"Next Meeting - Iran Action Session"
Co-sponsored by World Can’t Wait-LA and the Westside
Progressives, and will take place on July 12th, Noon - 3:30 PM, in Community
Room A (near 3rd Floor food court) at the Westside Pavilion, 10800 W Pico Blvd,
LA 90064.
Emergency Iran Forum Los Angeles
June 25, 2008
World Can’t Wait-Los Angeles and the Westside Progressives co-sponsored an
emergency Iran Forum at a community center in West Hollywood. Out Against
the War-LA, Topanga Peace Alliance, LGBT Greens, and the Union of Progressive
Iranians endorsed and participated in the event.
Close to ninety people filled the room as the evening unfolded. The first
speaker, Gareth Porter, author of “Perils of Dominance: Imbalance of Power and
the Road to War in Vietnam” laid out similarities of historical significance
between the deceptive framework that this government used to justify the war in
Vietnam and the more current unjustified invasion of Iraq. He drew attention to
the similarities of dogmatic language used by government officials and the
media as the question of Iran’s nuclear capabilities has been nationally
discussed, and a case is built for the justification for an attack on Iran.
Porter emphasized the need for civil dissent and debate around these issues throughout
society, not discounting the effectiveness of petitioning and lobbying, but in
conjunction with these things.
Larry Everest, author of “Oil Power and Empire-Iraq and the US Global Agenda”,
devoted much of his presentation to explaining what the necessity is that those
in the halls of power, and in the interests of imperialism and global empire,
have for expansion of military invasion and pre-emptive war into Iran. He
continually underlined that this was not an electoral or a particular thrust of
a particular political party in the US, but that all are part of a
capitalist-imperialist system of government that is pushing its oppressive
agenda on the people of the United States and hence, the world. Everest
also outlined clearly the role of the US/Israel relationship, and how the media
and the government portrays this, and colors public perception incorrectly;
that perceived verbal threats or attacks on Israel are dangerous to the right
of Israel to exist, and the US must stand by them. He starkly outlined
how the US and Israel work together to push forward US empire and hegemony
in the Middle East.
The audience received both speakers with serious attentiveness. There was
enthusiastic applause from the Iranian Progressives that caught many others up
into hoots and hollers of approval when Larry Everest spoke out strongly that
matters of state politics and religious fundamentalism would be best addressed
by the Iranian people, and not by US invasion. He alluded to the uprising
of the people of Iran against the Shah in the 80's.
The forum moved into the question and answer period of the program, and a
moderator from the Westside Progressives read questions from the audience that
had been collected on note cards throughout the speakers' presentations. The
most often asked question was a general one of what can we do to stop this, and
what are some ways to break out of the usual processes to do this?
Both speakers emphasized the need for informing others of the challenge we all
face of the possibility of a terrible invasion of Iran, and the need for
protest and civil dissent to avert the current trajectory. Everest
pointed out the examples as outlined in the four point plans presented by
the World Can’t Wait speaker earlier in the program.
The evening ended with a smaller group discussion, after the speakers had left,
and as others broke away and left, or visited materials tables and had quieter
conversations there. There was discussion about how to get the Iran
Pledge, written by the WP’s and an agreement to participate in massive acts of
civil resistance, out to people for signing and thus building an emergency
response network to mobilize people now to stop an attack on Iran.
An organizer with the Westside Progressives offered that she
was very interested in learning more about World Can’t Wait, and that even
though she did not have much hope of being able to stop an attack, or even in
being successful in making a dent in or stopping the Bush Program, that she
would not stop resisting and acting, because she would not go down in history
as being complicit in crimes.
Arrangements for a follow up strategizing meeting were made, co-sponsored by
World Can’t Wait-LA and the Westside Progressives, and will take place on July
12th, Noon - 3:30 PM, in Community Room A (near 3rd Floor food court) at the
Westside Pavilion, 10800 W Pico Blvd, LA 90064.
It should also be noted that a few hours before the event, Ron Kovic connected
with one our organizers over the phone. He apologized for not being able
to attend, but dictated a phone message, culled from some of his writings, to
the attendees, that was read to them at the beginning of the evening. It was
warmly received and applauded.
Text follows:
Message to those attending
the Emergency Forum on Iran in Los Angeles
Ron Kovic, Author; Born on the Fourth of July, Vietnam Veteran
June 25, 2008
"Have we become so complacent, so cowered and intimidated by this
government that we have forgotten our own revolutionary birthright of rebellion
and dissent? Have we become so paralyzed by the 11th of September
that we would give up our own liberty and freedom for the promise of a security
that does not exist, by a government that now threatens our very lives?
What will it take before we finally realize the true reality of the
crisis? How many more pre-emptive invasions, terrorist attacks, senseless
wars, flag draped caskets, grieving mothers, paraplegics, amputees, stressed
out sons and daughters, before we finally begin to break the silence of this
shameful night?
Let us open our hearts and speak in a way that we have never spoken before,
knowing that lives now depend on it, and the very survival of our nation and
the world is at stake. Let not our silence in this crucial moment betray
us from our destiny.
"There is a time when the operation of the machine becomes so
odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part; you can't even
passively take part, and you've got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon
the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it
stop. And you've got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who
own it, that unless you're free, the machine will be prevented from working at
all!" Mario Savio
It is time to stop the war machine. It is time for bold and daring
actions on the part of us all. Precious lives are at stake. And this
government and its policies must be confronted at every turn. In every town and
city across America. The days of deceiving, manipulating and victimizing the American
people are over. We have had enough!
And I strongly encourage all of you to use every means of creative non-violent
civil disobedience to stop deeply immoral, illegal and reckless policy.
I stand with you in this important and courageous fight. And I am confident
your actions in the days ahead will inspire countless others across our country
and around the world to end this deeply illegal and immoral war."
New RATM Wears Orange Videos
Click here to watch these amazing videos or go to the Spread the Resistance - Wear Orange Daily Page on your right
WCW National Day of Resistance – Military Recruiters Off Our Campuses
and Out of Our Communities
Report from Los Angeles
"May 16th - Shut Down The Recruiters!"
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Friday, May 16th
- 3rd period bell sounds at an East Los Angeles high school, and 75 students
& several teachers are out in the main quad chalking silhouettes of their
bodies all around the school pathways. (The day before they had listened
to presentations by a WCW organizer which included testimony from Winter
Soldier, the Declare It Now video and the waterboarding AP clip.) This is
the period before lunch-time in this school that numbers 5,000 students, and is
a heavily-targeted recruitment ground for the Armed forces and the Marines.
Some of the drawings are quite powerful and include outlines of children,
bodies with amputated limbs, tanks and wording on number of casualties, number
of suicides among U.S. servicemen, and cost
tape goes up around tree trunks, and students start sporting orange flagging
tape as hair bands, wrist bands, on their backpacks, etc. Four volunteers put
on the orange jumpsuits and taking seriously their detainee role, remain
silent, heads cast down, arms tied as they start a procession, surrounded by
other students with large poster of No Torture and enlarged photos of Iraqi war
casualties. The students begin to march, amidst the clamor of lunch time and a
school sponsored election campaign for senior class president. But the march
was cut short because school administrators stopped the march and brought
students into the office for participating in an "unauthorized
activity." The jumpsuits, posters, black hoods were confiscated and the
teachers were told they would be returned after a conference with the school's
vice-principal to be held on Monday. One of the teachers asked what the
response would have been from the administration if he had requested permission
to have this lunchtime procession. The administrator told him, they probably
would not have authorized it. The two WCW organizers who were invited
there by the teachers were escorted out of the school due to a regulation that
"does not permit outside visitors from mingling with students at lunchtime
without previous clearance".
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The sponsoring teachers were not on hand while this was happening –
coincidentally one of them had been called outside of the school to investigate
a student walk-out which turned out to be false.
Not to be discouraged, we met up with three teachers and about
eight students in the 90+ degree heat and carpooled down to the Recruitment
Center. We were later joined by a social worker, and an impeachment
activist. One teacher marched into the Marine recruitment station demanding to
know why the marines go after her students, challenging the marine
recruiter to stand up to her, not prey on students with their lies; sending
youth off to kill and die.
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Teachers repeatedly asked recruiters to come to the school and debate, but the
recruiters adamantly refused. One recruiter said that they fight to
protect our right to protest! Two high school students walked into army
recruiting station and one of the students recognized her classmate. All of us
went in to Army recruiting with our signed eviction notices talking over the
recruiters heads, directly to the two students shouting, "Don't
sign, you're being sent to kill." Six recruiters came over telling
us we had to leave and we demanded to know why – why can they come onto the
school and yet we have no right to be there. All six came over and escorted us
out. Then we noticed another student at the Marine Center next door talking to
a recruiter watching a video. The marines had locked the door, so we pounded on
it, using the bull horn, demanding that he stop lying to the student. One by
one, the social worker, the teacher and then the students used the bull horn
shouting thru the glass to the student that he had options,
don't get sent off to kill and be killed, maimed, commit suicide. We chanted
loudly "Don't listen to his, we want you home alive". We knew we were
getting through b/c the student turned when one of the young women, took the
bull horn and said "you're too cute to go to war and kill".
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Both the Federal Office of Homeland Security and the local police came, and
told us we "could protest", but not disrupt the military recruiter's
'place of business.' We couldn't shout into the center or obstruct pedestrian
traffic. We started a picket line, led by the students, shouting "What are
they recruiting for? Murder, Rape, Torture, War. - Shut it Down, Shut it
Down!"
All during this time, many drivers honked their support. One of
the chants that drew an enthusiastic response was – "Bush, cochino,
marrano y asesino!" (Bush – pig, hog, and assasin). As the protest
drew to a close, one of the teachers summed it up with her students: "We
hit their weak spot – the recruiters called the cops b/c we were getting to
them. This is the real deal – your fellow students were in there getting fed
lies, all for a $2000 commission for these recruiters. This is what it means to
stand up for something you believe in". The teacher later joked that the
students could call her to bail them out if they land up in jail, but she may
be in the cell next to them. This was the same teacher that told her students,
that one of the reasons why their high school walked out during the East Los
Angeles blowouts of the 1960s was due to the disproportionate amount of Chicano
youth dying in Vietnam. The Walkouts were not only about racism and inequality
in the schools - it was about the Vietnam war.
Spirits were high, and both teachers and students, thought this was a
great success for the awareness that it had sparked. There was a commitment
among the participants to continue this battle, including with next month's 3rd Friday Iraq
Moratorium.
"We Won't Live in a Torture State!"
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The Church at Ocean Park,
Santa Monica
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Social Public Arts Resource Center (SPARC)
a non-profit art gallery and community
space - located in Venice, CA
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At a private home in Santa Monica
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To purchase a No Torture banner for $35, contact us at 323-462-4771 or worldcantwait_la@yahoo.com
Pledge to resist attack on Iran –
Create a No Attack on Iran Network!
An eye-opening presentation was given at last week’s national conference about the VERY REAL
POSSIBILITY of an attack, including use of tactical nuclear weapons,
against Iran. This is only underscored by the ‘opposition’ candidates; Clinton
vows to obliterate Iran, and Obama says he will not hesitate to respond
forcefully if Iran attacks Israel . WCW says NO! – we must Pledge to
Resist/Stop this Attack – See 20 minute download: www.iranisnottheproblem.org.
Contact us at worldcantwait_la@yahoo.com or
323-462-4771 to:
1) Build this No Attack on Iran network.
2) Organize Emergency Meeting & Presentation/forum.
We Pledge: No Attack on Iran!
Bush and Cheney are committing war crimes in Iraq.
We refuse to be silent.
Bush and Cheney are readying another war on Iran,
We refuse to be complicit.
We declare now:
We will do everything possible to stop a war on Iran.
We pledge to bring business as usual to a halt if the US bombs Iran.
We will draw forward many others to act.
We pledge our resistance now because the world cannot wait.
Iraq – Get Out!
Iran – Stay Out!
Bush and Cheney – Drive Out!
This is the time to stop accepting what we are told: that nothing we do will make a
difference in ending the global disaster represented by the Bush regime.
Bush & Cheney can be driven from office by a movement independent of “politics
as usual”, and waiting to vote in 2008 is too
late!
Challenge the people you know to raise their voices and act. Ask 3 people to
Declare it Now by wearing orange (ribbons,
buttons, bandanas, shirts) to make this determination visible. Ask each
of them to talk to 3 more people, and check back with them in 3 days.
Sign
this pledge now
Click here to download the Pledge to distribute
in either PDF or MSWord format.
Envision these new posters on campuses, in store windows, in your homes, in the streets!
Donate generously to make that possible.
Send checks made out to "World Can't Wait" to our office at 5507 Santa
Monica Blvd., #207, LA, CA 90038. For tax deductible contributions of
$100 or more, make the check out to "Alliance for Global
Justice" (and put WCW in the reference field) and mail it to our
office. To donate online via PayPal (not tax deductible) by click on the donate button on this page
Winter Soldier Investigation: Iraq and Afghanistan
March 13-16, Winter Soldier Investigation: Iraq and
Afghanistan was held in Washington D.C. At these hearings, organized by
the Iraq Veterans Against the War, almost 50 American veterans testified about
what they had done to the people and land of Iraq and Afghanistan. The audience,
about 350 people at any time, were mostly American veterans, military families,
and parents whose children were killed in the war. The four-day event brought
together veterans from across the country to testify about their experiences in
Iraq and Afghanistan—and present video and photographic evidence. In addition,
panels of scholars, veterans, journalists, and other specialists gave context to
the testimony. These panels covered everything from the history of the GI
resistance movement to the fight for veterans’ health benefits and
support. You can listen to
testimony at ivaw.org/wintersoldier/testimony.
New MP3s
On Tuesday, May 18th on Beneath the Surface with Michael Slate, KPFK 90.7 FM
in Los Angeles
Marjorie Cohn,
Law Professor, author "The Cowboy Republic", President of the National Lawyers
Guild, was interviewed about the Bush Regime, Torture, War Crimes and John
Yoo.
Why we can't rest easy for 8 more months of the Bush regime -- the current situation in the
world and what we need to do about it, with Debra Sweet, National Director of
The World Can't Wait, Drive Out the Bush Regime.
Donate!
Donate via PayPal at worldcantwait_la@yahoo.com
Or send a check to:
World Can't Wait
5507 Santa Monica Blvd., #207, LA, CA 90038
Now is the time to donate – You are one of millions
of people who hate this regime and what it is doing.
Your financial support can make a huge difference
in the chances of driving this regime out.
We urgently need money to pay for more ads
to break into the media and reach the homes and
hearts of millions across the country who are looking
for a way to act, to support our volunteers working
full-time in our National Office and in DC, to supply
millions of pieces of materials and much more. We
need you to dig deep, but more than that to reach
out to many others (friends, family, colleagues)
who also dream of a very different world, and ask
them also to give as if the future depends
on it...because it does.
Donations over $100 are tax-deductible, and
those checks must be made out to the Alliance
for Global Justice and earmarked for WCW.
The
Call for Mobilization:
Sign The Call NOW!
Download
the latest version of the call here. Make copies, get it
out far and wide.
Your government, on the basis of outrageous
lies, is waging a murderous and utterly illegitimate war
in Iraq, with other countries in their sights.
Your government is openly torturing
people, and justifying it.
Your government puts people in jail
on the merest suspicion, refusing them lawyers, and either
holding them indefinitely or deporting them in the dead
of night.
Your government is moving each day
closer to a theocracy, where a narrow and hateful brand
of Christian fundamentalism will rule.
Your government suppresses the science
that doesn't fit its religious, political and economic agenda,
forcing present and future generations to pay a terrible
price.
Your government is moving to deny women
here, and all over the world, the right to birth control
and abortion.
Your government enforces a culture
of greed, bigotry, intolerance and ignorance.
People look at all this and think of Hitler
— and they are right to do so. The Bush regime is setting
out to radically remake society very quickly, in a fascist
way, and for generations to come. We must act now; the future
is in the balance.
Millions and millions are deeply disturbed
and outraged by this. They recognize the need for a vehicle
to express this outrage, yet they cannot find it; politics
as usual cannot meet the enormity of the challenge, and
people sense this.
There is not going to be some magical "pendulum
swing." People who steal elections and believe they're
on a "mission from God" will not go without a
fight.
There is not going to be some savior from
the Democratic Party. This whole idea of putting our hopes
and energies into "leaders" who tell us to seek
common ground with fascists and religious fanatics is proving
every day to be a disaster, and actually serves to demobilize
people.
But silence and paralysis are NOT acceptable.
That which you will not resist and mobilize to stop, you
will learn — or be forced — to accept. There is no escaping
it: the whole disastrous course of this Bush regime must
be STOPPED. And we must take the responsibility to do it.
And there is a way. We are talking about something
on a scale that can really make a huge change in this country
and in the world. We need more than fighting Bush's outrages
one at a time, constantly losing ground to the whole onslaught.
We must, and can, aim to create a political situation where
the Bush regime's program is repudiated, where Bush himself
is driven from office, and where the whole direction he
has been taking society is reversed. We, in our millions,
must and can take responsibility to change the course of
history.
This will not be easy. If we speak the truth,
they will try to silence us. If we act, they will to try
to stop us. But we speak for the majority, here and around
the world, and as we get this going we are going to reach
out to the people who have been so badly fooled by Bush
and we are NOT going to stop.
The point is this: history is full of examples
where people who had right on their side fought against
tremendous odds and were victorious. And it is also full
of examples of people passively hoping to wait it out, only
to get swallowed up by a horror beyond what they ever imagined.
The future is unwritten. WHICH ONE WE GET IS UP TO US.
Sign The Call NOW!
World
Can't Wait LA
5507 Santa Monica Blvd., #207, Los Angeles
323-462-4771
worldcantwait_la@yahoo.com
Local
website: www.worldcantwait-la.com
National website: www.worldcantwait.org
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