Transcripts For KCSM Democracy Now 20141121

Onn, gerardo reyeschavez the Workers Campaign to win fair pickers ande tomato foodnew documentary chains. Us. Then the actor joins came spaniards who immediately behave like wild beasts, wolves, tigers, lions that had been starved for many days, killing, terrorizing, afflicting and destroying native people. Doing this with cruelty never seen or heard of before, and to such a degree that this island once so popular, a population that i estimated of more than 3 million, has barely 200 persons. All that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now, democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. President obama has unveiled his plan to shield millions of fromumented immigrants deportation. Some four Million People could be eligible for a new policy he outlined, which will allow undocumented parents of u. S. Citizen, and legal permanent children, to stay in the country and work legally, if they have lived in the United States for at least five years and pass a background check. We will offer the following deal if you have been in america for over five years, have children that are legal residents, register, pass a criminal background check, and are willing to pay your fair share of taxes, you will be able to apply to stay in the country temporarily without fear of deportation. The new plan will not provide relief to the parents of undocumented children, even those who qualified for deferred action in 2012. It also ends the controversial secure Communities Program, which failed to target dangerous criminals and instead swept up immigrants with minor offenses, such as traffic tickets. The newly created Priority Enforcement Program will carry out a similar role. We will have more. Thousands have rallied in mexico after the students went missing for nearly two months after ambush by police. Crowd turnedassive out in mexico city, calling for action against government corruption and the resignation of the president. The United Nations says violence in ukraine is worsening. An average of 13 people a day have been killed since the Ukrainian Government reached a truce with separatist rebels in earlyseptember. Nearly 1400 have been killed, and nearly half a million displaced. Geneva, a you an official said the Eastern Ukraine has seen a total breakdown in the rule of law. They continue to be killed, illegally detained, tortured, they are disappearing, and the number of displaced is growing, especially in the eastern part of the ukraine where there is a total breakdown in the rule of ,aw, and there is very little if we can talk about protection, very little protection, if any at all. No procedural guarantees. No respect of International Human rights norms. Comes asn. Warning Vice President joe biden is in kiev to announce an increase in nonlethal aid to the military. Provide a shipment of humvee vehicles. Petro poroshenko had asked for military aid in september. The Obama Administration is granting temporary protective three citizens from countries that have been hit by ebola. The u. S. Has released five prisoners from guantanamo bay. Three of the preachers have been prisoners have been sent to georgia. It reduces the population to 143, the majority already cleared for release, many cleared for more than a decade. A Swedish Court has rejected an appeal of the arrest warrant that has kept wikileaks founder Julian Assange confined in the London Embassy for over two years. He is wanted in sweden on allegations of sexual misconduct, no though no charges have been filed. He is voiced fears that he would ultimately be sent to prosecution in the United States. Attorneys have positioned petitioned for the want to be withdrawn. Swedish prosecutors refuse to question him in london. On thursday, the Swedish Appeals Court rejected the challenge, factoring in that Julian Assange is a flight risk and is suspected of crimes of a relatively serious nature, and also suggested prosecutors should continue questioning him in london, saying their refusal to do so is not with her obligation in the interest of everyone concerned to bring the preliminary investigation forward. In have applied for the first time. The u. S. Supreme court rejected a block in South Carolina one day after a judge overturned a ruling in montana. Rights that every american is treated the same. We cannot be distributed against legally, in any other fashion. I want our family and friends to be able to celebrate. We are the first couple in South Carolina. We have to do it. After new rulings, Marriage Equality will be legalized and 35 u. S. States. The father of Michael Brown has issued an appeal for nonviolent protests in advance of a jury decision over his sons killing. An announcement could come any day and whether the Ferguson Police officer Darren Wilson will face criminal charges. Michael brown senior asked demonstrators to remain peaceful. My family and i are hurting. Our whole region is hurting. I thank you for lifting your process voices, but hurting others and destroying property is not the other. No matter what the grand jury decides, i do not want my sons death to be in vain. I wanted to lead to change, positive change that makes the st. Louis region better for everyone. We live here together. This is our home. We are stronger united. As he faces potential charges, officer wilson is reportedly in talks with city officials to resign. Tomuson police chief jackson had recently suggested he could return to active duty if he is not indicted. A federal Appeals Court has upheld a court ruling all ordering louisiana to release x. Bert ward woodfo they were convicted of murdering a guard at angola prison. They say they were framed for political activism. X should beed woodfo set free on the basis of racial dissemination. It was the third time his conviction was overturned. Thursdays rule upheld the order for his release in a unanimous 30 decision, but prosecutors could still delay enforcement with more appeals to keep woodfo x behind bars. The International Coalition to free the angola three said though the courts have ruled in the interest of justice, it might be months or years before this innocent man is released from his solitary cell. Those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now, democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. I am amy goodman. I am one gonzalez. In a primetime speech thursday night, president obama outlined his plan to take executive grant legal status to up to five million undocumented immigrants, protecting them from deportation. Fellow americans, we are and always will be my fellow americans, we are and always will be a nation of immigrants. We were strangers once, too, and whether our forebears were strangers that crossed the atlantic, the pacific, or the rio grande, we are here only because this country welcomed that toand taught them be an american is something more than what we look like, what our last names are, or how we worship. What makes us america is our shelled shared commitment to an ideal that all of us are created equal, and that all of us have the chance to make of our lives what we will. Under the plan, undocumented parents of u. S. Citizens and legal permanent residents will be allowed to temporarily remain in the country and work legally if they have lived in the United States for at least five years and pass a background check. But the new plan will not provide relief to the parents of undocumented children, even those who qualified for deferred action in 2012. Immigrants Rights Groups held gatherings across the country to watch the speech. You were at one of those gatherings in queens. Where were you, and who was there . Yes, in Jackson Heights on roosevelt avenue, make the road new york held a viewing party. The place was jammed. Over 200 people crowding every single room with about a half dozen television sets, but to me, the most important part of it was not just the president s speech, but the people giving testimony before hand, talking in emotional terms about the deportations that had torn apart families, the struggles that they had had coming to this 20, 25, being here 15, years, without any kind of legal status. It was really an emotional night as they prepare to hear the president gave his presentation. Of course, we have to take this in context. It was nine years ago next month when the infamous sensenbrenner bill was passed that would make it a felony to be in the country illegally or for anyone to assist an undocumented immigrant, and that is really what touched off this modern Human Rights Movement that we know as the immigrant Rights Movement in a massive way because by that spring millions of people have poured into the streets of all the major cities in the country an amazing that has gone on since then has been to this grassroots Human Rights Movement of the immigrant community in the United States. An historic moment, a culmination of that. Although as everyone said, in the speeches last night, there is a long way yet to go because this temporary resolution is just that, a temporary resolution. In fact, it will be six months before any of the parents of undocumented immigrants can. Ctually apply for legal status so, the republicans in congress, a new republican majority, has basically a sixmonthwindow, as congressman Luis Gutierrez said, to finally do something, rather than just complain and whine about what the president has done now. Lets go back to the speech thursday night. Here is the thing we expect people in this country to play by the rules. We expect that those who cut the line will not be unfairly rewarded. We will offer the following deal. If you have been in america for more than five years, if you have children that are american citizens or legal residents, if you register, pass a criminal background check, and are willing to pay your fair share of taxes, youll be able to apply to stay in this country temporarily without fear of deportation. You can come out of the shadows and get right with the law. Lastat was president obama night in his historic address. I want to bring in two guests, a mother and her daughter. Maru Mora Villalpando is an activist and undocumented immigrant with the group, latino advocacy. And we are joined by her daughter, [music break] mora, a u. S. Citizen. Oesfina is a u. S. Citizen, you will also become a u. S. Citizen under obama s plan. I get to be here for three years without being deported and i get to apply for a work permit, but that does not put me on the path to legal residents or citizenship. It is temporary relief. It is not permanent, it is not immigration status whatsoever. It is similar to what was granted to the childhood arrivals. When you hear that already some of the republicans in congress are threatening to go to court and some republican governors are saying they will fight in their local states against providing work permits or drivers licenses under the president s executive order, what is your response . Well, it is not surprising. I think republicans have been really good at showing that they are antiimmigrant, antiwomen, antipork, antichildren. , antichildren. When we fought for this incredible victory of hours, to when hungere, strikers called the attention of the world to the Detention Center in tacoma at putting themselves at risk, we knew our target was president obama and we knew we were right. Obviously, we