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The March issue of the New People, Pittsburgh's peace and social justice newspaper.
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March 2013 NEWPEOPLE - 1
THOMAS MERTON CENTER, 5129 PENN AVE.
PITTSBURGH, PA 15224 NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PITTSBURGH, PA
PERMIT NO. 458
TMC works to build a consciousness of values and to
raise the moral questions involved in the issues of war,
poverty, racism, classism, economic justice, oppression
and environmental justice.
TMC engages people of diverse philosophies and faiths
who find common ground in the nonviolent struggle to
bring about a more peaceful and just world.
PITTSBURGH’S PEACE & JUSTICE NEWSPAPER Published by the Thomas Merton Center VOL. 43 No. 3, March 2013
IN THIS ISSUEIN THIS ISSUE
-- Pittsburgh’s Women’s Pittsburgh’s Women’s
Movement Celebrated Movement Celebrated
-- page 8page 8
-- Deconstructing Deconstructing
Sequestration Sequestration
-- page 5page 5
-- The Pope has Resigned, The Pope has Resigned,
What Next? What Next?
-- page 13page 13
-- Full Table of ContentsFull Table of Contents
-- page 2page 2
by Michael Deckebach
Martin Sheen, an Emmy and Golden Globe
award winner, is one of America’s best known
actors. Celebrated for his role as President
Josiah Bartlet in the TV series “The West
Wing,” Sheen has a long filmography dating
from 1960 to today that features prominent roles
in television, cinema,
and documentaries.
Sheen has used his
fame in Hollywood to
bring about change
and to advocate for
those who need it the
most.
In fact, as Craig
Kielburger, founder
of Free the Children,
once put it, “[Sheen has] a rap sheet almost as
long as his list of film credits.” His involvement
includes First!, Free the Children, Help Darfur
Now, and School of the Americas (SOA)
Watch, among others.
Continued on page 15
by Edith Bell and Scilla Wahrhaftig
“For women, the dangers of war go far
beyond the violence of combat. In situations
of armed conflict, women suffer some of the
greatest health and social inequities in the
world. They risk human rights violations,
suffering and death that must be prevented.
“When rape is used as a weapon of war, and
lawlessness prevails, women become targets
from all sides in a conflict. Sexual violence is
systematically employed to harm and
demoralize individuals, break apart families
and terrorize communities. For women and
girls, the threat of violence remains long after
fighting ends.
Continued on page 8
Martin Sheen , from SOAW
by Bob Concilus
A controversial electric power plant in rural
Crawford County, Pennsylvania, is planned for
construction. This plant will burn 900 tons of
used car and truck tires to produce electricity, and
it will be the largest facility of this type in the
United States and possibly in the world. The
combustion of tires to produce electricity results
in the creation of very large amounts of toxins,
especially dioxins and furans, which are among
the most toxic chemicals on earth. They can cause
cancer and endocrine imbalances in humans as
well as congenital anomalies. The Love Canal in
New York State is a well known site for dioxin
contamination. Dioxins are long-lasting
substances, and when they are found in humans
they have a seven to twelve year elimination half
life. In addition, tire combustion produces as
much carbon dioxide per kilowatt as does coal
combustion, making this form of energy
production a significant contributor to climate
change.
Continued on page 11
Stop the Violence! Watch & Take Action “The Invisible War”— March 8, 7-9 PM
Friends Meeting Hours (Oakland)
(Story on page 11) Four dozen opponents of the Keystone XL pipeline, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and
environmental activist Bill McKibben (center, top row), were arrested after engaging in civil disobedience near
the gates of the White House. The arrests preceded the Climate Rally on February 17, in Washington, D.C., which
40,000 protestors attended. McKibben, of 350.org, will receive the Thomas Merton Award on November 4th.
Martin Sheen an Activist for Peace
International Women's Day Call to Action
Keep Toxic Tires Out of Crawford County
Correction to February Edition: The name of Ken Boas, author of “Planting Olive Trees in Our Hearts,” was incorrectly spelled in the first paragraph. Link to the full unedited article at: http://tinyurl.com/amjo8zm.
Source Creative Commons
2 - NEWPEOPLE March 2013
IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE THOMAS MERTON CENTER
5129 PENN AVENUE, PITTSBURGH, PA 15224 Office Phone: 412-361-3022 — Fax: 412-361-0540
Website: www.thomasmertoncenter.org
New People Editorial Collective Robin Clarke, Rob Conroy, Ginny Cunningham,
Michael Drohan, Jona Dudley, Russ Fedorka, Martha
Garvey, Carol Gonzalez, John Haer, Xinpei He, Shahid
Khan, Bette McDevitt, Charles McCollester, Diane
McMahon, Kenneth Miller, Jonathan Reyes, Joyce
Rothermel, Molly Rush, Marcia Snowden,
K. Briar Somerville, Jo Tavener
TMC Staff, Volunteers, & Interns Managing Director: Diane McMahon
Office Coordinator: Marcia Snowden
Office Volunteers: Kathy Cunningham,
Monique Dietz, Mary Clare Donnelly, RSM
Finance Manager: Roslyn Maholland
Assistant Bookkeeper: Mig Cole
East End Community Thrift Store Managers:
Shirley Gleditsch, Shawna Hammond, Dolly Mason
Interns from the University of Pittsburgh:
Mike Deckenbach, Dara Fedrow, Minghua He, Xinpei He, Shahid Khan,
Stephanie Maben, Russell Noble, Michael Rosenberg, K. Briar Somerville
2013 TMC Board of Directors Ed Brett, Rob Conroy, Kitoko Chargois, Kathy Cunningham, Michael Drohan, Patrick
Fenton, Carol Gonzalez, Mary Jo Guercio (President), Wanda Guthrie, Shawna
Hammond, Ken Joseph, Edward Kinley, Chris Mason, Jonah McAllister-Erickson,
Francine Porter, Joyce Rothermel, Molly Rush, Tyrone Scales, & M. Shernell Smith
TMC Standing Committees Board Development Committee
Recruits board members, conducts board elections
Building Committee
Oversees maintenance of 5123-5129 Penn Avenue sites
Development Committee
Guides the strategic growth and expansion of the Center
Membership Committee
Coordinates membership goals, activities, appeals, and communications
Editorial Collective Plans, produces and distributes The NewPeople newspaper
Finance Committee
Ensures financial stability and accountability of TMC
Personnel Committee
Oversees staff needs, evaluation, and policies
Project Committee
Oversees project applications, guidelines, and policies
Special Event Committees Plans and oversees TMC fundraising events with members and friends
Youth and Student Outreach Committee
Coordinates outreach efforts with younger members of TMC
Allegheny Defense Project, Pgh Office 412-559-1364 www.alleghenydefense.org
Association of Pittsburgh Priests Sr. Barbara Finch 412-716-9750
Amnesty International [email protected] www.amnestypgh.org
The Big Idea Bookstore 412-OUR-HEAD
www.thebigideapgh.org
Black Voices for Peace Gail Austin 412-606-1408
CeaseFirePA
www.ceasefirepa.org
Global Solutions Pittsburgh 412-471-7852 [email protected]
www.globalsolutionspgh.org
Citizens for Social Responsibility of Greater Johnstown
Larry Blalock, [email protected]
Haiti Solidarity Committee [email protected]
412-780-5118 www.thomasmertoncenter.org/hs
PA United for a Single-Payer Health Care
www.healthcare4allPA.org www.PUSH-HC4allPa.blogspot.com 2102 Murray Avenue Pgh, Pa 15217
412-421-4242
Pittsburgh Area Pax Christi 412-761-4319
Pittsburgh Committee to Free Mumia 412-361-3022 [email protected]
Pittsburgh Cuba Coalition 412-563-1519 [email protected]
Pittsburgh Independent Media Center [email protected] www.indypgh.org
North Hills Anti-Racism Coalition 412-369-3961
www.northhillscoalition.com
Pittsburgh North People for Peace 412-367-0383 [email protected]
Pittsburgh Palestine Solidarity Committee [email protected] www.pittsburgh-psc.org
Raging Grannies 412-963-7163 [email protected] www.pittsburghraginggrannies.homestead.com
Religion and Labor Coalition 412-361-4793 [email protected]
School of the Americas Watch W. PA 267-980-4878
SW PA Bread for the World
Donna Hansen 412-812-1553
United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE)
412-471-8919 www.ueunion.org
Urban Bikers [email protected]
Veterans for Peace [email protected]
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)
Eva 412-963-7163 [email protected]
Thomas Merton Center Monday—Friday:
10 am to 4 pm
Saturday: Noon to 4 pm
East End Community Thrift Tuesday—Friday:
10 am to 4 pm
Saturday: Noon to 4 pm
For General information about the Thomas Merton Center:
www.thomasmertoncenter.org
To Make a New People Article, Photo or Poem Submission:
www.thomasmertoncenter.org/newpeople/submit-article
To Submit an Event to The New People or Calendar:
www.thomasmertoncenter.org/calendar/submit-event
TMC Projects:
Pennsylvanians for Alternatives
to the Death Penalty
Martha Connelly 412-361-7872
Pennsylvania Interfaith Impact Network
412-621-9230 [email protected]
This is a big year for Thrifty, twenty years strong and still
dedicated to service in the community!
Stop by to say happy
birthday and shop, volunteer,
or donate on Tuesday
through Friday 10-4, or
Saturday from 12-4.
Help us spread the love
around at the East End
Community Thrift Store!
412-361-6010.
East End Community Thrift Celebrating 20 Years!
courtesy Kenneth Miller
TMC Affiliates:
TMC is a Member of:
Anti-War Committee [email protected]
www.pittsburghendthewar.org
Book‘Em: Books to Prisoners Project [email protected]
www.thomasmertoncenter.org/bookem
Capital’s End
(724) 388-6258, [email protected]
CodePink: Women for Peace
[email protected], 412-389-3216
www.codepink4peace.org
East End Community Thrift Shop
412-361-6010, [email protected]
Economic Justice Committee
Environmental Justice Committee [email protected]
Fight for Lifers West 412-361-3022 to leave a message
http://fightforliferswest.mysite.com
Formerly Convicted Citizens
Dean Williams (412) 295-8606
Human Rights Coalition / Fed Up
(prisoner support and advocacy)
412-802-8575, [email protected]
www.thomasmertoncenter.org/fedup
Marcellus Shale Protest Group
[email protected] 412-243-4545
marcellusprotest.org
New Economy Working Group
Pittsburgh Anti-Sweatshop
Community Alliance
412-867-9213
Pittsburgh Campaign for
Democracy NOW!
412-422-5377, [email protected]
www.pcdn.org
Roots of Promise
724-327-2767, 412-596-0066
Pittsburgh Darfur Emergency Coalition
www.pittsburghdarfur.org
Urban Arts Project
Progressive Pittsburgh Notebook
Call 412-363-7472
www.progressivepghnotebook.blip.tv
Westmoreland Marcellus Citizens
Group/ Roots of Promise
724-327-2767
Whose Your Brother?
412-928-3947 www.whoseyourbrother.com
Page 1
Martin Sheen,
Activist for Peace
International Women's
Day Call to Action
Keep Toxic Tires Out of
Crawford County
Page 3
New Economy Group
Touring Detroit
Community Bill of Rights
Referendum
Community Rights
Workshop
Deep Democracy
Page 4
Corbett’s 2013—2014
Budget Proposal
Corbett’s Liquor Reform
Page 5
Deconstructing
Sequestration
Page 6
Conscience of China
Domestic Intelligence in
Jordan
Page 7
Labor Union Reform in
China Factories
Report From Bangladesh
Page 8
Women’s Day Action
Women’s History Exhibits
Page 9
Drone Warfare Review
Drone Activists Arrested
the drone operator is sick
Page 10
Solar Panel Ordinance in
Monroeville
Wind Power in PA
Page 11
Toxic Tire-Burning Plant
Fracking and Your Health
Retreat: Unfrackable
KXL Pipeline Rally
Page 12
Merton and Dorothy Day
Page 13
Merton Study Circle
Pope Resigned
Page 14
Affordable Chic
Page 15
RIP Margaret McCoy
Meet New Board Member
Ed Brett
Fight For Lifers West
Receives Award Grant
Martin Sheen continued
March New People Table of Contents
March 2013 NEWPEOPLE - 3
Building Democracy
We are working on a strategy for a Referendum
Campaign in Pittsburgh that will place Community Rights
on the November ballot. If you are interested in being part
of the Strategy Conversation for a November Community
Rights Ballot Referendum - or if you simply want to learn
more about the why, the how, and the petition drive -
please contact Pat Buddemeyer at [email protected] and
visit communitybillofrightspittsburgh.wordpress.com.
We are also considering what it would take to help
create a Pennsylvania constitution that protects the rights of
people, communities, and nature by securing our
inalienable right to local self-government, free from
corporate and state interference. A Westmoreland Chapter
of the Community Rights Network is forming.
Email: [email protected]
New Economy Group Touring Detroit March 15-17
by Molly Rush
9-11 is a date that has conjured up
memories of the destruction of the
World Trade Center since 2001. By
coincidence, because my former intern
Sarah Byrnes was in town, THE NEW
ECONOMY WORKING GROUP met
this past September 11th.
On this date, we looked forward, to
discover what is already happening
right here to build a local, green
economy of, by, and for the people,
and how we could support and develop
a broader vision of how to work
together to make that happen.
I'd caught Gar Alperovitz's
inspiring speech on the subject at the
Green Party Convention on Democracy
Now. Then I learned that Sarah worked
for the Institute for Policy Studies,
which is a key player in a growing
national grassroots movement to
extricate ourselves from the
stranglehold of corporate control of our
politics and the global economy.
Six meetings later, the Western
Pennsylvania New Economy Working
Group is taking off to Detroit for a tour
of the inspiring work going on in that
devastated city under the leadership of
the James and Grace Boggs Center.
They have invited us, thanks to
troubadour Mike Stout, to bring along
local neighborhood activists for a tour.
They will house and feed us. We just
have to provide transportation.
TIME IS SHORT! Please contact me
ASAP at <[email protected]> if
you wish to know more or if you can
recommend someone who would to
like to apply for what promises to be a
great opportunity to learn, to build
relationships and come home inspired
to connect and build together a
stronger and more flexible and green
community.
Molly Rush is the chair of the New
Economy Working Group, co-founder
of the Thomas Merton Center and
current board member, and co-chair
of the New People editorial collective.
Local Democracy and Justice Matter! Second Community Rights Workshop
Friday evening, March 29 6pm to 9pm
Saturday, March 30, 9am to 6pm
Friends Meeting House
4836 Ellsworth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA
The first workshop was such a great success that we are
offering it again!
The Pennsylvania Community Rights Workshop
takes an in-depth look at how Pennsylvania's political
and legal structures have been set up to protect the
interests of an elite minority, at the expense of the
majority of Pennsylvanians. We'll look at how
Pennsylvania's constitution has continually evolved since
the American Revolution to protect wealth and privilege
over community self-government; we'll look at how
corporations in Pennsylvania have received more rights
and protections than those of you living in your
community; and we'll look at how Pennsylvanians have
pushed back against these oppressive structures to
reclaim democracy in their communities.
Space is limited to 35 maximum. Sign up early and
please tell others.
To register: email
<[email protected]> or call Wanda
Guthrie at 412-596-0066.
The total cost of the workshop is $60 per person.
A partial payment of $25 must be paid by March 25
unless a special arrangement is made.
Community Bill of Rights Referendum In Progress
Deep Democracy The Nature and Spirit of Our Work
DeepDemocracyPittsburgh.wordpress.com
practiced in circles of trust that open the political door wide
and help people walk through it.
Join us on Sunday, March 10, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm, at Pat
Buddemeyer’s house: 5808 Black Street (between North
Euclid and North Beatty), East Liberty.
Call 412-860-9524 for directions.
Focus for the gathering is: Continuing a study of Parker
Palmer’s book Healing the Heart of Democracy. Please
bring a snack to share.
4 - NEWPEOPLE March 2013
Pennsylvania Politics
Originally published
by Penn Future
Gov. Tom Corbett unveiled a
$28.4 billion General Fund budget
before a joint session of the
General Assembly on Tuesday.
Funding for the Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP)
and the Department of
Conservation and Natural
Resources (DCNR) in the
proposed budget is essentially flat.
This means that the cuts made to
the agencies’ budgets over the past
few years stay, with no allowance
for inflation, let alone increases for
staff or enforcement.
The budget also removes all
funding from the state for
Conservation Districts, the boots
on the ground for environmental
protection. The only funding the
districts will receive will come
from drilling impact fees.
Conservationists are also
troubled by the fact that DCNR,
the state's conservation and public
lands agency, must increasingly
rely on funds from oil and gas
drilling and timber leases to
manage our public parks and
forests.
The education of Tom Corbett? In last year's budget, Gov.
Corbett proposed permanently
eliminating funding for the
Keystone Recreation, Park and
Conservation Fund — the state's
flagship conservation program —
and Pennsylvania's nationally
recognized farmland preservation
program. Fortunately, after a
tremendous outcry from citizens
and conservation and farming
organizations statewide, funding
for both programs was
unanimously restored in the
House.
Afterward, Gov. Corbett began
praising Commonwealth
investments in state parks and
other public lands as he traveled
the state. And this year, Corbett
proposed increasing funding for
farmland preservation by $10
million and even highlighted the
idea during his budget address.
Some might see these actions
as hypocritical. We prefer to see
them as personal and political
growth, stemming from Corbett's
interactions with Pennsylvanians
throughout the state, and their love
and support for Penn's Woods.
Now, if only he could understand
that the proper level of financial
support for our public lands
should not be solely dependent
upon extraction of the resources
under those lands, or impacting
the health of the forests that
populate its surface.
A welcome step on
transportation funding Last year, Gov. Corbett ignored
the detailed recommendations of
his Transportation Funding
Advisory Commission to start
addressing the estimated $4.5
billion shortfall in funding for the
Commonwealth's highways,
bridges and public transportation
systems. This year, while the
overall level of funding falls short
of what is ultimately needed, Gov.
Corbett unveiled a series of
welcome proposals to increase
transportation funding. The most
significant proposal would raise
$1.8 billion over five years by
removing the cap on the pricing
mechanism used to calculate the
Oil Company Franchise Tax.
There is strong bipartisan
support for increasing
transportation funding, especially
in the Senate. Look for action in
the coming months now that the
governor has finally taken a stand
on fixing our vital transportation
problems.
Loosening Grover's leash on
Harrisburg Nobody elected Washington-
based anti-government zealot
Grover Norquist to run PA, and
Norquist clearly doesn't care about
Pennsylvania's environment, our
quality of life, or the safety of our
roads, bridges, or public
transportation. Norquist is on
record for wanting to shrink the
size of government so it can be
"drowned in a bathtub." But all
this hasn't stopped dozens of
Pennsylvania politicians from
genuflecting before this poobah
despite their constituents' wishes,
even checking in with Norquist to
make sure votes or proposals are
acceptable.
Gov. Corbett signed the
Norquist "no-tax" pledge as a
candidate for governor, and has
generally toed the line during his
first two years in office. Some say
that the convoluted county option
drilling impact fee under Act 13
was created in order to appease
Norquist, and even then Norquist
said it was a "tax."
Norquist will now proclaim that
Corbett is raising a tax by
uncapping the Oil Franchise Tax.
Good for Corbett. Grownups in
Pennsylvania need to do what is
best for Pennsylvania, and
sometimes that means creating
new revenue and making new
investments.
Water, water everywhere, but 6
million people might not find a
drop to drink The Susquehanna River
provides drinking water for 6
million people, so you'd think the
people in charge would be really
careful about endangering it. Yet
the Susquehanna River Basin
Commission isn't inclined to
actually determine if and how
shale drilling and water
withdrawal may be harming this
vital resource.
The risk of ignorance is too
great. Tell Gov. Corbett and the
Army Corps of Engineers to
direct the Susquehanna River
Basin Commission to conduct a
comprehensive study on how
shale drilling and water
withdrawal is impacting the
Susquehanna River and its
tributaries.
PennFuture's “Session Daze”
publications are designed to be a
brief, informative and
occasionally humorous look at
public policy in Pennsylvania.
For more information about
PennFuture, please visit
www.pennfuture.org
Corbett Unveils 2013—2014 Budget Proposal
by Charles McCollester
Cynics in Pittsburgh assert that
the Post-Gazette’s enthusiastic
endorsement of Governor Corbett’s
“liquor reform” is rooted in the
newspaper’s expectation of a
revenue windfall from private
advertisers of booze. I value the
Post-Gazette (P-G) as a vital
community asset and might even
accept that outcome as a positive
factor, but the newspaper’s recent
editorial in favor of privatization of
the Liquor Control Board is
completely unconvincing.
First, the proposal by our
benighted governor to replace
educational appropriations that
should be enshrined as a long-term
governmental commitment and
social investment with a one-time
sale of state assets is cynical to say
the least. To chop support for state
universities and public schools with
one hand and then to hold out with
the other a vague promise that sale
of a revenue-generating state asset
might replace some cuts,
guarantees future crises as the
windfall is expended.
Second. Who benefits?
Certainly not the 3,500 state store
workers who make a decent lower
middle-class wage of $30,000 to
$50,000. They will be replaced by a
small group of opportunistic
entrepreneurs (undoubtedly with
connections to influential
politicians) who will become rich.
But the bulk of their private sector
employees will earn between
$15,000 and $30,000 a year,
lacking stability and training a civil
service job and union contract
provide. Thoughtfully, the
governor provides a tax break for
new owners who deign to hire
former workers at half the present
rate. A man of the people!
Third, the P-G editorial implies
we should take solace from a
proclaimed renewed focus on
enforcement by the state
government. Can any vow of strict
enforcement be made with a
straight face by an administration
that has not enforced air and water
or community and worker right-to-
know standards on Marcellus gas
drillers? While the gas wells suck
wealth for outside interests without
compensation to the
“commonwealth,” state “enforcers”
don’t even seem to know how
many gas wells exist, let alone
effectively monitoring their level of
adherence to fundamental health
and safety standards. (Dare we
mention state vigilance in terms of
the enforcement of child
molestation statutes?)
Finally, the Post-Gazette
uncharacteristically seems to
salivate at the thought of the
Republican Party attaining a great
ideological victory. One of
America’s great newspapers seems
to endorse the notion that having a
governmental system for regulating
controlled substances makes us a
“political and social
backwater” (we are, but for
completely unrelated reasons).
We have a comprehensive
system of well-lit stores with a
good general selection and
professional employees. This
defines a backwater? In
neighboring states a population
center with Pittsburgh’s regional
population might have several
warehouse outlets, boutique high-
end stores in select suburbs, and for
the rest of us small, often poorly
stocked, dirty and occasionally
dangerous outlets. The governor’s
plan also invites corruption on
several levels and guarantees the
rebirth of the liquor lobby, once
notorious in state and local politics.
Public pressure is greatest for a
change in the way beer is sold
through beer distributors
(something that does not affect the
state stores directly) as opposed to
being able to purchase it in
supermarkets and convenience
stores.
Another issue is marijuana
decriminalization, whether for
medical or recreational purposes. I
am not endorsing legalization, but
whether it’s in two, five or ten
years, change is coming. We
simply cannot afford the hundreds
of thousands of unnecessary
incarcerations with the consequent
loss of youth employability and
productivity because of the
widespread use of a substance
anyone can grow and no worse in
its effects than alcohol.
The primary roadblock faced
by states trying to change existing
legal controls on cannabis is how to
regulate, control and tax either its
medical distribution or commercial
sale. Pennsylvania has the
governmental structures in place to
regulate commercial sale
responsibly, educate about health
effects, and tax like alcohol.
Republicans historically prefer sin
taxes to wealth taxes, so here is a
golden source of untapped
governmental revenue generated
presumably by the sins of others.
In the old days, the red political
“T” in Pennsylvania (the rural
central and northern regions) was
anti-liquor, anti-gambling,
Republican, and often anti-
Catholic. Pittsburgh and
Philadelphia were despised as
places festering with “Rum,
Romanism and Rebellion.”
Now a Catholic from
Pittsburgh is getting Republican
legislators to embrace expanded
gambling opportunities at the local
tavern while doubling the state’s
liquor outlets! Our best hope is that
a rebellion is brewing that will unite
cities and countryside against an
administration that is relentlessly
undermining educational
opportunity, reliable mass
transportation and the environment.
It’s time to unite against policies
that erode a commonwealth that
belongs to us all.
Dr. Charles McCollester,
president of the Battle of
Homestead Foundation, is a
retired professor of industrial and
labor relations at IUP ( Indiana
University of PA) who lives in Mt.
Washington.
Corbett’s Liquor Reform: It’s Not Progress
March 2013 NEWPEOPLE - 5
Federal Budget
Deconstructing Sequestration by Michael Drohan
In the February issue,
my article addressed the
question of the so-called
fiscal cliff that Congress
built for itself to fall over.
