From the open publishing newswire: January 3, 2012: IN THE same week that Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), sending it to Barack Obama to enshrine into law a provision allowing indefinite military detention of U.S. citizens, a federal jury in Boston delivered a guilty verdict against Dr. Tarek Mehanna, a Muslim American pharmacist charged with material support for terrorism. Coming in the wake of other Muslims around the country who have been arrested, accused of supporting terrorism, and locked up for long sentences, the December 20 guilty verdict against Mehanna on seven counts was a shocking and chilling reminder to his growing number of supporters and advocates that the "war on terror" has been putting Islam on trial for years.

Tarek's trial lasted nine weeks, but was the culmination of four years of FBI harassment, surveillance and intimidation against Mehanna from his days in pharmacy school. Islam was on trial from the first day, when the government aired the video of bin Laden. Judge George O'Toole's bias in favor of the government was evident. He allowed hundreds of photos and al-Qaeda videos into evidence that had nothing to do with Tarek, but rejected the defense's attempt to submit video clips of former President Ronald Reagan praising as freedom fighters the mujahideen who fought against the USSR invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s and were funded by the CIA.

 http://socialistworker.org/2012/01/03/feds-put-islam-on-trial

From the open publishing newswire: PAINTING BANNERS SIGNS

Thrown away into dumpsters by riot police.

Like of remains of soldiers killed in Iraq, for the ideas of Amerika's ruling class. It all ends up in a landfill somewhere.

Bring the Troops home, throw the dead ones in the trash. Workers at the Port weaponize a bulldozer, smash the ground with its garbage plow. Threaten the people, disenfranchised. They treat the people like garbage. Whether anyone has a job or not, these actions are happening. These protests will continue. A riot cop pushes me down, I jump up and I push back. Even days later, I fell the sting of his stick, a reminder of the ones he's paid to protect.

I am a worker, reduced to a beggar. Whether anyone wants my help or not. So a Union Worker looses a day of pay. So those out of work lose a day of pay everyday. And the worker becomes one of those bums in the park, that the riot police have to deal with, blue rubber gloves. They throw your tents and blankets, your protests, your ideas into a dumpster. They hire a trucker, to weaponize their trucks and send your remains to a landfill somewhere.

Unity, Solidarity is dead, so society falls apart. General Assembly consensus says, "Sell your comrade out!, Let that soldier, stopping business get run down. Throw her under the wheels of capital." The General Consensus says, "Better her than you. Let her stand up and get run down." Block the tracks, get crushed up, it's all bad press, as society rips itself apart.

Another Union Leader's day of pay. I won't sympathize with any worker that can weaponize a bulldozer. To use a workers equipment, against desperate people, trying anything they can to save the world. I have no sympathy for the General Consensus, to let a person be run down by a workers truck. A worker's locomotive, a workers bulldozer. These actions are not a personal attack. These actions will continue, whether any one person, one Union Leader, or one spokes council likes it or not. Long will live people's struggle. For we are becoming workers reduced to beggars.

From the open publishing newswire: In response to the Occupy Movement and its perceived threat to the status quo, Congress will vote next week on Senate Bill 1867, the National Defense Authorization Act bill, to explicitly create a police state. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) explained that the bill will "basically say in law for the first time that the homeland is part of the battlefield" and people can be imprisoned without charge or trial "American citizen or not." Another supporter, Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), also declared that the bill is needed because "America is part of the battlefield." Write your Senator NOW!

Now is the time to stop this bad idea. Please urge your senators to vote YES on the Udall Amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act which would remove the harmful provisions from the bill and in their place, mandate a process for Congress to use an orderly process to consider whether any detention legislation is needed.

Write to your Senators now at:
 https://secure.aclu.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=3865&s_subsrc=fixNDAA

 link to www.blacklistednews.com

[Related:  http://www.democracynow.org/2011/11/29/battlefield_america_us_citizens_face_indefinite]

From the open publishing newswire:
Dynamic speakers from the October 15, 2011 Portland 10 Year Anniversary of War in Afghanistan Rally and March. Rally was held at the South Park Blocks, where a large crowd gathered and then marched through the streets of downtown Portland, cruising by the Occupy Portland sites. Speakers addressed the illegal wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as the immoral and illegal actions of the United States regarding drone attacks on Pakistan and Yemen. The many reasons for the Populist Occupy Wall Street Movement were also enumerated. This 1984-ish Endless War is only one reason among many demonstrating how our country has been moving in the wrong direction for decades, swerving from a Democracy into Empire. Most remarks are brief, under ten minutes in length.

