My response to Congressman Keith Ellison.

From: Alan Maki 
Date: Sat, Jan 25, 2014 at 1:57 PM
Subject: Re: Give Workers a Fair Deal
To: "Keith Ellison, U.S. Representative" , ZZZ Ellison Keith , Karen Monahan , Kathleen Blake , Shar Knutson , eliot.seide@afscmemn.org, "uniting_people@lists.riseup.net" , Ron Letnes , Duane Kamrath

Yes, Keith; let's blame the Republicans for standing in the way of making wages real living wages.

But; what is your excuse you make for yourself and your fellow Democrats here in Minnesota who have a super-majority yet refuse to use this super-majority to create a real living Minimum Wage for ALL working people?

You, Keith, are one of the primary obstacles to ending one of the two primary sources of poverty:

Poverty wages.

Any school child understands workers paid poverty wages are going to be poor.

A school child may not thoroughly understand the connection between wages and cost-of-living but these school children certainly understand something is wrong when they go to bed hungry and go off to school hungry. 

Yet, as a member of Congress, you refuse to acknowledge this connection between cost-of-living wages and poverty just as you refuse to acknowledge that unemployment, under-employment and part-time employment is another major cause of poverty.

If you understood these connections between these two major sources of poverty you would insist that your fellow Democrats with their super-majority legislatively tie the Minimum Wage to all cost-of-living factors as tracked by the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics as the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and then index this real living Minimum Wage to inflation with periodic increases to improve the lives and livelihoods of all working people.

And you would ask your fellow members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus to sign on to similar federal Minimum Wage legislation as well as introduce legislation that would result in an Act of Congress for a Basic Income Guarantee along the lines advocated by Tom Paine back in the late 18th Century. In addition, you would bring forward real full employment legislation making it mandatory that the president and Congress work together to attain and maintain full employment--- anyone who wants a job gets a job paying real living wages--- if the "free market" can't maintain full employment then massive government funded universal social programs have to be devised to put people to work providing the requirements of society leading to improving the conditions for everyone. Think in terms of WPA, CCC and CETA.

Now you want to blame the Republicans for standing in the way of federal "contractors" receiving living wages.

But, what about the role of Democrats in creating this most hideously racist Indian Gaming Industry in connivance and collusion with a bunch of vicious and violent white mobsters forcing 44,000 Minnesotans to work in loud, noisy, smoke-filled casinos at poverty wages without any rights in their places of employment protected by state or federal labor laws as Native Americans are left to languish in poverty as the the profits are skimmed off the top by these rich white mobsters who own every facet of this industry from the slot machines and table games to the hotels/motels, bars and restaurants to even the gift shops which peddle cheap sweatshop produced merchandise from China, India, the Philippines and Bangladesh pawning this merchandise off--- illegally--- as Native American Indian handcrafts?

You yourself take massive amounts of campaign contributions from the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association whose Executive Director is as crooked and corrupt as they come, and white, while the wife-beating Kevin Leecy oversees it all and lo-and-behold, the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association is the biggest lobbying interest opposed to raisin the Minimum Wage.

John McCarthy owns Tony Doom Enterprises, the primary business which produces all kinds of campaign paraphernalia which he sells to you politicians--- with one hand out in front he is handing out the money of which Native Americans are entitled to combat the growing poverty due to racist discrimination in employment, housing and education; and with his other hand McCarthy takes back these campaign contributions to bolster the profits of his own business. And between election cycles, McCarthy and his wife-beating accomplice in this scam, Kevin Leecy, are dishing out hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes.

And now we hear rumors that Governor Mark Dayton with his Democratic super-majorityis working on a "compromise" on the "increase" to the Minimum Wage with the Chamber of Commerce and they have agreed, "in principle," to "raising" the Minimum Wage to $7.75 an hour.

And hear you come blaming the Republicans for poverty wages.   

The oldest trick in the book used by wily lawyers who know their client is guilty as hell yet to seek to blame the crime on someone else.

On Sat, Jan 25, 2014 at 10:36 AM, Keith Ellison, U.S. Representative <noreply@list.moveon.org> wrote:

Alan,
Americans seem to be working harder and harder, but still are unable to make ends meet. 
That’s why I’ve been pushing so hard to raise the minimum wage to make sure that folks who are working full time can afford to raise a family.
But Speaker Boehner and House Republicans are standing in the way, backed by their corporate CEO buddies – who now make 273 times the salary of the average worker at their company. 
Fortunately, there’s something we can do right now that Boehner can’t stop.  President Obama can sign an executive order to help the 2 million workers employed by government contracts who make below a living wage.
That’s more low wage workers than work at Walmart and McDonalds combined.  These 2 million workers are the folks who cook at museum restaurants, or clean federal buildings. 
That’s why I need you to sign a petition to President Obama asking him to be a hero for these hard working federal contractors. 
The President’s State of the Union address is this Tuesday, and it would be the perfect time to take a bold step toward an economy that works for everyone.

Stand with me and urge President Obama to help federal contractors make a living wage.
Thank you for all you do.

--Keith Ellison 

---

This message was sent to Alan Maki by Keith Ellison, U.S. Representative through MoveOn's public petition website. MoveOn Political Action licensed and paid for this service, but does not endorse contents of this message. To unsubscribe or report this email as inappropriate, click here: http://petitions.moveon.org/unsub.html?i=18793-5648567-dRurGF
Want to make a donation? MoveOn is entirely funded by our 8 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.
 

-- 

Alan L. Maki

Director of Organizing,

Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council

 

58891 County Road 13

Warroad, Minnesota 56763

Phone: 218-386-2432

Cell: 651-587-5541

Primary E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

E-mail: alan.maki1951mn@gmail.com

Blog: http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/

Right-wing hate

Not a day goes by where I don't get a call from someone asking me how I endure the personal vicious and malicious right-wing attacks against me like those orchestrated and funded by the cowardly, wife-beating, right-wing, billionaire recluse Richard Mellon-Scaife the Pittsburgh banker-industrialist who pays the Nazi-lover Herbert Romerstein and the degenerate Trevor Loudon to attack me:

 http://www.trevorloudon.com/2013/02/help-keywiki-expose-minnesotas-socialist-elected-officials-2/#comment-350686

You know, I have put up with these attacks from these two-bit, half-assed fascist bastards for my entire life.

Their attacks are meant to scare, frighten and intimidate.

They can kiss my ass and go to hell.

Move To Amend

My advice, for what it is worth, to my activist friends in Move To Amend:

I hope your organization, Move To Amend, has a way to track the outcome of which precinct caucuses have the resolutions introduced and which precinct caucuses pass the resolutions in the different parties.

It took us six years before we could get a resolution in support of single-payer universal health care passed by the State Convention of the MN DFL because those placed in charge of resolutions passed by the precinct caucuses kept saying the resolutions never made it to their committee.

We had to finally take photos of the resolutions as they were placed into the envelopes to prove the resolutions were being passed and then once the resolution was forced to be brought before state convention delegates it was passed by a boisterous 72% majority; but, those who refused to support the resolution immediately went to work in their same dirty ways to undermine this resolution.

We face the same kind of contemptuous opposition when it comes to the Minimum Wage. The Minnesota DFL has one of the best resolutions now part of its platform on the Minimum Wage that is based on a resolution I wrote which was passed by hundreds of precinct caucuses across the state, yet not one single Democrat in the state legislature, nor the Governor, is paying any attention to the resolution.

My point:

Unless there is a very well organized campaign to back up these resolutions and follow them through to legislation and then insisting the legislation actually gets implemented the best resolutions mean very little.

A perfect example of how these politicians even evade enforcing the "law of the land" when they actually turn the concerns of the people into laws is the case of Affirmative Action.

In this case, a smiling Hubert H. Humphrey stood beside President Lyndon B. Johnson as Johnson signed into like his Executive Order #11246, as Affirmative Action is known.

Humphrey was all to pleased to see Affirmative Action signed into law and forcefully carried out in Mississippi but here in Minnesota Affirmative Action has never been enforced.

So, while Move To Amend may become the "law of the land;" don't be surprised if these corrupt politicians ignore the enforcement of its intent the very same way these politicians ignore the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights when it comes to just about everything else.

This is why I suggested at the Uniting People Forum in Duluth that we need to create and build an alternative anti-monopoly political party and organization like the socialist Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party and its grassroots back-bone the Minnesota Farmer-Labor Association which ultimately Farmer-Labor Governor Elmer Benson forged into a mighty "People's Lobby" or "People's Front" and in this way very important and significant reform expanding democracy and improving the lives and livelihoods of Minnesotans became a reality.

But, let's not get lulled into thinking because the majority of the people support the excellent initiatives of Move To Amend its goals and objectives even should they become the "law of the land" will be enforced without the constant involvement and mobilization of the people through an alternative working class based progressive people's party like the old socialist Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party which was the most successful alternative to date to the thoroughly corrupt Democratic and Republican Parties looking out for Wall Street's interests, assets and profits.

It is simply too much to expect that a thoroughly corrupt Democratic Party like the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party which brought into existence the Indian Gaming Industry here in Minnesota which has resulted in over 44,000 Minnesotans working in loud, noisy, smoke-filled casinos at poverty wages and without any rights under state or federal labor laws and a party which refuses to take action to stop the mining companies from swindling the workers out of their pension funds is going to live up to what Move To Amend is for.

I would call to your attention the obituary of Elmer Benson, arguably Minnesota's most honest ever politician and just as popular as socialist Governor Floyd B. Olson, written up in the LA Times and his feelings about the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party and how he lived to resent and despise his own role in this merger of the two parties:

http://articles.latimes.com/1985-03-16/business/fi-27186_1_minnesota-politics

Governor Rudy Perpich also lived to taste the wrath of his own Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party when they dumped him after he proposed turning the Taconite Tax into a real tax to wholly fund public education in place of this regressive Property Tax system where you have Democrats and Republicans in the State Legislature saying they are opposed to tax hikes but on the local levels their bureaucrats are constantly raising these regressive property taxes under the guise of "increased property values and assessments."

Rudy Perpich, after meeting with his long-time friend Gus Hall--- a meeting that these corporate owned Democrats despised--- also came to the conclusion that some kind of new political party similar to the old Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party was going to be needed if serious reforms were going to be won.

And, as we know, Paul Wellstone was probably murdered as he was tinkering in his mind with this idea, too, as he fought a lonely battle with the warmongers in both political parties.

About government debt and deficits.

All the Wall Street pundits and economists want us to think that debts and deficits aren't a bad thing; however, they never point out that the ONLY reason we have debts and deficits is because for over one-hundred years the U.S. government has sought a way to fund war after war.

No one is supposed to ask what we are buying with these debts and deficits.

Why not?

Because to admit that the only thing we are purchasing is preparation for wars and wars would be unacceptable to most people in this country so these politicians keep talking about debts and deficits as if they are not related to anything although we are told the government couldn't get along without either.

Of course they never point out, either, that we pay the interest on these debts and deficits from which Wall Street bankers make a hefty profit.

This "new" industry is gearing up to take advantage of the Trans-Pacific Partnership... how do you figure in their plans?

An entire industry of consultants has sprung up to advise companies considering plant closings. No doubt the Trans-Pacific Partnership will give a big boost to the bottom line of this industry which got off the ground with NAFTA.

Some of the things they advise their clients on are:

Plant closing objectives
Pre-closing considerations
Schedule considerations
Budget considerations
Who knows what and when about the planned plant closure
Staffing considerations
Environmental considerations
Asset disposal considerations (the most detailed section)
Legal issues
Document retention
Raw materials, finished products, work in process
Relocation considerations
Engineering issues
Demolition considerations
Safety and risk management issues
Hidden values
Real estate issues
Bankruptcy: a special kind of plant closure
Suggestions

Do you think your future is part of their consideration?

How green are the peace and environmental movements?

Canadian Dimension which is produced in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in my opinion, is one of the best non-sectarian left-wing magazines around.

They just released an interview they did with Noam Chomsky concerning global warming and climate change:

http://canadiandimension.com/articles/5874/

Below is the comment I made in response to the interview:

The one important aspect of climate change the left keeps missing is the fact that Wall Street's very lucrative Military-Industrial Complex leaves the largest carbon footprint of any industry.

So, why have the peace and environmental movements, along with most of the left, failed to make this important connection?

I'm surprised neither Chomsky nor Canadian Dimension brought this important connection forward in this interview.

How much of what is produced from the Tar Sands will be consumed by the Military-Industrial Complex?

One aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class carries THREE MILLION gallons of aircraft fuel. Fuel for just 80 aircraft. The U.S. typically deploys six of these aircraft carriers during maneuvers, conflicts and wars. This alone is one heck of a carbon footprint and we still have to figure out what kind of carbon footprint is created manufacturing these aircraft carriers and planes...

And this example is just the tip of the melting iceberg.

Consider all the mining and manufacturing which goes into producing for militarism and wars--- what kind of carbon footprint is created in preparation for wars, by wars and rebuilding in the aftermath of wars?

There is a point to be made about global warming and militarism and wars which leads me to conclude that the most effective way to fight global warming and climate change is to fight for peace by "beating swords into plowshares."

For some reason all these foundation-funded peace organizations and environmental organizations don't want to acknowledge that the Military-Industrial Complex bears primary responsibility for global warming and climate change. Perhaps because the "great philanthropists" funding the foundations profit so handsomely from militarism and wars? 

If changing out light bulbs contributes to ending global warming and climate change, can you imagine the contribution peace would make towards this effort?

It seems our environmental and peace movements could use what the great labor leader and working class revolutionary, William Z. Foster, advised--- "...a good strong dose of anti-imperialist education..." connecting all the dots.

Obama is still trying to get us entangled in a war with Syria.

Here we are; five months later after a massive outcry of the world's peoples stopped Obama's reckless intent to wage war on Syria and Obama is still trying to get us into another one of his dirty wars... this time, again, against Syria but guess what? No one has been able to verify who was responsible for the "gas attack" we heard so much about. Why is this?

Vietnam had its phony "Golf of Tonkin" provided as the excuse for that war; Iraq had the phony "weapons of mass destruction" which provided the excuse for that horrendous war. "Communist insurgents" provided the excuse for dozens of savage and barbaric U.S. "police actions" around the world and here we are with Obama and his heinous, murderous drone attacks killing and maiming who knows how many people--- and for what?

And Obama is still tying to create yet another excuse for waging war against Syria.

Except for the imperialist pattern of Wall Street's agenda for world domination, this is all complete insanity--- with the American people so heavily in debt for all this murder and mayhem required to protect Wall Street's assets and profits that our standard of living is now plummeting.

Where this will all end if we fail to successfully challenge Wall Street's domination over us is anyone's guess... but, it ain't going to be good for most of us.

We are learning the lesson of what imperialism is in a very hard way because so many people refuse to study and learn the lessons of the past.

Mark Twain in leading the anti-imperialist opposition to the first U.S. imperialist war in 1898--- the Spanish-American War for which we are still paying (and still occupying in one way or another the Philippines, Guam and Puerto Rico) correctly called this a "dirty imperialist war."

The great labor leader and working class revolutionary, William Z. Foster, often said that the U.S. working class was going to continually need a "good strong dose of anti-imperialist education" unless all struggles to achieve better working conditions and improved livelihoods would result in failure.

Mark Twain and William Z. Foster have been proven correct in diagnosing the main problem of our modern era as Wall Street's imperialist agenda of wars abroad paid for with poverty shoved down our throats.

Beware of these dirty imperialist wars--- they are going to bleed us to death making us all poor as our very living environment is literally being destroyed by this huge Military-Industrial Complex so profitable to the parasitical Wall Street crowd.

This Military-Industrial Complex leaves in its wake the largest carbon footprint of any industry--- bar none; destroying the very air we need to breath and the clean water required for our survival while contaminating the ground we grow our food on.

Wall Street's imperialist agenda has spun a deadly web trapping us all.

Unless we quickly learn the nature of imperialism these Wall Street parasites will put an end to humanity as we know it.

The Wall Street capitalists--- full-blown imperialists--- like to boast of the benefits "industry" has brought to us... but, their boasts never seem to include this vast Military-Industrial Complex which is their most profitable (and deadly) industry of all.

Of course it doesn't help that a spin-off from this insane imperialist militarism and wars is another very profitable industry now completely plugged into the Military-Industrial Complex sowing lies, deceit and deception is this MainStream Media... but people have the responsibility, an anti-imperialist responsibility to help educate one another with the knowledge required to stand up to these greedy Wall Street monsters.

This Wall Street crowd needs to be challenged for power just as the British were challenged for power in 1776 and the slave-holders were challenged in 1861 and the auto barons were challenged in Flint, Michigan in 1936 and the racists were challenged with the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 and these same warmongers were challenged as they waged that other dirty imperialist war in Vietnam.

The time has come to say "enough" of Wall Street's wars, racism and poverty.

"Enough!" of Wall Street's domination and control over us and every aspect of our lives and our society.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGm74_KjBpc

I Ain't Gonna Study War No More - Dandridge Sisters & Jimmy Lunceford Band

The Dandridge Sisters recorded with Jimmy Lunceford Band, NY July 1940 just as they broke up & Etta Jones married her 1st husband Gerald Wilson - Trumpet wit...

Guest Blog by Brian McAfee

Brian McAfee
2838 Mason Blvd.
Muskegon Hts., Michigan USA 49444

(231) 737-8726

brimac6@hotmail.com
 

Stand In Support Of Women And Girls And Against Misogyny In All Its Forms

                                                           by Brian McAfee


   There have been similar stories before but the one that came from India in December of 2012 of a 23 year old medical student who, after getting on a bus with her male friend, was attacked, raped and tortured by a gang of men on the bus. After their initial crimes the men threw her and her male companion, who had been beaten by the thugs, out of the bus and onto the road. The young woman died two weeks later from her injuries.  The rapist murderers were arrested, four received harsh sentences but one was given only three years in a juvenile prison, he is in his late teens.  Despite the obvious evil nature of this kind of conduct it appears to have had little impact in reducing the numbers or nature of attacks against women and girls. While the above mentioned attack outraged millions in India and around the world less than a month ago another took place with equally despicable, if not worse characteristics. On December 31, 2013, a 16 year old girl was gang raped twice and then set on fire, this happened in Calcutta.  Asia News reports that this, sadly, had not been her first victimization they report "The young woman's tragic fate began on 25 October when she was attacked and raped by two men on the outskirts of Calcutta. She was later found in fields near her house". Another story, this one from the Hindustan Times (December 20, 2013) reports on an eight year old girl being raped and killed in Greater Noida, India.

As if competing for most despicable another case out of India  reported last year in the New York Times was of a 4 year old who had been lured by an adult male who offered to buy her a banana, he kidnapped  and raped her. The NYT (Aug. 30, 2013) reported  that her doctor had said  "She suffered severe brain injury and severe injury to her vagina - her heart and lungs stopped functioning. Her heart and lungs stopped functioning". The Doctor went on to say " It is very inhuman  that such a young girl was subjected to sexual abuse".

   Just to India's north-east sits Nepal, a place  of natural beauty and an intriguing history, but here too there appears to be persistent cases of abuse and subjugation of women and girls, denying too many freedom, opportunity or even simply a life.  In one case reported from my friend from Nepal, Kamala Salup, she writes about someone tricked and trapped into a life experience no one should be subjected to. In this case her story begins "My mother had a dream exactly like mine that her daughter would get some education by going to the city and could stand on her own to make her living. But I was brought to this terrible brothel and was sold by my own uncle's son." Her story goes on-"-my right over my own body was snatched away from me. Often a question tormented me from time to time. After all, what was the real meaning of a person to live as a woman?" She goes on-"who was there to love me in that world of money? -But now I have returned to my own country with the germs of AIDS in with me."  This such a sad account, it is so important to keep in mind and especially keep children informed that money has no true value and that love, love for others and an interest in and concern for their well being is in actuality why we are here.  (I encourage you to check out Kamala's excellent and interesting reporting at Kamala B. Sarup at OpEdNews and at her website MediaForFreedom.com)

   Afghanistan also has long had a problem with kidnapping and rapes of girls and women.  There is a struggle that we all should support for the equality of women and girls in Afghanistan. There are regular cases of rape and crimes against women and girls in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Perhaps the best place to keep updated on Women and girls in Afghanistan is http://www.rawa.org. The continued attacks, bombings and occasional poisonings at the girls schools show that for the Taliban or other Islamic groups that may support them girls are not valued at all.

   Women and girls in South Africa have been having a particularly rough time. Statistically South Africa ranks highest in the world for sexual assaults. Nelson Mandela expressed great concern over this issue. Being a man for and about freedom, this issue is about one of the most fundamental aspects of it. His wisdom and conscientiousness should inspire others to work for positive change. Else where on the continent, in Kenya a woman or girl is raped every 30 minutes.

In these locations and throughout the African continent there are women and organizations working to bring about a positive change, they all deserve our support. 

   In Asia the situation for millions of women and girls is shocking and heartbreaking but here too there are people working hard to save girls and women and to end one of humanities most evil practices. In the Asia Pacific area it is estimated that 11.7 women and girls are trafficked. Cambodia is one of the places where the subjugation of females is prevalent, resulting in the selling and at times kidnapping of girls. They are looked at as a commodity or something  to be used instead of as a human being. The Cambodian sex industry is propped up by large numbers of North Americans and Europeans going to Cambodia, and Thailand as sex tourists. There was one case of an American arrested for rape of a little girl, one that had been forced into prostitution. This lone arrest should be multiplied, there should be no tolerance for "johns". Someone who has been very active in informing the world about the plight of thousands of women and girls in Cambodia is Somaly Mam. She had been sold into prostitution as a little girl in Cambodia. She lived almost a decade as a young prostitute in Cambodia until finally through a combination of courage and luck she was able to become free.

She now run the Somaly Mam Foundation which works at freeing girls and women from prostitution, I encourage you to support her organization. Elsewhere in Asia it is estimated that close to 1 million Indonesian women and children have been trafficked. In a U.N. report from last year there was an curious graph that showed the stats for men and rape in some Asian countries. From a U.N. study-"Men Who've Committed Rape, Bangladesh 11.1%, Cambodia 20.8%, China 22.7%, Indonesia 31.9%, Papua New Guinea 60.7%,  Average 24.o%" 

   One of my favorite authors, who had written extensively on Asia issues, Chalmers Johnson, was also a highly respected U.S. military veteran. He was troubled by ongoing sexual assaults by U.S. military personnel on women and girls in both the Philippines and Okinawa. In one case, on Nov. 2, 2005, six marines from Okinawa, who had been dispatched to the Philippines  to train Filipino soldiers in anti terrorist tactics, raped a Filipina student outside of the former U.S. military base at Subic Bay.  Also in 2005, a U.S. Air Force staff sergeant molested a ten year old Okinawa girl on her way to school.

In both cases, and many others both before and after these incidents the U.S. has let these kind of crimes go unpunished through its "Immunity from prosecution" clause in their "Visiting Forces Agreement". I believe the immunity from prosecution is another crime on top of the other crimes.

   Another crime against women and girls that I believe most people in the U.S. are unaware of but it is very close to home.

They are somewhat old but they remain unsolved and hopefully they have stopped. These are the rape/murders of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Beginning in the 1990s the rape and murder of young women and girls started, they likely continued into the 2000s but I have not heard of any recent cases. Aside from the rape murders themselves the other disturbing aspect is that too few people seemed to care. There was at least one book written on the subject, but this too is something we should all care about.

   In the U.S., high school football, one of the countries most significant cultural traditions and an unfortunate exemplar of how off skew some Americans priorities and values are. In Steubenville, Ohio on August 11, 2012, a 16 year old girl was raped by two boys from the Steubenville High school football team. The girls family tried to report the rape but the police did nothing. They and the whole town sided with their "star" players. A very similar case occurred in Missouri.

Daisy Coleman who was a cheerleader at Maryville high school, after she was raped she endured bullying and was run out of town. Her rapist, Mathew Barnett, received a four year suspended sentence and two years probation. Another example of what misogyny does in America, the saddest of the examples, is that of Audrie Pott.  At Saratoga high school in Saratoga California Audrie Pott, who was only 15 when she died, had been raped by three Saratoga high school football players.

They had encouraged her to drink alcohol and after she passed out they raped her and videotaped her being assaulted which they posted on the internet. Audrie committed suicide on September 10, 2012.  Her attackers -two received 30 day sentences- on weekends. the third got 45 days, all three in juvenile hall.

   My concern for these issues began at a early age. When I was 6 my father died leaving my mother with four kids to take care of, of which I was the youngest.  Shortly after my dad had passed away I had a brain tumor and surgery to have it removed and at the time very emotionally dependent on my mother. My dad was a catholic and my mom had been a protestant which of course should not have mattered. But, what did happened is that when my mom needed emotional support from her family she was not getting it. And another thing began to occur, a close male relative of my mother would do something unforgivable, at least to me he would beat up my mother. He was bigger and she was still heartbroken over the death of her husband, my dad. When this happened I was confused and scared too but I would go between them and miraculously this would usually make him stop. I was always relieved that it made him stop and kind of shocked too.

I must have looked quite silly still having a bald head and everything but it all came to an end one day, my mother shot herself. I was 7 and completely heartbroken. I cried myself to sleep for six months. A couple of years later my moms relatives had invited me and my older sister to a "family" Thanks giving dinner, this was the first time they showed an interest in us.

When we went it turned out me and my sister was too serve them all thanksgiving dinner, we would be allowed to sit down and only after everyone else had been served and eaten. A important digression, one of my vivid childhood memories is of my mom, knocking on these relatives doors wanting to talk, wanting some emotional support, and I would see them peeking from behind the drapes as my mom was knocking on their door. She would come back to the car crying.

My moms emotional turmoil and her abandonment by her family when she needed them most, and her eventual suicide is at least in part why I have always empathized and sympathized with women and girls. I could not save my mom but I do feel that all the women and girls of the world are part of my family too.  I strongly encourage you all to reach out and help all our mothers, sisters and daughters to make sure they are all safe and free.


      I welcome any comments-Brian McAfee  brimac6@hotmail.com

Uniting Progressives Forum held in Duluth, Minnesota... articles and photos

Link to article in the Duluth Weekly Reader:

http://duluthreader.com/articles/2014/01/09/2728_the_kind_of_politics_that_minnesota_and_the_rest


Article:

The Kind of Politics That Minnesota - and the Rest of the World - Needs

Comments 2

There is an important political experiment happening here in Duluth this coming weekend. The one day event is called “Building Progressive Political Power in Minnesota”.

Progressive activist folks all over the nation have become suspicious of, weary of and/or outright angry with the Big Money/Big Business influences that are increasingly corrupting both of the political parties in two party system. These altruistic patriots who remember the era when America was a haven for the down-trodden have become disgusted - almost to the point of despair - by the anti-union/pro-corporate/anti-environment/anti-sustainability right-wing forces that are heavily influencing the elected officials and party bureaucrats of both the Republican (including its Libertarian branch) and the Democratic Parties in Minnesota.

Therefore, many of these progressive activists will be getting together this Saturday (January 11, 2014) at 11 AM at the First United Methodist Church (Copper Top) to discuss what can be done to counter what the cunning, uber-rich 1% (who are in the corporate/investor classes) have been doing to the 99% of those who find themselves underneath them in the un-democratic plutocratic class system (where the elite rule) that has evolved in America.

Following is a list of some of the topics to be discussed at the conference by a variety of presenters, panel discussions and small group discussions:

1) progressive political organizing (all participants)
2) livable wage legislation and full employment for all (Minnesota Greens and Uniting People),
3) universal single payer health care (Minnesota Citizens Federation and Physicians for a National Health Program),
4) issues concerning indigenous people (Idle No More);
5) wolf hunting (Northwoods Wolf Alliance);
6) grassroots political organizing (Minnesota Greens),
7) big money in state and national politics, especially since the Citizens United decision of 2010 (Move to Amend),
8) out-of-state, for profit, extractive mining corporations that are willing to risk the poisoning of the aquifers and the environment (WaterLegacy),

Vern Simula’s Recent Message to His Constituents

Vern Simula, the visionary and primary organizer of the conference, wrote a recent letter to some of his email correspondents. In his lament (and ultimate his call to action) Simula wrote:

“To put it bluntly, we are in crisis.

“We are in crisis with our economy, our climate, our environment, our system of government.

“We’ve tried for years and decades to change things for the better - but the trends only worsen.

“We’ve organized, we’ve demonstrated, we’ve worked on campaigns - and nothing really changes.

“We’ve voted for Democrats who promised progressive legislation - and very little changes.

“We keep on blogging and emailing and petitioning online, mostly talking amongst ourselves - and still nothing changes.

“Except the endless wars continue; the corporate subsidies continue; the corporate domination and corruption of our government continues; the environmental ravaging by mining and oil companies continues; the wealth/income disparities continue. And all the while, human devastation caused by poverty, joblessness, homelessness and inadequate healthcare continues to increase and the quality of life and financial security for most Americans deteriorates.”

“We need to put our heads together . . . to figure out how we can bring our concerns  - the progressive message - into the public square in a way that it can’t be marginalized . . . or ignored.

“We, on the progressive Left  need “more political clout.”  How to build that political clout is the basic agenda for the forum.”


Not Satisfied With Voting for the “Lesser of Two Evils” Anymore?

I personally have long been disgusted with the Democratic Party that has shifted away from many of the progressive political stances it embodied in the years of my early involvement with it. We used to have a surplus of real patriots who truly represented the common person and who were truly progressive, peace-minded thinkers and doers. I remember being proud to actively support Jack Kennedy, Bobbie Kennedy, George McGovern, Hubert Humphrey and Paul Wellstone, all of whom truly stood for peace and justice and the people. Lately however, I have become – at best - only capable of generating luke-warm support for some of the candidates that the Democratic Party bosses (in the proverbial smoke-filled room) have chosen for us to vote for. Too many of those candidates are only the lesser of two evils – and therefore I reluctantly vote.

For most of us altruistic Minnesotans, the assassination of Paul Wellstone was another punch to the solar plexus that was not much different from the blow we took after the political murders of the progressive leaders JFK, MLK and RFK. Part of the reason some of us idealists felt so bad after Paul’s murder was the fact that Wellstone was actually a “green” before his time. (For those who question the assassination assertion above, watch the short preview of the Snowshoe Films documentary “Wellstone: They Killed Him” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-bmmpoDndw and http://www.snowshoefilms.com/wellstone.html).

And so, since that last assassination of dangerous liberals (after which the Democratic Left finally got in step with the less deadly NeoCon/NeoLiberal corporate/militaristist agenda), I have come to regard myself as having no major party affiliation. I now regard myself as just a citizen with “green values” and no longer am a contributor to or promoter of centrist Democrats (whether center/left or center/right). During the election season, I only vote for Democrats because there are never any Republicans on the ballot who are even close to having a single “green” value. At least some of the Democratic candidates have a few of those values.

To familiarize readers with what are meant by progressive “green values” (which seems to be a primary motivation behind the conference this weekend) please read the following 10 points, which I obtained at a Green Party Minnesota website. Some readers may realize that they resonate with a majority of these values and want to join the progressive movement.

And perhaps even some members of the Democratic Party might be inspired to try to shift their party away from their deserved reputation of being a “Republican Light” political party.

10 KEY GREEN PARTY VALUES

1. Grassroots Democracy

Every human being deserves a say in the decisions that affect his or her life and should not be subject to the will of another.
Therefore, we will work to increase public participation at every level of government and to ensure that our public representatives are fully accountable to the people who elect them. We will also work to create new types of political organizations which expand the process of participatory democracy by directly including citizens in the decision making process.

2. Social Justice and Equal Opportunity

All persons should have the rights and opportunity to benefit equally from the resources afforded us by society and the environment.
We must consciously confront in ourselves, our organizations, and society at large, barriers such as racism and class oppression, sexism and homophobia, ageism and disability, which act to deny fair treatment and equal justice under the law.

3. Ecological Wisdom

Human societies must operate with the understanding that we are part of nature, not separate from nature. We must maintain an ecological balance and live within the ecological and resource limits of our communities and our planet. We support a sustainable society which utilizes resources in such a way that future generations will benefit and not suffer from the practices of our generation. To this end we must practice agriculture which replenishes the soil; move to an energy efficient economy; and live in ways that respect the integrity of natural systems.

4. Non-Violence

It is essential that we develop effective alternatives to society’s patterns of violence. We will work to demilitarize, and eliminate weapons of mass destruction, without being naïve about the intentions of other governments. We recognize the need for self-defense and the defense of others who are in helpless situations. We promote non-violent methods to oppose practices and policies with which we disagree, and will guide our actions toward lasting personal, community and global peace.

5. Decentralization of wealth and power

Centralization of wealth and power contributes to social and economic injustice, environmental destruction, and militarization.
Therefore, we support a restructuring of social, political and economic institutions away from a system which is controlled by and mostly benefits the powerful few, to a democratic, less bureaucratic system. Decision-making should, as much as possible, remain at the individual and local level, while assuring that civil rights are protected for all citizens.

6. Community Based Economics

Redesign our work structures to encourage employee ownership and workplace democracy. Develop new economic activities and institutions that will allow us to use our new technologies in ways that are humane, freeing, ecological and accountable, and responsive to communities. Establish some form of basic economic security, open to all. Move beyond the narrow “job ethic” to new definitions of “work,” jobs” and “income” that reflect the changing economy.  Restructure our patterns of income distribution to reflect the wealth created by those outside the formal monetary economy: those who take responsibility for parenting, housekeeping, home gardens, community volunteer work, etc. Restrict the size and concentrated power of corporations
without discouraging superior efficiency or technological innovation.

7. Feminism and Gender Equity

We have inherited a social system based on male domination of politics and economics. We call for the replacement of the cultural ethics of domination and control with more cooperative ways of interacting that respect differences of opinion and gender. Human values such as equity between the sexes, interpersonal responsibility, and honesty must be developed with moral conscience. We should remember that the process that determines our decisions and actions is just as important as achieving the outcome we want.

8. Respect for Diversity

We believe it is important to value cultural, ethnic, racial, sexual, religious and spiritual diversity, and to promote the development of respectful relationships across these lines. We believe that the many diverse elements of society should be reflected in our organizations and decision-making bodies, and we support the leadership of people who have been traditionally closed out of leadership roles. We acknowledge and encourage respect for other life forms than our own and the preservation of biodiversity
.
9. Personal and Global Responsibility

We encourage individuals to act to improve their personal wellbeing and, at the same time, to enhance ecological balance and social harmony. We seek to join with people and organizations around the world to foster peace, economic justice, and the health of the planet.

10. Future Focus and Sustainability

Our actions and policies should be motivated by long-term goals. We seek to protect valuable natural resources, safely disposing of or “unmaking” all waste we create, while developing a sustainable economics that does not depend on continual expansion for survival. We must counterbalance the drive for short-term profits by assuring that economic development, new technologies, and fiscal policies are responsible to future generations who will inherit the results of our actions. Make the quality of life, rather than open-ended economic growth, the focus of future thinking.

Comments

Gary (and other Readers), please take a look at The Reset Button document, on the ResetButtonMovement (dot) Org website. I know that you (Gary) were there, and heard a brief introduction about The Reset Button, but I'd ask to make sure you follow-up.

Something actually new and actually different and not a rehash of the efforts (over the course of my lifetime) that have been ineffective - if the real goal is to end up with a "government of the people" rather than an Elite/oligarch controlled corporatocracy.

Dennis Leahy

01/15/2014

Reply

I would like to point out that participants in the Forum agreed to circulate this Open Letter to Governor Mark Dayton and the DFL's super-majority. I would encourage people to print it off and ask their friends to sign:

January 2014

An Open Letter . . .

TO: Governor Mark Dayton and the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party Legislative Caucus.

FROM: Your Constituents


Enough! We are not waiting any longer!

As DFL candidates, you campaigned on a promise to enact legislation that provides low-wage workers a real, living wage — not just a “minimum” wage.

Your campaign language explicitly called for “workers being entitled to living wages!” It promised a Living Wage Act, but no progress was made in your first super-majority session.

All it would take, you said, was for Minnesotans to give the DFL a super-majority. Well, we voters delivered it to you! You have it! But now, instead of advancing Living Wage legislation, the DFL is floating another “minimum wage” bill that will just perpetuate poverty wages for many Minnesota workers!

For years, the DFL leadership has claimed Republicans were the lone obstacle to establishing a Living Wage in our state. That obstacle has been removed. You are now in the driver’s seat!

We, the workers of Minnesota, gave you the legislative votes to enact the Living Wage legislation you promised us.

We expect you now to do so. You could call it “The Minnesota Living Wage Act of 2014.”

Most importantly, we need to begin with a realistic dollar amount. Living Wages need to be calculated based on realistic levels of cost-of-living. U.S. Census data suggests at least $15 per hour; while, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), hourly wages of $22 and $26 at 40 hrs/week are needed to cover basic necessities. When making decisions on determining basic needs for a dignified life, the testimony from low-income Minnesotans should also be taken into consideration.

A Living Wage must also be subject to regular cost-of-living adjustments. The Consumer Price Index is our best indicator, and it should be used to adjust a new Minnesota Living Wage level quarterly or at least semi-annually.

If you should fail to enact such legislation, we will assume that you were just baiting us with nice-sounding campaign rhetoric, and that you are pulling a switch on us by simply advancing more employer-friendly “minimum wage” legislation, that does nothing to alleviate the hardships of Minnesota’s working poor.

Perhaps you think any increase is better than nothing. We don’t!

Minnesota has long been considered a progressive bellwether. Do something significant now for her working men and women. It is what everybody morally deserves — the prospect of a dignified life.

Be courageous. Lead our state — and our nation — in securing the right of every worker to earn a decent living.

It can begin with the Minnesota Living Wage Act of 2014.

You can make it happen!

Sincerely,

Your fellow Minnesotans

(as the undersigned, with our signatures attached herein)

Alan L. Maki

01/20/2014

Videos of the Forum are expected to be posted soon.

 

Photos (click on pics to enlarge)