Progressive Calendar 06.22.12 /2
From: David Shove (shove001umn.edu)
Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2012 17:36:31 -0700 (PDT)
*P R O G R E S S I V E   C A L E N D A R   06.22.12*

1. Peace/justice     6.23 9am LittleFalls MN
2. Palestine           6.23 10am
3. LGBT Pride        6.23/24 10am
4. Northtown vigil    6.23 2pm
5. Rocky Anderson 6.23 4pm
6. MIRAc concert   6.23 10pm

7. Lydia Howell  - Elections: what’s democracy got to do with it? / [hear Rocky
Anderson]

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From: WAMM
Peace/justice 6.23 9am LittleFalls MN

Mid-Central Minnesota Peace and Diversity Fair: "Bridge Over Troubled
Water" Saturday, June 23, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. LeBourget Park, Highway 27
and Paul Larson Memorial Drive (West Bank of the Broadway Bridge on the
Mississippi river), Little Falls.

Causes represented include: World Peace, Save the Earth, and Social
Justice.

Special speakers include FBI Whistleblower Coleen Rowley, one of three
whistleblowers chosen as Persons of the Year by Time Magazine. Rowley
brought pre-9/11 lapses to light and testified to the Senate Judicial
Committee about problems facing the FBI and the intelligence community.
Rowley’s memo to FBI Director Robert Mueller led to a two-year-long Dept of
Justice Inspector General investigation.

Also speaking will be Anne Frisch, Senior Advisor to Nonviolent Peaceforce
(NP), an international unarmed civilian Peacekeeping Force. NP goes where
there is significant armed conflict. Non-partisan UCPs live in the
communities where they work, talking to members of all the armed parties,
and protecting civilians while creating safe spaces for them to do the work
of peacemaking. Join others to rally for your cause, be part of the
dialogue, be heard! Food. Music. Dance. Street Theater. Vendors. All are
welcome! Sponsored by: Little Falls Partners for Peace. FFI or to
Participate: Contact Robin Hensel at 320-360-3931.


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From: WAMM
Palestine 6.23 10am

Presentation by Chris Cowan: Razing Human Rights; Demolition and
Dispossession in the West Bank Saturday, June 23, 9:30 a.m. (Refreshments);
10:00 a.m. to Noon (Program and Discussion)
Southdale Hennepin County Library, 7001 York Avenue South, Edina.

Christine Cowan served as an Ecumenical Accompanier in the South Hebron
Hills in occupied West Bank, September–December 2011. She was part of a
team of church internationals who provide protective presence and report
human rights abuses. Chris worked in Palestinian and Bedouin villages in
area C, designated by the Oslo Agreements to be under temporary Israeli
military control. Governing was never returned to the Palestinian
Authority. 600,000 Israeli settlers have moved into area C. The
Palestinians and Bedouins - who have lived there for thousands of years
–face harassment, demolition of homes, and dispossession. Chris will share
her first-hand observations and tell us about her work. Sponsored by:
Middle East Peace Now (MEPN). FFI: Call Dixie Vella at 952-941-1341 or
visit http://www.mepn.org.


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From: Joel Albers
LGBT Pride 6.23/24 10am

UHCAN-MN will be Tabling for the 4th consectutive yr this weekend at the
LGBT Pride Festival. [In Loring Park] The festival runs saturday the 23rd
from 10am to 10pm
(Tabling is from 10am to 6pm), and sunday ( 10am to 6pm).

We will be focusingour tabling on beginning to build membership of Co-op
Care and explain what
it is (cooperative health insurance to serve people, not profit). There
will be a
sign-up sheet to begin to build the membership. We can certainly alternate
tabling with having fun at the festival. It is an important festival to
table at given
that all the major hmos will be there, and we have to be there to build the
alternative
to profit-driven HMOs and to counteract their deceptive rhetoric.


