Saturday, February 27, 2016

US Ties to Saudi Kingdom Are Beheading Democracy: An Interview With the Son of an Executed Political Prisoner


President Obama meets with Saudi Arabia's King Salman in September 2015 at the Oval Office. On January 1, Saudi Arabia executed 4 individuals who engaged in non-violent protest for democracy and human rights in the Kingdom. Behind the president and King Salman sits a bust of the champion of non-violent protest, Martin Luther King Jr. (photo: AP)
President Obama meets with Saudi Arabia's King Salman in September 2015 at the Oval Office. On January 1, Saudi Arabia executed 4 individuals who engaged in non-violent protest for democracy and human rights in the Kingdom. Behind the president and King Salman sits a bust of the champion of non-violent protest, Martin Luther King Jr. (photo: AP)

US Ties to Saudi Kingdom Are Beheading Democracy: An Interview With the Son of an Executed Political Prisoner

By Paul Gottinger, Reader Supported News
26 February 16

  Saudi Arabia opened 2016 with a tragic, yet increasingly common event for the Kingdom, a mass execution.

    In the words of Amnesty International, “Saudi Arabia’s authorities demonstrated their utter disregard for human rights and life by executing 47 people in a single day.”
According to the British rights organization Reprieve, Saudi Arabia has had one of the world’s highest rates of execution for over ten years. Many of these executions occur after unfair trails and may be carried out by the barbaric means of beheading, public crucifixion, stoning, or firing squad.

    All 47 individuals executed on January 1 were accused of being terrorists. However, four of those executed were involved in Saudi Arabia’s Arab Spring protests. These four remained strictly nonviolent in their calls for greater democracy and rights in the Kingdom.

   Despite being a major US ally, Saudi Arabia has an atrocious human rights record. The Kingdom is intolerant of any dissent and harshly represses any critics. The Kingdom has also banned all public gatherings and demonstrations since the Arab Spring erupted in 2011.

   One of these four political prisoners executed was the well-known Shia cleric Sheik Nimr al-Nimr. Al-Nimr was a powerful and articulate critic of the Saudi government and royal family.

   Amnesty International stated that Sheik al-Nimr’s execution showed that Saudi officials were “using the death penalty in the name of counter-terror to settle scores and crush dissidents.”

   Reader Supported News spoke with Sheik al-Nimr’s son, Mohammed al-Nimr, just a few weeks after his father’s execution.

   Mohammed described his father as someone who believed in the same values as Americans and who wanted all people to have basic things like democracy, freedom, justice, dignity, and human rights.“He was a peaceful man who demanded change in my country because he wouldn’t tolerate any tyranny. He always spoke for the oppressed against the oppressors.”

   Mohammed said his father guided Saudi Arabia’s Arab Spring protesters in the way of nonviolence. “He demanded peaceful change in the form of democratic elections and he also demanded basic human rights.”

   Despite the Saudi government labeling him a terrorist, Mohammed said, “My father was always a strong supporter for peaceful change. He always asked people to be peaceful and not to fall into violence. I never saw my father with a weapon. He once told a protestor, you are right to demand your rights, but don’t engage in even the smallest forms of violence like throwing rocks at riot police.”

   Mohammed’s father was first arrested in 2012. A security vehicle rammed into his car, security personnel dragged him out of the car, then finally opened fire on him, striking him 4 times.

   When Sheik al-Nimr woke up in the hospital his upper chin was broken and two teeth were missing. “My father underwent an operation to remove the bullets, but the hospital intentionally left one bullet in his thigh to cause him pain.”

   Due to his injuries, Sheik al-Nimr suffered an enormous amount of pain, which prevented him from sleeping properly for an entire year. Sheik al-Nimr was also held in solitary confinement for almost four years, the entire time he was imprisoned.

   I asked whether the US reached out to help free his father, who believed in democracy, nonviolence, and justice, the very values America claims to stand for. But Mohammed said the US never reached out to him. “They know about the case, but they didn’t do enough to stop the execution.”

   In the days after Sheik Nimr’s execution, the White House spokesman Josh Earnest said that the White House had “raised concerns” with the Saudi government that executing Sheik Nimr al-Nimr could heighten sectarian tensions.

    Mohammed said this is the US government’s way of saying they did their part. “But that’s not enough. You don’t just warn them. He was a peaceful man. The US should have demanded his release and done all they could to stop the execution from happening.”
When asked if he had a message for the American people, Mohammed said, “Your security is in danger. As long as your government supports the Saudi regime, which has a lot of money to support terrorism all over the world, your security is in danger.”

   “This Saudi regime supported the Taliban, and the result was al Qaeda. Then the Saudi regime supported the rebels in Syria, and the result was ISIS.”

   “Where does the money for all these terror groups come from? It’s the Saudi government’s oil money. The Saudi government pretends to fight terrorist ideology, but their ideology is the root of terrorist ideology. For example, 15 of 19 September 11th hijackers were Saudi. Why is that? Because that’s what they teach people in school.”

   “So my message for American citizens is look out for your safety. You don’t want more 9/11 attacks, you don’t want more Paris attacks. That’s what this regime supports, even if the regime shows another face.”

   When asked what his father would think of the attack on the Saudi Embassy in Tehran that followed his father’s execution, he said, “I believe if my father was here he would not agree to the attack in Tehran. As I said, he was a peaceful man and would never encourage violence.”

   Mohammed said his father’s execution left an enormous impact on him. “My father was really a friend to me. He was a great father and I will have a deep sadness for the rest of my life due to his loss. I know he’s in a better place right now, but the painful thing is that I’m never going to see him, or hear his voice with new words about freedom, justice, dignity and humanity.”

   When asked how he planned to attain justice for his father, Mohammed said, “I will make the whole world hear his voice. Make the whole world know what he stood for and what he demanded and not the picture the Saudi government is trying to paint of my father.”

   “He was not a violent man. He was just someone who wouldn’t tolerate any tyranny and any oppression against anyone. He would stand up for anyone who is oppressed.”


Paul Gottinger is a staff reporter at RSN whose work focuses on the Middle East and the arms industry. He can be reached on Twitter @paulgottinger or via email.

Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.

Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218.  Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/


"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs

Friday, February 26, 2016

The Threat of Big Money in Politics and the Call for a 28th Amendment


Friday, February 26, 2016
The Threat of Big Money in Politics and the Call for a 28th Amendment

http://www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_large/public/views-article/corporate_personhood_amendment.jpg?itok=jRO2JY6B
'Our situation is not inevitable,' write Bonifaz and Cressman, 'but rather the predictable results of Supreme Court rulings going back forty years that have wrongly equated unlimited campaign spending with the freedom to speak our conscience as protected under the First Amendment.' (Photo: via Occupy.com)

   While Americans agree that there is too much money coming from too few people in our political campaigns today, a debate over how to address that problem raises an even larger question about whether or not we still have a Constitution that works to provide a government of, by, and for the people. In particular, the question is whether we still have the capacity to amend our Constitution as a way to check and balance a runaway Supreme Court.

    In his farewell address where he notably warned Americans against the dangers of hyper-partisanship, President George Washington also urged his fellow citizens to embrace the checks and balances of the three branches of government.  He urged us to accept the authority of the Constitution, precisely because when we found the distribution of powers to be wrong, we could change it through amending the Constitution.

    Americans now find ourselves in a situation where true power no longer solely resides within our three branches of government, but within a narrow cabal of political campaign donors that decides who can run for office as a viable candidate, who will win elections, and what issues will be put forth for debate. Any individual donor doesn’t always see his or her favorite candidate win—sometimes they lose to other big money candidates. But with the candidate who raises the most money winning nine out of ten congressional campaigns, big money donors have collectively prevented candidates lacking access to wealth from governing the country.

    Our situation is not inevitable, but rather the predictable results of Supreme Court rulings going back forty years that have wrongly equated unlimited campaign spending with the freedom to speak our conscience as protected under the First Amendment. George Washington would tell us that the response to overreaching Supreme Court rulings which threaten our Republic—such as the Court’s 2010 ruling in Citizens United v. FEC—would be to amend our Constitution to correct them.
Yet when serious legislators, reform organizations, and millions of Americans across the country propose a constitutional amendment to establish that campaign spending is not the same as free speech, the naysayers jump in to say it cannot be done. We are told it is simply too hard to amend our Constitution and that it is more prudent to simply wait for a new president to appoint new members to the Supreme Court.

   Yet, by taking a straightforward amendment to the Constitution off the table and relying instead on the indirect process of presidential appointments to a future court, we are in essence abandoning the very premise of our Constitution that we are willing, and able, to govern ourselves.

    The Constitution is not, and should not, be easy to amend.  We would expect that issues where the country is divided would not command a sufficient national consensus to pass an amendment. Yet, both polls and results from state and local ballot measures consistently show that 75% to 85% of Americans disagree with the Citizens United ruling and want it reversed.  Is our distribution of powers between our three branches of government so out of whack that a supermajority around one of the few issues that unites most Democrats, Republicans, and independents can no longer amend our constitution as the framers promised?

    We’ve amended our Constitution before in ways that challenged entrenched interests through women’s suffrage and bringing direct election of U.S. Senators.  In seven of our 27 amendments enacted to date, we have overturned egregious Supreme Court rulings. It was indeed hard, but not too hard for earlier generations.

   It’s perfectly reasonable for presidential candidates to campaign in part on whom they will nominate to the Supreme Court.  But, for the rest of us who are not running for president, we should decide if We, the People, still want to govern the country for ourselves or if we’re willing to let nine appointed members of the Supreme Court do it for us.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License

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John Bonifaz is co-founder and director of Free Speech For People (www.freespeechforpeople.org), a national nonpartisan campaign working to overturn the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling and the corporate rights doctrine.

http://www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_bio_small/public/authors/screen_shot_2015-09-12_at_11.34.56_am.png?itok=nRNXQmmk

Derek Cressman is author of the forthcoming book When Money Talks -- The High Price of "Free" Speech and the Selling of Democracy, published in January, 2016 by Barrett-Koehler. In June 2014, Derek ran for California Secretary of State after spending 19 years working to protect voting rights and get corporate money out of politics. Prior to announcing his campaign, Derek served as Common Cause's Vice President of State Operations.

Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218.  Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/

"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs


Black Lives Matter vigil/potluck/screening of BABE/'We Do Not Need a Militia of Toddlers': Handguns for Kids Law Advances in Iowa

  There is usually a silent peace vigil on Fridays, from 5 to 6 PM, sponsored by Homewood Friends and Stony Run Meetings, outside the Homewood Friends Meetinghouse, 3107 N. Charles St.  The next scheduled vigil is on Mar. 4. Black Lives Matter.  Since this is a First Friday, there will be a potluck dinner afterwards, followed by a DVD showing.

The Hiroshima-Nagasaki Commemoration Committee, Baltimore Quaker Peace and Justice Committee of Homewood and Stony Run Meetings and Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility are continuing the FILM & SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS DVD SERIES.  The DVDs will be shown at Homewood Friends Meetinghouse, 3107 N. Charles St., Baltimore 21218, usually on the First Friday. At 7:15 PM, from January through June, a DVD will be shown with a discussion to follow.  There is no charge, and refreshments will be available. The series theme is CHANGE IS INEVITABLE.  

  On Fri., Mar. 4 see BABE [Australia & USA, 1995] One of the best films about nonviolence, this comedy-drama family film was co-written and directed by Chris Noonan. It is an adaptation of Dick King-Smith's 1983 novel “The Sheep-Pig,” also known as “Babe: The Gallant Pig” in the USA, which tells the story of a pig who wants to be a sheepdog. The main animal characters are played by a combination of real and animatronic pigs and Border Collies.

After seven years of development, BABE was filmed in Robertson, New South Wales, Australia.  The talking-animal visual effects were done by Rhythm & Hues Studios and Jim Henson's Creature Shop. The film was a box office success and grossed $36,776,544 at the box office in Australia.  It has received considerable acclaim from critics: it was nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best PictureBest Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, winning Best Visual Effects. It also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and the Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film.  Call 410-323-1607 or email mobuszewski [at] verizon.net.


Thursday, February 25, 2016

'We Do Not Need a Militia of Toddlers': Handguns for Kids Law Advances in Iowa

If approved, bill would allow children of all ages to use handguns as long as they are under adult supervision

http://www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_large/public/headlines/kids_0.jpg?itok=U3-2k7By
   In Iowa, children under 14 may soon be able to handle "a pistol, revolver or the ammunition" under parental supervision. (Photo: yakiim sem/flickr/cc)

   A bill allowing children of all ages to handle real guns passed the Iowa House of Representatives on Tuesday and is on the way to the state Senate, where lawmakers will consider making it legal for minors under 14 to have "a pistol, revolver or the ammunition" under parental supervision.

   The bill passed 62-36 in the state House. Rep. Kirsten Running-Marquardt, a Democrat who voted against the bill, told local media that the bill "allows for one-year-olds, two-year-olds, three-year-olds, four-year-olds to operate handguns."

  "We do not need a militia of toddlers," Running-Marquardt said.

   Currently, children in Iowa can use shotguns and long guns while under adult supervision, but not handguns. The bill would allow them to do so as long as the parents are at least 21 years old and maintain "visual and verbal contact at all times with the supervised person."

   Rev. Cheryl Thomas, policy director at Iowans for Gun Safety, said the bill was designed to weaken the state's gun laws. The advocacy group petitioned the House on Monday, urging lawmakers to reject the bill.

   Last week, the gun control advocacy group Violence Policy Center released a report that found the firearms industry is advertising to children as young as grade-school age "for financial and political gain."

  "As household gun ownership has steadily declined and the primary gun market of white males continues to age, the firearms industry has set its sights on America’s children," the report states. "Much like the tobacco industry’s search for replacement smokers, the gun industry is seeking replacement shooters."

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License

Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218.  Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/


"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs

Baltimore Activist Alert - February 28 - March 1, 2016

14] Torture Abolition group open house – Feb. 28
15] Maryland’s energy mix – Feb. 28
16] Book BREAKTHROUGH – Feb. 28
17] Black on Black violence – Feb. 28
18] BLACK SEEDS – Feb. 28
19] Pentagon Vigil – Feb. 29
20] Marc Steiner on WEAA – Feb. 29 – Mar. 4
21] Democracy Amendment Resolution – Feb. 29
22] Keep Antibiotics Working Lobby Night– Feb. 29
23] Film "She's Beautiful When She's Angry!" – Feb. 29
24] TAKING SIDES – Feb. 29
25] Philadelphia Peace Vigil – Mar. 1
26] Protest JHU drone research – Mar. 1
27] Watch Super Tuesday results – Mar. 1
28] TAKING SIDES – Mar. 1
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14] –  The Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition (TASSC) will hold its Annual Open House and Silent Auction at 4121 Harewood Road NE, WDC, on Sun., Feb. 28 from 2 to 4 PM.  RSVP to kelsey@tassc.org.  Go to https://leslie-brewer.squarespace.com/events-1/2016/1/24/tassc-annual-open-house.

15] – The BALTIMORE GREEN FORUM, a monthly environmental education and discussion forum, will occur on Sun., Feb. 28 from 4 to 6:30 PM at the Maryland Presbyterian Church, 1105 Providence Road, Towson 21286.  This month’s topic is Maryland Electric Power Generation: Fossil Free by 2018? The speakers are Will Candler and Phil Favero, members of Climate Stewards of Greater Annapolis (CSGA). Candler worked in the World Bank. Both Will and Phil have Ph.D.’s and have been on University agricultural faculties (Purdue and Maryland respectively). Will is also author of the self -published book “Global Warming: The Answer.”

Maryland's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) mandates that 20% of electric power supplied by utilities be accompanied Renewable Energy Certificates (REC's) certifying the utility bought the power from “Clean” (not nuclear or fossil) suppliers. Environmental groups are aiming to raise the Clean percentage to 25% in 2020, and 40% in 2030. This will still leave 75% in 2020 (60% in 2030) supplied from fossil or nuclear. Will and Phil will make the case for getting off fossil power by 2018.

 The Baltimore Green Forum seeks to educate and stimulate dialogue about what humans can do to make modern civilization more sustainable, including adjusting to finite resource limits and preserving biodiversity and a healthy environment.  This is done through eight monthly meetings a year.  The topics are far ranging.  They vary from local to planetary and from philosophical to scientific to very practical.

  There is a speaker and Q&A from 4 to 5:15 PM.  Then there are brief announcements by representatives of other organizations that also seek sustainability and environmental protection.  The idea is to promote collaboration among these organizations.  Next, there is an optional roundtable discussion until 6:30 PM.  Finally, there is often a small gathering at a nearby restaurant.

BGF is open to the public and is free of charge, but donations to Maryland Presbyterian Church are collected during the meeting to thank the church for their generous gift of the space to us. Call Sam Hopkins at 410 554 0006 or email baltimoregreenforum@gmail.com.  Visit http://www.baltimoregreen forum.org.

16] –More than fifty nations around the world have elected women to lead them. There's one gigantic exception: the United States. America, the birthplace of modern democracy, has never elected a woman president, and women have wielded substantially less political power than men. But as social change sweeps through the nation, are we finally at a turning point? Is the double standard dead? In her page-turning new book, BREAKTHROUGH, Nancy L. Cohen artfully chronicles the current state of women's political leadership on the cusp of great historic change. On Sun., Feb. 28 at 4 PM, come to the Ivy Bookshop, 6080 Falls Road, Baltimore 21209, and hear about the savvy women who are building an alternative to the Old Boys Club and rewriting the playbook for how women can thrive in the political arena. Get an in-depth look at the history of women in politics and expert research on how Americans finally became ready to elect a woman president. Based on more than 125 interviews with major figures in both political parties, including senators, governors and behind-the-scenes power-brokers, the book will be required reading for the tumultuous and game-changing 2016 political season.  Cohen is an author, historian and leading national expert on women and politics. She holds a PhD in history from Columbia University, and is the author of three books on American politics. Currently, she is a commissioner on the Los Angeles County Commission for Women. Call 410-377-2966 or go to www.theivybookshop.com.

17] – Come to Busboys and Poets, 625 Monroe St. NE, WDC, on Sun., Feb. 28 from 6 to 9 PM for a discussion on “Black on Black” violence.  February’s Capitol Innovation Forum: “The Root of Urban Violence” will tackle the issue of violence in the nation’s capital.  Opening the event will be a musical performance by local musician, activist, and social entrepreneur Bathsheba Smithen, followed by a panel discussion on the drivers of urban violence and sustainable interventions. Following the panel discussion, attendees will participate in a design thinking exercise to explore innovative ways to end violence in our nation’s capital, while addressing the underlying systemic barriers to opportunity.  The forum will be recorded for the Capitol Innovation Podcast series. To purchase tickets for the event, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/capitol-innovation-forum-the-root-of-urban-violence-tickets-20712118504.

18] – On Sun., Feb. 28 at 7:30 PM come to Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse, 30 W. North Ave., Baltimore 21201, celebrate the release and join a book signing and community discussion of “Black Seeds: The Poetry and Reflections of Tariq Touré,” a collection of prose describing the Black Experience and Maturation of an emerging writer. Hailed by Baltimore's own D. Watkins as one of Baltimore's Black revolutionary voices Touré combines rhythm, wit, and the power of truth in his debut compilation. He has been regarded by Hip Hop artist "Black Thought" as the Amiri Baraka of our generation. Call 443-602-7585.  Go to http://www.redemmas.org.

19] -- There is a weekly Pentagon Peace Vigil from 7 to 8 AM on Mondays, since 1987, outside the Pentagon Metro stop.  The next vigil is Mon., Feb. 29, and it is sponsored by the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker.  Email artlaffin@hotmail.com or call 202-882-9649.  The vigil will be outside the Pentagon's south Metro entrance and in the designated "protest zone" behind bicycle fences across from the entrance to the Metro.  By Metro, take Yellow Line and get out at the "Pentagon" stop. Do not go to the Pentagon City stop! Go up south escalators and turn left and walk across to protest area. By car from D.C. area, take 395 South and get off at Exit 8A-Pentagon South Parking. Take slight right onto S. Rotary Rd. at end of ramp and right on S. Fern St. Then take left onto Army Navy Dr. You can "pay to park" on Army Navy Dr.,  and there is meter parking one block on right on Eads St. Payment for both of these spots begin at 8 AM.  No cameras are allowed on Pentagon grounds. Restrooms are located inside Marriott Residence Inn on corner of S. Fern and Army Navy Dr. 

20] – The Marc Steiner Show airs Monday through Friday fr6m 10 AM to noon on WEAA 88.9 FM, The Voice of the Community, or online at www.weaa.org.   The call-in number is 410-319-8888, and comments can also be sent by email to steinershow@gmail.com. All shows are also available as podcasts at www.steinershow.org.

21] –    The Democracy Amendment Resolution stands its best chance ever of passing in 2016. There will be a big announcement of support very soon from someone who knows about prospects for campaign finance reform in Congress. Together, we can win a major victory in the long fight for voting rights and against big money in politics. Plan to come to Annapolis on Mon., Feb. 29 for the House rules Committee hearing of HJ 8 at 1 PM in room 130 of the House Office Building. Rep. Chris Van Hollen is scheduled to testify in person in favor of our resolution. Visit http://www.getmoneyoutmd.org/.

22] –The Sierra Club Maryland Chapter is inviting you to Keep Antibiotics Working in Maryland Lobby Night on Mon., Feb. 29 from 5 to 8 PM.  The event will run from 5 to 8 PM in the Lowe House Office Building in Annapolis. The legislation has been officially introduced by Delegates Shane Robinson and Clarence Lam and Senators Paul Pinsky and Shirley Nathan-Pulliam. The bill numbers are House Bill 829 and Senate Bill 607 and the hearings have been scheduled for March 1 (Senate) and March 2 (House). RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1QFRPbayy2MCpnWbHl2xOqnh3QEa31kG84F1AaTqxIbk/viewform.

23] – At 1104 South Campus Commons, Building One, Room 1102, University of Maryland, College Park,  on Mon., Feb. 29 from 7 to 9 PM, as a part of the "People Power: Activism for Social Change" Series, Beyond the Classroom presents "She's Beautiful When She's Angry!" This film resurrects the buried history of the outrageous, often brilliant women who founded the modern women’s movement from 1966 to 1971. SHE’S BEAUTIFUL takes viewers from the founding of NOW, with ladies in hats and gloves, to the emergence of more radical factions of women’s liberation; from intellectuals like Kate Millett to the street theatrics of W.I.T.C.H. (Women’s International Conspiracy from Hell!). Artfully combining dramatizations, performance and archival imagery, the film recounts the stories of women who fought for their own equality, and in the process created a world-wide revolution. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/453606711502877/.

24] – The Potter's House, 1658 Columbia Rd. NW, WDC, on Mon., Feb. 29 at 7 PM will host a dialogue around the questions raised in the new anthology "Taking Sides: Revolutionary Solidarity and the Poverty of Liberalism." The book is edited by Cindy Milstein and published by AK Press. Such collective reflection is essential not only in helping to sustain the spirit of rebellion but also aiding it to claim some victories in the task of dismantling systemic violence, such as states, capitalism, and settler colonialism, or murderous policing, white supremacy, heteropatriarchy, and so much more. The lines of oppression are already drawn. The only question is, Which side are you on in the struggle against the violence that is white supremacy and policing? The book supplies an ethical compass and militant map of the terrain, arguing not for reform of structurally brutal institutions but rather for their abolition. Its thirteen essays are sharp interventions that take particular aim at the role of nonprofits, “ally” politics, and “peace police” in demobilizing rebellions against hierarchical power. The authors offer tools to hone strategies and tactics of resistance, and hold out the promise of robust, tangible solidarity across racial and other lines, because in the battle for systemic transformation, there are no outside agitators. Email events@pottershousedc.org.

25] – Each Tuesday from 4:30 - 5:30 PM, the Catholic Peace Fellowship-Philadelphia for peace in Afghanistan and Iraq gathers at the Suburban Station, 16th St. & JFK Blvd., at the entrance to Tracks 3 and 4 on the mezzanine.  The next vigil is Mar. 1.  Call 215-426-0364.

26] – Vigil to say "No Drone Research at JHU" each Tuesday at 33rd & North Charles Sts. join this ongoing vigil on Mar. 1  from 5:30 to 6:30  PM. Call Max at 410-323-1607.

27] – At the Haifa Grill, 3541 Carlin Springs Rd., Falls Church, VA on Tues., Mar. 1 at 7 PM, come watch the results of Super Tuesday with The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and the Coalition of Palestinian American Organizations! The watch party is free, although attendees will be responsible for purchasing any food or drink, should they want. There will be a 10% discount for all guests.  Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1689440891332891/.

28] –   On Tues., Mar. 1 at 7:30 PM come to Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse, 30 W. North Ave., Baltimore 21201, as editor CINDY MILSTEIN PRESENTS TAKING SIDES: REVOLUTIONARY SOLIDARITY AND THE POVERTY OF LIBERALISM.  The lines of oppression are already drawn. The only question is, Which side are you on in the struggle against the violence that is white supremacy and policing? The book supplies an ethical compass and militant map of the terrain, arguing not for reform of structurally brutal institutions but rather for their abolition. Its thirteen essays are sharp interventions that take particular aim at the role of nonprofits, “ally” politics, and “peace police” in demobilizing rebellions against hierarchical power. The authors offer tools to hone strategies and tactics of resistance, and hold out the promise of robust, tangible solidarity across racial and other lines, because in the battle for systemic transformation, there are no outside agitators. Call 443-602-7585.  Go to http://www.redemmas.org.

To be continued.

Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218.  Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/.


"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs 

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Baltimore Activist Alert February 25 – 28, 2016

Baltimore Activist Alert February 25 – 28, 2016

"I speak as an American to the leaders of my own nation. The great initiative in this war is ours.
The initiative to stop it must be ours." -Martin Luther King Jr.

Friends, this list and other email documents which I send out are done under the auspices of the Baltimore Nonviolence Center.  Go to www.baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com.  If you appreciate this information and would like to make a donation, send contributions to BNC, 325 East 25th Street, Baltimore, MD 21218.  Max Obuszewski can be reached at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski [at] verizon.net.

1] Books, buttons and stickers
2] Web site for info on federal legislation
3] Join Nonviolent Resistance lists  
4] Buy coffee through HoCoFoLa
5] Two friends are looking to buy a house in Baltimore
6] Film SCHOOL DAZE – Feb. 25
7] March for the Animals Kick-Off Party – Feb. 26
8] West Chester peace vigil – Feb. 27
9] Donna Edwards gathering – Feb. 27
10] Bernie Phone Banking – Feb. 27
11] Sustainability exhibit – Feb. 28 to Mar. 5
12] Fourth Circuit judge speaks – Feb. 28
13] Feed the City – Feb. 28
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1] – Buttons, bumperstickers and books are available.  “God Bless the Whole World, No Exceptions” stickers are in stock. Call Max at 410-323-1607.

2] – To obtain information how your federal legislators voted on particular bills, go to http://thomas.loc.gov/.  Congressional toll-free numbers are 888-818-6641, 888-355-3588 or 800-426-8073. The White House Comment Email is accessible at http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/.

3] – THE ORGANIZING LIST will be the primary decision-making mechanism of the National Campaign of Nonviolent Resistance [NCNR].  It will be augmented by conference calls and possibly in-person meetings as needed.  It will consist of 1 or 2 representatives from each local, regional, or national organization (not coalitions) that wishes to actively work to carry out the NCNR campaign of facilitating and organizing nonviolent resistance to the war in Iraq.

To join the ORGANIZING List, please send your name, group affiliation, city and email address to mobuszewski at Verizon.net.  Different local chapters of a national organization are encouraged to subscribe.  

THE NOTICES LIST will include only notices of NCNR actions and related information and is open to any interested person to subscribe.  It will be moderated to maintain focus & will include periodic notices about getting involved in NCNR national organizing.  To join the NOTICES List, send an email message to ncnrnotices-subscribe@lists.riseup.net. You will get a confirmation message once subscribed.  If you have problems, please write to the list manager at ncnrnotices-admin@lists.riseup.net.

4] – You can help safeguard human rights and fragile ecosystems through your purchase of HOCOFOLA Café Quetzal. Bags of ground coffee or whole beans can be ordered by mailing in an order form. Also note organic cocoa and sugar are for sale.  For more details and to download the order form, go to http://friendsoflatinamerica.typepad.com/hocofola/2010/02/hocofola-cafe-quetzal-order-form-2010.html. The coffee comes in one-pound bags.

Fill out the form and mail it with a check made out to HOCOFOLA on or before the second week of the month.  Be sure you indicate ground or beans for each type of coffee ordered.  Send it to Francine Sheppard at 5639B, Harpers Farm Rd., Columbia 21044. The coffee will arrive some time the following week and you will be notified where to pick it up. Contact Francine at 410-992-7679 or FrancineMSW@aol.com.

