Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
Today’s Google Doodle Celebrates a Bin Laden Supporter
But hey, she worked for Great Justice.
It’s with great pleasure that Google celebrates Yuri Kochiyama, an Asian American activist who dedicated her life to the fight for human rights and against racism and injustice. Born in California, Kochiyama spent her early twenties in a Japanese American internment camp in Arkansas during WWII. She and her family would later move to Harlem, where she became deeply involved in African American, Latino, and Asian American liberation and empowerment movements. Today’s doodle by Alyssa Winans features Kochiyama taking a stand at one of her many protests and rallies. (Ed. note: it was a protest against the Vietnam War in 1968.)
Kochiyama left a legacy of advocacy: for peace, U.S. political prisoners, nuclear disarmament, and reparations for Japanese Americans interned during the war. She was known for her tireless intensity and compassion, and remained committed to speaking out, consciousness-raising, and taking action until her death in 2014.
As for that tireless compassion, it didn’t extend to people who had to leap out of burning skyscrapers; they got what was coming to them. Wikipedia:
Kochiyama in the mid-1960s joined the Revolutionary Action Movement, a clandestine revolutionary nationalist organization which was one of the first organizations in the black liberation movement to attempt to construct a revolutionary nationalism based on a synthesis of the thought of Malcolm X, Marx, Lenin, and Mao Tse Tung. She was one of the few non-blacks invited to join the Republic of New Africa (RNA), established in 1968 and which advocated the establishment of a separate black nation in the U.S South. Kochiyama felt that the need to build a separate black nation was even more important than the struggle for civil rights in Northern cities.
In 1977, Kochiyama joined the group of Puerto Ricans who took over the Statue of Liberty to draw attention to the struggle for Puerto Rican independence. Kochiyama and other activists demanded the release of four Puerto Rican nationalists convicted of attempted murder—Lolita Lebrón, Rafael Cancel Miranda, Andres Figueroa Cordero, and Irving Flores Rodríguez—who in 1954 had opened fire in the House of Representatives, injuring five congressmen.
According to Kochiyama, despite a strong movement enabling them to occupy the statue for nine hours, they intended to “give up peacefully when the police came.” The five Puerto Ricans were eventually released. Yuri also had close relationships with many other revolutionary nationalist leaders including Robert F. Williams (who gave Yuri her first Red Book of quotations by Mao Zedong).
In response to the United States’ actions following the September 11 attacks in 2001, Kochiyama stated that “the goal of the war [on terrorism] is more than just getting oil and fuel. The United States is intent on taking over the world” and “it’s important we all understand that the main terrorist and the main enemy of the world’s people is the U.S. government. Racism has been a weakness of this country from its beginning. Throughout history, all people of color, and all people who don’t see eye-to-eye with the U.S. government have been subject to American terror.”
In 2003, while being interviewed by Tamara Kil Ja Kim Nopper, Kochiyama said “… I consider Osama bin Laden as one of the people that I admire. To me, he is in the category of Malcolm X, Che Guevara, Patrice Lumumba, Fidel Castro, all leaders that I admire.
Because like Che and Fidel and Mao and and Lenin, he killed the right people.
Published in General
you guys really need to read the member feed more.
The bias, and bias in favor of extremism, is hardly isolated, or limited to Facebook in particular.
James,
Is there anything else in life this important? Does one need to know more than what is expressed in the first sentence? If she was a cannibal who wrote a cookbook on how to roast children, would it matter?
She’s an Asian American Activist. She fights for human rights. She is against racism and injustice. Here’s a google doodle for tomorrow.
That’s right he’s Pol Pot! I can’t wait to see the cute little sketch. I wonder if they’ll have some skulls & human bones to represent the killing fields. Google is so creative.
Regards,
Jim
Indeed.
There are plenty of these types aren’t there? The may be right on one thing; but, they are totalitarians at heart. If they haven’t already done so, I’m sure Google will have a Paul Robeson Day and a Harry Belafonte Day – two Stalinists who were/are regularly described as humanitarians. As if.
I’m not sure, but I think this may validate Roosevelt’s internment policy.
Urp. Sorry! I usually read it in the evening. I know the feeling; I had a main feed piece get duplicated a few weeks ago.
That’s when you start to worry “Am I just not interesting?”
P.S. I think Ricochet could use some regrettable food posts to lighten the mood. Or I just want them. Either way.
This is what is being doled out on social media – in case you didn’t think about it today. Yesterday’s Google message was International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia – I didn’t know we needed that but I guess Google wanted to remind. I don’t mind political or trendy messages, but these companies are very powerful, influential, wealthy and they are driving many controversial social issues – not just your friendly search engine or friends sharing where they ate lunch or went on vacation……yes, I think it is bizarre.
how about favorite musicals? I was thinking the same things….
I’ve tried not to let Google’s doodle policy bug me too much, when it’s limited to not recognizing Christmas or the Fourth of July. I’m not going to boycott them for not getting enthusiastic about the things I’m enthusiastic about.
When their doodles go for the usual politically-correct diversity hires (Or whatever the doodle equivalent of a hire is. Celebrant?), I roll my eyes, but that’s as far as I go.
This seems…a little farther out there. I’m still going to use Google, because they have the information I want, but yikes!
I never cottoned to musicals, much to the chagrin of my parents, although I do like opera.
Bing or Duck Duck Go.
Today’s doodle has caused me to decide to use both more.
And bye-bye Android.
Even if they did a Google Doodle of Pol Pot juggling human skulls, whaddya gonna do? You’re still going to need directions to Home Depot.
The glasses. The fierceness. She reminds me of someone.
Use Duck Duck Go. Why anyone still uses Google is beyond me.
Switching to Brave and Duck Duck Go.
The people, united, shall never be defeated!
The people, united …
Sorry. Sixties flashback.
What always bugged me about that chanted slogan, aside from the fact that it’s a slogan, chanted, was the lack of rhyme. The People! United! Shall Never Be Defited!
Like Johnny Dubya, I too thought of Melissa Click (sp?).
And why Wouldn’t I? Have as many as one in a hundred thousand Americans ever even heard of Yuri Kochiyama? Would anyone on Ricochet (probably as well read a bunch of people as can be found on the internet, including many who are old enough to have heard of her when she was active — 50 years ago) have recognized her?
Call me paranoid, but I think we were supposed to think of Click.
Maybe it was supposed to be Click bait?
Jim,perhaps you should start a thread with for blurbs for google doodles. You took Pol Pot, but…
“He was a Central Asian Activist Revolutionary. He fought for the rights and betterment of his people. He was a strong believer in and practitioner of wealth redistribution.”
That’s right! He’s Attila The Hun!
Try http://www.startpage.com which hands off your search to Google, but doesn’t give them your identification.