Save Cristian Fernandez

Cristian's next court hearing is January 3rd! Please continue to call the State Attorney and ask that the case be sent to juvenile court. Now is the time to call for Cristian. 904-630-2400.
@ Gloria Fernandez Suarez

second chance

One of the greatest gifts life can offer and give us is a second chance. It's those second chances that give us the opportunity to step out of the shadow of the past and build towards the future as we live our dreams in the present. When we look back at everything we've been through, not only do we see how much we've changed and moved on, but we also realize that we had the strength to fight our way back through it all, that it was the courage to weather those storms that instilled in us that warrior spirit to never give up. By choosing to believe in ourselves, we were able to gain victory over the past and with the gift of a second chance, we don't ask ourselves why or what could have been but we focus on what lies ahead, saying why not and finding out what can be in the here and now for who we are today is not who we were yesterday and the life we live now is not the life we lived then. -Jenna Kandyce Linch
http://www.facebook.com/j.k.linch

Daisy Lee Gatson Bates

Daisy Lee Gatson Bates (November 11, 1914 – November 4, 1999) was an American civil rights activist, publisher and writer who played a leading role in the Little Rock integration crisis of 1957.
Bates was raised by Orle and Susie Smith, whom she believed to be her birth parents for many years. In "The Death of my Mother," Bates recounted learning as a child that her birth mother had been sexually assaulted and murdered by three local white men. Her father left the family shortly after her mother's death and left her in the care of his closest friends.
At the age of 15, Daisy became the object of an older man’s attention. L.C. Bates, an insurance salesman who had also worked on newspapers in the South and West. L.C. dated her for several years, and they married in 1942, living in Little Rock. The Bates decided to act on a dream of theirs, to run their own newspaper, leasing a printing plant that belonged to a church publication and inaugurating the Arkansas State Press. The first issue appeared on May 9, 1941. The paper became an avid voice for civil rights even before a nationally recognized movement had emerged.
In 1952, Daisy Bates was elected president of the Arkansas Conference of NAACP branches.
Little Rock integration crisis
Bates and her husband were important figures in the Little Rock Integration Crisis in 1957. The Bates published a local black newspaper, the Arkansas State Press, which publicized violations of the Supreme Court's desegregation rulings. Bates guided and advised the nine students, known as the Little Rock Nine, when they attempted to enroll at Little Rock Central High School, a previously all white school, in 1957. The students' attempts to enroll provoked a confrontation with Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus, who called out the National Guard to prevent the students from entering the school. White mobs met at the school, threatening to kill the black students; these mobs harassed not only activists but also northern journalists who came to cover the story. Bates was a pivotal figure in that seminal moment of the civil rights movement. As a publisher and journalist, she was also a witness and advocate on a larger scale. In 1998, a spokeswoman for Ms. Bates stated that she had always felt guilty for her role in the Little Rock Central High School event since it had been her responsibility to notify one of the young ladies that they were delaying the entrance into Central High School. The family of the child had no phone and the father did not return from work until 3 in the morning. Ms. Bates fell asleep before she was able to deliver the message to the family and the girl attempted to attend her first day at the segregated school alone.
The city council instructed the Little Rock police chief to arrest Bates and other NAACP officials; she and the local branch president surrendered voluntarily. They were charged with failing to provide information about members for the public record, in violation of a city ordinance. Though Bates was charged a fine by the judge, NAACP lawyers appealed and eventually won a reversal in the United States Supreme Court.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower intervened by federalizing the Arkansas National Guard and dispatching the 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock to ensure that the court orders were enforced.
Their involvement in the Little Rock Crisis resulted in the loss of much advertising revenue to their newspaper and it was forced to close in 1959. In 1960, Daisy Bates moved to New York City and wrote her memoir, The Long Shadow of Little Rock, which won a 1988 National Book Award.
Later life
Then Bates moved to Washington, D.C. and worked for the Democratic National Committee. She also served in the administration of President Lyndon Baines Johnson working on anti-poverty programs. In 1965, she suffered a stroke and returned to Little Rock.
In 1968 she moved to the rural black community of Mitchellville, Desha County, Arkansas. She concentrated on improving the lives of her neighbors by establishing a self-help program which was responsible for new sewer systems, paved streets, a water system, and community center.
Bates revived the Arkansas State Press in the 1980s after L.C. Bates, her husband, died in 1980.
In 1986 the University of Arkansas Press republished The Long Shadow of Little Rock, which became the first reprinted edition ever to earn an American Book Award. The following year she sold the newspaper, but continued to act as a consultant. Little Rock paid perhaps the ultimate tribute, not only to Bates but to the new era she helped initiate, by opening the Daisy Bates Elementary School and by making the third Monday in February "George Washington's Birthday and Daisy Gatson Bates Day" an official state holiday.
Bates died in Little Rock, Arkansas on November 4, 1999.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daisy_Bates_(civil_rights_activist)

