Join us to honor local community activists!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
5:00-8:30pm
Native American Indian Center of Central Ohio, 67 Innis Ave., Columbus (south of German Village, east off of High Street)
RSVP: truth@freepress.org
$15 individual
$25 couple
$10 low income
(Pay at the door only)
2011 Free Press “Libby” Award for Community Activism: Robb Ebright, WCRS Community Radio
2011 Free Press Award for Arts Activism: Tom Harker, Ukulele Man
2011 Bill Moss Award for an Outstanding Achievement by an African American Activist: James Whitaker and Kennedy Kent
2011 Native American Indian Center Selma Walker Award for Lifetime Achievement in Human Rights Activism: Holly Herschede
2011 Democratic Socialists of Central Ohio Eugene V. Debs Award for Labor Activism: Samantha Trublood
2011 Democratic Socialists of Central Ohio Norman Thomas/Michael Harrington Award for Peace and Social Justice Activism: Reverend Joel L. King, Jr.

On April 7th, I joined 4000 other pro-choice activists for the 2011 Stand Up for Women’s Health rally in Washington, D.C. Organized by Planned Parenthood, NARAL Pro-choice America and a myriad of partners, the importance of the rally is likely quite clear to Free Press readers. The existence of a strategic legislative assault against the reproductive rights of female-bodied Americans can hardly be denied, as we in Ohio watch with apprehension as local Republicans debate our civil liberties in the guise of protecting human life. We watch as Republicans parade the “testimony” of fetuses before an elected body while the women carrying those fetuses remain silent on the stand. We watch, and many of us have decided to act. 200 pro-choice activists from across the state of Ohio filled three buses chartered by Planned Parenthood and drove through the night to reach Capitol Hill in time to lobby for reproductive rights and participate in the day’s main event, a rally on the Capitol lawn.

BANGKOK, Thailand -- Counterfeit identification cards of U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Interpol, airline cabin crew and other officials are openly sold in the street for $25, produced in a few hours, and can include anyone's name and photo.

Freshly printed, mint condition, plastic ID cards -- based on genuine U.S. and international documents -- are available at souvenir stalls on tourist-packed Khao San Road near Bangkok's fabled Grand Palace and Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

Big signs plastered with dozens of counterfeit cards are erected each day on the walking street among stalls and shops offering inexpensive Thai food, clothing, jewelry, airline tickets, massages, tattoos, music and video discs, a Burger King, banks, beauty parlors and other goods and services.

Amazed and amused customers, from all over the world, browse through thick folders of pictures showing hundreds of different counterfeit cards including California, Texas, New York and other U.S. and foreign driver licenses, plus Air France, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways and other international "Cabin Attendant, Cabin Crew" staff cards.

The Japanese government has raised the emergency at the Fukushima nuclear plant to level seven, from a level five. This puts it at the highest level, as was Chernobyl.

Grossman and others have been advocating raising the emergency level as a first step for weeks. Professor of journalism at the State University of New York/College at Old Westbury, Grossman is author of "Cover Up: What You Are Not Supposed to Know About Nuclear Power" and "Power Crazy."

He said today: "Finally, the Japanese government is acknowledging a little reality. But the sad fact is that the Fukushima disaster is beyond a level seven disaster, it's off the books. You have multiple reactors and cooling pools.

Grossman just wrote the piece "Fukushima Nuclear Disaster at One Month: The Explosion of Nukespeak,'" which states: "The classic book on disinformation on nuclear technology is 'Nukespeak,' published in 1982. It is dedicated to George Orwell, author of '1984,' and written by Stephen Hilgarten, Richard C. Bell and Rory O’Connor.

It’s been nearly a decade since the PATRIOT Act became law in America. It’s time to put an end to the ongoing abuses under its draconian powers.
Government surveillance has invaded the privacy of innocent Americans en masse. The FBI has used national security letters to seize mountains of private records while gagging the recipients. And the “material support” provision has dramatically eroded First Amendment rights—as demonstrated by raids last fall targeting peaceful activists across the Midwest.

Having endured ten years of invasive and unconstitutional surveillance, we finally have a realistic opportunity to change this law—but only if members of Congress hear from concerned constituents across the country.

From April 18 through May 1, your congressional representatives will leave DC for two weeks and return to your area. Don’t let them leave without hearing your voice.