American Image

As George Bush, Jr. prepares for his 2nd term presidential appointment in Washington, DC this afternoon, it's important for the remaining free-thinking individuals on this planet to remember that many people will meet today's elaborate proceedings with organized resistance, despite the heavy smog of oppression that seems to have smothered those on this planet who do not wish to be molded into the Bushs' idealogical value system.

While this nation's Inauguration Day polls welcomes George Bush with an almost 50% approval rating, a poll of 21 countries (reflecting Africa, Latin America, North America, Asia and Europe), commissioned by the BBC World Service, showed that 58% of the 22,000 participants (18 of the 21 countries) are expecting Bush to have a negative impact on peace and security during his final term.

The Bush marketers have proven that a fear-based campaign to be an overwhelming success for Bush's agenda and policy-making--at least in the US. I can only hope that the free-thinking world community can successfully impart and popularize non-imperialistic and progressive policy initiatives, enough to move out nation to impeach the seemingly un-impeachable Bush dynasty.

If this nation's democrats couldn't polish their agenda enough to pull it off, why couldn't other nations step up to the plate to take the lead?

Legacy of American Injustice

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday yesterday, me and some friends attended a free screening of Keith Beauchamp's documentary, "The Untold Story of Emmitt Louis Till," at The Brooklyn Academy of Music's BAM Rose Theaters.
This is a remarkable filmmaking achievement because it prompted the re-opening of this remarkably brutal murder case of 14 year-old Emmett Till in 1955 Mississippi, when viewed by federal prosecutors in 1994.

Unfortunately, Till's mother, Mamie Till Mobely, died in 1993 and never saw justice for her son's murder. The two white men, who kidnapped and brutalized the young teen who was visiting relatives in Mississippi from Chicago for whistling at the white wife of a local shopkeeper, were acquitted by an all white jury who deliberated for 67 minutes. After their acquittal, the men later sold their story for $4,000 to Look magazine in January 1956, knowing they could not be tried twice for the murder and speaking freely about how they killed Till.
However, there is still an ongoing investigation of others who were allegedly involved in helping the two murderers kidnap and restrain Till while he was being tortured.

This case sparked the Civil Rights Movement and continues to speak to the the inequities of the American justice system when it comes to trying and convicting people of color and the financially disadvantaged, i.e., New York State's Rockerfeller Drug Laws.