‘Raise Your Voice’ Archives
Ilhan and Neegonnweedun
By Peter Molenaar Was it fifteen years ago that a Somali man named Jaylani suffered a psychotic breakdown at the Chicago Crossing parking lot off Franklin Avenue? He would be executed by the police before that day was done. Had he been white, people believed another outcome would have occurred. So then, Neegonnwayweedun ”“ The Thunder before the Storm ”“ yes, Clyde Bellecourt led a long column of Somali people and their supporters. Protesters marched from Lake Street down Chicago Avenue to the County Government Center. Clyde said to the Somali people “Don”'t let them send you back!” Note: This summer, at the Phillips Community Center, I witnessed a beautiful cultural exchange between Native and Somali youth. November 4, 2016”¦ We gathered at the American Indian Center to purchase copies of The Thunder before the Storm ”“ the autobiography of Clyde Bellecourt. In one passage of the book, in the spirit of forgiveness, [...]
Yes, Hillary, And Then”¦?
Our Hillary has accused the Donald of “taking hate mainstream.” Oh, quite right. It seems the little boy-man suffers all the symptoms of affluenza, the nauseating narcissism of every known chauvinism. Sadly, a serious mass seeks salvation in worship of the false idol. However, the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, 25 million years old, is now dying before our eyes. So, cast your vote appropriately, please. The size of Hillary”'s victory will determine the kind of president she can be. Right? Will she tax the rich in order to rebuild our nation”'s infrastructure? If so, every working person would benefit. But, what? Hillary”'s propensity to use nasty weapons is known. Indeed, over the past 15 years, US conflicts have cost perhaps a million lives, have resulted in many more millions of refugees, and have run up some $13 trillion in financial costs. So, prepare to resist another unjust war”¦please. Even so, the [...]
The snake and our nurses
By Peter Molenaar Not so long ago, the ancient ”˜black snake”' prophecy was linked to the construction of railways. However, recent ceremonies have sifted through the prophecies to reveal that the snake goes underground. In these modern times, millions of settler descendants are coming to know the truth as well. Should the black snake cross the land, the world will come to an end. Note: The fracking fields of the Bakken will be short-lived”¦leaving all the pipes as “stranded assets” to waste beneath the ground. The Standing Rock Lakota are determined to prevent the Dakota Access Pipe Line from crossing, just upstream, beneath the Missouri River. No, they were not consulted, as per “the law,” but were subjected to pepper spray and dogs. September 11, 2016”¦. The MN350 people hosted a fundraising event in the amphitheater of the Minneapolis American Indian Center. They said to us: “Leave it in the ground.” Then, to our [...]
