A World of Progress » AWOP

A decade of war

leslie boyd — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 18:13:01 +0000

Ten years ago, I placed a small lamp in my front window. Republicans told me it would be gone in a couple of months, as soon as we finished kicking Saddam’s ass in Iraq.

It’s still there, a visible sign of my prayers for peace, as a memorial to the estimated 200,000 human lives lost, a tribute to the millions displaced and injured, as a protest of violence, torture and of the lies that led us to war.

I said I would leave the lamp in the window until all our soldiers were home. Although the military action is officially over, we still have soldiers there, and people are still dying.

So far, we have spent about $2 trillion on a war that was all about a lie. There were no weapons of mass destruction; our warmongering leaders wanted oil and they wanted profits for their friends in the war-making business.

We now know that British leaders were aware there were no weapons of mass destruction, although former Prime Minister Tony Blair doesn’t want to talk about what he knew and when.

This war was perpetrated on us by war criminals who likely never will go to trial for their misdeeds. They will die in their own comfy beds, unlike those whose deaths they have caused and continue to cause.

Jeb Bush believes history will be kind to his brother, but I doubt it. Already, we know about the lies and that most of the mainstream media were complicit in this crime against humanity.

Of course, many of us knew this in advance of the war. Millions of us protested, but George W. Bush dismissed us as “irrelevant.” A friend of mine, a retired Army Intelligence officer and lifelong Republican, cut up his GOP ID card and mailed it to the White House.

“I am not irrelevant,” he said. “And I am no longer a Republican.”

But most Americans believed what they were told because the evidence to the contrary was hard to find. The media — even the venerable New York Times — were cheerleaders during the run-up to war.

You don’t see the damage on the news the way we did during Vietnam; the big corporations raking in war profits don’t want that. But do a Google search for images of the war in Iraq. The photo here is five days old. There are photos of fighting from yesterday. The violence continues, as do the lies.

I put my light in my front window 1o years ago and it still shines, a protest to lies and killing.

Leslie Boyd, a former newspaper reporter, is president of the health care advocacy nonprofit, WNC Health Advocates, founded in memory of her son, who died in 2008 because he couldn't access health care. E-mail her at leslie at lettersfromtheleft dot com or follow her on Twitter @leftyletters1, visit Letters from the Left on Facebook. For more information about WNC Health Advocates or to read Boyd's health care blog, visit wncha.org.

Precinct meetings

leslie boyd — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 17:22:27 +0000

I am chair of my precinct here in Buncombe County, NC, and for all the organizing we have said we need to do, it’s not going well here in the 45th. I didn’t get a quorum for today’s precinct meeting, and all we needed was four people besides me.

First of all, the party announced meetings on Facebook rather than contacting precinct chairs directly to let us know what we need to do to get ready. I got my packet in the mail with no map of the precinct and no names of anyone who has attended precinct meetings in the past.

This is not the way to organize. I took on the job thinking there would be records of who has attended meetings in the past, or at least names of people who have been active. It is as though this precinct never existed for all the background I got.

Our meetings were supposed to be listed online, but they weren’t.

If we as a party can’t be more organized than this, how do we expect to get anywhere when election time comes around? I don’t know a lot of people who have the time to knock on doors asking if residents are Democrats and if they are interested in coming to a precinct meeting. There must be some background somewhere. Why aren’t precinct chairs offered that information?

So, where are the borders? It only took me a few minutes online to find a map, but I do not have time to go knocking on doors before next Saturday, which is the only time we have left to get a meeting together so we have a voice at the county, regional and state conventions in the coming year.

We need to be ready to roll by this time next year, not struggling to organize. Precincts are the most basic level of party organization and if we can’t get it together here, we are going to have another two years of right-wing dismantling of everything that made this state a decent place to live.

We have lost nearly half of our unemployment compensation; plus unemployed people now have just 12 weeks to find another job; fracking is likely to become a reality; we have rejected the Medicaid expansion and the $12 billion in federal money that comes with it; we likely will have a voter ID law in a few weeks; our social safety net is being shredded, our education system dismantled.

If we can’t get it together, we’re going to be the laughingstock of the nation. Mississippi is going to look progressive next to us.

So, here’s the deal: If you are a Democrat in Buncombe County, NC, and you vote at the Enka Middle School, you are in the 45th Precinct. We will meet at 10 a.m. next Saturday. I will call Monday to set it up at Enka Middle School. Please try to be there and bring a neighbor if you can.

AWOP Radio Jan 29, 2012 with Author Denis Campbell & Student Debt Activist Kyle McCarthy

Kim G — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:31:32 +0000

This week we are happy to welcome Denis Campbell back to the show to talk about the 1st Anniversary of the Egyptian Uprising and share some excerpts from his book Egypt Unshackled that chronicles the uprising in Tweets from the people who were there.

We also welcome Kyle McCarthy to the show to give us an update on Occupy Student Debt movement.

