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Pro-God, Pro-Human Life, anti-New World Order, Anti-Nefarious Secret Societies, Pro-Civil Liberties, anti-Torture, anti-National ID Card, Pro-Family, Anti-Neo Conservativism, Pro-Net Neutrality, Pro-Home Schooling, Anti-Voting Fraud, Pro-Good Israelis & Pro-Good Palestinians, Anti-Human Trafficking, Pro-Health Freedom, Anti-Codex Alimentarius, Pro-Action, Anti-Bigotry, Pro-9/11 Justice, Anti-Genocide, and Pro-Gun Control. My name is Timothy and I'm from the state of Virginia.
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Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Our Constitutional Crisis.
Harvard should be commended for refusing to submit to Trump's anti-free speech demands. The Trump administration has froze $2.2 billion in federal funding, because Harvard doesn't want its students to be fed a whitewash, distorted version of history and a denial of diversity in its student body. Trump demanded Harvard to ban DEI programs, screen international students, and promote "viewpoint diversity." Harvard's President Alan Garber rightfully said that the government has no right to force private universities to submit to the government's demands. Harvard has stood their ground. Yet, some universities have submitted to Trump's anti-DEI demands, which is about selling out to a tyrant. Trump is a fascist tyrant, as his policies violate the First Amendment. The government has no right to dictate to private universities what they can teach in their curriculum or syllabus, who they can admit or hire, and which areas of study they can pursue. Trump wants to attack educational freedom. Supporting the rights of Palestinian people is not anti-Semitism, and loving the concept of black liberation is not racism, regardless of what the Trump regime says.
Trump and his administration are defying the Supreme Court order saying that Abrego Garcia must return back to America. Garcia is from Maryland, and he is a legal U.S. resident. The Trump administration continues to lie and say that Garcia is a member of MS-13 when that has not been proven at all. Garcia was kidnapped and deported to El Salvador without due process of law. This is illegal. Trump wants universities to promote pro-Trump propaganda, and Trump wants the deportation of U.S. citizens, which is fascism. Deportation of U.S. citizens is illegal in violation of the 8th Amendment, the First Amendment, and the Constitution in general. The El Salvador CECOT mega-prison system is one of the most brutal detention facilities on Earth. Bukele is a dictator in El Salvador too. He has suppressed political opposition, too. He doesn't want Kilmar Abrego Garcia to return to his American wife and three children in Maryland. Attorney General Pam Bondi is a liar to say that Gracia is an MS-13 member and an illegal immigrant. Garcia is a legal resident, he was never charged with a crime, and he was kidnapped without due process. Trump is a fascist as he wants the President to be bound by no law, even above judicial rulings, have unchallenged authority over foreign policy and war, and have the power to deport or detain anyone, including U.S. citizens, without due process of law.
Russia committed another war crime with a missile strike in Ukraine's Sumy, killing 35 people. Yet, many fake anti-war advocates are silent because many of them want to support the dictator Vladimir Putin (who is a far-right bigot). Silence is not an option. Putin did this on Palm Sunday in a cruel irony. Russian officials lied and said that they wanted to target military targets, but children were murdered. Putin is a liar as Russian forces targeted civilian locations for years in the Ukrainian war. Trump said that tech-specific tariffs are coming soon. That contradicts Trump's supposed electronics exemption, underscoring that no one is being truly exempted from the tariffs. Trump wants the U.S. military to control much of the U.S./Mexico border and adopt repressive measures that would treat migrants crossing the border as though they were attacking a U.S. military base. The dehumanization of migrants has been part of the Trump playbook for years now.
Trump wants to deport American citizens to foreign concentration camps that he deems "homegrown" criminals. This is illegal. We haven't had this level of fascist promotion since the 1930s. This is beyond worse than Reagan, and we lived through Reagan. Reagan's policies were bad in tons of cases, but Trumpism is on another level of evil. Trump is not only complicit in this. All Trump supporters are complicit in this evil as they voted for this male. This policy is anti-democratic and anti-American. It is heinous. The Supreme Court has to fight back and condemn this injustice or America as we know it is gone. Next year is, ironically, the 250th year anniversary of America. This is the most blatantly constitutional crisis in American history in a long time. Now, an American citizen Krebs is being targeted by the Trump administration. He is an innocent man who disagrees with Trump. If this can happen to legal residents, it can happen to citizens. It has happened to the citizen, Krebs now being harassed by the Trump regime.
The cruel news is that Trump and El Salvador's President refuse to return the mistakenly deported man. This man is entitled to due process, as we ought not to be a fascist nation. The Supreme Court ordered Trump to send Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia (from Maryland, and he is a legal resident) back to America. Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele and Trump should be ashamed of themselves. Trump has the power and the resources to send Gracia back home, but he refuses to follow a legal Supreme Court ruling, because Trump is an evil, xenophobic, and lawless Resident of the White House. Trump supporters hypocritically claim to love the rule of law, but they support Trump, who makes a mockery of legal court decisions. Trump has declared war on the rule of law, the federal judiciary, and we have a constitutional crisis now. Trump called for the impeachment of federal judges who ruled against him, which is illegal and fascist. We have to stand on our values and call out Trump for his anti-constitutional actions. Now, Trump wants to deport American citizens if he can find legal justifications for it (when that is illegal). Trump is a dictator and a fascist. I will not sugarcoat my words. The leader of the DOJ and Trump supporters want to stonewall legal decisions that go against Trump's agenda. Democrats and other freedom lovers must talk about this issue from the rooftops.
By Timothy
Tuesday, April 15, 2025
My Family Tree Work Part 7.
The link of:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sfJj-kRvpuXSacYX3Vc0y4CgbQVC4iFy/view?usp=sharing
shows Part 7 of my family tree work. I will show more information in the link as days and weeks plus months will go on. This work will have more graphics, more information, and new discoveries about my heritage. It took me some time to create this information, and I am thankful to God to give me the opportunity to show people the real truth about the world.
By Timothy
Monday, April 14, 2025
Selma History, etc.
By early 1965, the Selma movement had grown. Back then, the city of Selma had both moderate and hardline segregationists in its white capitalist power structure. The newly elected Mayor Joseph Smitherman was a moderate who hoped to attract Northern business investment, and he was very conscious of the city's image. Smitherman appointed veteran lawman Wilson Baker to head the city's 30-man police force. Baker believed that the most effective method of undermining civil rights protests was to de-escalate them and deny them publicity, as Police Chief Laurie Pritchett had done against the Albany Movement in Georgia. Activists knew that Baker was more sophisticated than other sheriffs.
The hardline of segregation was represented by the overtly racist Dallas County Sheriff Jim Clark, who used violence and repression to maintain Jim Crow. He commanded a posse of 200 deputies, some of whom were members of Ku Klux Klan chapters or the National States' Rights Party. Possemen were armed with electric cattle-prods. Some were mounted on horseback and carried long leather whips they used to lash people on foot. Clark and Chief Baker were known to spar over jurisdiction. Baker's police patrolled the city except for the block of the county courthouse, which Clark and his deputies controlled. Outside the city limits, Clark and his volunteer posse were in complete control in the county.
The Selma Voting Rights Campaign in the modern sense started officially on January 2, 1965, when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. addressed a mass meeting in Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church in defiance of the anti-meeting injunction. The date had been chosen because Sheriff Clark was out of town, and Chief Baker had stated he would not enforce the injunction. Over the following weeks, SCLC and SNCC activists expanded voter registration drives and protests in Selma and the adjacent Black Belt counties. By early January, there were preparations for mass registration. Dr. King went out of town to raise money via fundraising. So, Diane Nash led the charge to have the registration project. On January 15, 1965, Dr. King called President Johnson and the two agreed to start a major push for voting rights legislation, which would assist in advancing the passage of more anti-poverty legislation. After Dr. King returned to Selma, the first big "Freedom Day" of the new campaign occurred on January 18, 1965. According to their respective strategies, Chief Baker's police were cordial toward demonstrators, but Sheriff Clark refused to let black registrants enter the county courthouse. Clark made no arrests or assaults at this time. However, in an incident that drew national attention, Dr. King was knocked down and kicked by a leader of the National States Rights Party, who was quickly arrested by Chief Baker. Baker also arrested the head of the American Nazi Party, George Lincoln Rockwell, who said he'd come to Selma to "run King out of town." After the assault on Dr. King by the white supremacist in January 1965, black nationalist leader Malcolm X had sent an open telegram to George Lincoln Rockwell, stating: "if your present racist agitation against our people there in Alabama causes physical harm ... you and your KKK friends will be met with maximum physical retaliation from those of us who ... believe in asserting our right to self-defense by any means necessary."
Over the next week, black people persisted in their attempts to register. Sheriff Clark responded by arresting organizers, including Amelia Boynton and Hosea Williams. Eventually, 225 registrants were arrested as well at the county courthouse. Their cases were handled by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. On January 20, 1965, President Johnson gave his inaugural address but did not mention voting rights. Up to this point, the overwhelming majority of registrants and marchers were sharecroppers, blue-collar workers, and students. On January 22, Frederick Reese, a black schoolteacher who was also DCVL President, finally convinced his colleagues to join the campaign and register en masse. When they refused Sheriff Clark's orders to disperse at the courthouse, an ugly scene commenced. Clark's posse beat the teachers away from the door, but they rushed back only to be beaten again. The teachers retreated after three attempts and marched to a mass meeting where they were celebrated as heroes by the black community. On January 25, U.S. District Judge Daniel Thomas issued rules requiring that at least 100 people must be permitted to wait at the courthouse without being arrested. After Dr. King led marchers to the courthouse that morning, Jim Clark began to arrest all registrants in excess of 100, and corral the rest. Annie Lee Cooper, a fifty-three-year-old practical nurse who had been part of the Selma movement since 1963, struck Clark after he twisted her arm, and she knocked him to his knees as Cooper used self-defense. Four deputies seized Cooper, and photographers captured images of Clark beating her repeatedly with his club. The crowd was inflamed, and some wanted to intervene against Clark, but King ordered them back as Cooper was taken away. Although Cooper had violated nonviolent discipline, the movement rallied around her. Jim Clark and those officers were cowardly for assaulting a black woman desiring voting rights. James Bevel, speaking at a mass meeting, deplored her actions because "then [the press] don't talk about the registration." But when asked about the incident by Jet magazine, Bevel said, "Not everybody who registers is nonviolent; not everybody who registers is supposed to be nonviolent." The incident between Clark and Cooper was a media sensation, putting the campaign on the front page of The New York Times. When asked if she would do it again, Cooper told Jet, "I try to be nonviolent, but I just can't say I wouldn't do the same thing all over again if they treat me brutish like they did this time."
