Author's posts

It’s Time Stand Up for Justice for Workers at Smithfield

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Letter from the Birmingham Jail

Today I want to talk about a cause we all should support: Justice for the workers at Smithfield.  Workers there have been trying to organize a union against a company that appears to be willing to use any and all anti union tactics.  

Smithfield Packing in Tar Heel, NC is the world’s largest pork plant. For the past decade workers in the plant have been working to bring in a union to improve working conditions. Here are a few of their stories.

EENR, a New Beginning.

(This diary/essay originally was posted on Daily Kos on February 3, 2008.  I am cross posting it here tonight because eenr 4 progress will be posted on Daily Kos and Docudharma every Sunday night from now on.  Ellinorianne cross posted her diary last night here.  Later this week, we will cross post Sarah Lane’s diary from a week ago Sunday.  Then we’ll be caught up.  

Docudharma seems to have some of the best of the Old Daily Kos, when issues used to be discussed and the term “progressive” actually had some content.  So, if buddydharma is cool with it, we’d like to come by here also every Sunday Night.  Hope you enjoy this, the first of what we hope will be years of eenr 4 progress.  TomP.)  

The Edwards Evening News Roundup debuted on April 4, 2007 and ended the night that John Edwards suspended his campaign, January 30, 2008.

Those of us who worked so hard on EENR for all those months have decided to continue on to work on the issues that John Edwards brought to this campaign: economic justice, poverty in America, addressing global warming with more than the hot air of politicians, universal healthcare, ending the phony GWOT, which John Edwards described as a “bumpersticker” and a “sledgehammer to justify the worst abuses and biggest mistakes of his [Bush’s] administration,” an end to the war in Iraq, and so many other issues.

We plan to continue this work.  Come around after the fold for more.    

MLK III to Edwards: “Keep Fighting. My Father Would Be Proud.”

X-Posted from MyDD

Martin Luther King, III Praises Edwards For Leading The Fight For Economic Justice In America.

Following a meeting at the King Center in Atlanta on the afternoon of Saturday, January 19th, 2008, Martin Luther King, III sent John Edwards a letter praising Edwards’ commitment to fighting poverty and speaking out for those without a voice. King, the first son of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the President and CEO of Realizing the Dream, said his father was a fighter and urged Edwards to continue the fight for justice and equality. He also urged the other candidates to follow Edwards’ lead.

So, I urge you: keep going. Ignore the pundits, who think this is a horserace, not a fight for justice. My dad was a fighter.

As a friend and a believer in my father’s words that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, I say to you: keep going. Keep fighting. My father would be proud.

Sincerely,

Martin L. King, III

Full letter, after the fold.

Family of Nataline Sarkisyan to Join Edwards Today on Campaign Trail

Cross posted from Dkos.

In the debate last night, John Edwards reiterated that the battle against the enrenched interests is personal to him.  He also spoke about Nataline Sarkiysan:

What’s happening now is insurance companies are running all over people. I mean, the case of Nataline Sarkisyan, which a lot of the audience would be familiar with — 17 year old girl who lost her life a couple of weeks ago because her insurance company would not pay for a liver transplant operation. She had health insurance, but the insurance company wouldn’t pay for it. They finally caved in a few hours before she died.

snip

You know, we need a president who believes deeply in here, who believes deeply in this battle, and it is personal for me.

According to Ezra Klein, and Ben Smith the family of Nataline Sarkisyan will join Edwards today on the campaign trail.  It’s personal for them also.  Very personal.  Come around after the fold and let’s talk about why it’s personal.

My Interview of Friends of the Earth Action President Blackwelder Re Edwards Endorsement

Last week, Friends of the Earth Action (“FOE Action”) endorsed John Edwards.

This week, I interviewed Brent Blackwelder, President of Friends of the Earth and FOE Action, about the endorsement of John Edwards.  Part I of the interview is in this diary. 

Here’s a little about FOE Action for those unfamiliar with it:

Founded by David Brower in 1967, Friends of the Earth Action has established a 35-year record of not only fighting the tough battles, but winning them too.  FoE Action provides extra political muscle on legislative battles here in the U.S. for to our sister organization, Friends of the Earth, which is part of a network of affiliates in over 70 nations around the world. 

snip

FoE Action looks beyond the symptoms of environmental degredation, to the systemic causes.

FOE Action

Come around after the fold to hear a real hero of the struggle to save our planet.

Load more