That makes the point. We White Folk don't even stop to think about
the privileged lives we lead...even those of us who are living from
hand to mouth, but are White.
I've told the story before, but a young O&M Specialist, working for
the Oregon Commission for the Blind, had driven a young student, a
white, blind woman in her early 20's, out to a suburb of Portland. He
gave her instructions and sent her on her way, traailing along about a
couple hundred feet. Suddenly a police car pulled up just ahead of
the instructor, and the cops bailed out demanding what he was up to,
following that young woman. He was almost taken into the station, but
the young woman heard the commotion and returned, explaining that he
was her mobility teacher. Imagin being a Black O&M instructor, taking
your white female, blind student out into a mostly all white suburb.
Think of the effect on the sense of your security.
During my years directing the Orientation and Training Center in
Seattle, I hired 7 or 8 O&M Instructors, a mix of men and women, all
but one were White, and she was Japanese descent. All of the dozens
of students who went out in Seattle, followed by their O&M
instructors, and never was even one of the teachers stopped by the
police. Not one.
White has its privileges.
Carl Jarvis
On 6/26/19, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I've stood on a checkout line in a supermarket filled with white people and
watched as one black woman joined the line and the white women near her,
moved away from her, clutching their handbags close. My black daughter came
home one day after she and her black friend, both about 10 years old, had
been in our little downtown shopping area. They'd gone into one of the large
pharmacies and had been intrigued with the display of makeup and perfume.
She asked me, when she got home, "Why did that lady from the counter at the
pharmacy keep following us around the store? Why was she standing so close
to us, watching what we did?" Many years later, that same daughter, now an
adult, came to visit me in the apartment building where I was then living.
There were one or two people of color, living in that building, but everyone
else was white. My daughter walked into the elevator and a white resident
entered the elevator at the same time and asked, "What are you doing here?"
Can you imagine her asking an unfamiliar white woman that question?
Miriam .
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Wednesday, June 26, 2019 4:51 PM
To: blind-democracy <blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Bernie Sanders Proposes New Economic Bill of
Rights
I think the old adage applies here: You can't see the forest for the trees.
We can look back over the years and spot prejudice and discrimination, but
when we look around in today's world, it exists in so many forms that it is
like a thick forest. And we are very comfortable with how it feels...at
least many folks are.
When I was working for the Department of Services for the Blind, I attended
several mid management training sessions. We met in groups of about 40,
mostly around early 40's in age. The mix was mostly white men, two or three
women, one Black man and one Asian. That was out of a total of over 80
people. These were the people sent forward by agencies to train for future
leadership. One man came over to me during my second session. Leaning
close, he said, "I'm disabled, too.
But mine is a hidden disability. I have a severe hearing loss."
And he wanted to keep it hidden!
I was the only blind person.
But think of it. When we say People of Color are faced with less
discrimination, how do we explain their absence in the places where
opportunities are formed. And remember, I was the only blind trainee.
At the time I served as assistant director of the Department of Services for
the Blind, I was the highest paid blind person in state government. Not the
brightest, by far, but the highest paid.
From time to time someone breaks out of the Pack. A dear friend of mine is
an Albino, Black, Female. Talk about the deck being stacked against her.
Legally blind, she graduated from the University of Washington and after a
hard search, was hired by a private church school to teach third graders.
After several years she finally was hired by the Seattle School District.
She continued her education until she had a Master's degree in Education.
She began teaching summer classes to other teachers, while continuing to
teach third, fourth and fifth grade students.
She went on, in her private life, to serve as national secretary of the ACB.
But as successful as she is, so much of her life was filled with rude
insults and isolation. As a Black woman, she was not accepted because of
her Albinism. As a White person she was treated as a...well, treated as a
curiosity. She had given up ever finding a man who would love her. But
nearing 50 she met a really decent Boeing Engineer. She was one of the
lucky ones.
Carl Jarvis
On 6/26/19, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Richard,
From what I can tell, white racism is as strong as it ever was, and it
is built into the institutions of our society. Black people respond in
various ways, often defensively by attempting to stay together and out
of the way of white people. Black people have never responded to white
racism aggressively or acted toward white people in ways that are
equivalent to how white people treat black people. Acting in ways that
express pride in one's heritage or asserting one's sense of self in
the face of segregation (which still
exists) and police murders of one's people, (which still exist), are
not expressions of black racism toward white people.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of R. E. Driscoll Sr
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2019 10:10 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Bernie Sanders Proposes New Economic
Bill of Rights
Miriam: When I was young, racism was practiced by white peoples
against black peoples. Segregation was widely and openly practiced
based upon ancestry, religion and many other visible or invisible marks.
Nowadays racism has devolved from the white to black form to black to
white and all possible intermediate classes.
Segregation has followed along.
