Juneteenth!

Today is the 4th of July! For America, much history is associated with this day; "bombs bursting in the air," "our flag was still there!" America had won the war for independence, and all were free... or so they say!

There is more to America's history, as you will see in this article written by Hillary Crosley, the New York bureau chief of The Root! Yes, there is yet another story to be told! A story about freedom, and when Black America celebrates it's  psuedo-freedom independence!

"Racial caste is alive and well in America," Alexander wrote in the Huffington Post. "Here are a few facts… There are more African Americans under correctional control today — in prison or jail, on probation or parole — than were enslaved in 1850, a decade before the Civil War began. As of 2004, more African-American men were disenfranchised (due to felon disenfranchisement laws) than in 1870, the year the Fifteenth Amendment was ratified, prohibiting laws that explicitly deny the right to vote on the basis of race."
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When They Came for Me

When the Nazis came for the Communists, I remained silent; I was not a Communist.

When they locked up the Social Democrats, I remained silent; I was not a Social Democrat.

When they came for the Trade Unionists, I did not speak out; I was not a Trade Unionist.

When they came for the Jews, I remained silent; I was not a Jew.

When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me.

Friedrich Gustav Emil Martin Niemöller (14 January 1892 – 6 March 1984) was a Protestant pastor and social activist.

I want to bring your attention to this passage as written by Martin Niemöller for reasons that will become obvious to you as time goes forward in this period of social and economic evolution within the United States, as well as the global arena. The author is summarizing the events that led to Nazi Germany's ability to unite an entire country under a common belief, a philosophy that was froth with inconsistencies.  Everyone should have, to some degree, a working knowledge of that era, so I won't go into details.

Let's change the names to protect the innocent... so to speak, and see how these writings fit present day America:

When the Right came for the Senior citizens, I remained silent; I was not a Senior citizen.

When they locked up the Social Democrats, I remained silent; I was not a Social Democrat.

When they came for the Trade Unionists, I did not speak out; I was not a Trade Unionist.

When they came for the Lower Classes, I remained silent; I wasn't in the Lower Classes.

When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me.

It has been said that America was as close to being a dictatorship under the Bush Administration as ever before - The Patriot Act set the stage for what we see today - in a broader sense.  I have enclosed a copy of the summary of what the PATRIOT Act does... USA PATRIOT Act. 

"The Act dramatically reduced restrictions on law enforcement agencies' ability to search telephone, e-mail communications, medical, financial, and other records; eased restrictions on foreign intelligence gathering within the United States; expanded the Secretary of the Treasury’s authority to regulate financial transactions, particularly those involving foreign individuals and entities; and broadened the discretion of law enforcement and immigration authorities in detaining and deporting immigrants suspected of terrorism-related acts. The act also expanded the definition of terrorism to include domestic terrorism, thus enlarging the number of activities to which the USA PATRIOT Act’s expanded law enforcement powers can be applied." 

Before someone goes off on a tangent, I am sighting the Patriot Act here to put emphasis on the discreet way in which laws are passed which can enhances the capability to do other things that are even more bizarre in nature - the Patriot Act has its validity in the grand scheme of protecting America, but there were other entities encompassed in the Patriot Act that were in place before the Patriot Act was passed that did the same job.  So why did we need a 'new' law to do what was already a law?

The Military Commission Act of 2006 as originally signed by President Bush took aim at the rights of an accused as granted under the Habeas Corpus Act... you simply have to be declared a 'domestic terrorist' and you lose your right to representation, time you can be held without charges, and the right to an attorney - furthermore, your trial, if you are granted one, will be at the discretion of the entity that had you arrested and detained.

The Military Commission Act was revised in 2009 to appease its critics, but the controversy remains as to whether a U.S citizen can be tried under this Act.  Consider that the Combatant Status Review Tribunal decides whether you will be tried as an ‘alien’ or U. S. citizen – the new changes, that to some degree set guidelines for the Combatant Status Review Tribunal were requested by President Obama.  Based upon the new determination, you have a three step process that must include ‘substantial’ evidence to classify you as a hostile or unlawful enemy combatant.   You will have the right to Habeas Corpus and a trial by your ‘peers’, or a military tribunal if you do not qualify or meet all three of the steps of determination!

The text of the law states that its "purpose" is to "establish procedures governing the use of military commissions to try alien unlawful enemy combatants engaged in hostilities against the United States for violations of the law of war and other offenses triable by military commission." While the most controversial provisions in the law refer to "alien unlawful enemy combatants", section 948a refers to "unlawful enemy combatants" (not explicitly excluding US citizens).

What I am saying is this:

Changes are being made to the laws in many States and at the Federal Congressional level by the 2010 wave of Republicans that were ushered into our State and Federal Congresses with a mandate the Right foolishly believes is validated by the 2010 election results, this may be so, but surely no one envisioned what is currently taking place.  No one envisioned that 'entitlements' were going to be cut, degraded; no one believed that our Unions were going to be pushed to the curb like new fallen snow with hopes that they would melt and fade away in the Spring; no one believed that laws that have been on the books... having passed challenge after challenge are now being changed - precedence is a mainstay of Judicial law, and yet, we see clearly that these changes are being made.  No one believed that controversial laws, having been struck down by the courts, would be enacted in spite of the rulings by our courts!

