1 - Move Confrontation in Philadelphia

CLICK ON TITLE FOR PART I OF MOVE DOCUMENTARY. ALL OTHER PARTS ARE UNDER RELATED VIDEOS.

Ona MOVE! As you already know, May 13, 2010 marks 25 years since the bombing and murder of our MOVE family. We're asking those of you that can't be in Philadelphia to write a letter of support (organizational or individual) that we can read at our activities, especially our overseas supporters. Thanks for all our support----Ramona

 MOVE 1978 VIDEO

1 of 8 clips of documentary video about the Move Organization entitled "MOVE: Confrontaion in Philadelphia." Brief history and onsite footage outside the MOVE headquaters in Powelton Village.

Health Care = 'I Don't Care' by Mumia Abu-Jamal

Health Care = 'I Don't Care' [col. writ. 8/29/09] (c) '09 Mumia Abu-Jamal
As the White House and Congress square off on health care, take care, because the deals with the big dogs have been made -- and the people will be -- once again -- left holding an empty bag.
That's because in the opening hours of this drama, the central issue -- single payer -- was given away, in an attempt to attract the support of big insurance companies. A pre-pay-off, if you will, to show them that neither their profits nor future growth would be impaired.
Truly, this is change that they can believe in, for it means more clients, more funds flooding their tills, and legislative protection for their dwindling pay outs (for sick people.)
Single-payer means that all doctors and hospitals would have been paid for their services by a single government agency -- spelling the end to the immense profits garnered each year by hundreds of insurance companies -- now costing at least $350 billion annually.
Now, that amount of money would've paid for much of the nation's health care needs, instead of private business profits, and executive bonuses.
With the deal made, that money is gone -- and so are the hopes of millions for a fix of the nation's broken health care system.
Do you really think the insurance companies donated millions to Obama and select members of Congress because they liked their looks?
They'll give dough to Democrats, Republicans -- hell, even communists if they think it'll buy them more profits.
And it looks like they have.
There's an old American saying, 'You get what you pay for.'
Well, they've paid the politicians -- and they're about to get the payoff!
There's considerable coverage on the recent passing of Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, a long time advocate of universal healthcare. While his brain cancer undoubtedly shortened his days, it's also likely that this adept politician, seeing the horse trades being made to sell out the people on health care, caused him to die from a broken heart.
Oh -- and about those town halls? It's much ado about nothing, or as Shakespeare once wrote, it's 'sound and fury, signifying nothing.'
Most of them are people who didn't even vote for Obama, and who call him a 'socialist' for using 'the guvamint to interfere with Medicare.' Nutty as a Snickers bar. Many still believe he was born in Kenya, East Africa!
And yes, a bill will pass, and Obama will sign it, but it'll mean less, not more health care. It'll mean higher co-pays (really prepays, or deductibles), less services, and more profits for their campaign contributors. There will be celebrations and TV PR people will praise it like American Idol -- but it'll be a sell-out -- pure and simple.
Unless -- unless -people really raise hell -- and demand single payer -- and universal health care -- before the door slams shut.
--(c) '09 maj

"With all due respect... I was not chosen as president to restore capitalism to Cuba or to renounce the revolution"

(click title for source)

Raul Castro offers US direct talks
Cuban President Raul Castro says he is willing to enter into dialogue with the US but the island's communist system remains non-negotiable.

Mr Castro said he wanted to respond to recent overtures by Washington.

But in a speech that was given a standing ovation in parliament, he also emphasised that he had not been elected to return Cuba to capitalism.

US President Barack Obama has said he wants to "recast" relations with Cuba but the US has also called for reforms.

In his speech, Mr Castro acknowledged that there had been less aggression and anti-Cuban rhetoric under the Obama administration.

I was elected to defend, maintain and continue perfecting socialism - not to destroy it

Cuban President Raul Castro
He repeated Cuba's willingness "to sustain a respectful dialogue with the United States, between equals".

But he also noted that a decades-old US embargo remained in place and said he wished to respond to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's comments linking dialogue with reform.

