Still No Justice in Germany

I received info of this case from Tahir Della, head of ISD (Initiative of Black Germany). I'll summarize what happened below and provide a link to the film project's website in case there are any of you who can understand the German.

I'm moving beyond the cry for equality everywhere because I don't think it's a realistic goal at the moment. A more attainable objective, however, is the push for AWARENESS. Word 'em up yall.

Synopsis of the Situation:
Tibor Sturm, Afro-German hip-hop activist and educator, was attacked by 6 neo-Nazis in December of 2005 on his way home from a farewell party for a good friend in Nurnberg. He had been trained in Ju-Jitsu as a youth and was able to defend himself by grabbing an unknown object and fighting back his attackers. Tibor's martial arts training was used against him in trial to cover up the incessant racism practiced throughout the German penal system. One of his attackers was badly injured and Tibor was convicted and sentenced to 7 months in prison. Tibor's attackers have yet to be sentenced.

Pure bullshit and fuckery at its best.

Link to film website: http://www.alptraum.be/

The Real Danger

Photo credit@: http://tinyurl.com/9z96kz

I’m trying to think of what I can do about the Middle East
From my comfort zone
Here in the West
Where buildings fall but not near me
Where I can tune in to bombs dropping, imagine the bodies decapitating and view the demise of the world online
As if I were watching Willie Wonka or Sponge Bob on television
The War in Gaza is really a looking glass from my position
If I close my eyes hard enough I can even shake the ball and imagine snow falling
That is how far away I am from what is happening
This is how detached I feel from the danger
And thus how dangerous it is to be detached from the world
Because even asking the question of what can I do means I cannot tap into to what needs to be done right now fast enough to do it right now
And that’s not good
Because in war
You are either fighting the other side or spectating
And gazing is just as guilty as not giving a damn
And not giving a damn is a crime in Universal law
Even the fences, trenches and blockades that separate the perspectives are temporary and are at some point engaged in battle
No thing can be neutral in WAR
Yet in America we seem to be Aliens
Moving in and out of planet and celestial status when it suits us
When there is oil to be had or domino effect to be thwarted
And when not
Then who cares about Darfur? Or Gaza? Or babies who never see the world from the “human” perspective because of the “hefty price tag” of their native fathers rocket launching sins
They lose limbs before they ever get to walk upright
And never ball a fist to protest the damage done to their chances at life
What one can do should not be thought of in recipe terms
Adding milk and eggs and baking for 45 minutes
We have to start re-imagining what can be done and by all means doing something.
Anything.
Screaming randomly in the street.
Sending emails that say only STOP WAR
Writing letters, poems, short stories or fragmented sentences to our families that explain why we should at least think about the innocent affected by WAR
Even if we never give a damn
But at least give a thought
Because if it were us and it could very well be one day soon
We would want to know that somewhere in the world someone would be thinking of us while we lay dying
in a hospital in harm’s path
I want someone to think of me when I’m in trouble
And I want them to do something
Whatever is
I just want them to do something.