Mandela Would Be Proud: McKinney Returns to Gaza

This time Green Party presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney successfully got through the illegal blockade and delivered medicine and other goods to the residents of Gaza!!! Crow if you will but she is certainly one determined African-American woman on a mission of peace. In honor of one criminal, rabble-rouser and terrorist per labeling by the US government, Nelson Mandela set forth a tradition of resistance. He actually practiced what he preached and spend nearly one third of his entire life behind bars. Somehow I just don't see many of the black male infotainment hustlers and pontificators being willing to give up their manicures and creature comforts to do hard labor. 

I'm not sure what I would've done after I'd be kidnapped by a foreign government while trying to aid a separate one, jailed, left to twist in the wind by my gov't and suddenly released. I don't think I would've turned right back around a mere week later to attempt the very thing that got me kidnapped and charged to begin with. I admire her fortitude. 

Whatever your political viewpoints are regarding this there are two indisputable facts: Hamas is the legally elected gov't and there's $4B in gas reserves off the coast of Gaza. Think about that for a minute. Or two.....

The San Francisco Bayview has her article in its entirety. I am including an excerpt here:

Gaza is beautiful. Gaza is full of life, despite Israel’s Operation Cast Lead. And now I have seen, Gaza has been bombed to smithereens. No wonder the Israelis didn’t want photos taken!

I think I’ve mastered my video camera enough to share some images with you. I’ll post them on these sites when I return: 

http://www.livestream.com/dignity 

http://dignity.ning.com/ 

http://www.twitter.com/dignityaction 

http://www.myspace.com/dignityaction 

http://www.myspace.com/runcynthiarun  

http://www.twitter.com/cynthiamckinney 

http://www.facebook.com/CynthiaMcKinney

So Much For Freedom: Last Time I Checked Cynthia McKinney Was Still Kidnapped

So while some of us are out celebrating and chillaxing with friends/loved ones, we have an African-American female politician being held against her will since Tuesday by a foreign government. It's our 51st State and ally Israel. If we're going to talk about the "unfairness" and "evil" of North Korea and Iran let's talk about ALL the countries that engage in "questionable" actions, not just the ones we want to demonize. Our government spends billions annually in actual cash and military weaponry which is given to Israel with practically no conditions. 

This current administration has a Chief of Staff who has dual citizenship with the US and Israel. Somehow I don't think people would be so lenient about that if it was any other nation and would ask for accountability regarding loyalties.  It's a reasonable question to ask as well. It's just something to think about while more citizens find themselves out on the streets as the economy continues to slide down the hill of death. 

Green Party Presidential Candidate Cynthia McKinney, along with 20 other peace activists were forcibly removed from their boat by the Israeli navy when they tried to bring medicine and other aid to the Gaza region. The last time McKinney had a run in with the Israelis in December they were still in International waters when their boat was intentionally rammed to render it inoperable. I called her "crazy" then with the utmost of respect for the risks she takes and I'm shaking my head even as I type this. If she was a man or white she'd probably be getting a lot more press. Even if it was bad press it would still be talked about. The intentional non-reporting of this by the pwned corporate media has never been so obvious!

State Department and White House officials have not effected our release or taken a strong public stance to condemn the illegal actions of the Israeli Navy of enforcing a blockade of humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians of Gaza, a blockade that has been condemned by President Obama," she said in a statement. 

Just in case some will dismiss this as some half-cocked scheme continue reading:

“President Obama just told Israel to let in humanitarian and reconstruction supplies, and that’s exactly what we tried to do. We’re asking the international community to demand our release so we can resume our journey.” SF Bayview

The funny thing about words is that are worthless without actions that validate them. You can tell yourself that you think you're fabulous but have glaring unresolved emotional issues. You can say you love somebody but if you don't honor or respect them it's pretty meaningless. Condemning a blockade when you've given a country a massive allowance is like police officers who pretend to arrest drug dealers, take their cut and send them on their way. It's a wink and a nod with no real consequences. 

What I find telling is a) the public silence from the Obama administration b) the lack of media coverage c) the message d) the so-called progressives who are just as much sheeple as they think everyone else is.

Aside from the political ramifications this is also a personal example many black women should consider. When you are risking life and limb for other people have some boundaries in place or an escape route because if (when) you end up in peril NOBODY WILL HELP YOU! Better yet, stop doing it.

The Israeli government has killed other American peace activists, white female activists, so how much less do you think they value the life of a black woman when we are not always valued in our own country? I commend her efforts and perhaps she feels this is her calling in life, but we have to start weighing the cost value for the things we do for others. 

If you do feel compelled to take some keyboard activism check out the Free Gaza website.

You can also contact the following: 

Israeli Ministry of Justice: phone +972 2646 6666 or +972 2646 6340, fax +972 2646 6357

Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs: phone +972 2530 3111, fax +972 2530 3367

Mark Regev in the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office: +972 5 0620 3264 or +972 2670 5354, email mark.regev@it.pmo.gov.il

Godspeed.

Update: McKinney has been released but the ongoing fight for justice continues. The other troubling aspect was the intentional blockade by the cable and local news programs at reporting this. Last December it made CNN at least. The Atlanta Journal Constitution and other local non-white oriented press covered the story. Citizen journalism is a vital means of getting information out as we see how the news we need to know about isn't and won't be reported.

Let the Sliming Begin

NO ONE DESERVES TO BE SHOT IN THE BACK.

I say this from personal experience.

Boy, that didn't take long. As the amateur but harrowing video of the shooting of Oscar Grant gets played worldwide, the push back by the police begins. Apparently there's no peace for the dead as his arrest record has been released. I already predicted this. The outrage at the behavior of the police is what counts, not the imperfections of the victim. Looking at the video you can clearly see Police Officer Johannes Mehserle fire his weapon and the reaction of those surrounding Mr. Grant. You can hear the crowd that was detained at the station recoil in horror. Again, this is not about Mr. Grant this is about seeking justice. Already there's speculation (and a way of earning jury pool sympathy) the officer may have reached for his taser but pulled his gun instead. Whatever! That indicates serious incompetence! Nice try though. At the very least the officer should be fired. I see a definite payout. Tourism is one of San Francisco's biggest cash cows and this is NOT a good look.

HE HAD A KEY MADE ONLY TO FIND THEY'D CHANGED THE LOCKS!

Roland Burris showed up for the party but his name wasn't on the guest list. Harry Reid and 'em don't have a leg to stand on for trying to block Senator Burris. Blago appointed him and as long as he remains Governor it's his right to do so. Reid will either follow the rule of law OR deal with a primary challenger and likely Presidential smack-down shortly. If Reid wants to start applying an extra set of rules then the Democrats are in even more of a mess than usual. I'm certain the LOCKSMITH has already been called! 

This was the ONE opportunity for this party to not only emerge victorious in an election year but to get it together once and for all. The Republicans are still trying to figure out where its nose is. This of course proves it's not about political party but about the idiots and crooks who are running things. We the people have got to be active in this process. VOTE THEM OUT! 

DOES FEINSTEIN REALLY WANT SOMETHING TO CARP ABOUT?

What is she, the Queen of England? News has surfaced that Obama wants Leon Panetta to head the biggest spook agency in the world. Just remember it might not be his only choice. Panetta has no intelligence experience whatsoever - but is on record for opposing torture. Remember Obama didn't have any experience either. I have no idea if Panetta is the best choice but we're getting Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State when (if) confirmed. Whether we like it or not. So Feinstein is supposedly not pleased about this selection.

Could it be this might affect the business dealings of her husband, Richard Blum who is heavily invested in the Military Industrial Complex? She is yet another Old Guard Democratic party member who rubber-stamped everything Bush wanted and is one of those "liberal in name only" politicians. The profits and unfettered power is very enticing I'm certain. I'd welcome some SERIOUS public scrutiny into all of her associations and how qualified she is for her new position as Committee Chair of Intelligence.  

