Mom of slain soldier to join hip-hop artists for war protest (SC)

[struggle4progress]

y KATRINA A. GOGGINS
Friday, March 09, 2007

COLUMBIA, S.C. - ...

Elaine Johnson, of Orangeburg, lost her son, Darius Jennings, when his Chinook helicopter was shot down in Iraq in November 2003. Jennings was 22.

"It should have never been from the beginning, and now it's lasting too long," Johnson said. "It's a wear and tear on the United States. It's a wear and tear on the family members."

The "Hip Hop Not War" tour is being sponsored by a nonprofit group called the Hip Hop Caucus. The tour is slated to include stops in New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Baltimore and Chicago ...

"After Hurricane Katrina, which was really a lunch-counter moment for the hip-hop generation, we really recognized that we had to take ownership of the issues," Yearwood said. "If we don't take on the challenges of this war now in the 21st century, there won't be a next century" ...

http://www.thetandd.com/articles/2007/03/09/ap-state-sc/d8np00fg1.txt


February 8th, 2007
... President of the Hip Hop Caucus, Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr. said yesterday: “We have taken a disastrous turn in this country by putting military needs before human needs. People are literally dying from federal budget decisions that the administration has advocated for and Congress has approved. It is time for a government that is passionate about humanity and puts people and the health of our planet first.

“Over half of our discretionary budget is spent by the Pentagon bureaucracy, which does not include additional spending on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan or most homeland security programs. Instead of this near-criminal misuse of taxpayers’ money, Congress and the president need to reallocate funds towards a universal health care program, access to affordable housing, expanded job training programs, and energy efficiency and environmental conservation. Until we fundamentally change how we as a nation prioritize our spending for the needs of the people, there will be no peace in our communities at home or abroad” ...

http://www.hiphopcaucus.org/

[Cha]

1. HipHop Not WAR!

I can get behind that!

[jarnocan]

2. awesome the REV. was also at the Whitehouse with Cindy Ann and

Dave Swanson delivering the Don't Attack Iran petition and also Jan. 27- 29th. ETC. a great guy.

I will be sure to go back and add his links to photos.