THE ICEMEN ARE HERE. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS! A LEGAL PRIMER FOR IMMIGRANTS

ICE IS HERE. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS.

These informational brochure was prepared and distributed in Spanish and English by the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

All reactions:

15Michael Farnham, Rick Hurtado and 13 others

                                            

IN ENGLISH AND

                                                        AND SPANISH

 

Sickening Doubts About Value of Publicity by H.L. Mencken

This is the second in a series of essays by H.L. Mencken written during the Scopes Monkey Trials that pitted Christian fundamentalists against Darwin's scientific Theory of Evolution. For all his prejudices (of which he had many), his trenchant observations retain vitality and relevancy today.   

This is the link to the first essay, "Homo Neanderthalis". 

Sickening Doubts About Value of Publicity

The Baltimore Evening Sun, July 9, 1925

Dayton, Tenn., July 9. -- On the eve of the great contest Dayton is full of sickening surges and tremors of doubt. Five or six weeks ago, when the infidel Scopes was first laid by the heels, there was no uncertainty in all this smiling valley. The town boomers leaped to the assault as one man. Here was an unexampled, almost a miraculous chance to get Dayton upon the front pages, to make it talked about, to put it upon the map. But how now?

Today, with the curtain barely rung up and the worst buffooneries to come, it is obvious to even town boomers that getting upon the map, like patriotism, is not enough. The getting there must be managed discreetly, adroitly, with careful regard to psychological niceties. The boomers of Dayton, alas, had no skill at such things, and the experts they called in were all quacks. The result now turns the communal liver to water. Two months ago the town was obscure and happy. Today it is a universal joke.

I have been attending the permanent town meeting that goes on in Robinson's drug store, trying to find out what the town optimists have saved from the wreck. All I can find is a sort of mystical confidence that God will somehow come to the rescue to reward His old and faithful partisans as they deserve -- that good will flow eventually out of what now seems to be heavily evil. More specifically, it is believed that settlers will be attracted to the town as to some refuge from the atheism of the great urban Sodoms and Gomorrahs.

But will these refugees bring any money with them? Will they buy lots and build houses, Will they light the fires of the cold and silent blast furnace down the railroad tracks? On these points, I regret to report, optimism has to call in theology to aid it. Prayer can accomplish a lot. It can cure diabetes, find lost pocketbooks and restrain husbands from beating their wives. But is prayer made any more efficacious by giving a circus first? Coming to this thought, Dayton begins to sweat.

The town, I confess, greatly surprised me. I expected to find a squalid Southern village, with darkies snoozing on the horse-blocks, pigs rooting under the houses and the inhabitants full of hookworm and malaria. What I found was a country town full of charm and even beauty -- a somewhat smallish but nevertheless very attractive Westminster or Balair.

The houses are surrounded by pretty gardens, with cool green lawns and stately trees. The two chief streets are paved from curb to curb. The stores carry good stocks and have a metropolitan air, especially the drug, book, magazine, sporting goods and soda-water emporium of the estimable Robinson. A few of the town ancients still affect galluses and string ties, but the younger bucks are very nattily turned out. Scopes himself, even in his shirt sleeves, would fit into any college campus in America save that of Harvard alone.

Nor is there any evidence in the town of that poisonous spirit which usually shows itself when Christian men gather to defend the great doctrine of their faith. I have heard absolutely no whisper that Scopes is in the pay of the Jesuits, or that the whisky trust is backing him, or that he is egged on by the Jews who manufacture lascivious moving pictures. On the contrary, the Evolutionists and the Anti-Evolutionists seem to be on the best of terms, and it is hard in a group to distinguish one from another.

The basic issues of the case, indeed, seem to be very little discussed at Dayton. What interests everyone is its mere strategy. By what device, precisely, will Bryan trim old Clarence Darrow? Will he do it gently and with every delicacy of forensics, or will he wade in on high gear and make a swift butchery of it? For no one here seems to doubt that Bryan will win -- that is, if the bout goes to a finish. What worries the town is the fear that some diabolical higher power will intervene on Darrow's side -- that is, before Bryan heaves him through the ropes.

