Drone Summit in DC

This weekend, there is a drone summit in DC - wish I could be there!  This photo was taken by Col. Ann Wright, a tireless activist for peace and justice. I join the people at this summit in working for, and hoping for, a country that acts on morality and justice - instead of a country that believes that evil must be done because the other side is evil. We are the monsters we are afraid of. Maybe some accurate information will help achieve the goal of a just and moral country.

“Forcing the Administration to publish information is crucial, because in the court of poorly informed public opinion, the Administration has gotten away with two key claims that the record of independent reporting strongly indicates are not true: 1) U.S. drone strikes are "narrowly targeted" on "top level terrorist leaders," and 2) civilian casualties have been "extremely rare." Poll data shows that majority public support of the drone strike policy is significantly based on belief in these two false claims; if the public knew that either of these claims were not true, public support for the policy would fall below 50%. By keeping key information secret, the Administration has been able to avoid having its two key claims in defense of the policy refuted in media that reach the broad public.”

The rest of the article is here.

The Kabarak Call for Peace and Eco-Justice

Miltary Cancer

Armistice Day in Fort Wayne, Indiana

Armistice Day

Upcoming events for the week of November 10, 2013

UPCOMING EVENTS

11/11/13 ARMISTICE DAY

11/11/13 to 11/29/13 IRANIAN POSTER ART Selections from “In Search of Lost Causes: Images of the Iranian Revolution” will be shown at the River Arts District’s Flood Gallery and Courtyard Gallery (in the Phil Mechanic Building on Roberts Street in Asheville). This is poster art from Iran, about the time of revolution inside their country. Well worth a visit!

11/11/13 STORIES THAT BEND TOWARD JUSTICE AND PEACE

This Middle East Film Series runs until December 5, with showings in Back Mountain and Asheville. Time is 7 PM, and location is Black Mountain Library on Mondays and Brooks-Howell Home on Merrimon Avenue in Asheville on Thursdays.  Films sponsored by Western Carolinians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East. Free and open to the public. Today’s film is “The Gatekeepers” and will be shown in Black Mountain. For the first time, six leaders of Israel's secret service, the Shin Bet, discuss publicly the challenging truths and consequences of their counterterrorism mission. For more information, contact Bill at 314-374-7446.

11/11/13 NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH FILM SERIES

Tonight’s film is “We Shall Remain: Tecumseh’s Vision” from PBS's acclaimed history series. Native history is an essential part of American history. There will be five documentaries shown, spanning almost four hundred years. They tell the story of pivotal moments in U.S. history from the Native American perspective, upending two-dimensional stereotypes of American Indians as simply ferocious warriors or peaceable lovers of the land. Time is 7 PM and location is the Intercultural Center, Room 114, on the first floor of Highsmith Union at UNCA. This is part of the Native American Heritage Month at UNCA.

11/11/13 ‘SMALL STORIES, BIG CHANGES’ PANEL DISCUSSION AT WWC

A panel discussion and book signing featuring contributors to “Small Stories, Big Changes,” a book about community sustainability change-makers, will be held Nov. 11 at Warren Wilson College. The event, free and open to the public, is scheduled from 6:30-8 PM in Canon Lounge of Gladfelter Student Center. For more information contact Laura at lengnick@warren-wilson.edu.

11/11/13 ISLAMIC SCIENCE BEYOND THE ISLAMIC WORLD AT UNCA

Dr. George Saliba from Columbia University will demonstrate, with few examples, the manner with which Islamic scientific ideas were imported into Europe starting in medieval times and continuing well into the eighteenth century. It will illustrate how those imported ideas became part of the western scientific legacy which is still in use. The talk will also focus on the modern names of stars, which are still transparently Arabic. Time is 7 PM to 9PM and location is Carmichael Humanities Lecture Hall at UNCA. Free and open to the public. For more information, contact Samer at straboul@unca.edu or 828-251-6298.

11/12/13 VETERANS FOR PEACE MEETING

Time is 6:30 PM and location is VFP HQ at the Phil Mechanic Studios: 109 Roberts Street in Asheville. VFP Chapter 099: http://vfpchapter099wnc.blogspot.com/

11/12/13 REUNION FOR ALUMNI OF BUILDING BRIDGES

Are you an alumni of Building Bridges? The 20th anniversary will feature a reunion potluck dinner to celebrate this milestone. To learn more and to register for the next session visit the building bridges website. Time is 6 PM to 8 PM and location is MAHEC at 121 Hendersonville Road, Asheville.

11/12/13 DIVERSITY DIALOGUE: VOTING RIGHTS ACT

Diversity Dialogue: Lunch-n-Learn: “Voting Rights Act--Where Do We Go From Here?” This will take place at the Intercultural Center, Room 114 at Highsmith Union at UNCA. Time is 12:30 PM.

11/12/13 NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH: CHAD SMITH LECTURE Chad Smith, former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, will speak at 12:30 PM at the Sherrill Center, Mountain View Room at UNCA. Native American Speaker & Performance Series Chad Smith, the former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, is a soft spoken strategic thinker who has been a powerful force in building businesses and working toward self-sufficient Native American nations. During his tenure as Principal Chief from 1999-2011, the Cherokee Nation grew its assets, increased health care services, created 6,000 jobs and dramatically advanced education, language and cultural preservation. Free and open to the public. Sponsored by UNC Asheville Office of the Associate Provost, Education Department, American Indian Outreach, Arts & Ideas Program, Humanities Program, NEH Distinguished Professor, Cultural Events & Special Academic Programs and more.

11/13/13 NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH: MICHAEL JACOBS MUSIC Michael Jacobs is an award-winning Cherokee contemporary recording artist that fuses a mixture of Native American, roots rock, pop, and folk. His songs address human issues: peace, justice, suffering, the environment, relationships, personal responsibility, and wholeness from a Native American perspective. Time is 6 PM and location is the Grotto at Highsmith Union at UNCA.

11/13/13 GREEN DRINKS – STUDENTS TALK ABOUT POWERSHIFT

Please come hear students from Warren Wilson College, UNC Asheville and some area local high schools talk about their experience in Pittsburgh, PA at the 4th Powershift climate conference. About 40 students from local schools traveled up to hear speeches by

Bill McKibben, Michael Brune of the Sierra Club and others, and attended workshops on the issues of climate and energy. Time is 6 PM and location is 5 Broadway Street in Asheville. More info at https://www.facebook.com/events/454244934686249.

11/13/13 BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN CULTURES

United Nations moderator Chris Bashinelli will speak about diversity, inclusion and cultural awareness at the UNCA Highsmith Student Union Alumni Hall. Free. Info at studyabroead@unca.edu or 251-6666.

11/14/13 STORIES THAT BEND TOWARD JUSTICE AND PEACE

This Middle East Film Series runs from November 4 thru December 5, with showings in Back Mountain and Asheville. Time is 7 PM, and location is Black Mountain Library on Mondays and Brooks-Howell Home on Merrimon Avenue in Asheville on Thursdays.  Films sponsored by Western Carolinians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East. Free and open to the public. Today’s film is “The Gatekeepers” and will be shown in Asheville. For the first time, six leaders of Israel's secret service, the Shin Bet, discuss publicly the challenging truths and consequences of their counterterrorism mission. For more information, contact Bill at 314-374-7446.

11/14/13 NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH: CEREMONIES & RITUALS Time is 6 PM and location is the Intercultural Center in the Highsmith Union at UNCA. Sharon Oxendine will discuss the ceremonies and rituals of indigenous Native groups.

11/14/13 EMERGENCE OF MASS DEMOCRACY LECTURE AT UNCA

James Bohman, author of "Democracy Across Borders: From Demos to Demoi," will discuss “The Emergence of Mass Democracy,” at 6:30 PM in UNC Asheville's Karpen Hall, Laurel Forum. This lecture is free and open to the public. Bohman’s most recent book, "Democracy Across Borders: From Demos to Demoi," argues that democracy needs to be re-characterized as a transnational ideal, and his primary areas of research include political philosophy and the philosophy of social science. For more information, contact Brian at bbutler@unca.edu or 828.251.6272.

11/15/13 EMPATHIC LISTENING

All are invited: Empathy Circles at EarthFare Westgate, Friday Nov. 15, 7-9 PM. FREE. Come and share the joy and comfort of giving and receiving empathic listening.

11/16/13 TO 11/17/13 DRONE CONFERENCE IN DC.

Drones Around the Globe: Proliferation and Resistance, Washington DC

11/16/13 GREEN GRANNIES SING FOR THE CLIMATE

Green Grannies Sing for the Climate at Vance Monument at 5 PM. Google "Singfortheclimate" and come out and sing with us! This happens on the third Saturday of every month.

11/16/13 WNC FOSTER/ADOPT FALL FESTIVAL

Have you ever thought about becoming a foster parent – or about helping older children who are waiting for adoption? The WNC Foster/Adopt Fall Festival will be held on Sat, Nov. 16th 2013 from 1-4 PM at the DoubleTree Hotel in Asheville (by the Biltmore Estate). This is a free, drop-in event where you can learn how to become a foster and/or adoptive parent; talk to a variety of agencies who help children and families in the foster care system; find out more about youth who need families right now; and talk to families who have fostered and adopted. Also enjoy arts & crafts, face painting and more for the kids – or anyone who feels like acting like a kid! For more information call 828-250-5868 or email familiesforkids@buncombecounty.org.

11/17/13 ETHICAL SOCIETY OF ASHEVILLE

“Medical Ethics in a Hospital Setting” will be presented by Mary L. Caldwell, Clinical Ethicist at the Sunday, November 17th meeting of the Ethical Society of Asheville. Time is 2 – 3 PM at the Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Road in North Asheville (off Merrimon Avenue near UNCA). Caldwell will give an overview of Ethics and the work of an ethicist in a hospital setting, ethical theory and principles and typical ethics consultation in a hospital setting.

11/18/13 MOVE TO AMEND BUNCOMBE COUNTY MEETING

Time is 7 PM and location is North Asheville Library.

11/18/13 STORIES THAT BEND TOWARD JUSTICE AND PEACE

This Middle East Film Series runs from November 4 thru December 5, with showings in Back Mountain and Asheville. Time is 7 PM, and location is Black Mountain Library on Mondays and Brooks-Howell Home on Merrimon Avenue in Asheville on Thursdays. Films sponsored by Western Carolinians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East. Free and open to the public. Today’s film is “Precious Life” and will be shown in Black Mountain. Mohammad Abu Mustafa, a 4-month-old Palestinian boy living in Gaza Strip, was born without an immune system, faces certain death, without a bone marrow transplant at an Israeli hospital -- an unlikely prospect. For more information, contact Bill at 314-374-7446.

11/18/13 NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH FILM SERIES   

Native American Heritage Month Film Series – “We Shall Remain: Trail of Tears”. PBS's acclaimed history series, WE SHALL REMAIN, establishes Native history as an essential part of American history. These five documentaries spanning almost four hundred years tell the story of pivotal moments in U.S. history from the Native American perspective, upending two-dimensional stereotypes of American Indians as simply ferocious warriors or peaceable lovers of the land. Time is 7 PM and location is the Intercultural Center, Room 114, on the first floor of Highsmith Union at UNCA. This is part of the Native American Heritage Month at UNCA.

11/19/13 CONCERT AND RECEPTION TO HONOR LOCAL ACTIVISTS

Charlie King and Karen Brandow are musical storytellers and political satirists. They sing and write passionately about the extraordinary lives of ordinary people. This Perelandra Studio Concert will be held in east Asheville on November 19th.  6 PM reception with Charlie and Karen. 7 PM Concert. Both the reception and the concert will celebrate Asheville area participation in the Walk for our Grandchildren and Moral Mondays. Email hras@humanrightsaction.net or or call 314-374-7446 to arrange for tickets which are $20 (only advance tickets available).

11/19/13 HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR TALKS AT UNCA

In this talk, “From Mozart to Murder: A Holocaust Survivor Muses About Radical Evil” Professor Walter Ziffer will relate his personal encounters with such evil (genocide) to a number of attempts by scholars to explain how such monstrosities come into being, considering our human genetic potentials for such, as well as situations that trigger these potentialities to transform into acted atrocities. Time is 7 PM and location is Lipinsky Auditorium at UNCA.

11/19/13 PRESENTATION ON WOMEN’S HEALTH

The story of women's health is a major indicator for children's health. Learn more at “Findings from the NC Women's Health Report Card: A Snapshot of Women's Health Disparities” on Tuesday, November 19th, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM. Location is the MAHEC Education Building (121 Hendersonville Road, Asheville). The key presenter is Dr. Wendy Brewster, Director of The Center for Women's Health Research - UNC Chapel Hill. She will be joined by local experts. The event is free and sponsored by Women for Women. Go here to register: http://ncwomenshealth.eventbrite.com/.

11/19/13 “FRACTURING OUR LANDSCAPE?”

Katie Hicks, Clean Water For NC, speaks at Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society meeting about hydraulic fracturing for natural gas in NC. Time is 7 PM and location is the Reuters Center at UNCA.

11/19/13 NC WOMEN’S HEALTH REPORT CARD

This presentation is a snapshot of women’s health disparities, with perspectives from local health care experts. Reception is at 5:30 PM and presentation starts at 6 PM. Location is MAHEC Education Building in Asheville. To register or for more information email tina.owen@mahec.net or call 828-257-4410.

11/19/13 WNC ALLIANCE FOR RETIRED AMERICANS MEETING

The Western North Carolina Alliance for Retired Americans meets on the 3rd Tuesday of every month at the Kenilworth Presbyterian Fellowship Hall, 123 Kenilworth Rd.  Time is 10 AM. The ARA is a statewide organization of retired union members and their friends and families.  We are non-partisan and open to everyone who is concerned about the need for jobs which pay a living wage, as well as those issues which affect all of us. FMI contact Dick at dick@dickandnorma.com.

11/20/13 RESCHEDULED - HOWARD ZINN READ-IN

Please join the Asheville branch of the International Socialist Organization at 6:00 PM at the Pack Memorial Library (ground floor activity room) to preserve the incredible histories of people fighting for their rights, their lives, and a better world.  “A Peoples History of the United States” by Howard Zinn has been a definitive text for educators, activists, and revolutionaries on the Left for more than three decades. For more information, contact Asheville-socialism@googlegroups.com.

11/21/13 STORIES THAT BEND TOWARD JUSTICE AND PEACE

This Middle East Film Series runs from November 4 thru December 5, with showings in Back Mountain and Asheville. Time is 7 PM, and location is Black Mountain Library on Mondays and Brooks-Howell Home on Merrimon Avenue in Asheville on Thursdays. Films sponsored by Western Carolinians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East. Free and open to the public. Today’s film is “Precious Life” and will be shown in Asheville. Mohammad Abu Mustafa, a 4-month-old Palestinian boy living in Gaza Strip, was born without an immune system, faces certain death, without a bone marrow transplant at an Israeli hospital -- an unlikely prospect. For more information, contact Bill at 314-374-7446.

11/21/13 NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH FILM SERIES   

Native American Heritage Month Film Series - We Shall Remain: Geronimo. Time is 7 PM and location is the Intercultural Center, Room 114, on the first floor of Highsmith Union at UNCA. This is part of the Native American Heritage Month at UNCA.

11/21/13 REALLY SCARY MOVIE #9: DO THE MATH

We’re jumpstarting a new movement, and we need your help. It’s simple math: we can emit 565 more gigatons of carbon dioxide and stay below 2°C of warming — anything more than that risks catastrophe for life on earth. The only problem? Burning the fossil fuel that corporations now have in their reserves would result in emitting 2,795 gigatons of carbon dioxide – five times the safe amount. Fossil fuel companies are planning to burn it all — unless we rise up to stop them. In November 2012, Bill McKibben and 350.org hit the road to build a movement strong enough to change the terrifying math of the climate crisis. The Do the Math Tour was a massive success, with sold out shows in every corner of the country. The USA tour is now over, but the campaign it launched is just getting started and the tour has gone global, and this film is one reason why. Time is 7 PM and location is First Congregational UCC, Room 107, in downtown Asheville.

11/22/13 to 11/24/13 SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS WATCH CONVERGENCE ON FORT BENNING

11/22/13 SOCIAL JUSTICE FILM AT UU CHURCH

The November 22nd film will be the award-winning film "Chasing Ice".  The time is 7 PM and the location is Unitarian Universalist church at Edwin and Charlotte Street in Asheville. In the spring of 2005, acclaimed environmental photographer James Balog headed to the Arctic on a tricky assignment for National Geographic: to capture images to help tell the story of the Earth’s changing climate. Even with a scientific upbringing, Balog had been a skeptic about climate change. But that first trip north opened his eyes to the biggest story in human history and sparked a challenge within him that would put his career and his very well-being at risk. Donations accepted, open to the public.

11/25/13 NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH FILM SERIES

Native American Heritage Month Film Series - We Shall Remain: Wounded Knee. Time is 7 PM and location is the Grotto on the first floor of Highsmith Union at UNCA. This is part of the Native American Heritage Month at UNCA.

11/28/13 THANKSGIVING DINNER TO BENEFIT ROOM IN THE INN

Looking for Thanksgiving plans?  Enjoy a free Thanksgiving meal at FIG Bistro in Biltmore Village from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.  Diners will be encouraged to donate to the FIG Fund, with all donations benefiting our Room in the Inn program!  Reservations are required and can be made by visiting www.figbistro.com.     

12/02/13 STORIES THAT BEND TOWARD JUSTICE AND PEACE

This Middle East Film Series runs from November 4 thru December 5, with showings in Back Mountain and Asheville. Time is 7 PM, and location is Black Mountain Library on Mondays and Brooks-Howell Home on Merrimon Avenue in Asheville on Thursdays. Films sponsored by Western Carolinians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East. Free and open to the public. Today’s film will be “The Other Son” and will be shown in Black Mountain. Accidentally switched at birth, an Israeli soldier and West Bank Palestinian discover their real identities. This discovery sends their families reeling. For more information, contact Bill at 314-374-7446.

12/03/13 WATER SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE PRESENTATION

Transition Asheville and WaterLinks, PLLC, are presenting the Water Sustainability Initiative of WNC to encourage residents to address problems from both flood and drought conditions using available, cheap, and easy-to-apply methods for managing rain water.  Come by to learn more about what you can do to help mitigate these water concerns. Time is 6:30 PM to 8 PM and location is West Asheville Library.

12/04/13 SIERRA CLUB MEETING AND HOLIDAY PARTY

Time is 7 PM (program starts at 7:15) at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville (corner of Charlotte & Edwin). Contact: judymattox@sbcglobal.net, or 828-683-2176 for more information.

12/05/13 STORIES THAT BEND TOWARD JUSTICE AND PEACE

This Middle East Film Series runs from November 4 thru December 5, with showings in Back Mountain and Asheville. Time is 7 PM, and location is Black Mountain Library on Mondays and Brooks-Howell Home on Merrimon Avenue in Asheville on Thursdays.  Films sponsored by Western Carolinians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East. Free and open to the public. Today’s film will be “The Other Son” and will be shown in Asheville. Accidentally switched at birth, an Israeli soldier and West Bank Palestinian discover their real identities. This discovery sends their families reeling. For more information, contact Bill at 314-374-7446.

12/05/13 JUST ECONOMICS ANNUAL CELEBRATION

Join Just Economics to celebrate our work in 2013. Things crank up at Jubilee, which is located at 46 Wall Street in Asheville. Time is 6 PM to 9 PM. We will provide food, beverages, and entertainment.  Heck, we’ll even be serving some homebrew!  This is a great way to show support, get acquainted with our work, and celebrate JE’s milestones in 2013. Our 337 Living Wage Certified Employers are invited, as well as their employees, and communities. You’re invited too.

12/6/13 - RECONCILIATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Director of Musalaha, Dr. Salim Munayer, will be visiting the United States to speak about his organization and their efforts towards peacemaking and reconciliation in the West Bank, Israel and beyond. Musalaha (Arabic for 'Reconciliation') is a non-profit organization in Bethlehem that seeks to promote reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians. For more info about Salim and his organization, visit: www.musalaha.org. This is a FREE event, donations to support the organization are encouraged. 6 PM. It will be held at the Haywood St. Methodist Church (297 Haywood Street, corner of Patton and Clingman Ave.)

12/08/13 PAN HARMONIA BENEFIT CONCERT

Join us on December 8th at 4 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church downtown for a special holiday performance by Pan Harmonia of the Christmas portion of Handel's Messiah. The suggested donation of $25 will benefit Pan Harmonia, an independent artist collective, and our work to end homelessness.

  

01/15/14 SIERRA CLUB MEETING

Chuck Pickering is the President of Agriculture and Land Planning at Biltmore Estate. He will discuss sustainability initiatives at Biltmore and their corporate goals of environmental preservation.

02/08/14 HKonJ MARCH IN RALEIGH

All Roads Lead to Raleigh for HKonJ8 on February 8, 2014. In 2014, Raleigh will host the largest people's assembly yet.  Thousands of people from across North Carolina, and across the United States, will assemble on Jones Street, to protest the immoral, unconstitutional, mean spirit that has taken over the Peoples House. Organized by the NC NAACP.

07/24/14 TO 07/27/14 VETERANS FOR PEACE ANNUAL CONVENTION

This will be held at UNCA.

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ONGOING EVENTS

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TUESDAY

Veterans for Peace have a weekly vigil at 4:30 PM at Pack Square, Vance Monument

WEDNESDAY

Haywood Peace Vigilers have a weekly vigil at 4 PM at Haywood County Courthouse in Waynesville

THURSDAY

Asheville Homeless Network meeting at 2 PM at Firestorm Cafe

FRIDAY

Women in Black have a weekly vigil at noon at the City Hall in Hendersonville

SATURDAY

Transylvanians for Peace and WNC Physicians for Social Responsibility have a weekly vigil at noon in front of the courthouse in Brevard

Third Saturdays – Asheville’s Green Grannies invites the public to “sing for the climate” at Vance Monument.

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ACTIONS AND READINGS

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Forever Free: The Slave Deeds of Buncombe County

October - December 31, YMI Cultural Center, 43 Market St.

This exhibit has traveled from the Register of Deeds to Pack Memorial Library and is now at the YMI.  Included in the exhibit are original books from both the register of deeds and the clerk of court who detail the sale and inheritance of enslaved people prior to 1865. These resources are also available on line for student primary source document research. To learn more visit

this website.

Cohabitation Records of Buncombe County  

Now ONLINE

Following the Civil War, African American people who had lived as married people during slavery, though were not allowed to marry, were encouraged to go to the Register of Deeds and record the years that they had been as a married couple. These were called Cohabitation Records. Two months ago Drew Resinger began the work to have these records, now in the archive in Raleigh, digitized so that they could be brought back and made assessable to Buncombe County residents. They are viewable at this website.

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Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline – ACTION ALERT

Giant oil corporations invested in Canada's tar sands are counting on the Keystone XL pipeline to make the expansion of oil extraction operations there profitable: The pipeline would double imports of dirty tar sands oil into the United States and transport it to refineries on the Gulf Coast and ports for international export. Unfortunately, an area the size of Florida is already set for extraction. Before TransCanada can begin construction, however, the company needs a presidential permit from the Obama administration because the pipeline crosses an international border.

The Canadian company TransCanada hopes to begin building the northern section of an oil pipeline that would trek close to 2,000 miles from Alberta, Canada to the Gulf Coast of Texas. If constructed, the pipeline, known as Keystone XL, will carry one of the world’s dirtiest fuels: tar sands oil. Along its route from Alberta to Texas, this pipeline could devastate ecosystems, pollute water sources and jeopardize public health.

Giant oil corporations invested in Canada's tar sands are counting on the Keystone XL pipeline to make the expansion of oil extraction operations there profitable: The pipeline would double imports of dirty tar sands oil into the United States and transport it to refineries on the Gulf Coast and ports for international export. Unfortunately,an area the size of Florida is already set for extraction. Before TransCanada can begin construction, however, the company needs a presidential permit from the Obama administration because the pipeline crosses an international border. - Friends of the Earth (www.foe.org)

TAKE ACTION by co-signing an open letter by 350.org urging President Obama to take bold action to confront climate change and the Keystone pipeline by clicking on the banner below!

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USFS: Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests Plan Revision open houses scheduled

To make up for the Oct. 5 workshop that was cancelled by the federal government shutdown, the U.S. Forest Service has scheduled a series of “Need-For-Change” drop-in open houses at six locations. The events will be from 4-7 PM on the following dates. Members of the public are invited to drop in at any time between 4 and 7 p.m.

Marion Open House (Nov. 18):

McDowell Technical Community College

William Harold Smith Building (#19); Room 113

54 College Drive, Marion, NC 28752

Brevard Open House (Nov. 19):

Transylvania County Library

212 South Gaston Street

Brevard, NC 28712

Murphy Open House (Dec. 3):

Tri-County Community College, Enlowe Multi-Purpose Room

21 Campus Circle; Intersection of  US-141 and US-64

Murphy, NC 28906

Mars Hill Open House (Dec. 3):

Appalachian Ranger District Office

632 Manor Road

Mars Hill, NC 28754

Robbinsville Open House (Dec. 5):

Graham County Community Center

196 Knight Street

Robbinsville, NC 28771

Franklin Open House (Dec. 17):

Nantahala Ranger District

90 Sloan Road

Franklin, NC 28734

At the open houses, attendees will have the opportunity to submit written ideas for how the 1987 plan needs to be changed. U.S. Forest Service specialists will be on hand to assist, answer questions and listen to concerns. Sample “Need-for-Change” statements were shared with the public in September and are available online. For a paper copy, please call Heather Luczak at 828-257-4817. The sample also explains how you can share ideas via U.S. mail if you are not able to attend an in-person meeting.

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From the Highlander Center:

In 1979, Sandi Smith was 22 years old and a nursing student at Bennett College, where she was student body president. She was also working at Cone Mills textile plant in Greensboro, NC, where she was unionizing fellow workers and battling sexual harassment, low wages, and unhealthy working conditions. On November 3 of that year, Sandi and 4 other organizers--César Cauce, Mike Nathan, Bill Sampson, and Jim Waller--were murdered by the KKK and Nazis during an anti-Klan rally. Sandi was helping children hide on the porch of the community center when she was shot and killed.

In the memory of the organizers and to carry on their legacy and work, Highlander is honored to announce that it is now accepting applications for the next class of Greensboro Justice Fund Fellows. Through a generous gift from the Greensboro Justice Fund, Highlander is able to train 5 organizers, one for each of those killed, in a yearlong fellowship of thinking, learning, and acting.

Applications are due by Monday, December 9. For more information about the fellowship and how to apply, please visit: http://highlandercenter.org/now-accepting-applications-third-class-greensboro-justice-fund-fellowship-deadline-dec-9-2013/

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Living under drones

Drones are immoral. They are terrorism.

Translater at drone strike hearing is moved to tears

This happened in DC recently - Pakistani victims of drone bombings testified to 5 of our Congressmen!  ONLY FIVE! This is shameful that we are doing this, and shameful that we are ignoring it.



“How do I explain what I myself do not understand?” he continued. “How can I in good faith reassure the children that the drone will not come back and kill them, too? If I do not understand why it killed my mother and injured my children…”

Drones are immoral

Letter to Senator Burr:

I'm concerned by the Obama administration's expanded use of drones as an instrument of U.S. foreign policy. Drone strikes are immoral, unjust and bad foreign policy.

Please use the upcoming debate on the Defense Authorization Bill to question the administration's use of drones and suggests limits to drones strikes.

I hope you'll take a moment to read the testimony that Ur Rehman gave in late October before a briefing convened on the House side. I also recommend the reports from Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International documenting the damage done by drones.

Go to this link to send a letter to your US Senator

Our corrupt, corrupt government....

Greenwald

Is Glenn Greenwald the Future of News?

My comments to the above article, sent to Bill Keller (at the NY Times) via email:

“but I think most readers trust us more because they sense that we have done due diligence, not just made a case.” – Bill Keller

Oh, you could not be more wrong on that.

In 2002, I worked as an audiologist (still do) and I had a six year old notebook computer and a dial-up AOL connection. In 2002, I figured out (as did millions of others around the world) that Iraq did not have WMDs and that the whole Bush administration push for war was nothing but a pack of lies. Now, you may think that this does not matter on how I and others view the NYT and other corporate media, but you would be completely and totally wrong. I see the NYT and most other corporate American “news” media as very untrustworthy. I see them as accessories to mass murder. And in the years since 2002, that opinion has only gotten stronger.

On the other hand, I always have trusted Greenwald. He gets the data out there. He identifies his sources. I also trust McClatchy’s (formerly Knight-Ridder) because they also have proven to be factual. I trust Amy Goodman and her news show Democracy Now, again because they have shown that they are factual. Furthermore, they have shown that they think killing innocent people IS A VERY BIG DEAL AND IT IS HORRIBLE NO MATTER WHO DOES IT FOR WHATEVER REASON.