 

No citizen is standing to voice concern... we are silent - until it is our turn to be subjected to the new order!  Therein lays the dilemma… the crack in the wall that will release a flood of laws systematically taking away your rights – all under the pretense of prosecuting terrorist.

In a democracy, silence is not golden; it is condonance in the face of injustices; it is fear, where the thought of reprisal fosters control – Rodney A. Davis

The Motivation to Vote...

I have been eligible to vote since nineteen hundred sixty-two. My first voting experience was from a point of true novice. As a registered voter in the parish of Orleans, I did not receive any advance instructions on how to use the voting machine, not even from my parents! My decision to vote was nursed by the religious dedication of my parents who never missed an opportunity to vote. My parent’s determination to vote was an example that I felt that I had to imitate. It was not until much later in my life that I began to understand the real significance of voting and what one vote actually could do.

Voters are the silent majority; the most powerful voice that makes no noise when spoken. The act of voting is painless; its cost is nothing, and yet so many people ask themselves a question that one should never ask of themselves – I am only one person and my vote does not count anyway! If you have ever asked yourself that question; it is because you have never taken the time to understand the significance of voting. Many people know and use the adage – the pen is mightier that the sword, but few people attach the same significance to – one vote, one voice. The general elections of 2000 and 2004 should give you pause to think through your reluctance to vote. There are other reasons why you should never fail to exercise your right to vote. I have enumerated some of them here, but the threat is always present under different disguises!

Taxation without representation – The Boston Tea Party was the first instance of rebellion by a group of people based on a rejection of authority without representation. In rebelling against the tax placed against them, the rebels did the most primal of actions that humans always do – they elected a leader from amongst themselves. As recently as the opening of this year’s Congress, Washington D.C. still does not have the right to be represented in Congress. The 23rd amendment of the Constitution says that all people of the Republic should have the right to be represented in Congress. Though the conception of Washington D.C. as a place of neutrality by our forefathers was admirable and necessary, the fact remains that all citizens of the United States have the right to equal representation before Congress.

I point out this inequality because it highlights the continuous struggle for the right to be heard by all citizens. It also points out the struggles that currently exist for voters country-wide. It is documented that many voters were turned away from the voting polls in Florida, Ohio, and a number of other States because of the most absurd of reasons – time was up, and the polls had to close; address of record is not current, and purging of the voter rolls were reasons that voters lost their right to vote.

In hearings held before Congress after the 2000 general elections, Mary Frances Berry testified to the following:

The Commission found that the most dramatic undercount in the election was the nonexistent ballots of eligible voters, who were turned away, or wrongfully purged from the voter registration rolls by various procedures and practices. State officials failed to fulfill their duties in a manner that would prevent this disenfranchisement. A combination of restrictive statutory provisions, wide-ranging errors and inadequate and unequal resources in the election process denied countless Floridians the right to vote. The disenfranchisement of Florida's voters fell most harshly on the shoulders of African Americans. Statewide, based upon county-level statistical estimates, African American voters were nearly ten times more likely than white voters to have their ballots rejected in Florida. On a statewide basis, while presidential election, African Americans cast about 54% of the ballots that were rejected in the election. Before and during the election state and county officials were aware of several key factors that ultimately contributed to the disenfranchisement of qualified voters.

There was a disturbing dearth of quality controls at many levels of the Florida election system that resulted in a wide range of errors, including the insufficient provision of adequate resources. Large numbers of voters in Florida experienced frustration and confusion, which resulted in the denial of their right to vote or to have their vote counted. The state's highest officials failed to fulfill their duties in a manner that would prevent this disenfranchisement. The election system is the engine that drives the participation of citizens in our democracy through the exercise of the precious right to vote. Regrettably, Florida officials with responsibilities for the operation of the election system were asleep at the switch.

That these voters were intimidated and denied the right to vote in Florida, and a number of other municipalities in other States, is real and scary. Intimidation is a fact that has been documented. The Republican Party is guilty of numerous instances where the rights of voters has been placed at risk by zealous individuals who are more concerned about reducing the voter rolls of those voters who may be registered as Democrats then in maintaining the rights of voters overall. It is the opinion of this writer that the right to vote is continuously under assault, and should remind each of us that this ‘right’ is always in jeopardy – the struggle is forever. Blacks, in particular, should remember the significance of the the Civil Rights struggle because of this ever present danger to our freedom. Of those who have been persecuted in regard to their right to vote, Blacks and Latinos, by far lead the list of those most likely to experience a loss of the right to vote.

I have always said that the right to vote is more important that the right to life. If you are not willing to die for the right to vote, then you have lost the right live. If you are challenged at the voting polls, your immediate reaction should be to stand up and fight because if you never reach the polling booth for that election, the opposition will have won.

In keeping with the motto of New Hampshire, “Live free, or die”, brave men have offered the supreme sacrifice in pursuit and the protection of the right to vote. Live free, or die.