The Human Factor

Part III

We are all Related

"It feels like my brothers and sisters are buried here," I said as the tears ran down my face. My friend Leatrice responded, "that's because they are." I was standing by the mass grave in the Wounded Knee cemetery in South Dakota where I draped prayer ties over the surrounding chain link fence.

The cemetery is on top of a hill overlooking a road, a grassy plain and then Wounded Knee Creek. I sat with my friend, looking at this tranquil view, picturing the tragic event that had happened here, and thought what an incredible journey my husband and I have traveled. We volunteer at a Boys and Girls Club on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation located in the southwest corner of South Dakota. We live in a suburb west of Detroit, Michigan. The physical journey is 2200 miles round trip; the spiritual journey is infinite.

My husband, Rick, first visited the Wounded Knee cemetery when he went to the Reservation in 1997 to work on their first Habitat for Humanity house. When he returned home, Rick told me what he had learned about the massacre that had happened there in December 1890, the mass grave, and how people come and leave various tributes: He saw flowers, bouquets of sage, bird feathers, and a teddy bear.

He also told me about the SuAnne Big Crow Boys and Girls Club. The Club was located in a converted factory building with half of it being the Happpy Town restaurant and the other half for the Club. The restaurant was the primary source of financial support.

SuAnne Big Crow was a natural leader, an outstanding student and a South Dakota basketball star, still holding the state record for scoring the most points in a game. She led her team to the state championship in 1991. Tragically, she was killed in an automobile accident in 1992. SuAnne always wanted a place for the children. A safe place where they could play and learn together and support one another and it would be called "Happy Town." For more about SuAnne see www.suannebigcrow.org.

My husband and I were deeply touched by the stories of SuAnne and her family. Out of a personal tragedy Leatrice Big Crow, SuAnne's mother, her family and the tribe took the daugher's vision and made it a reality.

In the spring of 1998, Rick was told that the Boys and Girls Club could use some help. He learned that the restaurant kitchen was in need of many repairs to bring it up to code. Without these repairs, the restaurant, which was the financial source for the Club, would be closed. We managed to raise money for materials and recruited four other people to go with us.

Rick wanted to take a tribute to leave at the Wounded Knee cemetery. He decided to have a wood carver construct an eagle feather. He told Leatrice what he would like to do and she contacted a medicine man to meet with us during our time at the Club. Will Peters sat with us and held the carved feather. He told us in his way about the massacre on December 29, 1890.

The Big Foot band of the Oglala Lakota people agreed to come live on the reservation. It was a group of primarily old men, women and children. They had little food, many were sick and so they surrendered at Wounded Knee to the 7th Calvary. The soldiers demanded they give up their weapons and when they tried to explain that they needed them for hunting, their reason was ignored and the soldiers started shooting. A mass grave was dug for those who were injured and left to die in the snow along with the dead. These people never had a proper burial, and so their spirits still wander there to this day.

I sat and listened to his story and it felt like it had happened yesterday. Will Peters agreed to perform a consecration ceremony at the cemetery. He said that the person who carved the feather has a good heart, and he believed the same of my husband and me. The carved eagle feather was put in a box top surrounded with bouquets of wild sage. Each bouquet was tied together with four strips of cotton cloth in the four sacred colors of white, black, yellow and red. I was given the honor of carrying this offering up the hill and presenting it to Will Peters.

We stood around the mass grave. Will Peters stood by the head stone and started to chant. My eyes filled with tears and ran down my cheeks and I was surprised at my reaction. I reasoned that my ancestors had nothing to do with this. My grandparents came from Europe to Michigan in the early 1900s. As he continued to sing, I continued to cry. His song came from his soul and he was praying that the spirits find a resting place. He then motioned to me to give him the carved feather and his chant continued.

At the conclusion of ceremonies and prayers, Will explained that in the Lakota tradition, everyone joins in and says "mita kuye oyasin." The translation is "we are all related." By the end of the ceremony, I had pulled myself together, pushing away what I felt and started helping people set up and serve the food we had brought.

For two years, I was drawn to the Wounded Knee cemetery. Leatrice came with us. She invited us to pray, she showed me how to make prayer ties, and we were invited to ceremonies. God, Yahweh, Spirit or Higher Power gives us many opportunities for growth, and I truly believe my higher power was not going to let me go until I understood in my soul the meaning of "we are all related."

Elie Wiesel Quote

"None of us is in a position to eliminate war, but it is our obligation to denounce it and expose it in all its hideousness. War leaves no victors, only victims. "

Nobel Lecture December 11, 1986

Thank You Cranbrook Peace Foundation

The Cranbrook Peace Foundation has granted $500 for the Peace Collection. We,The Citizens For Peace, are grateful for this generous gift.

Citizens For Peace 2007 Film Series

All of the films will be shown at Madonna University, 14221 Levan, Livonia, MI 48154., Click Here for a campus map. Fridays, 7pm. Click on the title for a review.

Friday April 27, 2007 “Iraq In Fragments”

Friday May 4, 2007 “Thrist”

Friday May 11, 2007 “Black Gold”

Friday May 18, 2007 “America’s Brutal Prisons”

Friday May 25, 2007 “The Fence”

The Peace Doves Game
The Peace Doves game is one to learn about the proliferation of nuclear weapons. How much do you know? I know people who will have know problem with playing this game. I found out how much I didn't know.

It takes about 15 minutes to play. It's educational and fun to play. The game is designed for persons 15 and older. The instructions are very clear and easy to follow. Are you ready? Just click here.

Elie Wiesel Nobel Peace Prize 1986
It is worth the time to read Elie Wiesel's acceptance speech. While reading it, I had to remind myself that he spoke those words over 20 years ago. Some of the things he said are no longer so. For example Mandela is no longer in prison. However so much more, sadly to say, is still true today. The Iraq War and Occupation, torture, racism and many other problems he mentioned.

While your at the Noble Prize web site browse around. There is so much there about peace, nonviolence, ways to oppose nuclear weapons etc.

Howard Zinn To Receive Award

Cranbrook Peace Foundation will honor Howard Zinn at the 19th Annual Lecture & Award Ceremony, November 5, 2006. For full details click here.

Peace Pole at EMU

Yesterday, October 21, 2006, Eastern Michigan University (EMU) dedicated their Peace Pole.

The Ann Arbor News reported today that about 30 spectators were on hand to witness the event. The 8 foot pole proclaims "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in 16 languages. What a way to communicate this peace message to students and others on campus! EMU has students from 90 countries. Now students from other countries can read this important thought in their first language with out a moment of translation.

Professor Gary Evans had the idea for the pole and envisions a peace park, peace curriculum and he envisions that some day students would major in "peace studies".

These ideas are quite compatible with the Department of Peace/Nonviolence legislation's Peace Acedemy.

Nancy and I visited the site today. In a cold 40 degree drizzle, we examined the multisided peace pole made by Peace Poles. If we can have war monuments why not have peace poles expressing the hope and vision of the multitudes that seek peace and nonviolence?

Congressional 2006 Election Forum

Hometown newspaper's (Observer Newspapers) staff writer, Hugh Gallagher, quite accurately reported on the League of Women Voters Forum last Wednesday, October 11, 2006. To read the newspaper story click here.

Perhaps this was the first public statement on the Department of Peace (DoP) NonViolence legislation by candidates John Tater (Libertarian) and Charles Tackett (U.S. Taxpayers). Both candidates support DoP Nonviolence legislation. Previously Thaddeus McCotter (R) expressed his views and positon, he opposes it, at the St. Edith Church DoP forum last September. Tony Trupiano stated that he supports passage of DoP NonViolence at our September meeting.

Four members of The Citizens For Peace District 11 were shown in the column's first photograph. The photo shows (left to right) 3 unknown men, Nancy Weiss, Bob Frank, Colleen Mills, George Mills. In response to the newspaper story,Colleen Mills, president Citizens For Peace, stated: "The Department of Peace was a hot issue at the forum!!!!! We are getting the buzz we wanted!".

Once again the League of Women Voters have demonstrated their committment to democracy by creating a forum for all candidates to speak out on the election issues.

And hats off to the Hometown newspapers for their accurate election reporting. Rarely do we see the print and television news media report on other than the Democratic and Republican parties.

A Time to Reflect

Today is September 11, 2006. There are many events throughout our land and in other lands across the globe commemorating what happened five years ago. Here is a commentary that speaks to repentantce and self reflection:

Sept. 11, 2006

SOCIAL REPENTANCE
by Rabbi Michael Lerner

You don't have to be Jewish to take advantage of the Jewish custom of repentance
at the High Holy Days (Rosh Hashanah begins this year the night of Sept. 22nd and
the period of soul searching goes through Yom Kippur on October 2nd). This year
every American has plenty of reason to repent-and our society desperately needs
a time for collective reflection on how we have gotten to where we are and how we
might turn things around.

The rise of the Religious Right as a force in American politics has reshaped America's
ethical discourse in a particularly disturbing way. Over the course of the past several
decades the focus of public attention to "sin" has increasingly narrowed to a discussion
of issues related to sexuality and reproduction. The "respectable" news media found
a way around its previous self-imposed constraints on discussions of sex and its
insistence that it was on higher intellectual grounds than the tabloids that were
depleting their market-share by dramatizing the sexual faults of Bill Clinton and
other elected officials.

Yet the Bible and common sense teach us that murder, violence, theft, and oppression are equally important, not only on the individual level but on the communal level.


United Nations studies reveal that we live in a world in which one out of every three people on the planet lives on less than $2 a day, and 1.3 billion live on less than $1 a day. The result is that every day between 20 thousand and thirty three thousand children die of
illness related to malnutrition and curable disease that could be averted were adequate health
care available. That is to say, the day that you read this, approximately 6 to 9 times as many
children will before you go to sleep as all the people who died in the World Trade center on 9/11-
and they will die because we in the richest country of the world have been unwilling to take the steps necessary to share what we have with them.

This is politely called "institutionalized violence" but it is violence nevertheless.

Of course, we are also involved in the daily violence that has resulted from the U.S.
invasion of Iraq. Not only do we pay the taxes that make the war possible, and support
the torture system that President Bush has recently reassured us is necessary for homeland security, but we keep on voting for elected officials who support these policies.


We constantly fall for the bizarre notion that the anti-war Congresspeople really provide an
alternative, whereas in fact most of them continue to vote for the huge defense budget and for
supplemental appropriations to fund the war and to keep our national defense torturers well
financed-hedging their bets in case conservatives might challenge them, yet then pretending
to be "courageous" for saying that their ought to be a cutoff date for our presence in Iraq but
then setting that far in the future.

Al Gore's recent movie alerted many of us to the environmental damage that is quickly leading
to global disaster. But far too many of us have been willing to support political leaders who are
afraid to seriously challenge the corporate interests that reject the major transformations in the
way we organize the global economy that would be necessary to stop this impending disaster.
And then there are the 45 million Americans who receive no health care, the millions who are homeless,
and so many other manifestations of social injustice.

As a rabbi I've been faced with countless young people who tell me that they want no part in Judaism
if, as they constantly hear from sections of the organized Jewish community, the requirement of being
a loyal Jew is to support the current policies of the State of Israel. I try to explain to them that this
equation of Judaism with support for a particular national state, even a state with a majority of Jews,
is pure idolatry and a perversion of Jewish values (there's nothing in our Torah that teaches that loyalty
to a particular state, and indeed our prophets central message was that both the nation and the religion
were being perverted by the national leaders and religious leaders who had allowed their commitments
to the ancient Jewish state to over-ride their commitment to justice, peace and generosity to the powerless).


For saying these ideas I'm sometimes told that I, too, am an enemy of the Jewish people. So it's not
only the oppression of the Palestinians and the destruction of Lebanon for which much of the Jewish
community, having been cheerleaders for the war this summer, need to atone, but for the discrediting
of Judaism in the eyes of its most ethically sensitive youth.

Wouldn't it be amazing if we could use this time period to ask every institution in American society
to dedicate ten days to reflection on the degree to which it is currently livng up to its own highest ideals,
how far we have "missed the mark" (which is the real meaning of the word translated into English as "sin"),
and what we need to do to return to our highest vision and make it real in our lives.

Yes, we also need a personal accounting and look at our own personal roles in participating in a
reality that runs counter to our ethical notions. But in a society so focused on personal life,
there are institutions like psychotherapy and religious communities that do a good job of helping
us do that personal reflection. What we need is a corresponding institution in our collective
life-and so many of us in the Jewish world want to invite our neighbors to participate with us
in creating a societal-wide process of repentance and transformation.


Rabbi Michael Lerner is editor of Tikkun Magazine www.tikkun.org, national chair of the Network
of Spiritual Progressives (NSP) www.spiritualprogressives.org, and author of 11 books, most recently The Left Hand of God: Taking Back our Country from the Religious Right (HarperSanFrancisco, 2006).

RabbiLerner@tikkun.org

Citizens for Peace Meeting: September 12
Our monthly meeting will be at Unity of Livonia at 7 pm. The theme this month is
"Forgiveness". We will view and discuss two short videos of the Department of Peace
Conference that was held over September 11th weekend last year. Azim Khamisa and
John Titus are featured. Please come and bring a friend.

	Film Series
	Michigan Coalition for Human Rights www.MCHR.org (313.579.9071) presents
		Citizens for Peace and Madonna University Present MCHR’s FRIDAY FALL 2006 FILM SERIES Call 734-425-0079 for more info

All films shown at 7 p.m.

Madonna University, Schoolcraft & Levan

Donation: $5.00 per event. Parking in large, free, well-lighted lot.

“THE GROUND TRUTH” September 22 Hear and witness the lives of our soldiers in this penetrating film. The shocking ground conflict is only a prelude to even more challenging battles these reluctant heroes face upon their return home.

“WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE; A REQUIEM IN FOUR ACTS”

September 29 As the world watched in horror, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans on August 29, 2005. Like many who watched the unfolding drama on television news, director Spike Lee was shocked not only by the scale of the disaster, but by the slow, inept and disorganized response of the emergency and recovery effort.

“ABANDONED” October 13 www.bullfrogfilms.com/catalog/aban.html

Through a close look at the personal impact of recent immigration laws, this film depicts the severity of current detention and deportation policies. Lives are changed forever, as legal residents find themselves being torn away from their American families and sent to countries they barely know.

“IRAQ FOR SALE; THE WAR PROFITEERS” October 27 www.iraqforsale.org/about.php. This searing indictment takes us inside the lives of soldiers, truck drivers, widows and children who have been changed forever as a result of profiteering in the reconstruction of Iraq. It uncovers the connections between private corporations making a killing in Iraq and the decision makers who allow them to do so.

Also at different times & dates:

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Woodward at 11 Mile Road, Royal Oak. 313-579-9071

Shelby Twp: St. Therese Church.. (586) 242-4250

Press Release July 10, 2006

Nagasaki Day will be observed at Southfield’s Hope United Methodist Church, August 9^th in a Remembrance ceremony open to the public. Last year, the observance was held at Unity of Livonia with nearly 200 people attending.

Imagine, if you will, that an atomic bomb the size of the one that destroyed Nagasaki, exploded above the Livonia Courthouse. It happened before, not once, but twice. Hiroshima was devastated by a nuclear weapon August 6, 1945. Nagasaki, was destroyed three days later. The toll: an estimated 200,000 dead—mostly civilians. You’ve seen pictures of the devastation caused by those two nuclear weapons. Let your imagination continue and visualize the damage to Livonia. The postal workers at ground zero. Gone. The office workers in the beautiful city hall building, burned, maimed and dying. City hall would be reduced to rubble. The library, a pile of charred books. If schools were in session, hundreds if not thousands of children would be killed or injured. Picture the blinding flash of light as hundreds of homes, buildings, and automobiles are demolished or ignited in flames. Pets, lost in the debris.

One would hope and pray that that would never happen…to Livonia or any other place on this planet. For one thing, the devastation would be far greater, the death toll far higher. Today’s nuclear weaponry is 40 times more powerful than those that wiped out Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And many delivery systems are armed with multiple nuclear warheads pre-set to strike numerous targets simultaneously. And most chilling of all, there are thousands of such devices-- 12,000 in the U.S. alone.

For this reason the dates of the nuclear destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have been observed every year for the past sixty years throughout the world. At Hope United Methodist Church, the observance begins at 7:00 and includes remarks on the current state of nuclear weaponry by Dr. Prasad Venagopal, associate professor of physics atUof D Mercy. A 15 minute version of the film “Full Circle” which documents the journey of Buddhist Monks who kept alive the flame from the ashes of Hiroshima for 60 years will be offered. Film maker Matt Taylor follows the monks as they walk 1600 miles from San Francisco to the New Mexico site where the bomb was constructed, with the live flame. The flame is extinguished in a moving ceremony.

The observance includes a performance by the “Cross Bearers of Hope” dancers, a song,“No More Hiroshima” by Motoko Huthwaite, photos of the aftermath of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and then closes with a candlelight vigil. Following the observance there will be refreshments, and informational materials. Members of the Citizens for Peace,11^th District, along with the Detroit Area Peace and Justice Network, co-sponsors of the event, will be available to answer questions. Hope United Methodist Church is located on the south side of the Northwestern Highway service drive, just east of Lasher, and can also be reached by taking Civic Center Drive.

For more information, call Colleen Mills at 734-425-0079.

George T. Mills 29742 Buckingham Livonia, MI 48154

War: Some Good News and Not So Good News
The Iraq war continues to dominate the news to the extent that we don't get a larger view of war. But there is a Knight Ritter report that says "Wars Are On The Wane Worldwide". In this column there is some good news. For example, "Two-thirds of U.N. peacekeeping efforts succeed." But here is some not so good news: "If war is falling out of fashion, Americans may be among the last to notice it. The United States has fought 16 armed conflicts since 1946. Only the United Kingdom, with 21, and France, with 19, have fought more, according to the University of British Columbia's 2005 Human Security Report, which analyzes trends in political violence worldwide."
But the story points out that there is a trend toward using other means to resolve conflict among nations rather than war.

A Peace Greeting

Here is a peace greeting that you might want to send to your friends.

We Are All One

We are all in this together. One poet put it this way: "no man is an island".

A Call to End War

Howard Zinn, a premier historian, predicts that there will be a move to end war once the "fog" of propaganda dissipates as our troops come home from Iraq.

Here is a wonderful segment on the Department of Peace that was on the tv in California.
http://cbs5.com/30minutes/local_story_350231908.html

Exciting News From Puerto Rico!

Dot Maver and Patty Roeding have been in
Puerto Rico this week speaking about and
networking for the Department of Peace
campaign at the Alliance for a New Humanity
conference. Marianne Williamson and Congressman
Dennis Kucinich were also present as keynote
speakers.

At the conclusion of the conference, on
International Human Rights Day, December 10,
2005, conference participants, representing
hundreds of organizations from around the
world, voted in favor of a resolution
endorsing a U.S. Department of Peace.
Following the vote, Deepak Chopra, founder of
the Alliance for a New Humanity, applauded the
resolution, saying it will now go to the
White House and President George W. Bush,
as well as to the Senate and House of Representatives.

In the course of the conference, people from several
countries approached Dot expressing interest in
the international initiative and launching
or getting in touch with campaigns for departments
and ministries of peace in their countries,
including people from Palestine, Israel, Sri Lanka,
Australia, Canada, Japan, Denmark, Germany, and others.

For the U.S. campaign, we are preparing a formal
press release with this news, which should go out
later today.

That spotlight of peace is shining brighter and
brighter every day!

Mike Abkin

Thank you, windy city!

ROBERT C. KOEHLER

For release 12/8/05

  FLICKERING DREAMS OF PEACE

By Robert C. Koehler

Tribune Media Services

Ever try to shift a paradigm? I salute the brave souls
scattered around the continent - some of them are in
Congress - who are doing just that, who are daring,
right now, to challenge the conventional wisdom of
war and peace at the highest levels at which the game
of geopolitics is played, and are calling for the
establishment of a Cabinet-level Department of Peace.

When long-time correspondent Bill Bhaneja, a senior
research fellow at the University of Ottawa and
retired Canadian diplomat, recently e-mailed me
the proposal he co-authored with Saul Arbess for such
an addition to Canada's government - inspired by
U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich's H.R. 3760 - I confess
to a queasy skepticism that such a project was just
too darn idealistic.

Then I thought about bird flu - and George Bush's
wild  musings two months ago about combating it
with National Guard troops, that is, by implementing
martial law to enforce quarantines. This from the
man who has "degraded" (in the words of one high-
level health official) the nation's public health
system and underfunded and politicized every branch
of government created to deal with national emergencies.

And it hit me with a jolt: The level of public
awareness is deteriorating. We're now whelping
leaders who haven't got a clue how to deal with
complex social issues except to start shooting at them.
And there's no adequate challenge to this in the media
or from the opposition party, and apparently no public
context big enough even to allow for debate.

For instance, there was Hillary Clinton the other day
telling potential supporters of her run for the
presidency, who I'd wager are against the war by a
large margin, that the United States must "finish
what it started" in Iraq, as though there's a consensus
what, exactly, we started and what "finishing" it would
mean, and how many more deadIraqis and U.S. servicemen
we might expect before we attain our
unarticulated goal.

It was sheer politician-speak, in other words, betraying
no courageous intelligence, no insight that our brutal
occupation might be fueling the insurgency and creating
the terrorists we're obliged to keeping fighting. But
the media have already pegged Hillary a frontrunner,
which means they're condemning America's anti-war majority,
once again, to a campaign season without a presidential
candidate who represents their ardent hopes.

This is intolerable. This is why I support and heartily
endorse what is, in fact, a global movement to raise
awareness by challenging the blood-myths of the nation-
state and the inevitability of war, and the geopolitical
canard extraordinaire that high-tech, high-kill, earth-
poisoning modern wars have any chance of achieving
controllable ends and do not spew incalculable suffering
and future wars in their wake.

"What we seek," write Bhaneja and Arbess, "is a world in
which peaceful relations between states are a systematically
pursued norm and that the numerous non-aggression pacts
between states become treaties of mutual support and
collaboration. We envision a world in which a positive
peace prevails as projected most recently in the U.N.
International Decade for a Culture of Peace (2001-2010)
Programme of Action."

The establishment of a peace academy, the training of 
peace workers, the promotion of nonviolent conflict 
resolution at every level of human interaction - 
there's no reason why such projects should be nothing 
more than the flickering dreams of protestors at 
candlelight vigils. There's no reason why they should 
not be the business of government. I have no doubt 
whatsoever that the public is ready to move beyond 
the barbarism history has bequeathed us, and would do 
so in an eye blink if enough respected voices said, 
"Now is the time." And respected voices are saying 
this, if only we could hear them.
"What is quite clear - and would become clear as you 
go along with this campaign - is that you are trying, 
and I consider myself with you on this in every way . . . 
(to create) not only a massive but a basic change in 
our culture, in our entire approach to our relationships
with other human beings. . . . It's not a matter of simply 
getting another department of government. You're speaking 
of an entire philosophical revolution."

This is Walter Cronkite, in conversation with Kucinich last
September at a Department of Peace conference in Washington,
D.C. Kucinich, the hero of this movement, first introduced
Department of Peace legislation in 2001. The bill now has
some 60 sponsors in theHouse and, in September, was
introduced in the Senate (S. 1756) by Mark Dayton of Minnesota.

The architects of the war on terror have minds stuck in old
paradigms of domination and conquest. Their enemy is always
the same:Evil Incarnate. Today's jihadist was yesterday's
Communist, playing the same game of dominos.

This war is doomed to create nothing but losers, and more
and more people - including many who are in or close to
the military, such as Jack Murtha - are grasping this.
As they wake up, the Department of Peace will be waiting for them.

- - -

Robert Koehler, an award-winning, Chicago-based journalist,
is an editor at Tribune Media Services and nationally
syndicated writer. You can respond to this column at
bkoehler@tribune.com or visit his Web site at commonwonders.com.

Date: Sun, 04 Dec 2005 01:11:02 -0500

   From: "Linda Henderson" <lindakhenderson@hotmail.com>

Subject: RE: National Dept of Peace, Patterson article.

