Real ID Regulations: Just Kicking the Can Down the Road

In its new REAL ID regulations, the Department of Homeland Security appears to have dumped the problems of the statute on future presidents like a rotting corpse left on the steps of the next administration – and not just the next one, but the administration of whoever is president in 2018. By the time this thing is supposed to go fully into effect, Chelsea Clinton and Jenna Bush may be fighting for the White House.

That just confirms it: Real ID needs to be repealed. It is not only a threat to Americans' privacy but it is utterly unworkable. After 3½ years of efforts to implement this law, the tortured remains of the statute that appear to survive in these regulations stand as stark evidence of that fact.

We are still analyzing these regulations and the extent to which they address or evade the many specific problems with the original statute, and will be discussing our findings at 2:00 p.m. EST today.

But it is time for Congress to recognize the situation and take action. Rather than saddling the states and the American people with this misfortune of a law until 2018 and beyond, it should be repealed and replaced with a clean, simple, and vigorous new driver's license security law that does not create a national ID.

For more information about why Real ID is a real nightmare, visit:
www.realnightmare.org

Sixth Year Anniversay of Guantanamo

Amnesty International Members and Activists Across the Globe Mark 6th Anniversary of First Arrivals to Guantanamo

Hundreds of Orange-Suited Participants Urge President Bush to End Unlawful Detentions

(Washington, DC)--Led by Amnesty International, hundreds of activists rallied on the National Mall in Washington, DC, to mark the sixth anniversary of the first arrival of detainees at the U.S.-controlled detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Many participants, dressed in Guantanamo-style orange boiler-suits, illustrated the stress positions of the detainees by kneeling in shackles. Activists held signs urging the U.S. government to stop torture, halt indefinite detention without charge or trial and end the use of secret prisons.

"Guantanamo Bay continues to be the shameful icon of President Bush's disregard for basic human dignity and the rule of law in the so-called war on terror," said Larry Cox, Amnesty International USA executive director, who spoke at the event. "By assaulting core values that this country holds so dear, including the age-old right to challenge one's detention, and using techniques associated with dictators and despots, the president demeans and undermines one of his major objectives?democracy."

Other speakers at the event included Rev. Richard L. Killmer of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, Demissie Abebe of Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International, Anna Brown of Witness Against Torture, Vincent Warren of Center for Constitution Rights and Rabbi Gerald Serotta of Rabbis for Human Rights-North America. Amnesty International also highlighted the petitions signed by more than 100,000 ordinary people and 1200 parliamentarians from around the world urging the closure of Guantanamo and endorsing the Amnesty International action plan (see attached) to end human rights violations in the war on terror.

The international community is also marking the anniversary through protests around the globe including in the Philippines, Sweden, Paraguay, Bahrain, Ireland, United Kingdom and Israel.

Demonstrations occurred across the United States including in Boston, Seattle, Columbia (SC), St. Louis, Salt Lake City, Pittsburg, Corvallis (OR) and Waikiki (HI). "Today's protests and vigils are one more indication that the public outrage at the Bush administration's continued harmful approach to national security is escalating," said Cox. "Mr. President, the demands for respect for human rights are only going to get louder and more widespread. Shut down Guantanamo now and counter terror with justice."

Quotes by today's speakers:

Rev. Richard L. Killmer, National Religious Campaign Against Torture: "Alex DeToqueville said, 'America is great because America is good. If America should cease to be good, it will cease to be great.' The goodness of America has been diminished by Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, secret prisons and renditions of detainees to nations known for using torture. We are calling today for an end to these immoral and damaging practices."

Rabbi Gerald Serotta, Rabbis for Human Rights-North America: "Torture shatters and defiles the very image of God, which our scriptures see reflected in each and every human being. The humanity of both perpetrators and victims is inevitably shattered by its use. Rabbis for Human Rights-North America believes that the abolition of torture, like the abolition of slavery, is fundamental to a free and ethical society."

Anna Brown, Witness Against Torture:"Today marks six years of torture, abuse and illegal detention for the men at Guantanamo--six years of uncertainty, pain and longing for their families and communities. Today we march and act and witness so that prison doors will open and the oppressed set free."

Demissie Abebe, Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International: "We call for an independent criminal investigation to determine which members of the Bush administration are responsible for ordering the torture of detainees at Guantanamo and other prisons around the world. TASSC then calls for the prosecution of such persons for the violation of U.S. law."

Vincent Warren, Center for Constitutional Rights: "On the sixth anniversary of the arrival of the first detainees at Guantanamo, the base continues to stand as a symbol of torture, disrespect for the rule of law and the abuse of executive power. Six years on, the U.S. must urgently move beyond Guantanamo."

For more information, please visit visit tearitdown.org.

US Supreme Court Considers Constitutionality of Lethal Injections

The US Supreme Court heard arguments on January 7, 2008 on whether the method of lethal injection used to execute prisoners in Kentucky is unconstitutionally cruel and unusual punishment. The outcome of Baze v. Rees will have national repercussions, as 36 of the 37 death penalty states use the same combination of lethal injection drugs as Kentucky. There is currently a de facto national moratorium on lethal injection executions pending the outcome of Baze.

Mounting evidence suggests some prisoners may suffer horribly before death because executioners use a bizarre three-drug protocol concocted 30 years ago,� said Jamie Fellner, co-author with Sarah Tofte of So Long as They Die: Lethal Injections in the US. The idea of a humane execution is a contradiction in terms. But if states are going to put people to death, they must choose the drugs and methods that carry the least risk of pain and suffering for the condemned. To date, they have refused to do so.�

Where Are All the Heroes?

"Where are the heroes of today?" a radio talk show host thundered.

He blames society's shortcomings on education. Too many people are looking for heroes in all the wrong places. Movie stars and rock musicians, athletes, and models aren't heroes; they're celebrities.

Heroes abound in public schools, a fact that doesn't make the news. There is no precedent for the level of violence, drugs, broken homes, child abuse, and crime in today's America. Education didn't create these problems but deals with them every day.

You want heroes?

Consider Dave Sanders, the schoolteacher shot to death while trying to shield his students from two youths on a shooting rampage at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. Sanders gave his life, along with 12 students, and other less heralded heroes survived the Colorado blood bath.

You want heroes?

Jane Smith, a Fayetteville, NC teacher, was moved by the plight of one of her students, a boy dying for want of a kidney transplant. So this woman told the family of a 14 year old boy that she would give him one of her kidneys. And she did. When they subsequently appeared together hugging on the Today Show, even Katie Couric was near tears.

You want heroes?

Doris Dillon dreamed all her life of being a teacher. She not only made it, she was one of those wondrous teachers who could bring the best out of every single child. One of her fellow teachers in San Jose, Calif said, "She could teach a rock to read. " Suddenly she was stricken with Lou Gehrig's Disease which is always fatal, usually within five years. She asked to stay on job...and did. When her voice was affected she communicated by computer. Did she go home? Absolutely not! She is running two elementary school libraries! When the disease was diagnosed, she wrote the staff and all the families that she had one last lesson to teach .... that dying is part of living. Her colleagues named her Teacher of the Year.

You want heroes?

Bob House, a teacher in Gay, Georgia, tried out for Who Wants to be a Millionaire. After he won the million dollars, a network film crew wanted to follow up to see how it had impacted his life. New cars? Big new house? Instead, they found both Bob House and his wife still teaching. They explained that it was what they had always wanted to do with their lives and that would not change. The community was both stunned and gratified.

You want heroes?

Last year the average school teacher spent $468 of their own money for student necessities...workbooks, pencils-supplies kids had to have but could not afford. That's a lot of money from the pockets of the most poorly paid teachers in the industrial world.

Schools don't teach values? The critics are dead wrong.

Public education provides more Sunday School teachers than any other profession. The average teacher works more hours in nine months than the average 40-hour employee does in a year.

You want heroes?

For millions of kids, the hug they get from a teacher is the only hug they will get that day because the nation is living through the worst parenting in history. An Argyle, Texas kindergarten teacher hugs her little 5 and 6 year-olds so much that both the boys and the girls run up and hug her when they see her in the hall, at the football games, or in the malls years later.

A Michigan principal moved me to tears with the story of her attempt to rescue a badly abused little boy who doted on a stuffed animal on her desk-one that said "I love you!" He said he'd never been that at home. This is a constant in today's society... two million unwanted, unloved, abused children in the public schools, the only institution that takes them all in.

You want heroes?

Visit any special education class and watch the miracle of personal interaction, a job so difficult that fellow teachers are awed by the dedication they witness. There is a sentence from an unnamed source which says: "We have been so eager to give our children what we didn't have that we have neglected to give them what we did."

What is it that our kids really need? What do they really want?

Math, science, history and social studies are important, but children need love, confidence, encouragement, someone to talk to, someone to listen, standards to live by. Teachers provide upright examples, the faith and assurance of responsible people.

You want heroes? Then go down to your local school and see our real live heroes, the ones changing lives for the better each and every day!

PASS IT ON...

Now, if you want to pass this on, send it to someone you know who's a teacher, or to someone who should thank a teacher today. I'd like to see this sent to all those who cut down the importance of teachers. They have no idea who a public school teacher is or what they do.

A Chiapas Miracle

Haz click para español

Dear friends,

Holiday greetings from the misty mountains and steamy jungles of the Mexican southeast. As 2007 ends there are finally more Zapatista education promoters than there are autonomous, indigenous schools ~ this human miracle must now be matched with a renewed burst of school constructions!

Your help TODAY will make all the difference!

For over a decade autonomous Mayan communities have assigned the best and brightest of their young men and women to be trained as "promoters" - teachers of literacy, health, and ecological agriculture. These volunteers work completely without salary and make great sacrifices on behalf of the Mayan communities. Now in this holiday season they deserve our love, our prayers, and our support.

Please lend a hand in building new Mayan schools and training centers throughout Chiapas. Your support is helping construct a new world - one child at a time. Make your donation now to receive a 2007 tax deduction!

Por y para los niños y las niñas,
Peter BrownSchools for Chiapas ps.

Volunteer opportunity: Dig foundations, mix cement, nail boards, paint classrooms, and hang blackboards for autonomous, indigenous schools in Chiapas, Mexico. Join a Schools for Chiapas educational and / or working delegation in Chiapas during 2008 ~ or design your own trip!

In Contempt of Congress

Dear Friends,

It should never have had to come to this.

Yesterday, on a bipartisan vote of 12-7, the Senate Judiciary Committee ruled that White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten and Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove are in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with subpoenas issued in the U.S. Attorneys investigation. As Chairman of the Committee, I have gone to real lengths to avoid this sort of legal confrontation, but after many months the White House has yet to cooperate with these requests from our investigation -- and the American people deserve the truth.

The President denies any involvement in the political firings of Justice Department officials. Yet he and his staff continue to hide behind the veil of "executive privilege." They have essentially asserted that this privilege -- historically applied very narrowly -- covers all documents and information in their possession. It's a dramatic departure from precedent, and the Bush-Cheney administration's blanket claim of immunity from congressional subpoenas flies in the face of our system of checks and balances.

This is not about pulling a partisan "gotcha" or scoring political points. After all, Committee members of both parties supported yesterday's ruling. No, this is about defending Congress's oversight function and protecting the right of the American people to know the whole truth about the mass firings of attorneys at the Justice Department. Withholding critical evidence requested by a subpoena is a serious crime, and it's time we reminded the President and his staff that they are not above the law.

The White House's refusal to cooperate with our investigation casts further doubt on its contention that it had nothing to do with the political firings of Justice Department officials. In fact, it's now quite clear that political officials in the White House pressured federal prosecutors to bring partisan cases and sought retribution against those who refused.

Since World War II, presidential advisers have testified before Congress 74 times, either voluntarily or compelled by subpoenas -- never once refusing to comply. Executive privilege should not be invoked to prevent investigations into wrongdoing, and certainly should not prevail.

Thank you for your support for holding the Bush-Cheney Administration accountable as we get

to the bottom of the mass firings of U.S. attorneys.

Sincerely,

Patrick Leahy

An Open Letter from Your Regional Director

(originally posted 11/23/2007)

Dear Midwest P&J members,

Our P&J Executive Board met for its annual fall meeting over Veterans Day Weekend and decided to focus on just two issues from now through next summer's RA. They are ending the war fast and radically improving or eliminating the NCLB language from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. I urge everyone to concentrate your efforts on those items this year.

We have also decided to concentrate our Chiapas efforts on the soon to be built Paul Mann Teacher Training Center. For those who don't know, Paul Mann was a tireless teacher peace advocate, and P&J member from Des Moines who died suddenly in September of '06, leaving a host of friends and acquaintances missing him greatly.

Tom Wolfe
Midwest P&J Director

Brazil: Prison rape exposes increasing abuse of women

Women in Brazil are the hidden victims of a crumbling detention system that exposes them to rape and other ill treatment, said Tim Cahill, Amnesty International's researcher on Brazil.

The statement came as reports emerged of the case of a young woman in the state of Pará -- northern Brazil -- who was left in a police cell with 20 men for a month and repeatedly sexually abused.

"We receive extensive reports of women in detention who suffer sexual abuse, torture, substandard healthcare and inhuman conditions, showing that this case is far from isolated but continues to be hidden from the public," said Tim Cahill.

Even though women in Brazil make up a small percentage of the overall prison population, their numbers in detention are rising. There is a desperate need for the Government to address their needs, which are rarely if ever met.

The case also highlights concerns around the treatment of juveniles illegally held with adults around Brazil.

"At a time when some authorities and the media are consistently calling for a reduction of the age of criminal responsibility, this case shows how far Brazil is from ensuring the necessary minimum protections for its youth," said Tim Cahill.

While Amnesty International recognises that the federal and state authorities have responded rapidly to this case, many others go unreported or uninvestigated. It is essential that the authorities act in all such cases - not only those which receive extensive national and international media coverage.

Amnesty International calls on State Governor Ana Julia Carepa and on the federal authorities to:
• investigate the allegations and bring those responsible to justice, ensuring that the victim and her family receive effective protection
• urgently review the whole of the detention system to ensure women are not exposed to human rights abuses and that juveniles are not illegally held with adults.

Take Part in the Iraq Moratorium TODAY!November 16th, 2007

November 16th, 2007

Today, as part of the third Iraq Moratorium Day, thousands of concerned individuals like you, from Auburn, Alabama, to Madison, Wisconsin, from Mesa, Arizona, to Boston, Massachusetts, are taking action in their communities to make opposition to the war and occupation in Iraq visible, and to say no to a new war in Iran. We urge you to participate in this simple yet powerful initiative. It's not too late to take part. Here are some things you can do today:

(1) Wear an anti-war button, armband, or t-shirt -- something visible expressing your opposition to the war. Encourage others to do so as well.

(2) Check to see if there is an activity happening in your city. If there is, join in and bring a friend.

(3) Put an anti-war sign in your house or apartment window, on your lawn, or in your car window.

(4) Call into radio talk shows. Talk about why you oppose the war in Iraq, why you want to stop a new war in Iran, and why you want all of the troops to be brought home now.

(5) Download and distribute our ­"Want to Do More?" flyer in your community, where you work, at the school you attend, or anyplace where people gather.

(6) Sign the Iraq Moratorium pledge: "I hereby make a commitment that on the Third Friday of each and every month, I will break my daily routine and take some action, by myself or with others, to end the War in Iraq." Then forward it to others and encourage them to sign and take action as well.

(7) Click here to find other ways you can take action as an individual, and help build this effort.At the end of the day, check the Iraq Moratorium blog to read reports from actions around the country, and be sure to post a report on what you did as well. (You must register for an account and login at www.iraqmoratorium.org.) It's got to stop -- we've got to stop it.

A REQUEST FOR YOUR HELP Iowa Marches for Peace

In less than a week, on Saturday, October 27, Iowans will have opportunity to join in a significant rally for peace and for ending the Iraq war that will take place in downtown Des Moines. A lot of people have already said they'll be there.

Many people have committed themselves to helping out with specific tasks in conducting the rally, but we still need more volunteers. Would you please consider helping in one or more of the following ways next Saturday? If so, please email me soon to let me know which item or items you can give us a hand with.

1. Help to arrange caskets around the Nollen Plaza perimeter at 3:00 p.m.

2. Help to attach flags to the caskets at approximately 3:15 p.m.

3. Serve as ushers at Nollen Plaza from 4 to 5:15 p.m. to distribute song sheets and circulate decorated collection boxes for donations. All ushers will wear identification arm bands. (Free will, voluntary donations will be collected in order to help defray the financial costs of the rally).

4. Help carry a very light weight symbolic casket in the eleven block procession. We need 200 casket carriers all together. Many people have already volunteered. We need many more. There will be parade marshals directing the procession, and we will have police escort.

5. Be one of a team of two carrying the lead banner in the parade.

6. Be one of a team of two carrying a banner at the rear of the casket procession.

7. Be a flag bearer in the procession (carrying a 4' x 6' flag on flag pole). We need five people for this.

8. Serve as ushers at the capitol west terrace from about 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. to assist people and circulate small, decorated collection boxes for donations. Some of you who help in this way during the Nollen Plaza portion of the rally might be willingto do this also at the west terrace. Ushers will wear identification arm bands.

9. Be a candle lighter at the start of the candle lighting ceremony on the west terrace. The ceremony will start at about 6:45 p.m. Again, some who serve as ushers might be willing to serve as candle lighters as well.

10. For some of the physically stronger, help load the caskets into a truck following the conclusion of the candle lighting ceremony at about 7:15 p.m.

YOUR HELP IS MUCH APPRECIATED. Email me at joycevernhn@juno.com or phone at (515) 964-1353 . THANK YOU.


ANTI-WAR NIGHT AT UPTOWN BILL’S
FEATURING MUSIC BY:

PIGS AND CLOVER
GREG AND JEAN
MARV HAIN JR
JESUS DON’T LIKE KILLIN’
(with Iowa NEA P & J Caucus menber JP Claussen)

NO COVER!
But donations are welcome!

November 3rd
7:00 – 10:00
at Uptown Bill’s Small Mall
401 S Gilbert St, Iowa City
(319) 339-0401

For More
Information
Call Marv at
319-356-6533