Racism, Discrimination, Inequality, Judgment, or Bias - the Causes, Conditions, or Results of Something Worse?

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When it comes to judging racism in America, when did MSNBC and CNN become the custodians and enforcers of racial equality in America?  For a couple of news services who operate under FCC licenses from the government you would think they have assumed the role of the Justice Department and the Courts along with prosecutor and jury.

The cable news media in America has become the Kangaroo Court of First resort for select groups of citizens though it has no Constitutional basis for such actions, it is not part of the FCC license, and there is no liability for the volumes of lies they may broadcast in order to control or manufacture news.

The phrase "rush to judgment" means ignoring the judicial process and the Constitutional safeguards inherent in our system of justice.  Our Constitution requires such a process to protect people from the abuses of unregulated justice.  It also directs that a person is innocent until proven guilty by the judicial system.

We all know our judicial system is filled with legalese doubletalk and gobble de gook in order to intimidate the public, provide jobs to our law school grads, and overload the circuits of our news media.  In this way the innocent can be convicted, the guilty can be protected, and the lawyers can join the country club.

When you add to this already rather dismal system the mouthpieces and talking heads for every non-profit (most certainly including preachers and churches) dedicated to protecting the social interests of our citizens from the predator practices of our legal institutions (law enforcement),  manipulation by our financial institutions, and discrimination by everyone else, you have a recipe for sure failure.

So, we now have our politicians, preachers, prosecutors, and press, the latter the procrastinators and perpetrators of the news media whose very jobs, ratings, and profits depend on perpetuating pipe dreams on the public.  How many special interests does it take to protect the public interest?

Excuse me, does anyone besides me see a problem here?  Polls show people do not trust these groups.  Polls show people trust anyone but these groups to accomplish anything.  So, why are the people dependent on these same groups to protect them, advise them, or speak on their behalf?

Too many of these people operate under the old theory that if you don't like or can't stand the truth, then change it.  That ancient philosophy is what has kept civilization from getting beyond the Neanderthal age all these millennia.  Sometimes it seems we have more in common with such barbarian behavior than with what one might expect from the evolution of civilization.

In short, people are fed a steady stream of lies, distortion, or misinformation to keep us apart, distrustful of different races, hateful of other religions, suspicious of motives and to convince us anyone of any other color is out to take what you got.

So, here are a few truths that may help you penetrate the fog.  First about grand juries, everyone has an opinion about them but few speak the truth.  Here is part of what New York state law says about the grand jury process.

New York State

GRAND JUROR’S HANDBOOK

THE ROLE OF THE GRAND JURY IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

The grand jury is an arm of the court. It is not an agent of the prosecutor or the police. A grand jury does not decide whether or not a person has been proven guilty. That is the trial jury's job. The grand jury decides whether or not a person should be formally charged with a crime or other offense. The grand jury makes that decision based on evidence presented to it by the prosecutor, who also instructs the grand jury on the law. The grand jury's decision must be based on the evidence and on the law.

In general, the grand jury makes one of three decisions:

A. The grand jury may vote to formally accuse someone of a crime. This accusation is called an “indictment,” also known as a “bill” which is short for “bill of indictment.”

B. The grand jury may vote to dismiss the charges, also known as a “no-bill.”

C. The grand jury may direct the prosecutor to file an information accusing the person of an offense less serious than a felony.

There are also rare circumstances where a grand jury recommends that a case should be sent to Family Court or where the grand jury makes a report to the court.

WHY WE HAVE GRAND JURIES

The use of trial juries (also called petit juries) and grand juries goes back approximately 800 years. Beginning around 1215 A.D., both types of juries were used in England. The grand jury made the formal accusation, known as a “bill of indictment” or “presentment.” The trial jury decided whether the accusation was proven.

The grand jury is included in the United States Constitution and the New York State Constitution. In New York State, a person cannot be brought to trial for a felony unless that person has been indicted by a grand jury.

The grand jury has an awesome responsibility. It uses its power both as a sword and as a shield: a sword to accuse or indict those whom there is reason to believe have committed crimes; a shield to protect the innocent against unfounded accusations.

                      

Hum, a grand jury does not decide if a person is guilty or innocent.  A grand jury can be a sword or a shield to accuse or indict or to protect the innocent.  Don't hear many media or "experts" saying this, they just want a conviction which no grand jury can provide.

Personally, I think these tragic events taking place are not rampant racism smoldering below the surface of society but are more symptomatic of the unequal economic opportunity plaguing our nation.

