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Although I have long challenged the claim that the US is a Christian country, I have to admit that Christmas has a tremendous influence upon this land and all its inhabitants. As a Christian, I have to admit that the influence is rarely a good thing.
My particular Christian perspective calls for a positive influence that would diminish greed and materialism while fostering peace, justice and reconciliation. How many Christmases has it been since you’ve seen a combination like that?
PJALS is no more a Christian organization than the U.S. is a Christian country, though it began its existence with the support of three religious organizations, two of which are Roman Catholic. Still, most of us celebrate, observe, or acknowledge Christmas in many ways, including ways that involve use of our money.
Since my expectations are obviously out of touch with reality if not downright quaint, I’ll drop into my fallback position of “Wouldn’t it be nice if…” It’s not a very bold stance, but it should be less obnoxious than denouncing most other Christians as sellouts and apostates, especially since I am hardly immune from criticism in my own faith-and-practice roller coaster ride.
Wouldn’t it be nice, for example, if everyone who sent a seasonal card with a wish for peace would be accountable for some effort or sacrifice for peace on a local or global level? The effort need not be all-consuming, nor the sacrifice debilitating.
Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone who refers to a particular region as “the Holy Land” would end any moral and financial support they give to the perpetuation of violence in that area? Jews, Muslims, Christians and secular persons in the Middle East all have unmet needs that are exacerbated by outsiders who feel compelled to help one group of people kill another. A spirit of generosity is quickly contaminated by any element that justifies brutality.
Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone who happily refers to the baby Jesus as Prince of Peace would think what it might mean to acknowledge the authority of a mature and powerful Prince of Peace each day instead of bending a knee to every principality of darkness and materialism that captures the popular imagination?
Wouldn’t it be nice if more people found gifts for people who have nothing instead of obsessing over gifts for people who have everything? The basis for gift-giving in this season is the gesture of the Magi, and their gifts would have been routine for persons of wealth and power, but bizarre for an infant of humble circumstance. Fortunately, gold, frankincense, and myrrh were easily convertible to cash and financed the trip to Egypt that saved Jesus from Herod’s experiment with limited genocide.
Wouldn’t it be nice to concentrate on family and friends without being dragged through the stress of commercialization and exploitation that is ratcheted up by demands of time and money for events and projects for your faith community which should be protecting you from this hazard? There is a difference between participating in charity and being exploited in the name of it.
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could buy or make gifts for your loved ones without being attracted to products that leave workers oppressed, impoverished, tired and hopeless while owners and agents become rich and powerful? You can start by insuring that you do not make a holiday contribution to the richest family in the world, the Wal-Mart heirs who are oblivious of their mistreated and underpaid employees in the U.S., not to mention the founders of their fortune who work in virtual slavery.
Wouldn’t it be nice if Christmas brought a break from the overwhelming need to have more, bigger and better things? Imagine being able to pass along to our children the ambition to share their freedom and opportunity with people all over the world instead of the ambition to have more clothes, toys and appliances than they can ever use. At the very least, this is a time to insure that your friends and family know something about Fair Trade and how so-called free trade makes the rich richer and degrades our environment and workers everywhere.
Wouldn’t it be nice to be refreshed by a season in which we could escape our fears and hatred and greed to give and accept the love that some Christians still believe is modeled in the mysterious, premeditated act that we know as Christmas?
In this season, I am grateful for the way you embrace your own faith position and the many others that call for justice and peace. Blessings upon this time in your year and the authentic ways in which you make it a blessing to those around you. - RN
The weather held until 3 pm Sunday, and when the rain began, it didn’t know when to stop. We got a little wet in order to speak to friends and hear the final performances and announcements from the stage in front of three huge fences across the main entrance of Ft. Benning. Then we went back to the motel, got dry and went for Mexican food before joining about a hundred others outside the Columbus-Muscogee County Jail, which includes the famous Columbus Stockade.
At the jail, we got good and soaked in the cold, relentless rain, but we had a good time singing and chanting for the inmates who had been brought in from Ft. Benning to face the modest charges and draconian federal prison sentences that go with “crossing the line.” Forty had been arrested, but some didn’t arrive by prison bus until we were there, apparently having been held on the base, perhaps on the bus, for five hours.
