Southern Man, Better Keep Your Head...

One of America's finest women and a great role model for civil disobedience has passed away.

Almost 50 years ago (December 1, 1955) Rosa Parks, spit in the face of Jim Crow and sparked the civil rights movement. She was the first black person to be arrested for refusing to yield her seat to a white (man, mind you) on a bus. A boycott of the bus system in Montgomery, Alabama began on the day of her trial, 4 days later. It lasted for 381 days and nearly bankrupted the bus company since the ridership of Montgomery buses was about 75% black. Some black people car pooled or took taxis but most of them walked for those months. Some walked 20 miles or so. Finally a supreme court decision obliterated Jim Crow laws. She moved to Detroit, and worked in Congressman John Conyers office for 20 years.

Her act of civil disobedience and the boycott that ensued changed America. People were willing to be inconvenienced and walk for 13 months to hurt a business to make a point. This blonde would like to see people of good conscience do the same to enact change in our country again.

Who is protesting these days? Why it's the pigs!

The city of Austin Texas has granted a permit to the KKK to rally against gay marriage on November 5th. In an e-mail to the city for permission, a representative for the American White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan wrote:

"Our speech will not be inflammatory, but we all know the reputation of the name of the KKK, so we expect anti-Klan demonstrators to be there who may become violent. We certainly don't want any of our people hurt nor any city officials. We just want to come and encourage people to vote for Christian Family Values and against legalized homosexual marriage in the state of Texas."

Indeed. Christian family values are the hallmark of the KKK. Not. Notice that they don't want themselves or city officials hurt. I think a lot of people are going to be hurt. Why this group of bigots has the balls to ask for a protest permit in this day and age exemplifies the hatefulness that is still alive and thriving in this country. November 5th in Austin Texas will demonstrate to the country and the world that we have a lot of work to do in this democratic experiment- America.