On this past Tuesday night, April 22, I watched the opponent of my candidate increase her lead in percentage of votes to ten percent in the Pennsylvania Primary returns. One might think that would be enough to get my night out of whack. One would be wrong.
I then had the misfortune to hear about the outstandingly irresponsible commercial that the North Carolina Republicans announced they were going to air. They officially say that it is not a direct attack on Senator Barack Obama because they are questioning Gubernatorial candidates Richard Moore and Bev Perdue for their endorsements of Obama. They question them because of people in Obama's past such as Rev. Wright or Tony Rezko.
Do they think the voting public is stupid? Wait! Of course they do. They have assumed they could trick unsuspecting voters with their false rubbish for years. They associate with the RNC & President Bush and Vice-President Cheney.
How dare they assume we are stupid?! How dare they question "Obama's past" and any other person he might have smiled at on the street?! How dare they be irresponsible and endorse a disastrous war and equally disastrous domestic economic policies which exclude the majority of the population and reward the few rich of our nation and then question OUR(Liberals, Democrats, Patriots as well...) integrity and reliability and commitment to the USA?!
Wake up North Carolina Republicans! No, wait...GROW UP NC Republicans. It's time to assume the responsibility of your horrible mistakes and quit pointing the finger elsewhere like some selfish and naive child.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Monday, March 03, 2008
WE MUST PREPARE FOR NOVEMBER IN NEW MEXICO NOW!!!
Yesterday I had two new friends, Deb and Doug, join me in making calls to Texas to persuade people to get out and vote twice for Obama in both the primary and the subsequent caucuses. Between Doug and I, we contacted a third of our targeted voters and got word that they are pledging support for Obama. This is great news!!!
I think that in order to prepare for the conservative, right-wing Republican attacks that are just waiting in the wings for when Obama is officially the nominee we need to get organized and unified together here in Albuquerque and New Mexico in general. New Mexico played a small but major part in the last two presidential elections. We are neighbors to the homestate of the obvious Republican nominee, so we can logically expect a hailstorm of Republican efforts here.
I met with someone today who is connecting me to others who are working in the grassroots with organizations like moveon.org to mobilize a strong united force here in New Mexico (which we can safely call a battleground state now). I will be posting more information in the coming week and weeks about opportunities to turn back the horrendous tide of the last 7 years of lies and dirty tricks.
There are enough of us out there that if we all come forth and work and contribute our talents and passion energy, then we can be the change we have been waiting for and we need not worry that first Tuesday in November!
Thanks for reading!
In Peace Always,
Asa A. Gregory
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Ordinary People?
Patrick Henry, Thomas Paine, Paul Revere, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Cesar Chavez, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcom X and George Washington...
Those are pretty impressive and "untouchable" names in history, right? WRONG!
Most of these people were citizens of the British Empire and then of the newly and courageously formed United States of America. Others were citizens of the Western Hemisphere who saw that great change was needed and answered a call to the greatness within themselves and those around them.
How do they relate to you, to me and to people who join our country every day, every and every year?
They relate very closely, I tell you...
These were ordinary people who made something of themselves against all odds of the time. They sought something greater...within themselves, within their community and within their country and, ultimately, their world.
They got educations and military honors or just simply spoke out and took a bold stance in the face of something more powerful and daunting than themselves. They faced treason and certain death and they did not take "NO" or apathy itself as an answer on how to live and survive.
That is how you and I and new residents and citizens of the United States of America and the world relate to these seemingly out of reach and out of touch echoes of history.
We are the makers of our own world. We are the champions of what we KNOW to be right.
You are no ordinary citizen of this world, unless you doom yourself to be so.
Elections of our U.S. government officials are seemingly only elected through channels of money and corporations, but the people are always more powerful than the money that claims to have a hold on the future of our country and the world. We as a collective, but certainly as strong and inspired individuals, have the grip on the lever that determines our future.
The power to vote is a power that has long been forgotten and ignored through oppression and apathy, but it is ALWAYS your power to exercise. Not just your vote, but your voice, your actions and your will to survive and change will make the world as we understand it should be.
So, don't feel that your mind, your voice or your importance is being crushed by the evils and the powerful money influences of the world.
You and I and Us and We are the only ones who can set us free...SPEAK OUT and ACT!
Those are pretty impressive and "untouchable" names in history, right? WRONG!
Most of these people were citizens of the British Empire and then of the newly and courageously formed United States of America. Others were citizens of the Western Hemisphere who saw that great change was needed and answered a call to the greatness within themselves and those around them.
How do they relate to you, to me and to people who join our country every day, every and every year?
They relate very closely, I tell you...
These were ordinary people who made something of themselves against all odds of the time. They sought something greater...within themselves, within their community and within their country and, ultimately, their world.
They got educations and military honors or just simply spoke out and took a bold stance in the face of something more powerful and daunting than themselves. They faced treason and certain death and they did not take "NO" or apathy itself as an answer on how to live and survive.
That is how you and I and new residents and citizens of the United States of America and the world relate to these seemingly out of reach and out of touch echoes of history.
We are the makers of our own world. We are the champions of what we KNOW to be right.
You are no ordinary citizen of this world, unless you doom yourself to be so.
Elections of our U.S. government officials are seemingly only elected through channels of money and corporations, but the people are always more powerful than the money that claims to have a hold on the future of our country and the world. We as a collective, but certainly as strong and inspired individuals, have the grip on the lever that determines our future.
The power to vote is a power that has long been forgotten and ignored through oppression and apathy, but it is ALWAYS your power to exercise. Not just your vote, but your voice, your actions and your will to survive and change will make the world as we understand it should be.
So, don't feel that your mind, your voice or your importance is being crushed by the evils and the powerful money influences of the world.
You and I and Us and We are the only ones who can set us free...SPEAK OUT and ACT!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Demos, HEAR YOUR VOICE!
Last week I went to sleep with the prayer in my mind that I may be more diligent in pursuing my passions and my goals and my talents.
I woke up with probably the best letter to the editor in my mind that I've ever written. I felt revolutionary. I felt like my letter could change the minds of voters on the fence in Democratic primaries all over this nation.