Richard
Sent from my iPhone
On Jun 25, 2019, at 7:31 PM, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:
superficial. Nothing has really changed because racism is built into
And all these years later, the changes in race relations are only
how our society is structured. A news item appearing on the local NPR
the other day was that the population in the US is becoming more black
and brown. Now explain to me why that should be a news item. The
person who read the item didn't explain why it was significant so I
suppose that to NPR, the simple fact of the color of people's skin is
newsworthy.
the Biden remarks and FDR's dealings with the Dixicrats.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2019 7:07 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Bernie Sanders Proposes New Economic
Bill of Rights
You're right. Of course I was being too superficial in merely
comparing
I realize that times were different between then and now. Still, FDRmore zealous in upholding White Labor. Think of it. FDR was elected
was
67 years following the Civil War. In 1932, Negro children still
walked barefoot to tumbled down schools while their White counterparts
were taught in school houses like the one I attended in 1940-49. My
school, John Hay, was built in 1931. We had between 20 and 23
students in a class. No children of any color other than
White. No families on Queen Anne Hill other than White families. Itook me to listen to Paul Robeson. Seattle realtors were into Red
never came face to face with a person of color until I was 13, and my
dad
Lining, and most Negro families lived in the Central District to the
East of down town business district.
World War II ended 80 years after the close of the Civil War. MostSeattle was White. From the wino on Skid Road, to Bill Boeing, it was
of
an all White world. Whenever I took a train from Seattle to Spokane
to see my grand folks, I was assisted by "Colored Porters". I never
wondered where these people lived. But they were always happy and
smiling and joking with one another, so I guessed they must have nice
homes...somewhere. 80 years, and we were still keeping our boot on
the neck of the Blacks. And now, 74 years after the "Good War" where
we freed the Jews and the Chinese, and brought democracy to the world,
after all those years Joe Biden comes along painting himself as a Liberal,
when he is actually a Closet Racist.
That ramble doesn't make much sense, but I'm trying to help Cathymother's funeral arrangements.
with her
By the way, I'll bet it'll be an all white funeral!propaganda has begun in earnest.
Carl Jarvis
On 6/25/19, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Carl,
There's a real difference between Biden and FDR in terms of their
relationship with the Dixicrats. FDR compromised with them in order
to get the legislation that he wanted, passed. Biden, on the other
hand, actively fought against integration in the schools and he
promoted the crime bill which stereotyped black people and led to
mass incarceration. Additionally, he actively structured that
hearing regarding Clarence Thomas so that Anita Hill would not have
a fair hearing. And FDR never made a public statement like the one
Biden made during the primary campaign when he was running against
Obama.
This week's New Yorker starts with an obnoxious article, touting the
praises of Biden as opposed to Trump. The pro Biden, anti Sanders
violated.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2019 4:41 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Bernie Sanders Proposes New Economic
Bill of Rights
Looking back, especially as far back as WW II, allows us to "shape"
history. People doing the same things we are doing today are judged
harshly if we believe that they were "wrong thinkers". And we
measure those people by our culture today. I find it interesting
that we are jumping all over Joe Biden for behavior that is very
much like that of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. FDR played footsie
with the Dixicrats, looking the other way whenever the rights of the
negro were
pay anything to their off-spring?And, like Donald Trump, FDR had his own concentration camps, even
separating family members. And by the way, how do we make it up to
the few Japanese Americans we stripped of their homes, businesses
and belongings, as well as make it up to their children and grand
children? Right now we are in a waiting game, waiting for the
actual detainees to all die off, so we can tell their off-spring,
"You weren't detained, so why do you think we owe you anything?"
Today this is what we tell Blacks. There are no slaves left, so why
should we
a job.But hey, why not? This is what the banks tell those of us who lost
our homes, or lost huge percentages of our homes value. "You still
have
wrongs?Go buy a new house." We've been cheated just as our Black brothers
and sisters were, and are being robbed. of opportunities that might
have been ours, if we had not taken a setback. Our children and
grand children are being robbed, too.
Forced to have a college education in order to compete for most
decent jobs, they are saddled with huge debts as they head out into
the world. This financial yoke will impact their futures. They
will put off marriage, postpone having children, rent instead of
buying, and even leave the country for work in more friendly places.
And how do we compensate all Americans for the destruction of our
environment? The cost will come back in cost and quality and
availability of basic foods.
And why is all right for the Working Class to be burdened by medical
costs, or the costs incurred by our never ending wars, when the
Ruling Class gets a huge tax reduction? How do we right all these
Pretender.When the dam bursts, as it will do, and the masses rise up, it will
once again be too late for those currently enjoying the good life.
Frankly, if I were a billionaire today, I'd be worried.
Carl Jarvis
On 6/24/19, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
And if you heard that on Democracy Now this morning, you also heard
that horrific story about the unaccompanied children in that
concentration camp run by the border control. If only enough
Americans cared deeply about this.