The chief deputy came out with an umbrella. Although he wore civilian clothes, he seemed angry when we didn’t recognize him or the authority he represented. It was hard to abide by our nonviolence guidelines, as he seemed to beg for ridicule, but we were able to temporarily placate him by taking care not to block the sidewalk. A little later, however, we moved around the compound and were joined by other comrades, some with drums. As we got louder and made contact with our sisters and brothers at jail windows, the authorities got restless and threatened to arrest us for unlawful assembly. We were almost ready to leave when we saw the helmeted, shield-bearing riot squad in formation, and other officers kept moving us further from the jail.
While I went for our car, Nancy was with a diminutive woman with a sleeping baby in a sling. As officers tried to hurry them away, they spoke of taking the baby away, saying she couldn’t have a baby at a protest. Nancy followed the brief dialogue with interest, knowing that the woman was an experienced and savvy lawyer on the SOAW legal team.
We realized, too late, that this was a good time to risk arrest and make a statement about subservience of local authorities to Ft. Benning, about army impunity for harboring thugs who terrorize poor people on behalf of multi-national corporations and authoritarian governments, about our refusal to support this school that links the U.S. to grim human rights abuses from Colombia to Abu Graib to Guantanamo.
Nancy and I had attended enough of these burgeoning demonstrations to know we wanted to do a little more, take our protest to the next level, and yet avoid a prison sentence of up to six months for the measly misdemeanor of sneaking under, over or through the fences that blocked access to the sacred headquarters of the U.S. Army Infantry Headquarters. We had tried to find others to join us in a “city-side” action, only to be warned of penalties up to 90 days from the local courts. Our attorneys were all from other states and admitted they didn’t know what kind of punishment might result from local prosecution. I talked with a participant in the jail solidarity action of ’01 when a group occupied a shanty town constructed in front of the fenced gate and waited until late at night before scores of officers finally arrived to take them away, long after Nancy and I, and about 20 others, had abandoned our nearby die-in when city authorities showed they would go to great lengths to avoid arresting us. After the melodramatic display of overwhelming force that had been witnessed by Paddy Inman, officers took the patient offenders away in chains, and they were eventually charged with all sorts of crimes before being released after a few days in jail. Hardly a precedent for anything we had in mind. This year, there were four arrests by local authorities that could provide useful information should future actions be required.
Other than being frustrated by the civil resistance rut, we had a good time, being inspired and entertained by old friends like Helen Prejean, and distinguished activists like Emily Sailyers of the Indigo Girls and resisters like Camilo Mejia. Since I was last there in ’03, organizers have embraced and utilized those who concentrate on ending the Iraq War and US support for torture in any venue, and that has added energy and weight to the campaign against the SOA.
The record numbers were encouraging, with 16,000 people at the gates on Saturday and over 19,000 in the funeral procession on Sunday. Beyond those crowds, there were presentations and workshops and concerts at the Columbus Convention Center, an impressive facility that opened last year after being salvaged from a long-dormant foundry on the Muscogee River. The crowds are significant because they could influence members of Congress to sign onto or vote for the legislation that could finally pull the plug on our most notorious U.S. haven for terrorists. Indeed, two U.S. Representatives, Jim McGovern and David Bonior, were in attendance.
Media must always be mentioned in conjunction with these November demonstrations because they have power to reach potential supporters who can add pressure for legislative action. The Spokesman Review apparently found the gathering and the Spokane delegation irrelevant, and I haven’t heard of any local broadcast coverage although National Public Radio carried several good stories. Columbus media feast upon the SOAW events in the same way Spokane media covers Bloomsday, but there is no room for doubting that Ft. Benning is as sacred a cow as you’ll find among cities the size of Columbus and Spokane.
Crowding SOAW for the top local headlines was God Bless Ft. Benning Day. Friday’s Ledger Enquirer indicated we might expect 25,000 people to attend the Saturday event, which included a free concert by a country and western star and a parade in downtown Columbus. Sure enough, Sunday’s edition reported 25,000 attendees, including 3,300 soldiers, in an article under the photo of the SOAW crowd. We talked with people who saw a bit of a parade, but no one could imagine 25,000 people swallowed up by the convention center while we were still using part of it. The paper promised pictures on its website where I found images of a few individuals standing before a huge flag and motorcycles moving down a street where as many as twenty spectators could be seen, most in army fatigues. Organizers, said to be thrilled, claimed their event was never intended to compete with SOAW, although their first venue, in ‘02, was close enough to our demonstration so we could hear their music and count the dozens of people under their tent.
Obviously, some of us do feel we’re in a competitive situation. I feel we have to compete to be heard by the public, not to mention Congress. We’re accused of preaching to the choir when we are restricted to the choir room; accused of attacking Ft. Benning when we are specific about our focus on a small institution that disturbs many of the U.S. soldiers on the huge post; accused of being anti-American because we hold our government to a higher standard than our leaders do; accused of supporting our enemies because we refuse to be a part of torture and massacres of civilians; accused of hating our troops because our suggestions for ending the wars and bringing our troops home safely are continually ignored.
The struggle against the School of the Americas (Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation) is a microcosm of the global struggle for justice and peace. We can move on when Congress eliminates the budget for this shameful institution. We’ve come close in the past, only to see Colin Powell and other high-profile warriors lobby and deceive our elected representatives. You can help by demanding the attention of your U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris needs to be weaned from the Pentagon’s spin, and PJALS, promised a response after meeting with her staff, has heard nothing. Call or email her office to ask that she acknowledge our expertise in this area. We have background and talking points, and you can find updates and documentation at www.soawatch.org
The PJALS delegation to Ft. Benning included Athan Bitsas and Jay Sullivan and our B.C. contingent, Bud Godderis, Carly Escott, and Grant Clubine. We appreciate your generous support of our participation with so many other wonderful people. Also there from PJALS were Sr. Alice Ann Byrne who attended with her Dominican order and Rachael Fairbanks who attended with a group from Warren Wilson College. Gonzaga University was also well represented.
We will report on our trip at the Community Building lobby on December 6, at 7 pm. At the same time, George Waldref, a veteran SOAW activist will report on the trip he and Rita made to El Salvador at about the same time.
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Four who crossed the line to carry the protest against the SOA onto Ft. Benning remain in the Muscogee County Jail. Father Jerry Zawada, 68 of Indiana and Father Louis Vitale, 73, of San Francisco and Priscilla Treska, 66, of Cleveland refused $1,000 bond. Christine Gaunt, 49, of Iowa, pled guilty and was sentenced to six months and a $2,000 fine. Don Nelson, of Tennessee, got a 90-day sentence.
Others are scheduled to go to trial on January 30th, 2006, while the real criminals and those responsible for the SOA torture manuals have never even been charged.
You can write to the Prisoners of Conscience in Columbus at: Muscogee County Jail, 700 E. 10th St., Columbus GA 31901-2899.
In recent weeks, we have witnessed a plummeting public approval rating of President Bush, indictments regarding the CIA agent identity leak, congressional Democrats’ insistence for a plan by the president for ending U.S. occupation of Iraq, allegations of inhumane treatment of Iraqi insurgent detainees, and the media’s increasing pressure on the White House concerning all of these issues. Amongst all of this, the US Senate narrowly approved an amendment to a defense policy bill that would fundamentally change our historic guarantee of due process. Authored and presented by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), this provision would eliminate the rights of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to file writs of habeas corpus. In short, a writ of habeas corpus is a legal process, filed with a United States federal court, asking for the release of a person who is thought to be improperly or illegally detained in jail or prison. People ex rel. Luciano v. Murphy, 290 N.Y.S. 1011 (1936). It is not a process to determine one’s guilt or innocence. Ex parte Presnell, 49 P.2d 232 (Okla.) (1935). Habeas corpus historically stemmed from the concern that people would be detained arbitrarily, and that this arbitrary detention may indeed extend to a detainee held for a lengthy period of time with no charge being brought against him. Since the days of the Boston Massacre, the right of habeas corpus has been a cornerstone to the United States system of justice, guaranteeing constitutional liberty and due process rights to even the most unpopular people. Greco, Michael S., President, American Bar Association, Letter to Members, November 15, 2005.
Passing a defense policy bill with this amendment would undermine a 2004 US Supreme Court decision that “United States courts have jurisdiction to consider challenges to the legality of the detention of foreign nationals captured abroad in connection with hostilities and incarcerated at Guantanamo Bay.” Rasul et al. v. Bush et al., Slip Op. 03-334 (June 28, 2004). Since that decision, the number of these writs filed has increased, and many of those Senators who voted in support of the amendment did so to control “lawsuit abuse” as noted by Graham. Initially, this reasoning is confusing at best because the amendment would deal with criminal procedure, not civil suit procedure. By proposing to override a precedent by the Supreme Court, Senators in support of the amendment have not only disregarded the check on the judiciary, but also seek to shift the balance to favor both the executive and legislative branches by special legislation. A bill such as this could ultimately violate the Constitution’s guarantee of personal liberty and due process.
By eliminating the ability of detainees at Guantanamo Bay to file habeas corpus writs, the Senate would disrespect and undercut the values and rights most Americans hold dear, including freedom from being held by the government in an arbitrary manner. If this right is withheld from the detainees, the United States will in effect show once again that other people in this world do not matter and do not deserve to have the same intrinsic rights as American citizens do. The US has already sidestepped the United Nations in order to invade Iraq. It has seen the effects of war in the torture in the Abu Ghraib prison. It has been faced with a vice president who has lobbied for an exemption for the CIA in legislation banning torture. At some point, we citizens need to increase our pressure on the government and demand a change. This can occur, not by taking the high road, but by taking the humane road. All human beings have personal liberty rights, and to eliminate the rights of those at Guantanamo Bay denies their intrinsic dignity and worth as humans.
When the US
acknowledges that detainees in the “War on Terror” have rights just
like any other person who is held for a crime, they can then be tried
in the same manner as those charged with a crime, recognizing the rules
of personal liberty, due process and legal detainment. Before a
trial, any detainee must be properly charged; he should not be held for
extended periods of time without being informed of the reason he is
being held or without being charged with a crime. If charged,
from that point there should be less of a chance of the successful
filing of a writ of habeas corpus since the detainee would know why he
is imprisoned, what is the specific charge against him, and that he
would receive the right to a trial on the charge.
Historically, the US has been recognized as a
superpower or a world leader. To lead, a country must be
congruent in upholding its rights and values for all. Thus, when
the United States acts in contradiction to those rights, it loses even
more credibility and trust from the rest of the world. As
American Bar Association president, Michael Greco, has stated: “[I]t
has been our commitment to basic principles of justice, even for the
most unpopular among us, that has allowed us to maintain the high moral
ground in the world, the most strategically important territory for us
to occupy as we struggle with the enemies of freedom…[I]n the battle
against terrorism, we cannot allow ourselves to become like the
enemy. Adopting this amendment would undermine the very
principles that distinguish us from our enemies” (Greco, supra.).
Habeas corpus is meant to protect people from false imprisonment and, ultimately, to protect the innocent. Upholding and working for justice through continuing to allow habeas corpus petitions in all instances of criminal allegation is essential to the framework of the nation. Without justice, there can be no peace, and without both of these, the United States and the rest of the world will continue to have a deflated relationship characterized by an individualistic arrogance that even now pervades our society.
- Jessica is a Gonzaga sophomore from Sheridan, Wyoming.
Unforgiving sentences are being handed out across our land, but it’s past time to confront one in particular that degrades us all. 2000 adolescents are serving life sentences, without possibility of parole, in adult prisons in the U.S. Many of these prisoners, no longer youthful, were 14-16 years old when sentenced.
Although the Supreme Court has stated that juveniles have less control over their own environment and they are not deemed responsible enough to vote, serve on a jury, drive, make marriage decisions, quit school or leave home, these youths are held to the same standards as fully mature adults when sentenced for a broad range of offenses. The United States isolates itself from the rest of the world in administering the harshest punishments to its children in violation of basic human rights principles.
Michigan, a state unburdened by capital punishment for the past century and a half, has 300 prisoners who were sentenced to life without parole for offenses committed in what should have been their childhoods. This sentence to die in prison without a date of execution incorporates two of the worst elements in our criminal justice system: disproportionate punishment based upon race and class and insufficient legal representation.
The continuing cost of warehousing our children for life are staggering to our communities and to our country’s standing in the world. Abolishing this sentence for juveniles is the only equitable and human response. - American Friends Service Committee
by Richard (Dick) Harger
A memory I cherish is mountaineer Michael Poulin recounting his dangerous descent from the Swiss Alps. He did not say how old he was at the time, but most certainly it was decades before he became the "tower terrorist."
At the end of his harrowing descent, Michael ended up at a monastery where he dined with a host of celibate divines. So delicious was the meal, Michael went to the kitchen to congratulate the chefs on the scrumptious fried fish and chips they prepared. He began by complimenting brother Martin on the delicious fried fish. Brother Martin replied, "Thank you, but I'm not the fish friar, I'm the chip monk.
Another Michael witticism is a jab at lawyers. During my second visit with Michael at the federal prison in Sheridan, Oregon, he complained of restless sleep. "I sleep like a lawyer. I lie on the right. I lie on the left. I lie on my back. Can't get to sleep no matter how I lie." (Perhaps George W. could cure Michael's sleep deprivation. After all, no matter how the president lies, he always appears well rested.)
I'm sure all PJALS members who know Michael will agree his mischievous wit is uplifting. Tragically, there is no consensus among us regarding the "crime" he committed.
Just what was Michael's "crime?" According to the October 31, 2003 Spokesman-Review (p. B1), FBI agent Norm Brown said that the agency believed Michael was responsible for "damaging at least 10, and up to 20, [electrical] towers in Washington, Oregon, California and Idaho." Eventually, Michael surrendered to authorities, pleaded guilty, and received a 27 month prison sentence and a $37,000 fine. According to news accounts, Michael targeted the towers to highlight the vulnerability of the U.S. power grid. If so he certainly proved his point.
In a letter posted to family and friends and published in part by the Nuclear Resister, Michael hints at motives for his "crime." Describing himself as an educated, middle class "old fart with a wrench," he laments paying taxes during the reign of "administrations from liberal to fascist." He admits impatience with conventional modes of protest. Determined to take direct action against an evil empire, Michael chose "power towers as offering the most shock value with the least risk to people." Like the beloved Don Quixote, he took on windmills of our era. Unlike DQ, Michael is a political realist, not a sentimental romantic, when it comes to confronting evil.
Whatever Michael's motives, his "crime" did not kill or injure anyone, which recalls a "crime" committed by the famous Berrigan brothers, Daniel and Philip. In 1980, the brothers and six others entered a nuclear missile facility. The Plowshares Eight hammered on missile nose cones and poured blood on documents. For this act of "nonviolence" the brothers Berrigan were lionized as saints by the peace-and-justice establishment.
Michael acted alone and nonviolently. He had no accomplices. In his November 21, 2003 Spokesman-Review op-ed, Rusty Nelson praises Michael's humor and love of music, but distances PJALS from the "criminal" himself. The op-ed headline, quoting Rusty, reads: "Regrettably, [Poulin] lost sight of the prize."
Is it possible we at PJALS, not Michael, lost sight of the prize?
As we welcome Michael home from prison, let us keep that possibility in mind.
- Richard (Dick) Harger
PJALS is always glad to have volunteers, even if we sometimes are sketchy on details. Right now, we need some new mailing crew folks who are often available on weekdays.
Our resource library needs some attention, and we’d like a volunteer to put magazines, books and videos into better order, perhaps even implement a better display and/or checkout system.
We would also like to have more people willing to be called for tabling or other services for which you might occasionally be available.
Please contact volunteer coordinator Myrta Ladich at 443-0231.
Critical Mass is a celebration of bikes and bike culture, demanding recognition for the place and rights that bicycles have as part of traffic and as an alternative to gas-guzzling automobiles. On the last Friday of every month, riders all over the world gather for Critical Mass.
November 25, at about 5:15 pm, eight riders in the Spokane Critical Mass were arrested and booked on charges of disorderly conduct. Before the ride kicked off, a police officer approached the 12 riders and more than 20 supporting pedestrians to read the Municipal code for Disorderly Conduct. The ride started south on Howard Street at 5 pm. Those of us who were walking support (camera folk, radical cheerleaders, legal observers, and other allies), continued on the sidewalks. As the riders turned onto Riverside, the majority kept to the far right, while eyewitnesses saw a few riders move into the center lane in order to pass and lawfully keep from going "more than two abreast" (RCW 46.61.770).
The police were waiting near the corner of Riverside and Post and called out to the riders, stating the presence of the Spokane Police Department and ordering everyone to get on the ground, as they/we (it was unclear to me at the time) were under arrest.
The cyclists were then escorted from their bikes. Some eyewitnesses say that many riders were "helped" to the concrete in a jarring manner, described as being "slammed" to the ground. The riders assisted in this manner included a fourteen year-old boy and a fifty-eight year-old man. The detained riders were then placed in a nearby alleyway and the ability to bear witness was hindered by lack of a sightline and police actively discouraging us from exercising our rights to bear witness. Eleven people were handcuffed and detained, but three were released. The remaining eight were arrested and charged with Disorderly Conduct.
One arrestee learned that 22 officers had been dispatched, and six marked cruisers, two unmarked cars, two bicycle officers, and one police van were counted. The riders are now out on bail, but they will need support. There will be fundraisers in December to help reimburse those who set up bail and bond and to start a fund for possible future arrests. The next Critical Mass should be December 30. Although PJALS has no official role in this activity, you might find contacts or information through this office. To learn more about the Critical Mass movement, go to http://www.critical-mass.info/. - KB
INWE continues to closely watch Washington Supreme Court announcements so we are ready to rally on the day OF a decision on the constitutionality of the DOMA cases. The decision must be announced within the next couple of months, and as a community, we want to be prepared with a response. INWE is ready to have a spirited community gathering starting at 5:00pm at the Federal Courthouse (920 W. Riverside) on the day of decision, whatever the decision turns out to be and whenever it is given. If you would like to assist in gathering a significant crowd to support marriage equality rights, please e-mail us and be added to the INWE e-mail action list.
The coalition is also discussing the possibility of putting together a carpool or vanpool to Olympia for the
Washington Rally
Day on January 23. The group is interested in working with some other
local groups who may be going over. We would like to have a presence at
this day to show support for equality of all people in the state of
Washington and to respond to what is often very forceful representation
of people fighting to prevent equality and justice. This will not be a
lobbying trip, but rather a show of support for that legislation (past,
present and future) which supports our coalition’s goals.Current organizational coalition members on INWE include: Emmanuel Metropolitan Community Church (EMCC), Inland Northwest Business Alliance (INBA), Odyssey Youth Center, OutSpokane, Spokane AIDS Network (SAN), Spokane Area Lesbians (SAL), Spokane PFLAG (parents, families and friends of lesbians and gays), Friends of SAN and the Spokane County Democrats. If an organization or group you are affiliated with is interested in being part of the coalition please contact Krista Benson at 838.7870.
INWE meets the 1st Tuesday of the month at 5:30pm at the Rainbow Center (508 W. 2nd). If you would like further information about INWE or would like to be added to INWE's email list please contact Krista or check out INWE (under issues) on the PJALS website.
Stanley ‘Tookie’ Williams is scheduled to die in California’s death chamber on Dec. 13. And why wouldn’t the Governator want to bid “Hasta la vista, baby,” to one of the founders of the notorious Crips, even if he does claim to be innocent of the murders for which he was condemned?
Williams is hardly the same person who was sent to death row over 20 years ago, and has become an asset to corrections and law enforcement in the tradition of Carla Faye Tucker and Velma Barfield, executed years ago by Texas and North Carolina. Setting Williams apart even more are his writings about gang life that have had positive influence across the country, particularly among young people vulnerable to inner city violence. He has even been nominated for Nobel Prizes in Peace and Literature for his memoir, Blue Rage, Black Redemption. Redemption, a movie about his life and work, stars Jamie Foxx.
No matter his talent, celebrity, or emerging voice for nonviolence, Tookie Williams should not be killed, because killing is wrong. Time is short, but there is still hope that Gov. Schwartzenegger will be persuaded to stop the execution. He may be emailed at governor@governor.ca.gov.
A candlelight vigil at the Washington State Capitol will commemorate the 1,000th person to be executed in the U.S. since the death penalty was reinstated. The vigil is Sat. Dec. 3, from 5 to 7 p.m. on the western half of the State Capitol steps. Participate for two hours, or as much time as you can. Stand, sit on steps, or bring chairs. Organizers will provide 1,000 candles in clear plastic cups and protect the marble steps from drippings. Please do not bring your own candles.
In 1972, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty was being applied in such arbitrary and capricious ways that racial disparities and other injustices were rampant. States (including Washington) tightened criteria and procedures, and in 1976, the Court approved the new methods. Although death penalty cases have become more complex and expensive, so many inconsistencies and biases are inherent in the process that racial and other injustices persist. The Supreme Court accepts many of these injustices as routine aspects of our criminal justice system.
The vigil is sponsored by the Washington Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (WCADP), (206) 622-8952 or www.abolishdeathpenalty.org) and the Olympia FOR Committee for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. For information: Glen Anderson at (260) 491-9093, or glen@olywa.net.
The hope that one day women will live free from violence bonds a new group into action. The vision is to unite women from around the globe in efforts to eradicate violence against women. Three Spokane women have begun traveling the globe doing workshops, meeting and sharing with women in other countries--Guatemala, Costa Rica, Africa and Viet Nam. Sandi Thompson-Royer, Debbie DuPey and Susan Fabricant have all worked for years to end DV in their communities, and now they hope to expand their efforts and passion and join with other women to share a vision of peace with women in other places.
On Tuesday, December 13, 7-8:30 p.m. at the Community Bldg., please come hear about these efforts and help support their upcoming trip to Nicaragua. See slides from past trips, hear stories about the lives of the women they've met, and hear poetry from Nicaragua. There will be wine, juice and snacks. In February 2006, eight women from the US will accompany 3-5 women from Guatemala and go to provide domestic violence advocacy workshops with groups of women in Nicaragua. Each delegate must raise her own funds and funds to help support the women from Guatemala coming and women in Nicaragua who will come. Your help and support are needed. If you cannot come and would like to support us, please call or email Sandi Thompson-Royer, 534-2307 or sandit@hotmail.com.
Monday, December 5, at 6:30 pm, you have another chance to see the blockbuster exposé of Wal-Mart in the Community Building.
Our November premiere was crowded and started a bit late for some of our friends (It runs an hour and a half.).
There is still much interest in the film and Wal-Mart has only stepped up its campaign to defend its criminal
employment
practices and use of sweatshop labor to enhance its global retail
empire. The film brings into focus many of the corporate crimes
you knew about and some you could have easily missed. It also
gives us important links to the PJALS living wage campaign and the
continuing struggle for fair trade.There’s no charge this corporate behemoth was created by Robert Greenwald -- the filmmaker behind Outfoxed and Uncovered: The War in Iraq. In WAL-MART, Greenwald takes you behind the marketing glitz to expose the reality of Wal-Mart's treatment of its workers and their communities. The premiere will be in grassroots venues like the Community Building where you can see the film at 7:00 pm on Sunday, Nov. 13th, presented by Global Folk Art and PJALS.
PJALS is pleased to join the Spokane Chapter of the United Nations
Association in a Human Rights Day celebration on Monday, December 12,
at 7:00 pm. Dr. Raymond Reyes, Associate Vice President For
Diversity at Gonzaga University, will keynote the program, speaking on
Human Rights: The Foundation for Building a Multicultural Democracy.The program will be at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Spokane, 4340 W. Ft. George Wright Drive.
All states and interested organizations were invited by the UN General Assembly in 1950 to observe December 10 as Human Rights Day to mark the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.
For more information, you may contact UNA Chapter President Jo Stowell at (509) 624-3608.