You may have noticed a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. that has been at our blog's sidebar since the start of LVS:"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
This quote has special meaning to us here at LVS where we believe that King's words ring as true today as they did during the civil rights movement.
A time comes when citizens must speak out, because of civic duty, against the crooked systems that enable injustice, no matter how deceitful the opposing voices that support the status quo may be.
Dr. King believed that changing peoples' hearts and minds is what changes the system. If good men and women do nothing, then evil wins.
King's dream of racial equality has come true for some but it has not been completely realized considering the fact that our nation's wealth and power is still controlled by privileged white men, and great disparities between most black and white people still exist. And even with a black President of the United States, racial prejudice and outright racism still thrive. But because Dr. King had the courage to speak out, racial segregation ended and paved the way for a man like Barack Obama to even have a chance at becoming President.
Some ways we can honor Dr. King's memory are by volunteering, donating money to Haiti, and speaking out against injustice-- be it Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, the Lehigh County DA's office, health insurance companies, The Morning Call, or our NeoCon local blogosphere.
King's dream of racial equality has come true for some but it has not been completely realized considering the fact that our nation's wealth and power is still controlled by privileged white men, and great disparities between most black and white people still exist. And even with a black President of the United States, racial prejudice and outright racism still thrive. But because Dr. King had the courage to speak out, racial segregation ended and paved the way for a man like Barack Obama to even have a chance at becoming President.
Some ways we can honor Dr. King's memory are by volunteering, donating money to Haiti, and speaking out against injustice-- be it Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, the Lehigh County DA's office, health insurance companies, The Morning Call, or our NeoCon local blogosphere.
You Tube Video > full version of Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech. Comments had to be disabled at You Tube because so many were hateful and racist. Still.
![Irv Muchnick, Concussion Inc. [The Only Honest Reporting on Martin vs Villa/SLAPP]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPD2coV7RQATuCUf-3rw1R677yxUImhkVfkwctN91m7yfi3nNdoiPeWor3ZFheb8-GpJgZmYhLB110qFaj3cJ-Chizn5_-t0OCc58nBiQZ8ExJNvSonqN7DCj2ETWDi4Wy0_OObaC3JgJ5_i8VJtUJ3RFDUDQf0VyiSghcV4xshIX6yCIdMs4SUh6t=s220)
![[Reneged] City Solicitor Kloiber Bans Cousin Jeffrey Anthony Defamation & Harassment of Villas](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrGZtm_TCRriA3DHGTVASeEr_XIZD_pQqaf-fCuaf2k-ApQAze7ZAeVU-I6gHcE8Tt6WXadtqw_hAOHjaJe11PiUx2MPPSCMN-MC5RBeCcjKX_DjAhw7IS0eWcKGimIJ9oImiqAkx3jw5l6mT-LnUEQ3U2JmCZyik1BNyiLbXmHr-MSBjt3fMiO6k4=s310)
![[Reneged] Villa Defense Witness: "Judge" Anthony](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilEA5zRbHJ2QZAT9qDc0rbK8z4aAEOKvk_sodBrrul56cu0MeXGjYPqfiUm1BuTWqDQakCDdKpcM6ozIrgcLLpHcBTlXWl5yC2ODubS5_xHNDtieJnNg-ucIejp3eZORHRROmETUoFGKiW/s220/10653495_508198589366170_7055316366826361693_n.jpg)
22 comments:
I love that photo of Dr. King, the "criminal" ... proud, defiant. The twinkle in his eyes says he knows you can't stop what he has started, even if you kill him. No other American is more deserving of a national holiday in his honor, not even George Washington.
Well said.
Meanwhile, over at Scott Armstrong's Allentown Commentator Blog, it's racist business as usual for regular contributors that include Allentown School District Board Members Robert Smith Jr. and David Zimmerman.
"Proud" and defiant, Scott Armstrong insists on keeping that racist comment up there, and ASD Board Members and "fellow commentator members" Bob Smith and Dave Zimmerman apparently have no quarrel w/ that.
"If good men and women do nothing, then evil wins."
All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.
Edmund Burke
Consigliere, great catch (Play of The Day), thank you. We always figured it was Casey (or one of his army buddies). Chris Casey longs to be famous. We're gonna make sure he gets his wish.
Really interesting (as always) perspective from Melissa Harris-Lacewell ...
How Barack Obama is like Martin Luther King, Jr.
Domain Name > (Unknown)
IP Address > 4.58.166.162 (Level 3 Communications)
Time of Visit > Jan 18 2010 11:58:14 am
Hey Casey: Oopsie. signed, Not Bill Villa
Email we just got ...
Bill & Angie-
Yesterday, to mark the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., President Obama spoke at the Vermont Avenue Baptist Church, in Washington, D.C.
It was a stirring speech that reminds us of the lessons that Dr. King and his generation still hold for us as we confront the challenges of today.
Please watch the President's speech. And then please forward this message along to anyone you know who would be interested.
Thanks.
Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America
Speaking of good men and women doing nothing. Isn't it a cruel irony that it could be Ted Kennedy's seat that would kill healthcare reform, the cause of his life? Where are the progressive dems? Why aren't they countering the looney teabaggers with protests? Why have the loudest liars and their evil tactics captured the media's attention, and where are the democrats at this crucial moment?
Remember those disgusting signs the teabaggers held that said "Bury Obamacare with Kennedy." Remember the signs of Obama as Hitler, and the racist monkey dolls? Rush Limbaugh, Faux News, Pat Robertson,Glenn Beck, and all the RepubliCON evil needs to be countered with protests by the dems. I'm not seein it, and I doubt I will. Dems need to be knockin' on doors in Mass., the same way they did to get Obama elected.We shouldn't stand for all this anti-Obama obstructionism.I am getting sick of all the Obama bashing. It's been only a year, and he has accomplished a lot considering the extreme damage done by 8 years of Bush, and many more years of Republicon control, and failed policies. We can't go back to that. And that's my rant for today.
"Why have the loudest liars and their evil tactics captured the media's attention"
It's like this locally too ...
City Official, People around here seem especially charmed by snakes. They enable the local hate bloggers and view them as crusaders. They elect dumbass backwards bigots like Ron Angle to represent them. Pathetic.
The buffoons who yell the loudest seem to attract fans, while the truth tellers get labeled as loonies for defending themselves against lies. It's an ass-backwards world we live in.
Top "news" story in Morning Call on Martin Luther King Day was, The Golden Globe Awards and American Idol. The newspaper conducts polls to find out how many people agree with Pat Robertson. Should that even be debatable? How about a story on the unbelievable resilience of the Haitian people? I want to believe that most people are altruistic, even though mainstream media and local blahgassmear elevates the small percentage of extremist wingnut POV.
"City Official, People around here seem especially charmed by snakes."
Mrs. Dottie, in reality, only a few sad cases are genuinely fooled.
"They enable the local hate bloggers and view them as crusaders."
Again, a foolish few.
"They elect dumbass backwards bigots like Ron Angle to represent them. Pathetic."
I second this.
"The buffoons who yell the loudest seem to attract fans, while the truth tellers get labeled as loonies for defending themselves against lies. It's an ass-backwards world we live in."
If you're referring to your and Bill's situation I can tell you that anybody w/ a brain knows how air-tight a case you present, every time you present one. Bullet-proof is more like it. Which is why the targets are afraid to confront it. They know you're right.
"Top "news" story in Morning Call on Martin Luther King Day was, The Golden Globe Awards and American Idol. The newspaper conducts polls to find out how many people agree with Pat Robertson. Should that even be debatable? How about a story on the unbelievable resilience of the Haitian people? I want to believe that most people are altruistic, even though mainstream media and local blahgassmear elevates the small percentage of extremist wingnut POV."
The Morning Call is a sinking ship and the sooner it submerges all the way, the better off this area will be. Don't let the bastards get you down, especially since they always lose to you :)
"People around here seem especially charmed by snakes. They enable the local hate bloggers and view them as crusaders."
I beg to differ. I think most people who enable hate bloggers, locally or otherwise, recognize them as hate bloggers and that's why they love them. Some people prefer hate.
"Top "news" story in Morning Call on Martin Luther King Day was, The Golden Globe Awards and American Idol."
Top "news" today on the MC website is "TV Watchers: Meet Jon Gosselin's new girlfriend." Pathetic. When I want news, I usually check the Express-Times first. Here is a link to their MLK Day article.
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/bethlehem/index.ssf/2010/01/almost_200_people_celebrate_ma.html
Keep up the good work, Mrs Dottie!
"...that it could be Ted Kennedy's seat that would kill health care reform..."
Angie, Scott Brown addressed that issue very eloquently at a debate a week or so ago. Paraphrasing, he said that it is not Ted Kennedy's seat, it's not the Democrat's seat, it's the people's seat.
Wise words.
I support reforms in our health care system, and I want everyone to receive the care they deserve. But this bill is a disaster. The Ds would be far better off throwing it in the dumpster and starting from scratch.
Anon 1:21
I disagree.I think if the bill is killed after coming this far, there will be even less chance of any kind of real reform, and for me that real reform would have to be a public option, and eventually medicare for all.
Ted Kennedy stood for the people.
He spent most of his life working on this important issue for the people. What has Scott Brown accomplished that makes him so wise?
We need reform now because people are dying from lack of coverage, people are going bankrupt because of the unaffordable premiums.
It's an urgent crisis. The Repubs are going to block anything Obama wants to accomplish.
City Official, THanks for your encouragement.
Anon 12:51 Thanks, but I couldn't do it without Bill's great work, strength,intelligence, and determination.
He deserves the kudos too.
I agree w/ Mrs. Dottie (natch).
And w/ these wise words from anon 12:51:
"most people who enable hate bloggers, locally or otherwise, recognize them as hate bloggers and that's why they love them. Some people prefer hate."
Sad, but true.
"Nose for News" (wink wink)
Domain Name > (Unknown)
IP Address > 163.192.13.# (Tribune Company)
ISP > Tribune Company
Time of Visit > Jan 19 2010 4:45:55 pm
Post a Comment