On December 10, a full-page ad appeared in the New York Times under the headline, “IS THIS AMERICA?” with a large image of an American flag at half-mast in the background. The ad calls out:

Recently I have noticed a lot of good sentiment all over social media around the need for people to take a stand against anti-Muslim bigotry. In the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino there has been a frightening rise in attacks against Muslims here in the U.S. and Europe. You can read for yourselves about this disturbing trend from a piece by Glenn Greenwald or in this piece on Alternet.

Human rights day gets smugly celebrated by those who run this country as a day to call on the failures of societies with which the U.S. is not allied.  China, Venezuela, Iran -- bad.  No mention of Saudi Arabia, Israel, or, for that matter, the United States where 42% of people on death row are African American, while the population is only 12% African American.

no one leaves home unless
home is the mouth of a shark
you only run for the border
when you see the whole city running as well

A week after the terrorist attack in Paris, a crucial protest demonstration took to the City Hall steps in San Francisco. Over 40 people held a speak-out and press conference to demand: Break the Silence! No More War on Syria and Beyond! Stop the Air Strikes and Targeted Killing NOW!

Stop The Air Strikes and Targeted Killings NOW!

The devastating events in Paris that have left 129 people dead are a horror. Ordinary people massacred while simply living their daily lives.

This came a little more than a month after France, part of a U.S. led coalition, carried out dozens of airstrikes on Syria. This coalition had previously launched 3,000 airstrikes in Syria, massacring ordinary people in Syria who were simply living their daily lives.

“[T]he Obama team never planned to outlaw the policies, despite what some of his supporters on the left may have thought when he took office.”

Eight years ago, people were so over George Bush, and so ready for an end to the Bush regime's wars, that they began hoping Obama would follow through on early promises to stop them.

It’s way too easy for you and me, living our daily lives, to overlook the personal hardships whistleblowers are going through everyday just so we can keep America a true democracy.

Edward Snowden is still living in exile. Thomas Drake was indicted, lost his job and his pension. Franz Gayle is the target of ongoing investigations and lost the career he loved. 

Next Thursday, July 30th is National Whistleblower Appreciation Day - a time to honor whistleblowers and push for the de-criminalization of truth telling.

Help us celebrate National Whistleblower Appreciation Day by hosting a free screening of War on Whistleblower in your home, community, church or school.

A cease fire collapsed quickly this week, as Saudi bombers pounded Sanaa and what they say are "military" targets in Yemen.  More than 3,000 people have died since March, with more than 15,000 wounded, according to the United Nations.

"Saudi Arabia, one of the richest countries in the Middle East, is maintaining a blockade on imports of fuel, food and medicine to the Arab world’s poorest nation.  Yemen’s health system is on the brink of collapse – the country is a step away from famine, says Suraya Dadoo, writing in South Africa about the silence of the rest of the world about this atrocity.   "Saudi tactics in Yemen are frighteningly reminiscent of Israel’s in Gaza: siege; ruthless airstrikes; targeted bombing of schools, homes and hospitals; and collective punishment."