January
1, 1831
William
Lloyd Garrison first published
The Liberator
(four hundred copies printed
in the middle of the night
using borrowed type),
which became the leading
abolitionist paper in the United States.
The Liberator
(four hundred copies printed
in the middle of the night
using borrowed type),
which became the leading
abolitionist paper in the United States.
He
labeled slave-holding a crime
and called for immediate abolition.
and called for immediate abolition.
From
the first issue:
“I will be harsh as truth,
and uncompromising as justice.
On this subject, I do not wish to think,
or speak, or write with moderation.
“I will be harsh as truth,
and uncompromising as justice.
On this subject, I do not wish to think,
or speak, or write with moderation.
“Assenting
to the ‘self-evident truth’
maintained in the
American Declaration of Independence,
‘that all men are created equal,
and endowed by their Creator
with certain unalienable rights
—among which are life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness,’
maintained in the
American Declaration of Independence,
‘that all men are created equal,
and endowed by their Creator
with certain unalienable rights
—among which are life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness,’
I
shall strenuously contend
for the immediate enfranchisement
of our slave population.”
William Lloyd Garrison
for the immediate enfranchisement
of our slave population.”
William Lloyd Garrison
10 Good Things About the Not-So-Great Year 2015
December 31, 2015
Medea Benjamin
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Counterpunch
It would certainly be easy to do a piece about 10 horrible events
from 2015, from the ongoing war in Syria and the refugee crisis, to the
bombings in Beirut, Paris and San Bernardino, to the rise of Donald Trump and
Islamophobia. But that wouldn’t be a very inspiring way to bid farewell to this
year and usher in a new one. So let’s look at 10 reasons to feel better about
2015.
1. Iran nuclear deal: Despite significant political opposition and
millions of dollars spent to try to quash the deal, the nuclear agreement with
Iran was passed and the possibility of another US military entanglement was
narrowly avoided. The powerful lobby AIPAC had its wings clipped, as did
Israel’s Bibi Netanyahu (except that the deal unfortunately came with a payoff
of even more US tax dollars going to the Israeli military).
2. Cuba thaw: It’s official! The US and Cuba now have embassies in
each other’s territory for the first time in over half a century. The year has
been marked by a UN meeting between Castro and Obama, more travelers to Cuba
and more trade between both countries — but Congress still needs to lift the
trade embargo, fully lift the travel ban, and return the Guantanamo naval base
to the Cubans!
3. Keystone pipeline ain’t happenin’. After years of stellar
grassroots activism against the Keystone pipeline (and years of lobbying by the
oil companies), President Obama finally took the side of the activists (and the
planet) by shutting down the project. And while the Paris climate talks did not
result in the dramatic commitments we need to stop global climate chaos, they
did raise consciousness and move the global community in the right direction.
4. The Black Lives Matter movement gets results. This incredible
uprising has forced issues of racial injustice into the national spotlight and
created real reforms within communities across the country. The Movement for
Black Lives got its momentum in the streets of Ferguson, Missouri and spread
throughout the nation. Cops have been convicted, police chiefs have been
ousted, citizen review boards have been empowered, confederate flags have come
down, buildings named after racists have been renamed, presidential candidates have
been forced to talk about race. Kudos to the many young black activists leading
the way.
5. Canada welcomes refugees. While Donald Trump threatens to ban
Muslims from the US, newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
showed the rest of the world how a country can open its doors –– and hearts ––
to Syrian refugees. Trudeau and other smiling officialswelcomed the first batch
of Syrian refugees with flowers, toys, clothing, goodwill and the heartfelt
declaration, “You are home.” “We get to show the world how to open our hearts
and welcome in people who are fleeing extraordinarily difficult
situations…because we define a Canadian not by a skin color or a language or a
religion or a background, but by a shared set of values, aspirations, hopes and
dreams,” Trudeau proclaimed.
6. Jeremy Corbyn heads UK Labor Party! Running on an anti-war,
anti-austerity, and pro-refugee platform, longtime progressive parliamentarian
Jeremy Corbyn earned a whopping 59% of his party’s votes. In an interview with
Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman, Corbyn voiced his support for diplomacy and his
aversion to airstrikes in the Middle East: “I want a world of peace. I’m not
interested in bombs. I’m not interested in wars. I’m interested in peace.”
Wouldn’t that be nice to hear from Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi?
7. Same-sex marriage was legalized in the US! In a landmark and
long-awaited decision, the Supreme Court declared same-sex marriage a federal
right. On June 26, the LGBTQ community and its allies rejoiced and took the
streets to celebrate the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling. While there have been
some minor setbacks since then (primarily due to bigots like Kentucky county
clerk Kim Davis), there is no turning back now.
8. Ten years of BDS wins. The non-violent, non-sectarian,
Palestinian-led movement for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against
Israel has seen a decade of victories. Key this year was the decision by the
European Union that goods produced on land seized in the 1967 war must be
labeled “Made in Settlements” (not “Made in Israel”), which will deprive Israel
the corresponding tax benefits. The former Israeli intelligence chief Shabtai
Shavit is convinced that BDS has become a “critical” challenge to Israel, while
the former prime minister Ehud Barak admits it is reaching a “tipping point.”
In a desperate attempt to counter the momentum of BDS, Israeli Embassy
officials in DC sent holiday gifts exclusively made in settlements to the White
House this year.
9. Marijuana becomes mainstream. What a year of momentum to end
our country’s disastrous war on drugs and mass incarceration. Marijuana is now
legal in Colorado, Washington. Alaska, Oregon and Washington D.C., California
and others will hit the ballot box in 2016 to hopefully push us past the
tipping point on marijuana legalization. President Obama, the first president
to visit a prison, spoke out forcefully against mass incarceration and for
criminal justice reform, and is helping formerly incarcerated people re-enter
society by “banning the box” for those applying for federal jobs.
10. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign! The energy that Bernie
has mobilized, especially among young progressives, has been phenomenal. While
the media is obsessed with Donald Trump, droves of people have been flocking to
hear Bernie talk about breaking up big banks, a financial transaction tax to
make college education free, single-payer healthcare and other ideas to make
our society more just. Wouldn’t it be great if this movement could continue
after the race is over?
So while this holiday season the nation is obsessed with the
latest Donald Trump insult and the special effects of Star Wars, may we bring
in the new year truly striking back at the injustices of the empire. May the
force be with the grassroots activists trying to build a more peaceful world.
Medea Benjamin is the co-founder of the peace group CODEPINK and
the human right organization Global Exchange. Follow her on twitter at
@MedeaBenjamin.
- See more at: https://portside.org/print/node/10468#sthash.XqIea4c9.dpuf
Donations can be sent
to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD
21218. Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/
"The master class
has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles.
The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject
class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their
lives." Eugene Victor Debs
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