'The Fifth Estate' ...Cindy Sheehan

Monday, January 29th, 2007
'The Fifth Estate' ...Cindy Sheehan

"The most effectual engines for [pacifying a nation] are the public papers... [A despotic] government always [keeps] a kind of standing army of newswriters who, without any regard to truth or to what should be like truth, [invent] and put into the papers whatever might serve the ministers. This suffices with the mass of the people who have no means of distinguishing the false from the true paragraphs of a newspaper." --Thomas Jefferson to G. K. van Hogendorp, Oct. 13, 1785.

If one "googles" Thomas Jefferson and "freedom of the press" one finds a myriad of quotes from the second president, author of the Declaration of Independence, and founder of the University of Virginia. Mr. Jefferson understood the importance of having a free press as a "fourth estate" of checks and balances on the Federal Government. His concerns that lack of a free press would lead to tyranny and the situation that we are in now with regards to one of the branches of government becoming too powerful over the others was very prescient, to say the very least.

In the United States today, we have a media that is controlled by corporations that are, for the most part, controlled by other entities that profit off of war. NBC is owned by General Electric that is a major war profiteer (which used to be a crime punishable by hanging). The corporate media has a lot at stake by keeping the wag the dog occupation of Iraq afloat on BushCo's failed ship of state.

The inadequacies and sycophantic nature of the press towards the Bush Regime are legion, but Dick Cheney was recently interviewed by Wolf Blitzer and instead of asking the Vice commander in thief about his connections to the obscene war profiteering company, Halliburton; or his being comfortable with surging more troops to Iraq when he had 5 deferments during the Vietnam conflict; or how he said the insurgency was in its final throes; or how his office was connected to outing Valerie Plane, Blitzer asked Dastardly Dicky about his gay daughter's pregnancy. Wolf almost wept with fear when the puppet master attacked him for asking such a question.

Besides a free press, another supposed check and balance on limiting executive power to its proper constitutional authorities is Congress. With its first vote to give Bloody George the authority to invade a harmless country and its continuing feeding Bloody George the blood money he needs to continue the killing and be unwilling to impeach BushCo for crimes against humanity, Congress abdicated its role in declaring war and reining in tyranny. Who can do the heavy labor that the other "estates" are shirking?

Over the weekend, we the people, went to marches and rallies by the hundreds of thousands. From movie stars who are finally breaking their silence to military families, Gold Star families, Vets, and other activists that don't have "skin in the game" we appeared in the hundreds of thousands. Some of us scraped together bus money and stayed 5-6 people per room to afford the trip. We carried creative signs and chanted or sang while we marched. Some of us have not been silent for years.

We want to put Congress, the media, and the executive branch on notice to show them that we will be the checks and balances that Mad King George and the rest so desperately need while we still have a nation to care about. We the people are the Fifth Estate and we are declaring that we will be peace inSURGEnts to save the people of Iraq and to bring our troops home and see BushCo imprisoned for their murder and corruption.

"I am persuaded that the good sense of the people will always be found to be the best army." --Thomas Jefferson, 1787

Right now we are the only ones.

Let's give Congress the courage it needs to finally do the right thing.

Cindy Sheehan is the mother of Spc. Casey Sheehan who was killed in Bush's war of terror on 04/04/04.

She is the co-founder and president of Gold Star Families for Peace and the Camp Casey Peace Institute.

She is the author of three books, the most recent is Peace Mom: A Mother's Journey Through Heartache to Activism.

'The Fifth Estate' ...Cindy Sheehan

Monday, January 29th, 2007
'The Fifth Estate' ...Cindy Sheehan

"The most effectual engines for [pacifying a nation] are the public papers... [A despotic] government always [keeps] a kind of standing army of newswriters who, without any regard to truth or to what should be like truth, [invent] and put into the papers whatever might serve the ministers. This suffices with the mass of the people who have no means of distinguishing the false from the true paragraphs of a newspaper." --Thomas Jefferson to G. K. van Hogendorp, Oct. 13, 1785.

If one "googles" Thomas Jefferson and "freedom of the press" one finds a myriad of quotes from the second president, author of the Declaration of Independence, and founder of the University of Virginia. Mr. Jefferson understood the importance of having a free press as a "fourth estate" of checks and balances on the Federal Government. His concerns that lack of a free press would lead to tyranny and the situation that we are in now with regards to one of the branches of government becoming too powerful over the others was very prescient, to say the very least.

In the United States today, we have a media that is controlled by corporations that are, for the most part, controlled by other entities that profit off of war. NBC is owned by General Electric that is a major war profiteer (which used to be a crime punishable by hanging). The corporate media has a lot at stake by keeping the wag the dog occupation of Iraq afloat on BushCo's failed ship of state.

The inadequacies and sycophantic nature of the press towards the Bush Regime are legion, but Dick Cheney was recently interviewed by Wolf Blitzer and instead of asking the Vice commander in thief about his connections to the obscene war profiteering company, Halliburton; or his being comfortable with surging more troops to Iraq when he had 5 deferments during the Vietnam conflict; or how he said the insurgency was in its final throes; or how his office was connected to outing Valerie Plane, Blitzer asked Dastardly Dicky about his gay daughter's pregnancy. Wolf almost wept with fear when the puppet master attacked him for asking such a question.

Besides a free press, another supposed check and balance on limiting executive power to its proper constitutional authorities is Congress. With its first vote to give Bloody George the authority to invade a harmless country and its continuing feeding Bloody George the blood money he needs to continue the killing and be unwilling to impeach BushCo for crimes against humanity, Congress abdicated its role in declaring war and reining in tyranny. Who can do the heavy labor that the other "estates" are shirking?

Over the weekend, we the people, went to marches and rallies by the hundreds of thousands. From movie stars who are finally breaking their silence to military families, Gold Star families, Vets, and other activists that don't have "skin in the game" we appeared in the hundreds of thousands. Some of us scraped together bus money and stayed 5-6 people per room to afford the trip. We carried creative signs and chanted or sang while we marched. Some of us have not been silent for years.

We want to put Congress, the media, and the executive branch on notice to show them that we will be the checks and balances that Mad King George and the rest so desperately need while we still have a nation to care about. We the people are the Fifth Estate and we are declaring that we will be peace inSURGEnts to save the people of Iraq and to bring our troops home and see BushCo imprisoned for their murder and corruption.

"I am persuaded that the good sense of the people will always be found to be the best army." --Thomas Jefferson, 1787

Right now we are the only ones.

Let's give Congress the courage it needs to finally do the right thing.

Cindy Sheehan is the mother of Spc. Casey Sheehan who was killed in Bush's war of terror on 04/04/04.

She is the co-founder and president of Gold Star Families for Peace and the Camp Casey Peace Institute.

She is the author of three books, the most recent is Peace Mom: A Mother's Journey Through Heartache to Activism.

Anti-War Groups plan Surge in Washington

anuary 25th, 2007 3:07 am
Anti-War Groups Plan Surge on Washington

By Aaron Glantz / IPS

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 24 - Peace activists from around the United States will converge on Washington Saturday for what organisers hope will be the largest demonstration to date against the Iraq war.

"We expect a turnout in the six figures," said Tom Andrews, a former Democratic congressman who now runs the group Win Without War, which is organising the march along with True Majority, Working Assets, the RainbowPUSH Coalition, the National Organisation for Women and the national umbrella group United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ).

UFPJ's Leslie Cagan told IPS that the level of energy in the antiwar movement has spiked since the November election, when voters ended Republican majorities in both houses of Congress.

"The voters of this country figured out that they could use the November elections as a vehicle to voice their opposition to the war," Cagan said. "What happened there was that the voters gave Congress a mandate to end the war in Iraq and bring the troops home."

That success at the polls gave antiwar citizens more optimism that a large demonstration might make an impact, she said.

In mid-November, United for Peace and Justice called a demonstration for the nation's capital for Jan. 27, with other large mobilisations planned for Los Angeles, Seattle and San Francisco.

In addition, smaller actions are planned for more than 50 cities. In Bismark, North Dakota, the group Surge for Peace will be delivering petitions to members of the local congressional delegation. In Austin, Texas, the Stop the War coalition is hosting a march and rally featuring student activists, Green Party activists, and members of the group Veterans for Peace.

A full listing of all marches nationwide is on the group's website unitedforpeace.org.

"People started saying to us right after the election 'well, what is Congress going to do?'" Cagan said. "And we quickly realised the real question is 'what are we going to do to push this Congress to do what they said they were going to do to get elected'. So we figured we got to get people into Washington as soon as possible after the new session of Congress began."

Organisers said five or six Democratic lawmakers are expected to speak at the rally in Washington, and that Representative Barbara Lee will speak at the Los Angeles gathering.

"A lot more would be speaking but we simply don't have the time on stage," said former congressman Andrews. "If we had all day and there was unlimited time for members of Congress to speak we'd have many members of Congress."

Peace activists will have to fight hard if they want to end the war. In recent weeks, President George W. Bush has proposed escalating the war by sending 21,500 additional U.S. soldiers to Iraq. At least 3,000 troops are already on their way.

In his annual State of the Union address Tuesday night, Bush told a joint session of Congress he "chose this course of action because it provides the best chance of success."

"Many in this chambre understand that America must not fail in Iraq, because you understand that the consequences of failure would be grievous and far-reaching," he added.

While lawmakers from both political parties have put forward proposals condemning Bush's plan to escalate the war, none are binding.

In addition, the new Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, along with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, have already said they don't support efforts to cut funding for the war.

In the official Democratic response to Bush's state of the union address, freshman Senator Jim Webb of Virginia focused more on strategy and tactics than the merits of the war itself.

"We need a new direction," said Webb, whose son is currently deployed as a soldier in Iraq. "The majority of the nation no longer supports the way this war is being fought, nor does the majority of our military."

In his speech, Sen. Webb favoured "regionally based diplomacy, a policy that takes our soldiers off the streets of Iraq's cities, and a formula that will in short order allow our combat forces to leave Iraq."

But he also opposed a "withdrawal that ignores the possibility of further chaos."

United for Peace and Justice's Leslie Cagan told IPS that the mixed message from the Democrats makes a large turnout at Saturday's demonstration particularly important.

"That's why it's critical to keep the pressure on," she said. "We are encouraging every single person who agrees with us who can possibly make the trip to Washington this coming weekend to be with us," adding that the antiwar movement is staging a lobby day on Capital Hill for Monday Jan. 29.

"Now we know it's a big country and everyone can't make the trip," she added. "That's why we've organised demonstrations for over 50 cities across the country including Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle."

Other items in this section

• Latest News
• In The News
• The '06 Fix
• Katrina Updates
• Rosa Parks Day E-mails
• Facts in Mike's Films

More of Latest News

January 26th, 2007 9:26 pm
Congresswoman gets an earful of complaints about Bush policies in Iraq

January 26th, 2007 8:36 pm
'We protest the war'

January 26th, 2007 7:04 pm
Bush: 'I'm the decision-maker' on Iraq

January 26th, 2007 6:58 pm
4 troops abducted, killed in Iraq attack

January 26th, 2007 6:46 pm
Troops cleared to kill Iranians in Iraq

January 26th, 2007 2:10 am
Antiwar protesters target Congress

January 26th, 2007 2:04 am
Democratic senators won't join Iraq war protest in Washington

January 26th, 2007 1:48 am
Protesters greet Bush with calls to end war

January 26th, 2007 1:18 am
Anti-war protesters gather at Walter Jones' Greenville office

January 26th, 2007 12:29 am
White House will cooperate with investigations

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Bush stop the war, idiot!!!!

anuary 26th, 2007 1:48 am
Protesters greet Bush with calls to end war

Impromptu demonstration in Rodney Square draws support

By Summer Harlow / News Journal

WILMINGTON, DE -- War is not the answer!

No more victims!

The anti-war signs with their familiar slogans bobbed along as a dozen marchers and one black Great Dane made their way down 11th Street toward Rodney Square on Wednesday.

Helicopters circled overhead, and drivers, stuck in traffic that had been stopped to allow President Bush's motorcade to pass, honked their horns in support, shouting thanks to the protesters. A few passersby even applauded. Negative comments were few.

One Bush supporter rolled down his window to tell the protesters to get a job.

"Get a conscience," they responded.

"We need to keep speaking out against the war, because our protest now has majority support," said Tom Davis of Wilmington. "The anti-war sentiment is irreversible at this point, and no matter where you are on the political spectrum, you want the troops to come home."

In Rodney Square, across from the DuPont Theatre, the demonstration grew to more than 30 protesters waving American flags and chanting, "Stop the war, stop the war, troops home now."

"I wish we were a thousand strong," said Fred Sinton, of Unionville, Pa. "It's people in the streets that will make the difference."

Ed O'Donnell of Wilmington was proud of his homemade sign -- Bush AND Democrats do nothing about guns and war.

"Both parties have failed us, and not just with Iraq," said O'Donnell.

With all the problems in the world, he said, it's up to the public to try to make a difference.

"If we stop the war one day sooner, or get one gun off the street, it's worth it," he said. "You try to help, one person at a time, one protest at a time, one kind act at a time."

Rob Sadot of Newark said he didn't know how much impact Wednesday's protest would have on Bush.

"But judging from the last election, somebody's paying attention," he said. "By being out here, we're doing something. I think we make people stop and think, at least for that moment."

Where is Osama?

Death, oil and blood vs. Peace, jobs and justice.

Jerome Robinson said he joined the demonstration after he got off work at Kirkwood Fitness and Racquetball Club in downtown Wilmington.

"My brother joined the Army three weeks ago, so now it's personal for me," he said. "It's mind-boggling to me that this started with Osama and shifted to Hussein. We'll probably never know the real motives because it's all just politics. Now all we can do is pray for the troops to come home soon." Pat Jackson brought her son Peter, a senior at the Charter School of Wilmington, to Rodney Square to protest Bush's visit.

"I lived through the Vietnam draft, and I remember listening to the lottery of birthdays, and it was terrifying," she said.

Peter, 17, said he worries if the war continues, Bush's call for more troops could lead to another draft.

So he made a sign to wear over his coat at the demonstration.

Send me to college, not to Iraq.

Impeach Now !!!

hursday, January 11th, 2007
Impeach Now! ...by Jodin Morey

Well, our chance to convince Nancy Pelosi to Impeach Bush/Cheney is this Monday Jan. 15th.

Pelosi most likely said impeachment was "off the table" to remove any appearance of conflict-of-interest that would arise if she were thrust into the presidency as a result of the coming impeachment.

What we need to do is to pressure Pelosi not to interfere with impeachment maneuverings within her party. Sending her Do-It-Yourself impeachments legitimizes her when she is forced to join the impeachment movement in the future.

Sacks and sacks of mail are about to arrive in Nancy Pelosi's office initiating impeachment via the House of Representative's own rules this Monday January 15th. This legal document is as binding as if a State or if the House itself passed the impeachment resolution (H.R. 635).

There's a little known and rarely used clause of the "Jefferson Manual" in the rules for the House of Representatives which sets forth the various ways in which a president can be impeached. Only the House Judiciary Committee puts together the Articles of Impeachment, but before that happens, someone has to initiate the process.That's where we come in. In addition to a House Resolution (635), or the State-by-State method, one of the ways to get impeachment going is for individual citizens like you and me to submit a memorial. ImpeachforPeace.org has created a new memorial based on one which was successful in impeaching a federal official in the past. You can find it on their website as a PDF.

You can initiate the impeachment process and simultaneously help to convince Pelosi to follow through with the process. Do-It-Yourself by downloading the memorial, filling in the relevant information (your name, state, etc.), and sending it in. Be a part of history.

Impeach for Peace -- Impeach Now!