Your Letters and Another Tribute

February 7th, 2005 - by: danny

YOUR LETTERS

Ronald Shepston:

“From Robert Kennedy’s book ‘Crimes Against Nature: How George W. Bush and his Corporate Pals Are Plundering the Country and Hijacking Our Democracy’ (HarperCollins, 2004):

“Kennedy quotes Hitler’s propaganda chief Herman Goerring: ‘It is always simply a matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.’

“We don’t hear much from Kennedy these days in either the mainstream or alternative media but we should. He’s been traveling the country, mostly red states and talking about his book and the issues it raises. With the attacks from so many directions by the Bush administration, environmental issues seem to be playing second fiddle. With this administration’s destruction of environmental checks and balances our very existence is being threatened.”

“We’ve got your back. Fight on, Danny.”

DISGUSTED

Susan Chapman Herbert:

“I just forwarded an article to you from Truthout about the mysterious “bulge” on Bush’s back during the debates last fall. So, it seems not only is Bush a coward for going AWOL out of the military by not getting his yearly physical, he is also a cheat. The story is so depressing… I was thinking, while reading it, “Where was Woodward when we needed himÃ¢â‚¬Â¦

“I am so disgusted with the mainstream media at this point that I have vowed not to buy another Washington Post or any other newspaper. I have decided not to watch any more TV news (I watched very little, anyway..n! o great loss there). I will be getting my news on the internet. There are plenty of truth-tellers who have integrity (such as yourself) to whom I prefer to put my trust from now on.

“Thank you for all the good work you have done and, I pray, will continue to do. I look forward to seeing your movie when it reaches the greater DC area.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/020505F.shtml

PRAYERS NEEDED IN THE HEARTLAND

Bhakti writes:

“My darling grandbaby, 2 weeks old, was taken away by the child welfare people because they suspected she was getting drugs in the breast milk. The mom, my daughter, is a methadone client; her doctors have told her that it is better to nurse than to bottle feed. But the welfare people think she is doing heroin.

“So the baby has been away from the breast for six days; she is a little thing and is not eating well away from mom. We are all heartbroken. The hearing in front of the judge will be either Monday around 3:00 or Thursday morning. The judge could decide that the basis for taking the baby was wrong, and return her to her mama’s arms, or he could leave the baby in custody of child welfare for another 3-6 months while the mom is working a “service plan.” If they decide to keep the baby in custody, there is a chance they might put her back at home but with supervision, or that they would place her with me, as her grandmother. Early clues are that they want to place the baby in foster care.

“I am so heart broken! Your prayers and good wishes are needed and appreciated.”

SEE NOREENA IN NEW YORK

British economist/writer Noreena Hertz speaks:

“I am heading back to NYC, and wanted to let you know of two events that I am speaking at this week. I will be “in conversation” with Tom Herman from the Wall Street Journal, at the 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Avenue on Feb 10th between 8 and 9 pm, discussing some of the themes of my new book on developing country debt, THE DEBT THREAT. And am doing a Q&A and book signing on Feb 11th at “Bluestockings” 172 Allen Street, between 7 and 8 pm.”

FAREWELL OSSIE DAVIS:

Ossie Davis died Friday. The great black actor was a passionate committed artist who belongs to all Americans. He supported my mother’s poetry and was there for me, along with his wonderful partner Ruby, to narrate Counting on Democracy, our film on the fraud in Florida in 2000. Ossie’s work over the years was amazing and brilliant, But before I gush on, remember his great eulogy for Malcolm X 40 years ago this month. When you read it, add Ossie Davis’s name at every point he mentions Malcolm It won’t be true in every detail of fact but certainly of spirit:

“Here – at this final hour, in this quiet place – Harlem has come to bid farewell to one of its brightest hopes – extinguished now, and gone from us foreverÃ¢â‚¬Â¦.

“Malcolm, who was a master, was most meticulous in his use of words. Nobody knew better than he the power words have over minds of men. Malcolm had stopped being a ‘Negro’ years ago. It had become too small, too puny, too weak a word for him. Malcolm was bigger than that. Malcolm had become an Afro- American and he wanted – so desperately – that we, that all his people, would become Afro-Americans too.

“There are those who will consider it their duty, as friends of the Negro people, to tell us to revile him, to flee, even from the presence of his memory, to save ourselves by writing him out of the history of our turbulent times. Many will ask what Harlem finds to honor in this stormy, controversial and bold young captain – and we will smile. Many will say turn
away – away from this man, for he is not a man but a demon, a monster, a subverter and an enemy of the black man – and we will smile. They will say that he is of hate – a fanatic, a racist – who can only bring evil to the cause for which you struggle!

“And we will answer and say to them: Did you ever talk to Brother Malcolm? Did you ever touch him, or have him smile at you? Did you ever really listen to him? Did he ever do a mean thing? Was he ever himself associated with violence or any public disturbance? For if you did you would know him. And if you knew him you would know why we must honor him.

“Malcolm was our manhood, our living, black manhood! This was his meaning to his people. And, in honoring him, we honor the best in ourselves. Ã¢â‚¬Â¦

“Consigning these mortal remains to earth, the common mother of all, secure in the knowledge that what we place in the ground is no more now a man – but a seed – which, after the winter of our discontent, will come forth again to meet us. And we will know him then for what he was and is – a Prince – our own black shining Prince! – who didn’t hesitate to die, because he loved us so.”

I knew Malcolm and Ossie. I touched them and they smiled at me. I listened to them both and they were both kind to me. And so I can claim to have known them a little even as I loved them a lot. We send our best to Ruby. We honor him now. Ossie Davis, presente!

CANT WAIT

Today’s NY Times: “The C.I.A. has formally agreed to a broad new interpretation of a law that requires disclosure of classified records related to Nazi war criminals.” I wonder if those files will be as sanitized and blacked-out as were mine. See my book News Dissector for that story.

I spent part of yesterday celebrating the Tet Lunar New Year at Lan Cao’s Viet CafÃƒÂ©, on Greenwich Street in Tribeca where Vietnam has returned to being a vibrant culture and a country after so many years of being considered just a war. That’s a sign of hope in bleak times.

If you live in NY, WMD is playing in two theaters (Village East and New Metro) through Thursday. Tell your fiends and organizations. I leave Wednesday for Italy (see above) for a few days. Back tomorrow, arm permitting.

Write: Dissector@mediachannel.org

The News Dissector