Opinion
“Immigration cases are often life or death matters.”
That’s the message Houleye Thiam, President of the Columbus-based Mauritanian Network for Human Rights in US (MNHRUS), has been sending throughout their organization’s campaign to ensure immigrants have access to counsel in immigration court. Immigrants have no right to a court appointed counsel and must pay for an attorney, a challenge for any working-class community members let alone those who are not citizens.
I would like to announce the publication of a book which discusses the things that I have experienced during my 67 years of work in the peace movement. The book may be freely downloaded and circulated from the following links:
https://eacpe.org/67-years-in-the-peace-movement/
Holger Terp's invitation
Human Rights Watch recently labeled Israel an “apartheid regime,” their recent bombing campaign on Palestine sparking protests across the world – including one this coming Friday in Goodale Park at 6:30 pm. Yet Ohio taxpayers are funding Israel’s military occupation of Palestine through both federal and state taxes. While the US federal government pays almost $4 billion a year for Israel’s military, Ohio’s Treasury also invests hundreds of millions in Israel, holding a total of $220 million in Israel Bonds – the highest amount for any state in the US.
At yesterday afternoons Columbus City Council Columbus Metropolitan Club Debate, City Council candidate Joe Motil stated in his opening comments that, “The musical chairs appointment process is in place to keep control and power over the people and to benefit councils campaign contributors. And if Ms. Brown wins and completes her 4-year term I will remove the words tax abatement from my vocabulary”. Motil has been the city’s most outspoken critic of Ms. Brown and her City Council colleagues on handing out tax abatements over the last 4 ½ years and having called City Council’s appointment process a ‘farce.”
Of course there are 60,000 Pentagon super (duper!) spies prancing around the globe with tracking devices in their shoes, goofy wigs on their heads, collections of comical sunglasses, and — for the employee of the month! — silicon handsleeves and silicon faces to fool the airport cops, or maybe it’s the Vaccine Nazis, or perhaps it’s the Marxist conspiracy and election stealers denounced by the head of the Space Command who was fired last week for straying from his designated delusions.
After all, this is the military that produced 120 retired generals openly proud of their batshit balminess. When you dump $900 million dollars unbeknownst to anybody into 130 private companies listed absolutely nowhere to get 60,000 undercover clowns employed at household-name corporations that even the author of the article linked above doesn’t name a single one of, who is to say what will happen?
I am.
Horrible things will happen.
“The president reiterated his firm support for Israel’s right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attack,” The Guardian has informed us, as conflict flares once more in the Middle East. But, oh the humanity! Good guy Joe also “encouraged Israel to make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians.”
Bombs and missiles are one thing, but the United States and its allies have learned how to soften their effect with public relations. So yes, shoot missiles into Gaza — it’s the only way to be safe, apparently — but “make every effort” to shrug your shoulders and bleed regret that more than 200 Palestinians, including 61 children, have died, as of a few days ago, in this effort to punish terrorists and keep Israel safe.
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Ablock later, the bus stopped again, and Anton stepped on, fumbling for change.
“Oh, man,” Anton said, counting out what he had.
“How much you need?” Jim said.
“I don’t know. A buck?”
“Here,” and Jim peeled off a dollar bill.
“Thank you, sir.”
“You owe the next guy.”
“I got that,” Anton said, sitting down across from Jim.
The bus took off and rumbled down the street. After six blocks or so, Anton leaned across the aisle.
“Buy you a beer?” Anton said to Jim.
“Sounds good,” and the two were out of the bus.
“There’s a place around the corner,” Anton said.
“Hester. I know it,” Jim said.
“Anton Evers,” holding out his hand to shake.
“Wallace, Jim Wallace,” shaking Anton back.
Both men instinctively thought they’d heard each other’s names before, somewhere.
The men walked in, eyeballed a booth and sat down. A cute waitress, Ebony, sauntered over.
“Couple a beers?” she said, wiping the table.
“That'd be fine,” Anton said.
“So, what are you doing out tonight?” Jim said.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
An interesting recent article by international lawyer John Whitbeck suggests that the billions of dollars that the United States gives to Israel annually is not technically “foreign aid” as the Jewish state is as measured by per capita GDP the 19th wealthiest in the world, ahead of countries like Germany. It is, instead “tribute,” which is defined as the “payment made periodically by one state or ruler to another, especially as a sign of dependence.”
Have you been asked about your support for Palestinian's? Mr. Qumsiyeh offers some help.