Social Justice News, 10-20-06
Hey everyone,
A lot of news happened this week. This newsletter is going to be longer than usual because of it, but I felt that all these stories were important enough to post. Some is good news, some not so good. One interesting tidbit that wasn’t online was an interview on NPR of a UU minister. This interview took place in DC at a protest against the torture bill on Tuesday. It was short, only a couple of minutes, but hey, at least it happened! I’d also like to remind everyone yet again of the Sustainability Expo this weekend. This local event is probably the best news of the week. I’ll include a write-up of it in next week’s News.
RIP Habeas Corpus: It’s common knowledge by now that King George signed the MCA the other day. While justifying it as necessary to protect the American people. The American people –or those in power? Below is Keith Olbermann’s take on it, and the second article is another piece that also has a video of Olbermann’s segment the night the bill was passed.
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1019-24.htm
http://alternet.org/blogs/peek/43178/
And speaking of that bill, the next two stories should give you pause…
Teenage Artists, 1st Target for the Policy State: What happens when a 14 year old posts some artwork deriding our Commander in Chief? She gets yanked out of school and interrogated by the Secret Service of course! Um, yeah, somehow I don’t think an 8th grader is a danger to the President. What could she possibly do, ask him to help her with her algebra homework? (Oh wait, having to think might actually cause his head to explode –never mind.) Obviously, this whole incident had another motive –can anyone say intimidation?
http://www.counterpunch.org/pearcy10172006.html
Those Damn Quaker Terrorists: Protest now equals terrorism, or at least Bush apparently thinks that. Homeland (In)Security is now monitoring many peace groups and reading their emails, regarding them as having the potential to engage in terrorism. This includes –Quakers? Um, yeah. Pacifists are now equated with terrorists. Can you think of a better oxymoron than Quaker Terrorist? I can only think of one –Intelligent Bush.
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1014-27.htm
http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/150937
Showdown on the Badlands: Earlier this year the South Dakota legislature passed a draconian bill outlawing abortions in almost every instance –even for cases of rape and incest. The only exception was for cases where the mother’s life is danger. Now, pro-choice groups are fighting back –and they have a referendum on the ballot to repeal this repressive law. On the dusty, arid badlands of Dakota, a showdown is shaping up that could determine the future of women’s rights in this entire nation.
http://www.alternet.org/rights/43139/
Ice Loss Accelerating: Yet another report that confirms Greenland is losing ice at ever faster rates. Soon the rich will have to sell their beach front condos. Unfortunately, that won’t help the 1 billion people living in low-lying areas that would(WILL) be flooded when this ice sheet completely breaks up.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15334288/from/RS.2/
Planet Under Pressure: This six part series and special section describes in detail the environmental problems facing our world today. It has everything –pictures, effects, evidence. It covers drought, energy, food production, climate change. I recommend bookmarking it.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/sci_tech/2004/planet/default.stm
Problems in Africa: This multi-part series from NPR is a well-written account of many of the problems facing Africa today. Each audio component is short, only about 5 minutes, and there are transcripts for each. This series does a good job of describing many of the problems facing this troubled continent, but leaves out some others. Then again, I suppose you can’t mention on NPR things like overpopulation, the legacies of colonialism, and exploitive policies of the World Bank and the IMF, now can you?
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6213358
No Fish Will Ever Swim Here: This fjord is completely devoid of life. The environment here has suffered a complete and utter disaster. All due to the dumping of spent fuel rods directly into the seas and rivers by the Russian government. And nuclear power is supposed to be green?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6058302.stm
Losing the Birds and Bees: No, not those birds and bees. The ones that pollinate crops and help us live. This article gives several potential causes, but I think the biggest one can be summed up in one word: pesticides.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15316711/
Pollution Hotspots: This article shows the ten worst polluted spots in the world. Warning: A couple of the pictures are rather graphic.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6063344.stm
No Permit? No Problem: Federal regulators have ‘temporarily’ suspended certain regulations designed to protect the fragile wetlands on the hurricane ravaged gulf. This will allow developers and builders to merely ‘fill in’ wetlands with their debris. Supposedly this is being done to speed the rebuilding. Um, have we forgotten Katrina all ready? Oh wait –all these companies made a lot of money off cleaning up and rebuilding after the storm, so it’s no skin off their backs if it happens again!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15305378/
Putting the State on Trial: Several peace activists in Europe have “won” (or at least, not lost) in cases where they were brought to trial for ‘criminally’ trying to stop the war. They did this by the tactic of claiming that their actions were lawful, and it was the war that was not. In effect, they put the state on trial as well as themselves.
http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2006/10/19/putting-the-state-on-trial/
“Take this Tag, Sir”: Airlines are trying to find ways to electronically tag passengers, and monitor their movements the entire time they are in an airport. Security, or Big Brother? Do you really need to guess?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6044310.stm
Bush Acknowledges Comparison with Vietnam: For the first time, King George has admitted to the resemblance between the Iraq War and the Vietnam war, at least insofar as the Tet Offfensive is concerned. Is he finally coming to his senses? I wouldn’t bet on it –this was the same day he signed the MCA.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2411583,00.html
They Voted To Allow Torture: This interfaith religious group, which includes UUs, has put the picture on their website on billboards in Connecticut. Check out their site (and the billboard).
http://www.reclaimingthepropheticvoice.org/
Don’t Use Economics to Find the Value of Sustainability: This essay shows the silliness of using Payback Analysis to calculate whether or not to do something sustainably. Even more importantly, he discusses his new solar water heater and how, between a rebate and the Federal Tax Credit, only cost about $3,000 out of pocket. That’s still not spare change of course –but it is within the range of many homeowners willing to save for a year or two to get it. And, as more people install these systems the price will go way down.
http://news-views.renewwisconsin.org/news/item.tcl?news_item_id=103470
Tired of the Bush***: A nurse in Atlanta was given a ticket for this “obscene” bumper sticker. The ticket was later thrown out but now she’s fighting back –by suing the county.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/10/16/sticker.suit.ap/index.html
Fascism Ascendant: A thoughtful provoking essay on the rise of fascism in America and our military. The author is a retired former member of the Army Rangers and Delta Force.
http://www.alternet.org/story/42884/
Website of the week: A wiki devoted to helping make the world a better place: http://betterplace.bullnotbull.com/index.php?title=Main_Page
UU Joke of the Week: Unitarian Universalism – Where all your answers are questioned.
A lot of news happened this week. This newsletter is going to be longer than usual because of it, but I felt that all these stories were important enough to post. Some is good news, some not so good. One interesting tidbit that wasn’t online was an interview on NPR of a UU minister. This interview took place in DC at a protest against the torture bill on Tuesday. It was short, only a couple of minutes, but hey, at least it happened! I’d also like to remind everyone yet again of the Sustainability Expo this weekend. This local event is probably the best news of the week. I’ll include a write-up of it in next week’s News.
RIP Habeas Corpus: It’s common knowledge by now that King George signed the MCA the other day. While justifying it as necessary to protect the American people. The American people –or those in power? Below is Keith Olbermann’s take on it, and the second article is another piece that also has a video of Olbermann’s segment the night the bill was passed.
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1019-24.htm
http://alternet.org/blogs/peek/43178/
And speaking of that bill, the next two stories should give you pause…
Teenage Artists, 1st Target for the Policy State: What happens when a 14 year old posts some artwork deriding our Commander in Chief? She gets yanked out of school and interrogated by the Secret Service of course! Um, yeah, somehow I don’t think an 8th grader is a danger to the President. What could she possibly do, ask him to help her with her algebra homework? (Oh wait, having to think might actually cause his head to explode –never mind.) Obviously, this whole incident had another motive –can anyone say intimidation?
http://www.counterpunch.org/pearcy10172006.html
Those Damn Quaker Terrorists: Protest now equals terrorism, or at least Bush apparently thinks that. Homeland (In)Security is now monitoring many peace groups and reading their emails, regarding them as having the potential to engage in terrorism. This includes –Quakers? Um, yeah. Pacifists are now equated with terrorists. Can you think of a better oxymoron than Quaker Terrorist? I can only think of one –Intelligent Bush.
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1014-27.htm
http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/150937
Showdown on the Badlands: Earlier this year the South Dakota legislature passed a draconian bill outlawing abortions in almost every instance –even for cases of rape and incest. The only exception was for cases where the mother’s life is danger. Now, pro-choice groups are fighting back –and they have a referendum on the ballot to repeal this repressive law. On the dusty, arid badlands of Dakota, a showdown is shaping up that could determine the future of women’s rights in this entire nation.
http://www.alternet.org/rights/43139/
Ice Loss Accelerating: Yet another report that confirms Greenland is losing ice at ever faster rates. Soon the rich will have to sell their beach front condos. Unfortunately, that won’t help the 1 billion people living in low-lying areas that would(WILL) be flooded when this ice sheet completely breaks up.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15334288/from/RS.2/
Planet Under Pressure: This six part series and special section describes in detail the environmental problems facing our world today. It has everything –pictures, effects, evidence. It covers drought, energy, food production, climate change. I recommend bookmarking it.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/sci_tech/2004/planet/default.stm
Problems in Africa: This multi-part series from NPR is a well-written account of many of the problems facing Africa today. Each audio component is short, only about 5 minutes, and there are transcripts for each. This series does a good job of describing many of the problems facing this troubled continent, but leaves out some others. Then again, I suppose you can’t mention on NPR things like overpopulation, the legacies of colonialism, and exploitive policies of the World Bank and the IMF, now can you?
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6213358
No Fish Will Ever Swim Here: This fjord is completely devoid of life. The environment here has suffered a complete and utter disaster. All due to the dumping of spent fuel rods directly into the seas and rivers by the Russian government. And nuclear power is supposed to be green?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6058302.stm
Losing the Birds and Bees: No, not those birds and bees. The ones that pollinate crops and help us live. This article gives several potential causes, but I think the biggest one can be summed up in one word: pesticides.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15316711/
Pollution Hotspots: This article shows the ten worst polluted spots in the world. Warning: A couple of the pictures are rather graphic.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6063344.stm
No Permit? No Problem: Federal regulators have ‘temporarily’ suspended certain regulations designed to protect the fragile wetlands on the hurricane ravaged gulf. This will allow developers and builders to merely ‘fill in’ wetlands with their debris. Supposedly this is being done to speed the rebuilding. Um, have we forgotten Katrina all ready? Oh wait –all these companies made a lot of money off cleaning up and rebuilding after the storm, so it’s no skin off their backs if it happens again!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15305378/
Putting the State on Trial: Several peace activists in Europe have “won” (or at least, not lost) in cases where they were brought to trial for ‘criminally’ trying to stop the war. They did this by the tactic of claiming that their actions were lawful, and it was the war that was not. In effect, they put the state on trial as well as themselves.
http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2006/10/19/putting-the-state-on-trial/
“Take this Tag, Sir”: Airlines are trying to find ways to electronically tag passengers, and monitor their movements the entire time they are in an airport. Security, or Big Brother? Do you really need to guess?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6044310.stm
Bush Acknowledges Comparison with Vietnam: For the first time, King George has admitted to the resemblance between the Iraq War and the Vietnam war, at least insofar as the Tet Offfensive is concerned. Is he finally coming to his senses? I wouldn’t bet on it –this was the same day he signed the MCA.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2411583,00.html
They Voted To Allow Torture: This interfaith religious group, which includes UUs, has put the picture on their website on billboards in Connecticut. Check out their site (and the billboard).
http://www.reclaimingthepropheticvoice.org/
Don’t Use Economics to Find the Value of Sustainability: This essay shows the silliness of using Payback Analysis to calculate whether or not to do something sustainably. Even more importantly, he discusses his new solar water heater and how, between a rebate and the Federal Tax Credit, only cost about $3,000 out of pocket. That’s still not spare change of course –but it is within the range of many homeowners willing to save for a year or two to get it. And, as more people install these systems the price will go way down.
http://news-views.renewwisconsin.org/news/item.tcl?news_item_id=103470
Tired of the Bush***: A nurse in Atlanta was given a ticket for this “obscene” bumper sticker. The ticket was later thrown out but now she’s fighting back –by suing the county.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/10/16/sticker.suit.ap/index.html
Fascism Ascendant: A thoughtful provoking essay on the rise of fascism in America and our military. The author is a retired former member of the Army Rangers and Delta Force.
http://www.alternet.org/story/42884/
Website of the week: A wiki devoted to helping make the world a better place: http://betterplace.bullnotbull.com/index.php?title=Main_Page
UU Joke of the Week: Unitarian Universalism – Where all your answers are questioned.
posted by RAS at 10/20/2006 12:43:00 PM
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