Judge rules "Under god" unconstitutional in pledge

A federal district court decision against use of 'under God' in public school recitations of the Pledge of Allegiance shows respect for religious diversity,

says Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton ruled today in Sacramento, Calif., that public school sponsorship of the Pledge violates students' right to be "free from a coercive requirement to affirm God."

The court's decision was correct as a matter of Establishment Clause jurisprudence,

said Americans United Legal Director Ayesha Khan.

The Constitution forbids government to intervene in religious matters.
America is a very diverse nation. We have some 2,000 different denominations and faith groups, as well as many Americans who choose no religious path at all. It is wrong for public schools to ask students to affirm a religious belief in order to express their patriotism.

(Photo: KTSM-TV, El Paso, no photographer credit available)
 

Sept. 19: Cindy Sheehan & the Bring Them Home Now bus tour

Join Cindy Sheehan, Military Families and Veterans in Manhattan


(Honor The Warrior/Veterans for Peace Sign in Tallahassee on theSouthern Tour- Sept. 6.)

Sept. 19, 6:30 p.m.
The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine,
Amsterdam Avenue at 112th St.
(1 train to 110th Street and Broadway, or B or C to 110th Street and Central Park West, Cathedral Parkway).


Cindy Sheehan and other Gold Star and military families left Crawford, Texas to go on the road with the Bring Them Home Now Bus Tour. They are participating in a citywide meeting at Riverside Church on Sept. 19 at 6:30 p.m.

The tragic effects of Katrina are on everyone's mind, and people all over the country are outraged by the Bush administration's scandalously inadequate response. Bush is wrong in Iraq just as he was wrong in his response to the needs of the people on the Gulf Coast!

Cindy Sheehan and the military families' vigil at President Bush's ranch in Crawford inspired many to speak out against the war in communities across the country. Come and be inspired by their voices, inspired to take an active role in the peace and justice movement at this critical time, inspired to help mobilize a massive outpouring of people to the Sept. 24-26 actions in Washington, DC.

Momentum is building as the tour progresses through the country for what promises to be a massive demonstration of opposition to the war in Iraq and in support of full funding for recovery in the Gulf Coast.

Come be a part of making that happen. Pick up leaflets and buy bus tickets for DC at Riverside Church.

Sponsored by the Veterans for Peace, Military Families Speak Out, Gold Star Families for Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War and United for Peace and Justice NYC

For information on their experiences in the other cities

 

Sept. 14-27: Film: The Future of Food

(Deborah Koons Garcia - Director, Writer, Producer)

Wednesday, September 14 - 27

THEATRICAL PREMIERE of THE FUTURE OF FOOD
A film by Deborah Koons Garcia

Film Forum
209 West Houston St. Box Office:
(212) 727-8110
Showtimes: 1:00, 2:50, 4:40, 6:30, 8:20, 10:10


THE FUTURE OF FOOD offers an in-depth investigation into the disturbing
truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade.

The following speakers will facilitate Q & A's after the 6:30PM screenings

Sept. 14: Deborah Koons Garcia - (Filmmaker, The Future of Food )(after 8:20 screening only)
Sept. 15: Louise Johnson (New York State Against Genetic Engineering - NYSAGE)
Sept. 17: Andrew Kimbrell (Executive Director, Center for Food
Safety)
Sept. 21: Erika Lesser (Executive Director, Slow Food USA )
Sept. 23: Ruth Katz (Executive Director, Just Food)
Sept. 24: Michael Hansen (Senior Scientist, Consumers Union)
Sept. 26: Diane Hatz (Director of Marketing and Special Projects, Global Resource Center for the Environment (GRACE)

Other events will happen at the
Bluestockings Bookstore,
172 Allen Street

Sept. 15, 8:00-9:30PM
A discussion of genetic engineering, legislative action in NY State, and the banning and labeling of GE foods, crops and animals. Join the New York City members of NYSAGE (New York State Against Genetic Engineering): Park Slope CO-OP, Flatbush CO-OP, SOS Food and the 4th Street CO-OP.
How are organizations addressing these concerns in NYC and what actions can we take?

Sept. 16, 8:00-9:30PM
A panel discussion with Deborah Koons Garcia, Michael Hansen and Anne Lappe (Small Planet Institute) as they address the political and scientific concerns relating to GMOs.

ABOUT THE FILM

The Future of Food provides an excellent overview of the key questions raised by consumers as they become aware of GM foods... [The film] draws questions to critical attention about food production that need more public debate. -Thomas J. Hoban, Nature Biotechnology Magazine

There is a food revolution happening in America today. People are seeking out farmers? markets, organic produce and good restaurants. At the same time, our food supply is increasingly controlled by multinational corporations. Over the past 10 years, the very nature of our food system has radically changed with potentially disastrous effects.
Beautifully shot, meticulously edited and hauntingly scored, THE FUTURE OF FOOD renders palatable issues that could in other hands be hard to stomach.
Eat locally, think globally.

