CONTENTS:
PHILLY & AREA ACTION:
Eleven Philadelphia Grannies For Peace Arrested for Going to
"Enlist" at the US Military Recuitment Office! - "Unusual Suspects" by
Brian Hickey
(and more)
----------
NATIONAL ACTION:
CALL TO ACTION: IMMEDIATE INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION FOR PALESTINIANS!
SECURICOR HEARS OUR PROTEST
[UFPJ] Tell Congress not to block your voice!
Brazil: Class Power and Politics in a Global World- an overseas program
STARVING FOR ATTENTION By Cindy Sheehan ** Troops Home Fast: Day One
----------
COMMENTARY:
UN envoy attacks Israel over Gaza Story from BBC NEWS:
UAW Convention Endorses Single Payer Health Care & the Conyers Bill
Patriotism & The Fourth of July By Howard Zinn
FROM THE HILL- FCNL
Subcomandante Marcos Says Zapatistas Received Reports of Electoral
Fraud in Mexico Presidential Election
Seymour Hersh: Senior Pentagon Officials Challenging President Bush's
Iran War Plans *
Did Bush Administration Policy on North Korea Help Provoke Ballistic
Missile Tests?
With Jobs to Do, Louisiana Parish Turns to Inmates
====================
Eleven Philadelphia Grannies For Peace Arrested for Going to "Enlist"
at the US Military Recuitment Office! "Unusual Suspects" by Brian Hickey"Take me to Iraq! Not Our Grandchildren!"
June 28th - Read all about it in this weeks Philadelphia City
Paper or Google, Philadelphia
Grannies.
If you want to be part of the next wave to "Enlist at your local
Military Recuitment Office" - - be it in Philly or
Kallamazoo, contact Marlene at marlsan@cavtel.net or Joan at
Joanwile263@aol.com.
Howard Zinn states, "It is
the country that is primary-the people, the ideals of the sanctity of
human life and the promotion of liberty. When a government recklessly
expends the lives of its young for crass motives of profit and
power, always claiming that its motives are pure and moral ('Operation
Just Cause' was the invasion of
Panama and 'Operation Iraqi Freedom' in the present instance), it is
violating its promise to the country.
War is almost always a breaking of that promise. It does not enable the
pursuit of happiness but brings despair and grief."
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sunday, July 9
4:30 p.m. Brandywine Peace Community's Monthly Potluck Supper &
Program: "Coming Home: What They Never Told You When You Enlisted" with
Dr. John Bjornson, University Lutheran Church, 3637 Chestnut St.,
Philadelphia, PA
For info, call 610-544-1818.
Wednesday, July 12 6 p.m. "Revolution for
Social Equality" with Bob Brand, Reggie Schell, Mary Day Kent &
Thom Nickels Atwater Kent Museum of Philadelphia, 15 S.
Seventh St., Philadelphia, PA For info, call 215-735-9600.
Thursday, July 13 5:30 p.m. "Meet the Artists"
Reception for "Art by Architects"
AIA Bookstore & Design Center, 17th & Sansom Sts.,
Philadelphia, PA For info, call 215-569-3188.
Wednesday, July 19 6 p.m. "Revolution for the
Twenty-first Century" with Walidah Imarisha,
Dan Berger,
Friday, July 14 7:00 p.m. Media that Matters
Film Festival
Scribe Video Center, 4212 Chestnut St., 3rd floor, Philadelphia,
PA For info, call 215-222-4201.
* Saturday, July 15 Noon to Midnight Fundraiser
for Tim Kearney for State Rep in the 172nd District
Northeast Philadelphia
Democratic Headquarters, 7727 Frankford Ave., Philadelphia, PA
The following political movies will be shown: The Organizer (noon),
Chuck and Amazing Grace (2 p.m.), Z (4 p.m.), The Milagro Beanfield War
(6 p.m.), Tanner88 (8 p.m.), Election (10 p.m.)
Suggested donation--$25-250 For info, call 215-331-7206, or
email timothy2@netcarrier.com.
