Topic: Activism

Lugo on the military: No draft, no way!

By Chris Lugo | April 20, 2008 |

My father is a Vietnam Veteran. He was an officer in ROTC in 1968 while he was in college and went to Vietnam as a Lieutenant the year I was born. My father felt an obligation to his country and a duty to serve when called. I was born in a snowstorm in rural Minnesota while my father was halfway around the world in the jungles of Vietnam. I am proud of my father and his service to my country.

When I was a teenager, going to private Catholic school, I was approached by military recruiters. I was encouraged to join the military and to enlist in the ROTC program, much like my father had been. For whatever reason, I declined. I was not yet a peace activist like I became after the first Gulf War, but something in my instincts told me that I could not serve in the military the way my father had served.

In 1990, while I was enrolled at the University of Minnesota, George Bush Sr. began beating the drums of war. I was enrolled in the selective service program at that time in order to get student loans to go to college. I remember clearly the night the bombs began to drop in Iraq for the first time. I was living in the student district of Minneapolis and there had been anti-war activity on campus leading up to the invasion. Students were busy organizing against the campus military center, sometimes called the stockade, holding demonstrations and putting anti-war material in front of the recruiting and training center. «Read the rest of this article»

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Unconstitutional Acts to Protect the President from Protestors

January 15, 2008 |

In the waning days of this administration’s tenure, President Bush’s lack of interest in opinions contrary to his own is as striking as ever.  Most recently in New Mexico, a group of peaceful demonstrators was removed from the president’s sight, continuing the administration’s long-held tradition that dissenters should be neither seen nor heard.  Sound undemocratic? Indeed.

Last August, President Bush attended an exclusive, high-priced fundraiser for New Mexico Senator Pete Domenici.  Local activists opposed to the president’s policies were, of course, not invited.  To let the president know that not everyone agreed with him, they planned to stand along his motorcade route holding up signs expressing their views, especially their opposition to the war in Iraq.

The peaceful demonstrators’ attempt at free speech was quickly squashed when police officers forced them to stay at least 150 yards away from the motorcade route, walling them off by placing numerous police cars and officers on horseback between the protesters and the president.  Meanwhile, a group of Bush supporters was allowed to stand right along the motorcade route, where their “God Bless George Bush!  We pray for you!” sign was in plain view of both Bush and the journalists accompanying him. «Read the rest of this article»

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Sierra Club organizational meeting and film screening on Oct 29th

By Beth Robinson | October 19, 2007 |

The Sierra Club will hold an organizational meeting in Clarksville on Monday, October 29, 2007 6-8 PM at the Clarksville Montgomery County Public Library.

The meeting will also feature a screening of the award winning documentary film, The Future of Food, presented by Katherine Pendleton, the Tennessee Sierra Club Chapter Chair.

This event is free and open to the public. The Clarksville Montgomery County Public Library is located at 350 Pageant Lane in Clarksville, Tennessee. «Read the rest of this article»

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July 4: CyberRally for Peace

By Christine Anne Piesyk | June 26, 2007 |

Peace and justice groups, anti-war websites and thousands of individuals are banding together on my space for a 4th of July “CyberRally for Peace.” FreeThinkers for Peace and Civil Liberties will have the peace candle prominently displayed on their new myspace website for several days before returning to the current image of candles at downtown Clarksville’s Eternal Flame.

The equivalent of major peace march, the rally is a cyberspace version of traditional social action and participation is simple. Organizers from a dozen myspace sites are asking individuals and organizations with my space or other sites that have “default” photos to switch out those photos for peace signs and peace candles for July 4th. «Read the rest of this article»

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Nashville Peace and Justice Center

By Debbie Boen | June 25, 2007 |

The Nashville Peace and Justice Center is a community-based coalition of organizations and individuals working to promote equity and to create a peaceful, just, and sustainable society through reflection, education, and non-violent action.

Peace & Justice E-Blast
For the week of June 23 - July 1, 2007

Peace actions to end the Iraq War

Joyce Kisner — Monday Night Vigils on Any Corner (every Monday)

Every Monday - 6:00 p.m.
ORIGINAL CORNER: 14th and Eastland in East Nashville
SECOND CORNER: At the Wendy’s on West End Avenue , across from Centennial Park

There is no end date set for these vigils. Please join Joyce and others at the corner of 14th and Eastland in East Nashville every Monday night at 6:00 p.m. — or at that same time at ANY corner that works for you. Wouldn’t it be cool if throughout Nashville on Monday nights at 6:00 p.m. a growing number of vigils were happening on corners all around the city? Hey, why not throughout the state… even the country! To post a new corner address on the NPJC E-blast in the near future, send an email to Tamara, tamara@nashvillepeacejustice.org. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Issues, Politics | No Comments

Title VI Compliance- After 43 Years Where Does Clarksville Stand?

By Turner McCullough Jr. | June 12, 2007 |

July will mark the 43rd anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. One of the most powerful planks of that law is Title VI. “Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance.” In a nutshell, Title VI stipulates that no state, nor any agency of a state, no municipal or city government; no postsecondary or local educational agency or any private entity contracting or partnering with any of the aforementioned governmental entities, shall discriminate in programs and activities which receive federal financial assistance, based on race, ethnicity, color, or national origin.

In calling for its enactment, President John F. Kennedy identified “simple justice” as the justification for Title VI:

“Simple justice requires that public funds, to which all taxpayers of all races contribute, not be spent in any fashion which encourages, entrenches, subsidizes, or results in racial discrimination. Direct discrimination by Federal, State or local governments is prohibited by the Constitution. But indirect discrimination, through the use of Federal funds, is just as invidious; and it should not be necessary to resort to the courts to prevent each individual violation.” See H. R. Misc. Doc. No. 124, 88th Cong., 1st Sess., 3, 12 (1963).

«Read the rest of this article»

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FreeThinkers offer solemn vigil

By Christine Anne Piesyk | June 8, 2007 |

The FreeThinkers for Peace and Civil Liberties gathered at the Eternal Flame in downtown Clarksville Thursday evening to acknowledge the escalating number of US soldiers killed in Iraq. On Wednesday, the number of casualties in Iraq reached 3,504, including nearly 200 soldiers from Kentucky and Tennessee.

FreeThinkers founder Debbie Boen and co-organizer Christine Piesyk circled a tree with candles for a solemn, non-political memorial at which the names of the Kentucky and Tennessee soldiers were read. The group stood in silence to honor the fallen.

«Read the rest of this article»

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Civil Rights Group to Investigate Deaths at Montgomery County Youth Center

By Terry McMoore | June 7, 2007 |

Civil Rights Activist and Director of the Urban Resource Center Mr. Terry McMoore has assembled an investigation team to look into the recent death of a 17 year old boy who allegedly, died this weekend of cardiac arrest after being restrained for unruly behavior. This marks the second time in little less than two years that a youth housed at the Chad Enhancement Youth Center has died under the same described circumstances.

“I find it very strange that two healthy teen’s suddenly drop dead upon being restrained for unruliness by staff members at this facility. Something does not sound right about these deaths and we intend to do a full investigation to not only get to the bottom of the truth but to make sure that the current youths housed at this facility are not being subjected to physical or life threatening abuse at the hands of staff members.” -  Terry McMoore.

The Chad Youth Enhancement Center is located at 1751 Oak Plains Road in Clarksville-Montgomery County TN. The Chad Youth Enhancement Center is a non-custodial placement, 50-bed residential treatment center for youth who have a significant history of emotional and behavioral problems.

Contact person for this press release is Mr. Terry McMoore (931) 552-9076 or (931) 378-1999 Email: terrymcmoore@hotmail.com

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