By Gary Goldfarb

May 20, 2010/ PHILADELPHIA – With all the recent news of Arizona’s S.B. 1070 law, a Mexican being beaten and the Mexican president calling the law ‘racist’, does this mean that Mexicans are of a certain race?

Last I checked, Mexico is a country. Let’s switch countries around to see: So, if a Mexican police officer said, “I’m going to beat the f***ing American piss out of you, Homey! You feel me?” to an American, would that be racist?
Mexico and the United States were invaded and conquered by the Spaniards [Europeans]- remember, the conquistadors? The Spaniards beat the natives in what is now Mexico. The other Europeans [English] ‘invaded’ and beat the Spanish-Europeans and the United States is now what it is. (See below video):

Now we have the Mexican president, Calderon (which is a Spanish [European] surname), saying that the Arizona 1070 law is ‘racist’.
Once again, switch countries around to let’s say, Canada, which was also conquered by Europeans [French]. Would it be ‘racist’? No, that’s because Canada is just another country. (See video below):

Now, the United States’ people are made-up of mostly European decent, with Blacks making-up 13%. What part of Mexico is European?
In our minds, we have been trained to think of Mexicans as ‘Latinos’ – who came-up with this?
The Latin world, as we know it, is basically every single country south of the U.S. including many Caribbean, but not all, countries. Some Caribbean countries are almost all elusively Black. Are there any Blacks in Mexico? I haven’t seen any, minus tourists. At one point in time, c. 1570, Blacks outnumbered Spaniards 3:1 Brazil has many Blacks but not Mexico. Whatever happened to the Black Mexicans?

Reciprocating, if we call most countries’ people south of the U.S., ‘Latinos’ – what do the Latinos call the northern countries’ peoples?
It’s time we all recognize our true history.
And don’t forget, on these continents, both North and South, we are all Americans.

-Gary Goldfarb ©
Diverse News

INDIANAPOLIS, May 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — In letters to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader John Boehner, the head of the nation’s largest wartime veterans organization stated his group’s opposition to repealing the military’s ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ (DADT) policy.

“We feel strongly that the current policy has served the U.S. military well for 17 years and it would not be wise to make a major cultural change in the middle of two wars,” The American Legion National Commander Clarence E. Hill wrote. “Moreover, the Department of Defense has already directed a study on the policy and it would be premature to act before the commission conducting the study releases its findings.”

The American Legion was concerned with reports that members of the House might seek an amendment to the FY11 defense authorization bill, which would repeal the law.

“Under current policy, men and women are already allowed to serve their country regardless of their sexual preference. Allowing homosexual members to announce their preference within the ranks could jeopardize the unit cohesion which is so essential to military success,” said Hill, a retired U.S. Navy captain and veteran of the Gulf War.

“The military is a unique environment, in which DADT has worked well, without diminishing our nation’s war-fighting capability,” Hill continued. “Indeed, the core purpose of our military is to fight and win our nation’s wars. Enacting any law that does not enhance the military’s ability to accomplish that mission would be detrimental to the security of our nation. We believe that the repeal of DADT would be such an action.”

With a current membership of 2.5-million wartime veterans, The American Legion was founded in 1919 on the four pillars of a strong national security, veterans affairs, Americanism, and youth programs. Legionnaires work for the betterment of their communities through more than 14,000 posts across the nation.

Public Forum Also to Activate Black Participation in 2010 Census

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Some noted Black leaders recently have suggested publicly that President Obama does not need to focus on Black issues. In response to mounting evidence showing African Americans are disproportionately lagging behind on all economic indicators despite assertions of a so-called “post-racial” era, Tavis Smiley said Tuesday he will moderate a national conversation examining whether in fact there needs to be a Black agenda and the accountability of leadership to address issues facing Black Americans.

The nationally-televised forum, We Count! The Black Agenda is the American Agenda, will be held from 8 am – noon Saturday, March 20 at Chicago State University’s Emil and Patricia A. Jones Convocation Center, 9501 South King Dr., Chicago, IL. The event is free and open to the public on first-come, first-served basis. Advanced registration is available at www.tavistalks.com.

“From the Carolinas to California millions of Americans are in crisis as a direct result of the recession in historic proportions. Given the joblessness rate compounded by the lack of access to healthcare and the collapse of the housing market, the statistics continue to show that Black Americans in particular are getting crushed,” Smiley said.

“I think the time has come to have an earnest dialogue between Black leaders and Black people about easing the suffering of disaffected communities. A Black agenda is America’s agenda in that what affects the least of us, affects all of us.”

Invited panelists include noted scholar Cornel West, professor and author Michael Eric Dyson, Jesse Jackson, Sr., Marc Morial, National Urban League, and Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor and assistant to the president for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement. Others include Angela Glover Blackwell, founder of PolicyLink; Tom Burrell, author of BRAINWASHED; U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus; Ben Jealous, NAACP President; Al Sharpton, Dorothy Height, and Louis Farrakhan.

The conversation will also raise awareness about participation among Black citizens in the 2010 Census. The forms, which will be mailed in March, are due on April 1. The data collected by the Census helps determine the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Your Census form is your chance to be heard about how nearly $450 billion will be spent in your community for schools, job training, health care centers, etc. It’s too important to bypass the opportunity to be counted,” Smiley said.

