Larisa Alexandrovna @ Huffington Post: Paging Americans - Where The Hell Are You?

[Hissyspit]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larisa-alexandrovna/paging-americans-where-_b_63958.html

Paging Americans: Where the hell are you?
Posted September 11, 2007 | 02:12 PM (EST)

At what point does police brutality against an African American minister inside the halls of Congress become news and inspire a call to action? Is it after 8 police officers take him down for standing in line waiting to see members of Congress? Is it after he is rushed to the hospital? Is it after he is charged with assaulting a police officer, which is a felony? At what point do Americans, especially African Americans, think this is an important news story and an important reason to drop everything to head to DC?

What about African Americans of visibility, where are you? P. Diddy is in the Hamptons. Senator Obama is on the campaign trail. Oprah Winfrey is doing her show. Even Mos Def, whom I respect for his defense of human rights, is MIA. Is there no one left to stand up for this man other than a former Soviet refugee, white, Jewish woman with a pen? I am here. Where the hell are you America?

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[ananda]

1. It is amazing!

There are so many evils that haven't
been stopped or redressed these days.

[lligrd]

2. Too Busy Trying To Figure Out How To Pay Their Loans

(and outrageous interest) on their overpriced houses and buy gas for their SUV's.

[Mythsaje]

8. Or trying to pay the loans and upkeep on the reasonably priced

90 year old house they're buying.

Oh, and feed themselves, pay child support, and pay their utilities.

As if the average west coaster can drop their job, pay for airfare or the gas to drive to D.C, and participate.

Shit like this helps no one.

[peacetheonlyway]

3. Mckinney will speak out for the reverend

Larissa, give Cynthia McKinney a call..

here's her email
[e-mail]

I'll ping her as well....

She never had a problem speaking out against police brutality did she?

[DemReadingDU]

4. morning kick

[Blackhatjack]

5. The Question is Timely, the Response is Coming .....

Video cameras, especially in cellphones, are making it impossible for law enforcement to 'hide' tough physical handling of protestors and/or individuals they do not like.

The public is gradually waking up to these actions, just as they finally have understood that the continuation of the Iraq War is an exercise in futility.

You are right that so many individuals who have access to the MSM today are 'missing in action.'

However, I predict that as public outrage over these events grows, these 'public celebrities' will begin to show up and speak out.

Even so... it is time Americans wake up and realize that their rights and liberties are being destroyed right before their eyes.

Good article!

[dickbearton]

7. Exactly, K&R.

[truedelphi]

6. Well Larissa your voice is one of the few voices that speaks

Freely - almost all of those pretty people we see with their talking heads on TV are either CIA or in line with CIA.

Why did three or four unknowns report the news from the bunker in Baghdad on January 17th 1991?? Well, CNN had had to ask the Iraqi government which reporters they would allow in.

Brokaw?? Nope? He was known as CIA.
Bill Kurtis?? Nope, he was known to be in line with CIA.

Etc. So they finally ended up sending in three unknowns.

[Mythsaje]

9. 3000 miles away with a job, a house that needs repair, bills to pay

and no money to fly to D.C. even if none of the above were true.

[Major Hogwash]

10. Not wasting my time reading a bunch of blogs, that's for sure.

It's amazing that someone pontificates on a blog expecting everyone to run over to see what they have to say every day. The way I see it, if someone wants to read someone else's blog, they're pretty much in the same camp already.

[The Witch]

11. Dearest Lala,

Do get in touch if you need someone local to do something for the Reverend. I have met him on a few occasions. He is wonderful and I would love to help out. I'm not anyone of visibility but if you are reading this thread don't hesitate to PM me.

[snot]

12. My theory is, they're (1) working *sses off and (2) on antidepressants. nt

[Swamp Rat]

13. Damn straight Larisa!

:kick:

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. When it leads insert news cast here

so people learn of it, outside of us

[JeffR]

15. Larisa is a gem

But if she's reading this, I just want her to know I think she covered everything by speaking to Americans. Period.

African Americans are under no more onus than any of us to be moved, angered, galvanized by this. Race, ethnicity, gender: it doesn't matter, because your overarching point of Americans qua Americans being AWOL on this is exactly the point that needs to be made, unvarnished. What sort of nation have we become? What sort of nation will we become? And will we become something else and other from what we are now, if we merely shrug and bemoan the enormity of the crises to be addressed and surrender to numbness?

As to former "Soviet refugee, white, Jewish woman with a pen", well... that sounds pretty American to me. You might not think of yourself quite yet as fully American, though I'm just guessing. But FWIW I think you are a quintessential and great American.