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Announcement :: Environment |
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Activists with MOUNTAIN JUSTICE SUMMER! call for Emergency Action to Save Appalachia |
by zorgonus
Email: annebonnylives (nospam) yahoo.com |
29 Dec 2004
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 There is an ecological manmade disaster of geologic proportions occurring in the rolling mountains of the southern Appalachians, its called mountain range -- or mountain top -– removal. It is the ultimate in theft of a people's heritage -- the destruction of watersheds -- and the annihilation of one of the most diverse places on earth. And the perpetrators are turning it into the biological equivalent of a parking lot. The theft of our mountains is escalating as the coal companies strive to outdo one another in their orgy of destruction. |
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News :: Elections & Legislation : Protest Activity |
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Supporters gather on a frigid afternoon for second "Save Our Democracy Rally" |
by anna thompson
Email: annathompson32 (nospam) yahoo.com |
21 Dec 2004
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 Dozens of supporters of "Save Our Democracy" gathered again Sunday in the frigid air to demand an accountable electoral process. Even though temperatures were well below freezing and windchill was below zero, more than one hundred supporters of democracy stood outside for the second Sunday in a row for almost two hours to share stories and listen to speakers and to demand fair and accountable elections. Participants listened to speakers from the Green Party, Libertarian Party, and Constitution Party, as well as representatives of various other constituencies in Tennessee. |
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News :: Children & Education : Civil & Human Rights : Drugs : Elections & Legislation : Gender and Sexuality : Peace : Protest Activity |
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Tennesseans Hold Candlelight Vigil to Save State's Health Insurance Program |
by Chris Lugo
Email: christopher_lugo (nospam) yahoo.com |
16 Dec 2004
Modified: 17 Dec 2004 |
 Tenncare enrollees and supporters gathered in front of the Tenncare Bureau at Church and 8th in Downtown Nashville Thursday Night to take part in a candlelight vigil to save Tenncare, the state's health insurance program for the uninsured and uninsurable. The Democractic Governor of Tennessee has threatened to eliminate Tenncare, which would leave 430,000 Tennesseans without health insurance.
Forty three candles were lit at the vigil representing the 430,000 Lives of Tennesseans that will be put in jeopardy if TennCare is dismantled. The vigil was billed as a prayer to support Governor Bredesen to find a third way to save TennCare. Advocates say that the combination of the premiums that many TennCare enrollees pay, federal matching funds and several cost saving reforms that combined can make a difference and save TennCare. |
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News :: Environment |
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KUB Commits To Improving Knoxville's Water Quality |
by Mary Willis
Email: mwillis3utk (nospam) hotmail.com |
16 Dec 2004
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 On December 1st a settlement was reached between The Clean Water Network (TCWN) and Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB) to help eliminate sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs)in the Knoxville area over a period of ten years.
SSOs are caused when sewer lines, not being properly maintained to keep up with population increase in an area, become inadequate. in periods of heavy rainfall, the sewer pipes flood increasing the pressure and causing manholes to rise and release a mixture of raw sewage and rainwater. |
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News :: Elections & Legislation |
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Over 100 Gather at Tennessee State Capital to Save Democracy |
by Anna Thompson
Email: annathompson32 (nospam) yahoo.com |
13 Dec 2004
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 Nashville, TN: More than 100 people gathered Sunday at the State Capital in Nashville, Tennessee to take part in the national, "Gathering to Save Our Democracy" organized locally by activist Bernie Ellis. Tennesseans concerned about this issue gathered beginning at noon and soon there were over 100 people demanding clear and accountable elections.
Several speakers were confirmed ahead of time for the event including the State Coordinator for the Kerry/Edwards campaign. Participants were then allowed to speak their minds and many locals did get up to the mic to speak out. The corporate press was also invited and two television stations came to cover the event.
Participants were asked to remember to wear orange (in solidarity with the Ukrainian people) and to bring signs. There was some orange at the event including a twelve foot long orange banner and many signs with slogans such as "I voted. Did it count?, Who won? Who knows?, Re-count the Votes, I voted. Did it matter?, A free and fair election???? and Let Every Vote Count!! Really!!"
The protesters also participated in a live call-in from the gathering to a national radio program that was tracking similar events in state capitals across the country. |
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A Letter of Apology to the People of Iraq |
by Larry E. Park
Email: TheDreamer (nospam) OceansRest.com |
13 Dec 2004
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 A letter of apology to the Iraqi people from a Vietnam Army medic who cared for some of the most severely injured men, women, children and babies from both sides of that conflict in 1970 and 71. My arms have held the dead of war, and I understand the catastrophic toll in the present and the impact it will have on future generations. This is my personal sobering apology, and it may or may not reflect some of the feelings of the other 49 percent of Americans who voted for an anti-war candidate. |
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Unfounded Assumptions, Elections, and Propaganda |
by Gary Sudborough
Email: IconoclastGS (nospam) aol.com |
11 Dec 2004
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 The US corporate media are very clever at how they manipulate public opinion. They continually use unfounded assumptions and then come to completely fallacious and asinine conclusions about world events. As an analogy, if one were to put garbage into a computer to analyze, one would then get garbage out. There exists a parade of so-called analysts, terrorism experts and military brass who constantly appear on US corporate television and reason from unfounded assumptions and naturally come to nonsensical conclusions. When reality blatantly contradicts their conclusions, as for instance, predictions about the success of operations in Iraq, they often reappear to spout even more nonsense in an attempt to redeem themselves. Notice that the corporate lackeys of the rich and powerful seldom have any guests who might challenge the veracity of their unfounded assumptions, or if they do, they have several opponents available with great lung power to shout them down. US corporate media spokespeople then have the unmitigated arrogance to claim that they are fair and balanced. There is a radio station in Los Angeles which has the audacity to say that it gives perspective, analysis, and answers on its world news segment. Considering that this segment lasts all of three minutes before being interrupted by a commercial, I really don't think they could analyze or answer anything of consequence. If it served the interests of power and privilege, their answer to 2 plus 2 could conceivably be five. |
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Altered State: Survival in a Fundamentalist Christian Community |
by Beth Maples-Bays
Email: beth_maples_bays (nospam) knology.net |
06 Dec 2004
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 I am a lesbian. I have spent a lot of time with the lesbians in my community. They are overwhelmingly Republican and fundamentalist Christian. We live in the Southeastern United States in the eastern part of the state of Tennessee. The city in which we live has approximately 670,000 residents. The overwhelming majority of area residents are Christian, and many, many of them are of the fundamentalist variety. |
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