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From: U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation
"We aim to change those U.S. policies that both sustain Israel's
39-year occupation of the Palestinian West Bank, Gaza, and
East Jerusalem, and deny equal rights for all."
Call Now-Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act in House Today
The US Campaign has just learned that the House of Representatives
will vote today on S.2370,
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_cong_bills&docid=f:s2370es.txt.pdf
the Senate version of the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act.

The Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act imposes draconian economic
and diplomatic sanctions against the Palestinian people for exercising
their right to vote in legislative elections earlier this year.

Call the House Switchboard NOW at 202-224-3121 or get contact
info for your Representative by visiting:
http://www.house.gov/

Tell your Representative to vote NO today on the Palestinian
Anti-Terrorism Act.

BACKGROUND: On May 23, the House passed a harsher version
of the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act, H.R.4681. The Senate
then passed its own version of the bill-S.2370--one month
later on June 23.

Since then, the bill has been stalled. A bill passed with different
versions in the House and Senate must be reconciled by conference
before it can be sent to the President for signature into law.

Instead of reconciling the bills in conference, the House will
instead vote today to pass the Senate version of the bill so that
it can be sent to the President for signature into law before the
109th Congress recesses.

You can help prevent this bill from becoming law by calling
the House Switchboard NOW at 202-224-3121 or get contact
info for your Representative by visiting:
http://www.house.gov/

Tell your Representative to vote NO today on the Palestinian Anti-
Terrorism Act.

Earlier this year, the US Campaign mobilized more than
340 US-based organizations against the Palestinian
Anti-Terrorism Act.

Visit here:
http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=1188
for more details and talking points on the bill.

The proceedings of the House can be viewed live on CSPAN.
US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation
PO Box 21539 Washington , DC 20009 202-332-0994
http://www.endtheoccupation.org

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TONIGHT!
JROTC WILL GO "POTLUCK" CELEBRATION!
CELEBRATE WITH BAY AREA UNITED AGAINST WAR
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2006, 7 P.M.
COMPANEROS DEL BARRIO (First floor, to the left and all the
way back to the children's center.)
474 VALENCIA STREET
SAN FRANCISCO, NEAR 16TH STREET

Bring some food to share and let's celebrate a tremendous victory
in ridding our schools of JROTC. Let's put our heads together
and brainstorm:

--community involvement in alternative programs
--continued counter-recruitment activity in the schools
--repealing the No Child Left Behind Act up
for reauthorization in Congress in 2007
--other school, student, parent and community needs
--organizing antiwar work in the schools and the community

and any other ideas you have for future action. Any plans already
under way?

Clarification of who we are now:

We will also discuss BAUAW itself. BAUAW, when first organized,
was a viable coalition with meetings of 60 to 100 people on
a weekly basis. BAUAW was responsible for the unity agreement
that was made before the Iraq war began for the massive February 16,
2003 action that took place in San Francisco with over 500,000
people in attendance as part of the "World Says No to War"
international days of protests on February 15/16, 2003, across
the globe. That unity agreement and the formation of the
"liaison committee" united all the major antiwar groups
in the Bay Area which lead to the tremendous success of
February 16, 2003 here.

Immediately after that action and when the war finally began,
our attendance began to dwindle and the alliances that were made
behind the Feb. 15/16 demonstrations crumbled to the state we
are in today, with two major demonstrations called on the
fourth anniversary of the war, March 17, 2007. One by UFPJ and one
called by ANSWER and both poised for action in Washington, DC
in competition with each other.

BAUAW attendance has dwindled to a small handful of people
and, while we have played a very important role in the past--and today,
even as small as we are, played an especially important role
in the counter-recruitment and anti-JROTC movement that led
to this great victory of ridding our schools of JROTC--we can
hardly call ourselves an organization.

We are really little more than our newsletter and our website
and a tiny group of die-hards with like minds. I have been web-master and
newsletter moderator and will continue with this as long as people
are interested in receiving the newsletter and continue to view
the website.

The newsletter has a list of over 450 groups and individuals in the Bay
Area who regularly receive it so it is a very useful tool to disseminate
information. Our website gets at least 700 visits a day and over
2200 "hits" a day. Our yearly total for visits is over 206,716.

We plan on continuing to advocate for unity within the movement
by keeping these two tools up and running but we
want to be clear about who and what we are.

We are open for discussion and suggestions at the meeting about
these comments as well as a celebration of our work well done.

Please join our celebration.

Everyone welcome--please circulate

In solidarity,

Bonnie Weinstein,

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Rumsfeld is Gone: Time to Bring All the Troops Home from Iraq Now!
Anti-War Organizing Meeting
Saturday, December 9, 5pm
Haymarket Library Meeting Room
110 Capp Street
San Francisco

Dear Activists,
Please read below to find an invitation to an anti-war organizing
meeting this weekend. If you can attend or would like to sign on as an
endorser, please let Snehal know (the instructions are at the end of
the letter). Also, please forward this to any individuals or
listserves you know who might be interested in participating. Finally,
let me know what you think about this idea. Hope to see you soon.

In Solidarity,
Todd Chretien

++++++++++++

Rumsfeld is Gone: Time to Bring All the Troops Home from Iraq Now!

Anti-War Organizing Meeting
Saturday, December 9, 5pm
Haymarket Library Meeting Room
110 Capp Street
San Francisco

We, the undersigned, are asking you to attend an urgent organizing
meeting to discuss the potential of planning an anti-war demonstration
on January 27 in San Francisco. On that day, hundreds of thousands of
people will march outside Congress and the White House in Washington,
D.C. to demand an end to the war in Iraq. The Bay Area’s voice must be
heard in solidarity. Some of us voted for the Democrats, some voted
for the Greens or Peace and Freedom parties, some didn’t vote at all,
but we all agree that we cannot put our faith in the politicians to
bring our troops home now. We owe it to the Iraqi people and to the
American troops in Iraq to rebuild the anti-war movement, and to do it
now.

One of the biggest obstacles facing the anti-war movement was the sense
that Bush was invincible and that protesting didn’t matter. In San
Francisco, hundreds of thousands of people marched on February 16, 2003
to try to prevent the war. Most of them are more opposed to the
occupation now than they were back then, but most of their opposition
has been passive. It’s time to appeal to them to come back to the
streets. We have to take advantage of the new expectations and the new
hope that millions are drawing from watching Rumsfeld pack his bags and
see Bush get a “thumping,” as he put it.

We do not have to agree on everything. This organizing meeting will be
open to everyone who agrees that: Rumsfeld is Gone: Time to Bring the
Troops Home from Iraq Now! Other demands, such as End the Occupation
in Afghanistan, Free Palestine/End Aid to Israel, No Sanctions against
Iran, Defend Arab and Muslims from Racist Attacks, US Out of the Middle
East and others can be discussed and decided upon by the group as a
whole at the meeting.

Please spread the word far and wide and attend this important meeting.
Bring your friends and family. You don’t have to have experience to
participate. You don’t have to live in San Francisco. You don’t have
to know everything about the Middle East! You just have to want to end
the war and do something about it. The meeting will be:

Saturday, December 9, 5pm
Haymarket Library Meeting Room
110 Capp Street
San Francisco

Signed,

Kristin Anderson, Campus Anti-War Network*, National Coordinating
Committee member
Carlos Villareal, Executive Director, San Francisco National Lawyers
Guild*
Husam Zakharia, Students for Justice in Palestine*, UC Berkeley chapter
Renee Saucedo, San Francisco Day Laborers’ Program*, Director
Ramsey El-Quare, General Union of Palestine Students*, San Francisco
State chapter
Snehal Shinghavi, International Socialist Organization*
Krissy Keefer, San Francisco Dance Brigade*
Alexander Van Dempsey, treasurer, Students Against War*, SFSU
*All organizations are for ID purposes only
To add your name or organization to this invitation letter or let us
know you’re coming, please email snehal100@hotmail.com
BLOCKED::mailto:snehal100@hotmail.com
or call 510-484-5242.

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A.N.S.W.E.R. DINNER WITH FIDEL
Saturday, December 9, 2006
6:00 pm Dinner and Program/7:30 pm Film showing
A benefit for the Cuban Five freedom struggle on the fifth anniversary
of their sentencing with an update on the case of the Cuban Five
political prisoners held in U.S. jails; readings from the heroic Five's
speeches at the sentencing (allocutions); update on Mumia Abu-
Jamal's struggle for freedom; buffet dinner and film showing:
FIDEL
A film by Estela Bravo, 91 minutes, 2001
Award-winning documentary spanning 40 years of the Cuban
Revolution and the life and work of Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
$10-50 donation
Women's Building
3543-18th Street, San Francisco
Reserve seats now:
http://freethefive.org/rsvp.htm
Sponsor: National Committee to Free the Cuban Five
For more info, call 415-821-6545 or visit:
http://www.freethefive.org/
If you would like to make a donation go to:
https://ssl23.chi.us.securedata.net/freethefive.org/merchantmanager/index.php?cPath=1

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FYI:

A Power Governments Cannot Suppress
by Howard Zinn
Published by City Lights Books | Available now

296 pages | ISBN: 0-87286-475-7 | www.citylights.com

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A NEW LOOK AT U.S. RADIOACTIVE WEAPONS
Join us in a campaign to expose and stop the use of these illegal weapons
http://poisondust.org/

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Oaxaca under attack:
APPO had planned a peaceful rally surrounding the city center where the
police are, but a PRI provocation has led to tear gas and broader
fighting initiated by the police.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/oaxacastudyactiongroup/messages

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URGENT APPEAL TO SAVE IRAQ'S ACADEMICS.
Call for action to save Iraq's Academics
A little known aspect of the tragedy engulfing Iraq is the systematic
liquidation of the country's academics. Even according to conservative
estimates, over 250 educators have been assassinated, and many
hundreds more have disappeared. With thousands fleeing the country
in fear for their lives, not only is Iraq undergoing a major brain drain,
the secular middle class - which has refused to be co-opted by the
US occupation - is being decimated, with far-reaching consequences
for the future of Iraq.
http://www.brussellstribunal.org/

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Condi and George W. are A Love Story
http://www.blackagendareport.com/

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END ALL U.S. AID TO ISRAEL!
Stop funding Israel's war against Palestine
Complete the form at the website listed below with your information.
https://secure2.convio.net/pep/site/Advocacy?
JServSessionIdr003=cga2p2o6x1.app2a&cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=177

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ENDORSE THE A.N.S.W.E.R. CALL TO ACTION
March 17-18, 2007
GLOBAL DAYS OF ACTION ON THE
4TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WAR!
http://answer.pephost.org/site/Survey?
SURVEY_ID=3400&ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&JServSessionIdr011=
k7a3443r73.app8a

http://answer.pephost.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ANS_homepage

Please circulate widely
www.answercoalition.org

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"Punk Ass Crusade" antiwar Flash music video featuring new
music by The Coup
http://punkasscrusade.cf.huffingtonpost.com/

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Rights activist held in Oaxaca prison
Three students arrested and held incommunicado in Oaxaca
http://nyc.indymedia.org/en/2006/11/80142.html

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TAX THE RICH! FEED THE POOR! MONEY FOR HUMAN NEEDS, NOT WAR!
www.bauaw.org
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!VIVA FIDEL! LONG LIVE FIDEL! LONG LIVE THE CUBAN REVOLUTION!
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SCROLL DOWN TO READ:
EVENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
ARTICLES IN FULL
LINKS AND VERY SHORT STORIES

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EVENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
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please circulate:

Leonard Peltier Court Hearing December 7, 2006
From: abeltranjurisdr @ aol.com
Subject: Dec 7th Peltier argument Second Circuit, Manhattan
Date: Nov 30, 2006 12:24 PM
To: Leonard Peltier Supporters

From: Leonard Peltier Defense Committee
Subject: Court hearing on December 7, 2006

Location: U.S. Court of Appeals 500 Pearl Street, 9th Floor,
Ceremonial Courtroom, Manhattan.

On December 7, 2006 at 10:00 a.m., Buffalo attorney Michael Kuzma will
be arguing before a three judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals
for the Second Circuit for the full release of all documents maintained
by the Buffalo field office of the FBI relating to Leonard Peltier and RESMURS.

As a result of this lawsuit, and a similar case brought against the FBI in
Minnesota under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), we have learned
that the *FBI actually possesses 142,579 pages* of material pertaining
to Leonard Peltier and RESMURS. Although these documents are over
30 years old, the Government continues to block release of this
information on the basis that disclosure would, among other things,
hamper the "war on transnational terrorism" and reveal the identities
of confidential sources.

Come out on December 7, 2006 to show your solidarity and support
in our struggle to pry loose these secret FBI files and, in the process,
come one step closer to liberating Leonard from federal prison!

Thank you,

Leonard Peltier Defense Committee
http://www.leonardpeltier.net/

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Protest unionbusting Hornblower
Next Saturday morning, December 9, 10:00 A.M.,
there will be another show of public support at the
picket line at Pier 33, SF.

From: gata@infinex.com [mailto:gata@infinex.com]
Sent: Monday, December 04, 2006 10:38 AM
To: perryadams@clearchannel.com; bobagnew@clearchannel.com
Subject: Letter to Quake Radio re Hornblower ads

Kudos for bringing back Mike Malloy, and for allowing Bob Linden to buy
airtime. Those two shows are the only reason I tune to your station anymore.
(If you were to bring back Marc Maron, I'd listen to that too). Shame on
you, though, for taking money from unionbusting Hornblower, who are defying
a federal court order to abide by the MMP/IBU's Service Contract negotiated
with Hornblower's predecessor.
See today's Chronicle story:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/12/04/

Next Saturday morning there will be another show of public support at the
picket line at Pier 33 at 10am (Dec. 9). Will you send someone from your
news dep't. to cover it? Have you already, or will you interview IBU
regional director Marina Secchitano about what Hornblower's refusal to abide
by the Contract means to those workers?
I urge you not to take anymore advertising from Hornblower, until they agree
to abide by the Contract completely.
I also am appalled that you carry advertising from Working Assets, who have
participated in a smear campaign against Cynthia McKinney, by publishing an
attack article on her from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution by a rightwing
writer. After years of service with WA, I cancelled my account, and have
urged all my friends to do the same. I'm also urging them to write to you
and to not listen to your station anymore until you stop carrying Hornblower
ads.

I am sending this letter to my contacts and asking them to write and call
the station (advertising director Perry Adams: 415.972.1119; comments line
415.273.5754).

Janice Rothstein
AFSCME 3299; SF Chapter California Peace and Freedom Party

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Please forward widely:

Join military resisters, their families, veterans and concerned
community members taking public action!

National Days of Action to:
SUPPORT GI RESISTANCE & GI RIGHTS
END WAR & EMPIRE

RALLY & PROCESSION
SAT DEC. 9, 1pm

War Memorial Veterans Building
401 Van Ness Ave at McAllister St
(Civic Center BART)

Featuring:
Iraq War Resisters:
Darrell Anderson, Iraq War Veteran and War Resister
Kyle Snyder, AWOL Iraq Veteran and War Resister
Anita Dennis, mother of Darrell Anderson
Bob Watada & Rosa Sakanishi, father and stepmother of Lt. Ehren Watada
Jeff Paterson, Gulf War 1 Marine resister
Also joining us will be members of IVAW and their cross-country bus!
more TBA

Plus:
Performance and word by:
Local High School Student activists with AWE Youth Action Team

Also join us earlier for a

PUBLIC FORUM 11am:
GI Rights, GI Resistance and Ending the War
War Memorial Veterans Building
401 Van Ness Ave at McAllister St
(Civic Center BART)

In-depth stories and discussion with:
Maxine Hong Kingston, author,poet and co-author of
the new book, "Veterans of War, Veterans of Peace"
Darrell Anderson, Iraq War Veteran and War Resister
Anita Dennis, mother of Darrell Anderson
Kyle Snyder, AWOL Iraq Veteran and War Resister
Bob Watada & Rosa Sakanishi, father and stepmother of Lt. Ehren Watada
more TBA!

It's time for us to escalate public pressure and action in support of
the growing movement of thousands of courageous men and women GI's who have
in many different ways followed the their conscience, upholding
international law, taking a principled stand against unjust, illegal war and
occupation and stood up for their rights. Widespread public support and pressure
will help create true support for courageous troops facing isolation and
repression, and help protect their civil liberties and human rights. We
call for the following: 1) Support for War Objectors 2) Protect the
Right to Conscientious Objection 3) Protect the Liberties & Human Rights of
GI's 4) Sanctuary for War Objectors.

Your participation in these days of action—and beyond-- is crucial to
realizing these goals: together, we do have the power to end this war
and prevent the next one. As the antiwar movement builds its support for
these brave people and their important actions, we hope more will take a
stand if we show them they won't be alone.

Sponsored by: Courage to Resist, Watada Support Group (San Francisco),
Veterans for Peace-Chapter 69, AWE Youth Action Team

Days of Action Sponsored by (partial list):
Iraq Veterans Against the War, War Resisters Support Campaign (Canada),
Gold Star Families for Peace, and the Central Commitee for
Conscientious Objectors

Other Bay Area Events:

Fri Dec 8, 7:30pm:
College of Marin, Student Center
College Avenue, Kentfield, California, $5-10
Iraq Combat Veteran, turned war resister, Darrell Anderson
Plus segments of the new film "The Ground Truth"
Sponsored by Courage to Resist; College of Marin, Students for Social
Responsibility; and Marin Peace & Justice Coalition
Info: green-girl@comcast.net 415-454-5470 http://www.mpjc.org
Campus map: http://www.marin.cc.ca.us/com/files/COM-MAP06.pdf

Fri Dec 8, 7:30pm:
Buena Vista United Methodist Church
2311 Buena Vista Ave., Alameda, CA 94501
7:30 Film, "The Ground Truth"
8:30 Panel, Rev. Michael Yoshii moderator, with Bob Watada and Rosa
Sakanishi

Sat Dec 9, NOON - 4pm:
San Jose
Peace Vigil to Support Lt. Watada!
Gather in front of MLK, Jr. Library
150 E. San Fernando St.
San Jose, CA
Sponsors: South Bay Mobilization, UFPJ in San Jose

For more info about the "National Days of Action to Support GI
Resistance and GI Rights" and an updated list of participating events nationwide
visit: http://www.CouragetoResist.org or contact: courage@riseup.net

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"Ode to Joy and Struggle"
Event for Lynne Stewart and co-defendants
Saturday, December 9th ,
6:30 or 7:00 pm [I'm looking into that. -t.]
Judson Memorial Church
55 Washington Square South
From: PatLevasseurP @ aol.com
Subject: Govt. seeking authorization to appeal Lynne Stewart‚s
sentence
Govt. seeking authorization from Solicitor General to appeal
Lynne Stewart's sentence (and that of her co-defendants)

Hello All,

I am writing to update you on that status of Lynne Stewart's
case after her sentencing on October 16th. While we were all
relieved that Lynne did not get 30 years, the Government has
announced that it has gone to the Solicitor General of the
United States Justice Department for authorization to appeal
her sentence and that of her co-defendants. They are not
challenging the bail pending appeal but state that they will
only agree to one 30 day adjournment of the filing of the
appeal because they want everyone serving their sentences
as soon as possible. What does all this mean for Lynne?
Lynne's attorneys are not surprised that the government wants
to appeal her sentence. Although sentences are not usually
appealed it does happen and case law in the 2nd Circuit
which governs Lynne's case shows that although rare, when
a sentence is appealed and the Circuit sends the case back
for resentencing the result is a far longer sentence. We are
hopeful that Judge Koeltl‚s meticulous sentencing decision
will carry the day but we have no guarantees and must
continue our vigilance in the face of this latest move
by the government. Of course Lynne's attorneys
will be filing the appeal of her conviction within the year.

Remember to save the date and join us in an
"Ode to Joy and Struggle
December 9th 6:30 to ?

The evening will be held at the beautifully renovated Judson
Memorial Church, 55 Washington Square South
(near Thompson St.) in the West Village, New York City.
The event is mostly one of joy but of course the struggle
continues. We will also be commemorating Mumia Abu Jamal's
25 years behind bars and to that end we will hear from:

Lynne Stewart - her case and current legal status

Pam Africa
Chair of International Concerned Family
and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit is currently
determining whether Abu-Jamal will be granted a new trial
or sent back to death row, which is the district attorney's
preference. Speaking about this at our event is Pam Africa,
who will be joining us after the annual rally in Philadelphia,
which recognizes the day Mumia Abu Jamal was shot and framed.

and

Robert Meeropol
Executive Director, Rosenberg Fund for Children

ABOUT ROBERT MEEROPOL

Robert Meeropol is the founder and Executive Director of the
Rosenberg Fund for Children (RFC). For the last 30 years he
has been an activist, writer and public speaker. He has
successfully sued the federal government and through the
RFC, has assisted hundreds of children whose parents also
have been attacked for their social activism. Robert is also
the author of AN EXECUTION IN THE FAMILY (now available
in paperback from St. Martin's Press.) This political memoir
chronicles Meeropol's journey from childhood victim of
McCarthy-era repression; to 1960's militant activist; to politically
engaged parent and law student; to founder and leader of the
Rosenberg Fund for Children. ODE TO JOY AND STRUGGLE

Join Lynne Stewart and the Lynne Stewart Defense Committee in

THANKING YOU !

for your support over these last 4+ years
and uniting for the struggle ahead

Saturday, December 9th , 7pm till .......
Judson Memorial Church
55 Washington Square South
New York, NY

Speakers:

Lynne Stewart
Pam Africa, International Concerned
Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal
Robert Meeropol. Executive Director,
Rosenberg Fund for Children

Music by:

Selah Eric Spruiell and The Fort Greene Project
Urbano Sanchez, Latin Jazz
Professor Louie and Fast Eddy
Professor Irwin Corey and Randy Credico
and MUCH more
(comedy, Latin jazz, rap)

Great Food & Drink provided

Judson Memorial Church resides on the southern edge
of Washington Square Park between Thompson
and Sullivan Streets. Accessible by subway.

Trains: A, C, E, F to West 4th; R to 8th St.; 1 to
Christopher St.-Sheridan Sq.

Mobility Handicapped please enter through
Thompson Street entrance.

Lynne Stewart Defense Committee
350 Broadway, Suite 700
New York, NY 10013
212-625-9696
www.lynnestewart.org

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12/16 Solidarity Sleigh To Support UAW364 Conn Selmer Elkhart,
Indiana Strikers
Solidarity Sleigh On Beethoven's Birthday
Good Union brothers, sisters and concerned activists,
UAW Local 364 has been on strike for eight months.
LET'S JOIN TOGETHER TO BRING SOLIDARITY SUPPORT TO ELKHART!!

Join Solidarity Caravan!!!

WHEN

SATURDAY DECEMBER 16TH 2006 1:00 P.M. TO 4:00 P.M.

WHERE

North Side Church of the Nazarene
Fellowship Hall
53569 County Rd. 7
ELKHART, IN. 46514


Members have worked together in unprecidented ways
to galvanize support for our brothers and sisters. Join
together for an old fashioned Solidarity revival that made
the Union strong. Sponsors have contributed to purchase
gifts for the children. Bring support for food bank,
contributions, etc. or just bring a heart filled with
Solidarity and Holiday cheer!!!!

UAW Local 364 struggle information
http://www.soldiersofsolidarity.com/files/relatednewsandreports/MakeMusicWithSolidarityCaravanOn1216.html

Make Music With
Solidarity Caravan On 12/16 to Elkhart, Indiana To Support
UAW364 Conn-Selmer Strikers
"They'll Never Break Us Down"

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The 230 members and their families of UAW 364 of Conn-Selmer's
Vincent Bach musical instrument factory in Elkhart, Indiana
have been on strike for over 7 months. It is time to rally to their
support and help them with food, funds and solidarity.

On Saturday December 16, 2006 there will be caravans
from throughout the mid-west going to Elkhart, Indiana
to join the picket line and rally for their struggle.

Picketing will take place before 3:00 PM when a rally
will be held.

Collections are being taken to purchase toys for the kids
so they can have a happy holiday and efforts are also being
made to expand the struggle to all musicians in the US
and internationally. Please contact the AFM musicians
union in your area and ask that they boycott all Steinway Inc.
products until the striking workers return to their jobs and
the 120 scabs are removed from the plant. You can also call
these phone numbers and ask why this union busting
company continues to seek to break the union with scabs.
It has also been reported that the Sheriff is now using
prisoners to do the work of some of the strikers.
Contact: GOT QUESTIONS CALL DENEEN SEIGLER 574-389-8391
OR ROB WILSON 309-224-7840
E-MAIL ME AT soldier4him2003@yahoo.com
BRING FRIENDS

Steinway Inc has total sales of $375 million a year and is the
largest seller of professional trumpets and horns in the world.
Steinway PI Long IL, NY 718-721-2600
Steinway Piano 305-774-9878
Steinway, DM News 212-344-8759
Steinway and Sons 617-426-1900
Owner Messina Irish Stock

Send Contributions of food or money to the Food Bank at

Food 4 Strikers
58558 Ardmore Dr.
Elkhart, IN 46517

Endorsed by UAW364 Strike Support Committee, Labor Action
Coalition and other unionists.

Bach says it'll keep substitutes--South Bend Tribune

Bach Strike: Real Marketplace Facts

Bach workers picket outside courthouse after judge's
ruling--South Bend Tribune

Bach plant gets order restraining strikers--South
Bend Tribune

Striking union members in Elkhart reject 'last, best
offer'--Bach workers will stay on strike into 7th month
--SouthBend Tribune

Steinway LABOR CONTRACTS TO EXPIRE

Phone- a- con for Solidarity

6 months later, still on strike at UAW Local 364
--South Bend Tribune

Labor activists to picket Bach--Chance encounter
bringing LAWS founder to Elkhart. UAW Local 364

Thanks from UAW Local 364

On Strike at Local 364--Steinway is trying to take our
horns to China--Deneen Seigler

Phone- a- con for Solidarity

Workers of UAW Local 364 in Elkhart Indiana have been
on strike for seven months. There is no information about
this strike on the UAW web site but the company's product
is advertised on the International Web Site. Conn-Selmer
is the parent company of Steinway where these workers
make musical instruments. There has been no gate
collections to assist these workers no food banking,
the most basic of survival skills for striking workers.
There are 230 workers on strike they ask us to call
these numbers at let them know we support them.


UAW Local Officers UAW 364
313-962-5000 Jerry Stayton
574-536-1364
AFLCIO
317-632-9147 Bill Buzzard
574-266-5945
UAW Officers Region #3
Connie Thurman- CAP Bob Allen
317-547-0614 574-295-4266

Mo Davison - Director
317-547-0614

Brenda Upchurch
317-547-0614

*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*

Drums Across America for Peace
December 16, 2006 simultaneously across
the country at 11:00 to 11:30 A.M. PST
For More Information contact:
Marilyn Sjaastad
541-344-8088
Jade Screen Clinic

*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*

LYNNE STEWART AND MICHAEL RATNER IN BAY AREA
FEBRUARY 23-25 (Lynne and her husband Ralph will
stay on several more days. Stay tuned for complete
schedule of events.)
Dear Friends of Lynne Stewart,
I am pleased to announce that Lynne Stewart and Michael Ratner have
just accepted our invitation to tour the Bay Area. The confirmed
dates are February 23-25, 2007. Lynne, accompanied by her husband
Ralph Poynter, will stay on several more days for additional meetings.
In solidarity,
Jeff Mackler,
West Coast Coordinator, Lynne Stewart Defense Committee
Co-Coordinator, Mobilization to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal
O: 415-255-1080
Cell: 510-387-7714
H: 510-268-9429

*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*

ACT NOW TO END THE WAR!
SATURDAY JANUARY 27, 2007
Washington, D.C.
VOLUNTEER Live in NYC or DC? We need your help
before and during the protest. Call 212-868-5545
STAYINFORMED Visit www.unitedforpeace.org for
updated information and to sign up for our action alerts
DONATE Whether you can contribute $10, $100, or
$1000, we need your support to help end the war!
Call 212-866-5545 or visit www.unitedforpeace.org/donate
Join us for a massive
march on Washington
to tell the new Congress:
unitedforpeace&justice
www.unitedforpeace.org (212)868-5545
On Election Day the voters delivered a dramatic,
unmistakable mandate for peace. Now it's time for action.
On Jan. 27, 2007, help send a strong, clear message to
Congress and the Bush Administration:
Bring the troops home now!

UFPJ calls for march on DC Sat, Jan. 27, local
actions on March 17
www.unitedforpeace. org
212-868-5545
Please forward widely!
Tell the New Congress:
Act NOW to Bring the Troops Home!
Join United for Peace and Justice in a massive march on Washington ,
D.C. , on Sat., January 27, to call on Congress to take immediate
action to end the war.
On Election Day the voters delivered a dramatic, unmistakable mandate
for peace. Now it's time for action. On January 27, 2007, we will
converge from all around the country in Washington , D.C. to send a
strong, clear message to Congress and the Bush Administration: The
people of this country want the war and occupation in Iraq to end and
we want the troops brought home now!
Congress has the power to end this war through legislation. We call on
people from every congressional district in the country to gather in
Washington, DC -- to express support for those members of Congress who
are prepared to take immediate action against the war; to pressure
those who are hesitant to act; and to speak out against those who
remain tied to a failed policy.
The peace and justice movement helped make ending the war in Iraq the
primary issue in this last election. The actions we take do make a
difference, and now there is a new opportunity for us to move our work
forward. On Election Day people took individual action by voting. On
January 27 we will take collective action, as we march in Washington ,
DC , to make sure Congress understands the urgency of this moment.
Join United for Peace and Justice in this crucial push for peace!
1) Make a donation right now to support the January 27 mobilization and
help give us the funds we need to make this a truly massive outpouring
for peace.
2) Pass this email along to everyone you know, post it on blogs and
websites -- do everything you can to help us get the word out about
January 27th.
3) Make sure your organization endorses the January 27th mobilization.
Click here to add your endorsement.
4) Start making plans to bring people from your congressional district
to Washington on January 27. We will soon have a form on our website,
where you or your group can sign up to be the coordinator for people
coming to DC from your area, so you can meet up, coordinate
transportation, housing, etc.
5) Keep checking the UFPJ website for more details in the coming weeks!
You might have also heard that United for Peace and Justice was calling
for a demonstration in Washington to commemorate the 4th anniversary of
the war in Iraq on March 17. Because of the new developments and our
decision to organize the January 27th mobilization, we are now calling
for local and regional antiwar actions that weekend instead. We will
soon be issuing more information about the plans for the 4th
anniversary.
Help us continue to do this critical work: Make a donation to UFPJ
today.
ACTION ALERT * UNITED FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE
www.unitedforpeace. org | 212-868-5545
To subscribe, visit www.unitedforpeace. org/email

*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*

MARCH 17, 2007 GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION ON THE 4TH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE WAR!
DEMONSTRATIONS IN WASHINGTON, D.C.; LOS ANGELES;
SAN FRANCISCO; SEATTLE; CHICAGO AND OTHER CITIES AND
TOWNS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND THE WORLD. THE
A.N.S.W.E.R. COALITION URGES EVERYONE IN THE ANTIWAR
MOVEMENT TO COME TOGETHER IN UNITY AGAINST THE
CRIMINAL ACTIONS OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT
http://www.pephost. org/site/ PageServer? pagename= ANS_homepage

---------*-- -------*- --------* --------- *-------- -*------- -

May Day 2007
National Mobilization to Support Immigrant Workers!
Web: http://www.MayDay2007.net
National Immigrant Solidarity Network
No Immigrant Bashing! Support Immigrant Rights!
webpage: http://www.ImmigrantSolidarity.org
e-mail: info@ImmigrantSolidarity.org
New York: (212)330-8172
Los Angeles: (213)403-0131
Washington D.C.: (202)595-8990

---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*

My Name is Roland Sheppard
This Is My `Blog'
I am is a retired Business Representative of Painters District
Council #8 in San Francisco. I have been a life long social activist
and socialist. Roland Sheppard is a retired Business Representative
of Painters District Council #8 in San Francisco. I have been
a life long social activist and socialist.
Prior to my being elected as a union official, I had worked
for 31 years as a house painter and have been a lifelong socialist.
I have led a unique life. In my retire age, I am interested in writing
about my experiences as a socialist, as a participant in the Black
Liberation Movement, the Union Movement, and almost all social
movements.
I became especially interested in the environment when I was
diagnosed with cancer due to my work environment. I learned
how to write essays, when I first got a computer in order to put
together all the medical legal arguments on my breakthrough
workers' compensation case in California, proving that my work
environment as a painter had caused my cancer. After a five-year
struggle, I won a $300,000 settlement on his case.
The following essays are based upon my involvement in the
struggle for freedom for all humanity. I hope the history
of my life's experiences will help future generations
of Freedom Fighters.
For this purpose, this website is dedicated.
web.mac.com/rolandgarret/iWeb/Site/RolandSheppardsBlog.html

*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*

The Corporate Looting of the Gulf Coast
Robin Hood in Reverse
http://www.counterpunch.org/quigley11132006.html
More Info:
www.justiceforneworleans.org
For a detailed report:
Big, Easy Money: Disaster Profiteering on the American Gulf Coast
by Rita J. King, Special to CorpWatch
August 15th, 2006
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=14004

*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*

TAX FACT SHEET
http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/901006_taxpolicy.pdf

*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*

Communist Manifesto illustrated by Disney [and other cartoons) with
words by K. Marx and F. Engels--absolutely wonderful!...bw]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1oGIffyVVk&NR

*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*

Asylum Street Spankers-Magnetic Yellow Ribbon
http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=bfMgRHRJ- tc

*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*

Homer Simpson Joins the Army
Another morale-booster from Groening and company. [If you get
a chance to see the whole thing, it's worth it...bw]
http://hotair.com/archives/2006/11/12/video-the-simpsons-salute-the-lazy-and
-uneducated/

*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*

A Look at the Numbers: How the Rich Get Richer
Clara Jeffery (May/June 2006 Issue
IN 1985, THE FORBES 400 were worth $221 billion combined.
Today, they re worth $1.13 trillion more than the GDP of Canada.
THERE'VE BEEN FEW new additions to the Forbes 400.
The median household income
has also stagnated at around $44,000.
AMONG THE FORBES 400 who gave to a 2004 presidential
campaign, 72% gave to Bush.
IN 2005, there were 9 million American millionaires,
a 62% increase since 2002.
IN 2005, 25.7 million Americans received food stamps,
a 49% increase since 2000.
ONLY ESTATES worth more than $1.5 million are taxed.
That's less than 1% of all estates
http://www.motherjones.com/cgi-bin/print_article.pl?url=http://www.motherjon
es.com/news/exhibit/2006/05/perks_of_privilege.html

---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*

Do You Want to Stop PREVENT War with Iran?

Dear Friend,

Every day, pundits and military experts debate on TV when, how and where
war with Iran will occur. Can the nuclear program be destroyed? Will the
Iranian government retaliate in Iraq or use the oil weapon? Will it take
three or five days of bombing? Will the US bomb Iran with "tactical"
nuclear weapons?

Few discuss the human suffering that yet another war in the Middle East
will bring about. Few discuss the thousands and thousands of innocent
Iranian and American lives that will be lost. Few think ahead and ask
themselves what war will do to the cause of democracy in Iran or to
America's global standing.

Some dismiss the entire discussion and choose to believe that war simply
cannot happen. The US is overstretched, the task is too difficult, and
the world is against it, they say.

They are probably right, but these factors don't make war unlikely. They
just make a successful war unlikely.

At the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), we are not going to
wait and see what happens.

We are actively working to stop the war and we need your help!

Working with a coalition of peace and security organizations in
Washington DC, NIAC is adding a crucial dimension to this debate - the
voice of the Iranian-American community.

Through our US-Iran Media Resource Program
http://niacouncil.c.topica.com/maafjioabumkFbIfQs8eafpLV5/
http://niacouncil.c.topica.com/maafjioabumkFbIfQs8eafpLV5/ , we help
the media ask the right questions and bring attention to the human side
of this issue.

Through the LegWatch program

http://niacouncil.c.topica.com/maafjioabummRbIfQs8eafpLV5/
http://niacouncil.c.topica.com/maafjioabummRbIfQs8eafpLV5/ ,

we are building opposition to the war on Capitol Hill. We spell out the
likely
consequences of war and the concerns of the Iranian-American community
on Hill panels

http://niacouncil.c.topica.com/maafjioabumkGbIfQs8eafpLV5/
http://niacouncil.c.topica.com/maafjioabumkGbIfQs8eafpLV5/

and in direct meetings with lawmakers. We recently helped more than a dozen
Members of Congress - both Republican and Democrats - send a strong
message against war to the White House

http://niacouncil.c.topica.com/maafjioabumkHbIfQs8eafpLV5/
http://niacouncil.c.topica.com/maafjioabumkHbIfQs8eafpLV5/

But more is needed, and we need your help!

If you don't wish to see Iran turn into yet another Iraq, please make a
contribution online or send in a check to:

NIAC
2801 M St NW
Washington DC 20007

Make the check out to NIAC and mark it "NO WAR."

ALL donations are welcome, both big and small. And just so you know,
your donations make a huge difference. Before you leave the office
today, please make a contribution to stop the war.

Sincerely,
Trita Parsi
President of NIAC

U.S. Labor Against the War (USLAW)

www.uslaboragainstwar.org
http://www.uslaboragainstwar.org/
Email: info@uslaboragainstwar.org

PMB 153
1718 "M" Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20036
Voicemail: 202/521-5265

Co-convenors: Gene Bruskin, Maria Guillen, Fred Mason,
Bob Muehlenkamp, and Nancy Wohlforth
Michael Eisenscher, National Organizer & Website Coordinator
Virginia Rodino, Organizer
Adrienne Nicosia, Administrative Staff

---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*

Enforce the Roadless Rule for National Forests
Target: Michael Johanns, Secretary, USDA
Sponsor: Earthjustice
We, the Undersigned, endorse the following petition:
This past September, Earthjustice scored a huge victory for our roadless
national forests when a federal district court ordered the reinstatement
of the Roadless Rule.
The Roadless Rule protects roadless forest areas from road-building
and most logging. This is bad news for the timber, mining, and oil
& gas industries ... And so they're putting pressure on their friends
in the Bush Administration to challenge the victory.
Roadless area logging tends to target irreplaceable old growth forests.
Many of these majestic trees have stood for hundreds of years.
By targeting old-growth, the timber companies are destroying
natural treasures that cannot be replaced in our lifetime.
The future of nearly 50 million acres of wild, national forests
and grasslands hangs in the balance. Tell the secretary of the
USDA, Michael Johanns, to protect our roadless areas by enforcing
the Roadless Rule. The minute a road is cut through a forest, that
forest is precluded from being considered a "wilderness area," and
thus will not be covered by any of the Wilderness Area protections
afforded by Congress.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/112283692?z00m=6687205&z00m=668720
5<l=1162406255

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Mumia Abu-Jamal - Reply brief, U.S. Court of Appeals (Please Circulate)

Dear Friends:

On October 23, 2006, the Fourth-Step Reply Brief of Appellee and
Cross-Appellant, Mumia Abu-Jamal was submitted to the U.S. Court
of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Philadelphia. (Abu-Jamal v. Horn,
U.S. Ct. of Appeals Nos. 01-9014, 02-9001.)

Oral argument will likely be scheduled during the coming months.
I will advise when a hearing date is set.

The attached brief is of enormous consequence since it goes
to the essence of our client's right to a fair trial, due process
of law, and equal protection of the law, guaranteed by the Fifth,
Sixth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
The issues include:

Whether Mr. Abu-Jamal was denied the right to due process
of law and a fair trial because of the prosecutor's "appeal-after
-appeal" argument which encouraged the jury to disregard the
presumption of innocence and reasonable doubt, and err
on the side of guilt.

Whether the prosecution's exclusion of African Americans
from sitting on the jury violated Mr. Abu-Jamal's right
to due process and equal protection of the law,
in contravention of Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79 (1986).

Whether Mr. Abu-Jamal was denied due process and equal
protection of the law during a post-conviction hearing
because of the bias and racism of Judge Albert F. Sabo,
who was overheard during the trial commenting that
he was "going to help'em fry the nigger."

That the federal court is hearing issues which concern
Mr. Abu-Jamal's right to a fair trial is a great milestone
in this struggle for human rights. This is the first time
that any court has made a ruling in nearly a quarter
of a century that could lead to a new trial and freedom.
Nevertheless, our client remains on Pennsylvania's death
row and in great danger.

Mr. Abu-Jamal, the "voice of the voiceless," is a powerful
symbol in the international campaign against the death
penalty and for political prisoners everywhere. The goal
of Professor Judith L. Ritter, associate counsel, and
I is to see that the many wrongs which have occurred
in this case are righted, and that at the conclusion
of a new trial our client is freed.

Your concern is appreciated

With best wishes,

Robert R. Bryan

Law Offices of Robert R. Bryan
2088 Union Street, Suite 4
San Francisco, California 94123

Lead counsel for Mumia Abu-Jamal

---------*-- -------*- --------* --------- *---------*---------*

Antiwar Web Site Created by Troops
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
A small group of active-duty military members opposed to the war
have created a Web site intended to collect thousands of signatures
of other service members. People can submit their name, rank and
duty station if they support statements denouncing the American
invasion. "Staying in Iraq will not work and is not worth the price,"
the Web site, appealforredress.org, says. "It is time for U.S. troops
to come home." The electronic grievances will be passed along
to members of Congress, according to the Web site. Jonathan
Hutto, a Navy seaman based in Norfolk, Va., who set up the Web
site a month ago, said the group had collected 118 names and
was trying to verify that they were legitimate service members.
October 25, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/25/washington/25brfs-005.html

---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*

Judge Orders Release of Abu Ghraib Child Rape Photos
Submitted by davidswanson on Mon, 2006-10-23 20:54. Evidence
By Greg Mitchell, http://www.editorandpublisher.com
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/14864

---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*

Profound new assault on freedom of speech and assembly:
Manhattan: New Rules for Parade Permits
By AL BAKER
After recent court rulings found the Police Department's
parade regulations too vague, the department is moving
to require parade permits for groups of 10 or more
bicyclists or pedestrians who plan to travel more than
two city blocks without complying with traffic laws.
It is also pushing to require permits for groups of 30
or more bicyclists or pedestrians who obey traffic laws.
The new rules are expected to be unveiled in a public
notice today. The department will discuss them at
a hearing on Nov. 27. Norman Siegel, a lawyer whose
clients include bicyclists, said the new rules
"raise serious civil liberties issues."
October 18, 2006
http://www.nytimes. com/2006/ 10/18/nyregion/ 18mbrfs-002. html

---------*-- -------*- --------* --------- *-------- -*------- -

Soul-Sick Nation: An Astrologer's View of America
Jessica Murray
Format: Paperback (6x9)
ISBN 1425971253
Price: $ 13.95
About the Book
Astrology and geopolitics may seem strange bedfellows, but
Soul-Sick Nation puts the two together to provide a perspective
as extraordinary as the times we are living in. Using the principles
of ancient wisdom to make sense of the current global situation,
this book invites us to look at the USA from the biggest possible
picture: that of cosmic meaning. With a rare blend of compassion,
humor and fearless taboo-busting, Soul-Sick Nation reveals
America's noble potential without sentiment and diagnoses
its neuroses without delusion, shedding new light on troubling
issues that the pundits and culture wars inflame but leave
painfully unresolved: the WTC bombings, the war in Iraq,
Islamic jihad, media propaganda, consumerism and the
American Dream.
In her interpretation of the birth chart of the entity born
July 4, 1776, Murray offers an in-depth analysis of America's
essential destiny--uncovering , chapter by chapter, the greater
purpose motivating this group soul. She shows how this
purpose has been distorted, and how it can be re-embraced
in the decades to come. She decodes current astrological
transits that express the key themes the USA must learn
in this period of millennial crisis—including that of the
responsibility of power—spelling out the profound lessons
the nation will face in the next few years.
Combining the rigor of a political theorist with the vision
of a master astrologer, this keenly intelligent book elucidates
the meaning of an epoch in distress, and proposes a path
towards healing—of the country and of its individual citizens.
Murray explains how each of us can come to terms with this
moment in history and arrive at a response that is unique
and creative. This book will leave you revitalized, shorn
of illusions and full of hope.
About the Author
"Jessica Murray's Soul-Sick Nation raises the symbol-system
of astrology to the level of a finely-honed tool for the critical
work of social insight and commentary. Her unflinching,
in-depth analysis answers a crying need of our time. Murray's
application of laser beam-lucid common sense analysis
to the mire of illusions we've sunken into as a nation is
a courageous step in the right direction... Just breathtaking! "
--Raye Robertson, author of Culture, Media and the Collective Mind
" Jessica Murray,..a choice-centered, psychospiritually- oriented
astrologer.. . has quietly made a real difference in the lives of her
clients, one at a time. In "Soul Sick Nation," she applies exactly those
same skills to understanding America as a whole. Starting from
the premise that the United States is currently a troubled adolescent,
she applies an unflinching gaze to reach an ultimately compassionate
conclusion about how we can heal ourselves and grow up."
- Steven Forrest, author of The Inner Sky and The Changing Sky
http://www.authorho use.com/BookStor e/ItemDetail~ bookid~41780. aspx

---------*-- -------*- --------* --------- *-------- -*------- -

Shop for a Donation at Al-Awda!
Interested in furthering your knowledge about Palestine
and its people?
Want to help make the Palestinian Right to Return a reality?
Looking for ways to show your support for Palestine and
Palestinian refugees?
Why not shop for a donation at Al-Awda
http://al-awda. org/shop. html
and help support a great organization and cause!!
Al-Awda offers a variety of educational materials including interesting
and unique books on everything from oral histories, photo books
on Palestinian refugees, to autobiographies, narratives, political
analysis, and culture. We also have historical maps of Palestine
(in Arabic and English), educational films, flags of various sizes,
and colorful greeting cards created by Palestinian children.
You can also show your support for a Free Palestine, and wear with
pride, great looking T-shirts, pendants, and a variety of Palestine pins.
Shop for a Donation at Al-Awda!
Visit http://al-awda. org/shop. html for these great items, and more!
The Educational Supplies Division
Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition
PO Box 131352
Carlsbad, CA 92013, USA
Tel: 760-685-3243
Fax: 360-933-3568
E-mail: info@al-awda. org
WWW: http://al-awda. org
Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition (PRRC), is a broad-
based, non-partisan, democratic, and charitable organization of
grassroots activists and students committed to comprehensive public
education about the rights of all Palestinian refugees to return to their
homes and lands of origin, and to full restitution for all their confiscated
and destroyed property in accordance with the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights, International law and the numerous United Nations
Resolutions upholding such rights (see FactSheet). Al-Awda, PRRC
is a not for profit tax-exempt educational and charitable 501(c)(3)
organization as defined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of the
United States of America. Under IRS guidelines, your donations
to Al-Awda, PRRC are tax-deductible.

---------*-- -------*- --------* --------- *-------- -*------- -

Before You Enlist
Excellent flash film that should be shown to all students.
http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=ZFsaGv6cefw

---------*-- -------*- --------* --------- *-------- -*------- -

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

In an interview in March 1995 entitled, "Jesse Helms: Setting the
Record Straight" that appeared in the Middle East Quarterly, Helms
said, "I have long believed that if the United States is going to give
money to Israel, it should be paid out of the Department of Defense
budget. My question is this: If Israel did not exist, what would
U.S. defense costs in the Middle East be? Israel is at least the
equivalent of a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Middle East. Without
Israel promoting its and America's common interests, we would
be badly off indeed."
(Jesse Helms was the senior senator from North Carolina and the
chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the time.)
http://www.meforum. org/article/ 244

---------*-- -------*- --------* --------- *-------- -*------- -

TWO AMICUS BRIEFS FILED FOR MUMIA ABU-JAMAL WITH
THE 3RD CIRCUIT FEDERAL APPEALS COURT IN JULY 2006

These pdf files can be found on Michael Schiffmann's web site at:

http://againstthecr imeofsilence. de/english/ copy_of_mumia/ legalarchive/

The first brief is from the National Lawyers Guild.
The second brief is from the NAACP Legal Defense
and Educational Fund, Inc.

Howard Keylor
For the Labor Action Committee to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal
www.laboractionmumi a.org.

---------*-- -------*- --------* --------- *-------- -*------- -

Asylum Street Spankers-Magnetic Yellow Ribbon
http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=bfMgRHRJ- tc

*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*

SIR! NO SIR!
I urge everyone to get a copy of "Sir! No Sir!" at:
http://www.sirnosir .com/
It is an extremely informative and powerful film
of utmost importance today. I was a participant
in the anti-Vietnam war movement. What a
powerful thing it was to see troops in uniform
leading the march against the war! If you would
like to read more here are two very good
publications:

Out Now!: A Participant' s Account of the Movement
in the United States Against the Vietnam War
by Fred Halstead (Hardcover - Jun 1978)

and:

GIs speak out against the war;: The case of the
Ft. Jackson 8; by Fred Halstead (Unknown Binding - 1970).

Both available at:
http://www.amazon. com/gp/search/ 103-1123166- 0136605?search- alias=books&
rank=
+availability, -proj-total- margin&field- author=Fred% 20Halstead

In solidarity,

Bonnie Weinstein

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Endorse the following petition:
Don't Let Idaho Kill Endangered Wolves
Target: Fish and Wildlife Service
Sponsor: Defenders of Wildlife
http://www.thepetit ionsite.com/ takeaction/ 664280276?
z00m=99090&z00m= 99090<l= 1155834550

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END ALL U.S. AID TO ISRAEL!
Stop funding Israel's war against Palestine
Complete the form at the website listed below with your information.
Personalize the message text on the right with
your own words, if you wish.
Click the Next Step button to send your letter
to these decision makers:
President George W. Bush
Vice President Richard 'Dick' B. Cheney
Your Senators
Your Representative
Go here to register your outrage:
https://secure2. convio.net/ pep/site/ Advocacy?
JServSessionIdr003= cga2p2o6x1. app2a&cmd= display&page= UserAction& id=177

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Idriss Stelley Foundation is in critical financial crisis, please help !
ISF is in critical financial crisis, and might be forced to close
its doors in a couple of months due to lack of funds to cover
DSL, SBC and utilities, which is a disaster for our numerous
clients, since the are the only CBO providing direct services
to Victims (as well as extended failies) of police misconduct
for the whole city of SF. Any donation, big or small will help
us stay alive until we obtain our 501-c3 nonprofit Federal
Status! Checks can me made out to
ISF, ( 4921 3rd St , SF CA 94124 ). Please consider to volunteer
or apply for internship to help covering our 24HR Crisis line,
provide one on one couseling and co facilitate our support
groups, M.C a show on SF Village Voice, insure a 2hr block
of time at ISF, moderate one of our 26 websites for ISF clients !
http://mysite. verizon.net/ vzeo9ewi/ idrissstelleyfou ndation/
http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/isf23/
Report Police Brutality
24HR Bilingual hotline
(415) 595-8251
http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/Justice4As a/

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Appeal for funds:
Dahr Jamail's Iraq Dispatches
Visit the Dahr Jamail Iraq website http://dahrjamailir aq.com
Request for Support
Dahr Jamail will soon return to the Middle East to continue his
independent reporting. As usual, reporting independently is a costly
enterprise; for example, an average hotel room is $50, a fixer runs $50
per day, and phone/food average $25 per day. Dahr will report from the
Middle East for one month, and thus needs to raise $5,750 in order to
cover his plane ticket and daily operating expenses.
A rare opportunity has arisen for Dahr to cover several stories
regarding the occupation of Iraq, as well as U.S. policy in the region,
which have been entirely absent from mainstream media.
With the need for independent, unfiltered information greater than ever,
your financial support is deeply appreciated. Without donations from
readers, ongoing independent reports from Dahr are simply not possible.
All donations go directly towards covering Dahr's on the ground
operating expenses.
(c)2006 Dahr Jamail.

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Legal update on Mumia Abu-Jamal's case
Excerpts from a letter written by Robert R. Bryan, the lead attorney
for death row political prisoner, Mumia Abu-Jamal.
...On July 20, 2006, we filed the Brief of Appellee and Cross
Appellant, Mumia Abu-Jamal, in the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the Third Circuit, Philadelphia.
http://www.workers. org/2006/ us/mumia- 0810/

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Nick Mottern, Consumers for Peace
nickmottern@earthlink.net

Howard Zinn joins Kathy Kelly, Dahr Jamail, Ann Wright and Neil MacKay in
endorsing "War Crimes Committed by the United States in Iraq and
Mechanisms for Accountability."

The report was published internationally by 10 organizations in October.

"This report on the war crimes of the current administration is an
invaluable resource, with a meticulous presentation of the
evidence and an astute examination of international law.
- Howard Zinn.

The 37 page report, written by Consumers for Peace with the
consultation of international humanitarian law expert Karen
Parker, JD, is available for free download at
http://www.consumersforpeace.org/pdf/war_crimes_iraq_101006.pdf

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Today in Palestine!
For up to date information on Israeli's brutal attack on
human rights and freedom in Palestine and Lebanon go to:
http://www.theheadl ines.org

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Oklahoma U's First African-American Speaker

Dear Representative Johnson:

Congratulations on your bill for creating an
African-American Centennial Plaza near the
Capitol.

I have a suggestion for including an important
moment in Oklahoma African-American
history in the displays.

The first African-American speaker at the
University of Oklahoma was Paul Boutelle,
in 1967.

He is still alive but has changed his name
to Kwame Somburu. I believe it would be
very appropriate also to invite Mr. Somburu
to attend the dedication ceremony for
this plaza. I correspond with him by email.

Here is a 1967 Sooner magazine article about his appearance:

http://digital.libraries.ou.edu/sooner/articles/p25-27_1967v40n2_OCR.pdf

Sincerely,

Mike Wright
Norman
329-6688

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Interesting web site with many flash films. The site is managed
by veteran James Starowicz, USN '67-'71 GMG3 Vietnam In-Country
'70-'71 Member: Veterans For Peace as well as other Veterans
and Pro-Peace Groups. Also Activist in other Area's, Questioning
Policies that only Benefit the Few, supporting Policies that Benefit
the Many and Move Us Forward as a Better Nation and World!
Politics: Registered Independent
http://imagineaworldof.blogspot.com/

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Taking Aim with Ralph Schoenman and Mya Shone has a new Internet
address: http://www.takingaimradio.com

THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF ZIONISM
BY RALPH SCHOENMAN
Essential reading for understanding the development of Zionism
and Israel in the service of British and USA imperialism.
The full text of the book can be found for free at the
new Taking Aim web address:
http://www.takingaimradio.com

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JOIN THE LYNNE STEWAR DEFENSE - THE CASE IS NOT OVER!
For those of you who don't know who Lynne Stewart is, go to
www.lynnestewart. org and get acquainted with Lynne and her
cause. Lynne is a criminal defense attorney who is being persecuted
for representing people charged with heinous crimes. It is a bedrock
of our legal system that every criminal defendant has a right to a
lawyer. Persecuting Lynne is an attempt to terrorize and intimidate
all criminal defense attorneys in this country so they will stop
representing unpopular people. If this happens, the fascist takeover
of this nation will be complete. We urge you all to go the website,
familiarize yourselves with Lynne and her battle for justice
www.lynnestewart. org

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Visit the Traprock Peace Center Video Archive at:
http://www.youtube.com/TraprockPeaceTV
Visit the Traprock Peace Center
Deerfield, MA
http://www.traprockpeace.org/

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NATIONAL COMMITTEE TO FREE THE CUBAN FIVE
Comité Nacional por la Libertad de los Cinco Cubanos
Who are the Cuban Five?
The Cuban Five are five Cuban men who are in U.S. prison, serving
four life sentences and 75 years collectively, after being wrongly
convicted in U.S. federal court in Miami, on June 8, 2001.
They are Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, Antonio Guerrero,
Fernando González and René González.
The Five were falsely accused by the U.S. government of committing
espionage conspiracy against the United States, and other related
charges.
But the Five pointed out vigorously in their defense that they were
involved in monitoring the actions of Miami-based terrorist groups,
in order to prevent terrorist attacks on their country of Cuba.
The Five's actions were never directed at the U.S. government.
They never harmed anyone nor ever possessed nor used any
weapons while in the United States.
The Cuban Five's mission was to stop terrorism
For more than 40 years, anti-Cuba terrorist organizations based
in Miami have engaged in countless terrorist activities against
Cuba, and against anyone who advocates a normalization
of relations between the U.S. and Cuba. More than 3,000 Cubans
have died as a result of these terrorists' attacks.

Gerardo Hernández, 2 Life Sentences
Antonio Guerrero, Life Sentence
Ramon Labañino, Life Sentence
Fernando González, 19 Years
René González, 15 Years

Free The Cuban Five Held Unjustly In The U.S.!
http://www.freethef ive.org/

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Eyewitness Account from Oaxaca
A website is now being circulated that has up-to-date info
and video that can be downloaded of the police action and
developments in Oaxaca. For those who have not seen it
elsewhere, the website is:
www.mexico.indymedi a.org/oaxaca
http://www.mexico. indymedia. org/oaxaca

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REMINDER TO ALL GROUPS: BE SURE AND POST ALL ACTIONS AND
EVENTS TO WWW.INDYBAY. ORG TO REACH THE MOST PEOPLE
AGAINST THE WAR IN THE BAY AREA!
http://www.indybay. org

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Iraq Body Count
For current totals, see our database page.
http://www.iraqbody count.net/ press/pr13. php

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The Cost of War
[Over three-hundred- billion so far...bw]
http://nationalprio rities.org/ index.php? optionfiltered=com_
wrapper&Itemid= 182

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"The Democrats always promise to help workers, and the don't!
The Republicans always promise to help business, and the do!"
- Mort Sahl

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"It's better to die on your feet than to live on your knees."
- Emilano Zapata
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Join the Campaign to
Shut Down the Guantanamo Torture Center
Go to:
http://www.shutitdo wn.org/
to send a letter to Congress and the White House:
Shut Down Guantanamo and all torture centers and prisons.
A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition
Act Now to Stop War & End Racism
http://www.ANSWERco alition.org http://www.actionsf .org
sf@internationalans wer.org
2489 Mission St. Rm. 24
San Francisco: 415-821-6545

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Great Counter-Recruitment Website
http://notyoursoldi er.org/article. php?list= type&type= 14

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DEFEND IMMIGRANT RIGHTS AND
CIVIL RIGHTS!

Last summer the U.S. Border Patrol arrested Shanti Sellz and
Daniel Strauss, both 23-year-old volunteers assisting immigrants
on the border, for medically evacuating 3 people in critical
condition from the Arizona desert.

Criminalization for aiding undocumented immigrants already
exists on the books in the state of Arizona. Daniel and Shanti
are targeted to be its first victims. Their arrest and subsequent
prosecution for providing humanitarian aid could result in
a 15-year prison sentence. Any Congressional compromise
with the Sensenbrenner bill (HR 4437) may include these
harmful criminalization provisions. Fight back NOW!

Help stop the criminalization of undocumented immigrants
and those who support them!

For more information call 415-821- 9683.
For information on the Daniel and Shanti Defense Campaign,
visit www.nomoredeaths. org.

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FYI
According to "Minimum Wage History" at
http://oregonstate. edu/instruct/ anth484/minwage. html "

"Calculated in real 2005 dollars, the 1968 minimum wage was the
highest at $9.12. "The 8 dollar per hour Whole Foods employees
are being paid $1.12 less than the 1968 minimum wage.

"A federal minimum wage was first set in 1938. The graph shows
both nominal (red) and real (blue) minimum wage values. Nominal
values range from 25 cents per hour in 1938 to the current $5.15/hr.
The greatest percentage jump in the minimum wage was in 1950,
when it nearly doubled. The graph adjusts these wages to 2005
dollars (blue line) to show the real value of the minimum wage.
Calculated in real 2005 dollars, the 1968 minimum wage was the
highest at $9.12. Note how the real dollar minimum wage rises and
falls. This is because it gets periodically adjusted by Congress.
The period 1997-2006, is the longest period during which the
minimum wage has not been adjusted. States have departed from
the federal minimum wage. Washington has the highest minimum
wage in the country at $7.63 as of January 1, 2006. Oregon is next
at $7.50. Cities, too, have set minimum wages. Santa Fe, New
Mexico has a minimum wage of $9.50, which is more than double
the state minimum wage at $4.35."

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NO BORDERS! NO WALLS! NO FENCES! GENERAL AMNESTY FOR ALL!
OUR HOMELAND IS WHERE WE LIVE!

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REPEAL THE NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT IN 2007!
Check out: 10 EXCELLENT REASONS NOT TO JOIN THE MILITARY
http://www.10reason sbook.com/
Public Law print of PL 107-110, the No Child Left Behind
Act of 2001 [1.8 MB]
http://www.ed. gov/policy/ elsec/leg/ esea02/index. html
Also, the law is up before Congress again in 2007.
See this article from USA Today:
Bipartisan panel to study No Child Left Behind
By Greg Toppo, USA TODAY
February 13, 2006
http://www.usatoday .com/news/ education/ 2006-02-13- education- panel_x.htm

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The Declaration of Independence of the Thirteen Colonies
http://www.law. indiana.edu/ uslawdocs/ declaration. html
http://www.law. ou.edu/hist/ decind.html
http://www.usconsti tution.net/ declar.html
http://www.indybay. org/news/ 2006/02/1805195. php

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Bill of Rights
http://www.law. cornell.edu/ constitution/ constitution. billofrights. html
http://www.indybay. org/news/ 2006/02/1805182. php

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"The International"
Lots of good information over at Wikipedia, as often the case:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Internationale

What I've always found fascinating is the wide variety of translations (or
perhaps it would be better to call them "interpretations" or "variations")
that exist, even in English. It's also fascinating to read all the different
verses of the song.

One thing I learned at Wikipedia is that the original intention was that the
song would be sung to the tune of the Marseillaise, but that shortly
thereafter different music was written. Good thing, in my opinion, I'd hate
to see the identities of two stirring songs be confused. Each deserves their
own place in history.

Lyrics to the Marseillaise are here - pretty stirring in their own right. As
with the Internationale, all sorts of unknown verses:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Marseillaise

Eli Stephens
Left I on the News
http://lefti.blogspot.com

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ARTICLES IN FULL:
*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*

1) Waiting for Answers
By BOB HERBERT
December 7, 2006
http://select.nytimes.com/2006/12/07/opinion/07herbert.html?hp

2) Welcome Political Cover
New York Times Editorial
December 7, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/07/opinion/07thu1.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

3) Senate Confirms Gates as Secretary of Defense
By DAVID S. CLOUD
December 7, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/07/washington/07gates.html

4) If Castro Had a Talk Show, It Might Sound a Bit Like This
By ANDY NEWMAN
December 7, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/07/us/07cuba.html?ref=us

5) Altoona, With No Immigrant Problem, Decides to Solve It
By SEAN D. HAMILL
December 7, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/07/us/07altoona.html?ref=us

6) Report Says Oil Royalties Go Unpaid
By EDMUND L. ANDREWS
December 7, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/07/washington/07royalty.html?ref=us

7) Sitcom’s Precarious Premise: Being Muslim Over Here
By NEIL MacFARQUHAR
December 7, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/07/arts/television/07mosq.html

8) Widows Become the Silent Tragedy
Inter Press Service
Dahr Jamail and Ali Al-Fadhily
http://dahrjamailiraq.com

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1) Waiting for Answers
By BOB HERBERT
December 7, 2006
http://select.nytimes.com/2006/12/07/opinion/07herbert.html?hp

I don’t know whether the undercover cops who shot and killed Sean Bell
and wounded his two friends should be criminally indicted. I wasn’t
there and not enough information has emerged publicly to make
a determination.

What I do know is that the investigation of this shooting in Jamaica,
Queens, in which the victims were unarmed and seemed to have
no intention of threatening the police, is not being conducted
in a timely or effective fashion.

While the local community is seething with anger over the shooting,
there are investigators scrambling like mad to find dirt to throw
on the victims and locate any evidence that might, however
remotely, tend to justify the shooting. But the authorities have
not even asked the cops, who fired 50 bullets at the car with
the three men inside, what happened. That is insane.

The office of the Queens district attorney, Richard Brown,
is leading the investigation into the shooting. For procedural
reasons that have to do with concerns about inadvertently
conferring some degree of immunity on the officers, the D.A.
has asked the Police Department not to interview the officers
who shot at the car.

But the D.A.’s office has been moving in super-slow motion
on the case, and no one from that office has interviewed the
cops, either. Mr. Brown told me yesterday that he has
a tremendous amount of additional information to gather
before his office attempts to speak to the cops. “I’ve got
no business talking to these cops,” he said, “until I know,
or am reasonably satisfied, as to what the facts are.”

He said he hopes to speak to the officers next week, but
he does not know when the matter might be presented
to a grand jury. “You never go before a grand jury with
a case,” said Mr. Brown, “unless you’ve got all the T’s
crossed and the I’s dotted.”

A veteran investigator told me yesterday that there have
been several meetings in the D.A.’s office about the Sean
Bell case but that Mr. Brown and his top aides are not
yet sure how to proceed.

The truth is that neither the Police Department nor the
district attorneys in New York are equipped to properly
investigate controversial police shootings. The prosecutors
and the cops have a special, co-dependent relationship
that exists around-the-clock, year-in and year-out.
They work together all the time on criminal cases and
other matters. They view one another as members
of a close-knit criminal justice family. They watch
each other’s backs.

When cops are involved in shootings that may not seem
justified, there is an instinctive institutional response
from other cops and prosecutors to close ranks around
the accused officers. The instinct is to protect them,
not to indict them.

(Tugging against those instincts in this case, as in the
Amadou Diallo killing in 1999, is the sensational nature
of the shooting and the tremendous public outcry and
press coverage it has generated.)

The interests of the larger community can be served only
when problematic police shootings are thoroughly and fairly
investigated by objective, impartial and independent investigators.
The police have shown over many years that they are not up
to this important task, and neither are the district attorneys.
This is why so few cops have been brought to justice over
the years in cases of blatant police misconduct and brutality.

There is an inherent and apparently insurmountable conflict
of interest at work when district attorneys investigate cases
of alleged police brutality. It’s time for New York to face
up to this. It’s time to establish a truly independent office —
perhaps a special state prosecutor, or a permanent, fully
staffed independent office at the district attorney’s level —
to investigate this type of police misconduct.

The victims of unjustifiable police killings are most often
(but not always) black, and in most cases they are black
men. It’s time to recognize that racial stereotyping and race
prejudice are still big problems in New York, and that the
police often behave differently when confronting people
who are black.

A special investigative office, which could look at these
incidents and encounters only after the fact, is not enough.
There is also a need for Mayor Bloomberg and Police
Commissioner Ray Kelly to become proactive, to acknowledge
that racism is still an issue in the Police Department
and to overhaul police training and address poisonous
police attitudes in an effort to prevent these senseless tragedies.

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2) Welcome Political Cover
New York Times Editorial
December 7, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/07/opinion/07thu1.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

When President Bush insisted that the Iraq Study Group would
not provide cover for the White House to chart a “graceful exit” of
American troops, he was missing the whole point. The much-anticipated
report from the bipartisan panel is precisely about political cover.
That is a good thing, if only Mr. Bush has the sense to embrace it.

Iraq is so far gone that nobody expected the panel to come up with
a breakthrough solution. As the co-chairmen — former Secretary
of State James Baker and former Representative Lee Hamilton —
began their letter accompanying yesterday’s report, “there is no
magic formula to solve the problems of Iraq.” And the study was
never going to change the basic facts: there is no victory to be
had in Iraq, and however American troops withdraw, they will
leave behind a deadly mess.

Its real mission was to avert the worst scenario, in which a stubborn
George W. Bush spends the next two years blindly insisting
he will accept nothing short of victory, while Iraq keeps spiraling
out of control and the Iraqis get no closer to being able
to contain the chaos after the Americans leave.

That is a recipe for years more of savagery, a spillover
of terrorism and instability across the Middle East, more
sacrifice of American soldiers and more cynicism and division
among the American people. Avoiding it is not the same
as winning the war, but it is a way to cut one’s losses.

If Mr. Bush has the capacity to seriously reassess his Iraq
strategy, he will need exactly the kind of political cover that
the Baker-Hamilton group was meant to provide. The central
point of the group’s 79 unanimous recommendations is that
Washington should focus far more aggressively on training
Iraqi forces and prepare for a withdrawal of American troops.
The report says all combat brigades could be out by early
2008, but that would still leave tens of thousands of soldiers
behind to hold the Iraqi Army together.

That is to be combined with a lot more pressure on the
Iraqis to make political compromises and take responsibility
for their own security (the report lays out clear milestones
and says the United States should reduce its military and
economic support if the Iraqis resist) and more aggressive
regional diplomacy, including talks with Iran and Syria that
Mr. Bush has ruled out.

Make no mistake, the report is a stunning indictment of
Mr. Bush’s failure — in Iraq and no less in Washington. But
its recommendations are still couched in language vague
enough to allow the president to pretend it is the “new way
forward” his aides are now talking up, rather than a timetable
for withdrawal, which is on Mr. Bush’s no-go list. Predictably,
the first reaction of Tony Snow, the White House spokesman,
was to insist that “there is nothing in here about pulling back
militarily.”

The world has watched as Mr. Bush painted himself into
a corner and then insisted it was a strategic decision. Even
the Iraqis are trying to provide cover to for him to come
tiptoeing back to the real world. Prime Minister Nuri Kamal
al-Maliki’s call for a regional conference on Iraq would allow
the administration to get past its refusal to talk to Tehran
and Damascus, by saying that ban was never meant
to include Iraqi initiatives.

The Iraq report is a deeply diplomatic document, stuffed
with “coulds” and “mights.” It is, all in all, exactly the kind
of shades-of-gray thinking that Mr. Bush despises, and
exactly what he needs to get the country out of the hole he has dug.

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3) Senate Confirms Gates as Secretary of Defense
By DAVID S. CLOUD
December 7, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/07/washington/07gates.html

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 — The Senate voted overwhelmingly on
Wednesday to confirm Robert M. Gates as defense secretary
in a 95-to-2 vote.

The decision came after a confirmation hearing and floor debate
that unfolded in less than 48 hours, reflecting the bipartisan
sentiment that a course change in Iraq is vital as well as
a strong desire to quickly replace Defense Secretary Donald
H. Rumsfeld, who announced his intention to resign last month.

Dana Perino, a White House spokeswoman, said Mr. Gates
would be sworn in and formally begin work on Dec. 18, more
than a week after his confirmation, because he wanted to
participate in fall commencement at Texas A&M University
before resigning as the school’s president.

With the White House expected to be discussing strategy changes
in Iraq over the next week, Ms. Perino said that Mr. Gates would
be involved in meetings and conference calls until his formal
swearing-in, “so he can hit the ground running.”

Mr. Gates, a former director of the Central Intelligence Agency,
said during his confirmation hearing Tuesday that one of his
first acts would be to travel to Iraq to consult with American
ground commanders.

A Texas A&M spokesman, Lane Stephenson, said he could
not confirm Mr. Gates’s plans regarding the university’s
commencement ceremonies, but he said the event was
scheduled for Dec. 15 and 16 and it was customary for
the university president to preside.

The nomination was approved hours after the public release
of a report by the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan panel
headed by former Secretary of State James A. Baker III
and a retired congressman, Lee H. Hamilton, which urged
direct negotiations with Syria and Iran as well as a clear
declaration that the United States would reduce its support
to Iraq unless that government made “substantial progress”
on security in coming months.

Mr. Gates has not endorsed any specific strategy shift in Iraq,
and several senators warned against overestimating his
ability or desire to make sweeping and rapid changes in Iraq.

“We see the possibilities of a new chapter,” said Senator
Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania, but he added,
“It is up to the commander in chief to structure a change
in policy.”

The two senators who voted against Mr. Gates were both
Republicans, Jim Bunning of Kentucky and Rick Santorum
of Pennsylvania, who lost his re-election bid in November.

In a floor statement after the vote, Mr. Santorum said he
opposed the nomination because he believed that Mr. Gates
was in favor of engagement with Iran, a country the lawmaker
blamed for contributing to the conflict in Iraq. “We should
confront them,” Mr. Santorum said.

Mr. Bunning gave a similar explanation. Mr. Gates, he said,
“believes in directly engaging rogue nations such as Iran and
Syria that are known sponsors of terrorist groups in Iraq,
Lebanon and the West Bank and Gaza. I do not support
inviting terrorists to the negotiating table.”

President Bush telephoned Mr. Gates to congratulate him
during the Senate vote after it became clear he would be
approved by an overwhelming margin, Ms. Perino said.

In a statement issued by the White House, President Bush
thanked the Senate and called Mr. Gates “an experienced,
qualified and thoughtful man who is well respected by
members of both parties and is committed to winning
the war on terror.”

Though the statement did not mention Iraq or the White
House strategy review that is under way, Mr. Bush said
Mr. Gates “will help our country meet its current military
challenges and prepare for emerging threats.”

During a perfunctory Senate floor debate on his nomination,
the handful of senators who spoke endorsed Mr. Gates and
said he represented the possibility of a strategy change
in Iraq, which lawmakers from both parties said was necessary.

“I do not believe he is invested in the decisions, many of
them bad, made in the Department of Defense over the last
five years,” said Senator Jack Reed, Democrat of Rhode Island.
“He is a good listener, and I think he will draw on a cross
section of views in making decisions.”

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4) If Castro Had a Talk Show, It Might Sound a Bit Like This
By ANDY NEWMAN
December 7, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/07/us/07cuba.html?ref=us

MIAMI, Dec. 6 — At the far right end of the AM radio dial, a broadcast
from a parallel universe emerges from the static:

Come-hither advertisements from Cuba’s state travel agency. Reportage
from last weekend’s Fidel Castro birthday parade in Havana, complete
with an admiring assessment of Soviet-era tanks. Excerpts from
speeches by whichever Castro brother is running the country.

It is not a signal-jamming effort beamed from the Cuban coast like
some kind of reverse Radio Martí. It is not, compadre, a joke of any sort.

It is Francisco Aruca, onetime Cuban political prisoner turned
Castro admirer, speaking out from a little radio station on the
industrial north side of Miami or, more often these days, from
the comfort of his home office in the lush suburb of Pinecrest.

For 15 years, Mr. Aruca, founder of the first American company
to run charter flights to Cuba, has doubled as on-air apologist
for a man whom the vast majority of Cuban-Americans in Miami
consider a despicable and murderous dictator.

In doing so, Mr. Aruca speaks to — and for — a tiny community
of committed Cuban-American leftists who have endured years
of public scorn, threats and, in the not-too-distant past, violence.

“I listen every day; it’s the only way you can keep fairly informed
in the Banana Republic of Miami,” said Eddie Levy, chairman of the
Cuban American Defense League, a civil rights group. “I consider
him a hero. We come and go, but Aruca’s there every day.”

Mr. Aruca’s legions of critics dismiss his show, “Ayer en Miami
(Yesterday in Miami),” as a glorified infomercial for his business,
Marazul Tours, which depends on good relations with the Cuban
government and would benefit handsomely from the lifting
of travel restrictions to Cuba, one of Mr. Aruca’s many causes.
Mr. Aruca buys his time slot, an hour every weekday morning,
on the station, WOCN-AM (1450).

Whatever its means of support, the very persistence of the show
has made it into something of an institution, however widely
ridiculed. While it is anyone’s guess how many of Miami-Dade
County’s 700,000 Cubans actually listen to the program,
Mr. Aruca remains a perennial target on mainstream Spanish-
language radio, the dominant medium of Cuban-American
political discourse here. A popular song these days has
a character impersonating Mr. Castro and discarding his
customary fatigues in favor of “the Adidas outfit that Aruca
bought me at Dolphin Mall,” where much of Miami shops.

During the call-in segment of Mr. Aruca’s show on Monday,
all four phone lines were constantly busy. On the other end
were at least as many foes as fans, which is how Mr. Aruca, 66,
says he likes it.

“I really believe that what I’m doing is useful for the Cubans
in Cuba, for the Cuban-American community in Miami, that
it is useful in the U.S., which has wrong relations with Cuba,”
said Mr. Aruca, a cheerful, box-shaped man with a face like
a friendly bulldog. “And given the mediocrity and lack of freedom
of expression and diversity that is in Miami, I have found that
doing something I’ve always enjoyed, which is talking,
I can be useful.”

Mr. Aruca, born 60 miles west of Havana, was a student at
a Jesuit school when Mr. Castro took power in 1959, and he
became part of the counterrevolution soon after. He said he
organized student strikes against the government’s crackdown
on free speech and was promptly arrested and sentenced
to 30 years in jail. He escaped a few weeks later.

Mr. Aruca rethought his politics after he made his way to
Georgetown University, where he earned degrees in economics.
“I was in Washington during the Vietnam War and the civil rights
movement, and came to realize that anti-Communism was
not enough reason to go to war,” he said. He now identifies
himself as a “Christian socialist, not a Marxist,” though he
said he considered Mr. Castro a “political genius.”

Mr. Aruca started Marazul Tours in 1979, soon after the American
government began allowing family visits to Cuba. When he
opened an office in Miami in 1986, he said, his windows were
routinely smashed. His office was later firebombed, and
a Human Rights Watch report on right-wing intimidation
in South Florida singled out Mr. Aruca as a leading victim.

Joe Garcia, the former executive director of the Cuban
American National Foundation, the leading voice of the Cuban
exile community, said Mr. Aruca was first and foremost “a man
who does business with a loathsome regime.” As for his on-air
opinions, Mr. Garcia said, “He calls things as he says he sees
it and as he benefits from seeing it.”

Mr. Aruca’s company and a few other tour operators are his
show’s only sponsors other than the Cuban travel agency.
He said most businesses dared not advertise with him for
fear of boycotts.

One segment on Monday was a report that Mr. Aruca recorded
after birthday parade in Havana, which the ailing honoree
did not attend. “Somebody sitting next to me said that the
Cuban infantry is not supposed to be able to march,”
Mr. Aruca says on the tape. “Looks to me like they’re
marching pretty well.”

After playing (and praising) an excerpt from a speech at the
parade by Mr. Castro’s brother, Raúl, inviting the United
States to begin diplomatic discussions, Mr. Aruca opened
the phones.

“Did Fidel give you sneakers, the sneakers he used there?”
a man asked.

“If you’re going to joke around, go to other shows,”
Mr. Aruca said, hanging up on the caller. “Besides, Fidel
doesn’t know my shoe size.”

Terry Aguayo contributed reporting.

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5) Altoona, With No Immigrant Problem, Decides to Solve It
By SEAN D. HAMILL
December 7, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/07/us/07altoona.html?ref=us

ALTOONA, Pa., Nov. 30 — By now the pattern is familiar. New
businesses move to town, creating low-paying, low-skill jobs
that are quickly filled by immigrants. Most are Hispanics who
speak little English. Some may be in the country illegally. After
a few years, local leaders fume that school enrollment has surged,
social services are stretched and crime has increased, and they
blame the illegal immigrants.

Since June, when Hazleton, Pa., some 130 miles east of here,
began debating what to do about illegal immigrants, more than
60 local governments in 21 states have followed its lead and
considered new ordinances to drive them away. At least 15
have approved the measures, typically intended to punish
landlords who rent to illegal immigrants and business owners
who employ them.

Altoona, an old railroad town nestled in an Appalachian
Mountain valley about 100 miles east of Pittsburgh, is one
of those 15. It approved its ordinance, which threatens
to withdraw the business licenses of employers and rental
licenses of landlords who hire or rent to illegal immigrants,
in October. But it does not fit the same pattern.

“If you were to look for the area for the fewest immigrant
settlements in the country, you would look to south central
Pennsylvania,” said Steven A. Camarota, director of research
for the Center for Immigration Studies, a research organization
in Washington that favors tougher immigration policies.
“There just aren’t many immigrants — legal or illegal —
around Altoona because there aren’t many jobs.”

If Hazleton, where the immigrant population grew sharply
in just a few years, started the current trend for dealing with
a surge in illegal immigrants, Altoona may be the beginning
of the next wave: trying to prevent a situation from
developing in the first place.

“We don’t have a problem here with immigrants,” said
Joe Rieker, 40, one of five members of the Altoona City
Council who voted in favor of the new ordinance. “But we
want to stay ahead of the curve.” One member voted against.

When places like Altoona pass such laws, it is a sign of
a growing frustration with the federal government’s lack
of immigration enforcement, said Ira Mehlman, spokesman
for the Federation for American Immigration Reform. The
group’s legal arm, the Immigration Reform Law Institute,
has aided several towns, including Altoona, in writing
similar laws.

“We certainly hope we see more towns like Altoona” approving
ordinances restricting illegal immigrants, Mr. Mehlman said.
“And as the message gets out that there aren’t a lot of
communities that are welcoming, it will be a deterrent.”

But the legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union
in Pennsylvania, Vic Walczak, worries that a different
message is being sent.

“When you have towns like Altoona enacting a solution
in search of a problem, you worry if there’s a nativist impulse
there,” Mr. Walczak said. “There’s a fair bit of politics involved
here, and illegal immigrants are an easy and effective
scapegoat for a small town’s problems.”

Founded in 1849 by the Pennsylvania Railroad, Altoona
grew as waves of German, Irish and Italian immigrants
moved here. But immigrants have long since bypassed
Altoona as the city’s economic fortunes dwindled along
with those of the railroad business. In the 2000 census,
the city had just 295 foreign-born residents, about one-
half of 1 percent of its 49,523 residents, and no one thinks
that figure has changed much over the past six years.

“You see a car here with four Mexicans in it, I do feel bad
about it, but they do stand out in an area that’s mostly
white and of European descent,” said Mr. Rieker, whose
wife, Vanessa, is a Peruvian immigrant going through
the lengthy and complex process of becoming a United
States citizen.

But Altoona does have at least one factor in common
with Hazleton: both ordinances were passed after local
killings that have been attributed to illegal immigrants.

In Hazleton, a local man was shot and killed in May.
Two illegal immigrants from the Dominican Republic
have been charged in his death.

In Altoona, Miguel Padilla, 27, was convicted in September
in the killings of three men outside a nightclub on Aug. 28, 2005.
Though he had moved to a nearby town as a boy and graduated
from a high school there, Mr. Padilla was an illegal immigrant
from Mexico. He had previously been arrested and his illegal
status had been reported to the federal government.

Mayor Wayne Hippo and other members of the Council have s
aid the Padilla case had nothing to do with the city’s ordinance.

But for local residents who support the ordinance, the murders
were the biggest reason Altoona needed the ordinance.

“We just had three murders here,” Sandy Serbello, 64, a lifelong
resident said in explaining her supp