People sneer at the "good Germans" during the Nazi era. But the
average American is no better. That, alone, should be enough to
impeach Trump!
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Monday, June 24, 2019 11:10 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Bernie Sanders Proposes New Economic
Bill of Rights
Agreed, Miriam.
Bernie Sanders is way out in front of the pack, in so far as social
reform is concerned. I just heard that he introduced a bill in the
Senate calling for, among other things, the forgiveness of all
student loans.
Even if Sanders only pushed a fraction of his proposals through, it
would put us in better shape than under the weak promises of the
rest of the two dozen candidates. We would still need to double
down on his foreign policies, and triple down on electing
like-minded people into the house and senate.
Now if I were King, I'd declare Donald Trump's election to be a
fraud, and I'd cancel all judicial appointments made by the Great
family planning.
...Wait!...I hear a Voice!...What? I am King? Oh thank you
Father...or Mother...or Whatever...
Carl Jarvis
On 6/23/19, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Richard,
Please tell us what parts of Trump's methodology you think have
been successful?
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of R. E. Driscoll
Sr
Sent: Sunday, June 23, 2019 5:49 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Bernie Sanders Proposes New
Economic Bill of Rights
Carl: Biden in my opinion is the symbol of a system we know is a
great failure. Some parts of Trump methodology seem to be a good
success. We need another four years to see if his errors can be
corrected.
Richard Driscoll
Sent from my iPhone
On Jun 23, 2019, at 1:57 PM, Carl Jarvis <carjar82@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:candidates, those two stand out.
At this place in time, only a bit over 15 months before the 2020
primary, I can only vote for Bernie Sanders. I just don't think
the Democratic Party will allow me to do that. Joe Biden will be
the "Man of the Hour" if they can keep his good old boy mouth shut.
At this time, I also have no intention of voting for Biden as the
"lesser of two evils". The Trump forces have damaged our
judicial system almost beyond repair, but Biden would be no match
for the White Supremacists who would greet him. He'd make Barack
Obama look like "The People's Hero".
Carl Jarvis
On 6/23/19, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I also think that he's better than Warren because has faulty as
his foreign policy is, it's better than hher's. And as excellent
as her program suggestions are, she is still not interested in a
basic change in our system back to a true social welfare state
and certainly not, to anything more radical than that. But given
the other
survive."
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Saturday, June 22, 2019 10:03 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Bernie Sanders Proposes New
Economic Bill of Rights
While Joe Biden puts one foot after the other in his mouth,
Bernie Sanders sends a clear message. Although I feel we need
to bring pressure on Sanders regarding his foreign relations, he
certainly is the best of the male contenders. It will be
interesting to watch the Democratic Party Leaders shoot him down.
Carl Jarvis
On 6/16/19, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Bernie Sanders Proposes New Economic Bill of Rights
Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders addresses a rally at the
Pasadena Convention Center Sen. Bernie Sanders has proposed an
economic bill of rights affirming the right to health care,
affordable housing, education, a living wage and more.
Frederic J. Brown / AFP / Getty Images
By Marjorie Cohn, TruthoutPublished June 13, 2019
Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders delivered a full-throated
defense of democratic socialismin his June 12 speechat George
Washington University.
Sanders quoted FDR's 1944 State of the Unionaddress: "We have
come to a clear realization of the fact that true individual
freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence."
Sanders, like FDR, proposed an Economic Bill of Rights,
including the rights to health care, affordable housing,
education, a living wage and retirement.
"Economic rights are human rights," Sanders declared. "That is
what I mean by democratic socialism."
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Sanders cited figures of vast wealth disparity in the United
States, where "the top 1 percent of people own more wealth than
the bottom
92 percent."
He
said there is higher income and wealth inequality today than at
any time since the 1920s. And, Sanders stated, "despite an
explosion in technology and worker productivity, the average
wage of the American worker in real dollars is no higher than
it was
46 years ago and millions of people are forced to work two or
three jobs just to
He also noted, "in America today, the very rich live on average
15 years longer than the poorest Americans."
Economic Rights Are Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rightssets forth two
different categories of human rights: (1) civil and political
rights, and
(2) economic, social and cultural rights.
Civil and political rights comprise the rights to life, a fair
trial and self-determination; freedom of speech, expression,
assembly and religion; and freedom from torture, cruel
treatment and arbitrary detention.
Economic,
social and cultural rights include the rights to health care,
education and social security; the right to form and join
unions and to strike; and the right to equal pay for equal
work, unemployment insurance, paid maternity leave, and the
prevention, treatment and control of diseases.
U.S. policy since Reagan has been to define human rights only
as civil and political, excluding economic rights.
These two types of human rights are enshrined in two
international treaties
- the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights(ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights(ICESCR).
