Global
It’s a popular notion: TV sets and other media devices let us in on the
violence of war. “Look, nobody likes to see dead people on their
television screens,” President Bush told a news conference more than three
years ago. “I don’t. It’s a tough time for the American people to see
that. It’s gut-wrenching.”
But televised glimpses of war routinely help to keep war going. Susan Sontag was onto something when she pointed out that “the image as shock and the image as cliche are two aspects of the same presence.”
While viewers may feel disturbed by media imagery of warfare, their discomfort is largely mental and limited. The only shots coming at them are ones that have been waved through by editors. Still, we hear that television brings war into our living rooms.
But televised glimpses of war routinely help to keep war going. Susan Sontag was onto something when she pointed out that “the image as shock and the image as cliche are two aspects of the same presence.”
While viewers may feel disturbed by media imagery of warfare, their discomfort is largely mental and limited. The only shots coming at them are ones that have been waved through by editors. Still, we hear that television brings war into our living rooms.
In recent weeks, we've been working to get the word out about Troy Davis, a Georgia man on death row, using the traditional media, blogs, radio stations, and of course, Facebook. Now, we're taking the first big step to reach out to the people who will ultimately decide Troy's fate.
Right now, we're starting up a letter writing campaign to the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles. If Troy's last appeal is denied in the Supreme Court (unfortunately, a likely outcome), the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles will be making the last call on whether Troy Davis lives or dies. They have the power to pardon him, or to commute his sentence from death to life.
So, here's how it works:
1) Go to this site: http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/ncadp/content.jsp…
2) Copy and paste the letter into a Word document. Print it out on your personal/school/company letterhead if possible.
Right now, we're starting up a letter writing campaign to the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles. If Troy's last appeal is denied in the Supreme Court (unfortunately, a likely outcome), the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles will be making the last call on whether Troy Davis lives or dies. They have the power to pardon him, or to commute his sentence from death to life.
So, here's how it works:
1) Go to this site: http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/ncadp/content.jsp…
2) Copy and paste the letter into a Word document. Print it out on your personal/school/company letterhead if possible.
On 7th July there will be 'Live Earth' concerts all around the globe to
bring attention to climate change. The tickets are all sold and the
perfomers are already chosen.
But at *www.aliveearth.org * an alternative concert is already underway- a concert which welcomes all visitors and performers. The online concert is the brainwave of a small non-profit organisation in Oxford England which felt that the mega concerts were not doing enough to support a wider range of voices on climate change.
One day after the launch there are already nearly 60 performances in the alternative concert- mostly music, but including comedy and poetry. We welcome postings of all kinds of performances- big and small, amateur and professional, in the Hollywood Bowl and in the bedroom. We invite entries to be as angry, happy, whimsical, political, or bizarre as they like providing that they have something to say about climate change, accept the reality of the science and are not offensive.
But at *www.aliveearth.org * an alternative concert is already underway- a concert which welcomes all visitors and performers. The online concert is the brainwave of a small non-profit organisation in Oxford England which felt that the mega concerts were not doing enough to support a wider range of voices on climate change.
One day after the launch there are already nearly 60 performances in the alternative concert- mostly music, but including comedy and poetry. We welcome postings of all kinds of performances- big and small, amateur and professional, in the Hollywood Bowl and in the bedroom. We invite entries to be as angry, happy, whimsical, political, or bizarre as they like providing that they have something to say about climate change, accept the reality of the science and are not offensive.
Obama got a packed house and huge applause before saying anything about what he would do as president. For a while it was all about the influence of lobbyists in Washington, the tragedy of Katrina, the tragedy of Iraq, the need for a politics of the people, the need for hope and optimism. All opposition to the way things are, and the need for something vaguely better.
All feel good. And a lot of people clearly felt good in the room. A lot of people shouted "all right!" "you said it!"
But what did he say? He talked about what he did in Illinois. He talked about how bad things are. He said he believes in hope. But what would he do if he were president? For a while, Obama gave us no idea, other than hope, which he said is the cause he will work for every single day as president.
Finally, Obama got to some substance. He said he wants to bring together businesses and unions and insurance companies to solve our health care crisis. He promoted his "universal health care plan that covers every American." But his plan does not cover every American, and as long as it includes the insurance companies, how much hope can there be for it?
All feel good. And a lot of people clearly felt good in the room. A lot of people shouted "all right!" "you said it!"
But what did he say? He talked about what he did in Illinois. He talked about how bad things are. He said he believes in hope. But what would he do if he were president? For a while, Obama gave us no idea, other than hope, which he said is the cause he will work for every single day as president.
Finally, Obama got to some substance. He said he wants to bring together businesses and unions and insurance companies to solve our health care crisis. He promoted his "universal health care plan that covers every American." But his plan does not cover every American, and as long as it includes the insurance companies, how much hope can there be for it?
Boo-hoo! I made Tim Griffin cry.
He cried. Then he lied.
You remember Tim. Karl Rove's right hand (right claw?) man. The GOP's ragin' cagin' man.
Griffin is the Rove-bot exposed by our BBC Newsnight investigations team as the man who gathered and sent out the infamous 'caging' lists to Republican state chairmen during the 2004 election.
Caging lists, BBC discovered, were used secretly as a basis to challenge the right to vote of thousands of citizens - including the homeless, students and soldiers sent overseas. The day after BBC broadcast that the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, John Conyers, sought our evidence on Griffin, Tim resigned his post as US Attorney for Arkansas. That job was a little gift from Karl Rove who made room for his man Griffin by demanding the firing of US prosecutor Bud Cummins.
