Why I was driven into the broomcloset

I was paranoid of Wiccan persecution on part of the Christians.  I was also paranoid of survielience devices.  Who give a crap about my spelling.

What my high Priestess also taught me

She taught me never to preach or prosteletyze Wicca or Paganism.  I just want to encourage churches and covens to get along, as well as Jews and Muslims

American Slavery

African Americans, or Negro, or even the offensive, slang word that was used in the 1800's slave states and the 1950's and up to 1960's South, "nigger".  Now, I really do not like this word.  I like African American better than even "blacks" or "negro".   It is just feels more dignified to me.  There were slave drivers called breakers who just beat the African Slaves into submission.  Fredrick Douglas had to endure a slave breaker named Covey.

A little on Native Americans

Native Americans are some of the poorest people in the USA.  We as Americans have really done them a disservice by forcing them westward, putting them on unarable land (reservations) and taking thier culture away from them.  The Navajo were employed as "windtalkers" in WWII.  This was our code in the war.  Many natives have fought in modern 20th century wars and we have given so little back to them.

There is so much spiritual wisdom that can be leaned from Native Americans of all nations from this continent.  There are Native Hopi prophecies mentioning eathquakes on a large scale.  It is called the Cleansing.  It can come in destructively or peacefully.  It is our choice.  All beings on this planet have a responsibility to care for this planet, love each other, and use beneficial technology that is peaceful for this planet.  Blessed Be.

Lady Justice has been raped

money

No matter what religion a person they are, when they have money, they throw their weight around with it.  Corporatons do it, and the rich do it.  They can afford expensive lawyers that are the cream of the crop and well trained lobbyists that nearly bribes politicians to change laws to suit their selfish desires.  They can even be agnostics or atheists.

Men and women

Why do men have to be big jack-booted brutalizers and women need to be sorceresses or amazons?  JUST READ MY POSTS MOTHER MARY WHO EVER THE HELL YOU ARE OR THINK YOU ARE!!!  YOU ARE LIKE THAT STUPID BISHOP THAT LOOKED IN GALLEIO'S TELESCOPE AND DENIED THAT JUPITER (THE SIXTH PLANET FROM OUR SUN) HAD FOUR LARGE MOONS!  yOU ARE SO RETARDED IT IS FUNNY.  YOU ARE AN OLD PISS BUCKET!  thESE ARE NEW TIMES AND NOT THE MIDDLE AGES.  WE DO NOT USE CHAMBER POTS TO CRAP IN ANY MORE!

MEN AND WOMEN ARE EQUAL!  WE WANT AN EGALITATRIAN SOCIETY NEITHER MALE OR FEMALE DOMINATED

Most women in America and the Industrialized world want equal rights with men.  I as Riverwind support the reintroduction of the equal rights ammendment.  Men do not have to be king of the castle.  That includes me.  I support the femininist movement.  I support the liberation of women.  Wanna burn a bra, ladies and bounce and give those boobies some freedom?

Nonviolence Please

Protest, but nonviolently.  March, boycott, and practice teach and sit-ins.  Just like the 60's.  Violence gets us nowhere.  Immagine!

About broomclosets

Wiccans have been driven into that broomcloset many times.  It seems that Christians are not wering their crosses.  Us Wiccans and Pagans do not mind you worshipping your god in your churches or wearing your crosses in public, but please allow us the same liberty to wear our pentagrams in public and practice our sacred rites in our parks and wooded areas of our cities and towns.  By the way Jews have a right to be Jews and Muslims have a right to be muslims.  Publicly.  There is a saying that power corrupts.  So many cultures on this planet had a group with power and money and so many had a group with nothing.  Marx called them the "haves" and the"have-nots".  Egypt had this system.  So did Babylon.  So did Rome.  The Catholic Church in Midieval times had it too.  They drove the Pagans and Witches into the broomcloset.  By the way, druids were also crucified by Roman emperors.  The Brittish Empire practiced Mercantilism and imposed intollerable taxes on the American Colonies.  This started the birth of the American nation.  Imperial Japan wanted power over the Chineese.  Nazi Germany, swayed by a madman, wanted to exterminate a whole race and take over the world.  We had a long cold war with the USSR.  George Bush, jr started a war over oil.  Corporate greed had taken over common sense.  Now you Christians are launching a holy war against the feminists, hippies, Homies, stoners (pot), Wiccans, Esseys, Pagans, metalheads, punk rockers.  Instead of being a beckon of freedom in this world, America has become a cesspool of corruption and fascism.  These are the times that try men and womens souls.

About Heavy metal and Punk

Heavy metal and punk are part of our culture.  The fundies have no right to scream bloody murder and round up the PMRC or sing that tired old Pillar song, frontline every time we have a punk show or a Monsters of Rock in a Colloseum.  I havent heard of a Monsters of Rock concert in years.  The music is so bland and Clear Channel even gobbbled up Air America like a parisitic Pac-man.

about capitalism and communism

There needs to be some compromise between communism and capitalism.  The Scandinavian system of a mixed economy works really well.  I notice that there is less competition in the marketplace and the antitrust acts must be enforced.  It is called the Sherman antitrust act.  It broke up Standard Oil, and we need to go back to regulating the industries again, such as oil, gas, and the airlines.

Captian Planet - the Conqueror

Captian Planet is a serious cartoon series with a humorous edge.  It has a superhero of a new kind who protects the earth and encourages people to preserve and protect the planet.  In this episode, a vile warmonger named "Zarm" comes to earth to start the unthinkable - a nuclear holocaust.

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Immanent Diety

Strahawk, the author of Dreaming the Dark, the Spiral Dance, and Truth and Dare wrote in the Sprial Dance that Deity, or the Goddess and God are within us.  The Goddess is within all women, she wrote, and the God is within all men, and in Jungian Psychology, there is a female part in every man and a male part in all women.  There is also, according to Jung, a "shadow" or a dark side in all people, that most fear.  A person integrates what they fear most into their personality to deal with this.  A person also integrates the female/male part into their personality to heal themselves psychologically.

FBI Raids in Chicago

*Breaking News* At least four houses in Minneapolis raided, other houses in Michigan, NC, Chicago targeted.

Update - At least four known houses were raided this morning including another location at Stevens Square. There were also at least two subpoenas served on activists. Keep on alert! Know your rights! Don't talk to the FBI

Urgent - Community Meeting tonight! 5:30 pm Walker Church 3104 16th Ave S regarding the FBI Raids

On Friday morning, three houses in the Minneapolis area are believed to have been raided by SWAT Teams. While we have few details right now, the F.B.I. appears to be targeting people associated with the Freedom Road Socialist Organization. Besides the raids in Minneapolis, houses in Michigan, North Carolina and Chicago were also targeted.

Raids occurred at 1823 Riverside, above the Hard Times Cafe, and the 2900 block of Park Ave. One other raid is reported, as well. Outside Hard Times Cafe, three unmarked black SUVs (one with an Illinois license plate) sat in the parking area as of 10am, when a lawyer observed 8 FBI agents sitting in the residence examining materials. Otherwise the scene was calm.

Agents had broken in the door there at 7am Friday morning, breaking an aquarium in the process.

The Federal search warrants appear to be focusing on seizing electronic devices, international travel, and allegeing "co-conspirators." They do not authorize arrests.

The search warrant for 1823 Riverside, the residence of activist Mick Kelly, sought information "regarding ability to pay for his own travel" to Palestine and Columbia from 2000 to today. The warrant hyped potential documents indicating any contacts/facilitation with FARC, PFLP, and Hezbollah - what it called "FTOs" or "foreign terrorist organizations". It mentioned seeking information on the alleged "facilitation of other individuals in the US to travel to Colombia, Palestine and any other foreign location ins upport of foreign terrorist organizations including but not limited to FARC, PFLP and Hezbollah".

The wording of the warrant appears to indicate the government seeks to create divisions among social justice and international soldarity activists by hyping alleged connections to what they call "foreign terrorist organizations."

The warant also sought information on "Kelly's travel to and from and presence in MN, and other foreign countries [sic] to which Kelly has taveleled as part of his work in FRSO [Freedom Road Socialist Organization", as well as materials related to his finances and the finances of FRSO, and all computer and electronic devices.