The United States has ratified the ICCPR, but not the ICESCR. U.S.
policy since the Reagan administration has been to define human
rights only as civil and political rights, excluding economic,
social and cultural rights from the realm of human rights.
The ICESCR, which has been ratified by 169 countries,
guarantees the rights to work with favorable conditions, to the
highest attainable standards of physical and mental health, to
education, to housing, to an adequate standard of living, and
to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and cultural freedom.
It protects the rights to form and join trade unions, social
security and social insurance, equal rights for men and women,
and protection and assistance to the family.
Cuba, whose human rights record is frequently criticizedby the
U.S.
government, puts the United States to shame with its
recognition of economic rights. Cubans enjoy universal health
care, universal free education including higher education, the
right to form and join unions, and government-subsidized
abortion and
discrimination."Cuba has a higher life expectancy than the U.S., as well as a
relatively small ecological footprint due to low energy
consumption.
Democratic Socialism vs. Corporate Socialism
Trump and his fellow oligarchs oppose democratic socialism,
Sanders said, but "they don't really oppose all forms of
socialism."
Indeed, "they absolutely love corporate socialism that enriches
Trump and other billionaires."
Sanders noted that FDR and his progressive coalition were
successful, and their legacies continue to flourish.
Sanders cited the $700 billion bailout of Wall Street in 2008
by the Treasury Department "after their greed, recklessness and
illegal behavior created the worst financial disaster since the
Great Depression - with millions of Americans losing their
jobs, their homes and their life savings
- Wall Street's religious adherence to unfettered capitalism
suddenly came to an end."
He also mentioned tax breaks and loopholes for fossil fuel
companies, pharmaceutical companies, Amazon, and the Trump
family who "got $885 million worth of tax breaks and subsidies
for your family's housing empire that is built on racial
started."further.
As Dr. King observed, the United States "has socialism for the
rich, rugged individualism for the poor."
Embracing Socialism Is a Winning Strategy
Sanders noted that FDR and his progressive coalition were
successful, and their legacies continue to flourish in programs
and protections like Social Security, regulation of Wall Street
and unemployment compensation. He pointed out that Roosevelt
aimed to go
"In 1944, FDR proposed an economic bill of rights but died a
year later and was never able to fulfill that vision. Our job,
75 years later," Sanders said, "is to complete what Roosevelt
inequality."
He then set forth his vision of a 21st Century Economic Bill of
Rights, which would recognize that all Americans should have:
.The right to a decent job that pays a living wage .The right
to quality health care .The right to a complete education .The
right to affordable housing .The right to a clean environment
.The right to a secure retirement
Sanders listed Democratic presidents vilified by the oligarchs
of their time for their programs of alleged "socialism." Lyndon
Johnson was attacked for Medicare, Harry Truman's proposed
national health care program was dubbed "socialized medicine,"
and Newt Gingrich called Bill Clinton's health care plan
"centralized bureaucratic socialism."
55 percent of women ages of 18 to 54 would prefer to live in a
socialist country.
Although none of the other leading 2020 Democratic presidential
candidates has embraced socialism, the party's base has.
Candidate John Hickenlooper, former governor of Colorado, was
roundly booedat the California Democratic convention earlier
this month when he said, "If we want to beat Donald Trump and
achieve big progressive goals, socialism is not the answer."
Indeed, Thomas Piketty, author of Capital in the Twenty-First
Century, argues, "Without a strong egalitarian-internationalist
platform, it is difficult to unite low-education, low-income
voters from all origins within the same coalition and to
deliver a reduction in
justice."
Keith A. Spencer, writing at Salon, cites Pikettyfor the
proposition that "nominating centrist Democrats who don't speak
to class issues will result in a great swathe of voters simply
not voting."
"The only way we achieve these goals is through a political
revolution."
Moreover, a 2018 Gallup poll determined that a majority of
young Americans have a positive opinion of socialism. According
to a recent Axios poll, 55 percent of women ages of 18 to 54
would prefer to live in a socialist country.
Sanders said the U.S. and the rest of the world face two
different political paths. "On one hand," he noted, "there is a
growing movement towards oligarchy and authoritarianism in
which a small number of incredibly wealthy and powerful
billionaires own and control a significant part of the economy
and exert enormous influence over the political life of our
country. On the other hand, in opposition to oligarchy, there
is a movement of working people and young people who, in ever
increasing numbers, are fighting for
After his speech, Sanders told CNN's Anderson Cooper, that real
change is generated by mass movements. He cited the civil
rights movement, the women's movement, the gay movement and the
labor movement.
"It is time for the American people to stand up and fight for
their right to freedom, human dignity and security," Sanders
affirmed.
"This is the core of what my politics is all about." He
clarified, "the only way we achieve these goals is through a
political revolution
