Alert #168  July 15, 2008

view this message online: http://www.panys.org/alerts/168.htm
Dear Peace Advocate,

Karl Rove, former Senior Adviser to the Bush Administration, ignored a subpoena to appear at a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee on July 10th. The hearing was intended to get to the bottom of accusations that Mr. Rove was directly involved in the politicization of the Supreme Court, his influence in the firing of a handful of U.S. attorneys and the prosecution of Alabama's former Democratic Governor Don Siegelman.

Rove and the Bush Administration claim that he has "executive immunity" from Congressional subpoenas. Basically, Bush and Rove believe that the President and his friends don't have to report to Congress or the American public. They are above the law.

Luckily, the sub-committee handling Rove's hearing has decided that he does NOT have this immunity. But the official Judiciary Committee vote which will determine whether or not he is in contempt of Congress will not occur until late in July. Karl Rove must hear from Congress and the American people that we will not accept his denial of United States law. By refusing to appear in court, he undermines the systems that are meant to keep a check on executive power. If Karl Rove doesn't have to listen to Congress, where will executive power stop?

Let Congress know that you want Karl Rove to face legal consequences for the refusal of a Congressional subpoena. Let Congress know that Rove's claim to executive immunity is absurd and illegal, and that he should be prosecuted accordingly. If Congress cannot control the Executive Branch, the balance on which our democratic system depends is called into question.

Please call or email
and the New York members of the Judiciary Committee:
Hon. Jerrold Nadler 202-225-5635
Hon. Anthony D. Weiner 202-225-6616

and tell them not to let Karl Rove get away with such a gross misuse of executive power. .

Thank you.

Marianna Greene
Peace Action Fund of New York State
info@panys.org

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 NYC Metro Area Upstate NY Out-of-State & Nationwide
FEATURED EVENTS
Thursdays, July 10 - Aug 7, 6:30 pm. A five-part series on Thursday evenings.
MIDTOWN NYC. Cupcake Café 545 9th Ave. (40th- 41st)

WASTELANDS: THE ENVIRONMENTAL CASUALTIES OF WAR

THURSDAY JULY 17:
RADIOACTIVE AMERICA.
(2000, 29 min.) With Ken Gale of WBAI speaking on Indian Point. Historically, nuclear weapons production has generated massive amounts of radioactive waste. Poor disposal and containment practices have allowed radioactive waste to contaminate the soil and ground water surrounding nuclear laboratories. A case in point: the nuclear facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. What effect has America's nuclear bomb-making legacy had on our communities?

THURSDAY JULY 24:
AFTERMATH: THE REMNANTS OF WAR
(2001, 74 min.) War has a dirty secret – it never really ends. Aftermath: The Remnants of War reveals the twentieth century as the most violent in human history, with a death toll of more than one hundred million. Filmed on location in Russia, France, Bosnia, and Vietnam, the film uses archival images and personal accounts of individuals involved in the cleanup of war: from "de-miners" who risk their lives daily, to a treasure hunter turned archeologist in Stalingrad, to doctors struggling with the contamination from dioxin used during the Vietnam War. Its poignant stories present a sobering message of the terrible aftermath of war.

THURSDAY JULY 31:
WATER, LAND, PEOPLE, CONFLICT
(1998, 29 min.) Today, the greatest threats facing any nation's security may not be military threats. Increasingly, they are complex issues related to the environment such as: population growth, water scarcity, pollution, and economic stability.     PLUS
THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF WAR
(1999, 29 min.) From the defoliation of the forests in Vietnam, to the oil fires of Kuwait, all major wars of the 20th century, and current conflicts like Kosovo, have had a hidden casualty: the environment. Unexploded weapons, polluted rivers, contaminated soil, and damaged landscapes have all harmed human health, local economies, and ecosystems.

Co-sponsored by Peace Action New York State, Sierra Club NYC, and NY League of Conservation Voters, the series will run every Thursday night at 6:30 pm through August 7. Click for two-up flyer with full schedule.
New York Metro Area and Long Island Events
 
 Thursday, July 17, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
UPPER WEST SIDE. New York Society for Ethical Culture, 2 West 64th Street at Central Park West
AN AWARDS PRESENTATION AND BOOK LAUNCH OF “REDISCOVER YOUR HEART” BY FRED MATSER
 Fred was one of a handful of prominent international business leaders profiled in The New Philanthropists (2007) by Charles Handy, one of the world’s pre-eminent management thinkers. Mikhail Gorbachev wrote the foreword, Deepak Chopra the afterword, and there are about 30 luminaries and regular, inspiring people who contributed essays - including Patch Adams; Jane Goodall; author/medical intuitive Caroline Myss; Irene van Lippe-Biesterfeld, princess of the Netherlands; Ruud Lubbers, former PM of the Netherlands; and Herman Wijffels, World Bank director. The event will include a presentation of 10 cash awards based on the principles outlined in the book. Co-sponsored by the Social Service Board at the New York Society for Ethical Culture.
Tuesday, August 5th at 6:30 p.m.
UPPER EAST SIDE. All Souls Church, 1157 Lexington Avenue (at 80th Street) .
WEAPONS OR WINDMILLS? COMING TOGETHER TO CONVERT THE PERMANENT WAR ECONOMY.
Doors open at 6:30 for light refreshments, program begins at 7:00.
Wednesday, August 6th at 7:00 pm.
MANHASSET. Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock, 46 Shelter Rock Road.
 GREAT NECK PEACE ACTION COMMEMORATION OF THE 63RD ANNIVERSARY OF THE BOMBING OF HIROSHIMA/NAGASAKI
For more information, please contact Shirley Romaine at 516-487-3786
Wednesday, August 6th at 8:00 pm.
BAY RIDGE. Hotel Gregory, 8315 4th Avenue.
 SCREENING OF FILM "CONVICTION"
Directed/Produced by Brenda Truelson Fox. Approximate running time: 43 minutes.
In 2003, three Dominican nuns were convicted and sentenced to Federal Prison for their non-violent protest at a Minuteman III missile site in Northern Colorado. This film evokes important conversations about the role of Christianity in politics, the role of nuclear weapons in National Defense and the role of International Law in the Federal Courts. The film has won numerous festival awards.
With TONY GRONOWITZ, Adjunct Associate Professor of Urban Studies, Joseph S. Murphy Institute for Worker Education & Labor Studies, City University of New York, speaking on NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION IN THE EU?
Hosted by Bay Ridge Interfaith Peace Coalition – Donations Accepted.
Sponsored by Peace Action New York State; Peace Action Bay Ridge. Endorsed by Brooklyn For Peace; Bay Ridge Neighbors.
Thursday, August 7, 6:30 – 8:00 PM,
STATEN ISLAND. ETG Book/Café, 208 Bay St.
HIROSHIMA/NAGASAKI 63RD ANNIVERSARY
 Mary Beth Sullivan, the Outreach Coordinator of Global Network against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space, is coming to Staten Island, as part of a program marking the 63rd anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, to talk about Military Conversion. To learn more about the Global Network, go to www.space4peace.org. For more information, please contact Peace Action of Staten Island at 718-989-2881 or go to www.panys.org/SI/. For directions, go to www.etgstores.com/bookcafe/.For more information, contact PASI at 718-989-2881
Thursday, Aug. 21, 6pm
MIDTOWN NYC. Colombian Consulate, 10 East 46th Street #1
 OPENING RECEPTION FOR “COLOMBIA: NUESTRO PUEBLO.”
 Photos by Tonny Rocco.

Upstate Events
 
 Monday, July 21
BUFFALO. Albright Know Art Museum
JOHN MCCAIN DEMONSTRATION. Details to follow.
Thursday, July 24th, 7 pm
PLEASANTVILLE. WESPAC, 17 Marble Ave.
THE DRUG WAR ROADSHOW. Are you concerned that the US currently has the largest prison population in the world? The US has sent over $5 billion dollars to Colombia since 2000 as part of the War on Drugs, but there has been no change in the price, purity or availability of cocaine on America’s streets. Drug?related crimes continue to plague our communities. The Drug War Roadshow believes the Drug War is serious, but learning about it should be fun. DWR combines classic popular education tools (skits, puppets and humor) with rare on?the?ground digital images that examine the human impacts of US Drug Policy abroad. DWR believes we all should have a say in how we approach drug and crime reduction in our communities and our foreign policy. Sponsored by Fellowship of Reconciliation and WESPAC Foundation . For more information, contact: info@wespac.org or 914 449-6514.
Tuesday, August 5, 6-9 pm
BUFFALO. Historic Society, Elmwood.
HIROSHIMA ANNIVERSARY FILM SCREENING AND LANTERN RELEASE.
Tuesday, August 5
SCHENECTADY.
SCHENECTADY NEIGHBORS FOR PEACE EVENT
Wednesday, August 6, noon
ALBANY. West Capital Park.
VIGIL AND READING OF HIROSHIMA
Wednesday, August 6 at noon
SYRACUSE. City Hall.
DRAMATIC PROCESSION TO REMEMBER HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI and to demand a Nuclear-Free Future.
Thursday, August 7 at 7:30pm
SYRACUSE. Zen Center of Syracuse
INTERFAITH SHARING, followed by floating lanterns on Onondaga Creek
Thursday, August 7 at 7:30pm
GENESEE. Avon Traffic Circle, Routes 5 and 20
SOLEMN COMMEMORATION OF THE HIROSHIMA AND NAGASKI ATOMIC BOMBINGS
Saturday, August 9
Broome County Peace Action
BREAKFAST WITH SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER FRIDA BERRIGAN, followed by solemn, silent walk to the confluence of two nearby rivers where a children's choir will sing.

Ongoing Local Events
Many local peace groups hold regular events, vigils, "Honk for Peace" actions, etc. 
See our list: www.panys.org/ongoing.htm

Out of State & Nationwide Events
Friday-Sunday, July 18-20
WASHINGTON DC. Trinity College, 125 Michigan Avenue.
PEACE ACTION 50TH ANNIVERSARY
NATIONAL CONGRESS,
STUDENT PEACE ACTION NETWORK CONVERGENCE
 With speakers Jeremy Scahill, Raed Jarrar, Antonia Juhasz, Trita Parsi, and Max Kampelman
 plus issue, skill-building, and Peace Voter workshops.
Click here for Peace Action information and registration.
Click here for SPAN information and registration.
Monday-Tuesday, July 21-22
WASHINGTON DC.
CONGRESSIONAL EDUCATION DAYS
Peace Action activists from around the country visit Congressional offices
Going out of state? Check UFPJ's national Events Calendar: http://www.unitedforpeace.org/calendar.php.