Progressive Calendar 09.13.08 | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: David Shove (shove001tc.umn.edu) | |
Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2008 00:48:53 -0700 (PDT) |
P R O G R E S S I V E C A L E N D A R 09.13.08 1. Peace walk 9.13 9am Cambridge MN 2. Israel/myths 9.13 9:30am 3. Georgia 9.13 10am 4. NWN4P Mtka 9.13 11am 5. Northtown vigil 9.13 2pm 6. Trans youth 9.13 7pm 7. ACLU/activism 9.13 8. RNC press/CTV 9.13 9pm 9. Stillwater vigil 9.14 1pm 10. RNC/arrestees 9.14 2pm 11. NRP/AM950 9.14 3pm 12. Vets for peace 9.14 6pm police raids: 13. Anna Pratt (MN Independent) 14. Kolstad (PC) 15. McLean 16. Kelly 17. Underwood 18. Kahn 19. Muller 20. Repke 21. Repke 22. Martin 23. Fratto 24. Joel Hirschhorn - Deception and delusion: Dummies for democracy --------1 of x-------- From: Ken Reine <reine008 [at] umn.edu> Subject: Peace walk 9.13 9am Cambridge MN every Saturday 9AM to 9:35AM Peace walk in Cambridge - start at Hwy 95 and Fern Street --------2 of x-------- From: "wamm [at] mtn.org" <wamm [at] mtn.org> Subject: Israel/myths 9.13 9:30am Video: "Israel: Myths and Propaganda" Saturday, September 13, 9:30 a.m. (Refreshments), 10:00 a.m. to Noon (Program and Discussion) Lutheran Church of Christ the Redeemer, 5440 Penn Avenue South., Minneapolis. Ilan Pappe, in an impressive illustrated video interview, explores the myths and propaganda perpetrated and maintained about the creation of the state of Israel. He relates his discoveries at Oxford University based on the declassification of the Israeli, British and American archives in 1978. Born to a German Jewish family in Haifa he served in the Israeli army and grew up learning the myths. He is the author of four books on Palestine and is one of the several new Israeli historians. After teaching many years at Haifa University he currently chairs the history department at Exeter University, Devon, UK. Sponsored by: Middle East Peace Now (MEPN). FFI: Call Florence Steichen, 651-696-1642. --------3 of x-------- From: Lisa Boyd <tigerlily64 [at] usiwireless.com> Subject: Georgia 9.13 10am Saturday, September 13, 2008, 10am-Noon Coffee with Lisa Boyd - "Impressions of Georgia: Background to Conflict" I will give a first-hand report of the time I spent there from 1996-1998 as the Humanitarian Assistance Coordinator for USAID, commenting on the situations in Abkhazia and South Ossetia at that time and offering opinions on what is currently happening there. I have asked two other people with first-hand experience in Georgia (including a Georgian exchange student) to join me, so we may have a panel of sorts. (Otherwise it will just be me.) Location: Van Cleve Community Center, 901 - 15th Ave SE, Minneapolis. (Just north of Dinkytown near the U of M east bank campus. The park is at the corner of 15th Ave SE and Como Ave SE.) This program is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. Sponsored by the MN Metro Branch of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. www.wilpfmn.org FFI: info [at] wilpfmn.org or tigerlily64 [at] usiwireless.com --------4 of x-------- From: Carole Rydberg <carydberg [at] comcast.net> Subject: NWN4P Mtka 9.13 11am NWN4P-Minnetonka demonstration- Every Saturday, 11 AM to noon, at Hwy. 7 and 101. Park in the Target Greatland lot; meet near the fountain. We will walk along the public sidewalk. Signs available. --------5 of x-------- From: Vanka485 [at] aol.com Subject: Northtown vigil 9.13 2pm Peace vigil at Northtown (Old Hwy 10 & University Av), every Saturday 2-3pm --------6 of x-------- From: Erin Parrish <erin [at] mnwomen.org> Subject: Trans youth 9.13 7pm September 13: Trans Youth Support Network. Left Out Party, sponsored by Minnesota Gender Advocates to support a fully inclusive ENDA (Employment Non-Discrimination Act). 7 - 10 PM. Pi Bar, 2532 25th Avenue South, Minneapolis. More info. --------7 of x-------- From: "Caroline Fredrickson, ACLU" <field [at] aclu.org> Subject: ACLU/activism 9.13 Dear ACLU Supporter, This Saturday, the ACLU Washington Legislative Office and the ACLU of Minnesota will be jointly hosting an activist training in Bloomington, Minnesota. We need people like you - in every state and in every congressional district - who can help make lasting change on core civil liberties issues. Don't miss this! You can learn more and sign up by going here: http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=YyY3eQDuwYkZg0Uf0z7SFQ.. INVITATION: ACTIVIST TRAINING IN BLOOMINGTON, MN SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 Take your activism to the next level. Help make change. RSVP now at: http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=AP8IfdMj1mkMQ5h8c5wWow.. Hi, I'm Josh Spaulding. I'm working with the ACLU of Minnesota to put together an exciting, all-day training in Bloomington, near the Mall of America. It's happening on Saturday, September 13. At the training, we'll help people like you bring about positive change on important and timely civil liberties and civil rights issues. Will