Thursday, July 27 7:00 p.m. Monthly
Meeting of Animal Rights Activists of NJ
Voorhees Middle School, 1000 Holly Oak Dr., Voorhees, NJ For info, call
Dave at 856-772-2521.
Friday, July 28 6:00-9:00 p.m. Korean Arts
Festival & Exhibition Opening Reception
Cheltenham Art Center, 439 Ashbourne Rd., Cheltenham, PA
For info, call 215-379-4660.
EVENTS OCCURING EVERY WEEK:
Thursdays
10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Talk Radio Program with Sandra
Dungee Glenn (Member, School Reform
Commission) On WURD 900 AM--call in number is 215-426-1310.
6:00-8:00 p.m. Workshop: "Build Your Own Computer"
Nonprofit Technology Resources, 1524 Brandywine St., Philadelphia, Pa
$25 per session To register, call 215-564-6686.
7:00-9:00 p.m. International Concerned Friends & Family
of Mumia Weekly Meeting
4601 Market St., 5th floor, Philadelphia, PA For info, call
215-476-5416.
Fridays
4:30 p.m. Anti-war leafleting and picket Market
& 11th Sts., Philadelphia, PA For info, email
pawf@critpath.org
5:00 p.m. Vigil--Women in Black Swarthmore
Train Station, Park Ave. & Chester Rd., Swarthmore, PA
For info, email wibswarthmore@hotmail.com.
Saturdays
10:00 a.m. to noon
"Talking Union" weekly call-in radio show, 1340 AM
noon-1:00 p.m. Peace Vigil Rte. 38 & Cherry
Hill Mall Dr., Cherry Hill, NJ
For info, email greatercamdenunitycoalition@yahoo.com
1:00-2:00 p.m. Protest at Ferber Furs 1708
Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA
For info, email phillyar@yahoogroups.com.
Mondays
5:00-7:00 p.m. Radio Show: "Labor to Neighbor" with hosts
Janet Ryder, Pat Eiding &
Pete Matthews 900 AM WURD--215-634-8065.
Tuesdays
5:30-7:00 p.m. Speak Out of Turn Poetry
Workshop Aspace, 4722 Baltimore Ave., Philadelphia, PA
Sliding scale fee $7-10. For info, call 215-435-6621.
7:00-9:00 p.m. Organizing Meeting Toviah Thrift
Shop Chestnut St. (between 42nd & 43rd)
Call (215) 382-7251 or (215) 474-6459 box 1 for more info
Sponsored by Neighbors Against McPenntrification
7:30 p.m. Books Through Bars Packing Cafe The A
Space, 4722 Baltimore Ave., Philadelphia, PA
Help pack books to send to prisoners. Email
info@booksthroughbars.org
Wednesdays
4:30-5:30 p.m. Peace Vigil Federal Building,
601 Market St., Philadelphia, PA
Sponsored by House of Grace Catholic Worker For info, email
brandywine@juno.com .
5:00 p.m. Vigil for Peace Outside Unitarian
Society of Germantown, 6511 Lincoln Dr., Philadelphia, PA
For info, see www.northwestpeacecoalition.org.
6:00 p.m. Movement Class taught by Sophia Hoffer-Perkins
A-space, 4722 Baltimore Ave., Philadelphia, PA Sliding
scale donations For info, call 215-727-0882.
7:00 p.m. Peace Vigil Germantown Ave. &
Bethlehem Pike, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, PA
For info, see www.northwestpeacecoalition.org.
7:30 p.m. International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement
Weekly Meeting
Uhuru House, 1021 S. 49th St., Philadelphia, Pa
For info, see www.inpdum.org.
===============
NATIONAL ACTION:
A GLOBAL OUTCRY..A CALL TO ACTION: DEMONSTRATION AT THE UN PROTESTS THE
ASSAULT
ON THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE! A CALL FOR IMMEDIATE INTERNATIONAL
PROTECTION FOR PALESTINIANS!