5] – Janice and Max are looking to buy a house in Baltimore.  Let Max know if you have any leads—410-366-1637 or mobuszewski at Verizon dot net.

6] – Creative Alliance is screening Spike Lee's SCHOOL DAZE at the Creative Alliance at The Patterson, 3134 Eastern Ave., Baltimore 21224 on Thurs., Feb. 25 at 7:30 PM.  This 1988 film screening will be followed by a panel discussion.  Fraternity and sorority members clash with the other students at a historically Black university in this politically charged musical from the director Spike Lee. The film is followed by a discussion exploring how the film relates to present-day issues of Colorism and hair politics in Black communities. Dap (Laurence Fishburne) is a politically conscious African American student who leads anti-apartheid demonstrations and rejects social climbing and fraternities. But Half-Pint (Spike Lee), his craven young cousin, is willing to endure any humiliation to join the manly Gamma fraternity. As Half-Pint tries unsuccessfully to impress the Gammas with his inept womanizing, Dap engages in philosophical debates with Rachel, his girlfriend. Meanwhile, the light-skinned, straight-haired sisters of the Gamma Ray sorority battle it out in a beauty parlor with their darker-skinned Afro-headed fellow coeds. Eventually, Half-Pint gets the chance to join the frat, but only after a degrading episode with Jane, the soon-to-be ex-girlfriend of his house president, which causes Dap to lose all respect for him. Based in part on the director's experiences at Atlanta's Morehouse College, School Daze was also written and produced by Spike Lee.  Tickets are $10 in advance, and $7 for members. At the door, the price is $12, and $9 for members. Email info@creativealliance.org or call 410/276-1651.

7] – Join the Maryland SPCA on Fri., Feb. 26 for the annual March for the Animals Kick-Off Party. Enjoy drinks and snacks, along with fun doggie activities at the Downtown Dog Resort & Spa, 200 W. McComas St., Baltimore, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. Michael Campanaro, the wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens, will be on-hand to greet guests (human and canine!), take photos and sign autographs! Admission is $15 in advance, and $20 at the door per person; a ticket will provide complimentary hors d'oeuvres and a free photo booth. Photos, courtesy of Still Treasured Photography, will be posted on Facebook.  2016 March for the Animals mascot, Norm, will be on hand to greet guests! Kids are welcome but must also pay the full price. Visit www.downtowndogresort.com.  

If you bring your dog on a retractable leash, please keep the leash completely retracted at all times. All dogs must be fully vaccinated and females in heat will not be permitted. All proceeds help save the lives of the thousands of animals that come to the MD SPCA each year, like Norm. Norm was brought to the MD SPCA for help after being found by a Good Samaritan. His remarkable recovery was made possible by donors and critical funds raised by our special events, like the March for the Animals. Contact Tami Gosheff at tgosheff@mdspca.org or 410-235-8826, ext. 138.
 

8] – Each Saturday, 11 AM – 1 PM, Chester County Peace Movement holds a peace vigil in West Chester in front of the Chester County Courthouse, High & Market Sts. Go to www.ccpeace.org. Email ccpeacemovement@aol.com.

9] – Join Congresswoman Donna Edwards and special guest Dr. Julianne Malveaux at a Women United for Donna Edwards gathering on Sat., Feb. 27 from 2:30 to 5 PM in the Chesapeake Building, 1707 N. Charles St., Suite 200, Baltimore 21201.  Contact Donna Smith at dsmith@donnaedwardsforsenate.com.  RSVP at bit.ly/bmorewomen4donna.  Call 410-779-9172.

10] –   South Carolina votes on Sat., Feb. 27, and Super Tuesday is now less than a week away. Bernie's campaign needs Democracy for America members to do some phone banking on Sat., Feb. 27 from 4 to 7 PM at 3811 Mary Ave., Baltimore.  RSVP at https://go.berniesanders.com/page/event/detail/4xw8?source=dfa.  

11] – Catch “Seeds of Hope: Visions of Sustainability, Steps toward Change” Exhibit at the Kay Spiritual Life Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW, WDC, from Sun., Feb. 28 (all day) to Sat., Mar, 5 (all day). The exhibit is brought to the Kay Spiritual Life Center by SGI Buddhist Chaplains, stressing that sustainability is not only about protecting the environment but also about ensuring social justice and peace in the world.  Go to http://www.american.edu/ocl/kay/. The exhibit is in the lobby entrance and back areas of the Kay Chapel. 

12] – Usually, the Baltimore Ethical Society, 306 W. Franklin St., Suite 102, Baltimore 21201-4661, meets on Sundays, and generally there is a speaker and discussion from 10:30 AM to noon. On Feb. 28, the topic is “Harm Reduction, Cost Containment, and a Renewed Commitment to Fundamental Fairness” by Andre Maurice Davis, a Senior Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He previously was a federal district judge, and was nominated first for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit by President Bill Clinton in 2000. He was re-nominated to the Fourth Circuit by President Barack Obama on April 2, 2009, and he was confirmed by the Senate on November 9, 2009. On Feb. 28, 2014 Davis assumed senior status. Born in Baltimore, Davis grew up in East Baltimore. The judge will be talking about the work of the Court of Appeals and the changes in the Court’s jurisprudence, including the changes reflected in the Court as a result of President Obama’s seven successful nominations. Call 410-581-2322 or email ask@bmorethical.org. 

13] – Let’s Feed the City from 1 to 3 PM on Sun., Feb. 28 at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 120 N. Front St., Baltimore.  Bring clothes, shoes, grill ready or cooked food and care packages to aid the less fortunate.  Call 410-962-5078.

To be continued.
Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218.  Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/.


"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs 

Obama's Russian Rationale for $1 Trillion Nuke Plan Signals New Arms Race


Are we entering a new arms race with Russia? (photo: Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images)
Are we entering a new arms race with Russia? (photo: Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images)

Obama's Russian Rationale for $1 Trillion Nuke Plan Signals New Arms Race

By Alex Emmons, The Intercept
23 February 16

 The Obama administration has historically insisted that its massive $1 trillion nuclear weapons modernization program does not represent a return to Cold War-era nuclear rivalry between Russia and the United States.

   The hugely expensive undertaking, which calls for a slew of new cruise missiles, ICBMs, nuclear submarines, and long-range bombers over the next three decades, has been widely panned by critics as “wasteful,” “unsustainable,” “unaffordable,” and “a fantasy.”

   The administration has pointed to aging missile silos1950s-era bombers, and other outdated technology to justify the spending, describing the steps as intended to maintain present capabilities going forward — not bulking up to prepare for a future confrontation.

Last year, speaking to NATO allies, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter insisted that “the Cold War playbook … is not suitable for the 21st century.”

But President Obama’s defense budget request for 2017 includes language that makes it clear that nuclear “modernization” really is about Russia after all.

The budget request explicitly cites Russian aggression, saying, “We are countering Russia’s aggressive policies through investments in a broad range of capabilities … [including] our nuclear arsenal.”

In December, Brian McKeon, principle deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, testified before Congress: “We are investing in the technologies that are most relevant to Russia’s provocations … to both deter nuclear attacks and reassure our allies.”
The public acknowledgement that Russia is the impetus for U.S. modernization has critics concerned the Cold War-era superpowers are now engaged in a “modernization” arms race.

“Both Russia and the United States are now officially and publicly using the other side as a justification for nuclear weapons modernization programs,” said Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project, in a statement emailed to The Intercept.
Early in his presidency, Obama was an outspoken advocate of nuclear disarmament. In April 2009, he pledged his commitment “to achieving a nuclear free world,” together with former Russian President Dimitri Medvedev. Later that month, Obama delivered a celebrated speech in Prague, saying he sought “the security of a world without nuclear weapons.” And he negotiated a 2011 nuclear treaty with Russia, which required both countries to reduce their arsenals to 1,550 operational warheads each.

But according to Obama’s advisers, Russia’s invasion of Crimea halted his disarmament efforts. In a 2014 interview with the New York Times, Gary Samore, one of Obama’s top first-term nuclear advisers, said, “The most fundamental game changer is Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. That has made any measure to reduce the stockpile unilaterally politically impossible.”

Former officials have proposed ways of trimming the trillion-dollar budget. In December, former Defense Secretary William Perry called for the Pentagon not to replace its aging ICBMS, arguing that submarines and bombers were enough to deter nuclear threats.
Retired Gen. Eugene Habiger, the former head of U.S. Strategic Command, which overseas the Pentagon’s nuclear weapons, has argued that U.S. nuclear forces have little to no deterrent effect on Russia and China, and that the U.S. can safely reduce its active arsenal to 200-300 weapons.

Last year, in an effort to cut the costs of nuclear modernization, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., introduced a bill that would reduce the number of planned missile-bearing submarines from 14 to eight. The bill, which would save an estimated $4 billion per submarine, was co-sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont Democrat who is now running for president.

When asked about nuclear modernization at a campaign event in Des Moines, Iowa, Hillary Clinton responded, “Yeah, I’ve heard about that, I’m going to look into that, it doesn’t make sense to me.” Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio, on the other hand, supported the expense, saying, “Deterrence is a friend to peace.”

Religious groups have also voiced opposition to nuclear modernization. “We were pleased with the president’s statement calling for a world without nuclear weapons,” said Mark Harrison, director of the Peace with Justice program at the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society.

David Culp, a legislative representative at the Quaker-affiliated Friends Committee on National Legislation, said, “The increased spending on U.S. nuclear weapons is already provoking similar responses from Russia and China. We are slowly slipping back into another Cold War, but this time on two fronts.”

Contracts are already being signed. In October, the Pentagon awarded Northrop Grumman the contract for the new long-range bomber. The total cost is secret, but expected to exceed $100 billion.

C 2015 Reader Supported News

Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218.  Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/

"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs