CONTENTS:
PHILLY & PA ACTION:
Protest the Bush Agenda of War & Militarism, of "Staying The
Course" of Death and Occupation
Is Reality whatever the Daily News says it is?
Action Plan for the Minimum Wage Campaign
"Rights on the Line" Philadelphia premiere
Oppose Risky Philly Energy Plan
Philadelphia Area Black Radical Congress invites YOU to a Pre-Kwanzaa
Celebration
Peace Event scheduled outside Senator Specter's home Sunday Dec 18th at
2PM
Tell Newspapers & Sen. Santorum: Seniors Won't be Fooled by
Misleading Ads
WHYY, THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS AND THE COMMITTEE OF SEVENTY LAUNCH
"THE NEXT MAYOR" PROJECT
----------------
NATIONAL ACTION:
Help Support Impoverished Families! Purchase beautiful gifts from
Palestine!
Quick vote about the war on CNN NOW! GO THERE!
Don't Evict Victims of Domestic Violence
NARAL Pro-Choice America - GET YOUR FRIENDS TO SIGN THE STOP ALITO
PETITION: Less than ONE WEEK LEFT!
Heat regulation to prevent heat deaths expires Dec. 21- United Farm
Workers
Torture: What are the U.S. Obligations to Prevent? - FCNL
On-line Journal from Damascus /War News Radio Perspective on Iraq
-----------------
COMMENTARY;
* Letter from Sharon Olds to Laura Bush
* Jury Acquits Jailed Palestinian Professor of Several Charges in Major
Blow to Bush Administration
* Thirty Years After the Indonesian Invasion of East Timor, Will the
U.S. Be Held Accountable for its Role in the Slaughter?
* Extraordinary Rendition Under Fire: Lawsuit Charges CIA with
Kidnapping and Torture of German Citizen *
* For God and Country: Faith and Patriotism Under Fire by James Yee
* WHY MANY BLACKS OPPOSE TOOKIE'S CLEMENCY, Earl Ofari Hutchinson,
Pacific News Service
* LIBERALISM'S BRAIN ON DRUGS, Ryan Grim, In These Times
* So what About Wal-Mart, Why Not Just subsidize its low-paid workers
through Medicaid ?
* CONGRESS PASSES BILL ESTABLISHING WILDERNESS AREA IN THE CARIBBEAN
NATIONAL FOREST IN PUERTO RICO
----------------
Sad News8
==============
PHILLY & PA ACTION:
Protest the Bush Agenda of War & Militarism, of "Staying The
Course" of Death and Occupation
George Bush is Coming to Phila.on Monday (December 12) to speak to the
Phila. World Affairs Council at the Phila.
Marriott Hotel, 1201 Market Street. His words of war will not be the
only Ones heard on Monday in Philadelphia.
Gather at Noon on the west
side of Phila. City Hall, 15th &Market Sts. for a reading of the
names of war dead - Iraqi and U.S. -and voices of war resistance
and justice. - Philadelphia Anti-War Forum" <pawf@critpath.org>
_________________________________________________________________________
Is reality real, or is it whatever the
Daily News says it is- From:Stanley Shapiro shapsj@comcast.net
Hi folks, At our One Philly meeting last week we
talked about the need to get our case out that Councilman Nutter's bill
to cut and then eliminate the Business Privilege tax is a threat to
every Philadelphian. We asked many of you to list the services that you
may know of that have already been cut, or that are important to you
that may be cut. Once we get this information, we plan to hold a press
conference to get it out. I have gotten a few responses but we need
many more. Please send any information, even impressions you have, to
me at the above email address.
So now, according to the Daily News , it is time to leave
your worries behind regarding such things as underfunded pension funds,
thousands of possible winter heat shutoffs, soaring property taxes. And
all the other services that will surely be eliminated or sharply cut
when we take the BPT's $350 million out of future City budgets.
The Council vote on this year's bill to first cut and then wipe out the
tax will occur soon. We need to put on the record the damage that has
been and will be done to health, police, fire, libraries, homeless care
and other vital city programs if Nutter's bill goes through. Please
send me whatever you can and indicate your willingness to be part of a
press conference to get this real news out.
And come to our next meeting, Monday, December 12 from 12-2, to help
plan our future response to the all out propaganda campaign that has
been launched against the idea of government in Philadelphia.
___________________________________________________________________________
Action Plan for the
Minimum Wage Campaign
New radio ads in Altoona, PA for Senator Jubilier (Senate President
ProTem)
calling for him to schedule a vote on Minimum Wage.
Senator Brightbill (Majority Leader) has stated that he will not bring
the minimum wage up for a vote and that few if any minimum wage workers
live in his district.
