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Category Archives: American History
73 Years Ago Today: Memories of my cousin, Jimmy Gates
By: Chuck Stanley I remember where I was and what I was doing shortly after one o’clock in the afternoon on December 7, 1941. My dad called me in to where he and a couple of his friends were sitting … Continue reading
Zaid Jilani on the Role That Liberals Have Played in Our Growing Police State
By Elaine Magliaro I just came across an interesting article titled Bill Clinton, Joe Biden and Democrats’ shameful complicity in our police state over at Salon. The article, written by Zaid Jilani, originally appeared on AlterNet. It talks about the role that liberals … Continue reading
Ta-Nehisi Coates Speaks about Fatalism Not Being an Option in the Battle Against Racism on “All In” with Chris Hayes
By Elaine Magliaro On Wednesday night, Ta-Nehisi Coates, national correspondent at The Atlantic, and former RNC chair Michael Steele appeared on MSNBC’s All In with Chris Hayes. Both guests shared their reactions to the decision of the Staten Island grand jury not … Continue reading
POETRY FRIDAY: Those Who Go to War and the “Fortunate Sons” Who Never Have to Serve
By Elaine Magliaro At the Concert for Valor on Tuesday night, Bruce Springsteen, Dave Grohl, and Zac Brown performed their rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son.” John Fogerty’s 1969 song “Fortunate Son” is an anti-war “anthem that rails against blind … Continue reading
“Facing It”—A Poem by Yusef Komunyakaa in Honor of American Veterans
By Elaine Magliaro Yusef Komunyakaa, the author of the poem Facing It, was born in Bogalusa, Louisiana on April 29, 1947. He “served in the United States Army from 1969 to 1970 as a correspondent, and as managing editor of … Continue reading
Posted in American History, Art, Society
Tagged Favorite Poem Project, Poetry, Vietnam Veterans, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Vietnam War, Yusef Komunyakaa
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The Battle of King’s Mountain: An Historical Anniversary
by Charlton Stanley By this time of the day on October 7, 1780, it was all over. The dead and dying laid together on a chilly Carolina hillside on this date 234 years ago. It only lasted an hour, but … Continue reading
John Oliver Provides the Most Thorough “News” Coverage on America’s Predator Drone Strikes to Date on HBO’s “Last Week Tonight”
By Elaine Magliaro It seems to me that we get much of our best coverage of news stories from comedians/comedy programs these days. I’m a big fan of The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and Last Week Tonight—which is hosted … Continue reading
Posted in American History, CIA, Media, Pakistan, Propaganda, Short Video, United States, US Military, War on "Terror"
Tagged Drone Strikes, Jeremy Scahill, Pentagon, Yemen
3 Comments
POETRY FRIDAY–“I, Too, Am America”: The Poetry of Langston Hughes
Submitted by Elaine Magliaro Back in August of 2013, I did a post about the poetry of Langston Hughes for Res Ipsa Loquitor. The impetus for my doing that was the—at times contentious—discussions we had been having about race, racism, … Continue reading
Posted in American History, Equal Rights, Literature, Poetry, Racism, Short Video, Society, United States
Tagged Langston Hughes, Poetry Friday
11 Comments
Billie Holiday, Abe Meeropol, and “Strange Fruit”—the Famous Song about Lynching Black People in America
By Elaine Magliaro Eleanora Fagan, better known as Billie Holiday, was a famous American jazz singer and song writer. One of her “most iconic” songs is Strange Fruit, which was first recorded in 1939. Elizabeth Blair (NPR) called the song … Continue reading
Ferguson (MO) Circa 2014, California Circa 1967, the Death of Denzil Dowell, the Black Panther Party, and Open Carry Laws
By Elaine Magliaro Nearly fifty years ago, Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale established the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense. According to Steve Wasserman of The Nation, the two “brash upstarts” from Oakland, California “quickly garnered a reputation for their … Continue reading
Posted in American History, Courts, Crime, Equal Rights, History, Justice, Law Enforcement, Local Government, Murder, Politics, Propaganda, Racism, States, United States
Tagged Black Panther Party, Bobby Seale, California, Denzil Dowell, Ferguson (MO), Huey Newton, Mulford Act, NRA, Open Carry, Ronald Reagan
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Flowers For Socrates 