Tuesday, March 27, 2012

What will happen if America failed to pay off its debt?

How would it be possible to pay off it's debt? The USA has no money of its own. All currency used in the USA belongs to the Federal Reserve Corporation who loans "fiat" money to the Federal government of the USA.
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The Treasury has bonds printed up selling them to people and other governments. When these bonds mature and are turned in the Treasury cannot pay off these bonds in most cases and must go to and borrow the funds from the Federal Reserve Corporation paying more interest.
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The Federal Reserve Corporation creates "fiat" money out of thin air. Because of "fiat" money and fractional banking there is no way America can ever pay off its debt ever! We have President Woodrow Wilson to thank for this when he signed the Federal Reserve Act, sneaked through congress during Christmas Recess of Congress, to repay debts owed to the banking cartels for his reelection. After signing Wilson commented, "I have ruined America with this signing!"
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Today there are 12 major banking cartels throughout the world. These cartels own all the currencies throughout the world shuffling these "fiat" currencies around for their own good and interests not those of the common people. This is only one tentacle of a multifaceted octopus controlling the world.

ADDITIONAL: A number of you have stated the national debt with figures way too low Attached here is a more accurate accounting:
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the US REAL federal debt is actually over US$99.2 trillion (as of May 2008). Who says so? The President of the Dallas Federal Reserve, Richard W. Fisher, in a May 2008 speech at the Commonwealth Club of California. Our descendants for the next century will not be able to pay this debt off. The Elite international bankers don't want it paid off, because they want the interest on this debt to keep flowing.

Though the Bush Administration’s official budget lists the national debt and deficit as being incredibly high, they are actually far worse than reported, according to Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN). But don’t just take his word for it, even if Cooper is a Rhodes Scholar and Harvard Law graduate. The following figures appear in the official U.S. Financial Report, released by the Treasury Department:

* The true national debt is $49 trillion, not the $8.3 trillion Bush reported

o That’s $156,000 for every citizen, or $375,000 for every working American

o This figure has more than doubled in the past five years

o We paid $327 billion last year on interest alone

* The true 2005 deficit was $760 billion, not the $318.5 billion Bush reported

o This is 6.2% of the GDP, not 2.6%

* It’s all getting worse

What accounts for the huge discrepancy? Unlike businesses, the government uses “cash” instead of “accrual” accounting. This means that the government does not report future spending promises like Medicare and Social Security, or even future spending guarantees like veterans’ benefits and federal employee pensions.

“Cash accounting tells you what’s in your bank account. Accrual accounting tells you what’s in your bank account and what’s on your credit card statement,” Cooper told BuzzFlash in an interview. “Whether you’re promising to buy a road or something at Target, you need to know what you promised to buy. That should be a binding obligation of the government. We’ve made a world of promises to folks that we need to keep.”

But wait, there’s more! The U.S. Financial Report does not mention that if Medicare and Social Security are factored into the equation (which the Treasury Department did not), the true deficit was actually a whopping $3.3 trillion last year, over ten times more than Bush claims. And when Social Security projections are adjusted to reflect current life expectancies instead of the old 75-year mark, Cooper said the true national debt is “probably closer to $65 trillion.”

Jul. 7, 2007 Source: http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/07/07…

Laurence J. Kotlikoff, in his October 2005 paper titled, “Is the U.S. Bankrupt?”, estimates that the US real debt, in 2005, was $65.9 trillion, and in order to pay this debt off our children and grandchildren will be paying a federal income tax at the rate of 63% to 80.6%. This means that in 2007 it could be in the $70 to $75 trillion range. http://www.4rie.com/index.html#anchor200…Scroll way down to "THE REAL UNITED STATES FEDERAL DEBT" You may find much of the other information interesting as well.

Monday, March 26, 2012

'He thought it would all blow over': Friend defends Zimmerman as new witness reveals how shooter 'refused to help dying Trayvon'


  • New witness said Zimmerman pinned Trayvon face-down after shooting and did nothing to help

  • However, long-time friend Joe Oliver said Zimmerman 'couldn't stop crying' after the fatal shooting incident last month

  • Zimmerman's lawyer says only one side of the story is being told and that more will be revealed at grand trial

  • Justice Department may bring hate crime charges against Zimmerman

  • Rev Jesse Jackson called teen a 'martyr' and said 'blacks are under attack'


  • Parents warn against fake websites claiming to collect money for the caseA woman has stepped forward, saying she witnessed the final moments of Trayvon Martin’s life.
    In an interview set to air on Dateline tonight, Mary Cutcher said that she and her roommate ran out after hearing the shot.
    She said that Zimmerman had ‘his hands pressed on his back’ and ‘never turned him over or tried to help him.’
    The version of events relayed the witness strongly contradicts the characterization of Zimmerman by his long-time friend Joe Oliver who said that he is surprised that it has turned into such a national issue.
    Scroll down for videos
    Stepping forward: Mary Cutcher said in a Dateline interview that she and her roommate saw Zimmerman holding Trayvon down and did not try to help him
    Stepping forward: Mary Cutcher said in a Dateline interview that she and her roommate saw Zimmerman holding Trayvon down and did not try to help him; the full interview airs tonight on NBC
    Trayvon MartinGeorge Zimmerman
    Killing: Trayvon Martin, left, was shot dead by George Zimmerman, right, in a gated community in Florida
    'Because he was there and he knows what happened...he's been very confident - naively - that this would all blow over,' Mr Oliver said in an appearance on ABC.
    On both Good Morning America and the Today show, Mr Oliver said Zimmerman was in shambles after the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin.
    Speaking on Good Morning America , Joe Oliver said: ‘After this started – the reports I got – (Zimmerman) couldn’t stop crying.'

    He also confirmed that Zimmerman is in hiding and is fearful for his life, especially after yesterday, when the Black Panthers placed a $10,000 bounty on his 'capture.'
    'He's moved, they've disconnected their phone numbers. They're in hiding. They're fearful,' Mr Oliver said.
    The interviews comes the same day as a new report says that Justice Department investigators may try to charge him with a hate crime, and they are thought to be using the alleged murmuring on the 911 call to argue he said a racial slur before fatally shooting the 17-year-old.
    Different account: Speaking on Good Morning America today, long-time friend Joe Oliver, left, and legal adviser Craig Soner, right, said only one side of the story is being told
    Different account: Speaking on Good Morning America today, long-time friend Joe Oliver, left, and legal adviser Craig Soner, right, said only one side of the story is being told
    'If that was a racial epithet that preceded the attack on Trayvon Martin, we definitely have a hate crime,' said Drexel University law professor Donald Tibbs.
    'It sounds pretty obvious to me,' he told the Associated Press.
    'At that point, either George or Trayvon was going to die.'
    -Joe Oliver, George Zimmerman's friend
    Even if Zimmerman is not charged, the entire Sanford police department may be investigated regardless to see if they destroyed or hid any evidence during their initial investigation.
    Mr Oliver also identified the voice screaming in the now-infamous 911 tapes as the Neighbourhood Watch captain, not of Martin as the teen's parents claim.
    ‘From the clips that I’ve heard online, I heard George. That sounded like someone who was in dire need of help. It sounded like George.’
    'At that point, either George or Trayvon was going to die.'
    Protests in churches across the country: Members of the congregation at Middle Collegiate Church in New York wear hoodies as part of protests at the shooting of Martin
    Protests in churches across the country: Members of the congregation at Middle Collegiate Church in New York wear hoodies as part of protests at the shooting of Martin
    Fired up: The Rev. Jesse Jackson delivered a sermon about the death of Trayvon Martin at the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Eatonville, Florida today
    Fired up: The Rev. Jesse Jackson delivered a sermon about the death of Trayvon Martin at the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Eatonville, Florida today
    Worship wear: Church-goers at Middle Collegiate Church in New York's East Village were invited to wear hoodies to services today to show their support for justice
    Worship wear: Church-goers at Middle Collegiate Church in New York's East Village were invited to wear hoodies to services today to show their support for justice

