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News :: Labor
LaborGroups News 23Jan04
LaborGroups News 23Jan04
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www.laborgroups.org/LaborGroupsNews23Jan04.doc
LaborGroups News 23Jan04
www.laborgroups.org/LaborGroupsNews23Jan04.pdf
www.laborgroups.org/LaborGroupsNews23Jan04.doc
1) Chicago Calendar of Events
2) Senate Holds the Line on Overtime Pay--For Now!
3) Please join the National Student Labor Week of Action this spring!
4) CBS censoring political speech
5) Obama for Working Families
6) Gordon Flett: Take Action: Tell NYC's Wine Enthusiast Awards
7) Chicago: Friday, Jan 23 Lunchtime Rally
8) The State of the Energy Bill
9) Senate Vote Denies Consumers Crucial Information About Their Food
10) Teamsters eDispatch
11) CBS Censors Winning Ad
12) Delegation to Cuba
13) Safety Online Newsletter
14) Help Keep John Edwards Rolling!
15) Seven Little Words, Iowasn't Expecting That, New Hampshire Opportunity
16) ANSWER
17) The latest from SW Online
18) He’s a divider. How do we unite?
19) Dateline NBC is Looking For Stories
20) Smoke THIS !
21) TruthOut
22) Mexico Solidarity Network
23) State of the Union, For Real
24) Chicago: DL21C Events
25) Carolyn Kay's "Make Them Accountable"
26) Citizens for a Legitimate Government News
27) The DISH
28) Rob Sanchez's JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER
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1) Chicago Calendar of Events
mail.laborgroups.org/pipermail/nwrc2600_laborgroups.org/Week-of-Mon-20040119/000050.html
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2) Senate Holds the Line on Overtime Pay--For Now!
You did it! Together we were successful on Tuesday when senators
stopped a bill that failed to block the Bush overtime pay
take-away. Overtime pay protections had been removed from the
measure at the insistence of the Bush administration. This
doesn't mean we've blocked the Bush overtime pay take-away
yet--but we've sent a very powerful message to President Bush:
Hundreds of thousands of workers and bipartisan majorities in
the U.S. Senate and U.S. House oppose the Bush overtime pay
take-away. Please click below to act now or keep reading for
more information.
www.unionvoice.org/campaign/faxbush4ot/
Unfortunately, President Bush and Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
don't seem to be hearing us. The Bush administration stubbornly
insists on moving forward with this massive pay cut for millions
of workers.
We've also learned that the White House is once again BLOCKING
your e-mail comments. This is adding insult to injury. So we've
setup a special Web page you can use to SEND A FAX (it's free)
to President Bush expressing your opposition to his
administration's plan to take away overtime pay from millions of
ordinary working Americans. Please click on the link below and
take one minute right now to send a fax to President Bush
expressing your opposition to his overtime pay take-away.
www.unionvoice.org/campaign/faxbush4ot/
The intentions of the Bush administration couldn't be clearer.
In testimony before the Senate on Tuesday, Bush Labor Secretary
Elaine Chao said, "I think enough time has been spent on delays
as well as studies and studies of all sorts on this issue." The
Bush administration intends to finalize the overtime pay
take-away as soon as possible--perhaps before March 1.
After you take action, the most important thing you can do to
turn up the heat is to spread the word about the overtime pay
take-away to your friends, family and co-workers. Please click
below to send them a note.
www.unionvoice.org/campaign/faxbush4ot/forward/
AMERICA WRITES BACK: The Real State of the Union
In Tuesday night's State of the Union address, President Bush
didn't mention his overtime pay take-away that will cut the pay
for as many as 8 million of America's workers. We've put
together a special Web page where you can share your thoughts,
feedback and comments with other members of this network. We'll
sort comments by state. This will be a great collage of voices
from all over America. Please take one minute right now to add
your comment by clicking on the link below.
www.unionvoice.org/ct/Jpad1a51Ipgp/
Also, look up how your senators voted Tuesday at this link.
www.unionvoice.org/ct/Ddad1a51IpgQ/
Read the AFL-CIO website news story on the overtime pay vote
www.unionvoice.org/ct/D1ad1a51IpgP/
Thanks for all you do. Together we will win.
Onward,
Working Families e-Activist Network, AFL-CIO
Jan. 21, 2004
P.S. Next week we'll e-mail you a progress report on the results
of the Petition to Save Overtime Pay, including results by state
so you can see how many people in your state have signed the
petition so far. We'll also announce a goal for new petition
signers in your state and we'll provide you instant, online
tracking of the number of petition signers. Sign and download
the petition at: www.saveovertimepay.org/
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3) Please join the National Student Labor Week of Action this spring!
This is your LAST CHANCE! Apply NOW for a FULL SCHOLARSHIP to the USAS Winter Conference in Atlanta, February 13-15!
NEW DEADLINE: Applications due this SUNDAY!
www.studentsagainstsweatshops.org/conference/scholarships.html
[ Scholarships are need-based, and priority is given to diverse delegations. ]
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In this USAS National Winter Conference reminder: ---------------------------------------------------------------------
1. REGISTER NOW for the 1st National USAS Conference in the
South! 2. Take a look at this AWESOME agenda! 3. Put Your Message Out: Get a Table! 4. Limited Travel & Registration Scholarship Applications
Available! 5. Want to Get Involved in Convergence Planning?
6. Submit Your Proposals: Help Determine the Direction of USAS!
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1. REGISTER NOW for the 1st National USAS Conference in the
South! ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Students from high schools, colleges, and universities across
the country have already registered for the United Students
Against Sweatshops National Winter Conference this February
12-15 in Atlanta at Georgia State University! The conference
features incredible (and confirmed!) speakers from all over the
US South and from around the globe, including speakers from
Indonesia, Mexico, and more!
*************************************************************
Please register NOW at
studentsagainstsweatshops.org/conference/register.html
*************************************************************
It's time again to celebrate and strategize about the
student-labor solidarity work happening across the country! The
South has a rich history in the social and economic justice
movements of this country, and we will partake in this history
through speakers, workshops, and demonstrating in solidarity
with the social justice community of Atlanta.
This conference will focus on campus organizing skills,
trainings, and strategy setting for what is shaping up to be an
amazingly active spring semester. Conferences are THE BEST way
to invigorate your group and strategize nationally for WINNING
this spring -- we'll see you in Atlanta!
FEBRUARY WILL COME QUICKLY: Start making your fundraising plans
NOW. Contact your school and local community and labor allies to
ask them for assistance in coming to the conference.
And remember: In order to VOTE AT THE CONFERENCE, your group
must be affiliated with USAS. If your group isn't affiliated
yet, affiliate now so you can participate! Affiliating is easier
than ever -- once you consult with others in your group, just go
through the www.usasnet.org website or directly to:
studentsagainstsweatshops.org/affiliate.html and fill out
the form!
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2. Take a look at this AWESOME agenda! ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Tentative Agenda for the Conference - a DRAFT, so send
suggestions!
***********************
THURSDAY, February 12th
***********************
All Day: Apparel Wage Disclosure & Apparel Living Wage
Pre-Conference
Limited space available! Contact emy643 (at) yahoo.com or
ben (at) usasnet.org for details.
*********************
FRIDAY, February 13th
*********************
9:30-10: Welcome/agenda overview
10-11: USAS 101 for folks who are new to the organization
USAS 201 for folks who have been around for awhile
11-12: Regional Breakouts and introductions in small groups
12-1: Lunch
1-2:30: Rally!
2:30-4: Workshops
4:15-5:15 International Solidarity Panel
5:30-7: International Strategy Session
7-8: Dinner
8pm to 9:30: Focus on the South (Panel and breakouts)
*********************************************
SATURDAY, February 14th - Bring Your Sweetie!
*********************************************
9:30-12:30 National Organizing and Skill Building (panel and
workshops)
12:30-2: Lunch with Atlanta Labor Panel
2-3:30: Campus and Community Labor Solidarity strategy session
3:30-4:30: Caucus #1 People of color
4:45-5:45: Caucus #2: Women and genderqueer
6-8: Dinner and Vision-setting
9 to ?: Big Time Valentine's Day Party
*********************
SUNDAY, February 15th
*********************
10-11:Immigrant Solidarity Campaigns
11-12: Caucus #3 Working Class
12-1: Caucus #4: Queer Allies
1-2 regional LUNCH
2-4: Plenary
4-6: ANOTHER ACTION!
6pm Dinner and a movie // student organized meeting //
departures as
required
*************************************
What does USAS get out of your coming to the National Winter Conference? **********************************
USAS is a student-built, student-led, student-maintained
organization. Your involvement makes USAS what it is. Your input
on strategy, campaigns, caucuses, and goals for the next
semester will help maintain the democracy and diversity that we
wish for this organization. Your shared ideas, experiences, and
activist wisdom make this happen, and the diversity and
experiences of your affiliate group's delegation contribute to
the ongoing struggle in which we are engaged.
WORKSHOPS!
REGIONAL MEETINGS!
STRATEGY SESSIONS!
IDENTITY CAUCUSES!
AMAZING SPEAKERS AND PANELS!
NETWORKING!
SHARING IDEAS!
AND A DAMN GOOD TIME!
Please register NOW!
(see
studentsagainstsweatshops.org/conference/register.html)
USAS affiliates have all committeed to fighting racism, sexism,
homophobia, classism, and other forms of oppression within our
society, our organizatoins and ourselves through affirming the
USAS Principles of Unity. We ask each school's delegation to
reflect the diversity of identities in our organization and
patricularly to ensure the inclusion of historically oppressed
and marginalized identities. USAS cannot sustainably and
legitimately fight for economic justice and universal worker
rights if even its own resources and leadership are not
accessible to everyone. Consequently, we request that every
delegation consider who is empowered in terms of attending the
conference and holding voting power, considering queer
identities and class identites as well as race and gender.
Please register NOW!
(see
studentsagainstsweatshops.org/conference/register.html)
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3. Put Your Message Out: Get a Table! ---------------------------------------------------------------------
USAS doesn't gather together as a national coalition very often,
so when we do, it's a great opportunity to get your message out
to students from across the country. We encourage our allies and
others to take advantage of this opportunity, and provide
information and opportunities to our gathered affiliates by
purchasing table space or space in the convergence program. For
more information, contact Ben or Allie at 202-NO-SWEAT
(202-667-9328) or register (at) usasnet.org. Please return the
tabling/program form below to us by e-mail or by fax at
202-293-5308.
Name of
organization:_____________________________________________________
Address:__________________________________________________________
City:________________________ State: ________ Zip Code: ______
Contact
Person:__________________________________________________________
Title:________________________ Phone
Number:_______________________
Email:___________________________________________________
Tabling Rates:
_______ $200 for national student groups
_______ $200 sliding scale for local groups
_______ $300 for national NGOs
_______ $300 for local or statewide unions
_______ $1,000 for national/international unions and for-profit
groups
Interested in space in the program? Let us know.
Return to:
United Students Against Sweatshops
1150 17th St NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20036
or Fax to 202-293-5308
---------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Limited Travel & Registration Scholarship Applications
Available! ---------------------------------------------------------------------
We have very limited funds for conference scholarships this
year. In addition to submitting this application, you should try
to raise money to fund your trip to the conference from local
organizations; for a guide on local fundraising, see our website
www.usasnet.org or call the USAS national office at
202-NO-SWEAT, where staff will do their darndest to get you to
Atlanta. In allocating scholarship money, we seek to maximize
the number of schools represented at the conference and promote
diversity in our organization. Significant priority will be
given to underprivileged students, people of color, and working
class, female, and queer students.
Applications are due January 25th and we will notify you by
January 26th about whether funding will be available. Please
submit applications electronically to register (at) usasnet.org. If
you have questions or need more information about the
conference, contact us at 202-NO-SWEAT or email
register (at) usasnet.org
Name:
School:
School Group:
Is your group a USAS affiliate? (y/n): Email:
Phone:
Address:
Expected Graduation (month, year):
Check if you're applying for scholarships to cover:
__ registration
__ travel: from (city) _____________________
* Are other students from your school planning to come to the
conference? If so, how many, and are any of them applying for
scholarships? * How did your group decide whom to send to the conference? * Do you identify as a person of color? Working class?
Queer?
Female or genderqueer? * Have you attended a USAS conference before? If so, which? * Have you made, or do you plan to make, an effort to raise
money to come to the conference from local organizations or
unions? Which organizations or unions will you ask? * Please describe your work and involvement with your campus
group(s) and with USAS.
* What is your group working on now? * What do you think your group would get out of your coming to
the conference? * What would you hope to get out of coming to the conference?
---------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Want to Get Involved in Conference Planning? ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Hey, when we say grassroots participation, we mean grassroots
participation. If you want to help plan the United Students
Against Sweatshops Winter National Conference this February
12-15 in New York City, join our conference-planning listserv by
sending a blank e-mail to
peoplegetready1-subscribe (at) yahoogroups.com -- we'd love your
help!
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6. Submit Your Proposals: Help Determine the Direction of USAS! -------------------------------------------------------------------
*** FINAL Deadline for proposals is February 5th! ***
United Students Against Sweatshops is a grassroots member-run
organization of affiliated student groups. Decisions about USAS'
campaigns, priorities, and structure are made in plenaries at
our national conferences. The discussion in the plenaries is
directed to proposals that affiliates have submitted, and all
affiliate groups attending the conference discuss and vote on
the proposals.
Below are the guidelines for submitting a proposal. Please read
these before drafting a proposal. Please feel free to circulate
your proposal to any USAS list for comments before submitting
it; proposals must be submitted by February 5th to
register (at) usasnet.org so we can distribute them to people
registered for the conference for any advance comments.
=====================================
Who is eligible to submit a proposal?
=====================================
Proposals can only be submitted by USAS affiliate groups or
their members or USAS standing committees. Proposals should be
submitted on behalf of either your entire group or several
members of your USAS affiliate group; proposals should not be
submitted by only one individual. Several groups may submit a
proposal jointly. One or two members of your group should act as
liaisons in presenting the proposal at the conference.
==========================
Requirements for Proposals
==========================
Your proposal must fall within the following boundaries: - Your proposal must be consistent with the USAS Principals of
Unity (see
www.studentsagainstsweatshops.org/affiliate.html)
- Your proposal must contain an action plan with numbered steps
for implementing the proposal. - Your proposal must contain a timeline - approximate dates by
which the various steps of your proposal's action plan should be
completed. - Your proposal should be designed with respect to the current
projects of USAS. In other words, if you are suggesting a
dramatic rearrangement of USAS' priorities, you should explain
how your proposal would affect USAS' ability to fulfill current
commitments and continue current projects.
===================
Layout of Proposals
===================
Please structure your proposal as follows:
TITLE OF PROPOSAL
AUTHOR(S) OF PROPOSAL & AFFILIATION OF AUTHOR(S) The author(s) should be listed as either (1) the name of a USAS
affiliate group if the whole group is the author, or (2) the
names of individual authors plus the USAS affiliate group of the
authors.
TYPE OF PROPOSAL
Please identify the type of proposal you are submitting as
dealing with either:
- STRUCTURE/POLICY (for example, a proposal augmenting caucus
representation on the coordinating committee or directing
outreach resources to the southeast region or to women's
colleges)
- CAMPAIGN (for example, a proposal on boycotting Taco Bell --
though proposals that ask only for an endorsement are not voted
on at the conference and should be sent to the coordinating
committee)
BRIEF SUMMARY OF PROPOSAL A brief, one-or-two-sentence summary of the proposal for quick
reference.
BODY OF PROPOSAL
The body of your proposal should not exceed 500 words. Your
proposal should be presented in bullet points so as to
facilitate conversation and amendments. Make sure to include a
clear action plan and timeline.
******************************************************************
NATIONAL STUDENT LABOR WEEK OF ACTION
MARCH 29 - APRIL 4, 2004
Dear USAS E-Activist,
> From March 29 - April 4, 2004, students and workers will
celebrate the lives of Cesar Chavez and Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. by joining together to demand justice for workers on their
campuses and in their communities. March 31st is Cesar Chavez's
birthday, and April 4th marks the 36-year anniversary of Dr.
King's assasination.
In 2003, students and workers came together for over 280 actions
during the fourth annual National Student Labor Week of Action.
Students and labor came together to win concrete victories and
build a more powerful movement; we addressed a range of issues
from sweatshops in the factories & fields to living wages to the
right to organize for campus workers.
VISIT THE USAS WEBSITE TO: SIGN UP TO HAVE YOUR USAS AFFILIATE PARTICIPATE IN THE WEEK OF
ACTION
www.studentsagainstsweatshops.org/woa.html
VISIT THE JOBS WITH JUSTICE WEBSITE TO:
DOWNLOAD AN ORGANIZING KIT www.unionvoice.org/ct/0p12wSY1WpgD/orgkit
The National Student Labor Week of Action is sponsored by SLAP,
a joint project of Jobs with Justice and the United States
Students Association. Partnering organizations for the National
Student Labor Week of Action are: United Students Against
Sweatshops, National Movimiento Estudantil Chicana/o de Aztlan,
TransAfrica, Student Action with Farmworkers, Not with Our
Money, and the Organization of Chinese Americans.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Also...Please Don't Forget! Register NOW for the United Students
Against Sweatshops National Winter Conference this February
12-15 in Atlanta at Georgia State University! SCHOLARSHIPS ARE
STILL AVAILABLE! APPLY NOW!
Register at
www.studentsagainstsweatshops.org/conference/register.html
Get your scholarship application at
www.unionvoice.org/ct/pd12wSY1WpgZ/scholarship
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
"MY FRIENDS, THE TIME FOR ACTION IS UPON US. The enemies of
justice want you to think of Dr. King as only a civil rights
leader, but he had a much broader agent. He was a tireless
crusader for the rights of the poor, for an end to the war in
Vietnam long before it was popular to take that stand, and for
the rights of workers everywhere. Many people find it convenient
to forget that Martin was murdered while supporting a desperate
strike on that tragic day in Memphis, Tennessee. He died while
fighting for the rights of sanitation workers. Dr. King's
dedication to the rights of the workers who are so often
exploited by the forces of greed has profoundly touched my life
and guided my struggle. During my first fast in 1968, Dr. King
reminded me that our struggle was his struggle too. He sent me a
telegram, which said: 'OUR SEPARATE STRUGGLES ARE REALLY ONE. A
STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM, FOR DIGNITY AND FOR HUMANITY.'" -- Cesar
E. Chavez
------------------------------------------------------------------------
4) CBS censoring political speech
If you are concerned about the state of the union, you should be concerned about the state of the media.
Last week, CBS television censored free speech by refusing to sell airtime to the MoveOn Voter Fund for a political ad during the Super Bowl. The ad is critical of the Bush Administration's run-up of the federal deficit.
CBS - owned by media giant Viacom - says it doesn't run "controversial" ads during the Super Bowl. But it plans to air a White House drug policy spot during the game. The last such ad linked marijuana smoking to terrorism... hardly uncontroversial.
It is no coincidence that the White House and the FCC are pushing through new media ownership limits at the behest of CBS - efforts that activists and public interest groups have been fighting. CBS/Viacom spent over $4 million lobbying Congress in the last four years alone.
CBS is playing politics with the right to free speech: another example of media monopoly's chilling effect on democratic debate.
We need your help to spread the word about CBS and the growing media crisis. Many members of Congress continue to fight further media consolidation because millions of Americans have pressured them to do so. This recent insult proves that we need millions more.
First, forward this email to everyone you know who cares about free speech and democracy.
Next, go to www.mediareform.net/media to learn more and sign up to be a Free Press E-Activist. You will receive occasional (not frequent) emails about media reform and how you can get involved. It's easy to subscribe and unsubscribe.
Free Press is a national nonpartisan organization working to increase public participation in crucial media policy debates, and to generate policies that will produce a more competitive and public interest-oriented media system. Information online at www.mediareform.net
Please join us as we build a media system that serves the public interest, not just corporate interests. Our democracy depends on it.
Yours truly,
Robert McChesney
Author, Professor
Founder, Free Press
-----------------------
Media: A Quick Overview
The corporate monopolization of media is increasingly playing a critical role in the declining quality of American democracy. Instead of a diverse, skeptical, independent and competitive media system - the kind envisioned and promoted by the nation's founders - the media give us dumbed-down low-quality journalism (devastating, because corporate television is the lens through which the vast majority of Americans understand the world); skyrocketing commercialism with increased ads per hour on TV and radio, product placement on TV and movies, on billboards, in schools and other public spaces; corporate-sanctioned self-censorship (a la Dixie Chicks and Bill Maher); a narrowing range of debate; abuse and atrophy of copyright law; and wholesale giveaways of public resources, among others. Today, few question the role the media now plays in undermining - rather than nurturing - democracy and civil society.
When Freedom of the Press was inscribed in the First Amendment to the Constitution, it was regarded as a social right of all citizens in a free and self-governing society to have a well-funded, uncensored and lively media system. Our media today remain the direct result of government policies, but no longer are the policies the result of informed public debate. Instead they are made quietly and corruptly behind closed doors by self-interested commercial parties, where lucrative monopoly rights to TV and radio channels and copyright extensions - for example - are doled out with no return to the public.
Free Press (www.mediareform.net) is about returning to the classical notion of Freedom of the Press: otherwise democracy and self-government are unthinkable. We must renew the founding commitment at the grassroots and on Capitol Hill to establishing the basis for a viable free press instead of letting powerful special interest lobbyists fight it out behind closed doors.
As Saul Alinsky said, "To defeat organized money, we need organized people."
P.S. Stay up to date on news relating to media reform with our free daily headline service. Sign up at www.mediareform.net/news/deliveries.php
P.P.S. Support media reform by becoming a Free Press Action Fund member at www.mediareform.net/support.php
Free Press www.mediareform.net
------------------------------------------------------------------------
5) Obama for Working Families
OBAMA WEEKLY REPORT JANUARY 22 -- 55 DAYS UNTIL VICTORY
HUNDREDS JOIN OBAMA’S TAKE IT TO THE PEOPLE CAMPAIGN!
Over 300 people joined the Take It to the People Campaign at last Saturday’s Volunteer Rally at Obama Campaign Headquarters. With volunteers spilling into the hallways and offices, sitting on the floor, and perched on windowsills, Obama thanked the Barack Brigade for their hard work and told them the real hard work comes in the next two months. Volunteers pledged to organize in their neighborhoods, serving as community coordinators, volunteer captains, precinct captains, canvassers, phone bankers, poll workers and poll watchers on Election Day. We need your help too! Organize sign blitzes, el stops, and door-to-door efforts in your neighborhood! To join the Barack Brigade, visit www.obamaforillinois.com/forms/forms.cgi.
SUPPORTERS PACK CAMPAIGN OFFICE GRAND OPENINGS ON KING DAY! Despite frigid temperatures, hundreds of enthusiastic supporters squeezed into Sen. Obama's new campaign offices on Monday, January 19 - King Day. The West Side office is located at 15 N. Mayfield in Chicago. The South Side office is at the Harold Washington Professional Building, 5401 S. Wentworth. Barack told the crowds that the reason he got into politics is connected to Dr. King. "It's based on a simple principle that we're all connected," he said. "If there's a child on the West Side who can't read it makes a difference in my life even if it's not my child. If there's a senior citizen in downstate Illinois who is struggling, that makes my life poorer even if it's not my grandparent." Barack encouraged supporters to pass the word about the new community campaign offices. If you want to help out in the West Side office, call (773) 626-3810; for the South Side office, call (773) 536-2263.
Barack also visited the Uhlich Youth Center on King Day to speak to a diverse group of 150 teenagers about Dr. King's life and its relevance today. After speaking he joined in a spirited game of "Civil Rights Jeopardy." Channel 7's Leah Hope covered the excitement and reported it on the 10 o'clock news.
OBAMA SHARES MESSAGE IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
Dozens of Obama supporters joined Sen. Obama and five of his opponents at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale on Tuesday, January 20 for a forum sponsored by the College Democrats. Questions were asked on health care, international relations, the Southern Illinois economy and education, among other issues. Obama praised the late Senator Paul Simon, and said it was necessary for Democrats to show the same forcefulness and integrity that Senator Simon did. Following the forum, a group of supporters in Gallatin County, led by Shawneetown Mayor Steve Scates, Jr., held a fundraiser for Obama.
OBAMA SCORES WINS IN EVANSTON, DUPAGE, IADO DEBATES & FORUMS
Barack drew cheers and applause in debates this past week sponsored by the Illinois Democratic Women in Warrenville, and the Democratic Party of Evanston, New Trier Democratic Organization and Northwestern University College Democrats in Evanston. Joined on stage by several of the U.S. Senate candidates, Barack promoted his strong record in the Senate and his plans to deliver health care for every American who needs it; revitalize jobs and the economy in Illinois; and repair America’s relationship with other nations in the wake of the war in Iraq. Speaking at a forum sponsored by the Indo-American Democratic Organization and DL21C, Obama set himself apart by highlighting the strong participation of Indian Americans and Asian Americans in his campaign. If you’re interested in joining Asian Americans for Obama, please e-mail Madhuri at mkommareddi (at) obamaforillinois.com.
On January 27 at 7:30 p.m., please join us for a Democratic Candidate Forum sponsored by the Lincoln Park Neighbors United for Peace, Beyond Today, Chicagoans Against War and Injustice and the Logan Square Neighbors for Justice and Peace. The forum will be held at St. Josaphat’s Catholic Church, 2311 N. Southport Ave., and will be moderated by Don Rose, writer and political consultant. Laura Washington, columnist for the Chicago Sun Times and Ron Grossman, News Analyst for the Chicago Tribune will be panelists. This forum is free and open, so wear your buttons and come out and support us! For a complete list of upcoming events, visit www.obamaforillinois.com/events.shtml.
ENDORSEMENTS KEEP ROLLING IN!
Barack received the endorsements this past week of 29th Ward Alderman Ike Carothers, 37th Ward Alderman Emma Mitts, State Representative Deborah Graham and 48th Ward Democratic Committeeman Mike Volini. They join hundreds of statewide elected officials, Democratic Party and community leaders who are supporting Barack’s campaign for U.S. Senate. For a complete list of endorsements visit www.obamaforillinois.com/endorsements.shtml
COME JOIN RAMSEY LEWIS & BARACK AT THE HISTORIC CHICAGO SYMPHONY CENTER
On Wednesday, January 28th, world-renowned jazz artist Ramsey Lewis will be playing a concert in support of Barack’s campaign for the U.S. Senate. The concert will be held at the Chicago Symphony Center, located at 220 S. Michigan. Tickets for the V.I.P. reception, which begins at 5 p.m are $1000; tickets for the concert that begins at 6 p.m. are $150. If you have any questions or need further information, please e-mail kpage (at) obamaforillinois.com. To make a contribution, please click on:
www.obamaforillinois.com/contribute.shtml
For more information or to volunteer, call (312) 427-6300 or visit www.obamaforillinois.com.
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6) Gordon Flett: Take Action: Tell NYC's Wine Enthusiast Awards
I responded to this campaign on behalf of Gallo of Sonoma farm
workers telling NYC's Wine Enthusiast Awards to take a stand on
Gallo wines. I think it is important. Please get involved too.
Help the farm workers by e-mailing Wine Enthusiast magazine and
Matt Gallo with Gallo of Sonoma today.
Thanks for lending your voice too.
You can take action by going to:
www.unionvoice.org/campaign/GalloWineEnthusiast
------------------------------------------------------------------------
7) Chicago: Friday, Jan 23 Lunchtime Rally
Students--Stand in Solidarity with Campus Workers.
Workers in the Hospital demand affordable healthcare!
The health care benefits for hospital workers are horrible. Many workers in
one of the best hospitals in the city cannont afford health care at all.
Support good jobs with decent wages and benefits for University employees in
the hospital.
This Friday, Jan. 23rd
12 noon
call Ella with questions 312-342-7564
Outside of the Administration Building (street side)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
8) The State of the Energy Bill
*** N O T I C E and A C T I O N ***
January 21, 2004
THE STATE OF THE ENERGY BILL
As Congress comes back into session, the state of the omnibus energy
bill (H.R. 6, "The Energy Policy Act of 2003") is uncertain. In his
State of the Union address last night, President Bush urged Congress to
"pass legislation to modernize our electricity system, promote
conservation and make America less dependent on foreign sources of
energy," a reference to the pending energy bill (and a gross
misrepresentation of its contents).
But the 60 votes required to break a Senate filibuster on the bill are
far from secure, especially since Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) -- who had
voted for cloture on the energy bill debate -- recently announced his
decision to support the filibuster as long as the bill remains in its
current form. (Without Sen. Ensign on their side, the bill's supporters
now need to switch three votes instead of two.) The overall cost of the
bill and a product liability waiver for manufacturers of the fuel
additive MTBE remain among the most contentious issues, and the bill's
proponents continue to search for ways to appease all parties on these
issues in an effort to make the bill at-large more palatable.
!!! A C T I O N !!!
In the meantime, it is essential that we maintain pressure on senators
to keep this regressive bill from passing! If your senators support the
filibuster on the energy bill (thereby opposing the bill), urge them to
hold their ground; if they oppose the filibuster, urge them to change
their position. Find out how your senators voted here:
snipurl.com/3551
CALL the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 to be connected to your
senators, and refer to www.stopenergybill.org for energy bill
updates and action alerts.
~~~~~~
LICENSING FAVORS TO NUCLEAR FACILITY IN ENERGY BILL
Among the most reprehensible items in the energy bill is a section
devoted to the licensing of a domestic uranium enrichment facility.
Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), co-chair of the energy conference committee
and best friend to the nuclear industry, surreptitiously inserted the
provisions during the energy conference at the behest of Louisiana
Energy Services (LES), a multinational energy industry consortium that
seeks to build and operate a uranium enrichment plant (which would
provide fuel for the country's nuclear power plants) near Eunice, New
Mexico. Domenici courted LES to his home state, and now he is doing
their legislative bidding in Congress. The energy bill language would
greatly expedite the licensing process for the plant and effectively
preclude intervention on contentious issues that have been problematic
for LES in the past, such as disposition of the toxic and radioactive
waste that the plant would produce.
Public Citizen has produced a brief analysis of the underhanded
political maneuvering of LES and their success in securing favorable
language in the energy bill. The analysis may be viewed on Public
Citizen's Web site here:
snipurl.com/3y99
------------------------------------------------------------------------
9) Senate Vote Denies Consumers Crucial Information About Their Food
Jan. 22, 2004
Senate Vote Denies Consumers Crucial Information About Their Food
Statement by Wenonah Hauter, Director of Public Citizen's Critical Mass
Energy and Environment Program
Today's vote by the Senate to approve the omnibus appropriations
package means that consumers will remain without a piece of vital
information about the food they and their families eat: its country of
origin. The budget package contains a provision that will delay the
implementation of mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) until
2006, effectively killing the program. The 2002 Farm Bill required
mandatory country-of-origin labeling to be implemented by September of
this year. This vote is a slap in the face to U.S. consumers as well as
family farmers and ranchers, all of whom would benefit from the labeling
program because they could distinguish their products in the
marketplace.
The past six months have provided several vivid examples of why
consumers need to know where their food comes from. The discovery of
mad cow disease in two animals of Canadian origin (one in Canada in May
and one in the United States in December) as well as the hepatitis A
outbreak in Pennsylvania, which was caused by green onions from Mexico
and sickened more than 600 people, were high-profile reminders of the
distance food travels and the varying circumstances under which it is
produced. Yet when consumers go to the grocery store, they have no way
to differentiate between foreign and domestic products. Where food is
shipped from can indicate the conditions under which it was grown and is
a basic piece of information that consumers should have to enable them
to make informed choices.
Congress now should revisit this matter in separate legislation and
instruct the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to act swiftly to
implement country-of-origin labeling on schedule.
Public Citizen is a national, nonprofit consumer advocacy organization
based in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit
www.citizen.org.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
10) Teamsters eDispatch
Welcome to the Teamster eDispatch. Stay tuned each week for news from and about our website, www.teamster.org.
***Headlines
*Bucking Management at 99¢
On January 16, a group of 60 drivers employed by 99¢ Only Stores overwhelmingly voted to join Teamsters Local 630 in Los Angeles.
When the union filed a petition in December, management hired five union-busting consultants—including a former NLRB agent—to assist in a program to intimidate the workers. But “we stuck to our message, to seek a better life and respect for the workers,” said Xavier Sandoral, an organizer recently hired by Local 630 under the International Union’s new organizing program.
Local 630, with close to 8,000 members, has set a goal of reaching 10,000 by the next International Convention in 2006, according to Paul Kenny, the local’s secretary-treasurer.
99¢ Only is a single-price retailer with more than 164 locations, largely concentrated in Southern and Central California. “We’re going after the warehouse guys next,” Kenny said.
*Appeals Court Affirms Sympathy Strike Rights
www.teamster.org/04news/hn_040116_4.htm
*Super Pact at SuperValu
www.teamster.org/04news/hn_040121_1.htm
*Union Solidarity: More Than Just Politics
www.teamster.org/04news/hn_040116_6.htm
*Local 237 Celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday
www.teamster.org/04news/hn_040115_4.htm
*320 New Members Join Local 215
www.teamster.org/04news/hn_040116_1.htm
***Press Releases
*Statement by General President Hoffa on Iowa Caucus Results
www.teamster.org/04news/nr_040120_1.htm
*Teamsters Hail Bonderman Exit From Continental
www.teamster.org/04news/nr_040116_2.htm
*North American Airline Pilots Choose Teamsters
www.teamster.org/04news/nr_040116_1.htm
*Union Pacific Unmanned Locomotives Put LA-Metro In Danger
www.teamster.org/04news/nr_040109_1.htm
***Siteseeing at Teamster.org
*Pension and Health Care Benefits Update
To read a compilation of articles from around the country concerning and health care benefits crisis, visit www.teamster.org/privileg/penshcupdate.asp
------------------------------------------------------------------------
11) CBS Censors Winning Ad
During this year's Super Bowl, you'll see ads sponsored by beer companies, tobacco companies, and the Bush White House.1 But you won't see the winning ad in MoveOn.org Voter Fund's Bush in 30 Seconds ad contest. CBS refuses to air it.2
Meanwhile, the White House is on the verge of signing into law a deal which Senator John McCain (R-AZ) says is custom-tailored for CBS and Fox,3 allowing the two networks to grow much bigger. CBS lobbied hard for this rule change; MoveOn.org members across the country lobbied against it; and now our ad has been rejected while the White House ad will be played. It looks an awful lot like CBS is playing politics with the right to free speech.
Of course, this is bigger than just the MoveOn.org Voter Fund. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) submitted an ad that was also rejected.4 But this isn't even a progressive-vs.-conservative issue. The airwaves are publicly owned, so we have a fundamental right to hear viewpoints from across the ideological spectrum. That's why we need to let CBS know that this practice of arbitrarily turning down ads that may be "controversial" -- especially if they're controversial simply because they take on the President -- just isn't right.
To watch the ad that CBS won't air and sign our petition to CBS, go to:
www.moveon.org/cbs/ad/
(If you want to skip the ad and just sign the petition, click here.)
We'll deliver the petition by email directly to CBS headquarters.
You also may want to let your local CBS affiliate know you're unhappy about this decision. We've attached a list of the CBS affiliates in your state at the bottom of this email. Remember, a polite, friendly call will be most effective -- just explain to them why you believe CBS' decision hurts our democracy.
CBS will claim that the ad is too controversial to air. But the message of the ad is a simple statement of fact, supported by the President's own figures. Compared with 2002's White House ad which claimed that drug users are supporting terrorism,5 it hardly even registers.
CBS will also claim that this decision isn't an indication of political bias. But given the facts, that's hard to believe. CBS overwhelmingly favored Republicans in its political giving, and the company spent millions courting the White House to stop FCC reform.6 According to a well-respected study, CBS News was second only to Fox in failing to correct common misconceptions about the Iraq war which benefited the Bush Administration -- for example, the idea that Saddam Hussein was involved with 9/11.7
This is not a partisan issue. It's critical that our media institutions be fair and open to all speakers. CBS is setting a dangerous precedent, and unless we speak up, the pattern may continue. Please call on CBS to air ads which address issues of public importance today.
Sincerely,
--Adam, Carrie, Eli, James, Joan, Laura, Noah, Peter, Wes, and Zack
The MoveOn.org Team
January 22nd, 2003
P.S. Our friends at Free Press have put together a page which explains simply how CBS and the FCC rule change are integrally linked. Check it out at:
www.mediareform.net/media/
P.P.S Here are the CBS affiliates in your state:
WBBM-TV, Chicago: (312) 202-2222
WIFR-TV, Rockford: (815) 987-5300
WHBF-TV, Rock Island: (309) 786-5441
WMBD-TV, Peoria: (309) 688-3131
WCIA-TV, Champaign: (217) 356-8333
KHQA-TV, Quincy: (217) 222-6200
Footnotes:
1. "Who's Buying What At the Super Bowl," Ad Age, 1/20/04
2. CBS fax to MoveOn.org Voter Fund, 1/14/04
3. "Democrats Fold on 39% TV Cap Fight", Broadcasting and Cable, 1/21/04
4. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
5. "New Media Campaign Stresses Link between Drugs and Terrorism," U.S. Dept. of State
6. "CBS Television Network Soft Money Donations," Opensecrets.org
7. "Misperceptions, the Media and the Iraq War," PIPA/Knowledge Networks Poll
------------------------------------------------------------------------
12) Delegation to Cuba
Rockefeller Memorial Chapel is sponsoring a trip to Cuba for University
> faculty, staff and students during the spring break. The dates will be March 20-28, 2004, and the cost will be $1710. That cost will include all travel, lodging, meals, museum and other entrance fees, etc. (basically, everything but souvenirs and snacks).
>
> The purpose of the trip is to learn as much as possible about the current situation in Cuba and about Cubans' options for their future. We will meet with people from as broad a spectrum of opinions as possible, including a member of the National Assembly (parliament), economists, faculty at the University of Havana, members of various religious traditions (including Santeria), human rights ngo's, various grassroots organizations, representatives at the US Interests Section (our embassy there), and others. We'll learn about health care and education, the overall effects of the embargo (including the "greening" of Cuba), and more. We will have the flexibility to include in our itinerary particular individuals or issues of interest to participants. Most of our time will be spent in Havana, with a couple of days probably in either Matanzas or Pinar del Rio. Translation will be provided.
>
> We will travel legally to Cuba with a Treasury Dept. license. As you may have heard, the Bush administration has curbed some categories of travel to Cuba, but we are not affected. In fact, the license under which we will travel was very recently renewed and is good until 2005.
>
> If you are interested or have questions, please contact me at alboden (at) uchicago.edu or 2-8282.
>
> Thanks,
> Alison Boden
>
> The Rev. Dr. Alison L. Boden
> Dean, Rockefeller Memorial Chapel
> The University of Chicago
> 5850 S. Woodlawn Avenue
> Chicago, IL 60637
> 773-702-8282
------------------------------------------------------------------------
13) Safety Online Newsletter
1) OSHA Offers Two New Compliance Assistance Web Tools
WASHINGTON -- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration today announced the availability of two new resources on the agency's website: MyOSHA, a tool to create personalized links to OSHA online resources; and Quick Start, a step-by-step guide to identify major OSHA requirements and guidance materials....
www.safetyonline.com/nl/69912/1191269
2) New Safety for HR Program Introduced
Itasca, IL - Worker injuries cost business and society an estimated $132 billion a year, providing a burden on businesses of all types. Many companies are asking Human Resources (HR) professionals to play a significant role in managing safety and holding down the skyrocketing costs of workers' compensation and health care. A new training program, developed by the National Safety Council, promises to...
www.safetyonline.com/nl/69913/1191269
3) AMERICAN SOCIETY OF SAFETY ENGINEERS ADD NEW SERVICE FOR MEMBERS
DES PLAINES, IL (January 20, 2004) - In an effort to expand the knowledge, build upon the capabilities of women in the occupational safety, health and environmental profession, and to increase networking opportunities, the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) recently established the Women in Safety Engineering (WISE) common interest group....
www.safetyonline.com/nl/69914/1191269
------------------------------------------------------------------------
14) Help Keep John Edwards Rolling!
As you all know, the Edwards Campaign has had a remarkable run over the last two weeks and we are generating a tremendous amount of momentum and excitement across the nation. With John Edwards' second place finish in Iowa last night, which greatly exceeded everyone's expectations, now is the time to give a financial boost to the campaign. With the New Hampshire Primary on January 27th and the South Carolina, Oklahoma, Arizona, Missouri, and Delaware Primaries on February 3rd your help matters NOW more than ever.
You can make a huge difference in the success of this campaign and we need your help NOW! Now is the time to support the campaign financially and we need you with us!
Click here and contribute to the campaign today. www.johnedwards2004.com/contribute
Howard Dean has led the way in Internet fundraising. He has used this money to buy consultants and slick negative TV ads to batter down his opponents. His money has also attracted the endorsements of many Washington insiders. Now it is the time for Edwards supporters to show the Dean folks how to really raise money over the Internet. Please forward this email to anyone interested in supporting the best candidate in the race, John Edwards.
Together, we can start a chain reaction that will be felt all over America! Thanks so much for your continued commitment to the campaign.
www.johnedwards2004.com/contribute
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************
Sincerely,
Rafi K. Jafri
Vice-President, DL21C
Check out DL21C's website at www.dl21c-chicago.org.
A copy of our report filed with the State Board of Elections and the County
Clerk is or will be available for purchase from the State Board of
Elections, Springfield, IL, or from the County Clerk, Cook County, IL
Contact DL21C: (312) 409-DL21C or info@dl21c-chicago.
HELP US SPREAD THE WORD. PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO TWO FRIENDS.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
15) Seven Little Words, Iowasn't Expecting That, New Hampshire Opportunity
Seven Little Words
This week, the President fulfilled his constitutional obligation by addressing Congress on the State of the Union. Last year, President Bush offered up a plate-load of spin on his environmental record -- and LCV was there to debunk it. This year's speech devoted more time to steroid use in sports than on the environment. In fact, the President only devoted seven little words to the environment: "This Congress must act to encourage conservation…" Ironically, those words came in a plea to Congress to pass his pro-polluter energy bill. It looks like the Slate's Timothy Noah hit the nail on the head, saying; "Apparently [White House political advisor] Karl Rove has decided that the environment isn't even worth paying lip service to anymore." However, we can look forward to this Administration's continued actions on the environment. Too bad the actions have usually been in the wrong direction.
Read LCV's Press Release
See the Bush Administration's Rollbacks
See how the Bush Administration has failed on the environment
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Primarily Speaking . . .
Iowasn't Expecting That
Pundits and talking heads don't always get it right. As the nation put Iowa under the political microscope on Monday, the caucus-goers zigged when everyone thought that they would zag, handing Sen. John Kerry a victory in the first-in-the-nation presidential caucus. Kerry's win comes on the heels of polls showing him trailing then-leader Howard Dean (who ended up in third place) just a few days before the vote. North Carolina's John Edwards , bolstered by an endorsement from the Des Moines Register, finished in the second slot. Rep. Dick Gephardt came in a disappointing fourth, prompting his withdrawal from the 2004 race. So, does this mean that Kerry has a lock on the nomination? Well, there's still a long road to the nomination -- and voters across the nation still have the opportunity to zig and zag as they please.
A New Hampshire Opportunity
As candidates headed from the first-in-the-nation caucus to the first-in-the-nation primary, they were greeted by the two major candidates that decided to skip Iowa to concentrate on their New Hampshire bid: Wesley Clark and Joe Lieberman . Some polls show Dean in the lead here, others show Kerry ahead, still others show Clark on top -- and support seems to be growing for Edwards as well. In the end, it's a waiting game until the voting numbers come in. We've said it before, and we'll say it again: regardless of who gets the nomination, all of the leading candidates' records and statements indicate that they would be a far better choice for the environment than President Bush .
Read all about the environmental records and statements of the candidates
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supreme Victory
Chalk one up for the environment. In the first of eight environmental cases before the Supreme Court, the justices ruled that EPA can overrule state regulators to force compliance with federal standards. State regulators in Alaska issued a permit to allow the Red Dog Mine to use pollution scrubbers on a new generator that would reduce emissions by only 30 percent. EPA blocked the move, saying that the best available technology would achieve a 90 percent cut in pollution. In a 5-4 ruling, the High Court claimed the state didn't have a basis for lowering the bar on the polluting plant, and that EPA was right to enforce Clean Air standards. Speaking for the majority Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said that without national standards, new plants would threaten to relocate to other states with less stringent pollution standards. Now, if only we had an Administration in office that didn't want to lower federal clean air standards . . .
Read more in our Newsroom
Click here to join LCV!
Click here to help Give Bush the Boot!
Tell a friend about the Insider
Send a postcard!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Find out how your representatives in Congress rate on the environment
The Weekly Insider is brought to you by:
League of Conservation Voters
1920 L Street, NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
www.lcv.org
------------------------------------------------------------------------
16) ANSWER
142 ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORT THE ARAB-AMERICAN AND MUSLIM OPEN LETTER
** FOR WIDE DISTRIBUTION **
[To join as an organizational signatory, please write to: rashmawi (at) sbcglobal.net]
UPDATE AND BACKGROUND:
On January 12, 2004, an "Open Letter from the Arab-American and Muslim Community to the US Anti-War Movement" was initiated by 41 Arab-American and Muslim organizations in the United States and Canada. Today, this letter carries the names of 142 signatory organizations (listed below) that are supported by thousands of activists and community members, including solidarity groups and anti-war coalitions from coast to coast.
The movement in South Africa also weighed in, giving its support to the Arab-American and Muslim community in the United States, thus further indicating the global consensus on the political demands of the anti-war movement. The Arab National Conference (ANC), a leading umbrella of Arab intellectuals and activists throughout the world, earnestly joined in endorsing this call.
At present, there are hopeful signs that the movement in the United States as a whole is also approaching a unity on these core principles set-forth in the Open Letter, which would lead to a unified mobilization on March 20, 2004 - as demanded by communities and the grassroots nationwide.
The Open Letter was originally initiated on January 12 following a call to mobilize against colonial occupations that was issued and endorsed by a large coalition of organizations and communities that included the International A.N.S.W.E.R Coalition; Al-Awda - the Palestine Right to Return Coalition; the National Lawyers Guild; the Arab Muslim American Federation; the Free Palestine Alliance-USA; the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation; and the Muslim Students Association of the U.S. and Canada. The National Council of Arab Americans (NCAA) supported this call in full. This national and all-encompassing umbrella has since expanded and is now called the "March 20 National Coalition".
The call to mobilize, which constitutes the political basis for the unity of the March 20 National Coalition, demanded ending "all colonial occupations from Iraq to Palestine and everywhere". It also called for "bringing the troops home NOW" without delay, and for opposing giving an international cover to the colonial occupation of Iraq. Some sectors in the anti-war movement, however, are yet to accept these unifying principles.
As a result, and in the context of a long history of being silenced and marginalized, the Arab-American and Muslim community prepared the following Open Letter to the movement.
Today, the movement can be hopeful that a unified and an all-inclusive mobilization could take place nationwide, not only in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago, but also in New York City and elsewhere, on the basis outlined. This would set a new definitional and unifying turning point and would strengthen the grassroots tide to stop the continued advance of war and empire. We urge all community and progressive organizations to stand together as full partners in Dolores Park in San Francisco, Times Square in New York City, Hollywood and Vine in Los Angeles, in Chicago, and in cities and towns across the U.S.
AN OPEN LETTER FROM THE ARAB-AMERICAN AND MUSLIM COMMUNITY TO THE US ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT
Dear peace and justice organizations and activists,
On March 20, 2004, the world will mobilize against war and colonial occupations. The significance of this historic day is evident to all and requires no further elaboration. The political clarity and character of this mobilization in the US, however, remains illusive.
This is where our community stands:
In confronting war, the people of Palestine and Iraq have paid dearly. They stand against the imperial project shoulder to shoulder with communities of color and the working class in the United States, along with great many subjugated peoples around the globe - from Afghanistan to Colombia, and from the Philippines to Vieques, and on. Without a doubt, the Palestinian and Iraqi people are both welded together in an inextricable unity at the forefront of the global anti-war movement, transforming themselves as a whole as its embodiment and paying in its defense with the dearest of all - their very existence. Yet, despite every home destroyed, child murdered, acre confiscated and tree uprooted, town colonized and ethnically cleansed, wall built, refugee remaining nation-less, and incremental robbery of their self-determination, they remain the very antithetical formulation of empire and with a vision of justice for all.
In the United States, we, Arab-Americans and Muslims have been maliciously targeted, stripped of our rights, and positioned outside the constitutional framework of this country. A new COINTELPRO has been unleashed against our homes and living rooms, as our fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters are plucked away and thrown into unknown prison cells. Thus, in a continuum of history, we stand with African Americans, Japanese Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and all others in the painful struggle for justice. From them all, we take our cue, for they are our predecessors and our partners in this long march.
Accordingly, we the undersigned hereby declare that:
1. We do not accept delinking the struggle of the Palestinian people from the anti-war movement, and regard the struggle in Palestine, as it is viewed worldwide, to be central to any peace and justice mobilization.
2. We insist that the Palestinian right to return and to self-determination are the key anchors of the Palestinian struggle, and that organizations that attempt to diminish, sidetrack, or abrogate these rights, regardless of any other position they may take on Palestine, are acting contrary to the will and aspiration of the Palestinian people.
3. We view all attempts to relegate our collective presence to the margin and to tokenize our participation in the movement to be racist in character. In its attempt to silence the Arab and Muslim voices for decades, particularly that of the Palestinian people, the movement in the US has stood alone in the global movement for justice. We see ourselves as full partners in leading the movement as signified in the heavy price we continue to pay along the way, and reject any attempt to objectify our presence.
4. We regard the positions that the "colonial occupation of Iraq must be internationalized", or that ending the occupation must be conducted over a period of time until the "Iraqis are able to secure their democracy", as implicitly colonial and racist. These are positions that are rooted in the construct of "manifest destiny" and the "white man's burden" to "civilize".
5. We call on our people everywhere to hold all organizations accountable to the positions they take, especially those that depict racist attitudes towards us, implicitly or otherwise, particularly those that tokenize and objectify our struggle. Any organization or movement that finds it acceptable to minimize or disregard for political expediency the struggle of any people should not be allowed to function within the global justice movement. Justice is neither selective, nor partial or conditional.
We are firm on these principles for the March 20th mobilization and beyond as we call on all communities and organizations to mobilize and stand in force under the following unifying five slogans:
1. End all colonial occupations from Iraq to Palestine to ever
www.laborgroups.org/LaborGroupsNews23Jan04.pdf
www.laborgroups.org/LaborGroupsNews23Jan04.doc
1) Chicago Calendar of Events
2) Senate Holds the Line on Overtime Pay--For Now!
3) Please join the National Student Labor Week of Action this spring!
4) CBS censoring political speech
5) Obama for Working Families
6) Gordon Flett: Take Action: Tell NYC's Wine Enthusiast Awards
7) Chicago: Friday, Jan 23 Lunchtime Rally
8) The State of the Energy Bill
9) Senate Vote Denies Consumers Crucial Information About Their Food
10) Teamsters eDispatch
11) CBS Censors Winning Ad
12) Delegation to Cuba
13) Safety Online Newsletter
14) Help Keep John Edwards Rolling!
15) Seven Little Words, Iowasn't Expecting That, New Hampshire Opportunity
16) ANSWER
17) The latest from SW Online
18) He’s a divider. How do we unite?
19) Dateline NBC is Looking For Stories
20) Smoke THIS !
21) TruthOut
22) Mexico Solidarity Network
23) State of the Union, For Real
24) Chicago: DL21C Events
25) Carolyn Kay's "Make Them Accountable"
26) Citizens for a Legitimate Government News
27) The DISH
28) Rob Sanchez's JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1) Chicago Calendar of Events
mail.laborgroups.org/pipermail/nwrc2600_laborgroups.org/Week-of-Mon-20040119/000050.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2) Senate Holds the Line on Overtime Pay--For Now!
You did it! Together we were successful on Tuesday when senators
stopped a bill that failed to block the Bush overtime pay
take-away. Overtime pay protections had been removed from the
measure at the insistence of the Bush administration. This
doesn't mean we've blocked the Bush overtime pay take-away
yet--but we've sent a very powerful message to President Bush:
Hundreds of thousands of workers and bipartisan majorities in
the U.S. Senate and U.S. House oppose the Bush overtime pay
take-away. Please click below to act now or keep reading for
more information.
www.unionvoice.org/campaign/faxbush4ot/
Unfortunately, President Bush and Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
don't seem to be hearing us. The Bush administration stubbornly
insists on moving forward with this massive pay cut for millions
of workers.
We've also learned that the White House is once again BLOCKING
your e-mail comments. This is adding insult to injury. So we've
setup a special Web page you can use to SEND A FAX (it's free)
to President Bush expressing your opposition to his
administration's plan to take away overtime pay from millions of
ordinary working Americans. Please click on the link below and
take one minute right now to send a fax to President Bush
expressing your opposition to his overtime pay take-away.
www.unionvoice.org/campaign/faxbush4ot/
The intentions of the Bush administration couldn't be clearer.
In testimony before the Senate on Tuesday, Bush Labor Secretary
Elaine Chao said, "I think enough time has been spent on delays
as well as studies and studies of all sorts on this issue." The
Bush administration intends to finalize the overtime pay
take-away as soon as possible--perhaps before March 1.
After you take action, the most important thing you can do to
turn up the heat is to spread the word about the overtime pay
take-away to your friends, family and co-workers. Please click
below to send them a note.
www.unionvoice.org/campaign/faxbush4ot/forward/
AMERICA WRITES BACK: The Real State of the Union
In Tuesday night's State of the Union address, President Bush
didn't mention his overtime pay take-away that will cut the pay
for as many as 8 million of America's workers. We've put
together a special Web page where you can share your thoughts,
feedback and comments with other members of this network. We'll
sort comments by state. This will be a great collage of voices
from all over America. Please take one minute right now to add
your comment by clicking on the link below.
www.unionvoice.org/ct/Jpad1a51Ipgp/
Also, look up how your senators voted Tuesday at this link.
www.unionvoice.org/ct/Ddad1a51IpgQ/
Read the AFL-CIO website news story on the overtime pay vote
www.unionvoice.org/ct/D1ad1a51IpgP/
Thanks for all you do. Together we will win.
Onward,
Working Families e-Activist Network, AFL-CIO
Jan. 21, 2004
P.S. Next week we'll e-mail you a progress report on the results
of the Petition to Save Overtime Pay, including results by state
so you can see how many people in your state have signed the
petition so far. We'll also announce a goal for new petition
signers in your state and we'll provide you instant, online
tracking of the number of petition signers. Sign and download
the petition at: www.saveovertimepay.org/
------------------------------------------------------------------------
3) Please join the National Student Labor Week of Action this spring!
This is your LAST CHANCE! Apply NOW for a FULL SCHOLARSHIP to the USAS Winter Conference in Atlanta, February 13-15!
NEW DEADLINE: Applications due this SUNDAY!
www.studentsagainstsweatshops.org/conference/scholarships.html
[ Scholarships are need-based, and priority is given to diverse delegations. ]
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In this USAS National Winter Conference reminder: ---------------------------------------------------------------------
1. REGISTER NOW for the 1st National USAS Conference in the
South! 2. Take a look at this AWESOME agenda! 3. Put Your Message Out: Get a Table! 4. Limited Travel & Registration Scholarship Applications
Available! 5. Want to Get Involved in Convergence Planning?
6. Submit Your Proposals: Help Determine the Direction of USAS!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
1. REGISTER NOW for the 1st National USAS Conference in the
South! ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Students from high schools, colleges, and universities across
the country have already registered for the United Students
Against Sweatshops National Winter Conference this February
12-15 in Atlanta at Georgia State University! The conference
features incredible (and confirmed!) speakers from all over the
US South and from around the globe, including speakers from
Indonesia, Mexico, and more!
*************************************************************
Please register NOW at
studentsagainstsweatshops.org/conference/register.html
*************************************************************
It's time again to celebrate and strategize about the
student-labor solidarity work happening across the country! The
South has a rich history in the social and economic justice
movements of this country, and we will partake in this history
through speakers, workshops, and demonstrating in solidarity
with the social justice community of Atlanta.
This conference will focus on campus organizing skills,
trainings, and strategy setting for what is shaping up to be an
amazingly active spring semester. Conferences are THE BEST way
to invigorate your group and strategize nationally for WINNING
this spring -- we'll see you in Atlanta!
FEBRUARY WILL COME QUICKLY: Start making your fundraising plans
NOW. Contact your school and local community and labor allies to
ask them for assistance in coming to the conference.
And remember: In order to VOTE AT THE CONFERENCE, your group
must be affiliated with USAS. If your group isn't affiliated
yet, affiliate now so you can participate! Affiliating is easier
than ever -- once you consult with others in your group, just go
through the www.usasnet.org website or directly to:
studentsagainstsweatshops.org/affiliate.html and fill out
the form!
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2. Take a look at this AWESOME agenda! ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Tentative Agenda for the Conference - a DRAFT, so send
suggestions!
***********************
THURSDAY, February 12th
***********************
All Day: Apparel Wage Disclosure & Apparel Living Wage
Pre-Conference
Limited space available! Contact emy643 (at) yahoo.com or
ben (at) usasnet.org for details.
*********************
FRIDAY, February 13th
*********************
9:30-10: Welcome/agenda overview
10-11: USAS 101 for folks who are new to the organization
USAS 201 for folks who have been around for awhile
11-12: Regional Breakouts and introductions in small groups
12-1: Lunch
1-2:30: Rally!
2:30-4: Workshops
4:15-5:15 International Solidarity Panel
5:30-7: International Strategy Session
7-8: Dinner
8pm to 9:30: Focus on the South (Panel and breakouts)
*********************************************
SATURDAY, February 14th - Bring Your Sweetie!
*********************************************
9:30-12:30 National Organizing and Skill Building (panel and
workshops)
12:30-2: Lunch with Atlanta Labor Panel
2-3:30: Campus and Community Labor Solidarity strategy session
3:30-4:30: Caucus #1 People of color
4:45-5:45: Caucus #2: Women and genderqueer
6-8: Dinner and Vision-setting
9 to ?: Big Time Valentine's Day Party
*********************
SUNDAY, February 15th
*********************
10-11:Immigrant Solidarity Campaigns
11-12: Caucus #3 Working Class
12-1: Caucus #4: Queer Allies
1-2 regional LUNCH
2-4: Plenary
4-6: ANOTHER ACTION!
6pm Dinner and a movie // student organized meeting //
departures as
required
*************************************
What does USAS get out of your coming to the National Winter Conference? **********************************
USAS is a student-built, student-led, student-maintained
organization. Your involvement makes USAS what it is. Your input
on strategy, campaigns, caucuses, and goals for the next
semester will help maintain the democracy and diversity that we
wish for this organization. Your shared ideas, experiences, and
activist wisdom make this happen, and the diversity and
experiences of your affiliate group's delegation contribute to
the ongoing struggle in which we are engaged.
WORKSHOPS!
REGIONAL MEETINGS!
STRATEGY SESSIONS!
IDENTITY CAUCUSES!
AMAZING SPEAKERS AND PANELS!
NETWORKING!
SHARING IDEAS!
AND A DAMN GOOD TIME!
Please register NOW!
(see
studentsagainstsweatshops.org/conference/register.html)
USAS affiliates have all committeed to fighting racism, sexism,
homophobia, classism, and other forms of oppression within our
society, our organizatoins and ourselves through affirming the
USAS Principles of Unity. We ask each school's delegation to
reflect the diversity of identities in our organization and
patricularly to ensure the inclusion of historically oppressed
and marginalized identities. USAS cannot sustainably and
legitimately fight for economic justice and universal worker
rights if even its own resources and leadership are not
accessible to everyone. Consequently, we request that every
delegation consider who is empowered in terms of attending the
conference and holding voting power, considering queer
identities and class identites as well as race and gender.
Please register NOW!
(see
studentsagainstsweatshops.org/conference/register.html)
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3. Put Your Message Out: Get a Table! ---------------------------------------------------------------------
USAS doesn't gather together as a national coalition very often,
so when we do, it's a great opportunity to get your message out
to students from across the country. We encourage our allies and
others to take advantage of this opportunity, and provide
information and opportunities to our gathered affiliates by
purchasing table space or space in the convergence program. For
more information, contact Ben or Allie at 202-NO-SWEAT
(202-667-9328) or register (at) usasnet.org. Please return the
tabling/program form below to us by e-mail or by fax at
202-293-5308.
Name of
organization:_____________________________________________________
Address:__________________________________________________________
City:________________________ State: ________ Zip Code: ______
Contact
Person:__________________________________________________________
Title:________________________ Phone
Number:_______________________
Email:___________________________________________________
Tabling Rates:
_______ $200 for national student groups
_______ $200 sliding scale for local groups
_______ $300 for national NGOs
_______ $300 for local or statewide unions
_______ $1,000 for national/international unions and for-profit
groups
Interested in space in the program? Let us know.
Return to:
United Students Against Sweatshops
1150 17th St NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20036
or Fax to 202-293-5308
---------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Limited Travel & Registration Scholarship Applications
Available! ---------------------------------------------------------------------
We have very limited funds for conference scholarships this
year. In addition to submitting this application, you should try
to raise money to fund your trip to the conference from local
organizations; for a guide on local fundraising, see our website
www.usasnet.org or call the USAS national office at
202-NO-SWEAT, where staff will do their darndest to get you to
Atlanta. In allocating scholarship money, we seek to maximize
the number of schools represented at the conference and promote
diversity in our organization. Significant priority will be
given to underprivileged students, people of color, and working
class, female, and queer students.
Applications are due January 25th and we will notify you by
January 26th about whether funding will be available. Please
submit applications electronically to register (at) usasnet.org. If
you have questions or need more information about the
conference, contact us at 202-NO-SWEAT or email
register (at) usasnet.org
Name:
School:
School Group:
Is your group a USAS affiliate? (y/n): Email:
Phone:
Address:
Expected Graduation (month, year):
Check if you're applying for scholarships to cover:
__ registration
__ travel: from (city) _____________________
* Are other students from your school planning to come to the
conference? If so, how many, and are any of them applying for
scholarships? * How did your group decide whom to send to the conference? * Do you identify as a person of color? Working class?
Queer?
Female or genderqueer? * Have you attended a USAS conference before? If so, which? * Have you made, or do you plan to make, an effort to raise
money to come to the conference from local organizations or
unions? Which organizations or unions will you ask? * Please describe your work and involvement with your campus
group(s) and with USAS.
* What is your group working on now? * What do you think your group would get out of your coming to
the conference? * What would you hope to get out of coming to the conference?
---------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Want to Get Involved in Conference Planning? ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Hey, when we say grassroots participation, we mean grassroots
participation. If you want to help plan the United Students
Against Sweatshops Winter National Conference this February
12-15 in New York City, join our conference-planning listserv by
sending a blank e-mail to
peoplegetready1-subscribe (at) yahoogroups.com -- we'd love your
help!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Submit Your Proposals: Help Determine the Direction of USAS! -------------------------------------------------------------------
*** FINAL Deadline for proposals is February 5th! ***
United Students Against Sweatshops is a grassroots member-run
organization of affiliated student groups. Decisions about USAS'
campaigns, priorities, and structure are made in plenaries at
our national conferences. The discussion in the plenaries is
directed to proposals that affiliates have submitted, and all
affiliate groups attending the conference discuss and vote on
the proposals.
Below are the guidelines for submitting a proposal. Please read
these before drafting a proposal. Please feel free to circulate
your proposal to any USAS list for comments before submitting
it; proposals must be submitted by February 5th to
register (at) usasnet.org so we can distribute them to people
registered for the conference for any advance comments.
=====================================
Who is eligible to submit a proposal?
=====================================
Proposals can only be submitted by USAS affiliate groups or
their members or USAS standing committees. Proposals should be
submitted on behalf of either your entire group or several
members of your USAS affiliate group; proposals should not be
submitted by only one individual. Several groups may submit a
proposal jointly. One or two members of your group should act as
liaisons in presenting the proposal at the conference.
==========================
Requirements for Proposals
==========================
Your proposal must fall within the following boundaries: - Your proposal must be consistent with the USAS Principals of
Unity (see
www.studentsagainstsweatshops.org/affiliate.html)
- Your proposal must contain an action plan with numbered steps
for implementing the proposal. - Your proposal must contain a timeline - approximate dates by
which the various steps of your proposal's action plan should be
completed. - Your proposal should be designed with respect to the current
projects of USAS. In other words, if you are suggesting a
dramatic rearrangement of USAS' priorities, you should explain
how your proposal would affect USAS' ability to fulfill current
commitments and continue current projects.
===================
Layout of Proposals
===================
Please structure your proposal as follows:
TITLE OF PROPOSAL
AUTHOR(S) OF PROPOSAL & AFFILIATION OF AUTHOR(S) The author(s) should be listed as either (1) the name of a USAS
affiliate group if the whole group is the author, or (2) the
names of individual authors plus the USAS affiliate group of the
authors.
TYPE OF PROPOSAL
Please identify the type of proposal you are submitting as
dealing with either:
- STRUCTURE/POLICY (for example, a proposal augmenting caucus
representation on the coordinating committee or directing
outreach resources to the southeast region or to women's
colleges)
- CAMPAIGN (for example, a proposal on boycotting Taco Bell --
though proposals that ask only for an endorsement are not voted
on at the conference and should be sent to the coordinating
committee)
BRIEF SUMMARY OF PROPOSAL A brief, one-or-two-sentence summary of the proposal for quick
reference.
BODY OF PROPOSAL
The body of your proposal should not exceed 500 words. Your
proposal should be presented in bullet points so as to
facilitate conversation and amendments. Make sure to include a
clear action plan and timeline.
******************************************************************
NATIONAL STUDENT LABOR WEEK OF ACTION
MARCH 29 - APRIL 4, 2004
Dear USAS E-Activist,
> From March 29 - April 4, 2004, students and workers will
celebrate the lives of Cesar Chavez and Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. by joining together to demand justice for workers on their
campuses and in their communities. March 31st is Cesar Chavez's
birthday, and April 4th marks the 36-year anniversary of Dr.
King's assasination.
In 2003, students and workers came together for over 280 actions
during the fourth annual National Student Labor Week of Action.
Students and labor came together to win concrete victories and
build a more powerful movement; we addressed a range of issues
from sweatshops in the factories & fields to living wages to the
right to organize for campus workers.
VISIT THE USAS WEBSITE TO: SIGN UP TO HAVE YOUR USAS AFFILIATE PARTICIPATE IN THE WEEK OF
ACTION
www.studentsagainstsweatshops.org/woa.html
VISIT THE JOBS WITH JUSTICE WEBSITE TO:
DOWNLOAD AN ORGANIZING KIT www.unionvoice.org/ct/0p12wSY1WpgD/orgkit
The National Student Labor Week of Action is sponsored by SLAP,
a joint project of Jobs with Justice and the United States
Students Association. Partnering organizations for the National
Student Labor Week of Action are: United Students Against
Sweatshops, National Movimiento Estudantil Chicana/o de Aztlan,
TransAfrica, Student Action with Farmworkers, Not with Our
Money, and the Organization of Chinese Americans.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Also...Please Don't Forget! Register NOW for the United Students
Against Sweatshops National Winter Conference this February
12-15 in Atlanta at Georgia State University! SCHOLARSHIPS ARE
STILL AVAILABLE! APPLY NOW!
Register at
www.studentsagainstsweatshops.org/conference/register.html
Get your scholarship application at
www.unionvoice.org/ct/pd12wSY1WpgZ/scholarship
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
"MY FRIENDS, THE TIME FOR ACTION IS UPON US. The enemies of
justice want you to think of Dr. King as only a civil rights
leader, but he had a much broader agent. He was a tireless
crusader for the rights of the poor, for an end to the war in
Vietnam long before it was popular to take that stand, and for
the rights of workers everywhere. Many people find it convenient
to forget that Martin was murdered while supporting a desperate
strike on that tragic day in Memphis, Tennessee. He died while
fighting for the rights of sanitation workers. Dr. King's
dedication to the rights of the workers who are so often
exploited by the forces of greed has profoundly touched my life
and guided my struggle. During my first fast in 1968, Dr. King
reminded me that our struggle was his struggle too. He sent me a
telegram, which said: 'OUR SEPARATE STRUGGLES ARE REALLY ONE. A
STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM, FOR DIGNITY AND FOR HUMANITY.'" -- Cesar
E. Chavez
------------------------------------------------------------------------
4) CBS censoring political speech
If you are concerned about the state of the union, you should be concerned about the state of the media.
Last week, CBS television censored free speech by refusing to sell airtime to the MoveOn Voter Fund for a political ad during the Super Bowl. The ad is critical of the Bush Administration's run-up of the federal deficit.
CBS - owned by media giant Viacom - says it doesn't run "controversial" ads during the Super Bowl. But it plans to air a White House drug policy spot during the game. The last such ad linked marijuana smoking to terrorism... hardly uncontroversial.
It is no coincidence that the White House and the FCC are pushing through new media ownership limits at the behest of CBS - efforts that activists and public interest groups have been fighting. CBS/Viacom spent over $4 million lobbying Congress in the last four years alone.
CBS is playing politics with the right to free speech: another example of media monopoly's chilling effect on democratic debate.
We need your help to spread the word about CBS and the growing media crisis. Many members of Congress continue to fight further media consolidation because millions of Americans have pressured them to do so. This recent insult proves that we need millions more.
First, forward this email to everyone you know who cares about free speech and democracy.
Next, go to www.mediareform.net/media to learn more and sign up to be a Free Press E-Activist. You will receive occasional (not frequent) emails about media reform and how you can get involved. It's easy to subscribe and unsubscribe.
Free Press is a national nonpartisan organization working to increase public participation in crucial media policy debates, and to generate policies that will produce a more competitive and public interest-oriented media system. Information online at www.mediareform.net
Please join us as we build a media system that serves the public interest, not just corporate interests. Our democracy depends on it.
Yours truly,
Robert McChesney
Author, Professor
Founder, Free Press
-----------------------
Media: A Quick Overview
The corporate monopolization of media is increasingly playing a critical role in the declining quality of American democracy. Instead of a diverse, skeptical, independent and competitive media system - the kind envisioned and promoted by the nation's founders - the media give us dumbed-down low-quality journalism (devastating, because corporate television is the lens through which the vast majority of Americans understand the world); skyrocketing commercialism with increased ads per hour on TV and radio, product placement on TV and movies, on billboards, in schools and other public spaces; corporate-sanctioned self-censorship (a la Dixie Chicks and Bill Maher); a narrowing range of debate; abuse and atrophy of copyright law; and wholesale giveaways of public resources, among others. Today, few question the role the media now plays in undermining - rather than nurturing - democracy and civil society.
When Freedom of the Press was inscribed in the First Amendment to the Constitution, it was regarded as a social right of all citizens in a free and self-governing society to have a well-funded, uncensored and lively media system. Our media today remain the direct result of government policies, but no longer are the policies the result of informed public debate. Instead they are made quietly and corruptly behind closed doors by self-interested commercial parties, where lucrative monopoly rights to TV and radio channels and copyright extensions - for example - are doled out with no return to the public.
Free Press (www.mediareform.net) is about returning to the classical notion of Freedom of the Press: otherwise democracy and self-government are unthinkable. We must renew the founding commitment at the grassroots and on Capitol Hill to establishing the basis for a viable free press instead of letting powerful special interest lobbyists fight it out behind closed doors.
As Saul Alinsky said, "To defeat organized money, we need organized people."
P.S. Stay up to date on news relating to media reform with our free daily headline service. Sign up at www.mediareform.net/news/deliveries.php
P.P.S. Support media reform by becoming a Free Press Action Fund member at www.mediareform.net/support.php
Free Press www.mediareform.net
------------------------------------------------------------------------
5) Obama for Working Families
OBAMA WEEKLY REPORT JANUARY 22 -- 55 DAYS UNTIL VICTORY
HUNDREDS JOIN OBAMA’S TAKE IT TO THE PEOPLE CAMPAIGN!
Over 300 people joined the Take It to the People Campaign at last Saturday’s Volunteer Rally at Obama Campaign Headquarters. With volunteers spilling into the hallways and offices, sitting on the floor, and perched on windowsills, Obama thanked the Barack Brigade for their hard work and told them the real hard work comes in the next two months. Volunteers pledged to organize in their neighborhoods, serving as community coordinators, volunteer captains, precinct captains, canvassers, phone bankers, poll workers and poll watchers on Election Day. We need your help too! Organize sign blitzes, el stops, and door-to-door efforts in your neighborhood! To join the Barack Brigade, visit www.obamaforillinois.com/forms/forms.cgi.
SUPPORTERS PACK CAMPAIGN OFFICE GRAND OPENINGS ON KING DAY! Despite frigid temperatures, hundreds of enthusiastic supporters squeezed into Sen. Obama's new campaign offices on Monday, January 19 - King Day. The West Side office is located at 15 N. Mayfield in Chicago. The South Side office is at the Harold Washington Professional Building, 5401 S. Wentworth. Barack told the crowds that the reason he got into politics is connected to Dr. King. "It's based on a simple principle that we're all connected," he said. "If there's a child on the West Side who can't read it makes a difference in my life even if it's not my child. If there's a senior citizen in downstate Illinois who is struggling, that makes my life poorer even if it's not my grandparent." Barack encouraged supporters to pass the word about the new community campaign offices. If you want to help out in the West Side office, call (773) 626-3810; for the South Side office, call (773) 536-2263.
Barack also visited the Uhlich Youth Center on King Day to speak to a diverse group of 150 teenagers about Dr. King's life and its relevance today. After speaking he joined in a spirited game of "Civil Rights Jeopardy." Channel 7's Leah Hope covered the excitement and reported it on the 10 o'clock news.
OBAMA SHARES MESSAGE IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
Dozens of Obama supporters joined Sen. Obama and five of his opponents at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale on Tuesday, January 20 for a forum sponsored by the College Democrats. Questions were asked on health care, international relations, the Southern Illinois economy and education, among other issues. Obama praised the late Senator Paul Simon, and said it was necessary for Democrats to show the same forcefulness and integrity that Senator Simon did. Following the forum, a group of supporters in Gallatin County, led by Shawneetown Mayor Steve Scates, Jr., held a fundraiser for Obama.
OBAMA SCORES WINS IN EVANSTON, DUPAGE, IADO DEBATES & FORUMS
Barack drew cheers and applause in debates this past week sponsored by the Illinois Democratic Women in Warrenville, and the Democratic Party of Evanston, New Trier Democratic Organization and Northwestern University College Democrats in Evanston. Joined on stage by several of the U.S. Senate candidates, Barack promoted his strong record in the Senate and his plans to deliver health care for every American who needs it; revitalize jobs and the economy in Illinois; and repair America’s relationship with other nations in the wake of the war in Iraq. Speaking at a forum sponsored by the Indo-American Democratic Organization and DL21C, Obama set himself apart by highlighting the strong participation of Indian Americans and Asian Americans in his campaign. If you’re interested in joining Asian Americans for Obama, please e-mail Madhuri at mkommareddi (at) obamaforillinois.com.
On January 27 at 7:30 p.m., please join us for a Democratic Candidate Forum sponsored by the Lincoln Park Neighbors United for Peace, Beyond Today, Chicagoans Against War and Injustice and the Logan Square Neighbors for Justice and Peace. The forum will be held at St. Josaphat’s Catholic Church, 2311 N. Southport Ave., and will be moderated by Don Rose, writer and political consultant. Laura Washington, columnist for the Chicago Sun Times and Ron Grossman, News Analyst for the Chicago Tribune will be panelists. This forum is free and open, so wear your buttons and come out and support us! For a complete list of upcoming events, visit www.obamaforillinois.com/events.shtml.
ENDORSEMENTS KEEP ROLLING IN!
Barack received the endorsements this past week of 29th Ward Alderman Ike Carothers, 37th Ward Alderman Emma Mitts, State Representative Deborah Graham and 48th Ward Democratic Committeeman Mike Volini. They join hundreds of statewide elected officials, Democratic Party and community leaders who are supporting Barack’s campaign for U.S. Senate. For a complete list of endorsements visit www.obamaforillinois.com/endorsements.shtml
COME JOIN RAMSEY LEWIS & BARACK AT THE HISTORIC CHICAGO SYMPHONY CENTER
On Wednesday, January 28th, world-renowned jazz artist Ramsey Lewis will be playing a concert in support of Barack’s campaign for the U.S. Senate. The concert will be held at the Chicago Symphony Center, located at 220 S. Michigan. Tickets for the V.I.P. reception, which begins at 5 p.m are $1000; tickets for the concert that begins at 6 p.m. are $150. If you have any questions or need further information, please e-mail kpage (at) obamaforillinois.com. To make a contribution, please click on:
www.obamaforillinois.com/contribute.shtml
For more information or to volunteer, call (312) 427-6300 or visit www.obamaforillinois.com.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
6) Gordon Flett: Take Action: Tell NYC's Wine Enthusiast Awards
I responded to this campaign on behalf of Gallo of Sonoma farm
workers telling NYC's Wine Enthusiast Awards to take a stand on
Gallo wines. I think it is important. Please get involved too.
Help the farm workers by e-mailing Wine Enthusiast magazine and
Matt Gallo with Gallo of Sonoma today.
Thanks for lending your voice too.
You can take action by going to:
www.unionvoice.org/campaign/GalloWineEnthusiast
------------------------------------------------------------------------
7) Chicago: Friday, Jan 23 Lunchtime Rally
Students--Stand in Solidarity with Campus Workers.
Workers in the Hospital demand affordable healthcare!
The health care benefits for hospital workers are horrible. Many workers in
one of the best hospitals in the city cannont afford health care at all.
Support good jobs with decent wages and benefits for University employees in
the hospital.
This Friday, Jan. 23rd
12 noon
call Ella with questions 312-342-7564
Outside of the Administration Building (street side)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
8) The State of the Energy Bill
*** N O T I C E and A C T I O N ***
January 21, 2004
THE STATE OF THE ENERGY BILL
As Congress comes back into session, the state of the omnibus energy
bill (H.R. 6, "The Energy Policy Act of 2003") is uncertain. In his
State of the Union address last night, President Bush urged Congress to
"pass legislation to modernize our electricity system, promote
conservation and make America less dependent on foreign sources of
energy," a reference to the pending energy bill (and a gross
misrepresentation of its contents).
But the 60 votes required to break a Senate filibuster on the bill are
far from secure, especially since Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) -- who had
voted for cloture on the energy bill debate -- recently announced his
decision to support the filibuster as long as the bill remains in its
current form. (Without Sen. Ensign on their side, the bill's supporters
now need to switch three votes instead of two.) The overall cost of the
bill and a product liability waiver for manufacturers of the fuel
additive MTBE remain among the most contentious issues, and the bill's
proponents continue to search for ways to appease all parties on these
issues in an effort to make the bill at-large more palatable.
!!! A C T I O N !!!
In the meantime, it is essential that we maintain pressure on senators
to keep this regressive bill from passing! If your senators support the
filibuster on the energy bill (thereby opposing the bill), urge them to
hold their ground; if they oppose the filibuster, urge them to change
their position. Find out how your senators voted here:
snipurl.com/3551
CALL the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 to be connected to your
senators, and refer to www.stopenergybill.org for energy bill
updates and action alerts.
~~~~~~
LICENSING FAVORS TO NUCLEAR FACILITY IN ENERGY BILL
Among the most reprehensible items in the energy bill is a section
devoted to the licensing of a domestic uranium enrichment facility.
Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), co-chair of the energy conference committee
and best friend to the nuclear industry, surreptitiously inserted the
provisions during the energy conference at the behest of Louisiana
Energy Services (LES), a multinational energy industry consortium that
seeks to build and operate a uranium enrichment plant (which would
provide fuel for the country's nuclear power plants) near Eunice, New
Mexico. Domenici courted LES to his home state, and now he is doing
their legislative bidding in Congress. The energy bill language would
greatly expedite the licensing process for the plant and effectively
preclude intervention on contentious issues that have been problematic
for LES in the past, such as disposition of the toxic and radioactive
waste that the plant would produce.
Public Citizen has produced a brief analysis of the underhanded
political maneuvering of LES and their success in securing favorable
language in the energy bill. The analysis may be viewed on Public
Citizen's Web site here:
snipurl.com/3y99
------------------------------------------------------------------------
9) Senate Vote Denies Consumers Crucial Information About Their Food
Jan. 22, 2004
Senate Vote Denies Consumers Crucial Information About Their Food
Statement by Wenonah Hauter, Director of Public Citizen's Critical Mass
Energy and Environment Program
Today's vote by the Senate to approve the omnibus appropriations
package means that consumers will remain without a piece of vital
information about the food they and their families eat: its country of
origin. The budget package contains a provision that will delay the
implementation of mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) until
2006, effectively killing the program. The 2002 Farm Bill required
mandatory country-of-origin labeling to be implemented by September of
this year. This vote is a slap in the face to U.S. consumers as well as
family farmers and ranchers, all of whom would benefit from the labeling
program because they could distinguish their products in the
marketplace.
The past six months have provided several vivid examples of why
consumers need to know where their food comes from. The discovery of
mad cow disease in two animals of Canadian origin (one in Canada in May
and one in the United States in December) as well as the hepatitis A
outbreak in Pennsylvania, which was caused by green onions from Mexico
and sickened more than 600 people, were high-profile reminders of the
distance food travels and the varying circumstances under which it is
produced. Yet when consumers go to the grocery store, they have no way
to differentiate between foreign and domestic products. Where food is
shipped from can indicate the conditions under which it was grown and is
a basic piece of information that consumers should have to enable them
to make informed choices.
Congress now should revisit this matter in separate legislation and
instruct the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to act swiftly to
implement country-of-origin labeling on schedule.
Public Citizen is a national, nonprofit consumer advocacy organization
based in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit
www.citizen.org.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
10) Teamsters eDispatch
Welcome to the Teamster eDispatch. Stay tuned each week for news from and about our website, www.teamster.org.
***Headlines
*Bucking Management at 99¢
On January 16, a group of 60 drivers employed by 99¢ Only Stores overwhelmingly voted to join Teamsters Local 630 in Los Angeles.
When the union filed a petition in December, management hired five union-busting consultants—including a former NLRB agent—to assist in a program to intimidate the workers. But “we stuck to our message, to seek a better life and respect for the workers,” said Xavier Sandoral, an organizer recently hired by Local 630 under the International Union’s new organizing program.
Local 630, with close to 8,000 members, has set a goal of reaching 10,000 by the next International Convention in 2006, according to Paul Kenny, the local’s secretary-treasurer.
99¢ Only is a single-price retailer with more than 164 locations, largely concentrated in Southern and Central California. “We’re going after the warehouse guys next,” Kenny said.
*Appeals Court Affirms Sympathy Strike Rights
www.teamster.org/04news/hn_040116_4.htm
*Super Pact at SuperValu
www.teamster.org/04news/hn_040121_1.htm
*Union Solidarity: More Than Just Politics
www.teamster.org/04news/hn_040116_6.htm
*Local 237 Celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday
www.teamster.org/04news/hn_040115_4.htm
*320 New Members Join Local 215
www.teamster.org/04news/hn_040116_1.htm
***Press Releases
*Statement by General President Hoffa on Iowa Caucus Results
www.teamster.org/04news/nr_040120_1.htm
*Teamsters Hail Bonderman Exit From Continental
www.teamster.org/04news/nr_040116_2.htm
*North American Airline Pilots Choose Teamsters
www.teamster.org/04news/nr_040116_1.htm
*Union Pacific Unmanned Locomotives Put LA-Metro In Danger
www.teamster.org/04news/nr_040109_1.htm
***Siteseeing at Teamster.org
*Pension and Health Care Benefits Update
To read a compilation of articles from around the country concerning and health care benefits crisis, visit www.teamster.org/privileg/penshcupdate.asp
------------------------------------------------------------------------
11) CBS Censors Winning Ad
During this year's Super Bowl, you'll see ads sponsored by beer companies, tobacco companies, and the Bush White House.1
Meanwhile, the White House is on the verge of signing into law a deal which Senator John McCain (R-AZ) says is custom-tailored for CBS and Fox,3
Of course, this is bigger than just the MoveOn.org Voter Fund. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) submitted an ad that was also rejected.4
To watch the ad that CBS won't air and sign our petition to CBS, go to:
www.moveon.org/cbs/ad/
(If you want to skip the ad and just sign the petition, click here.
We'll deliver the petition by email directly to CBS headquarters.
You also may want to let your local CBS affiliate know you're unhappy about this decision. We've attached a list of the CBS affiliates in your state at the bottom of this email. Remember, a polite, friendly call will be most effective -- just explain to them why you believe CBS' decision hurts our democracy.
CBS will claim that the ad is too controversial to air. But the message of the ad is a simple statement of fact, supported by the President's own figures. Compared with 2002's White House ad which claimed that drug users are supporting terrorism,5
CBS will also claim that this decision isn't an indication of political bias. But given the facts, that's hard to believe. CBS overwhelmingly favored Republicans in its political giving, and the company spent millions courting the White House to stop FCC reform.6
This is not a partisan issue. It's critical that our media institutions be fair and open to all speakers. CBS is setting a dangerous precedent, and unless we speak up, the pattern may continue. Please call on CBS to air ads which address issues of public importance today.
Sincerely,
--Adam, Carrie, Eli, James, Joan, Laura, Noah, Peter, Wes, and Zack
The MoveOn.org Team
January 22nd, 2003
P.S. Our friends at Free Press have put together a page which explains simply how CBS and the FCC rule change are integrally linked. Check it out at:
www.mediareform.net/media/
P.P.S Here are the CBS affiliates in your state:
WBBM-TV, Chicago: (312) 202-2222
WIFR-TV, Rockford: (815) 987-5300
WHBF-TV, Rock Island: (309) 786-5441
WMBD-TV, Peoria: (309) 688-3131
WCIA-TV, Champaign: (217) 356-8333
KHQA-TV, Quincy: (217) 222-6200
Footnotes:
1. "Who's Buying What At the Super Bowl,"
2. CBS fax to MoveOn.org Voter Fund, 1/14/04
3. "Democrats Fold on 39% TV Cap Fight"
4. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
5. "New Media Campaign Stresses Link between Drugs and Terrorism,"
6. "CBS Television Network Soft Money Donations,"
7. "Misperceptions, the Media and the Iraq War,"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
12) Delegation to Cuba
Rockefeller Memorial Chapel is sponsoring a trip to Cuba for University
> faculty, staff and students during the spring break. The dates will be March 20-28, 2004, and the cost will be $1710. That cost will include all travel, lodging, meals, museum and other entrance fees, etc. (basically, everything but souvenirs and snacks).
>
> The purpose of the trip is to learn as much as possible about the current situation in Cuba and about Cubans' options for their future. We will meet with people from as broad a spectrum of opinions as possible, including a member of the National Assembly (parliament), economists, faculty at the University of Havana, members of various religious traditions (including Santeria), human rights ngo's, various grassroots organizations, representatives at the US Interests Section (our embassy there), and others. We'll learn about health care and education, the overall effects of the embargo (including the "greening" of Cuba), and more. We will have the flexibility to include in our itinerary particular individuals or issues of interest to participants. Most of our time will be spent in Havana, with a couple of days probably in either Matanzas or Pinar del Rio. Translation will be provided.
>
> We will travel legally to Cuba with a Treasury Dept. license. As you may have heard, the Bush administration has curbed some categories of travel to Cuba, but we are not affected. In fact, the license under which we will travel was very recently renewed and is good until 2005.
>
> If you are interested or have questions, please contact me at alboden (at) uchicago.edu or 2-8282.
>
> Thanks,
> Alison Boden
>
> The Rev. Dr. Alison L. Boden
> Dean, Rockefeller Memorial Chapel
> The University of Chicago
> 5850 S. Woodlawn Avenue
> Chicago, IL 60637
> 773-702-8282
------------------------------------------------------------------------
13) Safety Online Newsletter
1) OSHA Offers Two New Compliance Assistance Web Tools
WASHINGTON -- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration today announced the availability of two new resources on the agency's website: MyOSHA, a tool to create personalized links to OSHA online resources; and Quick Start, a step-by-step guide to identify major OSHA requirements and guidance materials....
www.safetyonline.com/nl/69912/1191269
2) New Safety for HR Program Introduced
Itasca, IL - Worker injuries cost business and society an estimated $132 billion a year, providing a burden on businesses of all types. Many companies are asking Human Resources (HR) professionals to play a significant role in managing safety and holding down the skyrocketing costs of workers' compensation and health care. A new training program, developed by the National Safety Council, promises to...
www.safetyonline.com/nl/69913/1191269
3) AMERICAN SOCIETY OF SAFETY ENGINEERS ADD NEW SERVICE FOR MEMBERS
DES PLAINES, IL (January 20, 2004) - In an effort to expand the knowledge, build upon the capabilities of women in the occupational safety, health and environmental profession, and to increase networking opportunities, the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) recently established the Women in Safety Engineering (WISE) common interest group....
www.safetyonline.com/nl/69914/1191269
------------------------------------------------------------------------
14) Help Keep John Edwards Rolling!
As you all know, the Edwards Campaign has had a remarkable run over the last two weeks and we are generating a tremendous amount of momentum and excitement across the nation. With John Edwards' second place finish in Iowa last night, which greatly exceeded everyone's expectations, now is the time to give a financial boost to the campaign. With the New Hampshire Primary on January 27th and the South Carolina, Oklahoma, Arizona, Missouri, and Delaware Primaries on February 3rd your help matters NOW more than ever.
You can make a huge difference in the success of this campaign and we need your help NOW! Now is the time to support the campaign financially and we need you with us!
Click here and contribute to the campaign today. www.johnedwards2004.com/contribute
Howard Dean has led the way in Internet fundraising. He has used this money to buy consultants and slick negative TV ads to batter down his opponents. His money has also attracted the endorsements of many Washington insiders. Now it is the time for Edwards supporters to show the Dean folks how to really raise money over the Internet. Please forward this email to anyone interested in supporting the best candidate in the race, John Edwards.
Together, we can start a chain reaction that will be felt all over America! Thanks so much for your continued commitment to the campaign.
www.johnedwards2004.com/contribute
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************
Sincerely,
Rafi K. Jafri
Vice-President, DL21C
Check out DL21C's website at www.dl21c-chicago.org
A copy of our report filed with the State Board of Elections and the County
Clerk is or will be available for purchase from the State Board of
Elections, Springfield, IL, or from the County Clerk, Cook County, IL
Contact DL21C: (312) 409-DL21C or info@dl21c-chicago.
HELP US SPREAD THE WORD. PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO TWO FRIENDS.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
15) Seven Little Words, Iowasn't Expecting That, New Hampshire Opportunity
Seven Little Words
This week, the President fulfilled his constitutional obligation by addressing Congress on the State of the Union. Last year, President Bush offered up a plate-load of spin on his environmental record -- and LCV was there to debunk it. This year's speech devoted more time to steroid use in sports than on the environment. In fact, the President only devoted seven little words to the environment: "This Congress must act to encourage conservation…" Ironically, those words came in a plea to Congress to pass his pro-polluter energy bill. It looks like the Slate's Timothy Noah hit the nail on the head, saying; "Apparently [White House political advisor] Karl Rove has decided that the environment isn't even worth paying lip service to anymore." However, we can look forward to this Administration's continued actions on the environment. Too bad the actions have usually been in the wrong direction.
Read LCV's Press Release
See the Bush Administration's Rollbacks
See how the Bush Administration has failed on the environment
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Primarily Speaking . . .
Iowasn't Expecting That
Pundits and talking heads don't always get it right. As the nation put Iowa under the political microscope on Monday, the caucus-goers zigged when everyone thought that they would zag, handing Sen. John Kerry
A New Hampshire Opportunity
As candidates headed from the first-in-the-nation caucus to the first-in-the-nation primary, they were greeted by the two major candidates that decided to skip Iowa to concentrate on their New Hampshire bid: Wesley Clark
Read all about the environmental records and statements of the candidates
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supreme Victory
Chalk one up for the environment. In the first of eight environmental cases before the Supreme Court, the justices ruled that EPA can overrule state regulators to force compliance with federal standards. State regulators in Alaska issued a permit to allow the Red Dog Mine to use pollution scrubbers on a new generator that would reduce emissions by only 30 percent. EPA blocked the move, saying that the best available technology would achieve a 90 percent cut in pollution. In a 5-4 ruling, the High Court claimed the state didn't have a basis for lowering the bar on the polluting plant, and that EPA was right to enforce Clean Air standards. Speaking for the majority Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said that without national standards, new plants would threaten to relocate to other states with less stringent pollution standards. Now, if only we had an Administration in office that didn't want to lower federal clean air standards . . .
Read more in our Newsroom
Click here to join LCV!
Click here to help Give Bush the Boot!
Tell a friend about the Insider
Send a postcard!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Find out how your representatives in Congress rate on the environment
The Weekly Insider is brought to you by:
League of Conservation Voters
1920 L Street, NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
www.lcv.org
------------------------------------------------------------------------
16) ANSWER
142 ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORT THE ARAB-AMERICAN AND MUSLIM OPEN LETTER
** FOR WIDE DISTRIBUTION **
[To join as an organizational signatory, please write to: rashmawi (at) sbcglobal.net]
UPDATE AND BACKGROUND:
On January 12, 2004, an "Open Letter from the Arab-American and Muslim Community to the US Anti-War Movement" was initiated by 41 Arab-American and Muslim organizations in the United States and Canada. Today, this letter carries the names of 142 signatory organizations (listed below) that are supported by thousands of activists and community members, including solidarity groups and anti-war coalitions from coast to coast.
The movement in South Africa also weighed in, giving its support to the Arab-American and Muslim community in the United States, thus further indicating the global consensus on the political demands of the anti-war movement. The Arab National Conference (ANC), a leading umbrella of Arab intellectuals and activists throughout the world, earnestly joined in endorsing this call.
At present, there are hopeful signs that the movement in the United States as a whole is also approaching a unity on these core principles set-forth in the Open Letter, which would lead to a unified mobilization on March 20, 2004 - as demanded by communities and the grassroots nationwide.
The Open Letter was originally initiated on January 12 following a call to mobilize against colonial occupations that was issued and endorsed by a large coalition of organizations and communities that included the International A.N.S.W.E.R Coalition; Al-Awda - the Palestine Right to Return Coalition; the National Lawyers Guild; the Arab Muslim American Federation; the Free Palestine Alliance-USA; the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation; and the Muslim Students Association of the U.S. and Canada. The National Council of Arab Americans (NCAA) supported this call in full. This national and all-encompassing umbrella has since expanded and is now called the "March 20 National Coalition".
The call to mobilize, which constitutes the political basis for the unity of the March 20 National Coalition, demanded ending "all colonial occupations from Iraq to Palestine and everywhere". It also called for "bringing the troops home NOW" without delay, and for opposing giving an international cover to the colonial occupation of Iraq. Some sectors in the anti-war movement, however, are yet to accept these unifying principles.
As a result, and in the context of a long history of being silenced and marginalized, the Arab-American and Muslim community prepared the following Open Letter to the movement.
Today, the movement can be hopeful that a unified and an all-inclusive mobilization could take place nationwide, not only in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago, but also in New York City and elsewhere, on the basis outlined. This would set a new definitional and unifying turning point and would strengthen the grassroots tide to stop the continued advance of war and empire. We urge all community and progressive organizations to stand together as full partners in Dolores Park in San Francisco, Times Square in New York City, Hollywood and Vine in Los Angeles, in Chicago, and in cities and towns across the U.S.
AN OPEN LETTER FROM THE ARAB-AMERICAN AND MUSLIM COMMUNITY TO THE US ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT
Dear peace and justice organizations and activists,
On March 20, 2004, the world will mobilize against war and colonial occupations. The significance of this historic day is evident to all and requires no further elaboration. The political clarity and character of this mobilization in the US, however, remains illusive.
This is where our community stands:
In confronting war, the people of Palestine and Iraq have paid dearly. They stand against the imperial project shoulder to shoulder with communities of color and the working class in the United States, along with great many subjugated peoples around the globe - from Afghanistan to Colombia, and from the Philippines to Vieques, and on. Without a doubt, the Palestinian and Iraqi people are both welded together in an inextricable unity at the forefront of the global anti-war movement, transforming themselves as a whole as its embodiment and paying in its defense with the dearest of all - their very existence. Yet, despite every home destroyed, child murdered, acre confiscated and tree uprooted, town colonized and ethnically cleansed, wall built, refugee remaining nation-less, and incremental robbery of their self-determination, they remain the very antithetical formulation of empire and with a vision of justice for all.
In the United States, we, Arab-Americans and Muslims have been maliciously targeted, stripped of our rights, and positioned outside the constitutional framework of this country. A new COINTELPRO has been unleashed against our homes and living rooms, as our fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters are plucked away and thrown into unknown prison cells. Thus, in a continuum of history, we stand with African Americans, Japanese Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and all others in the painful struggle for justice. From them all, we take our cue, for they are our predecessors and our partners in this long march.
Accordingly, we the undersigned hereby declare that:
1. We do not accept delinking the struggle of the Palestinian people from the anti-war movement, and regard the struggle in Palestine, as it is viewed worldwide, to be central to any peace and justice mobilization.
2. We insist that the Palestinian right to return and to self-determination are the key anchors of the Palestinian struggle, and that organizations that attempt to diminish, sidetrack, or abrogate these rights, regardless of any other position they may take on Palestine, are acting contrary to the will and aspiration of the Palestinian people.
3. We view all attempts to relegate our collective presence to the margin and to tokenize our participation in the movement to be racist in character. In its attempt to silence the Arab and Muslim voices for decades, particularly that of the Palestinian people, the movement in the US has stood alone in the global movement for justice. We see ourselves as full partners in leading the movement as signified in the heavy price we continue to pay along the way, and reject any attempt to objectify our presence.
4. We regard the positions that the "colonial occupation of Iraq must be internationalized", or that ending the occupation must be conducted over a period of time until the "Iraqis are able to secure their democracy", as implicitly colonial and racist. These are positions that are rooted in the construct of "manifest destiny" and the "white man's burden" to "civilize".
5. We call on our people everywhere to hold all organizations accountable to the positions they take, especially those that depict racist attitudes towards us, implicitly or otherwise, particularly those that tokenize and objectify our struggle. Any organization or movement that finds it acceptable to minimize or disregard for political expediency the struggle of any people should not be allowed to function within the global justice movement. Justice is neither selective, nor partial or conditional.
We are firm on these principles for the March 20th mobilization and beyond as we call on all communities and organizations to mobilize and stand in force under the following unifying five slogans:
1. End all colonial occupations from Iraq to Palestine to ever
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