FLAction

Announcements:

BYE, BYE BUSH BASH

A goodbye kiss from the people of Central Florida, you dog! All power to the people.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009 at 8:00pm

Will's Pub
1040 N Mills Avenue
Orlando, FL

The great people of Central Florida eagerly await a new day, to move us beyond the awful Bush Agenda. And, to celebrate his leaving, we are throwing a Bye, Bye Bush Bash!

It's going to be like prom, mixed with New Year's, all over again, but better! Dancing, singing, beatable Bush effigies, interactive games and a couple of Orlando's best bands. Did we mention pinatas? How quickly do effigies become PINATAS!

George W. Bush would not have started his wars against the wrong people in Afghanistan and Iraq, given no-bid contracts and our taxes to his war profiteer buddies, pushed through energy legislation written by the energy industry that hurt the environment and consumers, passed "no child left behind" which fails failing schools, illegally spied on citizens and lied about it before bragging about it, literally whited-out a past President's signatures on international treaties, protected predatory lenders, neo-liberalized our economy to death, denied funding for programs teaching comprehensive sex education, suggested a constitutional amendment to discriminate against gays and lesbians, approved the use of torture on innocent suspects, or ever have spoken unless his cronies promised that his legacy-- the way he is remembered--would be purified and preserved. (Is that a run-on sentence?)

We won't let history be rewritten. If George W. Bush is not the worst U.S. President ever, then he is at least the worst of our lifetime. We'll make sure he is remembered that way.

Musical Performances Include:
-Dos Geniuses (feat. Pat Greene)
-Tele V. Cheeseburger
-The Future on Films in Space (our time machine to the future)
Events include:
-Slideshow presentation considering the best and the worst of the Bush years (the worst is the easy part)
-Throw-your-shoe-at-Bush/shout-shout-let-it-all-out (Let out your frustration over the past 8 years--or more-- by making the most awful comment to our Bush effigy in the amount of time it takes to throw your shoe at it and win a prize awarded by our panel of expert judges)

And entertainment by
-Gene Slacks
-Justin Bowen & Friends
-John Contos
and More!

We encourage you to wear costumes and be ridiculous. This is the last chance you will have to protest Our Failed President, George W. Bush and keep hope alive as we prepare for the future.

Your $5 suggested donation will go to cover costs and benefit Orlando Peace and Justice-- it will also get you a ticket for your first beer. A special thanks to Will's, Tele, and to the Future on Films in Space for helping us make this possible.

maTT De Vlieger
orlando peace and justice organizer
actlikematt@gmail.com
954.536.7461

Posted on Jan 05, 2009 by Florida Action

A Chance to Click for Peace

PEACE NEEDS YOUR HELP:
This is an important message that I need to share with you. I see that the majority of people want peace - same path, different vehicles. BY helping support the passage of this bill - you help KICK open the door to all the things most peace-activists want to see changed. Some of you have endorsed The Peace Alliance and/or the U.S. Department of Peace and Nonviolence Campaign. So I am wondering if you would be willing to help with this action? Please consider forwarding this email to your friends, organizations you know and also posting it on websites you visit.


Because of the tremendous outpouring of support, the idea to create a U.S. Department of WON the first round of voting at the online contest at www.Change.org So this it and we're facing the final round which begins on Monday Jan 5th and ends on Jan 15th. Would you be willing to stand up for peace and support this powerful idea to help change the world? It only takes 2 minutes of your time to do this. If this idea is among the top 10 ideas of the 87 submitted, the direct results of your action have the potential to reach millions of people. President Obama will be handed this idea, a Press Conference will be held at the National Press Club, it will be featured on MySpace reaching millions of Americans and a nonprofit will support the promotion of this cause to ensure it is not swept under the rug.

Please come VOTE for a DEPARTMENT OF PEACE ON MONDAY JAN 5TH TO JAN 15TH. Make sure the BLUE VOTE BUTTON next to the title has turned to a RED VOTED BUTTON in order for your vote to be counted.


VOTE HERE:
Other -"Appoint Secretary of Peace in Department of Peace and Nonviolence".
http://www.change.org/ideas/view/appoint_secretary_of_peace_in_department_of_peace_and_non-violence

Government Reform - Nonviolent Communication in the Government
http://www.change.org/ideas/view/bridging_the_empathy_gap_-_yes_we_can


Make sure the BLUE VOTE BUTTON next to the title has turned to a RED VOTED BUTTON in order for your vote to be counted.



We need your online support by spreading the link below in anticipation of the 10 day run off. I wanted to see if you could quickly vote for this idea.

Would you be willing to share the website link in an email to friends, groups you know, blog it, bulletin it or post the widgety thing on your website??

Please help support this idea and take that extra step. It really works and takes just a few minutes.

You can also help by signing up for breaking news alerts by visiting: www.ThePeaceAlliance.org

Thank You!!

Ana Campos
South Florida State Organizer
U.S. Campaign for a Department of Peace and Nonviolence
Phone: (954) 793-3279
Email: ACampos_2001@yahoo.com

National Website: www.ThePeaceAlliance.org
MySpace: www.MySpace.com/DepartmentofPeaceFlorida
Videos: www.Youtube.com/DOPFloridaCampaign

Posted on Jan 04, 2009 by Florida Campaign for a US Department of Peace and Nonviolence (HR-808)

Pros & Cons Re: Proposed Constitutional Amendments De-mystefied

bold text

The pros and cons of the proposed Amendments to the Florida Constitution are available at the following website:

http://lwvfla.org/pdf%20files/FLVOTERSPECIALEDITION2008Amendin.pdf

Posted on Sep 29, 2008 by St. Augustine Unit of the League of Women Voters

Be Very Careful in St. Augustine/St. Johns County

St. Johns County Sheriff, David Shoar, recently gave out these t-shirts at an event billed as a discussion on homeless veterans. While no one has explained what the local sheriff's office considers "supporting the troops," the sniper image on the front would suggest that it doesn't have a lot to do with peace and justice. Some in this community have expressed concerns that the sheriff is advocating the killing of those who disagree with his political views. (The same paranoid people who thought the government was lying about WMDs in Iraq.)

In addition, on May 17th, Sgt. Michelle Perry, St. Augustine PD (and daughter of Sheriff Shoar's predecessor), told members of St. Augustine People for Peace and Justice that she will issue citations to any motorist who "honks for peace."

You have been warned.

Posted on Jun 12, 2008 by

Impressions of the Bolivarian Revolution

http://www.flaction.org/uploads/docs/venezuelareportb.pdf is my impression of the situation in Venezuela and the aspirations of the Venezuelan people. It's an impression gathered from reading everything I could get my hands on in the three-month period between December 2007 and February 2008, and a three-week visit to the country in January and February, during which I discussed Venezuelan affairs with people day in and day out.

What weight to give to my impressions? I speak fluent Spanish and have traveled extensively in Central and South America. The parts of my CV that lend credibility to my impressions are experience as an American Friends Service Committee observer in Honduran refugee camps in 1982; two years documenting human rights violations in Guatemala and Mexico (Chiapas); working in development in Nicaragua during the Sandinista Revolution between 1983 and 1990; and two years working with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in the Philippines.

See the article at:
http://www.flaction.org/uploads/docs/venezuelareportb.pdf

Good reading!
Jo McIntire (jomcintire@bellsouth.net

Posted on Apr 14, 2008 by

St. Pete for Peace 2007 Slideshow

Check out the St. Pete for Peace 2007 in Review slideshow on YouTube (shown in two parts):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzX7xmt1Uc4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_s2xTGmBMk&feature=related

Posted on Feb 24, 2008 by

Immokalee Workers Slide Show

Go to the CIW site now to see the new slideshow by clicking on the link below:

http://www.ciw-online.org/news.html

Debunk This...

For several months now, Burger King and the Florida tomato growers' lobby have joined forces to "debunk the myth" of farmworker poverty, in their effort to fight back against workers demanding a raise in the picking piece rate.

The piece rate -- defined as the price paid to pickers for every 32-lb bucket of tomatoes they pick -- has remained effectively stagnant for nearly thirty years. In 1980, the going piece rate was 40 cents per bucket. Today, twenty eight years later, workers are paid an average of only 45 cents per bucket.

We are happy to be able to share with you an incredible new gallery of photos from Immokalee's fields by a young photographer out of Gainesville, Scott Robertson.

The pictures were taken in December of 2007. They capture work and life as a tomato picker in Immokalee as it is today: Looking for work before dawn, picking for 10 to 12 hours a day under Florida's relentless sun, and returning after a long day to the one-room cinder block apartments and broken-down trailers that are home during Immokalee's 8-9 month-long season.

Burger King and Florida's tomato growers say farmworker poverty is a "myth." The US Department of Labor says farmworkers are "a labor force in significant economic distress," suffering "low wages (and) sub-poverty annual earnings."

What's myth and what's reality? We hope these pictures can help you decide for yourself.

Thanks - Coalition of Immokalee Workers

Posted on Jan 07, 2008 by