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8/08/2003
Been saving this post for a rainy day - or rather a day that I was needing a break from reading anything that had a four letter word in it denoted our Prez. So, from July 2, I got permission from Brooke at the Bitter Shack of Resentment to republish her article about a Louisiana prison that barred a book about "kindness". Ahem. So here is the article and there is also a link to the Bitter Shack's most righteous site, dudes and dudettes!
_ _ _ _
Wednesday, July 2
"Security" 1, Free Expression 0
Allow me to share with you a press release:
BOOK ON KINDNESS DEEMED ‘THREAT TO SECURITY’ BY PRISON OFFICIALS
"NEW ORLEANS, LA — Dame Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop and a noted entrepreneur and human-rights activist, has learned that her new book A Revolution in Kindness has been banned from the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola as “a threat to internal security."
“The fact that a book about the power of kindness can be denounced as a threat to security beggars belief and is yet more evidence of the issue of security being ambushed and colonized by politicians to buttress their own repressive and undemocratic agendas,” said Roddick.
She has written a letter to the prison’s warden, Burl Cain, demanding an explanation. “I cannot imagine how anything in A Revolution in Kindness could threaten prison security,” she wrote. “Indeed, I would think that a book about kindness would enhance institutional security. I know that your institution has among its stated goals the rehabilitation of prisoners. It seems to me that A Revolution in Kindness, if read by prisoners, could only contribute to this goal.”
The confiscated copy of A Revolution in Kindness was intended for an inmate named Herman Wallace, who contributed an essay to the book. Wallace's essay was about a recent occasion in which he organized a chess tournament on his cell block as a means to ease tensions and minimize violence between prisoners.) Wallace is one of the inmates known as the Angola Three, who have been in solitary confinement for 31 years because they were Black Panthers determined to improve conditions in what was considered the “bloodiest prison in America” in the early 1970s. Roddick has been campaigning for their freedom since 2000.
Officials inside the prison have confirmed that the book was rejected for security reasons, but refused to elaborate. In May, Roddick was ejected from the prison while visiting Albert Woodfox (another member of the Angola Three, who also contributed to the book), and prison officials have refused to explain why.
A Revolution in Kindness (Anita Roddick Books 2003) is a compilation of essays by celebrities, politicians, homeless people, activists, refugees, doctors, entrepreneurs, and philosophers about how the world might be transformed if kindness trumped other values, such as greed, revenge, and power. The book contains essays by Roddick, Ralph Nader, Angelina Jolie, Annie Lennox, Philip Berrigan and many more.
brooke biggs | 1:34:37 PM | permalink _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ http://bittershack.blogspot.com/2003_07_01_bittershack_archive.html http://bittershack.blogspot.com/ The Bitter Shack of Resentment
BJ 8/08/2003 07:13:00 PM
Been saving this post for a rainy day - or rather a day that I was needing a break from reading anything that had a four letter word in it denoted our Prez. So, from July 2, I got permission from Brooke at the Bitter Shack of Resentment to republish her article about a Louisiana prison that barred a book about "kindness". Ahem. So here is the article and there is also a link to the Bitter Shack's most righteous site, dudes and dudettes!
_ _ _ _
Wednesday, July 2
"Security" 1, Free Expression 0
Allow me to share with you a press release:
BOOK ON KINDNESS DEEMED ‘THREAT TO SECURITY’ BY PRISON OFFICIALS
"NEW ORLEANS, LA — Dame Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop and a noted entrepreneur and human-rights activist, has learned that her new book A Revolution in Kindness has been banned from the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola as “a threat to internal security."
“The fact that a book about the power of kindness can be denounced as a threat to security beggars belief and is yet more evidence of the issue of security being ambushed and colonized by politicians to buttress their own repressive and undemocratic agendas,” said Roddick.
She has written a letter to the prison’s warden, Burl Cain, demanding an explanation. “I cannot imagine how anything in A Revolution in Kindness could threaten prison security,” she wrote. “Indeed, I would think that a book about kindness would enhance institutional security. I know that your institution has among its stated goals the rehabilitation of prisoners. It seems to me that A Revolution in Kindness, if read by prisoners, could only contribute to this goal.”
The confiscated copy of A Revolution in Kindness was intended for an inmate named Herman Wallace, who contributed an essay to the book. Wallace's essay was about a recent occasion in which he organized a chess tournament on his cell block as a means to ease tensions and minimize violence between prisoners.) Wallace is one of the inmates known as the Angola Three, who have been in solitary confinement for 31 years because they were Black Panthers determined to improve conditions in what was considered the “bloodiest prison in America” in the early 1970s. Roddick has been campaigning for their freedom since 2000.
Officials inside the prison have confirmed that the book was rejected for security reasons, but refused to elaborate. In May, Roddick was ejected from the prison while visiting Albert Woodfox (another member of the Angola Three, who also contributed to the book), and prison officials have refused to explain why.
A Revolution in Kindness (Anita Roddick Books 2003) is a compilation of essays by celebrities, politicians, homeless people, activists, refugees, doctors, entrepreneurs, and philosophers about how the world might be transformed if kindness trumped other values, such as greed, revenge, and power. The book contains essays by Roddick, Ralph Nader, Angelina Jolie, Annie Lennox, Philip Berrigan and many more.
brooke biggs | 1:34:37 PM | permalink _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ http://bittershack.blogspot.com/2003_07_01_bittershack_archive.html http://bittershack.blogspot.com/ The Bitter Shack of Resentment
BJ 8/08/2003 10:59:00 AM
8/07/2003
Consider it Research
New links on the bloglinker roll in the menu column include folks whose pulse I check weekly. In this case "weakly" for some of those listed. On the bright side, however, there are some amazing "shining lights" who speak from "mainXstream". Say, if you were going to name a new blog one of these, which if any would you think a good name?
This is not an idle question: indeed, things are brewing amongst a number of bloggers who are banding together to post where folks "in the middle" or "undecided" go in considering what to do with the next US election. We will also be providing many on-going resources, columns, features, guest writers and a wide variety of commentary from retirement to homelessness to civil rights and over to education, politics, law and more. Any comments you care to make and the reasons why you like or dislike any of the above will be greatly appreciated by this blogger. Use the link provided by my poster name below this entry today...
- Mainstreet
- Mainstream
- PULSE
- Fantastic Planet
- mainXstream
- Lamp of Liberty
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cobalt
BJ 8/07/2003 01:13:00 PM
Consider it Research
New links on the bloglinker roll in the menu column include folks whose pulse I check weekly. In this case "weakly" for some of those listed. On the bright side, however, there are some amazing "shining lights" who speak from "mainXstream". Say, if you were going to name a new blog one of these, which if any would you think a good name?
This is not an idle question: indeed, things are brewing amongst a number of bloggers who are banding together to post where folks "in the middle" or "undecided" go in considering what to do with the next US election. We will also be providing many on-going resources, columns, features, guest writers and a wide variety of commentary from retirement to homelessness to civil rights and over to education, politics, law and more. Any comments you care to make and the reasons why you like or dislike any of the above will be greatly appreciated by this blogger. Use the link provided by my poster name below this entry today...
- Mainstreet
- Mainstream
- PULSE
- Fantastic Planet
- mainXstream
- Lamp of Liberty
**-_-**-_-**-_-**-_-**
cobalt
BJ 8/07/2003 01:08:00 PM
Consider it Research
New links on the bloglinker roll in the menu column include folks whose pulse I check weekly. In this case "weakly" for some of those listed. On the bright side, however, there are some amazing "shining lights" who speak from "mainXstream". Say, if you were going to name a new blog one of these, which if any would you think a good name?
This is not an idle question: indeed, things are brewing amongst a number of bloggers who are banding together to post where folks "in the middle" or "undecided" go in considering what to do with the next US election. We will also be providing many on-going resources, columns, features, guest writers and a wide variety of commentary from retirement to homelessness to civil rights and over to education, politics, law and more. Any comments you care to make and the reasons why you like or dislike any of the above will be greatly appreciated by this blogger. Use the link provided by my poster name below this entry today...
- Mainstreet
- Mainstream
- PULSE
- Fantastic Planet
- mainXstream
- Lamp of Liberty
**-_-**-_-**-_-**-_-**
cobalt
BJ 8/07/2003 01:08:00 PM
Consider it Research
New links on the bloglinker roll in the menu column include folks whose pulse I check weekly. In this case "weakly" for some of those listed. On the bright side, however, there are some amazing "shining lights" who speak from "mainXstream". Say, if you were going to name a new blog one of these, which if any would you think a good name?
This is not an idle question: indeed, things are brewing amongst a number of bloggers who are banding together to post where folks "in the middle" or "undecided" go in considering what to do with the next US election. We will also be providing many on-going resources, columns, features, guest writers and a wide variety of commentary from retirement to homelessness to civil rights and over to education, politics, law and more. Any comments you care to make and the reasons why you like or dislike any of the above will be greatly appreciated by this blogger. Use the link provided by my poster name below this entry today...
- Mainstreet
- Mainstream
- PULSE
- Fantastic Planet
- mainXstream
- Lamp of Liberty
**-_-**-_-**-_-**-_-**
cobalt
BJ 8/07/2003 01:05:00 PM
8/04/2003
A few interior decorating changes made round these here parts - links are now in a smaller font size. Note that the blog has an email list for those interested in getting an email from cobalt when the blog has significant posts or changes. The "NotifyList" service provides this at no charge. All one does is enter an email address in the field provided in the left column menu. Not even the blog owner/cobalt knows that email address and it is not published in any email header.New links are near the bottom of the menu in the left column. These folks are very significant to an important mission that will be revealed within weeks. I'm glad to be a member of such an esteemed crew! The full list of these are available when you click on the "see my list" link there. The blogs listed change according to those with the most current updated posts in their blogs. The entire list is extraordinary!
"Referrers" may or may not be interesting. This service is provided with a single line of javascript by Stephen Downes, and more information about this is available at the active link provided there.
Readers may now be aware that links in the menu are set to open in a new window for convenience. The Blog of the Day feature, however, is not. Have had some trouble since the ownership of Pyra Labs ("blogger") was transferred to Google: this means that attempts to change the size of the body text to a bit smaller, and minor changes to background color and various text colors have not been accessible. This is a blog hosted as a free service and therefore limited in template and setting options. Until this author is aware that there no longer exist frequent issues that arise upon conversion from "free" to "Pro", the blog remains as you see it. Options considered for the future are changes in hosting to allow use of CSS, images, and also provide an RSS feed. Thanks to all of you friends that inspire me and provide support in psychic ways! And thank you, Gentle Readers, that drop in for a visit with us all.
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cobalt
BJ 8/04/2003 12:04:00 PM
8/03/2003
Whoa! Stop the Presses! Whoa, Whoa Whoa!
NY Times Links to Blogs, Scraps 'Public Editor' Idea"(2003-07-31) -- New York Times executive editor Bill Keller said today he has scrapped plans to hire a public editor as a "reader representative," and instead will link the online newspaper to a network of so-called "blogs".
"Many bloggers post political and media commentary on personal web sites and often link to news stories in the Times and other news sources.
"'I figured we could save some money, and get better quality by linking to blogs,' said Mr. Keller, who recently took the reins of the so-called "gray lady" after a credibility scandal toppled the paper's former editor. 'If we hire a public editor, he'll quickly become an insider and people will think it's just an insincere, self-serving PR move. By linking to bloggers who critique us daily, we show that we respect the free marketplace of ideas, and aren't afraid of the heat.'
"A spokesman for the network of bloggers said, "We'll be glad to get the increased visitor traffic, and the Times readers will be glad to get the truth...for a change.'
Source: from the Wilson's Almanac Blogmanac: Today's blog August 3, 2003: http://wilsonsalmanac.blogspot.com/ Original Source: Scrappleface http://www.scrappleface.com/
BJ 8/03/2003 04:51:00 PM