From nc_stereoman at charter.net Thu Feb 3 20:34:19 2005 From: nc_stereoman at charter.net (Steve Livingston) Date: Thu, 03 Feb 2005 19:34:19 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Cookeville High School tells Quakers "anti-war material is offensive" Message-ID: <42027CBB.6957.971629@localhost> I found this article in the Knoxville Sentinel online (KnoxNews) NASHVILLE - A Cookeville High School administrator said Veterans for Peace and a Quaker group can't come back into his school with materials considered "anti-American" and "antimilitary." The groups plan to go before the Putnam County School Board on Thursday with claims they're being denied privileges afforded to other organizations, including military recruiters. The war veterans, some who also belong to the Quaker group, were allowed into the school during a September fair for organizations. They set up a table with books about U.S. wars and offered photocopied fliers and pamphlets from both organizations about the war in Iraq and military careers and alternatives. Quaker and veteran Hector Black said several students stopped by the table asking questions, and a couple of teachers even thanked them for coming. He said there wasn't any indication of a problem until later that evening when he got a phone call from Principal Wayne Shank. Shank told Black that some of the groups' materials may be proper for adults, but he thought they were inappropriate for the students. "The information was brought to the attention of administrators because of the influence it may have had," said Shank, who restricted future visits by the groups. "I felt from a principal's viewpoint that the students were being put into a position that they shouldn't," said Shank, who restricted future visits by the groups. Black said Shank specified some quotes in the literature that he objected to, including one from a 1953 speech by President Eisenhower that said, "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed. Those who are cold and are not clothed ... " Another quote from an unknown author said, "The army that can defeat terrorism doesn't drive Humvees, or call in airstrikes ... It undermines military dictatorship and military lobbyists. It subverts sweatshops and special interests." County School Director Michael Martin said: "Parents found the materials to be anti-American, antimilitary. That didn't come from us. That came from the parents who saw the materials when their kids brought it home." Shank said in a phone interview from Cookeville that he couldn't recall everything he found offensive. He said he received a complaint call from a parent a day after the event and made an administrative decision to ban their "offensive materials." Shank said he didn't tell the groups that they couldn't come back into the school. He required that all their materials get advance approval, a rule he said also applies to military recruiters. The principal also said their literature could only be shown in a classroom setting that would allow an opportunity for a "balanced" presentation. Military recruiters and other groups don't face that restriction, the peace activists said. Veteran Charlie Osburn said his group doesn't understand why military recruiters and others like the Association of Christian Athletes are allowed into Cookeville High School without the same restrictions. His group aims to inform students, he said. Steve -- Steve Livingston nc_stereoman at charter.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From reddeanna at charter.net Thu Feb 3 21:21:24 2005 From: reddeanna at charter.net (Red & Deanna) Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2005 19:21:24 -0600 Subject: [saymaListserv] Cookeville High School tells Quakers "anti-warmaterial is offensive" Message-ID: <001801c50a57$d87d73e0$a6149f18@D714S421> I've just gotten home from the School Board meeting mentioned in the article below. Steve, I'm so glad you saw it and got it into the list. It also appeared in the Nashville paper and the Cookeville paper. Hector made a three-minute presentation. He spoke with such gentleness. And with a moral authority I have never seen in a human before. He spoke of his service in the military. He spoke of the Sermon on the Mount and said that he believed when Jesus taught that we are to love our enemy he meant we are to love our enemy. He assured the School Board that we are not against the military recruiters. I felt quite in awe. Four others spoke, two from Veterans for Peace, and two from the community. The two community members spoke in favor of allowing us to present materials on alternatives to the draft. The superintendent referred to several legal principles, like the First Amendment, that are relevent to this situation. The School Board voted to refer the matter to their legal counsel. In peace, Deanna Deanna Nipp Cookeville Preparative Meeting ----- Original Message ----- From: Steve Livingston To: sayma at kitenet.net Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2005 6:34 PM Subject: [saymaListserv] Cookeville High School tells Quakers "anti-warmaterial is offensive" I found this article in the Knoxville Sentinel online (KnoxNews) NASHVILLE - A Cookeville High School administrator said Veterans for Peace and a Quaker group can't come back into his school with materials considered "anti-American" and "antimilitary." The groups plan to go before the Putnam County School Board on Thursday with claims they're being denied privileges afforded to other organizations, including military recruiters. The war veterans, some who also belong to the Quaker group, were allowed into the school during a September fair for organizations. They set up a table with books about U.S. wars and offered photocopied fliers and pamphlets from both organizations about the war in Iraq and military careers and alternatives. Quaker and veteran Hector Black said several students stopped by the table asking questions, and a couple of teachers even thanked them for coming. He said there wasn't any indication of a problem until later that evening when he got a phone call from Principal Wayne Shank. Shank told Black that some of the groups' materials may be proper for adults, but he thought they were inappropriate for the students. "The information was brought to the attention of administrators because of the influence it may have had," said Shank, who restricted future visits by the groups. "I felt from a principal's viewpoint that the students were being put into a position that they shouldn't," said Shank, who restricted future visits by the groups. Black said Shank specified some quotes in the literature that he objected to, including one from a 1953 speech by President Eisenhower that said, "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed. Those who are cold and are not clothed ... " Another quote from an unknown author said, "The army that can defeat terrorism doesn't drive Humvees, or call in airstrikes ... It undermines military dictatorship and military lobbyists. It subverts sweatshops and special interests." County School Director Michael Martin said: "Parents found the materials to be anti-American, antimilitary. That didn't come from us. That came from the parents who saw the materials when their kids brought it home." Shank said in a phone interview from Cookeville that he couldn't recall everything he found offensive. He said he received a complaint call from a parent a day after the event and made an administrative decision to ban their "offensive materials." Shank said he didn't tell the groups that they couldn't come back into the school. He required that all their materials get advance approval, a rule he said also applies to military recruiters. The principal also said their literature could only be shown in a classroom setting that would allow an opportunity for a "balanced" presentation. Military recruiters and other groups don't face that restriction, the peace activists said. Veteran Charlie Osburn said his group doesn't understand why military recruiters and others like the Association of Christian Athletes are allowed into Cookeville High School without the same restrictions. His group aims to inform students, he said. Steve -- Steve Livingston nc_stereoman at charter.net -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _______________________________________________ Southern Appalachian Yearly Meeting and Association mailing list posting address: sayma at kitenet.net subscribe/unsubscribe: http://kitenet.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sayma -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From reddeanna at charter.net Thu Feb 3 21:49:28 2005 From: reddeanna at charter.net (Red & Deanna) Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2005 19:49:28 -0600 Subject: [saymaListserv] Fw: school board mtg. Message-ID: <005101c50a5b$c450f9b0$a6149f18@D714S421> I thought those of you following the Cookeville Friends/School Board story may be interested in seeing the article which appeared in the Cookeville Herald-Citizen on Monday--top right corner of the front page. Peace, Deanna Deanna Nipp Cookeville Preparative Meeting ----- Original Message ----- From: D To: Sent: Monday, January 31, 2005 5:01 PM Subject: Re: school board mtg. Here's the story for those of you who don't get the H-C. By the way, the website is www.herald-citizen.com and this story is today;s "Top Story" according to the website! Diane Peace group wants equal time in schools Mary Jo Denton Herald-Citizen Staff A peace-loving group of citizens wants to distribute literature in Putnam County's three high schools. Noting that military recruiters are allowed to set up at the schools and recruit young people for military service, the peace group is asking the Putnam school board's permission to also go into the schools and give students information about alternative ways to serve their country. The request is being made by Hector Black and Jack Queen, who will attend Thursday's school board meeting. Black describes the group as "members of a small Quaker Meeting (an historic peace church)," and notes that "some of us are members of Veterans for Peace, a group of men and women in every state in our nation who have served honorably and often with distinction in our armed forces and who believe that war is no longer an option in solving the differences between nations." In a letter to the Putnam school board, Black and Queen write that "Quakers are not so much against war as for peace." "We believe that it is more consistent with the teachings of Jesus to live a life that takes away the occasion for war and violence, thus sowing seeds of peace instead of fighting wars," the letter says. The letter says it is important for students to "understand all sides of a question before making a decision." "It is crucial, especially in a decision of such importance as joining the armed services, that the person making the choice be fully informed of all possible consequences of such a decision," the letter to the board says. "Information, even if it represents a stand with which we do not agree, is a vital component of education in a democratic nation." The peace group believes that "young people need to know that there are alternatives to the military and that there are other ways in which they can finance their education and serve their country," the letter says. The group wants to distribute information in the schools that would "emphasize the full scope of what it means to enlist in the military," the letter says. That information is "secular in nature" and has already been reviewed by Schools Director Michael Martin and Cookeville High Principal Wayne Shanks, the letter to the board says. The material does not promote any particular religious belief, and the peace group has no problem with "well informed" young people choosing to join the military, the letter says. But young people should be "well informed" before making a decision that could "cost them their lives, trouble their consciences or be in violation of their religious beliefs," the letter to the board says. The military's "massive advertising budget" allows military recruiters to provide students with information about the "positive aspects of military service," and the peace group wants the opportunity "to present another point of view," the letter says. The group has no intention of "causing a disruption" in the school day, and in fact, it would be inconsistent with their beliefs "to be less than peaceful in our dealings with the students," the letter says. The group's request has been placed on the school board's agenda for its Feb. 3 meeting. Published January 31, 2005 11:43 AM CST -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From nc_stereoman at charter.net Thu Feb 3 22:41:23 2005 From: nc_stereoman at charter.net (Steve Livingston) Date: Thu, 03 Feb 2005 21:41:23 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Cookeville High School tells Quakers "anti-warmaterial is offensive" In-Reply-To: <001801c50a57$d87d73e0$a6149f18@D714S421> Message-ID: <42029A83.7178.10B68F8@localhost> Thanks for the update, Deanna. I remembered that was your territory! I look forward to hearing more as the story develops, and perhaps a sharing at SAYMA will be instructive to other Friends who are currently dealing with this issue, or looking to in the near future. The elections in Iraq may give us hope that the hostilities there will wind down and that our military personnel may begin to pull out. Let us pray for stability in their fledgling democracy, hold their leaders in the Light as they work on drafting their Constitution, and hope every day that our own citizens have had enough of pre-emptive invasions to last at least a lifetime! I would hope for one more thing: that the parents who were concerned about the content of the pamphlets have the opportunity to meet with Hector and the others, and have their concerns aired and heard. I trust that Hector and his fellow peacemakers would be able to listen and acknowledge them without argument or disdain. Steve On 3 Feb 2005 at 19:21, Red & Deanna wrote: > > I've just gotten home from the School Board meeting mentioned in the > article below. Steve, I'm so glad you saw it and got it into the list. > It also appeared in the Nashville paper and the Cookeville paper. > > Hector made a three-minute presentation. He spoke with such > gentleness. And with a moral authority I have never seen in a human > before. He spoke of his service in the military. He spoke of the > Sermon on the Mount and said that he believed when Jesus taught that > we are to love our enemy he meant we are to love our enemy. He assured > the School Board that we are not against the military recruiters. I > felt quite in awe. Four others spoke, two from Veterans for Peace, and > two from the community.The two community membersspoke in favor of > allowing us to present materials on alternatives to the draft. > > The superintendentreferred to severallegal principles, like the First > Amendment, that are relevent to this situation. The School Boardvoted > to referthe matter to their legal counsel. > > In peace, > > Deanna > > Deanna Nipp > Cookeville Preparative Meeting > > ----- Original Message ----- From: Steve Livingston > To: sayma at kitenet.net > Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2005 6:34 PM > Subject: [saymaListserv] Cookeville High School tells Quakers > "anti-warmaterial is offensive" > > > I found this article in the Knoxville Sentinel online (KnoxNews) > > NASHVILLE - A Cookeville High School administrator said Veterans for > Peace and a Quaker group can't come back into his school with > materials considered "anti-American" and "antimilitary." > > The groups plan to go before the Putnam County School Board on > Thursday with claims they're being denied privileges afforded to other > organizations, including military recruiters. > > The war veterans, some who also belong to the Quaker group, were > allowed into the school during a September fair for organizations. > They set up a table with books about U.S. wars and offered photocopied > fliers and pamphlets from both organizations about the war in Iraq and > military careers and alternatives. > > Quaker and veteran Hector Black said several students stopped by the > table asking questions, and a couple of teachers even thanked them for > coming. > > He said there wasn't any indication of a problem until later that > evening when he got a phone call from Principal Wayne Shank. > > Shank told Black that some of the groups' materials may be proper for > adults, but he thought they were inappropriate for the students. > > "The information was brought to the attention of administrators > because of the influence it may have had," said Shank, who restricted > future visits by the groups. "I felt from a principal's viewpoint that > the students were being put into a position that they shouldn't," said > Shank, who restricted future visits by the groups. > > Black said Shank specified some quotes in the literature that he > objected to, including one from a 1953 speech by President Eisenhower > that said, "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every > rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who > hunger and are not fed. Those who are cold and are not clothed ... " > > Another quote from an unknown author said, "The army that can defeat > terrorism doesn't drive Humvees, or call in airstrikes ... It > undermines military dictatorship and military lobbyists. It subverts > sweatshops and special interests." > > County School Director Michael Martin said: "Parents found the > materials to be anti-American, antimilitary. That didn't come from us. > That came from the parents who saw the materials when their kids > brought it home." > > Shank said in a phone interview from Cookeville that he couldn't > recall everything he found offensive. He said he received a complaint > call from a parent a day after the event and made an administrative > decision to ban their "offensive materials." > > Shank said he didn't tell the groups that they couldn't come back into > the school. He required that all their materials get advance approval, > a rule he said also applies to military recruiters. > > The principal also said their literature could only be shown in a > classroom setting that would allow an opportunity for a "balanced" > presentation. Military recruiters and other groups don't face that > restriction, the peace activists said. > > Veteran Charlie Osburn said his group doesn't understand why military > recruiters and others like the Association of Christian Athletes are > allowed into Cookeville High School without the same restrictions. His > group aims to inform students, he said. > > Steve > -- > Steve Livingston > nc_stereoman at charter.net > > _______________________________________________ > Southern Appalachian Yearly Meeting and Association mailing list > posting address: sayma at kitenet.net > subscribe/unsubscribe: > http://kitenet.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sayma > From sharonannis at comcast.net Fri Feb 4 11:47:44 2005 From: sharonannis at comcast.net ( Sharon Annis) Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2005 10:47:44 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Call for Quaker response to Torture Message-ID: <20050204154753.E86471830A@kitenet.net> This Call is being circulated among Friends. Please consider and circulate as you are lead. Sharon >> > >>John Calvi > >>P.O. Box 301 > >>Putney, VT 05346 > >> > >>Tel: 802-387-4789 > >>www.johncalvi.com > >> > >>A Call to the > >> > >>Religious Society of Friends > >> > >>To A Conference on the > >> > >>Treatment and Prevention of Torture > >> > >> > >> > >>Dear Friends, > January > >>2005 > >> > >> > >> > >>I believe the time has come for Quakers to create > a conference on > >>torture. > >>Increasingly, there are corners without Light in > American culture > >>and places > >>of American domination where there is no longer > simply the threat > >>of > >>abduction, imprisonment or death, but also the > likelihood that this > >>includes > >>torture. This calculated brutality has become so > large a part of > >>our > >>culture that the U.S. president has 3found2 legal > grounds to > >>sidestep the > >>Geneva Conventions on torture perpetrated by our > military on > >>captives. What > >>was once small and secret is now widespread, > public, and stated > >>policy. > >>Opposition would be the essence of Friends9 Peace > Testimony, > >>practice, and > >>faith and would add to our history. > >> > >> > >> > >>Because there is indication that torture will > continue and > >>increase, I > >>believe it is time for Friends to study this with > a conference. > >>Let us > >>become informed, spread information, and choose > action in > >>education, > >>investigation, prevention, and treatment. > >> > >> > >> > >>I know this is the most repulsive topic to > conference on. It may > >>only draw > >>a small number of people at first. But the > problem of torture is > >>the most > >>without Light aspect of the current spiritual > condition of the > >>human family. > >>It is the ugliest act of our species, and it is a > furtive American > >>crisis at > >>home and abroad. These negative features make it > more urgent that > >>it be > >>examined. Friends9 history makes us a good group > to begin that very > >>hard > >>work. > >> > >> > >> > >>Approaching great wounds with even the least > amount of light will > >>draw > >>resistance and trouble. An effective conference > will involve very > >>careful > >>planning. If its purpose and program are > explained well, it may > >>draw the > >>widest possible audience, including experts from a > wide range of > >>fields. > >>Since taking in such information is a burden of > some density, to > >>avoid > >>exhausting participants the schedule will keep to > a measured, > >>reflective > >>pace. The topic calls us to learn new ways to > carry this realm of > >>ideas, > >>whose horror is well beyond the relative > simplicities of hunger, > >>homelessness, disease, and simple violence. > >> > >> > >> > >>As so many of you, I have neither the time nor > energy to create > >>such a > >>conference. But I also know that I cannot turn > away. There is much > >>good that > >>needs doing, and the work is mine, and ours. Of > course, it would > >>be best if > >>an established Friends group(s) created this. > >> > >> > >> > >>I ask 3 things of you- > >> > >>1- Please share this call to conference widely > among Friends, > >>Friends > >>meetings and Friends organizations. This letter > will be on my > >>website > >>www.johncalvi.com with > future updates. > >> > >>2- Please take this call to heart and hold the > effort in the > >>Light. > >> > >>3- If there are talents, gifts, resources you or > your organization > >>have to > >>help make this conference happen, please be in > touch with me > >>directly, > >>e-mail is BEST calvij at sover.net. > >> > >>With many thanks, > >> > >>John Calvi calvij at sover.net PO Box 301 > Putney VT 05346 > >>802/387-4789 > >> > >>********************************************************************** >>** > > >> > >> > >>Secrets, Torture - John Calvi 9/1/04 > >> > >> > >> > >>There are things we don9t talk about much, > secrets, because they > >>are > >>difficult. They are difficult because we don9t > have ways of > >>thinking about > >>them. We may not have ways to talk about them. > We don9t have much > >>information on them. And, most importantly, they > are ugly and > >>scary. Each > >>culture has a list of these secrets. The list > changes as > >>information > >>escapes into conversation and ways of learning > become possible > >>around > >>something previously obscure. In my own life time > the list of > >>American > >>secrets has changed considerably so that what was > unknowable and > >>untalkable > >>before has now become topics of study and common > knowledge- such as > >>cancer, > >>homosexuality, lynching, post-traumatic stress > disorder in > >>soldiers, incest, > >>addiction, rape, and the holocaust. > >> > >> > >> > >>A secret on this list moves slowly upward towards > light as more > >>people come > >>to understand that something has parts and pieces > and even logic > >>and is not > >>just a huge horror. The above list is of the > movers and shakers on > >>this > >>list as culture changes and progresses. What is > still on the > >>bottom of this > >>list is torture. It is a great American secret > still holding all > >>the > >>requisite conditions of huge and horrible, ugly > and scary, > >>unknowable from > >>so little information available, and very present > in all our > >>generations and > >>especially today. > >> > >> > >> > >>Like the car wreck we saw on the way home, we try > not to see it > >>again in our > >>minds though each image lingers with some part of > us wanting to > >>understand > >>it9s meaning in our lives. The push to not see > what is so ugly and > >>the > >>wonder to sort out what it is push against each > other. The battle > >>is joined > >>by American popular culture with it9s bias for > bright shiny things > >>for sale, > >>fast and shallow content giving only glimpses, and > above all the > >>distracting > >>noise of who9s winning something or is a danger. > Thus, torture > >>stays on the > >>list of things we don9t see or know and therefore > can9t change. It > >>will > >>always be true that only a certain amount of > people will choose to > >>be with > >>something as challenging as death or rape as works > to be undertaken > >>for the > >>washing and healing of the culture and > individuals. But the level > >>of knowing > >>why something is can include many more people who > will just have to > >>listen, > >>think, and wonder a bit to learn what torture is > and what it means > >>for a > >>society either as providers or receivers. > >> > >> > >> > >>The spiritual consequences of secrets are well > known- sudden > >>potholes in > >>integrity, surprise areas where knowledge is > lacking, the panic of > >>cover-ups, and the confusing combination of the > previous three to > >>create a > >>response for which there seems to be no logic. > Most obvious is the > >>extraordinary effort to keep a secret hidden > rather than open to > >>wonder, > >>wonder being the most basic posture of spiritual > life. > >> > >> > >> > >>The spiritual consequences of torture are also > quite specific. > >>Either you > >>are moved to act against or you stifle and > smolder. For each of us > >>who have > >>paid for torture through our taxes, the dilemma is > a strong > >>cultural > >>watershed. We have the cultural myth of the > independent force of > >>the > >>individual making change and doing good. But > often this myth meets > >>with a > >>fierce don9t-rock-the-boat mentality at home, at > work, and in > >>public spaces. > >>Choosing to act in any form has the light of > integrity in being one > >>with our > >>deepest feelings of justice, always good for > mental and spiritual > >>health. It > >>will also make for some disappointment, > loneliness, and the need to > >>explain > >>yourself. > >> > >> > >> > >>The other choice of not acting is the more common > response. It9s > >>common > >>because life is already full, what might one do > anyway, and aren9t > >>I in > >>enough trouble already. These are the overt > reasons to stuff and > >>numb > >>oneself. The more quiet reasons are that it hurts > to see and know > >>what is. > >>It9s disturbing and we could let this one go by > and forget. How > >>much > >>awareness do I need to keep up with anyway? The > monster is too big > >>for me > >>to address. Both acting and not acting are work > that requires > >>energy and > >>effort. Only one has a payoff. > >> > >> > >> > >>To have torture as part of the heritage we9ve > provided the world in > >>the last > >>several years (think of the American wars in > Southeast Asia and > >>Central > >>America), is to carry the loss of integrity, the > ignorance, and > >>panic of > >>discovery in each of our hearts whether or not we > approve of > >>torture. > >>Torture has always been easy to justify but it9s > never rested > >>within the > >>human awareness to be comfortably carried. As a > burden, it > >>resembles the > >>addicts stash or the unwashed bruise hidden under > clothing- maybe > >>known by > >>others, unable to be laid down, and always a > greater pain than is > >>understood. > >> > >> > >> > >>To have our leadership participate, deny, spin, > and wink over the > >>use of > >>torture in our current American wars abroad, > lingers within us like > >>glimpsing the car wreck, the neighbor9s or family > member9s bruise, > >>the > >>addicts stash. We can9t bear to know its scary > ugliness and we > >>can9t get it > >>out of our minds. There is no moral force in > leadership to say > >>what we all > >>know - that torture injures all who know any > aspect of it from any > >>distance, > >>that it shames all other good works done over > hundreds of years, > >>and that to > >>do anything other than admit and stop is to > participate. This is > >>how a list > >>of secrets is kept as heritage and burdens our > children. > >> > >>John Calvi www.johncalvi.com > PO Box > >>301 Putney > >>VT 05346 802/387-4789 calvij at sover.net > > >> > >>************************************* > >> > >> > >>Is This American? > >> > >> > >>By Molly Ivins, AlterNet > >>Posted on December 2, 2004 > >> > >> > >>It is both peculiar and chilling to find oneself > discussing the > >>problem of > >>American torture. I have considered support of > basic human rights > >>and > >>dignity so much a part of our national identity > that this feels as > >>strange > >>as though I'd suddenly become Chinese or found > Fidel Castro in the > >>refrigerator. > >> > >>One's first response to the report by the > International Red Cross > >>about > >>torture at our prison at Guantanamo is denial. "I > don't want to > >>think about > >>it; I don't want to hear about it; we're the good > guys, they're the > >>bad > >>guys; shut up. And besides, they attacked us > first." > >> > >>But our country has opposed torture since its > founding. One of our > >>founding > >>principles is that cruel and unusual punishment is > both illegal and > >>wrong. > >>Every year, our State Department issues a report > grading other > >>countries on > >>their support for or violations of human rights. > >> > >>The first requirement here is that we look at what > we are doing - > >>and not > >>blink, not use euphemisms. Despite the Red Cross' > polite language, > >>this is > >>not "tantamount to torture." It's torture. It is > not "detainee > >>abuse." It's > >>torture. If they were doing it to you, you would > know it was > >>torture. It > >>must be hidden away, because it's happening in > Cuba or elsewhere > >>abroad. > >> > >>Yes, it's true, we did sort of know this already. > It was clear when > >>the Abu > >>Ghraib scandal broke in Iraq that the infection > had come from > >>Guantanamo. > >>The infamous memos by Alberto Gonzales, our next > attorney general, > >>and by > >>John Ashcroft's "Justice" Department pretty well > laid it out. > >> > >>In a way, Abu Ghraib, as bizarrely sadistic as it > was, is easier to > >>understand than this cold, relentless and > apparently endless > >>procedure at > >>Gitmo. At least Abu Ghraib took place in the > context of war. At > >>Guantanamo, > >>there is no threat to anyone - Americans are not > being killed or > >>hurt there. > >> > >>The Red Cross report says, "The construction of > such a system, > >>whose stated > >>purpose is the production of intelligence, cannot > be considered > >>other than > >>an intentional system of cruel, unusual and > degrading treatment, > >>and a form > >>of torture." > >> > >>Our country, the one you and I are responsible > for, has imprisoned > >>these > >>"illegal combatants" for three years now. What the > hell else do we > >>expect to > >>get out of them? We don't even release their names > or say what > >>they're > >>charged with - whether they're Taliban, al Qaeda > or just some > >>farmers who > >>happened to get in the way (in Afghanistan, > farmers and soldiers > >>are apt to > >>be the same). > >> > >>If this hasn't been established in three years, > when will it be? > >>How long > >>are they to be subjected to "humiliating acts, > solitary > >>confinement, > >>temperature extremes, use of forced positions"? > >> > >>In the name of Jesus Christ Almighty, why are > people representing > >>our > >>government, paid by us, writing filth on the > Korans of helpless > >>prisoners? > >>Is this American? Is it Christian? What are our > moral values? Where > >>are the > >>clergymen on this? Speak out, speak up. > >> > >>The creepiest aspect of the Red Cross report is > the involvement of > >>doctors > >>and psychiatrists in something called "biscuit" > teams. Get used to > >>that > >>acronym: It stands for Behavioral Science > Consultation Team and > >>will end up > >>in the same category of national shame as Wounded > Knee. According > >>to The New > >>York Times, "biscuit" teams are "composed of > psychologists and > >>psychological > >>workers who advise the interrogators." Shades of > Dr. Mengele. > >> > >>An earlier Red Cross report questioned whether > "psychological > >>torture" was > >>taking place. I guess that's what you call sleep > deprivation and > >>prolonged > >>exposure to extremely loud noises while shackled > to a chair. The > >>beatings > >>reported would not be psychological torture. I > pass over the > >>apparently > >>abandoned practice of sexual taunting. The Red > Cross also reports a > >>far > >>greater > >>incidence of mental illness caused by stress. > >> > >>If you have neither the imagination nor the > empathy to envision > >>yourself in > >>such circumstances, please consider why the senior > commanders in > >>the > >>military are so horrified by this. It's very > simple. Because, if we > >>do this, > >>if we break international law and the conventions > of warfare, then > >>the same > >>thing can be done to American soldiers who are > captured abroad. Any > >>country > >>can use exactly the same lame rationale about > "enemy combatants" to > >>torture > >>American troops in any kind of conflict. Then we > would protest to > >>the Red > >>Cross, of course. > >> > >>I suppose one could argue that we're fighting > people who chop off > >>the heads > >>of their prisoners, so there. Since when have we > taken up Abu > >>al-Zarqawi as > >>a role model? In the famous hypothetical example, > you might > >>consider torture > >>justified if you had a terrorist who knew where a > bomb was planted > >>that was > >>about to go off. But three years later? Some > people have got to be > >>held > >>accountable for this, and that would include > Congress. > >> > >>My question is: What are you going to do about > this? It's your > >>country, your > >>money, your government. You own it, you run it, > you are the board > >>of > >>directors. They are doing this in your name. The > people we elect to > >>public > >>office do what you want them to. Perhaps you > should get in touch > >>with them. > >> > >>********************************************************************** >>****** > > >>******************* > >> > >> > > Yahoo! Groups Sponsor > ADVERTISEMENT > Children International > Would you give Hope to a Child in need? > > 7Click Here to meet a Girl > And Give Her Hope > > 7Click Here to meet a Boy > And Change His Life > > Learn More > > > > > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From moriah at preferred.com Fri Feb 4 12:02:13 2005 From: moriah at preferred.com (Mary Calhoun) Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2005 11:02:13 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Re: Speak Truth to Bush References: <20050203130733.19835.1709.qmail@omail1.getactive.com> Message-ID: <06bf01c50ad3$11075e80$6464a2c6@abc> Speak Truth to BushReceived at the SAYMA office. ----- Original Message ----- From: Peter Lems, American Friends Service Committee To: AdminAsst at sayma.org Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2005 8:07 AM Subject: Speak Truth to Bush Dear AFSC friend, Last night, in the State of the Union address, President Bush painted a rosy picture about democracy and freedom in Iraq. The truth is not so simple. An estimated 100,000 Iraqis and more than 1400 U.S. soldiers have died in the unnecessary war, and the toll mounts daily. The presence of U.S. occupation forces has been -- and will continue to be -- a flashpoint for violence. Today, as part of our growing Wage Peace Campaign, AFSC is launching a new movie that tells the truth about the ongoing loss of life in Iraq -- and encourages viewers to sign our petition to bring the troops home. Click here to watch the movie [2 min]. I think you'll be moved... and if you have friends who are on the fence about the war, this is something you will want to share with them. Please take a few moments to watch the movie, sign the petition, and then please forward the message to ten friends. This spring is a critical time to demonstrate the breadth and diversity of opposition to the war. Military families, veterans, people of faith, students and many others are now speaking out. The momentum is building. Together we can end this war. Peace, Peter Lems AFSC Iraq Staff Click on the link below to view the movie and share it with your friends: http://www.afsc.org/wagepeace/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ © 2005 AFSC American Friends Service Committee 1501 Cherry Street Philadelphia, PA 19102 www.afsc.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From debra at debrasjohnson.net Fri Feb 4 14:24:41 2005 From: debra at debrasjohnson.net (debra at debrasjohnson.net) Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2005 13:24:41 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Democracy Now coverage Message-ID: <141270-22005254182441290@M2W060.mail2web.com> I'm listening to Democracy Now (www.democracynow.org) and Amy Goodman just reported on the situation in Tennessee. Hector's picture was shown and the Eisenhower quote was read. Now if it will only make it to the mainstream press! Salaam, Debra -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web.com/ . From CIsland at aol.com Fri Feb 4 18:06:31 2005 From: CIsland at aol.com (CIsland at aol.com) Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2005 17:06:31 EST Subject: [saymaListserv] SAYMA's Electronic Communications systems Message-ID: TO: SAYMA Friends who may have missed seeing the quesionnaire below or who need a prompt to respond. FROM: Bill Reynolds, Clerk, SAYMA Ad Hoc Committee on Electronic Communications RE: SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE Your Yearly Meeting, "SAYMA," is seeking to improve its utilization of the opportunities that electronic communications offer, or at least reduce the problems that arise in its use. The ad hoc committee was formed to seek out what improvements might be possible and desirable. To begin the seeking this committee is soliciting feedback from all SAYMA Friends. The questionnaire below is for gathering this feedback. Any responses to any one or more of the questions are helpful; no on need feel obligated to answer every question, or even most of them. The committee selected the 22nd of this month (22,Second Month, 2005) as its target date to gather almost all responses in order to begin the next stage of our work with those responses as the "data base." (This means we do not expect that date to be a deadline - just a target date. We are sensitive to how busy the personal and meeting lives are for most, if not all, Friends in SAYMA and do not want to exclude feedback from any who could not provide it by any particular date. But,) If possible, please aim to send it in by around that target date. My thanks to you for your efforts on this questionnaire project, and for your effort toward the development of Yearly Meeting e-communications policies and procedures that will assure SAYMA's faith and testimonies continue to be advanced through its use of electronic media. QUESTIONNAIRE on SAYMA's listserv, website, & other possible electronic communications systems Any responses to any one or more of the questions are helpful; no on need feel obligated to answer every question, or even most of them. I. ListServ ? (Questions for those who have been subscribers to the SAYMA listserv, have tried to subscribe and not been able to, or in consideration of some of these questions think they might become a subscriber): * Have you had any technical problems with the ListServ (subscribing, reading, posting, sending)? If yes, please describe the problem? * Do you feel that the ListServ is useful? * What kind(s) of messages are of most interest to you? * In your view are there any problems with the content of the ListServ? * Would you like to see more or fewer postings? * How could the ListServ be improved? * Would you prefer to have more than one SAYMA ListServ, each to have designated functions? (For example, one for official SAYMA business notices and communicating concerns or suggestions about business before the Yearly Meeting (maybe call this a YM "business list") , the second for topical discussions NOT directly related to SAYMA's current discernment process (maybe call this a "discussion list"), a third for other? II. SAYMA Web Site (We would like everyone who responds to a question in this list to make at least one visit to the website before they respond.) * Have you used the web site successfully to answer a question or otherwise get useful information? * Have you had technical problems with the web site (unable to download documents, unable to view properly)? * What kind of information on the web site is most useful? * What kind of information would you like to see added to the web site? * Have you had any problems finding information on the web site? If yes, please describe. * How could the web site be improved? III. SAYMA Electronic Communications in General: (We want everyone who will to provide feedback on the following sets of questions regardless of whether they have or have not ever connected to either electronic service.) Many people see electronic communication as a way to bridge the distances that separate us within the yearly meeting---to keep in touch with distant Friends, to support YM committee work, and distribute information quickly and cheaply. Many people also see problems---information overload, spam, risk of harassment or identity theft, gap between the techno-savvy and the non-technical, temptation to bypass face-to-face, worshipful discernment, etc. Questions related to Values and Testimonies : * How do you regard the use of e-communications in the light of Quaker values and testimonies? * In your view what is the proper role of electronic communications in SAYMA? * What concerns, doubts or sense of opening do you have about the use of e-communications in SAYMA? General operational questions about SAYMA e-communications: * What other types of e-communication do you think would be useful within SAYMA? (group e-mail, web forum, newsgroup, conferencing, committee-work web-pages...) Please comment on what you think the useful benefits from any of these would be. * Should the yearly meeting be more aggressive or more cautious in its use of electronic communication? More aggressive with which one(s) of the different e-communication technologies? More cautious with which one(s)? *Any additional suggestions, concerns or comments? Please forward your responses (either individually or in a compilation) to : Bill Reynolds, e-mail: < _cisland at aol.com_ (mailto:cisland at aol.com) >; US Postal Service: 3529 Dell Trail, Chattanooga, TN 37411 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From CIsland at aol.com Fri Feb 4 18:13:49 2005 From: CIsland at aol.com (CIsland at aol.com) Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2005 17:13:49 EST Subject: [saymaListserv] SAYMA website url Message-ID: <1fb.3a00caa.2f354d9d@aol.com> oooops, I left the SAYMA website url off the previous mailing. Here it is, in case anyone didn't have it and would like to have a look > _www.sayma.org_ (http://www.sayma.org) < Bill Reynolds -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From errol at kitenet.net Fri Feb 4 21:17:50 2005 From: errol at kitenet.net (Errol Hess) Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2005 20:17:50 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Yearly Meeting 2005 Message-ID: <20050204201750.6f1d060a.errol@kitenet.net> Southern Appalachian Yearly Meeting & Assoc. Warren Wilson College Swannannoa, NC June 9-12, 2005 Once again, Quakers from the Southern Appalachian Yearly Meeting & Association (SAYMA) will gather in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains at Warren Wilson College. Friends