(The following is the letter sent to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan)
* Send your letter (as an orgaqnization or individual to Kofi Annan
& the UN)
July 6, 2006
H. E. Kofi Annan
Secretary-General
The United Nations,
First Avenue New York, NY 10017
Honorable members of the United Nations Security Council
RE: Immediate International Protection for the
Palestinian People in the Occupied Territory
The United Nations was founded "to take effective collective measures
for the
prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression
of
acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace .
The ongoing ethnic cleansing in Palestine has thrown into stark
relief the
need for the United Nations to live up to this duty. Since the
Palestinian
people have time and again signaled their refusal to acquiesce in their
own
subjugation, the inexorable march of Israeli human rights violations
continues with
renewed savagery. The Israeli military has escalated its assault upon
the
Palestinian people, with dozens of Palestinians killed and wounded in
recent
months. Since the so-called Israeli redeployment from Gaza, Israel has
continued to
attack unarmed Palestinian civilians. On June 9, seven people of
the same
family were killed by Israeli shelling on a beach in the Gaza
Strip. Dozens of
Palestinian children have been killed in the first six months of 2006
alone,
with the world community looking on. As of June 27, the Israeli
Occupation
Forces have launched a large scale attack on Palestinians in the
besieged Gaza
Strip, punishing over one million Palestinian civilians for the
legitimate
exercise of the inherent right of self-defense against Israeli
combatants conducting
a wide-scale assault on heavily populated areas.
Meanwhile, these forces continue illegally to arrest and detain
thousands of
Palestinians, confiscate Palestinian land, demolish homes, impose a
deadly
economic blockade, and build an annexationist Apartheid wall. The
historic
policy of "Hafrada" (the Hebrew word for Apartheid) has reached its
apex, and the
international community is confronted more vividly than ever with the
fruit of
its inaction. It is thus time for the United Nations to discharge
its
historic obligation.
We therefore call upon the United Nations to intervene to defend the
Palestinian people by
immediately undertaking the following actions: forming an international
force
to protect Palestinian lives against violent attacks by the Israeli
military;
calling for the immediate release of Palestinian prisoners held
in violation
of international law; holding Israel accountable for its war
crimes against
the Palestinian people, its violations of the International
Covenant on Civil
and Political Right and the Convention Against Torture, and its
blatant
disregard for the principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of
Human
Rights.
Such actions would form the necessary beginnings of a just policy on
Palestine that is long overdue. The Palestinian people are under brutal
assault, and
the moral failure of the international community cries out for
rectification.
Respectfully,
University Teachers' Association -Palestine
Addameer Prisoners' Rights and Support Group-Palestine
Arab Cultural Forum/Gaza -Palestine
New York Campaign for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions -USA
International Solidarity Movement, New York Chapter,USA
National Council of Arab Americans, New York Chapter,USAAmerican-Arab
Anti-Discrimination Committee, New York Chap
Troops Out Now Coalition -USA
International Action Center -USA
___________________________________________________________________________
SECURICOR HEARS OUR PROTEST - NOW IS THE TIME TO INTENSIFY OUR EFFORTS
Group 4 Securicor is the world's largest private security
company. It
employs 400,000 people in over 100 countries. To give an idea of
scale,
that's twice the size of the British army.
Its chief executive, Nick Buckles, said the company would now honor an
Indonesian Supreme Court decision ordering the reinstatement of those
workers. That's the good news. The bad news is that Securicor
Indonesia is
still not listening. And on Tuesday this week (4 July) workers once
again
occupied the company offices in Jakarta.
If you have not yet done so, please go to LabourStart's campaign in
support of these workers and send off your message:
http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=125
__________________________________________________________________________
[UFPJ] Tell Congress not to block your voice!
Not long ago, Congressional offices started to adopt new technology
that blocks emails sent through organizational websites like
ours. More than 100 nonprofit organizations -including UFPJ- have
responded with a resounding "No!" now you can too.
Consumers Union has put together a petition where you can tell Congress
not to block your voice! If your Congressmembers' offices have adopted
the blocking technology, your message will be delivered by fax. Click
here to send your message:
https://secure.npsite.org/cu/site/Advocacy?JServSessionIdr004=ky2pkv4ge2.app7a&cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1161
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Brazil: Class Power and Politics in a Global World- September 21 -
October 3, 2006
An overseas program sponsored by Indiana University-Division of Labor
Studies
http://www.labor.iu.edu/InDLS/index.html
Observe first-hand the upcoming national election
campaign in Brazil and the struggle of workers and
their unions for greater political power. In 2002 with
the election of Luiz Inacio "Lula" da Silva as
President of Brazil, the workers of Latin America's
largest country entered a new phase of building labor
activism and working class power. Lula and the Workers
Party continue to struggle to balance the demands of
global finance with the needs of the nation's
impoverished millions. The emergence of the Workers'
Party nationally as well as in many state and local
municipal governments transformed Brazil, following
decades of a military dictatorship. In the current
political process, unions play a major role in
reconstructing society for the benefit of the majority.
During eleven days participants in the program will engage in a variety
of activities including:
* Meet with regional and national leaders in
labor and social movements;
* Meet with regional and national leaders of
Brazil's Workers Party (PT), examine first hand the
process of participatory democracy and accompany activists in the
political campaign;
* Visit worker-controlled factories, unions,
rural
and industrial cooperatives, peasant land occupations,
as well as cultural and historical sites in the southern region of
Brazil.
Participants will spend a large part of the time in
Porto Alegre, a pioneer region in participatory budget
planning and popular involvement in government. Leaders
of the Workers Party, the Metalworkers Federation and
the Central Labor Federation (CUT) will discuss their
work and invite us along to see for ourselves their
approach to campaign work. We will be present for the
presidential election and results, and will be a
position to evaluate how political mobilization and outreach are done.
Cost:
The total cost of the trip is $2,100.
This includes: a) Round trip air fare Chicago-Porto Alegre -Chicago
b) Lodging and meals during our stay in Brazil c) All in-country
transportation
Participants are responsible
for the cost of a passport
and visa. The cost of the visa is $100, or $110 for
us to obtain the visa for you. It is recommended that
participants travel with at least $300.00 for personal expenses during
the excursion.
Travel Dates: Leave September 21st on an evening flight and return
early on October 3, 2006
Registration:
To register, participants must complete the attached registration form
and send it to the Division of Labor Studies, Indiana University
(address below). Spaces on the trip are limited and are guaranteed on a
first come, first serve basis.
College Credit:
The deadline to apply is August 25, 2006.
INDIANA UNIVERSITY - DIVISION of LABOR STUDIES
E-mail your application and questions to wmello@iuk.edu or
rneedle@iun.edu
____________________________________________________________________________
STARVING FOR ATTENTION By Cindy Sheehan ** Troops Home Fast: Day One **
Truthout July 5, 2006
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/070506A.shtml
It is midnight of the 5th of July and 24 hours since
thousands of us began the
Troops Home Fast. (http://www.troopshomefast.org)
Some of us will be fasting completely until the troops come home; some
will be
on liquids only until the troops come home; some will fast for 2 weeks,
2
days; or like me, until at least September 21st.
Hundreds of peace-loving and dedicated people joined us organizers of
the fast
outside the White House during the past two eventful and event-filled
days.
The Granny Peace Brigade walked from NYC to DC in solidarity with the
fast and
with the people of Iraq and Afghanistan and our soldiers who are
suffering so
profoundly under the U.S.-led occupations.
People joined us from as far away as Texas and California in person, and
thousands were with us in spirit from all over the world. We are
starting a
historic and very meaningful action. We were honored by being joined by
legendary fasters Dick Gregory and Diane Wilson and historic whistle
blower
and patriotic giant Daniel Ellsberg.
Standing apart from our hundreds of supporters were about a dozen
Freepers who
were holding various signs (which is as much their right as it is ours)
with
very "clever" messages on them. A few of the signs had the very pithy
"Freedom Isn't Free." Well, I'm sorry, but the very definition of
freedom is
that it is free. Freedom is a birthright of every American, and we have
the
Bill of Rights to prove it. Nowhere in the Constitution does it say
that our
young people have to fight insane wars for greedy swine to earn anyone
any
kind of freedoms. If freedom wasn't free it would be called
"expensivedom."
I was particularly impressed by a very slick and professionally made
sign that
the Freepers had. It was a large pinkish sign with white letters that
read:
Cindy Sheehan is Starving for Attention."
Yes, that is why I am embarking on this fast. It is not because our
nation
with the complacent, if not intellectual, approval of most of our
citizens is
waging a war crime of mammoth proportions in Iraq. It's not because our
soldiers are committing atrocities on an innocent population who never
asked
for our lethal interference. I am not fasting because our soldiers
should not
be dying or killing for Exxon and Halliburton. I am not sitting here
with
mild hunger pangs because our leadership condones and orders others to
commit
cruelties on my fellow human beings in such brutal places as
Guantanamo. I am
not fasting because the wrongfully, illegally, and immorally detained
men in
Guantanamo are going on their own hunger strikes and committing suicide
to
call attention to the fact that they are human beings who do not
deserve to be
tortured and tormented. I am not fasting so no other mother has to drop
to
her knees screaming in agony because her child is dead for nothing.
On the contrary, I get plenty of attention and our troops are still in
Iraq.
I am doing it precisely for all of the reasons above. Maybe people have
to
ascribe nefarious motivations to our actions because they can't
conceive of
leaving their comfort zones for another member of humanity.
The people of Iraq and Afghanistan are suffering so miserably. Our
soldiers
want to come home. Our country wants them to come home. The world wants
them
to come home. The people of Iraq want our soldiers to leave. Generals
are
recommending time tables. We fasters figure that we can sacrifice
something
in solidarity with the suffering in the Middle East. What we are giving
up is
so insignificant compared to what our soldiers and the people they are
oppressing are giving up. It's about time BushCo recognizes that
staying a
reckless and murderous course is inherently disordered and they should
turn
around and order our troops to come home.
I encourage everyone in America to move away from the comfortable
complacency
that allows BushCo to kill people with impunity. If we don't stand up
and
speak out against their offenses and for accountability, the crimes will
continue even into the next administration, whichever party is in power.
How can we not fast, or march, or write, or speak, or rally, or go to
Camp
Casey, or sacrifice something, *anything*, when the people of Iraq --
and many
of our soldiers -- don't even have enough food to eat or clean water to
drink?
How can we numbly go shopping for groceries when unsuspecting and
undeserving
people in Iraq are being killed when simply going to the market to buy
food
for their families?
We have to fast.... Reflect and ask yourself: Why aren't I?
===========
COMMENTARY:
UN envoy attacks Israel over Gaza Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/5150840.stm 2006/07/05 17:26:55 GMT
An emergency meeting of the UN's new human rights body on the Gaza
crisis has heard condemnation of Israeli policy and its effects on
civilians. Mr Dugard, the keynote UN speaker, told the session
that Israel's conduct was "morally indefensible". "Over 1,500 rounds of
artillery have been showered on Gaza," he said.
"Sonic booms terrorise the people. Transport has been seriously
disrupted by the destruction of roads and bridges. Sanitation is
threatened." While expressing sympathy for the
Israeli soldier whose capture sparked Israel's offensive last week, he
said that Israel's military action was a "disproportionate use of force
against civilians". Mr Dugard, a UN special
rapporteur on human rights in Gaza, also accused the so-called Quartet
of Mid-East mediators - the US, EU, UN and Russia - of failing to rein
in Israel.
Israel was violating in Gaza the "most fundamental norms of
humanitarian law and human rights law", UN envoy John Dugard told the
special session.
But Israel, which threatens to broaden military action, said the Human
Rights Council was ignoring its concerns.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
UAW Convention Endorses Single Payer Health Care & the Conyers Bill
> Two thousand delegates to the 34th International
> Convention of the United Auto Workers (UAW), meeting in June,
strongly
> endorsed a single payer health care system and called for passage
of legislation
> introduced by Congressman John Conyers that would implement such a
system.
> The resolution spells out the Conyers bill: "The United
States National
> Health Insurance Act, also known as 'Expanded and Improved
Medicare for All,'
> would cover every person in the US for all necessary
> medical care, including prescription drugs." The resolution
notes that
> the Conyers legislation would end deductibles and co-payments.
