Posted by Freddie on October 31, 2007 under Uncategorized | 2 Comments to Read
Per today’s Note (regarding last night’s Democratic debate):
Now we’ve got it straight. Sen. Hillary Clinton is a flip-flopping, record-sealing, war-in-Iran-voting, Social-Security-ducking, politically calculating, lobbyist-loving, polarizing and unelectable Democrat who acts like a Republican — and a Clinton.
Yup. Pretty much. Although maybe less with the “acts like a Republican” than the others. Let’s hope that the top tier of Democratic contenders is able to prevent “presumptive” and ultimately “nominee” from being able to be used to describe her in 2008.
Highlights of last night’s debate include Dennis Kucinich scolding the mainstream media and their framing of the Iran issue, John Edwards getting to the heart of what’s at stake after 2008, and Joe Biden…oh, Senator Biden…going after the right target - “the most underqualified man since George Bush to seek the presidency.”
One of our in-studio guests this morning was Paige La Grone Babcock, the Nashville Community Organizer and National Outreach Coordinator for Mothers Acting Up, a movement of mothers advocating for the world’s children. Besides working to reclaim Mothers Day, the group works to ensure the health, education and safety of the world’s children by mobilizing the political strength of mothers (“and others, on stilts or off, who exercise protective care over someone smaller”) with a sense of joy, whimsy (hence the stilts), and inclusion. Paige very eloquently said that MAU believes that mothers are a giant force to be reckoned with and that together they can work towards prioritizing children in corporate and public policies.
We’ll have the interview up as a podcast soon but in the meantime, mark your calendars for MAU events in Nashville this weekend.
On Friday Nov. 2, at 7:30 PM, at the First Unitarian Universalist Church, MAU co-founder Beth Osnes will present her one woman play, (M)other. The play explores the question, “How do we get the people of one nation to actually care about the children of another nation?” and affirms our interconnectedness in both our challenges and our solutions as a global community. Friday night’s event is sponsored by Nashville Mothers Acting Up, Cool People Care, Tennessee Women’s Theater Project, and the First Unitarian Universalist Church Nashville Social Concerns and Action Committee. The church is located at 1808 Woodmont Blvd., Nashville, TN.
On Saturday, Nov. 3rd, 9AM-Noon, also at the First Unitarian Universalist Church, Beth Osnes will lead “A Workshop for Empowering Mother Voices,” a workshop using theater as a tool for developing voices for effective public expression - of vital importance for any kind of civic participation. Goals of this workshop include teaching skills for effective vocal expression, using our voices to ‘rehearse’ activism, engaging all participants in devising solutions to obstacles, and conveying a model of activism that is positive and proactive.
Also, on Saturday, Nov. 3, at 1pm, there will be a MAU “Girlcott,” which is the group’s term for supporting businesses that share their values. Nashville’s “Girlcott” honoree is Bob Bernstein and his Bongo Java coffee house, 2007 Belmont Blvd. All of Bongo Java’s coffee is fair trade. As part of Cooperative Coffees, Bongo Bob buys coffee from small farmer cooperatives and works to ensure coffee farmers receive a livable wage to support their families. The Nashville MAU community will publicly proclaim that it matters where they put their consumer dollars and will present Bongo Java with a certificate of appreciation. I hear there’ll be moms on stilts drinking coffee. Scrumptious!
Mothers Acting Up nobly believes that when mothers lead, generations of global citizens will follow. We know they’re right.
You know how you hate hearing the same 20 songs on the radio or how you can get the kind of local news/talk/info on the radio that you want? Well, besides college radio stations like WRVU 91.1 FM and WFSK 88.1, Low Power FM’s like Nashville’s own Radio Free Nashville do an amazing job of not only providing diverse programming, they also give we, the people, access to the airwaves that we own. LPFM’s make it possible to hear all different musical, genres, diverse opinions, and save lives.
In some communities, an LPFM is all the people are going to get. We’re lucky to have our own, but many communities don’t yet because in the year 2000 Congress limited low power FM radio license availability at the behest of the powerful broadcasting lobby who made them believe that these 100-watt radio stations, licensed to nonprofit groups, would interfere with their signals. Turns out, not so much. Congress ordered the FCC to do a comprehensive engineering study [pdf] and the results are in - there’s plenty of room for LPFM stations.
And now, says Prometheus Radio (the group behind the fight to free media from corporate control and LPFMs), is the time to act to expand LPFM:
Great news — after a comprehensive hearing on the future of the radio industry, with much discussion on low power FM radio, the Senate Commerce Committee is ready to vote on whether or not to expand low power FM radio back to your community. Call or write your Senators today to tell them bring community radio back to America’s cities and towns, by supporting Senate Bill 1675, the Local Community Radio Act of 2007!
Here’s the info you need if you’re in Tennessee: Senator Lamar Alexander
Ph: (202) 224-4944
Fax: (202) 228-3398
If you live in another state or need a sample script for your call, go the FreePress.net website for more info.
Also, Congressman Mike Doyle and Congressman Lee Terry introduced House Bill 2802 (also called the Local Community Radio Act of 2007), a companion to the Senate legislation. If passed, the bill would tell Congress to recognize that there is no possible interference from low power FM radio stations in America’s big cities and to allow the FCC to grant station licenses. In other words, it will expand access to community radio all across the country. To write a letter to your congressperson use this handy dandy online tool and don’t forget to add your zip code to the subject line of your email (very important, we hear). You can also search for your congressperson’s info here and send them your own email.
For more info on LPFM’s and how they benefit community, watch Prometheus’s Hannah Jane Sassaman on Bill Moyers Journal.