By February of 1965, more events happened. Dr. King wanted to get arrested to call attention to the voting rights issues in Selma. On February 1, King and Ralph Abernathy refused to cooperate with Chief Baker's traffic directions on the way to the courthouse, calculating that Baker would arrest them, putting them in the Selma city jail run by Baker's police, rather than the county jail run by Clark's deputies. Once processed, King and Abernathy refused to post bond. On the same day, SCLC and SNCC organizers took the campaign outside of Dallas County for the first time; in nearby Perry County, 700 students and adults, including James Orange, were arrested. On the same day, students from Tuskegee Institute, working in cooperation with SNCC, were arrested for acts of civil disobedience in solidarity with the Selma campaign. In New York and Chicago, Friends of SNCC chapters staged sit-ins at federal buildings in support of Selma black people, and CORE chapters in the North and West also mounted protests. Solidarity pickets began circling in front of the White House late into the night.
Fay Bellamy and Silas Norman attended a talk by Malcolm X to 3,000 students at the Tuskegee Institute, and invited him to address a mass meeting at Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church to kick off the protests on the morning of February 4, 1965. When Malcolm X arrived, SCLC staff initially wanted to block his talk, but he assured them that he did not intend to undermine their work. During his address, Malcolm X warned the protesters about "House Negroes" who, he said, were a hindrance to black liberation. Dr. King later said that he thought this was an attack on him. But Malcolm told Coretta Scott King that he thought to aid the campaign by warning white people what "the alternative" would be if Dr. King failed in Alabama. Bellamy recalled that Malcolm told her he would begin recruiting in Alabama for his Organization of Afro-American Unity later that month (Malcolm was assassinated two weeks later).
On February 4, President Lyndon Johnson made his first public statement in support of the Selma campaign. At midday, Judge Thomas, at the Justice Department's urging, issued an injunction that suspended Alabama's current literacy test, ordered Selma to take at least 100 applications per registration day, and guaranteed that all applications received by June 1 would be processed before July. In response to Thomas' favorable ruling, and in alarm at Malcolm X's visit, Andrew Young, who was not in charge of the Selma movement, said he would suspend demonstrations. James Bevel, however, continued to ask people to line up at the voter's registration office as they had been doing, and Dr. King called Young from jail, telling him the demonstrations would continue. They did so the next day, and more than 500 protesters were arrested.
On February 5, King bailed himself and Abernathy out of jail. On February 6, the White House announced that it would urge Congress to enact a voting rights bill during the current session and that the vice-president and Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach would meet with King in the following week. On February 9, King met with Attorney General Katzenbach, Vice President Hubert Humphrey, and White House aides before having a brief, seven-minute session with President Johnson. Following the Oval Office visit, King reported that Johnson planned to deliver his message "very soon." Throughout that February, King, SCLC staff, and members of Congress met for strategy sessions at the Selma, Alabama home of Richie Jean Jackson. In addition to actions in Selma, marches and other protests in support of voting rights were held in neighboring Perry, Wilcox, Marengo, Greene, and Hale counties. Attempts were made to organize in Lowndes County, but fear of the Klan there was so intense from previous violence and murders that black people would not support a nonviolent campaign in great number, even after Dr. King made a personal appearance on March 1.
Overall, more than 3,000 people were arrested in protests between January 1 and February 7, but black people achieved fewer than 100 new registered voters. In addition, hundreds of people were injured or blacklisted by employers due to their participation in the campaign. DCLV activists became increasingly wary of SCLC's protests, preferring to wait and see if Judge Thomas' ruling of February 4 would make a long-term difference. SCLC was less concerned with Dallas County's immediate registration figures, and primarily focused on creating a public crisis that would make a voting rights bill the White House's number one priority. James Bevel and C. T. Vivian both led dramatic nonviolent confrontations at the courthouse in the second week of February. Selma students organized themselves after the SCLC leaders were arrested. King told his staff on February 10 that "to get the bill passed, we need to make a dramatic appeal through Lowndes and other counties because the people of Selma are tired." By the end of the month, 300 black human beings were registered in Selma, compared to 9500 whites.
By the end of February, activists planned for the first Selma to Montgomery march. On February 18, 1965, C. T. Vivian led a march to the courthouse in Marion, the county seat of neighboring Perry County, to protest the arrest of James Orange. State officials had received orders to target Vivian, and a line of Alabama state troopers waited for the marchers at the Perry County courthouse. Officials had turned off all of the nearby streetlights, and state troopers rushed at the protesters, attacking them. Protesters Jimmie Lee Jackson, his grandfather and his mother fled the scene to hide in a nearby café. Alabama State Trooper corporal James Bonard Fowler followed Jackson into the café and shot him, saying he thought the protester was trying to get his gun as they grappled. Jackson died eight days later at Selma's Good Samaritan Hospital of an infection resulting from the gunshot wound. The death of Jimmie Lee Jackson prompted civil rights leaders to bring their cause directly to Alabama Governor George Wallace by performing a 54 mi (87 km) march from Selma to the state capital of Montgomery. Jackson was the only male wage-earner of his household, which lived in extreme poverty. Jackson's grandfather, mother, wife, and children were left with no source of income. The truth is that Jimmie Lee Jackson was trying to protect the life of his mother, Viola Jackson, in a cafe, and the police shot him twice in the abdomen for no reason. Jackson was beaten by the police after he was shot and collapsed in front of the bus station. He died in the hospital. The police also beat an 82-year-old grandfather of Jackson, Cager Lee in the Mack's Cafe too.
During a public meeting at Zion United Methodist Church in Marion on February 28, after Jackson's death, emotions were running high. James Bevel, as director of the Selma voting rights movement for SCLC, called for a march from Selma to Montgomery to talk to Governor George Wallace directly about Jackson's death, and to ask him if he had ordered the State Troopers to turn off the lights and attack the marchers. Bevel strategized that this would focus the anger and pain of the people of Marion and Selma toward a nonviolent goal, as many were so outraged that they wanted to retaliate with violence. The marchers wanted to bring attention to the many violations of black people's constitutional rights by marching to Montgomery. Dr. King agreed with Bevel's plan of the march, which they both intended to symbolize a march for full voting rights. They were to ask Governor Wallace to protect black registrants. SNCC had severe reservations about the march, especially when they heard that King would not be present. They permitted John Lewis to participate, and SNCC provided logistical support, such as the use of its Wide Area Telephone Service (WATS) lines and the services of the Medical Committee on Human Rights, organized by SNCC during the Mississippi Summer Project of 1964. Governor Wallace denounced the march as a threat to public safety; he said that he would take all measures necessary to prevent it from happening. "There will be no march between Selma and Montgomery," Wallace said on March 6, 1965, citing concern over traffic violations. He ordered Alabama Highway Patrol Chief Col. Al Lingo to "use whatever measures are necessary to prevent a march."
Bloody Sunday existed on March 7, 1965. On that day, an estimated 525 to 600 civil rights marchers headed southeast out of Selma on U.S. Highway 80. The march was led by John Lewis of SNCC and the Reverend Hosea Williams of SCLC, followed by Bob Mants of SNCC and Albert Turner of SCLC. The protest went according to plan until the marchers crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where they saw a wall of state troopers and county posse waiting for them on the other side. County sheriff Jim Clark had issued an order for all white men in Dallas County over the age of twenty-one to report to the courthouse that morning to be deputized. Commanding officer John Cloud told the demonstrators to disband at once and go home. Rev. Hosea Williams tried to speak to the officer, but Cloud curtly informed him there was nothing to discuss. Seconds later, the troopers began shoving the demonstrators, knocking many to the ground and beating them with nightsticks. Another detachment of troopers fired tear gas, and mounted troopers charged the crowd on horseback. Televised images of the brutal attack presented Americans and international audiences with horrifying images of marchers left bloodied and severely injured, and roused support for the Selma Voting Rights Campaign. Amelia Boynton, who had helped organize the march as well as marching in it, was beaten unconscious. A photograph of her lying on the road of the Edmund Pettus Bridge appeared on the front page of newspapers and news magazines around the world. Another marcher, Lynda Blackmon Lowery, age 14, was brutally beaten by a police officer during the march and needed seven stitches for a cut above her right eye and 28 stitches on the back of her head. John Lewis suffered a skull fracture and bore scars on his head from the incident for the rest of his life. In all, 17 marchers were hospitalized and 50 treated for lesser injuries; the day soon became known as "Bloody Sunday."
After the march, President Johnson issued an immediate statement "deploring the brutality with which a number of Negro citizens of Alabama were treated." He also promised to send a voting rights bill to Congress that week, although it took him until March 15. SNCC officially joined the Selma campaign, putting aside their qualms about SCLC's tactics to rally for "the fundamental right of protest." SNCC members independently organized sit-ins in Washington, DC, the following day, occupying the office of Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach until they were dragged away.
The executive board of the NAACP unanimously passed a resolution the day after "Bloody Sunday", warning, "If Federal troops are not made available to protect the rights of Negroes, then the American people are faced with terrible alternatives. Like the citizens of Nazi-occupied France, Negroes must either submit to the heels of their oppressors or they must organize underground to protect themselves from the oppression of Governor Wallace and his storm troopers." In response to "Bloody Sunday", labor leader Walter Reuther sent a telegram on March 9 to President Johnson, reading in part: "Americans of all religious faiths, of all political persuasions, and from every section of our Nation are deeply shocked and outraged at the tragic events in Selma Ala., and they look to the Federal Government as the only possible source to protect and guarantee the exercise of constitutional rights, which is being denied and destroyed by the Dallas County law enforcement agents and the Alabama State troops under the direction of Governor George Wallace. Under these circumstances, Mr. President, I join in urging you to take immediate and appropriate steps including the use of Federal marshals and troops if necessary, so that the full exercise of constitutional rights including free assembly and free speech be fully protected." After Bloody Sunday, the Selma Voting Rights Movement entered a new and final phase.