Daisy Bates

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/daisy-bates/

More Than a Month

http://www.itvs.org/films/more-than-a-month

Reverend Jesse Jackson cheers on Occupy London protesters

Shattered Families, the groundbreaking new report from ARC

As parents are detained and deported, an increasing number of kids are stuck in the foster care system, with little hope of reuniting with their mothers and fathers. It's an injustice that hurts everyone.

Read and share the groundbreaking new report from the Applied Research Center. http://arc.org/shatteredfamilies

Illustrations by Wendy MacNaughton http://wendymacnaughton.com
Music by OJ Law http://ojlaw.co
additional media courtesy of Deportation Nation http://deportationnation.org

MUMIA HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED TO SCI MAHANOY!

Just verified with Superintendent John Kerestes that Mumia Abu-Jamal is being held in Administrative
Custody at SCI Mahanoy, Frackville, PA until he is cleared to enter general population within a few days.


We need phone calls to the institution to let them know that the WORLD is watching Mumia's movements
and ask general questions so that they know that nothing they are doing is happening under cover of
darkness. Please also send cards and letters to Mumia at the new address so that he begins receiving
mail immediately and it is known to all of the people there that we are with him!


PHONE NUMBER: 570-773-2158


MAILING ADDRESS:


Mumia Abu-Jamal, #AM8335
SCI Mahanoy
301 Morea Road
Frackville, PA 17932


CURRENT VISITORS on Mumia's list will allegedly be OK'd to visit once their names are entered
into the computer at Frackville. NEW VISITORS will have to receive the pertinent forms directly
from Mumia.


DIRECTIONS TO THE PRISON are available at http://www.cheapjailcalls.com/correctional-facility-directory/state-prison-directory/item/sci-mahanoy
PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD!!!
DREAD TIMES - Dedicated to the free flow of information - http://www.dreadtimes.com

Troy Anthony Davis: Martina Correia-Davis Tribute

For Sale! Locked Up - What To Do When Your AZZ Gets Locked Up

Locked Up Is Currently Available as a 50 plus page Guidebook Entitled WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR AZZ GETS LOCKED UP - By Nancy Lockhart, M.J. - E-book $15.00 Currently Available.

Payments accepted via pay pal button on the right. Provide a functional e-mail address to receive your copy. Please designate payment as - Locked Up.
http://nancylockhart.blogspot.com/p/buy-locked-up-what-to-do-when-your-azz.html

Love Police: The Hater Special

Dedicated to all the victims of bullying, whether in the real world or online.
Words can heal as well as hurt.

Dear Daddy Announcement Trailer (HD)

http://www.FundDearDaddy.com

The continuation of the dialogue that must happen in order for there to be a reconciliatory healing in the African American Community. A generation of girls and women are carrying the burden of not being given there GOD given right to two parents caring, loving, and raising them in the same home...

Chinese executions exposed by rare photos

A series of photographs is currently making the rounds on the internet in China. As Celia Hatton reports, the death row images are shedding new light on a country that executes far more people than any other country in the world.

Breakthrough in Haemophilia treatment

Doctors are hailing a major breakthrough in gene therapy that could revolutionise treatment of the blood clotting disorder Haemophilia.

Sufferers currently have to take an ongoing series of injections to control the condition. A study at University College London hopes to change all that.

Al Jazeera's Gerald Tan has been taking a look at the findings.

