Some upcoming events, 2/21-4/4

Malcolm X remembrance

From http://hayti.org/events/ :

February 21 | 2-4:30pm | Hayti Heritage Center

Malcolm X: Black Liberation, Black and Muslim Lives Matter

In Remembrance of the 50th Anniversary of his Assassination

This February - Black Liberation Month - marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Malcolm X - El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz.

We invite the Durham community to participate in a public forum and dialogue about brother Malcolm - the movement that he came to inspire and represent, his thoughts, political practice, and militancy. Most importantly, we will discuss how Pan-Africanism, internationalism, Black self-defense, and other concepts Malcolm X raised can apply to today’s movement against state violence and for Black Liberation.Program includes:

– Video and audio of Malcolm X
– An introduction to his life and politics
– Talk by community members who worked with him

Reflections by Muslim leaders on his internationalism and the growing tide of Islamophobia
– Reflections on the #BlackLivesMatter movement, Black Power, and what impact and relevance “By Any Means Necessary” has today
– Open mic and discussionLight refreshments provided.

Please call 919-413-1276 for more information. [or see https://www.facebook.com/events/840308166027186/ ]

From a local activist calendar:

“Israeli Military Detention: No Way to Treat a Child: Workshop presented by Coalition for Peace with Justice and American Friends Service Committee and local co-sponsors. Each year, on average, 700 Palestinian children are prosecuted in Israeli military courts in the West Bank, documented by UNICEF and Defense for Children International. Join discussion with suggestions for actions to redress the situation. 9 AM-12:30 PM, Sat, Feb 21, Durham Friends Meeting, 404 Alexander Ave, Durham. $25; $15 for students and seniors. RSVP cpwjregister at gmail or 919-914-9881.

Will the Environment Survive a Renewed Middle East Peace Process? Alon Tal, leading Israeli environmental activist with Israel Union for Environmental Defense and Green Zionist Alliance, reviews environmental cooperation in the region and considers current peace process and how it might be leveraged to ensure an ecological dividend for that area.12 Noon, Sun, Feb 22, UNC's Gardner Hall Room 105, between Davis Library and Memorial Hall. Cosponsors: NC Hillel, Carolina Center for the Study of the Middle East and Muslim Civilizations. agauss at nchillel dot org.

Israeli Apartheid Week 2015 at UNC: Events hosted by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) Mon, Feb 23 - Thu, Feb 26.Teach-in: Israeli Apartheid 101 with panel, 6 PM, Feb 23, Bingham Hall 301, near Wilson Library; Short Films with Nick Denes, co-director of London Palestine Film Festival, 6 PM, Feb 25, Bingham Hall; Palestine Cultural Night, 8 PM, Feb 26, Campus YMCA Anne Queen Lounge, next to Memorial Hall, Cameron Ave. Info: www.facebook.com/UNCSJP?v=wall.

Politics Aside: Promoting Human Rights and Accountability in Israel/Palestine: Speaker Jessica Montell, who served as Executive Director of B'Tselem, Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, is now a visiting research fellow at Hebrew University Faculty of Law. 5:30 - 7 PM, Tue, Feb 24, Duke's Sanford School of Public Policy Rhodes Conference Room, corner of Science Dr and Towerview Rd and Science Dr, Durham. Sponsored by Duke Center for Jewish Studies, Duke Forum for Scholars and Publics, Duke Human Rights Center at Franklin Humanities Institute, UNC Students for Justice in Palestine.
Protest Government Whitewashing of Senate Torture Report: Join NC Stop Torture Now for vigil10 AM, Wed, Feb 25, Federal Building, Person St at New Bern Ave, Raleigh, or outside Senator Burr’s office building, 2000 West 1st St, Winston-Salem [there is also supposed to be an event in Fayetteville, but I don't have details]. If you cannot vigil, then call, email, or tweet President Obama[202-456-1111,www.whitehouse.gov/contact/, or @BarackObama] to order federal agencies to study the full report they have and take action. For more details: www.ncstoptorturenow.org/

Law in the Age of "Forever War": 21st Annual Center on Law, Ethics, and National Security Conference. Topics covered include: targeting, surveillance, home-grown terrorism, intelligence gathering in the digital age, law of armed conflict issues, and ensuring human rights and civil liberties. 8 AM Fri, Feb 27 to 5 PM Sat, Feb 28, Duke Law School, Science Dr, Durham. Register: http://web.law.duke.edu/lens/index
Putting a Face on Poverty in North Carolina: Speaker Gene Nichol, Director of UNC's Law School Center on Poverty, Work, and Opportunity, addresses what others know of the low ranking NC has from studies at the Center and sources such as The KIDS COUNT Data Book, an annual publication of Annie E. Casey Foundation, that assesses child well-being nationally and across the 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico. 11 AM, Fri, Feb 27, Celebration Assembly of God Church, 114 Weaver Dairy Rd, Chapel Hill. Sponsored by Shared Learning Association of Chapel Hill. http://sharedlearningchapelhill.com/.

Al Helm: Martin Luther King in Palestine: Documentary by award-winning producer Connie Fields about a black gospel group from the US visiting the West Bank. Al Helm illustrates the transformative power of art and how it can move us toward understanding. 7:30 PM, Fri, Mar 13, Community Church of Chapel Hill Unitarian Universalist sanctuary, 106 Purefoy Rd, corner of Mason Farm Rd. Sponsored by Peace and Justice Committee of Church and Balance and Accuracy in Journalism (BAJ). More information: www.clarityfilms.org/mlk/.

Chapel Hill Prison Books Collective Workdays: Sunday, 1 PM, 621 Hillsborough Rd, Carrboro, email prisonbooks at gmail or details; Political Prisoner Letter Writing Night (supplies provided.), 7 PM, 3rd Wednesdays, Internationalist Books & Community Center, 101 Lloyd St, Carrboro. Info: www.internationalistbooks.org/2011/12/15/an-appeal-from-the-prison-books-collective/, http://prisonbooks.info/.

Ongoing vigils for justice and peace: Raleigh: Stop the Arms Race and Build a Culture of Peace Vigil, 1^st Wednesday of every month, Noon to 1 PM, Century Post Office on Fayetteville St (919-782-0667); Raleigh: End the death penalty (PFADP, AI-USA, NC-ACLU), 5 - 6 PM, Mondays, Central Prison, corner of Hunt Dr and Western Blvd (919-779-1912); Chapel Hill:4:30 - 5:30 PM EST [5-6 PM EDT], Fridays, corner of Elliott Rd and East Franklin St(919-942-2535).”

Shutdown AIPAC (Washington, DC February 28-March 3):

From the Facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/events/583300068467490/ ):

“Join CODEPINK, Humanity for Palestine, US Campaign to End The Israeli Occupation, Students for Justice in Palestine East, If Americans Knew, Friends of Sabeel North America, Jews for a Just Peace for Palestinians, Boycott from Within, Answer Coalition, United States Palestinian Community Network, and Just Foreign Policy to #ShutDownAIPAC.
AIPAC (The American Israel Public Affairs Committee) and affiliated organizations have long been bending politicians’ ears and filling their pockets, supporting the brutal occupation of Palestine and trying to push the US into war with Iran. Racism is the force that both helped to create and now helps to sustain and justify the brutal occupation of Palestine and the accompanying police state. Now is the time to connect the dots and challenge state-sponsored violence and racist police at home and abroad. Whether your motto is #FreePalestine or #BlackLivesMatter, we must unify our movements to call for an end to global militarism and the plague of racism. February 28th - March 3rd, when war criminal Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will be in DC to address AIPAC and a joint session of Congress, join activists from around the country to #ShutDownAIPAC!”

“Saturday, February 28, 2015
1:00PM Know Your Rights/Civil Disobedience Training at the CODEPINK house (1241 Evarts Street NE, Washington D.C)

7:00 - 10:00PM - #OneStruggle at Trinity Lutheran Church
Join Human Rights lawyer Noura Erakat, Dream Defenders Ahmed Abuznaid, Tef Poe and Tara Thompson from Ferguson, Missouri, Founder of Indigenous Resistance, native American activist Andrew Curley, and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) organizer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaZ5uTbmkBI

Sunday, March 1, 2015
12:00 - 3:00PM #ShutDownAIPAC! Rally at the Washington Convention Center
Converge with activists from around the country on the Washington Convention Center with mock settlements, a checkpoint, a creative action with 100 Netanyahu Masks and bloody hands, and speakers including Steven Salaita, Ronnie Barkan and Ariel Gold.

7:00 – 10:00PM the Courage to Speak Out (Busboys and Poets on 5th and K)
Join Miko Peled and Philip Giraldi to discuss AIPAC’s political power and how best to counter it.

Monday, March 2, 2015
(Time TBA) Press Conference
6:00 PM – 9:00PM Protest at the Washington Convention Center
Join activists to protest Israel’s crimes and call out visiting Prime Minister Netanyahu for his government’s policies of occupation, apartheid, and warmongering!

Tuesday, March 3, 2015
(Time TBA [at U Capitol]) Protest Netanyahu’s Speech at the joint session of Congress with ANSWER Coalition!!”

From the Alliance for Global Justice (www.afgj.org):

“National Call for Local Actions on Anniversary of Hugo Chavez's Death

March 5 is the second anniversary of the passing of Venezuela’s President Hugo Chávez, who transformed Venezuela through his courageous struggle to help Venezuelans become protagonists of their destiny.

Before Chávez, Venezuela's natural resources enriched foreign oil companies and elites, both in Venezuela and abroad. Today the country's wealth has been harnessed for true development -- hundreds of thousands of homes and schools have been built, and healthcare has become free and accessible throughout the country. The goal of the Bolivarian revolutionary process is socialism, where every human being can enjoy guaranteed rights of healthcare, education, housing, jobs, equality, culture, social peace, and international solidarity.

The US government is working to destabilize Venezuela’s democratically elected government, using US tax-payer dollars to finance anti-government organizations in Venezuela, encouraging coup attempts and even terrorist attacks on their population. Now, the US is applying sanctions against Venezuela to punish the government and people for defending their sovereignty. It is up to us, the people of the United States, to demand that the US government stop the attacks and destabilization of Venezuela, respect international law and Venezuela's right to self-determination.

This is a dangerous time for Venezuela. The US has spent millions of dollars to destabilize Venezuela and regain control of their oil reserves, which are the largest on the planet. The Obama administration has increased these aggressive policies since the death of President Chávez and the 2013 election of President Maduro.

After losing legislative elections in late 2013, the opposition began violent street protests a year ago which resulted in over 40 deaths, the majority of which were security forces and Maduro supporters. The street protests failed, but the Obama administration and the Venezuelan opposition have continued their efforts to destabilize the country with the goal of removing Maduro from power.

The achievements of the Bolivarian Revolution in the areas of participatory democracy, economic equality, social justice, education, and healthcare are all gains we could benefit from in the United States. It is our political responsibility to oppose US government plans to destroy Venezuela’s democracy.”

These events are listed at www.answercoalition.org :

Boston, Mass.
March 5th, 2015
Encuentro5 at 9A Hamilton Place, Boston, MA 02108-4701
6:30 p.m.
Remembrance of Hugo Chavez facilitated by General Consul Noel Martinez, Vanesa Matamoros and Jorge Marin

San Francisco, Calif.
March 5
24th and Mission St.
5:00 p.m.
Rally in Solidarity with Venezuela's Bolivarian Revolution

Los Angeles, Calif.
March 6
Immanuel Presbyterian Church (3300 Wilshire Boulevard)
6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Forum in defense of the Bolivarian Revolution

New York City, N.Y.
March 5
5th Avenue between 33rd and 34th Street
4:00 p.m.
March: "Human Rights Watch, Weapon of the U.S. State Department"

Anti-war march in DC

As part of the Spring Rising (www.springrising.org) anti-war intervention, ANSWER is organizing a demonstration Saturday, March 21^st, beginning with a rally at Lafayette Park across from the White House at 12, followed by a march to the US Capitol at 1pm.

Durham Seed Libraries

Vegetable and flower seeds will be available for free at libraries in Durham again this year, starting April 4^th. If you want to help the staff get things ready, there will be a work session February 25^th 6-8pm at the Main Library, but people need to arrive before the Library closes for the day at 6. 

Capitalism is the issue, not religion

I offer my condolences to the family and friends of Deah Barakat, Yusor Abu-Salha, and Razan Abu-Salha, killed February 10th in a Chapel Hill neighborhood located in Durham County.