GAZA DEATH TOLL ISN'T GIVING ISRAELIS PAUSE.

There's nothing like a little bad press to make you dig in your heels! I remember when it was the PLO. Today it's HAMAS. Tomorrow will this be over? There's an expression: the hate that hate breeds.  

Shrub is ending his days picking his nose somewhere in a corner - and preparing pardons! Blair House wasn't booked either.

Israel told Obama F-U before he even got to swear in. Once he's President he promises to have plenty to say. I'm more concerned about what he's going to DO because I'm one of those rabble-rousers who expect my government to be effective and address my concerns.

Meanwhile Black men are killing each other off and terrorizing women and children unfettered. Guns, drugs and apathy do NOT MIX! Where's the protest and outrage for THAT?! It can't just be reserved for when cops use excessive force and kill civilians. 

Playing Chess In the Dark: Ending Our Dependence On Oil

Gaza Funeral

"I will set a clear goal as president: in ten years we will finally end our dependence on oil in the Middle East."

If the President-Elect can make serious in-roads in that campaign promise we will have "peace" in the Middle East. We can redirect the $9B+ in aid and untold Billions in weaponry focused on Israel and put it back into our infrastructure. We can bring our troops home. The military should not be populated by criminals who are trained to kill just to avoid a draft. We can slow global warming. We can sing with the Happy Feet penguins. The Neo-cons, religious zealots, jihadists whatever you want to call them from ALL SIDES will have to soften their overly aggressive (but necessary to them) actions against each other. People will have to sit at the table and work something out. It won't be a total hand-holding venture but the stinger will have been removed from the scorpion. Innocent people may breathe a little easier and the casualty pile-up will decrease. 

I watched Charlie Wilson's War last week and though I took it with a grain of salt, the ending of the movie was totally on target. After the bombings stopped and 'victory' was declared, Rep. Wilson went to his fellow war hawks and asked for money to rebuild a school. His reasoning was that the Afghan children had nowhere to go and weren't going to care about who did what and why. They were just going to see the devastation and know it came from certain people and would grow up wanting to avenge their loss. He was ignored. 

Blowback is a bitch. The cycle of violence and blame has to end.

photo courtesy of the CBC

Cynthia McKinney's Latest Crazy Antics!

I say crazy with the upmost respect because she risked her life trying to deliver medical supplies to Gaza earlier today. The boat she was on was surrounded by Israeli warships, fired at and rammed numerous times to render it inoperable. Now I'll argue the gov't has the right to take an appropriate military stance, but the boat was in international waters and did not initiate or return any aggression. Doesn't that make what they did illegal?

When citizens are in need and foreign policy makers want to posture on the issues, it is the weak and unaccounted for that are left vulnerable. Most people will not leave the comfort of their bed so whether some agree with her actions or not I applaud anyone's sincere efforts at relieving someone's pain. Bush is on vacay until he officially gets the boot and Obama is quick to point out that he's not the President yet so who's going to step up in the interim? 

The boat sailed from Cyprus (the land of the spectacularly yummy Holoumi cheese) but never made it to Gaza. They had to disembark in Lebanon where they may try again. Her parents gave a brief telephone interview that has appeared in the Washington Times:

 

"She told me that they were in international waters in the Mediterranean and that an Israeli warship started chasing them and rammed them three times," Mr. McKinney said in a telephone interview from his home.

"I was very worried yesterday, but I feel better today" because he spoke with his daughter, he said. "She said she's safe. She only wanted me to know, and her mother to know, that she was safe. I feel a whole lot better now. "If I know my daughter, she's going to complete that mission," he replied. "She's a very determined woman."

I'm certain McKinney is considered more of a pest to those whose interests lie opposite hers. Otherwise she'd have suffered a fate similar to the guy who's plane crashed last week when he was preparing to testify against the Bush administration. 

Update with CNN Interview: