Trust Maker of DDT, Agent Orange, PCBs with Our Food?

Emmett Till and Trayvon Martin

In 1955, fourteen year old Emmett Till whistled at a white woman in Mississippi and was brutally murdered for it. Less than a month after his murder, an all-white jury acquitted the two white defendants in 67 minutes (it would have taken less time one juror said, but they stopped for a soda break). Emmett's mother bravely allowed the casket to be open and photos of his mutilated face and body stunned the nation. I remember reading once that people who were motivated to work in the south for racial justice all had one thing in common- they had  all seen Emmett's picture.

Now we have seventeen year old Trayvon Martin shot in cold blood while walking unarmed in his father's neighborhood, but this time, we do not even have an arrest. I won't go into all the details- I'm sure most of you are following this, but what you might not know is how all these irresponsible, shoot first, ask questions later (or more accurately- there will be no questions) laws came into being.

Once again we see the ugly tentacles of ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council, reaching into legislatures to pass laws that provide profits to corporations- often at the expense of public safety, individual rights and the environment. At ALEC, NRA lobbyists work with big retailers, who profit from gun sales, to write the model legislation. Then political stooges, mostly Republicans, bring the legislation home to their states- not because the people have called for it, but because ALEC and its moneyed corporate members want it. States earn extra credit on ALEC's "legislative scorecards" for passing laws like Stand Your Ground. Twenty three states have some form of this law.

A similar law, called the Castle Doctrine was passed in Wisconsin (Gov Walker and the heads of the Assembly and Senate are all ALEC members) and on March 3 another young, black man was shot in the chest and died. Bo Morrison, 20, was at an underage drinking party. When cops showed up many ran to hide. Bo hid on the front porch of a neighbor's house and when the home owner found him there he shot him, although he was aware there were police in the neighborhood.

Chris Taylor, a Wisconsin state representative said, "It is heartbreaking that the legislators allowed this reckless law to go forward and now a young man is dead."

There is no doubt that these laws encourage vigilantism and deadly force. The number of "justifiable homicides" has tripled in Florida since Jeb Bush signed the Stand Your Ground law into being. Critics at the time said it would lead to racially motivated killings and promote deadly escalations in arguments.

Time to take our country back from the NRA, ALEC and politicians who only serve their corporate masters and not the people.

Heartfelt sympathies to the family of Trayvon. May he- another sacrificial lamb- similarly motivate many to get involved to fight the scourge of racism and demand justice!

The GOP's Misogyny Problem Part II

The GOP's War on Women is now on steroids.

• Arizona has a bill that would make it OK for a doctor to lie to a pregnant women- telling her all is fine even if the fetus has severe deformities and disabilities- all in an effort to reduce abortions. Parents would not be able to sue the doctor for withholding this vital information. Unbelievably, there are similar laws in nine states- Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Utah, Idaho, Pennsylvania, North Dakota, South Dakota and Indiana.

• Arizona also has a bill pending that would make it OK for an employer to grill an employee about what she is using contraceptives for- and if it is to prevent pregnancy- this bill would make it OK to fire her!

• Indiana not only allows a doctor to lie to his or her patients, but requires it. The GOP controlled legislature passed a bill that requires doctors to tell patients seeking abortion that it causes an increase in breast cancer, although this has been thoroughly debunked by the scientific community. An amendment that doctors provide "medically and scientifically accurate" information to patients was voted down.

• Kansas is considering sweeping anti-abortion laws that would include taxing women who get abortions- even in cases of rape, to save the life of the mother, or to remove a fetus after a miscarriage- which is defined as abortion in Kansas.

•  Tennessee Republicans are pushing a bill that would require the state to publish names of doctors performing abortions and detailed information on the women having them.

• Far righter Ann Coulter recently said it would be OK with her if young adults and women lost their right to vote, because more Republicans would be voted into office.

• Mitt Romney said as president he would end Planned Parenthood.

• As part of their war on Planned Parenthood, Texas forfeited millions in Medicaid funds which will destroy the Women's Health Program that provides preventative care including cancer screenings and contraceptives to more than 130,000 low income women. The conservative Texas budget board in 2011 called it "the most cost effective program in Texas".

• In 2010, 23 states passed abortion restriction laws. In 2011, 83 such laws were passed, often with the help of ALEC and the US Conference on Catholic Bishops.

• Last Fall, House Republicans tried to pass a bill that would have allowed any hospital receiving federal funds to deny performing emergency abortions, even if a woman's life was in danger.

For more on the GOP's Misogyny Problem.

But here is the good news- the backlash has begun and it will be strong. Most Americans do not agree with the radical agenda of the far right to turn back the clock on women's rights. There will be  a Women's Grassroots Congress this month and  marches are planned nationwide  for April 28.

From the new group Organizing against the War on Women-

"Help defend women’s rights and pursuit of equality. Join Americans all across the United States on April 28th, 2012, as we come together as one to tell members of Congress in Washington DC and legislators in all 50 states, “Enough is enough!”

All Americans have the right to make decisions about their own bodies, including contraception, without interference from government, business or religious institutions"

WAKING PLANET: Be You!

WAKING PLANET: Be You!

Good News, on Fracking, Coal and Limbaugh

Marcellus Protest-Creative Commons

 1. A Win for Local Sovereignty and Anti-Fracking Activists

A second NYS judge in a week, has ruled that a municipality can ban fracking in their borders. State Supreme Court Justice Donald F.Cerio, Jr said that although the state regulates drilling, local governments can decide if they want drilling at all.

From Rosalyn Cherry- New Paltz anti-fracking activist and member of Women in Black-
As New York State residents are fighting for a ban of  horizontal hydraulic fracturing (fracking) they were rewarded two decisions in the court that local municipalities have the right to ban this form of toxic drilling. Not only is fracking banned but also storing, treating and disposing of any products or waste produced from fracking (called waste water or flowback.).

Both the towns of Dryden and Middlefield passed zoning laws to protect the environment and health of their residents. Dryden was sued by a major oil and developer, Anschutz. Middlefield was sued by a local landowner who wanted drilling to start so she would start to get royalties.

This leaves land use decisions up to local governments and not bureaucrats who do not live in the community. This is a blow to the corporations that make up the oil and gas industry where they argue they have the right to override the wishes of the community. To learn more about fracking here is the link to a great video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEB_Wwe-uBM

From the Greenpeace Campaign

2. Nine More Aging Dirty Coal Plants to Close
A ten year, grassroots campaign to close two of the dirtiest coal plants in our country has resulted in a victory! The two plants in Chicago, were nearly a century old and had received no updates for the past 50 years. They were "grandfathered" in meaning they had laxer, air quality standards, but failed to even meet them.
 
Activist pressure, new air quality standards, market forces and more investment in renewals and efficiency have helped to result in a total of 106 coal plants closing since January of 2010. Additionally, 166 new coal plants have been defeated since 2002. The closing of the plants will save thousands of lives and tens of thousands of asthma attacks each year and help us in our fight against global warming.

from www.davidsuzuki.org- a good summary of climate change

 3.Severe Weather Changing Minds about Climate Change
The multimillion dollar, climate change-denying machinations of the Koch brothers, Big Oil and the Chamber of Commerce have unfortunately had an impact. But the good news is that the percent who believe that climate change is real (62%) is rising (up 7% from last spring and 10% from 2010.)  Another poll showed the same trend with even better results.

"The percentage of Americans who believe the Earth has been warming rose to 83 percent from 75 percent last year in the poll conducted Sept. 8-12, 2011."

Severe weather patterns are making climate change deniers look more and more delusional.

The fact is that 4 out of 5 Americans have been impacted by extreme weather since 2006. Just look at what happened this past week. In just five days, 150 tornadoes tore through our country, with winds raging up to 200mph and killing 39 people.  In 2011, we had record breaking blizzards, tornadoes that killed 550, severe flooding, Hurricane Irene hitting the Eastern Seaboard, the hottest summer and worse drought in Texas (where 1 million acres burned) and 6,000 heat records broken across the country.

We usually have 3 or 4 major natural disasters from weather a year. In 2011 there were at least a dozen and similar patterns are being seen around the world.

So who are you going to believe- the fossil fuel industry that just wants to reap mega-profits for as long as they can, no matter the consequence, or your own eyes and experience? I believe the number who believe in climate change and want bold action to reverse it will grow exponentially this year.

4. Limbaugh on His Way Out
At least 40 advertisers have withdrawn from Rush Limbaugh since his misogynist rant against Sandra Fluke, the young college woman who testified about the necessity of birth control for women's preventative health. Sign the petition to target advertisers remaining at Credo. Nearly a half million already have!

Limbaugh's "apology" added insult to injury as he apologized for using the two words, "slut" and "prostitute", but said nothing about the three days he spoke about Ms Fluke wanting too much sex,or that she should make sex tapes available so he could see them.

Republican leaders have given tacit approval of Limbaugh's hate speech by their near universal silence. I thought Romney's spineless reaction was the worst, saying merely "It is not the language I would have used." As Jon Stewart  and others have asked, what would you have called her? A trollop? A lady of the night? Hope Fox's Bill O'Reilly who backed Limbaugh's despicable comments is targeted next.

5. Protesting a Felony?

I have decided to focus on more good news here- but cannot ignore items that are seriously bad news and need our attention.

This week the House passed a bill (HR347) that would make it a felony to protest near anyone who has Secret Service protection- even if you did not know they were in the vicinity and that it was illegal to do so. Only 3 Republicans (!) voted against it, One of them, Justin Amash (R-MI) called it "The First Amendment Rights Eradication Act". The bill sailed through the Senate unanimously and very quietly earlier this month. Only a veto by president Obama can stop it.  Sign the petition here.

The full text of H.R. 347 is available here:http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h112-347

This is what is at stake-
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Next time, as promised- The Right to Know/Label GM Foods movement is gaining traction. We have the right to know what we are eating and feeding our families!

Keep Faith.

Power to the People- Protests, Amendments, State Banks!

1. Reclaim Your Future from the 1%
Tomorrow, Feb 29, there will be a national day of nonviolent, direct action targeting corporations that are a part of ALEC, The American Legislative Exchange Council. It is a corporate-funded, right-wing organization that wines and dines republican legislators and sends them home with "model legislation" that benefits corporations at the peril of people and the earth. ALEC brags that 1,000 of their bills have been introduced across the country.

ALEC is behind some of the most repressive new legislation in our country, like Arizona's anti-immigration law and the rash of voter ID laws that will disenfranchise millions of minority and elderly Americans. Their "model bills" attack workers' rights, deregulate environmental protections, deny climate change (they want to mandate teaching climate change denial in the classroom) undermine public education, fuel the prison industrial complex, privatize medicare, dismantle consumer protections and more.

Actions are planned in over 70 cities- join one near you!

From our Defend Democracy Rally in April 2010- to Oppose Citizens United

2. Corporations Are Not People My Friend!

Most know by now how disastrous the Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United is for our democracy.

Instead of one person - one vote, we now have corporations with their vast wealth backing candidates who will do their bidding and obliterating the voice of the people. But there are signs of hope on this front. There are currently 13 proposed amendments to reverse Citizens United and to get money out of politics once and for all!

One, by Rep Ted Deutch (D- FL) is the OCCUPIED Amendment- Outlawing Corporate Cash Undermining the Public Interest in Our Elections and Democracy.  Los Angeles just passed a resolution demanding Congress pass a Constitutional Amendment saying that "only living, breathing human beings are afforded Constitutional rights." May many other cities and towns do the same.

Also, interestingly, today the Supreme Court is hearing a case that asks if corporations, like real people, can be held liable in American courts for international human rights violations. Three out of four appeals courts have ruled yes. Kiobel v Royal Dutch Petroleum is being brought by about a dozen Nigerians who contend that Shell Oil's parent company helped their government torture and murder environmental and human rights protesters. How can the Court argue that corporations are people when it benefits them and that they are not if they have committed human rights abuses and serious crimes? Stay tuned.

3. Banks By and For the People
Seventeen states have introduced bills to create state-owned banks as an alternative to investing in the big banks of Wall Street. Many are looking to the Bank of North Dakota as a model. It has been in existence for 100 years and has helped that state thrive during the current recession. Instead of investing in Wall Street, that uses state revenues to speculate, invest abroad and buy up local banks, state banks can return money to local communities in loans and help renegotiate mortgages to stem the foreclosure crisis.


4. A Couple of Graphs that Say It All

Next time- the Right to Know- Label GM Food movement- it is growing and may reach a tipping point this year! Join us on Facebook- GMO? OMG! Hudson Valley for No GMOs

Keep Faith.

The GOP's Misogyny Problem

What on earth is happening to the Republican Party? I go away for a month and come back to find they are firmly planted in the Dark Ages about women's rights. Here are just a few of the anachronistic, absurd and dangerous ideas they have been espousing of late.

Iconic photo of GOP's arrogance and misogyny- the men only- panel on birth control.

• Santorum says free, prenatal care (that saves women's and babies' lives) increases abortions and should not be provided. This comes on top of him saying that birth control "harms women and society" and that he would be for states being able to ban all contraception.
• Santorum's sugar daddy said "gals" should just put an aspirin between their legs- then they wouldn't need contraception.
• The Republican House Oversight Hearing Committee began with an all male, religious panel to make a case for denying access to birth control. Two women were added later- but not one of the witnesses was in favor of birth control.
• Not one Republican on the Senate Judiciary Com voted to reauthorize The Violence against Women Act. The reason? It protects too many women from domestic violence. They wanted to remove protections for lesbians, Native American women and immigrants. To those groups the GOP says, literally "Drop dead."
• Twenty Republicans Senators are co-sponsoring the Blunt/Rubio amendment that would allow any employer to come between you and your doctor. It would allow an employer to deny insurance for any medical treatment that conflicts with their "moral code".
• Virginia's Republican controlled Legislature is considering  a law mandating a medically unnecessary vaginal probe for any woman seeking an abortion.
• Rush Limbaugh, the voice of the right, asked what Democrat (not Democratic) women have against pregnancy.
• Just today, a Republican legislator from Indiana refused to sign on to a resolution honoring the 100th anniversary of the Girls Scouts- calling it a "radicalized agency" that supports abortion and a homosexual agenda. He added, having First Lady Michele Obama as its honorary president should give lawmakers "pause".
• Of course, this has been going on for awhile- Last February, Republicans tried to eliminate funding for Title X that provides contraception, HIV testing and cancer screenings. Title X has helped in the  early detection of over 55,000 cases of cervical cancer, but that did not stop the GOP from trying to abolish it.

Sadly, I could go on and on. Particularly disturbing are the pronouncements from Santorum World - that he thinks birth control "gives license to do things in the sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be." Really, there are things consenting adults are not supposed to do behind closed doors? I wonder how long it will take him to say that certain sex acts must be banned too.

There is no government as big, as intrusive, as threatening to everyday Americans as the so-called "small government" of the radical right.

WAKING PLANET: Ghana Travels

I have been in Ghana since Xmas so have not been posting as usual. I hope you will check out my last post to get a taste of this West African country. I will be resuming regular posting soon.

Peace

WAKING PLANET: Ghana Travels

Payroll Tax Cut About Much More

Photo- Associated Press

It's laughable, really, to see the House Republicans saying they only care about the middle class and want the payroll tax cut to be extended for another year. Tea Party Republicans were united against any extension- holding to what could be their motto- "Never increase taxes on the 1%, just ask the 99% to pay more." Never mind that the 1% is paying less now than in any time in the last six decades- and everyone is being asked to make sacrifices but them.

They are parroting their talking points about the 2 month extension passed by the Senate (89-10) as being a band-aid- but the reason it was reduced to 2 months was because of the crazy demands the House GOP added to a year extension- demands like approving the Keystone XL Pipeline and making more draconian cuts to the safety net.

As Ezra Kline in the Washington Post said, "The single most important thing to understand about the ongoing debate over the payroll tax cut is that it’s not about the payroll tax cut." Democrats are right to stand firm against their shenanigans.

The Keystone Pipeline would be an ecological disaster- spewing three times the carbon emissions of producing conventional crude oil. Jim Hansen of NASA says it would mean game over in our battle to reverse climate change. According to TransCanada the company that wants to build the pipeline, it would create "hundreds" of permanent jobs, not the thousands the Republicans promise. The NRDC reports "A Cornell University study concludes the pipeline would actually kill more jobs than it would create by reducing investment in the clean energy economy that already employs 2.7 million Americans." It would put the American heartland at risk of more oil spills like the one that put 42,000 gallons of crude oil into the Yellowstone River. Keystone would cross 2,000 waterways and the Ogallala Aquifer that provides clean water to millions.

 Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/6-reasons-america-needs-to-say-no-to-the-reckless-keystone-xl-pipeline.html#ixzz1hBRwmnyd

Update- I just read that the Senate version did contain language that the president had to make a decision about Keystone in 60 days! WTF? And the House still rejected it as not going far enough. This really is a battle between the right and the far right and the result is that 160 million Americans are looking at a tax increase heading straight at them.

And here is a video of C-span in which the sound was cut off when Republicans were being called out for their intransigence. C-span said they have no control over what is broadcast, but Speaker Boehner does.

Occupy New Paltz Rally/March and Welcome to OPK!

As most know by now, Occupy Pok was evicted last week and on Saturday some of the occupiers moved their encampment to New Paltz! We welcome them and hope people will stop by, get to know them and provide whatever support you can! A rally and march through town showed solidarity for Occupy Pok, the newly formed Occupy New Paltz and Occupy Hudson Valley! You cannot evict an idea whose time has come!

 

 New Paltz Women in Black that stands on the corner in front of the Library every Saturday from 12:30-1:30PM (for over 10 years!) joined in the celebration and welcoming.
 

Santa is carrying a sign that says "Compassion" in case you cannot see it!

And here is the latest on the occupation in New Paltz. Go visit, bring needed supplies, be a friend!

1. The encampment has moved from Peace Park across the street to Hasbrouck Park by the gazebo.

2. A General Assembly was held Sunday night. There will probably be a shipment of stuff coming from Occupy Poughkeepsie today. They still need additional tarps and sturdy rope. Also some supplement to food for the winter such as vitamin C.

3. There will be another General Assembly on Monday at 6 PM. We will meet at the gazebo, and possibly move indoors if village hall is available.  All are welcome.

4. Occupy will probably be on the agenda at Wednesday's Village Board Meeting. Please go to support the Occupation and to voice your opinion to the board. Consider having the board pass a resolution in support of the goals of the Occupy movement.

5. Volunteers have offered:
        - Bring a hot meal on Saturday nights
        - Bring water three times a week
        - A backup site in case they are evicted from the park

6. We need someone to coordinate this support group.  So if someone cannot afford to contribute or cannot make it to the site, this is one way to contribute, by keeping track of requests and who has made what available (see item 5).

7. There is an Occupy New Paltz page on Facebook where we can communicate with each other.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Occupy-New-Paltz/275109555872678

Willie K. Yee, M.D.
Web page: http://www.willieyee.info

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SUPPORT OCCUPY POUGHKEEPSIE!

Thursday,  December 15 4-6PM Hulme Park, Pok

Rally, Music, Prayer and more...

1199 SEIU Solidarity Rally

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A New Paltz Day of Action:

Holiday Gift Swapping and Creation

Sunday Dec, 18^th 12pm-5pm

Hasbrouck Park, New Paltz

Questions or Comments Contact Shanon: (914) 388-7343

Please Bring:

*gift making  materials to share

*giftable items that you no longer need

It is time to empty those closets and donate:

books, clothes, toys, jewelry, art and craft supplies, random treasures, etc...

Let's build a free store accessible to all throughout the Holiday Season.

*No Money Necessary!

Join us to create and exchange holiday gifts with other members of the New Paltz community.

Brought to you by Occupy New Paltz

Building community and a better future, one action at a time
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Our Unrecognizable Police Force

Police in a wealthy county in GA have an amphibious tank, in another county in SC, they have a machine gun-equipped, armored personnel carrier that they nicknamed "The Peacemaker" and hundreds of police forces in our country have bullet proof vehicles with battering rams, gun ports, tear gas dispensers and radiation detectors.

Between the Dept of Homeland Security (that has helped coordinate the crackdown on the Occupy movement) grants, the military giving free military hardware and the brutal suppression of dissent in our country, our police are looking more and more like forces from a totalitarian regime.


London just classified occupiers as terrorists. Looks like the Dept of Homeland Security may have already done the same.

*On a local note- Occupy Poughkeepsie was evicted last night, although it appears, thankfully, nonviolently. GA 7PM tonight at Hulme Park.

**Just heard- Mayor Bloomberg called NYPD his private army and boasted it is the 7th largest in the world.