SF Antiwar Protest on 12th Anniversary of U.S. Invasion of Iraq
Saturday, March 21, 12 noon, Powell and Market Streets
In solidarity with the “Spring Rising” protest at the White House on Mar. 21
Stop Pres. Obama’s proposed new 3-year AUMF – Authorization for Use of Military Force!
End U.S. War and Occupation in the Middle East and Central Asia – U.S. Out!
No to U.S. sanctions and intervention vs. Iran, Venezuela, Korea, Cuba, Mexico, Russia, Haiti and everywhere
Free Palestine – End U.S. Aid to Israel!
Fund People’s Needs, Not Endless War!
To Endorse or Volunteer reply to: answer@answersf.org
More info: 415-821-6545 or visit www.ANSWERsf.org.
ANSWER SF
To join the Facebook event for Spring Rising: https://www.facebook.com/events/430232700485435
For more information, click here:
http://nepajac.org/springrising.html
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Cancel the #DetroitWater Debt and Start Afresh
Sign the petition:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/cancel-the-detroitwater-debt-and-start-afresh
We call on the City of Detroit and the newly-formed
Great Lakes Water Authority to cancel the existing debts of Detroit
Water and Sewerage customers and start afresh with simple, affordable
rates: all customer past-due balances are wiped clean.
Last
year, Detroit made international headlines when tens of thousands of
residents lost their access to water through an aggressive shut-off
program by the water department.
The city
of Detroit has endured decades of economic turmoil, drastic depopulation
and repeated mismanagement. The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department
(DWSD) is over $5 billion in debt (over $4,500 per family in the
metro Detroit area).To compensate, they have increased rates over 119%
in the last decade.¹Residents who fall behind on their bills risk water
shutoff, and in 2014 that’s exactly what happened to tens of thousands
of Detroiters.
The shutoff program didn't work,
and the DWSD collected less than 3% of the over $100 million currently
owed.² A large number of the families who entered into payment plans
last year are now defaulting on them yet again because they lack
sufficient income.
In contrast, a voluntary
bond tender offer initiated during the shutoffs allowed the city to
renegotiate high interest rates on municipal water bonds and save over
$250 million in interest fees for the city.³
The
bond markets know that Detroit's water debt is junk and the city will
unlikely ever be able to pay the current interest rates, which is why
Default Trends proclaimed Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD)
its "Biggest Default of 2014".⁴
Corruption in
the DWSD has been rampant, with former Department head Victor Mercado
currently serving an 8-month federal corruption sentence for "conspiracy
to commit extortion" by padding department contracts and rigging bids
that netted his business associates millions. Although many of those
contracts are now being scrutinized by the city's legal team, Detroiters
are still paying dearly for the fraud of past leaders.
The
overbearing Detroit water debt has a human side, too: it has pushed
Detroit into an outright humanitarian crisis. Rates of infectious
disease and sickness are up dramatically, leading the National Nurses
union recently to declare a 'Public Health Emergency' in Detroit.⁵The
water department is significantly under-staffed and water infrastructure
is crumbling, leading to leaks that cost taxpayers tens of millions
annually. The department is unable to address these time-sensitive
issues due to lack of funding, as it currently spends 46% of its
operating revenue on debt service to banks - the largest line-item by
far in its budget.
We call on the City of
Detroit and the newly-formed Great Lakes Water Authority to cancel the
Detroit Water and Sewerage Department's existing debts and start afresh
with simple, affordable rates: all customer past-due balances are wiped
clean.
Detroit's existing
water/sewerage rate structure is highly-regressive and unaffordable for
too many families. We call on the city to implement the 2005 Water
Affordability Plan to ensure that no family pays more than the
EPA-recommended threshold for water, including "lifeline rates" for
essential quantities of drinking/bathing water.⁶
The
water department acknowledges that 90% of its operating costs are
fixed⁷, meaning they don't depend upon how much water is consumed by
users. Still, they charge usage-based rates that fluctuate dramatically
with weather (up to 18% decrease in usage) and with broader demographic
shifts in the region (2/3 of Detroit's population has left the city
since 1950). Creating a progressive rate structure based at least
partially upon a family's income - as is done with many public services
like streetlights, schools, libraries, etc - would more equitably
distribute the burden of operating a system relied upon by over 4
million people for essential drinking water.
The
Detroit Water Brigade has provided emergency relief and advocacy to
hundreds of families since June of 2014, including providing immediate
financial assistance to families currently without water.⁸We've seen
first-hand the disastrous effects of these harsh, debt-driven austerity
policies.
We pledge to escalate this
campaign in the coming months until we bring relief to the tens of
thousands of metro Detroit families living without water today and the
millions living precariously with unaffordable water rates.
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Free Albert Woodfox!
End the Injustice. Don’t Oppose Bail for Albert Woodfox
Albert believes that he and fellow prisoners, Herman Wallace and Robert King, were placed in solitary confinement in retaliation for their activism and outspoken critique of injustice. All three men were members of the Black Panther Party and campaigned for better treatment, racial solidarity, and an end to the brutal sexual slavery in prison. Woodfox, Wallace and King came to be known as the Angola 3.
Albert Woodfox’s conviction has been overturned three times - most recently in 2013 on the basis of racial discrimination in the selection of a grand jury foreperson. In late 2014, an appeals court upheld the decision in Alberts favor, and on February 6, his lawyers filed for bail. After years of the State of Louisiana appealing decisions in Albert’s favor, It is critical that Governor Bobby Jindal show leadership, and ensure that Albert’s cruel and unjust isolation is not his legacy. April 2015 will mark 43 years since Woodfox was first placed solitary - for a crime he maintains that he didn't' commit, a claim that much of the available evidence supports. It is time for the State to let the wisdom of the courts stand and ensure his release.
Amnesty International
http://act.amnestyusa.org/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=1839&ea.campaign.id=35593&ea.tracking.id=Country_USA~MessagingCategory_PrisonersandPeopleatRisk&ac=W1502EAIAR2&ea.url.id=359128&forwarded=true
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Bay Area United Against War Newsletter
Table of Contents:
A. EVENTS AND ACTIONS
B. ARTICLES IN FULL
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A. EVENTS AND ACTIONS
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Justice for Rasmea: All out for March 12!
On March 12, Rasmea is set to appear once again in the Detroit courtroom of Judge Gershwin Drain, this time for a sentencing hearing. We are seeking letters to the judge requesting leniency.
For this round of letters, we are NOT looking for a mountain of individual statements, but rather letters from prominent individuals who represent broader constituencies. We need you to work with leaders of faith-based, labor, and community organizations, as well as student governments, student organizations (national), prominent professors, and legislators in your area to draft and submit letters.
Below you will find an outline you can use to draft these letters, but it is important for the authors to write them in their own voices. Letters should be submitted by February 4 to justice4rasmea@uspcn.org.
Stay tuned! Keep sharing Rasmea’s story and organizing fundraisers. Watch for calls for your support as we prepare for sentencing and appeal. Our organizing is key to winning #Justice4Rasmea.
follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend
Copyright © 2015 Committee to Stop FBI Repression, All rights reserved.
Thanks for your ongoing interest in the fight against FBI repression of anti-war and international solidarity activists!
Our mailing address is:
Committee to Stop FBI Repression
PO Box 14183
Minneapolis, MN 55414
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Save the Date - UNAC National Conference, May 8 - 10, 2015
UNAC is the major national antiwar coalition in the U.S. today. The existence of a United National Antiwar Coalition is vital and we need your financial support to continue our work and to expand.
With U.S. wars today accelerating and expanding globally in various forms – from drone attacks on Yemen and Pakistan, never-ending wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, support to neo-fascists in Ukraine, and proliferating Africom forces to threats of war for regime change in Syria – we have an obligation to do whatever is possible to educate the public and to take action to stop the carnage.
The wars abroad are connected to global warming with most wars fought over energy resources with the U.S. war machine as the largest polluter.
At home, we see hugely growing income inequality, a militarized and racist police force, mass incarceration of Blacks and Latinos, and a massive police state apparatus that includes global surveillance and laws to quell dissent.
In spite of the trillions spent by the U.S. corporate war government and its controlled media propaganda machine to keep us in check, the people are fighting back. We’ve been inspired and strengthened by the hundreds of thousands of new activists taking to the streets of this country to stop police brutality, to build Occupy encampments, to fight for decent wages, to demand full rights for immigrants, to win marriage equality, to end global warming, to demonstrate solidarity with the besieged people of Gaza, and to protest unending U.S. wars.
UNAC has played an active, often leadership role, in all of the antiwar and social justice movements of our time. While most activists are focused on their particular issues, the most vital role we can play is to connect the issues to their source. All of the injustices and crimes we protest, stem from the imperialist insatiable drive for expanding profit and control – and the U.S. is the largest imperialist power militarily and economically. When there should be plenty for all, only the obscenely wealthy benefit while the rest of the 99% struggle just to survive.
Some of our recent major accomplishments:
· Initiated protest against NATO and 15,000 marched in Chicago in 2012.
· Called for immediate actions against threats of war and coups directed at Libya, Iran, No. Korea, Africa, Latin America, Ukraine, and maintaining the U.S. presence in Iraq and Afghanistan.
· Organized a national tour for Afghan leader Malalai Joya.
· Sent representatives to international NATO protests and conferences.
· Serve on the Board of the National Coalition to Protect Civil Freedoms to act against Islamophobia , racist attacks on Muslims, and attacks on our civil liberties.
· Participated in national efforts to organize anti-drone actions.
· Campaigned to defend victims of government repression who speak out and expose Washington’s crimes, including Rasmea Odeh, Mumia abu Jamal, Lynne Stewart, Chelsea Manning, and the Midwest activists targeted by the FBI.
· Produced national educational conference calls featuring experts on topics such as U.S. intervention in Africa, the destruction of Libya, the developing wars in Syria, and others.
· Built an antiwar contingent in the massive New York City Climate Change march and built Climate Change action in other cities around the country.
· Helped organize protests against Israel’s attack on Gaza
· Helped organize protests against the murder of Blacks by white police and the militarization of the police forces in the U.S.
UNAC has a history of bringing hundreds of activists together at large national conferences to learn about the issues of the day, to discuss the way forward and to vote on an Action Program for the coming period.
The UNAC conference next May will bring activists from all the movements in motion to cross-fertilize these struggles. We are particularly dedicated to bringing young activists together to support and learn from each other. For this, we need your help to offer subsidies to leaders from Ferguson, from the border wars in the southwest, from the Native Americans who are fighting against the pipelines ruining their lands, from the Students for Justice in Palestine, and many others.
Please give generously so that we can continue our work to bring harmony and justice to the peoples of this earth.
You can send a check to UNAC at PO Box 123, Delmar, NY 12054 or click the button below to contribute on-line with your credit or debit card.
https://www.unacpeace.org/
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On Behalf of Wadiya Jamal and
Mumia Abu-Jamal,
A Contribution Request
The message following is a forward from:
Rachel Wolkenstein
Sister, Advocate and Friend of the Extended Family
Samiya “Goldii” Abdullah, a daughter of Wadiya Jamal and Mumia Abu-Jamal died on December 17, 2014 after years of battle with breast cancer. Samiya would have been 37 this January 9 and is survived by two young daughters, Aiyanah and Aaiyah, affectionately known as Dolly and Puddy, ages eleven and four.
Samiya was a remarkable woman. She was accomplished as a musician, an activist and rapper on social justice, particularly in the struggle for Mumia’s freedom. She devoured books and education. During her long, often debilitating illness, Samiya finished her Masters Degree in School and Mental Health Counseling from the University of Pennsylvania with honors. She was dedicated to her young daughters and wanted them to grow up loving each other as much as she did her brothers and sisters. And she wanted her daughters to see Mumia (called “Pop Pop” by them) walk out of prison and home with their grandmother, Wadiya.
Samiya's active fight for Mumia's freedom, began at the young age of four. Mumia wrote about this in “The Visit” printed in Live from Death Row in 1994. This was recreated in the movie "Mumia: Long Distance Revolutionary."
"My father is still considered to be a dangerous individual … his mind is what they fear, there is over- whelming evidence that would exonerate him of his conviction.
