Legislative Alert
S. 233 and HR. 1038 - National Death Penalty Moratorium Act – would impose a moratorium on federal executions while creating a national commission on the Death Penalty to review fairness in the administration of capital punishment at all levels of government. Since the reinstatement of the death penalty, 95 people sentenced to death have been freed because they were later proven innocent. A recent study found that two out of every three death penalty cases contain errors so severe that the death sentences and convictions were overturned.
Contact your Senators and Representative and tell them to support S. 233 and HR. 1038, respectively.
U.S. Senate Washington, DC 20510
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Capitol Switchboard 202-224-3121
HR 3155 – Depleted Uranium Munitions Suspension and Study Act – calls for a complete suspension of the use, sale, development, production, testing and export of depleted uranium (DU) munitions pending the outcome of certain studies of the health effects of such munitions. After the studies are completed, the U.S. EPA will issue regulations and require the Department of Defense to clean up, mitigate and prioritize the sites of contamination.
DU munitions have been tested in Vieques, Puerto Rico and used by U.S. forces in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan. DU is a waste product of the mining process for uranium, a radioactive element used as a fuel source in nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons. This radioactive waste product likely poses a serious health threat to those who are exposed to it. Ask your Representative to sign on as a co-sponsor and urge Congress to hold local hearings with participating citizens to discuss the bill which is now bottled up in Committees (Armed Services, Energy and Commerce). Anne Bjornson, Pax Christi Queens
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Queens Greens March in the anti-WEF Demonstrations
On February 2, 2002, about fifteen members of the Central Queens Greens and the West Queens Greens (WQG) marched with the NYS Greens contingent at the anti-World Economic Forum (WEF) demonstrations in NYC. The WQG participated in the making of giant puppets for the demonstration. The Flushing Greens office was used in pre-demonstration planning for the Green contingent, and as an emergency number during the demonstration.
Originally held in Davos, Switzerland, the WEF is an annual get together, and what amounts to a fancy cocktail party for the bosses of multi-national corporations and political leaders. The WEF provides a social setting for the rich and powerful; the few, mostly white men, who, though unelected, make the economic decisions that affect the lives of most of the world's people. WEF get-togethers were one of the sources from which the World Trade Organization was created. This year, tens of millions of cash-strapped NYC's dollars were spent to protect these elites.
Corporate globalization, is the existence of giant multi-national corporations that dominate the worlds’ economies. These corporations wield an inordinate amount of political power at the expense of local business and local control of resources. This goes against the Green's key values of "community-based economics" and "grassroots democracy." The Greens joined the "Act Now to Stop War & End Racism" (ANSWER) coalition and participated in the "Another World is Possible" organizing efforts and marched with about twenty thousand anti-corporate globalization activists, representing all the various left-trends in anti-corporate activism, in front of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, where the WEF was being held. Greens from all over the U.S. came to NYC to protest the WEF. The Queens Greens were among the approximately one hundred NYS Greens who marched in the demonstration. "Personal and global responsibility" is also one of the Greens key values. Paul Gilman, Central Queens Greens
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Organizing for Equal Protection and Justice
February 5th launched a new phase of activity for Q-GLU. At our monthly meeting at the Community Methodist Church in Jackson Heights, Ralph Wilson, on behalf of the Empire State Pride Agenda (ESPA) presented their New York State legislative goals, which are the passage of the Sexual Orientation Nondiscrimination Act (SONDA) and the Dignity for All Students Act. SONDA would outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation, actual or perceived. The Dignity for All Students Act would prohibit discrimination and harassment in schools based on real or perceived race, ethnicity, national group, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation or disability. According to ESPA, both bills have a very a strong chance of becoming law especially if everyone gets involved in securing their passage.
Herein lies the crux of a problem. While sexual orientation real or perceived is covered, gender expression and identity, i.e. transsexuality, is not. A coalition of gender activists has been formed to make this known and to work to have this language included in an amendment before the bill is passed. ESPA sees the current version of the SONDA bill as urgently needed and now the most opportune time for passage. ESPA urges passage now, with gender inclusive language amended at a later date.
Q-GLU supports both sexual orientation and gender identity inclusion. We will be working on a project for Dignity for All Students Week April 7-13th. Interested parties can contact John Azzali at 718-205-6605 or Mike Schweinsburg at 718-478-3723 for more details. John Azzali, QGLU
Our Grief is Not a Cry For War
New Yorkers gathered in Union Square on Sunday, October 7th, to call for a non-violent response to the terrorist attack against the World Trade Towers and the Pentagon. As many arrived they were greeted by the news that the bombing of Afghanistan had begun just hours before. The rally began with an interfaith prayer service. Speakers included the grandfather of a young man killed in the WTC. He spoke of the family’s call for justice not vengeance.
As the crowd began the peaceful walk uptown, an estimated 12,000 people, twice the number expected, carried signs stating “Our Grief is Not a Cry For War” and “New York– Not in My Name” and many chanted peace, salaam, shalom. The march was lead by two Nobel Peace Prize winners: Adolfo Perez Esquivel, from Argentina, and Mairead Maguire, from Ireland.
Speakers at the march’s conclusion in Times Square included Fr. Daniel Berrigan, Abdean Jibara (Arab American Anti-discrimination Committee), James Creden (a paramedic who helped rescue efforts at the WTC) who said “We want justice, not vengeance“, and Amy Goodman (banned WBAI journalist and host of Democracy Now).
Remarks centered around the need for approaches to the causes underlying the WTC attack and the need for peaceful means of resolving the anger felt here in the USA as a consequence of the attack. The report of 60% of Americans’ support for war was questioned as were other calls for vengeance in response to the tragic loss of life resulting from the attack. The tone of all the remarks emphasized peace rather than war as the only viable means of preventing needless loss of life.
Afterwards, a disturbing note was the lack of media coverage of this call for non-violence. When mentioned at all, most of the TV and news coverage deflated the numbers present to a “small group” or 1,000 participants. Surprisingly, the NY Times had the best local coverage. The lack of media coverage, in effect, silences the peace movement, making it so important for us to continue speaking out and writing letters to keep our message in public awareness.
On Saturday, October 13 approximately 1,000 people gathered in Washington Square Park to call for an end to Star Wars and for a non-violent response to terrorism. The rally had been planned months before as part of an International Day of Protest. The theme, an end to Star Wars, was expanded “to mourn our loss and demonstrate the value of peace and justice”. The event was coordinated by the Global Network Against Nuclear Power and Weapons in Space, now active in 111 cities and 19 countries. Local co-sponsors included Pax Christi Metro New York, American Friends Service Committee and Women’s International league for Peace and Freedom.
Speakers included Fr. Daniel Berrigan, Amy Goodman and Rev. Al Sharpton. Michael Radner spoke about the new homeland defense laws leading to supression here at home including indefinite detention of immigrants, phone taping and censorship.
Physicist Michio Kaku called Star Wars a first strike system designed to
dominate space and control the world. Its energy needs would require
nuclear power plants in outer space. He said 6000 nuclear scientists
and 20 schools have pledged to refuse money for Star Wars research.
Harvey Baylis, DNP
Anne Bjornson, Pax Christi Queens
Legal Access and Justice for All
“Legal Access and Justice for All” a forum for lesbian, gay and immigrant communities was held on the evening of October 16th at Queens Pride House, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community center and cosponsored by Queens Gays and Lesbians United.
Speakers included Ms. Teresa Calabrese, and Ms. Mercedes Cano from the Community Legal Resources Network (CLRN) and Mr. K. Jacob Ruppert of the Lesbian and Gay Law Association of Greater New York, better known as LeGAL.
CLRN, said Ms. Calabrese, “was funded to provide access to justice for people who fall in the middle; neither poor enough for free aid nor rich enough to afford the usual legal fees of private attorneys”. It focuses on general practice, immigration and family law with over 100 attorneys available. The LeGAL bar association was formed to provide educational and social growth for its members and to provide information and access to services to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. LeGal runs a weekly legal clinic in Manhattan.
Ms. Calabrese offered information on tenants’ rights under government, rent-controlled and rent-stabilized housing covering succession rights and eviction proceedings. Mr. Ruppert elaborated on the legal context of domestic partnership, highlighting estate-planning, and ways to construct legal protections for the loved ones of gay or lesbian people whether or not they are registered. Ms. Cano, who is also the Executive Director of Centro Comunitario de Recursos Legales, Inc. located in Jackson Heights,
Legal, covered immigration issues, particularly their current status in light of the September 11th WTC and Pentagon tragedies. “I’ve had to advise my clients who have green cards or visas to carry three pieces of identification, especially if they need to be in lower Manhattan. Many workers without such ID’s have been detained by the INS until family members or friends were able to provide the needed ID’s.”
A question and answer period followed. Several participants signed up for
referrals and future clinics and Queens Pride House will assist in
following-up.
John Azzali, Q-GLU
Rebuilding the World Trade Center
There is beginning to be much talk around the rebuilding of the World Trade Center. Some want to build it bigger and better as a statement to the terrorists. Others believe it is now hallowed ground--a mass graveyard. They would like to see a memorial similar to one at the site of the Oklahoma City bombing. We have another vision.
The reasons that may have existed for the creation of a business center in the early 1970's no longer exist. Today's technology makes it able to locate businesses in communities throughout the five boroughs. In addition, it may take close to three years for public transportation to the WTC area to be repaired and returned to normal. Traveling by car to the downtown area now involves long waits as new checkpoints are created.
Perhaps it is time to move away from the idea of a few concentrated mega-business centers in Manhattan. Decentralization can bring economic stability to various communities, including those that have been economically deprived and depressed in part by the prior centralization. More money would be spent on local small businesses, thus benefiting the local tax base. On the environmental side, making it easy for more people to walk, bike or take a bus to work will cut down on air and noise pollution.
Instead of building a larger financial tower, or series of towers, upon the ground where so many lost their lives in a violent act of war we should build a Peace Village, as a tribute to those lost. The Peace Village would be a place where those who work for peace can gather…activists, thinkers, philosophers, healers, humanists, spiritual leaders, teachers, people who have devoted their lives to peace and justice, as well as those who are newly dedicated. There are "think tanks" dedicated to war and violence and other worst case scenarios; why not a think tank for peace? A place where people could come together to discuss, to study, and to establish means of nurturing peace in this new millennium, and to examine what has worked in the past in finding peaceful and just resolutions to major problems. There would be study centers for high school and college students and day trips for younger school children. Music and the arts would be used as tools for peace.
It should be a place of natural beauty, where trees and gardens bloom in
honor of the thousands killed; a place of reflection and an oasis of
calm, where we can try to nurture our spirits back to wholeness after
this gigantic disaster.
Day Starr Chou, Flushing Greens
ALIVE AND WELL
The failure of the HMO's to meet the nation's health care needs has forced universal health care up to the front burner. Three major actions took place recently where the issue of universal health care has once again re-emerged.
-On May 1, 2001 a historic meeting on universal health care was held in Congress, initiated by the newly-established Congressional Universal Health Care Task Force and officially sponsored by the Progressive, the Black and Hispanic Caucuses. Prior to this meeting, the Task Force had introduced a Congressional resolution calling on Congress to addres the need for universal health care by 2004. At the May meeting, many proposals were introduced including the White Paper prepared by the Physicians Working Group for Single-Payer National Health Insurance. (E-mail pnhpnyc.org for a copy.) -In June, 2000 the Boston City council unanimously passed a resolution supporting the single payer bill before the State Legislature. -Bothe houses of the Maine legislature passed a Universal Single-Payer Health Care bill that would set up a commission to study the single-payer system. The governor signed the bill in late June.
Call your representative and urge him/her to co-sponsor the resolution by the Task Force. This re-emergence will surely re-energize us on this vital issue.
Ann Blank, QCPA
DNP Endorses Candidates in NYC Races:
Mayor: Mark Green
Public Advocate: Norman Siegel
Comptroller: William Thompson, Jr.
Borough President: Sheldon Leffler
19th City Council District: Anthony (Tony) Avila
20th City Council District: John Liu
23rd City Council District: David Weprin
Harvey Baylis, DNP
What does one do on vacation in Rome? Visit the Roman Forum, throw a coin into Trevi Fountain, and on the 25th anniversary of the reinstatement of the death penalty in the USA, attend an anti-death penalty rally. Rosemarie Pace and Anne Bjornson of Pax Christi Queens, took a breath from sightseeing and with FR. Kevin Queally, a Pax Christi USA member currently living in Rome, joined about 100 protesters across the street from the American Embassy in Rome on the evening of July 2nd.
The protest, organized by Amnesty International and the Italian Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (ICADP) called for an end to the USA's "flawed and futile experiment with death".
Kevin's Pax Christi tee shirt was quickly identified and Arianna Ballotta, President of ICADP, welcomed us. This was a silent, candlelight vigil. We walked in a circle, although in typical Italian fashion, protesters would stop here and there for a few minutes to talk to each other. Some carried signs listing names of those executed and others listing the names of peple who have been sentenced to death and are later realieased as innocent. Despite the breezy evening, our candles remained lit until we extinguished them together at the end rally. The protest ended with the words "ora basta", now enough.
The flyer, written in Italian and English stated in part:"Since (1976), 720 men and women in 38 states have been hanged, shot, gassed, electrocuted or poisoned by lethal injection. Among them were peple who committed their crimes when they were still children, the mentally impaired, those denied adequate legal representation, foreign nationals denied their consular rights, and defendants whose guilt remained in doubt. Race continues to play a role in who gets a death sentecnce: in over 80% of the cases, the crimes involved white victims."
"There have been about half a million murders in the USA sicne 1988. The victims of all violent crime and their families deserve respect, compassion and justice. Killing a handful of prisoners offers none of these things."
"...This is an anniversary of which the United States and its citizens should be ashamed, and which the governments and citizens of other states must condemn."
Anne Bjornson, Pax Christi, Queens
It’s Spring
Spring unfurls its blue ribbon
to flutter in the air again;
Sweet familiar breezes
brush the earth with promises.
-Eduard Morike (1804-1875)
Legislative/Action Alert
HR 742 - (HELP Act) Humanitarian Exports Leading To Peace Act
Introduced by Representative Conyers and cosponsored by 10 others, HR 742 would allow U.S. farmers, humanitarian aid organizations, and U.S. companies to send food, medical supplies, and agricultural goods directly to Iraq, and would hasten an end to the economic sanctions.
Call your congressperson and ask that he or she co-sponsor the Humanitarian Exports Leading to Peace Act (HR 742).
Please contact your Senators and Representatives and urge them to co-sponsor the Landmines Elimination and Victim Assistance Act of 2001.
The U.S. is a leader in humanitarian efforts to help landmine victims and in de-mining projects. The U.S. must now become a leader in banning the production and use of antipersonnel landmines by signing the Mine Ban Treaty.
To read more...
ALERTS
Anne Bjornson, Pax Christi Queens
VOL. 15 NO. 7 PO BOX 670193
FLUSHING, NY 11367 JULY/AUGUST 2000
A bill passed by the Senate 97-3 on March 17, 1999, made it U.S. policy to deploy a National Missile Defense System (NMD) as soon as technologically possible. This violates the Anti-Ballistic Missle Treaty signed by the U.S. and the former Soviet Union in 1972.
In 1982, a group of retired military leaders urged President Reagan to revive the issue and the Strategic Defense initiative, or Star Wars as it was mockingly called, was born. Twenty billion was spent without tangible results. Then, as now, decisions were based on politics. Between 1997-1998 Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon and TRW spent $34 million to lobby Congress and $7 million on congressional election campaigns.
Nineteen tests of the proposed NMD system were scheduled. Only three were done at a cost of $100 million dollars each. ALL THREE FAILED!
The Administration is pledged to look at the following criteria before making its decision to approve the design.
The Canadian Endowment for International Peace says deploying Star Wars could create greater dangers than those posed by Iran, Iraq, or North Korea's missiles. If the international security regime is fundamentally altered by poor relations between U.S. and China or U.S. and Russia, we could be facing greater dangers from their existing arsenals than the potential arsenal of these three states.
In April 2000 the Congressional Budget Office reported that NMD would cost nearly $60 billion through the year 2015 while cautioning that simple countermeasures could render the system impotent.
Bruce Gagnon of the Global Network Against Nuclear Power and Weapons in Space said, "It's the first step, the Trojan Horse. Already Boeing, Lockheed Martin, TRW and Raytheon are working on the follow-up technologies; they have the funding and they're developing them today. They will have offensive capability.
President Clinton must make the decision when and how to deploy this system. To take the pressure off Vice President Gore's presidential campaign, he may opt to postpone making a decision. However, he also does not want to be accused of being soft on defense.
We cannot accept deployment under any circumstances!
Action:
1. Contact Pres. Clinton. Urge him NOT to deploy NMD as it does not meet any of the three criteria. INSTEAD, STRENGTHEN
ARMS CONTROL AND DISARMAMENT INITIATIVES.
2) Contact Senators Moynahan & schumer and Representative to publicly oppose and repeal the NMD Act of 1999
(PL 106-38).
- Claire Vogel, WILPF
VOL. 13 NO. 11 PO BOX 670193 FLUSHING, NY 11367 DEC 1999
SUCCESSFUL HATE CRIMES FORUM HITS HOME
On November 16th at 7:30 PM, The first Queens Forum on Hate Crimes began under the capable gavel of Anne Quashen, president of PFLAG Queens. Nearly one hundred people attended despite the shift in location from the Samuel Field Y in Little Neck to the Temple Shalom in Floral Park at virtually the eleventh hour.
The primary speakers were: Rabbi Phillip Bentley of Temple Shalom, Morched Alam of the South Asian Forum, Peg Rivera, sister-in-law of slain bias victim Julio Rivera, Rory Lancman who handles discrimination cases, and Queens activist Ed Sederbaum of the Anti-Defamation League. Congressman Meeks was unable to attend due to an early recall of congress and instead sent his representative Mr. Jenkins. City Comptroller Alan Hevesi spoke briefly before continuing his journey home after weeks in Europe on behalf of Holocauset survivors' rights. Time did not permit additional speakers but Anne Quashen did recognize the presence of Assembly member Ivan Lafayette and City Council member Seldon Leffler. Letters of support came from several U.S. state and city representatives and three Borough Presidents.
Peg Rivera remarked on the diversity of the people present, including the panel. Mr. Jenkins stated tht the audience represented the leadership in this cause and leadership can change things. Morched Alam spoke about seeing the Hate Crimes Bill as part of the movement for human rights. Rory Lancman covered the bill in the context of the American Civil Rights Movement. Rabbi Bentley illustrated the oneness of all humanity. Ed Sederbaum provided petitions to voice our support. John Azzali supplied postcards for mailing.
All speakers gave compelling reasons to support a Hate Crimes Bill. They urged a steady, consistant campaign of post cards, petitions and personal letters/calls to the two Republican State Senators (Maltese of District 15 and Padavan of District 11). They are being asked to either vote for the bill or at least urge that the bill be put to the floor for a vote.
Readers are urged to check with their local representatives and learn of their stance on the Hate Crime Bill, either
the State version or the Federal version. Together there will be change and justice for all.
-John Azzali, QGLU
TOYS ARE FOR FUN--NOT FIGHTING
More toys will be bought this month than during the entire rest of the year. The stores are full of creative, skill-building and fun toys for toddlers through teens. However, these toys sit side by side with others that teach aggression and violence: soldiers and tanks, cartoon creatures that turn into weapons and video games that desensitize the player to killing and other acts of violence.
Children feel the effect of advertising. They know which toys are "in", and those are the toys they want. It's hard to say "no". But parents do say "no" all the time if they know doing something will be dangerous or harmful to their child. Why should toys be any different?
This holiday season, Pax Christ Queens will again speak out against war toys. Please join us.
Let the toys you give your children this holiday season help her/him to bring light into our sometimes
dark and violent world. Let your child's play celebrate life!
-Anne Bjornson, Pax Christi Queens
If you would like to read the rest of December's stories, including WILPF ROCKAWAY ADDRESSES RACISM
A HOUSING CRISIS IN THE MAKING
FREE LORI BERENSON
QUEENS ACTIVISTS SAY CLOSE THE SOA
Join The Network or subscribe to the Network Newsletter.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN THE QUEENS NETWORK FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE?
Organizations are invitied to join the Queens Network for Peace and Justice. Representatives from each organization
meet monthly to network ideas and activities and to unite in any area of common interest. membrship of $25/yr. includes
the monthly newsletter listing the organizations' coming events, as well as articles of current concerns. OR, you can sent
a check for an individual annual subscription to the Network Newsletter:
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Queens Network for Peace and Justice
P.O. Box 670193
Flushing, NY 11367
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