Below is the letter I woke up with resonating in my head:
I was floored, however, when my mother told me two days later that Dennis Kucinich (the man on whose behalf I had written the letter) had withdrawn from the race. I honestly don't think I'm over it yet, though I FULLY understand why he transitioned back to his Congressional Re-Election campaign.
The message of that letter was that our democracy was in a terrible state and Dennis, I believed, was the voice of the people to lead us back to the greatness that the founding fathers foresaw through the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Dennis Kucinich is still the voice of the people...most specifically the people of the 10th Congressional District of Ohio. Those people need to re-elect that voice, so that we all will have a true voice of conscience on the war, health care, the environment and so many other issues.
Do what you can to help Dennis keep his seat. Then think about who speaks for you in your home district and help them get elected or re-elected! If WE THE PEOPLE don't speak out with our vote, then THEY, THE "REPRESENTATIVES" in Washington don't speak for us.
So, stand up, speak out and go volunteer, contribute and VOTE!!!
In Peace Always,
Asa A. Gregory
I woke up with probably the best letter to the editor in my mind that I've ever written. I felt revolutionary. I felt like my letter could change the minds of voters on the fence in Democratic primaries all over this nation.
Below is the letter I woke up with resonating in my head:
Man of Integrity
The following is a letter I wrote to the "editor" which I forwarded to several newspapers around the country to raise awareness about the man who I believe should be President, despite the naysayers and the chronic annoying doubters...
***********************
Deciding to run for president is by no means a light decision for
anyone brave enough to join the race. It even sometimes comes with
death threats. Ask Abraham Lincoln, Jesse Jackson or Bobby Kennedy.
For years we have listened to the major candidates on either side of
the aisle, while Third Party Candidates such as Ross Perot or Ralph
Nader have never had a true chance.
We now live in an age where corporations and the national media truly
decide what voices we hear when making our choice for "the leader of
the free world." The state of our democracy is decidedly worse than at
any other point in history.
A national media network owned by a major corporation (whose stocks I
sadly own) locked out a particular candidate in a recent debate, after
extending him an invitation and letter of congratulations.The candidate
of whom I speak is Representative Dennis J. Kucinich of
Ohio.
Dennis has my vote because he stands on the shoulders (and pages) of
history with integrity, courage, passion and especially because he
truly defends the U.S. Constitution.
I urge the voters of this country to vote their conscience or at least
find out who truly represents their conscience and values, instead of
voting for the corporate appointed poster boy or girl of their party.
We MUST see a person of integrity leading the people of this country
in the White House. Vote your conscience. Vote Dennis Kucinich. I am
sure James Madison, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington would
applaud you.
-Asa A. Gregory
Albuquerque, New Mexico
asagregory@hotmail.com
**************************
***********************
Deciding to run for president is by no means a light decision for
anyone brave enough to join the race. It even sometimes comes with
death threats. Ask Abraham Lincoln, Jesse Jackson or Bobby Kennedy.
For years we have listened to the major candidates on either side of
the aisle, while Third Party Candidates such as Ross Perot or Ralph
Nader have never had a true chance.
We now live in an age where corporations and the national media truly
decide what voices we hear when making our choice for "the leader of
the free world." The state of our democracy is decidedly worse than at
any other point in history.
A national media network owned by a major corporation (whose stocks I
sadly own) locked out a particular candidate in a recent debate, after
extending him an invitation and letter of congratulations.The candidate
of whom I speak is Representative Dennis J. Kucinich of
Ohio.
Dennis has my vote because he stands on the shoulders (and pages) of
history with integrity, courage, passion and especially because he
truly defends the U.S. Constitution.
I urge the voters of this country to vote their conscience or at least
find out who truly represents their conscience and values, instead of
voting for the corporate appointed poster boy or girl of their party.
We MUST see a person of integrity leading the people of this country
in the White House. Vote your conscience. Vote Dennis Kucinich. I am
sure James Madison, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington would
applaud you.
-Asa A. Gregory
Albuquerque, New Mexico
asagregory@hotmail.com
**************************
I was floored, however, when my mother told me two days later that Dennis Kucinich (the man on whose behalf I had written the letter) had withdrawn from the race. I honestly don't think I'm over it yet, though I FULLY understand why he transitioned back to his Congressional Re-Election campaign.
The message of that letter was that our democracy was in a terrible state and Dennis, I believed, was the voice of the people to lead us back to the greatness that the founding fathers foresaw through the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Dennis Kucinich is still the voice of the people...most specifically the people of the 10th Congressional District of Ohio. Those people need to re-elect that voice, so that we all will have a true voice of conscience on the war, health care, the environment and so many other issues.
Do what you can to help Dennis keep his seat. Then think about who speaks for you in your home district and help them get elected or re-elected! If WE THE PEOPLE don't speak out with our vote, then THEY, THE "REPRESENTATIVES" in Washington don't speak for us.
So, stand up, speak out and go volunteer, contribute and VOTE!!!
In Peace Always,
Asa A. Gregory
Monday, October 29, 2007
TURN AROUND!
Alright...
I grew up in a Christian household, the son of a Presbyterian minister and a devout former Baptist convert to Presbyterianism. I saw all the bullshit in the Church as my Dad was forced out here, forced out there and our family was shuffled all over the Southeast due to "calls" that my Dad received.
So, I know about the dark, evil shadows of "THE CHURCH." I also am aware of the seeming inconsistencies and contradictions in both Church Dogma and in "The Word," which is The Bible.
I have been listening to a discourse on religion, spirituality and the railings against both my whole life. Most recently, the debate over "Intelligent Design" and "Evolution" has come up in regards to science courses in the school systems across the country.
I address this following mental image example to ALL Christians, Atheists, Buddhists, Jews, Taoists, Shintoists, Agnostics, Hindus, Muslims, Rastas, Native American Spiritualists, Confucianists, Wiccans, etc:
***********************************************************************************
Imagine the people of the world are standing in a circle, as though they would if they were going to hold a parachute and bounce a ball around.
The people standing in the West can try to explain, cajole, plead and argue with the people standing in the East that a purple sun is rising in the East. The people standing in the East, facing the people in the West, can argue that there is no way that there is a purple sun rising in the East.
"Everyone knows that the Sun is either orange, red, or yellow, depending on the progression from the horizon."
On the same token, the people standing in the East can try to convince, cajole or twist the people standing in the West that a green sun is setting in the West. The people standing in the West, facing the people standing in the East, might put forth a similar argument about the setting sun that the people standing in the East put forth about the rising sun.
"You are NUTS! There is NO WAY that the setting sun is green. Everyone knows that the Sun is yellow, orange or red as it sets.
In both cases, the people are making arguments based on years of understanding and find the people directly opposite of them crazy for believing what they believe from their point of view.
Well, suppose a hang glider flies over at both points in the day and yells for the people standing in the East or the people standing in the West to "TURN AROUND!" They may or may not hear the hang glider, but if they followed the instruction and turned around, they may find what the people directly across from them had seen all along.
***********************************************************************************
One thing is for certain. We are all human beings living on this round Earth and we all breathe in and breathe out every day of our lives. Perhaps we need to take a moment between those breaths to TURN AROUND and open ourselves to the possibility that there is some common ground among all of us.
*Maybe it's not ludicrous to consider that maybe Creationism and Evolution are part of the same plan or course of nature.
*Maybe it's not ludicrous to consider that the warring factions all over this world have some common ground and can come together in peace.
*Maybe it's OK to consider that you are not in as bad a place in your life as you once imagined. Hope is not a bad thing...neither is faith...of any kind.
Open up your mind...I promise you won't be disappointed with what you will find.
In Peace Always,
Asa
p.s. Thanks for the discourse, Mike! Peace to you, Brother...keep turning!
Currently reading :
The New American Story
By Bill Bradley
Release date: 27 March, 2007
I grew up in a Christian household, the son of a Presbyterian minister and a devout former Baptist convert to Presbyterianism. I saw all the bullshit in the Church as my Dad was forced out here, forced out there and our family was shuffled all over the Southeast due to "calls" that my Dad received.
So, I know about the dark, evil shadows of "THE CHURCH." I also am aware of the seeming inconsistencies and contradictions in both Church Dogma and in "The Word," which is The Bible.
I have been listening to a discourse on religion, spirituality and the railings against both my whole life. Most recently, the debate over "Intelligent Design" and "Evolution" has come up in regards to science courses in the school systems across the country.
I address this following mental image example to ALL Christians, Atheists, Buddhists, Jews, Taoists, Shintoists, Agnostics, Hindus, Muslims, Rastas, Native American Spiritualists, Confucianists, Wiccans, etc:
**************************
Imagine the people of the world are standing in a circle, as though they would if they were going to hold a parachute and bounce a ball around.
The people standing in the West can try to explain, cajole, plead and argue with the people standing in the East that a purple sun is rising in the East. The people standing in the East, facing the people in the West, can argue that there is no way that there is a purple sun rising in the East.
"Everyone knows that the Sun is either orange, red, or yellow, depending on the progression from the horizon."
On the same token, the people standing in the East can try to convince, cajole or twist the people standing in the West that a green sun is setting in the West. The people standing in the West, facing the people standing in the East, might put forth a similar argument about the setting sun that the people standing in the East put forth about the rising sun.
"You are NUTS! There is NO WAY that the setting sun is green. Everyone knows that the Sun is yellow, orange or red as it sets.
In both cases, the people are making arguments based on years of understanding and find the people directly opposite of them crazy for believing what they believe from their point of view.
Well, suppose a hang glider flies over at both points in the day and yells for the people standing in the East or the people standing in the West to "TURN AROUND!" They may or may not hear the hang glider, but if they followed the instruction and turned around, they may find what the people directly across from them had seen all along.
**************************
One thing is for certain. We are all human beings living on this round Earth and we all breathe in and breathe out every day of our lives. Perhaps we need to take a moment between those breaths to TURN AROUND and open ourselves to the possibility that there is some common ground among all of us.
*Maybe it's not ludicrous to consider that maybe Creationism and Evolution are part of the same plan or course of nature.
*Maybe it's not ludicrous to consider that the warring factions all over this world have some common ground and can come together in peace.
*Maybe it's OK to consider that you are not in as bad a place in your life as you once imagined. Hope is not a bad thing...neither is faith...of any kind.
Open up your mind...I promise you won't be disappointed with what you will find.
In Peace Always,
Asa
p.s. Thanks for the discourse, Mike! Peace to you, Brother...keep turning!
Currently reading :
The New American Story
By Bill Bradley
Release date: 27 March, 2007
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
George Allen and the Cancer of the Republican Party!
So, I have started watching the Daily Show and The Colbert Report quite often now that I am out of school and I don't have much else to do (aside from CLEANING MY ROOM...AHHHH!) but watch Comedy Central and my USA Network shows (Monk, The Dead Zone and Psych). I have really enjoyed getting back into the groove with watching The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, especially after watching both in Maryland with my oldest brother, his family and my Mom and Dad on our recent trip after I was at Montreat.
The other night is where I first saw the recent embarassing (but very true and revealing) incident for my adoptive home state of Virginia and my Grandaddy's Republican Party.
See, I'm a very liberal Democrat in the mold of Eleanor Roosevelt, FDR, JFK, Eugene McCarthy, RFK, Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale, Ted Kennedy, Paul Wellstone, Bill Bradley, Dennis Kucinich, John Kerry, Howard Dean and John Edwards. However, I have great respect for a few number of Republicans on the other side of the divide. Sen. John McCain, Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Gov. Thomas Kean of New Jersey, Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut (OOPS...:-p) are all fine examples of people to the right of me that I greatly respect in many ways. I used to have a respect for the elder President Bush, in light of his resemblance to my Grandaddy, who I think is a very fine human being! The more I learn about him, the less respect I have for George H. W. Bush. However, he still is leaps and bounds above his son...and Senator George Allen of Virginia, for example.
At a recent fundraiser gathering in Virginia, a representative for Senatorial Candidate Jim Webb was there videotaping Sen. Allen for reference, I would imagine. It's a free country, after all.
After saying that he would run his re-election campaign on positive and constructive ideas, Senator Allen introduced S.R. Sidarth, the representative for Jim Webb, in his own revealing way.
___________________________________
Below I will include a quoted section from the Washington Post article on the incident (that can be found at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/14/AR2006081400589.html), written by staff writers Tim Craig and Michael D. Shear :
...At a campaign rally in southwest Virginia on Friday, Allen repeatedly called a volunteer for Democrat James Webb "macaca." During the speech in Breaks, near the Kentucky border, Allen began by saying that he was "going to run this campaign on positive, constructive ideas" and then pointed at S.R. Sidarth in the crowd.
"This fellow here, over here with the yellow shirt, macaca, or whatever his name is. He's with my opponent. He's following us around everywhere. And it's just great," Allen said, as his supporters began to laugh. After saying that Webb was raising money in California with a "bunch of Hollywood movie moguls," Allen said, "Let's give a welcome to macaca, here. Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia." Allen then began talking about the "war on terror."
Depending on how it is spelled, the word macaca could mean either a monkey that inhabits the Eastern Hemisphere or a town in South Africa. In some European cultures, macaca is also considered a racial slur against African immigrants, according to several Web sites that track ethnic slurs...
___________________________________
This incident resonates the arrogance and the nonchalance that many Republicans demonstrate toward the people they claim to serve. S. R. Sidarth, a Virginia resident, voter and volunteer for the Webb campaign was reduced to a throw away foreigner by Senator Allen through his comments and the subsequent laughing from his supporters. These people do not represent the Republican Party of the nineteenth century.
The Republican Party, at its inception in the 1850s, was founded on ideas such as abolition, containment of slavery, a commitment to the Federal government and a general rejection of the xenophobia (or hatred) that was represented by Allen's "macaca" comments.
The Republican Party of today does not represent the party of Senator Charles Sumner, President Abraham Lincoln, Abolitionist and Great American Frederick Douglass or Rough Rider and Environmentalist Progressive President Theodore Roosevelt.
Senator George Allen, and others like him, represent the cancer that is eating out what's left of the heart of the Republican Party. Seeing people like Senator McCain endorsing and campaigning for Senator Allen only confirms my view.
I am an outsider to the party and I have, as I mentioned before, a great deal of respect for several Republicans. If the Republican Party values the views of outsiders like me and citizens of the United States of America in general, then they should pull support for idiots and biggots like Allen.
The arrogance of those Republicans grows, and their delusion is a cancer to their party, our nation and ultimately the world. As an outsider, DEMAND that the Republican Party value all Americans, including S. R. Sidarth! As a Republican, you should want more for your party. You should want to stand on better ideas and better solutions than racial slurs and falsely justified wars. As any citizen, we should ALL demand better from most of our politicians! Believe me, I'm watching the Democrats and the Greens and the Libertarians too!
In Peace Always,
Asa A. Gregory
The other night is where I first saw the recent embarassing (but very true and revealing) incident for my adoptive home state of Virginia and my Grandaddy's Republican Party.
See, I'm a very liberal Democrat in the mold of Eleanor Roosevelt, FDR, JFK, Eugene McCarthy, RFK, Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale, Ted Kennedy, Paul Wellstone, Bill Bradley, Dennis Kucinich, John Kerry, Howard Dean and John Edwards. However, I have great respect for a few number of Republicans on the other side of the divide. Sen. John McCain, Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Gov. Thomas Kean of New Jersey, Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut (OOPS...:-p) are all fine examples of people to the right of me that I greatly respect in many ways. I used to have a respect for the elder President Bush, in light of his resemblance to my Grandaddy, who I think is a very fine human being! The more I learn about him, the less respect I have for George H. W. Bush. However, he still is leaps and bounds above his son...and Senator George Allen of Virginia, for example.
At a recent fundraiser gathering in Virginia, a representative for Senatorial Candidate Jim Webb was there videotaping Sen. Allen for reference, I would imagine. It's a free country, after all.
After saying that he would run his re-election campaign on positive and constructive ideas, Senator Allen introduced S.R. Sidarth, the representative for Jim Webb, in his own revealing way.
___________________________________
Below I will include a quoted section from the Washington Post article on the incident (that can be found at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/14/AR2006081400589.html), written by staff writers Tim Craig and Michael D. Shear :
...At a campaign rally in southwest Virginia on Friday, Allen repeatedly called a volunteer for Democrat James Webb "macaca." During the speech in Breaks, near the Kentucky border, Allen began by saying that he was "going to run this campaign on positive, constructive ideas" and then pointed at S.R. Sidarth in the crowd.
"This fellow here, over here with the yellow shirt, macaca, or whatever his name is. He's with my opponent. He's following us around everywhere. And it's just great," Allen said, as his supporters began to laugh. After saying that Webb was raising money in California with a "bunch of Hollywood movie moguls," Allen said, "Let's give a welcome to macaca, here. Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia." Allen then began talking about the "war on terror."
Depending on how it is spelled, the word macaca could mean either a monkey that inhabits the Eastern Hemisphere or a town in South Africa. In some European cultures, macaca is also considered a racial slur against African immigrants, according to several Web sites that track ethnic slurs...
___________________________________
This incident resonates the arrogance and the nonchalance that many Republicans demonstrate toward the people they claim to serve. S. R. Sidarth, a Virginia resident, voter and volunteer for the Webb campaign was reduced to a throw away foreigner by Senator Allen through his comments and the subsequent laughing from his supporters. These people do not represent the Republican Party of the nineteenth century.
The Republican Party, at its inception in the 1850s, was founded on ideas such as abolition, containment of slavery, a commitment to the Federal government and a general rejection of the xenophobia (or hatred) that was represented by Allen's "macaca" comments.
The Republican Party of today does not represent the party of Senator Charles Sumner, President Abraham Lincoln, Abolitionist and Great American Frederick Douglass or Rough Rider and Environmentalist Progressive President Theodore Roosevelt.
Senator George Allen, and others like him, represent the cancer that is eating out what's left of the heart of the Republican Party. Seeing people like Senator McCain endorsing and campaigning for Senator Allen only confirms my view.
I am an outsider to the party and I have, as I mentioned before, a great deal of respect for several Republicans. If the Republican Party values the views of outsiders like me and citizens of the United States of America in general, then they should pull support for idiots and biggots like Allen.
The arrogance of those Republicans grows, and their delusion is a cancer to their party, our nation and ultimately the world. As an outsider, DEMAND that the Republican Party value all Americans, including S. R. Sidarth! As a Republican, you should want more for your party. You should want to stand on better ideas and better solutions than racial slurs and falsely justified wars. As any citizen, we should ALL demand better from most of our politicians! Believe me, I'm watching the Democrats and the Greens and the Libertarians too!
In Peace Always,
Asa A. Gregory
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
ONE VOTE=POWER
Recently a handful of bills and amendment proposals have been voted down by as little as one vote.. The Federal Marriage Amendment proposal (which sought to install hate and discrimination in the United States Consititution) was voted down. The Flag Burning Amendment was voted down. The Internet Pipeline issue was dismissed.
These were all close calls for the future of our country and, ultimately, our world. The United States of America sets a standard for a good portion of the world (the portion that hasn't been alienated by George Walker Bush and his associates). To pass these amendments and bills and motions would set a standard for the world and the future of our nation.
We are not inherently a nation of small minded, hateful people. Our founding fathers, though flawed, were very intelligent and very committed to make a country for the people and by the people...not to exclude anyone. Compromises were made for the U.S. Constitution between small states and large states...between free states and slave states. These compromises were made on both sides to accomodate the greater good. This is our tradition.
To pass the FMA, flag burning amendments or bills limiting access to public television channels and public internet would exclude large portions of the American people who fuel the American economy and, unfortunately, line the pockets of the fat cats who would keep us all below their glass ceiling.
As we witnessed in these Congressional votes, ONE VOTE EQUALS POWER. When it comes down to it... YOUR ONE VOTE in this Fall's CONGRESSIONAL, REGIONAL & LOCAL elections will make a difference.
Your ONE VOTE could determine whether or not that candidate that you like better gets into office. If you sit on your behind and don't make it to the polls, then your candidate won't get your vote. If you vote for who you think is going to win rather than who you think would be better for your town, county, state or country, then you may just put in the less qualified or deserving candidate by ONE VOTE!
So, get out and register to vote! November will be here before we all know it. Learn about candidates and volunteer for candidates that you believe in. Get out there and take control of your country. Don't let the fat cats decide who will decide for you. PROTECT YOUR ONE POWERFUL VOTE!!!
These were all close calls for the future of our country and, ultimately, our world. The United States of America sets a standard for a good portion of the world (the portion that hasn't been alienated by George Walker Bush and his associates). To pass these amendments and bills and motions would set a standard for the world and the future of our nation.
We are not inherently a nation of small minded, hateful people. Our founding fathers, though flawed, were very intelligent and very committed to make a country for the people and by the people...not to exclude anyone. Compromises were made for the U.S. Constitution between small states and large states...between free states and slave states. These compromises were made on both sides to accomodate the greater good. This is our tradition.
To pass the FMA, flag burning amendments or bills limiting access to public television channels and public internet would exclude large portions of the American people who fuel the American economy and, unfortunately, line the pockets of the fat cats who would keep us all below their glass ceiling.
As we witnessed in these Congressional votes, ONE VOTE EQUALS POWER. When it comes down to it... YOUR ONE VOTE in this Fall's CONGRESSIONAL, REGIONAL & LOCAL elections will make a difference.
Your ONE VOTE could determine whether or not that candidate that you like better gets into office. If you sit on your behind and don't make it to the polls, then your candidate won't get your vote. If you vote for who you think is going to win rather than who you think would be better for your town, county, state or country, then you may just put in the less qualified or deserving candidate by ONE VOTE!
So, get out and register to vote! November will be here before we all know it. Learn about candidates and volunteer for candidates that you believe in. Get out there and take control of your country. Don't let the fat cats decide who will decide for you. PROTECT YOUR ONE POWERFUL VOTE!!!
Friday, December 16, 2005
Sets for Press Conferences and Locked Doors in War
It's been a trip to catch glimpses of "my President" in the recent weeks. I don't have much time in between many Senior year classes and hectic hours of work, but I have had enough time to catch ole' "Dubya" in action.
It's amazing to me how still unprepared George Walker Bush is for taking his job seriously. In a teleconference with troops in Iraq, a set was designed with gold decoration and gaudy representations of "plastic patriotism" all over it. Why do you need a "set" when you have the White House, The Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, FDR, Korean War, WWII and Vietnam Monuments?
Okay, scratch the Vietnam Memorial Monument from the list. That's probably not the best place to broadcast a press/teleconference about an ongoing war in an unstable country where America is trying to influence the future of the government. I can empathize with the President on not making use of that monument.
I also was able to catch glimpses of Mr. Bush trying to exit another press conference in China when the questions just got TOO HARD. He got a funny expression when the door he chose was LOCKED!
I got a laugh out of that. However, it is quite sad that the President of the United States, a position that has become one of great power throughout the world, tries to leave a press conference, instead of holding ground on his/her positions.
I feel bad for George sometimes. I still remember seeing the video of him sitting down with James Baker and other Republican heavyweights in 1999 or so to talk about him running for President in 2000. I'm sure he thought it would be a cakewalk after the negative exploits of Bill Clinton and the sloppy Liberals.
He didn't even technically win in 2000. He barely won (if you can call it that) in 2004 and his approval ratings have slipped in the middle. I bet sometimes he wishes he lost in a landslide in 2000 so that he wouldn't have to put up with these annoying press conferences to address the issues related to the war he started in Iraq.
The bottom line is George W. Bush is the President of the United States and with that comes great responsibility to the people that ultimately put him there. He owes it to all of us, Republican, Democrat, Conservative, Moderate and Liberal, to step up to the plate and at least stand on his convictions and not try to hide behind false TV tricks ("Mission Accomplished") or try to run away from the hard part.
President Abraham Lincoln could have had thoughts of returning to Illinois and not dealing with the complex issues involved in the war that threatened his beloved country. President Lincoln continued, however, to open the doors of the White House to open houses and press conferences, despite the safety issues, through his presidency and the Civil War.
He knew that he owed nothing short of his complete dedication to doing everything in his power to serve the American people, even through his own real personal tragedies and those of the country.
You'll get your break, Mr. Bush. Just remember that your job is not over and your responsibility to the people remains. January 20, 2009 is coming soon enough, thank goodness for all of us...including you, Mr. President!
It's amazing to me how still unprepared George Walker Bush is for taking his job seriously. In a teleconference with troops in Iraq, a set was designed with gold decoration and gaudy representations of "plastic patriotism" all over it. Why do you need a "set" when you have the White House, The Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, FDR, Korean War, WWII and Vietnam Monuments?
Okay, scratch the Vietnam Memorial Monument from the list. That's probably not the best place to broadcast a press/teleconference about an ongoing war in an unstable country where America is trying to influence the future of the government. I can empathize with the President on not making use of that monument.
I also was able to catch glimpses of Mr. Bush trying to exit another press conference in China when the questions just got TOO HARD. He got a funny expression when the door he chose was LOCKED!
I got a laugh out of that. However, it is quite sad that the President of the United States, a position that has become one of great power throughout the world, tries to leave a press conference, instead of holding ground on his/her positions.
I feel bad for George sometimes. I still remember seeing the video of him sitting down with James Baker and other Republican heavyweights in 1999 or so to talk about him running for President in 2000. I'm sure he thought it would be a cakewalk after the negative exploits of Bill Clinton and the sloppy Liberals.
He didn't even technically win in 2000. He barely won (if you can call it that) in 2004 and his approval ratings have slipped in the middle. I bet sometimes he wishes he lost in a landslide in 2000 so that he wouldn't have to put up with these annoying press conferences to address the issues related to the war he started in Iraq.
The bottom line is George W. Bush is the President of the United States and with that comes great responsibility to the people that ultimately put him there. He owes it to all of us, Republican, Democrat, Conservative, Moderate and Liberal, to step up to the plate and at least stand on his convictions and not try to hide behind false TV tricks ("Mission Accomplished") or try to run away from the hard part.
President Abraham Lincoln could have had thoughts of returning to Illinois and not dealing with the complex issues involved in the war that threatened his beloved country. President Lincoln continued, however, to open the doors of the White House to open houses and press conferences, despite the safety issues, through his presidency and the Civil War.
He knew that he owed nothing short of his complete dedication to doing everything in his power to serve the American people, even through his own real personal tragedies and those of the country.
You'll get your break, Mr. Bush. Just remember that your job is not over and your responsibility to the people remains. January 20, 2009 is coming soon enough, thank goodness for all of us...including you, Mr. President!
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Ringer for Osama bin Laden?
So, I'm doing my best to make it through my life as a husband, student, brother, son, uncle and worker. I don't agree with probably 95% of what the Bush Administration is doing, but it doesn't mean that I'm some crazy rebel terrorist who's going to try to take America down.
I believe in Peace and "The Other Way." There is always ANOTHER WAY to any seemingly dead end situation. No matter what you believe, there are always "cards" (as my History Professor likes to say--you know who you are) that you can add to or take out of your pile.
In that sense, we are all always growing, learning and becoming more and more open to what's out there...or are we?
At work last night, I was doing my best to get the photo orders done on time and make sure the lab looked straight. I very often look up to make sure no one is left standing around waiting to be helped. I noticed this one seemingly happy older gentleman staring my way.
"Could I help you, sir?," I offered.
Still smiling, he said, "You look like a million bucks!"
Thinking he meant our photo lab, I replied, "Well, thank you, sir. We appreciate it!"
He continued, "...You look like a ringer for Osama bin Laden with your beard 'n your skin 'n all..."
"Thank you, I suppose." was my reply. How do you respond to something like that?
I turned my head and made sure that he couldn't see my face, because I felt a great bit of anger rush over me...
...anger because I was compared to someone I know that everyone hates (with good reason).
...anger because that man had no regard for how that would make someone else feel.
...anger because I know his mind will never try to understand that Osama and his Al Qaeda associates do not represent Islam in its true sense.
...anger because I knew there was nothing I could do or can do.
I am part of what I believe to be the silent majority. The minority of this country (Oligarchy might be the word you're looking for) have gained control of "America" and are giving Americans new faces throughout the world. Apparently, in some small minds, my face is not one of them.
I believe in Peace and "The Other Way." There is always ANOTHER WAY to any seemingly dead end situation. No matter what you believe, there are always "cards" (as my History Professor likes to say--you know who you are) that you can add to or take out of your pile.
In that sense, we are all always growing, learning and becoming more and more open to what's out there...or are we?
At work last night, I was doing my best to get the photo orders done on time and make sure the lab looked straight. I very often look up to make sure no one is left standing around waiting to be helped. I noticed this one seemingly happy older gentleman staring my way.
"Could I help you, sir?," I offered.
Still smiling, he said, "You look like a million bucks!"
Thinking he meant our photo lab, I replied, "Well, thank you, sir. We appreciate it!"
He continued, "...You look like a ringer for Osama bin Laden with your beard 'n your skin 'n all..."
"Thank you, I suppose." was my reply. How do you respond to something like that?
I turned my head and made sure that he couldn't see my face, because I felt a great bit of anger rush over me...
...anger because I was compared to someone I know that everyone hates (with good reason).
...anger because that man had no regard for how that would make someone else feel.
...anger because I know his mind will never try to understand that Osama and his Al Qaeda associates do not represent Islam in its true sense.
...anger because I knew there was nothing I could do or can do.
I am part of what I believe to be the silent majority. The minority of this country (Oligarchy might be the word you're looking for) have gained control of "America" and are giving Americans new faces throughout the world. Apparently, in some small minds, my face is not one of them.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Bringing an end to American fueled war in Iraq
The War in Iraq has long been exploited by the Bush Administration. Despite a majority of voices (or at least opinions), the American-sponsored violence in the area continues.
This war is not even the war that President Bush promised the American people and, more importantly, the surviving family members of the 9/11 victims. Bush sent troops into Afghanistan to pursue Osama Bin Laden and other Al-Qaeda leaders for their part in the deaths of many Americans and people of many other nations who died not just in 9/11 but in the bombing of the U.S. embassies in Africa and the U.S.S. Cole in the late nineties. Bush and his team have let Osama slip through by giving him many head starts and by clumsily moving through Afghanistan and diverting many resources to Iraq.
There must be an OVERWHELMING NATIONAL CALL for the END OF THE WAR IN IRAQ! I propose that those who represent the religious, educational, military and other communities who oppose the ongoing war in Iraq organize a common day to ring the bells of the respective institutions to call for the end of the Iraq War.
Each ring should represent each American death in Iraq, as well as possibly ringing the tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi lives that have been lost in the Bush War. It will take several hours to ring the numbers, and some organizations might want to read the names of the dead. Either way, the government needs to take notice of the reality of the negative impact that this war has on EVERYONE! The longer the series of rings or reading of names the more effective!!! Obviously, a shorter list of names and series of rings would be better for the notion of saving the lives of our brave women and men, as well as the innocent local lives of Iraq.
There is so much silent opposition to this war. I say that we all stand up and organize days periodically to ring the bells of this nation's institutions to remind George W. Bush and all who can make a difference of the deaths that have resulted from this self-serving military blunder! These bells should especially ring in Washington, DC to DROWN OUT ANY OTHER PROPOSITIONS OF THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION UNTIL THEY REALIZE THAT IT'S TIME TO STEP UP TO THE REALITY, COME CLEAN and FIX IT!!!
There are enough of us to do this! Spread the word, network...we can get it done. Even if we start small. Only a handful of voices stood up against the Institution of Slavery at first and we see what happened there. Brave women kept at the government until they won the right to vote. We still have a long way to go with so many things. Think about what you can do today to work to end this war and work toward a harmonious humanity in the months and years to come!
This war is not even the war that President Bush promised the American people and, more importantly, the surviving family members of the 9/11 victims. Bush sent troops into Afghanistan to pursue Osama Bin Laden and other Al-Qaeda leaders for their part in the deaths of many Americans and people of many other nations who died not just in 9/11 but in the bombing of the U.S. embassies in Africa and the U.S.S. Cole in the late nineties. Bush and his team have let Osama slip through by giving him many head starts and by clumsily moving through Afghanistan and diverting many resources to Iraq.
There must be an OVERWHELMING NATIONAL CALL for the END OF THE WAR IN IRAQ! I propose that those who represent the religious, educational, military and other communities who oppose the ongoing war in Iraq organize a common day to ring the bells of the respective institutions to call for the end of the Iraq War.
Each ring should represent each American death in Iraq, as well as possibly ringing the tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi lives that have been lost in the Bush War. It will take several hours to ring the numbers, and some organizations might want to read the names of the dead. Either way, the government needs to take notice of the reality of the negative impact that this war has on EVERYONE! The longer the series of rings or reading of names the more effective!!! Obviously, a shorter list of names and series of rings would be better for the notion of saving the lives of our brave women and men, as well as the innocent local lives of Iraq.
There is so much silent opposition to this war. I say that we all stand up and organize days periodically to ring the bells of this nation's institutions to remind George W. Bush and all who can make a difference of the deaths that have resulted from this self-serving military blunder! These bells should especially ring in Washington, DC to DROWN OUT ANY OTHER PROPOSITIONS OF THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION UNTIL THEY REALIZE THAT IT'S TIME TO STEP UP TO THE REALITY, COME CLEAN and FIX IT!!!
There are enough of us to do this! Spread the word, network...we can get it done. Even if we start small. Only a handful of voices stood up against the Institution of Slavery at first and we see what happened there. Brave women kept at the government until they won the right to vote. We still have a long way to go with so many things. Think about what you can do today to work to end this war and work toward a harmonious humanity in the months and years to come!
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Saint Domingue and Gregoires
August 8, 2010
American Airlines flight 822 was canceled Tuesday due to Hurricane Alex coming into the area. My tour of Robert F. Williams’ activities in Cuba was over and I had set a two day schedule to check out my connection to Haiti. Two days was definitely not enough to research the Gregoire presence in Saint Domingue. I have Alex to thank for what I discovered.
The book “Negroes with Guns” led me to “Radio Free Dixie.” The fact the author of “Dixie” just happened to be the author of “Blood Done Sign My Name” and a fellow “Preacher’s Kid” was most certainly a sign. “Blood” was an excellent book about Tyson’s father’s bold stance against the racial violence that prevailed in his hometown of Oxford, NC. Tyson’s father lost his Methodist ministry in Oxford and the family had to move on to the next calling. I felt a kinship to Tim Tyson, as my own father had taken bold stances and been forced out of churches.
I was able to get in touch with Tyson back in May. He pointed me in the right direction with regard to getting in to explore the presence of Williams on the island of Cuba. I was able to move without hassle after Tyson briefed me on how to work the Cuban government. Thank goodness I had those years of Spanish in high school and college, as well. I could almost see Williams’ ghost sitting in front of the microphone, drawing on his military training and his experience with racial oppression to force the issue of the position of the marginalized African Americans. Though Williams upset the Soviet presence in Cuba and the American Communist Party with his broadcasts, he was still able to maintain the respect of Cuban revolutionary Che’ Guevara.
An obviously conflicted man, Williams advocated near military preparation on the part of the black community. It was strange to think that Williams was in the same organization as Martin Luther King, Jr. and W.E.B. DuBois, but that’s what research is: discovering and understanding new points of view.
At the end of my time in Cuba, I was beginning to gain the introduction of the motivating factors for Williams to advocate answering violence with violence. I especially understood the notion when I began to shift gears on my flight to Port-au-Prince.
On the flight over, I thought about my family history. It’s hard for me to fathom that the Gregoire family actually were slave owners and sugar planters on Hispaniola. I couldn’t imagine how those Gregoires must have treated their slaves. In the context of my mind, however, I assumed the worst and with that I had no trouble with wrapping my mind around the notion that one of those slaves would have slit the throat of a Gregoire during the activities the Haitian Revolution.
Toussaint L’Ouverture was certainly more diplomatic than violent in his movement, but he was a talented military mind much like Robert F. Williams. General Dessalines struck me as a rightfully pissed off new Haitian. It was in his spirit of things, that most of the Gregoire family was murdered. “Kill Whitey!” was a phrase that came to mind as I sifted through my Hurricane Alex granted material. I got the impression that living as a slave under the conditions on a Santo Domingo sugar plantation was much like being crushed into disease infested mound of soil by a giant white hand. I thought that I might grab a sharpened stick and start stabbing that hand myself. Whispering injustice under those conditions would have accomplished nothing. I understood the violence motivator.
However, there he was. A slave of French Roman Catholic sugar planters found his former master wandering the streets of Port-au-Prince looking for any glimmer of hope, despite the fact that his whole family had been slaughtered. Caspar Ramsey Gregoire was found by this man in the hectic streets and it struck me to seem like one of those scenes out of a movie, where the murderous villain finds himself to be alone with his longtime rival. Surely the villain will get his due with some dramatic slit of the throat or profound puncture of the innards. This was not the case with Caspar and…there it was…The name…Alexandre! Alexandre spoke the boy’s name and escorted him to the harbor to negotiate his passage off of the violent island. Alexandre found a spot for Caspar on a boat headed for the originally Quaker city of Philadelphia. What a fitting reflection of Alexandre! Philadelphia literally means “loving people.”
Alexandre could have very easily followed the movie plot and extinguished the last of the Gregoires. He chose the less traveled path and spared Caspar. Caspar was taken in by a Presbyterian family in Philadelphia, and Gregoire became Gregory. It’s no wonder that, in the summer of 1967, my father, Henry Duval Gregory IV, found himself speaking to Martin Luther King, Jr. about working to get the United States of America out of Vietnam. As a family, we owe it to Alexandre. We are, by debt, pacifists. With one slit of the throat, I could not even be writing this today. To Alexandre go profound thoughts of gratitude!
***************************************
The preceding was my fictionalized account of the research I would very much like to accomplish in the coming years. The story of the salvation of our family is most certainly true, except for knowing the name of the Gregoire family slave. If anyone has any knowledge of the events that took place on the island of Hispaniola around the time of the Hatian Revolution, please contact me, as I wish to trace the path back!
Most humbly and peacefully submitted,
Asa Abraham Gregory
American Airlines flight 822 was canceled Tuesday due to Hurricane Alex coming into the area. My tour of Robert F. Williams’ activities in Cuba was over and I had set a two day schedule to check out my connection to Haiti. Two days was definitely not enough to research the Gregoire presence in Saint Domingue. I have Alex to thank for what I discovered.
The book “Negroes with Guns” led me to “Radio Free Dixie.” The fact the author of “Dixie” just happened to be the author of “Blood Done Sign My Name” and a fellow “Preacher’s Kid” was most certainly a sign. “Blood” was an excellent book about Tyson’s father’s bold stance against the racial violence that prevailed in his hometown of Oxford, NC. Tyson’s father lost his Methodist ministry in Oxford and the family had to move on to the next calling. I felt a kinship to Tim Tyson, as my own father had taken bold stances and been forced out of churches.
I was able to get in touch with Tyson back in May. He pointed me in the right direction with regard to getting in to explore the presence of Williams on the island of Cuba. I was able to move without hassle after Tyson briefed me on how to work the Cuban government. Thank goodness I had those years of Spanish in high school and college, as well. I could almost see Williams’ ghost sitting in front of the microphone, drawing on his military training and his experience with racial oppression to force the issue of the position of the marginalized African Americans. Though Williams upset the Soviet presence in Cuba and the American Communist Party with his broadcasts, he was still able to maintain the respect of Cuban revolutionary Che’ Guevara.
An obviously conflicted man, Williams advocated near military preparation on the part of the black community. It was strange to think that Williams was in the same organization as Martin Luther King, Jr. and W.E.B. DuBois, but that’s what research is: discovering and understanding new points of view.
At the end of my time in Cuba, I was beginning to gain the introduction of the motivating factors for Williams to advocate answering violence with violence. I especially understood the notion when I began to shift gears on my flight to Port-au-Prince.
On the flight over, I thought about my family history. It’s hard for me to fathom that the Gregoire family actually were slave owners and sugar planters on Hispaniola. I couldn’t imagine how those Gregoires must have treated their slaves. In the context of my mind, however, I assumed the worst and with that I had no trouble with wrapping my mind around the notion that one of those slaves would have slit the throat of a Gregoire during the activities the Haitian Revolution.
Toussaint L’Ouverture was certainly more diplomatic than violent in his movement, but he was a talented military mind much like Robert F. Williams. General Dessalines struck me as a rightfully pissed off new Haitian. It was in his spirit of things, that most of the Gregoire family was murdered. “Kill Whitey!” was a phrase that came to mind as I sifted through my Hurricane Alex granted material. I got the impression that living as a slave under the conditions on a Santo Domingo sugar plantation was much like being crushed into disease infested mound of soil by a giant white hand. I thought that I might grab a sharpened stick and start stabbing that hand myself. Whispering injustice under those conditions would have accomplished nothing. I understood the violence motivator.
However, there he was. A slave of French Roman Catholic sugar planters found his former master wandering the streets of Port-au-Prince looking for any glimmer of hope, despite the fact that his whole family had been slaughtered. Caspar Ramsey Gregoire was found by this man in the hectic streets and it struck me to seem like one of those scenes out of a movie, where the murderous villain finds himself to be alone with his longtime rival. Surely the villain will get his due with some dramatic slit of the throat or profound puncture of the innards. This was not the case with Caspar and…there it was…The name…Alexandre! Alexandre spoke the boy’s name and escorted him to the harbor to negotiate his passage off of the violent island. Alexandre found a spot for Caspar on a boat headed for the originally Quaker city of Philadelphia. What a fitting reflection of Alexandre! Philadelphia literally means “loving people.”
Alexandre could have very easily followed the movie plot and extinguished the last of the Gregoires. He chose the less traveled path and spared Caspar. Caspar was taken in by a Presbyterian family in Philadelphia, and Gregoire became Gregory. It’s no wonder that, in the summer of 1967, my father, Henry Duval Gregory IV, found himself speaking to Martin Luther King, Jr. about working to get the United States of America out of Vietnam. As a family, we owe it to Alexandre. We are, by debt, pacifists. With one slit of the throat, I could not even be writing this today. To Alexandre go profound thoughts of gratitude!
***************************************
The preceding was my fictionalized account of the research I would very much like to accomplish in the coming years. The story of the salvation of our family is most certainly true, except for knowing the name of the Gregoire family slave. If anyone has any knowledge of the events that took place on the island of Hispaniola around the time of the Hatian Revolution, please contact me, as I wish to trace the path back!
Most humbly and peacefully submitted,
Asa Abraham Gregory
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)