The NYT is often not factual. Time and again, they get things wrong and think a quick “sorry” will re-establish trust. I do not care if you are “fair” or “liberal” – I care whether the information you present is accurate and reliable.  I care whether you identify your sources and methods. I find that the NYT is often neither accurate or reliable or truthful. And furthermore, I think they have a pretty callous attitude to innocent people who are killed or injured when the criminal happens to be the US government. They tend to make excuses for this evil behavior if it is someone in a US agency or the US military that does the violence. For example, take a look at the NYT reports on Malala getting shot by the Taliban verses the three Afghan children killed by US drone on the very same day.

I do not trust the NYT anymore.

“But it’s simplistic to say, for example, unless you use the word “torture” you are failing a test of courage, or covering up evil.” – Bill Keller

I do not agree. If you can call what another country does as “torture” then you can use the very same word when the USA does the very same thing. This is not “simplistic” - this is honestly. And a lack of doing that shows hypocrisy, a great deal of hypocrisy, at best. Like you, “I’m happy — and fully equipped — to draw my own conclusion.”

I do agree with Greenwald’s positions on many things, but I also have differences of opinion with Greenwald’s political positions and other opinions he has stated. That does not matter much in my eyes, what matters is that he is reporting the facts as best as he can and identifying his sources (or his reasoning) while doing so. Greenwald also has a store of historical data (including recent data) at his command. And, like I said, I can draw my own conclusions.

Returning to the example of not using the world “torture” when the USA was clearly doing torture (still going on, by the way, and the report on this is being blocked by Obama), this inspired me to draw the conclusion that the NYT is not being forthcoming and honest. Add to that the lack of historical reference (like the US government condemned Japan in the 1940s for the exact same kind of torture that we have done in the past ten years), and it really does inspire me to draw the conclusion that you are interested in either making the USA look good and/or the White House happy. And I don’t know if it is from a lack of courage or some other reason, but the yearly White House Press dinner gala does give me some ideas. As you can see, I drew my own conclusions, and this includes the conclusion that I cannot rely on the NYT to inform me about what my government is actually doing in a straightforward and clear manner.

In the example that Greenwald presented in his letter regarding Burns beliefs about the upcoming Iraq war, I too wished Burns had stated his beliefs and position. Not because doing so would make me think he was an “activist” – rather, I would have thought he was a world class fool. (Well, actually, I did and still do think he is a fool for the most part, but that would have REALLY confirmed it.)

I want factual accuracy and I want all the details about what the US government is doing during my lifetime. That will never change. The NYT provided that back when I was in my teens and 20s, but it has not done so in the last ten plus years.

The idea that David Brooks puts “reason over passion” sure gave me a laugh (it does show that you have a point of view, though, a point of view which I think is rather detached from reality). I doubt that Brooks would recognize reason even if it hit him over the head. He sure does know passion though. What Brooks does is passionately promote the well-being of the corporate entities and the politically powerful elites that pay him very well to do exactly that, all the while showing a total blindness to what life is really like outside the bubble of DC, and maintaining the overall status-quo. (No, they don’t pay him directly. But they do pay him.) You can bet your last dollar that Brooks never saw the Occupy Wall Street movement coming and that he (to this very day) has no idea what Occupy movement really meant.

And I think that the recent follies in DC (the shutdown and potential default) are, on the whole, a good thing. It shows just how dysfunctional and corrupt our government really is, and it makes the whole thing very public. I do not think we will get rid of the corruption in DC among the wealthy political elite and their “buddies” in the corporate media and elsewhere, until the whole thing falls apart. And we are going to face that one day, along with another economic collapse and an even more serious environmental collapse. But I am sure that all that will catch the majority of the NYT staff, including you, by surprise. I see it as unavoidable, so I believe that the sooner it happens, the better.

I don’t know if Greenwald is “the future of news” but he is surely one of the few reporters that I will continue to read and support for as long as I live and as long as Greenwald reports.

Speaking out against the NC Legislature.... from a smart 12 year old.

Upcoming events for the week of November 3, 2013

This photo came from this story about Michael Hastings.

UPCOMING EVENTS

11/04/13 REMEMBER TO WEAR RED TODAY TO SHOW SUPPORT TO NC TEACHERS

11/04/13 NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION MEETING IN CHARLOTTE

Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold a public meeting for comments. The location is Hilton Charlotte University Place in Charlotte. There will be a bus from Asheville to Charlotte. This bus will leave Earthfare Parking Lot at 2:00 PM and return at midnight. Cost is $15, with some scholarships available. For reservations: Mary at 242-5621 or maryo@nirs.org; or contact Laura at 545-4443 or Lsredoak@gmail.com. JUMP ON THE BUS FROM ASHEVILLE TO CHARLOTTE - more information at end of this email.

11/04/13 STORIES THAT BEND TOWARD JUSTICE AND PEACE

This Middle East Film Series runs from November 4 thru December 5, with showings in Back Mountain and Asheville. Time is 7 PM, and location is Black Mountain Library on Mondays and Brooks-Howell Home on Merrimon Avenue in Asheville on Thursdays.  Films sponsored by Western Carolinians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East. Free and open to the public. The people featured in the five films include: a young Jewish American woman who discovers the injustices of life on the Occupied West Bank, a Palestinian father and his daughter who discover the power of nonviolence to protect their village, six Israeli secret service officers who reveal their misgivings with their “counterterrorism mission,” a family in Gaza who seeks a bone marrow transplant for their son, and an Israeli young man and a Palestinian young man who discover they were switched at birth. Today’s film will be “Budrus” and it will be shown at Black Mountain Library. Ayed Morrar, an unlikely community organizer, unites Palestinians from all political factions and Israelis to save his village from destruction by Israel’s Separation Barrier. For more information, contact Bill at 314-374-7446.

11/04/13 US AND ARAB SPRING PANEL

A panel discussion on the United States and the Arab Spring will be held at UNCA in the Highsmith University Union Grotto. Free. Time is 7:30 PM. For more information, call 251-6298.

11/04/13 WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL LECTURE AT UNCA

This will be at 7:30 PM and will be held in the Reuter Center. Topic is “Revolution Interrupted” and the cost is $8.

11/04/13 RALLY FOR EDUCATION IN HENDERSONVILLE

A “Rally for Education” will be held at 4:00 PM, Monday, November 4. Having been denied the right of peaceful assembly in front of the Historic Court House, the rally will be held on the two sides of the 1500 block of Fifth Ave. West in Hendersonville. This is a follow-up to the August 24th Rally for Education held at the same location. The Rally is in support of teachers (see the Times-News October 22nd article, “Teachers, administrators will fight new state rules on pay raises, tenure”) and other aspects of grades pre-K through 12 Public School rules changes and budget. The budget has a negative impact on our teachers, administrators and support staff as well as, most importantly, the estimated 13,575 public school students in Henderson County. Speakers will address the impact of new state rules and the 2013-2014 budget on pre-K through 12 in our Public Schools both locally and statewide.

11/05/13 ELECTION DAY - PLEASE VOTE!!

11/05/13 to 11/29/13 IRANIAN POSTER ART

Selections from “In Search of Lost Causes: Images of the Iranian Revolution” will be shown at the River Arts District’s Flood Gallery and Courtyard Gallery (in the Phil Mechanic Building on Roberts Street in Asheville). This is poster art from Iran, about the time of revolution inside their country. These will also be on display at UNCA’s Ramsey Library until November 8 and at Firestorm Café & Books until later this month.

11/05/13 ASHEVILLE TRANSIT MEETING

This will be held on the First Floor Conference Room at Asheville City Hall. Time is 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM.

11/05/13 STANDING UP MOUNTAINS

The Sustainability Speakers Fund presents “Standing Up Mountains: The Power of the Law and Grassroots Activism to Save Sacred Places”. Time is 6:30 PM and location is Cannon Lounge, Gladfelter Student Center at Warren Wilson College. Presentation is followed by a book signing. Free and open to the public. Jay Leutze shares the story of how Dog Town, a community along the Appalachian Trail in Avery County, rallied to protect the surrounding wilderness from the development of a gravel mine.

11/5/13 PROTECTING SPECIAL PLACES

Fall is here, and that means breathtaking views of changing fall leaves in places like Pisgah National Forests and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Unfortunately, these special places are threatened by encroaching development and pollution. Even worse, over the last two years legislators in Raleigh gutted state preservation funding, calling into question the future of the state's premiere conservation program—the Clean Water Fund. If we're going to protect North Carolina's natural heritage, we need more people to take action and meet with their legislators on a regular basis; educate friends and neighbors about the importance of conservation; learn how to use local media outlets to focus on the benefits of conservation; get petitions signed and so much more. Join us at Malaprops Bookstore on Tuesday at 7:30 PM and find out how you can protect places like the Blue Ridge Parkway.

11/05/13 GIRL RISING MOVIE

A screening of “Girl Rising” a documentary about educating young women around the world, will be held in UNCA’s Humanities Lecture Hall. Free. Time is 7 PM. Info at 251-6808.

11/06/13 RESCHEDULED – DR. CORNEL WEST LECTURE

Cornel West has had to reschedule his public lecture at UNC Asheville due to a family emergency. The public lecture, originally scheduled for October 16 in Kimmel Arena, will now take place at 7:30 p.m., on Wednesday, November 6, in Kimmel Arena at UNC Asheville's Sherrill Center. For more information, visit the university's Cultural Events website or call 828.251.6674.

11/06/13 HOWARD ZINN READ-IN

Please join the Asheville branch of the International Socialist Organization on November 6th at 6:00 PM at the Pack Memorial Library (Ground Floor, Activity Room) to preserve the incredible histories of people fighting for their rights, their lives, and a better world.  “A Peoples History of the United States” by Howard Zinn has been a definitive text for educators, activists, and revolutionaries on the Left for more than three decades. For more information, contact Asheville-socialism@googlegroups.com.

11/06/13 SIERRA CLUB MEETING

Join the Western North Carolina Chapter of the Sierra Club on Wednesday November 6 at 7 PM for a presentation by Buncombe County Commissioner Brownie Newman. He will be speaking about plans for Buncombe County to reduce its carbon footprint by 80%. Come learn about the plans and what you can do to make it happen. Free & open to the public. Location  is Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville. Contact: judymattox@sbcglobal.net, or 828-683-2176 for more information.  

11/07/13 BENEFIT FOR LEAF SCHOOLS & STREETS

November 7th, 2013 at 7 PM, please join LEAF, Bob and Carol Deutsch and the Fine Arts Theatre for a special benefit and screening of “Defiant Requiem”. This film highlights the most dramatic example of intellectual and artistic courage in the concentration camp of Theresienstadt (Terezin) during World War II: the remarkable story of a brilliant young and passionate Czech opera-choral conductor. This is a film about how a rare form of courage, hope, and survival sparked an entirely unique method of fighting Nazi oppression, enabled the prisoners to maintain their dignity and humanity while battling the worst of mankind with the best of mankind. All proceeds from the event will benefit LEAF Schools & Streets. Location is the Fine Arts Theater. General admission is $20, students $10.

11/07/13 TRANSITION HENDERSONVILLE EVENT

Transition Hendersonville will host a “Preparing for the Future by Reclaiming our Self-Reliance” forum at the Blue Ridge Community College in the Blue Ridge Conference Hall. Free. Time is 7 PM. For more information, go to transitionhendersonville.com.

11/07/13 STORIES THAT BEND TOWARD JUSTICE AND PEACE

This Middle East Film Series runs from November 4 thru December 5, with showings in Back Mountain and Asheville. Time is 7 PM, and location is Black Mountain Library on Mondays and Brooks-Howell Home on Merrimon Avenue in Asheville on Thursdays.  Films sponsored by Western Carolinians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East. Free and open to the public. The people featured in the five films include: a young Jewish American woman who discovers the injustices of life on the Occupied West Bank, a Palestinian father and his daughter who discover the power of nonviolence to protect their village, six Israeli secret service officers who reveal their misgivings with their counterterrorism mission, a family in Gaza who seeks a bone marrow transplant for their son, and an Israeli young man and a Palestinian young man who discover they were switched at birth. Today’s film will be “Budrus” and it will be shown at Brooks-Howell Home. Ayed Morrar, an unlikely community organizer, unites Palestinians from all political factions and Israelis to save his village from destruction by Israel’s Separation Barrier. For more information, contact Bill at 314-374-7446.

11/07/13 FILM AT YWCA ABOUT WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE

In honor of those who fought for the right for women to vote, please join the YWCA in Asheville for a free film screening of “Iron Jawed Angels”. Dinner will be served. Time is 6 PM A follow-up conversation around the film, current challenges to voters' rights, and the importance of getting out the vote will take place on November 14 at 6 PM with a dialogue moderated by WCQS's Greta Johnsen. This film is the story of two important women in the history of suffrage in the United States. Alice Paul and Lucy Burns began a more radical branch of women fighting for the right to vote. They found themselves up against powerful men, an atmosphere of chauvinism, an unconcerned President (Woodrow Wilson) and even their own more conservative counterparts. These women risk their lives to fight for what they believe in.

11/09/13 PRESENTATION ON THE REAL COST OF FREE TRADE

“The Real Cost of Free Trade in Colombia” will be presented by Witness for Peace Southeast. We are proud to present Anibal Perez as our speaker for the 2013 Speakers Tour.  Perez is a striking example of the courage and determination that many Colombians possess as they fight for the right to live peaceably on their land, free from economic, political, and environmental violence. Location is Firestorm Café & Books and time is 7 PM.

11/09/13 EMPTY BOWL EVENT

The Lord's Acre's first Empty Bowls Event will be held on NOVEMBER 9th from 6:00 - 8:30 pm at Trinity Episcopal (60 Church Street, Asheville 28801) in Tudon Hall. For a donation of $25 you will have the opportunity to choose a handmade ceramic bowl which will be filled with your choice of yummy soup from local restaurants. Bread, drink, desserts, and music round out the fare. Proceeds benefit The Lord's Acre.  Reservations are limited. Get yours now: http://www.thelordsacre.org/wp/.

11/11/13 ARMISTICE DAY

11/11/13 STORIES THAT BEND TOWARD JUSTICE AND PEACE

This Middle East Film Series runs from November 4 thru December 5, with showings in Back Mountain and Asheville. Time is 7 PM, and location is Black Mountain Library on Mondays and Brooks-Howell Home on Merrimon Avenue in Asheville on Thursdays.  Films sponsored by Western Carolinians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East. Free and open to the public. Today’s film is “The Gatekeepers” and will be shown in Black Mountain. For the first time, six leaders of Israel's secret service, the Shin Bet, discuss publicly the challenging truths and consequences of their counterterrorism mission. For more information, contact Bill at 314-374-7446.

11/12/13 VETERANS FOR PEACE MEETING

Time is 6:30 PM and location is VFP HQ at the Phil Mechanic Studios: 109 Roberts Street in Asheville. VFP Chapter 099: http://vfpchapter099wnc.blogspot.com/

11/14/13 STORIES THAT BEND TOWARD JUSTICE AND PEACE

This Middle East Film Series runs from November 4 thru December 5, with showings in Back Mountain and Asheville. Time is 7 PM, and location is Black Mountain Library on Mondays and Brooks-Howell Home on Merrimon Avenue in Asheville on Thursdays.  Films sponsored by Western Carolinians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East. Free and open to the public. Today’s film is “The Gatekeepers” and will be shown in Asheville. For the first time, six leaders of Israel's secret service, the Shin Bet, discuss publicly the challenging truths and consequences of their counterterrorism mission. For more information, contact Bill at 314-374-7446.

11/16/13 TO 11/17/13 DRONE CONFERENCE IN DC.

Drones Around the Globe: Proliferation and Resistance, Washington DC

11/17/13 ETHICAL SOCIETY OF ASHEVILLE

“Medical Ethics in a Hospital Setting” will be presented by Mary L. Caldwell, Clinical Ethicist at the Sunday, November 17th meeting of the Ethical Society of Asheville. Time is 2 – 3 PM at the Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Road in North Asheville (off Merrimon Avenue near UNCA). Caldwell will give an overview of Ethics and the work of an ethicist in a hospital setting, ethical theory and principles and typical ethics consultation in a hospital setting.

11/18/13 MOVE TO AMEND BUNCOMBE COUNTY MEETING

Time is 7 PM and location is North Asheville Library.

11/18/13 STORIES THAT BEND TOWARD JUSTICE AND PEACE

This Middle East Film Series runs from November 4 thru December 5, with showings in Back Mountain and Asheville. Time is 7 PM, and location is Black Mountain Library on Mondays and Brooks-Howell Home on Merrimon Avenue in Asheville on Thursdays.  Films sponsored by Western Carolinians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East. Free and open to the public. Today’s film is “Precious Life” and will be shown in Black Mountain. Mohammad Abu Mustafa, a 4-month-old Palestinian boy living in Gaza Strip, was born without an immune system, faces certain death, without a bone marrow transplant at an Israeli hospital -- an unlikely prospect. For more information, contact Bill at 314-374-7446.

11/19/13 CONCERT AND RECEPTION TO HONOR LOCAL ACTIVISTS

Charlie King and Karen Brandow are musical storytellers and political satirists. They sing and write passionately about the extraordinary lives of ordinary people. This Perelandra Studio Concert will be held in east Asheville on November 19th.  6 PM reception with Charlie and Karen. 7 PM Concert. Both the reception and the concert will celebrate Asheville area participation in the Walk for our Grandchildren and Moral Mondays. Email hras@humanrightsaction.net or or call 314-374-7446 to arrange for tickets which are $20 (only advance tickets available).

11/19/13 HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR TALK AT UNCA

In this talk, “From Mozart to Murder: A Holocaust Survivor Muses About Radical Evil” Professor Walter Ziffer will  relate his personal encounters with such evil (genocide) to a  number of attempts by scholars to explain how such monstrosities come into being, considering our human genetic potentials for such, as well as situations that trigger these potentialities to transform into acted atrocities. Time is 7 PM and location is Lipinsky Auditorium at UNCA.

11/19/13 PRESENTATION ON WOMEN’S HEALTH

The story of women's health is a major indicator for children's health. Learn more at “Findings from the NC Women's Health Report Card: A Snapshot of Women's Health Disparities” on Tuesday, November 19th, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM. Location is the MAHEC Education Building (121 Hendersonville Road, Asheville). The key presenter is Dr. Wendy Brewster, Director of The Center for Women's Health Research - UNC Chapel Hill. She will be joined by local experts. The event is free and sponsored by Women for Women. Go here to register: http://ncwomenshealth.eventbrite.com/.

11/21/13 STORIES THAT BEND TOWARD JUSTICE AND PEACE

This Middle East Film Series runs from November 4 thru December 5, with showings in Back Mountain and Asheville. Time is 7 PM, and location is Black Mountain Library on Mondays and Brooks-Howell Home on Merrimon Avenue in Asheville on Thursdays.  Films sponsored by Western Carolinians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East. Free and open to the public. Today’s film is “Precious Life” and will be shown in Asheville.  Mohammad Abu Mustafa, a 4-month-old Palestinian boy living in Gaza Strip, was born without an immune system, faces certain death, without a bone marrow transplant at an Israeli hospital -- an unlikely prospect. For more information, contact Bill at 314-374-7446.

11/22/13 to 11/24/13 SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS WATCH CONVERGENCE ON FORT BENNING

11/22/13 SOCIAL JUSTICE FILM AT UU CHURCH

The November 22nd film will be the award-winning film "Chasing Ice".  More information to follow.

11/28/13 THANKSGIVING DINNER TO BENEFIT ROOM IN THE INN

Looking for Thanksgiving plans?  Enjoy a free Thanksgiving meal at FIG Bistro in Biltmore Village from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.  Diners will be encouraged to donate to the FIG Fund, with all donations benefiting our Room in the Inn program!  Reservations are required and can be made by visiting www.figbistro.com.     

12/02/13 STORIES THAT BEND TOWARD JUSTICE AND PEACE

This Middle East Film Series runs from November 4 thru December 5, with showings in Back Mountain and Asheville. Time is 7 PM, and location is Black Mountain Library on Mondays and Brooks-Howell Home on Merrimon Avenue in Asheville on Thursdays.  Films sponsored by Western Carolinians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East. Free and open to the public. Today’s film will be “The Other Son” and will be shown in Black Mountain. Accidentally switched at birth, an Israeli soldier and West Bank Palestinian discover their real identities. This discovery sends their families reeling. For more information, contact Bill at 314-374-7446.

12/05/13 STORIES THAT BEND TOWARD JUSTICE AND PEACE

This Middle East Film Series runs from November 4 thru December 5, with showings in Back Mountain and Asheville. Time is 7 PM, and location is Black Mountain Library on Mondays and Brooks-Howell Home on Merrimon Avenue in Asheville on Thursdays.  Films sponsored by Western Carolinians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East. Free and open to the public. Today’s film will be “The Other Son” and will be shown in Asheville. Accidentally switched at birth, an Israeli soldier and West Bank Palestinian discover their real identities. This discovery sends their families reeling. For more information, contact Bill at 314-374-7446.

12/6/13 - RECONCILIATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Director of Musalaha, Dr. Salim Munayer, will be visiting the United States to speak about his organization and their efforts towards peacemaking and reconciliation in the West Bank, Israel and beyond. Musalaha (Arabic for 'Reconciliation') is a non-profit organization in Bethlehem that seeks to promote reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians. For more info about Salim and his organization, visit: www.musalaha.org. This is a FREE event, donations to support the organization are encouraged. 6 PM. It will be held at the Haywood St. Methodist Church (297 Haywood Street, corner of Patton and Clingman Ave.)

12/08/13 PAN HARMONIA BENEFIT CONCERT

Join us on December 8th at 4 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church downtown for a special holiday performance by Pan Harmonia of the Christmas portion of Handel's Messiah. The suggested donation of $25 will benefit Pan Harmonia, an independent artist collective, and our work to end homelessness. 

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ONGOING EVENTS

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TUESDAY

Veterans for Peace have a weekly vigil at 4:30 PM at Pack Square, Vance Monument

WEDNESDAY

Haywood Peace Vigilers have a weekly vigil at 4 PM at Haywood County Courthouse in Waynesville

THURSDAY

Asheville Homeless Network meeting at 2 PM at Firestorm Cafe

FRIDAY

Women in Black have a weekly vigil at noon at the City Hall in Hendersonville

SATURDAY

Transylvanians for Peace and WNC Physicians for Social Responsibility have a weekly vigil at noon in front of the courthouse in Brevard

Third Saturdays – Asheville’s Green Grannies invites the public to “sing for the climate” at Vance Monument.

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ACTIONS AND READINGS

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GET ON THE BUS!!

Nuclear Regulatory Public Hearing on Waste: Monday, Nov 4 in Charlotte

Meeting 7:00 - 10:00 pm

Hilton Charlotte University Pl, 8629 J.M. Keynes Dr., Charlotte, NC 28262

A BUS from Asheville to the meeting will leave at 2pm. from Earthfare (Westgate Parking Lot), to be back around midnight-- $15 per seat.

We need your help to fill this bus!

WHY is this meeting / mobilization important?

The U.S. NRC has been told by a federal judge to do an environmental impact statement on storing the most highly radioactive waste (fuel rods after they have been removed from a reactor core). Strangely, this "look" has never been done before because NRC had always said "the Department of Energy is going to take this waste; it is only temporary here and it is safe, no impact."

The judge said "Not good enough" and directed NRC to look at short term including fuel pool fires, and to look at middle term (assuming a repository is built) and also to look at what if there is NEVER a repository.   This is the best chance that the public has ever had to speak out on radioactive waste policy / regulation / generation / end of generation (5 reactors closed this year, and 5 proposed reactors have been canceled).

Contact: Mary Olson, 828-242-5621, maryo@mirs.org  (Nuclear Information and Resource Service), http://www.nirs.org/

Contact: Laura Sorensen, 828-545-4443, Lsredoak@gmail.com.  

Pre-register to speak at the hearing by calling 301-287-93-92 or emailing WCRegistration@nrc.gov no later than Nov 1.

If you can't attend, fax:  Secretary, US NRC, Washington, DC 20555-0001, Attention: Rulemaking & Adjudication Staff, Docket# 210-0246

or email: rulemaking.comments@nrc.com,  docket # 210-0246

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Tues. 11/5 - Quantum Leap Radio Show with Guest Lou Zeller

9 PM - 11 PM Eastern Time

Lou is the Executive Director of BREDL (Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League)

He will be discussing the human health impacts of nuclear power & the experiences of those who live near radioactive sites.  The experiences are similar wherever people are from; they oppose radioactive poisons and the facilities that use them.   

GOT ANY QUESTIONS - CALL IN at 310-421-4053 or skype freedomscreen2

Please join us on revolutionradio@freedomslips.com studio B.

Tune in Online: http://tunein.com/radio/Revolution-Radio-Studio-B-s198602/http://freedomslips.com/

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FROM NC NAACP:

We invite you to participate in our Moral Monday Service of Redemption at the State Capitol in Raleigh on Monday, December 23, 2013.

We hope that this Service will be a time to celebrate Gov. McCrory's successful Special Redemption Session, and the General Assembly's grace and wisdom in rescinding the two inhumane laws of rejecting funds for Medicaid and unemployment benefits. However, if Gov. McCrory, Speaker Tillis, President Pro Tempore Berger, and Budget Director Art Pope insist on maintaining their course of destruction, we will hold a service of Redemptive Witnessing modeled after previous Moral Mondays. We will witness against these policies which go directly against our deepest constitutional values and our deepest moral values. The Forward Together Moral Movement will not allow hundreds of thousands of our neighbors in North Carolina to be crucified without a moral witness.  

Join the NC NAACP listserve to receive updates about Moral Monday Service of Redemption on December 23rd, 2013.

Rev. Dr. Barber, NC NAACP

http://naacpnc.nationbuilder.com/

Open Letter to Governor McCrory by North Carolinians of Good Will

Dear Governor McCrory:

We, the undersigned concerned clergy and people of good will in North Carolina, have seen the devastating impacts of the immoral policies of our state legislature, supported and approved by you. We write to remind you that the measure of a society is its treatment of the least among us -- the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the incarcerated.

Our state's policies and practices are being weighed on the scales of justice. They, and all of us who stand on the sidelines and watch them go into effect without raising our voices, are judged on the criteria established in our faith traditions and the principles in our documents which first constituted our nation and state. No matter which measure of human decency is used, our moral profile is a scandal. We ask you to focus on two of the most arrogant and hurtful policies you supported and approved.

Your denial of Medicaid insurance to some 500,000 of our neighbors will cause many to be without health care. The denial of health care is not because of their inability to pay or their lack of concern for their health. Rather it is caused by their own government! When this ideological policy goes into effect, it will result, according to some estimates, in 2,000 of our North Carolina neighbors each year dying untimely, otherwise preventable, deaths. We therefore implore you to accept the federal funds available for medical insurance for our half million neighbors which you rejected for ideological reasons at the beginning of your term.

Meaningful employment and a living wage are necessary for human dignity. We believe everyone able to work, should work. We must acknowledge we are in financially difficult circumstances. Thousands of our neighbors are still struggling to find work. North Carolina has the fifth highest unemployment rate in the nation. We therefore implore you to accept the federal funds available for unemployment insurance for our 170,000 neighbors which you rejected for ideological reasons earlier this year.

You have the power to address these two inhumane policies. In less than 70 days their full fury will be felt by our neighbors, as they both go into effect on January 1, 2014. We respectfully request that you call a Special Redemption Session of the Legislature, and use your powers to guide them out of the ideological and moral dead-ends of these dumb inhumane policies. We would be pleased to celebrate with you, on the Moral Monday that falls on December 23, 2013, when you lead the state away from these acts of moral irresponsibility.

We shall hold a Moral Monday Service of Redemption. The many faith and ethical traditions our Moral Monday movement represent all have special days we celebrate during this season.

You have said that as you govern you are "not afraid to step on toes." As you step on toes, we pray you will not step on God's toes. We pray you have the grace and wisdom to accept the federal funds for the medicaid and unemployment insurance for those who are eligible. We pray you will heed God's call. We pray you will listen to all faiths and ethical commands. We pray you will uphold our constitution.

In the spirit of our Holy Scriptures and the Constitution,

Rev. Dr. Rodney Sadler

Rev. Dr. William Turner

Rev. Dr. William Barber, II

Elder Carrie Bolton

If you wish to sign on to this letter, go here: http://naacpnc.nationbuilder.com/open_letter_to_governor_mccrory?recruiter_id=11578

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Happy Halloween! This is really frightening.....