"He is an innocent man and the commonwealth has always known this, but being too Black, too smart, and too strong … The government will silence anyone that possesses the power to open the minds of the people."
—Goldii
Samiya’s strength, character and spirit were nurtured by Wadiya and Mumia and are being passed on to her daughters.
On behalf of Wadiya Jamal and Mumia Abu-Jamal, this is a request for funds to assist Wadiya for care of her granddaughters, Dolly and Puddy.
A financial contribution of any amount will be greatly appreciated.
Please send checks or money orders, made payable to Wadiya Jamal:
Wadiya Jamal
P.O. Box 19404
Kingsessing Postal Station
Philadelphia, PA 19143-9998
In loving memory of Samiya and in tribute to her fierce fight for life,
Rachel Wolkenstein
Sister, Advocate and Friend of the Extended Family
Hear Mumia’s Words (and Song) played before the Janazah for Samiya on December 20, 2014: “Samiya Abdullah Makes Transition”:
http://prisonradio.org/sites/default/files/audio/uploads/SamiyaAbdullahMakesTransition12-19-2.mp3?download=1
This message has been sent to you by:
The Labor Action Committee To Free Mumia Abu-Jamal
PO Box 16222 • Oakland CA • 510.763.2347
www.laboractionmumia.org
Donate Now
to fight the “gag” law!
go to:
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/protect-freedom-of-speech-keep-mumia-on-the-air
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Support Prison Radio
$35 is the yearly membership.
$50 will get you a beautiful tote bag (you can special order a yoga mat bag, just call us).
$100 will get the DVD "Mumia: Long Distance Revolutionary"
$300 will bring one essay to the airwaves.
$1000 (or $88.83 per month) will make you a member of our Prison Radio Freedom Circle. Take a moment and Support Prison Radio
Luchando por la justicia y la libertad,
Noelle Hanrahan, Director, Prison Radio
PRISON RADIO
P.O. Box 411074 San Francisco, CA 94141
www.prisonradio.org
info@prisonradio.org 415-706-5222
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Campaign to Free Lorenzo Johnson
Lorenzo Speaks Concerning Prosecution's Brief:
JANUARY 1, 2015—The prosecutor has run away from (almost) every issue raised in my PCRA by begging the Court to dismiss everything as “untimely”. When they don’t do this, they suggest that me and my lawyers were “defamatory” towards either my former prosecutor Christopher Abruzzo or Detective Kevin Duffin, in our claims they withheld, misused or hid evidence of my Innocence, in order to secure an unjust conviction in this case. If I charged, a year ago, that about a dozen AGs (attorneys general) were involved in circulating porno via their office computers, people would’ve laughed at me, and seen me as crazy.
But, guess what? During 2014, we learned that this was the truth. How can it be defamatory to speak the truth? Notice the OAG (Office of Attorney General), never said the obvious: That AG Abruzzo didn’t inform the Defense about the relationship between his Motive Witness and his head detective (Victoria Doubs and Det. Duffin); that Det. Duffin doesn’t deny Doubs was his god-sister, and that she lived in his family home, or that he assisted her whenever she got into trouble.
Why not? Because it is true. How can you defame someone who defames himself? Mr. Christopher Abruzzo, Esq., when a member of the higher ranks of the OAG, sent and/or received copious amounts of porno to other attorneys general and beyond. What does this say about his sense of judgment? He thought enough about his behavior to resign from his post in the Governor’s Cabinet. If he thought that his behavior was okay, he’d still be sitting in the Governor’s cabinet, right? The OAG cannot honestly oppose anything we’ve argued, but they try by seeking to get the Court to do their dirty work, how? By denying an Evidentiary Hearing to prove every point we’ve claimed.
The prosecution is trying desperately to avoid dealing with the substance of my claims in Com. v. Lorenzo Johnson. So, they slander my Legal Team and blame them for defaming the good AG’s and Cops involved with this case. They try to do what is undeniable, to deny that they hid evidence from the Defense for years. They blamed me for daring to protest the hidden evidence of their malfeasance and other acts to sabotage the defense. They claim that they had an “Open File” policy with my trial counsel. But “Open File” is more than letting an attorney read something in their office. If it’s a search for the truth it must include what is turned over to the attorney, for how do we really know what was shown to her?
They say it is inconceivable that an attorney would read a file, beginning on page nine (9), and not ask for the preceding eight (8) pages. Yet, it is conceivable if trial counsel was ineffective for not demanding the record of the first eight pages. Pages that identify the State’s only witness as a “SUSPECT” in the murder for which her client was charged! How could such an attorney fail to recognize the relevance of such an issue, barring their sheer Ineffectiveness and frankly, Incompetence.
By seeking to avoid an evidentiary hearing, the prosecution seeks to avoid evidence of their wrongdoing being made plain, for all to see. If they believe I’m wrong, why not prove it? They can’t. So they shout I filed my appeal untimely, as if there can ever justly be a rule that precludes an innocent from proving his innocence! Not to mention the fact that the prosecution has failed to even mention the positive finger prints that ay my trial they said none existed. Don’t try to hide it with a lame argument about time. When isn’t there a time for truth? The prosecution should be ashamed of itself for taking this road. It is unworthy of an office that claims to seek justice.
After the trial verdict The Patriot-News (March 18, 1997) reported, “Deputy Attorney General Christopher Abruzzo admitted there were some serious concerns about the strength of the evidence against Johnson and praised the jury for doing a thorough job.” I guess he forgot to mention all of the evidence he left out to show Innocence.
Now, more than ever, Lorenzo Johnson needs your support.
Publicize his case; bring it to your friends, clubs, religious
and social organizations.
SIGN LORENZO JOHNSON'S FREEDOM PETITION
http://www.freelorenzojohnson.org/sign-the-petition.html
CONTRIBUTE TO LORENZO'S CAMPAIGN FOR FREEDOM!
http://www.freelorenzojohnson.org/how-can-i-help.html
Write: Lorenzo Johnson
DF 1036
SCI Mahanoy
301 Morea Rd.
Frackville, PA 17932
Email: Lorenzo Johnson through JPAY.com code:
Lorenzo Johnson DF 1036 PA DOC
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Click HERE to view in browser
http://www.iacenter.org/prisoners/freepinkney-1-28-15/
Join the Fight to Free Rev. Pinkney!
On December 15, 2014 the Rev. Edward Pinkney of Benton Harbor, Michigan was thrown into prison for 2.5 to 10 years. This 66-year-old leading African American activist was tried and convicted in front of an all-white jury and racist white judge and prosecutor for supposedly altering 5 dates on a recall petition against the mayor of Benton Harbor.
The prosecutor, with the judge’s approval, repeatedly told the jury “you don’t need evidence to convict Mr. Pinkney.” And ABSOLUTELY NO EVIDENCE WAS EVER PRESENTED THAT TIED REV. PINKNEY TO THE ‘ALTERED’ PETITIONS. Rev. Pinkney was immediately led away in handcuffs and thrown into Jackson Prison.
This is an outrageous charge. It is an outrageous conviction. It is an even more outrageous sentence! It must be appealed.
With your help supporters need to raise $20,000 for Rev. Pinkney’s appeal.
Checks can be made out to BANCO (Black Autonomy Network Community Organization). This is the organization founded by Rev. Pinkney. Mail them to: Mrs. Dorothy Pinkney, 1940 Union Street, Benton Harbor, MI 49022.
Donations can be accepted on-line at bhbanco.org – press the donate button.
For information on the decade long campaign to destroy Rev. Pinkney go to bhbanco.org and workers.org(search “Pinkney”).
We urge your support to the efforts to Free Rev. Pinkney!Ramsey Clark – Former U.S. attorney general,
Cynthia McKinney – Former member of U.S. Congress,
Lynne Stewart – Former political prisoner and human rights attorney
Ralph Poynter – New Abolitionist Movement,
Abayomi Azikiwe – Editor, Pan-African News Wire<
Larry Holmes – Peoples Power Assembly,
David Sole – Michigan Emergency Committee Against War & Injustice
Sara Flounders – International Action Center
MESSAGE FROM REV. PINKNEY
I am now in Marquette prison over 15 hours from wife and family, sitting in prison for a crime that was never committed. Judge Schrock and Mike Sepic both admitted there was no evidence against me but now I sit in prison facing 30 months. Schrock actually stated that he wanted to make an example out of me. (to scare Benton Harbor residents even more...) ONLY IN AMERICA. I now have an army to help fight Berrien County. When I arrived at Jackson state prison on Dec. 15, I met several hundred people from Detroit, Flint, Kalamazoo, and Grand Rapids. Some people recognized me. There was an outstanding amount of support given by the prison inmates. When I was transported to Marquette Prison it took 2 days. The prisoners knew who I was. One of the guards looked me up on the internet and said, "who would believe Berrien County is this racist."
New Court Date on 4 Motions for Rev. Pinkney
TUES, FEB. 24 1pm Berrien County Court
Background to Campaign to free Rev. Pinkney
Michigan political prisoner the Rev. Edward Pinkney is a victim of racist injustice. He was sentenced to 30 months to 10 years for supposedly changing the dates on 5 signatures on a petition to recall Benton Harbor Mayor James Hightower.
No material or circumstantial evidence was presented at the trial that would implicate Pinkney in the purported5 felonies. Many believe that Pinkney, a Berrien County activist and leader of the Black Autonomy Network Community Organization (BANCO), is being punished by local authorities for opposing the corporate plans of Whirlpool Corp, headquartered in Benton Harbor, Michigan.
In 2012, Pinkney and BANCO led an “Occupy the PGA [Professional Golfers’ Association of America]” demonstration against a world-renowned golf tournament held at the newly created Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course on the shoreline of Lake Michigan. The course was carved out of Jean Klock Park, which had been donated to the city of Benton Harbor decades ago.
Berrien County officials were determined to defeat the recall campaign against Mayor Hightower, who opposed a program that would have taxed local corporations in order to create jobs and improve conditions in Benton Harbor, a majority African-American municipality. Like other Michigan cities, it has been devastated by widespread poverty and unemployment.
The Benton Harbor corporate power structure has used similar fraudulent charges to stop past efforts to recall or vote out of office the racist white officials, from mayor, judges, prosecutors in a majority Black city. Rev Pinkney who always quotes scripture, as many Christian ministers do, was even convicted for quoting scripture in a newspaper column. This outrageous conviction was overturned on appeal. We must do this again!
To sign the petition in support of the Rev. Edward Pinkney, log on to: tinyurl.com/ps4lwyn.
Contributions for Rev. Pinkney’s defense can be sent to BANCO at Mrs Dorothy Pinkney, 1940 Union St., Benton Harbor, MI 49022
Or you can donate on-line at bhbanco.org.
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COURAGE TO RESIST
http://couragetoresist.org/
New Action- write letters to DoD officials requesting clemency for Chelsea!
November 24, 2014 by the Chelsea Manning Support Network
Secretary of the Army John McHugh
Please write them to express your support for heroic WikiLeaks’ whistle-blower former US Army intelligence analyst PFC Chelsea Manning’s release from military prison.
It is important that each of these authorities realize the wide support that Chelsea (formerly Bradley) Manning enjoys worldwide. They need to be reminded that millions understand that Manning is a political prisoner, imprisoned for following her conscience. While it is highly unlikely that any of these individuals would independently move to release Manning, a reduction in Manning’s outrageous 35-year prison sentence is a possibility at this stage.
Take action TODAY – Write letters supporting Chelsea’s clemency petition to the following DoD authorities:
Secretary of the Army John McHugh
101 Army Pentagon
Washington, DC 20310-0101
Washington, DC 20310-0101
The Judge Advocate General
2200 Army Pentagon
Washington, DC 20310-2200
2200 Army Pentagon
Washington, DC 20310-2200
Army Clemency and Parole Board
251 18th St, Suite 385
Arlington, VA 22202-3532
251 18th St, Suite 385
Arlington, VA 22202-3532
Directorate of Inmate Administration
Attn: Boards Branch
U.S. Disciplinary Barracks
1301 N. Warehouse Road
Fort Leavenworth, KS 66027-2304
Suggestions for letters send to DoD officials:Attn: Boards Branch
U.S. Disciplinary Barracks
1301 N. Warehouse Road
Fort Leavenworth, KS 66027-2304
- The letter should focus on your support for Chelsea Manning, and especially why you believe justice will be served if Chelsea Manning’s sentence is reduced. The letter should NOT be anti-military as this will be unlikely to help
- A suggested message: “Chelsea Manning has been punished enough for violating military regulations in the course of being true to her conscience. I urge you to use your authorityto reduce Pvt. Manning’s sentence to time served.” Beyond that general message, feel free to personalize the details as to why you believe Chelsea deserves clemency.
