Progressive Action Clearinghouse

Call to Action, GOP Convention Ad

2008-08-25T22:41:00.000-07:00

The GetFISARight.net group is at it again, offering a new way for regular citizens -- for instance, people who don't need staff help to count their homes -- to have a direct impact on the politics of civil liberties: individual sponsorships of cable TV ads, targeted at the Republican Convention. Thanks to saysme.tv, you can run an ad on all major cable news channels in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area between September 1 and 4 for $103 during daytime hours (9am-4pm), and as little as $324 during evening hours. More information about how you can help get the ad on TV is at http://getfisaright.net/ad.

GetFISARight's first ad featured a tombstone for the Constitution. The new ad stars the Constitution as the main player, with the visual featuring a pan over founding documents. One version of the ad takes aim at Republican Senators, who voted unanimously to extend the powers of government to listen to Americans’ phone calls and read their emails without a warrant; another highlights John McCain's strong endorsement of the Bush Administration's wiretapping policies over the last eight years.

It takes 48 hours from purchase to airtime, so don't delay. Here's a way to take a stand for the Constitution and the Bill of Rights that GOP convention-goers can't avoid: on their TV sets. Please visit http://getfisaright.net/ad today!

Fight Bush's New Attack on Choice!

2008-08-22T15:21:00.000-07:00

Reposted from NARAL Pro-Choice America:

Thanks to the actions of NARAL Pro-Choice America activists, Bush's new, draft regulation removes a concerning provision found in an earlier leaked version, but this new version fails to give assurances that current laws about abortion will not be stretched to cover birth control, too.

Without these explicit assurances, we cannot rest. These regulations still could threaten women's access to birth control.

We have 30 days to let HHS know that the draft regulation must include explicit language clarifying that birth control is not at risk.

Please fill in the form, and send your comment to HHS.

Together, We Can Repower America

2008-08-21T22:23:00.000-07:00

Reposted from We Can Solve It:

We must rebuild our economy, lower fuel costs, free ourselves from our addiction to oil, and save ourselves from the climate crisis. To do this, we need to demand that we Repower America with 100% clean electricity within 10 years. Meeting this ambitious goal would create millions of new jobs, lead to lower energy costs for families and help America lead the fight against global warming.

More than a million people are standing up for solutions. Please join them and sign our petition today:

“To our leaders: We demand 100% clean electricity in 10 years.”

Signed,

CODEPINK Platform

2008-08-20T21:09:00.000-07:00

From CODEPINK:

During the upcoming Democratic and Republican National Conventions, the eyes of the country will be focused on the political future of our nation. Let's not get caught up in the razzle-dazzle of
convention shows, but recognize that real democracy means people organizing from the streets to community forums to electoral politics in a continuum of pressure from the bottom up. Both parties have led us down the path of militarism and neglected our basic needs, impoverishing our communities and endangering our security.

Now is the time to stand up for true peace and security—to demand that our government reverse military quagmires in the name of the war on terrorism; liberate us from the oil companies' polluting agenda and begin a serious offensive for conservation, efficiency and renewable energy; promote good jobs at living wages instead of pursuing cheap labor abroad; and transfer war funds to health care, clean energy and anti-poverty efforts at home and abroad.

Below is our more detailed CODEPINK Platform for Peace and Security. Please send it to the leadership of the political parties, to your friends and colleagues. And join us—at the
conventions, during the elections and beyond—as we continue to be vocal advocates for the peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world we want to live in.

Thank you.

CODEPINK Platform for Peace and Security

Withdraw all U.S. troops and military contractors from Iraq.

Redirect war funding and excess Pentagon spendingtoward needs at home, including healthcare, education and rebuilding the Gulf Coast.

Move from unilateralism and pre-emptive strikes to international cooperation and diplomacy. Start with Iran.

Seek dialogue with warring parties and increased development assistance to end the fighting and poverty in Afghanistan.

Respect international law and the sovereignty of other nations, including Pakistan.

Promote global disarmament, including the disarming of US nuclear stockpiles.

Promote an equitable peace plan between Israel and Palestine that would leave the Palestinians with a viable state.

Fight terrorism through police and intelligence efforts and by addressing root causes.

End torture, respect human rights, and restore habeas corpus.

Respect the rule of law, uphold the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Hold officials accountable for their abuses of power, using such remedies as impeachment.

Protect personal freedom by rejecting warrantless spying, stifling of dissent, and other affronts to individual liberty.

Provide universal healthcare through a single-payer, not-for-profit system.

Replace "free trade" agreements with fair trade deals with other countries that protect workers' rights and the environment.

Implement humane and comprehensive immigration reform that affirms the dignity and integrity of immigrant families.

Address global warming and oil dependence by raising auto fuel economy, imposing mandatory caps on carbon pollution and investing in public transportation, energy conservation technologies and alternative energy development.

Protect women's reproductive freedom, including the right-to-choose.

Ensure equality for lesbians gays and transgender people, including in marriage and military service.

Implement Clean Money public financing of elections, plus free TV/radio time for candidates.

Mandate paper ballots and rigorous audits of elections.

