Sunday, November 09, 2008

National Priorities: What Does Real Homeland Security Look Like?

Please join us for a talk by Dr. Barb Chalfonte on “National Priorities: What Does Real Homeland Security Look Like?” at the Walpole Public Library on Tuesday, November 18, at 7:00 PM. Dr. Chalfonte, a Senior Research Associate at the National Priorities Project, will consider what it really means to be secure at home as a nation. From the perspective of our current federal budget, homeland security primarily means military defense, but what about food, energy, jobs, health care, and housing security? Dr. Chalfonte will look at the role of the federal government in meeting those security needs. She will also talk about tradeoffs between excessive military spending on war and fossil fuel access versus social needs spending. You may be surprised to hear how much the U.S. spends on defense compared to all other developed countries of the world. Dr. Chalfonte will also examine the impact of federal budget priorities on towns like Walpole and discuss how individuals can advocate to make those budget priorities reflect their own.

The National Priorities Project, NPP, is a research organization that analyzes and clarifies federal data so that people can understand and influence how their tax dollars are spent. Located in Northampton, MA, since 1983, NPP focuses on the impact of federal spending and other policies at the national, state, congressional district and local levels.

Dr. Chalfonte has a background in science and technology research as well as in organizing for social and economic justice. Prior to joining the NPP, she worked at Bell Communications Research and was on the faculty of Mt. Holyoke College. Dr. Chalfonte has written and lectured on how people understand and remember information and how to design technology to support that understanding. She has also worked on several political campaigns and served on the boards of political action committees. She holds a Ph.D. from Princeton University and a B.A. from Williams College.

People should note that the talk starts at 7:00 PM, which is earlier than the usual time for talks sponsored by the Walpole Peace and Justice Group.

Friday, November 07, 2008

Bacevich Dedication Sat Nov 8 10AM

The Dedication of the Bacevich Memorial on the Walpole Common will take place tomorrow, Saturday, November 8th at 10 AM. The public is invited. Dr. Bacevich will speak. Come if you can.

Updates:

Soldier honored at Walpole fountain rededication
Evangelical foreign policy is over

Monday, October 06, 2008

The Costs of War, Violence, and Denial

Claude Anshin Thomas, the author of the best selling book “At Hell's Gate: A Soldier’s Journey from War to Peace,” will speak at the Walpole Public Library on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 7:30 PM. In this talk Claude recounts his dramatic coming-of-age story and spiritual odyssey from combat soldier to Zen Buddhist monk and advocate of nonviolence. He offers profound insight into ways we can end suffering and violence in our own lives and in our world. His struggle to deal with the trauma of Vietnam and to find personal peace and spiritual insight is a prism through which to view America over the last thirty years – our difficulty in coming to terms with the legacy of Vietnam, our spiritual hunger, and our need to come to terms with our massive power and our use of violence.

“Everyone has their Vietnam,” Claude writes, “everyone has experienced trauma and everyone, if they want, can find healing and peace through looking deeply at the nature of their suffering. War is a collective expression of individual suffering.” The seeds of war and violence are planted early and often, and it is only through our actions and insights personally that we can hope to end war globally. What is startling in these days of the “war on terrorism” is that we rarely hear from the soldiers themselves. As a highly decorated helicopter crew chief who was wounded in battle and received the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Purple Heart, Claude speaks with an authenticity and an honesty that is extremely compelling to a wide audience. He can speak with direct experience about the realities of war, about what we are sending young men and women to do, and about the effect that making war has on all of us.

Claude Anshin Thomas went to Vietnam at the age of eighteen, where he received numerous medals, including twenty-seven Air Medals, a Distinguished Flying Cross and the Purple Heart. Today he is a monk in the Soto Zen tradition and an active speaker and Zen teacher, traveling the world speaking about war and teaching meditation. He also leads peace pilgrimages through war-torn and war-scarred places around the world. Claude is the founder of the Zaltho Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes peace and non-violence. The talk is sponsored by the Walpole Peace and Justice Group and is open to the public.