This eventuality was
avoided by a last ditch
effort to cobble together an
agreement on letting taxes
rise by 2% on individuals
earning $400,000 or more
and families earning
$450,000 or more. Any
decisions on spending
reduction were suspended
for two months, after which
there would be automatic
cuts across the table on all
discretionary spending of
the government, that is, on
spending that is not part of
entitlement programs
amounting to $840 billion
over ten years. An
additional spending cut of
$1.5 trillion was to be
identified by a super
committee of Congress and
would include both
discretionary and
entitlement programs.
Cumulatively, these
automatic cuts, which are
supposed to kick in by
March 1, 2013, if Congress
does not come to an
agreement before that date,
constitute what is called
sequestration.
Fallout from Possible
Sequestration
It is calculated that the
automatic cuts envisaged
from sequestration amount
to a cut of 5.1% in all
programs from WIC,
Defense, Parks and
Recreation, Agriculture and
so on. Specifically, for
WIC, as a non-exempt non-
defense discretionary
program, it would entail a
cut of 600,000 participants
from the program
nationwide. There is no
area of government
programs that would not be
adversely affected by such
measures.
As I pointed out last
month, the state of the
economy in which these
measures are on the verge
of being implemented is
anything but healthy.
Unemployment is still at an
unacceptable high level
and has been since 2008.
Economic growth is tepid
to say the least and for the
last quarter for which we
have figures (4th quarter of
2012) the Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) contracted.
Under such conditions,
implementing government
spending reductions is
literally economic suicide.
Such policies have been
implemented in the last
few years by many
European countries such as
Ireland, Greece, Britain
and Spain with disastrous
results. These so-called
austerity programs have
especially exacerbated the
unemployment situation in
those countries and brought
their economies to the
point of collapse.
How is it, then, that in
the face of economic facts
readily available for all
who have eyes to see that
the U.S. Congress or
certain elements within
Congress persist in
pursuing suicidal economic
policies? It would seem to
be driven by certain
ideological convictions
which are impervious to
facts. The first conviction
is that the national debt and
the government deficit are
the most serious economic
problems that face the
country at this moment.
Related to this is the
second conviction that
government is far too big
and that the Democratic
Party is hell bent on
expanding government.
The third strand of
conviction is that
government spending takes
away resources that could
be better spent and used by
the private sector.
There is a problem of
sincerity with these
allegations of fiscal
irresponsibility leveled at
the Obama administration
at this moment. In recent
decades, the really sharp
increases in the national
debt of the U.S. were built
up during Republican
administrations,
specifically during the
presidency of Ronald
Reagan and George W.
Bush. During their
administrations they
increased spending
enormously through
defense expenditures most
notably and tax reductions
especially for the wealthy.
While this was in progress
there was no outcry of
fiscal irresponsibility by
Republican lawmakers.
George W. Bush
bequeathed to Obama an
economy in the midst of
the worst recession since
the Great Depression with
unemployment at a level
that had not been seen
since the 1930s. Such a
situation calls for vast
stimulus and increase in
government programs to
put people to work and
restore demand in the
economy. But instead of
support for such programs,
the Republican House
seems determined on
bringing the country back
into a state of recession
once more.
What Is to Be Done?
At the beginning of
2013, the Republican Party
would not agree on the
proposition of letting taxes
return to the level they had
been at before President
Bush reduced them in 2008
for those with incomes
above $250,000 a year.
The Republicans would
only agree on taxes being
increased for those with
incomes above $400,000.
In this they revealed
themselves to be the party
ruling on behalf of the
interests of the people with
incomes between $250,000
and $400,000 a year. Mitt
Romney put it another way
when in a private
conversation in West Palm
Beach, Florida, with
wealthy supporters he
claimed that 47% of the
population of the U.S. were
takers and wanted the
government to look after
them. Beyond the present
sequestration crisis, this is
the problem that we face,
namely a Congress where
the majority of the elected
representatives see
themselves as governing on
behalf of the wealthy. So
until “we the people”
change the makeup of
Congress we will be facing
more fiscal cliffs and walls
and having our homes, our
incomes and our lives
sequestered by those who
consider the people as
moochers and takers.
Michael Drohan is a
member of the board of
the Thomas Merton
Center and of the editorial
collective.
SEQUESTRATION A Distributive Injustice
by Diane
McMahon
Photo from
www.Jobs-not-wars.org.