UPDATE: Speaking of Radio Free Nashville, on Saturday, Nov 3, the station will hold a benefit at 7:30 pm at Douglas Corner Cafe. The benefit will include a silent auction as well as live music from Richard Smith, Julie Adams, Randy Kohrs, Aaron Till, Zane Williams, Charlie Chadwick (resident bass player), Pat Bergeson, Mike Muldoon, Dave Cathro, and Deborah Wilbrink. Cost is $10.00 at the door. All donations to Radio Free Nashville are fully tax deductible.
A must read by NY Times Editorial Observer, Lawrence Downes, that addresses the “What Part of ‘Illegal’ Don’t You Understand?” question.
America has a big problem with illegal immigration, but a big part of it stems from the word “illegal.” It pollutes the debate. It blocks solutions. Used dispassionately and technically, there is nothing wrong with it. Used as an irreducible modifier for a large and largely decent group of people, it is badly damaging. And as a code word for racial and ethnic hatred, it is detestable.
As Downes points out, if you want to stifle the debate on comprehensive immigration reform then simply ask, “What Part of ‘Illegal’ Don’t You Understand?” And fearmongers like WVOL’s Reverend T.J. Graham continue to do that. And when they have the question addressed with reasonable statements such as, “it’s a civil law not a criminal law” and “can we move on to actually addressing the issue of what to do with 12 million undocumented workers and securing our borders?” they refuse to let it go. And they stain our community. Huh. It’s almost as if they don’t want to address the issue.
Meanwhile, out on the edges of the debate — edges that are coming closer to the mainstream every day — bigots pour all their loathing of Spanish-speaking people into the word. Rant about “illegals” — call them congenital criminals, lepers, thieves, unclean — and people will nod and applaud. They will send money to your Web site and heed your calls to deluge lawmakers with phone calls and faxes. Your TV ratings will go way up.
What part of you’re being manipulated don’t you understand? What part of elevating the debate don’t you understand? What part of addressing the issue don’t you understand? What part of good public policy don’t you understand?
Posted by Mary Mancini on October 28, 2007 under Uncategorized | 6 Comments to Read
Last week John Rich, half of the country group Big & Rich, appeared for the first (but apparently not the last) time on Steve Gill’s radio show. As soon as I heard I remembered that the other half of the duo, Big Kenny Alphin, might not agree with his partner’s conservative politics because he had donated to the Harold Ford, Jr. for Senate campaign in ‘06.
Today’s Tennessean confirms that the two don’t agree politically. The paper’s above the fold cover story reports that Big Kenny also “gave $2,300 to Democrat Barack Obama this summer.” And in a companion piece in their online edition, Jennifer Brooks notes that:
Big Kenny Alphin waded into politics when he took an interest in the humanitarian crisis in Darfur — an interest he shares with Barack Obama. Alphin and his wife just returned from a trip to Sudan last week, delivering school and medical supplies and musical instruments to a school for girls orphaned in the conflict.
Hey Big Kenny, give us a call or shoot us an email. You have an open invitation to appear on Liberadio(!) just in case, you know, you want to get anything off your chest. And we’d love to hear about your trip to the Sudan and the other humanitarian work you and your wife are taking part in.
It would also be interesting to hear how these two partner together in all things business and creative while holding opposing political views. Touring in a band is not like any other job where you work 8 hours a day and go home to your family and the friends you choose to hang with. When you’re on tour you’re basically with the people you work with 24/7. Oh how the fur can fly!
PS: One more thing, as an Italian-American I can tell you, just so you know, there’s no such thing as the “Mafia.” Ciao, Ciao!
UPDATE: Apparently, Mr. Rich is also a big hypocrite. The “strong beliefs and core values” he has apply only to other people’s lifestyles and not his own. This man is not “conservative.” He’s a bigot. Which raises yet another question for Mr. Alphin to answer - just how much of your partner’s beliefs do you agree with?
UPDATE II: It’s too late to take back now. But he’s trying! John Rich of Big & Rich released a statement after Thursday’s column item stating his position against gay marriage: “My earlier comments on same-sex marriage don’t reflect my full views on the broader issues regarding tolerance and the treatment of gays and lesbians in our society. I apologize for that and wish to state clearly my views. I oppose same-sex marriage because my father and minister brought me up to believe that marriage is an institution for the union of a man and a woman. However, I also believe that intolerance, bigotry and hatred are wrong. People should be judged based on their merits, not on their sexual orientation. We are all children of God and should be valued and respected.”
Summary: In this segment, Mary and Freddie interview Beardy, alias “Dr. Beardy” and “Paul Krugman” and “Princeton Economist” and “New York Times Columnist.” When it comes to the failings of the Bush administration, he pulls no punches in his new book, The Conscience of a Liberal, or in this interview. We think “President Beardy” has a nice ring to it.
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Summary: If it’s Monday, it must be time for the Media Matters for America Smackdown with Elbert Ventura. Tucker Carlson has been a bad boy, and our correspondent doesn’t know what to make of Stephen Colbert.
Summary: Coop–er, Congressman Cooper–tries to qualify as Liberadio(!)’s BFF in making an unprecedented 4th appearance. He’s almost got 5-timer status. Which is the perfect number of appearances for a Congressman from the fightin’ 5th! Can he prevent World War III? Can he ensure that all Americans receive access to health insurance? Can he help the nation move on by not requiring an act of Congress to condemn MoveOn? Will he ensure that Dumbledore won’t get fired from Hogwarts for being fabulous?
Guests for Monday, June 29, 2009: John Spragens, District 24 Councilman Jason Holleman, Tony Cani of the SEIU Change That Works campaign, Michael Chapman, and Elbert Ventura, of Media Matters for America..
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