Author: Learning a New Life

The Justice Group section of this website aims to provide essential nourishment for becoming educated, skillful, empowered citizens – a critical key to creating an authentic Democracy serving all people and our beloved planet Earth.

The site provides resources to further our understanding of current situations and challenges and to enhance our skills for the crafting and creating a new and healthy Democracy. Some sections provide basic information such as relevant vocabulary and important documents like the Constitution; while others focus on significant websites, communities, books and media. Peppered throughout are essays, books, videos and periodicals with new ideas, experiences and actions by individuals and communities devoted to the healing and evolution of our world.

And as our learning progresses and our understanding deepens, the sharing of ideas and knowledge, hopes and dreams, enables us to envision something new and enduring. Most importantly, through the Integration and Synergy of Diversity – of peoples, cultures, viewpoints, skills, visions, knowledge and more – we garner enormous strength, exponentially increasing the possibility of unleashing our full genius and all but guaranteeing the birth of a living, ever-evolving Democracy.

This site is not meant to be either definitive or comprehensive but rather inspiration to begin. It is a work in progress. We offer these resources to spark interest and to motivate people to go further, dig deeper and climb higher.

Please join us in this critical effort by learning and exploring with us and by sending us your suggestions. All ideas and referrals will be researched and considered for inclusion in providing quality nourishment for furthering the emergence of Skillful & Empowered Citizens and the Creation of a True Democracy.

The Justice Group website is one of the several projects of the Mendocino Coast Jewish Community. Please refer to the “About” page for a complete description of our principles and commitments. New members of any persuasion are welcome – please let us know if you are interested.

in Friendship, Ruby Gold, Editor

 

• Democracy
• Civil Liberties/Civil Rights
• Election Integrity

Table of Contents: Key

KEY: (d) documents; (s) website; (ba) basics; (b) book; (e) essay; (v) video; (r) recording; (p) publication

Democracy

Preamble, Democracy Old & New

• (ba) Preamble: defined
• (e/ba) Beginning Thoughts & Questions

Democracy in the USA Today

• (d/ba) Preamble to the Constitution
• (d/ba) The Constitution
• (ba) Representative Democracy (Republic)
• (ba) Participatory (Direct) Democracy
• (ba) Grassroots Democracy
• (ba) Democratic Socialism

Democracy Old & New

• (ba) Haudenosaunsee (Iroquois) Confederacy
  • (e) Representative Democracy of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois)
    • (e) Great Law of Peace: the founding constitution of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and is the underlying basis for Haudenosaunee society.
• (s) Navdanya … A network of seed keepers and organic producers working for the protection of biological and cultural diversity.
  • (e) Earth Democracy 
    • (s/e) 10 Principles of Earth Democracy: The participation of all peoples and species in the common welfare of all.
• (s) Center for Wise Democracy: An excellent effort to evolve our current system without leaving the Constitution or its foundation.

Democracy

History, New Perspectives, Contemporary Challenges

History

• (b) Indigenous Peoples’ History of the USA: History of the United States from the perspective of Indigenous Peoples
• (b) People’s History of the USA: History of the United States from the point of view of—and in the words of—America’s women, factory workers, African-Americans, Native Americans, the working poor, and immigrant laborers.
• (b) Young People’s History of the USA: An illustrated young people’s edition of the People’s History above.

New Perspectives

• (p) Yes! Magazine: contemporary publication empowering people with the vision and tools to create a healthy planet and vibrant communities.
• (b) Revolution Where You Live: Stories from a 12,000-mile Journey Through a New America.
• (b)(v) No Is Not Enough: “This is one attempt to uncover how we got to this surreal political moment. It is also an attempt to predict how, under cover of shocks and crises, it could get a lot worse. And it’s a plan for how, if we keep our heads, we might just be able to flip the script and arrive at a radically better future.” Naomi Klein … From the Introduction

Contemporary Challenges

• (b) On Tyranny: Twenty Lesson From the Twentieth Century: “Today, our political order faces new threats, not unlike the totalitarianism of the twentieth century. We are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism, Nazism, or communism.  Our one advantage is that we might learn from their experience.”
  • (e) The Twenty Lessons: a beginning guide/listing
  • (v) Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman & Juan Gonzalez Interview: Yale Historian Timothy Snyder on How the U.S. Can Avoid Sliding into Authoritarianism
  • (r) NPR’s Robert Siegel talks with historian Timothy Snyder which explores the new threats faced by our political order and how we can look back to the 20th century for lessons on how to overcome them:
• (b) The Deep State: The Fall of the Constitution and the Rise of the Shadow Government.
• (b) Injustices: The Supreme Court’s History of Comforting the Comfortable and Afflicting the Afflicted
• (b) Pedagogy of the Oppressed: The methodology of the late Paulo Freire helping to empower countless impoverished and illiterate people throughout the world.
• (v) Unconstitutional: The War On Our Civil Liberties … a documentary that takes a close look at the Patriot Act, offers opinions from legal and constitutional scholars about its possible dangers, and features interviews with law-abiding citizens who’ve run afoul of the broad interpretations and implications of its regulations.

Civil Liberties/Civil Rights

Basics, Books & Media

• (d/s) Constitution of the USA
• (d) Bill of Rights
• (s/ba) FindLaw: Legal Research; definitions, vocabulary

Civil Liberties/Civil Rights

 Communities & Organizations

All-encompassing

• (s) ACLU: American Civil Liberties Union: … working in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend/preserve individual rights and liberties.
• (s) Alliance for Justice: … works to ensure that the federal judiciary advances core constitutional values preserves human rights and unfettered access to the courts and adheres to the even-handed administration of justice for all Americans.
• (s) SPLC Southern Poverty Law Center: … dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of our society. Using litigation, education and other forms of advocacy …
• (s) Amnesty International:… a global movement of people fighting injustice and promoting human rights.
• (s) Center for Constitutional Rights: … a unique organization partly because of the wide range of issues they address and partly because they choose cases to increase public awareness and promote social justice movements and not necessarily because the can win in court.

Women

• (s) NOW: National Organization of Women: the grassroots arm of the women’s movement, NOW is dedicated to its multi-issue and multi-strategy approach to women’s rights, and is the largest organization of feminist grassroots activists in the United States.
• (s) Planned Parenthood: trusted health care provider, an informed educator, passionate advocate, and a global partner helping similar organizations around the world.

Native American

• (s) Native American Rights Fund: 5 Priorities: Preserve tribal existence; Protect tribal natural resources; Promote Native American human right; Hold governments accountable to Native Americans; Develop Indian Law and educate the public about Indian rights, laws and issues.
• (s) National Congress of American Indians: NCAI was established in 1944 in response to the termination and assimilation policies the US government forced upon tribal governments in contradiction of their treaty rights and status as sovereign nations. To this day, protecting these inherent and legal rights remains the primary focus of NCAI.

African American

• (s) NAACP: National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples: to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination.
• (s) Black Lives Matter: … talking about the ways in which Black lives are deprived of our basic human rights and dignity.

LGBT

• (s) Lambda Legal: … ambitious goals for serving the LGBT community through the use of Impact Litigation and Public Policy Work; Education, Advocacy and Inclusion; Communications and Visibility; Financial Development; Organizational Capacity; and Board Engagement
• (s) Human Rights Campaign: … strives to end discrimination against LGBTQ people and realize a world that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

Digital – Online – Internet

• (s) Electronic Frontier Foundation: … uses expertise of leading technologists, activists, and attorneys in efforts to defend free speech online, fight illegal surveillance, advocate for users and innovators, and support freedom-enhancing technologies.
• (s) Free Press: … to save the free and open internet, curb runaway media consolidation, protect press freedom, and ensure diverse voices are represented in our media.
• (s) Public Knowledge: … promotes freedom of expression, an open internet, and access to affordable communications tools and creative works; works to shape policy on behalf of public interest.

Election Integrity

Basics, Books & Media

•  Multi-Media Vocabulary: Basic Vocabulary
  • Vocabulary Interviews/Demonstrations:
    • (v) Cross-check & voter suppression; Interview with G. Palast;
    • (r) Understanding Gerrymandering; NPR Radio Interview
    • (v) Ranked Voting Single Candidate; Demo;
    • (v) Ranked Voting Multiple candidates; Demo;
    • (d) Illustrated History of Voting Rights Act
• Essays
  • (e) Election Integrity: A Pro-voter Agenda: This report proposes solutions that vary in approach. All target fraud risks as they actually exist. None will unduly disenfranchise those who have the right to vote. (Full text/Read/Download/pdf.)
  • (e) The Five Principles of Integrity in Elections: …ethics in elections includes five elements: independence, transparency, integrity, competence, and fairness.
• Books
  • (b/m) The Best Democracy Money Can Buy: … a deep dive into the Republicans’ dark operation, Crosscheck, the secret purge list that helped steal the 2016 Election.
  • (b/m/s) Greg Palast: … investigative reporter extraordinaire, author of Best Democracy Money Can Buy plus, plus …
  • (b) The Fight to Vote: … a succinct and comprehensive look at a crucial American struggle: the drive to define and defend government based on “the consent of the governed.” … a current, readable history of voting rights in the United States.
  • (b) Give Us the Vote: charts both the transformation of American democracy under the Voting Rights Act and the counterrevolution that has sought to limit voting rights from 1965 to the present day.

Election Integrity

Communities & Organizations

• (s) Brennan Center for Justice: … nonpartisan law and policy institute that seeks to improve our systems of democracy and justice. …to hold our political institutions and laws accountable to the twin American ideals of democracy and equal justice for all.
• (s) Bend the Arc: … launching a voting rights campaign, working with allies to pass new legislation to protect the right to vote for all.
• (s) Rock the Vote: Inspiring the Youth Vote; … pioneered ways to make voting easier for young adults by simplifying and demystifying voter registration and elections.
• (s) United State Election Project: … seeks to inform the people of the United States on how their electoral system works, how it may be improved, and how they can participate in it.
• (s) Project Vote: mission is to build an electorate that accurately represents the diversity of this nation’s citizenry, and to ensure that every eligible citizen can register, vote, and cast a ballot that counts.
• (s) Fair Vote: … identified several key problems with our election process and several simple and practical solutions, i.e. ranked voting (see Glossary for explanation and demo).
• (s) Electionary: Guide to Voting Laws
• (s) Verified Voting: … advocates for legislation and regulation that promotes accuracy, transparency, and verifiability of elections.
• (S) National Election Defense Coalition: …a nonpartisan fusion network organizing to protect voter rights, ensure transparent and verified election results and promote best practices for electoral reform.

KEY; (d) documents; (s) website; (ba) basics; (b) book; (e) essay; (v) video; (r) recording; (p) publication