Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Excellent Media Coverage, Important Upcoming Events
Elaine Weinreb at the Humboldt Advocate interviewed me about a week and a half ago. The result is a cover story that is just fantastic. The Advocate doesn't publish online so either find the free weekly at Humboldt newsstands or see the scanned version (.pdf) uploaded to the GuvWurld News Archive.
As far as I know, Tuesday's Eureka Reporter contained the first coverage of the recent Vets For Peace open letter and press release on election conditions. Rebecca S. Bender wrote this article. She is new to the Reporter after spending over three years at the Arcata Eye. Bender has taken over Shane Mizer's beat and apparently Mizer has left the Reporter. He had been doing diligent work there and I hope he pops up at one of the many other Humboldt media outlets.
One thing these two articles have in common is a call for investigation of exactly how Diebold installed uncertified software (.pdf) in our voting machines (and machines in 16 other counties). These articles are totally welcome but they beg the question: when will the media go beyond reporting the demand for investigation and actually conduct an investigation? Please consider that a call to action targeting the media.
Personally, I found that the Humboldt Grand Jury was responsive to my complaint, but District Attorney Paul Gallegos has not returned several messages I have left him as follow-ups to a letter I sent him via certified mail a month ago. I don't have the resources to do a full-scale investigation so again I ask for public pressure to be increased. If you are in one of Diebold's other CA client counties, you can take these same steps where you live. This is the premise of the CA Unity Campaign.
Some upcoming events offer even more opportunities to join the fight for election integrity. This Friday at noon I will be speaking to the HSU Student Voting Committee at Nelson Hall East 116. I believe everyone is welcome. My intention is to discuss two things that GuvWurld readers should know about too. Both are developing so I'll update you later in the week.
1 comments
As far as I know, Tuesday's Eureka Reporter contained the first coverage of the recent Vets For Peace open letter and press release on election conditions. Rebecca S. Bender wrote this article. She is new to the Reporter after spending over three years at the Arcata Eye. Bender has taken over Shane Mizer's beat and apparently Mizer has left the Reporter. He had been doing diligent work there and I hope he pops up at one of the many other Humboldt media outlets.
One thing these two articles have in common is a call for investigation of exactly how Diebold installed uncertified software (.pdf) in our voting machines (and machines in 16 other counties). These articles are totally welcome but they beg the question: when will the media go beyond reporting the demand for investigation and actually conduct an investigation? Please consider that a call to action targeting the media.
Personally, I found that the Humboldt Grand Jury was responsive to my complaint, but District Attorney Paul Gallegos has not returned several messages I have left him as follow-ups to a letter I sent him via certified mail a month ago. I don't have the resources to do a full-scale investigation so again I ask for public pressure to be increased. If you are in one of Diebold's other CA client counties, you can take these same steps where you live. This is the premise of the CA Unity Campaign.
Some upcoming events offer even more opportunities to join the fight for election integrity. This Friday at noon I will be speaking to the HSU Student Voting Committee at Nelson Hall East 116. I believe everyone is welcome. My intention is to discuss two things that GuvWurld readers should know about too. Both are developing so I'll update you later in the week.
One last note, also excellent media exposure, though not about elections. In response to this Eureka Reporter article from Saturday, the paper published this letter to the editor on Monday:Tuesday, March 14 @ Humboldt County Courthouse (825 5th St., Eureka)
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors will be discussing election conditions. The agenda has not been posted yet so I don't know the exact parameters of their discussion. It seems likely, and this is a very optimistic and encouraging projection I'm offering, that last week's demonstration of Vote-PAD may lead to abandonment of the intent to purchase (.pdf) Diebold TSx touch screen machines. At least this is what we should lobby for. We need a big crowd of speakers. The published agenda will provide better insight on the time of day when this is likely to be addressed.Tuesday, April 11, 7pm @ HSU Founders Hall Rm. 118
Save the date for the Demand Your Democracy Forum. The Voter Confidence Committee in conjunction with other community groups will be presenting several speakers and more action opportunities. More details coming very soon. We'll have fliers for this event ready to pass out at the Supes meeting next Tuesday.
Dear Editor,
RE: Area residents question what Bush knew about hurricane, 3/4/2006.
During and immediately after Katrina, as we all watched in horror and disgust, there was a very clear and strong sense that we have to protect ourselves from our government. They had not only failed us, they repeatedly took proactive steps to prevent recovery and assistance from reaching those in need. For many of us, this was only a reminder of what we already knew. For others, it was a wake up call.
Katrina, as a unique weather phenomenon, was hardly the first sign that we need to protect ourselves from our government. We should know this from the way global warming and peak oil are ignored. From the threat of jail without charges or access to an attorney. Because peace organizations are infiltrated and spied upon, and protests are forced into "free speech zones." In the name of the U.S., torture is conducted at secret prisons. Warrantless wiretapping. 9/11.
If we are supposed to fear terrorism, let us clearly identify it. Those who hate our freedoms are those who sign legislation to restrict or cancel them. Those who inflict terror are those who have repeatedly ignored warnings before failing to protect us. The recently released videotape did not "allegedly" show Bush was warned. It showed Bush being warned and gave lie to his absurd claim that no one could have imagined the levees failing. Just like no one could have imagined planes flying into buildings while training exercises were being conducted on that exact scenario.
Fascism is a formula, a recognizable pattern that gradually engulfs a society. It is so blatant that it can't be seen only when the media distorts reality by maintaining illusions of normalcy and by perpetuating the myths of democracy, capitalism, free speech, free markets and free press.
We do not consent. Support the truth.
Dave Berman
Eureka
1 comments
1 Comments:
I'm glad to hear the good news about VotePAD. I also agree that the media should be investigating... is it laziness or complicity that they're not? Your new letter is terrific, by the way.
I don't have Mark K's contact info, so I hope he sees the announcement about the HSU meeting on Friday. He asked me about it Sunday in the Winco parking lot, but I didn't have the location for the meeting yet.
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8:42 AM