NEWTOWN, Pa., Dec. 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) today pledged to donate $400,000 to the Washington Crossing Historical Park in Washington Crossing, Pa. The park, which has experienced recent state budget cuts, is visited by more than one hundred thousand tourists each year.

Lockheed Martin’s donation will fund the addition of a dedicated education wing at the park’s visitor center, which is scheduled for renovation in the latter part of 2010. The donation was announced by Marshall Byrd, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Newtown, Pa. Byrd also pledged, on behalf of the approximate 13,000 Lockheed Martin employees in the Delaware Valley area, a five-year commitment of volunteer in-kind support for the park’s maintenance and operations.

The announcement was made at the park’s annual Christmas Day reenactment of General George Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River. In making the announcement, Byrd was joined by U.S. Congressman Patrick Murphy, whose district encompasses both the park and Lockheed Martin’s Newtown facility.

“In looking for a way to support the important educational mission of Washington Crossing Historical Park, we sought Congressman Murphy’s advice and counsel,” Byrd said. “He put us in touch with Doug Miller (Site Administrator, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission), whose enthusiasm and encouragement became key factors in our decision to make this contribution.”

“Lockheed Martin also thanks Congressman Murphy for his tireless advocacy on behalf of this park and its new neighbor, Washington Crossing National Cemetery,” Byrd added. “He has helped lead our community’s efforts to recognize the sacrifices made by America’s military veterans. Those sacrifices are commemorated today and will be honored both here and at the cemetery for generations to come.” Read More »

Permanent repeal of the Medicare physician payment formula is essential to comprehensive health system reform

Statement attributable to: J. James Rohack, M.D. President, American Medical Association:

“The AMA is deeply disappointed that the Senate today blocked consideration of S. 1776, legislation to preserve access to health care for America’s seniors, baby boomers and military families. Senator Stabenow is a long-time champion for patients and physicians, and the AMA, AARP and MOAA strongly supported her bill that would have laid the foundation to permanently fix the Medicare physician payment formula and keep Medicare strong as millions of baby boomers enter the program in just two years.

“As we work to improve the health system, permanent repeal of the payment formula is essential to ensuring the security and stability of Medicare. On January first, Medicare physician payments are scheduled to be cut by 21 percent, with more cuts in years to come. Nearly 90 percent of people age 50 and older are concerned that the current Medicare physician payment formula threatens their access to care.

“While short-term fixes have temporarily averted widespread access problems, they have also grown the size of the problem – and the cost of reform. The AMA is committed to fixing the Medicare payment problem once and for all for seniors, baby boomers and the physicians who care for them.

“There is widespread agreement among Republicans and Democrats that the formula is broken and needs to be repealed. Congress created the Medicare physician payment system, and Congress needs to fix this problem once and for all to fulfill its obligation to seniors, baby boomers and military families. Permanent repeal of the Medicare physician payment formula is essential to comprehensive health system reform.”

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA) today called on state and federal law enforcement authorities to investigate a possible bias motive for vandalism of the home of a Muslim woman who is running for elected office.

CAIR said the house of Nadja Adolf, a Newark resident running for a seat on her local city council, was egged on Sunday, October 11. Adolf is a long-time Newark resident and has never had any previous complaints about property vandalism. A picture of her, wearing an Islamic head scarf, or hijab, was published in a local newspaper just days before the incident.

“Because of the circumstances surrounding this incident, we believe it is important that a possible bias motive be investigated,” said Zahra Billoo, programs and outreach director for CAIR-SFBA. “Our community’s religious, political and community leaders need to be vigilant of and address the growing anti-Muslim rhetoric in our society that can lead to such incidents.”

Billoo also urged American Muslim individuals and institutions to review advice on security procedures contained in its “Muslim Community Safety Kit.”

Via JTA.org:

David Huebner, 49 , will be Obama’s first gay appointment.

WASHINGTON, June 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, special counsel in the Washington office of the law firm Alston + Bird, has been invited by President Obama to travel with him to France this week for the 65th anniversary of D-Day, the allied invasion of the Normandy coast on June 6, 1944.

President Obama invited Senator Dole to represent the World War II generation in recognition of his wartime service, his long and distinguished career in public service, and his continued commitment to veterans.

Senator Dole was chairman of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., helping raise nearly $175 million for its construction, almost all through private contributions.

He continues to be active as a volunteer for the “Honor Flight” program, which flies World War II veterans from across the U.S. without charge to view the memorial on the national mall. He personally greets almost all of the flights. Read More »

PHILADELPHIA, May 27, 2009/Diverse News/- Supreme Court Judge Nominee Sonia Sotomayor’s own statements are leaving her in hot water. Although with no actual claims of racism (the mainstream media has an unwritten rule to only charge whites with that – racist in itself-even though whites are the world minority) from speeches she has given over the years.
In the below video, the White House Press Secretary Gibbs warns critics to “be exceedingly careful”.

Part of her speech in question was from 2001 goes like this:

“wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences,” including appreciation for Latin-American cuisine, “would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.”

WSJ Opinion Journal’s: The ‘Empathy’ Nominee
Is Sonia Sotomayor judically superior to ‘a white male’?

Switch ethnicities around and imagine the stories from the mainstream.

-Josh Truman