Congressman John Lewis

Former President Jimmy Carter speaks on Racism

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Former President Jimmy Carter said Tuesday that U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson's outburst to President Barack Obama during a speech to Congress last week was an act "based on racism" and rooted in fears of a black president.

"I think it's based on racism," Carter said at a town hall held at his presidential center in Atlanta. "There is an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president."

The Georgia Democrat said the outburst was a part of a disturbing trend directed at the president that has included demonstrators equating Obama to Nazi leaders.

"Those kind of things are not just casual outcomes of a sincere debate on whether we should have a national program on health care," he said. "It's deeper than that."

A Jihad for Love (2007) - Parvez Sharma

A Jihad for Love (2007)

In a time, when Islam is under tremendous attack-from within and without-'A Jihadfor Love' is a daring documentary-filmed in twelve countries and nine languages. Muslim gay filmmaker Parvez Sharma has gone where the silence is strongest, filming with great risk in nations where government permission to make this film was not an option. A Jihad for Love is the first-ever feature-length documentary to explore the complex global intersections of Islam and homosexuality. With unprecedented access and depth, Sharma brings to light the hidden lives of gay and lesbian Muslims from countries like Iran, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, France, India, and South Africa. The majority of gay and lesbian Muslims must travel a lonely and often dangerous road. In many nations with a Muslim majority, laws based on Quranic interpretations are enforced by authorities to monitor, entrap, imprison, torture and even execute homosexuals. Even for those who migrate to Europe or North America and adopt Western personae of "gay," the relative freedoms of new homelands are mitigated by persistent racial profiling and intensified state surveillance after the terrorist attacks in New York, London and Madrid. As a result, many gay and lesbian Muslims end up renouncing their religion. But the real-life characters of A Jihad for Love aren't willing to abandon a faith they cherish despite its flaws. Instead, they struggle to reconcile their ardent belief with the innate reality of their being. The international chorus of gay and lesbian Muslims brought together by A Jihad for Love doesn't seek to vilify or reject Islam, but rather negotiate a new relationship to it. In doing so, the film's extraordinary characters point the way for all Muslims to move beyond the hostile, war-torn present, toward a more hopeful future. As one can imagine, it was a difficult decision for the subjects to participate in the film due to the violence they could face. However, those who have come forward to tell their stories feel this film is too important for 1.4 billion Muslims and non-Muslims around the world for them to say no. They are willing to take the risk in their quest to lay equal claim to their profoundly held faith. "A Jihad for Love' is produced by Sandi DuBowski (Director of Trembling Before G-d) in association with ZZDF-Arte Channel 4, and LOGO.

Les personnes que Parvez Sharma présente dans son film documentaire sont des musulmans croyants et ils sont gays. Dans la plupart de leurs pays d’origine, ils font de ce fait partie d’une minorité opprimée, une minorité dont on ne parle pas, victime de persécutions et d’humiliations, exclue de la vie publique.

Original languages:(English Arabic Hindi Persian Urdu French) hardsubbed with French. TV ripped from Arte "the intellectual" TV channel in France.

http://www.foriegnmoviesddl.com/2008/12/jihad-for-love-2007-parvez-sharma.html

http://rapidshare.com/files/173334926/JHL.part1.rar
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password:accatone

BANNED Pres. Bush Interview

This is a video, found by albelnox33175, of an Irish TV interview with President Bush. This interview was not shown on American television, you'll see why.

"Prop 8 - The Musical" starring Jack Black, Jenifer Lewis, Maya Rudolph, Neil Patrick Harris, Kathy Najimy, and many more...

href="http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/85595" title="by FOD Team">"Prop 8 - The Musical" starring Jack Black, John C. Reilly, and many more... by Jack Black

Riots in the Streets

Living in former “Murder Capitol of the US” is a sad reality. Philadelphia residents suffered 391 murders in 2007, the highest rate per 100,000 residents among the nation’s 10 largest cities. It is a demoralizing banner and a shameful indication of how violence is simply a part of life in my urban world.

Last week I watched the Greek Riots in amazement and awe. I could hardly believe that a shooting death of a teenager sparked national protest and chaos. I was previously unaware that Greece is one of Europe’s safest nations. Their criminal notoriety is limited to pickpockets, drugs, and gigolos preying on tourists.

The slain 15 year old, Alexandros Grigoropoulos, has become a national hero of sorts. He is the martyr for police abuse, and a political system weakened by scandal. Public demonstration in fairly commonplace in Greece, the government is reportedly full of corruption. However the current situation eclipses anything Greeks have experienced in decades. The damage is reported to be over 1.3 billion dollars US.

Surely I don’t want to believe that Greeks hold human life in higher esteem than Americans. I prefer to believe that we are simply desensitized to violence until it hits close to home. We as a culture emulate prison culture, walking with our pants hanging like we are in cellblock D. Propagating “don’t snitch” as a mantra for the weak minded.

We have genocide in Darfur and daily shootings across the US, yet one boy’s death can unite a nation of youth. How do we fix this?

R.I.P. ODETTA, the "Goddess"

Odetta, our American folk music Legend who moved audiences and influenced fellow musicians for a half-century, has died. The Grammy Nominee and recipient of the National Medal of the Arts was 77 when she passed away yesterday, Tuesday. in New York.

Trapped In Paradise

Thai anti-government protesters shut down Bangkok's second airport on Thursday, further crippling the kingdom as tourists scrambled to leave and fears grew the crisis was deepening.

Below is an email from my oldest friend, who was also my first love, he is trapped in Thailand.

"Guest what? I'm stuck in Thailand! Yes, my sister and I were scheduled to depart today from Phuket via Bangkok and then through Taipei into LAX. Since the takeover of the airport in BKK, we've been in the south but all flights through Bangkok that had not been re-routed are cancelled. Thousands are stranded.

We're working with out travel agency's representative to get out through Malaysia on 12/3 and perhaps then onto LAX via Taipei, but so far only Malaysia destination is certain. We're safe and yes, we are stuck, albeit in paradise. We would like it to become less cloudy, but that hasn't stopped us from getting cheap Thai massages daily, fending off the sellers of every cheap trinket, or enjoying the beach.

I hope all is well with you and I hope you enjoyed the holiday and are relaxing and taking care of yourself. I will speak with you soon and I have my laptop so I am in touch and making the best of Paradise!

Love,Marc

-- "I'll admit I may have seen better days, but I'm still not to be had for the price of a cocktail, like a salted peanut."Margo Channing (Bette Davis)All About Eve - 1950"

The California Supreme Court will revisit the issue of same-sex marriage

The California Supreme Court agreed to hear legal challenges to Proposition 8, the voter-approved ballot initiative that amends the constitution to end same-sex marriage. Oral arguments aren't expected until March. For the time being, the court refused to grant a stay.

While many Californians may not believe that same-sex couples have a "right" to marry, the Californian Supreme Court said they do in its landmark marriage case in May.

Unemployment Compensation Extended up to 13 weeks

Before leaving for Peru, President George W. Bush signed into law an extension on unemployment benefits for those who have run out, or are about to run out. This actually is the second extension that Bush has signed during this economic crisis. The extension is 13 weeks in states with an unemployment rate in excess of 6%, otherwise the extension is for a term of 7 weeks.

Finally something for the average man in the time of corporate bailouts. It was rumored that this is one of several requests that President Elect Barack Obama discussed in their joint meeting just over a week ago.

Another hot topic is the Colombian Trade agreement that Bush favors signing before leaving office. Obama and the UN are both concerned with the atrocities carried out against the civilian population.

Carlson - Passing the Torch

Obama, Clinton meet to talk about her future

President Elect Barack Obama met with Senator Hillary Clinton yesterday to discuss her future options. It is highly speculated that Clinton is on Obama's short list of candidates for Secretary of State. Personally I would like to see either Bill Richardson or Hillary occupy that post. It would be good for the country and on a selfish note a nice launchpad into the 2012 elections.

An Israeli Injustice

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan

U.N. says Colombian military executing civilians

Colombia's U.S.-backed security forces are engaging in "systematic and widespread" extrajudicial executions of innocent civilians as part of their counterinsurgency campaign, a top United Nations diplomat said last week.

Speaking in Bogota after a weeklong fact-finding tour, Navi Pillay, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the scale of the killings could constitute a "crime against humanity" under international humanitarian law, adding that international courts could intervene if the Colombian government was "unwilling or unable" to handle the investigations itself.

"An offense becomes a crime against humanity if it is widespread and systematic against the civilian population," Pillay said at a news conference.

This brings us to the story of two brothers who had not seen one another in almost ten years.

The soldiers in Antelope Company's Third Platoon hadn't registered a guerrilla kill in months. And without results, they feared they wouldn't be let off base for Mother's Day. So they hatched a plan, according to Pvt. Luis Esteban Montes: lure a civilian to their camp, murder him and register him as a rebel slain in combat. Montes, 24, didn't object -- until he met the quarry. It was Leonardo, the older brother he hadn't seen since he was 9.

Montes says he tried to dissuade his commander, who responded with threats. He slipped his brother out of the camp, he says, only to see him show up dead a week later, a "guerrilla kill" with three bullets in his torso and a gaping facial wound likely caused by a knife.

The men of Antelope Company of the 31st Rifle Batallion, 11th Brigade, 7th Division, did not get their "liberty passes." Montes' family filed a formal complaint, one of 245 involving alleged killings of civilians by Colombian security forces last year that prosecutors are investigating.

The scandal comes at a particularly delicate moment for Colombia's President Uribe. U.S. President-elect Barack Obama has cited human rights concerns in opposing the U.S.-Colombia trade agreement that President Bush wants ratified before he leaves office in January.
Obama has told Bush that he opposes including the deal in an economic stimulus package the U.S. Congress is to begin debating next week.

My Vote was 1 in 66,316,572

I actually recorded my vote on my BlackBerry. No, I wasn't being paranoid, LOL, just capturing the moment.

Bolivia on the brink of Civil War, partially blames Bush administration

Bolivia is on the brink of civil war, a nation divided by race and wealth. In the past three months hundreds have been murdered, and hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets in protest.

President Evo Morales elected in 2006 claims to be the first full blooded Amerindian to hold such a position since Spanish Conquest 470 years ago. Although some praise the ever increasing mestizo culture of Bolivia there remains great divides in wealth, education, and entitlement across racial divides.

President Morales is considered a Socialist doe to his redistribution of the wealth generated by Bolivia’s natural resources such as natural gas and his commitment to land reform. Morlaes is also titular President of cocalero, a federation of coca growers' unions who are resisting the efforts of the United States government to eradicate cocoa in Bolivia.

Although over 80% of the population supports President Morales he does have his opposition. They are demanding greater control over policies ranging from land reform to the allocation of the earnings of Bolivia's natural gas exports, which originate in their regions. Earlier this year, the departments of Tarija, Santa Cruz, Pando and Beni voted in favor of opposition-drafted autonomy statutes, but since those referenda were not sanctioned by the national electoral court, the central government refuses to recognize the results.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bush administration have been accused of supporting the opposition and inciting violence. As a result he kicked out U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg this past September, accusing him of inciting conflict. The Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) has rallied to his support. At an emergency meeting the presidents of nine Latin American countries gave Morales their full support, and offered to send a team to mediate.

President Evo Morales, cast his decision on Saturday to suspend the activities of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in his country as a matter of national security. "We have the obligation to defend the dignity and the sovereignty of the Bolivian people," said Morales. "There have been DEA agents who, carrying out espionage, financed rogue groups with the intention of taking the lives of [Bolivian government] officials." The Bolivian President made clear he envisages repairing the relationship with the U.S. as soon as President Bush has gone. More than once, he referred to his own victory in Bolivia as having brought "the change we need."

R.I.P. Miriam Makeba

Grammy Award-winning Miriam Makeba has been called "Mama Africa" and the "Empress of African Song." She sang for President John F. Kennedy's birthday, testified before the United Nations about apartheid, married Black Panther Stokely Carmichael and spent decades in exile from her South African homeland. South Africa's First Lady of song has died at the age of 76 after collapsing at a concert in Italy.

The Sin of Religion in American Politics

In the wake of this historic election that has filled me with immense joy I am troubled by the ugly side of religion in politics. During the campaign referring to President Elect Obama as a Muslim or an Arab was seen as disparaging and considered a slur.

There is nothing wrong with being either Muslim or an Arab. "So what" is the response that echoed in my own head. Why is such ignorance tolerated? What if Obama were a Muslim or an Arab "So the fuck what". Why did he have to be defended against such allegations as religion or ethnicity. I agree it was misinformation and should be corrected but the greater question needed to be asked, "so what". Hopefully we have learned that being Muslim is not synonymous with being an Arab, and neither characteristic should lead to an assumption of terrorism.

In three states the constituents voted to ban gay marriage. Isn't it a fundamental premise by "separation of Church and state" that we shall not legislate religious hatred and bigotry in our country. Each religious group has every right to not recognize, sanctify, or bless a same sex union. Feel free to condemn them to hell if you like, but no one should have the right to legislate them out of existence.

There is nothing sacred about legislating hatred and prejudice.

www.change.gov - Office of President Elect Barack Obama

President Elect Obama has launched his official transitional website. You can register your email in order to remain up to date on transition activities and appointments. Our President Elect continues to remain cutting edge on the communication front to keep us informed.