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Biden Administration Sued For Actively Supporting Israel’s Genocide of Palestinians

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The UN’s top legal body —  the International Court of Justice (ICJ) —  that heard two days of powerful legal argument from South Africa against Israel on the crime of all crimes: genocide, is not the only legal body hearing a case of genocide. The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) is suing the Biden administration in federal court for its complicity in the war in Gaza by supporting Israel, a state that stands accused of an attempt to “destroy a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, in whole or in part,” as defined by the 1948 Convention on Genocide.

This report by Caira Piriano, first published in Medium, tells the full story that many are not aware of.

Biden Administration Lawsuit

If you follow news about Palestine (and if you watch something other than mainstream US news), you’ll know about South Africa’s ICJ case. However, you may not be aware that the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) has sued the Biden administration in US federal court for violating the genocide convention by failing to prevent genocide and instead actively supporting it.

Let’s take – a quick look at this case.

👉 Who are the plaintiffs?

The CCR is suing on behalf of a group of Palestinian individuals and organizations, including Palestinian Americans and people in Gaza. The organizations include Defense for Children International — Palestine and Al Haq, and the individuals include Ahmed Abu Artema, who started the 2019–2019 Great March of Return protest movement. All of the individuals have had family members killed in Israeli attacks.

👉 Who are the defendants?

The lawsuit accuses President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Austin, in their official capacities.

👉 What is the dispute about?

The plaintiffs say that the Biden administration has enabled Israel to commit genocide, in violation of international customary law and US law, causing direct harm to the plaintiffs and their families. Actually, in its most recent filing, the CCR says that one of their plaintiffs themselves may have been killed in Gaza since the case was filed. The Biden administration has moved for dismissal, saying that this issue is a political question and cannot be decided by the courts.

👉 What law does the CCR say the Biden admin is breaking?

The complaint is that the defendants have “violated their duty under customary international law, as part of federal common law, to take all measures within their power to prevent Israel from committing genocide.” Confused? Stick with me.

The US is a common law system, meaning that the law isn’t just the statutes in the US code; what’s more important is the precedent of past legal decisions and established legal principles. All this precedent and tradition together is called common law.

Customary international law is defined as “international obligations arising from established international practices”; prohibition of genocide and failure to prevent genocide, as one such established practice, was also codified in the UN Genocide Convention. Customary international law is part of common law and can be enforced in federal courts.

👉 What is CCR asking the court for?

The “relief” (action) requested by the plaintiffs is basically just that the defendants stop supporting genocide in Gaza through diplomatic, military, and financial assistance. They are also seeking injunctive relief, which is basically the equivalent of the ICJ’s “provisional measures — Biden et al. must stop their violation of international law immediately while the case is pending, because allowing the attacks to continue for years while the case is decided is too risky.

👉 How has Biden responded? 

The Biden administration’s lawyers have moved for the case to be dismissed because they say the court can’t act on political issues. Their response doesn’t address the genocide claims at all and uses only procedural arguments.

You can access all the case files in a very well-organized page on the CCR’s website. https://ccrjustice.org/home/what-we-do/our-cases/defense-children-international-palestine-v-biden

Annual MLK Holiday DC Peace Walk & Parade “Bending Toward Peace, Truth and Justice”

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DMV residents braved a snowy Monday morning to celebrate the birthday and legacy of Civil Rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. with the Annual MLK Holiday DC Peace Walk & Parade.

Today marks 45 years of the memorial parade, held after the assassination of Dr. King on April 4, 1968. Participants carried political signs demanding change, an end to violence and accountability in service to the American people, keeping in step with the legacy of the Civil Rights giant. The event also featured local performance groups of all ages.

Regina Pixley, community activist served as this year’s grand marshals and was joined by retired 7News DC Bureau Chief Sam Ford, Lourdes Robinson, DC Youth Mayor; Tyrone Parker, founder, Alliance of Concerned Men; Reverend Wanda Thompson, pastor of Ambassador Baptist Church. The Annual MLK Holiday parade is a strong tradition in the District.

Click the link to watch the parade: https://wjla.com/watch

The parade is part of a full week of activities honoring King, hosted by the 19th Annual MLK Observance Week. This year’s theme is “Bending Toward Peace, Truth and Justice.” The 19th Annual MLK Observance Week 2024 committee is led by Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes and community activist Stuart Anderson.

Additional details about the annual event, its history and the community organizers who help make it all happen can be found HERE.

March for Gaza: Thousands Rally in DC for Global Day of Action

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Thousands rallied at Freedom Plaza in Washington, D.C., Saturday as part of a global day of action calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war that started on Oct. 7 after Hamas militants launched an attack on Israel killing about 1,300 people.

Since the start of the war, Israel has launched an aggressive bombardment of Gaza and other parts of Palestine in response, sending shockwaves across the world. More than 23,350 people have been killed – mostly children and women – during its retaliatory attacks on Gaza, according to the Palestinian health ministry. 

Last week South Africa brought a case against Israel accusing it of committing the “crime of all crimes: genocide.”

Judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) are to decide whether Israel, in its war in Gaza, is guilty of an attempt to “destroy a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, in whole or in part,” as defined by the 1948 Convention on Genocide.

Freedom Plaza overflowed onto Pennsylvania Avenue with marchers chanting the popular “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” as they waved a sea of flags in support of the Palestinian people who remain under siege.

Some marchers prayed on mats in the crowd, and outside the FBI building. Some of the speakers shared stories of losing hundred of people in their families and waiting helplessly for word on relatives surviving the night. The Biden administration has not called for a ceasefire in spite the urging of the international community, including the United Nations.

Biden Faces Criticism for Bypassing Congress to Engage in Mideast Warfare

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The U.S. and Britain have started carrying out strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, according to multiple news reports.  And the decision to engage in warfare is not being taken lightly by some members of Congress, including Rep. Ro Khanna who tweeted, “The President needs to come to Congress before launching a strike against the Houthis in Yemen and involving us in another middle east conflict. That is Article I of the Constitution. I will stand up for that regardless of whether a Democrat or Republican is in the White House.” … “Section 2C of the War Powers Act is clear: POTUS may only introduce the US into hostilities after Congressional authorization or in a national emergency when the U.S. is under imminent attack,” the California Democrat went on. “Reporting is not a substitute. This is a retaliatory, offensive strike.”

Conservatives have used the president’s own statement – that didn’t age well – against him, when he attacked former President Donald Trump in 2020 to declare that he did not have the “authority” to launch a strike in Iran.  On January 6, 2020, Biden tweeted, “Let’s be clear: Donald Trump does not have the authority to take us into war with Iran without Congressional approval. A president should never take this nation to war without the informed consent of the American people.”

Emulating Khanna, Rep. Val Hoyle (D-Ore.) tweeted, “These airstrikes have NOT been authorized by Congress. The Constitution is clear: Congress has the sole authority to authorize military involvement in overseas conflicts. Every president must first come to Congress and ask for military authorization, regardless of party.”

Hoyle followed up on pushback and social media disagreement with this statement, “Presidents of both parties have abused the War Powers Act. It’s my job as a member of Congress to be a check within the balance of power even when it means speaking out against members of my own party.” 

Adding some clarity to the debate on whether the president violated the Constitution by bypassing Congress is former Congressman Justin Amash who provided this statement via X:

One of the most frequently misrepresented federal statutes—often falsely used to justify unconstitutional presidential war powers—is the War Powers Resolution (or Act) (50 U.S.C. §§ 1541-1550). If only more people would read it. Contrary to what you may have heard about the War Powers Resolution, it does not allow the president to take military action for any reason for 60-90 days without congressional approval so long as the president notifies Congress within 48 hours. Section 1541(c) of the War Powers Resolution states clearly: “The constitutional powers of the President as Commander-in-Chief to introduce United States Armed Forces into hostilities, or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances, are exercised only pursuant to (1) a declaration of war, (2) specific statutory authorization, or (3) a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces.” Of the three cited authorities, not one indicates a presidential power to take unilateral (without Congress’s approval) offensive military action.

The first two authorities allow the president to take offensive military action but only with Congress’s express approval (Article I of the Constitution grants Congress the exclusive power to declare war). The third authority allows the president to take defensive military action without Congress’s approval in the event of a specific type of national emergency, a sudden unforeseen attack on the United States (happening too quickly for Congress to meet) necessitating immediate action to protect Americans. It’s for this last situation (or for situations in which the president introduces forces into hostilities unlawfully) that the War Powers Resolution provides for the oft-mentioned 48-hour report to Congress (§ 1543) and 60-day (up to 90-day) timeline (§ 1544). If there’s an attack in progress on the United States (i.e., currently happening), we expect the president to respond swiftly to neutralize the attack and protect Americans—and then we will hold the president to account. The Framers of the Constitution agreed at the debates in the federal convention of 1787 that the president should have the “power to repel sudden attacks” but not the power to otherwise introduce forces into hostilities without congressional approval. The War Powers Resolution does not confer any new authority on the president to take offensive military action without congressional approval—nor could it under our Constitution. It instead checks the president when, as the Framers contemplated, the president introduces our Armed Forces into hostilities to repel a sudden attack.

Adding additional substance to the debate is Classical Liberal Caucus with the X handle, @LP_CLC with the following post:

“Jefferson and Madison both got Congressional approval before attacking pirates in 1805 and 1815. That is the precedent Biden ignores. (Madison sought a declaration of war. He didn’t get it.)”

Amash continued his criticism on X, stating “If President Biden had enough time to form a multinational coalition to plan and conduct strikes in Yemen, then he had enough time to seek and obtain an authorization from Congress as our Constitution requires. Without this authorization, any nondefensive military action is unconstitutional and unlawful.”

Regardless of the technicalities of engaging the United States in nonstop warfare, there will be a price to pay. And if history is worth its weight, it is The People who will carry the heavy burden of our elected leaders’ war games.

Why Another Luxury Brand Doesn’t Deserve BIPOC Money

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The founder of the high-end athletic wear brand makes no secret about how he feels about DEI.

Maya Angelou told ya’ll: When someone shows you who they are, believe them. When it comes to Lululemon, you don’t even have to read between the lines. The high-end athletic apparel brand, which rose to popularity in the early 2000s with yoga-loving yuppies, has had more bad press than good. Even its naming has a shady racist backstory: In a 2004 interview with National Post Business Magazine, Lululemon founder and former CEO Chip Wilson said inspiration for the company’s name came from an observation that people of Japanese descent have difficulty pronouncing words with the English letter “L” in them. Seriously.

“L is not in their vocabulary. It’s a tough pronunciation for them. So I thought, next time I have a company, I’ll make a name with three Ls and see if I can get three times the money,” he said. “It’s kind of exotic for them. I was playing with Ls and I came up with Lululemon. It’s funny to watch them try to say it.” Wilson stepped down from his position as CEO in 2013 after he came under fire for controversial comments he made about women’s bodies in response to criticism of the quality of the fabric used to make Lululemon yoga pants. “Frankly, some women’s bodies just don’t actually work for [the pants],” he said at the time. “It’s really about the rubbing through the thighs, how much pressure is there over a period of time, how much they use it.”

Wilson’s comments didn’t stop customers from shelling out their hard-earned dough for their $100 leggings. Still, Lululemon has tried to distance itself from Wilson and his words and present itself as a brand for every body. In 2020, the company tried to right some of its past wrongs by rolling out a new Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Action (IDEA) initiative to increase staff diversity, improve communication between underrepresented staff and company leadership; and advocate for change. A quick look at the retail website shows models of color featured prominently on the page.

But according to recent reporting from Business of Fashion, current and former Lululemon employees say the IDEA initiative isn’t what it seems and allege Lululemon has “a company culture that is unwelcoming of Black people.”

“[Lululemon] makes you feel like it’s going to be supportive and you’re not going to be a part of the history of micro aggressive behavior, and it just isn’t the case,” said Kenosha Armstrong, a store operations lead. In a recent interview with Forbes, Chip Wilson said he’s not really down with all of that diversity and inclusion stuff the company is on these days. “[Lululemon is] trying to become like the Gap, everything to everybody,” he said. “And I think the definition of a brand is that you’re not everything to everybody. You’ve got to be clear that you don’t want certain customers coming in.”

Lululemon is doing damage control, having released a statement denouncing Wilson’s words. “Chip Wilson does not speak for Lululemon, and his comments do not reflect our company views or beliefs,” the brand said in a statement. “Chip has not been involved with the company since his resignation from the board in 2015, and we are a very different company today.”

But as @DAGHE so eloquently inquired on X, why would we give our hard-earned cash to a brand that has historically not embraced us?

Editors Note: Article first reported in The Root by Angela Johnson. 

Harvard’s History Guided Resignation of First Black President

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The first Black president and the 30th president of Harvard, Dr. Claudine Gay began her office in July 2023. She will remain at Harvard as a tenured faculty member, and will be succeeded by interim president Alan Garber, the university’s provost and chief academic officer.

Here is the full resignation letter,  Harvard’s Office of the President.

Editors note: Contributing comment from Shannon Frison, Judge at Massachusetts Superior Court | U.S. Marine | Speaker | DEI Expert

“Harvard is my alma mater. In all my time and studies there, I never learned this part of the school’s history. When we say that the history of race in this country is not adequately taught, this is what we mean. When we say that history of atrocities is not that old, this is what we mean.

As reported by the Harvard Crimson itself:

J. Max Bond Jr. ’55 entered Harvard at the age of 16, (1 of 15 Black students in his class). As his freshman spring semester began, two other Harvard freshmen erected a wooden cross facing that corner of the Yard, formed by Stoughton and Holworthy Halls. And around midnight on Feb. 5, 1952, the students lit the cross on fire. The photo below shows Harvard KKK members proudly showing off their regalia on graduation day 1924.”

Here is another perspective from The Root, titled, Black People To Claudine Gay: ‘Why Didn’t You Consult Your Black Chat Group Before Making That Testimony’ Black people everywhere are wondering if Claudine Gay had Black friends to warn her from making that unforgivable testimony.

Claudine Gay received the call that ended her six-month tenure as Harvard University’s first Black president two days after Christmas while on vacation in Rome, per the New York Times. Gay’s congressional testimony about antisemitism on college campuses, along with plagiarism allegations, sparked mounting controversy. Harvard has denied that Gay committed any “research misconduct.”

U.S. Border Crisis: A Political Strategy or Failure of Leadership?

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Depending on which talking head you listen to, the illegal immigration issue in America is either a good political and humane strategy, or a complete disaster and failure of leadership. Nonetheless, the crisis at America’s southern borders and across the country is in plain sight.

Editor’s note: Here is a look at VOA immigration-related news around the U.S. 

Justice Department Sues Texas, Says Immigration Law Unconstitutional

The Justice Department on Wednesday sued Texas over a new law that would allow police to arrest migrants who enter the U.S. illegally, taking Republican Governor Greg Abbott to court again over his escalating response to border crossers arriving from Mexico. The Associated Press reports.

Chinese Migration Up at Border as US Marks Anniversary of Repeal of Exclusion Act

As the U.S marks the 80th anniversary of the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act, thousands of Chinese immigrants are crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, mostly for the same reasons as their countrymen did more than a century ago. VOA’s immigration reporter Aline Barros has more.

Huge Number of Migrants Highlights Border Crisis

U.S. officials processed an estimated 300,000 people at the U.S. border with Mexico in December, which would be the highest number ever recorded, according to multiple news organizations. VOA’s Rob Garver reports.

US, Mexico Discuss Options to Slow Surge of Migrants at Border

U.S. and Mexican officials met December 27 in Mexico City to discuss how to slow the surge of migrants at their shared border, where there have been as many as 10,000 illegal crossings into the United States daily in December. The two sides, led by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, met for about two hours. VOANews reports.

US Reopens Border Crossings as Illegal Immigration Drops

The U.S. is resuming operations at an international bridge in Eagle Pass, Texas, two crossings in Arizona and another near San Diego, California. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a news release that it will continue to prioritize border security “as necessary.” Reuters reports.

Democratic Mayors Renew Pleas for Federal Help Over Migrant Crisis

The mayors of Chicago, New York City and Denver last week renewed pleas for more federal help and coordination with Texas over the growing number of asylum-seekers arriving in their cities by bus and plane. The Associated Press reports.

Remittances from Nicaraguan Migrants Mark New Record, Passing $4 Billion

Nicaraguan migrants sent relatives back home record remittances this year through November, data from the country’s central bank showed, fueled by massive waves of migration leaving the Central American nation in recent years. In a statement, the bank noted a record of about $4.24 billion in remittances for the 11-month period, 47% more than the amount sent home during the same period last year. Reuters reports.

California Expands Health Care for Low-Income Immigrants in 2024

More than 700,000 immigrants living illegally in California gained access to free health care on January 1 under one of the state’s most ambitious coverage expansions in a decade. It’s an effort that will eventually cost the state about $3.1 billion per year and inches California closer to Democrats’ goal of providing universal health care to its roughly 39 million residents. The Associated Press reports.

House Speaker Wants US ‘Border Closed’ Before Passing Ukraine, Israel Aid

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson led about 60 fellow Republicans in Congress on a visit Wednesday to the Mexican border to demand hard-line immigration policies in exchange for backing President Joe Biden’s emergency wartime funding request for Ukraine. The Associated Press reports.

Immigrants Add Twist to Traditional US Christmas Dinner

The United States broke free from Britain more than two centuries ago — except, maybe, when it comes to the traditional Christmas dinner.

 

2023 U.S. Migration Across The Nation

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Florida cities, for the seventh year in a row, are experiencing more growth than any other state in the U.S., according to a new report from U-Haul.

The top destination for movers in 2023 is the Palm Bay-Melbourne market according to U-Haul’s report published Wednesday that measures one-way movers in U-Haul equipment from last year. Last year, it was ranked fourth.

Over 54% of all one-way U-Haul traffic was arriving in Palm Bay-Melbourne, compared to just over 45% departing, the report said. U-Haul said it measured city growth by calculating net gain (or loss) of one-way equipment from customer transactions in 2023. Last year, over 2.5 million one-way transactions with U-Haul equipment were recorded.

The moving company said these migration trends – which lump neighboring cities together for data purposes – do not directly correlate to population or economic growth. Rather, it’s an effective way of seeing how states and cities are attracting and maintaining residents, according to the report.

“Growth in the Palm Bay-Melbourne area has been increasing at an explosive rate,” said Cal Conner, president of U-Haul of Eastern Florida. “The Space Coast has many companies investing in this region and creating jobs such as Embraer, SpaceX, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and L3Harris Technologies. We have a low cost of living compared to many of the northern cities people have left. Add to that our fantastic year-round climate, and you can see why Palm Bay-Melbourne is such a desirable area to live.”

Ocala was ranked the No. 1 growth city in 2022, but slid into the No. 2 spot in 2023. There are seven Florida markets ranked in the top 25, including Sarasota-Bradenton, Kissimmee-St. Cloud and North Port, to name a few.

Here’s a look at the top 25 growth markets in 2023, according to U-Haul:

  1. Palm Bay, Melbourne, FL
  2. Ocala, FL
  3. Charleston-North Charleston, SC
  4. Sarasota-Bradenton, FL
  5. Austin, TX
  6. College Station-Bryan, TX
  7. Charlotte, NC
  8. Huntsville, AL
  9. Dallas, TX
  10. Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach, SC
  11. Kissimmee-St. Cloud, FL
  12. Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL
  13. North Port, FL
  14. Boise, ID
  15. Wake Forest, NC
  16. Conroe, TX
  17. Knoxville, TN
  18. Surprise, AZ
  19. Auburn-Opelika, AL
  20. Lakeland, FL
  21. Murfreesboro, TN
  22. Wilmington, NC
  23. Queen Creek, AZ
  24. Henderson, NV
  25. Nampa, ID

U-Haul calculates growth cities by each city’s net gain (or loss) of one-way equipment from customer transactions in a calendar year. The U-Haul Growth Index is compiled from more than 2.5 million one-way U-Haul truck, trailer and U-Box® moving container transactions that occur annually across the U.S. and Canada. Neighboring cities in U-Haul markets are often packaged together for migration trends purposes.

Opal Lee, Grandmother of Juneteenth, Gets Her House Back

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It took 80 years, but this holiday season was extra special for Opal Lee, the ‘Grandmother of Juneteenth.

It looks like Opal Lee is finally getting the justice her family deserves…too bad it only took 80 years to happen. The 97-year-old woman, also known to many as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” was gifted land owned by her family before a racist mob destroyed their home and forced them to leave.

On June 19, 1939, just four days after Lee’s family moved into their Fort Worth, Texas home, a racist crowd of 500 people showed up at their door, destroyed their home and burned their personal possessions. In fear for their lives, the then-12-year-old Lee and her family fled the home they thought would give them a fresh start.

“It was going to be the nicest place we had in Fort Worth. We were so proud of it,” Lee told Dallas ABC affiliate WFAA. “We were frightened to death when our parents sent us away from the house. To come back later to see it in shambles, that was traumatic.”

So when she discovered Habitat for Humanity owned the vacant lot where her family home once stood, Lee reached out to see if she could buy it. But rather than make her pay for what was rightfully hers, the organization decided to give Lee the land and build her a new home with the help of community donations and volunteer labor. “I could have done a holy dance, I tell you,” Lee said. “That was really…oh boy!”

“It should be hers, and there should be something good to come out of something terrible all those years ago,” said Gage Yager, CEO of Trinity Habitat for Humanity.

Lee made news in 2016 when, at 89 years old, she walked over 1,400 miles from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington, D.C., in an effort to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. President Joe Biden finally signed a resolution making the day commemorating the end of slavery in the United States a holiday in 2021. Lee’s efforts earned her a nomination for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Although nothing will take away the pain of that devastating incident, Yager says hopes the new home gives Lee something to celebrate.

“It’s both an amazing and terrible story, and hopefully, as she says, it comes full circle,” Yager said. “We’ll build a home, laugh, cry and move her in. And we’ll celebrate the moment when that happens.”

By Angela Johnson for The Root

A Pitch-Perfect End to 2023

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Here’s a pitch-perfect way to end the year.

This holiday season, ePa is sharing with you—our clients, friends, and collaborators—some of the songs that inspire us to keep working towards a more equitable, peaceful and cultured world.

Music is an essential part of our American culture. We turn to music to make change, question our government leaders, and inspire a diverse nation, even the world to action. From Marvin Gaye’s What’s Goin On, to Aretha Franklin’s Respect and Ever Changing Times.

What songs have struck a chord with you in 2023?

These are the songs that have struck a pitch-perfect cord with ePluribusAmerica in capturing 2023:

What’s Going On, Marvin Gaye, is a concept album. The narrative established by the song is told from the point of view of a Vietnam veteran returning to his home country to witness hatred, suffering, and injustice. And it almost didn’t get released because the “powers” behind the music industry, Berry Gordy, hated the song and refused to release it until Gaye put his foot down and demanded it be released. Decades later, the world is still asking the same question delivered in this powerful song. 

 

 

Strange Days, The Doors, the lyrics birth the truth of the matter, “Strange days have found us, Strange days have tracked us down, They’re going to destroy, Our casual joys, We shall go on playing or find a new town, Yeah!,” making this song a perfect description of the world today.

 

Near DT, MI, Black Midi, a short and simple reflection of our times that raises the issue of Detroit Michigan’s water crisis that went unchecked and unchanged for years under government watch and control. Our government turns a blind eye to our poisoned waters, social and economic needs, while they feed their war machines with trillions of our tax dollars. Michael Jackson’s cry, “they don’t really care about us” still echoes across America.

 

   

Lift Me Up, Rihanna, takes you to an internal place where only you and the ancestors reside. A reminder that they are watching over us and the work we do to carry on.

 

 

Rise Up, Andra Day, captures perfectly, not just how tough this year has been, but that our work to improve the world is ongoing and there is no rest for the weary. We must all rise up and together face the inhumanity taking root. 

 

 

Someday We’ll All Be Free, Donny Hathaway, reminds me of my father’s favorite quote by Benard Ighner, “There are few things in life you can be sure of, except Rain falls from the clouds, Sun lights up the day, And hummingbirds do fly.”

 

Get Up, Stand Up, Bob Marley, is a spiritual song that transcends time and generations. It continues to move and inspire people all over the world to get up and stand up for their inalienable human rights. Today, this musical message is more important than ever as people all over the world face over-militarized and corrupt governments, especially here in America where our elected officials continue to support the genocide in Palestine, in spite of the People’s objections, and even bypassing Congress to continue to provide weapons to Israel in its barbaric bombardment of Gaza and crimes against humanity.

 

Unknown Soldier, The Doors, the song recalls the death of a faceless soldier in combat, while life goes on at home, “news is read” and “children fed”. The Unknown Soldier brings back memories of those lost to war. It also reminds of our lust for and comfort with wars, in spite of its toll on mankind and our humanity. In America’s 247 years as a nation, only 15 of those have been without a war. We are a culture that prays to Ares, the god of war. This song also reminds that a human being sits inside each uniform holding a weapon aimed at others.

 

Wicked World, Black Sabbath, listening to this song and over-standing the lyrics, “The world today is such a wicked place, Fighting going on between the human race, People go to work just to earn their bread, While people just across the sea are counting the dead,” We, The People must face this new wrinkle in time with a united front and turn to those who are leading us, and ask: What has changed and where are you leading us?

 

 

A Change Gonna Come, Sam Cooke, is a personal reflection of the times. Cooke and many Black musicians and artists were experiencing blatant racism and discrimination, and were regularly turned away from whites-only establishments and hotels. Cooke felt compelled to write a song that spoke to his struggle and of those around him, and that pertained to the Civil Rights Movement and African Americans. Today, Americans from every walk of life are still hoping change will come, as our elected play their war games abroad and audaciously disregarding the needs and wants of We, The People here at home. A flagrant desecration of the Constitution. And so, a change MUST come in 2024.