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Notice that it's showing through JULY 18th: Hiroshima Photo Exhibition , 2nd Floor Univ. Hall, Lesley Univ, 1815 Mass. Ave. Cambridge)
Hiroshima Photo Exhibition
June 23 through July 18, 2008
A World Free from Nuclear Weapons is Possible.
Abolition is Necessary. Please Look and See Why.
The Second Floor Atrium
University Hall, Lesley University
Porter Exchange
1815 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02138
As part of an international campaign for the abolition of nuclear weapons, The Peaceable Schools Summer Institute at Lesley University and the City of Cambridge Peace Commission, with the support of the SGI-USA is sponsoring this exhibition of photographs from Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Knowing too well the devastating consequences of nuclear weapons, the people of Hiroshima have launched an appeal to the people of the United States to become active participants in the cause to abolish nuclear weapons.
For many people, the events in Japan in August 1945 may seem like ancient history, but the arms race and commitment to nuclear weapons has made a comeback. Seeing the effects of nuclear weapons and hearing from survivors will help us all to understand why we must never allow this to happen again.
Dr. Bowman will speak in Brattleboro on Sunday July 6th, 3 pm, at the Marlboro Tech Center in Brattleboro.
Please help to give this event publicity by forwarding it to your friends and e-mail lists and posting it.
Whether you are able to join us or not, please
help us out with a donation to: Monadnock 9/11 Truth Alliance
and send to:
Monadnock 9/11 Truth Alliance , PO Box 1848, Keene, NH 03431.
Donations are not tax-deductible.
The total cost of this event is close to $ 700.
We cannot charge admission at the Square or at the Library
and therefore your financial support is essential.
0708 Tue 1100 am (Support Immigrants' Rights in Massachusetts!Kick-off Statewide Campaign at Grand Staircase, 2nd Fl. Mass. State House)
What: Welcoming Massachusetts, Kick-Off Statewide Campaign
When: Tuesday July 8th, 2008
Where: Grand Staircase (2nd Flr.), Massachusetts State House
Time: 11:00 am ? 12:00 pm
--------------------------------------------------
Support Immigrants' Rights in Massachusetts!
"Massachusetts Welcomes You"
Kick-Off Statewide Campaign
In October of 2007, a number of Boston area community leaders
came together to discuss ways to galvanize support for immigrant
rights in Massachusetts given the current political climate. The
idea to initiate a campaign to welcome immigrants in
Massachusetts modeled after similar campaigns in Iowa and
Tennessee was proposed. These successful initiatives formed
broad-based coalitions from all walks of life ? community/civic,
government, business, labor, and faith to support principles of
human rights, human dignity, inclusion, and multiculturalism.
After several conversations it was agreed that the goal of
Welcoming Massachusetts is to make evident the fact that
Massachusetts is a Welcoming State and there is political will
to pass concrete, sensible, pro-immigrant legislation that
serves all residents.
We will have a public action
that will manifest the collective power and intention of
Massachusetts residents in their desire to create a more human,
welcoming, and respecting environment for immigrants in the
state. We believe that this will create the conditions for
humane and sensible public policies regarding immigrants.
For
more information contact Edwin Argueta edwin@massjwj.net
617-524-8085
0708 Tue 1600 pm (Health Care Action Comm Meeting at MassCare office at 33 Harrison Ave)
Health Care Action Committee Meeting. At 4:00 pm at the MassCare
office at 33 Harrison Avenue in Chinatown.
For more infomation
contact Yirgalem at 617-524-8778.
0708 Tue 1900pm (film "Las Cruces", CSqPubLib)
The Guatemala Solidarity Committee of Boston
Invites You to a Summer Movie Series on Guatemala
7-9pm on certain Tuesdays
Central Square Public Library.
45 Pearl St. Cambridge, MA
Tuesday, July 8 - "Las Cruces"
Directed by Rafael Rosal.
Guatemala. 2006. 35 mm. Fiction. 90 min.
In the 1980s as Guatemala?s civil war was at its
worst, Las Cruces was a humble farmers' village at the
base of a beautiful volcano. Nestled deep in the
country?s wilderness, it was the target of a brutal
military attack led by an elite corps of government
troops. Las Cruces is an incredible tale of war and
death, unknown to all but to those who were there and
lived through it. In this film, two of the survivors
shed light on the horror that took place that fateful
night.