First, why are cops involved in these incidents?  Are they are trying to stop criminal activity or are they enforcing stupid laws of the government.  In New York, the city and state wanted more tax revenue, so 60% of the cost of cigarettes is now taxes.  Imagine what would happen if you paid 60% of your income to corrupt governments.

Well the cigarette tax is like the gas tax, it don't care what your skin color may be or how much money you may have, it is the epitome of equality, the poor and the super rich pay exactly the same tax, even if the poor have no money, no jobs and no hope.

Therefore, unscrupulous people buy cigarettes out of state where governmental greed is not prevalent and bring them to the poor parts of town to sell them on the streets without the onerous taxes but for a fee.  Of course, the rich just send their jets to a country where there are no taxes on cigarettes to feed their addiction.

When the city needs more money to fund corruption they go after the citizens cheating on taxes and for the cost of lost cigarette tax a dead body lies on the ground.  Why did the government order the police to enforce tax collection?  Isn't that the job of tax collectors?

As for Ferguson, the entire city is trapped in economic despair, like so many parts of so many cities around the nation.  Abraham Lincoln once said all people were not equal, but all people must have equal opportunity.  They still don't.

However, unequal opportunity is not just a racial issue.  There are poor whites just like there are poor every other race.  Where poverty breeds there is attendant crime.  Those trapped in poverty are also trapped in an endless circle of crime which leads to hopelessness, which leads to envy, and then to revenge against those who have what the poor person does not have.

The effort to break the cycle of poverty has been one of very slow progress, dependent on many uncontrollable forces like the world economy, honesty in government officials, etc., etc.  The victims and the perpetrators of crimes are generally from the same race no matter what the professional mouthpieces tell you.

Contrary to what some of the mouthpieces have been saying to the media, the jails are not just filled with kids busted for petty possession of marijuana.  Many violent criminals are incarcerated, for victimizing their own people.

When our leaders get past pointing fingers and making judgment on people, and police are people too, then maybe we can get to the serious problem of creating economic opportunity, meaningful economic opportunity, and get on with solving our real problem of poverty for all races and genders.  Poverty, the underlying cause of economic inequality that results from lack of economic opportunity.  

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CPT Spirits in the Sky - Hello Goodbye Old Friend - Jerry Garcia - America's King of Counter Culture!

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Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia
(August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995) 

the facts

Jerry Garcia. Undeniably one of the most well known men in the history of rock 'n' roll. Both his image and his music are instantly recognizable to people the world over. And while the truly remarkable events and details of Jerry's life have been recorded over the years by fans and critics alike, there are some facts that are known only by the most dedicated Garcia followers. We bet there are some facts that you just may not have known!!!!!

1.  As a high school student, Jerry studied art at the California School of Fine Arts in North Beach on weekends and summer sessions.

2.  Jerry's full name was Jerome John Garcia--named after the great Broadway musical composer Jerome Kern.

3.  Jerry was surrounded by music as a child; his mother listened to opera, his father was a professional musician, and when his family got together, they would have sing-alongs.

4.  Jerry lost his middle finger of his right hand--his brother accidentally chopped it off splitting wood.

5.  His third grade teacher encouraged him to draw pictures, paint murals and make ceramics.

6.  Having asthma as a child, Jerry spent a lot of his time in bed reading.

7.  Jerry was an avid collector of comic books.

8.  Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream named a flavor," Cherry Garcia," after him-the first ice cream to be named after a musical legend.

9.  In jerry's first gig, his band won a contest and got to record a song. They chose Bill Doggett's "Raunchy".

10.  Jerry enlisted in the Army at age 17, but was dishonorably discharged just nine months later.

11.  Jerry's first paying gig came with his future songwriting partner, Robert Hunter. Named "Bob and Jerry," each earned $5.00.

12.  Early in his life, Jerry was torn between music and art, but realized he couldn't concentrate on two art forms at once. he chose music, because he enjoyed the interaction and creativity of others working together.

13.  Some of his early influences were Joan Baez and the New Lost City Ramblers; he incorporated and expanded their technique to create his own artistry.

14.  Garcia loved to play the five string banjo, which inspired him to organize a bluegrass band in 1962- the Hart Valley Drifters, later called the Wildwood Boys.

15.  In the spring of 1963, Jerry and Sarah Ruppenthal performed as "Jerry and Sarah," playing acoustic music front the 1920's and 1930's. Later that year, Sarah became Jerry's first wife.

16.  Jerry performed in several groups that only existed for a gig or two: the Thunder Mountain Tub Thumpers, the Sleepy Hollow Hog Stompers, the Wildwood Boys, and the Black Mountain Boys.

17.  Garcia met Bob Weir and decided to assemble a jug band- Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions- featuring instruments such as the jug, wash tub bass, harmonica, washboard, and the kazoo.

18.  Jerry and Mother McCree's took their music in a different direction. They started using electric instruments, and then changed the name of their group to the Warlocks.

19.  Jerry didn't read musical notes; rather he improvised by playing by ear and by feel.

20.  The Warlocks realizing that there already was a band playing under that same name, decided to change it. after numerous that were no good, Jerry got a dictionary, opened it, and came across the words Grateful Dead.

21.  Jerry's dad, Jose Ramon Garcia emigrated from Spain in 1919.

22.  Jerry, along with the likes of Janis Joplin, became known as one of the originators of the "San Francisco Sound."

23.  Garcia often would develop intense themes in the middle of songs, making this improvisational style of playing the Grateful Dead's trademark.

24.  Garcia produced Jefferson Airplane's second album, Surrealistic Pillow, but only got credit as being a spiritual advisor.

25.  Jerry earned the nickname "Captain Trips" because of his interest in LSD excursions.

26.  Garcia's love for bluegrass and old-time music led him to form a number of side groups over the years while playing in the Grateful Dead.

27.  Garcia was not happy with both his and the Dead's performance at Woodstock, calling it a disappointment.

28.  Jerry started performing in a country-western band called the New Riders of the Purple Sage- the New Riders even opened for the Grateful dead for a while.

29.  Jerry loved to play several types of music, including folk, bluegrass, country, rock 'n' roll, and acid rock.

30.  Jerry played all the instruments except the drums for his first solo album, titled Garcia.

31.  Jerry's second album was also titled Garcia, but later became known as Compliments of Garcia because there was a promotional sticker that said "Compliments of" on the cover.

32.  The Jerry Garcia Band was his second longest-lived music group-- the Grateful Dead was his first.

33.  Having a strong passion for the visual aspect of art, Jerry helped create The Grateful Dead movie, working on the sound track and editing.

34.  Jerry's second wife, Carolyn Adams, was nicknamed Mountain Girl.

35.  Born on August 1, 1942, Jerry was his parents second and final child.

36.  Garcia was selected as the Bay Area Musician of the Year in 1980 through a readers' poll in Bay Area Music magazine.

37.  Jerry collaborated with members of Saturday Night Live and developed skits around Grateful Dead folklore, including a bit entitled "Jerry's Kids."

38.  Garcia helped to set up a foundation to help support various charities, the Rex Foundation, which made contributions to numerous social and environmental causes in need.

39.  Garcia was once given an ultimatum by the Grateful Dead- to chose between the band and the drugs.

40.  Jerry's gaining weight led to an inspired slogan amongst the fans," It's not over until the fat man rocks."

41.  Jerry had a strong liking for red and black tee-shirts.

42.  Jerry had long been a fan of Bob Dylan, and had covered many of Dylan's songs with both the Jerry Garcia band and the Grateful Dead.

43.  Jerry's first commercial was a thirty second radio advertisement for Levis 501 jeans-fittingly, a San Francisco-based company.

44.  Garcia won awards for Musician of the Year and Best Guitarist in 1988 at the Bay Area Music awards.

45.  Jerry was a strong environmental activist-the album Blues from the Rainforest was a project he worked on to help create awareness for the diminishing rainforests.

46.  While recovering from a diabetic coma in 1986, received over 65,000 calls on the Grateful Dead hotline.

47.  Jerry's oldest daughter, Heather, became a first chair violinist for the Red wood Symphony.

48.  Jerry had his first art exhibit in 1991 at the Weir Gallery in Berkley, California- prices for these works of art ranged from $300 to $40,000.

49.  Jerry published a book of his artwork entitled The Book J. Garcia; Paintings, Drawings, and Sketches.

50.  A tie manufacturer was impressed with his artwork and began a production of J. Garcia Art in Neckwear.

51.  Garcia put out more than 30 albums with either the Jerry Garcia Band, the Grateful Dead, or as a solo performer.

52.  Jerry supervised and approved a comic of the Dead- Grateful Dead Comix, which featured interpretations of songs and band members as characters.

53.  Garcia developed his fondness for country music while listening to the Grand Ole Opry broadcasts with his grandmother.

54.  "Touch of Grey" was both Jerry's and the Grateful Dead's only top ten hit.

55.  Jerry would often smoke as much as three packs of cigarettes a day.

56.  Jerry received his first guitar at the age of 15.

57.  While on a fishing trip in 1948, Jerry saw his father swept away to his death in a California river.

58.  Jerry believed his life began after a 1960 auto accident in which a close talented friend of his died.

59.  Jerry's first idol on the guitar was Chuck Berry.

60.  The science fiction writer, Ray Bradbury, was Jerry's favorite author.

61.  His first guitar was a Danelectro electric with a tiny fender amplifier.

62.  After his release from the Army, Jerry studied painting at the Art Institute in Son Francisco.

63.  Garcia held a job as a music teacher at Dana Morgan's Music.

64.  Jerry died of a heart attack on august 9, 1995, eight days after his 53rd birthday.

65.  Jerry's last recording was a cover of Jimmy Rodger's" blue Yodel #9."

66.  Four months after Jerry's death, in December 1995, the remaining band members stated they would never perform again as the Grateful Dead.

67.  Jerry sang the national anthem for the San Francisco Giants on opening day in 1993.

68.  Jerry did musical and sound effects for the movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

69.  Sting, the lead singer from the rock group the Police, called Garcia, "Father Christmas."

70.  Jerry and the Dead played before more people and played more years than any other music combo in history.

71.  Vice-president Al Gore gave Garcia a personal tour of the White House.

72.  One of Jerry's favorite past times was scuba diving.

73.  Jerry has four children-all daughters.

74.  The Warlocks name was taken from an Egyptian prayer Garcia discovered in a dictionary.

75.  Jerry played lead guitar and sang vocals for the Grateful Dead.

76.  Jerry's parents owned a bar in San Francisco- the Four Hundred Club, named for its

location,400 First Street.

77.  Jerry earned three merit badges in the Boy Scouts: for knot tying, compass reading, and life saving.

78.  Tiff was the nickname Jerry called his older brother Clifford.

79.  Jerry was court marshaled twice while in the Army.

80.  Jerry's mother Ruth Garcia was a registered nurse.

81.  Jerry played several instruments including the saxophone, piano, banjo and the guitar.

82.  One of Jerry's first jobs was picking apricots and beans in a local fields.

83.  One person Jerry wanted to play with was the legendary Bill Monroe, but he never got the chance.

84.  Jerry's mother really wanted Jerry to be a girl; she already had one boy and wanted a daughter.

85.  Garcia became a regular on the radio broadcast of The Midnight Special, a folk music show in Berkley, California.

86.  Jerry had built up a repertoire of bluegrass tunes, ballads, mountain tunes, rags, and country blues that he performed on the five string banjo.

87.  After seeing the Beatles film A Hard Days Night, Jerry was inspired to change his jug band into a rock band.

88.  The first gig for the Warlocks was at Magoo's Pizza Parlor.

89.  Jerry would practice at any location he could find, sometimes up to ten hours a day.

90.  Jerry's close friend Ken Kesey wrote the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

91.  Jerry got his first piece of national press in Sing Out magazine.

92.  In 1966, the first Grateful Dead record was released- a 45 of "Stealin'." on the flip side was "Don'y Ease Me In."

93.  In 1989, Garcia testified about the plight of the rainforests at the Congressional Human Rights Caucus.

94.  Garcia was a fan of surreal art; some of his influences were Max Ernst and Paul Klee.

95.  The album Deadicated, which featured various bands covering Grateful Dead tunes, was at tribute to the long-time team of Jerry Garcia and Bob Hunter.

96.  At a sold out show on Garcia's 50th birthday, a fan distributed paper masks with Garcia's face and the crowd attempted to sing "Happy Birthday."

97.  Jerry married his third wife, Deborah Koons, on Valentine's Day, 1994.

98.  Jerry considered himself one of the best banjo players in America. 

99.  Half of Jerry's remains were scattered in the Ganges river in India, a country Jerry had never visited. The second half of Jerry's remains were scattered beneath the Golden GateBridge.

 From the website:  http://members.tripod.com/~wharf_n_lace/99facts.html

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Marilyn Monroe - When Norma Jean grew up - Singing and Her Last Interview just Days Before her Death

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Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend

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Published on Nov 26, 2013

1992 Documentary about Marilyn's last interview in July 1962 for Life magazine. With rare audio of Marilyn's interview and rare footage. Marilyn's words had been edited together for this show.

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I Wanna Be Loved By You

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Goodbye Norma Jean - Marilyn Monroe is Back - The Most Beautiful Woman in the World

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Marilyn Monroe was murdered 54 years ago, August 5, 1962.

Perhaps the greatest American Icon of all time, Marilyn Monroe was America's sweetheart, poster girl, cheerleader, pin up queen, singer, movie star, the object of lust, devotion, miles of newspaper and magazine print and the most imitated person of all time.

But that does not even begin to describe this blonde bombshell who dominates the world even today, five decades after her death.  You see, one of these days some smart prosecutor will reopen the Marilyn Monroe death case and the truth will finally come out and don't be surprised to hear the mafia, politicians, the Hollywood Rat Pack, President Kennedy, Attorney General Robert Kennedy and who knows who else dominating the news.

Yet this time it will be different.  Before her enemies, those who killed her, controlled the media and film industry and made certain only their side of the story was heard.  Thanks to the Internet and Marilyn's astounding popularity with Baby Boomers and their kids (the Millennia generation) when her tragic death is relived there will be overwhelming interest on the worldwide social media through the Internet.

Mainstream media, Hollywood, Madison Avenue nor politicians control the Internet this time and they sure as Hell don't control the Baby Boomers and their heirs.  You see, Marilyn is alive and well in the minds of the youth and Baby Boomers of the world who grew up with her or adopted her as the role model for modern women and girls.

Don't believe me, just look at the hundreds and thousands of Marilyn products flooding the market.  Most of the world was not aware that Marilyn and her image and persona have been the subject of bitter court fights that lasted until a Federal Appeals Court finally settled the issue in 2012 by stating what Marilyn stated in life, she belonged to no one but the public she tried so hard to  please.

It took 50 years for the federal courts to rule on her "image and persona," and now her story can finally be told.

Still, she has always remained with us because of her unique American story.  A mother who was sent to a mental health institution while her daughter was sent to foster homes and an orphanage.  She never knew who was her father.  She created an alter ego to help her through the loneliness.

Her alter ego would one day become a star and Marilyn spent her entire life preparing for the moment.  She created the most rigid workout program and diet in existence while a teenager to prepare her physically.  But through it all shone the innocence of Norma Jean who loved children, loved animals and loved to make people happy.

In time she went to work in a defense plant during World War II and was accidently discovered by a photographer working on the assembly lines.  He was trying to generate interest in the war effort by finding a poster girl and did he ever succeed.  Marilyn has been America's poster girl through World War II, Korea, Viet Nam, Iraq and Afghanistan during the last 50 year and no one has knocked her off her pedestal.

Look at the continuing interest in Marilyn.  Her last dress sold at auction two years ago for $5.54 million breaking the previous record from 1999 of $1.26 million paid for another Marilyn dress which was more than four times higher than the previous record.  Marilyn doesn't just break records, she smashes them into oblivion.

After her discovery as a pin up model she quickly established herself in the movies and every major male star at the time wanted to be paired with her including Robert Mitchum, Clark Gable, Rock Hudson, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemon to mention just a few.

From being a homeless orphan to world famous movie starlet Marilyn was the perfect American success story.  But waiting for America's Sweetheart were the predators of Hollywood and the strange combination of mafia and politicians who coveted her.  She married America's favorite Yankees baseball hero but immediately realized their careers made marriage impossible yet Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn remained best friends and were planning to remarry just a couple of weeks after her death.

Two people in life befriended her, Joe DiMaggio and Milton Greene, her favorite photographer and business partner as she became the first woman in Hollywood to own her own movie production company with Milton.

Hollywood, the mafia and powerful politicians used enormous power and prestige to entrap Marilyn and failing to succeed, they killed her because she knew too much.  That story is yet to surface but the time is finally right to tell Marilyn's real story, identify those who took her life to save their careers, and make her far more famous than she is already.

Can you believe someone should become so dominate in the world enduring for over 50 years and the best hasn't even been told yet?  And can you believe Marilyn was just 36 years old when she was killed?

Bigger in death than life?  Hardly?  She had only just begun in life.  Now it is time we heard her story rather than versions of all those whose agenda was not protecting Marilyn but those who made her a victim.  Justice has yet to be dispensed.  Then Norma Jean can finally rest.

America's number one sweetheart, movie icon and innocent victim will be coming back to finish what she started.  As Norma Jean said, Marilyn Monroe belongs to no one but the people.

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