Helen's Forbidden Opinions
[col. writ. 6/9/10] (c) '10 Mumia Abu-Jamal
Helen Thomas, the journalist, author and columnist, mere months from her 90th birthday, was forced [or should we say 'helped'?] to retire from an illustrious career, for daring to voice her personal opinion.
Her opinion? That Israel was an occupier in foreign lands -- and should leave Palestine. When asked where the Israelis should go, she offhandedly suggested Poland, Germany or the U.S.
For this, she was shredded by the corporate media as a racist or an anti-Semite, and within a few hours, hounded out of her long and distinguished career.
One wag, a former high-ranking Bush administration propagandist likened Thomas's comment to the well known call for all Blacks to be returned to Africa.
Here's the problem with that analogy.
Africans didn't invade America. Nor did they come to exploit, oppress or enslave the settlers (or natives) here--but the reverse.
Moreover, lest we forget, several U.S. presidents did call for mass deportations of Blacks from the U.S. (here I speak of Jefferson and Lincoln), and leading Americans funded and supported the American Colonization Society, which, by the way, led directly to the founding of Liberia, in West Africa.
Palestinians didn't exploit, enslave or slaughter Jewish people, Germany did.
And when Jews were able to escape Germany, the U.S., and quite a few other countries withdrew their hands precisely when they needed help the most.
Indeed, Britain gave away lands not their own, an act that should've enlisted the world's opposition, rather than the acquiescence accorded empires.
Helen Thomas, the dean of the White House press corps, could expect no support from her so-called "colleagues."
She dared have an opinion that reflected the long and bitter oppression of the occupied, rather than the occupier. She dared express it.
To the scribes and Pharisees of this new empire, this is unacceptable.
--(c) '10 maj
================
The Power of Truth is Final -- Free Mumia!
URGENT Need for Petition Signatures at: http://www.iacenter.org/mumiapetition/
Audio of most of Mumia's essays are at: http://www.prisonradio.org
Mumia's got a podcast! Mumia Abu-Jamal's Radio Essays - Subscribe at the website or on iTunes and get Mumia's radio commentaries online.
Mumia Abu-Jamal's new book -- JAILHOUSE LAWYERS: PRISONERS DEFENDING PRISONERS V. THE USA, featuring an introduction by Angela Y. Davis -- has been released! It is available from City Lights Books: http://www.citylights.com/book/?GCOI=87286100448090
If you are planning to organize an event or would like to order in bulk, you can also receive a 45% discount on any bulk orders of 20 copies or more. The book retails for $16.95, for orders of 20 copies or more the discounted price would be $9.32 per book, plus shipping and handling. Prepayment would be required and books are nonreturnable. If you or your organization would like to place a bulk order, please contact Stacey Lewis at 415.362.1901 or stacey@citylights.com
Let's use the opportunity of the publication of this brilliant, moving, vintage Mumia book to build the momentum for his case, to raise the money we desperately need in these challenging economic times, to get the word out – to produce literature, flyers, posters, videos, DVD's; to send organizers out to help build new chapters and strengthen old ones, TO GET THE PEOPLE OUT IN THE STREETS … all the work that we must do in order to FREE MUMIA as he faces LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT PAROLE OR EXECUTION!
Please make a contribution to help free Mumia. Donations to the grassroots work will go to both INTERNATIONAL CONCERNED FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF MUMIA ABU-JAMAL and the FREE MUMIA ABU-JAMAL COALITION (NYC).
Please mail donations/ checks to:
FREE MUMIA ABU JAMAL COALITION
PO BOX 16, NEW YORK,
NY 10030
(CHECKS FOR BOTH ORGANIZATIONS PAYABLE TO: FMAJC/IFCO)
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
215 476-8812
212-330-8029
Send our brotha some LOVE and LIGHT at:
Mumia Abu-Jamal
AM 8335
SCI-Greene
175 Progress Drive
Waynesburg, PA 15370
WE WHO BELIEVE IN FREEDOM CAN *NOT* REST!!
Subscribe: mumiacolumns-subscribe@topica.com
Subscribe ICFFMAJ email updates list by e-mailing
No comments:
Post a Comment