Best Picture: El Ojo Cojo Madrid International Film
Festival 2006
Best Picture: Union Latina 2006, Madrid
Directions: Take the Red Line to Central Square, walk
1 block on Mass Ave. towards Boston, take your first
right onto Pearl Street. Parking (not free) available
next door. Each movie will have a formal introduction
and free refreshments will be available during the
event.
For more information,
call Jacob Carter at 860-459-7428.
0709 Wed 1400 pm (Support War Resistors in Canada Direct Action at the Boston Canadian Consulate at 3 Copley Place, Suite, 400 in Boston)
Join Veterans For Peace in supporting war resistors in Canada Wed. July 9 2 PM
ALSO
Please sign the new letter, "Dear Canada: Abide by
resolution - Let U.S. war resisters stay!"
http://www.couragetoresist.org/canada
Address of the Canadian Consulate in Boston:
Consulate General of Canada
Three Copley Place, Suite 400
Boston, MA 02116
Tel: (617) 262-3760
For more information:
Courage to Resist
http://www.couragetoresist.org
510-488-3559
0709 Wed 1800pm (secure jobs campaign, FCR Roxbury)
Wednesday July 9, 2008 at 6pm
Secure Jobs, Secure Communities Campaign.
At 6:00 p.m
First Church in Roxbury,
10 Putnam Street
(near Dudley Square and Roxbury Crossing T).
Come hear a report on our progress to hold downtown
building owners accountable. Sponsored by Community
Labor United.
For more information call 617-723-2639.
massclu.org_jobs_secure_communities
A documentary film exploring the political life and ideas of Noam Chomsky, linguist, intellectual, and political activist, it expands on the ideas of Chomsky's earlier book, Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media, which he co-wrote with Edward S. Herman.
The film presents and illustrates Chomsky's and Herman's propaganda model, the thesis that corporate media, as profit-driven institutions, tend to serve and further the agendas of the interests of dominant, elite groups in the society. A centerpiece of the film is a long examination into the history of The New York Times's coverage of Indonesia's invasion and occupation of East Timor, which Chomsky claims exemplifies the media's unwillingness to criticize an ally.
It's a long film, so half will be shown this week, half the next.
0710 Thu 1900pm (political fundraiser, Cambridge)
HOUSE PARTY FOR CARL SCIORTINO
STATE REPRESENTATIVE
Thursday, July 10 7-9pm
At the home of Eric Weltman & Sarah Bennett
381 Prospect Street
Cambridge (Inman Square)
Carl Sciortino is a progressive Democrat running for
re-election to the Massachusetts House of
Representatives. Carl is a strong advocate for social
justice, civil rights, and public health.
Representing parts of Somerville and Medford, Carl has
helped lead the fight for same-sex marriage, closing
corporate tax loopholes, and expanding mass transit.
$20 suggested minimum contribution.
For more information, or to RSVP: 617-304-5330,
Eric@EricWeltman.com
July 11, 2008 9am - 5:30pm in Washington DC
The Center for Science in the Public Interest's
Fourth National Integrity in Science Conference:
Rejuvenating Public Sector Science
Ronald Reagan International Center
1300 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20004
Register now for a daylong event that will forge an
agenda for independent, regulatory science and
protecting public sector scientists from political
meddling and corporate influence. Speakers will
include:
Anthony Broccoli, IPCC participant and Rutgers
University professor of atmospheric science
Dominick DellaSala, Chief Scientist, National Center
for Conservation Science and Policy
William Hirzy, Executive Vice President, Environmental
Protection Agency Headquarters Union
Jim Furnish, Clinton Administration Forest Service
Deputy Chief
David Michaels, director, Project on Scientific
Knowledge and Public Policy, author of "Doubt Is Their
Product"
Ken Zweibel, former director, National Renewable
Energy Laboratory
Diana Zuckerman, President, National Research Center
for Women & Families
with more added every day!
Registration:
$$250
$$109 for non-profits, educational institutions, and government agencies
$30 for students
Conference co-sponsors include:
Beyond Nuclear
Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment Earthjustice
Edmonds Institute
Endangered Species Coalition
Government Accountability Project
Nuclear Information and Resource Service
OMB Watch
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility
The Project on Scientific Knowledge and Public Policy
Union of Concerned Scientists
This is NIRS? 30th anniversary year: help us kick off
our next 30 years, and our work to build a nuclear-
free, carbon-free energy future, with your most
generous contribution possible. Please make your tax-
deductible donation here.
nirs.org
cspi.org
A universal single-payer health plan has again been introduced in Congress by Rep. Conyers (D-MI), this time with the support of 90 other members, numerous unions, and independent groups.
HR676.org, PO Box 882122, Port Saint Lucie FL 34988
800-680-9310
info@HR676.org
Boston Palestine Film Festival
Asking for contributions now.
Festival is October 4 thru 12, 2008.
2007: With over 40 films, BPFF brought authentic
Palestinian perspectives, experiences and culture to
venues as prestigious and diverse as the Museum of
Fine Arts, Coolidge Corner Theatre, Kendall Square
Cinema, Harvard Film Archive, Harvard University and
Boston College. BPFF featured several US premieres
and included appearances by many noted international
filmmakers. Please visit BPFF online to view the
substantial coverage we received in the Boston Globe,
the Boston Phoenix and on WBUR, a local affiliate of
National Public Radio—to name just a few media
outlets.
2008: This year’s festival is every bit as exciting
and compelling as last year’s. We are now finalizing
our 2008 program for this coming fall, October 4th-
12th. We hope that we can count on your support to
build on the achievements of last year,
Help gather signatures to get Ralph Nader on the
ballot.
Especially now that Obama and McCain and looking more
and more like each other and the same old thing.
Town-by-town formal voter petition forms.
Sonia, 617-924-2285.
Her deadline is July 20.
With unprecedented rains washing away crops in the American bread basket, and a new surge of forest fires in California, it's clearer than ever that the time for a Secure Green Future is NOW!.
Indeed, global warming is advancing much faster than scientists have predicted. The Greenland ice cap is exhibiting unexpected signs of breaking up, which could create flooding that would be worse than 23 Hurricane Katrinas. British scientists just reported that massive cracks have appeared in the Artic ice cap. An article in Science presents evidence that we have passed critical tipping points, and we need to reverse carbon dioxide build-up, not just slow it down. On top of all this, the global economy is beginning to unravel as dwindling oil reserves drive up fuel costs for an oil-addicted world.
To address these emerging crises with the level of urgency they demand, the Mass. Coalition for Healthy Communities, through our Code Green project, is helping to launch a public policy question called the Secure Green Future (SGF). This advisory question calls for legislation to cut greenhouse gas emissions in Massachusetts 80% by 2020, and to shift tax incentives and subsidies at the state level from energy-intensive development projects towards building the local, green economies we urgently need.
Several districts are already up and running, and if you'd like to bring a Secure Green Future to your community (and the planet), we can help you get jump started. Most of the materials distributed at our training session are now available on the SGF website: www.masschc.org/SGF_Materials.php.
In addition, materials to help you reach out to local organizations for volunteer support, and spread the word to local papers are included below (and on the website).
Since there are only three weekends between now and July 9 (when signatures need to be turned in), it's important to seize the moment and start collecting signatures this weekend. If you don't already have petition forms, let us know and we will mail you (or otherwise get you) a packet. In any given district, you'll need to collect 300 signatures.
If you let us know where and when you'll be collecting THIS WEEKEND -- then we can email out the location and time so others can join you.
Weeknight (or day) signature collecting at farmers markets, supermarkets, shopping centers, T stops (mornings too), post offices, etc. will also be very effective.
Now is the time to fill out the volunteer form at www.masschc.org/securegreenfuture/SGF_VolunteerForm.pdf and send it in to sgf-info@masschc.org - if you haven't already done so. This ensures we can keep you in the loop and provide support to help get the Secure Green Future on the ballot in your community.
Many thanks, and good luck!
Eli Beckerman, Field Coordinator for Secure Green Future,
and the Code Green Team
Jill Stein, John Andrews, Peter Vickery
Carlos Arredondo has traveled thousands of miles with his pick up truck decorated as a memorial to his son Alex who died in Iraq . I remember when I first heard about his action as a distraught father who set himself on fire when he heard the news of his son's death. An article about Carlos appears in the Nation. Since then, as a member of Military Families Speak Out, I have come to know and love Carlos and his wife Melida as two dedicated activists for peace. You can read about Carlos' actions for peace on Democracy Now!.
Carlos and Melida would have certainly had every right to sit back and mourn the death of their son. Instead they have taken every opportunity and often at great personal expense to remind people of the true cost of war. They have traveled to every demonstration, vigil, poltiical rally, memorial and meeting with politicians to tell their story of loss, and the deep concern they feel for others who have suffered or daily face the possible loss of a family member to this endless occupation of Iraq.
Many of you have met Carlos or heard of him. You have seen his hopefulness in the face of grief. Now it's time for all of us to help put his (OUR) truck back on the road where it belongs. $20 collected from one hundred people should do it! If the travel weary truck cannot be repaired one more time, the money will go to the down payment on a new or newer truck.