Break up media conglomerates, diversify broadcasting, expand minority and nonprofit ownership of our airwaves, and provide high-speed community Internet for all.

--------

Send our CODEPINK Platform for Peace and Security to DNC Chairperson Howard Dean and RNC Chairperson Mike Duncan

Forward our CODEPINK Platform to five friends and ask them to send it to the DNC and RNC Chairs

Elect Progressive Candidates at All Levels

2008-08-19T21:02:00.000-07:00

From democrats.com:

I pledge to help create a progressive majority in America by electing progressive candidates at all levels - not just the President but also school boards, city councils, and state governments.

Local and state governments have an enormous impact on our lives, and also produce our future national leaders and Presidential candidates.

With the many challenges that the U.S. now faces, it is increasingly important that we elect new, progressive leaders to office at all levels - not just the President.

So we need to look beyond the upcoming election, and build a progressive political movement that will elect an enduring majority. The way to accomplish this goal is to begin locally, where progressive activists can make the biggest difference.

Progressive Majority, an organization committed to recruiting, training and electing leaders willing to stand up and fight for what matters, is asking you to do your part to help.

Take the pledge today to help elect progressive leaders not just to the White House but to your school board, city council, and state government.

Your support and efforts are critical to this goal. Thank you in advance for supporting progressive candidates at all levels.

A Petition To the Next President of the United States: Renegotiate NAFTA

2008-08-18T17:30:00.000-07:00

From Renegotiate NAFTA!:

While campaigning, you heard millions of Americans attest to the disappearance of secure industrial jobs, the devastated communities and shuttered small businesses that accompanied that job loss and the growing inequality in wealth and opportunity. You heard the clamor for fair trade instead of unregulated “free trade.” You may even have promised that, if elected, you would renegotiate a treaty that, 15 years after its adoption, is not meeting the social and economic needs of the American people or the needs of most Canadians or Mexicans, for that matter. Campaign rhetoric is not enough; changes are needed in our trade and investment policies. We therefore call upon you, immediately after you take office, to begin renegotiating NAFTA. An overhauled treaty should follow the Principles of Fair Trade , which should also be integral to future trade agreements and the basis for renegotiating existing trade treaties.

Click here to add your name.

Click here to download a printable version.

Anti-contraception regulations foster dishonesty

2008-08-18T11:04:00.000-07:00

From The United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society:

More than women's health jeopardized

The United Methodist General Board of Church & Society (GBCS) urges you to immediately communicate with Secretary Michael Leavitt, secretary of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (DHHS), about proposed regulations that will negatively affect access to critical health services for men and women.

These regulations, proposed by the Bush administration, require any entity receiving funding from DHHS to certify that it does not discriminate against organizations or individuals who do not want to provide services they consider objectionable.

This may sound reasonable, but would result in the provision of services being curtailed due to ideological positions that may jeopardize a person’s health.

“This may sound reasonable, but would result in the provision of services being curtailed due to ideological positions that may jeopardize a person’s health,” said the Rev. Cynthia Abrams, GBCS director of Alcohol, Other Addictions & Health Care. Abrams issued the call for immediate action in cooperation with Linda Bales, GBCS director of the Louise & Hugh Moore Population Project.

Restrict access to basic care

“These new regulations, coming in the last days of the Bush administration, are intended to restrict access of women to services such as basic reproductive health care, including birth control, and counseling for pregnant women,” Bales pointed out. “The proposed regulations require any entity receiving funding from DHHS to certify that it does not discriminate against organizations or individuals who do not want to provide services they consider objectionable.”

This regulation would open the door for providers of health care to limit the services provided based on ideological positions rather than sound health care, according to Abrams.

‘Far-sweeping definition of abortion’ could result in most forms of birth control not being dispensed.

For example, Abrams said the proposed regulation contains a “far-sweeping definition of abortion” that could result in most forms of birth control not being dispensed if the person dispensing them believes that birth control is a form of abortion.

Undermine ability services

“To accomplish this anti-birth control objective, this regulation undermines the ability of an employer to count on its employees doing the work they are paid to do,” Bales pointed out. “Persons objecting to family planning could seek employment specifically to prevent delivering services.” Abrams said the underlying defect of these regulations is that they institutionalize dishonesty. She said under the proposed regulations a hospital may present itself as a provider of health care and then not be able to provide services because its employees object to some task or another. She added that the same dynamic holds for pharmacies. “In the end, these regulations attack women’s health only as a stepping stone to a much broader and disruptive objective: an attack on honesty and reliability in human relationships,” Bales said. “These regulations have no place in an ethical world.”

GBCS’s UMPower Action Center provides more information about this issue. It also has a sample letter that can be e-mailed or printed and sent to Leavitt.

Healthcare NOT Warfare, Sign the Petition

2008-08-16T20:32:00.000-07:00

From Progressive Democrats of America:

As Martin Luther King Jr. observed forty years ago, "A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death." While the insurance and pharmaceutical industries post huge profits, the U.S. health care crisis grows steadily worse.

