NEW -- CAUSES -- APPLY THIS ADVICE

The New Civil Rights Movement needs YOU to learn how to ACTIVATE, AGITATE, and ACCUMULATE VICTORIES in the Movement. There is no ONE victory, but many victories on the front of a war against injustice, discrimination, racism and exploitation.

     If you are just getting started in Civil Rights Activism, the best advice I can give you is to LOOK AROUND and SEE WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING, and take part in those causes you fine worthy and just. If you are dedicated to change, to speaking on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves alone, or becoming involved in fights against injustice and inequality you are NOT alone!

     As Americans, WE are the Movement that will create the CHANGE WE SEEK! Each instance of injustice is too many. What can you do? Here are a couple of tips that I endorse wholeheartedly. (njb)

More to Come...

https://www.causes.com/?utm_source=Mother_Jones&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MJ_email

GREAT VIDEO
     Short. Sweet. To the Point. FERTILE SEEDS for the GRASSROOTS Organizer or one considering community organizing or civil rights activism.

PETITION to NBC: Accountable for HONEST REPORTING

If the news journalists do not believe they are responsible for reporting the truth, what ARE they reporting? The campaign to smear the President and everything about him has reached heights of insanity that has apparently drawn in legitimate news sources as laying down their accountability to the public for being trustworthy. We, the People, Politics should NOT accept this irresponsible attitude in our news. Please join with me and others to let NBC know, they are only as good as the accuracy of their news reporting! (njb)

Tell NBC News: Correcting Republican lies is part of journalism.

Dear Nancy, In a Morning Joe segment last week addressing misinformation about the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare), NBC News Political Director Chuck Todd made the outrageous claim that it isn’t his job to inform viewers when Republican politicians lie about political issues. As a regular NBC and MSNBC viewer, and a politically engaged American, I’m deeply concerned by Chuck Todd’s view that correcting lies is not his job as a journalist. That's why I started my own campaign on CREDOMobilize.com, which allows activists to start their own petitions. My petition, which is to NBC News President Deborah Turness, asks the following: Chuck Todd’s assertion that correcting Republican lies isn’t his job is factually incorrect and counter to the purpose of journalism. Hold Chuck Todd accountable by issuing a public apology for his outrageous statement and ensure that all NBC News and MSNBC journalists know that correcting political misinformation and lies is part of their job description. How is it possible that the political director of NBC News doesn’t think it is his job to inform NBC viewers with facts about important political issues? This shouldn’t be hard. Journalists are supposed to inform their audience with facts. When lies are provided for partisan purposes, it is not "doing the job of the White House to sell" a government program to say that these are lies. That's reporting. That's journalism. Someone who just repeats what is said to him without placing it in context is called a stenographer -- or, worse, a propagandist -- not a journalist. Given NBC News’ policy of not informing its viewers of the facts about the Affordable Care Act, it should come as no surprise that 70% of the American people don’t understand what the law does. Make no mistake, if Chuck Todd and his other colleagues at NBC News actually fact-checked all the lies that Republicans tell about the Affordable Care Act, that number would be much, much lower. NBC News must accept its responsibility for Americans’ poor understanding of the law. If NBC’s job is to provide factual information to its viewers, it has totally failed the American people. MSNBC prides itself on being the TV network that "leans forward." If enough activists speak up against the mainstreaming of conservative misinformation on MSNBC it will create genuine pressure on the network to hold Chuck Todd accountable. Will you join me and add your name to my petition telling NBC News to hold Chuck Todd accountable for letting Republican liars off the hook? Thank you for your support. Nicole Belle

PETITION: Stop the Monsanto Protection Act

Food is a central concern to Americans, and related to many Civil Rights issues. The Monsanto Protection Act goes beyond Civil Rights to Civil LIVES! Please read over this petition, and if you support it, please sign and share/RT/post. Food is not a privilege, as an American, but a RIGHT! (njb)

Follow the link to sign the petition. Thank you.

http://www.stopthemonsantoprotectionact.com/2013/09/24/stop-monsanto-protection-act-merkley-mo/

The Monsanto Protection Act is an outrage. It allows big agricultural and biotech corporations to ignore food safety regulations and sell genetically engineered foods even after a court order to stop.

The good news? The Monsanto Protection Act expires on September 30.

The bad news? Some in Congress want to extend the Monsanto Protection Act as part of the must-pass budget bill that will keep our government operating past September 30.

The Monsanto Protection Act was written anonymously and in secret - and prevents courts from doing their jobs. For Americans concerned about health and environmental damage, it leaves no legal recourse.

We have to act now to stop big special interests from running roughshod over our democracy.

