Page 1, OPS, Jan-Feb 2013
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Annual Prayer Breakfast
7 am, Monday
January 21st
Midwest City Three 10-minute Speakers:
(Batch is one of them)
See Poster: Page 6
Amy Goodman: “Now The Work Begins” P. 3
Obama: Smallest Government Spender! P. 4
Israel & Iran: “A Love Story” P. 5
Human Rights Alliance Award Recipients P. 7
OK Center for Conscience EVENT, Jan 13th P. 8
Fracking linked to Earthquakes, Water Issues P. 9
Citizens Climate Lobby Forms in OKC P. 14
Inside this issue:
“Peace is not jus t the
absence of v io lence,
but the presence
of jus t ice .”
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Jan-Feb 2013 THE PEACE HOUSE 2912 N. Robinson Oklahoma City, OK 73103
Address Service Requested
Return a Gift to the Peace House in the enclosed envelope! THANKS!
Non-profit
U.S. Postage Paid Okla. City, OK
73125 Permit No. 1096
US Air Force Veteran Brought Home by
Local Interfaith & Community Organizations
by Adam Soltani
Executive Director CAIR-Oklahoma
After six months of attempting to return to his
hometown of McAlester, Oklahoma, Muslim
U.S. Air Force veteran Saadiq Long finally ar-
rived home on November 19, 2012.
Mr. Long moved to the Middle East in 2000
to teach English, but maintained his US citizen-
ship and close ties with his Oklahoma family. In
April 2012 he attempted to return to Oklahoma to
visit his terminally-ill mother. He was blocked by
authorities who said he was not allowed to board
the flight as his name appeared on a “no fly” list.
He sought help and answers from the U.S. Em-
bassy in Qatar, as well as the Department of
Homeland Security, but received none.
Long’s plight came to the attention of the
Oklahoma chapter of Council on American Is-
lamic Relations (CAIR) in August, at which point
CAIR-OK worked closely with his family and
friends to get Long’s name removed from the “no
-fly” list and ensure his safe trip home in time for
the holidays.
A news conference held on November 5,
2012, launched Oklahoma City’s campaign to get
Saadiq Long home. CAIR-Oklahoma, the Okla-
homa Peace House, and the Oklahoma Confer-
ence of churches came together to call for Long’s
return to his own country so that he could spend
one last holiday season with his ailing mother.
This coalition said with one voice, that Long,
as a U.S. citizen, should not be denied the right to
return to his own country without reason or justi-
fication. Also stressed was the humanitarian con-
cern that Long be able to visit his mother in her
frail state before the opportunity was gone.
In addition to legal representation and media
appearances, CAIR Oklahoma with the aide of
the Oklahoma Peace House helped circulate an
online petition started by Long’s sister, Ava
Anderson, asking FBI and the Department of
Homeland Security to permit Long to fly home.
The petition garnered over 7,000 signatures in a
matter of days.
As a result, Long was permitted to fly home
for the holidays (see SUCCESS story on page 8
this issue!) Special thanks to the Oklahoma Con-
ference of Churches and Oklahoma Peace House
for their support in seeking the return of Saadiq
Long to his hometown. /////
(See UPDATE: SUCCESS! Page 8)
Speaking at the news conference were (from left) OK
Conference of Churches Executive Director Bill Tab-
bernee, CAIR Director Adam Soltani, and Peace
House Director Nathaniel Batchelder
Page 2, OPS, Jan-Feb 2013
CO
MM
EN
TA
RY
Oklahoma Peace Strategy News is produced by The Peace House in Oklahoma City. It has been published since 1983. It is written, compiled, typeset, composed, labeled, and mailed by volunteers. Letters to the Editor and articles submitted for publication are welcome. They must be signed with a phone number and ad-dress for the author; however, requests for anonymous publi-cation will be considered. OPS News reserves the right to edit for space and to refuse publica-tion of statements that are libel-ous or unsubstantiated. Send to: The Peace House 2912 N. Robinson Okla. City, OK 73103
Or to [email protected] Phone: 405-524-5577
Peace Education Institute 11404 N. Midwest Blvd.
Jones, OK 73049 405-204-6479
by Nathaniel Batchelder
How has America become a nation with 440 billionaires
politically concerned mostly with tax cuts allowing them to
keep or increase their wealth? Whatever happened to valu-
ing the public good and social responsibility, the principle
that all of us, especially the most favored, should contribute
to a society supporting every person’s possibilities for edu-
cation, economic opportunity, reasonable access to some
kind of health care, a better life for themselves and their
families?
Corporate executives once were proud that their enterprises
not only produced goods and services, but also provided
jobs and wages for employees. Today, it seems, our eco-
nomic system considers labor a commodity to be purchased
at the lowest price. “Why pay $8 an hour if someone will
work for $6?”
That principle has produced billionaires in a system where
corporations benefit by moving production to nations where
labor is unprotected, and where workers often toil for $5 a
day or less. And whereas corporate CEOs once averaged
salaries equal to 60 times what their hourly workers made,
today’s CEOs commonly earn 300, 400, or 500 times what
hourly workers take home.
How has conservatism come to mean dismantling regula-
tions protecting workers; compromising regulation of bank-
ing and finance that prohibits casino risk-taking with other
people’s money; reversing the modest regulations suggest-
ing that corporations should be responsible for hazardous
wastes and pollution they generate? Should not corpora-
tions be as responsible as citizens to obey laws regulating
pollution and wastes? Today’s conservative perspective
seems to be that any regulations affecting profits should be
eliminated.
There will always be people more wealthy and others less
wealthy. But what America has experienced over the past
30 years is concentration of fabulous wealth at the top,
while income, wealth and job opportunities for the majority
have diminished. There is no economic future in
this. Henry Ford knew that workers need income in order to
buy the products they make. Many see truth in the assertion
of the Occupy Wall Street movement, that today’s economic
system pits the interests of the 1% against the 99%. We
should all be in this together.
President Obama campaigned for reelection on the promise
to rebuild America’s middle class and ask the wealthiest to
contribute a little more toward America’s fiscal chal-
lenges. Billionaires including Warren Buffet agreed, saying
that it is unfair for their tax rates to be lower than those of
their secretaries. Obama’s simple challenge to Congress
after the elections to pass legislation insuring no tax in-
crease on income under $250,000 was a step in that direc-
tion. He said this would protect 98% of Americans from a
tax increase, but of course it protects the first $250,000 of
higher incomes as well. Conservatives have just said
no. Their refusal to support such legislation has revealed
conservative commitment to protecting the income and
wealth of the top 2%, regardless the consequences.
Oklahoma receives more from the federal government than
we pay in taxes, something like $1.26 for every dollar Soon-
ers pay to the IRS. Federal dollars build our highways and
support our military bases. Federal dollars bolster Okla-
homa City’s miracle reconstruction financed largely by our
sales tax revenues. It’s time for Oklahomans to acknowl-
edge the benefits we receive from the taxes we pay, and stop
vilifying everything government does as a waste of money.
Peace and Onward, - - - - - Batch
Nathaniel Batchelder at The Peace House in Oklahoma City
www.PeaceHouseOK.org.
America’s Values Must Change
HOPE is in the WIND: The Keystone
XL Pipeline and More About Coal
Bill McKibben was interviewed on NPR recently updating
listeners on progress of the organization 350.org that he
founded to educate and advocate on climate change is-
sues. McKibben said citizen action is affecting popular
views on global warming that can be the basis for policy
changes and changes in individual actions.
A new national survey reveals that a whopping 70% of
Americans believe global warming is very real, a substantial
surge over the past two years. Meanwhile the numbers of
Americans denying the threat of climate change has declined
to a relatively few 12%.
More importantly, a Yale-George Mason analysis said
that 54% of Americans believe global warming is caused
mostly by human activities! Only 30% still contend it is
caused mostly by natural causes. 72% of Americans think
global warming should be a priority for the President and
Congress. 70% say more should be done by corporations and
industry.
McKibben remains clear that stopping the Keystone XL
Pipeline is a key issue citizens should take action on. Build-
ing the pipeline would be a huge commitment to decades of
developing polluting and carbon-intensive fuels, making it
nearly impossible to reach goals of reducing CO2 produc-
tion. The President and Congress should hear from us.
See related news about the Oklahoma Sierra Club’s Beyond
Coal Oklahoma initiative on page 6 and contact info for our
elected officials on Alerts Page 5. /////
Page 3, OPS, Jan-Feb 2013
Please Help The Peace House Send a gift in the enclosed envelope
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ties relating to human rights, economic justice and environmental
sustainability. If you know us, you know it’s true.
The Peace House website — www.peacehouseok.org — is up-
dated frequently and regularly to share announcements, alerts, pho-
tos, and essays about peace as well as events and links to other or-
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Thanks to all who can help!
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Your contributions to Peace House support our pub-
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Send to:
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Editor’s note: It was pressure from grass-roots activists protesting in front of
the White House that pushed Obama to delay a decision on the controversial Key-
stone XL pipeline, proposed to run from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. More than
1,200 people were arrested at a series of protests at the White House one year
ago. Now a group is blocking the construction of the southern leg of that pipeline,
risking arrest and even injury, with direct-action blockades in tree-sits and tri-
pods in Winnsboro, Texas, two hours east of Dallas.
When those who are used to having the president’s ear whisper their demands
to him in the Oval Office, if he can’t point out the window and say, “If I do as you
ask, they will storm the Bastille,” if there is no one out there, then he is in big
trouble.—N. Batchelder
The election is over, and President Barack Obama
will continue as the 44th president of the United
States. There will be much attention paid by the pun-
dit class to the mechanics of the campaigns, to the
techniques of micro-targeting potential voters, the
effectiveness of get-out-the-vote efforts. The media
analysts will fill the hours on the cable news net-
works, proffering post-election chestnuts about the
accuracy of polls, or about either candidate’s success with one demo-
graphic or another. Missed by the mainstream media, but churning at the
heart of our democracy, are social movements, movements without which
President Obama would not have been re-elected.
President Obama is a former community organizer himself. What hap-
pens when the community organizer in chief becomes the commander in
chief? Who does the community organizing then? Interestingly, he offered
a suggestion when speaking at a small New Jersey campaign event when
he was first running for president. Someone asked him what he would do
about the Middle East. He answered with a story about the legendary 20th-
century organizer A. Philip Randolph meeting with President Franklin De-
lano Roosevelt. Randolph described to FDR the condition of black people
in America, the condition of working people. Reportedly, FDR listened
intently, then replied: “I agree with everything you have said. Now, make
me do it.” That was the message Obama repeated.
There you have it. Make him do it. You’ve got an invitation from the
president himself.
For years during the Bush administration, people felt they were hitting
their heads against a brick wall. With the first election of President Obama,
the wall had become a door, but it was only open a crack. The question
was, Would it be kicked open or slammed shut? That is not up to the one in
the White House, no matter how powerful. That is the work of movements.
Ben Jealous is a serious organizer with a long list of accomplishments,
and a longer list of things to get done, as the president and CEO of the Na-
tional Association for the Advancement of Colored People. 2013, he notes,
is a year of significant anniversaries, among them the 150th anniversary of
President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, the 50th anni-
versary of the 1963 March on Washington, as well as the 50th anniversa-
ries of the assassination of Medgar Evers and the Birmingham, Ala.,
church bombing that killed four young African-American girls. President
Obama’s 2013 Inauguration will occur on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Jealous told me on election night, as Mitt Romney was about to give his
concession speech, “We have to stay in movement mode."
Young immigrants are doing just that. Undocumented students, getting
arrested in sit-ins in politicians’ offices, are the modern-day civil-rights
movement. There are other vibrant movements as well, like Occupy Wall
Street, like the fight for marriage equality, which won four out of four
statewide initiatives on Election Day. In the aftermath of Superstorm
Sandy, and despite the enormous resources expended by the fossil-fuel in-
dustry to cloud the issue, climate change and what to do about it is now
(see “Now the work of movements” continued, page 7)
Now the Work of Movements Begins
Source: Common Dreams: URL: www.commondreams.org/view/2012/11/08-9
By Amy Goodman
Amy Goodman
Page 4, OPS, Jan-Feb 2013
Who Is The Smallest Gov-ernment Spender Since Ei-senhower? Would You Believe It’s
Barack Obama? - Forbes Magazine
It’s enough to make even the most ardent Obama cynic scratch his head
in confusion.
Amidst all the cries of Barack Obama being the most prolific big gov-
ernment spender the nation has ever suffered, MarketWatch is reporting
that our president has actually been tighter with a buck than any United
States president since Dwight D. Eisenhower (http://articles.marketwatch.com/2012-05-
22/commentary/31802270_1_spending-federal-budget-drunken-sailor)
Who knew? . . . . . . . . . Check out the chart –
So, how have the Republicans managed to persuade Americans to buy
into the whole “Obama as big spender” narrative?
It might have something to do with the first year of the Obama presi-
dency where the federal budget increased a whopping 17.9% - going from
$2.98 trillion to $3.52 trillion. I’ll bet you think that this is the result of the
Obama-sponsored stimulus plan so frequently vilified by conservatives…
but you would be wrong.
The first year of any incoming president term is saddled—for better or
for worse—with the budget set by the president who immediately precedes
the new occupant of the White House. Indeed, not only was the 2009
budget the property of George W. Bush—passed by the 2008 Congress—
that budget was in effect four months before Barack Obama took office.
The budgets that can be blamed on our current president began in 2010
with the budgets including and running through fiscal year 2013.
So, how do the actual Obama annual budgets look?
Courtesy of MarketWatch:
In fiscal 2010 (the first Obama budget) spending fell 1.8% to $3.46
trillion.
In fiscal 2011, spending rose 4.3% to $3.60 trillion.
In fiscal 2012, spending is set to rise 0.7% to $3.63 trillion, according
to the Congressional Budget Office’s estimate of the budget that was
agreed to last August.
Finally in fiscal 2013 — the final budget of Obama’s term — spending
is scheduled to fall 1.3% to $3.58 trillion. You can read it in the CBO’s
latest budget outlook (http://www.cbo.gov/publication/42905)
No doubt, many will wish to give the credit to the efforts of the GOP
controlled House of Representatives. That’s fine if that’s what works for
you.
However, you don’t get to have it both ways. Credit whom you will.
But if you are truly interested in a fair analysis of the Obama years to
date—at least when it comes to spending—you’re going to have to ac-
knowledge that under the Obama administration, even President Reagan
would have to give our current president a thumbs up when it comes to his
record for stretching a dollar.
Of course, the Heritage Foundation is having none of it, attempting to
counter the actual numbers by pretending that the spending initiated during
the Bush Administration is the fault of Obama. As I understand the argu-
ment Heritage is putting forth —and I have provided the link to the Heri-
tage rebuttal (http://blog.heritage.org/2012/05/24/setting-obamas-great-
fiscal-restraint-record-straight/) so you can decide for yourself— Obama is
to be held accountable for the budget he inherited when he took office.
Consider, however, that the Heritage Foundation was the creator of the
individual mandate concept for healthcare, demanding that every individ-
ual be covered either by private or public insurance. When that principle
was adopted in Obama’s Affordable Health Care Act, the Heritage Foun-
dation and conservatives reversed themselves and called this an oppressive
socialist demand “of Obamacare”. So, I’m not quite sure why anyone be-
lieves much of anything the Heritage Foundation has to say any longer.
Richard "Rick" Ungar (born in Youngstown, Ohio in 1950) is a contribu-
tor to Forbes.com and the Washington Monthly where he writes on Ameri-
can health care policy and politics.
Tear and remove
Support The Peace Education Institute
The Peace Education Institute is committed to edu-
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explore nonviolent living options. We need your
support.
Send your contributions to:
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Page 5, OPS, Jan-Feb 2013
Contact Elected Officials:
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
202-456-1111 (comments) 202-456-1414 (switchboard) FAX: 202-456-2461
Congressional Switchboard
(202) 224-3121
(202) 225-3121
Mail: US Senate
US Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Mail: (Name of Rep.) US House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Senator Tom Coburn (OK) DC Tel: (202) 224-5754
DC Fax: (202) 224-6008
OKC Ofc: (405) 231-4941
Tulsa Ofc: (918) 581-7651
Senator Jim Inhofe (OK) DC Tel: (202) 224-4721
DC Fax: (202) 228-0380
OKC Ofc: (405) 608-4381
Tulsa Ofc: (918) 748-5111
U.S. Representatives (OK) Dist 1: John Sullivan (Tul) DC Tel: (202) 225-2211
DC Fax: (202) 225-9187
Tulsa ofc: (918) 749-0014
Dist 2: Dan Boren (Musk) DC Tel: (202) 225-2701
DC Fax: (202) 225-3038
Muskogee: (918) 687-2533
Dist 3: Frank Lucas (W. OKC) DC Tel: (202) 225-5565
DC Fax: (202) 225-8698
OKC Ofc: (405) 373-1958
Dist 4: Tom Cole (Nrm & S.) DC Tel: (202) 225-6165
DC Fax: (202) 225-3512
Norman Ofc: (405) 329-6500
Dist 5: James Lankford (OKC) DC Tel: (202) 225-2132
DC Fax: (202) 226-1463
OKC Ofc: (405) 234-9900
Contact one or more of them
today!
(from CNN) -- One Israeli man’s
vision of communicating a peace
message to Iranians on Facebook
has become an international phe-
nomenon.
It is not possible to dial an Iranian
number from an Israeli telephone. It
is illegal. That is why Ronny Edry,
an Israeli graphic designer based in
Tel Aviv, decided to get his peace
message across to the people of Iran
on Facebook
"I was trying
to reach people
on the other
side. There is all
this talk about
war, and I
wanted to say
the simple
words that this
war idea is
crazy," said
Edry.
Using his graphic design skills and
his wife's help he plastered words of
peace over pictures of himself, his
wife, his friends and his neighbors.
He then posted them on the Face-
book page of Pushpin Mehina, his
small design school, with a resound-
ing message: “IRANIANS: we will
never bomb your country. We
*Heart* You.” (see poster at right).
The response was overwhelming,
as Edry recounted in a moving 15-
minute TED talk (the Youtube video
has gone viral).
Edry says, "In just a few hours, I
had hundreds of shares and thou-
sands of likes and it was like some-
thing was happening. I think it's
amazing that someone from Iran
‘poked’ me
and said
'Hello, I'm
from Iran, I
saw your
poster on
Facebook,' "
He said, "I
never spoke
to an Iranian
in my life. I
woke up my
wife and said, 'There is someone on
Facebook from Iran!’” We cried.
He posted his designs for anyone
to take and plaster over their own
photos. The photos and posts have
been flooding the page.
Edry says he started the campaign
to get past the harsh words and talk
directly to Iranians to see whether
there really was anything to fight
about.
Now thousands from many coun-
tries are posting similar posters and
photos of themselves, expressing
love and hopes for peace.
(The story continues to grow, even
after 9 months. You can see the
amazing 15-minute TED video at
the YouTube site below)
“Israel and Iran: A Love Story” Youtube Video Goes Globally Viral
You can find Edry’s TED talk ,with many of the amazing posters from around the world, on YouTube at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Lp-NMaU0r8 (or search Youtube for “Israel and Iran A Love Story”)
I like to believe that people in the
long run are going to do more to
promote peace than our govern-
ments. Indeed, I think that people
want peace so much that one of
these days governments had better
get out of the way and let them have
it. Pres. Dwight D Eisenhower
Ask the President and Congress to do something about cam-
paign finance reform!
The recent election was the most expensive in history. According to Steven
Schwinn, not only did it cost a stupefying $6 billion, but also approximately one of
every six dollars came from outside groups, many of which claimed — not surprisingly
— to be “independent.”
This issue might be the most difficult of all to address, thanks in part to the Supreme
Court, which infamously ruled in Citizens United v. FEC that restrictions on corporate political spending
amounted to a violation of free speech.
In a word, the Supreme Court said corporations are just folks … which is absurd, because corporations do not
die natural deaths, are legally mandated only to maximize profits for stockholders, and have only corporate inter-
ests at stake, not the more human interests of compassion, mortality, and social conscience. However, there are
things to be done: public financing could be tied to a candidates’ small donations; campaign contributions could
be more effectively limited; and, most importantly, disclosure and disclaimer requirements could be required,
allowing everyone to see who really is behind the candidate and the “independent” groups. (Read more at http://
www.care2.com/causes/3-risky-issues-for-obama-to-tackle-in-his-second-term-besides-gun-control.html#ixzz2GgrwYipb)
Page 6, OPS, Jan-Feb 2013
“My attorney suggested that we try to work things out in mediation to avoid a litigation disaster”
Since 1988, Jim Stovall, founder and Director of the Mediation Institute, has worked with individuals,
families, and organizations to resolve difficult and complicated disputes that often threaten valuable rela-
tionships. Jim works to assist those in conflict to retain control over the decision-making process and pre-
vent a matter from turning into a lengthy court battle or a painful grudge match.
Divorce and Custody Matters
Family & Interpersonal Disputes
Elder Care, Estate and Inheritance Issues
Training and Consultation
Call 405-607-8914 for more information and a free initial consultation.
The Mediation Institute, 133308 N. MacArthur Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73142
Beyond Coal Oklahoma Oklahoma at an energy crossroads
- from the Sierra Club
In a strong move for our health and environment, the EPA has taken
the lead in cutting pollution from three of Oklahoma's oldest and dirtiest
coal plants.
The EPA's final plan for reducing regional haze tells these plants
enough is enough! It gives big polluters a choice: install new scrubber
technology to limit emissions or retire their coal plants and convert to
cleaner energy sources. This is a big step in stopping the pollution that is
harming our communities and getting off coal entirely by transitioning to
cheaper, cleaner energy alternatives like wind, solar, and energy effi-
ciency. The good news is that AEP-PSO has made the decision to retire
their only coal plant in Oklahoma on a reasonable timeline, but, unfortu-
nately, OG&E is fighting the EPA's plan in court!
Now is the time to show that we support investments in clean energy
that will create new jobs, clean up our air and water, and protect the
health of our communities rather than extending the life of these outdated
coal plants!
Why moving beyond coal is necessary
Coal is a dirty and outdated. Coal is the energy source of the past, and
here in Oklahoma we can do better. We have the potential to be a leader
in a clean energy economy by utilizing all our clean, homegrown energy
sources, like wind, solar and geothermal, and by implementing the cheap-
est source of power, energy efficiency, across the state.
The Oklahoma Beyond Coal Campaign will not only ensure that no
new coal plants or plant expansions will be allowed in this state, but will
also focus on the need to phase out older existing coal plants to protect
the health and safety of our citizens. Too many communities in Okla-
homa are burdened by the adverse impacts of coal.
Whether it is coal's air pollution from the facilities that cause asthma and
heart disease or the coal ash waste that contaminates air and water with
cancer causing heavy metals, enough is enough. Oklahomans deserve
better.
Page 7, OPS, Jan-Feb 2013
Public Event: January 13th See AD next page.
Education/Outreach on Conscience and Military
Legal Services for Conscientious Objectors
Counter recruitment/peace education tools
504 NE 15th St., OKC 73104 Phone 405.598.7362
centerforconscience.org
Vision and Action for Ending War
Now the Work of Movements…(Continued from page 3)
a topic that President Obama hints he will address, saying, in his
victory address in election night, “Democracy in a nation of 300
million can be noisy and messy and complicated. ... We want our
children to live in an America that isn’t burdened by debt, that isn’t
weakened by inequality, that isn’t threatened by the destructive
power of a warming planet.”
It was pressure from grass-roots activists protesting in front of
the White House that pushed Obama to delay a decision on the con-
troversial Keystone XL pipeline, proposed to run from Canada to
the Gulf of Mexico. More than 1,200 people were arrested at a se-
ries of protests at the White House one year ago. Now a group is
blocking the construction of the southern leg of that pipeline, risk-
ing arrest and even injury, with direct-action blockades in tree-sits
and tripods in Winnsboro, Texas, two hours east of Dallas.
When the powerful who are used to having the president’s ear
express their demands to him in the Oval Office, he needs to be
able to point to demonstrations and say, “If I do as you ask, they
will storm the Bastille.” If there is no one doing anything, then he
is alone. That’s the value of citizen action in all its forms.
The president of the United States is the most powerful person
on Earth. But there is a force more powerful: People organized
around this country, fighting for a more just, sustainable world.
The elections are over. Now the real work begins. * * * *
© 2012 Amy Goodman
Amy Goodman is the host of “Democracy Now!” - a daily interna-
tional TV/radio news hour airing on 1,100 stations in North America. She
was awarded the 2008 Right Livelihood Award, dubbed the “Alternative
Nobel” prize, and received the award in the Swedish Parliament in De-
cember.
Candle-Lighting Celebration
of
Winter Solstice, Dec. 21, 2012 A wonderful Winter Solstice Celebration was
celebrated at Church of the Open Arms, in solidarity
with millions around the world marking the date -- not
the end of the world -- but the beginning of an era of
new human consciousness.
We celebrated every spiritual path that leads to more
compassion, love and justice for all, lighting 100 can-
dles to call in the changes needed in our living patterns
to create a healthy balance between humanity, the earth,
and all earth’s inhabitants.
The time is now to honor each other and each
other’s paths to a better world.
Keeping hope alive, we claim a new future for the
world, learning the lessons of our recent and ancient
past.
Human Rights Award Recipients — The new Oklahoma Uni-
versal Human Rights Alli-
ance, founded because Gov-
ernor Mary Fallin abolished
the State Human Rights
Commission, held its first
Human Rights Action
Awards event, December
10th, at the State Capitol.
Below, HRA Chair Wallace
Collins presents an award to
Father Paul Zahler for his
years of work with people
with disabilities.
Above, from left: Wallace Collins-Human Rights Alliance
Chair. Father Paul Zahler, for work with people with disabili-
ties in more than 40 countries. Christine Byrd, for advocacy for
civil and human rights. Hodrick Steele, for work with Coalition
of Civic Leadership and church activism. Michael Korenblit,
founder of Respect Diversity Foundation, for tireless education
for universal human rights and dignity in Oklahoma. Clyde
Snow, for human rights forensic work after massacres in Guate-
mala and for the United Nations in many nations. Roosevelt
Milton, for a lifetime of civil rights work with NAACP. Joan
Korenblit, Respect Diversity Foundation co-founder. David
Puente, for work in Hispanic rights with LULAC. Bill Bryant,
for United Nations advocacy and its international work for hu-
man rights.
Following the awards pres-
entations, lunch was served
in the Rotunda, compliments
of Tim Wagner and Cocina
de Mino reswtaurant.
Page 8, OPS, Jan-Feb 2013
Oklahoma Center for Conscience and Peace Research Oklahoma’s War Resisters League chapter
Invites you to our
Open House FundraiserOpen House FundraiserOpen House Fundraiser celebrating the 60th birthday of
OCCPR Executive Director Rena Guay
Sunday, Jan. 13, 12:30 - 4 pm* Joy Mennonite Church, 504 NE 16th St., OKC
Refreshments provided. Come learn about OCCPR’s important work providing legal support for war resisters, educating about militarism, and countering military recruitment. If you can’t attend the event, but want to donate to OCCPR in Rena’s name, please mail check to 504 NE 16th, OKC 73104. Thank you!
FMI, call 771-4743 Weather delay date: Jan. 27
(Follow Up on Page One Story)
UPDATE: SUCCESS! American Muslim cleared
to fly home to McAles-
ter
Saadiq Long is a US
Air Force veteran from
McAlester, OK, who
converted to Islam
years ago and moved to
the Middle East to
teach English. Now liv-
ing in Qatar, Mr. Long
booked a flight home to be with his ailing mother
over the holidays.
Long was blocked from boarding the plane to the
US and told he was on a "No Fly" list. Thus began
efforts seeking relief and removal of his "No Fly"
status. During the process, he booked another flight
each week, hoping that he would be allowed to fly.
The national organization CAIR (Council on
American-Islamic Relations) took up his case, mak-
ing formal inquiries to Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton and other agencies possibly involved.
In Oklahoma City, Adam Soltani, Executive Di-
rector of CAIR of Oklahoma organized a news con-
ference on Monday, Nov. 5th, presenting an attrac-
tive picture of Saadiq Long as a good US citizen for
whom others would speak, and expressing hopes
that media visibility might help the case. Joining
Soltani at the news conference and speaking were
Rev. William Tabbernee, Executive Director of the
Oklahoma Conference of Churches and Nathaniel
Batchelder, Director of the Peace House in Okla-
homa City.
Saadiq Long arrived at Will Rogers airport at 5
pm, Monday, Nov. 19, and has joined his family in
McAlester.
Good job in a humanitarian
effort, CAIR!!
newsok story. photo. tv news clip.
http://newsok.com/american-muslim-allowed-
boarding-passes-on-third-attempt-to-fly-to-
oklahoma/article/3729998?
Summary by Nathaniel Batchelder
Saadiq Long
The Use of Drones is Military Madness
According to credible military leaders,
analysts and policy-makers, assassination
by drones violates US and international
law.
The US has used drones to kill thousands
of people in Afghanistaqn, Iraq, Pakistan,
Yemen, and Somalia. Many hundreds of
the dead were civilians killed as “collateral
damage”. Drone attacks inspire incalcula-
ble resentments against the US. Can you
imagine drone attacks against the US?
Drones used for domestic surveillance of
US citizens potentially threaten our rights
to privacy and constitutionally-guaranteed
rights to equal protection, due process,
freedom of association and assembly, and
protection from unreasonable search and
seizure.
Nuclear Weapons: Israel &
Iran. Who’s the bigger threat?
Israel Iran
Number of Estimated
nuclear weapons 100-600 0
Signed Nuclear
Nonproliferation
Treaty? NO YES
Allows nuclear
inspections by the
UN International
Atomic Energy
Agency NO YES
IAEA inspectors and Israeli intelligence
officials agree “Iran is not developing
nuclear weapons.” No weapons, No war!!
Page 9, OPS, Jan-Feb 2013
Democracy done digitally NN EWEW MM EDIAEDIA
Web Sites - design, hosting, administration
Print and digital publication production
Publicity and online marketing
Specializing in nonprofit/grassroots groups
Rena Guay NewMediaActive.com
PROUD
TO BE
UNION
Updated: 12/04/2012
By Bruce Finley, The Denver Post - denverpost.com
The increasingly common practice of disposing of oil and gas drilling
wastewater by injecting it underground can trigger earthquakes, according
to federal scientists who studied quakes since 1970 in Colorado and
neighboring states.
Colorado authorities on Monday said they are aware of concerns about
the earthquakes but questioned the U.S. Geological Survey study, saying
more research needs to be done. Nonetheless, Colorado officials have been
reviewing company permits to assess seismic risk since a 5.3-magnitude
earthquake near Trinidad last year.
Some 330 fracking wastewater disposal wells have been drilled around
Colorado. Drilling companies inject huge volumes of the brine water and
chemical waste generated by hydraulic fracturing.
"This is a societal risk you need to be considering," said U.S. Geologi-
cal Survey scientist Justin Rubinstein, co-author of a report to be presented
this week at an American Geophysical Union gathering.
A USGS team based in Menlo Park, Calif., found that the quake in
Colorado and a damaging 5.6-magnitude quake in Oklahoma both were
induced by disposal of fracking waste underground.
The team focused on the Raton Basin of northern New Mexico and
southern Colorado where, from 1970 until 2001, five quakes of magnitude
3 or higher were recorded. They counted 95 quakes of that magnitude be-
tween 2001 and 2011, and concluded that oil and gas operations caused the
majority, if not all, of the quakes since 2001.
While the evidence is convincing that deep burial of drilling waste can
trigger quakes, it also appears that few of the 40,000 disposal wells nation-
wide have done so, Rubinstein said.
"But I don't think blowing this off is a good idea," he said. "It's a prob-
lem we need to understand. There's been millions of dollars of damage. If
you trigger bigger earthquakes, there's a possibility of worse outcomes."
Burying fracking waste is becoming more common as the natural gas
industry expands. And it has been considered a more environmentally
friendly practice than dumping it in rivers.
Colorado's Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, the body charged
with simultaneously regulating and promoting the industry, asked state ge-
ologists last year to review all permits for new disposal wells to assess
earthquake risk, Colorado Geologic Survey chief Vince Matthews said.
Of the 330 or so disposal wells, 35 have been analyzed. Geologists
recommended that COGCC tell some operators that, if any small quakes
are detected, the operators should pay close attention and install additional
seismic sensors, Matthews said.
State criteria include whether quakes have happened before near a well,
fault lines in the area and the direction of cracks in rock.
The federal scientists may be jumping to conclusions, Matthews said.
Companies including Texas-based Pioneer Natural Resources are using
seismometers in wells to gather data for the state that is more precise than
the federal data the USGS scientists used, he said.
"I don't think they're nuts. I just think it is premature," he said. "We're
gathering data that is going to help us understand what is going on down
there."
The USGS study went through an internal administrative review before
this week's unveiling. No peer review has been done.
Federal scientists discovered
that most quakes this past decade
were located within 3 miles of ac-
tive disposal wells. They noted that
wells contained exceptionally large
volumes of wastewater.
The Colorado quake in August
2011, for instance, followed injec-
tion of 4.9 million cubic meters of
wastewater, more than seven times
as much as was injected in Denver
at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal in
the 1960s — a classic case of earth-
quakes induced by industrial activ-
ity.
State officials charged with
overseeing the oil and gas industry
"haven't done their own, independent research on this. If they can demon-
strate that we are incorrect, we're happy to have that conversation," Rubin-
stein said. "At the moment, we're the only people who have done this
work, and our evidence is pretty conclusive."
FILE -- Crews work on a well, for Anadarko
Petroleum Corporation, using a technique,
Tuesday, April 12, 2011, called hydro-
fracking to release oil from shale formations
deep in the earth at a well near Franktown.
Fracking - Earthquakes and Other Problems, USGS Reports
Oklahoma City Office of
Sustainability
The Office of Sustainability is responsible for enhancing the City’s
energy efficiency efforts and promoting sustainability throughout the or-ganization and the community.
The office coordinates energy efficiency upgrades and provides tech-nical recommendations, sustainability planning and outreach services to City Departments and the public. The purpose of the office is to integrate sustainability principles into decision making for improved economic, en-vironmental and social health.
Sign up for the Office of Sustainability monthly mailing list! Visit their website and enter your name and email address to stay updated on the City’s sustainability efforts and upcoming events.
www.okc.gov/sustain/
Page 10, OPS, Jan-Feb 2013
Okay, we can all breathe a sigh of relief.
There’s no doubt that a Mitt Romney presidency
would have been a disaster for America. An
America under Romney would have been less
secure, less safe, dirtier, more unjust, more un-
equal and downright meaner.
But by the time you finish this email, I hope
you’ll be ready to move past relief and double
down on all the work we have in front of us.
President Obama’s re-election offers us some im-
portant and time-critical opportunities.
The new political landscape — fundamentally the
same as what we faced before the election — also
presents many perils. Congressional Republicans
and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have shown
their ability to set the policy agenda even with
Obama in the White House. And the Obama ad-
ministration itself represents conflicting tenden-
cies, too often more responsive to Big Business
than the public interest.
Whether we can capitalize on the compelling op-
portunities and navigate the grave threats we face
depends on the same thing: the extent to which
we mobilize together.
Nothing good, and lots of bad things, will hap-
pen if we sit on our hands. But if we organize,
we can stop Big Business and its political allies
from driving forward a dangerous, anti-
democratic agenda — and win some extraor-
dinary victories.
Simply put, Obama’s victory alone is not enough.
We — me, you and every public citizen nation-
wide — have a duty to fight plutocracy. Where
Obama needs to be pushed, we will do the push-
ing; where he needs support, we will provide it.
SOME THOUGHTS ON THE PRESIDEN-
TIAL CAMPAIGN
It is absolutely true, as the conservative punditoc-
racy is now screaming, that Mitt Romney was a
very poor candidate. He did not connect with
regular people, he wasn’t able to capitalize on
high unemployment and a very weak economy,
and he made a lot of stupid statements (even if
they arguably reflected his true thoughts and atti-
tudes).
Perhaps more importantly, Romney ran what
must be one of the most cynical presidential cam-
paigns in U.S. history. His extraordinary trans-
mutation from a moderate Republican governor
to “severe conservative” and back in the last
weeks of the campaign to a moderate has no re-
cent precedent. His refusal to explain the details
of his single top policy initiative — a massive tax
cut allegedly to be offset by unspecified savings
— echoes nothing so much as Richard Nixon’s
secret plan to end the war in Vietnam. His posi-
tions on immigration, Medicare, Obamacare (née
Romneycare), the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,
and more flip-flopped so dramatically as to make
most politicians look clockwork consistent.
President Obama, by contrast, ran a disciplined
and focused campaign. The Obama campaign
defined Romney as an out-of-touch plutocrat.
They effectively attacked Romney for proposing
a resuscitation of the Bush administration
agenda: tax cuts for the rich and deregulation.
However, as was widely noted, President Obama
did not offer a bold vision for what he hoped to
do in his next four years. He did not offer a
Green New Deal to put Americans back to work
by retrofitting buildings and installing other en-
ergy efficiency technologies. He did not talk
about fixing the broken campaign finance system,
even as we watched the super-wealthy and giant
corporations try to buy the very election in which
he was running.
The president was almost completely silent
on what is quite likely the most pressing issue of
our time: accelerating, catastrophic climate
change. And he intimated that he’s willing to cut
a deal with Republicans to scale back Medicare
and Social Security.
So, we have to look at the next four years with
clear eyes.
At the same time, we have to remember that the
president’s campaign succeeded precisely be-
cause of its progressive strain (as well as his very
strong organizational structure and other factors).
He won because he defended the more progres-
sive initiatives of his first term, such as Dodd-
Frank Wall Street reform. He won because he
attacked Romney’s proposals for favoring the
rich and worsening inequality. He won by criti-
cizing Romney for exporting jobs. He won be-
cause he talked about a society in which we
should all take care of each other, rather than one
in which we’re all on our own.
The course of the second-term Obama admini-
stration is not set. How progressive it turns out
to be will depend precisely on how much we
make it be progressive.
THE MONEY ELECTION AND VOTER
SUPPRESSION
Of course, there’s no way to analyze the 2012
election without highlighting the impact of Big
Money, especially the $1 billion channeled
through outside groups by giant corporations and
the hyper-rich.
At Public Citizen, we’ve talked a lot over the past
year about the impact of the Supreme Court’s
supremely misguided Citizens United ruling. As I
outlined a few days ago, all of our worst fears
have come to pass. Corporations and the mega-
wealthy spent vast amounts of money on the
election. Hundreds of millions were funneled
through organizations that don’t disclose their
donors. We endured an onslaught of negative at-
tack ads. A very tiny number of the super-rich
had an outlandish, outsized impact. And much
more.
On this score, it’s very important that no one be
fooled by the results of the election. Yes, the out-
side groups empowered by Citizens United spent
most of their money on Republicans, and, this
time, they lost more than they won. They did win
a lot — House races, some Senate races, state and
local races. Karl Rove, the U.S. Chamber of
Commerce and others of the Republican-
supporting outside spenders will argue — and
they will be right – that last night’s results would
have been more favorable to Democrats but for
their spending. (Continued, page 11)
Public Citizen’s Election Analysis ... and Next Steps
by Robert Weissman (PublicCitizen.org)
Page 11, OPS, Jan-Feb 2013
Even more fundamentally, all politics now occur against the backdrop
of Citizens United. That means that, on every single issue that matters to
them, corporations and the super-wealthy have more power and influence
than they did just a few years ago.
If you have even a rough sense of how Citizens United reshaped the elec-
tion landscape in 2012, then you know that no politician can escape the
dark shadow cast by that horrific decision.
There was some very good money-and-politics news.
Voters in Colorado and Montana, by 3-to-1 margins, passed statewide bal-
lot measures calling for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens
United and restore our democracy. We’re now up to 11 states! Voters in
Chicago and other cities passed similar measures.
We know the American people are fed up with the corrupt corporate and
super-rich domination of our politics, and they support a constitutional
amendment to reestablish the principle that democracy is for people. Mov-
ing forward, we have a major opportunity to make historic change in this
regard.
VOTER SUPPRESSION
Another crucial note: This election saw, across the country, systemic
efforts to deny Americans the right to vote, through voter ID laws and
other measures. The election wasn’t close enough for these throwbacks to
dark periods in our history to alter results in the most high-profile elec-
tions, but it might have been. And many of the worst laws will take effect
only in future elections. This is an issue to which Public Citizen is going to
pay much more attention. We can’t be a nation that walks backwards in the
long struggle to expand the franchise.
LOOKING AHEAD
The re-election of President Obama and the surprising results in the Senate
give us a real opportunity to aggressively pursue our bold agenda, starting
with an all-out push to overturn the disastrous Citizens United decision.
You will, of course, be hearing a lot more from us about the work we face
together. Here’s an overview of what’s to come:
Right away, we have some big opportunities. We’re going to make a
big push for President Obama to issue an executive order requiring govern-
ment contractors to disclose campaign spending. That simple step could
force election disclosure of most spending by Fortune 500 companies. And
it’s something the president can do on his own.
The lame duck session of Congress that will begin next week poses
many risks as well as opportunities. We’re going to mobilize against dan-
gerous proposals to impede the work of regulators at independent agencies
like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Securities and Ex-
change Commission, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission. We’re going to turn back efforts to undo
key parts of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law. And we’re going to
guard against efforts to undermine the rights of victims of malpractice to
win redress in court. On the positive side, we expect to see a whistleblower
protection law passed. And we’re going to make sure that a financial
speculation tax — a tax on Wall Street gambling, with the potential to raise
hundreds of billions in revenue — becomes a serious part of the tax and
budget debate.
Going into 2013, we will continue to push our broad agenda, under condi-
tions not too dissimilar from what we’ve had over the past two years. Win-
ning on big policy issues is going to require strategic savvy. We’ll respond
opportunistically to new openings and forge some unlikely alliances to win
some legislative victories. We’ll push executive branch regulators to ad-
vance consumer protections, address climate change, make our economy
more secure, strengthen our democracy and much more. And we’ll build
grassroots power to shift the contours of policy debate.
Across party lines, we’re going to start to hear even more wrongheaded
claims about the need to weaken Medicare — to cut benefits, raise the eli-
gibility age and perhaps increase the role of private insurers in the system.
Public Citizen is going to devote a great deal of effort to defending and
strengthening Medicare.
We know that Big Money dominance in politics is the pivot point for
the entirety of the progressive policy agenda. We aim to win important dis-
closure reforms — key to limiting corporate spending in elections —
quickly, through an executive order and also through action by the Securi-
ties and Exchange Commission, which has been asked to require publicly
traded companies to reveal their campaign spending. Meanwhile, we’re
going to ramp up our efforts to win a constitutional amendment to overturn
Citizens United along with public financing of elections. Polls show that by
significant majorities, the public thinks Citizens United was wrongly de-
cided. After the 2012 election, the public is more disgusted than ever with
the unprecedented amount of dark money and the ubiquitous negative cam-
paign ads. With your help, we’re going to take the movement for a consti-
tutional amendment to a whole new level.
The Elections of November were an important step for the nation. I
couldn’t be more honored to continue working with you as we blaze
the trail to progress. . . . . . This is our time. /////
ELECTION (continued from page 10)
Household Hazardous Waste Recycling
Facility - 1621 S. Portland. Oklahoma City.
An environmentally safe means for citizens to dispose of domestic hazardous waste. Staffed by materials specialists. Recycle or safely dispose of your left-overs. OPEN: Tuesday through Friday 9:30 a.m. — 6 p.m., and on Saturday 8:30 — 11:30 a.m. The center is free to Oklahoma City residents. Bring water bill as proof of residency. They take: Compact fluorescent and fluorescent lights, all batteries, all liquids or powders, herbicides, pesticides, propane tanks, all automotive materials, swimming pool chemicals, paints and thinners, They do NOT take: radioactive, biomedical, or com-mercial hazardous wastes. Questions: Call during open hours 405-682-7038
Page 12, OPS, Jan-Feb 2013
Panoply Hippy
Store 2412 N Shartel OKC
Peace House T-Shirts,
Bumper stickers,
Buttons
Hours are Mon thru Sat
Call 405.521.1010 2 PM to 6:00 PM
Featuring Clay Daze Tie Dye.
Retro Clothing . Essential Oils .
Hand Crafted Jewelry. Pendulums and
Stones. Hard to find Books on Spiritu-
ality . Para-Normal . Metaphysical and
many more interesting subjects.
Quality Incense.
Nag Champa Band T-Shirts.
Misc Hemp products.
Sage sticks and Herbs .
Really Cool Purses ! Hand made Soaps
and Lotions .
Tie-Dyed novelty items . Bandanas .
Silk Scarves . Oils
Eclectic Art . Candles .
Unusual Post Cards .
Kung Fu Shoes .
Many More Unusual Items
WE’RE STILL OPEN!! Monday thru Saturday
2 pm to 6 pm
Need a place to go to get centered again in creation?
Want support to make changes to live more sustainably?
Interested in alternative healing?
Consider A Retreat
at Turtle Rock Farm
http://www.turtlerockfarmretreat.com
Turtle Rock Farm is a retreat center in North Central Oklahoma – a little over an hour’s drive up I-35 from Oklahoma City.
Visit our website to see photos of the farm and read about the retreats and classes we have scheduled: www.turtlerockfarmretreat.com Here’s a sample:
To talk to us, call 580.725.3411 or email or [email protected] or visit our blog: http://turtlerockfarmretreat.blogspot.com
A Center for Sustainability, Spirituality & Healing
Feb. 2 – Living in the Moment Feb 16 - “Do No Harm” - Making Your Own Cleaning Supplies Feb 18-19 - Shepherd’s Retreat Feb 23 - Living Sustainably in a Changing World Mar 2 - Simpler Living Mar 16 - Gardening and/or Vermi Composting Workshop
CIMARRON ALLIANCE: Oklahoma City Council member Ed
Shadid (left) gave a rousing keynote address at the Cimarron Alliance
Banquet, October 5th, praising the organization's contributions to hu-
man rights and a "Fair and Just Oklahoma". Nathaniel Batchelder,
Anne Murray, and Rick Early were guests at the Bob Lemon table.
Cimarron's work can be reviewed on the website
www.cimarronalliance.org where you can also listen to Cimarron's
weekly podcast. It's a great listening experience!
Page 13, OPS, Jan-Feb 2013
DO YOU WANT TO DO
YOUR PART TO
IMPROVE THE WORLD?
You can start by joining
OKC Amnesty International
Local Group #238
Anne Frank said, “How wonderful it is that no
one needs to wait a single moment before start-
ing to improve the world.”
We meet at the Church of the Open Arms,
3131 N. Penn on the 1st Monday of the month at
6:30 PM, in the basement. Call John at
720-6467 for more information.
Tell DOE: "Recycling" with radioactive
materials is NOT acceptable!
The Department of Energy (DOE) is considering a plan to allow radioac-
tively-contaminated metal from nuclear weapons facilities to be “recycled.”
This would allow this toxic metal to be mixed with clean recycled metal and
enter into normal commerce—where it could be turned into anything from your
next pants zipper to baby
toys. Act below to stop this
outrage!
Background
This DOE action is just
the foot in the door….if it’s
allowed to occur, expect
more efforts to deregulate
radioactive materials from
both DOE and NRC.
We’ve fought this battle
before. In the late 1980s, NRC adopted a policy it called “Below Regulatory
Concern (BRC),” that would have allowed about 30% of the nation’s “low-
level” radioactive waste to be treated as normal garbage and dumped in land-
fills, be burned in incinerators, and yes, be recycled into consumer products.
According to the NRC’s own calculations, its BRC policy posed a 1 in 286 risk
of fatal cancer over a person’s lifetime.
The Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS) and allies responded
with one of our largest organizing campaigns ever. Grassroots activists suc-
ceeded in getting hundreds of towns, cities and counties to adopt anti-BRC reso-
lutions. The texts of those resolutions were sent up the chain to Governors, state
legislators and Congress members. They responded: 15 states passed laws ban-
ning BRC within their borders. Hearings were held in the House and in 1992,
Congress officially overturned the BRC policy.
But both NRC and DOE have been trying to implement the concept piece-
meal ever since. In the late 1990s, DOE proposed a similar program to deregu-
late radioactively contaminated metal. Instead, DOE was forced to suspend the
idea indefinitely—a suspension that stands today and that DOE is now trying to
lift. Even DOE admits this program was defeated due to “public concern.”
Nothing has changed since 2000 that would justify lifting its current ban.
Rather, just the opposite: since then the National Academy of Sciences has ac-
knowledged that there is no safe level of radiation exposure, and we’ve learned
that women are even more vulnerable to radiation than men (while children
have long been known to be more vulnerable than adults). The DOE’s proposal
flies in the face of what our society values most: protecting our children. It must
be stopped before it starts.
Act now: Tell DOE to withdraw its proposal. At the same time, point out that
DOE cannot take shortcuts; implementing this proposal would require prepara-
tion of a full Environmental Impact Statement—something DOE is trying to
avoid.
A sample letter and more info at www.NRIS.com
and at
Or Send comments directly to the DOE:
Comments on the Draft PEA for the Recycling of Scrap Metal Originating from
Radiological Areas may be submitted electronically via email to
Alternatively, written comments may be sent by postal mail to: Dr. Jane
Summerson, DOE NNSA, P.O. Box 5400, Bldg 401, K.AFB East, Albuquer-
que, NM 87185.
Page 14, OPS, Jan-Feb 2013
TELEPHONE (405) 605-6547
FACSIMILE (405) 605-6577
DAN MURDOCK ATTORNEY AT LAW
Resides & Resides, PLLC
615 North Broadway
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
73102
www.resideslaw.com
What can one person do to change America's energy policy? Join the
Citizens Climate Lobby. CCL was started in 2007 by Marshall Saunders, a
professional real estate broker. Here is how Mr. Saunders describes his tran-
sition from real estate to founder of CCL, "Alarmed about the changing cli-
mate in 2006 I began giving talks about global warming to service clubs,
high schools, universities and whoever would listen. However, I always felt
that the solutions I offered were not a match for the problem. I realized that
anything my listeners could do as individuals paled in comparison to what
government could do or not do.”
While Saunders was suggesting ways for people to reduce their carbon
output, Congress extended a law that gave $18 Billion in tax credits to oil
companies. Congress was doing things exactly backwards. Dominated by
the fossil fuel industry, Congress bowed to their requests. Ordinary people
were not asking members of Congress for action regarding climate change,
at least not in an organized effective way. Furthermore they didn't know
what to do or how to do it, nor did they have self-confidence and support
they needed.
So, Citizens Climate Lobby was formed. CCL's purpose is to change all
that by empowering individuals to have breakthroughs in exercising their
personal and political power and by gaining the tools to be effective with
government."
The goal of Citizens Climate Lobby is to take action on climate change
issues, and particularly to get Carbon Fee and Dividend legislation through
Congress. Carbon Fee and Dividend legislation is legislation designed to
help level the financial playing field for green energy companies as we tran-
sition from fossil fuel use to alternative energy sources. Carbon Fee is a fee
based on the amount of carbon in a fossil fuel. Fossil fuels such as oil, gas
and coal contain carbon. When burned they release the potent green house
gases, carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The fee is based on the tons of
carbon dioxide the fuel would generate, and it would be collected the the
point of entry - well, mine or port. The fee would start out low-$15 dollars
per ton- and gradually increase $10-$15 each year. A dividend is defined as
a quantity of revenue to be divided. In this case, 100% of the total carbon
fees collected are divided up and given back to all citizens equally. This
dividend helps citizens pay the increased costs associated with the carbon
fee while our nation transitions to clean energy.
Citizens Climate Lobby how has 65 chapters in the U.S. and Canada.
Leading in Oklahoma is the Norman Chapter founded in 2010 by Ola
Fincke and Catherine Hobbs. Since then Norman members have regularly
met with Congress people and their staffers while home on break from con-
ducting business in the House and Senate in Washington. Group members
also provide information about CCL at the Cleveland County Farmers' Mar-
ket, environmental fairs at OU and at the Peace Festival. In July of 2012
Catherine Hobbs attended the National CCL Conference in Arlington Vir-
ginia where she met with Oklahoma Congressmen and their staff members
and will be attending the next National Conference in June 2013.
How does Citizens Climate Lobby work? Citizens form chapters in their
communities, and at meetings members learn effective ways of interacting
with their legislators in order to lobby for Carbon Fee and Dividend. Chap-
ters meet once a month to listen in on a conference call with a guest scientist
and CCL executive director Mark Reynolds. Prospective members are wel-
come to listen every Wednesday to an introductory conference call. By lis-
tening to this call people can not only learn about CCL but interact with oth-
ers who have questions about CCL and climate change and would like to
learn more about effective ways to lobby their Congresspeople.
Oklahoma now has a chapter in Oklahoma City led by Diane Powers
and Barbara Babcock which will meet every first Sunday of the month, at
4pm, at Picasso's on the Paseo. Anyone interested in learning more about
CCL/OKC can email Barbara at [email protected] or Diane
at [email protected]. Please join us as we lobby for sensible en-
ergy policy. After all, if we do not take care of our planet all of our other
problems are rendered moot.
Citizens Climate Lobby Forms New Chapter in OKC
New OKC group will meet on first Sundays of each month, at 4 pm, at Picasso’s on Paseo
Page 15, OPS, Jan-Feb 2013
Kay Adair
Lee Agnew & Lonnie Corder
Agnew
Kay Ahaus
Bob Aldridge
Dorothy Alexander
David Alexander
Valerie J. Allen
Kathryn & Andy Anderson
Kay Anderson
Alice Anderton
Kelly Armstrong
Mona Baird
Lois Barber
Paul Barby
Carol Barry
Pamela Barrymore
Fanny Bates
William & Susan Bauman
Fannie Bates
Cara & Ronald Beer
Lee Eddy & Bill Bennett
Lowell & Wanda Betow
Nan Binder-Smith
Robert & Sharon Bish
Melanie Bittman
Teresa Black
Patricia Black
Linda Blackerby
Fred & Sue Blackmon
Shirley & Jon Blaschke
David Blatt
Barbara L Bonner
Linda Bowlby
Rita M Boyle
Sara Braden
Tom And Pat Brewer
David Brinker MD
Terry & Kay Britton
Ron Burkard
Rev Jack And Susan Burton
Scott Buxton
Phyllis Byerly
Bill and Alice Byrd
Anne L Guzman & Gary Byrkit
Nancy Cain
Pat Califana
Sherry Bacus Scott
& Jerry Carroll
Richard Cates
& Jeanene Davidson
D. L. Cetrangolo
Linda Clark
Jack Clifford
Annette Clifton
Claudia Cochran
Donna Compton
Orra Compton
Margaret Cox
Billy Coyle
David & Betty Craighead
Della G. Craighead
Lois & Ray Crooks
Kathy Cullinan
Bob Curtis
Marilyn & Lawrence Curtis
Joan Dark
Sara Daves
Lynda Deibel
Marge & Bob Delaney
Catherine Dodd
Marjorie Dowing
R.L. Doyle
Sally Duran
E. Warren Eads
Ozie, Kay & Anthony Edwards
Robert & Harriette Elliott
Susan Elliott
Cztherine Ewing
Hawthorne Farr
Jalal Farzaneh
Ken Feiger
Thurma Fiegel
Margie Finley
Christy A Finsel
Margaret Flansburg
John S. and Gail P. Fletcher
Dorothy Foster
Mary Francis
Tom Fredgren & Ellen Frank
Kalyn Free
Naomi French
Gus W Friedrich
Mike Fuller
Carol Ann Fulton
Tom Gallagher
Gail Garloch
Jane & Bill Garthoeffner
Barbara Geary
Alice Gehrke
Veva Gibbard Rivermont
Susan A Gonzalez
Dixie Mosier Greene
Marjorie Greer
John & Francis Griffin
David Grow
Denise Hall
Dennie Hall
Cheryl Hall
Arlene Halley
Kay Ham
Arnold and Beverly Hamilton
Jim Hankins
Gretchen Hannefield
Frances Harbert
Diane Hardersen
Mary Harris
C.M. & Phyllis Harvey, M.D.
Scot & Maureen Harvey
Brad Hawkins
Maryann & Robert Heard
Don Helberg
William R. Henry
Joan Riechert Herndon
Lois & R.E. Hilbert
Catherine Hobbs
Don & Kay Holladay
Jim & Carolyn Holloran
Jill Holmes
Brad Holt
Penny Hopkins
Alberta horn
Steven & Melinda Howard
Jean Hubinger
Sara Iselin
Terry And Rebecca James
Barbara Hagen & Bruce Johnson
Jonalu Johnstone
Davis D And Carole J Joyce
Bruce W. Keck
Edwin Kessler
Ann Richards Ketcham
Tom & Mary Kimball
Martha & Bill King
Beryl & Esther Kingsbury
Mary Jo Kinzie
Wilma J & Perry Klaassen
Barbara Klein
Joan & Michael Korenblit
Bernadette & Michael Krawczyk
Marvin & Lilly Kroeker
Shirley Cleary,
Mike & Coleen Kunkel
Jim & Pat Laing
Linda & Tim Larason
Mrs. Harriet Larsen
Sharon Lawson
Jim Lazalier
Connie Leahy
Bob Lemon
Robyn Lemon Sellers
Roger Lienke
Alice Leonard
Roger Lienke
Tupper Lienke
John R Long
Annye Love
Janis Love
Gene M Kasmar & Kerry Lund
Gayla Machell
Phyllis McKenzie & Peter Maher
Ruth Males
Joyce & David Markes
Dolores D. Martin
William & Beatrice Martin
Moses & Sadie Mast
Jim Maxey,D.D.S.
Ray McGovern
Karen McKellips
Steve & Sherry McLinn
James Mcusic
Gordon & Judy Melson
Mary Mendus
Mary Menges Myers
Mariane Mertens
Dorothy Messenger
Sister Susan Mika
Mr. & Mrs. T.H Milby
David Miller & Barbara Neas
Mary Moloney Sp
J.T. Moore
Bill & Helen Moorer
Lynn Moroney
Fran Morris
Betty P. Morrow
Charlene Morrow
Annette Murphy
Anne Murray
Nancy Musselman
Kent & Sheila Myers
Chris Nanny
Michael Nelson
Bill Nerin
Clayton & Sandra Ness
Peter J. Neufeld
Pam & Herb Neumann
Aldean Newcomb
Morty & Hamsa Newmark
Rita Newton
David Nickell
Donna O'Keefe
Joel Olson
John Orr
Liane Ozmun
Carol Palmer
Laura Elia Woods Schaller
& Allen Parleir
Douglas Parr
Hank Peplowski
Linda Perkins
Tony Pezeshkian
Margaret Phipps
Peter Pierce
Mary & Max Pliska-Kintner
Ruth Podolin
in Memory of Bill Byerly
Lois Pokorny
Ben & Laura Pollard
Lydia Polley
Dennis & Carol Preston
Ghislaine Rabin
Forest Redwood
Lorrie Sylvester & Paul Reynolds
Judith Appleton & Stan Reynolds
Ann Todd and Dave Riley
C.J. Roberts
Bob & Maria Rounsavell
Linda Rowlette-Fallier
Robert S Ryan
Jeff Salamat
Susan & Abraham Sasso
Virginia Savage
Peter Schaffer
Tom Schott
Floydette Seal
Gail Seto
Fr. Clark Shackleford
Paula Sharp
Sondra Shehab
Rev. James & Lucy Shields
Susie Shields
& Mark Derichsweiler
Frank Silovsky
Susan Singh
Martha Skeeters
Randy Smith
Stan & Marlene Smucker
Marie Soliel
Jerry Sommerseth
Cliff Sousa
Constance St Hilaire
St. Scholastica Monastrey
Jane St. Amant, OSB
David Stamps
Barbara Stanfield
Wanda Jo Stapleton
Margaret Steichen
Jerry Stein
Carol Stone
Jim Stovall
Mary Ann Surges
William Tabbernee
Sharon & Jim Tappan
Sabra Tate
Lester Taylor
Lois Taylor
Mary Taylor
Leslie Teets Moses
Linda & Tom Temple
Patti Tepper-Rassmussen
Jenny Thompson
Terry Thompson
Hank & Sheila Tiarks
Sammy Towner
Rev Dale & Sherron Tremper
Jon Trzcinski
Rick Tucker
Becky & Will Uraneck
Saundra Vallejo-Delgado
Harley & Anne Venters
John & Rosie Walters
Susan & Jim Warram
Ron & Linda Wasson
Brent & Gina Wendling
Lyntha & Charles Wesner
Terry Weygandt
J. Carolyn Whalen
Shawn Wicker
H. Harbour & Mickey Winn III
Ernest Wirsich
Bertha Wolford
Jennie Wood
Kay Woody
Robert Hamm & Ingrid Young
Amy Zubac
Peace Stra tegy New s Staf f Co-Edi tors: Nathaniel Batchelder Donna Compton Conna Wilkinson
Volunteers Get i t Out !! ! Ellen Barnes Phyl l is Byer l y John Wal ters Audre y M i l ler Roger Harms Ray Davis Anne Murray Moses & Sadie Mast Rena Guay Mar ianne Mertens Cheryl Berr y Barbara Hathorn Nancy Cain Car l Semtner Lana Henson Richard Chi lders and sometimes others
Peace House Donors from January, 2012, through December 28th
, 2012
If your name has been omitted, please contact the Peace House at 405-524-5577
Page 16, OPS, Jan-Feb 2013
Thanks to all whose donations, large and
small, make it possible for the Peace House
to continue. We collaborate and network
with others on events and actions visible and
invisible, public and private, large and small,
endeavoring to build a world at peace and at
one with Nature and all humanity. Here are
highlights of Peace House efforts:
THE ELECTIONS: As a nonprofit or-
ganization, the Peace House cannot recom-
mend any Party or candidate, but we ex-
pressed our hopes and fears for months prior
to November 6th with Op-Eds and essays
shared through email, Facebook, websites,
and elsewhere. The Oklahoma Gazette pub-
lished Batch’s Commentary “Voting for
Peace” in the October 24th issue, which was
circulated nationally on the CNNi website.
We said the choice was to vote for the agenda
of the 1% or the 99%, and voters overcame
many challenges to vote convincingly on the
side of the 99%. The elections brought victo-
ries across the country reflecting efforts of,
for, and by millions of The People. Do we
see a New Majority in America? A New
Reasonable Majority? It is exciting to hope
so, and to imagine its expansion.
THE PEACE FESTIVAL, NOVEM-
BER 11th: You hadda been there. Public
visitation was gratifying. Conna Wilkinson
reported that the Children’s Activity Room
sponsored by the Peace Education Institute
hosted more kids than ever before. Music
and sound were managed well by Steve
McLinn and Jahruba who provided quiet mu-
sical ambiance between our guest folksingers
and the Aalim School dancers. We are told
that more signatures were gathered on envi-
ronmental petitions at the Peace Festival than
at multiple events surrounding Earth Day. A
dozen volunteers staffed the Peace House ta-
bles where our array of T-shirts, books, but-
tons and bumper stickers generated lively
trade. It was a good day.
NO WAR ON IRAN: Hooray! Appre-
hension that Israel might launch military
strikes against Iran’s nuclear enrichment fa-
cilities inspired multiple actions by the local
coalition calling itself Americans Against the
Next War. The Peace House is an active con-
tributing member at the weekly meetings.
AANW supplies Congress members with
opinions from intelligence and military lead-
ers stating that Iran has no nuclear weapons
program under way. The Op-Ed piece by
Batch and AANW members, “Avoiding An-
other Catastrophic War”, was published in
Oklahoma in early spring, and found willing
circulation on some 30 national websites.
Full-page ads were run in the Tulsa World
and Oklahoma Gazette. Three billboards on I
-35 and I-40 sponsored by
AANW stirred local and na-
tional attention for the past
five months. And, once each
month, AANW’s public vig-
ils are seen by thousands
who are invited to honk for
peace, not war, with Iran. AANW and Peace
House action alerts through email, Facebook,
websites, etc., invited people to urge elected
officials to have patience with negotiations,
diplomacy, inspections, and non-military re-
sponses. We believe that our actions, in con-
cert with similar efforts nationwide, helped
defuse the inflammatory messages of those
supporting a hard line that can lead to war.
ECONOMIC JUSTICE: Beginning No-
vember 14th, the Peace House has taken ag-
gressive action in support of legislation to
protect the middle class – all income under
$250,000 – from a tax increase now or in
2013. To us, this is simple economic justice.
It would protect 98% of Americans from the
tax increase if America goes over the so-
called “fiscal cliff”. We all know that the
majority of Americans are struggling finan-
cially, even as the wealth and income of a
few continue to grow. Batch’s letters to the
editor on this issue were emailed to newspa-
pers in all 50 states. Our action alerts made
clear how to contact elected officials. Policy
is needed to expand justice.
HEALTH CARE: Since Governor Mary
Fallin’s shocking decision to decline federal
support to expand Medicaid to 180,000 Okla-
homans, the Peace House has circulated ac-
tion alerts including the Governor’s contacts,
toward reversing that terrible decision. (Tel:
405-521-2342. Website: www.ok.gov/
governor.# ) If Oklahoma can accept federal
dollars to build highways and support mili-
tary bases, it seems morally reprehensible to
refuse federal aid to expand Medicaid for the
poor.
OCCUPY: Through reports in the Peace
Strategy Newspaper, our website and public
actions, the Peace House lent its name and
support to the Occupy Movement for justice
that identified systems pitting the interests of
the 1% against the interests of the 99%. This
is a struggle for “the beloved community”
defined by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We
cannot submit to economic systems favoring
profits over the dignity and value of labor,
favoring profits over environmental sustain-
ability. All of us, in our many ways, contrib-
ute to building a society with policies that
honor every person’s worth, and future gen-
erations’ right to a healthy planet.
HUMAN RIGHTS: Through actions,
news conferences, demonstrations, and pa-
rades, the Peace House has supported the
rights of populations vilified or attacked.
We’ve stood proudly with others against the
death penalty, for the rights and dignity of
Hispanic and Latino peoples, for the Muslim
and other religious communities, for the
LGBT community, for women’s right to re-
productive justice, and for labor rights to col-
lective bargaining. We believe that diversity
is a strength to be celebrated and will con-
tinue our efforts to support that conscious-
ness.
Everyone’s efforts do make a difference,
proven by progress on many social justice
fronts. Whether you contribute through art,
music, essays, poetry, speaking; whether you
serve at food pantries, adult literacy pro-
grams, opportunities for youth, community
gardens, groups committed to an issue;
whether you pursue advocacy to elected offi-
cials, or membership in human service or so-
cial justice committees; whatever your ef-
forts, you make a difference. The Peace
House will continue to encourage, make visi-
ble, and participate in such actions. /////
The Peace House : Year Past / and Year Beginning
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