Nationwide Student Strike, September 26

[paineinthearse]

Received in an email dated August 28. I've been away but did a search and did not get a "hit". Pardon if a repeat.

This action makes complete sense to me. Many students, potentially cannon fodder, will not be able to attend the DC protest the prior weekend. This is a vehicle for them to express their solidarity and strength.

NATIONWIDE STUDENT STRIKE Sept. 26th -- START SPREADING THE WORD !


(US) NATIONWIDE STUDENT STRIKE Sept. 26th

Backed by Noam Chomsky and more than 100 other professors so far...a call has been put out for a student strike on Sept. 26, coordinated with the D.C. action on the September 24-25 weekend.

This effort is in line with Cindy's efforts, but seeks to begin to transfer the focus from Texas to the nation's 300-plus Pentagon-dependent universities.

September 26, 2005

President George W. Bush, The White House
Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, Department of Defense, The Pentagon
President Nils Hasselmo, Association of American Universities
Governor Ted Kulongoski, State of Oregon
President Dave Frohnmayer, University of Oregon

Dear Public Servants,

As University of Oregon's first graduate student in the field of Peace Studies, it is my responsibility to explore the role of the military in society and those conditions that most promote peace and human welfare. In so doing, I have come to understand the nature of America's war industry, and how that industry has flourished in the wake of the Cold War. I have come to find that more than 300 of our universities are developing weapons for the Department of Defense, and that these schools are increasingly reliant on the industry of war to sustain their education programs. Indeed, the Association of American Universities appears to be little more than a lobby for such funding.

As a person of good conscience, I have learned too much about the business of war to remain silent about its overwhelming encroachment in our schools, communities, and global life systems. In promoting this encroachment, I do not believe that you serve in the interest of
prosperity and security for the common people. By your consistent actions, in fact, it is abundantly clear that you believe America's top priority is profit from the business of war, not the general welfare of its people.

When America was born a people-first country, the concept of freedom spread rapidly throughout the world without military force. The vision of our Founders was to advance the notion of people living in peace using the freedom that nature provides upon birth. You may feel at peace with yourselves, but I believe you are acting as businessmen instead of servants. And in honoring our Founding principles, I must proclaim that to exploit the fears and prejudices of the common people to maintain the flow of profits from conflict--to perpetuate a state of war for personal gain--is treasonous to our creed.

You say this is a peace-loving nation when you know it is not; America is by far history's greatest peddler of arms, and your business is making war everyone else's business. The people, under this set of priorities, are an expendable resource, and on behalf of those who founded this country and those whose lives stand in peril today--thus, on behalf of all Americans--I reject the notion of our servants serving only themselves and war profiteers.

Therefore, I feel compelled to strike in peaceful but vociferous opposition to your priorities until our national policies reflect our priorities and serve the rights and needs of the common people.

I am a dedicated scholar and University of Oregon alumnus. But I refuse to study inside the classroom of any school that sells itself to the war industry, and I will stand outside and speak my heart as strongly as possible to highlight the obvious hypocrisy that you promote. For I fear that if I do not, America and other countries are very likely to suffer and fall as a result of your cold determination to saturate with weapons a world that stands on the verge of resource depletion.

Developing weapons at our institutions of enlightenment contradicts the inherent purpose of learning. How will we ever learn peace while making war in our schools?

I hereby submit to you this petition for peaceful priorities.

Dutifully, Brian D. Bogart [e-mail]
Multicultural Studies Certificate,
US-Japan Relations,
Lewis and Clark College,
Portland 1995
International Studies Certificate, Waseda University,
Tokyo 1996
B.A. Japanese History, University of Oregon 1997
M.A. Candidate, Peace Studies, University of Oregon

Sponsors of this action include:

Noam Chomsky
Institute Professor Emeritus of Linguistics
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Franklin W. Stahl
Professor Emeritus of Biology
University of Oregon

Peter Phillips Ph.D.
Sociology Department/Project Censored
Sonoma State University

(names removed for space)

--
"The country we carry in our hearts is waiting."
-- Bruce Springsteen (Wage Peace)

Grant E. Remington
2503 NE Dunckley
Portland, Oregon 97212
503-282-5015
[e-mail]

U.S. Labor Against War (USLAW)
www.uslaboragainstwar.org <http://www.uslaboragainstwar.org/>
PMB 153
1718 "M" Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20036

Co-convenors: Gene Bruskin, Maria Guillen, Fred Mason, Bob Muehlenkamp, and Nancy Wohlforth

National Organizer &
Website Coordinator: Michael Eisenscher

Administrative Staff: Adrienne Nicosia

[steve2470]

1. Recommended ! nt

[johnaries]

2. Ditto! Just 2 more votes.... n/t

[subutane]

39. Official Blog for Student Strike

Hello, this is Brendan from PoliticalSwitchboard.com

Paine was nice enough to clue me into the event. So I set up an Official Blog. Anyone organizing a local strike can write for the blog, everyone else can post info in the comments.

