************************************************************
Cut all Public School ties to the military!
Speak up and Picket the S.F. Board of Education
the fourth Tuesday of each month starting,
June 28TH, 7:00 P.M.
555 Franklin St., S.F,
To get on the speakers list call:
415-241-6427, 241-6493 or 241-6000
Bay Area United Against War (BAUAW) will be picketing the San
Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) Board of Education
meetings the 4th Tuesday of each month beginning June 28th until
the district cuts all school ties to the military.
San Francisco voters passed Proposition N for the immediate
withdrawal of troops from Iraq by a 63 percent majority last
November. And this November 2005 we will pass an anti-recruitment
resolution initiated by College Not Combat, a coalition of groups
and individuals opposed to the U.S. militaries' school recruitment
program.
We are currently gathering the necessary signatures to place
this counter-recruitment proposition on the ballot. The
proposition says, "The people of San Francisco oppose U.S.
military recruiters using public school, college and university
facilities to recruit young people into the armed forces.
Furthermore, San Francisco should oppose the military's "economic
draft" by investigating means by which to fund and grant
scholarships for college and job training to low-income students
so they are not economically compelled to join the military!"
Proposition N, passed last November, already mandates the
SFUSD to cut all school ties to the military. Yet S.F. children
are still being actively recruited at schools throughout the
district by direct military recruitment, and through the Junior
Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) programs.
Many students are forced into JROTC in order to get the necessary
Physical Education credits they need to graduate High School. JROTC
now fulfills this requirement-and the district actually pays
a million dollars a year to the Army to support JROTC. (JROTC, by
the way, is totally managed and controlled by the U.S. Army. The
Army writes the curriculum and appoints the teachers. The district
has no say in this program.)
In fact, the U.S. military maintains a presence in the schools
at all grade levels from kindergarten on up. And now the Military
is beginning to set up JROTC "Military Academies" in the Middle
Schools. At these "academies" children are taught how to obey
orders and to practice military maneuvers with realistically
functioning toy guns.
As a result of the board's open door military policy, many San
Francisco high school graduates are currently serving in Iraq.
This must end. Schools must not be used to recruit youngsters to
kill or be killed in this illegal, immoral war! The following
resolution was presented to the board several months ago.
They still have not acted on it!
CUT ALL SCHOOL TIES TO THE MILITARY!
Resolution for San Francisco Board of Education
WHEREAS, the United States military is actively recruiting high
school students into the military to fight in Iraq; and
WHEREAS, many young San Francisco high school alumni are
presently serving in military units fighting in Iraq; and
WHEREAS, it is San Francisco City policy by virtue of
Proposition N, to bring all U.S. troops home from Iraq now; and
WHEREAS, over 1,700 U.S. soldiers and approximately
100,000 Iraqis have been killed in this war and over
10,000 U.S. soldiers and unknown thousands of Iraqis have
been wounded; and
WHEREAS, the hundreds of billions of dollars spent on the
war have robbed our children of resources that should be
spent on education and other human needs; and
WHEREAS, military presence in our schools legitimizes the
message that violence is acceptable; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
It shall be the policy of the San Francisco Board of Education
to cut all ties with the United States military, including, but
not limited to: Ending military recruitment on campuses; ending
the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC); and guaranteeing
that all students and parents are informed of their right to deny
military recruiters access to their names, addresses and
telephone numbers.
Come to the next planning meeting of Bay Area United Against War (BAUAW)
Saturday, July 9, 11:30 a.m. at 474 Valencia Street
between 15th & 16th Streets, S.F.
Bay Area United Against War (BAUAW) • www.bauaw.org
P.O. Box 318021,
San Francisco, CA 94131-8021 •
414-824-8730
************************************************************
Phil Ochs "I Ain't Marching Anymore"
Oh I marched to the battle of New Orleans
At the end of the early British war
The young land started growing
The young blood started flowing
But I ain't marchin' anymore
For I've killed my share of Indians
In a thousand different fights
I was there at the Little Big Horn
I heard many men lying I saw many more dying
But I ain't marchin' anymore
(chorus)
It's always the old to lead us to the war
It's always the young to fall
Now look at all we've won with the saber and the gun
Tell me is it worth it all
For I stole California from the Mexican land
Fought in the bloody Civil War
Yes I even killed my brothers
And so many others But I ain't marchin' anymore
For I marched to the battles of the German trench
In a war that was bound to end all wars
Oh I must have killed a million men
And now they want me back again
But I ain't marchin' anymore
(chorus)
For I flew the final mission in the Japanese sky
Set off the mighty mushroom roar
When I saw the cities burning I knew that I was learning
That I ain't marchin' anymore
Now the labor leader's screamin'
when they close the missile plants,
United Fruit screams at the Cuban shore,
Call it "Peace" or call it "Treason,"
Call it "Love" or call it "Reason,"
But I ain't marchin' any more,
No I ain't marchin' any more
Of course, this has to be the best Soldier's songs
(at leats my dad sez so):
Creedence Clearwater Revival "Fortunate Son"
Some folks are born, made to wave the flag,
Ooh, they're red, white and blue.
And when the band plays "Hail to the chief",
Ooh, they point the cannon at you, Lord,
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son, son.
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no,
Yeah!
Some folks are born silver spoon in hand,
Lord, don't they help themselves, oh.
But when the taxman comes to the door,
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yes,
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no millionaire's son, no.
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no.
Yeah!
Some folks inherit star spangled eyes,
Ooh, they send you down to war, Lord,
And when you ask them, "How much should we give?"
Ooh, they only answer More! more! more! yoh,
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no military son, son.
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, one.
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate one, no no no,
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate son, no no no,
************************************************************
COLLEGE NOT COMBAT PETITION CAMPAIGN
16TH & MISSION STREET
SATURDAYS, 12:30 P.M.
TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS, 5 & 7 P.M.
************************************************************
HANDS OFF VENEZUELA SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA FILM
SHOWING: 7:00 PM, FRIDAY JULY 15
Center for Political Education
522 Valencia, Third Floor,
Near 16th Street, SF
(not wheelchair accessible)
Close the 16th Street BART
$5/$3 Students, Seniors, Unemployed
With the Poor of the World
Con los pobres de la Tierra (2003) 56 minutes.
by Marta Harnecker on Venezuela
In Spanish with English Subtitles
This video gives the background and context of the
current struggles in Venezuela since 1993. Using TV
news footage and archival video, this film documents
the rise of Chavez and the Oligarchy's three attempts
to overthrow him.
May Day in Caracas
(2005) 22 minutes.
by a J. Carlos Flores.
In Spanish with English Subtitles
A short documentary about international labor day in
Venezuela
Hands off Venezuela will show these films as a benefit
to bring Stalin Peres Borges, a leader of the National
Union of Workers of Venezuela (UNT) a dynamic new
Venezuelan Trade Union federation.
Call Adam at 415 864 3537 or email sfbay@ushov.org for
more info or to arrange a speaker to talk about the
inspiring events in Venezuela and the need to protect
it from US attack.
Also Come To The Next Hands Off Venezuela Organizing
Meeting (all welcome): 7:00 PM, Thursday, June 30,
Socialist Action Bookstore, corner Valencia and 14th,
SF
www.handsoffvenezuela.org
************************************************************
SAN FRANCISCO MIME TROUPE
PRESENTS: "DOING GOOD"
A play based loosely on the book, "Confessions
of an Economic Hit Man", by John Perkins.
July 2, 3 & 4, DOLORES PARK
JULY 16, PRECITA PARK
MUSIC: 1:30 P.M.
SHOW: 2:00 P.M.
(I saw a preview of this play.
It's fresh and new, brilliantly performed,
insightful, full of content, and the music is great!...BW)
SPONSORED BY BAY AREA UNITED AGAINST WAR
COME HELP GATHER SIGNATURES FOR THE
COLLEGE NOT COMBAT BALLOT INITIATIVE TO GET THE MILITARY
OUT OF OUR SCHOOLS AND PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS
TO STUDENTS WHO CAN'T AFFORD TO GO TO COLLEGE SO THEY
DON'T HAVE TO JOIN THE MILITARY DUE TO ECONOMIC HARDSHIP.
WE WILL BE PETITIONING BEFORE AND AFTER THE PERFORMANCES.
LOOK FOR OUR TABLE TO PICK UP PETITIONS. FREE ANTIWAR POSTERS!
WE ONLY HAVE A FEW WEEKS TO GO!
FREE!
************************************************************
SAVE THE DATES: AUGUST 4, 5 & 6, 2005 FOR
PRESENTATION OF HOWARD ZINN'S ONE MAN SHOW,
"MARX IN SOHO" PERFORMED BY JERRY LEVY
LOCATION TO BE ANNOUNCED
TO BENEFIT BAY AREA UNITED AGAINST WAR
WWW.BAUAW.ORG
(FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL: 415-824-8730)
************************************************************
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
BAUAW NEWSLETTER UPDATE-MONDAY, JUNE 20, 2005
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
1) INTERNATIONALIZING U.S. ROADS
Phyllis Spivey
June 10, 2005
NewsWithViews.com
Imagine this: your state government puts a transportation
corridor in your neighborhood. It's nearly a quarter-mile wide.
It will serve vehicles and trains and incorporate oil, gas,
electric and water lines. Try to fight it and you'll not only
face the combined might of your local, state, and federal
governments, but foreign interests as well.
The internationalization of U.S. roads has begun.
We're not just talking about isolated instances of
privately-built toll roads with foreign management, as
we've seen in Southern California. We're talking about
networks of toll roads that may be built by foreign builders,
managed by foreign operators, function primarily to accommodate
foreign goods, and connect U.S. roads to similar networks
in Canada, Mexico and, later, Central and South America.
Interstate 69, for example, is a planned 1600 mile national
highway connecting Mexico, the U.S., and Canada. Eight states
are involved in the project: Once completed, I-69 will extend
from Port Huron, Michigan to the Texas/Mexico border.
http://www.newswithviews.com/Spivey/phyllis3.htm
2) US lied to Britain over use of napalm in Iraq war
By Colin Brown, Deputy Political Editor
17 June 2005
http://news.independent.co.uk/low_res/story.jsp?story=647397&host=3&dir=62
3) Halliburton to build new
$30 mln Guantanamo jail
Thu Jun 16, 2005 07:21 PM ET
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=8817044
4) Telling the Story
5) Radioactive contamination
at Hanford is on the move
It is 'not just staying
in place,' warns report
by watchdog group
By LISA STIFFLER
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/228573_hanford15.html
6) City Schools and Teachers
Revise Plan on Workday
By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN
Published: June 17, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/17/education/17teach.html?
7) THE STATE OF OUR MOVEMENT
by Van Gosse
[Based on a talk given at
Purdue University, April 20, 2005]
published by portside
June 17, 2005
http://people-link5.inch.com/pipermail/portside/Week-of-Mon-20050613/015410.html
8) Building Unity at a Time of Possibility
By Ted Glick
Future Hope column, June 20, 2005
9) The Thinking Behind a Close Look
at a C.I.A. Operation
By BYRON CALAME
June 19, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/19/opinion/19public.html
10) To Fill Ranks, Army Acts
To Retain Even Problem Enlistees
By GREG JAFFE
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
June 3, 2005
To keep more soldiers in the
service, the Army has told battalion
commanders, who typically command
800-soldier units, that they can
no longer bounce soldiers from the
service for poor fitness, pregnancy,
alcohol and drug abuse or generally
unsatisfactory performance.
Typically such decisions are made
at that level. Instead, the
battalion commanders must send the
problem soldiers' cases up to
their brigade commander, who typically
commands about 3,000 soldiers.
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/0,,SB111776400852250138-rYue9OsHO9i0IaNz4uApoo5WJ80_20060603,00.html?mod=rss_free
11) Supreme Court Orders
New Trial in 17-Year-Old
Murder Case
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: June 20, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Scotus-Death-Penalty.html?hp&ex=1119326400&en=82194b1d0546fa1a&ei=5094&partner=homepage
12) Someone Else's Child
By BOB HERBERT
June 20, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/20/opinion/20herbert.html?hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1119285163-kNizkcTjuoB851nYp3vQ6g
13) Libraries Say Yes, Officials
Do Quiz Them About Users
By ERIC LICHTBLAU
Published: June 20, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/20/politics/20patriot.html
14) G-8 Draft on Global Warming
Is Weakened at U.S. Behest
By ANDREW C. REVKIN
Published: June 18, 2005
"WASHINGTON, June 17 - Drafts
of a joint statement being prepared
for the leaders of the major
industrial powers show that the Bush
administration has succeeded in
removing language calling for prompt
action to control global warming."
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/18/politics/18climate.html
15) The Asbo Generation
More children than adults given antisocial orders
By Robert Verkaik, Legal Affairs Correspondent
20 June 2005
http://news.independent.co.uk/low_res/story.jsp?story=648302&host=3&dir=60
15) The Asbo Generation
More children than adults given antisocial orders
By Robert Verkaik, Legal Affairs Correspondent
20 June 2005
http://news.independent.co.uk/low_res/story.jsp?story=648302&host=3&dir=60
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
1) INTERNATIONALIZING U.S. ROADS
Phyllis Spivey
June 10, 2005
NewsWithViews.com
Imagine this: your state government puts a transportation
corridor in your neighborhood. It's nearly a quarter-mile wide.
It will serve vehicles and trains and incorporate oil, gas,
electric and water lines. Try to fight it and you'll not only
face the combined might of your local, state, and federal
governments, but foreign interests as well.
The internationalization of U.S. roads has begun.
We're not just talking about isolated instances of
privately-built toll roads with foreign management, as
we've seen in Southern California. We're talking about
networks of toll roads that may be built by foreign builders,
managed by foreign operators, function primarily to accommodate
foreign goods, and connect U.S. roads to similar networks
in Canada, Mexico and, later, Central and South America.
Interstate 69, for example, is a planned 1600 mile national
highway connecting Mexico, the U.S., and Canada. Eight states
are involved in the project: Once completed, I-69 will extend
from Port Huron, Michigan to the Texas/Mexico border.
http://www.newswithviews.com/Spivey/phyllis3.htm
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
2) US lied to Britain over use of napalm in Iraq war
By Colin Brown, Deputy Political Editor
17 June 2005
http://news.independent.co.uk/low_res/story.jsp?story=647397&host=3&dir=62
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
3) Halliburton to build new $30 mln Guantanamo jail
Thu Jun 16, 2005 07:21 PM ET
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=8817044
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
4) Telling the Story
Those of us who are still alive
carry the burden of telling the story.
Because this life that we follow,
this reality,
gets sliced, quartered and salted
by unexpected tears,
from songs long forgotten,
like haunting lullabies
conjuring up vengeful hopes
betrayed by the collective amnesia.
Yet the story must be told.
Because time is relentless
and memory is fragile...so fragile.
I weave bits and pieces,
each strand, a chord, a muscle, a piece of flesh,
tightened to remake the world that once was.
I sing those songs,
and the words, oh those precious words,
uprooted, torn out, taken someplace to die
have come back like zombies in Ford commercials.
And in my rage, my voice has forgotten how to sing.
Like a Rock. It gets stuck in my throat.
There's no way to make those sounds.
I can only hear them in my heart.
Yet the story must be told.
Because before this cold, calculated first,
second, third strike world, there was warmth.
Even amidst the blinding heat of that war,
there were hands that held each other,
eyes that cried for napalmed children across the sea,
and hearts that became horrified by the true white
face of hatred.
Televised lairs lost their masks
and truth in all its painful courage
ran in our young blood.
Our young eyes cared not what color the flag
only that they were draped over coffins
of someone's brother, father, son.
In telling this story I am not alone.
Thousands of silent partners
pull me from different directions,
each with their own dreams of the lives they led
and of the future that should have been,
and of the lessons we should have learned by now.
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
5) Radioactive contamination at Hanford is on the move
It is 'not just staying in place,' warns report by watchdog group
By LISA STIFFLER
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/228573_hanford15.html
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
6) City Schools and Teachers
Revise Plan on Workday
By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN
Published: June 17, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/17/education/17teach.html?
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
7) THE STATE OF OUR MOVEMENT
by Van Gosse
[Based on a talk given at Purdue University, April 20, 2005]
published by portside
June 17, 2005
http://people-link5.inch.com/pipermail/portside/Week-of-Mon-20050613/015410.html
I want to begin this talk by focusing on the notion of a
'conjuncture,' or what dictionaries call rather blandly
'A critical set of circumstances; a crisis.'
This is a term widely used in Latin America and Europe
to get at the particular 'balance of forces,' what I
would call the set of contingencies, that define a
historical moment. And not just any and all moments
either (as in daily life)-but those important defining
periods when things change decisively.
For historians, there are no 'models' to understand
reality, there is no predictability: contingency is all.
So no matter how eerily familiar a time might seem, we
have to always begin with the understanding that it is
truly new. Which is why the emphases on specificity,
originality and exceptionality built into the concept of
the conjuncture are really useful.
Let me give an example to underline how new is our
particular conjuncture. We all know how the war in Iraq
is constantly, even necessarily compared with the U.S.
war in Vietnam. But let's imagine that right now, we
could actually reproduce all the key circumstances of
that disastrous military adventure:
* Not 150,000 but 535,000 troops 'in country' at peak
* Not over 1,700 dead Americans and at least 20,000
total casualties so far, but eventually over 58,000
dead and over 200,000 total casualties
* Instead of the probably tens of thousands of dead
Iraqis (no one will tell us the numbers, they refuse
to count), the three million who eventually died in
the Indochinese wars
* Not a decentralized, mostly anonymous, ideologically
fragmented insurgency with no political program but
one of the most tightly-organized, popular and
disciplined political-military movements in modern
history, the National Liberation Front of South
Vietnam, backed by a sovereign state, the Democratic
Republic of Vietnam, with a very clear program for
national unification and independence
Well, let's suppose that Iraq escalates into a similar
situation. And it could, possibly, if this war lasts as
long as Vietnam. But even if it does, it will make no
difference: our movement must and will be completely
different. Think about all the other factors:
* The Vietnam war has already happened and the U.S. has
been defeated, an experience from which in a literal
sense we have never recovered
* the Soviet Union no longer exists as an insurance
agency for both grassroots revolutions like Vietnam's
and military dictatorships like Saddam Hussein's that
need a friend
* the Left and the antiwar movement no longer face a
powerfully hegemonic New Deal Democratic Party in
power, to say the least
* the civil rights movement is now a great but fading
memory of mass mobilization and political victory
instead of being as immediate as Terry Schiavo's
passing, and so on and on.
So what is the current conjuncture in U.S. politics? And
why should we start there? Why not just pass over to the
state of our antiwar movement? Isn't the U.S. political
scene always somewhere between 'bad' and 'worse,' and we
can't really do much about it?
That was apparently the response when an outline of this
talk was given at a meeting of the new Steering
Committee of United for Peace and Justice on April 8. I
had five minutes, and started off talking about 'the
conjuncture,' and the leader of an important national
organization jumped in as soon as I finished, saying 'I
thought we were going to hear about the state of the
antiwar movement!'
Well, that's my point. If all we do is talk about our
movement, and in passing refer to the larger political
world, we have begun wrong and are unlikely to right
ourselves. We have to start with the larger frame of
politics, because it almost totally defines our space
for effective action, our possibilities for
intervention. That may mean paying close attention to
people we don't like, and politics that many among us
find unpleasant, meaningless and seedy, but if we don't
pay attention, we're flying blind. Thus, the importance
of 'the conjuncture.'
Right now, U.S. politics is exceptionally and
dangerously fluid. We have clearly passed into what the
great Marxist theorist Perry Anderson, building on older
texts of military and political theory, called the 'war
of maneuver.' In electoral democracies with highly
institutionalized political systems like ours, politics
is almost always defined as the 'war of position,' akin
to trench warfare: a small gain here, pushing a salient
out there, the occasional large-scale offensive (as in a
presidential campaign) that costs a great deal but may
or may not pay off. Not that much changes in any short-
term.
Occasionally, however, things break apart and down, and
the 'war of maneuver' begins: the rapid charges, chaotic
routs, and amazing changes of fortune that characterize
great battles.
This is the situation we have faced since George W. Bush
got his war vote in late October 2002, and two weeks
later won control of both houses of Congress-but by what
is historically a very narrow margin in the Senate, and
the most precarious margin imaginable in the House
(essentially the same bare majority they've held since
1994, but never been able to build on). Since then, he
and his cohort of rightist operatives have skated on the
thinnest of ice, and yet have always managed to avoid
falling through-if only by skating faster.
You may not be surprised that this is the most
controversial of my many speculations: that the
Republican hold on power, while apparently commanding,
is extremely fragile, as I argued last January in a web-
essay called 'Twelve Theses on the War in Iraq and the
Future of U.S. Politics.' Many people on the Left are
shocked and humbled, and for good reason, by the scope
and determination of the right, how they operate
effectively at every level of our politics, how they
seem to command everything. Yet I'll still reiterate my
thesis: the Right's apparent hegemony is illusory, there
is no realignment (yet), their control of the
institutional levers of power is real but insecure.
This is not a matter of the raw numbers last November 4.
Certainly it matters that GW Bush's majority of 51% was
the narrowest re-election victory by a Republican in a
century, and shockingly narrow for a 'war president.'
That's beside the point, however. We should concentrate
on Congress, where exists the real power to implement,
to delay, to harass, to force change.
By any historical standard, the Republican control of
the upper and lower houses hangs by a thread-what would
normally be considered a mere handful of seats.
Remember: in the New Deal years, the Democrats had a 3
to 1 majority in the House over three terms, peaking at
334 to 88 in 1937-39. Well into most of our lifetimes,
we took for granted huge Democratic majorities. Between
the fabled Watergate class of 1974 (that produced a
better than 2-1 majority) and 1994, the Democrats had an
average margin of 88 seats-a figure beyond Tom Delay's
wildest dreams. But we all know there was no real
parliamentary discipline. After all, Bill Clinton
entered the White House in 1993 with solid Democratic
majorities in both houses-and what good did it do him?
They disappeared in 1994. That would be a useful lesson
for GWB, if he was prepared to listen. Under political
pressure, the center will not hold, and I think the
debacle over Social Security, Bush's 'cratering' poll
numbers, the Schiavo fiasco, Delay's mess, and more to
come all suggest that this wafer-thin political
dominance may well prove its fragility over the next two
years.
To complicate matters even more, we have the first
really 'open' presidential campaign approaching since
1952: not only no incumbent, but no heir apparent in the
form of a vice-president eager to run (as in 2000, 1988,
1968, and 1960). Under these circumstances, the degree
of self-interested maneuvering we can normally
anticipate with no incumbent running will be many times
greater. 2008 will be a circus and the lions and tigers
in the Republican hierarchy are already lining up, red
in tooth and claw, ready to climb over each other to
power.
My main point is that we should be very careful about
assuming any stability at all to the current alignment
of power in U.S. national politics. If past patterns
mean anything, one can easily imagine yet another
Democratic president, with a Democratic majority in one
if not both houses of Congress, come 2008.
But this 'fragility,' if reassuring, is very much a two-
edged sword. Simply because of all the advantages of
being the default party, as the Republicans were for so
long, there are powerful compulsions encouraging the
Democrats to find the easiest common denominator (as in
Social Security), and the simplest kind of populistic
appeal (Republicans as out of touch with ordinary
Americans and too long in power, as corrupt 'big
government' and so on, all the charges Gingrich used to
undermine the Democrats over the years). With all these
easy outs, why would the Democratic leadership ever
confront an aggressive Republican machine around a
complex, dangerous issue like the war in Iraq? If
history tells us anything, it is that politicians
dependent on votes will only take that kind of stand
when the crisis is compelling enough to knock them
adrift from their traditional moorings, or when they
feel intense anger and pressure from engaged
constituencies. Minus the latter, what we can expect
from many Democrats is the kind of opportunism
manifested by John F. Kennedy in 1960, when he
relentlessly attacked Richard Nixon as soft on Red China
(Quemoy and Matsu), the Soviet Union (the phony 'missile
gap') and Cuba ('I am not the Vice President who lost
Cuba'). It was a long, drawn-out exercise in avoidance
until now-President Kennedy finally faced the great
domestic political crisis of his time on June 10, 1963,
and spoke with passion of the 'peaceful revolution' in
civil and human rights that all Americans had to accept
and undertake. And he got there only because of a
movement that never let up and because southern
Democratic leaders like George Wallace were openly
defying federal authority.
All these contingencies contribute to the regime of
brutal or vulgar partisanship which has reigned in
national politics since the mid-1990s at least. Rather
than ideological conflict, the confrontation is reduced
to strictly personal terms: Bill Clinton's sexual
dalliances, for instance. This is the worst possible
scenario for the Left in general, and certainly for the
antiwar movement. It reduces politics to simple
polarities: no matter how much I wanted Bush repudiated
for his war upon the world, an 'ABB' attitude was
foolish.
Let's turn to the state of the antiwar movement, the
historical subject seeking to act within the apparently
objective frame of US politics.
We have to begin by with a proviso, and a warning: our
opponents devoutly want to 'Iraqize' this war, and at
every point we have to be ready for a strategy which
will seek visible reductions in the US troop presence to
placate domestic opinion, just as Richard Nixon
'Vietnamized' his failing war in 1969 and after.
Having made that stipulation, there are three criteria
for a successful movement to oppose US foreign policy,
as I see it.
First, a successful movement is one that constantly
spreads into new geographic and demographic spaces (and
sectors), so as to keep structures of power on the
defensive, and hem them in.
Second, it will manifest a multi-strategy and multi-
tactics approach to swarm conventional structures of
power and policy-making elites, never letting up and
wearing them down, in the political equivalent of
guerrilla warfare.
Third, it will focus on opportunities to connect to so-
called 'mainstream,' more properly called conventional,
legislative and electoral politics, since this is the
arena where a movement must register its gains--and if
it doesn't, it can win only by dumb luck or the
intervention of an exterior force, the proverbial act of
god.
Where is the antiwar movement today, by these
benchmarks?
First, let's openly acknowledge the astonishing weakness
and failure exhibited by the various national
organizations and networks of the peace and solidarity
movement in the 1990s, which allowed for the rise of
ANSWER. Like nature, sectarians are eager to fill a
vacuum, and they did so with great energy. Since 2002,
United for Peace and Justice and a host of new
organizations (most of which belong to UFPJ) have worked
to overcome that entropy, with considerable success. The
need to come together as a broad and nonsectarian
movement in the streets, to find a unity in action,
helps explain why the overwhelming emphasis since late
2002 has been on large mobilizations (like February 15,
2003 and August 29, 2004), but now we need to move
beyond that stage of organizing and greatly diversify
both our overall strategies and our specific tactics for
ending the war.
Second, having largely overcome the problem posed by
ANSWER and the absence of a genuine, democratically-run
coalition, we can see that our movement is clearly
consolidating for the long haul. It is spreading
steadily into new spaces and sectors. But we have a very
long way to go-we as a movement have to take seriously
the challenge of simultaneous growth in all these areas:
*becoming a truly multiracial movement, a real necessity
if we ever hope to change the direction of US foreign
policy;
*consolidating a national student infrastructure with
staff and funding that will build upon the leadership of
the National Youth and Student Peace Coalition;
*making the various communities of faith a highly
visible component of our movement, a process now under
way with the founding of Clergy and Laity Concerned
About Iraq;
*developing targeted organizing and real outreach to all
those people and groups in the South, the mountain West
and rural areas in general who agree with us but are
surrounded by 'red state' rightists, and need support.
Third, we are still at a very early stage of developing
a sophisticated multi-strategy, multi-tactical approach.
In this regard the most positive signs are the strong
growth of groups like Military Families Speak Out, the
National Guard campaigns, and the burgeoning counter-
recruitment campaigns aimed at high school youth. The
decision by UFPJ to commit to a multi-pronged fall
mobilization in Washington DC, embracing a mass rally,
an interfaith service, large-scale civil disobedience,
and a coordinated national lobby day, is a major step in
the right direction.
Finally, in terms of leveraging our weight into the
conventional political (electoral and legislative)
arena, our movement has a long way to go, but is making
rapid steps. The recent vote on Rep. Lynne Woolsey's
amendment requesting that the President "develop a plan
as soon as practicable ... to provide for the withdrawal
of United States Armed Forces from Iraq" and "transmit
to the congressional defense committees a report that
contains the plan" showed how much space actually exists
to surface dissent within Congress and the structures of
power. Despite the near-absence of any coordinated
congressional pressure strategy, 122 Democrats (that's a
majority of their caucus) and 5 Republicans voted 'yes.'
We should take this as a clear signal that Congress is
prepared to respond to the mounting public
dissatisfaction, if given the kind of hard push that is
needed. Indeed, we should take this vote as a signal
that victories are ready to be won, if we will act
audaciously.
To push along an audacious perspective, here's a kind of
provocation. I want to pose a set of possible tactical
wins that would actually have an impact on the world of
conventional politics. Plenty of people assert that
thinking in these terms is premature, but to me if we
don't start thinking in these terms we will never really
move forward. So here goes:
A state legislature passes an 'Out Now' resolution
calling for immediate withdrawal (even getting a vote on
such a resolution is a victory of sorts)
A command rank officer resigns as an act of dissent from
the war
A prominent Republican elected official breaks ranks
with the President
A member of Congress loses his or her seat because of
support for the war
A major national institution (a large religious
denomination, a big union, a major association) calls
for immediate withdrawal
A citywide campaign gets recruiters kicked out of
schools
Celebrities from the (poor, people of color and/or
rural) constituencies that provide the troops speak
directly to potential volunteers, urging them not to
participate in an unjust occupation
More state legislatures follow Montana's lead and call
for bringing home their National Guard units
Churches start creating sanctuaries for soldiers who
refuse to fight
A top religious leader urges youths not to enlist, and
the right of military dissent from an unjust war
The count of members of Congress who oppose so-called
'supplemental aid' to fund the war consistently
increases
A resolution supporting immediate withdrawal is placed
on the ballot in California or elsewhere-and wins
More and more state Democratic Party organizations
follow California's in calling for immediate withdrawal
[kudos to Progressive Democrats of America on that win!]
Congress passes a non-binding resolution opposing 'stop
loss' orders as a form of involuntary servitude
The biggest win of all, of course, would be a candidate
in 2008 who repudiates not only this war, but the entire
doctrine of pre-emptive military domination of the
world, as immoral and disastrous-and not only gets the
Democratic nomination but wins the general election. A
pipe dream? Certainly, at this point, but this is how we
need to start thinking about ourselves; this is the
level of responsibility we need to accept for what our
government is doing to the world.
In conclusion, let's think about the challenge that
faces us now, not just the antiwar movement but the Left
as a whole, the challenge to take ourselves completely
seriously. This is the painful lesson we need to learn
from the no-longer-New Right's fifty-year process of
movement-building, ever since Joe McCarthy drank himself
to death and a new type of 'Southern Republicanism'
began to stir, seeking to pick up the pieces of the
Dixiecrat revolt.
The first lesson we can learn from the New Right is that
they have never allowed the immediate constraints of the
mainstream political world to define or limit them,
while at the same time they have remained intensely
focused on every possible gain and intervention in (and
manipulation of) that world. And bit by bit they have
taken it over, first within the Republican Party, and
then through the Republican Party.
Contrast this with the Left. On the one hand, we have
many formations and organizations wholly defined by and
limited by the constraints of institutional Democratic
Party politics. On the other, we have whole swathes of
activists who are deeply anti-electoral and even
abstentionist, preferring to stand aside from the impure
world of partisan activism. I know activists with
decades of experience who have never met a Member of
Congress, and know very little about how our government
actually works, its gears and levers. And there are lots
of people in-between, who participate in conventional
politics while holding their noses, wading in only up to
their knees (I would have to answer to this description,
if I'm being honest). This is why the Right, and even
many in the anemic Democratic center, mock us-and they
are correct to do so.
The second lesson is that even though the Right is just
as divided up into many different movements as we are,
with their own decades of sectarian baggage, they have
learned over time how to bring their movements together
into a common front. It would behoove us to study how
they did that-what kinds of compromises, and
institutional adjustments were necessary. At the same
time, we have to recognize that their common glue is
largely unavailable to us. In fundamental ways, people
on the right are linked by race, and by a racially and
ethnically-based (and sexualized) fear and loathing of a
whole set of 'others.' We may have common fears and
antipathies on the Left, we may all detest oppression
and militarism, but these are of a different order. So
we have to find our own common vision, one based not in
fear and the narrowest definitions of community and
patriotism, but in hope and an expansive,
internationalist love of the country we want to become,
not the country we have been. That's a tall order but
again, utterly necessary.
To really learn this second lesson, we're going to have
do something to which we as Americans are almost
congenitally averse. To build the powerful, united,
broad Left the world demands of us we are going to have
to embrace complexity-our own complexity as the historic
Left in America. We aren't at all the same kinds of
people, not just racially or sexually but in terms of
our ideologies, even our spiritualities. Pluralism is
here with a vengeance. Under no foreseeable
circumstances are we all going to become socialists, or
pacifists, or anarchists. We are Christian and Muslim
and Jewish and Buddhist, atheist and nationalist (of one
sort or another), black, brown, yellow, red and white,
working-class and middle-class. But if we can actually
come together as a movement, we have a world to gain-or
save.
Van Gosse teaches history at Franklin and Marshall
College in Lancaster, PA. He serves on the Steering
Committees of Historians Against the War and United for
Peace and Justice. The views expressed in this essay are
entirely personal.
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
8) Building Unity at a Time of Possibility
By Ted Glick
Future Hope column, June 20, 2005
"Narrow approaches are a dead-end for our
movement. . . What is needed is an approach that can appeal
to millions of people, that connects with and draws strength
from the deep-seated traditions of struggle for justice
among the peoples who make up this country. This is what we
need to fight against the sham 'war on terrorism,' U.S.
support of Israeli occupation, attacks on our civil
liberties and civil rights, racism in all its forms, and the
economic terrorism experienced by people from Watts to the
Mississippi Delta to Harlem to Colombia, Africa, Argentina,
Afghanistan and elsewhere in the world."
I wrote these words in a column, "On Leftist
Parties," in January of 2003. They're still very relevant.
Since that time there have been a number of
changes as far as the make-up of the national peace and
justice movement. Back then United for Peace and Justice
(UFPJ) was just getting off the ground, and International
ANSWER was the predominant national coalition mobilizing
anti-war demonstrations. But today, following a split about
a year ago within the Workers World Party-a group with
significant influence within ANSWER--there is now a Workers
World Party-less ANSWER, and there is a newly-formed Troops
Out Now Coalition (TONC) within which WWP and its
International Action Center play a major role. Both
coalitions are significantly weaker, even taken together,
than they used to be before the WWP split.
UFPJ, on the other hand, has become the major
national peace and justice coalition. It has more than 1,000
member groups and a million dollar budget. 10 months ago it
organized a demonstration of ∏ million people outside the
Republican National Convention, and on May 1st of this year
it organized an anti-nuke, anti-war demonstration in New
York City of approximately 30,000. On the same day in NYC,
the Troops Out Now Coalition organized a demonstration of
around 1,000.
UFPJ is also undergoing some qualitative changes. One
example is the election a couple of months of ago of three
national co-chairs of color, George Friday, George Martin
and Judith LeBlanc. At its national assembly in St. Louis in
February, it adopted as one of its top priorities a
Grassroots Education Campaign "to reach potential new allies
and expand our base. . . An education working group will be
created to develop the long-term educational strategy to
reach new constituencies." This decision was made, and there
has been follow-up since, in response to internal criticism
that UFPJ was not taking seriously enough the importance of
outreach to communities of color and a linking of
international and domestic issues as they are experienced by
people at the grassroots.
It is within this context that, once again,
there is contention over UFPJ and ANSWER/TONC calls for a
massive demonstration on September 24th in Washington, D.C.
and elsewhere.
There's a lot of "déjà vu all over again" to
this contention. It reminds me of an extremely difficult and
problematic political process in the first part of 2002 as
various groups struggled to organize a united mass action on
April 20th of that year. We ended up doing so, with great
difficulty, but two aspects to the way ANSWER, supported by
TONC, are attempting to build support for their approach are
very similar to what they did then.
It is troubling that ANSWER/TONC is, ostensibly,
conducting what it calls a quest for "unity" via the
internet. So far this spring I've received at least five
emails from one or the other group trumpeting how committed
they are to achieving "unity" with UFPJ as they put forward
the correctness of their approach to making it happen. Three
and a half years ago, following some initial contact between
reps of ANSWER and reps of the April 20th Mobilization
coalition (the predecessor of UFPJ), ANSWER sent out an
email announcing that a "unity statement" had been adopted.
This false email was issued rather than ANSWER responding to
the April 20th Mobilization's putting forward of several
ideas on a possible way to have a unified day of action on
April 20th. These ideas were given with an explicit
request/understanding that ANSWER would respond to them so
that we could further process this question within our
coalition. And up until two weeks before April 20th, ANSWER
continued to use the internet to attempt to force a "unity"
on terms most favorable to them.
This is most definitely not the way to build
principled and effective unity, if that is truly the
objective.
It is also troubling that ANSWER has put forward
the demand, "Support the Palestinian People's Right of
Return" as a major demand. TONC held a conference earlier
this month on the topic, "Building a United Front to Stop
the War," and the first bulleted point that they made in
their website report of that conference was that "Support
for the Right of all Palestinian refugees and their
descendants to return to their original homes and property
in all of historic Palestine is not negotiable."
I personally understand and support the right of
Palestinian organizations to put this demand forward as they
struggle to end the Israeli occupation of Gaza, the West
Bank and East Jerusalem. When the state of Israel has been
aggressively acting upon the position that any Jew anywhere
in the world has the right to emigrate to Israel and take up
residence there, creating "facts on the ground" that lead to
more land grabs and building of settlements to accommodate
these immigrants, no one can legitimately deny this just
demand of the Palestinians. It must be dealt with as part of
the process of serious negotiations between the Palestinian
and Israeli government representatives, leading to an end to
the Israeli occupation.
But to put this particular demand forward rather
than, say, a demand to end U.S. support for Israeli
occupation, can only have the effect of confusing,
alienating or turning away potential participants in and
organizers of September 24th, and not just in the white
community. It is not a demand broadly understood or
supported within the United States, even within the U.S.
progressive movement. In the context of the movement to
force the United States to pull its military troops and
military bases out of Iraq and end its neo-colonial plans to
control Iraqi oil, this is a demand that will weaken and
narrow that movement. It is just plain strategically wrong
for ANSWER/TONC to put this forward in the way that they
are.
This is a very key political moment for our movement to get
the U.S. out of Iraq. The conservative North Carolina
Republican Congressman Walter Jones, who got "French fries"
in the Congressional cafeteria changed to "freedom fries,"
has joined with another Republican and two Democrats to put
forward a bill calling for a plan to begin withdrawing U.S.
troops next year. John Conyers has just convened a very
successful public hearing in Congress calling attention to
the Downing Street memo which has led to widespread media
coverage about that memo and has helped to strengthen the
peace movement. Public opinion polls report that almost 60%
of the U.S. American people are against the war and want to
begin bringing troops home. Amnesty International is
standing up to Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld and their ilk and
calling them out for the systematic torture and abuse in
their gulag of prisons at Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib and
elsewhere. The Bush/Cheney gang is on the defensive.
The last thing any group on the left which purports to be
against the war should be doing right now is conducting
itself in such a way that it divides, not unites, the broad
range of people of all colors and cultures who are prepared
to come out in massive numbers to demand an end to this war.
Ted Glick works with the Independent Progressive Politics
Network (www.ippn.org) and the Climate Crisis Coalition
(www.climatecrisiscoalition.org), although these ideas are
solely his own. He can be reached at indpol@igc.org or P.O.
Box 1132, Bloomfield, N.J. 07003.
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
9) The Thinking Behind a Close Look
at a C.I.A. Operation
By BYRON CALAME
June 19, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/19/opinion/19public.html
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10) To Fill Ranks, Army Acts
To Retain Even Problem Enlistees
By GREG JAFFE
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
June 3, 2005
To keep more soldiers in the service, the Army has told
battalion commanders, who typically command 800-soldier
units, that they can no longer bounce soldiers from the
service for poor fitness, pregnancy, alcohol and drug
abuse or generally unsatisfactory performance. Typically
such decisions are made at that level. Instead, the
battalion commanders must send the problem soldiers'
cases up to their brigade commander, who typically
commands about 3,000 soldiers.
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/0,,SB111776400852250138-rYue9OsHO9i0IaNz4uApoo5WJ80_20060603,00.html?mod=rss_free
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
11) Supreme Court Orders
New Trial in 17-Year-Old
Murder Case
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: June 20, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Scotus-Death-Penalty.html?hp&ex=1119326400&en=82194b1d0546fa1a&ei=5094&partner=homepage
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
12) Someone Else's Child
By BOB HERBERT
June 20, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/20/opinion/20herbert.html?hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1119285163-kNizkcTjuoB851nYp3vQ6g
It has become clearer than ever that Americans do not want
to fight George W. Bush's tragically misguided war in Iraq.
You can still find plenty of folks arguing that we have to
stay the course, or even raise the stakes by sending more
troops to the war zone. But from the very start of this war
the loudest of the flag-waving hawks were those who were safely
beyond military age themselves and were unwilling to send their
own children off to fight.
It's easy to be macho when you have nothing at risk. The hawks
want the war to be fought with other people's children, while
their own children go safely off to college, or to the mall.
The number of influential American officials who have children
in uniform in Iraq is minuscule.
Most Americans want no part of Mr. Bush's war, which is why Army
recruiters are failing so miserably at meeting their monthly
enlistment quotas. Desperate, the Army is lowering its standards,
shortening tours, increasing bonuses and violating its own
recruitment regulations and ethical guidelines.
Americans do not want to fight this war.
Times Square in Midtown Manhattan is the most heavily traveled
intersection in the country. It was mobbed on V-E Day in
May 1945 and was the scene of Alfred Eisenstaedt's legendary
photo of a sailor passionately kissing a nurse on V-J Day
the following August. There is currently an armed forces
recruiting station in Times Square, but it's a pretty lonely
outpost. An officer on duty one afternoon last week said no
one had come in all day.
Vince Morrow, a 10th grader from Allentown, Pa., was
interviewed across the street from the recruiting station,
on Broadway. He said he had once planned to join the
military after graduating from high school, but had changed
his mind. "It's the war," he said. "Going over and never
coming back. Before the war you'd just go to different
places and help people. Now you go over there and you fight."
His mother, Michelle, said: "I'd like to see him around
awhile. It was different before the war. It's the fear
of not coming home. Our other son just graduated Saturday
and he was planning to go into the Air Force. They told
him college was included and made him all kinds of promises.
They almost made him sign papers before we had decided.
We thought about it and researched it and decided against it."
Last week's New York Times/CBS News Poll found that the
mounting casualties and continuing turmoil in Iraq have
made Americans increasingly pessimistic about the war.
A majority said the U.S. should have stayed out of Iraq
and only 37 percent approved of the president's handling
of the war.
What hasn't changed is the fact that the vast majority
of the parents who support the war do not want their
children to fight it. A woman in the affluent New York
suburb of Ridgewood, N.J., who has a daughter in high
school and a younger son, said: "I would not want my
children to go. If there wasn't a war it would be
different. I support the war and I think we need to
be there. But it's not going well. It's becoming like
Vietnam. It's a very bad situation. But we can't leave."
I don't know how you win a war that your country doesn't
want to fight. We sent too few troops into Iraq in the
first place and the number of warm bodies available for
Iraq and other military missions going forward is dwindling
alarmingly. The Bush crowd may be bellicose, but for most
Americans the biggest contribution to the war effort is
a bumper sticker that says "support our troops," and maybe
a belligerent call to a talk radio station.
The home-front "warriors" who find it so easy to give
the thumbs up to war endanger the truly valorous men and
women who are actually willing to put on a uniform, pick
up a weapon and place their lives on the line.
The president and these home-front warriors got us into
this war and now they don't know how to get us out. Nor
do they have a satisfactory answer to the important ethical
question: how do you justify sending other people's children
off to fight while keeping a cloak of protection around
your own kids?
If the United States had a draft (for which there is no
political sentiment), its warriors would be drawn from
a much wider swath of the population, and political leaders
would think much longer and harder before committing the
country to war.
E-mail: bobherb@nytimes.com
Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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13) Libraries Say Yes, Officials
Do Quiz Them About Users
By ERIC LICHTBLAU
Published: June 20, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/20/politics/20patriot.html
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
14) G-8 Draft on Global Warming
Is Weakened at U.S. Behest
By ANDREW C. REVKIN
Published: June 18, 2005
"WASHINGTON, June 17 - Drafts of a joint statement being prepared
for the leaders of the major industrial powers show that the Bush
administration has succeeded in removing language calling for prompt
action to control global warming."
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/18/politics/18climate.html
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
15) The Asbo Generation
More children than adults given antisocial orders
By Robert Verkaik, Legal Affairs Correspondent
20 June 2005
http://news.independent.co.uk/low_res/story.jsp?story=648302&host=3&dir=60
Children are the subject of more antisocial behaviour orders
than adults, leading commentators to warn that the Government
is in danger of making it a "crime to become a child".
Latest figures show that children have become the prime target
of antisocial behaviour orders with more than half of Asbos
issued between June 2000 and March 2004 against children
- 1,177 against children and 1,143 against adults.
Childcare charities are concerned that some of the orders, which
if breached can result in detention in a young offenders'
institution, are being imposed for inappropriate reasons. One
15-year-old boy with Asperger's syndrome was given an Asbo
which stated he was not to stare over his neighbours' fence
into their garden. Another 15-year-old with Tourette's syndrome,
which can involve an inability to stop shouting profanities,
received an Asbo banning him from swearing in public.
Children aged between 10 and 15 are now four times more
likely to be the subject of an Asbo than when the orders were
first used in 1999.
Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, said: "In Britain today
there is no question that people need protecting from crime,
but we must not become an Asbo land, where it is a crime to
be irritating and a crime to become a child."
Juvenile justice groups and childcare organisations say that
it is too easy for the courts to impose these civil orders on
children which result in criminal punishments if breached.
Neighbourhood groups and community leaders are urging
police and local authorities to make greater use of Asbos
in an effort to stamp out nuisance behaviour. But what worries
children's groups and civil rights organisations is that this
policy is criminalising misbehaviour by imposing orders
against the softest targets - children.
In the past few months, boys as young as 10 have been
served with Asbos.
This month Siobhan Blake became the youngest girl to be
served with an Asbo. The 11-year-old was given a two-year
order banning her from throwing missiles, spitting, assaulting
anyone, using abusive language, damaging property and
harassing people. Blake had "terrorised" residents in Hastings,
East Sussex, by smashing windows and hurling eggs and stones.
The Council of Europe's human rights commissioner, Alvaro
Gil-Robles, said this month that Britain's policy on antisocial
behaviour was criminalising children. He said no juvenile
under 16 should be at risk of imprisonment for breaching
an antisocial behaviour order. Asbos should be "restricted
to serious cases".
Civil liberties groups have raised concerns that local
authorities are using the powers of the orders as a short
cut to imposing criminal punishments. An Asbo is granted
as a civil power, but a breach of the order is treated as
an offence punishable by up to five years in prison, or
a young offenders' institution.
The wide terms of the legislation mean that a magistrate
can grant an Asbo by being satisfied only on a balance
of probabilities that the accused's behaviour is "likely
to cause alarm, harassment or distress".
Groups such as the British Institute for Brain Injured Children,
a charity working with young people with behavioural difficulties,
say that the Government's targeting of "families from hell"
could lead to the demonising of children with Asperger's
syndrome or other problems.
In the first year of the Asbo, 1999, only a few dozen
applications were made to the courts. Since then, Labour
has introduced laws to strengthen their use while giving
councils and police more money to fund applications.
In many cases, an Asbo against a child is now accompanied
by a naming and shaming order.
The Children's Society has said that it is "very concerned
about the Government policy to "name and shame" children
who receive Asbos. Liz Lovell, a policy adviser at the society,
said: "The policy is not only counter-productive, it puts
children and young people at risk. We are also opposed
to the proposed extension of this policy in the Serious
Organised Crime and Police Bill.
"Although an Asbo is a civil order, breaching it is a criminal
offence, the penalty for which can be imprisonment. Asbos
were not designed with children in mind."
In the six years since the first Asbos were granted, evidence
is emerging that they no longer have a deterrent impact on
antisocial behaviour. Children are more likely to breach an
order - resulting in a criminal record - than an adult,
figures show.
Liberty has told the Commons Select Committee on Home
Affairs that such an "indiscriminate and excessive" use of
the legislation is "undermining any benefit they might bring".
Ms Chakrabarti said: "We are aware of anecdotal evidence of
Asbos being treated as a badge of honour. If that is so, then
what must be the principal purpose of Asbos, deterrence from
antisocial behaviour, is undermined. Displacement of
aggressive youths from one estate to a neighbouring one
does not address the cause of their behaviour."
Earlier this year, the Home Affairs Select Committee concluded
that the Government's Asbo policy was about right.
A spokesman for the Home Office said: "Asbos are about the
protection of the community. They are civil orders, not criminal.
As long as a young person abides by the order, there are no
further consequences and they will not get a criminal record.
"Asbos are not the first stop on the line. There have usually
been a range of interventions to attempt to modify behaviour.
"There's no evidence that Asbos are leading to an increase
in youth custody. Individual support orders and parent orders
are used to help modify youngsters' antisocial behaviour
when they are given an Asbo."
The spokeswoman added: "Breaching an Asbo is a serious
offence and it's important for the confidence of the community
that breaches are acted upon."
The Home Office was conducting research on the impact of
Asbos on the individual and the community, the spokeswoman
said, although it was important to understand that Asbos were
a "relatively new tool".
Asbo facts
* Of those who breached Asbos in 2004, 46 per cent were
given custodial sentences
* Forty-two per cent of all Asbos were breached up to
December 2003, compared to 36 per cent for the period
up to December 2002
* A Mori poll this month found that while 89 per cent of
people support Asbos, only 39 per cent feel they are effective
* The British Institute for Brain-Injured Children says at least
five children with autism and other brain disorders have
been given Asbos
Eoghan Williams
Also in Legal
The Asbo Generation
U-turn on cannabis law by Clarke
They're happy, they're humanist... and they're a British legal landmark
Lineker libel trial collapses after jury fails to reach verdict
Central government 'still obstructive' over FOI
(c) 2004 Independent Digital (UK) Ltd
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
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---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
Monday, June 20, 2005
Friday, June 17, 2005
BAUAW NEWSLETTER-FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 2005
************************************************************
COLLEGE NOT COMBAT PETITION CAMPAIGN
16TH & MISSION STREET
SATURDAYS, 12:30 P.M.
TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS, 5 & 7 P.M.
************************************************************
BAUAW MEETING: SATURDAY, 11:30 A.M.
474 VALENCIA STREET NEAR 16TH STREET
WE WILL PETITION AFTER OUR MEETING!
************************************************************
SAN FRANCISCO MIME TROUPE
PRESENTS: "DOING GOOD"
A play based loosely on the book, "Confessions
of an Economic Hit Man", by John Perkins.
July 2, 3 & 4, DOLORES PARK
MUSIC: 1:30 P.M.
SHOW: 2:00 P.M.
(I saw a preview of this play last evening.
It's fresh and new, brilliantly performed,
insightful, full of content, and the music is great!...BW)
SPONSORED BY BAY AREA UNITED AGAINST WAR
COME HELP GATHER SIGNATURES FOR THE
COLLEGE NOT COMBAT BALLOT INITIATIVE. GET THE MILITARY
OUT OF OUR SCHOOLS. PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS
TO STUDENTS WHO CAN'T AFFORD TO GO TO COLLEGE SO THEY
DON'T HAVE TO JOIN THE MILITARY BECAUSE OF ECONOMIC HARDSHIP.
WE WILL BE PETITIONING BEFORE AND AFTER THE PERFORMANCES.
LOOK FOR OUR TABLE TO PICK UP PETITIONS. FREE ANTIWAR POSTERS!
WE ONLY HAVE A FEW WEEKS TO GO!
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************************************************************
SAVE THE DATES: AUGUST 4, 5 & 6, 2005 FOR
PRESENTATION OF HOWARD ZINN'S ONE MAN SHOW,
"MARX IN SOHO" PERFORMED BY JERRY LEVY
LOCATION TO BE ANNOUNCED
TO BENEFIT BAY AREA UNITED AGAINST WAR
WWW.BAUAW.ORG
(FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL: 415-824-8730)
************************************************************
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
BAUAW NEWSLETTER – FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 2005
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
1) Soldier Charged with Murder in Officers' Deaths
Thu Jun 16, 2005 05:51 PM ET
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A U.S. soldier has been charged with
premeditated murder in the deaths of two U.S. army officers in
Iraq this month, a military statement said on Thursday.
Staff Sergeant Alberto Martinez, 37, was charged with the
murder of Captain Phillip Esposito and Lieutenant Louis Allen,
both with the headquarters of the New York Army National Guard.
The officers were killed by a blast in Tikrit on June 7, the
statement by the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq said.
An initial investigation indicated the officers were killed
by a mortar round but further examination showed the blast was
"inconsistent with a mortar attack," it said. It gave no
further details.
(c) Reuters 2005
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=8816470
2) Antiwar Group Says Leaked British Memo
Shows Bush Misled Public on His War Plans
By SCOTT SHANE
June 17, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/17/politics/17downing.html
3) Questions, Bitterness and Exile for Queens Girl in Terror Case
By NINA BERNSTEIN
June 17, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/17/nyregion/
17suicide.html?hp&ex=1119067200&en=59dc0c13ad38064f&ei=5094&partner=ho
mepage
4) Race a Factor in
Job Offers for Ex-Convicts
By PAUL von ZIELBAUER
June 17, 2005
"White men with prison records receive far more offers for
entry-level jobs in New York City than black men with identical
records, and are offered jobs just as often - if not more
so - than black men who have never been arrested, according
to a new study by two Princeton professors.
The study, the first to assess the effect of race on job
searches by ex-convicts, also found that black men who had
never been in trouble with the law were about half as likely
as whites with similar backgrounds to get a job offer or
a callback."
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/17/nyregion/17felons.html
5) Rights Trial Restarts in Mississippi
By SHAILA DEWAN
Published: June 17, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/17/national/17cnd-
trial.html?hp&ex=1119067200&en=26b7f70ff1170a3c&ei=5094&partner=homepage
6) Feature: Another "Drug Related" Death –
Austin Policewoman Kills Unarmed Teen
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/391/austin.shtml
7) Democrats call for inquiry into 'Downing Street Memo'
Last Updated Thu, 16 Jun 2005 22:04:17 EDT
CBC News
http://www.cbc.ca/storyview/MSN/world/national/2005/06/16/memo050616.html
8) U.S. jets drop 500 lb bombs in Iraq operation
By Luke Baker
BAGHDAD (Reuters)
Fri Jun 17, 2005 09:01 AM ET
"BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. F-16 fighter planes dropped
a series of 500 lb (220 kg) bombs on insurgent targets in
western Iraq overnight as the U.S. military launched a heavy
offensive against rebels near the Syrian border.
Nine of the powerful bombs were dropped, the U.S. military
said, two of them targeting suspected rebel safe houses near
the town of Qaim, an insurgent stronghold on the Euphrates
river about 20 km (12 miles) east of Iraq's border with Syria.
Four more were aimed at rebels as they fired mortars and
assault rifles at U.S. ground forces near Qaim, and a further
three were used to hit suspected weapons caches in the area."
http://www.reuters.com/
newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=8823316&src=eDialog/GetContent
9) In this message:
Boycott Picket at SF Badlands: Stand Against Racism
Saturday, June 18, 10pm-12 midnight
Weekly Boycott Picket at SF Badlands
In front of S.F. Badlands on 18th Street between Castro and Collingwood
East Bay ANSWER Forum on Cuba - Fundraiser for ANSWER delegation
Tuesday, June 21, 7pm
East Bay ANSWER Educational Forum
Cuba: 45 years of Struggle against U.S. Imperialism
Berkeley Unitarian Fellowship, 1924 Cedar St.
at Bonita (near Downtown Berk. BART)
10) The Case for the Draft
America can remain the world's superpower.
Or it can maintain its current all-volunteer military.
It can't do both.
By Phillip Carter and Paul Glastris
March 2005
(This article is full of current military statistics.)
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2005/0503.carter.html
11) Subject: GOING INTO BATTLE WITH FEAR
From: "Kay Lee"
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2005 17:28:04 -0400
12) MUMIA: EMERGENCY CALL TO ACTION
13) Emergency is state of mind, city leaders say
Richmond leaders declare 'emergency' over killings
By Rebecca Rosen Lum and Karl Fischer
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
Posted on Fri, Jun. 17, 2005
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/local/crime_courts/
11918678.htm
14) Letter by Anton Pannekoek to Sylvia Pankhurst
from the Workers‚ Dreadnought, 30 September 1922.
Irish Communist Policy
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
1) Soldier Charged with Murder in Officers' Deaths
Thu Jun 16, 2005 05:51 PM ET
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A U.S. soldier has been charged with
premeditated murder in the deaths of two U.S. army officers in
Iraq this month, a military statement said on Thursday.
Staff Sergeant Alberto Martinez, 37, was charged with the
murder of Captain Phillip Esposito and Lieutenant Louis Allen,
both with the headquarters of the New York Army National Guard.
The officers were killed by a blast in Tikrit on June 7, the
statement by the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq said.
An initial investigation indicated the officers were killed
by a mortar round but further examination showed the blast was
"inconsistent with a mortar attack," it said. It gave no
further details.
(c) Reuters 2005
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=8816470
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
2) Antiwar Group Says Leaked British Memo
Shows Bush Misled Public on His War Plans
By SCOTT SHANE
June 17, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/17/politics/17downing.html
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
3) Questions, Bitterness and Exile for Queens Girl in Terror Case
By NINA BERNSTEIN
June 17, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/17/nyregion/
17suicide.html?hp&ex=1119067200&en=59dc0c13ad38064f&ei=5094&partner=ho
mepage
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
4) Race a Factor in
Job Offers for Ex-Convicts
By PAUL von ZIELBAUER
June 17, 2005
"White men with prison records receive far more offers for
entry-level jobs in New York City than black men with identical
records, and are offered jobs just as often - if not more
so - than black men who have never been arrested, according
to a new study by two Princeton professors.
The study, the first to assess the effect of race on job
searches by ex-convicts, also found that black men who had
never been in trouble with the law were about half as likely
as whites with similar backgrounds to get a job offer or
a callback."
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/17/nyregion/17felons.html
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
5) Rights Trial Restarts in Mississippi
By SHAILA DEWAN
Published: June 17, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/17/national/17cnd-
trial.html?hp&ex=1119067200&en=26b7f70ff1170a3c&ei=5094&partner=homepage
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
6) Feature: Another "Drug Related" Death –
Austin Policewoman Kills Unarmed Teen
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/391/austin.shtml
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
7) Democrats call for inquiry into 'Downing Street Memo'
Last Updated Thu, 16 Jun 2005 22:04:17 EDT
CBC News
http://www.cbc.ca/storyview/MSN/world/national/2005/06/16/memo050616.html
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
8) U.S. jets drop 500 lb bombs in Iraq operation
By Luke Baker
BAGHDAD (Reuters)
Fri Jun 17, 2005 09:01 AM ET
"BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. F-16 fighter planes dropped
a series of 500 lb (220 kg) bombs on insurgent targets in
western Iraq overnight as the U.S. military launched a heavy
offensive against rebels near the Syrian border.
Nine of the powerful bombs were dropped, the U.S. military
said, two of them targeting suspected rebel safe houses near
the town of Qaim, an insurgent stronghold on the Euphrates
river about 20 km (12 miles) east of Iraq's border with Syria.
Four more were aimed at rebels as they fired mortars and
assault rifles at U.S. ground forces near Qaim, and a further
three were used to hit suspected weapons caches in the area."
http://www.reuters.com/
newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=8823316&src=eDialog/GetContent
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
9) In this message:
Boycott Picket at SF Badlands: Stand Against Racism
Saturday, June 18, 10pm-12 midnight
Weekly Boycott Picket at SF Badlands
In front of S.F. Badlands on 18th Street between Castro and Collingwood
East Bay ANSWER Forum on Cuba - Fundraiser for ANSWER delegation
Tuesday, June 21, 7pm
East Bay ANSWER Educational Forum
Cuba: 45 years of Struggle against U.S. Imperialism
Berkeley Unitarian Fellowship, 1924 Cedar St.
at Bonita (near Downtown Berk. BART)
Boycott Picket at SF Badlands: Stand Against Racism
Saturday, June 18, 10pm-12 midnight
Weekly Boycott Picket at SF Badlands
In front of S.F. Badlands on 18th Street between Castro and
Collingwood
The grassroots struggle by AndCastro4All and its supporters
against racist and sexist practices at SF Badlands Bar has
resulted in the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passing a
resolution calling on city agencies to penalize bar owner
Les Natali.
This resolution reaffirms a 10-month investigation by the San
Francisco Human Rights Commission (HRC) that found Les Natali,
owner of the SF Badlands, in violation of numerous civil
rights ordinances over the past four years by directly
discriminating against people of color.
Stand against racism and demand accountability for
racial discrimination and create inclusion in the Castro.
Join the ANSWER Coalition and other community and labor
groups on the picket line. For more info, visit
www.andcastroforall.org.
East Bay ANSWER Forum on Cuba - Fundraiser for ANSWER delegation
Tuesday, June 21, 7pm
East Bay ANSWER Educational Forum
Cuba: 45 years of Struggle against U.S. Imperialism
Berkeley Unitarian Fellowship, 1924 Cedar St. at Bonita
(near Downtown Berk. BART)
a fundraiser for the ANSWER delegation on the Pastors for
Peace Caravan
Learn about the reasons behind U.S. terrorism against Cuba
and the island's struggle for self-determination. See video
testimony from families in Cuba, who where victims of U.S.
terrorism. Also, an update on the struggle to extradite
anti-Cuba terrorist Posada Carriles to Venezuela. Hear
about the case of the Cuban Five anti-terrorist fighters.
$3-$10 donation. For more info or to reserve free childcare
call 415-821-6545.
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
10) The Case for the Draft
America can remain the world's superpower.
Or it can maintain its current all-volunteer military.
It can't do both.
By Phillip Carter and Paul Glastris
March 2005
(This article is full of current military statistics.)
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2005/0503.carter.html
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
11) Subject: GOING INTO BATTLE WITH FEAR
From: "Kay Lee"
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2005 17:28:04 -0400
GOING INTO BATTLE WITH FEAR
I've been told that nobody cares about prisoners, that trying to
reform the system is like pushing sh*t up a hill with a pointy stick.
Well, with an average of 4 friends and family members per each of our
2 1/2 million prisoners, I know that a lot of people DO care. I
reckon I'll just keep pushing that poop because it's good for my
soul. So, August 13th, 2005, will find me standing in the hot DC
sun. I will be wearing black to mourn the loss of justice and the
spirit of human decency in the USA. The nation's capitol will be
under my watchful gaze as I visualize peaceful reform. Why?
Because I know much of the truth, enough to know it would be
shameful, indeed impossible, for me as an American dedicated to
justice, as a human being dedicated to the spirit, as a grandmother
whose babies could be sucked into the horrible existence of a
prisoner or his keeper, to comfortably sit in my home with a clear
conscience.
I go there because non-violent people like <
http://www.angelfire.com/la/kaylee/tales.html > Mr. Gary Brooks Waid,
traded by the Feds like a slave on an auction block, had to live in
Florida's miserable, disgusting excuse for a state "Correctional"
system. I've dealt with the bureaucratic apathy in Florida and I've
seen it mirrored in police stations, courtrooms, prisons and jails
all over this country.
I go for all inmates who have experienced things I pray I will never
witness, and I go for the prison workers, many of them barely past
childhood, who have in their hands the responsibility of keeping the
nation's prisoners in an environment that breeds cruelty and
corruption. I weep for the damage we do.
I'll be there because of the <
http://www.angelfire.com/fl4/prison/valdesverdict.html > Murder by
Errant Guards of Mr. Frank Valdes (July 17th, 1999). I want the
memory of the horror of Mr. Valdes' autopsy report to remain in the
mind of the public and for them to remember that the murderers in
uniform never owned their crime.
I stand now because cruelty and lack of justice has happened in
nearly every prison in every state in this union. I go there to
remind the families that it could happen to their loved ones if
change isn't imminent, and to urge the public to get involved in
restoring dignity, professionalism and responsibility to those
offices, agencies, and individuals who represent The Law..
Because Mr. Valdes' death began my prison vigils, and his death is
the reason for the MAKING THE WALLS TRANSPARENT project (
http://www.angelfire.com/fl3/starke ), his death has become an
intricate part of my personal Journey for Justice. If Mr. Valdes'
death has a hand in the emergence of the truth, then his life was not
in vain.
I'll be there simply because it's the right thing to do...
TWO and a half MILLION FAMILIES, TOO LITTLE RESISTANCE
As August 13th, the day for the prison reform march in Washington DC
draws nigh (details at http://www.journeyforjustice.org ), I am
sensing the age old desire to retreat from the struggle in fear. Many
of those who know there is a reason to be in Layfayette Park are
getting weak knees, making excuses, not trying their best to be
there. Believe me, I know enough about the system to understand the
emotion. I feel it too, but I've learned to control it so that it
does not immobilize me.
You cannot win a war for justice if you go into battle for truth
waving the flag of surrender. If you retreat the minute the enemy
turns it's ugly head in your direction, it is almost worse than if
you had never stood at all. It gives those who minister to the lies
a sense of security that is dangerous to those things your common
sense should tell you to care about; for our nation is being judged
by the world by how we treat others as well as our own.
Every false start will only make the real start harder. The boy who
cried wolf wasn't believed when it was the real thing. The suicide
who threatens to take his life isn't believed until he is dead. The
guards, the prison officials, the DOC nor BOP, none of them are going
to believe the real battle has begun when we've threatened to do
battle for prison reform, have every reason to do battle for the
human rights and rehabilitation of prisoners, but back off when the
front line reaches them. Then when the abuse has gone too far and we
HAVE to make the stand, our struggle might have to be done without
even a pointy stick to aid our efforts.
The attitude of fear pervading this prison situation reminds me of
Winston Churchill's statement:
"If you will not fight for right when you can easily win without bloodshed;
If you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too costly;
You may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the
odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival.
There may be even a worse fate:
You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory because it is
better to perish than to live as slaves."
As one of the Florida inmates, Stuart Pomerantz, agreed,
"Procrastination is my enemy!" We've already made it harder by
waiting so long. How much longer are we willing to wait? An
inmate's fair question, "How much worse does it have to get before
it's time?" must be answered.
THE BATTLEGROUND
You may do what you want, run when you want, but I refuse to lose the
ground I've worked so hard to take. This madness must be stopped and
the time is now!
I am part of a peaceful stand, as I'm sure most of you are. But
peaceful does NOT mean weak, apathetic, cowardly, meek, or bending to
threats, lies, and intimidation. Now hand me another pointy stick.
I will be praying for the courage that I know resides in all of you.
With great faith in the power of truth, and in you.
~Kay Lee
INFORMATION:
Prison Reform March in Dc August 13, 2005
http://www.journeyforjustice.org
PLANNING COMMITTEE
Roberta Franklin mailto:firstladytms@aol.com
Soros Justice Fellow
Project Coordinator for the march on Washington
Nora Callahan mailto:nora@november.org
Leonna Abraham-Brandao mailto:ramjole@juno.com
Carol Leonard mailto:carolleo864@yahoo.com
PSAs for DC MARCH FOR PRISON REFORM
Created by Dean' Becker for Pacifica Radio
http://www.drugtruth.net/MP3/march081305x1.mp3
http://www.drugtruth.net/MP3/DCMarch-PSA2.mp3
Shared by Kay Lee
kaylee1@charter.net
2683 Rockcliff Road S.E.
Atlanta, GA 30316-4013
404-212-0690
Making The Walls Transparent
http://www.angelfire.com/fl3/starke
(Women's Organization for National Prohibition Reform W.O.N.P.R.
http://www.wonpr.org
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
12) MUMIA: EMERGENCY CALL TO ACTION
Call Judge Frederica A. Massiah-Jackson, Pamela Dembe's supervisor, at
(215) 686-2523 to let her know how outraged you are by Judge Dembe's
decisions. Tell her you think the evidence of Mumia's innocence must
be included in the record! You can even quote from the excerpts below.
"Juries can only be accurate assessors of events if they are given a
complete view of the facts ˆ including any differing explanations and
interpretations of events ∑ These factors were clearly missing in
Abu-Jamal's trial∑ Amnesty International has determined that numerous
aspects of this case clearly failed to meet minimum international
standards safeguarding the fairness of legal proceedings ∑ the
interests of justice would best be served by the granting of a new
trial to Mumia Abu-Jamal" From Amnesty International's The Case of
Mumia Abu-Jamal: A Life in the Balance
"A grave injustice is about to be committed. We are rushing to execute
someone in the face of ample evidence that his constitutional rights
have been denied, that he did not receive a fair trial, and most
importantly, that he may be innocent∑we urge you ∑ to have Judge Sabo
recuse himself from this case" and that "he is granted a new trial".
From the Congressional Black Caucus letter to Attorney General Janet
Reno, initiated by Congressman Chaka Fattah, on June 30, 1995.
EMERGENCY CALL TO ACTION! JOIN US THIS THURSDAY, JUNE 16th! THIS IS
THE LAST CHANCE FOR EVIDENCE OF MUMIA'S INNOCENCE TO BE ALLOWED IN
COURT!BE THERE JUNE 16th!
Press Conference and Demonstration- 11 a.m. on the North East Side of
Philly City Hall Demonstration and leafleting ˆ5pm on the North East
Side of Philly City Hall People must understand the severity of what is
currently happening in the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal. This is one of the
last steps in the groundwork being laid to execute Mumia or keep him in
prison for the rest of his life.
Both are death sentences and are totally unacceptable. It is no
coincidence that within this short span of time, the MOVE 9 appeal was
denied, then the bounty was raised on our sister Assata's head, and now
Mumia's last appeal to have evidence of innocence allowed in the Courts
has been denied. These are all full-on assaults on our freedom fighters
and acts of war against the freedom of all. People should look at
these examples and realize this. The Patriot Act has expanded, a
worldwide war is raging, and Lynne Stewart has been convicted. It
should be clear to all that it is time to fight! If a child is in a
house that is on fire, a good mother will stop at nothing to protect
her child. Whether she has to tear down walls or jump from that
building she will do what ever it takes to protect her child's life.
We must understand that our brother Mumia is our innocent life to
protect; he is in the same danger as one trapped in a burning
building---as this prison system is suffocating the lives of millions.
Our survival as a people is dependent on his survival and we must stop
at nothing to achieve his release. For over 23 years the judicial
system has exhibited blatant racism and political prejudice towards
Mumia.
On December 17th, 2001, when Judge Yohn stated that there was no
evidence of innocence before him, this was simply because he had thrown
it out the same way as Judge Pamela Dembe. Both of these judges had
irrefutable evidence of innocence, prosecutorial and judicial
misconduct before them, and threw it out. The rulings that were made
on this evidence were so ridiculous, racist, and insulting that most
will not believe what they said unless they read it themselves.
People must understand the history here, the plot that is being acted
out, in order to understand the seriousness of it. In July of 2001 a
hearing was scheduled for August 17th before Judge Pamela Dembe in
which Mumia was supposed to be present. Word spread across the globe
and hundreds were organizing to be in Philadelphia for the hearing.
Only days before the 17th, Judge Dembe barred Mumia from being present
at his own hearing, but this did not stop the support; it intensified
it.
On August 17th the streets around the Criminal Justice Center were
packed with those standing up for Mumia. The late great Ossie Davis,
Sonia Sanchez, Dick Gregory, Jesse Jackson, a prestigious delegation of
French officials, students and activists and hundreds from around the
world were present. Judge Dembe refused to make a ruling on that day
stating that she did not want to make a ruling with so many Mumia
supporters there without having more police (even though there had been
no problems) but that she would reschedule another hearing. No other
hearing was scheduled.
On November 21st, 2001, Judge Dembe denied Mumia's appeal. It was at
this point, and no sooner, that the International Concerned Family and
Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal began to target and expose her for the
unjust Judge that she is. Judge Dembe was given plenty of opportunities
to do justice but only proved how unjust she is. It has always been our
position to expose that injustice. We of the International
Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal will never betray Mumia
by neglecting to expose those who deny him justice. Judge Dembe threw
out the videotaped confession of Arnold Beverly, a man who swears that
he, not Mumia, killed Officer Faulkner. She threw this out not because
it was not credible but because she claims that it was not filed in a
timely manner. She threw out the affidavit of Mumia's former attorney,
Rachel Wolkenstein, which backed up Beverly's confession and showed
that the murder of Faulkner was part of a much bigger conspiracy to
cover up the murders of many other police officers due to mob related
activities. The affidavit of court stenographer Terri-Maurer Carter
who heard Judge Sabo say "Yeah, and I'm gonna help 'em fry the nigger"
was thrown out.
Dembe stated that even if Sabo did make such a racist remark in the
middle of the trial that it does not prove that he acted as a racist or
prejudiced towards Mumia during the trial. This argument is an insult
to anyone's intelligence. Even conservative Senator Specter stated in
1995 that Sabo's courtroom conduct towards Mumia was so bad that it
would sabotage Sabo's credibility.
That December 8th there was a demonstration for Mumia's freedom that
ended with the police attacking and arresting innocent activists. A
picture of a Philly cop holding a gun to the head of one young Mumia
supporter went out internationally and shocked the world. Nine days
later Judge Yohn issued his decision. Yohn stated that there was no
evidence of innocence before him but that there was a problem with
Sabo's instruction to the jury about sentencing. (There was no evidence
because Yohn threw it out. Actually, he had affidavits from Arnold
Beverly, Billy Cook, Mumia Abu-Jamal, Linn Washington, and FBI
confidential source, Donald Hersing, before him which all pointed
strongly towards innocence.) He said that he was overturning the
sentencing so that Mumia would have life in prison with no possibility
of parole.
If either side appealed within 90 days then that matter would have to be
settled in the third circuit court of appeals. Mumia appealed because
he is innocent, and life in prison is still a death sentence. The
prosecution appealed because they are bloodthirsty. The media blew up
this decision and misled millions into believing that Mumia was off
death row and even out of prison.
In reality, Mumia never, at any point, left his death row cell at
SCI-Greene. This trick was used in order to mislead and confuse
people; to try to take the urgency out of the fight to free Mumia
Abu-Jamal, end the death penalty, and get all of our political
prisoners out of these hell holes.
While people were confused by Yohn's ruling Judge Dembe continued to
hammer nails into Mumia's coffin and her most recent denial of evidence
of innocence is the last one that she needs to put in. All the while
this government has continued to terrorize those who support Mumia.
Look at the examples of Narberth, PA, politician, Angus Love, being
intimidated into backing away from his position. The Ossining chapter
of the NAACP, who pushed for the national NAACP resolution for justice
for Mumia, is now being singled out and harassed.
At one point Philadelphia Mayor John Street publicly stated that Mumia
had not received justice and even suggested that the matter be taken to
the NAACP. This past year, one of his representatives met (due to his
orders) with a French Delegation for Mumia and gave them awards. Street
was attacked in the media. Maureen Faulkner said that Mayor Street had
apologized to her and said that Mumia is guilty. Street refused to
stand up and correct this statement. He was intimidated and
poli-tricked into shutting up. That is how
serious this is. But we will never back down. This is life or death
here.
Dembe just threw out Mumia's last opportunity to have evidence of
innocence heard in court EVER! She handed down her decision on Friday
the 27th of May but kept it a secret. It was not put out in the
papers, as it always has been when a decision is made, and no one in
the Movement found out about it until June 2nd. With this decision the
path towards death is set and the Judges can just keep rubber-stamping
it all the way until that murderer Ed Rendell
happily stamps his signature on the death warrant. Even before Rendell
got into office he said that he was looking forward to killing Mumia.
All of those who have stood for Mumia in the past, you are needed now!
The late, great Ossie Davis never turned his back on Mumia and always
stated that our generation's moral obligation is to ensure justice for
Mumia Abu-Jamal. Martin Luther King III stated that "all those with
the power to intervene do so now in the name of justice" ---we need you
now! Jesse Jackson, Dick Gregory, Chuck D, Minister Farrakhan, Mos
Def, John Street, Chaka Fattah, Julian Bond and the NAACP leadership,
Danny Glover, Ed Asner---we need you here!
You who are sitting down reading this on your computer, hearing this on
the radio---we need you! There is only one thing that can stop them
from murdering Mumia and that is you! The death warrant is about to be
signed; they are putting the poison in the needle. Not only are they
trying to kill Mumia, they are murdering your freedom. What will you
do? TO QUOTE JOHN AFRICA, QUOTE:
"A JUST PERSON WILL IGNORE HIS PRIDE WHEN HE HEARS WHAT IS RIGHT, AN
UNJUST PERSON WILL IGNORE WHAT IS RIGHT AND HOLD FAST TO HIS GODDAMN
PRIDE." - END QUOTE LONG LIVE JOHN AFRICA!!!
Signed,
International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal
The MOVE Organization
NYC Jericho Movement
ProLibertad _Latin@s_ (mailto:Latin@s) por Mumia
Millions for Mumia / International Action Center
Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Coalition, NYC
Mark L. Taylor, Educators for Mumia Abu-Jamal
Extremely Urgent re: MUMIA
ATTENTION: JUDGE MASSIAH-JACKSON, CONGRESSMAN FATTAH, MAYOR STREET,
NATIONAL AND PHILADELPHIA NAACP, ALL OTHER POLITICAL, RELIGIOUS,
NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY LEADERS AND PEOPLE OF GOOD WILL:
Once again, Mumia Abu-Jamal, an innocent man on Pennsylvania's Death
Row for 23 years, is being denied justice because the court system is
violating his right to due process, to the consideration of relevant
evidence, and to a new and fair trial, if not his immediate release.
Judge Pamela Dembe, in the Court of Common Pleas, has hammered another
nail into the coffin they're preparing for Mumia by rubberstamping the
record of the notorious "Hanging Judge" Albert Sabo.
The whole world denounced Mumia Abu-Jamal's trial and his Post
Conviction Relief Appeal (PCRA) held in 1982 and 1995 respectively in
the courtroom of Judge Albert Sabo. Legal groups such Amnesty
International, the International Association of Democratic Lawyers,
the Criminal Justice Institute at Harvard Law School, the National
Lawyers Guild, and the National Conference of Black Lawyers detailed
the many violations of US and international laws that Sabo committed.
World leaders such as Nelson Mandela, then President of South Africa,
Bishop Desmond Tutu, French President Jacques Chirac, the Japanese
Diet (Japan's legislative body), and the US Congressional Black Caucus
denounced the trial and PCRA as being unjust, illegal, and racist.
Religious leaders, writers, artists, and other intellectuals from
across the globe expressed outrage at the conviction and death
sentence imposed on Mumia, and millions petitioned and marched to
demand Mumia's freedom or at the very least a new and fair trial.
Now after four years of Mumia's case being before Judge Pamela Dembe ,
we see a pattern of supporting all of Sabo's rulings, with the only
difference being that Dembe's decisions have been made in the absence
of Mumia or his supporters in the courtroom. There is a deafening
silence from many of those who were so outraged only ten years ago. WE
CANNOT REMAIN SILENT WHILE THE RAILROADING OF MUMIA TOWARD EXECUTION
OR LIFE IN PRISON CONTINUES. THE ATTEMPT TO KILL MUMIA IS NOT FOR ANY
CRIME HE COMMITTED. IT IS FOR HIS UNCOMPROMISING POLITICAL POSITIONS
AND HIS ELOQUENCE IN EXPRESSING THEM. Refusing to include evidence
pointing to Mumia's innocence in the record prevents the higher courts
from reviewing these critical affidavits.
What Judge Dembe has done is deny Mumia his constitutional and human
right to a fair judicial process. She has sustained every decision
Sabo made and refused to introduce extremely relevant and crucial
material pointing to Mumia's innocence. When Mumia's attorneys
submitted an affidavit by someone who said that it was he, and not
Mumia, who killed Officer Faulkner, and this affidavit supported other
witnesses' versions of what happened on the night of December 9, 1981,
Judge Dembe dismissed the confession as "untimely". Similarly, she
declared affidavits from Mumia and his brother presenting their side
of what happened that night as also "untimely". When Mumia and his
lawyers fought for Mumia's right to be present at his hearing in
August 2001, Judge Dembe allowed prison officials to revoke Mumia's
scheduled court appearance in Philadelphia. When Mumia and his lawyers
presented an affidavit from a highly credible court stenographer who
heard Judge Sabo say in 1982, in the supposed privacy of another
courtroom, "Yeah, and I'm going to help `em fry the nigger", Judge
Dembe ruled that that testimony should not be introduced into the
record. Unable to argue that it was "untimely", she presented the
ridiculous explanation that even if Sabo had actually made the comment
the witness alleged he did, it did not prove that his decisions were
affected by this expressed intention. Also, she said the issue of
Sabo's racism had already been raised earlier and so did not need to
be reviewed again. When presented with two new affidavits this year
pointing to Mumia's innocence, Dembe cancelled a scheduled hearing to
present the evidence and, now on May 27th she has ruled that this
evidence is to be excluded from the record, thus preventing a serious
consideration of Mumia's innocence in the higher courts.
JOIN US FOR OUTREACH, PROTEST AND RESISTANCE ON:
THURSDAY JUNE 16th, ON THE WEST SIDE OF CITY HALL IN PHILADELPHIA, AT
12 NOON
June 16th will be the last day Mumia can file for "reconsideration" of
Dembe's ruling. We must let the courts know that we will not be quiet
in the face of this outrageous and continuous process to kill and
SILENCE OUR BROTHER MUMIA.
For more information call :
International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal
(215) 476-8812 or Free Mumia Abu Jamal Coalition (NYC) (212) 927-2924
Also, call Judge Frederica A. Massiah-Jackson, Pamela Dembe's
supervisor, at (215) 686-2523 to let her know how outraged you are by
Judge Dembe's decisions. Tell her you think the evidence of Mumia's
innocence must be included in the record! You can even quote from the
excerpts below.
"Juries can only be accurate assessors of events if they are given a
complete view of the facts ˆ including any differing explanations and
interpretations of events ∑ These factors were clearly missing in
Abu-Jamal's trial∑ Amnesty International has determined that numerous
aspects of this case clearly failed to meet minimum international
standards safeguarding the fairness of legal proceedings ∑ the
interests of justice would best be served by the granting of a new
trial to Mumia Abu-Jamal" From Amnesty International's The Case of
Mumia Abu-Jamal: A Life in the Balance
"A grave injustice is about to be committed. We are rushing to execute
someone in the face of ample evidence that his constitutional rights
have been denied, that he did not receive a fair trial, and most
importantly, that he may be innocent∑we urge you ∑ to have Judge Sabo
recuse himself from this case" and that "he is granted a new trial".
From the Congressional Black Caucus letter to Attorney General Janet
Reno, initiated by Congressman Chaka Fattah, on June 30, 1995.
posted to forum 06-09-05 Fatirah
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
13) Emergency is state of mind, city leaders say
Richmond leaders declare 'emergency' over killings
By Rebecca Rosen Lum and Karl Fischer
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
Posted on Fri, Jun. 17, 2005
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/local/crime_courts/
11918678.htm
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
14) Letter by Anton Pannekoek to Sylvia Pankhurst
from the Workers‚ Dreadnought, 30 September 1922.
Irish Communist Policy
Dear Comrade
I have read with much satisfaction your article on the programme
of the Irish Communist Party, and I think you are perfectly
right in calling it a non-Communist programme. Indeed, the
essence of Communist thought is that the great transformation
of society from Capitalism to Communism can only be accomplished
by the common efforts of the workers themselves, all of them
acting where they stand in the process of production.
The belief that some foreign power, the State, may accomplish
it for the workers by decrees and laws is a social-democratic
belief ˆ nay, only the most narrow-minded social democrats
believe it; most social democrats in former times knew quite
well that the chief force of transformation must come from below.
The state is not a supernatural being; it is the organised
host of politicians, leaders and officials backed by armed
force. The belief that the State may establish Communism by
legislative means is the belief that this small host of
officials and leaders, by their wisdom, may save the mass
of the workers from slavery ˆ these workers having nothing
to do but vote for them. Now the experience of Germany has
proved that placing Labour leaders at the head of the State
is simply a change of rulers, which cannot bring any real
revolution.
On the other hand, Russia in the first years of the Revolution
showed that after the workers had already seized the power
in the workshops, in the Army, and on the land, by their
committees, the revolution could be accomplished by seizing
the State power ˆ i.e., all this activity was centralised,
united, and organised by central organs, and made a strong
united body against attacks from the Capitalist side.
The programme of the Communist Party of Ireland is not only
non-Communist because it appeals to the State for everything,
but also because it asks from this State only reforms.
It would have been, though not Communist in its means and
ways, nevertheless Communist in its aims, if it had
constituted measures for abolishing Capitalist exploitation
and introducing Communist ownership. But even this it
doesn‚t do. It supposes a State Power ruled by the workers
—for awaiting these measures from a State ruled by
Capitalists would be pure nonsense ˆ while private enterprise
still dominates the economic field; but it does not make use
this State Power to attack and destroy private enterprise,
but only to reform it to somewhat less intolerable
conditions for the workers. The model of this programme
probably must be sought for in the Russian conditions,
where the Communist Party tries to keep its political
domination at the same time that it must allow
Capitalistic enterprises to come on. But also in our
own West European conditions we may find the roots for
it. It tries to combine the interests of the working
class for reforms with the interests of the petty
bourgeoisie; by the State ownership of banks, railways,
and big industries, it promises to free petty enterprises
from the crushing domination of big finance and heavy
industry. That is the reason why it does not proclaim
the abolition of private property: it desires to eat
from two cakes; at the same time, it does not attempt
to win solely the workers by the great ideal of Communism
and revolution, to which at this moment the great mass
is indifferent, which thus exact great pains and long
efforts. It also attempts to win the petty bourgeois
class and also the middle-class minded mass of the
workers. It attempts to win both these classes within
a short time, not raising their mind to the higher
standing of the great Communist prospects, by vanquishing
their bourgeois narrow-mindedness, but baiting them with
the programme of a reformed petty capitalistic world,
wholly in line with their inherited thoughts.
It is nothing else than the 'New Zealand Socialism' of
twenty years ago, invented by bourgeois reformers wanting
the aid of the small working class against foreign finance,
and resulting in strangling the class struggle and the
freedom of movement of the workers.
In Ireland it has its roots in the economic backwardness
of the country, with its small proletariat, its great
mass of petty bourgeoisie, its great mass of petty
bourgeoisie, its great mass of small land holders and
labourers who hope to become petty-owners. It tries
to give them a common programme, which, of course,
cannot be Communist.
Perhaps it may be said that, as Communism is not yet
possible in such a country, this programme of a reformed
society of petty enterprise controlled by the working
class is to be preferred to everything else, and the
best possible way out. But the idea of a stable society
on this basis of peaceful co-operation of classes is
an illusion. You have already shown it in your article
with regard to workers‚ control.
The same impossibility may be seen regarding unemployment.
„Full maintenance for the unemployed at full trade union
rates‰ is asked for. Where would the State get the funds
necessary under this programme? The funds must in some
way come from production; either from the profit on
State industries, or from taxes paid by small enterprise.
Of course these capitalists would not be content to pay
to the unemployed such rates; they would try to lower
them, in order to restore the pressure of unemployment
on the wages. Here arises the natural and fundamental
enmity of the classes, the chief opposition of their
interests, the impossibility of peacefully combining
their efforts. As long as private enterprise exists,
it must try to hold itself against competition by
lowering the cost of production, or else be ruined.
It cannot be content to secure a fixed living to the
workers.
In 1848, in Paris, this payment of unemployed was the
chief cause of the shopkeepers and other petty bourgeois
becoming furious against the „do nothings‰ and crushing
the proletarian revolt in the June massacre. But also
from the Communist point of view this leaving the
workers unemployed and paying them a life rate is
not right. Communism means production of an abundance
of goods, leaving people idle who are desirous to work
is spoiling the resources of the community. A Communist
society will not leave them unemployed, but will let
them produce goods for the community, thus for themselves
and others to increase the general wealth.
Thus the so-called Communist programme is not the
programme of Communists desirous to show to the workers
the difficult but only real way to freedom; it is the
programme of politicians desirous to win the great mass
of adherents from various poor classes, by a programme
of reforms that means coalition of workers, small
farmers and petty bourgeois.
What you say about the results of the coalition in the
States of Eastern and Middle Europe shows that this
coalition uses the force of the proletariat to promote
the formation of a numerous class of small land owners,
extremely hostile to any Communism, thus it throws
obstacles in the way to Communism. It does still more
so by filling the minds of the workers with illusions,
and by diverting their eyes from the only way to freedom;
the way of class struggle, clear class-consciousness and
confidence in their own power.
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
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---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
COLLEGE NOT COMBAT PETITION CAMPAIGN
16TH & MISSION STREET
SATURDAYS, 12:30 P.M.
TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS, 5 & 7 P.M.
************************************************************
BAUAW MEETING: SATURDAY, 11:30 A.M.
474 VALENCIA STREET NEAR 16TH STREET
WE WILL PETITION AFTER OUR MEETING!
************************************************************
SAN FRANCISCO MIME TROUPE
PRESENTS: "DOING GOOD"
A play based loosely on the book, "Confessions
of an Economic Hit Man", by John Perkins.
July 2, 3 & 4, DOLORES PARK
MUSIC: 1:30 P.M.
SHOW: 2:00 P.M.
(I saw a preview of this play last evening.
It's fresh and new, brilliantly performed,
insightful, full of content, and the music is great!...BW)
SPONSORED BY BAY AREA UNITED AGAINST WAR
COME HELP GATHER SIGNATURES FOR THE
COLLEGE NOT COMBAT BALLOT INITIATIVE. GET THE MILITARY
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TO STUDENTS WHO CAN'T AFFORD TO GO TO COLLEGE SO THEY
DON'T HAVE TO JOIN THE MILITARY BECAUSE OF ECONOMIC HARDSHIP.
WE WILL BE PETITIONING BEFORE AND AFTER THE PERFORMANCES.
LOOK FOR OUR TABLE TO PICK UP PETITIONS. FREE ANTIWAR POSTERS!
WE ONLY HAVE A FEW WEEKS TO GO!
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************************************************************
SAVE THE DATES: AUGUST 4, 5 & 6, 2005 FOR
PRESENTATION OF HOWARD ZINN'S ONE MAN SHOW,
"MARX IN SOHO" PERFORMED BY JERRY LEVY
LOCATION TO BE ANNOUNCED
TO BENEFIT BAY AREA UNITED AGAINST WAR
WWW.BAUAW.ORG
(FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL: 415-824-8730)
************************************************************
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
BAUAW NEWSLETTER – FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 2005
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
1) Soldier Charged with Murder in Officers' Deaths
Thu Jun 16, 2005 05:51 PM ET
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A U.S. soldier has been charged with
premeditated murder in the deaths of two U.S. army officers in
Iraq this month, a military statement said on Thursday.
Staff Sergeant Alberto Martinez, 37, was charged with the
murder of Captain Phillip Esposito and Lieutenant Louis Allen,
both with the headquarters of the New York Army National Guard.
The officers were killed by a blast in Tikrit on June 7, the
statement by the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq said.
An initial investigation indicated the officers were killed
by a mortar round but further examination showed the blast was
"inconsistent with a mortar attack," it said. It gave no
further details.
(c) Reuters 2005
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=8816470
2) Antiwar Group Says Leaked British Memo
Shows Bush Misled Public on His War Plans
By SCOTT SHANE
June 17, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/17/politics/17downing.html
3) Questions, Bitterness and Exile for Queens Girl in Terror Case
By NINA BERNSTEIN
June 17, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/17/nyregion/
17suicide.html?hp&ex=1119067200&en=59dc0c13ad38064f&ei=5094&partner=ho
mepage
4) Race a Factor in
Job Offers for Ex-Convicts
By PAUL von ZIELBAUER
June 17, 2005
"White men with prison records receive far more offers for
entry-level jobs in New York City than black men with identical
records, and are offered jobs just as often - if not more
so - than black men who have never been arrested, according
to a new study by two Princeton professors.
The study, the first to assess the effect of race on job
searches by ex-convicts, also found that black men who had
never been in trouble with the law were about half as likely
as whites with similar backgrounds to get a job offer or
a callback."
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/17/nyregion/17felons.html
5) Rights Trial Restarts in Mississippi
By SHAILA DEWAN
Published: June 17, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/17/national/17cnd-
trial.html?hp&ex=1119067200&en=26b7f70ff1170a3c&ei=5094&partner=homepage
6) Feature: Another "Drug Related" Death –
Austin Policewoman Kills Unarmed Teen
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/391/austin.shtml
7) Democrats call for inquiry into 'Downing Street Memo'
Last Updated Thu, 16 Jun 2005 22:04:17 EDT
CBC News
http://www.cbc.ca/storyview/MSN/world/national/2005/06/16/memo050616.html
8) U.S. jets drop 500 lb bombs in Iraq operation
By Luke Baker
BAGHDAD (Reuters)
Fri Jun 17, 2005 09:01 AM ET
"BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. F-16 fighter planes dropped
a series of 500 lb (220 kg) bombs on insurgent targets in
western Iraq overnight as the U.S. military launched a heavy
offensive against rebels near the Syrian border.
Nine of the powerful bombs were dropped, the U.S. military
said, two of them targeting suspected rebel safe houses near
the town of Qaim, an insurgent stronghold on the Euphrates
river about 20 km (12 miles) east of Iraq's border with Syria.
Four more were aimed at rebels as they fired mortars and
assault rifles at U.S. ground forces near Qaim, and a further
three were used to hit suspected weapons caches in the area."
http://www.reuters.com/
newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=8823316&src=eDialog/GetContent
9) In this message:
Boycott Picket at SF Badlands: Stand Against Racism
Saturday, June 18, 10pm-12 midnight
Weekly Boycott Picket at SF Badlands
In front of S.F. Badlands on 18th Street between Castro and Collingwood
East Bay ANSWER Forum on Cuba - Fundraiser for ANSWER delegation
Tuesday, June 21, 7pm
East Bay ANSWER Educational Forum
Cuba: 45 years of Struggle against U.S. Imperialism
Berkeley Unitarian Fellowship, 1924 Cedar St.
at Bonita (near Downtown Berk. BART)
10) The Case for the Draft
America can remain the world's superpower.
Or it can maintain its current all-volunteer military.
It can't do both.
By Phillip Carter and Paul Glastris
March 2005
(This article is full of current military statistics.)
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2005/0503.carter.html
11) Subject: GOING INTO BATTLE WITH FEAR
From: "Kay Lee"
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2005 17:28:04 -0400
12) MUMIA: EMERGENCY CALL TO ACTION
13) Emergency is state of mind, city leaders say
Richmond leaders declare 'emergency' over killings
By Rebecca Rosen Lum and Karl Fischer
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
Posted on Fri, Jun. 17, 2005
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/local/crime_courts/
11918678.htm
14) Letter by Anton Pannekoek to Sylvia Pankhurst
from the Workers‚ Dreadnought, 30 September 1922.
Irish Communist Policy
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
1) Soldier Charged with Murder in Officers' Deaths
Thu Jun 16, 2005 05:51 PM ET
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A U.S. soldier has been charged with
premeditated murder in the deaths of two U.S. army officers in
Iraq this month, a military statement said on Thursday.
Staff Sergeant Alberto Martinez, 37, was charged with the
murder of Captain Phillip Esposito and Lieutenant Louis Allen,
both with the headquarters of the New York Army National Guard.
The officers were killed by a blast in Tikrit on June 7, the
statement by the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq said.
An initial investigation indicated the officers were killed
by a mortar round but further examination showed the blast was
"inconsistent with a mortar attack," it said. It gave no
further details.