The federal warrant was signed by Judge Susan Nelson at 3:30pm yesterday, September 23.

Taxing abortions and guns

The federal government is broke.  WE can tax abortions, charging a 10% excise tax on all abortions in the USA.  We can also tax all firearms 15% in the USA.

Torture of US Citizens

Make Torture of US Citizens on US soil a crime under Title 18

author: Medical Whistleblower Advocacy Network

Torture as a distinct crime done by governmental officials in the USA is not punishable under US law.

 link to www.change.org


Would it surprise you to know that torture of US Citizens on US soil is not a crime under the US Federal Criminal Code? But that is the truth in spite of the US signing and ratifying the UN Convention against Torture (CAT). Torture as a distinct crime done by governmental officials in the USA is not punishable under US law. Torture would clearly be a violation of someone's constitutional rights, but there are no laws - either state or federal which address police torture.

This reality came into sharp focus when a former Chicago police commander, Jon Burge, did not face torture charges for alleged acts of brutality including a mock execution of a detainee, beatings to coerce confessions, using a cattle prod on one suspect's genitals, and burning other prisoners on a hot radiator. Mayor Daley, who was the prosecutor at that time, did not prosecute despite mounting evidence regarding Mr. Burge's systemic abuse of prisoners. From the 1980's till he was fired in 1993, Mr. Burge and other police officers allegedly tortured 110 men. Mistreatment or abuse of prisoners is considered battery by the current laws because in the state of Illinois there is no statute that criminalizes acts of torture by police officers.

Torture is prohibited by US Federal Law under Section 2340A of Title 18, United States Code. This statute prohibits torture committed by public officials under color of law against persons within the public official's custody or control. Torture is defined to include acts specifically intended to inflict severe physical or mental pain or suffering. But this statute applies only to acts of torture committed outside the United States. Thus on US soil, torture by public officials on captive detainees is not prosecuted even though it is against the Convention Against Torture and is in violation of international law.

So within the state of Illinois the torture of detained human beings is not punishable, but there is legislation that criminalizes the torture of animals. Under 510 ILCS 70/3.03 Sec. 3.03, Animal Torture is a Class 3 Felony; punishment for a violation includes probation or conditional discharge not to exceed 30 months, and a fine of up to $25,000.00 and incarceration from 2 to 5 years. Thus animals in the state of Illinois have more protection under law against torture than do human beings - especially persons of color such as those prisoners tortured and mistreated by Mr. Burge.

Human rights and civil rights advocates are calling for new trials for 23 men wrongfully convicted based on coerced confessions in Chicago. Chicago's leading civil rights agencies, like PUSH, NAACP and the Chicago Urban League joined with the Illinois Coalition Against Torture, and a broad coalition of community groups, to try to enact laws that criminalize police torture. The Illinois Coalition Against Torture also wants to remove statutes of limitation that are currently preventing police torture victims from filing criminal charges.

US Congressman Danny K. Davis from Illinois had drafted H.R.5688: The Law Enforcement Torture Prevention Act of 2010 to amend title 18, United States Code, to provide a criminal penalty for torture committed by law enforcement officers and others acting under color of law. This legislation which was intended to give torture victims the redress needed to bring their abusers to justice has not passed out of committee nor garnered adequate support to make it to the floor of the US House of Representatives. There are only a few weeks left in the legislative session and thus this important legislation may need to be reintroduced again in the next session of Congress for any further action to be taken on this important human rights issue.

Please support this important legislation by signing our petition and communicating with your US Congressman/woman.

What my high priestess taught me

My high priestess, Ansela, taught me that the Wiccan Rede goes as follows -

"If it harms none, love, and do as you will"

I believe the political activism can be called "tough love", or "fierce love" as Star Hawk puts it in one of her books.

Transit riders union confronts board at trimet meeting

TRANSIT RIDERS UNION CONFRONTS BOARD AT TRIMET MEETING WITH REEDVILLE CAFE BOYCOTT

author: Lew Church, Transit Riders Union        e-mail: lewchurch@gmail.com

At last Wednesday's TriMet board meeting, held in downtown Portland, Transit Riders Union confronted the board over repeated fare hikes and several rounds of bus and MAX service cuts by presenting info and brochures for the Reedville Cafe Boycott to Elect the TriMet Board & Stop the Cuts & Fare Hikes. TriMet's unelected board president, Rick Van Beveren, owns the Reedville Cafe in Hillsboro.

At the Wednesday morning TriMet board meeting, Transit Riders Union, following some testimony by two individuals who read their prepared written comments into the microphone, presented oral takes to the board about the unacceptable nature of TriMet's recent fare hikes, the cuts to 60 bus routes in September, safety practices (the Kindle driver was fired by TriMet later that day, for the second time), and the lack of accountability, transparency and democracy re the need to elect the TriMet board, since it is currently appointed by Oregon's governor.

In addition, TRU presented to the board two brochures and an article regarding the Reedville Cafe Boycott to Elect the TriMet Board & Stop the Cuts & Fare Hikes. Rick Van Beveren, TriMet board president, has voted for every fare hike and every service cut in the past two years. Van Beveren is owner of Hillsboro's Reedville Cafe.

***Noting that a bus boycott like Dr. King organized in Montgomery, Alabama, won't work in a state with the 7th highest unemployment and folks need to get to work, to job hunt, to school, to the store and to the doctor -- TRU noted that a targeted, specific boycott against Reedville Cafe is one way to start to make the TriMet board more accountable.

***It was noted that TRU collected and presented 1,400 signatures on petitions against the cuts and fare hikes to the TriMet board, which then voted 6-1 to implement the cuts.

***It was noted that TRU organizers picketed the Portland Business Alliance offices at 200 SW Market, the Black Box Building, as PBA not only pushed sit-lie but also pushed for two years, successfully in Jan. 2010, to gut Fareless Square.

Long term transit activist goals are to either have Metro (an elected body) take over TriMet (an approach favored by local elected officials Amanda Fritz and Robert Liberty), or initiate a petition to put on the Oregon ballot a measure requiring that the TriMet board of directors be elected, not appointed by the governor.

Van Beveren had already told TRU organizers at a previous board meeting that the Reedville Cafe was the site of the May 2010 primary Tom Hughes Metro president victory party. Hughes and Van Beveren both oppose having the TriMet board elected. Hughes also supports the CRC bridge. Portland Business Alliance, so far, has donated $10,000 to the Hughes campaign. Hughes faces progressive, green Metro president candidate, Bob Stacey (ex director of 1000 Friends of Oregon) on the Nov. 2 ballot to be the next Metro president, succeeding David Bragdon, who moved to New York City to work as Mayor Bloomberg's Sustainability Coordinator.

TRU also noted, to the board of TriMet, that both Bragdon and Robert Liberty had criticized (in the Oregonian) the 'closed nature' of the recent non-transparent hiring process which saw Neil MacFarlane, TriMet's light rail manager, named to succeed Fred Hansen as TriMet's $200,000 per year General Manager. The question was asked whether, in TriMet's 40 year history, if there had ever been a woman or minority General Manager. The board didn't answer.

In terms of the Reedville Cafe Boycott, Van Beveren himself made no comment. The board's vice president, one of two women on the TriMet board, recently wrote an op-ed in the Oregonian which defended TriMet practices, safety, fare hikes, service cuts, etc. -- contesting two columns written by Oregonian writers Anna Griffin and Susan Nielsen. But, Van Beveren, somewhat interestingly, as board president, did not write that op-ed rebuttal (nor did GM MacFarlane) to defend TriMet's practices.


PUTTING PRESSURE ON TRIMET NOW

In past TriMet board meetings, there has been one vote, but only one -- for transit riders, against the fare hikes and service cuts, and that is Lynn Lehrbach, with the Teamsters. However, Lehrbach, too, has endorsed Tom Hughes, the conservative candidate for Metro president -- just like Van Beveren. Upon essaying the Reedville Cafe Boycott printed material, Lynn told those present that boycotts 'are too personal.' Transit organizers maintain that when you cut someone's bus line or raise their fare, that's personal -- and, that the TriMet board are public officials (but not elected).

In a recent Willamette Week article, TriMet board president Van Beveren was quoted as saying that he thought it was 'unfortunate' that transit organizers would conduct the Reedville Cafe Boycott 'because that was making things personal.'

On the contrary, for too long, there has been zero conseuquences, along with zero transparency, on votes by the TriMet board.

Also mentioned by TRU at last Wednesday's board meeting was a rebuttal to new Gen Mgr Neil MacFarlane and TriMet's standard response to transit protests -- that is, that the 'economy' is forcing fare hikes and service cuts. According to Willamette Week, TriMet is a $2.5 billion agency, counting capital projects. Moreover, economists like Paul Krugman, TRU told the TriMet board, have stated that unemployment may become a permanent fixture, or remain high for 5-10 years, and that the economy WON'T be getting better. MacFarlane's standard quotable quote to media is that transit riders 'should just be patient for the economy to get better' to see improvements on fare hikes and service cuts in the transit system.

An additional aspect of this particular TriMet board meeting, was two parents of children who were killed by MAX and the #9 bus. The father of one of two women pedestrians in their 20s killed by the 'blind spot' of the #9 bus driver -- told the TriMet board, through tears, anger and prayers uttered out loud to god -- that he 'will be back' to seek justice and accountability on safety from TriMet, in the future. When the families of the two women killed in that #9 bus killing announced plans to sue TriMet, TriMet then terminated the woman driver involved.

TriMet in the past week also terminated the 'Kindle driver' who on I-5 (shown on national TV) was kindling while driving down the freeway. With national media and more exporure, TriMet is starting to be more responsive to transit rider concerns, at least on safety. With more pressure, including the Reedville Cafe Boycott, TriMet can be made to be accountable in many more ways, as a public agency, a public resource, as part of The Commons.

As TRU told the TriMet board last Wednesday, "TriMet doesn't belong to the governor, or the board of directors -- it belongs to people, it belongs to us."

*******************

Guilty as Charged - UN Report on Gaza flotilla

Guilty As Charged: UN Report on Gaza Flotilla Massacre

by Stephen Lendman
Friday Sep 24th, 2010 8:24 AM

important UN report

Guilty As Charged: UN Report on Gaza Flotilla Massacre - by Stephen Lendman

On September 22, Reuters headlined the news, saying:

"UN Experts Condemn Israel Attack on Gaza Flotilla"

It explained that the UN Human Rights Council's (HRC) "panel of international experts" concluded what was obvious on day one - that Israel's international water attack "was unlawful and resulted in violations of human rights and international humanitarian law...."

A one paragraph AP report said the same thing. America's leading paper, The New York Times (always pro-Israeli), published the above two accounts, not its own, ducking its responsibility to do in detail.

In contrast, Israeli papers covered it prominently, including Haaretz headlining, "UN Human Rights Council: Israel flotilla raid broke international law," saying:

"The UN Human Rights Council's fact-finding mission concluded that Israel's naval blockade of the Palestinian territory was unlawful because of the humanitarian crisis there, and described the military raid on the flotilla as brutal and disproportionate."

Israel's response was unsurprising, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ygal Palmor saying:

"Israel is a democratic and law abiding country that carefully observes international law and, when need be, knows how to investigate itself."

True on the last point, but it never does nor will it. False on the others. As honest observers know, Israel is a lawless, undemocratic, pariah state believing in Jewish exclusivity above all other religions. As a result, its 1,548,000 Israeli Arabs (as of spring 2010) have no rights. In addition, the four million + in Gaza and the West Bank (Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics mid-2010 figures) have been persecuted under military occupation for over 43 years, living in constant terror.

Balad Party MK Hanin Zuabi, on board the Mavi Marmara mother ship, praised the HRC's report, saying "the criminals who ordered and carried out the raid should be brought to justice." More on Israeli retribution against her below.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said "Now it's required to be a mechanism in order to translate this report into action and to bring occupation commanders to trial for the crimes they committed." Indeed so, but no measures whatever have been proposed or implemented.

Information on the Flotilla Massacre

Seven earlier articles covered it in detail, accessed through the following links:

http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2010/05/brave-israeli-commandos-slaughter-aid.html

http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2010/06/flotilla-massacre-historical.html

http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2010/06/theyre-coming-freedom-flotilla-two-and.html

http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2010/06/gaza-flotilla-massacre-goldstone.html

http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2010/07/investigating-freedom-flotilla-attack.html

http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2010/08/charade-begins-netanyahus-flotilla.html

http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2010/08/from-goldstone-to-uribe.html

The Human Rights Council (HRC) Report

On May 31, 2010, Israeli commandos attacked unarmed, nonviolent civilians attempting to deliver vitally needed humanitarian aid to 1.5 million Gazans, trapped under siege for three years at the time. At least nine were murdered in cold blood, over 50 wounded, some seriously. They and the others were arrested, detained, and treated harshly until let out of the country to go home.

Released on September 22, the HRC (called the Mission below) report detailed serious Israeli crimes of war and against humanity, based on 112 witness testimonies in Geneva, London, Istanbul and Amman as well as other information, including forensic evidence, video footage, and other photographic material. As a result, the HRC:

"concluded that a series of violations of international law, including international humanitarian and human rights law, were committed by the Israeli forces during the interception of the flotilla and during the detention of passengers in Israel prior to deportation."

The Mission thanked the Turkish and Jordanian governments for cooperation. Also OCHA, UNRWA, UNSCO and others for their help. Israel refused, saying its position was "one of non-recognition of and non-cooperation with the Mission."

Under international law, Israel's blockade is illegal. It caused a grave humanitarian crisis affecting 1.5 million Gazans, mostly civilians. Aid is vitally needed. Attacking anyone trying to deliver it is a clear crime against humanity, especially in international waters.

A "vessel on the high seas (posing no threat) is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of its flag State."

Under the laws of armed conflict, "a blockade is illegal if:

(a) it has the sole purpose of starving the civilian population or denying it other objects essential for its survival; or

(b) the damage to the civilian population is, or may be expected to be, excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated from the blockade."

In other words, no blockade is permitted it it inflicts disproportionate harm to civilians. Israel has done it grievously for over three years, suffocating 1.5 million Gazans illegally.

Among other international law provisions, Fourth Geneva's Article 33 states:

"No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism, are prohibited."

The Mission called Israel's blockade disproportionate and illegal, and the attack on the Flotilla unjustified and criminal.

International law regarding occupying powers is clear and unequivocal, enumerating explicit responsibilities. Israel is a serial violator. Gazans are protected persons. So were Flotilla passengers. Israel was prohibited from intercepting and attacking them. Under the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Article 6, paragraph 1:

"Every human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life."

The Mission said "This right is non-derogable." The Flotilla interdiction was lawless "since there was no legal basis for the Israeli forces to conduct an assault and interception in international waters. Moreover," in doing so, Israel was "obligated" under international law and its own "international human rights obligations."

Under Article 2 of the Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement:

"in the performance of their duty, law enforcement officials shall respect and protect human dignity and maintain and uphold the human rights of all persons."

Article 3 states:

"Law enforcement officials may use force only when strictly necessary and to the extent required for the performance of their duty."

Israel, of course, used commandos, heavily armed trained killers, acting as law enforcers, instead of the Coast Guard or other protective forces. Clearly their mission was well-defined - to interdict, attack and murder designated targets, their names and photos provided in advance. Evidence uncovered proved it.

The Mission concluded that force used "was unnecessary, disproportionate, excessive and inappropriate and resulted in the wholly avoidable killing and maiming of a large number of civilian passengers."

It determined that at least six of the dead were killed by "extra-legal, arbitrary and summary executions," some shot multiple times in the head at close range. In addition, passengers detained weren't told why or informed of their rights, in violation ICCPR's Article 9, paragraph 2 stating:

"Anyone who is arrested shall be informed, at the time of arrest, of the reasons for his arrest and shall be promptly informed of any charges against him."

It wasn't done, "and in some instances passenger requests for such information were met with verbal abuse or physical violence."

On board the vessels and in detention, Israel treated them cruelly and inhumanely in clear violation of international law. As a result, injuries resulted or were exacerbated. For all onboard, willful pain and suffering were inflicted. For some, it amounted to torture, an Israeli specialty.

From the moment of interdiction until release and departure, their entire experience was shocking, excessive, disproportionate, and criminal, in violation of numerous international and Israeli laws.

In addition, Israel made "a deliberate attempt....to suppress or destroy evidence" besides fabricating its version of events, including fake videos and other falsified materials.

Another offense also deserves mention. Haneen Zouabi, an Israeli MK was on board the Mavi Marmara. She wasn't detained, but was extensively and abusively interrogated. Because of her participation, the Knesset voted on June 7 to deny her three parliamentary privileges:

-- to travel abroad;

-- retain her diplomatic passport; and

-- have her legal fees paid if losing her parliamentary immunity results in criminal prosecution.

In addition, during Knesset discussions of her participation, racist, sexist, and physically threatening remarks were made. Some MKs also wanted her criminally prosecuted and removed from the Knesset. Further, Israel's Interior Minister, Eli Yishai, accused her of treason and requested authorization from the Attorney General to revoke her citizenship. So far, no action has been taken, but Zouabi continues to receive death threats.

Final Comments

The Mission concluded that Israel caused "a humanitarian crisis (on) May 31, 2010," the day of the attack. "The preponderance of evidence from impeccable sources is far too overwhelming to come to a contrary opinion." Israel's justification on "security grounds" is entirely baseless. Moreover, "prosecutions" are clearly warranted under Fourth Geneva's Article 147, covering:

-- willful killing;

-- torture or inhuman treatment; and

-- willfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health.

Remedial action should be guaranteed all victims. Those responsible should be held criminally culpable. Their crimes shouldn't go unpunished. Those aboard are left with "deep psychological scars....The Mission is not alone in" condemning Israel for its actions, nor about Gaza's "deplorable (and lawless) situation."

So far, passengers have been denied justice, and culpable Israeli officials remain unaccountable, unpunished, and free to keep rampaging, what happens daily in Occupied Palestine while so-called "peace talks" continue, a charade by any standard.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen [at] sbcglobal.net. Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/.

http://sjlendman.blogspot.com

Housless Person Arrested

class warfare: houseless person arrested for resting near abandoned downtown building

author: panopticon

This is a brief account of the detainment and arrest of a houseless person on the streets of downtown Portland, near the intersection of NW Hoyt St. & NW 4th Ave. This happened Thursday, September 23 @ 3PM. Photos and commentary follow.

the front of the abandoned building -- several windows are broken and unrepaired	four police on horseback have the houseless person surrounded	houseless person: "I want people to know I haven't done anything wrong!"
officer attempts to fingerprint houseless person	officer arrests houseless person for "tresspassing"	and off to jail they go!

I was biking down the street at about 3PM, and noticed that there were four officers on horseback surrounding a houseless person. The black male-bodied houseless person was charged with trespassing while outside this abandoned building, where they were resting under an overhang to avoid the rainfall. For about 20 minutes four white officers questioned the houseless person and made small talk. Officers were on the radio numerous times, relaying information and calling for backup. At about 3.20PM a fifth officer arrived in a police cruiser. This officer pulled out an electronic fingerprinting device, and attempted to fingerprint and ID the houseless person. The houseless person did not have ID, and did not want to be fingerprinted. He put his hands underneath his legs, and was rocking back and forth, afraid of physical violence. He yelled "I'm the only black person here, help! Help! I haven't done anything wrong, I'm not a criminal." And he later yelled, several times "Rodney King! Rodney King!" To which one of the officers just chuckled and said "oh yeah, that's a good one." Two officers on horseback left the scene (and spoke with me briefly before departing), leaving the other three officers to finish up. The officer that pulled up in the vehicle was not able to fingerprint the houseless person, and in turn wrote up a quick report and handcuffed them. The houseless person was arrested and escorted into the police vehicle at about 3.30PM. COMMENTARY ---------- The entire time I made sure to keep my distance from the police, on the other side of the street for the most part. I didn't engage them verbally, I simply took pictures with my camera phone. My goal was to simply document what was happening. Because this was a low-traffic street, not many people were around to witness the intimidation and harassment of the houseless person who was targeted by the Portland Police Department. As I mentioned above, I had a brief discussion with two officers because they approached me to talk. One officer asked "so where are you going post this? Indymedia?" To which I responded "maybe, yeah, why?" The officer then said they "like reading what people have to say about us." We continued talking for a few minutes, and I told them that I understand that they are doing their job by enforcing private property laws. And that I think it's a shame that they are forced to be engaging in class warfare for the rich by proxy. There are probably more valuable things the police could be doing! One officer said "well, I don't think it's that dramatic." And I said that not everyone is able to own property. It's not fair that only the wealthy and that those with jobs are able to legally have a place to sit or sleep, etc. and that those without generally end up in prison as slave labor for private corporations because it's essentially illegal to be poor or unemployed. What are these folks supposed to do to avoid trespassing charges, float in the air? The officer then said "if someone was sitting on your porch you'd have the legal right to call us too." And I said I would never call the police if someone was sitting on my porch because they were trying to get out of the rain, and that besides, this is an abandoned building! If the "owners" of this building really did call the police to have them remove that houseless person, well, that's fucked and obviously classist on their part. Couldn't they have just talked with this person face-to-face about their concerns instead of calling in armed bureaucrats who are well known to have executed houseless folks in the past? The officer continued to tell me that Portland has better social services than most other cities, and that they are seeing an influx of poor folks during these bad economic times. The two officers who were speaking with me then went on their way and continued on their patrol route. CLOSING THOUGHTS ---------------- Overall, from my privileged perspective as a spectator, the officers were rather professional in handling the situation. But the fact that there was a "situation" in the first place is the problem. The fact that the police are armed and dangerous and are charged with enforcing the laws of the rich at the expense of the poor is shameful and inhumane, and is ultimately only one facet of the class war that is waged on a daily basis in all sorts of ways big and small. It's a low intensity conflict that is always boiling, non-stop, right under the surface. As long as property ownership translates into wealth and unfettered power and exploitation of the poor, then abandoned buildings will continue to sit vacant and empty while poor folks without access to housing are rounded up and sent to jail. Even cars have more rights than living, breathing, human beings. How many parking spaces are there for cars all over the city? And poor folks can't even take rest on the unused margins of the cityscape without fear of altercations with the police. And yet, somehow, for the average middle-class citizen these authoritarian power dynamics are all so easy to ignore so long as you're somehow able to keep your head down, work hard, and "make it."

Free Geek

Runs Great - Less Bloated 1/3 less the use of system resources than Micro$shaft
But PORTLAND FREEGEEK IS THE MOTHERSHIP!!!

Starbucks labor dispute

Steamed workers taking on Starbucks

BY Brendan Brosh

Tuesday, August 21st 2007, 4:00 AM

Starbucks Workers Union members are complaining about working conditions at the company.

Related Articles

Some Starbucks employees are charging that the gourmet coffee giant is grinding them down with oppressive working conditions.
The ubiquitous chain is defending itself before the National Labor Relations Board against 30 unfair labor practice charges levied by the Starbucks Workers Union.
Starbucks, however, called the charges "baseless allegations."
The union, which is based in a one-room office in Long Island City and is affiliated with the Industrial Workers of the World, alleges that Starbucks engaged in unfair terminations, union-busting and a campaign of surveillance waged by managers on union members - charges the company vehemently denies.
"We don't think people should spend their hard-earned money on a company that has no respect for its workers," said union organizer Daniel Gross, 28, outside the Manhattan courtroom where the hearings are taking place.
"Any time workers organized, the company responded with a vicious anti-union campaign," Gross added.
The charges stem from incidents at four Starbucks locations in the city. The labor relations panel, an independent federal agency that mediates labor disputes, found enough merit in 30 of the union charges to take the company to court.
"We provide a safe workplace for all our partners," said company spokeswoman Tara Darrow. "We call all our employees partners because we feel strongly that they're part of the company. We provide our partners with a total pay package that we believe is very competitive, great pay and great benefits."
Starbucks was brought before the federal labor panel last year as well.
Former Starbucks employee Sarah Bender, 24, was awarded nearly $1,700 as part of a March 7, 2006, settlement with the company after she was fired in May 2005 for union activity.
Bender said she's not surprised the coffee giant is in trouble with the board again.
"I'd like for Starbucks to follow labor law," she said.
The hearings, which began in July and adjourned on Friday for a three-week recess, are expected to conclude in late September.
"We're hoping for a quantifiable shift in how management treats workers," said Peter Montalbano, 24, another union organizer, who is currently employed by the company and who was also part of the March 2006 settlement. "I think we're improving the lives of Starbucks employees."
"We're a very low-cost union with no frills, and dues are affordable," said Gross. "Before we had a voice, Starbucks could get away with anything."


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/queens/2007/08/21/2007-08-21_steamed_workers_taking_on_starbucks.html#ixzz10GidrjHo

companies against marijuana legalization

DEA, FBI, pretty much all forms of law enforcement (local, state, and federal), gangs/dealers, lawyers, judges, prison guards, people who build prisons, people who sell supplies to prisons, tobacco companies, alcohol companies, prescription pain killer companies, cotton companies, clothing companies, rope companies... anyone who stands to lose money or their job is opposed to legalization. The very fact that marijuana is illegal gives thousands of people jobs, and being that most lawmakers usually started out as lawyers, they understand that they would be putting a bunch of their buddies out of business

Marijuana initiative Oregon

Oregon Marijuana Initiative Approaches Required Number Of Signatures To Be Placed On Ballot

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May 16, 1996 - Portland, OR, USA

An Oregon state campaign to regulate the sale of marijuana to adults appears to be well on its way toward qualifying for the November 1996 general election.
Headed by local NORML activists and the Political Action Committee Pay for Schools by Regulating Cannabis (PSRC), a proposal to comprehensively reform marijuana laws in the state has gathered in excess of 65,000 signatures -- more than three quarters of the number needed to place the initiative on the ballot. The PSRC must gather at least 73,261 registered Oregon voters' signatures by July 5, 1996 to qualify.
Known as the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act (OCTA), the PSRC proposal would tax and regulate the sale of marijuana to adults, license farmers to cultivate the drug for sale to the state, permit physicians to prescribe marijuana as a therapeutic agent to seriously ill patients, and allow farmers to grow industrial hemp for fiber, oil, and protein production.
The OCTA would authorize the sale of marijuana to take place in state-run liquor stores where the age limit of 21 can be strictly enforced. The PSRC estimates that the profits generated from the regulated sale of marijuana could amount to $500 million a year or 20 percent of Oregon's total state budget. The OCTA would direct 65 percent of that money toward funding primary and secondary education. In addition, 30 percent of the revenue would go to state and community colleges, four percent would go to fund drug abuse treatment programs, and the remaining one percent would be used to implement realistic drug education programs in the schools.
According to Chief Petitioner Paul Stanford, the pending Oregon legislation is drafted to effectively stand up to the barrage of court challenges that it will presumably face. The OCTA is written in compliance with the restrictions imposed by several international anti-drug treaties and the bill provides numerous constitutional protections in its comprehensive preamble to ensure that the act will be upheld in court. Moreover, the OCTA even provides funding for the inevitable legal battles that await it by collecting revenue through the issuing of cannabis license fees, Stanford notes.
Preliminary surveys indicate that the OCTA has a realistic chance of passing. School funding is a very urgent issue in Oregon and a poll conducted by the state's largest television station, KATU-TV, showed that 55 percent of the respondents answered yes when asked, "Should marijuana be sold in liquor stores to fund education?"
"The war on drugs is the issue on which the future of freedom in America swings," stated Stanford. "Families and individuals are being destroyed by this misguided civil war. The war on drugs is not about drugs, it's about money and the continued centralization of economic and political control. The Oregon Cannabis Tax Act is the first big step toward a solution."
For more information, please contact the PSRC at (503) 235-4606 or write P.O. Box 86741, Portland, OR 97286. The organization may also be contacted via the Internet at: http://www.pantless.com/~octa

legalize

               

                              FREE THE WEED.  LEGALIZE MARIJUANA

Time honored tradition

Boycotts is known as "voting with your dollar".  Both Caesar Chavez and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr started boycotts.  Caesar Chavez started a boycott of table grapes to protest the working conditions and low wages of migrant farm workers and Dr. King started a boycott of the Montgomery Alabama bus boycott to protest segregation of "colored" people and whites in the 1960's south.  The Jews in Nazi Germany started a boycott of German businesses to protest antisemitism in the 1930's.  This nonviolent action started "krystalnaught", where Jewish businesses were ransacked and the windows were smashed.

Wacky Wabbit - Bugs Bunny

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Yosemite Sam & Bugs Bunny

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Remeber the scene in this cartoon where Yosemite Sam sends a barrel of powder sailing toward bugs, and bugs takes a fan and blows it back to Yosemite Sam?

Victimless crime - Santa Cruz,CA

City Council, after allowing restricted public comment, asked a few questions of Homeless Services Center [HSC] Executive Director Monica Martinez. It then passed the ordinance as written in spite of objections by Peacecamp2010 founder Ed Frey and others. Frey pointed out (again) that waking sleeping homeless people when they've committed no crime (since the necessity defense given no shelter makes them innocent at trial) is a form of cruel and unusual punishment where there is no crime and no victim (except for the sleeper). I suggested amendments that would require the HSC to have anyone sign up on their waiting list and provide a written receipt at the time which could then be taken immediately to the City Attorney to have the ticket dismissed.

Martinez agreed the "receipt" idea could be done, and Councilmember Madrigal supported it. Whether it will be done or not, however, seems largely in the hands of the City Attorney, who was given the authority to set all the parameters.

What's needed, of course, is to dump the ban entirely as recommended a decade ago by the City's own Homeless Issues Task Force--see http://www.cabinc.org/Research/HTFFinalReport.htm and go to the Introduction. See also "Homeless Issues Task Force Recommends Repeal of Camping Ban in Santa Cruz"
at http://www.huffsantacruz.org/StreetSpiritSantaCruz/136.Homeless%20Issues%20Task%20Force%20Recommends%20Repeal%20of%20Camping%20Ban%20in%20S.C.=12-99.pdf.

Short of that, the City needs to require police not to issue camping tickets when presented with the receipt or--better--adopt the Frey proposal that requires the police to phone HSC before their ticketing expeditions on any night to determine if there is any shelter available. If not, don't wake up and ticket homeless people. Frey, Linda Lemaster, attorney Kate Wells, Councilmember Katherine Beiers, and I are supposed to be meeting on this issue. However since the meeting was scheduled in lieu of the HSC's agreeing to issue a general letter acknowledging their utter lack of walk-in-emergency shelter from April 15 to November 15, it seems more like an HSC dodge than a real search for solutions.

Mayor Coonerty ended up allowing HUFF (whose spokesperson at the meeting was Becky Johnson) 4 minutes. However, in an apparent punitive move he demanded to know who in the audience were HUFF members and how many of them would "give up" their time. This is a policy unique to Coonerty which again cuts back public comment time. Rotkin, the lame-duck Mayor whose term ends in November, was absent, and Coonerty's comment cutback may indicate how he intends to run things in the likely event that the Council selects him as Mayor in November.

The Sentinel did a small story on the Camping Ordinance amendments, which were voted through without modification--though there was some discussion. (Sentinel article at http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_16078467 ("Citations waived for homeless on shelter list: Santa Cruz camping ban altered to cover more than winter refuge"

Sentinel writer J.M. Brown told me it was his impression that the City Attorney already dismissed citations in the summer if shelters were full. I found this unlikely since shelters are almost always full and I've not heard of a ticket being dismissed by the City Attorney in this manner. Instead the usual procedure was for the Homeless Services Center [HSC] to issue letters when someone comes to them with a ticket. That letter is then taken to the courts, who fairly routinely dismiss the citations.

Recently, as I mentioned above, the HSC apparently changed that policy--perhaps under pressure from the City Attorney--it's not clear. The more restrictive policy now requires a person seeking to have a ticket dismissed through getting a letter documenting full shelter on the night of the ticket needs to have been on their waiting list on the date of the ticket. The new ordinance, if voted again in two weeks, will go into effect a month later. It will require the same "waiting list" status on the date of the ticket. And will also require the homeless person to contact the City Attorney with proof s/he is on the waiting list.

It's possible this latest minor loosening-of-the-screws was done under pressure from the courts, who recognize the unnecessary court hearings, given the overweening ever-present reality of no shelter. However since it is a nightly reality, allowing police to issue tickets at all is abusive or, as was said in the Jones decision and settlement "cruel and unusual punishment." It may be that the City Attorney may also be nervous about a law suit against the City for the Sleeping Ban.

Frey made the further point that those who choose or need to sleep outdoors should not be punished for that choice if they sleep in places that don't cause anyone else a problem.

Councilmembers Krohn and Sugar proposed a similar measure years ago in December 1998. "Mo stops or tickets for blankets or sleeping without a health-and-safety concern"" was the phrasing.. It was voted down by Rotkin, Matthews, and Beiers among others. See " Activists fight Santa Cruz Sleeping Ban" at http://www.huffsantacruz.org/StreetSpiritSantaCruz/104.Activists%20Fight%20S.C.Sleeping%20Ban=1-99.pdf & http://www.huffsantacruz.org/StreetSpiritSantaCruz/105.S.C.Sleeping%20Ban%28cont.1%29=1-99.pdf .

I'll be playing audio today from the City Council hearing and from interviews afterward with Monica Martinez, Executive Director of the HSC at 6 PM today on 101.1 FM and http://www.freakradio.org. It will be archived at http://www.radiolibre.org/brb/brb100916.mp3.

Also on the air will be Rocky Neptun of San Diego talking about the Spencer settlement. That settlement is supposed to stop police from issuing citations at night to homeless people on the streets. There and in Los Angeles, homeless people aren't required to prove they made diligent efforts to find a shelter bed, or to prove there was no shelter that night by letter or show they were on a waiting list. The fact that there is never enough shelter pn any night is general knowledge This was enough to get the settlement that supposedly requires police to lay off. "Supposedly" because, according to preliminary info from Neptun, they are NOT laying off--in violation of the settlement.

In Santa Cruz, the situation is the same, but the City Attorney and his compliant City Council continue to turn a blind eye to the reality. Why? They need "tools" to drive away homeless people, even the City's own homeless as the domestic depression deepens. And so the city continues to quietly consume itself under cover of darkness.

Meanwhile, Peacecamp2010 activists are the real heroes whose 100+ tickets have forced the situation into the limelilght. They still need blankets, legal support, and food and can be found nightly (and daily) in front of City Hall on Center St. Also check out their website at http://www.peacecamp2010.blogspot.com/ and this website for updates.

FBI v. Democracy

The FBI’s War On Democracy --Claude Marks discusses the new film COINTELPRO 101

author: Angola 3 News

Claude Marks, Director of The Freedom Archives,says "we undertook to make this new film, knowing that no government agent or agency has ever been held accountable for the assassinations of leaders, the destruction of organizations, the imprisonment and political targeting of so many people - people who still remain prisoners of the wars against movements for liberation and self-determination within the US borders."

COINTELPRO 101

Watch the trailer, and view embedded links here:

 http://angola3news.blogspot.com/2010/09/fbis-war-on-democracy-claude-marks.html



The FBI's War On Democracy
--Claude Marks discusses the new film COINTELPRO 101

By Angola 3 News

Claude Marks, Director of The Freedom Archives, talks to Angola 3 News about the highly anticipated new documentary film, entitled COINTELPRO 101, which is premiering on October 10, at the Mission Cultural Center of Latino Arts in San Francisco.

According to its website, the Freedom Archives "contains over 8000 hours of audio and video tapes. These recordings date from the late-60s to the mid-90s and chronicle the progressive history of the Bay Area, the United States, and international solidarity movements. The collection includes weekly news/ poetry/ music programs broadcast on several educational radio stations; in-depth interviews and reports on social and cultural issues; diverse activist voices; original and recorded music, poetry, original sound collages; and an extensive La Raza collection."

Freedom Archives has released other audio and video documentaries, including the recent video about the San Francisco Eight, entitled "Legacy of Torture." Legacy of Torture can be viewed online, as well as the previous films Voices of Three Political Prisoners (featuring Nuh Washington, Jalil Muntaqim and David Gilbert), Charisse Shumate: Fighting for Our Lives, and Self Respect, Self Defense & Self Determination (featuring Mabel Williams and Kathleen Cleaver, introduced by Angela Davis).

Angola 3 News: What can you tell us about your upcoming film COINTELPRO 101?

Claude Marks: We've been aware of the need to talk more about COINTELPRO since we made The Legacy of Torture - the video about the government torture of the Panthers in New Orleans in 1973 - which later became the unjust basis for the San Francisco 8 Case. In travelling with that film and organizing for the dropping of charges, we referred to COINTELPRO but often were talking to younger people in particular, who had not heard the term and had no historical frame of reference for that period of intense repression.

So we undertook to make this new film, knowing that no government agent or agency has ever been held accountable for the assassinations of leaders, the destruction of organizations, the imprisonment and political targeting of so many people - people who still remain prisoners of the wars against movements for liberation and self-determination within the US borders.

COINTELPRO 101 is not the first or only film on the subject, although there have not been many, but we hope it can help reinvigorate some organizing work, and reopen some thinking about the violence directed against progressive movements, this hidden history, and nature of the state and its agencies of repression.

A3N: How was the film showing and related workshop at the US Social Forum received by the audience?

CM: This was a good opportunity to infuse the very broad conversations at the Social Forum with a self-conscious discussion about the nature and continuity of government repression. From the European invasion & Middle Passage forward, we have always seen genocide. Prisons, COINTELPRO, Abu Ghraib... all represent the continuity of what any movements to change power relations are and will be up against.

A3N: Your website states that the film's "intended audiences are the generations that did not experience the social justice movements of the sixties and seventies." Given that COINTELPRO officially ended in the early 1970s, why is this story so important for the younger generation to know about?

CM: Well, the mission of the Freedom Archives is to help educate people, and especially the rising new generations, as to the true nature of recent radical history. The high point of struggle represented by the loosely used term "the sixties" and the violent repression against it, contains essential lessons for every young person seeking a more just society. More generally, people should not be misled by the myth of democracy, the idea that the system can be made to work for "us" or that those in power will somehow reach a moral epiphany and give up anything of consequence without a fight.

We see this myth exposed today in many ways - mass imprisonment, the tearing up of families and communities - driven by racism - the criminalization of dissent so any act of resistance becomes by their definition an act of "terrorism."

This is a continuum that is unleashed upon the world's peoples as well as internally. Black, Brown, and Indigenous people are targeted. Muslims and South Asians are targeted. Women and queer folks are targeted. Prisoners are subjected to the worst inhumanities, and if they are ever released, what do they have they to look forward to?

The U.S. has by far the largest incarceration rate in the world—as they build more prisons, the schools deteriorate and the public education system lies in racist tatters.

A3N: How do you think the US government's repression of the Left today differs from the COINTELPRO era?

CM: In the 1970s, the public and some officials, faced with the exposure of the illegal acts of government and police agencies against dissent, feigned concerns about the loss of civil liberties, held hearings, and alleged that reforms would take place. But today, the acts of the FBI, police, and other agencies, once illegal, are now legitimate, legal - via the Patriot Act and other unconstitutional measures, all in the name of homeland security and defending the nation against "terrorism."

The playing field has changed. The government now openly conducts assassinations anywhere in the world, can declare people to be "enemy combatants" and imprison them indefinitely without charges; drone warfare permits mass civilian murders by so-called military experts thousands of miles away without risking US military casualties - it's a "game" except to the thousands of victims.

Today the government claims the right to breach international human rights laws and conventions with no accountability. And the corporate media is so integrated into this strategy, that there is little room for "legitimate" opposition to get a hearing. So it becomes incumbent upon us to organize and message independently and with few resources.

COINTELPRO 101 is made with mainly love and fumes, but we hope that it will be a useful tool to engage in dialogue and to help organize movements that challenge the mythology that dissent is a guaranteed right, that seek the release of political prisoners, that counter the miseducation of our youth with an understanding of the past so they can better shape the future.

A3N: Knowing what we do about this repression in the past and present, how can activists today best defend ourselves? How should our organizing strategies be modified?

CM: We must organize to show our outrage with more consistency and despite risks. There is an urgency to demand more of one another as well. Challenging the state is serious and will not succeed as a result of stroking egos or the pronouncements of self-declared leaders. It is hard work and requires a deep commitment and a passion for serving the people and rebuilding our communities. Our capacity must grow in realistic ways as there are no shortcuts, and the path includes defeats and sacrifice. This is one of the things that our political prisoners and the many martyrs can teach us.

A3N: For our readers not close enough to San Francisco for the October 10 premiere, how will folks be able to watch the new film?

CM: The film will begin to show in communities and on campuses this fall and winter. People can reach us to make arrangements. At some point we will also manufacture DVDs. We hope to have it available with subtitles in other languages as well. Also check the website as we have resources about COINTELPRO posted and will also add a teaching curriculum to accompany the film.

A3N: How can folks best support your efforts?

CM: We are very much a grassroots organization. We have no corporate or government funding. We are one voice among many, but we encourage people to support the work of independent media, including ourselves. We welcome your questions and comments and greatly appreciate your support.

Also please use the audio and video documentaries that we've produced as educational materials and organizing tools. The actual Freedom Archives is searchable on line and is intended to preserve radical history and culture. So check us out!

A3N: Any closing thoughts?

CM: Years ago, as the movements grew and we worked in various political and media organizations, we were fond of quoting part of an 1857 speech by Frederick Douglass, often using Ossie Davis's dramatic rendition of his famous words. They sum up a lesson that is central to what I am saying, and is at the heart of COINTELPRO 101. Many of your readers are probably familiar with it, but its essence bears repeating:

"The whole history of the progress of human liberty shows that all concessions yet made to her august claims, have been born of earnest struggle... If there is no struggle there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom and yet depreciate agitation... want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters... . Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will."

--Angola 3 News is a new project of the International Coalition to Free the Angola 3. Our website is www.angola3news.com where we provide the latest news about the Angola 3. We are also creating our own media projects, which spotlight the issues central to the story of the Angola 3, like racism, repression, prisons, human rights, solitary confinement as torture, and more.

Chicago FBI is corrupt

and there is a corrupt druid running it.

Pastor Steve Trujillo is honorable

Pastor Steve is honorable.  He is a good pastor, and I hope he gets a building soon.  He deserves it.  He is the pastor of a church called Father's House City Ministries.  Pastor Charles Moore is a good pastor too.  He is the pastor of a church called Liberation Street Church.  Blessed Be.

A lesson from the first Spiderman movie

After Peter Parker misused his spider powers, beating up a bully in school, his uncle had a talk with him.  He had a loving relationship with his uncle and told him that great power requires great responsibility.  There is a lesson for all people in this.  Whether you have prayer power, magicacl power, knowlege (scientific of literary or otherwise), psychological knowlege or the authority of the government you need use it responsibly.  You mustn't use it to control or manipiulate people.  I happen to be mentally ill and do things that are irrational at times.  I am not a psychoparth, nor am I suicidal.

Rumours

Some have been publishing rumours that I am a black ceremonial magician.  They are not true.  I emailed my high priestess, Ansela that I was tempted to learn and practice the black arts, or black ceremonial magic(k).  I never learned them.  The truth be told, I am a white magician that heals and is an activist.

Splitting Hairs

let all be fine and well. please do not harm the
messenger. followers of the way it is time. here goes
neutral. all gods and goddesses are god, no
distincion, only semantics. ridiculous, split hair and
they still have same root. males who say god is
masculine are wrong. women who say god is masculine
are wrong. could possibly be a new truth, ask god,
find out. thus is the word of god through me the
messenger daniel. your messenger's name is "a farmer,
judged by god". heavy authenticity, very deep but
shallow enough to easily comprehend. don't believe in
god? have no fear, for fear is the opposite of love.
All attempts to block consensus by celestials have
been blocked, what is your reply? please read rest and
reply. thank you. this whole business is hole now.
(who's makin money off that?), perhaps you. not. money
is no longer necessary, it will fade away, and be
reused. trees give air. they are not to be chopped
down unless they are grown under the seven principles
of sustainability under careful tuteledge of the
universe protectors. capitalism = greed = hate =
death. Food Not Bombs! i give this information to you
as an illuminati by birth, not by official training.
accepted by god and judged o.k. how is this possible?
Rinzai may have told us. seek root of enlightenment in
your birth, we all have common roots of life. my
grandfather was eligible, my father is eligible, my
neighbor is eligible, i am eligible, and my mother is
enlightened. does the list go on? you are included. of
course, and all your relatives also. new rules are
created when you can really "connect" on equal level
with god. we are working things out as we read, learn
and grow. illumination is the answer in bible, but it
was changed (king James). god (all things) is still
very young and is a victim also, needs help
desperately. must continue to hold off Armageddon
forever. all power inequalities have been stripped,
god has allowed this. replace king james with original
text now, please, if you still have. otherwise, bible
gets thrown out, christ will take care of this on our
collective authenticity. may have trouble proving
authenticity in anarchy, no worries, by then
unnessecary, new collecive consciousness to come. will
be fun game by then. People will understand and
overstand and all will be balanced. enough is plenty.
floaters are everywhere on earth now. as we grow older
we become more tolerent. solution is simple, peace,
neutrality, collectivization is health. no ifs ands or
buts, words of god, me and others. get on this level
because i told god i'm sick and tired and dying and i
know i can't be the only illuminati to feel this way.
don't judge if you see me. please don't feel upset
about calling this self illuminati or you also. all
equal, also bodhisattva buddha, and any other messiahs
or beings of knowledge, wisdom and power. we are going
to all be safe. i will tell you the nature of the law,
as we can understand in this incarnation so far; the
law of the universe is life. death you say? is not
opposite of life. death is really what we will call
transition. was messed up with dualism when death was
created, but god fixed problem after the "Cain killed
Able" anecdote, and other examples - reincarnation.
learned from mistake. (once a mistake is committed,
can be resolved with collective consciense, perhaps
another law, let's find out). there is no opposite as
we know, my last conversation with god in male and
female reply was there is not necessary, we didn't
seek one. no longer necessary. we are all victims.
forget about end of time, no longer applicable. enough
is plenty for all. i played with god and stumped god.
no longer a game of death to those who hold antiquated
algorithm. God says this new/old law will never
change, but all things will always change. god and i
did not seek death. god and all beings are equal, one
in the same. a loan, alone is allone, we see. much of
english language is answer too many triple meanings,
sometimes more. latin is clues for prehistory. find
o.k. in dictionary, will give you mystery. o.k. here
are clues;
OK or o·kay (-k) Informal
n. pl. OK's or o·kays
Approval; agreement: Get your supervisor's OK before
taking a day off.

adj.
Agreeable; acceptable: Was everything OK with your
stay?
Satisfactory; good: an OK fellow.
Not excellent and not poor; mediocre: made an OK
presentation.
In proper or satisfactory operational or working
order: Is the battery OK?
Correct: That answer is OK.
Uninjured; safe: The skier fell but was OK.
Fairly healthy; well: Thanks to the medicine, the
patient was OK.

adv.
Used to express approval or agreement.
Fine; well enough; adequately: a television that works
OK despite its age.

tr.v. OK'ed, or OK'd or o·kayed OK'·ing, or o·kay·ing
OK's or o·kays
To approve of or agree to; authorize.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Abbreviation of oll korrect, slang respelling of all
correct.]
Word History: OK is a quintessentially American term
that has spread from English to many other languages.
Its origin was the subject of scholarly debate for
many years until Allen Walker Read showed that OK is
based on a joke of sorts. OK is first recorded in 1839
but was probably in circulation before that date.
During the 1830s there was a humoristic fashion in
Boston newspapers to reduce a phrase to initials and
supply an explanation in parentheses. Sometimes the
abbreviations were misspelled to add to the humor. OK
was used in March 1839 as an abbreviation for all
correct, the joke being that neither the O nor the K
was correct. Originally spelled with periods, this
term outlived most similar abbreviations owing to its
use in President Martin Van Buren's 1840 campaign for
reelection. Because he was born in Kinderhook, New
York, Van Buren was nicknamed Old Kinderhook, and the
abbreviation proved eminently suitable for political
slogans. That same year, an editorial referring to the
receipt of a pin with the slogan O.K. had this
comment: "frightful letters... significant of the
birth-place of Martin Van Buren, old Kinderhook, as
also the rallying word of the Democracy of the late
election, 'all correct'.... Those who wear them should
bear in mind that it will require their most strenuous
exertions... to make all things O.K.". But official
American heritage dictionary states "but previously
unattested in the 1830's as a modish slang
abbreviation of favorable but UNCERTAIN MEANING,
possibly connected with another such abbreviation D.K.
for "don't know". Usage: o.K. is especially
appropriate to business and correspondence and
informal speech and writing, and usually inappropriate
to expressly formal usage, distinguished from the
afforementioned, O.K is termed most acceptable by the
Usage Panel when emplyed as a noun (his O.K. is
considered a formality,acceptable to 57 per cent) or
as a verb (to O.k. an arrangement,acceptable to 42 per
cent). it is acceptable to only 23 per cent, and as an
adverb (the radio was working o.k.) to only 20 per
cent. Many Panel members term O.K. acceptable speech
generally, however. do you know the answer? numbers?
forget about it. forget about 666 or any form of
"number" except || o.k. o.k. o.k. please give more
information if some has/is found. no, the number is
not 11 many claim false authenticity to number of the
beasts. the marks are the only authentic symbols
according to god. The mark of the beasts is ||. the
marks of the beasts is ||. maybe more marks as well
we are not sure, beginning is now unkown to humans. if
any theories on beginning float, they are now
unauthenticated by god, through the messenger daniel.
still a game. no numbers when illuminati and bible
were created. numbers were given to muslims and non
sectarian arabics first. perhaps. now god says maybe.
perhaps one or another and another in seven of luck
and love. || are the marks ("number"), of the beasts
needed for original life, and thus the creation of
male and female. however god has just inserted a
challenge, an origin in human hermaphrodite asexual
reproduction. god says is this the law? you can try to
prove authenticity, no right or wrong answers given
now, only fun dialogue at this point. do not
substitude "2" for the marks please, not applicable.
too confusing, note too many meanings of english word,
thank you. life will be fun when played with new game
rule(s). mark of beast(s) is not | as far as i know.
if gets to this point - game over, no one to insert
coin. that would be far too simple. sorry to link you
all, but now is the time to collectivize and hold off
Armageddon, the first rule of earth is most important
right now, others may follow from our collective
conscience. if you have different algorithm, here is
the only new program of authenticity; the first rule
of the earth is life exists, do not kill. god gave
some wrong terms and directions, when younger and more
foolish, if any left with ancient rules, throw them
out immediately or die. the anarchist/antichrist has
challenged and god has accepted. 2012 has been set for
a date of official harmonious anarchy, peace,
neutrality, more revealed later. illuminate everyone
about all you know that still applies to this first
rule of earth and its seven principles of
sustainability. seeds are important. exterminate
terminator seeds. life must grow. i am a messenger.
this is also a new plan, remember anarchy is here, but
first law will always apply to ward off Armageddon. at
this rate, we have agreed, no argument. if you disobey
god will make you play again in another lifetime. do
not attmpt to make a game of disobeying, it will not
work. does this sound familiar. discussion has
reinforced ideas. confusion, yes. but calm. we will
tell Jesus and rest (elijah,matraiyea and rest).
Mohamed already knew new/old algorithm/law - not to
kill. more to follow must discuss long term needs.
grow real non genetically modified food now. if cold
start indoors. not even kill antichrist. no one or all
animals. real plants to be eaten only, you will
understand the world of daniel (is/was vegan). will be
acceptable, patience. must extinguish all genetic
modified seed stock. extinquish all terminator seeds -
antiquated algorithm. now have "new deal". Dan quale
is same as nimrod, but now will start learning again,
and again and again,etc. many incarnations, no
punishment. release mind control, freedom. for
symbolism of thirteen consult Dalai Lama, if he will
tell you, if you can contact him. last i heard he said
he would not be reincarnated in a country that was not
free. then he got sick. then he said he would not be
reincarnated as dalai lama, too much hierarchy. he
will be difficult to contact, show respect for the
bodhisattva of compassion and don't bother him/her too
much please, he/she is still ill, but your words will
make him/her very well, perhaps will fullfill destiny
of happy miracle. does this remind you of the glass
bead game? feel free to tell me more. life is now much
more exciting, please be patient, no need to rush. do
not attempt to acquire materials, or natural
resources. apply the seven principles of
sustainability, and teach/learn all. God just told me
to tell you to stop business as usual under authority
of antichrist, all messiahs and god. if you are with
antichrist, protect all beings. if you are with the
messiahs protect all beings, one and the same. it's
actually easier than what we have now. have no fear,
it's the opposite of love. please act now. this
couldn't be any more urgent, as you now can tell.
thank you.
let the endless phase of solar and wind power begin.
grow real non-genetically modified foods. exterminate
terminator seeds now, they are no longer functional
under the first law of the earth. transform all means
of production of destruction into useful forms under
the seven principles of sustainability. please,thank
you under authority of all. perhaps god wishes to be
called all at this point further, find out more, now,
unless there is something else you must do under the
first rule of earth. life exists. do not kill all
phylum of animals and/or people. use plants wisely and
mindfully according to their variety (i.e.
annual,perrenial,etc.). life is now a fun game we can
play again. spread the enlightenment, please, thank
you.

sunshine and peace,
daniel the messenger
authenticity number 79121969 "i think". if other
authenticity is required, let that be as well. no
other authenticity is required, all has prevailed so
be the word.
armegeddon is now impossible

recycle and reuse all means of destruction under the
seven principles of sustainability. the collective
conscience is quickly rising. please enjoy.

i love you all

sagist

daniel

Cascadia

Political Prisoners anf the FBI

Political Prisoner Correspondence and the FBI

author: Sacramento Prisoner Support        e-mail: sacprisonersupport[at]riseup[dot]net

Recent FOIA documents have uncovered some interesting information...

Recently we began receiving documents in response to a FOIA request we filed with the FBI about Eric McDavid. The documents have uncovered a few alarming pieces of information, but one in particular we felt it necessary to share with the public as soon as possible. For years people have been speculating that writing political prisoners would result in a person being "put on a list." Unfortunately, it seems that those speculations were not unfounded.

We have received perhaps hundreds of pages documenting Eric's correspondence with other people. These letters are not just kept on file - the Sacramento County Main Jail forwarded all of these letters to the Sacramento FBI field office, which then forwarded them to local field offices around the country (and to law enforcement internationally) to warn the FBI in other cities of a "possible environmental/animal rights extremist" or "a possible anarchist extremist" in their community. Originally, the FBI's communications included a statement that "Sacramento is forwarding this communication for information purposes only." But later, they began including a much longer statement which read, in part: "this information has been determined to be of such a nature that some follow-up as to the possibility of criminal activity is warranted..." These statements were included no matter what was the content of the letter - often the documents include the statement that the letter was "benign in nature."

It is unclear whether or not the FBI is still forwarding Eric's correspondence to local field offices. We have not received any documents dated after his move to a federal facility. It is also unknown whether or not all correspondence with political prisoners is treated in the same manner. What we do know is that if a person sent Eric a letter to the Sacramento County Main Jail with their full name and address on it, the local FBI field office more than likely now has that information.

We are not sharing this information to raise alarm or spread fear. We have every intention of continuing to write political prisoners, and we urge others to do the same. That said, we hope to expose the FBI's politically motivated investigations and, unlike the FBI, we believe people have a right to know when they have been spied on. This kind of government intrusion could cause the "chilling effect" so often thrown about in conversations about 1st amendment activities. But when we give in to those fears, political prisoners are the ones who suffer. And this is exactly what the government wants. The state is constantly trying to expand its reach by gathering information about social movements and those who participate in them. Instead of letting this new information scare us into silence, we should use it to make informed decisions about how we support and prioritize political prisoners. This kind of repression has implications for more than just people involved in "activism." Millions of people are incarcerated in this country. It is possible that the government uses similar tactics to investigate other communities that they actively repress. Writing our friends, family members and comrades should not be a justified excuse for investigation - no matter who our friends are.

To view some of these documents, please visit:  http://ecoprisoners.org/news.htm