The Nashville Peace Coalition

Nashville – The Nashville Peace Coalition invites the public to attend a panel discussion on current issues affecting Latin America.  The panel, titled, “Latin America Unchained” is an examination of the current left leaning shift of popular elections in Latin America.  Whether Americans are pondering the meaning of Hugo Chavez shaking hands with Barack Obama or the recent electoral victory of the FMLN in El Salvador, we can be sure that Latin America is changing. In the interest of providing the public with an opportunity to hear from local experts on the current trends in Latin America, the Nashville Peace Coalition has assembled a diverse panel to talk about current events. The Nashville Peace Coalition is a project of the Nashville Peace and Justice Center and is dedicated to promoting a peace and diplomacy as key aspects of US foreign policy.

The Bolivarian revolution, the economic collapse of Argentina, the election of Lula in Brazil and the persistent anti-imperialist rhetoric from the Hugo Chavez administration of Venezuela are hints that Latin America has tended to the left in recent years.  What is going on in Latin America and what role does US foreign policy play in this historical trend?  What effect has the North American Free Trade Agreement, the US Army’s School of the Americas and Plan Columbia played in shaping and influencing Latin America’s current governments?  “Latin America Unchained” intends to address some of these questions and engage in a community discussion  with the help of a panel of journalists, educators and community organizers to have a community discussion about the recent trends in Latin America.

Chairing the panel will be Lesley Gill, Vanderbilt faculty and author of the book, “School of the Americas: Military Training and Political Violence.”  Participants on the panel include Camilo Garcia who is an exiled Columbian journalist who works for the Spanish language newspaper “Latino”  and Karl Meyer, a Nashville peace activist who has spent six months in federal prison for protesting the School of the Americas, a military training facility in Columbus, Georgia.  Additionally the panel will include Joey King, a former army ranger and member of Veterans for Peace who recently returned from El Salvador as an election observer  and Juan Canedo, a community organizer with the Progreso Community Center and a native of Bolivia.

The event, which is being held at the Progreso Community Center at 478 Allied Drive off of Nolensville Road in South Nashville, will begin at 2pm.  Panelists will be given fifteen minutes each to address their area of specialty and then the lecture will be opened up to the general public for discussion and questions.  The event will conclude at 4pm.  Organizers of the panel hope to give the general public a better sense of what is happening in Latin America and what role US foreign and economic policy should play in current developments with our southern neighbors.

For more information please contact Chris Lugo of the Nashville Peace Coalition at or 593-0304

Event Info

Hutchinson is the executive director of Stop the Bombs, a twenty-yearoold organization in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, which has organized a continuous presence outside of the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant calling for a complete shutdown of the nuclear facilities and thorough environmental clean up of the Oak Ridge bomb plant.  His presentation will be given on the grounds of the Nashville Peace and Justice Center at 4732 W. Longdale Drive.  The public is invited to attend this event beginning at 6pm. 

History of Oak Ridge

The Y12 Plant in Oak Ridge is building nuclear weapons. Specifically, Y12 is manufacturing thermonuclear secondaries for the W76 warhead—the secondary is the highly explosive part that turns an atomic bomb into a thermonuclear bomb. Y12 is the only place in the United States that makes them. Under the “Life Extension” program, Y12 is producing new bomb secondaries that will effectively make the W76-1 the first new nuclear weapon built in the United States in 20 years.

The Department of Energy has announced plans to build a new, $3 billion bomb plant at Y12 that will produce nuclear weapons for another century; a Draft Environmental Impact Statement is due to be released in April 2009 with a public hearing to follow. President Obama has embraced the vision of a world free of nuclear weapons, but he also believes in a safe, secure, reliable stockpile and a policy of nuclear deterrence. These two visions are irreconcilable.

Hutchinson says that the action at Oak Ridge on April 4th send a message, “The Change we voted for includes nuclear disarmament. The $40 billion spent every year on the US nuclear arsenal can be better spent on health care, renewable energy, housing, education, and job creation.”

Preparing for Peace Now

In 2010, the world will gather at the United Nations to review the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, ratified by the United States in 1968. In the NPT, countries that had no nuclear weapons promised not to build them, and nuclear weapons states promised to disarm “at an early date.” If the United States does not demonstrate a serious commitment to achieving disarmament by 2010, the NPT is expected to collapse, opening the door for the widespread proliferation of nuclear weapons. The critical moment is now to build citizen pressure for the United States to keep its word and to move decisively toward disarmament.

Events Leading Up to Peace Rally

• Puppet build | March 30 – April 3 in Knoxville. If you’ve ever wanted to be part of street theatre, creating giant art, or just want to help, the Puppet Build is a great place to start. Novices and veterans welcome. Come for all or part; camping space available and the community provides food. Call 865 609 2012 or email for details.
• Peace Pilgrimage | March 30 – April 4, Nipponzan Myohoji will lead the 11th annual peace pilgrimage from the Peace Pagoda in Cocke County to Oak Ridge. All are welcome to walk for part or all of the pilgrimage. Contact: Sr. Denise Laffan, 404 627 8948 or atlantadojo@ yahoo.com.
• Nonviolence training | Friday, April 3 at Church of the Savior, 934 N Weisgarber Rd in Knoxville. 1:00 – 5:00. A basic primer in nonviolence in preparation for Saturday’s action; everyone is welcome. Persons who might be considering an act of civil resistance are urged to attend. Contact 865 776 5050 or
• Concert for Disarmament | Saturday, April 4, Alvin K. Bissell Park [intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike and Tulane Avenue in Oak Ridge]. Music, theatre, tabling, great community. Starts 12:30pm and concludes with March to Y12.

View of Oak Ridge from www.fas.org

• March for Peace | Stepping off around 3:00, the peace march moves us from Bissell Park to the Y12 Nuclear Weapons Plant, about 1 3/4 miles; mostly on sidewalk, but the last stretch is on the shoulder. Accompanied by Peacekeepers and police; safe and fun for families. Bring your sign!
• Action at the Y12 Plant | Intersection of Bear Creek and Scarboro Road in Oak Ridge. We gather at the entrance to the bomb plant. The Action is family friendly, nonviolent, but direct. There is no risk of arrest unless you intentionally participate in a direct action scenario. Action begins when we arrive from the March and tends to last an hour or less. Contact: 865 776 5050 or .

Ralph Hutchinson on Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty & Oak Ridge
Wednesday, February 4th at 6pm
Nashville Peace & Justice Center
4732 W Longdale
Nashville, TN

For More Information Contact: Ralph Hutchinson 865 776 5050 or

Contact for Nashville Event:  Chris Lugo  at  615 593 0304 or

“Thanks so much for your support this campaign season. Thanks to your efforts I was able to gather 9,067 votes for peace in the US Senate race. When I began in October of 2007 I did not realize how many friends I would make on the trail and how many people in Tennessee are in support of peace and real human priorities for Tennessee.” ~~ Chris Lugo

Lugo began his campaign last year in Jonesborough, Tennessee, “where hundreds of us gathered to call for an end to the production of depleted uranium weapons at the Aerojet facility in Irwin.” Lugo learned about the role that Aerojet plays in the production of depleted uranium and “how it has caused long- term health problems for our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

Lugo criss-crossed Tennessee, traveling to Oak Ridge for the Stop the Bombs annual action to call for an end to the re-manufacturing of nuclear bombs and for the Department of Energy Hearings, where people spoke out in support of putting hundreds of people to work cleaning up the toxic legacy of sixty years of DOE activity in the area. He closed out the year at a conference sponsored by S.E.A.C. at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro on nuclear issues in this state, where foreign countries ship waste into Tennessee to incinerate, landfill and put into permanent temporary storage facilities.

Among his supporters were Democracy for East Tennessee and the Knoxville Greens, students at Heritage High School in Maryville, Tennessee, and Kevin Rowland. Lugo recognized the work people are doing in East Tennessee to promote peace and support a progressive agenda, especially members of the GLBT community.

Lugo acknowledged  the Nashville Peace and Justice Center and the Nashville Movement, movements that did not endorse him and they did not take a position on any candidate because of their non-profit status.

“Thanks also to the folks at Clarksville Online and the activists in the Clarksville area where almost ten percent of all troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan are stationed or shipped through, and their long struggle and transformation from Clarksville Freethinkers for Peace and Civil Liberties into their work with Clarksville Online and the Unitarian Church and their collective struggles for peace in the heart of a military town.” ~~ Chris Lugo

Lugo recognized the work that the Cumberland County Center for Peace and Justice are doing with communities in the plateau region around Monteagle, Sewanee, Tracy City and points beyond as well as the Farm in Summertown, Tennessee, and the efforts of the Peace Roots Alliance and their work, especially Liz Barger, Alan Graf, Judy Meeker and Albert Bates.

“I have seen a shift in Tennessee. In 2006 I think that there was much less tolerance for the message of peace and the environment. People seem to be more tolerant and more interested in the message. I think that perhaps this is the beginning of a real shift. I think it will be a long time coming, and perhaps it won’t come at all, but I definitely noticed a change. Everyone in Tennessee seemed to be more open minded, more willing to hear differing perspectives this year, more willing to consider alternatives.” ~~ Chris Lugo

Thanks to the Tennessee Alliance for Progress for all the work they are doing to promote a common message in Tennessee and Radio Free Nashville for promoting democracy on the airwaves. Thanks to Middle Tennessee Students for a Democratic Society for all their fantastic work.

But I would especially like to thank the Nashville Peace Coalition for all of their support and fantastic work for peace this year, especially organizing the fifth anniversary peace rally and the alternative presidential debate. It was so exciting meeting eight presidential candidates this year and having six of them attend our alternative debate. I can’t believe how much work everyone I have met across the state of Tennessee is doing on peace, the environment and other areas of social justice.

Now is the time to push the incoming administration to bring the troops home and it is the time to push hard. Maybe they will give us what we have been working for six years to end, or maybe they won’t. The jury is out. But I will leave you with this letter to consider for our President Elect.

Lugo urged people across the state to consider writing to President-Elect Obama;  Here is the text of that letter:

Dear President Elect Obama,

We are deeply moved to address you as our nation’s first African-American president and, we proudly note, the first president whose campaign began with a pledge to an anti-war rally. Your courageous speech in October 2002, provided the rationale momentum that led to victory in Iowa and other Democratic primaries, and we still applaud you for that stand.

We write amidst this exciting week to urge your immediate attention and opposition to the so-called Status of Forces Agreement on Iraq being prepared in secret negotiations by the outgoing Bush Administration. The current United Nations authorization ends December 31st, making it imperative that you take leadership even before being sworn in.

The proposed agreement is a transparent attempt to circumvent Congress and formally bind your Administration to a war and occupation that far exceeds your stated commitment to a 16 month withdrawal of our combat troops. As your own website specifically states, any agreement should include a commitment to begin withdrawing our troops and avoiding any permanent bases. We also believe that thousands of Iraqi detainees should be treated according to human rights norms, or released in the absence of charges or evidence. You also have committed to a role for Congress in affirming any agreement.

Already the Bush administration and Pentagon are threatening “consequences” if the Iraqi parliament fails to endorse this pact.

We believe instead that you should signal your intention to abide by your pledge and work with the Congress immediately to formulate an agreement consistent with your pledge to end this war as rapidly as possible. We propose that you include the withdrawal of all American forces, including trainers and advisers caught in a sectarian crossfire, as recommended by all peace and justice organizations as well as such Washington think tanks as the Center for American Progress.

In place of this counterinsurgency war. we recommend an immediate diplomatic surge, including talks with Iran, as the only alternative to the continuing quagmire in Iraq which now costs our taxpayers some ten billion dollars per month, puts lives needlessly at risk, and stains our national honor.

We realize you will be hearing from all sorts of advocates for prolonging the occupation by one means or another. We urge you to keep the faith with the voices of those who put you on the road to the presidency, by implementing your pledge to end the war in 2009.

The format for the debate will consist of policy and platform questions concerning the economy, foreign policy, health care, the environment, civil liberties, the federal budget, reproductive rights, international trade, gun rights, campaign finance reform, immigration, education and race and gender.  Each candidate will be given two minutes to make introductory statements and then one or two minutes per question to answer policy and platform questions.  The debate will end at 8:30pm with a candidate’s reception to follow in the lobby of the Stephenson Center.

For more information about the Presidential Candidate’s Alternative Debate visit their web site.

Attending this event will be Charles Jay of the Boston Tea Party, Brad Lyttle of the US Pacifist Party, Frank McEnulty of the New American Independent Party, Brian Moore  of the Socialist Party, Darrell Castle of the Constitution Party and  Gloria La Riva  of the Party for Socialism and Liberation.  Bruce Barry  will serve as moderator for this event.

Debate Format:

7:00 PM:    Introduction and Opening Statements (2 Minutes Per Candidate)
7:15 PM:    Policy and Issue Questions (1 or 2 Minutes Per Candidate)
8:20 PM:    Closing Statements  (1 Minute Per Candidate)
8:30 PM:    Debate End and Candidate’s Reception

Ground Rules: Candidates are encouraged to keep within time limits announced. A time keeper will present placards to candidates showing time limits of response. Once over time moderator has discretion to close comments and move on to next candidate.  Moderator has discretion to clarify candidate’s response and encourage dialogue between candidates.

Topic List: (Data Source: Project Vote Smart)

The Economy: Americans are concerned about the safety of their retirements, pension and ability to obtain a mortgage.  The value of the dollar is dropping and investor confidence is at an all time low, what will you do to improve our nation’s economy?  What will you do to reduce our national indebtedness and in doing so restore world confidence that investing in America is a good option?  What is your solution for the thousands of Americans who are facing foreclosure or have lost their housing? Do you support increased funding for national job-training programs that retrain displaced workers or teach skills needed in today’s job market?  Would you support an increase in the federal minimum wage?  What are your feelings about the rights of workers to form unions?

Federal Budget: Americans want to know where their candidates stand on the federal budget.  The allocation of funds for federal programs is one of the most important roles the president plays in shaping public policy.  How would you have voted on a federal bailout of Wall Street?  What conditions would you attach to such a bailout?  What are your budget priorites on federal issues such as defense, education, the environment and health care? Do you support requiring the federal budget to be balanced each year?  Please indicate your plans for the social security system?  Would you work to ensure the viability of the social security system?  Would you raise the retirment age for individual eligibility to receive full benefits?

Foreign Policy: What is your foreign policy agenda for the United States?  Would you support an immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan?  What would you do if elected President regarding US relations with Iran?  What are your feelings about pre-emptive use of military force as an instrument of national policy? Do you support long-term use of National Guard troops to supplement the armed forces in assignments overseas?  Should the United States provide leadership in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process?  Should the United States support the creation of a Palestinian state?  Do you support greater economic and diplomatic sanctions against North Korea?  Finally, should the United States be involved in peace keeping activities in countries like Sudan, Zimbabwe, Somalia and Burma?  Do you support the United States granting aid to countries when extraordinary circumstances cause disaster and threaten civilian lives?

Health Care: The issue of access to quality, affordable health care is a concern for many voters.  Nearly fifty million Americans do not have access to health care but at the same time some people advocate that the United States has the best health care system in the world.  What are your thoughts on the issue of access to health care?  Do you support universal single payer health care? What would you do to reduce the costs of prescription drugs for Seniors? Do you support the legalization of medical marijuana?

Education: Please indicate your policy platform on the issue of education. Would you support increased funding of our nation’s k-12 public schools. What are your feelings about mandatory standards and testing requirements for students?  What are your feelings about the use of vouchers?  What will you do regarding federal funding and support for our nation’s public college students? Do you support increased or decreased funding for pell grants for college students?

Abortion and Reproductive Rights: Many Americans have strong feelings about issues related to reproductive rights and abortion. Do you feel that abortion should always be legal, should only be legal within the first trimester, when the woman’s life is endangered, in the case of incest or rape, or should always be illegal?  How do you feel about federal subsidies being used on abortion procedures? Do you support federal funding for research on existing embryonic stem cell lines?  Do you support federal funding to create lines of stem cells from new embryos?

Same Sex Marriage: What are your feelings regarding the issue of same sex marriage?  As a candidate for federal office, do you believe that same-sex couples be allowed to form civil unions?  Should same-sex couples be allowed to marry or do you support a federal constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman? Should sexual orientation be included in federal anti-discrimination laws?

Crime and Punishment: More Americans are incarcerated now than at any point in our history, what role do you believe the federal government should play on issues of crime and punishment?  Do you support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released?  Do you support mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs?  Do you support programs to provide prison inmates with drug and alcohol addiction treatment?  Would you support the decriminalization of the possession of small amounts of marijuana? How do you feel about reduced prison sentences for those who commit non-violent crimes? Do you support the elimination the use of the death penalty for federal crimes?

Race and Gender: Race and gender continue to be defining issues in federal policy.  As a candidate do you believe the consider race and gender in government contracting decisions?  Do you support affirmative action in public college admissions?

Campaign Finance Reform: As you know, campaign finance reform has continued to be an issue of importance to voters.  Currently seven states have adopted some form of campaign finance reform which involves the allocation of public dollars for candidates.  On the federal level one candidate has said that the current system of public campaign finance is broken, while another candidate has accepted campaign finance limits.  How do you feel about the issue of campaign finance reform and elections?  Do you support campaign finance reform of the current election financing system? If elected would you support public taxpayer funding for candidates who comply with spending limits?  Do you support instant runoff voting or election day as a national holiday?

The Environment: What would you do regarding the environment and energy policy?  Please indicate your policy issues regarding offshore oil drilling and drilling in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge.  What will you do to move America towards a clean energy future?  Do you support strengthened fuel efficiency standards on all gasoline and diesel powered engines?  Do you support the use of ethanol as an alternative fuel?  What will you do to increase development of alternative energy?  Do you consider nuclear energy to be an alternative energy source that needs to be developed for national energy security? Do you support international mandatory emission targets to limit global warming?

Gun Rights: Please indicate your position on the issue of the second amendment.  Do you believe that Americans should be allowed to carry conceal weapons?  Should current enforcement and restrictions on the purchase of guns be strengthened?  Should individuals be allowed to carry guns on college campuses?  Do you support a ban on the ownership of handguns except by law enforcement or other government officials?

Immigration: Please indicate your policy platform on the issue of immigration.  Would you support amnesty for undocumented workers who are already working in the United States?  Do you believe that undocumented workers should be offered a path to citizenship?  Do you support harsher punishments for employers who knowingly hire immigrants who are not in this country legally?  Do you believe that people who are not here legally should be returned to their countries of origin, even if it means breaking up their families?

International Trade: Please indicate your position on matters of trade?  Do you support economic globalization and free trade agreements such as NAFTA, CAFTA and GATT?  Would you work to withdraw the US from international free trade agreements?  Would you support the continued participation of the United States in the World Trade Organization, International Monetary Fund and World Bank?  Do you support the United States imposing economic sanctions on China for human rights abuses?

Civil Liberties: Civil liberties are of the utmost concern to many Americans.  The Bush administration has argued that there must be a balance between respect for civil liberties and the need to fight the terrorists.  Should law enforcement agencies have greater discretion to monitor domestic communications?  Do you support a repeal of the patriot act?  What role should the department of Homeland Security play in national affairs?  Would you support the creation of a federal level Department of Peace?

For more information contact Chris Lugo, 615-593-0304, ; Elizabeth Barger, 931-964-2119, ; or Eric Schecter, 615-414-4572, .

Nominated as the Green Party candidate for President at the Green National Convention in Chicago last July McKinney served as a representative of the people of Georgia in Congress for six terms as a Democrat before seeking the Green Party nomination for President in 2008.

The Green Party of Tennessee is honored to host Ms McKinney as she visits four communities across the state this week. “From community problems like landfill issues in Dickson to community solutions like the Biofuels plant in Memphis and community gardens in Nashville Ms McKinney will get to talk to people who are impacted and those with community-based solutions, a Green Party Key Value”, said Katey Culver Green Party of Tennessee Co-chair.

Wednesday, August 20th McKinney will make 3 stops in Memphis. That evening she will be in Jackson, Tennessee for a fundraiser hosted by the Madison County Green Party.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thursday, August 21st McKinney’s first stop is in Dickson to meet with representatives of the community who have been affected by the dumping of toxic waste in their community. Then to Nashville for an 11:00 AM Press Conference in Room 31, Legislative Plaza speaking to the press about her campaign. This event is open to the public. Following the press conference Ms McKinney will speak directly to the public and take questions. This will also be in Legislative Plaza, Room 31.

That morning Greens will turn in their nominating petitions to secure her position on the general election ballot in Tennessee. “Due to Tennessee’s oppressive election access laws Ms McKinney will be listed on the ballot as an independent candidate which we can achieve with 275 valid signatures. It would take over 45,000 valid signatures to get her listed with the “Green” affiliation. The Green Party is currently a litigant against the state seeking ballot access laws that are fair”, said John Miglietta a delegate to the Green Party of the US and a Green Candidate for US House District 5.

Following the Press Conference she is scheduled to visit Tennessee State University, Fisk University and Carver Food Park where Sizwe Herring of EarthMatters Tennessee teaches children and community members about the value of composting and principles of ecology.

Cynthia McKinney in her Chicago acceptance speech indicated why she had chosen to go Green, saying, “In 2008, after two stolen Presidential elections and eight years of George W. Bush, and at least two years of Democratic Party complicity, the racket is about war crimes, torture, crimes against the peace; the racket is about crimes against the Constitution, crimes against the American people, and crimes against the global community. The racket is even about values that we thought were long settled as reasonable to pursue, like liberty and justice, and economic opportunity, for all.”

As the Green Party candidate, issues of environmental and racial justice will highlight her Tennessee visit. “Cynthia has chosen to visit people and places that the Democrats and Republicans would would rather forget, such as the victims of environmental racism in Dickson, Tennessee. I think this is why Cynthia is the best choice this election season, because it is clear that she is the people’s candidate,” said Chris Lugo Green candidate for the US Senate.

George W. Bush is perhaps the worst American president who has ever served.  To this day it is a mystery to me how the man was able to gain the Republican nomination, steal the election, start two wars, get re-elected and then drag on a failed war for five years and drive the economy into the ground without getting impeached. 

Although the light is fading on the Presidency of Bush, it is not too late to impeach the man who lied to us about weapons of mass destruction.  As of result of the President’s deception, over four thousand American soldiers have died in Iraq and tens of thousands have been wounded, not to mention the one million or so Iraqis who have died directly or indirectly due to Bush’s interference in their country. 

Click here to view the embedded video.

The case for impeachment is strong, so strong that it has been supported by numerous Congressional representatives, most notably by Representative Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, who introduced articles of impeachment in early June.  Kucinich had the courage and the tenacity to say what needs to be said and to do what needs to be done.  President Bush has violated the will of the people, but more importantly, he has violated the Constitution of the United States of America, a document that he was sworn to uphold and defend, and for this indiscretion President Bush deserves to be impeached.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made it clear when she was elected Speaker of the House that impeachment was not on the table, and she has been true to her word since that date, betraying the trust of the American people and showing her true colors as well as those of the Democratic party generally, except for a few brave individuals such as Kucinich.  The irony is that the Democratic Party and the left would be stronger if they called the President to account for his actions.  In any event, there are numerous candidates outside of the two party duopoly who support impeachment because we believe this should be a campaign issue.  We feel strongly about our rights as Americans and do not believe that a corrupt administration can compromise those rights.  When they try, we believe that it is time to call them to account.

Bush must be called to account for the lies he has made in order to manipulate the general public.  Bush claimed that Saddam Hussein was an immediate threat to America but the truth is that we were a real threat to Iraq.  His administration lied about the issue of significant quantities of uranium being brought into Iraq from Africa.  He lied about the connections between 9/11 and Iraq, continuously misleading the American people into believing there was a relationship.  Bush lied about Iraq and Al Qaeda, misleading the American people into believing there was a collaborative relationship between the two.  The President lied about weapons of mass destruction, insisting that there was evidence which consisted mostly of forged documents.  The United Nations found no evidence of weapons of mass destruction and intelligence services produced no credible information to support Bush’s claim.  As a result of these lies and misleading statements the United States was led into a war it could not win, spending hundreds of billions of dollars and causing the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.

By supporting impeachment Kucinich has set in motion a process which calls to public light the terrible misdeeds of this administration.  The tide of public opinion has turned against Bush and across the nation people are calling for impeachment.  President Bush has condoned the use of torture on men, women and even boys in Iraq and at secret prisons around the world in the name of national security.  He violated the constitution by denying habeas corpus and has called for domestic spying on Americans. 

We can wait for the elections to remove Bush from office, but why wait until November? Indeed, although it is not a crime to be the worst President in the history of the United States, it is a crime to lie, mislead, deny constitutional rights, torture, spy and violate international law.  There has never been a better case to impeach a sitting President than now.  The people of Iraq, our soldiers abroad and ordinary Americans everywhere will all be better off once this criminal has been removed from office, and I say the sooner the better.

Now everyone knows that it is not polite to intrude on people in their private moments. The problem is that big brother doesn’t seem to know that peeking into people’s private communication is wrong and it should be illegal. Unfortunately President Bush wants to continue to grant immunity to telecommunications companies in the name of the so called ‘war on terror’ which in actuality is a war on the American people and the telecommunications infrastructure is the front line in the gradual diminishment of civil rights that Congress has permitted in recent years.

We need representatives in Washington DC who support protecting Americans instead of distrusting us. As a candidate for federal office I support legislation to abolish the Department of Homeland Security, that Orwellian agency constructed in the days after 9-11, which has crafted the war on the American people and their rights since. I support the elimination of FISA loopholes and the closing of Guantanamo Bay and the return of all detainees to their countries of origin. I believe that the American people deserve full and open disclosure on all activities related to government spying conducted against her citizens. Finally, I support the elimination of discreet, undocumented funding of the Central Intelligence agency.

Our rights are not negotiable. Telecommunication companies have violated those rights and have broken the law in order to appease a corrupt and power hungry administration that is willing to throw out Habeus Corpus, the right to privacy and international law in a reckless drive down the road to never-never land. Corporations must be held accountable and the President and his cronies must be called to account for violating our basic constitutional rights. Unfortunately, Senator Obama has been a disappointment on this issue and has refused to honor his commitment to filibuster this legislation. As a result, we are once again adrift without a rudder, a captain, a ship or an engine, being dragged along by the tides of fear.

It is time to reject the efforts of George Bush and anyone else who wants to grant retroactive immunity to corporations that spy on Americans. Congress has proven itself to be too weak-kneed to stand up to the fear mongers, but there is a new line of candidates running for office who are not so willing to roll over and play dumb. Treason is not patriotic. We all know that the government spying on us is wrong, and that any agency or corporation that assists in breaking into our most intimate communications is not behaving in a democratic fashion. The new reality is that our privacy is being compromised until we roll back FISA protections and strip immunity for corporations that spy on Americans.

For more information on this issue please visit: http://www.usalone.com/no_following_orders.php

Since the beginning of this year nearly 325,000 people have lost their jobs and the unemployment rate is rising. As of May the unemployment rate stands at 5.5%, up nine percent just since April. With the cost of gas, food and medicine many families are suffering.

As a candidate for federal office I support House Resolution 5749, the Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act, which will provide an additional thirteen weeks of extended unemployment benefits in most states. This means that 3.8 million citizens will continue to receive benefits through March of 2009.I fully support the intentions of this legislation and would support companion legislation in the US Senate if elected to public office. It is only the first step towards a clear path out of the current economic recession, but it is a sign to the American people that our representatives and those candidates who are running for office believe that the government is there to serve the people. We know that families are suffering right now under the high cost of food, medicine, fuel, housing and other basic goods.

The reason that we are in this economic crisis is clear. The Bush tax cuts which provided tax breaks for billionaires and wall street bailouts have broken the back of the American treasury. Hundreds of billions of dollars thrown down a hole in Iraq has not helped the situation any further and the mushrooming federal deficit, which currently stands at nine trillion dollars, have all played their role in the current situation. It is clear that what is needed are policies and legislation which supports working families and puts Americans to work.

Now is not the time to take away unemployment benefits for people who have worked hard and contributed. The cost of extended these benefits is just a sliver of the billions we are wasting on death and destruction in Iraq. Let’s reinvest in America and let’ start by investing in the American people. By doing so we will ensure a more secure and prosperous future for everyone.

For more information on HR 5749 please visit: http://acorn.org/?12383

According to a recent report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, at least one in four teenage girls nationwide have a sexually transmitted disease. Clearly abstinence only school programs do not deter young people from sexual activity, but in fact this direction actually deters young adults from access to information that they need to make responsible and safe choices. We must act immediately to withdraw funding for this program and allow teachers to present sensible sexual education curriculum.

As a candidate for federal office I believe that young people must be presented with all the facts available to them. Instead of relying on religious rhetoric and the value system of a fundamentalist minority, I believe that we must look clearly at human behavior as biological fact. The school system is not an avenue for proselytizing about various belief systems. Sexual activity is a fact of life, much like any other human activity and young people need to know the facts before it is too late.

Abstinence only until marriage curricula is censorship, pure and simple. Any school program that withholds scientifically valid information does not present young people with the full range of options they will actually face in life. This is a betrayal to the trust of our students who will carry the scars of misinformation with them their entire lives, both physically and psychologically. We must present them with all the information that they need to know at an appropriate age when they need to know it.

Seven years after abstinence only education was introduced into the school curriculum, many people are still not aware of the damaging affects that it is having on our young adults. The legislation uses the federal government to teach that abstinence is the only definite way to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy. Additionally the curriculum teaches that monogamous relationships within the context of marriage are the standard value system and anything else could be damaging, both psychologically and physically. School systems that have agreed to teach abstinence receive significant grants from the federal government via their state.

The problem with abstinence only education is that it isn’t real. It isn’t grounded in science or in fact. What we know is that the average teenager will become sexually active before they leave high school regardless of what the government tells them they should do. Educators who teach abstinence only know that it doesn’t work but they teach it anyway. So what they are really teaching is morality, which is the whole point of the legislation.

Withholding information from young people can be harmful. What our high school and junior high students need is comprehensive sexual education classes that are presented the way that they were intended to be taught. Our young people are worth the investment and telling them the truth about sex is the best bet to minimize the impact of the choices they are going to make. By fully educating our students about the risks of STD’s [Sexually Transmitted Disease] including HIV and the risk of pregnancy, and by presenting them with the range of contraception choices available to them along with the basic facts about human sexuality we are giving them the best tools to go into the world prepared.

By investing in comprehensive sexual education we can redirect the federal budget toward sensible priorities. The cost to taxpayers of abstinence only has been estimated to be as high as $500 million dollars when considering matching state funds. By eliminating abstinence only curricula we will also save public health dollars by providing reliable information which can help prevent costly misinformed decisions among sexually active teenagers. If elected to office I will work to see that Congressional appropriations regarding abstinence only education is brought before the public for hearings and debate and that the appropriations process does not automatically qualify for funding each year without review. It is the best decision for students and their future.

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.

The night of the first bombing and initial invasion in 1991 I witnessed something I had never seen before, a spontaneous anti-war demonstration. Demonstrators began marching from the University district and marched, without a permit, into downtown Minneapolis and over to the uptown district, several thousand people marching a distance of five or six miles. Something about that demonstration vitalized me and helped me to commit to a path of peace. I knew at the time, based on my religious convictions, that I could not kill another human being in the name of my country, no matter what the reason. Although I am no longer a person of faith, I still retain the same conviction to this day and remain a pacifist and committed to the path of non-violence.

I joined the Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors at that time and met with a Quaker counselor from the American Friends Service Committee. I decided at that point in my life to begin to serve the path of peace.

My story is only one story of many paths to adulthood. Besides having deep respect for my father and his choices in life, we have something in common, we both had the opportunity to choose how to serve our country. This choice, which has been a mainstay of American life since shortly after the Vietnam war, has never been under greater threat than it is right now. Our military forces are taxed to exhaustion, and a back door draft of sort already exists with our national guard reserve. President Bush has chosen to keep one hundred forty thousand troops in Iraq in addition to the thousands already serving in Afghanistan and the hundreds of thousands serving in over one hundred and twenty countries around the world.

Nearly every person in the military today is there because they were able to choose to serve. Regardless of how one feels about the process of military recruitment, the targeting of poor and minority communities, even recruiting persons who are not yet citizens of this country in order to serve, the alternative to this is far worse. I do believe that we need to scale down the size of our military. We cannot afford the extreme financial burden that this military is costing us, both in current expenditures and obligations we have on past expenditures, such as debt from previous military expenses which is as yet unpaid, and the financial obligations that we have to the health and welfare of our nation’s veterans.

There has been talk in the military of reintroducing the draft. It is argued that we cannot afford to keep going the way we are. There has even been speculation that the very reason that our national reserve forces are being taxed to their limits is to reintroduce the draft as a socially acceptable resolution to the current crisis in Iraq. Our military forces are broken. They are being taxed to their limits, but the solution is not the reintroduction of a draft. This war in Iraq was based on lies and manipulation. There is nothing honorable about recruiting unwitting young men in order to support the lies and misdeeds of the current administration.

The solution to the crisis in Iraq is to bring the troops home now. Our national guard has served the country well. They have answered the call to serve, in spite of the betrayals of the current administration, and it is time to bring them home. Then it is time to let our military heal from the current round of conflict. We need a peacetime administration that is focused on using alternatives to violence and warfare in order to solve international conflicts. We need elected representatives who are committed to the path of peace and who are more concerned about the economic crisis at home.

I am still proud of my father and everything he has done. I am also proud of my friends who have chosen not to serve in the military. I am proud of the peace activists I know who have chosen to serve their country and the world to promote the cause of peace. I believe that there can be reconciliation and understanding between these two very different communities, each choosing to serve in the way they believe is best. The act of choosing is one of the most important rites of transitioning into adult life. Don’t our children deserve the opportunity to explore all the alternatives that life has to offer them, in education, in job training, in community service? We don’t need another draft. What we need is a new outlook on our government.

We need a government that is dedicated to the idea that serving the people is the highest priority. A draft will only reinforce the idea that Americans are cannon fodder for greedy warmongers who can’t make good foreign policy decisions and then need to sacrifice American lives in order to cover for their terrible decisions. Instead of investing more money in war let’s invest it in peace. Let’s make sure that every American graduates from high school. Let’s take the money that we would spend on guns and spend that money on health care. Let’s take the money that we would spend on military bases halfway around the world and spend that money on our own domestic infrastructure. Let’s take the money that we would spend on bombs and spend that money on social security. Finally, let’s take the money that we would spend on training our young men and women to be soldiers and instead spend that money on training them to be teachers, doctors and engineers.

We can lift this nation out of poverty. We can find alternatives to warfare and violence. We can solve our international problems without invading foreign countries and occupying them. We can have peace and security at home without resorting to a draft. It is time for us to take the steps towards peace that we have been waiting to take. It is time to look at real solutions to the economic crisis facing this country. It is time to restore the honor and dignity that is the soul of this nation. I believe we can do this. All we need is the leadership and the representation to make the right decisions in Washington DC. Let’s take the first steps toward becoming the people that we deserve to be by resisting talk of a draft and instead let’s bring the troops home now.

Chris Lugo is a candidate for the US Senate from Tennessee running on a platform of Peace.

A carload of Clarksville area people dropped in on the Peace protest in Nashville on Saturday, March 15, noon-3p.m. The event reflected on five years of war in Iraq and offered a large slate of speakers and performers organized by Nashville Peace and Justice Center. The rally was well-attended despite the drizzle that we had until around 2 p.m. when the sky let down its forces on us.

Chris Lugo was the first face I recognized. He never misses a Nashville peace protest, but instead of organizing the protest or writing about it for Independent media, now he is asking for our vote in the U.S. Senate race. Lugo said he’s gone back to being green, the Green Party. He’s always had serious “green” issues and is committed to working for basic human rights. He’s stepped up to the plate to take responsibility for how we run things and he’s out promoting change. http://www.chris4senate.org/

At 3:00 pm, veterans, military family members and others were scheduled to carry a large canvas, bearing the names of Tennesseans killed in Iraq, up the hill to the War Memorial Plaza . The 93 names were to be symbolically added to the names of those Tennesseans who died in previous conflicts. This event, titled, “Steps to Peace,” expresses the hope that here will be no further casualties to memorialize.

The raging grannies for peace and their friends with umbrellas led a sing along with the words changed to some popular songs. It brought many a smile to our wet faces.

A huge group of SDS MTSU (Students for a Democratic Society) said that they were familiar with the SDS group at Clarksville’s Austin Peay, but while Peay was loud last semester, MTSU SDS just got loud this semester. Rain didn’t stop them from waving flags and signs and saying hello to every one of us.  (Writers note:  I originally said this group was from Vanderbilt.  Jase wrote and let me know they were from MTSU!  He also told me that there is a Daily News Journal (Murfreesboro) article about them that was on Michael Moore’s webstie for a bit.  Envy is not a good color on me.  You guys rock!)

We ran into some familiar Veterans for Peace faces. This time we exchanged a few numbers and I asked some for stories to be published. We’ve seen these faces since we started in this movement.

Americans are united in mourning for the fallen and sympathizing with their families. They are impatiently waiting for all the members of our armed forces currently serving in Iraq to come home safe and sound. Citizens insist that the veterans of this conflict must receive all necessary assistance to regain their physical and mental health and to readjust to civilian life. And they are determined that the suffering should not be in vain- that the people of Iraq should attain self-rule, the fruits of their labor, resources, and reconstruction of their nation.

Please join us in spirit on this time of remembrance and reflection.

These are two of the many wonderful speakers and performers.

On March 17, 2008 the war statistics are as follows:
U.S. military killed in Iraq: 3,988
U.S. military wounded: 29,395
Iraqi civilians killed: 82,199 – 89,710

The Cost of the war is about $10 Billion a month. Roughly $333 Million per day. About $4,000 each second.

The event was sponsored by Nashville Peace & Justice Center, 4732 West Longdale Drive Nashville, TN 37211 (615) 333-5700 at www.nashvillepeacejustice.org |

Congress passed the Indian Health Care Improvement Act in 1976 to address health disparities between Native Americans and the rest of the populace. Since 1992, when the act was last reauthorized, the U.S. health care delivery system has been revolutionized, while the Indian health care system has not.

This bill lays the foundation for program change, including shifts from acute care to prevention and the provision of mental health services for children. It addresses health crises such as diabetes, youth suicide, and drug addiction that have escalated among native peoples in the past 15 years. It facilitates greater input to program operation from the local tribal level and enhances recruitment and retention of health professionals in facilities serving native populations.

As a candidate for the US Senate I believe it is vitally important that the United States consider major health care initiatives to improve the quality of life for all Americans. I also believe it is important that the Senate take steps to honor the health care needs of the first Americans by passing the Indian Health Care Improvement Reauthorization Bill.

About the Indian health care improvement act

Issue

The Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA), Public Law 94-437, expired on September 30, 2000, and was extended through 2001 in anticipation that Congress would consider the reauthorization proposals pending in Congress. Since 2001, the Congress has held hearings on the reauthorization proposals. While there have been various versions of the bill considered by the Congress since that time, the work on reauthorization of the IHCIA has not been completed.

Background

The IHCIA is considered to be the cornerstone legal authority for the provision of health care to American Indians and Alaska Natives. This authority builds upon the Snyder Act of 1921, which is the basic and first legislative authority for Congress to appropriate funds specifically for health care provided by the IHS. The IHCIA of 1976 was enacted into law based upon findings that the health status of Indians ranked far below that of the general population. The Act declared that it was this Nation’s policy to elevate the health status of the Indian population to a level at parity with the general U.S. population. Since its first passage in 1976, the Act has been reauthorized four times.

Situation

During late 1998 and 1999, the IHS actively consulted with Indian country on amendments to the existing Act to provide tribal and urban Indian health programs with the programmatic and administrative capabilities to provide high quality health care to their constituents. A National Steering Committee (NSC) on the reauthorization of the IHCIA was established in the summer of 1999 to review the recommendations received during the consultation process, to reconcile differences in the recommendations from the various areas of Indian country, and then to complete a legislative draft that reflected the final recommendations. In October of 1999, the NSC forwarded their legislative proposal to the leadership of the Executive and Legislative Branches, as well as to tribal governments and urban Indian health programs. The House Committee on Resources and the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs both introduced legislation almost identical to the NSC draft. Both chambers have held hearings on the reauthorization proposals since 2000 and both reported the reauthorization bills out of committee on September 22, 2004. During the second session of the 108th Congress, the IHS and the Department worked with the congressional committees to resolve areas of concern with the pending legislative proposals. Time ran out before a bill could be finalized that would address the Department’s concerns. A reauthorization proposal, S. 1057, was reintroduced in the Senate in the 109th Congress and was favorably reported with amendments by the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on October 27, 2005. The IHS and Department have been working with the Senate committee staff in order to ascertain the impact of the bill and to develop an Administration position on the proposal.

Options/Plans

By the end of the 109th Congress, the IHS and the Department had testified at 11 hearings on the reauthorization of the IHCIA. Work will continue on Senate reauthorization bill in the 110th Congress. It is anticipated that re-introduction of a bill will occur in the in the 110th Congress. Tribal governments and urban Indian health program leaders will continue to push for passage of the reauthorization legislation.

For Additional information

For referral to the appropriate spokesperson, contact the IHS Public Affairs Staff at 301-443-3593.

As America slides into a recession many victims of the mortgage crisis will find themselves homeless, hidden victims of the subprime loan fallout. The fact is that homelessness can happen to anyone, children, working adults, veterans and even entire families.

I believe that we as Americans have the collective will to end homelessness in America by strengthening the social safety net and making sure that no one falls through the cracks. At the federal level there are many proposals available that would provide a seamless web to catch those who have fallen on hard times and insure that in the future no one is found sleeping under a bridge or frozen to death in the middle of the winter for lack of adequate housing.

For starters the federal government could look closely at how we define homelessness to include individuals and families who are living in motels, hotels and campgrounds as well as people who are sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship or a similar situation. Such persons, who may be considered as “at risk homeless” often suffer the same drastic loss of quality of life and economic hardship as more traditional categories of homelessness.

Then we could find a way to support the financing of permanent housing. We can do this at the federal level by providing vouchers to those who are currently sitting on waiting lists and transfer permanent housing contracts to help fill the currently unmet needs of those seeking housing vouchers. To fund this appropriation and provide housing for most of those who are seeking housing right now but can’t get it would only cost about three billion dollars, which is less than two percent of the funds appropriated to fight the war in Iraq last year.

After we have done this we could increase funding for the emergency shelters. These shelters, which are in every large town in America, provide a vital service to the homeless by offering temporary emergency housing, medical care and social services as well as job placement and mental health counseling. The shelter system is the bottom line safety net for persons experiencing homelessness. As such, national set-asides of funds should be made specifically to provide more beds and secure funding streams for the emergency shelters.

Finally, we can takes steps to make certain that homelessness never happens to those who are most vulnerable to this condition by investing in homelessness prevention programs. These programs look at the rural poor and urban poor, identifying and providing solutions to those most vulnerable to losing their homes. Through USDA assistance grants and HUD financing we can move in a positive direction to ensure that almost no one slips through the cracks again.

So let’s invest in our country by fully funding programs designed to end homelessness in America. In addition we should take steps as a country to decriminalize the condition of homelessness. Homelessness is most often a circumstance and not a choice. We will not make it easier for those who ended up on the streets to get back on track if we give them fines, threats, and put them in jail. This only adds to the trauma and helps to perpetuate the cycle of hopelessness and victimization that so many homeless fall into. Instead, let’s treat the homeless as our brothers and sisters, fully deserving of the dignity and respect we can offer by supporting programs which will help them to get off the streets and into permanent housing.

“We have had over a decade of Republican representation in the US Senate and look at where it has gotten us. We are at the bottom of almost every social indicator for quality of life. We are near the bottom of the list in terms of health, education, life expectancy and even infant mortality. It is time to invest in the health of our state instead of wasting our federal dollars on war and corporate subsidies.” — Chris Lugo

Lugo said he is seeking the U.S. Senate seat because “it is time to end the war and bring the troops home. It is time to use our taxpayer dollars wisely to provide universal healthcare. It is time to repair our nation’s domestic infrastructure. It is time to end poverty in America. It is time to end our dependence on oil by developing safe and viable alternative energy sources. It is time to leave our children a clean, healthy and peaceful environment in which to live and raise their families.”

Lugo was the Green Party of Tennessee candidate for US Senate in 2006.

“In 2006 I ran with the Green Party. I think it was the right decision in 2006 but this is a different election season. Americans waking up to the cause of peace and they are looking for leadership on health care, the environment, education and poverty I am a progressive, regardless of which party I represent. I think we need to come together this year to end the war and and bring America together as a country. We have so much work to do to reverse the damage of eight years of the Bush administration.”

He is calling for an end to the Iraq war, and has called for redirecting attention to the housing crisis which is “pushing Americans out of their homes.” He advocates a national response to the issue and impact of global warming.

Lugo said health care is a major theme of his campaign.

“It is time to insure that every man, woman and child in this country has access to quality and affordable healthcare and I believe that a universal single payer health care system is the best way to achieve that goal. I believe that most Americans now favor single payer healthcare and it is time that our legislation reflects that value.”

In 2005 Lugo was an active participant and supporter of the protesters who occupied the Governor’s office during the Tenncare protests.

“I was horrified when 323,000 Tennesseans were cut off of their health care and Tenncare was dismantled. I was an active supporter of the Tenncare protesters at the Governor’s office and I still support what they did but I think that the only solution is to address this at the federal level. I think that health care is a basic human right, and that a majority of Americans support this today. We are facing a health care crisis in Tennessee where 700,000 people do not have basic health care. In addition 50 million Americans do not have health insurance nationwide. This is a moral issue which only the federal government can address. With a strong and determined will, we can achieve this and provide health care for all Americans.”

The issue of immigration is also a key concern which Lugo plans to address in his Democratic Senate bid

“I believe that human rights are for everyone. It is time to stop breaking up families and terrorizing people who have come to this country to work hard and contribute to our economy. This is an especially relevant issue here in Tennessee, where the Hispanic population has nearly doubled since 2000. People are coming to Tennessee because they believe in the American dream and want a better life for themselves and their children. We need to issue driver’s licenses so these people can go to work. We need to stop rounding up workers and treating them like criminals. We need to offer a path to citizenship to people who have become an integral part of our communities.”

Lugo feels that the tide is turning in Tennessee.

“I think that Tennessee is ready for a liberal in Washington. The outcome of 25 years of Republican leadership in Washington DC is war, a failed economy, poverty and a domestic infrastructure that is falling apart. We can see now that the policies of trickle down economics, union busting, and poverty level wages will not make America stronger. The middle class is shrinking and the federal deficit mushrooming because of reckless war profiteering, corporate subsidies and tax breaks for the most privileged members of our community. It is time for a positive change in Tennessee. It is time to turn away from the politics of greed and fear that the Republicans represent. Americans are ready for a compassionate government that addresses real human needs. It is time to invest in this country and to invest in our future. “

Democratic candidate Chris Lugo’s full platform can be found at the website: www.chris4senate.org

In announcing the new site, Lugo said,

“The war in Iraq has been dragging on for more than four years now with no end in sight. The Bush administration has failed the American people and the Republican leadership which has supported this administration is complicit in this unwarranted war of aggression which has cost the lives of thousands of Americans and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis at a cost of trillions of dollars.”

As he looks at the State of the Union, he asks the public to open its eyes and

• Imagine what we could have done with the good will which the international community expressed for us after September 11th, 2001.
• Imagine what we could have done, if we had spent hundreds of billions of dollars on real needs here at home.
• Imagine if we had spent that money ensuring that every American had access to health care.
• Imagine that we had ensured that every student who wanted to could go to school cost free.
• Imagine if we had worked to ensure that social security, America’s promise to the working class, were insured for future generations.
• Imagine if we were to work to correct the deep racial injustices which face this country.
• Imagine if we had invested in our domestic infrastructure or had done right by the people of New Orleans.

“These are just some of the things we could have spent our money on instead of spending it on torture, domestic spying, and murdering women and children in the middle east at the hands of private contractors. America deserves better leadership that this. Tennessee deserves better leadership.”

Lugi is an anti-war peace activist who supports progressive values for Tennessee. He support health care for all Americans, an end to the war in Iraq, no domestic spying on Americans, the creation of a federal level Department of Peace, a secular government with a clear separation between church and state, women’s rights, immigrants rights and civil rights for gays and lesbians. He is a progressive who has been involved in the social justice community for twenty years.

To access this site, log onto to www.voteforpeace.info.