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is a week long celebration held in the United States honoring universal African-American heritage and culture, observed from December 26 to January 1 each year. It features activities such as lighting a candle holder with seven candles[1] and culminates in a feast and gift giving. It was created by Maulana Karenga and was first celebrated in 1966–1967.
History and etymology
Maulana Karenga of the US Organization created Kwanzaa in 1966 as the first specifically African American holiday .[2] Karenga said his goal was to "give Blacks an alternative to the existing holiday and give Blacks an opportunity to celebrate themselves and history, rather than simply imitate the practice of the dominant society."[3] The name Kwanzaa derives from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, meaning first fruits of the harvest.[4] The choice of Swahili, an East African language, reflects its status as a symbol of Pan-Africanism, especially in the 1960s.
Kwanzaa is a celebration that has its roots in the black nationalist movement of the 1960s, and was established as a means to help African Americans reconnect with their African cultural and historical heritage by uniting in meditation and study of African traditions and Nguzu Saba, the "seven principles of African Heritage" which Karenga said "is a communitarian African philosophy".
During the early years of Kwanzaa, Karenga said that it was meant to be an alternative to Christmas, that Jesus was psychotic, and that Christianity was a white religion that black people should shun.[5] However, as Kwanzaa gained mainstream adherents, Karenga altered his position so that practicing Christians would not be alienated, then stating in the 1997 Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community, and Culture, "Kwanzaa was not created to give people an alternative to their own religion or religious holiday."[6]
Many Christian African Americans who celebrate Kwanzaa do so in addition to observing Christmas.[7]
In 2009, Maya Angelou narrated the award-winning documentary The Black Candle, the first film about Kwanzaa.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwanzaa

beautiful butterfly

Just as a caterpillar must go through a transformation to evolve into and emerge as the beautiful butterfly they are meant to be in life, so we must go through changes in our own lives to find out who we are and become who we are meant to be. Just as it's not about the beginning or the ending of a story but about the pages in between making up the story, so it's not just about the beginning of our life or how it's going to end even but rather it's about what we're putting into our lives now and what we're doing with this life we've been given. The strength we need in this journey can all ready be found in our hearts and we just have to get out there, keep moving forward, and make our lives what we want them to be. The strength is right there inside you; all one has to do is dig deep down within, draw on that strength, and use that source of power to help them rebuild their lives and take back control. -Jenna Kandyce Linch
http://www.facebook.com/j.k.linch

Mumia's supporters continue to push for freedom

Tonight in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Mumia's supporters will rally to continue to show support 30 years later. The event which is being held The National Constitution Center's Grand Hall has sold out and will feature various key note speakers. Mumia Abu-Jamal has now been sentenced to life in prison for the death of Officer Daniel Faulkner. The former Black Panther was on death row for nearly 30-years. David Lindorff, journalist and author, will be at the event and tells us what we could expect.

Follow Kristine on Twitter at http://twitter.com/KristineFrazao

Mumia -- political prisoner? 30 years behind bars

On the 30th anniversary of former journalist and Black Panther movement Mumia Abu-Jamal's incarceration, RT's Anastasia Churkina reports on one of the most controversial legal battles in modern U.S. history.

FREEDOM ROAD (Tribute to Mumia Abu Jamal) - Samuel Légitimus/Renn Lee

Bientôt téléchargement gratuit sur la page myspace du duo PARIS-SYDNEY: http://www.myspace.com/parissydney

Un hommage à Mumia Abu-Jamal composé en avril dernier pour une double occasion: Le cinquième anniversaire de la rue portant son nom (à Saint-Denis) et le trentième anniversaire de son incarcération dans le couloir de la mort de Pennsylvanie. Chanté, arrangé et adapté en anglais par Le duo PARIS-SIDNEY.


FREEDOM ROAD
(written by Samuel Légitimus- adapted in english, sung and arranged by Paris-Sydney)

They've taken all you had away
And what's left, still they can't bend
To find you guilty was their way
Yet here I am and you're my friend.

Your writing's proof enough for me, Mumia,
You place honor and law
Above all, till the end.

Thirty years gone by
On death row, we never knew
Anything of the weight
You had to carry while you grew.

But they won't get you, no, Mumia, no
We won't let them ever win
Won't let you bear such a heavy load
While walking down the Freedom Road.

(Instrumental)

Like Jimmy (1) and Bob (2) you've lived to see the light:
Believing that all men
Can stand up for their rights.

Accusing you of crime
From behind their scales they hide
It makes them scared deep down inside
To know that truth is on your side.

But they won't get you, no, Mumia, no,
We won't let them ever win
Won't let you bear such a heavy load
While walking down the Freedom Road.

(Instumental)

Those thirty years gone by
On death row, we never knew
Anything of the weight
You had to carry while you grew.

We've named a street for you, Mumia
A lovely rue in Saint-Denis
By joining hands we're showing you
Proof of our strength and peace.

But they won't get you, no, Mumia, no,
We won't let them ever win
Won't let you bear such a heavy load
While walking down the Freedom Road.X2

But they won't get you, no, Mumia, no
We won't let them ever win
Won't let them block you from getting in,
Into your home on Freedom Road.

But they won't get you no Mumia,
We will win, we'll never bend
For thirty years you've shown us all
Just how to fight until the end.

(1) James Baldwin écrivain activiste africain-américain (1924-1987)
(2) Bob Marley chanteur de reggae jamaïcain (1945-1981)

oh gosch

by dandailey

After I mentioned in yesterday’s post that I had not been able to corroborate the child auction claim, a reader sent me a link that started me on the trail of an unbelievable story about child sex trafficking.

Apparently the allegation of a secret CPS auction originated with Ted Gunderson, former FBI bureau chief for Los Angeles, who devoted the last decades before his death earlier this year to investigating child sex trafficking, ritual abuse, and other organized criminal activity that he claimed extended into the upper reaches of wealth and power. Gunderson said that the particular auction which was mentioned in the Alex Jones-Nancy Schaefer interview took place at an air strip about 50 miles north of Las Vegas NV, and that similar auctions took place in other localities.

Gunderson was apparently also involved in investigating the September 1982 abduction of 12-year-old West Des Moines newspaper boy Johnny Gosch, the original milk carton kid.

Evidence that has been produced by Gunderson and others during the nearly thirty years since then suggests this was not a random kidnapping. A witness saw Johnny being photographed on his way home from school, by a man, two weeks before the kidnapping. She reported it to police and gave them a vehicle license number. However, taking photos is not a crime. The police threw away the license number and no report was filed. Two weeks later Johnny was abducted while he was working his newspaper route.

According to numerous sources, Johnny was kidnapped by a highly organized, global pedophile and pornography ring. Allegations link this same crime ring to the 80's “Congressional call boy” scandal, the Omaha NE “Franklin cover-up” scandal, money laundering, drug running, illegal arms deals and more. Johnny is said to have been subjected to severe trauma, torture, and brainwashing to destroy his personality and transform him into a sex slave. Several photographs of him in captivity have since surfaced.

In February 1999, in federal court testimony in Omaha, Johnny’s mother Noreen Gosch testified that Johnny came to see her in 1997, provided information about his ordeal that confirmed evidence developed by her private investigators, asked for his mother's help in getting his story out, but pleaded for her to not reveal his visit.

Johnny is now 41 years old. According to the Johnny Gosch Foundation, he is no longer being held captive by the people who enslaved him, and is living under an alias to protect his life.

But here is where this weird story becomes even weirder.

Do you remember a bizarre story that broke in 2005 about Jeff Gannon (aka James Dale Guckert), a man who worked as a male prostitute but had somehow gotten press credentials and clearance to become a member of the White House press corps?

watch?v=-8Y9_wrvXeU

There is considerable speculation that Jeff Gannon is none other than the grown-up Johnny Gosch—a theory that is seriously entertained by his mother.

Here is one of several interviews that Noreen Gosch conducted to get out her son’s story. The veracity of certain elements of her account has been called into question by grand jury investigations, questions raised by her ex-husband, and other information. The veracity of some witnesses upon whose information some of her conclusions are based have also been questioned. Yet this is inevitable because, from the beginning, the West Des Moines Police Department and other law enforcement agencies appear not to have adequately pursued all available leads. Now it is extremely difficult to sort out reliable facts from those which might be characterized—rightly or wrongly—as wild conspiracy theories. Nevertheless, Noreen’s version of the facts must be considered.

Part 1: watch?v=_OUrh65BjZw

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puKIG174mIE&feature=related

Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlPML-k2hoc&feature=related

I have lived a fairly sheltered life, and I only stumbled upon this story today.

Through my work for kids, I’ve developed a fairly jaded view of the morality—or lack thereof—of many of the people in authority who run our government and our public institutions. Yet this story, whether true in most respects or not, shakes my faith and confidence to the core.

I know that government has been corrupted at every level by money and greed. But is it really possible that things have devolved to this abysmal state?

I do not know enough to offer an opinion. Yet this story has turned into an itch that I must scratch. I must know what kind of country we live in.

