politics - elsamary on Diigo

In some ways I don’t even want to give credence to the incredible ignorance of these political candidates and their clonies. Yet, after receiving several emails, I respect what I am doing enough to have to respond.

Tags: community, organizing, chicago, politics, acorn, grassroots, liberal, conservative, obama, republican, attacks, presidential, race, nonprofit, urban, activism, cities on 2008-09-20 and saved by2 people -All Annotations (10) -About

The American community is about and always will be about “We the people”; America is not about we the select rich! Community Organizers in small town USA and in large cities are the American Spirit; “I am my brother’s/sister’s keeper.”
As a reminder, our troops and veterans all need/depend on community supporters/organizers to improve their quality of life if and when they return from their multiple tours of duty in Iraq.
How can a former MAYOR not know that? (For that matter, shame on Guiliani too.) For years I did grassroots organizing on environmental issues and attended countless public hearings. I knew the mayor and the city council members by first name and they knew me. Palin has to know what organizers do, but obviously thinks the rest of us won’t figure it out.

And since we are digging so far back into Obama’s job history, perhaps someone should ask Palin how being a TV news reporter and a beauty queen prepared her for being VP. Did those jobs involve any “actual responsibilities?”
In some ways I don’t even want to give credence to the incredible ignorance of these political candidates and their clonies. Yet, after receiving several emails, I respect what I am doing enough to have to respond.
I work for the New York Lawyers for the Public Interest as a Senior Community Organizer.
It should come as no surprise that we are the target of attack of politicans, since Community Organizers work to make changes, oppose the status quo and hold elected officials accountable (a bit of a thorn for those speaking).

So, who are we? Professors, students, clergy, lawyers, health professionals, people from all professions. Some of us do it professionally, some as dual employment, and others voluntarily. I personally have been in each of these categories. What do we do? Succinctly, leave an incredible impact in the world we live in.
It is a sad and disgracefull day in America when the work of people who bring about positive and effective changes are demeaned and belittled.
“Community organizer” is a synonym for “activist with leftist tendencies.”
Community organizers scare the powerful who hope to throw “fog” and keep denying rightful services to people who don’t have money (=clout):from garbage collection, to education, to housing,etc.

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Editorial - Gov. Palin’s Worldview - Editorial - NYTimes.com

But that is not what troubled us most about her remarks — and, remember, if they were scripted, that just means that they reflect Mr. McCain’s views all the more closely. Rather, it was the sense that thoughtfulness, knowledge and experience are handicaps for a president in a world populated by Al Qaeda terrorists, a rising China, epidemics of AIDS, poverty and fratricidal war in the developing world and deep economic distress at home.

Tags: politics, scary, us, usa on 2008-09-15 and saved by2 people -All Annotations (1) -About

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Op-Ed Columnist - She’s Not Ready - Op-Ed - NYTimes.com

Tags: politics, scary on 2008-09-15 and saved by2 people -All Annotations (1) -About

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Op-Ed Columnist - Making America Stupid - Op-Ed - NYTimes.com

Tags: oil, peak, energy, power, politics, renewables on 2008-09-15 -All Annotations (1) -About

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Speech Wars - Mccain vs. Obama

Tags: web2, politics, republican, reference, language, words, speech, writing, democrat, conservative, obama, mccain on 2008-09-11 -All Annotations (0) -About

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Op-Ed Columnist - Hold Your Heads Up - Op-Ed - NYTimes.com

Tags: liberal, conservative, america, american, us, usa, politics, policies on 2008-09-09 -All Annotations (14) -About

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Without the extraordinary contribution of liberals — from the mightiest presidents to the most unheralded protesters and organizers — the United States would be a much, much worse place than it is today.
There would be absolutely no chance that a Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton or Sarah Palin could make a credible run for the highest offices in the land. Conservatives would never have allowed it.
Civil rights? Women’s rights? Liberals went to the mat for them time and again against ugly, vicious and sometimes murderous opposition.
The liberals who didn’t have a clue gave us Social Security and unemployment insurance
Liberals who didn’t have a clue gave us Medicare and Medicaid.
Reagan, on the other hand, according to Johnson biographer Robert Dallek, “predicted that Medicare would compel Americans to spend their ‘sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was like in America when men were free.’ ”
Liberals (including liberal Republicans, who have since been mostly drummed out of the party) ended legalized racial segregation and gender discrimination.
Liberals gave this country Head Start and legal services and the food stamp program. They fought for cleaner air (there was a time when you could barely see Los Angeles) and cleaner water (there were rivers in America that actually caught fire).
Liberals. Your food is safer because of them, and so are your children’s clothing and toys. Your workplace is safer. Your ability (or that of your children or grandchildren) to go to college is manifestly easier.

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The Vanishing Republican Voter - An Analysis - NYTimes.com

As America becomes more unequal, it also becomes less Republican.

Tags: america, us, usa, politics, poor, rich, wealth, class, conservative, liberal, republican, democrat on 2008-09-09 -All Annotations (2) -About

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Op-Art - Republican Convention Schedule - Interactive Graphic - NYTimes.com

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