knew whatever he does will be challenged by the republicans, because that is all they have been doing throughout these years, challenging all of his work. What were going to do is to continue fighting, not only to keep what we have right now, which is very little, but it is it,ep, but also to expand to make sure others are included because that is what the campaign is about, to stop deportations, and most importantly, to make it permanent, a threeyear program that will be renewed, but who knows what happens if another president comes in. We cannot be relying anymore on politics and allow politicians to use as anymore as their political ball to play with. , one of themora things the president mentioned that he plans to eliminate is the secure Communities Program and replace it with a new program that would target much more, those undocumented immigrants that are felons. Can you talk about how secure communities has affected the many latino communities across the country . Yeah, so, secure communities has divided families not only because it allows local enforcement to, but even if the and not have charges or anything, they have an ice holder. Many of the people i know have been affected by secure communities, and that essentially the biggest thing that has led to detention. Although obama announced he was going to end it, he said he was going to ramp up more enforcement for those who do not qualify for this. That puts people who do not qualify for this in even more danger than they were before, and you know, really although he is granting temporary relief, he is making it a little worse for people that will not qualify. Though i am looking my mom qualifies for this, i am worried for people like me who are actually not, my counterparts, who will be in more fear than i am for my mom. They will be in more fear for the future. , how old areora you . I am 17. I think your view is reflected by the satirical newspaper the onion with the headline captioning many disappointment capturing many Illegal Immigrants 5 million to realize dreams of having deportation deferred. Here was House Speaker john boehner. The president says he is acting on his own. That is not how our democracy works. President has said before he is not king and he is not a number, but he is acting like one and he is doing it at a time and the American People want nothing more than for us to work together. We will go back to our guests right now in seattle, washington. How are you, Josefina Mora going you,ganize, and how will maru Mora Villalpando, be organizing at this point b where decisions will be made as the Senate Becomes public in. I have always organize with my mom. I have followed her wherever she has gone since i was about three years old. Whatever she does, i will support her, follow her, and do whatever i can in my school and community for people my age that are not a form informed about the issue. To really get involved especially my white friends to use their White Privilege and their power to influence decisions that are made in the future, and i hope to even run for a medical office in the future so that i can help in some small way to change this broken system, even though it is changing, but very, very slowly. Hopefully in the future i will be able to change that. It is interesting right now that president obama is flying to nevada. Have18 of kids in nevada one parent that is undocumented, and in the state, Something Like 8 of the population is undocumented. That is where he will make his announcement following two years ago where he was in las vegas as well as. Maru Mora Villalpando, your response. Absolutely. I think he is trying to sell this in the way he sounded last night, very apologetic. I think he played with the rhetoric the republicans have used all of this time. For us, when reading the details of his action, his executive action, it showed that now more than ever he may really easy for us to know how we are going to organize. We are going to organize those that are left behind, those that are going to be drafted into the military because there will be into legalor them status. We will work with those targeted by different programs, a different name, but really the same name, the pep instead of the secure Communities Program. We will work with the borders. Towill continue working address immigration any economic stance that the u. S. Has portrayed throughout our country countries that has pushed us to the point of having to migrate. For us, the work will continue. , because it is really sad that those that organized the longer strike, that those that put themselves on the line inside are not going to benefit from this executive action. So, really, for us, the work has just begun. , thank Mora Villalpando you for being with us. We last talked to you when you were protesting in texas. Detentionbed Family Center is set to open this december in dilley, texas. Josefina mora, thank you. She is 17 and her mother maru Mora Villalpando will fit under the executive order. With the leader of the new Sanctuary Movement. Stay with us. [music break] song. Test this is democracy now, democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. I am amy goodman with juan gonzalez. We will link to juan gonzalezs peace with the headline the headline the actions are bittersweet for some. People joined a day of action to demand action for the 43 students from the Ayotzinapa Teachers College who have been missing since september following a police attack. Earlier this month authorities said two suspects had confessed to killing the students and incinerating their bodies, leading investigators to badly burned remains, which are still being analyzed. Outrage erupted across mexico thursday, as caravans of the missing students families and classmates converged in mexico city. Tens of thousands rallied in the main square and a 30foot effigy of president Enrique Pena Nieto was set on fire. Here in new york, protesters gathered in front of the mexican consulate. These are some of their voices, beginning with israel galindo it took him about two minutes to read the list of cities and countries participating in the day of action. Denver, colorado. Philadelphia. Atlanta. Phoenix. San marcos. People united will never be defeated the People United will never be defeated. I am from the community that is now bleeding. I am outraged. I can do this country looking for the american dream. I left my roots and my family behind. It is difficult to live in the country calling every night to see if we will find how relatives alive. I am the daughter of a rural teacher, a teacher who taught some of the young people that have now disappeared. She prays every night that they find them as she does not believe those ashes belong to the people she taught how to write, how to fight. It is not the beginning of the violence. It has to be the end. That was erika velazquez, who is from the mexican state of guerrero, speaking at thursdays rally in new york city. The protesters marched to Grand Central station, where some staged a diein. For more were joined by one of the organizers of the days events, juan carlos ruiz, a priest and Community Activist who serves as immigration liaison with the Episcopal Diocese of long island. He is also one of the cofounders of the new Sanctuary Movement, which is supporting immigrants across the country who have taken refuge in churches to avoid deportation. So, very interesting timing these mass protests in mexico and the United States, not related to president obama speaking last night, but in fact it all converges on the same day. It is basically something that is related. Now it could not seem organizers here in new york city, we keep saying that if mexico does not have a solution, we will have continued ways of new immigrants coming to our shores. There has been a dirty war being played in mexico, sponsored by u. S. Dollars. 2. 1 billion so far. This is negatively impacting our communities, our people. Bullets that we find in our students, our indigenous people, are labeled usmade. This is a murder made in the usa and we need to denounce that. If there is no solution to be accepting, or being forced to accept new waves of immigrants coming from mexico. I mean, these are our neighbors from the south. O clearly, about twothirds all the undocumented in the country come from mexico, so your point is well taken in terms of the enormous role mexico plays in the immigrant society and the latino immigrant population, that there has been indications that the Obama Administration has pressed forward on this and migration from mexico has reduced, tamped down in recent years, but that does not mean that those who are coming are not playing the political troubles and repression that they are facing fleeing the political troubles and repression that they are facing. That mexico has become a peaceful, secure country, it is being projected to the exterior, while the mexican people know that our institutions are falling apart. There is a grabbing of land by multinationals, by corporations. There is displacing massive amounts of people. You know, mexico has the most nafta treatys signed treat ies signed. With this new signed energy reform, we are expecting more people abandoned by the institution, forced out of their homes. Among the marchers at thursdays rally in new york was lucero acosta, who came to the United States this year from morelos, mexico, seeking political asylum. Eight months ago i came i came for political asylum because i cannot talk so much about my case, but i could not stay in water is, mexico, because of the violence and mexico,on war as, the is of the violence, and the corruption. People are dying everywhere. Mexico is bleeding. Some people are asking for money, and if they do not get money, they tell us were going to get killed. Some of the women have been raped, and the government does not do anything about it. If we go and tell the police, they will say do not have any proof, we cannot help you. It is very difficult to live in a country where there is no justice, nobody can help us. That was lucero acosta, who went on to say she will not be able to apply under the new she wont benefit from obamas executive action because she came to the United States too recently. But she fears for her life if she is sent back to mexico. Speaking of which, we turn now to the issue of the new Sanctuary Movement. In philadelphia, an undocumented immigrant from honduras who is a mother of two u. S. Citizens entered a church this week to take sanctuary from her final deportation order. My name is angela navarro, mother of two citizens, a spouse of a citizen, leader of my parish, worker, and im tired of living in the fear and darkness of being deported. I am taking sanctuary, which means i will live in a Church Without leaving, leaving behind fight untilwork, to the government withdraws my deportation order. We demand that president obama keep his promise and and all deportations. Immigrants with u. S. Citizen children, like angela navarro, will benefit from obamas executive order. But it remains unclear if those who have final deportation orders already issued against them will be spared. So for now, navarro remains in the church. Juan carlos ruiz, can you talk about what is happening, in denver, philadelphia, people ining my french refuge churches like the old Sanctuary Movement. The majority of our people are not going to find any relief. It is a hopeful sign, his executive order, but it is fragile. We not know what is going to happen after the new administration. So, what we have been doing around the nation our faith communities are organizing to really push the envelope, to really allow the people who are suffering from this these unjust laws to tell their stories, to humanize. Right now, i think there is a on e, a cultural bent culture bent on distraction, separating our families, on enforcing a law that is still very much splitting up the people from our communities. What has been the response from the hierarchies of some of the major churches to the Sanctuary Movement of individual churches . The sense of justice and outrage is felt, but i am afraid churches,times we as religious institutions, we fall into the trap where we have a great infrastructure of servicing, and we do not do enough in terms of seeking the justice that is needed. I am afraid that that infrastructure is built with enforcement, punitive aspects of s that do not provide any relief, human decency, dignity for the people we are serving. , thank you forz being with us. This is democracy now, democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman with juan gonzalez. We turn now to a new film that documents the groundbreaking partnership between farmworkers, florida tomato farmers and some of the largest fast food and grocery chains in the world. Its called food chains and it stars Actress Eva Longoria and author eric schlosser, who are also executive producers. It is narrated by actor forest whitaker. We know our country is stronger when we reward honest days work with honest wages. Lets declare that in the wealthiest nation on earth no one who works fulltime should have to live in poverty. Everybody should be concerned with where our food comes from, icks it. Takes p to live hungry while you are working is not a dignified way of living. The defendants have been accused of beating them, locking them inside trailers, chaining them to a poll. These abuses are unamerican, unacceptable, and they must stop. The history of foreign labor in the United States is a history of exploitation. These people have suffered tremendously and grown much more slowly economically than any other segment of our society. If we cannot win this fight, we have lost the soul of america. The entire supermarket business goes out of its ways that you are not reminded of where your food came from. If you want to make change, you need to look at the people at the very top. It became a product for corporations. Farmworkers in Florida Place the responsibility on the big buyers rather than farmers. What we want is to establish change. I believe agriculture is the backbone of america. You have to Pay Attention to the labor force. Most people have no idea they are connected to this system every time they buy fresh fruits and vegetables. If a handful of companies decided they wanted to eliminate poverty among farmworkers, it could happen very, very quickly. Thats the trailer for food chains which opens in more than 25 theaters around the country today in both english and spanish. For more were joined by one of the films key players. Gerardo reyeschavez is a farm worker and organizer with the coalition of immokalee workers. He has helped lead the groups success getting 12 corporations to join their Fair Food Program including mcdonalds, taco bell, and most recently, the retail giant walmart in january. Participants agree to pay a premium for the tomatoes in order to support a penny per pound bonus that is then paid to the tomato pickers. Soon, the fair food label will appear on florida tomatoes at stores participating in the program, including walmart, whole foods and trader joes. Gerardo reyeschavez, welcome back to democracy now it is great to have you with us. Talk about this latest well, walmart the Worlds Largest retailer, you get them to sign on to this. What does it mean . Well, it means a lot of things. First of all, it means increasing wages for workers because walmart will be paying a penny per pound in the same way the other 11 retailers have been doing, but also included in that agreement, we have the expansion of the program to cover other states, so right now the Program Covers about 30,000 workers in tomato industry. Starting in may and june of 2015, that will expand to every state along the east coast line. Some companies have yet to sign on, and one i was at ohio state, there was a Student Movement theyre trying to get the university to divest from wendys because wendys is one of the companies refusing to join. Can you talk about the divestment . When we started the campaign, we were asking taco bell to join, to pay the penny per pound, to condition there purchasing when growers would refuse to fix problems in their field. At that time, the president of now he is the ceo of wendys. Students know they have a lot of power. They already showed that, and for some reason he is trying to resist that. In the end i feel that the movement, the consumers, mainly the students, will have a lot to say about it. It is just a matter of time before wendys comes on board. I see one of the papers you have in front of you is a wendys protest. Which protest is this in the country . Well, as part of the film you are mentioning a little bit earlier, there is going to be about 12 protests, and more that are being organized over the weekend of the 21st, and some protests over the weekend of the 28. We have protests here in new york on saturday at 3 00 p. M. After the screening. We are going to march from union square to broadway to protest wendys. I want to play another clip whichood chains describes how supermarkets are squeezing farmers. First, author eric schlotzskys we hear from Actress Eva Longoria, agribusiness expert shane hamilton, and farmer jon esormes. But first, author eric schlosser. It would be easy to demonize farmers. It mightve been true 30 years ago, 40 years ago, but that is not really the problem today. If you want to make change, i think you need to look at the people who have the real power to make the lives of farmworkers better, and those are the people at the very top. Thearmworkers are foundation of a massive supply chain that includes farmers and his two bidders, but that is dominated by fast food, super. Arkets like publix the power is in their gross revenue. They earn more than goldman sachs, microsoft, and apple. When you talk about grocery chains, it is very easy for them to bully the small farmers. They know they are being villain ive, but their hands are tied. It is a difficult villa night, but their hands are tied. Is a very difficult world for most farmers. Thisrtainly, there is nostalgic vision of small family farms where there was control over all you paid and how much they got paid. I think there is a sense now that everybody is deeply interdependent on the entire supply chain. Agriculture is doing great as long as youre not a farmer. There has become such a disconnect over the last 30 years between the ultimate pointofsale, and the actual production. Another exit excerpt from , openingfood chains around the country. Gerardo reyeschavez, what do change with this film . The beauty of this film, it is an ongoing story, a film that as we talkbuild on about a pair the campaign for fair food is alive and we hope people will join it. Cities like d. C. Are preparing to do protest as well. Tampa,eles, denver, orlando, chicago there are many people organizing actions in support of the campaign for fair food. What we expect is for people to opportunity to be able to unite with the farmworkers in this effort that we have to transform the tomato industry, and in the future, to be able to do much more for the workers in the fields of this nation. Well, gerardo reyeschavez, thank you so much for being with us. Immokalee workers organizers and featured in food chains. This is democracy now, democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Coming up, it is the 10th anniversary of voices of a peoples history of the United States and terrorism and war. We will be joined by anthony arnove, editor of the volume. Stay with us. [music break] here on democracy now, democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. I am goodman with juan gonzalez. Actors including Viggo Mortensen and Kelly Mcdonald are gathering in new york for a reading of voices of a peoples history of the United States and on the late howard zinns book which has sold over one million copies. 2005, howardin zinn talked about why he wrote the book. Sex it seems a lot of people who read the book were struck by the fact that were a lot of it seems that a lot of people who read the book were struck by the fact that there were a lot of quotations, nuggets from people you did not normally hear from. I was not quoting president s, congressman, industrialists, generals. I was quoting native americans, factory workers, and women who went to work in the lower mills at the age of 12 and died at the age of 25, very often. I was quoting the centers of all sorts, socialists and anarchists, and antiwar people are heroes in this book. The people that we quote are not andrew jackson, but the indians that he ordered removed from the southeastern states of the United States. You know, our heroes are not the war makers, not theodore roosevelt, but mark twain. Not woodrow, but helen keller. Speaking in 2005. Viggo mortensen wrote read an exit who wrote a short account of the destruction of the indies. Inthe indies were discovered 1492. Perhaps the most densely populated place in the world. 200e must be close to leaves of land, and it is discovered as a beehive of people. It is as though god had crowded into the land the great majority of mankind, and all the incumbent unit infinite universe of humanity, they are the most obedient and faithful to their native masters and spanish christians who they serve. It is are so we can complacent, they are less likely to indoor heavy labor and soon die of no matter what malady. Yet into this land of make outcasts, there came a to immediate be behave like wild bets, wolves, tiger l be staedy days, killing, terrorizing, affl torturing, destroying the native peoples. Doing all this with the most varied new methods of cruelty never seen or heard of before, and to such a degree that this island, when so populous, having a population that i estimated to be once more than 3 million has knowledge population of barely 200 persons. Their reason for killing and destroying an infinite number of souls is the christians have an ultimate aim acquire gold and swell themselves with riches in a brief time and rise to a higher state proportionate to theimeri it should be kept in mind that their insatiable greed and ambition, the greatest ever seen in the world is the calls of their villainy cause of their abilities, because the land is is the aniards have no more consideration for them than beasts. For thanks be to god, they are treated beasts with respect. Is Viggo Mortensen. The Academy Award nominated actor joins us now in new york. He has appeared in many films including the lord of the rings trilogy. A cast member of the Television Documentary version the people speak. Also, anthony arnove. We welcome you to democracy now. Tell us why he matters to you, Viggo Mortensen. He was a religious, a man who accompanied the first and the regions to what we called a new world, and what he is talking about in the text, where he talks about extreme cruelty, and basically that period in historys corporate takeover of what we now call haiti, the dominican republic, cuba, dominica, that region is really very disturbing. What he describes he wrote these texts and presented them to the court, the king in spain and complained about it, and nothing really changed because economic interests are what they are in this country and other places. Citizens have to do something, have to demand change. , voices ofis book a peoples history of the united in that it unusual has firsthand accounts, contemporary accounts throughout this nations history by people that maybe we have never heard of, events that weve never heard of, unfortunately. I think that all tribes, all nations have what some call anthony cans correct me, he is a scholar here, but they are stories that we like to tell, or governments , to to tell, to protect further, to enforce status quo. You know, establish states of affairs. However, presents, texts that are firsthand, historical accounts, reactions by more or less regular people to real, social, political events. This is is foundation facts, which i think you guys do it or try to every day. In the relevant and the relevance of this great work for today, this specific day, the historic day after president obama has made his announcement, we had on the show today, an undocumented mother and her daughter, a priest leading a Sanctuary Movement, and an organizer for the farmworkers, part of those peoples history. Anthony, the relevance of todays book. That is why we have just on the new addition. It is the 10th anniversary of the first edition. Howard and i had an opportunity to update it in 2009 and i updated it and 42014 with 10 new voices including the voices of a day laborer, new voices goodare emerging, and as as it was to see their work continuing, i know he would have wanted to continue to document the struggle, document the voices that are often pushed to the margin and see the connections between todays struggle and todays struggles for change. Clip turn to a trip. F Kerry Washington well, children, where there is so much record, there must be something out of kilter. The southe negroes of and the women talking about rights, the white men will be in a fix pretty soon. [laughter] so, what is all of this here talking about that man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages. Ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Huh. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud puddles, or gives me any best place, and aint i a woman . Look at me. Look at my arms. I have plowed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man can head me, and aint i a woman . Eat as work as much and much as a man, when i could get it. [laughter] as well. Is a lash and aint i a woman . 13 children, and seen most also talked to slavery. When i cried out to my mothers grief, none but jesus heard me, and aint i a woman . When they talk about this thing in the head, what is this they call it . Intellect. That is right, honey. What does that have to do with womens rights, negroes . Writes pint does not hold but a court, would you be me full . Batman says he that man says women cannot have equal rights as men because christ was not a woman. Well, where did your christ come from . [laughter] [applause] where did your christ come from . From god and a woman. Man had to do with him. [laughter] [applause] if the first woman that god ever made was Strong Enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together should be able to turn it back and turn it right side up again. Asking to do them, the men that will let them. [laughter] kerryyou have actress washington, most recently of scandal fame. 1851, and itom really exemplifies the spirit that howard was trying to capture and gather in these voices. The origin of these projects is this, leadersote came up to him and said i had not heard that speech, i had not read eugene debs, i had not come across the powerful, eloquent and they dissent, began to wonder, why had i not learned that, why had my history teacher not taught me these lessons . It opens up a new way of thinking about history and that is why howard wanted to create this book. He knew the most powerful thing people got out of the peoples history of the United States was in the voices of the struggle. And howard zinn, what he meant to you, Viggo Mortensen, in these last few seconds . He was a gentleman, he had a great sense of humor. He loves donuts. He would sneak away to Dunkin Donuts behind his wifes back [laughter] atard did not look historical references, or more democracy, or progress of work as a fixed thing, something progressive work as a fixed thing or something you accomplished. The show is called democracy now. Now is now. It is not yesterday. It is a progress. It is a game that you move as you play. Can i can i dundon irelansteeped in traditions that stretch far back into the distant past. For 10,000 years, humans have lived on this island located off the western edge of europe, once at the edge of the known world and now a stepping stone to the new. We were building these vast temples in stone a thousand years before the egyptians built the pyramids. Our next parish is new york or boston, across the wild and deep atlantic ocean. Ireland is a land of contrasts, defined by beautiful, rolling countryside and rugged, savage cliffs. Its a country that has a profound respect for the land. Farming started here 6,000 years ago, and weve never looked back. Now i want to bring all these ingredients together and celebrate our amazing natural resources