"With all due respect, in response to Mrs Clinton, but also to the European Union... I was not chosen as president to restore capitalism to Cuba or to renounce the revolution," Mr Castro said.

"I was elected to defend, maintain and continue perfecting socialism. Not to destroy it."

Mr Castro, 78, stepped up to the Cuban leadership three years ago when his older brother, Fidel, underwent gastric surgery.

He formally assumed the presidency last year.

In his speech, he scoffed at those who say Cuba's political system will crumble after the "the death of Fidel and all of us".

"If that's how they think, they are doomed to failure," he said.

On the economic front, the Cuban president announced that the government had cut its budget for a second time this year amid a growing financial crisis.

The government has recently pushed through a series of austerity measures and cut its projected economic growth estimate for this year to 1.7%

The Obama Administration and Political Prisoners?

The Obama Administration and Political Prisoners?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6iBWvgPY2c

The Illegal Hunt Continues Under the Obama Administration
http://www.app.com/article/20090419/NEWS03/904190339/1007/NEWS03

"They could release political prisoners," Obama said.
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/04/19/ap6308290.html

Congresswoman Waters issues statement on U.S. Freedom Fighter Assata Shakur

Pictures of Fidel Castro with Malcolm X and later with Nelson Mandela

Congresswoman Waters issues statement on U.S. Freedom Fighter Assata Shakur
29 September 1998
September 29, 1998

President Fidel CastroCentral CommitteePlaza de la Revolucion Habana, Cuba

Dear President Castro,

I am writing to clarify my position on a resolution recently passed by the United States House of Representatives on September 14, 1998.

I, and some of the Members of the Congressional Black Caucus, mistakenly voted for House Concurrent Resolution 254 which called on the Government of Cuba to extradite to the United States Joanne Chesimard and all other individuals who have fled the United States from political persecution and received political asylum in Cuba. Joanne Chesimard was the birth name of a political activist known to most Members of the Congressional Black Caucus as Assata Shakur.
For the record, I am opposed to the resolution.

By way of explanation, the Republican leadership quietly slipped this bill onto the accelerated suspension calendar last week as one of thirteen (13) bills that had been announced that same day. The suspension calendar is supposed to be reserved for non-controversial legislation like naming federal buildings and post offices. But, the Republican leadership chose to push this provision in an apparent effort to look tough on Cuba for the November elections.

As evidence of their deceptive intent, the resolution did not mention Assata Shakur, but chose to only call her Joanne Chesimard.

Unfortunately, none of our offices were alerted to the fact that this legislation was coming up for a vote by any of the numerous advocacy groups that monitor related issues.

Once I discovered the nature of this deception, I prepared a statement of opposition, which I delivered on the floor the next day. I unequivocally stated that a mistake was made and I would have voted against the legislation.

Allow me to explain why I am opposed to this measure.

I support the right of all nations to grant political asylum to individuals fleeing political persecution. The United States grants political asylum to individuals from all over the world who successfully prove they are fleeing political persecution. Other sovereign nations have the same right, including the sovereign nation of Cuba.

Although there are Members of Congress that may disagree with particular decisions made by other sovereign governments regarding political asylum, it is the inviolate right of legitimate governments to grant asylum pursuant to the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I will fight to maintain the ability of political refugees to find asylum in United States and respect the right of other governments to be able to grant political asylum. Just as we maintain the right to grant political asylum for individuals from Cuba, we must respect the right of the government of Cuba to grant political asylum for individuals from the U.S. fleeing political persecution.

I believe that the current thirty-seven year embargo on Cuba is a relic of a Cold War past, now over, and is primarily hurting the poor and working people of Cuba. I was encouraged by the words of the Pope in his visit to Cuba this year, and look forward to a new era of US-Cuban relations. Part of these efforts include work to allow humanitarian and medical aid for Cuba.
The second reason I oppose this measure is because I respect the right of Assata Shakur to seek political asylum. Assata Shakur has maintained that she was persecuted as a result of her political beliefs and political affiliations. As a result, she left the United States and sought political asylum in Cuba, where she still resides.

In a sad and shameful chapter of our history, during the 1960s and 1970s, many civil rights, Black Power and other politically active groups were secretly targeted by the FBI for prosecution based on their political beliefs. The groups and individuals targeted included Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Cesar Chavez, officials of the American Friends Service Committee, National Council of Churches and other civil rights, religious and peace movement leaders.
However, the most vicious and reprehensible acts were taken against the leaders and organizations associated with the Black Power or Black Liberation Movement. Assata Shakur, was a member of the Black Panther Party, one of the leading groups associated with the Black Liberation Movement. The Black Panther Party was the primary target of U.S. domestic government political harrassment and persecution during this era.

This illegal, clandestine political persecution was wrong in 1973, and remains wrong today.
I hope that my position is clear. I hope to see a new era of U.S.-Cuban relations in the future.

Sincerely,
Maxine Waters, ChairCongressional Black Caucus

(Editor's note: Following is an attachment to the letter. It is part of the official record of U.S. House activities.)
PERSONAL EXPLANATION (House of Representatives - September 15,1998) Page: H7785
Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I inadvertently voted 'yea' on rollcall vote No. 428. If I had been aware of this, I would have changed my vote to 'nay' instead of 'yea.'
(c) 1998 HYPE Information Service, on the Web at http://afrikan.net/hype/

Concerning the Daily News Article by Jason Nark

I received a phone call from Jason Nark of the Daily News some weeks ago. He wanted to interview someone for the Daily News for the "other" perspective on Assata Shakur for an article he was writing. He said he wanted to be objective and express all sides. I rattled off a number of Philadelphia based activists who I thought would be good. He expressed possible interest in interviewing me. I told him that I'm not interested in being objective, I'm interested in the truth. I told him that I probably was not the best person because I didn't expect mainstream media to print my views. I used Obama as an example. I told him that if former President Bush is a war criminal, which he is, then President Obama is a war criminal. Bush bombed innocent people, and Obama is doing the same in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He said he wanted to interview me and proceeded to basically ask me what I thought about Assata Shakur.

I told him that she was innocent and not only deserved the bounty to be lifted but should be compensated. He put that in the article, but unfortunately the journalist, Jason Nark, put nothing else of what we discussed in his article. In his attempt to be objective he yielded to the views of those such as New Jersey State Police Lt. Kevin Tormey and the "Black Bounty Hunter" Mayor Douglas Palmer of Trenton. So, what did Jason leave out of our very brief discussion about Asssat?

I informed Jason that Assata was not a criminal. COINTELPRO and J. Edgar Hoover of the FBI were criminals. The New Jersey justice system and that of the US government were criminal. I fully expected Jason to research COINTELPRO and get back to me for an actual interview. Unfortunately, he had already written his article, which obviously met the standards of Daily News' objectivity. However, he veered from the truth. Black activists and other activists were persecuted for their political views and revolutionary views by the US government with Hoover as one of the leads of this persecution. Assassination, incrimination, organizational disruption, and character assassination were some of the methods used. This is historical fact, yet no one has been held accountable. Many of these activists sit in prisons today. Others such as Assata Shakur left the country which persecuted them, the USA. The Palmers and Tormeys of the world refuse to even believe that COINTELPRO existed and that the Assatas of the world are victims of this persecution. In fact, the Malcolms, Martins, and Mumias are all victims of COINTELPRO or COINTELPRO-type operations. It would have been a small gain had Jason done a little research in the historical incrimination committed by Hoover, the FBI, and COINTELPRO. Unfortunately, he did what so many in mainstream has done, he met the standards of his newspaper while not standing up for justice.

Before we finished our little discussion, he seemed somewhat hopeful about Obama being in office. I said, if the President is against reparations for Afrikan people but stands up against Palestine on behalf of Israel, I seriously doubt if he would support Assata Shakur or other political prisoners. If he refuses to investigate and prosecute the Bush administration, I doubt if he'd do anything to hold accountable the architects of COINTELPRO.