To request access to write simply go to the blog and register as a new user.

http://imagision.com/index.php/strike

Then request access to write for the blog in the comments.

If anyone needs to contact me about this please do so
human_generic @ yahoo.com


Thanks everyone!

Other Ways to help:

Grab the newsfeed from the blog. http://imagision.com/xmlsrv/rss2.php?blog=6

Register our blog in your favorite blog directories.
Blog about the blog.
Technorati Tag it.
Make some graphics, we'll post them.

Peace!

[jsamuel]

3. Interresting

[sans-culotte]

4. Oh hell yeah!

any excuse for a day off.
I'm a Govt major taking 3 govt classes this semester, so my prof's will just have to understand.

(btw, it's govt not pol sci at mt school, W&M. Only college I know that still calls it that)

[sans-culotte]

6. ok i've long been posting on other sites and visiting here freq...

frequently. But how many posts do you have to have to recommend a post??
I just started posting around here dangit.
I understand why but man it bites to see that message.
See, I'd have just put you up a notch, but this thing won't let me.

[paineinthearse]

8. sans-culotte

Welcome to DU

:hi:

[FreedomAngel82]

30. Welcome to DU!

I think you have to have so many posts to recommend. I'm not sure if the rules have changed though. :shrug:

[wli]

5. here comes Bushler's Tianenmen Square

I'm sure he's salivating at the prospect of student casualties.

[OxQQme]

9. I'll kick it for you sans-culotte n/t

As an Oregonian, I'm pleased to.

[WePurrsevere]

7. Excellent! Let's Rock the "House"...

right off BushCo's foundation of LIES.

[Independent_Liberal]

10. Kick!

[MADem]

11. Holy shit, shades of Vietnam

Sit ins, Be ins, Teach ins, student strikes.

Everything old is new again...

[WillyT]

12. Recommended And Kicked !!!

:bounce::yourock::bounce:

[phusion]

13. Excellent idea...

I can't be in DC but I'll be on my campus that day!

[yorkiemommie1]

14. kick

n/t

[Lars39]

15. Why limit this to students?

:)

[babsbunny]

17. Yeah!

A call off work day too!!!

[shadowlight]

16. that is beautiful n/t

[KG]

18. right on!

[Peace Patriot]

19. This is excellent news! Thank you for the post! Recommended!

There is no one who has more to lose--or who has lost more of their future already--at the hands of this horrendous regime, than students and young people. And I truly hope that when the youth movement gets on its feet and finds its voice, it will not just focus on the war, but will also focus on the MECHANISM of power--our vote--that has been taken away from us!

In the 2004 election, 80% of the vote was tabulated by two rightwing corporations, Diebold and ES&S, using SECRET, PROPRIETARY programming code, often with no paper trail whatsoever, let alone a real paper ballot backup. The election was non-transparent and unverifiable, and there is much evidence that Diebold's and ES&S's secret formulae produced the wrong result--and THAT's how this dreadful, Bust Cartel regime can still be in power.

The remedy is simple (except for the bipartisan corruption surrounding the installation of these fraudulent voting systems--which has to dealt with on a case by case basis). We need...

Paper ballots hand-counted at the precinct level (--Canada does it in one day, although speed should not even be a consideration, just accuracy and verifiability)

or, at the least

Paper ballot (not "paper trail") backup of all electronic voting, a 10% audit (automatic recount), strict security, and NO SECRET, PROPRIETARY programming code! (...jeez!).

It's so simple! A no-brainer! Why don't we have transparent elections?!

I can assure you that, if we did, this country would a force for peace in the world, not war; a force for justice at home and abroad, not home base for global corporate piracy and predation; and we would be feeling inspiration right now from the visionary goals set by our leaders--conversion to alternative energy; strong protection of our planet's natural resources; medical care for all, not just for the prosperous; good jobs in a highly creative environment with decent wages and benefits and a safety net for all citizens; fair taxation; aid to needy countries (not bombs and threats!); and many other POSITIVE endeavors.

I assure you that this is what most Americans want--but the great majority in America has been disempowered and DISENFRANCHISED. We vote, and our votes meaning nothing and change nothing--and, with Bushites now having direct control over the fate of our votes, things are likely to get far worse.

WE MUST CHANGE THIS! We must restore the integrity of our election system. And it's still possible at the state/local level, where power over election systems still resides, and where ordinary people still have some influence.

Join your local election reform group now--or form your own--and let's get this done. Student activism could turn the tide!

See the DU Forum "2004 Election Results and Discussion" for information and action ideas:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=203


------

Diebold and ES&S, and other manufacturers of election theft machinery may be operating on your campus as database vendors or with ATM machines, or in other capacities. They should be banned from all colleges and universities--along with defense contractors, weapons developers and military recruiters. Diebold, ES&S, Sequoia and other electronic voting companies have done more to destroy our democracy than any other entity currently operating our country. They need to be boycotted and removed from the election system. You wonder why Bush is in office? Because his buddies are counting the votes--in secret! I kid you not. Look into it--and get active today!

[OneGrassRoot]

20. SNAP!!!!

Bravo to them!!! :bounce: :applause:

I've been stressing this to my 12-year-old over and over again lately....that they work for US!!!! WE THE PEOPLE!!!! It's time for that revolution, all right.....:headbang:

[Nothing Without Hope]

21. YES!!! I participated in student strikes during the Viet Nam war. I hope

for no murders of protesters as happened at Kent State.

But dissenters have been labeled as "terrorists" by the FBI:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1735413
Thread title: ACLU: FBI labeled peace, affirmative action group 'terrorist'
Posted by rawstory LBN Forum Mon Aug-29-05 04:18 PM

And on Fox News encourages guests to call for murder of multiple national leaders:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2039206
Thread title: FOX VIDEO- Hannity eggs on guest who wants multiple world leaders murdered

Is it such a big step to RW extremist nutjobs using their guns (so easy, a great weapon for urban cowards) to "protect the country" by assassinating peace activists? Cindy Sheehan's courage is need for more than just facing down the Crawford Coward; she's a true warrior, and the neocons would welcome her removal, as they make clear.

[yodermon]

22. Hell, lets make it a General Strike. n/t

[Usrename]

23. They are the future n/t

[Donailin]

24. There should aalso be a sit-out for High School students across the US

Both my sons did this three years ago in Middle School. They were two of about ten that chose to protest at the flag pole. The principle was totally cool about it because he had no advance notice that any 6-8 graders were planning on doing this. while he said he could not encourage it altogether because he was unsure of how parents would react, he said he wouldn't be angry but would give any student thirty minute detention the following day. The detention was anything but punishing. They got to eat snacks and shoot the shit.

However at the High School, there were many many kids that not only protested at the flag, but brought signs and were able to stand at the road. No detention at all.

[FreedomAngel82]

31. Interesting

I wonder why they did detention for the younger ones. :shrug: I guess the high schools are becoming more adults and growing up and finding their own voice and the parents of middle school kids still think of them as children. :shrug: But at least it wasn't long and they didn't get in trouble. Did it go on their permanent record though?

[Donailin]

35. No it didn't

But your spot on. . . the principle and vice principle supported the effort, they were not so sure that parents would. . so in order to protect themselves from backlash, they compromised.

[paineinthearse]

25. Teach-in 101

What if, at the high and middle school levels, teach-in's were held?

Are there any materials related to how * got the country into this messopotamia, readily available for teachers and volunteer parents could use?

[FreedomAngel82]

32. Yes

And show all types of films as well. From F911 to Hijacking Castrophe and the film about the Carlyle Group and how they make money and profits from war. Show what a failure Bush has been. This would be very good.

[autorank]

26. "Road trip" -- This is great if they pull it off.

It's about time. Students have been less visible than expected on the war issue. I'd love to see this work.

Kick/Recommend

:kick:

[strike one]

27. Strike for Peace Campaign update

Thank you to whomever posted my Petition for Peaceful Priorities. Please note that this petition will be delivered TWICE: Once on September 26, and then again on the last day of the school year next June with signatures from everyone.

The point of gathering signatures from educators prior to 9/26 was to help build the network. The point of gathering signatures all year long is to allow students to go out and inform everyone in their communities about the extent of the war industry in our schools, communities, and lives.

Below is further information, and please feel free to contact me and get involved. The strategy is simple, but we do need campaign managers in every school, and help from everyone in getting out the word of the launch date. Pass the word.

Thanks and best wishes for peace,
Brian Bogart

Build the movement:
If you would like to sign my petition, please send your name and city (title and/or school optional but recommended) as you would like them to appear (using above examples) to: [e-mail]
If you would like to support the strike campaign with organizational resources, write to: [e-mail]
If you would like to support the strike campaign with financial resources:
Write checks to IntelligentFuture and
Send to:

Strike for Peace
PO Box 3150
University of Oregon
Eugene OR 97403

My school town is an EXAMPLE of war-industry ties to our communities:
Eugene, Oregon (population 130,000) has 56 companies that serve the US military.
University of Oregon receives major funding from the Pentagon.
My home town is an EXAMPLE of war-industry ties to our communities:
Palo Alto, California (population 58,000) has 55 companies that serve the US military.
Stanford University receives major funding from the Pentagon.

What about your school or town? Find out: Ask Brian and support the effort.
[e-mail]
CampUS Strike for Peace Campaign
September 26, 2005 – June 10, 2006

MAJOR UNIVERSITIES RECEIVING DoD FUNDS FOR WEAPONS DEVELOPMENT:
Brandeis University
Brown University
California Institute of Technology
Carnegie Mellon University
Case Western Reserve University
Columbia University
Cornell University
Duke University
Emory University
Harvard University
Indiana University
Iowa State University
Johns Hopkins University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
McGill University
Michigan State University
New York University
Northwestern University
Ohio State University
Pennsylvania State University
Princeton University
Purdue University
Rice University
Rutgers, New Jersey State University
Stanford University
Stony Brook, New York State University
Syracuse University
Texas A&M University
Tulane University
Vanderbilt University
Washington University, St. Louis
Yale University
University at Buffalo, New York State
University of Arizona
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Davis
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, San Diego
University of California, Santa Barbara
University of Chicago
University of Colorado, Boulder
University of Florida
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
University of Iowa
University of Kansas
University of Maryland, College Park
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
University of Missouri, Columbia
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
University of Oregon
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
University of Rochester
University of Southern California
University of Texas, Austin
University of Toronto
University of Virginia
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin, Madison
(Smaller schools number in the hundreds - 338 as of 2002.)

#44 on the DoD Top-100 procurement list: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
#66 on the DoD Top-100 procurement list: Johns Hopkins University
#21 on the Navy Top-50 procurement list: Johns Hopkins University
#41 on the Navy Top-50 procurement list: Pennsylvania State University
#11 on the Air Force Top-50 procurement list: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

56 companies in Eugene serve the Pentagon, not counting suburbs.
300 in Portland city.
3600 in San Diego city.
At minimum, 350 schools are developing weapons in exchange for funds.
ALL THANKS TO DoD "OUTSOURCING"
There is no greater hypocrisy than that of making weapons in schools, and no better ready-made network for correcting this hypocrisy and organizing Americans for peace.

[paineinthearse]

36. strike one

Welcome to DU

:hi:

And a big thanks for starting this action.

Please keep us advised of developments.

[paineinthearse]

37. DU, give Brian Bogart a big "hello"

Brian is the creative energy behind this idea.

[paineinthearse]

38. Anyone have a link to the petition site?

Brian is collecting contact info by Hotmail! Yikes.

What's that free petition website he may wish to use instead?

[subutane]

40. Hello!

I'm Brendan, the guy Paine referenced. I set up a blog for the event here:

http://imagision.com/index.php/strike

newsfeed:
http://imagision.com/xmlsrv/rss2.php?blog=6

If you'd like to write directly for the blog just go and register on the site and request that I grant permission to you in the comments.

If you'd like me to do the postings for you simply email me at
human_generic @ yahoo.com

In a day or two I'll be able to go over some more things with you.

Sincerely,
Brendan
PoliticalSwithboard.com

[strike one]

28. Strike update PS:

This is probably an important post script:

I am not asking anyone else to strike, but to simply support this action by helping with the information outreach effort (in our schools and throughout the nation).

Thanks,

Brian Bogart

[FreedomAngel82]

29. This is great!!

Go Noam Chomskey! And it's on a Monday so I don't have class that day anyways. Hehe. But I'm glad something is being done. Spread the word to your college and young democrats and just anybody! We definitley need to make this a movement!

[paineinthearse]

33. Lesson One: Do not be Distracted

Lesson One: Do not be Distracted

Whatever today's White House-generated smokescreen or korporate media-generated distraction, stay current and aware, but please stay focused on the significant political issues.

I take reassurance from Mr. Conyers' gentle reminder of July 20: "...I for one will not be distracted. We have learned all to well that this Administration can and will manipulate the media to its advantage. However, its absolutely critical that we continue our work...".

[paineinthearse]

34. .

:kick: