Tag Archives: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

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Alex Odeh – In Memory


naacpOn October 11, 1985, civil rights activist Alex Odeh was killed in a terrorist attack in Santa Ana, California. As he opened the door to the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee office, a pipe bomb exploded. He died from his injuries.

That’s the tragic part of the story. The deplorable: nearly two decades later, the three chief suspects remain free.

Today is the anniversary of Alex Odeh’s assassination. Join us in calling on the Department of Justice to hold his murderers responsible for their crime.

Demand justice for Alex Odeh

Alex Odeh was living the definition of the American dream.

Having immigrated to the United States from the West Bank, he was a lecturer and a poet. He had started a family and was working for a cause he believed in: protecting and defending the civil rights of Arab Americans.

The lack of action on his case is inexplicable. The FBI almost immediately identified the people behind the bombing, yet no indictments or charges have been made.

As you can imagine, this situation has been heartbreaking for Alex Odeh’s loved ones. But it should also disturb all of us who rely on this country’s criminal justice system. We don’t have to stand for it.

Tell the Department of Justice to demonstrate a strong commitment to justice for all Americans in their stance on terrorism, and bring Alex Odeh’s killers into custody:

http://action.naacp.org

Thank you,

Benjamin Todd Jealous
President and CEO
NAACP

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The March on Washington is a people’s movement … ~~NAACP ~ ~


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The Supreme Court decision in Shelby County vs. Holder this summer shook
the very foundation of the Voting Rights Act. The very same Voting
Rights Act that brought tens of thousands of activists to march on
Washington in August, 1963.

On that hot summer day, people from every corner of our country united
for a momentous event, rallying around a shared message of civil
liberty, civil rights, and economic freedom and opportunity for all.

Fifty years later, it’s time for us to march again. The NAACP, along
with the National Action Network, Realizing the Dream, and many other
conveners will host a march in Washington, D.C. to commemorate the 50th
anniversary of the March on Washington.

We remain inspired by the titans of our movement — Wilkins, Parks, King
and more — who marched at a pivotal time in the fight for civil rights.
And if our experience this year has shown us anything, it’s that we are
at another pivotal moment in history.

Discriminatory laws cripple the chances of too many people, of all ages
and backgrounds, who want nothing more than a shot at the American
Dream.

Voter disenfranchisement prevents far too many Americans from having
free and unfettered access to the ballot box, and keeps our most
vulnerable citizens from having proper representation in government.

And far, far too many of our children are gunned down in senseless acts
of violence every day. We march in the name of Trayvon Martin and other
victims of racial profiling and gun violence.

We’ve made incredible progress, but we have a long way to go. We must
carry the torch of freedom and equality forward for the next generation.
So we march again on August 24th. We march for those who have been
trampled by injustice, and for all our heroes who marched 50 years ago.
This grassroots movement belongs to you.
The size, the strength, and the power of our movement depends on you.

 

Thank you,
Ben
Benjamin Todd Jealous
President and CEO
NAACP

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Toxic plastic found in the world’s favorite fish ~ repost reminder


Mediterranean Sea Tuna. Photo: PBS / Elena Grecucci

By John R. Platt
7 May 2015

(Takepart) – For the first time, plastic particles have been found in the stomachs of tuna and other fish that are a staple of the human diet.

More than 18 percent of sampled bluefin, albacore, and swordfish caught in the Mediterranean Sea and tested in 2012 and 2013 carried levels of plastic pollution in their bodies, according to a study published in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin.

All three species migrate between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean, so these plastic particles could make their way onto the plates of American consumers. The plastics found in the fish contained phthalates, nonylphenol, bisphenol A, brominated flame retardants, and other chemicals that previous research has linked to endocrine disruption, low reproductive rates, and other health risks.

A 2010 study by French and Belgian marine biologists estimated that 250 billion pieces of microscopic plastic were floating in the Mediterranean. A 2014 expedition by Gabriel Gorsky of Pierre-et-Marie Curie University found that “there is not one parcel of the Mediterranean Sea that is devoid of plastic or plastic fragments.” Another study published last year estimated that all of the world’s oceans combined carry more than 5 trillion pieces of plastic pollution.

The current study of large pelagic fish (which live in the open sea, away from the shores or the bottom of the ocean) examined 56 swordfish, 36 bluefin, and 31 albacore that had been caught in the Mediterranean. Of those fish, seven swordfish, 11 bluefin, and four albacore contained plastics in their stomachs.

The plastics varied in size from large pieces more than 25 millimeters wide to microplastics smaller than 5 millimeters. The swordfish were more likely to have ingested large fragments of plastic, while the albacore ingested mostly microplastics.

Most of the pieces were white or transparent, while some “yellowish” plastics were found in the stomachs of the swordfish and bluefin.

As large, “top of the food chain” predators, the fish could have picked up plastic that had first been eaten by smaller fish; a study published last year found that Mediterranean bogue, an important prey species for swordfish, ingest large quantities of microplastics. The researchers, from the Institute for Environmental Protection and Research in Italy, wrote that other plastics could have been ingested while the tuna chased schools of prey fish into shallow waters, where floating plastics are more abundant. [more]

Toxic Plastic Found in the World’s Favorite Fish

ABSTRACT: This study focuses, for the first time, on the presence of plastic debris in the stomach contents of large pelagic fish (Xiphias gladius, Thunnus thynnus and Thunnus alalunga) caught in the Mediterranean Sea between 2012 and 2013. Results highlighted the ingestion of plastics in the 18.2% of samples. The plastics ingested were microplastics (<5 mm), mesoplastics (5–25 mm) and macroplastics (>25 mm).

These preliminary results represent an important initial phase in exploring two main ecotoxicological aspects: (a) the assessment of the presence and impact of plastic debris on these large pelagic fish, and (b) the potential effects related to the transfer of contaminants on human health.

First evidence of presence of plastic debris in stomach of large pelagic fish in the Mediterranean Sea

Source: http://www.desdemonadespair.net/2015/05/toxic-plastic-found-in-worlds-favorite.html

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Protect Voting Rights ~~ NAACP Petition ~~ History

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Wethepeople

NAACP Sign up to learn more
email zip code
Sign our petition to Congress
Tell your representatives they must act NOW to protect voting rights

The Supreme Court just made a major decision that impacts voting rights for every American. In striking down Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act — but leaving Section 5 untouched — there is no longer a mechanism in place to prevent states with a history of voter disenfranchisement from enacting such laws.

While this is a setback, it is by no means the end of the game. The Supreme Court’s decision gives Congress complete authority to ensure no person is denied the right to vote.

Communities of color, and young, women, elderly, and disabled voters are at risk. Tell Congress to take immediate action to protect the voting rights for millions of Americans. Sign our petition today.
www.NAACP.org

~~ thanks

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Meet Mark Pryor


running against tom cotton … a Republican

 

I know no candidate is perfect, but if they are running to represent you as a Public Servant there are certain mandatory things they should all live up to … and one of them being that oath they take, yet is seemingly being tossed aside by Republicans

 

more information and a link to Contribute to the campaign !!!

The GOP’s plan to take control of the Senate runs straight through Arkansas. They need to pick up six seats this fall, and they’ve set their sights on my colleague, Mark Pryor.

The thing is, the people of Arkansas like Mark Pryor, and with good reason. He stood with farmers when his opponent decided to play politics with the farm bill. He voted in favor of the health care reforms that have helped hundreds of thousands of people find affordable health insurance.

But that’s not going to stop the RNC and special interest groups from dumping millions of dollars into the Arkansas Senate race. Karl Rove’s group, Crossroads GPS, just announced Arkansas would be one of the targets in a $10 million plus ad blitz.

Mark needs our help. His campaign is trying to raise $60,000 by the end of May to fight back. Can you chip in $5 to help him stay strong?