Comprehensive and chilling... - Jason Silverman, Wired News

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD Help us create a buzz in New York through your activist networks and beyond. In order for the film to reach the widest audience possible, we are relying on people to help spread the word via their networks & friends. It is especially important that people support the film during its first weekend as the audience numbers will determine the length of its run in New York City.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED The Future of Food?s grassroots organizing team (Good Company Communications who also did the campaign for THE CORPORATION) is based in Vancouver so we need your support in NYC! We are looking for volunteers to help in a number of ways. Spread the word about THE FUTURE OF FOOD & other socially conscious projects!
To find out more please email TheFutureOfFood AT (hellocoolworld.com)

 

News from Camp Casey - NYC

("One weekend a month -- My Ass)

Despite threats from precinct command, the Camp Casey-NYC vigil continues - now in its Day 30 - in Union Square South Plaza, thanks to fearless vigil volunteers and the support of Arthur Eisenberg of NYCLU and other attorneys.

Exciting rumors from Camp Casey-NYC: Either Sunday or Monday, a POSSIBLE visit from the Bring Them Home Now Tour, coming from the Crawford, TX camp via New Orleans with: Cindy Sheehan, Gold Star Families, NYC's friend, Lisa Fithian, and others fighting to end the U.S. imperialist war on Iraq.

For more info
 

ALERT: Cuba & Haiti solidarity events changed

(Pres. Ricardo Alarcon, left, with Fidel)

***ALERT***
TO ALL FRIENDS OF CUBA AND VENEZUELA
The Cuba-Venezuela solidarity welcome event Scheduled for Sept. 16, at the Riverside Church has been changed.
There will now be two separate and complementary events one with Cuban National Assembly President Ricardo Alarcon and a second with President Hugo Chavez.

(1) Sept. 19, 7:30 PM
CUBA SOLIDARITY EVENT:
Church of the Intercession,
West 155th Street and Broadway,
Harlem,

Welcome for keynote speaker Ricardo Alarcon, Cuban National Assembly President, and for Felipe Perez Roque, the Cuban Foreign Minister,

(2)Sept. 17, 6:00 PM
VENEZUELA SOLIDARITY EVENT:
Location to be announced

Welcome for Venezuela President Hugo Chavez

----------------------------------------------------
For more information, call (212) 926-5757

IMPORTANT NOTE: SPACE IS LIMITED:
For tickets for either event, individuals are strongly encouraged to contact an organization in which they are most active, especially organizations with a history of solidarity with Cuba and Venezuela. Individuals should submit their names through only one organization.

You will need to submit, as early as possible, the names - as they appear on a photo ID, which will be required for admission - and phone number(s) for all persons who desire a ticket. Your name on a list DOES NOT guarantee a ticket. Space is very limited.
In order to submit your name and phone number(s) to the IAC list, please e-mail your information to alexMnyny@yahoo.com , or call Alex or Carol at (212) 633-6646, ext. 14. as soon as possible.

Sept. 15, 3 - 5 PM
Protests against Ariel Sharon, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Gerard Latortue
Dag Hammeskjold Plaza,
47th Street & 1st Avenue

Rally in solidarity with the people of Haiti, Palestine, and the Philippines and against the puppet governments of Gerard Latortue, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Ariel Sharon followed by brief marches to and rallies at the Philippine and Haitian consulates/missions.

 

Sept. 19: counter-recruitment march & rally

(A march and rally was held in downtown Fresno,CA. Sept. 10 to encourage students to "opt-out" of being contacted by military recruiters).

Get the Military Out of Our Schools!
Sept. 19, 5:15 - 7:00pm
The Tweed Courthouse,
52 Chambers Street, (east of Broadway, behind City Hall)
(J, M, Z to Chambers St.; 4, 5, 6 to Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall; R,W, to City Hall; 2, 3, to Park Place; #1, A, C, to Chambers)

Join with the NYC Counter Recruitment Campaign, Brooklyn Parents for Peace and others on Sept. 19 at a public meeting of the the Panel on Educational Policy or PEP (the entity that replaced the NYC School Boards) to present a resolution and to demand they initiate a high profile information awareness program to ensure that all students and parents know students personal information is being given to the military and that they can Opt-Out of this program. Also, we are demanding that organizations with a counter-recruitment message be given equal time and access to students. We'll have a picket outside and people inside where folks can sign-up to make a statement to the panel. If you want to make a statement to the board you must sign in at 5:30

Military recruiters are in our neighborhoods and schools, especially those with working class students and young people of color. The No Child Left Behind Act requires schools to give out students’ information, so that recruiters can pursue them. Recruitment policy is to entice students with promises that the military will pay for college and provide good job training. Students and parents can have this information withheld from the military by sending in an “Opt-Out” letter but most parents and students are not even aware this information is being given out.