Please make out checks to Carlos Arredondo and send them to me so I can present them in a lump sum
Sarah Fuhro, 8 Abbott Road Natick, Ma 01760
Job Opening: Executive Director (posted 6/8/08)
The Peace & Justice Center in Burlington, Vermont seeks a skilled and inspiring leader with a passion for social justice. This position consists primarily of fundraising and staff supervision and requires knowledge and experience in the following areas:
Wendy Coe, Office Manager
Peace & Justice Center
21 Church St, Burlington VT 05401
802-863-2345 ext 3
------------------------------
Wanted: Issue Campaign Organizing Consultant (Posted 5/25/08)
The Fair Economy Action Fund is seeking an experienced organizer for full or part-time work. Seeking organizer of national campaign to enlist support for progressive federal estate tax. Activities would be largely phone and internet work out of United for a Fair Economy office at Downtown Crossing Boston.
Qualifications: Outgoing personality, excellent phone and communication skills, experience with database and Excel spreadsheets; knowledge of federal budget and legislative process ideal.
Seeking commitment for summer and ideally for the fall of 2008. $20-30 per hour, based on experience. Organizer will be paid as temporary employee.
Contact:
Chuck Collins, Director, chuckcollins7@mac.com
or Lee Farris at United for a Fair Economy:
lfarris@faireconomy.org or call 617-423-2148 x133.
OUR SOURCE: Dr. Gordon Fellman
------------------------------
Job openings on Camp Laurel Radio Staff for the summer of 2008.(Posted 5/25/08)
Complete application on-line at www.camplaurel.com
Call: 1-888-LAUREL-1
E-mail: staff@camplaurel.com
Camp Laurel is a private co-ed residential camp in Maine seeking radio staff for the summer of 2008.
Do you like music? Enjoy working with children? Any DJ experience? Teach campers the creative and musical side of on-air broadcasting. Our camp radio station is the home to camper radio shows throughout the day. Spin vinyl and conduct on-air interviews. Strong technical experience is NOT a requirement. We would be excited to speak with any individuals you believe are well-fit for a summer position at our camp. Please call me at 1-888-LAUREL-1, complete an application on-line at www.camplaurel.com or e-mail me at staff@camplaurel.com. Please feel free to forward this to members of your radio station, clubs or organizations, sororities, fraternities, teams and friends. We look forward to hearing from any interested applicants. Sincerely,From Environment Massachusetts
Massachusetts is tantalizingly close to taking an action that [assertedly] will slash our state's global warming pollution down to a size that can help cool the planet. Our Global Warming Solutions Act could land on Gov. Patrick's desk this summer -- but first we've got to win in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Please ask your representative to make passing the Global Warming Solutions Act his or her top priority this summer.We've already won in the Senate. In the House of Representatives, as of last night, 110 representatives, out of 160 total, have told us they'll vote for our bill. But with Beacon Hill being Beacon Hill, we're not ready to pop the champagne open quite yet -- especially with only 60 days left to go in the 2008 session.
Sign petition against US missile offense in Poland
In a few days, the US government will likely sign an agreement with the Czech Republic government allowing the US to place a radar satellite system in that country. The satellite system is part of the US "missile defense" installations designed to be placed in Poland.
We can join our voices in support of the Czech people to say "no" to a US radar system in their country.
Please add your voice to support this effort by signing the petition.
Understanding that this empire-building strategy by the US could lead to a new arms race which threatens the Czech people, the majority of whom oppose this project. The opposition which began with a few activist voices now includes over 70 percent of the population who oppose any US military presence in the Czech Republic.
Even thought the Czech President may sign the agreement, it has to be ratified by the Czech Parliament. And the situation is far from clear, because the government has a very small mandate - not even have a majority. They were only able to pass a confidence vote after seven months of negotiations, and thanks to some two members of parliament that didn't vote against them. So they have a very weak mandate, and it is far from clear how the vote will go.
The Czech people have asked for support from around the world to bolster their campaign. They are looking for a million signatures on their petition to take to the parliament to defeat the agreement.
Sign petition on McCain/Obama stmts to AIPAC
FROM Jewish Voice for Peace...
We are deeply concerned by statements that both Senator McCain and Senator Obama made at the AIPAC Conference. Please sign our petition calling on Senators Obama and McCain to moderate their stances in the interests of a peaceful future:
In particular:
1) Senator Obama declared that Jerusalem "must remain undivided." We believe the future status of Jerusalem must be negotiated.
