ACTIVIST LAWYER A TERRORIST?  

 

Barbara Lockhart, a resident of Dorchester Co., MD, is an educator and an author of educational materials that have been used in many parts of the USA.  She is also the author of the novel Requiem for a Summer Cottage, which is set on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.  In the Spring of 2005, she appeared on SDFA’s television show, Backtalk, to talk about the case of Lynne Stewart, a radical human rights attorney who was falsely accused and ultimately convicted of helping terrorists.  The trial was an obvious attempt by the Bush administration to silence dissent, curtail vigorous defense lawyers, and instill fear in those who would fight against the government’s racism and defend the rights of oppressed people.  Stewart, 65, faces a possible sentence of 30 years, and her supporters have asked concerned citizens to write letters by July 15, 2005, to the presiding judge urging clemency in her case.  Her story, and more on what we can do to help her, can be found at www.lynnestewart.org .  What follows is the letter written by Barbara herself. 

 

Read the entire article

 

 

     THE PROBLEM WITH BIG GOVERNMENT

          RHETORIC, REALITY AND COMMUNITY

 

Joel Roache retired in 2003 as Associate Professor of English and Modern Languages at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. He is the author of a biography of American poet Richard Eberhart and of articles on literary and social topics.

 

In the 1980 presidential campaign, Ronald Reagan transformed American political rhetoric with his promise to “get the government off our backs.“  From that time forward, any substantial proposal for federal action has had to face the charge that it was “just another big government program.“  Finally, less than twenty years after Reagan's campaign, Bill Clinton capitulated - rhetorically at least - when he announced that “The era of big government is over.“

 

Read the entire article

 

 

    POLITICS, SOCIAL SECURITY, AND THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE     

 

    by Joel Roache

 

Joel Roache retired in 2003 as Associate Professor of English and Modern Languages at the

University of Maryland Eastern Shore. He is the author of a biography of American poet Richard Eberhart and of articles on literary and social topics. This essay first appeared in The Daily Times (Salisbury MD) as a Guest Commentary early in 2005.

 

George Orwell, author of the novel 1984 , also wrote a widely read essay entitled “The Politics of the English Language,“ where he argued that political rhetoric can corrupt the language itself.  If he were alive today, he might very well find that the current debate over Social Security makes an instructive case study.

 

Read the entire article

 

 

    NOW IS THE TIME TO FIX OUR ELECTION MACHINERY

        OP-ED TO THE SALISBURY DAILY TIMES     

       

    by Shelton F. Lankford

 

Shelton F. Lankford is a retired LtCol in the United States Marine Corps, a Vietnam veteran, and a former Information Technology manager. He is currently Organizer of Salisbury Democracy for America.

 

 In late February, hearings on a number of bills to reform Maryland's voting systems were held in the state legislature, and it appears that the pleadings of activists who have been in opposition to electronic voting with no paper record are beginning to get some traction with lawmakers.  It's about time.  Willingness to accept a privatized, computerized, opaque voting system with no recourse to originally marked ballots is not something an electorate that values its freedom would ever accept. Not if they know the facts.  

 

Read the entire article

 

 

    THIS IS AMERICA?

 

Ruta Vaskys is an artist, educator, and occupational therapist.  Martin Freed is a physical oceanographer, outdoor writer and educator.  The couple now migrates between the Eastern Shore and Fairbanks, Alaska.  In January 2005, on the day of George W. Bush’s inauguration, they participated in a counterinauguration in Washington DC.  Here is an account of some of their experiences on that occasion.

 

            The hissing, “shames” and booing drowned out the yells of the Secret Service men and women as they ducked and dodged snowballs and other stuff that were being tossed at the President’s limousine. One of the women riding on the rear bumper jumped off and into the vehicle either to get away from the projectiles or to cover the President’s eyes so he wouldn’t have to be exposed to the dissent in the crowd.

 

Read the entire article