[mpen-dayton4] FW: "Join me?" & "DOJ: Investigate Arizona voter suppression" & "Coke cuts funding to Trump, RNC!" & "One Year of Killing in Yemen" and more
FYI. Best, Munsup
P.S. Please reply back to me with 'unsubscribe' on the subject line if you no longer want to receive my e-Newsletters. The convenient link to unsubscribe is no longer available due to security reasons to protect my email servers.
P.P.S. "He who dares not offend cannot be honest" - Thomas Paine
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· FW: Join me?
· FW: "Why The Major Media Marginalize Bernie" | The Smirking Chimp
· FW: Tell Congress: Hold gun industry accountable! (petition delivery soon)
· FW: Dept. of Justice: Investigate Arizona voter suppression
· FW: Sign the petition (#ByeHelen): What happened in Arizona is UNACCEPTABLE
· FW: "The Browning of America and Its Effects Upon Society"
· FW: This is worth risking arrest for.
· FW: BREAKING: Coke cuts funding to Trump, RNC!
· FW: Dear Nike: #DumpTrump
· FW: One Year of Killing in Yemen
· FW: US-Saudi Terror in Yemen Dwarfs ISIS Attacks in Europe
· FW: SIGN THE PETITION: Tell Congress to repeal the gun industry's immunity
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From: MARGARET PETERS
Subject: Join me?
Amazon is promoting and profiting from Donald Trump and his brand. The online behemoth sells Trump's line of menswear--even though companies like Macy's bailed on Trump's brand of hate last year. Trump is inciting violence at his rallies and spewing vitriol that white supremacists like David Duke love. So why is Amazon continuing to support the Trump empire?
Many of us use Amazon, and the company has responded to our pressure before over the selling of sexist products. It needs to follow suit when it comes to Trump products. That's why I just signed this petition asking Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to dump Trump. Will you join me?
From: Judy Burnette
Subject: "Why The Major Media Marginalize Bernie" | The Smirking Chimp
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/node/66675
From: Alexandra Hart; Online Team, People For the American Way
Subject: Tell Congress: Hold gun industry accountable! (petition delivery soon)
The gun industry enjoys unfair special protections and, other than for actual malfunctions, cannot be sued or held liable for the devastating harm and injury caused by its products ... even if they end up in the hands of those who should not have them due to reckless or negligent practices by gun manufacturers or dealers.
This is due to previous legislation passed to shield gun dealers known as PLCAA (The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act).
The Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act (H.R. 4399/S. 2469), introduced earlier this year, would overturn PLCAA and repeal this immunity.
We've joined with a large coalition of organizations to call for the passage of these bills, and will be teaming up with them and the Newtown Action Alliance for a petition delivery on Capitol Hill -- timed in conjunction with a "fly-in" to Washington by a pro-NRA trade group.
Please add your name to the petition now to make sure your name is included>>
Then, after you take action, please take two minutes to watch the trailer for our partner Brave New Films' documentary Making a Killing: Guns, Greed, and The NRA.
(Please note: the short video on the petition page is not the trailer for this film -- after you take the action, you will be redirected to a web page with the film's trailer.)
The Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act would allow Americans to hold firearm manufacturers and dealers liable for harm caused by the weapons they sell.
This legislation would make the gun industry accountable to their products in the same way industries like the car and toy industries already are. Right now, you can sue for damage done by a toy water gun, but not for damage done by a real gun. This legislation would fix that.
Let Congress know that you support these bills and it's time to hold the gun industry accountable for knowingly selling firearms to criminals for the sake of profit.
Join PFAW and our allies by adding your name to the petition now, in time for your name to be included in the delivery to Congress>>
Thanks for speaking out.
From: Laura Packard
Subject: Dept. of Justice: Investigate Arizona voter suppression
I'm Laura Packard, a fellow MoveOn member, and I started a petition to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, which says:
In Maricopa County, Arizona, the number of polling places was reduced from 200 during the 2012 primary election to just 60 for 2016. Some predominantly Latino areas only got one or no polling places at all. People had to wait in 5+ hour lines to vote. Please investigate and put a stop to the voter suppression before the general election. --- Sign Laura's petition
During this past Tuesday's primary election in Maricopa County, Arizona, the number of polling places was reduced from 200 during the 2012 primary election to just 60 for 2016.1 Officials were warned that this would mean long lines and discourage people from voting. But they did it anyway.
Some predominantly Latino areas only got one polling place. Others got none at all. County officials allocated one polling place for every 108,000 residents on average in Phoenix, a minority-majority city—but Anglo communities had far more polling sites per resident. The result was traffic jams, and people had to wait in 5-hour lines to vote.2,3
Maricopa County Recorder Helen Purcell, in charge of overseeing the election, told reporters she was sorry people were upset but didn't offer solutions.
The Justice Department can put a stop to this; they are the best hope for upholding the rights of all Arizona voters. Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton has asked for the DOJ to investigate. Now it's our turn to keep up the pressure.
Click here to add your name to this petition, and then pass it along to your friends.
Sources:
1. "Maricopa County election officials writing off voters? You bet," Arizona Republic, March 23, 2016
http://act.moveon.org/go/2331?t=4&akid=163466.1195276.oc_2Gb
2. "Our View: A five-hour wait to vote in Arizona primary? That's shameful," Arizona Republic, March 23, 2016
http://act.moveon.org/go/2330?t=6&akid=163466.1195276.oc_2Gb
3. "Phoenix mayor asks Justice Department to investigate Arizona voting delays," CNN News, March 24, 2016
http://act.moveon.org/go/2367?t=8&akid=163466.1195276.oc_2Gb
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From: albert baca
Subject: Fw: Sign the petition (#ByeHelen): What happened in Arizona is UNACCEPTABLE
Arizona's voting outrage is a warning to the nation
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/arizonas-voting-rights-fire-bell/2016/03/27/f184e856-f2c0-11e5-85a6-2132cf446d0a_story.html
Sorry. Couldn't resist. For well over a year I have been saying Arizona should be divided into three states: Alta Arizona (Flagstaff), Baja Arizona (Tucson) and Caca Arizona. Caca is the PHX metro area; Maricopa County if you will with Sheriff Joe and all the crazies. I am not saying everyone in the PHX metro area is bat shit crazy. But enough are. Like the people who insist on having a beautiful lush lawn in the desert. Great thinking there. What do you suppose those people think of climate change?
Caca in Spanish has several different meanings. The most likely use is a shortened version of cagada which parents use teaching young children. Cagada means shit. Mierda also means shit in Spanish. Cerote means turd. End of a shitty Spanish lesson.
--- Old Al
On Monday, March 28, 2016 3:38 PM, "Anay Bickham; Digital Campaigner and resident of Phoenix; Democracy for America" wrote:
Dear Albert --
I've lived in Phoenix for more than 20 years -- and what I witnessed last Tuesday during Arizona's presidential primary is unacceptable.
Election Day should have gone smoothly. In the days leading up to the election, people were excited. But when I went to my polling place on Tuesday, long lines stretched around the building -- and people were visibly angry and frustrated.
I wasn't alone. According to news reports, voters stood in lines for hours in several locations -- some as long as 5 hours or more. Only 60 polling sites were open in Maricopa County -- the most diverse, populated county in the region with the highest voter turnout in Arizona. Many people were turned away or walked away -- unable to vote.
Believe it or not, Maricopa County Recorder Helen Purcell -- who has been in charge of elections and making sure every vote counts in the county since 1988 -- immediately defended herself, answering a reporter's question by asserting that voters were to blame:
"Well, the voters for getting in line, maybe us for not having enough voting places."
Last Wednesday, during a county board meeting Purcell changed her tune by taking responsibility. But this is not enough. Accountability is necessary from our elected officials -- and Arizona voters need to take action now so this never happens again.
This is not democracy -- and sorry is not enough. Sign my petition today calling on Helen Purcell, Maricopa County Recorder, to resign now for Tuesday's election disaster.
Purcell's outrageous decision to close 140 of 200 polling places disenfranchised marginalized communities from the voting process. For voters who were able to travel long distances to one of these polling places, many were turned away.
For decades, Arizona has been at the forefront of voter suppression -- disenfranchising Black and Latino communities. During last Tuesday's primary, it happened again, as some areas largely populated by residents of color had only one polling place or no polling place at all. As Ari Berman in The Nation wrote:
"Election officials said they reduced the number of polling sites to save money -- an ill-conceived decision that severely inconvenienced hundreds of thousands of voters. Previously, Maricopa County would have needed to receive federal approval for reducing the number of polling sites, because Arizona was one of sixteen states where jurisdictions with a long history of discrimination had to submit their voting changes under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.
"This type of change would very likely have been blocked since minorities comprise 40 percent of Maricopa County's population and reducing the number of polling places would have left minority voters worse off… But after the Supreme Court gutted the [Voting Rights Act] in 2013, Arizona could make election changes without federal oversight.
"The long lines in Maricopa County last night were the latest example of the disastrous consequences of that [Supreme Court] decision."
Helen Purcell is not alone, of course. Many Republican officials, charged with the responsibility of election oversight, continually work to restrict access to voting by closing polls, misinforming voters, and enacting Voter ID laws -- creating frustration, fear, and vulnerability for many communities.
Helen Purcell has been too comfortable for far too long and needs to be held accountable. For decades, Purcell has faced charges of voter disenfranchisement, including 2012, when anti-immigrant Sheriff Joe Arpaio was reelected after Purcell's office sent the wrong election date to Spanish-speaking voters -- twice.
With the November election coming up, holding Helen Purcell accountable and stopping voter suppression in Arizona could put elections officials across the country on notice. As our friends and allies at Presente point out:
"[Helen Purcell] should not be allowed to oversee the November general election in Arizona, especially with so much at stake for our communities."
Clearly, it's time for Helen Purcell to go. Please sign my petition today calling on her to resign immediately for Tuesday's election disaster.
Voting is the most sacred right in our country, but it is being stripped away, one election at a time. Thank you for believing in and fighting for a democracy that upholds the right of every citizen to vote.
From: Jimmy Franco
Subject: "The Browning of America and Its Effects Upon Society"
The Browning of America and Its Effects Upon Society
Ethnic minorities within the US continue to see their numbers grow.
This youthful browning of society will ultimately affect us economically, politically and culturally..
Continue reading...
Moderator: Jimmy Franco Sr. LATINOPOV.COM
From: Alex Lawson; Executive Director, Social Security Works
Subject: This is worth risking arrest for.
In less than two weeks, I am taking to the streets in Washington DC with thousands of others to get money out of politics. And I need you to join me.
I am proud to join leaders like Mark Ruffalo, Zephyr Teachout, Cenk Uygur and members of over 40 organizations who have already pledged to risk arrest amid the largest American civil disobedience action in a generation next month. Will you join us for a Democracy Spring?
Greedy liars on Wall Street have used inequality to build wealth and power for decades. They have used this wealth and power to attempt to dismantle our Social Security system, Medicare, Medicaid, and any regulations that stand between them and consolidating more power. The 2016 election will be the most big money-dominated, secret money-drenched contest in modern American history. The fight to get money out of politics undergirds all of our efforts to expand and protect our Social Security system.
Here's the plan. On April 2nd, a pioneering group of Americans will gather at the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia -- where the dream of American democracy took flight -- and embark on a 10-day march to the US Capitol in Washington DC. Before setting out, they will present a simple choice to Congress: take immediate action to end the corruption of big money in politics and make the 2016 elections free and fair for all people as equal citizens, or be prepared to send thousands of patriotic Americans to jail simply for demanding an equal voice.
We need every voice together on this—which is why I'm asking you to join me at the Capitol next month, whether you can risk arrest or not.
On April 11th, the march will be joined at the US Capitol by thousands who've come from across the country to make a stand for our democracy. At that point, in and around the People's House, we will engage in peaceful civil disobedience for at least a week. Day after day, with the world watching, Congress will put thousands of disciplined, dignified democracy defenders in handcuffs instead of simply doing its job to fix this problem.
Whether Congress acts or not we will win by focusing the nation's attention — as never before — on the urgency of this crisis, the existence of solutions to it, and the strength of the popular demand to enact them. That's a referendum we will win, creating a powerful mandate — backed by a surging movement — for the fundamental reform that will give us, finally, the democracy for all which we were promised.
Our allies will provide the necessary training and legal support to all who decide to engage in civil disobedience. But to do it successfully, we need to know we can do it at an historic scale.
I know that this is no ordinary ask. But these are not ordinary times. This is the hour to challenge ourselves to rise to this historic moment and set the future on a course for justice.
Join us at the historic sit-in to save our democracy. Even if you can't risk arrest, we need you with us. We need your support.
PAID FOR AND AUTHORIZED BY SOCIAL SECURITY WORKS
Contact info@socialsecurityworks.org
From: Rashad, Arisha, Brandi, Evan and the rest of the team at ColorOfChange
Subject: BREAKING: Coke cuts funding to Trump, RNC!
Huge news! Because of pressure from ColorOfChange members like you, The New York Times is reporting that Coca-Cola will no longer provide financial support to Trump and the Republican National Convention (RNC)!1
Thanks to the pressure generated by the more than 124,000 of you, Coca-Cola has declined to match the $660,000 it provided to the Republican convention in 2012. It's clear that your voices have the power to shift the decision-making of major corporations and the problematic politicians they support.
While Coke's decision to not make further monetary contributions is important, Coke and other corporations need to demand refunds of contributions they've already made, refuse to fulfill prior pledges of support, and make sure their products and brands are nowhere to be seen at the convention or during coverage of the convention. We will continue to hold Coke accountable for any association or promotion of Coke products during the Trump-led RNC, but their decision to cut funding is a huge change in momentum.
Coca-Cola is just the first domino to fall in the campaign to get corporate sponsors to divest from hate. And The New York Times is reporting that other major corporate sponsors are growing even more nervous about sponsoring Trump and the RNC. We need to seize this moment and push other wavering companies to join Coke in immediately terminating their plans to sponsor Trump and the RNC.
Demand the remaining corporate funders of Trump and the RNC follow Coke's lead and immediately terminate their sponsorships!
Below is the original email we sent on this issue earlier in March
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
Donald Trump is all but certain to be the Republican presidential nominee this summer. And corporate sponsors like Coca-Cola are planning to fund his coronation at the Republican National Convention (RNC).
Even with Trump refusing to disavow the support of the Ku Klux Klan this weekend and declaring "All Lives Matter" at a rally, Coca-Cola still has not canceled their sponsorship of the RNC.3 4 How can Coca-Cola, a company that heavily markets to and profits from Black people, fund a platform for a presidential nominee that is being bolstered into office by former Grand Wizard David Duke, the KKK, and other white supremacists?
Coca-Cola is stuck pretending that their sponsorship won't provide a platform for Trump's dehumanizing hate speech. But when corporate dollars are used to fund a platform for a demagogue who promotes a violently anti-Black message, that company is just as culpable as the person shouting.
Will you call on Coca-Cola and other sponsoring companies to end their sponsorships of a Trump-led convention?
YES - I'll demand Coca-Cola stop providing a platform for hate speech.
Coca-Cola, like many of the companies sponsoring the RNC, claims to be a champion of diversity and has run multi-million dollar marketing campaigns to convince the public of that claim.5 If Coca-Cola wants to maintain its image as a diverse and inclusive company, then it can in no way fund a platform for Donald Trump.
Trump's violent political rhetoric has very real consequences for Black people.6 His use of violent rhetoric, racially charged imagery, and paranoid conspiracy theories dehumanizes Black Americans and encourages hate crimes, white terrorist attacks, and daily violence against Black Americans. It's even inspiring a rise in membership for white supremacist groups and causing a huge spike in the number of white terror militia groups.7 8 If Coca-Cola funds a Trump-led RNC, they will be funding all of Trump's damaging messages.
Demand Coca-Cola stop providing a platform for hate speech.
In a letter to ColorOfChange, Coca-Cola executives said they have a "civic responsibility" to support a Trump-led RNC to "encourage more Americans to participate in the political process." If Coca-Cola truly believes in corporate civic responsibility, than funding a platform for an anti-democratic demagogue preaching violently anti-Black, anti-Latino, anti-Muslim, and anti-women bigotry should be the last thing they would ever want to sponsor.
Coca-Cola and other RNC sponsors like Xerox, Adobe, Cisco, AT&T, and Google think their sponsorships are neutral but, they are not. These companies have a choice. They can either demonstrate real civic responsibility and stand against Donald Trump's bigotry, or they can throw away their multi-million dollar diversity marketing campaigns.
Will you demand these companies stand against Donald Trump?
YES - I'll demand Coca-Cola stop providing a platform for hate speech.
Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU—your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don't share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way.
References:
1. "Trump campaign manager Lewandowski charged with battery," CNBC, 03-29-2016
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/6069?t=9&akid=5600.239715.rwGJtk
2. "Donald Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski charged with battery for grabbing Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields," NY Daily News, 03-29-2016
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/6070?t=11&akid=5600.239715.rwGJtk
3. " Critics lash out at Trump over white supremacist backing," RawStory, 02-28-2016
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/5914?t=13&akid=5600.239715.rwGJtk
4. "#BlackLivesMatter Protests Trump In Alabama, Trump Responds: "All Lives Matter"," Real Clear Politics, 02-28-2016 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/5915?t=15&akid=5600.239715.rwGJtk
5. "Global Diversity Mission," The Coca-Cola Company
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/5916?t=17&akid=5600.239715.rwGJtk
6. "Fueling the Fire:Violent Metaphors, Trait Aggression, and Support for Political Violence," George Washington University https://act.colorofchange.org/go/5754?t=19&akid=5600.239715.rwGJtk
7. "The State of Hate: White Supremacist Groups Growing," The Leadership Conference
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/5555?t=21&akid=5600.239715.rwGJtk
8. "Antigovernment militia groups grew by more than one-third in last year," SPLC, 01-04-2016
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/5753?t=23&akid=5600.239715.rwGJtk
ColorOfChange is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.
From: Laura Leavitt, Courage Campaign
1. http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2696?t=5&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3, http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2697?t=6&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3, http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2711?t=7&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3, and http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2699?t=9&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3 2. http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2700?t=10&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3, http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2701?t=11&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3, http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2702?t=12&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3, http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2703?t=13&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3, https://couragecampaign.actionkit.com/go/2704?t=14&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3, http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2705?t=15&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3, and http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2706?t=17&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3 3. http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2707?t=19&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3 4. https://couragecampaign.actionkit.com/go/2708?t=20&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3, http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2709?t=21&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3, http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2710?t=23&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3 5. http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2713?t=25&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3 6. http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2714?t=27&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3 and http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2715?t=29&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3 7. http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2716?t=30&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3, http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2717?t=31&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3, and http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2718?t=33&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3 8. http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2719?t=34&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3, http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2720?t=35&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3, and https://couragecampaign.actionkit.com/go/2721?t=37&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3 9. http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2722?t=39&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3 and http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2723?t=41&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3 10. http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2724?t=43&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3 and http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2725?t=45&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3 11. http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2726?t=46&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3, http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2727?t=47&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3, http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2728?t=48&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3, http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2729?t=49&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3, and http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2730?t=51&akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3 |
Like what we do? Chip in to help fund the fight for a more progressive nation. Or find us on Facebook or Twitter. 
Courage Campaign fights for a more progressive California and country. We are an online community powered by more than 1.2 million members.
http://www.couragecampaign.org?akid=2634.790590.qaOLj3
From: Alice, Alli, Ariel, Chelsea, Janet, Jodie, Marwa, Medea, Michaela, Nancy, Rebecca, Sam and Tighe; CODEPINK
Subject: One Year of Killing in Yemen
Today marks one year since Saudi Arabia began what they said would be "short-term" military involvement in Yemen's civil war. In the 365 days since, using American-made fighter jets, cluster bombs, and other munitions, more than 3,000 innocent Yemeni civilians have been killed, many of them in ways that may amount to war crimes. It is far past time for the United States to stand up and say "enough is enough" and repudiate Saudi aggression and killing in Yemen.
Tell Secretary of State John Kerry to press the Saudis to end the bombing in Yemen, sign a permanent peace agreement and provide a joint aid package to rebuild the country.
U.S.-supplied F-15s and cluster bombs have been used extensively in the bombing campaign in Yemen, resulting in thousands of deaths of Yemeni civilians as well as significant damage to Yemen's infrastructure and rich architectural history. The Saudi-led bombing raids have been conducted indiscriminately, killing journalists and destroying multiple buildings in a Doctors Without Borders facility.
The situation in Yemen in the wake of a year of relentless bombing has been described as a "humanitarian catastrophe" by the United Nations, with 21 million people in need of some kind of aid, 7.6 million people "severely food-insecure", and over 3.4 million children out of school. That the United States supplied the weapons that caused this devastation and still remains silent in the face of such horror is unconscionable.
A ceasefire has been announced that will go into effect April 10. The U.S. should support the ceasefire and use it as an opportunity to push for peace talks, then provide aid for rebuilding Yemen once peace has been achieved. Use our action page to tell John Kerry to press for an end to the bombing in Yemen and to provide humanitarian aid to rebuild the country.
We cannot undo the damage that has been done in Yemen, but we can speak out to prevent any more damage from occurring and help repair what our weapons have wrought. Thank you for joining us in calling for peace and justice for the Yemeni people.
PS: You don't want to miss this harrowing new segment about life inside of Saudi Arabia made jointly by PBS and ITV -- watch it and share it with your friends!
From: Daytonians Against War Now on behalf of Logan Martinez
Subject: FW: US-Saudi Terror in Yemen Dwarfs ISIS Attacks in Europe
US-Saudi Terror in Yemen Dwarfs ISIS Attacks in Europe
By William Boardman, Reader Supported News on 25 March 16
"Saudi Arabia has been militarily involved and trying to manipulate political outcomes
in Yemen for decades. The last time they did this in 2009, they lost militarily to the Houthis."
– foreign policy scholar Hillary Mann Leverett on CNN, early 2015
Why are two of the richest countries in the World, the United States and Saudi Arabia, engaged in unrelenting, aggressive war against one of the poorest countries in the world, Yemen?
The US-Saudi-led war on Yemen started on March 26, 2015, with the Saudi coalition's aerial blitz, using both high-explosive and outlawed cluster bombs, against a population with no air force or other effective air defense. US-supported year of carnage has killed more than 6,000 people (no one knows for sure), most of them civilians. The US-Saudi criminal intervention in the Yemeni civil war was supposed to be quick and efficient. From the start, the US has helped plan the attacks, provided intelligence, re-fueled attacking planes, and participated in the naval blockade (an act of war) that has pushed Yemen's 26 million people to the brink of mass starvation. The American-Saudi genocidal war has continued without significant protest around the world – no "Yemeni Lives Matter" movement – and with almost no attention from any of those who will likely inherit this illegal war as the next commander in chief. None of the candidates, despite their tough talk about ISIS, seem to care that the Saudi military focus has shifted from fighting ISIS to killing Yemenis whose primary offense is to want to run their own country. Nobody in authority seems ready to address the possibility that one of the fundamental bad actors in the Middle East is our longstanding "ally" Saudi Arabia.
One reason the candidates can so easily ignore American war crimes in collusion with the Saudi coalition is that Yemen is not widely reported, much less analyzed. Yemen is not part of the official beltway agenda. The PBS program "Frontline" devoted an hour to Yemen in April 2015, mostly delivering the Saudi propaganda view that the Houthis are the bad guys, and omitting mention of the naval blockade. The New York Times apparently felt Yemen was not front page news till March 14, 2016, when it ran a disingenuous, seriously truncated piece that misrepresented the US role in Yemen, starting with the headline: "Quiet Support for Saudis Entangles U.S. in Yemen" (more about this below). Finding relevant, thoughtful commentary about Yemen from any presidential candidate is difficult to impossible. A sampling follows:
Donald Trump offers wolf-in-the-woods gibberish to fear
Donald Trump doesn't appear to have any articulated position on the Yemen War, but he does seem to think that it's all Iran's fault. At least that's what he seemed to say on January 19 at an Iowa rally where Sarah Palin endorsed his candidacy. In Trump's rally remarks below, "they" – as in "they're going into Yemen" – refers to Iran:
Now they're going into Yemen, and if you look at Yemen, take a look … they're going to get Syria, they're going to get Yemen, unless … trust me, a lot of good things are going to happen if I get in, but let's just sort of leave it the way it is. They get Syria, they get Yemen. Now they didn't want Yemen, but you ever see the border between Yemen and Saudi Arabia? They want Saudi Arabia. So what are they going to have? They're gonna have Iraq, they're gonna have Iran, they're gonna have Iraq, they're gonna have Yemen, they're gonna have Syria, they're gonna have everything!
Even at "The American Conservative," no booster of Iran, they mock Trump surgically: "This is nonsense,… a crude, simplified version of official Saudi interventionist propaganda, which has grossly exaggerated the extent of Iran's influence and involvement in Yemen for most of the last year." Being American Conservatives, they stop short of denouncing a criminal American war that has received "far too little coverage," since it is "one of the worst foreign policy blunders of [Obama's] presidency."
Ted Cruz and John Kasich have less to say about Yemen than Trump
In January 2015, before the US-Saudi war started, Ted Cruz was arguing that "Yemen demands our attention as the terrorism bred there has global reach." In support of this demand, Cruz cited varyingly relevant events of 2000, 2009, and 2011, as well as the then-fact that: "Seventy-one of the 122 prisoners remaining at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility are from Yemen." Beyond more "attention," Cruz made no policy proposal. The Ted Cruz 2016 website offers no Yemen policy, nor does it acknowledge the criminal US-Saudi war that kills civilians there almost daily, even though it does not resort to "carpet bombing" (which Cruz recommended for ISIS in Syria).
John Kasich is as quiet as anyone on the American role in bringing Yemen to the brink of mass starvation, but in South Carolina on January 14 Kasich had some unusually harsh, semi-coherent words for Saudi Arabia's educational initiatives, if not its war crimes:
In terms of Saudi Arabia, look, my biggest problem with them is funding radical clerics through their madrassas, that is a bad deal. Whether I'm president or not, make it clear to the Saudis, we're going to support you, we're in relation with you just like the first gulf war, but you got to knock off the funding and teaching of radical clerics who are the very people who try to destroy us and will turn around and destroy them.
Kasich's speech to AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) on March 21 was titled "A Comprehensive Outline for American Security in a Chaotic World." Kasich offered ritualistic, dishonest Iran demonizing ("Iran's regional aggression") and lied about the USA not being part of Gulf State cooperation, the same Saudi-led alliance waging war on Yemen. But neither his speech nor the Kasich presidential website was comprehensive enough to mention the illegal US-Saudi war in Yemen, in which Israel has participated.
The same day Kasich spoke to AIPAC, Israel managed to evacuate 19 Yemeni Jews from one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world, in Yemen. During 1947-1949, after the partition of Palestine, Yemeni attacks on Jews in Yemen led most of them (about 50,000) to flee to Israel. Now, most of the remaining Yemeni Jews (about 50) live in a compound in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa under the protection of "authorities."
Hillary Clinton silent on war she helped make possible
Hillary Clinton's present silence on the US-Saudi terror-bombing campaign that has killed some 3,000 Yemeni civilians since March 2015 distinguishes her from none of the other 2016 candidates. But Clinton does have the distinction of being the only candidate who contributed materially to the ability of Saudi Arabia to bomb indiscriminately, using American weapons and munitions, against which Yemen is virtually defenseless. As a hawkish Secretary of State, Clinton made arming Saudi Arabia a "top priority,"supporting more than $100 billion of dollars of arms sales (2010-2015), including F-15s and the bombs the Saudis have used to pummel Yemen for a year. Unlike the US or Canada, European countries have begun to question or block arms sales to Saudi Arabia in response to the horrendous and unrelenting Saudi record of human rights abuses. Code Pink and other human rights organizations say the Saudi-led attacks on Yemen "may amount to war crimes," stopping short of naming possible war criminals. The Clinton Foundation has accepted more than $10 million from two of Yemen's aggressors, Morocco and Saudi Arabia.
Bernie Sanders has no public opinion on Yemeni ethnic cleansing
In early 2015, Bernie Sanders expressed a vague Middle East policy that called for Saudi Arabia and other Arab states to take the lead in fighting terrorism, with the US in more of a support role. What the Saudi-coalition is doing to Yemen fits this framework, except for the terrorism part. The US-Saudi war on Yemen has actually made Yemen safer and more secure for both ISIS and Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). In November 2015, almost eight months after Yemen was attacked, Sanders offered this oblique but accurate assessment:
Saudi Arabia, turns out, has the third-largest defense budget in the world,… Yet instead of fighting ISIS they have focused more on a campaign to oust Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
By omission, this amounts to a kind of blessing of that genocidal war. It also reveals an uncritical acceptance of the false Saudi version of reality ("Iran-backed Houthis"). With no relevant comment on the official Sanders website, the Yemen war remains an issue-cluster he has yet to address directly, never mind thoroughly and accurately, any more than anyone else.
After a year of US-guided terror bombing in Yemen, in a Saudi-led campaign primarily against the Houthis' tribal homeland – an assault that is effectively a multinational campaign of ethnic cleansing – it is a sad measure of the seriousness of the candidates for president that they have nothing critical to say of an effort that has more than 24 million victims, most of them innocent, all held hostage in a food-deprived country sealed off by a naval, air, and land blockade imposed primarily by the US, UK, and Saudi Arabia. That's why you don't see a flood of Yemeni refugees comparable to those escaping from a smaller (23 million) Syria: because the US is helping to keep them there till they kill each other, get bombed to bits, or starve.
What you don't know about is less likely to disturb the status quo
Mainstream media coverage of Yemen continues to be spotty, limited, incomplete, and mostly incoherent. The New York Times article mentioned above is perhaps a sign of increased official attention, but it is no harbinger of completeness or coherence. The premise of the story is fundamentally dishonest, as expressed in the inside headline: "Quiet Support for Saudi Allies Entangles U.S. in a Bloody Conflict in Yemen." What the story makes clear is that, in March 2015, the Saudi ambassador pitched the White House on starting a new war in Yemen. The ambassador promised a quick campaign to re-install the Yemeni government that had fled to Saudi Arabia. The ambassador hyped his pitch with the standard exaggeration of Iranian involvement (which has actually been all but nil). Despite concern by "many" advisors that "the Saudi-led offensive would be long, bloody, and indecisive," President Obama bought the pitch and authorized the Pentagon to support the Saudi-coalition's attacks on Yemen. Somewhat contradictorily, the Times story also reports:
American intelligence officials had long thought that the Saudis overstated the extent of Iranian support for the Houthis, and that Iran had never seen its ties to the rebel group as more than a useful annoyance to the Saudis. But Mr. Obama's aides believed that the Saudis saw a military campaign in Yemen as a tough message to Iran.
How do you vote for accountability when no candidate's for it?
Taken altogether, that leaves the reader wondering why the president listened to one set of advisors more than another, and especially why he listened to the ones not supported by either intelligence officials or evidence on the ground. According to the Times, two of those most in favor of war on Yemen were Secretary of State John Kerry (as way to ameliorate Saudi annoyance with US-Iran talks, sacrifice some Yemenis) and UN Ambassador Samantha Power (arguing preposterously that US involvement might mean fewer civilian casualties). Even now, the White House official in charge of Middle East policy (Robert Malley) claims, "This is not our war." He doesn't explain how this war could have happened without the US.
In other words, there was no conscientious analysis leading to a measured decision by the White House as to what would be the best course in Yemen. Doing nothing was apparently not an option, since doing nothing would likely have meant no war there at all (except civil war). The White was already morally compromised by the US drone program that had significantly added to instability (and anger at the US) in Yemen, so how much worse could unleashing an illegal war of aggression be? A year later, we're finding out.
So the White House needs a cover story, the White House needs plausible deniability of its willingness to commit war crimes. Enter the Times with something of a cover story: the official version of events is that US participation in and "quiet support" for an aggressive war, in violation of international law, isn't a big deal as long as the US doesn't get "entangled."
That's not a particularly persuasive argument. But President Obama's de facto pardon of Bush White House operatives for all their Iraq-related war crimes and crimes against humanity pretty much set the stage for the current absence of any serious call for accountability for any abuse of authority. Little wonder that none of the president's would-be replacements are challenging the ability to exercise power without personal risk.
William M. Boardman has over 40 years experience in theatre, radio, TV, print journalism, and non-fiction, including 20 years in the Vermont judiciary. He has received honors from Writers Guild of America, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Vermont Life magazine, and an Emmy Award nomination from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
From: Ernesto Villaseñor, Jr., Courage Campaign
Subject: SIGN THE PETITION: Tell Congress to repeal the gun industry's immunity
Munsup, I wanted to make sure you saw Tim's email urging Congress to give us the power to hold accountable the gun makers and sellers who market and sell weapons of warfare and mass killings to everyday civilians. In just a few days, more than 50,000 Courage Campaign members and activist have signed on, but we need over 100,000 to send the strongest message we can to Congress. SIGN ON TODAY and tell Congress to pass H.R. 4399!
Check out Tim's email for more information.
From: Tim, along with Annie, Eddie, Emma, Ernesto, Kelsey, Laura, Lindsay, Moonyoung, Paul, and Scottie (the Courage team)
2,775 dead, 5,565 injured. These are the victims of gun violence in the United States in 2016 ALONE. That's almost 39 DEATHS PER DAY!(1) And the one industry that should be held responsible for this epidemic has complete immunity.
For years, the gun industry has been shielded by the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) -- legislation that makes gun makers and dealers immune from lawsuits for any harm or deaths caused by their products.(2)
Fortunately, there is a bill in Congress RIGHT NOW that would remove the gun industry's legal shield -- the Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act (H.R. 4399). If this bill passes, we would have the power to hold the gun industry accountable for their negligence each time one of their products ends a life.
Wanna hear the craziest part? The gun industry is the only industry that is NOT held legally accountable for their products. For example, if a faulty airbag breaks your arm in a car accident, you can sue the car company. If someone is harmed by a toy gun, the toy maker is sued. Gun manufacturers and sellers can escape accountability even if their practices are unreasonably dangerous and cause harm. It makes NO SENSE.
This is exactly what happened to the parents of Jessica Ghawi, one of the victims of the 2012 Aurora shooting. When they tried to sue Lucky Gunner -- the online ammunition dealer that sold 4,000 rounds of armor piercing bullets to the Aurora movie theater shooter -- for selling ammunition to a person with a violent background, their lawsuit was dismissed because of the PLCAA. And like some sick joke, because of an additional gun industry immunity law in Colorado, Mr. and Mrs. Ghawi were left responsible to pay Lucky Gunner's legal fees, which were in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.(3)
That's why we've joined with Alliance for Gun Responsibility, Brave New Films, Daily Kos and 14 other organizations to build an overwhelming consensus to repeal the PLCAA and hold the gun industry accountable. In order to do that, we need Congress to feel the pressure, and pass H.R. 4399!
I know we have a chance to win this. Victims of gun violence have successfully sued gun makers and sellers for causing harm.(4) There is legal precedent for these cases, but justice has been nearly impossible to achieve since the PLCAA was passed in 2005 -- a policy that the National Rifle Association's Vice President, Wayne LaPierre, called "...the most significant piece of pro-gun legislation in twenty years."(5) They are essentially walking away from crime scenes with a free pass.
That's why H.R. 4399 is so incredibly important. But this fight isn't going to be easy. We're going up against the NRA and one of the most powerful industries in the country. BUT, if we act quickly, and build enough public support for this bill, we can put the pressure we need on Congress to act on behalf of the people, not the gun industry and special interests! Sign on and tell Congress to repeal immunity for gun makers and sellers!
1. http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2735?t=7&akid=2645.790590.EAn6Bw
2. http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2736?t=9&akid=2645.790590.EAn6Bw
3. http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2737?t=11&akid=2645.790590.EAn6Bw
4. http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2738?t=13&akid=2645.790590.EAn6Bw
5. http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/2739?t=15&akid=2645.790590.EAn6Bw
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Courage Campaign fights for a more progressive California and country. We are an online community powered by more than 1.2 million members. |
End of MPEN e-Newsletter
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