The lack of Christian heat that I have mentioned is probably due in part to the fact that the fundamentalists are in overwhelming majority as far as the eye can reach -- according to most local statisticians, in a majority of at least nine-tenths. There are, in fact, only two downright infidels in all Rhea county, and one of them is charitably assumed to be a bit balmy. The other, a yokel roosting far back in the hills, is probably simply a poet got into the wrong pew. The town account of him is to the effect that he professes to regard death as a beautiful adventure.

When the local ecclesiastics begin alarming the peasantry with word pictures of the last sad scene, and sulphurous fumes begin to choke even Unitarians, this skeptical rustic comes forward with his argument that it is foolish to be afraid of what one knows so little about -- that, after all, there is no more genuine evidence that anyone will ever go to hell than there is that the Volstead act will ever be enforced.

Such blasphemous ideas naturally cause talk in a Baptist community, but both of the infidels are unmolested. Rhea county, in fact, is proud of its tolerance, and apparently with good reason. The klan has never got a foothold here, though it rages everywhere else in Tennessee. When the first kleagles came in they got the cold shoulder, and pretty soon they gave up the county as hopeless. It is run today not by anonymous daredevils in white nightshirts, but by well-heeled Free-masons in decorous white aprons. In Dayton alone there are sixty thirty-second-degree Masons -- an immense quota for so small a town. They believe in keeping the peace, and so even the stray Catholics of the town are treated politely, though everyone naturally regrets they are required to report to the Pope once a week.

It is probably this unusual tolerance, and not any extraordinary passion for the integrity of Genesis, that has made Dayton the scene of a celebrated case, and got its name upon the front pages, and caused its forward-looking men to begin to wonder uneasily if all advertising is really good advertising. The trial of Scopes is possible here simply because it can be carried on here without heat -- because no one will lose any sleep even if the devil comes to the aid of Darrow and Malone, and Bryan gets a mauling. The local intelligentsia venerate Bryan as a Christian, but it was not as a Christian that they called him in, but as one adept at attracting the newspaper boys -- in brief, as a showman. As I have said, they now begin to mistrust the show, but they still believe that he will make a good one, win or lose.

Elsewhere, North or South, the combat would become bitter. Here it retains the lofty qualities of the duello. I gather the notion, indeed, that the gentlemen who are most active in promoting it are precisely the most lacking in hot conviction -- that it is, in its local aspects, rather a joust between neutrals than a battle between passionate believers. Is it a mere coincidence that the town clergy have been very carefully kept out of it? There are several Baptist brothers here of such powerful gifts that when they begin belaboring sinners the very rats of the alleys flee to the hills. They preach dreadfully. But they are not heard from today. By some process to me unknown they have been induced to shut up -- a far harder business, I venture, than knocking out a lion with a sandbag. But the sixty thirty-second degree Masons of Dayton have somehow achieved it.

Thus the battle joins and the good red sun shines down. Dayton lies in a fat and luxuriant valley. The bottoms are green with corn, pumpkins and young orchards and the hills are full of reliable moonshiners, all save one of them Christian men. We are not in the South here, but hanging on to the North. Very little cotton is grown in the valley. The people in politics are Republicans and put Coolidge next to Lincoln and John Wesley. The fences are in good repair. The roads are smooth and hard. The scene is set for a high-toned and even somewhat swagger combat. When it is over all the participants save Bryan will shake hands.

Papa Joe KO's Trump

January 21, 2021

In the weeks since PaPa Joe was elected President, I've spent hours trying to say something quite simple - while doing it in the most grandiloquent, needlessly convoluted, and opaque manner possible. You know, just for the fun of it.

We all have tales of what we did to stave off and defeat the bloody knaves, save The Republic, and write the book on “How I Clobbered Trump All by Myself.”

I chose my battlefield and spent much of the first two of the last four years deep in Trump Territories, trying to figure out what the fuss was all about and trying to move a vote or two. Came away with plenty of psychic scratches, bumps and bruises brawling with the Right Kind of Folks for my trouble.

Whether it was standard issue Trumpian insults, late night threatening calls, or having my paper boat of a blog snagged by Russian Intelligence, (proving they ain’t all geniuses), none of it was much fun.

I spent night and day consumed with finding the right words to penetrate, wound, insult, revile, expose and reveal, the criminality of the previous administration.

It may not be to my eternal credit, but it’s how I saw my patriotic obligation and I would do it all again in a heartbeat.

After a spell, I drifted back to the “high country,” largely stepping away from the mendacity and madness and meeting many more of you.

When we won the House, the tide began to turn and I settled into a less pained, more optimistic posture.

Still, there were times I was so broken hearted and pained that I didn’t know if I could answer the morning bell on behalf of a country possibly unworthy of saving.

Then I would peek at Facebook over a groggy cuppa, see an upraised thumb, an encouraging comment, the sharing of a new shard of information, or a timely correction and I knew you were all out there too, still pushing along the same rocky road.

And I picked up my cudgel and walked back to the mine.

When the clarion call to vote came, I was proud to stand beside you in common cause with millions and BEAT TRUMP!

I’m elated beyond expression and grateful to all of you for sharing,  knowing that, when the clarion sounds again, you will be there too. On the ramparts, patrolling for freedom.

Thanks a bunch, kids, It's been swell.

Harold Levine

Denouement

 

Harold Levine

January 10, 2021

  · 

Shared with Public

As we approach the denouement, and Trump leaves the White House for the last time,* I recall several core beliefs that sustained me these past 4 years. Among them:

1. Peace loving people of good will far outnumber those of evil intent.

2. The Federal Judiciary can be trusted to uphold the law. (Bingo).

3. A wholly self-destructive man, condemned to fulfill the design of his own corrupt nature, will, at end, surrender to the inevitable.

4. When the pressure reaches its zenith, every coward quits.

5. Trump is a self-destructive coward who will never complete his term of office. (You read it here first!)

6. If we can't find comedy in the midst of tragedy, we haven't got a prayer. (That’s science.)

* Update: The Trumps left the White House 10 days later. To date, they have not been invited back. HL 12.26.22

On the murder of Jamal Khashoggi

October 18, 2018

I am not naïve. 

I understand there is a deep, enduring chasm between this nation’s founding principles of liberty and equality for all versus our collective history of genocide, racism and oppression. 

I have heard a lifetime of lies told by our government to conceal a myriad of sordid transgressions committed in the name of “freedom” and “national security”. 

Because I had always believed a clear majority of US shared a common striving for justice that would ultimately defeat tyranny, I suspended disbelief, adopting self-deception to believe the lie that our rulers cared for justice – if only when they could. 

Now, we confront the reality that a “treasured ally” has committed murder, the venality of which every moral being should recoil in horror. 

Jamal Khashoggi was assassinated by agents of the Saudi government on orders from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. 

Donald Trump, our presumed head of government, casually dismissed this atrocity in the name of corporate profiteering, ripping away any pretense that this nation stands for human rights and justice here or abroad. In this rejection of decency, he is joined by a corrupt and complicit political party, and a wide swath of a cynical, crude, stupid, vulgar and violent populace. 

There is no longer any illusion. As the lamp of justice dims, we stand exposed for what we are; purveyors of global warfare, division, and strife, that subjugates and oppresses millions, sacrificed to the pursuit of greater corporate wealth and the consolidation of power within a ruling class that despises US all. 

Between the reality and the promise falls the shadow. Within the darkness of that shadow there are no noble verities. There is only a lie agreed upon. For my country, I am profoundly heartbroken.

DONALD TRUMP'S TOILET SOLILOQUY

GREATEST MOMENTS IN PRESIDENTIAL ORATORY PROUDLY PRESENTS

DECEMBER 6, 2019

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFhUqUTfljY

PEOPLE ARE FLUSHING TOILETS 10 TIMES, 15 TIMES

by DONALD J. TRUMP

Oscar Brown, Jr. sang with a true voice

Oscar Brown, Jr.,(1926-1995), was a political activist, musician, and writer who spoke directly and openly of the black experience in America in the 1960's.

His 1960 debut recording, "Sin & Soul" is a masterwork in which he contributed lyrics to Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man", Mongo Santamaria's heartbreakingly lovely "Afro-Blue", and Nat Adderley's "Work Song" performed by many.

He also wrote a song titled "The Snake" which was a minor hit for singer Al Wilson. Coincidentally, or not, given his penchant for projection, Donald Trump, frequently recited the lyrics to The Snake with the closing refrain at his rallies, "You knew I was a snake before you let me in".

Brown's daughters objected to the use of their father's song by the Trump campaign and asked him to stop using it. Trump refused. That's one more reason why he is The Snake.

Following the 1960 release of Sin and Soul, Brown remained active in the struggle for equal rights even as his recording career went into eclipse when Columbia records withdrew their promotional support for his records - no doubt due to the controversial content of his songs.

Below are examples of why Oscar Brown, Jr., still matters, beginning with his recreation of a slave market in, "Bid 'Em In."

"Afro-Blue" was an instrumental composition by Mongo Santamaria best known for John Coltrane's rendition. The lyrics are from the heart of Oscar Brown, Jr.

Dat Dere was an instrumental composed by pianist Bobby Timmons. Oscar Brown's lyrics speak to the minds and hearts of wondering children the world over.

"The Work Song" was inspired by those who had a deep concern for time.

One leaf at a time

One year ago, as he prepared to graduate from college, my son, Jack the Younger, (also known as "That Guy" not to be confused with "The Other One", AJ the Elder), sat me down for a chat to discuss his career plans.  

Democratic debates October 15, 2019

Harold Levine

October 15, 2019 · 

Rewinding my mind to the last greatly tedious Dems debate.

If they can't be bothered to trim the field, I can't be bothered to make new jokes about 'em. I return to the ramparts where I left off with 10 takes on 10 from The Last Truly Tedious Debate.
(And yes, of course, barbs aside, the nominee gets my vote – even if we screw up and nominate what’s his-name.)

Julian Castro. The Tex-Mex Kid took a swing at Good Old Joe and missed. For that, he has fallen from grace and must now do penance. Let it be brief and forgiveness swift. A true son of the Chicano civil rights movement, Castro is bright, accomplished, has a good heart and is true blue in a state that’s a game changer. He is too important to be sidelined for long. If he’s lucky, one day, decades from now, he may stand on another debate stage having to explain what desperate voices were rattling around in his head the night he lost his mind and mugged an elderly and infirm gentleman. #FAIRPLAYFORCASTRO

Beto O’Rourke. I have no quarrel with one whose conviction was forged by fire and blood. #RESPECT4BETO.

Liz Warren: I believe my Senator will be the nominee but, sooner than later, she’s going to have to tell us how she plans to pay for her plans. #CANLIZGOCENTER?

Joe Biden. A wonderful fellow, but never the fleetest of mind nor gifted of tongue, far too often, he looks and sounds like a man in a fugue state. #AMANOUTOFTIME

Pete Buttigieg: Along with Warren, Mayor Pete has the finest mind in the field; his language conciliatory, his tone unifying, his ideas trending moderate, his brand of Christianity an overt threat to the evangelical voting bloc. His sexual orientation may keep him off the national ticket, but his future is bright. #MAYORPETEISAKEEPER

Kamala Harris. My early favorite for her prosecutorial skills and the diversity she represents, she’s been unable to make meaningful inroads, even within the black community. An inability to articulate a comprehensive vision for the future may have something to do with it. Looks like it’s North Carolina or bust for Kamala. #PROSECUTETHECASEKAMALA

Corey Booker. Articulate, passionate, (if a trifle glib), Booker is intelligent and conciliatory and a natural preacher on the stump. But he simply cannot transcend the racial animus that inflames the land of the free. #COREYISBARACK2.0

Amy Klobuchar: A wise, moderating voice, she simply lacks the outsized personality of a lead actor. Her Senate seat is safe. That is likely where she will remain for many distinguished years to come. #AMYISFARGO

Andrew Yang. Nice fellow. Smart too. But a raffle for a thousand bucks is more befitting a game show host than a presidential candidate. #GRANDKNOWINGYOU

Bernie Sanders. No way a loud, angry, Brooklyn Jew with a funny accent and bad haircut shouting about revolution is ever going to be president of the United States. Bragging about his “damn plan” that has no chance of ever being passed into law isn’t much of a legislative accomplishment. BTW, Bern, getting an “F” rating from the NRA is easy - if you’re a Democrat. It’s only tough when you vote with the gun lobby. All that’s left for this guy is to decide whether he’s going to be the skunk at the convention party. #STOPYELLINGBERN

84 Comments3 Shares

talking head hot takes by those who pretend to know more than we do.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-w2F_BcYiNM