 

Sept. 16-18: Weekend workshop: Education for Liberation

Sept. 16, 5:00 - 8:30 pm
Sept. 17, 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Sept. 18, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Education for Liberation An Introduction to the Paulo Freire Methodology Facilitators: Esperanza Martell, Marie-Claire Picher, Potri Ranka Manis

Brecht Forum
451 West Street
mail@brechtforum.org
Sliding scale: $125-$200

This is an introductory hands-on workshop in the use of popular education techniques based on the complementary approaches to Education for Liberation developed by two Brasilian cultural activists: philosopher Paulo Freire, author of "Pedagogy of the Oppressed," and theater director Augusto Boal, Workers Party (PT) activist and founder of the Theater of the Oppressed. In this introduction to the theory of the pedagogy of the oppressed and its practical application, participants will learn through practice the three basic steps of the Freire methodology: 1) to express and see reality as it is experienced by the participants; 2) to understand this reality by analyzing it and exploring the root causes of problems; and 3) to act in order to change this reality. Framed as a power analysis for decolonizing the mind and empowering oppressed communities in struggle, the workshop is designed for educators as well as labor, community, political and solidarity activists in view of helping them actively plan and implement effective strategies for social action in their groups and communities. Participants are asked to bring disposable cameras.

 

Baton Rouge, La. Rep. Baker on god and Katrina

( Rep. Richard Baker, La.)

I have been working on an analysis of the criminally delayed response of the Bush administration to the Katrina disaster. At one point I suggested that what accounted for this incompetence on the part of the current occupants of the White House - particularly compared with the speed with which they responded to the tragic situation of one woman, Terri Schiavo - was that in this case neither of the constituencies to which they pander - the rich corporate tycoons who finance them or the right-wing "Christians" who provide the electoral bodies - cared enough to alert Karl Rove. In other words, there was no right-wing fanatic like Randall Terry to get Rove to pack Bush on a plane to Washington to sign a mistakenly "life-saving" bill. Much the same can be said of the right-wing Republicans in Congress, who rushed to Schiavo's "defense."
I actually thought that many of these right-wing "Christian" leaders probably believe that Katrina was part of the "intelligent designer's" plan. And since no one told them to build an ark, they would stay out of it.
I have to admit that I didn't expect this weak attempt at humor to be proven "true" quite so soon. But according to "Democracy Now

,,, a number of Republican Congressmen have come under criticism in recent days for comments made about the hurricane.[for example], Congressman Richard Baker of Baton Rouge was overheard telling lobbyists 'We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn't do it, but God did.'

In an attempt to clear up the seeming embarrassment of the original statement, Rep. Baker said on his website

what I remember expressing, in a private conversation with a housing advocate and member of my staff, was that 'we have been trying for decades to clean up New Orleans public housing to provide decent housing for residents, and now it looks like God is finally making us do it'.

Oh, of course, Mr. Baker, I see the difference.
 

Terror in a Tiny Town by Greg Palast

(Supervisor Joshua Y. Horton
Southold, New York )

TERROR IN TINY TOWN
Greg Palast
reporting from Southold, New York

In the War on Terror, we are all on the front lines. Now Southold has apparently been targeted by Al Qaeda. I'm not surprised.

Southold, if you look at a map, is situated at the ass end of nowhere. We are known for our Strawberry Festival and fire truck parade. According to the Census, this tiny place is made up almost entirely of inbred farmers, real estate speculators and volunteer firemen.

At one end of town is the "Brand Names Outlet Mall" and the water-slide park. At the other end, there's a ferry boat that takes those who feel lucky to the Indian casino in Connecticut. And in between, there's Main Street where we hold the Strawberry Festival. (The festival is a quaint and annoying white-folks' ritual, an opportunity for backstabbing, petty infighting and all-American small-mindedness. But that's another story altogether.)

Last month, Town Supervisor Josh, with powers granted him by the Department of Homeland Security, declared a "national security emergency." (Supervisor Josh Horton is called by his first name because he was elected at the precocious age of 26 -- based, it seems, on his stellar qualifications: he wears shoes.) In light of the clear and present threat of attack, Supervisor Josh ordered every one taking the ferry boat to the Indian casino to park in the dirt lot across from the Country Store and not along Route 25.

It was just after the London bombings and Supervisor Josh insisted this was truly a matter of preparing for terrorist attack, though some locals suspected it was less about Al Qaeda and more about zoning. Supervisor Josh had been trying all year, unsuccessfully, to change the zoning on the dirt lot next to the ferryboat launch from "farming" to "parking" to boost the town's take from the inebriated gambling tourists. To scare off both Al Qaeda and parking violators, Josh has posted, care of the federal treasury, an SUV at the ferry dock armed with two .50-caliber machine guns. I kid you not.

The ferry to the Indian casino is our officially designated town "terrorism vulnerability point" (TVP). If you don't pick a "terrorism vulnerability point," the town can't get its slice of Homeland Security loot from the federal government.

All ferry passengers are now asked for their home phone numbers, though if they are suicide bombers, they will not, after they strike, be able to answer the phone. No matter.

Homeland Security assigned three guardsmen, armed and armored, to the Vulnerability Point because the town police are a little shorthanded since the crime wave in the hamlet of Greenport a couple years back. It involved some petty theft, racial slur complaints and baggies of pot sold. The crime wave ended when the village disbanded its minuscule police force -- which had committed all the crimes.

Locals are taking the heightened security at the ferry with patriotic stoicism. Our local pennysaver printed a letter from John Wronowski saying, "National security and safety [must be] at the forefront of our efforts - since September 11, 2001."

Mr. Wronowski owns the ferry boat and parking lot.

The paper, The Suffolk Times, interviewed a passenger who bravely travels to visit his inlaws twice a week. He said, with true grit, "I am not afraid."

But I am. What if there's a sleeper cell in Southold? All they have to do is review the Homeland Security website for the town's Vulnerability Point and they'll know, "Hit the water slide, Ahmad! The casino ferry's being watched!"

And there's more here that scares me. There's a jug out at the Lickety Splitz Ice Cream Parlor on Route 25 for the Cennar Family. It seems that one of the Cennar kids has been diagnosed with some terrible disease. Undoubtedly, the doctor bills are killing the family, could bankrupt them -- and the community jug is out. There's always a jug out for someone who's ill or got crippled [sic] and whose bank account has been wiped away.

And I thought: this is a national security threat. With the lumber yard shut and the plastics plants gone to China, Al Qaeda could quite easily gain a couple of recruits in our town: all Bin Laden has to do is offer health insurance.


(Greg Palast is the author of the New York Times bestseller, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy. Subscribe to his commentaries.
 

Stop the execution of Frances Newton

Stop the Execution!
Frances Newton Should Not Die!

Frances Newton is on death row in Texas and scheduled to be executed on Sept.14. Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, but it was the callousness, disorganization and racism that resulted in countless lives being lost--lives that never needed to be lost.

Protest the Execution of Frances Newton! Clog the governor's phone and fax line and flood him with e-mails to demand a halt to the execution of Frances Newton.
Governor Perry's fax number: 1-512-463-1849
Governor Perry's phone number: 1-512-463-2000
Governor's opinion hotline number: 1-512-463-1782
Texas Board of Pardons and Parole fax number: 1-512-467-0945
To send an email, click here .

Wednesday, Sept.14, 5:30 PM
Meet at the Governor?s Mansion in Austin, 11th and Lavaca
Visit freefrances.org to e-mail petitions to stop the execution.

And now the state of Texas is set to add one more casualty--Frances Newton. Frances is set to be executed in Texas on Sept.14th. She, like many of the victims in Louisiana, is a poor, Black woman who has been failed by our inept and racist government. So many of the victims in Louisiana could have gotten out IF they had money, IF they had a car, IF they had help and support. One could say the same of Frances. IF she had a decent trial attorney, she most likely never would have been convicted, let alone sentenced to death. IF she had the money to have had a full investigation done prior to trial, and IF she wasn't left prey to the forensic lab that took a main piece of evidence and contaminated it by sticking it in with a bunch of other clothing, Frances would likely not be facing an execution date.
Now, Frances' new attorney has unraveled the case and shown that Frances is- by all accounts- innocent. So why is Governor Perry going forward with the execution? Hasn't there been enough death already? What's more, the reasons that compelled Perry to grant Frances a stay back in December 2004 have only grown.

Fighting the Death Penalty: A New Civil Rights Struggle Fifth Annual Convention in Chicago on Nov. 12 & 13.

Chapters should consider doing a meeting on this case and possibly an action on the 14th to coincide with the demonstration in Texas. To make up flyers and for more information about Frances' case go to.

From this site, you can send e-mail petitions to various representatives, including Gov. Perry. We should flood these politicians with as many emails as possible, urging a halt to this execution.

 

Sept. 20: G8 screening & reportback

Sept. 20, 8PM
G8 2005 Screening and Reportback
49 E. Houston St,

On Sept. 20th there will be a screening of NYC Indymedia footage from the 2005 G8 protests at the Times Up space at 49 E. Houston St. The screening will be followed by a reportback from individuals who attended the protests and an update on actions planned for the Sept. 24 protests in Washington, DC.

During July of 2005, the G8 (Group of Eight, most industrialized nations) summit was held at Gleneagles in Perthshire, Scotland. Thousands of protestors from around the world showed up to disrupt the summit. Actions ranged from a gigantic march organized by a coalition called Make Poverty History (the largest march in Scottish History) to roaming blockades organized by the Dissent! Network, a network of international anti-authoritarian groups.

U.S. activists who went to join in with international activists will discuss the successes and failures of the protests. There will also be a discussion of if similar tactics should or should not be employed at demonstrations in the United States. Following the screening and discussion, there will be an update on plans that are developing for the upcoming September 24th protest in Washington, DC.

For more information, visit times-up or nyc.indymedia.

 

Bush and his cronies must be held accountable

This unfeeling president should be held accountable
By Carla Binion

The novelist E. L. Doctorow once said of George W. Bush, "He is the president who does not feel. He does not feel for the families of the dead, he does not feel for the 35 million of us who live in poverty." Bush's disconnect from normal human feeling, his general lack of seriousness and abysmal leadership skills have always been evident. His response to the recent hurricane has only highlighted them. What are the consequences of our failure to hold Bush accountable?
Bush's demeanor has been eerily upbeat as thousands of corpses floated through the streets of New Orleans. He said in one recent speech, "The good news is - and it's hard for some to see it now - that out of this chaos is going to come a fantastic Gulf Coast, like it was before. Out of the rubbles of Trent Lott's house - he's lost his entire house - there's going to be a fantastic house. And I'm looking forward to sitting on the porch."
The emotional disconnect runs in the family. After viewing hurricane evacuees at the Houston Astrodome, the president's mother, Barbara Bush, said: "So many of the people in the arena here, you know were underprivileged anyway, so this is working very well for them."
If any of us ever doubted that empathy and mature seriousness are necessary character traits in a political leader, few doubt it now. Bush's response to Hurricane Katrina and his failure to promptly aid hurricane victims contributed to thousands, possibly as many as ten thousand, needless deaths. This could be described as criminal negligence or murder by neglect.

(to read complete article)
 

Sept. 15: The Colder Side of Global Warming

Sept. 15, 6:30 - 9:00 PM

The Colder Side of Global Warming
by Thomas H. Wysmuller,
Retired meteorologist (weather scientist) formerly with NASA.


Slide Presentation and Discussion
Free Admission

Friends Meeting House
15 Rutherford Place
New York, NY
(on 15th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues)


How will global warming cause the next ice age to occur in this century?
How soon?
How does global warming increase hurricanes' power?
What can we do to stop it?

The radio version of this talk, without the visual presentation and without the discussion afterward, can be found here
 

Sept. 13: 100th Anniversary of the Wobblies

Sept. 13, 6:30 PM
100th Anniversary of the Wobblies
A New York City Celebration of the IWW Centenary

CUNY Graduate Center365 5th Ave. (at 34th St), NYC
Free Admission

The hundredth anniversary of the Industrial Workers of the World will be celebrated by artists, historians, musicians and today's Wobbly organizers. The event will feature performances, talks and a slide show commemorating the Wobblies role in Labor history.

Featuring:
DANIEL GROSS (Starbucks Workers Union, IWW)
PAUL BUHLE (historian; Senior Lecturer, Browne University; co-editor of 'Wobblies! A Graphic History')
HENRY FONER (Labor activist, musician, historian)
JOHN PIETARO (protest musician, Labor organizer, writer)
PETER KUPER (artist)
NICOLE SCHULMAN (artist; co-editor of 'Wobblies! A Graphic History')
SABRINA JONES (artist)
SETH TOBOCMAN (artist)

This event will also be the official release party of the new CD 'I DREAMED I HEARD JOE HILL LAST NIGHT...A CENTURY OF IWW SONG' by John Pietaro & The Flames of Discontent

Plus, an exhibit of original art from the "Wobblies!" book will be up in the exhibition hall (near the student center, ground floor) at CUNY grad center through Sept. 23rd.

for more info call 212-817-8215 or write to continuinged@gc.cuny.edu
 

Sept. 13: Pastors for Peace Katrina material aid caravan

(Pastors for Peace stopped in Crawford Texas on August 15th to support Cindy Sheehan in her vigil outside the Bush ranch).

Pastors for Peace Katrina Caravan: leaving with material aid on
Sept. 13. More info/donations: 212-926-5757, p4p@igc.org

Aid Caravan for Louisiana and Mississippi
Pastors for Peace is mobilizing for a Gulf Coast caravan. We are collecting bottled water, powdered milk, diapers, food and personal hygiene items for southern Louisiana and Mississippi. The aid will be delivered to local community and church groups who are feeding and caring for their neighbors. If you can organize a collection drop off point call Lucia Bruno at 347-423-4330. For donations and other information: IFCO/Pastors for Peace voicemail (212) 926-5757 or email: p4p@igc.org
To support this work, make a donation to IFCO/Pastors for Peace or call Lucia Bruno at 347-423-4330.
 

Sept. 15: CUNY says "no" to war

Sept. 15, 7pm

CUNY SAYS NO TO WAR

Hunter College
Thomas Hunter Building Room 202 Student Resource Center 68th and Lexington
(6 train to 68th street)

Money For Hurricane Victims, Not for War!
Military Recruiters Out of Our Schools!
End the Occupation, Bring the Troops Home Now!

Featuring :
Feranando Brago
Iraq War Veteran and Hunter College Student, member of Iraq Veterans Against the War

Chris Dugan
Former Military recruiter and member of the Campus Anti-war Network

Justino Rodriquez
Anti-war activist at City College who was arrested for protesting military recruiters at their school but organized and fought back and had all their charges dropped.

And a CUNY Professor from Educators to Stop the War

With all the justifications for the War in Iraq, from weapons of mass destruction to democracy being proven a lie, millions of people across the country are turning against the war. Meanwhile the priorities of our government are being shown as thousands of poor and black people in New Orleans are dying from starvation and floods with no aid, while billions are spent to kill the people of Iraq.

Already 1,871 U.S. troops have died and it is estimated that more than 100,000 Iraqis have been killed by this illegal war. Bush's approval ratings have hit there all time low at 35 percent while polls show that 55 percent of Americans want the troops to come home now. Wherever Bush has gone he has faced anti-war protestors and
anger from military mothers, to veterans, and ordinary citizens furious at this war and racist neglect of the people of New Orleans.

As the U.S. government seeks more bodies to fight this unjust war military recruiters have stepped up their actions in NYC and at CUNY schools targeting poor and working class students with false promises of money for college and jobs. But students have fought back across the country kicking military recruiters out of
their schools and exposing their lies. It's time that CUNY students and professors come together to organize and say no to war! Come to a panel and discussion with other CUNY students and Professors to discuss how we at CUNY can fight to end this unjust and illegal war and keep military out of ourr schools!

Organized by
The Campus Anti-war Network
Educators to stop the War
UFT'ers to Stop the war

For more information please contact: Frankie ? 631-398-4332 , FrankieCook84@gmail.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CAN-NY-NJ/CAN-NY-NJ-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

 

Sept. 15: Anti-Roberts Rally

Sept. 15, 5:30PM

Rally to Save the Supreme Court!

Union Square Park,

Join NOW-NYC and dozens of other progressive groups as we unite in opposition to the nomination of John Roberts as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

Speakers:
Mary Alice Carr (Deputy Director of NARAL Pro-Choice New York)
Hazel Dukes (President, NAACP-NYS)
Margarita Lopez (Council Member for NYC District 2)
Norman Siegel (Past President NYACLU)
and many more?

Performers:
Church Ladies for Choice
Greene Dragons
Sandy Rapp
and many more?

Co-Sponsors:
NARAL Pro-Choice New York; People for the American Way - NY; NAACP - NYS; MALDEF; Pro-Choice Public Education Project; National Council of Jewish Women, New York; LGBT Center; New Deomocratic Majority; Alliance for Justice; Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, Metro New York; Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, New Jersey; Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, Western New York; NOW-NYU; Reproductive Choice Association; ADA Watch & National Coalition for Disability Rights (list in formation)



 

A.N.S.W.E.R. response to so-called "Freedom Walk"

A.N.S.W.E.R. response to so-called "Freedom Walk"
Statement from Brian Becker
National Coordinator, A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition
Today's so-called "Freedom Walk" sponsored by the Pentagon is a cynical exercise in an effort to shore up sagging support for the president and his war policy in Iraq. The Pentagon created a sanitized "Freedom Walk" that allows only registered walkers. Anyone trying to join the "Freedom Walk" today with a sign condemning the war in Iraq would be arrested. The Bush administration is shameless. It is simply using the victims of September 11 as nothing more than a prop for their stage managed photo op.
On September 24, 2005, hundreds of thousands of people will be demonstrating in Washington DC, San Francisco and Los Angeles opposing the war in Iraq. This demonstration will in fact represent the majority sentiment in the United States, which clearly rejects Bush's war of aggression and occupation in Iraq. We will demand "Bring the troops home now" and "Fund human needs, Not war."
 

Sept. 14-16:Summer of prayer and advocacy to overcome Global Poverty

September 14-16

TO OVERCOME GLOBAL POVERTY
Make your voice heard at an Interfaith Vigil in the SUMMER OF PRAYER AND ADVOCACY
3 Days of Prayer and Fasting

As world leaders gather at the United Nations Headquarters for the World Summit, religious leaders and people of faith concerned about global poverty will also unite in New York at a public vigil for 3 days of prayer, fasting, and witness. During the 3 days, Americans of faith will ask U.S. leaders to increase aid to fight global poverty by 1 percent of the U.S. federal budget-or $25 billion over five years-to fulfill the promises of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which aim to significantly reduce global poverty by 2015. (

All events at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza at 47th St. and 2nd Ave. unless otherwise noted.)