2) Both Senators McCain and Obama promised enormous sums of unconditional military aid to Israel. We believe the U.S. must hold Israel accountable for using U.S. weapons against civilians.
3) Both Senators McCain and Obama continued to demand the exclusion of Hamas from the negotiating table. We believe peace agreement cannot be achieved without Hamas at the table.
Travel to Venezuela’s Andean region and learn Spanish with Global Exchange while seeing the Bolivarian Revolution. Both short-term and SEMESTER-ABROAD programs are available.
At the crossroads of a profound political and social transformation, Venezuela is a country in the international spotlight. The Bolivarian Revolution has caught the attention and imagination of people around the world and yet continues to be sorely misunderstood and misrepresented. Come get the perspectives of communities that are being affected by and pushing forward this political experiment to build a new model of society. Meet with rural agricultural workers, labor unions, community activists, human rights activists, journalists, government leaders, as well as opposition figures.
Global Exchange has partnered with the highly acclaimed language school, the Iowa Insitute, located in the beautiful city of Merida to provide a Spanish immersion program while giving students the unique opportunity to build ties with Venezuelan communities and social activists.
*Study in an intensive Spanish language program while
living with a local family in Merida, Venezuela, at
the foot of the Andes.
*Travel to educational and health care social programs
(the "missions") and dialogue with participants and
community leaders.
*Visit with members of cooperatives and community
organizations and learn about the efforts to create a
grassroots social economy.
Program Dates:
2008
July 3, 2008-July 20
July 31, 2008-August 17
2009
May 30-June 16
July 04-21
August 01-18
Cost: $1885
Prices Includes:
*Home stay accommodations
*Two meals per day
*Transportation to and from Merida
*Transportation to and from all programmed activities
*Intensive Spanish language classes five days a week
*Guides and translators
*All program activities and reading materials
*Honoraria to all host speakers, organizations and communities.
Contact the Venezuela Program Coordinator for more
information or call (415) 575-5524
Shirley Golub is running against Rep. Nancy Pelosi for the democratic nomination for that post.
Our so-called Democratic leadership is not only planning on lying down immediately for another $100 billion to senselessly squander in Iraq, they are talking about adding on another $70 billion of war profiteer booty, to save the White House from the trouble of throwing another foot stomping tantrum in the fall.
This is looking like the mother of all gutless
surrenders. And there is only one dynamic that can
possibly stop it. Nancy Pelosi MUST be
defeated in San Francisco in the June 3 primary, and
see it coming fast. And ONLY Shirley Golub can do it,
with contributions on the page above to run her
"Rubber Chicken" ad now.
Shirley's Rubber Chicken TV Ad
For those who many not be quite clear on this one point yet, Cindy Sheehan in running the November election in this district as an independent, but what we are talking about here is the June 3 Democratic party congressional primary.
Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace
April 16, 2008
Dr. Al-Arian Faces Shocking Abuse in New Facility
Yesterday morning, Dr. Sami Al-Arian was transported
by immigration agents to the Hampton Roads Regional
Jail in Portsmouth, Virginia. Since arriving at the
facility, he has been subjected to numerous, shocking
abuses, even worse than those he experienced at a
detention center in Maryland.
Take Action: call 757-488-7500
And if you haven't already, sign the petition.
See also:"USA vs AL-ARIAN"
To everyone in the Boston area progressive community, After months of development and testing by a few dozen folks, Open Media Boston, the new progressive news, views and arts web portal, has just launched and is now ready for your participation. (Site is still labeled "beta.")
We have quietly been working away at TecsChange in Roxbury to refurbish computers. We recently sent one of our bigger shipments of 15 computers to a series of radio stations in Oaxaca, Mexico.
We work most Thurday evenings and Saturday afternoons
(1pm to at least 4 PM, usually longer)
We have one day a week where daytime volunteers come in. Presently it's Mondays but it might change soon.
Please call if you are interested.
TecsChange Office
617-442-4456
Bush's FY2009 budget request for $2.55 billion in military aid for Israel, a proposed increase of 9% over actual spending in 2007, now rests with the Senate and House Appropriations Subcommittees on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs.
This proposed increase in military aid to Israel is the first installment of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the United States and Israel in August 2007 to increase military aid to Israel by 25%, totaling $30 billion over the next decade.
Can you think of a better way to spend $30 billion instead of funding Israel's human rights abuses and illegal military occupation in violation of U.S. laws?
