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Friday, March 28, 2003 |
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"Once again, the hour has come for us to stand for unity, even as our government tells us we must follow it into war. Once again the hour has come for us to be strong of heart. The direction of human unity is forward. We are on the march. It is our government which must follow, or be swept aside."
- - Dennis Kucinich (New York City Peace Rally, February 15, 2003)
RHINO HERE:
Dennis Kucinich is running for President & he needs the help of everyone who believes that a staunchly pro-peace stance is a prerequisite for the next Democratic presidential candidate. Some will say for one reason or another that Howard Dean is a better choice. I like Governor Dean too and have featured him in a previous Rhino's Blog:
http://radio.weblogs.com/0103207/2003/03/10.html
But I am so moved by Dennis' unique commitment to a vision of peace, having many months ago officially put forth his proposal for a U.S. Department of Peace & having fearlessly stood for peace all through the Congressional debates on whether to punch shrub's ticket to war.
Kucinich, who is Ranking Member of the Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations, also recently used a rare House procedure known as a Resolution of Inquiry, filed in the House on February 12, 2003, to pry from shrub's "administration", a 12 thousand page Iraqi declaration made to the United Nations on December 7, 2002.
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/oh10_kucinich/030311doc.html
This is the kind of guts we've been looking for in the Democratic leadership. His actions for peace exemplify the true meaning of leadership. He's leading toward peace. Who will support him? Whether he's the most viable presidential peace candidate or not, Rhino thinks Dennis should be a significant player in the 2004 campaign. I urge you to support him (& Dean too) with your time & your money.
http://www.kucinich.us/schedule.htm
This Saturday, March 29, 2003, San Rafael, California
Praxis Peace Institute presents Rep. Kucinich in "A Vision for America"
Marin Center Veterans Memorial Auditorium
10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael, CA, 8:00 PM
Tickets at Ticketmasters or 415-499-6800
For more information: http://www.praxispeace.org/sundaysonoma.html
Preferred Seating: $30.00 / General Seating: $20.00 / 21 years and younger: $12.00
All seats are reserved so please get you tickets early for the best seats!
Dennis Kucinich's speech - Praxis Peace Institute conference in Dubrovnik, Croatia 6/9/02
http://www.praxispeace.org/kucinich_letter.html
Next Weekend in Los Angeles - Come Support Kucinich For President
Friday April 4th: 8:30 PM
KOL TIKVAH TEMPLE
20400 Ventura Blvd, Woodland Hills, CA
RSVP: (818) 248-0670 (Mary) Free event
Sat., April 5th: 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Americans Against War With Iraq (AAWWI) cordially invites you to a town meeting on the future of our country and the world with Rep. Dennis Kucinich. Introduced by Ed Asner.
Immanuel Presbyterian Church,
3300 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA
Rsvp: (323) 692-6912 - The event is free.
Also In Los Angeles Sat., April 5th: 6PM to 8:30,
Fundraiser at private home in Brentwood, $250-$500
Ed Asner will again introduce Dennis. For information call: 310-664-1142
Kucinich Talking Points
Chair of the Progressive Caucus in the U.S. Congress, Representative Kucinich drafted a bill (HR-2459) to create a cabinet-level Department of Peace. A radical departure from band-aid approaches to peacebuilding, this bill addresses underlying causes of war and violence and proposes structural changes in our institutions. A complete text of this bill is available on Rep. Kucinich's website: http://www.house.gov/kucinich
Congressman Kucinich has promoted a national health care system and the preservation of the ABM Treaty. In 1999, Rep. Kucinich marched with workers through the streets of Seattle protesting the WTO policies. He has been a champion for clean air, clean water, sustainable technologies, workers' rights and human rights. He called for the labeling of genetically-engineered foods and in his commitment to sustainability; Representative Kucinich became a vegan eight years ago. He walks his talk!
From a recent speech, Congressman Kucinich shares his vision:
" This is the time to organize for peace. This is the time for new thinking. This is the time to conceive of peace as not simply being the absence of violence, but the active presence of the capacity for a higher evolution of human awareness. This is the time to conceive of peace as respect, trust, and integrity. This is the time to tap the infinite capabilities of humanity To transform consciousness which compels violence at personal, group, national or international levels. This is the time to develop a new compassion for others and ourselves."
"the weasel hunter" strikes again
There's a guy lurking on the internet calling himself "the weasel hunter". He periodically puts out brief commentaries on the current events which I find compelling. Following this Rhino note is his latest. If anyone knows anything about this guy, please drop me a note.
A [brief] Paradox
The Bush administation has based its invasion of Iraq upon claims that Saddam Hussein possesses weapons of mass destruction.
These claims have been proven fraudulent. [BBC,CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, NPR, Pacifica, Pentagon, "Who Lied to Whom?" Seymour Hersh, New Yorker 03/31/03]
Therefore, it follows that British or American soldiers (let's drop the "coalition" pretense--it's just our overextended troops, the Brits, and a few Aussies slogging it out) MUST find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Otherwise, the Bush administration is vulnerable to accusations of false pretense.
So far, British and American forces have NOT found a single weapon of mass destruction: not nuclear, not chemical, not biological. [BBC,CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, NPR, Pacifica, Pentagon]
At the same time, many U.S. soldiers are discovering that their anti-chem/bio masks and suits are inadequate. Their commanders are telling them that existing equipment is all they have. [U.S. government General Accounting Office, NPR, Pacifica.]
IF... British and American soldiers have been sent into Iraq to rid the world of Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction...
IF... American soldiers have been sent into harm's way with inadequate protection...
Did the Bush administration know beforehand that the Iraqis did NOT possess weapons of mass destruction and that, therefore, American troops would be safe from chem./bio attack? If yes, why did we invade Iraq?
OR... Has the Bush administration calculated that the sacrifice of some American troops is worth the gains to be made in Iraq? What are those gains?
--the weasel hunter
THE BOTTOM LINE today is a scary one, but well worth your time.
8:04:34 AM 
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© Copyright 2005 Gary Rhine.
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