[ Reader Comments: Thanksgiving; Stop Calling It a Conflict,
Its...; Ceasefire; Trumps Calling Opponents Vermin, Repeats Language
of Hitler; The Real Bayard Rustin; Antisemitism, Anti-Zionism and
Dangerous Conflations; Cartoons; and more....]
[[link removed]]

TIDBITS – NOV.23, 2023 – READER COMMENTS: THANKSGIVING; STOP
CALLING IT A CONFLICT, IT’S…; CEASEFIRE; TRUMP’S CALLING
OPPONENTS VERMIN, REPEATS LANGUAGE OF HITLER; THE REAL BAYARD RUSTIN;
ANTISEMITISM, ANTI-ZIONISM, DANGEROUS CONFLATIONS; CARTOONS  
[[link removed]]


 

November 23, 2023
xxxxxx
[[link removed]]

*
[[link removed]]
*
[[link removed]]
*
*
[[link removed]]

_ Reader Comments: Thanksgiving; Stop Calling It a Conflict, It's...;
Ceasefire; Trump's Calling Opponents Vermin, Repeats Language of
Hitler; The Real Bayard Rustin; Antisemitism, Anti-Zionism and
Dangerous Conflations; Cartoons; and more.... _

Tidbits - Reader Comments, Resources, Announcements, AND cartoons -
Nov. 23, 2023, xxxxxx

 

* BIG KIDS TABLE  --  CARTOON BY MIKE LUCKOVICH
* RE: SHOULD AMERICA KEEP CELEBRATING THANKSGIVING?  (VELVA
SPRIGGS; DAVID RICHARDSON; RITA GIACAMAN)
* THANKFUL FOR FARMWORKERS  --  CARTOON BY LALO ALCARAZ
* STOP CALLING IT A CONFLICT ITS LITERALLY GENOCIDE  --  MEME
* ONCE WEAPONS WERE MANUFACTURED TO FIGHT WARS. NOW....
* RE: BERNIE SANDERS STARTS AN IMPORTANT FIGHT IN THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY  (NORM LITTLEJOHN; ALAN HART)
* RE: MERKLEY JUST SECOND US SENATOR TO DEMAND GAZA CEASE-FIRE
 (BEN CUPP)
* Re: When Anti, Anti-Zionism Becomes Anti-Semitism  (Will Glennon)

* RE: THE REAL REASON ISRAEL IS ATTACKING GAZA’S HOSPITALS  (GARY
LAFORTUNE)
* DDS  --  CARTOON BY NICK ANDERSON
* TRUMP VERMIN  --  CARTOON BY CLAY JONES
* RE: BIDEN’S QUAGMIRE: ISRAEL, GAZA, AND THOSE REALLY SCARY POLLS
 (JOHN BERMAN; JOHN FREDIANI)
* CLUW CALLS FOR CEASEFIRE  (KATHY BLACK)
* THE REAL BAYARD RUSTIN  (LORRAINE SUZUKI; GRIFFIN TOFFLER)
* RE: BLAMING MASS SHOOTINGS ON MENTAL ILLNESS DOESN’T ADDRESS
EITHER ISSUE  (VELVA SPRIGGS)
* RE: THE SMARTEST SCI-FI SHOW OF 2023 JUST DROPPED A PAINFULLY
REALISTIC TWIST  (KOOHAN PAIK-MANDER)
* RE: OHIO ABORTION VOTE SHOWS VALUE OF DIRECT DEMOCRACY  (BOB
EGELKO)
* RE: MAXWELL FROST ON RON DESANTIS, HOPES FOR A PROGRESSIVE
FLORIDA, AND THE POWER OF COLLECTIVE MOVEMENT  (JEANNE LENZER)
* SUPREME COURT ETHICS  -- CARTOON BY NICK ANDERSON
* GEORGE SANTOS  -- CARTOON BY STEVE BREEN

 

RESOURCES:

* ON ANTISEMITISM, ANTI-ZIONISM AND DANGEROUS CONFLATIONS  --  A
JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE AND PARCEO EXPLAINER

 

BIG KIDS TABLE  --  CARTOON BY MIKE LUCKOVICH

Mike Luckovich
November 17, 2023
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
[[link removed]]

 

RE: SHOULD AMERICA KEEP CELEBRATING THANKSGIVING?
 

Thank you for this article. I wish the country were courageous enough
to follow your lead during this Thanksgiving season and all year
round.  You may be too late as they are heavy-handed on banning books
and mythologizing history while discouraging any focus on an
appreciation for diversity and truth telling. I trust that in spite of
my viewpoint, you will enjoy an indigenous Thanksgiving feast.

Velva Spriggs

      =====

We're looking forward to a traditional Thanksgiving this year.  We
plan to invite all the neighbors, serve them a big meal, and then kill
them and steal their land.

David Richardson

      =====

Ah finally, something truthful about Thanksgiving.

Rita Giacaman

 

THANKFUL FOR FARMWORKERS  --  CARTOON BY LALO ALCARAZ
 

Lalo Alcaraz
November 2022
Lalo Alcaraz reposted United Farm Workers
@UFWupdates
November 23, 2023

 

STOP CALLING IT A CONFLICT ITS LITERALLY GENOCIDE  --  MEME

 

 

November 11, 2023

 

ONCE WEAPONS WERE MANUFACTURED TO FIGHT WARS. NOW....

 

 

RE: BERNIE SANDERS STARTS AN IMPORTANT FIGHT IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
 

The USA conditions aid on various requirements all over the world —
and Israel receives more aid from the USA than any other nation.

Norm Littlejohn
Posted on xxxxxx's Facebook page
[[link removed]]

      =====

Maybe those sit-ins at Bernie's offices in DC and Vermont, and open
letters from former Bernie staffers and campaign volunteers, have had
an impact. He's been betraying, among others, his supporters in labor
who are calling for a ceasefire, including my union.

Alan Hart

 

RE: MERKLEY JUST SECOND US SENATOR TO DEMAND GAZA CEASE-FIRE

 

The left seriously needs representation in our government, having 2
far right parties isn't working out too well.

Ben Cupp
Posted on xxxxxx's Facebook page
[[link removed]]

 

RE: WHEN ANTI, ANTI-ZIONISM BECOMES ANTI-SEMITISM
 

Excellent piece. It is astounding how crazy mixed up people are about
what is going in Israel right now.

Will Glennon
Posted on xxxxxx's Facebook page
[[link removed]]

 

RE: THE REAL REASON ISRAEL IS ATTACKING GAZA’S HOSPITALS
 

Israel is committing genocide with the support of the USA.

Gary Lafortune
Posted on xxxxxx's Facebook page
[[link removed]]

 

DDS  --  CARTOON BY NICK ANDERSON

 

Nick Anderson
November 15, 2023
Reform Austin [[link removed]]

 

TRUMP VERMIN  --  CARTOON BY CLAY JONES

 

 

Clay Jones
November 15, 2023
Claytoonz
[[link removed]]

 

RE: BIDEN’S QUAGMIRE: ISRAEL, GAZA, AND THOSE REALLY SCARY POLLS
 

While I understand the deep frustration with Biden's unequivocal
support for Israel, the almost certain alternative to the President
will be Donald Trump who will be way worse for Arab Americans. I'm
sorry but I have no sympathy for anyone who voices their anger through
refusing to vote...the lesser of two evils is way way less evil.

John Berman

      =====

Caught between a rock and a hard place .

John Frediani
Posted on xxxxxx's Facebook page
[[link removed]]

 

CLUW CALLS FOR CEASEFIRE

 

Thanks for your updates about unions calling for a ceasefire in the
Gaza-Israel War. I am especially heartened by the APWU statement.

This past weekend at the CLUW Convention in Minneapolis, we passed a
resolution that I authored with a friend and fellow delegate, calling
for diplomacy over militarism in the Russia-Ukraine War. Due to
submission deadlines, this was sent in to the Resolutions Committee
well before the war in Gaza began. Raising a new resolution at the
Convention is a complicated and uncertain process, so I added two
Amendments from the floor instead. One calls for support for Barbara
Lee's bill to cut the military budget by $100 billion. The second
calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, release of all political prisoners,
massive aid to the Palestinians and safe ways to deliver it.

Of course we could have said much more. But given the bureaucratic
constraints of the Rules, we felt it best to just get this position on
record.

Passage wasn't seriously in doubt, and in fact, our Gaza amendment
solicited immediate cheers. CLUW has a proud history of opposing war,
cutting military spending in favor of funding the many societal needs
of US residents, and demilitarizing our foreign policy. Our
Philadelphia Chapter of CLUW was a founding member of US Labor Against
the War, and national CLUW soon followed suit. We were very active in
USLAW throughout its tenure, and I served as a Co-Convener for many
years.

If you do an update, perhaps you can include our position. Thanks for
your excellent reporting.

Peace and solidarity,

Kathy Black, Executive Board Member, President Emerita, Philadelphia
Coalition of Labor Union Women; AFSCME retiree

 

RE: THE REAL BAYARD RUSTIN
 

excerpt:

As biopics go, this one is so-so. It gets the basic details of
Rustin’s story right, and the acting is decent. But nobody other
than Martin Luther King should ever try to play Martin Luther King.
(Maybe it can work with J. Robert Oppenheimer or Leonard Bernstein.)
And no actor can equal the real Bayard Rustin.

Fortunately, there is a superb documentary about Rustin himself, the
world he inhabited, and the difference he made. It’s perfectly
titled Brother Outsider. The film was made in 2003 by California
Newsreel, produced and directed by Nancy Kates and Bennett Singer, and
deserves your attention. It’s a little hard to find to stream, but
you can rent it on Vimeo for $2.99.

Lorraine Suzuki
Posted on xxxxxx's Facebook page
[[link removed]]

      =====

Please note you can see this movie for free on Kanopy which most
public libraries provide. Let's promote anti capitalism instead of big
business whenever we can.

Thank you

Griffin Toffler

 

RE: BLAMING MASS SHOOTINGS ON MENTAL ILLNESS DOESN’T ADDRESS EITHER
ISSUE
 

Thank you for writing about this subject.  I personally tire of
hearing the two primary responses of officials when there is a mass
shooting: "...sending thoughts and prayers" and empty statements about
the tragedy being the result of a mental health problem.  These
excuses simply let these "intend to do nothing" legislators off the
hook; there is never any serious attempt to examine root societal
causes and do something comprehensively concrete and meaningful about
this social ill. Mental illness is a very serious matter and no doubt
plagues the lives of many of these perpetrators of mass murder.
Nevertheless, to isolate these tragedies as a product solely of mental
illness is irresponsible without having a commitment to examine and
address the larger issues that are rooted in societal values and
functions. I really think the "empire" is falling apart as it goes the
way of all great historical empires.

Velva Spriggs

 

RE: THE SMARTEST SCI-FI SHOW OF 2023 JUST DROPPED A PAINFULLY
REALISTIC TWIST

(posting on xxxxxx Culture
[[link removed]])
 

Space slaves is very real. They don't give a damn. The fact that they
even name this show "For all mankind" echoes not only the spacewalk,
but the line used by the U.S. military to coerce the Bikini islanders
to render up their island for atomic bombing practice. No, the
techno-utopians don't give a damn.

Koohan Paik-Mander

 

RE: OHIO ABORTION VOTE SHOWS VALUE OF DIRECT DEMOCRACY
 

Thank you for writing this and for your perspective on direct
democracy. It's something for me to think about because I've grown
very wary of the ballot initiative process -- and the referendum and
recall -- that have been features of government in California since
1911. It's been my impression in recent years that lawmaking at the
ballot box in California has become a way of appealing to the public's
fears and resentments as much as self-government.

If you want to prohibit same-sex marriage, gather enough money to put
it on the ballot and then run ads about how they're after your
children. Shift the budget from schools to prisons and police by
calling your multimillion-dollar initiative the Victims' Bill of
Rights. Do something similar to recall a DA who wants to reduce
sentencing or prosecute police. Not to mention the $200 million-plus
Uber and Lyft spent to get us to classify their drivers as contractors
rather than employees.

But articles like yours remind me that there are reasons to give the
public a say in how they're governed and not just in who governs them.
I think we're starting to refine the process by requiring hearings on
some proposed ballot measures and possibly changing the rules for
signature-gathering and ballot language on referenda and recalls.
Seems difficult to put any meaningful limits on ballot measure
spending in our Citizens United world, but maybe there are ways to
counteract that as well. Anyway, thanks for your insights, and thanks
as well to the Brennan Center for being a longtime resource for people
like me.

Bob Egelko

 

RE: MAXWELL FROST ON RON DESANTIS, HOPES FOR A PROGRESSIVE FLORIDA,
AND THE POWER OF COLLECTIVE MOVEMENT
 

Hope springs again..(a quick glance will do...)

Jeanne Lenzer

 

SUPREME COURT ETHICS  -- CARTOON BY NICK ANDERSON

 

Score a win for corruption. Senate Democrats on Thursday backed down
from their plan to subpoena Leonard Leo and Harlan Crow in their probe
of Supreme Court ethics. Senate Republicans had promised to turn the
hearing into a "shit show" if the Democrats issued the subpoenas, and
threatened retribution if/when they win the majority. Don't they do
that anyway? The decision to back down was a mistake.

Nick Anderson
[[link removed]]
November 10, 2023

 

GEORGE SANTOS  -- CARTOON BY STEVE BREEN

 

Steve Breen [[link removed]]
November 17, 2023

 

ON ANTISEMITISM, ANTI-ZIONISM AND DANGEROUS CONFLATIONS  --  A
JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE AND PARCEO EXPLAINER

_Right now, there’s a lot of pain and fear and grief in our
interwoven communities. And as our multiracial, multi-faith movements
rise in powerful solidarity with Palestinians, violent rightwing
forces are going to try to divide us, attack us, and pit us against
each other. Being clear and ready to defend against threats on any one
of our communities is essential to staying unified, safe, and powerful
as a movement._

_We worked with our partners at the PARCEO resource and education
center to offer some explainers for ourselves and our beautiful
movement, for how to dismantle antisemitism in this moment while also
resisting the intentional and dangerous conflations that harm our
intersectional movements for justice and put our communities at risk.
We keep us safe!_

A JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE AND PARCEO EXPLAINER
[[link removed]]

WHAT IS ANTISEMITISM? 

Antisemitism is grave, serious, and totally incompatible with
movements for collective liberation, and we stand against it in any
form. 

Antisemitism is discrimination, targeting, violence, and dehumanizing
stereotypes directed at Jews because they are Jewish. In the past
decade alone, some examples of the horrifying white nationalist
antisemitic violence we have witnessed include the murder of 11
congregants at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018,
synagogue shootings at a Chabad synagogue in Poway, California in
2019, Nazi symbols at the January 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol insurrection,
antisemitic hate groups and rallies, and the desecration of
cemeteries. We have also seen the use of Jewish stereotypes and
conspiracy theories as part of racist ideologies. Visibly observant
Jews have been especially harassed and harmed. 

We understand antisemitism as historically contextual, situated amidst
interrelated conditions and struggles. That’s why we fight
antisemitism within, and as part of, broader struggles against
oppression and for collective liberation. For instance, white
nationalist violence has been on the rise in the U.S., fueled by
anti-immigrant and racist manifestos, sentiments, and conspiracy
theories, such as the “great replacement” theory. Jews are among
the targets of white nationalist violence, along with Black people,
immigrants, Muslims, and trans and queer people, among others. Our
safety is bound together with the safety of all people, and none of us
is free if we aren’t all free. 

Attacking Jewish individuals or communal spaces for being Jewish, or
blaming the Jewish people for the actions of the Israeli government,
is antisemitic and unacceptable and flatly contrary to the values of
our movement. Our movement for justice in Palestine stands firm as an
anti-racist movement, which of course includes opposing all acts of
antisemitism. 

WHAT IS ANTI-ZIONISM? 

Being an anti-Zionist means opposing the political ideology of
Zionism, which resulted in the expulsion of 750,000 Indigenous
Palestinians from their land and homes. It means standing against the
creation of a nation-state with exclusive rights for Jews above others
on the land. Anti-Zionism supports liberation and justice for the
Palestinian people, including their right to return to their homes and
land. Anti-Zionists believe in a future where all people on the land
live in freedom, safety and equality. 

Zionism suggests Jews require a supremacist nation state to answer the
real question of Jewish safety.  We believe that everywhere in the
world, Jews belong and should be safe. Real safety does not grow from
guns, checkpoints, walls and a police state. True safety is built
through forging real solidarity with all those fighting for a more
liberated world. 

WHY IS IT DANGEROUS TO CONFUSE ANTISEMITISM WITH ANTI-ZIONISM? 

At a time when white supremacists and white nationalists take
advantage of this moment to sow confusion and promote antisemitism,
Islamophobia, and racism, misstating what antisemitism is harms all of
our work for justice and endangers our communities. 

Opposition to the political movement of Zionism and/or the policies of
the state of Israel is no different from criticism of any other
political ideology or policies of any other nation state, such as the
settler colonialism, imperialism and white supremacy at the foundation
of the United States.

But the Israeli government, U.S. government, and anti-Palestinian
organizations run concerted campaigns to redefine and misstate the
meaning of antisemitism, aiming to falsely conflate it with criticisms
of Israel or Zionism. They do this so the Israeli government can avoid
accountability for its policies and actions that violate Palestinian
human rights. 

Conflating antisemitism with opposition to the Israeli government’s
policies or ideology is especially dangerous right now. Supporters of
Palestinian rights are losing their jobs, being doxxed and harassed
online, being attacked physically, and facing congressional censure
for trying to save lives. 

In fact, the agenda of white nationalists, war profiteers, and
anti-Palestinian organizations has nothing to do with protecting
Jewish people, and all to do with harming our intersectional movements
for justice. 

Warmongers try to make it hard, but it’s actually really clear and
simple: Fighting for Palestinian freedom and against antisemitism are
intertwined. We are deeply committed to both.

_For a full training on antisemitism from a framework of collective
liberation, contact PARCEO at antisemitismcurriculum.org
[[link removed]]_

Jewish Voice for Peace [[link removed]]  
P.O. Box 589
Berkeley, CA 94701

(510) 465-1777
 

 

* Reader Comments
[[link removed]]
* Thanksgiving
[[link removed]]
* Thanksgiving Day
[[link removed]]
* Farmworkers
[[link removed]]
* Israel
[[link removed]]
* Gaza
[[link removed]]
* Palestine
[[link removed]]
* Hamas
[[link removed]]
* Israel-Gaza War
[[link removed]]
* Ceasefire
[[link removed]]
* Humanitarian pause
[[link removed]]
* Genocide
[[link removed]]
* Hostages
[[link removed]]
* Palestinians
[[link removed]]
* Gaza City
[[link removed]]
* Occupied Territories
[[link removed]]
* West Bank
[[link removed]]
* Jewish settlements
[[link removed]]
* apartheid
[[link removed]]
* Bernie Sanders
[[link removed]]
* Democratic Party
[[link removed]]
* Donald Trump
[[link removed]]
* MAGA
[[link removed]]
* GOP
[[link removed]]
* Republican Party
[[link removed]]
* Fascism
[[link removed]]
* 2024 Elections
[[link removed]]
* Adolf Hitler
[[link removed]]
* CLUW
[[link removed]]
* anti-Semitism
[[link removed]]
* Anti-Zionism
[[link removed]]
* Jewish Voice for Peace
[[link removed]]
* JVP
[[link removed]]
* PARCEO
[[link removed]]
* Cartoons
[[link removed]]
* resources
[[link removed]]
* Announcements
[[link removed]]

*
[[link removed]]
*
[[link removed]]
*
*
[[link removed]]

 

 

 

INTERPRET THE WORLD AND CHANGE IT

 

 

Submit via web
[[link removed]]

Submit via email
Frequently asked questions
[[link removed]]

Manage subscription
[[link removed]]

Visit xxxxxx.org
[[link removed]]

Twitter [[link removed]]

Facebook [[link removed]]

 




[link removed]

To unsubscribe, click the following link:
[link removed]