Dignity // Current TV

A simple story of humanity

A friend of mine who has just been laid off helped another poor guy who is in even... more

jmarkred
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3 months ago
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41 comments

Hoovervilles, the Bonus March and Occupy America

Proof that not much has changed since this time for all of our supposed progress. The same problems with income disparity, class war, unemployment, and those who think problems can fix themselves or "trickle down" to others. And this is because we are still doing things the same way hoping for a different outcome. The same two party system, the same greed, the same campaign rhetoric, the same empty promises, the same catering to the 10 who can buy the country rather than keeping their oaths to the millions who make it work.

I posted this because I thought of the Bonus March after seeing Mayor Bloomberg's actions in NYC regarding the Americans occupying Zuccotti Park and the actions of others. Their Hoover mentality also reflects a time when we saw high unemployment, homelessness due to failing mortgages and the corrupt greed of those who then took advantage of the less fortunate. **That is why Americans are out in the parks now for those who seem to have forgotten their own history.**

This is not a just society. This is not a society that strives for equality. This is a society that thrives on the needs of the many being sacrificed for the wants of a few. And it is failing all of us, especially our children and all of us have had a hand in it because we continue to place trust in those who do not care about anything but continuing to cater to those 10. So we now see Americans taking a stand to make it right and hold those who will not take responsibility for their corrupt actions accountable. Just like veterans did when they held their Bonus March on Washington DC and built their shantytowns in the Capitol. And it was the right thing to do then and it is the right thing to do now.

So to all of the mayors in all of these cities, to the jackbooted Homeland Security Dept., to this administration that is silent on this, to those from the last USSC appointed administration who precipitated this and to all those who think that you are on the right side of history... history has already proven you wrong. Shame on you all for forgetting that.
We won't.Proof that not much has changed since this time for all of our supposed progress. The... more

JanforGore
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3 months ago
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24 comments

Ashes from Service Members' Remains Went Into Landfill

CNN... . General: Ashes from service members' remains went to landfill... more

EthicalVegan
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3 months ago
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10 comments

Give the woman all your check part 1

Men is part one of what happenning when men give their checks to girlfriend or woman... more

bhstwo
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8 months ago
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0 comments

You pay all the bills and you still get no respect

Men pay all the bills and not getting respect... more

bhstwo
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8 months ago
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0 comments

REVOLUTION, by VIOLENCE or FORCE?

Since posting a commentary on the question of whether legislators should be held accountable for treasonous acts against the people, or, "aiding the enemy", in the same manner as Bradley Manning is being held accountable for "aiding the enemy", a commenter has asked if I'm promoting the use of violence in our efforts to reclaim government control.

This author does not promote violence, period. However, I can certainly understand how many desperate people may be , and probably will be, driven to some form of violence, either against bankers who defrauded them and turned them out of their homes, legislators who betray them and vote their public services away, industrialists who poison them or their environments and businesses which steal their pensions and then ship their jobs overseas. In truth, I have several times emailed our President suggesting that people are so desperately on the ropes of despair, without reason for hope of a better tomorrow and verging on a rage which is very likely to lead to widespread violence, in hopes that he can and will act quickly to remedy this tragedy. It is testimony to the good character of the American people, alone, that they have not already shot Supreme Court Justices who have betrayed America, legislators who help corporate America to steal their money and business which abuses them. This, in my opinion, is nearly miraculous restraint on the public's part. Because, surely, the crimes committed against the people to date, have already warranted the greatest of resentment and anger amongst the public.

The use of force in the public take back of our government from the corporate forces, is another question entirely. Force can manifest in many forms, and none of them necessarily violent. The Wisconsin 14 remaining out of Walker's clutches and manipulation, combined with the recall movement of his compatriots, may force him to negotiate and make concessions which he, otherwise, swore that he would not do. If this nation, and hopefully the world, participate in the May 5th, INTERNATIONAL DAY OF WORK STOPPAGE, to the point that it brings all commerce, government, air transport and even telecommunications to a standstill, then that may force the hands which are holding the nooses around the public's neck, to loosen their grip, even just a bit. Other subsequent public actions may force the noose right out of their hands. This type and form of force, I do wholly support and recommend. This type of force is the only way that I believe we can reclaim our heritage, our government, our wealth and our greater dignity, all of which are owed to us.

For example:

Dear Paratus,

Thank you for your concern and engagement. While I am not familiar with shio nage, at all, we have already witnessed the taking and using of weapons to political events. We have already witnessed the assassinations, and attempted assassinations, of political figures. It has been suggested that the perpetrators of these past episodes of violence were mentally unstable. While my comments have not intentionally referenced such actions, while your's have, we all may be well served to consider that the widespread desperation of our fellow citizens, today, may have already destabilized the mental normalcy of many. Therefore, there may be many, from both sides of the aisle, who are contemplating taking weapons of destruction to political events, and using them against political figures. Unfortunately, these are not possibilities which can be resolved by our blogging, but rather, can, and should, be resolved by our political figures.

It seems to me that our exchange has blurred and merged two issues which are not necessarily codependent. The legitimate discussion of appropriate and legal means of holding our legislators accountable for their actions, does not imply, or equate to, the unbridled exchange of gunfire between those who much has been taken from, and the Right which insists on taking more from them. Although, I acknowledge that such is very likely to occur, sooner than later, under the prevailing conditions of the public's deprivation and consequent desperation. If such bloodshed does occur, it will be between the people, who can psychologically take no more abuse, and the "classic goons" and "mercenaries", hired by those determined to steal anything of value which the people have left. Mere ideology of the mentally stable rarely lead to the kind of bloodshed which you reference.

P.S. While I support the right to bear arms, and encourage all to do so, to protect ourselves from rogue governments, I personally do not yet own a gun or any weapon. But I am considering acquiring one.Since posting a commentary on the question of whether legislators should be held... more

COMMONSENSEFORCOMMONGOOD_COM
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11 months ago
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0 comments

Corrective Rape

I am posting a link to a petition made by change.org. Whats is going on in South... more

Avior
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11 months ago
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3 comments

Forum: We Are One

please share your thoughts on how to get from where we are to where we need to be

frankpatton
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12 months ago
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0 comments

Brazilian community fights pressure to move

This film is for Eduardo Campos, Governor of Pernambuco state in Brazil. 53 families... more

AmnestyInternational
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1 year ago
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1 comment

Salil Shetty interviewed by Riz Khan

An interview with Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International on Riz... more

AmnestyInternational
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1 year ago
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0 comments

David Kuria: Sanitation and Toilet Entrepreneur

Welcome to Circle of Blue Radio’s Series 5 in 15, where we’re asking global thought leaders 5 questions in 15 minutes, more or less. These are experts working in journalism, science, communication design, and water. I’m J. Carl Ganter. Today’s program is underwritten by Traverse Internet Law, tech savvy lawyers, representing internet and technology companies.

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In the sub-Saharan region, 80 percent of recorded illnesses are water-born diseases, and more than two-thirds of these people don’t have access to basic sanitation. While access to safe drinking water is gaining importance in the political arena, it’s still hard to talk about restrooms and toilets, but today I’m speaking with a man who really does know toilets. David Kuria is founder of EcoTact. It’s an organization based in Nairobi that’s really transforming sanitation systems in Kenya and the greater sub-Saharan region. EcoTact’s campaign breaks down the stereotypes about sanitation. It’s also created a sustainable model for the Ikotoilet, a community hub of stores and services all built around a public toilet.

David, tell me about how water-born diseases and basic sanitation are related, and what kinds of transformations need to be made in health and sanitation?

…the first thing you see, beautiful thing, is a toilet. When you come to the city of Nairobi, you’ll be shocked. And the next thing you’ll be asking is what is this? It’s a public toilet. We are putting toilet monuments just to try and bring back the importance to our people of public convenience and public toilets.

We are trying to look at social transformation, economic transformation, and to some extent political transformation as far as sanitation is concerned. I think this is quite a distinct situation from the West, because from the word go, when we are talking about sanitation, back home we don’t talk about it. It’s a less topical subject that, at homes, we don’t talk about toilets at homes, we don’t talk about toilets at school, and even at the political level. When you look at the close spectrum, we are moving ahead very well in addressing the water situation, but nobody wants to be associated with sanitation. It’s a taboo in African culture. To us, what we are trying to say is, “How do we break these cultural barriers, economic barriers and political barriers to be able to accelerate sanitation access to our people?” Again, more than half of the people across the region have no sanitation. They’re either using open defecation, even in cities, or what we are calling in Nairobi, The Flying Toilet, just using the polythene bags and throwing them away. It’s really the key concern of lack of access, but also the behavior transformation that’s associated with improving dignity, improving public health of our people.

Sanitation is not something that’s openly discussed in sub-Saharan culture or really anywhere, so how are you working to get beyond the social taboo that restrooms and toilets have in the region and really anywhere?

What we are doing in my company is an initiative we launched two years ago called the Ikotoilet, which is derived from ecological systems. Now the idea of Ikotoilet again goes beyond the toilet. How do you break those cultural barriers of sanitation or toilets that we cannot talk about? We have gone beyond that, what we are calling thinking beyond the toilet, by putting up one aspect of sustainability, and that’s what we are calling the toilet mall, where you can go to the toilet for more than the pee and poo function, you can have your shoe polished, you can transfer money ATM, we have a system in the toilet, you can buy your soft drink, there’s a fresh cold drink, and trying to lead a transformation in the social thinking associated with a toilet. That is critical. Now the other aspect is how do you transform our behavior aspect of this?

cont.Welcome to Circle of Blue Radio’s Series 5 in 15, where we’re asking... more

JanforGore
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1 year ago
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1 comment

Celebrate World Water Week

Beginning on World Water Day, we are taking a week to celebrate the 200 million people... more

JanforGore
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1 year ago
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8 comments

Human Dignity

Chileans Indigenous get apology. Chile's president has apologised to the... more

Yuyunik
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2 years ago
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1 comment

No violence against women

Today, all over the world, it was the Day to end violence against women. Too many... more

bibabiba
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2 years ago
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4 comments

Senate Bill would allow "mentally Incapacitated" vets to buy guns

Major Nidal Hasan, accused of killing 13 people at Fort Hood Army base, has been... more

Vierotchka
added this
2 years ago
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99 comments

Sexual Hook Ups Damned By Chastity Groups, Hailed By New Feminists

"Today's first base is kissing ... plus fondling this and that. Second base is oral sex. Third base is going all the way. Home plate is learning each other's names."

So wrote Tom Wolfe in his 2000 book "Hooking Up" -- a term that describes a wide range of coupling from making out to intercourse.

For more than a decade, the "hookup" has been an integral part of the American college experience -- a result of the increased permissiveness that came with the sexual revolution of the 1970s.

Just recently at Harvard University -- sometimes pegged as "godless and liberal" -- the hookup culture came under fire, mostly from a small but growing abstinence group called True Love Revolution.

They argue that women who invoke a new kind of feminism -- the right to have sex whenever and with whomever they choose -- is demeaning to women.

"A popular thing to say among this intellectual crowd, in the ivies and in feminism in general, is to say that sex is empowering and a real woman uses her sexuality in any way she pleases," said Rachel Wagley, a 20-year-old sociology student who is TLR's co-president. "It's blatantly false and a lie that this culture tells to girls for their own benefit." Silpa Kovvali, a 21-year-old computer science concentrator, argued in a Harvard Crimson editorial that there is nothing "inherently degrading" about engaging in casual sex -- in fact, she said, it can be "empowering."

But chastity groups seem to be on to something -- a growing unease that although hooking up can be liberating, it can also be annoying and sometimes destructive.

"It's a huge part of life here," said Maariya Bajwa, a senior at the University of Florida. "When I used to take the bus I'd hear random people having conversations about random hook ups they had. I was like, 'Uh guys, we're on a bus. I don't need to hear about your one-night stands.'"

By the end of senior year, the average college student has had 6.9 hookups, mostly after a "good bit of drinking," according to a survey of 4,000 students at five universities by Stanford University sociology professor Paula England.

Her work revealed that while 24 percent of the respondents had reported never having hooked up, 28 percent had more than 10 such casual sexual encounters.

England, who set out to explore the dating habits of college students, found they were kissing, having oral sex and sometimes intercourse with "no expectation that either party has an interest in moving toward a relationship."

"There's a lot of degrading treatment of some women and it is empoweringly free for other women," she told ABCNews.com."Today's first base is kissing ... plus fondling this and that. Second base... more