A New World Is Possible by Cindy Sheehan

U.S. anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan yells during a protest against Iraq war at the venue of the annual World Social Forum in Caracas January 26, 2006. Tens of thousands of international activists gathered for the World Social Forum to protest against U.S. imperialism and debate topics from fair trade to indigenous rights. The sixth world forum, an event that began in Port Alegre in Brazil, has registered more than 67,000 participants and starts with a march against imperialism and war that will likely focus on U.S. President George W. Bush and the conflict in Iraq. REUTERS/Francesco Spotorno

 

A New World Is Possible
    By Cindy Sheehan 
   

 Thursday 26 January 2006

    And necessary! This is the theme for the World Social Forum that I (along with tens of thousands of people from all over the world) am attending in Caracas this week. I know the idea of a world where everyone lives in peace and with justice is very "subversive," but the theme is very close to my heart and soul.

    We need a new world. This one is broken.

    Before my son Casey was killed in Iraq on April 4, 2004, I had never traveled much to speak of. I had gone to Israel and Mexico and that was about it. I had a barely used passport.

    Since I began to speak out against the dishonesty and deception that led to this illegal and morally reprehensible occupation of Iraq, I have journeyed all over the United States and now am starting to fill my passport with stamps.

    Our world is so beautiful, and the people who inhabit it are, for the most, part loving - and all they want is a good life for themselves and their children. They just want to feel safe and secure in their communities. They want to be warm and fed. They want clean drinking water and they want to dance and laugh when appropriate. They want to live long lives with their families and they want their children to bury them at the end of their time here. In short, the people of the world want what we Americans want.

    It is our governments who want to demonize and marginalize other cultures, religions, races and ethnic groups. George Bush and his cold-hearted cronies and his easily misled and willingly blind followers want to "fight them over there so we don't have to fight them over here!" Who are these "thems" that we are fighting over there? Are they the babies lying in their cribs when a bomb (chemical or conventional) is dropped on their house? Is it the mother who has gone shopping for her family's daily food who is killed by a car bomber who never even thought to commit such a heinous act until his country was occupied by a foreign invader? Is it the grandmas and grandpas who are too old, or too stubborn, to leave their lifelong homes when the coalition troops are illegally carpet bombing civilian centers?

    We as citizens of the United States of America must stop allowing our leaders to give the orders to kill innocent people. I almost said: we must stop allowing our leaders to "kill" innocent people. But we all know the cowards don't fight their own fantasy battles or send their own children to fight in the causes that they idiotically and diabolically iterate are "noble." No, they order our children to go over and do their dishonest and destructive dirty work! Our soldiers are taught that "Hajis," the brown skinned people of Iraq who clean their toilets, showers, and wash their clothes, are less than people ... which makes them easier to kill. The dehumanization of the Iraqi people is also dehumanizing our soldiers. Our children.

    I got a hate email from a "patriotic American" once who told me that when we see the mothers and fathers of Iraq screaming because their babies have been killed, that they "are just acting for the cameras. They are animals, who don't care about their children because they know they can produce another." This is the mentality of General Sherman when he said "the only good Indian is a dead Indian." This wicked rhetoric is the rhetoric that dehumanizes us all.

    A new world is necessary and it can only be possible if we believe and live the belief that every human being is inherently the same as we are. They feel pain when they are hurt. They have hunger pains when they haven't eaten. Their mouths go dry when they are thirsty. They mourn when they experience a loss. They shiver when they are cold. They laugh when they are happy. How can we condone our leaders' killing our brothers and sisters like this, or even allow it?

    A new world is necessary, and it can only be possible if we rein in the depraved corporations that thrive off of the flesh and blood of our neighbors all over the world and here in America. War profiteers like Halliburton, Bechtel and General Electric, who are racking up obscene profits and increasing the bottom line of their shareholders while they are running roughshod over this planet. Malevolent companies such as Dow who dump chemicals and other pollutants into the water and atmosphere that kill people, our environment and our future! Companies like Wal Mart that exploit workers in the US and abroad to enrich a family that already has more than enough money to fund healthcare and a living wage for all of its employees and have a little extra left over to pay their country club fees.

    A new world is necessary, and it can only be possible if we decrease our dependency on oil and use some of the money that we are pouring into the desert sands and sewers of Iraq to expand research on renewable energy sources and expound and promote the renewable sources we already have, such as bio-diesel. I have talked to many citizens of Venezuela who are understandably nervous about a US invasion, and they know that it is not about the idea that President Chavez is a "dictator," which he is not, he is a democratically elected leader who is very popular in his country. The people of Venezuela are very savvy and they know that if the US invades their country that it won't be because we are spreading "freedom and democracy" to them. They know they already have it.

    A new world is necessary but not possible, until we Americans get over the arrogant idea that we can solve the Iraq issue and the human rights violations problems alone. We have to reach out to fellow members of the human race all over the world to forge the bonds that are crucial to protecting innocent members of humankind who are impoverished or killed by our government and corporatism that has gone wild and is largely unchecked.

    Peace and justice are intimately connected, and the world can't have one without the other. True and lasting peace can only occur when we the people force our leadership that is dependent on the war machine for their jobs and for their lives and demand justice for the crimes against humanity that are perpetrated on the world on a daily basis by such "leaders."

    A new world is possible, and it is attainable. For this new world to become a reality, it is necessary for us to take into our beings what Martin Luther King Jr. said of his own eulogy, but more importantly, the way he lived his life:

    "I'd like somebody to mention that day, that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to give his life serving others. I'd like for somebody to say that day, that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to love somebody. I want you to say that day, that I tried to be right on the war question. I want you to be able to say that day, that I did try, in my life, to clothe those who were naked. I want you to say, on that day, that I did try, in my life, to visit those who were in prison. I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity. Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice; say that I was a drum major for peace; I was a drum major for righteousness."

U.S. anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan attends a news conference during the annual World Social Forum in Caracas, Venezuela January 25, 2006. Tens of thousands of international activists gathered for the World Social Forum to protest against U.S. imperialism and debate topics from fair trade to indigenous rights. The sixth world forum, an event that began in Port Alegre in Brazil, has registered more than 67,000 participants and starts with a march against imperialism and war that will likely focus on U.S. George W. Bush and the conflict in Iraq. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

Remembering Dondo...A sarcastic, witty leader of Marines

Marine Corps News -> Remembering Dondo … a sarcastic, witty leader of Marines

Remembering Dondo … a sarcastic, witty leader of Marines
Submitted by: 11th MEU
Story Identification #: 2004103110123
Story by Gunnery Sgt. Chago Zapata



FORWARD OPERATING BASE ECHO, Iraq (Oct. 31, 2004) -- This is the sixth in a series of seven articles paying homage to the Marines of the 11th MEU who bravely fought and lost their lives during fighting in An Najaf, Iraq, this August.

He was young, barely 20 years old, but he made a lasting impression. His friends fondly remember a ready smile, quick wit, total selflessness and of course, his signature sarcastic sense of humor.

As one of the seven Marines who fell in combat during the battle of An Najaf, Iraq, Lance Cpl. Alexander S. Arredondo, fireteam leader, 3rd Fireteam, 3rd Squad, 1st Platoon, Company A, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), will remain forever young and his memory will remain engraved in the minds and hearts of the Marines who served with him.

"Dondo," as he was commonly called, died late in the morning of Aug. 25, 2004, of wounds received in combat in Old City Najaf.

Two months after his death, two of his closest friends sat and talked, not about how he died but about how he lived. There was quite a bit of laughter as they talked, as well as moments of silence where they sat lost in their thoughts and remembrances. They didn't dwell on any negatives … as far as they were concerned, there were none.

Lance Cpl. Christian D. Bauzo, fireteam leader, 1st Fireteam, 2nd Squad, 1st Platoon, A Co., BLT 1/4, 11th MEU (SOC), first met Dondo at the School of Infantry where they were rack mates.

"When I first met him, he was really quiet but he was always a happy guy," said the Miami native. "We came to (BLT 1/4) together and once we started to grow with the unit, he just burst out of his shell. Once he did, he was one of the loudest Marines, always cracking jokes, always trying to make the situation better."

According to Lance Cpl. Peter P. Brogdon, a Phoenix native and fireteam leader for 3rd Fireteam, 2nd Squad, 1st Platoon, A Co., BLT 1/4, 11th MEU (SOC), Dondo's sense of humor was sarcastic but in a serious kind of way.

"He was always up-beat. He always had some kind of sarcastic remark about a situation to make it better," 21-year-old Brogdon said. "He really liked complaining about a lot of things. But if he didn't complain, he used sarcasm. It had to be a joke."

Bauzo said that if you had a fault, Dondo would throw it in your face. He'd show you your fault by making a joke out of it, and would make you want to laugh about it.

"Whenever I fall, I laugh at myself. No one really makes fun of you if you laugh at yourself, but Dondo would," 20-year-old Bauzo said, laughing and shaking his head. "Pointing at me he'd say 'Oh you fell and you're laughing about it. Ha, you fell man, you hit the ground hard. Hey look at me, I'm Bauzo. I fell and now I'm laughing at myself. This is my defense mechanism.' We'd all be laughing by then."

He'd go out of his way to embarrass his buddies, but they'd always end up laughing. He was never malicious about it, that's just the way he was. It was funny the way he did it, Bauzo explained.

Laughing, Brogdon recalled an instance during Operation Iraqi Freedom I, when he and Dondo got in trouble for something Brogdon did while standing on watch. Earlier he had found a grenade fuse and, during the amnesty period when they were supposed to turn in captured ammunition and other contraband, he decided to keep it.

"I was a junior Marine, I was a boot … not too smart," said Brogdon, laughing and shaking his head. "Later I decided I had to get rid of it. Stupid me I decided to set it off while I was on watch."

The result was a loud harmless BOOM, which left them standing there looking at each other stunned not by the fuse but by the knowledge that Brogdon was in trouble.

"Dondo had this shocked smirk on his face when I asked him 'Dude, what are we going to do?'" recalls Brogdon. "He answered with the only possible answer 'Dude, you're (expletive) man!'"

Although Dondo had played no part in the fuse lighting incident he still got in trouble because he was on post with Brogdon and he was considered an accomplice, Brogdon explained.

This misadventure, however, did not affect their friendship. They had been together through too much and gotten to know each other too well for it to harm their bond, Brogdon said.

One thing they had in common was their love of the culture and people of Iraq, Brogdon said.

"We both wanted to learn the language and wanted to help the people here," Brogdon said. "We had a kind of knack for the language. We could connect with these people. Whenever Marines got frustrated when trying to communicate with the Iraqis, they'd call us over and we could understand each other just fine."

According to Bauzo, Dondo had a deep seated desire to learn about Iraq and its people.

"Ever since he found out his brother was half Iraqi, he became very passionate about Iraq, about learning the culture and the language, about the people in general," Bauzo explained. "He actually loved being here."

According to Bauzo, Dondo also loved martial arts. He loved to climb, surf, and snowboard. He loved this country and he was also somewhat of a ladies man.

"He did a lot of karate before he joined the Marine Corps. That's basically where he got his physique. He was always disciplined and physical," said Brogdon. "He'd been into it for about six years or so. One year he did one kind of martial arts, the next year he tried something else. He never stuck to just one thing. He always wanted to do his own thing."

Dondo was a well-built young man -- tall, broad shouldered, with a V-shaped body.

"He was pretty cut even though he didn't work out. It was just natural," said Brogdon. "He always looked like he was in peak condition. It's just the way he was."

His physique wasn't the only reason his friends considered him a ladies man.

"He had a thing for picking up girls," said Bauzo. "He'd go up to a girl and play off their game. The worse they treated him, the worse he treated them, and they loved it. They just couldn't get enough of him. At the end of the night, there he'd go with that girl that at first didn't want anything to do with him."

There was more to Dondo than his sense of humor and good looks. He was an excellent fireteam leader, according to a member of his fireteam.

"Throughout the month of August, while we were in Najaf, he proved himself to be an exceptional leader," said Lance Cpl. Jason W. Williams, 19, a Lander, Wyo., native and machine gunner in Dondo's fireteam. "He wasn't shy about jumping out there and giving cover fire for Marines, making sure his Marines were safe, making sure that they were getting their food and water. He was one of the best Marines I've known and he was an exceptional fighter."

To his platoon sergeant, Staff Sgt. Simon L. Sandoval, 28, who had only know him about nine months, Dondo was a humble, unassuming, quiet kind of guy who was really close to his family and could be depended on to lead his fireteam right.

"He was a good leader, mentally tough, always running his fireteam well and always ready to go," Sandoval said. "He always made sure things were done before I said anything to him. He did them without supervision. You didn't have to push him to do the right thing. You could always depend on him to do the right thing."

According to Sandoval, when 1st Platoon was in the middle of combat in Najaf, every time there was a fireteam that needed to do a mission, he picked Dondo's fireteam.

"He was a strong leader and his fireteam showed it," Sandoval said. "Dondo was ready to be an NCO."
Alpha Company's 1st Platoon lost two good Marines, Arredondo and Pfc. Nicholas M. Skinner, during the battle in Old City Najaf. Sandoval felt both deeply.

"One thing I can say about Dondo and Skinner is that I loved them both, even though I didn't show it," he said. "I'm proud to have been their platoon sergeant. I plan to tell their parents that when I see them."

-30-
Photos included with story:

  Lance Cpl. Alexander S. Arredondo, fireteam leader, 3rd Fireteam, 3rd Squad, 1st Platoon, Company A, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), was one of the seven Marines who fell in combat during the battle of An Najaf, Iraq, in August. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Christian D. Bauzo

Lance Cpl. Peter P. Brogdon, left, and Lance Cpl. Alexander S. Arredondo, from 1st Platoon, Company A, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), pose for a picture. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Christian D. Bauzo

Lance Cpl. Peter P. Brogdon, left, Lance Cpl. Johnny O. Crespo, center, and Lance Cpl. Alexander S. Arredondo, right, all from 1st Platoon, Company A, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable, goof off in the berthing area of the USS Denver, June 13. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Christian D. Bauzo

Lance Cpl. Alexander S. Arredondo, fireteam leader, 3rd Fireteam, 3rd Squad, 1st Platoon, Company A, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), and an anonymous moose hang out in Hawaii. Photo by: 1st Platoon, Alpha Company, BLT 1/4

Cindy Sheehan in Caracas at Rally Against Iraq

 

U.S. anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan participates in a march at the start of the annual World Social Forum in Caracas January 24, 2006. Thousands marched in Caracas on Tuesday chanting against war and U.S. imperialism at the start of the annual World Social Forum where activists meet to campaign for causes from fair trade to indigenous rights. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

   

 US anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan makes the "V" sign in a march during the launching of the World Social Forum in Caracas 24 January 2006. Sheehan, mother of a US soldier killed in Iraq, joined more than 10,000 anti-globalization activists in Caracas, where she hailed Venezuela's leftist President Hugo Chavez.(AFP/Juan Barreto)  

   

American peace activist Cindy Sheehan, whose son was killed in Iraq, participates in an anti- war march that kicked off the sixth World Social Forum in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2006. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)  

 

U.S. anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan (R) participates in a march at the start of the annual World Social Forum in Caracas January 24, 2006. Thousands marched in Caracas on Tuesday chanting against war and U.S. imperialism at the start of the annual World Social Forum where activists meet to campaign for causes from fair trade to indigenous rights. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

Activists Rally in Caracas Against Iraq

By IAN JAMES, Associated Press Writer

To the beat of drums and trilling whistles, thousands of activists from around the world showed their opposition to globalization and the Iraq war at the opening Tuesday of the World Social Forum backed by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

The six-day conference got under way in Caracas amid a light drizzle as activists filled a plaza waving banners reading "Stop Bush" and "End the occupation of Iraq" ahead of a giant march.

"There are more poor people than rich people in this world. We need to stop fighting these wars and start focusing on fighting this poverty," said Ivan Rosa, 30, of Philadelphia.

Organizers have said more than 60,000 people are signed up to attend, and tens of thousands more were expected at the forum, about half from outside Venezuela.

American activist Cindy Sheehan called for a stronger global movement against the Iraq war.

"We have to work together as a global community to fight for peace and justice. We're all in it together. It's not just me who has lost a son," said Sheehan, whose son, Casey, was killed in Iraq in 2004.

Sheehan, 48, of Berkeley, Calif., gained international attention when she set up a protest camp near President Bush's Texas ranch last year.

"We really need to stop the imperialist tendencies of countries like the United States and Great Britain," Sheehan told The Associated Press.

Those at the conference included anti-war protesters, Indian leaders, campaigners against free trade and environmentalists who appeared united by their respect for Chavez and opposition to Bush.

Chavez was expected to address activists on the sidelines, soaking up the spotlight as a leading radical voice of the Latin American left. He has recently strengthened ties across South America with left-leaning leaders who have won power in countries from Argentina to Bolivia.

"I've always admired President Chavez for standing up to imperialism and the meddling of the American government in South America," Sheehan said.

Canopies promoting Chavez's social programs for the poor lined a major avenue in Caracas, while a dozen Venezuelan-made military jeeps were on display, along with a tractor made jointly by Iran and Venezuela.

Oliviero Orjuela, a 36-year-old Colombian, said it was inevitable that Chavez would dominate the forum.

"He's the one who has most influenced the alternative vision in Latin America," he said. "Bush embodies the opposite vision — the commercial vision that sees the world as a business."

Chavez has used oil profits to funnel millions of dollars into programs for the poor, making him an inspiration for like-minded activists from Canada to Chile.

But organizers emphasized the event was not intended as a rally for Chavez, though it was backed by government funding as in past years.

The World Social Forum was first held in Brazil in 2001 and coincides with the World Economic Forum of political and business leaders, which begins Wednesday in Switzerland.

Those at the Social Forum traditionally criticize free trade and denounce the evils of capitalism. This year's forum is being held in three countries, including a smaller gathering that ended Monday in Mali and another two months from now in Pakistan.

Some 2,000 events — including seminars, speeches and concerts — will be held across Caracas this week. Speakers include Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano, Argentine Nobel Peace Prize winner Adolfo Perez Esquivel and former French first lady Danielle Mitterrand.

Stepping up security during the forum, Venezuela deployed 3,500 soldiers and police across Caracas.

CALL YOUR SENATOR -VOTE NO on ALITO

PROTECT OUR FREEDOM FROM BEING TAKEN AWAY FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND THE CORPORATIONS.   CALL YOUR SENATORS - TELL THEM TO VOTE NO TO CONFORM ALITO FOR A LIFE TIME APPOINTMENT.  

 

FIND YOUR SENATOR HERE:    U.S. Senate: Senators Home  

 

TO MY SENATORS Bill Nelson, Mel Martinez:

You represent me, say NO on Alito.


WHEN WILL MY VOICE BE HEARD?

My fear with allowing Alito to have a "life time appointment"

He will permit the president to continue to spy on people who oppose him.

He will decide who's election vote will be counted once again, who should be our president. My vote hasn't been allowed to be counted in 2 presidential elections.

He will look the other way and give the president a pass to take away our freedom.  Slowly our freedom will be taken away until the people cannot speak or act out as they please.  Our government said "if your not with us your against us." I am not with this administration. Alito will allow the administration to come after me because I do not agree with what they are doing to our country.

He will allow the crimes in Washington to continue. He will allow the corporations control of our justice system and not "we the people." How much personal freedom will be lost to the corporations with Alito on the bench? My fear, All.

He will take away my children's freedom in their future with his life time appointment.

VOTE NO for ALITO!!

Please let my voice be heard,

Cindy

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

Alito a Threat to Our Fundamental Rights'
    By Senator Patrick Leahy
    

    This nomination raises the fundamental question whether the Senate will serve its constitutional role as a check on the President by preserving the Supreme Court as a constitutional check on the expansion of presidential power. Today I urge Senators and, in particular, Republican Senators, to approach this discussion with open ears and open minds.

    This is a nomination that I fear threatens the fundamental rights and liberties of all Americans now in for generations to come. This President is in the midst of a radical realignment of the powers of the government and its intrusiveness into the private lives of Americans. This nomination is part of that plan. I am concerned that if confirmed this nominee will further erode the checks and balances that have protected our constitutional rights for more than 200 years. This is a critical nomination, one that can tip the balance on the Supreme Court radically away from constitutional checks and balances and the protection of Americans' fundamental rights.

    This past week I introduced a resolution to clarify what we all know, that congressional authorization for the use of military force against Osama bin Laden did not authorize warrantless spying on Americans as the Bush Administration is now claiming. I thought, we all thought, that when we joined in the bipartisan authorization of military action against Osama bin Laden more than four years ago, that action would have been more effective and have succeeded by now in ridding the world of that terrorist leader. I still hope that the clarifying resolution I introduced last week will become a bipartisan statement upholding the rights of all Americans.

    As Justice O'Connor underscored recently, even war "is not a blank check for the President when it comes to the rights of the Nation's citizens." Now that the illegal spying of Americans has become public and the President has acknowledged the four-year-old program, the Bush Administration's lawyers are contending that Congress authorized it. The September 2001 Authorization to Use Military Force did no such thing. Republican Senators know it, and a few have said so publicly. We all know it. The liberties and rights that define us as Americans and the system of checks and balances that serve to preserve them should not be sacrificed to threats of terrorism or to the expanding power of the Government.

    In the days immediately following those attacks, I said, and I continue to believe, that the terrorists win if they frighten us into sacrificing our freedoms and what defines us as Americans.

    I joined with others, Republican and Democrats, and we engaged in round-the-clock efforts over the next months in connection with what came to be the USA PATRIOT Act. During those days the Bush Administration never asked us for to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to accommodate the spying on Americans they were already undertaking contrary to law. That law does contain an express reservation for the 15 days following a declaration of war by the Congress. But neither when Attorney General Ashcroft demanded that we pass his so-called Anti-Terrorism Act proposal that he presented us on September 19 or at any time in September 2001 or thereafter has the Bush Administration sought congressional authorization for the NSA spying program that affects Americans. Indeed, Attorney General Gonzales admitted at a recent press conference that the Bush Administration did not seek to legal authorization of the NSA spying program on Americans because "it was not something we could likely get." Consider that damning admission. It is utterly inconsistent with the Bush Administration's current argument that Congress authorized warrantless spying on Americans.

    The Bush Administration's after-the-fact claims about the breadth of the Authorization to Use Military Force are the latest in a long line of manipulations and another affront to the rule of law, American values and traditions. We have also seen this type of overreaching in that same Justice Department office's twisted interpretation of the torture statute; with the detention of suspects without charges and denial of access to counsel; and with the misapplication of the material witness statute as a sort of general preventive detention law. Such abuses serve to harm our national security as well as our civil liberties. By way of illustration, sources at the FBI reportedly say that much of what was forwarded to them to investigate from the NSA spyingprogram was worthless and led to dead ends. That is a dangerous diversion of our investigative resources away from those who pose real threats, while precious time and effort is devoted to looking into the lives of law-abiding Americans.

    Throughout the Alito hearing, from my opening statement on Monday afternoon, to my first questions on Tuesday morning, to my last written question, which received a response last Friday, I asked Judge Alito about these matters. I am not reassured.

    The Need for an Effective Check on Unfettered Presidential Power

    A central question during the hearings on this nomination was whether Judge Alito would serve as an effective constitutional check on the presidency. We have a President prone to unilateralism and assertions of Executive power that extend all the way to illegal spying on Americans.

    Preventing government intrusion into the personal privacy and freedoms of Americans is one of the hallmarks of the Supreme Court. There is no assurance that Judge Alito will serve as an effective check and balance on government intrusion into the lives of Americans. Indeed, his record suggests otherwise.

    We know that Samuel Alito sought to justify absolute immunity for President Nixon's Attorney General John Mitchell from lawsuits for wiretapping Americans, among other violations of their privacy. That is immunity even if the Attorney General acted willfully to violate their rights.

    We know that as a judge, Samuel Alito was willing to go further than even Michael Chertoff, the former head of the Ashcroft Justice Department's Criminal Division, a former U.S. Attorney, and the current Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, in excusing government agents for searches not authorized by judicial warrants. We know Judge Alito would have excused the strip search of a 10-year-old girl that was not expressly authorized by the search warrant.

    We know he was part of the effort within the Meese Justice Department to expand the use of presidential signing statements to increase the president's role is construing what a law passed by Congress means. That is the practice that the Bush Administration has taken to new heights. This President does not veto laws with which he disagrees as contemplated by the Constitution. Instead, he signs them and then picks and chooses what he will faithfully enforce. Often the Bush Administration makes a unilateral statement declaring what it will not follow or how it will choose to construe the measure. In these signing statements, the President is reported to have relied upon the theory of the "Unitary Executive" more than 100 times.

    This is not just theory, it has practical effects on Americans' lives and liberties. We saw it recently in the President's signing statement on Congress's declaration against torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of detainees. After months of obstruction and delay by the Bush Administration, Congress passed a bill last month containing a provision against torture known as the McCain Amendment, which Senator Durbin and I cosponsored. The McCain Amendment was passed overwhelmingly by large bipartisan majorities in the Senate and the House after being stalled for months by this Administration. Vice President Cheney lobbied against it. The Administration tried to create a loophole in the law to get out of following it. When Congress said no, the President had a widely-publicized meeting with Senator McCain at the White House to announce that they had worked it out and that President Bush now agreed to the prohibition against torture.

    Shortly after that meeting with Senator McCain, after Congress had enacted the measure and the President had signed it into law, the President released a signing statement proclaiming that his Administration would construe the law "in a manner consistent with the constitutional authority of the President to supervise the unitary Executive branch." Many of us, Republicans and Democrats, are concerned that the President is still trying to have it both ways. He is apparently signally that he thinks that he can choose to disregard the law, at his discretion, based on his own self-serving view of his powers.

    A Deferential Nominee At a Pivotal Point in History

    In this blessed land, with the constitutional legacy that has been entrusted to us through the blood, sweat and tears of earlier generations of Americans, we must not yield to the temptation to sacrifice our liberties and our way of life. If we do, the terrorists win. Benjamin Franklin warned against such a choice when he observed: "Those who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security." With enough effort and foresight, we can and we should demand both.

    I chaired the Judiciary Committee after the 9/11 attacks, and in working with the White House and with congressional partners in crafting the USA PATRIOT Act, I pushed hard to add a variety of checks and balances, such as judicial review and sunsets, to many of its provisions. The Bush Administration resisted those additions at the time, but today they brag about them as if they were their own.

    This President has made some of the most expansive claims of power since American patriots fought the war of independence to rid themselves of the oppressive rule of King George III. This President is claiming power to illegally spy on Americans, to allow actions that violate our values and laws protecting human rights, and to detain U.S. citizens and others on his say so, without judicial review or due process. This is a time in our history when the protections of Americans' liberties are at risk, as are the very checks and balances that have served to constrain abuses of power for more than two centuries.

    The Supreme Court is the ultimate check and balance in our system. The independence of the Court and its members is crucial to our democracy and way of life. The Senate should never be allowed to become a rubber stamp, and neither should the Supreme Court. I asked Judge Alito to demonstrate his independence from the interests of the President, and he failed that test.

    A President's Choice

    We know Judge Alito took time from his busy schedule and docket to attend a Federalist Society convention in Washington just days after the presidential election in 2000 to discuss his adherence to the theory of the "Unitary Executive" and criticized the Supreme Court for upholding the constitutionality of the independent counsel statute. He went so far as to call the "Unitary Executive" "gospel" and to say that in his view it "best captures the meaning of the Constitution's text and structure."

    That audition before the Federalist Society appeared to work, reminding those advising the new President that they had a known quantity in Samuel Alito. It led to a White House interview in connection with a possible future Supreme Court vacancy shortly thereafter in 2001. Judge Alito had other meetings and interviews but the key one took place in May 2005 with Vice President Cheney, Scooter Libby, Karl Rove and others at the White House. It was months before Justice O'Connor made her announcement to retire - that came in July. But in May, Judge Alito was called to a meeting with this Administration's key political strategists.

    I suspect that the answer to the question Judge Alito posed at the hearing regarding how he got the nomination can be answered in large measure with regard to his demonstrated deference to government power, his adherence to the "Unitary Executive," his rulings in favor of government intrusions, and whatever he said in his job interviews at the White House that convinced those advising this President that he will be a reliable vote against challenges to presidential power.

    No President should be allowed to pack the courts, and especially the Supreme Court, with nominees selected to enshrine presidential claims of government power. Our system was designed to ensure a balance and to protect against overreaching by any branch. The Senate should not be a rubber stamp to this President's effort to move the law dramatically to the right and to give him unfettered leeway. I will not lend my support to an effort by this President to move the Supreme Court and the law radically to the right and to remove the final check within our democracy.

     I voted for President Reagan's nomination of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, for President Reagan's nomination of Justice Anthony Kennedy, for President Bush's nomination of Justice Souter, and for this President's recent nomination of Chief Justice Roberts. I cannot vote for this nomination.

    At a time when the President is seizing unprecedented power, the Supreme Court needs to act as a check and to provide balance. Based on the hearing and his record, I have no confidence that Judge Alito would provide that check and balance. I will vote against granting the Senate granting its consent to this nomination by this President.

Democrats: Get Up and Walk Out

 

U.S. Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) announces he will not support the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito when his nomination is voted on in the full Senate while speaking at The Initiative for Inclusive Security forum in Washington January 20, 2006. REUTERS/Larry Downing

If you haven't already you need to call your representative and send them a fax telling them to vote NO on Alito. If we all do it, they might listen to us. Just maybe...

I really like Pitt.

Peace inside all of us, Cindy

From TVnewsLIES.org VERY TRUE JESSE!

Posted by Jesse on January 24th, 2006

Remember what Ralph Nader was saying about Al Gore during the 2000 election season? Do you remember how he said that there was virtually no difference between the parties? Well, in a sense he was correct; but in a larger sense he was as wrong as wrong can be and when Alito becomes the tie-breaker on the Supreme Court you will understand what I mean.

America, as we knew it or as we believed we knew, is dead. It’s over and Alito will surely place all the required nails in the coffin. Freedom, liberty, opportunity and justice are dead in America. Executive & cooperate power have replaced “we the people” as the real citizens of America. It is now the job of the American government, judiciary and military, to defend the interests of the Executive branch, the corporations and the privileged insiders. America has become the enemy of the average person and it has become the private enterprise of the rich and powerful. That is not a democracy; that is a class system.

George W. Bush promised to create an ownership society. Well he did. You just never asked him what he meant by that and now he and his ilk have delivered that ownership society and thy do indeed own society; and that means they own you!

AND NOW THE PITT ARTICLE THAT I LOVE SO MUCH. GROW SOME BALLS DEM.'S!

Democrats: Get Up and Walk Out
    By William Rivers Pitt
    t r u t h o u t | Perspective

    Sunday 22 January 2006

    MEMO
    To: Congressional Democrats
    From: William Rivers Pitt
    RE: A bold maneuver

     - - - -

    I have a wild and crazy idea.

    George W. Bush's delivery of the State of the Union address will take place on Tuesday, January 31, a little more than a week from now. It is my strong belief that every single Democrat present in the House chamber for the speech should, at a predetermined moment, stand up and walk out. No yelling. No heated words. Every Democrat should simply stand silently and leave.

    Crazy, I know. Crazy, and possibly the best idea ever put before a body of Democrats since the New Deal.

    Understand this, congressional Democrats, and understand it well: you are not dealing merely with a body of political opponents in the GOP. You are dealing with a group of people that want you exterminated politically. The days of walking the halls of the Rayburn Building, sharing a bourbon with a colleague from the other side of the aisle, and hammering out a compromise are as dead as Julius Caesar. Collegiality is out. Mutual respect is out. They want you gone for good. Erased. Destroyed.

    And you have been far too polite about this. The writing has been on the wall for a while now. Back in 1995, Republican Senator Phil Gramm said, "We're going to keep building the party until we're hunting Democrats with dogs." That was eleven years ago. If you listen close, you can hear the beasts baying in the distance, waiting to slip the leash. Your limp tactics in the face of the assault upon you, your vacillation, your strange hope that maybe the GOP will be nicer tomorrow, has left you all smelling like Alpo.

    For the love of God, you are being compared to Osama bin Laden all over network television because some within your ranks have had the courage to question the warin Iraq. It hasn't been subtle. Bin Laden, according to the right-wing talking heads, is getting his talking points straight from Howard Dean. These are the out-front spokespeople for the folks running the GOP right now. If you think there is compromise to be had with these people, if you think there is quarter to be given to you, then I have a nice, big red bridge to sell you in San Francisco.

    I know you believe the Abramoff scandal is going to be your bread and butter in the upcoming midterm elections. I hate to break it to you, but you have already been outflanked. The television nitwits have flooded the airwaves with the meme that this is a "two-party scandal," despite the fact that Abramoff would have sooner lit himself on fire than give money to a Democrat. As you have been collectively incapable of setting the record straight in public, with the exception of a two-minute crunch between Howard Dean and Wolf Blitzer on CNN that left Blitzer spluttering impotently, understand that "this scandal affects both parties" is now commonly accepted fact all across the land.

    Oh, yeah, P.S., the investigation is being run out of the Department Justice. If this scandal does touch some sixty Republican officeholders, as Abramoff's donation history indicates, do you really think this White House is going to let the investigation get far enough to do real damage? If so, I again need to mention that big red bridge I have for sale.

    In all likelihood, however, the White House won't even need to derail the Abramoff investigation to save Republicans from their ridiculous greed. Did you see the Washington Post headline from Friday? It read, "Rove: GOP to Use Terror as Campaign Issue." In reality, the headline should have read "GOP to Use Terror as Campaign Tactic." Once again, the Republicans are going to try to win midterm elections by scaring the hell out of the American people. This time, the fear factor will center around Iran and nuclear weapons.

    The intelligence specialists in the United States, Germany and Israel all agree that Iran is between three and five years away from being able to manufacture nuclear weapons. This, of course, is based on the premise that such manufacture is Iran's goal. Take it as a given that it is, and we have at least three years to use diplomacy, economic pressures and possibly sanctions to keep them from creating these bombs.

    But "three to five years" isn't going to help the GOP win the midterm elections. They need things to be scary, and they need things to be scary now. The same right-wing groups that ginned up the fantasy that Iraq was laden with weapons of mass destruction, and was an imminent threat, are now at work building up a martial froth about Iran. They did this in time for the midterms last time, and are preparing to do it again.

    United Press International carried a story last Thursday about a group called the Foundation for Democracy in Iran. This group, according to the UPI story, claims that, "Tehran is planning a nuclear weapons test before the Iranian New Year on March 20, 2006." FDI, according to the story, offered absolutely no proof to back this claim. But that's not three to five years. That's less than ten weeks. Scary stuff, right?

    Take a closer look, however, and you can see the fingerprints of the architects of our current Iraq boondoggle all over this. The Foundation for Democracy in Iran is run by a man named Kenneth Timmerman. Timmerman is umbilically connected to the godfather of right-wing think tanks, the American Enterprise Institute. It was the American Enterprise Institute that spawned the Project for the New American Century, the think tank that gave us Cheney, Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld, the original noise about Iraqi WMD, and the idea that a military takeover of the entire Mideast is abully idea. The same people that terrorized the American people into unnecessary war in Iraq are preparing to do the same with Iran, and all in time for the midterms.

    One must also note the irony of the suggested date for this Iranian nuclear test. March 20, 2006, for those not paying attention, is the three-year anniversary of our invasion of Iraq. And round and round we go.

    You've been outflanked, Democrats. Abramoff won't help you, and the noise machine is preparing to terrorize the American people into such a distracted state that anything you say in the next ten months will be lost amid the howling. The midterms are pretty much a done deal, and your continued marginalization will proceed at speed.

    You can stomp your feet and yell at the wall. You can put your head in your hands and weep. You can sit silently and be simply satisfied that your own job-for-life is secure, thanks to your friendly district back home, and be damned to actually doing anything of substance. In other words, you can continue to do what you've been doing since this outrageous assault on basic American democracy began.

    Or you can stand up.

    It takes a spine to stand up. Find yours. Get up and walk out of the State of the Union speech. Turn your backs on the blizzard of lies and empty promises that are sure to pour forth from that podium. Give it exactly what it deserves.

    Walk outside to the steps of the Capitol Building and hold a Counter-State-of-the-Union. Lay out your plans for a better future. Explain how you will reform the system that spawned Mr. Abramoff. Demand answers and explanations about what is happening in Iraq, what is happening over at the National Security Agency, and why this administration believes itself to be completely above the law.

    I can even offer a bit of text for your opening statement. "Three years ago during this very speech," your leading spokesperson can say from those steps, "Mr. Bush told us that Iraq was in possession of 26,000 liters of anthrax, 38,000 liters of botulinum toxin, 500 tons - which is one million pounds - of sarin, mustard and VX nerve agent, 30,000 missiles to deliver the stuff, mobile biological weapons labs, al Qaeda connections, and uranium from Niger for use in a robust nuclear weapons program. He said all this three years ago, during this all-important annual address, and all of it was a lie. The American people deserve an explanation."

    See? It's easy. All it takes is courage.

    What I am talking about is political theater on a grand scale. No opposition party in American history has ever turned their backs on a President and walked out of a State of the Union address. No opposition party has faced the degree of potential extermination the Democrats face today. The stakes have never been higher. You are dealing with a President who wants to make his Executive powers absolute, and with a Republican party that has been usurped from soup to nuts by extremists that would be cartoonish if they were not so very real.

    Abramoff won't help you. The fear factor will subsume you. You can sit there and take it, clapping politely as the ram rolls towards you, or you can stand up and make yourselves relevant again. To walk out of the speech would be a huge statement, bold and potentially dangerous. But if you don't do something bold, something grand and unprecedented, something to take back the initiative, you will join the Whigs in the dustbin of history.

    Stand up. Walk out. You have a week to get this organized.

Matriotism by Cindy Sheehan

Matriotism

By Cindy Sheehan

Much as I wish I could take credit for the word "matriotism," another woman wrote to me and gave me the concept. I was so intrigued by the word that I have been meditating on the possible ideology behind it, and a new paradigm for true and lasting peace in the world.

Before I dive into the concept of Matriotism, let's explore the word "patriotism." Dictionary.com defines it as: love of country and willingness to sacrifice for it. When we all know that patriotism in the US means: exploiting others' love for country by sending them and their children off to sacrifice for my bank balance!

There have been volumes written about patriotism, defining it, supporting it, challenging the notion of it, etc. I believe the notion of patriotism has been expediently and nefariously exploited, and used to lead our nation into scores of disastrous and needless wars. The idea of patriotism has virtually wiped out entire generations of our precious young people and has allowed our nation's leaders to commit mass murder on an unprecedented scale. The vile sputum of "if you aren't with us, then you are against us" is basically the epitome of patriotism gone wild. After the tragedy of 9/11 we were on our way to becoming a fledgling Matriotic society until our leaders jumped on the bandwagon of inappropriate and misguided vengeance to send our young people to die and kill in two countries that were no threat to the USA or to our way of life. The neocons exploited patriotism to fulfill their goals of imperialism and plumder.

This sort of patriotism begins when we enter kindergarten and learn the nationalist "Pledge of Allegiance." It transcends all sense when we are taught the "Star Spangled Banner," a hymn to war. In our history classes the genocide of the Native American peoples is glossed over as we learn about the spread of American Imperialism over our continent, though it wasn't named until the 1840's, when the doctrine of Manifest Destiny was expounded to justify the USA's conquest of and "civilizing" of Mexican territories and Native American populations. Manifest Destiny sought to spread the "the boundaries of freedom" to the American Continent, with the notion that we have a special mission from God. Sound familiar?

All through school, we are brainwashed into believing that somehow our leaders are always right and certainly have our best interests at heart when they wave the flag and convince us to hate fellow human beings who stand in the way of making immense profits from war. As Samuel Johnson said, patriotism is the "last refuge of a scoundrel."

Matriotism is the opposite of patriotism…not to destroy it, but to be a yin to its yang, and balance out the militarism of patriotism.

Not everyone is a mother, but there is one universal truth that no one can dispute no matter how hard they try (and believe me, some will try): Everyone has a mother! Mothers give life, and if the child is lucky, mothers nurture life. And if a man has had a nurturing mother he will already have a base of Matriotism.

A Matriot loves his/her country but does not buy into the exploitive phrase of "My country right or wrong." (As Chesterton said, that's like saying, "My mother, drunk or sober.") A Matriot knows that her country can do a lot of things right, especially when the government is not involved. For example, I know of no other citizens of any country who are more personally generous than those of America. However, a Matriot also knows that when her country is wrong, it can be responsible for murdering thouands upon thousands of innocent and unsuspecting humans. A true Matriot would never drop an atomic bomb or bombs filled with white phosphorous, carpet bomb cities and villages, or control drones from thousands of miles away to kill innocent men, women and children.

There is one most important thing that matriots would never do, however, and this is the key to stopping killing to solve problems: a matriot would never send her child or another mother's child to fight nonsense wars…and she would march into a war that she considered just to protect her child from harm. Aha! Matriots would fight their own battles, but take a dim view of having to do so, and would seldom resort to violence to solve conflict! Patriots hide behind the flag and eagerly send young people to die to fill their own pocketbooks.

Women flocked to Camp Casey inAugust to run the huge enterprise and work for peace, and women from all over the US and the world have invited me to visit and speak and advocate for true and lasting peace. Men, who are in touch with the matriot inside of them, have also been important to the cause of eradicating war.

Whether you are a male or female Matriot, Code Pink Alert, endorsed by Gold Star Families for Peace, is calling for an International Day of Peace on March 8 th…called for, organized by, and supported by women. Women and men with matriotic tendencies can get more info and endorse the call for peace at: www.womensaynotowar.org. It is past time for we Matriots to get together to stridently call for an end to the immoral bloodshed in Iraq.

I know one thing from the bottom of my heart. My son, Casey, who was an Eagle Scout and a true American patriot, was not served well by his idea of patriotism. I will never forgive myself for not trying to counteract more the false patriotism he was raised on, with a true sense of Matriotism.

I also know that the women of the world who don't have a voice, such as the mothers of Iraq who are struggling just to survive in their needlessly destroyed country, are counting on us women who do have voices to use them to end George Bush's manifestly idiotic doctrine of preemptive wars of aggression based on the justification that "I think that country might be dangerous to me and my pals."

War will end forever when we matriots stand up and say: "No, I am not giving my child to the fake patriotism of the war machine which chews up my flesh and blood to spit out obscene profits."

"It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens." ~Baha'u'llah

Matriotism above all is a commitment to the truth, and to celebrating the dignity of all life.

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

Venezuela Hosting World Social Forum

By CHRISTOPHER TOOTHAKER, Associated Press WriterMon Jan 23, 3:45 PM ET

President Hugo Chavez, reveling in his role as leftist icon, is bringing together tens of thousands of activists from across the world on Tuesday to promote Latin America's fast-growing anti-globalization movement.

Leftist leaders are increasingly popular across Latin America, while Chavez's own "revolution" for the poor has become an inspiration for like-minded activists everywhere.

More than 60,000 had signed up for this week's World Social Forum in Caracas as of Monday and tens of thousands more were expected, organizers said. They include campaigners against U.S.-style free trade, environmentalists, Indian leaders and human rights activists.

About half were expected to come from outside Venezuela.

Their views span a wide spectrum, but most participants appear united by strong opposition to the U.S. government and the war in Iraq. The forum will begin with an "anti-imperialist" march Tuesday through the streets of Caracas, with protesters likely to aim their chants against President Bush.

"Venezuela has become an epicenter of change on the world level," Chavez said Friday, referring to the event in a speech. "That's why (U.S.) imperialism wants to sweep us away, of course ... because they say we are a bad example. But they haven't swept us away and they won't."

The Venezuelan leader is expected to address activists on the sidelines of the gathering, soaking up the spotlight as a leading radical voice of the Latin American left.

Chavez has repeatedly accused U.S. officials of plotting to overthrow his "revolutionary" government and warned that Venezuela, the world's fifth-largest petroleum exporter, would cut off oil shipments to the United States if it ever invades his country.

Chavez has used a windfall in oil profits to funnel millions of dollars into programs for the poor while raising Venezuela's profile internationally by extending preferential oil deals to countries from China to Argentina in an effort to line up alternative trade partners to the United States, the No. 1 buyer of Venezuelan oil.

The World Social Forum was first held in Brazil in 2001 and coincides each year with the market-friendly World Economic Forum of political and business leaders in Davos, Switzerland.

Those at the social forum, in contrast, traditionally criticize free trade and denounce the evils of capitalism — stances that closely mirror Chavez's socialist views.

"The U.S. government, especially under the Bush administration, has been trying to force its own economic polices on developing countries, and I think all of us here agree that must stop," said Jeff Monahan, a 32-year-old organic farmer from Battle Creek, Mich.

"I'm sure there will be plenty of Bush-bashing when this gets under way," said Monahan, who arrived early and was helping put up canopies in a city park where thousands will camp out in tents.

Some 2,000 events — including seminars, speeches, concerts and craft fairs — will be held across Caracas during this week's forum.

"The world is changing, and I think leaders like Chavez can provide interesting examples of what can be doneto ensure it changes for the better," said Moritz Lange, 24, who came from Bremen, Germany, to help to organize the forum.

Others expected to attend include Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano, Argentine Nobel Peace Prize winner Adolfo Perez Esquivel and U.S. anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan, whose son was killed in Iraq in 2004 and who set up a protest camp near Bush's Texas ranch last year.

It was not clear whether other leftist leaders from Latin America would come. Some activists said they hoped to see Presidents Evo Morales of Bolivia or Fidel Castro of Cuba. Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva initially was expected, but then said he would not come.

The recent rise of left-leaning governments in Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile makes the event a timely forum to exchange ideas, said Miguel Tinker Salas, a Latin American studies professor at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif.

"It's an opportune moment, given what's happening in Latin America and the fact that it brings together these various political forces on the left," Tinker Salas said in a telephone interview.

This year's social forum is being held in three spots around the world, including one ending Monday in Bamako, Mali, and another two months from now in Karachi, Pakistan. The Venezuela forum is the main event and the smaller forums are meant to make it more accessible to people in other regions.

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

     

Alaska Army National Guard Spc. Jacob Melson's mother, Teresa Melson, left, his widow, Sarah Melson, center and his father Alaska Army National Guard Capt. Mark Melson, center right, hold the flags given to them during a funeral for the fallen Guardsman at the Fort Richardson National Cemetery in Anchorage, Alaska, Friday Jan. 20, 2006. Melson died when an Army National Guard helicopter crashed in Iraq on Jan. 7, 2006 killing him and three other Alaska Army National Guardsmen. The four Alaska Army National Guard crew members were among the 12 people who died in the helicopter crash. (AP Photos/Al Grillo)

Election 2006

It's time to start working at your board of elections in your own county/town. If we can't have our votes counted we have no freedom. Use your freedom, get involved in our election system. Start now, don't wait!   BBV just uploaded the biggest stash of documents yet! We have
also created resources to help you prepare for and monitor the
2006 Election.

During Election 2004, we did not have the infrastructure to handle
the huge influx of tips and leads coming in from citizens. This time,
we have more resources and we are preparing already! The following
resources will help you get started NOW to watchdog Election 2006:

1. New online members-only research and investigation area. You
can upload your documents, ask for help from other citizens to look
at them, get personalized coaching on how to investigate the integrity
of your local election, and see thousands of pages of documents that
have not been released to the public, and thousands more that have.

To visit this new area and see what's there already, go here:
http://www.bbvforums.org/cgi-bin/forums/discus.cgi

This is your workspace area. Log in (or register if you are a first-timer).
When you register, you will be able to see and use the
"Work Area: Citizen Investigations & Research " (members only)
The direct link to it is here:
http://www.bbvforums.org/cgi-bin/forums/board-auth.cgi?file=/17141/17141.html

The direct link to register is here:
http://www.bbvforums.org/cgi-bin/forums/board-profile.cgi?action=register

2. Online coaching and mentoring for election activists: The truth is,
the amount of knowledge expected of voting activists is intimidating.
We decided to make being an activist much easier: You can just log on
and ask for the information YOU need. For example, a recent question
we had was "I'm meeting with my secretary of state, how can I prepare
and what should I say?"

Here's the guidance he received. His secretary of state decided to
delay purchasing voting machines, for now.
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/73/15514.html

Here is the direct link to the 1-on-1 consultation area:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/73/73.html

This way, you don't have to learn it all at once. Just ask for what
you need, and we'll try to help you. If you have expertise, come
here and help others.

3. We have launched a triple protection program for Election 2006.
As you know, Black Box Voting focuses on empowering YOU, the
voter, to take action. It isn't always easy to know what to do, and
the truth is, writing letters or passing legislation won't help Election
2006 very much -- it's already late for that. So what can you do?

First, Black Box Voting will not organize you, control you, monitor
you or take credit for your achievements. We will not tell you
what to do, but we will mentor and provide resources and
expertise to help you take charge.

There are three things you can do that will make a real difference.
In fact, if even a handful of people take these strategies to heart
it will make a tremendous difference. The emphasis must be on
gathering evidence. Evidence consists of documents, public records,
videotapes, and tape recordings. Collecting evidence needs to start
NOW, not two days before the election.

Each month, Black Box Voting is providing specific ideas for how
to gather evidence with documents and videotape.

This month, we are asking you to do a public records request to
get the expenditures of your local elections division. After you
receive this document, we are asking you to make a list of every
entity that received a payment. This information is important evidence,
and provides clues about what to watch out for in your area.

For example, citizens in DuPage County, Illinois have learned that
their elections board paid $30,000 to a Republican propaganda
specialist.

Here is a link to that story:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/1954/15764.html

Here is a link to how to request the records:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/6/17103.html

This will get you started on collecting documents. There are
many kinds of records requests you can ask for. We'll give
you more suggestions as time goes on.

Here is an interview with Armen Yousoufian, a citizen who
was awarded $300,000 in punitive damages when his local
county obstructed his records requests. He fought back, and
made public records history.
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/9954/9932.html

A second way to get documents sounds a bit more comical.
However, do take a look at the kinds of documents that can
be obtained by "waste archeology" (retrieving documents
destined for premature demise in the trash):

In Pinellas County Florida, a citizen named Leonard Schmiege
found shredded, filled out absentee ballots in the trash.
Here is an interview with Leonard:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/9954/10019.html

Here are tips for "waste archeology":
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/6/17095.html

And  more:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/6/17105.html

Another way to get important evidence is to videotape. Telling
someone what happened doesn't get much done, no matter
how dramatic the infraction was. Don't leave home without
your camcorder!

Here are tips for using your camcorder to protect Election 2006:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/6/15733.html

Here is how you can get started this month:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/6/17104.html

WHAT WILL THIS EVIDENCE BE USED FOR?

- Most important, it will help you foresee problems in time to
do something to protect your election.

- Also, we find that many elections officials run a tighter ship
when they know people are paying attention. Start now,
continue all year, and you'll put into action those wise words:
"The price of democracy is everlasting vigilance."

- If you uncover problems, your evidence will help the media
take you seriously and, if necessary, the prosecutors take
action. Your evidence can help candidates get recounts and
poor election officials get recalled.

Take action. There are 10,000 elections jurisdictions in the
United States, and no group, coalition, or congressman can
do what ordinary citizens everywhere can: Oversee your own
elections!

We're here to help, mentor, and provide resources should you
need it.

=================================

Black Box Voting is fighting for your right as a citizen to oversee
your own elections.

We are a nonpartisan nonprofit group sustained entirely by small
citizen donations. Because federal elections take place only every
two years, our fund raising challenges are somewhat daunting --
but we've made it so far, and our work has truly made a great
difference!

If you wish to have an organization like us available to help watchdog
elections, donations make that happen. To donate, click here:
http://www.blackboxvoting.org/donate.html
or mail to:
Black Box Voting
330 SW 43rd St. Suite K
PMB 547
Renton WA 98055Black Box Voting