The NonSilent Majority

Fox News: Palin didn't know Africa was a continent

Where to begin?

Stay tuned...I have much to say!

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URGENT ACTION NEEDED TODAY

Today a potentially innocent man is scheduled to be executed in the state of Georgia.

URGENT ACTION is needed!

Please read more about Troy Davis, his case, and then help justice truly be served -- take action!

Help justice to truly be served. This case needs to be reopened and new evidence needs to be heard.

Please click here for more information.

Shocking Choice by John McCain

The following is from The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 29, 2008

Shocking Choice by  John McCain

WASHINGTON-- Senator John McCain just announced his choice for running mate:  Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska.  To follow is a statement by Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund.

“Senator McCain’s choice for a running mate is beyond belief. By choosing Sarah Palin, McCain has clearly made a decision to continue the Bush legacy of destructive environmental policies.

“Sarah Palin, whose husband works for BP (formerly British Petroleum), has repeatedly put special interests first when it comes to the environment. In her scant two years as governor, she has lobbied aggressively to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling, pushed for more drilling off of Alaska’s coasts, and put special interests above science. Ms. Palin has made it clear through her actions that she is unwilling to do even as much as the Bush administration to address the impacts of global warming. Her most recent effort has been to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove the polar bear from the endangered species list, putting Big Oil before sound science. As unbelievable as this may sound, this actually puts her to the right of the Bush administration.

“This is Senator McCain’s first significant choice in building his executive team and it’s a bad one. It has to raise serious doubts in the minds of voters about John McCain’s commitment to conservation, to addressing the impacts of global warming and to ensuring our country ends its dependency on oil.”

###

The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund (www.defendersactionfund.org) provides a powerful voice in Washington to Americans who value our conservation heritage. Through grassroots lobbying, issue advocacy and political campaigns, the Action Fund champions those laws and lawmakers that protect wildlife and wild places while working against those that do them harm.

Net neutrality: Why you should give a damn

Guest author and friend, Michael Janover, contributes an interesting and thought provoking blog today on Net Neutrality. You may also find Mike's article published in the Rocky Mountain News.

Net neutrality: Why you should give a damn

By Michael Janover

OK, I'm old. I was around when Channel 2 went on the air in Denver in the early 50's and brought us Blinky the Clown. It was exciting. Television. In Colorado!

In the mid-60s, cable TV and the dish staked their claims, and folks in the mountains could finally see Star Trek and Mary Tyler Moore. A whole new world was opening, no longer limited by four or five basic channels. Cable and satellite promised real choice. Hundreds of channels! Wow! You could see anything!

So what happened to all the choices?

Why is it that TV and the movies are always the same old, same old?

For one thing, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) made it possible to merge control of the television and film industries into fewer and fewer networks. What started out as infinite possibilities gradually became three super networks. These entities gobbled up the studio system and the cable channels. Creative decisions were gradually assumed by corporate boards that prefer safe, tested and bland to innovative, daring and dramatic. It's one of the reasons hard news became infotainment, and rich, life-changing drama is now "reality" programming.

Too much creative control is in the hands of too few people who aren't  creative.

The beginning of the 80s was the start of the Computer Age. I went out and bought a Kaypro, a clunky box, with black screen and glowing green text. It was great. Totally cutting edge.

Computers became more wonderful with color graphics and the mouse thingy, but the most amazing and subversive change was INTERNET. In a few short years, it turned the planet into one big neighborhood; and with broadband access, it also offered interactivity.

We are no longer simple couch potatoes in front of the living room TV. Today, we're interactive potatoes and use computers to communicate, shop, or read and comment about everything from elections to Dancing With the Stars. We converse with people around the country and world as if they lived across the street. How quaint and microscopic those "hundreds of channels" seem now.

Blogs and YouTube are the new political language. They were vital in the Writer's Guild's recent successful struggle with management - the very people who own the mainstream media. Truth is, the Internet does more to democratize the world than any of the wars currently being waged. It truly offers an infinity of choices that TV can't deliver, and freedom of interactivity that telephones only dream of.

Something this massive and good just begs for someone to control it, don't  you think?

Well, that group has surfaced. It's not the Chinese government, not even your government. No, it's the telecommunications companies. The same folks who offer you three-tiered packages of programming instead of just charging you for the shows you want to see; the same people who offer expensive long distance packages when you can do better for next to nothing over the Internet; and the same people who want immunity from prosecution for accidentally illegally wiretapping millions of our phone conversations.

Since the telecoms deliver the Internet to you, they think the government should grant them the power to control how you use it. They want to make more money and put limits on what you see and how you see it. In their world, websites should be charged for the privilege of being seen by their customers. And sites should pay extra for making it possible for consumers to download their material faster (-- by removing the telecom's artificial restraints). Failure to pay these tolls results in your site not being seen, or in ultra-lengthy download times that drive impatient users elsewhere.

Imagine going online to CNN or to download music or watch an old TV show, but the feed is so slow that it no longer works properly. The grass on your lawn is growing faster. Why? Because someone didn't pay tacked-on fees to the local cable or phone company, and the feed was restricted.

The Telecoms are spending millions to convince Congressional candidates that giving them control makes for a less expensive, better Internet. As you read this, they’re donating money like there's no tomorrow, because after this election, the new Congress will be forced to decide if Telecoms should be given this power.

"Net Neutrality" basically means "Leave the Internet alone," and it's the battle cry for those who think handing over management and control of information to a few mega-corporations is the worst possible idea.

Net Neutrality isn't another "nutty left wing crusade." Internet giants like Google and Microsoft, consumer advocates such as Consumer Reports, small businesses who might be relegated to the slow lane, and iPod users who might find it harder to download tunes -- all want to maintain Net Neutrality.

"Maintain" is the magic word. Net Neutrality doesn't ask for new regulations; it only wants to be sure that the freedom we already have is preserved. If you believe in a true open market and don't want to give your freedom of choice to some corporate Big Brother, if you don't want your Internet experience censored or restricted, if you enjoy watching YouTube or visiting Facebook without limitations - you probably support Net Neutrality without even realizing it.

It's time for you to speak up and ask a few questions. Now is when you have the clout. Does your Senate candidate support maintaining freedom of the Internet - or increasing profits for the Telecoms? If you don't know, find out.

For more detailed information on the fight to save the Internet, please check out www.freepress.net/files/nn_fact_v_fiction_final.pdf, a fact sheet put together by Free Press, the Consumers Union, and Consumer Federation of America.

Michael Janover grew up in Denver and went to school and graduated from CU in Boulder in 1967. He’s been a WGA writer since 1978, worked for HAWAII 5-O, Wide World of Disney and wrote THE PHILADELPHIA EXPERIMENT while in Hollywood. He also helped start the Colorado Film School in Aurora.

A Resolution to Impeach President George W. Bush

An interesting and provocative contribution today from guest author Al Feldstein:

Dennis J. Kucinich of Ohio
In the United States House of Representatives
Monday, June 9th, 2008
A Resolution

Resolved, that President George W. Bush be impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors, and that the following articles of impeachment be exhibited to the United States Senate:

Articles of impeachment exhibited by the House of Representatives of the United States of America in the name of itself and of the people of the United States of America, in maintenance and support of its impeachment against President George W. Bush for high crimes and misdemeanors.

In his conduct while President of the United States, George W. Bush, in violation of his constitutional oath to faithfully execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has committed the following abuses of power.

Article I
Creating a Secret Propaganda Campaign to Manufacture a False Case for War Against Iraq.

Article II
Falsely, Systematically, and with Criminal Intent Conflating the Attacks of September 11, 2001, With Misrepresentation of Iraq as a Security Threat as Part of Fraudulent Justification for a War of Aggression.

Article III
Misleading the American People and Members of Congress to Believe Iraq Possessed Weapons of Mass Destruction, to Manufacture a False Case for War.

Article IV
Misleading the American People and Members of Congress to Believe Iraq Posed an Imminent Threat to the United States.

Article V
Illegally Misspending Funds to Secretly Begin a War of Aggression.

Article VI
Invading Iraq in Violation of the Requirements of HJRes114.

Article VII
Invading Iraq Absent a Declaration of War.

Article VIII
Invading Iraq, A Sovereign Nation, in Violation of the UN Charter.

Article IX
Failing to Provide Troops With Body Armor and Vehicle Armor.

Article X
Falsifying Accounts of US Troop Deaths and Injuries for Political Purposes.

Article XI
Establishment of Permanent U.S. Military Bases in Iraq.

Article XII
Initiating a War Against Iraq for Control of That Nation's Natural Resources.

Article XIIII
Creating a Secret Task Force to Develop Energy and Military Policies With Respect to Iraq and Other Countries.

Article XIV
Misprision of a Felony, Misuse and Exposure of Classified Information And Obstruction of Justice in the Matter of Valerie Plame Wilson, Clandestine Agent of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Article XV
Providing Immunity from Prosecution for Criminal Contractors in Iraq.

Article XVI
Reckless Misspending and Waste of U.S. Tax Dollars in Connection With Iraq and US Contractors.

Article XVII
Illegal Detention: Detaining Indefinitely And Without Charge Persons Both U.S. Citizens and Foreign Captives.

Article XVIII
Torture: Secretly Authorizing, and Encouraging the Use of Torture Against Captives in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Other Places, as a Matter of Official Policy.

Article XIX
Rendition: Kidnapping People and Taking Them Against Their Will to "Black Sites" Located in Other Nations, Including Nations Known to Practice Torture.

Article XX
Imprisoning Children.

Article XXI
Misleading Congress and the American People About Threats from Iran, and Supporting Terrorist Organizations Within Iran, With the Goal of Overthrowing the Iranian Government.

Article XXII
Creating Secret Laws.

Article XXIII
Violation of the Posse Comitatus Act.

Article XXIV
Spying on American Citizens, Without a Court-Ordered Warrant, in Violation of the Law and the Fourth Amendment.

Article XXV
Directing Telecommunications Companies to Create an Illegal and Unconstitutional Database of the Private Telephone Numbers and Emails of American Citizens.

Article XXVI
Announcing the Intent to Violate Laws with Signing Statements.

