Friday, December 21, 2012
NRA Chief Calls for Armed Police in Every U.S. School
Interrupted twice by demonstrators holding signs saying "NRA KILLING OUR KIDS," National Rifle Association Chief Executive Wayne LaPierre called for armed police officers in every school in the U.S. to protect school children after the Sandy Hook massacre. Rough Cut (no reporter narration)
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Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Obama is 2012 TIME Person of the Year
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19 Dec 2012 14:51 Africa/Lagos
The 2012 TIME Person of the Year: President Barack Obama
Plus: Exclusive Interviews with Obama, Tim Cook and Mohamed Morsi
NEW YORK, Dec. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, TIME names President Barack Obama the 2012 TIME Person of the Year. In an exclusive interview with TIME, Obama discusses the economy, his reelection and legacy. Plus, TIME has the first look at four official White House photos, including one of Obama writing his Newtown speech while watching Sasha Obama's ballet rehearsal this past Sunday. TIME also shot exclusive behind-the-scenes photos and a rare portrait of the President. Read the stories and see the photos, cover and videos now on TIME.com and tablet and on newsstands Friday, December 21.
www.time.com/poy . #poy2012
For the sixth year in a row, TIME names a Person of the Year shortlist — No. 2 Malala Yousafzai, No. 3 Tim Cook, No. 4 Mohamed Morsi, No. 5 Fabiola Gianotti — each of which will be featured for the first time on four additional covers inside the magazine. Plus, this year's TIME Person of the Year cover features a silver border — only the fourth cover in TIME's 89-year history without the trademark red border.
See the cover: http://ti.me/HKI7
See White House photos: http://ti.me/WGrIiF
See TIME's exclusive behind-the-scenes photos : http://ti.me/TypMYf
EDITOR RICK STENGEL ON TIME'S SELECTION OF OBAMA AS TIME PERSON OF THE YEAR: " We are in the midst of historic cultural and demographic changes, and Obama is both the symbol and in some ways the architect of this new America…. For finding and forging a new majority, for turning weakness into opportunity and for seeking, amidst great adversity, to create a more perfect union, Barack Obama is Time 's Person of the Year 2012."
http://ti.me/WnJers
TIME EXCLUSIVE: OBAMA TELLS TIME OF HIS RE-ELECTION, "2012 may have been more satisfying a win than 2008…. I think it was easy to think that maybe 2008 was the anomaly, and I think 2012 was an indication that no, this is not an anomaly."
On a new Obama-era coalition: "For all the divisions that you read about in our politics -- and many of them are real and powerful -- the truth is, is that we have steadily become a more diverse and tolerant country that embraces people's differences, and respects people who are not like us. And that's a profoundly good thing."
The December 31, 2012 Person of the Year issue of TIME goes on sale on Friday, December 21.
SOURCE TIME
CONTACT: TIME PR Hotline, +1-212-522-4800
Web Site: http://www.time.com
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Sunday, December 16, 2012
Let Us Pray for America and Comfort Her
In memory of all the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre on Friday December 14, 2012, in Sandy Hook village of Newtown, Connecticut, U.S.A. The second-deadliest mass shooting in United States history, after the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre.
CHARLOTTE BACON, 6
DANIEL BARDEN, 7
RACHEL DAVINO, 29
OLIVIA ENGEL, 6
JOSEPHINE GAY, 7
ANA G. MARQUEZ-GREENE, 6
DYLAN HOCKLEY, 6
DAWN HOCHSPRUNG, 47
MADELEINE F. HSU, 6
CATHERINE V. HUBBARD, 6
CHASE KOWALSKI, 7
JESSE LEWIS, 6
JAMES MATTIOLI, 6
GRACE MCDONNELL, 7
ANNE MARIE MURPHY, 52
EMILIE PARKER, 6
JACK PINTO, 6
NOAH POZNER, 6
CAROLINE PREVIDI, 6
JESSICA REKOS, 6
AVIELLE RICHMAN, 6
LAUREN ROUSSEAU, 30
MARY SHERLACH, 56
VICTORIA SOTO, 27
BENJAMIN WHEELER, 6
ALLISON N. WYATT, 6
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Thursday, November 8, 2012
First Ever Veterans Day Broadcast On PBS Celebrates All Our American Heroes
First Ever Veterans Day Broadcast On PBS Celebrates All Our American Heroes
Washington, DC, November 01, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — This November 11th at 8 p.m. ET, PBS will bring the nation together in tribute to the service and sacrifice of our over 22 million American veterans with the inaugural broadcast of the NATIONAL SALUTE TO VETERANS. Hosted by acclaimed actors Joe Mantegna (“Criminal Minds”) and Gary Sinise (“CSI: New York”), the national television event celebrates all our American heroes who have served throughout our country’s history.
The one-hour program is produced by Capital Concerts, the nation’s leading producer of live holiday specials and the production force behind A CAPITOL FOURTH and the NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT. These two celebrations of America’s most important holidays have become annual traditions and the number one and number three top-rated programs on PBS.
The NATIONAL SALUTE TO VETERANS will feature new footage shot with co-hosts Mantegna and Sinise in Washington, DC, as well as a selection of “best of the best” moments from past NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERTS. The all-star line-up includes distinguished American leader General Colin L. Powell USA (Ret.); Academy Award, Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker; “American Idol” finalist Pia Toscano; singer-songwriter Javier Colon (winner of “The Voice”); “American Idol” winner Kris Allen; acclaimed actors A.J. Cook and Jason Ritter; and gospel legend Yolanda Adams, accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by maestro Jack Everly.
The program will feature:
- A special thank you to our troops who have been serving in Iraq and Afghanistan by General Colin Powell;
- A heartfelt tribute to our wounded warriors for their bravery and service to country;
- A look at how veterans and their families are coping with the often invisible wounds of war; and
- The touching story of the healing friendship between a young woman and a Vietnam veteran who served with her father.
The NATIONAL SALUTE TO VETERANS will air on PBS Sunday, November 11, 2012 from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. ET, as well as to our troops serving around the world on the American Forces Network.
# # #
MEDIA CONTACT:
Kristina Hallman(202) 537-5199
khallman@starpower.net
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Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Gays and Lesbians Claim President Obama's Re-Election Victory As US Stocks Fall
Gays and lesbians are claiming the successful reelection of incumbent President Barack Obama on Tuesday November 6, 2012. But his victory over the Republican presidential flag bearer Mitt Romney seems to have a negative impact on US stocks as The Telegraph reported that stock markets on Wall Street tumbled the following day.
Landslide Victory for LGBT Equality Up and Down the Ballot
From marriage campaigns to reelecting President Obama and other priorities, LGBT Americans were the big winners on election night
WASHINGTON, Nov. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender civil rights organization, reacted to the overwhelming electoral victories for LGBT people, calling it a milestone year with a clear mandate for equality moving forward. For the past two years, HRC has been laying the groundwork for our largest mobilization effort ever to ensure 2012 is a turning point year for LGBT equality. HRC and our energetic supporters have raised and contributed more than $20 million to reelect President Obama and to advance marriage equality and other electoral priorities this cycle. On marriage equality, HRC invested $8.4 million this cycle to include $5.5 million in the four marriage ballot measure states.
HRC President Chad Griffin released the following statement:
"When the history books are written, 2012 will be remembered as the year when LGBT Americans won decisively at the ballot box. The dreams of millions of fair-minded Americans were realized as discrimination crumbled and equality prevailed."
Marriage Wins at Ballot Box for First Time
"For the first time, voters in Maine and Maryland voted to allow loving couples to make lifelong commitments through marriage – forever taking away the right-wing talking point that marriage equality couldn't win on the ballot. No amount of well-funded lies about our families could deceive Mainers and Marylanders. We await results in Minnesota and Washington State but remain optimistic that they will be successful as well. The momentum for marriage equality has never been stronger, and with poll after poll showing a growing majority of support, we have a renewed certainty that we will win this fight.
Pro-Marriage Equality President Wins Reelection
"As millions of Americans celebrate President Obama's reelection tonight, the LGBT community is particularly elated to return the most pro-equality President ever to a second term. There is no doubt that we will continue to see tremendous strides forward like we've made during his first four years with our Ally-in-Chief back in office. While some pundits predicted the President's support for marriage equality would hinder his campaign, we know the opposite is true. His historic and heartfelt declaration that all loving and committed couples should be able to marry further motivated millions of voters and sparked conversations that led to wins for marriage at the ballot box. His win is further proof of the marriage equality movement's momentum.
First Openly Gay Senator
"Another milestone was celebrated as Senator-elect Tammy Baldwin has again earned her spot in the history books. As the first openly gay person elected to the United States Senate, she is a role model for LGBT youth and all young women across the country. With a relentless focus on the issues that matter most to Wisconsin voters – economic security, access to healthcare, and fairness and inclusion for all – Senator-elect Baldwin earned the respect of all her constituents, gay and straight.
Pickup of Fair-Minded and Openly LGB Members of Congress
"For LGBT youth who aspire to public service, we have shattered a glass by sending Tammy Baldwin to the Senate and increasing the number openly LGB members of Congress. In the Senate we have at least three new marriage equality supporters who proudly declared their support for marriage for gay and lesbian couples on the campaign trail.
Voters Retain Iowa Justice Who Decided for Marriage
"It appears that Iowans have made a strong statement for judicial independence and refused to let politics get in the way of judges doing their duty to uphold the law. Anti-gay groups trying to exact political retribution on judges should learn their lesson. Marriage equality remains the law of the land in Iowa and judges like Justice Wiggins will continue to do their jobs.
LGBT Voters Flex Political Muscle, Break for President
"Our community has flexed our political muscle with exit polls showing an increase from 4 percent of the vote in 2008 to 5 percent this year. And the President gained many more supporters among lesbian, gay and bisexual voters – jumping seven points to garner 77% of our vote.
Moving Forward
"Tonight we celebrate, but tomorrow morning we get up and get back to work so that the victories we hail tonight are felt everywhere across this great country. Too many people are denied the ability to marry. Too many people go to their jobs without workplace protections. Too many young people go to bed at night and stare at the ceiling, sleeplessly wondering what awaits them the next day at school or at church or in their own home. Thanks to all the hard work in achieving tonight's victories, we finally have momentum on our side and we will not rest until the promise of equal justice under the law is realized for every single person living in every single corner of this vast country."
The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.
SOURCE Human Rights Campaign
HRC President Chad Griffin released the following statement:
"When the history books are written, 2012 will be remembered as the year when LGBT Americans won decisively at the ballot box. The dreams of millions of fair-minded Americans were realized as discrimination crumbled and equality prevailed."
Marriage Wins at Ballot Box for First Time
"For the first time, voters in Maine and Maryland voted to allow loving couples to make lifelong commitments through marriage – forever taking away the right-wing talking point that marriage equality couldn't win on the ballot. No amount of well-funded lies about our families could deceive Mainers and Marylanders. We await results in Minnesota and Washington State but remain optimistic that they will be successful as well. The momentum for marriage equality has never been stronger, and with poll after poll showing a growing majority of support, we have a renewed certainty that we will win this fight.
Pro-Marriage Equality President Wins Reelection
"As millions of Americans celebrate President Obama's reelection tonight, the LGBT community is particularly elated to return the most pro-equality President ever to a second term. There is no doubt that we will continue to see tremendous strides forward like we've made during his first four years with our Ally-in-Chief back in office. While some pundits predicted the President's support for marriage equality would hinder his campaign, we know the opposite is true. His historic and heartfelt declaration that all loving and committed couples should be able to marry further motivated millions of voters and sparked conversations that led to wins for marriage at the ballot box. His win is further proof of the marriage equality movement's momentum.
First Openly Gay Senator
"Another milestone was celebrated as Senator-elect Tammy Baldwin has again earned her spot in the history books. As the first openly gay person elected to the United States Senate, she is a role model for LGBT youth and all young women across the country. With a relentless focus on the issues that matter most to Wisconsin voters – economic security, access to healthcare, and fairness and inclusion for all – Senator-elect Baldwin earned the respect of all her constituents, gay and straight.
Pickup of Fair-Minded and Openly LGB Members of Congress
"For LGBT youth who aspire to public service, we have shattered a glass by sending Tammy Baldwin to the Senate and increasing the number openly LGB members of Congress. In the Senate we have at least three new marriage equality supporters who proudly declared their support for marriage for gay and lesbian couples on the campaign trail.
Voters Retain Iowa Justice Who Decided for Marriage
"It appears that Iowans have made a strong statement for judicial independence and refused to let politics get in the way of judges doing their duty to uphold the law. Anti-gay groups trying to exact political retribution on judges should learn their lesson. Marriage equality remains the law of the land in Iowa and judges like Justice Wiggins will continue to do their jobs.
LGBT Voters Flex Political Muscle, Break for President
"Our community has flexed our political muscle with exit polls showing an increase from 4 percent of the vote in 2008 to 5 percent this year. And the President gained many more supporters among lesbian, gay and bisexual voters – jumping seven points to garner 77% of our vote.
Moving Forward
"Tonight we celebrate, but tomorrow morning we get up and get back to work so that the victories we hail tonight are felt everywhere across this great country. Too many people are denied the ability to marry. Too many people go to their jobs without workplace protections. Too many young people go to bed at night and stare at the ceiling, sleeplessly wondering what awaits them the next day at school or at church or in their own home. Thanks to all the hard work in achieving tonight's victories, we finally have momentum on our side and we will not rest until the promise of equal justice under the law is realized for every single person living in every single corner of this vast country."
The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.
SOURCE Human Rights Campaign
CONTACT: Paul Guequierre, +1-202-423-2860, paul.guequierre@hrc.org Web Site: http://www.hrc.org
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Saturday, November 3, 2012
The American Presidential Election and the Rest of Us
The American Presidential Election and the Rest of Us
The 2012 United States presidential election is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012.
Every American presidential election attracts the rest of the world more than others, because whatever rules in America affects the rest of us.
The American occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq have done us more harm than good by provoking Muslims all over the world to hate Americans more than ever before and hey are attacking American interests and allies such as Christians in Nigeria and Kenya and other places, because they erroneously think America is a Christian nation and the number one ally of the Zionist Israel the chosen of the God of Christians. But majority of American voters are ignorant of these facts and the liberal elites behind President Barack Obama don't really care about the global leadership of America, but about their selfish liberal idiosyncrasies they want to dictate to the rest of conservative Americans. I have been reading Paul Krugman's critical analysis of Mitt Romney and in his elitist arrogance he wants to dictate his wisdom to the rest of Americans as if he cannot be wrong. But he cannot think for American voters. If you don't like Romney, that does not mean you are wiser than those who like him and believe he deserves the chance to be elected as the next and new President of the United States of America.
The majority of American voters don't care whether their president is black or white, but that he keeps his promises, but the one who told them "Yes We Can" four years ago has failed them.
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Saturday, October 27, 2012
On Racism in America
Well, white folks still treat black folks better than Arabs.
Arabs don't like blacks at all and they have massacred many black Sudanese in Darfur.
America is still better than Europe, Asia, Middle East, Australia and North Africa.
Will white Britons elect a Black Prime Minister or let any of the royal Princesses wed a black man?
White Americans have accepted more Blacks than other races.
All White Americans cannot love Blacks till the end of the world.
As all Muslims cannot love all Christians till Judgement Day.
We cannot please everybody.
We all bleed red blood and our brains and hearts have the same color.
Racism is caused by ignorance and insecurity.
The most enlightened people are not racists and will never be racists.
But intellectually immature and insecure people will remain narrow-minded.
We blacks have done more collateral damages to ourselves than our White colonial rulers. The Nigerian civil war claimed over a million lives, Rwandan genocide claimed over 800, 000 lives, the Darfur genocide has claimed over 400, 000 lives and the war in Congo is claiming thousands of lives before our very eyes.
How many blacks are in college compared to jail?
Law Professor Michelle Alexander made headlines with her statement that more Blacks reside “in prison or jail, on probation or parole than were enslaved in 1850, before the Civil War began. ”
Only education can set us free from every discrimination by race, class or creed.
~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima
RECOMMENDED READING
Racism in America.
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Friday, October 26, 2012
President Obama is failing in Afghanistan
President Obama is failing in Afghanistan
Do you know that more U.S. Troops have been killed in Afghanistan under President Barack Obama within four years than under former President George W. Bush’s two terms of eight years?
According to Michael Prysner, a veteran of the war in Iraq and an anti-war activist:
• During former-Pres. George W. Bush’s tenure, 575 U.S. troops were killed in Afghanistan.
• Since President Obama took office on Jan. 20, 2009, 580 U.S. troops have perished there (as of August 19).
In just 19 months, the Afghan war under Obama has claimed more U.S. lives than the previous administration’s entire 88-month quagmire.
That number does not include the exorbitant number of suicides, of which June 2010 brought the highest number in U.S. military history. In that single month alone, seven GIs killed themselves while deployed in Afghanistan or Iraq, along with dozens of others stateside.
That number also does not include the vastly inflamed number of GIs who are maimed, paralyzed, endure brain trauma and lose limbs. According to ABC news, in 2010, U.S. troops are being maimed at 12 times the rate they were in 2008.
