Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Who's going to watch the voting system next election?

Here we go again. Who are we going to trust to count our vote? Who are we trusting to make sure we are able to vote - have enough machines available and absentee ballots sent out? And why are we voting on these damn machines? I don't care how long it takes to count the votes - we need paper ballots and people counting the votes. Get the machines we vote on AND the machines that count the vote out of our system. E-systems can not be trusted! May peace be inside all of us, Cindy

USE YOUR FREEDOM
SUPPORT THE TROOPS
VOTE

May peace be inside all of us,
Cindy

A Single Person Could Swing an Election
Electronic Systems' Weaknesses May Be Countered With Audits, Report Suggests

By Zachary A. Goldfarb
Special to The Washington Post
Wednesday, June 28, 2006; A07

To determine what it would take to hack a U.S. election, a team of cybersecurity experts turned to a fictional battleground state called Pennasota and a fictional gubernatorial race between Tom Jefferson and Johnny Adams. It's the year 2007, and the state uses electronic voting machines.

Jefferson was forecast to win the race by about 80,000 votes, or 2.3 percent of the vote. Adams's conspirators thought, "How easily can we manipulate the election results?"

The experts thought about all the ways to do it. And they concluded in a report issued yesterday that it would take only one person, with a sophisticated technical knowledge and timely access to the software that runs the voting machines, to change the outcome.

The report, which was unveiled at a Capitol Hill news conference by New York University's Brennan Center for Justice and billed as the most authoritative to date, tackles some of the most contentious questions about the security of electronic voting.

The report concluded that the three major electronic voting systems in use have significant security and reliability vulnerabilities. But it added that most of these vulnerabilities can be overcome by auditing printed voting records to spot irregularities. And while 26 states require paper records of votes, fewer than half of those require regular audits.

"With electronic voting systems, there are certain attacks that can reach enough voting machines . . . that you could affect the outcome of the statewide election," said Lawrence D. Norden, associate counsel of the Brennan Center.

With billions of dollars of support from the federal government, states have replaced outdated voting machines in recent years with optical scan ballot and touch-screen machines. Activists, including prominent computer scientists, have complained for years that these machines are not secure against tampering. But electronic voting machines are also much easier to use for disabled people and those who do not speak English.

Voting machine vendors have dismissed many of the concerns, saying they are theoretical and do not reflect the real-life experience of running elections, such as how machines are kept in a secure environment.

"It just isn't the piece of equipment," said David Bear, a spokesman for Diebold Election Systems, one of the country's largest vendors. "It's all the elements of an election environment that make for a secure election."

"This report is based on speculation rather than an examination of the record. To date, voting systems have not been successfully attacked in a live election," said Bob Cohen, a spokesman for the Election Technology Council, a voting machine vendors' trade group. "The purported vulnerabilities presented in this study, while interesting in theory, would be extremely difficult to exploit."

At yesterday's news conference, the push for more secure electronic voting machines, which has been popular largely on the left side of the political spectrum since the contested outcome of the 2000 presidential election in Florida, picked up some high-profile support from the other side.

Republican Reps. Tom Cole (Okla.) and Thomas M. Davis III (Va.), chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, joined Rep. Rush D. Holt (D-N.J.) in calling for a law that would set strict requirements for electronic voting machines. Howard Schmidt, former chief of security at Microsoft and President Bush's former cybersecurity adviser, also endorsed the Brennan report.

"It's not a question of 'if,' it's a question of 'when,' " Davis said of an attempt to manipulate election results.

Marine in 'Fahrenheit 9/11' killed


This photo released by the United States Marine Corps shows Staff Sgt. Raymond Plouhar, 30, of Lake Orion, Mich., handing candy to students at the Al Nabatiya Elementary School on May 9, 2006 in Iraq. Plouhar, who appeared in Michael Moore's acclaimed documentary 'Fahrenheit 9/11' died Monday, June 26, 2006, of wounds suffered while conducting combat operations in the Al Anbar province of Iraq, the Defense Department announced Tuesday. (AP Photo/US Marine Corps, Cpl. Mark Sixbey)

Marine in 'Fahrenheit 9/11' killed

A Marine and one-time recruiter who appeared in Michael Moore's documentary film "Fahrenheit 9/11" has died in a roadside bombing in Iraq.

Staff Sgt. Raymond J. Plouhar, 30, died Monday of wounds suffered while conducting combat operations in Iraq's volatile Anbar province, the Defense Department said Tuesday.

Plouhar, who was stationed at Camp Pendleton, Calif., had taken four years off from active duty to serve as a recruiter in Flint after donating one of his kidneys to his uncle. He is seen in the 2004 film approaching prospective recruits in a mall parking lot.

"It's better to get them when they're in ones and twos and work on them that way," he says in the film.

Although Plouhar willingly appeared in the movie, which is critical of the Bush administration's actions after Sept. 11, his father said Plouhar didn't realize it would criticize the war.

"I'm proud that my son wanted to protect the freedom of this country whether we all agree with the war or not," he said.

Plouhar grew up in Lake Orion, about 30 miles north of Detroit.

He is survived by a wife and two children, ages 5 and 9. They live in Arizona.

Monday, June 26, 2006

I went to hear Murtha speak at Meek's Town Hall Meeting

I received an email last week from my Congressman Kendrick Meek. He has invited Jack Murtha to speak at a town hall meeting. I had to go. I rearranged my schedule so I could attend.

Meek "War in Iraq" Banner

Meek Town Hall Meeting on Iraq with Rep. John Murtha

Congressman Kendrick Meek
Invites You to a Town Hall Meeting on
The War in Iraq


Congressman Jack Murtha discusses the situation with American Troops in Iraq

Join Congressman Kendrick Meek for a Town Hall Meeting to Discuss the Road Ahead with Special Guest, Congressman John Murtha

Saturday, June 24, 2006
3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Florida International University
Biscayne Bay Campus
Wolfe University Center, Mary Ann Wolfe Theatre
3000 N.E. 151 Street, North Miami, Florida

Congressman Jack Murtha turned the debate over Iraq on its head in December 2005 when this decorated Vietnam Veteran and one of the most respected pro-military members of Congress issued his call for a redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq. Come hear his reasons for that groundbreaking decisions in person on June 24th in North Miami at a Town Hall Meeting on Iraq hosted by Congressman Kendrick Meek.

For more information, please call Congressman Meek's Miami Gardens office at (305) 690-5905.


I called Meek's office to find out if we needed tickets to attend. I was told it was first come first served. I wanted to get there early. One thing I have noticed being involved in the politics/rallies/marches here in SoFlo. There are always the same people who attend. The small group of people - where ever I go are always there trying to make change. A hand full out of how many millions of people who live here in South Florida? I am amazed how few people get involved, how few people vote. I'm amazed how people go about their business and don't know what is going on in their name, in their country or maybe they know and are afraid to get involved. What ever it is - people need to get involved in this process. It is how they have been able to destroy so much about us - because people don't do anything. When people get involved, we will get our country back from the people killing and taking away our freedoms - Jobs, Healthcare, Votes.

The town hall meeting went very well. I do like Murtha. He has all my respect for what he is doing at his age. We need to stand behind him. We need to support this man. He only has our good as a nation at heart unlike what John H. Fund says in this article. People will say anything to tear down the person trying to do good. I really felt like he was honest in his words.

We were allowed to write down our questions. I asked 3 and they picked one. My first question was - When did Congressman Meek get on board with Murtha's plan? I tried to have a meeting with him back in December along with other members of MoveOn.org and at that time he didn't agree with the plan. #2 Has he (Murtha) met with Cindy Sheehan and does he support her? and the question they asked of mine - How come the UN doesn't get involved? They can do what we can not. We are the cause of the problem not the solution. His answer was the UN knows their limits. They know they are unable to help. He also noted how we disrespected the UN in the past, they have no desire to help us...and can't help if they wanted to help. We need the national community to get invloved. This is a worls problem. They need to step up to the plate and let us pull our troops out. We are the cause of the problem. The national community is the solution.

The meeting lasted about an hour and half. I want to Thank Kendrick Meek for putting on the town hall meeting. He needs to have them more often. I also want to thank Jack Murtha for taking his time to come speak to the almost full room here in SoFlo.

GET INVOLVED PEOPLE!

May peace be inside all of us,
Cindy

Saturday, June 24, 2006

2,520 - Choose Life - Bring Them Home!

Do you know how many today as you go about your day?


Bomb kills GI on foot patrol in Baghdad

Associated Press

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A bomb killed a U.S. soldier on a foot patrol Saturday south of Baghdad, the military said, after a particularly deadly week for U.S. forces in Iraq.

The soldier with the Multi-National Division in Baghdad died at about 7:20 a.m. Saturday due to injuries "suffered from a bomb explosion while on a dismounted patrol south of Baghdad," the military said.

The military also announced the deaths of two other soldiers from the same division Friday.

One soldier was killed in a roadside bomb about 2:45 a.m. Friday in the capital, according to a statement. The attack occurred hours before clashes broke out on a volatile street near the heavily guarded Green Zone, prompting the Iraqi government to impose a curfew.

Another soldier from the same division died in a "non-combat incident" at about 5 p.m. Friday, the military said, adding the incident was under investigation.

The names of the soldiers were not released pending notification of next of kin.

Fifteen U.S. servicemembers have died or been found dead in Iraq this week.

At least 2,520 members of the U.S. military have died since the Iraq war started in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.


Friday, June 23, 2006

Scare you into giving up your freedom


Being from SoFlo (South Florida) and knowing the area of Liberty City where they have arrested 7 people - who they say were going to blow up the sears tower in Chicago and other places. First let me say something about people who live in Liberty City. They are very poor uneducated people. They have been poor and uneducated for many generations. There is a lot of crime there. It's a place I wouldn't feel safe if I was there alone. I do not believe these 7 people could do what our government are accusing them of doing.

The local news had interviewed neighbors who lived next to the warehouse. All these people were laughing saying how the people they arrested tried to get the kids in the neighborhood to join the karate classes. The neighbors said the people from the warehouse would practice their moves, were very spiritual and wore ninja style clothing (face covered).

I had the same thoughts as Jesse today. (I love getting Jesse's email's - see below) Our government will do anything to scare you into giving up your rights. They will say how they need to spy on us to stop people like this. Let me tell you, people who live in Liberty City wouldn't or couldn't carry off what they are saying. They are using these stupid people who did stupid things to blow a story up to their advantage.

May peace be inside all of us,
Cindy

TVNL Editor's Comments: Why All the Surveillance? To Prevent a Revolution!

Do you want to know why we are being scared with ridicules stories about terror plots? It is so the American people will tolerate the increased Big Brother style loss of privacy. Do you want to know why this loss of privacy is an issue? It is because by the time the American people realize what is happening to their nation there will be so much surveillance in place that we will not be able to organize a revolt!

Let’s face it, this is no longer America. We are in HUGE trouble as it relates to the survival of our so called free nation. But the people who are in control are making sure that we can not gather any steam when it comes to stopping them. Anyone who realizes that the people at the highest levels of government and the people in the shadow government comprised of the three letter agencies, think tanks, etc., are the enemy of the people, knows that any efforts to counter their control will be deemed a threat to national security.

Well, we better do something fast because our ability to defeat our enemies who have hijacked our nation will diminish with every new effort to “secure our nation!” Think about it! – Jesse, Editor, TvNewsLIES.org


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NEW 7 accused of al-Qaida plot aimed at Sears Tower, Miami FBI office
7 accused of al-Qaida plot aimed at Sears Tower, Miami FBI office BULLETIN: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Friday that seven young men arrested in Miami were part of a group of ``homegrown terrorists'' who sought to work with al-Qaida but ended up consorting instead with a law enforcement informant. ``They were persons who for whatever reason came to view their home country as the enemy,'' Gonzales said in Washington.


AUDIO: U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on the arrests of 7 in alleged Miami-based terror plot
AUDIO: Deputy FBI Director John Pistole describes alleged terror cell in Miami

Thursday, June 22, 2006

GOP kills wage increase for you but gives themselves an increase

It is time! It is time to start talking to your family and friends to get them to vote in November. THIS IS BULL SHIT! Not only are they killing so many people, they want to keep the rich rich off the backs of the poor and the poor have to stay poor. I am making new bumper stickers to hand out that say
USE YOUR FREEDOM BEFORE IT'S GONE
VOTE

You know, only 30-40% of register voters vote? Our government is destroying us. They must be removed from office. We don't have a government where we are represented. BUT you better pay your taxes damnit! We need to awaken the people - hold their hands to the polls - make them vote this time. AND while we are getting the vote out hound your local officals to make sure they count your vote this time. If the masses come out and we all know we voted to get these creeps out and they are still in office - its the only way we can charge them with voter fraud.

May peace be inside all of us,
Cindy

In the news today: (I'm not going to post all the articles, you may click on them to read them all)

GOP-run Senate kills minimum wage increase

By David Espo / Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The Republican-controlled Senate smothered a proposed election-year increase in the minimum wage Wednesday, rejecting Democratic claims that it was past time to boost the $5.15 hourly pay floor that has been in effect for nearly a decade.

The 52-46 vote was eight short of the 60 needed for approval and came one day after House Republican leaders made clear they do not intend to allow a vote on the issue, fearing it might pass.

The Senate vote marked the ninth time since 1997 that Democrats there have proposed — and Republicans have blocked — a stand-alone increase in the minimum wage. The debate fell along predictable lines.

Your congressman just got a raise

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Despite record low approval ratings, House lawmakers Tuesday embraced a $3,300 pay raise that will increase their salaries to $168,500.

The 2 percent cost-of-living raise would be the seventh straight for members of the House and Senate.

Lawmakers easily squelched a bid by Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, to get a direct vote to block the COLA, which is automatically awarded unless lawmakers vote to block it.

In the early days of GOP control of Congress, lawmakers routinely denied themselves the annual COLA. Last year, the Senate voted 92-6 to deny the raise but quietly surrendered the position in House-Senate talks.

As part of an ethics reform bill in 1989, Congress gave up their ability to accept pay for speeches and made annual cost-of-living pay increases automatic unless the lawmakers voted otherwise.

The pay issue has been linked to the annual Transportation and Treasury Department spending bill because that measure stipulates that civil servants get raises of 2.7 percent, the same as military personnel will receive. Under a complicated formula, the increase translates to 2 percent for members of Congress.

Like last year, Matheson led a quixotic drive to block the raise. He was the only member to speak on the topic.

"I do not think that it is appropriate to let this bill go through without an up or down vote on whether or not Congress should have an increase in its own pay," Matheson said.

But by a 249-167 vote, the House rejected Matheson's procedural attempt to get a direct vote on the pay raise.

A mother awaits answers on GI murders

By Scott Lindlaw / Associated Press

The Pentagon waited nine months after completing its investigation into the deaths of two California National Guardsmen before notifying the families this week that they were murdered by the Iraqi soldiers they were training.

Army Spc. Patrick R. McCaffrey Sr., 34, and 2nd Lt. Andre D. Tyson, 33, of Riverside, died in an ambush two years ago Thursday. Until now, however, the circumstances of their deaths were shrouded amid a military investigation.

The Army said Tuesday that McCaffrey and Tyson were murdered by Iraqi civil defense officers attached to their patrol. A Pentagon spokesman knew of no other incident like it.

Military officials visited Tyson's family on Tuesday and McCaffrey's on Wednesday to deliver the report, which was completed on Sept. 30, 2005, according to Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. She called the nine-month delay troubling.

"If the American people knew that the people we are directly helping train turned on our soldiers, support for this war would slip," said Boxer, a critic of the Iraq war who helped spur the military briefings for the families.

Troops echo frustration over war in Iraq

By Kimberly Hefling / Associated Press

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - While Staff Sgt. Randy Myers was dodging roadside bombs in Iraq, his congressman was calling the war a lost cause.

Sixteen-term Rep. John Murtha, a decorated Vietnam veteran and military hawk, has become the face of the Democrats' anti-war movement since he called for the withdrawal of U.S. troops last fall. His oft-repeated criticism of the Bush administration's war policies also has earned him the wrath of Republicans.

In Murtha's southwest Pennsylvania district, however, many share the war critic's views.

At a welcome home ceremony this week for Myers and other troops from the Johnstown, Pa.-based 876th Engineer Battalion, the crowd cheered when a Murtha aide welcomed the troops on the congressman's behalf.

Myers said he backs Murtha, an opinion echoed by a number of other troops and their families. Several share his frustration with the conflict.

"I'm not sure we're doing a whole lot of good," Myers, 46, said of the U.S. presence in Iraq. "Everybody thinks we are. We're trying to, but we're not going to change what they want to do, and if they don't want to change, they're not gonna."

19 GOP Senators Vote Against Opposing Amnesty For Iraqis Who Attack US Troops..

The Senate's debate over the war in Iraq turned highly emotional this afternoon, as the lawmakers reacted to reports of the killing of two American soldiers by adopting two measures opposing amnesty for Iraqis who attack United States troops.

By a vote of 79 to 19, the Senate voted to declare that it objects to any such amnesty. By 64 to 34, the lawmakers voted to commend the new Iraqi government for not granting amnesty.

Read the whole article here.

Vote Summary:
Question: On the Amendment (Nelson (FL) Amdt. No. 4265 )
Vote Number: 178 Vote Date: June 20, 2006, 03:27 PM
Required For Majority: 1/2 Vote Result: Amendment Agreed to
Amendment Number:S.Amdt. 4265 to S. 2766 (National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 )
Statement of Purpose: To express the sense of Congress that the Government of Iraq should not grant amnesty to persons known to have attacked, killed, or wounded members of the Armed Forces of the United States.
Vote Counts: YEAs 79
NAYs: 19
Not Voting: 2

Vote Summary By Senator Name By Vote Position By Home State
Grouped By Vote Position

NAYs ---19
Allard (R-CO)
Bond (R-MO)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burns (R-MT)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Cornyn (R-TX)
DeMint (R-SC)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Hagel (R-NE)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lott (R-MS)
McCain (R-AZ)
Sessions (R-AL)
Stevens (R-AK)
Thomas (R-WY)
Warner (R-VA)

Missing Soldiers Found Dead In Iraq

GIs Were Isolated In Insurgent Haven

Washington Post Foreign Service
Wednesday, June 21, 2006; Page A01

BAGHDAD, June 20 -- Two U.S. soldiers, missing for three days since their abduction in an insurgent stronghold south of Baghdad, were found dead, a military spokesman said Tuesday, and a top U.S. commander ordered an investigation into why the men were isolated from a larger force in such a dangerous part of Iraq.

The remains of the soldiers -- Pfc. Kristian Menchaca, 23, of Houston and Pfc. Thomas L. Tucker, 25, of Madras, Ore. -- were recovered near a power plant in the town of Yusufiya, where they had been operating a vehicle checkpoint that came under attack Friday, Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell said in a briefing for reporters. A third soldier, Spec. David J. Babineau, 25, of Springfield, Mass., died in the initial assault.

Four US soldiers killed in AfghanistanBy Zeeshan Haider

By Zeeshan Haider

Four U.S. soldiers have been killed and one wounded in clashes with Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan, the U.S. military said on Thursday.

More than 1,000 people have been killed in Afghanistan this year, the worst violence since the 2001 overthrow of the Taliban. The violence has surged as NATO prepares to takes over security duties from U.S.-led forces in the south, the rebel heartland.

The latest clash occurred in the eastern province of Nuristan on Wednesday.

"Coalition forces attacked enemy extremists in a remote area of the Kamdesh District while conducting security operations to interdict enemy movement through northern Nuristan," the U.S. military said.

"During the mission, four U.S. soldiers were killed."

Coalition aircraft joined the attack but it was not clear how many rebels were killed, the U.S. military said. The wounded soldier was in stable condition.

A Taliban spokesman, Mohammad Hanif, said by telephone from an undisclosed location that two Taliban had been killed in the fighting.

The Taliban are mostly active in eastern and southern parts of Afghanistan, bordering Pakistan, where they enjoy considerable support among the Pashtun tribes living on both sides of the long, porous border.

U.S.-led forces and government troops have stepped up attacks against the Taliban in Nuristan in recent weeks as part of an operation, codenamed Mountain Lion, launched in mid-April.


Sunday, June 18, 2006

Father's Day Reflections on a Son Lost by Michael Berg

You know, people gave Mr. Berg a hard time when the man who killed his son was killed. Mr. Berg is a peaceful soul we all have a lot to learn from. If more of us were like him and treated all humans with the respect we deserve, we wouldn't be destroying ourselves like we are now.

HAPPY FATHERS DAY to all the wonderful dad's - Enjoy your moments, your gifts called your children for those like Mr Berg who no longer have theirs.

May peace be inside all of us,
Cindy

Father's Day Reflections on a Son Lost

By Michael Berg / Scripps Howard News Service

Of all of the holidays a grieving father can be confronted with after the death of his child, Father's Day is for me the most difficult.

My son Nick died in Iraq on May 7, 2004. He is buried next to my father, who had died just a year and a half before. That is not the way it's supposed to be.

I'm supposed to go somewhere between my father and my son in the graveyard. Nearby are my proud immigrant grandparents, who died first. That is the way it is supposed to be.

There is a lot else going on that is not the way it is supposed to be. Our leaders are not supposed to lie to us. Yet because George Bush and company told us to beware of weapons of mass destruction and the so-called Iraqi involvement in 9/11, my son lost his life, as did at least 150,000 others on both sides whose loved ones are now grieving.

Though I doubted our president's words, I did too little too late.

Nick was an independent contractor, not associated with Halliburton, Bechtel, Lockheed Martin or the U.S. military. Nick was arrested by the U.S. military without reason and then illegally detained for 13 days. While he was in custody, the revelations of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal became public. These revelations ignited the resistance in Iraq and made it impossible for Nick to get home alive.

Once released, Nick was swiftly murdered _ on videotape, by a hooded man now believed to have been Abu Musab al-Zarqawi _ in retaliation for the atrocities alleged to have been committed at the Abu Ghraib prison: murders, rapes and torture of Iraqi citizens. The president's contribution was to order then-White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales to rewrite definitions of torture essentially ordering these sins, and he did so with impunity. Though Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says he took responsibility for the resulting atrocities, no consequences were imposed on him, but they were on my son and everyone who loved him. This is not the way it's supposed to be.

When Nick did arrive home, it was to the military mortuary at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, a base from which I and all other loved ones of the invisible deceased are barred. This is not the way it's supposed to be, either.

We learn more and more of the truth of what is happening in Iraq every day. We learn what is happening to America and our allies as a result of the voters of these United States electing the wrong men and women: unjustifiable wars, the undermining of vital social programs, willful neglect of the maintenance of the infrastructure of our nation, and dangerous "ignorance" of global warming that could result in unprecedented disaster. This is the legacy of these leaders. Neither of the two largest political parties in this country is doing anything to make things the way they are supposed be.

This spring, I joined many others _ both conservatives and liberals _ in taking the first steps to put things right. I had the honor of being the first person to sign the Voters Pledge for Peace, which states: "I will not vote for or support any candidate for Congress or President who does not make a speedy end to the war in Iraq, and preventing any future war of aggression, a public position in his or her campaign."

I believe that Zarqawi was a human being, too, and if his father is alive, I'm sure that the grief and the pain he feels is every bit as devastating as the grief and pain I feel for my son. I want to make sure that no more fathers suffer the loss of their son or daughter in Iraq or a future illegal war of aggression. My contribution this Father's Day is to urge all those who oppose the military occupation of Iraq and do not want to see future wars of choice to sign the Voters Pledge at www.VotersForPeace.US. Nearly 50,000 people have already signed and many of the major organizations in the antiwar movement have endorsed it.

Together we can change the path of the United States so that all fathers and mothers can face the future with pride that we did our part to move our great country back toward the way it's supposed to be.

(Michael Berg is the father of Nick Berg, murdered in Iraq on May 7, 2004, by a hooded figure believed to have been Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. E-mail michialberg(at)comcast.net.)

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Do you know how many today? 2,500

How much is enough?
Remember them...all....forever. Learn the lessons of their death.
Help their families,they need us.


Choose Life - Bring Them Home NOW!

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

TVNL Jesse is a must read about 9/11 events

TVNL Editor's Comments: Flying a Plane Into the World Trade Center? Why Not Fly Out of LaGuardia?

Here is a new, and so far unasked question about the badly debunked official explanation of the events of September 11th 2001. If you spend years planning a spectacular attack the World Trade Center in New York City, and you are a less than adequate pilot, and you wanted to ensure the attack would be completed without giving the U.S. air defense apparatus the chance to follow their normal procedures and intercept your plane, why would you choose to fly out of Boston? Why would you choose to risk getting lost or stopped as you try to fly 190 miles to your target when you can hijack a plane from one of three airports within sight of the target?

There are three airports that would enable a pilot or a hijacker to have visual contact with the World Trade Center within a minute or two of takeoff. With all the planning these so called hijackers must have made, how stupid would they have to have been to travel to Boston in order to attack NY? We have been told that the so-called hijackers were barely able to pilot even simple two seater aircraft, but we are supposed to believe that they felt confident enough to navigate to NY from Boston without the help of ground control. Are we to believe that i they would not have flown out an airport from which they had constant visual contact with their target? Also keep in mind that planes taking off from these NY area airports would have more fuel remaining in their tanks when they made contact. They would not have to burn off 45 minutes worth of destructive explosive fuel.

Here is why they had to fly out of Boston: it is because the real planes had to be switched with the remote controlled modified 737s that actually impacted the towers. Yes, planes did hit the towers and the Pentagon, but not the planes that we have been told. I am convinced based on the current body of evidence, that the planes that hit the towers were 737s flown by remote control and that a Skywarrior hit the Pentagon.

Where are the other planes? Skeptics would disqualify this commentary by saying something stupid like “well, where are the real planes then?” I’ll tell you where the real planes are, they are destroyed and the people on board were murdered. They were sacrificed "for the good of the nation." At least that is the reason for their sacrifice we would hear from a Machiavellian leader who follows such illogic. I will ask that you look into that particular philosophy so that you understand what I mean. We already know that the hawks in the Bush administration are Machiavellian in their thinking; we hear that on a regular basis from Chris Matthews on MSNBC. The only problem is that Matthews never explains what that means. In a nutshell that means that the hawks in the White House will lie, cheat, deceive and even kill for the overall good of their mission. These are the same people that lose no sleep about the almost 3000 Americans that they sent to be killed in Iraq as part of this same mission. These people have no problem sacrificing others in order to achieve their mission. They did it with Iraq and they did it on 9/11. Stop telling me that they would never do that because they already did!

When I teach people how to watch or interpret news I tell them to ask themselves three very important questions when they being told something by the lying bastards in the media:

1: Does this information make sense to you?
2.
Does this information make sense to you?
3.
Does this information make sense to you?

Once again, I ask you: would hijackers planning on attacking New York City, a city with 3 airports within direct eyesight of the intended target, choose to launch their attack from 190 miles away when they could have launched their attack from a distance of less than 15 miles? We are told that these 'hijackers' were such geniuses that they could deceive the most sophisticated air defense system in history. After spending all that time and resources to plan an attack of that scale why would minimally trained pilots with no airliner experience make such a senseless choice Think about it! – Jesse, Editor, TvNewsLIES.org

Today is Flag Day, Be a Progressive Patriot


Today is Flag Day, a day when we embrace our American heritage and salute the accomplishments of our forefathers. I think this is an appropriate time to begin a discussion of what it means to be a patriot in America today. For too long, our political leaders have wrapped themselves in the flag as a way to evade criticism and attack dissent. It's time we, as Progressive Patriots, celebrate the idea that love for your country means honoring the freedoms for which our founders fought, it means taking responsibility for improving our country, and it should always mean standing up to those who would weaken us.

I am a Progressive Patriot because I believe we can, and must, fight the terrorist threat while also protecting the freedoms that make us Americans. It's important to remember The Bill of Rights and the Constitution were not repealed on 9/11.

I am a Progressive Patriot because I believe that our health care crisis can not be solved with marginal ideas like health savings accounts. I believe all Americans should have a guarantee of access to quality, affordable health care.

I am a Progressive Patriot because I believe Democrats are the true fiscal conservatives who have demonstrated the ability to be responsible caretakers of public funds.

I am a Progressive Patriot because I believe that we need an "Apollo" style commitment to reducing our reliance on foreign oil and developing alternative energy sources.

Over the next few weeks, I hope you will join me in demonstrating what it means to be a Progressive Patriot. Next week we will launch our fifth Pick a Progressive Patriot online voting event, this time focusing on some of the excellent Democratic candidates for Governor across the country. Please make sure to share with me which candidate you think most deserves to be named the next Progressive Patriot.

Thank you again for all of your support.

Sincerely,

Russ Feingold

Russ Feingold
United States Senator
Honorary Chair, Progressive Patriots Fund

P.S. Please forward this email to your friends and family, and help us to further grow the ranks of Progressive Patriots across the country.

Contribute Today!

Monday, June 12, 2006

In regards to the Viewpoint "Parading the Dead by Melida Arredondo

Zarqawi juxtaposition

In regards to the Viewpoint "Parading the Dead," I'm unsure what the connection is of comparing the U.S. military's use of a murdered al-Zarqawi with my husband's display of his son Alexander.

I am Melida Arredondo, both Carlos Arredondo's wife and the late Lance Cpl. Alexander Arredondo's stepmother. As a Gold Star family, the sadness over every loss of life is profound and our grief compounded. The motives for this war are undefined and the perspective of the Iraqi populations are unknown in the United States. This makes anyone who has had a loss due to war feel only more confounded.

I only know this for sure. My husband has opted to display Alexander lying in repose in order for the U.S. public to see and feel what the government won't let you see - the U.S. troops who have died. Carlos' mom took the picture. It does invoke an emotional response - from anger to sadness.

When I see al-Zarqawi lying dead, I feel the same. However, I do not know the motives as to why the United States opted to show this picture. To have the country rejoice? To truly see al-Zarqawi dead (we are presented people and do not know who they are other than what is presented to us)?

Therefore, I suggest a little more investigation into the "why?" of each display in order to draw any sort of comparison at all.

Melida Arredondo
Online reader
June 9, 2006



Viewpoint: Parading the dead
Something emotional happens when the face of the dead is exposed for all to see. A frozen countenance, perhaps bloodied, looking up to the heavens leaves a viewer with a sense that "this is death." It stops you in your mortal tracks, a reminder that one day you will join their fate in the ground.

On Thursday, Gen. George Casey and company held a press conference in Baghdad announcing the death of Iraqi insurgent leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in a U.S. airstrike. A close-up photograph of the bearded Zarqawi, bruised and in a pool of his own blood, eyes permanently closed, was the center point of the announcement. It was disseminated (and published) in one form or another all around the world.

The photograph of Zarqawi stares back, a trophy on the wall, like Saddam's sons Uday and Qusay Hussein three years ago. It stares as a reminder that murder can be lauded, praise heaped from on high. It stares as a reminder that death can be used as a political tool.

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi became the face of the insurgency in Iraq as leader of the group al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia. Unlike Osama bin Laden, many American and Iraqi officials believe Zarqawi spent time carrying out terrorist attacks himself on the front lines.

His group masterminded the October 2003 bombing of the United Nations building in Baghdad, as well as the grotesque beheading of U.S. telecommunications contractor Nick Berg. Zarqawi was directly responsible for the deaths of American troops and countless innocent Iraqi civilians. He was worthy of a fiery death by 500-pound bombs.

But war plays funny games with morality. We feel a collective need to rejoice. The murderer will murder no more! The military not only instantly provides but encourages the news media to transmit footage of the terrorist that once was.

It is time to parade the murdered.

A similar thing occurred at an anti-war demonstration on campus last semester, but with opposite political implications. At the rally, Carlos Arredondo displayed an oversized photograph of his son, Lance Cpl. Alexander Arredondo, who was killed in An Najaf, Iraq in August 2004. The photograph, pictured below, shows the American soldier dead in his casket, arms crossed, in crisp uniform. A sharply folded American flag rests behind his head.

Arredondo was murdered by a sniper. His life was cut disgustingly short by an Iraqi insurgent, perhaps one that praised Zarqawi.

Murder is not dignified. It is not worthy of praise. It is not worthy of exploitation. It is not a tool to score political points. It is not a means to sell more newspapers or drive up traffic to a news Web site.

It is a hideous consequence of the world we live in, and of wars we create.
 U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell at a press conference in Baghdad, Iraq, pointing to a photo purporting to show the body of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
Media Credit: Khalid Mohammed | Associated Press
U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell at a press conference in Baghdad, Iraq, pointing to a photo purporting to show the body of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
Carlos Arredondo displays an oversized photograph of his son, Lance Cpl. Alexander Arredondo, at an anti-war rally on campus in April. He is joined to the right by Juan Torres.
Media Credit: JJ Hermes
Carlos Arredondo displays an oversized photograph of his son, Lance Cpl. Alexander Arredondo, at an anti-war rally on campus in April. He is joined to the right by Juan Torres.

Florida wants limited voting machine checks

State election officials have proposed new
restrictions on testing
voting machines in the
wake of a test that exposed security flaws in

one system.

BY GARY FINEOUT
gfineout@MiamiHerald.com
TALLAHASSEE - Months after a maverick elections supervisor irritated
a leading voting-machine company and state officials by conducting
unorthodox tests on voting equipment -- and finding security problems
-- the state wants to make it harder for counties to check voting
machines.
The state is proposing rules that require all 67 election supervisors
in Florida to get approval from the state Division of Elections before
testing their voting equipment for any problems, including whether or
not it has security flaws or if the vote-counting software is working
correctly.
The new rule would require county supervisors to submit a ''testing
plan'' to the division, as well as to notify the maker of the machine
before the test can take place. Any results of the test would have to
be sent to state officials.
''The purpose is to make the process more transparent,'' said Jenny
Nash, a spokeswoman for the Department of State. ``Certainly any
supervisor can test any machine. It's just so the department and vendor
will be included. In essence, it's so all parties have the same
information.''
But Leon County Supervisor of Elections Ion Sancho says the state
proposal is an effort to curtail any future tests of voting equipment.
Last year, Sancho allowed computer experts to hack into his county's
optical-scan voting machine system, which is manufactured by Diebold,
the same company that makes the ATM-styled touch-screen machines used
in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.
The flaws exposed by the effort eventually led California, and then
Florida, to devise new security procedures that prohibit one person
from ever being alone with voting equipment.
''I guess [state officials] don't want to be embarrassed by any
supervisor of elections finding something wrong,'' Sancho said.
Sancho pointed out that the proposed rule says that the test can only
use experts with select credentials -- a requirement that would rule
out many leading computer science experts who have tested machines
across the country.
Sancho said he intends to show up with lawyers in hand at a public
hearing on the new rule to question whether or not the state even has
the legal authority to impose the stringent new requirements.
Miami-Dade and Broward county election officials did not respond to
several phone calls from The Miami Herald. But some other election
supervisors are not as critical of the new rule. Bill Cowles, the
supervisor of elections for Orange County, said there was some
''concern'' that the state was ''writing the procedures'' for
supervisors, but said he understood why the state and vendors needed to
know what was happening with voting equipment.

Sunday, June 11, 2006

When Will We Ever Learn? By Cindy Sheehan


When Will We Ever Learn?

By Cindy Sheehan

"If public opinion would frown against violence,
it would lose its power." -- Leo Tolstoy

Our American culture is permeated with violence. I don't think anyone would dispute that fact. A recent tragedy that occurred in a family who is close to my family in Vacaville, Ca. is horribly bringing this fact literally home to many people in that community.

My friend, who was one of my first friends in Vacaville when our family moved there almost 15 years ago, gave her 11-year-old daughter an overdose of prescription medication, killing her. I have known the mom since before she became pregnant with her daughter and celebrated with her when she finally had the baby. By all accounts, and the last time I saw her, the mom seemed healthy and whole. The daughter was a popular honor student at the same elementary school that my younger two attended years ago.

Why? We have all been asking ourselves why. There are wild speculations going around of course, but none of us know for sure. The mom also allegedly took an overdose of pills. Was it a murder-suicide; or a murder with a pretend suicide? I saw a picture of my friend at her arraignment in the local newspaper. She is lost. She is haunted. She was not there. She is without hope. Small wonder.

I know these feeling of being without hope. There were the long days and the endless nights that I was in a black pit of despair and hopelessness. The days when the only thing that stopped me from taking my entire bottle of sleeping pills was the fact that I would hurt my family even more. No matter how much agony I was in (a broken heart is not just a metaphor) I could not bring myself to commit that easy-ultimate act of selfishness. But, oh how I wanted to. How I longed for that permanent sleep that would free me from pain.

Even without the added stress of burying a child, when I think of the violence that can start early in the morning when we switch on the TV and attack us all day with one image and experience or another until we fall into restless sleep, stressed-out and exhausted from another day of hatred, it is easy to dismiss what is going on in our society as "normal." When we realize that violence is not normal, and not give the cop-out excuse that we as humans are somehow "hardwired" to be violent and non-violence is abnormal, then our society and culture will never change.

Violence begets violence and killing begets killing. All we have to do is notice how our leaders consistently use their votes or their signatures or their orders to beget and condone violence, and we shouldn't be shocked when our soldiers in the field commit acts of atrocity which I am sure go against their very fundamental core of humanity. Our soldiers are just copying their leaders and fulfilling their training which dehumanizes them and the "enemy." Violent is as violent does.

However, I believe that using violence is not like opening a Pandora's Box where the evil escapes and cannot be stuffed back in. Violence is a cycle that can be broken. Violence is like that proverbial can of worms: which slither and roil, but any 2 year old with basic motor skills can control the can of worms and put the lid back on.

I often have to ask myself why we, as Americans, so blindly follow our leaders down this path of violent destruction, and it has always been so. From the genocide and virtual extinction of our native population to dehumanizing black people so that they could be used as human chattel and still be oppressed, even today, to still be the only so-called "civilized nation" that executes people. Why do we allow our leaders to kill and oppress people in our names? Is it so we won't have to look at our own destructive behavior?

Are we as a nation so devoid of hope that we are ready to live our lives in "quiet desperation" watching BushCo destroy Iraq, destroy the USA and destroy the world for their own wicked ends? Do we see any difference in jumping in our huge, gas guzzling and polluting SUV's to go to a job we hate to be able to buy things we don't need in contrast with invading a country to control its oil reserves to give the people who run companies that profit off of death and destruction more money so they can buy their jets and build palaces that they don't need?

Are our visions of a future that is one endless war after another in competition for resources and for a dwindling planet so bleak that we are condoning the destructive behavior of the Bush Administration because we are competing with our neighbors to have the best and brightest new thingamajig that Madison Ave tells us that we need?

Before we can change the world, we have to look in our hearts and change ourselves. Before Casey was KIA in Iraq, I led this life of rampant consumerism that wreaked havoc on my soul and the environment. I had a mortgage (death pledge) and I couldn't leave the anchor of my home for long, because something might happen to it or my stuff! However, I did leave my home every work day before 7:00 in the morning, fought traffic and cussed out other drivers and extravagantly used my middle finger to ward off the evil eyes of my fellow commuters who were also trapped in their encumbered and heavily insured mini-prisons. Then I would arrive at my job, work all day in a solitary office, listen to the constant bad news, skip out of work at the appointed time then fight the same battle going home, in reverse, that I had so frustratingly fought on the way to work. This was no way to "live" and I had little to show for it except a healthy sailor's vocabulary and neck spasms. Things changed after Casey was killed. Priorities sharpened and came into better focus.

Since I have been traveling all over the world for peace, I have discovered how little a person can live on. I have a teeny-tiny apartment in Berkeley and I carry my belongings from airplane to airplane in one suitcase and an obscenely heavy shoulder bag (ask anyone that has had to schlepp it for me) that contains the computer I am writing this from and other essentials for a life on the run. I don't have to worry about my stuff in my apartment, because I don't have that much stuff there and it is replaceable anyway. Despite the personal attacks against me and the exhausting travel and loneliness, I am a much happier, freer, and less-stressed person.

To lose hope is so devastating and destructive that we follow the path of least resistance which has led us and leads us to this place in history where our leaders are such destructive and devastating forces themselves. No one is asking anyone to be a nomadic, practically monk-like person for peace, however, we can all change a little something in our lives that can have an enormous impact in the world. How about coming to Camp Casey in the summer?

The Camp Casey experience has given so many of us back our hope. Veterans who fought in Vietnam and in Iraq said that coming to Camp Casey restored their hopes of living a near normal life. Families who, like mine, tragically have had a loved one killed in war found hope in the fact that so many Americans cared about our sons and daughters and were willing to sacrifice something to come out and show solidarity in our struggle to ask: "What Noble Cause?" Many Americans who haven't had personal experience with loss had their hope restored seeing that the naked Emperor was exposed and there are people working for peace. The Camp Casey movement led us all (over 15,000 visitors to date and thousands of supporters all over the world) to what Gandhi called "heart unity" with our fellow human beings who deserve enough, if not the comparative opulent lifestyle of most Americans.

It's time to join us to stop allowing our government to give those orders to kill innocent Iraqis in the name of fighting a global war of terror--which is just another name for corporate colonialism (honestly, instead of patriotic emblems on their uniforms, our troops should have corporate logos all over them, like NASCAR drivers. Tanks should have a big "Exxon" symbol painted right on their sides, this would make more sense!). It's time to look at our country's knack for arming and training dictators and terrorists such as Saddam and Osama and oppressing other countries for profit and demand that this violent behavior stop.

When and only when we frown; protest; yes, demand that our leaders quit committing acts of violence on our heart family members and change our own personal wasteful lifestyles violence will stop and then we will have something to live for: a hopeful future.

Like Martin Luther King, Jr said we can't wait for our leaders to change their beatitudes. They won't. It's time we make them live up to ours.

This article for peace and hope is dedicated to my little friend:
Jennifer Elizabeth Corral
October 19, 1994 to June 3, 2006
May she Rest in Peace
May her family find comfort and hope.

Jennifer passed away unexpectedly on June 3, 2006, in Children's Hospital in Oakland. Born Oct. 19, 1994, in Vallejo, she was a lifelong resident of Vacaville. She was a student at Browns Valley Elementary School, was student of the year, and was also a writer for the school's newspaper and took an award for her interview with Andy Sheehan, regarding his brother, Casey Sheehan, killed in action in Iraq . She was a lover of music and enjoyed playing the viola, was a great drawer and loved to write.

Saturday, June 10, 2006

2,500 US Deaths Approaches- Sign the Declaration of Peace

How to Impeach a President

Beginning today, you can go to
http://www.articlesofimpeachment.net

to learn about a "National Teach-In" on impeachment organized by the Center for Constitutional Rights and Melville House, launching nationwide on July 19 in cities and towns across the country. (This is a new site so if it crashes try back later.)

Please join the effort:­ visit www.articlesofimpeachment.net and organize a Teach-In in your home or community center. An "action kit" ­-- including a DVD documentary short, HOW TO IMPEACH A PRESIDENT, the handbook ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT AGAINST GEORGE W. BUSH, and other resources ­-- is available at the website. Join the CCR, the nation's leading institute of constitutional scholarship and activism, in making the impeachment of George W. Bush a reality.
http://www.articlesofimpeachment.net

___________

Pass an Impeachment Resolution at Your State Democratic Party Convention

Despite the efforts of those who would sweep the issue under the rug, 10 state Democratic party organizations have already gone on record in support of impeachment resolutions: Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Nevada, New Mexico, California, Colorado and Hawaii. This weekend, we expect similar resolutions to be brought in Minnesota and even Texas! And there are more to come in the weeks ahead, which means that shortly more than a quarter of all state Democratic party organizations will have gone on record in favor of impeachment. That's not to mention the three states that have introduced resolutions in their legislatures calling on Congress to act. Several states have conventions coming up. Get involved:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/resourcecenter

___________

No Permanent Bases: Passed Both Houses, Removed in Conference Committee
By David Swanson

Remember when our efforts persuaded both the House and the Senate to unanimously approve amendments to the "emergency supplemental" bill stipulating that none of the money could be used to build permanent bases in Iraq? This week, a conference committee, behind closed doors, removed that language. READ MORE:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/11672

Senator Thad Cochran (202-224-5054) and Congressman Jerry Lewis (202-225-5861) were in charge of the conference committee. Feel free to give them a call and tell them what you think.

___________

Action on Iraq in House and Senate Next Week

Our efforts in support of a discharge petition that would force an open debate on Iraq in the House have pressured the Republican leadership into announcing a debate next week, but a short debate limited to the topic of a bill that no one has seen, with no amendments allowed. We need a lengthy debate allowing Congress Members from both sides of the aisle to introduce amendments and have them voted on. Let House Majority Leader John Boehner (202-225-6205) know.

In recent weeks, four Senators -- Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Russ Feingold (D-WI), Tom Harkin (D-IA), and John Kerry (D-MA) -- have introduced bills that would bring our troops home from Iraq by the end of 2006. Both Feingold and Kerry are expected to propose their bills as amendments to a Defense Authorization bill next week. Your Senator should vote for those two amendments and should co-sponsor these four bills.

If four is too many, we recommend pressing for support of Senator Harkin's bill (S. CON. RES. 93). It includes these three points:
(1) the United States should not maintain a permanent military presence or military bases in Iraq;
(2) the United States should not attempt to control the flow of Iraqi oil; and
(3) United States Armed Forces should be redeployed from Iraq as soon as practicable after the completion of Iraq's constitution-making process or December 31, 2006, whichever occurs first.

Harkin's bill has companion legislation in the House (H. CON. RES. 348 sponsored by Congressman Mike Thompson). Your Congress Member should co-sponsor that bill, but also H.R. 4232, Congressman Jim McGovern's bill to cut off money for the war and end it immediately.

Tell your Congress Member and Senators to end the war:
http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/83

___________

Tragically, 2,500th US Death Approaches

The U.S. death toll in Iraq continues to climb, and now stands at 2,476. In a matter of days or weeks, we will reach yet another tragic milestone in this war: the death of the 2500th U.S. serviceperson. This sad event comes as the Iraqi Health Ministry reports that civilian deaths in Baghdad soared in May; the U.S. war on Iraq has destroyed so many lives, for so little reason.

Last October, when the 2000th U.S. serviceperson was killed in Iraq, more than 1000 candlelight vigils and other commemorative events were held in communities all around the country. We urge you to begin planning now for what your group will do when this newest sad benchmark is reached.

One national initiative you may wish to join is a coordinated ringing of church bells, organized by Faithful America and Democracy Rising. They hope to have at least 2500 houses of worship participating in this effort. For more information, visit http://ga3.org/FA_remembrance/home.html

___________

Sign the Declaration of Peace

The Declaration of Peace is a pledge:

1) To declare peace by taking action now to bring all US troops home from Iraq now and to establish a comprehensive, concrete and rapid plan for an end to the US war in Iraq; and

2) To declare peace by engaging in nonviolent action in cities and towns across the United States and in Washington, DC September 21-28 if these goals — immediate withdrawal of US troops and a comprehensive plan to end the US war — are not accomplished by International Peace Day, September 21, 2006. Nationally coordinated nonviolent activities will continue on a regular basis as needed until the United States withdraws from Iraq."

You can learn more, sign the declaration, and get more involved by visiting
http://declarationofpeace.org


Thursday, June 08, 2006

Melida and Carlos Arredondo want to tell you Alex's Story



I received this email from my friend Melida a few days ago. She is right, I have been busy and I'm just now getting around to putting it on my blog.

The Arredondo's need to be heard. It helps Carlos to talk about Alex. If you would like to hear them speak, please contact Melida at her email address listed below. Help them keep Alex alive.


Peace inside all of us,
Cindy

Cindy - I know that you have been busy. Would you mind listing this information on your blog or emailing it to the appropriate people.
I noticed THE SOUTH FLORIDA PEACE AND JUSTICE NETWORK is meeting at St. Maurice today.
The information is below. Carlos and I are hoping to get some different groups including SFPJ interested in hearing us speak. We realize that SoFla needs to hear what we have to say more than the North East.

As you know, the news about my Carlos' response to when the casualty assistance team came to tell him of his son's death was broadcast worldwide.
For further information, please read the Nation article listed below. Please forward it on to any people or organization that you think may be interested in hosting or hearing us speak.

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060508/richards
Any aid you can give is appreciated...Thank you for any assistance you can provide...
I hope your great! You MUST be busy!

Semper pax...Melida Arredondo


melida_arredondo@yahoo.com

1st Lt. Ehren Watada calls Iraq war illegal, refuses order to go

I wish more members of the military would do this.

THANK YOU FOR STANDING UP AND FIGHTING BACK THE KILLING MACHINE EHREN WATADA!

May peace be inside all of us,
Cindy

Officer at Fort Lewis calls Iraq war illegal, refuses order to go

By Hal Bernton / Seattle Times

In a rare case of officer dissent, a Fort Lewis Army lieutenant has refused orders to head out to Iraq this month to lead troops in what he believes is an illegal war of occupation.

1st Lt. Ehren Watada was scheduled to make his first deployment to Iraq this month. His refusal to accompany the Stryker brigade troops puts him at risk of court martial and years of prison time.

"I feel that we have been lied to and betrayed by this administration," Watada said Tuesday in a telephone interview from Fort Lewis. "It is the duty, the obligation of every soldier, and specifically the officers, to evaluate the legality, the truth behind every order — including the order to go to war."

In a statement released today, Watada said the "war in Iraq violates our democratic system of checks and balances.

"It usurps international treaties and conventions that by virtue of the Constitution become American law. The wholesale slaughter and mistreatment of the Iraqi people with only limited accountability is not only a terrible moral injustice, but a contradiction to the Army's own Law of Land Warfare. My participation would make me party to war crimes."

In making his decision, Watada has reached out to peace groups, including clergy, students, some veterans opposed to Iraq and others. Some war critics are raising money for his legal defense as they seek to galvanize broader opposition to Bush administration policy in Iraq.

"There has been an outpouring of support in the Puget Sound area," said David Solnit, who works with the anti-war group Courage to Resist. The group and others are helping organize a press conference today in Tacoma to launch the support campaign.

Watada met over the weekend with Olympia peace activists, and had hoped to attend the press conference. But after a Tuesday meeting with an Army colonel, he was given written orders not to attend during duty hours between 6:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Instead, he expects to offer a video statement.

Watada's actions also may become a lightning rod for others in the debate about the Iraq war.

"He has an obligation to fulfill, and it is not up to the individual officer to decide when he is going to deploy or not deploy," said Jerry Newberry, a Vietnam veteran and director of communications for the Veterans of Foreign Wars. "Some other officer will have to go in his place. He needs to think about that."

Watada, a member of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, is unsure what charges he might face. But he is concerned that his decision to go public will cause the Army to pile on numerous offenses, such as disobeying an order, missing a troop movement and unauthorized absence.

"I think they will do their best to make an example of me," Watada said.

Though some U.S. commissioned officers refused to deploy in the Vietnam War and the first Gulf War, it is unclear how many — if any — have balked at deployment in the Iraq war. Pentagon officials said they had no such statistics available.

A Fort Lewis spokesman, Joe Hitt, also had no knowledge of any other commissioned officer refusing to deploy. He declined to comment on Watada.

Among the enlisted ranks at Fort Lewis, Sgt. Kevin Benderman is serving a 15-month sentence at a base correctional facility for refusing a second tour of duty in Iraq. Benderman, an Army mechanic for 10 years, served in Iraq in 2003 but refused to board a plane for a return trip in January 2005.

There is also a much broader category of military personnel who for a wide range of reasons have not fulfilled their service obligations.

Since the beginning of the war, more than 7,900 members of the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force have deserted, a small fraction of the hundreds of thousands who have served. Pentagon statistics indicate that desertions have declined as the war has progressed. They dropped from 3,678 in 2003, the first year of the war, to about 2,000 in 2005. The desertions typically involve enlisted personnel, not officers.

Watada has not deserted, since he remains on post in Fort Lewis.

Watada, 28, is a native of Hawaii, and an Eagle Scout who graduated from Hawaii Pacific University with a finance degree.

His father — Robert Watada, a retired Hawaii state official — was opposed to the war in Vietnam, and was able to do alternative service in the Peace Corps in Peru.

And Robert Watada said he laid out the "pros and cons" of military service as his son considered joining the service in the spring of 2003 as the invasion of Iraq was launched.

"He knew very well of my decision not to go to Vietnam, and he had to make his own decision to join the Army," Robert Watada said. "It was very noble. He felt like he wanted to do his part for his country."

After the younger Watada enlisted, he was sent to officer-training school in Georgia. Watada said he supported the war at that time because he believed Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.

"I had my doubts," he said. "But I felt like the president is our leader, and he won't betray our trust, and he would know what he was talking about, and let's give him the benefit of the doubt." Over the past year, his feeling changed as he read up on the war and became convinced that there was "intentional manipulation of intelligence" by the Bush administration.

In January, Watada told his commanders that he believed that the war was unlawful, and therefore, so were his deployment orders. He did not, however, consider himself a conscientious objector, since he was willing to fight in wars that were justified, legal and in defense of the nation.

Watada was told that he could submit his resignation, but that the Army would recommend disapproval. That resignation was rejected in May, he said.

In a court-martial proceeding, Watada, who has retained civilian counsel, said he would try to mount a case about the legality of the war under international law and American law. But he is aware that a military court might not allow him to make that case.

Peace activists say they hope more military personnel will refuse to go war.

"We plan a national campaign to try to make sure that he is not punished for what he is doing," Solnit said.

****************************

Military Officer Would Chose Jail Over a Stint in Iraq

Hawaii Native Protests Upcoming Deployment to Mosul

By Neal Karlinsky / ABC News

SEATTLE, June 7, 2007 — An Army officer due to ship out to Iraq later this month would rather go to jail than serve and complete the assignment.

"It is my duty as a commissioned officer of the United States Army to speak out against grave injustices." said 1st Lt. Ehren Watada, a member of the Stryker unit, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. "My moral and legal obligation is to the Constitution and not those who would issue unlawful orders. It is my conclusion as an officer of the armed forces that the war in Iraq is not only morally wrong, but a horrible breach of American law."

Watada is a 28-year-old Hawaii native who said he twice tried to resign his Army commission as an officer because of his opposition to the Iraq War.

He has not previously served in Iraq but is scheduled to deploy to the city of Mosul with his unit.

Watada joined the Army in 2003 and said he supported the war at the outset because he believed Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Since then, he said he has become convinced the Bush administration "intentionally manipulated intelligence" in order to go to war.

Highest Ranking Protest to Date

Watada is the most senior officer to go public and challenge his orders to go to Iraq.

Others have filed for conscientious objector status, which is an objection to all war. Watada, however, said he is not filing as a conscientious objector because he does not oppose all war -- just this one.

"The wholesale slaughter and mistreatment of the Iraqi people with only limited accountability is not only a terrible moral injustice but a contradiction to the Army's own law of land warfare," Watada said.

Military lawyers said he is putting himself in substantial jeopardy. "He could face a charge of 'Missing Movement by Design,'" said military lawyer Eugene Fidel. In that case he could face dismissal -- the officer's equivalent of a dishonorable discharge -- and jail time.

In a statement released by Fort Lewis, where Lt. Watada is currently assigned, military officials said no decision had been made yet regarding his future.

"For a commissioned officer to publicly declare an apparent intent to violate military law by refusing to obey orders is a serious matter and could subject him to adverse action," the statement said. "No decision regarding personnel actions involving 1st Lt. Watada will be made until a thorough review by his commander occurs in accordance with military law."

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

What You Can Do for Peace Today

What You Can Do for Peace on Wednesday

Demand a REAL Debate on Iraq: National Call-In Day June 7
Call your Representative
202-224-3121 or toll free (888) 355-3588
An open debate on Iraq is overdue!

Americans want their sons and daughters home. Children want their mothers and fathers home. The Iraqis want their nation back. Most of the troops think they should leave in the next six months. These are the compelling majority opinions that must be addressed. Facing this is a moral and non-partisan challenge.

But, after more than three years, $300 billion, and the death of over one hundred thousand Iraqis and nearly 2,500 American soldiers, Congress still refuses to debate real alternatives to the President's stay-the-course policy. It is a policy that over 80% of Iraqis, more than 70% of U.S. soldiers stationed in Iraq and a majority of Americans say is a failure.

As a people who seek peace and justice, we have a unique opportunity to demand that Congress stop passing the buck. So far, 122 members of the House of Representatives have signed a 'discharge petition' calling for immediate debate and consideration of ALL alternatives to the policy of open-ended occupation of Iraq. All we need is 96 more members to sign the petition for debate to begin. We need your help!

Call your U.S. Representative on June 7th. Ask your Representative to sign H.Res. 543 OR thank them if they have already signed and ask them to ask a colleague to sign H.Res. 543.

Here are lists of those who have and have not signed:
http://www.openiraqdebate.com/inner/roll-call.html

The pressure we are applying is already having an impact. There have been news reports that some Republican members of Congress, hoping to dodge a real discussion about Iraq, will offer a tightly-controlled debate framed by supporters of the war. This alternative is clearly an election-year effort to sell the war to the public rather than address the failed policy and the need to bring the troops home. This alternative won't allow members who oppose the war to offer plans to bring the occupation to an end.

Tell your Congress Member that you demand to see a debate with an "open rule," meaning that any amendments can be introduced, debated, and voted on. The surest route to that debate is for them to sign the discharge petition and ask their colleagues to do the same.

Call 202-224-3121 and give the operator your Representative's name, or go to power search on Congress for the local district office:
http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/powersearch.htm

MORE INFO:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/discharge