The Peace Panel Project at Pathway to Peace - Chico 2011

What's Wrong with TV?

And as if those three reasons weren't enough to make you turn off your TV

4. "Less Likely to Know..."  A new survey from Fairleigh Dickinson University

has found that viewers of Fox News are less informed about world events than

people who do not watch any news.  Democracy Now! Nov., 22, 2011

and

5.  Hazardous to Your Health

From the British Journal of Sports Medicine, "...every hour of TV watching by

an adult may take 22 minutes off your life."  Web MD The Magazine,

Oct., 2011

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9/11 Event at CSU Chico

The Peace Panel Project was showing off 3 new panels and some older ones at the CSU Chico Peace Institute's 9/11 event on campus.  We had a round table discussion around the "Peace Tree".  It was well attended and the discussion was lively.  After an hour or so of discussion on 9/11 and related issues we broke camp picked up the panels and marched to United Methodist Church for a Chico Peace and Justice musical fund raiser.

The Peace Panel Project at America's Night Out in Chapmantown

Here is a panorama view of the Project in the back of the Dorothy Johnson Center.  About 100 people showed up to have fun with the dunk tank and other amusements.

Herger Protest

We had fun being a part of Rebuild the Dream in front of Wally Herger's office.  Wednesday, August 3, 2011 about 50 of us got together to protest the way Congress is going.  I got the ideas for 3 new Peace Panels in the middle of the night before; got to work early enough to crank them out before the crew got there and made it to Herger's office in time for media photos that made the front page of the Enterprise Record!

A Moment for Openness

A Moment for Openness

Even if the government proves its case against Bradley, I submit he will then be shown to have only acted in the tradition of those who honor honesty and openness, and only to have followed the President’s directions when he said, “My Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government.  Openness will

strengthen our democracy…”  [www.gwu.edu]

How do you reconcile the charges against Bradley with the President’s pledge to openness?  More importantly, how do you reconcile the charges against Bradley, with what we agreed to at Nuremberg?  That agreement, signed by the United States, France, the United Kingdom, and others, made the statement, “Individuals have international duties which transcend the national obligations of obedience.  Therefore citizens have the duty to violate domestic laws to prevent crimes against peace and humanity from occurring.”  [Stop the Next War Now, Benjamin and Evans p.17]

Bradley Manning is not convicted of anything and yet, he has been made to stand at attention, in the nude, every morning; he has been in solitary confinement for 8 months; he has been subject to sensory deprivation and politicians call for his execution. 

As U.S. Department of State spokesperson P.J. Crowley, said the treatment of Bradley Manning "is ridiculous, counterproductive and stupid".

 

Why not stop our war action now, and change our tactics to a police action?  Instead of worrying about whistleblowers, let’s honor them.  Bradley Manning is giving us the opportunity to be more civilized.  Wouldn’t it be more civilized, and more Constitutional, if someone is doing something illegal, to arrest them instead of shoot them?  Let’s have trials instead of massacres!  Imagine the world wide change of attitude towards our foreign policy.  Imagine the money we would save.  We are spending trillions [Costs of War Project] (http://www.democracynow.org/2011/7/8/) to get a hundred terrorists.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/president-obamas-secret-100-al-qaeda-nowafghanistan/story?id=9227861  Instead of murdering so many civilians, (8,813  http://www.unknownnews.net/casualties.html) find out where these guys are and arrest them.  Have trials with judges and juries.  And “let us live out the true meaning” of our pledge,   “…and justice for all.”

P.S.

My experience with Amnesty International showed me that it can be powerful just to write to prisoners of conscience.  It can improve their living conditions and help get them a hearing.  So I’m asking everyone I know to please take a moment and write Bradley Manning.  We have heard that he is getting letters and that he is encouraged by them. And it will make you feel better too. His address is:

Commander, HHC USAG
Attn: PFC Manning
239 Sheridan Ave, Bldg 417
JBM-HH, VA 22211

4th of July at the big Chico celebration at One Mile