Progressive Wednesday

This Wednesday: May We Never Forget

Problem:

Yesterday marked the sixth anniversary of the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Like nearly every American that day too far away to help, I sat glued to Peter Jennings' and Tom Brokaw's continuous broadcasts of that day's horrifying attacks well into the night, until weariness finally took hold.

As a nation, we swore that day never to forget the victims of the World Trade Center and Pentagon bombings. We swore that we would honor their sacrifice by taking care of the families of those killed, by focusing our military and foreign policy on finding those responsible and preventing them from causing further harm to our country, and by providing the best medical care to those who were injured, both physically and psychologically, on that worst of days.

We have not done that–at least not to the extent that we should.

Make Progress:

Six years later there are still people suffering from the effects of the collapsing towers, Osama bin Laden has not been “smoked out– as promised, and others responsible are regaining strength in Afghanistan while our forces are tied up in Iraq, a war that was sold to the American people partly with a fabricated connection between Saddam Hussein and the attacks of September 11th.

Fortunately, there are still ways in which we, as individuals, can help. Here's how.

• Mail
• Sign
• Call

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Mail:

As I'm quite sure you know, Osama bin Laden, well, he's still out there: not because of our service men and women, not because they don't want to hunt him down and catch him, but because our federal government has let us down, focusing the bulk of our military and (in all likelihood) intelligence agencies on Iraq and its surrounding countries.

At Progressive Wednesday, we believe there is, not only a strategic need to capture the maniac behind 9/11, but a moral obligation as well. In other words, we owe it to all Americans living and all Americans who died six years ago yesterday to find him.

So, we're asking that you ship this letter, or some variation if it, to your local newspaper.

Dear Editor:

The sixth anniversary of September 11 has come and passed, and as I'm sure all readers of this newspaper know, Osama bin Laden, the maniac behind that horrific day, remains free.

I believe there is, not only a strategic need to capture this man, but a moral obligation as well. We owe it to all Americans living and to all Americans who died six years ago yesterday to capture bin Laden.

What can we do? We can call our Senators and Representatives in Congress to do what's right: demand that the executive branch redouble its efforts to hunt down bin Laden, bringing at least some sense of justice to the victims of 9/11.

Sincerely,

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Sign:

For nearly six years the official death toll at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 was 2,749. More than half a decade later, that number has started to climb. According to CNN.com:

The death of U.S. Department of Education attorney Felicia Dunn-Jones, 42, five months after she became trapped in dust caused by the collapse of the first World Trade Center tower, is now being considered a homicide and her name has been added to the official list of World Trade Center victims.

There have been a few local efforts in New York and New Jersey to help people who are suffering as Ms. Dunn-Jones did. In September 2003, the World Trade Center Health Registry was created to obtain as much information as possible about the health of those who were in lower Manhattan when the towers came down, especially those valiant souls who were digging for days in the rubble. 30,000 have already signed up and regularly give updates to their condition so that health professionals can get a clearer picture of the consequences of exposure as well as what to do about it. (If you were there and haven't registered, you can do so here.)

Still, while the Federal Government has falsely used the September 11th attacks to sell a war in Iraq that has cost Americans nearly half a trillion bucks, not a single Jefferson, neither coin nor paper (he's on the two-dollar bill), has been spent to help the estimated 150,000 rescuers and civilians who may have need of medical attention due to the effects of toxins released when the World Trade Center towers collapsed.

Here is a petition, sponsored by 9/11 Environmental Action, urging the President and Health and Human Services Secretary, Michael O. Leavitt to:

Create a federally funded program to screen, track and treat 9/11-related illnesses for all those who lived, worked and attended school in Lower Manhattan and other affected neighborhoods.

James Zadroga, 34, was the most recent to die due to toxic dust. Please take a minute, no, 30 seconds, to add your name to the list, or, as James father said, “They’re going to be adding to that (WTC Memorial) wall for the next 20 years.–

Photo credit goes here.

Call:

Now that you've signed the petition, your voice has been heard with the masses. Now I'll ask you to make it heard by itself. Last week, Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), and Congressman Vito Fossella (R-NY) took the first step toward providing that health care to those still affected by Ground Zero toxins. According to their press release, the bill would do the following:

• Ensure that everyone exposed to the toxins of Ground Zero has a right to be medically monitored and anyone who is sick as a result has a right to treatment.
• Expand care to the whole exposed community, including residents, area workers and students, and to the thousands of people who came from across the country to respond to the 9/11 attacks.
• Provide compensation for economic damages and losses by reopening the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund.
• Build on the expertise of the Centers of Excellence, which are providing high-quality health care to thousands of responders.
• Require the federal government to collect data about and research the extent and severity of WTC-related illnesses.
• Establish and fund Coordinating Centers of Excellence to collect and analyze data, coordinate outreach, and develop medical monitoring and treatment protocols.
• Require the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to conduct or support research, diagnose, and treat WTC-related conditions.