    In prayer: Senior Minister Jacqueline Lewis, right, prays with other congregants during the Middle Collegiate Church service
    In prayer: Senior Minister Jacqueline Lewis, right, prays with other congregants during the Middle Collegiate Church service
    However, several people who witnessed the deadly shooting last month said the shrieks were that of a teenager.
    But Mr Oliver, who has known Zimmerman for the better part of a decade, insisted that the cries were those of someone seeking help, and added that in the duration of their friendship, has not seen the man with a Peruvian mother and white father acting in a racist manner.
    He said given the history in Sanford, Florida, the reason that Zimmerman is not in jail is because he’s not guilty. ‘They don’t have evidence to arrest him,’ Mr Oliver said.
    He also noted that the Virginia-native was only now coming to terms with the vast scope and severity of the case that even garnered the attention of President Obama.
    Mr Oliver said: ‘Just now, he’s becoming aware of how big this has gotten. It’s just starting to sink in. Up until this point…he’s been very confident- naively – that this would blow over.’
    Too young: Trayvon Martin, seen here in a family photo from a ski trip, was simply holding Skittles when he was shot
    Too young: Trayvon Martin, seen here in a family photo from a ski trip, was simply holding Skittles when he was shot
    Zimmerman’s legal advisor Craig Sonner also spoke on the show, saying that only half of the story has been painted by the evidence available.
    ‘That’s only a small snippet of anything that happened that evening,’ Mr Sonner said, also noting that he did not want to litigate the case publicly. ‘There’s more evidence that will be released when the case comes forward on April 10.’
    'If it's a moment, we go home. If it's a movement, we go to war... there is power in the blood of the innocent.'
    -The Rev. Jesse Jackson
    'George Zimmerman suffered a broken nose, and had an injury to the back of his head, he was attacked by Trayvon Martin on that evening.
    'The evidence will show that this was a case of self defense.'
    Referring to the controversial Stand Your Ground law which allows people to fight back when attacked, Mr Sonner said that it 'is going to be applicable in this case'.
    Speaking today to a crowd of about 1,600 at the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Eatonville, Florida, civil-rights activist Jesse Jackson called Martin a ‘martyr.’
    ‘If it’s a moment, we go home. If it’s a movement, we go to war,’ he said, the Orlando Sun-Sentinel reported. ‘There is power in the blood of the innocent.’
    He added: ‘Blacks are under attack.’
    Congregants wear hoodies during a service in New York to show their support for justice in the case of Martin
    Congregants wear hoodies during a service in New York to show their support for justice in the case of Martin

    Senior Minister Dr. Jacqueline Lewis at a special service for Martin at Middle Collegiate Church in New York City
    Senior Minister Dr. Jacqueline Lewis at a special service for Martin at Middle Collegiate Church in New York City

    Hoodies for Trayvon: Several hundred people wore hoodies in solidarity for Trayvon in Chicago's Daley Plaza yesterday
    Hoodies for Trayvon: Several hundred people wore hoodies in solidarity for Trayvon in Chicago's Daley Plaza yesterday
    Speaking out: A man, centre, spoke at the Washington rally yesterday before the group marched to Freedom Plaza
    Speaking out: A man, centre, spoke at the Washington rally yesterday before the group marched to Freedom Plaza

    Also today, other evidence shows Zimmerman in a different light. According to the New York Post, Zimmerman had delusions of grandeur and dreamed of a life in law enforcement. On top of that, the paper noted, he had cases of extreme paranoia.
    According to the Post, Zimmerman twice enrolled at a program at Seminole State to pursue a vocational certificate, once in 2003, and again in 2009.
    However, he was kicked out the last week of the program because of safety concerns, the Los Angeles Times said.
    Thus, he acted out his police dreams by obsessively patrolling the gated community of the Retreat at Twin Lakes, where both he and Martin’s father, Tracy Martin, live.
    'From the clips that I’ve heard online, I heard George. That sounded like someone who was in dire need of help. It sounded like George.'
    -Joe Oliver
    Records show Zimmerman called the police at least 46 times within the last year – many of those times were to report ‘suspicious’ African-Americans within the subdivision.
    Often, the calls were focused around fear of burglaries.
    The case has become a national issue, and the slain teen's parents have both quit their jobs to help see that the fight for justice continues. In that effort, they have allowed their lawyers to set up a donation fund for the legal costs, but now they fear that other fake sites have sprung up, hoping to profit from the national outrage.
    The case certainly continues to raise public ire, as multitudinous crowds gathered throughout the nation in a wide sweep of protests against the killing.
    About 400 people rallied Saturday in downtown Chicago to protest Martin's killing.
    In a racially divided city beset by shootings, gang violence and run-ins with police, the teen's death brought to mind the 1955 slaying of Emmitt Till, a 14-year-old black boy from Chicago who was shot and bludgeoned to death while visiting Mississippi for supposedly whistling at a white woman. His body was found in the Tallahatchie River.
    No one was ever convicted, but Till's killing galvanized the civil rights movement.
    'It's a precedent that with the right excuse it's OK to gun down black males,' protester Ashten Fizer said of Martin's killing. 'It's a return of Jim Crow.'
    In Washington, a large crowd gathered in Freedom Plaza to call for justice in the shooting.
    Rallying: People gather for a rally for slain teenager Treyvon Martin in Washington
    Rallying: People gather for a rally for slain teenager Treyvon Martin in Washington
    Sombre: People gathered at the 'Stand Up for Trayvon Martin' rally in Washington yesterday with a gloomy sky as backdrop
    Sombre: People gathered at the 'Stand Up for Trayvon Martin' rally in Washington yesterday with a gloomy sky as backdrop
    Distraught: A demonstrator weeps in New York's Union Square at the end of a march from Zuccotti Park
    Distraught: A demonstrator weeps in New York's Union Square at the end of a march from Zuccotti Park
    Among the demonstrators Saturday was Jimmy Neal, a District of Columbia resident who said his daughter has been asking him questions he didn't want to answer.
    'She's asked me the question ... `Why, daddy, when he was carrying candy and a soda or iced tea and why did the man kill him?' I had to explain that to her. And those are discussions you don't plan to have with your kids,' Neal said.
    'Hoodie Marches' were organized Saturday in two South Carolina cities over social media. Many of the people participating carried bags of Skittles and wore hooded sweat shirts, like the one Martin wore when he was killed.
    Martin was holding a bag of the candy while walking to his father's fiancée's home from a convenience store when Zimmerman started following him, telling police dispatchers he looked suspicious.
    At some point, the two got into a fight in the gated community and Zimmerman pulled out his gun.
    Meanwhile, authorities say a Florida man is charged with threatening the police chief who temporarily stepped down from the investigation.
    The Seminole County Sheriff's Office says John Carnduff Stewart of Melbourne Beach emailed Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee on Friday, saying Lee and his family should be killed. Melbourne Beach is nearly 70 miles south of Sanford.
    The sheriff's office says Stewart has sent threatening emails previously, including to Penn State University assistant football coach Mike McQueary.
    Stewart was placed on electronic monitoring as a condition of his $10,000 bond.
    Defiance: Protests have demanded that George Zimmerman be prosecuted over the shooting
    Defiance: Protests have demanded that George Zimmerman be prosecuted over the shooting
    March: A seven-year-old protester eats Skittles at a demonstration in Washington, D.C.
    March: A seven-year-old protester eats Skittles at a demonstration in Washington, D.C. Trayvon Martin had gone to buy a bag of Skittles when he was shot by Zimmerman
    On Saturday, protesters gathered in New York bolstered by campaigners from Occupy Wall Street, and marched from Zuccotti Park to Union Square, with many activists dressed in hoodies to represent the clothes Martin was wearing when he was shot dead by George Zimmerman.
    The witness, known only as John, told Sanford police that he saw Martin on top of George Zimmerman shortly before the fatal shot that has led to a national outcry, including a huge 'hoodie' march in Philadelphia last night. He recounted the details to Fox 35 News in Florida.
    Meanwhile, the Rev Al Sharpton said today that activists are planning a ‘wave of civil disobedience.’
    Speaking outside of his New York City headquarters today, Rev Sharpton said that it is important to show ‘sustained indignation’ over Martin's death.
    He also appeared on the Today show this morning and said that the legal system failed Trayvon Martin and his family.
    In reaction to Mr Obama’s comment, he said: ‘He expressed himself when asked a question as the president.’
    Hoodie: Martin's choice of attire has been mentioned as one possible reason he attracted suspicion
    Hoodie: Martin's choice of attire has been mentioned as one possible reason he attracted suspicion
    No bias: Speaking on CBS, Zimmerman's attorney Craig Sonner said that the Neighbourhood Watch volunteer isn't racist
    No bias: Speaking on CBS, Zimmerman's attorney Craig Sonner said that the Neighbourhood Watch volunteer isn't racist

    Rev Sharpton’s projection isn’t far from truth. Already, thousands of people across the country have joined rallies and protests – many of these demonstrations are encouraging protesters to wear a hoodie like Martin was when he was shot.

    BLACK PANTHERS OFFER BOUNTY

    Mikhail Muhammad leads a protest by the New Black Panther Party
    Mikhail Muhammad, leader of the New Black Panther Party, led a protest over the weekend
    The New Black Panther Party has offered a $10,000 reward for the 'capture' of George Zimmerman.
    The group's leader Mikhail Muhammad said the bounty was 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth'.
    At a rally for slain teenager Trayvon Martin, the Black Panthers called for 10,000 black men to hunt down Zimmerman, Martin's shooter who has not been charged over the killing.
    Mr Muhammad said at the gathering in Sanford that his group was planning to apprehend the killer itself.
    'If the government won't do the job, we'll do it,' he said.
    Speaking today, Zimmerman's long-time friend Joe Oliver said he is in hiding and fearful for his life.
    In addition, members of the Black Panther Party are offering a $10,000 reward for Zimmerman’s ‘capture,’ the Orlando Sentinel reported.
    Leader Mikhai Muhammad said at a Sanford protest today after the group called for 5,000 new recruits to capture him.
    The group chanted: ‘Justice for Trayvon!’ as well as ‘Black Power!’
    Mr Muhammad told the paper that the group would commence their search in areas that Zimmerman was known to have work ties – in Jacksonville and Maitland.
    The witness told FOX 35 in Orlando that he saw evidence of a fight between Martin and Zimmerman, which could lend credence to the gunman's claim that he was acting in self-defence.
    'The guy on the bottom who had a red sweater on was yelling to me: "Help, help… and I told him to stop and I was calling 911,' he said.
    Zimmerman was wearing a red sweater; Martin was in a grey hoodie.
    He added: 'When I got upstairs and looked down, the guy who was on top beating up the other guy, was the one laying in the grass, and I believe he was dead at that point.'
    This account is drastically different from the portrait painted of Martin by his friends and acquaintances.
    Friends of the slain 17-year-old say they cannot imagine him getting involved in a fight, and insist that he was not violent.
    'There's no way I can believe that, because he's not a confrontational kid,' said Jerome Horton, who was one of Martin's former football coaches and knew him since he was a small child.
    'It just wouldn't happen. That's just not that kid.
    Sustained protests: Rev Al Sharpton today called for civil disobedience and more protests to show outrage over the case; he is pictured speaking at a rally yesterday
    Sustained protests: Rev Al Sharpton today called for civil disobedience and more protests to show outrage over the case; he is pictured speaking at a rally Friday

    Chants: The rally chanted their frustration with racism and discrimination believed to have led to the teen's death
    Chants: The rally chanted their frustration with racism and discrimination believed to have led to the teen's death
    The attorney hired to represent Zimmerman is echoing claims of the Neighbourhood Watchman’s father – that he’s not racist.
    Speaking on CBS This Morning: Saturday, attorney Craig Sonner said: ‘I don’t believe there’s any racial motivation on the behalf of George Zimmerman… That’s the issue that we wanted to address today, is that this was not a racial issue in what happened that day.
    'Basically, Mr Zimmerman claims he was attacked by Trayvon Martin and he was defending himself. That’s the gist of the investigation.’
    He also noted that he is at the moment only advising Zimmerman, as he has not been criminally charged.
    Though he has remained resolutely silent throughout the ordeal, even as national protests are held calling for his arrest, Zimmerman did place a call to a neighbour nearly a month after the incident, thanking him for his support.
    In the call, the Neighbourhood Watch captain left a message for Frank Taaffee, one of Zimmerman’s most vocal supporters to date.
    ‘Hey, Mr Taaffee. This is George. Um, first and foremost, I wanted to say I am very sorry for the loss of your son, and, um, I can't imagine what you must be going through.
    'Um, secondly, I wanted to thank you for doing everything you've been doing.
    'Um, I know you don't have to, and I appreciate it, and you're truly setting an example for me for the future of, uh, doing the right thing even when it's tough, and, uh, I appreciate it.
    'I'll talk to you soon,’ Zimmerman said in the message.
    Final stop: Trayvon shopped at this 7-Eleven in Sanford before he was shot by Zimmerman; he bought Skittles and an iced tea
    Final stop: Trayvon shopped at this 7-Eleven in Sanford before he was shot by Zimmerman; he bought Skittles and an iced tea

    Place of death: The area behind Twin Trees Lane, where slain teenager Trayvon Martin's body was found
    Place of death: The area behind Twin Trees Lane, where slain teenager Trayvon Martin's body was found
    Residence: The home of George Zimmerman at the Retreat of Twin Lakes neighbourhood
    Residence: The home of George Zimmerman at the Retreat of Twin Lakes neighbourhood

     












  • Sunday, March 25, 2012

    NOT AN INVITATION

    "In The President's Secret Service" - President Obama Assassination Stor...

    Rekia Boyd,UNARMED Woman Shot In Head & Killed By OFF DUTY Chicago Detective

    CHICAGO, ILRekia Boyd, 22 is dead after being shot in the head and Antonio Cross, 39, is clueless as to why he is being charged with one count of misdemeanor aggravated assault after suffering a gunshot injury to the hand and almost having his thumb blown off by an off-duty police detective.
    Cross explained to WGN News the conversation he had with the detective after the shooting.
    “Why the f*ck did you shoot me for? Awe man I thought you had a weapon. How the f*ck did you think my phone was a weapon when I was on the phone?! Why the f*ck did you shoot me?!!!”
    Cross recalls the moment the detective pulled out the gun:
    “I turn around I see him sticking his gun out of the window.. I said “oh my God”, and I put my hand up like this (put his hand over his face to shield himself from the gunshot) I think he tried to shoot me in my face too.”
    Cross was talking to a friend on the phone when the shooting occurred and says that phone records will back him up (police confiscated his phone as evidence). The friend on the other end of the line confirms his story that he was talking to Cross on the phone when he suddenly heard five shots and then the call dropped..

    Antonio Cross recounts watching the last moments of Rekia's life as she lay motionless, bleeding on the sidewalk
    He was constantly f*cking shooting his gun. I never had a gun. He told me to sit down and shut the f*ck up.. I sat down on the pole while I looked over at that young lady’s body motionless. She moved one time and never moved again.
    The young lady, 22-year-old Rekia Boyd was shot in the head, she was later pronounced dead at 1:15 pm at Mount Sinai Hospital.
    POLICE are saying the shooting is JUSTIFIED although THEY RECOVERED NO WEAPON FROM THE SCENE.


    Cross and his friends were standing on the 1500 California block corner when a detective opened fire on the crowd. The police report states totally the opposite.. According to the police, Reportedly the officer was investigating a disturbance near his home when the officer claims a man approached his car with a gun.
    Police said Cross approached the detective’s car with a handgun around 1 a.m. Wednesday near the intersection of 15th Place and Albany Avenue. The detective opened fire, hitting the him in the hand but also striking Boyd in the head, according to police officials.
    Officers in the area, near Douglas Park, heard the gunfire and rushed to the scene. Police said he had been taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition.
    Pat Camden, a police union spokesman, said the detective was in his car and stopped as he approached four people on the street who were causing a disturbance.
    When he told them to quiet down, they approached his car and one of them raised a gun and pointed it at the detective, Camden said. “At that point he fired a couple of shots in fear for his life,’’ Camden said. “He hit two offenders who ran from the scene.’’
    Camden said the couple were found and taken to the hospital.
    Police News Affairs released a statement saying the detective rolled down the window of his car to investigate a disturbance “and observed a male offender approach him with a handgun. At that point, the offender pointed the weapon in the direction of the detective. The detective announced his office and, as a result of this action, the detective discharged his weapon from his vehicle striking the offender. The offender was transported to an area hospital.
    Rekia’s brother is asking for justice and questioning how the shooting can be labeled “justified.”
    So a police officer shot at 4 people who were all UNARMED leaving one dead and one alive who was smart enough to call the news and tell his story.. I will definitely be keeping up with this investigation.
    WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW

    Rekia’s brother is asking for justice and questioning how the shooting can be labeled “justified.”
    So a police officer shot at 4 people who were all UNARMED leaving one dead and one alive who was smart enough to call the news and tell his story.. I will definitely be keeping up with this investigation.
    WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW













    Thursday, March 22, 2012

    CORONER:WHITNEY HOUSTON DIED OF ACCIDENTAL DROWNING

    Coroner: Whitney Houston died of accidental drowningThe official cause of death for Whitney Houston is drowning and "effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use," according to a report released Thursday by the L.A. County Department of the Coroner.
    The report indicates that the Houston died when she was submerged in a bathtub filled with water, and also indicates that she had ingested cocaine.
    Her death has been ruled as accidental.
    Cocaine was said to have contributed to her death, but not the prescription drugs and marijuana also found in her system. The press release from the report concluded, "No trauma or foul play is suspected."
    The final coroner's report is expected to be released within two weeks.

     
     
    Whitney Houston was found under water in her bathtub on Feb. 11 in her Beverly Hilton Hotel suite one day before the Grammy Awards. She was buried in Westfield, N.J., on Feb. 19.

    Monday, March 19, 2012

    Neighborhood Watchman Who Allegedly Shot Trayvon Martin Wanted to Be a Cop

    <strong>Trayvon</strong> <strong>Martin</strong> Not <strong>Shot</strong> In Self Defense, Family Claims A self-appointed neighborhood watchman who pursued and then shot dead an unarmed 17-year-old boy outside his stepmother's home last month in Sanford, Fla., reportedly wanted to be a police officer and had called 9-1-1 50 times in the last year.
    Trayvon Martin, a black high-school junior, was making his way home with a bag of Skittles and a can of iced tea on Feb. 26 when George Zimmerman spotted him, called a non-emergency dispatch number to report Martin looked intoxicated, followed him, and then minutes later after an altercation, shot him.
    Zimmerman, 28, who is white, claimed self defense. He was never arrested and has been charged with no crime, sparking national outrage.
    ABC News has learned police seemed to accept Zimmerman's account at face value that night and that he was not tested for drugs or alcohol on the night of the shooting, even though it is standard procedure in most homicide investigations.
    The night of Feb. 26, Zimmerman made a non-emergency call to police before fatally shooting Martin, in which he told a dispatcher, "This guy looks like he's up to no good, on drugs or something."
    But law enforcement expert Rod Wheeler who listened to the tapes tells ABC News that Zimmerman, not Martin, sounded intoxicated in the police recordings of the 911 calls.
    "When I listened to the 911 tape the first thing that came to my mind is this guy sounds intoxicated. Notice how he's slurring his words. We as trained law enforcement officers, we know how to listen for that right away and I think that's going to be an important element of this entire investigation," Wheeler said.
    But Zimmerman was not tested.
    Martin's family is now calling on the FBI to take over what they say is a botched investigation.
    "We've got a fair investigation, it was the best we can do, it's in states attorney hands now," Sanford Police Department spokesman Dave Morgenstern said.


