They Wanna Know...WHY WE SAY FTP

Without accountability the very nature of what it means to preserve peace, justice and equality is called into question. It is a necessity for the people, for the community to hold the various police departments accountable since they have proved themselves incapable of doing so themselves.

Immortal Technique (Hip Hop Artist)

No one is safe when it comes to the terror tactics perpetrated by the police force on a national level. To some that statement may seem a bit harsh. However, a cursory glance at the historical context of the relationship between "The Police" and "The People" will make it plain. In fact, one doesn't really have to go back 500 years or even 40 years to see the excessive force, beatings, torture, false imprisonment, coercion and outright murder sponsored by those whose mission is supposed to be "to serve and protect".

On January 4, 2008, Tarika Wilson, 26, and her 1-year old son, Sincere Wilson were shot by SWAT Police in Lima, Ohio. The Police, who came to allegedly execute a drug warrant for Ms. Wilson's boyfriend, knew there were children in the house because of the toys in the yard, yet they still managed to shoot Tarika Wilson as she held her baby. Ms. Wilson, the mother of six children, ages 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8, was pronounced dead on the scene. One year old Sincere's arm was badly injured and at least one of his fingers was amputated as a result of his injuries. Cases like these have forced us to expose; as Brother Dhoruba would say, "the occupying militarized police and the armed counterinsurgency units masquerading as Street Crime Units, Anti-Gang Task Forces and Community Policing Units".

The People have become immune to the alarming number of murders committed by Police not only because they have been so frequent but, also because the actual aftermath of the murders have not been presented visually.

Why We Say FTP is a highly anticipated film written, produced and directed by Kalonji Changa and Vaunghn Saber. The Film sheds light on Police Terrorism, Political Prisoners as well as Cointelpro: past and present amongst other things. It brings life to the victims, of some you may have heard and others you may not. Why We Say FTP is not the typical "We hate the Police" film, but a film that from an intellectual perspective would even cause your Grandmother to say "I may not agree with the term FTP, but I understand why they use it".

Why We Say FTP is not just another run of the mill "conscious" documentary; it is a project that captures the heart and minds of everyday people. In the film you will find everyone from Freedom Fighters, Rappers and Politicians to the average Brother and Sister on the Block. The film's topics range from the CIA's role in pushing Cocaine into the streets, to the FBI's role in the East Coast-West Coast Black Panther riff and its relation to the so-called Tupac/Biggie conundrum. The goal of Why We Say FTP is not to capitalize off the suffering of the people, as so many so-called leaders do, but to educate and inspire on a mass level. Be on the look out for Why We Say FTP, coming soon on DVD.

For more information on Why We Say FTP go online to: www.myspace.com/ftpmovement

About the Producers:

Kalonji Changa is the Founder/National Chief Coordinator of the FTP Movement an Organization whose acronym stands for, amongst other things, Feed The People, Free The Prisoners and Fight The Power. Kalonji was also instrumental in the launching of the Cease Fire: Stop Police Terrorism Campaign. Cease Fire: Stop Police Terrorism is a National Crusade that amalgamated Community Organizers and the Hip Hop Community to tackle issues of Police Brutality. In addition to his effective organizing, Kalonji is also a talented revolutionary writer whose work has appeared in San Francisco Bay View, The Source and Frontline Magazine.

(http://www.kalonjichanga.com/)

Vaunghn Saber is a producer/director/videographer/video editor who has worked with several individuals and organizations in the Metro Atlanta area. Vaunghn Saber is well known for his involvement with the recording group The Liuns Den as a music producer and from his videography works on the Crew Love DVD series with founder Taj Anwar. His collaborative efforts with Kalonji Changa on Why We Say FTP was to bring awareness to the general public, young and old, that this is something that people are faced with each and every day around the world. The people need to be enlightened that this is not something that happens by accident. Police are violating the rights of the people and are getting away with absolute murder. This project is aimed at exposing the corrupt system that is supposed to protect and serve as well as inform the people of their rights and how to protect themselves when placed in a situation regarding an encounter with the police.

www.myspace.com/vaunghnsaber)

Crew Love DVD Promo

Family Field Trip: Whitney Biennial

Expand Your Kids' Imaginations:
Take them to the Whitney Biennial Art Exhibit!

Interaction with literature and the arts not only make for a "well rounded" young person, but also help young people to develop critical and creative thinking. This week the Whitney Museum in New York City opens its 78th Annual /Biennial show which features the work of 80 contemporary artists----paintings, sculpture, prints, installations, film and much more. Don't worry if your knowledge of art is minimal---go, take the kids, look, listen, look some more, and most importantly---talk about what you see! Ask your kids what and why they like or dislike different pieces. Remember, in art there are no right or wrong answers as to what you should like or dislike! See if your kids can figure out how each piece is made, and why an artist chose a particular material or medium, like painting, or film, to create his or her work. When you get home encourage your kids to experiment, to try and create their own work of art!

And if you cannot get to the Whitney--- visit the art museum closest to your home town. It is never to early to take your kids to see art---they will be delighted and you will so enjoy seeing their wonder! And check your local library before you go; many libraries offer free family passes to your local museums!

F0r information about the Whitney Museum of Art go to:
http://www.whitney.org/

Read in The New York Times about the Whitney Biennial:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/07/arts/design/07bien.html?ref=design
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/03/06/arts/20080307_WHITNEY_GRAPHIC.html#/content=tab1

$5oo,ooo To School Libraries in Louisiana and Mississippi

Laura Bush Foundation Gives Money to School Libraries Hurt by Hurricane Katrina!

In The New York Times:

Nearly a dozen schools in Louisiana and one in Mississippi will get a share of more than $500,000 in grants from the Laura Bush Foundation to rebuild their libraries. Mrs. Bush made the announcement as she visited a school in New Orleans. The donations bring to $3.7 million the total amount of grant money the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries has given to schools in Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida and Texas since Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma struck in 2005.

A SHOW NOT TO BE MISSED!

William Steig Art Show
at the Jewish Museum in New York

Author and illustrator William Steig's books for children--Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, The Amazing Bone, Brave Irene, Doctor DeSoto, Shrek, Dominic, Abel's Island, and many more---are sweet and sly, poignant and clever, silly and serious. He was a "sublime doodler;" but the black lines he drew were so imbued with integrity and clarity that his characters never appeared cartoonish. His stories and illustrations never condescended to children--- or adults either.

If you can get to the Jewish Museum in New York -- run and see the show before it closes on March 16th. Along with illustrations from his children books, the show includes work from his 50 years drawing for the New Yorker magazine. If you cannot get to the show, Yale University Press has published a beautiful book 0f Steig's work to accompany the show with an introduction by Maurice Sendak--The Art if William Steig.

For more information on the show: http://www.jewishmuseum.org/


Read the New York Tines Review:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/14/arts/design/14stei.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/03/arts/design/03conn.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

A MUST READ!

“Survey Finds Teenagers Ignorant on Basic History and Literature Questions”

“Fewer than half of American teenagers who were asked basic history and literature questions in a phone survey knew when the Civil War was fought, and one in four said Columbus sailed to the New World some time after 1750, not in 1492.

The survey results, released on Tuesday, demonstrate that a significant proportion of teenagers live in ‘stunning ignorance’ of history and literature, said the group that commissioned it, Common Core.”

This article in The New York Times is a must read, but more thought provoking are some of the responses from readers, a small selection of which are posted below.

Read the article at: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/27/us/27history.html?em&ex=1204347600&en=6192259c03f6bb5b&ei=5087%0A

Reader responses:

I am a teacher, and our public schools work as they are designed to. They produce a compliant citizenry, ill-equipped for independent analysis and pre-disposed to consume. Schools exist for two reasons: a jobs program for adults and an indoctrination program for our youth. I have yet to hear anybody debate why, in the No Child Left Behind act, schools are required to provide the Pentagon with student contact information--and this in an education bill. Unfortunately, we have the schools that we deserve.— Carl, Alaska

Any discussion of education today always ends up in a (virtual) shouting match. Yes it needs to be better, but we don't need to keep blaming someone else. It starts with yourself. If each of us, as an individual, values education in a public way it will get better. It's not just the schools, the policy-makers, and the parents. For whatever reason this society does not value curiosity. Everyone should be be proud of their curiosity without being condescending. It won't get better until we see popular entertainment that portrays the smart person as the hero. Be smart and be a hero.— PeteB, Missoula, MT

I am a senior college student. I went to a good public school and took all the required history and civics classes. But at an early age I knew I wanted to pursue science as a career, a decision which forced me to narrow my studies and interests into an attractive ‘hook’ for colleges. From that point on, History and English fell on deaf ears because they were not part of my long term goal.
I believe the major flaw in my privileged education was being encouraged to become so specialized at such a young age. I am 21 years old with a $120,000 education, yet I could not outline the American history of my two decades let alone the discovery of the new world. I can not balance a check book or list any basic economic principles. I know nothing of war or international law. I can tell you an awful lot about physics though. And as such, I feel very much like a child.— college student, Baltimore

It's more serious than just an ignorance of historical fact.
For over thirty years the US has been driven to the core by the idea that there is no such thing as a fact, and that factuality is just a concept subject to the user's preference. When the idea of "fact" becomes a political concept, every "fact" is a matter of politics, and one can credibly argue that global warming is or isn't real based on one's party, or that the Holocaust did or didn't happen based on one's prejudice, or that taxes are or aren't a good thing based on one's patriotism, or that a military engagement is a victory of a defeat based on whether or not one loves one's country...In such a climate the very utility of facts is questionable. The onerous work it takes to acquire them and to incorporate them into critical thinking is of dubious value when one can simply declare a belief instead, regardless of factuality, and be embraced by everyone who shares it.

Facts are humbling, challenging obstacles. When one can enjoy the emotional fulfillment of being a true believer, and when so many of our role models in government, business, sports, etc., have dispensed with them, why bother with them?

Our culture now suffers from the mental illness that equates one's own personal worldview with fact, and denies the value of any reality-based consensus. That illness has permeated into the highest circles, and the law itself, which must be fact-based, is threatened. — DFC, Los Angeles

I used to teach HS English and had my 11th grade classes memorize the first 14 lines of the intro to the Canterbury Tales - in Middle English. They complained, they moaned, they groaned but over the course of the semester they always learned it and as they progressed, we started every class by saying it out loud together. If I forgot, they reminded me. At the end of the year when they had to say it alone, aloud in front of the class, one of the boys came up and said,"I thought at first this was the stupidest assignment anybody could have but when I complained to my parents I found out my father knew most of it. It started out as a joke but we taught my mother and we've been saying it together. My father wanted to be sure I learned it right." The spirit and the soul have always been reflected and explored though the universality of literature. How else can we know that when we act like beasts that these actions are not what civilized humans do? — Dinah78, California

The ancient Greeks had a very different conception of the world than the dominant United States' culture of today. They imagined themselves situated in space facing backwards, looking towards the past, while the future rolled over their shoulders from behind like a wave at the beach. Over the years (many years at that), we have turned around so that now we conceive of ourselves as facing the future and riding atop the wave of progress. In this conception of the human body and mind, there is no reason to look to the past, and even if we do, by turning our head over a shoulder, we can only get a partial view. The Greeks valued mythos as much as, if not more than, logos; we have forgotten what mythos is.

However, I do not suggest that we drastically reconfigure our conception of the world and our place in it; that would be impossible. However, by focusing on local history, family history, cultural history, perhaps we can show students what can be gained from turning around every now and then and facing the past in its full panorama. — Stephen, Marblehead, MA

In my own completely unscientific study, I have repeatedly found "stunning ignorance" among my parents' generation about the world as it exists today, to the point that they are seriously impaired in their efforts to participate and experience today's world. This goes beyond being able to set the clock on one's VCR (what's a VCR, anyway?) -- that is just bad industrial design. It is more characterized by utter paralysis in the face of the expanding connectivity of the world.

These studiers, which seem always to decry the pathetic state of our youth today, would do well to turn the camera around. Instead, for whatever reason, such ignorance is given a free pass: can't teach an old dog new tricks, after all. And that's supposed to be OK.

The education of youth is important, no doubt, but the failure of many, if not most, adults to continue their education is just as serious. After all, what good is knowing what happened in the past if you have a) no clue what is happening TODAY? and b) no clue how to even find out what is happening TODAY.

PS No, having a hotmail account and abetting the transmission of mountains of virus-laden jokes, amusing pictures, and factually-challenged patriotic/religious messages to all your friends and relatives who bear the misfortune of being in your adress book does NOT count as functional participation.— Helen, Hawaii

Crass Commercialization in Children's Books?

Should Children's Publishing Let Commercial Product Placement Into Books for Young People?

"Susan Katz, publisher of HarperCollins Children’s Books, said she was not concerned about a possible backlash against corporate sponsorship in books aimed at such a young audience. 'If you look at Web sites, general media or television, corporate sponsorship or some sort of advertising is totally embedded in the world that tweens live in,' Ms. Katz said. 'It gives us another opportunity for authenticity.' "

Authenticity? Read more in The New York Times at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/19/books/19cathy.html?_r=1&ref=arts&oref=slogin