Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Poll: Half of Americans Want to End Birthright Citizenship

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

From Talking Points Memo:

A new CNN poll finds the public divided on whether the Constitution should be amended to end birthright citizenship. The survey of 1,009 adults reports that 49% favor changing the Constitution to prevent the children of non-citizens from gaining automatic citizenship when born in the United States, while 51% oppose such a change.

This news is as disturbing as the idea is idiotic. Nearly half of this country wants to abolish birthright citizenship, one of the core ideas upon which our nation was founded? Immigration has consistently brought new people and ideas that have shaped our very way of life. It is quintessentially American (and, one could argue, quintessentially human). Cloaking anti-immigrant bigotry behind hypocritical flag-waving is a slap in the face to the people and cultures that built this nation.

America needs fundamental changes, thats for sure. We carry with us some powerful, terrible legacies of slavery, indigenous massacres here and abroad, and the continued abuse of military might, to name a few. True patriots fight to end these disturbing aspects of our country that ultimately weaken us, not the strength and diversity through immigration that has always made us great.

Let Elizabeth Warren Protect Main Street from Wall Street

Monday, July 19th, 2010

Frustrated that the financial reform bill recently passed by Congress isn’t as strong as it needs to be? Me too! But this demands that we continue to take action, not throw up our hands and back down. We need to keep up the pressure to make sure that the folks policing the financial sector make the most out of the power vested in them, rather than use it to continue to coddle the big banks.

The Obama Administration is considering appointing Elizabeth Warren to head the recently-established Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In addition to being the person who came up the idea of establishing the Bureau in the first place, she has a reputation for standing up to Wall Street in order to protect the rest of us.

This is why Timothy Geithner and other Wall Street insiders are attempting to block her appointment.

According to John R. Talbott:

The bill has been written to put a great deal of power as to how strongly it is implemented in the hands of its regulators, some of which remain to be chosen. The bank lobby will work incredibly hard to see that Warren, the person most responsible for initiating and fighting for the idea of a consumer financial protection group, is denied the opportunity to head it.

Please join Credo Action Network by signing their petition urging President Obama to appoint Warren to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The petition reads:

Elizabeth Warren has proven that she is willing to stand up to Wall Street on behalf of consumers and is the logical choice to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Tim Geithner is a longtime Wall Street insider, and if he’s recommending against Elizabeth Warren that’s all the more reason to appoint her.

Click here to sign the petition today!

5 Ways to Celebrate the Fourth of July

Sunday, July 4th, 2010

From ColorLines:

It happens every year. Your progressive friends host the Fourth of July barbecue, where you eat too much carne puerco and grumble intermittently among yourselves about what crap this holiday is, how it’s all about nation-building and do you remember that piece by Howard Zinn on putting away the flags? Then you all agree that on the flipside it’s nice to have a day off or have gotten overtime. You open more Coronas and start talking about the bad news you just read on FaceBook that morning.

If you’re like me, this description is right-on. The question is, what other options are there? ColorLines suggests the following:

  1. Encourage Obama to stop deportations
  2. Support those hurt by BP
  3. Change your Facebook status to “I am Oscar Grant
  4. Enjoy dissing “The Last Airbender”
  5. Start planning your July 29 trip to Arizona

To take action, click on the links above or visit ColorLines for the full article.