This week: Get to know your neighbors at an annual street festival on Troost Avenue, grill the Jackson County prosecutor about murder cases past and present, get inspired at a one-stop shop of social justice groups and get the lowdown on the decline of print media from the editor of U.S. News and World Report.
The Tour of Missouri is still four months off, but the professional cycling race that sprints across the Show Me State is looking to fill its volunteer ranks now. Whether you want to tag along as a 7-day helper or lend a hand in Kansas City, sign up here.
As long as families are being divided and willing workers are being deported the Immigrant Justice Advocacy Movement will continue to rally for federal reform. Once again, the group will gather for a prayer vigil in Washington Park (intersection of Pershing and Grand) -- across the street from the city's immigration court -- at noon on Tuesday.
How many murder cases were prosecuted in 2008, what was the outcome and who's set to go to trial in 2009? Those questions will be answered by Jackson County Prosecutor Jim Kanatzer at a forum hosted by the AdHoc Group Against Crime on Tuesday night from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the group's office (3116 Prospect).
The Crossroads Infoshop has announced a new slate of movies for its weekly Wednesday night, political film screenings in the Creative Mind Art Center. This week's fare, starting at 7 p.m. is Malcolm X. Then, on Thursday, the volunteer who's been working so hard to turn the dingy space into a veritable movie venue, Monique Gabrielle Maes-Salazar, will talk about Argentinean Occupied Factories -- a subject she has traveled to South America to research herself -- starting at 7 p.m.
Declining circulation and employee bloodletting isn't confined to the struggling daily newspapers. National publications have been gut-checked, as well. Brian Kelly, editor of U.S. News and World Report, will talk about how his publication is navigating the challenges and changing its business model Wednesday at the Central Library at 6:30 p.m.
The Troost Folks who meet weekly year-round have a vision for the East Side that brings residents from both sides of the historic racial dividing line together as neighbors. For the fifth year, they're doing that with Troost Festival, a bonanza of food, networking and street performances from noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday at the intersection of 31st Street and Troost.
Also on Saturday, the annual Festival for Justice and Peace will fill UMKC's University Center from 1 to 5 p.m. with workshops on topics like white privilege and universal health care; live music from the likes of Nicolette Page; and traditional West African drumming from Esoke. The organizers are still looking for volunteers to set up, staff tables and clean up. To help out, e-mail IHarritt@afsc.org.
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Jacksmith... are you mad or just plain stupid? I would like for you to provide some facts to support your argument please. I have been in a couple of countries with socialized medicine... and the quality of medicine wasn't anything to write home to mom about. As a matter of fact, is was inferior to what I have received here. I will admit that I think the cost of healthcare here is too high, but having a government administrates healthcare system is not the answer. Wait times for procedures are long and in my experience, the quality is subpar.
PRIVATE FOR PROFIT HEALTHCARE IS AN OXYMORON!
As congress debates fixing Americas current private for profit healthcare disaster, global embarrassment, and national disgrace. The question is not weather we will have a public option. But rather what kind of public option we will have.
America is the only country in the developed world that has a GREED DRIVEN! PROFIT DRIVEN! IMMORAL! UNETHICAL! PRIVATE FOR PROFIT! healthcare delivery system.
As a result, hundreds of thousands of you are needlessly killed by your healthcare delivery system in America every year. And millions of you are crippled and injured. America is the only country in the developed World that does not have a NOT FOR PROFIT, PATIENT PROTECTING, government managed healthcare delivery option for all it's people.
America currently has the most costly health care system in the developed world. And the lowest quality of healthcare in the developed world. And the most dangerous, deadly, and FEARED! healthcare delivery system in the developed world.
America is the only healthcare delivery system in the developed World that does not cover all it's people automatically. And America has the most difficult healthcare system to access in the developed World.
Contact your representative and tell then that a single payer, government managed healthcare option is a must for everyone that wants it. Tell them that you demand that the public option be the finest in the World.
Tell them it should be available to everyone that wants it as a HUMAN RIGHT! Tell them it should be the easiest to access in the entire world. Tell them it should have the highest quality, with the greatest patient protections in the entire world. Tell them coverage should be automatic for everyone that wants it unless they choose to opt out. Tell them it should be the most affordable in the World. And tell them that NO ONE in the public option is to be reported to a credit agency, or driven into bankruptcy for unpaid medical bills just because they got sick, for FREEK'EN SAKES!
Tell them, none of the requirements above are negotiable. Tell them, that we are prepared to remove them from office. Tell them, we will rain down the political FIRES OF HELL! on any of them that would betray the American people. Or continue to compromise the life, health, safety, and National security of the American people for the GREED DRIVEN, PROFIT DRIVEN! private for profit Healthcare Industry.
TELL THEM NOW! AND PASS THE WORD ON.
God Bless You
Jacksmith � WORKING CLASS
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