The DISH

Unbossed and unbought news and information you can use

Vol. 12 Issue 41…Dedicated to the Dialogue on Race…October 11, 2009

Bit of History

Sophie Scholl: The Woman Who Defied Hitler (1921-1943)

Sophie Magdalena, the third child of Robert and Magdalene Scholl, was born May 9, 1921 in Forchtenberg, Germany. Devoutly Lutheran, the Scholls taught their children to treat all people with respect, dignity and equality. A very precocious Sophie entered public school at seven. The family moved to Ludwigsburg in 1930 and two years later to Ulm, where her father started a consulting business. Sophie entered a secondary school for girls in 1932. All children were required to join Hitler's Youth organizations at age twelve. Like her female classmates, Sophie joined the League of German Girls. Enthusiastic at first, Sophie, who was heavily influenced by her father's critical views of the Nazis, became disenchanted, distrusting the Nazis.

An avid reader, Sophie developed an interest in philosophy and theology. A budding artist, Sophie's drawing and painting talents brought her in contact with artists, who expressed dissenting views also. The firmness of her Christian views, regarding the essential dignity of every human being, escalated her basic resistance to Nazi ideology.

Departing secondary school in 1940, Sophie's graduation essay, The Hand that Moved the Cradle, Moved the World, foreshadowed her life's course. She took a job as a kindergarten teacher in hopes of avoiding the six months mandatory National Labor Service, which was a prerequisite for admission to a University. However, she was not so lucky and had to enter the auxiliary war service as a nursery teacher in 1941. The military regimentation of the Labor Service further alienated Sophie from the Nazis.

After enrolling in the University of Munich in 1942, Sophie immersed herself in art, music, literature, philosophy and theology. Her older brother, Hans, who was studying medicine, introduced her to his friends, most of whom opposed the Nazis and the war. Many of these students would play a pivotal role in Sophie's destiny.

Among Sophie's new acquaintances were a number of artists, writers and philosophers, particularly Carl Muth and Theodor Haecker, with whom she pondered the question, "How the individual must act under a dictatorship?" Her brother's imprisonment during1938 by the Gestapo for involvement in a banned youth group and her father's incarceration for making critical remarks about Hitler in 1942, further radicalized Sophie's thinking. Moreover, Cardinal John Henry Newman's "theology of conscience" and a stern anti-Nazi sermon by Cardinal Clemens August Graf von Galen, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Münster, regarding the mass killings of Jews made passive resistance to the Nazis the only course of action for Sophie and her friends once they learned that the Nazis were euthanasizing the handicapped, mentally ill, homosexuals and others designated as undesirables.

During this time, Hans, along with Alex Schmorell and a few other students formed a non-violent resistance group called the White Rose. Their goal was to encourage passive resistance to the Nazis by secretly distributing leaflets. Hans and Alex Schmorell, with assistance from Professor Kurt Huber, published six leaflets entitled "The White Rose" and "Leaflets of the Resistance," which Sophie and others disseminated at Munich University.

Quoting the Bible, Aristotle, Novalis, Goethe and Schiller, they appealed to the German intelligentsia. Copies were carried to other universities or mailed to citizens across Germany. They urged "Support for the resistance movement!" through active opposition to Adolf Hitler and in the struggle for "Freedom of speech and religion, as well as protection of the individual from a criminal dictatorial state."

The Nazis' crushing defeat at Stalingrad in February 1943, where over 350,000 soldiers died, shattered the Nazi claim of invincibility. Sophie and her colleagues felt the time was right to make a bold statement for freedom. Prof. Huber composed the sixth leaflet and addressed it to "Fellow students!" It announced that the "day of reckoning" had come for "the most contemptible tyrant our people have ever endured. As the German people had looked to university students to help break Napoleon in 1813, they now looked to them to break the Nazi terror." It concluded, "The dead of Stalingrad adjure us!"

On the nights of the 3rd, 8th, and 15th of February 1943, the slogans "Freedom" and "Down with Hitler" were painted on University walls and other buildings in Munich with tar-based paint. The leaflets and graffiti prompted an intense search for the dissidents. It is speculated that even though Sophie and Hans felt that the Gestapo was closing in, their boldness in the name of Jesus Christ would strengthen the German people to resist the Nazis.

