Come out for an evening of music, food, film, and information in an effort to raise money and awareness about Common Ground Relief and the struggle that continues in the Gulf Coast region.

What: Benefit show, film screening, and photo presentation about Common Ground and its relief efforts and struggles in the Gulf Coast Region presented by Rochester Indymedia, Social Action Network of RIT, and local activists who spent time in New Orleans aiding Common Ground
When: Sunday, May 20th, 5:30PM to 9:45PM
Where: St. Joseph’s House of Hospitality located at 402 South Avenue
Cost: $7 – No one turned away for lack of funds. All proceeds go to Common Ground Relief
Wheelchair Accessible

Schedule:
5:30PM: Doors Open
5:45PM: Music Starts (Tim Avery (folk), Break the Glass (indie rock), Syntax and Paradox (hip hop), more TBA)
8:00PM to 8:15PM: Rochester Food Not Bombs will serve a meal. (Everyone is encouraged to help prepare and cook food.) Shannon Holcombe will be sharing a photo presentation of her experiences while volunteering with Common Ground Relief.
8:15PM to 9:15PM: Documentary Screening of Welcome to New Orleans
9:15PM to 9:45PM: Discussion about the film, Common Ground, and action to take next

Read the press release here. Also check out New Orleans Indymedia, Common Ground Relief, and Common Ground Health Clinic.

We need to have our facts lined up when talking to people about why we think it would be an atrocity to invade Iran. Most people educated by the mainstream news are seriously misinformed about Iran. Here are some little known facts about Iran with links to primary sources.

• Ayatollah Khameini, Khomeini's successor, supports Arab League plan for Palestinian independence. This is a plan that Israel rejects, but it does recognize Israel as a significant entity. [1]
• Arab League absolutely opposes any attack on Iran. When you are told that the Saudis and United Arab Emirates (UAE) would like to see Iran "contained", they don't mean "destroyed". They have said that they will not support a US attack on Iran. [2]
• Iran was not in violation of standard International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) rules until the Security Council changed the rules on their behalf. Nor did Iran block inspections. It has withdrawn from an agreement made with EU a couple of years ago because US rejected this agreement. Iran also rejects the Security Council demand for total suspension of nuclear activities. Though this is not the normal standard for signers of the Nonproliferation Treaty like Iran, there is an expectation that the IAEA will monitor and enforce the new elevated standard for Iran. This is why they can say that Iran in not in compliance with the IAEA rules. [3] It is clear that Mohamed ElBaradei, Director General of the IAEA, is uncomfortable with this action. He has repeatedly suggested that there must be incentives as well as sanctions to deal successfully with Iran's situation, that Iran should be treated with respect, and that there is no immediate evidence that Iran is a threat. [4]
• Iran supports the Shiite Government in Iraq and they have consistently done so. [5] [6]
• Use of a Nuclear Bunker Buster to take out underground bunkers would be counterproductive and create much bigger problems than it resolves. [7]

In 2003, according the F.B.I.’s arrest-based Uniform Crime Reports, 90.1% of homicides were perpetrated by males and 77.5% of their victims were other males. The perpetrator of these violent acts at Virginia Tech was male. In fact, this crime is only the most recent of a long history of mass shootings committed by males in this country – many of them committed by young men and boys at educational institutions. You may recall the stories: 2 killed and 7 wounded by 16 year old Luke Woodham in Pearl, Mississippi in 1997; 3 killed and 5 wounded by 14 year old Michael Carneal in West Paducah, Kentucky in 1997; 5 killed and10 wounded by 13 year old Mitchell Johnson and 11 year old Andrew Golden in Jonesboro, Arkansas in 1998; 2 killed and 22 wounded by 15 year old Kip Kinkel in Springfield, Oregon in 1998; 15 killed and 23 wounded by 18 year old Eric Harris and 17 year old Dylan Klebold in Littleton, Colorado in 1999; 2 killed and 13 wounded by 15 year old Charles Andrew Williams in Santee, California in 2001; 2 killed by 15 year old John Jason McLaughlin in Cold Spring, Minnesota in 2003; 10 killed by 16 year old Jeff Weisse in Red Lake, Minnesota in 2005; 6 killed and 5 wounded in an Amish school house by 32 year old Carl Roberts in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania in 2006; 33 killed and 15 wounded by 23 year old Cho Seung-Hui in Blacksburg, Virginia in 2007. These are not the only stories of male-perpetrated gun violence, but those that received the most media coverage over that past decade. In the coverage of each of these stories, including the murders at Virginia Tech, the media has failed to appropriately address the fact that men and boys are committing these crimes. It is time for that to change.

Addressing the issue of male-perpetrated violence is not about blaming men, nor is it about locating the cause of violence in a biological explanation of aggression, given that the rates and contexts of male violence vary significantly across cultures and among individual males within them. It is also not about expensive, band-aid solutions such as metal detectors and armed security, over long-term, meaningful societal transformation. Rather, we must address the ways in which we socialize our young boys in our culture. Masculinity becomes associated with dominance, aggression, power and violence and these characteristics are encouraged, accepted and perpetuated. We have to stop believing that “boys will be boys” who grow up to kill people with guns. Boys are taught, and they see, hear and live what they learn.

If these crimes had all been committed by young women, we would no doubt be asking ourselves “why?” How could a young woman perpetuate such an act of horrible violence against someone else? It would be even more unthinkable than it already is. Yet current social trends show that we are increasingly socializing our girls into more traditionally masculine characteristics as they seek to gain power and equality in our patriarchal society. As long as masculinity, and more importantly power, is associated with aggression and violence, it may be just a matter of time before females start lashing out in similar mass, destructive ways. Read the full article here.

Additional Information: Teen Shooting Sprees: A Gender Issue? | Coverage of 'School Shootings' Avoids the Central Issue | Gender Borders & National Borders

In light of the tragedy at Virginia Tech, Rochester Indymedia's April After-Mass screening will be an abridged version of "Bowling for Columbine."

When: Friday, April 27, 7PM
Where: St. Joe's House of Hospitality (402 South Ave.)

"'Bowling for Columbine' is an alternately humourous and horrifying film about the United States. It is a film about the state of the Union, about the violent soul of America. Why do 11,000 people die in America each year at the hands of gun violence? The talking heads yelling from every TV camera blame everything from Satan to video games. But are we that much different from many other countries? What sets us apart? How have we become both the master and victim of such enormous amounts of violence? This is not a film about gun control. It is a film about the fearful heart and soul of the United States, and the 280 million Americans lucky enough to have the right to a constitutionally protected Uzi."

Rochester Food Not Bombs will be serving a meal; discussion to follow the screening. St. Joe's is wheelchair accessible and the event is free and open to the public.

Critical Mass is a slow-moving, leaderless bicycle ride that meets at 6PM at the Liberty Pole in Downtown on the last Friday of the month—Ride Daily~Celebrate Monthly!

Additional Information: What May Come: Asian Americans and the Virginia Tech Shootings | ANOTHER INCONVENIENT TRUTH: The Tragedy at Virginia Tech

Newsmakers, news viewers and all those affected by the news (yes, you) are invited to come together to watch Bill Moyers on PBS (and eat popcorn) at the new anti-war storefront.

What: Screening of Bill Moyers' documentary "Buying the War"
Where: Anti-War Storefront, 658 Monroe Ave. (a few doors west of Archimage).
When: This Wednesday: 4/25, 8:15pm.
The Show will air on WXXI.

Prior to the show we will join a conference call with Bill Moyers and other groups that are watching the show. Please arrive at 8:15 if you wish to join the conference call sponsored by Free Press. After the show we will have a discussion.