Budget for All Resolution Hearing on Wednesday in Boston at the State House

Please join us in Boston for this important Budget for All Resolution hearing on Wednesday  at the State House.  Walpole and Norwood voters in the 12th Norfolk State Representative District  voted overwhelmingly YES for the Budget for All referendum question in 2012 by 72%  to 28%. The Norfolk State Representative District consists of half the Walpole precincts and all of Norwood.  The referendum question called on our state senators and representatives to vote for a resolution from the Massachusetts state legislature asking Congress and the President to support the Budget For All.  A convenient way to get to Boston is via the Franklin line train out of Walpole at 11:06 AM, which will get you to Boston in plenty of time for the rally at 12:30.   

Hearing on the Budget for All Resolution!

Wednesday, October 28

Massachusetts State House 

Rally 12:30 pm · State House Steps

Hearing 1:30 pm  Gardner Auditorium

Speakers: Mel King, community organizer • Carolyn Federoff, Mass. AFL-CIO • Heidi Garrett-Peltier, Political Economy Research Institute • Craig Altemose, Better Future Project • Cassandra Bensahih, Jobs not jails • Michael Kane, Mass. Alliance of HUD Tenants • Joel Wool, Clean Water Action • Grace Ross, Mass. Alliance Against Predatory Lending • Wayne Smith, Vietnam Veteran • Chuck Collins, Institute for Policy Studies • Phil Mamber, Mass. Senior Action • Chris Horton, Worcester Unemployed Action Group • Concetta Paul, Save Our Section 8 • Mary Popeo, Global Zero • Cleve Rea, Boston Homeless Solidarity • Prof. Jonathan King, MIT • and more

Peace Vigil, Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki, on Friday, August 7, 2015 from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM, the Walpole Common

Please join the Walpole Peace and Justice Group  for a peace vigil, ‘ Hiroshima & Nagasaki: 70 Years - Never Again’ on Wednesday,  Friday  August 7, 2015 from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM,  on the Walpole Common at the corner of Main and West Streets. Seventy years after the United States atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and 45 years after the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the 9 nuclear weapons states have yet to take the next step of negotiating  a total abolishment of nuclear weapons. We join with peace groups, people of faith, community groups, and all people who care about the future of humanity to call for all countries to disarm nuclear weapons. Join us for some readings and  a time of observance and reflection. 

See the Massachusetts Peace Action website for a list of other events remembering  Hiroshima & Nagasaki, http://masspeaceaction.org/home/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/FAITH_HIRO_NAGA_FLYER_FINALISH_5.pdf

Why the War on Drugs is a Failure

Retired State Police undercover officer Jack Cole will give a talk, Why the War on Drugs is a Failure, at the Walpole Public Library on Thursday, May 21, 2015 at 7:00 PM. Jack Cole knows about the “war on drugs” from several perspectives. He retired as a Detective Lieutenant after a 26-year career with the New Jersey State Police—fourteen in narcotics, mostly as an undercover officer. His investigations spanned cases from street drug users to international drug trafficking organizations.

Jack is passionate in his belief that the “war on drugs” has been an abject failure, that it is steeped in racism, is needlessly destroying the lives of young people, has expanded the militarization of our law enforcers, and has escalated the rate of police shootings. For four decades the US has fueled its policy of a “war on drugs” with over 1.5 trillion tax dollars and increasingly punitive policies. Over 50 million nonviolent drug arrests have been made. Jack asserts that despite all the money spent and all the lives destroyed, illicit drugs are cheaper, more potent, and much easier to access today than they were at the beginning of the “war on drugs” 45 years ago. Jack’s talk will give the audience an alternative prospective of the US “war on drugs” from the view of a veteran drug-warrior turned against the war.

Jack is a founding member and for eight years was executive director of LEAP, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. LEAP is an international organization representing cops, judges, prosecutors, and prison wardens which believes that to save lives and lower the rates of disease, crime and addiction, as well as to conserve tax dollars, we must end drug prohibition. It believes that a system of regulation and control is far more effective than one of prohibition. Jack is now their Board Chair and an international speaker.

The Library is at 143 School Street, Walpole, MA. The talk is sponsored by the Walpole Peace and Justice Group.

Walpole Peace and Justice Group is sponsoring a screening of the Documentary Film, 'Broken On All Sides: Race' on May 13, 2015 7:30 PM at the Walpole Public Library

Please join us for a screening of the documentary film, Broken On All Sides: Race, Mass incarceration & New Visions for Criminal Justice in the U.S. on May 13, 2015 7:30 PM at the Walpole Public Library in the Community Room. This compelling documentary by Matthew Pillischer shows how the war on drugs and racial inequities within our criminal justice system have lead to mass incarceration of people of color.

The documentary gives a visual presentation of statistics and personal stories showing the racial disparities in the war on drugs. It shows how people of color are targeted for arrest, get harsher sentences, and experience the terrible impact of mass incarceration. While the majority of illegal drug users and dealers nationwide are white, 75% of those imprisoned for drug offenses have been Black or Latino. Today the U.S has 5% of the world’s population but 25% of the world’s prisoners. “The documentary centers around the theory put for­ward by many, and most recently by Michelle Alexander (who appears in the movie), that mass incarceration has become ‘The New Jim Crow.’

Through inter­views with people on many sides of the criminal justice system, this documentary aims to answer questions and provoke questions on an issue walled-off from the public's scrutiny.” There will be a discussion following the screening. The Library is at 143 School Street, Walpole, MA. The screening is sponsored by the Walpole Peace and Justice Group.

Walpole Peace and Justice Group Events

·         April 8, 2015 , 7:00 PM: Discussion on Racism, the War on Drugs, and Mass Incarceration on Wednesday, at the Walpole Public Library, the Pinnacle Room

The discussion will reference the book, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander.  This NY Times Best Seller is eye opening in its careful presentation of history and statistics, showing how the “war on drugs” has resulted in the mass incarceration of people of color and has been used to institute a racial caste system.  The incarceration of people of color has been devastating to their families, resulting in mass unemployment and poverty. Arrest records follow people the rest of their lives, affecting their opportunities for employment and even their right to vote. Sponsored by the Walpole Peace and Justice Group.

·         May 13, 2015  7:30 PM, Screening of the Documentary Film, Broken On All Sides: Race, Mass incarceration & New Visions for Criminal Justice in the U.S., at the Walpole Public Library, Community Room

This compelling documentary by Matthew Pillischer contains a visual presentation of facts and statistics and many personal stories that reinforce the issues raised by Michelle Alexander in her book. We will have a discussion following the viewing. See the website for more information on the documentary:  http://brokenonallsides.com/ . Sponsored by the Walpole Peace and Justice Group.

Reminder: Erlich talk on "Inside Syria", Nov 12th; Rally for Peace, Nov 15th

Reminder that  Foreign correspondent and investigative reporter Reese Erlich will give a talk on his new book “Inside Syria: The Backstory of Their Civil War  and What the World Can Expect” on Wednesday, November 12, 2014 at 7:30 PM at the United Church, 30 Common Walpole. Recently returned from northern Iraq, Erlick will also discuss the growing influence of extremist rebel groups and why the US bombing campaign will hurt both Americans and people of the region. The talk is sponsored by the Walpole Peace and justice Group. This timely book shows not only what is happening inside Syria but why it is so important for the Middle East, the US, and the world. People may park in the parking lot to the right of the church, using the driveway after the Center for Community Counseling and Education, and should enter the church by the right side door.

Also there is a Rally for Peace in Iraq & Syria on Saturday, November 15, 2014, 1:-3 PM  in Boston
Park Street MBTA Station, Park St & Tremont St, Boston.

Rally and march to Downtown Crossing with a mock drone and die-in.

• No more military intervention in Iraq and Syria
• Bring the troops home now
• Stop sending weapons into the region which are leading to so much bloodshed
• Support humanitarian aid, through neutral institutions, for victims of the conflict
• Support self-determination and the demilitarization of the area

Call Congress at (202) 224-3121 and say: “I want Congress to reconvene immediately to fully debate a new “Authorization for Use of Military Force” (AUMF) that deals with Syria, Iraq, and ISIS. And when the vote comes, I want you to vote no.”

For more info or to help organize: United for Justice with Peace, 617-383-4857, info@justicewithpeace.org.

Walpole Peace Group sponsored talk on 'Inside Syria: The Backstory of Their Civil War and What the World Can Expect' on November 12 at 7:30 PM

Please join us for a talk by Foreign correspondent and investigative reporter Reese Erlich on his new book “Inside Syria: The Backstory of Their Civil War  and What the World Can Expect.” See the press release below.

Foreign correspondent and investigative reporter Reese Erlich will give a talk on his new book “Inside Syria: The Backstory of Their Civil War  and What the World Can Expect” on Wednesday, November 12, 2014 at 7:30 PM at the United Church, 30 Common Walpole. Recently returned from northern Iraq, Erlick will also discuss the growing influence of extremist rebel groups and why the US bombing campaign will hurt both Americans and people of the region. The talk is sponsored by the Walpole Peace and justice Group. 

Through vivid, on-the-ground accounts and interviews with rebel leaders and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, journalist Reese Erlich explains the complex dynamics underlying the Syrian civil war. Through his many contacts inside Syria, the author reveals who is supporting Assad and why. He describes the agendas of the rebel factions and depicts the dire plight of the Syrian people caught in the cross-fire. He provides insights into the role of the Kurds, the continuing influence of Iran, and the policies of US leaders who seem interested only in protecting US regional interests. This timely book shows not only what is happening inside Syria but why it is so important for the Middle East, the US, and the world.

Reese Erlich  is an award-winning journalist and has covered the Middle East for almost 30 years, reporting from Syria five times and visiting all its neighboring countries. A full-time freelance journalist, he recently reported for CBS Radio and GlobalPost from the Kurdish Region of Iraq. In 2006 he shared a prestigious Peabody Award. 

People may park in the parking lot to the right of the church, using the driveway after the Center for Community Counseling and Education, and should enter the church by the right side door.