This is not the time to talk about the relief we feel that our Constitution will be restored, or to demand that the criminals in this administration be brought to justice; it’s not the time to talk about solving the country’s current desperate problems, or even to dream about the future progress we can now make.

It’s time to reflect with awe and wonder at the momentousness of this event — an African American will be the 44th President of the United States of America.

This is a time to reflect on the elderly woman who collapsed into a chair in tears after casting her ballot, because she never thought she’d live to vote for a black man for President.

It’s about the 109 year old daughter of a slave (her father was emancipated when he was 12), who was granted the boon of living long enough to see a black man elected President.

It’s about the veterans of the civil rights movement of the 60s breaking down in tears, and young women falling to their knees, because they never thought they would see this happen in their lifetimes.

It’s about the hundreds of thousands of whites, blacks and Hispanics who were jumping up and down for joy, shrieking, and throwing themselves indiscriminately into each others arms in celebration.

It’s about the children who saw history made last night, and knowing that they, and we, now live in a completely different world.

Everything has changed for them. Everything has changed for all of us. And successive generations will grow up knowing that a black man can be President, because a black man IS president.

We can all breathe more freely now, every one of us, from every race, creed, and color. Thank God Almighty, free at last.

[Martin Luther King: I Have a Dream (full speech)]

BB,
Vivienne

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A few highlights:

“No philosophy or political party has a monopoly on patriotism.”

“What makes America great has never been its perfection, but the belief that it can be made better…. [W]e can be governed by laws, not men, …we could be equal in the eyes of those laws; …we could be free to say what we want and assemble with whomever we want, and worship as we please; … we could have the right to pursue our individual dreams, with the obligation to help our fellow citizens pursue theirs.”

“Patriotism is always more than just loyalty to a place on a map, or a certain kind of people…. It’s also loyalty to America’s ideals…. It is the application of these ideals that separates us from… Zimbabwe… Burma…. or Iraq….”

“Patriotism can never be defined as loyalty to any particular leader, or government, or policy. As Mark Twain… once wrote, ‘patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.’ That’s what patriotism is. That’s what patriotism is.”

“When our laws, when our leaders, or our government are out of alignment with those ideals, then the dissent of ordinary Americans may prove to be one of the truest expressions of patriotism.”

“Recognizing a wrong being committed in this country’s name, insisting that we deliver on the promise of our Constitution, these are the acts of patriots, men and women who are defending what is best in America, and we should never forget that, especially when we disagree with them, especially when they make us uncomfortable with their words. That’s part of the American tradition. That’s part of why we are proud to be Americans.”

“It is our responsibility as Americans and as parents to instill that history in our children, both at home and at school. The loss of quality civic education from so many of our classrooms has left too many Americans without the most basic knowledge of who our forefathers are or what they did, or the significance of the founding documents that bear their names. Too many children are ignorant of the sheer effort, the risks and sacrifices made by previous generations to ensure that this country survived war and depression through the great struggles of civil and social, and workers’ rights. it is up to us then, too teach them. It is up to us to teach them that even though we have faced great challenges and made our share of mistakes, we have always been able to come together to make this country stronger, and more prosperous, and more united, and more just. And sometimes to teach them that America has been a force for good in the world, and that other nations and other peoples have looked to us as the last best hope on earth.”

That’s what patriotism is. That’s what patriotism is.

Happy Independence Day, everyone.

BB,

Vivienne

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Over the weekend I posted a new paper to our literature section: “Are things worse in America now than ever before?”

Are things worse in America now than ever before? Barack Obama doesn’t think so. In his book, The Audacity of Hope (review coming soon) he comments that when he hears liberals complain because America is slipping dangerously toward fascism, and our Constitution is being shredded beyond all recognition, he reminds them of darker times our country has faced.

The paper contains my remarks thereon. Once you’ve read it, please add your comments to this post and let us know what you’re thinking. Are things worse in America now than ever before?

Barack Obama’s book is available here:

BB, and have a wonderful Independence Day weekend.

Vivienne

Tags: Current Events, Government, Politics, Vivienne D'Avalon by Vivienne D'Avalon
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Rep. Dennis Kucinich has filed articles of impeachment with Congress and Robert Wexler  has co-sponsored.

Though the argument against impeachment is that it is too late, millions of people across the United States feel that the principle of justice, the preservation of our Constitution, and the prevention of a nuclear war with Iran before November are more important than “political timing.” “Impeachment is necessary.” says Stephen Heller. “It is not a matter of politics, of right versus left, Democrat versus Republican. Rather, it is a matter of law. The current administration has repeatedly violated the Constitution and civil law. If there is no accountability for these violations, then why have a Constitution? Why have laws?” “Without impeachment hearings, the full spectrum of the crimes of the Bush administration may never be known,” notes Barbara Bowley, “and many of the incursions it has made on our democratic society will be hidden in the legal and bureaucratic structures they have developed….. [F]or the sake of the maintenance of our democracy, we must impeach this administration.” Richard Mathews points out that “[u]sing impeachment to get Bush out of office is not what is most important since he is going out anyway. I want to see him impeached even if it happens on his last day in office because we need to set a precedent that this abuse of power will never be considered acceptable.” Bush’s arrogance and hatred for our democracy must be punished. “It is unthinkable” says Tobi Dragert, “to have a president who calls the Constitution, the same one he sends our young men and women to kill and die for, ‘just a goddamned piece of paper.’” (emphases added).

Among the crimes of which Bush stands accused:

Article IX: Failing to Provide Troops With Body Armor and Vehicle Armor

Article X: Falsifying Accounts of US Troop Deaths and Injuries for Political Purposes

Article XIV: Misprision of a Felony, Misuse and Exposure of Classified Information And Obstruction of Justice in the Matter of Valerie Plame Wilson, Clandestine Agent of the Central Intelligence Agency

Article XV: Providing Immunity from Prosecution for Criminal Contractors in Iraq

Article XVII: Illegal Detention: Detaining Indefinitely And Without Charge Persons Both U.S. Citizens and Foreign Captives

Article XVIII: Torture: Secretly Authorizing, and Encouraging the Use of Torture Against Captives in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Other Places, as a Matter of Official Policy

Article XIX: Rendition: Kidnapping People and Taking Them Against Their Will to “Black Sites” Located in Other Nations, Including Nations Known to Practice Torture

Article XX: Imprisoning Children

Article XXIV: Spying on American Citizens, Without a Court-Ordered Warrant, in Violation of the Law and the Fourth Amendment

Article XXV: Directing Telecommunications Companies to Create an Illegal and Unconstitutional Database of the Private Telephone Numbers and Emails of American Citizens

Article XXVI: Announcing the Intent to Violate Laws with Signing Statements

Article XXVII: Failing to Comply with Congressional Subpoenas and Instructing Former Employees Not to Comply

Article XXVIII: Tampering with Free and Fair Elections, Corruption of the Administration of Justice

Article XXIX: Conspiracy to Violate the Voting Rights Act of 1965 

and many others totaling 35 articles of impeachment, any one of which would be enough to impeach. The full text of all 35 articles can be found here. Call your congressman today to demand he or she supports Rep. Kucinich’s articles, or sign the petition in support found here.

As an additional note, according to Robert Wexler, on June 20th, 2008 at 10AM, Scott McClellan,  author of

and Former White House Press Secretary, has agreed to give sworn testimony as he has been called to do by Judiciary Committee Chairman Conyers.

There is hope for justice yet.

Tags: Current Events, Government, Politics, Vivienne D'Avalon by Vivienne D'Avalon
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Here we go the first Dark of the Moon Crone Cast. Vivienne D’Avalon and I’s first podcast together, we go over things from this Election, to Nanobots, to Scientology vs. a group called anonymous, to the FBI taping your Tubes. For the music clip “W’s Duty” by Jonathan Coulton go here.

Bad Moon Rising- Dark of the Moon Crone Cast 1

Tags: Christianity, CroneCast, Current Events, Government, Magus Dethen, Paganism, Politics, Religion, Science and Technology, Vivienne D'Avalon by Magus Dethen
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The film legend passed away this past Saturday, April 5, 2008, at the age of 84.

In the past he was most famously known for saying “let my people go” and “soylent green is people!”  But most recently he was better known for saying that his musket would be taken “from my cold, dead hands.”

A hero to the NRA (National Rifle Association), a bane to gun control lobbyists, Heston fought hard and long to protect his Constitutional right to bear arms.  Not everyone agreed with his stance, but he worked hard for what he believed and he did it larger than life, as grand a figure as any of the characters he played on screen. 

The number of culturally relevant films he starred in is staggering, from Moses and Ben Hur to Planet of the Apes.  I highly recommend checking out the filmography and renting any of the most important films you haven’t yet seen, to remind yourself of the impact this one man’s film career had on our culture.

Mr. Heston, you have earned a well-deserved rest. 

See his Wikipedia entry here.

Tags: Current Events, Entertainment, Vivienne D'Avalon by Vivienne D'Avalon
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From ACLU [aclu@aclu.org]:  “We all know how much damage the Bush administration has done to the Constitution and the rule of law. But, just how long we allow their lawlessness and affronts to the Constitution to live on is up to us. Will we accept the damage that has been done and live with the consequences? Or will we act with energy and conviction to restore our constitutional rights?Acting with energy and conviction is what the ACLU 2008 Membership Conference  is all about.That’s why I’d like to invite you to this year’s conference to get inspired, energized and organized to fight for our Constitution.It is up to us to restore our civil liberties and the ACLU 2008 Membership Conference  is a chance for all of us who care about liberty, equality and justice in America today to come together as concerned activists. At the conference you’ll meet scholars, writers, judges, and elected officials; learn about the most pressing civil liberties issues of the day and join other members like yourself to lobby Congress and defend our most fundamental freedoms.If you are ready to stand up for the kind of America you want to live in, the ACLU 2008 Membership Conference is the place for you.“I came here because I needed to be among a group of people who care about the things about which I care and to get re-energized to protect our democracy from the abuse of our own government.” –Carol Mehlman, 2006 ACLU Membership Conference participant from Tampa, Florida.As in past conferences, you can expect to hear from a wide variety of respected experts on civil liberties, as well as from ACLU clients who will tell their stories. We have just confirmed some inspiring new speakers, including former South African Chief Justice Arthur Chaskalson, “literary grandmaster” Ariel Dorfman, Retired U.S. Navy Admiral John Hutson, and U.S. Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and David H. Souter.The ACLU Membership Conference is for everyone who is ready to bring an end to our government’s abuse of power and restore our Constitutional values and heritage. Mark your calendar for June 8 - 10, 2008 to be in Washington, D.C. to make your voice heard — and make a difference.I hope to see you there! Learn more and register now.”

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 Part 1:

 Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

Tags: Current Events, Politics, Religion, Vivienne D'Avalon by Vivienne D'Avalon
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This morning (Wednesday, March 12, 2008) NPR aired a story that salvia divinorum may soon be made illegal. For those of you who don’t know what salvia is, it’s a form of sage that has some psychoactive effects. Salvia is currently an uncontrolled substance, because its chemical makeup and effects are too dissimilar to drugs that are already banned — the law says that a drug has to be similar to a drug already on a particular schedule or class of illicit substances, in order to be included in that list. However, a substance can be added to this list based on analysis of 8 factors: 

• Actual and potential for abuse
• Pharmacology
• Other current scientific knowledge
• History and current pattern of abuse
• Scope, duration, and significance of abuse
• Public health risk
• Psychic or physiological dependence liability
• If an immediate precursor of a controlled substance

….  Based on the results of the analysis, the DEA may recommend that Salvia divinorum be scheduled as a controlled substance.

Salvia has been used by shamans and other spiritual seekers for “out of body” experiences and similar meditative practices. It does not have a market as a social drug, because the mental states it creates in the user are not conducive to social interaction, but rather, introspection. Just as with alcohol or tobacco, the user must act responsibly, and know enough not drive or operate heavy machinery while under the influence of any mind altering substance. However, NPR is reporting suicides that have supposedly been linked to salvia, thus causing a renewed push for criminalization.

Salvia divinorum is currently illegal in several states in America and in many countries around the world, and more states are jumping on the banning bandwagon every day. The DEA considers it “a drug of concern.” “The majority of the pending legislation would add the plant ‘Salvia divinorum’ to the states’ lists of controlled substances.”

In G. Pagan’s March 12, 2007 bill analysis of California AB259, he quotes information that

The effects produced by Salvia divinorum are not comparable to any other effects produced by the other psychoactive substances (i.e., peyote, psilocybin, LSD, etc.). This also includes variables of the user, such as body weight, sensitivity, strength, and dose taken and method used. The effects can range from subtle to extremely strong, causing an individual to have out-of-body experiences and create a real potential for physical danger to oneself and others.

Pagan’s analysis also discusses the fact that prisons are already overflowing because so many people are being incarcerated on drug charges because of substances that are already banned.

Salvia’s reputation suffers from “the current lack of laboratory and clinical research into its potential therapeutic properties.” So of course, rather than do responsible research, fear mongers are instead gunning to criminalize it so they can seize yet more control over their “subjects” — otherwise known as American citizens. Never mind that there are freedom of religion issues, that salvia “was used for both medicinal and religious purposes by the Mazatec Indians in Oaxaca well before the arrival of European colonial powers” and that it is currently in use by modern day shamans pursuing that freedom of religion. Never mind that we are supposed to have the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” in this country; if the pharmaceutical companies can’t charge an arm and a leg to sell us chemical happiness, Whhhhyyyy, it’s a danger to society! Ban it! Burn it! Throw the witches in prison! Never mind that the prisons are already stuffed to the gills, that just means more money for the companies that build prisons and hire out guards and supply weapons!

“Salvia divinorum is a valuable medicinal herb that is rarely abused…. It is not habit-forming, not addictive, and does not present a significant risk to public health or safety. Because it is a powerful consciousness-altering herb, some regulation of sales is sensible and appropriate, but criminalizing possession certainly is not.”

So why can’t we use common sense, people? Why is that so frikkin hard????

Tags: Current Events, Government, Morals, Paganism, Science and Technology by Vivienne D'Avalon
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Two days ago, on Tuesday, March 5, 2008, two towns in Vermont (Brattleboro and Marlboro) voted to indict President Bush and Vice President Cheney for their numerous violations of the United States Constitution, and to arrest Bush or Cheney if they come within city limits. Once arrested, they may be extradited for prosecution.

On January 25, 2008, Brattleboro’s Selectboard first voted to accept the petition and put it on the March ballot. They were unprepared for the vitriolic responses they got when the Drudge report disseminated the news to a wide audience. The text of the ballot question read:

Shall the Selectboard instruct the Town Attorney to draft indictments against President Bush and Vice President Cheney for crimes against our Constitution, and publish said indictments for consideration by other authorities and shall it be the law of the Town of Brattleboro that the Brattleboro Police, pursuant to the above-mentioned indictments, arrest and detain George Bush and Richard Cheney in Brattleboro if they are not duly impeached, and prosecute or extradite them to other authorities that may reasonably contend to prosecute them?The author of the petition says “It is largely [a] symbolic” gesture, as Brattleboro officials do not apparently have the power to arrest the President or Vice President of the United States. He hopes, however, that Bush and Cheney will be impeached before it ever comes to that. “Voters interviewed after casting ballots said they saw the article as an opportunity to express their frustration over the war in Iraq and Bush’s tenure in general,” says the USA Today article. The town issued the following statement at its website: On January 25 the Town Clerk’s office received a petition from Brattleboro resident Kurt Daims.  Per Town Charter, a petition containing signatures from 5% of Brattleboro voters can be placed on the ballot for a Town-wide vote.  Mr. Daims’ petition did contain the required number of signatures.  At a meeting on January 25, the Brattleboro Selectboard voted 3-2 to place the petition on the ballot.  Reasons given by Board members voting in the affirmative centered on the belief that if a petition contained the required signatures, the voters should have the opportunity to vote on the matter. Reasons given by Board members voting on the dissent centered on the belief that articles outside the scope and authority of the Town should not go before the voters of the Town.  The Brattleboro Town Attorney has stated that the petition has no legal standing, as the Town Attorney has no authority to write an indictment and the Town Police Department has no authority to attempt an arrest of the President of the United States.Other Vermont towns voted last year to impeach both Bush and Cheney. The Newfane, VT resident responsible for the impeachment push supported Tuesday’s vote, comparing the drafters to the founding fathers and saying their action was imbued with the same “moral authority.”The impeachment resolution read: Whereas George W. Bush has:1. Misled the nation about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction;2. Misled the nation about ties between Iraq and Al Quaeda;3. Used these falsehoods to lead our nation into war unsupported by international law;

4. Not told the truth about American policy with respect to the use of torture; and

5. Has directed the government to engage in domestic spying, in direct contravention of U.S. law.

Therefore, the voters of the town of Newfane ask that our representative to the U.S. House of Representatives file articles of impeachment to remove him from office.

Though local police officers may not have the authority to arrest a sitting President, state legislatures in America are empowered to send impeachment resolutions to Congress. Rep. Bernie Sanders(Ind) of Vermont said at the time it was “impractical to talk about impeachment” because of the Republican-controlled Congress. Of course, that is no longer the case, but nevertheless nothing has been accomplished on the impeachment issue. Tuesday’s vote is clearly an expression of Vermont’s, and the country’s, frustration.

Tags: Current Events, Government, Politics, Vivienne D'Avalon by Vivienne D'Avalon
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In the summer of 2007 Harriet Myers and Joshua Bolton, two key players in the Bush administration, were held in contempt of Congress for refusing to appear to testify regarding the U.S. Attorney firings, in defiance of a congressional subpoena requiring them to do so. The Bush administration is claiming executive privilege.

John Conyers, the chairman of the House Judiciary, then filed a resolution that was passed on Feb. 14, authorizing the filing of a civil suit to enforce the subpoenas if Michael Mukasey, the attorney General, would not do so.

Just yesterday, on Feb. 28, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to Jeffrey Taylor, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. “Taylor is required by law to bring the matter before a grand jury. However, Mukasey has indicated that the Justice Department intends to prevent Taylor from complying with the law.” So Pelosi also sent a letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey stating: “If, however, you intend to persist in preventing Mr. Taylor from carrying out his statutory obligation to present this matter to the grand jury in the District of Columbia, we respectfully request that you inform us of that decision within one week from today, so that the House may proceed with a civil enforcement suit in federal district court.” The full text of both letters can be found here.

Let us hope that Speaker Pelosi and the House Judiciary Committee are successful in holding these two members of the Bush administration accountable, and that they no longer get away with flouting the law.

BB,

Vivienne

Tags: Current Events, Government, Politics, Vivienne D'Avalon by Vivienne D'Avalon
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