"Mourn the dead; but fight like hell for the living"

Mother Jones 1924

(Courtesy of Library of
Congress. Modifications
© Jone Lewis 2001.)



Given the recent tragedy at the Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia , perhaps only the most publicized recent worker deaths on the job, few words could be more appropriate this May Day than those of 19th & early 20th century labor activist Mother Jones: "Mourn for the dead; but fight like hell for the living."

From Doctor Who to the Bard

David Tennant and Patrick Stewart (as Claudius)

Although I think most of us died-in-the-wool Doctor Who fans are enjoying Matt Smith (and especially Karen Gillan) as the new Doctor and his comrade-in-arms, if you are still missing David Tennant he will grace us with 3 1/2 hours of the Royal Shakespeare Company's Hamlet on PBS (Channel 13) Wednesday (4/28) 8-11:30PM. Patrick Stewart co-stars as Claudius and Mariah Gayle is Ophelia. Should be quite a show.


David Gennant with
Mariah Gayle as Ophelia

Goldman "Sacks"

Editorial cartoon by Mike Peters:


Thanks to Paul Krugman for referring to this cartoon in his column yesterday (Mon.)

Two Norman Finkelstein events this week

1. Monday April 19 from 7:00-9:00 P.M

Norman Finkelstein
The Aftermath of the Gaza Invasion

NYU Silver Center Rm. 703, 100 Washington Sq East

(Directions: take R or W train to 8th St-NYU, #6 to Astor Pl. or A, C, E, B, D, F, V to W 4th St., then enter 100 Washington Sq East from either Washington Place or Waverly Place)

2. Thursday April 22 at 5:00-8:00 pm

Norman Finkelstein and Lowkey, plus Jody Mcintyre

Brooklyn College Library's Woody Tanger Auditorium

(If you are not a CUNY student, an RSVP to PalestinianClubBC@gmail.com is required.)

(Directions: Take #2 or 5 train to Flatbush Ave.-Brooklyn College. Enter campus with any photo I.D. at Avenue H & Campus Road , then walk through campus to B.C. Library entrance near the rough equivalent of East 27th St. & Avenue H)

April 29: Main Street march on Wall Street

Thursday, April 29th, starting at 4:00 p.m.

Rally and march to bring Main Street to Wall Street

City Hall Park (between Broadway and Park Row at Chambers St)

This event is one of a series of major actions this spring to demand big banks start putting America's economic recovery ahead of their oversized profits and bonuses. Thousands of Americans in more than a dozen cities from New York to Charlotte, North Carolina to Kansas City, Missouri will converge on bank branches and at the shareholder meetings of the big banks to demand action on foreclosure prevention, job creation, and an end to predatory lending and consumer practices. Community groups and families will also demand Wall Street stop spending millions fighting reform efforts in Congress. The mobilizations will be the largest demonstrations against Wall Street since 5,000 Americans converged on the American Bankers Association convention in Chicago last fall.

Martin Luther King, 1/15/29 - 4/4/68

Although today is widely recognized as Easter Sunday, for many of us it is the anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King and also of (one year earlier) his Beyond Vietnam speech. Many people believe there was a connection between these two events. King was clearly the most important political figure of the second half of the twentieth century. Despite the fact that when King was murdered he was only 39 years old we are still feeling the impact of his contributions. Without King, there would be no President Barack Obama and whatever you think of Obama the man, that moment at 11pm November 8, 2008, when NBC declared his election, was a watershed in American history. But it is up to us to continue the work he began. All one had to do was witness the racist and homophobic behavior of the anti-health care thugs both inside and outside of the Capitol, to realize there is still much to be done.

Martin Presente!

April 15: Forum on Haiti

April 15, 6:30 - 9:30 pm

Forum on Haiti

Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture, 53 Prospect Park West at 2nd
Street, Park Slope

How can we express solidarity with the Haitian people?
Come to this discussion with slides and reports from folks who have recently returned and representatives of various relief projects and solidarity groups.

Consider a progressive response to U.S. militarization and the Preval/Clinton initiative to rebuild Haiti as a tourist destination.

Sponsor: Latin America Committee of Brooklyn For Peace

(Trains: 2/3 to Grand Army Plaza;F/G to Seventh Ave (at 9th St); Q to Seventh Ave (at Flatbush.)

May 15: Brooklyn Peace Fair

Saturday May 15, 12 - 5 pm

Brooklyn Peace Fair at Brooklyn College!!

Keynote Speaker: Father Roy Bourgeois, Founder of School of the Americas Watch, Nominee for 2010 Nobel Peace Prize

Workshops and discussions, information on peace and justice, kids' activities. Music, art, poetry, dance, film, hip-hop, spoken word.

Performances by
Rude Mechanical Orchestra,
Spiritchild,
Ill-Literacy,
Metro Sonics,
Stephanie Rooker, and more.

Sponsor: Brooklyn For Peace

Co-Sponsors:
Brooklyn College Community Partnership & Brooklyn College Student Center
Plan now for your organization to participate!
Endorse, register for a table, place an ad in the program.
Click here for registration forms.

If you would like to present a proposal for a workshop, activity, or
performance, e-mail peacefair@brooklynpeace.org
Deadline (to be listed in the program): Monday April 19
Admission free to the general public; all welcome!! (Photo ID required)

Transportation:
Train: 2/5 to Flatbush Ave/Brooklyn College; Q to Ave H
Bus: B6, B103, B44, Q35, B44, B11, BM2