The theme of this page is politics. It will either have the features on this page or simply have an introduction and link to a separate page. It might extend to include other things either Debra and me want to bring awareness of or share.

The Internet has meant people can investigate what is happening in the world rather than being 'told' things that might not be true or only a tiny part of the truth.

If Debra or I find ourselves wanting to know more about something we investigate. The Internet is a wonderfully rich source for investigations. Mainstream media: Newspaper, radio and TV give very limited coverage of what is happening in the world and it is often very flawed. We are NOT saying the information on the Internet is never flawed. However, the fact that people can upload their own video footage and have websites means that there is access for people to gain insight of issues that do not get given through mainstream media.

Think about who owns the media corporations and what their incentives and motives are. Can we really trust that we are getting the truth via mainstream media? Isn't it a little naive to behave with an air of superiority and assume the newspaper you read is truthful just because it is folds out big and says 'Telegraph' or 'The Times'? LOL!

Personal video footage from ordinary people of events so often show that we are told through mainstream media is flawed or complete lies or show what is hidden from us.

9/11 is a good example of this - investigate it.

Let 'the people' inform!

 

Subjects on this page:

Jews For Justice For Palestinians

The Social Model of Disability

Make a Stand Debra's sit in on FCC

 

 

Jews For Justice For Palestinians

On the 19th November 2008 Debra and I attended the Justice for Palestinians Lobby at Westminster.
We went as part of Jews For Justice for Palestinians, who are Jewish people that are against Israeli occupation of Palestine and the injustice put upon innocent Palestinians in the name of our religion's unquestioned beliefs.

Debra asked to speak to her MP to ask him to ask the British government to ask the Israeli govenment to end the occupation of Palestine and end the injustice experienced by Palestinians. He did not come out. The day was not wasted though as we met lots of nice people: Jews, Christians, Muslims and Palestinian Muslims and Jews. We took part in a demo outside Westminster of the same issue. Below are photographs of some of the people we met.

	Me with two religious Jewish men
	Me with a Palestinian man
	Me with two Jews For Justice For Palestinians and a journalistic student

 

Debra and I believe in justice and not injustice. There are many ways in which our society accepts injustice as society has been conditioned by education, family, friends, media and society to think and accept things that are unjustified without really questioning.

As a kid Debra got in to trouble for asking why should Jews or any people be the 'chosen ones' and ones entitled to a 'promised land'. She found herself in trouble too when she asked what are the real reasons for the wars between Israel and Palestine as she couldn't see that Israel were justified in thinking that its Jews had more right to be there than the Palestinians. This at the time was hard for her to express. Information sources at that time was limited to biased Jewish people, education and manipulating media.

Her more current times investigations in answer to her childhood questions have motivated her to support the idea of the pursuit of justice for a people that have been unfairly robbed of their homeland and had their human rights violated.

We should make it clear that we do not condone terrorism.
However, neither do we think it right that one party should not be seen as terrorists when committing the same acts as the opposition party that are seen (rightly or wrongly) as terrorists.

As a 'nice Jewish girl' Debra is sick of being tarred with society's brush that paints Jews in the negative way it does. This is often, but by no means solely, because of the ways in which Jews themselves have been conditioned to think, behave and not question.

The Torah teaches: 'Justice, justice, you shall pursue' (Deuteronomy 16:20).

To secure a lasting settlement to the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis so they can live in peace and security, thrive side by side, and cooperate together, Jews today are obligated to pursue justice on behalf of both peoples.”
RABBI ELIZABETH TIKVAH SARAH

 

click the link to to learn more about
Jews For Justice For Palestinians Excellent content on this web-site

 

Gaza 100 - Save the Children of Gaza

Guinnesss World Record

On 23rd May Debra and I took part in setting a new World Record. Wow, we are record breakers! The record was for the most people running in a 12-hour realy race. I was probably the only teddy bear that took part. We raised £100 for the Children of Gaza, some of the money coming from passengers of the train Debra uses as well as from her colleauges. There were other members of Jews For Justice For Palestinians who also took part.
The event was not just about raising money but about bringing awareness of support for people that are injusticed against.

It was inportant for the Jewish people that took part to offer their support in order to show that there are Jews that are against the Israeli occupation and injustice it brings onto the people of Palestine and also show there are Jews who do not hate Muslims.

 

Social Model of Disability

The social model of disability proposes that barriers and prejudice and exclusion by society (purposely or inadvertently) are the ultimate factors defining who is disabled and who is not in a particular society. It recognises that while some people have physical, intellectual, or psychological differences from a statistical norm, which may sometimes be impairments, these do not have to lead to disability unless society fails to accommodate and include them in the way it would those who are 'normal.' The phrase 'differently abled' is sometimes used to convey an aspect of the social model of disability, although the model is not generally taken as denying that some attributes (or loss of) can be seen (when unaided) as impairments. The origins of the approach can be traced to the 1960s and the Civil Rights Movement/human rights movements; the specific term itself emerged from the United Kingdom in the 1980s.
Sourced from
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Social+model+of+disability

 

In summary: The social model of disability says it is barriers such a bad design, attitude, ignorance, lack of accessible information and mis-information that disables people more than merely their impairments*.

The social model is insightful. It gives a way of recognising that it is 'inequality' that disables. It calls for a change in society in that it removes it's barriers so that people with impairments* and differences can be included equally with respect.

However, some people take the Social Model of Disability too far and deny that impairments*, where society's barriers have been removed or are not there, can be in any way be disabling. This attitude of denial could be seen as a disabling barrier in itself. Some also play the 'disabled card' under the guise of the social model or hide behind it. This makes a mockey of the SMoD belittling it. Some disabled people also expect that disabled people should 'never', even for their 'own' individual reasons, choose to want to do anything to that makes their 'impairment'* less or gone - but isn't that attitude and pressure to conform so stringently to the SMoD just another barrier? Not all barriers are those of society; let's grow up and acknowledge that.

I'm for the Social Model - Let's use it, but not abuse it.

*Impairment/s - I don't like this word but could not think of a word to replace it.

9/11 - view this video and others

 

Sometimes You Have To Make a Stand

Like sheep we have followed, not questioning when the powers that be get it wrong (which, let's face it is so very often). The goverment use their gutter media to draw our voice from our throats, our minds, our souls. We have been reduced to a sea of wasted bodies with minds narrowed by convention. In line we keep each other tutting at any divergence from the unspoken path we walk so blindly down.

Stop, listen - don't you hear it? It's the voice of reason and it is deep down inside the dark recesses of your being. 'I am an intelligent adult with an enquiring mind of my own. I respect myself and feel that I deserve respect'. The voice is not wrong, that voice is not lying to you. Be sheeple (sheep people) no more make a stand for your rights.

It is not just the government and media though that lead us away from our rightful paths in life.

Commuters of First Capital Connect on the Thameslink line (of which I am famous) will maybe know what I mean. Yet again there were problems. The train was held at Hendon for about 5 minutes and we then treated to a very polite and heartfelt apology that the train would now be terminating. Passengers disembarked and stood on the platform all apart from Debra and me. Solo human and defiant teddy bear, fed up with the ever deteriorating train service stayed put. The driver dutifully entered each carriage making sure no passengers remained and informed Debra that the train has terminated and to to get off.
Debra said 'I'm not getting off'
driver 'Yes you are'
'No I'm not' replied Debra calmly.
'I'm phoning the police'
'Phone them then' said Debra.
The driver then took to the open door informing the passengers on the platform that the service is being held up as a passenger is refusing to get of the train.
Debra said 'Do not to use me as a feeble excuse and that the train was canceled and terminated before I refused to get off.'
The driver then told the passengers that he had phoned the police. Well, he must have an invisible Eastenders phone that connects strait away as we saw no phone and it was only 10 seconds or so after he had tried to intimidate us by saying he was phoning the police. He must have texted them as we heard nothing!

The driver then decided to take another route around his problem and sat down near us (but not too near)! He talked about overtime as if Debra would be annoyed that he would get overtime, for her protest I guess. Debra calmly informed him that she hopes that he does get overtime and that she has no grudge against him.

Passengers then tried to reason with Debra who calmly said that she had done this before a couple of years ago and it had worked. Debra was on the phone to her employers asking them to get on to a newspaper. The driver went into the driver cabin. However before the newspaper phoned her the driver came out of his cabin and informed us that the train was back in service! Debra then got a call from the Evening Standard and there is an article on page 11 at the bottom. It is also on the their website click here.

I urge all you passengers next time you are told the train is terminating before its destination make a stand a stay seated!

I am sure the writer of the feature on the following link would urge you to do the same. It's a hilarious must-read!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/6813771/First-Capital-Connect-irate-train-passenger-writes-angry-complaint-letter-to-management.html

 

 

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