Initially there were suggestions that this crime was motivated by atheist intolerance of Islam, though there is also evidence that the accused shooter was not especially anti-Islam. Whatever the facts turn out to be in this case, I find what could be called atheist fundamentalists misguided and extreme. Some atheists seem to think the main problem in the world is religion, as if it is religion that causes violence and ignorance, rather than capitalist unequal development and oppression by the US and other imperialists and their local proxies. In many cases, if people were more religious about following the pro-social aspects of their religion, the world would probably be better off. Activists with a religious ideology, such as Catholic Workers and Quakers, are some of the most dedicated anti-imperialists and social justice advocates in North Carolina, more so than much of the secular Left, even the Marxist Left. They are more active than I am, though some of what they do is paid non-profit work. Resisting imperialist capitalism is more important than fighting religion in the US, though it may be a more important issue in countries where religion dominates society, and it is foolish to unnecessarily alienate religious people by arguing over theology.    

Upcoming activist events

A partial list of some upcoming social justice and conservation events in the Triangle:

Our Future Flies on the Wings of Pollinators 

There will be a presentation about steps we can take to help pollinator insects, which are vital for many of our crops and the natural world, tomorrow, Sunday, February 1st, 3-4pm at Durham's South Regional Library.  It's free, but an RSVP is requested online at http://durhamcountylibrary.org/location/south/ (see the upcoming events listing, and click this event) or call 919 560 7410.   

Events relating to Palestinian rights:

From a local activist calendar: 

"Palestinians in Gaza and from Syria - Shattered Families in the Middle East: Bill Corcoran, President and CEO of American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA), will illustrate its humanitarian efforts and provide insights regarding future of instability in that region.  ANERA is an American NGO dedicated to improving lives of Palestinian communities through health care, education, and economic development.  7 PM, Mon, Feb 2, NCSU’s Withers Hall Auditorium 232A, 101 Lampe Dr, off Hillsborough St,  Raleigh.  Sponsored by NCSU International Studies Club and Coalition for Peace with Justice. 6 -7:30 PM, Tue, Feb 3, UNC's FedEx Global Education Center Room 1005, corner of McCauley and Pittsboro Sts, Chapel Hill. Sponsored by Carolina Center for Study of the Middle East and Muslim Civilizations, Duke-UNC Consortium for Middle East Studies, Center for Global Initiatives, Curriculum in Peace, War, and Defense, Duke-UNC Rotary Peace Center, Curriculum in Global Studies, and Coalition for Peace with Justice." 

"The Stones Cry Out: Documentary film of Palestinian Christians, part of ongoing series of films on social justice issues called "The Conscientious Projector." Info:www.thestonescryout.com. Public invited.  7 PM, Tue, Feb 3, Episcopal Church of the Advocate, 8410 Merin Rd, off Homestead Rd from MLK Blvd, Chapel Hill."

"Silencing Dissent: Academic Freedom and Censorship:  Discharged Palestinian-American professor Steven Salaita speaks, 7:30 PM, Wed, Feb 4, Duke's Sanford School of Public Policy Room 04, corner of Science Dr and Towerview Rd (parking at Bryan Center deck), Durham. Organized by Duke Students for Justice in Palestine and cosponsored by African and African American Studies, Duke Islamic Studies Center, Romance Studies, and Center for Global Studies and the Humanities."

"Uncivil Rites: Academic Freedom and Silencing of Speech:  Discharged Palestinian-American professor Steven Salaita speaks, 7:30 PM, Thu, Feb 5, UNC's Hyde Hall, (third building in line directly opposite PO on  E Franklin St; parking in town deck on Rosemary St). Organized by Students for Justice in Palestine-UNC and UNC Concerned Faculty for Palestine and cosponsored by Carolina Seminar on Rethinking Palestine/Israel, Institute for Arts and Humanities, Sept of Romance Studies, Dept of Anthropology Sept of Asian Studies, South Asia Faculty Working Goup, Center for Global Initiatives, Carolina Asia Center, Sept of Sociology, Social and Economic Justice Minor."

ACLU events:

"Privacy Under Attack: How the Government is Watching You": ACLU of NC's Invitation to learn about surveillance technology being used across NC and to urge lawmakers to protect our privacy. We must act now in order to preserve our constitutional right to privacy in the 21st century. 9 - 10 AM, (breakfast served at 8 AM), Thu, Feb 5, Legislative Auditorium, 3rd floor NC Legislative Building, 16 W Jones St, Raleigh. RSVP: mmeno@acluofnc.org or 919-834-3466." 

And Then There Was One: How targeted regulations cripple and close clinics: Speaker Sarah Preston, Policy Director, American Civil Liberties Union of NC.  Find out how regulations are used to harass patients and staff inside clinics and learn how we can fight back against those who seek to close clinics.  7 PM, Thu, Feb 5, Chapel Hill Friends Meeting House, 531 Raleigh Rd.  RSVP: 321-663-8598. Sponsored by NOW chapters in Durham, Chapel Hill, and Raleigh." 

Vigils:

"Ongoing vigils for justice and peace: Raleigh: Stop the Arms Race and Build a Culture of Peace Vigil, 1st Wednesday of every month, Noon to 1 PM, Century Post Office on Fayetteville St; Raleigh: End the death penalty (PFADP, AI-USA, NC-ACLU), 5 - 6 PM, Mondays, Central Prison, corner of Hunt Dr and Western Blvd; Chapel Hill: 4:30 - 5:30 PM EST [5-6 PM EDT], Fridays, corner of Elliott Rd and East Franklin St."   

Labor events: 

There will be rallies around the country April 15th demanding that the minimum wage be raised to $15/hour.  February 3rd at 12pm the NC AFL-CIO is hosting a planning meeting in Raleigh, with lunch provided, but participants need to RSVP.   

In the campaign to get better working conditions for tobacco farmworkers (along the lines of the successful Mt Olive Pickle campaign), there will be a rally Saturday, February 7, from 10 to 10:45am at the Kangaroo station at 106 East 54, near the intersection of 54 and Fayetteville Road and Southpoint Mall.  

Upcoming demonstrations:

The annual HKonJ (Historic 1000's on Jones Street) People's Assembly and Moral March on Raleigh will be Saturday, February 14th.  There will be carpools and buses, but I only have information for Chapel Hill/Carrboro (contact naacp5689 at gmail ).

The Spring Rising anti-war intervention in Washington, DC will have events March 18-21 (www.springrising.org).  

Durham Creek Week:

The annual Durham Creek Week is shaping up to be bigger than ever, March 21-28 at locations throughout Durham (see http://keepdurhambeautiful.org/our-events/durham-creek-week-events/ ).  

UNC Student Action with Workers meeting Tuesday

It's good to see that UNC's Student Action with Workers is still going strong (it started in 2003).  The first meeting of the spring semester/new member meeting is next Tuesday, January 27th, at 5pm in Murphy 112 (near Davis Library).  

Website:  uncsaw.wordpress.com

Twitter:  @uncsaw

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/pages/Student-Action-with-Workers/179876058757165

Tsutomu Shirosaki, Japanese anti-imperialist, released by US for deportation

Until I came across articles posted online by the Denver Anarchist Black Cross, I wasn't aware that the USA held anyone accused of involvement with the now defunct Japanese Red Army. Tsutomu Shirosaki was imprisoned at a low security Federal prison in Yazoo City, Mississippi until January 16^th, and is now being held by immigration authorities for deportation to Japan. I wish him well and hope he doesn't disappear into the Japanese prison system. Terrorism has a romantic aspect, but it is usually futile, as opposed to mass political movements, violent or not. It is impressive that Japanese people went so far for Palestinian national liberation, but ultimately the JRA and related groups don't seem to have accomplished much beyond getting their members imprisoned or killed.

Shirosaki was born December 5, 1947 in Toyama, Japan. He studied engineering in college and became a student activist. At some point he turned to violent actions, robbing banks for political funding. In 1971 he was arrested for trying to rob a Bank of Yokohama office in Tokyo and was given a 10 year prison sentence.

Several years later, on September 28, 1977, five Japanese Red Army members hijacked Japan Airlines Flight 472 from Paris to Tokyo shortly after a stop in Mumbai, India, to force the Japanese government to give them $6 million dollars and release 9 prisoners, including Shirosaki. Six of the prisoners were released to the hijackers in Dhaka, Bangladesh October 2^nd and they took the airliner ultimately to Algeria. The hijackers and ex-prisoners managed to reach Lebanon. Japan demanded that the prisoners turning themselves in, but they refused, so they became fugitives sought by Interpol. All or most of the ex-prisoners were at a loss, only knowing Japanese and not having travelled abroad before. The JRA helped Shirosaki settle in Lebanon, but he denied and still denies being a member of the JRA. He did work with a Palestinian guerrilla group, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine ( http://pflp.ps/english/ ), enabling him stay in Lebanon without a passport.

A new group, the Anti-Imperialist International Brigade, claimed attacks May 14, 1986 against the American, Canadian, and Japanese embassies in Jakarta, Indonesia, saying the attacks were related to the G7 meeting in Tokyo at the time. Two improvised mortars were fired at the US embassy from a nearby national park, two rockets were fired at the Japanese embassy from a hotel room, and three people were injured when a car exploded in front of the Canadian embassy. Seven weeks later Japan blamed the JRA and said one fingerprint belonging to Shirosaki was found in the hotel room. Shirosaki says he ignored the new charges because he was in Lebanon the whole time and was not a member of either group. He says he wasn't aware fingerprints could be easily faked. May 15, 1990 a sealed US indictment accused him of “assault with intent to murder individuals on embassy grounds, attempted murder of individuals on embassy grounds, willfully and maliciously attempting to harm a US embassy, willfully and maliciously attempting to murder embassy personnel with premeditation and malice, and committing a violent attack against internationally protected US government personnel” (September 23, 1996 US DOJ press release).

In the 90's, the Oslo Accords made it difficult for Shirosaki to stay in Lebanon, so he hid his identity and moved to South Asia. Italy began searching for him in December 1987, over an AIIB attack on the US embassy in Rome, relating to an economic summit in Venice.

The NSA found Shirosaki by tracing a phone call and he was arrested by the Nepalese police in Kathmandu, September 21, 1996 and extradited to the US. There was a 15 day trial during which he did not testify. He was convicted of all charges and sentenced to a total of 30 years in prison. February 11, 2007 he was transferred from a prison in Texas to a Communication Management Unit in Indiana, so people on the outside lost contact with him for about two weeks, and the purpose of a CMU is to isolate prisoners. He says his mail was maliciously tampered with more recently. In Indiana Shirosaki developed severe eye problems. In prison he met other political prisoners, including members of the recently released Cuban 5. January 16^th, he was released early for good behavior, and transferred for deportation, probably to an immigration facility in Louisiana. He could challenge the deportation order. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police plan to re-arrest him if he returns and he will be charged with attacking the Japanese embassy in the 1986 Jakarta attack. In April 2001, Fusako Shigenobu, a JRA leader imprisoned in Japan, said the group was disbanded, and the US removed it from a list of active terrorist groups, but the Japanese government thinks it still exists in some form.

Some sources:

https://denverabc.wordpress.com/prisoners-dabc-supports/political-prisoners-database/tsutomu-shirosaki/ (biographical information)

http://www.justice.gov/archive/opa/pr/1996/Sept96/465crm.htm (US DOJ press release from 1996)

http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/109933.php (news summary)

http://www.4-traders.com/JAPAN-AIRLINES-CO-LTD-11551593/news/Japan-Airlines--Red-Army-member-out-of-US-prison-set-to-be-deported-to-Japan-19708321/ (news summary)

A political prisoner support group in Chapel Hill: http://prisonbooks.info/

Who split from whom in the Japanese left: http://broadleft.org/jp.htm

Bill of Rights Day

The Durham City Council will issue its annual Human Rights and Bill of Rights Proclamation at its regular Monday meeting, which happens to fall on Bill of Rights Day (December 15th) this year.  This proclamation was a campaign by the Durham Bill of Rights Defense Committee and other groups several years ago, when the Bill of Rights was being undermined on a national level by Bush-Cheney and immigrant rights were more a major issue in North Carolina.  Obama was supposedly going to bring in hope and change, but the attacks on the Bill of Rights and human rights continue, most recently demonstrated by the CIA torture revelations ( http://www.bordc.org/blog/december-week-action-challenges-cia-and-nsa-crimes ).

Human Rights Day was December 10th and marks the UN Declaration of Universal Human Rights in 1948 ( http://www.un.org/en/events/humanrightsday/ ).    

This item from an activist calendar lists some other Bill of Rights Day commemorations in the Triangle:

Annual Commemorations on Bill of Rights Day, December 15: Reading of Universal Declaration of Human Rights by Montessori School of Raleigh Students, followed by remarks of Dan Figgins on provisions of UDHR and Bill of Rights, 10 AM, State Capitol Building, 1 E Edenton St, Raleigh. Sponsored by Human Rights Coalition of NC (919-834-4478).  Proclamations from Chair of Orange County Commissioners, Chapel Hill Mayor, and Carrboro Mayor, followed by reading of first 10 Amendments of US Constitution, 12 Noon, Peace and Justice Plaza (corner of East Franklin and Henderson Sts), Chapel Hill. Sponsored by Orange County Bill of Rights Defense Committee and Orange County Peace Coalition (919-942-2535; 919-918-3432).

The Durham City Council will also issue a Safe Drinking Water Act Proclamation Monday.  

STN statement - NC's connections to CIA torture

North Carolina Stop Torture Now

Media Advisory

Senate Intelligence Releases Portions of Landmark Torture Report; Will North Carolina’s Role in Torture Be Addressed?

December 9, 2014

North Carolina Stop Torture Now welcomes today’s release of the historic report on CIA torture by the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee. The report validates what human rights investigators and journalists have demonstrated for a decade: the CIA conducted a years-long, illegal, and immoral program of torture that has cost our nation terribly in lost credibility, the enmity of millions around the world, and the undermining of our democracy.

The report has special significance in the Tar Heel state for two reasons. First, Senator Richard Burr is poised to become Chair of the committee in January. Sen. Burr voted to release the report, but at the same time signaled his intention to attack its conclusions. Second, North Carolina is deeply involved in the human rights abuses described in the report (details below).

“It is not only the obligation of the federal government to commit to transparency and accountability for torture, but our state and its political subdivisions are also required to provide facts and details about torture and to accept responsibility for human rights violations,” said Prof. Deborah Weissman, UNC School of Law. “The Convention Against Torture and other treaties oblige us to uncover and take responsibility for our state’s role in the systematic torture of human beings, now confirmed by the Senate report.”

In addition to grassroots activists, prominent North Carolinians have been calling for torture transparency. More than 190 faith leaders wrote to Sen. Richard Burr in 2013, calling on him to support release of the Senate torture report. In addition, over 1,200 North Carolinians have called for an inquiry on North Carolina’s role in torture.

North Carolina and CIA-Directed Torture

Although the report’s executive summary is coming out, North Carolina’s connections to torture may be buried in the body of the report itself. A large volume of evidence has been compiled by journalists and human rights investigators:

North Carolina has been extensively involved in torture in contravention to state, federal, and international law, particularly by sustaining key aviation infrastructure for extraordinary rendition at our public airports. The Johnston County Airport has hosted Aero Contractors since 1979, and Aero remains the airport’s largest tenant. In 2005, the New York Times exposed Aero as “a major domestic hub of the Central Intelligence Agency’s secret air service.” Aero-operated craft secretly flew detainees to torture chambers in Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Afghanistan, Morocco, and Libya. They also repeatedly visited the CIA black sites in Poland and Romania where torture was performed directly by U.S. officials. Documentation was supplied to public officials and the media in this 2012 report.

NC-based planes and crews played key roles in the CIA rendition program. One of the planes operated by Aero (N379P) was a Gulfstream V jet nicknamed the “Guantanamo Express.” For a critical period during the height of the rendition program, Aero also operated a Boeing business jet (N313P) from a hangar it built at the Global TransPark in Kinston. Together, these two aircraft conducted dozens of missions in which incapacitated detainees were taken secretly to prisons where they were held indefinitely and without access to lawyers, family, or the Red Cross. There, they were interrogated using torture. Highly skilled pilots and crews operated and maintained these aircraft, likely with full knowledge they were working for the CIA. The names of several of the pilots have been in the public record for many years.

Many of the detainees transported to torture by Aero were clearly innocent, were never given due process, and were profoundly damaged. Those who survived still suffer deeply. This includes Khaled el-Masri, a German citizen of Lebanese descent; Abou ElKassim Britel, an Italian citizen of Moroccan descent; Binyam Mohamed, a UK legal resident of Ethiopian descent; Khaled al-Maqtari, a Saudi national detained in Iraq; and many more. These men were subjected to brutal treatment. They were strung up in painful stress positions for long periods and endured vicious beatings including to their genitals and torso. They suffered prolonged detention in complete darkness, or were bombarded with blasting sounds. So far, human rights investigators have documented that over 135 persons were subjected to extraordinary rendition. Over 30 of these people – and probably many more – were rendered on flights originating at Smithfield or Kinston, NC, as documented by flight logs and other data here.

Since 2005, concerned citizens have repeatedly contacted North Carolina’s elected officials with information about the state’s role in torture. With the release of the Senate Intelligence report on torture, there can be no excuse for public officials to refuse to address responsibility and accountability for North Carolina’s role in such serious human rights violations.

Stop Torture Now vigil Saturday

NC Stop Torture Now ( www.ncstoptorturenow.org ) will hold a short vigil at the Johnston County Airport, home base for torture taxi and CIA front company Aero Contractors, Ltd, this Saturday (the 27th) at 9:30am.  They are pushing for the release of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence's report on the treatment of CIA detainees before Congress recesses.  Aero Contractors is allegedly mentioned by name in the report.  Participants should wear orange and bring signs to the new terminal, at 3149 Swift Creek Road in Smithfield.

STN adopted Swift Creek Road through the NC Adopt-a-Highway program and will pick up trash after the event.  Anyone age 12 or over is welcome to participate (but kids age 12-17 have to be supervised by an adult).        

Report back from the people's climate vigil in Chapel Hill

I saw about 80-100 people at the vigil at Peace and Freedom Plaza in Chapel Hill. It was just across Franklin Street from UNC, but it looked like the crowd was mostly from the community (though it was almost all white), with a range of ages.  Solarize Chapel Hill (solarizechapelhill.org) had a table offering a free residential or business solar assessment (but only for Orange County locations) and information about financing and how fast solar would pay for itself.  There will be a NC Conference on Religion and Climate Change Monday, October 13, 10am-3pm at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Raleigh, on "the moral duty to take care of creation" (RSVP www.eventjoy.com/e/creationcare , contact info is northcarolinacreationcare at gmail). I might have missed some other flyers.  The founder of UNC Freedom Club (uncfc.web.unc.edu , also on Facebook and Twitter) spoke and gave out some literature.  When things are looking bleak, I often wonder if human civilization and nature in general are fundamentally incompatible (also emerging technologies versus human life), and major changes are definitely needed, but this seems to be anti-industrial anarchism I can't agree with, being more optimistic about technology and a Marxist.  

Trekking around the UNC campus afterward I found flyers for a Spartacist League "Meet the Marxists" event September 18th.  They probably do this every fall, but I doubt there is a club at UNC.  FRSO (the one that publishes Fight Back!) seems to be gone, leaving anarchists as the only trend left of liberals organized at UNC.  I don't think there is even a Green group.  An SDS zine came out in the spring, promising activity this semester, and advocacy groups like Student Action with Workers and SEAC are still around, but not many political groups.              

More local people's climate actions

You can find other People's Climate Mobilisation demonstrations at:  http://events.peoplesclimate.org/event/peoples_climate/search/

Around here, it does not list the event in Raleigh, but I didn't know about the march at 2pm tomorrow on Duke's West Campus.   

Besides tomorrow's day of action around climate change, there has also been a lot of talk about resisting the new war in Iraq and Syria, but so far it is mainly about lobbying Congress. If the Administration knows what it is doing, I see this war against the Islamic State as a pretext to control Iraq and topple the secular government of Syria, and there will be "boots on the ground."  And all of this relates to oil and the climate change resulting from powering civilization with oil.        

Vigils for climate justice this Sunday in NC

For people not taking the Greenway Transit bus from Durham to NYC for the People's Climate March this Sunday, there will be vigils for climate justice Sunday (the 21st) in Chapel Hill, Raleigh, and Asheville:

Vigil 2-3pm at Peace and Justice Plaza in Chapel Hill (in front of the Post Office on Franklin Street, opposite UNC).  It is being organized by the United Church of Chapel Hill's United Earth Ministries.

There will be a prayer vigil at 4pm at the Community United Church of Christ in Raleigh (814 Dixie Trail), organized by the Triangle Interfaith Alliance, but with other sponsors, such as the Wake County Audubon Society.

There will be a vigil and voter registration 1-3pm at the Vance Monument in downtown Asheville.

This seems to be a religious initiative (see NC Interfaith Power & Light for more information: http://www.ncipl.org/event/local-vigils-and-rallies/ ), but people of all faiths and none should demand that action be taken to deal with climate change.  This year should be a wake up call for our area.  It is probably impossible to say if our greenhouse gas emissions caused the unusual weather patterns this year, but the impacts have been obvious and may be long-lasting.  After the repeated and late cold snaps and ice last winter, there have been very few butterflies around this summer, in numbers of individuals and diversity of species.  That was followed by an unusually cool and wet summer, which helped my corn, but I wonder if this strange weather heralds another bitterly cold winter.  Note that our winters could get worse for a while even though the Earth as a whole is warming up; snow isn't evidence that human-caused climate change isn't happening.      

Forum on human rights abuses on NC tobacco farms this Sunday

The Farm Labor Organizing Committee, the National Farm Worker Ministry, the NC AFL-CIO, and Triangle Friends of Farmworkers are hosting a panel discussion on abuses of farmworkers in the local tobacco industry, Sunday, July 27th, 4-6pm at the Pullen Memorial Baptist Church's Fellowship Hall (1801 Hillsborough Street in Raleigh).  Two British members of Parliament have been on a fact finding mission here for two days in relation to the company British American Tobacco and will speak about what they have seen and heard, as will farmworkers and advocates, including a representative from OXFAM.  FLOC President Baldemar Velasquez will lead a discussion of what can be done to improve conditions in the fields. Representatives Price and Butterfield were invited, but it isn't certain if they will show solidarity.      

Some upcoming protests

Against the Israeli attack on Gaza:

"Join concerned citizens and the Coalition for Peace with Justice in advocating for peace with justice in Palestine/Israel and an end to the shelling of Gaza

EMERGENCY RALLY #GAZAUNDERATTACK

Saturday, July 19 • 12:00-4:00 p.m. • Capitol Building Grounds • 1 East Edenton St.• Raleigh, NC

Speakers

Dr. Ralph McCoy, CPWJ member, Ralph was part of a delegation that visited Gaza in November 2012 as Operation Pillar of Defense, the Israeli shelling of Gaza, began.

Dr. Rania Masri, Arab-American writer, professor, and human rights activist, Dr. Masri is assistant professor at the University of Balamand in Lebanon. Her research and activism have centered on environmental justice, civil rights, and anti-war (Iraq) and anti-occupation (Palestine) and anti-apartheid (Israel).

Since the Israeli shelling of Gaza began on July 8*:

• 197 persons killed: 149 civilians including 38 children and 28 women

• 1,390 injured: 393 children and 252 women

• 20,000 displaced people in need of emergency food assistance

• 18,000 civilians have taken shelter in UNRWA schools

• Water supply to 170,000 people cut due to Israeli rockets hitting water and sanitation facilities in 18 different locations

• 1,370 homes destroyed or severely damaged

• 79 schools damaged

• 23 health facilities damaged

* Source: United Nations 7/15/14"

Carrboro:  July 19th at 6pm at the corner of Weaver and North Greensboro streets [I'm not sure about this, because the announcement says it is on a Thursday).

Durham:  July 23rd at 5:30pm at the corner of Chapel Hill and Main streets (Little Five Points)

              July 25 at 6pm at the corner of Main and Gregson streets.

The ANSWER Coalition is organizing Stop the Massacre in Gaza! rallies in cities across the country in the coming week and a National March on Washington outside the White House August 1, starting at 1pm (www.answercoalition.org). 

