Structural Patterns

Bill de Blasio believes that the government can decide what is viable free speech and what is not. de Blasio feels that he knows what messages may be censored and which may be allowed to remain in the public space. A couple years ago de Blasio demanded the removal of anti-abortion billboard and stated the following “There should never be a law prohibiting this sort of sign, Mr. de Blasio said, ‘but to have a serious debate, to have people express their outrage, and then to have a private owner of the advertising space decide that it was ultimately not appropriate, that to me is a functioning democracy.'” Read the NYTimes article.

Today the UN Assembly gathers in NYC and I comfortably sit in my office at 68th and Lexington after dodging through stand still traffic while police vehicles weaved through… all for a series of limos with international flags. If you’ve got a limo, get a flag… traffic will part for you. In preparation for the UN members’ visit Two Peoples One Future paid for posters throughout the subway system presenting Israelis and Palestinians beneath these words: “Be on our side — we are on the side of peace and justice.” Local politicians protested and now the posters are down. Just as who paid for the advertisements is public knowledge, the names of the people who demanded that freedom of speech be censored should be public knowledge. Read NYTimes article.

Now off to Wall Street to visit the protestors at Zuccotti Park, I mean Liberty Plaza.

Documentary film maker and colleague Kelly Anderson has just launched a kickstarter campaign for a doc in production titled “My Brooklyn” revolving around urban planning and gentrification in Brooklyn, particularly changes occurring in and around Fulton Mall. Check out the trailer and support the film if you like what you see!

My Brooklyn trailer from Kelly Anderson on Vimeo.

The fight for public education is just getting started…

Move On is running a poll to help stop threats to cut federal funding for NPR and PBS:
http://pol.moveon.org/nprpbs/

Please take a moment to sign the poll and share with others. The government once protected the radio airwaves from corporate ownership, because it was recognized as a public service. NPR and PBS are amongst the most important public services that present a space in the media for intelligent and critical perspectives rather than inane entertainment. NPR and PBS are a citizen service that must be protected!

The Move On page states: “With Republicans back in charge of the House of Representatives, funding for NPR and PBS is in grave danger. Again. The Republicans just released their budget proposal, and it zeroes out funding for both NPR and PBS–the worst proposal in more than a decade. We need to tell Republicans that cutting off funding was unacceptable last time they were in charge, and it’s unacceptable now. A compiled petition with your individual comment will be presented to your Senators and Representative.”

The major league championship turned into a battle of Blue State (Democrat) vs. Red State (Republican… The Gay Haven, Hippie, Immigrant, Latino, Liberal city of San Francisco vs. conservative leaning, home of George Bush x2 Texas… The San Francisco Giants dominated the Rangers and became champions in five games.

Today – Tuesday, November 2nd, national voting day for the Obama Administration’s midterm period has been predicted as a landslide win for the Republicans and Tea Party hate mongers… a day of reckoning when voter anger will rule upon the next two years of bipartisan politics leading to a purchased presidential election. BUT could the Giant’s win stir a liberal awakening? Could the unexpected Champs of the World Series, bring a fresh air to Tuesday’s elections – a fresh air that cools the anger and brings outraged voters to marking their ballot with reason rather than angry reaction? After all, if people are so angry about the economic situation and the level of unemployment, what party and what administration lead us into this situation?

The REPUBLICAN WHO HAD BOTH THE CONGRESS AND WHITE HOUSE FOR SIX YEARS AND THE WHITE HOUSE FOR EIGHT, PRIOR TO OBAMA’S PRESIDENCY THAT IS ONLY TWO YEARS OLD. I hope that the Giant’s spirit stirs in voters! I like the way that Mark Fiore puts it in his latest NewsToon – Watch Little Suzie describe her Halloween costume.

The Tea Party FYI, an information website about Tea Party sponsored candidates serves as a resource regarding how these candidates might vote as your representative. The site opens with a question “If you’re angry, scared and exhausted, would you hold a crying baby?” And then wonders why you would vote out of anger…

The site presents information in a concise manner and focuses on five legislative topics: What the representative might want to Abolish, Cut, Repeal, Amend or Oppose:

Click on a candidate and get concise information:

Most importantly vote today! And check out Tea Party FYI

In July I wrote an entry on corporate citizens contributing to U.S. elections, Corporations Aren’t Citizens concerning the Citizens United vs. Federal Election Committee case that the Supreme Court began deliberating on on Sept. 9th… Well, it’s a done deal. The conservatives on the Supreme Court bench have ruled to corrupt democracy (even further that it generally is) by allowing the free flood of corporate spending in political campaign. This wouldn’t be so troubling if the United States had a politically informed and active population. Unfortunately the vast majority of this country’s population is easily swayed by media influence and hollow ideologues. The majority of this population does not thoroughly inform themselves or try to uncover nuances or consider challenging concepts… So those with the most money, the so called corporate citizenry will decide the vote of the general citizenry through the purchase of television, radio, web and publication ads.

One of the dissenters on the Supreme Court bench, the ever-thoughtful Justice John Paul Stevens “read a long dissent from the bench. He said the majority had committed a grave error in treating corporate speech the same as that of human beings. His decision was joined by the other three members of the court’s liberal wing.” The change that Obama seeks to bring just seems to be undermined as his presidential tenure proceeds. Read the full article from the NY Times – Justices Overturn Key Campaign Limits.