The First Amendment and other writings.

To my loyal fans, supporters and loved ones. (Written 1/31/06)

Thank you for your support. I write to you on the eve of the death of Mrs. Coretta Scott King, one of the most courageous women in the history of the United States. I write to you as assault takes place on our first amendment rights, and at one point this blog was threatened. I write to you, letting you know that I will never give up my first amendment rights to freedom of speech, In the words of Morgan Freeman as Principal Joe Clark in the classic American Film Lean on Me "I don't have to do a G*d Damn thing but stay Black and die."

So the past few weeks have been interesting. To say the least.

Tonight, I write as a child of the Civil Rights Movement, in recent days and months we have morned and remembered the deaths of several civil rights giants, Mrs. Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and his wife the Beloved Coretta Scott King. In such a legacy, I am writing with the heart and courage of a citizen of a nation with such an ideological commitment to a free Democracy and strong Civil Rights and Liberities, however the deep democratic ideology does not corralate with the practices that exist in this nation.

About 2 weeks ago I was blessed with enjoying last weekend, in the company of and discourse with one of this nation's greatest intellectuals, (and did I mention one of the highest paid intellectuals...) Dr. Cornel West, The Class of 1943 University Professor of Religion at Princeton University. Dr. West's last book and all of music projects are prolific. His text Democracy Matters, speaks to the essence of this nation developing a more inclusive, participatory democracy, that is ideologically rooted in its Consitution. His text also addresses Islamic-Jewish Relations, the nature of prophetic Christianity in the through history to the most current period, the importance of engaging youth and youth culture and Nilhism in the United States of America. I share with Dr. West a vision of the world where love and justice prevail rather than greed and hate rooted in racism, homophobia, sexism, xenophobia, Anti-Semitism and all of the other ism's.

However, the most CRITICAL cornerstone element to a society rooted in such principals of love and justice is the ability to express one's self freely. The rights of individuals such as Cindy Sheeane, my many comrades in the struggle at UL and da derby city (aka Louisville), and the countless others who fight against injustice who are our communities political prisoners, who have continued to fight for the rights of the 1st Amendment. These "dissenters" represent the most important part of this great democracy and that is to belief to express one's self freely. I hope that you the reader take sometime out and go to this great website (http://www.aclu.tv/) and I hope you explore and look around the American Civil Liberties Union Freedom Files Page.