- Consider composing your letter on personalized letterhead -you can create this yourself (here are templates and some tips for doing that).
- A comment on this post will NOT be seen by DoD authorities–please send your letters to the addresses above
Help us continue to cover 100% of Chelsea’s legal fees at this critical stage!
Courage to Resist
484 Lake Park Ave. #41
Oakland, CA 94610
510-488-3559
couragetoresist.org
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B. ARTICLES IN FULL
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1) Judge Who Makes a Living Incarcerating People Over Fines Owes $170K In Unpaid Taxes
by Dr. Sinclair Grey III
March 8, 2015
http://financialjuneteenth.com/judge-who-makes-a-living-incarcerating-people-over-fines-owes-170k-in-unpaid-taxes/
Ferguson, Missouri is a familiar town to anyone who has been keeping up with the news, especially after the shooting and killing of Michael Brown by former officer Darren Wilson.
In a report by the Department of Justice about the gross misconduct of what has transpired within Ferguson, Missouri, it’s been concluded that Judge Ronald J. Brockmeyer has benefited financially while locking up the disenfranchised over fines and fees.
Brockmeyer owes more than $170,000 in unpaid taxes, according to records obtained by The Guardian from authorities in Missouri. Department of Justice investigators discovered that Brockmeyer, 70, was using unethical tactics to increase revenue for the city. Because the city is overwhelmingly Black and those in authority are White, calls for justice are loud.
According to The Guardian, “Investigators found Brockmeyer had boasted of creating a range of new court fees, many of which are widely considered abusive and may be unlawful. A city councilman opposing the judge’s reappointment was warned switching judges would/could lead to loss of revenue.”
For 12 years, Brockmeyer has been the municipal court judge in Ferguson while serving as a prosecutor for two nearby cities. In addition to this, he’s also a private attorney. This is a serious problem because there’s a conflict of interest.
Brockmeyer’s court is at the center of attention because of his imprisoning those who have fines and fees and yet, he owes the government himself. Thomas Harvey, the director of Arch City Defenders who is representing one of those victimized by Brockmeyer’s court says, “Judge Brockmeyer not being incarcerated is a perfect illustration of how we should go about collecting debt from people who owe it.”
Officials contend that people should be responsible for their actions, however, African-Americans are punished at higher rates compared to whites. The Justice Department found in their investigation that “even as Ferguson city officials maintain the harmful stereotype that black individuals lack personal responsibility – and continue to cite this lack of personal responsibility as the cause of the disparate impact of Ferguson’s practices – white city officials condone a striking lack of personal responsibility among themselves and their friends.”
Ferguson, Missouri has a lot of work to do in order to get things in order. This is simply a case of racial injustice and systemic racism.
Source: The Guardian
Dr. Sinclair Grey III is an activist, speaker, writer, author, life coach, and host of The Sinclair Grey Show heard on Mondays at 2pm on WAEC Love 860am (iHeart Radio and Tune In). Contact him at drgrey@sinclairgrey.org or on Twitter @drsinclairgrey
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2) Ferguson Activists Are Struggling with Mental Trauma Long After Police Abuse During the Protests
March 9, 2015
http://www.alternet.org/personal-health/ferguson-activists-are-struggling-mental-trauma-long-after-police-abuse-during?akid=12868.229473.IIH3_P&rd=1&src=newsletter1033018&t=5
Johnetta Elzie rose to national prominence as a leading protester in Ferguson last summer. Her activism protesting the police shooting death of Michael Brown has been highlighted in national publications like the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post, but the police aggression and the intensity of protesting nonstop took a serious toll on her mental health. During the height of the protests, she was tear-gassed at least nine times, faced off against menacing police dogs, regularly confronted by aggressive law enforcement officers, and spent many nights running away from cops. A rubber bullet struck her left collarbone during one protest.
“It was just crazy for me to see the police responding to us like we were almost at war. Only we weren’t armed,” Elzie, a native of St. Louis, told AlterNet. “There was the constant threat of almost dying. In August, I thought I almost died at least twice when we were on the run from police.”
She had never seen a mental health professional prior to Ferguson, but had four sessions with one during the protests. Elzie’s therapist told her she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
“I thought only people who have experienced war could have that, but just from what I’ve experienced and what I’ve seen, she said that I definitely have it,” Elzie, 25, said.
Mental health professionals in St. Louis County told AlterNet that the hyper-policing of local law enforcement during the protests, the tear-gassing, blasts of rubber bullets, the sight of Brown’s body lying on the street uncovered for hours, and the strain from the personal sacrifices many of the protesters made in order to be in Ferguson, could have devastating long-term effects that potentially include depression, anxiety and PTSD.
“People are shocked when I say that we’re going to be dealing with this for at least another decade,” Marva Robinson, a clinical psychologist and president of the St. Louis Chapter of the Association of Black Psychologists, told AlterNet. “Post-traumatic stress disorder has very long-term effects, especially when people don’t seek counseling. Not only does it have a long-term effect, but it can lead into other mental illnesses such as depression, general anxiety disorder and substance abuse. So it branches off into other illnesses as a result of this one volatile event that can affect people for the next 5, 10, 15 years. Certainly affecting the way they view law enforcement officers.”
Kira Banks, an assistant professor of psychology at St. Louis University who is researching the mental health issues of Ferguson protesters, told AlterNet that the 'round-the-clock activism many of the protesters engaged in was honorable but unhealthy, especially if they were dealing with mental health issues before the protests began.
“It’s really hard to pull oneself out of activism because it feels so necessary for you to be present—everyday, all day, at all moments. But it’s not viable to maintain that pace,” she said. “We’ve seen people have recurrences of depressive episodes that lead to breakdowns because when you lack sleep and are pushing yourself to the limit and feel like you are literally fighting for your life or the lives of others, it’s stressful and it takes a toll on your physical health and your mental health.”
