IFPJ

TWO VIEWS: OF INDEPENDENCE SQUARE AND OF AMERICA

Independence Square 1917

Assembled in Independence Square, Philadelphia, thousands of patriotic Americans recently pledged their unanimous support to the President in the following stirring resolutions:
"Meeting on the eve of a great crisis affecting our national life and on the sacred ground where, 141 years ago, the fathers of the Republic declared belief in the unalienable right of man to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, we citizens of Philadelphia, following the traditions of the fathers, here publicly renew our oath of allegiance to the Constitution and the laws of the Republic, pledging to the President of the United States our loyal support in any action which, in the exercise of his constitutional powers, he may deem necessary to the protection of American rights upon land and sea. Because the common defense is a common duty, universal military training is the only system that is fundamentally democratic and fair. We urge upon Congress the prompt enactment of a bill to put this system into immediate operation." - April 1917 issue of The National Geographic Magazine (XXXI)

Notice the people were renewing their oath to the Constitution and the laws of the Republic. They only pledged their support to the president in his exercise of his constitutional powers. And, they didn't neglect Congress; Congress has it's duty to perform, too. How different from today.

Independence Square 2008A 'Sea of Tombstones' in Philadelphia Brings Memorial Day Remembrances to a New Level
by Cheryl Biren-Wright

In the early hours on the Friday before Memorial Day, members of the Delaware Valley Veterans for America, other veterans groups and volunteers, began the painstaking process of marking out the grid that hours later would hold markers representing the 4081 U.S. service members who lost their lives in the Iraq war (as of May 24).

Adding to this stunning visual were the buildings that flanked the memorial that was first displayed on Veteran’s Day 2005. But, it wasn’t historic Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell or the National Constitution Center that pulled at the heartstrings of those who walked along the somber exhibit. It was the tone that was set by the organizers, mostly veterans, who moved quietly among the perfect rows listening, sharing stories, and answering sometimes difficult questions.

As a Sergeant of Marine Infantry, I was charged with enforcing the Uniform Code of Military Justice - the UCMJ. I didn't have the luxury of any special legal training to help me do that job - a job I would be punished under the UCMJ for not doing. All I could do is read it and executed it. I sent a lot of Marines to the brig for violating the UCMJ.

My reading of it tells me that Blackwater and the rest of the "security" forces in Iraq are subject to military law as promulgated.

Notice paragraph (a)(10) and the rest of the paragraphs highlighted in bold. Also note the two italicized paragraphs. As I read it, Blackwater and friends are subject because they are serving with the U.S. Military or are subject because they are mercenaries in violation of the law of war.

Subtitle A > PART II > CHAPTER 47 > SUBCHAPTER I > § 802

§ 802. Art. 2. Persons subject to this chapter

(a) The following persons are subject to this chapter:

Blind Politics

NASCAR

Better NASCAR than going hunting and shooting someone in the face.

Green Peace

Smart Loop

Shredded Wheat

Mt. Fuji

Crops Circle Video Clips:

How to Make Crop Circles

How to make a crop circle

Making a Crop Circle: Part One

ROCHESTER AREA RESIDENTS SPEAK OUT
FOR IMPEACHMENT NOW!

This list is yours just as the country should be. Join this list. Share it. Make it grow. Healing reconciliation of our divided nation is dependent on impeachment and full truth.

Former CIA analyst Ray McGovern recently said, “Impeachment should not be off the table.” Many believe letting Nixon retire without full exposure of the corrupt system is why Americans allowed the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Charges of lies that led to war, illegal torture, corruption of the constitution and lying about the horrific events of September 11, 2001 come from reputable scholars. Impeachment and investigation are not subjected to a timetable or congressional whim.

The nucleus of this people’s impeachment list was supplied by Kenyatta DaCosta, a young African-American writer in a wheel chair. He had a score of his friends to sign up. Do they have more courage and concern than we privileged progressives of the suburbs?

On March 8, 2008, our criminal president vetoed a bill that would have restrained his torturing human beings. This, added to his other crimes, convinces us that the White House is controlled by a group of criminal psychopaths that in no way reflect the U.S. Constitution or the values of the undersigned. 9/11 is given as the reason for the “Homeland Security Bill” which suspended many civil rights, but this bill was written BEFORE the events of September 11, 2001.

Towns and counties across the nation are speaking for impeachment and the documenting of the truth NOW!

These 101 Rochester area concerned citizens and groups speak out for immediate impeachment of Cheney and Bush. Those that want to add their names and/or organizations should contact Jim and Jean Barlow at salmonvalley@att.net. If everyone who reads this gets more names to contact us the list can grow exponentially.

Print this out for use with your friends, communities, congressional reps and organizations. This list is yours just as the country should be.

… JHB

FOR IMPEACHMENT OF DICK CHENEY AND GEORGE W. BUSH:

Adams, Ellen
Allen, Jake, High School student
Alvarez, Esteban
Ames, Art
Anderson, Ashley
Arthur, Ken
Aveint, Malili
Badsrow, Luineseo
Barlow, James H. Regular Army of the USA, four years service, VFP

Not everyone has succumbed to election mania. ImpeachThem.com and New Jersey People's Organization for Progress reminding Citizens where their duty lies.

DIY ORANGE FLOWERS TO WEAR AND GIVE AWAY

YouTube: How to Make Tissue Paper Flowers

Origami VIdeos

Crepe Paper Flowers

Paper Flower Hand Prints

Paper Flowers

You can find lots of clever, quick and inexpensive ideas for paper flowers on the web. Even, the supper-dupper, multi-fold, multi-sheet, brain-boggler origami flowers; if you're up for that. Give it a go. Wear a boutonniere. Give a flower away. Afterall, the "Buddy Poppies" that go on sale every Memorial Day are, in the end, just paper flowers too.

OH YEH, MAKE NICE EVERYWHERE YOU GO - GIVE SOME ORANGE FLOWERS TO THE POLICE AND OTHER PEOPLE.

Take a break from the horror ot the propaganda spewing from the Bush White House and remember there was a time when America had another vision of Baghdad.

To kill one man is to be guilty of a capital crime, to kill ten men is to increase the guilt ten-fold, to kill a hundred men is to increase it a hundred-fold. This the rulers of the earth all recognize and yet when it comes to the greatest crime-waging war on another state-they praise it!

It is clear they do not know it is wrong, for they record such deeds to be handed down to posterity; if they knew they were wrong, why should they wish to record them and have them handed down to posterity?

If a man on seeing a little black were to say it is black, but on seeing a lot of black were to say it is white, it would be clear that such a man could not distinguish black and white. Or if he were to taste a few bitter things were to pronounce them sweet, clearly he would be incapable of distinguishing between sweetness and bitterness. So those who recognize a small crime as such, but do not recognize the wickedness of the greatest crime of all-waging war on another state-but actually praise it-cannot distinguish right from wrong. So as to right or wrong, the rulers of the world are in confusion.

- Mozi, China, circa 470-391 B.C.

What more is there to say about Gene Sharp's three volume work on nonviolence. On the back cover, Colonel Bletz said all that needed saying.

...a monumental piece of work...impressive....It does not seem too unrealistic that nonviolent action would or should be one of the options within a nation’s defense policy....The military professional...should read this book with a view toward determining if nonviolent action can play a logical role in the defense of his state or in an alliance structure....This volume makes a great deal of sense and if the insights it offers are accepted in a practical way and...examined unemotionally, it will be a valuable contribution to the study of relations among states and to the search for valid alternative defense policies. - Col. Donald R. Bletz, Department of National and International Security Studies, U.S. Army War College, MILITARY REVIEW

Anything that makes the Army War College stand up and take interest is worth a look by you. Of especial interest is the role nonviolence played in colonial America's struggles with the English crown.

These books (and others) are available at the The Albert Einstein Institute.

Just flipping through will be useful. And, if you only have time for one; read Volume II: Methods of Nonviolent Action.

Daniel I. Fearn
Former Sergeant of Marine Infantry and Special Literary Correspondent to the After Downing Street Coalition

25 April 1974

Portugal - Nonviolent supporters of the Revolução dos Cravos or the Carnation Revolution changed the Portuguese authoritarian rule in favor of a democracy.

Citizens brandishing Carnations offered to trade their flowers for the government’s soldiers’ bullets. The soldiers accepted. The oldest fascist regime in Western Europe was put to rest. The only casualties were four citizens killed by the fascists.

Read more.

And here.

25 April 2008

United States - 34th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution. It can happen here. IF YOU WANT IT.

Now we got no ears, no hands, no arms, no feet, no legs, no eyes, no head.... Now we're all dead and gone, dead and gone, dead and gone.

Listen to a clip of "Are You Ready for a War", a traditional Irish children's song at CD World (track 34).

Simple, catchy, says it all. Sing it as is or rewrite for your next nonviolent action. How about “Are you ready for Iraq, for Iraq, for Iraq.... Presumably this is some black Irish humor out of the mouths of babes. But, I reckon it’ll work for this war, for Iran and for the next war.

ARE YOU READY FOR A WAR

Are you ready for a war, for a war, for a war.
Are you ready for a war, for we’re the English soldiers

O yes we're ready for a war, for a war, for a war.
Yes we're ready for a war, for we’re the Irish soldiers.