IMPEACHMENT, THE NEXT MUST SEE MOVIE, ANTI-WAR, ANTI- BUSH NEWS, KUCINICH, KATRINA/NEW ORLEANS ISSUES, IVAW'S TRUTH IN RECRUITING CAMPAIGN, VANDALISM AT THE WALL, AND BLACKWATER DOWN! POLITICAL VIEWS AND UPDATES
The Next Must See Movie: In The Valley Of Elah
YAHOO Movie Trailers
100,000 March Against Iraq War in Washington 200 Arrested in Dramatic Mass Die-In
SATURDAY, nearly 100,000 people -- led by anti-war Iraq veterans, military families and others -- marched from the White House to the Capitol in Washington, D.C. to demand an immediate end to the occupation of Iraq. The march concluded with a dramatic "die-in" of 5,000 people surrounding the Capitol. Almost 200 people were arrested when police prevented them taking an anti-war message to Congress.
People marched shoulder-to-shoulder on eight-lane-wide Pennsylvania Avenue, with the densely packed march stretching more than 10 blocks. It was a historic action and a step forward for the anti-war movement.
Protesters surged onto the Capitol's south lawn and up the steps where they were met by a police line. There, Iraq veterans conducted a solemn ceremony to memorialize the U.S. soldiers and Iraqis killed in the war. Over 5,000 people then laid down in a symbolic "die-in" -- one of the largest acts of civil disobedience in recent years.
One hundred ninety-seven people, including dozens of veterans and activists, were arrested when they tried to deliver their anti-war message to Congress and were stopped by the police. Among the arrested were Adam Kokesh, Liam Madden, Jeff Millard, and Garrett Reppenhagen of Iraq Veterans Against the War; Brian Becker, National Coordinator of the ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism); Ann Wright, former U.S. Army Colonel; Michael Prysner, Iraq war veteran and ANSWER activist in Florida; National Committee to Free the Cuban Five National Coordinator Gloria La Riva; and Eugene Puryear, Howard University student and National Coordinator of Youth & Student ANSWER. Police pepper-sprayed demonstrators without provocation.
This mass action came on the heels of the pro-war Petraeus report to Congress and Bush's wholehearted endorsement of the report. Meanwhile, the war rages on, destroying Iraqi society. Nearly 4,000 U.S. solidiers and up to 1 million Iraqis have died since the U.S. invasion in March 2003.
Many organizations and individuals joined together to sponsor the protest in Washington, D.C. timed to coincide with the Petraeus report on the "surge" in Iraq, including the ANSWER Coalition; Ramsey Clark; Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation; Mounzer Sleiman, Vice Chair, National Council of Arab Americans; Cindy Sheehan; Camp Casey Peace Institute; Cynthia McKinney; Veterans for Peace (National); Garett Reppenhagen, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Chair of Board of Directors; Tina Richards, CEO of Grassroots America; Rev. Lenox Yearwood, CEO of Hip Hop Caucus; Code Pink; Father Roy Bourgeois and Eric LeCompte, School of Americas Watch; Al-Awda, The Palestine Right of Return Coalition; Kevin Zeese, Democracy Rising; Navy Petty Officer Jonathan Hutto, co-founder Appeal for Redress; Liam Madden, Pres., Boston Chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War and co-founder of Appeal for Redress; Malik Rahim, founder of Common Ground Collective, New Orleans; Howard Zinn, Author and Historian; Carlos & Melida Arredondo, Gold Star Families for Peace and hundreds of other organizations and individuals.
Thousands March in D.C. War Protest By Matthew Barakat
WASHINGTON (AP) — Several thousand anti-war demonstrators marched through downtown Washington on Saturday, clashing with police at the foot of the Capitol steps where at least 160 protesters were arrested.
The group marched from the White House to the Capitol to demand an end to the Iraq war. Their numbers stretched for blocks along Pennsylvania Avenue, and they held banners and signs and chanted, "What do we want? Troops out. When do we want it? Now."
Army veteran Justin Cliburn, 25, of Lawton, Okla., was among a contingent of Iraq veterans in attendance.
"We're occupying a people who do not want us there," Cliburn said of Iraq. "We're here to show that it isn't just a bunch of old hippies from the 60s who are against this war."
Counterprotesters lined the sidewalks behind metal barricades. There were some heated shouting matches between the two sides.
The arrests came after protesters lay down on the Capitol lawn in what they called a "die in" — with signs on top of their bodies to represent soldiers killed in Iraq. When police took no action, some of the protesters started climbing over a barricade at the foot of the Capitol steps.
Many were arrested without a struggle after they jumped over the waist-high barrier. But some grew angry as police with shields and riot gear attempted to push them back. At least two people were showered with chemical spray. Protesters responded by throwing signs and chanting: "Shame on you."
The number of arrests by Capitol Police on Saturday was much higher than previous anti-war rallies in Washington this year. Five people were arrested at a protest outside the Pentagon in March when they walked onto a bridge that had been closed off to accommodate the demonstration, then refused to leave. And at a rally in January, about 50 demonstrators blocked a street near the Capitol, but they were dispersed without arrests.
The protesters gathered earlier Saturday near the White House in Lafayette Park with signs saying "End the war now" and calling for President Bush's impeachment. The rally was organized by the ANSWER Coalition and other groups.
Organizers estimated that more than 100,000 people attended the rally and march. That number could not be confirmed; police did not give their own estimate. But there appeared to be tens of thousands of people in attendance.
Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan told the crowd is was time to be assertive.
"It's time to lay our bodies on the line and say we've had enough," she said. "It's time to shut this city down."
About 13 blocks away, nearly 1,000 counterprotesters gathered near the Washington Monument, frequently erupting in chants of "U-S-A" and waving American flags.
Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Robert "Buzz" Patterson, speaking from a stage to crowds clad in camouflage, American flag bandanas and Harley Davidson jackets, said he wanted to send three messages.
"Congress, quit playing games with our troops. Terrorists, we will find you and kill you," he said. "And to our troops, we're here for you, and we support you."
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ON THE IMPEACHMENT FRONT
Bruce Fein's articles of impeachment
Impeachment suitable to offensesMaineToday.com - Portland,ME,USAenlarge AP President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have committed serious offenses, and impeachment is a serious and appropriate remedy, a reader says ...See all stories on this topic
Novick to call for impeachment lookThe Oregonian - OregonLive.com - Portland,OR,USAA campaign news release says Novick will call on Democratic congressional leaders to begin investigations into the possible impeachment of President Bush, ...See all stories on this topic
To Nancy Pelosi with 1 million Iraqis dead; when will impeachment ...OpEdNews - Newtown,PA,USANow fast forward to when incoming Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi said of President Bush that "Impeachment was off the table" Looking at the numbers ...See all stories on this topic
IMPEACHMENT MONDAY: Impeach ThemBy hotpotato IMPEACH THEM.Hot Potato Mash - http://www.hotpotatomash.com/
Is Peace or Impeachment Possible?The purpose of impeachment is not just to take back control of our government, not just to end an occupation, not just to prevent an attack on Iran. The purpose of impeachment is to inform future presidents that they must obey laws. ...Countercurrents Update - http://www.countercurrents.org
Is Peace or Impeachment Possible?By David Swanson An effort to impeach Richard Nixon forced him out as well. An effort to impeach Harry Truman led to the Supreme Court checking his abuses of power. In fact the threat of impeachment is usually enough to restore a level of justice and ...The Smirking Chimp - News And... - http://smirkingchimp.com
Tough Talk on ImpeachmentBy dzarkhan Bill Moyers gets perspective on the role of impeachment in American political life from Constitutional scholar Bruce Fein, who wrote the first article of impeachment against President Bill Clinton, and THE NATION's John Nichols, ...The Labyrinth - http://dzarkhan.wordpress.com
A Bipartisan Letter to ALL of Congress About the Reasons for ...This is a letter I wrote to all of Congress, particularly in response to a letter I received from my congressman about his views on impeachment. In his response he stated that "Congress is better served devoting our attention to the ...Digg / upcoming - http://digg.com/
Even if Bush and Cheney were not removed from office, impeachment ...BuzzFlash - Chicago,IL,USAThere are plenty of reasons to hold immediate joint impeachment hearings for both Bush and Cheney. It is obvious that Bush is relying on his devoted ...See all stories on this topic
Q&A: Jack CaffertyTIME - USAOne new poll says that a majority of people favor impeachment for President Bush. Your reaction? I'm not the least bit surprised. There's a case for taking ...See all stories on this topic
Obey wrong on impeachmentThe Capital Times - Madison,WI,USABut we appreciate that Obey does not try, as some prominent Democrats do, to question the validity of the arguments for impeachment. ...See all stories on this topic
Dozens of protesters call for Bush's impeachment in RenoLas Vegas Sun - Las Vegas,NV,USA(AP) - Dozens of protesters rallied Saturday outside the federal building in Reno to demand an end to the Iraq war and the impeachment of President Bush and ...See all stories on this topic
News Republic editorial: Impeachment talks detract from other key ...Baraboo News Republic - Baraboo,WI,USABut she's a smart politician, and she knows that if she works to get either man hauled in front of Congress for impeachment proceedings, the Democrats won't ...See all stories on this topic
Articles/Stories: Comelec chief, linked to shady deal, faces ...Manila Mail - Washington,DC,USAFor this latest caper, Abalos now faces an investigation in the House that could lead to his impeachment. Allegations are that he is acting as a lobbyist ...See all stories on this topic
House lacks votes to impeach Bush, Hinchey saysKingston Daily Freeman - Kingston,NY,USAA simple majority, or 218 votes, is needed in the House of Representatives to approve articles of impeachment against a president. ...See all stories on this topic
MoveOn: Should We Move On to Impeachment?By ralphlopez Moveon.org has, in democratic fashion, started an online poll to give people a chance to say whether Moveon should be moving on to impeachment, and why. The following is how I feel, and anyone who feels the same can feel free to ...MyDD - http://www.mydd.com/section/Diary
US Senate Candidate, John Frohnmayer on his call for Bush ImpeachmentIndependent candidate for US Senate, John Frohnmayer, a Bush 41 appointee as head of the NEA, makes the case for impeaching President Bush based on the President exceeding the authority granted him in the US Constitution.Digg / upcoming - http://digg.com/
MoveOn Polling About ImpeachmentBy ammasdarling Nancy Pelosi took impeachment "off the table" during the 2006 elections and John Conyers, chair of the Judiciary committee, had Cindy Sheehan and dozens of activists arrested when they sat in at his office in July of this year. ...Daily Kos - http://www.dailykos.com/section/Diary
Betsy Cramer on Santa Barbara Impeachment Resolution - Probably ...I don't know whether there is sufficient interest in Santa Barbara for our City Council to adopt a resolution favoring impeachment of the president. Quite a few cities have done so, but after the lightblueline fiasco, it's unrealistic ...AfterDowningStreet.org - Impeach... - http://www.afterdowningstreet.org
Group Wants City Council To Reconsider Impeachment ResolutionWISC - Madison,WI,USAThe Dane County Impeachment Coalition is making a push to get the City Council to reconsider a resolution calling for an impeachment investigation against ...See all stories on this topic
The Urgency of Impeachment: An Exchange of Letters with My ...Huffington Post - New York,NY,USAYou are against proceeding with that impeachment because you fear it will diminish the ability of the House to achieve bipartisan consensus on more ...See a
Impeachment: the Cure for Every ProblemBy The Editor at IP(The Editor at IP) If 218 Members sign a discharge petition, the Speaker of the House must schedule the legislation for a floor vote. House Republican leaders should consider a discharge petition on the impeachment legislation.The Influence Peddler - http://influencepeddler.blogspot.com/
The Impeachment Gang Gets Together TomorrowShe insists there's still time to boot leaders from office: "The Bill Clinton impeachment for sex took two months," she says. "Bush and Cheney have 15 months to destroy this country ... Our real goal is take the i-word of the closet. ...Riptide 2.0 - http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/
More Than Ever, Impeachment Is the CureBy Scarecrow No one mentioned that impeachment is and always has been the logical remedy for an out of control President. Holding US troops hostage to an impossible, ill-defined mission, causing the unnecessary deaths of hundreds, perhaps thousands ...Firedoglake - http://www.firedoglake.com
MoveOn: Should We Move On to Impeachment?By Ralph Lopez Moveon.org has, in democratic fashion, started an online poll to give people a chance to say whether Moveon should be moving on to impeachment, and why. The following is how I feel, and anyone who feels the same can feel free to ...Daily Kos - http://www.dailykos.com/section/Diary
Anti-War/Impeachment Protests PlannedBy Leslie Robinson Thousands are expected to march on Washington DC on Saturday as organizations that are promoting the impeachment of President Bush and Vice-President Cheney combine with Iraq anti-war groups for a massive protest. ...Colorado Confidential - Front Page - http://www.coloradoconfidential.com
Anthony Reeves: One need not oppose war to back impeachmentThe Capital Times - Madison,WI,USAOne can conclude that impeachment is a fit course of action without believing that withdrawal is the only logical course in Iraq. One need only ask a simple ...See all stories on this topic
Editorial: The Culture of Enlightenment, Part TwoBerkeley Daily Planet - Berkeley,CA,USAThe Impeachment debate has also been silenced, we suspect by the Editor, Becky O'Malley, who disapproves of Impeachment. Within the last three weeks, ...See all stories on this topic
City Council not the place for impeachment debateThe Capital Times - Madison,WI,USASome of them appear to have ascribed to me and my colleagues special powers of impeachment, imploring us to, in so many words, save the universe by voting ...See all stories on this topic
Letter to Editor on impeachment published in the Cecil Whig (MD)By Administrator Another impeachment trial would be very hard on our nation, but isn't preserving our Constitution worth some trouble and inconvenience? For over 200 years brave Americans have unselfishly given life and limb defending it. ...Democratic Talk Radio Blog - http://www.democratictalkradio.com/wordpress
Novick Calls for Impeachment Investigation of Bush Administration ...By Jake Last week, John Frohnmayer entered this race for US Senate, offering a strong statement on an important issue of the day: whether the conduct of this President constitutes grounds for impeachment. At the time, I gave an incomplete ...Steve Novick for US Senate - - http://www.novickforsenate.org
With YOUR Help TODAY, Madison WI Will Reconsider ImpeachmentMembers of Veterans for Peace and the Impeachment Coalition of Dane County have called upon Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz to stand up for America, to call for the Madison city council to reconsider its recent impeachment resolution and ...AfterDowningStreet.org - Impeach... - http://www.afterdowningstreet.org
Happy Constitution Day!By Lisa(Impeachment Project) 333, the impeachment of Dick Cheney, and to pursue impeachment of George Bush as well. Thank you. Once you're done, call again, and this time, ask for John Conyer's office. He's head of the House Judiciary Committee. ...Impeachment Project - http://impeachmentproject.blogspot.com/
Editorial: Impeachment not an option for BushUnhappy constituents should look to the polls for a new leader.Kansan.com stories: Opinion - http://www.kansan.com/stories/opinion/
Get Real, Progressives! The Only Answer is Impeachment!Political Cortex - New York,NY,USABy Bill Hare Not long ago progressives launched a fervent effort to replace Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General. That effort was bolstered by ...See all stories on this topic
IN BRIEFWashington Post - United StatesThe Garrett Park Town Council voted Monday to hold a voter referendum on whether to pass a resolution calling for the impeachment of President Bush and Vice ...See all stories on this topic
Petition drive asks council to reconsider impeachment voteThe Capital Times - Madison,WI,USAEfforts are under way to get the Madison City Council to reconsider its vote on an impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney resolution. ...See all stories on this topic
Congressional Candidate Raises Call for ImpeachmentCongressman Murphy, an attorney and Congressman sworn to uphold the Constitution, refuses to acknowledge that our wars of aggression in Iraq and Afghanistan offend the most basic protections of the US Constitution for our people.Digg / upcoming - http://digg.com/
Congressional Candidate Raises Call for ImpeachmentBy populist ... sworn to uphold the Constitution, refuses to acknowledge that our wars of aggression in Iraq and Afghanistan offend the most basic protections of the US Constitution for our people. Channel: News Tags: congressman murphy impeachment.Netscape.com News Stories - http://www.netscape.com
AND 53 Lindorff on Mysterious B-52 flight over domestic US airspaceBy info@anationdeceived.org (Craig S. Barnes) Please listen to this show for a brief and critical news (that was not properly covered in the media) from one of the courageous leaders of the Bush, Cheney impeachment movement. IMMEDIATE ACTION: Please voice your impeachment opinion ...Impeachment Podcast - http://www.anationdeceived.org
John Frohnmayer Calls for Bush's ImpeachmentBy BlueOregon.com Among the four declared candidates for the Senate, Frohnmayer is the only one to call for Bush's impeachment. Democrats Steve Novick and Jeff Merkley have not done so, although spokesmen for both candidates said they think the option ...BlueOregon - http://www.blueoregon.com/
Beaverhead Democrats urge impeachmentBy Jay Stevens Following lengthy discussion, it was agreed in the meeting that emphasis in the letters should be on impeachment as a constitutional remedy to the dangerous excesses of the executive branch rather than a merely personal attack on Bush ...Left in the West - Front Page - http://www.leftinthewest.com
Tampas Back Door Ways (Vox Populi) “Tw0 Down More To Go”
Tampas Back Door Ways (Vox Populi) “Move On…Get On The Bus!”
Bush Does Not Deserve To Hold An Honorable Discharge
Chris Hedges: The Next Quagmire
Ray McGovern: Bush Puts Iran in Crosshairs
The Sunday Times, Sarah Baxter: Pentagon 'three-day blitz' plan for Iran
LAS VEGAS SUN POLITICS (Now Partnered With Politico. Com)
September 17, 2007
No respect for Kucinich, even though many agree with him
By J. Patrick Coolican
Published in the Sun on Sept. 17, 2007
“In the ‘Rock the Vote’ presidential debates Tuesday night Democratic candidates Howard Dean, John Edwards and John Kerry admitted that they had smoked marijuana, while candidate Dennis Kucinich admitted that he was high right now.”
— Tina Fey, “Saturday Night Live’s” Weekend Update, Nov. 8, 2003
Rep. Dennis Kucinich opposed the Iraq war from the beginning, voted against the Patriot Act and has drawn up articles of impeachment for Vice President Dick Cheney.
Compared with his rivals, he’s been far closer to the views of his party’s base, and on issues that matter, he’s been years ahead of his competitors, who are frequently dragged along — kicking and screaming — by the grass roots.
And yet Kucinich, who ran in 2004 and is campaigning in Las Vegas today, is more often viewed as comedy fodder than party leader or contender.
The mockery extends from highbrow — a New Yorker cartoon depicting Kucinich winning the Mars primary — to lowbrow — with jokes about his height, ears, veganism and so on. “Snicker and Kucinich” returns 50,000 hits from Google, with a Web site or two tracking the mockery. (Mockery that’s no stranger to the pages of the Sun.)
At a spring Culinary Union event for candidates, a union official ducked her head inside the press room and said, mockingly, “Dennis Kucinich is shaking hands outside.” The assembled press snickered, and continued writing.
Kucinich backers, such as spokesman Andy Juniewicz, seem resigned to this view of Kucinich’s public persona, a great truth-teller wrongly thought the fool.
And perhaps the Kucinich supporters have a point. Perhaps Kucinich is The Fool of Shakespeare, the classic character of “King Lear” who often speaks the most profound and wittiest lines, especially after Lear has given up the kingdom, and the Fool makes Lear look the fool.
now thou art an O without a figure:
I am better than thou art now;
I am a fool, thou art nothing.
Stephen Fallon, a professor of literature at the University of Notre Dame, said the fool was a necessity of Renaissance-era drama because someone had to tell the king hard truths without fear of reprisal. The fool’s ridiculousness and batty appearance insulated him from kingly violence.
(If the analogy holds, Kucinich can rail away at the Bush administration without having to fear that his wife will be outed as a CIA agent, his ears a kind of talisman of safety.)
For Kucinich supporters, here’s another comforting explanation of the incessant ridicule: Kucinich is the candidate with the most coherently liberal agenda and marginalizing him is a way to marginalize his ideas, said Paul Lewis, a professor of English at Boston College and author of the recently published “Cracking Up: American Humor in a Time of Conflict.” (Although, Lewis conceded, this wouldn’t seem to explain the late-night apolitical cracks on Kucinich, which focus on his elfin appearance, among other things.)
Sure, the media can be blamed, but the fact is that the public isn’t rallying to the notion of a Kucinich presidency, even when it agrees with his ideas.
At a spring Las Vegas health care forum, the major candidates spoke first. Just before Kucinich started discussing his bill for a single-payer, government-financed health care system — which the majority of Americans support even though Democratic front-runners don’t — the crowd streamed out as if their team had a three-touch down lead and they wanted to beat the traffic.
As if to emphasize this point, Kucinich fans point to a Web site, www.dehp.com/candidate , which offers a kind of “blind taste test” of candidates, allowing users to mark where they stand on issues, and then pairing them up with the candidate whose views are the closest match.
Kucinich is winning this unscientific poll overwhelmingly. In other words, the less people know about him, the better.
It’s also possible the Kucinich campaign is steering supporters to the site. Presumably their views match his, which might pad his totals. Juniewicz denied any such effort, which seems altogether too, well, savvy for the Kucinich campaign anyway.
Alleen Nilsen, an English professor at Arizona State University who specializes in the study of humor, said Kucinich and his backers should recognize his persona as an advantage because he can throw out ideas, such as starting a “Department of Peace” without fear, just as a courtier might make a flirty joke to his date and be insulated from embarrassment because it’s “just a joke.”
“If someone has a reputation as a fool, they can play the role of the innocent, because humor tests people’s reactions without committing yourself,” Nilsen said.
What does Kucinich make of all this?
Well, the Sun tried to reach him. But Kucinich, who drove Cleveland into bankruptcy as mayor, who disappeared to New Mexico during the ’80s, who received 1 percent of the votes in the 2004 Iowa caucus, and whose wife has her tongue pierced and was born three decades after her husband, wasn’t available because he was busy campaigning in Hawaii.
That makes him the first candidate to campaign in Hawaii, which will certainly be important in the race to secure the all-important South Pacific states.
For a campaign with so little money, it seems like an odd use of resources.
The Sun priced out a round-trip ticket from Cleveland to Honolulu, and it seems it can’t be done for less than $500. He could have driven to Iowa for much less.
J. Patrick Coolican can be reached at 259-8814 or at patrick.coolican@lasvegassun.com.
Posted at 02:29 AM in Dennis Kucinich Permalink
I think it is unconscionable that the media is trying to ignore and discredit the only candidate that is consistent on ALL ISSUES - morally, socially and environmentally-across the board. I just don't understand why you have to have such a negative headline when you do report on him, finally!?
He is truly a great man, a which inspires hope, which most of us have lost. I can only pray - for the sake of this country, that he gets the support he deserves from the media - so that we can have the change that we so desperately NEED.
Report from International Tribunal on Hurricane Katrina
Submitted by davidswanson on Mon, 2007-09-17 14:30. Evidence
1) Press Release from PHRF: International Tribunal Issues Preliminary Findings -- Bush, Blanco, Nagin Committed Crimes against Humanity
2) Statement by PHRF: How to Support the International Tribunal
3) Message from ILC Coordinator Daniel Gluckstein to International Tribunal on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
4) Statement by Tribunal Co-Convener Cynthia McKinney
5) Statement by Tribunal Co-Convener Louisa Hanoune
6) Excerpts from statement by Tribunal Co-Convener Charles Barron
7) Brief excerpts from testimonies and documents (part one)
1) PRESS RELEASE
People marched shoulder-to-shoulder on eight-lane-wide Pennsylvania Avenue, with the densely packed march stretching more than 10 blocks. It was a historic action and a step forward for the anti-war movement.
Protesters surged onto the Capitol's south lawn and up the steps where they were met by a police line. There, Iraq veterans conducted a solemn ceremony to memorialize the U.S. soldiers and Iraqis killed in the war. Over 5,000 people then laid down in a symbolic "die-in" -- one of the largest acts of civil disobedience in recent years.
One hundred ninety-seven people, including dozens of veterans and activists, were arrested when they tried to deliver their anti-war message to Congress and were stopped by the police. Among the arrested were Adam Kokesh, Liam Madden, Jeff Millard, and Garrett Reppenhagen of Iraq Veterans Against the War; Brian Becker, National Coordinator of the ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism); Ann Wright, former U.S. Army Colonel; Michael Prysner, Iraq war veteran and ANSWER activist in Florida; National Committee to Free the Cuban Five National Coordinator Gloria La Riva; and Eugene Puryear, Howard University student and National Coordinator of Youth & Student ANSWER. Police pepper-sprayed demonstrators without provocation.
This mass action came on the heels of the pro-war Petraeus report to Congress and Bush's wholehearted endorsement of the report. Meanwhile, the war rages on, destroying Iraqi society. Nearly 4,000 U.S. solidiers and up to 1 million Iraqis have died since the U.S. invasion in March 2003.
Many organizations and individuals joined together to sponsor the protest in Washington, D.C. timed to coincide with the Petraeus report on the "surge" in Iraq, including the ANSWER Coalition; Ramsey Clark; Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation; Mounzer Sleiman, Vice Chair, National Council of Arab Americans; Cindy Sheehan; Camp Casey Peace Institute; Cynthia McKinney; Veterans for Peace (National); Garett Reppenhagen, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Chair of Board of Directors; Tina Richards, CEO of Grassroots America; Rev. Lenox Yearwood, CEO of Hip Hop Caucus; Code Pink; Father Roy Bourgeois and Eric LeCompte, School of Americas Watch; Al-Awda, The Palestine Right of Return Coalition; Kevin Zeese, Democracy Rising; Navy Petty Officer Jonathan Hutto, co-founder Appeal for Redress; Liam Madden, Pres., Boston Chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War and co-founder of Appeal for Redress; Malik Rahim, founder of Common Ground Collective, New Orleans; Howard Zinn, Author and Historian; Carlos & Melida Arredondo, Gold Star Families for Peace and hundreds of other organizations and individuals.
Thousands March in D.C. War Protest By Matthew Barakat
WASHINGTON (AP) — Several thousand anti-war demonstrators marched through downtown Washington on Saturday, clashing with police at the foot of the Capitol steps where at least 160 protesters were arrested.
The group marched from the White House to the Capitol to demand an end to the Iraq war. Their numbers stretched for blocks along Pennsylvania Avenue, and they held banners and signs and chanted, "What do we want? Troops out. When do we want it? Now."
Army veteran Justin Cliburn, 25, of Lawton, Okla., was among a contingent of Iraq veterans in attendance.
"We're occupying a people who do not want us there," Cliburn said of Iraq. "We're here to show that it isn't just a bunch of old hippies from the 60s who are against this war."
Counterprotesters lined the sidewalks behind metal barricades. There were some heated shouting matches between the two sides.
The arrests came after protesters lay down on the Capitol lawn in what they called a "die in" — with signs on top of their bodies to represent soldiers killed in Iraq. When police took no action, some of the protesters started climbing over a barricade at the foot of the Capitol steps.
Many were arrested without a struggle after they jumped over the waist-high barrier. But some grew angry as police with shields and riot gear attempted to push them back. At least two people were showered with chemical spray. Protesters responded by throwing signs and chanting: "Shame on you."
The number of arrests by Capitol Police on Saturday was much higher than previous anti-war rallies in Washington this year. Five people were arrested at a protest outside the Pentagon in March when they walked onto a bridge that had been closed off to accommodate the demonstration, then refused to leave. And at a rally in January, about 50 demonstrators blocked a street near the Capitol, but they were dispersed without arrests.
The protesters gathered earlier Saturday near the White House in Lafayette Park with signs saying "End the war now" and calling for President Bush's impeachment. The rally was organized by the ANSWER Coalition and other groups.
Organizers estimated that more than 100,000 people attended the rally and march. That number could not be confirmed; police did not give their own estimate. But there appeared to be tens of thousands of people in attendance.
Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan told the crowd is was time to be assertive.
"It's time to lay our bodies on the line and say we've had enough," she said. "It's time to shut this city down."
About 13 blocks away, nearly 1,000 counterprotesters gathered near the Washington Monument, frequently erupting in chants of "U-S-A" and waving American flags.
Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Robert "Buzz" Patterson, speaking from a stage to crowds clad in camouflage, American flag bandanas and Harley Davidson jackets, said he wanted to send three messages.
"Congress, quit playing games with our troops. Terrorists, we will find you and kill you," he said. "And to our troops, we're here for you, and we support you."
Click Here For Large Screen Lead Video
LINK TO 73 VIDEOS
Click Here For Full Menu Of Videos
Click Here For Jeffery Brewer’s March For Peace Photos
To Download Jeff’s Photos In A Zip File Click Here
ON THE IMPEACHMENT FRONT
Bruce Fein's articles of impeachment
Impeachment suitable to offensesMaineToday.com - Portland,ME,USAenlarge AP President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have committed serious offenses, and impeachment is a serious and appropriate remedy, a reader says ...See all stories on this topic
Novick to call for impeachment lookThe Oregonian - OregonLive.com - Portland,OR,USAA campaign news release says Novick will call on Democratic congressional leaders to begin investigations into the possible impeachment of President Bush, ...See all stories on this topic
To Nancy Pelosi with 1 million Iraqis dead; when will impeachment ...OpEdNews - Newtown,PA,USANow fast forward to when incoming Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi said of President Bush that "Impeachment was off the table" Looking at the numbers ...See all stories on this topic
IMPEACHMENT MONDAY: Impeach ThemBy hotpotato IMPEACH THEM.Hot Potato Mash - http://www.hotpotatomash.com/
Is Peace or Impeachment Possible?The purpose of impeachment is not just to take back control of our government, not just to end an occupation, not just to prevent an attack on Iran. The purpose of impeachment is to inform future presidents that they must obey laws. ...Countercurrents Update - http://www.countercurrents.org
Is Peace or Impeachment Possible?By David Swanson An effort to impeach Richard Nixon forced him out as well. An effort to impeach Harry Truman led to the Supreme Court checking his abuses of power. In fact the threat of impeachment is usually enough to restore a level of justice and ...The Smirking Chimp - News And... - http://smirkingchimp.com
Tough Talk on ImpeachmentBy dzarkhan Bill Moyers gets perspective on the role of impeachment in American political life from Constitutional scholar Bruce Fein, who wrote the first article of impeachment against President Bill Clinton, and THE NATION's John Nichols, ...The Labyrinth - http://dzarkhan.wordpress.com
A Bipartisan Letter to ALL of Congress About the Reasons for ...This is a letter I wrote to all of Congress, particularly in response to a letter I received from my congressman about his views on impeachment. In his response he stated that "Congress is better served devoting our attention to the ...Digg / upcoming - http://digg.com/
Even if Bush and Cheney were not removed from office, impeachment ...BuzzFlash - Chicago,IL,USAThere are plenty of reasons to hold immediate joint impeachment hearings for both Bush and Cheney. It is obvious that Bush is relying on his devoted ...See all stories on this topic
Q&A: Jack CaffertyTIME - USAOne new poll says that a majority of people favor impeachment for President Bush. Your reaction? I'm not the least bit surprised. There's a case for taking ...See all stories on this topic
Obey wrong on impeachmentThe Capital Times - Madison,WI,USABut we appreciate that Obey does not try, as some prominent Democrats do, to question the validity of the arguments for impeachment. ...See all stories on this topic
Dozens of protesters call for Bush's impeachment in RenoLas Vegas Sun - Las Vegas,NV,USA(AP) - Dozens of protesters rallied Saturday outside the federal building in Reno to demand an end to the Iraq war and the impeachment of President Bush and ...See all stories on this topic
News Republic editorial: Impeachment talks detract from other key ...Baraboo News Republic - Baraboo,WI,USABut she's a smart politician, and she knows that if she works to get either man hauled in front of Congress for impeachment proceedings, the Democrats won't ...See all stories on this topic
Articles/Stories: Comelec chief, linked to shady deal, faces ...Manila Mail - Washington,DC,USAFor this latest caper, Abalos now faces an investigation in the House that could lead to his impeachment. Allegations are that he is acting as a lobbyist ...See all stories on this topic
House lacks votes to impeach Bush, Hinchey saysKingston Daily Freeman - Kingston,NY,USAA simple majority, or 218 votes, is needed in the House of Representatives to approve articles of impeachment against a president. ...See all stories on this topic
MoveOn: Should We Move On to Impeachment?By ralphlopez Moveon.org has, in democratic fashion, started an online poll to give people a chance to say whether Moveon should be moving on to impeachment, and why. The following is how I feel, and anyone who feels the same can feel free to ...MyDD - http://www.mydd.com/section/Diary
US Senate Candidate, John Frohnmayer on his call for Bush ImpeachmentIndependent candidate for US Senate, John Frohnmayer, a Bush 41 appointee as head of the NEA, makes the case for impeaching President Bush based on the President exceeding the authority granted him in the US Constitution.Digg / upcoming - http://digg.com/
MoveOn Polling About ImpeachmentBy ammasdarling Nancy Pelosi took impeachment "off the table" during the 2006 elections and John Conyers, chair of the Judiciary committee, had Cindy Sheehan and dozens of activists arrested when they sat in at his office in July of this year. ...Daily Kos - http://www.dailykos.com/section/Diary
Betsy Cramer on Santa Barbara Impeachment Resolution - Probably ...I don't know whether there is sufficient interest in Santa Barbara for our City Council to adopt a resolution favoring impeachment of the president. Quite a few cities have done so, but after the lightblueline fiasco, it's unrealistic ...AfterDowningStreet.org - Impeach... - http://www.afterdowningstreet.org
Group Wants City Council To Reconsider Impeachment ResolutionWISC - Madison,WI,USAThe Dane County Impeachment Coalition is making a push to get the City Council to reconsider a resolution calling for an impeachment investigation against ...See all stories on this topic
The Urgency of Impeachment: An Exchange of Letters with My ...Huffington Post - New York,NY,USAYou are against proceeding with that impeachment because you fear it will diminish the ability of the House to achieve bipartisan consensus on more ...See a
Impeachment: the Cure for Every ProblemBy The Editor at IP(The Editor at IP) If 218 Members sign a discharge petition, the Speaker of the House must schedule the legislation for a floor vote. House Republican leaders should consider a discharge petition on the impeachment legislation.The Influence Peddler - http://influencepeddler.blogspot.com/
The Impeachment Gang Gets Together TomorrowShe insists there's still time to boot leaders from office: "The Bill Clinton impeachment for sex took two months," she says. "Bush and Cheney have 15 months to destroy this country ... Our real goal is take the i-word of the closet. ...Riptide 2.0 - http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/
More Than Ever, Impeachment Is the CureBy Scarecrow No one mentioned that impeachment is and always has been the logical remedy for an out of control President. Holding US troops hostage to an impossible, ill-defined mission, causing the unnecessary deaths of hundreds, perhaps thousands ...Firedoglake - http://www.firedoglake.com
MoveOn: Should We Move On to Impeachment?By Ralph Lopez Moveon.org has, in democratic fashion, started an online poll to give people a chance to say whether Moveon should be moving on to impeachment, and why. The following is how I feel, and anyone who feels the same can feel free to ...Daily Kos - http://www.dailykos.com/section/Diary
Anti-War/Impeachment Protests PlannedBy Leslie Robinson Thousands are expected to march on Washington DC on Saturday as organizations that are promoting the impeachment of President Bush and Vice-President Cheney combine with Iraq anti-war groups for a massive protest. ...Colorado Confidential - Front Page - http://www.coloradoconfidential.com
Anthony Reeves: One need not oppose war to back impeachmentThe Capital Times - Madison,WI,USAOne can conclude that impeachment is a fit course of action without believing that withdrawal is the only logical course in Iraq. One need only ask a simple ...See all stories on this topic
Editorial: The Culture of Enlightenment, Part TwoBerkeley Daily Planet - Berkeley,CA,USAThe Impeachment debate has also been silenced, we suspect by the Editor, Becky O'Malley, who disapproves of Impeachment. Within the last three weeks, ...See all stories on this topic
City Council not the place for impeachment debateThe Capital Times - Madison,WI,USASome of them appear to have ascribed to me and my colleagues special powers of impeachment, imploring us to, in so many words, save the universe by voting ...See all stories on this topic
Letter to Editor on impeachment published in the Cecil Whig (MD)By Administrator Another impeachment trial would be very hard on our nation, but isn't preserving our Constitution worth some trouble and inconvenience? For over 200 years brave Americans have unselfishly given life and limb defending it. ...Democratic Talk Radio Blog - http://www.democratictalkradio.com/wordpress
Novick Calls for Impeachment Investigation of Bush Administration ...By Jake Last week, John Frohnmayer entered this race for US Senate, offering a strong statement on an important issue of the day: whether the conduct of this President constitutes grounds for impeachment. At the time, I gave an incomplete ...Steve Novick for US Senate - - http://www.novickforsenate.org
With YOUR Help TODAY, Madison WI Will Reconsider ImpeachmentMembers of Veterans for Peace and the Impeachment Coalition of Dane County have called upon Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz to stand up for America, to call for the Madison city council to reconsider its recent impeachment resolution and ...AfterDowningStreet.org - Impeach... - http://www.afterdowningstreet.org
Happy Constitution Day!By Lisa(Impeachment Project) 333, the impeachment of Dick Cheney, and to pursue impeachment of George Bush as well. Thank you. Once you're done, call again, and this time, ask for John Conyer's office. He's head of the House Judiciary Committee. ...Impeachment Project - http://impeachmentproject.blogspot.com/
Editorial: Impeachment not an option for BushUnhappy constituents should look to the polls for a new leader.Kansan.com stories: Opinion - http://www.kansan.com/stories/opinion/
Get Real, Progressives! The Only Answer is Impeachment!Political Cortex - New York,NY,USABy Bill Hare Not long ago progressives launched a fervent effort to replace Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General. That effort was bolstered by ...See all stories on this topic
IN BRIEFWashington Post - United StatesThe Garrett Park Town Council voted Monday to hold a voter referendum on whether to pass a resolution calling for the impeachment of President Bush and Vice ...See all stories on this topic
Petition drive asks council to reconsider impeachment voteThe Capital Times - Madison,WI,USAEfforts are under way to get the Madison City Council to reconsider its vote on an impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney resolution. ...See all stories on this topic
Congressional Candidate Raises Call for ImpeachmentCongressman Murphy, an attorney and Congressman sworn to uphold the Constitution, refuses to acknowledge that our wars of aggression in Iraq and Afghanistan offend the most basic protections of the US Constitution for our people.Digg / upcoming - http://digg.com/
Congressional Candidate Raises Call for ImpeachmentBy populist ... sworn to uphold the Constitution, refuses to acknowledge that our wars of aggression in Iraq and Afghanistan offend the most basic protections of the US Constitution for our people. Channel: News Tags: congressman murphy impeachment.Netscape.com News Stories - http://www.netscape.com
AND 53 Lindorff on Mysterious B-52 flight over domestic US airspaceBy info@anationdeceived.org (Craig S. Barnes) Please listen to this show for a brief and critical news (that was not properly covered in the media) from one of the courageous leaders of the Bush, Cheney impeachment movement. IMMEDIATE ACTION: Please voice your impeachment opinion ...Impeachment Podcast - http://www.anationdeceived.org
John Frohnmayer Calls for Bush's ImpeachmentBy BlueOregon.com Among the four declared candidates for the Senate, Frohnmayer is the only one to call for Bush's impeachment. Democrats Steve Novick and Jeff Merkley have not done so, although spokesmen for both candidates said they think the option ...BlueOregon - http://www.blueoregon.com/
Beaverhead Democrats urge impeachmentBy Jay Stevens Following lengthy discussion, it was agreed in the meeting that emphasis in the letters should be on impeachment as a constitutional remedy to the dangerous excesses of the executive branch rather than a merely personal attack on Bush ...Left in the West - Front Page - http://www.leftinthewest.com
Tampas Back Door Ways (Vox Populi) “Tw0 Down More To Go”
Tampas Back Door Ways (Vox Populi) “Move On…Get On The Bus!”
Bush Does Not Deserve To Hold An Honorable Discharge
Chris Hedges: The Next Quagmire
Ray McGovern: Bush Puts Iran in Crosshairs
The Sunday Times, Sarah Baxter: Pentagon 'three-day blitz' plan for Iran
LAS VEGAS SUN POLITICS (Now Partnered With Politico. Com)
September 17, 2007
No respect for Kucinich, even though many agree with him
By J. Patrick Coolican
Published in the Sun on Sept. 17, 2007
“In the ‘Rock the Vote’ presidential debates Tuesday night Democratic candidates Howard Dean, John Edwards and John Kerry admitted that they had smoked marijuana, while candidate Dennis Kucinich admitted that he was high right now.”
— Tina Fey, “Saturday Night Live’s” Weekend Update, Nov. 8, 2003
Rep. Dennis Kucinich opposed the Iraq war from the beginning, voted against the Patriot Act and has drawn up articles of impeachment for Vice President Dick Cheney.
Compared with his rivals, he’s been far closer to the views of his party’s base, and on issues that matter, he’s been years ahead of his competitors, who are frequently dragged along — kicking and screaming — by the grass roots.
And yet Kucinich, who ran in 2004 and is campaigning in Las Vegas today, is more often viewed as comedy fodder than party leader or contender.
The mockery extends from highbrow — a New Yorker cartoon depicting Kucinich winning the Mars primary — to lowbrow — with jokes about his height, ears, veganism and so on. “Snicker and Kucinich” returns 50,000 hits from Google, with a Web site or two tracking the mockery. (Mockery that’s no stranger to the pages of the Sun.)
At a spring Culinary Union event for candidates, a union official ducked her head inside the press room and said, mockingly, “Dennis Kucinich is shaking hands outside.” The assembled press snickered, and continued writing.
Kucinich backers, such as spokesman Andy Juniewicz, seem resigned to this view of Kucinich’s public persona, a great truth-teller wrongly thought the fool.
And perhaps the Kucinich supporters have a point. Perhaps Kucinich is The Fool of Shakespeare, the classic character of “King Lear” who often speaks the most profound and wittiest lines, especially after Lear has given up the kingdom, and the Fool makes Lear look the fool.
now thou art an O without a figure:
I am better than thou art now;
I am a fool, thou art nothing.
Stephen Fallon, a professor of literature at the University of Notre Dame, said the fool was a necessity of Renaissance-era drama because someone had to tell the king hard truths without fear of reprisal. The fool’s ridiculousness and batty appearance insulated him from kingly violence.
(If the analogy holds, Kucinich can rail away at the Bush administration without having to fear that his wife will be outed as a CIA agent, his ears a kind of talisman of safety.)
For Kucinich supporters, here’s another comforting explanation of the incessant ridicule: Kucinich is the candidate with the most coherently liberal agenda and marginalizing him is a way to marginalize his ideas, said Paul Lewis, a professor of English at Boston College and author of the recently published “Cracking Up: American Humor in a Time of Conflict.” (Although, Lewis conceded, this wouldn’t seem to explain the late-night apolitical cracks on Kucinich, which focus on his elfin appearance, among other things.)
Sure, the media can be blamed, but the fact is that the public isn’t rallying to the notion of a Kucinich presidency, even when it agrees with his ideas.
At a spring Las Vegas health care forum, the major candidates spoke first. Just before Kucinich started discussing his bill for a single-payer, government-financed health care system — which the majority of Americans support even though Democratic front-runners don’t — the crowd streamed out as if their team had a three-touch down lead and they wanted to beat the traffic.
As if to emphasize this point, Kucinich fans point to a Web site, www.dehp.com/candidate , which offers a kind of “blind taste test” of candidates, allowing users to mark where they stand on issues, and then pairing them up with the candidate whose views are the closest match.
Kucinich is winning this unscientific poll overwhelmingly. In other words, the less people know about him, the better.
It’s also possible the Kucinich campaign is steering supporters to the site. Presumably their views match his, which might pad his totals. Juniewicz denied any such effort, which seems altogether too, well, savvy for the Kucinich campaign anyway.
Alleen Nilsen, an English professor at Arizona State University who specializes in the study of humor, said Kucinich and his backers should recognize his persona as an advantage because he can throw out ideas, such as starting a “Department of Peace” without fear, just as a courtier might make a flirty joke to his date and be insulated from embarrassment because it’s “just a joke.”
“If someone has a reputation as a fool, they can play the role of the innocent, because humor tests people’s reactions without committing yourself,” Nilsen said.
What does Kucinich make of all this?
Well, the Sun tried to reach him. But Kucinich, who drove Cleveland into bankruptcy as mayor, who disappeared to New Mexico during the ’80s, who received 1 percent of the votes in the 2004 Iowa caucus, and whose wife has her tongue pierced and was born three decades after her husband, wasn’t available because he was busy campaigning in Hawaii.
That makes him the first candidate to campaign in Hawaii, which will certainly be important in the race to secure the all-important South Pacific states.
For a campaign with so little money, it seems like an odd use of resources.
The Sun priced out a round-trip ticket from Cleveland to Honolulu, and it seems it can’t be done for less than $500. He could have driven to Iowa for much less.
J. Patrick Coolican can be reached at 259-8814 or at patrick.coolican@lasvegassun.com.
Posted at 02:29 AM in Dennis Kucinich Permalink
I think it is unconscionable that the media is trying to ignore and discredit the only candidate that is consistent on ALL ISSUES - morally, socially and environmentally-across the board. I just don't understand why you have to have such a negative headline when you do report on him, finally!?
He is truly a great man, a which inspires hope, which most of us have lost. I can only pray - for the sake of this country, that he gets the support he deserves from the media - so that we can have the change that we so desperately NEED.
Report from International Tribunal on Hurricane Katrina
Submitted by davidswanson on Mon, 2007-09-17 14:30. Evidence
1) Press Release from PHRF: International Tribunal Issues Preliminary Findings -- Bush, Blanco, Nagin Committed Crimes against Humanity
2) Statement by PHRF: How to Support the International Tribunal
3) Message from ILC Coordinator Daniel Gluckstein to International Tribunal on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
4) Statement by Tribunal Co-Convener Cynthia McKinney
5) Statement by Tribunal Co-Convener Louisa Hanoune
6) Excerpts from statement by Tribunal Co-Convener Charles Barron
7) Brief excerpts from testimonies and documents (part one)
1) PRESS RELEASE
International Tribunal Issues Preliminary FindingsBush, Blanco, Nagin Committed Crimes against Humanity
People's Hurricane Relief Fund-Oversight Committee1418 North Claiborne #2New Orleans, LA 70116(504) tel. 301-0215 fax 301-0306tribunal@peopleshurricane.org
Contact: Monifa Bandele (917) 407- 3018
New Orleans—Between August 29, 2007 and September 2, 2007, a Tribunal of 16 esteemed jurists from nine countries, including Algeria, Brazil, France, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mexico, South Africa, Venezuela, and the United States, convened in New Orleans to hear testimony by experts and survivors of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
After hearing nearly 30 hours of testimony by hurricane survivors and experts -- covering government neglect and negligence in 15 areas, ranging from police brutality to environmental racism, from misappropriation of relief to gentrification -- the jurists announced their preliminary findings.
Jill Soffiyah Elijah, the Deputy Director of the Criminal Justice Institute at Harvard Law School and Chief Judge for the International Tribunal on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, announced the Tribunal’s preliminary findings “It is our view that the U.S. government has committed crimes against humanity particularly in relation to its failure to maintain functional levees that should have protected the City of New Orleans from flooding; ... it was the reckless disregard and, in some instances, negligence of the U.S. government, the state of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans that created the devastation we continue to see today.”
Elijah also announced that the Tribunal made preliminary findings that the federal, state and local governments are guilty of violating the human rights to life, dignity and recognition of personhood; the right to be free from racial discrimination -- especially as it pertains to the actions of law enforcement personnel and vigilantes; the right to return, resettlement and reintegration of internally displaced persons; the right to be free from degrading treatment and punishment; the right to freedom of movement; the right to adequate housing and education; the right to vote and participate in governance and the right to a fair trial; the right to liberty and security of person and the right to equal protection under the law. Both actions and failure to act by the governments had disproportionate devastating impact with respect to race and gender.
The jurists announced that they would deliver their final verdict on December 8, 2007 -- the second anniversary of the Katrina Survivors’ Assembly. In the meantime, prosecutors will be submitting additional evidence and videotaped affidavits from an additional 25 survivors.
The prosecution team included experienced attorneys from respected legal associations around the country: the ACLU of New York, National Economic and Social Rights Initiative, the US Human Rights Network, the National Conference of Black Lawyers, the Center for Constitutional Rights, National Lawyers Guild, the Center for Law and Social Justice at Medgar Evers College, the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Mississippi Workers Center for Human Rights, Washington DC Legal Defender, Mississippi Disaster Relief Coalition, International Association of Democratic Lawyers, Legal Empowerment Center and the Louisiana Justice Initiative.
The Tribunal Conveners -- representing movements for justice on four continents -- reminded Tribunal participants and witnesses of the solemnity of their task. Lybon Mabasa, a founding member with Stephen Biko of the Black Consciousness Movement in South Africa, insisted, “We must hold these criminal governments to account in order to stop the world from sinking into barbarism and to make the world one where life is worth living.”
For samples of videotaped testimony, contact Monifa Bandele at 917 407-3018
2) HOW TO SUPPORT THE INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL
People’s Hurricane Relief Fund andOversight Coalition (PHRF)
1418 North Claiborne Avenue, Suite 2New Orleans, LA 70116Telephone: 504 301 0215
Email: phrfoc@gmail.com
International Tribunal on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita adjourns
Preliminary Findings: US Federal, State, and Local governments committed crimes against humanity.Final Verdict: Due December 8th, 2007.
Greetings family, friends, neighbors and comrades!
Thank you all for supporting the International Tribunal on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Your participation, along with delegations from nine countries, made the Tribunal a success. For the first time, the public -- both in the U.S. and the world -- had the opportunity to hear a comprehensive account of the crimes committed against the people of New Orleans and the Gulf. And, for the first time, an esteemed panel of international jurists gave careful consideration to charges of crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, genocide and other violations committed by the U.S. government.
However, if we are to gain restitution, justice and the right of return for all those displaced and forcibly removed, a tremendous amount of work remains. Join us in spreading the word about the Tribunal demands and building a strong reconstruction movement grounded in human rights principles to win the right to return. Below are a few suggestions offered by Tribunal organizers -- including the attached petition -- to advance the reconstruction movement.
As Lybon Mabasa, Tribunal Convener from South Africa, advised as he closed the proceedings, "We adjourn the Tribunal for today, but even greater work lies ahead. Only by committing ourselves to this struggle will we save ourselves from sinking into barbarism."
How to Support the International Tribunal
1. Build a Solidarity Committee in your city, region or state to continue the struggle for a just reconstruction and against ethnic cleansing in the Gulf Coast.
2. Join the PHRF action alert network at http://www.peopleshurricane.org/register/.
3. Conduct a report back about the Tribunal and the Gulf Coast Reconstruction Movement with your members and supporters. Call 504.301.0215 for speakers and video.
4. Organize a teach-in or community forum in your city, region, or state with members of the Tribunal organizing committee to aid with the national mobilization effort for the Tribunal and Survivors Assembly.
5. Agitate on the demands and recommendations stemming from the Tribunal by asking civic, labor, political, and religious organizations in your area to sign on as endorsers. The prosecution called for:
- Reparations- Prosecution of Bush, Blanco, Barbour, Nagin, FEMA, the Army Corps of Engineers, and Homeland Security for crimes against humanity- International and national support for the right of return and reconstruction with justice and dignity.
6. Support the Tribunal Petition Drive to demand the right of return, adherence to the IDP principles, and federal works project by asking your members and supporters to gather signatures in your area. Petitions are available at either http://www.katrinatribunal.org/ or http://www.peopleshurricane.org/.
7. Contact the various government officials in your city, region, and state and demand that they support legislation that recognizes the IDP status of Hurricane Survivors, provides restitution for Hurricane Survivors, supports the Gulf Coast Civic Works project, and holds all parties responsible for crimes against humanity liable for their actions.
8. Support the calls for censures, boycotts, and direct action issued by the Tribunal organizers and Survivors Assembly to pressure the U.S. government to accept the demands and recommendations of the Tribunal.
9. Support the International mobilization for the Tribunal by promoting its findings, verdict, and demands to your international contacts and allied organizations. Encourage them to start resolution initiatives, petition drives, and calls for international solidarity and action.
10. Demand that all Presidential candidates take a stand in support of the findings of the Tribunal, reparations, a just reconstruction, and the right of return for all Gulf Coast IDPs.
11. Raise funds to provide ongoing financial support to the Tribunal organizers to publish and distribute the findings, continuing raising awareness, and pursue national and international litigation.
In Unity and Struggle,Kali AkunoPHRF Executive Director
Tuesday, September 4th, 2007
Stay tuned to http://www.katrinatribunal.org/ for updates. Also please send pictures for thorough documentation.
3) Message from ILC Coordinator Daniel Gluckstein to the International Tribunal on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
Introductory Note: The following message was sent by Daniel Gluckstein, coordinator of the International Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples (ILC), to the International Tribunal on Katrina. It was read to the Tribunal plenary session by Prosecution Team coordinator Kwame Kalimara and submitted to the Tribunal Judges for the record of the Tribunal proceedings. This message was also submitted to the national and international media that were covering the Tribunal.
MESSAGE
Dear Friends, Dear Sisters and Brothers.
It’s with great regret that, for reasons totally beyond my control, I was prevented at the last minute from attending the International Tribunal on Katrina at which I was given the honor of sitting as a judge. As you know from the start, the International Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples, of which I am coordinator, and the Workers Party of France, of which I am general secretary, have brought their unconditional support to the proposal to build this tribunal.
For the International Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples the appalling situation inflicted upon the Black population of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast since Hurricane Katrina is an irrefutable indictment of all those who decided to leave the New Orleans and Gulf Coast people stranded, to submit them to wholesale devastation, to repression and then to an unmitigated operation of ethnic cleansing.
This recent persecution of the New Orleans Black population is but one more link in the chain -- in that long chain of oppression, genocide and persecutions aimed against the Black population.
The International Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples upholds the inalienable right of the oppressed and the exploited to organize independently for their own defense.
This is why the ILC recognizes the New Orleans Black population’s absolute right to judge those responsible for Katrina. It’s their absolute right to hold those accountable in government at all levels -- federal, state and local -- for they all joined, to varying degrees, to forsake the New Orleans Black population, to leave them stranded to endure an appalling fate.
Likewise, it is the inalienable right of all the oppressed and exploited, and particularly the U.S. population's Black component, to build their own forms of political representation, to build if they so desire their own Reconstruction Party.
Who is in a better position than the Black population to determine how best to organize independently to save and defend itself? The International Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples, because it stands on the ground of the independence of the workers’ movement, has supported and will support any step forward toward building an authentic party for the liberation of the Black people in the United States, a party which would represent the interests of the oppressed and exploited, included those of immigrants from Mexico, the rest of Latin America and beyond. This party would necessarily converge with the actions under way to build an authentic Labor Party, a part which itself defends the independent interests of all workers in the United States.
Likewise, the International Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples supports all those fighting back against the atrocious fate reserved for the populations of Africa. From Darfur to Rwanda, the fate reserved by imperialism for the African peoples shows the future that imperialism holds for them: one of plunder, of destruction of nations, a future of so-called ethnic wars that are artificially provoked from abroad.
The International Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples supports the African peoples’ struggles for their sovereignty, for their authentic independence. It supports in particular the fightback of the South African workers who brought down the regime of apartheid and who are bound to continue their struggle today for South Africa to become, in reality and not just in appearance, an authentic Black Republic where the majority, the Black majority, holds all elements of power.
The International Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples supports the efforts of the Black population in the Caribbean to unite in the anti-imperialist fightback against French, British and all other colonialisms, which claim the right to annex certain Caribbean islands within the framework or what they call “Tropical Europe.”
The International Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples supports the fightback of the poor people in Brazil, and in particular the Black people, to break with debt policies, to break with the U.S. government’s dictate and to oppose the sending of French, Brazilian and other troops to occupy Haiti against the will of this country’s people.
From South Africa to the United States, to the Caribbean, to Rwanda, the plight afflicted upon Black people does not come from any malediction. It derives from the regime of exploitation and oppression which assails all the peoples, all the workers, all the oppressed.
This is why the charges the Katrina Survivors have put forward, supported by a worldwide campaign, will judge those responsible; they will not be allowed to go unpunished for the appalling assault imposed upon the peoples of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast two years ago.
This Tribunal is a first step toward the judgment of all those responsible for crimes against the peoples. It’s an encouragement for the oppressed and exploited the world over who are organizing to do away with the regime of exploitation founded upon the private ownership of the means of production, for the liberation of workers, youth and peoples of all continents from the chains of exploitation, war and oppression.
On behalf of the International Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples, of the Workers Party of France, and in my own name, I send you wishes for the full success of the Katrina Tribunal proceedings.
In solidarity,
Daniel Gluckstein,Coordinator of International Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples
General Secretary of Workers Party France
4) STATEMENT BY TRIBUNAL CO-CONVENER CYNTHIA MCKINNEY TO OPENING RALLY OF THE INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL
4) STATEMENT BY TRIBUNAL CO-CONVENER CYNTHIA MCKINNEY TO OPENING RALLY OF THE INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL
The New Orleans Times Picayune reported recently that Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats toured New Orleans, including the Lower Ninth Ward. They "signaled that the federal largesse would have limits." One Louisiana Democratic Representative indicated that they were "here to differentiate the needs from the wants."
However, the Democratic Congress has failed to differentiate Bush Administration needs from its wants and has granted the Administration legalized spying on the American people; funding for the surge and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; and maneuvering room to do all this and more by taking impeachment "off the table."
Katrina survivors, through their People's Hurricane Relief Fund, are no longer willing to wait for justice; they have formed the Hurricanes Katrina and Rita International Tribunal to hold all levels of the government accountable for massive failures.
I have joined their call for justice and am proud to serve as a Convener of the Tribunal -- a huge undertaking with significant implications for an unresponsive government. Perhaps it will be the Katrina and Rita survivors who will finally put brakes on a government that is out of control in its utter disregard of the American people.
The world's generosity toward Katrina and Rita survivors was shunned even as today's needs go unfilled and under-funded. It is to that same international community that survivors now turn. I believe their cries for justice will be heard.
5) STATEMENT BY TRIBUNAL CO-CONVENER LOUIS HANOUNE, Deputy in the National Assembly of Algeria for the Workers Party, at closing of International Tribunal
[Note: This statement was delivered on Sept. 2 as an amicus solidarity statement to the Tribunal after the final witnesses had presented their testimonies and before the chief prosecutor’s closing statement.]
I would like to express all my gratitude to the Tribunal organizers for allowing me to participate in these proceedings. Reality surpasses fiction in all we have seen and heard. Yesterday, we visited a ghost town, a city where most of the houses are empty. This has only added salt to the horrific wound inflicted since August 2005 upon the Survivors and upon that part of humanity that resides in all of us.
I stand in solidarity with you today because two years after the hurricane struck, it is unacceptable that the Survivors should go on enduring this nightmare.
I come from a country in Africa. I have seen the effects of catastrophes, earthquakes, and floods. But I have never seen anything like this. What we are witnessing here is ethnic cleansing!
So, yes, I stand in solidarity with you because I come from Africa, a continent that is sinking into chaos and whose survival requires the united efforts of all women and men of good will.
I stand in solidarity with you because throughout the testimonies presented to this Tribunal we heard war cries and words that recall the plight of the Palestinian people. They, like their counterparts here in the Gulf Coast, have the inalienable Right to Return.
I stand in solidarity with you because I come from the labor movement, where we learned to come to the immediate rescue of the most vulnerable among us.
As a women’s rights activist, I am in solidarity with the Black women because they are, like their counterparts in Palestine, among the most vulnerable. They have been deprived of all they possess in life, even their role in binding their families together.
I will go back to sound the alarm against the oppression of the women in New Orleans, which is no less heinous than the oppression and double discrimination faced by the Palestinian women.
I am very proud and honored to have been here among you, and I give heart-felt thanks to those who allowed me to meet and hear the Survivors and witnesses who today, as the proud heirs of their ancestors, are waging a momentous fightback against the assaults they face day after day.
If you agree, I will be your spokesperson in my country and beyond -- in the Maghreb and the Middle East. I will report the facts that were delivered here, the testimonies presented, and the disaster that we witnessed first hand.
The Workers Party Parliamentary Group will organize parliamentary hearings on the Katrina Tribunal in Algeria.
I also stand here to support the proposal made by my Brazilian colleague earlier in our proceedings when he called on us to get more elected officials around the world to support the Tribunal verdict and its demands. I would thus like to make a proposal: Would it be possible to convene an International Parliamentary Conference on Katrina? It could take place in Brazil -- but if that were not possible, it could be held in my country.
To conclude, I would like to quote the Lebanese thinker and writer Jibran Khalil Jibran who wrote the following at the beginning of the last century: “Woe be it to any nation where one single component claims to represent the entire nation.”
Of course, we do not wish misfortune on any nation! That is why I join Tunisian poet Abu Kacem Chaabi in affirming the following in relation to our struggles for national independence: “When the people decide to live, the night must disappear, the dawn will rise and the chains will be broken.”
Yes, hand in hand, we will join our efforts to break the chains of oppression and exploitation, to champion the right of the Black people to live, the right of all to live in dignity, to live from their work, and to proclaim that the future belongs to us!
6) Excerpts from Statement by Charles Barron, City Councilmember in New York and Co-convener of the Tribunal:
“The most horrible crime since slavery”
Yesterday, the judges went to visit the neighborhoods that were flooded, particularly the Lower 9th Ward. We saw a ghost town. We heard poignant testimonies.
They want to change the demographics of this town. They want to make it a tourist center, something like Disneyland. This, based on the evidence, is the biggest and most horrible crime since slavery!
We heard the testimony of Brother Malik Rahim and we saw his video. Malik was there on death row. He took some gun shots from white vigilante thugs. He told us, “They fired on us like we were rabbits," but then he added, “Of course, this becomes harder when the rabbits take up arms.”
The Tribunal can be our weapon. We are now armed rabbits. We are going to use this weapon. .... That is what I will bring back to New York. We did not come here to hear about misery, complaints, and tears. We came to say: "Enough is enough!"
7) Testimonies and Documents - Part 1
“They closed Charity Hospital”
“They closed Charity hospital. Of course, the hospital lacked resources, but most of the patients were poor Blacks without social coverage. These people were abandoned when it closed down. There is a hospital 80 miles from Charity Hospital, but it is too expensive for low-income people.
Since Katrina, many chronic illnesses have developed. There are problems of depression, post-traumatic disorders, particularly among the people living in the FEMA trailers. There has been a sharp rise in the number of illnesses and the death rate. The epidemics specialists see this, but the state minimizes the mortality rates.
Numerous children lost their parents, their homes, and their school. They were criminalized. They police are called into school because the children have crises. The media only shows violence. There are more cops in the schools than teachers.
The state doesn’t offer enough beds to support and care for the youth. Charity Hospital had a psychiatric wing with over one hundred beds. To this day, none of these beds has been re-opened elsewhere!”
-- from a testimony
“It feels like the hurricane hit yesterday”
Chriss Kromm, director of Southern Studies and co-editor of the Observatory of the Reconstruction of the Gulf Coast, declared to the Financial Times (August 28, 2007)
“What hits you when you visit the region are the huge tracts of land between New Orleans in Louisiana and Biloxi in Mississippi, where it seems like the hurricane hit yesterday. There are miles and miles of devastation.
It is revolting to see how little things have changed. Out of the US$116 billion in aid allocated by the federal government following Katrina, only an estimated 20% of the funds have gone to use.”
Citizens of New Orleans, the vast of majority of whom are Black workers, came to testify to the destruction that reigns in the city.
"No protection against flooding for Blacks in New Orleans"
On June 20, 2007, the Army Corps of Engineers printed signs concerning the flood risk in the neighborhoods following the repair-work of the levees since Katrina.
The signs demonstrate that the white residential zones have a much lower flood risk, 1.7 meters less, because of the construction of pumps and container walls. The majority of the Black neighborhoods have seen no drop in flood risk or, at best, have seen a reduction of 15 to 60 centimeters of water.
Blacks are paying more than whites to insure their houses, and they spend more to reconstruct houses that are threatened with being flooded for several years. The racial discrimination in the choices made by the Army Corps of Engineers constitutes a denial of the right of return for the Black population and constitutes a form of ethnic cleansing.”
(Excerpt from a text presented by Advocates for Environmental Human Rights at the opening of the Tribunal.)
UNITY & INDEPENDENCESupplement to The Organizer NewspaperP.O. Box 40009San Francisco, CA 94140Tel. 415-641-8616 Email: U&I@ilcinfo@earthlink.net
IN THIS MESSAGE
1) Presentation -- by the U&I Co-editors
2) Endorsement by Cynthia McKinney of Malcolm Suber for City Council in New Orleans and the Reconstruction Party
3) Interview with Malcolm Suber: Reconstruction Party Candidate for the New Orleans City Council at Large
4) Endorsement by Adolph Reed of Malcolm Suber for City Council in New Orleans
5) Sign-On Appeal:
1) PRESENTATION
Dear Sisters and Brothers:
On Sept. 6, Malcolm Suber, a leader of the fightback movement in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, filed to run for the City Council At-Large in the upcoming Oct. 20 elections. He is running to promote the Reconstruction Party, a party whose National Organizing Committee was launched in New Orleans on Sept. 2nd.
As Brother Suber filed his campaign papers, his supporters gathered in front of the New Orleans District Courthouse with posters that read. "For Post-Katrina Justice on the New Orleans City Council: Vote Malcolm Suber and the Reconstruction Party” -- “Bring Our People Home Now: Just Reconstruction Now!” and “He Stood Up for US. Now We Must Stand Up For Him!” His campaign is generating widespread supporter among local activists and among Survivors in cities across the country.
In this issue of Unity & Independence (September-October 2007), we are publishing the letter of endorsement of Brother Suber's campaign and the Reconstruction Party by former Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. Also published in this section are three additional texts: (1) an interview with Brother Suber conducted by U&I correspondent Donna Kesselman, (2) an endorsement statement by Labor Party leader Adolph Reed, and (3) a Sign-On Appeal for endorsements and financial contributions for this campaign.
We urge all our readers to support both the Malcolm Suber campaign in New Orleans and the effort under way to promote the Reconstruction Party nationwide. Join with other activists in your cities to build Local Organizing Committees for the Reconstruction Party.
To endorse the Malcolm Suber Campaign and the Reconstruction Party Organizing Committee, please fill out the Sign-on Statement below and return it to and . Financial contributions are needed urgently and can be made via the PayPal link on the campaign website -- which is http://www.malcolmforcitycouncil.com/ -- or by sending a check or money order (in U.S. dollars), payable to Malcolm Suber Campaign, to 1631 Elysian Fields Ave., New Orleans, LA 70117.
