Assad being Gone from Syria and Other News.

 

 

The 2024 overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's regime is very historic and a long time coming. Many people have celebrated in the streets desiring freedom for the first time in their lives. Some people say this is the first time their children will see a free Syria. Assad not living in Syria and not being the tyrant of Syria is a good thing. Assad wasn't just a dictator, but he was a war criminal who mass exterminated people, used chemical weapons against human beings, and led an authoritarian regime that violated tons of human rights. The issue is what will replace the regime. The rebels who overthrew the Assad regime are diverse. Some are Kurdish forces, some are secular people, and others are radical extremists who desire no democratic solutions to problems. This reality has caused a defeat for Russia as Putin once heavily funded Assad constantly. Assad once crushed the Syrian Revolution by destroying whole neighborhoods, and ironically, other forces have overthrew him forever. Assad's father, Hafez Al-Assad wanted no political parties, no dissent, no debates, and no public protests. The Assad family regime used neoliberal policies, anti-democratic actions, and other evil actions to oppress the Syrian people (causing massive extreme poverty and inequality). Assad is a coward who left his own nation. Syria was ruled by the Ottoman Empire during WWI, then divided by British and French imperialists. The Sykes-Picot Agreement divided the Middle East and exploited the diverse cultures and ethnic groups in the region for power. The Assad Regime has fallen. Assad has fled to Moscow. Russian state media said that Bashar al-Assad and his family have political asylum. Syrian rebels have captured Damascus. This reality is surreal because many people thought that Assad was never going to be overthrown. The leader of the main rebel group is Abu Mohammad al-Jolani. He said that toppling Assad is a victory for the entire Islamic nation. He said that wants minorities to be protected. This comes after Hezbollah and Hamas (Iranian-funded allies) have declined in power after the Israeli war over the past 14 months. The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that Europe will help rebuild Syria. People are trying to find the American journalist Austin Trice in Syria. A former Al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) led an offensive last month. There are pro-regime forces, HTS forces, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic forces, the Turkey backed Syrian National Army, and other opposition groups now control Syria. Syria's dictator Assad being gone is a new chapter for the nation of Syria. We celebrate Assad not ruling Syria anymore, but we want Syria to be an independent democratic nation without another tyrant ruling Syria indeed. 

 

The eighth studio album of Beyonce is Cowboy Carter. This album has stirred up debate, increased black people and other people of color's interest in country music, and has been an example of why diversity matters in music. The haters forget that black people were at the origin of country music, and black representation in country music is legitimate music. These same haters were mostly silent when Shania Twain did pop music, when Elvis made gospel music, and when Dolly Parton made many pop records. Yet, they have some type of animosity towards Beyonce for making country music elements. Beyonce can sing, dance, and write songs. She is not perfect as no human on this Earth is perfect, but her album of Cowboy Carter is not totally trash as some narrow minded country music so-called fans think. The song of Beyonce's American Requiem showed lyricism, vocal ability, harmonies, and other forms of talent found in country music. The album of Cowboy Carter represents a new era of country music history. It was released on March 29, 2024, via Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. It represents Beyonce's 2nd album of her planned trilogy of albums after Renaissance (which came out in 2022). Cowboy Carter's goal was to show the contributions of black pioneers to American musical and cultural history. A lot of people don't know that black people were well-known cowboys and country music pioneers. The album also merges many genres of music too like R&B, blues, pop, bluegrass, folk, zydeco, etc. Beyonce worked with country music legends like Dolly Parton, Linda Martell, and Willie Nelson. She also featured many modern day black country music artists like Shaboozey, Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, Reyna Roberts, and Willie Jones. Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Nile Rodgers, Jon Batiste, and Rhiannon Giddens contributed to the acoustic instruments played on the album too. Cowboy Carter is one of her best albums of her career. It goes into experimentation with a message that diverse country music artists have as much value as mainstream country artists. She answered the criticism among some who don't view her as having country roots when the woman went to rodeos, is a fan of country music, and had relatives found in the Deep South. In fact, Beyonce was born in Houston, Texas, and listened to country music at an early age. Her family attended the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo every year in western clothing. She performed at the Rodeo four times between 2001 and 2007. She is a Southern black woman. At the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, Cowboy Carter has 11 nominations including Album of the Year and Best Country Album (being the 2nd most nominated album in Grammy history). Texas Hold 'Em and 16 Carriages represent country sounds. Lemonade's song Daddy's Lesson is a country music song from 2016. Dolly Parton asked Beyonce to cover the song Jolene which she did. Beyonce recorded about 100 songs for the album. Black Southern culture is shown in the album. Predictably, the 58th Annual Country Music Association Awards didn't nominate Cowboy Carter for anything, but we don't seek validation from corporate power that seeks to whitewash country music. We seek validation from the Most High. Cowboy Carter broke records involving streaming. Beyonce is the first black woman to have a number one country album. She is the first woman and 2nd artist overall to debut her first 8 albums at number one. Cowboy Carter debuted at number one on the Americana/Folk Albums, Top Album Sales, and Top Country Albums charts. Beyonce helped more people to listen to country music in America and worldwide. Paul McCartney, Nancy Sinatra, and Linda Martell praised the album. Stevie Wonder called Cowboy Carter a masterpiece that is changing music and culture. 

 

By the 2020s, country music was dominated by both a youth movement and old-school artists. There is a turning point in country music where many narrow minded people want people to view country music as monolithic. Yet, country music since its inception was never monolithic. There has been the Nashville sound, the Bakersfield, California sounds, and other styles of country music for decades. In this decade of the 2020s, Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Tyler Childers, Jelly Roll, and other people have found mainstream country music. Country music's crossover appeal has increased so much that for the first time since the inception of the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, the top three spots were occupied by country songs (by August 2023). Kacey Musgraves's fourth studio album Star Crossed focused on disco and dance pop music. Country folk singer and songwriter Oliver Anthony made music too. There is regional Mexican country music like corridos tumbados, banda, and norteno. Many of these artists are very famous in the world. 

 

From May 10, 1940, to June 22, 1940, the Nazis attacked Western Europe in a vicious way. Luxembourg was occupied on May 10, the Netherlands surrendered by May 14, and Belgium surrendered on May 28, 1940. France was invaded soon.  First, the Allied troops escaped from Dunkirk. Allied military forces knew that they had to live to fight another day, so they left for the United Kingdom. On June 3, 1940, the Nazis started to bomb Paris, and the Dunkirk evacuation ended. Norway surrendered to the Nazis on June 10, 1940, and Italy declared war on Britain and France. The Nazis entered Paris by June 14, 1940, and Marshal Petain became the French Prime Minister on June 16, 1940. Hitler and Mussolini met in Munich on June 18, 1940, and the Soviets started to occupy the Baltic states. On June 22, 1940, France signed an armistice agreement by which the Germans occupied the northern half of France and the entire Atlantic coastline. The southern region of France was ruled by a traitorous pro-Nazi Vichy regime whose capital was in Vichy, France. Adolf Hitler toured Paris on June 23, 1940. Now, we see a new era of the war where the Nazis wanted to conquer the United Kingdom. The British supported General Charles de Gaulle as the Free French leader. German U-boats start to attack merchant ships in the Atlantic by July 1, 1940. The Battle of Britain started on July 10, 1940, as the Nazis wanted to conquer the United Kingdom. The Nazis lost that battle. The Soviets took Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia by July 23, 1940. The Italians occupied British Somaliland in East Africa by August 3-19, 1940. In England, people were in shelters and other places of safety while Nazis bombed England. The Nazis bombed airfields and factories in England on August 13, 1940. The Nazis bombed the UK in broad daylight in air battles by August 15. Hitler wanted a blockade of the British Isles on August 17, and the Nazis used air raids on Central London by August 17. The British attacked Berlin in an air raid on August 25, 1940. Hitler promoted his planned invasion of England via Operation Sea Lion by September 3, 1940, and the German blitz against Britain continued by September 7, 1940. Italy invaded Egypt by September 13, 1940, and there were massive Nazi air raids on London, Southampton, Bristol, Carfield, Liverpool, and Manchester on September 15, 1940. By September 27, 1940, there was the Tripartite (Axis) Pact signed by Nazi Germany, Italy, and Japan on September 27, 1940. This means that a nation that attacked the Axis Powers, the Axis Powers will fight that nation. The Nazis come to Romania on October 7, 1940.

Then, the Nazis delay Operation Sea Lion until the Spring of 1941. Italy invaded Greece on October 28, 1940. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was re-elected as United States President on November 5, 1940. There was the torpedo bomber raid that crippled the Italian fleet at Taranto, Italy from November 10-11, 1940. The Nazis bombed Coventry, England on November 14-15, 1940. Later, Hungary joined the Axis Powers on November 20, 1940. The Greeks defeated the Italian 9th Army on November 22, 1940. Romania joined the Axis Powers on November 23, 1940, and Britain started a western desert offensive in North Africa against the Italians on December 9, 1940. There was a massive Nazi air raid on London from December 29-30, 1940. Tobruk in North Africa fell to the British and Australians on January 22, 1941. British forces go into Italian Somaliland in East Africa on February 11, 1941. Nazi German General Erwin Rommel arrived in Tripoli, North Africa on February 12, 1941. The first units of Nazi Afrika Korps go into North Africa on February 14, 1941. British forces go into Greece on March 7, 1941. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Lend-Lease Act on March 11, 1941. This law is about Americans giving money and supplies to the Allied Forces in Europe to fight the Nazis. Even in 1941, there was a strong isolationist movement that wanted America to do nothing while innocent Jewish and non-Jewish people were being murdered by the Axis Powers. The coup in Yugoslavia overthrew the pro-Axis government on March 27, 1941. There was a pro-Axis regime set up in Iraq by April 3, 1941. Many people don't know that many Arabic radicals supported the Nazis like al-Husseini (who was pictured with Nazi leaders). The Nazis invaded Greece and Yugoslavia on April 6, 1941. Then, Rommel attacked Tobruk on April 14, Yugoslavia surrendered to the Nazis on April 17, 1941, and Greece surrendered to the Nazis on April 27, 1941. The Nazi attack on Tobruk was repulsed on May 1, 1941. Deputy Fuhrer Rudolph Hess flew to Scotland on May 10, 1941. From May 10-11, 1941, the Nazis bombed London massively, and the British bombed Hamburg. There was Operation Brevity starting when the British counterattack in Egypt on May 15, 1941. There was the sinking of the British ship of Hood by the Bismarck on May 24, 1941, and the sinking of the Bismarck by the British Navy on May 27, 1941. There is a pro-Allied government created in Iraq by June 4, 1941. The Allied forces invaded Syria and Lebanon on June 8, 1941. America freeze German and Italian assets in America on June 14, 1941.

The Nazis made a bad decision on June 22, 1941, when they invaded the Soviet Union via Operation Barbarossa. The Soviet Union had a large military and Airforce. Now, the Nazis are fighting on multiple fronts at the same time. By June also, the Nazi SS-Einsatzgruppen started mass murdering people. The Nazis ruled Minsk by June 28, 1941. Stalin wanted a scorched earth policy on July 3, 1941. The Nazi cross the River Dnieper in the Ukraine by July 10, 1941. Britain and the Soviets signed a mutual assistance agreement on July 12, 1941. The UK occupied Syria on July 14, 1941. President Roosevelt froze the Japanese assets in America and suspended relations. Japan wanted more oil and raw materials to expand its empire, and negotiations failed between America and Japan over trade and economic issues. Goring told Heydrick to prepare for the Final Solution on July 31, 1941. America announced an oil embargo against aggressor states on August 1, 1941. Roosevelt and Churchill agreed to the Atlantic Chater on August 14, 1941. The Atlantic Charter is about the agreement that America and Britain were fighting the Axis Powers to "ensure life, liberty, independence, and religious freedom and to preserve the rights of man and justice." The Atlantic Charter was a foundation for the establishment of the United Nations. The agreement was made on a warship off the coast of Newfoundland during the Atlantic Conference. The Nazis attacked Leningrad on August 20, 1941. Nazis ordered Jewish people to wear yellow stars by September 1, 1941, the first experimental usage of gas chambers at Auschwitz happened on September 3, the Nazis take Kiev on September 19, 1941, and Nazis murdered 33,771 Jewish human beings at Kiev. The Nazis wanted to conquer Moscow via Operation Typhoon on October 2, 1941. The Nazis took Odessa on October 16, they take Kharkov on October 24, and they reached Sevastopol on October 30, 1941. A British aircraft carrier Ark Royal was sunk off Gibraltar by a U-boat on November 13, 1941. The Nazis take Rostov on November 20, and the Soviets retake the city on November 27, 1941. Germans abandoned an attack on Moscow by December 5, 1941. The Soviet Army launched a major counter-offensive around Moscow on December 6, 1941. 

 

The aftermath of the American Revolutionary War saw massive changes in America. The war inspired further revolutions in Haiti, France, Latin America, etc. Since early Americans feared the same tyrannical government of the British Empire, they formed the Articles of Confederation. The confederation of states had a weak state government with a cabinet and different rules to govern the people. There were debates on how this would work. Some wanted a direct democracy where people would directly control the voting structure to govern affairs like Thomas Paine has advocated. Conservative Patriots wanted to maintain colonial institutions. Later, America promoted the Republic where the people elect representatives to represent them involving political and legislative issues. Georgia and Pennsylvania had the unicameral legislature where one congress would govern the state without a governor. Most states from Massachusetts to New York had a bicameral legislature or a law-making body with 2 houses (a Senate and a House of Representatives). The Senate was made up of mostly wealthy people and the House was made up of more of the working-class people. Many Patriots wanted all people to vote, and others wanted only wealthy, white landowning men to vote. This debate would continue to the 20th century. After the Revolution, religious freedom was promoted more with the passage of the Virginia Statue for Religious Freedom in 1788, which was drafted by the Deist Thomas Jefferson. Baptists helped to promote religious freedom. Massachusetts and Connecticut continued to promote established churches. 1777 was the year when the Articles of Confederation was formed. This confederation of 13 states worked together under the leadership of John Dickinson of Pennsylvania. The federal government was not strong. Each state had its own sovereignty. The federal government was elected among a congress of delegates, not voted by the people (chosen by state legislatures). It limited Congress in many ways like it can't make taxes. America promoted the Northwest Territory expansion into the Midwest. Thomas Jefferson wanted a nation of farmers and the expansion of slavery. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 banned slavery from the territory. That means that new states have to enter the Union as free states not slave states. Spain didn't want American independence to expand. They didn't want America to trade in New Orleans. The British used mercantilism to punish American independence. Britain only traded with America to benefit its interests. The Articles of Confederation was not strong enough to handle economic issues as multiple states were unreliable to handle tax and spend issues. The Shays Rebellion in 1787 was about farmers, led by Daniel Shays (a veteran of the Revolutionary war) to give farmers to settle economic issues (of farmers having trouble paying down debts). Therefore, many Patriots wanted to form a stronger national government to handle disputes among states. 

Therefore, the Constitutional Convention was formed in 1787 to make the United States Constitution as we know it. Many people wanted Congress to regulate interstate travel and get taxes. The Federal Convention started in Independence Hall in Philadelphia on May 25, 1787. Many delegates from all 13 states were there from Roger Sherman, Gouverneur Morris, etc. Alexander Hamilton wanted a strong federal government. Hamilton was a Federalist. Federalists were right that there should be a strong national government, but many Federalists went over the line like Morris who wanted the President to hold office for life or mimic aristocracy. James Madison wanted a strong federal government but wanted republicanism not a model of British systems. Madison wanted the Virginia Plan where the more people a state had, the more representation it had in Congress. The New Jersey Plan promoted by William Patterson wanted Congress to be represented by equal members no matter how large or small. There was a Great Compromise done by Roger Sherman of Connecticut where there are 3 branches government, the House is based on a state's population and the Senate is based on equal members regardless of the size of the state. There are federal courts. There is a distinction between federal and state powers. Also, the executive, legislative, and judicial branches were co-equal in power. There was the 3/5 compromise that called black slaves 3/5 of a human which is highly offensive. There were fugitive slave laws that forced Northerners to send escaped slaves back to the South. The Constitution was based on John Locke and other Enlightenment scholars. Then, there was the ratification of the U.S. Constitution which would be hard. The Federalists (led by George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison) wanted a strong national government and the anti-federalists wanted a weaker national government (led by Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, etc.). The Federalists were right that the national government should be strong to protect the rights of people, and the Anti-Federalists were right to advocate a Bill of Rights to make sure that the national government doesn't be tyrannical against the people. The Federalists had support among urban workers, seaport workers, and the Anti-Federalists had support among farmers. The Federalists promoted their ideals in The Federalist essays.The Federalists won the Constitution battle, but the Bill of Rights was added to ensure that freedom of religion, the freedom of speech, the right to have a press, the right to a trial, etc. were in existence. Congress passed the Bill of Rights in 1789. The Constitution promoted popular sovereignty, limited government, the separation of powers, federalism, checks and balances, and representative government. The Constitution persists to this very day. The contradiction is that many parts of the Constitution had to be changed and added to right wrongs and fight injustices. To this day, we have people who want to harm the Constitution with reactionary policies. George Washington was elected the first American President by 1789 with Vice President John Adams via the Electoral College. Washington suppressed the Whiskey Rebellion, and he opposed political parties, but 2 early parties existed (the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans). The Federalists were right on many issues but wrong for supporting the anti-liberty Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 that contributed to Jefferson being elected President by 1800 (against John Adams). That is why we must always fight evil and promote legitimate democratic freedoms in our daily lives. America by 1789 was very imperfect, and it will take heroic Americans to end slavery, to defeat the Confederacy, and stand for civil rights decades and centuries after 1789 indeed.

 

I found out that Joy Latricia Faison is my 5th cousin. She was born on December 9, 1976 in Norfolk, Virginia. Her parents are George Lee Faison (b. 1950) and Rebecca Ann Turner (1953-2015). Her late brother was Sean Tyrone Faison (1971-1998). Her parents are George Lee Faison (b. 1950) and Rebecca Ann Turner (1953-2015). George Faison's parents were Rassie Williams (1923-2000) and Carolyn Caroline Ann Tabb Faison Brown (1929-2015). Rassie Williams' parents were Roser Williams (1900-1969) and Willie May Blow (b. 1910). The parents of Roser Williams are George Williams (1868-1934) and Mary A. Bryant (b. 1875). The parents of George Williams were my 5th great-granduncle John Burwell Williams (b. 1815) and Mary Williams (b. 1832). The parents of John Burwell Williams were my 6th great-grandparents of Winifred Woodson-Bozeman (b. 1791) and Burwell Williams. The mother of Winifred was my 7th great grandmother Nancy Woodson (1760-1808). 

I found out more information about my late 4th cousin Euvonne Arbodella Peeples (1952-2017). She was born on April 19, 1952 in Adams Grove, Virginia to Joe Edgar Mack Peeples (1925-1972) and Dorothy Rose Gholston (1925-2016). Her nickname was Von. She believed in the Lord Jesus Christ at a young age as a member of Shiloh Baptist Church. That church is located in Boykins, Virginia, and I have been to the church before. She was educated in the Southampton County Public School system, and she graduated from Southampton High School in 1970. From there, she attended Norfolk State University. She worked in GMAC and ALLY after 30 years. She also worked as a federal employee for 9 years. She has been married to Albert Granby for 35 years. Euvonne Arbodella Peeples married Albert Granby Sr. at Shiloh Baptist Church. The double ring ceremony was performed by the Reverend R. C. Elliot. The ceremony had lighted candles and a fan candelabra. Mrs. Thelma Jennings was the organist. Mrs. Peggie Smith and Mrs. Evelyn Carter were singers who sang People and We've Only Just Begun. Euvonne's brother, Elger Peeples, escorted her to the altar. Ms. Margorie Joyner of Drewryville, Virginia was the maid of honor. She loved to cook, travel, and spend time with her children and grandchildren. She was an active member of Brown Grove Baptist Church in Chesterfield, Virginia. Her children are Albert Donnell Granby Jr., Donnie Granby, and her step-daughter Erica Granby Thorton. Her grandsons are Albert III, Avon, Bryson, and Blake. Her brothers are Earl Nelson Peeples (b. 1954), Elger Wendell Peeples (1948-1999), and Ervin Andre Peeples (1966-2013). 

By Timothy