will gather to worship, deepen our faith, meet new friends and renew relationships. We invite newcomers and Friends from small or isolated Meetings and Worship Groups to attend to get to know people in other Meetings. Our yearly meeting will begin on Thursday afternoon with worship and meeting for business and continue through Sunday morning worship and lunch. We will open for early registration on Wednesday, June 8 at 4 pm to ease travel plans for those far away. Dinner will also be offered on Wednesday evening, and Breakfast and Lunch on Thursday. Dorm space and FAPS will also be available starting on Wednesday evening for SAYF participants. Our speaker this year will be Keith Helmuth, a prolific writer whose works have appeared in a number of periodicals including Orion, Echoes, EarthLight, and Friends Journal. He is the author of "If John Woolman Were Among Us" and is the editor and principle author of "As If We Planned To Stay." His speaking engagements include plenary presentations to meetings of Friends World Committee for Consultation, Northeast Region (twice), the 2002 Woolman Memorial Lecture at Mount Holly, NJ ("John Woolman and the Work Ethic"), the 2004 Sunderland P. Gardner Memorial Lecture at Canadian Yearly Meeting ("Arrowhead to Hand Axe: In Search of Ecological Guidance"). Keith and his wife, Ellen, are sojourning members of Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting. On Thursday through Saturday evenings, we will enjoy intergenerational singing followed by worship, then continue to the evening plenary session. Thursday evening we will hear from representatives of Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC), Quaker Earthcare Witness (QEW), American Friends Service Committee Southeast Regional Office (AFSC-SERO), and Friends Committee on Outworld Relations (FCOR). Friday evening will be a presentation from our featured speaker, Keith Helmuth. Saturday evening will feature our famous Talent Show, hosted by Joyce "EarthMama" Rouse. Young Adult Friends (YAF) is a community of Friends aged 18-35 (more or less) who share a living space at Yearly Meeting. YAFs follow most of the Yearly Meeting's schedule, but set aside time for YAF worship sharing, meeting for business, and fellowship to discuss their spiritual journeys, emotional challenges, roles in the Yearly Meeting and in the wider Quaker community. Southern Appalachian Young Friends (SAYF) offers teens in grades 7-12 their own shared living space, time for worship, workshops, decision-making and just hanging out together through a program mostly designed and run by the youth themselves, with the oversight of friendly adults. Junior Yearly Meeting plans spiritually-based activities, deeply rooted in Quakerism, for children from infancy to 12 years old. This program will be led by Ron McDonald (Memphis Monthly Meeting) and will include crafts, singing, and outdoor play. To encourage families with young children to attend, there will be no registration fee for children 12 and under. Program and registration information will be available in early April. Work grants and scholarships will be offered; we do not want anyone to stay away due to cost. (We ask that you request funds first from your own Monthly Meeting.) Contact your monthly meeting clerk, SAYMA representative or the SAYMA office (SAYMA, PO Box 2191, Abingdon, VA 24212-2191 or adminasst at sayma.org) for more information. From reddeanna at charter.net Fri Feb 4 22:08:21 2005 From: reddeanna at charter.net (Red & Deanna) Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2005 20:08:21 -0600 Subject: [saymaListserv] Cookeville School Board meeting Message-ID: <006401c50b27$93131aa0$a6149f18@D714S421> I thought Friends may want to see coverage of last night's School Board meeting from Cookeville's local paper, the Herald-Citizen. I ask that you hold us all in the Light: Friends, Veterans for Peace, the School Board, the Director of Schools Michael Martin, the high school principal Wayne Shanks, the recruiters, board attorney Don Rader, the children of Putnam County, and our community. Deanna Deanna Nipp Cookeville Preparative Meeting Board refers peace group issue to attorney Mary Jo Denton Herald-Citizen Staff Saying they are not anti-military or anti-American, a group of peace activists yesterday asked the Putnam school board for the same access that military recruiters have to schools here. The board referred the issue to board attorney Dan Rader and promised a report soon. Freedom of speech and equal access are among the legal issues involved, Director of Schools Michael Martin said. The peace group, made up of Veterans for Peace and members of a Quaker meeting, had gone into Cookeville High last fall with materials they said gave students information about ways to serve their country other than by joining the military. "We were told we would not be welcome back," said Hector Black, a member of the group. Cookeville High Principal Wayne Shanks told the board that when the group came to the school office last fall to say they wanted to set up a table in the hallway to give out information, he was under the impression it would be about the Peace Corps. But later, someone brought some of the group's material to his attention, he said. "It looked controversial in a political way," Shanks said. "This was last fall when we were in a presidential election. Now, I encourage controversial issues discussions among students, but in the proper place." Shanks said he felt the material should first be approved and that the whole issue should be resolved by the school board before the group was allowed back into the school. The peace group then decided to appeal to the board and wrote Schools Director Martin defining their position and noting that they simply want to make sure that students have information other than that offered by military recruiters. At yesterday's board meeting, five persons addressed the board on the issue, all five favoring letting the peace group into the schools. Jennifer Schabert said, "I'm a parent with a student in that school, and I think it's crucial to let these groups have access. Lots of groups, including Republicans, Democrats, and military recruiters have this access, and those materials (of the peace group) were only on a table. They were not being handed out to students. "As for (reports that) someone objected to a quote from Dwight D. Eisenhower that was included (in the material), I'd like to ask just how much more American can you be? He was president and was a military general. "If you fail to allow these groups access to the schools, you're failing as educators because what they do is give students a chance to explore all avenues of service to the country." Jack Queen, a retired Army officer and member of Veterans for Peace, detailed his long military career, including some of the bloody scenes he saw in Vietnam, and said, "War is not all glory." "All we're asking is equal access," Queen said. Hector Black, a Quaker and also a veteran, said, "We don't have a problem with young people deciding to join the military -- if they are fully informed." He said his experience in World War II "led me to believe that war is no longer a way we should resolve differences." "I've thought a lot about what Jesus said about loving our enemies. And I think he meant exactly what he said. I think that if we always strike back in revenge, there's an endless cycle, and the way to stop that cycle of violence is the way that Dr. King did, the way that Jesus did. To say, 'The violence stops here.'" Diane Paul, noting her own father's long service in military combat and saying that "the military can be an honorable career," said, "Children in school are too young to decide whether to join the military." Paul spoke admiringly of Hector Black's long history of fighting peacefully for civil rights and other causes. "There is no person in this community I'd rather have my children to know than Hector Black, who himself was once jailed for (his stand on civil rights causes), and for whose freedom Dr. Martin Luther King himself demonstrated." Charlie Osborne, a U.S. Marines veteran, said the federal No Child Left Behind act "requires schools to give military recruiters information about the students." "I'm proud I served in the military, and I will say the military recruiters (in the schools) are doing their job, a good job," Osborne said. "But they are salesmen." Osborne went on to say, "Some say that for us to speak of peace is unpatriotic, but that doesn't make sense to me. Our president says we are a peaceful nation. Our group is just trying to help our children have all the information they can." Board chairman Walter Derryberry told the speakers, "We will take all this into consideration." Both Black and Queen said that they have been treated well by Schools Director Martin as they have tried to resolve the issue of gaining access to schools. Martin said, "We have first amendment and equal access issues, and maybe others in this, and I recommend that we refer it to the board attorney so he can study it and provide us with the parameters on all these issues." After the meeting, the Herald-Citizen asked Principal Shanks about reports that someone had complained to him about the written materials the peace group had brought into the school last fall. Shanks said he had received complaints about it from two students and one adult. The adult was a youth minister in a local church, he said. Asked if those who complained did so from the viewpoint of a particular political party, Shanks said he did not know anything about the political beliefs of the three. But when he looked at the material, he found it to be "of a political nature," he said, and he decided the whole issue should be brought to the school board. Published February 04, 2005 12:06 PM CST COPYRIGHT ® 2005 Herald-Citizen, a division of Cleveland Newspapers, Inc. All rights reserved. ____________________________________________________________ Again, please hold us all in the Light. Help us keep focus on eternal truths, deep love, and the path of the Spirit. Deanna -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From moriah at preferred.com Sat Feb 5 09:14:25 2005 From: moriah at preferred.com (Mary Calhoun) Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2005 08:14:25 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Democracy Now coverage References: <141270-22005254182441290@M2W060.mail2web.com> Message-ID: <021401c50b88$15e03480$6464a2c6@abc> Dear Debra and Friends, The "if only" about mainstream media is a subject I've thought much about since before the elections. Consider this... -- we all know how, of course, to forward urgent concerns by email. -- and we know about letters to editors and representatives. -- but, a lot of us read blogs, bulletin boards, and other online alternate news-sources; we could go to their sites and see if "our issue" has been noticed there, post a message, write a message to the site's managers/editors. -- has Charlie Rose, PBS Now, or Fresh Air taken up the topic? we could check their websites and bulletin boards, post, suggest the topic. -- what are WQOs doing around our issue? We can visit their websites, leave messages. -- has a public official, not necessarily local or your representative, been quoted on our issue, or one closely related? We can send an email thanking them for their concern, and pointing out ours. -- has a newscast, TV/radio show, or some non-Quaker organization brought up our issue, or one close to it? Get out the thank-you-and-concern message, find their website, and email it again. -- will more opportunities to send "the message" pop up as the days go by? I can almost guarantee it. -- is this a lot of work? Sure is. But what if we formed a team or working group using individual gifts and resources: web-skills, research-lovers, word-smiths, issue-discerners, media-monitors, folks with some spare time, a "people-coordinator" or two? -- will it end with mainstream press coverage? Maybe not, but never forget that bloggers brought down 60 Minutes. ^o^ \_/ Mary Calhoun Foxfire FM ----- Original Message ----- From: To: Sent: Friday, February 04, 2005 1:24 PM Subject: [saymaListserv] Democracy Now coverage > I'm listening to Democracy Now (www.democracynow.org) and Amy Goodman just > reported on the situation in Tennessee. Hector's picture was shown and the > Eisenhower quote was read. Now if it will only make it to the mainstream > press! > > Salaam, > Debra > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > mail2web - Check your email from the web at > http://mail2web.com/ . > > > _______________________________________________ > Southern Appalachian Yearly Meeting and Association mailing list > posting address: sayma at kitenet.net > subscribe/unsubscribe: http://kitenet.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sayma > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From moriah at preferred.com Sat Feb 5 12:46:20 2005 From: moriah at preferred.com (Mary Calhoun) Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2005 11:46:20 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Cookeville School Board meeting References: <006401c50b27$93131aa0$a6149f18@D714S421> Message-ID: <013d01c50ba2$446c8fa0$6464a2c6@abc> And then, on further reflection, "path of the Spirit" might be better served by the absence of mainstream media....? ^o^ \_/ Mary Calhoun Foxfire FM ----- Original Message ----- From: Red & Deanna To: sayma at kitenet.net Sent: Friday, February 04, 2005 9:08 PM Subject: [saymaListserv] Cookeville School Board meeting I thought Friends may want to see coverage of last night's School Board meeting from Cookeville's local paper, the Herald-Citizen. I ask that you hold us all in the Light: Friends, Veterans for Peace, the School Board, the Director of Schools Michael Martin, the high school principal Wayne Shanks, the recruiters, board attorney Don Rader, the children of Putnam County, and our community. Deanna Deanna Nipp Cookeville Preparative Meeting Board refers peace group issue to attorney Mary Jo Denton Herald-Citizen Staff Saying they are not anti-military or anti-American, a group of peace activists yesterday asked the Putnam school board for the same access that military recruiters have to schools here. The board referred the issue to board attorney Dan Rader and promised a report soon. Freedom of speech and equal access are among the legal issues involved, Director of Schools Michael Martin said. The peace group, made up of Veterans for Peace and members of a Quaker meeting, had gone into Cookeville High last fall with materials they said gave students information about ways to serve their country other than by joining the military. "We were told we would not be welcome back," said Hector Black, a member of the group. Cookeville High Principal Wayne Shanks told the board that when the group came to the school office last fall to say they wanted to set up a table in the hallway to give out information, he was under the impression it would be about the Peace Corps. But later, someone brought some of the group's material to his attention, he said. "It looked controversial in a political way," Shanks said. "This was last fall when we were in a presidential election. Now, I encourage controversial issues discussions among students, but in the proper place." Shanks said he felt the material should first be approved and that the whole issue should be resolved by the school board before the group was allowed back into the school. The peace group then decided to appeal to the board and wrote Schools Director Martin defining their position and noting that they simply want to make sure that students have information other than that offered by military recruiters. At yesterday's board meeting, five persons addressed the board on the issue, all five favoring letting the peace group into the schools. Jennifer Schabert said, "I'm a parent with a student in that school, and I think it's crucial to let these groups have access. Lots of groups, including Republicans, Democrats, and military recruiters have this access, and those materials (of the peace group) were only on a table. They were not being handed out to students. "As for (reports that) someone objected to a quote from Dwight D. Eisenhower that was included (in the material), I'd like to ask just how much more American can you be? He was president and was a military general. "If you fail to allow these groups access to the schools, you're failing as educators because what they do is give students a chance to explore all avenues of service to the country." Jack Queen, a retired Army officer and member of Veterans for Peace, detailed his long military career, including some of the bloody scenes he saw in Vietnam, and said, "War is not all glory." "All we're asking is equal access," Queen said. Hector Black, a Quaker and also a veteran, said, "We don't have a problem with young people deciding to join the military -- if they are fully informed." He said his experience in World War II "led me to believe that war is no longer a way we should resolve differences." "I've thought a lot about what Jesus said about loving our enemies. And I think he meant exactly what he said. I think that if we always strike back in revenge, there's an endless cycle, and the way to stop that cycle of violence is the way that Dr. King did, the way that Jesus did. To say, 'The violence stops here.'" Diane Paul, noting her own father's long service in military combat and saying that "the military can be an honorable career," said, "Children in school are too young to decide whether to join the military." Paul spoke admiringly of Hector Black's long history of fighting peacefully for civil rights and other causes. "There is no person in this community I'd rather have my children to know than Hector Black, who himself was once jailed for (his stand on civil rights causes), and for whose freedom Dr. Martin Luther King himself demonstrated." Charlie Osborne, a U.S. Marines veteran, said the federal No Child Left Behind act "requires schools to give military recruiters information about the students." "I'm proud I served in the military, and I will say the military recruiters (in the schools) are doing their job, a good job," Osborne said. "But they are salesmen." Osborne went on to say, "Some say that for us to speak of peace is unpatriotic, but that doesn't make sense to me. Our president says we are a peaceful nation. Our group is just trying to help our children have all the information they can." Board chairman Walter Derryberry told the speakers, "We will take all this into consideration." Both Black and Queen said that they have been treated well by Schools Director Martin as they have tried to resolve the issue of gaining access to schools. Martin said, "We have first amendment and equal access issues, and maybe others in this, and I recommend that we refer it to the board attorney so he can study it and provide us with the parameters on all these issues." After the meeting, the Herald-Citizen asked Principal Shanks about reports that someone had complained to him about the written materials the peace group had brought into the school last fall. Shanks said he had received complaints about it from two students and one adult. The adult was a youth minister in a local church, he said. Asked if those who complained did so from the viewpoint of a particular political party, Shanks said he did not know anything about the political beliefs of the three. But when he looked at the material, he found it to be "of a political nature," he said, and he decided the whole issue should be brought to the school board. Published February 04, 2005 12:06 PM CST COPYRIGHT ® 2005 Herald-Citizen, a division of Cleveland Newspapers, Inc. All rights reserved. ____________________________________________________________ Again, please hold us all in the Light. Help us keep focus on eternal truths, deep love, and the path of the Spirit. Deanna ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _______________________________________________ Southern Appalachian Yearly Meeting and Association mailing list posting address: sayma at kitenet.net subscribe/unsubscribe: http://kitenet.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sayma -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From susan at read-the-bible.org Sun Feb 6 10:59:51 2005 From: susan at read-the-bible.org (Susan Jeffers) Date: Sun, 06 Feb 2005 09:59:51 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Cookeville School Board meeting Message-ID: <6.1.2.0.0.20050206095703.02b304c0@mail.read-the-bible.org> "But when he looked at the material, he found it to be "of a political nature," he said, and he decided the whole issue should be brought to the school board." Maybe I missed it here on the SAYMA list, but can anyone tell me specifics of what the material consisted of, and what might have been construed as "political"? Thanks from a lurker, Susan Jeffers ----------------------------------------------- EMail: susan at read-the-bible.org Peace Church Bible Study Home Page: www.read-the-bible.org From errol at kitenet.net Sun Feb 6 12:03:41 2005 From: errol at kitenet.net (Errol Hess) Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2005 11:03:41 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Correction to yearly meeting flyer Message-ID: <20050206110341.224e77cf.errol@kitenet.net> Friends, One correction needs made to the flier which was mailed out Friday: Thursday evening we will have a panel of SAYMA representatives to wider Quaker organizations. The following Friends have agreed to participate: Sally Prugh -- AFSC, Ginny Baumann --AFSC-SERO, Alice Wald -- QEW, Penelope Wright -- FGC, Gary Briggs -- FLGBTQC. Two others have been asked and haven't yet confirmed. From nc_stereoman at charter.net Sun Feb 6 15:04:36 2005 From: nc_stereoman at charter.net (Steve Livingston) Date: Sun, 06 Feb 2005 14:04:36 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Cookeville School Board meeting In-Reply-To: <6.1.2.0.0.20050206095703.02b304c0@mail.read-the-bible.org> Message-ID: <420623F4.31073.7036BE@localhost> Not answering for any Friend except myself; others may be moved to unite with my observation or offer other thoughts. I think our lurker friend asks a very appropriate question for all of us to hold in the Light whenever we are called upon to speak the truth of our Peace Testimony. The sitting President of our nation has defined Peace as a political issue by identifying himself as a "wartime President" and stating that "either you are with us or you are with the terrorists". Any attempt to dismiss Peace as a political issue is an exercise in futility; it was not up to us to create such a definition, and we are in no position to dispute it. However there is a difference between statements that can be construed as political and statements that can be construed as partisan, and this is the point upon which the situation actually turns, in my opinion. There is absolutely no reason for the school board to attempt to prohibit political discourse in the schools, in fact to do so would run counter to their mandate to educate our youth, and would be a most fundamental and egregious violation of the First Amendment to the Constitution. On the other hand, it is entirely reasonable for the school board to be concerned about disseminating materials of a partisan nature in the schools, and this is a point upon which we Friends would be led by our experience and our testimony of equality to concede. It then becomes incumbent upon all involved - including the military recruiters - to avoid any language that makes value judgments about political parties, rather than burdening the school with making value judgments about what constitutes a political statement. Steve On 6 Feb 2005 at 9:59, Susan Jeffers wrote: > "But when he looked at the material, he found it to be "of a political > nature," he said, and he decided the whole issue should be brought to > the school board." > > Maybe I missed it here on the SAYMA list, but can anyone tell me > specifics of what the material consisted of, and what might have been > construed as "political"? > > Thanks from a lurker, > > Susan Jeffers > > ----------------------------------------------- > EMail: susan at read-the-bible.org > Peace Church Bible Study Home Page: www.read-the-bible.org > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Southern Appalachian Yearly Meeting and Association mailing list > posting address: sayma at kitenet.net > subscribe/unsubscribe: > http://kitenet.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sayma > -- Steve Livingston nc_stereoman at charter.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From saferrell at wilkes.net Sun Feb 6 15:25:41 2005 From: saferrell at wilkes.net (Sally Ferrell) Date: Sun, 06 Feb 2005 14:25:41 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Re: Cookeville In-Reply-To: <420623F4.31073.7036BE@localhost> References: <6.1.2.0.0.20050206095703.02b304c0@mail.read-the-bible.org> <420623F4.31073.7036BE@localhost> Message-ID: <6.1.2.0.2.20050206142005.02d94120@pop3.norton.antivirus> yep. & I suspect the principal might have meant partisan (hopefully) & just been caught off guard & chosen the wrong word. >However there is a difference between statements that can be construed as >political and statements that can be construed as partisan, and this is >the point upon which the situation actually turns, in my opinion. There is >absolutely no reason for the school board to attempt to prohibit political >discourse in the schools, in fact to do so would run counter to their >mandate to educate our youth, and would be a most fundamental and >egregious violation of the First Amendment to the Constitution. We are thinking of going to the schools here ourselves, being inspired by the Cookesville example! If anyone on the list is from our area (Wilkes County NC) & would care to be involved, email me. We are particularly looking for young people & veterans to work with us (& the rest of you too!) Sally Ferrell Wilkes County Friends -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From reddeanna at charter.net Sun Feb 6 18:38:01 2005 From: reddeanna at charter.net (Red & Deanna) Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2005 16:38:01 -0600 Subject: Fw: [saymaListserv] Cookeville School Board meeting Message-ID: <002b01c50c9c$85699d90$a6149f18@D714S421> Hi to Susan and to all, I have a partial answer for you now. I think I can get the rest and be able to send the entire list late Monday evening. I've found the discussion on the words "political" and "partisan" to be very interesting. Peace, Deanna Deanna Nipp Cookeville Preparative Meeting ----- Original Message ----- From: "Susan Jeffers" To: Sent: Sunday, February 06, 2005 8:59 AM Subject: [saymaListserv] Cookeville School Board meeting > "But when he looked at the material, he found it to be "of a political > nature," he said, and he decided the whole issue should be brought to the > school board." > > Maybe I missed it here on the SAYMA list, but can anyone tell me specifics > of what the material consisted of, and what might have been construed as > "political"? > > Thanks from a lurker, > > Susan Jeffers > > ----------------------------------------------- > EMail: susan at read-the-bible.org > Peace Church Bible Study Home Page: www.read-the-bible.org > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Southern Appalachian Yearly Meeting and Association mailing list > posting address: sayma at kitenet.net > subscribe/unsubscribe: http://kitenet.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sayma From Rblissfam at cs.com Sun Feb 6 21:01:17 2005 From: Rblissfam at cs.com (Rblissfam at cs.com) Date: Sun, 06 Feb 2005 20:01:17 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Re: Cookeville Message-ID: <027563FA.57840A93.027DB407@cs.com> I did something like this many years ago. At that time, we got Peace Corps to send us a box of promotional material. Thus, you are showing a non-partisan other way to serve your country. Also Americorps would be good. Government service, no violence. Rachael Foxfire Sally Ferrell wrote: >yep.  & I suspect the principal might have meant partisan (hopefully) & >just been caught off guard & chosen the wrong word. > > >>However there is a difference between statements that can be construed as >>political and statements that can be construed as partisan, and this is >>the point upon which the situation actually turns, in my opinion. There is >>absolutely no reason for the school board to attempt to prohibit political >>discourse in the schools, in fact to do so would run counter to their >>mandate to educate our youth, and would be a most fundamental and >>egregious violation of the First Amendment to the Constitution. > >We are thinking of going to the schools here ourselves, being inspired by >the Cookesville example! >If anyone on the list is from our area (Wilkes County NC) & would care to >be involved, email me. >We are particularly looking for young people & veterans to work with us (& >the rest of you too!) > >Sally Ferrell >Wilkes County Friends > > From freepolazzo at comcast.net Mon Feb 7 14:23:49 2005 From: freepolazzo at comcast.net (free polazzo) Date: Mon, 07 Feb 2005 13:23:49 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Cookeville School Board meeting In-Reply-To: <420623F4.31073.7036BE@localhost> References: <6.1.2.0.0.20050206095703.02b304c0@mail.read-the-bible.org> <420623F4.31073.7036BE@localhost> Message-ID: <6.2.0.14.2.20050207131700.030f4970@mail.comcast.net> Dear Friends, Susan Sarandon was on CSPAN this AM and the question of people in Hollywood doing "political" stuff was raised. Her answer is worth posting: She said: Whenever you support the status quo, that is not considered political. When you support something that could change the status quo, that is considered political. Susan has done much work on ending the death penalty (even before "Dead Man Walking") and has had to deal with charges of doing "political" work and not minding her own business. Very astute answer, I thought. It seems that how the arguments are framed often determines who gets heard. Free >On 6 Feb 2005 at 9:59, Susan Jeffers wrote: > > "But when he looked at the material, he found it to be "of a political > > nature," he said, and he decided the whole issue should be brought to > > the school board." > > > > Maybe I missed it here on the SAYMA list, but can anyone tell me > > specifics of what the material consisted of, and what might have been > > construed as "political"? > > > > Thanks from a lurker, > > > > Susan Jeffers > > > > ----------------------------------------------- > > EMail: susan at read-the-bible.org > > Peace Church Bible Study Home Page: www.read-the-bible.org > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Southern Appalachian Yearly Meeting and Association mailing list > > posting address: sayma at kitenet.net > > subscribe/unsubscribe: > > http://kitenet.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sayma > > >-- >Steve Livingston >nc_stereoman at charter.net >_______________________________________________ >Southern Appalachian Yearly Meeting and Association mailing list >posting address: sayma at kitenet.net >subscribe/unsubscribe: http://kitenet.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sayma -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From bonnipeg at charter.net Tue Feb 8 00:19:34 2005 From: bonnipeg at charter.net (Peggy Bonnington) Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2005 22:19:34 -0600 Subject: [saymaListserv] news about latest CO's Message-ID: <00c601c50d95$6882add0$864a7044@default> Perhaps this is old / already been in your inbox stuff... But in case it's not, thought I should send it... Latest I've seen on conscientious objectors. peggy -----Original Message----- From: Debbie [mailto:buginthefire at bellsouth.net] Sent: Monday, February 07, 2005 6:30 PM To: Freeinthesouth at bellsouth.net Subject: >From MichaelMoore.com February 7th, 2005 2:49 pm Breaking Ranks to Shun War An Army sergeant who refuses to return to Iraq seeks a discharge as a conscientious objector. He may instead face a court-martial. By David Zucchino / Los Angeles Times HINESVILLE, Ga. - His sergeant called him a coward to his face. His chaplain sent him an e-mail saying he was ashamed of him. His commanders had him formally charged with desertion. Sgt. Kevin Benderman, who has served one tour of duty in Iraq, is refusing to serve another. When his fellow soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division packed their gear and left nearby Ft. Stewart for Iraq last week, Benderman stayed home. He says he has chosen to follow his conscience - not his commanders. After 10 years in the Army, Benderman has applied for a discharge as a conscientious objector - a heresy to many in the military at a time when the country is fighting two wars overseas. Today, Benderman, 40, will attend a military court hearing at Ft. Stewart that will determine whether he will face a court-martial for desertion and failure to report for a unit deployment. He could face up to seven years in prison if convicted. "War is the greatest form of wrong," Benderman wrote in his seven-page conscientious objector application. "I believe that my moral obligation to humanity is to not allow myself to be a part of this destruction." In the six months he spent in combat in Iraq in 2003, Benderman said, he was badly shaken by what he witnessed. He saw a young Iraqi girl with her arm horribly burned and blackened, standing helplessly on a roadside as Benderman's convoy rushed past. He saw dogs feasting on civilian corpses that had been dumped into pits. He saw young U.S. soldiers treat war like a video game, he said, with few qualms about killing or the effects of the invasion on ordinary Iraqis. Benderman said he begged an officer to stop and help the girl, but was told that the unit couldn't spare its limited medical supplies. "I had to look at that little girl, look into her eyes, and in her eyes I saw the TRUTH. I cannot kill," Benderman wrote in his application. Only a handful of conscientious objector applications have been filed during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which are being fought by professional soldiers, not draftees. Vietnam, a war that bitterly divided the U.S., produced 172,000 conscientious objector applications from draftees and 17,000 from active-duty soldiers. For the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, applications increased from 23 in 2002 to 60 in 2003 and 67 last year, according to Pentagon figures. Of those applications, 71 - almost half - have been approved. Unlike Benderman, few applicants have spoken publicly about their beliefs. After seeing the civilian corpses, Benderman said, he made a point of befriending ordinary Iraqis, only to be warned by officers not to fraternize with "the enemy." He had long talks with an English-speaking schoolteacher. He began reading the Koran and realized that the religious and moral values of most Iraqis were similar to his. Everything he had been told about the rationale for the U.S. invasion, he said, seemed misguided and destructive. Benderman said he now believed the war in Iraq - and all wars - were immoral. His conscience would no longer allow him to fight or kill, he said, even if that made him a pariah. "War robs you of your humanity. It makes people do terrible things they would otherwise never do," Benderman said in the living room of his home in Hinesville, his wife, Monica, by his side and his dog, Carl, at his feet. When Benderman returned from Iraq to Ft. Stewart a year ago, he began studying the works of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. He engaged in long discussions with his wife. He weighed his options before deciding to file his application Dec. 28. Benderman said his military superiors tried to shame him and talk him out of it. But he said he was willing to endure the contempt of his peers, and even go to prison. "I'm not going to run from my convictions," he said. "I believe what I'm doing is the right thing, whatever the consequences." Monica Benderman, whose essay on a faith-based pacifist website about the immorality of war helped crystallize her husband's views, said she was proud of him. Many soldiers and their families have told the couple they share their opposition to war, she said, but were afraid to speak up for fear of being ostracized. Several Vietnam veterans have stepped forward to support them. "We believe in speaking the truth. You put forward the truth and the right things will happen," she said. The couple said they have received e-mails and letters of support from people around the world, including Iraqis, Guatemalans and Germans. They have also received e-mails and phone calls branding them cowards and traitors. "All because a man has chosen to speak out against war and violence, and his wife has chosen to stand with him," Monica wrote in her essay, "Catching Flack - A Military Wife Speaks." Kevin Benderman looks and talks like a soldier. Tall and solidly built, with close-cropped brown hair, he speaks with a Southern drawl in the jargon-laden argot of a career soldier. His father served in World War II, his grandfather in World War I. Members of his family served on both sides in the Civil War, and one ancestor, William Benderman, fought in the American Revolution, Benderman said. Raised in a Southern Baptist family in Alabama and Tennessee, Benderman grew up wanting to be a pro football player, not a soldier. At age 22, Benderman decided he wanted to follow family tradition and join the Army. He served four years, then worked laying hardwood and tile flooring. In June 2000, feeling patriotic, he decided to reenlist. "I signed up to serve my country," he said. "I felt I had a commitment to fulfill." He was a Bradley fighting vehicle mechanic with the 4th Infantry Division in Iraq. Benderman said his father, Guy, who died in 2001, had discouraged him from joining the military. He believes his father would have supported his decision to seek objector status. While his application works its way through the military, Benderman has been assigned to the 3rd Infantry's rear detachment at Ft. Stewart, a few miles from his home. He reports daily for 6:30 a.m. physical fitness training, then spends his days supervising soldiers held back from deployment to Iraq for medical reasons or family emergencies. "There are no restrictions on him," said a base spokesman, Lt. Col. Robert Whetstone. Filing for conscientious objector status is a long and arduous process. Benderman has been required to meet with a chaplain and psychologist and write essays detailing his moral and religious beliefs. His chaplain did not respond to phone messages or e-mails, Benderman said, and refused to talk to him when Benderman went to see him at Ft. Stewart. After the chaplain had reached Kuwait en route to Iraq with other soldiers from the division, Benderman said, he sent him an e-mail: "You should be ashamed of the way you have conducted yourself. I am certainly ashamed of you." Benderman later met with another chaplain, who wrote a letter saying, "Sgt. Benderman is sincere in his moral and ethical beliefs.. His beliefs are deeply held to the point where he has no choice but to act in accord with them." Benderman also met with a military psychologist, who filled out a one-page assessment saying he exhibited no mental health problems. His commanding officer filed a one-page form in which he recommended that the objector application be rejected, then told him, "You're on your own," Benderman said. The final decision on Benderman's application will be made by the Army Conscientious Objector Review Board, made up of three officers, including a chaplain. A Pentagon spokeswoman said the burden of proof was on applicants, who must convince the board of their moral and religious objections to war. Like all new recruits, Benderman signed a statement saying he was not a conscientious objector. However, the military accepts applications made by soldiers who, like Benderman, say their beliefs have changed during their service. Conscientious objection is a long-standing principle in America. As early as 1673, Rhode Island provided alternative militia service for conscientious objectors. In 1701, Pennsylvania under William Penn provided that anyone with a proven conscientious objection to war "shall not be in any case be molested or prejudiced." During the first federal conscription, in the Civil War, about 1,200 conscientious objectors were allowed to perform alternative service for the Union. The Confederacy exempted certain members of pacifist churches. During World War I, local draft boards granted conscientious objector status to 22,000 draftees. In World War II, about 25,000 men were granted objector status and assigned to noncombatant duty. Alternative service was provided for people who opposed war "by reason of religious training and belief." Benderman said several soldiers who served with him in Iraq shared his views. Two members of his battalion attempted suicide after being ordered to return to Iraq, he said, and several more have gone AWOL to avoid deployment. A specialist from the division has been charged with having a friend shoot him in the leg as part of a staged armed robbery in an attempt to avoid returning to Iraq. Antiwar groups that offer counseling to soldiers say opposition to the Iraq war among soldiers is higher than the Pentagon acknowledges. The GI Rights Hotline, run by a consortium of antiwar groups, received 32,000 calls last year, many from soldiers who have gone AWOL or complained of psychological or emotional problems after serving in combat. About 15% of the calls were from soldiers considering conscientious objector applications, said Steve Morse of the Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors. "Soldiers are finding that the military is much different from the way it's sold to them by recruiters," Morse said. "When they get into combat, it's suddenly not a video game. It's no longer abstract." Benderman says his training did not prepare him for the brutality and often indiscriminate slaughter he witnessed. "You can train all you want and watch training videos, but you can't possibly know what combat is like until you experience it," he said. "You can't burn a little girl's arm off in training, or have dogs eat human remains, or have soldiers actually shoot and kill real people." Young men who had never experienced combat were eager to fight in Iraq, he said, but were overwhelmed once they had to kill the enemy or watch their friends die or suffer grievous wounds. Benderman said he saw 19- and 20-year-old soldiers hardened by killing. While under enemy fire, he said, one young soldier leaped up and began videotaping incoming rounds. Monica Benderman said she sensed her husband's view of war evolving in the letters and e-mails he sent from Iraq. He asked her to mail him small gifts to hand out to Iraqis, and told her he had come to realize how destructive the invasion had been for civilians. Benderman said he believed he would prevail at today's hearing, and insisted that he had not deserted his unit. "I didn't go anywhere. I didn't run to Canada," he said. "I'm still right here." If his application is denied and he is ordered back to Iraq, he said, he would refuse to go. He has turned a corner, he said, and he will not turn back. "I've already refused once," he said. "I will not change my mind, no matter what." -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From GlennReinhart at aol.com Mon Feb 7 19:15:03 2005 From: GlennReinhart at aol.com (GlennReinhart at aol.com) Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2005 18:15:03 EST Subject: [saymaListserv] Quakers in the News - week ending 2/5/05 Message-ID: <1e0.352808be.2f395077@aol.com> If a Friend has not received QiN who would like to in the past, please return a request to glennreinhart at aol.com with your 1. Yearly Meeting - 2. or state - 3. or country - This posting contains hyperlinks, and I'm not sure if these will come through on the listserv. Blessings, Glenn Quakers in the News - 1st Week 2nd Month, 2005 Article Summary 1. US soldiers opposed to Iraq war seek refuge in Canada Kansas City Star (subscription) - Kansas City, MO,USA San Luis Obispo Tribune, CA - Jan 31, 2005 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, GA - Jan 31, 2005 Kentucky.com, KY - Jan 31, 2005 Grand Forks Herald, ND - Jan 31, 2005 The State, SC - Jan 31, 2005 Kansas.com, KS - Jan 31, 2005 Philadelphia Daily News (subscription), PA - Jan 31, 2005 Fort Wayne News Sentinel, IN - Jan 31, 2005 Fort Worth Star Telegram (subscription), TX - Jan 31, 2005 ... After the United States invaded Iraq, the couple, who sporadically studied Buddhism and attended Quaker meetings, began considering their options, knowing ... http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/world/10778332.htm 2. Civil groups work to prevent conflict Daily Star - Beirut, Lebanon ... Conflict," was organized by the European Center for Conflict Prevention in cooperation with the Permanent Peace Movement (PPM) and the Quaker Service-America http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2& amp;article_id=12308 3. "W" Stands for Withdrawal CounterPunch - Petrolia,CA,USA ... Daniel Smith, a West Point graduate and Vietnam veteran, is Senior Fellow on Military Affairs at the Friends Committee on National Legislation, a Quaker lobby ... http://www.counterpunch.org/smith02012005.html 4. Nuclear weapons to be speaker's topic tonight Portsmouth Herald News - Portsmouth,NH,USA ... Gerson is the director of Programs of the American Friends Service Committee in New England and an author. Dr. Gerson's talk is free and open to the public. ... http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/02012005/news/62071.htm 5. School restricts peace groups' visits Knoxville News Sentinel (subscription) - Knoxville,TN,USA The Tennessean, TN - Feb 2, 2005 (Associated Press Wire Story) WVLT, TN - Feb 1, 2005 NASHVILLE - A Cookeville High School administrator said Veterans for Peace and a Quaker group can't come back into his school with materials considered "anti-American" ... http://www.tennessean.com/education/archives/05/01/65061319.shtml?Element_ID=65061319 6. Marines, not Quakers, are the answer Letter to the Editor Article published on Friday, January 28th, 2005 Kodiak Daily Mirror - Kodiak, AK, USA http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=1027 7. Trantino was wrong choice for panel NorthJersey.com - Hackensack, NJ, USA... The Quaker-run counseling program for ex-offenders that hired the infamous cop-killer after his release three years ago - and put him on? http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2OTEmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTY2NDQ3NjUmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk5 8. A vision of religion - The former head of George Fox College discusses his motivation and beliefs A vision of religion The former head of George Fox College ... OregonLive.com - Portland, OR, USA ... of what was then George Fox College, said the Englishman who founded the Society of Friends is worth ... There are four emphases the Friends had and still have. .. http://www.oregonlive.com/metrosouthwest/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/metro_southwest_news/1106571437177530.xml 9. Quaker Organization Nominates Hiroshima Survivors for Nobel Peace ... Common Dreams - USA Religion News Service (press release) - Feb 1, 2005 ... In 1947, AFSC and the British Friends Service Council accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the Religious Society of Friends for humanitarian service . http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/news_syndication/article_05021atomic.shtml 10. Interfaith tribute to King, Gandhi will advocate nonviolence Salt Lake Tribune - Salt Lake City,UT,USA ... Marks School; Michael Styles, Utah Martin Luther King Commission; Indra Neelameggham, Hindu Temple; Diana Lee Hirschi, Quaker, Circle Dynamics; and the Islamic ... http://www.sltrib.com/faith/ci_2543460 11. Trantino's participation in panel defended Cherry Hill Courier Post - Cherry Hill,NJ,USA In the face of criticism from the law-enforcement community, a Rutgers-Camden professor and a Quaker group on Wednesday stood by their decision to present ... http://www.courierpostonline.com/news/southjersey/m020305s.htm 12. One man's mission to bring relief to cut-off villages Christian Science Monitor - USA - February 4, 2005 ... simple, he says. He is inspired by his family's Quaker roots and his father's example of doing right by others. "The Quakers' real ... http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0204/p01s01-woap.html 13. Other charities adjust to flood of giving for tsunami relief (Friends Disaster Service) (Associated Press Wire Story) Dateline Alabama, AL - USA - February 4, 2005 Worcester Telegram (subscription), MA - USA - February 4, 2005 ... "People only have so much money that they can give," said Coordinator Dean Johnson of Ohio-based Friends Disaster Service. The small group, a domestic program of the Quaker religious denomination, is helping to rebuild homes from hurricane flooding in Florida and Ohio. http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050203/APN/502030977 14. The Pacifists Missoula Independent, MT - USA ... "And there was a Quaker boy who wrote to the Forest Service in Missoula and said, 'How about giving conscientious objectors a chance to become smokejumpers ... http://www.missoulanews.com/News/News.asp?no=4647 15. Still family's chronicle lives again Cherry Hill Courier Post, NJ - February 3, 2005 ... He later moved to Philadelphia, and through his chairmanship of the Quaker-influenced Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society, became the chief "conductor" of the... http://www.courierpostonline.com/news/southjersey/m020305p.htm 16. NGOs Urge UN to Fight Bias Against All Faiths Reuters - Feb 1, 2005 Ha'aretz, Israel - Feb 1, 2005 "It's not that we're not concerned about religious discrimination against certain groups -- on the contrary, we are very concerned," said Rachel Brett of the Quaker United Nations Office in Geneva. "But we're equally concerned about everyone." http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews& storyID=7497631 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From freepolazzo at comcast.net Tue Feb 8 22:47:53 2005 From: freepolazzo at comcast.net (free polazzo) Date: Tue, 08 Feb 2005 21:47:53 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Elaine Pagels to speak in Phladelphia Message-ID: <6.2.0.14.2.20050208214641.0310f158@mail.comcast.net> > > >The similarity, for some of us, between gnosticism and Quakerism is enough >to inspire us to get Elaine Pagels to speak to Friends at Arch Street >Meetinghouse on May 21st, 2005. > >Quaker Universalist Fellowship is one of the sponsors as is the Standing >Committee on Worship & Care of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting and its working >group of three of which I am one. There will be her lecture in the morning >followed by an hour of answering questions written by the audience. In the >afternoon there will be two time slots for having discussion groups having >an opportunity to talk together on various aspects which she has brought up >in the am. The meetinghouse can hold 900 and to date we have over 400 >tickets sold. There are Friends coming to this event from Ontario, ME, MA, >CT, RI, NY, VA , TN & FL as well as the three neighboing states of DE, MD >& NJ. > >If you are interested, email me and I shall send you full particulars - I >am the sole purveyer of tickets. > >In Friendship, >Sally Rickerman >sshhrr at earthlink.net > From susan at read-the-bible.org Wed Feb 9 11:57:51 2005 From: susan at read-the-bible.org (Susan Jeffers) Date: Wed, 09 Feb 2005 10:57:51 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Re: Cookeville School Board meeting Message-ID: <6.1.2.0.0.20050209102802.02b2ce00@mail.read-the-bible.org> "But when he looked at the material, he found it to be "of a political nature," he said, and he decided the whole issue should be brought to the school board." Well, whether he meant "political" or "partisan," does anyone have any idea what material he was referring to? If he did mean "partisan," what was there that could be construed as partisan? Several posts indicated that "partisan" was meant, rather than "political" - as if that would make the remark understandable - but someone else wrote "it is entirely reasonable for the school board to be concerned about disseminating materials of a partisan nature in the schools... It then becomes incumbent upon all involved - including the military recruiters - to avoid any language that makes value judgments about political parties...." So - were the materials on display partisan, and in what respect? One reason I ask is that Friends' traditional peace testimony against all outward war has gotten pretty well hidden amidst all the criticism of this particular war and this particular U.S. president. And I would think the good alternatives to military service for poor and working-class youth ought to be able to be presented in both non-partisan and non-political terms.... Thanks from your faithful lurker, Susan Jeffers ----------------------------------------------- EMail: susan at read-the-bible.org Peace Church Bible Study Home Page: www.read-the-bible.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From perryt at bellsouth.net Wed Feb 9 14:23:44 2005 From: perryt at bellsouth.net (Perry Treadwell) Date: Wed, 09 Feb 2005 13:23:44 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] [Fwd: Book Musings from Lucy] Message-ID: <420A5530.2050503@bellsouth.net> Dear Friends, The experience that led me to Friends was a deeply healing experience of the divine. After a time of deep sorrow in which I felt as though my spirit was no bigger than a pea and buried deep inside my body, I was driving to work through the flaxen-colored east Bay hills. When I reached the crest of a hill I was greeted by the red-orange light of dawn. In that moment, I felt as though my limbs were filling with the warm energy of the Spirit, I had a deep sense of well-being and knew that I was being held by God. I had known Friends and read some Quaker writings and immediately identified this experience with Quakers. When I began attending meeting for worship I found the kind of focused attentiveness to the Spirit that helped me maintain the connection that I discovered that day. I spoke recently with a f/Friend seeking resources to help her new meeting's worship become more grounded and centered. She was surprised that Friends would frequently stand during worship and give announcements, that sometimes Friends would spend the entire hour reading and that often vocal ministry was more like a conversation than an upwelling of the Spirit. With the worship and ministry committee, she is seeking ways to lovingly nurture a deeper experience in meeting for worship and asked what print resources I would recommend. She wanted pamphlets that could be distributed to the whole ministry and worship committee and, perhaps, to an adult religious education class and that could be read in one sitting, but give a vision of a meeting gathered by the holy Spirit. Her hope is that when visitors come to her meeting they will feel the power of the living presence there, as I did when I first attended meeting. The first book I thought of was Marcelle Martin's pamphlet INVITATION TO A DEEPER COMMUNION . She explores early Friends' experiences of sloughing off the busyness of mind and getting to a place of emptiness in which they can receive God. She then describes her own spiritual journey and transformative mystical experiences she has had in and out of meeting for worship. Out of these experiences arose a strong leading for her to help Friends experience covered meetings as she has. She then describes the gathered meetings she and others have had experimenting with extended worship with a strong intention to gather the spirit. This is a deeply felt exploration into the mystery of entering into a divine connection in the context of meeting for worship. I would commend it to every attender and member as a tool for sharing a vision of what meeting for worship can be. Another book, more on the practical side, that I immediately thought of was THE QUALITY AND DEPTH OF WORSHIP AND MINISTRY put together by the Britain Yearly Meeting's Committee on Eldership and Oversight. This book brings together many meetings' experiences of transforming worship and ministry and offers these experiences as advices and queries for group reflection. This is an excellent resource for adult religious education and for engaging the entire meeting in a dialogue about what constitutes a grounded meeting for worship. Another pamphlet that is a classic resource and often handed to newcomers to meeting for worship is Bill Taber's FOUR DOORS TO MEETING FOR WORSHIP . He offers tools for entering worship and preparing for worship to readily access the inward presence. The first door is 'the door before' or "those moments when we find ourselves in a worshipful state of mind at any time during the week." He suggests taking time out for spiritual retirement or refreshment during the week so as to foster the divine connection. He speaks of many small moments throughout one's day that can be used for worship. The second door is the 'door inward' in which the attender intentionally transitions into meeting for worship. The third door is 'the door within' which is the moment when the meeting body enters into the living presence together; the author describes many possible experiences of worship once the center of worship is reached such as experiences of healing, of perceiving another attender quite differently, or exploring memories from a more conscious perspective. In this section he also explores the process of discerning when a message is intended for the whole community. The fourth door, 'the door beyond,' is the passage from meeting for worship into daily life, entering that 'normal' life with renewed energy and vision. This pamphlet offers very clear advice on entering and preparing for worship and fully answers the question that many new attenders have, "What's going on in there?" A longer and older book that emphasizes the experience of 'qualification' which transforms vocal ministry from an outpouring of the ego or will into an outward expression of the spirit is Samuel Bownas' A DESCRIPTION OF THE QUALIFICATIONS NECESSARY TO A GOSPEL MINISTER . Friends seeking to nurture and deepen ministry in their meetings will find remarkably clear, specific and relevant guidance in this classic work. "Qualification, as this eighteenth century Friend uses the word, implies that one has gone through a process of personal transformation which reorients the ego, the will, and the attention so that one can be trusted purely to receive and purely to give forth an inspired message" (William Taber, from the Introduction). Bownas offers advice on 'qualifying' vocal ministry and other forms of ministry. A careful reading of the book can help Friends learn to discern the difference between the ego and Divine will. For deeper exploration into the spiritual roots of vocal ministry, I heartily recommend this small, unassuming book. A couple years ago a Friend and I experimented with planning a junior meeting for worship with young people at Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting. We brought together young people and gave them the goal of helping those that attended our semi-programmed worship experiences to have encounters with the divine or numinous. We had a lively discussion of what that might feel like and one participant said that one time she often felt centered was right after she cleaned her room (an excellent suggestion for preparing for worship! I thought). In any case the young people planned worship experiences several times and learned quite a bit (I think) about what would help a roomful of people center and enter worship together. One resource we all relied on heavily was OPENING DOORS TO QUAKER WORSHIP created by the Religious Education Committee of FGC. In it are numerous centering techniques and suggestions for inviting young people (and adults!) into rich worship experiences. A few of my favorites were guided mediations, watching dispersed sand settle in a jar, intentional listening, blessing one another, holding each person in the Light in turn, and centering with song. Opening Doors to Quaker Worship offers many invitations and tools for entering and extending worship for children and adults. All of these books are excellent tools for helping individuals and groups enter into and deepen their worship experiences. I feel so strongly about the importance of these titles that we will offer any title mentioned in this bulletin at a 10% discount through next Tuesday, February 15th. There's no need to put a special code anywhere, just order any of these books in the next week and we'll automatically apply the discount. May your winter days be filled with the glimmer of divine Light. In the Spirit, Lucy Lucy Duncan, QuakerBooks of FGC 1216 Arch St., Ste 2B, Philadelphia, PA 19107. Toll-free: 800-966-4556. PS: if you'd like to read this letter online, go to our Bookstore Specials page === UN-SUBSCRIBING: We send out infrequent e-mails about books we think Friends might be interested in. If you'd rather not get these, just let us know. You can reply to this email or give us a call at 800-966-4556 and we'll be happy to take you off the email list. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From glenn.reinhart at earthlink.net Fri Feb 11 05:02:32 2005 From: glenn.reinhart at earthlink.net (G.L. Reinhart) Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2005 01:02:32 -0800 Subject: [saymaListserv] Quakers in the News - 02-11-2005 Message-ID: <420C74A8.DE2A218F@earthlink.net> Quakers in the News - 021105 Article Summaries 1. Friendster commodifies notion of "friend" Chicago Maroon - Chicago, IL, USA - February 4, 2005 .... For that matter, the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers -with all due respect to their sect-have turned the word into a proper name. Surely, not all Friends are friends. http://maroon.uchicago.edu/viewpoints/articles/2005/02/03/friendster_commodifi.php 2. 64 days represent essence of Gandhi, Martin Luther King Nevada City Union - Grass Valley/Nevada City, CA, USA - February 4, 2005 ... for Living Compassion, Nonviolent Communication, Nevada City United Methodist Church, Peace Center of Nevada County, Quakers/Society of Friends, Sierra Center ... http://www.theunion.com/article/20050204/NEWS/102040127 3. Black History Month Freedom Train: The Story of the Underground ... Revolutionary Worker Online - Chicago, IL, USA - February 7, 2005 ..The Quaker family of Levi and Catherine Coffin of Newport, Indiana were outstanding examples of such early "stationmasters." Levi Coffin was a prominent banker with the money to maintain a spacious home--that after 1826 operated as a secret "Grand Central" of the railroad. Over 20 years, 2,000 slaves stopped there for food, medical attention, clothing and shelter… http://rwor.org/a/1267/underground-railroad.htm 4. Peace dialogue subject of class Berkshire Eagle - Pittsfield, MA, USA - Tuesday, February 08, 2005 ... BARRINGTON -- A three-hour experiential workshop in compassionate communication is being offered on Thursday from 6:30 to 9:30 at the Quaker Meetinghouse on ... http://www.berkshireeagle.com/Stories/0,1413,101~23899~2698774,00.html# 5. EU torn 'twixt profit, principle on China arms ban Asia Times Online - Hong Kong - Feb 9, 2005 ... available. He is a retired US Army colonel and a senior fellow on military affairs at the Friends Committee on National Legislation. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/GB09Ad02.html 6. Prop. 200 foes not giving up KMSB - Tucson, AZ, USA - February 8, 2005 ... Among the groups continuing the battle against the proposition are the American Friends Service Committee, the League of Women Voters, Los Adelitas and the ... http://www.fox11az.com/news/state/stories/KMSB-20050208-dsbp-voters.8a61f6a6.html 7. Four Centuries and a Cloud of Dust The New York Times - New York, NY, USA - February 6, 2005 … Philadelphia was the Quaker colony, the seat of tolerance and equality, heterogeneous in the extreme, closer to the democratic ideal. Money went further in that colony than did authority. In the words of one 18th-century immigrant, "Pennsylvania is heaven for farmers, paradise for artisans and hell for officials and preachers." Even from a distance the regional differences stood out in high relief. To the European mind, New England was a benighted backwater in which good Quakers were persecuted. Philadelphia was a utopia on earth. … http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/06/opinion/06schiff.html 8. - By Peter Bunting, Quaker (a Christian denomination) Jackson Amador Ledger-Dispatch - Jackson, CA, USA - February 9, 2005 I am one of the people who has watched the exchange over our being a Christian country and I am left with a question. Which Christian religion are we? ... http://www.ledger-dispatch.com/opinion/opinionview.asp?c=143703 9. Many seeking US asylum meet abuse, report finds Newark Star Ledger - Newark, NJ, USA - February 9, 2005 ... "It's about time," said Will Coley, director of the asylum project at the American Friends Service Committee, a Newark-based organization that assists ... http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-20/1107929801199410.xml 10. The New Battle for Jerusalem Middle East Forum - Philadelphia, PA, USA - February 9, 2005 ... The existence of borders in one of the central indicia of statehood. Without borders, there is no control over commerce, taxation, or aspects of a national economy. Further, if Jerusalem has no border or perimeter control, it cannot protect against ingress or egress of persons or criminals (including terrorists). As even the American Friends Service Committee (no friends of Israel) has recognized, under such solutions, "anyone entering Jerusalem from either country would be free to cross Jerusalem to the other country." Put more bluntly, a porous Jerusalem permits the Palestinians to accomplish the right of return without bothering with negotiations.... http://www.meforum.org/article/204 11. White House Official, Some Advocates for Poor, Differ on Bush ... Beliefnet.com - New York, NY, USA - February 9, 2005 ... The American Friends Service Committee, a Philadelphia-based Quaker organization, has launched a "Save Our Services (SOS!) Campaign" to counter some of the proposed cuts in federal programs. "As people of conscience, we cannot accept a budget that changes the rules governing Social Security, the tax code, and eligibility for basic services in ways that increase inequality and poverty," said Roberta Spivek, director of the campaign, in a statement…. http://www.beliefnet.com/story/160/story_16070_1.html 12. Inventor of copier, Clevelander among hall of fame inductees Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH - February 10, 2005 ... A Quaker, he refused to work on any defense-related projects. "Follow your bliss," he advises young people who might want to follow in his footsteps. ... http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/summit/1108031640222040.xml -- "Truth often suffers more by the heat of its defenders, than from the arguments of its opposers." - William Penn Glenn L. Reinhart Tel 212 255 8254 glenn.reinhart at earthlink.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From reddeanna at charter.net Fri Feb 11 19:06:28 2005 From: reddeanna at charter.net (Red & Deanna) Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2005 17:06:28 -0600 Subject: [saymaListserv] Cookeville materials Message-ID: <004901c5108e$52175b30$a6149f18@D714S421> Dear Friends, I made a commitment earlier in the week to post materials objectionable at Cookeville High School to the SAYMA list late Monday evening. So first, my apologies for not keeping that commitment. That night I couldn't get a connection to my e-mail service. Since then, my schedule has been full. A packet of materials was handed to me on Monday by one of the Veterans for Peace under the message, "The following materials were brought to the office on the day they were handed out in the commons area." "The Office" means the high school office and "the commons area" is the area where the Veterans for Peace/Cookeville Friends table was, along with others. The message did not specify exactly which were the objectionable materials. 1. Do You Know Enough to Enlist? From AFSC's Youth and Militarism Program. www.afsc.org/youthmil/Default.htm From the menu on the left, choose "Resource List." Under "Do You Know Enough to Enlist?" click on "Download PDF Brochure." 2. Veterans for Peace Iraq Water Project. From Veterans for Peace. www.iraqwaterproject.org In the menu on the left, select "What's New?" Then select "latest brochure, Nov. 2003." You can verify you are at the right place by the caption under the two pictures in the upper right hand corner. It says "Typical reconstruction of an Iraqi water plant." 3. A hand-out which said: _______________________________________________________________ "THE ARMY THAT CAN DEFEAT TERRORISM doesn't drive Humvees, or call in airstrikes. It doesn't have a high command, or high security, or a high budget. THE ARMY THAT CAN DEFEAT TERRORISM does battle quietly, clearing minefields and vaccinating children. It undermines military dictatorships and military libbyists. It subverts sweatshops and special interests. Where people feel powerless, it helps them organize for change, and where people are powerful, it reminds them of their responsibility." Author Unknown "Our enemies are not people...They are desperation, poverty and humiliation." General George C. Marshall, architect of the plan to rebuild Europe after WW2, was last to be falsely accused of being a communist. This accusation brought McCarthyism to an end. Veterans For Peace chapter 89 Nashville www.veteransforpeace.org __________________________________________________________________________ 4. A hand-out which said: _______________________________________________________________________ Alternatives to Military Enlistment American Friends Service Committee Youth & Militarism Program www.afsc.org/youthmil.htm Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors www.objector.org Committee Opposed to Militarism and the Draft www.comdsd.org Nonmilitary Options for Youth www.progressiveaustin.org/nmofy Project on Youth and Non-Military Opportunities (Project YANO) www.projectyano.org Cookeville Preparative Meeting Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) www.cookevillequakers.org You are welcome to join us for worship, Sundays, 10:00 AM, Lower Level of Wesley Center, 271 E. Ninth Street, Cookeville, TN. August 29, 2004 __________________________________________________________________________ I am the one who put the name of the Friends meeting on the fourth hand out. (I tend to look for who published something as part of evaluating it.) Since then it has been pointed out to me that distributing this COULD be interpreted as violation of separation of church and state. That will be removed and we'll let the Web sites stand for themselves. Again, I ask that you hold us all, everybody involved, in the Light. Deanna Deanna Nipp Cookeville Preparative Meeting -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From guershea at hiwaay.net Fri Feb 11 20:42:36 2005 From: guershea at hiwaay.net (JGuerry-CShea) Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2005 18:42:36 -0600 Subject: [saymaListserv] Environmental workshop for students in the SE - Feb. 17-20 In-Reply-To: <004901c5108e$52175b30$a6149f18@D714S421> Message-ID: <200502120042.j1C0gZ0U1136089@bee.hiwaay.net> SAYMA, This message was sent to the Huntsville Area Friends Meeting by one of our attenders who is deeply involved with "Wild South" (see URL below), an environmental organization headquartered here in North Alabama. I copy Janice's message without edit. _______________________________________________________________ Wild Southerners, This just came to our attention. Please pass along to students in the Southeast who may be interested. Thanks! Wild South P. O. Box 117 Moulton, Alabama 35650 janice at wildsouth.org www.wildsouth.org 256-974-6166 HELP BUILD ENERGY ACTIVISM IN THE SOUTHEAST!! HELP CREATE A CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE!! ********2005 Southeast Student Renewable Energy Conference!!******** http://energyconference.utk.edu If you would like to learn more about the renewable energy movement in the Southeast or are interested in starting a renewable energy campaign at your school, now is your chance. During three days of intense, inspiring and fun workshops, students will have the opportunity to: . Engage experts from the renewable energy industry, advocacy organizations and academia. (See listing below) . Hear great speakers such as Woody Harrelson and Dr. Christian Turner the UK Embassy's First Secretary on Energy and the Environment!!! . Learn from the experiences of students who have already organized successful green energy campaigns at other universities. . Take an inspiring trip to the largest windfarm in the Southeast, Buffalo Mountain. . Return home with the experiences, knowledge and networking necessary to organize green energy campaigns at their own universities! WHEN: February 17-20, 2005 WHERE: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. PRESENTERS INCLUDE REPRESENTATIVES FROM: Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Appalachian Voices, Coal River Mountain Watch, Sierra Club, Katuah Earth First!, Physicians for Social Responsibility, American Lung Association, US Climate Action Network, Duke University, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Knoxville's local US Green Building Council chapter, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tulane University, Center for Resource Solutions, Tennessee Valley Infrastructure Group Inc., Appalachian State University, Million Solar Roofs, Florida Solar Energy Center, North Carolina Solar Center, Department of Energy, Colorado State University, State Public Research Interest Group, Energy Action, Knoxville Transportation Planning Organization, East Tennessee Clean Fuels Coalition, And More!!!! HOW MUCH: The $35 registration fee covers food, housing and all three days' activities. If travel or registration is a problem, please contact nick at cleanenergy.org, he will help you GET HERE! Attention Florida Students: We are currently working on a Charter Bus coming from Orlando Florida, we need SGA and organizational club sponsorship to get FL students to TN. PLEASE inquire at: nick at cleanenergy.org To register and for all of the other details; including FAQs, forums, ride board and contact information, go to: http://energyconference.utk.edu. < http://energyconference.utk.edu> HOSTED BY: UT-Knoxville's Students Promoting Environmental Action in Knoxville (SPEAK) and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) PLEASE FORWARD far and wide!! ============================================================================ ================ Looking for more details? Read on! ============================================================================ ================ More info/register online: http://energyconference.utk.edu The 2nd Annual Southeast Student Renewable Energy Conference!! February 17th-20th 2005 University of Tennessee, Knoxville Tennessee Questions?? Check out our FAQ http://energyconference.utk.edu/faq.html or email: energycon at utk.edu If you would like to learn more about the renewable energy movement in the Southeast or are interested in starting a renewable energy campaign at your school, now is your chance to.... SEE GREAT SPEAKERS & PRESENTATIONS: Thursday Evening February 17th - Viewing of GO FURTHER - a new documentary ........ "Go Further", the new film by award-winning documentary filmmaker Ron Mann, explores the idea that the single individual is the key to large-scale transformational change. The film follows actor Woody Harrelson as he takes a small group of friends on a bio-fuelled bus-ride down the Pacific Coast Highway. Their goal? To show the people they encounter that there are viable alternatives to our habitual, environmentally destructive behaviors. Friday February 18th - Visit the Buffalo Mountain Wind Turbines! Tour the Southeast's first commercial Wind Farm; 27 MW of Clean Green Renewable Energy! United Kingdom First Secretary, Dr. Christian Turner Listen to the UK Embassy's First Secretary on Energy and the Environment speak about the international scope on clean energy and climate change!! View Jeff Barrie's documentary Kilowatt Ours, an in depth look at the Southeast energy epidemic as it relates to dramatic health problems, the destruction of our natural world and what we can do to change it! Saturday February 19th - Hear presentations from Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Appalachian Voices, Coal River Mountain Watch, Sierra Club, Katuah Earth First!, Physicians for Social Responsibility, American Lung Association, US Climate Action Network, Duke University, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Knoxville's local US Green Building Council chapter, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tulane University, Center for Resource Solutions, Tennessee Valley Infrastructure Group Inc., Appalachian State University, Million Solar Roofs, Florida Solar Energy Center, North Carolina Solar Center, Department of Energy, Colorado State University, State Public Research Interest Group, Energy Action, Knoxville Transportation Planning Organization, East Tennessee Clean Fuels Coalition, And More!!!!!!! Sunday February 20th - Hear about transportation alternatives! Build a State Work Plan with other universities from you state! Build a campus work plan to take back to your community! Hear about the University of Tennessee Clean Energy Initiative! Visit a solar array! Learn how to more effectively build a Southeast Regional Network! Hear an inspiring Keynote address.... Activist/Actor, Woody Harrelson, on location in the winter wilds of Minnesota, hopes to join us to close out the conference (weather permitting). Let's all hope the forces of mother nature are on our side! GET NETWORKED TO BUILD THE MOVEMENT: * Meet and exchange ideas with other like-minded students * Learn campaign strategies and hear success stories from students across the Southeast * Network with representatives from renewable energy organizations GET THE SKILLS TO EMPOWER YOURSELF AND OTHERS: Mastering Organizing Workshops: * Campus clean energy plans * Craft a strategic state plan with universities in your state to work collectively towards a common goal * Help craft the vision for the growing Southeast Student Climate and Energy Network * University of Tennessee as a model * and many more! Find the answers to these questions: * How do you buy renewable energy? * Is global warming real? * What is a Greenhouse Gas Inventory? * What IS and is NOT green energy? * Are there solutions for Renewable Energy in Transportation? * and many more! LOGISTICS: * Housing will be provided for all conference participants! *** Bring a sleeping bag and get ready to share floor space. *** * Vegetarian food will be provided for all. Bring a bowl & silverware to reduce waste and help conference organizers! *Registration is $35. REGISTER ONLINE: http://energyconference.utk.edu FOR MORE INFORMATION: Please check out our website at http://energyconference.utk.edu We have a limited number of spaces, so please register as soon as possible if you are interested in attending our conference. Your space will not be reserved until your payment is received. We hope to see you this February, to begin the process of empowering the future in the southeast with a clean energy revolution! In solidarity, The Renewably (RE)-Energized, Southeast Student Renewable Energy Conference Planning Committee (Knoxville edition!) **************************************************************************** Hosted by: Student Promoting Environmental Action in Knoxville and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. Sponsored by: The University of Tennessee, Environmental Semester 2005 and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy **************************************************************************** ----------------------------------------------------- NOTE: Temporary office line: 865.524.5542/888.524.5543 ----------------------------------------------------- -- -- ~~ -- -- Southeast Student Activists: Register now for the 2nd Annual Southeast Student Renewable Energy Conference Knoxville TN, Feb 18th-20th http://energyconference.utk.edu/ -- -- ~~ -- -- nick algee Southern Alliance for Clean Energy PO Box 1842 Knoxville, TN 37901 865 637 6055 ext 22 or (800 #) 866 522 SACE 321 217 7747 (cell) 865 524 4479 (fax) nick at cleanenergy.org Www.cleanenergy.org http://energyconference.utk.edu/ --------------------- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From susan at read-the-bible.org Sat Feb 12 11:46:39 2005 From: susan at read-the-bible.org (Susan Jeffers) Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2005 10:46:39 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Cookeville materials Message-ID: <6.1.2.0.0.20050212103111.02b3c230@mail.read-the-bible.org> Thanks so much for sending the list of materials and how to access them online. So far I've only gotten to item 2, the Veterans for Peace Iraq Water Project. It certainly qualifies as "partisan" in my view -- positioning itself as "at ethical dagger points" with the current administration and including almost as much anti-administration rhetoric (e.g. "the Bush neo-imperial" approach; "gigantic US corporations with moneyed tentacles wrapped around the heart of Washington..." etc.) as information about the Water Project itself. It seems to me that if the school's objection is to "political" in the sense of "partisan" materials, this is definitely one piece that should be excluded; perhaps Veterans for Peace could consider producing another brochure about their water project that leaves out the partisan part... unless the Water Project's primary purpose is partisan, of course. It also seems to me that a broader range of teens might be open to the literature if it stuck closer to "alternatives to military service" or "thinking twice about enlisting" rather than assuming a whole anti-administration political analysis... Presumably a person who agreed with the Veterans for Peace take on the war wouldn't be thinking of enlisting in the first place; hence it's preaching to the choir. Thanks again -- sorry to make work for you -- I really appreciate it, though, as I've been wondering what sorts of literature is being provided to high schoolers these days -- Susan Jeffers ----------------------------------------------- EMail: susan at read-the-bible.org Peace Church Bible Study Home Page: www.read-the-bible.org From moriah at preferred.com Mon Feb 14 11:48:47 2005 From: moriah at preferred.com (Mary Calhoun) Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2005 10:48:47 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] viaYMaa>>Mothers Against the Draft Message-ID: <044201c512b2$3a38b240$6464a2c6@abc> Received at the SAYMA office -- news that www.mothersagainstthedraft.org group has formed. ^o^ \_/ Mary AdminAsst at sayma.org 276-628-5852 POB 2191, Abingdon VA 24212-2191 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From freepolazzo at comcast.net Mon Feb 14 16:45:27 2005 From: freepolazzo at comcast.net (free polazzo) Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2005 15:45:27 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Fwd: Column on one-party politics in Georgia Message-ID: <6.2.1.2.2.20050214154403.030dd090@mail.comcast.net> Dear Friends, A column written by one of our attenders that will be published this week in our hometown newspaper. Free >Free, > >I thought you might enjoy this column that will run in the papers this >week and pass along to other Friends. > >Peace, >Winston > >WINSTON JONES >COLUMN — FEBRUARY 15, 2005 > Republicans like to make a point that the Democratic Party of today is >not like the party of yesterday. As the argument goes, the Democrats have >abandoned their principles and have left their constituents behind. > I maintain that it's the Republicans who have changed their course and >have abandoned the principles of the Grand Old Party. Republicans of today >no longer follow the beliefs of Lincoln, Taft or Eisenhower. They no longer >have statesmen like Henry Cabot Lodge or Everett Dirksen. > Lincoln wrote the Emancipation Proclamation and freed the slaves. For >many years, the Republicans represented most African-Americans. The >Republicans today do little to attract African-American voters. Condelesa >Rice and Colin Powell are merely tokens for Bush's imperialistic policies >and are nowhere near the mainstream black voter. > Early in life, I had much exposure to Republicans. My grandfather and >several uncles were Republicans of the Coolidge variety who were no friends >of Roosevelt and big government. They believed that government should stay >out of people's lives as much as possible. They bemoaned all the government >regulations that came with FDR's administration. > My Republican kinfolk also didn't believe in war. They believed America >should stay out of foreign alliances and shouldn't try to police the world. >Many Republicans of their day insisted that Roosevelt knew about the pending >Pearl Harbor attack, but let it happen so that the event would fan the war >flames in America. His ultimate goal was to get us into war with Hitler, >they argued. > While I don't agree with all those presumptions, I do think the GOP of >the current George Bush era is far removed from the Republicans who believed >war should be the last resort and not something waged unilaterally by the >United States. Preemptive strikes were the actions of Hitler, Mussolini and >Stalin, not Americans in their day. > Republicans were a rarity in the old South. The few who were around >maintained that one-party politics was bad for democracy and led to >corruption. They were absolutely right! Some of the darkest days of the >South were when Democrats had nearly total control of government. The South >of those days was one of stolen elections, Jim Crow laws, backroom deals and >nepotism. > Sadly, the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction and we're >rapidly moving toward a one-party South, controlled by right wing >Republicans, not the GOP of the old days. While it may not be corrupt just >yet, it doesn't take long when a single, narrow-minded type of thinking >controls the politics. It happened in the Democratic days and it will happen >with the Republicans. > It's apparent that Republicans no longer believe, "government that >governs least governs best." They're trying to bring government control over >our private lives and business. The Georgia state government is leading this >march to Big Brother rule. > For example, take Georgia Senate Bill 5. At a time when the common >people are worried about growing government power, this law would expand >the power of eminent domain. This is the power of the government to take >private land for public use. In the past, these actions were limited mostly >to building highways or utilities. Now the move is on to expand the meaning >of "public" to include private businesses being lured by Local government >development authorities. You could one day find your home being condemned so >that a new discount center could be built in its place. > Along the same lines, Republicans with House Bill 218 want to water down >the state's Sunshine Laws to allow local governments to recruit businesses >in absolute secrecy. Under the law, local officials could be negotiating to >bring a hazardous waste dump next door to you and you wouldn't know anything >about it until the construction started. > Then, when you consider that Republicans are already trying to undermine >women's rights to their own health decisions and school districts' rights >to set their own calendars, it gets very scary indeed. Hopefully, Georgia >voters will wake up, see what's happening and change the course of things. >One-party politics is no good, no matter what party is in control. >###### > From freepolazzo at comcast.net Mon Feb 14 19:11:23 2005 From: freepolazzo at comcast.net (free polazzo) Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2005 18:11:23 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Urgent: Call on your Senators to oppose the so called "Clear Skies" bill Message-ID: <6.2.1.2.2.20050214180036.0305e150@mail.comcast.net> Hi, PLEASE CALL YOUR SENATAOR IN WASHINGTON! (if you are NOT in Georgia, please call your Senator). Clean air is especially important to my family as we have inherited poor lungs and the bad air quality affects us more that the "average bear". We are the "canaries" in the mine and realize how much all families will suffer if the air quality is permitted to deteriorate, further. I have purchased a Toyota Prius (Hybrid, low emission car) to do my bit for clean air. We need to have our "public" utilities do their share, too. That means our "public" officials have to be asked to ignore the large contributions of cash they get from those organizations (like GA Power), who lobby to be exempt from cleaning up the mess they have created "for us". Please Pass this on to your friends. Blessings, Free >X-Originating-IP: [64.147.173.67] >Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2005 13:35:03 -0800 (PST) >From: Stephen Smith & Rita Kilpatrick >Reply-To: Stephen Smith & Rita Kilpatrick > >To: >Subject: Urgent: Call on Isakson to Oppose Clear Skies > >Dear SACE supporters, > >PLEASE, CONTACT SENATOR ISAKSON TODAY - TELL HIM TO VOTE AGAINST THE >"CLEAR SKIES" BILL THAT WILL KEEP GEORGIA'S AIR DIRTY AND DOES NOTHING TO >REDUCE GLOBAL WARMING POLLUTION! > >SENATOR ISAKSON'S CONTACT INFO: >Call his Washington office at (202) 224-3643 or his Atlanta Office at >(404) 347-2202. > >You can also submit comments using his on-line contact form at >http://isakson.senate.gov/contact.cfm > >About Clean Air Roll-Backs in Georgia: >The Administration's "Clear Skies" Bill would virtually eliminate many key >elements of the Clean Air Act, such as New Source Review, and lead to >increases in smog-causing nitrogen oxides, haze forming sulfur dioxide, >and toxic mercury emissions. The National Academy of Science recently >stated that it would be unlikely that the caps in the Administration's >bill would make up for the reductions that would occur under New Source >Review, a program that "Clear Skies" virtually eliminates. Additionally, >recent analysis shows that at least seven of the ten counties in Georgia >that were designated out of compliance with EPA's health standard for fine >particulate pollution (PM2.5) in December 2004 would meet the standard >simply by enforcing the newly proposed "Clean Air" Act. > * Carbon dioxide emissions increased at 59% of the power plants in the > nation from 1995-2003 including nearly all of Georgia Power's facilities. > Nationwide the increases resulted in a rise in CO2 emissions of 9% in > just eight years. In Georgia the emissions increase was actually greater, > with an increase of 13%, the equivalent to adding over two million new > cars to the roads. >Call Senator Isakson TODAY and ask him to vote against the "Clear Skies" >Bill. The bill does nothing to slow the effects of global warming, while >it rolls-back key programs in the Clean Air Act, such as New Source Review. > >To view Southern Alliance for Clean Energy's formal comments and to learn >more about multi-pollutant legislation visit the "Hot Topics" section of >our "Air" Program Page at www.cleanenergy.org or simply >click here. > >Thank you for your time and your dedication to a cleaner, safer energy >future for Georgia. > >Sincerely, > >Stephen A. Smith, Executive Director >& Rita Kilpatrick, Georgia Policy Director -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From nc_stereoman at charter.net Mon Feb 14 23:34:43 2005 From: nc_stereoman at charter.net (Steve Livingston) Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2005 22:34:43 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Urgent: Call on your Senators to oppose the so called "Clear Skies" bill In-Reply-To: <6.2.1.2.2.20050214180036.0305e150@mail.comcast.net> Message-ID: <42112783.28098.F9B441@localhost> Thanks for your call to action, Free. The Administration's "Clear Skies" (or as some would call it "Clear Lies") Initiative is not just about Georgia, it affects all of us, and in many ways. We Quakers who consider ourselves stewards of our environment would do well to familiarize ourselves with the legislation and write and talk about our concerns - not only to our Senators, but to our fellow citizens and our newspapers. When I grow up I want a Prius! For now all I can manage is to reduce my driving by 50%, which I have done over the past two years. I was going to sock away all the money I'm not spending on gas, but just then the prices went up at the pump. Dang! Steve From moriah at preferred.com Tue Feb 15 10:40:20 2005 From: moriah at preferred.com (Mary Calhoun) Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2005 09:40:20 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] viaYMaa>> AFSC e-NL Toward Peace and Justice Message-ID: <017301c5136c$6085bbe0$6464a2c6@abc> AFSC Toward Peace and Justice - February 2005Received at the SAYMA office. ----- Original Message ----- From: American Friends Service Committee To: Mary Calhoun Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2005 9:06 AM Subject: AFSC Toward Peace and Justice - February 2005 Dear Mary, In this month's email newsletter, you'll find an update on our major Iraq campaign, an invitation to join us and people of many faiths in Ecumenical Advocacy Days, a new fair trade campaign, and more. As always, we welcome your feedback. Enjoy! -------------------------------------------------------------------------- AFSC Toward Peace & Justice the e-newsletter of the American Friends Service Committee In this issue: a.. Wage Peace Campaign Building Momentum b.. Lobby Congress for a More Just and Peaceful World c.. Help Stop Trade Practices That Prevent Real Development d.. Save Our Services Campaign e.. College Campus Tour on Africa f.. AFSC at the 2005 World Social Forum -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wage Peace Campaign Building Momentum Thanks to thousands of you, our Wage Peace Campaign is off to an extraordinary start. We've had more than 25,000 signatures on the Iraq Peace Petition and more than that have watched the two-minute online Wage Peace Movie about the human costs of war. The Wage Peace bracelets are so popular they're now available for bulk order at a reduced price. And many, many people have told their friends about the campaign, sharing the movie and asking people to sign the petition. We need to keep building on this momentum. March 18-20 will mark the second anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. Help us make the story of this anniversary about the diverse and vocal U.S. peace community. Please tell your friends, neighbors, family and colleagues about the Wage Peace Campaign. Together we can promote a path to peace. Go to the Wage Peace Campaign homepage now > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lobby Congress for a More Just and Peaceful World From March 11-14, you can join the more than 600 people from a variety of faith communities who will gather in Washington, D.C., for the third annual Ecumenical Advocacy Days. Cosponsored by AFSC, the Advocacy Days will highlight the urgency of pursuing wise and peaceful solutions to conflicts, the important immigration/migration debate, the erosion of rights and liberties, and the need for aid, debt, and trade policies that benefit poor people worldwide. The event concludes with a day of grassroots lobbying on Capitol Hill. Find out more on our web site > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help Stop Trade Practices That Prevent Real Development Because the proposed Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) will discriminate against the poor and vulnerable, hurt workers, and stifle democracy, AFSC has initiated the Stop the CAFTA Vote campaign to prevent it from coming to a vote in Congress. Supporters in Congress won't even bring CAFTA to a vote unless they are certain they can win its passage. We can defeat CAFTA. Convince your representative to take a public position against it and we can prevent the trade agreement from ever coming to a vote. Join the Stop the CAFTA Vote campaign > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- You might also be interested in these programs and events: a.. Save Our Services campaign to prevent federal budget cuts that will hurt tens of millions of families. b.. College Campus Tour, "Africa in the Age of Global Apartheid," which is traveling throughout the U.S. in February to increase awareness about the issues that most affect the African continent. c.. AFSC at the 2005 World Social Forum, reports from an open meeting place for civil society groups and movements. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your Contribution Will Help Make AFSC's Work Possible AFSC is able to work for peace, provide humanitarian relief, and transform lives around the world only because of the support we receive from people like you. To make a contribution call 1-888-588-2372 and learn about ways you can support AFSC. There also are several ways to contribute online. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Feel free to forward this email to your friends. This message was sent to AdminAsst at sayma.org. Visit your subscription management page to modify your email communication preferences or update your personal profile. To stop receiving Monthly AFSC E-newsletter, click to unsubscribe. To stop ALL email from American Friends Service Committee, click to remove yourself from our lists (or reply via email with "remove" in the subject line). Toward Peace & Justice is a monthly publication of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), a nonprofit Quaker organization that includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice, peace, and humanitarian service. © 2005 AFSC American Friends Service Committee 1501 Cherry Street Philadelphia, PA 19102 www.afsc.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From moriah at preferred.com Wed Feb 16 14:38:07 2005 From: moriah at preferred.com (Mary Calhoun) Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2005 13:38:07 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] IMP^o^ 178 Rep Meeting, all welcome! Message-ID: <027f01c51457$b434da00$6464a2c6@abc> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ IMP ^o^ Bulletin 178 All welcome... ... at SAYMA's Rep Meetings .............................................................. Next one: April 2 at West Knoxville FM ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please share with your meeting ~ <|> Spring Representative Meeting will be held Saturday, April 2, at 10:00 am Eastern time, hosted by the West Knoxville (TN) Friends Meeting. <|> Any f/Friend may attend and participate; those gathered represent the Yearly Meeting. (Attending without "official" duties can be a delightful chance for fellowship and taking part in Quaker process.) <|> "Representative Meeting carries out the ongoing work of the yearly meeting and acts in the name of the yearly meeting between sessions." (A Guide to Our Faith and Our Practice) <|> Each meeting and worship group is encouraged to send a Representative. These f/Friends are important channels of two-way communication between SAYMA and local meetings. <|> SAYMA "... is organized ... to provide fellowship and a central coordinating group of Friends ... through which individuals and Monthly Meetings are nurtured, and whereby inspiration, spiritual revitalization, ...exchange of ideas, ...and coordination of spiritual/religious efforts may be accomplished." ("...Articles of SAYMA," an "approved operating description for ... legal and other purposes.") <|> Presently, SAYMA is comprised of about 30 meetings and worship groups (ranging in size from around a dozen to over 300 members and attenders). About half of these groups count themselves as "up-to-50" f/Friends. <|> "Our name ... in traditional Quaker language indicates that we meet annually to conduct our business. The yearly meeting, however, is a cooperative association and exercises no authority, other than moral and advisory, over any local meeting or individual Friend." (Faith and Practice) <|> Registration packets will be mailed soon to f/Friends recorded in the SAYMA office as -- Clerks/contacts for their meetings or worship groups -- SAYMA representatives from meetings & worship groups -- clerks & members of SAYMA committees -- SAYMA's representatives to wider Quaker organizations -- SAYMA Clerks and Treasurer -- SAYMA archivist & web manager, & SAF editors -- SAYF administrative assistant <|> If you're newly-appointed to one of these roles, please inform the SAYMA office & send your contact information. <|> Others wishing to attend may -- soon -- contact a f/Friend in one of the above roles or visit www.sayma.org ~~~~~~ end ^o^~~~~~~ postdate 021605 ~~~~~~ ___________________________________ IMP ^o^... "Information Made Present" is a bulletin service of the SAYMA office to provide practical details to our geographically-challenged Yearly Meeting via our free list-server: semi-official information, bulletins that you can print, post, announce, publish, or pass around. Please address questions, corrections and additions to AdminAsst at sayma.org, or 276-628-5852 (machine; in-person Tu/Th 5-7:30p). Thank you! ^o^ ----------------------------------------------------- To receive IMP^o^ bulletins, subscribe to the list server, sayma at kitenet.net. You can subscribe on the web at http://kitenet.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sayma. ------------------------------------------------------ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From bright_crow at mindspring.com Thu Feb 17 22:36:13 2005 From: bright_crow at mindspring.com (Michael Austin Shell) Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2005 21:36:13 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Marriage & Kinship Message-ID: <6.1.2.0.0.20050217213504.02920b80@pop.mindspring.com> Friends, I just read a book review which has given me new insight into the current debate about same-sex marriage. The book is THE FRIEND, by Alan Bray (University of Chicago Press, 2003), reviewed by Russell A. Jackson in THE GAY & LESBIAN REVIEW (Mar-Apr 2004, pp.38-39). My partner Jim and I were married under the care of Columbia (SC) Monthly Meeting in December of 1994, and we have considered each other to be a couple since May of 1985. I am an unhesitant advocate of equitable civil marriage for gay and straight couples. I believe that civil marriage is a legal contract conferring rights, privileges and benefits to married couples, and that religious doctrines which argue against same-sex marriage are not constitutional grounds for denying one class of citizens equal benefit of the law. Religious groups may choose not to sacramentalize same-sex marriages, but the state has no legitimate grounds for denying them legal status. I nevertheless am uncomfortable with the argument of some advocates that there is no difference between gay and straight couples except the sexual orientation of the partners. I believe this argument actually weakens our case. In biological terms, the two kinds of coupling are clearly asymmetrical: both involve sexual attraction and the sharing of sexual pleasure, yet only one directly involves the possibility of procreation. This is a profound difference, and I believe we err when we trivialize it or when we ignore how deeply grounded both the spiritual and the animal reverence for procreative coupling is. We do not need to argue for a false symmetry in order to legitimize the genuine loving relationships of same-sex couples. In Jackson's discussion of Bray's work, I think I have found better grounds for arguing the equivalence of gay and straight marriages. Bray's research was inspired by his seeing the 1684 tomb of John Finch and Thomas Baines at Christ's College, Cambridge. As Bray writes, "the helmets of the two men seem as if about to kiss.... The arrangement given to the arms of these two men [in the engraved monument] is that of a married couple." Bray's central argument is that, from 1000 through the 19th century, "there were forms of kinship outside of traditional marriage and family that shaped English [and European] culture–and that these family-like bonds were base on the teachings of the Church and were, in fact, blessed by its officials." Here is the key passage in Jackson's review: "Unlike modern friendship, Bray contends, traditional 'friendship was significant in a public sphere. In modern civil society, friendship has not been perceived to be a public matter, or more precisely ought not to be so.' Moreover, we moderns have lost the ability to conceive of intimate relations between two unrelated people, especially where physical contact is involved, as other than motivated primarily by sex. It is Bray's contention that the sexual aspect of these bonds, if any, was incidental to their purpose of cementing loyalty between two individuals and their larger social network. In other words, medieval Englishmen kissed, slept together, and shared graves as a way to link their families for political and economic advantage. "Bray concedes that this type of relationship 'included the potential for the erotic, as it included much else, with a potential for good and ill alike: self-advancement, the equivocal love for the familiar and the same; but also a capacity to love, and a desire to give, and above all a traditional Christian faith that took as its axiom that the point of religion–what it did for a living–was that it was an instrument by which neighbors, kin and friends could succeed in living in peace with each other.' The kisses, the vows, the joint burials, then, were simply cultural traditions that allowed mortals to find their way together in a crazy mixed-up world–a way of living out one's belief that the Christian God is the embodiment of friendship." This is remarkable information. What it tells me is that on both sides of the marriage argument we may be missing the point. At least we have been distracted–on both sides–by the sexual dimension of coupling. What we all tend to forget in the midst of our struggle is that marriage is more about KINSHIP than about sexuality. No one, straight or gay, needs to be married in order to have sex. Yet anyone who wishes for a kinship relationship to be publicly recognized and legally protected needs to have it named as such and certified publicly. For me, when I advocate for equity in civil marriage, I am insisting upon public and legal acknowledgment of and protection for the kinship bond which Jim and I recognized almost twenty years ago, vowed to each other before our Quaker Meeting ten years ago, and have declared and lived out in the presence of both our families and of those who know us personally or professionally. Kinship is the issue. Blessed Be, Michael. From moriah at preferred.com Fri Feb 18 15:11:52 2005 From: moriah at preferred.com (Mary Calhoun) Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2005 14:11:52 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] stonewalk Message-ID: <003e01c515ee$6c15e0a0$6464a2c6@abc> Dear f/Friends, I hadn't heard before of this project to have a memorial stone in Arlington National Cemetery that says "unknown civilians killed in war." http://stonewalk.org/v-web/gallery/ There are over 1200 pictures of the stone being "walked" from place to place. The stone weighs 2,000 pounds. A powerful visual symbol of our world trying to solve it's problems through war... Mary Calhoun http://stonewalk.org/v-web/gallery/album27/28_G -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: stonewalk_28_G.sized.jpeg Type: image/jpeg Size: 160632 bytes Desc: not available URL: From moriah at preferred.com Sat Feb 19 09:24:25 2005 From: moriah at preferred.com (Mary Calhoun) Date: Sat, 19 Feb 2005 08:24:25 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] viaYMaa>>Fw: Peace Studies in Austria Message-ID: <019c01c51687$94bae700$6464a2c6@abc> Received at the SAYMA office. ^o^ \_/ Mary AdminAsst at sayma.org 276-628-5852 POB 2191, Abingdon VA 24212-2191 *k ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dietrich Fischer" <102464.1110 at compuserve.com> Sent: Saturday, February 19, 2005 3:49 AM Subject: [PEACE] Peace Studies in Austria INVITATION TO STUDY PEACE AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION at the European University Center for Peace Studies (EPU), Stadtschlaining, Austria Website www.aspr.ac.at, Email epu at epu.ac.at, Tel +43-3355-2498-515. Please share this with anyone who may be interested! Thank you. ****************** We wish to invite you to join a select group of 40 students from around the world in an intensive course in peace and conflict studies at the European University Center for Peace Studies (EPU) in Stadtschlaining, Austria. All the courses are taught in English, by leading specialists in their field from around the world, including Johan Galtung, founder of the field of peace research. Studying with the founder of a new academic discipline is a rare opportunity, like studying medicine with Hippocrates, economics with Adam Smith, or relativity theory with Albert Einstein. EPU offers students a well-rounded program covering Peace with Security, Development, Freedom, Nature and Culture. The Program, established in 1991 by Dr. Gerald Mader, Founder and President of the Austrian Study Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution, received the 1995 UNESCO Prize for Peace Education. In addition to attending courses, students get to know each other closely and conclude friendships that last a lifetime. In the fall of 2004, we had 40 students from 27 countries. Many former students said that studying at EPU was the best time of their life. Peace Studies are a highly interdisciplinary and growing academic field. Our students who have successfully completed their studies are well grounded in both theory and practice to face the challenges of global conflict transformation. We are happy and proud that many of our former students now have thriving careers with international organizations, NGOs or work with their respective home governments. TOPICS INCLUDE: Introduction to Peace Studies, Cross-Cultural Communication, Peaceful Conflict Transformation, Human Rights, Governance, Participation, the Global Economy, Peacebuilding and Development, Demilitarization, Nonviolence, Security, United Nations Reform, Mediation, Peace Education, Peace and the Media, Reconciliation after Violence, Peace and Deep Culture. Fall term 2005: 2 October - 21 December (Apply by 15 March 2005) LOCATION: Stadtschlaining, a beautiful, small and quiet medieval town with a 700 year old castle hosting a peace museum, in the foothills of the Alps, between Vienna and Graz, surrounded by hiking trails, with a hot spring nearby. Classrooms and 44 single rooms with private bath are located in a new building. PEACE LIBRARY: next to the castle is a famous peace library with 25,000 books and some films, most of them in English. COSTS: Euro 2500 tuition + Euro 1400 room rent per semester, plus Euro 700 examination fee for the Master of Arts program. WHO SHOULD APPLY: Students from any discipline interested in peace and conflict resolution, young diplomats, government officials, NGO members, teachers, journalists, lawyers, social workers, psychologists, officers, and anyone interested in solving conflicts by peaceful means. A first university degree is required, and preferably some professional experience. DEGREES: Those who successfully complete one semester obtain an Advanced Certificate in Peace and Conflict Studies. Those who complete two semesters (Fall/Spring or Spring/Fall) and write a thesis obtain a Master of Arts in Peace and Conflict Studies, approved by the Austrian Ministry of Education. FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO APPLY: see www.aspr.ac.at, and click on "European University Center for Peace Studies", second on the left. If you have further questions, please contact Anita Flasch, EPU Secretary , Tel +43-3355-2498-515 (mornings). We will be happy to answer your questions, or help you apply. With best regards, Dietrich Fischer APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR THE FALL TERM 2005 IS March 15, 2005! We need to RECEIVE BY MARCH 15 a completed application form (available at www.aspr.ac.at), a curriculum vitae, and an essay of about 2-300 words explaining how you intend to apply what you learned. Please send it by email (no scanned documents, please!), fax or airmail. Recommendation letters, COPIES of transcripts and diplomas and proof of English proficiency can follow by airmail. **************************************************************** The Peace Center Burg Schlaining also offers two-week courses by EPU's sister organization, the INTERNATIONAL CIVILIAN PEACE-KEEPING AND PEACE-BUILDING TRAINING PROGRAM (IPT). In the 1992 "Agenda for Peace", then UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali encouraged the establishment of regional training centers for civilian peace-keeping and peace-building activities. Austria's government responded positively and supported the development of a training program for the preparation of civilian personnel. Established in 1993, IPT became the first program world-wide of this kind. CORE COURSES (Weeks 1 and 2) are offered three times a year, usually in February, June and September. They provide the participants with the basics of civilian involvement in crisis regions and include the following main elements: Communication and intercultural understanding; Human Rights Protection; Conflict Transformation and Mediation; Case Studies on Particular Conflicts; Stress Management and Working with Trauma; Gender Aspects in Peace-building; Co-operation with the Military; Mine awareness training; Radio communication and map reading; four wheel drive. SPECIALIZATION COURSES (Weeks 3 and 4) provide in-depth training in one of the major functions of peace-builders: - Conflict Transformation - Disarmament, Demobilization, Reintegration - Election Observation and Assistance - Empowerment for Political Participation - Human Rights Protection and Promotion - Humanitarian Assistance - Information Dissemination - Project Management in Field Operations Attendance of the core course is a precondition for participation in the specialization course. They can be taken in succession. The next Core Course will take place May 29 - June 11, 2005, followed by a Specialization Course on Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR), June 12 - June 25, 2005 DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATION Feb. 28, 2005 RESOURCE PERSONS: Faculty is drawn from an international group of resource persons familiar with UN, OSCE, EU and NGO activities in the realm of civilian peace-keeping and peace-building. The resource persons have a long record of practical professional experience, they have the ability to ground this experience theoretically and have excellent teaching and training skills. COST OF PARTICIPATION: Euro 500 per week (correct at the time of writing and subject to change). This covers tuition, educational materials, and full board accommodation in a single room with bath. We encourage you to explore if your organization can send you. FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO APPLY, see www.aspr.ac.at, write to ipt at aspr.ac.at, or call Tel +43-3355-2498-506, Fax +43-3355-2662. **************************************************************** PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH ANYONE WHO MAY BE INTERESTED! THANK YOU. **************************************************************** For information, please write to epu at epu.ac.at or ipt at aspr.ac.at PLEASE DO NOT "REPLY" TO THIS MESSAGE! If you would like to be subscribed to this list, please send an e-mail to majordomo at csis.pace.edu with only the following in the message body: subscribe pc youremailaddress at provider end (where youremailaddress at provider is your e-mail address) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kcarlyle at main.nc.us Tue Feb 22 09:49:47 2005 From: kcarlyle at main.nc.us (Kim Carlyle) Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2005 08:49:47 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Centers at YM Message-ID: <004601c518e5$77edfcb0$9a6dc0d1@yourfulkl1oh2q> Dear Friends, As adult program coordinator for Yearly Meeting, I am putting out a call for Friends who are interested in being convenors of centers (Women's; Men's; Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns; etc.) at our gathering June 9-12 at Warren Wilson College. If you have the interest and the energy, please respond directly to me (quickly) so that we can reserve a space. Peace on Earth, Peace with Earth, Kim -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From moriah at preferred.com Thu Feb 24 11:58:41 2005 From: moriah at preferred.com (Mary Calhoun) Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2005 10:58:41 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] viaYMaa>>Fw: RSWR Releases Tsunami Relief Funds Message-ID: <036d01c51a8c$96625ee0$6464a2c6@abc> Received at the SAYMA office. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Roland Kreager" rswr at earthlink.net Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2005 9:46 AM Subject: RSWR Releases Tsunami Relief Funds Right Sharing of World Resources (RSWR) releases $38,300 for long-term redevelopment in tsunami-affected areas of south India On February 17 the RSWR Board of Trustees approved a plan to disburse $38,300 in the districts of Nagapattinam (the area most severely affected by the tsunami), Thiruvallur and Kanyakumari in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. All funds are being disbursed to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who are current or recent RSWR partners. The following three principles were the basis for the Board?s decisions: 1. Projects must be implemented with the Dalit population in mind. Dalits are the lowest group in the social structure of India, underneath the caste system. 2. Some funds can be used to improve the quality of life for persons living in temporary shelters, waiting for permanent housing to be constructed by the state government and large NGOs. 3. Most of the funds must be used to support the implementation of micro-enterprise projects aimed at either establishing or reestablishing Dalit women in an income-generating activity. These principles and the supported projects reflect RSWR?s expertise and ongoing work in support of income-generation via micro-enterprise. RSWR welcomes additional contributions toward this effort. 100% of all funds raised are being sent directly to support our partner NGOs in Tamil Nadu. Funds received following the current disbursement will be used to extend additional support to these initiatives. Four grants were approved: $22,900 -- Madurai Institute of Peace Science and its director, Dr. R. Kannan (Dr. Kannan is RSWR?s representative in India), will provide revolving loan fund capital and training to 20 self-help groups and operate a child support center. The project will be implemented in the villages of Seruthur and Vellapallam, Nagapattinam District and the village of Allikan, Kanyakumari District. This project is a collaboration of ten grassroots organizations, 7 of which are current or past RSWR project partners. $5,000 -- Gramodaya Rural Development Society (GRDS) will provide school supplies for Dalit children and revolving loan fund capital to their mothers so they can reestablish their fish vending businesses. The project will be implemented in Thiruvallur District (the northern-most district in the state of Tamil Nadu). GRDS is a current RSWR project partner. $3,925 -- People?s Organisation for Rural Health, Education and Economic Development (PORHEED) will implement the micro-enterprise portion of relief work in the village of Simon Colony, Kanyakumari District. PORHEED collaborated with the Sabina Fund from the US to provide immediate assistance in this village. RSWR funds will allow PORHEED to establish income-generating opportunities in the village. PORHEED was a project partner in 2002. $6,475 -- PACHE Trust will implement child support and income-generating activities in the village of Sinnoorpettai, Nagapattinam District. PACHE Trust will provide food supplements and pre-school for children 0-3, provide stress workshops in schools, form children?s clubs in schools where play therapy will be done, provide post-traumatic counseling, provide healthcare counseling, and provide training in finance management (persons who have lost family members are receiving a grant of $2,275 from the state and national government). Additionally, six self-help groups of 15 members each will receive a $230 to start a revolving loan program. PACHE Trust was a project partner in 1992-94 and 1999-2001. For more information contact Roland Kreager, Right Sharing of World Resources, 232 College Avenue, Richmond, IN 47374-5360, 765.983.1879, rswr at earthlink.net, or via the RSWR website www.rswr.org. ------------------------------ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From freepolazzo at comcast.net Fri Feb 25 18:36:29 2005 From: freepolazzo at comcast.net (free polazzo) Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 17:36:29 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] How Ribbons Became a National Folk Symbol (American Folklife Center) Message-ID: <6.2.1.2.2.20050225155615.031c0408@mail.comcast.net> Hi There are yellow ribbons showing up in all sorts of places: trees, cars, trucks, offices. . They seem to say "Support our Troops", but in truth they can be interpreted to mean "Support the War in Iraq"., especially with the red, white and blue ribbon next to it now showing up, too. I've done a search on the web to look into the history of the ribbon as a symbol and found this explanation to be the most reliable. If anyone else has a better source, I'd be interested in hearing about it. Notice that the first ribbon thought to be tied to a tree was meant as a message for someone who couldn't read or write, who wasn't sure he would be welcomed home after many years away while serving time in prison and didn't want to go home and find out. The ribbon on the tree meant "Welcome Home". I like the idea of having a simple message with a ribbon, so another search found me a link that had ribbons printed on a bumper sticker that was more in line with my Quaker beliefs that I could put on my car that said "Support the Troops, Bring them home NOW!" http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/yellowribbon_graphics/ ( where there is another link to where you can buy the bumper stickers.) I've put this sticker on my car and on the FNCL yard signs under the "War is not the Answer". Fits perfectly. If you like to know more about the history of the yellow ribbon, follow this link: http://www.loc.gov/folklife/ribbons/ribbons.html If you want to know where to get those bumper stickers (20 for $20) you can follow this link: http://www.northernsun.com/cgi-bin/ns/5651.html Let's speak up as well as hold all the troops in the Light. Blessings, Free From moriah at preferred.com Sun Feb 27 01:05:38 2005 From: moriah at preferred.com (Mary Calhoun) Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2005 00:05:38 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] going to Fayetteville ... ? Message-ID: <003b01c51c8a$4dd386e0$6464a2c6@abc> Friends, Foxfire Friends Meeting (Johnson City, TN) is in need of knowing whether any SAYMA f/Friend in another meeting or worship group has firm plans to go to the March demonstration in Fayetteville. If so, we'd like to know by Saturday, March 5th. Thank you very much -- ! ^o^ \_/ Mary Calhoun Foxfire FM -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From glenn.reinhart at earthlink.net Sun Feb 27 17:35:02 2005 From: glenn.reinhart at earthlink.net (G.L. Reinhart) Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2005 13:35:02 -0800 Subject: [saymaListserv] Quakers in the News - 2/25/2005 Message-ID: <42223D06.1E4B4830@earthlink.net> Dear Friends, I have changed the format to show the topics below for a quick overview. If you'd like to read any of the stories, please see; http://quakersinthenews.blogspot.com for article summaries and links to the full articles. Please also feel free to comment on the articles after reading them. If you want to find a story quickly on the web site, use 'control' and 'f' (for Windows) and type in the key word you are looking for, then press return. ------ TOPIC - Title - Journal - Place - Date QUAKER HISTORY / BARCLAY - The origin of the Imlay family - Allentown Messenger Press - Allentown, NJ, USA - February 24, 2005 AFSC / ETHNIC DIVERSITY - Religious leaders target violence against cabbies - Chicago Tribune (subscription) - USA - February 24, 2005 BUSINESS / OBITUARY - Edwin Dean, businessman, Y leader, dies at 79 - February 24, 2005 - Whittier Daily News - Whittier, CA, USA ETHNIC DIVERSITY - Choosing Mayor Based On His Address - The Chattanoogan, TN, USA - February 24, 2005 QUAKER HISTORY / NATIVE AMERICANS / DANIEL BOONE - Two New Books - Boone Mountain Times, NC, USA - February 24, 2005 QUAKER HISTORY / SLAVERY - 'Freedom Quilt' teaches of past struggles' - Paris News, TX, USA - February 24, 2005 QUAKER HISTORY / GEORGE FOX - Coalition to Save the Mill Pond Urges Public to Attend - Oyster Bay Enterprise Pilot, NY, USA - February 24, 2005 QUAKER HISTORY / NATURAL SCIENCE - We're Drenched, but History Has Far Worse Tales - Los Angeles Times, CA, USA - February 24, 2005 QUAKER FAITH - RELIGION NOTES - Brookline TAB, MA, USA - February 24, 2005 QUAKER HISTORY / SLAVERY - Lewes Historical Society to celebrate Black History Month at - Cape Gazette, DE, USA - February 24, 2005 QUAKER HISTORY / ARTS / LITERATURE - 'One of the Most Incredible of Human Beings' - New York Sun (subscription), NY, USA - Feb 23, 2005 QUAKER HISTORY / SLAVERY / LUCRETIA MOTT - Stops on the road to freedom - Syracuse Post Standard, NY, USA - Feb 22, 2005 QUAKER HISTORY / BUSINESS - Chocolate - Pauls Valley Daily Democrat, OK - Feb 22, 2005 QUAKER HISTORY / SLAVERY - Going underground in Loudoun County - Loudoun Times-Mirror, VA, USA - Feb 22, 2005 RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY - Ewell resigning as church council head - MaineToday.com, ME, USA - Feb 23, 2005 FCNL / NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION - North Korea and Iran Are Casting Big Shadows - Kansas City infoZine, MO, USA - Feb 15, 2005 AFSC / ENVIRONMENT - Activists battle EPA over radiation - Akron Beacon Journal (subscription), OH - February 24, 2005 POLITICS / ECONOMICS - The Economist, la revista global - La Gaceta de los Negocios – Madrid, Spain, E.U. – February 20, 2005. CONSENSUS / ANARCHISM - El anarquismo, o el movimiento revolucionario del siglo XXI - Madrid, Spain E. U. - January 31, 2005 CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION - Some in military just say no to Iraq service - The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, USA - Feb 19, 2005 POLITICS / ECONOMICS - ANARCHY at the G8 - Sunday Herald, UK – February 19, 2005 INDIVIDUALISM / ANARCHISM - Rebellious spirits - MetroWest Daily News, MA, USA – February 19, 2005 QUAKER INFLUENCE / OBITUARY - Archpriest Sergei Hackel - Telegraph.co.uk, UK - Feb 17, 2005 QUAKER INFLUENCE / SLAVERY - Plowshares' play recalls Robeson ideals, conflict - DetNews.com, MI, USA - Feb 17, 2005 DECLINNG MEMBERSHIP - Bailey docents a vanishing breed- Whittier Daily News, CA, USA – February 21, 2005 NON-VIOLENCE / ARTS / THEATER - Not Just a Fight Director, but a Fight-to-the-Death Director - New York Times, NY, USA – February 20, 2005 CRIME AND PENITENCE - Eastern State Penitentiary - New York Times, NY USA – February 20, 2005 CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION / OBITUARY - John Raitt Dies - New York Times, NY, USA – February 21, 2005 AFSC / RURAL DEVELOPMENT - Tennessee’s Cumberland County Mother Earth News, USA - Feb 15, 2005 AFSC / INTERNATIONAL CONFLICT - Coalition aims to bring attention to Sudan - DesMoinesRegister.com, IA, USA - Feb 11, 2005 QUAKER HISTORY / SLAVERY - Waiting to solve Social Security only extends the national pain - Oakland Press, MI, USA - Feb 17, 2005 -- "Truth often suffers more by the heat of its defenders, than from the arguments of its opposers." - William Penn Glenn L. Reinhart glenn.reinhart at earthlink.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From reddeanna at charter.net Sun Feb 27 18:20:26 2005 From: reddeanna at charter.net (Red & Deanna) Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2005 16:20:26 -0600 Subject: [saymaListserv] Cookeville High School Message-ID: <004101c51d1a$8a3bd7a0$3081ba44@D714S421> Cookeville Friends will be now be allowed back into Cookeville High School with information on alternatives to military enlistment. The news came to us in the form of an e-mail Hector Black sent after a meeting he and one of the Veterans for Peace had Friday with the Director (superintendent) of Schools. Here are the details Hector gives on access: "We are to be given complete and equal access to any of the high schools in Putnam County. If there are military bulletin boards, we will have one, we can come as often as we like. The only restriction is one that was included in the court case in GA which was cited by Mel [the ACLU lawyer] in her letter. Something about not being able to denigrate a career in the military. I can give more details and quote when I have more time. Just wanted to let you know the good news. No censorship of our materials. If there is an objection on the part of student or parent, we will be contacted and can sit down and discuss the issue and try to work out a solution." Gentle Friends, the Cookeville meeting has not been led to issue a press release at this time and asks that participants in the SAYMA list will respect that leading. In peace and humility, gratitude and joy, Deanna Deanna Nipp Cookeville Preparative Meeting -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From moriah at preferred.com Mon Feb 28 13:08:55 2005 From: moriah at preferred.com (Mary Calhoun) Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2005 12:08:55 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] viaYMaa>> Fw: Correction: dates, peace studies in Austria Message-ID: <03fc01c51dc9$4c507360$6464a2c6@abc> Received at the SAYMA office. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dietrich Fischer" <102464.1110 at compuserve.com> Sent: Sunday, February 27, 2005 7:13 PM Subject: [PEACE] Correction: 25 Sept-17 Dec 2005, peace studies in Austria > CORRECTION: In the announcement of the fall 2005 semester of the > European University Center for Peace Studies in Stadtschlaining, > Austria, which you received on 19 February, the dates were wrong! > The correct dates are 25 September to 17 December 2005 (instead of > 2 October - 21 December 2005). Please Apply by 15 March 2005. > > FOR INFORMATION AND TO APPLY: see www.aspr.ac.at, and click on > "European University Center for Peace Studies", second on the left. > If you have further questions, please contact Anita Flasch, EPU > Secretary , Tel +43-3355-2498-515 (mornings). > With my apologies and best regards, Dietrich Fischer, Director > From moriah at preferred.com Mon Feb 28 18:47:37 2005 From: moriah at preferred.com (Mary Calhoun) Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2005 17:47:37 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Fw: IMP^o^ 182 fyi/reminder re YM listserv Message-ID: <021301c51de7$e0ba8c20$6464a2c6@abc> Oops...'!' By mistake this wasn't posted to the listserv on its first sending... ----- Original Message ----- Subject: IMP^o^ 182 fyi/reminder re YM listserv ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ IMP^o^ Bulletin 182 fyi / reminder.... .....re SAYMA listserve replies -------------------------------------------- where your reply goes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (from the SAYMA Administrative Assistant) <|> For the benefit of recent listserv subscribers, and f/Friends who may have forgotten... <|> ...where your reply to a listserv message goes depends on what button (or menu item) you choose. <|> If you choose "reply" (or whatever word your email program uses), your response goes only to the person who posted the message. <|> If you choose "reply all" (or whatever...) your response goes to the poster and to the list ~~~~~~ end ^o^ ~~~~~~ 1stpost 022205 ~~~~~~ _______________________________________ IMP ^o^ ... "Information Made Present" is a bulletin service of the SAYMA office to provide practical details to our geographically-challenged Yearly Meeting via our free list-server: semi-official information, bulletins that you can print, post, announce, publish, or pass around. Please address questions, corrections and additions to AdminAsst at sayma.org, 276-628-5852 (machine; in-person Tu/Th 5-7:30p), or SAYMA Admin Asst, PO Box 2191, Abingdon, VA 24212-2191. Thank you! ^o^ ----------------------------------------------------- To receive IMP ^o^ bulletins, subscribe to the list server, sayma at kitenet.net. You can subscribe on the web at http://kitenet.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sayma. ------------------------------------------------------ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: