NATIONAL CALL FOR CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE ISSUED – NEW WEBSITE SEEKS TO EDUCATE PUBLIC
| By Christopher Hubble - Mar 31st, 2009 at 2:53 pm EDT |
| Also listed in: COEqual | Faith Progressives | GLBT Progressives |
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Categories: Equality / Civil Rights, Civil Liberties / Privacy, Peace & Social Justice
Categories: Equality / Civil Rights, Civil Liberties / Privacy, Peace & Social Justice
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
In response to the growing equality movement in California and across the country, community organizers are issuing a call for the use of nonviolent civil disobedience to further the cause. This call comes at a time when the equality movement is energized surrounding the upcoming California Supreme Court decision on the validity of Proposition 8.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Carlos Perez de Alejo, Soulforce Communications Director
carlos@soulforce.org | 321-948-3423
Christopher Hubble, Soulforce
N4E@soulforce.org | 303-800-5664.
Sara Beth Brooks
sarabrooks@gmail.com | 619-368-9948
March 30, 2009
NATIONAL CALL FOR CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE ISSUED - NEW WEBSITE SEEKS TO EDUCATE PUBLIC
In response to the growing equality movement in California and across the country, community organizers are issuing a call for the use of nonviolent civil disobedience to further the cause. This call comes at a time when the equality movement is energized surrounding the upcoming California Supreme Court decision on the validity of Proposition 8.
The call to action, led by national groups Soulforce and Join the Impact, states "We are tired of agonizing political setbacks, token change, defending ourselves against charges of moral inferiority, and being told to 'wait' in the land we love while liberation occurs in other countries."
To assist in educating the public on nonviolent civil disobedience, the website www.nonviolence4equality.org has been created and is launching today. On the website, community members can learn about the history and philosophy of nonviolent civil disobedience, sign the call to action, and connect with others locally who are interested in organizing nonviolent civil disobedience.
"Today, we affirm that nonviolent strategies such as marches, vigils, demonstrations, public protests, and civil disobedience seek to create what Dr. King called 'healthy tension'," the call to action reads. The call has been signed already by several community leaders, including Cleve Jones, who is the founder of the NAMES/AIDS Memorial Quilt, and was a historical consultant on the Academy Award winning film MILK.
The call specifically promotes nonviolent tactics. "As we resist injustice, we must avoid violence of the fist, tongue, and heart," it reads. Community leaders are urged to sign the call to action at www.nonviolence4equality.org and to begin training in their own communities immediately. For questions pertaining to www.nonviolence4equality.org, please contact Christopher Hubble from Soulforce at N4E@soulforce.org or 303-800-5664.
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In response to the growing equality movement in California and across the country, community organizers are issuing a call for the use of nonviolent civil disobedience to further the cause. This call comes at a time when the equality movement is energized surrounding the upcoming California Supreme Court decision on the validity of Proposition 8.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Carlos Perez de Alejo, Soulforce Communications Director
carlos@soulforce.org | 321-948-3423
Christopher Hubble, Soulforce
N4E@soulforce.org | 303-800-5664.
Sara Beth Brooks
sarabrooks@gmail.com | 619-368-9948
March 30, 2009
NATIONAL CALL FOR CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE ISSUED - NEW WEBSITE SEEKS TO EDUCATE PUBLIC
In response to the growing equality movement in California and across the country, community organizers are issuing a call for the use of nonviolent civil disobedience to further the cause. This call comes at a time when the equality movement is energized surrounding the upcoming California Supreme Court decision on the validity of Proposition 8.
The call to action, led by national groups Soulforce and Join the Impact, states "We are tired of agonizing political setbacks, token change, defending ourselves against charges of moral inferiority, and being told to 'wait' in the land we love while liberation occurs in other countries."
To assist in educating the public on nonviolent civil disobedience, the website www.nonviolence4equality.org has been created and is launching today. On the website, community members can learn about the history and philosophy of nonviolent civil disobedience, sign the call to action, and connect with others locally who are interested in organizing nonviolent civil disobedience.
"Today, we affirm that nonviolent strategies such as marches, vigils, demonstrations, public protests, and civil disobedience seek to create what Dr. King called 'healthy tension'," the call to action reads. The call has been signed already by several community leaders, including Cleve Jones, who is the founder of the NAMES/AIDS Memorial Quilt, and was a historical consultant on the Academy Award winning film MILK.
The call specifically promotes nonviolent tactics. "As we resist injustice, we must avoid violence of the fist, tongue, and heart," it reads. Community leaders are urged to sign the call to action at www.nonviolence4equality.org and to begin training in their own communities immediately. For questions pertaining to www.nonviolence4equality.org, please contact Christopher Hubble from Soulforce at N4E@soulforce.org or 303-800-5664.
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Comments are closed for this post.
If you get arrested, civil disobedience will probably hurt your cause more than help it.
It is inevitable that some or many of you will be arrested during your civil disobedience. Most of the newspapers and television stations reporting will be owned by conservative publishers. None of these publishers care about your issues, only about what sells their news stories to the public,
and the topic that sells will be the arrests.
If you want good news stories about your event that report
your Issues
YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE ARRESTED
( it is a huge mistake)
You want to be a model citizen while protesting.
Leave the black clothes at home, use attractive office casual clothes at a minimum, shave, behave like the friendly, law abiding, likeable citizen you are, obey all laws and ALL Commands from all of those in authority, including police, state troopers, secret service, etc. You can always sort it out later, possibly in court if they give you a command you don't like. Do not block sidewalks, roads or parades as it is cause for arrest. If you want the support of others, be nice to them, especially law enforcement. Many of them will agree with your issue, but Mouthing off to any policeman is a ticket to jail and bad publicity for your issue.
Don't be seen to be anything but respectful of law enforcement (after all they put their life on the line for you).
And don't EVER, EVER be rude to a Veteran or a member of a Veterans family (after all the Vet put their life on the line for you). Disrespect for Vietnam Vets in the '60s was a terrible mistake.
Many activists did it and the publicity generated was only of the activist's own disrespect. By doing this '60s activists cost the anti Viet Nam War movement more then was ever gained. If any one person in your group disrespects Vets, your group will lose the respect and support of over 90 percent of those watching you or hearing later of this Vet abuse in the media. I will never support anyone abusing Vets.
And Violence or damage to property is always wrong. No issue excuses that behavior, ever.
Why I know getting arrested ruins your press publicity and the effectiveness of your event.
I have been in the impeachment movement for some years.
One of the many negative reporting examples has to do with the group ImpeachBush.org
Link
This group delivered an Impeach Bush-Cheney Petiton to House Judiciary Chairman Rep. John Conyers a couple of years ago. They were accompanied by members of many other activist groups.
The Petition had over 1.1 Million Signatures.
It was so big and heavy those delivering it brought it in on a pallet jack. The issue should have garnered many positive news stories, but alas some brash activists made a Huge Mistake that ruined the effort.
Someone decided to stage a sit in in Conyers office and that might have been fine, if it was brief and they vacated when told to by Capital Police. But they refused to leave and about 40 were arrested.
There were only about 10 to 15 news stories nationally that reported the event.
In the story titles, only one outlet mentioned the 1.1 Million Signatures.
All the other articles titles focused on the arrests. And all advantage and all the hard work of the petition organizers was thrown away by the few activists who got arrested.
They played right into the plans of Speaker Pelosi, who had earlier taken impeachment off the table. Political figures will always use what ever opening you give them to discredit you, especially if they do not want to do what you are requesting. Even the body content of nearly all of these articles did not mention the 1.1 Million Signatures. That positive fact was completely buried and destroyed by the arrests.
Good luck to you, But Please don't get arrested for your issues. It will destory your effectiveness and damage your issue.
John H Kennedy, Denver CO,
43 year Liberal Democrat,
creator of the ProgressColorado group 1stProtestinTheStreetOrg
Link
group, which performed over 150 impeachment related events in 2 years,
organizer of the Impeach Colorado Coalition,
Colorado Coordinator for the National Impeachment Network,
and of ANGRYvoters DOT Org
Link
a quick way to sign the Petition to have Bush and Cheney Indicted and to ask Obama to appoint a Special Prosecutor
.