 To The Editor:

 I would like to write in appreciation of the attention
your paper has given to the the legislation now pending
in the U.S. Congress in consideration of creating a
cabinet level Department of Peace in the Executive
Branch of our federal govenment. Specifically, I
would like to respond to Dave Coogan's statement 
regarding his belief that such a department would
be "completely ineffective":
1.  This rather dismissive statement is a mere
conclusion not supported by fact.  It seems to
be presented more from the perspective of his
political affiliation and ideological bias
(College Republicans) than from any sound reason.
The facts seem to more readily support that our
present means of dealing with violence at home
and abroad are not working...regardless of who
is the "ruling" party.  This proposed department
is a transpartisan concept. It does, however,
require that the governed and the government 
evolve.  I for one am not so skeptical that
this cannot be done.  This is a democracy,
and we are a species given the gift of free
will...we can and will do whatever we decide
to so do.  A more intelligent direction than
what we currently employ would seem to me a
good use of our free will.
2.  From a cost/benefit analysis, this
legislation is more practical and timely
than any effort now being employed.  Wasn't
it Einstein himself who advised that we
cannot solve a problem from the same
consciousness that created it?  Not
unlike the concept of preventative
medicine, if we address violence at the
front end of the equation...we will not
be required to spend so much of our tax
dollars on violence manifest.
3.  What's all this I hear about
"VALUES"?  You would think, after the 
last election cycle, when we heard so
much about values, that we would be
mindful of how many lives have been
lost because we did not value them
quite as much as we valued our need
to react to our own fears.  Over two
thousand of our own people killed,
countless others maimed, "collateral
damage" for years to come for
countless families, tens of thousands
of Iraqi citizens killed in the name
of saving them from that bad man Sadam.
Al Qaida is now part of the norm in 
Iraq.  There is an estimated 80%
unemployment in that country while
Halliburton is making a "killing".
Here at home, school children are
killing and being killed, women are 
battered, police are at highest risk
in responding to domestic violence,
prisons are overflowing, schools are
closing, racial and homophobic violence
continues to rear it's ugly head.  And
when these things happen usually our
answer is to commission another study.  
Might it be valuable to do our study
before the violence happens?
4.  Too much bureuacracy?  NO...just
a shift in bureaucracy.  The simple
truth is that the State Department
deals with U.S. interests abroad, often
in the interest of U.S. businesses. The
Secretary of State can negotiate with
heads of state, and usually does so
only after an issue arises.  A
Department of Peace would have as it
sole mission proactively researching
and addressing the underlying causal
elements to violence abroad. For
instance, we knew for decades the
environment that was festering in 
Afghanistan and did nothing.  Would
it not have been beneficial to have 
someone at the table (cabinet)
advocating and advising regarding
the likely outcome that such an
environment would become a breeding
ground for terrorism?  We may have
stemmed that tide for a fraction of
the human and financial cost expended
thus far.  At a minimum, we likely
would have mitigated our damages had
we taken a more proactive role in 
preventative measures. The State Dept
has some ad hoc programs that deal in
these terms, just as do the Departments
of Education, Defense, Homeland Security,
Environmental Protection Agency, etc. 
None of them are given priority status,
and none of them create the national
intention a Department of Peace would
create, nor give uniformity, funding
and priority to all of the existing
programs in our local and state governments.
5.  Readiness and Training.  The Department
of Peace would create a Peace Academy as
a sister institution to the existing
military academies. America has many
people who are ready to step into roles
training military and civilian students
in proven techniques of non-violent
communication skills who could be sent
into any given environment before, during
and post conflict. In addition, this
 academy would address education in
language and culture arts that would
give soldiers and civil servants the
tools necessary to truly have credible
communication with peoples from other
countries. Every school in our country
should have curriculum that employs this 
skill.  Teaching non-conflict resolution
prevents the weeds of violence fromtaking
root. That we will continue to have
conflict as human beings is plain enough...
to learn how to "agree to disagree"
without the use of violence while we are
promoting our own positions is essential
to our survival.
6. Democracy requires that whatever form
of govenmental institutions we create
must be held accountable by citizens to
do the task they were created to do.  
Do we do that now?  No.  One only need
look at what's become of the EPA. 
Does that mean we should not have an EPA...no.
Itmeans we must evolve as a citizenery to
recognize that we have a vested interest
in seeing to it politics are...the citizens,
by action or omission to act, have to take
the ultimate responsibility for the government
that exists at any given time.  One hopes that
when the citizens of this country realize the
need for a Department of Peace to the extent
that their elected Representatives will be
compelled to comply with their wishes, that
we will have also come to the collective
realization that we will have to maintain our
investment in sustaining a non-violent
environment by our vigilance in seeing
the intentions of such a department be honored.
Let me quote a very wise woman who proffered
the golden rule thusly:  "Do unto others as
you would have them do unto you....because
they will". With the weapons available
which are capable of anihilating the species,
and people who are willing to kill themselves
in the pursuit of their beliefs/causes, the
concept of creating a Department of Peace is
the most sane, practical and productive effort
I have seen promoted in my lifetime.That is why 
I volunteer my time to coordinate the State of 
Michigan's effort to lobby for passage of these
bills. I hope you will join me.  We not only
have the potential to change the world, we
have the present capacity to do so.  For more
information, please contact: www.thepeacealliance.org. 
To get involved locally you may contact me at:
lindakhenderson@hotmail.com.

 Linda Henderson, State Coordinator

Department of Peace, Michigan Campaign

MSU Class of '78, Thomas M. Cooley, J.D.

 P.S. GO GREEN!

Published in Volume 4, Issue 3, December 1, 2005

Peaceful Solution

Is it time to give a National Department of Peace, a chance?

by Steve Patterson <http://www.thebiggreen.net/info.php?staff=142>

 On any given whim, our country has the destructive power profound 

enough to utterly obliterate any other nation in the world. But 

just because we can, doesn't mean we should.

 Bernard K. Doyle, Jr., a retired U.S. Army officer, served 27 years as 

An infantryman. Although he gives his full support to the military and

sympathizes with the men overseas, Doyle said he no longer condones 

war as a solution. "I am aware of lobbying and movements at present 

and in the past that have been developed to end war, something that 

will not catch on quickly in this nation and other nation states,

" said Doyle. "However, it appears to me that the loss of women, 

children, old people and institutions such as churches, museums, 

power plants water sources and the likes make the people of a 

country suffer beyond the aims of war."

We, as Americans, are protected by the most powerful military on the 

planet. A comforting thought? Many are beginning to think not. 

Throughout MSU and across the nation, Americans are crying out to 

the U.S. government for an alternative method for handling conflict 

- many Americans are crying out for peace. "Our national constitution

 is built on equality and fairness. We need to be reminded of that.

We need to develop peaceful alternatives to conflict."

--Gwen Hill

The state of Michigan has become one of several focal points for the 

Peace mission and the suggested Department of Peace. Gwen Hill, the 

Department of Peace's Congressional Team Leader for the 9th district 

of Michigan does her part everyday to spread the word about what the 

proposed organization would, and does, stand for.

"This is legislation that is meant to last longer than any one war 

or administration," said Hill. "We live at a time when we all see 

the level of violence that permeates our lives and our communities. 

One glance at the headline stories on TV news reports is enough to 

understand that violence threatens to overtake our intentions. It's 

wearing us out."

 And the movement isn't just about that war overseas. "Many people 

Believe that the movement for a Department of Peace is a response 

to the war in Iraq," said Hill. "This is incorrect."

Hypothetically, the war serves as an arena for the Department of 

Peace movement itself. What would the Department of Peace do to 

help the situation? While certainly the proposed department's 

attention span isn't limited to war situations including the 

controversial one in Iraq, it gives a good launching pad for 

discussion on just how the Department of Peace would respond.

 Doyle, having served time for his country, expressed his concerns 

about the current situation. "I believe that now, deeply ensconced 

in a war we are extending ourselves beyond our means and dollars," 

the veteran said. "People are now beginning to question the validity 

of this war and its toll of more than 2,000 of our young men and 

women. People are unsure of the outcome -withdrawal when and how, t

he timing - when will it stop?"

 Some wonder if a Department of Peace could have kept the war from 

Escalating to 2,000 deaths. "If a Secretary of Peace had been a 

part of the Cabinet prior to the Iraq war, we might never have 

entered a war of these proportions," said Hill. "We might have 

had a clear, exit strategy that promoted peace between our nations. 

We might not be creating four new terrorists in the families of 

every one terrorist that we kill. There might be fewer people in the 

world who hate us for our disrespect of cultural norms and our 

violent aggression toward countries whose cultures are not 

westernized to our liking."

 Despite the lack of anything that resembles a peace department in 

our nation's contemporary government, this is not the first time a 

concept of this nature has been announced. In fact, propositions of a 

governmental peace agency have dated back to discussions among 

framers of the Constitution. Throughout American history, the 

notion of having something on this scale has been brought up 

several times, resurging in the minds of revolutionary officials 

but having no real momentum.

 That is, until now.

 Dissipating poll numbers are beginning to show a growing unrest 

towards the war in Iraq, while peace protests and anti-war 

demonstrations litter the nation each year. More importantly, 

the rest of the world grumbles with a critical tongue and glares 

with a disparaging eye. When did America become the evil empire?

 The first formal proposal for the establishment of a U.S. 

Department Of Peace dates to 1792, when architect/publisher 

Benjamin Banneker and physician/educator Dr. Benjamin Rush proposed 

the idea. The initiative was for a "Peace Office" that was to be 

equal with the "War Office," however the concept never received 

proper footing.

 On July 11, 2001, Congressman Dennis Kucinich introduced 

legislation to create a cabinet level agency dedicated to 

peacemaking and the study of conditions that are conducive to peace. 

Hill said that progress was being made in getting the bill passed

through congress. She further explained that there are now 60 

Congressional co-sponsors of this legislation. There is a bill on 

the floor of the House (House Bill # H.R. 3760) and within the past 

few weeks, a similar bill was introduced on the floor of the Senate 

(Senate Bill # S.1756) by Sen. Mark Dayton of Minnesota. There are 

activist groups in more than 280 Congressional Districts in 48 states 

and now activist groups in every Congressional District in Michigan.

 This is the potential Department of Peace: a theoretical executive 

branch cabinet that would handle all matters in foreign and 

domestic conflict resolution. The bill also provides for a Peace 

Academy that would train people in peace and peacemaking strategies, 

just as our military academies train students in military strategies.

With conflicts and crisis around the world, the proposed organization 

Would act as an alternate solution for the loss of U.S. casualties 

in a wartime situation. Many are wondering why nothing like this 

had never been done before. Why has it taken America, the world's 

foremost "superpower," to think of a peaceful organization in times 

of conflict resolution that is commonly solved by the gun?

 "The problem isn't that peace is a bad idea...the problem is the 

Department of Peace would be completely ineffective."

--Dave Coogan

 "At the International level, the bill provides for a Secretary of 

Peace on par with the Secretary of Defense," said Hill. "When 

cabinet members meet to respond to an international conflict, the 

Peace Secretary would put peace options on the table for discussion 

and make recommendations to the President."

 Hill said that in a war situation, a Peace Secretary would provide 

Input from peace building experts on how to begin a war with peace 

outcomes integrated into the strategy. "In this way, we can show 

the world that a desire for peaceful coexistence is central to 

American operations abroad," she said.

The Department would not just be an agency on the international 

level but a worldwide organization that deals with many fronts, 

including state, local and domestic issues. Hill explained that on 

the domestic level, the bill provides for trained peace experts to 

present options for making and maintaining peace in response to 

conflict that occurs within our nation and at the local level, the 

bill funds a way to coordinate the application of best practices 

of the many local organizations that respond to violence and 

conflict in our cities and towns.

 "Imagine, for example, local police departments that are burdened 

with responding to domestic violence complaints would be able to 

easily initiate a coordinated community response that included 

family counseling, violence prevention strategies, conflict 

resolution strategies, etc," said Hill.

"Families with repeated domestic violence issues could be served in 

ways that can prevent serious injury, murder or jail time. The 

savings to our communities would be significant."

 While Hill's enthusiasm for a more basic solution is understandable, 

Many disagree that an organization is required for that purpose. 

Dave Coogan, the second vice chair of the College Republicans and 

international relations junior, is decidedly skeptical about this 

affair. "The domestic solutions the Department of Peace is supposed 

to provide are already handled at the local level," he said. 

"The Department of Peace is going to address problems like drug and 

alcohol abuse, spousal and child abuse, civil rights, sister-city 

programs and animal abuse. I can assure you that your city and 

state government is going to handle these problems better than the 

federal government." Coogan is also weary of the financial costs 

the department would bring. "If I remember right, the Department 

of Peace budget would be almost $10 billion. I don't think that 

the United States government should be spending money on a 

Department of Peace," said Coogan. "The problem isn't that peace 

is a bad idea…the problem is the Department of Peace would be 

completely ineffective."

"This campaign gives rise to a renewed level of good citizenship.

Peace is what our citizens want."

  --Gwen Hill

The ultimate decision could rest solely on this pivotal matter. 

"The proposed budget for a Department of Peace and Nonviolence would 

be only 2 percent of the budget of the Department of Defense in 

any given year," said Hill. We know that effective, preventive 

measures save money. The war in Iraq is costing us approximately 

$1 billion each week. Without an exit strategy, who knows how long 

this astronomical drain on our economy will last?"

 Once aptly named the War Department before 1947, the United States

Department of Defense's budget exceeds approximately $425 billion a 

year(not including the tens of billions more in supplemental 

expenditures allotted by Congress) and since its birth has waged 

major campaigns in Korea, Vietnam and Iraq. The Department of 

Defense includes the combined powers of Army, Navy, Air Force and 

Marines as well as non-combat agencies such as the National Security

 Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency.

 Coogan was adamant about his opposition to the proposed organization,

stating that most of the international issues that the Department of 

Peace will deal with are handled by the Department of State. "The 

Department of Peace being a counter to the Department of Defense…

not going to happen," he said. "Even if the Secretary of Peace was 

on the National Security Council, he or she would still be one of 

the President's supporters. They would not be bringing an 

alternative policy perspective to the discussion."

This is another problem facing the proposition…do we really need 

Something that could so easily be covered by another faction? While 

this is a major question, Doyle reminds us that there is no attempt 

at issues such as these. He said it could be to the nation's 

ultimate benefit to have one organization in charge of handling 

conflict decisions. "I do not see the Department of Peace 

conflicting with the Department of Defense but rather being 

an alter ego for it and the entire government," the former 

soldier said. "Our national constitution is built on equality 

and fairness. We need to be reminded of that. A Department of Peace 

would make that more evident. We need to develop peaceful 

alternatives to conflict."

 With all the praise and opposition, the Department of Peace is 

either a saving grace for world and domestic issues or a doomed 

ideological venture-and a costly one at that. "I think it would just

 be a costly government office that would make people like 

Martin Luther King Assistant Secretary to Civil Rights," said 

Coogan. "He would then be working in the government bureaucracy 

instead of creating change in the street."

 Expressing overall thoughts on who we are as a people and what the

organization could mean for us as a whole, Hill said, "It's you and

 me and our neighbors being responsible and responsive citizens.

This campaign gives rise to a renewed level of good citizenship. 

Peace is what our citizens want. The Department of Peace and 

Nonviolence Campaign gives ordinary citizens the opportunity to 

learn about how legislation get passed. It gives us a vehicle to 

make a meaningful contribution toward the kind of society Americans 

really want."

She continued, "What Americans are learning is that our democracy 

does not work without us. Our democracy is meant to be by the 

people, of the people and for the people. The 'people' is us."

 It is easy for any MSU student to get involved with the program. 

Go to www.thepeacealliance.org and request to find a point person 

in your area. From there you will be permanently signed up on the 

Department of Peace mailing list and will receive e-mails from the 

leader in your area.

*Steve Patterson can be reached at 

http://us.f348.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?

Copyright 2003-2005 The Big Green. All Rights Reserved.

We need another investigation"The spirit we have, not the work we do, is what makes us important to the people around us."

By Joan Chittister, OSB

That this country is divided over the situation in Iraq is not new news. But why the country is divided is new indeed. The rift is a serious one.

Polling results are clear: The U.S. population has lost its commitment to the war in Iraq. People, in general, are sorry it began or doubt its value or want it over. But that is not what's at issue.

When and how U.S. troops are removed from Iraq, after almost three years of bombing, fighting, destroying, dying, are now the basic issues. The answer to those questions may expose some fissures in our own country as well as in Iraq.

Some people think U.S. troops will need to stay in place there until the country is both reunited and reconstructed. After all, this group argues, we ruined the place, we need to put it back together. The control question here has become, "What kind of country are we going to leave for the Iraqi people?"

If the question seems to lack meaning, think Hurricane Katrina -- the damage it did, the money it is costing, the social insecurity it has spawned, the dispersion of peoples it has generated, the years of recovery it presages, the change it implies for the rest of the country as well as for New Orleans itself.

Economically, politically, socially, Iraq has become a desert in the desert. Water is undrinkable. Whole neighborhoods are decimated. Refugees are everywhere. Medical services are scant. The number of wounded, the number of widows, the number of orphans rises every day. Insurgent attacks, Representative John Murtha tells us, have increased from 150 to more than 700 a week in the past year.

Point: Three years later and things are not better there.

The only problem is that this time a hurricane didn't do it. War did it. What Saddam Hussein didn't manage to ruin in Iraq, we did.

The writing of a constitution is no substitute for the reconstruction of the country. What good is a new constitution if the seeds of civil war -- or worse -- are embedded in the social environment in which it is meant to function.

Other elements of the U.S. population, on the other hand, want U.S. troops brought home now. They argue that the war has been a mistake from the beginning. The reasons for which we invaded Iraq never existed -- no weapons of mass destruction, no alliance with Al-Quaeda, no relationship to the toppling of the Twin Towers on 9/11/01. However, now that we are in Iraq, there is no definition of "victory," they tell us, and no plan for getting out. Worse, the war itself has made Iraq a training ground for terrorists and the United States the prime target. Every day, that part of the world sees the United States as more enemy than friend.

From this perspective, we are creating what we say we are resisting.

No wonder we're confounded. No wonder we're divided. Both arguments are cogent. Each argument has its point, its truth, its valor -- whatever a person's personal reaction to war in general or this war in particular.

But that mental disarray is precisely what may finally bring us to the real question. The White House may have been wrong from the very start of this debacle but where was the Congress?

Everything in the country is being investigated these days: campaign finances, public security, immigration policies, the intelligence community, violations of confidentiality at the highest levels of the government. Maybe it is time to investigate whatever has happened to the whole concept of "checks and balances," of congressional debate, of political perspective.

While millions of people around the globe marched in the streets against the invasion of Iraq -- millions in the United States itself, while the British Parliament split over the decision to declare war on Iraq and two cabinet members resigned over the decision, while France and Germany, the United Nations and most of the rest of the world asked for more time, more involvement, more assurance, more proof to justify an assault on a sovereign nation, the Congress of the United States steadfastly saluted in front of TV cameras and hummed "Hail to the Chief." No cautions given. No conditions defined. No real debate mounted.

But the American people don't elect Boy Scouts, they elect Senators and Representatives to scrutinize national legislation, to examine national policies, to consider national alternatives, to declare wars.

"Patriotism" is no substitute for Congressional responsibility. Loyalty does not supercede accountability. We do not elect senators and representatives to "get behind the president in times of war." We elect them to get behind the Constitution, to get behind the country, to get behind the arguments, to get behind the administration spin on whether we should be in a war or not. And when. And how. And for what real purposes.

"Victory will be achieved," the president said again at the Naval Academy and on national TV this week. "We will not cut and run." But we still don't know how anyone in Washington is defining "victory" in a situation where what we said we were going to war about does not exist. Nor do we know whether "we will not cut and run" may not simply be jargon for "we will not admit we were wrong."

Heaven forbid. If it is "unpatriotic," "political," "un-American" to even suggest that war is not a proper course of action when a president suggests a full-scale invasion of another country, it must surely be treasonous to suggest it four years, billions of dollars, thousands of dead, and hundreds of thousands of wounded and displaced later.

It is now clear that George Bush wanted a war with Iraq. But it is equally clear that the Congress that is supposed to be the voice of the American people simply rolled over and let it happen -- and all in the name of patriotism, Americanism and political unity. What is not clear at this point of the debacle is whether or not either Bush or Congress really want peace even now.

Where is the Congress now?

Someone, somewhere ought surely to investigate why it is that our vaunted "system of checks and balances" did not work in this case, in fact does not even seem to attempt to work even now.

From where I stand, it looks as if the millions of citizens who stood in the streets in an attempt to stop this war simply went home far too soon.

A Worthy Thought

A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people. Mohandas Gandhi

Sharing the Gift of Peace

PeaceWeb is thankful for the following offering by Susan Skog, author of “Peace in Our Lifetime: Insights from the World’s Peacemakers”:

What if we give to each other what we really desire: a bit of peace? Millions of us will come together this season, and the peace from those moments can change the world. Here’s 10 ways to offer the gift of peace to yourself, family and friends, and everyone sharing this beautiful earth.

v Wherever you stand, make it Camp David: Spread good cheer through your daily walk. Carry the song of peace in your heart, thoughts, words, and actions. Drive respectfully, breathe deeply, listen well, smile often, and love wholeheartedly.

v Create space for peace in yourself: Spend time in nature, meditate, play, pray, sing, dance, practice yoga--whatever centers you. Calm your inner world, so you’re kinder in your outer world.

v Focus on the good: Others may be busy focusing on the perceived ugliness in the world. Be the infectious one who focuses on the positive, and others around you will feel your glow.

v Believe: This is a magical time to believe in the power of peace to transform struggle. Believe in peace. Imagine hope and prosperity flowing across the earth. Visualize your family gatherings and communities around the world as cooperative and loving. Dream big. Make it so.

v Be the bridge: Get to know the genuine part of others. Try to find common, shared experiences and hopes. Connect on that holy ground. And peace will flow out from that moment.

v Celebrate: Life is sweet, and what a time to remind ourselves how blessed we are! Tell stories, laugh, look into one another’s eyes, and let your differences melt down with the candles.

v Practice self-responsibility: Wars break out over our holiday turkeys—or in the world--when we try to control someone else. Accept that you’re only responsible for your own values, thoughts, beliefs, and choices. Cheers to that!

v Forgive: By year’s end, release one individual--it could be you--from your anger and judgment. If you can’t change what happened, change your thoughts about it. Let it go. Forgive. This present is free, available 24-7, no shipping required, and the best present you could give yourself.

v Wish Your Highest Wish: Get clear on what you really want in life. Find moments of stillness in this commercially loud season, to connect with your true desires. Wishes do come true—all the time.

v Light up the world: One person’s intention to stand for peace, to shine for peace, has often changed the course of history. The world is asking for your light. Light up the world.

Source: Susan Skog, Author of Peace in our Lifetime: Insights from the World’s Peacemakers. (Available at http://www.susanskog.com/)

A Middle East Foreign Policy Review

"War on global terrorism was destined to fail"says John Judis. That's not a very uplifting view but one from a reputable source. The essay touches on the high points of our Middle East policy's response to terrorists attacks dating back to the 1980s and forward to current times. The overview gives a snapshot of the big picture.

Please note, sometimes the above link does not take you directly to his essay. If you get a Error Occur!!! Page then Click on the "Click Here" link. When you are at the home page of Carnegie Endowment for International Peace home page (just below their title find the word experts, click on Experts, click on Alphabetical List, click on John Judis, click on the above title. Web sites just don't always work right.

Where in the world is Michigan's District 11?

Here is the map of District 11.

Words of wisdom from MLK--"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies but
the silence of our friends". What will it take for friends everywhere to find their voice for
peace and nonviolence. Rosemary

Here are some suggestions to create more peace in our world!

This has been a very active two years serving as the spokesperson for the Citizens for Peace of the 11th District! I am so appreciative to everyone involved in moving all of us closer to peace!

• Some of our activities include:
• Participating and presenting a workshop at the Global Nonviolence Conference held at Cobo Hall in Detroit in April, 2005.
• Publishing the Michigan Department of Peace Political Action Guide.
• Providing four training courses in Communication: the Human Connection, based on the work of Marshall Rosenberg about nonviolent communication.
• Offering two inner peace retreats.
• Showing and discussing the films “Critical Mass”, “Peace X Peace”, and “Peace One Day”.
• Publishing several op-ed pieces and numerous letters to the editors.
• Tabling many events around the state to educate the public about peace and nonviolence.
• Meeting with Congressmen and Senators.
• Doing a power point presentation at the 2005 Michigan Department of Peace Conference.
• Hosting the 60th Anniversary of the Bombing of Nagasaki on August 9, 2005.
• Speaking at the opening night of the War Requiem Fine Arts Exhibit at Madonna University.
• Meeting with students and faculty of Madonna University all day on September 21, 2005 for the International Day of Peace.
• Bringing the film “The Consciousness of The Christ” to Madonna University for their Peace and Justice Week in October, 2005.
• Working on a library project that would bring peace books to the library, and organize a section on peace in the library.
• Sponsoring the Human Rights Film Festival at Madonna University on Wednesday evenings in November, 2005.

The Citizens for Peace meet the second Tuesday of the month at 7:00pm at Unity of Livonia, located on Five Mile east of Middlebelt. For more information, call Colleen Mills at 734-425-0079.

Here's a great podcast that will give you contemporary music and updates on the Department of Peace and Nonviolence. Check it out daily.

Kudos to Ann Abdoo

Yes Ann you certainly did connect the dots for who is benefiting from the policies of the current administration.

Your Op-Ed column (Westland Observer, November 13, 2005) is quite thorough, well organized and easy to read and most of all, to understand.

A masterful column!