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:

• The reaper maims and kills and destroys the homes of civilians/noncombatants especially in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
• Such wanton killing is itself terrorism and surely serves as a recruiting tool for those who would oppose U.S. military forces in the region. The reaper’s tactical strength is thereby a strategic weakness – one risking expanding hostilities and keeping the war pot boiling.
• Such killing is cowardly; it violates Judeo-Christian and Islamic morality and international law.
• According to the article, Hancock not only is the national reaper maintenance center (which we’ve known), but flies missions over Afghanistan. Further, Hancock is to become a training center for reaper pilots – both from the U.S. and other countries (which we haven’t known). Basing the reaper in upstate NY makes this region a part of the battlefield. The people of upstate NY weren’t consulted about becoming potential targets of reprisal.
• As the article indicates, the drone is coming home to roost: it is becoming a clear and present threat to our own civil liberties. The reaper’s high tech surveillance capability, tested over there, is now being tested over here, around northern NY. Thanks to the reaper, we are now sliding down the slippery slope of the national surveillance state.

There is local as well as regional organizing going on about the drones. Contact Carol or 315.472.5478.

In solidarity,

ed

Ithaca welcomes the walkers for a nuclear free future. Ithaca Unitarian Church, March 30, 2010.
The peace walkers are passing through the Six Nation Native American Territories and NY State, walking to the UN by May 2 for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Conference of 190 Countries. They are coming to call attention to the intertwined problems of nuclear weapons and nuclear power. This two-month sojourn is the brainchild of Jun Yasuda, a remarkable Buddhist nun of the Nipponzan Myohoji order. The Japanese-born peace pilgrim has lived in the U.S. for 20 years and spends many months each year on foot. She is also responsible for a Peace Pagoda in Grafton, northeast of Troy.

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.

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

TUESDAY MARCH 30th:

Walk arrives in Ithaca in the late afternoon at De Witt Park

Welcoming Circle at 7:15PM at the Unitarian Church (corner of Buffalo and Aurora St)
we will hear from Jun san and walkers and Frida Berrigan*.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 31st: Rest Day in Ithaca

morning and early afternoon talks with middle and high school students and late afternoon talk at IC, with Jun san and Frida Berrigan, in Williams 225, from 4-5:30PM

Evening Interfaith Service at the First Baptist Church 7-8:30PM

THURSDAY APRIL1 st:

walk leaves Ithaca, departing from De Witt Park btwn 8:30 and 9AM.
12 NOON, talk at TC3 with Frida Berrigan and a few walkers (in the Student Center 12 noon to 1PM)
evening circle in Dryden TBA

Any questions call clare 273-6257, poco 277-7442, tom 277-7426, ellen 277-6932
PEACE

Walk for a Nuclear-Free Future 2010
(Last updated 11/19/09)

Northern Route (3/7/10-5/2/10)

Date             Point of Departure                     Destination                                     Miles
3/6 Sat Opening Ceremony (Streamburg)
Day 1 3/7 Sun Steamburg (Cold Spring Territory, Seneca Nation) Salamanca (Allegany Territory, Seneca Nation) 12
Day 2 3/8 Mon Salamanca Ellicottville 12
Day 3 3/9 Tue Ellicottville Rt. 219 & County Rd. 85 10
Day 4 3/10 Wed Rt. 219 & County Rd. 85 Springville (via Rd. 85, West Valley Nuclear Waste Site) 10
Day 5 3/11 Thu Springville Gowanda (Cattaraugus Territory, Seneca Nation) 16
Day 6 3/12 Fri Gowanda Irving (Cattaraugus Territory, Seneca Nation) 16
Day 7 3/13 Sat Irving (via Rt. 20) Wanakah 14
Day 8 3/14 Sun Wanakah Buffalo 15
Day 9 3/15 Mon rest day
Day 10 3/16 Tue Buffalo Town of Tonawanda 11
Day 11 3/17 Wed Town of Tonawanda Lewiston (Tuscarora Nation) 18
Day 12 3/18 Thu Lewiston Lockport 15
Day 13 3/19 Fri Lockport Akron (Tonawanda Territory, Seneca Nation) 18
Day 14 3/20 Sat Medina Albion 12
Day 15 3/21 Sun Albion Brockport 15
Day 16 3/22 Mon Brockport Rochester 18
Day 17 3/23 Tue rest day
Day 18 3/24 Wed Rochester Victor 18
Day 19 3/25 Thu Victor Canandaigua 15
Day 20 3/26 Fri Canandaigua Geneva 16
Day 21 3/27 Sat Geneva Seneca Falls 13
Day 22 3/28 Sun Seneca Falls Union Springs (Cayuga Farm) 15
Day 23 3/29 Mon Union Springs (Cayuga Farm) King Ferry (Rt 90 & NY 34B) 15
Day 24 3/30 Tue King Ferry (Rt 90 & NY 34B) Ithaca 16
Day 25 3/31 Wed rest day
Day 26 4/1 Thu Ithaca Dryden 10
Day 27 4/2 Fri Dryden Cortland 14
Day 28 4/3 Sat Cortland Tully 12
Day 29 4/4 Sun Tully Onondaga Nation 12
Day 30 4/5 Mon Onondaga Nation Syracuse (National Guard Hancock Airport) 14
Day 31 4/6 Tue rest day
Day 32 4/7 Wed Syracuse Chittenango 15
Day 33 4/8 Thu Chittenango Oneida Nation 12
Day 34 4/9 Fri Oneida Nation Rome 16
Day 35 4/10 Sat Rome Utica 16
Day 36 4/11 Sun Utica Herkimer 16
Day 37 4/12 Mon Herkimer East Creek 14
Day 38 4/13 Tue East Creek Palatine Bridge 13
Day 39 4/14 Wed Palatine Bridge Fonda (Mohawk Community) 12
Day 40 4/15 Thu rest day
Day 41 4/16 Fri Fonda Amsterdam 14
Day 42 4/17 Sat Amsterdam Schenectady 17
Day 43 4/18 Sun Schenectady Albany 16
Day 44 4/19 Mon Albany Ravena 15
Day 45 4/20 Tue Ravena Athens 16
Day 46 4/21 Wed Athens Saugarties 17
Day 47 4/22 Thu rest day
Day 48 4/23 Fri Saugarties Kingston 13
Day 49 4/24 Sat Kingston Highland 16
Day 50 4/25 Sun Highland Newburgh 16
Day 51 4/26 Mon Newburgh Highland Falls (Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant) 13
Day 52 4/27 Tue Highland Falls Stony Point 12
Day 53 4/28 Wed Stony Point Nyack 12
Day 54 4/29 Thu Nyack Englewood, NJ 15
Day 55 4/30 Fri rest day
Day 56 5/1 Sat Englewood, NJ New York City (United Nations Plaza) 13
Day 57 5/2 Sun National Rally at United Nations Plaza, New York City
5/3 Mon NPT review conference starts

Total miles; 706

Supported by:

Catholic Workers; Center for Health, Environment & Justice; Citizens Campaign for the Environment; Citizens’ Environmental Coalition;
CODEPINK; Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR); FootPrints for Peace; Global Network Against Weapon and Nuclear Power in Space;
Grandmothers for Peace; Indigenous Women’s Initiatives; Mayors for Peace; New York Regional AFSC; Nuclear Information & Resource Service
(NIRS); Pax Christi; Peace Action; Sierra Club; Syracuse Peace Counsel; Veterans for Peace; Western New York Peace Center.

* Frida Berrigan is Senior Program Associate of the Arms and Security Initiative at the New America Foundation. Previously, she served for eight years as Deputy Director and Senior Research Associate at the Arms Trade Resource Center at the World Policy Institute at the New School in New York City. She has also worked as a researcher at The Nation magazine.

Ms. Berrigan is a columnist for Foreign Policy in Focus and a contributing editor of In These Times magazine. She is the author of reports on arms trade and human rights, U.S. nuclear weapons policy, and the domestic politics of U.S. missile defense and space weapons policies. She has been a featured expert on national and regional radio outlets, and regularly speaks on national security issues to citizen’s organizations and at major conferences throughout the United States.

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:

*After speaking on the “Defending Academic Freedom Today“ panel at the summer Socialism ’09 Conference in Chicago, a group of concerned faculty, students and citizens formed a group called Free the Academy. This group is working on organizing material for my case. The hope is to create a presence in academia that addresses academic freedom of progressive and left leaning faculty who are under attack. I invite you to join and contribute your ideas and abilities. http://freetheacademy.wordpress.com/

*This past fall I was invited to speak on a panel called “Israel and US Academic Censorship,” at the Peace and Justice Studies Association Conference “Exploring the Power of Nonviolence,” at Marquette University. Other panelists included Professor Joel Kovel, who as many of you know, was fired from his position at Bard College last year for his critical scholarly work on Zionism. Professor Chris Toffolo was a respondent on this panel. Chris was removed from her position as director of the Justice and Peace Studies Program at St. Thomas University in Minnesota after she protested the administration’s banning of Bishop Tutu from speaking at St. Thomas in 2007. Tutu was labeled anti-semitic for his criticism of Israeli politics in Palestine. As vice-president of academic affairs at St. Thomas in 2007, the current president of Ithaca College, Thomas Rochon was responsible for removing Chris Toffolo from her position.

*I have received endorsements from well-established advocacy groups including Academics for Justice and California Scholars for Academic Freedom.

*I have also started working with the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and hope to find other groups that will look closely at the sexual harassment elements in my case. Please share any contacts you may have with academic women’s groups, feminist organizations or employment law groups specializing in job discrimination.

*Also, look for online articles about my case in two recent publications:

- My story was recently published in the newsletter of ‘We Advocate Gender Equality’ (WAGE) and should be posted on their online site soon at http://wage.org/

- I was recently interviewed by Nora Barrows-Friedman for Electronic Intifada. Here is the article:

http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article10998.shtml

*I have been invited on two panels this summer:

The first will be on “Scholar Activism” at the US Social Forum in Detroit, and the second on “Academic Freedom” will be at the Labor Section of the annual American Sociological Association in Atlanta.

Here is the current status of my case. I am waiting for the results of the New York State Division of Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Employment Commission’s investigations of my discrimination charges against Ithaca College. My hope is that if found in violation, Ithaca College will prefer to settle my case outside of court. Otherwise, we will have to proceed to the next level, which is court.

I will continue my struggle against Ithaca College and I demand and ask my supporters to demand that:

1. Ithaca College grant me tenure and restore me rightfully back to my teaching position which I have held for 12 years.

2. Ithaca College take responsibility for all damages I suffered through my tenure ordeal which started in 2005 and has continued until today. These include, racist and sexist attacks, sexual harassment, academic freedom violations, jeopardizing my legal status in the US by denying my work visa while under contract, as a result, forcing me out of the country and preventing me to teach my final semester of classes.

On that note, I am looking for ways to help to defray my legal costs. If you know of any grants for legal funding for such cases, please send this information along. My email address is margo.nankoe@gmail.com

Thank you for all your support.

Warmly,

Margo Ramlal-Nankoe

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.

Bush and Cheney ordered the invasion thinking it would be easy going. They thought Iraq would be easy, too. They were going to wipe out the governments in Iran, Syria and North Korea. This colonial-type fantasy, nourished by “great nation” arrogance and the acquiescence of a caste of corrupt politicians in Congress, set the stage for the current catastrophe of a war without end.

After eight years of war, more than 140 armed insurgent groups of Afghans now exist as a response to the invasion and they control large parts of the country. The people in Afghanistan perceive the occupation as a colonial-type takeover of their country. September 11 was a pretext, but there were no Afghans or Iraqis who hijacked the planes. The people of Afghanistan, like the people in Vietnam, will never accept foreign military occupation in their country.

In the 1968 election Nixon ran on a platform of a “secret peace plan” for Vietnam. In reality, Nixon’s “peace plan” meant more bombing of Vietnam, expansion of the war into Cambodia, and “Vietnamization” – the building up of the South Vietnamese puppet army under the direction of U.S. “advisors.” The puppet army was supposed to do the fighting and dying in the place of U.S. troops in an increasingly unpopular war.

The new plan for Afghanistan calls for more bombing and drone attacks, and “Afghanization” – the building up of a puppet Afghan army trained and led by U.S. commanders. This follows President Obama’s escalation of massive bombing of the people of Pakistan.

Bush Policy – Obama Policy

On Jan. 20, the day that Barack Obama took the oath of office, a government helicopter carrying George W. Bush lifted off and made the ceremonial flight away from the nation’s capital, signaling the end of one era and the start of a new administration.

It was a remarkable event to witness. As the Bush helicopter passed over the inaugural throng, millions of people on the ground started cheering spontaneously. The official pomp of the transfer of power was overwhelmed by the euphoria of those who hated Bush and his policies.

But was there a transfer of power? The personalities change, but the institutions of militarism, war and empire remain intact.

Since Obama took over as president, the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan has nearly doubled, and that’s before the new deployment of 30,000 more soldiers.

Today, less than a year since Bush departed, there are actually more combined U.S. military forces occupying Iraq and Afghanistan than at any time during Bush’s tenure. Between official military forces, private mercenaries and other contractors, by the middle of 2010 there will be nearly a half-million U.S. personnel in the two countries.

At a time of deep economic crisis, with tens of millions out of work and losing their homes, the cost of the wars and occupations in Afghanistan and Iraq is already running at over $225 billion per year or $1.2 billion every two days. Escalating the war will escalate that cost.

The war is not about “the security of the people of the United States being at stake.” If it was, there could be no talk about exit strategies and announced plans for withdrawal.

Starting today, there will be a growing escalation of anti-war protests in the United States. Tonight and tomorrow there are demonstrations across the country.

On Saturday, March 20, 2010, tens of thousands will march in Washington, D.C., with coinciding mass actions in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Real change comes from below. It comes from the millions who are suffering from unemployment, foreclosure, evictions and poverty. It comes from the young people who are being driven from college because of soaring tuition. The children of working-class families are the ones who do the bleeding and the killing, and they are told they do it for “national security.”

This is not our war. This is a war for empire, one that has gone very badly for the occupying force. How many more will die for the U.S. to avoid the appearance of defeat?

The ANSWER Coalition, in partnership with scores of organizations and echoing the sentiment of millions of people who want the wars to end, will be in the streets today, tomorrow and in the months to come. That is now clearly the only prescription to end the violence and occupation of the American Empire.

Click here to become an endorser of the March 20th National March on Washington, D.C.

To support the anti-war movement, click here.

Peter Meiers sent the following:

Hi folks: (apologies for cross-posting)
Am sending this to some of the activist lists that both Kenny Ritter, Linda Holzbaur (his wife) are a part of, thinking that there would be a fair amount of people on these lists that might not otherwise have heard…… I am incredibly sad to say that yesterday morning, (Saturday) Kenny passed away at the hospital. Below are the details that Linda just posted to Facebook of services on Tuesday……

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.
In loving solidarity
Pete
(from Linda Holzbaur) Kenny Ritter, 57, died 9/5/09 from complications of Multiple System Atrophy. His children Grace (Josh Dolan), Nat (Kim Wheelock), Anna, Eleanor, granddaughters Vienna, Leona and wife Linda Holzbaur live in Ithaca. Burial will be at Greensprings Natural Cemetery, Newfield at 11:00 Tuesday 9/8/09. A memorial and dish-to-pass will follow at 2:00 at the Ithaca Farmers’ Market, Steamboat Landing.

The article Ithacan joins Cuba protest trip, states:

The 23-year-old now hopes to inspire more Ithacans to join him for next year’s trip, and he is planning to start a Cuba solidarity group here.

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?

August 13, 2009

>Ithacan joins Cuba protest trip

Fact-finding group defies travel ban

By Stacey Shackford sshackford@gannett.com

ITHACA – Emiliano Acevedo says he wants a revolution; he wants to change the world. And he’s doing it by invoking his right to travel the world and see first-hand the results of earlier revolutions.

The recent Ithaca College graduate recently returned from Cuba, where he took part in what has become an annual act of civil disobedience in protest of the United States’ 47-year-old ban on travel to the Communist country.

On Aug. 3, he and about 140 others flew into Toronto from Cuba, walking back across the United States border at the Peace Bridge in Fort Erie.

Questioned and searched by U.S. Customs and Border Protection workers in the past, this year’s contingent passed without incident.

It was the first trip for Acevedo but the 40th for the Venceremos Brigade, formed in 1969 to challenge U.S. policies toward Cuba. Acevedo’s father participated in one of the first trips in 1970, and his sister has also attended several. The 23-year-old now hopes to inspire more Ithacans to join him for next year’s trip, and he is planning to start a Cuba solidarity group here.

The first brigades participated in sugar harvests, and subsequent groups have performed agricultural and construction work in many parts of the island.

They also attend lectures and seminars to learn about Cuban culture, hurricane relief efforts, youth development and environmental programs.

For Acevedo, a 2009 graduate of IC’s Martin Luther King Scholars Program, the most important experience was interacting with the Cuban people as he tried to discover the true effects of Fidel Castro’s Cuban Revolution of 1959, free of the conflicting opinions and agendas he says were hoisted on him over the years by the U.S. government and left-wing activists.

“The revolution is not perfect in every way. It has its problems, some inherent to socialism, some to the particular flavor that it has taken in Cuba,” he said.

Among them is a planned economy that grows very slowly and does not provide entrepreneurial opportunities for most citizens, and a society just now coming to grips with issues like homophobia and racism, which initially got overlooked in the shared camaraderie of the revolution.