On the morning of February 18, 1943 the Scholls, along with Christoph Probst, took a suitcase of leaflets to the university and placed copies in the corridors for students. The Scholls went to the top floor and as though in total defiance of Nazi power, Sophie dumped leaflets over the railing to float down to students below. They and other members of The White Rose were arrested by the Gestapo. Four days later, on February 22, 1943, Sophie, Hans and Probst were found guilty of treason and beheaded by guillotine within hours of the verdict.

As though in a re-enactment of Sophie's defiant act, the sixth leaflet was smuggled out of Germany to the UK, and renamed "The Manifesto of the Students of Munich," then Allied planes rained down millions of copies on Germany in July 1943.

Today, Sophie and Hans' names grace buildings, streets, parks and plazas. Statues all over Germany commemorate their heroism. The fountain and the central square hall at Munich University bear their names. Numerous plays, novels and other works of art tell the story of The Woman Who Defied Hitler. (Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org, www.bellaonline.com and www.fff.org)

The Tyranny of War

By John Burl Smith

"Somebody, after all, had to make a start. What we wrote and said is also believed by many others. They just do not dare express themselves as we did. How can we expect righteousness to prevail when there is hardly anyone willing to give himself up individually to a righteous cause? Such a fine, sunny day, and I have to go, but what does my death matter, if through us thousands of people are awakened and stirred to action? We will not be silent…The White Rose will not leave you in peace!" (Sophie Scholl)

Born during the mid-years of WWII, I came to believe that all Germans marched in lockstep with Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. Subsequently, over the years this perspective of Germany was reinforced by images of the Holocaust. Rhetorically, history books and movies never presented any dissenting voices in Germany, except from Jews who were being slaughtered and even some Jews that were able to pass, supported Hitler's policies. Strangely enough, regarding this subject, a totally unfamiliar name, Sophie Scholl, came to my attention last week. Sophie Scholl, a young German student, who was a part of a short lived resistance movement "The White Rose," was martyred for her resistance activities.

Having been involved in the civil rights and black power movements and the organizer of the Memphis Invaders, which supported the sanitation workers during their strike, I thought the world always recognized individuals, even if posthumously, who in the face of tyranny, stood on moral principles under such circumstances. This young lady and her colleagues defied the most brutal and vicious tyrant and died trying to awaken the spirit of a nation to the horrors not only of war but of the inhumane treatment defenseless people were suffering in their midst. There is no explanation for why accounts of her life and The White Rose are obliterated from Western war annals. It is as though their lives did not matter in regards to humanitarian ideals.

Although the fight against segregation in the United States is not officially termed a war, those who fought on the front lines during "sit-ins," joined "freedom rides" and marched in places such as Salem and Birmingham, as well as those who survived Co-Intel-Pro's assassination squads, are like Sophie, Hans and other members of The White Rose, who gave their lives for freedom from tyranny in their country. These fighters have also gone unrecognized. Exercising moral authority most times occur in the shadows of anonymity well away from the glare of spotlights, cameras and media attention, where the fear of death can ooze, like sweat from one's pores. Then, only you and your God know the real motivation prompting your action.

War is the opposite of peace, however today in this world of media-speak, war is sanitized for public consumption much like the Nazis did in Germany and the lies, greed and manipulated half-truths that plunged the world into mayhem are made to sound as if war is a rescue mission. A war on the population of a country today is described as a liberation campaign and occupation troops are called liberators. The neo-colonialism they must endure is passed off as democracy. Moreover, any locals who oppose the foreign invaders that have taken over their country are not embraced as "freedom fighters;" they are labeled terrorists.

