Dallas Peace Times

DALLAS PEACE TIMES a publication of the Dallas Peace Center

October 2009

www.dallaspeacecenter.org

Volume XXIV, Number 9

Progressives come to Dallas for rally, forum, fundraiser Dallas Peace Center • The Dallas Peace Center is the oldest and largest peace & justice organization in North Texas.

• The Center is located on the Cathedral of Hope campus at 5910 Cedar Springs Rd. @ Inwood.

• Contact us by calling 214-823-7793 or by email at admin@ dallaspeacecenter.org.

• The Dallas Peace Times is a monthly publication. For more news, go to www.dallaspeacecenter. org.

Mission The mission of the Dallas Peace Center is based on a vision of reconciliation: to promote education, dialogue and action for peace and justice.

Sheehan’s Soapbox radio show, emphasized that there are two classes of people in the U.S.: the robber class and the robbed class, and the reality of that split is evident when someone we all know committed war crimes is not prosecuted.

Swanson voiced similar concerns, saying that one class of people is arrested and put in jail when they step out of line exercising free speech, whereas another class of people is never prosecuted even though their illegal actions cause the deaths of thousands. Sheehan Photo by Walt Harrison and Swanson were adamant that Radio host Thom Hartmann visited George Bush’s although Bush started the wars neighborhood. in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is now President Barack Obama’s responsibility to You wouldn’t know that we are living end them, and he must be held accountable “in the belly of the beast” on Saturday, just as strenuously.

September 19 – it was a day for progressivism, Hartmann said that one of the biggest and the party traveled around the city of mistakes Obama and Attorney General Eric Dallas as Texans mingled with several very Holder could make would be to disregard special guests at events coordinated by the war crimes.

Dallas Peace Center and AM1360 Rational In the afternoon, the Lakewood Theater Radio. Activists came out to hear and be was filled, as Rational Radio presented the heard on diverse yet related topics such as aforementioned celebrities along with biofuel accountability for war crimes, responsible pioneer Jes Sprouse (see story on page 4). energy development and war resistance.

The station broadcast live from the theater The day started out in front of the gates that afternoon. leading into George W. Bush’s neighborhood.

In the evening, the Dallas Peace Center About 60 demonstrators were joined by hosted a fundraiser for Under the Hood, a GI activist Cindy Sheehan, David Swanson, outreach center and coffeehouse near the Fort founder of www.afterdowningstreet.org Hood army base in Killeen, Texas. Supporters and author of the new book Daybreak, had a vegetarian dinner, heard GIs talk about nationally syndicated progressive talk show the café, heard again from Swanson, and host Thom Hartmann and singer/songwriter listened to the music of David Rovics. See David Rovics. pages 2-3 for a glimpse of the day.

Sheehan, activist and host of Cindy

DALLAS PEACE TIMES

October 2009

Photo by Walt Harrison

Demonstrators call for accountability at Bush gates

Photo by Walt Harrison

Rich Hancock (right) co-host of Rational Radio Report on AM1360, welcomed about 60 demonstrators to “the Masters of the Universe cul-de-sac, brought to you by Halliburton,” as they gathered outside the gates leading to George W. Bush’s neighborhood to call for accountability for war crimes. CODE PINK members from Dallas, Austin and Tarrant County gathered with Cindy Sheehan (above) at the security gates.

Victor Agosto (above right), recently released from a month long jail sentence for refusing to deploy, said that military personnel are not allowed to say impertinent things about the President, but since he has been discharged, he took the opportunity to tell Bush exactly what he thought of him.

Photo by Walt Harrison

Rational Radio presents Progressive Forum at Lakewood Theater

DALLAS PEACE TIMES

5910 Cedar Springs Rd. Dallas, TX 75235 Tel 214-823-7793 admin@dallaspeacecenter.org www.dallaspeacecenter.org The Dallas Peace Times is a monthly publication of the Dallas Peace Center, a nonprofit organization.

A one-year Dallas Peace Center membership costs $35 and includes a subscription.

Copy deadline for November issue: October 15, 2009 Peace Times Advisory Team Paulette Cooper Roger Kallenberg Robert Dennis Gene Lantz Betty Jane Ferguson Kelli Obazee Walt Harrison Kathy Schoemer Editor

Trish Major

AM1360 Rational Radio broadcast live from the Lakewood Theater, the afternoon of September 19, bringing listeners guests like Cindy Sheehan (right), Thom Hartmann and David Swanson.

Richard Hunter (left) of The Richard Hunter Show interviewed Jes Sprouse, who he billed as “the most important man in the world” because of Sprouse’s work with algae as a clean, inexpensive alternative fuel. See the related story on page 4.

October 2009

DALLAS PEACE TIMES

Music & Musings benefits Under the Hood Cafe The Dallas Peace Center’s “Music & Musings” fundraiser for Under the Hood Cafe on the evening of September 19 brought almost $3,000 of financial relief to the GI information center and coffeehouse. The evening was headlined by David Swanson (left) and David Rovics (below).

Thom Hartmann looks on as Cindy Thomas describes her work at Under the Hood Cafe.

DPC Office Manager Zara Tariq and volunteer David Elliot welcomed guests to the fundraiser.

2009 Peacemaker Awards Dinner honoring

Carol Crabtree Donovan 2009 Peacemaker of the Year and

2009 Peacemaking Organization of the Year

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Iraq War veteran Michael Kern credits Cindy Thomas and Under the Hood Cafe with saving his life.

He was suicidal after returning from Iraq. He said many soldiers who oppose the war are unaware of the support of the peace community.

Reception - 5:30 p.m.

Dinner - 7:00 p.m.

Double Tree Hotel 4099 Valley View Lane For ticket information, go to www.dallaspeacecenter.org

Sprouse: Microalgae provides clean, plentiful biofuel alternative The world’s energy needs can be met by a little energy-packed organism that has been cussed at by many a backyard pool owner. Jes Sprouse, president and CEO of Sprouse Industries Inc., told a full house at Lakewood Theater on September 19 that algae is the biofuel of the future. the fastest growing biomass on the planet, it can meet our energy needs and clean up our past mistakes, too.

Algae is the most abundant photosynthetic organism on earth, and the fastest growing biomass on the planet. Sprouse said he has algae specimens that double eight times per day. As a biofuel, algae produces the most energy per acre. In liquid form, corn can produce 200 to 400 gallons of fuel per acre (at 84,000 btus per gallon), whereas algae can produce 2,000 to 5,000 gallons per acre (at 119,000 btus per gallon). To provide all the transportation fuel needs of the U.S., soybeans would require more than six times the amount of avilable U.S. agricultural land, but microalgae could do the job with 2-5 percent of that land.

While our cars are running and factories are humming on microalgae, Sprouse says that our air and water will actually be getting cleaner. “Microalgae is a carbon-negative fuel,” he said. It removes pollutants from the water and consumes two times its weight in carbon dioxide.

Algae can be cultivated in open pond systems or on closed systems (although Sprouse says the closed systems are not as economical or as productive). Sprouse estimates that one acre of algae saves 100 acres of trees. The end product can be liquid, coal or gas. Algae coal can be used in a traditional power plant, and it will clean up the carbon mess as it works.

For more about Sprouse’s work, go to www.sprouseindustries.com.

DALLAS PEACE TIMES

October 2009

Houston speaks at first Peacemakers Luncheon Peacemakers Incorporated celebrated International Day of Peace on September 21 with its first Annual Peacemakers Luncheon to benefit the new Castleberry Peace Institute on the Univeristy of North Texas campus.

The keynote speaker was Jean Houston, co-founder of the Human Potential Movement and author of Manual for the Peacemaker. She told the audience that peace wasn’t passive, but was “a dynamic, green, growing entity.”

October 2009

DALLAS PEACE TIMES

Panel discusses Christian response to health care reform Rev. Jo Hudson of the Cathedral of Hope understands that as an American she can argue for what is best for her family and loved ones, however as a Christian, she must care for the least among us. “If I don’t, I am ‘a noisy gong or clanging cymbal’ and I cannot take the name ‘Christian,’” she said.

“The realm of God cannot come until the least are honored.”

Hudson was one of four panelists at a discussion on health care that was hosted by the Dallas Area Christian Progressive Alliance on September 13 titled “Who Would Jesus Insure?”

Winfred Parnell, MD, a member of Doctors for America, acknowledged that the health care debate “has been orchestrated with fear, misinformation, anger and rudeness,” and he said that many Americans don’t realize that the process of reform is in its very beginning stages. Parnell did his best to dispel myths and explain the structure of the Obama Administration’s proposal in a short amount of time.

Under the heading of “What’s in it for me?” Parnell’s list included no exclusion for pre-existing conditions, no discrimination based on mental health or substance abuse, no cost sharing for preventive care and that a minimum percentage of insurance premiums must be spent by insurance companies on claims.

Parnell was particularly concerned that people understand the concept of the proposed National Insurance Exchange. He described the Exchange as a “marketplace to get insurance.”

All insurance companies would be members of the Exchange – Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Aetna, Prudential, etc., along with a Public Option. All members of the Exchange would be required to spend at least 85 percent of the premiums they collect on claims.

The advantage to choosing the Public Option is that this alternative would spend about 97-98 percent of its money on claims.

The responsibility of the insured

and undocumented people (no coverage).

R e v. G e r a l d Britt, vice president of public policy and programming at Central Dallas Ministries, was adamant that health care not be discussed in a vacuum. We must improve many Moderator James Kille and Rev. Jo Hudson listen asRev. aspects of “quality of life” in order to Gerald Britt speaks. decrease the need is that 8 percent of their salary goes for health care – poverty, air quality, to the Exchange, to their choice for job creation, the working poor, etc. insurance, and if a person chooses not “What we are going to do requires a to buy insurance, then 2.5 percent will more thoughtful discourse than what go to the Exchange anyway (since the has gone on,” he said. public will have to pay for their care South Dallas has one grocery when they go to Parkland.) store, said Britt, and that store sells Parnell briefly refuted rumors low quality food to its customers, many involving “death panels” (those involved of whom don’t own cars to take them in “end of life” discussions would be to better markets, so even if they are Continued on page 8 compensated) and coverage of abortions

Health Care Reform Bill Becomes Law President’s Signature Senate Vote

House Vote Conference Bill

Finance

Senate Vote

House Vote

Senate Bill

House Bill HR3200

Housing Education Labor & Pensions

Ways & Means

Education & Labor

Energy & Commerce

Health Care reform has a long way to go to become law. The shaded boxes are the steps that have been completed.

DALLAS PEACE TIMES

October 2009

Letter to Obama: CIA torturers running scared ( T h e f o l l o w i n g a re • Te n e t ’s l o n g l i s t excerpts from an article posted of substantive, as well as on www.afterdowningstreet. operational misdeeds carried org on Sept. 20. Ray McGovern out for the President and was a CIA analyst for 27 years, Cheney. (“Slam-dunk Tenet” and is founder of Veteran turned out to be right about at Intelligence Professionals for least one thing—that “things Sanity (VIPS). could blow up.”)

By Ray McGovern The Other Signatories For the CIA supervisors John Deutch: Arrogant and operatives who were to the point of criminality, responsible for torture, the Deutch disregarded the most chickens are coming home elementary rules governing to roost. That is, if President protection of classified Barack Obama and Attorney information, and had to be General Eric Holder mean it given a last-minute pardon by when they say no one is above President Bill Clinton. the law — and if they have the R. James Woolsey: the courage to stand up to brazen man who outdid himself in intimidation. trying to tie Saddam Hussein Illustration by Michael Parenti, http://artificialeyes.tv/blog/2 under a Creative Commons Share U n a b l e t o p r e v e n t Alike with attribution license. to 9/11, and in pushing into the asked him to “reverse Attorney General limelight spurious intelligence from the Attorney General Eric Holder from starting an investigation of torture Holder’s August 24 decision to re- fabricator known as “Curveball.” and other war crimes that implicate open the criminal investigation of CIA William Webster: Known mostly at CIA officials past and present, some of interrogations that took place following Langley for his handsome face and his those same CIA officials, together with the attacks of September 11.” devotion to his late-afternoon matches Among the most transparent parts with socialite tennis partners. what in intelligence circles are called “agents of influence” in the media, are of the letter from the Gang of Seven James R. Schlesinger: “Big Jim” pulling out all the stops to quash the is their worry that “there is no reason launched his brief stint as CIA director Department of Justice’s preliminary to expect that the re-opened criminal by warning us all that his instructions investigation will remain narrowly were “to ensure that you guys do not investigation.

In what should be seen as a bizarre focused.” screw Richard Nixon.”

Their concern is well founded. twist, seven CIA directors—including Their letter is also distinguished by three who are themselves implicated Evidence already on the public record a condescending tone, instructing the in planning and conducting torture shows that the first three listed, Michael President: “As President you have the and assassination— have asked the Hayden, Porter Goss, and George Tenet authority to make decisions restricting could readily be indicted for crimes substantive interrogation… But the President to call off Holder.

Can someone please tell me under U.S. and international law, administration must be mindful that how could the whole thing be more including: public disclosure about past intelligence • Illegal eavesdropping by the operations can only help al-Qaeda transparent?

It should have come as no surprise National Security Agency (Hayden elude US intelligence and plan future that Attorney General Eric Holder was NSA director when he ordered operations.” would run into a buzz saw when he his employees to violate the Foreign The seven then proceed to repeat the decided to do his constitutional duty Intelligence Surveillance Act, which canard alleging that such [operations] and investigate whether crimes have requires warrants from a special court “have saved lives and helped protect been committed. Certainly Cheney and before electronic eavesdropping is America from further attacks.”

Fox News had made that abundantly undertaken.)

It reads as though Dick Cheney did • Assassination planning without their first draft. Actually, that would not clear. CIA seniors and functionaries with the most to lose are now pulling notification to Congress (Goss, whose be all that surprising, given his record uncommonly abrupt departure in May of doing quite a lot of CIA’s drafting for out all the stops.

In their Sept. 18 letter to the 2006 was never looked into by the eight long years.

President, seven former CIA directors Fawning Corporate Media); and Holder, hold that line.

October 2009

DALLAS PEACE TIMES

REGULAR MEETINGS Amnesty International Dallas Chapter Group 205 meets on 2nd Thursdays, 7:30 p.m., at Dallas Hall #138, SMU, Contact: Rick Halperin, 214-768-3284.

Dallas Sierra Club meets 2nd Tuesdays, 7:00 p.m., at Center for Spiritual Living, 4801 Spring Valley Rd., Suite 115.

Contact Ann Drumm, 214-350-6108, ann@dallassierraclub.org.

Amnesty International Fort Worth Group 262 meets 2nd Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m., at Wesley Foundation at TCU, 2750 W. Lowden, Fort Worth.

Contact Lois Way, 817-293-3445.

Defend Darfur Dallas meets every 3rd Wednesday, 7:00 p.m., at Half Price Books, 5803 E. Northwest Hwy. Contact Laura McCarthy, laura-mccarthy@ sbcglobal.net.

Amnesty International Tarrant County Group 413 meets 4th Wednesdays at 7 pm in the cafe at Borders Books in the Arlington Highlands Shopping Center (the north side of I-20 at the Matlock exit).

Contacts: Curt Crum at 817-423-1372 or 817-645-9151 or Ellen Kaner at 817-691-7198.

First Unitarian Church Social Action Council meets 1st Sundays at 10:30 a.m. in the Parish House at Preston and St. Andrews. Contact Ian Hunter, 469-261-6442.

Amnesty International Group 663 meets 3rd Thursdays, 7:00 p.m., William T. Cozby Public Library, 177 Heartz Road, Coppell, 972-304-3655.

Contact Chip Pitts 214-906-9424.

Animal Connection of Texas meets 2nd Saturdays, 11:00 a.m., Ctr. for Community Cooperation, 2900 Live Oak St. Contact Carol Ware, 972-5512364.

Committee to Restore Democracy in Honduras meets every Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. at the Dallas Peace Center, 5910 Cedar Springs Rd., Dallas.

Dallas Area Christian Progressive Alliance meets every 2nd Saturday, 2:00-4:00 p.m., Northaven UMC, 11211 Preston Rd. Contact Kim Batchelor at matthew-25@earthlink.net.

TAKE DOWN YOUR PIECE OF THE WALL OF OPPRESSION The Dallas Peace Center can help!

Join us!

Become a member!

Volunteer!

See page 8 to learn how!

Interfaith Environmental Alliance meets 3rd Thursdays at 7 pm at First Community Church, 9120 Ferguson Rd. Contact: Gary Stuard, garstu@ mymailstation.com.

Jobs with Justice, 7:00 p.m. every 2nd Wednesday, UAW Local 848, 2218 E Main St., Grand Prairie. Contact: Gene Lantz, www.labordallas.org.

Maryknoll Affiliates meet 2nd Saturdays, 1:00-3:00 p.m., “connecting spirituality, global vision, community and action.” Call Ken Eppes, 214-3376867.

Middle East Peace Committee meets 2nd Tuesdays, 7:00 p.m., at the Dallas Peace Center, 5910 Cedar Springs Rd. Contact 214-823-7793.

NAACP meets 1st Tuesdays, 7:00 p.m., Thurgood Marshall Rec. Ctr., 5150 Mark Trail Way. North Texas for Justice & Peace meets every 3rd Sunday, 1:00-3:00 p.m. at Paperbacks Plus, 6115 La Vista.

Contact: hftomlinson@riseup.net.

North Texas Peace Alliance meets every 4th Saturday, 10:00 a.m., at Unity Church of Christianity, 3508 Greenville Ave. @ McCommas. Contact: J Johnson, 214-532-3761.

Pax Christi D allas meets 4th Wednesdays, 7:00 p.m. See www. paxchristidallas.org. Contact Joyce Hall, 214-357-2173, for location.

Peace & Justice Center-Arlington meets 4th Sundays, 5:00 p.m., Arlington Yoga Center, 1011 Abram St., Arlington.

Contact Len Ellis, 817-552-3317.

PFLAG Dallas meets 2nd Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. at Northaven UMC, 11211 Preston Rd. Call 972-77-PFLAG. Race Abuse Support Group meets 4th Mondays, 7:00 p.m. Sponsored by Black Citizens for Justice, Law and Order. Helps with complaints about EEOC. Martin Luther King Community Center, Core Building, 2922 MLK Blvd., Dallas.

Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, Dallas Chapter meets 3rd Wednesdays, 7:00-9:00 p.m., Basement Rotunda Area, SMU Dallas Hall, 3225 University Ave. Contact Rick Halperin, 214-768-3284; www.tcadp.org/.

The Texas Inmates Families Assoc., SW Dallas Chapter, meets 2nd Thursdays, 7.00 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 310 Roaring Springs Rd., DeSoto. Call Micki Roark, 214543-8043, www.tifa.org.

Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff Social Action Ministry meets 2nd Sundays at Noon. All are welcome. Call Stephen Betzen at 214929-3701.

World Peace mtg., first Sundays, 10:00 a.m., Soka Gakkai Cultural Center, 2733 Oak Lawn. Contact Ewe Goh, 214-559-4115.

Catch our columnists!

PEACE begins with ME! and

Labor for Peace now appear on the Dallas Peace Center website

www.dallaspeacecenter.org

DALLAS PEACE TIMES

Scripture says, take care of the poor Continued from page 5 educated about nutrition, lack of access makes it almost impossible.

We are talking about people who can least afford to live with some sense of security,” Britt said. “I know what it’s like to live, praying that the children don’t get sick. That drives the sense of urgency in what we are doing.”

R e v. C o l l e e n D a r r a u g h o f Metropolitan Community Church of Dallas said her church is responsible for the billboards around the city that say, “Would Jesus discriminate?”

Although the billboards are intended to call attention to discrimination against gays, she said the message also applies to health care. “We know it’s broken, and we know it’s unjust,” she said. “As a people of faith we must proclaim its injustice.”

October 2009

Snell show ends, benefits DPC The paintings of Austin’s Don Snell hung in the Downtown Dallas Public L i b r a r y t h ro u g h t h e month of September.

Proceeds from the sale of the painting at left were donated to the Dallas Peace Center. Snell and his partner, Ruth Roberts, have been involved with peace and justice activities statewide for many years through Texas Peace Action and the Fund for Nuclear Responsibility.

Look for current stories on the website:

www.dallaspeacecenter.org

Become a member of the Dallas Peace Center and receive the Peace Times Membership in the Peace Center is one way to broaden and strengthen your connections in the North Texas peace community. Begin or renew your membership in the Dallas Peace Center and receive your subscription to the monthly Dallas Peace Times.

Member ($35) Supporter ($100) Sustainer ($500) Patron ($1000) Subscription without membership ($20) Donations (less $20 for subscription) are tax-deductible.

Mail check to: Dallas Peace Times, 5910 Cedar Springs Rd., Dallas TX 75235

Dallas Peace Center

5910 Cedar Springs Rd. Dallas, Texas 75235-6806 Phone: 214-823-7793 email: admin@dallaspeacecenter.org

NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID DALLAS, TEXAS PERMIT NO. 1195