you join me? You can see an agenda and RSVP here: http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=x9kSx_JgmLp937gu6vnJDg.. Not only will this training be a fantastic opportunity for you to learn about civil liberties issues at play in Minnesota and around the country, but we will also provide you with the tools necessary to successfully engage decision-makers on those issues. At the training, you can expect to learn about: * Meeting with elected officials * How to talk about civil liberties issues that are important to you * What it takes to make change happen In addition, it's a great place to make friends and network with others who care about the Constitution and are just as passionate about these issues as you are. You may be surprised to learn there are more civil libertarians in Minnesota than you think! The training is free and lunch will be provided. All I ask is that you RSVP in advance and attend the entire training. You can see an agenda and learn more here: http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=mVEDY7EYtWbbDMusz2P9YA.. This is an exciting time, but we can't lose sight of all the work we have ahead of us: Fixing the Patriot Act and National Security Letters. Repealing the Military Commissions Act. Taking on politicians who ignore the Constitution and put liberty at risk. And, stopping the Bush administration's recent attempt to undermine access to basic reproductive health services -- including birth control and abortion. To accomplish this, we'll need to be organized and ready no matter how the elections go. We'll need folks in every part of the country who can help make lasting change. Are you with us? Are you ready to be a leader on these issues? Learn more and sign up: http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=habMUTdIRrbI9P057gPrhQ.. I hope to meet you soon. Josh Spaulding Regional Field Organizer ACLU Washington Legislative Office © ACLU / 125 Broad Street / New York, NY 10004 --------8 of x-------- From: Eric Angell <eric-angell [at] riseup.net> Subject: RNC press/CTV 9.13 9pm Torture in Ramsey County Minneapolis Television Network viewers: "Our World In Depth" cablecasts on MTN Channel 17 on Saturdays at 9pm and Tuesdays at 8am, after DemocracyNow! Households with basic cable may watch. Sat, 9/13, 9pm and Tues, 9/16, 8am RNC Welcoming Committee Press Conference 9-4-08 In the wake of the RNC Welcoming Committee being targeted by the Ramsey County Sheriff's office and the national security apparatus, six non-arrested members of the RNC Welcoming Committee held a press conference. Although recorded by national and international corporate media, these will probably be the only televised showings of the full press conference. --------9 of x-------- From: scot b <earthmannow [at] comcast.net> Subject: Stillwater vigil 9.14 1pm A weekly Vigil for Peace Every Sunday, at the Stillwater bridge from 1- 2 p.m. Come after Church or after brunch ! All are invited to join in song and witness to the human desire for peace in our world. Signs need to be positive. Sponsored by the St. Croix Valley Peacemakers. If you have a United Nations flag or a United States flag please bring it. Be sure to dress for the weather . For more information go to <http://www.stcroixvalleypeacemakers.com/>http://www.stcroixvalleypeacemakers.com/ For more information you could call 651 275 0247 or 651 999 - 9560 [For less information, forget you read this.] --------10 of x-------- From: andy <afahlstrom [at] riseup.net> Subject: RNC/arrestee 9.14 2pm This Sunday, there will be a meeting for those arrested during the RNC. This will be a chance for arrestees to talk to lawyers, organize legal defense, and receive information about court solidarity plans. It will also be a good opportunity to join together with arrestees to discuss and strategize, as well as plan future meetings as needed. Please note that the TIME and LOCATION of this meeting have changed from the original plans. Sorry for any confusion or inconvenience! Sunday, September 14th, 2pm Hosmer Library (347 E 36th St., Minneapolis) This meeting will be mainly facilitated by a team of legal workers working to organize this meeting. The first half of the meeting will be an informational session similar to last Saturday's meeting, covering attorney options, criminal vs. civil cases, court procedures, etc. The second half will be a larger group discussion about future, more long-term arrestee support, including how to plug in out-of-towners and continuing discussion about forming working groups. This will be a facilitated discussion, and any decisions made during this discussion will be decided using consensus process. Though Coldsnap Legal Collective has initiated a lot of the arrestee support thus far and many are coming to us for support and resources, we believe it is much more empowering and more sustainable to have this support network be led largely by the arrestees themselves and other allies in the community. Clearly, Coldsnap recognizes the responsibility we