Adolf Hitler created this same kind of illusion for the world and most Germans bought into it. But, against overwhelming odds, Sophie Scholl gave her life to show Germany and the world that no lie can cover truth forever. One day, like a dandelion growing up through concrete, truth will break through. Even though powerful governments knew about the horrors the Nazis were perpetrating at home and in other countries, they remained silent or sought to justify Hitler's aggression. The modern equivalent is the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan. The people there are victims like the people of Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland were when Hitler invaded.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. received the Nobel Peace Prize for his civil rights work, including his stand against the Vietnam War. Explaining his stand, he made clear that there was no difference between the tyranny he opposed in the South and what the US was doing in Vietnam. He said "injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere." In other words, the kind of tyranny blacks in the South were enduring at the hands of whites was no different from the tyranny Vietnamese were suffering at the hands of armed US forces.

Consequently, the tyranny of war Sophie Scholl died fighting against in Germany, was tantamount to Dr. King's opposition to the Vietnam War and should be a challenge which enlivens our opposition to the US occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan. In death, people like Sophie, Dr. King, and many others make their lives count for even more, because of their moral stand against injustice, tyranny and inequality. Like Jesus Christ, they worked to promote reconciliation, justice and integrity in the world.

Hood Notes

Mississippi Talking and Learning

"They just don't talk about it. People don't understand that part of the healing begins when you talk about it, so they just keep it to themselves." Jacquelyn Martin, a black civil rights organizer.

Passed in 2006, Mississippi Senate Bill 2718 mandates all kindergartners to 12th-graders be exposed to civil rights education. In the younger grades, students will read books such as "I Love My Hair!" as a way to discuss concepts like racial differences in skin complexion and hair texture. Later grades will delve more deeply into how ordinary citizens shaped the civil rights movement and the long-term effects those changes had upon the nation. All students will study the nation's racial troubles and progress in US history courses.

This year, the new civil rights curriculum is being taught in 10 pilot programs. Teacher workshops begin this month, taught by the state Department of Education in conjunction with the Fannie Lou Hamer National Institute on Citizenship and Democracy at Jackson State University, Teaching for Change in Washington, and the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation at the University of Mississippi.

According to state curriculum specialist Chauncey Spears, "Mandating the new curriculum was the only way to ensure it would be taught." It's not that teachers haven't wanted to teach civil rights, though he admits that's probably the case in some places. It's more a symptom of a nationwide problem, an educational stricture some say is an unwelcome byproduct of the No Child Left Behind Act: Teaching to the test. As the stakes become higher, the curriculum narrows.

Teaching Mississippi students about civil rights will fill an educational gap, since most Mississippi children have never heard of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old black child whose 1955 lynching in Mississippi by a white mob galvanized the civil rights movement. They haven't heard of the 1964 "Freedom Summer," when 1,000 volunteers swept into this area to register black voters. They don't know about ordinary citizens who faced extraordinary odds to bring change. Next fall, the stories of the civil rights era will be taught - and tested - in all public schools.

In many places, it will end a decades-old culture of silence. People here don't like to remember the nights of church bombings and explosions; the sound of rifles being loaded in the dark as citizens patrolled sidewalks and sanctuaries, trying to stem the violence. They don't like to remember the fear and distrust - between blacks and whites, but also among themselves.

Making civil rights a subject in school is "a pretty drastic change," acknowledges Spears. "But how can you have a strong education program when you have high-achieving grads who have such little understanding of their own history?"

The inspiration for the program came from McComb High School teacher Vickie Malone, who began teaching "Local Cultures" as an elective for seniors. Malone wanted her students to hear all the voices of history, both black and white, taught in an open way that promoted understanding, not fear. According to Malone, "I wanted them to understand choices, and how profoundly they can affect the rest of your life. A lot of kids today are just numbed out, but back then, the kids were the movers and the shakers." (Indeed, in 1961, 300 students walked out of Burglund High School to the McComb City Hall in support of voting rights - 116 were jailed.)

This exploration through history is sure to be painful, but Mississippi educators believe the state will be better for having their children learn from and talk about the past. (Source: www.csmonitor.com/2009/1008/p25s02-usgn.html)

News You Use

Demand Dignity: All Rights for All People

The theme for the Amnesty International USA's 2009 Southern Regional Conference is Demand Dignity: All Rights for All People. Each year Amnesty gathers activists from around the South for a weekend to celebrate and strengthen the human rights movement. This year's conference is scheduled for Atlanta! It will be held from October 30 through November 1 at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Decatur, Georgia.

The conference will include panels on Troy Davis featuring his sister Martina Correia, and on the right to health, featuring Amnesty International's Secretary General, Irene Khan. Workshops throughout the weekend will cover a panoply of issues, including the human rights situation in Zimbabwe, immigrant rights, the death penalty, and ending torture. Each workshop includes a skills component, such as ways to discuss difficult issues, meeting with elected officials, and using art to advance human rights.

In addition to the workshops, the conference will include caucus sessions for people to meet other human rights advocates from their state and city and for students and faculty advisors to meet and learn from each other. Other activities include a cultural event, featuring hip-hop, Bhangra dancing, folk drums, and other Atlanta area artists.

If you want to learn more about human rights and advocacy work here in Georgia, attend the Amnesty's 2009 Southern Regional Conference's Demand Dignity: All Rights for All People. For more information, including deadlines, accommodation, volunteering, fees, and subsidies, visit http://tinyurl.com/southernconf.

Venue for an Artist

The New 'Whitopia'

By Lewis Beale

Some of the fastest-growing areas in America are also the most Caucasian -- author Rich Benjamin's new book explores the new establishment of white ghettos.

Both Bill Bishop and Rich Benjamin trace this to the 1960s. That was a time when, Bishop writes, "Americans lost their sense of a nation, by accident, in the sweeping economic and cultural shifts that took place." And, Benjamin adds, "Once the courts demanded racial integration, many whites fled to the suburbs."

Now that many of those inner suburbs have become increasingly minority, a significant number of whites have fled further out to what Benjamin refers to as "exurban" counties like Forsyth (an hour's drive north of Atlanta), which are 83 percent non-Hispanic white.

Yet Benjamin says he found "racism without racists" in these towns. "I very much believe we do have structural racism in our communities, yet we don't have racists. The good news is we don't have interpersonal racism. But structural racism is harder to attack."

Benjamin also notes that a significant proportion of the people moving to these white enclaves are older folks with specific fears and agendas. And the Obama presidency has only heightened those qualms and, in some cases, brought out nativist impulses.

"When you look at the tea bag protests, and the birther movement, this is an existential crisis facing conservative white Americans," Benjamin says. "They don't want to expand government dependence, and they link big government to city people and minorities who are perceived to be on the dole. These Americans fear where the country is going economically, racially and government-wise."

That 40 percent of Americans under 24 are non-white, and that whites will no longer be in the majority by 2042, only serves to make this unease more palpable. So in the near future "there may be a democracy gap where older whites, who are more inclined to vote, have the power to determine the outcome of politics," Benjamin says. "That means there will be spending for older people, like Medicare and Social Security, and the lack of spending for young brown people, like education. There will be different priorities in funding."

And whether or not the younger generation will have different political values than their elders is, Benjamin says, up in the air. He feels Obama's popularity among young people could mean "long-term brand loyalty to the Democrats, and progressive values. But it's equally likely white members of this generation can be anti-government in a way that's racialized. When you poll on immigration, for example, the difference between the young and their parent's views is indiscernible."

In the meantime, Bishop believes that the crazy quilt of cultures and values the big sort has created just "makes any sort of national change harder. We get by, but what we lack is an ability to do things that are transformative. The metro and state areas are where the action is in terms of new policy. Who has the first universal health insurance? Massachusetts. Cities are doing experiments in power production; school districts are experimenting with buying food locally.

"At the local level you will have this experiment in policy, and at the national level you will have this congestion."

About Me: Lewis Beale is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Newsday and many other publications. For more on this topic, visit the culture and society section at www.miller-mccune.com.

DISHing It Up Hot!

Good Hair?

By Dot

For years, I have wondered why black women fry, dye, lye and weave to achieve something other than their natural hair. Recently, when I complained about the situation to an acquaintance about us - black women - making the Koreans and others that market ethnic hair and hair care products rich, she exclaimed, "You don't have to worry about the rain turning your hair; you've got 'good hair!'"

I never considered my hair particularly "good!" Unlike most of the black women I know, I have no problem jumping into a swimming pool, because I do not use chemicals, blowers, or anything else that would make my hair straight. I happen to like my natural curls. I do not wear extensions or braids. More often than not, I brush and comb it back and contain the mass with a scrunchie. It takes a few minutes. I could not imagine spending hours on my hair.

And, quite frankly, some of the styles that erupt from black beauty salons after hours of cutting, dying, lying, weaving and primping are simply ridiculous. Black women should be ashamed to go out in public looking like clowns. Sadly, it is my understanding that even these foolish styles are more favored in the American workplace than natural hair, which is viewed as 'too black' or 'militant.' Supposedly, if one had a job, one could get fired showing up au naturel.

Even though the documentary came out earlier this year, I just recently learned about Chris Rock's Good Hair. According to the film's promo, Rock became committed to answering his daughter's question, "Daddy, how come I don't have good hair?" He also wanted to know who or what was responsible for putting that question into his little girl's head. I have not seen the film, which is directed by Emmy Award nominee Jeff Stilson, but I would definitely like to see whether or not Rock answers his daughter's question and his own quandary.

I have my own take on this subject. Forged from years of personal experience, I am convinced that 'good hair' is a euphemism for 'white hair.' Black women need to learn to love themselves, all of their selves including their natural nappy hair. Before black women can get the love and respect from others they believe they deserve and desire, they will have to stop trying to be white. This includes Oprah and the lady in the White House! Weaving, frying, dying and lying about their hair scream "I hate myself!" And, unfortunately, we pass this self-hatred on to our children and future generations.

Disgruntled feels: Inspired! On Friday, the world was stunned by the announcement that the Norwegian Nobel Committee had awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize to the sitting US President. In issuing its statement, the committee cited President Barack Obama's "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." On a personal note, I am far from convinced the committee made the right decision or chose the best person possible as this year's Nobel Peace Prize recipient. However, in choosing President Obama, I sincerely hope this prize and the recognition it brings inspire the president to genuinely work for peace, which means ending the US wars of aggression in Afghanistan and Iraq, reducing the size of the US nuclear arsenal and working for peace, not profits, in troubled regions of the world. Most importantly, I hope it inspires Mr. Obama to work toward a lasting peace within his own country by starting a dialogue on race, a subject he has heretofore been reluctant to face.

Disgruntled says: The CBS late-night host David Letterman recently acknowledged that he had sexual relations with young women that work behind the scenes in producing his show. We are not certain, based on what has been published about these affairs as a result of an alleged attempted blackmail plot, exactly how many female staff members Letterman bedded. According to a spokesperson for Worldwide Pants, Inc., Letterman's production company, all these affairs took place before Letterman wedded in March of this year to his longtime love interest and mother of his son Regina Lasko. While this latest incident of men in the workplace taking advantage of young women is the brunt of late night comedy, we know the Letterman affair is not an isolated incident. Hundreds of thousands of Lettermen everyday take advantage of young men and women in the workforce. Available for sexual favors, too often these young people are hired over older workers with more experience and education. Behind the scenes of the Letterman show and in offices across the country, these kinds of affairs are more than fodder for jokes; they are at the roots of workplace sexual abuse and age discrimination.

Disgruntled wants to know: Recently, students and workers in Puerto Rico responded to massive government layoffs with protests and strikes. Already faced with double-digit unemployment, these layoffs and others expected in a few months as the conservative government of Luis Fortuño, the first governor affiliated with the US Republican Party in 40 years, puts in place an austerity plan to combat its mounting fiscal crisis, are sure to further impoverish the island nation that suffers with a more than forty percent poverty rate. In addition to the massive layoffs, the government has promised to privatize and consolidate some forty agencies and infrastructure, a process that will eliminate an additional 30,000 public sector positions. Since announcing the layoffs, the government has had to deal with continuous marches and demonstrations by workers and students. In response, the government has employed a combination of violence and fear, using shock troops to intimidate and arrest protesters. Yet, the people have refused to accept the situation and are taking to the streets demanding change. During the 1960s, students in the US led marches and demonstrations and participated in non-violent civil disobedience to demand the changes in the socio-political landscape of the US that is so often touted today. One wonders, what will it take for US students and workers to protest conditions in this country?

Mailbox: E-Mails, Faxes and Telephone Calls

Email http://news.antiwar.com ... Senate Passes $636 Billion Military Bill...By Jason Ditz...The Senate today voted 93-7 in favor of the $636 billion defense appropriations bill to provide funding to the US military over the fiscal year beginning this month. The bill includes $128.2 billion in funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and bars President Obama from transferring any of the suspects at Guantanamo Bay to the US for trials. Two of the Senators voting against the bill, Sens. McCain and Feingold, objected to the $2.5 billion in continued funding for C-17 military aircraft. The Pentagon has said it doesn't want the aircraft, and the Obama Administration has sought to cancel the funding for them. Sen. Feingold was the only Democrat to vote against the bill. The six Republicans included Sens. McCain, Enzi, Coburn, Demint, Barrasso, and Graham.

Email info@barackobama.com ... A call to action.....This morning, Michelle and I awoke to some surprising and humbling news. At 6 a.m., we received word that I'd been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009. To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize -- men and women who've inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace. But I also know that throughout history the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes. That is why I've said that I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations and all peoples to confront the common challenges of the 21st century. These challenges won't all be met during my presidency, or even my lifetime. But I know these challenges can be met so long as it's recognized that they will not be met by one person or one nation alone. This award -- and the call to action that comes with it -- does not belong simply to me or my administration; it belongs to all people around the world who have fought for justice and for peace. And most of all, it belongs to you, the men and women of America, who have dared to hope and have worked so hard to make our world a little better. So today we humbly recommit to the important work that we've begun together. I'm grateful that you've stood with me thus far, and I'm honored to continue our vital work in the years to come. Thank you, President Barack Obama

Email www.fpif.org ...Losing the Moral High Ground...By Frida Berrigan...On the eighth anniversary of the launch of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, the spotlight is on the Obama administration's evolving war strategy in a nation long known as the "graveyard of empires." The current discourse on what is now dubbed "Obama's War" focuses on the number and composition of troops, as well as the overarching strategy (counter-insurgency, rapid withdrawal, a mix of military and reconstruction operations). But we should not lose sight of another consequence of the October 7, 2001 invasion: the detention of thousands of people suspected of being hostile to the United States. They remain held at prisons at Guantánamo, Bagram Air Field, and elsewhere. They have now become Obama's enemy combatants...The United States wrestled these men from their home countries and held them from their families for as long as eight-and-a-half years. We found no evidence against them or, in collecting evidence and intelligence, failed to follow our own laws (which have served us well in every other war we've fought). The men have been destroyed physically, psychologically, and emotionally -- and most of them have been found guilty of nothing. We cannot give them back years of their lives. We can't give them back dignity, wholeness, or their faith in the goodness of America. We can't even -- after 10 months of work -- give them a satisfactory repatriation solution. The Obama administration has a lot of ground to cover in the next four months.

Email ...www.nytimes.com Spite ...By Paul Krugman...There was what President Obama likes to call a teachable moment last week, when the International Olympic Committee rejected Chicago's bid to be host of the 2016 Summer Games. "Cheers erupted" at the headquarters of the conservative Weekly Standard, according to a blog post by a member of the magazine's staff, with the headline "Obama loses! Obama loses!" Rush Limbaugh declared himself "gleeful." "World Rejects Obama," gloated the Drudge Report. And so on. So what did we learn from this moment? For one thing, we learned that the modern conservative movement, which dominates the modern Republican Party, has the emotional maturity of a bratty 13-year-old. But more important, the episode illustrated an essential truth about the state of American politics: at this point, the guiding principle of one of our nation's two great political parties is spite pure and simple. If Republicans think something might be good for the president, they're against it -- whether or not it's good for America.