A Queer, Tree-Hugging, Peace-Loving Anarchist's Reactions to Injustice. A Hopeful attempt at Participating in Conversations that Create Real Change. A Constant Call to Revolution!
If you're not outraged, you're NOT paying attention! Here are some more statistics and charts...this is a huge part of why we are occupying Wall St, why we will be occupying DC on October 6, 2011, and why more occupations are being planned all over the country!
These are some charts that I had meant to include in my previous post: Outraged Yet? The Poor, the Homeless, and the Hungry.
Another post to come soon about Occupying Wall Street and the other Occupations being planned around the country!
It is easy to remain in a state of Outrage at the injustice of our country's government and "justice" system. It is not so easy to remain Hopeful. Especially on a day like today, with the news that the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles denied Troy Davis clemency and he is to be executed tomorrow, May 21, 2011. Here is my previous blog post about the Troy Davis case.
Today is a Day of Protest. Tomorrow is a Day of Vigil. You can organize events to have your voices heard, and send your prayers and hopes. There is power in Solidarity. Spiritual strength. I encourage everyone to do what you can to stand in solidarity with Troy Davis and his family.
Here is the event in Georgia:
Gather at the State Capitol at 7:00 pm to Demand that the State of Georgia halt their planned execution of Troy Davis!
Georgia State Capitol
206 Washington Street
Atlanta, GA30334
United States
A few recent Acts of Solidarity:
(from cbsatlanta.com) An Atlanta pastor has chained himself to a flag pole in front of the building that houses the State Board of Pardons and Paroles in protest of the board's decision to deny clemency for death row inmate Troy Davis ... Rev. Marvin Morgan, of the First Congregational United Church of Christ, said he will remain chained to the post, fasting, as long as he can.
People Occupying Wall Street (which I can't believe I haven't blogged about yet!) are also showing solidarity with Troy Davis:
There is a huge protest in Atlanta right now, and others are protesting and organizing around the country:
Singing "we shall overcome"
About 500 marchers, led by Martin Luther King III, center, Larry Cox, Executive Director Amnesty International USA, right, and Georgia NAACP President Ed DuBose, second left, walk past Ebenezer Baptist Church, the spiritual home of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., in support of Georgia death row inmate Troy Davis on Friday, Sept. 16, 2011 in Atlanta.
Amnesty International activists demonstrates outside the U.S. Embassy in support of death row inmate Troy Davis in Rome
Italy
Paris, France
It is easy to be Outraged, it is so very hard to remain Hopeful. But if we don't have Hope, what do we have?
I recently came across a very interesting, informative, and inspiring website (thanks to my aunt and my sister sharing links on facebook). MideastYouth.comis a youth-run website created by Esra’a Al Shafei which is a grassroots network and platform for people in the Middle East and North Africa to discuss the struggle against oppression and serve as an alternative media. In an interview on TED.com, Esra'a Al Shafei explains that she began this MideastYouth.com in 2006. "At that time I was really just exploring how to use the Internet. I realized right away that it was going to be the tool, the weapon, with which we can advocate for change." (This makes me think of the inspiring youtube call to action that started the protests in Egypt). The authors are from many places, including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Sudan, Iraq, Egypt, Lebanon, Iran, Yemen, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Kurdistan, Libya, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, Israel, Pakistan, Tunisia, and Morocco. Their message is peace, solidarity, tolerance, and freedom from oppression. "Listen to us now, because soon ours will be the generation in charge."
There are many projects stemming from MideastYouth.com. I will highlight a few. CrowdVoice is a user-powered service that tracks voices of protest from around the world. Apparently it has been censored in Bahrain, but it has documented many of the recent people uprisings. I was unaware until I came across BahaiRights.org that in many countries people of the Baha'i faith are denied human rights, as basic as the right to live. KurdishRights.org focuses on the need for basic human rights of Kurds, the uprisings in the Middle East, and preventing further genocide of Kurds in the Middle East.FreeKareem.org is focused on pressuring officials to free Kareem Amer, an Egyptian blogger who has been sentenced to 4 years in prison merely for expressing his opinions on his personal blog. There is MigrantRights.org, Israelis for Palestine, and many more. A new website they have started is Ahwaa.org. It is a place for discussion within the LGBTQ community in the Middle East and North Africa. This is a topic that is not only taboo in many places in the Middle East and Africa, where in many countries homosexuality is illegal and sometimes punishable by death, but it is also a topic that has been ignored by mainstream media (I'm talking BBC, NPR, Al Jazeera, and so on).
Here is a fun one:MideastTunes.com. It supports underground activist musicians in the Middle East! Here are a few interesting songs I found...
Another post to come soon about Occupying Wall Street and the other Occupations being planned around the country!