Actvists Who Have Moved to Ferguson
Charles Wade, 32, earned national recognition for co-founding Operation Help or Hush, a nonprofit that financially supports protesters and the larger community of Ferguson and other communities fighting for social justice around the nation. Wade moved to Ferguson from Austin, Texas, in August, to help the protesters organize and never left. A beauty boutique he left behind and a few other business and life plans have been put on hold. Helping the people of Ferguson has replaced all of that. Wade has no regrets, but seven months later, he’s struggling to process the depressing stories Ferguson residents share with him each day.
“It’s sort of a running joke with my friends of, Oh, I feel like I’m getting old here because I felt like I was a pretty young, vibrant person before coming to Ferguson,” Wade, who is originally from Washington, DC, told AlterNet. “Now, I feel like my light is not that vibrant because it’s hard to be that light when you know other people are still weighed down. So that is where I know I will need help, as far as managing my work/life balance and dumping that stress somewhere else and not just keep it inside.”
Larry Fellows III, 29, a protester and native of St. Louis, said Ferguson drained him emotionally and financially.
“I felt like I was living in a scary movie,” Fellows told AlterNet. “I didn’t know what was going to happen next. I asked myself, is this the week I’m going to die? Is this how I am going to die? This is not how I want to go out."
For weeks, Fellows woke up to nightmares stemming from his activism. Like Elzie and many other protesters, he endured tear-gas on many occasions. One night, he was forced to stay with friends in Ferguson for several days because he said local law enforcement refused to let people out of the protest areas. On many nights after leaving Ferguson, he says a patrol car from the St. Louis County Police Department would tail him to the parking lot of his apartment complex. Fellows had a full-time job at an insurance company, but was eventually fired because he spent more days protesting than at work. In January, he moved to New York City and is currently employed as a fellow at Amnesty International. While the city has been a great change of scenery for him, he has been unable to shake the triggering memories of Ferguson or pay off the debt he ran up.
“I owe almost $3,000 to my apartment complex. I had to illegally break my lease because of the position I took in Ferguson,” Fellows said. “If I had legally done it, I would have had to pay three times my rent. That’s money I don’t have. It’s a list of things that I’m dealing with every day that are really hard to process. And you don’t really want to talk to someone you’re friends with because you feel like you’re a Debbie Downer or you’re bitching about your problems.”
He has seen a therapist once and wants to go again, but can’t afford it.
Lack of Access to Mental Healthcare for African Americans
Many African Americans find it difficult to afford therapy, which can range anywhere from $65 up to $200 and more per 50-minute session, depending on the region and whether the provider is insured or not. Another challenge for many of the Ferguson protesters whose trauma is specific to racial discrimination is that most licensed therapists aren’t black or multiculturally competent.
African Americans are 20 percent more likely to experience psychological distress than white Americans, yet make up around 2.6 percent of mental health professionals; most black people prefer a mental health professional of the same race. The Affordable Care Act provides coverage for mental health treatment, but it still depends on the person being able to pay something. Moreover, each state implements the ACA differently, so people seeking coverage need to research the marketplace in their home state for specifics on how to get care.
The stigma from seeking mental healthcare is also an issue. According to a 1996 study, 63 percent of African Americans view depression as a personal weakness. Attitudes about seeking help have changed in the nearly 20 years since the study was published, but Robinson says it's still an issue for many African Americans.
Robinson and Banks encourage residents of Ferguson and St. Louis County to take advantage of the free and low-cost mental health services in their area. Members of the Association of Black Psychologists in St. Louis offer free mental health services people can sign up for on the organization’s website. So far, the group has provided pro-bono treatment to at least 1,000 residents of St. Louis County.
Robinson says there is no need for people who feel traumatized by the events in Ferguson to suffer through that stress alone. Help is available.
“If we don’t push the message that seeking help from someone isn’t a sign of weakness but a sign of strength, then we’re going to have a mass of young adults who may be mentally crippled within the next decade,” she said. “Think about the ones who are raising children. So it is extremely important that we remove this stigma and tear down this barrier about seeking help.”
For more information:Services for The Children’s Services Fund, part of the St. Louis Mental Health Board, has a list of agencies that provide mental health services to children up to age 18. Those who feel the need to speak with someone immediately can call the Behavioral Health Response Hotline 24 hours a day at 314-469-6644.
Terrell Jermaine Starr is a senior editor at AlterNet. Follow him on Twitter @Russian_Starr.
Johnetta Elzie rose to national prominence as a leading protester in Ferguson last summer. Her activism protesting the police shooting death of Michael Brown has been highlighted in national publications like the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post, but the police aggression and the intensity of protesting nonstop took a serious toll on her mental health. During the height of the protests, she was tear-gassed at least nine times, faced off against menacing police dogs, regularly confronted by aggressive law enforcement officers, and spent many nights running away from cops. A rubber bullet struck her left collarbone during one protest.
“It was just crazy for me to see the police responding to us like we were almost at war. Only we weren’t armed,” Elzie, a native of St. Louis, told AlterNet. “There was the constant threat of almost dying. In August, I thought I almost died at least twice when we were on the run from police.”
She had never seen a mental health professional prior to Ferguson, but had four sessions with one during the protests. Elzie’s therapist told her she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
“I thought only people who have experienced war could have that, but just from what I’ve experienced and what I’ve seen, she said that I definitely have it,” Elzie, 25, said.
Mental health professionals in St. Louis County told AlterNet that the hyper-policing of local law enforcement during the protests, the tear-gassing, blasts of rubber bullets, the sight of Brown’s body lying on the street uncovered for hours, and the strain from the personal sacrifices many of the protesters made in order to be in Ferguson, could have devastating long-term effects that potentially include depression, anxiety and PTSD.
“People are shocked when I say that we’re going to be dealing with this for at least another decade,” Marva Robinson, a clinical psychologist and president of the St. Louis Chapter of the Association of Black Psychologists, told AlterNet. “Post-traumatic stress disorder has very long-term effects, especially when people don’t seek counseling. Not only does it have a long-term effect, but it can lead into other mental illnesses such as depression, general anxiety disorder and substance abuse. So it branches off into other illnesses as a result of this one volatile event that can affect people for the next 5, 10, 15 years. Certainly affecting the way they view law enforcement officers.”
Kira Banks, an assistant professor of psychology at St. Louis University who is researching the mental health issues of Ferguson protesters, told AlterNet that the 'round-the-clock activism many of the protesters engaged in was honorable but unhealthy, especially if they were dealing with mental health issues before the protests began.
“It’s really hard to pull oneself out of activism because it feels so necessary for you to be present—everyday, all day, at all moments. But it’s not viable to maintain that pace,” she said. “We’ve seen people have recurrences of depressive episodes that lead to breakdowns because when you lack sleep and are pushing yourself to the limit and feel like you are literally fighting for your life or the lives of others, it’s stressful and it takes a toll on your physical health and your mental health.”
Actvists Who Have Moved to Ferguson
Charles Wade, 32, earned national recognition for co-founding Operation Help or Hush, a nonprofit that financially supports protesters and the larger community of Ferguson and other communities fighting for social justice around the nation. Wade moved to Ferguson from Austin, Texas, in August, to help the protesters organize and never left. A beauty boutique he left behind and a few other business and life plans have been put on hold. Helping the people of Ferguson has replaced all of that. Wade has no regrets, but seven months later, he’s struggling to process the depressing stories Ferguson residents share with him each day.
“It’s sort of a running joke with my friends of, Oh, I feel like I’m getting old here because I felt like I was a pretty young, vibrant person before coming to Ferguson,” Wade, who is originally from Washington, DC, told AlterNet. “Now, I feel like my light is not that vibrant because it’s hard to be that light when you know other people are still weighed down. So that is where I know I will need help, as far as managing my work/life balance and dumping that stress somewhere else and not just keep it inside.”
Larry Fellows III, 29, a protester and native of St. Louis, said Ferguson drained him emotionally and financially.
“I felt like I was living in a scary movie,” Fellows told AlterNet. “I didn’t know what was going to happen next. I asked myself, is this the week I’m going to die? Is this how I am going to die? This is not how I want to go out."
For weeks, Fellows woke up to nightmares stemming from his activism. Like Elzie and many other protesters, he endured tear-gas on many occasions. One night, he was forced to stay with friends in Ferguson for several days because he said local law enforcement refused to let people out of the protest areas. On many nights after leaving Ferguson, he says a patrol car from the St. Louis County Police Department would tail him to the parking lot of his apartment complex. Fellows had a full-time job at an insurance company, but was eventually fired because he spent more days protesting than at work. In January, he moved to New York City and is currently employed as a fellow at Amnesty International. While the city has been a great change of scenery for him, he has been unable to shake the triggering memories of Ferguson or pay off the debt he ran up.
“I owe almost $3,000 to my apartment complex. I had to illegally break my lease because of the position I took in Ferguson,” Fellows said. “If I had legally done it, I would have had to pay three times my rent. That’s money I don’t have. It’s a list of things that I’m dealing with every day that are really hard to process. And you don’t really want to talk to someone you’re friends with because you feel like you’re a Debbie Downer or you’re bitching about your problems.”
He has seen a therapist once and wants to go again, but can’t afford it.
Lack of Access to Mental Healthcare for African Americans
Many African Americans find it difficult to afford therapy, which can range anywhere from $65 up to $200 and more per 50-minute session, depending on the region and whether the provider is insured or not. Another challenge for many of the Ferguson protesters whose trauma is specific to racial discrimination is that most licensed therapists aren’t black or multiculturally competent.
African Americans are 20 percent more likely to experience psychological distress than white Americans, yet make up around 2.6 percent of mental health professionals; most black people prefer a mental health professional of the same race. The Affordable Care Act provides coverage for mental health treatment, but it still depends on the person being able to pay something. Moreover, each state implements the ACA differently, so people seeking coverage need to research the marketplace in their home state for specifics on how to get care.
The stigma from seeking mental healthcare is also an issue. According to a 1996 study, 63 percent of African Americans view depression as a personal weakness. Attitudes about seeking help have changed in the nearly 20 years since the study was published, but Robinson says it's still an issue for many African Americans.
Robinson and Banks encourage residents of Ferguson and St. Louis County to take advantage of the free and low-cost mental health services in their area. Members of the Association of Black Psychologists in St. Louis offer free mental health services people can sign up for on the organization’s website. So far, the group has provided pro-bono treatment to at least 1,000 residents of St. Louis County.
Robinson says there is no need for people who feel traumatized by the events in Ferguson to suffer through that stress alone. Help is available.
“If we don’t push the message that seeking help from someone isn’t a sign of weakness but a sign of strength, then we’re going to have a mass of young adults who may be mentally crippled within the next decade,” she said. “Think about the ones who are raising children. So it is extremely important that we remove this stigma and tear down this barrier about seeking help.”
For more information:Services for The Children’s Services Fund, part of the St. Louis Mental Health Board, has a list of agencies that provide mental health services to children up to age 18. Those who feel the need to speak with someone immediately can call the Behavioral Health Response Hotline 24 hours a day at 314-469-6644.
Terrell Jermaine Starr is a senior editor at AlterNet. Follow him on Twitter @Russian_Starr.
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3) Missouri Court Assigns a State Judge to Handle Ferguson Cases
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4) Naked Black Man Fatally Shot by White Police Officer in Georgia
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5) United Nations Slams U.S. As The Only Country That Sentences Children To Die Behind Bars
By April V. Taylor
Marh 11, 2015
http://kulturekritic.com/2015/03/news/united-nations-slams-u-s-as-the-only-country-that-sentences-children-to-die-behind-bars/
United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture Juan Mendez recently made comments in a report to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, calling out the United States for imposing what amounts to cruel, inhuman, and degrading punishment. The comments build on his previous report on the United States’ cruel incarceration practices and point out that America’s practice of sentencing children to life in certain cases is a violation of multiple international laws, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Mendez specifically stated, “Life sentences or sentences of an extreme length have a disproportionate impact on children and cause physical and psychological harm that amounts to cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment. The fact that so many juveniles are held in solitary confinement in U.S. jails and prisons is also another thing Mendez called attention to. He stated, “In accordance with views of the Committee against Torture, the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and the Committee on the Rights of the Child the Special Rapporteur is of the view that the imposition of solitary confinement, of any duration, on children constitutes cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment or even torture.”
Mendez’s report comes two years after the Supreme Court ordered states to stop sending juveniles to prison for life without the possibility of parole. Of the 28 states that were ordered to change their juvenile sentencing policies, most have not done so or have passed new laws that are really similar to previous laws and require offenders to spend decades in prison before being up for parole. In the Supreme Court majority opinion statement, Justice Elena Kagan concluded that life without parole for minors is a violation of the Eighth Amendment’s ban on “cruel and unusual punishment.”
Mendez has also called for a ban on long term solitary confinement, as it essentially amounts to torture, no matter how old an inmate is. In discussing Mendez’s report, Critical Resistance communications director Mohamed Shehk points out that children being sentenced to life without the possibility of parole is “just one aspect of a system that continues to lock up people and destroy communities.” Shehk goes on to say, “Life without parole for anyone should be abolished. This is a system that throws people away in prisons and jails and completely ignores any kind of global call to end that practice, even though it completely contradicts international law—which the U.S. claims to hold so dearly.”
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6) A Sensible Bill on Medical Marijuana
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/11/opinion/a-sensible-bill-on-medical-marijuana.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=c-column-top-span-region®ion=c-column-top-span-region&WT.nav=c-column-top-span-region&_r=0
Three senators, two Democrats and a Republican, introduced a bill on Tuesday that would allow patients to use marijuana for medical purposes in states where it is legal, without fear of federal prosecution for violating narcotics laws.
The bill makes a number of important changes to federal marijuana policies — and it deserves to be passed by Congress and enacted into law. Though this legislation would not repeal the broad and destructive federal ban on marijuana, it is a big step in the right direction.
The most important change would reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, which is intended for drugs, like heroin, that have no accepted medical use in the United States, and place it instead in Schedule II, the classification for drugs that have a legitimate medical use but also have a “high potential for abuse.”
The Schedule I classification made no sense because there is a medical consensus that patients with AIDS, cancer, epilepsy and serious degenerative conditions can benefit from marijuana. And millions of patients have used marijuana to relieve pain, nausea, appetite loss, insomnia and seizures associated with various illnesses.
The bill, sponsored by Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, both Democrats, and Rand Paul, a Republican of Kentucky, would not legalize medical marijuana in all 50 states. But it would amend federal law to allow states to set their own medical marijuana policies and prevent federal law enforcement agencies from prosecuting patients, doctors and caregivers in those states. Currently 35 states and the District of Columbia permit some form of medical marijuana use. States would remain free to ban medical marijuana if they wished.
Other important provisions would allow banks and credit unions to provide financial services to marijuana-related businesses that operate in accord with state law and protect them from federal prosecution or investigation. That is a crucial improvement over the current situation where marijuana business that is legal under state law is conducted in cash because financial institutions fear to step in.The bill would also allow doctors in the Department of Veterans Affairs to prescribe medical marijuana to veterans, which they are currently prohibited from doing. And it would ease the overly strict procedures for obtaining marijuana for medical research and require the Food and Drug Administration to more readily allow the manufacture of marijuana for research.
An encouraging development last year may bode well for enactment of the legislation this year. A surprisingly strong bipartisan majority in the House voted for a one-year provision barring the Justice Department from using its funds to prevent states from carrying out their own laws authorizing the use, distribution, possession or cultivation of medical marijuana.
The provision was approved by a vote of 219 to 189, with 49 Republicans and 170 Democrats voting in favor. The Senate adopted the same provision and President Obama signed it into law.
Polls show a majority of Americans in favor of legalization of medical marijuana. It is long past time for Congress to recognize the need to change course.
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7) Gender Gap in Education Cuts Both Ways
By
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8) In Spain, Rapid Rise of Leftists Has a Familiar Ring
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9) Ferguson City Manager Cited in Justice Department Report Resigns
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/11/us/ferguson-city-manager-resigns.html?ref=us
FERGUSON, Mo. — The city manager of Ferguson, whom a Department of Justice report blamed for overseeing the financially driven policies that led to widespread discrimination and questionable conduct by the police and the courts here, has agreed to resign. The announcement came during a City Council meeting on Tuesday, about a week after the scathing Justice Department report was released.
The manager, John Shaw, 39, had held the post since 2007. As Ferguson’s chief executive, he was the city’s most powerful official.
Mr. Shaw, who has not spoken publicly since the report was issued, offered a staunch defense in a page-long letter to the community that city officials distributed during the Council meeting.
“And while I certainly respect the work that the D.O.J. recently performed in their investigation and report on the City of Ferguson, I must state clearly that my office has never instructed the Police Department to target African-Americans, nor falsify charges to administer fines, nor heap abuses on the backs of the poor,” he wrote. “Any inferences of that kind from the report are simply false.”
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10) Police Killing of Unarmed Georgia Man Leaves Another Town in Disbelief
"The shooting is the third police killing of an unarmed or apparently unarmed black man in the last five days, following shootings in Aurora, Colo., and Madison, Wis. They have occurred as the nation considers race, policing and lethal force in the wake of the killing of another unarmed black man, Michael Brown, in Ferguson, Mo., in August."
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11) Official: Average Wall Street Bonus Rises to Nearly $173,000
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12) Homeowners Try to Assess Risks From Chemical in Floors
"But while federal rules exist for workers, no federal rules protect consumers from formaldehyde or most other airborne chemicals in their homes. And while research exists on formaldehyde’s health effects, experts have difficulty correlating levels of exposure with cancer risk since so many factors can affect the development of the disease."
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13) Two Officers Are Shot Amid Protests Outside Ferguson Police Station
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14) Focus in Brooklyn Subway Shooting Is on Whether Deadly Force Was Justified
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15) Roof Collapse Kills Workers in Bangladeshi Cement Factory
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16) Rats and Rot: NYC Report Rips Family Homeless Shelters
"Ultimately, the city spent $637,000 for the guards who were ordered after the DOI inspection, plus over $750,000 to fix the stairs."
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