Well, the discussion I had with Jason Nark was reduced to a few sentences he quoted:
"Assata is an innocent woman. Not only should the bounty be lifted, but she should receive some type of compensation," said Mukasa Afrika, founder of Laying the Foundation, a Philadelphia-based organization devoted to African-culture education.
"It's a hunt. That's all it is, and the fact that she continues to inspire people angers police." And that is the nature of mainstream media for you. You can click on the title above for Jason's article. However, I'd recommend you do what I thought Jason would have done - find out the historical truth and stand up for justice.

Mumia Abu Jamal Press Conference

Click on title above for important YouTube interview from the Mumia Abu Jamal Press Conference.
Also see: http://highbridnation.highbrid.com/?p=2212

Assata Shakur on Spirituality, Religion, and Revolution

Click title for interview.

Assata Shakur's 60th Birthday Launch!

LAYING THE FOUNDATION
and Action Committees

Join LAYING THE FOUNDATION as we go to New York to celebrate, participate, and organize with sisters and brothers on behalf of Assata Shakur and her 60th birthday. The cost of travel from Philadelphia to New York and back is only $25 to help make history and promote the pardon of the persecution of Sister Assata. We will take a van or a bus to New York depending on the number of sisters and brothers who correspond with us to express their immediate interest in the event. You must respond by Friday the 27th at the very latest and you will be given a time and location to make payment for travel by Friday. We need at least 10 people for a van and at least 20 people to charter a bus, $25 per seat either way. We will depart Philadelphia from in front of Ben Franklin High School, 550 N. Broad St., at 3:00pm on Thursday, November 2nd, 2006. We will arrive in New York ahead of schedule to guarantee our entrance into the event, which is free.
Details of the event are below.
To reserve your seat, contact Mukasa Afrika
Phone: 215-662-0286 or
email: spirits360@yahoo.com

LAYING THE FOUNDATION websites:
http://assata-shakur.blogspot.com/ http://kingtutankhamen.blogspot.com/
http://afrikan-resistance.blogspot.com/ http://mukasa.info/
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Assata Shakur's 60th Birthday Launch!
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Join the Hands Off Assata Campaign, co-hosts Susan Taylor and Mos Def, the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, and many other supporters in an international mobilization to call on the state of New Jersey and the US Department of Justice to rescind the illegitimate $1 million bounty to capture Assata Shakur, remove her name from the domestic terrorist list, and ultimately issue Ms. Shakur a rightful, long overdue pardon.

Join us:
Thursday, November 2nd, 2006 6pm
SEIU 1199 Hall
310 West 43rd Street
(between 8th and 9th Aves.)
New York, NY

Free...donations accepted
Featuring:
·Co-Hosts Susan Taylor and Mos Def
·Gloria Rolando's "Eyes of the Rainbow" about
Assata's life in Cuba
·Assata Skakur's Birthday Card Sign the card,
receive a hand made Hands Off Assata bracelet, and
contribute to a larger liberation movement for Assata
Shakur...for Cuba...for us all.
For more information:
http;//www.happybirthdayassata.org
http://www.happybirthdayassata.org
hoacampaign@yahoo.com
mailto:hoacampaign@yahoo.com
(866) 244-4708

Assata: An Autobiography

http://assata-shakur.blogspot.com/
"The idea of the Black Liberation Army emerged from conditions in Black communities: conditions of poverty, indecent housing, massive unemployment, poor medical care, and inferior education. The idea came about because Black people are not free or equal in this country. Because ninety percent of the men and women in this country's prisons are Black and Third World. Because ten-year-old children are shot down in our streets. Because dope has saturated our communities, preying on the disillusionment and frustrations of our children. The concept of the BLA arose because of the political, social, and economic oppression of Black people in this country. And where there is oppression, there will be resistance. The BLA is part of that resistance movement. The Black Liberation Army stands for freedom and justice for all people. "
http://www.afrocubaweb.com/assata.htm