Tag Archives: United States

“Give Us the Ballot, We Will Transform the South”

giveustheballot

by Martin Luther King, Jr.
Speech given before the Lincoln Memorial at the March on Washington, May 17, 1957

Three years ago the Supreme Court of this nation rendered in simple, eloquent and unequivocal language a decision which will long be stenciled on the mental sheets of succeeding generations. For all men of good will, this May 17 decision came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of segregation. It came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of distinguished people throughout the world who had dared only to dream of freedom. It came as a legal and sociological deathblow to the old Plessy doctrine of “separate-but-equal.” It came as a reaffirmation of the good old American doctrine of freedom and equality for all people.

Unfortunately, this noble and sublime decision has not gone without opposition. This opposition has often risen to ominous proportions. Many states have risen up in open defiance. The legislative halls of the South ring loud with such words as “interposition” and “nullification.” Methods of defiance range from crippling economic reprisals to the tragic reign of violence and terror. All of these forces have conjoined to make for massive resistance.

But, even more, all types of conniving methods are still being used to prevent Negroes from becoming registered voters. The denial of this sacred right is a tragic betrayal of the highest mandates of our democratic traditions and its is democracy turned upside down.

So long as I do not firmly and irrevocably possess the right to vote I do not possess myself. I cannot make up my mind — it is made up for me. I cannot live as a democratic citizen, observing the laws I have helped to enact — I can only submit to the edict of others.

So our most urgent request to the president of the United States and every member of Congress is to give us the right to vote. Give us the ballot and we will no longer have to worry the federal government about our basic rights. Give us the ballot and we will no longer plead to the federal government for passage of an anti-lynching law; we will by the power of our vote write the law on the statute books of the southern states and bring an end to the dastardly acts of the hooded perpetrators of violence. Give us the ballot and we will transform the salient misdeeds of blood-thirsty mobs into calculated good deeds of orderly citizens. Give us the ballot and we will fill our legislative halls with men of good will, and send to the sacred halls of Congressmen who will not sign a Southern Manifesto, because of their devotion to the manifesto of justice. Give us the ballot and we will place judges on the benches of the South who will “do justly and love mercy,” and we will place at the head of the southern states governors who have felt not only the tang of the human, but the glow of the divine. Give us the ballot and we will quietly and nonviolently, without rancor or bitterness, implement the Supreme Court’s decision of May 17, 1954.

<!–Read about recent allegations of voter disenfranchisement in Florida
and other states across the country in these articles.

–>

Learn more about Martin Luther King, Jr. and read more of his speeches and writings at The Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project at Stanford University.

Resources: pbs.org

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Justice For Some … things to remember in this 21st Century, a repost from 2015

05/31/2024 Nativegrl77

By CAP Action War Room

The Cleveland Police Department Reaches a Settlement with the Department of Justice

Memorial Day weekend has hosted several important developments in the world of criminal justice. Today, the Cleveland Police department—which has come under fire in recent months in the nationwide debate over police tactics—agreed to follow some of the strictest standards in the nation over its officers’ use of force. Cleveland agreed to the terms as part of a settlement reached with the Department of Justice over what justice officials called a “pattern of unconstitutional policing and excessive use of force.”

According to the Justice Department’s report, the Cleveland police department used stun guns inappropriately, punched and kicked unarmed people, shot at people who did not pose a threat, and failed to report or investigate most of these incidents. As a part of the settlement, Cleveland agreed to some of the most rigorous policing standards in the nation. These include:

Prohibiting officers from unholstering a firearm “unless the circumstances create a reasonable belief that lethal force may become necessary,” and documenting every time that occurs.
Banning pistol whipping, the firing of warning shots, and the use of neck holds (that pistol whipping had to be explicitly barred says enough).
Creating a community police commission, made up of ten representatives from around the community.
Allowing an independent monitor to track its progress.

The settlement comes just two days after a white Cleveland officer who fired at least 49 shots at two unarmed African Americans was acquitted of manslaughter by an Ohio judge. Officer Brelo’s acquittal—as the latest in a series of troubling racially charged incidents across the US in places like Baltimore, Staten Island, and Ferguson, MO—prompted protests that remained largely peaceful but still resulted in the arrest of 71 people.

Some bad news also came out of the criminal justice sphere this weekend. On Friday, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan vetoed three important criminal justice reform bills. In addition to vetoing a bill to limit civil asset forfeiture, and a bill to remove the penalty for marijuana paraphernalia, Hogan also vetoed a felon re-enfranchisement bill that would have restored voting rights to 60,000 ex-felons. Restoring access to the ballot for ex-felons is a priority in the criminal justice reform community and Hogan’s veto will serve as an important test to see whether reform advocates will show that choices like Hogan’s can have political repercussions.

BOTTOM LINE: Agreements like the one made between Cleveland and the Department of Justice have the potential to create meaningful change to a flawed system. But as Gov. Hogan’s vetoes remind us, there is much more work to be done to convince some elected officials to do their part.

~ my 2cents ...

Clothes : Can they be ethical … a repost

04/30/2024 Nativegrl77 2 Comments

just another rant …

Secondhand or flea market shopping has been in the news occasionally for years and as folks join the movement to keep material out of landfills or reduce their eco-footprint; some push, buy made in the US of A only; while others believe reusing is best. The problem that needs to be addressed over and over is: how toxic are the materials used to create fashion?

The idea of wearing toxic fashions let alone recycling it is a disturbing thought given what we now know and at the end of the day, it always seems to go back to making that dollar-dollar

There are a few who do 2ndhand because of financial issues, some wear it for personal reasons and even more, are on that path toward sustainable living, but as a whole 2^nd hand, up-cycling, or living Eco-friendly seems to be great names but are they ethically stylish? I guess that would have to mean, intentionally buying, wearing, and devoting your dollar dollars to sustainably made only. The fact is, it is a lot tougher than folks think. Have you looked at your clothing labels?

The dictionary states that being ethical means acting in an ethical manner from an ethical point of view. Being “ethically stylish” is almost a mission impossible. Before you say she needs more education; don’t get me wrong because I definitely get being “ethically stylish,” and “acting with intent” but when store buyers, the fashion industry, and whatnot go out of their way to use cheap labor or toxic material, being ethical demands that the fashion industry cooperates as well, lest we talk about where the industry gets their material, and sadly the manufacturing industry isn’t as vital in the USA as it used to be.

Unfortunately, this is an ongoing fight, and here we are in the year 2025. I wonder, have other people bought and overpaid for a dress or two over the years; tried buying American-made only as well but found more often than not; truth be told, you’re buying because of the “cute factor” first, then price while looking at the tags later finding that it was not made in the US of A or out of sustainable material, which definitely offends the “ethically stylish, “code. Sometime in the ’90s, word got out that the likelihood of fashion corporations outsourcing work because it was more cost-effective, the material was cheap, and maybe not so sustainable was reported as meaning, you’re getting more for the money; remember when big-name models, entertainment folks, and designers were caught using sweatshops. So, Big-name companies like Levi’s, which I thought were only made here in the US as a kid, are apparently imported as well and the 501s, which were my favorite as a kid, often have insane prices, though more sustainable.

Back in the day, hearing the fashion industry, in all its forms, say they are selling or being more ethically stylish was frustrating. There were always reports of companies and brands that sell USA-made only but could also be among others in the industry possibly using toxic materials. This news made a few brands take a giant leap toward 100% Organic, Natural, or Sustainable. They then took several giant steps backward to rehash and or rethink who when why when, and with what, came the outrageous prices leaving a huge group of consumers out! America needs to buy and sell locally, but again, it seems like a mission impossible as they say. Made in America is not only more expensive, but the labels are far fewer these days and the material is often blended with stuff we cannot pronounce. The history of the fashion industry and American Made is definitely a love-hate thing as designers and stars back in the day were wearing fabulous clothes rarely found on the racks, only to find out they were actually getting their clothes made by sweatshops, in some well-known and unknown countries … probably not very sustainable.

They say, no to fast fashion but need a dress quick for a show… done. Thing is, the questions still remain the same, made by whom, how much do the seamstresses get to make it, and how much did the consumer pay?

Yes, “Made in the USA” faded out to a blank whiteboard and the NYC garment district was but a memory for quite a while. There were some great “Where and what are they doing now” shows with older “go to” fashion designers, and clothiers stating the fabric just is not the same nor are the people. The opportunity to make more clothes with cheap labor & material seemed to have become addictive, and the image of what was going on in those countries was not good. Fashion will always be a work in progress, but learning that unfair labor practices and or that companies are producing great-looking garments, but possibly using toxic material since or before is sad considering all that has happened to the industry over the years. Thus, making it tough to be ethical, let alone wear fashion that is ethically stylish or sustainable.

I still buy clothes, using the cute fit fab factor while believing in reuse, upcycling, recycled material, reclaiming, repurposing, and reducing movement, which keeps most material out of landfills, but it takes work. In this 21st Century, it now means not only checking the labels but checking after you buy because baby, trying to count the number of times an online buy was NOT cotton is embarrassing and most go to charity stores

First posted, November 2012

Black History, ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

#Stop&Frisk – Black History

02/28/2024 Nativegrl77

by uslegal.com

Stop and frisk is when police “temporarily” detain somebody and pat down their outer clothing when there are specific articulate facts leading a reasonable police officer to believe a person is armed and dangerous. It is not necessary for the officer to articulate or identify a specific crime they think is being committed, only that a set of factual circumstances exist that would lead a reasonable officer to have a reasonable suspicion that criminal activity is occurring. “Reasonable suspicion” is one step below “probable cause” and one step above a hunch.

A “frisk” by definition is a type of search that requires a “lawful stop”. It is best thought of as a separate act, but in practice, a suspect who refuses to answer questions in a stop may be providing the officer with sufficient justification to frisk. A frisk should not be for anything other than a dangerous weapon or contraband. However, if other evidence, like a suspected drug container, is felt, it can be seized by the officer under the “plain feel” doctrine. The test for “plain feel” is that the item’s contraband nature be “immediately apparent”.

Resource: uslegal.com

One of several problems with stop & frisk, is that most if not all Police demand name, address, question people of colour when in upper income communities and or assume gang affiliation least we talk about the percentage of Black Latino Asian or Caucasian men&women being stopped on a daily basis … is it a quota, a civil rights issue, a misuse or abuse of power ~ Nativergrl77