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Silver Spring, Maryland, January 24, 2014. The Montgomery County Civil Rights Coalition hosted an hour long rally and brief march in downtown Silver Spring to protest ongoing police violence without accountability, most egregiously against people of color. This action was in solidarity with hundreds of similar events nationwide celebrating the true legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King. I counted around fifty participants during the hour I was on the street. Interactions between the heavily armed, bullet-proof vested Montgomery County Police and the demonstrators were generally respectful and peaceful.
© Ben Heine || Facebook || Twitter || www.benheine.com
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For more information about my art: info@benheine.com
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Obama Gives Biofuels a Presidential Jumpstart
By "Environment News Service", www.ens-newswire.com
To spur biofuels research and commercialization, President Barack Obama signed last Tuesday a Presidential Directive establishing a Biofuels Interagency Working Group. He announced his administration's notice of a proposed rulemaking on a national Renewable Fuels Standard and announced $786.5 million in additional Recovery Act funds for renewable fuel projects.
"We must invest in a clean energy economy that will lead to new jobs, new businesses and reduce our dependence on foreign oil," said President Obama. "The steps I am announcing today help bring us closer to that goal. If we are to be a leader in the 21st century global economy, then we must lead the world in clean energy technology. Through American ingenuity and determination, we can and will succeed."
The Biofuels Interagency Working Group will be co-chaired by the secretaries of agriculture and energy and the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and will operate in cooperation with the National Science and Technology Council's Biomass Research and Development Board.
The Working Group is tasked with developing the nation's first comprehensive biofuel market development program. It will use existing authorities and identify new policies to support the development of next-generation biofuels, increase flexible fuel vehicle use, and assist in retail marketing efforts.
The Working Group will coordinate infrastructure policies that affect the supply, secure transport, and distribution of biofuels.
And the Working Group will identify new policy options to promote the environmental sustainability of biofuels feedstock production, taking into consideration land use, habitat conservation, crop management practices, water efficiency and water quality, as well as lifecycle assessments of greenhouse gas emissions.
In his directive, the President called on Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to immediately begin restructuring existing investments in renewable fuels as needed to preserve industry employment; and develop a comprehensive approach to accelerating the investment in and production of American biofuels and reducing the nation's dependence on fossil fuels.
Secretary Vilsack told reporters on a conference call this morning that the President's directive creates an "exciting opportunity for USDA."
"USDA must stimulate investment, persuade existing biorefineries to convert away from petroleum fuel to biofuels, and it's an opportunity for communities to convert as well," Vilsack said.
"The directive reflects Obama's commitment to rural America, he said. "It will create clean jobs, provide additional income opportunities for farmers and ranchers, energy security for every single American."
"Our responsibility is crafted, directed and shaped not just by this Presidential memo," said Vilsack, "but also by the energy title of the Farm Bill. Resources are available to farmers to audit their operations on the farm. Steps can be taken to convert to biofuels and away from fossil fuels. Once the audits are finished they can apply to USDA for additional resources to convert their operations to renewable energy. We are a financing mechanism for these changes. First doing the audit, then encouraging farms to move away from dependence on fossil fuel will impact footprint of agriculture generally."
To create advanced biofuels like green gasoline, diesel, and jet fuels, the Department of Energy will oversee the $786.5 million commercial biorefinery effort. The biomass program will leverage DOE's national laboratories, universities, and the private sector to help improve biofuels reliability and overcome technical challenges.
The $786.5 million in Recovery Act funding is a mix of new funding opportunities and additional funding for existing projects. More than half the money, $480 million, will fund integrated pilot-scale and demonstration-scale biorefineries, and an additional $176.5 million will fund commercial-scale biorefinery projects.
Fundamental research in key program areas will get $110 million and $20 million will be spent for ethanol research.
"Developing the next generation of biofuels is key to our effort to end our dependence on foriegn oil and address the climate crisis - while creating millions of new jobs that can't be outsourced," said Secretary of Energy Steven Chu. "With American investment and ingenuity, and resources grown right here at home, we can lead the way toward a new green energy economy."
Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Lab have been working on developing biofuels made from nonedible plants like prairie grasses, wood chips and harvested corn and wheat leftovers. They are close to achieving a U.S. Department of Energy goal - producing by 2012 cellulosic ethanol cheap enough to compete with conventional gasoline.
The President also announced the EPA's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the nation's first Renewable Fuel Standard. This proposal outlines the EPA's strategy for increasing the supply of renewable fuels to reach 36 billion gallons by 2022, as required by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.
Four categories of renewable fuels will be established: cellulosic biofuels; biomass-based diesel; advanced biofuels; and total renewable fuel.
In 2022, the proposal would require 36 billion gallons annually of renewable fuels, of which 16 billion gallons must be cellulosic biofuels; and 1 billion gallons must be of biomass-based diesel. At most 15 billion gallons of the renewable fuel mandate can be met with conventional biofuels, including corn-based ethanol.
Increasing renewable fuels will reduce dependence on foreign oil by more than 297 million barrels a year and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 160 million tons a year when fully phased in by 2022, the administration estimates.
For the first time, some renewable fuels must achieve greenhouse gas emission reductions compared to the gasoline and diesel fuels they displace. Refiners must meet the requirements to receive credit toward meeting the new standards.
EPA also will conduct peer reviews on the lifecycle-analysis methodology and the results for various fuels and feed-source combinations. Lifecycle refers to the greenhouse gas emissions over the life of the fuels.
"As we work towards energy independence, using more homegrown biofuels reduces our vulnerability to oil price spikes that everyone feels at the pump," said EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. "Energy independence also puts billions of dollars back into our economy, creates green jobs, and protects the planet from climate change in the bargain."
Nathanael Greene, director of Renewable Energy Policy at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said, "The opportunity to review EPA's proposal will help ensure that developing biofuels won't mean using our most fragile forests for fuel and that biofuels provide real benefits. We plan to submit comments on what EPA has gotten right and what must be improved to make sure the outcome serves our environmental and energy needs."
"We must develop biofuels the smart way, and we are encouraged that EPA Administrator Jackson has offered a science-based proposal to get this done," said Greene. "If we get the rules of the road right through policies such as this one, we can harness the ingenuity of America's farmers, foresters, and entrepreneurs to create a new generation of biofuels that will help create jobs and reduce our dependence on oil."
Bob Dinneen, president and chief executive of the Renewable Fuels Association, said, "President Obama is making clear once and for all that biofuels are critical to the nation's economic, environmental and energy strength. Investments in biofuels, like ethanol, are creating green jobs here at home, reducing America's foreign oil dependence, and helping to meet our environmental goals."
"America's ethanol industry faces an unprecedented set of opportunities as well as challenges," Dinneen said. "Revolutionary new technologies that turn once thought of waste materials into renewable fuel are very close at hand. These technologies will create the kind of economic and green job opportunities, as well as provide cleaner solutions to petroleum use, that President Obama desires."
"Yet, uncertainty remains for many of these technologies as unproven science and questionable logic are being used to penalize existing biofuel producers for carbon emissions occurring halfway around the globe for reasons that may have little, or nothing, to do with U.S. biofuel production," he said.
The ethanol industry is concerned that EPA has attempted to calculate indirect emissions that occur as a result of indirect land use changes from rainforest to biofuels crops, for instance, in the United States as well as internationally.
"The controversial notion of indirect land use changes impacts, including those happening outside the United States, are thought to greatly reduce ethanol's greenhouse gas benefit," said Dinneen.
"We welcome an open and robust science-based discussion of the indirect impacts of all fuels," said Dinneen. "The science of market-mediated, secondary impacts is very young and needs more reliance on verifiable data, and less reliance on unproven assumptions. Done correctly, such an analysis will demonstrate a significant carbon benefit is achieved through the use of ethanol from all sources."
We' ve heard that word "hope" a lot lately. The Oxford English defintion
of hope is "a feeling of expectation and desire for something good to
happen" ...the objective is still in the future but deemed to be attainable.
Hope that is truly hopeful is determined by that in which hope has been
placed. President Obama's administration is already showing itself to be
one of integrity and respect and transparency, hope for a better future is
not misplaced. For the children of Villa Esperanza, the name itself, Village
of Hope, could be seen as perverse irony given the conditions they are
living in. But for them real hope lies in education and the persistence to
pursue it. Empowerment International's mandate is to offer each child
that opportunity and do everything in their power to help them attain it.
image : a fave pic of rosa and her younger brother, Juan, outside their home.
explore 247
images in the "child of hope" series taken for Empowerment International, Nicaragua
Washington DC, The US Capitol, around 6:30pm October 16, 2013. We were blessed with an exceptionally beautiful autumn sky this evening on the 16th day of the US Government shutdown. This is also the date when the failure to increase the debt ceiling starts to kick in a default on our national debt obligations. The Senate is in session at this moment voting to approve a resolution to end both the shutdown and the "deadbeats r us USA" debt embarrassment. Will the House follow? Most Americans are fed up with the ongoing right wing extremist attack on what's left of our fragile democracy. Could this be the end of the Tea Party influence in our politics? Will they get the drubbing they deserve in the upcoming elections? Let's hope so, but what we really need are many more tough progressives like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, and no more 'lesser of the two evils' war-mongering corporatist Democrats like Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton etc.
Many attribute extremist Republican obstructionism to their deep ideological convictions against "big government" and deficit spending but that's baloney. They've shown no inclination ever to rein in the bloated sectors of the state that make them and their supporters rich. Relentless advocacy for budget-busting military spending on endless wars, the grotesque expansion of the state surveillance apparatus, cheerleading for radical global extractivism, the war on women's reproductive rights, scorn for the rights of anybody but the rich, the slaughter and mass incarceration of minorities for petty offenses, the militarization of our civilian police, voter suppression and other forms of election rigging, lavish corporate welfare handouts, brazen dismissal of science that conflicts with their business interests (e.g. climate change denial...) and the perverse promotion of boundless personal greed as an expression of religious belief do constitute an ideology but it is not Republicanism, it is not Conservatism and it's not anything like what my grassroots Constitution-loving Tea Party friends used to say that they believed in. This ideology has been variously shamed as American Facism, crony capitalism, plutocracy, oligarchy, kleptocracy, inverted totalitarianism and even neo-feudalism. Call it what you will but it is profoundly anti-democratic and out of step with the values and interests of most Americans.
The Congressional 'tea bagger' stooges who waged this latest attack on their fellow citizens were bought, paid for and sent here to run interference by our wealthy ruling elites who profit from the endless wars they promote, don't want to pay their fair share of taxes nor have their business activities regulated in any way, no matter how rapacious, cruel, lawbreaking and immoral (meaning that they violate the fundamental tenents of all religions including the ones they 'like' and the ones they don't know or care about...). Follow the money; that's the story.
Postscript. The Senate voted 81 to 18 to raise the debt limit and reopen the Federal government. The legislation was then taken up by the House where shortly after 10PM it passed by a vote of 285 to 144. In the early hours of Thursday, October 17 President Obama signed the bill. Furloughed workers will start returning to work today and Federal facilities will reopen. The shutdown cost our economy tens of billions of dollars, disrupted the lives of hundreds of thousands of workers and deprived many citizens of vital services. Will we repeat this sad scenario in just three months?
Washington DC, Wednesday evening August 10, 2014. Around fifty social justice activists associated with Code Pink and other peace groups rallied in front of the White House to protest the recent US bombing of Iraq, the upcoming US bombing of Syria and the bombing of God only knows where else. President Obama is speaking to the world tonight from the State Floor of the White House essentially declaring, as his predecessors have done, the continuation of an endless state of worldwide war without Congressional approval. In recent polling between 63 and 70 some percent of Americans approved of US bombing in Iraq and Syria. Thirteen years of bombing wasn't enough? What did that accomplish? Why do so many of us believe in such a destructive idea? The prelude to every tragic, murderous American foreign policy misadventure is always presented by the corporate media, parroting the propaganda rationalizations of the state (and the war machine contractors who profit from it...), promoting a climate of terror among the misinformed public about the latest hobgoblin (e.g. ISIS). As you can see from this photograph, there are usually some bold malcontents who protest the call for more state violence but they will have to come up with better arguments than the raised middle finger to combat the curses of war and barbaric militarism promoted by ISIS, the Western-affiliated corporatist governments and other extremist groups.
Postscript. I don't know if this dude's beef has anything to do with any of the issues raised by peace groups demonstrating in front of the White House on this night. I can't determine from a cursory reading of Mr. Chance Addison's website if he is involved in the peace movement. I do thank him for letting me photograph him. Chance, please return to the loving (?) arms of your family and friends in Spokane. It would be my pleasure to buy you a pizza and a tank of gas on your way out of this wicked town.
© Ben Heine || Facebook || Twitter || www.benheine.com
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For more information about my art: info@benheine.com
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Obama Popular Despite Challenges
By David Zussman (*)
The United States is a great sporting nation and, as a result, Americans like keeping score and handicapping most public events. The performance of their presidents is no exception and, since the early days of the Roosevelt presidency, the media have marked the first 100 days by providing a report card based on their performance.
It is generally acknowledged that no other U.S. president has arrived in office with higher expectations than Barack Obama, and more difficult problems. It is, therefore, not surprising that he has been subjected to a steeper learning curve than his predecessors.
By the time Obama was sworn in on Jan. 20, the U.S. financial system was in freefall, the credit markets were becoming unglued, house prices were tumbling, and a half-dozen foreign hotspots required presidential attention. It is difficult to imagine how it could have been more challenging.
Since the 100-day mark is an artificial marker, the White House staff was reluctant to join in on the rating game but their efforts proved futile.
Once they realized that it was going to be impossible to blunt the media's interest in rating the administration's performance, some senior staff tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to lower the public's expectations regarding Obama's early accomplishments by assigning themselves a B-plus. And finally, the White House embraced the 100-day anniversary, with the president appearing at last month's 100-day town hall celebration in St. Louis.
At this point, given all of the challenges and difficulties encountered by Obama, he remains a very popular political leader. In fact, according to the Pew Foundation, his personal popularity is higher than the ratings for his individual programs.
However, there is a very wide gap in the perceptions of Democrats and Republicans, suggesting that he might be one of the most polarizing presidents when compared with his predecessors. This may foreshadow future political tensions in the United States.
While not popular with Republicans, Obama appears to have precipitated a dramatic shift in attitude in favour of a greater role for government in the United States and may be giving a new name to the notion of activism.
Most observers attribute the positive rankings to Obama's personal style. He offers calm leadership that is heavily dependent on teamwork.
It is generally acknowledged that his eclectic team of advisers has two characteristics. First, they represent a wide range of ideological beliefs that appears to have broad appeal, and they seek a consensus among key decision makers before they act. In addition, he prefers to signal his intentions and his overall policy direction, but is reluctant to dictate how the policy will be implemented. At this point, he is perfectly willing to allow Congress to sort out how his policies will be implemented.
Ironically, some observers have noted that his approach to governing is the one used by Ronald Reagan more than a generation ago.
Former Clinton labour secretary, Robert Reich, may have captured best Obama's "cool" approach to governing when he described the president as being "the serene centre of the cyclone -- exuding calm when most Americans are petrified."
While management style is obviously an important factor, America has also changed its attitudes since George W. Bush was first elected in 2000. The American population is aging and appears more predisposed to accept an increased role for government.
Given the obvious failure of the Bush administration to buffer Americans from the impact of unfettered markets, it is not surprising that Obama has been very effective in changing the conversation with Americans and bringing in a new paradigm about governing that includes a broader role for government.
The swine flu epidemic that is sweeping across the world is a good example of how events can upset the best plans of newly elected governments. The American political system replaces its senior managers after each change of administration but this time it has been severely handicapped during this crisis period.
More significant, the epidemic has also exposed the weaknesses of the American transition process that requires it to replace the top 7,000 public servants.
The complex vetting procedures in addition to the generally cumbersome appointment process has created a backlog of appointments that is undermining the government's ability to respond to its various challenges.
For example, at this point, the Obama administration has still to fill around 15 senior executive health jobs, with a similar number of vacancies at the Treasury department.
One observer noted that "we're setting up a system where the only people who qualify to work in government are the ones who never actually left government."
Trapped between retaining the former Bush-appointed administrators or following a lengthy search process to find suitable replacements, the government remains leaderless in too many important departments.
While the first 100 days are not a very good predictor of what's to come, it's clear that the public is currently content with Obama's performance.
He has introduced a new vocabulary and style to governing and he evidently understands Prof. Drew Westen's observation that citizens want to hear values-based and emotionally compelling narratives from their political leaders.
As in Canada, Americans want to be reassured that their leadership can feel their pain and is working in their interests.
(*) David Zussman holds the Jarislowsky Chair in Public Sector Management in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa.
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--> This article appeared on www.windsorstar.com
© Ben Heine || Facebook || Twitter || www.benheine.com
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This is a total digital painting... several hours of work. There could
have been more textures in the skin and details in the hair to make
it look even more realistic, but I just love this "wax" feeling... :)
_______________________________________________
For more information about my art: info@benheine.com
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In a corporatized nation only the politically powerful & very rich do not get their pockets picked. One cannot look upon our youth & not bemoan what awaits them, debt peonage in return for pursuing an education, thereafter servitude with little prospect of getting deserved rewards, no influence over anything meaningful when voting, decades of day to day body & mind ruining anxiety over such things as being housed, having health care, feeding the children they may soon have, ceaseless bombardment of news designed not to inform or enlighten but to frighten them into alienated conformity with & subordination to invisible masters.
The truthful American journalist now most effectively expressing the overwhelmingly dismal consequences of modern casino capitalism is Chris Hedges. This morning - September 26, 2012 - I read his latest essay, which can be found along with the rest of his great work at Truthdig.com. Hedges reminds us, first, that, in the presidential campaign we're now suffering, the two major candidates, Obama & Romney, are spending two & one-half billion dollars to manipulate us with lies.
EXCERPT: We will be assaulted this January when automatic spending reductions, referred to as “the fiscal cliff,” begin to dismantle and defund some of our most important government programs. Mitt Romney will not stop it. Barack Obama will not stop it.
And while Romney has been, courtesy of the magazine Mother Jones, exposed as a shallow hypocrite, Obama is in a class by himself. There is hardly a campaign promise from 2008 that Obama has not broken. This list includes his pledges to support the public option in health care, close Guantanamo, raise the minimum wage, regulate Wall Street, support labor unions in their struggles with employers, reform the Patriot Act, negotiate an equitable peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians, curb our imperial expansion in the Middle East, stop torture, protect reproductive rights, carry out a comprehensive immigration reform, cut the deficit by half, create 5 million new energy jobs and halt home foreclosures. Obama, campaigning in South Carolina in 2007, said that as president he would fight for the right of collective bargaining. “I’d put on a comfortable pair of shoes myself, I’ll … walk on that picket line with you as president of the United States of America,” he said. But when he got his chance to put on those “comfortable pair of shoes” during labor disputes in Madison, Wis., and Chicago he turned his back on working men and women.
Obama, while promising to defend Social Security, also says he stands behind the planned cuts outlined by his deficit commission, headed by Morgan Stanley board member Erskine Bowles and former Sen. Alan Simpson, a Wyoming Republican. The Bowles-Simpson plan calls for cutting 0.3 percentage points from the annual cost-of-living adjustment in the Social Security program. The annual reduction would slowly accumulate. After a decade it would mean a 3 percent cut. After two decades it would mean a 6 percent cut. The retirement age would be raised to 69. And those on Social Security who continued to work and made more than $40,000 a year would be penalized with further reductions. Obama’s payroll tax cuts have, at the same time, served to undermine the solvency of Social Security, making it an easier target for the finance corporations that seek to destroy the program and privatize the funds.
But that is just the start....
• Please continue to full text ⤵⤵⤵
How Do You Take Your Poison?
Pub'l. Sept. 24, 2012 @ Truthdig.com
By Chris Hedges
www.truthdig.com/report/item/how_do_you_take_your_poison_...
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Saturday, February 8, 2014, Shaw Univesity, Raleigh North Carolina. Under cold grey skies a broad, diverse coalition of around 35,000* social justice activists mobilized by the Moral Monday Movement rallied in downtown Raleigh. After gathering at Shaw University and marching to the front of the North Carolina State Capitol they were addressed by a number of speakers including the fiery Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II. A range of related Issues raised by the demonstrators and speakers included voting suppression and civil rights, racism, the impoverishment and corporate hijacking of the education system, poverty and the minimum wage, labor rights, LGBT rights, reproductive rights, immigration reform, access to healthcare for all and environmental justice. This watershed day in the evolution of the US civil rights movement was largely ignored by the corporate media. Thumbs up to the Raleigh Police Department for their civilized and respectful presence at the event. There were no arrests. The Raleigh officers wore dignified uniforms with cloth hats, not the ostentatious and threatening gear we're used to seeing on the overarmed militarized police in our hometown of Washington DC.
*My crowd estimates are usually very conservative; other commentators claim 80,000-100,000.
Cuba today is an island existing in the shadow of great change. Despite the fact that the Castro dictatorship is still fully in control & economic survival is the daily grind of the majority of cuban nationals, there is hope for the future with Obama's reversal of some of Bush's travel restrictions yesterday. The new policy will allow all cuban-americans unlimited travel to the island to visit family. The previous policy allowed visits only once every 3 years & with severe restrictions. Also allowed now will be unlimited transfer of money & gifts to family members & american companies may now export cellphones, computers, all electronic equipment & internet server services. A first step in lifting the 45 year old embargo. Eventually travel restrictions will be lifted for all americans. Many in President Obama's administration have spoken out against it, including Secretary of State Hilary Clinton who has called Obama naive if he thinks it's workable. The communist regime owns the tourist industry & all workers in the industry are assigned by the state, based on their allegiance to the communist party and must turn over a huge percentage of their wages & all tips to the party. The fear is that all the new policy will do is fill the coffers of the Castro regime more deeply. The Obama hope is to divert from the hostile relationship with the Castro brothers & focus on empowering the people both economically & through access to information & therefore making them less reliant on the government. No doubt there was celebration in the streets of Havana last night. Is it workable? Remains to be seen. Cuba may indeed be poised to come from the shadows into the light. Or... all hell may break loose!
image : elderly man caught in the afternoon shadows on calle industria, habana centro
Changed my buddy icon. It's been 2 years. Thought I should at least take my hat off :) Taken in Havana, in Feb by Andy..
Washington DC, Lafayette Park in front of the White House, August 2, 2014. Tens of thousands peacefully gathered here today for a rally and march in support of the people of Gaza who are under occupation and siege by Israeli armed forces. Over 1,600 overwhelmingly civilian Palestinian Gazans including over 300 childen have lost their lives in this most recent Israeli invasion. There was virtually no US corporate media coverage of this important and unexpectedly large event.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Results is a progressive, year-long, multimedia storytelling effort showcasing the Administration’s work on behalf of those living, working and raising families in rural America. Each month, USDA will release a new chapter of the story at medium.com/usda-results. We encourage you to check out January’s chapter, Celebrating America’s Farmers and Ranchers: Supporting the Producers Who Ensure a Safe, Affordable, Nutritious American Food Supply, and follow along throughout 2016.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Results is a progressive, year-long, multimedia storytelling effort showcasing the Administration’s work on behalf of those living, working and raising families in rural America. Each month, USDA will release a new chapter of the story at medium.com/usda-results. We encourage you to check out January’s chapter, Celebrating America’s Farmers and Ranchers: Supporting the Producers Who Ensure a Safe, Affordable, Nutritious American Food Supply, and follow along throughout 2016.
Saturday, February 8, 2014, Shaw Univesity, Raleigh North Carolina. Under cold grey skies a broad, diverse coalition of around 35,000* social justice activists mobilized by the Moral Monday Movement rallied in downtown Raleigh. After gathering at Shaw University and marching to the front of the North Carolina State Capitol they were addressed by a number of speakers including the fiery Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II. A range of related Issues raised by the demonstrators and speakers included voting suppression and civil rights, racism, the impoverishment and corporate hijacking of the education system, poverty and the minimum wage, labor rights, LGBT rights, reproductive rights, immigration reform, access to healthcare for all and environmental justice. This watershed day in the evolution of the US civil rights movement was largely ignored by the corporate media. Thumbs up to the Raleigh Police Department for their civilized and respectful presence at the event. There were no arrests. The Raleigh officers wore dignified uniforms with cloth hats, not the ostentatious and threatening gear we're used to seeing on the overarmed militarized police in our hometown of Washington DC.
*My crowd estimates are usually very conservative; other commentators claim 80,000-100,000.
This panel will looked at different approaches for incorporating innovation across the Obama Administration, including encouraging innovation across an entire discipline with the Department of Education’s Race to the Top; supporting impact investing through the Small Business Administration’s new Impact Investment Fund; using social investment as a diplomatic strategy; and developing policy frameworks supportive of these broad-ranging endeavors. Members of the Administration from the Department of Education, Small Business Administration, USAID, and others will discuss their work and their approaches to innovation and engage in Q&A with audience members.
Moderator:
Greg Nelson, Deputy Director, White House Office of Public Engagement
Greg works with the business, non-profit, advocacy, and technology communities to engage with the Administration on critical energy, climate, and technology issues. Before joining the Obama-Biden Administration, Greg was the CEO and co-founder of Green Harvest Technologies (GHT), an applications and marketing company that developed a line of "clean and green" consumer products using bio-based plastics and fibers. Prior to GHT, Greg was the General Manager of the Politics and Public Policy division for a non-profit software and strategy provider and a partner and Managing Director of CTSG, a 75-person technology and consulting firm. Greg has also been a speechwriter, has worked at the U.S. Peace Corps, and has been a speaker on technology, business, and sustainability at national conferences and retreats. Greg received his B.A. in Political Science and History from Yale University.
Panelists:
Ellen Kim: Senior Advisor, Office of Investment and Innovation, Small Business Administration
Ellen Kim is a Senior Advisor in the Office of Investment and Innovation at the Small Business Administration working on various interagency initiatives for high-growth, high-impact small businesses. Prior to her work at the SBA, Ellen was in investment banking at Citigroup in the Municipal Securities Division and has worked in management consulting as well as striking out on her own as an independent consultant to various start-ups and small businesses, mostly assisting with finance and operations. Ellen holds a B.S. in Economics from MIT and an MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, where she received certificates for Global Management and Public Management.
Erin Mote: Chief of Party, Global Broadband and Innovations Alliance, USAID
Dr. Erin Mote has close to a decade of experience forging alliances with private corporations, NGOs, and governments to drive the development of corporate strategies that provide a double bottom line of profit and social good. She has worked with more than fifty Fortune 500 companies, including Diageo, Chevron, UPS, and Wal-Mart. In her current capacity as Chief of Party for the USAID Global Broadband and Innovators Alliance, she is charged with driving connectivity, mobile solutions, and innovation throughout USAID's global development portfoliio. Prior to this role, Erin served in senior positions with CHF international and the Coulter Companies after starting her career in her native Arizona as the Director of External and Strategic Relations for Arizona State University. She holds a PhD in International Relations from Johns Hopkins SAIS, two masters--one in Russian and Eastern European Studies and the other in Public Administration--and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Michigan. She serves in advisory and leadership capacities for several civic organizations, including the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, the Clinton Foundation, the Junior League of Washington, and NetImpact.
Mark Newberg: Senior Advisor, Office of Policy and Strategic Planning, Small Business Administration
Mark Newberg is a Senior Advisor in the Office of Policy and Strategic Planning at the US Small Business Administration, where his primary areas of focus include impact investing, innovation, inter-agency initiatives, and disaster recovery. Mark previously served as an Advisor to the New Orleans City Council following Hurricane Katrina, where he was tasked with "big-picture policy," green/clean development, intergovernmental relations, and multi-sector partnerships. He has been a columnist for the Huffington Post and www.takepart.com and has advised the occasional start-up company as well. Mark holds a BA in Political Science from Tulane University and a JD from Tulane Law School and was a Visiting Student at Harvard Law School.
My painting of Barack Obama is at the firestation gallery as part of a group exhibition. Until Saturday.
Washington DC, Lafayette Park in front of the White House, August 2, 2014. Tens of thousands peacefully gathered here today for a rally and march in support of the people of Gaza who are under occupation and siege by Israeli armed forces. Over 1,600 overwhelmingly civilian Palestinian Gazans including over 300 childen have lost their lives in this most recent Israeli invasion. There was virtually no US corporate media coverage of this important and unexpectedly large DC protest action.
Saturday, February 8, 2014, Shaw Univesity, Raleigh North Carolina. Under cold grey skies a broad, diverse coalition of around 35,000* social justice activists mobilized by the Moral Monday Movement rallied in downtown Raleigh. After gathering at Shaw University and marching to the front of the North Carolina State Capitol they were addressed by a number of speakers including the fiery Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II. A range of related Issues raised by the demonstrators and speakers included voting suppression and civil rights, racism, the impoverishment and corporate hijacking of the education system, poverty and the minimum wage, labor rights, LGBT rights, reproductive rights, immigration reform, access to healthcare for all and environmental justice. This watershed day in the evolution of the US civil rights movement was largely ignored by the corporate media. Thumbs up to the Raleigh Police Department for their civilized and respectful presence at the event. There were no arrests. The Raleigh officers wore dignified uniforms with cloth hats, not the ostentatious and threatening gear we're used to seeing on the overarmed militarized police in our hometown of Washington DC.
*My crowd estimates are usually very conservative; other commentators claim 80,000-100,000.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Results is a progressive, year-long, multimedia storytelling effort showcasing the Administration’s work on behalf of those living, working and raising families in rural America. Each month, USDA will release a new chapter of the story at medium.com/usda-results. We encourage you to check out January’s chapter, Celebrating America’s Farmers and Ranchers: Supporting the Producers Who Ensure a Safe, Affordable, Nutritious American Food Supply, and follow along throughout 2016.
Washington DC, April 24, 2015. Around 500 Armenian-Americans and supporters demonstrated noisily across the street from the Embassy Of Turkey in commemoration of the centennial of the Armenian genocide by the Ottoman Turkish Empire. Over one million people worldwide participated in other commemoration events on this day. On April 24, 1915 in Constantinople, Turkey over 200 notable Armenian intellectuals were arrested and killed by the Ottomans. The Ottoman state murder spree continued until 1922, eventually claiming the lives of over 1.2 million Armenians, almost a million Greeks and hundreds of thousands of Assyrians. Reputable historians have always regarded these horrific events as the first modern genocide and a direct inspiration for Hitler's Nazi death camps of the '30s and '40s. Official recognition of the Armenian genocide is still denied by the modern Turkish state, The United States Of America, The United Kingdom Of Securities Swindlers and, most amazingly, by the State Of Israel although public opinion in those countries is becoming increasingly at odds with the official denial of historical facts. France, Canada, Germany and other nations officially recognize the genocide.
Washington DC, April 24, 2015. Around 500 Armenian-Americans and supporters demonstrated noisily across the street from the Embassy Of Turkey in commemoration of the centennial of the Armenian genocide by the Ottoman Turkish Empire. Over one million people worldwide participated in other commemoration events on this day. On April 24, 1915 in Constantinople, Turkey over 200 notable Armenian intellectuals were arrested and killed by the Ottomans. The Ottoman state murder spree continued until 1922, eventually claiming the lives of over 1.2 million Armenians, almost a million Greeks and hundreds of thousands of Assyrians. Reputable historians have always regarded these horrific events as the first modern genocide and a direct inspiration for Hitler's Nazi death camps of the '30s and '40s. Official recognition of the Armenian genocide is still denied by the modern Turkish state, The United States Of America, The United Kingdom Of Securities Swindlers and, most amazingly, by the State Of Israel although public opinion in those countries is becoming increasingly at odds with the official denial of historical facts. France, Canada, Germany and other nations officially recognize the genocide.
There was a heavy police presence at this event. There were two attempts by Turkish counter-demonstrators to attack the Armenian line but both were thwarted by the police, resulting in one arrest.
Washington DC, April 24, 2015. Around 500 Armenian-Americans and supporters demonstrated noisily across the street from the Embassy Of Turkey in commemoration of the centennial of the Armenian genocide by the Ottoman Turkish Empire. Over one million people worldwide participated in other commemoration events on this day. On April 24, 1915 in Constantinople, Turkey over 200 notable Armenian intellectuals were arrested and killed by the Ottomans. The Ottoman state murder spree continued until 1922, eventually claiming the lives of over 1.2 million Armenians, almost a million Greeks and hundreds of thousands of Assyrians. Reputable historians have always regarded these horrific events as the first modern genocide and a direct inspiration for Hitler's Nazi death camps of the '30s and '40s. Official recognition of the Armenian genocide is still denied by the modern Turkish state, The United States Of America, The United Kingdom Of Securities Swindlers and, most amazingly, by the State Of Israel although public opinion in those countries is becoming increasingly at odds with the official denial of historical facts. France, Canada, Germany and other nations officially recognize the genocide.
Washington DC, The National Mall, July 13, 2014. Over 2,000 climate justice activists assemble for a rally and march to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in opposition to the expansion of a natural gas transfer and storage facility at Cove Point on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. The looming 4+ billion dollar expansion of the Dominion Resources facility in Calvert County is largely seen by environmentalists as a dirty and dangerous enabler of the accelerated overseas export of fracked gas from nearby states and a prelude to the approval of hydraulic fracturing in western Maryland. Several speakers at the rally skewered Maryland's cowardly centrist democrat politicians who see Cove Point as a 'done deal' and have almost completely avoided taking any meaningful action for their constituents on this vital issue. Opacity, obfuscation, ass covering and capitulation to some of the very worst corporate bullies is what we've come to expect from our spineless elected officials. The marchers braved 93 degree temperatures and typically heavy DC summertime humidity. When I finally left the march at Union Station even the strap on my camera bag was soaked with sweat. That's Tim DeChristopher on the left, Reverend Lennox Yearwood second from the left, Mike Tidwell of Chesapeake Climate Action Network fourth from the left, author Sandra Steingraber on the far right.
Washington DC, Lafayette Park in front of the White House, August 2, 2014. Tens of thousands peacefully gathered here today for a rally and march in support of the people of Gaza who are under occupation and siege by Israeli armed forces. Over 1,600 overwhelmingly civilian Palestinian Gazans including over 300 childen have lost their lives in this most recent Israeli invasion. There was virtually no US corporate media coverage of this important and unexpectedly large event.
This panel will looked at different approaches for incorporating innovation across the Obama Administration, including encouraging innovation across an entire discipline with the Department of Education’s Race to the Top; supporting impact investing through the Small Business Administration’s new Impact Investment Fund; using social investment as a diplomatic strategy; and developing policy frameworks supportive of these broad-ranging endeavors. Members of the Administration from the Department of Education, Small Business Administration, USAID, and others will discuss their work and their approaches to innovation and engage in Q&A with audience members.
Moderator:
Greg Nelson, Deputy Director, White House Office of Public Engagement
Greg works with the business, non-profit, advocacy, and technology communities to engage with the Administration on critical energy, climate, and technology issues. Before joining the Obama-Biden Administration, Greg was the CEO and co-founder of Green Harvest Technologies (GHT), an applications and marketing company that developed a line of "clean and green" consumer products using bio-based plastics and fibers. Prior to GHT, Greg was the General Manager of the Politics and Public Policy division for a non-profit software and strategy provider and a partner and Managing Director of CTSG, a 75-person technology and consulting firm. Greg has also been a speechwriter, has worked at the U.S. Peace Corps, and has been a speaker on technology, business, and sustainability at national conferences and retreats. Greg received his B.A. in Political Science and History from Yale University.
Panelists:
Ellen Kim: Senior Advisor, Office of Investment and Innovation, Small Business Administration
Ellen Kim is a Senior Advisor in the Office of Investment and Innovation at the Small Business Administration working on various interagency initiatives for high-growth, high-impact small businesses. Prior to her work at the SBA, Ellen was in investment banking at Citigroup in the Municipal Securities Division and has worked in management consulting as well as striking out on her own as an independent consultant to various start-ups and small businesses, mostly assisting with finance and operations. Ellen holds a B.S. in Economics from MIT and an MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, where she received certificates for Global Management and Public Management.
Erin Mote: Chief of Party, Global Broadband and Innovations Alliance, USAID
Dr. Erin Mote has close to a decade of experience forging alliances with private corporations, NGOs, and governments to drive the development of corporate strategies that provide a double bottom line of profit and social good. She has worked with more than fifty Fortune 500 companies, including Diageo, Chevron, UPS, and Wal-Mart. In her current capacity as Chief of Party for the USAID Global Broadband and Innovators Alliance, she is charged with driving connectivity, mobile solutions, and innovation throughout USAID's global development portfoliio. Prior to this role, Erin served in senior positions with CHF international and the Coulter Companies after starting her career in her native Arizona as the Director of External and Strategic Relations for Arizona State University. She holds a PhD in International Relations from Johns Hopkins SAIS, two masters--one in Russian and Eastern European Studies and the other in Public Administration--and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Michigan. She serves in advisory and leadership capacities for several civic organizations, including the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, the Clinton Foundation, the Junior League of Washington, and NetImpact.
Mark Newberg: Senior Advisor, Office of Policy and Strategic Planning, Small Business Administration
Mark Newberg is a Senior Advisor in the Office of Policy and Strategic Planning at the US Small Business Administration, where his primary areas of focus include impact investing, innovation, inter-agency initiatives, and disaster recovery. Mark previously served as an Advisor to the New Orleans City Council following Hurricane Katrina, where he was tasked with "big-picture policy," green/clean development, intergovernmental relations, and multi-sector partnerships. He has been a columnist for the Huffington Post and www.takepart.com and has advised the occasional start-up company as well. Mark holds a BA in Political Science from Tulane University and a JD from Tulane Law School and was a Visiting Student at Harvard Law School.
Washington DC, Lafayette Park in front of the White House, August 2, 2014. Tens of thousands peacefully gathered here today for a rally and march in support of the people of Gaza who are under occupation and siege by Israeli armed forces. Over 1,600 overwhelmingly civilian Palestinian Gazans including over 300 childen have lost their lives in this most recent Israeli invasion. There was virtually no US corporate media coverage of this important and unexpectedly large event.
Washington DC, April 24, 2015. Around 500 Armenian-Americans and supporters demonstrated noisily across the street from the Embassy Of Turkey in commemoration of the centennial of the Armenian genocide by the Ottoman Turkish Empire. Over one million people worldwide participated in other commemoration events on this day. On April 24, 1915 in Constantinople, Turkey over 200 notable Armenian intellectuals were arrested and killed by the Ottomans. The Ottoman state murder spree continued until 1922, eventually claiming the lives of over 1.2 million Armenians, almost a million Greeks and hundreds of thousands of Assyrians. Reputable historians have always regarded these horrific events as the first modern genocide and a direct inspiration for Hitler's Nazi death camps of the '30s and '40s. Official recognition of the Armenian genocide is still denied by the modern Turkish state, The United States Of America, The United Kingdom Of Securities Swindlers and, most amazingly, by the State Of Israel although public opinion in those countries is becoming increasingly at odds with the official denial of historical facts. France, Canada, Germany and other nations officially recognize the genocide.
Washington DC, U Street, Saturday Evening September 6, 2014. A diverse group of around 200 activists affiliated with The Answer Coalition, American Muslim Alliance, National Black United Front, Party For Socialism And Liberation and other social justice groups gathered at the African American Civil War Memorial for a short march to the intersection of 14th and U St. This historic crossroads was occupied by the demonstrators for around five minutes in honor of cop-murdered unarmed black teen Mike Brown and the countless millions of other folks who've been abused by our culture of violence. The march then proceeded further west on U St. until an intense thunderstorm persuaded most of the participants to seek shelter.
Washington DC, in front of he White House, Sunday March 2, 2014. An unexpectedly large gathering of around 2,500 climate justice activists marched from Georgetown to the front of the White House to oppose US government approval of further extension of the Keystone XL pipeline and to protest the Obama administration's ongoing capitulation to the climate wrecking fossil fuel industry. Nearly 400 of the mostly college age activists locked their hands to the White House fence with plastic cable ties. They were later arrested for this act of peaceful civil disobedience. Has our formerly somewhat democratic system of government devolved into a totalitarian police state? Refusing to leave any area marked off with flimsy yellow tape that Obama and his cops deem 'off limits' to First Amendment protected protest is a Federal crime.
Silver Spring, Maryland, January 24, 2014. The Montgomery County Civil Rights Coalition hosted an hour long rally and brief march in downtown Silver Spring to protest ongoing police violence without accountability, most egregiously against people of color. This action was in solidarity with hundreds of similar events nationwide celebrating the true legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King. I counted around fifty participants during the hour I was on the street. Interactions between the heavily armed, bullet-proof vested Montgomery County Police and the demonstrators were generally respectful and peaceful.
Saturday, February 8, 2014, Shaw Univesity, Raleigh North Carolina. Under cold grey skies a broad, diverse coalition of around 35,000* social justice activists mobilized by the Moral Monday Movement rallied in downtown Raleigh. After gathering at Shaw University and marching to the front of the North Carolina State Capitol they were addressed by a number of speakers including the fiery Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II. A range of related Issues raised by the demonstrators and speakers included voting suppression and civil rights, racism, the impoverishment and corporate hijacking of the education system, poverty and the minimum wage, labor rights, LGBT rights, reproductive rights, immigration reform, access to healthcare for all and environmental justice. This watershed day in the evolution of the US civil rights movement was largely ignored by the corporate media. Thumbs up to the Raleigh Police Department for their civilized and respectful presence at the event. There were no arrests. The Raleigh officers wore dignified uniforms with cloth hats, not the ostentatious and threatening gear we're used to seeing on the overarmed militarized police in our hometown of Washington DC.
*My crowd estimates are usually very conservative; other commentators claim 80,000-100,000.
Washington DC, Lafayette Park in front of the White House, August 2, 2014. Tens of thousands peacefully gathered here today for a rally and march in support of the people of Gaza who are under occupation and siege by Israeli armed forces. Over 1,600 overwhelmingly civilian Palestinian Gazans including over 300 childen have lost their lives in this most recent Israeli invasion. There was virtually no US corporate media coverage of this important and unexpectedly large event.
Saturday, February 8, 2014, Shaw Univesity, Raleigh North Carolina. Under cold grey skies a broad, diverse coalition of around 35,000* social justice activists mobilized by the Moral Monday Movement rallied in downtown Raleigh. After gathering at Shaw University and marching to the front of the North Carolina State Capitol they were addressed by a number of speakers including the fiery Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II. A range of related Issues raised by the demonstrators and speakers included voting suppression and civil rights, racism, the impoverishment and corporate hijacking of the education system, poverty and the minimum wage, labor rights, LGBT rights, reproductive rights, immigration reform, access to healthcare for all and environmental justice. This watershed day in the evolution of the US civil rights movement was largely ignored by the corporate media. Thumbs up to the Raleigh Police Department for their civilized and respectful presence at the event. There were no arrests. The Raleigh officers wore dignified uniforms with cloth hats, not the ostentatious and threatening gear we're used to seeing on the overarmed militarized police in our hometown of Washington DC.
*My crowd estimates are usually very conservative; other commentators claim 80,000-100,000.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 25, 2016. March 4 Our Lives protest. Around 5,000 activists aligned with various social justice, peace and environmental groups marched from City Hall to the Wells Fargo Center to protest the long ongoing hijacking of the Democratic Party by corporatist/militarist elements loyal to the Clinton family. Thousands of emails released by Wikileaks just days before exposed collusion between the corporate media and the DNC to sabotage the insurgent and nearly successful Sander's "political revolution". On Sunday, July 24 In the wake of this scandal DNC chairwomen Debbie Wasserman-Shultz announced her resignation. After being booed off stage at a meeting of her Florida delegation on Monday morning she also cancelled all of her other speaking events at the convention.
Interactions between the marchers and the Philadelphia Police were generally respectful and peaceful*. According to later reports on the ground around 50 demonstrators were arrested when they staged a peaceful civil disobedience sit-in in front of the Wells Fargo Center.
*TeleSur reporter Abby Martin was roughed-up and cuffed by cops for accidentally entering a 'no go' zone where credentials she did not have were required. Martin claims she complied with all police orders but was arrested anyway.
Washington DC, The White House, the evening of July 30, 2014. Around three hundred activists associated with Code Pink, The Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee and other peace groups participated in a candlelight vigil to honor the over 1,300 Palestinians who've lost their lives in the most recent Israeli invasion of Gaza. A succession of speakers read the names and ages of the overwhelmingly civilian dead, including those of more than 300 children.
Washington DC, Tuesday evening November 25, 2014. Around twenty five hundred social justice activists gathered at Mount Vernon Square for a rally and march to protest the failure of the St. Louis County, Missouri Grand Jury to indict Officer Darren Wilson for the killing of unarmed black teenager Mike Brown. The marchers blocked several intersections for brief periods of time and occupied the H Street Walmart Superstore for about fifteen minutes. The nearly two hour long march ended on the steps of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Interactions between the marchers and police were testy at times but there were no arrests I am aware of.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Results is a progressive, year-long, multimedia storytelling effort showcasing the Administration’s work on behalf of those living, working and raising families in rural America. Each month, USDA will release a new chapter of the story at medium.com/usda-results. We encourage you to check out January’s chapter, Celebrating America’s Farmers and Ranchers: Supporting the Producers Who Ensure a Safe, Affordable, Nutritious American Food Supply, and follow along throughout 2016.
Saturday, February 8, 2014, Shaw Univesity, Raleigh North Carolina. Under cold grey skies a broad, diverse coalition of around 35,000* social justice activists mobilized by the Moral Monday Movement rallied in downtown Raleigh. After gathering at Shaw University and marching to the front of the North Carolina State Capitol they were addressed by a number of speakers including the fiery Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II. A range of related Issues raised by the demonstrators and speakers included voting suppression and civil rights, racism, the impoverishment and corporate hijacking of the education system, poverty and the minimum wage, labor rights, LGBT rights, reproductive rights, immigration reform, access to healthcare for all and environmental justice. This watershed day in the evolution of the US civil rights movement was largely ignored by the corporate media. Thumbs up to the Raleigh Police Department for their civilized and respectful presence at the event. There were no arrests. The Raleigh officers wore dignified uniforms with cloth hats, not the ostentatious and threatening gear we're used to seeing on the overarmed militarized police in our hometown of Washington DC.
*My crowd estimates are usually very conservative; other commentators claim 80,000-100,000.
Silver Spring, Maryland, January 24, 2014. The Montgomery County Civil Rights Coalition hosted an hour long rally and brief march in downtown Silver Spring to protest ongoing police violence without accountability, most egregiously against people of color. This action was in solidarity with hundreds of similar events nationwide celebrating the true legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King. I counted around fifty participants during the hour I was on the street. Interactions between the heavily armed, bullet-proof vested Montgomery County Police and the demonstrators were generally respectful and peaceful.
Silver Spring, Maryland, January 24, 2014. The Montgomery County Civil Rights Coalition hosted an hour long rally and brief march in downtown Silver Spring to protest ongoing police violence without accountability, most egregiously against people of color. This action was in solidarity with hundreds of similar events nationwide celebrating the true legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King. I counted around fifty participants during the hour I was on the street. Interactions between the heavily armed, bullet-proof vested Montgomery County Police and the demonstrators were generally respectful and peaceful.
Saturday, February 8, 2014, Shaw Univesity, Raleigh North Carolina. Under cold grey skies a broad, diverse coalition of around 35,000* social justice activists mobilized by the Moral Monday Movement rallied in downtown Raleigh. After gathering at Shaw University and marching to the front of the North Carolina State Capitol they were addressed by a number of speakers including the fiery Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II. A range of related Issues raised by the demonstrators and speakers included voting suppression and civil rights, racism, the impoverishment and corporate hijacking of the education system, poverty and the minimum wage, labor rights, LGBT rights, reproductive rights, immigration reform, access to healthcare for all and environmental justice. This watershed day in the evolution of the US civil rights movement was largely ignored by the corporate media. Thumbs up to the Raleigh Police Department for their civilized and respectful presence at the event. There were no arrests. The Raleigh officers wore dignified uniforms with cloth hats, not the ostentatious and threatening gear we're used to seeing on the overarmed militarized police in our hometown of Washington DC.
*My crowd estimates are usually very conservative; other commentators claim 80,000-100,000.
Washington Blvd., Arbutus, Maryland. October 29, 2013. Labor and faith community social justice activists unite on the public sidewalk just outside the Walmart Super Center for the Turn Your Back On Walmart: Stand Shoulder To Shoulder With Arbutus Walmart Workers action. Over 1400 similar Black Friday actions were taking place near Walmart stores across the USA.
Walmart is the biggest retailer in the history of the world. Walmart is the biggest private employer in the USA. Walmart claims that they 'save' millions of American families hundreds of dollars a year on their grocery bills. Walmart sells giant glass jars stuffed with atomic green pickles for almost nothin' just to show the competition and their own suppliers who's the big boss hog. Walmart lets drifters, beachcombers, senior citizen loafers and "country" musicians who've "gone to the wine" park their RVs overnight for FREE in their gigantic stinking black asphalt lots. So, you ungrateful protest slobs, what's not to love about Walmart?
Issues raised by the activists included demands for better pay and working conditions for Walmart workers as well as the right to organize without retaliation. The average Walmart worker makes less than nine bucks an hour; the just deposed company CEO Mike Duke made more than $9,000 an hour. Walmart is diligent about informing their employees how to apply for taxpayer financed public assistance to supplement the shameful, miserly wages they offer. Somebody has to pay for those "really low prices". McDonald's is similarly helpful to their own workforce.
Due to a very recent Maryland court decision demonstrators were banned from staging their protest on Walmart property. Interactions between the activists and the absurdly numerous police were respectful and peaceful. I counted seven activists total including myself and another sympathetic photographer.
Saturday, February 8, 2014, Shaw Univesity, Raleigh North Carolina. Under cold grey skies a broad, diverse coalition of around 35,000* social justice activists mobilized by the Moral Monday Movement rallied in downtown Raleigh. After gathering at Shaw University and marching to the front of the North Carolina State Capitol they were addressed by a number of speakers including the fiery Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II. A range of related Issues raised by the demonstrators and speakers included voting suppression and civil rights, racism, the impoverishment and corporate hijacking of the education system, poverty and the minimum wage, labor rights, LGBT rights, reproductive rights, immigration reform, access to healthcare for all and environmental justice. This watershed day in the evolution of the US civil rights movement was largely ignored by the corporate media. Thumbs up to the Raleigh Police Department for their civilized and respectful presence at the event. There were no arrests. The Raleigh officers wore dignified uniforms with cloth hats, not the ostentatious and threatening gear we're used to seeing on the overarmed militarized police in our hometown of Washington DC.
*My crowd estimates are usually very conservative; other commentators claim 80,000-100,000.
Saturday, February 8, 2014, Shaw Univesity, Raleigh North Carolina. Under cold grey skies a broad, diverse coalition of around 35,000* social justice activists mobilized by the Moral Monday Movement rallied in downtown Raleigh. After gathering at Shaw University and marching to the front of the North Carolina State Capitol they were addressed by a number of speakers including the fiery Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II. A range of related Issues raised by the demonstrators and speakers included voting suppression and civil rights, racism, the impoverishment and corporate hijacking of the education system, poverty and the minimum wage, labor rights, LGBT rights, reproductive rights, immigration reform, access to healthcare for all and environmental justice. This watershed day in the evolution of the US civil rights movement was largely ignored by the corporate media. Thumbs up to the Raleigh Police Department for their civilized and respectful presence at the event. There were no arrests. The Raleigh officers wore dignified uniforms with cloth hats, not the ostentatious and threatening gear we're used to seeing on the overarmed militarized police in our hometown of Washington DC.
*My crowd estimates are usually very conservative; other commentators claim 80,000-100,000.
Washington DC, Lafayette Park across from the White House, Saturday July 27, 2013. Climate justice activists rally to oppose approval of the further extension of the Keystone XL pipeline and to protest the Obama administration's ongoing capitulation to the fossil fuel industry.
Washington DC, May 24, 2014. Social justice activists staged a spirited rally In Lafayette Park across from the White House and then marched through the streets to Monsanto's Washington offices just off K Street. My crowd estimate is around 150, double the size of the 2013 event. Police presence was light in numbers but surly, especially towards the end of the event. There were no arrests. Over a million protesters participated in the 2014 March Against Monsanto at more than 400 events worldwide.
Washington DC, The U.S. Capitol West Lawn, the evening of March 3, 2015. For a third day social justice activists affiliated with Code Pink, Jewish Voice For Justice, AVAAZ, US Campaign To End The Israeli Occupation, Boycott From Within, Answer Coaltion, Just Foreign Policy and other peace and faith groups demonstrate to protest the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) yearly DC meeting and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech earlier in the day to a joint session of the US Congress. Fifty some members of Congress refused to attend what they saw as an event planned to disrespect President Obama and derail sensitive US negotiations with Iran over nuclear proliferation.
Washington DC, The White House, the evening of July 14, 2014. Code Pink, The Washington Peace Center, Arab Anti-Discrimination League and US Campaign To End The Israeli Occcupation sponsored a rally to protest the bombing and siege of Gaza, the lawless and pointless spying on Muslim citizens by our out of control government and the continuing barbaric incarceration without charge or trial of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay Cuba despite our President's broken promises to end it. Muslim groups had been invited by President Obama to the White House to break their fast at an Iftar meal to celebrate Ramadan but some are boycotting this event.
Washington DC, on the Pennsylvania Avenue sidewalk near Lafayette Park facing the White House, Sunday March 2, 2014. An unexpectedly large gathering of around 2,500 climate justice activists marched from Georgetown to the front of the White House specifically to oppose USA government approval of further extension of the Keystone XL pipeline and, more generally, to protest the Obama administration's ongoing capitulation to the climate wrecking fossil fuel industry. Nearly 400 of the mostly college age activists locked their hands to the White House fence with plastic cable ties. They were later arrested for this act of peaceful civil disobedience. Has our formerly somewhat democratic system of government devolved into a police state? Refusing to leave any area marked off with flimsy yellow tape that Obama and his cops deem 'off limits' to First Amendment protected protest is a Federal crime. The demonstrators committed to civil disobedience and arrest were clearly warned three times by police command to leave the 'no protesting here today' yellow tape zone they were occupying in front of the White House fence. Then, one by one, they were cuffed, booked and hustled into paddy wagons. Postscript. 372 arrested activists were transported to police facilities in Anacostia DC where they paid a $50 citation for "blocking passage" and were released.
Washington DC, May 24, 2014. Social justice activists staged a spirited rally In Lafayette Park across from the White House and then marched through the streets to Monsanto's Washington offices just off K Street. My crowd estimate is around 150, double the size of the 2013 event. Police presence was light in numbers but surly, especially towards the end of the event. There were no arrests. Worldwide over a million protesters participated in the 2014 March Against Monsanto at more than 400 events.