Join Sen. Jeff Merkley, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Rep. Earl Blumenauer, Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, and the Daily Kos community. Tell Congress to stop the Monsanto Protection Act.

Don't Suppress American Free Voices-PETITION

The suppression of Freedom and its voices has been an unfortunate historical pattern in America, especially in the historically slave-holding areas, and especially among minorities and progressive women, by those who would deter the progress of Civil Rights and Freedoms. 

The Voice of the American people should not be silenced. It should not be suppressed. It should not be chained or subverted, It should not be diminished, especially based on minority status, progressive views, or ideas that reflect virtues of a Free, self-governing, society. 

Please sign this petition if you agree.

REPOST: present.ColorOfChange.org

http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/Invisible_Man/?akid=3134.1028577.VkgWKA&rd=1&t=2

Stop silencing Black voices: 

demand Randolph County return 

Invisible Man to its libraries

Here's the letter we'll send to the Randolph County Board of Education 

demanding it reverse its decision to ban Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man. 

(You can add a personal comment using the box in the form.)

Dear Randolph County Board of Education members,

Your decision last week to ban Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man is unacceptable. 

The removal of one of the most important works of Black literature from school library shelves not 

only alienates Black students, but denies all students an opportunity to engage with and discuss

 important themes like racial enmity in society and the development of personal identity.

It's particularly perverse that elected officials concerned with the education of our young 

people failed to recognize the irony of banning a book that's about silencing critical voices 

and the ways in which racist culture restricts individuals from reaching their full human potential.

You have an opportunity to do the right thing by your district's students, teachers and broader 

community at Wednesday's special meeting. I urge you to immediately reverse the ban of

 Invisible Man and ensure that your community has access to this critical work of Black

 literature.

Civil Rights Lessons from the Trench: Then & Now SERIES

For the ease of my readers, a complete set of the ONGOING series will be centered here. Click on each of the links to open that blog. Thank you for working with me. A website is in the making to help readers more easily navigate. Coming soon.

Part 3: Community Organizing and Raising Children to live a Civil Rights Life.

http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/09/part-3-civil-rights-lessons-from-trench.html

Part 2: The New Civil Rights Movement is NOT Somebody Else. It is ALL of Us.

http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/09/part-2-civil-rights-lessons-from.html

Part 1: Wake Up America. The New Civil Rights Movement Learns from Its Past

http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/09/teach-racist-series-pt-xxvi-wake-up.html

About the Author: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/nancy-bell/30/231/855

Agitation in Motion: Don't Allow Congress to Let Americans Go Hungry

Take Action: Don’t Allow Congress to Let American Families Go Hungry

Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, formerly known as food stamps—a vital support for low-income families and children—is yet again on the chopping block. The House of Representatives is expected to vote on a nutrition-only farm bill, which would cut $40 billion from SNAP over the next 10 years, causing at least 4 million to 6 million vulnerable individuals to lose their food assistance, including 170,000 veterans and 210,000 kids who will lose their school meals. These cuts would come on top of a benefit cut that will impact all SNAP participants beginning November 2013. 

The nutrition-only farm bill would be devastating to families struggling with hunger as well as to the national economy—translating into about 1.5 billion lost meals for hungry families each year for the next 10 years, and 55,000 job losses in the first year alone. We can’t let that happen.   

It was just a couple months ago that, thanks to the actions and advocacy of thousands of Americans, the House failed to pass a Farm Bill that would have cut $21 billion from SNAP, which would have eliminated benefits for nearly 2 million Americans and devastated families with children across the country who are struggling to put food on the table and make ends meet. But now the House is trying to double down. We must make our voices heard again and urge our members of Congress to remain steadfast in protecting SNAP and oppose a Farm Bill that doesn’t include nutrition assistance.

SNAP is crucial for low-income families. The program helps put food on the table formore than 47 million people on average each month—the majority of whom are children, elderly, disabled, or the working poor. SNAP plays a vital role in keeping families living on the brink from slipping into poverty. In 2012, SNAP kept 4 million people out of poverty.

The program also benefits our economy—every $5 in new spending on SNAP generates $9 in economic activity.

It is critical that we stand together to protect vital supports like nutrition assistance helping millions of struggling families and children across the country. Take action now to protect SNAP!

http://www2.americanprogress.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=297

ADDED: PLEASE SIGN THE PLEDGE TO KEEP HUNGER FROM WORSENING AMONG OUR FAMILIES. We, the People Politics advocates on behalf of We, the People. Hunger is inexcusable in a country where it is also unnecessary. Unite with a unified voice against INJUSTICE. Hunger in America is UNJUST. (njb)

Economic Civil Rights-Living Wages

   UPDATE: 9 18 13 We, the People Politcs, seeing changes, small steps but going forward. How will this affect the McDonalds in other states now that California has raised the minimum wage? Corporations hearing the outcry from people trying to survive on the fruits of their labors. I see this as a victory and the wave of change could pick up momentum as other challenged employers concede higher wages. WE ARE NOT POWERLESS! (njb)

MCDONALD'S: PAY YOUR WORKERS A LIVING WAGE

TO: MCDONALD'S CORPORATION

REPOST: You Power: A Democracy for America Tool

http://youpower.democracyforamerica.com/petitions/mcdonald-s-pay-your-workers-a-living-wage?akid=3912.2062135.-LHc7W&rd=1&source=AK9162013&t=1

TO: MCDONALD'S CORPORATION

Right now, the vast majority of your employees make less than $16,000 per year. No one can live on that amount, much less raise a family. These hardworking Americans deserve more. Pay your employees a living wage.

Why is this important?

McDonald's took in more than $5.5 billion in profits last year, but millions of its employees are still making wages so low that they're often forced to choose between paying rent and buying food. If we are going to close the economic opportunity gap it is crucial that wealthy corporations like McDonald's start paying their employees fairly.

ADDED by njb:

There is no reason in the world to keep your labor force on the brink or over the brink of poverty when profits are high. There is no sense in it happening when WE, the People, are the source of those profits as well. THINK! Support Workers' Rights! Pls Sign/RT using link above. (njb)

REPOST:  Blomberg

McDonald’s $8.25 Man and $8.75 Million CEO Shows Pay Gap

Burger Flippers' Wages Stay Thin While Profits Fatten

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-12/mcdonald-s-8-25-man-and-8-75-million-ceo-shows-pay-gap.html

Stop Gender PAY Discrimination in the Work Place.

repost: AAUW - Empowering Women

Equal Pay for Equal Work.

http://salsa4.salsalabs.com/o/50796/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=8974

Two Minute Activist

Are Your Tax Dollars Supporting Unequal Pay?

Wage gap stuck at 23 cents (still!)
Your action is needed to move the needle.

This morning, the U.S. Census Bureau released new data on the gender wage gap – but there's nothing "new" about it. In 2012, women still earned just 77 cents, on average, for every dollar earned by their male counterparts. That number hasn’t budged in the last decade, and it's about time our nation's leaders did something about it.

For two years, the U.S. Department of Labor has been saying it will develop a new tool to collect information on salaries, wages, and other benefits earned by employees of federal contractors and subcontractors. This tool is essential to giving employees and employers the information they need to end pay discrimination, and it's essential to giving the Department of Labor the information it needs to make sure employers receiving our tax dollars are following the law. Urge the Department of Labor to speed up its work on this data collection tool today!

The wage gap isn't just a number on the page – it means less money for food, education, housing, and retirement for millions of women and families nationwide. It affects real people:

People like Lilly Ledbetter.

People like Maxine, an AAUW member in Iowa who encountered pay discrimination twice in her career as an educator.

People like Anastasia in Oregon, who learned that her male colleagues, one of whom didn't even have a college degree compared to her bachelor’s degree in physics, were getting paid a higher salary and earning vacation time at a faster rate than she did.

Knowledge is power. These women and the millions like them need the knowledge that would come from the Department of Labor's new data collection tool. Since 2006, the federal government has had NO tool to effectively monitor wage discrimination based on race, national origin and gender by private employers – that means our tax dollars could be going to federal contractors who are not paying women fairly, and that is unacceptable. Two months ago, the Department of Labor got a new leader, and this data collection tool should be one of the first items on Secretary Perez's agenda. 

As an AAUW "Two-Minute Activist," you stood hand-in-hand with Lilly Ledbetter and Betty Dukes as they fought for fair pay against some of the largest employers in the United States. As courageous as they have been, women like them shouldn't have to go it alone. Stand with them again: Help us give the Department of Labor the push it needs to finalize the data collection tool!

Sign the Petition now to safeguard yourself, your sisters, daughters, mothers and all women who must work at lower rates than their male counter-parts. Equal Pay for Equal Work. PLEASE SIGN AND SHARE!  http://salsa4.salsalabs.com/o/50796/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=8974

ADDED: How do YOU define being a "disruptive woman?" Interesting. Take a Look:  http://www.disruptivewomen.net/i-am-a-disruptive-woman/

ASK THE YEMENI GOVERNMENT TO END FORCED CHILD MARRIAGE

Children should be protected from marriages to an adult. What our society calls "child abuse," Yemen is allowing and calling it "marriage." I have been married for over 20 years and I KNOW I could not have made a marriage at 8. There is nothing a child can do to resist being enslaved and sexually abused without our help. Please sign and add your voice to the outcry. It costs you nothing! (njb)

REPOST: Walk Free
http://e-activist.com/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=1786&ea.campaign.id=22709&ea.url.id=169137&ea.campaigner.email=fVaun2jOGL33tyOHgLKkkWT%2FUPvVmPFBanIkY7du0EE=&ea_broadcast_target_id=0

Aged 8, Rawan was sold by her parents, and forced into a marriage with a man five times her age. The injuries her young body sustained from her “wedding night” resulted in her death, and her story has sent shockwaves throughout the world.¹

The most shocking thing about Rawan’s story? The fact that to many, her story is not shocking at all. Forced Child Marriage is a form of modern slavery, and in Yemen, there is no law which makes it illegal.

The Yemeni Government has the power to bring an end to Forced Marriage forever; the first step is to ban the marriage of anyone under the age of 18, protecting children from a life of domestic and sexual slavery. 

We know that ending Forced Marriage everywhere poses big obstacles and yet, in the aftermath of Rawan’s death, and with the eyes of the world on Yemen, this may be one of few fleeting moments when we can create change. We’re not going to let down the millions of girls vulnerable to this form of modern slavery. 

Forced Child Marriage is modern slavery and can be stopped. Call on the government of Yemen to ban Forced Child Marriage.¹ http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/09/09/bride-aged-8-dies-internal-sexual-injuries-wedding-night-_n_3892892.html

Syria's Children & Our Trayvon Martins in America

What IS America going to do about the children?

Last night we, as a nation, watched our Commander-in-Chief speak passionately about the horrible deaths of the Syrian children that died in the chemical warfare attack. The horrible manner in which they died under the power of their leader is, in fact unacceptable. Strife between the civil war factions has left the children of Syria not only vulnerable to severe injuries and death, but also the psychological trauma of those who still live in its aftermath and continuing risk. I agree. The children should NOT be killed, in their innocence and with their whole lives ahead of them to be snuffed out needlessly should offend the world. And it does. We are willing to work hard with the United Nations to see if diplomatic solutions can avoid further WAR and BLOODSHED of the world's innocent children. And America OUGHT to care about the world's children.

However, while we work to defend children in other nations, I can't help but wonder WHY it seems to be so difficult for us to remember that we have our own children that are currently under attack, at risk, suffering needless horrible deaths at the hands of OUR OWN PEOPLE! Trayvon Martin's death was a horrible one, as this young man attempted only to walk home from the store with some Skittles and an Iced Tea. Death came upon him in the evening, in the rain, alone, from an adult, racist stalker who not only provoked the fight, but who also shot and killed him within a short walk of his destination.

Trayvon Martin never returned to his life, and in truth, lies dead and cold in a grave just as surely as the Syrian children that were killed by a wicked adult who was serving his own selfish interests at the expense of the lives of children. As a country, we are going to stop the atrocity of other people whose kids are killed by their own countryman.  But Trayvon's KILLER WALKED, with the blessings of the Florida Court, under the protection of Stand Your Ground LAW! OUR LAWS PROTECTED THE KILLER, not the child!

The killer Zimmerman was awarded a wicked notoriety, being given a tour of the gun manufacturer who made the gun that took Trayvon's life, as if it was a GOOD THING! Zimmerman has been rewarded for his actions in America. His lawyer, Mark O'Mara, was recently promoted to the position of Legal Analyst on CNN, because the media apparently wanted to reward the man who helped Zimmerman walk free. The racist "hero" Zimmerman has been accused of molesting his niece for ten years, he has been pulled over by police for traffic violations, and is also being charged with domestic assault. Is this the kind of hero America is really looking for? God forbid! http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/07/why-is-trayvon-martin-case-even.html Zimmerman may very well have continued to soar into even greater heights of notoriety except he is showing HIS TRUE COLORS all over the Internet as the slime bag he really is...too late for the jury to see the mistake they were making BEFORE he was given his "walking papers!" I wonder how they feel about their hero now?

And then there is the most recent case of the freshly-turned-8 year old boy, Donald Maiden, Jr who was shot in the face while playing TAG in front of his OWN HOME. His killer was given a lesser charge of "causing injury to a child," and NOT ATTEMPTED MURDER, NOT A HATE CRIME, where in the Texas Stand Your Ground state, he may even be given the same type of pat on the back for his efforts as others who have injured America's YOUNG Black male youth. http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/09/8-year-old-black-child-shot-by-36-year.html

If someone took the time to search, I am confident that we could find AT LEAST 400 CHILDREN who have suffered from racially motivated attacks against children in America. What is the difference? They didn't happen all at once? Well, let me make this perfectly clear: They are no less dead or injured because they were spaced out in time. I would like to go further and also point out the fact that in some ways, Syria's children are SAFER than ours because:

• They are still being educated to become contributing citizens to their society
• They are not being "groomed" for the alarmingly increased profit-machine of the convict labor market
• They do not have access to illegal drugs and malt liquors within blocks of their home
• Their parents are not being racially profiled by police
• Their sense of WHO THEY ARE is not being systematically damaged
• They do not have to contend with the daily violence of gangs
• They do not suffer in great numbers from extreme poverty
• They are not being made homeless in greater numbers every day
• They are not being exposed to environmental injustices where they play
• Their healthcare is not in dispute
• They do not have a Congress that passes LAWS against their well-being
• ____________________________________ fill in the blank

Yes, my DEAR President Obama, we have a problem with the protection of children's safety in Syria. The U.N. is going to their aid even as you read this. WHO IS GOING TO OUR CHILDREN'S AID?

Right now, YOU CAN! Start by signing the petitions in the blog that have been collected for your ease. It does not take Congress to approve what YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW! Please SIGN and SHARE these important documents as We, The People, Politics acts for OUR CHILDREN! 

Don't give up the fight. Trayvon Martin, We Will Not Forget You Until There is JUSTICE for ALL our Trayvon Martins because our Assads have names like George Zimmerman, and Brian Cloninger, and THEY, TOO, MUST BE STOPPED!
http://urgencyofnowaction.blogspot.com/2013/08/trayvon-martin_25.html

We are U.S.

The citizens of the United States are splintered, arguing, afraid and angry. We generate convictions of empty traditions when we rely on what was told to us to believe, when the faces that taught us benefited financially and wielded power over the weak. We cannot have any beliefs of SUBSTANCE until they are our own. WE must WATCH and SEE, and THINK and CHOOSE. If we do not, our choices will continue to be made for us.

Why do I conjecture that it is time for America to WAKE UP? Look at what we do with our TIME. Look at what we do with our MINDS. Look at how we treat our children, our seniors, our homeless, our immigrants, our poor, and our people of color. Who do you think is causing all the suffering? Who do you think is ignoring the problems because the mention of the unsettling is considered a social faux pas? Our social gatherings are intended, too many times, to help us ESCAPE the trials of life, instead of taking responsibility for turning the direction of the tides in the favor of We the People. America was not intended to be built for the 1%'s comfort. It wasn't intended to give power to the hateful hand of control that crushes people for wanting to LOVE whom they choose. God's name is invoked every time the HATERS try to justify their actions. Why do the people of God allow such lie to drown out truth?

WE rush to the fast food places to feed ourselves and our families, even when we KNOW it is not healthy, it is not cheap, and it is not the best we can do. TIME is stolen from us by the many demands placed on us for the benefit of those who own the country. Fast food, Walmart, and other low paying jobs have changed everything about our order of life with scattered and constantly changing hours of employ. How do you think this helps America when our diets, our sleep, our time with our families are splintered and changing, upsetting our balances on a wide scale. And when we get upset, we become medicated IF we let it happen. And yet, we funnel the already too little money we have into the continued support of such bloated empires.

We watched the schools be destroyed in the still poisoned unfolding of the "No Child Left Behind," a system in which ALL children are left behind as monies are cut, teachers are forced to "teach the test" instead of basic ideas. An educated populace is required to make informed decisions. There were many who fought and died for U.S. to have the right to even teach our children how to read. Where are the books now? Where are the ideas that can teach us that this perverse age is creeping up on us, even while we are looking, where ignorance is PRIZED and the VOTE is under attack even for those who do watch the issues and events. Charter schools strip us of the Federal protections against discrimination, that support the integration of ALL American children looked upon as being worthy of being treated equally under the Law. And what of higher education? What do the degrees even mean when we are told what we can and cannot learn, what is important and what is not, and even after the award of which people cannot often find any job better than those who didn't go to school at all? Do you READ the news about how the assurance of work for even GRADUATE SCHOOL degrees does not guarantee work--while it does still guaranteed deep debt. When has even attending higher education been so fraught with high risk just for the undertaking?

America, we are not asking the RIGHT questions! Elevate your questions, and you will elevate the expectations of better answers. WHO was behind the 9/11 attacks REALLY? Why did we allow Bush to pardon all of his administration from ANY prosecution, now and in the future? Why does even bringing up the question make us into "Conspiracy Theorists" when the wars started under Bush are STILL RAGING? Hundreds of Thousands of people have died. Who was behind the chemical warfare waged against the Syrian civilians? Who is profiting from the wars and able to convince us all that America has any right for patriotism in this regard? It is shameful not only that it is happening, but that we have become so complacent that we DO NOT ask, AND we have become in the habit of denying others the right to ask. Why are we on the brink of yet another war and who is even behind Assad? Who is going to profit from this continued war? Not you! Not me! Who is getting paid for the weapons that will be bought? Who are the  people that will die as a result? Who are WE REALLY FIGHTING HERE? How can we become patriotic about wars NONE OF US UNDERSTAND?

Why is the origin of AIDS still in dispute when the name Hillary Kaprowski has already been demonstrated to be at its source, along with the witness for this progenator of one of the biggest eugenics programs that has ever existed? Bigger than Hitler's attack against Jews, bigger than the Institution of Slavery in America's history, the eugenics program out of which AIDS was spawned has killed and infected many more. Why do you not find out about it...many in the world know...except the complacent Americans who think by ignoring dark thoughts that they are living America's dream! We are in a nightmare of Catastrophic Distraction that bleeds FREEDOM and JUSTICE from us daily and all we do is turn on each other? GAY PEOPLE DID NOT START AIDS, and if you look at who IS profiting from AIDS, it is the pharmaceutical companies more than anyone else! Why did the United States back the former NAZI Hillary Kaprowski, Eugenics leader and all his "research" when the disease was first INVENTED and then SPREAD first through the region in Africa where it originated, and next the rest of the world? Why did these questions get silenced when the Rolling Stones Magazine first brought it to light many years ago?

Why are the races being pitted against each other again, with the freedoms BY LAW and BY ENFORCEMENT to assail our black youth AGAIN and AGAIN, while the spin of blaming the victims continues to be an uncomfortably popular American past-time? Why is the homeless population growing and instead of stopping it, reversing it, and helping OUR PEOPLE TO HEAL FROM IT, we are instead legislating against their very existence now? Why do we fear each other so much when we are all suffering? Why do we listen to the carefully manicured faces that continue to spew hate and derision every night on most of our network news channels, and why are we paying for the service of being lied to through cable televison?

I have many more questions, questions about importing chickens from China, even as we are exporting so much of our own meat? Why are we genetically altering our food when we had enough farmers not too long ago, who could bring the food out of our own land? Why are we allowing our waters to become so polluted, killing off so much potential food sources, even as the world populations continue to swell? Why are we so concerned with the celebrities lives and so little concerned about our own? WE ARE OUR BROTHERS' KEEPERS!

I have many more questions, and they keep me searching for explanations. But most of all, I question WHY there are not more of us questioning. I may not have the answers, but I most assuredly have my questions. In fact, my questions are the ONLY THING that makes me realize I am still paying attention. Are you?

America's complacency only hurts WE THE PEOPLE. WAKE UP America. We were once called, "The Sleeping Dragon," and when we awoke, we fought to hold onto all that we valued as a nation, and World War II was ended. Where is that sleeping dragon now that it is U.S. doing the attacking? It is NOT a time to sleep!!! Wake up America. JUSTICE and FREEDOM is calling to you!

I am Me

REPOST From TEACH A RACIST SERIES Blog --Background Story

Applicable to Agitation in Motion: We, the People, Politics Blog as well. 

I Am Me.

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men & women do nothing, say nothing, work towards nothing more than their own self-aggrandizement, or the stubborn maintenance of opinions already formed by someone else and absorbed without consideration! Hatred will always take advantage of the righteous person’s silence in the face of oppression, suppression and abuse.

The Age of Enlightenment has degenerated into an Age of Catastrophic Distraction; I do not expect the same clarity of thought in common discourse that once was common among those passionate about philosophy, history, politics, religion and the free exchange of ideas, or the social-well being of all, including our vulnerable populations.

I prefer to envision America in its idyllic state, the "more perfect union" towards which we endeavor as a nation to achieve, since our own formation as a collection of colonies seeking freedom to live uncontrolled by others, able to rise to the pinnacles of our own “higher angels” within, and being generous in our thoughts, words and deeds, towards brotherly love.

The ability to civilly disagree is supposed to be the height of our value as a self-governing nation! The barbaric, the vulgar and the ignorant have never concerned themselves with such matters as the concepts of abstract ideas, ideals or goals towards which to strive. The purposeful deconstruction of our educational systems, the twisting of facts on a wide-scale, and even the dumbing-down of our means of entertainment exemplify dangerous trends to a free people. 

I observe that as a nation, we have become fat, lazy and apathetic to all that we once held dear as a nation (at least in theory) and the results have been disastrous. Invisible faces behind corporations have more rights than living, breathing, human beings. We watch the decimation of our land, trees, soil, water, skies as well as wild life, domesticated creatures, and natural balance. We have allowed our families to be splintered by systems that oppress the poor, contaminate our food, over-prescribe medications we don't even need and watch our returning soldiers become homeless faster than any other group in the rapidly expanding numbers of homeless in America, one of the richest countries on earth. 

We justify the killing of children when we let their murderers not only go free, but elevate them to an image of hero, as was the case with the racist killer George Zimmerman. Trayvon Martin’s murder was not the only crime committed, but defense of his crime by others, including the Florida court system, FOXX News, CNN, Rush Limbaugh and among our elected officials. The story of Who Killed Cock Robin becomes Who allowed the Death of Trayvon Martin?, or ALL the Trayvon Martins still being killed or wounded by hate, in the 21 century. It is the culmination of many failures as a people. It is a sad indictment for the state of affairs for a self-governing nation. 

My vocation includes active work as a Public Health educator, my expertise is in exploring the social factors contributing to public health issues, including poverty, gender, age, race, and socio-economic variables. I am an advocate of freedom, equality, and the protection of all vulnerable populations. I actively fight against discrimination, bigotry, and racism. I defend the rights of children, animals, the environment and those who are unable to speak for themselves, here AND abroad, including the children of Syria, Palestine, Afghanistan and Iraq, the Congo, South Africa and many other areas where they suffer needlessly.

I am a writer and a teacher, a missionary and a Spiritual being. I do not preach, so much as teach. I accept accountability for the feathers I ruffle because it is never done through malice, but rather, in an effort to shake loose the complacency towards unnecessary suffering, and the refusal to be aware, even when our own freedoms depend upon our informed choice. It is intended to gut comfortableness, and strip off the false smiling masks of the bloated corporations that really have control of America, placing elected officials in their private pockets behind closed doors meetings and through the transfer of assets into private accounts when domestic programs are cut and the weapons manufacturers, chemical makers, and food producers, banks who control housing, and churches that bleed their followers become grotesquely rich in the face of suffering they cause.

The manner in which I speak, and the subject matter about which I chose to express opinion, are mine alone to decide, based on knowledge, faith and a dedication to helping others in their efforts to maintain and improve their lives through the alleviation of INJUSTICE, HATE, EXPLOITATION and BLINDNESS. These are my choices to make and I make no apologies for what I have worked hard to understand, nor my choice to be passionate about my undertakings, including teaching, advocacy and preaching the TRUTH. Make no mistake, my radical views are a part of me; they always have been and they always will be.

I created this blogsite as a way to turn anger into action, and to create a path for others to follow in the petitioning of our grievances as part of We, the People, Politics. 

When you see something wrong, do you speak, or do you walk away from others in need? If the former, I provide petitions and a forum for intelligent discussion. If the latter, all I may do is see you become a part of the apathetic throng that continues to rush into the midst of a comfortable distraction, as part of the Age of Catastrophic Distraction we have created for ourselves in our attempts at self-governance. For those who back away from challenges because they are controversial, I forgive you your lack of strength, conviction, or empathy. But I do expect you to let me do my job of agitating the complacent, restoring peace, and eliminating unnecessary suffering.

When I first began this discussion, it was in response to being thrown out of a discussion by the “unofficial” University of Phoenix Alumni group discussion on LinkedIN when I posted the NAACP Petition for Trayvon Martin. It has become more than that since then, but where it ends up, no one can yet tell. RACISM IS ALIVE AND WELL and I reject its tenets, philosophies, practices and EVILS.

I ask for people of conscience to work for peace in your hearts, your families, communities, the nation, and the world by acting and speaking to protect the vulnerable, especially the children; never give up the faith or the fight to be FREE, to expect JUSTICE, or to extend AWARENESS to combat HATE. 

That is why I created Agitation in Motion: We, the People, Politics. If we do not speak for ourselves, and for others, who will? And if no one will, how will it change? There must be change because we are FAR from perfection as a country, as a World Power, and as Enlightened Citizens. I love America BECAUSE it is still a WORK IN PROGRESS! We have not yet become truly born to the freedoms we espouse. Turn your anger into action. Contribute your actions to the catalyst of change. WE are just the next generation to pick up the fight. 

Pluralistically Yours,

Rev. Nancy J. Bell, Ph.D.

About the Author: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/nancy-bell/30/231/855

Teach a Racist Series-PTS 1-26 and COUNTING!

Teach a Racist Series - FREE Lessons 1-20 and counting

UPDATED: Reversed Chronological Order - NOW from most recent to least recent.

(INCLUDES "Raging Racism in Motion Award" nominations on applicable posts.)

Raging Racism in Motion Award: NC Precinct Delegate & Voter Suppression Laws
http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/10/raging-racism-in-motion-nc-precinct.html

**Teaching a Racist Background Story-REVISED**

http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/07/teaching-racist-background-story.html

Teach a Racist Blog Series, PT XXV - Raging Racism in Motion Award: Ted Cruz
Call to Action: Call a Racist out; Lend your voices to a unified outcry
http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/09/raging-racism-in-motion-award-ted-cruz.html

Teach a Racist Blog Series, PT XXIV - Raging Racism in Motion Award
University of Alabama Sorority
http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/09/raging-racism-in-motion-award-sorority.html

Teach a Racist Blog Series, PT XXIII - Raging Racism in Motion Award
Another Unwarranted Police Shooting of an innocent citizen
http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/09/raging-racism-in-motion-another.html

Teach a Racist Blog Series, PT XXII - Raging Racism in Motion Award: EVERYDAY in FLORIDA
Call to Action: Boycott Florida
http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/09/raging-racism-in-motion-award-everyday.html

Teach a Racist Blog Series, PT XXI - Boycott Red Lobster (call to ACTION)
http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/09/teach-racist-series-pt-xxi-boycott-red.html

Teach a Racist Blog Series, PT XX - Raging Racism in Motion Award 
Texas Prosecutors
http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/09/8-year-old-black-child-shot-by-36-year.html

Teach a Racist, PT XIX - Raging Racism in Motion Award- CNN
http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/09/teach-racist-series-pt-xix-raging.html

Teach a Racist Blog Series, PT XVIII - Raging Racism in Motion Award - Deborah Brown Community School & No Child Left Behind ACT
http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/09/teach-racist-series-pt-xviii-attacking.html

Teach a Racist Blog Series, PT XVII - Raging Racism in Motion Award: DUNKIN' DONUTS

http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/08/teach-racist-series-pt-xvii-raging.html

Teach a Racist, PT XVI - Raging Racism in Motion Award: Sarah Palin

http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/08/teach-racist-raging-racism-in-motion.html

Teach a Racist Blog Series, PT XV - Raging Racism and Stupidity in Motion-Zimmerman AGAIN!

http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/08/teach-racist-raging-racism-and.html

Teach a Racist Blog Series, PT XIV The "LOST CAUSE RACIST" and PROTECT POTUS

http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/08/teach-racist-pt-xiv-some-racists-are.html

Teach a Racist Blog Series, PT XIII: Talking to "Non-racists" About a Racist Idea

CASE STUDY: ONE FACEBOOK CONVERSATION

http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/08/teach-racist-series-xiii-talking-to-non.html

Teach a Racist Blog Series, PT XII: Raging Racism in Motion Award - The Confederate Flag

http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/08/raging-hate-in-motion-award-confederate.html

Teach a Racist Blog Series, PT XI:

Raging Racism in Motion Award--Wild Wing Cafe in North Charleston

http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/08/raging-racism-in-motion-award-wild-wing.html

Teach a Racist Blog Series, PT X: Use your White Privilege to Make a Difference. (video link included)
http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/08/teach-racist-pt-x-use-your-white.html

Teach a Racist Blog Series, PT IX: Raging Racism in Motion Award (Neo-Nazi White Supremist in ND).
http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/08/teach-racist-pt-ix-raging-racism-in.html

Teach a Racist Blog Series, PT VIII: There IS MORE THAN ONE RACE in America “Raging Racism in Motion Award” (Congressman Tom McClintock)

http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/08/teach-racist-pt-viii-there-is-more-than.html

Teach a Racist Blog Series, PT VII: Having a Black President does NOT mean racism is gone!

http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/08/teach-racist-pt-vii-having-black.html

Teach a Racist Blog Series, PT VI: NC Voter Suppression (delightful Maddow slam at NC)

http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/08/teach-racist-series-pt-vi-voter.html

Teach a Racist Blog Series PT IV & V: Racist Hate as Entertainment & News “Raging Racism in Motion Awards” (MO State Fair, Glenn Beck)

http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/08/teach-racist-part-iv-racist-hate-as.html

Teach a Racist Blog Series, PT III: Introducing the “Raging Racism in Motion Award,” (GZimmerman)

http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/08/teach-racist-part-iii-raging-racism-in.html

Teach a Racist Blog Series, PT II: About the Trivialization of Racism

http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/08/teach-racist-part-ii-about.html

Teach a Racist Blog Series, PT I: FREE Easy Lesson for Teaching Racists

http://bellwork-inprogress.blogspot.com/2013/07/icon-bugs-bunny-gives-easy-lesson-for.html

ON-GOING SERIES on BellWork-InProgress@blogspot.com

 

About the Author: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/nancy-bell/30/231/855