Thus, the Coaltion decided to travel to Lebanon, PA on Tuesday, Dec. 13
and hold a press conference at Brightbill's office to release a study
from the Keystone Research Center that shows up to 10,000 of his
constituents would benefit from an increase in the minimum wage to
$7.15. We will go on from there to Harrisburg to lobby the Senate
and hold a press conference announcing the numbers of workers by
county that would benefit from a minimum wage increase. We need
your participation. Please contact us by return email or call
215-557-0822 if you can take part in the December 13 events. Cars
will leave from 1201 Chestnut St at 7 :45AM.
We will also start running radio ads in Brightbill's district on the
need to raise the minimum wage.
We agreed to work to promote "Living Wage Days" during the Matin Luther
King Holiday weekend and holiday January 14-16, 2006. This is an
effort led by Let Justice Roll, an ecumenical group, to
raise the issue of decent wages and income and a higher minimum wage in
religious services and MLK programs during the holiday. Thier web
page for more information is http://www.letjusticeroll.org/.
_________________________________________________________________________
"Rights on the Line" Philadelphia premiere! -- 14
DE DICIEMBRE: "Derechos en la frontera"
Wednesday, December 14,
2005 6:00-8:00 PM
Friends Center - 1501 Cherry
Street
Please join: American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania,,American
Friends Service Committee - Project Voice
andPennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition
Followed by a panel
discussion on local and national anti-immigrant attacks.
The film (http://www.afsc.org/immigrants-rights/RightsOnTheLineCRUAFSC)
tells the story of anti-immigrant attacks and policies at the US-Mexico
border from the point of view of those most directly affected, and
reveals the underlying motivations of the "Minuteman Project"
vigilantes. For more information (215) 241-7124
_____________________________________________________________________
Oppose Risky Philly Energy Plan
Oppose PGW's dangerous plans to build a dangerous liquefied natural gas
(LNG) import facility in Northeast Philadelphia. If constructed,
ships carrying this volatile fuel up the Delaware River would pose a
grave risk to our communities. Studies have shown that an
accident on one of these vessels could injure people up to a mile away,
potentially affecting neighborhoods from South Philly and Bella Vista
to Northern Liberties and Bridesburg. If you haven't contacted Mayor
Street and our at-large city council members yet, please take a moment
to do so. Then ask your family and friends to get involved by
forwarding this email to them.
Take action: http://www.pennenvironment.org/PE.asp?id=268&id4=ES
____________________________________________________________
The Philadelphia Area Black Radical Congress
invites YOU to a Pre-Kwanzaa Celebration
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15TH,
2005, 6:30P.M.
FRIENDS CENTER 1501 CHERRY
STREET
Education Not Incarceration Not Militarism - Let Us Reflect:
Looking At The Past, Looking Toward The Future
Update On Darfur / Update On Haiti/ Update On Mumia Abu Jamal/ Update
On Philadelphia Schools
Entertainment, Refreshments will be served, Bring Something To
Share, Information: 215-848-1806
_______________________________________________________________________________
Peace Event scheduled outside Senator Specter's
home Sunday Dec 18th at 2PM
Senator Arlen Specter's home
will be the focal point of a Winter Solstice Peace Event at 2:00 p.m.
on Sunday, December 18, sponsored by several peace organizations which
belong to the Philadelphia Regional Anti-War Network (PRAWN).
"He's way overdue on speaking out on this war," said Celeste Zappala, a
Mount Airy resident who lost a son in Iraq and who is a member of
Military Families Speak Out. "If Cindy Sheehan could go all the way to
Texas to Bush's ranch, we can certainly go a few blocks to Senator
Specter's house," said Chris Robinson, a member of the Northwest Peace
and Justice Movement.
Corner of Timber Lane and
Schoolhouse Lane in East Falls. (Specter lives at 4111 Timber Lane).
The Winter Solstice Peace Event at Specter's home on December 18 has
been endorsed by the Green Party of Philadelphia, Northwest Peace
Coalition, Northwest Peace and Justice Movement, Peace Action of
Delaware Valley, Philadelphia War Resisters League, PRAWN (the
Philadelphia Regional Anti-War Network), and Women's International
League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF).
----------
Meanwhile, Specter's office in the Federal Building, 6th and Market
Streets in Center City, was targeted by the Philadelphia Affinity Group
on December 7 to ask him to initiate and sponsor legislation in
the Senate to allow Pentagon funds in Iraq to be used only for the safe
and orderly withdrawal of U.S. troops. Such legislation -- H.R. 4232
"The End the War in Iraq Act of 2005" -- has already been introduced in
the House of Representatives by Congressman James McGovern (D-MA).
__________________________________________________________________
Tell Newspapers & Sen. Santorum: Seniors
Won't be Fooled by Misleading Ads
Recently, a shadowy group called Americans for Job Security has been
airing blatantly false television ads pertaining to Rick Santorum (R -
PA) and Social Security. Don't let Senator Santorum and this
group get away with these lies. Call the local television stations that
are airing these falsehoods and tell them that the controversial ads
distort Santorum's Social Security objectives. In just the past two
weeks, Santorum has been on the Senate floor in Washington trying to
enact his latest privatization scheme that would take the funds
reserved for the baby boomers' Social Security and privatize it.
Please use this link to get in touch with your local stations:
http://www.tvradioworld.com/region1/pa/
Also, call Senator Santorum's office directly and say that you
know these ads are false and the Senator is a career privatizer. The
Senator's local office phone numbers within Pennsylvania are:
Pittsburgh: 412-562-0533/ Philadelphia: 215-864-6900/ Harrisburg:
717-231-7540/ Scranton: 570-344-8799
Erie: 814-454-7114/ Allentown: 610-770-0142 /Altoona: 814-946-7023
/Coudersport: 814-274-9773
If you have any questions
about this message, please contact David Blank of the Alliance for
Retired Americans Department of Government and Political Affairs
at dblank@retiredamericans.org .
____________________________________________________________________________________
WHYY, THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS AND THE
COMMITTEE OF SEVENTY LAUNCH "THE NEXT MAYOR" PROJECT
"Project will help local residents understand and participate in 2007
mayoral campaign"
The two media forces have
launched THE NEXT MAYOR, an innovative, two-year, multi-media
partnership. In print, on the radio, on television, on the Internet and
in the community the two news operations will focus on the issues - not
just the personalities - leading to the 2007 mayor's race. These two
award-winning, news agencies are joined in this groundbreaking
initiative by The Committee of Seventy, Philadelphia's better
government advocacy group.
Information please visit
Seventy's website Web: www.seventy.org// Email:
amahlum@seventy.org
=============
NATIONAL ACTION:
Help Support Impoverished Families! Purchase beautiful gifts from
Palestine!
Dear Friends, As you know the Israeli occupation army shuts
down Beitlehm and many other Palestinian cities for the Christmas
holidays and puts more restrictions on the movement of humans, donkeys
and goods. This means that we cannot get goods out of Palestine
after December 15th, 2005 and all orders will have to wait till after
the holidays. If you wish to buy cases of olive oil, honey,
olive oil soap from Palestine please do that as soon as possible. Also,
if you wish to buy arts and crafts, single orders of olive oil or soap,
embroidery, please do that soon as we will not able to ship anywhere in
the United States or Europe due to the restrictions of time and
deadlines imposed by the United States Postal Services.
We
would greatly appreciate your support by placing your order this week
so we can ship it to you as soon as possible and your help by
forwarding our link
http://www.pcwf.org
to your family, friends and colleagues will be deeply appreciated.
Looking forward to hearing from you and thanks again for your
patience and support.
Salamat,
Riad Hamad
http://www.pcwf.org
, http://www.paypalestine.com,
Palestine Children's Welfare Fund. 201 W. Stassney # 201, Austin, Texas
78745 Click to buy Palestinian arts and crafts online, sponsor a
Palestinian child ,buy a flag or a kufiya, donate a book to teach one
or plant an olive/ orange tree in Palestine to honor a loved one
_______________________________________________________________________
Quick vote about the war on CNN NOW! GO
THERE! Do you agree with Howard Dean that the Iraq war
cannot be won? Vote now:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/12/06/dean.iraq/index.html
______________________________________________________________
Don't Evict Victims of Domestic Violence/ WOMAN
ORDERED EVICTED FROM APARTMENT AFTER BEING SHOT
A North Carolina woman has a new problem, after surviving six gunshot
wounds and a jump from her second-story balcony to escape the man
trying to kill her. Now, she's being evicted from her apartment.
Nationwide, victims of domestic violence and stalking are being evicted
from their apartments for screaming for help, for calling the police,
or simply for being the victims of crime. Why? Because instead of
holding the offenders accountable, the landlords consider the victims
to be the "problem tenant."
Sections 606 and 607 of the
Violence Against Women Act protect victims from being evicted due to
crimes committed against them. These provisions were included in the
Senate version of VAWA (S. 1197) that passed unanimously in October.
However, the House bill (S. 3402) did not include any housing
provisions.
The House Financial Services
Committee must now decide if they will agree to allow Sections 606 and
607 to be included in the final version of VAWA. They will be making
this decision the week 12/5.
Members of the House
Financial Services Committee must hear from you now or these
desperately need protections will be stripped from VAWA!! Please call
your Representatives plus the following members:
Michael G. Oxley (R-4th-OH)
Chairman (p) 202.225.2676
Sue W. Kelly (R-19th-NY)
Vice Chairwoman (p) 202.225.5441
Barney Frank (D-4th-MA)
Ranking Member (p) 202.225.5931
Tell them:
*Your name and the city and state you are calling from. "Victims of
domestic violence should not be evicted due to the crimes committed
against them. Please ensure that Sections 606 and 607 remain in the
Violence Against Women Act." *Tell them why it is important to you and
your community that these protections stay in VAWA. Share with them any
stories or information you may have regarding these issues.
*"Thank you for helping to protect victims of domestic violence from
unfair evictions."
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
NARAL Pro-Choice America - GET YOUR FRIENDS TO
SIGN THE STOP ALITO PETITION: Less than ONE WEEK LEFT!
http://prochoiceaction.org/campaign/sen_scotus_alito_103105/forward/w878kbsrh5immwd?
Here's what it comes down to: New evidence shows that Alito devised
legal strategies to dismantle and eventually
overturn Roe v. Wade. He has even written that "the Constitution does
not protect a right to an abortion."
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Heat regulation to prevent heat deaths expires
Dec. 21: Send your email today! From: United Farm Workers
Thousands of you helped us prevent further tragedies in the fields when
six Central Valley farm workers died due to extreme heat last summer.
Four of these needless deaths came during a three-week period this past
July. Some deaths occurred after growers or farm labor contractors
ordered work speed ups when temperatures soared above 100 degrees. The
United Farm Workers asked Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to issue an
emergency regulation to prevent future tragedies. With your help,
California government stepped up to the plate and issued the first
temporary emergency heat regulation in the nation.
Please tell the state to act once again. We do not want to endure
another summer of carnage in California agriculture.
Go to: http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/heatregs1205/5gggws447w6d53?
_________________________________________________________________
Torture: What are the U.S. Obligations to
Prevent? - FCNL
The public outcry against torture is strengthening the hand of those
within the U.S. government who oppose torture and want to prohibit its
use. We want to encourage all our FCNL constituents to back them up
with informed comment and with encouragement to sustain government
advocates of a world free from the threat of torture.
Read more about these issues at http://www.fcnl.org/issues/issue.php?issue_id=67
The Next Step for Iraq: Join FCNL's Iraq Campaign, http://www.fcnl.org/iraq/
Contact Congress and the Administration: http://capwiz.com/fconl/dbq/officials/
Subscribe to other FCNL legislative, policy, and action alert
lists: http://www.fcnl.org/forms/forms.php?type=ls.
Order FCNL publications and "War is Not the Answer" campaign bumper
stickers and yard signs: http://www.fcnl.org/pubs/
* Friends Committee
on National Legislation/ fcnl@fcnl.org * http://www.fcnl.org/
phone:* toll-free: (800)630-1330
We seek a world free of war
and the threat of war/ We seek a society with equity and justice for
all/ We seek a community
where every person's potential may be fulfilled/ We seek an earth
restored.
_________________________________________________________________
On-line Journal from Damascus /War News Radio
Perspective on Iraq
Three Swarthmore students are studying Arabic at the University of
Damascus this semester under the auspices of the College's
Semester Abroad Program. One of them, Emily Robbins '07, is
writing an on-line journal about her experience.
Read her blog at http://www.swarthmore.edu/news/syria/index.html
War News Radio Providing Unique Perspective on Iraq Conflict
Nearing the 1-year anniversary of its founding, Swarthmore's
student-produced War News Radio is providing its unique perspective on
the war in Iraq with ever-higher professional standards and a
growing Internet audience. Broadcasting weekly under the
direction of NPR veteran Marty Goldensohn, the student journalists were
featured in a recent Chronicle of Higher Education story.
==========
COMMENTARY:
========
Sad news
The Supreme Court has ruled there cannot be a Nativity Scene in DC this
Christmas season. This isn't for any religious reason, they simply have
not been able to find three wise men and
a virgin in the Nation's capitol.
There was no problem however, finding enough asses to fill the stable.
.. Deborah Zubow, PCCY Child Healthwatch Helpline
Democracy isn't something you do every four years at the polls. The
life of democracy depends on critical thinking and active participants
in and outside of the political process, willing to organize and join
democracy-building movements in between election cycles.
.....I say vote and organize or die. If you just vote, the death of
democracy isn't far behind.