You know what the “N” word is. It’s one of the most hateful things one human being can say to another human being. Yet, it’s in our music, our conversation, and casually batted around every day.
11 year old, Jonathan McCoy is trying to raise awareness about the harm the word does. He’s trying to get 100,000 signatures on a petition to send a message about hurtful and degrading the word is.
He won a special oratory award for an essay he wrote for his cause. Here’s the video of Jonathan giving that speech:
Tuesday night, Edward “Ted” Kennedy passed away. His battle with brain cancer over.
Kennedy battled his demons, he had his failings, but as a Senator he fought for the American people with integrity and passion. He fought for civil rights, equal rights, and fairness. We have him to thank for many of things we take for granted today such as the American with Disabilities Act, Cancer funding, Meals on Wheels, Title IX, sCHIP-Children’s Health Insurance, minimum wage increases, saving Social Security in the 1980s, and so much more. He earned the respect of his colleagues no matter which side of the aisle they were from.
What do you think your future would hold if your grew up in Southern Sudan? How about if at the age of 7 you family was torn apart by war? Now what if you were taken away from the violence to another country only to find yourself forced into fighting someone else’s war? Do you think if you escaped you could then make something of yourself and help others in the process?
That is Emmanuel Jal’s story. Jal is a former child soldier who grew up in Sudan. He saw his Aunt raped before his eyes. His Father went off to fight the war and his Mother was murdered. His future was pretty slim.
It gets worse. Jal was was taken to Ethiopia for a chance at a better life. But it didn’t happen. He was forced to join the SPLA (Sudan People’s Liberation Army) and found himself back in in Sudan. He was a soldier at the age of seven. And, that was his life for the next five years.
Emma McCune, an aid worker from England, entered his life in the early 1990s. McCune saved his life by smuggling him to Kenya. He was maybe 13 at the time. She raised Jal and gave him a chance to survive.
Jal saw alot of violence during his childhood years. His exposure to rap music gave him an escape from the horrors of his past.
Jal is now a recording artist. He also speaks before such esteemed bodies as the United Nations. He spends his time making music and spreading the word about his life. There is even a documentary about his life.
In an interview, Jal says he has no choice. In Jal’s own words in a Huffingtonpost.com article, “”The way I look at it, I’m writing down history. I’m bringing what happened in my life to the international community. I feel responsible, I’m like the voice of those people.”
An alliance between an Iraqi organization and 9/11 families hopes to bring about a more peaceful Iraq. The Iraqi organization is called La’Onf, which means “no violence”. The founder is Ishmaeel Dawood. They’ve joined up with September 11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows to achieve their goal. This group is made up of people who lost loved ones in the terrorist attack.
The groups got together in January 2006 to study non-violent movement leaders. The read up on Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela to name a few.
They then set up nonviolence weeks in Iraq to spread the message of peace. In 2007, committees worked in 18 Iraqi provinces.
October 11th began the third annual peace week. The focus of this years effort was democractic provincial elections.
What might an Obama Presidency mean to the next generation? The children at Ron Clark Academy show us just how much of an inspiration Obama is. They originally did a song for the election called “You Can Vote For Whoever You Like”. Now they respond to their new President.
Note: You’ll need to use your IE browser to view this video.
Tuesday night, American’s witnessed something that they thought they might never see in their lifetime. A non-White male President elected in the United States of America.
The long campaign season is over. The votes are in. On this night, Barack Obama is the victor–and so is America. Another barrier has been shattered and the door is open for all those who would dream.
Obama seems the least likely to burst through. His mother was an American and his father a Kenyan. He only saw his father once beyond the age of 3. Whatever odds he grew up with he has overcome and has become a national inspiration.
I wonder what Martin Luther King Jr. would be thinking if he were alive today and was able to witness this moment?
This line from the “I Have a Dream” Speech says it all:
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
I think that day is here. Congratulations America! Congratulations President Obama!
The Democractic Party took center stage in American history this week. They held their convention in Denver, Colorado in what was whispered to be an event riddled with tension between the Clinton and Obama camps.
In the end, it was all rumor. Speeches were given, songs were sung, flags were waved. In an act of grace, Hillary Clinton walked down the convention floor to the front of the New York delegation. She put an end to the roll call that tallied up delegates and acclaimed Barack Obama the Democratic Party nominee. It was a beautiful, if staged, moment. Clinton proved herself to be of immense character and she will forever be a part of history as the first serious female candidate for President.
But this day was not to be Hillary Clinton’s for more history was at hand. Barack Obama became the very first non-white non-male candidate for President of a major political party. To think that Iowa a state that is about 95% white started the ball rolling when he won the state. What an amazing race it’s been and the nomination is rightfully deserved.
Obama has proven that if you have excellent ideas, intelligence, and state your case to the American people, color doesn’t matter. Time will tell if America is ready for Obama. We at least know the Democratic voters are! That it all happened on the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” Speech made it even more special. Martin Luther King Jr. must be looking down and feeling mighty proud right now.
Senator Patrick Leahy has a role in the new Batman movie. He’s no movie star. He’s a star in my book though.
Leahy is donation all the money made from his part in the Dark Knight to his childhood haunt, the Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier, VT. At four years old, Leahy got his first library card at that branch. He considers it one of the biggest moments of his life and wants other kids to have the same experience. The money will help fund the children’s section.
In addition to the money he earned from the movie, various fund raisers have been held with special screenings of the film. All proceeds go to the library.
