Harrison Bucks The Machine - Marches In July 4th Parade
Harrison marching in the annual 4th of July parade on Staten Island
(Photo: Richard Marini / NLN)
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Progressive Candidate Steve Harrison, who is running for the 13th District Congressional seat, marched in the annual Travis 4th of July parade along with elected officials despite opposition from the organizers of the parade.
The parade, which Borough President James Molinaro announced $5,000 in funding for the previous day, has a long standing tradition of allowing politicians to march and show their patriotism. However Mr. Harrison, who has marched in the parade for the last three years, was approached by parade marshals who asked him to remove his “Harrison for Congress” sash and told him to move to the back of the march as he was not allowed to march up front with the other politicians such as City Council Member Mike McMahon who is also running for the 13th District’s Congressional seat.
David Jones, a Harrison supporter, approached the parade marshals to give them an extended history lesson about the meaning of the parade, while Harrison and his campaign volunteers continued to march — shaking hands and waving to his many supporters who lined the streets along the parade route.
View Photos/Videos From The Parade…
Original post by Richard Marini and reposted by Radical Blogs
Harrison Joins Re-Reading Of Declaration Of Independence
Attorney Beth Gorrie Of Staten Island OutLoud
(Photo: Mike Morice / NLN)
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Staten Island OutLoud marked the Independence Day weekend with a reading of historic documents and writings at the historic Conference House this past Saturday. Located at the southern most tip of New York State overlooking Raritan Bay, the national landmark Conference House was the site of a 1776 Peace Conference between British forces and American notables like Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Edward Rutledge.
Gathered under the gazebo on the scenic waters edge, members and others took turns at the podium to read aloud such writings as the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and Frederick Douglass, “What To The Slave Is The Fourth of July”. Beth Gorrie, spokesperson for SI Outloud, led a spirited discussion among those in attendance after each reading. Special emphasis was given to the original intent of the documents and their significance in light of the problems and issues we face today as American citizens.
One such citizen who added much to the discussion was Steve Harrison, progressive candidate for the 13th Congressional District in New York. Harrison spoke of the recent Supreme Court ruling on guns during the reading of the Second Amendment and noted how several civil liberties enshrined in the Bill of Rights have been violated under the Bush adminstration.
Steve Harrison (right), Democrat For Congress
(Photo: Mike Morice / NLN)
Original post by Devra Morice and reposted by Radical Blogs
Antiwar Activist Celebrates Legal Victory
Paul “Zool” Zulkowitz at an anti-torture protest in NYC
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)
WASHINGTON — An antiwar legal defense victory rally and press conference was held July 1st outside of the Washington, D.C. Superior Court. It was attended by US military veterans and peace activists from around the country. Paul “Zool” Zulkowitz of Woodmere, NY, represented by antiwar attorney Ann Wilcox, won an agreement with the United States Government on June 30. Zool voiced opposition during the public hearing with General David Petraeus at the Senate Armed Services Committee chaired by Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) on April 8, 2008. Zool stood and chanted “Bring them home, bring them home! . . . ” He was arrested and charged with one misdemeanor count of “disruption of Congress.”
Although he could have faced a jury trial and 6 months in jail, Zool walked out of the courtroom with a diversion agreement and a dismissal of the stay-way order from Capitol Hill. The diversion agreement, known as a “Stet” agreement in the District of Columbia is similar to an Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal or “ACD” in New York City - there is no admission of guilt involved and if the defendant is not rearrested within six months the charges are dismissed and the record sealed.
Ann Wilcox of the National Lawyers’ Guild said, “The offer of dismissal before judgment is a victory, because the Government does not necessarily want to expend the time and resources for a jury trial. Further, the Government may not want to provide a forum for antiwar views in the Court of Public Opinion.”
“Contrary to Sen. Levin’s view, citizens attending a public hearing are not an ‘audience’,” zool said. “Though I might have considered the Petraeus hearing to be a farce, a public hearing is not theater, the Committee is ‘doing the people’s business,’ and citizens, members of the public, have a responsibility to hold elected representatives accountable for the way they do the people’s business.”
“This is a great victory for Zool…” noted Malachy Kilbride board president of Washington Peace Center, “But, people need to know that the government is cracking down on those who openly dissent against the war and occupation of Iraq.” Kilbride said “Since the build up to the war in 2002 over 15,000 people have been arrested protesting the war. However, we are now at a point in which serious jail time and stiff sentences are being meted out to those exercising their First Amendment rights” Kilbride said.
“I am pleased Zool can have this victory…and that we now see a glimmer of hope at a time when arrests are rising and stiff sentences are being handed down,” said Lori Perdue, a member of Veterans for Peace from Missouri.
“We congratulate Zool for the courage to speak out against the occupation of Iraq during the Petraeus hearing and for having the government recognize his right to free speech. This is a victory for all of us, since the trend has been in the opposite direction with peace activists facing more arrests, harsher charges and more onerous sentences. Of course, it is the warmakers, not the peacemakers, who should be facing criminal charges.” said Medea Benjamin of California and a founder of the peace group Code Pink.
Original post by Thomas Good and reposted by Radical Blogs
NLN Photo Of The Month: SDSer Gets VFW Award
An SDSer Receives An Award From A VFW Post
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — At his June graduation ceremony an SDSer - and NLN photographer - received an award from the local Veterans of Foreign Wars chapter. Nat Good, son of NLN editor Thomas Good, is an activist and photographer in his own right. Good recently graduated from a New York City intermediate school with highest honors. Because of his commitment to civic responsibility and the peace movement the young SDSer was the recipient of a VFW award honoring citizenship and devotion to community and country.
Ruth Benn of the War Resisters League and National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee nominated this image as photo of the month for NLN.
Original post by Thomas Good and reposted by Radical Blogs
Grayson, Progressive For Congress (Florida’s 8th CD)
Alan Grayson (left) at a CodePINK Protest (March 20 
(Photo: Central Florida MDS)
ORLANDO, Fla. — Running in Florida’s 8th Congressional District Democratic primary, Alan Grayson is one of the crop of progressive candidates who might help bring about a sea change in the wake of the disastrous past eight years. Grayson’s election would have a similar effect along Florida’s critical I-4 corridor, running through metropolitan Orlando, and widely regarded as the swing factor in state politics.
For a locale that historically has been in the Bible-belt and presented itself as a “family values” tourist destination centered around Walt Disney World, metropolitan Orlando has been exhibiting some surprisingly progressive tendencies. Though it will never rival such free-spirited enclaves as Ann Arbor or Austin, downtown Orlando features inner-city African-American neighborhoods (though under ferocious “redevelopment” and displacement assault), yuppies, bohemians, and possibly the largest concentration of gay residents north of Miami. Progressive organizations such as Food Not Bombs and CodePink have established an ongoing presence, and located on the outskirts of the metro area, the University of Central Florida hosts a student CodePink group, the anti-war Campus Peace Action, and perhaps the largest chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) in the country.
These tendencies have begun to manifest themselves in the political arena, starting with the 2000 election of openly gay city council member Patty Sheehan (though Sheehan became the author of Orlando’s notorious anti-homeless feeding ordinance), and followed in a 2006 race for the State House, by Scott Randolph, a Green Party member turned Democrat who did not lose his values, and who beat Sheri McInvale, a Democrat turned Republican and who was recently convicted of corruption while in office.
Florida’s 8th Congressional District race was the most closely watched local election in 2000. Encompassing much of Orange County, where Orlando is the seat of government, and neighboring Lake County, this office was vacated that year when long-time Republican incumbent Bill McCollum ran for the U.S. Senate and lost against Democrat Bill Nelson, a popular former congressperson, astronaut and State cabinet officer. While in Congress, McCollum distinguished himself with extremely conservative politics.
Original post by Jay Jurie and reposted by Radical Blogs
Outreach at National Guard Armory
(Photo: Elaine Brower / NLN)
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — During Fleet Week, one of the Military Project members who was actively conducting outreach around New York City to speak to all the visiting military members, met up with a Guard member at Penn Station. This Guard member told him that we should be going to “where he is.” When asked where that might be, AS, the military project person, found out it was the armory on Staten Island. This place has been haunting me since I have been doing outreach. I knew there must be drills there, but could not find an inside source and whenever I drove past, it was locked up.
Needless to say, all the members of the MP were happy to hear that finally we were able to get a contact who not only was glad to receive our lit and other materials, but invited us to visit the armory, right on the Island where I live.
There were 3 military project members (2 VFP and me, the MFSO person), 1 VFP member, and 1 Movement for a Democratic Society (MDS) member who also lives on Staten Island, showing up at the armory at 7 AM. Those members from MP and VFP made the trekk from Queens to join us in the middle of surburbia!
By the way, the delicious cookies we handed out were made by a member of MDS, so this venture was a collective effort from people who understand that outreach to the troops is the way to end the war, and is also a source of great satisfaction. We positioned ourselves at the 2 main gates, where soldiers were either on foot or driving in.
When you get up that early, you ask yourself what the hell you are doing, and a big argument in your head goes on, at least I know that happens to me, and I’ve been doing this for over 3 years. But the best and most gratifying experience is getting there, looking into the faces of those troops, who probably wonder what the hell they are doing there, and who are these crazy people! Then they stood and talked to us. They were happy to take our literature, cookies, and DVD’s of “Sir, No Sir!” In my experience, this was the most cordial outreach I have ever participated in.
Original post by Elaine Brower and reposted by Radical Blogs
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