News from the North Texas Progressive May 21, 2012

 

North Texas Progressive Newsletter ...bringing North Texas news and discussion since 2004 May 21, 2012 Dear nancy, Good Afternoon! Remember to vote - attend a great concert(s) - work the polls!   Do you know someone active duty ? Thanks to the Obama White House ( Dr. Jill Biden and Michele Obama) active duty families can get free annual passes to visit any of the Federal Parks! The link for more information is below.   Get involved with Labor Dallas and support local labor /workers and the Iron Workers - Leo Gerard wrote today about Dallas !   Lastly  I've included a great video of one of the TPP protest events from the Addison Trade discussions last week -I know you didn't see it on the teevee but I did happen! Anytime we promote an event in this newsletter by a progressive North Texas group. I try to follow it up with a photo or video,  so you can see how the event went. We have no progressive media in our area and so I try to not only promote events but report a little on them too. If you appreciate that , next time there is a raffle .. please buy a ticket and support this newsletter. **there is a link to some great photos of the Michele Obama visit to Dallas last week too!   Thanks, Nancy Cunningham Email /Webpage /Facebook /Twitter / Donate /Newsletter archive     In This Issue Remember it's early...voting...Monday, May 21, 2012 - Friday, May 25, 2012. Thanks Obama! Rolling Out the Welcome Mat for our Military Families at National Parks Democracy Now nother very successful Sink the TPP action from last week...!... Did Texas execute yet another innocent man?. North Texas Progressive Book Suggestion North Texas Democrats : Notes and News Help local workers ...and get involved in upcoming actions MADE in AMERICA The Best of American Composers. Join Push Back Committee : Y Post-Racial Farce by Frank Rich NY Mag..   Remember it's early  voting Monday, May 21, 2012 - Friday, May 25, 2012 Democratic Primary - Early Voting What: Democratic Primary - Early Voting Where: Your Polling Place   *** ELECTION JUDGES NEEDED If you are interested in working in the May 29, 2012 Democratic Primary as an election judge the precincts below need judges. Judges are paid $8.00 per hour and are paid an extra $15.00 for pickup and return of the election supplies. Contact the Dallas County Democratic Party at cayala@dallasdemocrats.org or call 214-821-8331.   The Tarrant County Democratic Party still needs ten election judges for next Tuesday's Democratic Primary. It is essential that Democratic voters be greeted by Democrats running the Democratic Primary. Otherwise, a Republican runs the Democratic election. This is a service to your Democratic Party and includes training and pay. Please contact Ann McClure today at 817.759.7820 orr nce_acmcclure@tarrantcounty.com      * I posted links to all the county voter web pages in last week's newsletter.   Thanks Obama! Rolling Out the Welcome Mat for our Military Families at National Parks and Public Lands Posted by Dr. Jill Biden and Ken Salazar As we celebrate Armed Forces Week, this is a particularly important time to pay tribute to the men and women who serve our country and safeguard our freedom.   Today, just one percent of Americans are fighting our wars, but we need 100% of Americans to be supporting our troops and their families -not just during Armed Forces Week, but all year long. That's why we launched the Joining Forces Initiative last year to encourage all Americans to find ways to honor, recognize and support our veterans and military families.   Today, we are pleased to announce that we have a new way to thank those who serve their country in the military.  Starting on Armed Forces Day, this Saturday, May 19, we will be offering all active duty military a free annual pass that will grant access to service members and their dependents, to more than 2,000 sites across the country, including National Parks.  The annual pass will be accepted at all public land sites that charge entrance or standard amenity fees, including those managed by the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Army Corps.   more here  http://www.whitehouse.gov/joiningforces   Democracy Now Ben Jealous: "Heartbreaking" Trayvon Tapes Capture Experience of Millions Racially Profiled in U.S. Benjamin Jealous, the president and CEO of the NAACP, joins us to react to the new audio recordings and documents released in the investigation of Trayvon Martin's killing. The evidence indicates a fight occurred between Martin and his alleged killed George Zimmerman, but police determined the deadly encounter was "ultimately avoidable" if Zimmerman had not pursued Martin. Jealous says: "It's heartbreaking to listen to his childhood girlfriend talk about the experience of listening to him be hunted on the street just before he was killed." Watch/Listen/Read As NATO Meets in Chicago, Bill Ayers & Bernardine Dohrn Condemn "Militarized Arm of the 1 Percent" Legendary Chicago activists Bernardine Dohrn and Bill Ayers talk about this week's protests in Chicago, where NATO will hold its largest summit to date. Thousands of protesters from a diverse coalition of organizations including unions, antiwar groups, immigrant rights organizations and Occupy are expected to march in the streets. Chicago is preparing a massive security operation, with the Department of Homeland Security declaring the summit a "National Special Security Event." Civil liberties advocates have warned it could provide the first public test of a new law that expands the ability of the Secret Service to suppress protests in or around certain restricted zones. Watch/Listen/Read     Chomsky: Occupy Wall Street "Has Created Something That Didn't Really Exist" in U.S. - Solidarity  Noam Chomsky says the Occupy movement has helped rebuild class solidarity and communities of mutual support on a level unseen since the time of the Great Depression. Chomsky also gives his assessment of President Obama, whom he says has attacked civil liberties in a way that has "gone beyond [George W.] Bush." Watch/Listen/Read            Another very successful Sink the TPP action from last week  !  A number of American citizens took to the streets of Addison, Texas to display their grievances against the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement on Tuesday, May 15, 2012. For more info on the TPPA, visit www.tpp2012.com Recent action Occupy Dallas and CodePink of greater Dallas protests TPP meeeting in Addison ! "Sink The TPP" Street Action @ Addison, Texas   Did Texas execute yet another innocent man? A recent study by the Columbia Human Rights Law Review suggests that Carlos DeLuna, who was executed by the state of Texas in 1989 for the murder of Wanda Lopez, was actually innocent. The study concluded that a man named Carlos Hernandez actually committed the murder. In other words, the so-called justice system had convicted the wrong Carlos. According to the report, Hernandez "was well-known to police and prosecutors at the time and had a long history of violent crimes." In fact, Hernandez was arrested for another murder while DeLuna was on death row, and died in prison in 1999, after having admitted that he killed Lopez.   Read onHERE Read Columbia report HERE HuffingtonPost: "Texas wrongfully executed" an innocent man, a judge wrote in secret exoneration http://t.co/lfYfUE6X   North Texas Progressive Book Suggestion End This Depression Now! By Paul Krugman List Price:             $24.95 Price:     $14.97 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25.   BUY HERE    A call-to-arms from Nobel Prize-winning economist and best-selling author Paul Krugman. The Great Recession is more than four years old-and counting. Yet, as Paul Krugman points out in this powerful volley, "Nations rich in resources, talent, and knowledge-all the ingredients for prosperity and a decent standard of living for all-remain in a state of intense pain."   How bad have things gotten? How did we get stuck in what now can only be called a depression? And above all, how do we free ourselves? Krugman pursues these questions with his characteristic lucidity and insight. He has a powerful message for anyone who has suffered over these past four years-a quick, strong recovery is just one step away, if our leaders can find the "intellectual clarity and political will" to end this depression now. End This Depression Now!: Paul Krugman Urges Public Spending, Not Deficit Hysteria, to Save Economy Public spending is under assault from the United States to Europe in the name of fighting deficits. Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman argues in his new book, End This Depression Now!, that the hysteria over the deficit will constrain an economic recovery in a time of high unemployment and stagnating wages. Krugman writes about the economy as a columnist for the New York Times and is a professor of economics at Princeton University. Watch/Listen/Read   North Texas Democrats : Notes and News Grassroots Democratic Coalition Monthly Meetup Thursday, May 24, 2012 7:30 PM Black Eyed Pea Restaurant 7979 Belt LIne Rd at Coit Rd - Next to Shell Service Station Dallas, TX 75287 Price: $2.00 per person   Tarrant Democrats   The Texas Democratic Party's State Convention is just around the corner. Mr. Jimmy Killingsworth is working to organize a party bus to the State Democratic Convention, traveling to Houston Thursday, June 7, and returning to Fort Worth, Saturday, June 9. Costs to ride will be between $75 and $95, depending on the bus company chosen and the number of riders. We must know how many Tarrant Democrats are interested in the bus. Please complete this online form if you'd like to ride on the State Convention Party Bus. Help local workers ...and get involved in upcoming actions We have several opportunities to help working people right away: * Ironworkers are going on strike! Meet them 7:45 AM Tuesday, May 22, in parking lot at Wingate hotel, 8650 N Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, 75247 * Walmart employees are organizing! Special appearance of their national tour at 7 PM on Thursday, May 24, at UAW 848 hall, 2218 E Main in Grand Prairie. Action afterward! * Steelworkers will picket the Exxon Mobil Shareholders meeting 11 AM on Wednesday, May 30, at Meyerson Symphony Center, 2301 Flora in downtown Dallas   check our webpage for more info: Additionally, the we are joining the Dallas Peace Center in sponsoring a concert of significant social music by David Rovics. 6PM Saturday, June 2 / Cathedral of Hope / 5910 Cedar Springs Rd, Dallas /Suggested donation at the door: $10     Workers of the World Unite -- With Shareholders by Leo Gerard  At Citigroup, shareholders had their say on CEO pay -- and they yelled, "No damn way!" Concerted action by shareholders, workers and public interest groups compelled corporate change in several other cases this spring as well. At least three CEOs resigned. Executives truncated one shareholder meeting to 12 minutes. And across America and Europe, CEOs lamented the end of automatic approval for excessive executive compensation. read on   MADE in AMERICA The Best of American Composers  Single Performance ONLY May 24, 2012 8:00 pm Meyerson Symphony Center Buy Tickets Now Stand up and cheer! The United States Army Chorus returns to the Meyerson stage and joins the Turtle Creek Chorale in a showcase of music from America's "golden age" of song writing. Filled with beauty, style and wit-selections will feature the finest music by George and Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Stephen Foster and many more. Former First Lady Laura Bush is the Honorary Chair for this American celebration! With the Lone Star Wind Orchestra. Turtle Creek Chorale Phone: (214) 526-3214  Web site: www.turtlecreek.org      Join Push Back Committee : Yes,  you can help from home in bunny slippers, sitting in front of your computer ! WANTED: A FEW GOOD PEOPLE FOR THE TARRANT COUNTY PUSH BACK COALITION RAPID RESPONSE TEAM The Push Back Coalition met recently and developed a list of topics that are important and timely issues. If you are a regular contributor to Letters To The Editor, or even a first-time contributor, these are the topics which are most likely to get noticed:   1. Education 2. War on Women 3. Labor/Labor Unions 4. Budget/Economy 5. Rick Perry 6. Support For Candidates 7. Environment 8. Religion in Politics 9. Citizens United 10. Voter ID To join the Push Back Coalition or if you have any questions, please contact Tina Penney at tinaharley@att.net. Post-Racial Farce by Frank Rich NY Mag   Since America elected its first black president, the conversation on race has turned just as loopy as the hilarious and audacious Clybourne Park. Eight times a week, audiences at the play Clybourne Park are laughing at jokes as racist as any ever heard in a modern Broadway theater. While the audiences are mostly (though not exclusively) white, the racism onstage does meet a basic diversity quota. No sooner does a white man ask and answer the question "What's long and hard on a black man?" than he is countered by a black female antagonist posing the riddle "Why is a white woman like a tampon?" Unlike the intentionally tasteless gags minted by the South Park guys at The Book of Mormon around the corner, these jokes were not written to sow escapist mirth. They are more mean-spirited than funny. The audience's laughter is triggered not by the characters' wit, which is minimal, but by the sheer audacity of their racial volleys. It is the audacity of rage, not hope. read on     North Texas Progressive Newsletter Nancy Cunningham   Editor Contact: Nancy   This newsletter is a project of the North Texas Progressive , which is an umbrella organization for the Dallas Air America group, which was founded in 2004 to promote and support progressive talk radio and independent media in North Texas.   Visit the North Texas Progressive  web page to get more information. Newsletter archive Sponsor the newsletter here !      Majority Report with Sam Seder daily live show 11:00am Listen daily and call in to the show M-F 11:00am CST: Call-in and talk to Sam @ 646-257-3920 Daily show , podcast with the SammyCam. Please become a Member Choose a level of memberships start as low as $10 a month. That's only 50 cents per show! Great new web page http://majority.fm/   We need you to be a sponsor! Sponsor an edition today   Donate today to the North Texas Progressive using PayPal Please  sponsor a newsletter today! To send a check, email me. northtexasprogressive@gmail.com   DAVID ROVICS Concert: SONGS OF SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE  June 2nd DAVID ROVICS Concert: SONGS OF SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE        Saturday, June 2, 2012 6:00pm in CDT   5910 Cedar Springs Rd, Dallas, TX   David Rovics has been called the "peace poet and troubadour for our time." Join us for an evening of fun, food, friends, and fantastic music as David performs "Songs of Social Significance" in the beautiful Interfaith Peace Chapel at the Cathedral of Hope. $10 suggested donation at the door benefiting the North Texas peace community. No one turned away. Hosted by the Dallas Peace Center, CODEPINK Greater Dallas, Hope 4 Peace and Justice, Pax Christi Dallas, and Veterans for Peace. You can hear Davids' songs at his website: www.davidrovics.com. Please invite your friends!   Dan Rather on Bill Maher's Real Time talk about the media   Dan Rather on Real Time with Bill Maher, 2012 05 18 On Bill Maher Show, Dan Rather Slams Corporate Media: "To Put it Bluntly, Big Business Is in Bed With Big Government" read on   FLOTUS Michele Obama's recent visit to North Texas First Lady's Obama Victory Fund reception at the Dallas Hilton Lincoln Center, May 14, 2012, the day after Mother's Day. more great photos here   North Dallas Texas Democratic Women's May 24th program will be presented by Resolana       North Dallas Texas Democratic Women's May 24th program will be presented by Resolana, a community-based nonprofit organization which offers holistic and gender-sensitive programming to women at Dallas County Jail.     Resolana builds a safe and empowering learning community behind prison walls, where women can utilize their time in custody to acquire skills and resources that will help them take responsibility for their lives and prepare for a positive integration into the lives of their children, families and communities.   May 24, 6:45 p.m. Northaven United Methodist Church 11211 Preston Road, 2nd Floor Dallas, TX 75230       Banned TED Talk: Nick Hanauer "Rich people don't create jobs Banned TED Talk: Nick Hanauer "Rich people don't create jobs"   Rick Santorum's Texas GOP convention speech won't be public   FORT WORTH, Texas - Perhaps the biggest name featured at the Texas Republican Party's convention next month -- former GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum -- will give a speech that is off-limits to the media and the public.   Santorum is the main attraction at the June 8 Gala Banquet, a private party fundraiser at the convention, that at least for now will be reserved for delegates, alternates and those who buy tickets to the event at the Fort Worth Convention Center.   Read more here

 

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