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Unbossed and unbought news and information you can use Vol. 13 Issue 12…Dedicated to the Dialogue on Race…March 21, 2010
Intuit's Vibe Stand ! By Sly and the Family Stone
In the end you'll still be you One that's done all the things you set out to do Stand There's a cross for you to bear Things to go through if you're going anywhere Stand
For the things you know are right It's the truth that the truth makes them so uptight Stand
You have you to complete and there is no deal Stand. stand, stand Stand
You've been sitting much too long There's a permanent crease in your right and wrong Stand
There's a midget standing tall And the giant beside him about to fall Stand. stand, stand Stand
And they know what you're saying makes sense and all Stand
Well at least in your mind if you want to be
Stand, stand, stand
Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (1828- 1914)
Following a promotion to brigade commander, Chamberlain made another valiant stand at the battle of Petersburg. Shot in the right hip and groin and leaning on his sword for support, Chamberlain kept himself on his feet to encourage his men to hold their wavering line until he collapsed. Pronounced fatally wounded by a surgeon, Chamberlain was promoted to brigadier general by Gen. Ulysses S. Grant for his action. Chamberlain, however, clung to life for weeks before finally recovering from his wounds.
A proven fighter, Chamberlain was given command of the 1st Brigade of the 1st Division of the V Corps upon his return to duty. He continued his courageous exploits on the Quaker Road during Grant's final advance that would finish the war on March 29, 1865. Despite losses, wounds in the left arm and chest, and nearly being captured, Chamberlain's unit held and he was breveted to major general by Pres. Abraham Lincoln for their courageous stand.
Chamberlain left the army after the war ended and returned to Maine, where he was elected governor; he served for four years. Afterwards, he was appointed president of Bowdoin in1871. Over the next twelve years he revolutionized the school's curriculum and updated its facilities. Forced to retire in 1883, due to the aggravation of his war wounds, Chamberlain remained active in public life and the Grand Army of the Republic, a veteran’s organization.
Chamberlain has lived on in drink and song, book and legend. Through popular media, Chamberlain has been immortalized by such artists as lyricist Steve Earle on his album The Mountain in the song Dixieland. Writer Michael Shaara won a Pulitzer Prize for his portrayal of Chamberlain in The Killer Angels, as well as the movie based on that novel. Actor Jeff Daniels gave a griping performance as Chamberlain in Gettysburg and repeated the role in Gods and Generals. Even Ken Burns popular 1990 nine part video The Civil War (TV series) prominently featured Chamberlain. Shipyard Brewing Company capped it off by naming a pale ale after Chamberlain and decorated the label with his profile.
Chamberlain's life and heroics stand as shining examples of how true dedication to an ideal larger than one's self can inspire and motivate others to make greater contributions. (Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org and http://militaryhistory.about.com) By John Burl Smith
Born during the time when giants walked amongst men, changing things seemed hopeless to a mere mortal. They were always the first to step up when the community needed help. They took a stand to defend people when trouble threatened. Having giants around made it easier for people to stand back and depend on them to take care of problems, provide leadership and face the wrath of a hostile majority.
Their stand gave the weak courage, resolve and inspiration, even when the earth shook with each step and death was an imminent possibility. Walking in their massive shadows and huge footsteps, ordinary individuals felt they could somehow measure up to their giant stature. The hope of standing shoulder to shoulder with their towering image helped ordinary mortals rise to those lofty heights where only heroes reside.
However in reality, these were not physical giants, they were ordinary individuals like everyone else, but through some unknown inner process, they found the will and power to go far beyond what was expected or demanded of mere mortals. History provides some startling examples of the role these amazing personalities played in sustaining slave descendants trying to survive in America's hostile environment. Such giants as Nat Turner, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, David Walker, Sojourner Truth and many others fought tirelessly during the dark days of forced bondage when dreary, toil and hopelessness were the only future.
The fight to save the Union and end forced bondage was made possible by many individuals who were willing to take a stand when others wavered or took flight. Fear that their effort would be too small, slaves were denied an opportunity to join the battle call. Again, Mr. Lincoln's intrepid design made it possible for slaves to stand in their own cause on the front line.
Emancipation was truly a giant step for a divided nation, but Southern whites drew the color line and hanging blacks became a sign of the times. Mob rule and lynching were the law of the land and a new breed of giants stepped up to lend a hand. Ida B. Wells, W. E. B. Du Bois, A. Phillip Randolph, Thurgood Marshall, Adam Clayton Powell and many others walked through "the valley of the shadow of death" against the evils of segregation. Pushed down on their knees, forced to "bow and scrap," relegated to the chasm of inequality and pushed to the back of the bus, blacks revered those Herculean champions, which were a disappearing breed.
It was with "amazing grace" that a woman in Montgomery made a stand by sitting and started a bus boycott, which gave birth to a movement by common people. Students in Greensboro crossed the color line to eat at an all-white lunch counter and freedom riders from the North helped to make sitting down a way to stand up. Then, one cold October day, sanitation workers in Memphis, TN took a giant step for those on the very bottom. Watching those old men, who had been beaten down by brutality, discrimination, racism and lynching stand up, made us all feel like giants.
President Barack Obama has spoken laudably of Pres. Lincoln's stand, would Mr. Lincoln be as proud of Pres. Obama's stand in regards to slave descendants?
Stand Up While You Read This! By Olivia Judson
It doesn't matter if you go running every morning, or you're a regular at the gym. If you spend most of the rest of the day sitting - in your car, your office chair, on your sofa at home - you are putting yourself at increased risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, a variety of cancers and an early death. In other words, irrespective of whether you exercise vigorously, sitting for long periods is bad for you.
That, at least, is the conclusion of several recent studies. Indeed, if you consider only healthy people who exercise regularly, those who sit the most during the rest of the day have larger waists and worse profiles of blood pressure and blood sugar than those who sit less. Among people who sit in front of the television for more than three hours each day, those who exercise are as fat as those who don't: sitting a lot appears to offset some of the benefits of jogging a lot.
For more on this article and the health studies on the consequences of spending less time sitting, see http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/stand-up-while-you-read-this/?scp=4&sq=olivia%20judson. Sleep Differences among Ethnic Groups
The 2010 Sleep in America poll was conducted by WB&A Market Research, using a random sample of 1,007 adults between the ages of 25-60 who identified themselves as White, Black/African-American, Asian or Hispanic, the group definitions used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Census Bureau. It should be noted that the Sleep in America Poll Task Force did consider economic factors in analyzing the data. The margin of error is 3.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
NSF's Sleep in America poll found that more than three-fourths of respondents from each ethnic group agree that poor sleep is associated with health problems (76-83%). The poll also shows that all groups report disturbingly similar experiences missing work or family functions because they were too sleepy (19-24%). Among married people or couples living together, all ethnic groups report being too tired for sex frequently (21- 26% of the time).
Blacks/African-Americans report the busiest bedtime routines. They are the most likely to report performing activities in the hour before going to bed every night or almost every night, specifically watching TV (75%) and/or praying or doing another religious practice (71%). Blacks/African-Americans and Hispanics (10% each) are ten times more likely to report having sex every night than Asians (1%) and 2.5 times more likely than Whites (4%).
Blacks/African-Americans report losing sleep every night over personal financial concerns (12%) and employment concerns (10%) at a higher rate than Whites (6% and 7%) or Asians (1% and 4%). Hispanics are almost equally concerned each night about these two issues (11% and 9%, respectively). Overall, at least one-third of Hispanics (38%) and Blacks/African-Americans (33%) report that these concerns disturb their sleep at least a few nights a week, compared to about one-fourth of Whites (28%) and/or Asians (25%).
For the most comprehensive source of information on sleep health, visit the National Sleep Foundation's website, www.sleepfoundation.org, where you can also read the complete Summary of Findings and highlights from this year's Sleep in America poll and polls from prior years. Caucus Keeps Complaints Quiet (Excerpts) By Michael Leahy
A year ago, members of the Congressional Black Caucus openly wept at Barack Obama's inauguration. Slowly, that euphoria has given way to frustration that his administration has not done more for black America. Questions about how to elect him have been replaced by questions about how to prod him.
"We concluded they were just kind of listening to us and that then they would go back [to their offices] and conclude that we would do nothing," Emanuel Cleaver II (D-Mo.), the vice chairman of the CBC, said of one dispute. "Because they had concluded there's a black president in the White House and that, to some degree, the Black Caucus, you know, was constrained in expressing its desires. After a while, we said, 'Hey, we see what's going on and it's nothing.' "
On Thursday, CBC members participated in a rare one-hour policy meeting with Obama at the White House to discuss their concerns, most notably their disappointment over a jobs bill that they regard as largely a package of tax breaks for employers, noticeably bereft of job-training programs, new infrastructure projects and summer employment opportunities for youth. Such issues are vital to the CBC, many of whose members represent districts with high levels of unemployment.
In interviews with aides and members afterward, Obama was described as receptive to their message, even though he did not make any large-scale commitments. A White House official issued a statement that ignored any tensions with CBC members and stressed the administration's goals: "President Obama is working to develop inclusive policies, whether in health care, education or the economy, that will have a broad impact on the American people, and Thursday's meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus was a productive effort toward reaching that goal."
Not withstanding Thursday's kind words, the CBC's list of complaints with the White House runs from policy to personal. Despite the caucus's entreaties, the administration has not provided targeted help to black communities and other struggling areas suffering from disproportionately high unemployment. Many caucus members say they feel largely ignored by key White House advisers. Their communication with Obama himself is minimal to nonexistent.
Several CBC members and aides talk derisively of an oft-quoted Obama phrase: that a "rising tide" for America will "lift all boats." They see it as rhetoric intended to justify why the administration has not focused on their communities at a time when unemployment among African Americans has climbed to 16.5 percent. "I can't pass laws that say I'm just helping black folks," Obama told the American Urban Radio Networks. "I'm the president of the United States. What I can do is make sure I'm passing laws that help people, particularly those who are most vulnerable."
Many in the 42-member CBC passionately disagree. African Americans and Latinos "bear the brunt of this economic recession," said Maxine Waters (Calif.). "We must not shy away from targeted public policy that seeks to address the specific and unique issues facing minority communities." If Obama hears Waters' point, it is from a distance. Friends of hers say she has had no phone calls from the president and no consistent contact with other administration officials despite her position as a subcommittee chairman and a key player on the House Financial Services Committee. Before Thursday's meeting, neither she nor the CBC as a group had met with the president to discuss the jobs bill.
Several prominent caucus members have expressed doubts about the interest of administration officials in African American issues, referring to figures including Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, and senior adviser David Axelrod. They "haven't had much involvement with minority communities in their careers, said Rep. Donald M. Payne (N.J.). "They've been in suites and boardrooms."
Disgruntled feels: Ridiculous! According to Moody's Investors Service, the US and the UK have moved "substantially" closer to losing their AAA credit ratings. Under the ratings company's so-called baseline scenario, the US will spend more on debt service as a percentage of revenue this year than any other top-rated country except the UK, and it will be the biggest spender from 2011 to 2013. Under its adverse scenario, which assumes 0.5 percent lower growth each year, less fiscal adjustment and a stronger interest-rate shock, the U.S. will be paying about 15 percent of revenue in interest payments. Financing costs above 10 percent put countries outside of the AAA category. As of January 2010, the Chinese government held more US debt than any other country, nearly a trillion dollars. So, a large chunk of US interest payments will go to China. Understandably, the US would like for the Chinese to revalue its currency, since doing so would devalue the US dollar-denominated securities it holds. This week, China once again became the focus of criticism by some members of Congress for manipulating its currency, i.e, keeping it artificially low. The Chinese renminbi is pegged to the US dollar. An ancient civilization, the Chinese are not likely to take kindly to efforts by the US to cheat them out of what they see as their due. After all, it would be ridiculous for the Chinese to receive nothing for having financed America's ability to live outside its means for so many years.
Disgruntled wants to know: Some conservative estimates indicate that at least 3 million people are not included in the official US unemployment statistics, because they are no longer actively seeking employment. Oftentimes called 'discouraged' workers, if they are included, the true unemployment rate would exceed 11 percent. In some heavily black populated urban areas, the unemployment rate is above 20 percent. This is a crisis with far-reaching socioeconomic and political implications and not simply for those residing in these depressed areas. Economic misery has a way of spilling over its imaginary boundaries and invading even 'gated' communities. Ending this economic crisis requires more than rhetoric, pleasing platitudes and employer tax credits. According to the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, Malcolm X and some notable others are credited with the quote, "A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything." It is past time for those who claim to be black leaders and even obscure individuals to take a stand, even if it means standing against the man in the White House, because the welfare of the current and future black generations is at stake. After all, how can one hope to lead, if there is no effort to make a stand?
Disgruntled says: This week, Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn), who chairs the Senate Banking Committee, unveiled his draft legislation to overhaul financial regulation in an effort to prevent another financial crisis. Surprisingly, Dodd stood alone at the press conference to announce the measure. Neither a Democrat nor a Republican shared the podium. By some standards, the proposed legislation does not go far enough to rein in the excesses that led to the financial crisis. However, given that the financial sector, with its vast resources and powerful lobby, controls Washington, any measure that attempts to dampen its influence that comes out of committee is a major accomplishment. That said, Dodd, who is in his last term, he has already announced his retirement, should be commended for soldiering on in the face of incredible odds.
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Email www.foxnews.com Tea Party Leader, GOP Condemn Racial Slurs Hurled at Black Lawmakers...Republican National Chairman Michael Steele and one of the organizers of Saturday's Tea Party rally strongly condemned the racial slurs that some black lawmakers alleged were yelled at them by some health care protesters as they headed for a procedural vote at Capitol Hill. Steele rejected the notion that the incident may make any association with the Tea Party Movement a danger. "It's not a danger," Steele told NBC's "Meet the Press." "It's not a reflection of the movement, of the Republican Party when you have idiots our there saying stupid things. We don't support that. You can have this debate without attacking." The incident occurred Saturday after thousands of Tea Partiers descended upon Capitol Hill to rally against Sunday's major vote on health care reform. Some of the protesters targeted a handful of black members of Congress and one gay lawmaker as they walked from the House office buildings to the Capitol to make a procedural vote. Reps. John Lewis, D-Ga, and Andre Carson, D-Ind., both members of the Congressional Black Caucus, said that a group of protesters hollered at them and called them the N-word.
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