Shahid Buttar, Portland 10 Year Anniversary of War in Afghanistan
Wael Elasady, Portland 10 Year Anniversary of War in Afghanistan
IVAW Speakers at Portland 10 Year Anniversary of War in Afghanistan
Meredith Reese at Portland 10 Year Anniversary of War in Afghanistan

PhilosopherSeed.org

From the open publishing newswire: Veterans for Peace, Chapter 72, will be gathering at Pioneer Courthouse Square for their seventh annual commemoration of this solemn day. The public is invited to help commemorate this day "...with thanksgiving, prayer and exercises designd to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations...."

Armistice Day (Veterans' Day, Remembrance Day) Commemoration
Friday, November 11
Pioneer Courthouse Square, downtown Portland
11:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, it became "All quiet on the Western Front." An armistice signed at six o'clock that morning took effect and brought a ceasefire to the "War to End All Wars." Since that fateful day, most nations which fought in that conflict observe Armistice Day. Unfortunately, the horrors of World War I were to be outdone by those of World War II and to honor the sacrifices of the veterans who fought in it, Armistice Day was changed to Veterans Day in 1954. While it is fitting and proper to honor all veterans for their service, it is a shame that the original intent of November 11 has become lost to the militarization and commercialization of this important date.

From the open publishing newswire: On Wednesday, Oct 19th, Former Secretary of State (during the Bush reign) will be giving a keynote speech at PSU. You may recall that this is a lady who had an oil tanker named after her, and who was involved in the Iraq WMD scandal and approving torture by the US Military.

For reservations contact Debbie Hutchins, 503-725-8135 /  debbie.hutchins@pdx.edu. More info on the awards dinner or keynote speech.

We can only hope they are serving Yellow Cake for dessert.

From the open publishing newswire: BMedia is close to finishing our 4th Variety Show and would like to release this short piece that will be in the next episode as a kind of "sneak preview".

Anti-war vet Brian Willson introduces his new book "Blood On the Tracks", a memoir of his fascinating life so far. Brian talks about his experiences in Vietnam, solidarity with the Central American revolutions in the 80s, and the meaning behind the title of his book. For info on the book tour visit www.bloodonthetracks.info.

Watch the video here.

bmediacollective.org

From the open publishing newswire: Under the No Child Left Behind Act, schools receiving federal funding MUST release students' personal information to military recruiters if they are to continue to receive funding. Students may opt-out of this military database at the beginning of the school year. "They'll know where you live.... They'll have your phone number.... They'll come to your door ... if you let them. Military recruiters, by strict authority of the No Child Left Behind Act, must be given the names, addresses and phone numbers of all high school students each year. Want to keep your privacy? You can be removed from the list of names by 'opting-out.'" The Full Picture, San Francisco, California

WHY DOES IT MATTER?
The September, 2009 article in MOTHER JONES by David Goodman, entitled, "A Few Kids?," deals with the heavy military recruitment of at-risk (low-income and/or minority and/or less academic) youth and the insidious invasion of student privacy under the No Child Left Behind Act and JAMRS (consumer) database maintained by the Pentagon. See www.motherjones.com/politics/2009/09/few-good-kids

OPT-OUT FACTS:
* Students must opt-out EVERY YEAR.
* Traditionally, the deadline for opting-out for the year is October 1.
* Students do NOT require parental or guardian consent to opt-out.
* Every high school students' personal information is being released to the military -- not just that of juniors and seniors!
* Girls are NOT exempt from this provision.

Helpful Websites

From the open publishing newswire: Several local peace groups have gotten together to ask City Council to
pass a resolution calling on Congress to "Bring our war $$ home." The original idea grew from grassroots movements in Maine and elsewhere, that culminated in the passage of a resolution by the US Conference of Mayors in June, which Portland's Mayor, Sam Adams, supported. (The resolution was introduced by Eugene, OR Mayor Kitty Piercy.) We launched this effort at the Hiroshima Day event on August 7 and hope to get Council to pass a resolution by early October. This is the most recent part of our ongoing Campaign to Bring the Troops Home.

 http://www.pjw.info/troopshomecampaign.html

Peace and Justice Works
Iraq Affinity Group
(503) 236-3065
 iraq@pjw.info
 http://www.pjw.info/Iraq.html

Please take one or more of these steps to help:

From the open publishing newswire: News from Portland, Oregon -- We are in the streets in Portland, Oregon. There are small demonstrations in a number of places on Fridays and Saturdays and sometimes during the week. We stand the watch for all those who can't or are too fearful to hold a sign saying something about War and Peace.

Most protest/vigils are quiet but a few are noisy, to the annoyance of the business community. One protest on the Hawthorne Bridge now has a running battle with a restaurant that complains because we ring cow bells and the management of the restaurant does not want their outside customers disturbed while drinking and eating. I wonder what these people do with their heads when they hear that we are bombing over six countries and murdering civilians at alarming rates. How do they sleep at night knowing that America is the arms dealer of the world. We sell to anyone who has the money to buy war planes, tanks or ships. Sometimes we have a special sale on Wednesdays, buy one war plane, get your choice of free bombs or rockets. Is it not special that we rank number one in killing children and 34th in successful *child births?

Overview of Current Issues City Hall has been presented with lately | Amanda Fritz' response to Lone Vet's letter about covering the Reservoirs | Friends of Reservoirs

From the open publishing newswire: Free public events including films, an art exhibit and rally and presentation are part of Veterans for Peace National Convention being held at Portland State University Wed. Aug. 3rd- Sun. Aug. 7th.
2011 Veterans for Peace National Convention

As part of the Veterans for Peace and concurrent Iraq Veterans Against the War National Conventions being held in Portland from August 3rd through 7th, there are public events that are open to the public. Events and films listed below are free except were noted. Donations welcome.

For more information go to www.veteransforpeace.org and look under convention public events.

video coverage info at:  http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2011/08/409645.shtml

From the open publishing newswire: A special public event and discussion with Cynthia McKinney, former US Congresswoman for 6 times and Green Party Presidential candidate in 2008. Currently Cynthia is on a 19 city tour across the US, which includes a lone stop in Canada, in Vancouver, to talk about her recent fact finding mission to Libya on the impacts of the US/Canada/NATO War in Libya and Africa. The 19 city tour is organized by the International Action Center ~ IAC ( www.iacenter.org ), with collaboration of Mobilization Against War & Occupation (MAWO) in Vancouver.

REPORT FROM LIBYA: IMPACT OF U.S. WAR IN AFRICA
TUESDAY August 9 @ 7:00pm
Vancouver Heritage Hall
3102 Main St. (at 15th Ave.)
[Vancouver, B.C. - CANADA]

MAWO ~ Mobilization Against War & Occupation
 http://WWW.MAWOVANCOUVER.O​RG/
 info@mawovancouver.org
P 604-322-1764 || F 604-322-1763

From the open publishing newswire: In November 2008, a group of U.S. Veterans opened Coffee Strong, a coffee shop located outside the gates of the Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington. Inspired by the Vietnam-era G.I. coffee house movement, Coffee Strong provides a safe space where service members, military families, and Veterans can drink coffee and discuss issues, such as their experiences of war, deployment concerns, the hardships of life in the military, and veteran benefits. At the center of the film are the men and women whose experiences in the military and war compel them to commit themselves to help others who are serving or have served in the past. The film examines each one's stories from their decisions to join the military, their experiences of war, and their motivations for devoting themselves to Coffee Strong. It explores how their relationships with one another and their activists efforts to make a more peaceful and just world help them cope with their own experiences.

The film will be showing once at the Clinton Street Theater (2522 Southeast Clinton Street, Portland) on July 21st at 6pm. Following the showing of the film, the filmmaker Lisa Gilman and members of Coffee Strong will answer questions about the film.