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Philly Planning Big Demonstration
02 July O1
Here's the website for the 4th of July demonstration in Philadelphia: http://www.legitgov.org/protests_philadelphia0704.html
We weave a web of love over the earth
that brings love where there was fear.
ISKCON Man Convicted of Abuse
30 June O1
Today's L.A. Times reports that James A. Prins, 50, of Moundsville, West Virginia, pleaded guilty on 18 June to three counts of first-degree sexual abuse. More than a dozen years ago in the Hare Krishna enclave of New Vrindaban, near Moundsville, WV, Prins abused two minor aged girls and an adult woman. He was sentenced to serve eight months in prison and three years of probation. He must pay his victims' medical costs and register as a sex offender. Prins is but one of many men to abuse women and children in ISKCON. On an international level, the Hare Krishna organization faces a $400 million dollar lawsuit for abusing children.
Editorial View: I believe the organization should have declared war on child abusers about thirty years ago. Teachers and supervisors within ISKCON carried out horrible, humiliating abuse on children enrolled in the ISKCON schools in New Vrindaban, Dallas, Vrindavana, India, and other locations. The abuse took place throughout the 1970s and 1980s. The more widely the scandal and the perpetrators are exposed, the more likely that future generations can prevent it from happening again. I support the victims of ISKCON abuse for breaking the silence about their experiences.
For more information on this issue Link Here.
Have a Safe and Happy 4th of July
30 June O1
I have heard that most major cities are staging 4th of July love-ins, marches and teach-ins to promote American Independence. One important form of independence is energy independence. The Solar Guerrilla Manifesto sent to us yesterday (below) is a good anthem that sums up a lot about what we stand for. If you're interested in taking part in the fun, contact whoever is organizing in your neighborhood. Where ever you go and whatever you do on the 4th, do it with integrity, dignity and wisdom. If you participate in a demonstration, prepare to share your views clearly and concisely to the media. Write up your experience and sent it to your local newspaper with photos. I invite you to also share coverage and photos with PFPF News - I will add your news to our archives at this website.
Solar Guerrilla Manifesto
28 June O1
Ed's. note: This manifesto is circulating on the Internet right now. How about printing it out and taping it to your refrigerator? Support solar energy now and forever.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all energy is freely and democratically provided by Nature, that utilities both public and private have no monopoly on the production and distribution of energy, that this century s monopolization of energy by utilities threatens the health of our environment and the very life of our planet.
We, the Solar Guerrillas of this planet, therefore resolve to place energy made from sunshine, wind, and falling water on this planet's utility grids with or without permission from utilities or governments.
We resolve to share this energy with our neighbors without regard for financial compensation.
We further resolve that our renewable energy systems will be safe and will not harm utility workers, our neighbors, or our environment.
signed,
Solar Guerrillas of Planet Earth
Message from Congressman Jessee Jackson, Jr.
26 June 01
In an email this evening, Congressman Jackson wrote:
The 4th of July is fast approaching - the day our nation pauses to consider what it means to be an American. July 4, 1776 the Founding Fathers declared independence from England. The "land of the free and the home of the brave" was born.
Yet in 1852, Frederick Douglass observed the holiday in Rochester, and was troubled by its paradox: "What to the American slave, is your Fourth of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim." Douglass went on to say, "Go where you may, search where you will....and you will say with me that, for revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy, America reigns without a rival."
Nine years later, a great quake began shaking our nation. It was the Civil War, and an opportunity to rid the land of its hypocrisy. [to read the entire letter click here.]
Is this the Worst of Times?
26 June 01
Think the 2000 Election and aftermath are bad? Here's a short list of abuse and hypocrisy in our history (no particular order) that challenge us to learn the lessons of history and quit repeating them:
The Iran Contra Scandal (and other American atrocities in Latin America); the Vietnam War (and other American atrocities in S.E. Asia); the rise of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s (and current rise of the KKK and other hate groups). U.S. slavery before the Civil War (and current slavery and discrimination in the world today); the rise of Hitler's Nazi Germany (and other fascist regimes).
