In
this Issue:
Commentary:
Bush’s State of the Union – Disingenuous
By Rev. Michael Piazza
 Disingenuous: dis
ìn-gen' u-ous
(adj) lacking in candor; also: giving a false appearance
of simple frankness: calculating
That
is the word that keeps coming to me every time President
Bush talks about energy or our dependence on oil. Both
the president and vice-president are former oil men who
began their administration with a secret meeting with industry
executives to seek their advice on a national policy. Clearly,
these oil men gave them good advice … good for THEM
at least. Texas based Exxon-Mobil reported this week that
they have made more profit than any business in history.
Yes, crude oil is at a record high, so this corporation has
decided to take this opportunity to gouge the American people
and make additional record profits. Funny, I didn’t
hear a hint of criticism about this in the State of the Union
speech.
I appreciate
President Bush’s statement that we are
addicted to oil, but it felt an awful lot like my butcher
telling me that red meat causes high cholesterol. Fine words,
but why has this administration consistently refused to require
higher mileage for vehicles, and given tax credits for gas
guzzling SUVs, as well as huge tax breaks to corporations
like Exxon-Mobil? Why is it that the speech contained nary
a word about conservation? Is that too quaint a Christian
value for the President’s supporters from the Radical
Right?
Yes, disingenuous is the proper word, I think.
Looking
into the President’s eyes during the speech
was one of my most disheartening moments in years. He appeared
to actually believe the words he spoke. Is it possible that
he genuinely has no awareness that he has done more than
any modern President to harm the environment and enrich his
corporate patrons? Is he so surrounded by sycophants that
he really doesn’t know his children will be breathing
polluted air that he could have helped to clean and paying
a Federal Deficit he largely helped create?
I know
the power of the Presidency is limited; however, his party
also controls both houses of Congress. If he genuinely
wanted to leave this world a better place than when he
took office there is much he could have done. The saddest
thing of all may be that he doesn’t know it or he just doesn’t
care.
Well, fortunately for us, like most corporations, Exxon-Mobil
seems very nervous that public opinion may turn against them.
It certainly should! Buying their products should feel sinful
to progressive people of faith for a variety of reasons:
- After
members of the Cathedral of Hope personally came
out and fought for nondiscrimination policies at Mobil,
Exxon abolished the policies when the companies merged.
- This corporate giant with record profits still has not
compensated the victims of the Exxon Valdez disaster 17 years
later.
- While they could be leading the way to reducing greenhouse
emissions, Exxon-Mobil has used all its political clout to
ensure we will continue to wheeze and cough in Dallas this
summer by resisting all efforts at clean air regulation.
- Greed, discrimination and environmental destruction
are just a few of their deadly sins.
Frankly,
I think George W. Bush may be a lost cause, but perhaps
we can raise enough hell about Exxon-Mobil’s
price gouging to at least shame a few stockholders into doing
the right thing. Companies are in business to make money,
but it is unethical to needlessly exploit a national crisis.
While this may not be a crisis for people like me who can
afford to drive a hybrid, there are millions of Americans
who must choose between heating their homes and buying their
medication. Reasonable profits and responsible stewardship
of the environment is not an irrational expectation of a
corporation whose revenues and assets exceed that of many
small nations.
At the
very least let’s launch a campaign
for responsible capitalism:
- Demand
that Exxon use some of their record profits to
take responsibility for at least their most egregious
destruction of the environment by paying the victims
of the Exxon Valdez.
- Demand that they use some of their excessive profits
to provide domestic partner benefits to LGBT employees by restoring
the Mobil policy that members of the Cathedral of Hope helped
to create.
- Demand that they make a generous donation to nonprofits
who are seeking to relieve the suffering of the poor who cannot
afford to heat their homes or drive their cars.
No, making a profit is not a sin. How they do it and what
they do with it, however, have, so far at least, been pretty
sinful.
Related Links:
Justice
Delayed Is Justice Denied
By Ralph Nader
Exxpose
Exxon
What
Would Jesus Drive
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H4PJ Dallas Mixer: Monday Night
with Mike
Monday, February 6 | 5pm-7pm | Aqua Italian Bistro
This
month’s Monday Night with Mike
will be held February 6 at Aqua in Dallas. The event will
begin at 5pm and last until around 7pm. Aqua is located
at 4140 Lemmon Ave. Appetizers will be provided with a
cash bar.
Monday Night with Mike is a free event. Everyone is invited!
This is a great way to meet new people that are passionate
about our issues.
Michael
Piazza, President of Hope for Peace & Justice,
will speak about current issues and H4PJ. Please mark your
calendar for this special event on February 6.
Remember to invite your friends and family!
Elton
John and Tim Rice’s AIDA
Hope for Peace & Justice Presents
an Uptown Player Production
Special One Time Benefit Performance
February 19th | 7pm | Trinity River Arts Center
Support Hope for Peace & Justice on this special night. The cast of AIDA
has donated a special performance to Hope for Peace & Justice. By purchasing
your ticket to AIDA through Hope for Peace & Justice, you help us raise money
for important campaigns, programs and workshops. Your ticket includes an invitation
to a pre-show dessert reception. Rev. Michael S. Piazza, President of Hope for
Peace & Justice, will be on-hand to welcome you and give an update of current
issues.
Tickets
for the special performance of AIDA and pre-show reception
are only $50 and seating is limited.
Click
here to buy your tickets
Music
by: Elton John
Lyrics by: Tim Rice
Book by Linda Woolverton , Robert Falls and David Henry Falls
Aida
is a contemporary musical take on the grand classic tale
of forbidden love between a soldier and an enslaved princess – a
love that condemns them to death, but ultimately transcends
the vast cultural differences between the two warring nations,
heralding an unprecedented time of peace and prosperity.
Directed
by Doug Miller
Music Direction by Scott Eckert
Choreography by Vicki Squires
Click
here to buy your tickets
What Really Happened
by Cindy Sheehan
Originally published on CommonDreams.org
Dear Friends,
As most of you have probably heard, I was arrested before
the State of the Union Address tonight.
I
am speechless with fury at what happened and with grief
over what we have lost in our country.
There have been lies from the police and distortions
by the press. (Shocker) So this is what really happened:
 This afternoon at the People's State of the Union Address
in DC where I was joined by Congresspersons Lynn Woolsey
and John Conyers, Ann Wright, Malik Rahim and John Cavanagh,
Lynn brought me a ticket to the State of the Union Address.
At that time, I was wearing the shirt that said: 2245 Dead.
How many more?
After the PSOTU press conference, I was having second
thoughts about going to the SOTU at the Capitol.
I didn't feel comfortable going. I knew George Bush
would say things that would hurt me and anger me
and I knew that I couldn't disrupt the address because
Lynn had given me the ticket and I didn't want to
be disruptive out of respect for her. I, in fact,
had given the ticket to John Bruhns who is in Iraq Veterans
Against the War. However, Lynn's office had already called
the media and everyone knew I was going to be there so
I sucked it up and went.
I got the ticket back from John, and I met one of Congresswoman
Barbara Lee's staffers in the Longworth Congressional Office
building and we went to the Capitol via the undergroud
tunnel. I went through security once, then had to use the
rest room and went through security again.
My ticket was in the 5th gallery, front row, fourth seat
in. The person who in a few minutes was to arrest me, helped
me to my seat.
I had just sat down and I was warm from climbing 3 flights
of stairs back up from the bathroom so I unzipped my jacket.
I turned to the right to take my left arm out, when the
same officer saw my shirt and yelled; "Protester." He
then ran over to me, hauled me out of my seat and roughly
(with my hands behind my back) shoved me up the stairs. I
said something like "I'm going, do you have to be so
rough?" By the way, his name is Mike Weight.
The
officer ran with me to the elevators yelling at everyone
to move out of the way. When we got to the elevators, he
cuffed me and took me outside to await a squad car. On
the way out, someone behind me said, "That's Cindy
Sheehan." At
which point the officer who arrested me said: "Take
these steps slowly." I said, "You
didn't care about being careful when you
were dragging me up the other steps." He
said, "That's because you were protesting." Wow,
I get hauled out of the People's House because
I was, "Protesting."
I
was never told that I couldn't wear that shirt into the
Congress. I was never asked to take it off or zip my jacket
back up. If I had been asked to do any of those things...I
would have, and written about the suppression
of my freedom of speech later. I was immediately,
and roughly (I have the bruises and muscle
spasms to prove it) hauled off and arrested
for "unlawful conduct."
After
I had my personal items inventoried and my fingers printed,
a nice Sgt. came in and looked at my shirt and said, "2245,
huh? I just got back from there."
I told him that my son died there. That's
when the enormity of my loss hit me. I have
lost my son. I have lost my First Amendment
rights. I have lost the country that I love.
Where did America go? I started crying in
pain.
What did Casey die for? What did the 2244 other brave
young Americans die for? What are tens of thousands
of them over there in harm's way for still? For this? I can't
even wear a shirt that has the number of troops
on it that George Bush and his arrogant and ignorant
policies are responsible for killing.
I wore the shirt to make a statement. The press knew
I was going to be there and I thought every once in awhile
they would show me and I would have the shirt on. I did
not wear it to be disruptive, or I would have unzipped
my jacket during George's speech. If I had any idea what
happens to people who wear shirts that make the neocons
uncomfortable that I would be arrested...maybe I would
have, but I didn't.
There have already been many wild stories out there.
I have some lawyers looking into filing a First Amendment
lawsuit against the government for what
happened tonight. I will file it. It is time to take our freedoms
and our country back.
I don't want to live in a country that prohibits any
person, whether he/she has paid the ulitmate
price for that country, from wearing, saying, writing,
or telephoning any negative statements about the
government. That's why I am going to take my freedoms
and liberties back. That's why I am not going to
let Bushco take anything else away from me...or you.
I
am so appreciative of the couple of hundred of protesters
who came to the jail while I was locked up to show their
support.... we have so much potential for good...there
is so much good in so many people.
Four hours and 2 jails after I was arrested, I was let
out. Again, I am so upset and sore it is hard to
think straight.
Keep
up the struggle... I promise you I will too.
Love and peace soon,
Cindy
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