[Peace] AWARE Minutes, March 6, 2005

[Brian Dolinar]

Good Monday to all.  And to Jan Kruse - do you have any info, a web address, or anything for the Peace Tax Return?  We're talking at the Public i about doing an April issue on No Taxation Without Representation.
Look out for the Women's History Month issue this week!
 
PEACE  BD

________________________________

From: peace-bounces at lists.chambana.net on behalf of David Green
Sent: Sun 3/6/2005 7:28 PM
To: Peace Discuss; peace list
Subject: [Peace] AWARE Minutes, March 6, 2005



The attached Word document will be a little easier to
read, because the margins are intact. Corrections,
additions, elaborations, and interpretations welcomed,
although not of post-modern variety.


AWARE Minutes: March 6, 2005

Facilitator: Lisa Chason
Minutes: David Green
Timekeeper: Durl Kruse

1. News of the Week, Carl Estabrook, plus reference to
Vermont town meetings against the war, and Durl
Kruse's analysis of local political scene in today's
(Sunday) N-G.

2. Introductions: About 20 present

3. New ideas

1. The Kruses will be hosting a showing of a video
about the German anti-Nazi dissident Dietrich
Bonhoffer at their home this Thursday, March 10, at
7:30. Reverend Holliman will be present to add a
clerical perspective.

2. Jan Kruse also referred to the Peace Tax Return,
that can be retrieved online and enclosed with your
tax form, to protest military spending and request
that money be transferred from the military to
peaceful uses.

3. Al Kagan proposed that we consider a local
equivalent to the Vermont Town Hall meeting opposition
to the occupation of Iraq, in support of bringing our
troops home immediately. This will be discussed in the
future, in relation to Urbana.

4. Working Groups

1. Al Kagan reported on preparations for March 19th. A
flier was distributed for distribution. The community
rally will be at 1 Main Street, downtown Champaign,
from 3-5 p.m. on Saturday the 19th (obviously).
Speakers included Fred Spannaus from Military Families
Speak Out, Roaa al-Heeti from Iraqi lineage, and
Sundiata Cha-Jua from the African-American Studies
Department, plus music from our peaceful talent. There
are 15 co-sponsors for this event. There will be a
table with postcards to Obama/Durbin-funds for the
stamps will be voted on next week. The event has been
posted to the United for Peace and Justice website as
part of Global Day of Protest on the 2nd Anniversary
of the War. Susan Davis is going to work on a Public
Square WILL piece to feed into this event. Also, Carl
Estabrook will complete a flier stating our position
on the war for distribution.

2. Carol and Aaron Ammons, on behalf of C-U Citizens
for Peace and Justice, asked at an informal level for
support for Linda Abernathy, Democrat for City of
Champaign Township Supervisor, on April 5th. Aaron
also expressed and encouraged support for Matt Varbel
over Vic Macintosh for Champaign City Council. Varbel
has expressed an opposition to tasers and support for
a Citzens' Police Review Board, while Macintosh has
done the opposite. A discussion of tasers ensued:
while tasers were rejected by Champaign city, they are
owned by the County, as well as by security officers
at Carle Clinic. They are being intensely marketed
nationwide, including to private citizens. There use
has resulted in many deaths, including one in Chicago
recently, and they have been used against middle
school students, including one in Champaign County.
While supporters claim that tasers replace lethal
force, there is no evidence that this is the case in
relation to fatalities resulting from police action.

Carol Ammons also encouraged everyone to sign the
online petition asking Naomi Jakobsson to vote for
medicinal marijuana on the next occasion that it is
presented in the state legislative committee.

3. Eyes Wide Open: Carol Inskeep announced that they
will be setting up for 3 days locally, but the
location and dates have not yet been decided. There
has been a lot of interest in this, including from the
Krannert Art Museum. That was supported by several as
a great location, perhaps even during commencement
weekend (May 15).

4. Obama Watch: Mort Brussel announced that members of
this group will meet this Friday for lunch at the
Jerusalem restaurant, at 12.

5. Events of the past week:

1. Prospect for Peace: at least 12-15 present, perhaps
more at peak. Carl Estabrook reported more general
support for our message.

This led to a more general discussion about
discussions about the war. At the Monday Forum, David
Roediger pointed out that support for the war depends
largely on that of white males. Carl Estabrook
reviewed recent polling results, that show far less
than a majority supporting the war, although a
majority still supports Bush's general performance.
Susan Davis claimed that as more people are personally
affected by the war, for example, veterans returning
with head trauma, more will become opposed. She
suggested that each of us try to have a conversation
this week with at least one person who supports the
war, to get an idea as to why they do. Carol Ammons
suggested that we conduct an informal poll to find out
how people think about the war, in order to devise a
strategy to address support for and opposition to the
war. Bob Illyes said that during the Vietnam War, many
who opposed the war were simply afraid of being
accused of disloyalty. Later in the meeting, this
issue was raised again, regarding the fear, legitimate
and otherwise,  that is being exploited by the
administration to promote their agenda. Carl Estabrook
argued that we need to be concerned less with why
people support the war, and more with those who have
their doubts but don't realize that they are not
alone.

2. Urbana Mall free speech: Durl Kruse has discovered
that Jim Webster is now the owner of the mall, and
Tony Stephens no longer the manager. It was suggested
that we try to deal with the owner, because there is a
high rate of turnover among managers. Because the mall
is becoming less simply a retail space and more a
multi-use space-residential, health club, etc., there
will be a different environment for addressing free
speech issues.

3.      Monday night C-U Progressives forum. A good turnout
and interesting discussion, it is hoped to be repeated
in the future.

4.      The visit by Bernadine Dohrn and Bill Ayers to
Allen Hall was met with some critical comments by the
DI, including a really ugly unsigned editorial. Aaron
Ammons also suggested that the DI had presented
one-sided views in favor of tasers recently.

6. Upcoming Events:

1.Norman Finkelstein, someone I really like, Tuesday,
March 8, Law School auditorium, 6 p.m.

2. Richard Clarke, someone I don't like, 8 p.m. on the
same evening.

3. Events related the International Women's Day,
Faranak Miraftab and Manisha Dasai speaking also
Tuesday at 8 at 180 Bevier Hall.

4. Anti-chief rally, Wednesday?

5. Aaron Ammons raised the issue of candidates for
local NAACP board.





-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/archive/peace/attachments/20050307/a7288d8e/attachment.html