Activists Unite Forging a New Vision and Strategy (and News on 9/11/07 actions)

(Note: This article does not mention The Eleventh Day of Every Month campaign by name, so let me fix that, meet up with other like-minded activists at Truthaction.org which is the headquarters for this campaign. We Are Change is another venue for activism.

Also: dc911truth has a ton of action planned starting on 9/11 and carrying on thru the weekend, culminating in joining peace and impeachment activist rallies. If NYC is out of reach for you on 9/11, this would be a great alternative. Consider that 9/11 is on a weekend, a Tuesday, and that any activity in DC is more likely to be noticed by Congress. Many members of Congress get out of town on the weekends. -r.)

Discussion thread started at the Blogger Board.

-----------------------------------------------

Activists Unite Forging a New Vision and Strategy

Cindy Sheehan, a leading peace activist, gave a call to, “all citizens … to join us in Philadelphia on July 4th to try and figure a way out of this "two" party system that is bought and paid for by the war machine which has a stranglehold on every aspect of our lives.”

In the living tradition of the Declaration of Independence, twenty-four activist groups convened at Independence Center to form a strategic alliance with peace, pro-impeachment, veterans, civil liberties, 9/11 Truth, and other groups listed below. The Philadelphia Emergency Anti-War Convention united three-hundred activists to repeat history; as our forefathers/mothers of this nation did we too are facing tyranny. A growing number are realizing the urgency to change the corrupt system causing so much suffering, join us in achieving our goals and vision.

Vision & Goals:

1. Impeach, remove, and indict Bush, Cheney and their partners in crime.

2. End all wars, including the massive military spending.

3. No to a Bush police-state dictatorship. Repeal the Patriot Act, restore full habeas corpus, and respect the Bill of Rights and the Geneva Convention.

4. Government by the People, not by big business, bankers and financiers. Right the wrongs of the Federal Reserve and Personal Income Tax. Economics that promote the general werlfare.

5. 9/11 truth. Publish the full 9/11 documentation, and re-open the investigation.

(Continued after the jump.)

Participants in the Philadelphia event acknowledged how crucial it is we work together to achieve our vision. Distinguished speakers listed below provided education and insights. Delegates and participants identified the following collaborative actions.

Actions:

1. Hold massive rallies and events. Three events were identified: Ground Zero, 9/11/07, New York City 9/ 8-11 (www.NY911truth.org); Washington DC, 9/12-29 with lobbying, conference, and peace rally (A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition)(Family Victims of 9/11), (Troops Out Now Coalition), (www.dc911truth.org); Boston Tea Party 12/15&16 (www.Boston911truth.org/teaparty).

2. Nominate and support independent political candidates for public office at all levels of government in the 2007 and 2008 elections, avoid politicians funded by special interests, and demand paper trail for ballots.(Coalition for Voting Integrity)

3. Support veteran activist groups in their activities directed toward recruitment, veterans and enlisted military. (Iraq Veterans Against the War)

4. Truth squad interventions taking advantage of the new media (using camcorders to capture political content which is then posted on the internet) to focus public attention and political debate on the urgent questions outlined above. (samuel(at)ettaro.com) (www.NE911truth.org) (DC truth squad) (We Are Change)

5. Carefully selected legal and political actions, impeachment proceedings, lobby governors and senators and use court-martial proceedings, and the civil RICO suit against Bush-Cheney as a continuing criminal enterprise. Protect whistle blowers.(Progressive Democrats), (NY City 9/11 truth), (Phil Berg)

6. Mass political education, through signage, flyers, internet web sites, petitions, conferences, books, DVDs, radio, community TV, call-ins … take back the air waves. Special attention will be given to campus organizing, and the importance of professors being aware. Also, stage local events on the 11th of every month.(www.911truth.org)

7. Further develop this United Approach to coordinate efforts realizing that our actions must be inclusive if they are to be effective. Develop networks that can orchestrate mass action, next collaborative event is in NY City at St. Mark’s church, July 22 (PaulNRG(at)aol.com), (www.NY911truth.org)

We must act in new ways by uniting and expanding the circle of activism, the urgency is real as our liberties are further eroded, the threat of expanded war with Iran, and potential martial law. Together we will regain our heritage of liberty, truth, and justice.

Recordings: The seven hour event is archived at the Revere Radio Network and the We the People Radio Network.

The Philadelphia Platform is an evolving document as input from around the country is included; this is available at the web site and is attached.

Web Site; www.philadelphiaplatform.org, www.actindependent.org

Speakers at the Event: Webster Tarpley, David Lindorff, Bob Bowman, and Phil Berg

Activist organizations: Allentown Armory Activists, Alliance for a Sustainable Future, Boston 9/11 Truth, Coalition for Voting Integrity, DCOI Youth Group, DC 9/11 Truth, Delaware Valley Veterans for America, Family Victims of 9/11, Granny Peace Brigade, Green Party of Vermont, Green Party Philadelphia, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Military Families Speak Out, Northeast 9/11 Truth, Peace Action Delaware Valley, Philadelphia 9/11 Truth, Restore the Republic, Student Scholars for 9/11 Truth, Troops Out Now Coalition, We Are Change, World Can’t Wait Philadelphia.

Contact about this article: Paul Deslauriers, Paulnrg(at)aol.com

Quick a group of CIA members formed a Union stating

the Bush administration is behind 9/11 & Dick Cheney deliberately allowed a plane to hit the pentagon. It was on FOX News this morning at 7:15 Eastern time. I am not the most computer savvy so I am hoping someone can get the clip and post it. We have to reach out to them they claim to have intell in Langley currently working and giving them the facts. We need their evidence to combine with ours. Strength in numbers guys let's jump on this.

FOX News.

The nationally syndicated cable FOX News or a local FOX affiliate?

More info please!

It would be *really* nice to have some more information about this...

Cindy Sheehan was used unfairly by truthers at this event

My friend Cindy Sheehan has said to me in a post "have any groups trashed gandhi or mkl jr?
i know some don't support c.d....and I don't work with them."

There is no mention of civil disobedience in the list above. Does that mean Paul and the other organizers are unprincipled? I don't think it's an oversight (watch the video of the attempt to keep me from speaking)*. I'd be happy to be proven wrong and to have Cindy given the respect she is due by having CD included in the list..

Will the antiwar folks who don't read this website even be approached on this issue? I doubt it. My experience is that most anti-imperialists have more integrity than my own movement of the past 5 years, the 911truth movement.

You can see how respectful I am of the left in this essay previously posted on blogger,"Why the Left Should not be hostile to 911truth efforts" http://911truth.org/article.php?story=20070321104405515

Webster Tarpley, who successfully got Paul as facilitator to try to bump me from speaking in Philly that day, AFTER PAUL HAD ANNOUNCED I WAS THE NEXT DELEGATE TO TALK,speaks strongly against the example of Gandhi and King. When I greeted him warmly that day with the statement, " I quote you often" his response was,"Remember, no civil disobedience" He has stated more than once in my presence that anyone who does civil disobedience has problems with self esteem.

Since most people, including both Web and I, have problems with self esteem , it seems unreasonable to use this as a put down. In addition, using psychological intimidation to keep political activists under control has been a consistent tactic of Web's mentor, Lyndon Larouche. Web needs to assure truthers that he is decidedly different than his mentor.

Even if civil disobedience is not the intention of an activist group on a given day, nonviolence preparation for civil disobedience can still be valuable since it helps participants deal with law enforcement and hostile members of the public. It helps activists use the force of adversaries against them.

Many times in my life while leafletting I've told authorities that I was very experienced in nonviolent civil disobedience, and if they had to arrest me I promise to be completely polite to everyone. Last year I was distributing Steven Jones at UVSC DVDs to MIT Club of Washington DC members as they left a dinner talk by former DIA head Lowell Jacoby at the Army Navy Club next to the Pentagon. I used this approach and was not arrested, but still gave a DVD to everyone who wanted one.

I am eager to create a dialog about the value of nonviolence with anyone who will contact me. dslesinger@alum.mit.edu see also 911courage.org

*When will a video of the Philly event be posted? I apologize now for dropping the f-bomb on Web that day.

David.

In case you are wondering why your account is blocked...

I was party to the conference call that Cindy Sheehan called in to, and gave her blessing to use her name and her voice (in context) for part of a radio ad for the conference.

The Philadelphia conference did NOT use Cindy Sheehan unfairly, and as far your feud with Tarpley goes, you need to take it someplace else.

here we go:

The comments

to the video are worth reading too

Empowering the people

Empowering the people will make those goals (and many others) a lot easier. We need to enact the National Initiative for Democracy. Vote for it at the site below, and get everyone you know to vote for it! Electing Mike Gravel President will also help greatly. He founded The National Initiative project.

Don
Enact real democracy at www.ni4d.us.