Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Message from Elliot Adams, Veterans for Peace
Trial postponed! The defendants for the March 19th VFP action at the White House were ready to go on trial 8:00AM Monday Sept 29th. With the hurricane promising to tie up transportation on the east coast and threatening DC the defendants were concerned about how to get to the trial on Monday and to the practice trial on Sunday. But late Friday (4:30PM, now that is last minute) the prosecution filed a motion for continuance, asking that the trial be put off since they were not ready to go to trial. Judge Canan granted the motion. By this time some of the defendants were already in transit to DC.
This is all part of the meat grinder we call a legal system. It is sort of like the old hurry up and wait we know so well as vets, except worse. For the 19 defendants it was frustrating, after preparing the opening statements, the testimony, and the closing arguments and being prepared for trial it is maddening to have to go back to trying to schedule a new trial date. On the other hand it does seem hopeful that the prosecution must be having some problems developing an effective argument against our motions or they would have been ready for trial.
In a trial like this we see the many personal goals and strategies of defendants. There are those, for whom the arrest is the action, it works for them to be able to “post-and-forfeit” (pay the government some amount and be free) and be able to do other things, like, for example, join the Free Gaza Flotilla. In this case the government even offered to allow people to post-and-forfeit for $35. About 100 people chose this root. The 19 that turned down this offer will pay more in just transportation costs than the $35, so obviously it is a matter of principle for them. Amongst those on trial there is the usual array of motivations. There are those who are intrigued by law and look for every technicality and loophole by which to get off. This can turn up significant issues, for instance in the trial for the 2008 March 19 action we showed the court and the capital police that the space in front of the capital is a special area of public expression in the eyes of the law and that the police may not just barricade demonstrations from this area like they do other places. Then there are those for whom the trial is based on moral questions. They do not want to argue the law, they feel they are appealing to principles that are greater than any man made law and, indeed, who can't agree that war is evil and can not be condoned or justified by any law. There is the group who, for various reasons, are willing to accept the outcome of the case and their strategy is to have no defense in court.
There are those who are committed to the necessity defense. One could describe the necessity defense like this - if a woman broke into a locked building because the building is on fire and there is a child upstairs, she could be charged with breaking and entering. She might enter a “necessity defense” saying, I am guilty of breaking and entering, but I should be found innocent because breaking and entering was the only way I could save the child. (Necessity defense can also be claimed where a lesser crime kept a greater crime from happening.) This is the defense used by many of the Plowshares Actions. The defendants in “Pitstop Plowshares” action at Shannon Airbase in Ireland were acquitted on the necessity defense. So the argument is made that we did unlawfully assemble, but we did it to stop the killing of many innocent civilians in Afghanistan.
Yet another strategy is to use International Humanitarian Law (IHL), that large body of law that deals with armed conflict, which includes things like the Geneva Conventions, Nuremberg Principles, and the UN Charter. In court we argue, our government is violating the IHLs. The Nuremberg Privileges make us individually responsible for war crimes if we do not stop them. The US Constitution gives us the right to appeal to the government for redress. The US Constitution makes all of the IHLs the supreme law of the land. So by protesting we are merely fulfilling our legal obligation to appeal to our government to stop the war crimes and crimes against peace. The judges typically say, my court is only responsible for cases involving local ordinances. But there is plenty of law that says local courts must take into consideration IHL. For example, even back in 1909 the court ruled “A treaty (the IHLs) ... is the supreme law of the land, binding alike national and state courts, and is capable of enforcement, and must be enforced.” We must keep making this argument until lower courts recognize their responsibility to enforce IHL. There was a time when no court would rule against lynchings, the law was there, they just did not see it as their jurisdiction. So we must keep pushing until lower courts recognize their legal jurisdiction and obligation to protect our work to end war crimes. We are often faced with situation where we can not comply both with the big and important laws like IHL and the little local laws. We must choose whether we comply with the lesser law, don't gather in front of the White House, or greater law, obstruct the committing of war crimes. Incidentally, there is no law that says if we abide by every stay off the grass law, every don't spit on the side walk law, and every jaywalking law we are somehow freed of our responsibilities under IHL
These same varied approaches of defense come up in most civil resistance and civil disobedience trials. None of the defenses are more right than any other or higher on some hierarchy, they are all legitimate. And they all defend our freedoms and build the foundations of democracy. As they say, “freedom is not free” but soldiers do not defend our freedoms, soldiers protect governments which take away our freedoms. Freedom is defended by those who stand up to unjust laws and the lawyers that help them make their cases in court.
Elliott Adams
President, Veterans For Peace
This is all part of the meat grinder we call a legal system. It is sort of like the old hurry up and wait we know so well as vets, except worse. For the 19 defendants it was frustrating, after preparing the opening statements, the testimony, and the closing arguments and being prepared for trial it is maddening to have to go back to trying to schedule a new trial date. On the other hand it does seem hopeful that the prosecution must be having some problems developing an effective argument against our motions or they would have been ready for trial.
In a trial like this we see the many personal goals and strategies of defendants. There are those, for whom the arrest is the action, it works for them to be able to “post-and-forfeit” (pay the government some amount and be free) and be able to do other things, like, for example, join the Free Gaza Flotilla. In this case the government even offered to allow people to post-and-forfeit for $35. About 100 people chose this root. The 19 that turned down this offer will pay more in just transportation costs than the $35, so obviously it is a matter of principle for them. Amongst those on trial there is the usual array of motivations. There are those who are intrigued by law and look for every technicality and loophole by which to get off. This can turn up significant issues, for instance in the trial for the 2008 March 19 action we showed the court and the capital police that the space in front of the capital is a special area of public expression in the eyes of the law and that the police may not just barricade demonstrations from this area like they do other places. Then there are those for whom the trial is based on moral questions. They do not want to argue the law, they feel they are appealing to principles that are greater than any man made law and, indeed, who can't agree that war is evil and can not be condoned or justified by any law. There is the group who, for various reasons, are willing to accept the outcome of the case and their strategy is to have no defense in court.
There are those who are committed to the necessity defense. One could describe the necessity defense like this - if a woman broke into a locked building because the building is on fire and there is a child upstairs, she could be charged with breaking and entering. She might enter a “necessity defense” saying, I am guilty of breaking and entering, but I should be found innocent because breaking and entering was the only way I could save the child. (Necessity defense can also be claimed where a lesser crime kept a greater crime from happening.) This is the defense used by many of the Plowshares Actions. The defendants in “Pitstop Plowshares” action at Shannon Airbase in Ireland were acquitted on the necessity defense. So the argument is made that we did unlawfully assemble, but we did it to stop the killing of many innocent civilians in Afghanistan.
Yet another strategy is to use International Humanitarian Law (IHL), that large body of law that deals with armed conflict, which includes things like the Geneva Conventions, Nuremberg Principles, and the UN Charter. In court we argue, our government is violating the IHLs. The Nuremberg Privileges make us individually responsible for war crimes if we do not stop them. The US Constitution gives us the right to appeal to the government for redress. The US Constitution makes all of the IHLs the supreme law of the land. So by protesting we are merely fulfilling our legal obligation to appeal to our government to stop the war crimes and crimes against peace. The judges typically say, my court is only responsible for cases involving local ordinances. But there is plenty of law that says local courts must take into consideration IHL. For example, even back in 1909 the court ruled “A treaty (the IHLs) ... is the supreme law of the land, binding alike national and state courts, and is capable of enforcement, and must be enforced.” We must keep making this argument until lower courts recognize their responsibility to enforce IHL. There was a time when no court would rule against lynchings, the law was there, they just did not see it as their jurisdiction. So we must keep pushing until lower courts recognize their legal jurisdiction and obligation to protect our work to end war crimes. We are often faced with situation where we can not comply both with the big and important laws like IHL and the little local laws. We must choose whether we comply with the lesser law, don't gather in front of the White House, or greater law, obstruct the committing of war crimes. Incidentally, there is no law that says if we abide by every stay off the grass law, every don't spit on the side walk law, and every jaywalking law we are somehow freed of our responsibilities under IHL
These same varied approaches of defense come up in most civil resistance and civil disobedience trials. None of the defenses are more right than any other or higher on some hierarchy, they are all legitimate. And they all defend our freedoms and build the foundations of democracy. As they say, “freedom is not free” but soldiers do not defend our freedoms, soldiers protect governments which take away our freedoms. Freedom is defended by those who stand up to unjust laws and the lawyers that help them make their cases in court.
Elliott Adams
President, Veterans For Peace
Monday, August 29, 2011
Upcoming events for the Asheville area
Left-wing Israeli peace activisits hold signs during a protest against controversial US talk show host Glenn Beck as he held his 'Restoring Courage' rally in support of Israel in Jerusalem's old city just yards from the flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound on August 24, 2011.
AFP PHOTO/AHMAD GHARABLI
Date created: 24 Aug 2011
UPCOMING EVENTS
08/30/11 PLANNING MEETING FOR INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE
This meeting is to plan for the upcoming International Day of Peace event in Asheville on 9-21-11. Meeting time is 6 PM to 7:30 PM and the location is First Congregational Church, Room 102, in Asheville. Time is creeping up and we are meeting it! Three weeks away until a spectacular for peace! Join us these last few weeks! Contact Rachael at rachael_bliss@yahoo.com for more information.
09/01/11 VETERANS FOR PEACE MEETING
Time is 6:30 PM and location is VFP HQ at the Phil Mechanic Studios: 109 Roberts Street (the corner of Haywood and Roberts), Asheville. VFP CHAPTER 099: http://vfpchapter099wnc.
09/03/11 GREEN PARTY MEETING
The Buncombe County GREEN Party's business meeting is free & open to the public. It will be held from 10AM to noon, upstairs in the Fortune Building, 729 Haywood Rd., West Asheville. Contact Ronald @ 828LUCK180 or Larry @ 828-225-4347 for more information.
09/06/11 ASHEVILLE CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES FORUM
Asheville City Council elections are quickly approaching. We have some very strong candidates running and we are excited to offer you the chance to meet them and hear where they stand on the issues prior to Election Day. The Candidate Forum will be held Tuesday, September 6, 2011 at Nazareth First Baptist Church. There will be a brief Meet and Greet at 6:00 p.m. followed by the Forum at 6:30 p.m. The Nazareth First Baptist Church is located at 146 Pine Street in Downtown Asheville. This event is free and open to the public. Please feel free to bring your friends and neighbors. This is sponsored by WNC for Change.
09/07/11 SIERRA CLUB MEETING
“Greening your home, inside and out” is the topic for this meeting. Jacob Sadler, Alan Enzo and Jessica Enzo will be presenting innovative ideas to green your home and garden. Social is at 7 PM and program is at 7:30. The location is Unitarian Universalist Church at Edwin and Charlotte Streets.
09/08/11 INTERFAITH PANEL DISCUSSION -- CANCELLED
“What my Faith Means to Me” is an interfaith panel discussion with Ahmad Amara, Rev. Mark Stanley & Rabbi Phil Bentley. Time is 7 PM to 8:30 PM. Location is Asheville Islamic Center at 941 Old Fairview Rd. Asheville, NC. Call 828-808-5077 for more information. Sponsored by WNC Friendship Force, The Islamic Center of Asheville, Black Mountain Quakers, WNC for Peace & Justice in the Middle East, and Mountain Area Interfaith Forum
09/10/11 “PEACE ONE DAY” MOVIE AT UU CHURCH
Time is 7 to 9 PM and location is Unitarian Universalist Church in Asheville at Charlotte and Edwin Streets.
09/10/11 CLEAN WATER FOR NC STATEWIDE SUMMIT
“Don’t rush to frack: Keeping NC’s water, air and communities safe from hydraulic fracturing” is a summit presented by Clean Water for NC. This will be held in Pittsboro, NC from 1:30 to 5:30 PM.
Register at www.CWFNC.org before August 31st. Cost is $15. For more information, contact this organization at 919-401-9600 or hope@cwfnc.org
09/11/11 WNC RETURNED PEACE CORPS ANNIVERSARY
The WNC returned Peace Corps invites you to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps. This will be held at the Grey Eagle in Asheville from 5:30 PM to 8 PM. There will be international cuisine, a band playing world music, and fellowship and conversation. Tickets are $12, either in advance or at the door. Proceeds will help fund Peace Corps Volunteer project in the developing world. Contact Sandy Houts at 298-2819 for more information
09/14/11 ASHEVILLE GREEN DRINKS
Social time begins at 5:30 PM and the program begins at 6 PM. This is held in the back room of Posana’s at Patton and Biltmore Avenue. Discussion will be on the interconnection between peace and environmental concerns.
09/14/11 THE CHURCH AND THE DEATH PENALTY
The United Methodist General Board of Church & Society is offering a one-day seminar on how to abolish capital punishment. The seminar will be Wednesday, Sept. 14, at Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center. Title of the seminar is “The Church & the Death Penalty: Winning New Victories in the Old South .” It will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bill Mefford, director of Civil & Human Rights at GBCS, said this will be “an exciting day” of training for people of faith in the South to abolish the death penalty. For more information, go to: http://www.umc-gbcs.org/site/
09/15/11 MOUNTAIN AREA INTERFAITH FORUM MEETING
This meeting will take place from 10 AM to noon, and the location is the Unitarian Universalist Church in Asheville on Edwin and Charlotte Streets.
09/16/11 to 09/18/11 MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX AT 50 CONFERENCE
The Military Industrial Complex at 50: Charlottesville, VA. A Conference on Moving Money from the Military to Human Needs http://micat50cville.org Speakers include Col. Ann Wright, Karen Kwaitkowski, Ray McGovern, Helena Cobban, Bunny Greenhouse, and more.
09/20/11 LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS EVENT
This will be a candidate (for Asheville City Council) meet and greet, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at Pack’s Tavern in downtown Asheville. This is hosted by the League of Women Voters.
09/21/11 INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE
The Second Annual International Day of Peace celebration will be from 4:30 to 7:30 PM at Pack Square. Mike Ferner, Executive Director of Veterans for Peace National Office will speak. Entertainment includes Billy Jonas, Thomas Rain Crowe, and Greg Olsen. For more information:www.
09/22/11 EARLY VOTING STARTS FOR PRIMARY
09/22/11 BUNCOMBE COUNTY YOUNG DEMOCRATS FORUM
Candidate forum hosted by Buncombe County Young Democrats for the Asheville city council elections. Time is 10 to 11 PM and this event is at Asheville Pizza and Brewing company on Merrimon Avenue.
09/23/11 ORGANIZING 101 - EFFECTIVE SOCIAL CHANGE
There will be a presentation and discussion with Mike Ferner, interim director for Veterans for Peace. The location will be North Asheville Library on Merrimon Avenue and the time is 6:30 to 9 PM. This is
presented by Veterans for Peace Chapter 099 Center for Peace Education & Training, with support from New South Network of War Resisters. This presentation is directed to all activists working for change, and will be continued on 09/24/11. Donations accepted.
09/24/11 ORGANIZING 101 - EFFECTIVE SOCIAL CHANGE
There will be a continuation of the presentation and discussion with Mike Ferner, interim director for Veterans for Peace from the prior evening. The schedule for this event is a workshop in the morning and another one in the afternoon. The location will be Battery Park Apartments, Rooftop Garden in Asheville and the time is 10 AM to 4 PM. This is presented by Veterans for Peace Chapter 099 Center for Peace Education & Training, with support from New South Network of War Resisters. This presentation is directed to all activists working for change, and reservations should be made to Clare Hanrahan at newsouthnetwork@gmail.com or 828-242-5610.. Donations accepted.
09/24/11 CALL TO ACTION ON THE CLIMATE
Moving Planet--a global day of call to action/awareness around climate change on Sept 24, organized by Bill McKibbon and the 350 crew, more info at www.moving-planet.org/. More information to come.
09/24/11 WNC ALLIANCE ANNUAL MEETING
What do you want to see WNCA work on in your community? Tell us September 24 at our Annual Meeting! Join WNCA members, staff, and steering committee for informative workshops, presentations, food, fun, and annual WNCA business meeting. Also, help our Buncombe County
Chapter kickoff Asheville 350! Read on for the complete agenda! Annual Meeting Agenda
9:00am Registration; Social/Networking
9:30am-12:30pm: Transportation Workshop
12:30pm: Lunch
1:00pm-2:00pm: 350 Kickoff/Party
2:00pm-5:00pm: Muddy Water Watch Training
2:00pm-3:00pm: Invasives Workshop
3:00pm-3:30pm: How to Be an Advocate in 5 Minutes a Day
3:30pm-4:00pm: Meeting Facilitation Workshop
4:00pm-5:00pm Chapter Leader Roundtable; Social/Networking
5:00pm-7:00pm: Business Meeting
To RSVP, contact Erica at (828) 258-8737 or erica@wnca.org. More information at http://www.wnca.org/portal1/
10/5/11 SIERRA CLUB MEETING
“Sustanable transportation: a future worth creating” a discussion on energy and transportation issues. UNCA professor Dave Erb will lead the discussion, and present an overview of these issues. Social is at 7 PM and program starts at 7:30 PM. Location is Unitarian Universalist church in Asheville, at the corner of Charlotte and Edwin Streets.
10/06/11 FREEDOM SQUARE IN WASHINGTON DC
Join thousands to protest wars and injustice on the tenth anniversary of the US invasion of Afghanistan. Stop the machine, create a new world! More info here: http://october2011.org/
10/07/11 ANNIVERSARY OF TEN YEARS OF WAR IN AFGHANISTAN
10/08/11 to 10/09/11 MARCH ON U.S. SOUTHERN COMMAND
Join us on October 8-9, 2011 in South Florida and at the gates of the U.S. Southern Command in Miami, Florida as we demand: NO BASES, NO 4TH FLEET, BUILD BRIDGES, NOT BASES.
http://soaw.org/component/
10/11/11 PRIMARY ELECTION DAY
10/18/11 LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS FORUM
Candidate forum from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at Masonic Temple on Broadway Street in downtown Asheville. This is for candidate for Asheville City Council.
10/20/11 EARLY VOTING STARTS FOR GENERAL ELECTION
11/08/11 ELECTION DAY
11/13/11 to 11/15/11 LAKE JUNALUSKA PEACE CONFERENCE
The fourth annual Lake Junaluska Peace Conference, “Poverty, Abundance, and Peace: Seeking Economic Justice for All God’s Children,” will lift up some of the systemic causes of poverty and
economic disparity to help participants better understand these issues and to be equipped as change agents to work for alleviating these causes of poverty for a more just and peaceful world. See
http://www.lakejunaluska.com/
11/18/11 to 11/20/11 SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS WATCH IN FT. BENNING
http://www.soaw.org/
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ONGOING EVENTS
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SUNDAY
Episcopal Peace Fellowship holds a weekly vigil from 5:30 to 6 PM at All Soul's Cathedral.
TUESDAY
Veterans for Peace have a weekly vigil at 5 PM at Pack Square
WEDNESDAY
Haywood Peace Vigilers have a weekly vigil at 4 PM at Haywood Country Courthouse
Asheville Cop Watch meeting at 5 PM at Firestorm Cafe.
THURSDAY
Asheville Homeless Network meeting at 2 PM at Firestorm Cafe.
FRIDAY
Women in Black have a weekly vigil at 5 PM at Pack Square in Asheville
Women in Black have a weekly vigil at noon at the Old Courthouse 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.
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ACTIONS AND READINGS
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This was in an email from Roots Action:
I signed the petition demanding that Washington follow the law and create a bold jobs program now. The rising numbers of the poor and unemployed demand an immediate solution. Will you join me?
http://bit.ly/o4jmT9
If we do not get unemployment down among our young adults, and start providing adequate health care for our children, we will not have much of a future. Without good jobs and hope for a good future, we will see riots in our cities like they had in the UK. The USA is #1 in infant mortality among developed countries. This is shameful, and we have to stop throwing our children, and our future, under the bus.
UPCOMING EVENTS
08/30/11 PLANNING MEETING FOR INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE
This meeting is to plan for the upcoming International Day of Peace event in Asheville on 9-21-11. Meeting time is 6 PM to 7:30 PM and the location is First Congregational Church, Room 102, in Asheville. Time is creeping up and we are meeting it! Three weeks away until a spectacular for peace! Join us these last few weeks! Contact Rachael at rachael_bliss@yahoo.com for more information.
09/01/11 VETERANS FOR PEACE MEETING
Time is 6:30 PM and location is VFP HQ at the Phil Mechanic Studios: 109 Roberts Street (the corner of Haywood and Roberts), Asheville. VFP CHAPTER 099: http://vfpchapter099wnc.
09/03/11 GREEN PARTY MEETING
The Buncombe County GREEN Party's business meeting is free & open to the public. It will be held from 10AM to noon, upstairs in the Fortune Building, 729 Haywood Rd., West Asheville. Contact Ronald @ 828LUCK180 or Larry @ 828-225-4347 for more information.
09/06/11 ASHEVILLE CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES FORUM
Asheville City Council elections are quickly approaching. We have some very strong candidates running and we are excited to offer you the chance to meet them and hear where they stand on the issues prior to Election Day. The Candidate Forum will be held Tuesday, September 6, 2011 at Nazareth First Baptist Church. There will be a brief Meet and Greet at 6:00 p.m. followed by the Forum at 6:30 p.m. The Nazareth First Baptist Church is located at 146 Pine Street in Downtown Asheville. This event is free and open to the public. Please feel free to bring your friends and neighbors. This is sponsored by WNC for Change.
09/07/11 SIERRA CLUB MEETING
“Greening your home, inside and out” is the topic for this meeting. Jacob Sadler, Alan Enzo and Jessica Enzo will be presenting innovative ideas to green your home and garden. Social is at 7 PM and program is at 7:30. The location is Unitarian Universalist Church at Edwin and Charlotte Streets.
09/08/11 INTERFAITH PANEL DISCUSSION -- CANCELLED
“What my Faith Means to Me” is an interfaith panel discussion with Ahmad Amara, Rev. Mark Stanley & Rabbi Phil Bentley. Time is 7 PM to 8:30 PM. Location is Asheville Islamic Center at 941 Old Fairview Rd. Asheville, NC. Call 828-808-5077 for more information. Sponsored by WNC Friendship Force, The Islamic Center of Asheville, Black Mountain Quakers, WNC for Peace & Justice in the Middle East, and Mountain Area Interfaith Forum
09/10/11 “PEACE ONE DAY” MOVIE AT UU CHURCH
Time is 7 to 9 PM and location is Unitarian Universalist Church in Asheville at Charlotte and Edwin Streets.
09/10/11 CLEAN WATER FOR NC STATEWIDE SUMMIT
“Don’t rush to frack: Keeping NC’s water, air and communities safe from hydraulic fracturing” is a summit presented by Clean Water for NC. This will be held in Pittsboro, NC from 1:30 to 5:30 PM.
Register at www.CWFNC.org before August 31st. Cost is $15. For more information, contact this organization at 919-401-9600 or hope@cwfnc.org
09/11/11 WNC RETURNED PEACE CORPS ANNIVERSARY
The WNC returned Peace Corps invites you to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps. This will be held at the Grey Eagle in Asheville from 5:30 PM to 8 PM. There will be international cuisine, a band playing world music, and fellowship and conversation. Tickets are $12, either in advance or at the door. Proceeds will help fund Peace Corps Volunteer project in the developing world. Contact Sandy Houts at 298-2819 for more information
09/14/11 ASHEVILLE GREEN DRINKS
Social time begins at 5:30 PM and the program begins at 6 PM. This is held in the back room of Posana’s at Patton and Biltmore Avenue. Discussion will be on the interconnection between peace and environmental concerns.
09/14/11 THE CHURCH AND THE DEATH PENALTY
The United Methodist General Board of Church & Society is offering a one-day seminar on how to abolish capital punishment. The seminar will be Wednesday, Sept. 14, at Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center. Title of the seminar is “The Church & the Death Penalty: Winning New Victories in the Old South .” It will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bill Mefford, director of Civil & Human Rights at GBCS, said this will be “an exciting day” of training for people of faith in the South to abolish the death penalty. For more information, go to: http://www.umc-gbcs.org/site/
09/15/11 MOUNTAIN AREA INTERFAITH FORUM MEETING
This meeting will take place from 10 AM to noon, and the location is the Unitarian Universalist Church in Asheville on Edwin and Charlotte Streets.
09/16/11 to 09/18/11 MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX AT 50 CONFERENCE
The Military Industrial Complex at 50: Charlottesville, VA. A Conference on Moving Money from the Military to Human Needs http://micat50cville.org Speakers include Col. Ann Wright, Karen Kwaitkowski, Ray McGovern, Helena Cobban, Bunny Greenhouse, and more.
09/20/11 LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS EVENT
This will be a candidate (for Asheville City Council) meet and greet, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at Pack’s Tavern in downtown Asheville. This is hosted by the League of Women Voters.
09/21/11 INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE
The Second Annual International Day of Peace celebration will be from 4:30 to 7:30 PM at Pack Square. Mike Ferner, Executive Director of Veterans for Peace National Office will speak. Entertainment includes Billy Jonas, Thomas Rain Crowe, and Greg Olsen. For more information:www.
09/22/11 EARLY VOTING STARTS FOR PRIMARY
09/22/11 BUNCOMBE COUNTY YOUNG DEMOCRATS FORUM
Candidate forum hosted by Buncombe County Young Democrats for the Asheville city council elections. Time is 10 to 11 PM and this event is at Asheville Pizza and Brewing company on Merrimon Avenue.
09/23/11 ORGANIZING 101 - EFFECTIVE SOCIAL CHANGE
There will be a presentation and discussion with Mike Ferner, interim director for Veterans for Peace. The location will be North Asheville Library on Merrimon Avenue and the time is 6:30 to 9 PM. This is
presented by Veterans for Peace Chapter 099 Center for Peace Education & Training, with support from New South Network of War Resisters. This presentation is directed to all activists working for change, and will be continued on 09/24/11. Donations accepted.
09/24/11 ORGANIZING 101 - EFFECTIVE SOCIAL CHANGE
There will be a continuation of the presentation and discussion with Mike Ferner, interim director for Veterans for Peace from the prior evening. The schedule for this event is a workshop in the morning and another one in the afternoon. The location will be Battery Park Apartments, Rooftop Garden in Asheville and the time is 10 AM to 4 PM. This is presented by Veterans for Peace Chapter 099 Center for Peace Education & Training, with support from New South Network of War Resisters. This presentation is directed to all activists working for change, and reservations should be made to Clare Hanrahan at newsouthnetwork@gmail.com or 828-242-5610.. Donations accepted.
09/24/11 CALL TO ACTION ON THE CLIMATE
Moving Planet--a global day of call to action/awareness around climate change on Sept 24, organized by Bill McKibbon and the 350 crew, more info at www.moving-planet.org/. More information to come.
09/24/11 WNC ALLIANCE ANNUAL MEETING
What do you want to see WNCA work on in your community? Tell us September 24 at our Annual Meeting! Join WNCA members, staff, and steering committee for informative workshops, presentations, food, fun, and annual WNCA business meeting. Also, help our Buncombe County
Chapter kickoff Asheville 350! Read on for the complete agenda! Annual Meeting Agenda
9:00am Registration; Social/Networking
9:30am-12:30pm: Transportation Workshop
12:30pm: Lunch
1:00pm-2:00pm: 350 Kickoff/Party
2:00pm-5:00pm: Muddy Water Watch Training
2:00pm-3:00pm: Invasives Workshop
3:00pm-3:30pm: How to Be an Advocate in 5 Minutes a Day
3:30pm-4:00pm: Meeting Facilitation Workshop
4:00pm-5:00pm Chapter Leader Roundtable; Social/Networking
5:00pm-7:00pm: Business Meeting
To RSVP, contact Erica at (828) 258-8737 or erica@wnca.org. More information at http://www.wnca.org/portal1/
10/5/11 SIERRA CLUB MEETING
“Sustanable transportation: a future worth creating” a discussion on energy and transportation issues. UNCA professor Dave Erb will lead the discussion, and present an overview of these issues. Social is at 7 PM and program starts at 7:30 PM. Location is Unitarian Universalist church in Asheville, at the corner of Charlotte and Edwin Streets.
10/06/11 FREEDOM SQUARE IN WASHINGTON DC
Join thousands to protest wars and injustice on the tenth anniversary of the US invasion of Afghanistan. Stop the machine, create a new world! More info here: http://october2011.org/
10/07/11 ANNIVERSARY OF TEN YEARS OF WAR IN AFGHANISTAN
10/08/11 to 10/09/11 MARCH ON U.S. SOUTHERN COMMAND
Join us on October 8-9, 2011 in South Florida and at the gates of the U.S. Southern Command in Miami, Florida as we demand: NO BASES, NO 4TH FLEET, BUILD BRIDGES, NOT BASES.
http://soaw.org/component/
10/11/11 PRIMARY ELECTION DAY
10/18/11 LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS FORUM
Candidate forum from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at Masonic Temple on Broadway Street in downtown Asheville. This is for candidate for Asheville City Council.
10/20/11 EARLY VOTING STARTS FOR GENERAL ELECTION
11/08/11 ELECTION DAY
11/13/11 to 11/15/11 LAKE JUNALUSKA PEACE CONFERENCE
The fourth annual Lake Junaluska Peace Conference, “Poverty, Abundance, and Peace: Seeking Economic Justice for All God’s Children,” will lift up some of the systemic causes of poverty and
economic disparity to help participants better understand these issues and to be equipped as change agents to work for alleviating these causes of poverty for a more just and peaceful world. See
http://www.lakejunaluska.com/
11/18/11 to 11/20/11 SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS WATCH IN FT. BENNING
http://www.soaw.org/
******************************
ONGOING EVENTS
******************************
SUNDAY
Episcopal Peace Fellowship holds a weekly vigil from 5:30 to 6 PM at All Soul's Cathedral.
TUESDAY
Veterans for Peace have a weekly vigil at 5 PM at Pack Square
WEDNESDAY
Haywood Peace Vigilers have a weekly vigil at 4 PM at Haywood Country Courthouse
Asheville Cop Watch meeting at 5 PM at Firestorm Cafe.
THURSDAY
Asheville Homeless Network meeting at 2 PM at Firestorm Cafe.
FRIDAY
Women in Black have a weekly vigil at 5 PM at Pack Square in Asheville
Women in Black have a weekly vigil at noon at the Old Courthouse 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.
******************************
ACTIONS AND READINGS
******************************
This was in an email from Roots Action:
I signed the petition demanding that Washington follow the law and create a bold jobs program now. The rising numbers of the poor and unemployed demand an immediate solution. Will you join me?
http://bit.ly/o4jmT9
If we do not get unemployment down among our young adults, and start providing adequate health care for our children, we will not have much of a future. Without good jobs and hope for a good future, we will see riots in our cities like they had in the UK. The USA is #1 in infant mortality among developed countries. This is shameful, and we have to stop throwing our children, and our future, under the bus.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Believe.....
“Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.” - Buddha
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Children of Gaza, killed by IDF bombs
Palestinian relatives mourn over the body of two-year-old Malek Shaat during his funeral in the Rafah refugee camp, southern Gaza Strip, on August 19, 2011.
Photo by MOHAMMED ABED/AFP/Getty Images)
A Palestinian man carries the body of two-year-old boy Islam Qreqa during a funeral in Gaza City August 20, 2011. Palestinians said at least nine militants have died in multiple Israeli strikes, as well as two children, one of them Islam Qreqa. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem
Friday, August 26, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Quote
"Every ambitious would-be empire clarions it abroad that she is conquering the world to bring it peace, security and freedom, and is sacrificing her sons only for the most noble and humanitarian purposes. That is a lie, and it is an ancient lie, yet generations still rise and believe it!
If America ever does seek Empire, and most nations do, then planned reforms in our domestic life will be abandoned, States Rights will be abolished -- in order to impose a centralized government upon us for the purpose of internal repudiation of freedom, and adventures abroad.
The American Dream will then die -- on battlefields all over the world -- and a nation conceived in liberty will destroy liberty for Americans and impose tyranny on subject nations."
George S. Boutwell - (1818-1905) American statesman, Secretary of the Treasury under President Ulysses S. Grant, Governor of Massachusetts, Senator and Representative from Massachusetts
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Brooke Fraser- "C S Lewis Song"
If I find in myself desires nothing in this world can satisfy
I can only conclude that I was not made for here
If the flesh that I fight is at best only light and momentary
Then of course I’ll feel nude when to where I’m destined I’m compared
CHORUS
Speak to me in the light of the dawn
Mercy comes with the morning
I will sigh and with all creation groan
As I wait for hope to come for me
Am I lost or just less found,
On the straight or on the roundabout of the wrong way?
Is this a soul that stirs in me,
Is it breaking free, wanting to come alive?
‘Cause my comfort would prefer for me to be numb
And avoid the impending birth
Of who I was born to become
CHORUS
Speak to me in the light of the dawn
Mercy comes with the morning
I will sigh and with all creation groan
As I wait for hope to come for me
I can only conclude that I was not made for here
If the flesh that I fight is at best only light and momentary
Then of course I’ll feel nude when to where I’m destined I’m compared
CHORUS
Speak to me in the light of the dawn
Mercy comes with the morning
I will sigh and with all creation groan
As I wait for hope to come for me
Am I lost or just less found,
On the straight or on the roundabout of the wrong way?
Is this a soul that stirs in me,
Is it breaking free, wanting to come alive?
‘Cause my comfort would prefer for me to be numb
And avoid the impending birth
Of who I was born to become
CHORUS
Speak to me in the light of the dawn
Mercy comes with the morning
I will sigh and with all creation groan
As I wait for hope to come for me
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
SOA Watch, October 2011 Movement, Nevada Desert Experience
JOINT SOLIDARITY STATEMENT BY THE OCTOBER2011 MOVEMENT, THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC WORKER GATHERING AND SOA WATCH SOUTH FLORIDA/ SOUTHCOM WATCH
Grassroots resistance actions are being coordinated around the country in early October. Three efforts in particular share common cause:
The October2011 Movement in Washington, DC to decry the start of the eleventh year of war on the people of Afghanistan and the onset of the federal austerity budget, and to stand up to corporate rule and militarism;
The National Catholic Worker Movement and Nevada Desert Experience to demonstrate at Creech Air Force Base near Las Vegas, Nevada where armed drone aircraft are headquartered and controlled on their "hunter-killer" missions around the world, and at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS, formerly the Nevada Test Site) where various experiments are conducted which perpetuate the US nuclear arsenal;
School of the Americas Watch South Florida / SouthCom Watch to march to the new headquarters of the U.S. Southern Command (SouthCom) outside of Miami, Florida, which is responsible for all U.S. military operations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
OUR STRUGGLES ARE INTERCONNECTED AND WE ORGANIZE IN SOLIDARITY WITH EACH OTHER.
The nonviolent resistance actions in Washington, DC will start on October 6, 2011, on the 10-year anniversary of the U.S. war in Afghanistan. Thousands of people have pledged to gather on that day, to nonviolently resist the corporate machine by occupying Freedom Plaza to demand that America's resources are invested in human needs and environmental protection instead of war and exploitation. Nonviolent direct actions at the NNSS and at Creech AFB are going to take place on October 9 at the culmination of the 3 day Catholic Worker gathering, also being coordinated with the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space's annual Keep Space for Peace Week, October 1 to 8. The march on the U.S. Southern Command, with the intention to close it down and to reclaim the sacred land for the peoples of the Americas, will also take place on October 9, 2011.
These actions are united in the effort to build a world in which the values of justice, cooperation, and respect for the earth are upheld. We believe that people power and grassroots organizing are essential for achieving lasting socio-political change.
October2011 Movement, october2011.org
National Catholic Worker Gathering, www.lvcw.org
SOA Watch South Florida / SouthCom Watch, www.SOAW.org/southcom
Monday, August 22, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
A reflection on Lt. Colonel Sassaman
I found the following information in the book INSIDE THE RED ZONE by Mike Ferner. This is about an interview with Lt Colonel Sassaman. He was stationed in Iraq, and this takes place in February, 2004.
"We still need one more 'communication' with the hardcore attackers to get their attention. The group in Abu Hishma has just never accepted that we want to help them," he added, asserting that, "You get their attention through controlled violence" along with money for infrastructure projects.This totally disgusted me. I wonder if this man will ever wake up and realize how stupid, and evil, he is to say such things. So far, apparently, he has not.
Earlier, I had asked Sassaman if he regretted a frequently cited comment he made to the NYT: "With a heavy dose of fear and violence, and a lot of money for projects, I think we can convince these people that we are here to help them." He smiled grimly and said it had been a "bad day" when he spoke with the NYT reporter.
Friday, August 19, 2011
WHAT THE THUNDER SAID
WHAT THE THUNDER SAID
Poem by T.S. Eliot
After the torchlight red on sweaty faces
After the frosty silence in the gardens
After the agony in stony places
The shouting and the crying
Prison and palace and reverberation
Of thunder of spring over distant mountains
He who was living is now dead
We who were living are now dying
With a little patience
Here is no water but only rock
Rock and no water and the sandy road
The road winding above among the mountains
Which are mountains of rock without water
If there were water we should stop and drink
Amongst the rock one cannot stop or think
Sweat is dry and feet are in the sand
If there were only water amongst the rock
Dead mountain mouth of carious teeth that cannot spit
Here one can neither stand nor lie or sit
There is not even silence in the mountains
But dry sterile thunder without rain
There is not even solitude in the mountains
But red sullen faces sneer and snarl
From doors of mudcracked houses
[This is just the beginning of this poem by T.S. Eliot.]
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Torture taught on US soil at School of the Americas
They call it by a different name now - and there is a major protest at Fort Benning, Georgia every November against this torture and murder school.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Letter on US withdrawal from Iraq
Here is a recent letter that I sent to Rep. Shuler’s office:
I strongly urge you to cosponsor H.R. 2757, the Iraq Withdrawal Accountability Act introduced by Representative Barbara Lee. This bipartisan legislation would prohibit funding to maintain a U.S. troop presence in Iraq past December 31, 2011.
