When I was at Camp Casey, a fellow Green gave me a copy of Patriot Dreams: A User’s Manual for Democracy, a non-voters digest o ffacts and feelings about where we are now and what to do next. I have started reading this booklet and so far it is very easy to read.
This 2004 manual is an 84 page document that was compiled by The Common Sense Collective.
Continue reading
Dear Friends,
While the Divine Strake Test has been **postponed indefinitely,** it has not been canceled. There is now talk of moving the test to a privately owned limestone quarry in Southwestern Indiana, or to Los Alamos in New Mexico.
The only sure way to cancel this test is to cut off its funding. These funds currently paid out to profiteering companies such as Bechtel, would be much better spent cleaning up sites contaminated by nuclear and other weapons testing. We call upon peace and disarmament activists to pressure their congressional delegations to rescind the funding for Divine Strake, and allocate the funds for cleanup of weapons contamination.
On our Alert Page, http://www.shundahai.org/action_alerts.htm we have posted a pair of “Stop Payment” graphics for you to use in actions at congressional and war profiteer offices.
Print out these checks, and write your own messages to your congressional representatives and to local officials at companies such as Bechtel. For increased impact, assemble groups all bearing these checks, and visit your congressional representatives during the recess, which extends from August 7 to September 4. This is an election year, and an excellent time for constituents to use the power of the ballot.
Thanks for all you do,
Shundahai Network
http://www.shundahai.org
P.O. Box 1115
Salt Lake City, UT 84110
Phone- 801.533.0128
Fax- 801.533.0129
shundahai@shundahai.org
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged divine strake, environment, indigenous issues, nuclear issues, Utah
We held a press conference on August 29, 2006, to announce Camp Democracy. It aired on C-Span. The Associated Press wrote an article. PoliticsTV.com filmed the event, and has posted the one-hour video. The advisory that we sent to the media prior to the event has more information.
At long last, Americans are preparing to say “Enough is enough” on September 5th when Camp Democracy begins on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Can we count on you to help make it happen? Sign Up to stay informed and volunteer to participate.
Here’s the schedule of what’s happening each day. Tents will provide activist activities, trainings, workshops, and entertainment on these themes: End War: Peace, nonviolence, accountability, and impeachment | Human Rights: Civil Rights, Immigrants Rights, Workers Rights, Women’s Rights, Voting Rights, Katrina | End Corporate Welfare, Meet Human Needs: Healthcare/ Energy/ Education/ Environment | Communications and Creativity: Hands-on Media and Arts Training.
You can visit Spaceshare to offer a ride or to ask for one, or if you have or need a room in the Washington, D.C., area. Camp Democracy is a grassroots effort and will only succeed with the help of many, many people. Can you help us? Click here to make a donation to Camp Democracy.
Here are more things you can do to get involved locally:
http://campdemocracy.org/spread/local
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Activism, anti-war, camp democracy, Green Party, peace
We received a phone call yesterday from Camp Casey informing us that Cindy had been re-hospitalized and questioning Cindy’s coming to Salt Lake for tomorrow’s protest. That was confirmed today by another phone call early in the day and then via a press release to the media by Cindy Sheehan’s spokespeople:
An ill Sheehan cancels S.L. protest speech
Sheehan cancels appearance at Salt Lake anti-war protest
Today is my first “official” day back to work as a teacher. I feel so fortunate to be able to have found the school in which I work – a First Amendment School. We are relocating to a new building and students start date has been delayed until after construction, so we have a little more time to “prepare”.
I assumed a new position this year – Director of Special Education – to add to my responsibilities. It will be challenging, but I’m looking forward to it, albeit a little nervous since I have to be sure to study all the laws regarding Special Education and make sure our school is in compliance with them.
I met a woman on Saturday who is taking her children out of school tomorrow to attend the rally at Washington Square. She felt that this opportunity was so important that her children needed to attend that instead of regular classes. She plans to use this as an opportunity to help educate her children on issues that affect people. I commended her for that. I hope others do the same.
From today’s Salt Lake Tribune. See the note below the list. As far as I know, the sidewalk is still public property……
Today’s events:American Legion convention, Salt Palace Convention Center, 100 S. West Temple, Salt Lake City
(George Bush is scheduled to speak on Thursday)
10 a.m.: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld speaks. (KUTV Channel 2, KSTU Channel 13, KSL Channel 5 and KCPW Radio will carry the speech live. KSL Radio hadn’t confirmed Monday if it would be able to carry the speech.)
10:50 a.m.: Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., Sen. Bob Bennett, Reps. Jim Matheson and Rob Bishop, Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon offer remarks.
12:10 p.m.: Legion national commander makes presentation to Sen. Orrin Hatch.
1:15 p.m.: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice speaks to convention. (KUTV Channel 2, KSTU Channel 13, KSL Channel 5 and KCPW Radio will carry the speech live. KSL Radio hadn’t confirmed Monday if it would be able to carry the speech.)
Note: Convention events are open only to Legion members and credentialed media.
Today’s news has pieces where Utah GOP asks backers to call Rocky and object to his protest.
The Utah Republican Party is asking its supporters to call Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson and tell him they disapprove of his scheduled participation Wednesday in an anti-war rally preceding a visit by President Bush. The party put out radio ads Monday asking people to call Anderson and “tell him to stop embarrassing Utah.” The mayor’s office had received 183 calls by late afternoon. The office hired three temporary workers to staff the phone lines, and they took calls from throughout Utah and even some from out of state, one of the temporary workers said.
What a waste of time and money.
Hartley said he wasn’t concerned about the extra cost to the mayor’s office for hiring people to answer the phones.
“If that encumbers the city that he represents at all, I’d say that’s Rocky’s fault,” Hartley said. “I have no sympathy for him if his office has to incur some financial responsibility to take all the phone calls from people who don’t like what he’s doing.”
Hartley’s radio ad tells listeners that Sheehan’s beliefs are anti-American and that her “cut-and-run strategy” is an effort “to convince you that America should retreat.” Ads started running Monday with heavy play in Utah’s rural counties, where residents are “hopping mad this man is representing our state to the world,” Hartley said.
Senator Bob Bennett says that he believes that everyone, including Anderson, should have respect for the office of the U.S. president. “Rocky has made a serious mistake” by calling for protests against Bush during the president’s visit, Bennett said.
Well, first, Rocky didn’t call for the protest, average citizens did. And believe me there are folks involved in organizing this rally who have never been involved before, a reflection of the dissatisfaction of citizens in Bush’s Administration. And while I might agree with Mr. Bennett that “everyone” should respect the office of U.S. president, “everyone” should also be taught to respect all exsitence, not “offices”. I do not agree that “everyone” needs to respect Mr. Bush the war criminal and fabricator of facts to the American Public. The man needs to be impeached and indicted and this will be a display of that demand and an expression of Utahns dissatisfaction of such. These actions are the “respectful” and rightful way to demonstrate this.
It astounds me that Republicans are making such a big fuss over this – and going to lengths to spend their party money on radio ads and paid telephone petitioners – telling their followers how to protest. I tend to think that members of this party are afraid – of the medai attention that rarely happens with Utah’s small activist community – but that is likely to put Salt Lake on the map again this year.
Today is the one year anniversary of the disasterous Hurricane Katrina’s devastation to the gulf coast region of the U.S.
One year later, while the U.S. continues to spend money towards “defense” projects that result in more killing, war and destruction, U.S. citizens are still suffering as a result of the hurricane’s effects from summer 2005. People are still homeless and haven’t received their insurance claims for their destroyed homes while officials in New Orleans, for example, have wiped out homes without homeowners’ permission and have replaced the homes with retail establishments such as WalMart.
We are failing as a country to rebuild communities that need us the most.
US Department of Education ‘overlooks’ evolution
Evolutionary biology is mysteriously missing from the list of undergraduate subjects eligible for a US federal grant.
The department of education claims the omission is simply a mistake and insists that US students taking evolutionary biology majors are eligible for the grants. However, the incident has left pro-evolution campaigners wondering whether evolutionary biology was deliberately eliminated from the list by people who find Darwinian evolution impossible to reconcile with their own religious beliefs.
The DoE says there is “no explanation” as to why this mistake occured.
This week’s Carnival of the Green is hosted by
The Disillusioned Kid. From climate change issues to radio projects, there is a wide array of topics that will interest just about everyone.
Happy reading!
Deanna Dee-Dee Taylor 