Local Civil Rights Restoration Act
Bill of Rights Defense Committee and Defending Dissent Foundation
http://bordc.org/resource/local-civil-rights-restoration-act/
Interview with former CIA analyst, Ray McGovern
Ray McGovern Interview
May 16 and 17, 2016
I interviewed Ray McGovern, a former CIA analyst for 27 years, from the administration of John F. Kennedy to that of George H. W. Bush. Ray’s duties included chairing National Intelligence Estimates and preparing the President’s Daily Brief. The interview was so intense, covering a wide range of subjects, that I decided
to create a series of videos in 10 to 30 minute segments.
In this first of the series (12 minute runtime), Ray talks about the death of the 4th Estate – the media – and gives personal examples about how even the most progressive and intelligent people are convinced that by reading the New York Times and the Washington Post they know what is going on. Ray relates how
at his 50th college reunion at Fordham in the Bronx, he called General Jack Keane a liar for insisting that Iran was close to having a nuclear missile. Keane was a consequential player and largely responsible for the “Surge” in Iraq that was not only a total failure, but constructed on the crass and political reason for letting Bush and Cheney “ride off into the sunset” not having lost the war.Ray is a marvelous storyteller who mixes historical dates, events and “inside” information with a delightful sense of humor.
Some of Ray’s insights will be in my new film, 11:57 –
Three Minutes to Midnight
http://registremblay.com/exclusive-ray-mcgovern-media-inside-story-iraq/
Regis Tremblay
Independent Filmmaker
“Extremists for Peace” Music Video Project
We were in the studio this past Saturday with 40 strong singers recording the chorus (four VFP chapters were represented), they sound fabulous.We are excited about where we are with our “Extremists for
Peace” Music Video Project. Please click on the link above and take a listen to the song. This is not the final version but is very close. We are still doing some minor mixing improvement tweaks. Eric the engineer is on vacation so the final mix will not be finished until this coming weekend. This version is very close and we wanted to give everyone the opportunity to hear what we have so far.
I am very grateful for everyone who has donated to the project. We are getting close to reaching our fundraising goal, under $2,000.00 to go. If your chapter or you have not made a personal donation and have been considering doing so, now would be a good time to support the project.
We would love to put the fundraising behind us and focus on the music video. This is exciting and we hope you will be listed in the credits as a supporter. The music video will have it official debut at the VFP National Convention in Berkley this August.
Chapters in different regions of the country will be participating in the actual music video. Every
chapter can participate. If your chapter would like to participate and be listed in the credits at the end of the
video with all the other chapters and individual contributors please do three simple things.
- make a small donation to the project. We are hoping chapters will donate between $50.00 and $100.00. If that is not possible any amount will be appreciated and get you listed in the credits.
- Send me a copy of a photo of your chapter carrying your chapter banner, with flags, VFP clothing etc. These pictures will be part of a collage of chapter photos at the end of the music video. The more younger vets in the picture the better.
- Send this out to your members and maybe they too will make a small personal donation in support of the project.
My email address is: patscanlonmusic@yahoo.com
Thanks for all your help and support.
Army Chaplain resigns over drones
“I Refuse to Support U.S. Armed Drone Policy.”
Army Chaplain reads resignation letter to Obama.
Former Army Reserve Chaplain Captain Chris Antal resigned due to the US drone
policy, and shares his moving resignation letter to President Obama on DemocracyNow.
“I resign because I refuse to support U.S. armed drone policy,” Antal wrote.
“The Executive Branch continues to claim the right to kill anyone, anywhere on earth, at any time, for secret
reasons, based on secret evidence, in a secret process, undertaken by unidentified officials. I refuse to support this policy of unaccountable killing.”
2016 Keep Space for Peace Week Poster
They are taking orders for our 2016 Keep Space for Peace Week (October 1-8) poster just before they go to print. We feel this poster reflects the growing dangers of the US/NATO encirclement of Russia and the Obama
‘pivot’ into the Asia-Pacific to “contain” China.
Please help us spread word about this provocative space technology directed Pentagon operation. We urge people to organize local events during space week to help bring attention to these
important issues. Posters are $3 each or five for $12.
You can order online at http://donatenow.networkforgood.org/Space4Peace
(type your order into the ‘Feedback’ box) or send a
check to Global Network, PO Box 652, Brunswick, ME 04011.
Add $10 for any international orders of more than 5
posters.
Call (207) 443-9502 with any
questions.
Thanks for your support.
Global Network Against Weapons
& Nuclear Power in Space
PO Box 652
Brunswick, ME 04011
(207)443-9502
http://www.space4peace.org
http://space4peace.blogspot.com
Free Boots to Business Reboot Program
Great program for any Veteran who would like information on how to start
up their own small business and its …….FREE
Saturday June 11: The Ojai Art Center will host Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Huynh Cong “Nick” Ut for a special event
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Photographer Ut to Appear at the Art Center
Ojai, CA – The Ojai Art Center will host Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Huynh Cong “Nick” Ut for a special event on Saturday, June 11, at 7 p.m. in the Art Center Theater.
More Information: http://ojaiacphoto.org/nick.html
The presentation will include a slideshow of Ut’s photographs to be followed by a question and answer session with the artist.
Ut rose to fame with his iconic Vietnam War photo of several children fleeing a botched napalm attack on their village on June 8, 1972. Central to the photo was an unclothed nine-year-old girl, Kim Phuc. Once it hit the press, the picture quickly gained widespread distribution, affected the hearts and minds of people all over the world, and marked a turning point in the conflict.
“As a Vietnam veteran and photographer, Nick’s images from the war leave an indelible mark in my memory,” says Art Center photography chair David Baker. “They truly tell the horror of war, especially for the innocents. The ‘Napalm Girl’ image shows that better than any image I have seen.”
According to legend, Ut used his media credential to get Phuc and other children admitted to a hospital following the moment he captured on film. Ut said in a past interview that the girl was initially “very upset about the picture.”
Her story, however, has a happy ending. Today she lives in Canada and does humanitarian work. The two are still in communication to this day.
Tickets for Ut’s presentation are available in advance at ojaiact.tix.com.
For more information on Ut’s appearance or any other Ojai Art Center event, visitwww.ojaiartcenter.org or call 805-646-0117.
Support “Extremists for Peace” Music Video Project
They have just launched a Kickstarter fundraising campaign.
Please click on the link below to see their short promotional video and narrative of what this project is all about.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/449781593/extremists-for-peace-music-video-project
FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN ENDS JUNE 30
Several chapters from different regions of the country will be participating in the actual video including: North Carolina, New Mexico, San Diego & Los Angles, Minnesota, New Jersey & New York plus all the chapters in New England.
For those chapters that are not directly participating in the actual music video please send us you best still photo of your chapter, hopefully with your banner and flags.
At the end of the film we intend to have a collage of pictures from different
chapters. There will be limited space but we hope to get as many up on the end of the video as possible.
“Extremists for Peace” A music video by & for Veterans For Peace. People who work for peace should not be labeled as extremists.
More Information: http://masspeaceaction.org/9633
Letter to the Wall
In observance of Memorial Day 2016, I am enclosing a copy of a poem, my ‘letter to the wall’, that I wrote for the VFP Memorial Day Event and which I
understand will be placed at the Wall as part of the VFP commemoration.
I wanted to share the piece with you and your Chapter membership.
Please feel free to redistribute it or to use it in any way that you see fit.
Warmest regards, ‘Ex-Sp5’ John Buquoi Richardson, TX
A ‘LETTER’ ON MEMORIAL DAY 2016
ANOTHER MEMORIAL DAY…
CALL IT FIFTY MORE YEARS OR SO
ON DOWN THE ROAD FROM VIỆT NAM
DOUG HAS SUGGESTED A LETTER
HE SAYS, ’A LETTER TO THE WALL’
OR, MORE PRECISELY, I SUPPOSE
SOME WORDS TODAY TO THOSE OF YOU
WHO LIVE ON BUT IN MEMORY
AND SOMEWHERE HERE INSIDE THE WALL
IN ALL THESE STARK ENGRAVED GRAY NAMES
SHARP CUT DEEP UNTIL FOREVER
INTO THIS COLD BLACK GRANITE STONE
IT’S JUST ‘A LETTER’, HE SAYS, BUT
IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING ‘FROM THE HEART’
IF I COULD, I’D WRITE MYSTIC WORDS
THAT WOULD ROLL BACK TIME ITSELF
TO FIFTY SOMETHING YEARS AGO
ERASING SO-CALLED ‘MESSAGES’
SENT BY THOSE FOOLS TO VIỆT NAM
BY WAY OF ALL OF YOUR BODIES
AND, IN THE END, YOUR VERY LIVES
IN THE EXPLICIT HARSH REPLIES
YOUR ALL TOO NEEDLESS DEATHS BROUGHT HOME,
AS WORD CAME BACK FROM OVER THERE
FOREVER PAST UNDERSTANDING
BUT, FOR ME, HERE, WORDS ONLY FAIL
BEYOND THE SAYING ONE MORE TIME
THAT I STILL WISH THE ALL OF IT
HAD NOT EVER EVEN HAPPENED
AND THAT YOU WOULD HAVE ALL BEEN SPARED
THE WANTON, WASTED, SENSELESS DEATHS
THAT CUT SO SHORT THE OLDER ONES
YOU WOULD HAVE, LIVING, NOW BECOME…
MAYBE AS TODAY’S MESSENGERS
WHO COULD’VE TAUGHT US ONCE FOR ALL
TO JUST STOP DOING IT AGAIN
SO, I GUESS THAT’S IT… THERE IT IS…
NOT REALLY MUCH OF A LETTER
BUT, AS I SAID AND SAY AGAIN,
WORDS SIMPLY FAIL ME HERE… ALTHOUGH,
THIS BRIEF MISSIVE TO YOU BROTHERS
IS SINCERELY STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART
Secret history of America’s atomic veteran
Many of these “atomic veterans” feel abused and neglected by the government and a country that exposed them to unforeseen risks. There is no commendation or medal for being an atomic vet. Many have struggled to get compensation
from the Department of Veterans Affairs for ailments that they believe resulted from their exposure to radiation.