"The question isn't whether we can afford to have universal,
single-payer health care;
the question is, can we afford not to?" states the UAW resolution.
> The full UAW Convention resolution is available from the UAW or
from:
>
> Kay Tillow, All Unions Committee for Single Payer Health
Care-HR 676
> c/o Nurses Professional Organization
> 1169 Eastern Parkway #2218
> Louisville, KY 40217
> (502) 636 1551- nursenpo@aol.com
HR 676 now has 72 congressional co-sponsors in addition to John
Conyers.
HR 676 has been endorsed by 154 union organizations including 28
central labor
councils, two state AFL-CIO's (KY and PA), and 3 area labor
federations.
> The full list of union endorsers and a sample resolution are
available at the contact information above.
_____________________________________________________
Patriotism & The Fourth of July By Howard Zinn
In celebration of the 4th of July there will be many
speeches about the young people who 'died for their
country.' Let's be honest about war. Those who gave
their lives did not die for their country, as they were
led to believe but for their government. The
distinction between country and government is at the
heart of the Declaration of Independence, which will
be referred to again and again on July 4, but without
attention to its meaning.
According to the Declaration of Independence-the
fundamental document of democracy-governments are
artificial creations, established by the people,
'deriving their just powers from the consent of the
governed,' and charged by the people to ensure the
equal right of all to 'life, liberty, and the pursuit
of happiness.' Furthermore, as the Declaration says,
'whenever any form of government becomes destructive of
these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it.'
It is the country that is primary-the people, the
ideals of the sanctity of human life and the promotion
of liberty. When a government recklessly expends the
lives of its young for crass motives of profit and
power, always claiming that its motives are pure and
moral ('Operation Just Cause' was the invasion of
Panama and 'Operation Iraqi Freedom' in the present
instance), it is violating its promise to the country.
War is almost always a breaking of that promise. It
does not enable the pursuit of happiness but brings despair and grief.
Mark Twain, having been called a 'traitor' for
criticizing the U.S. invasion of the Philippines,
derided what he called 'monarchical patriotism.' He
said: 'The gospel of the monarchical patriotism is:
â?~The King can do no wrong.' We have adopted it with all
its servility, with an unimportant change in the
wording: â?~Our country, right or wrong!' We have thrown
away the most valuable asset we had-the individual's
right to oppose both flag and country when he believed
them to be in the wrong. We have thrown it away; and
with it, all that was really respectable about that
grotesque and laughable word, Patriotism.'
If patriotism in the best sense (not in the monarchical
sense) is loyalty to the principles of democracy, then
who was the true patriot, Theodore Roosevelt, who
applauded a massacre by American soldiers of 600
Filipino men, women, and children on a remote
Philippine island, or Mark Twain, who denounced it?
Today, U.S. soldiers are dying in Iraq and Afghanistan
are not dying for their country, they are dying for
their government. They are dying for Bush and Cheney
and Rumsfeld. And yes, they are dying for the greed of
the oil cartels, for the expansion of the American
empire, for the political ambitions of the President.
They are dying to cover up the theft of the nation's
wealth to pay for the machines of death. As of July 4,
2006, more than 2,500 US soldiers have been killed in
Iraq, more than 8,500 maimed or injured.
With the war in Iraq long delcared a 'Mission
Accomplished,' shall we revel in American military
power and-against the history of modern empires-insist
that the American empire will be beneficent?
Our own history shows something different. It begins
with what was called, in our high school history
classes, 'westward expansion'-a euphemism for the
annihilation or expulsion of the Indian tribes
inhabiting the continent, all in the name of 'progress'
and 'civilization.' It continues with the expansion of
American power into the Caribbean at the turn of the
century, then into the Philippines, and then repeated
Marine invasions of Central America and long military
occupations of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
After World War II, Henry Luce, owner of Time, LIFE,
and Fortune, spoke of 'the American Century,' in which
this country would organize the world 'as we see fit.'
Indeed, the expansion of American power continued, too
often supporting military dictatorships in Asia,
Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, because they
were friendly to American corporations and the American government.
The record does not justify confidence in Bush's boast
that the United States will bring democracy to Iraq.
Should Americans welcome the expansion of the nation's
power, with the anger this has generated among so many
people in the world? Should we welcome the huge growth
of the military budget at the expense of health,
education, the needs of children, one fifth of whom grow up in poverty?
Instead of being feared for our military prowess, we
should want to be respected for our dedication to human
rights. I suggest that a patriotic American who cares
for her or his country might act on behalf of a different vision.
Should we not begin to redefine patriotism? We need to
expand it beyond that narrow nationalism that has
caused so much death and suffering. If national
boundaries should not be obstacles to trade-some call
it 'globalization'- should they also not be obstacles to compassion and
generosity?
Should we not begin to consider all children,
everywhere, as our own? In that case, war, which in our
time is always an assault on children, would be
unacceptable as a solution to the problems of the
world. Human ingenuity would have to search for other ways.
______________
*From the Hill: "In Indian Country, don't get sick after June"
Reauthorization of the
Indian Health Care Improvement Act is vitally
important to modernize the health delivery system and save lives. Read
more on FCNL's website at
http://www.fcnl.org/issues/item.php?item_id=1949&issue_id=109
*United Nations: Political posturing, yet some hope for
progress
Last week the United Nations
convened a conference to review strategies
for addressing the illegal trade of small arms and light weapons.
Despite stalemates on continuously controversial issues, FCNL and other
arms control advocates saw promise in the U.S. support of global
principles for the trade of small arms. Find out more about the
conference and read updates from FCNL staff in attendence at
http://www.fcnl.org/issues/item.php?item_id=1836&issue_id=46
*Report Back: U.S.- India nuclear deal advances
Key House and Senate
committees in late June passed legislation (H.R.
5682) to weaken the Atomic Energy Act and pave the way for the U.S. to
sign the nuclear deal with India. However, Congress can still stop the
deal. Read more at http://www.fcnl.org/nuclear/index.htm
*From the Quakers' Colonel: The Court, the people, and
the president
Read what FCNL's Senior
Fellow, Col. Dan Smith (USA Ret.) has to say
about the Supreme Court ruling on military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay
at
http://quakerscolonel.blogspot.com/2006/06/court-people-and-president.html
Friends Committee on National Legislation/ fcnl@fcnl.org
* http://www.fcnl.org toll-free: (800)630-1330
-------
* Subcomandante Marcos Says Zapatistas Received Reports of Electoral
Fraud in Mexico Presidential Election
Mexico's presidential
election is still too close to call as electoral
authorities work round the clock to verify vote tallies from Sunday's
poll.
Populist candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador refused to accept
preliminary
results issued earlier this week alleging voter fraud. In a national
broadcast exclusive, we air an excerpt of a radio broadcast with
Zapatista
leader Subcomandante Marcos who says he also received reports of
electoral fraud.
Listen/Watch/Read http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/07/06/1349226
* Seymour Hersh: Senior Pentagon Officials Challenging
President Bush's Iran War Plans *
Pulitzer prize-winning
journalist Seymour Hersh reports that the Defense
Department has been drawing up plans, at President Bush's direction,
for a
major bombing campaign inside Iran. Hersh says that generals and
admirals
have told the Bush Administration the bombing campaign will probably not
succeed in destroying Iran's nuclear program and that war planners are
not even sure what to target.
Listen/Watch/Read http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/07/06/1349230
* Did Bush Administration Policy on North Korea Help
Provoke Ballistic Missile Tests? *
North Korea launched its
first ballistic missile tests in eight years on
Wednesday firing seven missiles over the Sea of Japan. Leon Sigal,
author of
"Disarming Strangers: Nuclear Diplomacy with North Korea" says that the
Bush
administration's policy on North Korea "provoked Kim Jong-il to
accelerate
nuclear arming and missile development."
Listen/Watch/Read http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/07/06/1349234
* With Jobs to Do, Louisiana Parish Turns to Inmates
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0705-10.htm