Today, nearly one in six Americans has no health insurance. Tens of millions of others are woefully under-insured. Meanwhile the war in Iraq drains our resources and overburdens our budget. Our government's duty is to protect us--security begins with our health and well-being at home. In 2008, we have an historic opportunity to turn from warfare to health care for all.

We call on the Democratic Party at all levels--in party platforms and resolutions--to commit to redirecting wasteful and unnecessary military spending to meet human needs. This commitment must start with comprehensive, guaranteed health care--driven by the needs of patients and the judgment of doctors. We call on Democrats to support a plan that eliminates any financial barriers between the patient and healthcare providers, resulting in a patient not receiving medically necessary care.

We call on members of Congress to bring the troops home from Iraq and to pass H.R. 676, Rep. John Conyers' bill which guarantees comprehensive publicly-funded, privately-delivered health care for everyone in the U.S.

Prior to the Democratic National Convention in Denver, this petition will be delivered to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, DNC Chair Howard Dean and your member of Congress.

Please fill out the form completely--we need your street address to determine who your member of Congress is.

Tell Congress: Investigate the Propaganda Pundits

2008-08-15T22:54:00.000-07:00

From Free Press:

The New York Times exposed a shady Pentagon program to embed up to 75 "propaganda pundits" on every major news network. These so-called experts went on the air to cover up bad news about Iraq with White House spin. This is a violation of every conceivable standard of journalism -- and possibly of federal law. Learn more.

Send a letter to demand that Congress launch a full investigation into the "selling of the war."

Tell McDonalds to be a Leader and Not a Laggard!

2008-08-15T22:06:00.000-07:00

From Dogwood Alliance:

Mc Donald's is the biggest of the 11 Fast Food Junkies buying their paper packaging from Southern forests. We know that McDonald?s is in the process of completing their latest Corporate Social Responsibility report and we know that it will include new language about an environmental paper packaging policy.

What we don?t know is whether McDonald?s will step out as a corporate leader with a policy that supersizes their commitment to protecting forests and increasing the post-consumer recycled content of their packaging and packaging efficiencies like right-sizing and light-weighting.

We need to make sure that their commitment is truly sustainable and not just greenwashing. Tell McDonalds CEO Jim Skinner that Southern forests are too important to be wasted for fast food packaging!

Bush Admin seeks to make public comment extinct

2008-08-15T21:14:00.000-07:00

From Plenty Magazine:

Bush Admin seeks to make public comment extinct

The public normally gets a chance to comment on new laws and regulations before they are enacted. But in the case of regulations about endangered species, the Bush Administration appears to be determined to do what they want to do, regardless of how the public feels.

Monday's proposed changes to Endangered Species Act regulations come with several rather extreme limitations on public comments. For one things, you need to comment within 30 days. For another, you can't do it by email or fax. You need to send an actual, paper letter to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Here's the address, dug up by Andrew Wetzler at the NRDC:

Public Comment Processing
Attention: 1018-AT50
Division of Policy and Directives Management
US Fish and Wildlife Service
4401 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 222
Arlington, VA 22203

The National Wildlife Federation also has an online form you can use to send a comment to Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne. But let's face it, he probably won't care or even blink an eye no matter how many letters come in.

I'd also suggest contacting your state representatives to vocalize your displeasure about the proposed changes. If we're going to defeat these outrageous changes, we need as much action as we can get.

Tell McCain to Put a STOP to Oil Drilling in our Coastal Waters

2008-08-14T21:25:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

I’ve been worrying a lot these days that all the concern about high gas prices will undermine our efforts to protect the planet.

Some politicians, like Senator McCain, are taking advantage of the situation by supporting the lift of a 27-year ban on drilling for oil along our coastlines.
Not only will that do nothing to immediately reduce the price of gas, it will cause large amounts of damage to the climate and marine wildlife!

TAKE ACTION: Tell McCain to Put a STOP to Oil Drilling in our Coastal Waters!

For whales and dolphins, the piercing underwater volume of seismic testing, the first step to offshore drilling, can lead to brain damage and even cause entire pods to beach. In June, over 100 melon-head whales beached off of Madagascar close to ExxonMobil seismic testing! Oil spills from the drilling would also threaten our beaches, fish, and marine mammals.

Now isn’t the time for following leaders who promise quick fixes to high gas prices. It’s the time to end our dependence on oil and fossil fuels and begin a meaningful transition toward a future where we utilize renewable energy sources that will be able to sustain generations to come.

John McCain’s plan to drill for more oil will only cause more greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to global warming.

For the Planet!
Chris
Greenpeace USA

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Implementing a Comprehensive Regional Strategy

2008-08-14T19:51:00.000-07:00

From Darfur Scores:

Ask your representative to co-sponsor House Resolution 1011.

With the humanitarian crisis stemming from Darfur continuing to destabilize not only Sudan, but the surrounding region, including Chad and the Central African Republic, it has become increasingly urgent that the international community develop, fund, and implement a "comprehensive regional strategy."

The United States and President Bush have the ability and responsibility to protect by using their influential position on the United Nations Security Council and financial ability to provide humanitarian assistance to the region.

House Resolution 1011 urges President Bush to stick to his promises by:

Urging the UN Security Council to implement sanctions against the government of Sudan for its detrimental actions and the continued destabilization of the region, and continue US humanitarian assistance to the refugees and internally displaced people in Chad and the Central African Republic.

This week, ask your representative to call on President Bush to stick to his promises and implement a comprehensive regional strategy by co-sponsoring House Resolution 1011.

Come Up to Denver!

2008-08-10T17:11:00.000-07:00

Participate!

Please copy and re-distribute this invitation.

Invitation to Participate in Downtown Festival of Democracy

http://www.comeuptodenver.org/phplist/?p=subscribe&id=3

The Come Up to Denver Campaign and Recreate68 would like to invite
you to "Come Up to Denver" for the Democratic National
Counter-Convention and Downtown Festival of Democracy. As you know,
the DNC will be in Denver from Aug. 24-28, 2008. In the spirit of
true democracy, we are inviting all groups advocating progressive
social change to participate in the Downtown Festival of Democracy
in Civic Center Park. This festival is being organized by Recreate68,
an umbrella organization that has obtained permits for the main
Downtown Denver parks for that week. The Democrats are coming to
Downtown Denver, and we're going to party with them!

The Downtown Festival of Democracy will run all week and includes
free music, art, speakers, workshops, information tables, marches,
rallies and networking opportunities for activists from around the
country to plan "what's next" after the 2008 General Election.
Environmental, peace, social justice, immigrant rights, human rights
and the economy are just some of the issues that will be featured
at the Festival.

We are inviting your group to have an information table at the
Festival at no charge. You can promote your cause through literature
and information. Product sales will also be allowed with prior approval.
There is no charge for your participation, however donations can
be made to the permit-holder for the Downtown Festival of Democracy
(R68, P.O. Box 6444, Denver CO, 80206).

In addition, you can apply to have a speaker or give a workshop
at the Festival. We will schedule speakers and workshops as time
and space allows.

You will have to supply your own information table setup and water
containers. The city is providing water and portable toilets. We
are trying to achieve a No Waste Left Behind event, so please encourage
your members to treat this as a camping trip and "Pack It In,
Pack It Out."

The times and locations of all the events, marches and actions
will not be finalized for several weeks. But the Downtown Festival
of Democracy will take place at these locations concurrent with
the Democratic National

Convention:

Sun. (8/24): Lincoln Park (across from Civic Center Park)

Mon. (8/25): Civic Center Park

Tues. (8/26): Civic Center Park

Wed. (8/27): Skyline Park or Civic Center Park (TBA)

Thurs. (8/28): Skyline Park off the 16th Street Mall

If your group is interested in participating in the Downtown Festival
of Democracy, please fill out this online form. You will be sent
an email confirmation of your application. You must click on that
link in the email

in order for the application process to be completed.

http://www.comeuptodenver.org/phplist/?p=subscribe&id=3

To aid in our organization efforts, your speedy response is greatly
appreciated!

Please feel free to forward this email to any other group you might
think would be interested.

See you in Denver!!!

Sincerely,

Come Up to Denver Campaign

http://www.comeuptodenver.org/

Recreate68 Outreach Committee

http://www.recreate68.org/

Tell The FEC to Investigate Walmart's Mandatory Political Meetings

2008-08-06T21:03:00.000-07:00

From Wake-Up Walmart:

Help us hold Walmart accountable for the tasteless, possibly illegal political meetings held nation wide

Mandatory political indoctrination, Democrat-bashing, voter intimidation. Yes, it's business as usual at Wal-Mart.

This summer, Wal-Mart has organized mandatory meetings across the country, all with one purpose: to intimidate rank-and-file employees into voting Republican. The company's workers have been forced to attend ideologically-charged, Wal-Mart-sponsored rants against Democrats, Barack Obama, and landmark legislation that would allow workers to vote for or against representation.

We have received several calls from workers, their stories are very similar and similarly unsettling. As one worker put it, �they were telling me how to vote.� Another Wal-Mart worker, Beth from Alabama, was told by Wal-Mart management that if she �voted for John McCain, then everything would be okay.�

We believe that ideological indoctrination and political scare tactics are completely inappropriate for the workplace. Yet again, Wal-Mart�s management has crossed the line, possibly breaking the law in the process. In light of these developments, we are calling for an immediate FEC investigation into Wal-Mart's political bullying at work, but we need your help to make a real impact.

Please tell the FEC to investigate Wal-Mart�s mandatory political meetings today. Sign the petition on this page to send a complaint to the FEC in your name.

Outright political intimidation may seem too risqu� for a global corporation. Not for Wal-Mart. Stories like the above are actually an emerging part of Bentonville's corporate culture.

Take 2006, when Wal-Mart organized a �voter education program� for employees. The company placed Terry Nelson at the helm: formerly George W. Bush's political director, and later fired for making racist ads about a Democratic politician. Unsurprisingly, Wal-Mart's �education� program amounted to a thin veneer over strident attacks against Democratic candidates nation wide.

Why has Wal-Mart made such an effort to control its workers' voting habits? For one, The company is terrified that Democratic gains will ensure passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. For Wal-Mart, an organized workforce could spell higher wages and better benefits�two things the company has fought tirelessly to avoid.

In the end, Wal-Mart's motives are a moot point. The company has crossed the line, again, and it's time to hold them accountable. You can help us end Wal-Mart's sleazy political schemes by taking a moment to write the FEC today.

Please use the form on this page to write the FEC and demand an investigation into Wal-Mart's mandatory employee meetings

Thanks for joining us in support of justice in the workplace, for Wal-Mart workers everywhere,

Contact the Presidential candidates NOW

2008-08-06T16:05:00.000-07:00

From Amnesty International USA:

Urge the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates to lead their political parties to include Reject Torture planks in their party platforms.

Contact the presidential candidates NOW—time is of the essence. INSIST: "No Torture. No Exceptions."

CALL

Senator John McCain
Phone: (202) 224-2235 • Fax: (202) 228-2862

Senator Barack Obama
Phone: (202) 224-2854 • Fax: (202) 228-4260

WRITE

Senator John McCain
241 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Fax: (202) 228-2862

Senator Barack Obama
713 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Fax: (202) 228-4260

TIPS

Be bipartisan in spirit. AIUSA does not favor or oppose any candidate for public office.
Limit yourself to the issue of torture and its rejection
Keep in mind it is your own concern you are voicing, rejecting torture matters to you

FOR CALLS

Expect a staffer to answer your call. (You are calling the candidate's Senatorial office, which is better equipped than campaign headquarters to receive comment on public issues.)
Be respectful, courteous, and to the point. Ask: “Are you the person I should speak to in order to convey a message to Senator [Name]?”
-If “Yes” (or you are connected you to another person): introduce yourself and say where you are from.
-If asked 'is it a campaign or legislative issue?' say 'legislative' (your concern about torture is more than a campaign matter): introduce yourself and say where you are from.
Say you are calling:
-to tell him that halting the U.S. government’s use of torture is a priority concern for you
-to urge Senator [Name] to lead his party at the [name Party] Convention to adopt a party platform plank that rejects torture absolutely. "No Torture. No Exceptions."
[Prior to the general election each political party at its convention adopts a program/platform with policies/planks it pledges to uphold.]
If you can, add why this is important. Here are good points to choose from: -torture is immoral -torture is illegal under U.S. and international law -torture is contrary to the best of American values -military and intelligence experts have said torture is ineffective

FOR LETTERS

Address your letter or fax: Dear Senator McCain, Dear Senator Obama
Be respectful and polite in what you write.
Let Senator [Name] know why you are writing him: to urge a Reject Torture plank in the [name] Party platform
Why torture is an important issue to you:
-torture is immoral
-torture is illegal under U.S. and international law
-torture is contrary to the best of American values
-military and intelligence experts have said torture is ineffective
Conclude by urging Senator [Name] to lead the [name] Party to adopt a platform plank that says “No Torture. No Exceptions.”
Under your signature, print your name and home address

Religious Declaration on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing

2008-08-05T00:26:00.000-07:00

From the Religious Institute on Sexuality, Justice, and Healing:

More than 2,800 religious leaders from more than 50 religious traditions have endorsed the Religious Declaration, including clergy; professional religious educators and counselors; denominational and interfaith leaders; and seminary presidents, deans and faculty members.

Endorsements are only accepted from ordained clergy, professional religious educators, theologians, and staff of religious institutions. If you do not fit into one of these categories, but would like to keep up on the work of the Religious Institute, please join our network.

Sexuality is God's life-giving and life-fulfilling gift. We come from diverse religious communities to recognize sexuality as central to our humanity and as integral to our spirituality. We are speaking out against the pain, brokenness, oppression, and loss of meaning that many experience about their sexuality.

Our faith traditions celebrate the goodness of creation, including our bodies and our sexuality. We sin when this sacred gift is abused or exploited. However, the great promise of our traditions is love, healing, and restored relationships.

Our culture needs a sexual ethic focused on personal relationships and social justice rather than particular sexual acts. All persons have the right and responsibility to lead sexual lives that express love, justice, mutuality, commitment, consent, and pleasure. Grounded in respect for the body and for the vulnerability that intimacy brings, this ethic fosters physical, emotional, and spiritual health. It accepts no double standards and applies to all persons, without regard to sex, gender, color, age, bodily condition, marital status, or sexual orientation.

God hears the cries of those who suffer from the failure of religious communities to address sexuality. We are called today to see, hear, and respond to the suffering caused by violence against women and sexual minorities, the HIV pandemic, unsustainable population growth and over-consumption, and the commercial exploitation of sexuality.

Faith communities must therefore be truth seeking, courageous, and just. We call for:

* Theological reflection that integrates the wisdom of excluded, often silenced peoples, and insights about sexuality from medicine, social science, the arts and humanities.
* Full inclusion of women and sexual minorities in congregational life, including their ordination and the blessing of same sex unions.
* Sexuality counseling and education throughout the lifespan from trained religious leaders.
* Support for those who challenge sexual oppression and who work for justice within their congregations and denomination.

Faith communities must also advocate for sexual and spiritual wholeness in society. We call for:

* Lifelong, age appropriate sexuality education in schools, seminaries, and community settings.
* A faith-based commitment to sexual and reproductive rights, including access to voluntary contraception, abortion, and HIV/STD prevention and treatment.
* Religious leadership in movements to end sexual and social injustice.

God rejoices when we celebrate our sexuality with holiness and integrity. We, the undersigned, invite our colleagues and faith communities to join us in promoting sexual morality, justice, and healing.

Endorse the declaration.

Major Supermarket Pulls Unsustainable Seafood!

2008-08-04T20:07:00.000-07:00

Hey Friends!

This week, the major supermarket Giant Foods announced they are going to stop selling Chilean sea bass, orange roughy and shark. These 3 fish rank among the most imperiled on the Greenpeace seafood red list. This is a step in the right direction for protecting the oceans and it’s thanks to activists like you who demanded supermarkets change their seafood buying policies. Let’s keep the victories coming and pressure other supermarkets to follow Giant’s lead.

Take Action Now: Tell the Top U.S. Supermarkets to Adopt Sustainable Seafood Policies and Practices!

Every day in our oceans, sea turtles are caught up in fishing nets, bottom trawlers scrape the ocean floors, and fish are being hauled in by the hundreds of thousands. The global seafood industry is causing massive damage to ocean ecosystems.

Because they buy this seafood and sell it to the public, your local grocery store plays a huge role in the health of the world’s oceans.

That is why Greenpeace is shining the spotlight on supermarkets and demanding that they help put an end to ocean destruction. In an interactive report released in June, Greenpeace called on the top U.S. supermarkets to improve their seafood purchasing policies and move towards sustainable seafood practices. Because of activists like you, the report received wide spread media attention and thousands of people wrote the supermarket industry demanding they change their ways. It looks like Ahold, the owner of Giant Foods, got your message!

You can encourage the other top U.S. supermarkets to get in the game by taking action and writing them a letter today!

For the Oceans!
Chris
Greenpeace USA

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End the Sentencing Disparity Between Crack and Powder Cocaine

2008-08-04T19:20:00.000-07:00

From The United Methodist Church's General Board of Church and Society:

The enactment of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 created what is known as the 100 to 1 crack to npowder cocaine disparity. This legislation was hastily passed in response to basketball star Len Bias who died suddenly after trying cocaine. Although it as thought he had tried crack cocaine, he actually died using powder cocaine. This legislation was passed due to much misinformation.

Current federal sentencing law punished crack cocaine offenders much more severely than any other drug offenders. Crack cocaine is the only drug for which simple possession and trafficking can lead to the same sentence. Possessing or dealing 5 grams of crack cocaine results in the same five-year mandatory minimum sentence as trafficking 500 grams of powder cocaine.

African-Americans constitute more than 80% of the people sentenced under these harsh federal lawsand serve substantially more time in prison for drug offenses than whites, yet whites use this form of cocaine more than African-Americans do. These laws are therefore are inherently racist.

Public concern in the 1980s on widespread use of crack cocaine was thought to be epidemic at the time, but has been understood to be over-dramatized. The pharmacological effects of crack cocaine are the same as powder cocaine, and the rash of expected "crack" babies never materialized. Yet, this legislation, which was passed in response to these irrational expectations has not been changed.

The U.S. Sentencing Commission, created in 1984 to help Congress reduce unwarranted sentencing, has repeatedly called for the equalization of crack and powder sentences. The resistance to change the law is based on the lack of political resolve by Congress. The result of these long sentences has been a ballooning of the prison population and the transformation of drug addicts who begin these long sentences, into criminals when they complete them.

Contact your Federal Senator(s) and Representative(s).

A National Summit on Torture: Religious Faith, Torture, and our National Soul

2008-08-04T18:49:00.001-07:00

From Evangelicals for Human Rights:

September 11-12, 2008 Conference in Atlanta, GA*

Mercer University, Evangelicals for Human Rights, and the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, in cooperation with the Center for Victims of Torture, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Faith and the City, Faith in Public Life, Evangelicals for Social Action, and the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, are hosting a national conference on torture on September 11-12, 2008. A National Summit on Torture: Religious Faith, Torture, and our National Soul is organized by David P. Gushee, President of Evangelicals for Human Rights and Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University.

This two day conference looks at how we have gotten where we are since September 11, 2001, and how we return to a rejection of torture without exceptions. This event will be infused with moral conviction drawn from religious faith, and conference speakers will reflect a variety of faith perspectives. This conference is open to all who will come. Religious Faith, Torture, and our National Soul aims to model a kind of discourse, Christian, interfaith, and otherwise, that opens doors for dialogue rather than closes them.

Questions that will be considered:

What policy decisions led to torture?
How did the US military respond?
What does torture do to human beings?
What has the torture debate revealed about American Christianity?
What is really going on at Guantanamo Bay?
How do we heal the (American) Christian relationship with the Muslim world?
What legislative efforts are being made to address torture?
How do Christians break free from cultural captivity?
What are younger thinkers noticing about this cultural moment that others are missing?
How do we restore America's leadership in protecting human rights?

* Registration deadline is September 1, 2008. Seating availability is limited.

Click here to register online.

North Central Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church to welcome sojourners

2008-08-04T18:46:00.001-07:00

From The United Methodist Church's General Board of Church and Society:

Bishops to speak at conference on immigration reform

At an April rally in Washington, D.C., United Methodist Bishop Minerva Carcaño addresses thousands of protesters calling for fair treatment of undocumented immigrants. She will be a featured speaker at ‘Welcoming the Sojourner’ Oct. 16-18, in Naperville, Ill.
(UMNS photo by Jay Mallin)

Bishop Minerva Carcaño of the Desert Southwest Conference of The United Methodist Church, will be a featured speaker at “Welcoming the Sojourner — Finding the Church’s Voice on Immigration.” The event will be Thursday to Saturday, Oct. 16-18, at the Lisle Hilton in Naperville, Ill.

Carcaño is chair of the United Methodist Council of Bishops committee on immigration. She also heads an interagency task force of the denomination that targets reform of U.S. immigration laws.

”Welcoming the Sojourner” is co-sponsored by the North Central Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church and the denomination’s General Board of Church & Society (GBCS).

Other featured speakers include Bishop Hee-Soo Jung of the Northern Illinois Conference; the Rev. Mark Sills, executive director of FaithAction International House, Greensboro, N.C., an interfaith, interracial, non-profit organization working to form a united community of many cultures; and José Oliva, an organizer for Interfaith Worker Justice in Chicago.

Workshops at “Welcoming the Sojourner” will include:

The Bible and Immigration

Organizing United Methodists for Comprehensive Immigration Reform

The Local Church as a Place of Outreach and Ministry

Immigration and Racism

The New Sanctuary Movement, and

INS Raids and Your Community

A Continuing Education Credit will be awarded for the event. Registration fee is $95. Go to Registration to register online.

For more information, contact the Rev. Clayton Childers, GBCS director of Annual Conference Relations, at (202) 488-5642.

Another “Welcoming the Sojourner” event will be Sept. 11-13 at Hendrix College in Conway, Ark. That event is co-sponsored the Board of Church and Society of the Arkansas Conference of The United Methodist Church, Justice For Our Neighbors and GBCS. Besides Bishop Carcaño and Sills, featured speakers will include Bill Mefford, director of GBCS’s Civil and Human Rights program. Bishop Charles Crutchfield of Arkansas Conference will lead worship.

Registration for the Arkansas event is $50. Go to Arkansas Registration to register online. For more information, contact the Rev. Steve Copley, Arkansas Justice for Our Neighbors, at (501) 374-3811.

The General Board of Church & Society is one of four international general program boards of The United Methodist Church, which has more than 11 million members worldwide. The board’s primary areas of ministry are Advocacy, Education and Leadership Formation, United Nations and International Affairs, and resourcing these areas for denomination. It has offices on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., and at the Church Center at the United Nations. Its Web site is www.umc-gbcs.org.

Midwest Interfaith Immigration Summit

2008-08-04T18:42:00.000-07:00

From The United Methodist Church's General Board of Church and Society:

Sept. 10, 11 in Columbus, Ohio

COLUMUS, OHIO — A Midwest Interfaith Immigration Summit will be Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 10 and 11, here. The summit, sponsored by the Interfaith Immigration Coalition, will focus on “Mobilizing for Humane Reform.”

Goal of the summit is to provide faith-based leaders and advocates tools they need to educate and mobilize their communities in support of fair and humane immigration reform.

The United Methodist Church is among sponsors of the event.

Other sponsors include American Jewish Committee, Anti-Defamation League, Church World Service, Sojourners, Ohio Council of Churches and Ohio Hispanic Coalition.

For more information, contact Jennifer Hollinger.

Executive Order Banning Torture

2008-08-04T14:50:00.000-07:00

From the National Religious Campaign Against Torture:

ENDORSING A DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES FOR AN EXECUTIVE ORDER BANNING TORTURE

The National Religious Campaign Against Torture, in alliance with Evangelicals for Human Rights and the Center for Victims of Torture, launched an effort that calls upon the President to issue an executive order banning torture based on six core principles embodied in a Declaration of Principles. The groups are calling this effort the "Campaign to Ban Torture."

Since the success of this effort depends upon thousands of people of faith and other opponents of torture joining together to endorse the Declaration of Principles, please endorse the Declaration.

Individuals can endorse here.
Institutions can endorse here. The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and other religious bodies have endorsed.

Prominent faith leaders from Catholic, Protestant, Evangelical, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh communities, as well top officials from every Administration since the 1970s, have joined together to endorse the Declaration of Principles.

Suggestions for other steps you can take and more information:

For individuals
For congregations
For clergy
For press stories
For the list of prominent endorsers
For other Presidential Executive Order resources
For a petition version of the Declaration. Take the petition to your congregation, the regional body of your denomination or faith group, political events, or anyplace where you think you can garner endorsements. Please return completed petitions to NRCAT.

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Declaration of Principles for a Presidential Executive
Order on Prisoner Treatment, Torture and Cruelty

Though we come from a variety of backgrounds and walks of life, we agree that the use of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment against prisoners is immoral, unwise, and un-American.

In our effort to secure ourselves, we have resorted to tactics which do not work, which endanger US personnel abroad, which discourage political, military, and intelligence cooperation from our allies, and which ultimately do not enhance our security.

Our President must lead us by our core principles. We must be better than our enemies, and our treatment of prisoners captured in the battle against terrorism must reflect our character and values as Americans.

Therefore, we believe the President of the United States should issue an Executive Order that provides as follows:

The "Golden Rule." We will not authorize or use any methods of interrogation that we would not find acceptable if used against Americans, be they civilians or soldiers.

One national standard. We will have one national standard for all US personnel and agencies for the interrogation and treatment of prisoners. Currently, the best expression of that standard is the US Army Field Manual, which will be used until any other interrogation technique has been approved based on the Golden Rule principle.

The rule of law. We will acknowledge all prisoners to our courts or the International Red Cross. We will in no circumstance hold persons in secret prisons or engage in disappearances. In all cases, prisoners will have the opportunity to prove their innocence in ways that fully conform to American principles of fairness.

Duty to protect. We acknowledge our historical commitment to end the use of torture and cruelty in the world. The US will not transfer any person to countries that use torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.

Checks and balances. Congress and the courts play an invaluable role in protecting the values and institutions of our nation and must have and will have access to the information they need to be fully informed about our detention and interrogation policies.

Clarity and accountability. All US personnel-whether soldiers or intelligence staff-deserve the certainty that they are implementing policy that complies fully with the law. Henceforth all US officials who authorize, implement, or fail in their duty to prevent the use of torture and ill treatment of prisoners will be held accountable, regardless of rank or position.

Click here for Printable pdf file of Declaration

Demand Congress uphold consular rights. Stop Jose Medellin from being unjustly executed.

2008-08-04T12:23:00.000-07:00

From Center for Constitutional Rights:

Texas authorities will execute Jose Medellin, a Mexican national, on August 5, 2008, unless you contact your Representative today and demand Congress uphold consular rights through the passage of H.R. 6481, the "Avena Case Implementation Act of 2008."

H.R. 6481 is a response to the International Court of Justice's Avena decision, which determined whether the Vienna Convention rights of 51 Mexican nationals had been violated when they were detained in the United States. According to the Vienna Convention, local authorities are required to notify consular officers without delay of the detainment of one of their foreign nationals. The ICJ determined that American officials had not done so, violating the foreign nationals' Vienna Convention rights. The US was ordered to provide judicial reviews to determine if those violations affected their convictions or sentences. H.R. 6481 would provide these Avena-mandated judicial reviews.

The impact of the "Avena Case Implementation Act of 2008" will extend to all Americans detained abroad. But this guaranteed visit by an American consular officer is contingent on the weight foreign authorities give to the Vienna Convention right to have consular authorities notified without delay. What goes around comes around with international law, and H.R. 6481 would be noticed by foreign governments, bettering the chances that Americans are ensured their rights when traveling abroad.

One problem is that there is not enough time to pass H.R. 6481 before one Avena defendant, Jose Ernesto Medellin is scheduled for execution on August 5th in Texas. Write your Representative now to make sure H.R. 6481 is passed and a judicial review is applied to Medellin's case. Congress must support a temporary reprieve from execution. Without it, Jose Medellin may be unjustly executed and a dangerous precedent will be set that would jeopardize all Americans abroad.

Read and edit the message before signing and sending.

Launch of Grassroots Statement by Delegates For Platform to Guarantee "Health Care for All"

2008-08-03T12:46:00.000-07:00

From Progressive Democrats in America:

July 24, 2008--Rep. John Conyers, a leader for health care reform on Capitol Hill, is the first Democratic National Convention delegate to sign a new statement urging that the convention adopt a plank in the 2008 party platform to "guarantee accessible health care for all."

Launched by Progressive Democrats of America, the grassroots statement aims to gather hundreds of signers among delegates to the party's national convention before it opens in Denver in late August.

The brief document--titled "Statement in Support of Guaranteed Health Care for All as a Plank in the Democratic Party Platform of 2008"--was drafted by two co-chairs of PDA's Healthcare NOT Warfare campaign, Congressman Conyers and Norman Solomon. Both are Obama delegates to the Democratic National Convention. Also signing the statement prior to its national launch on July 23 was Rep. Jim McGovern, a Clinton delegate and PDA board member.

Now, a grassroots effort is starting among activists nationwide to contact and encourage convention delegates to add their names as signers. Delegates can do that online here.

Non-delegates are also invited to go on record in support of the statement, here.

The statement calls for the 2008 Democratic Party Platform to include "a plank calling for our nation to enact universal health care that will":

"guarantee accessible health care for all";
"create a single standard of high quality, comprehensive, and preventive health care for all";
"allow freedom of choice of physician, hospital, and other health care providers";
"eliminate financial barriers that prevent families and individuals from obtaining the medically necessary care they need";
"allow physicians, nurses and other licenced health care providers to make health care decisions based on what is best for the health of the patient."

PDA is encouraging activists--wherever they live--to contact delegates from their area and urge them to become signers of this statement here.