These statistics are joined by the highest level of military spending in world history, and new reports that show 2010 to be the deadliest year for Afghan civilians as well as U.S./NATO troops.
This is the change in U.S. foreign policy we have gotten from the former “anti-war” presidential candidate that so many well-meaning people supported as a repudiation of the path taken by the Bush administration. That path had led to so much blood spilled, so many lives destroyed and so many resources squandered.
But all we really got was a different figurehead standing at the helm of the same war machine. Riding with Obama is the same clique who rode along with Bush. Gen. Petraeus, who presided over the bloodiest phase of the Iraq war, now presides over the bloody quagmire of Afghanistan. The long-time defense contractor sweetheart Robert Gates was retained as Secretary of Defense (who will likely soon make his exit from the Afghan war debacle). Even Frederick Kagan has been brought on to the strategy team. Kagan is from the viciously neoconservative think-tank American Enterprise Institute and was a close partner to Bush during the troop surge in Iraq.
It is not just the same commanders that have stayed in place, but the corporate interests they represent. Dick Cheney’s Halliburton, which so many recognized as part of the war drive, still has the same lucrative relationship with the U.S. government. The same defense contractors continue to rake in the biggest profits in history and enjoy the same partnership with the Pentagon. The same oil giants feasting on Iraq are waiting to cash in on Afghanistan’s new oil fields and pipelines. And the same U.S. business interests as a whole are foaming at the mouth over the vast wealth in minerals and natural resources, both in Afghanistan and in the surrounding former Soviet republics that they will be able to access with the U.S. military force in Afghanistan.
This is not what the supporters of Obama expected when they voted for a “change.” Washington and the Pentagon are still carving up the world for Wall Street, and paying for it with our blood.
A lot has remained the same. There may be a new administration, but the same generals and corporate interests are standing over the White House. When it comes to whose interests this government and these wars are serving, absolutely nothing has changed.
But what has changed is the number of dead. What has changed is the rate at which they are dying. What has changed is the number of widows, orphans, amputees and psychologically traumatized soldiers.
What has also changed is that the Afghan War Logs, leaked to the public by WikiLeaks, finally show us the reality of the military adventure in Afghanistan. They have revealed what the generals and politicians know and have known, that they are badly losing the war with no chance of “victory.” So the record-setting fatalities in Afghanistan, which continue to spike, are happening so the politicians can avoid the political setback of having lost the war.
The Obama administration has sent more U.S. troops to their deaths in Afghanistan than Bush—but many more are likely to die on Obama’s watch. The resistance in Afghanistan is stronger than ever before, and, as even the Pentagon generals admit, can never be defeated militarily.
And all we are promised is that in July 2011, based on “conditions on the ground,” the U.S. might send home some undisclosed number of troops from Afghanistan.
Last December, before Obama broke Bush’s record, he stood before the world to give the war effort a badly needed boost of support. He told us that our cause was just, that we had a new strategy to win the war, and that the end was right around the corner in 2011.
But this cause is not just. This is nothing but a war to access resources, new markets, and labor previously off-limits to U.S. capitalism. The new strategy to win the war has gone up in flames—even their highly publicized propaganda operation in Marjah, which was supposed to showcase the correctness and success of the new strategy, was a complete disaster and called a “bleeding ulcer” by McChrystal before he was fired.
The end is not around the corner—that was for public consumption. The promise was only to “begin withdrawing some troops.” Gen. Petraeus has already hinted that even this minor reduction in troops will be postponed. There is currently no end in sight.
This is why March Forward! stands in support of those service members who have decided to refuse to take part in this war.
All the anger, frustration, protests and political action seen under the Bush administration forced the billionaires on Wall Street and their millionaire puppets in Washington to adjust their strategies to maintain crucial public support for the wars. So they gave us President Obama. And it worked, for a little while.
But the skyrocketing body count makes it clear that all the things about these wars that the people turned against under Bush are still firmly in place under Obama. There is no reason for the people of the United States and soldiers in the military to support the war in Afghanistan. The Afghan people have the right to self-determination. The U.S./NATO force needs to leave—immediately, unconditionally and completely. It will take a resurgence of the political movement that sprung into action under Bush to make that happen.
We need to stand up, inspire more GIs to resist, and fight back against this war—before Obama reaches his next milestone of death and destruction.
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