Day 1: Sept. 14
11 a.m. - Noon - Beginning the Fast: First hour of prayer and fasting
Noon - 1 p.m. - Memorial Service and press conference with former
Archbishop Desmond Tutu (above)
1 p.m. - 3 p.m. - Voices of Prayer and Advocacy: Preaching on the MDGs
6 p.m. - 7 p.m. - Evening Vigil

Day 2: Sept. 15
8 a.m. - 9 a.m. - Morning Worship: And the Children Shall Lead Them9 a.m. - 11 a.m. - Labyrinth Walk: Prayer and Meditation on the MDGs
Noon - 1 p.m. - Noon hour of prayer and fasting
4 p.m. - 5 p.m. - Youth Speak Out!
5 p.m. - 6 p.m. - World Summit Briefing
6 p.m. - 7 p.m. - Evening Vigil

Day 3: Sept. 16
8 a.m. - 9 a.m. - Morning Worship
9 a.m. - 11 a.m. - Labyrinth Walk: Prayer and Meditation on the MDGs
11 a.m. - Noon - Noon hour rally
Noon � 2 p.m. � Walk to the U.S. Mission
2 - 4 p.m. - Breaking the Fast: Closing celebration with Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane and Jim Wallis.

For more information, and to join the fast,
or call 1-800-714-7474.
To volunteer, e-mail kmclark2@gmail.com .
Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, New York City (47th Street and 2nd Avenue)

Summer of Prayer and Advocacy sponsors include:
American Jewish World Service; Anglican Consultative Council; Bread for the World, Church World Service; Catholic Relief Services; Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation; Global Call to Action Against Poverty; Lutheran Office for World Community, Micah Challenge; National Association of Hindu Temples; Religions for Peace-USA; Sojourners; United Methodist General Board of Church and Society; UN Millennium Campaign; VIVAT International Desmond Tutu

 

Wed. Eves: End the War Vigil (Staten Island)

(A US Military graves detail buries the bodies of dead Iraqi soldiers killed along the Mile of Death, on the road between Kuwait City and Basra, north of Kuwait City.)

Vigil To End The War In Iraq - Staten Island, NYC
Wednesday Evenings from 7:30 to 8:30 PM
On the steps of boro hall, opposite the SI Ferry Terminal
[#1 to South Ferry; 4,5 to Bowling Green; R,W to Whitehall]

Bring: Candles, Signs, Enthusiasm for Change

Peace Action Staten Island and friends (including members of the NYC War Resisters League, the Socialist Party and Veterans For Peace) are holding weekly one hour vigils on the steps of Boro Hall, Staten Island.
We are vigiling to protest the war in Iraq and the refusal of the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave to meet with Cindy Sheehan. This week the issue of the government's lethal non-response to Katrina will also be highlighted.
This is a regular vigil, held in a dramatic location - with the SI Ferry and New York City's harbour in the background - and in a boro known for its conservative politicians. Please join us and/our spread the word.

Info: Thomas Good, NYC WRL - 347.524.5631

(Photo: Peter Turley/Corbis).


 

9/11-9/12: Volunteers needed

Who wants to get paint-y?!

Not An Alternative is working this weekend on a project for Oxfam International -- a press conferenece/media stunt for
the UN World Summit.

In short: It's a two week project that we're trying to complete in two days, and we desperately need folks to come help us paint things, stencil things, hammer nails into things, staplegun things... you get the idea. No talent required; willingness to get grubby helpful. Bring laughs and love -- we have everything else.

WHEN + WHERE:

9/11; 9/12
10am - 8pm (and beyond, I'm sure)
The Change You Want to See Gallery84 Havemeyer St (at the corner of Metropolitan)
Williamsburg, BK
Phone: 917-202-5479
Email: info@thechangeyouwanttosee.org

(Lightning-quick directions to the gallery:
L train to Bedford Ave, walk south, left onto Metropolitan. Havemeyer is
3 blocks down on the right.
G train to Metropolitan, walk west toward the water, Havemeyer is a
fewblocks down on the left.
J/M/Z to Marcy, walk west on Broadway, right on Havemeyer, we're 5
blocks down at the end of the street.)

Volunteers are also needed for a Tuesday early morning setup... details available at the Gallery.

xoxo
deanna

 

Sept. 16: Play: Burning Bush

Democrats.com invites you to an exciting evening of conservatively-incorrect theater...

Sept. 16, 8:30 PM

BURNING BUSH: A Faith-Based Musical

Written and directed by Noah Diamond and Amanda Sisk.

HERE Arts Center ,
145 Sixth Avenue
(between Spring and Broome)
Tickets are $15 ($10 for HERE members)
(If you can't join us on Friday night, there will also be performances on Thursday 9/15 and Saturday 9/17 at 8:30 p.m.)

From Pesident Bush's childhood ("Father, I cannot tell the truth -- that tree illicitly sought to purchase the equipment needed to enrich uranium!"), to his devotion to his soul mate ("Honey, Karl would like a beer"), to his disastrous stolen presidency, it's all here -- with songs! The score, played live by members of the rock band Death Mask, features such imminent hits as "On the March," "Jesus's Jihad," and "Alberto Gonzales, You're Torturing Me!" Rounding out the rogues gallery are Bush's friends (Rice, Rumsfeld, Dick "The Creature" Cheney) and his enemies (the American people).
From the people who dared to bring you last year's Republican Convention satire City Under Siege, and the blog Nero Fiddled , BURNING BUSH is political sketch comedy and a live, satirical documentary. It may be the funniest musical ever to demand the impeachment of a terrorist dictator!

Starring Amanda Sisk, Corey Moosa, Ellie Dvorkin, Kim Moscaritolo, Noah Diamond, and Brian Hoffman as George W. Bush. Music played live by members of Death Mask: Mike Biskup, Drew Brady, Steve Dans, and Boris Veysman. Co-produced by Corey Moosa.
For more info
 

Katrina and Global Warming

Here's an important take on Katrina

The U.S. after Katrina
By Bill McKibben

If the images of skyscrapers collapsed in heaps of ash were the end of one story -- the U.S. safe on its isolated continent from the turmoil of the world -- then the picture of the sodden Superdome with its peeling roof marks the beginning of the next story, the one that will dominate our politics in the coming decades of this century: America befuddled about how to cope with a planet suddenly turned unstable and unpredictable.
Over and over last week, people said that the scenes from the convention center, the highway overpasses, and the other suddenly infamous Crescent City venues didn't "look like America," that they seemed instead to be straight from the Third World. That was almost literally accurate, for poor, black New Orleans (whose life had never previously been of any interest to the larger public) is not so different from other poor and black parts of the world: its infant mortality and life expectancy rates, its educational achievement statistics mirroring scores of African and Latin American enclaves.

But it was accurate in another way, too, one full of portent for the future.

(read more )

 

Mexico: Wal-Mart's Plans for Indigenous Areas Under Fire

Construction workers lay tin roofing on a new Wal-Mart store under construction near major Mexican archaeological ruins at Teotihuacan, with the Pyramid of the Sun visible in the background, on September 2, 2004.

From Inter Press Service News Agency

MEXICO:
Wal-Mart's Plans for Indigenous Areas Under Fire

Diego Cevallos

MEXICO CITY, Aug 25 (IPS) - The U.S.-based retail giant Wal-Mart, which last year opened a store near the ancient Teotihuacan pyramids of Mexico despite loud protests from local activists and small businesses, is now seeking a repeat of its earlier victory, this time in two heavily indigenous areas. But local opponents are set for a pitched battle.

This time we will definitely keep Wal-Mart from continuing its attack on Mexico's culture and its people,

said Lorenzo Trujillo, head of the Civic Front for the Defence of Teotihuacan Valley, a coalition made up of local residents and shopkeepers from the internationally renowned archaeological zone.

We will occupy public offices and will do everything necessary to impede Wal-Mart's cultural plunder,

the activist told IPS.

(for complete story)

(Photo courtesy REUTERS/Henry Romero)
 

Sept. 16-Oct. 15: Logos Film/lecture Series

Sept. 17-Oct. 15, 1 PM
Logos Film Lectures - Politics and Film
Anthology Film Archives,
32 Second Ave.
See classic films and then discuss them.
Admission: $16. Students and seniors: $12.

Sept. 17, Hearts and Minds, documentary on the Vietnam War discussed by Frances Fox Piven, author The War at Home.

Sept. 24 Mamma Roma, the story of a middle-aged prostitute struggling to get her life in order discussed by Stanley Aronowitz, author Just Around the Corner: The Paradox of the Jobless Recovery.

Oct. 1 Monty Python's The Life of Brian, Monty Python's hilarious critique of religion discussed by Ian Williams, author of Rum: A Social and Sociable History.

Oct. 8 The Battle of Algiers>, the story of the fight of Algerian liberation discussed by Stephen Eric Bronner, author of Blood in the Sand: Imperial Fantasies, Right-Wing Ambitions, and the Erosion of American Democracy.

Oct. 15 General Idi Amin Dada>, a biographical doc on the Ugandan dictator discussed by Christian Parenti, author of The Freedom: Shadows and Hallucinations in Occupied Iraq.