People gathered at the corner of Meadow and Clinton Streets in Ithaca, NY in solidarity with the Egyptian people on February 4, 2011, declared “Departure Day” (D-Day) by the protesters in Tahrir Square.
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—-Original Message—– Aug. 23, 2010 (KILLEEN, TX) – Five peace activists successfully blockaded six buses carrying Fort Hood Soldiers deploying to Iraq outside Fort Hood’s Clarke gate this morning at around 4 a.m. While the activists took the width of Clarke Rd. and slowed the buses to a halt, police made no arrests, but instead beat the activists out of the streets using automatic weapons and police dogs so the deploying Soldiers could proceed. Continue reading Activists block Fort Hood Soldiers from deploying
Ithaca welcomes the walkers for a nuclear free future. Ithaca Unitarian Church, March 30, 2010. The welcoming starts with Buddhist chants with hoop drums with Jun Yasuda and Gyotethu Morishita (from Japan). Clare Grady introduces speakers Paul Gagnon, Larry Bring Good, Gyotethu Morishita, and Frida Berrigan, followed by Q&A. Dear Friends, Here’s a link to the opinion piece in the Ithaca Journal several days ago if you would like to know more about the reasons for the walk. http://www.theithacajournal.com/article/20100323/VIEWPOINTS02/3230303/1129/viewpoints/Walking-the-anti-nuke-walk Ithaca Schedule Here is an update letter from Margo: Dear Supporters and Friends, I am writing to update you on my Ithaca College tenure case. For the first time in 11 years, I did not start the Fall semester as a professor in the Sociology Department at Ithaca College. I am deeply saddened by this and I have truly missed the campus and my opportunity to engage students and interact with my peers. Despite this dramatic absence in my life, I have been busy telling my story, interacting with cherished supporters and collaborating with other professors in similar situations. I am also very happy to announce that I have just accepted a position to teach in the Sociology Department at Hunter College in New York City. Below, I would like to highlight some of the truly inspirational interactions I have had over the past few months: Continue reading Margo Ramlal-Nankoe continues the fight for academic freedom The anti-war movement responds to President Obama’s speech The U.S. cannot “win” the war in Afghanistan. It was losing the war when Barack Obama took office. In March 2009, President Obama ordered another 30,000 troops. Rather than reverse the outcome, the U.S. and NATO effort lost even more ground. Now President Obama has ordered another 30,000 troops to Afghanistan. Attempting to deflect growing opposition to the announcement of his dramatic escalation of the war in Afghanistan, President Obama is simultaneously claiming that U.S. troops will start to be withdrawn in July 2011. The Generals and Admirals, and now the White House, are unwilling to accept responsibility for a military setback. The President knows they cannot win and yet is unwilling to leave. Since no leader is willing to take responsibility, they are instead sending thousands more to their deaths. Continue reading Rhetoric and Reality: Masking War Escalation as a Withdrawal Plan Kenny’s Luminary News on public access tv in Ithaca showed the way. We could build on his legacy by re-forming Indy Media. –Cris Peter Meiers sent the following: Hi folks: (apologies for cross-posting) Kenny was a great friend. I met him when he convinced me to run for Sheriff back in 2002. He then became my campaign manager, and he helped to inspire me personally to get as involved as I have in community organizing……When Kenny became sick with Multiple System Atrophy we went to over 75 minor league baseball games ‘tween 2003 and 2006. Truly a great guy and an inspiration to myself and many in the larger community. Never let it be said that our alternative media and new modes of communication like blogs, Facebook and Twitter will ever replace the role of the conventional daily paper. It came as a complete surprise that I read in this morning’s Ithaca Journal that Emiliano Acevedo, a recent Ithaca College graduate, just returned with the Venceremos Brigade. The article Ithacan joins Cuba protest trip, states:
Please go to the Ithaca Journal website NOW to comment on the story. This kind of opportunity doesn’t happen everyday. I do hope he does stay around and help build the new momentum locally for increased understanding and bridges between the peoples of the US and Cuba, an end to the US trade, econmonic, and cultural blockade of Cuba, full freedom to travel, and re-nomalization of relations between our two countries. We have mostly focused on Pastors for Peace Caravans, which are also a travel challenge. Having met the brigadistas two years ago and interviewing some of them for a video (which I really should post on this site) I can see that the Venceremos Brigade has a great appeal for young people, and it really deserves more of our attention and support. I think it would be great to host an event in September with both Dan Burgevin and Emiliano Acevedo as featured participants. Can we couple this with something cultural? Continue reading Ithacan returns from Cuba with Venceremos Brigade I am back from my third trip with pastors for peace to our neighbor Cuba. Every time I have gone, the place and people there get a little deeper into my consciousness. We visit new facilities or see a different service that the revolution has provided for the people and I’m further convinced about how much we have to learn from Cuba about living together peacefully. Too, I’m further convinced about how fearful our government must be about having a different system of living together as a fair and equitable society right under our noses being revealed to ordinary US citizens. Why else would we be trying (since 1959) to be undermining, trying to assassinate, poison and bomb Cuba’s citizens and leadership? Why else would we be trying to undermine its economy and deny its people medicine and food for its children? Why else would 11 different US administrations punish Cuba just for having the right of self determination? I’ll tell you why —fear. Continue reading Dan Burgevin, back from Cuba with Pastors for Peace
Joining Josh on the walk were Plowshares and Catholic Workeractivist Ellen Grady, her daughter Saoirse, Peace Now Ithaca activistBob Nape, and videographer Cris McConkey. At the festival, Josh met up with former medic and conscientious objector Michael Blake. The peace forum is an annual eventat the Fingerlakes Grassroots Festival of Music & Dance. It was started by Jolene Uticone, a widely known and loved youth worker. This video starts with the peace walk and ends with Josh’s address in the Dance Tent, where he was invited to speak by the traditional Irish band the Grumblin Rustics. To sum up Josh’s message in one sentence: We need to live out of trust and out of love… …and not out of fear.
Dear Cornell students, staff, faculty, and alumni bisexies, transfolks, two spirits, queers, genderqueers, lesbians, gays, anomolies, friends, family, allies, and distant relatives, etc., We hope this letter finds you all well, but unfortunately it does not contain the best of news. This is a follow up to the update sent out a month ago about Cornell queers who were bashed by the police in Chicago. Continue reading Police Brutality vs Cornell Queers Josh Stieber, the Iraq vet turned conscientious objector who is on a walking across the nation on a pilgrimage he has dubbed “contagious love experiment”, will be interviewed live on WHCU 780 am at about 8:15 am during Saturday morning’s peace walk from Jacksonville to T-burg. The interview should be available as a podcast soon after 10 am. Immediate Release: Saturday, July 11 at 12 Noon Specialist Trevor Loope, 24, of Austin,. TX who faced a year in prison and a Bad Conduct discharge at Special Court Martial for AWOL was discharged administratively by order of Ft Drum’s Commander, Gen. Michael Oates on Friday, July 10th. Because Loope possessed an Honorable Discharge from an earlier Army tour, he will be eligible for GI Bill benefits as well as treatment at VA medical facilities. Loope had left Ft Drum in 2007 when he was unable to obtain mental health treatment for his Afghan-war-related injuries. With the support of Citizen Soldier, a national GI and veterans rights advocacy group based in New York City, Loope had surrendered to Ithaca’s Common Council on December 3, 2008. He relied on a resolution which the council had adopted in October, 2008 which offered “sanctuary” in Ithaca to war resisters. Although council members offered Trevor support, they didn’t provide sanctuary. After surrendering at Ft Drum,.Trevor spent the next seven months serving in administrative jobs in his old unit. He had provided Ft Drum therapists with an extensive psychiatric diagnosis which documented that he suffered from both severe Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and a Major Depression. His civilian psychologist, Dr. David Ogren travelled from Houston TX to testify at an Army “sanity board” which met to determine Trevor’s mental state on June 18th at Ft Drum. Although that board has still not published its recommendations, General Oates approved an administrative discharer in lieu of court-martial. Tod Ensign, Esq.,and Director of Citizen Soldier commented; “The Army has finally done the right thing by separating Trevor without court martial, but they have done this six months ago. For some reason, they wanted this injured soldier to ‘twist in the wind’ for a while, probably in hopes of deterring other ailing soldiers who might go AWOL in search of treatment.” Ensign added: “Trevor’s release is a victory that resulted from the broad support his case generated in Ithaca and across the country. However, we can’t forget that there are thousands of other soldiers like Trevor who are denied mental health care every day.” More info: (212) 679-2250 (or) (917) 647-5676 (cell)
Take Action Now – Sign the Online PetitionDemand the Release of Rep. Cynthia McKinney, the SPIRIT OF HUMANITY, all aid workers and supplies NOW! Last night, Israeli Occupation Forces attacked and boarded the Free Gaza Movement boat, the SPIRIT OF HUMANITY, abducting 21 human rights workers from 11 countries, including Noble laureate Mairead Maguire and former U.S. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. The passengers and crew are being forcibly dragged toward Israel. Continue reading EMERGENCY: Israelis Attack Humanitarian Aid to Gaza I just spoke with Trevor this morning. The court-martial trial has been rescheduled for July 14th (Bastille Day). The sanity board which interviewd him and also heard from Dr. Oberen, has yet to issue their report, so there is still a chance that the charges could be dropped and he could be given an administrative discharge (we would hope with honorable conditions). If not –if the command seeks to make an example of him irrespective of his diagnosis of PTSD and severe depression — we need to be ready to travel to Ft. Drum for the special court-martial trial. [print_link]  Reese Erlich on the real story of the Buena Vista Social Club, Critical Thinking with Andrew Patner, WFMT, Chicago, March 16, 2009 http://www.wfmt.com/main.taf?p=1,1,41,25,2 [ 57:41 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download |
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Reaper drones in Syracuse – respond to today’s P-S report
The following was written by Ed Kinane of the Syracuse Peace Council’s Anti-wars Committee. This spring, there will be a walk to the John Hancock field in Syracuse and an action that is being organized by New York State Direct Action for Peace.
Friends,
This morning’s Sunday Syracuse Post-Standard features a page one article by P-S reporter Dave Tobin, “Unmanned Drones, Controlled by Air National Guard from Hancock Airfield, Will Fly Over the Adirondacks”: http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2011/02/unmanned_drones_controlled_by.html
In 2009 the P-S ran several lengthy gee whiz articles about the reaper drone newly arriving at Hancock. Once we began protesting the reaper in our midst, the P-S discontinued the series and has said little more about the reaper. The P-S, which had occasionally published my op-eds on a range of subjects in the past, chose not to publish them on the drone issue.
Today’s article is a marked departure from that silence.
To make sure that the P-S is aware that upstaters actively oppose having the deadly reaper based here, please write a letter to its editors at letters@syracuse.com and/or post a comment at the bottom of the article.
Among the points that you might make in your own language are:
There is local as well as regional organizing going on about the drones. Contact Carol or 315.472.5478.
In solidarity,
ed