Mn-prog-events Mailing List: Progressive Calendar 03.14.07

[David Shove (shove001]

           P R O G R E S S I V E   C A L E N D A R    03.14.07

1. Women/capitol      3.14 9am
2. Family matters     3.14 10am
3. Labor/sustain/CTV  3.14 10am
4. Muslim/feminism    3.14 12noon StCloud MN
5. Peacekeepers       3.14 6:30pm
6. TACSR stadium      3.14 7pm
7. Bruce Cockburn     3.14 7:30pm
8. Amnesty Intl       3.14 7:30pm
9. Produce 4 peace    3.14
10. KFAI off the air  3.14

11. Housing action    3.15 9am
12. Seal demo         3.15 12noon
13. Brutality bill    3.15 12:30pm
14. Eagan peace vigil 3.15 4:30pm
15. Northtown vigil   3.15 5pm
16. Ground Truth/f    3.15 6pm
17. Food forum        3.15 6:30pm
18. Peace bus/DC      3.15

19. Alfred Aeppli - Out of Iraq - MN Leg bills
20. CorpCrimeRptr - Coal-powered Democrats
21. Kevin Zeese   - The Democrats' fraudulent Iraq exit plan
22. C Wilkerson   - Scenes from a cop riot
23. ed            - Haiku plus two

[The server this Calendar uses was down for 2 days. -ed]

--------1 of 23--------

From: wamm <wamm [at] mtn.org>
Subject: Women/capitol 3.14 9am

Women Come to the Minnesota State Capitol

Wednesday, March 14, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Minnesota State Capitol, 75
Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, St. Paul.

Issues and workshops that affect women; legislative meetings. Open to the
public.  Sponsored by: The Women's Consortium. FFI and to register: Call
651-228-0338 or email <bharti [at] mnwomen.org

Come to support Welfare Rights in the struggle against slave-labor
"Workfare." Workfare forces parents receiving welfare to work for no pay
in order to receive the monthly welfare grant. In October of 2006,
Pawlenty's MN Department of Human Services opened the door for more people
to be pushed into slave labor workfare programs. Pawlenty's current budget
proposal would expand workfare statewide. It is an attack on poor parents
and on all working people. FFI: Call 612-822-8020 or email
<welfarerightsmn [at] yahoo.com>.


--------2 of 23--------

From: erin [at] mnwomen.org
Subject: Family matters 3.14 10am

March 14: Family & Children's Service. Family Matters Tour. Short, power
and informative session about kids and families and how we are trying to
meet the needs in our community. This is NOT a fundraiser. It last 59
minutes and is usually attended by 8-12 people. 10-11 AM. Lake Street
Branch, 4123 East Lake Street, Mpls. space is limited. Reserve at
612/341-1612. www.famchildserv.org.


--------3 of 23--------

From: Eric Angell <eric-angell [at] riseup.net>
Subject: Labor/sustain/CTV 3.14 10am

Dear St. Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN 15) viewers:
"Our World In Depth" cablecasts at 5 pm and midnight each Tuesday and 10
am each Wednesday in St. Paul.  All households with basic cable can watch.
 Below are the scheduled shows through March 14.

3/13 and 3/14  "Labor and Sustainability: Globalization and
Sustainability"  3-parts: Presentations from the Labor and Sustainability
Conference: R. Dennis Olson of the Institute of Agriculture and Trade
Policy (IATP), Bernie Hesse of the United Food and Commerical Workers
(UFCW 789) and Karen Redleaf of Women's International League for Peace and
Freedom (WILPF).

Minnepolis Television Network (MTN 17) viewers:
"Our World In Depth" has begun cablecasting weekly in Minneapolis on MTN!
The Minneapolis cablecasts are on Channel 17 Saturdays at 9 pm and the
following Tuesday morning at 8:

Sat, 3/17, 9 pm  "Labor Confronts the Climate Crisis" Interview of
Christine Frank of the Climate Crisis Coalition of the Twin Cities (3CTC)
and Karen Redleaf of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
(WILPF).  Hosted by Eric Angell.

"Our World In Depth" features analysis of public affairs with
consideration of and participation from Twin Cities area activists.  The
show is mostly local and not corporately influenced! For information about
future programing of "Our World In Depth", please send an e-mail to
eric-angell [at] riseup.net.  (PS It might be better than PBS.)


--------4 of 23--------

From: erin [at] mnwomen.org
Subject: Muslim/feminism 3.14 12noon StCloud MN

Wednesday, March 14: Women's Center, St. Cloud State University Women on
Wednesday Global Women Transforming the World Series presents Muslim Family
Feminism: Are We Happening? Noon-1 PM. Atwood Theatre. Free and open to the
public. 320/308-4958. www.stcloudstate.edu/womenscenter.


--------5 of 23--------

From: Jess Sundin <jess [at] antiwarcommittee.org>
Subject: Peacekeepers 3.14 6:30pm

Peacekeepers Training/Meeting

Wednesday, 3/14 @ 6:30PM @ Trotters Cafe, 232 North Cleveland Ave., St. Paul
To have the March 18 event go well we need a good crew of Peacekeepers to help 
with
set-up, help the march get started, help with traffic issues, collections etc.
Anyone willing to volunteer as a peacekeeper, please come to this meeting.


--------6 of 23--------

From: Ron Holch <rrholch [at] attg.net>
Subject: TACSR stadium 3.14 7pm

Taxpayers For an Anoka County Stadium Referendum
WE WILL HAVE LAWN SIGNS AVAILABLE AT THE MEETING.
NEW DATE FOR THIS MEETING, 1 WEEK EARLY.