have to aid this process with the resources and connections we already have, but will be working to disseminate them throughout the group as much as possible as time moves on as to not remain as the hub of information and communication. A proposal has been formed to create a larger support network for RNC arrestees, which consists of working groups (such as Media, Pressure Campaign, and Outreach working groups) which meet separately and then convene roughly every other week to give reportbacks to the general group and coordinate with other working groups. The formation of these working groups will allow folks from other areas to plug in to the discussion from afar and have their ideas brought back to the larger group. Within this proposal, members of Coldsnap would plug into each of these working groups, but not as the center of communication. We would like to invite other community groups to plug in to this support network in this way, by sharing experience and resources while still empowering and allowing arrestees to step up and organize support as they need it. Please attend the arrestee meeting on Sunday to show your support, share experience and resources, and discuss this proposal for creating a larger movement to support RNC 08 arrestees! Please forward this to any other allies that were inadvertently not included in this e-mail. In solidarity, Coldsnap Legal Collective --------11 of x-------- From: James Mayer <info [at] jamesmayer.org> Subject: NRP/AM950 9.14 3pm OF THE PEOPLE: CALL FOR ACTION AM 950 952-946-6205 Of the People: This Sunday, September 14th at 3 p.m. on AM 950--Air America Minnesota's new name; call letters: ktnf--with Host James Mayer. Do problems in urban neighborhoods affect those of us who avoid living in major cities? Indeed, they do affect us all in varying degrees, socially, economically and politically. The Neighborhood Revitalization Program in Minnesota has been used as a model in studies around the country of how people join together to create action solutions that improve the economic, social and physical well being of their neighborhoods. Join James Mayer for a close look at the NRP and how it needs the people of Minnesota to use their power to help it continue its work for our common good this Sunday at 3:00 on Of the People. --------12 of x-------- From: Charles Underwood <charleyunderwood [at] hotmail.com> Subject: Vets for peace 9.14 6pm Sunday, 9/14, 6 to 8:30 pm, monthly meeting Veterans for Peace chapter 27, Vets for Peace office, St Stephens school basement, 2123 Clinton Ave S, Mpls. John Varone 952-448-2665. --------13 of x-------- Cataloguing the RNC's journalist detainees By Anna Pratt, Minnesota Independent September 12, 2008 Of the 800-plus people who were arrested or detained in conjunction with RNC protests, a good chunk of them - 42, by our count - were members of the news media. Media representatives in town to cover the events, from both big and small presses, were slapped with citations and pending charges ranging in severity, including unlawful assembly, obstructing the legal process, misdemeanor interference with a peace officer and felony to riot plus other riot pretenses. (Notably Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman was jailed along with two of the show's producers.) Many others who weren't arrested or detained endured pepper-spray and other arms used for crowd-control. MnIndy has compiled a list of journalists who were detained or arrested, including some preemptively, culled from news reports and sources, including the Ramsey County sheriff's department's booking roster. Let us know if anyone is unaccounted for and we'll add them to the list. Journalists detained/arrested: Tom Aviles, WCCO photojournalist Charlie B, MTV Think blogger (full last name unknown) Anita Braithwaite, New York-based Glass Bead Collective Wendy Binion, Portland IndyMedia Geraldine Cahill, The Real News Eileen Clancy, I-Witness Video, a New York-based media collective Paul Demko, Minnesota Independent Amy Forliti, Associated Press reporter Ben Garvin, Pioneer Press photographer Amy Goodman, Democracy Now! host Art Hughes, Public News Service Suzanne Hughes, The Uptake, volunteer coordinator Ted Johnson, Variety managing editor Olivia Katz, Glass Bead Collective Sharif Abdel Kouddous, Democracy Now! producer Alice Kalthoff, MyFoxdfw.com editor Jon Krawczynski, Associated Press reporter Joseph La Sac, Pepperspray Productions journalist Ed Matthews, University of Kentucky photojournalism student Jonathan Malat, KARE-11 photojournalist Stephen Maturen, Minnesota Daily assistant picture editor Britney McIntosh, University of Kentucky photojournalism student Matt Nelson, University of Iowa student Jason Nicholas, New York Post freelance photographer Mark Ovaska, Rochester freelance photographer Elizabeth Press, Democracy Now! Matt Rourke, Associated Press photographer Sheila Regan, TC Daily Planet Lambert Rochfort, Pepperspray Productions journalist Seth Rowe, Sun Newspapers, St. Louis Park community editor Jeff Schorfheide, Madison, Wis. Badger-Herald photographer Mark Skinner, University of Nevada Las Vegas Rebel Yell reporter Ania Smolenskaia, The Real News Matt Snyders, City Pages Nicole Salazar, Democracy Now! producer Vlad Teichberg, New York-based Glass Bead Collective Dean Treftz, U-Wire, national college news service Nathan Weber, photographer, Chicago-area freelancer Tony Webster, Twin Cities independent media professional Jim Winn, University of Kentucky journalism adviser John P. Wise, MyFox national editor Dawn Zuppelli, Rochester IndyMedia Article Tags: journalists arrested, Media, Republican National Convention, RNC 2008, RNC arrest, RNC protest --------14 of x-------- Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2008 10:34:28 -0500 From: Sue Horns Kolstad <sue [at] millcitymusic.com> To: David <shove001 [at] tc.umn.edu> Subject: Review of RNC policing & voting Two Comments: 1. Who should review RNC policing? Sure, local groups should look into it. But don't forget: The money for this came from the federal government. Money was given to both RNC and DNC sites. Shouldn't there be a national inquiry? Add a compare/contrast section. People all over the country should know what went on outside both conventions. (Surely, not much of note went on inside the conventions.) 2. A poster said "Please Vote". Where are the candidates who will speak out for us? On a local level many of us are wracking our brains to come up with challengers to those who brought us this debacle. (both mayors, both county sheriffs, several judges, most members of both city councils and who knows what other offices) . I have heard only one person mentioned as a viable candidate. On a national level. Many Republicans voted Democrat in the last election to elect representatives to end this war and hold those responsible accountable. The Democrats continue to vote funding for the wars. Nancy Pelosi holds fast against impeachment. Third party candidates are marginalized. We are told we must vote for the lesser of two evils. Why not the best of three (or 4 or more) candidates? Sue Kolstad --------15 of x-------- Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2008 05:39:01 +1200 (NZST) From: Bob McLean <grmpllc [at] comcast.net> Subject: Re: [SPIF] after assessment Initially, I thought that it would be best for me to stay out of this fray, since I wanted nothing to do with the RNC in the first place and accordingly, left town for its entire run. I left, because my pre assessment of the RNC was that it would be a dismal mess, particularly for downtown residents that were living close to the convention site: It was. Ultimately, the blame should be laid at the mayor's feet. In his own words, one of the key accomplishments of his first two years in office was this convention: First Item - Winning the opportunity to host the 2008 Republican National Convention over larger cities, including Cleveland, New York City, and Tampa-St. Petersburg. http://www.stpaul.gov/DocumentView.asp ... I respect great politicians, without regard to their political affiliation. Truman was a great president and I am sure that you all remember where he believed "the buck should stop." Where am I coming from on all of this? Well, first, I happened to be in New York a couple of days for business during the 2004 RNC and it was awful. And if it was bad getting around in New York, remember, its Central Park is bigger than Saint Paul's entire downtown, so it was foreordained to be that much worse here. Second, New York has a city police force of 38,000 officers, of which 10,000 were deployed to the RNC. There were 2,000 arrests during the 2004 RNC in New York. Saint Paul deployed 3,500 officers and the City's entire police force is less than 25% of the total number of officers deployed. If New York could not control its own officers? Post assessment: A wise man learns from the mistakes of others, so run for your lives the next time something like this is suggested. As for the Thune matter, Cicero said that "flies do not bother a lion." Thune is no lion. --------16 of x-------- Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:48:59 -0400 (EDT) From: Grace Kelly <thegracekelly [at] earthlink.net> To: David Shove <shove001 [at] tc.umn.edu> Subject: Re: Progressive Calendar 09.12.08 One of your writers, asks for the shot that sums up this RNC. For me, it is the shot of the gleeful Republican when everyone else was in shock and horror at what was happening. http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/2664/p1010100ls7.jpg --------17 of x-------- Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2008 07:39:04 +1200 (NZST) From: Charley Underwood <charleyunderwood [at] hotmail.com> Subject: Re: [SPIF] after assessment Much has been written about Councilman Thune's using the "f-bomb" on his office computer. I remember a certain vice president using the same language on the floor of the U.S. Senate a few months back. I don't seem to remember much outrage about that moment. In fact, I remember how Cheney was lauded as being quite frank and plain-spoken and open with his feelings. Hmmmm.... But for a real contrast, try this one: Case number one, you send an annoying email to a St Paul city councilman and he responds with the f-bomb. Case number two, you are a beautiful 21-year-old girl following police orders and you get drenched with pepper-spray when you glance at the storm trooper in front of Mickey's Diner. So a couple of weekends ago, about 200 people had Fletcher's goons draw guns on them for no reason. And last week a couple of hundred folks got drenched with chemical weapons. Which action do YOU think is worse? If Mike Costello is so outraged by an ancient Celtic expression, would he be better pleased to receive a face-full of OC gas, which is banned in international warfare? --------18 of x-------- Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2008 07:29:14 -0500 From: cathleen royce <catyroyce [at] gmail.com> Subject: Re: [SPIF] after assessment If memory serves me right (granted theres room for doubt here) Costello was one of the people that were frothing at the mouth about Thune's corageous move to ban smoking in St. Paul's restuarants. Some history would explain Costello's ridiculous attack on Thune's work to protect civil liberties and hold public officials accountable. Great job on both scores, Dave; the smoking ban and the call for accountability. I'm glad you're one of our voices in city hall! caty royce south minneapolis, ex selbyite --------18 of x-------- Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2008 08:30:55 -0500 From: Bill Kahn <wjkahn [at] mac.com> Subject: Re: [SPIF] after assessment This hate accusation seems to be a major theme in accusations about Democratic folks by Minnesota Republicans. Certainly there seems to be a great deal of bad feeling related to the early adoption of a smoking ban in the City of St. Paul, so I would tend to agree with Caty and think the exchange between David Thune and Mike Costello has less to do with partisan hate or outrage over RNC behavior than perceptions about the plain old economics of the RNC for local business. That Michael Brodkorb would seize on such an exchange is certainly not surprising, but having it end up here in a discussion thread sort of helps define what the Republican Party is all about in Minnesota; these folks are just lucky they live here in the land of nice. Costello's would seem to be different from the norm as far as St. Paul hospitality businesses go, i.e., they don't appear to try to be all things to all people or else have a clear and strong niche that doesn't include folks who protest or those who support the rights to do so. Mike doesn't strike me as all that nice or as having much business acumen. In any case, I won't be walking or crawling into Costello's on Tuesday night or any time in the future. Anybody else can patronize them if they like because, after all, it is, or was, a free country; at least it is in St. Paul Minneapolis when the RNC is not in town. We really have to have a good look, hard and long, at the excess of the Republican notion of homeland security and how it affects American democracy. Dave Thune's had a start here on this thread, but he appears to have some telling opposition from Republican folks. On Sep 12, 2008, at 8:02 AM, John Harris wrote: > Those of you on the left sure do seem to have a lot of hate built up > for those that disagree with you. It isn't healthy. Bill Kahn (D) Prospect Park, Minneapolis, City of Waters on the Brain Info about Bill Kahn (D): http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/billkahn --------19 of x-------- Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:54:53 -0500 From: Alan Muller <amuller [at] dca.net> Subject: Re: [SPIF] after assessment [Thune] Looks to me as if Thune is the only elected official in St. Paul who comes out looking decent on this. Not brilliant, maybe, but decent. Decent counts for a lot when one is confronted with Fascism. An "after assessment" needs to be based on the record, not inflated email rhetoric. Who knew what when? Who said one thing publicly while agreeing behind-the-scenes to another scenario? Fifty million $ pays for one hell of a paper trail. (Where are the purchase orders for the clubs and guns and cute black outfits and so on....?) Who is digging it up? For that matter, who is now shredding it? Some of these emails from right-wingers look intentionally provocative. Trying to get the do-gooders off balance.....? am "It also gives us a very special, secret pleasure to see how unaware the people around us are of what is really happening to them. " -Adolf Hitler --------20 of x-------- Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2008 09:27:59 EDT Subject: Re: [SPIF] after assessment Let's put all of this in perspective Mike Costello is a bar owner in Saint Paul that has contributed monies to Thune's opponents. This is not some unknown business owner to Mr Thune this is someone who had pictures of Dave Thune