The DISH

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Vol. 9 No. 30…Dedicated to the Dialogue on Race…July 28, 2006

Venue for an Artist

La Belle Dame sans Merci

By John Keats (1795-1821)

Oh what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,

Alone and palely loitering?

The sedge has withered from the lake,

And no birds sing.

Oh what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,

So haggard and so woe-begone?

The squirrel's granary is full,

And the harvest's done.

I see a lily on thy brow,

With anguish moist and fever-dew,

And on thy cheeks a fading rose

Fast withereth too.

I met a lady in the meads,

Full beautiful - a faery's child,

Her hair was long, her foot was light,

And her eyes were wild.

I made a garland for her head,

And bracelets too, and fragrant zone;

She looked at me as she did love,

And made sweet moan.

I set her on my pacing steed,

And nothing else saw all day long,

For sidelong would she bend, and sing

A faery's song.

She found me roots of relish sweet,

And honey wild, and manna-dew,

And sure in language strange she said -

'I love thee true'.

She took me to her elfin grot,

And there she wept and sighed full sore,

And there I shut her wild wild eyes

With kisses four.

And there she lulled me asleep

And there I dreamed - Ah! woe betide! -

The latest dream I ever dreamt

On the cold hill side.

I saw pale kings and princes too,

Pale warriors, death-pale were they all;

They cried - 'La Belle Dame sans Merci

Hath thee in thrall!'

I saw their starved lips in the gloam,

With horrid warning gaped wide,

And I awoke and found me here,

On the cold hill's side.

And this is why I sojourn here

Alone and palely loitering,

Though the sedge is withered from the lake,

And no birds sing.

About Me: One of the greatest English Romantic poets, John Keats gave up medicine (1816) to pursue poetry. His earliest work -- Endymion (1817)-- mainly attracted political abuse. His ballad La Belle Dame sans Merci, an obvious political statement, was written during this time period.

Comments from the Bat Cave

Summer vacation is rapidly coming to an end. In mid-August, the new school year begins, a prospect the Dark Knight-Batman/White Ninja/Zorro views with a certain amount of distaste. When asked for comments, the Dark One/Ninja/Zorro rhetorically responded with uncanny haste, "I suppose it will make you happy!"

Bit of History

Blanche Kelso Bruce (1841 - 1898)

Son of Polly Bruce, a slave, and a white planter, Blanche Kelso Bruce was born in Prince Edward County, Virginia on March 1, 1841. He spent his childhood and received his earliest education on Pettus Perkinson's Virginia plantation. As his master moved him from Virginia to Mississippi and finally Missouri, he worked as a fieldhand and printer's apprentice.

At the onset of the Civil War, Bruce escaped slavery and found his way to Hannibal, Missouri, where he established and taught in the state's first school for blacks. In 1866, he studied at Oberlin College in Ohio. Due to financial problems, Bruce abandoned his studies after a year and worked as a porter on the Columbia, a steamer that traveled between Missouri and Iowa.

At the height of Reconstruction, Bruce moved to Mississippi (1869) and quickly established himself as a prosperous landowner. He served in a number of appointed and elected positions including registrar of voters in Tallahatchie County, Sergeant-At-Arms of the new Mississippi State Senate, tax assessor and superintendent of education for Bolivar County. After his election as sheriff and tax collector of Bolivar County (1872-1875), Bruce gained the attention of the powerful white Republicans that controlled Mississippi 's Reconstruction government. Under their tutelage, he became the most recognized black politician in Mississippi.

In February 1874, the Mississippi state legislature elected Bruce to the US Senate. He became the first black US Senator to serve a full six-year term. A Republican, Bruce served on the Pensions, Manufactures, and Education and Labor Committees, presided over a Senate session and chaired the Senate Select Committee to Investigate the Freedman's Savings and Trust Company.

Ambitious, Bruce was very much interested in ridding himself of the stench of slavery; he married Josephine Willson, the light-skinned daughter of a black elite. The Willsons and blacks of their ilk looked down on their poor, less educated dark-skin brethren. A loyal Republican, Bruce may have unwittingly aided the re-enslavement of blacks by helping to usher in the Compromise of 1877. It sealed the deal that put Rutherford B. Hayes in the Oval Office and ended Reconstruction. While Bruce's support of Hayes may have advanced his career in Republican political circles, in many ways, it was a betrayal of black people.

At the end of his Senate term in 1881, President James Garfield appointed him Registrar of the Treasury, a post he held until 1885. Bruce served as Recorder of Deeds for the District of Columbia from 1891-1893 and again as Register of the Treasury from 1897 until his death. Bruce served as a trustee of Howard University, which conferred on him the degree of LL.D. in 1890. He also served as a trustee of the District of Columbia public schools. Senator Bruce died on March 17, 1898 in Washington, DC and was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Washington, DC.

On March 1, 2006, the 165th birthday of US Senator Blanche Kelso Bruce, an historical highway marker to commemorate his birthplace was unveiled at the intersection of highway 360 and 623 near Green Bay, Prince Edward County, Virginia. (Sources: A Dynasty Is Born, US News & World Report, 7-17-06 excerpts from The Senator and the Socialite: The True Story of America's First Black Dynasty by Lawrence Otis Graham, www.aahpfdn.org, www.fpehs.org and http://bioguide.congress.gov)

Kudos! Kudos!

Earl's Tiger

On Sunday, Tiger Woods brought to life the earthy browns of Royal Liverpool Golf Course at Hoylake, England and gave his fans at home something to cheer about. He won an historic eleventh major title, taking the Claret jug with an 18-under par-270. Woods missed by a stroke the record 19 under-par he set in his 2000 win at St. Andrews, Scotland.

Tiger lost Earl Woods, his father, friend, mentor and coach, after a long illness in May. Following his father's death, Tiger took some time off from golf to grieve. He returned to the tour for the US Open, failing to make the cut.

Tiger came to the British Open determined to defend his 2005 title and take home a third jug. There was speculation he also wanted to erase the stench of missing the US Open cut. With the lead after 36 holes, there was no question of playing the weekend at the British Open.

Like a sleek cat, Tiger prowled up the brown fairway to a slightly less brown 18^th green, leading by two strokes over Chris DiMarco. After leaving his birdie putt short, Tiger parred to retain his title, then roared and pumped his fists, a victorious warrior. Tiger tearfully hugged his caddie, Steve Williams, and wept in his wife's arms. Such an emotional release! "This one's for Earl." Kudos Tiger!

News You Use

ABA Task Force Report

George W. Bush has challenged more legislation that he signed into law than all his predecessors combined, according to an American Bar Association (ABA) blue-ribbon task force. Created by ABA President Michael S. Greco, with the approval of the ABA Board of Governors, the Task Force on Presidential Signing Statements and the Separation of Powers Doctrine was charged with investigating the use of presidential signing statements by the Bush administration. The task force report identified 807 signing statements issued by Bush (to date) in lieu of a veto. The signing statements question the constitutionality of bills Congress passed and he signed or other exceptions, such as allowing Bush to ignore the law under "executive authority" or "need" to use torture.

According to the report, Bush's most recent predecessors combined (Reagan, George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton) signed 408 such statements. Moreover, 'from the republic's inception until 2000, presidents issued fewer than 600 such statements..'

The ABA believes these numbers and the assertion by Bush of his authority to "disregard or decline to enforce laws undermine the rule of law and our constitutional system of separation of powers." Sounding the alarm over the report's implications, ABA President Michael Greco in prepared remarks wrote, "...the presidential use of signing statements raises serious concerns crucial to the survival of our democracy."

To address the dilemma, the ABA task force recommendations include urging 'Congress to adopt legislation enabling its members to seek court review of signing statements that assert such presidential power, exercise more oversight and empower the courts to review signing statements.'

The Task Force will present its report at the ABA House of Delegates' Annual Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii (August 7-8, 2006). It is expected the report and its recommendations will be endorsed by the full body. For more, including specifics on Bush's signing statements, the task force's list of recommendations, information on task force members and the ABA, click on http://www.abanet.org/op/signingstatements/.

Hood Notes

Impeachment Movement

A number of organizations, including the Center for Constitutional Rights and ImpeachBush.Org www.impeachbush.org, was invigorated with the Supreme Court ruling in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld. The 5-3 decision declared George W. Bush had no "special powers" as commander in chief in "time of war" to violate the Geneva Convention on Treatment of Prisoners of War. Its significance has been downplayed by mainstream media, but not by the impeachment movement.

Buoyed by Hamdan, the Center for Constitutional Rights held Impeachment Day teach-ins to educate the public. Presentations included the 10 reasons for impeaching Bush cited in Barbara Olshansky and Dave Lindorff's new book The Case for Impeachment: The Legal Argument for Removing President George W. Bush from Office. For more about it, see http://www.thiscantbehappening.net.

The www.impeachbush.org articles of impeachment lists twenty crimes and misdemeanors against George W. Bush, Vice-President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Condi Rice, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. In all of these documents, the first four articles cover lying to Congress and the American people, war of aggression, warrantless wiretaps and violations of US and international law. These crimes are far graver than groping Monica Lewinsky and lying about it.

With Congress impotent, co-opted and corrupt, the impeachment movement gained another quiver in its limited arsenal against tyranny with the American Bar Association (ABA) task force report on presidential signing statements. Since all three branches of the US government-- legislative, executive and judicial -- are philosophically wed to the notion that the Bush administration, post September 11, can disregard any law ostensibly in order to protect the American people, the US is now a monarchy, and Bush is king! The impeachment movement is working to remove the king and restore the USA's constitutional republic.

Disgruntled wants to know: Evangelical Christians are allied with Israel and the Republican right. They buy into the "End Times" game. These people of faith are excited, praying the end is truly near; they expect to be part of the "rapture." For now, they believe it is okay for Israel to slaughter innocent men, women and children as Israeli aggression will "aid the return of Christ." I wonder, what will they support, indeed do, to punish phony prophets profiting by persuading pliable people?

Disgruntled feels: Orwellian! The US role in the Israel-Lebanon crisis is Orwellian. According to press reports, the Bush administration is speeding precision-guided bombs and other arms to Israel. While these weapons are supposedly part of a multi-million arms deal package approved last year, the decision to send them more quickly than planned in the midst of fighting with Hezbollah guerillas is unusual. In fact, the disclosure makes the US appear more hypocritical. With righteous indignation, the US criticizes Iran and Syria for "arming Hezbollah," a US-designated terrorist organization, while US-supplied state-of-the-art weapons terrorize, kill and maim Lebanese civilians. When US ships sailed into Lebanon, ostensibly to rescue Americans, I knew these ships would not soon leave, at least not before Israel accomplished its US-supported mission. For now, their crews are tasked with providing humanitarian assistance to people the US is helping Israel kill and displace. It is so Orwellian!

Disgruntled says: "A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider god-fearing and pious."-- Aristotle In presidential debates, George W. Bush proudly claimed his favorite philosopher was Jesus Christ. Since he ceased his affair with alcohol, according to Bush, Christ has been an important part of his life. By inference, we are to believe he is a man of deep religious conviction and that the "Prince of Peace" guides his decisions. If you can, imagine Jesus deliberately delaying the call for a cease-fire while people are dying on the pretext of designing a lasting peace solution to a here-to-fore intractable problem. I certainly cannot imagine the Prince of Peace acting so mercilessly, cursing and declaring with a smirk support for more bombing.

DISHing It Up Hot!

On Seeing Syriana!

By Dot

On viewing the movie Syriana, the pain in the Middle East became clear. The people of the Middle East, like most of us, are pawns easily sacrificed in moves made by the world's wealthy and powerful to advance and secure their vested interests. It is an ancient game they skillfully play.

Syriana showed the pawns plotting to achieve a narrow view of a successful life only to succeed in treachery and betrayal. There is the black attorney doing his master's bidding, the oil-rich king foolishly making his young and more self-absorbed son heir to the throne, etc.

Believing in taking sides, the pawns are divided and dying, when the people pushing them around are united - united behind the fact that there are no borders that matter. All that matters is superb connections to those who determine what is right and wrong and who gets punished.

We see it all the time. Multinational corporations and the government (s) that backs them raping some country, in some case their host nation, to acquire an economic advantage. And, they do not care if the environment and people of the region suffer as a result of their operations.

The pain will end when the pawns unit.

Mailbox: E-Mails, Faxes and Telephone Calls

Email www.truthout.org John Dean: The Authoritarian Streak in the Conservative Movement writes, "Authoritarianism is not well understood and seldom discussed in the context of American government and politics, yet it now constitutes the prevailing thinking and behavior among conservatives. Regrettably, empirical studies reveal, however, that authoritarians are frequently enemies of freedom, anti-democratic, anti-equality, highly prejudiced, mean-spirited, power hungry, Machiavellian and amoral. They are also often conservatives without conscience who are capable of plunging this nation into disasters the likes of which we have never known."

Email www.legitgov.org According to General Wesley Clark--the Pentagon, by late 2001, was planning to attack Lebanon. 'Winning Modern Wars' (page 130) General Clark states the following: 'As I went back through the Pentagon in November 2001, one of the senior military staff officers had time for a chat. Yes, we were still on track for going against Iraq, he said. But there was more. This was being discussed as part of a five-year campaign plan, he said, and there were a total of seven countries, beginning with Iraq, then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Iran, Somalia and Sudan.'"

Email www.nytimes.com Condi's Flying Dutchman...By Maureen Dowd...Having inadvertently built up Iran with his failures in Iraq, W. is eager now to send Iran a shock-and-awe message through Israel....The cowboy president bet the ranch on Iraq, and that war has made almost any other American action in the Arab world, and any Pax Americana that might have been created there, impossible. Its fitting that Condi is the Flying Dutchman, since Lebanon represents the shipwreck of our Middle East policy.

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