Viktor

JAN 27, 2014 - Amnesty International's "Bringing Human Rights Home" benefit concert will be live streamed on the Internet worldwide on February 5th, and to gear up for it, Amnesty International volunteer Kristin Hulaas Sunde wrote a blog on Amnesty's "Livewire" site, where she reminisces about how she was awakened and her activism for social justice really started back in 1988 at the Human Rights Now! concert in Philadelphia. Pete Gabriel, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Tracy Chapman and more all played to a huge throng of 75,000 activists. Read Kristin's cool blog on LivewireAmnesty.org here, and make sure you catch the Bringing Human Rights Home concert on February 5th next month. The concert will feature the Flaming Lips, Tegan and Sara, Lauryn Hill, Cold War Kids, and others; and the recently freed members of Pussy Riot, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina, will be there also. Find out more about the concert here.

JAN 24, 2014 - Do elections matter? JTMP thinks so, and to prove the point just look at Virginia's 2013 Attorney General election. By 900 people going out and doing their civic duty of voting, thousands of gay Virginians will not get their inalienable civil right to pursue happiness trampled on by a conservative Attorney General. The new progressive Virginia Attorney General, Mark Herring, has announced that he will not defend the state's ban on same-sex marriage. Mark Herring won his election by a mere 907 votes, which shows one not only needs to vote, but also pay attention to your local elections. The Governor often appoints State Supreme Court Justices FOR LIFE, and Attorney Generals can trample all over the rights of gay people if the wrong one is elected. So, JTMP reminds everyone to register to vote, vote in primaries and local elections, and pay attention to these rascals. You would be surprised at how much they influence your life. Read more about Mark Herring's startling announcement on NPR.org here.

JAN 22, 2014 - The recently freed activist-musicians from the band Pussy Riot, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alekhina, will be coming to America on February 5, 2014 for Amnesty International's "Bringing Human Rights Home" benefit concert. The concert will feature Lauryn Hill, Flaming Lips, and Imagine Dragon. Read more about Amnesty International's "Bringing Human Rights Home" concert here, and read more on HuffPo here.

JAN 20, 2014 - JTMP celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and reminds everyone the same fight is still going on for civil rights such as voting rights, economic rights, and even marriage equality. JTMP applauds the great work done by Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) and Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) for their voting rights act work this month in response to the Roberts Supreme Court gutting the 1964 Voting Rights Act. Voting rights across the country continue to come under attack from conservative activists so we must be vigilant. We must work to dismantle the voter suppression efforts conservatives have erected such as Voter ID laws and the cancelling of early voting, and prevent further voter suppression efforts. Contact your state and federal lawmakers ad tell them you do NOT support voter suppression efforts. (photo credit: Dick DeMarsico/CC)

JAN 17, 2014 - After 9-11, activist-musician Jenn Rogar was so upset by the outrageous actions of the American government, she decided to do something and picked up her guitar and protested. Ever since she has been heavily involved with activism, from Foods Not Bombs that feed the homeless, singing at rallies and using her music as a platform, and even attending city council meetings to speak up about homeless rights. She hails from the Sacramento area, and you can read a good write-up about her on NewsReview.com here, and Jenn's website is here. Listen to her perform at Occupy Sacramento below.  (Photo credit: JennRogar.com)