already have one raghead in the White House…knotts is not worthy of any political office

The number of birds being harmed by BP’s Gulf oil spill has “increased at an alarming rate, indicating the oil is spreading farther into sensitive marshlands.” A local animal rehabilitation group has treated 203 oiled birds, 110 of which have arrived since last Friday. “This really increases the urgency of efforts to shut off the leak,” the group’s executive director said.TP

C-SPAN …

Senate Likely To Take Up Energy Policy

In response to the recent disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) told Democrats, “to address both the existing situation and to reduce the risks of such a catastrophe happening again.” He has asked committee leaders to come up with a comprehensive energy strategy by July 4. Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) is expected to introduce a bill this week aimed at cutting U.S. greenhouse gas emissions through expanding nuclear power, focusing on constructing energy efficient homes and buildings and addressing both renewable fuels and overall mpg efficiency in vehicles. A “cap and trade” system is not in this bill which differs from the House passed “American Clean Energy and Security Act” that included the plan.

Senate Floor: C-SPAN2 at 2pm ET

More Than 10,000 barrels of Oil Captured, BP Claims

On Sunday, BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward told the BBC that some 10,500 barrels of crude oil were captured on Saturday, following a new attempt by the company on Friday to cap the broken pipeline spilling an estimated 12,000 to 19,000 barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico daily. Meanwhile, Coast Guard Chief Thad Allen told CNN’s “State of the Union” that no one should be “pleased” about containment efforts until a relief well completely blocks the broken pipeline. The relief well will not be in place until sometime in August. Allen said the oil spill will impact the Gulf for many months to come.

WH briefing: c-span.org at 10am ET LIVE Undersea ROV Cameras
Deepwater Horizon Response

Experts Examine Israeli Naval Blockade and Palestinian President Visit to Washington

Last week, nine passengers aboard a Turkish aid ship bound for Gaza were shot and killed by Israeli troops. On Saturday, Israel continued to enforce its naval blockade by escorting the Rachel Corrie, carrying pro-Palestinian activists and aid cargo to the nearby Israeli port of Ashdod. Today, Carnegie experts assess the future of the Middle East peace process, the fallout from Israel’s raid on a flotilla of humanitarian aid ships bound for Gaza, and the prospects for President Mahmoud Abbas’s visit to the White House on June 9.

CEIP: NOW on C-SPAN2
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace