The Friday Night Drop

This is a term used by journalists for the “after 5” or “closing time” release of some sort of news or press release on a Friday night.  Either actual fluff pieces that mean nothing but fill space over the weekend or something like the Executive Order on Immigration & Refugees of last Friday night.  That was the other kind of drop, the one that is supposed to lie there, take effect without anyone being the wiser as a change is made to policy or personnel that we, as citizens, are not supposed to notice much because we’d probably not approve.

How things have changed, and thank goodness for that!  This past Friday’s drop was not seen as much until people either arrived at airports expecting to pick up incoming passengers or arrived only to be turned around by DHS or CBP agents.  Then people took to social media and their phones.  And we all, I hope, saw what happened next.

Ordinary people rushed to airports all over the country as the time zones crossed the US and more and more incoming passengers were detained, deported or who knows what happened to them at this time.  The lists demanded of the government, by the courts, have yet to be fully produced.

Yes, the courts, our 3rd arm of government and one of the checks and balances in our system.  So, the lawyers streamed in, pro bono no less!  So did their staff, typists, translators, and even more ordinary folks. And the judges, bless them for staying late or early, depending on where.  One interesting point, ALL of the judges who found against the EO on immigration were women!  New sheroes in the lexicon of legalese.  But what is the deal with sworn officers in CBP/DHS/TSA etc. actively ignoring those orders?  Could we do that?  Ordinary people just telling a federal judge to “get off we only answer to the White House”?  I’m sure that’d go over like a lead balloon and jail would be the least of our problems.

Also interesting is the fact that, whilst the country was going a bit bananas over the totally incompetent roll-out, enforcement and disregard for the law as interpreted by the courts, DJT had dinner with his son-in-law, 2 generals and Bannon.  After dinner, or maybe during, no one knows, the order was given to go ahead with a mission that killed an 8 year old AMERICAN CITIZEN.  Yes, she was related to other Americans, also killed by our government a few years ago, but she was a citizen. We, yes ALL of us, were responsible for killing her father, because we didn’t like what he said.  You read it correctly, it was his free speech we had a problem with. He disagreed with our policies and so, he had to go. No charge, no trial, just dead.  Illegal as hell, but dead is dead, no appeal from that.  Oh, and then we killed her brother a few weeks later, “by mistake”.  He wasn’t in trouble other than by famililial bonds, but he’s dead too.  No charge, no trial, just dead.  Same problem, no appeal.  We killed her because, as “collateral damage”, she was “caught in the cross fire”.  Doesn’t matter, she’s dead.  Who cares right?  From a “terrorists family”.  Just like DJT promised us.  Her whole family is dead. Except for her grandfather, who had to identify her body. He’s the only reason we know about her or the other civilian dead.  And to make sure that no one will ever know how many civilians, especially woman and children we killed, we did something anathema to Muslims, we burned the compound down with the bodies in it.

America, now is the time to look in the mirror and ask yourself some important questions.  Is this who we are?  We get upset when the doors are slammed in people’s faces as they legally come into our country because it is against the law!  How upset are we that our government is killing American Citizens overseas?  Not even talking about green card or visa holders, simply citizens by birth or blood, like a lot of us.  Will we only be upset when a journalist who takes the White House to task is ignored?  What about if they just vanish?  What if it’s your teacher, mayor, priest or someone you know gets snatched from their home or office because of what they said, posted, wore or tweeted? And what if it’s on a Friday night and you have plans?  Where is the line?  Yeah, that line, the one you have to decide which side you’re on……sooner rather than later.

 

PS: Those Australian refugees were specifically mentioned as being exempt from the Friday last EO. So I wonder why DJT yelled at the Aussie PM? Could it be DJT’s an idiot with the attention span of a mayfly?  Or did he not know what he signed….again?

 

 

The Bad Old Days

I had a heck of a time coming up with a title for this post, and because that is usually the first thing the muses drop on me, it’s been a rough start but it came in its’ own time.  And now it’s time.

I’m lucky, I have had the protection of Roe v. Wade for my entire reproductive life as have my daughters, at least up until now.  My older sisters didn’t and my granddaughter might not, so it is for them I write this.

Growing up we lived in a fairly small house and since there were 4 girls and 1 boy, guess who got to share a room?  My poor older sisters are much older than I and had to put up with toddlers on up in “their” room.   One good thing about this was I got to listen to their whispers after the lights went out.  Some things I didn’t understand until later on in my teenage years, but I heard them as a pre-teen and they sounded a bit scary because my sisters sounded scared and they weren’t scared of much of anything. Or so I thought.

We all worked from a young age, but the money went to the household for the most part. As we grew, we were expected to also buy necessary things for ourselves out of whatever pay we earned, so spending money was a hot issue.  I often heard, in the night whispers, that Sherry, Gina, Shelly, Katie, Audrey etc. needed X amount of money to “get to Mexico” or to “solve her problem”.  I had no idea why my sisters would pay for someone else to go someplace they’d never been or to solve someone else’s problem, whatever it might be. The muted chatter about gas mileage, whose car was able to make it that far and who to trust with the “real reason” they were “going camping” or “sleeping over” or whatever ruse they were going to use sounded like planning a spy caper.  I was captivated by the incredibly sophisticated planning that went on and listened closely as I thought it was some very grown up thing I was in on…it was.

What I was in on was the planning and actions of desperate young women who’d found themselves pregnant in a time when that alone would get you expelled from high school in my Southwestern state.  The actions taken to “solve that problem” held even higher penalties if you were caught. Arrest, jail, public humiliation, sterilization (accidental or intentional) and death.  And women died.  I can bear witness to that.  Sepsis from trying it on your own, sepsis from the “doctoro”, ruptured cervix and uterus, uncontrollable bleeding along with other causes of death that no young woman should suffer.  And there was another COD that those that had no money, friends with cars, friends of any kind, that along with the system that told them how horrible and evil they were for having sex let alone getting pregnant out of wedlock pushed them towards, COD Suicide.  And now, it’s about to happen again.

Donald Trump, in his rush to sign anything put in front of him, signed what is known as the “Mexico City gag rule”.  This rule, first promulgated by Regan, makes it illegal for US taxes to go to ANY non-governmental institution here or overseas that even speaks or has literature about abortion in its’ clinic.  But this time, it’s not just those clinics that have family planning or contraception services that are bound by the rule.  It’s any clinic that does anything having to do with maternal health, HIV/AIDS, and zika.  Why? Because clinics usually do family planning/maternal health as only a part of their mission.  Imagine being in Brazil, a nominally Catholic country, when the zika virus hit.  Where were they telling women to go?  The family planning/maternal health clinics.  Same goes for HIV/AIDS testing in countries around the world. Go to the clinic, which, if you have one in your area, does everything, including abortions if not precluded by law or religion. And now, you can’t. And the defunding of Planned Parenthood in that order will make the same thing true here in the United States.  An estimated 20,000 women, maybe more will die each year if we are forced back into the bad old days.  Women die today due to the rules and regulations in this country that have made getting an abortion that is LEGAL nearly impossible.  Mandatory ultrasounds, waiting periods, permission slips or court judgements combined with lack of funds and transportation to the few clinics available kill women every year.  And that is just for the medical abortions done with pills or injections. Clinics that offer surgical abortions are scarcer and more heavily regulated than in the past.  The St. Louis Planned Parenthood Clinic does surgical abortions along with all the other health issues PP addresses for both women and men. S The whole point is to make it just next to impossible to get a safe, legal abortion.

As an example: The St. Louis Planned Parenthood Clinic does surgical abortions along with all the other health issues PP addresses for both women and men. It is the ONLY surgical clinic for 100’s of miles in any direction.  So, you somehow gather bus fare ($89.00 per person) arrive in St. Louis after 8 hours and find a convenient hotel room for the mandatory stay over.  The hotels close to the clinic run anywhere from $100.00 to $159.00 per night.  You get up in the morning and go to your initial appointment.  You have to wade through the people praying and protesting, but there are sometimes volunteers to help you across the parking lot.  You go in, have your initial work up and, if you are really lucky, the mandatory ultrasound on that day.  Then you go back to your hotel. The next day, return to the clinic for “counseling” about either the tablets or pre-op for surgical abortion. Back to hotel.  Back to the clinic and you get the pills and go back to your hotel.  You return to the clinic and, if all is progressing as normal, they may release you to go home.  If not, back to the hotel again.  Another visit next day and you’re discharged and take the bus ride home.  Let’s look at that for a second: $89.00 bus ticket, at least 4 and usually more, but we’ll use 4-night hotel at $100.00 per night and we’re already at $489.00 without food, transport to the clinic, friend to hold your hand, child care, etc.  Oh, and I forgot, even with sliding fees, it’s $429.00 for the pills!  So we’re at $1000.00 minimum!  No one I know has that much money saved, let alone can just spend it on anything they want. Yes, credit cards are an option, but think about explaining that to your parents or partner if they are anti-choice. It is a fact, that the whole point of all these rules and regulations surrounding our bodies, is to make it just next to impossible to get a safe, legal abortion.

Many women and not a few men think that women have equal rights under the law.  We don’t!  All we’ve been protected by, in all areas of our lives, are rules and regulations that can be overturned, recinded or revoked.  The only thing that will ever protect us and make us full citizens under the law is the Equal Rights Amendment.  Yes, those 14 words that can solve so many womens issues around lack of parity.  And the good news is, it’s not dead yet.  There was never a deadline imposed on the States to ratify it, so if we can get 3 more state Legislatures to ratify it, we can take it back to Congress. With 34 Republican governors, it will be harder than it was in the bad old days, but it’s not impossible.  Look at what just blossomed in D.C. last Saturday.  A march of women like the world has never seen.  If you are one who marched for women’s health issues, join the fight for Planned Parenthood and the ERA.  It’s time to make sure the bad old days never threaten our lives again.

 

Women’s Work

In prehistoric times, the gatherer part (women and children) of the hunter/gatherer culture brought in over 80% of the calories consumed. In those earlier times, we were the midwife and herbalist that stood at the doors of life and death i.e. the doctors, nurses and pharmacists. We were the ones who stood up for the less fortunate or able in a community and made it work i.e. social workers. As arbiters of conflict and resolutions, we made the world safe and saner for all i.e. diplomats, mediators and lawyers. Cottage industry was the ONLY industry there was for millennium. Baking, weaving, herding, milking, sowing and reaping, the list goes on and on. Women were not only necessary, they were absolutely critical to the survival of the group.

Then the world changed, and our “unpaid work” became that thing called “women’s work” and subject to a sharp discount in a patriarchal world. But some of us still filled those necessary niches . If we were not cut out for a life at the hearth, we might become religious and sort out some kind of career as a teacher or nurse in that mileau. Laywomen evolved into “church ladies”, the ones we all depend on to cook the funeral meats, sew a layette, sit with a sick congregant etc. Today, in many areas of the world, these women still exist and are still absolutley vital to their community.

As time has passed, the large group of women doing the “soft” often unpaid jobs necessary to stabilizing a community have become a smaller and smaller group and sometimes it is down to one, lone woman putting herself out there for the greater good.

Today, as we have become more and more industrialized, the women doing the vital community building work have become known as the “go to gal”.  She’s the “sister” we call when something needs doing and the community knows this sister will get it done if at all possible. She is also the one most likely to get out in front of any project, movement, cause or group and take the brickbats thrown for what they are: claptrap, criticism, and crap chucking. Sooner or later, others will join with her because what she does is so critical and, horrors, it is the right thing to do. Sometimes, due to our systemic inhalation of hierarchy, we women, well, we can crush each other trying to emulate the current “power over” motif instead of the more natural “power with” which allows all women to do what they are best at in a given situation.

In my opinion, we should not strive to gain credit for what we do and we should not force others to follow whatever path we have chosen for ourselves. Conversely, just because we see how one sister is doing something great, this is not an excuse to go out and do a power grab. Picking apart someone’s project and then rebuilding it just so you get the credit is the most unfeminist thing we can do to each other. Instead, honor your mothers, sisters, and daughters in the struggle for humanity in community. Offer help if you truly mean to help and not to co-opt her work. If the woman says “no thanks”, then watch her back for her and support her but don’t take over for her. Everyone has a place and there is a place for everyone.

Now more than ever, women and what they do matter. With a sexual assailant creeping towards the White House and his Republican fellow travelers slavering at the gate to chop, rend and destroy not only the few rights we still have, but with the intent to make our lives and the lives of those we love even more difficult, we must stand with and for ourselves and humankind itself.  Now is the time to help each other, not play the hierarchy game like crabs in a barrel.H

 

~for Heaven IA

Fly Over Country: First you cry…

Then you scream.  Then it’s time to tell yourself to get over it and get on with it.  What that “it” is is totally up to you.  In my case it’s to go back to blogging about where I live, the middle of the middle of the USA and what goes on here, there and everywhere.  Why would I do this?  Because we, the folks in the middle, are being blamed for the rise and election of Donald Trump.  I’m sure some of the people in the area, it is quite big, did vote for him.  What bothers me and others like me is Why they voted for him.  The most common thread spoken throughout the campaign was “He says what I’m feeling.”.  This came as a great shock to much of the nation as most whites on the coasts thought we were “past it” or “post-racial” or something.  Around here, not so much.  Between living day to day in one of the most racists places in America and living through the Ferguson uprising, I can categorically say, we Knew most pale people weren’t past much of anything.  If you care to, you are more than welcome to read through the “Ferguson Files” portion of this blog which is my experiences as a Legal Observer during the uprising and its’ aftermath.

This came as a great shock to much of the nation as most whites on the coasts thought we were “past it” or “post-racial” or something.  Around here, not so much.  Between living day to day in one of the most racists places in America and living through the Ferguson uprising, I can categorically say, we Knew most pale people weren’t past much of anything.  If you care to, you are more than welcome to read through the “Ferguson Files” portion of this blog which is my experiences as a Legal Observer during the uprising and its’ aftermath.

For me and mine, the battle goes on.  Yes, we took a bit of a breather. You tend to need one after a beating like we took.  But, we are like the old Timex’ “we take a licking and keep on ticking”.  We will be standing up for human rights and humane laws in order than the painfully paid for gains of the last 50 years are not lost at the whim of a game show host surrounded by conspiritarians and sycophants.

Tonight in St. Louis there was a memorial service for the homeless that died this past year, a vigil for the victims of Aleppo and a house set on fire the day after a young Muslim bought it. So you see, we’ll get all sides here and I’ll do my best to wade through the dross and give you the story the best I can.  Please rejoin me on my journey from the Middle of Middle America, and let me know what you think and how you feel about what I write.

Happy Whichever Winter Holiday you Choose!

 

Ferguson Files: Baby, it’s COLD outside….

Yet we’re still here.  Yes, still holding vigils as the temps drop below freezing and falling fast.  Still marching, those that can in this cold.  And we’re still waiting….for the promised funding, promised programs, promised support, and promised help.  Might as well have promised us the moon whilst they were at it, for all the good it’s doing the ACTUAL protesters that have been out for months.  The ones who are “family” to each other now because we’ve discovered that “the man” is not always a man, but no matter the gender, there are thieves, cons, grifters, rappers, rippers, out of towners and some in-town folks who will do whatever they can to get a hold of some of that “movement money”.

They seem to affiliate with some that are trying to stifle the transparency they are demanding of the powers that be. Huge problem there is that if we don’t expose our own ba actors, you can be sure they will get front page treatment if those who support the status quo get a hold of the info.  Remember ACORN?  What happened to that nationwide network when corruption was exposed?  The problem with “not rocking the boat” is it’s exactly how we got to the flashpoint last August.

So, some words of wisdom from an old hand:  watch your wallet, don’t give more than you an afford to, chek the funding backer or non-profit “staff” payroll.

Yps, it’s a people’s movement, but the actual people?  Yeah, they are not feelin’ the love, just the Arctic blasts of February.

Ferguson Files: Memento Mori

It was a small gathering this past Monday night.  Consisting of mostly neighbors and the family that has sprung from the hearts of the protest.  There to stand vigil and remember.  Michael Browns’ grandmother was also there.  Yes, the one whos’ house he was visiting that fateful day.  She couldn’t speak, overcome by emotion still.  We waited a bit as traffic was thick and then, a few words, a few songs, a prayer as we shivered in the February chill.

It felt small, somehow incomplete as a commemoration of the last 6 months we’ve all gone through.  Many decided we’d meet in a bit across from thb

The Ferguson Police Dept., sort of for old times sake.  I and my photographer got there, said “hi” to Ms. Sully at Subway and wandered off tb

To find Chinese food.  Twenty minutes later, we’re back with our food and there are about 15 people there.  Some started across the street to the PD parking lot.  My partner and I rolled our eyes at each other, thinking, “here we go!”.  But we’d been wrong.  No police.  It seemed like the kids were drawing on the sidewalk and asphalt from where we were. (we found out later they were using washable chalk)  One thing is for sure, there weren’t any police running out of the building onto them.

A Lincoln Navigator sized SUV pulled up from the back of the PD lot.  He seemed to be riding right behind the chalker group and tailing the livestreamer Heather De Maia who is wheelchair bound due to Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and totally unable to chalk.  The SUV stopped about 20 feet from where the driveway to the street begins.  An order was given for all to disperse, so the chalkers, livestreamers, photographers and protesters all complied and crossed the street to a private lot we’ve permission to be on.  By this time, another overly large SUV had joined the first one.  They just sat there until the last person reached the other side of a 5 lane street.  The last person was Heather, in her wheelchair.

Suddenly, the SUV’s screeched across the street so fast they could barely brake in time to avoid jumping the sidewalk.  I was certain someone was going to be run over, and that person would be Heather!  Her chair was just in between the bumper of a car IN the lot and the bumper of the PD SUV.  Behind the SUV came about 20 uniformed police, most with tazers already deployed.  The mob of police overwhelmed the small crowd.  An out of state photographer was smashed to the ground, along with his very expensive equipment. (Later returned to him broken).  Two people who were filming with their phones were roughly arrested as well.  (Their phones came back damaged) And then there was Heather, she was unceremoniously dumped from her chair, and while her chair was being searched, she was hit in the face, by an officer, resulting in her glasses flying over 10ft. into the roadway.  In amidst all this, there were shouts of, “Move and I’ll taze you Mother Fucker”, “Get your hands where I can see them or I’ll shoot.” “Don’t run or I’ll shoot!”  Remember, we are talking maybe 15 people in and out of cars, not hundreds.

They chased a minor 1/2 block and into a store in order to arrest “that little Fing n**** that ran off” (spoken by a black officer). These particular officers were assisted by 2 non-uniform men who came out of the Fire Dept.  When I, my photographer and another Legal Observer, started to move across the street to assist Heather and others, we were also threatened with arrest if we moved one more step.  Personally, I was trying to get to Heather’s Mom who was in her van watching them cart her daughter off and crying.  I was not allowed to do so, but I caught her eye and motioned for her to back up and come to the sidewalk we were on.

One aside: Heather does what she does because she feels she must.  She’s really good at it too.  Her mother, despite the fact she worries about her, supports her in her activism and livestreaming.  Her mother and I have become friends and her mother has come to understand that I will keep a special eye out for Heather during actions.  So, sometimes, she leaves Heather “with me”, though Heather is not in my charge or any such thing. Heather, is very much her own person.

Once the police had thrown Heather and six others into the backs of the SUV’s, and I do mean thrown, they retreated to the back of the PD across the street.  Heather’s mother and I immediately went to start demanding Heather have a medical evaluation immediately.  Her condition can kill her in minutes once an internal bleed starts.

After 4 calls and 45 minutes, Heather’s mother was able to go see her and eventually get her out.  She was charged with disorderly conduct and defacing public property.  Yep, 2 things she literally, physically can not do.

The others were detained and charged without being read their rights. They were charged with everything from “manner of walking” (covered in an earlier File), to destruction of police property and resisting arrest.  Pictures were taken, but not for the mug shot record.  They were taken for the “Known Agitators” Bulletin Board the PD put in downstairs.  Not a single pale face on it!

The interesting take away by all there was that this particular police action was severely, overly aggressive as if they now believe, in light of no charges or lawsuits etc. being brought against Officer Wilson or the Ferguson PD, they have a warped sort of permission to be as brutal as they want to be especially if they outnumber us, let alone out gun us…we are peaceful protesters after all.

Ferguson Files: Justice, Just this Once.

Today it’s 6 months since Michael Brown died, and we’re still counting.  Because nothing, not one thing has changed.  Nothing substantial anyway.   Oh, there’s been a few promises of businesses dedicating a project or office to be in Ferguson.  Some contractor has employed 50 people doing intake for the ACA Health Plans but he, and the menial jobs will be gone in a few days.  A grant finally came in to pay for the businesses that haven’t yet demolished their damaged properties to do so.  And, the City of St. Louis police department has shot more young black men.  And that same City?  Yeah, they are about take and demolish a historical, but black populated, neighbourhood thereby rendering 90 people homeless.  In a city that is trying to shut down it’s only dedicated homeless shelter.

Are you still with me?

The flip side of this is the 3.7 MILLION dollars that walked away from Ferguson and North County when the professional organizers , politicians, and not for profits took their cut of “fundraiser” money and ghosted.  Corruption and graft reigns wherever money is goal, not actually helping people and communities. So yes, both “sides” have added to the frustrated fury that is again building in the North STL City/County

Last night, during a conversation with a newcomer to the area, he asked me, “Why were they surprised at the grand jury finding?  Didn’t they know?”  I tried so very hard to explain to him that I’d asked the same question, of fellow protesters and myself, and what’d I’d found was:  We still, despite statistics, polls, and personal experiences, we still had a grain of hope.  We hoped, that, just once, just the one time, maybe, just maybe the “justice system” would work the way we’ve all been told it should.  That didn’t happen.  At least not in the view of most people I’ve talked to about this.  All they wanted was a public trial.  Not the monstrously conducted charade of a “transparent” presentation to a grand jury by  prosecutor, Bob McCulloch , that involved known perjurers, liars and fraudulent “witnesses and evidence.  Justice was all we were and still are, asking for.  Justice, just this once.

Ferguson Files: Yes, We do Actually Have Demands

And tonight’s meeting at St. Louis (not Ferguson, Berkeley, Florrisant, Jennings, ad nauseum) but at St. Louis City Hall was in an effort to hold a hearing with the public safety committee in order to form a civilian oversight & IA board/commission over the Police Dept.   The audience was a bit peevish about who got to speak first and who had to line up etc. but the meeting was progressing somewhat towards forming resolutions etc. to take to the City Board of Alderman and the Mayor.

As the meeting progressed, it became clear that the chatter was upsetting some folks in the audience.  Then, as a police officer was trying to give testimony regarding this issue, the chatter got a bit louder.

Suddenly, the Police Union spokesman, Jeff Roorda, jumped up and yelled at the committee chair, Alderman Terry Kennedy, “How about some order here? Do your job!”  To which Alderman Kennedy replied, “First of all, you don’t tell me my function!”  Then Roorda rose up and charged through the waiting crowd of people waiting to testify.  In doing so, he smashed into a young woman who’d turned to make her way out of the hall.  It seems she wasn’t moving fast enough for Roorda as he pushed her at least twice and somehow scratched her face. It was during the pushing incident that Roorda’s “I am Darren Wilson” bracelet could be seen on his wrist and this further inflamed the situation. I’m going to see if I can link in the St. Louis American’s reporting (traditionally black paper) with, if found, something from the Post-Dispatch and any local TV stations coverage.  I invite you to view it all, make up your own mind and please do comment.  Do know this, we have demands, we always have had them, but NOBODY is listening and NOTHING has changed.

http://www.stlamerican.com/news/local_news/article_662e68e4-a763-11e4-8c09-dfabe2c5cce9.html

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/public-hearing-on-civilian-review-board-for-st-louis-police/article_70e34a8d-0fd3-5577-85a9-30db37ae4e04.html

http://www.ksdk.com/story/news/local/2015/01/29/shouting–shoving-match-erupts-at-city-hall-coleman-martellaro/22509327/

http://www.kmov.com/news/talkers/Altercation-breaks-out-during-meeting-at-city-hall-290149111.html

Ferguson Files: When the Vultures Leave…

We’re still here, but I’ll bet you’ve not seen much of us on TV or other MSM outlets.  Why are we still here?  Because NOTHING has changed.  In fact, an uptick in violent crime that was happening before August 9, is now being called, the St. Louis Metro officials and police, “The Ferguson Effect”.  The chief of police in Ferguson has done nothing new and he sure hasn’t left town or changed policies.  The people are still out here and still waiting, but they are probably running out of patience more so than usual.

I say this because, today a fellow protester sent me her FB status along with an article from the Washington Times.  Yes, the Times is skewed right, but truth is truth and the financials are out there for folks to read.  I’ll let her finish tonight’s blog for me:

“From a Ferguson Protester<a REAL one

Dear so-called leaders and those who have taken advantage of the people in Ferguson and the surrounding St. Louis area.

Let this serve as your warning. We have kept quiet far too long.. We are now organizing….

Our mission is to hold YOU accountable. Demand transparency and honesty. Expose some of you and then remove you from what’s left of this ‘ravaged’ movement.

YOU sold your own people out once again. Allowed our movement to be co-opted, the original message diluted. YOU assisted outside organizations, corporations, and special interest groups, allowing them to buy their way into power, changing the agenda, shaping a new narrative all while you lined your pockets, and turned a blind eye. Too many of you allowed your focus to be redirected, as you ran off, abandoning your people to pursue personal ambitions after you were lured in by short-term fame and your pockets fattened from the money you solicited through all the different ‘go fund me’ accounts and ‘pay pal’ funding sources.

YOU stepped on the backs of the average committed protester, the foot soldiers, those who fought on the front lines of this movement since day one. Shot with rubber bullets, sprayed with dangerous chemicals, took a beat down, went to jail, etc.etc.. Those of us who have sacrificed the most, asked for the least, and was given NOTHING. Those who had to borrow gas money to make it to your actions, those who borrowed hats and gloves when it was cold, those who lost their jobs and suffered in their personal relationships because of their participation and those on the verge of loosing everything because of what they believe in. You know…..THOSE PEOPLE! – The true heroes, the strongest voices, and the real face of this movement.

The same people out here tonight, still involved in ‘meaningless’ actions. Giving CPR to a dead horse because they want to keep it alive. Hearts in the right place but, nobody has told them the horse does not belong to them anymore… It’s been sold…right underneath their noses! smh… but that’s ok because there is a group, determined to hold all of you accountable for your part in all of this.. and your day of reckoning is coming soon… very soon… One by one, you will ALL be put on blast! ‘EXPOSED’ and held accountable to the people of St. Louis. ” Mr. Soros gave $5.4 million to Ferguson and Staten Island grass-roots efforts last year to help “further police reform, accountability and public transparency,” the Open Society Foundations said in a blog post in December. About half of those funds were earmarked to Ferguson, with the money primarily going to OBS and MORE, the foundation said.
OBS and MORE, along with the Dream Defenders, established the “Hands Up Coalition”

Organization for Black Struggle, OBS, and Dream Defenders, as well as Hands Up Coalition split almost 3 million dollars!” “

And the article that got her digging: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/14/george-soros-funds-ferguson-protests-hopes-to-spur/

Ferguson Files: Freedom of Speech is for Everyone

When Ferguson first exploded onto the scene, it was, at that time, based in anger and fear on both sides of the “argument”.  Anger at and fear of the police as well as anger at and fear of the people.  Not known as a compatible mix, so the corrosives were catalysed by one, and not the only one, death by police in the area.  Further actions, by the authorities to shut down the protected speech of those who were protesting framed the “argument” a bit differently, or should have, in my opinion.  The “argument” then became about protected speech and when it was “allowed” to be expressed.  Of course the ongoing examples, both here and across the country, simply made it easier to talk about the police and how bad they all were.  Just the way the “bad” examples of unprotected speech/actions made it easier for the authorities to crack down harder, making police be more brutal, leading to more “bad” examples.  Pretty soon, the argument had been framed as “anti-police”, which is the nicest way to put what’s been said on the streets in cities all over the nation.  Using that “ftp argument” led up to a disturbed young man attempting to murder his girlfriend and succeeding in murdering two NYPD officers.  And, well we all have seen how that’s worked out so well for the civil authority who’s nominally supposed to be in charge of the NYPD.

Later today, there will be a “We Support the Ferguson PD and Community Rally” at the Ferguson PD.  This “rally” is led by a  woman from Illinois, who comes from a town that is no where near St. Louis and is 97.8% White/Caucasian.  In other words, there are 2 Black people in her town.  Her rally is evidently going to be catered by St. Louis Bread Co. and the Fire fighters of Ferguson.

Imagine walking into a place you’ve not likely been to more than a handful of times with, and this is the truth, the actual Community that lives there and deals with this on a daily basis, does NOT want you there.  How do you expect the community to react?  And why would you do something like this more than a month after the last big protests in the area?  Where were you when the community actually needed you?  Where was the free sandwiches and coffee then?  The police and such are well paid, got tons of overtime and I doubt many of them are hurting for a meal, which is more than I can say about Ferguson where jobs, transportation, and other resources are not easily accessed.

But, freedom of speech applies to us all, or it applies to none of us.  That’s the way it works.  I may not like you coming up and saying ________, but I don’t have a right to stop you from saying it.  I may even vehemently disagree with your position, but you have a right to voice it even if it’s right on the side walk in front of my house.

My hope is that the people of Ferguson who’ve been out on the line for months will give the newbies a bit of slack.  Perhaps make sure they are informed that they may not be in the street when they are “rallying”.  That they must not jaywalk, stop traffic, spit on the side walk, litter, park illegally, be careful of  their manner of walking, wear masks or scarves over their faces (despite the temperatures), get to close to police or other first responders, or do anything else that the police suddenly decide interferes with police doing their duties.  Good luck on that last one.

If nothing else, I would hope that the Ferguson community could make an effort to actually get to know these folks who think the Ferguson PD needs a “rally” to let them know that predominately white towns in Illinois approve of what they’re doing in Ferguson.  It’s not like it’s news to us on the line and I’m sure it’s not news to Ferguson PD either.

I do ask, that the REAL Ferguson community, if any turn out at all, would be of a mind to protect the right of free speech for these strangers.  When we fight for a right, it’s for everyone, not just for some.  And since we’ve been fighting for justice and free speech, we need to make sure we fight for their right to justice and free speech.  It’s one of those things that make a “real democracy” a messy proposition.