Before we get to anything else, there will not be any Indymedia roundups tonight. That's due to the issue which has resulted in more e-mails from members than I can handle. I was working my way through them and they're already back up above four thousand.
If I've responded to you once already on this topic, I'm not going to be able to respond to you again today. There are members who haven't had their say and received a response from me. It's obvious that everyone writing wants a personal response.
(Community members who are lost, though judging by the e-mails, everyone knows about this, check your inboxes because there's a special edition of the gina & krista round-robin.)
My statements in that were made first thing in the morning. When I was under the belief, apparently mistaken, that it was a misunderstanding and would be straightened out. I assumed the man (let me steal from
Rebecca, isn't it always a man?) who had a problem with
Kat would say, "Here's what I want posted." That didn't happen. Not only did that not happen but another person has now weighed in. The statement is based on something. I don't know what. It's not a factual statement because a factual statement would not claim that the man posted what he posted because he had no other outlet -- not while he was demanding a correction from
Kat. My hope (which always comes back to bite me in the butt, doesn't it?) is that the person who made that statement is unaware that the man did have another avenues and has used them.
We're having no contact with that site. That's me, that's members. Don't post there, don't e-mail them. I have no idea what's going on. But I know I do not support the treatment
Kat got.
Kat expressed an opinion. You don't correct an opinion. It's too bad that someone (and yes, I'm saying "one" being hopeful) thinks you do.
It's not enough that he misquotes her at the site he posts on, he also demands a correction from her at her site. And since he won't provide what he wants to say, forgive me for assuming that he's trying to force her into printing a statement as though it were her own.
Kat's not doing that. I don't support that happening. What I do support is no more contact. Shut it down immediately. Communication is something I'm all for. I'm not for distortions. As everyone knows, while on chemo I was mocked. I have not forgotten that. The entry last night that I saved to draft (see "
Link-Fest") was talking about that. One point I'll share is that what hurt the most from that was that I made the mistake of communicating with someone and attempting to speak person to person. Only to have my illness mocked. While I'm in the middle of chemo. I didn't need that.
I don't want to see anyone else hurt in that manner. So shut down communication immediately. Not another post at that site, not an e-mail.
We are going to be addressing it in a roundtable.
Rebecca will post her entry on this that she saved last night, later today. But that's not the end of special programming while will address other things.
You're not going to see the Indymedia roundup tonight. (Members aren't focused on it and members determine what gets highlighted.) What are you going to have tonight?
Special programming. Let's call it that.
You'll understand when you see it. There are a number of issues that need to be addressed and the community is coming together. Whether that means Pru's submission to Gina & Krista for tomorrow's newsletter, about feminism in her country (England), or whether it just means the members with sites stand together, there will be special programming tonight.
Dona is pissed off. She'll be conducting the roundtable on this and will explain why she's conducting it.
But no more contact with anyone outside the community on this issue. Someone can see that as me saying, "Shut off the cameras!" As 60 Minutes wrongly accused Gloria Steinem of doing. That's not what it is. We're not going to be screwed over on this and we're not making any statements in private on this. Special programming will deal with a number of issues.
I don't have the time for it to be honest. I'll be making the time for it because it's important.
No one has to agree with
Kat. Disagreement with
Kat is not the issue.
Maria attempted to address the issue this morning and her points were not addressed.
Maria was hampered by the fact that she wasn't sure whether she could mention the e-mails because of the fact that her information on that came from
the round-robin. (Actually,
Wally's already written on this at his site.) I respect
Maria's willingness to respect
the round-robin as do
Gina and
Krista.
But we're not doing that. We're not holding our tongues.
Let me be clear that this isn't a holy tear you'll be seeing tonight. I'll practice the "in fairness" that Gina mocks as my Oprah tendencies. Probably less so because I'm stressed out from all the e-mails and trying to figure exactly how I'm going to be able to respond to everyone.
I think it's crap. You disagree with
Kat,
Rebecca,
Mike, me, whoever. Fine. E-mail us. If you have your own site, you have no right to demand that we correct our opinion or our take. Corrections are for facts.
My apologies to
Kat because I had no idea how bothered she was and she was also conducting herself in a different manner due to me. Don't do that. That's every member in the community. Don't curb yourself for me. But, please, cut off all contact ASAP.
We protect the community here. We haven't worked together for so long to be as strong and as large as we are to disown the community or treat it as something disposable.
Air Marshalls Shoot and Kill Passenger in Miami
In Miami, Rigoberto Alpizar, a passenger reportedly suffering from a mental disorder, was killed by federal air marshals Wednesday. Witnesses say Alpizar ran off the plane after claiming he had a bomb in his backpack, shortly before it was set to take off. His wife followed behind him, yelling out to bystanders her husband had not taken medication for a serious bi-polar condition. Air marshals shot Alpiza five times when he refused to lie on the ground. No bombs were found in the backpack or in any of the plane’s luggage. Alpiza and his wife were reportedly traveling back from a missionary trip in Peru. The shooting marked the first time federal air marshals have used their guns aboard planes since they were introduced following the September 11th attacks.
Plinter Blasts US, UK in Nobel Acceptance Speech
British playwright Harold Pinter accepted a Nobel Prize Wednesday by delivering a stinging criticism of US and British foreign policy. Pinter won the award for literature – the world’s highest honor for a writer – in October. At a ceremony in Sweden Wednesday, Pinter accepted the award via a taped video message from Britain, where is being treated for cancer. Pinter said: “The invasion of Iraq was a bandit act, an act of blatent state terrorism demonstrating absolute contempt for the concept of international law. The invasion was an arbitrary military action inspired by series of lies upon lies and gross manipulation of the media and therefore the public." Pinter is author of such plays as “The Caretaker" and "The Homecoming.”
Mumia Abu-Jamal Wins Right to Appeal
In a ruling his defense team is calling a major victory, Mumia Abu-Jamal has won the right to appeal his murder conviction on three separate grounds. Convicted in 1982 for the murder of a police officer, Mumia will be able to appeal on grounds of both judge and jury bias. He’ll also appeal on the basis the trial prosecutor misled jurors. In a news release, Mumia’s attorney Robert Bryan wrote the court’s rulings are: “of enormous constitutional significance and go to the very essence of Mumia's right to a fair trial… Today we achieved a great victory in the campaign to win a new trial and the eventual freedom of Mumia.” Opening briefs in the appeal will be heard on January 17th.
The above three items are from
Democracy Now! Headlines today and were selected by
Bonnie,
Micah and
Susan. (
Susan, your e-mail, on another topic, made me laugh. Thank you. I needed a laugh today.)
Democracy Now! ("always worth watching," as
Marcia says):
Headlines for December 8, 2005
- Captors Extend Deadline on Western Aid Workers
- Suicide Bombing Kills 30 in Iraq
- Air Marshalls Shoot and Kill Passenger in Miami
- Pinter Blasts US, UK in Nobel Acceptance Speech
- Mumia Abu-Jamal Wins Right to Appeal
- Explosion Kills Over 60 Workers in Chinese Mine
- Police Kill Eight in Egyptian Election Clashes
- Global Remembrances on 25th Anniversary of John Lennon Slaying
John Lennon 1940-1980: History Professor Jon Wiener Discusses Lennon's Politics, FBI Files and Why Richard Nixon Sought to Deport Him
25 years ago today John Lennon died after being shot dead by a gunman named Mark Chapman. Millions mourned the death of perhaps the most famous Beatle. Today memorials are being held across the world. On this anniversary, we pay tribute to Lennon’s life with historian Jon Wiener, author of "Gimme Some Truth: The John Lennon FBI Files" and "Come Together: John Lennon in His Time."
We also hear Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono describe their Bed-In For Peace. We play excerpts of Lennon singing “Imagine” at the Apollo Theater in Harlem at a rally for the Attica prisoners and Lennon singing at the 1971 Free John Sinclair concert in Ann Arbor. In addition we air historic interviews with Pete Seeger discussing the significance of Lennon’s song “Give Peace A Chance” and Abbie Hoffman on Lennon, the political radical. [includes rush transcript]
As Rice Asserts U.S. Detainee Policy, a Look at "Torture Flights" and Secret CIA Prisons
As Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says that U.S. interrogators are forbidden to use torture both at home and abroad, we speak with British journalist Stephen Grey on how he tracks so-called "torture flights" - when the CIA kidnaps a suspect of the street and transports them to secret prisons. [includes rush transcript]
That's it, everyone. We'll be addressing the man e-mailing
Kat tonight in special programming. In addition to that topic, a few other issues have arisen. Look for "War Got Your Tongue" which I think will especially be enjoyed. Special programming will not revolve all around the man. He's not interesting enough for that. A roundtable will revolve around it. And, again, there will be more special programming.