Wednesday March  14, at   7:00 PM

Centennial High School Red Building - Room 104 4704 North Road Circle
Pines, MN. The red building is on the east end of the high school complex,
and is set back furthest from North Road.  Enter on the East side of the
building.  The largest parking lots are near this building.

Is the Viking Stadium Proposal really dead in Anoka County?

The Anoka County Board has still not voted to rescind its Billion dollar
offer to the Vikings.  This is the only tax money offer that is available
to the team.  As the 2007 legislative session continues no one has said
that Anoka County Taxpayers will not pay for a Vikings Stadium no matter
where it is located.  Nor has anyone yet offered us a chance to vote on a
tax increase.

After indicating that there is no support in the legislature for a metro
wide sales tax, Governor Pawlenty wrote to Vikings owner Zygi Wilf on Feb.
5 2007 urging the Vikings to:

 "pursue a stadium plan with a willing host community that will pledge
significant resources."

This means a Hennepin County Vikings Stadium can still increase taxes for
us in Anoka County.  Along with talk of a new metro-wide sales tax there
are also new rumblings of a stadium returning to Anoka County. We are
waiting for word from the legislature on a new Stadium Bill.

Now would be a good time to think about what you will write to your newly
elected representatives to tell them we do not need to waste more money on
stadium giveaways to Billionaires.  Please continue to tell them we want a
vote as required by state law for any tax increase to pay for a stadium.
Write letters to your local paper too.  If you have done these things once
already please do it again.

AGENDA ITEMS INCLUDE:
Website
Lawn Signs for sale!
What is happening in the 2007 Legislative Session?
Any Questions, comments contact me at: Ron Holch rrholch [at] attg.net


--------7 of 23--------

From: Lydia Howell <lhowell [at] visi.com>
Subject: Bruce Cockburn 3.14 7:30pm

Benefit Concert for The Cedar with Bruce Cockburn
Start: WED.MAR.14 - 7:30pm
Cedar Cultural Ctr.
416 Cedar Ave/ S., West Bank, Minneapolis

While Cockburn had been popular in Canada for years, he didn't make a
splash in the United States until 1979, with the release of the album
Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws, still a landmark of acoustic-based pop
featuring intricate lyrics, great sonics, and startling guitar work.
"Wondering Where the Lions Are," the first single from that album, became
a minor hit in the U.S. (and ultimately a Muzak staple), landing Cockburn
on NBC's hit TV show Saturday Night Live.

Through the 1980s Cockburn's songwriting became first more urban, later
more global, and then, ultimately and most famously, more politicized:
he became heavily involved with progressive causes. His growing political
concerns were first hinted at in two astonishing but little-known discs,
Humans and The Trouble with Normal. As far as casual radio listeners were
concerned, however, these concerns became evident only with Cockburn's
second radio hit, in 1984, the song "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" from the
Stealing Fire album. He had written the song a year earlier, after
visiting Guatemalan refugee camps in Mexico that were attacked before and
after his visit by Guatemalan military helicopters.

His political activism continues to the present: Cockburn has traveled to
many countries (from Mozambique to Iraq), played countless benefits, and
written many songs on a variety of political subjects ranging from the
International Monetary Fund to landmines. His internationalist bent is
reflected in the many "world music" touches (reggae, Latin, etc.) found in
his music.

$30 general admission/$50 reserved
Tickets on sale now!
Call Cedar ticket line 612-338-2674 ext 2
Online sales available at Ticketweb


--------8 of 23--------

From: Gabe Ormsby <gabeo [at] bitstream.net>
Subject: Amnesty Intl 3.14 7:30pm

There are several local Amnesty International groups in the Twin Cities
area. All of them are welcoming and would love to see interested people
get involved -- find the one that best fits your schedule or location:

AIUSA Group 640 (Saint Paul) meets Wednesday, March 14th, at 7:30 p.m. Mad
Hatter Teahouse, 943 West 7th Street, Saint Paul. http://www.aistpaul.org.


--------9 of 23--------

From: North Country Co-op <northcountrycoop [at] yahoo.com>
Subject: Produce 4 peace 3.14

"Produce for Peace" at North Country Co-op

The Anti-War Organizer's League (A.W.O.L.) will be the next beneficiary of
North Country Co-op's "Produce for Peace" campaign.  In recognition of the
importance of the coming months for our country's involvement in the Iraq
War, North Country Co-op will be donating 5% of all produce sales on
Wednesdays to a group working for peace.

"A.W.O.L. is vital to activating University of Minnesota students to take
a stand against war," said North Country Marketing & Membership Manager
Erik Esse, "With no military draft, it is easier for students to not take
the damage created by war personally.  A.W.O.L. is made up of students who
show they care by taking concrete action against the war ." North Country,
the Twin Cities' oldest food co-op, has a tradition of supporting the
peace movement from its inception in 1971 to today.

Come in to North Country Co-op on Wednesday March 7th and 14th and benefit
A.W.O.L..  North Country is located at the corner of Riverside and 20th on
the West Bank in Minneapolis and is open from 8:00 to 9:00 pm daily. More
information at www.northcountrycoop.com.

Marketing & Member Services Manager North Country Co-op
northcountrycoop [at] yahoo.com 612-338-3110 www.northcountrycoop.com


--------10 of 23--------

From: Lydia Howell <lhowell [at] visi.com>
Subject: KFAI off the air 3.14

Tue.Mar,13 and Wed. Mar.14, KFAI RADIO will be OFF the air, as their
transmitter is moved to a new location. Regular programming will resume on
Thursday March 15th. For questions, call Executive Director, Janis
Lane-Ewart: (612)341-3144x23

[Maybe, just maybe, you could hear something under your tin foil hat...]


--------11 of 23--------

From: Action Alert
Subject: Housing action 3.15 9am

Minnesota Federal Housing Action Coalition

Please Join us on March 15th for our Second Annual Federal Affordable
Housing Policy and Budget Briefing! Thursday, March 15, 2007 9am-12noon.
Registration begins at 8:30 Plymouth Congregational Church, 1900 Nicollet
Ave at Franklin, Minneapolis, 55403 There is free parking available at the
Church.

Highlights include:
 * An overview of President Bush's budget and its impact on housing
 * Review of lobby visits in Washington, D.C.
 * Overview of action opportunities in 2007
 * And more!

For more information, contact Linda Larson at lindal [at] homelinemn.org.
Register now!


--------12 of 23--------

From: Isaac Peter <isaacspeter [at] gmail.com>
From: Colleen <cmeyer [at] glassartdesign.com>
Subject: Seal demo 3.15 12noon

We're fast approaching March 15th, which is the International Day of
Action against the Canadian Seal Hunt.  This day is sponsored by several
organizations worldwide, among them Sea Shepherd Conservation Society,
Humane Society of the United States, and Harpseals.org.  In cities around
the world, there will be demonstrations at Canadian embassies
communicating the people's disapproval of the annual seal hunt, which
claims the lives of over 350,000 infant harp seals, and determination to
never stop speaking out and boycotting Canadian seafood until it is ended
forever.

Our demo will be at 12 noon downtown Minneapolis in front of the
Canadian Consulate General,
701 4th Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55415-1600

Please plan to come - signs and banners will be provided, or feel free to
bring your own - the more variety we have, the better and more
eye-catching our display will be.  We usually have quite a few people, and
get some meida attention- I'm not promising we actually turn up ON the
news, but we get a camera or two!  Generally towards the end of the hour
or so, a talking head comes out of the consulate and listens to an appeal
we have written up to represent MN animal rights and welfare groups
(smirkingly), and then gives us the standard propaganda.  The letters we
signed at the Pet Expo and petitions will be presented to him at that time
to be forwarded to Prime Minister Harper.  This is a great oppurtunity,
one of the best of the year, to get out and let our grievances about the
seal hunt be known, in solidarity with the seals and with activists around
the world. in addition see this VIEWPOINT of a Canadian ~ a HUGE reminder
why once again we must demonstrate against the SEAL HUNT


--------13 of 23--------

From: Michelle Gross <mgresist [at] minn.net>
Subject: Brutality bill 3.15 12:30pm

ACTIONS NEEDED ASAP!
There are important happenings in both the state legislature and the
Minneapolis city council that need your immediate attention.  Please get
involved.

Public Hearing on HF1130
Thursday, March 15
12:30 p.m.
State Office Building, Room 10
(Building adjacent to the Capitol on the west)

During a previous session, the state legislature passed a horrible law
criminalizing the reporting of police brutality that can't be proven. This
law was shoved into a funding bill and passed without any public hearings.
Because it prohibits criticism of government officials, it is
unconstitutional--an identically-worded law in California was struck down
by the federal courts.

This time around, Mullery, a right-wing representative from northeast
Minneapolis who runs the House Public Safety Committee, has introduced
HF1130 to make this horrible law even worse.  Under his proposal, the law
would not only apply to reporting brutality to cops but would extend this
law to cover reporting to the Attorney General's office and to attorneys
who investigate cases of brutality in conjunction with internal affairs
departments in rural communities.  Keep in mind that the State Attorney
General's office runs a hotline for racial profiling incidents.  Is this
an effort to frighten the community away from filing complaints about such
incidents?

Come out to this public hearing and let it be known that the law itself is
bad and extending it is worse.  If you want to speak during the hearing,
call 651-296-4262 to have your name added to the list.

---
Take Action to End the Lurking Ordinance

A very successful community meeting was held last week on overturning the
lurking ordinance in Minneapolis.  A broad coalition of groups has come
together to take this effort on--and there is some work we need to do.
Council member Cam Gordon is the prime mover on this effort at city hall.
At the community meeting, he explained that the process starts by a
council member introducing the subject.  To hold public hearings, a
majority (7) of the council members have to vote to let the subject go
forward.  Almost always, this happens as a matter of courtesy for the
council member who raised the issue.  However, this time we are going
against some powerful forces and can't afford to take anything for
granted.  Some, like council president Barb Johnson, are apparently
ignorant of the Constitution.  See her comments in the City Pages article
below.  She doesn't seem to realize that cops actually need a reason to
stop people and that the lurking ordinance gives them cover when they have
no real reason.

We need YOU to call your council member and nicely but firmly tell them
that when the subject comes up, to vote in favor of it moving forward.
Even if he or she doesn't support overturning this ordinance, democracy
demands at the very least that hearings are held to allow the community to
air our concerns.  To find your council member's contact info, go to
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/council/ While you're at it, thank Cam
Gordon for his efforts by calling 612-673-2202 or emailing
<mailto:cam.gordon [at] ci.minneapolis.mn.us>cam.gordon [at] 
ci.minneapolis.mn.us

Critics say a Minneapolis law criminalizes walking while black
What Lurks Beneath?

City Pages
http://citypages.com/databank/28/1369/article15168.asp
February 28, 2007

The way Lance Handy tells it, he was just minding his own business, buying
a pack of smokes from a corner store at Park and Lake in south
Minneapolis, when the cop approached him.

"What are you doing here?" the officer asked.

"I just went to the store to buy cigarettes," Handy answered.

"You know, this is an area where drugs are being sold," the cop replied.

"Okay," Handy said, "But this is an area where people buy food and go
shopping, too."

Evidently, Handy's explanation didn't help. After being frisked, he was
placed in the squad car and driven to the precinct house, where he was
charged with violating section 385.80 of the Minneapolis City Code, more
commonly known as the "lurking law."

The ordinance­which runs just one sentence­makes it a crime to "lurk, lie
in wait or be concealed"  with the intent to commit a crime. But Guy
Gambill, a criminal justice advocate, has a simpler explanation: "It's
standing on a corner after ten o'clock at night when you're black."

As any first-year law student knows, proving intent can be tricky. In
Handy's case, prosecutors didn't even try. After Handy made two court
appearances, the charge against him was abruptly dropped.

Such outcomes are hardly unusual. A review of low-level crimes in
Minneapolis by the Council on Crime and Justice found that approximately
78 percent of lurking charges wound up being dismissed.

Still, the charges carry a price. Gambill estimates that a typical lurking
bust costs taxpayers about $75-$500 for the booking fee and $250 for a
night in jail, plus four hours of wages for the cops who make the arrest.

And Gambill says the lurking ordinance is disproportionately applied to
young black men such as Handy. "This ordinance is so damn vague you can't
even get law enforcement to explain what the basis for charging is,"
Gambill says.

According to Minneapolis Police Department records, police have made 800
arrests or citations for lurking since 2003. Of those arrested, 58 percent
were black, compared to 26 percent who were white.

But after examining a subset of the data, Gambill became even more
convinced of a bias in the system. Of the 103 people charged with lurking
who were homeless, all were African American.  Which is why, in a recent
meeting with Assistant Police Chief Sharon Lubinksi, Gambill quipped:
"I'd like to talk about the racial disparity, but that requires at least
two races being involved."

Lubinski bristles at the accusations of racial bias, defending the
ordinance as a "useful tool."  She says there's a good reason that blacks
are overrepresented in the sample: They make up 80 percent of the homeless
population in Minneapolis.

"This isn't just some racist cop," Lubinski says.  "It is citizens calling
us and saying, 'Hey, there's a guy trying all the car doors in the parking
lot.'"

Indeed, the MPD's most recent analysis of lurking charges found that about
one-fifth of the arrests were related to suspicion of motor vehicle
burglary.

Lubinski referred questions about the high dismissal rate to prosecutors
in the city attorney's office, who didn't return phone calls for comment.
Still, Lubinksi says people shouldn't jump to conclusions.

"Just because charges are dropped doesn't mean they're not valid," she
says. "It just means we don't have enough resources to get a conviction."

But that explanation doesn't impress Second Ward City Council member Cam
Gordon, who is planning to introduce a measure next month to repeal the
lurking law.

"I'm very concerned about laws that are so loose and so general that they
can be applied in a discriminatory manner," he says.

City Council President Barb Johnson expects there will be considerable
opposition to any effort to repeal the ordinance. While acknowledging that
the low conviction rate doesn't look good, Johnson says that alone isn't
reason enough to strike the lurking law from the books.

"I wouldn't want to throw out a useful tool because officers aren't always
clear about why they are citing someone," Johnson says, adding that, as a
council member, the most common phone complaint she gets is "about people
who are hanging out on the corners."

Johnson also says she's "tired of all those old arguments" about racial
disparity. "If you're the person who is waiting for the bus and is
frightened by someone who is lurking, what validity does that have?" she
asks. "Are we supposed to ignore all this stuff and just turn the city
over to the creeps? Apparently, that's what some folks want."

Yet in Handy's view, attitudes like hers are a big part of the problem.

"Young black men like me are just perceived as thugs," he says. "And if
you're in a neighborhood where there is some criminal activity, you're
harassed on a daily basis­even if you're not involved."

Communities United Against Police Brutality 3100 16th Avenue S
Minneapolis, MN 55407 Hotline 612-874-STOP (7867) Meetings: Every Saturday
at 1:30 p.m. at Walker Church, 3104 16th Avenue South http://www.CUAPB.org


--------14 of 23--------

From: Greg and Sue Skog <skograce [at] mtn.org>
Subject: Eagan peace vigil 3.15 4:30pm

CANDLELIGHT PEACE VIGIL EVERY THURSDAY from 4:30-5:30pm on the Northwest
corner of Pilot Knob Road and Yankee Doodle Road in Eagan. We have signs
and candles. Say "NO to war!" The weekly vigil is sponsored by: Friends
south of the river speaking out against war.


--------15 of 23--------

From: EKalamboki [at] aol.com
Subject: Northtown vigil 3.15 5pm

NORTHTOWN Peace Vigil every Thursday 5-6pm, at the intersection of Co. Hwy
10 and University Ave NE (SE corner across from Denny's), in Blaine.

Communities situated near the Northtown Mall include: Blaine, Mounds View,
New Brighton, Roseville, Shoreview, Arden Hills, Spring Lake Park,
Fridley, and Coon Rapids.  We'll have extra signs.

For more information people can contact Evangelos Kalambokidis by phone or
email: (763)574-9615, ekalamboki [at] aol.com.


--------16 of 23--------

From: Lydia Howell <lhowell [at] visi.com>
Subject: Ground Truth/f 3.15 6pm

Thur.MAR. 15, 6pm FILM: "The Ground Truth": voices of veterans of the U.S.
war and occupation in Iraq. Directed by: Patricia Foulkrod post-film
discussion facillitated by Chante Wolf, of Vets for Peace and a veteran of
the 1990 Gulf War.

@ ST. KATE's The PULSE, located in Couer de Catherine, the Student Ctr.
located on FAIRVIEW AVE, off RANDOLPH, on the campus of the College of St.
Catherine n st. Paul. More info:651.690.6725

BRIEF REVIEW: "Ground Truth" Breaks Silence of Hell Following Soldiers
Home (Lydia Howell)

The slogan mouthed endlessly by the Bush Administration is "support the
troops". Does that include caring for them when they return - broken in
body, mind and heart? Recent revelations about conditions at the VA's
Walter Reed Hospital finally reveals to the general public what returning
soldiers and their families already knew and tell about government
abandonment once they leave the battlefield. Does "support the troops"
include listening to the warriors tell us what the war in Iraq is like?
What their many deployments means to them? what the war has done to them?

Filmmaker Patricia Foulkred begins with an induction ceremony, goes to
basic training and then, to the streets of Iraq. There's the pictures CNN
will never show ("due to taste considerations") of dead and maimed
people - primarily Iraqis. She's woven gritty newsfootage throughout much
of her film. But, the main element of "Ground Truth" is simply the ypoung
men and women who were there, directly talking. They painfully peel back
layers of censorship - from military training, from shame, from guilt and
ghosts most of us cannot imagine.

Some joined right after September 11th, others hoped for college or a job
skill they could carry back to civillian life. All have been changed
forever. Some stuggle with amputations. Other have scars, invisible to the
eye: post-traumatic stress disorder - formerly called everything from
'battle fatigue' to 'shell shock' in different wars. They enter another
battle when they come home: trying to find a way to return to life before
war, yet finding that the war has followed them home. Some fall into a
bottle for a time or break into sudden rage. Others feel an ooverwhelming
isolation. And some, like a young man named Jeff, survive the war
physically, only to be subsumed by dispair when they come home -
eventually succumbing to suicide.

But, there's also the comraderie of soldiers, not only from this war but,
also from the Vietnam War. And there's a courage in this film that you
won't hear talked about at Pentagon press conferences. It's the courage to
break silences about the reality of war. It's the bravery to raise one's
voice against not only the government that betrays wounded warriors when
they return from war, but, betrayed all the soldiers by sending them to
Iraq based on lies. One such courageous soldier is Camilo Mejin, the first
soldier in Iraq to refuse redeployment. He was charged and sentenced to 9
months in prison (seving six) and continues to oppose the U.S. occuation
and call for the troops to be brought home.

No matter where one stands on Iraq, this is a film that should be required
viewing for all Americans. To really "support the troops", first, we must
hear what they have to tell us. You will be touched, outraged, shocked,
and saddened. Hopefully, you will be moved to act in some way to address
the suffering of returning soldiers and ultimately, to see what's
happening in Iraq as a great suffering that also must be brought to an
end.

The film runs 80 minutes and there will be time for reflection and
discussion afterwards - facilitated by Chante Wolf, an 11-year veteran of
the Air Force, a participant in the first Gulf War, and now a member of
Veterans for Peace.

Patricia Foulkrod's "The Ground Truth" interviews U.S. veterans and lets
them tell in their own words about the war "as they experienced it in
Iraq" and as they continue to experience it here at home. Somehow, across
our political differences, we must come together to listen to their
witness.

Theirs is not the whole story, for the suffering of Iraqis also needs its
hearing, but theirs is a searing glimpse into the soul of our troops. A
glimpse into the madness of war that is not simply a political or
religious question, but ultimately a human one.


--------17 of 23--------

From: Lydia Howell <lhowell [at] visi.com>
Subject: Food forum 3.15 6:30pm

Thursday, March 15th ~ EASTSIDE FOOD CO-OP's 1st FOOD FORUM:
Bobby King from the Land Stewardship Project
NE Library, 2200 Central Ave NE, Mpls (located on the #10 bus line)
THURSDAY March 15th from 6:30 to 7:30 PM
We all eat, no?

Ever wonder why some of Minnesota's family farms and small towns are
having such a hard time of it? Aren't family farms just inefficient
antiquated lifestyles anyway? Why is it so important to purchase locally
produced peas, pork chops and potatoes instead of the ones that are a
fraction of the cost and from who knows what or where? What the heck is
"Local Control" and why should I care?

Then you should come hear Land Stewardship Project's Bobby King. Bobby
will let us know what is happening in Minnesota's family farm landscape,
at our State Capitol, shed a little light on the 2007 Federal Farm Bill
and answer questions.

We will have light refreshments, stimulating information and a future of
good local food to sustain and enjoy. Come with questions (there are no
stupid ones), an open mind and bring a friend.

The Land Stewardship Project is a statewide family farm advocacy
organization that thinks we should stop treating our soil like dirt.
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/

The Eastside Food Co-op will continue its Food Forum series on April 5th
with organic farmer Greg Reynolds.

Greg will share with us what goes in and what does NOT go into organic
farming and what life is like on his farm. Come ask questions (there are
no stupid ones) and find out what is happening on the field end of our
field to fork connections.

Greg Reynolds has been growing produce at Riverbend Farm in Delano, MN
since 1992 and has been certified organic since 1994. You may have
purchased some of Greg's organic radishes, arugula, eggplant, potatoes, or
spinach at Eastside Food Co-op or dined on his produce in some of the
finer restaurants in the Twin Cities like The Modern Cafe, The Craftsman,
Restaurant Alma, The Birchwood, Lucia's, Cafe Brenda or The May Day Cafe.

We hope you can make it and remember . . . Just because it's educational
doesn't mean it can't be fun!

Please feel free to share this message with anyone you know that eats food.
Tom Taylor Eastside Food co-op http://www.eastsidefood.coop/


--------18 of 23--------

From: Charles Underwood <charleyunderwood [at] hotmail.com>
Subject: Peace bus/DC 3.15

Thursday, 3/15, probable bus leaving for D.C. to participate in Christian
Peace Witness for Iraq event on 3/16.  Bus returns Saturday p.m.  Cost
around $150.  General info at www.christianpeacewitness.  Local reservations
ASAP at suzan_ireland [at] hotmail.com


--------19 of 23--------

From: Alfred Aeppli <aeppli [at] math.umn.edu>
Subject: Out of Iraq - MN Leg bills

An update: there are now two bills, H.F. No. 674 (in the House) and S.F.
No. 1561 (in the Senate), calling for deescalation in the Iraq war and
withdrawal of the USA from Iraq. Encourage your legislators in St. Paul to
vote for these bills. Keep up the good work.   Alfred Aeppli.


--------20 of 23--------


Congressman Boucher's Filthy Money
Coal-Powered Democrats
By CORPORATE CRIME REPORTER
CounterPunch
March 13, 2007

Behold, the global warmth of cold hard cash.

Behold, the so-called reform-minded Democrats.

Behold, the flow of dirty money from the coal industry to House Democrats
just as they are about to craft legislation to "address" global warming.

Address the ball, Rick Boucher.

Rick Boucher (D-Virginia) is the House Democrats point person on global
warming.

He is chair of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and
Air Quality.

Above him sits John Dingell, chairman of the full committee.

If the House leadership thinks they are going to get anything worth voting
for past Dingell (Mr. Automobile) and Boucher (Mr. Mining) - they're -
well, they're just being Democrats.

Just to drive the point home, next week the coal lobby is hosting a $1,000
a plate breakfast fundraiser for Chairman Boucher.

This week, the coal industry is testifying before Boucher's subcommittee.

According to the breakfast invitation, the fundraiser is being sponsored
by Arch Coal Company PAC, Consol Energy PAC, Foundation Coal PAC, National
Mining Association PACs, and Peabody Energy PACs.

It will be held March 20 at 8:30 a.m. at the National Mining Association,
101 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Suite 500 East, Washington, D.C.

Suggested contribution - $1,000.

Please make check payable to Boucher for Congress Committee.

"We are entering a crucial time period for decisions on what the House is
going to do about global warming," said Clean Air Watch's Frank O'Donnell
who unearthed the invitation. "The coal industry wants to remind Boucher
that they have been loyal supporters and to keep their interests in mind.
I have little doubt that he will."

"Boucher is no political virgin when it comes to campaign contributions,"
O'Donnell says. "The mining industry gave him more than $48,000 during the
last election cycle - more than any other House Democrat."

Boucher told reporters last week that he and Dingell "are determined to
fashion legislation that addresses global warming - and do it in a very
constructive way - and our committee has jurisdiction over this."

O'Donnell's translation: If the coal boys cough up enough money, I will be
sure to protect their interests.

Corporate Crime Reporter is located in Washington, DC. They can be reached
through their website.

[Behold, lesser-evils you can't tell from greater-evils. Gangrenous
soft-shoe dancing slugs, with foul-smelling slimy trails. -ed]


--------21 of 23--------

Mangling the Mandate
The Democrats' Fraudulent Iraq Exit Plan
By KEVIN ZEESE
CounterPunch
March 13, 2007

The Democrats took the majority of both the House and Senate on January
4th, 2007 since then 192 members of the Armed Services have died as have
countless Iraqi civilians. With power comes responsibility, so voters
should know that this is now the Democrats War and every death and
casualty is their responsibility.

When they came to power their leadership said they would not use the
"power of the purse" to end the war. But pressure from voters opposed to
the Iraq quagmire has changed their tune. Last week an obviously
frustrated Rep. David Obey told Marine Mom, Tina Richardsin a Capitol Hill
hallway encounter that his appropriations bill would de-authorize the war.

I went to Capitol Hill as part of a support delegation for Tina Richards
this Monday to return to Rep. Obey's office to seek clarification of his
hallway comments. There has been a lot of deal making by Congressional
leaders to line up support for the Iraq War supplemental. They are adding
billions in goodies for constituents, for Midwest farmers, avocado
growers, communities that have lost bases, Katrina relief, Veterans and
other goodies to gather votes.

The headline that the Democratic leadership would like voters to hear is
"troops out of Iraq by August 2008." But the headline is more a wolf in
sheep's clothing than a reality. After hearing details of the bill from
Obey's appropriations staff person the loopholes may define the law more
than the headline.

For most in the peace movement an August 2008 deadline for withdrawal is
already way too slow. Why the delay? On November 17, 2005 Rep. Jack Murtha
called for redeployment within six months. Here we are sixteen months
later and the Democratic leadership is talking about redeployment in
seventeen months! Six months has turned into 33 months - and in fact the
August deadline is illusory. How many lives - U.S. and Iraqi - will have
been lost in this quagmire over this time period?

But, that is not the worst of it. As Rep. Maxine Waters, the Chair of the
Out of Iraq Caucus point out, a few weeks ago the Congress passed a
non-binding resolution against the so-called "surge" but this
appropriation will actually pay for the surge - which has grown since
their vote by more than 8,200 troops. Indeed, the Democrats are poised to
give Bush up to $20 billion more than he asked for!

The appropriation initially was going to require that only combat ready
troops could be sent to Iraq. But in order to please "Blue Dog Democrats"
and some Republicans the bill is now merely a requirement that Bush report
to Congress if non-combat ready troops are used in Iraq. Since when do
conservatives want us sending troops to wars who are not fully trained or
equipped for combat? Combat readiness has become a symbolic requirement
that will at best embarrass the commander in chief but it will not stop
deployment of troops unprepared for battle.

And, it keeps getting worse. Regarding the August 2008 deadline not all
troops are being redeployed (the bill does not say to where). The bill
leaves four categories of soldiers who can remain in Iraq. These include
troops to guard the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. This is the largest Embassy in
the world - a city within a city - so who knows how many troops that will
take. Also, troops involved in diplomatic and consular affairs will remain
in Iraq.

But, the two big categories allow troops to remain in Iraq to fight Al
Qaeda and to train the Iraqi military and police. President Bush has
called Iraq one front in the war on terror, where the main target in the
war on terror is Al Qaeda. Indeed, "we're in Iraq to fight them over there
rather than over here," according to the president. Further, he claimed
that Saddam and Osama were working together - and Vice President Cheney
still makes that claim. And, throughout the Iraq War the resistance in
Iraq has been defined as terrorists and there have been no solid numbers
regarding how many Al Qaeda fighters are in Iraq. And, can you imagine the
intelligence-leak drumbeat as that deadline approaches? There will be
story after story planted in the establishment media about Al Qaeda coming
to Iraq in preparation for the U.S. exit. This hole is so large by itself
to make the Democratic exit strategy a virtual mirage.

And, then there is the training of Iraqi military and police. How many
trainers will the U.S. have for an Iraqi military and police that will be
in the very high hundreds of thousands, perhaps over a million? Will
training include U.S. soldiers being embedded in the Iraq military or
police as part of training them? This is another gigantic loophole that
makes the withdrawal more a "stay the course" plan then a real withdrawal.

But, the thing that makes this supplemental appropriation particularly
dangerous is the Democratic leadership decision not to raise the question
of forbidding military force against Iran. The Bush administration has
been beating the war drums for a military attack on Iran for months. It
had been reported that the spending bill would have required congressional
approval, with some exceptions, before using military force against Iran.

The Congressional Quarterly reported on March 8, 2007 that "The
influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee also is working to
keep the language out, said an aide to a pro-Israel lawmaker." Rep. Rahm
Emanuel, the consigliore for the hard right Israeli lobby in the House of
Representatives - a congressman who was a civilian volunteer with the
Israeli army during the first Gulf War, is quoted as predicting "that the
language would ultimately not be included in the supplemental on the House
side."

On the 8th CQ reported "a Democratic leadership aide said there are no
plans to remove the provision. 'There's heat,' the leadership aide
acknowledged. 'We've heard their concerns, but we think it's likely to
remain on the bill.'" Less than a week later it seems the hard right
Israeli lobby, which is often the puppet master of U.S. foreign policy,
has gotten the provision removed.

Thus, the Congress has decided to put up no barriers to a Bush attack on
Iran. In hearings before Sen. Russell Feingold this January legal experts
said that the original use of force resolution, the power of the president
to act to defend U.S. national security and the authority of the president
to introduce troops into "hostilities, but not into a war" may be
sufficient to allow military action against Iran absent congressional
action. If Congress put up barriers requiring Congressional approval or
restricting the use of funds appropriated than that would limit the
president's authority. But without Congressional action, Bush could act
militarily against Iran.

So, the slow exit of the Democratic leadership will in the best case
scenario be a partial exit that could keep tens of thousands (or more)
troops in the Iraq quagmire. And, their failure to curtail the president's
authority regarding Iran will give him the unbridled path he needs to go
forward with military action against that country. This supplemental may
result in a bigger Mid-East war in 2007, rather than a real exit from
Iraq.

Is this what the November 2006 anti-war mandate was for?

Kevin Zeese is director of DemocracyRising.US and co-founder of
VotersForPeace.US.

[Well, what can you expect from dancing slugs? (see end of previous
piece) -ed]


--------22 of 23--------

Scenes from a Cop Riot
Don't Come to Ann Arbor
By CATHERINE WILKERSON, M.D.
CounterPunch
March 13, 2007

If the specter of another US foray into regime change disturbs you, google
the word "Tanter." If the prospect of another country's being bombarded
with US weapons outrages you, and if inserting the adjective "nuclear"
into the narrative sends a chill up your spine, go to the "Guardian"
website and search "Tanter." Or if you hanker to find out what a Robust
Nuclear Earth Penetrator can do to humankind, click onto the Union of
Concerned Scientists.

But if you want to take a stand against another US/Israeli war crime,
don't come to Ann Arbor. Not unless you're prepared for the worst. Unless
you're prepared to be brutalized by the cops, thrown in jail, and
subjected to improper and punitive medical treatment, you'd better keep
your mouth shut. Or so the University of Michigan, the Ann Arbor Police,
and the Zionist forces in the community would have it.

When I became a doctor I knew I would encounter a lot of human suffering,
but I never envisioned a time when my efforts to alleviate it would get me
brutalized by the police, then charged with a crime. I never envisioned a
time when I would witness another health "professional" brazenly violate
the most fundamental principle of medical ethics: first do no harm. But
thirty years after graduation, at a political event on the campus of the
University of Michigan, those things happened.

The event was a presentation by Raymond Tanter, founder of the Iran Policy
Committee and former member of the National Security Council under Ronald
Reagan. Michigan's chapter of the Zionist organization, the American
Movement for Israel (AMI), brought him to town on November 30, 2006 to
whip up support for regime change in Iran. The "Islamo-fascist regime"
must be overthrown, according to Tanter, before they acquire a nuclear
weapon, and one option for stopping them would be nuking them first. Some
of the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrators the US has supplied to Israel
would be OK, with Israel doing the deed.

A small group of folks showed up to protest. The room was packed, U of M
cops were on hand, and the atmosphere was tense. Tanter fired up the
crowd, especially when he declared that Israel will exist forever,
triggering the longest and most boisterous of several rounds of cheering
and applause from his supporters. But interruptions of dissent were not to
be allowed, and the cops were there to make sure of it. One of the
protesters, an Iranian woman, became the first target of the political
repression in store for the night. At the behest of one of the AIM
organizers, a U of M cop proceeded to remove her.

The cop, maybe 6'6 or bigger, grabbed her arm, dragging her to the floor,
where he applied pressure point control tactics (PPCT) as she screamed.
PPCT is what's called a pain compliance technique, using the infliction of
pain to force someone to do what you order. It's used against someone who
poses a serious threat of physical harm; someone, say, who's in the cop's
grip, clutching a knife and on the verge of stabbing a person. In this
case, the cop inflicted pain to force compliance with his order to stand
up, while he pinned her to the floor with his knee. She kept screaming.

"Don't hurt her," called out the woman who'd been sitting in the next seat
over, also an Iranian woman, a U of M Professor of Iranian History, in
fact, and another dissenting voice at the event. One of the other
protesters came to the first victim's aid and was hauled away, cuffed and
arrested. A second protester came to the victim's aid and followed as she
was hauled away. The AMI organizers were calling the shots.

I heard a commotion in the hall and stepped out of the room. In the hall I
saw the same huge cop on top of the second protester who'd come to the
first victim's aid. The cop had the man, a relatively small guy in his
forties, pinned down, arms pulled behind his back, getting handcuffed. The
cop used PPCT against this person also, not once but twice. The man
writhed and cried out in pain.

The cop used his far-greater strength and body weight, along with the
force of his knee on his victim's back to press his chest against the
floor. It would be impossible for a person to inflate his lungs pressed
against the floor with his hands cuffed behind his back like that.
Asphyxiation being a well-known cause of death of people in custody, when
the man started calling out that he couldn't breathe, I approached,
identified myself as a doctor, and instructed the cop to turn him over
immediately. The victim went limp. The cop turned him onto his back. I saw
that the victim had a wound on his forehead and blood in his nostrils. He
was unconscious.

Reiterating numerous times that I was a doctor, I tried to move to where I
could assess the victim for breathing and a pulse. The cop shoved me,
until finally, after my imploring him to allow me to render medical care
to the victim, he allowed me to determine that the victim was alive. But
he refused to remove the cuffs despite my requests. A person lying with
hands cuffed beneath his body risks nerve damage to the extremities and,
moreover, cannot be resuscitated. I continually re-assessed the man, who
had now become my patient, and who remained unconscious.

Eventually an ambulance arrived, along with the fire department and a
contingent of Ann Arbor police officers. While the paramedics went about
their business, the first thing being to have the cop un-cuff the patient,
I tried to fulfill my obligation to my patient. I tried to oversee what
the paramedics were doing, which, contrary to protocol and the normal
relationship between physician and paramedic, was all that I was allowed
to do. I was forced to stay away. What I witnessed in the course of their
treatment appalled me.

When the patient didn't respond to a sternal rub, one of the paramedics
popped an ammonia inhalant and thrust it beneath the patient's nostrils.
If you're interested in what's wrong with that, google Dr. Bryan Bledsoe,
foremost authority on paramedicine, and read his article condemning this
dangerous practice. That it's "just bad medicine" is sufficient to make
the paramedic's actions unacceptable, but what happened next made my blood
curdle. He popped a second inhalant and a third, then cupped his hands
over the patient's nostrils to heighten the noxious effect. "You don't
like that, do you?" he said.

At that point I issued a direct medical order for him to stop, but he
ignored me. "What you're doing is punitive," I said, "and has no
efficacy." Then as the patient retched, rather than rolling him onto his
side to avoid the chance of his choking on his own vomit, a firefighter
held his feet down and yelled, "don't spit." In thirty years of doctoring,
I have never witnessed such egregious maltreatment of a patient. Again I
spoke up, "this is punitive." I hoped to shame the paramedical into
stopping his unethical behavior.

Suddenly an Ann Arbor cop ordered me to move away. As I headed for my
purse and coat, the cop attacked me from behind, twisted my arms with
extreme force behind my back, and shoved me against the wall. I begged him
to release my left arm, explaining that I had a serious condition
affecting my shoulder, and pleading with him because of the excruciating
pain he was inflicting on me. I told him that I would do whatever he
demanded. I told him that I had been in the process of complying with his
order to move out of the way and that I was heading toward where my purse
and coat were. He told me to relax and wrenched my arms harder. I was in
agony. I told him that I would sit down, anything, that he was really
hurting me and begged him to release my arm. Eventually he let my arms
down.

But his brutality did not stop there. He then forced me to stand in the
stairwell in a corner for a protracted period of time. I asked him if I
could please go home, as I was in pain, and I was deeply traumatized. In
yet another raw display of abuse of power, he forced me to stand there,
causing me ongoing suffering and humiliation, before finally allowing me
to leave.

The U of M proceeded with prosecution of the other three people, but I
heard nothing further from them until I filed a complaint of police
brutality. Now I'm facing criminal prosecution, too, along with the
Professor of Iranian History, who, like me, was charged after she filed a
complaint. We five are being prosecuted for
"assaulting/resisting/obstructing" police officers, and in my case, for
"assaulting/resisting/obstructing" paramedics as well.

So, if you want to take a stand against another war, don't come to Ann
Arbor. Don't come unless you believe in the slogan the Wobblies chanted
back at the time of the First World War, when the government was rounding
up opponents of that atrocity and throwing them in jail. Don't come to Ann
Arbor unless you too believe: AN INJURY TO ONE IS AN INJURY TO ALL.

Catherine Wilkerson is a physician who practices primary care at a clinic
in Ann Arbor that provides care to underserved members of the community.
She can be reached at catwilk [at] sbcglobal.net


--------23 of 23--------

 I see, said the blind
 man to his deaf wife, as he
 picked up his hammer

 and saw.


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