with slash marks across his face on the doors and walls of his business establishment. This is someone who hates Dave's leadership on the smoking issue. If you go to his bar website as of last night at least he still had the republican elephant on all of the pages and I am sure Mr Costello was extremely frustrated that he had lost money on the Republican Convention. So, if you bet on the GOP convention and you lost money on it, and you were a Republican from Sunfish Lake who would you blame? Simple DAVE THUNE. Hell, Mike's been blaming Dave for his poor business for almost five years now. So, when Thune get's the email from Mike suggesting that since Mike is once again a business failure and this time it is because Dave has stood up for people's first amendment rights, one can understand why Dave wouldn't have taken the message as being from a "business person," but rather from a long time political opponent. --------21 of x-------- Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:08:36 EDT From: Chuckrepke [at] aol.com To: grimmy31 [at] comcast.net, stpaul-issues [at] forums.e-democracy.org Subject: Re: [SPIF] after assessment In a message dated 9/12/2008 8:57:31 A.M. Central Daylight Time, grimmy31 [at] comcast.net writes: He should have held his opinions on the police actions until after the RNC ended and for a forum much more suited to his position Let's remember again what happened. Sheriff Fletcher led a raid into a hall on Smith Avenue in Thune's ward and shut the building down for building code violations. An action that is not usually done by the City of Saint Paul Police Department or the Ramsey County Sheriff's office. Code violations are handled by the City's Department of Safety and Inspections. Thune asked the head of DSI to determine if there were code violations or if this hall could continue to be rented. It was determined that the hall could be rented. If Thune would not have acted when he did and speak out at that moment then those citizens who were intending to use the hall to organize in protest to the convention would not have been able to do so. They would have lost this location to freely assemble and to freely associate. It is reasonably clear that was the Sheriff's intent. He was destroying the command and control of the anarchist and domestic terrorist... Well, maybe he was and maybe he wasn't but we have the courts to determine that. Not Lord Fletcher. If Thune wouldn't have opened his mouth and subjected himself to the abuse that will now come his way, a little piece of all of our civil liberties would have been lost. But, they weren't lost. The building was allowed to be rented and people were able to meet there. And it didn't stop the police from doing their work. It is that one person who stands up to the tank that makes a difference and I will always be proud to have once worked for Thune. --------22 of x-------- Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2008 14:52:49 +1200 (NZST) From: Ren Martin <renmrtn [at] gmail.com> Subject: Re: [SPIF] after assessment Chuck Repke wrote: "Let's remember again what happened. Sheriff Fletcher led a raid into a hall on Smith Avenue in Thune's ward and shut the building down for building code violations. An action that is not usually done by the City of Saint Paul Police Department or the Ramsey County Sheriff's office. Code violations are handled by the City's Department of Safety and Inspections. Thune asked the head of DSI to determine if there were code violations or if this hall could continue to be rented. It was determined that the hall could be rented." The above quote is only part of the story, the complete facts are more telling: the only code violation found during the raid was that the rear emergency exit had a locking bar in place - a removable anti burglary device - that was supposed to be pulled out whenever the building was occupied. DSI went through the bldg and there were no other violations and no citations were issued. The claim that there were "sleeping pads everywhere" was an observation attributed to the Sheriff - after deputies scattered a pile of donated blankets and pillows during their search. The tenants own posted rules prohibited sleeping in the building. The RC Sheriff, stepping well outside his authority, had the building entrances screwed shut in an attempt to deny the tenants (the building was rented by a Mpls community center, not the RNC Welcoming Committee) the use of their lawfully rented space. The City of St Paul, not just Mr. Thune, acted in the only manner they could and immediately returned the building to the tenants. It is important to note that NO weapons, tire flattening devices, buckets of urine etc. were found at the Smith ave bldg; read the search warrant and evidence receipts that have been available for many days on various sites (strangely enough Fox 9 was one of the first to post them). What they confiscated was mostly intellectual property - all the laptops, personal electronics such as MP3 players, cellphones, boxes