"It's better to vote for what you really want and not get it, then to vote for what you DON'T want and get it."
MARIN PEACE AND JUSTICE COALITION
December 20, 2007
A FREE WEEKLY BULLETIN - pass it on
A GUIDE TO NEWS, ACTIONS AND EVENTS IN MARIN AND BEYOND
Read, learn, share and give someone you love truth, peace and your heart!
For all actions, events and news postings go to: http:// mpjc .org
and check out our video blog (vlog) @ http:// mpjc -video.blogspot.com/
If you have events and or announcements that need to reach Marin progressives
E-mail Jimmy "Fishbob" Justice
Please forward to friends and cross-post this bulletin widely. Critical mass is essential!
LIVE YOUR DREAM SO OTHERS MAY LIVE THEIRS
Might your solstice celebration, however celebrated, be filled with peace and justice.
THE POLITICAL SCENE
THE COMING WEEKS IN MARIN
AND BEYOND
Friday, December 21, 9:30 - 11:30 am
Marin County Election Advisory Committee
room 324A, Marin Civic Center. Learn more about our local election oversight and how you can get involved. Sub-committees include: Election Integrity & Voter Confidence Subcommittee (meets the first Wednesday of the month at 4 pm, Room 121, Marin Civic Center) and Voter Outreach and Education Subcommittee (meets the second Wednesday of the month at 4:30 pm, Room 121, Marin Civic Center). All meetings are open to the public. For more info about local efforts to ensure honest elections: contact Linda at EPLinda@aol.com.
Friday, December 21 1PM - 4PM AND
Saturday, December 22 1PM - 4PM
People are being tortured while
Americans are shopping!
Join World Can’t Wait this Friday and Saturday
We will not live in a torture state!
Volunteers Needed
Where: Near Macy’s at Union Square, on Geary St. between Stockton and Powell in SF
What: Street Theater featuring orange-jumpsuited “detainees” and a real waterboarding device.
We will be distributing orange ribbons, bandanas, bracelets, buttons and t-shirts and calling on people to sign up and pledge their opposition to a regime that brazenly tortures, lies, and then destroys the evidence!
Why: Because, at a time when the question is being posed to millions of people in this country -- should the United States be a torture state or not? -- we want to be out there in a big way saying that torture is completely unacceptable . . . in fact, the whole direction the Bush regime has taken this country is unacceptable and must be reversed.
Tuesday, January 8, 5:00-7:00PM
Homelessness in Marin County
Marin Interfaith Council Forum
Mt. Tam United Methodist Church, 410
Sycamore Ave., Mill Valley.
Please bring an appetizer to share.
Speakers will include persons from the unsheltered community as well as staff from Marin nonprofits including Ambassadors of Hope and Opportunity, Homeward Bound, Marin Interfaith Street Chaplaincy, Ritter Center, and St.Vincent de Paul Society Dining Room
This event is free and open to the public. Feel free to share this email invitation with your email lists and community newsletters. For more information, contact Ann Pope, Office Manager, at
admin@marinifc.org or # 415-456-6957.
Friday, January 11, 4 PM
Silent Candlelight Procession
Six Years of Injustice at Guantanamo.
On January 11, 2008, Act Against Torture will mark the sixth anniversary of the first detainees' arrival at Guantanamo. We'll meet at 4pm on the steps of the federal courthouse at 95 - 7th St (at Mission) in San Francisco (near Civic Center BART). Dressed in orange jumpsuits we'll create a candlelit tableau of chained prisoners before marching slowly and silently in chains down Market Street, stopping at crowded plazas and corners (e.g., BART stations) to re-create our tableau. We'll end in Justin Hermann Plaza and form our final tableau beside the ice skating rink there. Please wear orange (we'll have a few orange jumpsuits, but not enough for everyone), or black if you don't have orange clothing. Bring a flashlight if possible to help light our tableau. We'll bring the candles. Please forward this announcement far and wide so we can finally stop the insanity.
Tuesday, January 15, 7:00-9:00pm
Adopt a Special Kid:
Bring a Child Into Your Life!
An evening brought to you by Spectrum &
Spectrum LGBT Center
1000 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., San Anselmo
Single? Two Dads? Two Moms?
To a child who is in foster care.....your family might be just right!
Is yours a home that offers understanding, commitment, patience, and fun? Become an adoptive or foster parent and change the world one life at a time.
Attend the workshop to find out more about children that are waiting for families and how to have a child placed in your home. You can also schedule a personal interview with AASK staff at the workshop.This is a free event.
You can request a packet of information be sent to you
before you attend the workshop.
Call Nann at (510) 553-1748 x 12
with any questions or to RSVP.
Tuesday, January 15, 7:30 PM
The Iran Talks
SCOTT RITTER & JEFF COHEN
Town Meetings on U.S. Foreign Policy:
What Mainstream Media Don’t Tell Us About Iran/Iraq
U.S. Tour of Duty: The Iran Talks
Mt. Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church
55 Eckley Lane
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
• Suggested donation:
$20 General
$10 Seniors
$5 Students
No one turned away for lack of funds
• A book sale and signing will follow the presentation.
• Sponsored by Mt. Diablo Peace & Justice Center;
co-sponsored by Tri-Valley CARES, Peace Action West and Lamorinda Peace & Justice Group
• For more information call 925.933.7850.
http://ustourofduty.org/pages/events.html
January 25 – 27
Santa Cruz Media Strategy Summit:
PURPOSE
A collaborative gathering of media veterans, scholars, activists & whistleblowers to assess and deploy our most powerful tools and messages to rectify history, awaken a critical mass, and effectively expose the accelerating corporate coup d'état.
VISION
Truth movements that arise after pivotal events like electoral fraud, 9/11, key assassinations and false flag ops can/should become more than forensic inquiries into a single heinous crime. They can also expose wider patterns of illicit control, deception and propaganda, and use their revelations to rouse entire societies to reject a malignant status quo.
Consequently, this is not a media conference to dissect or condemn the conglomerates, demand reforms, or even celebrate the increasing vigor of independent journalism. It is intended as a strategy session for already active and influential players to coordinate their most revealing messages, forge tactical alliances, introduce new distribution technologies, and mutually enhance each other's strongest work.
All participants will play an active role in nominal group processes over the weekend that will prioritize sources, analysis methods, and distribution models for trustworthy news dedicated to renewing activism and democracy in America.
Sunday, February 10, 5 - 8:30 PM
6th Assembly District Democrats
Democratic Unity Day
Take Back the White House in 2008 Party ~
Marinwood Recreational Center
775 Miller Creek Road, Marinwood
Dinner: $10 per person - no one turned away for lack of funds
Post-California primary party to bring all Democrats in Marin and Sonoma together to celebrate the hard work of all local presidential primary campaigns, all state and local campaigns and to ensure our continuing efforts in reaching our ultimate goal -- to take back the White House in 2008! RSVP now!
ACTIONS * ANNOUNCEMENTS * VIDEOS
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
Beryl H. Buck Awards for Achievements
This years focus:
Promoting Social Justice
The Marin Community Foundation has an annual awards program called the Beryl H. Buck Awards for Achievements that honor an organization and an individual for extraordinary achievements in a particular area of focus. This year's award will be in the focus area of "Promoting Social Justice" in Marin. Nominations are being accepted through January 15, 2008 for nominees with extraordinary achievements in social justice that have benefited Marin County and its residents. Awardees will receive $25,000 for the organization and $10,000 for the individual at an awards ceremony to be held on June 5, 2008. More information on the website at http://www.marincf.org/page10001284.cfm
SAY NO TO MEDIA CONSOLIDATION
Free Press Call to Action
Click here to sign the Open Letter
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and his two fellow GOP commissioners approved new rules that will unleash a flood of media consolidation across America. The rules will further consolidate local media markets -- taking away independent voices in cities already woefully short on local news and investigative journalism.
In 2003, the FCC tried to do the same thing, but millions of people demanded that Congress reject the FCC's rules. And they did. It's time to do it again.
We need 100,000 people to get Congress to reverse the FCC's rules right now.
Sign Our Open Letter to Congress
Then get three of your friends to do the same.
This is about whether we will have access to the information that democracy requires. It is about whether or not we'll have real news and local voices on radio, television and in the newspaper in your town. It's about whether the public airwaves will represent our nation's diversity.
Robert McChesney
President
Free Press
www.freepress.net
Reverse the FCC Consolidation Tragedy
No more Rupert Murdoch!
The Bush-appointed FCC voted yesterday to loosen media ownership rules so media titans like Rupert Murdoch can swallow up more local news outlets.1 They did this despite a huge public outcry—when the FCC asked for public comments, 99% opposed media consolidation!
The last thing our democracy needs is fewer independent media voices and more news outlets like FOX. Congress has the power to reverse this rule change, and a bipartisan group of 26 Senators already announced they'll try. We need the rest of the Senate to know we're paying attention and we want action.
Sign the petition asking Congress to reverse the FCC's media consolidation decision—and forward this announcement to a couple friends who would care about this issue? Click here to sign the MoveOn petition.
IMPEACHMENT ACTION
Sign up to support impeachment hearings.
Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL) said "it is the duty of Congress to investigate the actions of Vice President Cheney and the Bush Administration."
The charges are too serious to ignore. There is credible evidence that the Vice President abused the power of his office, and not only brought us into an unnecessary war but violated the civil liberties and privacy of American citizens. It is the constitutional duty of Congress to hold impeachment hearings.
Dennis Kucinich introduced H.Res.799 which requests the investigation and it languishes in the House Judiciary Committee.
Congressman Robert Wexler wants the hearings and wants you sign his petition. http://wexlerwantshearings.com/
Bush got what he wanted from the Congress today which was more money for the war. This will go on until Bush is gone. We can get rid of Bush by investigating Cheney and the Bush Administration. Go Wexler.
VIDEOS
Israeli / Palestinian talks
An outstanding C-Span video on the recent Israeli / Palestinian talks. This video is a discussion and debate between Israeli and Palestinian Ambassadors - Sallai Meridor and Afif Safieh regarding the recent peace initiative at Annapolis. To view this film, go to the following website: http://tinyurl.com/2l8off 8.
And check http://mpjc-video.blogspot.com/ often for more videos both locally made and from worldwide producers.
TAKE ACTION
Support Today's
WAR RESISTERS
Support U.S. soldiers who refuse to fight in Iraq and who go to Canada seeking asylum. Right now, there are over 200 GI resisters in Canada, but unlike what occurred during the war in Viet Nam, these resisters have not been openly and warmly welcomed by the Canadian government. Resisters must apply to the Refugee Board for permission to stay, and so far, those who have applied have been turned down. Their cases are being appealed.
Let officials in the Canadian government know that there are a great many people here in the U.S. who want the resisters to be allowed to stay. The Canadian War Resisters Support Campaign (WRSC) told us that there are some members of the parliament who might be willing to sponsor legislation granting resisters asylum. WRSC is mobilizing Canadian citizens to put pressure on their members of parliament to pass such legislation, and have told us that it would help greatly for those legislators to hear from as many U.S. citizens a possible.
Courage to Resist has launched a letter-writing campaign to Canadian parliamentarians. Through our website, www.couragetoresist.org, people can sign a letter that we will print out and mail to the appropriate officials in Canada. We have already sent over 2,000 of these letters, but want to send many, many more.
So we are asking for your help in building the momentum of our campaign by sending the accompanying announcement out to your mailing list, or putting it in your newsletter.
Buff Whitman-Bradley
Courage to Resist Organizing Collective
P.S. Please e-mail me with any questions: buff@couragetoresist.org. Thanks.
Creekwalks in Marin to See Endangered
Coho Salmon Spawn, through January 12th
Creek Walks to view spawning coho salmon. The public is invited to join us for a beautiful and leisurely hike along Lagunitas and San Geronimo Creeks in Marin County to look for spawning coho salmon and other creekside species. Led by experienced creek naturalists, you will learn about the fascinating life history of the endangered coho, the stream ecosystem, and what you can do to help protect and restore salmon in CA.
**Reservations are Required** Call: 415 663 8590 x 107
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