Article XXVII
Failing to Comply with Congressional Subpoenas and Instructing Former Employees Not to Comply.

Article XXVIII
Tampering with Free and Fair Elections, Corruption of the Administration of Justice.

Article XXIX
Conspiracy to Violate the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Article XXX
Misleading Congress and the American People in an Attempt to Destroy Medicare.

Article XXXI
Katrina: Failure to Plan for the Predicted Disaster of Hurricane Katrina, Failure to Respond to a Civil Emergency.

Article XXXII
Misleading Congress and the American People, Systematically Undermining Efforts to Address Global Climate Change.

Article XXXIII
Repeatedly Ignored and Failed to Respond to High Level Intelligence Warnings of Planned Terrorist Attacks in the US, Prior to 911.

Article XXXIV
Obstruction of the Investigation into the Attacks of September 11, 2001.

Article XXXV
Endangering the Health of 911 First Responders.

NO to Loaded Guns in America's National Parks

As a young girl growing up in Montana, regular visits to Yellowstone National Park were part of our family routine.

If relatives came for a visit, we took them to Yellowstone.

If friends came for a visit, we took them to Yellowstone.

If it was long weekend, we went to Yellowstone.

If friends were going to Yellowstone, we were going to Yellowstone.

Yellowstone National Park continues to be one of America's treasures.

And

I couldn't feel more blessed to have grown up in such a spectacular place of peace and beauty.

So, you can imagine my surprise when I learned that the Bush Administration is, once again, cow-towing to the National Rifle Association by seeking to relax a law that has been in place for 100+ years.

A law that bans loaded guns in America's national parks.

For more than 100 years, our national parks have been places of sanctuary for humans and animals alike.

When did they become listed as war zones where loaded guns are necessary?

The time in NOW to say NO to the NRA and the Bush Administration once and for all when it comes to the safety of American citizens.

For more than 100 years, loaded guns have NOT been a part of America's national parks.

Let's keep it that way.

Please join the U.S. Park Rangers Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police, the Association of National Park Rangers, the National Park Service Retirees, The Wilderness Society, and the National Parks Conservation Association in saying NO TO LOADED GUNS in America's national Parks.

Take action by learning more on each of the above websites AND by sending a letter to the Department of Interior expressing your opposition to the NRA's push for loaded guns in our national parks.

The Crumbling of Democracy

What an interesting time this is in the United States of America.

Yesterday, the majority of the Democratic Party leadership clung to THEIR rules rather than American Democracy.

I guess they have learned NOTHING from history. When the rules are wrong, change the rules.

The majority of the Democratic Party leadership weakened not just the Democratic Party yesterday, but they weakened what America stands for -- freedom, human rights, and democracy.

Many Clinton and Obama loyalists probably see this issue as one about "their" candidate.

Perhaps in some ways it is.

But

More importantly this issue is squarely about American Democracy.

I don't know about any of you, but when I turned 18 and registered as a voter for the first time, I didn't receive a party handbook detailing for me the rules and regulations of my party of choice.

In the many years and changes of residency since that time, I've never received a party handbook of any kind.

I've never even received a call from anyone in a leadership position within the Democratic party in any state I've ever lived in and those states include:

Montana, South Dakota, Arizona, Tennessee, Oklahoma, California, Minnesota, and Virginia.

Not once, not one single phone call, not one flier, not one knock on my door, not anything. Except, of course during an election year and then I get kadoodles of mailings from my party's candidates and some from the other parties.

Thankfully, for the most part, in America if we have the talent and skills we can enter into any profession we so choose. And within our chosen profession, people trust us to do our jobs to the best of our ability.

In theory, no matter what profession one chooses, it's a service job. Every single job provides a service of some kind or another. Spirituality aside, our jobs are part of what connects us in this world. Even the least trusting person in the world trusts people in their chosen professions to be doing their jobs.

I'm guessing you are like me.

I trust the people at my chosen Internet and phone company to be doing their jobs. I trust the flight crew of my chosen air carrier to be doing their jobs. I trust the people at my car's manufacturer to be doing their jobs. I trust the medical personnel at my local hospital to be doing their jobs. I trust the City workers in charge of traffic lights to be doing their jobs. When I take my dogs to the vet, I trust my vet and the techs to be doing their jobs.

The list goes on.

I don't know the ins and outs of all of these professions, nor do I know the rules and regulations within many of these professions.

What I do know is my part within the interaction between myself and these other parties.

I'm a well educated person and for that I'm grateful. I know that I must participate in the well being of my own life and that it is my responsibility to do so.

I also know that it is my responsibility to be a good citizen of my country and of this world.

And to the very best of my ability, I exercise this responsibility daily.

As an American citizen, I trust my political leaders to do their jobs. And I believe their job FIRST AND FOREMOST is to protect our human rights, our constitution, and our democracy.

What I learned yesterday is that the majority of the Democratic Party leadership stands first and foremost for their own agenda.

I know the political world is filled and often fueled by personal agendas. Every campaign has them. Every politician has them.

History reveals personal political agendas very clearly. They always come out. The truth in every situation always finds the person or people it is meant to find. And I can only imagine how many truths are yet to be revealed of personal political agendas from the past 7 1/2 years of the Bush/Cheney administration. (As if what we know already isn't shocking enough to cause us to rise up and say enough!)

When the 2.5 million voters of Michigan and Florida went to the polls to vote in their primary elections I bet the majority of them didn't know about the intricacies of the rules and regulations of the Democratic Party. I bet the majority of them headed to the polls trusting that the political leadership of our country learned valuable lessons from 2000 and that each American citizen's vote was now valid once again. I bet the majority of the 2.5 million people that voted in Michigan and Florida trusted that the leadership within the Democratic Party was doing their job in protecting American Democracy.

From day one of hearing the DNC's decision to strip Michigan and Florida of their delegates, I was adamantly opposed to such an action. That action makes as much sense as a Kindergarten teacher sending the entire class to time out because two kids locked the classroom door preventing the entire class from reentering the classroom after recess.

Why punish an entire group of people for the lack of good judgment by a few?

Isn't that related to the workings of communism?

I believe all candidates that agreed not to campaign in Michigan and Florida displayed a terrible lack of judgment.

However, to remove your name from a ballot actually denying the right of American citizens to mark your specific name takes the displaying of terrible judgment to a whole new level.

The boys club of Obama, Edwards, and Biden did just that.

Here were men campaigning for the highest office in the world in a country known for democracy and our right to vote for our candidate of choice removing their name from the ballot of an entire state of American citizens???

What message does that send out?

It sends out the clearly stated message of the "rules" of our party are more important than the rights of American citizens; the "rules" of our party are more important than American Democracy.

To VOLUNTARILY, AT YOUR REQUEST not give American citizens the right to mark your name on their ballot and then demand, protest, fight for delegates to be awarded to you from their state is mindboggling to me.

To VOLUNTARILY, AT YOUR REQUEST not give American citizens the right to mark your name on their ballot and then cry foul when the possibility of delegates are going to be awarded from their state is mindboggling to me.

To VOLUNTARILY, AT YOUR REQUEST not give American citizens the right to mark your name on their ballot and then accept delegates from their state is mindboggling to me.

I've asked this question before, but I must ask it again:

How is an election ever truly won when liberties are lost?

Sexism in the Media

Growing up in the 60's and 70's I was blessed to have strong women for role models.

My mom at the top of the list.

At 17-years-old, she was recruited by the FBI to work for J. Edgar Hoover. My mom worked throughout her entire career in a male dominated promotional system. Without a college education and female, my mom had to work harder and smarter than anyone else to qualify for a promotion. And that she did. Upon her retirement from the government she had risen as high as she could in her field.

If any young girl or young woman today wants to know what it was like to be a woman in the 60's, she only needs to watch AMC's excellent television program, Mad Men.

When I was growing up, the slogan for Virginia Slims (cigarettes) was "You've come a long way baby."

It is now 2008 and I wonder just how far the young women of today think women have come. Do they even know from what depths the women before them have risen so that they (the young women) may enjoy as many of the benefits as they (the young women) do today?

The world still has a LONG way to go before women are truly recognized as equal by the majority of their male counterparts and oddly enough by some women (what's up with that?).

The one thing that always bugged me about the Virginia Slims slogan is that it implied women had a come a long way. Women have always been capable of achieving the greatest of goals. History shows that. Women have been serving in ruling positions for centuries. What I always thought the slogan should say was "They've come a long way baby" and show men not thinking twice about having a female for a boss.

One thing that this 2008 presidential election has most clearly shown is that men in the media have most definitely NOT COME A LONG WAY. Can you imagine being the wife or daughter to one of the media guys in this video? Yikes. They've clearly shown how little respect they have for the abilities of their own wives and daughters.

For more information on this video and how you can take action to improve the profile of women in the media, visit the Women's Media Center.

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Bloggers Unite for Human Rights: 10 Female Human Rights Heroes

In the midst of some of the world's most darkest of times, a few seek to bring light.

Women have LONG played a significant role in human rights activism, yet historically receive much less attention than their male counter parts.

So, today...

As bloggers all over the world unite for human rights...

I direct your eyes

And your attention

And your heart

to 10 women you may or may not have heard of

And to the causes for which each woman either fought with her life

Or fights with her life now.

1. Harriet Tubman

Abolitionist :: Humanitarian :: Union Spy

Having escaped from slavery herself, Harriet Tubman made 13 dangerous missions to free 70 slaves through the "Underground Railroad" - safe houses set up by antislavery activists; aided John Brown in recruiting men for his raid on Harper's Ferry; was the first woman to lead an armed exhibition in the war; guided the raid on the Combahee River liberating more than 700 slaves; and in the post-war era she fought for women's suffrage. Harriet Tubman was a woman of great courage, faith, and determination to help change the world for the betterment of all man and woman kind and she was a great humanitarian hero. To learn more about HarrietTubman, visit www.harriettubmanbiography.com.

2. Margaret Utinsky

War Hero :: Nurse :: Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient

Married to a civil engineer working for the U.S. Government in the Philippines, Margaret Utinsky enjoyed her life in Manila. It was the 1930's and her husband had a good job. However, as the world began to change in the 1940's, so did life in the Philippines. When it became clear that the Japanese were going to attack the islands of the Pacific, the U.S. Government ordered all American wives back to the States. Only Margaret refused to leave her husband. When her husband was relocated to work on Bataan, Margaret stayed behind. In December of 1941, as the Japanese invaded the Philippines and occupied Manila, Margaret hid in her apartment for more than 10 weeks. Eventually obtaining false identity documents, Margaret began to work for the Red Cross and began to search for her husband. Seeing the conditions of the captured soldiers who survived the Bataan Death March and learning of the death of her husband, Margaret set about to save as many of the POWs as she could. Recruiting and organizing a team of helpers, Margaret and her network began smuggling food, medicine, shoes, and money for the captured men being held by the Japanese in Camp O'Donnell and Cabanatuan . Through Margaret's and her team's work, hundreds of lives were saved. This life-saving work was not without danger. A number of Margaret's team members were captured and killed. Margaret, too, was captured, beaten and tortured, but she would not reveal any of those within her network and she was eventually released. Escaping to the mountains near Bataan, Margaret continued her work as a nurse with the Filipino forces moving from camp to camp to help everyone in need. Upon the American liberation of the Philippines, Margaret returned to the United States where she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and would write a book, Miss U,  detailing her life story. To learn more about Margaret Utinsky, visit World War II Remembered.

3. Irena Sendler

Champion of Children :: Rescuer :: Order of the Smile Recipient

Appalled by Hitler's holocaust, Irena Sendler set out to save as many Jews as she could in her native Warsaw, Poland. As a social worker, Irena first began documenting Jewish families as having highly contagious diseases so the Nazis would not visit the families. However, when the Warsaw Ghetto was built and all Jews were walled off from the rest of society and systematically killed, Irena came up with a new plan. Organizing a team of 20 rescuers, Irena worked out ways to not only enter the Ghetto herself, but for her team as well. During her many working visits inside the Ghetto, Irena convinced as many Jewish families with babies and young children as she could to give up their young ones to Irena and her team. All counted, Irena and her fellow rescuers smuggled 2,500 Jewish children out of the Warsaw Ghetto and out of certain death at the hands of the Nazis. Finding homes with non-Jewish families, convents, and orphanages, Irena also documented each child as being Catholic. Careful to never reveal their true identities and names to anyone, Irena vowed to herself that she would one day work to reunite the children with their families. To keep the records of each child's true name safe, Irena wrote the names on slips of paper, placed the papers in jars, and buried the jars in one of her team member's yard. Irena was eventually caught and beaten by the Gestapo. Even with both feet and legs broken, injuries that would leave her crippled for life, and sentenced to die, Irena never revealed any information. Successfully escaping from prison, Irena was hunted by the Gestapo until the end of the war. True to her word, Irena dug up the jars and set about finding children and families. Sadly, many of the families were killed by the Nazis, but those that survived were found by Irena and reunited with either their children or their relatives children. Irena Sendler died this week at the age of 98. She is a hero of not just 2,500 Jewish children, but of all the generations of their children. To learn more about Irena Sendler, visit Life in a Jar.

4. Alice Paul  5. Lucy Burns

Suffragists :: Leaders :: Committed to Equality

Knowing how government affects our daily lives, real life suffragists Alice Paul and Lucy Burns fought with all of their might to win women the right to vote in the United States of America. Taking on not only Washington D. C. politicians and President Woodrow Wilson, but the National American Woman Suffrage Association founded in 1890 by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Paul and Lucy Burns successfully led the campaign that brought the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920 giving women the right to vote. However, in doing so Alice and Lucy discovered just how determined many men -- and women -- were to prevent this from happening. At times fighting with their very lives, these courageous women and their team of fellow suffragists soldiered on. Lobbying, picketing, organizing demonstrations and parades, the suffragists including Alice and Lucy were eventually convicted and incarcerated for obstructing traffic. As an act of protest of their conditions and treatment while incarcerated, Alice Paul began a hunger strike and a number of her fellow inmate suffragists followed suit. Having used the press for the demonstrations and parades, Alice Paul was a known figure. When news of her hunger strike and an order for her to be force fed leaked to the press, pressure on President Wilson and Congress mounted. Committed to see women have an equal vote in how America's government runs, Alice Paul and Lucy Burns fought with their lives to make this world a better place for all women who would come after them -- a place where your daughter(s) have an equal voice to your son(s). To learn more about Alice Paul and her legacy,visit the Alice Paul Institute. To learn more about Lucy Burns, visit the National Women's History Museum.

6. Esther Chavez Cano

Care Giver :: Advocate :: Champion for Women's Rights

1993 brought a wave of violence against women and young girls to Juarez, Mexico -- a town bordering El Paso, Texas. With more than 400 + women and young girls having been brutally raped, murdered and some disappearing, surely one would think that law enforcement would be working all that much harder to stop the violence and bring the killers to justice -- if justice on earth is possible for the horrendous nature of these crimes. But, to this day, the law has turned a relatively blind eye to stopping the violence. Seeking a way to help the victims and gain stronger rights for women, Esther Chavez Cano started the Casa Amiga Rape Crisis Center in Juarez. Amazingly, in this community of 1.5 million, Casa Amiga is the ONLY facility of its kind created to female victims of rape and violent crimes. Last year alone, Casa Amiga provided help for 1, 172 new cases and served 5,803 clients. With a small, mainly volunteer staff, Casa Amiga is a light in a very dark place for women. To learn more about the work of Esther Chavez Cano, visit the Casa Amiga Rape Crisis Center.

7. Zainab Salbi

Survivor :: Humanitarian :: Builder of Lives

Having survived bombs in Iraq and living under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, Zainab Salbi escaped from Iraq knowing something better must be ahead of her. Discovering other women whose lives had been torn apart by war, Zainab began reaching out to these women in all ways she could. Seeing a great need for women who survive war, Zainab founded Women for Women International in 1993. Along with co-founder Amjad Atallah, Zainab worked to build the organization into a place where women would help women become stronger. Since its opening, more than 93,000 women have been served through Women for Women International's various programs. To learn more about Zainab Salbi and her work, visit Women for Women International.

8. Mutabar Tadzhibaeva

Activist :: Prisoner of Conscience :: Noble Peace Prize Nominee

Founder of the national Uzbekistan movement, Civil Society, Mutabar Tadzhibaeva is currently in prison in her native Uzbekistan serving an eight year sentence for 13 counts of economic and political counts against the Uzbekistan government. Detained in October of 2005 on her way to an international conference on human rights defenders,Mutabar's trial began on January 30, 2006. Being forced to sit in a cage throughout her trial, Mutabar was also denied access to private meetings with her attorney, files associated with her case, and sufficient time to review material pertaining to her case. In 2005, when the Uzbekistan government forces fired into crowds of unarmed protesters, killing hundreds, Mutabar Tadzhibaeva's human rights work increased and she became more vocal. After giving a radio interview in which she condemned the government for their harrassment of human rights activists, Mutabar's own well being began to be threatened. To learn how you can speak up for Mutabar and demand her release, visit Amnesty International.

8. Angelica Gonzalez 9. Jennifer Echeverria

Lawyers :: Seekers of Justice :: Human Rights Advocates

As part of a team of lawyers at the Center for Legal Action of Human Rights in Guatemala, Angelica Gonzalez and Jennifer Echeverria provide legal support for families seeking justice for their relatives killed during Guatemala's internal armed conflict. With many massacres and mass killings -- one proven to be carried out by the government in 1982, families of relatives killed in this massacre won a court battle and have been awarded compensation to be paid by the Guatemalan government. With more trials coming against military officers and the former Head of State of Guatemala, threats are now being made against the legal teams. Recently, both Angelica and Jennifer have been threatened to the point of fearing for their lives -- simply because they are defending the rights of their fellow man/womankind. To learn how you can speak on behalf of Angelica Gonzalez and Jennifer Echeverria in an appeal for their safety, visit Amnesty International.

10. Betty Makoni

Schoolteacher :: Silence Breaker :: Ginetta Sagan Award Recipient

As a victim of sexual abuse at the age of six and having her mother die three years later from domestic violence, Betty Makoni knew at an early age that her native country of Zimbabwe would not change for women unless violence against women was talked about openly. As a former schoolteacher, Betty knew the importance of education for women in stopping the cycle of domestic violence. In 1998, Betty started Girl Child Network by helping to educate six girls on how to fight back against sexual exploitation, poverty and violence. Since then, more than 500,000 girls in Zimbabwe have been served through the Girl Child Network with 3,000 of them having become doctors, lawyers, teachers and professionals in other areas. Empowering girls to stay in school, covering educational fees and school supplies, and providing safe houses for counseling and rehabilitation for girls who are victims of sexual violence and abuse are only a few of the many ways Girl Child Network has helped and continues to help young girls break free from cycles of poverty, abuse, violence and disease. Demonstrating such a success, the Girl Child Network program is now being replicated in Sweden, Swaziland, Sweden, Canada, South Africa, and the United States. To learn more about Betty Makoni's work, visit the Girl Child Network.

Each of these women had/have the same number of hours in the day that each one of us has and none of these women achieved/are achieving their goals because they've been gifted with some special talent.

Each of these women simply looked beyond themselves to their fellow man/womankind and determined to make a difference for the better.

Each of these women first had a thought and refusing to let fear prevail, each of these women took action for the betterment of others.

In the midst of some of the world's most darkest of times, a few seek to bring light.

What about you?

Are you of the many?

Or

Are you of the few?

Top 10 Movies About Real Life Heroes

This coming Thursday, May 15, is the big Bloggers Unite for Human Rights Internet event where thousands of bloggers worldwide will be blogging on human rights issues.

So, I thought I'd start the week off with my top 10 list (in no particular order) of movies with storylines centering on real life human rights heroes. All but one of the movies may be found on DVD and are worthy of watching again...and again!

1. Hotel Rwanda

Director Terry George's 2004 film of how one man, Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager, dared what seemed to be impossible odds by protecting more than a thousand Tutsi refugees during one of the world's worst acts of genocide. While the majority of the world turned their back on the Tutsi in Rwanda, Paul Rusesabagina bravely opened up the hotel to as many Tutsi refugees as he could and at the risk of his own life and the life of his family, he stood strong against the Hutu militia and all other forces. Don Cheadle's performance of real life hero, Paul Rusesabagina is one of the finest screen performances of all time. This is a movie not to be missed. In the midst of the most horrible of times, hope and courage prevail. To learn more about Paul Rusesabagina and his continuing work to help the women and children affected by the genocides in Rwanda and other African nations, visit the Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation

2. Rabbit-Proof Fence

For more than 60 years, 1910 - 1970, children born of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander decent were forcibly taken from their parents by the Australian and State government agencies for the purposes of training them to become domestic workers and thus, integrating them into a white society. Director Philip Noyce's 2002 film tells the true life story of three young mixed-race girls who were a part of this "Stolen Generation" in Australia. In 1931, Molly Craig, her younger sister and a young cousin were stolen from their mothers and taken to the Moore River Native Settlement 1500 miles from their home. Escaping not long after their arrival, Molly leads her sister and cousin on a nine week journey back home -- all the while being tracked by both a white man of the law and a black tracker. Staying one step ahead, Molly leads the girls home by following the rabbit-proof fence that bisects the continent. This story is beautifully told in both dialogue and imagery. To learn more about Australia's Stolen Generation, visit the European Network for Indigenous Australian Rights.

3. A Woman Called Moses

Cicely Tyson is an actress that can cause tears to well up in my eyes just at the mention of her name. To me, her ability to bring the power, vulnerability, and beauty of a character to the big screen is rarely matched. She is simply outstanding. In 1978, Cicely Tyson brought a performance to the small screen that I have never forgotten. Director Paul Wendkos's television movie brought the real life story of humanitarian, abolitionist, and Union spy, Harriet Tubman to the public. Having escaped from slavery herself, Harriet Tubman made 13 dangerous missions to free 70 slaves through the "Underground Railroad" - safe houses set up by antislavery activists; aided John Brown in recruiting men for his raid on Harper's Ferry; was the first woman to lead an armed exhibition in the war; guided the raid on the Combahee River liberating more than 700 slaves; and in the post-war era she fought for women's suffrage. Harriet Tubman was a woman of great courage, faith, and determination to help change the world for the betterment of all man and woman kind and Cicely Tyson could not have been a better choice to play such a noble human being. To learn more about Harriet Tubman, visit www.harriettubmanbiography.com.

4. Anne Frank Remembered

Jon Blair's 1995 Academy Award-winning Best Documentary on the life of Anne Frank and her family should be a must see on everyone's list. With previously unseen archival footage, this film brings a picture of Anne Frank, who some call "the holocaust's most famous victim" to life like never before. With narration by Glenn Close, Kenneth Branaugh and Joely Richardson, this story of the Frank family's time in hiding during World War II in Amsterdam, Holland and Anne's wise-beyond-her-years outlook on life is the first time an audience fully sees Anne for the person she was -- a young girl who would change the world by teaching us that even in the darkest of hours, believing in the goodness of humanity is not only possible, but right. To learn more about Anne Frank, visit the online Anne Frank Museum.

5. The Killing Fields

Anyone who saw director Roland Joffe's 1984 film when it was first released will probably remember leaving the theater in silence. The power of this movie earned it 7 Academy Award nominations in all of the major fields including Best Picture, and Oscar wins for Best Supporting Actor Haing S. Ngor, Best Film Editing and Best Cinematography. Based upon the true story of New York Times reporter Sydney Schanberg's coverage of the civil war in Cambodia in which 2 million "undesirables" were "ethnically cleansed" under the direction of tyrant Pol Pot. During one of the most horrific acts of genocide, Sydney Schanberg and local representative, Dith Pran record and report the most tragic of events shedding light on the truth and the madness -- reporting which would lead Sydney to receive the Pulitzer Prize. When the American forces leave Cambodia, Dith manages to get his wife and children on the transports, but stays behind to continue helping his friend cover the horrific events. Being an American, Sydney is able to freely leave Cambodia, but the same is not for Dith. True life hero, Dith Pran was captured by the Khmer Rouge and spent nearly 4 years in labor camps throughout Cambodia suffering extreme hardships. This film shares the amazing story of strength in friendship and the strength in the human spirit during the reign of one of history's most brutal dictators. To learn more about Dith Pran and Cambodia's Killing Fields, visit The Dith Pran Holocaust Awareness Project.

6. Gandhi

Nominated for 11 Academy Awards, director Richard Attenborough's 1982 film received an outstanding 9 Oscars in 1983: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Writing, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Ben Kingsley. Serving as a biography of Mahatma Gandhi, Attenborough tells the tale of the lawyer turned leader who led the people of India -- advocating non-violence and truth -- in campaigns to organize poor farmers and laborers against discrimination and oppressive taxation; the liberation of women; the alleviation of rampant poverty; economic self-sufficiency for the nation; a commonality among the various religious and ethnic groups; an end to the "untouchability" and caste discrimination; and most of all, independence for India from foreign domination. Ben Kingsley's moving performance of Gandhi is something to watch again if you have not seen this film since its release in 1982. To learn more about the life and teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, visit www.mkgandhi.org.

7. Schindler's List

As history teaches when a brutal dictator arises, whether it be out of fear, greed, ignorance or whatever, many people, weak in character, succumb to the ways of such brutality. However, as history also teaches, greatness of character also arises within the few unwilling to give into fear, but rather bravely hold fast to their belief in humanity and the rights of their fellow mankind. Nominated for an incredible 12 Academy Awards and receiving 7 including Best Picture and Best Director, director Steven Spielberg's 1992 film brings the heroism of real life Oscar Schindler to the big screen and to the world. Set during the autraucities of Hitler's holocaust, Spielberg brilliantly recounts Schindler's courageous work to save more than 1,200 Jews from death at the hands of the Nazis. An unlikely hero, Schindler discovers the truth within him -- humanity is more valuable than money -- and proceeds to defy all odds in saving as many Jews as he can. Once a war profiteer, Schindler eventually died penniless having spent all his money to save and protect his list of Jews. To learn more about Oscar Schindler and his wife, Emilie, who served along side him, visit The Oscar Schindler Story.

8. Iron Jawed Angels

Some may claim this to be more of a civil liberties film, but I see it as both a civil liberties film AND a human rights film. When an entire population of human beings is shut out of having a voice in how their government is to be run because of their gender, race, or religion, then I see it as a human rights issue. Knowing how government affects our daily lives, real life suffragists Alice Paul and Lucy Burns fought with all of their might to win women the right to vote in the United States of America. Director Katja von Garnier's incredible 2004 HBO film sets a new standard for period pieces. Incorporating contemporary music, camera and editing techniques, Katja tells the story of Alice Paul and Lucy Burns, played by Hillary Swank and Francis O'Connor respectively, as they take on not only Washington D. C. politicians and President Woodrow Wilson, but the National American Woman Suffrage Association founded in 1890 by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Successfully leading the campaign that  brought the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920 giving women the right to vote, Alice Paul and Lucy Burns discovered just how determined many men -- and women -- were to prevent this from happening. At times fighting with their very lives, these courageous women and their team soldiered on. Two women that should be in every American history school book, OH GOSH, surprisingly are not. If you have a daughter, BUY this dynamic DVD! Have it on hand. Teach your daughter(s) about the women who fought with their lives to make this world a better place for all women who would come after them -- a place where your daughter(s) have an equal voice to your son(s). To learn more about Alice Paul and her legacy, visit the Alice Paul Institute. To learn more about Lucy Burns, visit the National Women's History Museum.

9. The Great Raid

What's a war movie doing in a top 10 human rights hero movie list? Exactly what it should be...telling the real life story of a small group of Army Rangers and Filipino soldiers who risked their lives to liberate more than 500 American Prisoners of War in the Philippines during World War II AND telling the story the real life woman, Margaret Utinsky, a Medal of Freedom recipient, who risked her own life to smuggle life saving medication, food, shoes, and money into the Japanese POW Camps during this same war. Director John Dahl's 2005 film relives the Army Ranger raid on Cabanatuan, a real life Japanese POW Camp in the Philippines, with amazing historical accuracy. Understanding that this is a major motion picture and not a documentary and certain film license is needed, the director's cut of this movie is truly a credit to John Dahl's dedication to honoring the heroes of this war in the Pacific. The culture of the Japanese military at the time of World War II viewed prisoners of war as almost non-human. Their treatment of POW's was barbaric to say the least. Under the command of real life heroes Captain Bob Prince and Lt. Colonel Henry Mucci, a small band of 120 Army Rangers and a group of Filipino soldiers travel 30 miles behind enemy lines and up against thousands of Japanese to successfully achieve the greatest military rescue in the history of war. The director's cut of this film is the version to see and the additional material included in this set is powerful beyond description. To learn more about Margaret Utinsky, visit WW II Remembered. To learn more about the raid on Cabanatuan, visit Army Public Affairs.

10. Norma Rae

Based upon real life hero Crystal Lee Jordan, director Martin Ritt's 1979 film, which won Sally Field her first Oscar, focuses the world's attention on the rights of workers. Fighting for the rights of decent pay for decent wages and decent working conditions - the right to unionize, Norma Rae stands up to not only corporate pressure and threats, but to those in her own circle of relations who want her to just shut up. With dialogue like this, it's a no wonder that this film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing:

Agreeing to organize a campaign, Norma asks her minister to use the church for a union meeting. "That's black and whites sitting together," Norma tells him. Horrified, the minister responds, "We're going to miss your voice in the choir, Norma. To which she says, "You're going to hear it raised up somewhere else."

What Crystal Lee Jordan was able to accomplish for workers in America, through great threat, pressure and the loss of her job, was no small miracle. And Sally Field's performance stand today as one of the great performances in the history of the cinema. To learn more about how labor unions fought to honor the American workforce, visit infoplease.com.

When you think of movies that tell the story of real life human rights heroes, which ones come to your mind?