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From: Vanka485 [at] aol.com
Subject: Northtown vigil 6.23 2pm

Peace vigil at Northtown (Old Hwy 10 & University Av), every Saturday 2-3pm


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From: Michael Cavlan RN
Rocky Anderson 6.23 4pm

SAT.JUNE 23, 4pm
Hear ROCKY ANDERSON progressive candidate for President
Plymouth Congregational Church
1900 Nicollet Ave. S. (off Franklin Ave.) south Minneapolis
(candidate bio below)
www.voterocky.org

Running on the Peace & Justice Party ticket, former 2-term Mayor of Salt
Lake City, Utah, ROCKY ANDERSON has a stellar progressive record on getting
things done from civil rights, to lowering greenhouse gases,opposing
English Only laws,  expanding affordable housing to improving public
education and legal representation for all to GLBT rights.He testified in
defense of civil liberties before the U.S.House Judiciary Committee. He's
in Minneapolis this weekend  to march in the GLBT Pride parade!(See edited
bio from Rocky's website below)

WHO IS ROCKY ANDERSON?
BIO"Ross "Rocky" Anderson was born in Logan, Utah in 1951. His parents, Roy
and Grace Anderson, both worked at the local lumberyard, Anderson Lumber
Company, which was founded by Rocky's great-grandfather, a Norwegian
immigrant carpenter.The Andersons were not affluent, but they had a good
life in Logan...While living in the Salt Lake City area, Rocky learned the
value of open spaces...Rocky attended the University of Utah, where he
graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Philosophy...Rocky spent a
summer building buck fence at a Wyoming ranch. He also worked as a cab
driver, methadone clinic worker, waiter, truck driver, and construction
laborer...The study of philosophy and history inspired Rocky to find a
vocation that would make a positive difference in the world...Rocky moved
to Washington, D.C., where he attended the National Law Center at George
Washington University. During his time in law school, Rocky worked at a
small law firm, doing what he could to pay for his expenses during all
three years. Upon his graduation, with honors, from law school in 1978,
Rocky returned to Salt Lake City to begin his law practice. Rocky began
handling jury trials right out of law school and prepared and argued two
cases before the Utah Supreme Court during his first year of practice. As
his career progressed, Rocky handled dozens of important cases, many times
without charging a fee.

According to Rocky, "the highest calling of a lawyer" is to make certain
the law is fairly and equally applied.

... Rocky is listed in Best Lawyers in America, handled many complex
commercial cases, including antitrust and securities matters for plaintiffs
who had suffered harm. In the 1980s Rocky was instrumental in obtaining
payments for thousands of depositors who had lost their life savings in
Utah's failed thrifts. He has been a proponent of joint custody so that
more men can and will maintain responsible and consistent relationships
with their children following divorce. Rocky was an effective advocate in
groundbreaking civil rights cases, including Bott v. Deland, which
dramatically expanded the protections for incarcerated people. Rocky also
worked to institute a program to provide access to legal services for
people who did not qualify for help through Legal Aid or Legal Services,
but who were not able to afford to pay a full fee for critically important
legal services..... In addition to providing free legal assistance to
people who are homeless, economically disadvantaged, and disabled, he was a
leader in several nonprofit organizations (including ACLU of Utah
(President), Planned Parenthood Association of Utah, Utah Common Cause,
Citizens for Penal Reform (founder and President), Guadalupe Educational
Programs (President)) and provided thousands of hours of volunteer service
to help create a better, safer, more sustainable community

...Although they divorced, Rocky shared custody of his son, who lived,
until he was 18, with each parent half the time. Joint custody enabled both
Rocky and his former wife to stay closely and consistently involved in
their son’s life. During several years of his son’s elementary education,
Rocky spent time each week co-op'ing in his classroom...

Rocky has always been committed to the principle that justice – social
justice, environmental justice, and economic justice – must be an essential
aim of public policy

...With the help of dedicated campaign workers, contributions from hundreds
of individuals, and a huge volunteer organization, Rocky ran an aggressive,
principled campaign for Congress as the Democratic nominee (following a
primary campaign) in Utah's Second Congressional District in 1996. Without
any financial help from the Democratic Party, but with record contributions
from individuals, Rocky garnered over 100,000 votes in the District. Even
when pitted against Merrill Cook's 98% initial name recognition and the
expenditure of almost $1 million by Cook of his own money, Rocky received
55% of the votes cast in Salt Lake City, versus 39% for Cook.  However,
Rocky lost the race because of a lack of support in a very conservative
area, where there was obvious hostility toward Rocky’s early principled
stand in favor of marriage equality.

In 1999, Rocky ran for Mayor of Salt Lake City... prevailed 60% to 40% in
the general election.  Rocky was reelected for another four-year term in
2004. As Mayor, heoverseeing a general fund annual budget of over $200
million and almost 3,000 employees.  He also was the Chief Administrative
Officer over the massive Salt Lake City Redevelopment Agency and was Chief
Administrative Officer of the Salt Lake City International Airport.  He
negotiated with three public employee unions.  Salt Lake City being the
only city in Utah that engaged in collective bargaining, which was
whole-heartedly supported by Mayor Anderson

Rocky successfully fought many important battles, including victories for
mass transit, wise long-term growth planning, greater respect toward and
legal protections for minority communities (including equal benefits for
gays and lesbians and their partners), and for unprecedented youth
programs. He successfully challenged the state’s English-Only law and
opposed grandstanding Homeland Security campaigns against immigrant workers
in the nation’s airports.   He killed the DARE program in Salt Lake City
schools and introduced to those schools proven, far more effective,
drug-prevention programs.  Rocky implemented perhaps the nation’s most
comprehensive restorative justice programs, he created city-wide
after-school and summer programs, and he was considered by many to be the
“greenest mayor” in the U.S.  During his service as Mayor, he preserved and
significantly added to the City’s stock of affordable housing and open
space.  He reduced greenhouse gas emissions from city operations by 31% in
three years and was one of the top climate protection activists in the
world, winning the World Leadership Award in London for his environmental
programs and advocacy....

Anderson recognizes the importance of people at the grassroots level
advocating and pushing for change. He has stated, “We keep expecting
elected officials will do the right thing, and the fact is they never do
unless they’re pushed.”

Rocky founded High Road for Human Rights, a non-profit organization devoted
to achieving major reform of US human rights policies and practices through
unique, coordinated, and sustained grassroots activism, complementing the
work of other human rights organizations. High Road for Human Rights
primarily addressed five issues: torture and the undermining of the rule of
law, genocide, slavery, the death penalty, and the human rights
implications of the climate crisis. For his work on human rights matters
during his tenure as Executive Director of High Road for Human Rights,
Rocky received the Morehouse University Gandhi, King, Ikeda Award and the
Bill of Rights Defense Committee's Patriot Award.

More info on ROCKY ANDERSON's positions on issues http://www.voterocky.org


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From:WAMM
MIRAc concert 6.23 10pm
Elections: What’s Democracy Got To Do With It?
By Lydia Howell

Fundraising Concert for MIRAc Saturday, June 23, 10:00 p.m. The Red Sea,
320 Cedar Avenue South, Minneapolis. Featuring Guante and more performers
to be announced. Join others for a fundraising concert to raise money for
Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAc) in the aftermath of
losing their office and everything in it when Walker Church burned down
recently. Organized by: MIRAc. FFI: Visit http://mirac1.wordpress.com/.


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Lydia Howell  - Elections: what’s democracy got to do with it?
Twin Cities Daily Planet June 22, 2012
lydiahowell [at] comcast.net
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/60439

The quadrennial ritual of U.S. presidential election is happening in a
strange morass of massive money contributed by secret corporate donors,
right-wing attempts to roll back voting rights for millions of Americans
and a mountain of very real problems that neither ‘major’ political party
seems interested in addressing. Add in the context of the “Arab Spring”
aftermath of elections and Syria’s uprising that attempts to overthrow its
dictator, it feels almost quaint that there are still people willing to die
for the chance to vote. Here in the “land of the free”, as a progressive
voter I am told I have no choice but to vote for the Democratic Party
candidate.

In the country that touts itself as ‘the greatest democracy on
Earth’---America--- elections are more like crude propaganda and 21st
century grade-B exploitation films made by Madison Avenue shopping gurus. A
slice of the electorate is pandered to, others are pushed and still more
are made very aware that they don’t count at all. With only two recognized
political affiliations---Republicans and Democrats---for all practical
purpose, any others might as well be legally banned. Progressive social
movements go dormant or are actively herded into working to get Democrats
elected.

To run for political office as an independent individual or as a member of
any “third Party” political party, there are many obstacles . If you don’t
wear the magic R or D,, a great deal of energy and money ia spent just to
be on the ballot. Ds and Rs automatically qualify. The media with the
largest reach----owned by corporations---rarely or never reports on
candidates without the D or the R Seal of Approval. When such outcast
candidates do get mentioned, it is usually only to dismiss them as
“unelectable“. Over and over the message is: that the only candidates
voters are allowed to seriously consider are the ones that have been
pre-selected for them by the Republican and Democratic Parties
 When the Supreme Court handed George W. Bush his victory in the 2000
election--after tens of thousands of Democratic were purged from Florida’s
voter roles and the Democratic Party refused to fight for their own
victorious candidate, Al Gore, who was blamed? Not the Supreme Court or
Republican operatives using dirty tricks, not a spineless Democratic Party
or even those who actually voted for Bush.

Blame was (and still violently is) cast on the Green Party, their
presidential candidate Ralph Nader and all voters who thought they had a
constitutional right to cast their votes for him. Twelve years later, you’d
think the 2000 election had just happened, given the virulent attacks on
Nader voters---making it obvious that the 2000 election has been used as a
social bludgeon against anyone who considers a “third party” candidates

>From a matter of basic principles in a nation that tells other countries
how to run their affairs, even justifies waging war as “spreading
democracy”, how is this acceptable? And from a practical point of view,
what do people think this will make anyone support the Democratic Party? If
anything, such tactics only further alienates voters.

Even the Republican and Democratic Parties dissident candidates---Rep. Ron
Paul (R-TX) and Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) come to mind---are tossed in
the outcast candidate trash can. How dare ordinary citizens think that we
have any significant say in the two political parties? Like war, everyday
Americans’ are just supposed to show up and do what we’re told.

Even the non-partisan League of Women Voters (LWV)--founded in 1920, after
women won the vote---has had the Presidential Election Debate taken away
from them. The two ‘major’ parties and their corporate sponsors now
completely control the “debates“--who can participate, what issues can be
raised., who is excluded and what issues are censored.. The LWV has
recently even been shoved out of registering people to vote. It seems that
voter turnout of 50%--or less, often far less in non-presidential
elections--is perfectly acceptable to Democratic and Republican Parties.
Less participation by We The People appears to be the goal---which seems,
frankly, completely incompatible with the idea of democracy.

One conclusion is harder and harder to escape: no matter who wins, over the
last twenty-five years, certain major elements of public policy remain more
or less the same.

Wars drag on, that the public seems to have no say in---except to pay for,
fight in and, if unlucky, be maimed or die in. Republicans and Democrats
start and continue the wars---even when elected for saying they’d end them
(as President Obama was). Corporations pay little or no taxes compared to
ordinary workers or mom and pop small businesses. Workers rights---and
their jobs---disappear, whether the openly anti-union Republicans are in
charge or the union-supported Democrats are. Both parties support so-called
“free trade” agreements that export jobs, undermine workers/consumers’
rights and further pollute the natural world---while giving multinational
corporations more power over more and more of our everyday lives.

Ordinary people have less and less access to the courts for redress even as
corporations are declared “persons” by the highest court in the land.
Racial segregation of schools has returned; discrimination of all kinds
leaves people with no recourse, since enforcement of such laws has been
de-funded, banks and Wall Street turn our economy into a casino where the
house always wins---and the rest of us lose while neither political party
does anything to stop it. Republican or Democrat, most elected officials
are busy making sure that when they do leave office, the corporations, will
have a well-padded place for them to land.

I’ve come to conclude that the Republican and Democratic Parties are
entwined in a theatrical performance of sham “democracy”, agreeing on most
issues, and serving the same corporate elites. Republicans have the role of
The Ideologues, pushing the public discourse further and further to the
right, lauding corporations and the wealthy higher and higher for worship
by “regular folks“, as G.W. Bush would say--while creating an ever
expanding list of scapegoats and “untouchables” unworthy of public concern.
Being closer to the 1%, eventually Republicans scare much of the 99% and
so, the Democrats are brought in to do their job as The Implementers. If
progressives had really faced the eight years of President Bill Clinton,
we’d see how much of the so-called “Republican agenda” he
accomplished---just as President Obama has continued and even expanded
George W. Bush’s policies.

Yet, I’m told by fellow progressives, I must vote for Democrats, that its
crucial that Barack Obama get a second term. “It will be worse under a
Republican!” they howl. They don’t answer this question: What would Mitt
Romney do that President Obama isn‘t already actively doing or passively
allowing to continue?

Make indefinite detention part of American law for the first time in our
history? Keep the gulag Guantanamo open? Give corporations tax breaks to
export our jobs and more “free trade” agree ments to do it? Drill more on
public lands? Bomb countries we are not even at war with? Fail to address
climate change? Continue to “privitize” all public services--including
schools? Continue the failed “war on drugs” that has made the U.S. have the
largest prison population on Earth? End unions?

President Obama has either actively done all these things or--in the case
of unions--stood by and let it happen. Yet, people demand we shut up and
not point out these facts. Various “liberal” organizations, websites and
online publications regularly practice censorship of those who raise
fact-based issues about Obama’s actual policies. If you won’t support the
Democratic candidate, the “marketplace of ideas” is closed to you.

Have the audacity to mention “third party” candidates and it gets really
ugly. All of one’s comments are erased from the website and you’re banned
from the site or the organization, with a totality that is worthy of Josef
Stalin.

I don’t know who I will vote for in November 2012--but, it won’t be Barack
Obama.

I’m taking a look at the former progressive Mayor of Salt Lake City, Rocky
Anderson, on the Justice party ticket. Honored as the “Greenest Mayor in
the U.S.”, Anderson cut greenhouse gas emissions by government vehicles and
buildings by 30%. As a lawyer,. He’s defended people without payment. He
created restorative justice programs instead of filling more
corporate-profit driven prison cells. He’s challenged corporate monopolies
and worked with organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union to
protect civil liberties. Anderson is strongly committed to affordable
housing and addressing the foreclosure crisis.

He made a city anti-discrimination in hiring for the GLBT community by
Executive Order---in a Mormon state--and is in the Twin Cities to take a
stand against the far-right Marriage Amendment on the Minnesota ballot. You
have two chances to hear Rocky Anderson speak. If you still believe in
democracy--the real kind not the spectacle---I hope you’ll check him out.
(Event info below)

Lydia Howell is a Minneapolis journalist, winner of the Premack Award for
Public Interest Journalism, for her reprting for PULSE Newspaper. She also
writes poetry, does activism and is part of a community garden.She is
producer/host of CATALYST, Thurs. 9am on KFAI Radio 90.3fm Mpls 106.7 fm
St.Paul www.kfai.org

SAT.JUNE 23, 4pm
ROCKY ANDERSON progressive candidate for President
Plymouth Congregational Church
1900 Nicollet Ave. S. (off Franklin Ave.) south Minneapolis
*****
Sun.JUNE 24:, marching with the Minnesotans United for All Families
contingent in the GLBT Pride Parade between 11-1 pm,AFTER PRIDE MARCH: the
candidate will be going to Macalester College in Weyhauser Chapel in St.
Paul for a speech on “Confronting Reality in a Political Illusion.” This
talk will be in the Chapel,1600 Grand Ave, St Paul, and is free. The public
is welcome and there will be time for a Q & A.
www.voterocky.org


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