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unplug

unplug magazine asks you to unplug from your current modes of thought and look at life in a new way, whether this means unplugging from our toxic consumer culture, mainstream society, the tv, or a limiting mindset. author megan prusynski explores life's alternatives and discusses activism, progressive thinking, and moving towards a "green" & sustainable life.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Fight the H8! Nationwide Protests 11/15

The election was a bittersweet one for many progressive Californians like myself, since we elected the first African-American president and banned gay marriage all in one fell swoop. We're still trying to figure out how that happened. Gay marriage bans were also passed in Florida, Arkansas, and Arizona. The passage of these bans was a serious blow to equality and justice in this country. I am still in shock that Proposition 8 passed in California. I thought one of the most progressive states in the nation would know better. Unfortunately, the Mormon Church was behind the Yes on Prop 8 crowd, and funded a huge advertising blitz in the last weeks of the election.

Even though these measures passed, the fight for equal marriage rights continues. You can get involved by participating in the November 15th protest against hate. Here's a rallying cry from Join the Impact:

Let's move as one full unit, on the same day, at the same hour, and let's show the United States of America that we too are UNITED CITIZENS EQAUL IN MIND, BODY, SPIRIT AND DESERVING OF FULL EQUALITY UNDER THE LAW!

On the steps of your City Hall on November 15th at 10:30am PST / 1:30pm EST, our community WILL take to the streets and speak out against Proposition 8 and all of the other pro-equality losses that we have faced in our lifetimes, in our parents' lifetimes, and for many generations before us.

Find a protest in your area today, and fight the H8! You can sign a petition seeking to repeal Proposition 8 here.

Labels: activism, human rights, news/current events, politics

Monday, March 24, 2008

Tibet Needs Our Support

I have been following the recent events in Tibet, growing increasingly worried as China cracks down on what began as peaceful protests started by monks to commemorate the anniversary of China's takeover of Tibet (and the Dalai Lama's subsequent exile) in 1959. I have posted on Tibet and the Dalai Lama before, and it's an issue dear to my heart. The protests in Tibet have turned into violent riots, with the Chinese using their full might against Tibetans who want their freedom.

With the coming 2008 Summer Olympics, the communist Chinese government wants to silence the Tibetan uprising in their usual fashion - with brutality, brainwashing, and violence. China has long been involved in human rights violations and cultural genocide in Tibet, and now the people of Tibet are crying out for their voices to be heard. They need the world to know what is going on there, but China is trying to silence them. Foreigners and journalists have been kicked out of Tibet, so eyewitness reports are hard to come by. The Dalai Lama continues to urge non-violence on both sides, even threatening to resign as leader of Tibet in exile if violence continues. His position is one of compromise with China, autonomy for Tibet but not complete independence. And yet China accuses him of "masterminding" this violent uprising.

How can we help? The most important thing we can do is learn about the situation in Tibet and urge China to negotiate with the Dalai Lama and Tibet instead of silencing them with violence. What follows is a list of articles for more information, organizations you can support to help Tibet and Tibetans, and petitions to the Chinese government.

Beijing Wide Open: the blog of a Tibetan activist living in Beijing. Lots of great information and updated coverage of the events in Lhasa and elsewhere.

Stand With Tibet: a petition to the Chinese President calling for restraint and respect for human rights, from Avaaz.org. Sign to help them reach one million signatures!

International Campaign for Tibet: this organization works with Tibetans inside and outside of Tibet, bringing coverage of the situation and offering many ways to get involved in the movement. One of their campaigns is Race for Tibet, protesting holding the olympics in China. They are holding a series of events in San Francisco, April 7-9, when the Olympic Torch passes through.

Alternet has a collection of stories about Tibet and the current events there.

So, stay informed, get involved, and help the voice of Tibetans be heard. I am hoping for the best possible outcome and an end to the violence. China is hardly deserving of the Olympic Games if they fail to uphold basic human rights, so time is certainly of the essence.

Labels: human rights, peace, politics

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Help Find Habeas Corpus

Habeas Corpus is missing, and the ACLU has launched a campaign to find him.

Who is Habeas? Well, he's not really a missing person, but the ACLU has personified him in their campaign because he is indeed missing - ever since the Military Commissions Act of 2006 was passed. Habeas Corpus has been an integral part of democracy since the thirteenth century. According to Wikipedia,

"In common law, habeas corpus is the name of a legal action or writ by means of which detainees can seek relief from unlawful imprisonment. The writ of habeas corpus has historically been an important instrument for the safeguarding of individual freedom against arbitrary state action."

Since individual freedom and rights are (or at least should be) a central part of a democratic government, one would think that it would be too precious to remove from the lawbooks. But, just before the 2006 election, the United States government did just that. Certain detainees can now be legally imprisoned without being charged or given a justification for their imprisonment, denied court review or legal help, and tortured in ways that violate the Geneva Conventions. As part of the "War on Terror," the Military Commissions Act allows the horrible abuses at Guantanamo Bay to continue without consequence, and without due process, it is certain that we are holding innocent people behind bars. In fact, the Bush Administration has acknowledged that many Guantanamo Bay prisoners are not even terrorists!

For an inside look at what prisoners at Guantanamo Bay go through, I suggest watching The Road to Guantanamo, a movie about a group of friends who end up in Guantanamo simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The human rights abuses that are very common at Guantanamo Bay have drawn outcry from many organizations, such as Amnesty International, that demand the prison be closed.

The dissolving of Habeas Corpus and the mere existence of a place as horrible as Guantanamo Bay beg the question: Is the United States even a democracy any more? At the rate things are going, we really can't call ourselves a democracy. It's starting to smell like fascism to me...

Labels: human rights, news/current events, politics