Check out all the details on the show this week at The AWOP Radio update blog by Allie McNeil

Don’t forget you can subscribe to our shows via itunes or your favorite pod catcher!

AWOP Radio Jan 22, 2012 with Cliff Schecter of We Act Radio Jim Dean of DFA and Ashley Arrington

Kim G — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:40:48 +0000

Check out all the show notes here!

The show will be airing at 6:30 pm Eastern time this Sunday. Tune in this week as we talk to Denis Campbell of UK Progressive and Kyle McCarthy of Default: The Student Loan Documentary.

AWOP Radio welcomes Jason Leopold, Don Scime and Sarah Price Sunday Jan 15, 2012

Kim G — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:14:34 +0000

Join us right here to watch the show live Sunday 6 to 9 Eastern!

This week we welcome Jason Leopold back to the show to talk 10th Anniversary of Gitmo, We will talk with Filmmaker Don Scime about his film The David Dance and Time Magazine writer Sarah Price will give us an update on the happenings in the Middle East!

Check out our fabulous co-host Allie McNeil’s full show notes over at AWOP Radio Updates!

It’s a new year and a new AWOP Radio this Sunday!

Kim G — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:01:55 +0000

Greetings Y’all!

It’s a new year and with it comes the new AWOP Radio! We will be broadcasting our first show via Ustream this Sunday from 6 to 9 pm eastern time! It’s going to be rocking because Lyric will be performing live in the Progressive Loft. Jill Bond joins us to talk politics 2012 style.

I may or may not be ready with the rss versions of the show, but the live show will go on. You can now watch the live show 3 different ways:

1. You can come here and watch the show in the player above.

2. You can join us at our Ustream channel where you can also chat with us as well other listeners.

3. And lastly you can watch the show live right from our FaceBook fan page.

Just for fun I am giving away a fabulous AWOP Radio T-shirt to one lucky listener that either Retweets or updates their Facebook status with the following message to help us spread the word on our new digs! We will be announcing the winner on Sunday’s show.

Twitter:

@awopradio is now on ustream! Join us this Sunday http://www.ustream.tv/channel/awop-radio

Facebook:

AWOP Radio (be sure and use the Facebook @awop radio function to mention us so I will know to enter you in the drawing) is now on ustream! Give us a like and join us this Sunday at the AWOP Radio Fan page and watch the show live!

See y’all on the Ustream!

First kiss

admin — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 01:28:02 +0000

Who’d a thunk it? But now three months after the repeal of DADT comes a milestone in Navy history — a lesbian couple got the traditional first kiss when the USS Oak Hill returned to its home port.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Please Support Occuthon 2011 on December 16th

Kim G — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 16:24:09 +0000

We are proud to support This 24 hour online radio event to help the Occupy Movement. Please join us December 16th starting at 7 pm eastern!

From The Occuthon site:

About Occuthon 2011

Twenty-four hours of radio, featuring 24 guests to benefit 24 Occupy charities.

Because:

They can’t evict an idea…

Occuthon 2011 is an upcoming 24-hour internet radio marathon to benefit Occupy protests throughout the country. This non-stop broadcast will be brought to you by the evening hosts at Radio or Not.com.

Join Jacob Dean, Kenny Pick, LeftNeck Chick, and Shane-O as we broadcast from 7pm Eastern on December 16th through 7pm Eastern on December 17th. We will highlight multiple Occupy charities throughout the country, and give you the links where you can show your support.

We will be joined by a wide range of Progressive co-hosts and guests. And we will be taking your calls during segments of our marathon.

As the weather gets colder this month, we will just be warming up!

Come join the crowd in the Radio or Not chat room to show your support for the Occupy movement.

Check out what Thom Hartmann has to say about the event below!

AWOP Radio Welcomes Authors Faydra Deon and Walter Brasch, Ph.D. Dec. 11

Kim G — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 04:07:40 +0000

Hey Y’all!

Hope everyone is having a great week so far. I am giving you this week’s show info in an audio format.

radiodec11promo

Here are the show links for the this week’s show.

Faydra Deon. Author of The Pride.

Walter Brasch, Ph.D. Author of Before the First Snow.

Join us this Sunday from 7 to 9 Eastern time for internet grassroots progressive radio! Here is your live show link.

It’s an inside Job. Watch and learn how.

Kim G — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 19:46:22 +0000

Hey Friends!

If you haven’t seen this film you should. We will make it easy for you. Just hit play and share it far and wide!

‘Inside Job’ provides a comprehensive analysis of the global financial crisis of 2008, which at a cost over $20 trillion, caused millions of people to lose their jobs and homes in the worst recession since the Great Depression, and nearly resulted in a global financial collapse. Through exhaustive research and extensive interviews with key financial insiders, politicians, journalists, and academics, the film traces the rise of a rogue industry which has corrupted politics, regulation, and academia. It was made on location in the United States, Iceland, England, France, Singapore, and China.

Inside Job, Narrated by Matt Damon (Full Length HD) from jwrock on Vimeo.