The first good news in a while... Patrice. ------- Forwarded Message To: ps <portside@yahoogroups.com> From: portsideMod <portsidemod@yahoo.com> Date sent: Fri, 14 Jun 2002 20:38:32 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Sept 11: Speaking Out and Commemorating Send reply to: portside@yahoogroups.com 1. U.S. public figures issue 'Not in our name' statement 2. Global Exchange calls for Sept 11 commemorations US Artists Damn 'War Without Limit' by Duncan Campbell in Los Angeles June 14, 2002 Guardian of London A group of leading American writers, actors and academics have signed a statement strongly criticizing their government's policies since September 11. It is an indication of a growing feeling that the administration is promoting its own agenda on the back of the attacks. In a statement called Not In Our Name, the signatories say the government has "declared a war without limit and instituted stark new measures of repression". They also criticize the media for failing to challenge the direction the government has taken. They include the musicians Laurie Anderson and Mos Def, the actors Ossie Davis and Ed Asner, the writers Alice Walker, Russell Banks, Barbara Kingsolver and Grace Paley, and the playwrights Eve Ensler and Tony Kushner. Martin Luther King III, Gloria Steinem, Noam Chomsky, Edward Said and Rabbi Michael Lerner have added their names, making this the widest ranging group of opponents of government policy since September 11. Jeremy Pikser, one of the organizers of the statement, said yesterday that he had been concerned that the rest of the world was under the impression that there was no dissent in the US to the bombing of Afghanistan and the plans for a war against Iraq. Pikser, a screenwriter who wrote Bulworth, a satire on American politics in which Warren Beatty played a politician who finally decided to speak his mind, said some people had been reluctant to add their names. "A lot of people haven't signed it, although they agree with it, because they think it might jeopardize other things they're involved in." Clark Kissinger, another of the organizers, said they had been heartened by the number of people wanting to sign. Mr Kissinger, one of the organizers of the first anti- Vietnam war marches on Washington in 1965, said he was receiving about 60 emails a day from people who wanted to add their name to the list. "It's a shame that there's not a voice of opposition coming out of the United States." The statement, which the signatories hope will be published by the American media, says: "We must take the highest officers of the land seriously when they talk of a war that will last a generation and when they speak of a new domestic order. "We are confronting a new openly imperial policy towards the world and a domestic policy that manufactures and manipulates fear to curtail rights." Support for the president's policies remains high, however, and those who appear critical of them have been accused of lacking patriotism. It was announced last week that Bill Maher, host of the television show Politically Incorrect, has not had his contract renewed by ABC. Maher was criticized for an exchange six days after September 11 in which he and a guest agreed that whatever else the hijackers were, they were not "cowardly." © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2002 Not In Our Name A Statement of Conscience Let it not be said that people in the United States did nothing when their government declared a war without limit and instituted stark new measures of repression. The signers of this statement call on the people of the U.S. to resist the policies and overall political direction that have emerged since September 11, 2001, and which pose grave dangers to the people of the world. We believe that peoples and nations have the right to determine their own destiny, free from military coercion by great powers. We believe that all persons detained or prosecuted by the United States government should have the same rights of due process. We believe that questioning, criticism, and dissent must be valued and protected. We understand that such rights and values are always contested and must be fought for. We believe that people of conscience must take responsibility for what their own governments do -- we must first of all oppose the injustice that is done in our own name. Thus we call on all Americans to RESIST the war and repression that has been loosed on the world by the Bush administration. It is unjust, immoral, and illegitimate. We choose to make common cause with the people of the world. We too watched with shock the horrific events of September 11, 2001. We too mourned the thousands of innocent dead and shook our heads at the terrible scenes of carnage -- even as we recalled similar scenes in Baghdad, Panama City, and, a generation ago, Vietnam. We too joined the anguished questioning of millions of Americans who asked why such a thing could happen. But the mourning had barely begun, when the highest leaders of the land unleashed a spirit of revenge. They put out a simplistic script of "good vs. evil" that was taken up by a pliant and intimidated media. They told us that asking why these terrible events had happened verged on treason. There was to be no debate. There were by definition no valid political or moral questions. The only possible answer was to be war abroad and repression at home. In our name, the Bush administration, with near unanimity from Congress, not only attacked Afghanistan but arrogated to itself and its allies the right to rain down military force anywhere and anytime. The brutal repercussions have been felt from the Philippines to Palestine, where Israeli tanks and bulldozers have left a terrible trail of death and destruction. The government now openly prepares to wage all-out war on Iraq -- a country which has no connection to the horror of September 11. What kind of world will this become if the U.S. government has a blank check to drop commandos, assassins, and bombs wherever it wants? In our name, within the U.S., the government has created two classes of people: those to whom the basic rights of the U.S. legal system are at least promised, and those who now seem to have no rights at all. The government rounded up over 1,000 immigrants and detained them in secret and indefinitely. Hundreds have been deported and hundreds of others still languish today in prison. This smacks of the infamous concentration camps for Japanese-Americans in World War 2. For the first time in decades, immigration procedures single out certain nationalities for unequal treatment. In our name, the government has brought down a pall of repression over society. The PresidentÕs spokesperson warns people to "watch what they say." Dissident artists, intellectuals, and professors find their views distorted, attacked, and suppressed. The so-called Patriot Act -- along with a host of similar measures on the state level -- gives police sweeping new powers of search and seizure, supervised if at all by secret proceedings before secret courts. In our name, the executive has steadily usurped the roles and functions of the other branches of government. Military tribunals with lax rules of evidence and no right to appeal to the regular courts are put in place by executive order. Groups are declared "terrorist" at the stroke of a presidential pen. We must take the highest officers of the land seriously when they talk of a war that will last a generation and when they speak of a new domestic order. We are confronting a new openly imperial policy towards the world and a domestic policy that manufactures and manipulates fear to curtail rights. There is a deadly trajectory to the events of the past months that must be seen for what it is and resisted. Too many times in history people have waited until it was too late to resist. President Bush has declared: "youÕre either with us or against us." Here is our answer: We refuse to allow you to speak for all the American people. We will not give up our right to question. We will not hand over our consciences in return for a hollow promise of safety. We say NOT IN OUR NAME. We refuse to be party to these wars and we repudiate any inference that they are being waged in our name or for our welfare. We extend a hand to those around the world suffering from these policies; we will show our solidarity in word and deed. We who sign this statement call on all Americans to join together to rise to this challenge. We applaud and support the questioning and protest now going on, even as we recognize the need for much, much more to actually stop this juggernaut. We draw inspiration from the Israeli reservists who, at great personal risk, declare "there IS a limit" and refuse to serve in the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. We also draw on the many examples of resistance and conscience from the past of the United States: from those who fought slavery with rebellions and the underground railroad, to those who defied the Vietnam war by refusing orders, resisting the draft, and standing in solidarity with resisters. Let us not allow the watching world today to despair of our silence and our failure to act. Instead, let the world hear our pledge: we will resist the machinery of war and repression and rally others to do everything possible to stop it. Michael Albert Laurie Anderson Edward Asner, actor Rosalyn Baxandall, historian Russell Banks, writer Jessica Blank, actor/playwright Medea Benjamin, Global Exchange William Blum, author Theresa Bonpane, executive director, Office of the Americas Blase Bonpane, director, Office of the Americas Fr. Bob Bossie, SCJ Leslie Cagan Henry Chalfant, author/filmmaker Bell Chevigny, writer Paul Chevigny, professor of law, NYU Noam Chomsky Robbie Conal, visual artist Stephanie Coontz, historian, Evergreen State College Kimberly Crenshaw, Professor of Law, Columbia, UCLA Kia Corthron, playwright Kevin Danaher, Global Exchange Ossie Davis Mos Def Carol Downer, board of directors, Chico (CA) Feminist Women's Health Center Eve Ensler Leo Estrada, UCLA professor, Urban Planning John Gillis, writer, professor of history, Rutgers Jeremy Matthew Glick, editor of Another World Is Possible Suheir Hammad, writer Rakaa Iriscience, hip hop artist David Harvey, distinguished professor of anthropology, CUNY Graduate Center Erik Jensen, actor/playwright Casey Kasem Robin D.G. Kelly Martin Luther King III, president, Southern Christian Leadership Conference Barbara Kingsolver C. Clark Kissinger, Refuse & Resist! Jodie Kliman, psychologist Yuri Kochiyama, activist Annisette & Thomas Koppel, singers/composers. Savage Rose Dave Korten, author Tony Kushner James Lafferty, executive director, National Lawyers Guild/L.A. Rabbi Michael Lerner, editor, TIKKUN Magazine Barbara Lubin, Middle East Childrens Alliance Staughton Lynd Anuradha Mittal, co-director, Institute for Food and Development Policy/Food First Malaquias Montoya, visual artist Robert Nichols, writer Rev. E. Randall Osburn, exec. v.p., Southern Christian Leadership Conference Grace Paley Jeremy Pikser, screenwriter Juan Gomez Quiñones, historian, UCLA Michael Ratner, president, Center for Constitutional Rights Adrienne Rich, poet Boots Riley, hip hop artist, The Coup David Riker, filmmaker Edward Said Starhawk Michael Steven Smith, National Lawyers Guild Bob Stein, publisher Gloria Steinem Alice Walker Naomi Wallace, playwright Rev. George Webber, president emeritus, NY Theological Seminary Leonard Weinglass, attorney John Edgar Wideman Saul Williams, spoken word artist Howard Zinn, historian Organizations for identification only (signers as of 6/1/02) Contact the Not In Our Name statement at: nionstatement@hotmail.com **************************************************** 2222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222 Message from Medea Benjamin Dear Friends, PLEASE HELP US COMMEMORATE THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF SEPTEMBER 11 WITH A FOCUS ON PEACE AND HEALING With the anniversary of September 11 coming up in the fall, we at Global Exchange, along with a number of peace and justice groups, are encouraging groups and individuals around the country to work with us to put together events in our communities the weekend before September 11 (September 7-8) that will focus on Peace and Healing as a way to build a safer, more just world. These community gatherings for peace will help counter some of the official commemorations that will advocate US military campaigns as an appropriate response to terrorism. We hope to have 30 cities/regions throughout the country working together on this, and need your help to make it happen. The purpose of the local or regional events is to: * be pro-active and set a peaceful tone to the commemorations that will be taking place on 9/11 * plug people into concrete activities they can undertake on behalf of peace and social justice * tie in the global issues (global peace/global security) with social justice issues in our own communities * encourage the media to show that there is growing discontent around the nation with the Bush's military response to 9/11 Local variety and autonomy: Each of the regional groups will organize its own activities according to local capacity and interests. Some gatherings will attract thousands, others hundreds. Some will have many activities<concerts, teach-ins, film showings, theater and dance performances, children¹s activities; others will be simpler. Some will be weekend-long events; others one- day events. Some will be somber with candlelight vigils; others might focus more on the celebration of life. In San Francisco, for example, we are planning a large event for all of northern California. We envision a peace concert on Saturday from 1-7pm, a possible overnight Peace Camp in our Civic Center, and then on Sunday a day full of activities organized by a wide array of local groups. We are meeting with our City Council to ask them to declare the weekend of September 7-8 a ³Weekend of Peace and Healing² and have the city to provide us with the venue for the activities. While functioning autonomously, the regional groups will be tied together nationally through a common name, purpose, website and media strategy. Possible Points of Unity 1. Mourn the victims and condemn the attacks of September 11 2. Stand in defense of civil liberties 3. Oppose all forms of racial, ethnic, and religious violence and bigotry 4. Oppose military intervention and war 5. Seek global peace through social and economic justice 6. Work for justice not vengeance, through adherence to established principles of international law. Possible names: A Gathering for Peace and Healing Remembrance and Hope 911: Emergency Call for a Peaceful Planet 911: Emergency Call to End all Forms of Violence Building Peaceful Tomorrows Imagine: A Collective Dream for a Peaceful Planet Building a Safer World for Our Children No Terror, No War: Building a Peaceful Planet Ideas for events: Concert with diverse local artists Walk for Peace (Walk-a-thon from one significant point to another) Peace Picnic Silent vigil at symbolic spot Multicultural bazaar to celebrate our diversity and commitment to ³no hate² Film showings on themes of peace and nonviolence Interactive art projects<mural or tile project Open mike for people to voice their concerns/ideas Interfaith services Street theater and dance Speaking event with famous speaker Teach-in and workshops on most pressing ideas Press conference with diverse community leaders Funding: There are presently no funds for this. Each community will have to come up with its own funding plans. We would do some joint fundraising for overall coordination. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH US ON THIS PROJECT, PLEASE CONTACT Medea Benjamin of Global Exchange at medea@globalexchange.org or 415-255-7296. We look forward to working with you! __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com portside (the left side in nautical parlance) is a news, discussion and debate service of the Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism. It aims to provide varied material of interest to people on the left. Post : mail to 'portside@yahoogroups.com' Subscribe : mail to 'portside-subscribe@yahoogroups.com' Unsubscribe : mail to 'portside-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com' List owner : portside-owner@yahoogroups.com Web address : <http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/portside> Digest mode : visit Web site Your use of Yahoo! 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