May the old sun be buried with decency
and a new sun grow in our sky bringing us lightness of heart and brightness of spirit.
“What makes it really easy is bein’ with you and singing my song.”
Happy Kwanza, Merry Christmas, Good Yule, Happy Hanukkah, and Merry Mazal Tov! ellen
Salon Weekly
~ In 4 Color-Coded Sections:
- Table Notes
- Announcements
- Articles
- Books, Reviews, Films, Magazines
A Weekly Email Publication of The Lloyd House: Circulation: c. 600. Growing out
of the Wednesday Night Salon . For info about the Salon, see the bottom of
this email. Join us at the Lloyd House every week of the year at 5:45 for pot
luck and discussion. 3901 Clifton Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio. To Submit events
for the Weekly, send (not attachment) me email, subject line
"Weekly-Events:(description)", in Times New Roman font, Maroon color. FOR ARTICLES, send me, in Times New Roman, Navy color. to
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lot of work that way. Send submissions by Wednesday evening.
To: Friends on our Pot Luck Salon list (c. 600)... Now in our
sixth year),
(to unsubscribe see below, bottom of page).
................................................... Section One: Table Notes ............................................................................ (Note: these notes were taken at the table and have NOT been approved or corrected by the speakers. Reader
beware of inevitable misunderstandings and misrepresentations. E.B.)
At the Table on Wednesday, 12/20/06:
Linda Gruber, Janet Kalven, Shari Able, Mary Biehn, Judy Cirillo, Mira Rodwan, David Sher (my son!), Lee Schmidt, Mr. G., Clark Echols, Mr. S., Steve Sunderland, Rob Ryan, Ellen Bierhorst, Spencer Konicov, Joyce Alpiner, Neil Anderson.
TOPICS NOMINATED
Shari it is very important to discuss the Bush press conference today, and Colin Powell’S statements a few days ago and what we can really do about that.
Ellen An Inconvenient Truth DVD shown here Last Sat. Part of nation wide MoveOn.org campaign. Thousands of folks saw the film in homes.
Steve I think we should talk about the City Council crisis. Budget discussion.
Ellen: Clark’s tax refusal story
Steve at Hughes High School, we had a peace village program discussing tolerance.
Rob Announcement. End January, the neighborhood community Summit at XU. Northside has asked for a discussion of the war on drugs. Jan. 20.
Also I will pass an envelope: sign up to volunteer to call City Council at the appropriate time when the marijuana law is discussed. It is overloading our jails, … is ridiculous.
Also, Amnesty Internat’l hour on the radio now technologically proficient. Wonderful . 88.3 FM Sat 12 noon, second Sat. monthly. Or Waifstream.com
Steve a toast to Kofi Anon, outgoing sec’y gen’l of UN.
And new one from S. Korea.
Mira also a proposal before City Council to eliminate recycling. Because of cost.
Joyce My son is engaged. Age 36.
Rob: my son also.
TOPIC: SOLSTICE
Lee having been a pagan all my life. Fire festival very important. Usually a bonfire…sympathetic magic to call back the sun. Party all night. … middle European tradition to go from house to house caroling, and the Mummers play: story of St. Geo. And the Dragon. Mummers were traveling performers, would teach with their plays, morality plays. It is a resurrection story. Bringing St. George back to life. The Quack Doctor can’t bring him back, but Mary Tinker, from the village, a simple girl, or a whore, succeeds in bringing him back. A goddess figure.
Mira at several UU churches there are chapters of UU pagan society. They have a big bonfire, tomorrow night, out at the Heritage UU off of Clough pike towards Newtown. They do a spiral dance.
Rob this time of year several years ago, former congressman Bob Barr introduced a law prohibiting pagan rituals on federal territory or property. Had been alarmed at the solstice ceremony at a military base. Now we learn Bob has quit the GOP and is now with the Libertarians.
Mira permission has just been granted to use the five pointed star (pagan symbol) on grave stones at Arlington Nat’l Cemetery.
Lee there is a very strong pagan community in this region. Several thousand from the tri-state. “throw a rock, hit a witch.” Pagan pride day in the fall; internet; web page.
Witches’ Voice web site…Pagan is anything not monotheistic; All witches are necessarily pagans, but all pagans are not necessarily witches.
PRESIDENT’S PRESS CONFERENCE
Shari he is concerned about the stress of the troops in Baghdad and is sending more troops. Few days ago, Colin Powel said, “When there is trouble in Washington D.C. we don’t send in the army. We have a police force. So why should they send army into Baghdad. Should send police instead.” I thought that was clear. We are being shafted by the president. … The Iraq Study Group Report is being dismissed. What can we as a group do about this?
Spencer we could say to Colin Powell, why did you stay on for three years when they didn’t take your advice.
Steve The question is, do we continue to send letters objecting to the War in Iraq. Sherrod Brown, Ted Strickland, … Rep. Skelton head of the arms services committee. We don’t want escalation of the war. Letters to Enquirer in their blog. No more troops, no more war.
There have been wonderful things happening to the Enquirer blog… ministers writing on both hawk and dove side.
I suggest we write a draft, send to Ellen. (It will be published tomorrow; edited next Wed. at the table; subscribers invited to join in signing.) (See below for Steve’s draft of a letter you may join in signing about this topic.)
Spencer: the deal is that our troops are making more enemies than friends because they don’t speak the language.
Steve are we responsible for the Sunni-Shiite conflict in Iraq as we withdraw?
Spencer: I still think Bush should be impeached.
Clark Bush was asked what have you learned from the mistakes made in Iraq. He answered. … What I would love us all to learn is that Bush’s brand of masculinity is shallow and destructive of society. His sense of macho, “cow boy” is an inadequate model for men to follow. Destructive of relationships between sexes, cultures, countries.
… we should raise our sons and daughters with a different set of values. Traditional definitions of how to be a good witch, a good Jew, a good Christian. Go back to that. Respective for each other.
Neil I have to agree with Clark. It has been exposed for what it is, this style of consciousness. That has served as the spine of this whole policy. Caused a lot of destruction. Study group is what technocrats fall back on when they don’t know what to do. … seeing a series of face saving strategies. I think they are more dedicated to preserving this old masculine style. … could be a tough lesson that is good for the US… the swaggering cow boy. The conservative thing be seen for what it is. Like trickle down economics.
Joyce the man can’t admit he is wrong. Can’t evaluate his positions.
Lee how much is bush and how much is the cabal who is running things?
Shari I think it is Bush himself.
Lee squeeze as much money out…
Steve Neil’s point. Face saving. Can we afford to lose again; we are still grieving Vietnam. Still struggling over whether to give vets. their benefits. … How save face when you are ill prepared to admit we have made a mistake. … thousands of Americans are dead. Thousands more disabled in hospitals. … there are 42,000 names on that wall in D.C (the Vietnam War memorial wall). … Psychologically … can we accept the task of being a human being, accept that we were wrong, make amends. … the shame of Arabs about Israel and how they could not beat them. How did this little puny country beat the Goliath of Arab power?
What is the humane thing to do? Withdraw, yes. No more soldiers, yes. But how can we say, “We have learned…”
Spencer: … need to factor into any decision, the most negative consequences possible. What would happen if we pulled out? To Iraq? Look at what is happening in Gaza…civil war. We are in a conundrum here; how do you pull out? If we do, we have to give those leaders the latitude of deciding what we should leave there. We have created a mess.
In the past we’d go around to the guy with the guns and say “you quell this”.
Lee Many factions involved. Getting them all to the table; three different factions: Sunnis, Shia, Kurds.
Spencer then what are the Turks going to do… they have Kurds. (So would not like to see an independent Kurdish state of the Iraqi Kurds. The Turkish Kurds would want to join it. e.b.)
David Saudi Arabia said they would support the Sunnis in case of civil war.
Steve … we need to take seriously what in the Baker report is valuable. What do we voters here want to communicate to our leaders and reps. How get out?
Joyce we have a poor image in the world as peace maker.
Spencer it is false.
Neil we have been at war most of our history. Now we are on the therapists’ couch as a country. The therapist has homed in on our neurosis…we are squirming, in denial, using rationalizations. “ We realize it was a mistake.” Only we went there on purpose. First step: accept our guilt for what we did. Acknowledge to the world. Collective contrition. “sorry we fucked this up.”
Rob I disagree. We have never said that Vietnam was a mistake.
David I read the Lucifer Principle by Howard Bloom. Talks about human nature; a lot of forces at work in society can make sense viewed as a Superorganism. Cultures as superorganisms. Right now we are the top superpower; but we are slipping down the pecking order, and we cannot deal with that. Cannot acknowledge any weakness, too insecure.
Judy What did the British do in this situation?
David They never apologized.
Neil Europe understands that there is life after empire. They are not as agitated as we are by the loss of power.
Rob China is coming.
Spencer China is now the fourth largest economy in the world. They have the people. If today’s economy says nothing else, if you have people and they are organized, eventually you can get to the top. Look at Japan; “We’ll build a better car, perfectly, eliminate waste everywhere.” China has been learning from every body else’s mistakes.
Steve China cannot employ their college graduates. Thy are working for McDonalds in Peking.
Spencer Isaac Asimov was asked What is the optimum population of the world? He said 100,000 because “that’s the most people I could meet in my life.”
Mr. S: in election campaigns, it works to never show weakness, even if you are calling day night.
Clark a new phenomenon… you can’t be forgiven by US culture until you go into Rehab.
Linda… the ideas; merchandising ideas. “Frontline” last night, the Persuaders. “Climate change” instead of “global warming”. Marketers, wordsmiths, spin doctors.
Steve a show on C-Span honoring Arthur Schlesinger, historian. The country has not recovered from 911. Bush is a rep. of some masculine response to this invasion of our land. Until the first stages of shock lift, we can expect more of this “You can’t poke us in the eye and get away with it” response. “By God you will know to have fear of the US.”
We are in this old masculinity.
Mira if I were the president, I’d have us do a new dance, the Paradigm Shift, into a place where the whole world will benefit. … have the women leading for a change. As Jean Shinoda Bolen said, “Message from mother earth: women get on board, take charge.”
Here is a new paper, “Earthwatch Ohio” out of Cleveland. The whole world will be lost… humans, creatures, flora.
The paradigm has got to shift. We must stand up, stop blaming, start working together. Have to let go of all the Persuaders are trying to tell us.
Today Bush said, “go out and buy more, to help the economy.”
Steve I think it is well said, Mira.
Lee Dennis Kucinich is running for pres. Again. Green platform. My business partner is a personal friend of his as well. Could get him to listen to this group.
Janet if he runs, he raises questions no one else raises.
David re. climate change. The pres of the Nat’l Evangelical Association on NPR the other day. The new pres. One of his main issues is global warming.
Shari that guy got fired already. The group did not back his platform. They wanted the issues : abortion and gay marriage. Did not want to add global warming. So they aborted this guy.
David Pat Robertson has also come out for the global warming issue.
Steve since the election we have seen a lot of complexities emerging on this issue in the evangelical right.
Rob I think it is a healthy sign that we have splitting up of religious communities.
..........................
(Steve’s draft of a letter to our representatives)
Dear Friends:
The Lloyd House Salon of Cincinnati urges all citizens of Ohio to immediately write their Congresspeople the following message or something similar:
We, the undersigned, are pleased that you have been elected to represent Ohio in the coming Congress. We urge you to join with other Ohioians and Americans from other states in promoting an immediate end to the war in Iraq and the rapid return of our troops. Like many in the country, Republican, Democrat, and Independent, we have joined together to elect people who can carry this message to our president, his secretary of defense, and to the countries of the world.
We come to this position based on a realization that post-September 11, 2001 the American people, our government, our media, and our leaders have been struggling with the question of how to prevent another attack, either through military actions and/or political development in Iraq. Our shock from the terrorist attack has numbed the country to actions that promote peace. Old behaviors of retaliation have replaced wiser diplomatic actions. Fear has penetrated our entire society instead of courage, understanding and compassion. Our society has become dangerously divided by fear. This source of tension, strain and conflict must end and be replaced by a wholly different approach to peace, friendship with other countries, and a de-militarized stance toward the world.
We urge you to be a peacemaker now, rather than
later. We urge you to give voice to a hope for peace, rather than be an echo for a needless and horrible war. We urge you to join in collective action with other representatives and senators in ending the war, bringing home our soldiers, and developing an alternative to violence that seeks to prevent another attack.
In peace,
Members of the Lloyd House Weekly Salon
Dear reader of the Weekly: Please send us your thoughts on this letter and remember to read the final version next week. If you like, join us in signing the final version by sending an email to me with your name as you’d like it shown, your neighborhood, your occupation, ... If you like. As, for instance
“Ellen Bierhorst , Psychologist , Clifton (Cincinnati)”
~ End of Table Notes~
Hugs to everyone,
Ellen
Section Two: Announcements
Mental Health for the Holidays [Every Thursday in December, 5:50- 7:30 pm]: Holistic psychologist Ellen Bierhorst offers an open group, “Surviving and thriving during the holidays: December Mental Health Institute at the Lloyd House” for support and education around common problems and individual issues, including: holiday blues, overeating and overdrinking, family reunion and anniversary issues, parenting, loneliness, insomnia and more. Couples and families welcome. $10. Drop-ins welcome. No appointment necessary. The Lloyd House, 3901 Clifton Avenue, Cinti. 45220. Parking on Lafayette Avenue. More info @ 513 221 1289, ellenbierhorst@lloydhouse.com, & http://www.lloydhouse.com
On Monday, Jan 1 celebration of Emancipation Proclamation by Lincoln. Metropolitan CME church (Black Methodist) 1 bl. W. of Thompson McConnell Cadillac. Melrose. Melrose runs N and S, about a block E of Gilbert. The church is across from the Melrose YMCA. A block or so N of McMillain. Great singing, great Black pulpit oratory. I’ll be there in the MLK chorale. Service at 11; free lunch served for all about 12:30.
I urge everyone to go to show solidarity with the African American community, to show respect, and for a great time. Ellen.
Residential and Office Space at the Lloyd House
Available: Third floor room with double bed size sleeping loft, closet. Bathroom just outside door. Shared: kitchen (with 3 other housemates), living room, grand piano, gym, sauna, meditation/yoga room. Shared: monthly house expenses... $350. Lovely historic Victorian, warm multicultural community of adults (over 25). No smoking. No pets. Ellen 513 221 1289
Available by the hour: beautiful and charming first floor “study”. Wood burning fire place, beautiful durrhi rug, oak paneling... Separate door to the outside. May use waiting room. Call Ellen 513 221 1289.
Tri-State Treasures
~ ~ ~ ~
Peace & Love To You During The Holidays & The New Year
Tri-State Treasures is a compilation of unique local people, places, and events that may enrich your lives. These treasures have been submitted by you and others who value supporting quality community offerings. Please consider supporting these treasures, and distributing the information for others to enjoy. And please continue to forward your Tri-State Treasures ideas to jkesner@nuvox.net.
Information about Tri-State Treasures and how to submit Tri-State Treasures is at the bottom of this email. Please help me by providing all basic information and formatting your submissions as described below.
Sincerely, Jim
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hart To Hart Duo Performing [Friday & Saturday 22-23 December @ 9:30 - 1:00 PM]: Deadra Hart returns to Cincinnati for a week & invites you to a weekend of fun holiday performances with the Hart To Hart Duo, a very special father/daughter duo that promises listeners the chance to hear beautiful melodies played by two musicians with a rare & deep connection. Deadra sings jazz vocals with Jim Hart on piano to perform beloved jazz standards, new original music, & some cool arrangements of holiday favorites. This is a limited engagement, so don't miss this opportunity to enjoy some fun music in Cincinnati's most sophisticated room. No cover. At Palm Court, Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, 35 West 5th Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info @ 646.256.0919, info@deadrahart.com, & www.deadrahart.com.
Vivian Kline Enamels Sale [Final Friday 29 December @ 6-9 PM & Saturday 30 December @ 2-4 PM]: Enamel art by Vivian Kline will be on sale for as low as $10; all revenue goes to charity. At Pendleton Studios, Room 806, 1310 Pendleton Street, Downtown Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info @ 513.242.6866.
The Mistics [Saturday 30 December @ 8 PM]: One of Cincinnati’s favorite vocal groups & the city's premier Pop & R&B group will present classic harmony favorites from The Temptations, The Spinners, The Miracles, & many more. A concert complete with the irresistible beat, fabulous melodies, & timeless appeal of the Motown sound & much more. Come groove with The Mistics on a cold winter night. Tickets are $15. At the Covedale Center for the Performing Arts, 4990 Glenway Avenue, Western Hills, Cincinnati, OH 45238. More info & tix @ 513 241 6550, JenniferPerrino@Covedalecenter.com, & www.cincinnatilandmarkproductions.com.
Continuing Treasures:
Give Unique Gifts to People With Great Needs: These are two sites that allow you to provide much needed gifts to people around the world. The cost to you will be modest; the impact on the recipient could be enormous. Take a look through these fascinating websites @ www.altgifts.org & www.oxfamamericaunwrapped.com.
Send A Card To Men & Women Soldiers: Go to www.letssaythanks.com & pick out a "Thank You" card. Xerox will print it & send it to a soldier who is currently serving in Iraq. You don't pick out the soldier, but it will go to a member of the armed services. An honorable goal for everyone we know to send one or more cards; for every soldier to receive several cards. And it's free.
Give the Gift of Fine Art: 2007 Signed & numbered limited edition Fundraiser Calendar. Fourteen original hand-cut, hand-printed woodblock prints by Tiger Lily Press Members: Rick Finn, Carla Trujillo, Carole Winters, April Foster, Carola Bell, Susan Naylor,
Theresa G. Kuhr, Judy Dimuzio, Saad Ghosn, Kim Shifflet, Julie Knepfle, & Sherry Sicking. Images are 6” x 10”, the calendar is 9” x 13”. A great gift that benefits Tiger Lily Press & the Dunham Arts Building which serves local artists & the community. $50 each; 2 or more = $40 each; $5 shipping & handling. Make check payable to Tiger Lily Press & mail to: Theresa Gates Kuhr, 6505 Hunting Creek Drive, Liberty Twp., OH 45044. To view all calendar pages & learn more about Tiger Lily, go to www.tigerlilypress.org.
Video to DVD: Do you have those pesky videos that you wish were DVD's? Well wish no more. For $15 a piece you can convert your VHS tapes to DVD's. (non-copy right protected material only, please). Contact Suzanne Beckner @ 513.721.2234 for more info.
Christmas Yet To Come [thru December 23]: World premiere. Know Theatre transforms Dickens’ classic story into a contemporary, cutting edge rock musical where the cutest little girl is Christmas Past and a gorgeous drag queen is Christmas Present. Christmas Yet To Come will feature live rock music, intense narration, and pop modern dance. In collaboration with Cincinnati’s most exciting contemporary dance company, Exhale Dance Tribe. At Know Theatre of Cincinnati, 1120 Jackson Street, Downtown Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info & tix @ 513.621.2787, info@knowtheatre.com, & www.knowtheatre.com.
Global Warming ~ Lloyd House does our part
Last Saturday we joined with hundreds or thousands of others to host a showing of “An Inconvenient Truth” at the Lloyd House. Or houseparty was announced at the moveon.org site and we had 14 participants. Thanks to Elaine Ignatius for getting the DVD, and Bob Park for bringing in the laptop. The movie was at least as compelling as when I saw it first last spring, and it felt grand to be a part of a nation-wide showing.
`We’d love to know what you are doing to reduce carbon emissions. Compact fluorescent light bulbs to conserve electric power? Driving less to conserve petroleum? Taking the bus? Writing to government leaders?
Consider the idea below, sent by workingassets long distance.
Ellen
Carbonfund.org | Offset your footprint and reduce climate change
Naughty or Nice?
Give carbon offsets by Carbonfund.org.
This year's coolest gift: zero carbon
Dear Friend of Working Assets,
Wondering what to give your friends for the holidays?
How about a lump of coal?
Seriously.
Donate to Carbonfund.org and you can offset a friend's carbon emissions for a whole year. For a tax-deductible donation of just $55 you'll neutralize all your friend's global-warming gases -- that includes CO2 emitted by driving, flying, and heating or cooling a home.
You'll get an electronic certificate you can print and present to your friends.
Your contribution will go directly to certified C02-reducing projects supported by Carbonfund: reforestation, renewable energy and energy efficiency campaigns.
The need is real and the time is now. Perhaps you bike and carpool. You probably turn off the lights and put on a sweater instead of cranking the heat. You demand that your elected representatives improve fuel efficiency standards. Now you can do even more. This holiday season, warm a heart and cool the globe. Give the gift of zero carbon.
Go to Carbonfund.org.
Sincerely,
Laura Scher
CEO
P.S. When you contribute $99 or more to Carbonfund.org, Working Assets will offset an additional 5 tons of CO2, which is the equivalent of taking a mid-sized car off the road for a year. It's like a gift within a gift, and it's free!
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In our records you are: ellenbierhorst@lloydhouse.com. If you have any comments or questions, please e-mail carbon@workingassets.com. Or write to us at: 101 Market Street, Suite 700, San Francisco, CA, 94105.
IJPC (that’s sister Alic Gerdeman’s group. E.b.) has good news .... we have reserved a bus for the January 27 Peace March in Washington DC. All are welcome to join us.
Join us in the streets of Washington, DC on Saturday January 27, to deliver a resounding message to the new Congress: We don't want half measures that will only prolong the bloodshed! It's time to bring an immediate end to the war!
For more information, visit www.unitedforpeace.org
The IJPC bus seats 56 people and we will be taking reservations on a first-come, first-served basis. The cost is $62 per person. We will only have one bus. We will leave IJPC (215 E. 14th St., Cincinnati, OH 45202) on Friday, January 26 at 10 p.m., arriving early on the 27th in DC. This will allow time to form for the march. The bus leaves at 10 p.m. so you will need to be here earlier. We will return from DC on January 27th at 6 p.m., arriving in Cincinnati in the wee hours of the 28th.
To make reservations, contact Kristen Barker by phone at 513-579-8547 or at kristen@ijpc-cincinnati.org Payment must be made by January 20th to "IJPC". Please mail to IJPC, 215 E. 14th St., Cincinnati, OH 45202. Scholarships are available; contact Kristen for more information if assistance is needed.
Hope to see you on the bus!
Section Three: Articles
Contents:
- Howard Zinn says, “Join Liberty Tree”.
- Rob Ryan, “Marijuana Law a Bust”... Join efforts to repeal.
- Two letters from Weekly subscribers: praise for Weekly, Salon.
Howard Zinn (one of my heros. Ellen)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Friend of Liberty,
Meaningful social change comes when we — you and I — take charge of our own lives, our own destinies.
If history teaches us anything, it is that those in power — and I charge that the Republican and Democratic establishments are beholden to the same masters — will not open the doors of justice, equality and liberty wide enough for us to walk in free of charge.
I’m not prepared — especially at my age — to sit by and watch our country shift from republic to empire. I am unwilling to accept the destruction of two and a half centuries of social progress. Does anyone honestly believe that this past election greatly improved prospects for the tens of millions of Americans without health insurance, without a voice, without a decent education?
Will politicians in Washington give back the freedoms they ripped from the pages of the Constitution?
Will all those politicians who voted for killing hundreds of thousands create a foreign policy of peace and reconciliation?
I don’t think so. Not for a moment.
And neither does US Representative Dennis Kucinich, who recently warned that:
… a lot of people are going to be very surprised to learn that less than one months since this great realignment, that Democratic leaders, who came to power because of widespread opposition to the war in Iraq, are now saying that they will vote to continue funding the war.
That’s why I believe we need to build a new democracy movement — a movement that dares to demand power for regular people. Just as the revolutionaries of ’76 replaced a monarchy with a republic, we now must replace corporate rule with democracy.
We need a groundswell of people –
• students forming student unions to determine the course of their education;
• workers demanding respect and a voice on the job, not cowering in fear;
• residents organizing to make city hall serve all the people;
• citizens deciding that Congress is not up to the task, and putting the war and impeachment on local ballots; and
• voters rejecting the corporate takeover of elections.
I envision people of all nationalities coming together to realize the historic, as yet unfulfilled, promise of American democracy.
I’ve lived and worked for many important causes — so I’m asking you to join me in supporting a fresh, potent and authentic organization working to win democracy. Liberty Tree stands in the tradition of American heroes — working to change America from the bottom up. Don’t expect to see them rubbing elbows with lobbyists and politicians in Washington.
Just last month, I witnessed their conference on Local Democracy that brought together groups from across the country working on social change.
With a small budget and many volunteers, this group of activists does far more than many groups ten times, thirty times larger. Here’s a sample of what Liberty Tree does and why I urge you to join and support their efforts today.
Liberty Tree –
• Publishes Liberty Tree, the Journal of the Democratic Revolution.
• Provides legal counsel to organizers on the ground.
• Convenes meetings and conferences of voting rights, campus and community organizers. Provides activists with the tools and resources to be successful.
• Crisscrosses the country and the world generating and sharing ideas and opportunities for the new democracy movement in the US.
• Informs our progressive community about victories, setbacks and actions in the emerging US democracy movement.
This is a group worth joining and supporting. Their staff and volunteers produce way beyond what you would expect from organizations much larger — and Liberty Tree has only just begun. You can learn more at their website www.LibertyTreeFDR.org.
Only two years in the making, Liberty Tree needs your help to grow, to be the catalyst for change in the United States that we both know is needed sooner rather than later.
I’m convinced that change can no longer be incremental. American revolutionaries — for example — do not accept window-dressing health care reforms or minor campaign finance reforms.
Together we can we can bring democracy alive, stop the war machine, end the corporate stranglehold on our schools, elections, communities, governments — our very lives. Together we can move the American Revolution to another stage, building on the victories we’ve achieved in our lifetimes.
The new democracy movement is here and it is Liberty Tree. I hope you will do what you can — make a contribution of $150, $60, $35, as much as you wish to give — I urge you to be as generous as you can.
Your tax-deductible contribution is important because with it Liberty Tree takes another step forward — increasing our numbers, building our democratic power — community by community, campus by campus, worksite by worksite, person by person. You can help this movement find its voice.
Thank you for your generosity.
In Solidarity,
Howard Zinn
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
JOIN TODAY: LIBERTY TREE Foundation for the Democratic Revolution
IMPORTANT - If someone forwarded this message to you, you likely are not subscribed to the Liberty Tree News service. To receive the Liberty Tree News, you must subscribe yourself at: http://www.libertytreefdr.org/mailSubscribe.htm
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please join Liberty Tree today!
Our postal address is
P.O. Box 260217
Madison, Wisconsin 53726-0217
United States
Rob Ryan: Marijuana Law is a Bust!
Ellen,
... below is an article from City Beat on the six month report about the toughened marijuana law here in Cincinnati. The very first sentence of the article says it all.
Another article titled "Murders Soar As Police Pursue Pot Smokers" can be found at
"You'd have to be stoned to draw any conclusions from City Manager Milton Dohoney's report on the impact of Cincinnati's new marijuana law."
<http://www.cincinnatibeacon.com/index.php/content/comments/murders_soar_as_police_pursue_pot_smokers>
To give you a scope of this new marijuana law; the average arrest was for 6.8 grams of marihuana that is less than the weight of 3 pennies.
The Law and Safety committee members video comments about the report are at <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjuL1icDwc8>
and the report itself can be found at <http://city-egov.rcc.org/BASISCGI/BASIS/council/public/child/DDD/19083.pdf>
If there is anyone on this list who wants to get involved in making sure this law is not renewed, please contact me at 888-385-2843.
<http://www.ohiopatient.net/>
Rob
______________________
Robert R. Ryan
www.robryan.org <http://www.robryan.org/>
GOP4CA <http://www.gop4ca.org/> - OhioPatient <http://www.ohiopatient.net/> - LEAP <http://www.leap.cc/>
-=-==-=-=-=-=-
US OH:Fun with Numbers: Marijuana stats don't tell much
Newshawk: Rob Ryan
Pubdate:12/13/06
Source: Cincinnati City Beat (OH)
Copyright: 2007 Lightborne Publishing Inc.
Contact: letters@citybeat.com <mailto:letters@citybeat.com>
Website: http://www.citybeat.com/ <http://www.citybeat.com/>
Address: 23 E. Seventh St. #617, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Author: Greg Flannery
Fun with Numbers: Marijuana stats don't tell much
You'd have to be stoned to draw any conclusions from City Manager Milton Dohoney's report on the impact of Cincinnati's new marijuana law. It's one of those reports that's most telling for what it doesn't say.
For example, the report says police arrested 2,330 people for possession of marijuana between March 29 and Sept. 30. But it doesn't say that that's significantly down from a comparable period last year.
The report covers the first six months of an ordinance making possession of less than 100 grams of pot a fourth-degree misdemeanor, with a possible 30-day jail sentence. Repeat offenders can be charged with a first-degree misdemeanor, carrying up to six months in jail.
The report, mandated by council, gives some raw data but no real analysis. Dohoney merely conveyed the numbers provided by the police department.
"He transmitted it, but it all obviously comes from the police department," says Meg Olberding, spokeswoman for the city.
In 2005 the police department issued 5,839 citations for possession, using a state law that treats small amounts of pot as a minor misdemeanor, according to Lt. Tom Lanter, police spokesman. That makes last year's six-month average 2,919. Under the new, stricter local law, the number of possession cases dropped by about 20 percent. Does that mean it's more effective -- or less? The report doesn't say.
The report says 1,063 of the people arrested have been convicted so far. It doesn't tell us how many have been acquitted. Indeed, judging by the report, it's hard to imagine any have been found innocent.
"Four hundred sixty-six cases have been adjudicated through the court, not resulting in a conviction," the report says. "This is usually due to a plea bargain arrangement where the defendant pled guilty to a more serious charge."
About those more serious charges: How many marijuana busts resulted in felony arrests for serious crime? The report doesn't say.
Conversely, how many marijuana busts were incidental -- say, a murder suspect with a joint in his pocket? The report doesn't say.
How many people were arrested for possession of a little pot and no other crime? The report doesn't say.
The report says 37 guns were confiscated as a result of police finding marijuana on suspects. Were the guns legal? Did more serious charges result? The report doesn't say.
One number in the report is decidedly shocking. How many people have been sent to drug court -- and treatment -- as a result of the new law? None.
"Drug court is only used for select felony drug offenders," the report says. "Individuals arrested for violating Cincinnati Municipal Code 910-23 are not eligible for drug court."
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Arrests for 100 grams of marijuana or less: 2,330
Convictions for fourth-degree misdemeanor: 1,063
Not convicted: 466
Convictions for first-degree misdemeanor: 0
Number of jury trials: 0
Pending cases: 801
Guns confiscated: 37
Amount of marijuana confiscated: 35 pounds
Amount of other drugs confiscated: Crack cocaine, 360 grams; powder cocaine, 193 grams; heroin, 30 grams.
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Data are for March 29-Sept. 30, 2006. Source: Cincinnati Police Department
Kudos for Salon:
Ellen....
I miss coming to the salon...but read the weekly often.....i find solace in knowing there is this group of intelligent, responsible, progressive, and thoughtful individuals not too far from my doorstep.
-Barbara Collier
.............
Ellen,
I loved the conversation around free speech and hate mail. For the past several years my response to hate mail has been to push the delete button on my computer. About 6 months ago I decided that was not an appropriate response for me, and changed my tactic to one of education. I agree with your discussion that many individuals do not have the tools to discern fact from fiction & have fallen into that category on many occasionsmyself.
The week after the Peace March in Clifton, Sept 11, I received an email regarding the muslin commemoration stamp, raging against the post office for honoring "godless people with a Christmas stamp", and on and on. I clicked "forward to all" and sent a response, stating that I was appalled at the hate mail coming across my computer & that perhaps it would be a good idea for those that sent the email to sit down with a muslim in their community to get to know them better.
Well, the anonymous reply that I received is unprintable. I was absolutely shocked and responded that they shouldn't send me email if they didn't want my comments.
My wonderful sister, a professor of communication at Milliken University, sent a well-researched response about the Muslim stamp to everyone on the email list. She provided the history of the stamp, background, complete with footnotes and bibliography. Her dissertation ran on for several pages & brought a number of thoughtful, calm, and intelligent comments from the many readers on the email list. When I spoke with her later, she said that if they didn't learn something at least she could bore them to death.
So what is my point? I guess it is simply that we need to continue to discuss the various methods to deal with issues if we are going to make a difference in our world and leave it a better place for those that come behind us.
Peace,
Susan Rivers-Payne
Section Four: Books/Magazines/Reviews
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I am reading The color of water a memoir by James McBride about growing up in NYC, the son of a black man and an orthodox Jewish mother who identified as black. Wonderful!
Also have just subscribed to National Geographic. A joy! Ellen
Hey, tell me what you are reading and enjoying, or what movies you are seeing, or what TV shows... Send me an email. E.
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