Saturday, October 04, 2008

Boston Peace March October 11th

Please join members of the Walpole Peace and Justice Group  on October 11th in Boston for a peace march and rally to stand up for peace in the Middle East and calling for an end of the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan and to bring our troops home now. The march is on the anniversary of the day Congress approved the “Iraq War Resolution” in 2002 that granted the Bush administration authorization to invade Iraq. The march and rally was organized by a broad regional network of anti-war, human rights, and peace and justice groups. It is calling for:

- Stop the wars and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan
- Money for jobs, education, healthcare and housing - not for war and occupation
- No sanctions or attack on Iran
- Stop the racist scapegoating of Arabs and Muslims
- Stop the assault on human rights and civil liberties

The rally starts at 12:00 noon at the Boston Common at the corner of Beacon Street and Charles Street. After a 2 hour program of speakers and musicians, there will be a march to Copley Square and back to the Boston Common. More information can be found at the Oct11 web site, http://www.oct11boston.org

You are invited to join us to go into Boston via the commuter train from Walpole. We will be taking the 11:01 AM train that will arrive at Back Bay Station at 11:38 AM and South Station at 11:45 AM. The fare is $5.75 each way. Trains leave Boston at 5:20 PM, 7:20 PM, 9:20 PM, and 5 minutes later from Back Bay. Parking should be available at the top of the station. Look for us on the platform. 

This march and rally is an opportunity for us to speak out against this disastrous “preemptive war” that was started using false pretenses. This war was totally unjustified and has resulted in the deaths of over 4,150 U.S. solders and up to 1,000,000 Iraq civilians and has destroyed much of Iraq.   
 
Next Speaker Series:  Claude Anshin Thomas on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at the Walpole Public Library, 7:30 PM

Claude Anshin Thomas is the author of the best selling book “At Hell's Gate.” In this talk Claude recounts his dramatic coming-of-age story and spiritual odyssey as well as offering his profound insights into suffering and violence, and how we can end them in ourselves and in our world. Claude Anshin Thomas went to Vietnam at the age of eighteen, where he received numerous medals, including twenty-seven Air Medals, a Distinguished Flying Cross and the Purple Heart. Today he is a monk in the Soto Zen tradition and an active speaker and Zen teacher, traveling the world speaking about war and teaching meditation. He also leads peace pilgrimages through war-torn and war-scarred places around the world. Claude is the founder of the Zaltho Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes peace and non-violence.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Documentary Film on School of the Americas

The Walpole Peace and Justice Group will show the documentary film, On The Line, at the Walpole Public Library on September 16th at 7:30 PM. On The Line is an inside look at the people behind one of the largest nonviolent movements in America today: the movement to close the School of the Americas/WHINSEC, a U.S. Army school that trains Latin American soldiers. Why should the school be closed? Many of it's graduates have been involved in some of the worst human rights abuses in Central and South America. The rape and murder of four U.S. nuns, the killing of six priests, and the murder of Archbishop Romero in El Salvador are just some of the more familiar atrocities for which School of America graduates have been responsible.

The movement to close the school of the Americas was started by Fr. Roy Bourgeois in 1990 when he founded the School of the Americas Watch (SOAW) and along with 9 others fasted at the gates of Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia. Since then, over 225 people have been arrested for performing acts of civil disobedience at these demonstrations. They have collectively served more than 95 years in a federal prison and paid thousands of dollars in heavy fines. Many of those arrested are people of faith (ministers, priests, nuns); veterans, college students, grandmothers and grandfathers. In other words, people from all walks of life from all over the country have been moved by their conscience to do what they can to close this school that operates with our tax dollars.

After our country was attacked on 9/11, President Bush said that we need to shut down all terrorist training camps around the world. Come see why Fr. Roy Bourgeois responded that a good place to start would be Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia.

Friday, September 05, 2008

Peace Vigil on Sat Sep 6

The Walpole Peace and Justice Group is holding a peace vigil on Saturday, September 6, 10:00 to 11:00 AM at the Walpole Common across from the Walpole Cooperative Bank, near the water trough. Note that we have moved the location of the vigil. The vigil will be held pending the weather and how tropical storm Hanna tracks.

We thank all those who joined us at the last vigil, especially those who traveled from other towns. We believe it is important to continue holding vigils calling for our country to withdraw all our troops from Iraq and bring them home. This war was started under false pretenses and has caused untold destruction and death. We mourn for all who have been killed in this war. We honor our service men and women and our veterans and believe the best way to support them is to bring them home.

The next speaker series will be on September 16, 2008 at 7:30 PM at the Walpole Public Library.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Bill Moyers Interviews Andrew J. Bacevich


"As campaign ads urge voters to consider who will be a better "Commander in Chief," Andrew J. Bacevich — Professor of International Relations at Boston University, retired Army colonel, and West Point graduate — joins Bill Moyers on the JOURNAL to encourage viewers to take a step back and connect the dots between U.S. foreign policy, consumerism, politics, and militarism."

Video after the jump ...

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Demonstration Not "Out of Bounds"

An editorial recently posted in the Daily Transcript:

"Walpole Selectmen took a step forward by approving the demonstration, but a step backward by censuring it. It would have been better to stay out of it and simply allow a local group to practice its Constitutional rights. Those who found the display offensive also have the Constitutional right to say so. Freedom of expression is at the heart of what America stands for and a governing body should respect that.

The Walpole Peace and Justice Group’s members only want to stop more of what they see as needless deaths. The last thing they can be called is insensitive towards those whose lives they are trying to protect."

Thursday, July 10, 2008

One Mother's Answer

Board of Selectman
Walpole Town Hall
att: Catherine Winston, Chair
 
A friend recently showed me a news item from Daily News Transcript written by Jeb Bobseine.  The heading read "Selectmen call coffin display 'insensitive.'" Chairwoman of the Selectman, Cathie Winston said the display would 'only heighten the anxieties and fears of those residents with friends and family currently serving in the military.'  As the mother of an army reservist who has served one year in Iraq and who will soon leave for another year long deployment in Afghanistan, I would like to disagree.  I live with the knowledge of what my son's service in a combat zone as a medic and mental health worker  means every minute of the day. I know what it is like to dread the knock on the door or the late night phone call.   What is appalling to me is that the American people seem to want to forget this terrible war and the price we have all paid for it in life and treasure. When my son returned from a year in Iraq, he was depressed by the indifference of so many here at home to what was happening to our troops and the Iraqi people.  Coffins and memorials to those who have died, a moment of attention paid to those who will never return to family and friends, are not ‘insensitive,’ they are reminders that we are ALL involved in this tragedy.
 
Every family I know who has lost a loved one in Iraq or Afghanistan is disgusted by the executive order which does not allow a flag draped coffin to be shown on the news.   I know a mother who was told to wait until after sundown to receive the body of her beloved son, because coffins of dead soldiers may not be off loaded from planes until it is dark!  
 
I applaud Walpole for bringing a few hours of reality to your town common.  If the people of Walpole find coffins distasteful, perhaps they should wake up and remember, there IS a war going on and we who shoulder it know what a coffin looks like.   
 
Sarah Fuhro

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Statement by the Walpole Peace and Justice Group - July 7, 2008

As members of the Walpole Peace and Justice Group we were taken aback by the Walpole Board of Selectmen’s public reprimand regarding the “Tribute to U.S. Military Killed in Iraq." We were surprised that the Board failed to first contact the Peace Group, instead acting to sensationalize the matter and detract from the serious intent of the Tribute. The Selectmen’s statement, coming from an official town board, represents a disturbing threat to the constitutionally protected exercise of free speech. We object to the Selectmen’s implication that we do not “embrace civility and decency.”

The Tribute consisted of wristbands with the name, rank, age, and date of death of each of the thousands of men and women who have died serving our country in Iraq. The purpose of the tribute was to honor these men and women and it was hoped that, for those who visited and viewed the display, this tribute would “personalize the terrible price in human life and the sacrifice so many families have made.” There were 4,098 wristbands as of the date of the display.


The Selectmen’s issue was what they referred to as the “insensitive inclusion of caskets or coffins.” The wristbands were transported in 82 cardboard boxes, 50 names to a box. After erecting the display we stacked the 82 boxes near the tribute. The visual impact of these stacked boxes reminded those present of coffins, adding to the recognition of the “terrible price in human life.” Black cloths were then draped on the boxes to give greater solemnity to the visual statement. Certainly we intended no disrespect. Families of fallen soldiers stopped by, found the names of their loved ones, and thanked us for the tribute. Other people who walked around the tribute and read the names were moved by it.

The Walpole Peace and Justice Group has great respect for the soldiers and military families who live with fear and loss and the devastating impact of this war. We do hope and pray for an end to the conflict and the return of our troops. It is in their behalf that we seek to raise the awareness and sensitivity of our fellow citizens and work for an end to the Iraq war. We urge people to direct their outrage to those who used deception in leading our country to war and to tell their government representatives to bring about a speedy withdrawal. We support our troops wholeheartedly in the call both to “bring them home” and give desperately needed aid to soldiers and families who have suffered the devastating injuries of war.

Walpole Peace and Justice Group

Madeline Champagne
Lois Czachorowski
Philip Czachorowski
Sheila Harbst
Barry Oremland
Paul Peckham

Monday, June 16, 2008

Tribute to U.S. Military Killed in Iraq on Saturday, May 31 at the Walpole Common

Walpole Peace and Justice Group invites public to view a “Tribute to U.S. Military Killed in Iraq" on Saturday, June 21 at the Walpole Common

The Walpole Peace and Justice Group invites the public to view a “Tribute to U.S. Military Killed in Iraq" on Saturday, June 21 at the Walpole Common. The Tribute honors the U.S. service men and women who have been killed in Iraq since March 19, 2003. The names of all 4,000+ service men and women are imprinted on wristbands along with the age, military rank, and date when the person was killed. The wristbands are displayed on a stand over 60 feet long and six feet high.

The Tribute was created by Madeline Champagne, a member of the Walpole Peace and Justice Group. The Tribute is on permanent display at the Peace Abbey in Sherborn.

Regardless of one’s opinion of the Iraq war, we all join in honoring those who have given their lives in the service of our country. Seeing the names of all those killed in the war personalizes the terrible price in human life and the sacrifice so many families have made. The public is invited to visit the tribute to pay their respect and reflect on the human cost of the war. The Tribute will be on display between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM at the Walpole Common across from the U.S. Post Office. In the event of inclement weather the Tribute will be displayed in the United Church from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

Thursday, June 05, 2008

Peace Vigil, Saturday, June 7

The Walpole Peace and Justice Group invites you to join us for a peace vigil, Saturday, June 7, from 10:00 to 11:00 AM on the Walpole Common, across from the Post Office. Peace vigils are held on the first and third Saturdays of the Month.

Monday, June 02, 2008

Iraqi to speak on Refugee Crisis, Walpole Public Library, Tuesday, June 3

Dr. Nabeel Khudairi will give a talk entitled, “The Iraqi Refugee Crisis – A Four Million Man March”, at the Walpole Public Library on June 3 at 7:30 pm. Dr. Khudairi was born in Baghdad in 1961. His father, from the southern city of Amara, was the dean of the University of Baghdad College of Agriculture and a PhD graduate of UCLA, while his mother was an ecologist and was from the northern city of Mosul.

In 1966, to escape political harassment created by the newly established Ba’ath Party, his family moved to Boston, where his father taught at Northeastern University. Nabeel returned to Iraq with his family for a few years in the mid 1970’s, but due to another period of instability created when Saddam Hussein forcefully seized the presidency, he and his family returned permanently to the U.S.

Dr. Khudairi is an optometrist with private practices in Norwood and Wellesley. He is active with interfaith dialogues, has lectured to various schools and religious and peace organizations and has been interviewed by major television, radio and print news services about the affairs in Iraq.

The talk is sponsored by the Walpole Peace and Justice Group and is open to the public.

Also note:

The “Tribute to U.S. Military Killed in Iraq", scheduled for this past Saturday, May 31, was postponed due to weather forecast of showers and thunderstorms throughout the day. Plans are being made to reschedule the display.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Donations for Bacevich Fountain

The Bacevich family has made a donation to the town to be used toward the revitalization of the fountain located on the Town Common across from the post office. Although the family does not want the fountain renamed, the donation is in memory of their son who was killed in Iraq. See the link below for an article in the Daily Transcript for more details.

We would like to make a donation in memory of First Lt. Andrew J. Bacevich from the Walpole Peace and Justice Group. It's particularly appropriate since we hold our vigils near by the fountain and our Peace Walk ends there.

Please send donations to Paul if you would like to participate. We will draft a letter signed by everyone and send to the Board of Selectmen, who are coordinating donations.

http://www.dailynewstranscript.com/homepage/x1619314976

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Tribute to U.S. Military Killed in Iraq on Saturday, May 31 at the Walpole Common

>> The tribute has been cancelled due to weather <<

We invite you to view a “Tribute to U.S. Military Killed in Iraq" on Saturday, May 31 at the Walpole Common. The Tribute honors the U.S. service men and women who have been killed in Iraq since March 19, 2003. The names of all 4,000+ service men and women who have been killed in the war are imprinted on wristbands along with the age, military rank, and date when the person was killed. The wristbands are displayed on a stand over 60 feet long and six feet high.

The Tribute was created by Madeline Champagne, a member of the Walpole Peace and Justice Group. The Tribute is on permanent display at the Peace Abbey in Sherborn.

Regardless of one’s opinion of the Iraq war, we all join in honoring those who have given their lives in the service of our country. Seeing the names of all those killed in the war personalizes the terrible price in human life and the sacrifice so many families have made. The public is invited to visit the tribute to pay their respect and reflect on the human cost of the war. The Tribute will be on display between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM at the Walpole Common across from the U.S. Post Office, weather permitting.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Walpole Peace and Justice Group Peace Vigil Saturday, May 17, from 10:00 to 11:00 AM

The Walpole Peace and Justice Group invites you to join us for a peace vigil tomorrow morning, Saturday, May 17, from 10:00 to 11:00 AM on the Walpole Common, across from the Post Office. Peace vigils are held on the first and third Saturdays of the Month.

Also, from The Walpole Times:
The Walpole Peace and Justice Group is changing the date of its "Tribute to U.S. Military Killed in Iraq" from Memorial Day, May 26 to May 31, as requested by the veterans who are organizing the Memorial Day ceremony. Although we believe that the Tribute would be an appropriate part of our town’s Memorial Day observances, we respect the veterans’ request and will ask the Board of Selectmen to change our permit for displaying the Tribute to Saturday, May 31st.

The "Tribute to U.S. Military Killed in Iraq" consists of over 4,000 wristbands, one for each of our U.S. service men and women who has been killed in Iraq since March 19, 2003. The count was 4,077 as of the date this letter is being written. Each wristband is imprinted with the name, age, military rank, and the date when the person was killed. The Tribute was created by Madeline Champagne, a member of our group, and is on permanent display at the Peace Abbey in Sherborn.

Regardless of one’s opinion of the Iraq war, we all join in honoring those who have given their lives in the service of our country.

Seeing the names of all those killed in the war personalizes the terrible price in human life and the sacrifice so many have made. We invite the public to visit the memorial and pay their respect and to reflect on the cost of war. The tribute will be on display, barring rain, across from the U.S. Post Office from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 31.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Documentary "Why We Fight", Walpole Public Library, Tuesday, May 13

The Walpole Peace and Justice Group will be showing the documentary, “Why We Fight,” at the Walpole public library on May 13 at 7:30 PM. “Why We Fight,” which was a Grand Jury Prize winner at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, is an unflinching look at the anatomy of American war making. Granted unparalleled Pentagon access, the film launches a nonpartisan inquiry into the forces – political, economic, and ideological – that drive America to fight.

The film opens with President Dwight Eisenhower’s 1961 farewell address in which he warned Americans about the dangers of the “military industrial complex”.


Filmmaker, Eugene Jarecki, then goes on to show that the “military industrial complex” has expanded to include Congress and think tanks and has today resulted in all these interests becoming alarmingly entangled in the business of war.

The film interviews both conservatives, such as, William Kristol, Richard Perle and John McCain and liberals, such as Chalmers Johnson and Gore Vidal. John McCain states, among other things, that the “military industrial complex” today “borders on corruption both in industry and the Pentagon” and that, ”our priorities are set by what benefits corporations as opposed to what benefits the country.”

This is a very important topic that has a profound impact on all our lives. For fiscal 2008, defense related spending will exceed $ one trillion! Doing very basic math, this equates to roughly $83 million for the people of Walpole! Our own town budget is roughly $65 million. Every town in the U.S. will continue to struggle financially unless we find a way to get our military spending under control.

Come and bring a neighbor, tell a friend. Tomorrow evening, Tuesday, 7:30 PM, Walpole Library.

Friday, May 02, 2008

Peace Vigil Sat May 3 10AM to 11AM

The Walpole Peace and Justice Group invites you to join us for a peace vigil tomorrow morning, Saturday, May 3, from 10:00 to 11:00 AM on the Walpole Common, across from the Post Office. Peace vigils are held on the first and third Saturdays of the Month.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Peace Vigil Sat Apr 19 10AM to 11AM

The Walpole Peace and Justice Group invites you to join us for a peace vigil tomorrow morning, Saturday, April 19, from 10:00 to 11:00 AM on the Walpole Common, across from the Post Office. Peace vigils are held on the first and third Saturdays of the Month.

Monday, March 31, 2008

The Hidden Story behind Immigration

Please join us for a talk on "The Hidden Story behind Immigration" at the Walpole Public Library on Tuesday, April 1 at 7:30 PM. The two speakers are Lisa Fuller and Laura Embree-Lowry. Lisa is the chapter coordinator for Boston Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES). Laura has worked as a filmmaker since 2002, documenting popular social movements through oral histories. Her work with the People’s History of Texas has included projects on labor struggles, a cooperative underground press and Chilean solidarity organizing. Laura is currently an active member of CISPES, and along with Lisa she is organizing locally to support the Salvadoran popular movement and self-determination in El Salvador.

The talk will focus on the underlying causes of immigration, and use the circumstances in El Salvador as a model. Seven hundred people flee El Salvador every day. One third of all Salvadorans on earth live in the United States. El Salvador has been the playground for policies conceived of and instituted by the United States. Free trade, privatization and sweatshops overrun the country and concentrate wealth in the hands of the Salvadoran elite and their transnational business partners. Popular movements to change the system are met with brutal repression and violence that is sanctioned and funded by the U.S.

The economic situation today is worse than in the 1970’s, when it led to a bloody 12 year civil war. Migration is a means of survival for Salvadorans. And migration equals profits for big business. This is the hidden side of the “immigration problem” that politicians and the corporate media don’t mention.

Next Peace Vigil: Saturday, April 5, 2008 from 10:00 to 11:00 AM on the Walpole Common across from the Post Office.

Monday, March 03, 2008

Why We Need Single Payer Health Care Reform

Please join us for a talk by Dr. Patricia Downs Berger, Co-Chair of Mass-Care, on “Why We Need Single Payer Health Care Reform” at the Walpole Public Library on Tuesday, March 4th at 7:30 pm. In 2006, the Massachusetts legislature passed the Massachusetts Healthcare Reform Law in an effort to provide health coverage by mandating the purchase of insurance with subsidies. The Massachusetts plan has served as the model for health care proposals of many presidential candidates. This talk is especially relevant given the importance of this issue in the upcoming presidential election.

In the talk, Dr. Berger will relate her own experience as a practicing physician to critique the Massachusetts Healthcare Reform Law and show why a single payer health system is needed. She will show how the medical-industrial complex is destroying our health system and why we need true health reform rather than incremental reforms. Dr. Berger will define the basic principles of health insurance, comparing the singer payer system versus a market based system. She will describe the major provisions of the Massachusetts Healthcare Reform Law, and discuss the challenges of cost, complexity, sustainability, and affordability. Dr. Berger will conclude by defining how single payer systems work, showing how they are funded, how they provide quality health services, and how they have been successfully implemented in many countries.

Dr. Berger is the Co-Chair of Mass-Care, an umbrella organization with more than 100 member organizations. Their mission is to “establish a single payer health care system in Massachusetts so that all residents of the Commonwealth will have access to comprehensive, quality, affordable and equitable health care.” Dr. Berger has practiced medicine in a variety of settings in Massachusetts. Having seen the inequities in the health care system first hand, she is committed to working for single payer health care reform. She is passionate in her belief “that access to comprehensive, equitable, high quality health care is a human right and is the foundation for a healthy and compassionate society” and that “a single payer health care system is the best way to achieve affordable, patient centered medical care supported by the broad community.”

Friday, February 29, 2008

March 1 Peace Vigil Cancelled Due to the Snow Storm

March 1 Peace Vigil Cancelled Due to the Snow Storm

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Two Talks - Homeless and Health Reform

February 27th, 7:30 PM: Talk on the challenges faced by the homeless in the Greater Boston area - St Catherine of Siena Church, Norwood Carrie Eldridge-Dickson, Manager of Volunteer Services and Community Partnerships at Boston Health Care for the Homeless will be talking on the current challenges faced by homeless individuals and families in the Greater Boston area. All are welcome to join us in the discussion of our ability to respond as a vibrant faith community to the needs of our brothers and sisters who are homeless. Sponsored by the St Catherine of Siena Church Social Justice Committee. The meeting will be in the former convent on Nahatan Street.

March 4th at 7:30 pm: Why We Need Single Payer Health Care Reform Dr. Patricia Downs Berger, Co-Chair of Mass-Care, will speak on "Why We Need Single Payer Health Care Reform" at the Walpole Public Library on Tuesday, March 4th at 7:30 pm. The talk is sponsored by the Walpole Peace and Justice Group and is open to the public. In 2006, the Massachusetts legislature passed the Massachusetts Healthcare Reform Law in an effort to provide health coverage by mandating the purchase of insurance with subsidies. The Massachusetts plan has served as the model for health care proposals of many presidential candidates.

In the March 4th talk, Dr. Berger will relate her own experience as a practicing physician to critique the Massachusetts Healthcare Reform Law and show why a single payer health system is needed. She will show how the medical-industrial complex is destroying our health system and why we need true health reform rather than incremental reforms. Dr. Berger will define the basic principles of health insurance, comparing the singer payer system versus a market based system. She will describe the major provisions of the Massachusetts Healthcare Reform Law, and discuss the challenges of cost, complexity, sustainability, and affordability. Dr. Berger will conclude by defining how single payer systems work, showing how they are funded, how they provide quality health services, and how they have been successfully implemented in many countries.

Dr. Berger is the Co-Chair of Mass-Care, an umbrella organization with more than 100 member organizations. Their mission is to "establish a single payer health care system in Massachusetts so that all residents of the Commonwealth will have access to comprehensive, quality, affordable and equitable health care." Dr. Berger has practiced medicine in a variety of settings in Massachusetts. Having seen the inequities in the health care system first hand, she is committed to working for single payer health care reform. She is passionate in her belief "that access to comprehensive, equitable, high quality health care is a human right and is the foundation for a healthy and compassionate society" and that "a single payer health care system is the best way to achieve affordable, patient centered medical care supported by the broad community."

Friday, February 15, 2008

Peace Vigil Sat, Feb 16 on Walpole Common

The Walpole Peace and Justice Group invites you to join us for a peace vigil tomorrow morning, Saturday, February 16, from 10:00 to 11:00 AM on the Walpole Common, across from the Post Office. Peace vigils are held on the first and third Saturdays of the Month.

For the Walpole Peace and Justice Group

Philip

Friday, February 01, 2008

Peace Vigil Sat, Feb 2 on Walpole Common

The Walpole Peace and Justice Group invites you to join us for a peace vigil tomorrow morning, Saturday, February 2, from 10:00 to 11:00 AM on the Walpole Common, across from the Post Office. Peace vigils are held on the 1st and third Saturdays of the Month. Hope to see you there.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Waterboarding: Is it Torture?

The Walpole Peace and Justice Group will hold a presentation and discussion entitled "Waterboarding: Is it Torture?" at the Walpole Public Library on Monday, January 28th at 7:30 pm. The acceptance of waterboarding has been a controversial subject since 9/11. It has apparently been used by the CIA on terrorism suspects. The Military Commissions Act, passed in 2006, permits the use of coerced evidence and gives the President the power to define what torture is. Secret government memos attempt to justify it as an allowable interrogation technique. Congress and the Justice Department are currently investigating the CIA's destruction of tapes documenting the harsh interrogation of two Al Qaeda's suspects in 2002, which appears to have included waterboarding. It has become an election issue with some candidates defining it as torture while others have been unwilling to do so.

Join us for an informative presentation and discussion and make your own decision whether waterboarding and other "harsh interrogation" techniques are torture. The presentation will define what waterboarding is and give a history of its use. A brief segment from the video, "Breaking the Silence - Torture Survivors Speak Out" will be shown, where Carlos, a doctor from Paraguay describes his horrendous experience with waterboarding. A form of water torture was used in the Philippine-American War. Japanese military officers were tried as war criminals following World War II for using waterboarding. The presentation will summarize the applicable U.N and international treaties pertaining to torture as well as summarize U.S. laws. We will also review the moral implications and how the press and churches have responded and then end with an open discussion.

This presentation is a follow-up to Demissie A. Gebremedhin's compelling talk earlier this month about his own experience as a torture survivor and the work that Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International (TASSC) is doing to stop torture. The talk is open to the public.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Follow-up on TASSC Talk on Torture

On this past Tuesday, Demissie A. Gebremedhin, director of Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International (TASSC), gave an informative and sobering talk on torture and the disturbing policy of the Bush administration policy to justify torture as an acceptable interrogation method. The mission of TASSC is to "end the practice of torture wherever it occurs and to empower survivors, their families and communities wherever they are." TASSC is an important moral voice against torture, which can never be justified. You can find additional information about TASSC at their web site, http://www.tassc.org/. The talk was sponsored by the Walpole Peace and Justice Group.

January 11 is the 6th year anniversary of Guantanamo and "marks six years of torture, detention and abuse at Guantánamo." We invite you to join with TASSC and other peace groups in calling for shutting down Guantanamo, repealing the Military Commissions Act, restoring Habeas Corpus, and charging or releasing all detainees. The Military Commissions Act (MCA) "rejects the right to a speedy trial and allows a trial to continue in the absence of the accused" and most disturbing, "permits coercive interrogations and torture." Please see the web site http://www.witnesstorture.org/ for more information on the campaign to close Guantanamo. One action you can take is to contact Senator Kennedy, http://kennedy.senate.gov/, Senator Kerry, http://kerry.senate.gov/ , and Representative Lynch, http://www.house.gov/lynch/index.shtml and express your opinion.

Friday, January 04, 2008

Peace Vigil on Walpole Common, Sat Jan 5, 10 AM

The Walpole Peace and Justice Group invites you to join us for the our first peace vigil of the New Year to protest the Iraq war on Saturday, January 5, 2008 from 10:00 to 11:00 AM at the Walpole Common, across from the Post Office. We regularly hold a vigil at the Walpole Common on the first and third Saturday of the month.

Next Speaker: January 8 at 7:30 at Walpole Public Library - Demissie A. Gebremedhin, Director of the Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International Group (TASSC) will speak on his own personal experiences as a torture survivor, as well as, TASSC’s work in dealing with torture. He will also provide information about the Military Commissions Act that was passed last October by Congress and TASSC’s efforts to repeal it. Demissie is a citizen of Ethiopia who was repeatedly tortured by the Ethiopian government because of his political opinions and race and because of his reporting of the misappropriation of funds by a government run aid organization. TASSC is the only organization founded by and for torture survivors. The mission of TASSC is to end the practice of torture wherever it occurs and to empower survivors, their families and communities. TASSC has created a world-wide network of International Communities of Healing for torture survivors and their families. TASSC tries to influence domestic and international policies regarding torture through advocacy, social action, public testimony and targeted media campaigns.