Call and make your voice heard now:
Contact President Barrack Obama at the White House 202-456-1111 http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT and our Congressional representatives Mazie Hirono http://www.hirono.house.gov in Hilo 935-3756,  in Honolulu 808-541-1986, in Washington 202-225-4906,  Colleen Hanabusa http://www.hanabusa.house.gov  in Honolulu 808-541-2570, in Washington 202-225-2726, Senator Akaka http://akaka.senate.gov in Hilo 935-1114, in Honolulu 808-522-8970 in D.C. 202-224-6361, and Senator Inouye http://inouye.senate.gov in Hilo 935-0844, Honolulu 808- 541-2542 in D.C. 202-224-3934

U.S. on Downward Spiral
to Police State!

Arrest, indefinite detention, and targeted assassination of U.S. Citizens and others, with no due process of law:
What happened to Human Rights?
What a way to celebrate Christmas — a time of peace on earth, good will to all!

     The National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 (NDAA) appropriates $662 BILLION in military spending next year.  When other hidden military appropriations are added, the true military budget is over $1 Trillion per year.  With so many pressing unmet human needs, Congress should block, or Obama should veto the 2012 NDAA.  Other reasons this year’s NDAA should be stopped are because it legislates indefinite detention of suspected terrorists without charge, and it militarizes law enforcement. The legislation has drawn minimal opposition.  It comes at a time of unprecedented attacks on civil liberties within the U.S..  Some of these attacks include:

–Massive spying on the Muslim community, including the recent revelations of the spying by the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and the CIA on mosques, Muslim businesses, and Muslim student groups;
–The continuation of the policy of sending agents into mosques with phony plots designed to entrap Muslims for so called “preemptive prosecution”;
–The recent raids on homes of antiwar activists by federal agents, who have carted away personal computers, cell phones, books, and other possessions and handed the activists subpoenas to appear before federal grand juries;
–The recent, often violent evictions of anti-Wall Street occupations around the country;
–The refusal of the Chicago city government and the federal government to allow for peaceful protests when NATO and the G8 countries come to Chicago in May, 2012 to hold summit meetings.
The potential impact of the NDAA’s provisions to expand military detention without trial could put any citizen, especially political activists, at risk.

Why would President Obama sign a law that gives the US military the power to arrest and detain people indefinitely without trial?   President George W. Bush, and now President Obama have expanded executive power and presidential discretion.  Obama has already decreed that he has the power to assassinate suspected terrorists (including U.S. citizens) without trial, charges, or the production of any evidence that such people may be supporting terrorism.  Countless people , including at least 2 U.S. citizens, have been executed by U.S. special operation squads or drone missile attacks without charges, trial, or evidence produced for their targeted killings.

The U.S. Bill of rights was ratified 220 years ago, on December 15, 1791. It is shameful that today, in the United States, citizens are forced to come together in defense of the Bill of Rights and civil liberties, as the representatives of the 1% who rule this country continue to take away citizen rights.  The shameful detainment and denial of civil rights of Japanese Americans during WWII, and the anti-communist witch hunts of the McCarthy era, are still not forgotten.  Let us not again repeat and worsen the mistakes and crimes of the past.

Defend Human Rights for All People!
Christmas Peace!

1. Mourn all victims of violence. 2. Reject war as a solution. 3. Defend civil liberties. 4. Oppose all discrimination, anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, etc.
5. Seek peace through justice in Hawai`i and around the world.
Contact: Malu `Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action P.O. Box AB Kurtistown, Hawai`i 96760.
Phone (808) 966-7622.  Email ja@interpac.net   http://www.malu-aina.org
Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet (Dec.16, 2011 – 534th week) – Friday 3:30-5PM downtown Post Office

Aloha Peace Ohana,

I’m down with a cold so there won’t be a peace organizing meeting on Monday, Dec. 12th.

Jim

2011 Christmas Appeal

Dear friends,                                                                                                                  December 6, 2011

I have never known a time when our world has been more in need of blessings of “peace and good will to all” than the present.  More and more people with whom we share food, seem to be hanging by a thread.  Hope of conditions changing for the better is in short supply.  In fact, the few remaining government safety net programs for the most vulnerable are being cut.

On a global scale, it seems that war and the threat of increasing war are constant companions — Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, Pakistan.  Are Syria and Iran next?  Creating more terror in the name of fighting terror is the order of the day.  With the added threats of a growing economic crisis, attacks on civil liberties, and destructive climate change, all life on earth appears to be hanging by a thread.  In such times, where do we find hope?  How do we keep the faith, overcome cynicism, and believe that a more just, peaceful and liveable world is possible?

We find hope by sharing with others, realizing that in doing so none of us are alone.  Rain or shine, we plant seeds, pull weeds, and stand for justice and peace, knowing you are with us, and the least among us — those bombed, foreclosed, made homeless, jobless, broke, and near broken. Together, we help each other keep the faith and never give up. Sharing is the thread that connects us and all that is sacred.

We are blessed by the gifts of your solidarity — your peace and good will.  We thank you and pledge to you our best efforts in all that we do.  Blessings of this holy season to you and your ohana.

With gratitude and aloha,

Jim Albertini for Malu ‘Aina

PS.  Alas, our more than 3 year effort to purchase and conserve 11 adjacent acres of prime agricultural land has become a dead end.  I report this with disappointment, mixed with feelings of relief.  Though unsuccessful, we did the best we could.   Malu ‘Aina’s cost in the effort has been over $6,000 and we greatly appreciate your support throughout the process.

Donations are tax deductible if checks are made to:

Center for Non-violent Education & Action
P.O. Box AB ‘Ola’a (Kurtistown), Hawai’i 96760.  Phone (808) 966-7622
Email jimalbertini@gmail.com   Visit us on the web at: www.malu-aina.org