Shirley Sherrod has been a great friend to me, Farm Aid and family farmers for 25 years. She has always worked to improve economic opportunities for family farmers in the South, going back to when I first met her as the director of the Georgia Field Office for the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund. Like Ms. Sherrod herself has said, she's always tried to help those who don't have so that they can have a little more.
The real story of Shirley Sherrod deserved to be told a long time ago. She has had an amazing impact on the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of families and communities throughout the South. Farmers of every race have struggled with the income inequities that have persisted for generations, and advocates like Ms. Sherrod have moved mountains to ensure that families can remain in their homes and on their farms.
While all family farmers in our country face an uphill battle to stay on their land, growing good food for rest of us, black farmers have lost their land at an alarming rate, faster than any other family farmers. Lending discrimination and inequities in agriculture programs are largely responsible for the shrinking number of black farmers. Farm Aid began supporting the Federation in 1985, where Shirley worked at the time, because of the group's unique ability to reach out and help struggling farm families in the South. Many had owned their land for generations and were, and continue to be, under constant threat. We continue to support the Federation's work to this day, and hundreds of farmers are still on their land because of Ms. Sherrod's efforts.
During her time at the Federation, she fought to make sure that family farmers got what they needed to stay on their land. She has been a national leader for family farmers and a compassionate, courageous advocate for all struggling family farmers. Shirley Sherrod has dedicated her life to working on behalf of family farmers, civil rights and the alleviation of poverty and it's up to Secretary Vilsack to right this wrong immediately.
This country desperately needs more farm advocates with Ms. Sherrod's expertise. But this is not just about a job -- it's about ensuring that Shirley Sherrod has the opportunity to continue to support family farmers and the rural poor, something she has spent her life doing.
Bob Cesca: Fooled Again by Breitbart and the Wingnut Right
Andrew Breitbart has done it again. This time, he's flimflammed the White House, the NAACP and the traditional news media. I wonder who will be fired and disgraced next.
Ken Blackwell: Secretary Vilsack: Re-Hire Shirley Sherrod
Here is an opportunity for all of us. Shirley Sherrod should be reinstated. We can all learn a lesson in humility. We can all learn something about forgiveness and grace from this story.
John McQuaid: The Racism Faux-Scandals
The right is using its media echo chamber to settle scores and reinforce its own "oppression narrative" in which black racism is a major national problem, and in which racism is not measured by material facts, but by what's allegedly in your head.
Russell Simmons: Re-Hire Shirley Sherrod Immediately.
Shirley Sherrod, who has helped countless farmers keep their land, was accused by Fox of racism based on manipulative editing of a tape of a speech she gave about how she learned that race should never matter in helping the poor.
FOXNews.com - Video Shows USDA Official Saying She Didn't Give ...
Sherrod not sure she would go back to Ag Dept - Yahoo! News
How the White House veered off message on Shirley Sherrod
Sherrod says Ag secretary offers to hire her back
In some ways, 'Feisal Abdul Rauf' is Arabic for 'Shirley Sherrod'
Caught in the middle are Muslim-Americans, including some who are 9/11 families.
"Don't they realize that this is bigotry?" asked Talat Hamdani. Her son, Mohammad, died that day rescuing others. "To scapegoat all Muslim-Americans for the acts of foreign terrorists is equivalent to scapegoating all Christians for the acts of Timothy McVeigh."
Met you in Golden, Co. in 81 when I was an Ironworker. Talked to you again in Evergreen years later and commented that Farm Aid was a great cause. You where very humble and told me I could make a difference also. You are right, I can make a difference, but need you and your influential friends assistance.
I need funding for the 1st Enviromentally Friendly, Alternative Energy Powered Concert Venue in the World. The business funds a food bank, offers medical assistance and free desalinated H2O to the community in which it does business.
I have been unable to convince financial institutions of the viability of this business. They tell me humanitarian causes and alternative energy are not worth funding.
I believe they are incorrect.
Tim
The Culture Yard
culture.yard@hotmail.com
Not to detract anything from Ms. Sherrod, but Acorn helped folks in every state in the country.
And unlike Ms. Sherrod, Acorn was vindicated far too late, they have been destroyed:
Their path to destruction was paved by "investigative" reporter Drew Griffin,
SUMMARY
: From October 6 through October 15, CNN aired at least 54 segments mentioning allegations that ACORN submitted allegedly false or duplicate voter registration applications this year in a number of states.
However, only one of those segments mentioned both of the following two relevant points:
1) that the statutes of most of those states require third parties registering prospective voters to submit all registration forms they receive; and
2) that actual instances of illegal votes being cast as a result of registration fraud are extremely rare.
Of the 54 CNN segments addressing the allegations against ACORN, two mentioned only the former of those two points, while one mentioned just the latter.
The following 50 CNN segments did not include either of the above relevant facts (all program times ET):
http://mediamatters.org/research/200810160020
My suspicion is that the last thing (surprise, surprise, surprise) anyone in power (and I do mean anyone) wants is equity for the individual human. We will continued to be played against each other as a very effective means of concentrating even more wealth and power upwards. Black against white against Mexican against multiculti, poor against declining middle class, gay against straight, religion against science, deist against atheist, young against old...
Definitely. I would even say he went beyond the "reckless disregard" standard -- he KNOWINGLY posted false and defamatory information.
Isn't there an organization out there with deep pockets that would fund a libel suit? Or a public-spirited attorney willing to do it pro bono?
Brietbart needs to have a really good attorney for this one. Too many will actually relish the thought of making him pay, much more will enjoy costing him to make it that much sweeter.
I hope we get to hear about it.