۞ 

Groove of the Day 

Listen to The Talking Heads performing “Puzzlin' Evidence”

 URL: http://wp.me/pLwBV-2vA

From Troy Davis to Mumia: Have we turned a corner on the death penalty?

Supporters of inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal rally outside City Hall December 9, 2006 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Fusco/Getty Images)

By David A. Love

On Wednesday, Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams announced that he would not seek the death penalty against Mumia Abu-Jamal. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Abu-Jamal's death sentence was unconstitutional and washed its hands of the matter. This left Williams with the option of pursuing a death sentence through a new hearing, or settling for life in prison without parole for the famous former Black Panther. He chose the latter.

Abu-Jamal was convicted for the December 9, 1981 murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner. For good or for bad, the case has been a focal point in the national debate on the death penalty and everything that is problematic about racial injustice in America's criminal justice system.

theGrio: Does Obama need to take a stronger death penalty stand?

Thirty years since Abu-Jamal's arrest, much has changed with regard to the death penalty, and yet so much has remained the same.

Abu-Jamal has become an international symbol, with supporters around the world maintaining he was railroaded. Celebrities have taken up his cause. It is worth noting that Mumia is somewhat of a folk hero or national hero in some countries. A street outside Paris was named after the prisoner, and the French postal service created a postage stamp with his likeness.

And Archbishop Desmond Tutu is demanding Mumia's immediate release: "Now that it is clear that Mumia should never have been on death row in the first place, justice will not be served by relegating him to prison for the rest of his life -- yet another form of death sentence. Based on even a minimal following of international human rights standards, Mumia must now be released," Tutu said.

"I therefore join the call, and ask others to follow, asking District Attorney Seth Williams to rise to the challenge of reconciliation, human rights, and justice: drop this case now, and allow Mumia Abu-Jamal to be immediately released, with full time served," he added.

Meanwhile, Mumia supporters in Philadelphia and Oakland, California planned events for December 9, the 30th anniversary of his incarceration, featuring Cornel West, Michelle Alexander, Angela Davis and others.

The allegations surrounding the Abu-Jamal case represent the problems with the application of capital punishment. And a life sentence without parole will unlikely cover up these issues. There were claims of evidence tampering by the police, manipulation of the crime scene, and the intimidation of witnesses. The prosecution was accused of striking black jurors and withholding evidence, and in a sworn statement, a court stenographer said she overheard the trial judge, Albert Sabo, saying he would help the prosecution "fry the ni**er."

And in 1981, the year Mumia was arrested, five men were framed by the Philadelphia Police Department for murder, only to be exonerated years later. Two of the innocent men spent as much as 20 years in prison before their release, and one man spent 1,375 days on death row before he became a free man. A long history of police corruption, brutality and intimidation of political activists, poor folks and communities of color haunts the city of Philadelphia to this day.

Fast forward 30 years to Troy Davis. Another African-American death row inmate who became a cause célèbre and the symbol of the anti-death penalty movement, his case presented far too many questions, far too much doubt for many of our comfort levels. Over 1 million people worldwide signed a petition to stop his execution.

• Click here to continue reading >

Mother Denied Food Stamps, Kills Self, Shoots Kids

by Kristina Chew

Rachelle Grimmer first applied for food stamps from the state of Texas in July, only to be turned down for lack of information. On Tuesday, she applied again at the Health and Human Services department in Laredo, where she had moved eight months ago from Zanesville, Ohio, and was again denied — and she then pulled out a gun and started a seven-hour standoff with police that ended with her killing herself and shooting her 10-year-old son Timothy and her 12-year-old daughter Ramie. Both children are in “very critical condition.”

Grimmer and her two children had entered the Texas Department of Heath and Human Services building in Laredo around 5:00 pm on Tuesday. About 25 people were in the building. Grimmer asked to speak to a different caseworker than she had before and was taken to a private room where she revealed she had a gun. She was on and off the phone with police negotiators for several hours but kept hanging up the phone. At 7:45 pm, she released the supervisor she had held hostage. At 11:45 pm, police heard three shots. A SWAT team entered the building and found Grimmer dead of a self-inflicted wound and her two children critically injured.

While speaking to police negotiators, Grimmer described a “litany of complaints against state and federal government agencies” and seemed to feel “she was owed restitution of some sort.”

