...singular acts by ordinary, everyday people ... MM

[whimsicaldeb]

Reuters:
http://today.reuters.com/news/default.aspx

Editor's Choice: 24 Hours in Pictures
http://photos.reuters.com/Pictures/slid ... 05&src=cms

Reuters does their 24 Hours in Pictures where they touch upon issues around the globe ... the photo montages are always so touching. Today.. this one touched me the most:

An elderly woman participates in a candlelight vigil in Sydney December 1, 2005 on the eve of the scheduled execution of Australian man Tuong Van Nguyen in Singapore. The Australian government dropped diplomacy on Thursday and called Singapore's plan to hang a young Australian drug smuggler "barbaric". Australia has repeatedly sought clemency for Van Nguyen, 25, who was convicted of smuggling 400 grams (0.9 lb) of heroin from Cambodia through Singapore's Changi airport in 2002.
01 Dec 2005 REUTERS/David Gray

I don't know why it's touched me so, I knew nothing of the situation before this photo montage ... none the less, this woman is the one who moves me most. Something in her face ...



In my email box this morning ... was Michael Moore's most recent letter; and the two just seem to go together.

50 Years Ago Today... From Michael Moore

December 1, 2005

Friends,

I just thought we should all pause for a moment today to remember the simple act of courage, defiance and dignity committed by Rosa Parks when she refused to move to the back of the bus because the law said she had the wrong skin color. The greatest moments in history, the ones that have truly mattered and have taken us to a better place, are made up of scores of these singular acts by ordinary, everyday people who could no longer tolerate the crap and the nonsense of those in charge.

Today, whether it is a student who holds a sit-in to get the army recruiters off his campus, or the mother of a dead soldier who refuses to leave the front gate of the president's ranch, we continue to be saved by brave people who risk ridicule and rejection but end up turning huge tides of public opinion in the direction of righteousness. We owe them enormous debts of gratitude. It is not easy to stand up for what is right, especially when everyone else is afraid to leave the comfortable path of conformity.

Rosa Parks may have been alone on that bus at the moment of her arrest but she wasn't alone for long. The old order was shaken, the world was upended and, as a people, we were given a chance for a bit of redemption.

Perhaps the best way to celebrate this most important day in American history is to ask yourself what it is that you can do today to make a difference. What risk can you take to move the ball forward? What is that one thing you've been wanting to say to your co-workers or classmates that you've been afraid to say -- but in your heart of hearts you know needs to be said? Why wait another day to say it or do it?

There is probably no better way to honor Rosa Parks -- and yourself -- than for you to put a stop to an injustice you see, not allowing it to continue for one more second. Do something. Then send me an email (contributions@michaelmoore.com) and tell all of us what you did (I'll post as many as I can).

Fifty years later, the bus we're on could use a few more people simply saying, "No. I'm sorry. I've had enough. I'm not going to take it anymore."

Yours,

Michael Moore
www.michaelmoore.com

[tinkerjack]

There is probably no better way to honor Rosa Parks -- and yourself -- than for you to put a stop to an injustice you see, not allowing it to continue for one more second. Do something. Then send me an email (contributions@michaelmoore.com) and tell all of us what you did (I'll post as many as I can).

Fifty years later, the bus we're on could use a few more people simply saying, "No. I'm sorry. I've had enough. I'm not going to take it anymore."

Every Thursday afternoon down by the Alamo on the square by the San Fernando Cathederal here in Sanato there is a silent peace vigil. I had great intentions of going today. Well I suppose I had a good excuse.

I been listening to the news stories about GM maybe going bankrupt. And I thought about that movie, Roger and Me. Have you ever seen Charlie Rose. Mike Moore was on one night and Rose kept wagging his finger in Mike's face everytime he said something. He was trying so hard to be "fair and balanced" I wanted to hear what Moore had to say. I felt like cutting old Charlie's got dam finger off.

The news in San Antonio this week was about a man called Cantu. Well he was seventeen when he was condemed to death, the youngest person to recieve that sentence. Seems like there was a little Well no mistake is serious unless it is permanent. It seems that the criminal justice system made a serious mistake. May he rest in peace.
You know what really blows my mind is the people who gather outside the prisons and celebrate executions.

[whimsicaldeb]

GM doesn't have to go bankrupt ~ it can gain all it's money back & more by being the first US car manufacter that goes Green.

.....


More everyday people taking actions: this group is from JumpstartFord, protesting at various Ford dealers world wide about going green and war for oil (november 12) -- targeting ford because their cars waste more gas than any others ... all part of "Generation Kyoto" [ http://www.generationkyoto.org/genk2.php ] actions; that even if Bush doesn't want or think we should join ~ "we the people" do! Thus are ...

link:
http://jumpstartford.com/action/events_ ... o_gallery/

here's a few of the photos from Oakland, CA (Northern California - across the bay from San Francisco).







wrod's getting out, things are moving along ~ it's a beautiful thing ...