If you don't think that the United States government should provide these medical benefits for those who were there, whose lives were in danger, who spent weeks digging through the debris at Ground Zero, all while breathing in toxic fumes, then, well… do nothing.

But if, like us, you think that the government has a responsibility to protect its people from terrorism, whether the danger is immediate or long term, please call your congressperson and tell them to support the Maloney-Nadler-Fossella 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. You can find their contact information here.

Oh, and here's some help, in case you need it. It can be a bit nerve-racking to call your Representative.

• I'm a voter from [name your state], and I am calling to voice my strong support for the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. The United States has an obligation to help all of those who risked their lives helping others on September 11th and in the days following. If Congressman/woman [last name] wants my support in future elections, [he or she] must support this legislation. Thank you for your time.

Photo credit goes here.

The fifth “C–

The last two movies that I have seen have been “The Last King of Scotland– and “Blood Diamond.– Anyone who has seen these might question why I insist on flicks that leave me angry and depressed. They deal with the oppression and gross human rights violations that been occurring all over the continent of Africa for decades, and continue today. Both are great movies; neither is fun to watch.

So why watch them if they are such depressing movies? Well, aside from being well done and evoking powerful emotions, they alert the rest of the world to the conditions in Africa, both past and present, and more importantly, how our actions and consumption contribute to those atrocities. But where they fall a century late and a few billion dollars short is in letting us know what we can do about it.

But in the case of “Blood Diamond,– Amnesty International has set up a website in conjunction with the film to help stop the trafficking of “conflict diamonds,– diamonds sold in order to fund armed conflict and civil war. Here's what they say:

Blood diamonds have fueled wars across Africa, leading to the deaths of more than 4 million people and displacing many millions more. But blood diamonds are not just a problem of the past. A recent United Nations report highlighted that $23 million in conflict diamonds from the Ivory Coast are being smuggled into diamond markets around the world, and diamonds continue to cause instability and violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The website provides information and links to other organizations with similar goals, and provides many ways that you can help. Whether it's writing to elected officials or surveying your local jewelry store, you can help stop these atrocities. Start by clicking here. And remember, the next time you're shopping for a “rock,– insist on five “C's– – Clarity, Color, Cut, Carat, and Conflict-free.

This photographer asks where the diamond came from.

Clergyman Charlie: On waging peace

I was spending the night in the home of one of our Hispanic pastors in the Bronx.  Suddenly he asked me, “Can you stay up late tonight?– I said I could.  So around midnight we got into his car and he said he wanted me to have an interesting experience.  We drove to the local precinct station of the New York Police Department (the NYPD).

When we entered, it was obvious that everyone knew him.  We went into a room near the back where a group of 25 or so police had gathered.  He read a Scripture to them and then offered a short prayer.  The prayer went something like this: “Lord, be with these men and women as they go out into the streets tonight and keep them safe.  Help them as they try to keep our community safe.  We thank you for them and ask you to guide them in all that they do.  Amen.– The police said “Amen– too.  Some crossed themselves.  Then they went to work.

I was quite impressed and asked him how this had come about.  He said, “Well, as you know, we've demonstrated a lot recently against police brutality, and there have been some cases of that.  But then I started meditation on the Scriptures that tell us to pray for those in authority and I realized we hadn't done that.  So I came over and asked the police captain if I could lead a short worship service for the police before their shift began. He said that I could, but reminded me that there were three shifts: at midnight, at 8:00 in the morning, and at 4:00 in the afternoon.”

“I knew I couldn't do that three times a day myself, with all my other duties.  So I asked the lay leaders in my church if they would take some of the shifts too.   I reminded them that these were not very convenient times.  8:00am was pretty early; 4:00pm was when children were coming home from school.  But I said we shouldn't start it if we weren't going to carry through. They said they would do it, and we've been doing this for several months now.”

“One day the police chief told me it was making him nervous; he hadn't believed we would continue for so long.  After all, some of the police were Muslim or people of no faith. I told him it was completely voluntary, only for those who wished to participate.  He seemed to think that was ok.”

“And you know what?  The attitude on the street has changed!  Police used to gaze at us with hostility.  We avoided them and considered them in many cases to be our enemies.  Now they wave at us. Recently one saw me in a store and said, – ˜Oh, Hi. You're that praying pastor.

“Maybe I shouldn't tell this part, but one stopped me for speeding the other day and when he recognized me wouldn't give me a ticket.  The whole attitude in this community is different now.–

Why am I telling you this story?  (It is true, by the way; I can tell you the pastor's name and address if you're interested.)  The reason, I hope, is obvious.  Peace making is what we are called to do.  Not war making.  Jesus told us that those who take the sword will perish by the sword. Violence leads to more and more violence.  He also told us to do good to those who persecute us, and to love our enemies.

Some people say that is naïve.  I would suggest that the path of violence hasn't worked too well so far. Some say Jesus' method wouldn't work.  I would suggest it has never been tried in a consistent way.

Years ago the Church developed criteria for a “just war.–   Some of those standards included items such as sparing civilians, making sure that every other method to solve a problem had been tried first, making sure that more good than harm would be done by the war, etc. Our occupation of Iraq violates all of those standards.

Our country has several institutions that teach the art of warfare: West Point, Annapolis, etc.  We don't have even one “Peace Academy.–

The humble story of one Hispanic pastor, whose prayers and outreaching love changed a community, can be a parable of what nations could do if they engaged in peacemaking, if they put as much money and energy into spreading compassion as they do into warfare.

If we spent the money we have spent on weapons into a type of “Marshal Plan– for the Third World, and people could feel hope as medical clinics were built, good education provided, and agriculture enhanced, they would not easily listen to terrorists who tell them that the U.S. is an evil country.

Many years ago I was going to seminary and serving a small church on weekends.  One member of the church was not highly educated but he was a very wise man.  He rarely attended services, but I visited him often.  He would say to me, “What are you preaching about, Boy?–   I'd tell him.

He would say, “Preach about Peace!  That's what we need to hear.–

I'm still trying to take that advice through this column today.

Thank you for the picture, officer.

War is over stopped, if you want it.

We’ve dedicated two Wednesdays to the occupation of Iraq and the War in Afghanistan. One covered ways to support our troops in the field and those who have returned (see “Truly Supporting Our Troops“). The other firmly addressed ending the occupation of Iraq as soon as possible (see “Memorial Day, Everyday“). We’ve also shared the story of Bryan Anderson, a triple-amputee veteran, and the accessible and powerful poetry of Iraq vet Brian Turner.

So today we’re going to tackle a war that doesn’t exist yet, but unfortunately could. There are increasing reports that the feds are seriously considering attacking Iran if they attempt to develop nuclear weapons. We’ll file that one under “Worst Ideas of 2007.” Here’s how StopIranWar.com puts it:

All Americans want to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons and interfering on the ground inside Iraq. Yet President Bush's saber rattling gives the US little additional leverage to engage and dissuade Iran, and, more than likely, simply accelerates a dangerous slide into war. The United States can do better than this.

Whatever the pace of Iran's nuclear efforts, in the give and take of the Administration's rhetoric ["All options on the table."] and accusations, we are approaching the last moments to head off looming conflict.

We’ve noticed several of the politicians running for President using the rhetoric of violence, but there’s clearly a political solution: as with Iraq, we don’t need to use force. So we’re going to do our small part at Progressive Wednesday. You’ll notice there’s a new side-bar “ad,” this one linking you to StopIranWar.com, a website launched in conjunction with Wes Clark (and his PAC, Securing America’s Future) and VoteVets.org. By clicking the blog-ad, you’ll be taken to a page where you can become the co-signer of a petition to President Bush, urging him to make every effort possible to avoid another very avoidable conflict.

If you click this sentence, you’ll be taken to a page where you can write to media outlets, write to your Representatives and Senators, and write to your pals about this important effort for peace. To sign the petition, you can simply click the image above. And why do we believe in StopIranWar.com’s mission? Because as progressives, we have to believe in peace whenever it’s possible.

This Wednesday: Memorial Day Everyday

Problem:

Yes, yes, yes, dear readers, I realize that Memorial Day was “celebrated” on Monday, but there’s two things to consider: first, Memorial Day is actually today, May 30, we just “observed” it on Monday; second, it seems odd to us that we’d remember those who’ve died in the name of our country for only 24 hours, if that. The majority of us, yours truly included, spent the vacation day gobbling bratwurst and watching baseball on the idiot box.

So, this Wednesday, this Memorial Day Wednesday, we’re going to do something for the troops so they needn’t just be in our memories.

But that’s not the biggest problem we’re facing today. Today, we’re facing a continuation of our senseless occupation of Iraq. On Friday, May 25, I realized, once again, why I belong to no political party: politicians aren’t listening to the people, the 9/11 Commission, the Iraq Study Group, or the rest of the free and not-so-free world. The Democratically controlled Congress and the Republican president just agreed to legislation to continue funding our occupation of Iraq with no end in sight (I suppose “never” is technically a time, but it’s rather far off).

An occupation can only end two ways: annexation or withdrawal. Since we’d rather have Puerto Rico or the District of Columbia as the 51st state, we’re calling for an immediate withdrawal from Iraq.

Opponents of a troop withdrawal, the few that remain, may say that to do so will destabilize the region. I’m fairly certain — if there’s any accuracy to the news we’re streamed every day — that the region is pretty well destabilized. I’m fairly certain that those destabilizing the region either despise us, fear us, or are us. But in none of those cases does that mean the Iraqis want to listen to us, particularly if what they’re hearing is mortar shells and machine guns and violent knocks on their doors. Opponents of withdrawal (which I suppose means they want to add Iraq as a state) also spew things like: “If we don’t fight the terrorists there, we’ll fight them here.” Seeing as the vast majority of terrorists don’t live in Iraq, I’m pretty sure our 160,000 troops in that country aren’t actually not fighting many of the world’s terrorists.

Let’s get something straight and straighten out our diction: we are not mired in a “civil war.” We are mired in an occupation of a sovereign country, a country of approximately 27,500,000 people. And we’ve slaughtered at least 64,333 of those civilians[1] for no ties to 9/11, for no ties to weapons of mass destruction, for no semblance of a peaceful democracy.

And the potential blowback from our occupation is rather terrifying. Blowback — not our freedoms, not our wealth, not our (somewhat) equal treatment of women, and not even our McRestaurants — caused 9/11. If we want peace on our land and on others, the sooner we withdraw, the better. We want the world community to respect us, and this is best achieved through a good example (and not imposing), through peace, through fair trade, through humanitarian missions and actions.

So let�s let logic rule this Memorial Day Wednesday. It’s time that we at Progressive Wednesday — our valiant staff and our dedicated readers — take a stand.

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Make Progress:

3,454 American troops have died because of our occupation of Iraq. And here’s another sobering factoid: “In the period from Memorial Day 2006 through Saturday, 980 soldiers and Marines died in Iraq, compared to 807 deaths in the previous year.”

On top of that ugly fact — with 114 American casualties in Iraq this month, May 2007 becomes the third deadliest month since the occupation began, and the highest total deaths since November 2004. In other words, our time in Iraq is getting worse.

So our goal this here Wednesday is simple: let us help bring an end to this mess as soon as possible, and let us properly remember those who’ve fought in our name. Can we? We can. Enough said.

Let’s put away the ketchup and mustard, let’s put the volleyball nets back in the shed, let’s put the kids to bed, and let’s do something. Let us all — united together by the name of our country and our shared values — do something powerfully patriotic.

• Salute
• Watch
• Read
• Sign
• End

[1] And at least hundreds of these deaths could have been avoided. But we insisted on using cluster munitions, and “50 strikes on top Iraqi leaders failed to kill any of the intended targets.”

Memorial Day Everyday: Salute

Salute:

We believe the best tribute to our sisters and brothers — those soldiers who’ve served and lived and those we, as a country, have laid to rest — is to help end the occupation of Iraq. As such, we’d like to point you to a fantastic organization trying to do just that: Iraq Veterans Against the War. If you want to help convince the paltry number of those around who think we should stick it out in Iraq with no end in sight, check out IVAW’s webpage for information — they outline it in a pithy and powerful way.

The IVAW calls for the following:

• Immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces in Iraq;
• Reparations for the destruction and corporate pillaging of Iraq so that Iraqi people can control their own lives and future; and
• Full benefits, adequate health care (including mental health), and other supports for returning servicemen and women.

We�re not sure if we could agree more. And what does the IVAW do? Four biggies include:

1. Educating the public about the occupation of Iraq through speaking engagements and by contacting the media.
2. Speaking to classrooms about the realities of being a soldier.
3. Supporting “Conscientious Objectors and others facing military prosecution for their refusal to fight.”
4. Pushing for “full funding for the Veterans Administration, and full quality health treatment (including mental health) and benefits for veterans when they return from duty.”

We still haven’t heard anything to disagree with. There are plenty of other organizations fighting to end this occupation. But we think this one has more umph than some of the others. So, here’s the deal: just give five. That’s it. Just give five measly smackers to a fantastic organization doing what those of us without military service can’t do: tell the absolute truth about war. Give by clicking this sentence.

On behalf of our troops, thank you in advance.