This page lists reports and commentary from September, 2005

Reflecting on the demonstration in Washington

How effective are demonstrations in Washington, even those as big as the one last weekend? David Corn has the temerity to raise that hard question, and suggests that a more effective way to end a war might be found in lobbying with senators and representatives in their districts. So he says, "As an alternative to a mass rally in the shadow of an unoccupied Capitol, could the anti-war movement plot a strategy of zeroing in on a number of representatives and senators and attempt to convince them that they might have to pay the ultimate price for supporting the war?"

Read the article >>

from Faithful America

In a sense, for human rights, we can gauge the progress of our society by assessing what has been settled and what is in open dispute. So, today, what are we to make of the fact that torture is controversial?

So asks Norman Solomon, author of the new book War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death. More on the book >>

Read his essay >>

From the Presbyterian Washington Office:

Legislation seeks to prohibit inhumane treatment of prisoners

Committee formed to review requests for proxy votes, other activities

In a move that would seem to weaken efforts of the Presbyterian Church to be socially responsible in the management of its investments, the Presbyterian Foundation is claiming that it is the owner of the church’s invested money, and not the church itself. Thus it claims the right to manage those investments, and carry on shareholder actions or divestment under the guidance of its own committee, without having to follow direction from the General Assembly Council, and its Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI) committee.

Parents challenge the teaching of ‘intelligent design’

Eleven parents of students in Dover, PA, are in court seeking to block their school board from requiring that high school biology teachers read a four-paragraph statement to students that casts doubt on Darwin's theory of evolution. This mandatory statement notes that intelligent design offers an alternative theory for the origin and evolution of life - namely, that life in all of its complexity could not have arisen without the help of an intelligent hand. One lawyer for the parents argued in court that "This clever tactical repackaging of creationism does not merit consideration. ... Intelligent design admits that it is not science unless science is redefined to include the supernatural."

The Republican War on Science, a new book by Chris Mooney, argues America is headed for "economic, ecological, and social calamity" unless we take a new approach toward science.

While Mooney sees both Democrats and Republics sometimes misusing science, and sometimes respecting it, he is particularly concerned about the "cynical manipulation of science" by Bush and the New Right. As the reviewer points out, " they label conventional science as "junk science" and seek to replace it with what they call ‘sound science’ - in other words, questionable, fringe science that conveniently props up the interests of big industry and conservative Christians."

Arch Taylor looks at US interpretations and uses of the attacks on Pearl Harbor and later on Hiroshima as an example of our "subversion of values"

Witherspoon Issues Analyst Gene TeSelle reviews his book 

For a wonderfully human, in-the-middle-of -the-crowd look at the peace march on Sunday, take a look at Tom Engelhardt’s observations, complete with photos of the people he interviewed along the way.

Noting that not only George Bush, but most Democrats as well managed to be out of town, he marvels at the huge variety of signs that people were carrying. One of my favorites: "Yeeha is not a foreign policy."

Go to Engelhardt’s own blog >>
Or see it on TruthOut.org>>

Sheehan arrested in act of civil disobedience

And today, as you’ll no doubt hear over and over, Cindy Sheehan and many others were arrested in a non-violent presence outside the White House fence.

The crowd of supporters chanted "The whole world's watching" as the arrests proceeded.

Sen. John McCain, decrying new allegations of prisoner abuse in Iraq by U.S. soldiers, on Sunday backed an amendment to force the American military to live up to its international obligations under the Geneva Convention and "not engage in torture" of detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan.

McCain (R-Ariz.) was responding to complaints by Army Capt. Ian Fishback and two sergeants, who all served with the 82nd Airborne Division. Their description of routine harsh treatment of captives in Iraq parallels the abuse caught in photographs at the Abu Ghraib prison outside Baghdad and was contained in a Human Rights Watch report issued Friday by the advocacy group.

He said he and Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.), chairman of the Armed Services Committee, along with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), another committee member, were proposing an amendment to a defense bill, which would require the military abstain from torture in accordance with the Geneva Convention.

Read the report in the LA Times
Or find it on TruthOut.org

Have you been looking for reports on today’s demonstrations against the war? Hard to find much?

You might look at TruthOut.com, whose main editor/writer, William Rivers Pitt, and others have been blogging their observations throughout the day.

The L A Times headlines its report, "War Protest Generates Strong Turnout."

They say "tens of thousands of protesters marched through cities across the nation [including Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle, and Minneapolis] Saturday to demand the immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces." Cindy Sheehan, clearly one of the stars of the event, proclaimed, "We have to do our jobs as Americans. If nobody else will hold them accountable, we will. ... We'll be the checks and balances on this out-of-control, criminal government."

ABC News reports on the Washington anti-war demonstration today as the "largest anti-war protest since U.S. invaded Iraq." They add that Washington Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey, "noting that organizers had hoped to draw 100,000 people, said, ‘I think they probably hit that.’"

BBC reports on the U.S. rallies, and on numerous actions in Europe as well.

The Washington Post reports that two soldiers and an officer with the Army's 82nd Airborne Division have told Human Rights Watch of systemic detainee abuse and human rights violations at U.S. bases in Afghanistan and Iraq, recounting beatings, forced physical exertion and psychological torture of prisoners, the group said.

The organization’s 30-page report describes an Army captain's 17-month effort to gain clear understanding of how U.S. soldiers were supposed to treat detainees, and depicts his frustration with what he saw as widespread abuse that the military's leadership failed to address. The Army officer made clear that he believes low-ranking soldiers have been held responsible for abuse to cover for officers who condoned it.

The soldiers described violence against detainees held at Forward Operating Base Mercury, outside Fallujah, shortly before the notorious abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison began. These abuses included putting detainees in stress positions, exercising them to the point of total exhaustion, and sleep deprivation. And like soldiers accused at Abu Ghraib, these troops said that military intelligence interrogators encouraged their actions, telling them to make sure the detainees did not sleep or were physically exhausted so as to get them to talk.

Soon after the Gulf Coast was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, we contacted some Witherspoon members in that area, just to let them know we’ve been thinking of them. We soon heard from a couple of them, but this response came just yesterday, Sept. 23.  Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the people of the Gulf Coast as they now deal with Hurricane Rita.

I just got e-mail service today. I and my family returned last Saturday after 20 days in Dallas where the Red Cross paid my entire motel bill. I have a little roof damage, and small minor things broken up. I have a rare location, 15 feet above sea level. The political posturing around this awful storms evoke cries for justice. Conservative, right wing, administrations have concerned themselves only with the super rich, and the poor get nothing. Why can't Americans see what is happening? Peace, and thank you for your concern and prayers.

John Spaulding

From the Witherspoon conference on mission and justice:
Moving ahead in promoting fair trade

Hurricane aid used 'to test out right-wing social policies'

The Guardian UK reports on ways in which the Bush administration is using the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, and the multi-billion dollar reconstruction plans it is belatedly putting forward, to try out a variety of conservative social policies.   

These include the suspension of regulations guaranteeing the going local wage and affirmative action for minorities, while offering tax incentives for businesses in the affected region. They also include the inclusion of half a million dollars in vouchers for private schools as part of educational aid for displaced children, and waivers of many environmental regulations.

Rabbi Barry D. Cytron, who directs the Jay Phillips Center for Jewish-Christian Learning, a partnership of St. John's University and the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, has writtenan op-ed column reflecting on a little-mentioned aspect of the life of Simon Wesenthal, who died earlier this week after a life dedicated to tracking down former Nazis and brining them to justice.

He notes that Wiesenthal, while in a German prison camp, was lead into a hospital room where he was brought to face a seriously wounded young German soldier, Karl, who confesses to Wiesenthal his terrible deeds in the most notorious of the Third Reich's death squadrons. He confesses to Simon his participation in wiping out a Jewish village, and then begs his forgiveness.

Wiesenthal eventually published this story in a quasi-memoir entitled The Sunflower. But before it was published, he sought responses from many writers, philosophers and theologians, ranging from the Dalai Lama to high-ranking Nazi officer Albert Speer, asking whether they would have offered comfort to this murderer of Jews, and if so, how. Cytron adds that his students, on reading this book, "tell me [these comments] are among the most meaningful words they have ever read on forgiveness."

Further, Cytron adds that "Wiesenthal insisted that the Holocaust was not just about Jewish deaths, but about humanity's. He was adamant that the Holocaust was not only about 6 million Jewish dead, but about 11 million, of many faces, faiths and nationalities."

He concludes:

Read the full essay >>

To order The Sunflower >>

Also:  The Peacemaking Program has written a letter reflecting on the Peacemaking Offering and the need to respond to Hurricane Katrina. The letter may be used by pastors, peacemaking committees, mission committees, worship committees and others to promote the offering.

Tens of thousands of illegal immigrants displaced by Hurricane Katrina should be allowed to receive humanitarian relief and to remain in the United States for now, advocacy groups told Congress today. 

In Washington, it's business as usual in the face of a national catastrophe.

Kirkpatrick, 4 others say federal spending plan would empty cupboards of poor and hungry   

Looking toward Birmingham and the General Assembly:

The Cumberland Presbyterian Heritage: Two Highlights

For many Presbyterians attending the 217^th General Assembly, that gathering will offer some new experiences:  a meeting in the city of Birmingham, with its rich history of events in the Civil Rights movement, a joint meeting with the Cumberland Presbyterian churches, and much more. 

Witherspoon Issues Analyst Gene TeSelle, having lived for some decades in the neighboring state of Tennessee, will be providing some glimpses ahead for that encounter.

The Presbyterian Peace Fellowship invites Presbyterians attending the peace rally in Washington, D.C. to gather at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, 1313 New York Ave. NW, from 8:30 a.m to 10:30 a.m. For information, contact the Rev. Gary Campbell at (240) 505-9613.

Israel & Palestine: Listening for Peace - October 24-26, Stony Point Center

Vigil and Action to Close the School of the Americas/ WHINSEC - November 18-20 - Fort Benning, GA.  For information on the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship delegation, contact Marilyn White at marwhite@igc.org.

Travel/Study Seminar to the World Council of Churches Meeting - February 13-24, 2006 -
Porto Alegre, Brazil

2006 Peacemaking Conference * Unmasking Power: Seeking the Faces of Peace - July 22-27, 2006, YMCA of the Rockies, Estes Park, C0

Reading the Bible Upside Down 

On Saturday morning of the conference, the Rev. Tony Aja, Associate Director for People in Mutual Mission of the Worldwide Ministries Division, led a time of Bible study in which he introduced the group to the idea of reading Scripture from the perspective of the "underside," the people who are marginalized by both their church and their society.

He has kindly shared the text of his presentation, along with the specific passages he used, and the questions he raised about each one.

You may want to try this in a Bible study group in your church, and "turn things upside down" for a while.

Following up on her weeks-long vigil at George W. Bush’s Texas "White House," Cindy Sheehan is going to Washington this week, in advance of the massive demonstration planned for September 24^th. She urges others who want peace and honesty, to join her there.

She writes:

Read the whole thing >>

Presbyterian Washington Office urges:
Stop U.S. Production of New Antipersonnel Landmines

In a "blog" note posted on Wednesday, Sept. 14, Rick Ufford-Chase reported on the effects of Hurricane Katrina through the eyes of his Vice-Moderator, the Rev. Jean Marie Peacock, who is associate pastor of a congregation in New Orleans.

Witherspoon board's response to Theological Task Force report

A place at the table is not guaranteed

Already a clear example of that problem has come to our attention. While it is not related directly to the Task Force recommendations, this incident reflects the attitudes in our church which would make it difficult – and perhaps dangerous – for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Presbyterians to take part of the conversations. Read the report from MLP >>

October 21-23, 2005 Louisville, Kentucky

He concludes: "Are we still looking at a ‘few bad apples’? Or at the cover-up of a hidden culture (or subculture) of torture? As the Pew Research Center poll suggests, an increasing number of Americans are beginning to ask: Who is protecting whom from what?"

In the first presbytery vote on a delete-B overture since the PCUSA's Theological Task Force released its widely-criticized report, the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area voted overwhelmingly on September 13 to send a delete-B overture to the 2006 General Assembly. The vote was 103 in favor, 34 opposed (75% in favor) on the delete-B overture, and 101 in favor, 41 opposed on the parallel overture to delete the PCUSA's discriminatory "authoritative interpretation" from the 1970's.

More on Dancing with God

We now have the full text of Marian McClure's meditation in the opening worship -- on how God's grace turns us around, and enables us to work for the truest kind of justice.

The board of the Witherspoon Society met during our conference at Stony Point, and drafted our official response to the report of the Theological Task Force on the Peace, Unity and Purity of the Church.  The statement expresses appreciation for elements of the report, including the recommendation for a new Authoritative Interpretation, if it were supplemented with an important addition.  The statement expresses strong objections to the proposal for a continued postponement of further action on the full inclusion of all Presbyterians in the life and ministry of our church.

This statement is also available in an easy-to-print PDF file

Witherspoon mission conference ponders different views of dancing with God -- one great time!

The Witherspoon conference opened with about 75 participants on Friday afternoon, September 9, at the Presbyterian Church’s Stony Point Center, just north of New York City. Focusing on the ways mission provides support for peace and justice in the US and around the globe, a few speakers and many small groups talked and listened and weighed various understandings of the church’s mission, and a wide range of ways that mission can serve the world.

Our first report includes presentations by Marian McClure, director of the Worldwide Ministries Division of the PC(USA), preaching on the roots of mission in the grace of God, and Philip Wickeri, professor at San Francisco Theological Seminary, on the challenges of mission in an age of American empire.

Len Bjorkman, of the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, sends this invitation:

A couple days ago we sent e-mail notes to some Witherspoon Society members in the flood-ravaged states of Louisiana and Mississippi.

Here are replies from two of them, both telling of what is being done for others.

Urges continued efforts to remove ordination ban from Book of Order

NOTE:  News reports suggest that the Republican leaders in Congress have decided that this is not the ideal time to call for an end to the estate tax.  But things sometimes change, so it may behoove us to continue to watch this issue.

CALL TO ACTION:

No millionaire tax cuts during national disasters

We urge you to take urgent action to stop the U.S. Senate from voting on estate tax repeal in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

A devastating hurricane clobbers the Gulf coast. The war in Iraq claims almost 1,900 American lives with no end in sight in both casualties and cost. And red ink flows through both short and long term federal deficit projections.

Yet in the coming days, Senate leaders plan to vote on permanently abolishing the estate tax, America¹s only levy on concentrations of inherited wealth.

They want to end the estate tax despite the fact that a new national poll shows that 59% of Americans from all political parties and incomes favor estate tax reform, while only 29% favor repeal -- a 2-1 ratio.

Please contact your Senator TODAY. You can reach your Senator by calling toll free at 1-800-708-9781 or the U.S. Senate Switchboard at 1-202-224-3121, or find their direct phone at:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

The message is: In the face of Hurricane Katrina, it is shocking and inappropriate that Congress would vote for a trillion dollar tax cut for millionaires and billionaires. Vote NO on ESTATE TAX REPEAL. OPPOSE FISCALLY IRRESPONSIBLE COMPROMISES that will GUT the law.

THANKS,
Chuck Collins, Senior Fellow, ccollins@faireconomy.org
Lee Farris, Senior Organizer on Estate Tax Policy, x133, lfarris@faireconomy.org

Confronted by a disaster on the scale of Hurricane Katrina, we make no claims to providing "full coverage" of the event.  Rather, we will try to provide you with bits of news and commentary that you might not find in the "major" media.

If you have other items you think we should mention,
or comments of your own,
please send a note,
to be shared here.

Sunday, Sept. 4, is the day before Labor Day and a great time to involve your congregation in the Campaign for Fair Food.

There are new biblical and worship resources available at www.pcusa.org/fairfood to assist in preaching and teaching on the history of the Taco Bell boycott, the ground breaking agreement with the company which was achieved in March, and the next steps in reaching out to other major fast food corporations.

Specifically the Coalition of Immokalee Workers has asked us to write letters to McDonald's, Burger King, and Subway asking them to meet with the CIW and to ensure the human rights of workers in their supply chain. Background and sample letters are available at http://www.pcusa.org/fairfood/action.htm

Carolyn Winfrey Gillette has written a hymn of lament and hope, in observance of the terrible damage wrought by Hurricane Katrina.

The Summer, 2005 issue of Network News is at the printer -- but you can see your copy now, in PDF format.  Read it now >>

It includes comments by Gene TeSelle and Doug King on the report of the Theological Task Force on the Peace, Unity and Purity of the Church; reports on a conference to form a Network of Spiritual Progressives, reports on the Ghost Ranch seminar on "Paths to a Just and Peaceful World," and on Cindy Sheehan's vigil in Crawford, Texas ... and much more!
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