(c) Reuters 2005
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=8816470
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
2) Antiwar Group Says Leaked British Memo
Shows Bush Misled Public on His War Plans
By SCOTT SHANE
June 17, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/17/politics/17downing.html
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
3) Questions, Bitterness and Exile for Queens Girl in Terror Case
By NINA BERNSTEIN
June 17, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/17/nyregion/
17suicide.html?hp&ex=1119067200&en=59dc0c13ad38064f&ei=5094&partner=ho
mepage
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
4) Race a Factor in
Job Offers for Ex-Convicts
By PAUL von ZIELBAUER
June 17, 2005
"White men with prison records receive far more offers for
entry-level jobs in New York City than black men with identical
records, and are offered jobs just as often - if not more
so - than black men who have never been arrested, according
to a new study by two Princeton professors.
The study, the first to assess the effect of race on job
searches by ex-convicts, also found that black men who had
never been in trouble with the law were about half as likely
as whites with similar backgrounds to get a job offer or
a callback."
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/17/nyregion/17felons.html
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
5) Rights Trial Restarts in Mississippi
By SHAILA DEWAN
Published: June 17, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/17/national/17cnd-
trial.html?hp&ex=1119067200&en=26b7f70ff1170a3c&ei=5094&partner=homepage
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
6) Feature: Another "Drug Related" Death –
Austin Policewoman Kills Unarmed Teen
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/391/austin.shtml
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
7) Democrats call for inquiry into 'Downing Street Memo'
Last Updated Thu, 16 Jun 2005 22:04:17 EDT
CBC News
http://www.cbc.ca/storyview/MSN/world/national/2005/06/16/memo050616.html
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
8) U.S. jets drop 500 lb bombs in Iraq operation
By Luke Baker
BAGHDAD (Reuters)
Fri Jun 17, 2005 09:01 AM ET
"BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. F-16 fighter planes dropped
a series of 500 lb (220 kg) bombs on insurgent targets in
western Iraq overnight as the U.S. military launched a heavy
offensive against rebels near the Syrian border.
Nine of the powerful bombs were dropped, the U.S. military
said, two of them targeting suspected rebel safe houses near
the town of Qaim, an insurgent stronghold on the Euphrates
river about 20 km (12 miles) east of Iraq's border with Syria.
Four more were aimed at rebels as they fired mortars and
assault rifles at U.S. ground forces near Qaim, and a further
three were used to hit suspected weapons caches in the area."
http://www.reuters.com/
newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=8823316&src=eDialog/GetContent
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
9) In this message:
Boycott Picket at SF Badlands: Stand Against Racism
Saturday, June 18, 10pm-12 midnight
Weekly Boycott Picket at SF Badlands
In front of S.F. Badlands on 18th Street between Castro and Collingwood
East Bay ANSWER Forum on Cuba - Fundraiser for ANSWER delegation
Tuesday, June 21, 7pm
East Bay ANSWER Educational Forum
Cuba: 45 years of Struggle against U.S. Imperialism
Berkeley Unitarian Fellowship, 1924 Cedar St.
at Bonita (near Downtown Berk. BART)
Boycott Picket at SF Badlands: Stand Against Racism
Saturday, June 18, 10pm-12 midnight
Weekly Boycott Picket at SF Badlands
In front of S.F. Badlands on 18th Street between Castro and
Collingwood
The grassroots struggle by AndCastro4All and its supporters
against racist and sexist practices at SF Badlands Bar has
resulted in the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passing a
resolution calling on city agencies to penalize bar owner
Les Natali.
This resolution reaffirms a 10-month investigation by the San
Francisco Human Rights Commission (HRC) that found Les Natali,
owner of the SF Badlands, in violation of numerous civil
rights ordinances over the past four years by directly
discriminating against people of color.
Stand against racism and demand accountability for
racial discrimination and create inclusion in the Castro.
Join the ANSWER Coalition and other community and labor
groups on the picket line. For more info, visit
www.andcastroforall.org.
East Bay ANSWER Forum on Cuba - Fundraiser for ANSWER delegation
Tuesday, June 21, 7pm
East Bay ANSWER Educational Forum
Cuba: 45 years of Struggle against U.S. Imperialism
Berkeley Unitarian Fellowship, 1924 Cedar St. at Bonita
(near Downtown Berk. BART)
a fundraiser for the ANSWER delegation on the Pastors for
Peace Caravan
Learn about the reasons behind U.S. terrorism against Cuba
and the island's struggle for self-determination. See video
testimony from families in Cuba, who where victims of U.S.
terrorism. Also, an update on the struggle to extradite
anti-Cuba terrorist Posada Carriles to Venezuela. Hear
about the case of the Cuban Five anti-terrorist fighters.
$3-$10 donation. For more info or to reserve free childcare
call 415-821-6545.
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
10) The Case for the Draft
America can remain the world's superpower.
Or it can maintain its current all-volunteer military.
It can't do both.
By Phillip Carter and Paul Glastris
March 2005
(This article is full of current military statistics.)
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2005/0503.carter.html
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
11) Subject: GOING INTO BATTLE WITH FEAR
From: "Kay Lee"
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2005 17:28:04 -0400
GOING INTO BATTLE WITH FEAR
I've been told that nobody cares about prisoners, that trying to
reform the system is like pushing sh*t up a hill with a pointy stick.
Well, with an average of 4 friends and family members per each of our
2 1/2 million prisoners, I know that a lot of people DO care. I
reckon I'll just keep pushing that poop because it's good for my
soul. So, August 13th, 2005, will find me standing in the hot DC
sun. I will be wearing black to mourn the loss of justice and the
spirit of human decency in the USA. The nation's capitol will be
under my watchful gaze as I visualize peaceful reform. Why?
Because I know much of the truth, enough to know it would be
shameful, indeed impossible, for me as an American dedicated to
justice, as a human being dedicated to the spirit, as a grandmother
whose babies could be sucked into the horrible existence of a
prisoner or his keeper, to comfortably sit in my home with a clear
conscience.
I go there because non-violent people like <
http://www.angelfire.com/la/kaylee/tales.html > Mr. Gary Brooks Waid,
traded by the Feds like a slave on an auction block, had to live in
Florida's miserable, disgusting excuse for a state "Correctional"
system. I've dealt with the bureaucratic apathy in Florida and I've
seen it mirrored in police stations, courtrooms, prisons and jails
all over this country.
I go for all inmates who have experienced things I pray I will never
witness, and I go for the prison workers, many of them barely past
childhood, who have in their hands the responsibility of keeping the
nation's prisoners in an environment that breeds cruelty and
corruption. I weep for the damage we do.
I'll be there because of the <
http://www.angelfire.com/fl4/prison/valdesverdict.html > Murder by
Errant Guards of Mr. Frank Valdes (July 17th, 1999). I want the
memory of the horror of Mr. Valdes' autopsy report to remain in the
mind of the public and for them to remember that the murderers in
uniform never owned their crime.
I stand now because cruelty and lack of justice has happened in
nearly every prison in every state in this union. I go there to
remind the families that it could happen to their loved ones if
change isn't imminent, and to urge the public to get involved in
restoring dignity, professionalism and responsibility to those
offices, agencies, and individuals who represent The Law..
Because Mr. Valdes' death began my prison vigils, and his death is
the reason for the MAKING THE WALLS TRANSPARENT project (
http://www.angelfire.com/fl3/starke ), his death has become an
intricate part of my personal Journey for Justice. If Mr. Valdes'
death has a hand in the emergence of the truth, then his life was not
in vain.
I'll be there simply because it's the right thing to do...
TWO and a half MILLION FAMILIES, TOO LITTLE RESISTANCE
As August 13th, the day for the prison reform march in Washington DC
draws nigh (details at http://www.journeyforjustice.org ), I am
sensing the age old desire to retreat from the struggle in fear. Many
of those who know there is a reason to be in Layfayette Park are
getting weak knees, making excuses, not trying their best to be
there. Believe me, I know enough about the system to understand the
emotion. I feel it too, but I've learned to control it so that it
does not immobilize me.
You cannot win a war for justice if you go into battle for truth
waving the flag of surrender. If you retreat the minute the enemy
turns it's ugly head in your direction, it is almost worse than if
you had never stood at all. It gives those who minister to the lies
a sense of security that is dangerous to those things your common
sense should tell you to care about; for our nation is being judged
by the world by how we treat others as well as our own.
Every false start will only make the real start harder. The boy who
cried wolf wasn't believed when it was the real thing. The suicide
who threatens to take his life isn't believed until he is dead. The
guards, the prison officials, the DOC nor BOP, none of them are going
to believe the real battle has begun when we've threatened to do
battle for prison reform, have every reason to do battle for the
human rights and rehabilitation of prisoners, but back off when the
front line reaches them. Then when the abuse has gone too far and we
HAVE to make the stand, our struggle might have to be done without
even a pointy stick to aid our efforts.
The attitude of fear pervading this prison situation reminds me of
Winston Churchill's statement:
"If you will not fight for right when you can easily win without bloodshed;
If you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too costly;
You may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the
odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival.
There may be even a worse fate:
You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory because it is
better to perish than to live as slaves."
As one of the Florida inmates, Stuart Pomerantz, agreed,
"Procrastination is my enemy!" We've already made it harder by
waiting so long. How much longer are we willing to wait? An
inmate's fair question, "How much worse does it have to get before
it's time?" must be answered.
THE BATTLEGROUND
You may do what you want, run when you want, but I refuse to lose the
ground I've worked so hard to take. This madness must be stopped and
the time is now!
I am part of a peaceful stand, as I'm sure most of you are. But
peaceful does NOT mean weak, apathetic, cowardly, meek, or bending to
threats, lies, and intimidation. Now hand me another pointy stick.
I will be praying for the courage that I know resides in all of you.
With great faith in the power of truth, and in you.
~Kay Lee
INFORMATION:
Prison Reform March in Dc August 13, 2005
http://www.journeyforjustice.org
PLANNING COMMITTEE
Roberta Franklin mailto:firstladytms@aol.com
Soros Justice Fellow
Project Coordinator for the march on Washington
Nora Callahan mailto:nora@november.org
Leonna Abraham-Brandao mailto:ramjole@juno.com
Carol Leonard mailto:carolleo864@yahoo.com
PSAs for DC MARCH FOR PRISON REFORM
Created by Dean' Becker for Pacifica Radio
http://www.drugtruth.net/MP3/march081305x1.mp3
http://www.drugtruth.net/MP3/DCMarch-PSA2.mp3
Shared by Kay Lee
2683 Rockcliff Road S.E.
Atlanta, GA 30316-4013
404-212-0690
Making The Walls Transparent
http://www.angelfire.com/fl3/starke
(Women's Organization for National Prohibition Reform W.O.N.P.R.
http://www.wonpr.org
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
12) MUMIA: EMERGENCY CALL TO ACTION
Call Judge Frederica A. Massiah-Jackson, Pamela Dembe's supervisor, at
(215) 686-2523 to let her know how outraged you are by Judge Dembe's
decisions. Tell her you think the evidence of Mumia's innocence must
be included in the record! You can even quote from the excerpts below.
"Juries can only be accurate assessors of events if they are given a
complete view of the facts ˆ including any differing explanations and
interpretations of events ∑ These factors were clearly missing in
Abu-Jamal's trial∑ Amnesty International has determined that numerous
aspects of this case clearly failed to meet minimum international
standards safeguarding the fairness of legal proceedings ∑ the
interests of justice would best be served by the granting of a new
trial to Mumia Abu-Jamal" From Amnesty International's The Case of
Mumia Abu-Jamal: A Life in the Balance
"A grave injustice is about to be committed. We are rushing to execute
someone in the face of ample evidence that his constitutional rights
have been denied, that he did not receive a fair trial, and most
importantly, that he may be innocent∑we urge you ∑ to have Judge Sabo
recuse himself from this case" and that "he is granted a new trial".
From the Congressional Black Caucus letter to Attorney General Janet
Reno, initiated by Congressman Chaka Fattah, on June 30, 1995.
EMERGENCY CALL TO ACTION! JOIN US THIS THURSDAY, JUNE 16th! THIS IS
THE LAST CHANCE FOR EVIDENCE OF MUMIA'S INNOCENCE TO BE ALLOWED IN
COURT!BE THERE JUNE 16th!
Press Conference and Demonstration- 11 a.m. on the North East Side of
Philly City Hall Demonstration and leafleting ˆ5pm on the North East
Side of Philly City Hall People must understand the severity of what is
currently happening in the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal. This is one of the
last steps in the groundwork being laid to execute Mumia or keep him in
prison for the rest of his life.
Both are death sentences and are totally unacceptable. It is no
coincidence that within this short span of time, the MOVE 9 appeal was
denied, then the bounty was raised on our sister Assata's head, and now
Mumia's last appeal to have evidence of innocence allowed in the Courts
has been denied. These are all full-on assaults on our freedom fighters
and acts of war against the freedom of all. People should look at
these examples and realize this. The Patriot Act has expanded, a
worldwide war is raging, and Lynne Stewart has been convicted. It
should be clear to all that it is time to fight! If a child is in a
house that is on fire, a good mother will stop at nothing to protect
her child. Whether she has to tear down walls or jump from that
building she will do what ever it takes to protect her child's life.
We must understand that our brother Mumia is our innocent life to
protect; he is in the same danger as one trapped in a burning
building---as this prison system is suffocating the lives of millions.
Our survival as a people is dependent on his survival and we must stop
at nothing to achieve his release. For over 23 years the judicial
system has exhibited blatant racism and political prejudice towards
Mumia.
On December 17th, 2001, when Judge Yohn stated that there was no
evidence of innocence before him, this was simply because he had thrown
it out the same way as Judge Pamela Dembe. Both of these judges had
irrefutable evidence of innocence, prosecutorial and judicial
misconduct before them, and threw it out. The rulings that were made
on this evidence were so ridiculous, racist, and insulting that most
will not believe what they said unless they read it themselves.
People must understand the history here, the plot that is being acted
out, in order to understand the seriousness of it. In July of 2001 a
hearing was scheduled for August 17th before Judge Pamela Dembe in
which Mumia was supposed to be present. Word spread across the globe
and hundreds were organizing to be in Philadelphia for the hearing.
Only days before the 17th, Judge Dembe barred Mumia from being present
at his own hearing, but this did not stop the support; it intensified
it.
On August 17th the streets around the Criminal Justice Center were
packed with those standing up for Mumia. The late great Ossie Davis,
Sonia Sanchez, Dick Gregory, Jesse Jackson, a prestigious delegation of
French officials, students and activists and hundreds from around the
world were present. Judge Dembe refused to make a ruling on that day
stating that she did not want to make a ruling with so many Mumia
supporters there without having more police (even though there had been
no problems) but that she would reschedule another hearing. No other
hearing was scheduled.
On November 21st, 2001, Judge Dembe denied Mumia's appeal. It was at
this point, and no sooner, that the International Concerned Family and
Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal began to target and expose her for the
unjust Judge that she is. Judge Dembe was given plenty of opportunities
to do justice but only proved how unjust she is. It has always been our
position to expose that injustice. We of the International
Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal will never betray Mumia
by neglecting to expose those who deny him justice. Judge Dembe threw
out the videotaped confession of Arnold Beverly, a man who swears that
he, not Mumia, killed Officer Faulkner. She threw this out not because
it was not credible but because she claims that it was not filed in a
timely manner. She threw out the affidavit of Mumia's former attorney,
Rachel Wolkenstein, which backed up Beverly's confession and showed
that the murder of Faulkner was part of a much bigger conspiracy to
cover up the murders of many other police officers due to mob related
activities. The affidavit of court stenographer Terri-Maurer Carter
who heard Judge Sabo say "Yeah, and I'm gonna help 'em fry the nigger"
was thrown out.
Dembe stated that even if Sabo did make such a racist remark in the
middle of the trial that it does not prove that he acted as a racist or
prejudiced towards Mumia during the trial. This argument is an insult
to anyone's intelligence. Even conservative Senator Specter stated in
1995 that Sabo's courtroom conduct towards Mumia was so bad that it
would sabotage Sabo's credibility.
That December 8th there was a demonstration for Mumia's freedom that
ended with the police attacking and arresting innocent activists. A
picture of a Philly cop holding a gun to the head of one young Mumia
supporter went out internationally and shocked the world. Nine days
later Judge Yohn issued his decision. Yohn stated that there was no
evidence of innocence before him but that there was a problem with
Sabo's instruction to the jury about sentencing. (There was no evidence
because Yohn threw it out. Actually, he had affidavits from Arnold
Beverly, Billy Cook, Mumia Abu-Jamal, Linn Washington, and FBI
confidential source, Donald Hersing, before him which all pointed
strongly towards innocence.) He said that he was overturning the
sentencing so that Mumia would have life in prison with no possibility
of parole.
If either side appealed within 90 days then that matter would have to be
settled in the third circuit court of appeals. Mumia appealed because
he is innocent, and life in prison is still a death sentence. The
prosecution appealed because they are bloodthirsty. The media blew up
this decision and misled millions into believing that Mumia was off
death row and even out of prison.
In reality, Mumia never, at any point, left his death row cell at
SCI-Greene. This trick was used in order to mislead and confuse
people; to try to take the urgency out of the fight to free Mumia
Abu-Jamal, end the death penalty, and get all of our political
prisoners out of these hell holes.
While people were confused by Yohn's ruling Judge Dembe continued to
hammer nails into Mumia's coffin and her most recent denial of evidence
of innocence is the last one that she needs to put in. All the while
this government has continued to terrorize those who support Mumia.
Look at the examples of Narberth, PA, politician, Angus Love, being
intimidated into backing away from his position. The Ossining chapter
of the NAACP, who pushed for the national NAACP resolution for justice
for Mumia, is now being singled out and harassed.
At one point Philadelphia Mayor John Street publicly stated that Mumia
had not received justice and even suggested that the matter be taken to
the NAACP. This past year, one of his representatives met (due to his
orders) with a French Delegation for Mumia and gave them awards. Street
was attacked in the media. Maureen Faulkner said that Mayor Street had
apologized to her and said that Mumia is guilty. Street refused to
stand up and correct this statement. He was intimidated and
poli-tricked into shutting up. That is how
serious this is. But we will never back down. This is life or death
here.
Dembe just threw out Mumia's last opportunity to have evidence of
innocence heard in court EVER! She handed down her decision on Friday
the 27th of May but kept it a secret. It was not put out in the
papers, as it always has been when a decision is made, and no one in
the Movement found out about it until June 2nd. With this decision the
path towards death is set and the Judges can just keep rubber-stamping
it all the way until that murderer Ed Rendell
happily stamps his signature on the death warrant. Even before Rendell
got into office he said that he was looking forward to killing Mumia.
All of those who have stood for Mumia in the past, you are needed now!
The late, great Ossie Davis never turned his back on Mumia and always
stated that our generation's moral obligation is to ensure justice for
Mumia Abu-Jamal. Martin Luther King III stated that "all those with
the power to intervene do so now in the name of justice" ---we need you
now! Jesse Jackson, Dick Gregory, Chuck D, Minister Farrakhan, Mos
Def, John Street, Chaka Fattah, Julian Bond and the NAACP leadership,
Danny Glover, Ed Asner---we need you here!
You who are sitting down reading this on your computer, hearing this on
the radio---we need you! There is only one thing that can stop them
from murdering Mumia and that is you! The death warrant is about to be
signed; they are putting the poison in the needle. Not only are they
trying to kill Mumia, they are murdering your freedom. What will you
do? TO QUOTE JOHN AFRICA, QUOTE:
"A JUST PERSON WILL IGNORE HIS PRIDE WHEN HE HEARS WHAT IS RIGHT, AN
UNJUST PERSON WILL IGNORE WHAT IS RIGHT AND HOLD FAST TO HIS GODDAMN
PRIDE." - END QUOTE LONG LIVE JOHN AFRICA!!!
Signed,
International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal
The MOVE Organization
NYC Jericho Movement
ProLibertad _Latin@s_ (mailto:Latin@s) por Mumia
Millions for Mumia / International Action Center
Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Coalition, NYC
Mark L. Taylor, Educators for Mumia Abu-Jamal
Extremely Urgent re: MUMIA
ATTENTION: JUDGE MASSIAH-JACKSON, CONGRESSMAN FATTAH, MAYOR STREET,
NATIONAL AND PHILADELPHIA NAACP, ALL OTHER POLITICAL, RELIGIOUS,
NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY LEADERS AND PEOPLE OF GOOD WILL:
Once again, Mumia Abu-Jamal, an innocent man on Pennsylvania's Death
Row for 23 years, is being denied justice because the court system is
violating his right to due process, to the consideration of relevant
evidence, and to a new and fair trial, if not his immediate release.
Judge Pamela Dembe, in the Court of Common Pleas, has hammered another
nail into the coffin they're preparing for Mumia by rubberstamping the
record of the notorious "Hanging Judge" Albert Sabo.
The whole world denounced Mumia Abu-Jamal's trial and his Post
Conviction Relief Appeal (PCRA) held in 1982 and 1995 respectively in
the courtroom of Judge Albert Sabo. Legal groups such Amnesty
International, the International Association of Democratic Lawyers,
the Criminal Justice Institute at Harvard Law School, the National
Lawyers Guild, and the National Conference of Black Lawyers detailed
the many violations of US and international laws that Sabo committed.
World leaders such as Nelson Mandela, then President of South Africa,
Bishop Desmond Tutu, French President Jacques Chirac, the Japanese
Diet (Japan's legislative body), and the US Congressional Black Caucus
denounced the trial and PCRA as being unjust, illegal, and racist.
Religious leaders, writers, artists, and other intellectuals from
across the globe expressed outrage at the conviction and death
sentence imposed on Mumia, and millions petitioned and marched to
demand Mumia's freedom or at the very least a new and fair trial.
Now after four years of Mumia's case being before Judge Pamela Dembe ,
we see a pattern of supporting all of Sabo's rulings, with the only
difference being that Dembe's decisions have been made in the absence
of Mumia or his supporters in the courtroom. There is a deafening
silence from many of those who were so outraged only ten years ago. WE
CANNOT REMAIN SILENT WHILE THE RAILROADING OF MUMIA TOWARD EXECUTION
OR LIFE IN PRISON CONTINUES. THE ATTEMPT TO KILL MUMIA IS NOT FOR ANY
CRIME HE COMMITTED. IT IS FOR HIS UNCOMPROMISING POLITICAL POSITIONS
AND HIS ELOQUENCE IN EXPRESSING THEM. Refusing to include evidence
pointing to Mumia's innocence in the record prevents the higher courts
from reviewing these critical affidavits.
What Judge Dembe has done is deny Mumia his constitutional and human
right to a fair judicial process. She has sustained every decision
Sabo made and refused to introduce extremely relevant and crucial
material pointing to Mumia's innocence. When Mumia's attorneys
submitted an affidavit by someone who said that it was he, and not
Mumia, who killed Officer Faulkner, and this affidavit supported other
witnesses' versions of what happened on the night of December 9, 1981,
Judge Dembe dismissed the confession as "untimely". Similarly, she
declared affidavits from Mumia and his brother presenting their side
of what happened that night as also "untimely". When Mumia and his
lawyers fought for Mumia's right to be present at his hearing in
August 2001, Judge Dembe allowed prison officials to revoke Mumia's
scheduled court appearance in Philadelphia. When Mumia and his lawyers
presented an affidavit from a highly credible court stenographer who
heard Judge Sabo say in 1982, in the supposed privacy of another
courtroom, "Yeah, and I'm going to help `em fry the nigger", Judge
Dembe ruled that that testimony should not be introduced into the
record. Unable to argue that it was "untimely", she presented the
ridiculous explanation that even if Sabo had actually made the comment
the witness alleged he did, it did not prove that his decisions were
affected by this expressed intention. Also, she said the issue of
Sabo's racism had already been raised earlier and so did not need to
be reviewed again. When presented with two new affidavits this year
pointing to Mumia's innocence, Dembe cancelled a scheduled hearing to
present the evidence and, now on May 27th she has ruled that this
evidence is to be excluded from the record, thus preventing a serious
consideration of Mumia's innocence in the higher courts.
JOIN US FOR OUTREACH, PROTEST AND RESISTANCE ON:
THURSDAY JUNE 16th, ON THE WEST SIDE OF CITY HALL IN PHILADELPHIA, AT
12 NOON
June 16th will be the last day Mumia can file for "reconsideration" of
Dembe's ruling. We must let the courts know that we will not be quiet
in the face of this outrageous and continuous process to kill and
SILENCE OUR BROTHER MUMIA.
For more information call :
International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal
(215) 476-8812 or Free Mumia Abu Jamal Coalition (NYC) (212) 927-2924
Also, call Judge Frederica A. Massiah-Jackson, Pamela Dembe's
supervisor, at (215) 686-2523 to let her know how outraged you are by
Judge Dembe's decisions. Tell her you think the evidence of Mumia's
innocence must be included in the record! You can even quote from the
excerpts below.
"Juries can only be accurate assessors of events if they are given a
complete view of the facts ˆ including any differing explanations and
interpretations of events ∑ These factors were clearly missing in
Abu-Jamal's trial∑ Amnesty International has determined that numerous
aspects of this case clearly failed to meet minimum international
standards safeguarding the fairness of legal proceedings ∑ the
interests of justice would best be served by the granting of a new
trial to Mumia Abu-Jamal" From Amnesty International's The Case of
Mumia Abu-Jamal: A Life in the Balance
"A grave injustice is about to be committed. We are rushing to execute
someone in the face of ample evidence that his constitutional rights
have been denied, that he did not receive a fair trial, and most
importantly, that he may be innocent∑we urge you ∑ to have Judge Sabo
recuse himself from this case" and that "he is granted a new trial".
From the Congressional Black Caucus letter to Attorney General Janet
Reno, initiated by Congressman Chaka Fattah, on June 30, 1995.
posted to forum 06-09-05 Fatirah
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
13) Emergency is state of mind, city leaders say
Richmond leaders declare 'emergency' over killings
By Rebecca Rosen Lum and Karl Fischer
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
Posted on Fri, Jun. 17, 2005
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/local/crime_courts/
11918678.htm
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
14) Letter by Anton Pannekoek to Sylvia Pankhurst
from the Workers‚ Dreadnought, 30 September 1922.
Irish Communist Policy
Dear Comrade
I have read with much satisfaction your article on the programme
of the Irish Communist Party, and I think you are perfectly
right in calling it a non-Communist programme. Indeed, the
essence of Communist thought is that the great transformation
of society from Capitalism to Communism can only be accomplished
by the common efforts of the workers themselves, all of them
acting where they stand in the process of production.
The belief that some foreign power, the State, may accomplish
it for the workers by decrees and laws is a social-democratic
belief ˆ nay, only the most narrow-minded social democrats
believe it; most social democrats in former times knew quite
well that the chief force of transformation must come from below.
The state is not a supernatural being; it is the organised
host of politicians, leaders and officials backed by armed
force. The belief that the State may establish Communism by
legislative means is the belief that this small host of
officials and leaders, by their wisdom, may save the mass
of the workers from slavery ˆ these workers having nothing
to do but vote for them. Now the experience of Germany has
proved that placing Labour leaders at the head of the State
is simply a change of rulers, which cannot bring any real
revolution.
On the other hand, Russia in the first years of the Revolution
showed that after the workers had already seized the power
in the workshops, in the Army, and on the land, by their
committees, the revolution could be accomplished by seizing
the State power ˆ i.e., all this activity was centralised,
united, and organised by central organs, and made a strong
united body against attacks from the Capitalist side.
The programme of the Communist Party of Ireland is not only
non-Communist because it appeals to the State for everything,
but also because it asks from this State only reforms.
It would have been, though not Communist in its means and
ways, nevertheless Communist in its aims, if it had
constituted measures for abolishing Capitalist exploitation
and introducing Communist ownership. But even this it
doesn‚t do. It supposes a State Power ruled by the workers
—for awaiting these measures from a State ruled by
Capitalists would be pure nonsense ˆ while private enterprise
still dominates the economic field; but it does not make use
this State Power to attack and destroy private enterprise,
but only to reform it to somewhat less intolerable
conditions for the workers. The model of this programme
probably must be sought for in the Russian conditions,
where the Communist Party tries to keep its political
domination at the same time that it must allow
Capitalistic enterprises to come on. But also in our
own West European conditions we may find the roots for
it. It tries to combine the interests of the working
class for reforms with the interests of the petty
bourgeoisie; by the State ownership of banks, railways,
and big industries, it promises to free petty enterprises
from the crushing domination of big finance and heavy
industry. That is the reason why it does not proclaim
the abolition of private property: it desires to eat
from two cakes; at the same time, it does not attempt
to win solely the workers by the great ideal of Communism
and revolution, to which at this moment the great mass
is indifferent, which thus exact great pains and long
efforts. It also attempts to win the petty bourgeois
class and also the middle-class minded mass of the
workers. It attempts to win both these classes within
a short time, not raising their mind to the higher
standing of the great Communist prospects, by vanquishing
their bourgeois narrow-mindedness, but baiting them with
the programme of a reformed petty capitalistic world,
wholly in line with their inherited thoughts.
It is nothing else than the 'New Zealand Socialism' of
twenty years ago, invented by bourgeois reformers wanting
the aid of the small working class against foreign finance,
and resulting in strangling the class struggle and the
freedom of movement of the workers.
In Ireland it has its roots in the economic backwardness
of the country, with its small proletariat, its great
mass of petty bourgeoisie, its great mass of petty
bourgeoisie, its great mass of small land holders and
labourers who hope to become petty-owners. It tries
to give them a common programme, which, of course,
cannot be Communist.
Perhaps it may be said that, as Communism is not yet
possible in such a country, this programme of a reformed
society of petty enterprise controlled by the working
class is to be preferred to everything else, and the
best possible way out. But the idea of a stable society
on this basis of peaceful co-operation of classes is
an illusion. You have already shown it in your article
with regard to workers‚ control.
The same impossibility may be seen regarding unemployment.
„Full maintenance for the unemployed at full trade union
rates‰ is asked for. Where would the State get the funds
necessary under this programme? The funds must in some
way come from production; either from the profit on
State industries, or from taxes paid by small enterprise.
Of course these capitalists would not be content to pay
to the unemployed such rates; they would try to lower
them, in order to restore the pressure of unemployment
on the wages. Here arises the natural and fundamental
enmity of the classes, the chief opposition of their
interests, the impossibility of peacefully combining
their efforts. As long as private enterprise exists,
it must try to hold itself against competition by
lowering the cost of production, or else be ruined.
It cannot be content to secure a fixed living to the
workers.
In 1848, in Paris, this payment of unemployed was the
chief cause of the shopkeepers and other petty bourgeois
becoming furious against the „do nothings‰ and crushing
the proletarian revolt in the June massacre. But also
from the Communist point of view this leaving the
workers unemployed and paying them a life rate is
not right. Communism means production of an abundance
of goods, leaving people idle who are desirous to work
is spoiling the resources of the community. A Communist
society will not leave them unemployed, but will let
them produce goods for the community, thus for themselves
and others to increase the general wealth.
Thus the so-called Communist programme is not the
programme of Communists desirous to show to the workers
the difficult but only real way to freedom; it is the
programme of politicians desirous to win the great mass
of adherents from various poor classes, by a programme
of reforms that means coalition of workers, small
farmers and petty bourgeois.
What you say about the results of the coalition in the
States of Eastern and Middle Europe shows that this
coalition uses the force of the proletariat to promote
the formation of a numerous class of small land owners,
extremely hostile to any Communism, thus it throws
obstacles in the way to Communism. It does still more
so by filling the minds of the workers with illusions,
and by diverting their eyes from the only way to freedom;
the way of class struggle, clear class-consciousness and
confidence in their own power.
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
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Thursday, June 16, 2005
BAUAW NEWSLETTER-THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2005
************************************************************
COLLEGE NOT COMBAT PETITION CAMPAIGN
16TH & MISSION STREET
SATURDAYS, 12:30 P.M.
TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS, 5 & 7 P.M.
************************************************************
Venezuela: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
plus an Eyewitness from Venezuela: Sonia Zerpa
Film Showing: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
With comments by Sonia Zerpa, a citizen of Caracas,
Venezuela on the dynamic days of the US backed coup.
Bethany United Methodist Church
1268 Sanchez Street (at Clipper ) in San Francisco in
Noe Valley neighborhood
7:00 PM, Friday, June 17, 2005
$5 General, $3 Seniors, Students, Unemployed
Benefits: San Francisco Hands Off Venezuela
For more information about the film:
http://www.chavezthefilm.com/index_ex.htm
Hands Off Venezuela
www.handsoffvenezuela.org
For more information about this call Adam Richmond at
415-864-3537.
************************************************************
BAUAW MEETING: SATURDAY, 11:30 A.M.
474 VALENCIA STREET NEAR 16TH STREET
WE WILL PETITION AFTER OUR MEETING!
************************************************************
SAN FRANCISCO MIME TROUPE
AND BAY AREA UNITED AGAINST WAR
PRESENT:
"DOING GOOD"
Based loosely on the book,
"Confessions of an Economic Hit
Man", by John Perkins
July 4, DOLORES PARK
MUSIC: 1:30 P.M.
SHOW: 2:00 P.M.
FREE!
COME HELP GATHER SIGNATURES FOR THE
COLLEGE NOT COMBAT PETITION!
************************************************************
SAVE THE DATES: AUGUST 4, 5 & 6, 2005 FOR
PRESENTATION OF HOWARD ZINN'S ONE MAN SHOW,
"MARX IN SOHO" PERFORMED BY JERRY LEVY
LOCATION TO BE ANNOUNCED
TO BENEFIT BAY AREA UNITED AGAINST WAR
WWW.BAUAW.ORG
(FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL: 415-824-8730)
************************************************************
Gang Way of Life
by Tim Tuomey
PHOTO OF IRAQI CHILDREN NOT SHOW:
Job 1 is to kill until the killin
is done, says veteran Tim Tuomey. If you were told to
kill these youngsters, could you do it? If you did, could you
live with yourself?
This link has the full text of a statement only partially given by
Tim Tuomey, a veteran, to the San Francisco Board of Education at
their March 17 meeting. He was allowed only a minute. But the board
members, mesmerized by his quiet voice and the power of his words
were captivated and let him go on for at least another minute before
they realized his time was up. They cut him off in mid-sentence.
http://www.sfbayview.com/032305/gangway032305.shtml
************************************************************
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BAUAW NEWSLETTER THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2005
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
1) Cheney: U.S. Not Aiming To Close Guantanamo
Other Republicans Say Prison Is a Liability
By Marc Kaufman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, June 13, 2005; A02
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/12/
AR2005061201265_pf.html
2) Born on the Fourth of July:
The Long Journey Home
By Ron Kovic
AlterNet Posted on June 13, 2005,
http://www.alternet.org/story/22181/
3) Uncle Sam Really Wants You
By BOB HERBERT
June 16, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/16/opinion/
16herbert.html?n=Top%2fOpinion%2fEditorials%20and%20Op%2dEd%2fOp%2dEd%2fC
olumnists%2fBob%20Herbert
4) Formation of September 24
National Coalition
for the March on Washington DC
All Out to Stop the War in Iraq -
Bring the Troops Home Now!
End Colonial Occupation
from Iraq to Haiti to Palestine and Everywhere
5) The CIA and the Bombing of Cubana Flight 455
Why Bush Wants to Harbor Posada Carriles
By TOM CRUMPACKER
http://www.counterpunch.org/crumpacker06162005.html
6) The New CIA Revelations About Posada
Extradition US-Style
By RICARDO ALARCÓN
June 14, 2005
http://www.counterpunch.org/alarcon06142005.html
7) San Francisco Labor Council Opposes Military
Recruitment in Schools
[Resolution adopted unanimously by San Francisco
Labor Council Delegates' Meeting on June 13, 2005
(To help gather signatures to get the proposition on
The ballot, come to 16th and Mission Street Saturdays
At 12:30 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5 & 7 p.m.)
SUPPORT for "COLLEGE NOT COMBAT"
8) Playing Chicken: Ghana vs. the IMF
by Linus Atarah , Special to CorpWatch
June 14th, 2005
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12394
9) CONGO: Anvil Mining Hammered
Over Military Assistance
by Peter Gonnella , MineWeb
June 8th, 2005
"PERTH -- Just days after AngloGold
Ashanti fended off allegations
of paying bribes to militia groups
in the Democratic Republic of Congo,
Anvil Mining has come under intense
scrutiny over its supply of air and
ground transport to the DRC army
for an operation that led to the
alleged slaughter of more than
100 people last October."
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12361
10)*** PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY ***
http://www.BooksNotBars.org/petition
Books Not Bars has launched an
ONLINE PETITION to Governor
Schwarzenegger to CLOSE
THE NOTORIOUS AND ABUSIVE YOUTH
PRISONS OF THE CALIFORNIA
YOUTH AUTHORITY (CYA). Books Not
Bars is campaigning statewide
to replace the CYA's warehouse
youth prisons with HUMANE,
COMMUNITY-BASED ALTERNATIVES
AND PROGRAMS designed for
rehabilitation that help youth in trouble
to get their lives back on track.
The petition urges Governor
Schwarzenegger to close these notorious
warehouse prisons. You can sign
the petition from anywhere in the
nation, even if you're not in
California! People throughout the country
must act together in signing
the petition and making a statement!
Click the link for full information
about why this is so urgent and important.
http://www.BooksNotBars.org/petition
To contact Books Not Bars about this petition,
e-mail petition@ellabakercenter.org
11) California Reins In Clinics Using Marijuana
for Medical Purposes
By DEAN E. MURPHY
June 15, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/15/national/
15marijuana.html?hp&ex=1118894400&en=0e8927fd68ebe4ab&ei=5094&partner=
homepage
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
1) Cheney: U.S. Not Aiming To Close Guantanamo
Other Republicans Say Prison Is a Liability
By Marc Kaufman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, June 13, 2005; A02
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/12/
AR2005061201265_pf.html
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
2) Born on the Fourth of July:
The Long Journey Home
By Ron Kovic
AlterNet Posted on June 13, 2005,
http://www.alternet.org/story/22181/
Editor's Note: Ron Kovic served two tours of duty
during the Vietnam War. He was paralyzed from the chest
down in combat in 1968 and has been in a wheelchair
ever since. Along with Oliver Stone, Kovic was the
co-screenwriter of the 1989 Academy Award-winning film
based on his book, Born on the Fourth of July (Akashic
Books). The following is the introduction to the new
edition of the book.
It was exactly forty years ago this past September that
I left my house in Massapequa, New York to join the
United States Marine Corps and begin an extraordinary
journey that was to lead me into a disastrous war which
would change my life, and others of my generation,
profoundly and forever. There are times in the lives of
both individuals and nations when we cross certain
thresholds where there is no going back, no return to
the innocence we once knew; the change is utter and
irreconcilable. We often sense these moments. I know I
did that day.
I can still remember leaving my house that morning,
saying goodbye to my mother, my father driving me down
to the Long Island Railroad station with only a few
words being said between us--Dad was always that
way--and then that long and contemplative ride into the
city, being sworn in at Whitehall Street, holding my
right hand up proudly with all the other young men,
taking the oath of enlistment, and swearing our
allegiance to the Constitution of the United States.
The fall of 1964, September 2, a lifetime ago. That
last bright and beautiful morning when everything was
to change forever, that last moment of lighthearted
innocence and youth, of Massapequa and the backyard
before the shock, the chaos, and the deluge. I had just
turned eighteen that summer, and there are some old
black-and-white photographs of me from those days. It's
amazing that I still have them, considering I have
misplaced them many times over the years, thinking them
lost forever, only to later find them in some
unexpected place, like a deeply disturbing dream that I
have been trying to repress.
I remember seeing those photos on several occasions
after I came home from Vietnam and each time having
terrible nightmares that shook me badly. I couldn't
look at them, could not face that young man I had been
before the war and my injury. I would always promise
myself to never look at them again. My trauma was still
very deep, and that beautiful boy, that body, had been
destroyed, defiled, and savaged. My wounding in Vietnam
both physically and emotionally haunted me, pursued me,
and threatened to overwhelm me.
I wrote Born on the Fourth of July in the fall of 1974
in one month, three weeks, and two days, on a $42
manual typewriter I had bought at Sears & Roebuck in
Santa Monica, California. It was like an explosion, a
dam bursting, everything flowed beautifully, just kept
pouring out, almost effortlessly, passionately,
desperately. I worked with an intensity and fury as if
it was my last will and testament, and in many ways I
felt it was. I continued to suffer from nightmares,
constant anxiety attacks, severe heart palpitations,
and a powerful, almost obsessive feeling that I would
not live past my thirtieth birthday. I was living each
day as if it were my last, as if everything had been
compressed together by the war, and now every second
counted.
I wrote all night long, seven days a week, single
space, no paragraphs, front and back of the pages,
pounding the keys so hard the tips of my fingers would
hurt. I couldn't stop writing, and I remember feeling
more alive than I had ever felt. Convinced that I was
destined to die young, I struggled to leave something
of meaning behind, to rise above the darkness and
despair.
I wanted people to understand. I wanted to share with
them as nakedly and openly and intimately as possible
what I had gone through, what I had endured. I wanted
them to know what it really meant to be in a war--to be
shot and wounded, to be fighting for my life on the
intensive care ward--not the myth we had grown up
believing. I wanted people to know about the hospitals
and the enema room, about why I had become opposed to
the war, why I had grown more and more committed to
peace and nonviolence.
I had been beaten by the police and arrested twelve
times for protesting the war, and I had spent many
nights in jail in my wheelchair. I had been called a
Communist and a traitor, simply for trying to tell the
truth about what had happened in that war, but I
refused to be intimidated. I loved the night and I
would write for hours as if no time had passed at all.
I was exhausted and my back ached, but none of that
seemed to matter. I felt wonderful inside, tired but
completely consumed by my writing.
I would drink a couple cups of coffee and then with a
new surge of energy work for another hour or so as the
bright lights of the morning began to fill the room.
I'd neatly stack all the pages next to the typewriter
after holding them proudly in my hands, then go to my
bedroom and transfer out of my wheelchair onto a
mattress on the floor. I remember thinking to myself
one morning that if I died in my sleep, someone would
come into the apartment and find those pages next to
the typewriter and know that I was not a victim, but
someone who had been trying to move beyond his terrible
tragedy and the terrible injustice of that war.
With the exception of that initial burst of writing and
rare moment of stability in Santa Monica in the fall of
1974, I continued to be extremely restless back then,
frantically moving from one place to the next, living
on the edge, racing in cabs to the airport, flying from
city to city on my monthly compensation check, suddenly
showing up at friends' houses in the middle of the
night and sleeping on their couches--always carrying
the manuscript with me and always frightened,
desperately needing to escape the demons that were
closing in on me.
Over the next year and a half I wrote several
additional chapters of Born on the Fourth of July. Some
of the stories were ones I had told my mother when I
first came home from the hospital and would lay on our
couch in the living room when I couldn't sleep, which
was often back then. Night after night I would repeat
the story of how I was wounded that day in Vietnam,
describing every single detail. My dear mother would
sit patiently in her chair, listening to her son who
had come home paralyzed from the war, trying her best
to understand.
I attempted to write at my friends Skip and Ginny's
place on Mohegan Lake, in their laundry room, but
couldn't seem to get started. I wrote most of the
chapter about my childhood at a little hotel not far
from Sproul Plaza in Berkeley, and the ambush chapter,
the most painful but one of the best, at Connie's
apartment in L.A. I wrote the Memorial Day chapter one
afternoon in San Francisco at the Sam Wong Hotel on
Broadway, just down the street from Enricos Cafe in
North Beach. I can still remember the open window of my
hotel room and the noise of passing cars and trucks in
the street below, the fumes, the honking horns, but
that became a very beautiful chapter and I still enjoy
reading it to this day.
I dictated the very first page of the first chapter to
my friend Roger at the Chateau Marmont Hotel in
Hollywood, and the remainder of the chapter up in
Mendocino where he and Mary were living at the time. I
had driven all the way up in a used car I had just
bought in L.A. and later abandoned in their driveway.
It was deep in the woods, quiet and peaceful, so very
different from the war and the hospitals and all that I
had been through. The air was fresh and there was a
pond behind their cottage where I dictated to Roger,
and I remember feeling exhausted as he held me in his
arms and I began to cry in the midst of all that
stillness. It was a painful but beautiful birth.
I am extremely grateful to Akashic Books and its
publisher, Johnny Temple, for bringing out this new
edition of Born on the Fourth of July at such a crucial
moment in our nation's history. For the past two years
we have been involved in a tragic and senseless war in
Iraq. As of this writing, over 1,500 Americans have
died and more than 11,000 have been wounded, while tens
of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians, many of them
women and children, have been killed.
I have watched in horror the mirror image of another
Vietnam unfolding. So many similarities, so many things
said that remind me of that war thirty years ago which
left me paralyzed for the rest of my life. Refusing to
learn from our experiences in Vietnam, our government
continues to pursue a policy of deception, distortion,
manipulation, and denial, doing everything it can to
hide from the American people their true intentions and
agenda in Iraq. The flag-draped caskets of our dead
begin their long and sorrowful journeys home hidden
from public view, while the Iraqi casualties are not
even considered worth counting--some estimate as many
as 100,000 have been killed so far.
The paraplegics, amputees, burn victims, the blinded
and maimed, shocked and stunned, brain damaged and
psychologically stressed, now fill our veterans
hospitals. Most of them were not even born when I came
home wounded to the Bronx V.A. in 1968. The same
lifesaving medical-evacuation procedures that kept me
alive in Vietnam are bringing home a whole new
generation of severely maimed from Iraq.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which afflicted
so many of us after Vietnam, is just now beginning to
appear among soldiers recently returned from the
current war. For some, the agony and suffering, the
sleepless nights, anxiety attacks, and awful bouts of
insomnia, loneliness, alienation, anger, and rage, will
last for decades, if not their whole lives. They will
be trapped in a permanent nightmare of that war, of
killing another man, a child, watching a friend die ...
fighting against an enemy that can never be seen, while
at any moment someone--a child, a woman, an old man,
anyone--might kill you. These traumas return home with
us and we carry them, sometimes hidden, for agonizing
decades. They deeply impact our daily lives, and the
lives of those closest to us.
To kill another human being, to take another life out
of this world with one pull of a trigger, is something
that never leaves you. It is as if a part of you dies
with them. If you choose to keep on living, there may
be a healing, and even hope and happiness again--but
that scar and memory and sorrow will be with you
forever.
Some of these veterans are showing up at homeless
shelters around our country, while others have begun to
courageously speak out against the senselessness and
insanity of this war and the leaders who sent them
there. During the 2004 Democratic Convention, returning
soldiers formed a group called Iraq Veterans Against
the War, just as we marched in Miami in August of 1972
as Vietnam Veterans Against the War. Still others have
refused deployment to Iraq, gone to Canada, and begun
resisting this immoral and illegal war.
For months leading up to the invasion of Iraq, citizens
here in the United States and around the world marched
and demonstrated in growing opposition to our
government's reckless plan to launch an attack. I
proudly participated in protests in Los Angeles, San
Francisco, and Washington, D.C., doing countless
interviews and speaking out wherever people would
listen to me. Many prominent world leaders, including
Nelson Mandela and Pope John Paul II, began to raise
their voices against the terrible and ill-fated foreign
policy. This extraordinary opposition culminated on
February, 15, 2003, when more than 30 million citizens
in over 100 nations participated in the most massive
demonstration on behalf of peace in the history of the
world. Never before had so many human beings come
together before a war had even begun to say no to the
insanity and madness.
Many of us promised ourselves long ago that we would
never allow what happened to us in Vietnam to happen
again. We had an obligation, a responsibility as
citizens, as Americans, as human beings, to raise our
voices in protest. We could never forget the hospitals,
the intensive care wards, the wounded all around us
fighting for their lives, those long and painful years
after we came home, those lonely nights. There were
lives to save on both sides, young men and women who
would be disfigured and maimed, mothers and fathers who
would lose their sons and daughters, wives and loved
ones who would suffer for decades to come if we did not
do everything we could to stop the forward momentum of
this madness. We sensed it very early and very quickly.
We saw the same destructive patterns reasserting
themselves all over again as our leaders spoke of "bad
guys" and "evil-doers," "imminent threats" and
"mushroom clouds," attempting to frighten and
intimidate the American people into supporting their
agenda.
The Bush administration seems to have learned some very
different lessons than we did from Vietnam. Where we
learned of the deep immorality and obscenity of that
war, they learned to be even more brutal, more violent
and ruthless, i.e., "shock and awe." Sadly, the war on
terror has become a war of terror. Where we learned to
be more open and honest, to be more truthful, to
expose, to express, to shatter the myths of the past,
they seem to have learned the exact opposite--to hide,
to censor, to fabricate, to mislead and deceive--to
perpetuate those myths.
Instead of being intimidated or frightened, many of us
became more outraged and more determined than ever to
stop these ignorant, arrogant men and women who never
saw the things we saw, never had to grieve over the
loss of their bodies or the bodies of their sons and
daughters, never had to watch as so many friends and
fellow veterans were destroyed by alcoholism and drugs,
homelessness, imprisonment, neglect and rejection,
torture, abandonment and betrayal, in the painful
aftermath of the war. These leaders have never
experienced the tears, the dread and rage, the feeling
that there is no God, no country, nothing but the
wound, the horrifying memories, the shock, the guilt,
the shame, the terrible injustice that took the lives
of more than 58,000 Americans and over two million
Vietnamese.
We had to act. We had to speak.
I am no longer the 28-year-old man, six years returned
from the war in Vietnam, who sat behind that typewriter
in Santa Monica in the fall of 1974. I am nearly 60
now. My hair and beard are almost completely white. The
nightmares and anxiety attacks have all but
disappeared, but I still do not sleep well at night. I
toss and turn in increasing physical pain. But I remain
very positive and optimistic. I am still determined to
rise above all of this. I know my pain and the horrors
of my past will always be with me, but perhaps not with
the same force and fury of those early years after the
war.
I have learned to forgive my enemies and forgive
myself. It has been very difficult to heal from the war
while living in America, and I have often dreamed of
moving to neutral ground, another country. Yet I have
somehow made a certain peace, even in a nation that so
often still seems to believe in war and the use of
violence as a solution to its problems. There has been
a reckoning, a renewal. The scar will always be there,
a living reminder of that war, but it has also become
something beautiful now, something of faith and hope
and love.
I have been given an opportunity to move through that
dark night of the soul to a new shore, to gain an
understanding, a knowledge, an entirely different
vision. I now believe I have suffered for a reason, and
in many ways I have found that reason in my commitment
to peace and nonviolence. My life has been a blessing
in disguise, even with the pain and great difficulty
that my physical disability continues to bring. It is a
blessing to be able to speak on behalf of peace, to be
able to reach such a great number of people.
I saw firsthand what our government's terrible policy
had wrought. I endured; I survived and understood. The
one gift I was given in that war was an awakening. I
became a messenger, a living symbol, an example, a man
who learned that love and forgiveness are more powerful
than hatred, who has learned to embrace all men and
women as my brothers and sisters. No one will ever
again be my enemy, no matter how hard they try to
frighten and intimidate me. No government will ever
teach me to hate another human being. I have been given
the task of lighting a lantern, ringing a bell,
shouting from the highest rooftops, warning the
American people and citizens everywhere of the deep
immorality and utter wrongness of this approach to
solving our problems, pleading for an alternative to
this chaos and madness, this insanity and brutality. We
must change course.
I truly feel that this beautiful world has given me
back so much more than it has taken from me. So many
others that I knew are gone, and gone way too young. I
am grateful to be alive after all these years and all
that I've been through. I am thankful for every day.
Life is so precious.
Ron Kovic, Redondo Beach, California March 2005
(c) 2005 Independent Media Institute. All rights
reserved. View this story online at:
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
3) Uncle Sam Really Wants You
By BOB HERBERT
June 16, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/16/opinion/
16herbert.html?n=Top%2fOpinion%2fEditorials%20and%20Op%2dEd%2fOp%2dEd%2fC
olumnists%2fBob%20Herbert
With the situation in Iraq deteriorating and the willingness
of Americans to serve in the armed forces declining,
a little-known Army publication called the "School
Recruiting Program Handbook" is becoming increasingly
important, and controversial.
The handbook is the recruiter's bible, the essential
guide for those who have to go into the nation's high
schools and round up warm bodies to fill the
embarrassingly skimpy ranks of the Army's basic
training units.
The handbook declares forthrightly, "The goal is
school ownership that can only lead to a greater
number of Army enlistments."
What I was not able to find in the handbook was
anything remotely like the startlingly frank comments
of a sergeant at Fort Benning, Ga., who was quoted
in the May 30 issue of The Army Times. He was
addressing troops in the seventh week of basic
training, and the paper reported the scene as follows:
" 'Does anybody know what posthumous means?'
Staff Sgt. Andre Allen asked the 150 infantrymen-
in-training, members of F Company, 1st Battalion,
19th Infantry Regiment.
"A few hands went up, but he answered his own
question.
" 'It means after death. Some of you are going
to get medals that way,' he said matter-of-factly,
underscoring the possibility that some of them
would be sent to combat and not return."
That's the honest message recruits get once
they're in. The approach recommended by the
recruiting handbook is somewhat different. It's
much softer. Recruiters trying to sign up high
school students are urged to schmooze, schmooze,
schmooze.
"The football team usually starts practicing in August,"
the handbook says. "Contact the coach and volunteer to
assist in leading calisthenics or calling cadence
during team runs."
"Homecoming normally happens in October," the handbook
says. "Coordinate with the homecoming committee to get
involved with the parade."
Recruiters are urged to deliver doughnuts and coffee
to the faculty once a month, and to eat lunch in the
school cafeteria several times a month. And the book
recommends that they assiduously cultivate the
students that other students admire: "Some influential
students such as the student president or the captain
of the football team may not enlist; however, they
can and will provide you with referrals who will enlist."
It's not known how aware parents are that recruiters
are inside public high schools aggressively trying
to lure their children into wartime service. But not
all schools get the same attention. Those that get
the royal recruitment treatment tend to be the ones
with students whose families are less affluent
than most.
Schools with kids from wealthier families (and
a high percentage of collegebound students) are not
viewed as good prospects by military recruiters.
It's as if those schools had posted signs at the
entrances saying, "Don't bother." The kids in those
schools are not the kids who fight America's wars.
Now, with the death toll in Iraq continuing to mount,
it's getting harder to sign up even the less affluent
kids. So the recruitment effort in the target
schools has intensified. Recruiters, already driven
in some cases to the brink of nervous exhaustion,
are following the handbook guidelines more
rigorously than ever.
"If you wait until they're seniors, it's probably
too late," the book says. It also says, "Don't
forget the administrative staff. ... Have something
to give them (pen, calendar, cup, donuts, etc.) and
always remember secretary's week, with a card or
flowers."
The sense of desperation is palpable: "Get involved
with local Boy Scout troops. Scoutmasters are
typically happy to get any assistance you can offer.
Many scouts are [high school] students and potential
enlistees or student influencers."
One of the many problems here is that adolescents
should not be hounded by military recruiters under
any circumstances, and they shouldn't be pursued
at all without the full knowledge and consent of
parents or guardians.
Let the Army be honest and upfront in its recruitment.
War is not child's play, and warriors shouldn't be
assembled through the use of seductive sales pitches
to youngsters too immature to make an informed
decision on matters that might well result in
their having to kill others, or being killed
themselves.
E-mail: bobherb@nytimes.com
Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
4) Formation of September 24
National Coalition
for the March on Washington DC
All Out to Stop the War in Iraq -
Bring the Troops Home Now!
End Colonial Occupation
from Iraq to Haiti to Palestine and Everywhere
On September 24, we will show the deepening opposition that
is leading to the political isolation of the warmakers. As
during the Vietnam War era, the people of the United States
from all communities are actively entering the political
process through the mobilizing efforts of a genuinely broad
and mass antiwar movement.
Since the A.N.S.W.E.R Coalition issued the call for a mass
mobilization in Washington DC on September 24, a large number
of national organizations have endorsed and committed energy
and resources with the aim of building the largest
possible united demonstration.
The September 24 National Coalition for the March on
Washington, therefore, represents a coming together of
national organizations and communities who are committed
to building opposition to the Bush Administration's war
and occupation of Iraq. These organizations oppose war
and colonial-style occupation, not only as it pertains
to Iraq, but in Palestine, Haiti and everywhere. Support
for self-determination means standing with the people
in their effort to achieve sovereign control over their
land, labor and resources. Recognizing the
inextricability of the struggle of the Palestinian
people from the anti-war movement, the September
24 National Coalition supports the Palestinian people
and the inviolability of their Right to Return to the
homes from which they were evicted.
The leadership of the September 24 National Coalition
includes the A.N.S.W.E.R Coalition, National Council
of Arab-Americans (NCA), Muslim American Society (MAS)
Freedom Foundation, Haiti Support Network, Alliance
for a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines, and
the National Lawyers Guild.
On March 20, 2004, many of the same organizations
worked tirelessly to build a united front that brought
more than 100,000 people into the streets of New York
City under the banner "Bring the Troops Home Now!
End Colonial Occupation from Iraq to Palestine to
Haiti and Everywhere!" The decision to form the
September 24 National Coalition in support of the
call to action initiated by the A.N.S.W.E.R Coalition
is a renewed sign of a reciprocal commitment to work
together and build a mass movement opposing war for
Empire. We believe that rather than excluding communities,
building valid unity in the United States requires
embracing the rights and contributions of all,
primarily the very recipients of the ravages of war.
The people of the United States are witnessing a
vicious attack against working class communities by
the Bush Administration and the Military-Industrial
Complex. While the government has allocated more than
$300 billion to make war against the people of Iraq,
it cries 'poverty' when it comes to funding education,
healthcare, housing, jobs and job training, and other
programs and services that meet the needs of working
people. Bush claims that there is a lack of funds
to maintain Social Security while the National
Treasury is plundered to finance the endless imperial
war. Instead of offering young people a decent
education and decent jobs with decent wages, the
government has deployed an army of military recruiters
to snare young people into the armed forces. Bush
and the corporate and banking elites view young
people in the United States as nothing more than
cannon fodder in the war for Empire.
September 24 is a day when people from all over
the country will be joining together to speak with
one voice against war and racism. Marching together
we will show the growing power of the antiwar
movement. Join us in spreading the word in the
weeks and months ahead.
Get Involved in the September 24 Mass March
* Read the Call to Action
* Demands of the demonstration
* Press Coverage
* Endorse
* View Endorsers
* List Transportation
* Spread the word - Downloadable flyers
* Donate
* More information
A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition
Act Now to Stop War & End Racism
http://www.ANSWERcoalition.org
info@internationalanswer.org
National Office in Washington DC: 202-544-3389
New York City: 212-533-0417
Los Angeles: 323-464-1636
San Francisco: 415-821-6545
For media inquiries, call 202-544-3389.
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
5) The CIA and the Bombing of Cubana Flight 455
Why Bush Wants to Harbor Posada Carriles
By TOM CRUMPACKER
http://www.counterpunch.org/crumpacker06162005.html
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
6) The New CIA Revelations About Posada
Extradition US-Style
By RICARDO ALARCÓN
June 14, 2005
http://www.counterpunch.org/alarcon06142005.html
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
7) San Francisco Labor Council Opposes Military
Recruitment in Schools
[Resolution adopted unanimously by San Francisco
Labor Council Delegates' Meeting on June 13, 2005
(To help gather signatures to get the proposition on
The ballot, come to 16th and Mission Street Saturdays
At 12:30 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5 & 7 p.m.)
SUPPORT for "COLLEGE NOT COMBAT"
Whereas the SF Labor Council strongly supported
Proposition N, the policy statement on behalf of San
Francisco residents in firm opposition to the Iraq
War; and
Whereas, economic circumstances and active
government policy make the young people of San
Francisco and this nation potential cannon fodder
for the war machine and the misadventures in Iraq
and elsewhere; and
Whereas the San Francisco Labor Council supports
real economic opportunity for young people and thus
supports opposition to this predatory economic
draft;
Therefore be it resolved that the San Francisco
Labor Council give early endorsement to the
initiative "College Not Combat"; and
Be it finally resolved that the SFLC will aid in the
circulation of the College Not Combat initiative in
its attempts to qualify for ballot status.
********************
[Text of Petition -- to be placed on the Nov. 2005
ballot in San Francisco - 9,000 more signatures
needed!]
College Not Combat Declaration of Policy
Whereas, over 1500 American soldiers have died and
tens of thousands have been injured physically and
psychologically in Iraq; and,
Whereas, a study by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg
School of Public Health, Columbia University School
of Nursing and Al-Mustansiriya University in Baghdad
estimates that 100,000 Iraqis have died as a result
of the U.S. invasion and occupation; and,
Whereas, the U.S. government is forcing soldiers to
serve in Iraq for longer than their contracts
require with such devices as "stop-loss" orders;
and,
Whereas, the "No Child Left Behind Act" forces all
high schools that receive federal money to give
personal records of all children to the military for
the purposes of recruiting; and,
Whereas, the federal Solomon Amendment specifically
orders colleges and universities that receive
federal money to violate their own legal policies of
non-discrimination against gays and lesbians by
allowing recruiters for the military, which bars
gays and lesbians from serving openly, on campus;
and,
Whereas, a de facto "economic draft" forces tens of
thousands of low and middle-income students to join
the military in order to get money to go to college
or get job or technical training; and,
Whereas, the Pentagon budget, over $400 billion per
year, plus $300 billion more over the last three
years for the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan,
is draining desperately needed resources for
schools, health care and jobs; and,
Whereas, the people of San Francisco voted by 63% to
pass Proposition N in November of 2004 calling on
the Federal government to "bring the troops safely
home now;" and,
Whereas, the Federal government shows no sign of
ending the occupation of Iraq or bringing the troops
safely home and, in fact, is threatening military
action against other nations; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, that the people of San Francisco oppose
U.S. military recruiters using public school,
college and university facilities to recruit young
people into the armed forces. Furthermore, San
Francisco should oppose the military's "economic
draft" by investigating means by which to fund and
grant scholarships for college and job training to
low-income students so they are not economically
compelled to join the military.
* To visit your group on the web, go to:
* http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MOOS-BAY/
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
8) Playing Chicken: Ghana vs. the IMF
by Linus Atarah , Special to CorpWatch
June 14th, 2005
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12394
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
9) CONGO: Anvil Mining Hammered Over Military Assistance
by Peter Gonnella , MineWeb
June 8th, 2005
"PERTH -- Just days after AngloGold
Ashanti fended off allegations
of paying bribes to militia groups
in the Democratic Republic of Congo,
Anvil Mining has come under intense
scrutiny over its supply of air and
ground transport to the DRC army
for an operation that led to the
alleged slaughter of more than
100 people last October."
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12361
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
10)*** PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY ***
http://www.BooksNotBars.org/petition
Books Not Bars has launched an
ONLINE PETITION to Governor
Schwarzenegger to CLOSE THE
NOTORIOUS AND ABUSIVE YOUTH
PRISONS OF THE CALIFORNIA
YOUTH AUTHORITY (CYA). Books Not
Bars is campaigning statewide
to replace the CYA's warehouse
youth prisons with HUMANE,
COMMUNITY-BASED ALTERNATIVES
AND PROGRAMS designed for
rehabilitation that help youth in trouble
to get their lives back on track.
The petition urges Governor
Schwarzenegger to close these notorious
warehouse prisons. You can sign
the petition from anywhere in the
nation, even if you're not in
California! People throughout the country
must act together in signing the
petition and making a statement!
Click the link for full information
about why this is so urgent and important.
http://www.BooksNotBars.org/petition
To contact Books Not Bars about this petition,
e-mail petition@ellabakercenter.org
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
11) California Reins In Clinics Using Marijuana
for Medical Purposes
By DEAN E. MURPHY
June 15, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/15/national/
15marijuana.html?hp&ex=1118894400&en=0e8927fd68ebe4ab&ei=5094&partner=
homepage
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
COLLEGE NOT COMBAT PETITION CAMPAIGN
16TH & MISSION STREET
SATURDAYS, 12:30 P.M.
TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS, 5 & 7 P.M.
************************************************************
Venezuela: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
plus an Eyewitness from Venezuela: Sonia Zerpa
Film Showing: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
With comments by Sonia Zerpa, a citizen of Caracas,
Venezuela on the dynamic days of the US backed coup.
Bethany United Methodist Church
1268 Sanchez Street (at Clipper ) in San Francisco in
Noe Valley neighborhood
7:00 PM, Friday, June 17, 2005
$5 General, $3 Seniors, Students, Unemployed
Benefits: San Francisco Hands Off Venezuela
For more information about the film:
http://www.chavezthefilm.com/index_ex.htm
Hands Off Venezuela
www.handsoffvenezuela.org
For more information about this call Adam Richmond at
415-864-3537.
************************************************************
BAUAW MEETING: SATURDAY, 11:30 A.M.
474 VALENCIA STREET NEAR 16TH STREET
WE WILL PETITION AFTER OUR MEETING!
************************************************************
SAN FRANCISCO MIME TROUPE
AND BAY AREA UNITED AGAINST WAR
PRESENT:
"DOING GOOD"
Based loosely on the book,
"Confessions of an Economic Hit
Man", by John Perkins
July 4, DOLORES PARK
MUSIC: 1:30 P.M.
SHOW: 2:00 P.M.
FREE!
COME HELP GATHER SIGNATURES FOR THE
COLLEGE NOT COMBAT PETITION!
************************************************************
SAVE THE DATES: AUGUST 4, 5 & 6, 2005 FOR
PRESENTATION OF HOWARD ZINN'S ONE MAN SHOW,
"MARX IN SOHO" PERFORMED BY JERRY LEVY
LOCATION TO BE ANNOUNCED
TO BENEFIT BAY AREA UNITED AGAINST WAR
WWW.BAUAW.ORG
(FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL: 415-824-8730)
************************************************************
Gang Way of Life
by Tim Tuomey
PHOTO OF IRAQI CHILDREN NOT SHOW:
Job 1 is to kill until the killin
is done, says veteran Tim Tuomey. If you were told to
kill these youngsters, could you do it? If you did, could you
live with yourself?
This link has the full text of a statement only partially given by
Tim Tuomey, a veteran, to the San Francisco Board of Education at
their March 17 meeting. He was allowed only a minute. But the board
members, mesmerized by his quiet voice and the power of his words
were captivated and let him go on for at least another minute before
they realized his time was up. They cut him off in mid-sentence.
http://www.sfbayview.com/032305/gangway032305.shtml
************************************************************
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
BAUAW NEWSLETTER THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2005
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
1) Cheney: U.S. Not Aiming To Close Guantanamo
Other Republicans Say Prison Is a Liability
By Marc Kaufman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, June 13, 2005; A02
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/12/
AR2005061201265_pf.html
2) Born on the Fourth of July:
The Long Journey Home
By Ron Kovic
AlterNet Posted on June 13, 2005,
http://www.alternet.org/story/22181/
3) Uncle Sam Really Wants You
By BOB HERBERT
June 16, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/16/opinion/
16herbert.html?n=Top%2fOpinion%2fEditorials%20and%20Op%2dEd%2fOp%2dEd%2fC
olumnists%2fBob%20Herbert
4) Formation of September 24
National Coalition
for the March on Washington DC
All Out to Stop the War in Iraq -
Bring the Troops Home Now!
End Colonial Occupation
from Iraq to Haiti to Palestine and Everywhere
5) The CIA and the Bombing of Cubana Flight 455
Why Bush Wants to Harbor Posada Carriles
By TOM CRUMPACKER
http://www.counterpunch.org/crumpacker06162005.html
6) The New CIA Revelations About Posada
Extradition US-Style
By RICARDO ALARCÓN
June 14, 2005
http://www.counterpunch.org/alarcon06142005.html
7) San Francisco Labor Council Opposes Military
Recruitment in Schools
[Resolution adopted unanimously by San Francisco
Labor Council Delegates' Meeting on June 13, 2005
(To help gather signatures to get the proposition on
The ballot, come to 16th and Mission Street Saturdays
At 12:30 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5 & 7 p.m.)
SUPPORT for "COLLEGE NOT COMBAT"
8) Playing Chicken: Ghana vs. the IMF
by Linus Atarah , Special to CorpWatch
June 14th, 2005
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12394
9) CONGO: Anvil Mining Hammered
Over Military Assistance
by Peter Gonnella , MineWeb
June 8th, 2005
"PERTH -- Just days after AngloGold
Ashanti fended off allegations
of paying bribes to militia groups
in the Democratic Republic of Congo,
Anvil Mining has come under intense
scrutiny over its supply of air and
ground transport to the DRC army
for an operation that led to the
alleged slaughter of more than
100 people last October."
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12361
10)*** PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY ***
http://www.BooksNotBars.org/petition
Books Not Bars has launched an
ONLINE PETITION to Governor
Schwarzenegger to CLOSE
THE NOTORIOUS AND ABUSIVE YOUTH
PRISONS OF THE CALIFORNIA
YOUTH AUTHORITY (CYA). Books Not
Bars is campaigning statewide
to replace the CYA's warehouse
youth prisons with HUMANE,
COMMUNITY-BASED ALTERNATIVES
AND PROGRAMS designed for
rehabilitation that help youth in trouble
to get their lives back on track.
The petition urges Governor
Schwarzenegger to close these notorious
warehouse prisons. You can sign
the petition from anywhere in the
nation, even if you're not in
California! People throughout the country
must act together in signing
the petition and making a statement!
Click the link for full information
about why this is so urgent and important.
http://www.BooksNotBars.org/petition
To contact Books Not Bars about this petition,
e-mail petition@ellabakercenter.org
11) California Reins In Clinics Using Marijuana
for Medical Purposes
By DEAN E. MURPHY
June 15, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/15/national/
15marijuana.html?hp&ex=1118894400&en=0e8927fd68ebe4ab&ei=5094&partner=
homepage
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
1) Cheney: U.S. Not Aiming To Close Guantanamo
Other Republicans Say Prison Is a Liability
By Marc Kaufman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, June 13, 2005; A02
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/12/
AR2005061201265_pf.html
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
2) Born on the Fourth of July:
The Long Journey Home
By Ron Kovic
AlterNet Posted on June 13, 2005,
http://www.alternet.org/story/22181/
Editor's Note: Ron Kovic served two tours of duty
during the Vietnam War. He was paralyzed from the chest
down in combat in 1968 and has been in a wheelchair
ever since. Along with Oliver Stone, Kovic was the
co-screenwriter of the 1989 Academy Award-winning film
based on his book, Born on the Fourth of July (Akashic
Books). The following is the introduction to the new
edition of the book.
It was exactly forty years ago this past September that
I left my house in Massapequa, New York to join the
United States Marine Corps and begin an extraordinary
journey that was to lead me into a disastrous war which
would change my life, and others of my generation,
profoundly and forever. There are times in the lives of
both individuals and nations when we cross certain
thresholds where there is no going back, no return to
the innocence we once knew; the change is utter and
irreconcilable. We often sense these moments. I know I
did that day.
I can still remember leaving my house that morning,
saying goodbye to my mother, my father driving me down
to the Long Island Railroad station with only a few
words being said between us--Dad was always that
way--and then that long and contemplative ride into the
city, being sworn in at Whitehall Street, holding my
right hand up proudly with all the other young men,
taking the oath of enlistment, and swearing our
allegiance to the Constitution of the United States.
The fall of 1964, September 2, a lifetime ago. That
last bright and beautiful morning when everything was
to change forever, that last moment of lighthearted
innocence and youth, of Massapequa and the backyard
before the shock, the chaos, and the deluge. I had just
turned eighteen that summer, and there are some old
black-and-white photographs of me from those days. It's
amazing that I still have them, considering I have
misplaced them many times over the years, thinking them
lost forever, only to later find them in some
unexpected place, like a deeply disturbing dream that I
have been trying to repress.
I remember seeing those photos on several occasions
after I came home from Vietnam and each time having
terrible nightmares that shook me badly. I couldn't
look at them, could not face that young man I had been
before the war and my injury. I would always promise
myself to never look at them again. My trauma was still
very deep, and that beautiful boy, that body, had been
destroyed, defiled, and savaged. My wounding in Vietnam
both physically and emotionally haunted me, pursued me,
and threatened to overwhelm me.
I wrote Born on the Fourth of July in the fall of 1974
in one month, three weeks, and two days, on a $42
manual typewriter I had bought at Sears & Roebuck in
Santa Monica, California. It was like an explosion, a
dam bursting, everything flowed beautifully, just kept
pouring out, almost effortlessly, passionately,
desperately. I worked with an intensity and fury as if
it was my last will and testament, and in many ways I
felt it was. I continued to suffer from nightmares,
constant anxiety attacks, severe heart palpitations,
and a powerful, almost obsessive feeling that I would
not live past my thirtieth birthday. I was living each
day as if it were my last, as if everything had been
compressed together by the war, and now every second
counted.
I wrote all night long, seven days a week, single
space, no paragraphs, front and back of the pages,
pounding the keys so hard the tips of my fingers would
hurt. I couldn't stop writing, and I remember feeling
more alive than I had ever felt. Convinced that I was
destined to die young, I struggled to leave something
of meaning behind, to rise above the darkness and
despair.
I wanted people to understand. I wanted to share with
them as nakedly and openly and intimately as possible
what I had gone through, what I had endured. I wanted
them to know what it really meant to be in a war--to be
shot and wounded, to be fighting for my life on the
intensive care ward--not the myth we had grown up
believing. I wanted people to know about the hospitals
and the enema room, about why I had become opposed to
the war, why I had grown more and more committed to
peace and nonviolence.
I had been beaten by the police and arrested twelve
times for protesting the war, and I had spent many
nights in jail in my wheelchair. I had been called a
Communist and a traitor, simply for trying to tell the
truth about what had happened in that war, but I
refused to be intimidated. I loved the night and I
would write for hours as if no time had passed at all.
I was exhausted and my back ached, but none of that
seemed to matter. I felt wonderful inside, tired but
completely consumed by my writing.
I would drink a couple cups of coffee and then with a
new surge of energy work for another hour or so as the
bright lights of the morning began to fill the room.
I'd neatly stack all the pages next to the typewriter
after holding them proudly in my hands, then go to my
bedroom and transfer out of my wheelchair onto a
mattress on the floor. I remember thinking to myself
one morning that if I died in my sleep, someone would
come into the apartment and find those pages next to
the typewriter and know that I was not a victim, but
someone who had been trying to move beyond his terrible
tragedy and the terrible injustice of that war.
With the exception of that initial burst of writing and
rare moment of stability in Santa Monica in the fall of
1974, I continued to be extremely restless back then,
frantically moving from one place to the next, living
on the edge, racing in cabs to the airport, flying from
city to city on my monthly compensation check, suddenly
showing up at friends' houses in the middle of the
night and sleeping on their couches--always carrying
the manuscript with me and always frightened,
desperately needing to escape the demons that were
closing in on me.
Over the next year and a half I wrote several
additional chapters of Born on the Fourth of July. Some
of the stories were ones I had told my mother when I
first came home from the hospital and would lay on our
couch in the living room when I couldn't sleep, which
was often back then. Night after night I would repeat
the story of how I was wounded that day in Vietnam,
describing every single detail. My dear mother would
sit patiently in her chair, listening to her son who
had come home paralyzed from the war, trying her best
to understand.
I attempted to write at my friends Skip and Ginny's
place on Mohegan Lake, in their laundry room, but
couldn't seem to get started. I wrote most of the
chapter about my childhood at a little hotel not far
from Sproul Plaza in Berkeley, and the ambush chapter,
the most painful but one of the best, at Connie's
apartment in L.A. I wrote the Memorial Day chapter one
afternoon in San Francisco at the Sam Wong Hotel on
Broadway, just down the street from Enricos Cafe in
North Beach. I can still remember the open window of my
hotel room and the noise of passing cars and trucks in
the street below, the fumes, the honking horns, but
that became a very beautiful chapter and I still enjoy
reading it to this day.
I dictated the very first page of the first chapter to
my friend Roger at the Chateau Marmont Hotel in
Hollywood, and the remainder of the chapter up in
Mendocino where he and Mary were living at the time. I
had driven all the way up in a used car I had just
bought in L.A. and later abandoned in their driveway.
It was deep in the woods, quiet and peaceful, so very
different from the war and the hospitals and all that I
had been through. The air was fresh and there was a
pond behind their cottage where I dictated to Roger,
and I remember feeling exhausted as he held me in his
arms and I began to cry in the midst of all that
stillness. It was a painful but beautiful birth.
I am extremely grateful to Akashic Books and its
publisher, Johnny Temple, for bringing out this new
edition of Born on the Fourth of July at such a crucial
moment in our nation's history. For the past two years
we have been involved in a tragic and senseless war in
Iraq. As of this writing, over 1,500 Americans have
died and more than 11,000 have been wounded, while tens
of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians, many of them
women and children, have been killed.
I have watched in horror the mirror image of another
Vietnam unfolding. So many similarities, so many things
said that remind me of that war thirty years ago which
left me paralyzed for the rest of my life. Refusing to
learn from our experiences in Vietnam, our government
continues to pursue a policy of deception, distortion,
manipulation, and denial, doing everything it can to
hide from the American people their true intentions and
agenda in Iraq. The flag-draped caskets of our dead
begin their long and sorrowful journeys home hidden
from public view, while the Iraqi casualties are not
even considered worth counting--some estimate as many
as 100,000 have been killed so far.
The paraplegics, amputees, burn victims, the blinded
and maimed, shocked and stunned, brain damaged and
psychologically stressed, now fill our veterans
hospitals. Most of them were not even born when I came
home wounded to the Bronx V.A. in 1968. The same
lifesaving medical-evacuation procedures that kept me
alive in Vietnam are bringing home a whole new
generation of severely maimed from Iraq.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which afflicted
so many of us after Vietnam, is just now beginning to
appear among soldiers recently returned from the
current war. For some, the agony and suffering, the
sleepless nights, anxiety attacks, and awful bouts of
insomnia, loneliness, alienation, anger, and rage, will
last for decades, if not their whole lives. They will
be trapped in a permanent nightmare of that war, of
killing another man, a child, watching a friend die ...
fighting against an enemy that can never be seen, while
at any moment someone--a child, a woman, an old man,
anyone--might kill you. These traumas return home with
us and we carry them, sometimes hidden, for agonizing
decades. They deeply impact our daily lives, and the
lives of those closest to us.
To kill another human being, to take another life out
of this world with one pull of a trigger, is something
that never leaves you. It is as if a part of you dies
with them. If you choose to keep on living, there may
be a healing, and even hope and happiness again--but
that scar and memory and sorrow will be with you
forever.
Some of these veterans are showing up at homeless
shelters around our country, while others have begun to
courageously speak out against the senselessness and
insanity of this war and the leaders who sent them
there. During the 2004 Democratic Convention, returning
soldiers formed a group called Iraq Veterans Against
the War, just as we marched in Miami in August of 1972
as Vietnam Veterans Against the War. Still others have
refused deployment to Iraq, gone to Canada, and begun
resisting this immoral and illegal war.
For months leading up to the invasion of Iraq, citizens
here in the United States and around the world marched
and demonstrated in growing opposition to our
government's reckless plan to launch an attack. I
proudly participated in protests in Los Angeles, San
Francisco, and Washington, D.C., doing countless
interviews and speaking out wherever people would
listen to me. Many prominent world leaders, including
Nelson Mandela and Pope John Paul II, began to raise
their voices against the terrible and ill-fated foreign
policy. This extraordinary opposition culminated on
February, 15, 2003, when more than 30 million citizens
in over 100 nations participated in the most massive
demonstration on behalf of peace in the history of the
world. Never before had so many human beings come
together before a war had even begun to say no to the
insanity and madness.
Many of us promised ourselves long ago that we would
never allow what happened to us in Vietnam to happen
again. We had an obligation, a responsibility as
citizens, as Americans, as human beings, to raise our
voices in protest. We could never forget the hospitals,
the intensive care wards, the wounded all around us
fighting for their lives, those long and painful years
after we came home, those lonely nights. There were
lives to save on both sides, young men and women who
would be disfigured and maimed, mothers and fathers who
would lose their sons and daughters, wives and loved
ones who would suffer for decades to come if we did not
do everything we could to stop the forward momentum of
this madness. We sensed it very early and very quickly.
We saw the same destructive patterns reasserting
themselves all over again as our leaders spoke of "bad
guys" and "evil-doers," "imminent threats" and
"mushroom clouds," attempting to frighten and
intimidate the American people into supporting their
agenda.
The Bush administration seems to have learned some very
different lessons than we did from Vietnam. Where we
learned of the deep immorality and obscenity of that
war, they learned to be even more brutal, more violent
and ruthless, i.e., "shock and awe." Sadly, the war on
terror has become a war of terror. Where we learned to
be more open and honest, to be more truthful, to
expose, to express, to shatter the myths of the past,
they seem to have learned the exact opposite--to hide,
to censor, to fabricate, to mislead and deceive--to
perpetuate those myths.
Instead of being intimidated or frightened, many of us
became more outraged and more determined than ever to
stop these ignorant, arrogant men and women who never
saw the things we saw, never had to grieve over the
loss of their bodies or the bodies of their sons and
daughters, never had to watch as so many friends and
fellow veterans were destroyed by alcoholism and drugs,
homelessness, imprisonment, neglect and rejection,
torture, abandonment and betrayal, in the painful
aftermath of the war. These leaders have never
experienced the tears, the dread and rage, the feeling
that there is no God, no country, nothing but the
wound, the horrifying memories, the shock, the guilt,
the shame, the terrible injustice that took the lives
of more than 58,000 Americans and over two million
Vietnamese.
We had to act. We had to speak.
I am no longer the 28-year-old man, six years returned
from the war in Vietnam, who sat behind that typewriter
in Santa Monica in the fall of 1974. I am nearly 60
now. My hair and beard are almost completely white. The
nightmares and anxiety attacks have all but
disappeared, but I still do not sleep well at night. I
toss and turn in increasing physical pain. But I remain
very positive and optimistic. I am still determined to
rise above all of this. I know my pain and the horrors
of my past will always be with me, but perhaps not with
the same force and fury of those early years after the
war.
I have learned to forgive my enemies and forgive
myself. It has been very difficult to heal from the war
while living in America, and I have often dreamed of
moving to neutral ground, another country. Yet I have
somehow made a certain peace, even in a nation that so
often still seems to believe in war and the use of
violence as a solution to its problems. There has been
a reckoning, a renewal. The scar will always be there,
a living reminder of that war, but it has also become
something beautiful now, something of faith and hope
and love.
I have been given an opportunity to move through that
dark night of the soul to a new shore, to gain an
understanding, a knowledge, an entirely different
vision. I now believe I have suffered for a reason, and
in many ways I have found that reason in my commitment
to peace and nonviolence. My life has been a blessing
in disguise, even with the pain and great difficulty
that my physical disability continues to bring. It is a
blessing to be able to speak on behalf of peace, to be
able to reach such a great number of people.
I saw firsthand what our government's terrible policy
had wrought. I endured; I survived and understood. The
one gift I was given in that war was an awakening. I
became a messenger, a living symbol, an example, a man
who learned that love and forgiveness are more powerful
than hatred, who has learned to embrace all men and
women as my brothers and sisters. No one will ever
again be my enemy, no matter how hard they try to
frighten and intimidate me. No government will ever
teach me to hate another human being. I have been given
the task of lighting a lantern, ringing a bell,
shouting from the highest rooftops, warning the
American people and citizens everywhere of the deep
immorality and utter wrongness of this approach to
solving our problems, pleading for an alternative to
this chaos and madness, this insanity and brutality. We
must change course.
I truly feel that this beautiful world has given me
back so much more than it has taken from me. So many
others that I knew are gone, and gone way too young. I
am grateful to be alive after all these years and all
that I've been through. I am thankful for every day.
Life is so precious.
Ron Kovic, Redondo Beach, California March 2005
(c) 2005 Independent Media Institute. All rights
reserved. View this story online at:
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3) Uncle Sam Really Wants You
By BOB HERBERT
June 16, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/16/opinion/
16herbert.html?n=Top%2fOpinion%2fEditorials%20and%20Op%2dEd%2fOp%2dEd%2fC
olumnists%2fBob%20Herbert
With the situation in Iraq deteriorating and the willingness
of Americans to serve in the armed forces declining,
a little-known Army publication called the "School
Recruiting Program Handbook" is becoming increasingly
important, and controversial.
The handbook is the recruiter's bible, the essential
guide for those who have to go into the nation's high
schools and round up warm bodies to fill the
embarrassingly skimpy ranks of the Army's basic
training units.
The handbook declares forthrightly, "The goal is
school ownership that can only lead to a greater
number of Army enlistments."
What I was not able to find in the handbook was
anything remotely like the startlingly frank comments
of a sergeant at Fort Benning, Ga., who was quoted
in the May 30 issue of The Army Times. He was
addressing troops in the seventh week of basic
training, and the paper reported the scene as follows:
" 'Does anybody know what posthumous means?'
Staff Sgt. Andre Allen asked the 150 infantrymen-
in-training, members of F Company, 1st Battalion,
19th Infantry Regiment.
"A few hands went up, but he answered his own
question.
" 'It means after death. Some of you are going
to get medals that way,' he said matter-of-factly,
underscoring the possibility that some of them
would be sent to combat and not return."
That's the honest message recruits get once
they're in. The approach recommended by the
recruiting handbook is somewhat different. It's
much softer. Recruiters trying to sign up high
school students are urged to schmooze, schmooze,
schmooze.
"The football team usually starts practicing in August,"
the handbook says. "Contact the coach and volunteer to
assist in leading calisthenics or calling cadence
during team runs."
"Homecoming normally happens in October," the handbook
says. "Coordinate with the homecoming committee to get
involved with the parade."
Recruiters are urged to deliver doughnuts and coffee
to the faculty once a month, and to eat lunch in the
school cafeteria several times a month. And the book
recommends that they assiduously cultivate the
students that other students admire: "Some influential
students such as the student president or the captain
of the football team may not enlist; however, they
can and will provide you with referrals who will enlist."
It's not known how aware parents are that recruiters
are inside public high schools aggressively trying
to lure their children into wartime service. But not
all schools get the same attention. Those that get
the royal recruitment treatment tend to be the ones
with students whose families are less affluent
than most.
Schools with kids from wealthier families (and
a high percentage of collegebound students) are not
viewed as good prospects by military recruiters.
It's as if those schools had posted signs at the
entrances saying, "Don't bother." The kids in those
schools are not the kids who fight America's wars.
Now, with the death toll in Iraq continuing to mount,
it's getting harder to sign up even the less affluent
kids. So the recruitment effort in the target
schools has intensified. Recruiters, already driven
in some cases to the brink of nervous exhaustion,
are following the handbook guidelines more
rigorously than ever.
"If you wait until they're seniors, it's probably
too late," the book says. It also says, "Don't
forget the administrative staff. ... Have something
to give them (pen, calendar, cup, donuts, etc.) and
always remember secretary's week, with a card or
flowers."
The sense of desperation is palpable: "Get involved
with local Boy Scout troops. Scoutmasters are
typically happy to get any assistance you can offer.
Many scouts are [high school] students and potential
enlistees or student influencers."
One of the many problems here is that adolescents
should not be hounded by military recruiters under
any circumstances, and they shouldn't be pursued
at all without the full knowledge and consent of
parents or guardians.
Let the Army be honest and upfront in its recruitment.
War is not child's play, and warriors shouldn't be
assembled through the use of seductive sales pitches
to youngsters too immature to make an informed
decision on matters that might well result in
their having to kill others, or being killed
themselves.
E-mail: bobherb@nytimes.com
Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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4) Formation of September 24
National Coalition
for the March on Washington DC
All Out to Stop the War in Iraq -
Bring the Troops Home Now!
End Colonial Occupation
from Iraq to Haiti to Palestine and Everywhere
On September 24, we will show the deepening opposition that
is leading to the political isolation of the warmakers. As
during the Vietnam War era, the people of the United States
from all communities are actively entering the political
process through the mobilizing efforts of a genuinely broad
and mass antiwar movement.
Since the A.N.S.W.E.R Coalition issued the call for a mass
mobilization in Washington DC on September 24, a large number
of national organizations have endorsed and committed energy
and resources with the aim of building the largest
possible united demonstration.
The September 24 National Coalition for the March on
Washington, therefore, represents a coming together of
national organizations and communities who are committed
to building opposition to the Bush Administration's war
and occupation of Iraq. These organizations oppose war
and colonial-style occupation, not only as it pertains
to Iraq, but in Palestine, Haiti and everywhere. Support
for self-determination means standing with the people
in their effort to achieve sovereign control over their
land, labor and resources. Recognizing the
inextricability of the struggle of the Palestinian
people from the anti-war movement, the September
24 National Coalition supports the Palestinian people
and the inviolability of their Right to Return to the
homes from which they were evicted.
The leadership of the September 24 National Coalition
includes the A.N.S.W.E.R Coalition, National Council
of Arab-Americans (NCA), Muslim American Society (MAS)
Freedom Foundation, Haiti Support Network, Alliance
for a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines, and
the National Lawyers Guild.
On March 20, 2004, many of the same organizations
worked tirelessly to build a united front that brought
more than 100,000 people into the streets of New York
City under the banner "Bring the Troops Home Now!
End Colonial Occupation from Iraq to Palestine to
Haiti and Everywhere!" The decision to form the
September 24 National Coalition in support of the
call to action initiated by the A.N.S.W.E.R Coalition
is a renewed sign of a reciprocal commitment to work
together and build a mass movement opposing war for
Empire. We believe that rather than excluding communities,
building valid unity in the United States requires
embracing the rights and contributions of all,
primarily the very recipients of the ravages of war.
The people of the United States are witnessing a
vicious attack against working class communities by
the Bush Administration and the Military-Industrial
Complex. While the government has allocated more than
$300 billion to make war against the people of Iraq,
it cries 'poverty' when it comes to funding education,
healthcare, housing, jobs and job training, and other
programs and services that meet the needs of working
people. Bush claims that there is a lack of funds
to maintain Social Security while the National
Treasury is plundered to finance the endless imperial
war. Instead of offering young people a decent
education and decent jobs with decent wages, the
government has deployed an army of military recruiters
to snare young people into the armed forces. Bush
and the corporate and banking elites view young
people in the United States as nothing more than
cannon fodder in the war for Empire.
September 24 is a day when people from all over
the country will be joining together to speak with
one voice against war and racism. Marching together
we will show the growing power of the antiwar
movement. Join us in spreading the word in the
weeks and months ahead.
Get Involved in the September 24 Mass March
* Read the Call to Action
* Demands of the demonstration
* Press Coverage
* Endorse
* View Endorsers
* List Transportation
* Spread the word - Downloadable flyers
* Donate
* More information
A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition
Act Now to Stop War & End Racism
http://www.ANSWERcoalition.org
info@internationalanswer.org
National Office in Washington DC: 202-544-3389
New York City: 212-533-0417
Los Angeles: 323-464-1636
San Francisco: 415-821-6545
For media inquiries, call 202-544-3389.
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5) The CIA and the Bombing of Cubana Flight 455
Why Bush Wants to Harbor Posada Carriles
By TOM CRUMPACKER
http://www.counterpunch.org/crumpacker06162005.html
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6) The New CIA Revelations About Posada
Extradition US-Style
By RICARDO ALARCÓN
June 14, 2005
http://www.counterpunch.org/alarcon06142005.html
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7) San Francisco Labor Council Opposes Military
Recruitment in Schools
[Resolution adopted unanimously by San Francisco
Labor Council Delegates' Meeting on June 13, 2005
(To help gather signatures to get the proposition on
The ballot, come to 16th and Mission Street Saturdays
At 12:30 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5 & 7 p.m.)
SUPPORT for "COLLEGE NOT COMBAT"
Whereas the SF Labor Council strongly supported
Proposition N, the policy statement on behalf of San
Francisco residents in firm opposition to the Iraq
War; and
Whereas, economic circumstances and active
government policy make the young people of San
Francisco and this nation potential cannon fodder
for the war machine and the misadventures in Iraq
and elsewhere; and
Whereas the San Francisco Labor Council supports
real economic opportunity for young people and thus
supports opposition to this predatory economic
draft;
Therefore be it resolved that the San Francisco
Labor Council give early endorsement to the
initiative "College Not Combat"; and
Be it finally resolved that the SFLC will aid in the
circulation of the College Not Combat initiative in
its attempts to qualify for ballot status.
********************
[Text of Petition -- to be placed on the Nov. 2005
ballot in San Francisco - 9,000 more signatures
needed!]
College Not Combat Declaration of Policy
Whereas, over 1500 American soldiers have died and
tens of thousands have been injured physically and
psychologically in Iraq; and,
Whereas, a study by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg
School of Public Health, Columbia University School
of Nursing and Al-Mustansiriya University in Baghdad
estimates that 100,000 Iraqis have died as a result
of the U.S. invasion and occupation; and,
Whereas, the U.S. government is forcing soldiers to
serve in Iraq for longer than their contracts
require with such devices as "stop-loss" orders;
and,
Whereas, the "No Child Left Behind Act" forces all
high schools that receive federal money to give
personal records of all children to the military for
the purposes of recruiting; and,
Whereas, the federal Solomon Amendment specifically
orders colleges and universities that receive
federal money to violate their own legal policies of
non-discrimination against gays and lesbians by
allowing recruiters for the military, which bars
gays and lesbians from serving openly, on campus;
and,
Whereas, a de facto "economic draft" forces tens of
thousands of low and middle-income students to join
the military in order to get money to go to college
or get job or technical training; and,
Whereas, the Pentagon budget, over $400 billion per
year, plus $300 billion more over the last three
years for the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan,
is draining desperately needed resources for
schools, health care and jobs; and,
Whereas, the people of San Francisco voted by 63% to
pass Proposition N in November of 2004 calling on
the Federal government to "bring the troops safely
home now;" and,
Whereas, the Federal government shows no sign of
ending the occupation of Iraq or bringing the troops
safely home and, in fact, is threatening military
action against other nations; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, that the people of San Francisco oppose
U.S. military recruiters using public school,
college and university facilities to recruit young
people into the armed forces. Furthermore, San
Francisco should oppose the military's "economic
draft" by investigating means by which to fund and
grant scholarships for college and job training to
low-income students so they are not economically
compelled to join the military.
* To visit your group on the web, go to:
* http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MOOS-BAY/
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8) Playing Chicken: Ghana vs. the IMF
by Linus Atarah , Special to CorpWatch
June 14th, 2005
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12394
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9) CONGO: Anvil Mining Hammered Over Military Assistance
by Peter Gonnella , MineWeb
June 8th, 2005
"PERTH -- Just days after AngloGold
Ashanti fended off allegations
of paying bribes to militia groups
in the Democratic Republic of Congo,
Anvil Mining has come under intense
scrutiny over its supply of air and
ground transport to the DRC army
for an operation that led to the
alleged slaughter of more than
100 people last October."
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12361
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10)*** PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY ***
http://www.BooksNotBars.org/petition
Books Not Bars has launched an
ONLINE PETITION to Governor
Schwarzenegger to CLOSE THE
NOTORIOUS AND ABUSIVE YOUTH
PRISONS OF THE CALIFORNIA
YOUTH AUTHORITY (CYA). Books Not
Bars is campaigning statewide
to replace the CYA's warehouse
youth prisons with HUMANE,
COMMUNITY-BASED ALTERNATIVES
AND PROGRAMS designed for
rehabilitation that help youth in trouble
to get their lives back on track.
The petition urges Governor
Schwarzenegger to close these notorious
warehouse prisons. You can sign
the petition from anywhere in the
nation, even if you're not in
California! People throughout the country
must act together in signing the
petition and making a statement!
Click the link for full information
about why this is so urgent and important.
http://www.BooksNotBars.org/petition
To contact Books Not Bars about this petition,
e-mail petition@ellabakercenter.org
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11) California Reins In Clinics Using Marijuana
for Medical Purposes
By DEAN E. MURPHY
June 15, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/15/national/
15marijuana.html?hp&ex=1118894400&en=0e8927fd68ebe4ab&ei=5094&partner=
homepage
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