    Series of Calls to Police Record Events Leading Up to Shooting
    The series of calls to police, which depict the apparent progression of events that led to Zimmerman allegedly shooting Martin, sent the boy's mother screaming from the room and prompted his father to declare, "He killed my son," according to a family representative.
    The contents of the calls and the family's reaction to them were recounted to ABC News by a representative of the boy's family, Ryan Julison, and ABC News affiliate WFTV published excerpts from the 911 calls.
    On one call to a non-emergency dispatch number, according to Julison, Zimmerman says, "He's checking me out," and then, "This guy looks like he's on drugs, he's definitely messed up."
    "These a**holes always get away," he adds.
    The dispatcher is heard trying to discourage Zimmerman, asking, "Are you following him?.. Okay, we don't need you to do that."
    Within minutes, however, 911 calls are being made to police reporting the two are fighting.
    "They're wrestling right in the back of my porch," one frantic caller says. "The guy's yelling help and I'm not going out."
    On a second call someone's screams for help can be heard and what sounds like two gunshots.
    The caller's boyfriend shouts, "Get down," and after the second apparent gunshot, the shouts for help cease, Julison told ABC News.
    "There's gun shots. Uh, I'm pretty sure the guy is dead out here, holy sh**," a caller says into the phone.
    One witness describes Zimmerman after the shooting.
    "He's out there with a flashlight. The guy is raising his hands up saying he shot the person," the caller said.
    Martin's family listened to eight tapes, Julison said. At one point, Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon's mother, ran out of the room screaming and crying, barely lasting through half the tapes.
    The boy's father, Tracey Martin, stoic and measured until then, erupted, Julison said.
    "He killed my son," Martin said, according to Julison. "He killed my son. He couldn't control himself."
    The Sanford, Fla., Police Department, relenting to massive public pressure, plans to release parts of the 911 tapes pertaining to the shooting, multiple sources told ABC News, but wanted the boy's family to hear the tapes before they were released to the public, according to a family source.
    A week after ABC News uncovered questionable police conduct in the investigation of the fatal shooting, including the alleged "correction" of at least one eyewitness' account, outrage that the shooter remains free is intensifying.
    "It's surprising. It's shocking," said Tracy Martin, Trayvon's father. "It lets me know that justice is just not being served here. All we want is justice for our son. We're not asking for anything out of the ordinary."
    In an interview with ABC News, Martin's mother, Fulton, tearfully said she only seeks an arrest.
    "Let a judge and jury decide the rest," she added.
    In the meantime, outrage is spreading across the Internet.
    The Seminole County State Attorney's Office was so bombarded by emails demanding that it prosecute Zimmerman that its website had to be taken down for 45 minutes, according to a spokeswoman for the office.
    One of several petitions for Zimmerman's arrest has garnered more than 250,000 signatures on a change.org site, and at one point signatures were pouring in at the rate of 10,000 an hour, according to the website.
    The outrage has been partly buoyed by calls for non-violent action by hip-hop luminaries, including Russell Simmons, who has been tweeting about the tragedy and warning against its possible vigilante violence.
    "Trayvon Martin didn't die so we can create a race war he died so we can promote better understanding. We must start honest dialogue," Simmons wrote.
    It may have been an allusion to a statement by a group called the New Black Liberation Militia, which planned to travel to Sanford, Fla., next week to enact a citizen's arrest against Zimmerman and bring him to federal authorities.
    Sanford, Fla., Police Chief Billy Lee said Zimmerman asserts he shot Martin out of self-defense.
    "Until we can establish probable cause to dispute that, we don't have the grounds to arrest him," Lee said last Tuesday.
    Martin had been staying at his father's girlfriend's house and stepped out. On his way back into the gated suburban Orlando community, Martin was spotted by Zimmerman.
    Zimmerman described Martin as suspicious because he was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and walking slowly in the rain, police later told residents at a town hall.
    A dispatcher told him to wait for a police cruiser, and not leave his vehicle.
    But about a minute later, Zimmerman left his car wearing a red sweatshirt and pursued Martin on foot between two rows of townhouses, about 70 yards from where the teen was going.
    Zimmerman's pursuit of Martin did not of itself constitute a crime, Lee said.
    Witnesses told ABC News a fistfight broke out and, at one point, Zimmerman, who outweighed Martin by more than 100 pounds, was on the ground and that Martin was on top.
    Austin Brown, 13, was walking his dog during the time of the altercation and saw both men on the ground but separated.
    Brown, along with several other residents, heard someone cry for help, just before hearing a gunshot. Police arrived 60 seconds later and the teen was quickly pronounced dead.
    According to the police report, Zimmerman, who was armed with a handgun, was found bleeding from the nose and the back of the head, standing over Martin, who was unresponsive after being shot.
    An officer at the scene overheard Zimmerman saying, "I was yelling for someone to help me but no one would help me," the report said.
    Witnesses told ABC News they heard Zimmerman pronounce, "It was self-defense," and place the gun on the ground.
    But after the shooting, a source inside the police department told ABC News that a narcotics detective and not a homicide detective first approached Zimmerman. The detective peppered Zimmerman with questions, the source said, rather than allow Zimmerman to tell his story. Questions can lead a witness, the source said.
    Another officer corrected a witness after she told him that she heard the teen cry for help. The officer told the witness, a long-time teacher, that it was Zimmerman who cried for help, the witness told ABC News.
    Lee publically admitted that officers accepted Zimmerman's word at the scene that he had no police record.
    Two days after the incident, during a meeting with the victim's father, Tracy Martin, an officer told the father that Zimmerman's record was "squeaky clean."
    Yet public records showed that Zimmerman was charged with battery against on officer and resisting arrest in 2005, a charge that was later expunged.
    In a letter to the Orlando Sentinel, Zimmerman's father contended his son is not a racist.
    "At no time did George follow or confront Mr. Martin. When the true details of the event became public, and I hope that will be soon," the letter said, "everyone should be outraged by the treatment of George Zimmerman in the media."
    "I asked [the police], 'Well, did you check out my son's record?'" Tracy Martin told ABC News in an interview Sunday. "What about his? ... Trayvon was innocent."
    Trayvon Martin's Family Seeks Justice
    Trayvon Martin had no arrest record or disciplinary action for violence as a student in North Miami's Krop High School.
    On Monday, Lee, seeking to head off racial unrest, tried to reassure the public that his department was doing all it could to reach a fair conclusion, as some in the crowd heckled him by saying, "a little black boy is dead."
    Lee's department said it plans on passing its investigation over to the state's attorney office to determine whether to press charges against Zimmerman.
    Trayvon Martin's parents described him as the kind of son who, even at 17, allowed his parents to kiss him publicly.
    "That was my baby, my youngest son," his mother, Sybrina Fulton, told ABC News in an interview in Miami. "He meant a lot to me, I don't think the police department really understands that. ... I need justice for my family, I just want justice for my son."
    Fulton is incensed that Zimmerman left his car despite being urged by dispatchers to stay put.
    "My son didn't do anything," she said. "He was walking home from the store. Why would the neighborhood watch guy would have a weapon? ... It's just crazy. You are supposed to watch the neighborhood, not take the law into your own hands."

    Mom: Trayvon Martin was killed because of 'the color of his skin'

    Fla. Teen killed by neighborhood watch volunteerThFla. Teen killed by neighborhood watch volunteere family of a Florida teen fatally shot by a neighborhood watch volunteer last month is speaking out, saying that the shooting was unprovoked —and racially motivated.  
     