This bill would require that the Obama administration stick to the schedule that the U.S. and Iraqi governments agreed upon in 2008 and that President Obama has touted as fulfillment of his campaign promise to end the Iraq war.
APPARENTLY, THE US MILITARY DOES NOT INTEND TO LEAVE IRAQ:
Two RI National Guard units to deploy to Iraq
Aug 11, 2011 |
CRANSTON, R.I. -- Two National Guard units are being deployed to Iraq for a year. They will provide aviation support for combat and reconstruction operations, the National Guard said.
A joint departure ceremony for members of A Company, 1st Battalion 126th Aviation and D Company 126th Aviation will be held Friday at 9 a.m. at the Army Aviation Support Facility on Quonset Air National Guard Base.
It is the second deployment for each unit.
A Company, 1st Battalion 126th Aviation, which is equipped with UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopters, deployed to Iraq from 2004 until 2005. The Rhode Island contingent will combine with soldiers from Puerto Rico and deploy from Fort Hood, Texas.
D Company, 126th Aviation (TAC), which is equipped with C-23 Sherpa airplanes, deployed to Iraq from 2005 until 2006. The Rhode Island soldiers will mobilize from Fort Benning, Ga., with soldiers from the U.S. Virgin Islands, Pennsylvania and Indiana. During this deployment the unit will become a part of Task Force Nomad as a theater operation company, responsible for the transportation of personnel and equipment.
Stop this now!
Many thanks for your consideration.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Show of solidarity
A Christian Palestinian girl lights candles at the steps leading to the altar in the Roman Catholic Holy Family church in the West Bank city of Ramallah during a memorial prayer in honour of the victims of last week's church carnage in Baghdad.
(AFP/Abbas Momani)This photo was from November 2010.
Monday, August 15, 2011
MORE TRUTH!
From Ray McGovern (Bush writing about Iran): In his memoir, Bush laments: "I don't know why the NIE was written the way it was. ….. Whatever the explanation, the NIE had a big impact - and not a good one. But after the NIE, how could I possible explain using the military to destroy the nuclear facilities of a country the intelligence community said had no active nuclear weapons program?"
Yes, how indeed can you throw a monstrous war when the truth gets out?
TRUTH!!
But the truth was not listened to. Instead, the government and the corporate media promoted their lies, and the evil continues until today. I wonder when the American people will wake up to the truth?
QUOTE:
"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State." Joseph Goebbels
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Upcoming events in Asheville area and beyond.....
UPCOMING EVENTS
08/16/11 “THE LAST MOUNTAIN” FILM SCREENING
This will be a Special Screening and Event at 7 p.m. August 16, Tuesday at the Fine Arts Theatre, Asheville. Wenoca Group of the Sierra Club, the Western North Carolina Alliance and its French Broad Riverkeeper, North Carolina Interfaith Power & Light, Transition Asheville, and Appalachian Voices, invite you to a Q & A discussion after the screening.
08/18/11 “NEIGHBOR SAVES” PROGRAM BY TRANSITION ASHEVILLE
Transition Asheville's Energy Action Group is sponsoring a presentation on WNC Green Building Council's Neighbor Saves program. Neighbor Saves is an innovative program aimed at empowering participants to Save Energy, Save Money, Improve Comfort and Build Community in a team based (not just neighbors), fun environment. Participants get trained by and complete work on each others' homes with an experienced supervisor. Time is 7 PM for this program, and the location is Unitarian Universalist Church in Asheville. The event is free, and you will have an opportunity to meet members of Transition Asheville's Energy Action Group, and learn more about our vision. You can learn more about Neighbor Saves on their webpage.
08/18/11 to 08/22/11 NIRS RECLAIM POWER ACTION CAMP
Nuclear Information and Resource Service will hold an action camp in the area for nuclear activists. All skill levels are welcome. Location and directions will be disclosed after people register. More information is at: www.reclaimpowersoutheast.org and below.
08/19/11 WNC PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY MEETING
Lunch will be eaten at noon, and meeting starts at 12:30. Location is NIRS office at 45 Riverview Drive, please park on the street. This meeting is open to all, and a short program is usually included.
Please go to www.wncpsr.org for more information, which includes how to get there and other details.
08/21/11 ETHICAL SOCIETY OF ASHEVILLE
“Real Campaign Finance Reform Can Lead to Real Health Care Reform” will be presented by Errington C. Thompson, MD at the Sunday, August 21st meeting of the Ethical Society of Asheville, 2:00-3:30 PM, held in the YMI Cultural Center, 39 South Market Street in the Ray Auditorium. Dr. Thompson is a trauma surgeon, scholar, fulltime sports fan and part-time political activist. He is active in a number of community projects and initiatives. Through medicine, he strives to improve the physical health of all he treats. Through his books, lectures and blog, he hopes to share his thoughts and reflections on the current political landscape. Dr. Thompson was educated at Emory University and Southwestern Medical School and currently resides in the mountains of Western North Carolina. There will be a discussion period following the presentation. Following the meeting, there will be time for informal conversation. All are welcome!
09/01/11 VETERANS FOR PEACE MEETING
Time is 6:30 PM and location is VFP HQ at the Phil Mechanic Studios: 109 Roberts Street (the corner of Haywood and Roberts), Asheville. VFP CHAPTER 099: http://vfpchapter099wnc.
09/06/11 ASHEVILLE CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES FORUM
Asheville City Council elections are quickly approaching. We have some very strong candidates running and we are excited to offer you the chance to meet them and hear where they stand on the issues prior to Election Day. The Candidate Forum will be held Tuesday, September 6, 2011 at Nazareth First Baptist Church. There will be a brief Meet and Greet at 6:00 p.m. followed by the Forum at 6:30 p.m. The Nazareth First Baptist Church is located at 146 Pine Street in Downtown Asheville. This event is free and open to the public. Please feel free to bring your friends and neighbors. This is sponsored by WNC for Change.
09/07/11 SIERRA CLUB MEETING
“Greening your home, inside and out” is the topic for this meeting. Jacob Sadler, Alan Enzo and Jessica Enzo will be presenting innovative ideas to green your home and garden. Social is at 7 PM and program is at 7:30. The location is Unitarian Universalist Church at Edwin and Charlotte Streets.
09/11/11 WNC RETURNED PEACE CORPS ANNIVERSARY
The WNC Returned Peace Corps invites you to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps. This will be held at the Grey Eagle in Asheville from 5:30 PM to 8 PM. There will be international cuisine, a band playing world music, and fellowship and conversation. Tickets are $12, either in advance or at the door. Proceeds will help fund Peace Corps Volunteer project in the developing world. Contact Sandy Houts at 298-2819 for more information
09/15/11 MOUNTAIN AREA INTERFAITH FORUM MEETING
This meeting will take place from 10 AM to noon, and the location is the Unitarian Universalist Church in Asheville on Edwin and Charlotte Streets.
09/16/11 to 09/18/11 MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX AT 50 CONFERENCE
The Military Industrial Complex at 50: Charlottesville, VA. A Conference on Moving Money from the Military to Human Needs http://micat50cville.org Speakers include Col. Ann Wright, Karen Kwaitkowski, Ray McGovern, Helena Cobban, Bunny Greenhouse, and more.
09/21/11 INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE
The Second Annual International Day of Peace celebration will be from 4:30 to 7:30 PM at Pack Square. Sponsoring and/or endorsing groups who are involved in our event include Asheville Peacetown, Veterans for Peace Local 099, Arts to People, the local UN Association, the B'hai community, the Mountain Area Interfaith Forum,the Social Action committee of the First Congregational United Church of Christ and other faith groups. More information to come.
09/24/11 CALL TO ACTION ON THE CLIMATE
Moving Planet--a global day of call to action/awareness around climate change on Sept 24, organized by Bill McKibbon and the 350 crew, more info at www.moving-planet.org/. More information to come.
10/5/11 SIERRA CLUB MEETING
“Sustanable transportation: a future worth creating” a discussion on energy and transportation issues. UNCA professor Dave Erb will lead the discussion, and present an overview of these issues. Social is at 7 PM and program starts at 7:30 PM. Location is Unitarian Universalist church in Asheville, at the corner of Charlotte and Edwin Streets.
10/06/11 FREEDOM SQUARE IN WASHINGTON DC
Join thousands to protest wars and injustice on the tenth anniversary of the US invasion of Afghanistan. Stop the machine, create a new world! More info here: http://october2011.org/
10/08/11 to 10/09/11 MARCH ON U.S. SOUTHERN COMMAND
Join us on October 8-9, 2011 in South Florida and at the gates of the U.S. Southern Command in Miami, Florida as we demand: NO BASES, NO 4TH FLEET, BUILD BRIDGES, NOT BASES.
11/13/11 to 11/15/11 LAKE JUNALUSKA PEACE CONFERENCE
The fourth annual Lake Junaluska Peace Conference, “Poverty, Abundance, and Peace: Seeking Economic Justice for All God’s Children,” will lift up some of the systemic causes of poverty and economic disparity to help participants better understand these issues and to be equipped as change agents to work for alleviating these causes of poverty for a more just and peaceful world. See http://www.lakejunaluska.com/
11/18/11 to 11/20/11 SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS WATCH IN FT. BENNING
http://www.soaw.org/
*******************************************
ONGOING EVENTS
******************************
SUNDAY
Episcopal Peace Fellowship holds a weekly vigil from 5:30 to 6 PM at All Soul's Cathedral.
TUESDAY
Veterans for Peace have a weekly vigil at 5 PM at Pack Square
WEDNESDAY
Haywood Peace Vigilers have a weekly vigil at 4 PM at Haywood Country Courthouse in Waynesville.
Asheville Cop Watch meeting at 5 PM at Firestorm Cafe.
THURSDAY
Asheville Homeless Network meeting at 2 PM at Firestorm Cafe.
FRIDAY
Women in Black have a weekly vigil at 5 PM at Pack Square in Asheville
Women in Black have a weekly vigil at noon at the Old Courthouse 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.
******************************
ACTIONS AND READINGS
******************************
Come and join in the RECLAIM POWER SOUTHEAST Action Camp!
August 18--22, 2011 on the Carolina state line in the thermals of the Blue Ridge
We hope you'll join NIRS (Nuclear Information and Resource Services) and other groups at the Reclaim Power Southeast Action Camp near the North/South Carolina state line from August 18-22, 2011. All ages and all skill levels are welcome. This event is for activists and those who are ready to become one!
RECLAIM POWER: empowerment is for each of us an internal, but like so many things, it is aided and enhanced by being with others of the same spirit! It gets really amped when people share inspiration from many different "issue" perspectives and from more than one generation! Join us and take time to open to new skills and hone those you rely on, learn new issues, share deep insight on long-term commitments, and create context for our passion to grow.
PRODUCTS: Empowered Activists and Community/Strategic action/Widening Network in solidarity with many ongoing campaigns--including the work at Blair Mountain, No Nukes Summer and the Walk Away From Uranium in Western Australia (see bottom of this e-mail for links to these campaigns).
The Action Camp site is located at a slice of Blue Ridge Heaven with a swimming pond and space for wandering as well as our shared space for issue workshops, specific skill training and developing the fine arts of non-violent direct action.
NO NUKES, NO COAL, NO KIDDING has been a theme of our work in the Southeast. This Action Camp includes social justice and the commitment to disarmament and creating peace--and is wide open on the front of teaching transferable skills--like how to do effective media work, how to make a strong blockade, how to deal with law enforcement during non-violent community actions, legal rights for activists, effective design of banners, puppets, posters. We are looking for more skill leaders and are open to more issue sessions.
Directions to the site will be disclosed to those who register, but it is only 40 minutes south of Asheville, NC and a short distance to many other communities in NC, SC and northern GA. Day-only participation is an option, but camping on the site is included in registration and recommended for those who would like to experience more community time.
You are welcome to come for any parts of the event beginning 4 pm on the 18th (unless you want to join the set-up crew!) and we hope you will stay for Monday August 22 when we will use our new and old skills together off-site in a non-violent expression of free speech (to be announced). Please do, if you can, plan to stay! More information is at: www.reclaimpowersoutheast.org
******************************
Oak Ridge peace march remembers victims of Hiroshima
OAK RIDGE - On August 6, 1945, the atomic bomb was dropped and destroyed Hiroshima, Japan. The Y-12 plant in Oak Ridge played a major role in Project Manhattan. 66 years later, the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance marked the Hiroshima bombing with a series of events. Dozens gathered in Oak Ridge at Bissell Park Saturday to remember what took place sixty-six years ago in Japan.
"Our march is always conducted in the spirit of non-violence. The message we have is that peace is a responsibility for all of us. It's important for us to act together if we ever want a world of peace," said Ralph Hutchison, coordinator for the OREPA.This march has been taking place for 23 years now and this year's participants traveled from all over the region, including Laura Sorensen of Asheville, North Carolina.
"I hope everyone remembers what we did to Japan. We did the unthinkable, that we don't want done to us. We killed innocent people and that is what war does," said Sorensen.
The peace march ended in front of the gates of the Y-12 plant, where several security guards looked on with binoculars.
"We gather here in solidarity with them. Our voices and the songs we sing and the peace cranes that we tie, are all our way of saying we stand with the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and we say never again," said Hutchison.
On August 9th the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance will have a commemoration for the bombing of Nagasaki with a peace lantern ceremony in Knoxville at Sequoya Hills Park at 8pm.
******************************
SUNDAY
Episcopal Peace Fellowship holds a weekly vigil from 5:30 to 6 PM at All Soul's Cathedral.
TUESDAY
Veterans for Peace have a weekly vigil at 5 PM at Pack Square
WEDNESDAY
Haywood Peace Vigilers have a weekly vigil at 4 PM at Haywood Country Courthouse in Waynesville.
Asheville Cop Watch meeting at 5 PM at Firestorm Cafe.
THURSDAY
Asheville Homeless Network meeting at 2 PM at Firestorm Cafe.
FRIDAY
Women in Black have a weekly vigil at 5 PM at Pack Square in Asheville
Women in Black have a weekly vigil at noon at the Old Courthouse 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.
******************************
ACTIONS AND READINGS
******************************
Come and join in the RECLAIM POWER SOUTHEAST Action Camp!
August 18--22, 2011 on the Carolina state line in the thermals of the Blue Ridge
We hope you'll join NIRS (Nuclear Information and Resource Services) and other groups at the Reclaim Power Southeast Action Camp near the North/South Carolina state line from August 18-22, 2011. All ages and all skill levels are welcome. This event is for activists and those who are ready to become one!
RECLAIM POWER: empowerment is for each of us an internal, but like so many things, it is aided and enhanced by being with others of the same spirit! It gets really amped when people share inspiration from many different "issue" perspectives and from more than one generation! Join us and take time to open to new skills and hone those you rely on, learn new issues, share deep insight on long-term commitments, and create context for our passion to grow.
PRODUCTS: Empowered Activists and Community/Strategic action/Widening Network in solidarity with many ongoing campaigns--including the work at Blair Mountain, No Nukes Summer and the Walk Away From Uranium in Western Australia (see bottom of this e-mail for links to these campaigns).
The Action Camp site is located at a slice of Blue Ridge Heaven with a swimming pond and space for wandering as well as our shared space for issue workshops, specific skill training and developing the fine arts of non-violent direct action.
NO NUKES, NO COAL, NO KIDDING has been a theme of our work in the Southeast. This Action Camp includes social justice and the commitment to disarmament and creating peace--and is wide open on the front of teaching transferable skills--like how to do effective media work, how to make a strong blockade, how to deal with law enforcement during non-violent community actions, legal rights for activists, effective design of banners, puppets, posters. We are looking for more skill leaders and are open to more issue sessions.
Directions to the site will be disclosed to those who register, but it is only 40 minutes south of Asheville, NC and a short distance to many other communities in NC, SC and northern GA. Day-only participation is an option, but camping on the site is included in registration and recommended for those who would like to experience more community time.
You are welcome to come for any parts of the event beginning 4 pm on the 18th (unless you want to join the set-up crew!) and we hope you will stay for Monday August 22 when we will use our new and old skills together off-site in a non-violent expression of free speech (to be announced). Please do, if you can, plan to stay! More information is at: www.reclaimpowersoutheast.org
******************************
Oak Ridge peace march remembers victims of Hiroshima
OAK RIDGE - On August 6, 1945, the atomic bomb was dropped and destroyed Hiroshima, Japan. The Y-12 plant in Oak Ridge played a major role in Project Manhattan. 66 years later, the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance marked the Hiroshima bombing with a series of events. Dozens gathered in Oak Ridge at Bissell Park Saturday to remember what took place sixty-six years ago in Japan.
"Our march is always conducted in the spirit of non-violence. The message we have is that peace is a responsibility for all of us. It's important for us to act together if we ever want a world of peace," said Ralph Hutchison, coordinator for the OREPA.This march has been taking place for 23 years now and this year's participants traveled from all over the region, including Laura Sorensen of Asheville, North Carolina.
"I hope everyone remembers what we did to Japan. We did the unthinkable, that we don't want done to us. We killed innocent people and that is what war does," said Sorensen.
The peace march ended in front of the gates of the Y-12 plant, where several security guards looked on with binoculars.
"We gather here in solidarity with them. Our voices and the songs we sing and the peace cranes that we tie, are all our way of saying we stand with the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and we say never again," said Hutchison.
On August 9th the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance will have a commemoration for the bombing of Nagasaki with a peace lantern ceremony in Knoxville at Sequoya Hills Park at 8pm.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
The Riots in London
I am sure the riots last week in London were quite frightening for the people who lived through them, and quite tragic for the families and friends of the five people who were killed.
But we need to take a serious look at what might have caused them. Here is one cause: the need to be listened to when people have serious grievances.
As political and social protests grip the Middle East, are growing in Europe and a riot exploded in north London this weekend, here's a sad truth, expressed by a Londoner when asked by a television reporter: Is rioting the correct way to express your discontent?
"Yes," said the young man. "You wouldn't be talking to me now if we didn't riot, would you?"
The TV reporter from Britain's ITV had no response. So the young man pressed his advantage. "Two months ago we marched to Scotland Yard, more than 2,000 of us, all blacks, and it was peaceful and calm and you know what? Not a word in the press. Last night a bit of rioting and looting and look around you."
Eavesdropping from among the onlookers, I looked around. A dozen TV crews and newspaper reporters interviewing the young men everywhere.
And here is another underlying factor: Really, how can any society allow their political leaders to kill, torture, and destroy whole countries with no repercussions and then expect it's citizens to behave in a non-violent manner? And how can any society allow their financial elites to have unrestrained greed that destroys the entire economy and then expect it's citizens not to get greedy and loot when they can?
The rot starts at the top.
And here in the USA, we have a former president and vice president who have bragged about torturing other human beings on live TV with no repercussions...... so think of what that might lead to in the near future.
The rot starts at the top.
And here in the USA, we have a former president and vice president who have bragged about torturing other human beings on live TV with no repercussions...... so think of what that might lead to in the near future.
The Prime Minster had this to say:
Cameron: “It is a complete lack of responsibility in parts of our society, people allowed to feel the world owes them something, that their rights outweigh their responsibilities and their actions do not have consequences. Well, they do have consequences.”
I first thought that maybe he was talking about the banksters and the politicians who lied us into wars of aggression, but no.... he was talking about the rioters. Like I said above, the rot starts at the top. Or as Naomi Klein said: trickle down economics did not work so well, but trickle down corruption is going great (or something like that).
“Spending cuts were now hitting the poorest hardest, they said, and after tales of politicians claiming excessive expenses, alleged police corruption and bankers getting rich it was their turn to take what they wanted.”
"They set the example," said one youth after riots in the London district of Hackney. "It's time to loot."
Link here.
Yes, they set the example - and got away with it. And what the rioters did is minor compared to what the banksters and politicians did. Violence and destruction is always wrong, and it does not become more wrong when it happens in our own country.
Friday, August 12, 2011
NATO bombing in Libya
This is so fucking evil.....
Nato airstrikes kill 85 villagers in Libya
Nato air strikes killed 85 villagers near the city of Zliten in western Libya, a government spokesman said on Tuesday.
By AFP
Zliten: Nato air strikes killed 85 villagers near the city of Zliten in western Libya, a government spokesman said on Tuesday, in what he branded a "massacre" of civilians.
The village of Majer, 10km south of Zliten, was attacked late on Monday to "allow rebel fighters to enter" the government-held city from the south, Mussa Ibrahim told reporters on a guided visit.
"After the first three bombs dropped at around 11:00 pm (2100 GMT) on Monday, many residents of the area ran to the bombed houses to try to save their loved ones. Three more bombs struck," he said.
Thirty-three children, 32 women and 20 men from 12 families were killed in the "massacre," said Mussa.
Rebels fighting around Zliten, 120 kilometres to the east of Tripoli, said on Monday they were running low on ammunition as they struggled to hold off an assault by loyalist forces.
Abdul Wahab Melitan, a rebel spokesman in the nearby port city of Misrata, said forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi had launched an assault on their positions on Sunday in the Souk Telat area.
Four rebel fighters had since been killed and 40 wounded, he said.
The rebels, advancing from Misrata, a week ago punched into the centre of Zliten, sparking fierce clashes. But they later pulled back to the edge of the city of 200,000 inhabitants.
Nato in Brussels said alliance warplanes hit eight targets in the Zliten area on Sunday - four command and control nodes, one military facility, a weapons dump, an anti-tank weapon and a multiple rocket launcher.
It was yet to give an update on Monday's air raids.
Nato air strikes killed 85 villagers near the city of Zliten in western Libya, a government spokesman said on Tuesday.
By AFP
Zliten: Nato air strikes killed 85 villagers near the city of Zliten in western Libya, a government spokesman said on Tuesday, in what he branded a "massacre" of civilians.
The village of Majer, 10km south of Zliten, was attacked late on Monday to "allow rebel fighters to enter" the government-held city from the south, Mussa Ibrahim told reporters on a guided visit.
"After the first three bombs dropped at around 11:00 pm (2100 GMT) on Monday, many residents of the area ran to the bombed houses to try to save their loved ones. Three more bombs struck," he said.
Thirty-three children, 32 women and 20 men from 12 families were killed in the "massacre," said Mussa.
Rebels fighting around Zliten, 120 kilometres to the east of Tripoli, said on Monday they were running low on ammunition as they struggled to hold off an assault by loyalist forces.
Abdul Wahab Melitan, a rebel spokesman in the nearby port city of Misrata, said forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi had launched an assault on their positions on Sunday in the Souk Telat area.
Four rebel fighters had since been killed and 40 wounded, he said.
The rebels, advancing from Misrata, a week ago punched into the centre of Zliten, sparking fierce clashes. But they later pulled back to the edge of the city of 200,000 inhabitants.
Nato in Brussels said alliance warplanes hit eight targets in the Zliten area on Sunday - four command and control nodes, one military facility, a weapons dump, an anti-tank weapon and a multiple rocket launcher.
It was yet to give an update on Monday's air raids.
Take the pledge
"I pledge that if any U.S. troops, contractors, or mercenaries remain in Afghanistan on Thursday, October 6, 2011, as that occupation goes into its 11th year, I will commit to being in Freedom Plaza in Washington, D.C., with others on that day or the days immediately following, for as long as I can, with the intention of making it our Tahrir Square, Cairo, our Madison, Wisconsin, where we will NONVIOLENTLY resist the corporate machine by occupying Freedom Plaza until our resources are invested in human needs and environmental protection instead of war and exploitation. We can do this together. We will be the beginning."
http://october2011.org/welcome
http://october2011.org/welcome
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
It is amazing to watch....
It was way more than 92,000 Iraqis killed.
It is amazing to watch, YEAR AFTER YEAR, DECADE AFTER DECADE, how our elected officials make decisions that are VERY BAD for human beings, and the American people just let them get away with it.
But these austerity measures and cut backs to come really pale as a “disaster” compared to what we did to Iraq.
The following is true for Americans, but not for Iraqis:
they still have colleges to go to and they have not been subject to random car bombings
they still have food banks to go to
they still have electricity and programs to help them meet the costs
they still have the luxury of going to the food bank or grocery store without worrying if they will come home alive
they still have the luxury of seeing their children go to school and not worry if they will come home alive
they still have the luxury of sending their spouse out to work – or to look for work – without worrying if they will come home alive
they still have functioning hospitals, and the can safely access those hospitals in an emergency even if they don’t have any money
they don’s have 1,200 infants dying every day in the USA (it is 100 per day in Iraq, and we are about 12 times the population)
they don’t have to walk miles to get drinking water, and the water out of their taps is quite good
they don’t have to drink polluted water
they don’t have to get a generator or share electricity with neighbors
they are not internal refugees inside their own country
they are not facing the choice of “run for your life or die” and running to Mexico or Canada
they generally live in areas where there is not gun battles on a regular basis
they are not seeing an epidemic of cancers, particularly in children
they have not been to serial funerals in the past years where their relatives, family, neighbors, coworkers and friends have been killed by violence.
And I wonder when the American people are going to wake up AND BECOME AWARE and demand that their government stop hurting people, stop spending all this money on evil and USELESS military activity, and stop destroying the environment. I wonder when that day will come.
I am pretty sure that day will never come as long as they have cable TV. I wonder how many people using the food banks still pay the cable bill. I personally know several people who collect food stamps, unemployment, Medicaid – and still have cable TV.
Stupid is as stupid does…… and Americans are militant in their hold on their own ignorance. And it is very stupid to think you can allow your politicians to do massive evil on a foreign country and then expect them not to do the same here at home.
And it is also very stupid to think that a government can use violence, again and again, to "solve" the "problems" the government is facing (oftentimes, these are "problems" that they created, but I digress) and then not expect the citizens of that government to use violence to "solve" the "problems" that the citizens are facing.
Which is exactly what is happening in the riots in the UK.
Un-American
It is un-American to deprive people of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" without due process of law.
WHO'S STILL BEING HELD AT GUANTANAMO
WHO'S STILL BEING HELD AT GUANTANAMO
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
Monday, August 08, 2011
Upcoming events for the week of August 7, 2011
08/10/11 ‘JOBS NOT CUTS’ EVENT BY MOVE ON
The American Dream Movement will succeed only if we stand up and work TOGETHER for a new American Dream. This will be held at the west end of Pack Square at 5:30 PM.
08/11/11 ASHEVILLECONNECTS
Held at 34 Wall St. in 3rd floor conference room from 9:30 to 11:30 AM. AshevilleConnects is a local initiative to strengthen the Asheville community by making best use of existing resources and tapping our
creativity. To RSVP: http://ashevilleconnects.wufoo.com/forms/z7x4a3/ or call Kathleen at 231-5565. Volunteer options available.
08/12/11 MOVIE NIGHT AT UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH
The movie “Bag It” will be shown at 7 PM. Donations accepted, this is at the Asheville UU church. This is co-sponsored by Transition Asheville. A self-described "average guy," Jeb Berrier notices that plastic bags are piling up in his house. So he embarks on a personal quest to figure out where they come from, why they're so ubiquitous and where they end up after they're thrown away. With a humorous tone, Suzan Beraza's documentary also explores our society's dependence on other single-use plastic items such as wrappers, food containers and bottles -- and what alternatives may exist.
08/18/11 “NEIGHBOR SAVES” PROGRAM BY TRANSITION ASHEVILLE
Transition Asheville's Energy Action Group is sponsoring a presentation on WNC Green Building Council's Neighbor Saves program. Neighbor Saves is an innovative program aimed at empowering participants to Save Energy, Save Money, Improve Comfort and Build Community in a team based (not just neighbors), fun environment. Participants get trained by and complete work on each others' homes with an experienced supervisor. Time is 7 PM for this program, and the location is Unitarian Universalist Church in Asheville. The event is free, and you will have an opportunity to meet members of Transition Asheville's Energy Action Group, and learn more about our vision. You can learn more about Neighbor Saves on their webpage. If you have questions, you can contact Kendall Hale at hale.kendall@gmail.com
08/18/11 to 08/22/11 NIRS RECLAIM POWER ACTION CAMP
Nuclear Information and Resource Service will hold an action camp in the area for nuclear activists. All skill levels are welcome. Location and directions will be disclosed after people register. More information is at: www.reclaimpowersoutheast.org
08/20/11 PROTEST THE “OTHER WARS”
Please note also that the 2nd annual BLACK IS BACK conference held last weekend in DC has called for August 20 actions to protest the "other wars," i.e. the US backed wars and corporate proxy wars on the African continent, the occupation of Haiti, the war on the Black community in the U.S., and the ever more militarized operations on the U.S. Mexican border.
08/21/11 ETHICAL SOCIETY OF ASHEVILLE
“Real Campaign Finance Reform Can Lead to Real Health Care Reform” will be presented by Errington C. Thompson, MD at the Sunday, August 21st meeting of the Ethical Society of Asheville, 2:00-3:30 PM, held in the YMI Cultural Center, 39 South Market Street in the Ray Auditorium. Dr. Thompson is a trauma surgeon, scholar, fulltime sports fan and part-time political activist. He is active in a number of community projects and initiatives. Through medicine, he strives to improve the physical health of all he treats. Through his books, lectures and blog, he hopes to share his thoughts and reflections on the current political landscape. Dr. Thompson was educated at Emory University and Southwestern Medical School and currently resides in the mountains of Western North Carolina. There will be a discussion period following the presentation. Following the meeting, there will be time for informal conversation. All are welcome!
09/07/11 SIERRA CLUB MEETING
“Greening your home, inside and out” is the topic for this meeting. Jacob Sadler, Alan Enzo and Jessica Enzo will be presenting innovative ideas to green your home and garden. Social is at 7 PM and program is at 7:30. The location is Unitarian Universalist Church at Edwin and Charlotte Streets.
09/15/11 MOUNTAIN AREA INTERFAITH FORUM MEETING
This meeting will take place from 10 AM to noon, and the location is the Unitarian Universalist Church in Asheville on Edwin and Charlotte Streets.
09/16/11 to 09/18/11 MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX AT 50 CONFERENCE
The Military Industrial Complex at 50: Charlottesville, VA. A Conference on Moving Money from the Military to Human Needs http://micat50cville.org Speakers include Col. Ann Wright, Karen Kwaitkowski, Ray McGovern, Helena Cobban, and more.
09/21/11 INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE
The Second Annual International Day of Peace celebration will be from 4:30 to 7:30 PM at Pack Square. Sponsoring and/or endorsing groups who are involved in our event include Asheville Peacetown, Veterans for Peace Local 099, Arts to People, the local UN Association, the B'hai community, the Mountain Area Interfaith Forum,the Social Action committee of the First Congregational United Church of Christ and other faith groups. More information to come.
09/24/11 CALL TO ACTION ON THE CLIMATE
Moving Planet--a global day of call to action/awareness around climate change on Sept 24, organized by Bill McKibbon and the 350 crew, more info at www.moving-planet.org/. More information to come.
10/5/11 SIERRA CLUB MEETING
“Sustainable transportation: a future worth creating” a discussion on energy and transportation issues. UNCA professor Dave Erb will lead the discussion, and present an overview of these issues. Social is at 7 PM and program starts at 7:30 PM. Location is Unitarian Universalist church in Asheville, at the corner of Charlotte and Edwin Streets.
10/06/11 FREEDOM SQUARE IN WASHINGTON DC
Join thousands to protest wars and injustice on the tenth anniversary of the US invasion of Afghanistan. Stop the machine, create a new world! More info here: http://october2011.org/statement
10/08/11 to 10/09/11 MARCH ON U.S. SOUTHERN COMMAND
Join us on October 8-9, 2011 in South Florida and at the gates of the U.S. Southern Command in Miami, Florida as we demand: NO BASES, NO 4TH FLEET, BUILD BRIDGES, NOT BASES. http://soaw.org/component/content/article/39/3686-october-2011-march-on-the-us-southern-command
11/13/11 to 11/15/11 LAKE JUNALUSKA PEACE CONFERENCE
The fourth annual Lake Junaluska Peace Conference, “Poverty, Abundance, and Peace: Seeking Economic Justice for All God’s Children,” will lift up some of the systemic causes of poverty and economic disparity to help participants better understand these issues and to be equipped as change agents to work for alleviating these causes of poverty for a more just and peaceful world. See http://www.lakejunaluska.com/peace/ for more information about program and registration.
11/18/11 to 11/20/11 SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS WATCH IN FT. BENNING
http://www.soaw.org/
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ONGOING EVENTS
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SUNDAY
Episcopal Peace Fellowship holds a weekly vigil from 5:30 to 6 PM at All Soul's Cathedral.
TUESDAY
Veterans for Peace have a weekly vigil at 5 PM at Pack Square
WEDNESDAY
Haywood Peace Vigilers have a weekly vigil at 4 PM at Haywood Country Courthouse in Waynesville.
Asheville Cop Watch meeting at 5 PM at Firestorm Cafe.
THURSDAY
Asheville Homeless Network meeting at 2 PM at Firestorm Cafe.
FRIDAY
Women in Black have a weekly vigil at 5 PM at Pack Square in Asheville
Women in Black have a weekly vigil at noon at the Old Courthouse 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.
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ACTIONS AND READINGS
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Come and join in the RECLAIM POWER SOUTHEAST Action Camp!
August 18-22, 2011 on the Carolina state line in the thermals of the Blue Ridge
We hope you'll join NIRS (Nuclear Information and Resource Services) and other groups at the Reclaim Power Southeast Action Camp near the North/South Carolina state line from August 18-22, 2011. All ages and all skill levels are welcome. This event is for activists and those who are ready to become one!
RECLAIM POWER: empowerment is for each of us an internal, but like so many things, it is aided and enhanced by being with others of the same spirit! It gets really amped when people share inspiration from many different "issue" perspectives and from more than one generation! Join us and take time to open to new skills and hone those you rely on, learn new issues, share deep insight on long-term commitments, and create context for our passion to grow.
PRODUCTS: Empowered Activists and Community/Strategic action/Widening Network in solidarity with many ongoing campaigns--including the work at Blair Mountain, No Nukes Summer and the Walk Away From Uranium in Western Australia (see bottom of this e-mail for links to these campaigns).
The Action Camp site is located at a slice of Blue Ridge Heaven with a swimming pond and space for wandering as well as our shared space for issue workshops, specific skill training and developing the fine arts of non-violent direct action. NO NUKES, NO COAL, NO KIDDING has been a theme of our work in the Southeast. This Action Camp includes social justice and the commitment to disarmament and creating peace--and is wide open on the front of teaching transferable skills--like how to do effective media work, how to make a strong blockade, how to deal with law enforcement during non-violent community actions, legal rights for activists, effective design of banners, puppets, posters. We are looking for more skill leaders and are open to more issue sessions.
Directions to the site will be disclosed to those who register, but it is only 40 minutes south of Asheville, NC and a short distance to many other communities in NC, SC and northern GA. Day-only participation is an option, but camping on the site is included in registration and recommended for those who would like to experience more community time. You are welcome to come for any parts of the event beginning 4 pm on the 18th (unless you want to join the set-up crew!) and we hope you will stay for Monday August 22 when we will use our new and old skills together off-site in a non-violent expression of free speech (to be announced). Please do, if you can, plan to stay! More information is at: www.reclaimpowersoutheast.org
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The recent Washington agreement to raise the debt ceiling in exchange for budget cuts has created a historic opportunity for deep cuts in projected military spending--cuts that would help prevent future wars. By Thanksgiving, a joint House-Senate committee is supposed to recommend $1.5 trillion in cuts in projected spending over 10 years. Most of these cuts can come from the projected military budget.
Will you join me in urging the President and your representatives in Congress to put the projected military budget first in line for cuts?
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/cutpentagonfirst
Thanks!
Saturday, August 06, 2011
Statement
The AFL-CIO Executive Council released a statement Aug.3 for the first time clearly stating:
"There is no way to fund what we must do as a nation without bringing our troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan. The militarization of our foreign policy has proven to be a costly mistake. It is time to invest at home."
"There is no way to fund what we must do as a nation without bringing our troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan. The militarization of our foreign policy has proven to be a costly mistake. It is time to invest at home."
A Palestinian's letter
‘Please continue to be with us’ –a Palestinian’s letter to int’l supporters
by Hekmat Bessiso on July 11, 2011
A letter from a Palestinian woman to the supporters of Palestine.
A letter from a Palestinian woman to the supporters of Palestine.
I would like to talk to you as the voice of the thousands of Palestinians who appreciate what you are doing. You who have a great commitment to human rights and who actually act upon your beliefs, you risk your life to both witness and tell the truth of what you see. You are a group of people who understand what is happening in the holy land and have decided to dedicate your time, money and energy to the issue. You demonstrate that religion nor race is important when it comes to standing up for the rights of human beings. And every step you take justice and humanity wins.
I want you to trust that your actions are making a difference and changing the violence we see here in our land. Your solidarity is helping fuel our nonviolent fight. Palestinians face many kinds of violence and torture. However, being ignored is the worst punishment of all. Those who refuse to hear and see us are just as bad as those who occupy us. Those who stand in solidarity with us send a strong message of humanity and are helping us to overcome our suffering. In the middle of all this crisis, your help puts a smile on our face. From this smile you will always be welcome in our hearts even if you are unable to enter our land. Your solidarity reminds the world that we are all one human family and that we Palestinians are still part of it. Please do not give up. Even if your boats do not make it to the shores of Gaza or if your planes refuse to fly, the unseen effects are still huge.
I want to say thank you for all that your work involves. Thank you for booking your tickets, taking time off from work, leaving your loved ones, and for all of the other small things, I am truly grateful.
Please continue to be with us, hand in hand, in our non-violent struggle. We need to reach the end of the path of occupation and your presence on this journey is crucial, we cannot make it alone. I hope one day to share a coffee with you in my home or in yours, for when this day comes we will have reached our freedom.
Hekmat Bessiso is a Gazan living in Ramallah
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