and boxes of literature and handouts, maps, poster paint and some misc junk. Also note that no one was arrested at the hall, further evidence that there was nothing there, yet every ID was recorded and every individual photographed before they were released. A grandstand show by Ramsey County that is deeply disturbing at best. Ren Martin West Side, St Paul Info about Ren Martin: http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/7LiXS6NUkE9nmM1EoKmOj3 --------23 of x-------- Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2008 08:35:11 -0700 (PDT) From: Mike Fratto <mfratto [at] yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [SPIF] after assessment John, I can't condone what is reported that Thune wrote. However, lets get one thing on the table. It seems that the messages that contain anything close to hate comes from posters that espouse the Conservative point of view. Generally, those on the left are open to other points of view. Its the only way to refine your position. On the other hand, very few people who post points of view from the right seem to be so closed minded. Look at the issues regarding the RNC. We live in a country that has a Constitution. Even though the President and his minions have violated many aspects of it in the guise of Homeland Security, it doesn't mean we should allow it in our back yard. We have a right to free speech. Yes it stops when you attempt to cause injury to persons or property. But we still have the right to freely espouse what we think. This first amendmest has never been questioned unlike the interpretation of the right to bear arms in the second amendment. Yet the right seems to think we don't have the right to protest. Yet there are quite a few posters who seem to think that because a few, relatively speaking, protesters intended to cause damage and injury that the police had the right to infringe on their first amendment right. Then there are mostly the same posters who claim the police were right in their reaction to plain citizens on the street. We do not have to submit to search by police without a warrant. Yet there are more than a couple of incidents where police demanded someone show them the contents of a backpack etc. Of course the most agresis action by some police officers was the intentional injury of a suspect, already in cuffs, by spraying them with mace or pepper spray or slaming their heads into the sidewalk. It is our right and obligation to object to this. Yet we seem to hear from the right that the police had the right to do this. --------24 of x-------- Elections & Voting Deception and delusion: Dummies for democracy By Joel S. Hirschhorn Online Journal Contributing Writer Sep 12, 2008, 00:17 _http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_3737.shtml_ I confess. I believe there is a ruling class that sustains the two-party plutocracy running the nation for the benefit of the rich and corporate class. Their broad strategy is deception and delusion. Tactically, they use government, the mainstream media, the financial services sector, funding of politicians and the two major parties, and many other parts of the culture and economy to maintain their power and control. Elections do not threaten elites. To the contrary, political debate and elections are important to maintain the illusion and delusion of a real democracy. They are key to preventing outright revolution, marginalizing dissidents and political reform efforts, and suppressing third parties. Would power plutocrats allow election of a president that threatened their control? Of course not. And no Democratic or Republican presidential candidate ever poses a real threat, despite cloaking themselves with labels like maverick, reformer or change agent. If you accept my worldview, then you know that the ruling class would prefer John McCain over Barack Obama, though they can live with Obama, which is why many, many wealthy people and corporations have poured money into the Obama's campaign and the recent Democratic convention. The chief disadvantage of Obama and Sarah Palin, from the rulers' perspective, is their relative brief stints as politicians. It takes time to corrupt politicians and cement their dependency on and membership in the ruling class. In contrast, McCain and Joe Biden clearly have shown themselves reliable in protecting the status quo two-party plutocracy. The best way to view most current events is through the prism of the ruling class. Take lower gas prices and the federal takeover of the two mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Both occurred relatively soon before the general election, as has far better information about the Iraq war. Manipulation and engineering of national and even world events are designed to serve the interests of the ruling class. Why does deception and delusion work so effectively? When it comes to politics, current events and history, the vast majority of citizens are uninformed, stupid and dumb, regardless of their educational level. As distracted