1,000 hoodies: Really against racism? Fight MA's Stand your Ground bill!

Proud of my community today:  A thousand of us rallied and walked in support of Trayvon Martin and against racial profiling.

Yet, even as we took a stand, Sen. Stephen Brewer, D-Barre, was promoting a bill to legalize, in Massachusetts, the same Stand Your Ground legislation that made Trayvon Martin's death possible in Florida.  Read Dan Ring's article about it in the Republican.

Rep. Ben Swan, D-Springfield, is against the legislation,  but the bill has 30 co-sponsors, including Angelo Puppolo from Springfield.  It's an election year, after all, which is why Gov. Patrick introduced the Three Strikes legislation, which we also have to fight against-- HARD!!

Tomeka and Maggie from Arise-- photo; John Morris

How is it that so many people don't know who's pulling the strings on this and other legislation around the country to limit people's rights-- to vote, to be free of incarceration, to breathe clean air, to attend decent public schools-- the Koch brothers, DBA the American Legislative Exchange Council, which provides sample legislation, including Stand Your Ground, to legislatures around the country.  See the Nation's series on ALEC.

Walking and rallying is a first step.  Now on to the more mundane work of calling your legislator and letting him or her know: you vote!  And you oppose Stand Your Ground and Three Strikes.