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.
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.
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.
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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.
Part of my campaign platform is calling for Salt Lake County to join other brave communities in the nation in adopting resoultions agains the illegal war and occupation in Iraq.
Wisconsin communities have done just that. 24 of 32 communities approved referendums Tuesday calling for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
Kudos to those communities for taking a stand.
A report has been released by Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW)that takes issue with spending items linked to Senator Bob Bennett, R-Utah, and where more than $97 million of federal spending in Utah has been classified as “pork” in the annual Pig Book released Wednesday by CAGW.
A summary of the report, published in today’s Deseret News, states that Utah ranked 18th in “pork per capita,” six slots higher than last year, according to the report, with $97.6 million in federal spending on a variety of programs or about $39.51 per person. The national average in spending is $30.55 per person.
“Pork-barrel spending illustrates and contributes to the meltdown of spending restraint in Washington,” CAGW President Tom Schatz said. “Instead of averting an impending fiscal crisis, members of Congress are grabbing the spoils to support their own re-election.” The report names 88 items for Utah as pork.
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“Sunday, April 9 and Monday, April 10
Immigration activists seek ‘Day of Action’ Utah’s immigrant rights activists
are calling on Utahns to join a “National Day of Action” on the immigration
issue. Two events planned by Proyecto Latino de Utah and the Utah Hispanic
Legislative Task Force are meant to give Utah’s Latinos a voice as federal
lawmakers debate immigration policy reform.
A “Dignity March” is planned for Sunday, April 9, from noon to 5 p.m., from
the City and County Building, 450 S. State, to the state Capitol. Then, on
Monday, April 10, the community is invited to join in the “National Day of
Action” with a 4:30 p.m. rally at the City-County Building.
Nationally, marches calling for solidarity against get-tough immigration
reform have been gathering steam. In Utah, hundreds of high school and middle
school students have already participated by walking out of class this week.”
Tracy Medley has an interesting post entitled Where My Girls At? (on New West – Front Page.)
Tracy writes about the lack of women’s presence in politics in Utah and analyzes the reasons for this.
Quite an interesting read. Thanks, Tracy.
Today’s Salt Lake Tribune is reporting that the Indian Walk-in Center in Salt Lake could be axed under Bush’s budget plan.
President Bush’s 2007 budget proposes canceling all funding to the nation’s 34 urban Indian health clinics. Utah’s share of the $33 million cut is $1.1 million, roughly 90 percent of the Walk-In Center’s budget.
The center services over 7,000 of Utah’s poor each year. Most clients are uninsured Indians living below poverty level.
“That would pretty much wipe us out. I’d hate to say we’d disappear, but we would close our doors to regroup,” said Thomas Burkes, the center’s development director.
“We’re Utah’s only urban Indian health clinic to close.” Fast Horse-White said, “I wouldn’t take the initiative to go somewhere else. I would just go without.”
A spokesperson for U.S. Senator Bob Bennett of Utah stated that Senator Bennett is looking into what he can to restore the funding.
Deanna Dee-Dee Taylor 