Instant and Non-instant Karma Defined
25 June 01
If you have instant karma, you are among the fortunate ones. It works like this: you do something to create bad karma and boom, the Universe kicks your butt. For example, you lose your temper and yell at your spouse for wasting $250. Then you self-righteously hop in your car and drive around to cool off, but you scrape your bumper to the tune of $250 in repairs. What does this mean and why is it good?
It means you have a clean karmic slate and it's easy for the law of "what you sow, so shall you reap" to kick back your reactions. If you take it with a good attitude, make amends and learn from your mistakes, you can rejoice in having a learning experience that will make you a better person.
On the other hand, old-fashioned, non-instant karma is unfortunate. Here's how it works: you do something to create bad karma and nothing happens. Your butt never seems to get kicked. An example would be a man who does abusive and illegal acts for power and money. He seems to have it all - babes, a big car, big house, prestige, respect. He dies a rich old man and never seems to reap any bad karma. What does this mean and why is it bad?
The gods of karma work in mysterious ways and we humans cannot always see what karma is following a particular soul. However, even though it's invisible, it still exists. Non-instant karma can be compared to constipation - there's just too much in there, so nothing comes out. However, once it does - watch out! Non-instant karma is bad because the person will eventually get the reaction, usually in a future life. A hellish life (or a lifetime in hell) is the quickest and most efficient way to pay off an overwhelming debt of bad karma.
So, if you get a stroke of instant karma, be joyful. It means that in terms of karma built-up, you're better off than that fat cat who is getting away with murder.
Roll Your Own Blackout Night
22 June 01
Last night was the voluntary blackout night to protest W's energy policies. We enjoyed the hours of darkness by candlelight, listening to KPFK's "Preachin' the Blues" music show on a battery-powered radio. What a great way to spend a few hours!
Metaphors for Inspiration
21 June 01
A story speaks more than mere words. Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell woke us up to the power of metaphor, myth and story. Humanist Rollo May wrote The Cry for Myth, which explains how metaphor escapes us. Psychologist Lionel Corbett's book, The Religious Function of the Psyche, explains how metaphor can heal, using Jungian Depth Psychology.
In these pages, Pray for Peace News News has promoted several powerful metaphors for understanding and peace. Strangely, the movie "2001: A Space Odyssey" is a good metaphor for what we're going through in 2001. The old TV series "All in the Family" is our favorite metaphor for the so-called American Culture War. Here's another one circulating on the Internet now:
Jon Sherman jon@rokcircle.com wrote:
The Death Star, in Star Wars mythology, with all its planet destroying ability, did have a weakness, exploited successfully by the victorious strategy of the Rebel Forces. Though impenetrable to a large scale assault, a single person fighter was able to direct a proton torpedo (using the "force" of course) into the two meter wide thermal exhaust port of the Empire's monstrous weapon of galactic colonialism and from the resultant chain reaction explode it from the inside out. One obvious teaching from this George Lucas sci-fi fantasy, for those of us struggling against the too real world of corporate globalization, is that oft repeated phrase of Margaret Mead: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." Another teaching is that when battling the machine, look for it's weakness and strategize around that weakness.
Read Jon's entire letter - click here. For your homework on this subject, click here.
N.B. With great sadness, we note the passing of actor Carroll O'Connor today, who played Archie Bunker, and we thank him for illustrating our national dilemma so vividly for so many years.
Religious Right Moonies?
21 June 01
Apparently, Bush has been mooned in more ways than one. There's an undisclosed connection between the Moonies (Unification Church), the Bush family and the religious right. Essentially, they are all of the same ilk. Bush Sr. and Bush W. have gone out of their way to help Sun Myung Moon gain acceptance in Republican circles, where the Korean cult leader donates lots of money and is a guest star at Republican functions. At a prayer meeting and award ceremony on the night before the Bush inauguration, John Ashcroft presented an award to Moon for his contributions.
Moon proclaims rabid right wing family values, but in his own cult, family values means giving up a connection to one's "flesh" family and identifying with Rev. and Mrs. Moon as the real parents and the Moonies as one's real family. Moon has stated openly that he hates the American way of life and that his goal is to destroy American unity and freedom. Well, as we can see, the Religious Right has already gone a long way toward achieving Moon's goals of dividing America.
The Unification Church has its roots in Japanese fascism (the same people who bombed American ships in Pearl Harbor). Large corporations, such as Mitzubishi, are alleged to give money to Moon because their arms division would flourish in a Moon-controlled world. W's faith-based initiative would finance Moon and the new "Good News Club" Supreme Court ruling would let him into the schools.
Find out more about this subject from Dave Emory's "For the Record" radio programs, available from Spitfire List. Emory aptly pointed out in this show (#291, aired this morning on KPFK) that every American would be aware of the connection, except the TV stations are afraid to say anything and prefer to address more superficial aspects of the Moonies, such as mass wedding ceremonies. Even those stories often get a positive news spin.
Some people have been following this issue for years. In our opinion, the upshot is that the Religious Right does not represent American family values. They are out to destroy America.
Michael Novak adds the following: Yes. Moon was from the start closely affiliated with the KCIA (Korean Central Intelligence Agency), a "kid brother" to the US CIA. Right-wing Koreans (along with Chiang Kai-Shek's Kuomintang in Taiwan) were instrumental in the establishment of the the World Anti-Communist League along with US General John Singlaub (fired for insubordination in Korea by Jimmy Carter, just like fascist Douglas MacArthur was booted by Truman) and various former nazis from the east European groups that collaborated with Hitler (many of whom showed in George the First's campaign committees) and the death squad regimes of Latin America (who collaborated with the Reagan-Bush Iran-Contra drugs for gun deals). Moon has tremendous economic interests in Latin America which George Sr has benefited from and fronted for. The Moonies own the right-wing Washington Times newspaper [and now also U.P.I., United Press International news service.].
AMA Rejects Medical Marijuana
20 June 01
Yesterday at the American Medical Association's annual meeting in Chicago, members rejected a proposal to endorse the limited use of medical marijuana for seriously ill patients. Link here for the full story at the Washington Post.
In other news, the Bush administration wants to put the Iran-Contra Scandal crew back into power.
PFPF News editorial comment: When will people learn from history? That will be big news!
Is Surrealist.org Communist?
16 June 01
The Surrealist Movement of the early twentieth century was pro-communist, so the question has come up: is Surrealist.org communist? The answer is an unequivocal "no." Although we may have been communist in a past life, in this life we were born into a long-time republic/democratic system that is America. We support America and the freedom that we enjoy here. When the communist regime in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe fell, we were glad. At the time, we were tracking about a dozen Soviet Hare Krishnas who were imprisoned in jails and mental hospitals there, simply for their beliefs. With Glasnost and reform, all the Haris were freed. We believe that freedom is the way of the future and that the communist system simply had too much opportunity for abuse. Our system in America is far from perfect, and at times riddled with abuse, but it's the best thing we have, here in the dark ages of 2001.
This begs another question: Is America a democracy? The answer is: no. It's a republic. If it was a democracy, we would all have to watch C-SPAN all day. We would never get anything else done. So we elect representatives and they must watch the proceedings of our legislative bodies and therefore they never get anything done, but at least the rest of us can work. So we're glad it's a republic and it has served us well because it has checks and balances. The people are sovereign, which means that the People (us) govern ourselves and ultimately hold the power. The most recent threat to our sovereignty is the rise of dishonest and greedy corporations, such as the energy companies that recently robbed Californians. We still have freedom of speech, our most reliable weapon against tyranny.
Photos from Sweden Protests
15 June 01
EU Summit masked protester walks by burning barricades in Goteborg, Sweden, Friday, June 15, 2001
Police dogs attack protesters in Goteborg, Sweden, Friday, June 15, 2001
More photos from Sweden
One Planet
15 June 01
New pictures from space show that pollution travels around the globe. We believe this photo will change the paradigm: see new photo from NASA.
Pray for Peace
End the War on Drugs
"If the people lead, the leaders will follow."
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