    Trayvon Martin, 17, was killed by George Zimmerman in a Sanford, Fla., gated community on the evening of Feb. 26 as he returned from a trip to a local 7-Eleven. Martin and his father were visiting family friends there. Zimmerman claimed he shot Martin in self defense, and has not been charged with a crime.
    Video: Mom: Teen targeted due to of ‘color of his skin’ (on this page)
    But Martin's family is pointing to 911 calls released by police on Friday that they say depict a terrified teenager who was being chased by Zimmerman. Martin was found face down, unarmed, with a bag of Skittles and an iced tea.
    “(Zimmerman) was reacting to the color of his skin,’’ Martin’s mother, Sybrina Fulton, told Matt Lauer on Monday. “He committed no crime. My son wasn’t doing anything but walking on the sidewalk, and I just don’t understand why this situation got out of control.’’
    Video: 911 calls eyed in killing of Florida teen (on this page)
    “Trayvon had a bag of Skittles,’’ Fulton’s attorney, Ben Crump, told Lauer. “(Zimmerman) had a nine millimeter gun. He was almost 80 pounds more weight than Trayvon Martin. This is a situation where when you…listen to those 911 tapes and the three witnesses, everyone in America is asking, when are they going to arrest Zimmerman for killing this kid in cold blood?’’
    Fulton believes her son did nothing to engage Zimmerman before the deadly encounter. The family is pushing for an investigation, and Zimmerman’s arrest. The case is now in the hands of the State Attorney’s Office, which has the power to file charges or present evidence to a grand jury.
    TODAY
    Trayvon Martin's mom, Sybrina Fulton, along with the family's attorney Ben Crump told TODAY Monday that they believe the teen was killed because of "the color of his skin."
    “I just can say I’m pretty sure my son tried to get away,’’ Fulton said. “He didn’t know who this guy was. He saw him as a stranger, so he was trying to just get away from the situation. He had never had a run-in with the law. He was mild-mannered. He was a nice kid.’’
    Video: Family seeks justice for slain teen
     
     
    In one call, the 911 dispatcher can be heard instructing Zimmerman not to pursue Martin.
    “This guy looks like he’s up to no good or on drugs or something,’’ Zimmerman tells the dispatcher. “He’s a black male. Something’s wrong with him. He’s coming tocheck me out.”
    “Are you following him?’’ the dispatcher replies. “OK, we don’t need you to do that.’’
    Several neighbors also made frantic calls, describing the struggle. “They’re wrestling right in the back of my porch,’’ one neighbor said. “The guy’s yelling “Help” and I’m not going outside.’’
    “There’s someone screaming!’’ another neighbor said. “I just heard gunshots!”
    A voice can be heard screaming in the background of one of the calls. Zimmerman has said the voice is his, but Martin’s family believes it is the cries of their terrified son.
    “There’s a black guy down,’’ a neighbor said in one chilling call. “It looks like he’s been shot and he’s dead.’’
    “That was my baby, and he was pleading for his life,’’ Fulton told Amy Robach tearfully on TODAY Saturday. “I just don’t understand how that’s self defense. You can clearly him yelling for help.’’
    Florida has a “stand your ground’’ law that makes a self-defense claim easier than it is in some other states, but Martin's family’s attorney doesn’t believe it applies in this instance. Fla. Teen killed by neighborhood watch volunteer
    Family: 911 calls show shooting of black teen was not in self-defense
    “I think Zimmerman has no legal recourse,’’ Crump said. “He was not at his home. He was on the sidewalk, a common area. Trayvon Martin was 70 feet away from the back door — he was almost home. Zimmerman got out of his car, did not listen to the police, and chased this kid. You can’t chase somebody and then claim self defense.’’
    Zimmerman’s father has said that his son, who is Hispanic, has never discriminated against anyone. He wrote in a letter to the Orlando Sentinel that his son has been unfairly depicted as a racist by the media.
    “I just don’t think his dad knows all the facts in the situation that happened,’’ Fulton said. “If something happened to his son, he would want to know more information and not just jump to conclusions.’’
    More than anything, Fulton wishes for a different outcome.
    “I would just want to ask him, was there a different way he could’ve handled the situation?’’ she said.

    Friday, March 16, 2012

    Are Cameras the New Guns?

    In response to a flood of Facebook and YouTube videos that depict police abuse, a new trend in law enforcement is gaining popularity. In at least three states, it is now illegal to record any on-duty police officer.
    Even if the encounter involves you and may be necessary to your defense, and even if the recording is on a public street where no expectation of privacy exists.

    The legal justification for arresting the "shooter" rests on existing wiretapping or eavesdropping laws, with statutes against obstructing law enforcement sometimes cited. Illinois, Massachusetts, and Maryland are among the 12 states in which all parties must consent for a recording to be legal unless, as with TV news crews, it is obvious to all that recording is underway. Since the police do not consent, the camera-wielder can be arrested. Most all-party-consent states also include an exception for recording in public places where "no expectation of privacy exists" (Illinois does not) but in practice this exception is not being recognized.

    Massachusetts attorney June Jensen represented Simon Glik who was arrested for such a recording. She explained, "[T]he statute has been misconstrued by Boston police. You could go to the Boston Common and snap pictures and record if you want." Legal scholar and professor Jonathan Turley agrees, "The police are basing this claim on a ridiculous reading of the two-party consent surveillance law - requiring all parties to consent to being taped. I have written in the area of surveillance law and can say that this is utter nonsense."

    The courts, however, disagree. A few weeks ago, an Illinois judge rejected a motion to dismiss an eavesdropping charge against Christopher Drew, who recorded his own arrest for selling one-dollar artwork on the streets of Chicago. Although the misdemeanor charges of not having a peddler's license and peddling in a prohibited area were dropped, Drew is being prosecuted for illegal recording, a Class I felony punishable by 4 to 15 years in prison.

    In 2001, when Michael Hyde was arrested for criminally violating the state's electronic surveillance law - aka recording a police encounter - the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court upheld his conviction 4-2. In dissent, Chief Justice Margaret Marshall stated, "Citizens have a particularly important role to play when the official conduct at issue is that of the police. Their role cannot be performed if citizens must fear criminal reprisals…." (Note: In some states it is the audio alone that makes the recording illegal.)

    The selection of "shooters" targeted for prosecution do, indeed, suggest a pattern of either reprisal or an attempt to intimidate.

    Glik captured a police action on his cellphone to document what he considered to be excessive force. He was not only arrested, his phone was also seized.

    On his website Drew wrote, "Myself and three other artists who documented my actions tried for two months to get the police to arrest me for selling art downtown so we could test the Chicago peddlers license law. The police hesitated for two months because they knew it would mean a federal court case. With this felony charge they are trying to avoid this test and ruin me financially and stain my credibility."

    Hyde used his recording to file a harassment complaint against the police. After doing so, he was criminally charged.

    In short, recordings that are flattering to the police - an officer kissing a baby or rescuing a dog - will almost certainly not result in prosecution even if they are done without all-party consent. The only people who seem prone to prosecution are those who embarrass or confront the police, or who somehow challenge the law. If true, then the prosecutions are a form of social control to discourage criticism of the police or simple dissent.

    A recent arrest in Maryland is both typical and disturbing.

