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On Message
01 May 01
Why does mainstream media give us such a hard time when they cover the protests? Part of the solution is that we must be more concise and clear with our message. P.R. experts suggest that when you talk to a reporter, it's wise to have three points in mind and make sure you communicate your three points, despite whatever the questions may be! The future holds numerous opportunities for us to explain our message.
Communication lies in the words we use. The word "globalization," for example, sounds benign. Who could be against "globalization"? It suggests images of sharing, trade, and respect for other cultures, right? That's what they want people to believe. The message is in the language, so one important point to explain to the media is that we are protesting "global corpratization" or "corporate globalization" -- menacing images that mainstream people can understand.
We have been successful with language on the legalization front. We talk about "medical marijuana" and ending the "war" on drugs. The word "prohibition" carries a hefty symbolism because most people realize that prohibition was a failure. Over the last few years, we've been remarkably successful in rallying support using these words.
Now is the perfect time to talk about hemp oil and the conspiracy of the petroleum barons to keep hemp oil out of the mainstream. In the upcoming Million Marijuana March, we hope that the debate over hemp oil (and other plant oils) will take center stage. Recent polls show that Americans are concerned about the environment and hemp oil would go a long way in solving the energy crisis.
Another good point is to call for the normalization of marijuana use, hence the organization "NORML," National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Another example is our organization, Pray for Peace News, which works for freedom of religion for marijuana users. The Alchemind Society proclaims that "the freedom to control one's own consciousness is the essential foundation of all other freedoms." If someone prefers marijuana to alcohol, that is a matter of conscience. The ACLU ran a series of ads comparing marijuana use to drinking a martini (see PFPF News back issues). Talk on this subject is still rather rare, but useful for a constructive dialogue.
PFPF News urges all activists to prepare to speak to the media. Know exactly what you would say and be prepared to convey your thoughts in a few short statements. Often, that's all the time you will get in the modern sound-bite media environment. The more articulate we become, the easier it will be to get our message across. Those days are over when we can just sit back and blame the media for neglecting our cause.
How London Sees U.S.
30 April 01
Last week The Economist magazine, London, said that the result of the American drug war "is to undermine democracy, human rights and the environment in much of Latin America. A radical rethink of drug policy is long overdue."
War, War and More War
30 April 01
Anthony Lewis, writes in a recent article, "A War Against Ourselves," that Bush's reported choice for drug czar is John P. Walters, a drug war hawk who favors fighting in South America to drug treatment. Lewis adds, "The Bush administration has also started to enforce a little-known 1998 law that bars financial aid to students who have been convicted of even a minor drug offense. The result, defying reason, is to discourage one of the best routes to rehabilitation, higher education."
Get Info. on the Million Marijuana March
to take place worldwide 05 May
March in solidarity with the MMM link here for websites and more info.
Grow Oil Campaign
25 April 01
At the free trade meetings in Quebec City, Bush said that he will listen to voices "outside this hall who want to join us in constructive dialogue." Pray for Peace News has therefore invited Bush to engage in a constructive dialogue about gradually replacing mineral oil (oil that is drilled) with oil that is grown (hemp oil, corn oil, etc.).
History notes that Henry Ford originally designed his cars to run on a mixture of hemp and vegetable oil, but due to the industrial giants of the early 1900s, mineral oil took over the market when the Hearst news media vilified hemp and government taxed it excessively and eventually made it illegal.
Now is the time to reverse this trend and begin substituting vegetable and hemp oils to break our addiction to toxic mineral oils. Hemp can reduce our dependence on imported oil and preserve our wilderness areas at the same time. Hemp is the ultimate solution to the energy crisis.
Please join the Pray for Peace News "Grow Oil" campaign. Write to your legislators, the media and the White House about this important subject. Also, buy products that use hemp oil instead of mineral oil.
What Can We Do About the Robber Barons?
24 April 01
It's obvious that gas and energy prices are climbing for no apparent reason, besides boosting company profits. Sometimes it feels that we are hopelessly at their mercy, since we must buy gasoline, electricity and natural gas. A new idea is circulating on the Internet to combat rising gasoline prices (see original letter). The basic idea is that if people just boycott the two largest gasoline stations (Exxon and Mobile), then these companies will feel the pinch and reduce their prices - and if they reduce their prices the other companies will too. See you at the next Arco, 76, Chevron or Shell station!
Regarding your article, "Protesters, Police Clash as Quebec Summit Opens"
Earth Day 21 April 01
Dear Editor,
These days "free trade" is a polite euphemism for granting big corporations the right to export their chemical-laden, sweat-shop-oriented, petro-based, genetically-modified ways to the rest of the world. Those treaties create international laws that override local environmental laws. Do we want corporations to have superhuman sovereignty over the rest of us? The protesters are risking their lives to send us a message. Will we listen? Let us go gently into the future, rather than barrel ahead without regard for the Earth and fellow human beings.
- Nori Muster (published in the L.A. Times 24 April 01)
PFPF News Issues an Apology to All the Countries
America has Managed to Offend in the Last 100 days
18 April 01
I'm sorry that President Bush and his men behave like rapacious hounds.
There, I said it. Ever since the election, I've felt a tremendous burden on my left shoulder. Now it's lifted. I've made my apology. I have not and never will vote for a Republican president. I voted for Jimmy Carter in 1976 and he won! I have voted for the Democrat ever since and the only luck I've had was with Bill Clinton. Even he did things we need to apologize for.
Our world is undergoing a transition with a clear crossroad ahead. It's just a tiny road, but as many people as possible must take that road. It's the road back to natural living. If we take the road, then we can stop the corporate interests who smother us with chemicals and then sell us more expensive chemicals to cure their diseases. Genetic engineering is another issue and speaking of science fiction, all of this is said to be the dream of Maha Vishnu (the original Vishnu who slumbers in the cosmic ocean).
It has taken the human race a long time to get to where we are, but a bad dream can change; a good outcome is still in the field of possibilities. One lesson of the dream is that if we always vote for the "lesser of two evils," as many Democrats (and Republicans) say they do, then someday the evil one will win. Murphy's law is in effect, but this president beats anything we've ever seen! God help us!
The tiny road we must take is enlightenment. As more people find the road, it will become easier to find. For proof, just look at how the bookstore offerings have improved lately! People are becoming enlightened at an accelerating rate. You could be next.
Please join our peace circle: Visualize a benevolent future, pray, and then write a letter of encouragement (and make a donation if possible) to a group that works to protect something you value. Another investment you can make in the future is to buy certified organic products.
The Right to Say 'No'
18 April 01
If someone takes away your power to say 'no' to something that makes you uncomfortable, then they have broken your boundaries. With broken boundaries, abuse is more likely to happen. Exercise your right to say no -- especially if you're one of those highly competent, overbooked, workaholic types. Start out gradually so that you can avoid dreadful consequences like losing a friend, a job, or worse. You could even risk physical harm by saying no to something for the first time. If you have missing or damaged boundaries, then people probably trample you all the time and expect to be allowed to continue. In fact, it may take a tremendous effort once you decide to work on boundary issues, and even more effort to uphold sensible boundaries. In some situations, it's frustrating and nearly impossible to create and defend healthy boundaries.
On a global level, "free" trade is on the table in Canada. One of the most important issues is the smaller countries' right to say "no" to things they feel uncomfortable about. We support the right to say "no" and encourage everyone to think about these issues as something that bind us together, rather than something that tears us apart. There are many of us here, even in the big fat rich country who condemn the use of carcinogens in food processing (such as herbicides, pesticides, irradiation, and petrochemical ingredients). We abhor genetically modified organisms and pray that we've never eaten one. But they say we have. Hey, i can feel the integrity of my DNA compromised already. I only want to be me! Hey, "NO"!
For a list of healthy boundaries link here.
For a website on "free" trade: link here.
W: 'The Toxic Texan'
14 April 01
CRAWFORD, Texas -- A Times Wire Report today says that the fire department, the McLennan County sheriff's department, the secret service, and a host of local residents watched Greenpeace protesters atop an eighty-foot high water tower unfurl a banner declaring Bush "The Toxic Texan." The act of non-violent civil disobedience took place several miles from the Bush ranch in Bush's hometown, which has a population of less than seven hundred.
Link to Greenpeace International.
Several Reasons why it's Wrong to Falsely Build Up a Leader
(in government, religion, business or families)
Good Friday 13 April 01
It's co-dependent. How will the person ever learn to improve? They will enjoy more power than they deserve for much longer and get away with worse crimes. Also, it tends to break down other people's morals because whatever a great man does, others follow.
Categories of Unethical Behavior:
Taking things that don't belong to you
Saying things you know are not true
Giving or allowing false impressions
Buying influence or engaging in a conflict of interest
Hiding or divulging information
Taking unfair advantage
Committing personal decadence
Perpetrating interpersonal abuse
Permitting organizational abuse
Violating rules
Condoning unethical actions
Balancing ethical dilemmas
An Open Letter from Barbara Kingsolver
Good Friday 13 April 01
Barbara Kingsolver, renowned author of The Poisonwood Bible and Prodigal Summer, has circulated a heartfelt call to arms, issued 27 March, 2001. Kingsolver said, "The fact is, we now have a new administration that's hostile to the things I love most: human kindness, the dignity of diversity, and the wild glory of life on earth. It's time to move on from denial to the next stage, which would be bitter cynicism or action. I'm opting for action." [To read entire letter, click here.]
Kingsolver recommends visiting http://www.SaveBioGems.org to participate in a crucial fax / email campaign.
Message from PFPF: Remain strong, think high thoughts and be active.
Link to affirmation page. Link to Activists Workshop.
10 April 01
Steve Cobble on Post-Election Chad Counting
Steve Cobble says: ". . . the current elite philosophy seems to be that it is important to build up the sitting President's legitimacy." PFPF News Ed. asks: What's the difference between propping up an illigitimate political figure and propping up an illigitmate cult leader? After experiencing both, I'd say it's about the same (see more about PFPF News Ed's history in a deceptive cult: link here) To read Cobble's article, link to Alternet.
08 April 01
Pacific Gas and Electric Bankruptcy
According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, the utility had $2.5 billion on hand and the day before filing for Chapter Eleven bankruptcy PG&E awarded $50 million in bonuses to their top managers. While the utility's assets belong to the people, many observers believe that the bankruptcy is an attempt to protect the company from the people of the State of California. Governor Gray Davis is quoted as saying, "Management is suffering from two afflictions: Denial and greed."
04 April 01
A Book about Energy Deregulation
The Last Energy War: The Battle over Utility Deregulation, by Harvey Wasserman. Wasserman warns that the only way to beat the big corporations is for municipalities to let them go bankrupt and take over their assets (the power plants and distribution networks). Link to Wasserman's article about the California deregulation disaster at Consumer Watchdog. Here's another good website to look into the deregulation debacle: Ratepayer Revolt.
04 April 01
Another Relevant Book
Soul of a Citizen: Living With Conviction in a Cynical Time, by Paul Rogat Loeb. These are indeed cynical times. But to hide behind the smugness of cynicism is a kind of self-imposed death sentence, explains writer and social commentator Paul Loeb. In fact, now is the ideal time for gathering all our strengths and wisdom as spiritual beings and applying ourselves to shaping a better world. Link to Loeb's website: Soul of a Citizen.
02 April 01
Solution to California's Energy Crisis
L.A. Times Letter to the Editor in today's paper
Since January California has spent as much money buying electricity ($3 billion) as it would cost to buy all the power generating plants in California. These are the plants that were sold to out-of-state generators for $2.4 billion since 1997, generators that are now overcharging us billions and getting away with it.
It is time for Gov. Gray Davis and the California Legislature to grab this bull by the horns. Californians are getting robbed blind by these generators, and it's only going to get worse this summer. Davis should invoke eminent domain and buy back all these generating plants. That is the only quick way out of this mess. There may still be a few blackouts, but at least the price will be realistic and affordable.
- Sage R.V.H.
01 April 01
The White House Effect
excerpts from the Letters to the Editor of the L.A. Times (today - happy April Fool's Day)
Bush is apparently determined to inflict maximum damage on the American people in the minimum amount of time. From toxic levels of arsenic in our drinking water; to the rejection of the Kyoto accords and any attempts to limit carbon dioxide emissions . . . the list goes on and on.
- L.C., Valencia
The announcement that President Bush will not conduct formal press conferences is to be expected. As possibly the most unprepared and uninformed president in U.S. history, answering direct questions is impossible for him. He simply doesn't know anything.
- D.M., Glendale
21 March 01
PFPF Statement about Election 2000 and Election 2002
We urge our readers to stop thinking about the past, dwelling on what went wrong last year. Obviously it was a horrible mess and George Bush won by a combination of unfortunate circumstances.
PFPF wastes no kind words in our assessment of George Bush, but mulling over this man's disqualifications is a futile exercise in negativity. Rather than look backwards, we ask our readers to look forward to next year's election. Let us resurrect the archetype of the American dream. It says here that all registered voters have the right to vote and have their votes counted.
The balance of the House of Representatives and Senate could change in 2002. Therefore, if your vote was thrown out in the last election, please vote again in 2002. If you will be 18 or older by the next election, please register to vote and try it out.
Following are seven reasons to give voting a chance.
Why Vote
A Statement from the League of Women Voters
To exercise our most fundamental right.
The right to vote is the most important right of citizenship because it is the only means we have of preserving all our other rights.
To participate in the symbolic act of affirming support for our system of government.
Democracy is a participatory form of government.
To keep government working and to avoid chaos.
Voting is the way that power is transferred in this country in a peaceful and orderly manner.
To express our opinions as individuals.
When the power changes, policies may also change. Unless we vote, we haven't had any say on whether policy should change. Election Day is a giant public opinion poll -- the only one that includes all citizens.
To influence elected officials.
Our vote is our collective power. The group that votes usually gets what it wants; the group that doesn't vote can be ignored.
To send a signal to those elected.
A landslide election will tell those who won that they have a mandate to carry out their programs. Victory by a narrow margin will send a message to the winners to be cautious or to compromise to enlarge their support; thus, votes on the losing side are important in sending this message.
To change the outcome of an election.
In close races, just one vote can change the outcome. That one vote might be YOURS.
Golden State's Energy Crisis Revealed
The City of Los Angeles, along with Burbank and Glendale, are like an oasis of plentiful electricity in a state of crisis. We are rolling blackout free. Beverly Hills and the Beach Cities had some because they're separately incorporated cities within the County of Los Angeles, thus outside the jurisdiction of the city utilities. The Los Angeles City Departemt of Water and Power ("DWP") as well as the city-owned Glendale and Burbank utility companies never deregulated. All the other California power companies deregulated and lost control of their power plants. All the energy must go into a central pool of reserves. Now they must buy back the energy they used to generate for themselves, but at prices that are in some cases 3,000 times greater than what they were paying just a year ago.
Why is this? Basically, deregulation has opened the doors for greed and bureaucratic manipulation. The energy crisis has been a financial bonanza for the big utility bosses.
California Governor Gray Davis and others are calling for the energy producers to justify their high prices or return the money. There is actually no electricity "shortage" just higher prices for the electricity that is available. This will all be worked out in the courts over the next decade or two.
Meanwhile, Davis has been focused on the problem and is making progress. He just announced that six new power plants are being built in the state. However, to make our way to a sustainable future, we must develop clean sources of energy and cut down on our overall electricity use. The continuing energy "crisis" is forcing us to move in this direction. The situation is extremely complex, but the silver lining is that most Californians are willing to conserve electricity.
The California Power Commission now runs ads on prime time TV, urging people to unplug that extra 'fridge, turn off the lights when you go out and adjust the thermostat to save energy. Their web site is FlexYourPower.com.
In addition, the governor has proposed a twenty percent rebate for individuals and businesses who can reduce their kilowatt use over the summer by twenty percent. We have a wind power plant in the desert near Palm Springs and new windmills are going up right now. These are examples of turning a crisis into an opportunity.
Check out this new book when it's out in April:
Why Our Drug Laws Have Failed and What We Can Do About It: A Judicial Indictment of the War on Drugs, by James P. Gray
Governors have said it, presidential candidates have said it, and now Judge James P. Gray says it in his new book:
Drug war strategies have failed. We need to talk about alternative solutions.
Happy Presidents Day - 19 Feb. 2001
Link here for humorous Time cover spoof on George Bush
Link here for more election spoofs
Learn how to turn crisis into opportunity
A Few Last Love-in Thoughts for Fellow Peace Activists (posted 12 Feb. 01): Link here.
04 Feb. 01
When Steamboat Races Go Bad
This is the tale of two rival steamboats in the deep south. Link Here
Clinton and the Bush family: ancient enemies?
[Editor's note: The following Associated Press article appeared November 5, 1992, when President Bill Clinton was elected for the first time. It seems even more ironic now that the Bush family is back in power.]
London -- A family tree researcher said Wednesday that Bill Clinton's defeat of President bush could be seen as righting a 13th century wrong.
Harold Brooks-Baker said Clinton is descended from English nobleman Simon de Montfort, who accused Bush's ancestor, King Henry III, of misrule and led other barons against him.
The conflict resulted in a parliament in which commoners were represented for the first time.
But the king broke his oath to observe the new democracy and sent his army against Simon, defeating and killing him at the battle of Evesham in 1265.
"Simon's body was cut into pieces and bits sent around the country to show what happened to democrats," said Brooks-Baker, an American from Baltimore who is publishing director of Burke's Peerage, a publishing house that documents the lineage of royal and noble families.
Clinton and Bush had a common royal ancestor in King John, father of Henry III, Brooks-Baker said.
Join us in our affirmations for a better world
FEDERAL AND STATE LAWMAKERS
We support elected officials who make their decisions with steady consciousness of the highest good for the people they represent.
POLICE
We support the men and women of law enforcement who fulfill the duty to protect and serve, thus nurturing trust, cooperation, safety and goodwill in our towns.
PFPF News takes a closer look at what it means to be honorable, honest and earn respect.
Language to Watch for:
Rationalizations for Ethical Breaches
"Everybody else does it"
"If we don't do it, someone else will"
"That's the way it's always been done
"We'll wait until the lawyers tell us it's wrong"
"It doesn't really hurt anyone"
"The system is unfair"
Categories of Unethical Behavior
Taking things that don't belong to you
Saying things you know are not true
Giving or allowing false impressions
Buying influence or engaging in a conflict of interest
Hiding or divulging information
Taking unfair advantage
Committing personal decadence
Perpetrating interpersonal abuse
Permitting organizational abuse
Violating rules
Condoning unethical actions
Balancing ethical dilemmas
Stages of Recovery from an Addiction
1. I walk down the street. There is a hole in the sidewalk. I fall in, I'm lost, helpless, it's not my fault. It takes me forever to climb out.
2. I walk down the same street. There is a hole in the sidewalk. I pretend I don't see it. I can't believe I'm in the same place, but it isn't my fault. It still takes a long time to get out.
3. I walk down the same street. There is a hole in the sidewalk. I see it is there. I fall in. It's a habit, but my eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out immediately.
4. I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it.
5. I walk down a different street.
There's a Hole in My Sidewalk by Portia Nelson
This classic, wise little book is a collection of thought provoking and inspiring writings, including the poem that begins, "I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in . . . " Filled with practical wisdom and insight.
Jan. - Feb. 2001
California's Deregulation Disaster
Following are excerpts from a Ralph Nader editorial on the dereg disaster:
The rush to deregulate has intensified over the past 25 years as lobbyists for airlines, cable television, financial institutions and telelphone, natural gas and electrical utilities have succeeded in convincing compliant local, state and national legislative and regulatory bodies to let corporations escape consumer protections. . . . A 1996 state deregulation plan which was supposed to make electricity cheaper has resulted in vastly higher energy costs . . . . Two investor-owned utilities - Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric - hope that the politicians can be cajoled into providing a bailout financed by the taxpayers. . . . Contrary to the fears toked by the utilities, the companies will not disappear in a bankrupcy. . . . Consumers should not be required to pay for failed deregulation schemes.
[Editor's note: Californians have reacted to the crisis by cutting back on lights and setting the thermostat a few degrees lower. And thanks Ralph, for speaking up for us.]
Who Owns the Sun? People, Politics, and the Struggle for a Solar Economy by Daniel M. Berman, John T. O'Connor. From Kirkus Reviews , November 1, 1996: "An impassioned, well-defended argument for solar power in the place of our current fossil-fuel-based economy. Two decades ago, environmentalists Berman and O'Connor write, Jimmy Carter installed a solar water heater on the White House roof, donned a cardigan, and announced that the ongoing energy crisis was 'the moral equivalent of war.' One of Ronald Reagan's first acts as president, however, was to order the heater removed.
End the War on Drugs
"If the people lead, the leaders will follow."
index