Last week, our cameras captured Griffin, all teary-eyed, in his humiliating kiss-off speech delivered in Little Rock at the University of Arkansas where he moaned that, "public service isn't worth it."
He cried. Then he lied.
You remember Tim. Karl Rove's right hand (right claw?) man. The GOP's ragin' cagin' man.
Griffin is the Rove-bot exposed by our BBC Newsnight investigations team as the man who gathered and sent out the infamous 'caging' lists to Republican state chairmen during the 2004 election.
Caging lists, BBC discovered, were used secretly as a basis to challenge the right to vote of thousands of citizens - including the homeless, students and soldiers sent overseas. The day after BBC broadcast that the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, John Conyers, sought our evidence on Griffin, Tim resigned his post as US Attorney for Arkansas. That job was a little gift from Karl Rove who made room for his man Griffin by demanding the firing of US prosecutor Bud Cummins.
Last week, our cameras captured Griffin, all teary-eyed, in his humiliating kiss-off speech delivered in Little Rock at the University of Arkansas where he moaned that, "public service isn't worth it."
Some people said they received thirty-nine copies of my last column.
That is enough to land me on the FBI "Most E-mails" List, and is a Class I felony in some counties of Connecticut.
I'm trying to use an address book to mail these out. Some people complained about having their address visible. I tried to hide those and for some reason I sent out thirty-nine copies.
Well, here goes again. I do mean to only send you one at at time.
I've got a few more I would like to send out.
I would imagine these flurries of emails will subside fairly soon.
I watched "The Weather Underground" last night after I got home from work about midnight.
I just can't help but be impressed by the commitment of those people. They actually fought the United States government. Nobody does that.
Can you imagine — just try to imagine — canceling your Survivor Party to fight the FBI toe-to-toe?
I cannot imagine postponing my stair-stepper workout to fight the United States government.
My wife and I once went "underground" in the 1980s for two weeks, pursued by the Omaha FBI office.
That is enough to land me on the FBI "Most E-mails" List, and is a Class I felony in some counties of Connecticut.
I'm trying to use an address book to mail these out. Some people complained about having their address visible. I tried to hide those and for some reason I sent out thirty-nine copies.
Well, here goes again. I do mean to only send you one at at time.
I've got a few more I would like to send out.
I would imagine these flurries of emails will subside fairly soon.
I watched "The Weather Underground" last night after I got home from work about midnight.
I just can't help but be impressed by the commitment of those people. They actually fought the United States government. Nobody does that.
Can you imagine — just try to imagine — canceling your Survivor Party to fight the FBI toe-to-toe?
I cannot imagine postponing my stair-stepper workout to fight the United States government.
My wife and I once went "underground" in the 1980s for two weeks, pursued by the Omaha FBI office.
The current scandal involving the firing of U.S. attorneys cannot be separated from the Bush administration's scheme to suppress black, poor and working class voters. In order to divert attention from its voter suppression tactics that won Bush the White House in 2000 and 2004, the Bush administration created the myth of "voter fraud." Using fake "voting rights" organizations, obscure groups to finance civil suits and pressure on the U.S. Department of Justice to bring criminal charges against voter registration organizations, Karl Rove and his political operatives like Mark F. "Thor" Hearne have succeeded in undermining the United States' democracy.
"Hearne was one of the most important Bush operatives that almost nobody in America has ever heard of. He applied his vote-suppressing trade from coast to coast, behind the scenes, in a well-funded systematic effort to undermine democracy and keep voters – Democratic voters – from exercising their legal franchise," Brad Friedman, Editor of Bradblog, told the Free Press. Bradblog was the first to reveal Hearne's masquerade as a voting rights advocate.
"Hearne was one of the most important Bush operatives that almost nobody in America has ever heard of. He applied his vote-suppressing trade from coast to coast, behind the scenes, in a well-funded systematic effort to undermine democracy and keep voters – Democratic voters – from exercising their legal franchise," Brad Friedman, Editor of Bradblog, told the Free Press. Bradblog was the first to reveal Hearne's masquerade as a voting rights advocate.
Action Alert!
SOA Watch has received confirmation that this week Congress will vote on an amendment to close the School of the Americas, now called the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (SOA/ WHINSEC). Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts will introduce an amendment to the Foreign Operations appropriations bill to cut funding for the school!
Click here to send an email and fax to your Representative Email
(Be sure to click the "Send a Fax" box to have the fax sent).
Call-in Days to Close the SOA/WHINSEC
Monday, June 18 - Wednesday, June 20:
Call Congress at 202-224-3121.
Ask to speak with the foreign affairs legislative assistant. Here is a suggested message for you to convey:
SOA Watch has received confirmation that this week Congress will vote on an amendment to close the School of the Americas, now called the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (SOA/ WHINSEC). Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts will introduce an amendment to the Foreign Operations appropriations bill to cut funding for the school!
Click here to send an email and fax to your Representative Email
(Be sure to click the "Send a Fax" box to have the fax sent).
Call-in Days to Close the SOA/WHINSEC
Monday, June 18 - Wednesday, June 20:
Call Congress at 202-224-3121.
Ask to speak with the foreign affairs legislative assistant. Here is a suggested message for you to convey: