One Utah has a great post about the immigration rallies over hte weekend.
It’s “tax season” again. Each year an organization in which I participate shows the film “An Act of Consience” about a couple who in the 1990’s lost their home due to not paying the IRS the portion of their taxes that would go towards war. The film depicts their battle over losing their property and what they and their neighbors did to fight it, including squatting the house after it was taken by the feds.
We will be showing the film this Saturday at Free Speech Zone.
There will also be Tax Day Protests Across the U.S. Scheduled on Monday, April 17. I am the Utah contact for the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee (NWTRCC). It is my hope that through outreach efforts here in Utah we can get a resistance movement going against paying taxes for the war effort. One such action can also be adovcating publicly for the Department of Peace initiative. It’s amazing how much of our tax dollars goes towards that effort. See the budget analysis by the War Resisters League HERE.
WalMart now wants to take over the banking business. Since it’s easy to get a bank charter in Utah, our state seems a good target for the giant corporation.
Not without a fight.
Today’s papers have posted articles on what opponents are doing to keep the richest corporation in the world from invading:
Wal-Mart bank plan slammed at FDIC
Public hearing: Industry warns of dire outcome if Utah plans come to life (Includes links to other articles)
Wal-Mart foes speak up: Keep to banking issue at hand, Garn tells hearing
More than a dozen organizations testified against Wal-Mart’s application before the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which has never before held a public hearing on a bank application. The hearing continues today. Many witnesses worried that if the government allowed Wal-Mart to begin banking, even in the limited terms outlined in its application, it would lead to a dangerous combination of commerce and banking by a company known for crushing competitors and driving out small businesses. (Deseret News)
Davey is standing up to Goliath yet again – let’s hope that Davey wins this time.
I will be posting photos in a day or so about the march on Sunday in SLC to protest pending immigration legislation (a friend of mine attended – said she was moved to tears and will forward me her photos and comments for posting here).
Here are articles in today’s news about rallies nationwide yesterday:
‘We are America’ — Hundreds of thousands demand citizenship for illegal immigrants – New York
S.L. crowd appeals for rights; Shurtleff and Rocky call for unity – Salt Lake
Latinos hope to use momentum
From marches to ballots: Utah minority leaders want the community to start voting – Salt Lake
The Salt Lake Tribune also has published this information:
Across U.S.
April 11
Mawlid al-Nabi (Muhammad’s Birthday)
1961
The trial of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann began in Israel. The man accused of leading Hitler’s effort to exterminate the Jewish people and others faced 15 charges, including crimes against humanity, crimes against the Jewish people, and war crimes.
The Art of War for the anti-war movement
By Scott Ritter
Posted on March 31, 2006, Printed on April 10, 2006
It’s high time to recognize that we as a nation are engaged in a life-or-death struggle of competing ideologies with those who promote war as an American value and virtue.
In the months leading up to the invasion of Iraq by a US-led coalition, and for three years since, I have spent many hours speaking to numerous anti-war forums across the country and around the world. I have always been struck by the sincerity of the vast majority of those who call themselves anti-war, and impressed by their willingness to give so much of themselves in the service of such a noble cause.
Whether participating in demonstrations, organizing a vigil, conducting town-hall meetings, or writing letters to their elected officials and the media, the participants in the anti-war movement have exhibited an energy and integrity that would make anyone proud. For myself, I have been vociferous in my defense of the actions of the majority of the anti-war movement, noting that the expression of their views is not only consistent with their rights afforded by the Constitution of the United States, but also that their engagement in the process of citizenship is a stellar example of the ideals and values set forth in that document, and as such representative of the highest form of patriotism in keeping with service to a document that begins, “We the People.”
Lately I have noticed a growing despondency among many of those who call themselves the anti-war movement. With the United States now entering its fourth year of illegal war in and illegitimate occupation of Iraq, and the pro-war movement moving inexorably towards yet another disastrous conflict with Iran, there is an increasing awareness that the cause of the anti-war movement, no matter how noble and worthy, is in fact a losing cause as currently executed. Despite all of the well-meaning and patriotic work of the millions of activists and citizens who comprise the anti-war movement, America still remains very much a nation not only engaged in waging and planning wars of aggression, but has also become a nation which increasingly identifies itself through its military and the wars it fights. This is a sad manifestation of the fact that the American people seem to be addicted to war and violence, rather than the ideals of human rights, individual liberty, and freedom and justice for all that should define our nation.
In short, the anti-war movement has come face to face with the reality that in the ongoing war of ideologies that is being waged in America today, their cause is not just losing, but is in fact on the verge of complete collapse. Many in the anti-war movement would take exception to such a characterization of the situation, given the fact that there seems to be a growing change in the mood among Americans against the ongoing war in Iraq. But one only has to scratch at the surface of this public discontent to realize how shallow and superficial it is. Americans aren’t against the war in Iraq because it is wrong; they are against it because we are losing.
Continue reading
I have been speculating on what brings people out to rallies – more escalated thinking spurred by yesterday’s rally on immigration. I have pondered why it is that tens of thousands appear for some rallies and mere hundreds for others – like anti-war rallies (with exceptions, of course where several thousand have been counted).
After discussing this with my husband, I have two conclusions:
1) Many folks are still brain-washing into thinking the going to war is good for America and for the world
and
2) Most people don’t stand up for “what is right” until it affects them personally.
The immigration issue has affected people personally, thus the large numbers of demonstrators.
I hope it doesn’t get to the point where war affects most people personally before they begin speaking out……
This week’s Carnival of the Green is being hosted by Exuberant Pantaphobia.
Today’s Deseret News has published the article, Planned Nevada test blast worries watchdog groups: Detonation could lead to nuclear tests, some fear, referring to the “Divine Stake” test planned for June 2 at the Nevada Test Site. It is indicated that this is part of the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator (“bunker buster”) program.
The experiment is called “Divine Strake,” in which 700 tons of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil will be blown up. (A strake is a line of metal plating along a ship’s hull.)
The explosive material, similar to that used by domestic terrorists to destroy the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995, will explode with a force equivalent to 593 tons of TNT. It is expected to raise a mushroom cloud of dust, but officials say it won’t be visible off the test site.
“There is no danger to the population of Las Vegas and the surrounding communities,” says an agency release. “The test does not use a nuclear device, and it does not test a weapon.”
But an environmental assessment has revealed two other compounds will be used: Glo Germ Powder and Fluorescein USP.
Glo Germ Powder would be placed on tarps surrounding the charge hole in order to see how material disperses during the test, says the statement. Glo Germ Powder is “considered to be hazardous if it is burned, and toxic gases can be formed,” the environmental statement says.
“The powder would not be mixed in the . . . blasting agent so it would not be subjected to the oxidizing effects of the detonation.”
The test indicates the Pentagon is determined to move forward with new nuclear weapons development, said Steve Erickson, director of the Salt Lake City military watchdog group Citizens Education Project.
I wasn’t able to attend the rally yesterday, but I am ecstatic to see in the Salt Lake Tribune and the Deseret News:
Police estimate immigration rally crowd at 20,000
One of the largest protests in Utah’s history, in fact probably the largest, a “Dignity March, attracted between 20,000 to 50,000 people to voice opposition to pending immigration legislation. Organizers of the event estimated the crowed to be closer to 50,000.
Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson and Salt Lake County Peter Caroon both spoke to the crowd:
In Salt Lake City Sunday, Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson addressed rally participants by loudspeaker. Americans fulfill “our country’s potential for greatness through the contributions of immigrants and their descendants,” he said.
He quoted the Emma Lazarus poem on the Statute of Liberty’s plaque, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” Anderson led the crowd in chanting, “Let’s work together for a better America!”
Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon welcomed those at the rally, praising the diversity that immigrants bring. “The American dream should not be for a select few,” Corroon said. “It should be for all of us.” (Desert News)
The Salt Lake Tribune has published a gallery of photos of today’s event.
There was a group of anti-protestors dubbing themselves as “pro-America” – comprised of the “Minutemen”, a group that advocates keeping illegal immigrants from crossing the border into the U.S. I found this bit of information interesting:
Early in the afternoon, Tony Yapias, an organizer of the Dignity March, approached and shook hands with Alex Segura, a Utah Minuteman organizer of the counter-demonstration. Segura said he and Yapias had spoken on Saturday and agreed they wanted to keep the two marches peaceful.
According to the Tribune, everything went without relative incident.
This was an exciting event for Utah. Kudos to the organizers.
Links to other news about today’s rally
Clarion call for dignity: Huge S.L. crowd urges residency for immigrants – Deseret News
Latinos march en masse to urge fairness, respect
Historic: In a Utah protest of record size, Latinos, others urge respect for the undocumented – Salt Lake Tribune
Channel 5 KSL
Channel 2 KUTV
ABC Channel 4
There is a “Unity Rally” at the City County Building at Washington Square, 451 South State Street, on Monday, April 10, at 4:30pm, in solidarity with such rallies nationwide. About 100,000 are expected to rally on the Mall in Washington D.C.
Deanna Dee-Dee Taylor 