SEPTEMBER 22, 2023 ON MY CORNER ASK YOUR VENDOR If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Anywhere that has a lot of people that are passionate about Jesus, and anywhere that has had a geninue Christian revival. But I am happy to stay right where I am, for now. — Amanda Gale, #573 Probably Hawaii or somewhere like that — tropical. — Glen Page, #407 Yukon, Canada. Go visit my tribe, hang out with the bears, run with the wolves, disappear forever. — Cindy Gere, #279 Amsterdam. Everything’s legal there. — Pony Bush, #305 Nowhere. I stay here. — Roberto Isla Caballero, #347 I want to hunt down the most poisonous things in the world: Australia, China, Africa. But China first! — Teresa Basham, #570 If I ever get out of here, I'm going to Katmandu! — Ken Parks, #490 Somewhere where a nuclear bomb won't hit me. I'd like to work with animals, maybe in Argentina or somehwere in South America. — Terri Demar, #322 My own private island. Or Malta. — Joe Woods, #103 First choice is Machu Picchu but the Amazon scares the hell out of me. The Black Forest in Germany is up there, too. — James Manning, #16 Toss up between Egypt and Japan. — Justen White, #543 Greece. — Derek Allen, #177 GROUNDCOVER NEWS Would you consider making nonviolence and kindness "cool?" JANE REILLY Groundcover vendor No.611 In 2020, Reverend Al Sharpton wrote in "Rise Up, Confronting a Country at the Crossroads," that he was lectured by both Shirley Chisholm and Coretta Scott King for his language. Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to Congress and ran for President, and King was an activist for civil rights, apartheid abolition, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer rights, and the wife of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. King said, "Al, don't you realize words have power? You've got to learn to filter what you say for the long-term gain and not sell it for the short-term satisfaction of being theatrical or getting attention. Otherwise, you could win the crowd but lose the crown." Sharpton, the founder and President of the National Action Network and a civil rights and social justice activist, defended himself by saying, "I didn't mean anything by it; it was just the way we spoke on the streets." And, "I was just speaking in the rhythm and style of the times." Sharpton wrote that his friends who are rappers and singers say it is free speech to use the B-word and N-word in their songs. They also use the F- and MF-words, which both have violent sexual connotations. They use many slurs against all people. Sharpton's reply: "Do the record execs let you use that language on them? Then, why is it OK for us to denigrate our own community, our sisters? We're doing their work for them." Why is it OK to denigrate anyone? Today there is hatred towards everyone who is different than the status quo. It is tearing our country apart. The use of hate speech is helping divide our country. Some in the Black community have told me the N-word means, "family." I believe when bigots hear it, it encourages more hatred. Hate speech is more than being vulgar and rude. Hate speech turns words into weapons to harm others. In Watts v. United States (1969), the Supreme Court held that the First Amendment does not protect profanity spoken as part of a true threat, such as profane rants that cross the line into direct face-toface personal insults, according to the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee University. It is also a misdemeanor in the state of Michigan under penal code 750.167 section F for a disorderly person. When people hear the same negative words repeated constantly, their brains believe it is the truth. That's very dangerous. People with low self esteem — bullies — need to be macho and tough. It sometimes leads to violence. Adults don't need to be bullies to be "cool." Some rap is music for and by bullies because the music industry makes billions of dollars from hate speech. According to Sharpton, the rappers say they need the N-word, B-word and F-MFwords to show they have "street cred." We don't have to imitate it. Marc Morial, President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Urban League told CNN.com, "The N-word has never had a positive meaning.” The National Urban League is America's largest historic civil rights and urban advocacy organization. Singer Jose Feliciano played the National Anthem on acoustic guitar at the 1968 Major League Baseball World Series in a Latin style and Jimi Hendrix played a spectacular instrumental version of the Star Spangled Banner on his electric guitar at Woodstock in 1969. At the time, these were monumental acts of courage. Feliciano and Hendrix tried to use their creativity to bring people together. We, too, have the power to create change and bring people together. Together we can make kindness and non-violence "cool." 3 From the desk of Panda: Thank you to our supporters! Dear public, I feel the need to finally — from all of us at Groundcover, from each individual who has now worked on a daily basis and even the former vendors — tell you from our hearts and souls: One big thank you for all you have done to support and help the vendors and paper! Thank you to our patrons and regulars who consistently keep us going. If it was not for you, many of us would have hung up our hats long ago. You kept us going through the COVID-19 pandemic and even to this very day. Thank you to all the new buyers. Meeting new people willing to discover and read the paper helps us out more than you know. I always and booths who represent the paper. You are all invaluable gems that keep on shining bright to the world. Thanks to the University of MichCINDY GERE Groundcover vendor No. 279 find new buyers who want to know how the papers help us individually and what Groundcover is about. New people change the level of our sales. Thank you to the volunteers who take the time out to help at events igan students who give their study time to volunteer in the building daily; you keep us smiling on gloomy days and keep us happy going to work. Thanks to the board for having the courage to continue and change lives each and every day. Because the struggle is real on a case by case basis. We at Groundcover have our good days and bad days just like you. Just know deep down we thank you for all you have given each of us. God bless you!
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