racism – R&R – Reachout and Rebuild

White History MonthGot

David Posnett — Sun, 07 Feb 2021 20:25:32 +0000

https://twitter.com/ambermruffin/status/1358037733684355074?s=20

Got this from my friend Joanne: its hilarious and a great video.

Rabia Aziz sent this out tonight. Since I was clueless about Amber Ruffin, I played it thinking OMG, she must be talking about some Trump racist saying we need a white history month, will this never end. Instead, we got a fascinating American history lesson about something that’s been vaguely talked about but this really put it all together. Thank you, Rabia. I wish all of you could have learned as much as I have over the past three years from Rabia and Miss Lillie about the American history we aren’t taught.

Take care, JoAnne

George Floyd, Minneapolis Protests, Ahmaud Arbery & Amy Cooper

David Posnett — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 15:05:16 +0000

The contract between society and black America, explained by Trevor Noah. Great stuff:

Click on the image and listen to the YouTube video – it is well worth your while.

“I Can’t Breathe”

David Posnett — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 02:56:16 +0000

“I Can’t Breathe”
The Murder of George Floyd

“The time for endless conversation has passed. We are a nation of differences and this is our greatest strength. It is a time for action in a way that cannot be ignored or denied.”

“I like millions of other Americans watched in horror as the life of George Floyd was taken from him and his loved ones. I watched as those sworn to protect stood idly by and ignored his desperate pleas that he could not breathe. The video depicts police brutality and those images are indelibly imprinted in my mind. The murder of George Floyd seen live by America is another dark episode in our nation’s longstanding history of systemic racism that is still alive and well in our society today.

I found hope and inspiration today in the words of President Obama who commented: It’s natural to wish for life “to just get back to normal” as a pandemic and economic crisis upend everything around us. But we have to remember that for millions of Americans, being treated differently on account of race is tragically, painfully, maddeningly “normal” — whether it’s while dealing with the health care system, or interacting with the criminal justice system, or jogging down the street, or just watching birds in a park.

This shouldn’t be “normal” in 2020 America. It can’t be “normal.” If we want our children to grow up in a nation that lives up to its highest ideals, we can and must be better. It will fall mainly on the officials of Minnesota to ensure that the circumstances surrounding George Floyd’s death are investigated thoroughly and that justice is ultimately done. But it falls on all of us, regardless of our race or station — including the majority of men and women in law enforcement who take pride in doing their tough job the right way, every day — to work together to create a “new normal” in which the legacy of bigotry and unequal treatment no longer infects our institutions or our hearts.”

My hope was short-lived as I read the words of President Trump. With his usual lack of basic humanity, compassion, and understanding, and in keeping with his moronic tweets, he broadcast that the protesters in Minneapolis could be shot: “When the looting starts, the shooting starts.” The Divider in Chief continues to divert attention from systematic racism in America, which he has done nothing to eradicate, and continues to try to shift the focus and blame on those victimized by it.

I in no way condone the violence and destruction that took place in Minneapolis and other cities after the death of George Floyd at the hands of police. It does nothing to improve police behavior or help the African American community. It is impossible to justify, but for me as a Social Worker it is not impossible to understand or to predict. When peaceful protests fail to effectuate meaningful change and people of color continue to die at the hands of racists and police, we as a people cannot expect endless patience from the victims and the community.

The time for endless conversation has passed. We are a nation of differences and this is our greatest strength. It is a time for action in a way that cannot be ignored or denied. The problem is obvious and the solution in our hands. Your power as a voter can elect and hold responsible leaders who will be responsive to the communities they serve and can work toward implementing educational programs to teach our youngsters and adults to embrace our differences.

Trump and those who would hold us back rather than lifting us up must go. We must work together to make sure no person endures economic, healthcare, educational, criminal justice or any other inequity based upon their race. We must enlist men and women of every color and creed to serve together and fight together to ensure every American enjoys equal rights, liberty and opportunity. I firmly subscribe to Dr. King’s vision when he said, “I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality” and I will fight with every fiber of my being until it is so.”

Laura Ahearn, STATE SENATE CANDIDATE (SD-1)

Racist Dog Whistle from Lee Zeldin

David Posnett — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 21:20:22 +0000

The Huffington Post reports: GOP Congressman Spent His Week Harassing a Muslim Colleague On Twitter!

“Rep. Lee Zeldin’s Twitter attack against Rep. Ilhan Omar is a classic racist dog whistle.”

Rep. Ilhan Omar’s opponents have looked for every opportunity to portray the Somali-born Muslim lawmaker as a threat to Jewish Americans.

The response:

United Grassroots Coalition of Long Island rebukes Rep. Lee Zeldin in response to hateful and dehumanizing remarks to MN Rep.Ilhan Omar on official Government Twitter account, demands immediate apology.

As Long Islanders, as neighbors and allies of the Muslim community, we stand in direct opposition to the hateful and dehumanizing statements of Representative Lee Zeldin. Rep. Zeldin’s rhetoric and bullying of MN Representative Omar on his official government Twitter account was abhorrent. Rep. Zeldin has long touted his bipartisanship and zeal in being an ethical elected official, but these remarks are neither bipartisan nor ethical. Mr. Zeldin represents a diverse, multinational district, as well as the regional interests of all Long Island residents in Congress. However, his comments represent the worst divisions of our country. We would like to remind him that as the elected representative of Americans from Minnesota she deserves his full respect and courtesy, as does every Muslim in his own Congressional District. We demand that he end the use of this official social media platform to spew hatred, racism, and sexism.

The agreement to have a meeting will only be successful if Rep. Zeldin apologizes for his disrespectful and dehumanizing behavior and is willing to discuss the ending of all hatred and discrimination. He should agree to not limit his Resolution 72 to only anti-Israel and anti-semitism, but to include hatred against all religions, races, and genders.

In addition, we are calling on our elected officials on both sides of the aisle to denounce this public attack on his colleague. We ask that they join us in calling for Rep. Zeldin to apologize. We ask for every elected official to stand up for civil discourse and demand respect for the office and people Rep Omar serves.

United Grassroots Coalition of Long Island is a coalition of activist groups based on Long Island working towards creating a more just society by increasing civic engagement with government and politics.

Suffolk Progressives

Suffolk County DSA

Long Island Activists

Progressive East End Reformers/NYPAN

NY’s Second District Democrats

Huntington Young Dems

Latinos Unidos de Long Island

Together We Will LI

Resist & Replace

Long Island Inclusive Communities Against Hate

Flip Long Island

East End Action Network

Show Up Long Island

Muslims For Progress

Let’s Visit Lee Zeldin

Hon. Christine Pellegrino,

Fmr NYS Assemblywoman, District 9

Perry Gershon,

Democratic Congressional Nominee 2018, NY-1

When Fascism Comes to America…

David Posnett — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 19:23:31 +0000

In response to articles in the Southampton Press:

“My opponent was attacking me [with those comments], trying to kick me out of office because of comparisons to Trump and Adolf Hitler, and that’s absolutely insane,” Mr. Zeldin said.

Mr. Gershon: “I talked about what’s going on and my fears,” he said. “I see creeping authoritarianism in Trump and Zeldin policies: taking babies away from mothers, siding with dictators against our intelligence agencies and allies, siding with insurance companies looking to take away health care and coverage for people with pre-exisiting conditions, calling the press the enemy of the people. Lee Zeldin has never criticized Trump for any of it.”

James Ewing writes:

The Holocaust Museum in Washington lists 14 warning signs of Fascism:

1) Powerful and continuing nationalism:

“The nation-state remains the best vehicle for the life intended by God…I will always put America first…I am your voice…I alone can fix it.” —DJ Trump.

2) Disdain for Human rights: Trump quits the UN Human Rights Council. ”Ignore due process…Torture works.”

3) Enemies as a unifying cause: “…build the wall…They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists, taking our money. They’re killing us.”

4) Military Supremacy: “I want a Parade…I too have a Nuclear Button…much bigger and more powerful…and my Button works!”

5)Rampant sexism: “I just start kissing, I don’t even wait, when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.”

6) Controlled mass media: “What you‘re seeing and what you‘re reading is not what’s happening…FAKE NEWS is the enemy…it may involve putting reporters in jail, a couple days, and they are ready to talk.”

7) National security obsession: ”Islam hates us…They’re trying to take over our children…We’ll build the wall, folks…zero tolerance….Don’t even worry about it. Go to sleep. Go home, go to sleep.”

8) Religion and government intertwined: “Trump has the Cyrus anointing to navigate in chaos [making America great again through an] imperfect human agent.”—Lance Wallnau, evangelical author and leader.

9) Corporate power protected: Companies are taking tax cuts, promoting deregulation, and anti-labor laws. Climate-change science deniers and industry insiders are now in key regulatory posts to ensure economic growth at all costs,

10) Labor power suppressed: The Trump administration has weakened health, safety, and consumer protections, cut funding for the National Labor Relations Board, blocked “right-to-work” laws, collective bargaining, family medical leave, and civil rights protections.

11) Disdain for intellectuals & the arts: Trump cuts funding for: DOE’s Office of Science, The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, NASA, NOAA, NIH, NEH, CPB, NPR and PBS. The President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities have all resigned.

12) Obsession with crime & punishment: “…punch him in the face…lock her up…They should be forced to suffer…fast trials, death penalty…beheading…society will rot away until capital punishment is used more commonly.”

13) Cronyism & corruption: “…on my team…I’m going to surround myself only with the best and most serious people.”

14) Fraudulent elections: “Its a hoax.”

“Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

—George Santayana.

DJT and Zeldin (R) or Perry Gershon (D) in New York’s Congressional race? Your choice.

How Germany fights bias

David Posnett — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 00:28:06 +0000

Letter in the NY Times today

Re “German’s Idea to Fight Bias Gains Support” (news article in NYT, Jan. 11):

A rise of anti-Semitism among new immigrants to Germany has prompted a suggestion of having immigrants tour concentration camps. The idea is promising.

A visit to a concentration camp is life-changing. You can read books and see documentaries or movies about the Holocaust, but there is no substitute for seeing the sites of evil.

The proximity of the concentration camps to the civilized world reminds us of the bystanders who ignored or were indifferent to the factories of death.

The concept that viewing Dachau, which is on German soil, is a simplistic way to fight anti-Semitism may be true, but it should still be done.

Hatred is a binary choice, so every person’s mind and heart that are changed brings us closer to a better environment for persecuted minorities.

The purpose of preserving the concentration camps is to remind us of the victims’ message to the world: Never again.

STEVEN A. LUDSIN
EAST HAMPTON, N.Y.

The writer was a member of the President’s Commission on the Holocaust and the original United States Holocaust Memorial Council.

I wonder how the White House would react if it were suggested that immigrants to the United States be required to visit the bridge at Selma? Or perhaps the holocaust museum in Washington DC. David Posnett MD