CNN put up a five year look back at Hurricane Katrina that struck a cord with me. People hold up pictures from scenes of the aftermath, sumperimposing them over the modern scene of today. It’s a good gimmick, I love this sort of thing, where the passage of time in a specific space is somehow captrued. But what really stuck me was picture #20, you can see it by clicking on the link for the spot in the Upper Ward.

It’s the school across from my grandparents house. A helicopter sits in the field, for unknown reasons. The photographer notes that it wasn’t a common landing field during rescue operations, but one day a helicopters were landing there, who knows why.

I use to play in that field where the helicopters landed for a day. I played in it for years, with cousins, as my grandfather sat on the porch and watched the world go by. Who knew one day the neighborhood would be empty except for helicopters, what child could have imagined that as they chased others around the field playing tag.

Funny the things you can be reminded of and how.

Here’s the United States Bill of Rights, copied from http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/funddocs/billeng.htm. I’ll still amazed at the brevity of it.

It’s worth pointing out that “Free Speech Zones” were created recently so that government can dictate when and where you can have your free speech.




THE BILL OF RIGHTS
Amendments 1-10 of the Constitution

The Conventions of a number of the States having, at the time of adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added, and as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government will best insure the beneficent ends of its institution;

Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, two-thirds of both Houses concurring, that the following articles be proposed to the Legislatures of the several States, as amendments to the Constitution of the United States; all or any of which articles, when ratified by three-fourths of the said Legislatures, to be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the said Constitution, namely:

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Amendment II

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

Amendment III

No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Amendment V

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Amendment VI

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.

Amendment VII

In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

Amendment VIII

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Amendment IX

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Amendment X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

We’re talking revolution here, man.



found at http://www.threadless.com/product/383/The_Communist_Party

…it’s Tuesday Morning — Cowboy Junkies.

Hey, hey, it’s America’s birtday! Usually I try to read the Declaration of Independence on the 4th, but I haven’t gotten there yet. I was sidetracked by Fredick Douglass’s “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro”, where he contrasts the spirit of the Constitution with the reality of slavery. It’s a bit long (Douglass can talk/write forever before getting to his point), sometimes repetitve but it’s worth thinking about for a moment. Whatever “good things” came from the American Revolution, the willingness to except slavery is something America will have to deal with for a long time. I don’t have any answers, no one really does, but it is, to me at least, an ugly fact that lurks behind much of what is good about America.

I’m not even sure it can be fixed. Black and white problems seem firmly rooted here, to levels almost unknown by either side. Time might be the only thing that actually solves it because there doesn’t seem to be a way to talk about it without anger and hate coming into play.

J.D. Roth, over at folded space.com, has uploaded 20 songs from 1901 to 1920, in MP3 format. Even better, he has links to further info about some of the artists.