    On March 5, 24-year-old Anthony John Graber III's motorcycle was pulled over for speeding. He is currently facing criminal charges for a video he recorded on his helmet-mounted camera during the traffic stop.

    The case is disturbing because:

    1) Graber was not arrested immediately. Ten days after the encounter, he posted some of he material to YouTube, and it embarrassed Trooper J. D. Uhler. The trooper, who was in plainclothes and an unmarked car, jumped out waving a gun and screaming. Only later did Uhler identify himself as a police officer. When the YouTube video was discovered the police got a warrant against Graber, searched his parents' house (where he presumably lives), seized equipment, and charged him with a violation of wiretapping law.

    2) Baltimore criminal defense attorney Steven D. Silverman said he had never heard of the Maryland wiretap law being used in this manner. In other words, Maryland has joined the expanding trend of criminalizing the act of recording police abuse. Silverman surmises, "It's more [about] ‘contempt of cop' than the violation of the wiretapping law."

    3) Police spokesman Gregory M. Shipley is defending the pursuit of charges against Graber, denying that it is "some capricious retribution" and citing as justification the particularly egregious nature of Graber's traffic offenses. Oddly, however, the offenses were not so egregious as to cause his arrest before the video appeared.

    Almost without exception, police officials have staunchly supported the arresting officers. This argues strongly against the idea that some rogue officers are overreacting or that a few cops have something to hide. "Arrest those who record the police" appears to be official policy, and it's backed by the courts.

    Carlos Miller at the Photography Is Not A Crime website offers an explanation: "For the second time in less than a month, a police officer was convicted from evidence obtained from a videotape. The first officer to be convicted was New York City Police Officer Patrick Pogan, who would never have stood trial had it not been for a video posted on Youtube showing him body slamming a bicyclist before charging him with assault on an officer. The second officer to be convicted was Ottawa Hills (Ohio) Police Officer Thomas White, who shot a motorcyclist in the back after a traffic stop, permanently paralyzing the 24-year-old man."

    When the police act as though cameras were the equivalent of guns pointed at them, there is a sense in which they are correct. Cameras have become the most effective weapon that ordinary people have to protect against and to expose police abuse. And the police want it to stop.

    Happily, even as the practice of arresting "shooters" expands, there are signs of effective backlash. At least one Pennsylvania jurisdiction has reaffirmed the right to video in public places. As part of a settlement with ACLU attorneys who represented an arrested "shooter," the police in Spring City and East Vincent Township adopted a written policy allowing the recording of on-duty policemen.    From a former law enforcement officer my self,if this happen to you please report it to the F.B.I.

    US Government Anti-Kony Action Begins

    As the entire world has seen by now, the Kony 2012 propaganda campaign has been successful. All over the internet hipsters and pre-teens have given a thumbs up to the pro-imperialist war machine. This phony movement, likely created by the CIA, has already made its way to politicians. On Tuesday, two law makers put forward legislation that would begin serious hostilities against the Lord’s Resistance Army. Unsurprisingly the resolution has been put forth by a Republican and a Democrat. Representatives Jim McGovern, a Democrat from Massachusetts and Ed Royce a Republican from California. It appears the imperialist camp will be going with a bi-partisan campaign for war.
    The resolution states that its goal is to protect civilians from Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army. It calls for a number of actions, including expanding the number of regional forces in Africa. In essence it is a request for more of a military presence in central Africa, an undeclared invasion essentially. In another section it calls for restrictions on organizations and governments found supporting Kony. No doubt this is intended to label anyone who opposes US intervention in Africa as aiding the enemy. This will be carried out in the same manner as the War on Terror. Anyone who opposed the US and NATO invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan were accused of supporting terrorism. This resolution has the definite flavour of those that were put forward before the Iraq and Afghan wars.
    Democrat Jim McGovern stood behind the proposal saying, “I am hopeful we can see this momentum as a force for change. We must do all that we can to protect innocent civilians – especially children – and end LRA violence once and for all.”
    The second step has been taken towards the imperialist invasion of Africa. Step one was to build a base of support from the masses using a slick Hollywood style propaganda video and distributing it online. I am certain that this operation to garner support for war is attempting to use the credibility of social media. For the last year social media like Twitter, YouTube and Facebook have been instrumental in the Arab Spring and Occupy Moments. channels of communication that bypassed government control were held with more credibility than the mainstream media and politician’s speeches. Intelligence organizations have no doubt noticed the power it has, and how much credibility it has, and is attempting to use it to make their imperialist scheme all that more credible. It is a devious plot to take the system set up by the masses to oppose authority, and use it for the ruling class’ purposes.
    All people opposed to the ruling class’ continued drive for war should oppose the Kony 2012 movement as much as possible. Spread the word, we will not fall for another imperialist plot for natural resources that will lead to the deaths of millions for profit. This war is all about grabbing resources to aid the falling American empire as China begins to rise on the world stage. The people of this world do not want war with Uganda, “No to US imperialism”.

    Iran-Russia Quit US Dollar For Trade

    In what is guaranteed to be a moment of concern for investors and US currency watchers, according to PressTV, Iran and Russia have ceased using the US dollar for between trade the two nations. Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Seyyed Reza Sajjadi says the countries will instead be using their own currencies, the ruble and the rial to conduct their trade with each other. This move was decided upon by Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev and Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a closed discussion at the 11th meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) last June.
    Iran says it will no longer accept the U.S. dollar as payment for its oil shipments to India, Japan and China.
    As you will recall in November 2010 both Russia and China stopped using the US dollar for trade with each other. On the part of China it was retaliation for the recent round of “quantitative easing” that was directed towards weakening their currency. This occurred when the US was falsely claiming China was engaged in “currency manipulation” because they refused to devalue their currency for US benefit.
    As Iran is currently being threatened with war because they won’t give up a nuclear weapons program they don’t have, it would seem like a wise move on their part. Since they lack the firepower to actually harm the US for its unjust sanctions, an economic style slight would seem in order. The US dollar is the world’s trading and reserve currency. And like all forms of currency, including gold, the less people use it, the less value it has. Its a completely artificial construct, it only has power so long as people believe in it… like a religion.
    In the ongoing situation between the US and Iran, Russia has come out firmly against the sanctions that have been placed on their important trading partner. They are particularly opposed to measures that “target the country’s Central Bank and financial institutions.” Russia has also repeatedly called for peaceful solutions to the nuclear situation.
    This move is expected to weaken the US dollar further. Other countries now either have or are considering dumping the US dollar as its currency of trade. The writing on the wall is becoming more legible with each passing day. The world has grown weary of US military tactics to prop up its dying financial system, and the world capitalist system in general. More and more countries are joining the push to remove US interests out of their countries. This situation is almost guaranteed to come to violence as the American empire becomes weaker and weaker in an attempt to save itself.

    Sunday, March 11, 2012

    For Your Information: Shady Details About “Invisible Children”, Joseph Kony, And Deplorable Tragedy In Uganda Sparks MAJOR Controversy


    The sudden public emergence of a little-known war criminal named Joseph Kony has created a storm of angry dialogue, suspicious side-eyeing, and an endless stream of online chitchatter the likes of which we haven’t seen since Barack Obama ran for President of the United States in 2008.
    For those that follow us on Twitter, you witnessed some of the angry rhetoric that soapbox super-heroes have aimed in our direction.
    Clearly, Joseph Kony is an atrocious human being and the word “criminal” doesn’t even BEGIN to describe the types of activities he’s been involved in.
    However, there are a whole host of people that do not wholeheartedly believe in the sudden and overwhelming campaign that has sprung up over the past week.
    Even those who actually LIVE in Uganda have doubts about the latest social cause phenomena.
    Says Ugandan journalist Angelo Opi-Aiya Izama:
    ‘To call the campaign a misrepresentation is an understatement. While it draws attention to the fact that Kony, indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court in 2005, is still on the loose, its portrayal of his alleged crimes in Northern Uganda are from a bygone era. At the height of the war between especially 1999 and 2004, large hordes of children took refuge on the streets of Gulu town to escape the horrors of abduction and brutal conscription to the ranks of the LRA. Today most of these children are semi-adults. Many are still on the streets unemployed. Gulu has the highest numbers of child prostitutes in Uganda. It also has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis.
    If six years ago children in Uganda would have feared the hell of being part of the LRA, a well documented reality already, today the real invisible children are those suffering from “Nodding Disease”. Over 4000 children are victims of this incurable debilitating condition. It’s a neurological disease that has baffled world scientists and attacks mainly children from the most war affected districts of Kitgum, Pader and Gulu.’

    Al-Assad, Annan talk candidly in Damascus amid fresh violence


    In what he described as a candid and comprehensive conversation, Kofi Annan, the special United Nations envoy to Syria, laid out proposals Saturday to President Bashar al-Assad that were aimed at halting the relentless carnage.
    It was the first time since Syria's long and bloody conflict that al-Assad met with such a high level diplomat. Even as the two men spoke, however, Syrian security forces continued to kill with impunity.
    At least 63 people were killed Saturday, according to the Local Coordination Committees (LCC), a network of Syrian activists. Another group put the toll at 98.
    Annan, a former U.N. secretary-general, spoke to al-Assad about a ceasefire, the release of detainees and allowing unfettered access to agencies like the Red Cross to deliver much needed aid, a U.N. statement said.
    Annan also proposed a start to an inclusive political dialogue that would "address the legitimate aspirations and concerns of the people."
    He was staying overnight in Damascus and will resume discussions Sunday with al-Assad.
    Annan also met Saturday with opposition leaders and young activists, as well as prominent members of the business community.
    Syrian state-run media said the meeting took place in a "positive atmosphere."
    It said Al-Assad told Annan that he was ready to find a solution but that such an effort would first require a look at reality on the ground and not relying on what "is promoted by some regional and international countries to distort the facts and give a picture contrary to what Syria is undergoing."
    He also reiterated that "political dialogue or action cannot take place or succeed if there are terrorist armed gangs on the ground that are working on spreading chaos and target the stability of the homeland," the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) said.
    The Syrian regime has maintained throughout the uprising that armed thugs are responsible for causing the bloodshed.
    That violence claimed more lives Saturday in villages, towns and cities across the nation.
    Among the dead Saturday were 16 Free Syrian Army fighters who died in an ambush in Jisr al-Shagur, not far from the northern city of Idlib.
    Activist Abdel Aziz stated that Idlib was suffering the kind of heavy shelling the world had seen in the besieged city of Homs and 46 of the casualties Saturday were in Idlib.
    He estimated shelling every two minutes and that many residences and buildings had been damaged or destroyed. He also reported that security forces were searching house to house to arrest activists.
    "The number of tanks is much greater than defectors," Aziz said. "This scenario is very similar to what happened in Homs."
    Violent clashes between government forces and defected soldiers erupted in the town of Daraya, opposition activists said.
    And in the Daraa village of Jezah, "the regime's army is indiscriminately bombing the city with anti-aircraft missiles. The village is under siege in all directions," said the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, a network of opposition activists.
    The group also reported heavy gunfire in Damascus neighborhoods and gunfire in Hama and Aleppo, where communications and electricity were curtailed. A demonstration in Latakia "chanted for the disaster-stricken cities and demanded the regime's ouster," it said.
    The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, another opposition group, said 98 people died, including 39 military defectors. Among 39 civilian casualties were 25 in Idlib, the group said. It also said 20 government troops, including a brigadier general in a Damascus suburb, were killed.

    Amid the fighting, Annan's visit presented "a small sign of hope, yet so dim," said Abdel Aziz al-Khair, a member of the National Coordinating Body for Democratic Change.
    "There is no way that we can have any dialogue with the regime until the security campaign ends," said al-Khair, who met with Annan Saturday.
    "They keep playing the victim role, (saying) that they are defending the innocent civilians while they slaughter them and blame the bloodshed on others," he said.
    Annan seemed extremely concerned about the humanitarian crisis in Syria and said he had received contradicting reports regarding the ongoing conflict, al-Khair said.
    Annan distanced himself from military intervention as did opposition members, agreeing that an armed conflict would only worsen the predicament of civilians, al-Khair said.
    Both Annan and opposition members agreed that plans for a resolution cannot be implemented as long as the bloodshed continues.
    "It is too early to apply a plan to resolve the crisis, " al-Khair said. "The situation on the ground ... is catastrophic."
    U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said Annan was trying to "broker a swift transition in which ultimately Assad steps aside and the people of Syria are able to choose an interim government that's representative and leads to elections."
    Rice said she wants the situation to be resolved peacefully, "to the extent that that remains still a viable outcome."
    But time was running out for a diplomatic solution, said Haytham Manna of the opposition Coordinating Committee of Democratic Transition in Syria.
    "We are getting to the point of no return," said Manna, a Paris-based dissident. "If we can't reach a political agreement today, we will head toward the abyss. ... The regime is pushing the country as a whole toward a full scale armed struggle between the very well organized military institution and our people."
    Meanwhile in Cairo, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov agreed with his Arab League counterparts on key issues regarding Syria. They called for an end to the violence; independent monitoring; unfettered aid delivery; and support for Annan's mission.
    But there was no getting around to the contentious nature of Lavrov's presence at the Arab League meeting after Russia vetoed a key United Nations Security Council resolution condemning the Syrian regime. China also voted against the measure.
    Lavrov defended his nation's ties to the region.
    "We have always supported the rights of the Arab world for independence and free development," Lavrov said. "If you take the volume of economic ties with any of your countries then what we have, unfortunately, in trade and economy is in comparably low(er) than the volume of trade and economic ties with other outside partners."
    Arab leaders called for intervention given the situation within Syria and held firm to their position that al-Assad must step down.
    Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani said the Arab League supported Annan's mission but it was also time to send in Arab and other international troops into Syria.
    The United Nations says more than 7,500 have died in the past year, and at least one activist group says more than 9,000 people have been killed.
    We cannot independently confirm opposition or government reports of casualties or attacks from across Syria because the government has severely restricted the access of international journalists.
    But a vast majority of reports from inside Syria show a systematic slaughter in an attempt to silence dissidents.