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Sharon Grimes, W A M M
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Support Grows for Bilateral Commission
The public wants to know the truth. What were the Bush Administration’s reasons for war on Iraq? A July 22, 2003, Washington Post article said, “The letters are pouring in like a water main break—fast and, yes, furious. From Alabama: ‘We want to know the truth!’ From Arizona: ‘If there’s nothing to hide, what’s the harm in a ‘bipartisan inquiry?’ From Mississippi: ‘We must get to the truth—whatever it is!’” So far, 414,000 people from every state have signed the MoveOn.org Distortion of Evidence petition asking Congress to investigate the claims that led to the war on Iraq.
Congress calls for an investigation
On June 26, 2003, Rep. Henry Waxman (Dem., CA) introduced legislation to create an independent commission to investigate the evidence Bush used to make the case for war. Waxman said, “We are introducing this bill because it is now clear we had an inexcusable breakdown in our intelligence system prior to the Iraq war. We need to know how and why this happened, so that we can make sure it never happens again.”
Minnesota’s Betty McCollum and James Oberstar are among the 112 members of Congress co-sponsoring the bill. Co-sponsors are listed at www.misleader.org/who.html. Organizations supporting Waxman’s bill include Win Without War members (MoveOn.org, True Majority, and Working Assets) and the National Council of Churches.
People Mobilize against FCC Rule Changes
The House passed legislation to block implementation of the new FCC rules that would allow TV networks to own more stations. The vote was 400-21. The FCC proposal would allow networks to own stations that reach 45 percent of the nation’s households. Under the House legislation, the limit would remain at 35 percent. The Senate Commerce Committee previously passed a similar resolution, which will likely go to the full Senate in September. It is important to keep up the pressure. A healthy democracy requires diverse ownership of the media to ensure the airing of many points of view. More information on media reform efforts is at www.mediareform.net.
Waging Peace in the Middle East
The new Israeli-Palestinian Joint Action Group for Peace was founded on June 28, 2003, in Ramallah, the still-besieged seat of the Palestinian Authority in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. About 300 peace activists—half Israeli and half Palestinian —make up the group. Their plan of action calls for setting up committees to prepare within three months an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement including solutions for borders, Jerusalem, settlements, refugees, security, and water. They also propose forming a joint Committee for Truth and Reconciliation to examine the history of the last 120 years and establish a true picture, acceptable to both peoples.
Palestinian and Israeli women recently met in Oslo. Joan Chittister, a Benedictine Sister of Erie and member of the International Peace Council, reported that interactions among delegates outside the meetings might hold the best promise for peace. She describes the incident at the Tel Aviv airport, the day after the conference. The Israeli women realized that the Palestinian women had all been detained, so they went back and refused to leave the customs hall until the Palestinians were released. “All the resolutions in the world won’t make peace until, like these brave women, we reach out to this generation so that the next generation is made safe, not by force but by faith in the essential humanity of all humanity.”
Poindexter Resigns
Retired Rear Admiral John Poindexter resigned August 29 from the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency. He was the architect of the terror futures market, which was quickly terminated after the plan became public.
Local Governments and Others Reject New Gun Law
Local officials are challenging provisions of the new conceal-and-carry gun law, which prohibits them from banning guns on public property.
Hennepin and Ramsey counties, the cities of: Minneapolis, Duluth, and Virginia, and the University of Minnesota will prohibit permit holders from carrying guns in their facilities. About 30 other cities have passed resolutions saying they want authority to determine whether guns will be allowed based on the use of the property or the needs of the city. Dakota, Cass, and Meeker counties have issued limited bans, and others are awaiting the outcome of court challenges.
A coalition of more than 40 churches has challenged posting requirements, and other groups may challenge the prohibition of banning guns in parking lots and rental property.
At the end of June, about 7,000 names had been collected statewide on a petition endorsing a bill (HF 1595) to repeal the law. A companion bill was also introduced at the end of the legislative session in the senate. Supporters hope to collect at least 10,000 signatures by September. More information is at www.endgunviolence.com.
Legislation on Reparations for Slavery
Rep. John Conyers (D, MI) first introduced a reparations study bill in January 1989 and has reintroduced it every session of Congress since. The Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act has gained support over the years, including resolutions passed by numerous state and local bodies. “One of the biggest challenges in discussing the issue of reparations in a political context is deciding how to have a national discussion without allowing the issue to polarize our party or our nation,” says Conyers. He asks that the federal government conduct an official study of slavery’s impact on the “social, political and economic life of our nation.” More information on the bill is at www.house.gov/conyers/news-reparations.htm or go to thomas.loc.gov and type H.R. 40 in the search for bills.
California Supreme Court Challenges Corporate “Free Speech”
The Supreme Court of California ruled that the Nike corporation engaged in commercial speech and, therefore, bears any burden of proof and subsequent liability for any opinions, claims, and facts it asserts while defending its labor practices through public relations efforts, including news releases, speeches, and Internet sites. This reverses California’s heretofore-accepted understanding of the right of corporations to the same free speech accorded individuals under the First Amendment.
Court Certifies Welfare Lawsuit for Class Action
Ramsey County District Court certified for class action a lawsuit filed against the state of Minnesota by eight plaintiffs. The plaintiffs are challenging the legality of devastating cuts in state programs that aid families living in poverty. For more information, contact the Welfare Rights Committee at 651-822-8020. |
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© 2003 Women Against Military Madness. All rights reserved.
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Complete September 2003 Index - click here
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