It’s clear that Mayor Stephanie Miner and the city of Syracuse are selectively invoking laws meant to protect public health as a means to deny the first amendment rights of Occupy Syracuse. Just as the Supreme Court found in the case of Shuttlesworth v. Birmingham during the civil rights era, governments cannot use the pretense of public health and safety to stifle free speech that is critical of them.

Call Mayor Miner, Common Council President Robinson & Finance Commissioner Delvecchio and stop the eviction of Perseverence Park.

Click here for phone numbers and a sample script.

It is with great joy that I note the Senate passage and today’s signing by President Obama of a bill that should lead to the eventual repeal of “Don’t ask, don’t tell.” The policy was pure discrimination, and has no place in a fair and equal society. But the events of the last few days [...]

With chances fading quickly that Congress will end the policy of “Don’t ask, don’t tell,” The Hill has concluded this will be a political disaster for Obama. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) may not be able to secure enough votes to pass the bill because of language repealing the ban on gays in the [...]

In 2007, Glenn Greenwald wrote a column about how our political debate was being constrained by the demonization of figures like Howard Dean, Al Gore or Ron Paul who were singled out and labeled “weirdos” for expressing opinions outside of party orthodoxy, even though those opinions may have broad popular support.  Noting that Ron Paul [...]

I’ve already said that I think allowing states to “opt-out” of a public option is an immoral and unnecessary political compromise, an attempt to let Democrats off the very hook that so many have worked so hard to get them on.  But I cannot say it as well as Rikyrah does.

We are launching POP today as an advocacy organization with these goals:

1. Reframe the debate in human terms — health care is a human right.  This is fight against bloodless corporate interests and the cost is human lives.  We need to say that.
2. Reach out beyond the hard-core political audience to young people who are inspired to shape their future
3. Advocate, as Eve has done for years, for those who have been abandoned by the medical industrial complex
4. Hire a lobbyist to be on Capitol Hill to fight the battle on an ongoing basis where it will continue, day in and day out, long after a health care bill has passed
5. Win the passage for a public option now.  With the knowledge that it’s just the beginning. 

The art for the campaign was designed by Justin Kemerling, who was one of the artists featured in Shepard Fairey’s Manifest Hope exhibit.  In the coming days, we’ll be announcing an art contest and with celebrity judges and featuring YouTubes of musicians, artists and ordinary Americans demanding a public option.  We’ll be taking up the cause of those, like Nataline, whose lives are considered acceptable losses in the quest for corporate profits.  

Marshall Ganz recently said that progressive health care activists need to engage the public and to take to the streets.   “I don’t know a single significant social change accomplished in this country that hasn’t involved civil disobedience at one time or another,” he recently told Laura Flanders.  In the past week, people in Minnesota and in Philadelphia have engaged in nonviolent civil disobedience and were arrested to demonstrate their commitment to this cause.  And last night, many watched as Keith Olbermann made a passionate, personal, hour long plea for health care reform. 

It’s in the air.  People are ready for it.  Please visit POP at publicoptionplease.com and let us know what you think. You can buy stickers designed by Justin, or donate and receive a special signed,  limited edition poster he designed for the campaign.  The proceeds will go to fund POP’s ongoing campaign to achieve health care for all.