Today, April 16, 2011, marks the 4th anniversary of the Virginia Tech massacre.
Nikki Giovanni at the Memorial Service–We are Virginia Tech
President Bush spoke to the Tech Students. So did Governor Tim Kaine:
Medal of Freedom Awarded to 15 Recipients
This afternoon President Obama awarded the Medal of Freedom to 15 recipients. The following were recipients:
Warren Buffett, Yo Yo Ma, George H. W. Bush, Bill Russell, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Rep. John Lewis, John Adams, Maya Angelou, Jasper Johns, Gerda Weissmann Klein, Tom Little (posthumously) , Sylvia Mendez, Stan Musial, Jean Kennedy Smith, and John Sweeney
The awards ceremony was very touching. President Obama was magnanimous. The most touching mini speech was given for former President Bush, who was in attendance.
The Challenger: 25 years ago today
The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honoured us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for the journey and waved goodbye and ‘slipped the surly bonds of earth’ to ‘touch the face of God.’
Thank you.
President Ronald Reagan – January 28, 1986
Limbaugh attacks Obama and Native Americans
President Obama issued the following Thanksgiving Proclaimation:
A beloved American tradition, Thanksgiving Day offers us the opportunity to focus our thoughts on the grace that has been extended to our people and our country. This spirit brought together the newly arrived Pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe — who had been living and thriving around Plymouth, Massachusetts for thousands of years — in an autumn harvest feast centuries ago. This Thanksgiving Day, we reflect on the compassion and contributions of Native Americans, whose skill in agriculture helped the early colonists survive, and whose rich culture continues to add to our Nation’s heritage. We also pause our normal pursuits on this day and join in a spirit of fellowship and gratitude for the year’s bounties and blessings.
“We Live in Hard Times, not in End Times”
Jon Stewart’s totally awesome closing comments from the Rally to Restore Sanity:
Text to accompany the video:
Just who does Jon Stewart think he is?
Yes, Elena and I love Jon Stewart. It beats a whole lot of other people we could love. Sunday’s Washington Post ran an article entitled Just who does Jon Stewart think he is? in anticipation of this Saturday’s event on the National Mall called Rally to Restore Sanity. Stewart arrives Monday for preparation. Very little is known about the event which begins at noon. No special guests have been announced nor have any artists. The rally will be broadcast live on Comedy Central.
In some ways, Stewart returns to his roots. He is a William and Mary graduate, class of 1984. According to the Washington Post article:
Stewart, 47, has never claimed to be anything more than a guy trying to get laughs on “a fake news program on basic cable,” as he puts it. While that surely understates his case, it comports with his background as a stand-up comic and entertainer.
and
The Rally to Restore Sanity: The Million Moderate March
Jon Stewart made his big announcement Thursday night:
From CBS:
Jon Stewart announced on “The Daily Show” Thursday night that he’ll hold a rally on the National Mall in Washington D.C., on October 30. He showed some of the signs that organizers would be handing out at the event, which had slogans such as, “9/11 was an Outside Job.” He said the message would be to “take it down a notch for America.” The event is called the “Rally to Restore Sanity,” and is for people who think neither Barack Obama nor George W. Bush is Adolf Hitler.
For fans of “The Daily Show,” the news gets better. Stephen Colbert is participating, too. He’s also holding a rally on October 30. It’s called “The March to Keep Fear Alive,” in keeping with his right-wing talk show host persona on “The Colbert Report.”
At one point, Stewart called his event a “million moderate march.”
Cobert, playing on his right wing skit, has named his rally, “The March to Keep Fear Alive.”
Stewart criticizes extremists on both sides. I think that is his message. His appeal is to the 70-80 percenters. Finally, a rally for me.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Rally to Restore Sanity | ||||
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9-11: The Day We Were All Americans
Much has changed in a post 9-11 world, yet very little has changed. We still go about our daily lives as though little has changed. Flying is a huge pain. Getting a drivers’ license is more involved. We have codes and security measures but on the whole, not much has changed for most of us. Oh yes, we have been involved in 2 wars. But, like most modern wars, they don’t really impact your every day American.
I renew my anger and rage on 9-11. I need to not be complacent. I need to feel how I felt on 9-11-2001, just for a while. It is all too easy, because I haven’t been impacted by 9-11 on any real and personal level, to just let it drift off like those horrible national events that have gone before it….blurred by the annals of time.
Film footage is a good stimulus to bring all my rage roaring back.
We cannot let new debates, wars, and politics change the real message of 9-11. We were an innocent people just going about our daily lives when evil took over for the day; when zealtory, in a flash, wiped out the lives of over 3,000 people and left their families and friends without fathers, mothers, children, aunts, uncles, grandparents, girl friends and boyfriends. We must remain vigilant. We must restoke our rage when it starts to diminish. On 9-11-2001 we were all Americans. We seem to forget about that also.
“9500 Liberty” to Air on MTV
“9500 LIBERTY” TO PREMIERE ON MTV NETWORKS, PRESS SCREENING TONIGHT
Award-winning film on SB 1070 precursor will reach 100 million homes starting Sept. 26
(NY, New York) Sept. 7th, 2010 – MTV Networks will announce upcoming air dates for 9500 LIBERTY at a high-profile screening/panel discussion in New York this evening. The critically acclaimed documentary chronicles the social, political, and economic impact of The Immigration Resolution, a law closely resembling Arizona’s SB 1070 that was briefly implemented in a Virginia county in 2008.
9500 LIBERTY
screening, panel discussion, cocktail reception
NY Times Building
620 8th Avenue (Entrance on 41 street), Time Square}
5:30 to 8:00 pm
screening, panel discussion, cocktail reception
NY Times Building
620 8th Avenue (Entrance on 41 street), Time Square}
5:30 to 8:00 pm
- John Quinones, ABC Primetime Anchor
- Annabel Park, 9500 Liberty co-director and Coffee Party founder
- Corey Stewart, Prince William County BOCS Chairman
- Chuck Wexler, E.D. of the Police Executives Research Forum
- Maria Kumar, Voto Latino Co-founder
- Paul Rodriguez, Comedian
- moderated by New York Times reporter Fernanda Santos
9500 LIBERTY is directed by Annabel Park and Eric Byler, founders of the Coffee Party, which holds its first national convention in Louisville, KY Sept. 24-26, the same weekend as the film’s cable premiere.
Park will speak on tonight’s panel along side Tea Party favorite Corey Stewart, a leading figure in 9500 LIBERTY. This will provide an opportunity for the two to reconcile conflicting accounts of events portrayed in the film. For instance, Stewart has publicly denied the vote on April 29, 2008 that removed the most controversial aspect of the law (a key scene in the film), and made claims about immigration and crime that contradict statistics cited in the film.
As Chairman of the Prince William County Board of County Supervisors, Stewart used “The Immigration Resolution” as the center of his reelection campaign in 2007. Implemented on March 6, 2008, Stewart’s law required police officers to question people they had “probable cause” to suspect may be in the country illegally. With Arizona’s version pending in federal court and other jurisdictions around the country considering similar measures, Prince William County remains the only jurisdiction in the United States to implement such a mandate. Stewart is now lobbying to revive the law, this time throughout Virginia.
The cable debut of 9500 LIBERTY will be on Sunday, September 26th at 8pm (ET/PT) on MTV2, mtvU (MTV’s 24-hour college network), and Tr3s: MTV, Música y Más (formerly MTV Tr3s) as part of Hispanic Heritage Month.
“The decisions our elected representatives make on immigration reform now will impact our audience for generations,” said Stephen Friedman, EVP & GM of MTV Networks. “As the national debate rages, MTV is committed to engaging America’s youth as informed and active participants – and sharing this powerful film is a great way to start that process.”
“To compete in the 21st century, America needs a new generation of leaders who have grown up thriving in the richness of diversity,” Park said. “People under 30 know intuitively where we need to go as a nation. We need to hear from them more often.”
The Participants: the interviews
Several days ago someone on the blog said they were just waiting for the pictures of the people who looked like the biggest idiots or who had the worst signs. In other words, the liberal media has been accused of cherry picking. Perhaps.
At any rate, whoever said that would happen was correct. Here it is:
The misinformation is astounding. What do Americans do to combat this kind of misinformation?
This video is about political perceptions, not the rally. It must have seemed like a good place to dip-stick.
Not Even Close
Some of the slogans and buttons seen around town this past weekend simply do not represent the truth. How do we break these sort of misconceptions and report history accurately?
George Washington never said it or wrote it, accordingn to most sources.
How about redefining what some of the founding fathers were?
Right Wing Radicals? There was nothing right wing about these guys. If one defines radical as: One who advocates fundamental or revolutionary changes in current practices, conditions, or institutions, then most definitely radical, just not right wing radical. I used to think that expression was an oxymoron. Not any more.
Glenn Beck gave a post mortem on his Restoring Honor rally. He was very concerned about the crowd size numbers being reported. Every organization is always concerned with numbers. It is going home with the most marbles on a grand scale. He did bring in a huge crowd. Good for him. It was peaceful and no one carried offensive signs.
The Real “I Have a Dream Speech” August 28, 1963
I meant to post this yesterday. King managed to capture the moral imperative of the day. Perhaps this is a good time to compare and contrast.
Yesterday’s rally cannot be ignored. There was relevancy there that we have not yet realized. Probaby the participants have not yet realized it either. There are some winds of change that might not be in the best interests of anyone. Time will tell. Meanwhile, read Bill4Dogcatcher for some insight from a moderate conservative first hand witness.
Full Text of the I have a Dream Speech
Dana Milbank Calls Out Glenn Beck
The Washington Postcolumist Dana Milbank has a few words to say about Glenn Beck and his new-found affection of civil rights.
Civil rights’ new ‘owner’: Glenn Beck
By Dana Milbank
Sunday, August 29, 2010There is a telling anecdote in Glenn Beck’s 2003 memoir about how the cable news host was influenced by the great fantasist Orson Welles. To travel between performances in Manhattan, Beck recounts, Welles hired an ambulance, sirens blaring, to ferry him around town — not because Welles was ill but because he wanted to avoid traffic.
Most of us would regard this as dishonest, a ploy by the self-confessed charlatan that Welles was. Beck saw it as a model to be emulated. “Welles,” he writes, “inspired me to believe that I can create anything that I can see or imagine.”
I was reminded of Beck’s affection for deception as he hyped his march on Washington — an event scheduled for the same date (Aug. 28) and on the same spot (the Lincoln Memorial) as Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic march 47 years ago. Beck claimed it was pure coincidence, but then he made every effort to appropriate the mantle of the great civil rights leader.
Restoring Honor?
According to the Huffington Post:
Palin told the tens of thousands who stretched from the marble steps of the Lincoln Memorial to the grass of the Washington Monument that calls to transform the country weren’t enough. “We must restore America and restore her honor,” said the former Alaska governor, echoing the name of the rally, “Restoring Honor.”
Palin, the GOP vice presidential nominee in 2008 and a potential White House contender in 2012, and Beck repeatedly cited King and made references to the Founding Fathers. Beck put a heavy religious cast on nearly all his remarks, sounding at times like an evangelical preacher.
“Something beyond imagination is happening,” he said. “America today begins to turn back to God.”
I don’t ever recall America losing her honor. That is probably one of the most offensive remarks I believe I have ever heard. If America’s honor needs restoring, does that mean America is dishonorable? I sure hope that isn’t what Sarah Palin meant. She is on real shaky grounds with her remarks.
Economic Impact on AZ–There are no winners
Where does this case go?
Most people feel it will eventually go to the Supreme Court. Will the law be in effect until the case gets to the Supreme Court? Private lawyers are representing Arizona in this case.
