Some GOP lawmakers have tried to whitewash the deadly January 6 riot. Some even want to say that the events was just a "tourist trip." It was not that. It was a vicious, terrorist attack that was treason against the United States of America. There is no other way to put it. Neo-Nazis wore anti-Semitic T-Shirts that mocked the Holocaust. Racists waved the Confederate flag. An emblem, which celebrated John Lewis, was broken. Black U.S. Capitol police officers were called racist slurs. Some of the traitors wanted to lynch Mike Pence. This is a big deal, and our democracy survived miraculously. We know now that according to the former Pentagon chief spoke about Trump. Many police officers at that locations fought for their lives in some of the most brutal hand to hand combat in their lives. So, we know what time it is.
Now, in the Middle East, we have the worst tensions between Israelis and Palestinians since 2014. For our lifetimes, we have witnessed this conflict going out of control. Recently, an Arabic man was almost lynched by a far right wing mob, and an Israeli man was almost lynched by extremists. Both of these attacks are evil, unjust, and wrong. Israel has executed a bombing campaign in Gaza. It is no secret that Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and in Israel face 2nd class citizenship. You can't have liberation with constant occupation. It just doesn't work like that. Also, Hamas has fired thousands of rockets hitting Israel too. The civilian Palestinians being killed and the civil Israelis being killed have no justification. Hamas has ruled Gaza since 2007. Israel justifies its bombing campaign by saying that Hamas uses civilians as "human shields," but the carnage of civilian death can't be minimized. This started when Israeli forces wanted to evict Palestinians residents of Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem. Also, conflicts happened at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Far right Israeli extremists have called for the death of Arabic populations (and many of them are anti-black racists. Just like many people in North Africa plus in other places of the Middle East are anti-black racists). Israel using widespread evictions is wrong and has been condemned by international forces. So, provocations of warfare should end, and we don't want anyone massive war in the Middle East. Progressive Israelis and Palestinians, who desire peace, have every right to condemn together and end the occupation so people in the region (both Jewish people and Arabic people) can have a real peace with a liberated Palestinian people.
We see the GOP becoming more extreme. Trump and his GOP supporters dominate the Republican Party. Now, the GOP has pushed more than just misinformation. They have pushed lies about the gas pipeline, voting rights, and about vaccines. One example is how Majorie Taylor Greene has verbally harassed Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Majorie believes in the lie that Trump didn't lose the 2020 election. Donald Trump's corruption, racism, sexism, and xenophobia are easily proven. Even a conservative like Liz Cheney has been kicked out a high level committee, because she refuses to lie about the 2020 election. They are the ultimate hypocrites. They lecture black people on victimhood, but they express the ultimate victimhood. They claim to hate cancel culture, but they want to cancel Liz Cheney and anyone who disagrees with them. They claim to love the police, but many Trump supporters cursed out and assaulted U.S. Capitol police officer during the riot insurrection at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Yesterday was the Birthday of a complete legend. His career has spanned more than 50 years, but his songwriting, singing, and producing are always on point. He is truly one of the greatest musicians of all time. Since his early days on Motown with Fingertips, we knew him as a prodigy of musical expression. He is Brother Stevie Wonder, and he is now 71 years old. He is one of the GOATs of songwriting and singing. He can play the piano, synthesizers, and the harmonica. Saginaw, Michigan was the place of his birth, and his mother was Lula Mae Hardaway. The Whitestone Baptist Church was where he sang as a child. The black church has always been a home-base of legends. His first album was in 1962 called The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie. In the 1960's, he performed greatly. He was a young teen making No. 1 hits on the R&B chart during the 1960's. Uptight was a great song. By the late 1960's and early 1970's, Stevie Wonder wanted to be his own man. So, he made adult records about the love of love itself like My Cherie Amour, For Once in My Life, Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours, etc. In the 1970's, he made classic album after classic album like Where I'm Coming From, Music of My Mind, Innervisions, Talking Book, and Songs in the Key of Life.
Songs with funky groove or with just plain talent like I Wish, That Girl, Living for the City, Superstition, Sir Duke, Do I Do, and I can go down the list represent black excellence at its finest. The gift about Stevie Wonder is that his music appears to everyone regardless of age or generation. Stevie Wonder is a political activist by fighting segregation, promoting the Dr. King federal holiday, and opposing police brutality. He is also the only artist to have won the Grammy award with three consecutive album releases. His music talks about the city, love, having children, loving music, social including political issues, and loving life. Stevie Wonder has made music in the 21st century too (with songs like So What the Fuss, From the Bottom of My Heart, and A Time to Love featuring India Arie), and he has talked about living in Ghana. He loves all of his nine children. Stevie Wonder won 25 Grammy Awards, and he is a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner in 1996. If you want to listen to some of the greatest songs of a man showing his love for the greatness of a woman, listen to his music. If you want to listen to know about love and wisdom, listen to his music. I wish Brother Stevie Wonder more success.
By Timothy
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