Think Youth Welcomes James Ivker!

Hello All,

My name is James Ivker and I am a 17 year old Senior from Wayland, Massachusetts. I have only recently become interested in the crazy world of politics. Last fall I joined a program called Youth and Government in which high schoolers run a mock government in the State of Massachusetts which culminates in a three day conference at the Massachusetts State House while students try to pass legislation. Through this program I have realized the beauty of the political system. I consider myself to be liberal but am open to ideas from any part of the political spectrum. I believe that we as a country should do whatever we need to ensure that our country can reach its peak in greatness. Thus said, I find that the majority of ideas presented to improve our country in my view come from the Democratic Party which is why I associate with them. However, after spending a week this summer in North Carolina at the Youth Conference on National Affairs I have seen that we are all Americans with the ability to compromise in order to better ourselves and our fellow countrymen. I sat with 600 high schoolers whose goal was to pass “proposals” that would improve America. It didn’t matter if you were a tree hugging liberal or a bible clutching conservative or somewhere in between, we were all Americans.

As Barrack Obama said in his address to the Democratic National Convention in 2004, “The pundits, the pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into Red States and Blue States; Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats. But I’ve got news for them, too. We worship an “awesome God” in the Blue States, and we don’t like federal agents poking around in our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and yes, we’ve got some gay friends in the Red States. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and there are patriots who supported the war in Iraq. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.”

Jared Polis for Congress!

I haven’t written on this blog for a little while now. I’ve been busy with school, and I just finished serving as a United States Congressional Page. But for me, this race for Congress in Colorado’s 2nd District is far too important for me not to do everything I possibly can to get the word out about one particular candidate in that race, Jared Polis. Jared is a 33-year old internet entrepreneur who’s made millions of his own money by working hard and coming up with new technology. He’s used his financial success to build schools for homeless children, and served 8 years as the Colorado State Board of Education Chairman. He also happens to be openly gay, and would, if he wins the primary on August 12th, make history by becoming the first openly gay male non-incumbent in Congress. Whoever wins the primary will almost certainly win the general election, seeing as it’s a seat that’s gone Democratic since 1975.

I am a 16-year old openly gay political enthusiast. I support Jared because for me, as cliche as it sounds, he represents hope for the future. He represents a generational change, as well as a historic oppurtunity. Both of his opponents are in their 50’s and 60’s, and have been involved in politics for many years. Jared is the only candidate who truly represents me and my generation, and therefore it is so important that he wins his race on Tuesday. I encourage everyone on this blog to actively support his campaign for the remaining 6 days, by donating as much money as they can at his website, www.PolisforCongress.com, and getting the word out about his campaign to their friends and family. Again, this is a historic and unprecedented oppurtunity; Jared is a rising star who could make history for my generation and the gay community; he could one day end up as Governor of Colorado, or perhaps even President of the United States. So let’s make sure he wins on Tuesday.

The Energy Plan America Really Needs

First it was FISA, now Barack Obama appears to have caved and wants offshore oil drilling, but thankfully this time he appears ready to do some negotiation:

Senator Barack Obama said on Saturday that he would reluctantly consider accepting some new offshore oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico in exchange for stripping oil companies of tax breaks and extending several tax credits to spur the search for alternative fuels.

This is not enough to reduce oil prices, and the only thing it increases is risk to the environment (oil spills and global warming). I’d be willing to support this plan if it had more strings attached:

1. Invest heavily in bus rapid transit along highways and other commuter thoroughfares. Bus rapid transit is like a subway system without the trains, and instead of a stop every block, routes have only select stop areas. The fare is also payed at the station, speeding bus boarding.
2. Invest in mass transit systems like subways and light rail which often times spurs walkable transit oriented development that encourages a car free lifestyle.
3. Continue to expand congestion pricing, which uses free market ideas to charge road users increasing amounts of money to use a road, which encourages people to drive less, use mass transit, or drive at less congested times (when prices are lower, due to lower demand).
4. The money for this would come from the National Highway Trust Fund. While it’s tempting to spend all the money saved from leaving Iraq on domestic programs, that money is money America doesn’t have to spend.
5. If oil from the strategic oil reserve is released it must be tied to reducing the speed limit on national roads. This reserve should only be used for emergencies, like when America invades Iran and the Middle East gets together and says no more oil for the Americans.

But McCain’s energy plan is even worst, with his advocating for drilling in ANWR and his gas tax holiday scam. But my point is to challenge the Democrats to create true energy reform, not just band aids and funding for futuristic concepts, but use technologies that are already available.

Why I Don’t Bury the word Nigga?

If there is one word in the American vocabulary that can stir deep emotions on both sides of the issue it has to be nigga. But where does this word come from and what does it mean? More importantly why don’t people like me and others just stop using it? Won’t that be better for everyone?

Nigga is a word that began as an eye dialect from the word nigger and that word comes from the Latin word niger meaning the color black. Some have aligned the word with negro or the spanish word for black as well. To look at the word nigga forces you to look at the word nigger. This is a word that was created and pushed to oppress my people and make them less human. It is simple to the way that whites would at one time refer to grown men as boy. So if this word brings back such images of hate and pain why do many blacks continue to use it? Well the answer is that we have come to believe that the hurtful and painful word of nigger doesn’t align to the word of endearment nigga we use with each other. This view is opposed by many leading black politicians and civil rights activists and that is fine. However how some of us view it.

For decades in America some groups have sought to do all they could to demean our people and turn us against one another. Now I want to be clear from the start that nigga is not a word that I personally use in daily language. it is not something that I have made apart of my regular vocabulary. However in personal and some very private instances it is a word that I have and likely will use in the future. I view the way we use this word as empowering and a step towards overcoming some of the issues we face internally as a community. This word to me is a method that some use to show kinship and understanding with one another. Rarely do we use it towards each other in the demeaning and hateful tone that others have sought to in the past.

I am sad when Sen. Obama and Rev. Jesse Jackson are used as a method to explain away why this word needs to be banned from public use and regular use. It is true that if I am called this word by another person not of my race I will likely be offended. It is likely to anger me. That is because this word is a word that oppressors of our nations past used to break down my ancestors. Now it is a word that some of us use to build and lift each other up. A person of another background can’t understand how it is to be black in America, what it is to be an African American young man from the urban inner-city who hopes to have a better life than our forefathers. Some see that as stupid and it maybe so but look at it this way, I have a brother who we have called by his middle name for my entire life. Jamill knows that at home we will call him that but in the street, at work, at school, and other places his name his Lawrence. Jamill is what the family calls him. My younger cousin DeJohn has never been called that my me at all. I have always referred to him as Boogie but now that he gets older and moves on to school and work DeJohn is the name we use. For me nigga means the same.

I respect the NAACP, National Urban League, Sen. Obama, Jesse Jackson, Oprah, and others for not using the word. Step off when it comes to my usage.

Tha-Kid JK

tha-kid@revkitchen.com

Election 2008: Ralph Nader in Athens, Georgia

On July 25th, 2008, my father, my thirteen-year-old brother, and I went to go see Ralph Nader, consumer advocate and 2008 Independent Presidential candidate, speak at “Master’s Hall” on the University of Georgia campus in Athens. I had been incredibly excited to see that Nader was coming to Georgia on his “Southern Tour”, and no more than forty miles away from my town, no less! My father, being the good open-minded fellow that he is, agreeably drove myself and my uninterested brother there and paid the $10 each to get in. We each received a free Nader/Gonzalez ‘08 pin for this payment. There was a long table set up just outside the hall for this practice of collecting money, and for collecting signatures on a petition to get Ralph Nader on the ballot in Georgia. The number of signatures necessary to get Nader, or any Independent candidate, on the ballot in Georgia is inane: 42,489 signatures by July 8th. Such ballot access laws are implemented so that independent candidates cannot make a significant challenge to the two major parties in power (who are the ones that make the laws, of course).

The event was at 5:30 in the afternoon; we three were situated in our seats by 5:00, and we watched as the hall filled up with likely about two hundred people. Since Ralph Nader had held an event in Columbia, South Carolina, at 12 o’clock that afternoon, and since he had run into some bad traffic on the way to Athens, he did not arrive at the hall until about 6 o’clock that evening.

After giving a brief press conference upstairs, Nader arrived, amidst a burst of applause. He walked down the aisle, right next to where I was sitting (close enough that I could have touched him, if I lacked judgement and prudence), towards the podium. Nader sat down and briefly rested from his busy schedule while a young African American campaign volunteer, a “concerned citizen”, gave an earnest introductory speech. In this speech, the young man affirmed how much he cared about the country and the issues at hand, and how important it is for everyone to care and be civically involved. And then he said, “And now I am proud to present a more-than-worthy 2008 presidential candidate, Mr. Ralph Nader.” The crowd erupted into applause. This was the moment that we had all been waiting for. We three were not disappointed.
[Read more]

Voting Race: How the Republicans can or will beat Obama.

In the past few weeks I have seen lifelong Democrats reluctant to vote for Barack Obama. In my neighborhood (which is Democratic by a large margin) most people supported Hillary Clinton (as I did). I have seen cars parked who used to have Hillary stickers now have McCain stickers. Why? I asked some people about it and they think Obama would be the presidential version of the former NYC African American mayor David Dinkins, who was not popular even among the black community.

Polls show Barack Obama winning by a razor thin margin. There is always the possibility that people are donating money and telling pollsters that they will vote for Obama to sound politically correct, and by the election they will vote for McCain or not vote at all.

I asked that question to Professor KC Johnson (BA and PhD. from Harvard University, MA from University of Chicago) who a few weeks ago predicted Obama would win in a landslide with well over 300 electoral votes.

[Read more]

Mon. July 28th Live Podcast: Episode 25: A Reunion?

Dan Solis, Jeff Pritchard, Koko Chassid, and Johnny Camacho reunite to host an accidental special edition of the Think Youth Live Podcast. We discuss our non-existent guest, Obama and McCain VP choices, and the Michael Savage remarks.

Show Page | Download MP3

A quick hello to everyone at Think Youth

Hello there Think Youth readers and staff! I’d like to take a minute to introduce myself. I’m Stephanie, the newest member of the Think Youth writing staff. I live in the greater DC area (Maryland side) and I’m currently 13 years old. I’ve considered myself a liberal until recently, when I was alerted by my delegate friend from Marin County that we now call ourselves progressives, so I guess I’m a progressive then.  I currently support Barack Obama, although I originally was a supporter of Kucinich, and while I (obviously) cannot vote, I’m doing all I can to support both of them in their respective campaigns (Obama for president, Kucinich for congressional reelection).

I do have a political blog, although it is relatively new, called My Liberal Agenda- feel free to check it out and/or comment on it. Besides politics, my hobbies include reading, writing, art,  philosophy, and debate. You’re most likely to find me either glued to the computer, watching The Daily Show or The Colbert Report (I’m slightly addicted to fake news), arguing with Faux News even though I know they can’t hear me, or reading whatever book I can get my hands on.

Anyways, I’m very happy to join Think Youth, and I hope to be seeing (er…reading) all of you around soon.

Autism is real; Why Savage is wrong, and the need for free speech on the air waves.

On his July 17th broadcast, talk show host Michael Savage (who is not shy of controversy) claimed that autism is a “fraud” and the kids who have it are just “brats”. Immediately after his comments ,the Autism Society of America issued the following statement.

This week, talk show host Michael Savage made inaccurate and derogatory comments about autism on his radio show, calling the condition “a fraud” and the result of a lack of parental discipline. Mr. Savage’s unsubstantiated comments reflect the misconceptions of over 50 years ago that autism was caused by “refrigerator mothers” or unemotional parenting, which have been completely disproven by the scientific community. Autism is a neuro-developmental medical condition that requires early identification and lifelong treatment. For over 40 years, the Autism Society of America has worked tirelessly to educate people on the nature of autism spectrum disorders, the services and support families need, and the tremendous potential of people on the autism spectrum.  We are dismayed that these grossly inaccurate remarks would be aired in any platform, much less on a nationally syndicated show. We will continue to work with families, people with autism and the broader public to raise awareness of autism spectrum disorders.

I would rate this comment as his most inflammatory ever. More than his comment on protesting students who went on a hunger strike, and the one about Islam.

But nevertheless the efforts by Congressman Maurice Hinchey of Woodstock, NY are absolutely overbearing and wrong. He is attempting to bring the back the unconstitutional “fairness doctrine.” And now, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, now too supports this horrible bill.

Michael Savage on Autism

We here at Think Youth have always been outspoken critics of Micheal Savage, but his most recent comments, on autism of all things, has crossed a line that I couldn’t imagine even him crossing. (Comments below the fold). [Read more]

Maryland Police Spied on Peace Protesters

When Republican governor Robert Ehrlich governed Maryland, police infiltrated anti war and anti death penalty groups with undercover officers. The police found no illegal activity occurring, but invested over 200 hours of surveillance of various groups reports the Washington Post:

Detailed intelligence reports logged by at least two agents in the police department’s Homeland Security and Intelligence Division reveal close monitoring of the movements as the Iraq war and capital punishment were heatedly debated in 2005 and 2006.

Organizational meetings, public forums, prison vigils, rallies outside the State House in Annapolis and e-mail group lists were infiltrated by police posing as peace activists and death penalty opponents, the records show. The surveillance continued even though the logs contained no reports of illegal activity and consistently indicated that the activists were not planning violent protests.

While attending a meeting as undercover officers isn’t technically illegal, it still does raise some flags. But then we found out that various participants were described as “anarchist and socialist” and one was entered into a criminal database:

A well-known antiwar activist from Baltimore, Max Obuszewski, 63, was singled out by the undercover agents and entered into a “Washington-Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area” database. His entry indicates a “Primary Crime” of “Terrorism-anti-government” and a “Secondary Crime” of “Terrorism-Anti-War Protesters,” according to the documents.

These anti-violence groups never did anything violent (I know, shocking) to advance their interests. The police eventually concluded that their might be “tensions” but nothing particularly dangerous about their protests. What’s not clear is if the now Democratic governor, Martin O’Malley has continued these surveillance programs.

Update

Current Democratic governor Martin O’Malley has commented on this matter, as the Post writes in a follow up article:

Governor Martin O’Malley says state police are obligated to investigate threats to public safety, but his administration will not use public resources to monitor the peaceful exercise of free speech.

The governor noted Friday that state police must investigate threats to public safety. But if there is no evidence of illegal activity or criminal wrongdoing, all intelligence gathering must stop.

July 28th at 7PM EST:Think Youth Live Podcast with guest David Sirota

A month in the making…

Monday July 28th at 7 PM Eastern Time (4pm PT), David Sirota will be coming on the Think Youth Live Podcast to discuss his book “The Uprising: An Unauthorized Tour of the Populist Revolt Scaring Wall Street and Washington.”

David Sirota is a successful author and nationally syndicated newspaper columnist. He has appeared on Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report” and has been profiled in “Newsweek”.  Sirota’s most recent book “The Uprising” has received positive reviews from the Washington Post and Publishers Weekly.

From Sirota’s Web Site:

The Uprising is all new, firsthand investigative reporting from across the country, showing how populism has become a dominant political force in both national and local politics.

Our Podcast will return to it’s classic Blog Talk Radio format, so you can listen HERE

And call in at: (646) 478-4931

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