and compulsive consumers, they fall head over heels for political lies and slick campaign rhetoric. First, consider younger voters. So much talk is about the increased interest in this presidential campaign by younger people, especially evident in the Ron Paul and Obama campaigns. But consider these facts: For those age 18 to 29, just 20 percent read newspapers and just 11 percent regularly surf the Internet for news. Most of what people know about candidates' positions on the issues comes from what they learn from unreliable and all too often misleading 30-second commercials. Despite far more widespread and extensive schooling, people today possess no more political knowledge than their parents and grandparents. And don't think that those addicted to The Daily Show and its irreverent view of politics are a lot smarter than those favoring The conservative O'Reilly Factor show. In both groups, only about 54 percent of the shows' politicized viewers scored in the high knowledge category. Propaganda and misinformation really work. Just prior to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, some 60 percent of Americans believed that Iraq was behind the 9/11 attack. But here is the kicker: A year later there was a wealth of information, including the 9/11 Commission report, saying that Iraq had nothing to do with the 9/11 attack. Yet an amazing 50 percent of Americans still believed that Iraq was to blame, and may still think so. As Rick Shenkman, author of Just How Stupid Are We? Facing the Truth About the American Voter, concluded: "By every measure social scientists have devised, voters are spectacularly uninformed." Guess who takes advantage of the stupidity of voters, especially younger ones. If people can believe Obama when he says that the election is not about him but about them, then they also can believe McCain when he says he is a proven change agent and reformer. The only real difference between Obama and McCain is exactly how they will screw the public and benefit the rich and powerful if elected, not whether they will. If the electorate was really intelligent, they would understand and focus on the similarity between the two, rather than their professed differences. It is what they share -- obedience and loyalty to the two-party plutocracy -- that matters the most. As long as voters do not understand this, the oppression and destruction of the middle class will continue, despite people thinking they are free and live in a democracy. Mostly, Americans are free to remain vulnerable to deception and delusion. Democracy for dummies is what we have and what the majority deserve. For the rest of us the difficult challenge is to find ways to fight the political system that are not marginalized and only satisfy our egos. As long as you are an enthusiastic supporter of any Democrat or Republican you are a willing participant in our fake democracy. Most voters persist in believing in the myth that some Democrat or Republican can and will reform the political system, fix the economy, and restore American democracy. They refuse to face the painful truth that this is simply not true. They rather keep embracing the delusional myth. Consider these wise words of John F. Kennedy: "The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie -- deliberate, contrived, and dishonest, -- but the myth -- persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic. Belief in myths allows the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." And so millions of Americans suffering from habitual stupidity will cast their votes confident that they have discovered the truth. Like the march of the penguins diving into icy water without thinking they have any other choice, they succumb to the big myth that this year cost about $1 billion to keep alive. These voters are dummies for democracy. The rest of us will vote for a third party candidate, or refuse to vote at all, and seek ways to ignite the Second American Revolution. Politicians and media people often praise the smart public and smart voters as if they inevitably make the best, most intelligent and informed electoral decisions. This is sheer hype designed to maintain the political status quo. There is only one smart fact: Every single Democrat and Republican candidate lies. Why do they keep lying? It works. Contact Joel S. Hirschhorn through _www.delusionaldemocracy.com_ (http://www.delusionaldemocracy.com/) ; he is a co-founder of _Friends of the Article V Convention_ (http://www.foavc.org/) . Copyright © 1998-2007 Online Journal _Email Online Journal Editor_ (mailto:editor [at] onlinejournal.com) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- - David Shove shove001 [at] tc.umn.edu rhymes with clove Progressive Calendar over 2225 subscribers as of 12.19.02 please send all messages in plain text no attachments To GO DIRECTLY to an item, eg --------8 of x-------- do a find on --8 vote third party for president for congress now and forever
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