Jim Goodnow and his bus, the Yellow Rose, both have suffered a terrible tragedy.
In recent months, Jim has been providing transportation to Iraq Veterans Against the War for their various tours and other activities. Last night, Jim escaped a fire of suspicious origins that destroyed the bus. Luckily Jim is all right.
This message was passed on by Bill Perry, a vet, anti war activist and member of Delaware Valley Veterans For America.
Bill Perry wrote:
The bus in this photo, is the Yellow Rose. It was totaled by fire, around 9:30 pm, Friday night, 1/11/08
This bus, often mired in controversy since the IVAW "Dirty South"tour that left Philly in June, and had Active Duty BBQ's @ Ft Meade, Ft Jackson, Camp Lejeune, Ft Benning, and other Southern Military Posts (Including an IVAW benefit by Tom Morello, of Rage Against the Machine, and AudioSlave, in Virginia) as well as backdrop for many a Demonstration, and Ft Drum, NY, organizing parties, has suffered much damage.
This photo shows the huge "Don't Attack Iran" and "Impeach Bush" logos, that let everybody on the highway know just how the occupants felt about the state of the state.
Owner~Operator~Driver and member of Veterans For Peace, Jim Goodnow pulled into a South Jersey Truck Stop, to catch a 3 or 4 hour nap. Jim saw, in retrospect, some suspicious activity outside the bus, and about 20 minutes later, the entire engine compartment, and back of the bus was engulfed in flames.
Mr Goodnow speculates that the cause could have been anything from ARSON, to ATTEMPTED MURDER. He plans to notify the ATF Arson Squad on Saturday morning.
Stay tuned....
Be Well, RAISE HELL !
Bill Perry
Delaware Valley Veterans For America
Disabled American Veteran, VVAW, VFP, VFW, VVA
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A fund has been set up and is tax deductible:
Checks can be made out to:
Veterans For Peace, Chapter 106 (please spell this out) Put in memo line: BUS FUND
Mail to:
Bernie Jezercak
1804 Tree LIne Drive
Carrollton, TX 75007
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These are pictures from the Fur Free Friday demo outside of the flagship Neiman Marcus store in downtown Dallas, TX on November 23rd, 2007. Local animal rights activists and members of the Animal Connection of Texas (ACT), the Vegetarian Network of Dallas (VegNoD), In Defense of Animals (IDA), People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and the North Texas Animal Rights Network (NTARN) were joined by reality TV star Lacey Conner (of VH1's "Rock of Love") to protest the cruel fur industry.
Photos continued in Newswire
related link: http://www.myspace.com/animalconnectiontx Feature continued on newswire >>
The demonstration on Prairie Chapel Road at the Bush Ranch and a panel discussion that followed at the Crawford Texas Peace House.
More photos in full article. Feature continued on newswire >>
(TYLER, Texas, November 15, 2007) – Eight student activists demonstrated against John Bolton outside the R. Don Cowan Fine and Performing Arts Center at the University of Texas at Tyler Thursday.
Mr. Bolton, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and a neoconservative stalwart and Project for a New American Century signer, was the featured speaker of the University’s Louis and Peaches Owen Lecture Series.
The students defiantly held up banners reading “No War on Iran,” “Down with Empire” and “Bolton Supports Torture” and handed out literature to attendees of the lecture describing Bolton’s hotly controversial record as a diplomat and neoconservative political pundit as the attendees walked into the Cowan Center.
“John Bolton is not a good man,” said Justin Brown, a co-founder of the Live Free or Die Society, the organizers of the protest. “The Bush administration has worked hard for years to follow the Project for a New American Century’s manual for empire and aggression and to pull the U.S. out of every international agreement and treaty they could in their effort to dominate rather than collaborate on global issues – and John Bolton exemplifies that attitude.”
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Our Jobs with Justice "Stop Corporate Greed" sign joined about a hundred other signs and banners at a protest against Vice President Dick Cheney outside the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Dallas on the morning of November 2. Cheney was telling a group of supporters that the United States needs to keep up the occupation of Iraq and add another project: invading Iran! Protesters outside were chanting, "Are you crazy?"
Even though activists from the Dallas Peace Center, a Jobs with Justice member organization, organized the action primarily for anti-war reasons, a goodly number of young environmentalists joined in.
 The Jobs with Justice position was explained over a bullhorn thusly: War is only carried out against countries that refuse to sign so-called "free trade" agreements with American corporations. If Iraq, Afganistan, or Iran had signed one, they wouldn't be threatened today. In other words, gobblelization is the root cause of war.
related link: http://www.labordallas.org/chen.htm Feature continued on newswire >>
DALLAS, TX - A national interfaith coalition of civil rights groups said that today's hung jury in the Holy Land Foundation (HLF) charity trial reveals the "unjust" nature of the case.
A jury in Texas could not come to agreement on the validity of the accusations that the number one Islamic charity in America was a front scheme for a terrorist group after 19 days of deliberation, the longest in Texas history. The government laid the heavy burden of weighing mountains of paperwork, wiretap transcripts and videos in a 200-decision verdict-finding process on the 12 jurors.
The Hungry for Justice Coalition said that the piled-on charges and foreign evidence admitted were just more tactics by the government to overwhelm the jury and convolute the facts.
Initially, three defendants, Mufid Abdulqader, Mohammad El-Mezain and Adulrahman Odeh, were acquitted of all counts, all but one, and all but two, respectively. Shukri Abu-Baker and Ghassan Elashi had hung juries for every count against them. The prosecution then polled the jurors to verify their votes. One hesitated, then stood by the vote, and two contradicted the vote. The jurors were sent back to deliberate. Those two people changed their votes, causing a hung jury on all counts for all defendants.
Photo shows Mohammad El-Mezain, Khalil Meek, AbdulRahman Odeh, Shukri Abu-Baker, and Walid Ajaj (CAIR Advocate).
In a statement reacting to the verdict, the Hungry for Justice (H4J) coalition expressed concern about what they say were injustices in the prosecution of this case:
"HLF officials were never accused of any violent act. Their only 'crime' was providing food, clothing, and shelter to Palestinian women and children through agencies that were also funded by our own government and were licensed by the Palestinian Authorities (Fatah). This allegedly relieved HAMAS from spending social money, thereby amounting to a 'conspiracy' to intentionally aid the group.
"The politically-motivated charges came despite HLF's attempts to seek advice from our government as to which Palestinian charities should be avoided. The government refused to provide the charity with a white list of committees to work with.
"The charges brought against these individuals were viewed by many people in this country and worldwide as an attempt to block humanitarian assistance to Palestinians suffering under a brutal Israeli occupation. They were also seen as a means to chill the First Amendment rights and charitable giving of American Muslims and other people of conscience opposed to our nation's one-sided policies in the Middle East.
"In essence, this was an Israeli trial tried on American soil in which guilt by association was used as a substitute for actual evidence.
"To obtain today's verdict, the government resorted to the apparently unconstitutional tactic of not allowing the defendants to confront their accuser, which in this case was an unidentified security agent of a foreign government, who was hostile to Palestinian human rights, an unprecedented occurrence in the American justice system.
"The government also violated its own guidelines by smearing mainstream American Muslim groups when, in an attempt to lower the bar for introduction of evidence, it issued a list of so-called 'unindicted co-conspirators' prior to the trial. The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the National Association of Muslim Lawyers have criticized the publication of the 'overreaching list' and the effect it has had on Arab and Muslim discrimination.
"We believe the prosecution sets a negative precedent for free speech rights and threatens the American tradition of charitable giving to those in war-torn areas of the world.
"The criminalization of legitimate charitable-giving is not just an attack on the American Muslim community; it is an attack on every American who believes in the moral duty to feed the hungry, clothe the poor, and heal the sick.
"Our resolve to see justice done remains undiminished. The process won today, and the jury showed that the government will not find victory by scaring up buzz. While we respect the jury's final decision, we believe that the defendants will be fully acquitted in the courtroom when the government retries the case."
This statement is signed on by Muslim American Society (MAS), Dallas Peace Center, Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), Partnership for Civil Justice, Muslim Legal Fund of America, Crawford Texas Peace House, Islamic Services Foundation, A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition, MAS Youth Center of DFW, Reverend Graylan Hagler, MAS-Freedom and American Muslim Alliance.
Contact:
Khalil Meek, 972.849.9188 Hungry for Justice Spokesman Comment on this feature >>
Until 2002, the Holy Land Foundation was the largest Islamic charity in the nation, based in Richardson, Texas. Its trial has serious repercussions for domestic issues such as the right to face one's accusers in court and domestic wiretapping, as well as international concerns such as the Palestine issues and the so-called "War on Terror."
The Holy Land Foundation gave humanitarian aid to projects throughout the world, but focused most of its resources on families suffering in Palestine.
Daily Vigil Across From Courthouse
In May 2002, a hasty one-sided administrative hearing within the U.S. government's Executive Branch determined that the Holy Land Foundation should be designated as a supporter of terrorism. The Supreme Court refused to hear the group’s appeal to change the decision. Shortly thereafter, the U.S. Treasury Department exploited the prevalent anti-Muslim backlash in the country to justify closing the Holy Land Foundation (see the previous IndyMedia story). President Bush himself claimed that this operation was part of the domestic front of the “war on terror”.
The U.S. government then used manipulative propaganda to rally the American people to support its war in Iraq in 2003. We have yet to leave that country, in spite of the lack of WMDs and Saddam’s execution, because "we" want to secure American interests in their oil industry.
In Spring 2004, almost three years after freezing the charity’s assets, the U.S. Department of Justice indicted the managers of the Holy Land Foundation for providing material support to a U.S.-designated terrorist group, HAMAS. The government amended the indictment in 2005, changing the allegation to claim that the HLF funneled money to HAMAS. The new version of the indictment stated that, by providing humanitarian support to suffering Palestinians, HLF was indirectly allowing HAMAS to spend their resources on other projects such as military operations.
During the trial, the U.S. government brought two anonymous Israeli agents (an unprecedented move in the American system of justice), two FBI agents and a well-known Zionist sympathizer, Dr. Matthew Levitt, who works for the pro-Israel think-tank The Washington Institute on Near East Policy. Carting piles of wiretaps that are only admissible thanks to the PATRIOT Act, the government concentrated on playing irrelevant HAMAS propaganda tapes to drum up fear in the jurors, instead of presenting traditional evidence.
The Holy Land Foundation’s biggest "crime" was humanizing Palestinians. Their aid went to helping the very people who Israel is trying to eradicate. If the American public began to understand what was happening in Palestine, with the checkpoints, executions, arrests and home demolitions, it would threaten the American perception of Israel, and therefore our relationship with them as well.
Given that Israel is the largest foreign recipient of U.S. aid, receiving almost $3 billion per year, it is unlikely that any American Zionist wants the “fifty-first state’s” skeletons to come out of the closet. Even Israel actively censors its own news to keep Israelis from hitting the streets in outrage.
The U.S. government’s main argument in the HLF case was that the zakat (charity) committees that HLF worked with were linked to HAMAS. The federal prosecutor’s strongest evidence to support this came from the Israeli government, not our own. The anonymous agents turned over stacks of undated, unverifiable HAMAS propaganda, such as posters and key chains. These were supposedly confiscated at some of the listed zakat committees from 2002 and later. However, HLF was indicted for transactions that occurred between 1997 and 2001, putting this evidence out of the relevant range.
As HLF's defense lawyers pointed out, this would be the same as finding some Democratic Party-related material in a board member’s office at a corporation. This does not prove that the board is Democrat or that the corporation is controlled by Democrats. Individual members of organizations are entitled to their personal beliefs, but they do not reflect on the organization as a whole.
In fact, all of the zakat committees listed in the indictment are today open and operational. None are listed as terrorist. All have been licensed by the Fatah-led government (HAMAS’ opposition party) and still receive money from the U.S. Agency for International Development (not indicted). related link: http://www.h4jusa.com Feature continued on newswire >>
Saturday, October 13th, there was a Pro-Peace Rally scheduled at the Crawford Peace House in Texas, to greet Alix Bryan and to stand with her in solidarity for Peace.
In her own words:
I am about to complete an 11,000 mile ride for Peace. Almost 3 months ago, I left from the White House headed to the Crawford Peace House on a 125cc scooter. My route, with just 1,500 miles left, will trace a peace sign on the U.S. map.
Throughout my travels I have experienced extreme changes in both climate and culture. The scenery and people have been spectacular and have opened my eyes. Many have offered personal stories, food, hugs, homes, and donations. I have ridden in temperatures from 105 to 40 degrees F.; ridden in the rain, hail, lightning, and heavy wind.
Perhaps many of you have never ridden a scooter, but trust me, it’s no simple task to ride 11,000 miles on 12 inch wheels going 55 mph; Nor is it always easy to talk about Peace.
What I have discovered while traveling is a dangerous polarity concerning Peace -- in the same vein as “you are for us, or against us.” That polarity can make dialog between strangers very daunting. I made deliberate efforts to leave politics and religion out of the conversation. Instead, I made it fundamental, asking, “what is YOUR vision for our future?” and “how do YOU define Peace?”
My goal is to generate dialog with everyone about Peace. Only an inclusive outreach will allow us to co-create change. I have visited communities with very conservative Bush supporters, but they have taken the time to define Peace with me. This is a vast country and an even bigger world. For us to know Peace we must celebrate our diversity, using it to strengthen the common ground we do share. I am tracing a Peace sign onto the US soil to remind us of our common ground, our interconnectivity.
related link: http://www.peacescooter.com Feature continued on newswire >>
The citizens' group, "No Higher Taxes", announces its lawsuit against the City of Rockwall and city officials, alleging First Amendment violations, suppression of a political sign unfavorable to city officials.
The Texas Civil Rights Project filed a free speech lawsuit in Dallas Federal Court this week on behalf of "No Higher Taxes" (NHT). Based in Rockwall County, NHT is a group of concerned citizens, organized to promote transparency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility in local government.
Since its founding, No Higher Taxes has been an outspoken critic of the Rockwall County Commissioners and other officials in county and city government. The centerpiece of this effort is the group's roadside sign, which displays short political messages in support of its views and critical of officials. Past messages included: the salaries of the county commissioners and the county judge; a statement that money was missing from the county treasury; and an accusation that a county commissioner had accepted a free trip to Cancún, Mexico, from a contractor in business with Rockwall County.
Under the pretext of code enforcement, the City of Rockwall has repeatedly and systematically tried to force NHT to remove its sign. It has done so by threatening the owners of the private property that houses the sign with criminal charges and fines, and other forms of public intimidation directed at the group's members. A particularly agitated county commissioner, Bruce Beaty, went so far as to circulate a draft letter requesting the state Ethics Commission to investigate NHT and publicly naming 12 suspected members of the organization. NHT's membership is confidential, for fear of reprisals by officials.
Jim Harrington, TCRP Director and attorney for Plaintiffs, said it "is outrageous that, in the 21st Century, public officials would so blatantly violate the First Amendment. Any high school civics student knows you cannot suppress unfavorable political speech. Our country is built on unfavorable political speech, and our democracy thrives on it. We're better for it."
The lawsuit alleges that the actions of the City of Rockwall , Code Enforcement Officer Cliff Griffin, and City Manager Julie Couch regarding NHT's sign are unconstitutional. By attempting to stifle NHT's political speech based on its content, they acted, and continue to act, in total disregard of the First Amendment's guarantee to freedom of speech. NHT seeks injunctive relief to protect itself from further efforts by the city to suppress its speech, declaratory relief, and monetary damages.
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