There are also the regular vigils - Fridays 5-6pm at the corner of East Franklin Street and Elliot Road in Chapel Hill and the Stop the Arms Race and Build a Culture of Peace Vigil on the first Wednesday each month, 12-1pm at the First Century Post Office on Fayettville Street in Raleigh.  There is also an anti-death penalty vigil every Monday, 5-6pm, at Central Prison in Raleigh (corner of Hunt Drive and Western Boulevard).  

NC public worker union UE150's convention is this Saturday, the 19th, at NCCU and there will be a protest against State Budget Director Art Pope at 12pm at 1000 North Miami Boulevard in Durham (related to www.raiseupfor15.org).    

There will be a Vigil for Children at the Border Monday, July 21st at 7pm at Chapel Hill's Peace and Justice Plaza (corner of East Franklin Street and Henderson Street, at the Post Office across Franklin from UNC).  Organizers are also seeking donations of money or new pencils, crayons, paper, coloring books, small toys, etc. for detained minor asylum seekers.    

Durham County Library seed banks and the Spring Book Sale

The Durham County Library is starting the Digging Durham Seed Library, where people can donate and check out seeds that grow well in the area ( http://durhamcountylibrary.org/2014/02/announcing-the-digging-durham-seed-library/ ).  The seed library is open for donations now, and seeds can be checked out starting on the 23rd.  The Library is also holding workshops on seed saving - there was one at the South Regional Library last Sunday, but there will be two more at the Southwest Regional Library April 12th, 3-5pm, and at the Main Library April 15th, 6:30-8:30pm ( http://durhamcountylibrary.org/2014/03/seed-saving-workshops/ ).  Hopefully this will encourage more people to garden or grow their own food, and it could help preserve food biodiversity.        

The Friends of the Durham Library's Spring Book Sale (one of two each year) is also coming up this weekend in the garage at the Main Library.  This Friday's sale, 4-7pm, is for FODL members only (new members can join starting at 2pm) and the regular sale is Saturday, 10-4.  On Sunday (2-5pm) you can buy a paper grocery bag of books for just $7.  The regular price is a dollar for hardcovers and trade paperbacks and 50 cents for smaller paperbacks, with higher (but still pretty low) prices for special items.  They have over 50,000 books, tapes, CDs, DVDs, flash cards, etc. This is one of my favorite annual events in Durham and it's a good place to find old or rare political works, though you have to search to find them.    

A moment of silence for Becky Heron

This evening NPR announced that former Durham County Commissioner Becky Heron passed away. It seemed like she was a permanent part of the Commission until she retired a few years ago. She was a commissioner from December 6, 1982 to August 1, 2011, and the first woman chairperson from December 1994 to 1996. In 1995 the NC Association of County Commissioners selected her as that year's Oustanding County Commissioner. She was known for her green and progressive stands. I knew she was doing good work on the Commission, though I was young, but it wasn't until recent years that I followed local government closely, and witnessed her courageous stands on land use issues. I offer my condolences to her family.

Hopefully one or both of the county commissioners elected in 2012 will continue Heron's pro-environmental stand.

For more information, see:

http://www.heraldsun.com/news/showcase/x849279415/Former-Commissioner-Becky-Heron-dies

http://dconc.gov/index.aspx?page=31&recordid=803&returnURL=%2findex.aspx

http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/01/23/3557442/longtime-durham-county-commissioner.html

Anti-war rallies Monday, Petraeus at Duke, etc.

Reject aggression against Syria:

There will be at least two rallies against attacking Syria Monday in central NC. You can see how your representative is leaning at: http://firedoglake.com/syria-war-whip/ As of now, it looks like David Price and Mel Watt lean toward approval of a war that would violate international law. G.K. Butterfield has not made a statement. Walter Jones plans to vote against war, and George Holding leans towards a no vote.  Many Republicans are cool to Obama's war plans, but it would be a mistake to call the Republican or Democratic parties anti-war, since that usually means or should mean principled rejection of imperialist wars or war in general, not temporary opposition to wars that are unpopular or launched by a president from the other party.   


Chapel Hill (Orange County Peace Coalition):


Vigil for US Diplomatic Response to Crisis in Syria
Monday, September 9^th, 6-7 pm at Peace and Justice Plaza (in front of the Chapel Hill Post Office, at the corner of East Franklin and Henderson streets. They say to bring signs.

As always, there is a separate vigil Friday 5-6pm at East Franklin and Elliot streets, near University Mall.

Greensboro (World Can't Wait):

“What: NO WAR ON SYRIA rally

When: Monday, Sept. 9, 2013, 5-6pm

Where: Federal Building, corner of W. Market and Eugene St.

With or without Congressional approval, an attack by the U.S. military can only mean more suffering for the Syrian people. History shows this very clearly: more than a decade of war for US empire in Iraq and Afghanistan has brought devastation to those countries that will take decades to undo. A widespread campaign of drone bombing and US-led air-strikes across the Middle East and North Africa has brought instability and massive suffering to millions of people. The US-led wars have resulted in hundreds of thousandsof civilian deaths, all for the benefit of strategic economic interests of US elites, whose concerns about Syria are anything but “humanitarian.”

Our empathy with the Syrian people and the people throughout the region leads us to stand against US military strikes. We will not let our empathy be twisted into a cry for war for empire!

We are not taking sides in the Syrian civil war. We are taking responsibility for the actions of the U.S. government! Our empathy with the Syrian people is NOT a cry for war!

Monday, Sept. 9, 2013, 5-6pm: Rally at the Federal Building, corner of W. Market and Eugene St.”


General Petraeus Speaking at Duke:

Retired general and alleged war criminal David Petraeus will be speaking at Duke's Page Auditorium 6 to 7:15 pm on the 11^th, as part of Duke's Program in American Grand Strategy (see http://sites.duke.edu/agsp/2013/08/07/ambassador-dave-and-kay-phillips-family-international-lecture/ ).

Here is how they plan to greet Petraeus Monday at the City University of New York, where he will be teaching a course:

 

“Protest Petraeus’s first day of class

Monday, Sept. 9th, 2:30 p.m.

CUNY Must Not Be A War College!

War Criminal Petraeus, ROTC, Military Contracts, and Military Recruiters: Out of CUNY!


Protest Petraeus’s first day of class

When: Monday, September 9th, 2:30 p.m.

Where: Macaulay Honors College, 35 West 67th St.
(between Central Park West and Columbus Ave.)

CUNY has signed up a war criminal to “teach” at the Macaulay Honors College. Join with us in protesting this outrage.

The Board of Trustees has appointed former CIA chief David Petraeus – ex-commander of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars – to give a course titled “Are We On the Threshold of the North American Decade?” at the Macaulay Honors College. Whether being paid $200,000 or $1 (the amount his pay has been reduced to following widespread indignation at his salary), this mass murderer must not be allowed to teach at CUNY. The importance of mass protest is highlighted by the fact that many CUNY students and their families come from countries targeted by the U.S. military and dominated by U.S. imperialism.

As commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, Petraeus rained death on Afghan civilians. As commander of “coalition” forces in Iraq, he ran the imperialist slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. Petraeus brought Col. James Steele – who commanded death squads in Vietnam and Central America – to Iraq to organize and train death squads which carried out “the worst acts of torture” during the U.S. occupation (London Guardian, 6 March).

As CIA chief, Petraeus was the architect of almost 3,000 “targeted killings” by drones.

Meanwhile, the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program is being revived at CCNY, York, Medgar Evers and the College of Staten Island. ROTC was ousted from CUNY in 1971 after widespread protests against its role recruiting and training officers for the U.S. war in Vietnam that killed an estimated 3 million Vietnamese.

The appointment of Petraeus follows CCNY’s recent establishment of the Colin Powell Center, named after the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the U.S. invasion of Panama (1989) and the first Persian Gulf War (1991).

The increasing militarization of CUNY is also reflected in military recruiters; Army and Navy “missile command” and “air warfare” representatives’ participation in a CCNY conference on “Automatic Target Sensing”; arms manufacturers Raytheon, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin’s backing for CCNY’s $198 million Advanced Science Research Center, etc.

CUNY security’s relationship with the NYPD has expanded in recent years. While campus cops work closely with the NYPD to repress student and worker protests, business-as-usual for the NYPD includes spying on Muslim students on campus. CUNY campus “peace officers” are able to make arrests and to use deadly force (included in the CUNY administration’s arsenal are hollow-point bullets, which even the NYPD is not supposed to use (New York Post, 6 May 1999).

Against this growing militarization of CUNY, the time for massive protest is now!

Ad Hoc Committee Against the Militarization of CUNY

The September 9 protests demanding “CUNY Must Not Be a War College” and “War Criminal Petraeus, ROTC, Military Contracts and Military Recruiters: Out of CUNY!” have been endorsed by the following organizations and individuals (list in formation): Internationalist Group, CUNY Internationalist Clubs, Revolutionary Student Coordinating Committee, Students Without Borders at Queens College, Class Struggle Education Workers, Workers Power-US, IGNITE, Movimiento Socialista de Trabajadores-NYC, Asociación de Estudiantes Latinas/os y Latinoamericanas/os of CUNY, Sister Circle Collective, Dr. Hester Eisenstein of Queens College and the Graduate Center, CUNY, Carmelina Cartei, Anakbayan-NY.

Communist Voice for September:

Last Tuesday was the last airing of the August programs (Manchuria 1945... & The War on Freedom on TPC and Truth & Politics, a David Ray Griffiths lecture on DCM, and the difference is because there was a disc problem). This Tuesday Loose Change: Final Cut, a 9/11 truth documentary, should begin airing on both cable access stations at 6pm on Tuesdays.

Demonstrate against an attack on Syria

There were demonstrations and protests against the prospect of a war with Syria last weekend and today, and more are coming up this weekend before Congress votes next week:

Every week there is an anti-war vigil in Chapel Hill at the corner of Franklin Street and Elliot Road (Village Plaza), from 5-6pm at this time of year. 

As part of this year's Radical Rush at UNC, there will be a speak out against "bullshit" at 6pm in the Pit in front of the Student Union, and imperialist war should be included. 

Saturday (9/7) at 2:30 Black Workers for Justice is organizing a rally against the war at the MLK Gardens (900 Rock Quarry Road) in Raleigh. 

[ More rallies scheduled for Saturday in Raleigh, Charlotte, and Asheville (and on the 12th) are listed at www.unitedforpeace.org/stop-syria-strike/syria-actions/ ]

There will be two national demonstrations in Washington, DC, marching from the White House to the Capitol.  One will be Saturday at 12 and the other Monday at 10am.  For more information, visit: answercoalition.org 

A petition to the members of Congress representing the Triangle and Obama is online at:

http://bit.ly/WeSayNoWarWithSyria

[ Pledge not to vote for the members of Congress who authorize war with Syria at:  http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/peacevoter ]

May Day 2013

Here are some local events marking (or sort of marking) International Workers' Day (May 1st), labor day for much of the world. 

 

5/1 Raleigh:  There will be a rally 3-4pm in Moore Square followed by a march to the NC Legislature and then a rally 5:30-8 at Halifax Square (16 West Jones Street).  For more information call 919 533 9203, see Facebook http://bit.ly/May1Ral, or maydaytrianglenc.wordpress.com/ . 

 

The NC Student Power Union is rallying 1:30-2:20 at the NCSU Bell Tower before marching to join the rally at Moore Square.  See http://studentpowernc.org/mayday/ for more information and transportation. 

 

I thought there was traditionally a marijuana legalization rally in Raleigh on the 1st, but a quick search doesn't turn up any events this year. 

 

5/1 Chapel Hill:  Anarchists will be rallying at the Peace and Justice Plaza in front of the Post Office on Franklin Street at 5pm. 

 

5/5 Sanford:  Workers Taking a Stand Against Fracking  There will be a rally by Workers for Clean Water at Lee County Depot Park (106 Charlotte Avenue) in Sanford at 3pm.  It is organized by Cumnock Preservation, Ed Harris (Stand Your Ground), and Blue Ridge Environmental Defense.  For more information see:  http://croatanearthfirst.com/2013/04/23/may-5-workers-for-clean-water-event/ .  

 

5/5 Durham: 

 

Profit versus the common good in NC government

 

Legislators are rolling back democratic decisionmaking and laws protecting the social good in favor of elite profits. Join a discussion of this business first policy and what can be done, Sunday, May 5th at 3pm at Durham's Southwest Library (3605 Shannon Road), meeting room A.  For more information email michael_pollock at yahoo dot com. 

 

If you know of other events, please comment or email me.