Don’t question my patriotism!

By Christine Anne Piesyk | March 20, 2007 |

This is in response to a personal letter I received from Jeff Mackens that indicated there will now  be opposing voices at peace rallies staged by the FreeThinkers for Peace and Civil Liberties. I want to thank our opposition first for peacefully co-existing with our rally and not disrupting our right to voice dissent. It might have escaped their notice, however, that we had the same message of supporting the troops, the same message that hundreds of people spoke about at the Walk In Their Shoes rally in Nashville Saturday (3/18), where empty boots were tagged with the names of the dead. The same message a majority of disenchanted Americans are also giving voice to.

Just in case you question any of our acts, or my motives personally, let me tell you something about me: I lost 17 friends in six years to Vietnam — many from the then 99th Bomb Wing in my northern hometown which deployed over and over again for ten years in a war that was as great a quagmire, with as little focus or resolution, as the current Iraq war. I was only 15 when my first friend was killed there — just six weeks after arriving in SE Asia. He was 18. By the end of that war, I had seventeen names to be etched later on the wall in Washington. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Opinion, Politics | 3 Comments

Clarksville Coalition of Civil Rights Leaders Respond To Seventh Lawsuit Filed Against APSU

By Terry McMoore | March 19, 2007 |

On Thursday, March 22, 2007, at 10:00 a.m., in front of Austin Peay State University, (College Street side)  the Coalition of Clarksville Civil Rights Leaders will release a statement regarding the Coalition’s support of Austin Peay State University’s Sociology Professor, Dr. Shirley Rainey who has recently filed a racial discrimination lawsuit in the United States District  Court of Middle Tennessee.

This is the seventh discrimination lawsuit filed by African American women at Austin Peay State University since 2005.
 
The Coalition is comprised of the civil rights leaders who are members of the NAACP, the Urban Resource Center, the Title VI Action Committee, the National Action Network, the Commission on Religion and Racism, the Progressive Citizen’s Advocates and other social and civic organizations.

This Release is Distributed as a Community Courtesy by the Urban Resource Center.

–END–

Contact Information: 

Coalition Press and Publicity Information: Terry McMoore, (931) 378-1999 or (931) 552-9076

Sections: Politics | 1 Comment »

Peace vigil planned

By Christine Anne Piesyk | March 19, 2007 |

The FreeThinkers for Peace and Civil Liberties will hold a candlelight vigil tonight at 7 p.m. the Eternal Flame at Public Square and Main Street in downtown Clarksville. The Vigil marks the fourth year of the Iraq War and follows a national movement of protests and rallies against the war that have been held across the country over the past three days, including the “Walk in the Shoes” rally in Nashville on Saturday. The public is welcome to attend this peace event.

Sections: Events, Issues | No Comments

Peace rally draws hundreds

By Christine Anne Piesyk | March 18, 2007 |

Therapist Mary Coe spoke Saturday to hundreds of activists and angry Americans gathered in Nashville for the Walk in their Shoes rally protesting the fourth anniversary Iraq war and call for the safe return of our troops from what was repeatedly called “an unwinnable war” being waged on faulty policies.” The event at Owen Bradley Park was sponsored by the Nashville Peace and Justice Center and was attended by members of Clarksville’s FreeThinkers for Peace and Civil Liberties and Clarksville Online.

Coe, who was profiled on 3/14/07 in Clarksville Online, made a brief but eloquent statement on the mental health facing troops and their families after multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. “Families are devastated” by the problems returning troops experience upon their return. ” Children are afraid, they feel ‘anticipatory’ anxiety over future deployments” or are struggling to adjust to returning parents who are moody, angry, and feeling rage. Coe said that the second deployment saw returning troops with a much higher level of emotional problems, and is afraid of what will happen when troops return from a third deployment that is expected to leave soon.

Among the speakers at the rally was Linda Englund of the Chicago-based Military Families Speak Out. She stood at the podium with a photo of her son, a two-time Purple Heart and Bronze Star marine. Her message was clear: “bring our troops home now and take care of them when they get here.”
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PRESS RELEASE: Clarksville Coalition of Civil Rights Leaders Unite for Common Cause

By Terry McMoore | March 18, 2007 |

Several civil rights leaders have decided to reconstitute the Clarksville Coalition of Civil Rights Leaders (CCCRL). These citizens believe that civil rights issues in Clarksville continue to go unresolved.

The coalition, originally founded in 2005, has been inactive due to the conflicting schedules of the leadership. However, after assessing the current status of civil rights compliance and protections in Clarksville and Montgomery County, some civil rights leaders believe it necessary to unite.

“In unity there is strength,” said Dr. Nancy J. Dawson, coalition chairwoman. “The time has come, to end, once and for all, the racial problems in Clarksville,” Dawson said. «Read the rest of this article»

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“Fair Fight in the Marketplace” a film on antitrust laws

By Bill Larson | March 17, 2007 |

When companies secretly fix prices, who pays?
When one company controls supplies, who suffers?
When one company dominates the desktop, who loses?

These questions are at the core of a new half hour film, Fair Fight in the Marketplace. Produced by San Francisco’s Filmmakers Collaborative for the American Antitrust Institute, the film provides an engaging look at our antitrust laws that give protection to both American consumers and businesses. The program also considers a more fundamental question: can a set of regulations created by the Sherman Act at the end of the 19th century be relevant in today’s era of digital technology and high-speed communications?

Hosted by NPR and Fox News commentator Mara Liasson, the program provides a short, colorful history of the antitrust laws in America and features three recent case studies:

• Archer Daniels Midland Company leading a worldwide price-fixing conspiracy
• Mylan Pharmaceuticals cutting off supplies to competitors to inflate product pricing
• Microsoft’s bullying behavior to eliminate Netscape as an effective competitor in the internet browser market

«Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Arts and Leisure | No Comments

So you think homosexuality is a sin?

By David W. Shelton | March 15, 2007 |

An open letter to conservative Christians (as posted on www.skippingtothepiccolo.com)

Chances are that you’re stumbling across this post after doing a search on homosexuality, sin, Leviticus, Romans, or 1 Corinthians. Chances are that you’re looking for a way to refute all those gay activists who are really being a thorn in your side. Chances are you might not want to read any more. I have a feeling, though, that there’s going to be enough of a nagging curiosity to keep you going.

There are usually three different types of people who are looking for material on “gay” and “sin.” The first group is made up of people who are struggling with this issue on a deeply personal level. You see, the people in this first group are looking for anything they can find to help them rip out this part of their lives that literally disgusts them. They don’t want to be gay. But they can’t shake the attractions. To this group, I say this: Jesus loves you, period. And yes, reconciliation is possible.

The second group is made of people who are trying to find every argument they can to rebut what the “militant gay activists” have been saying about their sexual orientation. This group is familiar with phrases like “gay agenda” and the “gay lifestyle.” Alas, I have yet to hear anyone actually tell me what the definition is of either of these. After all, I’m gay. I should know, right? We may never know. But hey, it makes for great preaching.

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Sections: Politics, Spirituality | No Comments

Viacom Sues YouTube, and About Time Too.

By James Butler | March 14, 2007 |

Video website extraordinaire YouTube, now owned by search engine mogul Google, may find itself in deep trouble before long. Not long after CEO Eric Schmidt commented that media companies will have no choice but to work with online sites, the Viacom Company, owners of MTV, Comedy Central, and Paramount, responded with a 1 billion USD lawsuit claiming that YouTube has committed something to the order 160,000 copyright violations. At issue is whether YouTube has actually violated the rights of Viacom. YouTube asserts that it has met legal and moral requirements by removing content upon request of the copyright holder. Viacom disagrees contending that the basic business model of YouTube is based on copyright infringement. Viacom contends that, “Their business model, which is based on building traffic and selling advertising off of unlicensed content, is clearly illegal and is in obvious conflict with copyright laws.”  

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Sections: Opinion | 4 Comments