Early June 2019 Updates.

Trump and even some moderate Democrats attacking socialism obviously don't know history or politics. They believe in the lie that socialism is equivalent to what Stalin did. Stalin was an authoritarian who murdered dissidents (including socialists and Trotskyites), he destroyed religious buildings, and oppressed many other people. Therefore, what Stalin did was not socialism. The Russian Revolution existed after the tyranny of the czars, who brutalized the serfs, Jewish people, and any progressive movements. Socialism means that the government or the people owns the means of the production. Many socialists from Norman Thomas to Eugene Debs were leaders in labor rights and economic rights movements. The praising of democratic socialism is not new. Dr. King praised it, and other leaders have praised it. We live in a new time. We have a lot of resources about the history of socialism, and many hypocrites lecture others about hating on socialism but omit the massive government bailouts to large banks (which is socialism for the rich and rugged capitalism for the poor). Moderates say that FDR wasn't a socialist, and that's true. FDR said that he wanted the New Deal to save capitalism, but FDR wasn't a conservative or a moderate either. His policies expanded the government. In fact, many parts of the New Deal have been advocated by socialists from the CCC to the policy of public insurance for the elderly. The people who viciously opposed the New Deal weren't just far right people but moderates back then as well. Also, these moderates omit that FDR promoted the Second Bill of Rights that advocated federal policies to make education, housing, health care, elderly compensation human rights. The Social Security Act, Medicare, Medicaid, and other government programs were influenced directly or indirectly by socialist activists. Socialists from A. Philip Randolph to Dr. Spock were at the forefront in advancing civil rights and environmental legislation for decades in America alone.

There are recent tensions in Memphis. It happened after U.S. Marshals shot and killed a young man at north Memphis. The cops believe that the man wanted to harm officers with his vehicle. The officers said that he held onto a weapon and they they shot him over 20 times. Other believe that the cops are not being transparent. Later, a protest happened in Memphis. Tensions caused some people throwing rocks, and then the police used tear gas to cause the crowd of people to disperse. A cop car was damaged. Certainly, there should be a totally thorough, independent investigation to find all of the facts. Poverty, income inequality, and police harassment has been talked about by the members of Frayser, Memphis for years. Frayser has environmental issues too. Therefore, the oligarchy in many cases don't care about the poor and the oppressed (who have been scapegoated and shamed for centuries and thousands of years). What is important is to figure the truth and use policies that help people, so communities can flourish.

There are a lot of news in the world. Recently, there was a bombing of a ship near Oman. U.S. Navy people saved lives. 2 vessels were struck. Mike Pompeo accused Iran of being involved in the attack, while Iran is accusing others of being involved. What is true is that the attack is totally wrong, unjustified, and have no place in the world. This comes as tensions in the Middle East among Iran and America have increased. That is why Japan is trying to mediate in deescalating the tensions. The only resolution to this crisis is the objective negotiation to find a political solution involving foreign policy revolving around Iran. A reactionary response won't work at all.

Yesterday was the Birthday of Sister Cheryl Elizabeth Gamble or Coko. She is one members of the super R&B group SWV. If you lived during the 1990's, you knew about the music from SWV. Coko was born in the Bronx, NYC. SWV (Sisters with Voices) are legends. They gave words from a perspective of hardworking women who desired the dream of expressing their music to a worldwide audience. Gamble began singing at age 3, beginning her recording career as a choir member in Hezekiah Walker's Love Fellowship Crusade Choir. Coko is certainly is a master at her craft. She has branched out to perform gospel music as well. Her famous song Sunshine came out in 1999. It was praising the birth of her son named Jazz. She lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia today. Her story is about seeing that music is great to embrace, but it also important to make sure that your purpose in life equates into happiness in the human soul. I wish Sister Coko more blessings.

Days ago was the time of Medgar Evers' passing. I was not born during that tumultuous time, but my parents and grandparents were alive then. Medgar Evers personified bravery since he stood up for equality and justice in the heart of the Deep South. Back then, lynching and church bombings were commonplace. A black man or a black woman could be shot down in the street in broad daylight without any justice available. Therefore, Medgar Evers sacrificed his life for us. He lived for us. He spoke out against Jim Crow apartheid and worked in organizations in opposition to oppression. Decatur, Mississippi was the place of his birth. He also was a military veteran. He was involved in World War II having involvement in the Battle of Normandy. That was D-Day on June of 1944. Evers was also president of the Regional Council of Negro Leadership (RCNL), which began to organize actions for civil rights. We know how he passed away. It is important to know how he lived. He lived in love. The great form of love is to risk one's life in order to see a better world. His activism motivates all of us to continue in the same fight that he has advocated during his life. His wife Myrlie Evers-Williams continues to fight for civil rights too. She helped to modernize the NAACP when she headed it back during the 1990's. The struggle continues, but the victory in the end will be ours.
Rest in Power Brother Medgar Evers.

By Timothy