—
‘a week is a long time in politics.’
‘harold wilson
—
source credit gary larson, the far side
Jul22
Category Archives: politics
Apr4
enter the penguins.
and somehow
unbeknownst to them
the penguins
living their happy lives
being their best selves
in a place far, far away
have absurdly entered the fray
of american politics
my apologies
but i’m not worried
knowing they look out for each other
and can hold their own
I stand with the penguins.
—
because they aren’t used to danger from animals on solid ground,
wild penguins exhibit no particular fear of humans.- mentalfloss.com
—
‘the answer to every problem involved penguins’
-rick riordan, american author, percy jackson and the olympians series
Apr2
“If America hasn’t broken your heart, you haven’t loved her enough.”
thank you, senator booker
for speaking for 25+ hours in the senate
while standing with no breaks
breaking the previous record
standing for our country
for inspiring all of us
for what is right
for democracy.
Mar25
unbroken.
I had the great honor to attend this lecture last night.
Twice poisoned by Putin, and his political prisoner,
this brilliant writer, historian, patriot, hero and unbroken fighter
wants peace and justice for his country.
Presented By:
Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia at the University of Michigan
Distinguished lecture. Russia Beyond Putin
Vladimir Kara-Murza, Russian opposition politician, historian, and former political prisoner, current Vice President of the Free Russia Foundation
Kremlin propaganda wants the world to believe that all Russians support Vladimir Putin and his war of aggression in Ukraine. But the reality is very different: beyond the Putin regime, and despite its breathtaking repression, many Russians believe in a very different—hopeful, peaceful, democratic—future for their country. In this lecture, Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian opposition politician, author, historian, and former political prisoner who was freed as part of a large-scale East-West prisoner exchange in August 2024, will speak about the opposition, the state of human rights, and the struggle for democracy in Putin’s Russia.
Vladimir Kara-Murza is a Russian politician, author, historian, and former political prisoner. A close colleague of the slain opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, he has served as deputy leader of the People’s Freedom Party and was a candidate for the Russian Parliament. Leading diplomatic efforts on behalf of the opposition, Kara-Murza played a key role in the adoption of Magnitsky sanctions against top Russian officials by the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, Canada, and Australia. For this work he was twice poisoned and left in a coma; a joint media investigation by Bellingcat, The Insider, and Der Spiegel has identified FSB officers behind the attacks. In April 2022, Kara-Murza was arrested in Moscow for publicly denouncing the invasion of Ukraine and the war crimes committed by Russian forces. Following a closed-door trial at the Moscow City Court, he was sentenced to 25 years for “high treason” and kept in solitary confinement at a maximum-security prison in Siberia. He was released in August 2024 as part of the largest East-West prisoner exchange since the Cold War negotiated by the U.S. and German governments.
Kara-Murza is a contributing writer at The Washington Post, winning the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for his columns written from prison, and has previously worked for Echo of Moscow, BBC, RTVi, Kommersant, World Affairs, and other media organizations. He currently serves as vice-president at the Free Russia Foundation, as senior advisor at Human Rights First, and as senior fellow at the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights. He was the founding chairman of the Boris Nemtsov Foundation for Freedom and has led successful international efforts to commemorate Nemtsov, including with street designations in Washington D.C. and London. Kara-Murza is a recipient of several awards, including the Council of Europe’s Václav Havel Human Rights Prize, and is an honorary fellow at Trinity Hall, Cambridge.
—
‘strong is the soul that is beaten but unbroken.’
-author unknown
Feb6
‘hope will never be silent.’ – harvey milk
50 protests/50 states/50 capitols
good to be one small part of
these peaceful protests
filled with people
refusing to be silenced
in my state capitol of lansing, mi, usa
and all around the country
people traveling long distances
sharing rides
taking time off of work or school
in cold and bad weather
to show their refusal to sit down
lawmakers of all ages and races and genders spoke out
this young activist, a local college student
who helped to organize our state’s protest
spoke with passion and cried
while addressing
why this is so important
already understanding at such a young age
some truths are universal
proud to stand with each and every one of them
on national tv tonight – protests in states across the nation
united in their cause.
—
“in matters of truth and justice, there is no difference between large and small problems,
for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same.’
-albert einstein
Jan20
“what’s going on” – on mlk day.
Gem/Redfern – Getty Images
January 20, 1971
Marvin Gaye releases hit single, “What’s Going On.”
In early 1971, on the heels of the Civil Rights Movement and in the midst of the Vietnam War, soul singer Marvin Gaye first crooned the words “Mother, mother, there’s far too many of you crying / Brother, brother, brother, there’s far too many of you dying” — heartbreaking lines that would resonate with millions of listeners, then and now. The powerful protest ballad “What’s Going On” skyrocketed to No. 2 on the Billboard charts, the first tune of Gaye’s to overtly tackle political themes and a far cry from his earlier love songs. Produced by the singer himself, the track paved the way for other Motown artists to claim more agency in their careers and helped reinforce the genre’s potential to be a mouthpiece for social justice issues. Listen to the song and learn more about its making.
Oct11
goodbye, ethel.
“Along with a lifetime’s work in social justice and human rights, our mother, age 96, widow of *Robert F. Kennedy, leaves behind nine surviving children, (2 others preceded her in death), 34 grandchildren and 24 great-great grandchildren, along with numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom love her dearly,” the family statement said.
—
‘if you see something wrong, if you speak out…you can change it.’
-ethel kennedy
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*Robert Francis Kennedy, also known as RFK, was married to Ethel Kennedy, and was an American politician and lawyer. He served as the U.S. Attorney General from 1961-1964, and as a U.S. senator from New York from January 1965 until his assassination in 1968, when he was running for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Sep20
we must use it.
sending the word out, reminding people just how very important this is
—
‘the vote is precious.
it is the most powerful non-violent tool we have in a democratic society,
and we must use it.’
-john lewis
Aug6
primary reason.
today i’ll be working at the polls for our primary
please make sure to vote
with your heart and your mind
if you haven’t already
it can make all the difference
primaries matter.
—
‘nobody will ever deprive the american people of the right to vote except the american people themselves
and the only way they could do that is by not voting.’
-franklin d. roosevelt
—
art credit: shepard fairey
Jan25
never surrender.
received my early primary ballot
checked one box
and done.
feels good
heading off to the clerk’s office .
—
“not voting is not a protest, it’s a surrender.”
-keith ellison, attorney general, state of minnesota, usa
I didn't have my glasses on.... 