Category Archives: ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

The Senate will convene at 11:00am on Tuesday, November 22, 2011 for a pro forma session only, with no business conducted and at 10:30am on Friday, November 25, 2011 for a pro forma session, with no business conducted.

The Senate will convene at 1:00pm on Monday, November 28, 2011. Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of S.1867, the Department of Defense Authorization Act.

At 5:00pm, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider Calendar #270, the nomination of Christopher Droney, of Connecticut, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit with 30 minutes of debate equally divided and controlled between Senators Leahy and Grassley or their designees. Upon the use or yielding back of time (at approximately 5:30pm), the Senate will conduct a roll call vote on confirmation of the Droney nomination.

Additional roll call votes in relation to amendments to the DoD Authorization act are possible Monday evening.

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The next meeting is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on November 22, 2011.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

In the past month, eight Buddhist monks and nuns have self-immolated to protest a growing Chinese crackdown in Tibet.

11/18/2011 Nativegrl77

Days ago, Tenzin Wangmo walked out of her nunnery, covered herself in petrol and set herself on fire while pleading for a “free Tibet”. Minutes later she died — she was just 20 years old. In the past month, seven other monks have self-immolated to protest a growing Chinese crackdown on the peaceful Tibetan people.

These tragic acts are a desperate cry for help — machine gun toting Chinese security forces are beating and disappearing monks, laying siege to monasteries, and even killing elderly people defending them — all in an effort to suppress Tibetan rights. China severely restricts access to the region. But if we can get key governments to send diplomats in, break the blackout, and expose this growing brutality, we could save lives.

We have to act fast — this horrific situation is spiraling out of control behind a censorship curtain. Over and over we have seen that when diplomats themselves bear witness to atrocities, they are motivated to act, and increase political pressure. Let’s build a massive petition to the six leaders with the most influence in Beijing to send a mission to Tibet and speak out against the repression. Sign the urgent petition and send this to everyone:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_tibetan_lives/?vl

Tibetans are suffocating under China’s stranglehold. They are unable to practice their religion freely — just downloading a photograph of the Dalai Lama can land a Tibetan in prison. And it is getting worse: columns of Chinese troops have blockaded the largest monasteries and are abducting monks in “patriotic re-education” programmes. This horrific situation is spiraling out of control.

Just yesterday another monk, Dawa Tsering, was rushed to hospital after setting himself ablaze, and with every protest China tightens it’s grip. For Tibetans, self immolations are a very severe sacrifice and reveal their level of despair. They are deeply religious and believe that if you commit suicide it has a devastating impact on the cycle of re-incarnations and may even put you back 500 lifetimes. But their situation is so horrific that they are forfeiting their position in the cycle in exchange for the hope of international attention and freedom for their brothers and sisters.

The Chinese government won’t allow journalists and human rights monitors into the region — Sky news and AFP journalists were forced out last week. But diplomats can request access and get in and, as we have recently seen in Syria, they are the best way to get first hand reports, let China know that the world is watching and start high level political conversations on Tibetans’ human rights.

It’s up to us to raise the global alarm. If we can get the US, UK, Australia, India, France and the EU to send a delegation now, they could push China to action. We have no time to lose — sign the urgent petition and share this email:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_tibetan_lives/?vl

Avaaz members have supported projects that are piercing the blackout and defending Tibetan culture and religious practice. But China’s ruthless crackdown is escalating. It’s time for our whole community to take a stand together with these peaceful people sacrificing their own lives for basic rights. Let’s show them that the world has not forgotten them.

With hope and determination,

Emma, Iain, Dalia, Ricken, Diego, Shibayan, Giulia, and the whole Avaaz team

More information:

Tibetan Nun Who Set Herself On Fire Dies (Sky)
http://news.sky.com/home/world-news/article/16095074

Self-immolation ‘trend’ at restive Tibetan monastery (BBC)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-15169007

Study points to heavy handed repression of Tibetan area in China (The New York Times) (including HRW report)
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/13/world/asia/study-points-to-heavy-handed-repression-of-tibetan-area-in-china.html

China is fuelling the fires of Tibetan resistance (Guardian)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/oct/17/china-tibetan-resistance-self-immolation?newsfeed=true

Graph showing China’s increased spending in Tibetan regions:http://www.hrw.org/news/2011/10/12/china-end-crackdown-tibetan-monasteries

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

a message from rep. Raul M. Grijalva

11/17/2011 Nativegrl77

You know just how hard things are right now, but the Super Committee either doesn’t understand — or just doesn’t care.

Today, as co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), I held a hearing today with some of the country’s top economists to talk about the importance of job creation and protecting our social safety net. We invited the members of the deficit reduction “Super Committee” — but none of them showed up.

Rather than asking the 1% to pay their fair share, the Super Committee is going after the vital programs that make America strong — these cuts would have a drastic impact on the health and financial security of far too many Americans.

Join me and my friends at Democracy for America in telling them we will stand strong — no cuts to Medicare and Medicaid benefits. http://act.democracyforamerica.com/go/1323?akid=1506.1480546.9jy123&t=1

Over the past several months, I have offered constructive recommendations for deficit reduction while stressing the need to put Americans back to work — there are real solutions to our debt crisis that don’t hurt the 99%.

Congress’s top priority must be job creation. The Super Committee should be listening to the working people of this nation who reject proposed austerity measures.

They should be asking the 1% to pay their fair share.

In this economic crisis, the last thing we should be talking about is slashing the program that provides health coverage for our seniors and the most vulnerable.

We must leave Medicare and Medicaid benefits off the table.

Let’s send a message so loud the Super Committee can’t ignore it — join me and almost 100,000 Democracy for America Members to say — no cuts to Medicare and Medicaid benefits.

It’s time to focus on fair solutions. Together we can stand up for the 99%. http://act.democracyforamerica.com/go/1323?akid=1506.1480546.9jy123&t=2

Peace,

– Raúl

Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva
Co-Chair, Congressional Progressive Caucus

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Working on Thanksgiving …Jess Kutch, Change.org

11/17/2011 Nativegrl77 1 Comment

Join Anthony’s massive campaign to save Thanksgiving for families. Ask Target to open at 5AM, not midnight, on Black Friday.

Anthony Hardwick’s campaign to save Thanksgiving from the holiday shopping arms race has made headlines in literally thousands of media outlets around the country — and sparked a national conversation about protecting family time on Thanksgiving.

To recap: Last week, Anthony, a Target employee from Omaha, started a Change.org petition asking Target to move back its Black Friday opening time from midnight on Thanksgiving to (the somewhat less crazy) 5 a.m., so that thousands of workers and shoppers could have Thanksgiving dinner with their families.

Nearly 100,000 people have signed, and more than 50 other petitions have been started asking stores like Best Buy and Macy’s to move back their openings, too. Will you add your name to Anthony’s petition?

Anthony’s campaign is already making huge strides: Several of Target’s competitors, like J.C. Penney and Sears, have now proudly announced that they’re opening later to give workers time to celebrate the holiday with loved ones. And there’s no doubt that Target and others will think twice before opening so early next year.

It’s up to you to keep up the pressure. Please sign Anthony’s petition and forward this email to everyone you know:

http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-target-to-save-thanksgiving

Thanks for being a change-maker,

– Jess and the Change.org team

P.S. Here are some of the other top Change.org petitions this week:

Rick Melargni is a Best Buy employee from Tampa, Florida. He started a petition on Change.org asking Best Buy to not open at midnight on Thanksgiving so families can share the holiday together.
Monique White lost her job as a youth counselor at a group home in Minnesota after state budget cuts. Now she’s fighting to stop US Bank from evicting her from her foreclosed home. Sign Monique’s petition to keep her home from US Bank.
Shawn Ambrose bought a ticket on a Greyhound bus for his daughter in college — but because the ticket was a gift, Greyhound charged him an extra $18 fee. Sign Shawn’s petition asking Greyhound to cancel its $18 “gift fee” for families traveling during the holidays.
Students at the University of Nevada want to save their school’s “working farm” — one of the few left in the country, where students can learn about farming and agriculture. Sign Wendy Baroli’s petition to stop the school from destroying the farm.
“Pancho” Ramos-Stierle was arrested on Monday morning while meditating in a peaceful protest at the Occupy Wall Street movement in Oakland, California. But because he’s undocumented, he faces deportation. His friends started a petition asking immigration officials to release Pancho immediately.
An Oklahoma man brutally injured a horse after dragging it behind his ATV. Now a group called “Hand 4 Paws” is asking a judge to impose the maximum sentence in the case.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Occupying A Private Prison … “Axel Caballero from Cuéntame”

11/16/2011 Nativegrl77

Occupying A Private Prison: Shut Down Stewart Detention Center

Watch The Video | Join The Virtual Vigil

Correction Corporation of America’s Stewart facility in Lumpkin, Georgia is the largest private detention center in the nation. Stewart currently profits close to $50 million a year. As if that weren’t enough, CCA often cuts costs by denying basic services to detained immigrants and by limiting access to their family members.

CCA charges inmates close to $5 a minute to make a phone call. To pay for this, inmates work in the facility and earn a whopping $1 a day. Five days of hard work gives them just enough time for a one minute phone call.

Watch the video and take action to shut down Stewart Detention Center.CCA’s greed knows no boundaries. In the past few years they have spent $14.8 million lobbying for anti-immigration laws, like HB87 in Georgia, to ensure they have continuous access to fresh inmates and keep their money racket going. It’s time to put an end to it.

This is why on November 18th, Brave New Foundation‘s Cuéntame is partnering with a coalition of immigrant and civil rights organizations, in a powerful vigil and occupation outside the Stewart facility in Georgia. The demand: Shut down Stewart Detention Center now.

You can join-in too online! Add your demand message and we will read and deliver it at the action event!

Your voice is the most important tool we need to fight back against the private prison greed and abuse.

Yours,
Axel Caballero and the Cuéntame team.

I invite you to join Cuéntame on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

IN CASE YOU MISSED OUR OTHER IMMIGRANTS FOR SALE VIDEOS:

A Family Split Apart Pedro Guzmanspent 19 months at CCA’s Stewart private detention because he missed an immigration order.Authorities showed no mercy after Guzman explained the court order was sent to an old address.CCA profited approximately $72,000 from Pedro’s detention.Guzman’s wife Emily and only son Logan endured a painful and debilitating struggle to survive while they fought for Pedro’s release.

Death For ProfitRoberto Martinez-Medina died in CCA’s Stewart Detention Center in Georgia in 2009.Medina had been arrested a month earlier for not having a driver’s license.CCA profited off of Medina’s incarceration, and ensured a greater profit by denying him critical health care.CCA has gone to great lengths to hush Medina’s death.

Immigrants For Sale Animated TrailerTop 3 things YOU need to know about the private prison money scheme:1) The victims: Private prisons don’t care about who they lock up. At $200 per immigrant a night, this is the “perfect” money scheme.2) The players: CCA, Geo Group and MTC— combined currently profit more than $5 billion a year.3)The money: These corporations spend $20 million a year lobbying legislators to get anti-immigrant laws approved and thus more inmates.

Watch the video