Labor Day Parade Rochester NY September 2 2013
Rochester Rallies Against Attack on Syria
Demonstrators from across the political spectrum of left to right gathered at the Liberty Pole on August 29 to demand that the US call off its plans to bomb Syria. Polls show that less than 10 percent of the US population supports such an attack. Passing cars blew their horns in support of the protesters.
Later that day the British Parliament voted not to support a US attack on Syria. Many demonstrators carried signs calling attention to Article I Section 8 of the US Constitution. The article gives Congress the power to declare war on a foreign power. Two days later on August 31, President Obama said he would seek Congressional approval for the planned attack. Demonstrations across the country and the world no doubt weighed heavily on that decision. Unfortunately many mainstream media outlets are strongly in favor of war. Some of them are owned by corporations that have military contracts.
Congress returns on September 9. It is imperitive that anyone who wishes to prevent this attack on Syria, a country who has done nothing to the US or any US citizen, to contact their senators and representatives and demand a "no" vote on war with Syria. This could be one of our last chances at real democracy.
Exclusivity in Diversity's Clothing
The town of Greece would like us to believe that everyone is welcome at their public meetings. After all, that’s what they’ve been telling the courts. They’ve even got a civility policy. The Policy for Decorum at Meetings of Town Boards, first adopted in 2010 and readopted every year since, sets strict guidelines on what exactly can be said during these meetings. But a closer look at the policy shows that these guidelines only apply to board members, town staff, audience members, and anyone making a formal public address to the board.
Nowhere in this policy does it mention prayer-givers. So why has the town of Greece restricted public speech, but not public prayer? When the town board hands the mic to its prayer-giver of choice, it does so with no restrictions at all on prayer content. The board has carved out a clear exception for prayer-givers that does not apply to anyone else attending the meetings. Audience members may be banned from “…the utterance of loud, threatening or abusive language…” but prayer-givers certainly aren’t.
That calls into question the Town's concern for civility. Prayer-givers have been handed an obvious opportunity to deliver messages that exclude and even criticize different points of view. For example, one prayer-giver accused people who disagree with the Town's practice as being members of an "ignorant" "minority." Still other clergy have expressed the view that accepting Jesus Christ is the only means of salvation.
Historically, the Town’s prayer practice has been obviously exclusive, from 1999-2007, all prayer-givers hailed from Christian denominations. In 2008, after a lawsuit was filed against the town, the board broke with tradition and allowed representatives from three non-christian religions to open the meetings with prayer. This ended with the leader of the Baha'i temple delivering the prayer in December 2008.
But then the Town didn’t contact the Baha’i leader for the next four years. He finally called the town to ask why he hadn’t been asked back. They’ve agreed to let him return this month, almost five years after his original appearance. If the board is so committed to inclusivity, why didn’t they continue their diverse roster past 2008? Why did this Bah’ai minister have to contact them himself? And if the Town’s goal really is to be inclusive, why aren’t prayer-givers asked to respect other faiths – or at least to be civil?
The Town’s disregard for religious diversity has led to an environment that marginalizes minority religions and non-religious perspectives. Both of the women who filed the lawsuit against the town were sent anonymous letters that said among other things that, "If you feel 'unwanted' at the Town of Greece meetings, its probably because you are." The writer suggested that the women not participate in anything to do with religion, that they “do everyone a favor” and stay away from town meetings, and reminded them, again, that “hateful people like you are not appreciated…anywhere.” It was signed “666.”
Rochester Police Officer Mario V. Masic: “I do what I wanna do. My name's Cowboy. This is my block.”
Lewis Powell wasn't expecting the Cowboy and his lackeys to be breaking into his legally parked car on Jefferson Avenue near Iceland Park as he looked over his shoulder around 9:00PM on Tuesday, August 13, 2013. And yet, there they were. The Cowboy was rifling through Mr. Powell's car and throwing his and his wife's possessions on the ground—including Mrs. Powell's purse, while two other officers, one white, one black—both men—stood by and watched.
An incredulous and outraged Mr. Powell approached the officers demanding to know why they were breaking into and searching his car, “Whatcha doin' man?! Whacha doin' in my car?!”
The Cowboy turned to Mr. Powell and told him, “I do what I wanna do. My name's Cowboy. This is my block.”
In an effort not to confuse folks, Cowboy is a street name for Rochester Police Department officer Mario Masic who wears a uniform and terrorizes the Jefferson Avenue neighborhood as well as the 19th Ward.
Mario Masic was the officer who arrested Emily Good who was charged with obstruction of governmental administration as she was videotaping a racially motivated traffic stop in front of her 19th Ward home on May 12, 2011. Her charges were dropped by the District Attorney after severe public outcry ensued. Read more stories related to Good, her arrest, and current candidacy for Monroe County Sheriff on Rochester Indymedia.
No doubt, Masic has committed other enraging, illegal, and unconstitutional acts in the neighborhood as many residents can attest.
At this point, Mrs. Powell approached the scene. Masic told the African American officer to search and detain her. He also ordered the white officer to detain Mr. Powell. Neither officer looked especially happy at the situation, but complied anyway with the order from Masic, according to Mr. Powell.
No explanation was given for why Masic decided to break into Mr. Powell's car. No tickets were written and no one was arrested.
Masic, after finding nothing in the car, commanded the Powells to get in their car and leave. As the couple was trying to gather their scattered possessions, the police got into their cars and left the scene. Things ended around 10:00PM.
Mr. Powell plans on filing a complaint against the officers involved through Professional Standards Section sometime this week.
Mr. Powell is asking for help. If anyone has any video from this incident, please get a hold of Rochester Indymedia. We can be reached online at RochesterIndymedia@rocus.org or through Pastor Nina Warr at Inner Faith Gospel Tabernacle, located at 32 York Street. If you have stories about “Cowboy” please let us know.
A Celebration of 48 Years of Medicare
PRE.cjk { font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback",monospace; }PRE.ctl { font-family: "Lohit Hindi",monospace; }P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }
On July 30, 2013 local activists from Metro Justice, Band of Rebels, and Single Payer NY carried a "Happy Birthday" banner and 48 blue and white cupcakes to the office of Assembly member Harry Bronson. The celebration was in commemoration of the signing of Medicare into law by then president Johnson 48 years ago in 1965. Medicare is a single-payer health care system for people over 65. Bill A7860 has been introduced into the New York Assembly by member Richard Gottfried of Manhattan. Bronson, who represents much of Rochester is a co-sponsor. A similar bill S5425 has been introduced in the New York Senate. Unlike "Obamacare" which requires everyone to purchase private insurance or pay a tax penalty, the New York bill would actually provide health care for everyone. It would be funded by a graduated tax on income. It will work similar to the Federal Medicare program only it will cover everyone. It is also similar to Canada's Medicare which is what they call their national health system. Our neighbor to the east, Vermont, recently enacted a similar program. Vermont is barely the size of Monroe County. New York State is roughly the same size in both population and economic wealth as Australia, a country which has one of the world's best single payer health systems. Canada's successful system began in the province of Saskatchewan before spreading nationwide. New York and Vermont could set a similar trend for the US. For those fortunate enough to have it, much of the health insurance today is provided by employers. The cost of insurance keeps increasing, putting a burden on businesses and discouraging the hiring of more workers. Removing this burden from both large and small businesses would make New York a lot more job-friendly. General Motors has long lamented that it costs more per car for employee health care than it does for the steel it's made out of. Bruce Popper of the Service Employees International Union pointed out that more automobiles are manufactured in the Canadian province of Ontario than in Michigan and Ohio combined, because employers in Canada are not burdened with employee health care costs. The celebration was begun and ended with songs from Rochester's Raging Grannies.Judge Miller Passes the Buck on Benny Warr
Related Rochester Indymedia articles: Press Release for March/Rally on June 28 & Press Packet of Discovery Material | Hurry up and wait: Judge doesn't see motions papers until day of court | Police Brutality and the new Jim Crow | Rochester Indymedia checks in with the Center for Disability Rights on Benny Warr's case | Video Reportback! Enough Is Enough! Community Rally and March! | "Not Guilty!" Benny Warr Arraigned | Disabled Man Assaulted by RPD While Waiting for Bus | Flyer for Benny Warr Rally | The RPD's policies and procedures for ADA compliance: Are they doing a good job? | Have you seen these guys? | Have you seen "Big Face"? | Flyer for Benny Warr Rally on May 30th! | Dredging Up the Past on Police Union President Mike Mazzeo
Related articles: Rochester, NY Police officers Assault Disabled Man in Motorized Wheelchair | Rochester, NY Police officer Cedric Felton Remains Professional, When Asked About Incident With Disabled Man in Wheelchair Being Assaulted by RPD officers, but Female officer Has No Comment | Rochester, NY's So-Called 'Black Leaders' Silent After Disabled African-American Man In Wheelchair Is Beaten By RPD Officers | SocialistWorker.org: "My god, they're beating him" | Minority Reporter: Support Growing for Wheel-Chair-Bound Man Beaten by Police
Rochester Celebrates 40th Gay Pride Day
Rochester held its 40th annual Gay Pride parade and festival on July 22 2013. This year's festival marked several political events. Most noticeable was the Wizard of Oz themed "Ding Dong DOMA is Dead" regarding the Supreme Court ruling on the unconstitutional "Defense Of Marriage Act" which prohibited the Federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages. There were marchers dressed as witches, tin men, lions and Dorothy. There were displays of houses falling on effigies of hate and bigotry. A local take on the story evolved when Monroe County executive Maggie Brooks refused to fly the group's Rainbow flag at county facilities.
There were also groups marching in support of Private Bradley Manning. Manning is currently on trial for exposing classified government documents revealing war crimes committed by US troops. While Manning has been in prison and faces a possible life sentence, no one who actually committed the war crimes has been prosecuted or even investigated. Manning is not alone as another whistle-blower Edward Snowden is in exile after exposing additional crimes of US the government and intelligence agencies. No one exposed by Snowden has been prosecuted or investigated as well.
Perhaps more troubling was what happened when I arrived early at the event. When asked where the Bradley Manning groups were meeting, the most common response was "Who is Bradley Manning?" This represents nothing short of a failure of our mainstream news media to do its job.
Activists Organize to Take Back the 4th
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. --4th Amendment to the US Constitution
Activists in Rochester, NY ranging in political scope from the Tea Party to the Green Party gathered on July 4 2013 to "Take Back the 4th." Not the holiday but the amendment. Recent spying operations by the Government recently revealed by whistle-blower Edward Snowden show that the Consitiution and the privacy of Americans are under assault. The transgressions have gone beyone the US government. State and local governments and private corporations have been complicit.
The event ended with a call for Americans get educated, stand up and stay engaged. We need to make the Constitution meaningful again. This movement will continue.
Supporters Gather in Solidarity with Texas Women
Demonstrators gathered in Washington Square park on Monday July 15 with cars beeping their horns in support. Chanting "Rochester stands with Texas women" the rally was called after the Texas legislature passed a restrictive bill that would close most abortion clinics in the state. Governor Rick Perry(R) intends to sign the bill. Similar restrictions have been imposed in other states some of which are as close to us as Ohio.
Being Pro-Choice is not about having abortions! It is about choosing when to start a family and how large or small is will be. A right that belongs to everyone.
In New York, Governor Cuomo sent a ten-point Women's Equality Agenda bill to the Legislature during the past session. It would have guaranteed New York women access to safe, legal abortion and birth control. It would have also granted women equal pay for equal work, and prohibited discrimination against pregnant women and mothers. The law passed in the Assembly but was defeated by Republicans in the Senate.
The group left the park at 6:00pm and marched to Meigs Street to join in a rally for slain Florida teenager Travon Martin. It was a difficult week for human rights. The struggle continues.
Water, Water, Everywhere: To Frack or not to Frack
original article: https://mkgandhiinstitute.wordpress.com/2013/07/10/water-water-everywhere-to-frack-or-not-to-frack/
http://www.gandhiinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/MG_7981-300×200.jpg
As the crowd surrounding the New York State Capitol building for the June 17th New York Crossroads Hydro Fracking Rally in Albany, NY grew in numbers so too did the volume level and diversity in backgrounds, professions and messages of attendees. The atmosphere and chants heard echoing throughout the Capitol square coalesced in one clear message: No to Hydraulic Fracturing in New York State, Yes to alternative energy technologies. The former message could be gathered by mere observance of the signs and symbolism illustrated by the crowd. The latter became more clear and cohesive as attendees and keynote speakers demonstrated the implications that “fracking” policy in New York State holds not only for the region and the nation but more pressingly for global water systems. Undoubtedly, the direction we take in terms of energy policy in the United States often sets longstanding precedents domestically and internationally.
Each year the International Energy Agency (IEA) discovers more shale formations in an increasing number of countries, this year up 41 from 32 in 2011. Therefore, as New Yorkers, as Americans, and as humans, we hold the responsibility to make truly sustainable and conscientious choices about the sources of the energy we use everyday based on the well being of ourselves, children living on the other side of the world and generations yet to be born. Why? Just ask a second grader how the water cycle works. The likely answer: what goes around, comes around, goes back around. Furthermore, what happens to the entirety of the cycle when one water source becomes contaminated? The same answer applies. On a planet with unprecedented climate change, growing population, nuclear proliferation, changing food systems and dwindling fresh water reserves, how we preserve or pollute our fresh water resources is and will increasingly become a question of quality of life, world politics and the ability for living beings to exist on earth.
The debate over whether to allow or to continue the moratorium on high-volume hydraulic fracturing of the Marcellus and Utica Shale in New York State (NYS) sits at the crux of US energy policy. The IEA has projected that by 2020 the United States will be the largest producer of oil in the world, surpassing Saudi Arabia by means of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling. Estimates state that by 2020 the US will produce 11 million barrels a day, however holding the top production spot for only 5 years. This projected shift from reliance on oil from the Middle East to domestic oil does in fact offer one solution to continue on the current trend of a fossil fuel energy system and to feeding the ever-growing demand for oil to fuel American cars, industry and most every aspect of our lives.
However, opponents of hydraulic fracturing are demanding answers to two major questions: What are the short and long-term effects of fracking and reliance on fossil fuels? What more, what other options do we have?
Speakers at the June 17th rally provided evidence of the social, economic, geo-political and environmental dangers faced by fracking as well as a range of alternative energy solutions that are already forming shifts in energy policy with proven potential of being more economical and environmentally sound. Science, much at the core of this debate, has been a decisive factor in Governor Andrew Cuomo mandating the state-wide moratorium which has been said to be somewhat symbolic. It is important to bear in mind that science has also been at the core of the debates denying or confirming smoking as a carcinogen, global warming, the effects of DDT, and acid rain to human and corporate conduct. As seen in debates on such other issues a majority of the scientific community is unanimous on the negligence by various entities, yet think tanks and lobbyists backing big business are often given equal media attention. But as the line between symbolism and policy begin to blur in the fracking debate, pressure from both energy lobbyists and the 1,000+ NYS businesses, 200+ anti-fracking organizations and 7,000+ New Yorkers who’ve pledged their lives in non-violent direct action to oppose the practice is peaking. As the rally progressed, word spread that the New York State representatives inside the State Capitol Building could hear the chants reverberating from outside their ongoing meetings. It is noteworthy that a small number of politicians showed up to the rally including Tony Avela and Maurice Hinchy who are both outspoken opponents of fracking.
As each keynote speaker spoke, they repeatedly addressed the elected officials within the walls of the Capitol as well as their constituents gathered outside. And so began the outline of the rational for the necessity to prohibit hydraulic fracturing and instead accelerate implementation of solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, and wind technologies to produce energy with less environmental and human degradation than what the current reliance on oil sources have led to in the Middle East, Africa, in the United States and beyond.
As the first speaker, renowned Native American environmentalist and diplomat Oren Lyons reminded the crowd that “water is life” and as trustees living in North America among the Great Lakes which comprise roughly 18% of global freshwater, we hold immense responsibility for preserving the cycle and anticipate the consequences for our actions today seven generations down the line and beyond.
Fundamental economics are based on cost-benefit analyses and the evaluation of risks involved in investments. Because the current economic structure in the United States is centered around a fossil fuel industrial complex, investing in new forms of energy is perceived as high risk. Often missing in discussion of supply-demand economics is the contrast between short term and long-term outcomes. As Alec Guettel, co-founder of Sungevity, a solar technologies company took the stage, he outlined not only the environmental necessity to make shifts to alternative energy immediately but also the economic viability of doing so. Guettal states that in the past 10 years natural gas prices have remained virtually unchanged while solar technologies have seen a 90% decrease in costs. The current race for claims on oil reserves in the North Pole, Africa, the Middle East, North America and elsewhere represent extraction of finite resources, which after reaching their peak, output will continue to rise in cost for the entire world that depends upon them. Contrastingly, harnessing the infinite energy of geo-thermal sources, wind, water and the sun hold potential for creating long-lasting methods that can serve the worlds growing population at much more moderate costs as the supply remains constant with demand increasing. Solar technology is more cost effective and contructed faster than nuclear energy. Additionally, Guettal cited a study that stating the solar industry provides 30 times more jobs per unit of energy than hydraulic fracturing, disputing common claim that fracking is a strong source of employment.
Among the many other notable speakers, Sandra Steingraber, a biologist and toxic chemical specialist, spoke passionately on the need to make connections between our personal stories and the choices and consequences we make for our energy policy. Pointing to the pollution resulting from fracking in Pennsylvania, Texas, Louisiana, Colorado, Wyoming and Oklahoma, Steingraber commented on the irony of the clean, patriotic names energy company’s hold while utilizing practices such as storing combustible gases under Seneca lake, a source of drinking water for 100,000 New Yorkers. As Cuomo reviews the science from both sides of the debate, people on the ground throughout the country continue to witness questionable acquisition of land, growth of industrial waste areas, diminishing water sources, contaminated drinking and agricultural water and widespread reports of increases in illnesses in both humans and animals. As a trailblazer in the anti-fracking movement Steingraber has paid legal and personal prices for her convictions as her recent annual earth day lecture was made from a cellblock in Chemung county jail after being arrested with 9 other activists for blocking the driveway to the Inergy natural gas facility., Steingraber claimed “The road to Birmingham Alabama and the fractured land between our feet is our lunch counter in Greensborough, we are on a journey to survival and in our travel we will not desist.” Such statements draw clear parallels to the use of civil disobedience during the Civil Rights Movement in order to create political change
Providing a global link for the conversation about energy, water and their intersections, Arun Gandhi reiterated the political implications bearing in the direction NYS takes in its energy policies as one of the most significant states in one of the strongest countries in the world. Offering a story on a recent trip to India whereby he encountered groups of uneducated women who’ve been trained to operate solar panels to create their own electricity, who then went on to train communities in the same ways in Africa. Also commenting on the body politic as primarily reflecting moneyed interests, Arun stated “We have to take back our country. We want our country to be the image that we created, not the image that big money has created. We don’t want our country to be destroyed for profit. We want our country to remain for posterity. So I would urge governor Cuomo if he can hear me to take a lesson from these poor uneducated women in India and make the State of New York the first state to use solar energy in the United States, and if we make a loud enough voice, that will happen.” In the age of Citizens United, it is our responsibility to be informed citizens and the voices of the constituency that our government has the duty to serve and to petition it when it leans towards serving special interests at the expense of public health.
There is one major missing point that was not voiced at the rally nor by President Obama’s recent announcement to plan to reduce carbon emissions to counter global warming. The energy crisis in America demands a critique of the existing model of capitalism and consumerism, formed on the basis that continued growth is not only desirable but necessary in order to define economic, individual and national success. Not only is this expectation physically impossible, but it’s also destroying the home that we, and innumerable other species inhabit. It is well known to scientists across the board that our current trend of overusing our freshwater and other resources and failure to give adequate time for recovery, we are in on a road to creating environments that cannot sustain life. Thus, in order to have a conversation about sources of energy we should also realize that it is crucial that we simultaneously have a conversation about our consumption habits. As Americans and the largest consumers of global commodities, the lifestyle choices we make on a daily basis impact the amount of energy we need to produce, use and dispose of these goods. We are fooling ourselves if we think that even if somehow we converted to cleaner energy technologies tomorrow and didn’t alter our overconsumption habits that we can even begin to mediate global warming or merely provide for the rising population. Therefore dealing with issues of local and global energy and water, and of war and peace start first with the choices we make, in our cars, our homes and inside ourselves. In order to truly understand these issues every one of us on this earth has to admit that the problems we face cannot exist without our own hand in creating them, but more importantly, neither can the solutions. So then, maybe now more than ever, and in the truest sense of Gandhi’s saying, it is our duty to “Be the change we wish to see in the world”.
Vía M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence http://www.gandhiinstitute.org/2013/07/water-water-everywhere-to-frack-or-not-to-frack/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=water-water-everywhere-to-frack-or-not-to-frack