Archive for November, 2014

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Thursday November 13 National Call-in Day: No Bombs! No Endless War!

Wednesday, November 12th, 2014
Call Congress Today:
Toll-free number to Capitol Switchboard:  877-429-0678
President Obama announced last week that he was sending another 1500 troops to Iraq and would be calling on Congress to issue a new “authorization for the use of force” (AUMF) against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. He is also asking for $5.6 billion to pay for this new war.
It’s already clear that this policy isn’t working. After months of American bombing in Iraq and Syria ISIS is stronger than ever, controlling roughly the same territory they did when the first strikes occurred. Instead of being degraded ISIS has seen a massive increase in recruitment,
Another American-directed war is not a solution to the challenge of ISIS. There are less violent alternatives available with greater prospects for success.
See Grassroots Handout- Short Version
Congressional Handout
Recognizing the urgency of this situation, United for Peace and Justice is joining together with more than twenty national peace and justice organizations to build Congressional opposition to this new war.
You can help. Pick up the phone and call your Representative and two Senators. Use Toll-free Number to Capitol Hill Switchboard: 877-429-0678 *(provided by Friends Committee on Legislation)
Let them know you are opposed to this new war.
Emphasize  that as a constituent you want them to Vote Against Any Authorization for the Use of Force (AUMF) in Syria and Iraq.
Ask the staff member where the member of Congress stands on the issue. Please report results to
rustiandgael@unitedforpeace.org 
We are now facing an uphill struggle in mobilizing members of Congress. But it is helpful to remember that every member of Congress who votes AGAINST this counter-productive, dangerous and costly  effort is laying the foundation for an ongoing mobilization on behalf of peace.
Please copy and forward widely.

 

Posted in Military, Social Justice, Take Action! | No Comments »

We won one

Wednesday, November 12th, 2014

Great news.  Mahalo  Koohan for passing this along.  Nice to have positive results at lest once in a while.
Solidarity,
Jim

On 11/12/2014
Date: November 12, 2014 4:40:44 PM HST
>
Subject: BREAKING NEWS…and it’s GOOD!

     It’s not so often we get to report really good news. Sharon and I met this morning with Brycen Moritsugo, president of College & Career Fair who coincidentally lives on Kaua`i. Then 1/2 hour ago at 3:45 he called up and said he is changing his mind and we, and all the other islands, can represent at the Fair. This has generated a ton of publicity, all negative for HI C & C Fair, from the likes of Jim Albertini, Island Breath, a facebook page generating comments, an ACLU attorney who’s looking into this, the presenters from all the islands  and probably some pissed off students, teachers and parents. We just don’t know what really swung the deal but whatevah!!!

I immediately called Chris D’Angelo at TGI, who had interviewed Brycen, to tell him to hold the story and guess who called Chris immediately after I did?  This is a big win for our statewide progrssive community and it just shows how a united effort can pan out. Kip

Posted in Military, Public Events, Social Justice, Take Action! | No Comments »

Veterans Day Reflections

Wednesday, November 12th, 2014

Glorify

Peace Not

War:

Armistice Day vs. Veterans Day

war over
Let bells toll everywhere!

      In 1919, a year following the end of World War I, the “War to End All War,” Armistice Day was established on Nov. 11th as a celebration of peace and a time to remember the waste of war. In 1954 the U.S. Congress transformed Armistice Day into Veterans Day and transformed a day to celebrate peace into a day to glorify war and the celebration of those who participate in wars as “heroes.” What lesson does that teach our children — to dream of becoming peacemakers? No, to become a “hero” one goes off to kill or be killed in a future war.

      Let’s be clear. Wars are about empire, that serve the interest of a few at the expense of the many. Talk of “freedom and democracy” is window dressing to disguise the grab for resources by corporate profiteers. Veterans Day, like Armed Forces Day, has less to do about honoring the sacrifices of troops than it does about recruiting the next generation of soldiers to be used as cannon fodder in future wars of empire.

      Author and historian, William Blum, in a book “Killing Hope,” presents the facts of more than 55 foreign interventions by the U.S. military/CIA since WWII. Today, the U.S. empire maintains hundreds of military bases around the world, spends hundreds of billions of dollars on its military might, more than most of the other industrial nations combined, maintains an elaborate secret intelligence network that spies on everyone, and a masterful propaganda machine with a compliant media, to fuel fear and hatred in order to keep the U.S. military/industrial complex business booming. But at what human, financial, social, and spiritual cost?

Who has the Courage to Say – No More War!

Thank you for your service in refusing to Kill!

1. Mourn all victims of violence. 2. Reject war as a solution. 3. Defend civil liberties. 4. Oppose all discrimination, anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, anti-Hawaiian, 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 489 Kurtistown, Hawai`i 96760.
Phone (808) 966-7622. Email:ja@malu-aina.org  http://www.malu-aina.org

Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet (Nov. 14, 2014 – 686th week) – Friday 3:30-5PM downtown Post Office

Posted in Hawaii Independence, Military, Public Events, Radiation, Social Justice, Take Action!, Vigil leaflets | No Comments »

Re: Please help!! From all Hawaii counter-recruiting groups

Tuesday, November 11th, 2014

Aloha Peace ohana,
Below is a message from Caki Kennedy asking for your help.  Below her message is one I sent to the career day folks.
Jim Albertini

——– Original Message ——–

Subject: Re: Please help!! From all Hawaii counter-recruiting groups
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 19:03:24 -1000
From: Jim Albertini <ja@malu-aina.org>
To: Caki Kennedy <palidogs@hawaiiantel.net>
On 11/11/2014 6:14 PM, Caki Kennedy wrote:

Aloha all,

Please help get the word out and complain that ALL island counter-recruiting groups have been banned from next week’s career fairs.
The following simple piece compiled by us explains the situation and gives suggestions.
Thank you if you can post this widely, and if you have time fire off a letter to your school, newspaper or the organizers of the fair.
Many mahalos, Caki

Begin forwarded message:


From: Shannon Rudolph <shannonkona@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Draft Letter – College & Career Fair…
Date: November 11, 2014 at 9:34:15 PM EST
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
tank
​
Heads Up ~ YOUR Quick Email Needed NOW ~ for Equal Time!

Upcoming Hawaii College & Career Fairs BANS Local Peace Groups!

The annual Hawaii College & Career Fair starts next week and travels to all islands.The Fairs provides career information and opportunities for 12,000 kids and parents to speak to over 200 representatives of higher education institutions including trade schools, business groups, visitor industries, and military recruiters.

THIS YEAR, at the last possible moment, local Hawai’i ‘counter military recruiting’ groups have been UNINVITED and EXCLUDED from the fairs on all islands. Banning these groups is illegal and they need your help now.

Local counter military recruitment groups are youth advocacy groups that provide high school and middle school youth with crucial information ‘to counter’ the slick pitch for enlistees from military recruiters and give them alternative ideas besides enlistment.

> PLEASE SEND YOUR QUICK COMMENT TO:
http://www.hawaiicollegecareerfair.org/About-Us.html

If you are a parent, please ask your child’s principal for ‘equal time’ for ‘counter-recruiters’ at the fair if you child’s class is being bussed into this event.

Also, please send letters of support and/or outrage to your local newspapers. This is a blatant attempt to keep youth from getting full disclosure about military careers that they have a LEGAL right to.

Without the the local counter-recruitment groups participating at these fairs, minors will get heavily biased information, funded by our tax dollars.

ONLY YOU can put the pressure on to correct this injustice, right now.

Mahalo!
O’ahu – Hawaii Peace & Justice
Maui – Careers in Peace Making
Kaua`i – Kaua`i Alliance for Peace & Social Justice
Hawai`i Island -The Peace Squad

Here’s a copy of the message I sent.

I was appalled to learn that counter military recruiting groups have been banned from the career fairs on all Islands.  What kind of blatant Nazi action is this in the land of the free?  Lift the ban.  Respect the right of students to receive a balanced approach to counter military recruitment.  And apologize to the groups once banned and the youth for trying to deny them to see all sides of an issue.   Shame on you.
Jim Albertini

—
Jim Albertini Malu ‘Aina Center For Non-violent Education & Action P.O. Box 489 Ola’a (Kurtistown) Hawai’i 96760 Phone 808-966-7622 Email ja@malu-aina.org www.malu-aina.org This communication may be unlawfully collected and stored by the National Security Agency (NSA) in secret. The parties to this email do not consent to the government retrieving or storing of this communication and any related metadata, as well as printing, copying, re-transmitting, disseminating, or otherwise using it. If you believe you have received this communication in error, please delete it immediately.

Posted in Hawaii Independence, Military, Public Events, Social Justice, Take Action! | No Comments »

Petition against Pro-GMO Clifton Tsuji as House Ag Chair

Saturday, November 8th, 2014
FYI  Passing this on from Shannon Rudolph.  Please share with others.  Mahalo.
Jim

Nomi Carmona shared Babes Against Biotech‘s photo.

4 hrs

URGENT ACTION ALERT HAWAII: Please sign petition now to stop Rep. Clift Tsuji appointment. He is a known chemical and GE industry proponent and has even been awarded Biotech Legislator of the Year as House Agriculture Chairman for blocking any GE and pesticide regulation! He is bad news, if Clift gets appointed, we won’t have any statewide agricultural protections or progress in the legislature! He has taken over $15,000 from the chemical GE industry while Hawaii is being used as an open air genetic and chemical laboratory. Unless our legislators listen to us, he will be Agriculture Chair again. This is a clear conflict of interest and highly inappropriate to appoint Rep. Tsuji to the House Agriculture Committee Chairmanship.

That’s why we created a petition to The Hawaii State House. PLEASE SIGN AND SHARE:
http://petitions.moveon.org/si…/stop-appointment-of-biotech…

You can also email legislators at reps@capitol.hawaii.gov, repsouki@capitol.hawaii.gov & repsaiki@capitol.hawaii.gov but for some strange reason all the House Rep emails keep bouncing so we made a petition!

MAHALO!

Tsuji
Babes Against Biotech

URGENT ACTION ALERT HAWAII: Please sign petition (link below) & call Speaker of the House now to stop Rep. Clift Tsuji appointment. He is a known chemical and GE industry proponent and was awarded Biotech Legislator of the Year as House Agriculture Chairman for blocking any GE and pesticide regulation! He has taken over $15,000 from the chemical GE industry while Hawaii is being used as an open air genetic and chemical laboratory. That’s why we created a petition to The Hawaii State House.

1) ***PLEASE SIGN AND SHARE*** http://tinyurl.com/qcrgr68

2) Please very politely and nicely call Speaker of the House Joe Souki of Maui at 808-586-6100, and ask him to please not appoint Rep. Tsuji to the Agriculture committee chair position. Remember he will probably not be there so you will be leaving a RECORDED message so please choose your words wisely. Here is a sample of a message you could leave:

“Aloha this message is for Representative Joe Souki, my name is (your name) and I am a registered voter in (your town) calling to ask you please, do not appoint Representative Clift Tsuji as House Agriculture Chair. This is a clear conflict of interest and would be extremely inappropriate as Rep. Tsuji has taken over $15,000 from chemical GE companies and their registered lobbyists. He was also awarded by the world’s largest biotech trade organization as legislator of the year for blocking any GE or pesticide regulation.

Tens of thousands of Hawaii residents are deeply concerned about these GE pesticide companies using Hawaii as an outdoor chemical and genetic laboratory without independent health or environmental safety studies. I find it disturbing that the House would even even consider a legislator such as Clift Tsuji. Agriculture is such an important committee which addresses some of the most pressing and controversial concerns for Hawaii voters today, regarding local food, agriculture, pesticide and genetic engineering protection and fair provisions for small, local farmers.

In order to avoid clear conflict of interest, please do NOT appoint Rep. Clift Tsuji to the House Agriculture Chairmanship. My phone number is __________ and I urge you to please choose a more pono agriculture chair. Mahalo and aloha.”

You can also email legislators at reps@capitol.hawaii.gov, repsouki@capitol.hawaii.gov & repsaiki@capitol.hawaii.gov but for some strange reason all the House Rep emails keep bouncing so we made a petition!

MAHALO!

Posted in Farm, GMO, Public Events, Social Justice, Take Action! | No Comments »

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