(no subject)
The national "Computer Ate My Vote" day of action is really taking off - in
just the three days since we invited you to next Tuesday's big event, more
than 20,000 TrueMajority members have added their names to the call for
voter-verified paper ballots. Along with others who signed on earlier, and
signatures from MoveOn, Democracy For America and VerifiedVoting.org, it
adds up to a list of more than a quarter-million names. Come on down
Tuesday, July 13th to join the crowd of New York citizens who will deliver
those petitions and call on your election officials to support voter-
verified paper ballots.
The rally and press conference is at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 13th,
on the west steps of the State Capitol Building in Albany.
For more details and any last-minute changes, check out the webpage
VerifiedVoting.org has put together:
http://action.truemajority.org/ctt.asp?u=466768&l=715
These events are happening in 17 more states besides New York, and there's
also a national telephone press conference that same day where Gov. Howard
Dean will join our own Ben in promoting what you're doing. This will be the
biggest day of grassroots action for secure elections yet - come be a part
of it!
About this campaign:
The paperless computerized voting terminals being adopted by many states are
vulnerable to software flaws, hardware failures, and security holes. The
machines have already lost votes in a number of elections around the
country, and without a paper printout there is no way to do a meaningful
audit or recount. Every voter should be able to see a paper version of their
ballot to verify their choices are recorded correctly, before leaving it
with pollworkers as a permanent record. For more on the issue, see
http://action.truemajority.org/ctt.asp?u=466768&l=716
Matt Holland and Mark Floegel,
Computer Ate My Vote campaign coordinators
In June, the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee courageously removed all the funds for new nuclear weapons in the House version of the energy and water appropriations bill (HR 4614). The House action represents a great step toward a more sane U.S. nuclear weapons policy. The Senate should follow suit. The Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee will most likely mark up its version of the bill next week (week of July 12). The full Senate Appropriations Committee will take it up soon after.
Continuing its drive to develop new, more usable nuclear weapons, the Bush Administration has requested increased funding for research on new nuclear weapons. In its request to Congress for fiscal year 2005 (FY05), the Administration requested $27.6 million for the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator (RNEP), or nuclear "bunker buster," and $9 million for the Advanced Concepts Initiatives, which could be used to develop low-yield nuclear weapons. This request comes at a time when the Administration is struggling to dissuade Iran and North Korea from developing nuclear weapons of their own. This "do what I say, not what I do" attitude hinders U.S. nonproliferation efforts and is making the world a more dangerous place.
ACTION: Please call, fax, or email your senators. While it is important for all people to contact their senators on this important issue, it is especially important to contact your senator if he/she is a member of the Appropriations Committee (for a complete list of the Appropriations Committee click here.
Urge your senators to help cut funds for new nuclear weapons from the energy and water appropriations bill. Tell them that new nuclear weapons will not bring security. In fact, such weapons will make the world less secure. Urge them to shift funding away from new nuclear weapons to initiatives that support arms control and disarmament.
CONTACTING YOUR SENATOR IS EASY: Start with the sample letter posted in our Legislative Action Center, personalize the language, then email or fax your message directly from our site. You can also print it out and mail it. To view the sample letter, click here, and then enter your ZIP code.
BACKGROUND: Since the end of the Cold War, some civilian military planners and nuclear scientists have promoted the creation of a new class of earth-penetrating nuclear weapons. These weapons are sometimes referred to as "bunker-busters" because they would be designed to burrow into the ground to destroy underground military facilities that are protected by 100 to 300 feet of reinforced concrete or rock. The Energy DepartmentÂ’s fiscal year 2005 (FY05) budget includes $27.6 million for the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator (RNEP).
RNEP proponents claim that, because the weapon penetrates the earth before detonating, it would be a "clean" nuclear weapon. In reality, this would be an extremely deadly weapon. The RNEP would have explosive power up to 70 times that of the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima. If detonated in an urban setting, tens of thousands of people could receive a fatal dose of radiation within the first 24 hours. More would be killed or injured by the extreme pressures of the blast and thermal injuries arising from the heat of the explosion. Still more casualties would result from the resulting fires and the collapse of buildings from the seismic shock that the explosion would produce. According to Sen. Jack Reed (RI), Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrators "are really city breakers, not bunker busters."
The Bush Administration has repeatedly claimed that the RNEP program is a study and nothing more. However, the AdministrationÂ’s intentions regarding RNEP go well beyond their initial claims. Energy Department budget documents show the AdministrationÂ’s funding requests for the RNEP increasing dramatically after this year, despite congressional restrictions on further development of this program. The initial three-year study was to cost $45 million, but the AdministrationÂ’s proposed spending in the next five years would total nearly $500 million and move RNEP into early development and engineering stages.
In addition to the RNEP, the Administration has increased its request to $9 million for the Advanced Concepts Initiative for nuclear weapons, a program that includes possible research on low yield nuclear weapons, or "mini-nukes." Both the Advanced Concepts Initiative and the RNEP program send the wrong message to the rest of the world--that the U.S. is again thinking about nuclear weapons production. The U.S. has rightly criticized Iran and North Korea for their nuclear weapons programs. The U.S. has expressed concerns about the nuclear programs in Pakistan and India. There is also a growing fear that nuclear materials could fall into the hands of a terrorist group, such as al Qaeda. Yet this criticism rings hollow as the U.S. resumes its own nuclear weapons development programs.
The Bush Administration is leading the world down the wrong path. Instead of adhering to our obligations under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) by reducing reliance on the most horrific weapons ever created and working for global disarmament, the Administration is seeking new uses for nuclear weapons. Adopting such a nuclear posture is a step backward and a virtual invitation for other nations to opt out of their NPT obligations as well.
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CONTACTING LEGISLATORS
Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121
Sen. ________
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Rep. ________
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Information on your members is available on FCNLÂ’s web site.
CONTACTING THE ADMINISTRATION
White House Comment Desk: 202-456-1111
Fax: 202-456-2461
Email: president@whitehouse.gov
Web Page: http://www.whitehouse.gov/
President George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Amy,
YOUR VOTE IS YOUR VOICE- USE IT!
Please take this opportunity and register to vote. The web address from the previous email was incorrect and the updated address below will direct you to the correct site. Our apologies!
To register to vote please visit the State of Alaska
Division of Elections homepage at:
http://www.gov.state.ak.us/ltgov/elections/homepage.html
Dear Amy,
The Senate votes on the discriminatory Federal Marriage Amendment next week. And until then, I must ask you to do everything you can to make sure your Senators vote against it. This is the most important vote we have faced in decades -- we must win. And we CAN win, if every fair-minded American commits to speaking up this week like never before.
Step one:
Call BOTH your Senators, right now, and every day this week. Senators Stevens and Murkowski are hearing from the opposition in droves. Drown them out. Here is the number:
1-877-762-8762
When you call, ask for one of your Senators by name. When their office answers, state your name and address and urge them to oppose the Federal Marriage Amendment. Then call your other Senator immediately and do the same. Not sure what to say? Click here:
http://tinyurl.com/25wg8
If the switchboard is busy, please keep trying or click here to look up your Senator's direct line:
http://tinyurl.com/3dk8j
Step two:
Let us know you called. It is critical that we keep track of our numbers and reinforce them to Senators with our education and lobbying. Click here:
http://tinyurl.com/25wg8
Step three:
Tell your friends. Tell your family. Tell your neighbors, co-workers, dog-walker, anyone with whom you have regular contact ... This is it. This is the moment that you can't hold back. Just forward this message or click here:
http://tinyurl.com/35qo5
Thank you - again - for all you are doing to stop the Federal Marriage Amendment. I don't think I need to remind you about who and what we're up against. The ultra-conservatives behind the Federal Marriage Amendment are better-funded, extremely well-organized, and deeply determined to make their shameful, discriminatory agenda law. They will stop at nothing. That's why our combined efforts this week must be stronger than ever before.
We're glad you're with us.
Cheryl A. Jacques
Human Rights Campaign President
P.S. We know that the ultra-conservatives are targeting people in certain states: Indiana, Ohio, Louisiana, Alaska, Nebraska, Arkansas, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Do you know anyone in any of those states? Please, urge them to contact their Senators today. Click here:
http://tinyurl.com/35qo5
Come Out and Show Your Commitment to Verifiable Elections
The national attention to computer voting glitches and the need to ensure verifiable voting has really grown, and election officials are feeling the heat.
TrueMajority is into the next phase of the "Computer Ate My Vote" campaign, bringing together a coalition including MoveOn, Howard Dean's Democracy for America, Common Cause, Working Assets, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility, VerifiedVoting.org, and distinguished computer experts. We will hold a National Day of Action on TUESDAY, JULY 13 . At coordinated news events across the country, citizens like you--representing over three million Americans--will present petitions to the chief election officials of eighteen states, including New York.
We'll ask the election officials to adopt the "Pledge of Ballot Integrity," which commits them to providing voters with verifiable paper ballots this coming Election Day. That paper backup will ensure that, even if computer glitches lose or change election data, the votes will be properly counted and recounts will be possible for contested outcomes.
To add your name to the petition for presentation on July 13, click Reply and Send in your e-mail program (if you're a TrueMajority member) or, if this was forwarded to you, click here: http://action.truemajority.com/index.asp?action=10178&ms=doa1&ref=466768
Organizing eighteen simultaneous events is a challenge, so we don't have all the logistical details in hand. But we wanted to offer you the chance to petition your election official and to pencil in July 13 if you're considering joining the New York event. We'll send more details as the date gets closer.
Ben
Independence Day Edition
Celebrating The Birthday Of Our Country July 4, 1776 And Passage Of The Civil Rights Act July 2, 1963.
"It was we the people, not we the white male citizens, nor we the male citizens , but we the whole people who formed this Union.. We formed it to give the blessings of liberty...not to the half of ourselves and the half of our posterity, but to the whole people, women as well as men."
-- Susan B. Anthony , 1872
Forty years ago this week, America took another large step toward meeting the promise of our founding with passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1963. Today, we celebrate passage of the act -- and recognize how much further we have to go:
Ensuring Every Vote Counts In 2004. Democrats believe that Americans deserve an election free of errors, intimidation, voter disenfranchisement, hanging chads or butterfly ballots. That's why the DNC established the Voting Rights Institute to ensure that every person's vote would be protected and counted in future elections. We need to make this vision our mission!
In 2000, anywhere from 4 to 6 million votes that had been cast were disallowed for a variety of reasons. In addition, voters across the country were asked, contrary to law, to present several forms of identification in order to receive a ballot. This year, we are going to make sure that every legitimate ballot that is cast is counted and we are going to deploy 10,000 lawyers across the country to protect your right to vote.
In 2000, many citizens cast unintended votes because the ballots they were given were confusing or unclear. This year we will educate voters on topics ranging from registration deadlines to the mechanics of casting a vote on the voting machine used in your area.
In 2000, 175 million people were eligible to vote but only 100 million actually voted. This year we will implement intensive early vote, absentee vote, and vote by mail programs to inform citizens of the options to vote that fit their work and family schedules.
Take Action: If you are interested in being a part of the DNC's Voting Rights Institute voter protection team please sign up by filling out our volunteer form.
Join us to make sure Every Vote Counts in 2004!
Ensuring Protection Against Sex Discrimination. Equal Pay: Women working full-time year-round earn only about 77 cents for every dollar earned by men. And the pay gap is even worse for women of color: African American women earn only 66 cents, and Hispanic women 54 cents, to each dollar earned by a white man. Women make up 80% of office and clerical workers, but only 34% of officiers and managers.They are only 16% of corporate officers in the 500 largest American companies -- and just 2% of these officers are women of color.
George W. Bush has taken us backward, ending the Equal Pay Initiative begun in the Clinton administration, opposing legislation to strengthen equal pay enforcement -- and even taking fact sheets about equal pay off government web sites!
Take Action: Support The Civil Rights Act of 2004, H.R. 3809/S. 2088, to update and strengthen the law by ending loopholes for continued wage discrimination against women, improving available remedies, and ending artificial limits on the amounts women can receive in damages for sex discrimination in the workplace.
Right Wing 1, Women's Health 0. Women's health was sacrificed to right wing ideology and George W. Bush's politics again this week. Anti-choice, anti -family planning Doctor David Hager was reappointed to the Women's Reproductive Health Advisory Committee of the Food and Drug Administration.
You will remember that Dr. Hager was one of three votes on the FDA panel against making emergency contraception more available. Twenty-four of his scientific colleagues disagreed; the Bush White House, as usual, put politics ahead of science.
Pollution On The Increase: Why Are We Not Surprised. In another example of right wing politics overtaking science, the Bush administration has steadily weakened environmental regulations that protect clean air and water. This week we saw one result: a report by the government's own Environmental Protection Agency shows an increase in toxic waste emissions. As an example of how radical the Bush agenda is in practice: This is only the second such increase in 17 years, which means George W. is doing worse than most of his Republican predecessors.
Pollution is likely to increase again if the White House has its way: The administration wants to lengthen the time frame for reducing overall mercury emissions from coal-burning power plants. The Clinton administration proposed a 90% reduction by 2008; Bush favors a 70% cut by 2018.
Sounds like some other workplaces we know.
Afghan Women And Girls Need Real Support -- Not Republican Rhetoric! George W. Bush likes to talk about what he has done for the women and girls of Afghanistan --but what's the real story? This week, three global women's organizations gave failing grades to the Bush administration's record in vital areas:
Health Care: Despite tragically high rates of maternal mortality in Afghanistan, the Bush administration has refused to make a significant investment in health care. The administration spent $800 million for reconstruction in Afghanistan compared to almost the same amount for the ministry of health in Iraq alone. And Bush's refusal to support international women's health clinics further deprives Afghan women of desperately needed care.
Security: This week two Afghan women were killed and 13 more were wounded by a bomb set off on a bus filled with female election workers. A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the attacks, reports the New York Times, and female registration teams in the eastern, southeastern, and southern regions of Afghanistan have been suspended. The refusal of the Bush administration to increase security forces in Afghanistan has allowed the resurgence of the Taliban, with their harsh restrictions on the lives of women and girls throughout the country outside the capitol of Kabul.
Click here to get the facts on George W. Bush's record on women's lives and women's rights around the world.
Democrats Taking The Lead
John Kerry: An Advocate For Real Equal Opportunity. As this week marked the 40th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, John Kerry exemplified his plan for an America in which all people, regardless of race or gender, have an opportunity to achieve the American dream -- a dream that begins with educational opportunity for everyone.
"The Civil Rights Act was rooted in the fundamental ideal that all people are created equal -- no matter what our race, sex, religion, or national origin," John Kerry said. "We are all deserving of an equal shot at the American dream -- at a good job, a good education, and the right to drink from the same fountain of opportunity."
John Kerry's plan calls for an educational revolution in which four-year colleges and universities are as accessible as high schools -- and offers $10 billion to states for public colleges and universities. His plan includes working with states to strengthen their high school curriculum, so that every child leaves high school ready for college.He will also create a College Completion Fund that will reward schools for the number of underprivileged students they graduate.
And we know its time to make a major effort to address the subtle discrimination and low expectations that cause too many young women to believe that math and science are somehow not for them. Kerry's plan gives all Americans, especially women and minorities, encouragement to study math and science early on by paying math and science teachers better, training them better, and partnering high school teachers with scientists and colleges. John Kerry's educational plan will fund special programs in middle school and high school to get girls and minorities engaged in math and science -- such as a Philadelphia program that teaches girls who are athletes about the science behind their sports.
To ensure a successful economy, we must have an educational system that helps create it. "Success in this economy -- and the next -- is a two way street," said Kerry."We need to secure the best possible education for all Americans. But it's up to each American to make the most of it."
Save The Date: Women For Kerry
One hundred and fifty six years ago men and women from around the country gathered in Seneca Falls, New York for the first Women's Rights Convention, where they started what would later become the women's rights movement.
Today, let us honor their achievements and commit ourselves to making a difference for America's women. On Saturday, July 17, gather your friends, family, neighbors and colleagues for Women for Kerry Action Day. As an action meeting host, you will have the chance to participate in a conference call with a campaign VIP, who will discuss the importance of the women's vote and why John Kerry is the candidate for women and discuss ways to grow our volunteer network and get involved with the grassroots efforts.
To help you with your event, we will provide you with step-by-step instructions and all the tools you need to make your party a success. This year we will elect John Kerry as our next President, but we need your help to do it. Sign up today to host a Women for Kerry house meeting by emailing us.
It's Up To The Women! Grilling with friends and family this weekend for the 4th of July? Why not host a bbq with NO CARB's! No Cheney, No Ashcroft, No Rumsfeld, No Bush, and certainly No Rice on the side!!
The WLF will be hosting a No CARB's Lunch in Boston for the Democratic Convention on July 26th- Help us get the word out, that we are cutting out CARB's, for good!
Also, join us in the New York area for two events! Women for Kerry and WLF are hosting John Kerry and Teresa Heinz Kerry on July 9th for breakfast in Manhattan. Contact Jackie Shapiro for more information. Hillary Rodham Clinton will be the keynote speaker for an event in Highland Park, NJ on July 10th. For more information on the Women for Kerry/WLF event contact Emily Hellstrom.
Quotes: GOP Hypocrites Hall of Fame
As director of the Christian Coalition, Ralph Reed denounced gambling as "a cancer on the American body politic." Now Reed is Southeastern regional chair of the Bush-Cheney campaign and a "federal investigation" has unearthed evidence that Reed has been surreptitiously working for an Indian tribe with a large casino it sought to protect -- and that Reed was paid with funds laundered through two firms to try to keep his lucrative involvement secret." - Alvin Felzenberg, spokesman for the bipartisan 9/11 Commission, June 18, 2004
"Governor Bush and I are also absolutely determined that [we] will restore a tone of civility and decency to the debate in Washington." - Dick Cheney, 8/4/00
READ THIS'>
The following items from the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)
focus on a current organization initiative.
To build a grassroots, voter-to-voter mobilization, FCNL has begun a nonpartisan
voter registration and voter turnout project, VOTE 2004. Our goal is 100% voter
registration among Friends meetings and churches around the country, and come
November, to get all registered voters to the polls. We are also reaching out
beyond Friends meetings to build greater voter registration and turnout in local
communities.
Unless more people recognize the importance of voting, our government will
become increasingly remote from the people it is meant to serve. Perhaps U.S.
citizens are so accustomed to elections that many have forgotten that the
ballot--imperfect as it may be--is a nonviolent alternative to outward warring,
which has resulted in tragic bloodletting and suffering for eons.
Elections as a means of nonviolent change must not be taken for granted. But
elections, if not supported by a strong majority of the electorate, can work to
undermine rather than strengthen democracy. In the last presidential campaign,
only 51.3% of the voting age population cast ballots and a mere 24.5% of the
voting age population voted for the candidate who took office. Regardless of who
is in the White House, such an important decision needs to be made through full
voter participation.
Indeed, small numbers of votes can and do tip elections.
* Currently, eight U.S. senators were elected to office with less than a 50%
plurality.
* In 1960, John Kennedy won the popular vote over Richard Nixon by just over
100,000 votes.
* In 1997, Vermont State Rep. Sydney Nixon lost to opponent Robert Edmond 572 to
571.
* In 1989, a Lansing, Michigan School District proposition failed when the final
recount produced a tie vote 5,147 for, and 5,147 against. The school district
had to reduce its budget by $2.5 million.
A League of Women Voters survey indicates that it is not alienation from
politics that keeps people from voting, as has often been assumed. Instead, the
League found that people do not vote when they fail to recognize the impact
voting has on their lives.
The survey concluded that people are far more likely to vote if they have had
personal contact with someone who encouraged them to vote, whether it is a
political candidate or party, a political or advocacy organization, or simply a
friend or neighbor. The efforts that organizations and individuals make to reach
out to potential voters are critical. The best way to increase voter turnout is
for each of us to reach out to our friends and neighbors, person by person.
Join us in our VOTE 2004 efforts! We have many resources available for you to
help get voters to the polls this fall.
GET VOTE 2004 UPDATES
Join our VOTE 2004 listserve to receive weekly updates on the campaign, tips and
materials for participants, plus ideas and opportunities for action. Click here
to sign up for VOTE 2004 updates:
(https://dnbweb1.blackbaud.com/OPXREPHIL/Link.asp?link=21611)
DOWNLOAD OUR ACTION KIT
We have available a VOTE 2004 action kit which includes registration tips and
tools, sample scripts for engaging potential voters and organizing ideas. Click
here to download our action kit:
(https://dnbweb1.blackbaud.com/OPXREPHIL/Link.asp?link=21612)
VOTE FOR OUR NEXT BUMPER STICKER SLOGAN
Get some voting practice in by voting on our web site for FCNL's VOTE 2004
bumper sticker slogan. We need your input! Go to our web site at www.fcnl.org
(https://dnbweb1.blackbaud.com/OPXREPHIL/Link.asp?link=21613)
REGISTER TO VOTE ONLINE
The FCNL web site, www.fcnl.org
(https://dnbweb1.blackbaud.com/OPXREPHIL/Link.asp?link=21614) , offers an easy
way to register regardless of your party affiliation or where you live.
Register to vote at:
(https://dnbweb1.blackbaud.com/OPXREPHIL/Link.asp?link=21615) Once you find your
home state and fill out the information fields, you will be able to print out
and sign your official voter registration form. Your county's election board
address is also provided.
LEARN ABOUT THE CANDIDATES
On our web site you will also find information on state and local candidates
running for political office, background on the presidential candidates, and
questions you can ask the candidates.Learn about the candidates at:
(https://dnbweb1.blackbaud.com/OPXREPHIL/Link.asp?link=21616)
ORDER RESOURCES
You can order VOTE 2004 buttons, stickers, bumper stickers (coming soon) and
"Questions for Candidates" brochures via our web site. To order VOTE 2004
resources, click here:
(https://dnbweb1.blackbaud.com/OPXREPHIL/Link.asp?link=21625)
If you are a member of a Friends meeting or church, please talk with the FCNL
contact person about how your meeting or church can get involved.
We owe it to our children and to generations beyond to exercise our
responsibilities as citizens for the maintenance of democracy now. We at FCNL
hope you will join us in our VOTE 2004 Campaign.
Dear MoveOn member,
By picking John Edwards as his running mate, John Kerry has brought new energy to his ticket. "I have chosen a man who understands and defends the values of America," Kerry said at a rally yesterday. "Throughout this campaign, John talked about the great divide in America, the two Americas that exist between those who are doing very well and those who are struggling to make ends meet in our country. That concern is at the center of this campaign . . . It is what the 35 years of my struggle have been about. And I am so proud that together John Edwards and I are now going to fight to build one America for all Americans."
This first big decision for John Kerry demonstrates that he’s committed to progressive values and ready to do what it takes to win.
To celebrate, the Kerry/Edwards campaign is offering FREE new Kerry/Edwards bumper stickers on its website. Sign up to spread the word about the Kerry/Edwards ticket and get a free sticker today at:
http://www.johnkerry.com/signup/bumper_KE.php
John Edwards' "Two Americas" stump speech is a powerful rallying cry to take our country back. As he said at a campaign stop in December:
“Today, under George W. Bush, there are two Americas, not one: One America that does the work, another America that reaps the reward. One America that pays the taxes, another America that gets the tax breaks. One America that will do anything to leave its children a better life, another America that never has to do a thing because its children are already set for life. One America -- middle-class America - whose needs Washington has long forgotten, another America - narrow-interest America - whose every wish is Washington's command. One America that is struggling to get by, another America that can buy anything it wants, even a Congress and a President.”
“I've been fighting this fight my whole life. For 20 years, I have sat in courtrooms across from these people. I have been an advocate for families and their children against armies of lawyers. I've won most of those battles. In the Senate, I fought for the Patients' Bill of Rights, against big HMOs, against big insurance companies. I fought to bring down prescription drug costs for every American, against big drug companies. I fought to do something about drug company advertising on TV when others weren't willing to do it. I fought to create energy independence in this country.”
“I believe the backbone of the American economy is the hard work, determination, and ingenuity of the middle class, not the insiders. I believe the way to grow the economy is to grow and strengthen the middle class, not shrink its size and add to its burdens. I believe the way a rich nation gets richer is by giving all its citizens the chance to get richer, not by only helping those like me who've already succeeded beyond our wildest dreams. I believe the way to create new wealth is by rewarding work and responsibility, not coddling the privileged and going soft on executives, accountants, and analysts who squander other people's money.”
“For every man and woman who is worried about paying their bills; for every child who needs health care and a strong school to go to, and for every American who waits for the 1st and the 15th of every month -- together we will end this era of anxiety. We will replace the crass politics of greed and the current politics of rage with a new politics of opportunity.” (As Prepared, Des Moines, IA, 12/29/03)
It’s exciting stuff. And to see Edwards deliver it is truly inspiring. You can watch his tremendous South Carolina victory speech online using RealPlayer at:
rtsp://video.c-span.org/project/c04/c04_020304edwards.rm
It’s going to be a long haul from now until November. But it’s clear that the Kerry/Edwards ticket has inspired a powerful unity in the Democratic Party.
Progressives are coming together around the ticket. In an open letter to Kerry on June 22nd, consumer champion Ralph Nader urged Kerry to pick Edwards as his running mate, writing that “One of the pillars (the other two being civil rights and civil liberties) of our democracy - the civil justice system - is under severe attack by the corporate supremacists who wish to deny wrongfully injured or defrauded people from having their full day in court or even a partial day in court. Senator Edwards can stand up for the millions of Americans who suffer these harms and costs every year.”
Former Vice President Al Gore says the team “combines John Kerry's courage and record of outstanding leadership and John Edwards's inspiring struggle on behalf of middle class Americans and those working to reach the middle class.”
Senator Hillary Clinton writes that she has “worked with Senator Edwards for years, including our efforts together to improve health care and to strengthen AmeriCorps, and I know him as a tireless advocate for middle-class America.”
And Governor Howard Dean says that a Kerry-Edwards ticket “will bring energy, commitment and a new vision for America. I will be working hard over the next few months to get them both elected."
We’ll be working hard, too. Take another look at the “Two Americas” speech above, and imagine having a team in the White House that truly understands what that means. Together, we can make it happen. Let’s go get ‘em.
Friends,
At this week's Tuesday meeting we decided it would be fun and timely to gather for some social time and to renew our energies and commitments to our peace work. Instead of our next meeting (3rd Tuesday, July 20th) we decided to gather on Sunday, July 18th at 4 pm at Lena Beach (near Judith Maier's home) for a potluck picnic. We are planning to publicize this gathering widely and encourage all of Juneau's many JPPJ supporters to come together to meet each other and share our joy in living in a community with so many folks eager to look for and work for the pathways to peace and social justice.
Please bring a food dish to share, your own plate & cup and fork/knife/spoon (let's be "green" and save on trash - paper plates/cups will NOT be provided), and if you have one, an ice cream maker (obviously manual, and with ingredients). Bring your family and friends. See you there. Lena Beach is past the Auke Rec turnoff and the Lena Point road. Call Judith at (789-9229) or Amy (586-4409) if you have questions.
Thanks to all who helped make the JPPJ parade entry happen by planning, folding cranes and carrying cranes on the 4th. At Tuesday's meeting we reviewed the impact of our participation in the parade, acknowledged those who helped plan the effort, asked our treasurer to reimburse folks for the expenses involved (about $300 for materials -buttons, bumper stickers, crane paper, candy, business cards to pass out, etc). Some feel a need to spend time talking about the message we want to convey at the 4th of July parade, for next year and beyond. This will occur during the next months at our regular Tuesday meetings. Other discussions about direction and focus for JPPJ are on-going. Folks are invited to share their thoughts at future Tuesday meetings. REMINDER: We will meet 1st and 3rd Tuesdays though August.
We are sad to learn that Anna Wright, one of our most steady activists will be departing Juneau to pursue graduate studies in Kansas. We all thank her for all her efforts, inspiration and commitment to helping our work over the past two years, and wish her the best of luck. We can't imagine she won't be back in Juneau before too many years have passed.
Amy
JPPJ Communications Coordinator