By 2010, LeBron was in a new era of his career. He was in his physical prime in the 2010s. James officially signed a 6-year, $110 million contract with the Heat on July 10, 2010, through a sign-and-trade deal which sent two second- and two first-round draft picks to the Cavaliers and gave the team the option to swap first-round picks with the Heat in 2012. As part of the first player-created NBA superteam, he became only the third reigning MVP to change teams and the first since Moses Malone in 1982. That evening, the Heat threw a welcome party for their new "Big Three" at the American Airlines Arena, an event that took on a rock concert atmosphere. During the gathering, James predicted a dynasty for the Heat and alluded to multiple championships. Outside of Miami, the spectacle was not well-received, furthering the negative public perception of James.
Throughout the 2010–11 season, the media and opposing fanbases treated James and the Heat as villains. To begin the year, they struggled to adjust to these new circumstances, going only 9–8 after 17 games. James later admitted that the constant negativity surrounding the team made him play with an angrier demeanor than in years past. On December 2, James faced the Cleveland Cavaliers in Cleveland for the first time since departing as a free agent. He scored 38 points and led Miami to a victory while being booed every time he touched the ball. The Heat eventually turned their season around and finished as the East's second seed, with James averaging 26.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game on 51 percent shooting. In the Eastern Conference Semifinals, James and his teammates found themselves matched up with the Boston Celtics for the second consecutive year. In Game 5, he scored Miami's last 10 points to help seal a series-clinching win. After the final buzzer, James famously knelt on the court in an emotional moment, later telling reporters that it was an extremely personal victory for him and the team. The Heat eventually advanced to the Finals, where they lost to the Dallas Mavericks in six games. James received the brunt of the criticism for the loss, averaging only three points in fourth quarters in the series, and scored just eight points in Game 4, a game Miami lost by just three points. His Finals scoring average of 17.8 points per game signified an 8.9-point drop from the regular season, the largest point drop-off in league history. LeBron James won back-to-back championships with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013. The 2011–2012 season was delayed by a lockout, and during that extended summer, James worked with Hakeem Olajuwon in order to improve his post-up game. Humbled by the Heat's loss to the Mavericks, the experience inspired James to leave behind the villain role that he had been embracing, which helped James regain a sense of joy on the court. Behind his expanded skillset, Miami began the year with a franchise-best 18–6 record. James was eventually named MVP for the third time, finishing with averages of 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.9 steals per game on 53 percent shooting.
In the second round of the playoffs, Miami temporarily lost Bosh to an abdominal injury and found themselves trailing the Indiana Pacers 2–1. James responded with a 40-point, 18-rebound, and nine-assist outing in Game 4 to help even the series. To compensate for Bosh's absence, the Heat embraced a small-ball lineup with James at power forward, which they retained even after Bosh's return in the conference finals against the Boston Celtics. Facing elimination in Game 6, James recorded 45 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Heat to victory in what The New York Times called a "career-defining performance." Miami won Game 7 to advance to the Finals, earning them a matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder and James' budding rival Kevin Durant. Late in Game 4 of the series, James hit a three-pointer to give the Heat a lead, helping them win the game despite missing time with leg cramps. In Game 5, he registered a triple-double as Miami defeated Oklahoma City for their second-ever championship and James' first championship. James was unanimously voted the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player with averages of 28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game. His full postseason run, in which James averaged 30.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game, was later ranked the second best in modern NBA history by ESPN. LeBron James winning his first championship in 2012 took almost 10 years, but it was product of hard work and teamwork.
In February of the 2012–13 season, James averaged 29.7 points and 7.8 assists per game while setting multiple shooting efficiency records. That same month, the Heat also began a 27-game winning streak, which is the third longest in NBA history. Based on these accomplishments, James' performance was described as a "month for the ages" by Sports Illustrated. Miami eventually finished the year with a franchise and league best 66–16 record, and James was named MVP for the fourth time, falling just one vote shy of becoming the first player in NBA history to win the award unanimously. His final season averages were 26.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game on 56.5 percent shooting. In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, James scored a buzzer-beating layup to give Miami a one-point victory against the Pacers. Throughout the series, his supporting cast struggled significantly, and his added scoring load prompted James to compare his responsibilities to those of his "Cleveland days." Despite these struggles, the Heat advanced to the Finals for a meeting with the San Antonio Spurs, signifying a rematch for James from his first Finals six years earlier. At the beginning of the series, he was criticized for his lack of aggressiveness and poor shot selection as Miami fell behind 2–3. In Game 6, James recorded his second triple-double of the series, including 16 fourth quarter points, to lead the Heat to a comeback victory. In Game 7, he tied the Finals record for most points scored in a Game 7 victory, leading Miami over San Antonio with 37 points. James was named Finals MVP for the second straight season, averaging 25.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 2.3 steals per game for the championship round.
LeBron James had his final season in Miami from the 2013-2014 season. On March 3, 2014, he scored a career high and franchise record of 61 points against the Charlotte Bobcats. He converted on his first eight three-point field goal attempts through three quarters, setting a new record for the most three-point field goals made in a 60-point game. James also set the record for most points in a single game while wearing a mask. Throughout the year, he was one of the few staples for a Heat roster that used 20 different starting lineups due to injuries, finishing with averages of 27.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game on 56.7 percent shooting. In the second round of the playoffs, James tied a career-scoring postseason-high by scoring 49 points in Game 4 against the Brooklyn Nets. In the next round, Miami defeated the Pacers to earn their fourth consecutive Finals berth, becoming one of only four teams in NBA history to do so. In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, James missed most of the fourth quarter because of leg cramps, helping the San Antonio Spurs take an early series lead. In Game 2, he led the Heat to a series-tying victory with 35 points on a 64 percent shooting rate. San Antonio eventually eliminated the Heat in five games, ending Miami's quest for a three-peat. For the Finals, James averaged 28.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game. By this time, he already had the gold medal in the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games for the USA Men's basketball team. After LeBron's career in Miami, he knew that it was time to go home to Cleveland to win a championship in his home state of Ohio. It was time.
After the London 2012 historic Summer Olympics, Carmelita Jeter was in a new era of track and field career. In the Lausanne Diamond League's women 100m race, she won a close finish against many great women athletes, including Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce. Carmelita Jeter had the time of 10.86 seconds. Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce of Jamaica was number 2, and Kelly Ann Baptiste of Trinidad and Tobago was third. On January 26, 2013, Carmelita Jeter ran in the 60m race at the British Athletics Glasgow International Match. She was second place in an upset by the athlete from Germany, Verena Sailer. Yet, Jeter will come back. By 2013, Carmelita Jeter ran in more races like the Caymen 2013 Invitational in the women's 100m race. She had the time of 10.95 seconds and she won the race. It took place on May 8, 2013. Carmelita Jeter was first, Barbara Pierr was 2nd with the time of 11.02 seconds, then Deandre Whithoren, Me'Lisa Barber, Schillonie Calvert, Sheri Ann Brooks, Kerron Stewart, and Gloria Asumnu. By 2013, there has been a new generation of track and field athletes like Brianna Rollins, Dalilah Muhammad, Nicole Bush, English Gardner, and other human beings.
Later, there will be the 2013 World Championships in Athletics in Moscow. It lasted from August 10 to 18, 2013. It would be a life-changing event for Carmelita Jeter, showing her courage and determination as a track and field icon. Usain Bolt would win many gold medals like the 100m and the 200m, solidifying himself as the greatest sprinter in human history. Jamaica's men won the 4x100 m relay, and the American men won the 4x400m relay. As for the women, Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce won the gold in the 100m and the 200m. Brianna Rollins is a Sister from America who won gold in the 100m hurdles. Jamaica's women won the 4x100m relay, and Americans won the 4x400m relay (with Jessica Beard, Natasha Hastings, Ashley Spencer, Francena McCorory, and Joanna Atkins). During the 100m's women race, Carmelita had a torn quadriceps. Most athletes would throw in the throw in dealing with such a brutal injury. Yet, Jeter isn't built like that. Carmelita Jeter ran and won bronze with a great time of 10.94 seconds in the 100m race at Moscow. Jeter had to heal from the quadricep injury. Later, she ran sixth in the race at Sainsbury, UK. Michelle-Lee Ahye from Trinidad and Tobago won the race, and Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce from Jamaica won 2nd. By this time, she has her own track and field camp to promote track and field culture for young people. Carmelita Jeter won silver in the 4X100m relay race at the World Relay Championships in Nassau, Bahamas, in 2015. She wanted to go to the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Brazil, but she had an injury and retired from track and field in 2017. Yet, Carmelita Jeter had a powerful career winning gold medal, inspiring people, and being a living legend of a sport that she loves a great deal.
The existence of the Cold War caused the Korean War to exist. Imperial Japan ruled Korea from 1910 to 1945. In China, the nationalist National Revolutionary Army and the communist People's Liberation Army (PLA) helped organize Korean refugees against the Japanese imperialist military, which had occupied parts of China during WWII. Yi Pom-Sok led the Nationalist-backed Koreans to fight in the Burma campaign from 1941 to 1945. The communists were led by Kim II Sung and other people to fight the Japanese forces in Korean and Manchuria. At the Cairo Conference in 1943, China, the UK, and America agreed to allow Korea to be free and independent. At the Tehran Conference in 1943 and the Yalta Conference in February 1945, the Soviet Union promised to join the Allies in the Pacific War within three months of the victory in Europe. The USSR declared war on Japan and invaded Manchuria by August 8, 1945. What people like Scarborough don't get is that Stalin is wrong on civil liberty issues, but the Soviets contributed heavily to allowing the Allied forces to win the Western front. Roosevelt didn't want to justify Stalin's authoritarianism, but he desired a more peaceful world creating a system where colonialism would be abolished in the world. Likewise, Churchill was a lifelong supporter of imperialism and colonialism. By August 10, 1945, the Soviet forces came to northern Korea and secured most major cities in the north by August 25. By this time, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt passed away in 1945, and then Truman was President. Truman would be influenced by war mongering, many of them members of the Pilgrim Society and CFR foreign policy members. FDR wanted the world to not be dominated by the totalitarian systems of Imperialism or Stalinist Communism. That is why true freedom deals with respecting and protecting all of the basic freedom of people, be they political, spiritual, and material. For example, we should have political freedom where people can elect their representatives, spiritual freedom to worship in any manner that we want (or have no faith), to have material freedom allowing the government to provide the general welfare of society and ensure economic justice for all people. FDR wanted America, China, Great Britian, and Russia to work together in promoting peaceful existence.
Political foreign policy leaders Harriman and Kennan were more hawkish agreeing with Winston Churchill's views. The big irony is that Stalin supported the Chinese Nationalist Chiang for a time bringing him weapons and equipment. This would change by 1950 when there was the first Sino-Soviet Treaty of 1950. Harry Truman has been praised for integrating the Armed Forces which was right and correct. Also, it is important to note that Truman shifted into being more hawkish on foreign policy. Truman supported the overt war crime of America dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The lie is that the bomb saved a million American lives, but even General Douglas MacArthur said that the bombs were cruel and unnecessary as negotiation for the Japanese surrender were forthcoming. Truman helped to create the CIA and promote imperialism globally. Even Truman had reservations about some of the policies of the CIA before his death. The Truman Doctrine claimed to want to contain Communism, but when American imperialists targeted non-Communist and nationalist nations for the sake of promoting Western interests, not because of ideological disagreements with Communism. These nations refused to submit to Anglo-American/Western corporate domination. The Cold War's problem and paradox is that the Americans and Soviets wanted to divide the world into their images, instead of allowing nations to create their own nations independently and with the consent of the people of those actions. We have to allow nations to grow in their growing pains that we Americans have and be a beacon of hope and democracy at the same time without coercion or imperialism. That is the truth.
The peninsula of Korea has been a location that imperialists wanted to control for centuries. After WWII, America became the largest Empire in the world. America wanted to change world capitalism to make it control the world's resources. The Soviet Stalinist bureaucracy made compromises with America in Korea, and the Korean war still started. The Stalinist communist parties were told to force the working class to accept disarming the partisans and promote bourgeois parties. Many Stalinist leaders suppressed strikes and protests even in Eastern Europe. In Asia, the Soviet Union accepted compromises with America in dealing with Korea too. General John Hodge of the U.S. military came to Korea on September 8, 1945, to start the occupation of South Korea called the United States Army Military Government in Korea (USAMGIK). On September 7, 1945, General Douglas MacArthur issued Proclamation No. 1 to the people of Korea, announcing US military control over Korea south of the 38th parallel and establishing English as the official language during military control The USAMGIK banned workers' strikes by December 8, 1945. America, British, and the Soviet Union decided to divide Korea into North and South from December 16-27, 1945. Syngman Rhee ruled South Korea being far right. By 1946, there were Korean working people forming strikes in 1946. There was a repression of these strikes. People had inflation and rising food prices along with unemployment. Former Japanese collaborators worked with the U.S. occupation forces and the right-wing regime of Rhee. It is estimated that 100,000 - 200,000 Koreans were murdered, who opposed the U.S. occupation before the Korean War started. The Rhee regime was corrupt. By the fall of 1949, there were clashes across the border, mostly initiated by South Korea. Fighting continued into 1950.
Citing the inability of the Joint Commission to make progress, the US government decided to hold an election under UN auspices to create an independent Korea. The Soviet authorities and Korean communists refused to cooperate on the grounds it would not be fair, and many South Korean politicians boycotted it. The 1948 South Korean general election was held in May. The resultant South Korean government promulgated a national political constitution on July 17, 1948, and elected Syngman Rhee as president on July 20. The Republic of Korea (South Korea) was established on August 15, 1948. In the Soviet-Korean Zone of Occupation, the Soviets agreed to the establishment of a communist government led by Kim Il Sung. The 1948 North Korean parliamentary elections took place in August. The Soviet Union withdrew its forces in 1948 and the US in 1949.
By 1948, a North Korea-backed insurgency had broken out in the southern half of the peninsula. This was exacerbated by the undeclared border war between the Koreas, which saw division-level engagements and thousands of deaths on both sides. The ROK was almost entirely trained and focused on counterinsurgency, rather than conventional warfare. They were equipped and advised by a force of a few hundred American officers, who were successful in helping the ROKA to subdue guerrillas and hold its own against North Korean military (Korean People's Army, KPA) forces along the 38th parallel. Approximately 8,000 South Korean soldiers and police officers died in the insurgent war and border clashes.
The first socialist uprising occurred without direct North Korean participation, though the guerrillas still professed support for the northern government. Beginning in April 1948 on Jeju Island, the campaign saw arrests and repression by the South Korean government in the fight against the South Korean Labor Party, resulting in 30,000 violent deaths, among them 14,373 civilians, of whom ~2,000 were killed by rebels and ~12,000 by ROK security forces. The Yeosu–Suncheon rebellion overlapped with it, as several thousand army defectors waving red flags massacred right-leaning families. This resulted in another brutal suppression by the government and between 2,976 and 3,392 deaths. By May 1948, both uprisings had been crushed.
Insurgency reignited in the spring of 1949 when attacks by guerrillas in the mountainous regions (buttressed by army defectors and North Korean agents) increased. Insurgent activity peaked in late 1949 as the ROKA engaged so-called People's Guerrilla Units. Organized and armed by the North Korean government, and backed by 2,400 KPA commandos who had infiltrated through the border, these guerrillas launched an offensive in September aimed at undermining the South Korean government and preparing the country for the KPA's arrival in force. This offensive failed. However, the guerrillas were now entrenched in the Taebaek-san region of the North Gyeongsang Province and the border areas of the Gangwon Province. While the insurgency was ongoing, the ROKA and KPA engaged in battalion-sized battles along the border, starting in May 1949. Border clashes between South and North continued on August 4, 1949, when thousands of North Korean troops attacked South Korean troops occupying territory north of the 38th parallel. The 2nd and 18th ROK Infantry Regiments repulsed attacks in Kuksa-bong, and KPA troops were "completely routed." Border incidents decreased by the start of 1950.
President Harry Truman lived in these times and won the 1948 election against the progressive candidate Henry Wallace. There was the McCarthy era in the 1950s, more suppression of political dissent in America, and cultural changes in America. There was the Chinese Revolution led by Mao and other people against the Nationalist forces of Chiang. The Stalinist CCP or the Chinese Communist Party and Chiang Kai-shek's KMT were ironically allies against Japanese occupation during WWII. Now, they are fighting each other for the future of China. The Communists won the Chinese civil war causing the creation of the People's Republic of China in October 1949. The Truman administration was heavily criticized by conservatives and KMT for China going Communists. So, Truman became more hawkish going beyond containment into being in support of the invasion of Korea in 1950. Truman withdrew troops in June 1949 like the Soviets did in December 1948. Republican Senator William Knowland (who was from California) supported Chiang Kai-Shek and criticized Truman for the Chinese Revolution being won by Communist. Truman made the NSC 68 to promote a massive U.S. military buildup to prepare to fight the Soviet Union. Truman, Churchill, Kennan, Harriman, and others believed that the Kremlin wanted global domination, in wanting a global dictatorship which isn't true. Still, the Soviet Union was wrong to have anti-human rights policies, execution of political dissidents in the Soviet Union, etc., as Stalin became increasingly anti-Semitic and psychologically unstable after the Korean War.
In April 1950, Stalin permitted Kim to attack the government in the South, under the condition that Mao would agree to send reinforcements if needed. For Kim, this was the fulfillment of his goal to unite Korea. Stalin made it clear Soviet forces would not openly engage in combat, to avoid a direct war with the United States. Full scale fighting happened in Korea on June 25, 1950, when North Korean forces attacked South Korea against Rhee's regime. The North Korean army overwhelming the South Korean military towards the southeastern corner of the peninsula, because Rhee's regime didn't have massive support. At dawn on 25 June 1950, the KPA crossed the 38th parallel behind artillery fire. It justified its assault with the claim ROK troops attacked first and that the KPA were aiming to arrest and execute the "bandit traitor Syngman Rhee." Fighting began on the strategic Ongjin Peninsula in the west. There were initial South Korean claims that the 17th Regiment had counterattacked at Haeju; some scholars argue the claimed counterattack was instead the instigating attack, and therefore that the South Koreans may have fired first. However, the report that contained the Haeju claim contained errors and outright falsehoods.
KPA forces attacked all along the 38th parallel within an hour. The KPA had a combined arms force including tanks supported by heavy artillery. The ROK had no tanks, anti-tank weapons, or heavy artillery. The South Koreans committed their forces in a piecemeal fashion, and these were routed in a few days. On June 27, 1950, Rhee evacuated Seoul with some of the government. At 02:00 on 28 June the ROK blew up the Hangang Bridge across the Han River in an attempt to stop the KPA. The bridge was detonated while 4,000 refugees were crossing it, and hundreds were killed. Destroying the bridge trapped many ROK units north of the river. In spite of such desperate measures, Seoul fell that same day. Some South Korean National Assemblymen remained in Seoul when it fell, and 48 subsequently pledged allegiance to the North. On June 28, 1950, Rhee ordered the massacre of suspected political opponents in his own country. In five days, the ROK, which had 95,000 troops on 25 June, was down to less than 22,000 troops. In early July, when US forces arrived, what was left of the ROK was placed under US operational command of the United Nations Command.
The Truman administration was shocked at the scale of the invasion. Korea wasn't a major priority in their strategic Asian Defense Perimeter outlined by United States Secretary of State Dean Acheson. Many military strategists focused on Europe more than East Asia. Truman intervened, because he was afraid that Korea's war would escalated if America did nothing Diplomat John Foster Dulles wanted American intervention. Truman wanted Korea to be a buffer against possible attacks against a newly democratic Japan. Truman used United Nations Council resolutions to justify American troops to go into Korea. The United Nations Security Council condemned the North Korean invasion of South Korea with Resolution 82. The Soviet Union opposed American involved because they said that ROK intelligence which Resolution 83 was based came from American intelligence. They felt that North Korea was not involved as a temporary member of the UN, which violated UN Charter Article 32, and the fighting was beyond the Charter's scope being a civil war. ROK soldiers of the Rhee regime retreated to came to the KPA, the northern side. Acheson told Truman that North Koreans had invaded South Korea. Truman and Acheson opposed appeasement and wanted America to act to compare the North Korean invasion with Hitler's aggressions of the 1930s. Truman wanted to promote containment as outlined in the National Security Council Report 68 (NSC 68). By August 1950, Truman and Acheson got the consent of Congress to promote 12 billion dollars for military action. General MacArthur was ordered by Truman to transfer military supplies to the South Korean military. Truman didn't want unilateral bombing of North Korean forces and ordered the U.S. Seventh Fleet to protect Taiwan, whose government was asked to fight in Korea. Truman didn't allow Taiwan to intervene as not to cause China to attack Taiwan. So, the United Nations created a police force filled with American troops and other soldiers from other nations to help defend South Korea.
Since 2018, I have exquisitely learned about my ancestry into another level. Today, I have lived on this Earth for almost half of a century. That is certainly very surreal to me, a blessing and a privilege as life is very precious in the Universe. Sometimes, life will go through a rigid pattern, and sometimes events in life can be spontaneous or unexpected. That is why one authentic lesson in life is to not only plan for things but have a sense of purpose, boundaries, and self-control. So, you can flourish to exist in life more fruitfully. For over seven years now, this journey has allowed me to find out about distant cousins, grow my understanding about various subjects (from science, politics, various mysteries of life, culture, mathematics, etc.), and to realize that what truly matters is the truth. From the truth, all things make perfect sense to evaluate, to know, and to inspire future generations to achieve their destinies as human beings. Loving our family, friends, and loved ones encapsulates what authenticity corresponds to. Future chapters in our lives will be written in the years and decades of our longevity. Despite the joy and pain of life, we have the right to improve ourselves to achieve greatness. Greatness isn't about egoism or being narcissistic in an obnoxious fashion. Precisely, greatness is about respecting our accomplishments in a gracious, humble way. Greatness is having the peace of mind in respecting our own value along with honoring the humanity of other people. Greatness deals with being humble and acknowledging our contributions to the world without downplaying the legacies of other human beings who made a difference in the world too. From Zilphy Claud to George and Esther Perkins, my family tree is powerful, prominent, and still will exist in the Earth's whole historical framework.
I found some new information about my distant paternal cousins who are part of the Peace family. They live in the Philadelphia area and throughout America from Texas to other areas of Pennsylvania. Kaina Anderson (b. 1975) is my 5th cousin whose parents are the late George Eugene Munroe Anderson (1951-2014) and Debra Renee Peace (b. 1954). There is a newspaper article entitled, "Peace Family hss 9th in" written by the Daily Times's Staff Writer Harry Maitland. The article mentioned that Debra Renee Peace, when she was 18 years old, enlisted to the United States Army. She is a graduate of the Delaware County Vocational Technical School in Marple. She is the first woman of the Peace family to serve in the Armed Services. She said that: "I didn't know this until the other day when my father told me. It made me feel kind of proud to be the first girl in the family to enlist." Debra went to Alabama to have basic training at Ft. McClellan in the Women's Army Corps (WAC). Debra's uncle Milton C. Peace, served in the Army in World War II. Her father and two other uncles of Alfred J. Peace and Cornelius D. Peace of Philadelphia, served in the Korean War. Her fourth uncle, Bernard Peace, had a career in the U.S. Air Force. Her uncle, Pfc. Charles Lamont Peace was killed in Vietnam while he was under a truck (via a mine). Debra's cousin, Charlton E. Peace, son of Milton Peace, served in Vietnam with the Marines. The parents of Debra Renee Peace are John Edward Peace Sr. (1932-2009) and Clara Elizabeth Holloway (1934-2009). The parents of John Edward Peace Sr. were Milton Peace Sr. (1908-1998) and Margaret Collins (1909-1998). All of the children of Milton Peace and Margaret Collins were: Milton Peace Jr. (1928-1975), Alfred James Peace (1929-2004), John Edward Peace Sr. (1932-2009), Cornelius Donald Peace (1935-1992), Bernard Clifford Peace (1937-1987), Wayne Wright Peace (1941-1984), Mary Frances Peace (1943-2016), and Charles Lamont Peace (1949-1971). The parents of Milton Peace were Bossie Peace and Lillie Thomas (1893-1981). The parents of Lillie Thomas were Jerry Thomas (1850-1910) and Martha Perkins (b. 1866). The parents of my 1st cousin Martha Perkins were James Perkins (b. 1841) and Drusilla Perkins (b. 1830). The parents of my 3rd great-granduncle James Perkins were my 4th great-grandparents of George Perkins (b. 1815) and Esther Perkins (b. 1816).
By Timothy
Friday, April 11, 2025
End of the Week Updates.
Today, the Supreme Court said that Trump must facilitate the return of the man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador. He is from Maryland, and his name is Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia. He is a Salvadoran national. He was kidnapped by government agents and sent to El Salvador without due process of law. The Supreme Court said part of the lower court's order requiring the government to effectuate his return was unclear and needed further review. The Supreme Court didn't give a deadline for when Abrego Garcia should be returned. The opinion was unsigned, and no dissents existed. The decision was vague on how to send Abrego Garcia home to return to his family. Trump is so fascist that he wants to find ways to even deport some American citizens overseas. The Supreme Court's three liberals didn't dissent from the decision. They wrote separately to argue that the Trump administration's emergency appeal should have been denied in full. We know of the Japanese American National Museum refusing to whitewash its history from Trump's anti-DEI antics.
The 125% tariffs are still on China. 32 ambassadors and diplomatic missions' representatives arrived in Kryvyi Rih to honor the memories of the victims of Russia's strike on the city. The Russian missile strike killed 20 people, including nine children. Over 70 people were injured by the strike. While this is going on, Putin continues to commit war crimes against Ukraine killing innocent men, women, and children. It is part of hypocrisy for fake "liberals" to legitimately condemn the war crimes against Palestinians in Gaza but are silent on Putin's overt war crimes in Ukraine (after Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022). Putin is a far-right dictator who is funded by billionaire Russian oligarchs who seek not only tyranny against Russians (with Putin jailing journalists and dissidents without just cause in Russia now). Putin wants to expand his influence in Eastern Europe too. The White House is using Elon Musk's Starlink service which is a conflict of interest.
Some Senators raise insider trading questions around Trump's announcements. Trump could try to promote MAGA followers in economic positions of power. A trade war is something that we don't need. We have an interconnected economy where many items that we purchase in America come from other nations. A harsh trade war mixed with violations to American civil liberties in America, along with destroying governmental institutions, will lead to real hot wars, disasters, and total chaos in our world. We don't want chaos on this Earth. We want solutions. As many Trump critics have mentioned, Trump's economic policies represent the failed policies of Herbert Hoover and the fascist policies of Mussolini. One victory is that the Social Security Administration is rolling back its disastrous cuts to phone services. This is a victory against the evil DOGE agenda.
Tiffany Cross had a debate with Scott Jennings on CNN. In the debate, Jennings made a personal remark about Cross about her being fired. That was a cheap shot, but it isn't shocking. I watched Tiffany Cross for years on MSNBC. Her show was showing pro-black content and MSNBC fired her, because her content was too pro-black, too pro-freedom, too real, too much pro-solidarity with the oppressed (of every color and background), and too anti-fascist without apology. Yet, Joe Scarborough wants to glorify the imperialist and racist Winston Churchill. The only thing I agree with Churchill on is opposing Nazi fascists (that's it). Scarborough to this day supports the evil war crime of the atomic bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima (where over 100,000 men, women, and children were murdered). So, Tiffany Cross deserves great credit in exposing Trump's fascism and standing up to the condescending words from Jennings. Also, people who have been fired unjustly shouldn't be shamed. Being fired isn't the end of the world. It is just the beginning of a new opportunity in life. Cross told the truth that Trump is an imperialist for desiring to illegally annex Greenland and other lands. We all salute Sister Tiffany Cross's courage and outspoken words against the fascist, authoritarian Trump regime in 2025. That is why it is important to support independent black media and independent black voices who desire freedom and justice.
Van Lathan said that he disagreed with Kamala Harris saying I told you so to Trump voters. I disagree with Van Lathan for many reasons. One reason is that these voters are grown men and grown women. They are not babies. Far too often, some in the media and some other people want to baby Trump voters out of fear or for political correctness. I reject that notion. People must be told the honest truth about our political realities. Kamala Harris told the truth that I told you so, because Trump for years planned to do to America from deporting people without due process of law to trying to whitewash American history with his anti-DEI policies. From Trump calling Kamala Harris a slur of having low IQ to constantly targeting political opponents in illegal ways, Trump voters know full well what his agenda was. Yet, they voted for him, because some of them didn't want a black woman to be President, some believed in bigotry against minority groups, some believed in the lie that Trump was a populist figure, and some were just plain cult members of the MAGA movement. Trump signed an executive order to target Chris Krebs (who disagreed with Trump's lie that the 2020 election was stolen) and Miles Taylor. This is Trump's fascism, and Trump voters are complicit in this fascist regime today.
By Timothy
Thursday, April 10, 2025
Wednesday, April 09, 2025
The New Reality of the Evil Tariffs from Trump.
The Supreme Court made a bad decision to allow Trump to allow deportations under the Alien Enemies Act which is unconstitutional in my view. This may led the President to deport American citizens (not just residents) to be removed from America without due process of law. The majority of Justices in the Supreme Court who voted for this should be ashamed of themselves. This is fascism. 80 years after World War II ended, we have a cruel irony that an authoritarian fascist Trump, who is promoting deportations when we are not at war to deport people without due process of law. This is part of the agenda of Trump and the MAGA cult. The Supreme Court doesn't explain how innocent people in El Salvador can get out of brutal prisons. We have a new age of corruption. Trump just shut down the DOJ's unit that investigates crypto fraud. Trump and his allies love to profit from their crypto investments with a proposed national crypto reserve (without legitimate regulations placed on crypto) while taxpayers could be left to pay for it. Since the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, spending by billionaires in elections have grown more than 16,000%. Billionaires trying to control our democracy completely is one example of an oligarchy. We want democracy, not oligarchy.
Markets lost about 6 trillion dollars as Musk clashes with trade advisor Navarro. The economic crisis now created by the Republicans shows the extremism of Donald Trump. Let's look at clear, real facts. Historically, in the past few decades, Democrats have had a better economic record than Republicans in terms of GDP levels, employment rates, job creation rates, and other metrics. New tariffs against China and other nations started at midnight. This comes as we have economic uncertainty. Trump claimed to want to lower inflation and cut prices involving groceries. The problem is that inflation is still high and prices of goods are high, because economic situations are complex. You can't solve economic issues by massive tariffs and tax breaks for the super wealthy. I tell you one fact. If a black, qualified woman like Kamala Harris was in office, these events would not have transpired. Trump is a convicted felon, a supporter of the January 6th insurrectionists, a 2020 election denier, and a habitual liar whose character is one thing that we should never support or emulate.
To be honest, if a black woman who was the former Vice President was elected President in November 2024, none of this would have happened. We wouldn't be under threat of another recession. We wouldn't have these massive protests against the bad policies of Trump too. The Trump administration downplays fears of a recession, but the first Trump term had a COVID-19-induced recession. Markets are crashing in America now in 2025. Trump wants 19th-century views to apply in a complex 21st-century world. Life doesn't work like that, because trade is massively interconnected with the nations of the world. Trump's mismanagement of the economy could cause America and the world to have a recession. Trump failed his multiple businesses too. Former Labor Secretary Julie Su made a report on how DOGE's cuts hurt workers. Over 40 DOL offices that inspect workplace safety have been closed. Even staff investigating child labor and wage theft are on the chopping block. It is illogical for Trump to promote massive tax cuts for the rich, massive tariffs on nations, depriving people of democratic rights, and other evil actions and claim to help America.
The Supreme Court stays the order requiring the Trump administration to bring home the Maryland father, who is Abrego Garcia, who was deported unjustly. This human being was removed from the country without due process. He was lawfully present in the United States. Trump is wrong is try to deport legal residents from America without due process. The Trump government admitted that he was unlawfully deported, but they refuse to return him to America because of racist, xenophobic reasons. It takes a sick, evil mind to try to justify kidnapping innocent people and refusing to bring that person back home. The person from Maryland is still in El Salvador. America has the power to send him back home to Maryland. The policy from the Trump administration outlines their depraved mentality. Trump is evil as he supports Kim Jong-un of North Korea, who persecutes Christians because they refuse to join his cult and worship him. Trump has minimized the evil of Vladimir Putin, claimed to know what he is doing involving the tariffs (which he clearly doesn't), and is out of control.
One lesson in life is not to take the bait. We have the right to disagree with Trump's many policies. Yet, we shouldn't be in the spirit of vengeance and unjust hatred. Many people want to play people in positions of danger, where their lives are ruined. We have to be about using the expression of peaceful dissent and be unapologetic in our views at the same time. All of us know that many of the policies of Trump are wrong, cruel, evil, and unjust. That is why it is important to allow our voices to be heard, help our neighbors, and be a living witness of truth, compassion, and human empathy. Additionally, we reject political neutrality. In life, you have to take stands on issues. You have to have not only a moral compass, but you must also embrace solid principles and boundaries that are sacrosanct and non-negotiable. Many of the demonstrators in the Hands-Off rallies have expressed their dissent with the Trump/Musk agenda. Trump's tariff policies are folly-filled with an ignorant interpretation of the complexities of the world trade system. We believe in protecting our environment, we believe in civil liberties, and the strengthening of our civil rights, we believe in equality for all (as the Golden Rule teaches that), we want our democracy to be here (without DOGE, without unjust firings of federal workers, and without a radical austerity agenda), and we desire economic justice (filled with living wages).
By Timothy
Tuesday, April 08, 2025
Monday, April 07, 2025
Early April Updates about Life.
The island of Australia is filled with diverse history and multifaceted human beings. I wrote about Australia many years ago. Now, we live in a new generation nearing 2030, and the younger generation have the subsequent right to know about Australia in a stronger level. Australia is a commonwealth that includes the island of Tasmania and other smaller islands too. It is the sixth largest country in the world and the largest nation in the Oceania region. It has a wide variety of landscapes and climates from deserts to tropical rainforests along the coast. That makes Australia a megadiverse country. There is no mention of Australia without acknowledging the Aboriginal people who came to Australia from southeast Asia. They speak about 250 distinct languages. The capital of Australia is found in the city of Canberra. Sydney and Melbourne are also very large urban locations in Australia too. Australia has a federal parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy. It is made up of six states and ten territories. Australia is a highly developed economy and has one of the highest per capital incomes globally. Australia is a member of many international organizations like the United Nations; the G20; the OECD; the World Trade Organization; Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation; the Pacific Islands Forum; the Pacific Community; the Commonwealth of Nations; and the defense and security organizations ANZUS, AUKUS, and the Five Eyes. It is also a major non-NATO ally of the United States. We're grown here. Therefore, I will expose wicked people in Australia, and I will definitely praise heroic, righteous people in Australia who fought for human liberty and justice for all.
The history of Australia is long and extensive. The human ancestors of Aboriginal Australians moved into what is now the Australian continent about 50,000 to 65,000 years ago, during the last glacial period, arriving by land bridges and short sea crossings from what is now Southeast Asia. They continue to live in Australia today being part of its present-day multicultural democracy. Aboriginal Australians lived all over continental Australia and many nearby islands. They formed art, music, and spiritual traditions that are among the longest surviving in human history. The ancestors of today's ethnically and culturally distinct Torress Strait Islanders arrived at Papua New Guinea around 2,5000 years ago, and they settled in the islands on the northern tip of the Australian landmass. The Aboriginal people created advanced cultures and civilizations for thousands of years. The Madjedbebe rock shelter in Arnhem Land, in the north of the continent, is perhaps the oldest site of human occupation in Australia. From the north, the population spread into a range of very different environments. Devil's Lair in the extreme south-west of the continent was occupied around 47,000 years ago, and Tasmania by 39,000 years ago. The oldest human remains found are at Lake Mungo in New South Wales, which have been dated to around 41,000 years ago. The site suggests one of the world's oldest known cremations, indicating early evidence for religious ritual among humans. The spread of the population also altered the environment. From 46,000 years ago, fire-stick farming was used in many parts of Australia to clear vegetation, make travel easier, and create open grasslands rich in animal and vegetable food sources. Aboriginal Australian culture is one of the oldest continuous cultures on Earth. They had at least 250 different language groups. Some estimate that between 300,000 to 3 million Aboriginal Australian people lived in Australia before British settlements.
The Australian Aboriginals loved to promote stories of The Dreaming using oral tradition, songs, dance, and paintings. They used fire stick farming, fish farming and built semi-permanent shelters. Torres Strait Islander people (who are culturally different culturally from the Aboriginal people) came to their islands at least 2,500 years ago.
LeBron James started his career in the National Basketball Association in 2003 when he played for the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2003 to 2010 during the first era of his career. He was part of the historic 2003 NBA Draft that had iconic basketball players of Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, Mo Williams, Josh Howard, Kyle Korver, and other people. LeBron James was the first pick in the first round being the greatest player of his generation. During his first regular season game, James scored 25 points in a 106-92 loss to the Sacramento Kings, setting an NBA record for the most points scored by a prep to pro player in his debut performance. At the conclusion of the 2003–2004 season, James became the first Cavalier to receive the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. With final averages of 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game, he also became the third player in league history to average at least 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists per game as a rookie (the other two NBA Players are Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson). Cleveland ultimately finished the season 35–47, failing to make the playoffs despite an 18-game improvement over the previous year. By 2004, he was a complete superstar, beyond just a great player. During the 2004-2005 season, James earned his first NBA All-Star Game selection, contributing 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists in a winning effort for the Eastern Conference. Around the league, teams took note of his rapid development, and Denver Nuggets coach George Karl told Sports Illustrated: "It's weird talking about a 20-year-old kid being a great player, but he is a great player ... He's the exception to almost every rule." On March 20, James scored 56 points against the Toronto Raptors, setting Cleveland's new single-game points record. With final averages of 27.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 2.2 steals per game, he was named to his first All-NBA Team. Despite a 30–20 record to start the year, the Cavaliers again failed to make the playoffs, finishing the season 42–40. At the 2006 All-Star Game, LeBron James led the East to victory with 29 points and was named the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player. Behind final season averages of 31.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game, he also finished second in overall NBA Most Valuable Player Award voting to Steve Nash. Under James' leadership, the Cavaliers qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 1998. In his postseason debut, James recorded a triple-double in a winning effort over the Washington Wizards. In Game 3 of the series, he made the first game-winning shot of his career and made another in Game 5. Cleveland would go on to defeat the Wizards before being ousted by the Detroit Pistons in the second round.
By the 2006-2007 season, James finished the regular season with the average of 27.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. With a starting five featuring James, Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden, Aleksandar Pavlović, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the Cavaliers finished the season with 50 wins for the second consecutive year and entered the playoffs as the #2-seed in the Eastern Conference. In the first two rounds of the playoffs, LeBron led the team to wins over the Washington Wizards and New Jersey Nets. The Cavaliers then faced the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals. In Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals in 2007, he logged 48 points with nine rebounds and seven assists. His performance is considered one of the greatest playoff performances of all time as he scored 29 of Cleveland's last 30 points, including 25 straight, and the game-winning layup with two seconds left. The Cavaliers won 109–107 double-overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons. After the game, play-by-play announcer Marv Albert called the performance "one of the greatest moments in postseason history" and color commentator Steve Kerr described it as "[Michael] Jordan-esque." In 2012, ESPN ranked the performance the fourth greatest in modern NBA playoff history. The Cavaliers went on to win Game 6 and claim their first-ever Eastern Conference championship, earning them a matchup with the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals. The Spurs at the time were coached by Gregg Popovich and featured a prime Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginóbili, and Bruce Bowen. With no other significant scoring threats, the Spurs built its defense around stopping James from getting into the paint. As James did not have a reliable jump shot yet nor another offensive weapon on his team, he struggled against the Spurs' zone defense. He averaged 22 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game on just 35.6 percent shooting, as Cleveland was eliminated in a four-game sweep.
In February of the 2007–2008 season, James was named All-Star Game MVP for the second time behind a 27-point, eight-rebound, and nine-assist performance. On March 21, he moved past Brad Daugherty as the Cavaliers' all-time leading scorer in a game against the Toronto Raptors, doing so in over 100 fewer games than Daugherty. James' 30 points per game were also the highest in the league, marking his first scoring title. Despite his individual accomplishments, Cleveland's record fell from the year before to 45–37. Seeded fourth in the East entering the playoffs, the Cavaliers defeated the Wizards in the first round for the third consecutive season before being eliminated in seven games by the eventual-champion Boston Celtics in the next round. During the decisive seventh game in Boston, James scored 45 points and Paul Pierce scored 41 in a game the Associated Press described as a "shootout". The rivarly among the Cavaliers and Celtics will continue for years to come.
From 2008 to 2010, LeBron James saw his MVP seasons. At the end of the 2008–2009 season, James finished second in NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award voting and made his first NBA All-Defensive Team, posting 23 chase-down blocks and a career-high 93 total blocks. James also became only the fourth postmerger player to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks in a single season. Behind his play and the acquisition of All-Star guard Mo Williams, Cleveland went a franchise record 66–16 and fell just one game short of matching the best home record in league history. With final averages of 28.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game, James became the first Cavalier to win the MVP Award. Reflecting on James' performance for ESPN, John Hollinger later wrote: "He's having what is arguably the greatest individual season in history, and it's time we gave him his due for it."
In the playoffs, Cleveland swept the Detroit Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks to earn a matchup with the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals. In Game 1 of the series, James scored 49 points on 66 percent shooting in a losing effort for the Cavaliers. In Game 2, he hit a game-winner to tie the series at 1–1. Cleveland would lose the series in six games, and following the loss in Game 6, James immediately left the floor without shaking hands with his opponents, which was an act that many media members viewed as unsportsmanlike. For the series, James averaged 38.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game, finishing the postseason with a career playoff-high 35.3 points per game.
By the time of February of the 2009–10 season, James was forced into a temporary point guard role following a series of injuries to players in the Cavaliers' backcourt. Behind his leadership, Cleveland lost no momentum, finishing the year with the best record in the league for the second consecutive season. Despite only playing 39 minutes per game, James increased his statistical production, averaging 29.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 8.6 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.0 block per game on 50 percent shooting en route to another MVP Award. To open the playoffs, Cleveland advanced past the Chicago Bulls to earn a matchup with the Boston Celtics in the second round. James was heavily criticized for not playing well in Game 5 of the series, shooting only 20 percent on 14 shots and scoring 15 points. The team suffered its worst loss in franchise history, and at the conclusion of the game, James walked off the court to a smattering of boos from Cleveland's home crowd. The Cavaliers were officially eliminated from the postseason in Game 6, with James posting 27 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 assists in the losing effort.
LeBron James was an unrestricted free agent on 12:01 am. EDT on July 1, 2010. I remember this time like yesterday. I was in my late 20s back in 2010. James was contacted by many teams like the Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets, and Cavaliers. On July 8, 2010, LeBron James announced a live EPSN special titled The Decision that he would sign to the Miami Heat. It was one of the most important events of basketball history. Many people loved the TV program showing his decision, and many old school people criticized LeBron James for the pomp and circumstance. Me personally, I didn't have a problem with it, because James is a grown man, and he has the right to make his own decision on his own accord. The Decision TV program was hosted on ESPN, and it had high ratings. The television program drew high ratings, with Nielsen announcing that an average of 9.948 million people watched the show in the United States, with 13.1 million watching at the time of James' announcement. Cleveland topped all markets with a 26.0 Nielsen rating and 39 share. The show's Nielsen ratings were 6.1 in households, and 4.1 in 18–49, making it the most watched cable show of the night. After his decision to go to Miami, many of his fans in Cleveland considered his choice a betrayal.
In Cleveland, fans considered James' departure a betrayal that ranks second to The Move (Art Modell's relocation of the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore). Associated Press wrote that The Decision joined The Move, The Drive, The Shot, and The Fumble in "Cleveland's sports hall of shame." Cleveland Cavaliers majority owner Dan Gilbert wrote an open letter to fans published in Comic Sans typeface on the Cavs website, denouncing James' decision as a "selfish", "heartless", "callous", and "cowardly betrayal", while declaring that the Cavs would win an NBA title before the "self-declared former King." Obviously, Gilbert went over the line as LeBron made a legal career decision. William Rhoden of The New York Times defended James by stating that Gilbert's "venomous, face-saving personal attack", along with the ensuing "wrath of jersey-burning fans", only validated James' decision to leave Cleveland. Jesse Jackson, an American civil rights activist, said Gilbert's feelings "personify a slave master mentality", and he was treating James as "a runaway slave." Jackson added, "This is an owner employee relationship between business partners and LeBron honored his contract. On July 12, 2010, Stern fined Gilbert $100,000 for the letter's contents, while also criticizing the way James handled free agency.
Former NBA players criticized his decision to not stay with Cleveland and continuing to try to win a championship as "the guy." Michael Jordan stated that he would not have contacted his rivals from other teams like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird to play on one team together, as "I wanted to defeat those guys". Jordan added that "things are different [now]. I can't say that's a bad thing. It's an opportunity these kids have today." Johnson echoed Jordan's sentiments on teaming with rivals. On September 29, 2010, when asked by Soledad O'Brien of CNN if race was a factor in the fallout from The Decision, James said, "I think so, at times. There's always – you know, a race factor." James had previously stayed clear of racial issues. When an earlier racial controversy over his cover on Vogue became a national debate, James had no comment. The Decision done by LeBron James would prove to be one of the greatest basketball career moves of his career. He admitted that he would go through the trade in a different way.
The telecast was broadcast from the Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich, Connecticut and raised $2.5 million for the charity. An additional $3.5 million was raised from advertising revenue, which was donated to other charities. The day before the special, fellow free agents Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade also announced that they would sign with Miami; reports later arose that back in 2006 the trio had discussed among themselves their upcoming 2010 free agencies. James decided to join with Bosh and Wade in part so that he could shoulder less of the offensive load; James thought that his improved teammates would give him a better chance of winning an NBA championship than had he stayed in Cleveland. Heat president Pat Riley played a major role in selling James on the idea of playing with Bosh and Wade. James would be relieved of the burden of scoring, and he thought he could be the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double in a season.
The Selma voting Rights movement started over a century before the Voting Rights Act was signed in 1865. During the 19th century, Southern state legislatures passed and maintained evil Jim Crow laws. These law disenfranchised the millions of African Americans in the South (and in some areas of the Midwest like Missouri) to advance racial segregation. By the turn of the 20th century, the Alabama state legislature passed a new constitution that totally disenfranchised most black people and many poor white people by requirements for payment of a poll tax and passing a literacy test and comprehension of the constitution. Many black people were forced out of political power with these laws passed. Selma was part of the Alabama Black Belt with a majority black population. In 1961, the population of Dallas County was 57% black, but of the 15,000 blacks old enough to vote, only 130 were registered (fewer than 1%). At that time, more than 80% of Dallas County blacks lived below the poverty line, most of them working as sharecroppers, farmhands, maids, janitors, and day laborers, but there were also teachers and business owners. With the literacy test administered subjectively by white registrars, even educated black people were prevented from registering or voting. The leaders of the Selma voting rights movement included the Boynton family (Amelia, Sam, and son Bruce), Rev. L. L. Anderson, J. L. Chestnut, and Marie Foster, the Dallas County Voters League (DCVL). They tried to register black citizens during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Their efforts were blocked by state and local officials, the White Citizens' Council, and the Ku Klux Klan. By the 1960s, county officials and the Citizens' Council used such tactics as restricted registration hours; economic pressure, including threatening people's jobs, firing them, evicting people from leased homes, and economic boycotts of black-owned businesses; and violence against black human beings who tried to register. The Society of Saint Edmund, an order of Catholics committed to alleviating poverty and promoting civil rights, were the only whites in Selma who openly supported the voting rights campaign. SNCC staff member Don Jelinek later described this order as "the unsung heroes of the Selma March ... who provided the only integrated Catholic church in Selma, and perhaps in the entire Deep South."
In early 1963, SNCC organizers Bernard Lafayette and Colia Liddel Lafayette arrived in Selma to begin a voter-registration project in cooperation with the DCVL. In mid-June, Bernard was beaten and almost killed by Klansmen determined to prevent black people from voting. When the Lafayettes returned to college in the fall, SNCC organizers Prathia Hall and Worth Long carried on the work despite arrests, beatings, and death threats. When 32 black school teachers applied at the county courthouse to register as voters, they were immediately fired by the all-white school board. After the Birmingham church bombing on September 15, 1963, which killed four black girls, black students in Selma began sit-ins at local lunch counters to protest segregation; they were physically attacked and arrested. More than 300 were arrested in two weeks of protests, including SNCC chairman John Lewis. On October 7, 1963, one of two days during the month when residents were allowed to go to the courthouse to apply to register to vote, SNCC's James Foreman and the DCVL mobilized more than 300 black people from Dallas County to line up at the voter registration office in what was called a "Freedom Day." Supporting them were national figures: author James Baldwin and his brother David, and comedian Dick Gregory and his wife Lillian (she was later arrested for picketing with SNCC activists and local supporters). SNCC members who tried to bring water to African Americans waiting in line were arrested, as were those who held signs saying "Register to Vote." Ironically , a voter suppression law today in one state bans giving water to a voter in line in 2025. After waiting all day in the hot sun, only a handful of the hundreds in the line were allowed to fill out the voter application, and most of those applications were denied by white county officials. United States Justice Department lawyers and FBI agents were present and observing the scene, but took no action against local officials.
On July 2, 1964, President Johnson signed the historic Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law, prohibiting segregation of public facilities. Some Jim Crow laws and customs remained in effect in Selma and other places for some time. When activists resumed efforts to integrate Selma's eating and entertainment venues, black people who tried to attend the Wilby Theatre or the Selmont Drive-in theater and eat at the 25¢ hamburger stand were both beaten and arrested. On July 6, 1964, one of the two registration days that month, John Lewis led 50 black citizens to the courthouse, but County Sheriff Jim Clark arrested them all instead of allowing them to apply to vote. On July 9, 1964, Judge James Hare issued an injunction forbidding any gathering of three or more people under the sponsorship of civil rights organizations or leaders. This injunction made it illegal for more than two people at a time to talk about civil rights or voter registration in Selma, suppressing public civil rights activity for the next six months.
Then, 1965 existed. With civil rights activity blocked by Judge Hare's injunction, Frederick Douglas Reese requested the assistance of King and the SCLC. Reese was president of the DCVL, but the group declined to invite the SCLC; the invitation instead came from a group of local activists who would become known as the Courageous Eight – Ulysses S. Blackmon Sr., Amelia Boynton, Ernest Doyle, Marie Foster, James Gildersleeve, J.D. Hunter Sr., Henry Shannon Sr., and Reese.
Three of SCLC's main organizers – James Bevel, Diane Nash, and James Orange – had already been working on Bevel's Alabama Voting Rights Project since late 1963. King and the executive board of SCLC had not joined it. When SCLC officially accepted the invitation from the "Courageous Eight", Bevel, Nash, Orange, and others in SCLC began working in Selma in December 1964. They also worked in the surrounding counties, along with the SNCC staff who had been active there since early 1963.
Since the rejection of voting status for the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party delegates by the regular delegates at the 1964 Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, major tensions between SCLC and SNCC had been brewing. SCLC ultimately remained neutral in the MFDP dispute to maintain its ties with the national Democratic coalition. Many SNCC members believed they were in an adversarial position with an American establishment which they thought had scorned grassroots democracy. SNCC's focus was on bottom-up organizing, establishing deep-rooted local power bases through community organizing. They had become distrustful of SCLC's spectacular mobilizations which were designed to appeal to the national media and Washington, DC, but which, most of SNCC believed, did not result in major improvements for the lives of African Americans on the ground. But, SNCC chairman John Lewis (also an SCLC board member), believed mass mobilizations to be invaluable, and he urged the group to participate. SNCC called in Fay Bellamy and Silas Norman to be full-time organizers in Selma.
The 2012 London Olympics was one of the greatest times in the track and field career of Carmelita Jeter. First, Carmelita Jeter had to win the June 2012 USA Olympic Trials in order to go into the Olympics. This came after Carmelita Jeter guided the USA Red team to win the New Penn Relays having the record of 42.19 seconds. She won the USA Olympic trials for the 100m in a great fashion. Carmelita Jeter was 32 years old being in the prime of her track and field career. Her time was 10.92 seconds. Tianna Madison had the time of 10.96 seconds, and Jeneba Tarmoh had the time of 11.07 seconds. For the USA Olympic Trials for the 200m, Allyson Felix had the time of 21.69 seconds, Carmelita Jeter had the time of 22.11 seconds, and Sanya Richards Ross had the time of 22.22 seconds. Now, she Carmelita Jeter traveled into London to have the Olympics in 2012. The 2012 London Olympics lasted from July 27, 2012 to August 12, 2012. There ceremony was opened by Queen Elizabeth and closed by IOC President Jacques Rogge. The first event, the group stage in women's football, began on 25 July at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, followed by the opening ceremony on July 27. There were 10,518 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) who participated in the 2012 Olympics. There were 5,863 men and 4,655 women have participated in the games. The caudlron was lit by Callum Airlie, Jordan Duckitt, Desiree Henry, Katie Kirk, Cameron MacRitchie, Aidan Reynolds, Adelle Tracey, and Austin Playfoot. Many events took place in the Olympic Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympics Park.
London became the first city to host the modern Olympics three times, having previously hosted the Summer Games in 1908 and 1948. Construction for the Games involved considerable redevelopment, with an emphasis on sustainability. The main focus was a new 200-hectare (490-acre) Olympic Park, constructed on a former industrial site in Stratford, East London. The Games also used venues that already existed before the bid. The United States topped the medal table, winning the most gold medals (48) and the highest number of medals overall (105). China finished second with a total of 91 medals (38 gold) and Great Britain came third with 65 medals overall (29 gold). Michael Phelps of the United States became the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time, winning his 22nd medal. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Brunei entered women athletes for the first time, meaning that every currently eligible country has now sent a female competitor to at least one Olympic Games. Women's boxing was included for the first time, and the 2012 Games became the first at which every sport had women competitors. The Games received considerable praise for their organisation, with the volunteers, the British military and public enthusiasm commended particularly highly. The Games were described as "happy and glorious." The opening ceremony, directed by Academy Award winner Danny Boyle, received widespread acclaim. These were the final Olympic Games under the IOC presidency of Belgian Jacques Rogge, who was succeeded by German Thomas Bach the next year. During the London Olympics in 2012, I was 28 years old.
The women's 100m race had strong competition. In the preliminary round, Toea Wisil was the most impressive, winning with a relaxed 11.60 into a -1.6 mps wind, while Noor Hussain Al-Malki's Olympic experience lasted just the first steps out of the blocks before she pulled up. Qualifying into the next rounds, Wisil beat triple world champion Allyson Felix and the rest of her heat out of the blocks and came with in .05 of reaching the semi-final round, from the previously unqualified preliminary round. Carmelita Jeter ran hard for her second-best time of the season to lead the round. Her training partner Blessing Okagbare left an impression by outrunning Tianna Madison for the second best time. Defending champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce exerted minimal effort to secure the fourth best qualifying time. The semi-final round qualifiers was a virtual mirror image of the previous evening's heats, the same top athletes with Jeter again posting a 10.83 and 11.01, the number 8 time. Ezinne Okparaebo's Norwegian national record 11.10 left her two places out of qualifying. After many heats, Carmelita Jeter made the finals of the women's 100m race on August 4, 2012. That race has some of the greatest women track and field sprinters of all time.
In the final, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce led from the gun. She was quickest from the blocks with Jeter in close pursuit, and she ultimately leaned at the finish line for a narrow victory to defend her title. Veronica Campbell Brown added to her career medal haul with the bronze medal. Jeter's time was the fastest non-winning time in Olympic history. In fact, all non-winning places 2-4 were the fastest for that place. This was the second race in history to place 5 runners under 10.90 (the other being the 1992 Olympic final). Only the third in history to place two under 10.80 (the others being the 1999 World Championships and the 2009 World Championships 100m final).
Carmelita competed in the 200m race too. This was a powerful race. Carmelita won bronze, Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce won silver, and Allyson Felix won gold with a time of 21.88 seconds. This race was special for Allyson Felix as it was her first gold medal in the 200m. The relay race of the 4 X 100m was one of the greatest relay races in human history. On the first leg of the final, Tianna Madison was able to hold her own against the double 100-metre gold medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. Allyson Felix put the USA into the lead, extended by Bianca Knight around the turn. At the final handoff to individual 100-metre silver medalist Carmelita Jeter, the team enjoyed a 3-metre lead. Secure in the handoffs, Jeter sped to the finish, noticing the time and pointing at the clock before the finish line. Carmelita Jeter at the end of the race helped the USA women's team to win gold in an Olympic world record time. Carmelita Jeter won her first Olympic gold medal in the 4X100m relay women's race. Her teammates were Tianna Madison, Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight, Jenba Tarmoh, and Lauryn Williams. They won the race on August 10, 2012. The team of Jamaica won silver and the team of Ukraine won bronze. The USA team had a time of 40.82 seconds. Carmelita Jeter celebrated with her beautiful black track athlete friends and said, "We did it." They did it by hard work. After the 2012 London Summer Olympics, Carmelita Jeter increased her prestige as one of the icons of track and field indeed.
This year is the 80th year anniversary of the Korean War. The Korean War is one of the most unsung, mysterious wars in human history, because many people don't know what the war was about. Yet, tons of heroic people fought in the war. The war technically never ended as both sides signed an armistice on July 27, 1953, at Panmunjeom, which sits on the heavily militarized border between North and South Korea. The agreement left Korea divided by the Demilitarized Zone or DMZ that stretches across the peninsula. The war started at the start of the Cold War. The Cold War was an ideological and military war between capitalism and communism. Many nations of color joined the Non-Aligned movement to try to be independent of America and the Soviet Union. After World War II, Western imperialists made an artificial division of Korea along the 38th parallel. Conflict happened after the 1949 Chinese Revolution. The Korean caused mass casualties and economic ruin in both Koreas, and 36,940 Americans were killed. About 520,000 Northern Koreans, 415,004 Southern Korean soldiers, and nearly 900,000 Chinese troops were killed too. To start, Korea was ruled by Japan as early as 1910 after Japan defeated the Tsarist Russia in the 1905 Russo-Japanese War. America and the Soviets wanted Korea to be part of a trusteeship by May 1945. Stalin and Truman agreed to divide Korea into North and South by the 38th parallel via the Potsdam Conference (which happened from July to August 1945). The problem is that much of South Korea's leadership after WWII had far-right factions headed by Syngman Rhee. Stalinists allowed the U.S. military occupation of South Korea (in refusing to recognize the provisional government of the PRK or the People's Republic of Korea). The PKK wanted social reforms like land distribution, protecting the rights of workers, etc. North Korea was influenced by Stalin. According to scholar I. F. Stone, the CIA said that American intelligence knew that conditions in Korea could cause an invasion soon. There were North and South Korea having clashes against each other as early as 1949 with armed incursions (with the South attacking the North and later the North attacking the South). There was a military buildup by North Korean military forces, and then North Korea invaded South Korean lands. The war lasted for about three years, and it changed the Cold War and world history forever.
By Timothy