For more information about the campaign or how you can help, please call (504) 931-7614
We thank you in advance for your support to this effort.
In solidarity,
Alan Benjamin and Ed Rosario,Co-EditorsUnity & Independence
2) Endorsement Statement by Cynthia McKinney
September 13, 2007
I, Cynthia McKinney, former Member of Congress for the people of Georgia, would like to hereby declare my full support for the formation of an independent Reconstruction Party in the United States. I also declare my full support for Brother Malcolm Suber's candidacy for New Orleans City Council in the October 20, 2007 elections.
Brother Suber is a long time revolutionary fighter for Black and working class liberation, a dedicated community organizer, and a staunch internationalist.
Brother Suber has recently offered himself as a founding member of the Reconstruction Party Organizing Committee, which will embody the fighting spirit and organizing form to lead the people into a new New Orleans and new Gulf Coast, where the lives of the people will come before the profits of capitalist corporations.
Brother Suber and I strongly believe that the Reconstruction Movement must move to its next and logical phase, which is the contest for political power if we are truly to have a just and equitable reconstruction of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. The facts on the ground clearly demonstrate that we cannot rely on failed politicians and failing political parties which are complicit in the lack of preparation, the failure to rescue, and the continued refusal to advance the right to return for hundreds of thousands of people who continue to be displaced.
I join Brother Suber in calling on our friends and supporters from around the country to support the formation of the Reconstruction Party, which is needed to address the myriad problems of institutional racism, class domination, historical poverty, and sexism which plague working people in the cities throughout this country. The problems faced in these cities are no different than the problems faced by those in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.
The politicians and machinery of both these parties have been proven complicit in the genocidal policies against our people. The systematic and intentional crimes associated with Hurricanes Katrina and Rita were submitted for evidence at the International Tribunal on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, held in New Orleans from August 29th through September 2nd on the two-year anniversary of the disaster.
The Tribunal's conveners and judges were representative of workers' and democratic peoples' movements in the U.S. and abroad. The U.S. government at all levels -- federal, state, and local -- were proven responsible for these atrocities.
Brother Suber and the Reconstruction Party have my full and unequivocal support, and I will do whatever is in my power to advance their platform, a platform of the people.
Sincerely,
Cynthia McKinney
3) Interview with Malcolm Suber: Reconstruction PartyCandidate for the New Orleans City Council at Large
[Note: The following interview was conducted on Sept. 6, 2007, by U&I correspondent Donna Kesselman.]
Unity & Independence: Tell us a bit about yourself. ...
Malcolm Suber: I’ve been a textile worker, an autoworker, a college professor, a printer, and the executive director of UrbanHeart, an inner-city school program. I’ve also been a community organizer against police terror and U.S. imperialist war and for unionizing unorganized workers.
I've been an active fighter in the Black Liberation Movement and working class struggle for power dating from my youth in South Carolina. I was a student leader at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. I lecture on Black Liberation around the United States.
I am a founding member of the Peoples Hurricane Relief Fund. I am running for the New Orleans City Council as the first candidate of the Reconstruction Party.
U&I: Why are you running for the New Orleans City Council?
Suber: We want to win this seat so working class and poor Black folk have some representation at city hall and to move toward building the Reconstruction Party.
Our people’s campaign is building a Reconstruction Movement for our people’s right to return back home. We’ve witnessed the failure of federal, state and local officials to do anything to get people back home.
The local white ruling class program is to change the city’s demographics, eliminating the Black people. We should decide how our community should look when it’s rebuilt. We won’t allow the land-grabbers of Black people's land, the gentrifiers, to chase out those who really built this city.
If we want real justice and equity, we’ll have to do it ourselves. The Democratic politicians, the same old folks, won’t do it. The two big capitalist parties, the Democrats and the Republicans, make empty promises to the people, while awarding the politically connected. What they’ve done for Katrina Survivors adds up to almost nothing.
It’s going to take a fight on the streets to get people home. We have to seize this opportunity to elect one of our own. At the very least, we will raise the issues people have on their minds. I’ve been fighting for 30 years in this city -- and we will continue fighting, whether we win this election or not.
Working people -- not just uptown whites and book-licking college presidents -- need to sit on the city boards and expose how the machine delivers the goods to those who presently run this city. Our slogan is “nothing about us, without us, is for us.” Ours is a campaign for full participation of working class and poor Black people in decision-making about relief and reconstruction after the storm and great flood.
The right to return remains an empty phrase without governmental policies making it possible for our people to return. Policies must defend working people’s interests against police terror and ensure the reopening of Charity Hospital, which served working and poor people in now devastated areas. We will defend our people’s culture. They are keeping Black working class social and pleasure club organizers and Mardi Gras Indians out of the city.
Most important, this is not a bourgeois campaign. No contributions from business or rich people are accepted. We will rely on contributions from poor and working class people to finance my/their campaign. We ask working people to campaign, go door-to-door, call their friends and raise funds.
I am for public election funds so working people can run, whatever their economic situation -- not $1,000 dollar breakfasts, because rich people want favors from politicians who accept their money.
U&I: How does this fit in with the national campaign?
Suber: We believe the Reconstruction Movement needs a Reconstruction Party. This party is being launched in New Orleans to refocus local and national priorities on human needs and a just society. Locally, the focus is a full and just reconstruction of our city after Hurricane Katrina and levee failures, with the full involvement of those affected by these disasters.
Everything happening in New Orleans is so profound; it is a dress rehearsal for the ruling class around the country. They exploited Katrina to advance their program to smash public schools and introduce charter schools. The program of the ruling class is to privatize everything: schools, health care, prisons. …
They want to go back to plantation days. People were taken out at gun point during Katrina, as they don’t working class people in the city who are not working for them. Those not working – unemployed, ill, elderly – must go. They don’t want the social safety net or any social programs at all.
The Gulf Coast Reconstruction Movement is raising the fundamental questions about what the kind of society we want to live in, whether we should be re-electing people who defend the rich and their unjust rule.
We only have millionaire ruling class’s twin parties to do the bidding of the rich. We have a government not of, by, and for the people -- but of, by and for the rich. Working people deserve better than what they are given in this society.
We need a party of our own, the Reconstruction Party, to advance our program and our interests. A mass Reconstruction Party in this country would represent the interests of working and oppressed folks. We think our campaign here and the interests we engender around our city council race will engender support for the Reconstruction Party nationally. It also can engender the interest of working people around the world.
U&I: What initiatives have you taken to get your campaign off the ground?
Suber: We are building a “Malcolm Suber for City Council-at-Large Election/Reconstruction Party Committee” composed of community activists and working class people fighting for change in New Orleans. We are also reaching out to the Diaspora, especially our people in Houston, Atlanta and Jackson, Mississippi.
Challenges to our people’s voting rights continue. In this election, like the 2006 mayor’s elections, they refuse satellite voting -- so our people will have to come home to vote or vote absentee with all its problems. We will do outreach for only our campaign actually champions their right to return by advocating support for their moving expenses and rental expenses, the fight for rent control, the reopening of public housing, an end to homelessness.
We will join the NAACP suit against Louisiana authorities who purged 20,000 New Orleans voters from the rolls.
U&I: What can people across the country and internationally do to support your campaign?
Suber: We welcome support for this campaign. People interested in sending letters of endorsement and campaign contributions can visit our website at http://www.malcolmforcitycouncil.com/. We also can be reached at and at
TRUTH IN RECRUITING DAY, SEPTEMBER 17TH, WILL KICK OFF IVAW'S TRUTH IN RECRUITING CAMPAIGN.
Every day, all across this country, there are military recruiters lying to persuade young people to sign up for the military. Proponents of the policy in Iraq are quick to point out that everyone in the military volunteered, but what does that mean if most soldiers were tricked into enlisting by the lies that recruiters tell?
The Truth in Recruiting campaign will challenge those lies and the recruitment machine which depends on them. We have developed actions and materials for our members and for the general public so you can participate in our campaign. Together we will share the truth about recruiting and the truth about the war that we must end now. To learn more about the Truth in Recruiting campaign click here.
Actions You Can Take
Befriend a Recruiter
Distribute our flyer at your local military recruitment center Truth in Recruiting Flyer (PDF)
How to participate in National Truth in Recruiting Day
Contact the nearest IVAW chapter to you and volunteer to support their efforts and actions
Bring our Truth in Recruiting campaign to a school near you. Click here for a guide on how to get started.
What IVAW members are doing
War is Not a Game
Visiting high schools and talking about their experiences with recruitment
Other Resources:
A Recruiter's Perspective (PDF)
What is Truth in Recruiting?
National Network Opposing Militarization of Youth
AFSC Youth & Militarism publications
For questions, comments, and press inquiries, please contact truth@ivaw.org.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/17/AR2007091700973.html
VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL
Oily Substance on Wall Was Vandalism, Not Accident, Police Say
By Michael E. Ruane
Washington Post Staff WriterTuesday, September 18, 2007; Page B02
Brother Suber and the Reconstruction Party have my full and unequivocal support, and I will do whatever is in my power to advance their platform, a platform of the people.
Sincerely,
Cynthia McKinney
3) Interview with Malcolm Suber: Reconstruction PartyCandidate for the New Orleans City Council at Large
[Note: The following interview was conducted on Sept. 6, 2007, by U&I correspondent Donna Kesselman.]
Unity & Independence: Tell us a bit about yourself. ...
Malcolm Suber: I’ve been a textile worker, an autoworker, a college professor, a printer, and the executive director of UrbanHeart, an inner-city school program. I’ve also been a community organizer against police terror and U.S. imperialist war and for unionizing unorganized workers.
I've been an active fighter in the Black Liberation Movement and working class struggle for power dating from my youth in South Carolina. I was a student leader at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. I lecture on Black Liberation around the United States.
I am a founding member of the Peoples Hurricane Relief Fund. I am running for the New Orleans City Council as the first candidate of the Reconstruction Party.
U&I: Why are you running for the New Orleans City Council?
Suber: We want to win this seat so working class and poor Black folk have some representation at city hall and to move toward building the Reconstruction Party.
Our people’s campaign is building a Reconstruction Movement for our people’s right to return back home. We’ve witnessed the failure of federal, state and local officials to do anything to get people back home.
The local white ruling class program is to change the city’s demographics, eliminating the Black people. We should decide how our community should look when it’s rebuilt. We won’t allow the land-grabbers of Black people's land, the gentrifiers, to chase out those who really built this city.
If we want real justice and equity, we’ll have to do it ourselves. The Democratic politicians, the same old folks, won’t do it. The two big capitalist parties, the Democrats and the Republicans, make empty promises to the people, while awarding the politically connected. What they’ve done for Katrina Survivors adds up to almost nothing.
It’s going to take a fight on the streets to get people home. We have to seize this opportunity to elect one of our own. At the very least, we will raise the issues people have on their minds. I’ve been fighting for 30 years in this city -- and we will continue fighting, whether we win this election or not.
Working people -- not just uptown whites and book-licking college presidents -- need to sit on the city boards and expose how the machine delivers the goods to those who presently run this city. Our slogan is “nothing about us, without us, is for us.” Ours is a campaign for full participation of working class and poor Black people in decision-making about relief and reconstruction after the storm and great flood.
The right to return remains an empty phrase without governmental policies making it possible for our people to return. Policies must defend working people’s interests against police terror and ensure the reopening of Charity Hospital, which served working and poor people in now devastated areas. We will defend our people’s culture. They are keeping Black working class social and pleasure club organizers and Mardi Gras Indians out of the city.
Most important, this is not a bourgeois campaign. No contributions from business or rich people are accepted. We will rely on contributions from poor and working class people to finance my/their campaign. We ask working people to campaign, go door-to-door, call their friends and raise funds.
I am for public election funds so working people can run, whatever their economic situation -- not $1,000 dollar breakfasts, because rich people want favors from politicians who accept their money.
U&I: How does this fit in with the national campaign?
Suber: We believe the Reconstruction Movement needs a Reconstruction Party. This party is being launched in New Orleans to refocus local and national priorities on human needs and a just society. Locally, the focus is a full and just reconstruction of our city after Hurricane Katrina and levee failures, with the full involvement of those affected by these disasters.
Everything happening in New Orleans is so profound; it is a dress rehearsal for the ruling class around the country. They exploited Katrina to advance their program to smash public schools and introduce charter schools. The program of the ruling class is to privatize everything: schools, health care, prisons. …
They want to go back to plantation days. People were taken out at gun point during Katrina, as they don’t working class people in the city who are not working for them. Those not working – unemployed, ill, elderly – must go. They don’t want the social safety net or any social programs at all.
The Gulf Coast Reconstruction Movement is raising the fundamental questions about what the kind of society we want to live in, whether we should be re-electing people who defend the rich and their unjust rule.
We only have millionaire ruling class’s twin parties to do the bidding of the rich. We have a government not of, by, and for the people -- but of, by and for the rich. Working people deserve better than what they are given in this society.
We need a party of our own, the Reconstruction Party, to advance our program and our interests. A mass Reconstruction Party in this country would represent the interests of working and oppressed folks. We think our campaign here and the interests we engender around our city council race will engender support for the Reconstruction Party nationally. It also can engender the interest of working people around the world.
U&I: What initiatives have you taken to get your campaign off the ground?
Suber: We are building a “Malcolm Suber for City Council-at-Large Election/Reconstruction Party Committee” composed of community activists and working class people fighting for change in New Orleans. We are also reaching out to the Diaspora, especially our people in Houston, Atlanta and Jackson, Mississippi.
Challenges to our people’s voting rights continue. In this election, like the 2006 mayor’s elections, they refuse satellite voting -- so our people will have to come home to vote or vote absentee with all its problems. We will do outreach for only our campaign actually champions their right to return by advocating support for their moving expenses and rental expenses, the fight for rent control, the reopening of public housing, an end to homelessness.
We will join the NAACP suit against Louisiana authorities who purged 20,000 New Orleans voters from the rolls.
U&I: What can people across the country and internationally do to support your campaign?
Suber: We welcome support for this campaign. People interested in sending letters of endorsement and campaign contributions can visit our website at http://www.malcolmforcitycouncil.com/. We also can be reached at and at
TRUTH IN RECRUITING DAY, SEPTEMBER 17TH, WILL KICK OFF IVAW'S TRUTH IN RECRUITING CAMPAIGN.
Every day, all across this country, there are military recruiters lying to persuade young people to sign up for the military. Proponents of the policy in Iraq are quick to point out that everyone in the military volunteered, but what does that mean if most soldiers were tricked into enlisting by the lies that recruiters tell?
The Truth in Recruiting campaign will challenge those lies and the recruitment machine which depends on them. We have developed actions and materials for our members and for the general public so you can participate in our campaign. Together we will share the truth about recruiting and the truth about the war that we must end now. To learn more about the Truth in Recruiting campaign click here.
Actions You Can Take
Befriend a Recruiter
Distribute our flyer at your local military recruitment center Truth in Recruiting Flyer (PDF)
How to participate in National Truth in Recruiting Day
Contact the nearest IVAW chapter to you and volunteer to support their efforts and actions
Bring our Truth in Recruiting campaign to a school near you. Click here for a guide on how to get started.
What IVAW members are doing
War is Not a Game
Visiting high schools and talking about their experiences with recruitment
Other Resources:
A Recruiter's Perspective (PDF)
What is Truth in Recruiting?
National Network Opposing Militarization of Youth
AFSC Youth & Militarism publications
For questions, comments, and press inquiries, please contact truth@ivaw.org.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/17/AR2007091700973.html
VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL
Oily Substance on Wall Was Vandalism, Not Accident, Police Say
By Michael E. Ruane
Washington Post Staff WriterTuesday, September 18, 2007; Page B02
The unidentified substance that was found splashed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial earlier this month was the result of vandalism, the U.S. Park Police said yesterday.
Sgt. Robert Lachance, a Park Police spokesman, said that a detective made the conclusion but that officials would provide no more details because the investigation is continuing.
Lachance said the case would involve a long-term investigation. "It's a terrible crime, and we want to solve it," he said.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, which built the Wall, offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.
The oily substance was first reported to police the evening of Sept. 7, National Park Service officials have said. Yesterday, dark blotches remained along a stone curb at the base of the Wall for much of its length, and at least 14 of its 140 inscribed panels, marked with pieces of blue tape, bore what appeared to be stains from something being splashed on them.
Park Service officials said they did not know what the substance was and at first said it was unclear whether it was the result of vandalism or some kind of accident.
Spokesman Bill Line said maintenance and preservation crews were working to remove the stains and marks but were proceeding cautiously to avoid further damage.
He said the crews were trying to avoid pushing any residue into cracks or grout in the stone. "We're purposefully going to take our time," he said. It could take a week or more to finish cleaning, he said, but officials remain confident they can remove all of the stains.
The black granite Wall, dedicated in 1982, bears the names of more than 58,000 men and women killed or missing in the Vietnam War. It is one of the most visited tourist sites in Washington.
"It's deplorable that someone would vandalize what's really a national shrine," said Jan C. Scruggs, founder and president of the Memorial Fund. "It's an outrage. It's sad."
He said the memorial is open 24 hours a day year-round and has been visited by an estimated 80 million people.
"No organized group would ever be a part of anything like this," he said. "But there are deranged individuals in our society, and I think one has visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial."
Yesterday, Dianne Seals, 60, of Cedarville, Ohio, was visiting the Wall with her husband, Greg, 60, and father, Stuart Chaffe, 87, to make a rubbing of the name of Todd A. Handy, whom she had dated in high school.
"He was sent to Vietnam, and he died over there" at age 20, she said.
"I think it's horrendous that somebody would do that," she said of the vandalism. "I think these men had suffered enough, not only fighting such an unpopular war, but coming back then to people that did not honor them. And then to have this happen as well, I think it's a terrible thing."
Her husband said: "It's uncomprehendible to me to understand how anybody that's a citizen of our country can be so unpatriotic. I just don't understand it."
http://www.crosswalk.com/news/11553871
Park Police Investigate Vietnam Memorial Damage
Nathan Burchfiel
Staff Writer
(CNSNews.com) - As cleanup efforts continue in the removal of an oily substance from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., authorities are investigating how the substance got on the wall, but warned it is "premature" to label it vandalism.
The wall was defaced sometime over the weekend when an oily substance was sprayed along the base of the granite monument. The black material appeared to stain the dark grey wall and tainted some of the more than 58,000 names engraved on it.National Park Service preservation and maintenance personnel have been working since Saturday to remove the substance, and NPS spokesman Bill Line on Tuesday told Cybercast News Service the organization "believes it will be possible to remove the substance entirely."
Line confirmed that U.S. Park Police are investigating the incident. But he said it is "premature to speculate whether any intentional act was committed," adding that it "could have been somebody accidentally spilled it.
Line confirmed that U.S. Park Police are investigating the incident. But he said it is "premature to speculate whether any intentional act was committed," adding that it "could have been somebody accidentally spilled it.
It could have been a visitor." But veterans' groups that seek to protect the memorial from vandalism are suspicious that anti-war protesters are to blame. "Even on the outside chance that it was [an] accident, things like that shouldn't be happening," Kristin Taylor, a spokesman for the Gathering of Eagles (GOE), told Cybercast News Service.
GOE is a coalition of veterans' groups and pro-military organizations that organizes counter-demonstrations during anti-war marches. Taylor said "there are incidents around the country of war memorials being ... vandalized" and pointed to apparent threats on a leftist/anarchist Web site to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
An Aug. 27 comment posted on the DC Indymedia Web site said that "if they [GOE] come to our march we will spray the wall." The comment was referring to an anti-war protest scheduled for Sept. 15.
GOE has advertised that it will counter-protest.The threat to spray the wall may not be genuine, however, as others who posted messages on the Web site accuse its anonymous author of being "FReeper scum," a reference to conservatives who use the discussion Web site Free Republic.
Taylor said the group's main focus during the march will be its own rally and the ANSWER-sponsored march. But he said some members would be monitoring the memorials, "acting as extra eyes."Regardless of how the damage was done, Taylor called it "an outrage."
Jan Scruggs, founder and president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, echoed Line's call to avoid assigning blame until the Park Police investigation is complete.
In a statement released Tuesday, Scruggs said that "while it is unclear what transpired, we are heartened by the response of the veterans' community and the general public. After 25 years, their connection to The Wall remains as strong as ever, and we appreciate that."
http://www.andovertownsman.com/local/local_story_248201034.html
Published: September 05, 2007 08:10 pm
Vietnam Veterans Memorial defaced
Crystal Bozek and Michelle Morrissey
Many veterans in town were disappointed to learn last week that someone had vandalized the town's Vietnam Veterans Memorial, requiring the 15-month-old memorial to be sandblasted Wednesday."We know that in no way does this reflect how the community feels about our veterans," said Michael Burke, director of veteran services.
http://www.andovertownsman.com/local/local_story_248201034.html
Published: September 05, 2007 08:10 pm
Vietnam Veterans Memorial defaced
Crystal Bozek and Michelle Morrissey
Many veterans in town were disappointed to learn last week that someone had vandalized the town's Vietnam Veterans Memorial, requiring the 15-month-old memorial to be sandblasted Wednesday."We know that in no way does this reflect how the community feels about our veterans," said Michael Burke, director of veteran services.
The lyrics of a 1970s protest song and a reference to Iraq were scrawled on the monument in the Park. "War, what is it good for, absolutely nothin'," was written in red marker along with a peace sign. The lyrics are from "War," a song that Motown soul singer Edwin Starr popularized in 1970.
Near the base of the memorial where the phrase "our cause is just" is etched, a vandal wrote "just like in Iraq."
The markings were made with some kind of felt marker, which soaked into the stone, Burke said yesterday. Methuen Monument is helping the town repair the memorial, which was dedicated May 29, 2006. While there was no structural damage, "the stone does need to be sandblasted," Burke said.
He was not sure how much the work would cost, if anything, but said the town was grateful to the Methuen business for stepping in to help.
Police Lt. Harry Collins said the vandalism was under investigation.Burke said this week he has talked to several veterans and longtime residents, and that no one could remember something like this happening in Andover. "This is a disappointing event," he said. "This is an anomaly. If someone does have opposition, there are other ways to vocalize that." In Haverhill earlier this summer, vandals ruined parts of a Korean War Memorial and spray-painted a World War II monument.
BLACKWATER DOWN!!
BLACKWATER DOWN!!
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