TAKE ACTION
Send a Personal Letter to Members of Congress on the
Appropriations Sub-Committee Challenging Military Aid
to Israel.
US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation
Mass. House Bill #4477, if passed, would finally make it illegal for drivers of motor vehicles in Massachusetts to use hand-held phones while driving (as in NY and elsewhere). This bill recently passed the House and now is languishing in the Senate and may not come to the floor for a vote unless you phone or send a message to your friends in various towns and cities to have them urge their state senators (617-722- 5551) to vote for this bill.
According to Senate Assistant Majority Leader Marian Walsh, what needs to happen is for senators to get many phone calls from their constituents in favor of this bill. Passing House #4477 is a matter of public safety. Please call your senator and what would make a significant difference is for you to contact your friends throughout Massachusetts so House Bill #4477 becomes law.
Ed O'Reilly (PDA-endorsed candidate who advocates for single-payer health care, impeachment, stopping our current wars, and marriage equality) seeks the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat now occupied by John Kerry.
In addition to making sure that Ed's name appears on the ballot, this is a great opportunity to identify new supporters and expand our network. So we really hope you can participate by gathering signatures from your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors.
To get on September's primary ballot Ed needs 10,000 signatures from registered Democrats and unenrolled (independent) voters. We need to file the signatures with city and town clerks no later than 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, on May 6, 2008.
Call the campaign (866-716-2008) and we will mail nomination signature forms for you to use.
U.S. war provocation against Iran: Another Tonkin
Gulf? Take Action NOW to Stop War on Iran!
The Bush Administration has initiated an extremely dangerous war provocation just off Iran's coast, in the Strait of Hormuz. With Bush on his way to the Middle East to mobilize a collection of oil-rich U.S. client states against Iran, the U.S. government is working overtime to create a phony public-relations incident to heighten tensions in the region and threaten a new war.
An aide to Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) says the Lieberman/Warner climate change bill (S. 2191) “would be the most historic incentive for nuclear in the history of the United States.” (E&E Daily, February 8, 2008)...
S. 2191 is expected to be debated on the Senate floor this Spring. Your help is needed.
For more information visit the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research and the Nuclear Information and Resource Service.
Congressman Robert Wexler's campaign office says that (unlike most of our Democratic Reps) he is pushing hard to force a committee hearing on Rep. Dennis Kucinich's Articles of Impeachment, recently introduced into the House of Representatives and referred to the Judiciary Committee.
This fight is not over. We must continue the pressure on our representatives or else Congress and its fellow lackey media will take no notice. That would be a historic mistake – one we must prevent Congress from making.
We stand at a critical juncture in our efforts. Forget all of those arguments that it is too late or that we have run out of time. You can’t run the clock out on our Constitution. Those of us dedicated to this fight – Rep. Dennis Kucinich, the online community, and millions of patriotic Americans – must keep the pressure on. Please continue to spread the word and help deliver accountability to the corrupt Bush-Cheney administration.Congressman Conyers needs a huge kick in the tail.
Please sign on to Congressman Robert Wexler's petition to help push the issue.
TOLL-FREE PHONE NUMBERS FOR THE U.S. CAPITOL SWITCHBOARD
US House of Representatives Web Sites
Another Day, Another FISA Veto Threat By The Bully In The White House
Yesterday, Bush again put the self interest of himself and his giant telecom criminal co-conspirators above our national security, by threatening to veto the FISA update bill unless we gave them all get out of jail free cards. And if Congress were to bend over yet again, he would still probably veto it to demand even more changes and/or defy other major provisions with a signing statement, as he so outrageously did with the recent defense bill.
We must be just as relentless as the criminals who are working overtime to gut our constitution. We have had two successful filibusters so far, and it looks like we're going to need a third. And we need strong opposition in the House too, for that is our last bulwark.
Tell your Congressional Representative to vote against this awful legislation, which has passed the Senate and returned to the House. The House has stood up to pressure to provide telecom immunity to date, so don't let them buckle to pressure from the White House and Senate.
S 1959 "Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007" must be stopped at all costs. (It's already been approved by the House of Representatives by a HUGE majority.)
Pick up your phone and contact our US Senators' offices to instruct them to vote "NO" on S.1959, titled "To establish the National Commission on the Prevention of Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism, and for other purposes".
If this bill is passed, and becomes law, your words and actions could be considered terrorism. S 1959 EVISCERATES FREE SPEECH, and empowers the govt. to declare ANYTHING they deem an "extremist belief system", instantly make you a terrorist, resulting in stripping of US citizenship, torture, and/or execution, with no habeas corpus rights, no ability to challenge even in the US Supreme Court.
What part of exercising power doesn't Harry Reid get? The Washington Post reports him "pleading" with the White House. And yet, it is his decision which version of the FISA bill to have the Senate consider, and by choosing to bring forward the bad one, he is knowingly forcing opponents of yet another "get out of jail free card" for Cheney cronies to get 60 votes to strip it out of the bill. Or filibuster yet again.
And what greater hero do we have than Dennis Kucinich, still standing strong as ever on every issue that matters. Here is his own leadership statement opposing telecom immunity.
And yet, even now, powerful corporations are pouring money into Dennis's district, to try to buy his seat out from under him by threatening him in his own primary. They are running malicious attack ads in heavy rotation. Please consider making a donation to Dennis now, to help him fight back.
Comcast has given us a glimpse of a world without Net
Neutrality, and it's a chilling sight.
An investigation by the Associated Press caught the
cable giant secretly inspecting online communications
and crippling users' ability to share information with
one another.
On 11-1-07, Free Press filed a legal complaint
demanding that the FCC take action to protect the free
flow of information on the Internet. By joining our
complaint, you can help stop Comcast and other
gatekeepers.
Doris Tennant and Ellen Lubell (of Newton) are representing a Guantanamo prisoner pro bono, so they are providing their time at no charge. However, their costs, including their own travel and that of a translator, translator fees, and Freedom of Information Act requests, are running at least $20,000 for this year, and will likely continue at that same pace or more. Most of the other attorneys who are representing Guantanamo detainees are members of large law firms that can cover these types of expenses, but in their case the two of them are the firm.
If you would like to make a contribution to help them defray costs, it would be much appreciated. Please make your check payable to "Tennant Lubell Detainee Fund." Your contribution will NOT be tax-deductible, but they promise to put it to good use to help provide fundamental legal rights to a man who remains in indefinite detention.
Doris Tennant, Esq.
Tennant Lubell, LLC
288 Walnut Street, Suite 500
Newton, MA 02460
617-969-9610, X 101
Fax: 617-969-9611
Action Alert: The Alliance for Democracy warns us to oppose Holt bill (HR 811). We call for a ban on the use of Direct Recording Electronic voting equipment (DREs) and to require the use of paper ballots.
AFD urgently calls upon all citizens to call their Representatives to demand amendments to rectify the defects in HR 811, specifically to ban the use of DRE voting machines and require the use of paper ballots in all elections in the United States.
1. DRE systems must be banned.
2. All voting must be by voter marks on a paper ballot.
3. All recounts must be by hand counting of paper ballots.
4. All elections must have a statistically significant verification.
5. All recounts at every level of government must be by hand counting.
6. All software must be subject to public disclosure.
7. No connections to the Internet should be allowed.
8. All election records should be available to the public.
Go to for on-line information and a link to a printable flier.
A call for all people of conscience
to donate to its Lebanon Palestine Emergency Relief Fund.
All donations will be used to help Palestinian and
Lebanese victims of the latest Israeli aggression.
Tel: 760-685-3243
Fax: 360-933-3568
E-mail link
We are happy to report that a new shipment of olive oil has arrived. The most recent harvest was excellent and per case prices are less than they were last year.
As with our previous shipments, this oil comes directly from the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees, PARC, a non-profit, non- governmental organization in the West Bank. PARC works with 15 different small cooperatives. This shipment comes from the Mazare' Al Nubani/ Ramallah and the Kufr Thulth, Jayous and Azzoun cooperatives. The labels are printed in the West Bank and the oil is bottled at the PARC bottling facility in Aram. PARC is a member of the International Fair Trade Association, and is the only Palestinian organization that has received the Palestine Standards Institution certification for its olive oil.
OLIVE BRANCH OLIVE OIL DONATIONS
As with past shipments, a percentage of the proceeds of olive oil sales is donated back to organizations working directly with Palestinians. Past recipients include:
Palestinian Medical Relief Society Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions Birthright Unplugged American Friends Service Committee-Middle East Crisis Fund American Near East Refugee Aid Olive Harvest Coalition Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees Ibdaa Cultural Center International Solidarity Movement US OMEN Ta’ayush
THE IMPORTANCE OF OLIVE OIL TO THE PALESTINIAN ECONOMY
Olive oil is the backbone of the Palestinian agricultural economy. Eighty percent of cultivated land in Palestine is planted with olive trees, and the olive harvest provides between 25 to 50 percent of a farming family’s annual income. Olive trees, many of which are hundreds of years old, hold a deep significance in the culture and economy of the Holy Land. As the political and economic situation in Palestine continues to deteriorate, with increased restrictions on the mobility of people, goods and services, olive oil has become a matter of basic survival for many Palestinian families. Buying this oil is a constructive and tangible way to help alleviate poverty and build peace.
PARC assists at every stage of the olive oil production process, from helping farmers to reclaim rocky land, conserve water and implement sensible environmental practices (like re-cropping, dry-land farming and recycling of waste materials) to setting up regional labs for farmers to test their olive oil. PARC strictly monitors the quality of the oil, testing and re-testing it at its main laboratory to ensure that it meets all specifications. Extra-virgin olive oil comes from the first pressing of the olives, contains no more than 0.8% acidity, and is judged to have a superior taste. There can be no refined oil in extra-virgin olive oil.
Palestinian farmers traditionally care for their trees without the use of pesticides or sprays. PARC is currently working with international agricultural organizations to obtain organic certification for its olive oil, which should be finalized in the next few months. Because both light and heat are known enemies of olive oil, Olive Branch Olive Oil comes in a dark green glass bottle that is optimal for storage.
Available in 750ml bottles, by the case (12 bottles, $145), or more.
For ordering and other info, please email us at palestinebostonoliveoil@yahoo.com or call Susie at 781-648-6307.
Harvard's Palestine Solidarity Committee will be holding a vigil for Gaza from 11:45 am to 12:15 pm on the steps of Memorial Church in Harvard Yard. All who care for Palestine are invited to attend. Please wear black and spread the word widely.
These are the meetings where we decide on events and discuss strategies to end the war. Anyone is welcome -- from seasoned activists to beginners and we look forward to building a dialogue with anyone opposed to the war. Our main tenent is that we are independent of both the Democratic and the Republican Party, such that we can build an anti-war movement that survives elections and continues to oppose the war, regardless of which candidate is in office.
Meet briefly at the statue to exchange thoughts,
then walk silently around the Yard and nearby streets,
returning to the statue by 12:30pm.
Southeast corner of Rt 27 and 30 (nearest to Brooks Pharmacy).
Come for all or part. Bring a candle, lantern, or flashlight.
Organizer: Sandy Coy.
Join the Boston Tea Party Conference call,
Participant call in: 402-756-9100; Access code: 680903#
Socialist Alternative Radio, 91.5 FM Boston
listen anytime on the Web at WMFO.org. A democratic socialist, working-class view of politics and culture, including solidarity announcements, interviews, music, and more.
Write to us at BostonSAradio@aol.com.
Join a Friday fast and/or protest in solidarity with illegal detentions. The fast began in 2005 when Nobel Peace Laureates Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Adolpho Esquivel, (Argentina), along with others around the world, chose this method to seek the release of our unjustly detained and tortured brothers and sisters.
In Boston, local activists Susan McLucas and Phoebe Knopf have joined the Friday fast and will protest every Friday in front of the JFK Building from noon to one. The action, which is rooted in nonviolence, includes speakers, music, hand-outs and petitions to create public pressure to stop all illegal detentions and to try those responsible for the illegal treatment of thousands of detainees, most of whom are Arab and Muslim men. Susan and Phoebe will be wearing orange jumpsuits.
On this day, Friday and from there on!, we hereby declare the
establishment of a new DeMilitarized Zone where all those who wish can
congregate to denigrate and repudiate the war machine and celebrate the
growth of the new movement from coast to coast willing to oppose the war and opression in
this country and around the world. Bring your signs, and minds, let's
chalk, talk, play music, paint art with caring and sharing and declaring
that we are "chilling *against* the villins" in this zone to show our
independence!!!!!
We declare our solidarity with the people of the Middle East who share
the misfortune of living on top of the largest oil reserves on the
planet which is the reason behind the current war on Iraq. We declare
our condemnation of those who support this criminal war commanded by
criminals who promote a criminal ideology with criminal intent and
crimes against humanity. We repudiate with prejudice the general assault
on our rights: abuses, excuses, jailings, raids, lies, spies,
xenophobia, torture, extraordinary rendition, and the general police
state system that says we must stand together and support this
generalized oppression. We are no longer the silent generation but are
now willing to Stand Apart and against the mass murdering villins who
are doin the real killin. Join us in the DMZ!!
Chillin against the villin's!!!
Our *DMZ* and our Independence.