In Texas, people seeking assistance for food stamps must fill out an 18-page application. Under Governor Rick Perry, a record 3.7 million Texans now receive food stamps; about 15 percent people are now in the program, with 1.4 million having only started receiving food stamps in the past four years.

A state auditor’s report found that between 2006 and 2010, the percentage of food stamp applications processed within the 30 day mandatory period dropped from 92 percent to 65 percent. About 50 individuals and five nonprofit organizations are suing (PDF) the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, claiming that the process is illegally denying benefits to Texans.

Texas currently ranks 39th in accessibility to food assistance for low-income communities, a figure that is actually an improvement from previous years.

Texas Department of Health and Human Services spokeswoman Stephanie Goodman said that they were “still waiting” for Grimmer’s application and submission of documents as proof. Even had she provided these, Goodman noted that she did not “know if she would qualify or not.”

On an update to her Facebook page that she apparently made during the standoff, Grimmer had posted “tear gas seriously,” to which Nancy Harrop, her grandmother, had responded “i’m here for you guys. no reason to be afraid.” Grimmer had listed “may die 2day” as her occupation: Was she not asking for help that she never got?

Related Care2 Coverage

I’m Going To Kill My Kid and Other Things Not To Say Online

No Frappuccinos For You! What Should You Be Allowed To Buy With Food Stamps?

Mississippi Believes Children Should Starve If Their Mother Did Drugs

52 Percent of Unemployed No Longer Eligable For Benefits

Read more: food stamps, health and human services, poverty, rick perry, texas, welfare

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/mother-denied-food-stamps-kills-self-shoots-kids.html#ixzz1fxKeuBCz

Mumia off death row after 30 years

The capital punishment case against Mumia Abu-Jamal has finally come to an end. Prosecutors have sentenced Mumia to life in prison. The former Black Panther was on death row for nearly 30-years. Mumia received global support from the "Free Mumia" movement, with hundreds of vocal supporters and death-penalty opponents.

Follow Kristine on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Frazzie

Remove State Attorney Angela Corey

Corey is morally bankrupt and should be held accountable for her actions as State Attorney of Florida. Particularly with regard to how she is going to the most unconscionable lengths to secure the conviction of twelve year old Cristian Fernandez.

By Stuart Faulks

Source: www.change.org

Occupy Oakland Today

"Occupy Oakland Today"
When is the last time you used your amendment rights? In this documentary, you will follow an immigrant in his exploration of the Occupy Wallstreet movement in his hometown of Oakland, where tear gas and warlike scenes as well as grassroots movements are satirized. How to Be American? Perhaps it's more than just living in this great country.
"Occupy Oakland Today"

Remembering Martina

Marlene Martin of the Campaign to End the Death Penalty honors a determined fighter--for her brother Troy and for all the victims of America's death machine. "Martina Correia speaking out for her brother Troy and against the death penalty" "Martina Correia speaking out for her brother Troy and against the death penalty" Martina Correia speaking out for her brother Troy and against the death penalty ON DECEMBER 1, we lost a true and courageous warrior in the fight against the death penalty and the criminal injustice system: Martina Correia. She died after a decade-long battle with breast cancer. She was 44.Martina often joked that she had become known around the country and the world as "The Sister"--that is, the sister of Troy Davis, the Georgia death row prisoner who fought against his wrongful conviction and death sentence for more than 20 years.Martina was Troy's staunchest advocate, and she worked tirelessly to bring attention to her brother's case. Her efforts to save her brother made Troy Davis a household name--not a small feat given the fact that the media was never allowed access to film or interview Troy in prison.Over the years, she spoke to audiences large and small. She said she figured people might think, "Oh, well, that's his sister, of course she defends him." So she set out to make sure everyone saw the same things she did: that Troy was an African American man accused of shooting a white police officer; that police and prosecutors would do anything to get a suspect behind bars and then sent to death row; that the supposed "eyewitness" testimony against Troy was coerced, as seven of the nine original witnesses admitted; that the court system was committing a horrifying injustice by refusing to hear evidence of Troy's innocence because of restrictions on post-conviction appeals.And through it all, Martina, like Troy, recognized that the struggle was bigger than his case alone. She understood that the death penalty was a failure on every level and needed to be abolished.Martina fought her illness all the while she was fighting for Troy. She surprised doctors, who, when she was diagnosed with cancer at age 31, had given her only six months to live. On the night that Troy was executed, Martina was so weak that she needed a wheelchair. But she spoke out anyway, and even stood up to declare that Troy's death would not be in vain.Martina gave everyone she came in contact with the resolve to keep fighting. She worked with many different organizations: Amnesty International, the NAACP, the Campaign to End the Death Penalty and many others. She helped bring all these forces together to get behind her brother and to use his situation to shed light on the injustices of the death penalty.And shed light it did. While the movement was not able to stop Troy's execution, millions of people around the world came to believe in his innocence. Millions of people came to see how callously the death machine works. Millions of people were revolted to see Troy put to death.

Muslims of France - Immigrants

A century ago, they were called "colonials"; in the 1960s, they were known as "immigrants"; today, they are "citizens". "Immigrants"is the second part of our three-part series looking back at the history of Muslim immigration into France.

My Favourite Time of Year - The Florin Street Band (New Christmas Song 2...

Hope

Hope is the strongest driving force for a people. Hope which brings about change, which produces new realities, is what opens man's road to freedom. Once hope has taken hold, courage must unite with wisdom. That is the only way of avoiding violence, the only way of maintaining the calm one needs to respond peacefully to offenses.
-- Oscar Arias Sanchez

New laws limit abortion in Kansas

Few issues polarize Americans more than abortion and new laws restricting the procedure in Kansas are fueling the fire. Cynthia Bowers reports.

The Living Proof (From The Motion Picture The Help)

USA must halt life without parole sentences for children

In 1994, at the age of 16, Christi Cheramie was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. To impose this sentence on a person who was under 18 years old at the time of the crime violates international law. Christie Cheramie is now 33 years old and has spent more than half of her life in prison.

The USA is the only country apart from Somalia not to have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which states that no person under 18 at the time of the crime should be sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of release. However, as a signatory to the treaty, the USA is still bound under international law not to defeat its object and purpose. There are more than 2,500 people in the USA serving life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for crimes committed when they were under 18 years old.

Brian asks the RIAA why they are targeting bloggers

Brian is stating on the record by uploading what words he left for the RIAA in their answering machine and asking them why they are helping Righthaven to attack bloggers to destroy the 9/11 Truth Movement and help the Bilderberg Group create their New World Order.

Raped Afghan woman forced to marry attacker

Gulnaz was tied up and raped by her cousin's husband -- leaving her traumatized and pregnant. Instead of being protected, she was thrown in jail for adultery. Now the only safe way out is to marry her attacker. Mandy Clark reports on the treatment women receive in Afghanistan.

What are the winter blues? Winter depression

© doug Olson - Fotolia.com

At this time of year, the shorter days and bad weather is enough to make anyone feel down. For many of us, a natural response is to go into hibernation mode – staying indoors, turning up the central heating, socialising less and turning to comfort food.

But this is the worse thing you can do. Around seven per cent of people in the UK are thought to be affected by seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of winter depression, and around 17 per cent by a milder form of the condition, often called the winter blues.

Although the exact cause of this seasonal depression is unknown, many studies suggest it is related to reduced levels of sunlight during the winter months.

Having a close family member with SAD also increases someone's chances of developing the condition, and women appear to be more susceptible than men. People with a family history of depression may also be more at risk.

People with SAD may have higher levels of the sleep hormone melatonin in winter, but treatments which alter melatonin symptoms don't cure the condition, suggesting other factors are involved.

Low levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain which affects mood, appetite and sleep have also been implicated in SAD. Serotonin can also be affected by sunlight. The shorter winter days may cause a reduction in serotonin levels, which may in turn lead to depressive symptoms.

SAD symptoms

Symptoms usually begin around September. They may be mild to begin with, but can become more severe further on in the season.

For some people they can be particularly severe during the months of December, January and February.

Symptoms of SAD include:

• Lethargy and fatigue
• Depression – generally feeling sad, low and weepy
• Apathy
• Irritability
• Anxiety
• Mood swings
• Needing more sleep than usual, difficulty in staying awake
• Lacking interest in usual activities
• Loss of interest in sex
• Eating more than usual, with cravings for carbohydrates and sweet foods which may lead to weight gain

With SAD, the symptoms are cyclical - they go away and start again at the same time every year, usually from September to March, unlike other types of depression.

People who suffer from depression often wake through the night. If someone has SAD, they may oversleep in the morning but still feel sleepy during the day.

With SAD or any other type of depression, it is important that the person gets help from their GP. There are a range of treatments - light therapy, talking therapies, medication - which can be used to improve the symptoms of SAD.

With SAD and the winter blues, it's important to resist the temptation to stay indoors. A healthy diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, being physically and mentally active, getting outdoors in the daylight hours as much as you can and staying in touch with your family friends can also help to stave off symptoms.

More information: Seasonal Affective Disorder Association

"The Assassination of Fred Hampton: How the FBI and the Chicago Police Murdered a Black Panther"

Today marks the fortieth anniversary of the death of Black Panther leader Fred Hampton. On December 4th, 1969, Chicago police raided Fred Hampton’s apartment and shot and killed him in his bed. He was just twenty-one years old. Black Panther leader Mark Clark was also killed in the raid. While authorities claimed the Panthers had opened fire on the police who were there to serve a search warrant for weapons, evidence later emerged that told a very different story: that the FBI, the Cook County state’s attorney’s office and the Chicago police conspired to assassinate Fred Hampton. We speak with attorney Jeffrey Haas, author of The Assassination of Fred Hampton: How the FBI and the Chicago Police Murdered a Black Panther. [includes rush transcript]

LOWKEY - TERRORIST? (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)

BUY ALBUM NOW! http://bit.ly/r1x6um
FULL ALBUM 'SOUNDTRACK TO THE STRUGGLE'

Brand new track Produced by Red Skull taken from the highly anticipated album Soundtrack To The Struggle by Lowkey.
Follow his progress on
www.twitter.com/lowkeymusic1
and
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lowkey/14141524981

Psych Med Special - Baby LK Report For December 4th 2011

Psych Med Special - Baby LK Report For December 4th 2011 for these stories and all the latest dirt on the child protective indsutry visit http://www.LegallyKidnapped.blogspot.com

Sin By Silence - Glenda Crosley's Story

To learn more about Sin By Silence, visit http://investigation.discovery.com/tv/sin-by-silence/#mkcpgn=ytid1 | Glenda Crosley was married for 24 abusive years before she killed her husband.

LINDA CARTY MARCH -STOP THE USA FROM KILLING THIS BRITISH GRANDMOTHER

Saturday, 10 March 2012
Time12:00 until 15:00
Where
Queen Elizabeth's Gate, Hyde Park, London

Church Bans Interracial Couples in Kentucky

The Gulnare Freewill Baptist Church in Kentucky will not allow mixed race couples to be members. Ana Kasparian and Cenk Uygur discuss on The Young Turks.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/30/interracial-couple-banned-from-kentu...

Generic Cancer Drugs Sold to Hospitals

A report about companies who are buying generic cancer drugs back to hospitals at marked up prices. Ana Kasparian and Cenk Uygur discuss how this is allowed to happen and how we got to this point.

Subscribe to The Young Turks: http://bit.ly/eWuu5i

The Largest Online New Show in the World.

No matter how dark the night

No matter how dark the night, 
somehow the sun rises once again 
and all shadows are chased away
~ David Matthew

It is easier to build strong children

“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken grown ups”. "I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong." ~ Frederick Douglass

It's Easier to go to Jail Than You Think!

Twenty-one-year-old Evie Freeman is about to be blindsided by a crusty old Bible and a life change. At present, her life is dismal. Her prospects are none. What makes matters worse is that she can't understand how her life got that way and she's lost the will to fight forward. Then she goes to jail—thanks to her drug-dealing boyfriend. Now, she's really declared herself the walking dead. So these days she's just hanging around the edges of life, waiting for her last breath to ooze out of her body. But angels and inspiration can reside anywhere. And if jail's the place where miracles can happen for Evie, so be it. She only has to take in one more good breath to receive it.

KRISTA MCDANIEL(16)LATEST APPEAL "DENIED"

NO compassion, NO mercy. Juvenile law reform is "imperative" to help save our nation's youth. 30 yrs with NO chance of parole, is barbaric and inhumane and is destroying this child, ONE of many. This sentencing is cold, cruel, for a "mistake" made as a "child".
BEWARE, YOUR child "could" be next, to face such atrocities. Encourage ALL parents/guardians to get educated and involved in juvenile LAW REFORM"
WhoopAssForJustice.org

Source: www.whoopassforjustice.org