Sequestration
is a term
adopted by
Congress that
describes a
fiscal policy first
proposed by the Gramm-Rudman-
Hollings Deficit Reduction Act of
1985.
The act states that if Congress
cannot agree on ways to cut back
the total deficit (or does not pass a
new, Budget Resolution with a
higher limit), then an "automatic"
form of spending cutback takes
place. This automatic spending
cut is known as "sequestration."
(Source: http://tinyurl.com/
azxvkby)
The total sequestration package
that has been put forth in 2013 by
President Obama is about 1.2
trillion dollars, to be
accomplished over the next 10
years.
In theory, the sequestration
package requires every agency to
have the same percentage of its
appropriation withheld in order to
limit excessive spending on an
"across the board" basis.
If proportional sequestration
occurs, cutbacks in already
severely pared down safety-net
programs would have a
crippling impact on the poorest
and most vulnerable
Americans.
At the same time enormous
Pentagon budgets that drive acts
of war and re-occurring military
contracts (e.g., drone warfare)
would feel little impact because
their budgeted allocation is
already disproportionally higher
than what is allotted to already
diminished safety-net programs.
To date, Congress has been
unwilling to let these inhumane
cuts happen....but it appears that
the moratorium is coming to an
end.
Balancing the budget is
something to aspire to, but only if
we realize that large military
budgets fund war(s), destabilize
international relationships, and
drive our federal coffers into a
state of financial ruin.
If we are to survive ourselves,
we must prioritize economic,
environmental and humanitarian
values, which work for the
common global good.
Please join us in the fight for
distributive justice, become a
member of the Merton Center and
participate in the activities that we
are supporting and organizing for
to combat local and global
injustice.
Diane McMahon is Managing
Director of the Thomas Merton
Center and member of the
editorial collective.
6 - NEWPEOPLE March 2013
International Perspectives
This is Part III of a series that ran in the
January, and February editions of The
New People. This is the third and final
installment of the story.
by Nima
Must Remember: The Conscience of China
Wearing the hats of a
Catholic, an activist, and
an NGO practitioner at the
same time makes me the minority of the
minority among Chinese, both in the U.S. and
China. However risky and marginalized as
seen by the silent majority, I feel strongest from
within. The synergy to be created by the three
hats such as a Christian social movement for
human rights, like the Buddhist monks
organizing Burma’s pro-democracy protests, is
what the regime fears most.
When Communist China chose to act against
the whole world in universal human values, and
jailed Liu Xiaobo (listed with Aung San
SuuKyi, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi,
Martin Luther King, etc. as top 10 political
prisoners by TIME), China’s first Nobel Peace
Prize winner, 2010, Liu said in court, not with
anger but grace, “I have no enemies.”
Now let me ask you: shouldn’t you learn not
to hate the regime, and do your own part to
help make change happen? Did you speak
for the voiceless in your own country, let
alone for the persecuted in the distant
land? For an individual, being part of the
living silent majority is immoral; for a
nation, doing business with a regime that
treats its people inhumanely without at least
pointing out the evil is immoral, too. “No
longer weeping for others’ sufferings is the
greatest tragedy of our time,” said Ai. He
was not a Christian, yet testified to this
biblical prophecy which is happening today
for many in China and some in America.
What’s dangerous is dictatorship; what’s
more dangerous is no one speaking. As the
statesman Edmund Burke thought, “the only
thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for
good men to do nothing.” Bringing China (I
mean the mastermind, Chinese Communist
Party), a regime fearful of nobody and no
divine power, to the right moral track is in
the best interest of the international
community. Like it or not, America has long
been trusted and counted on by the world’s
repressed to support their cause, press for
their release, and combat evil. America, a
nation under God and the de facto human
rights defender, has been fulfilling this
noble duty. It should be honored, and
deserves to be the envy of the world.
America, along with other major
democracies, has no choice but to share this
responsibility to defend justice, at a time
when China mistreats its own people and
harbors other extreme dictatorships, such as
North Korea, to commit greater evil.
Comparatively, America, although
struggling with its own democracy, has a
system well designed to avoid dictatorship
and correct human errors. When the
Chinese regime failed historic turning
points, 1949 founding, 1978 reform-and-
opening, 1989 Tiananmen Massacre, and
1997 Hong Kong’s return to stride toward
democratization, and when it moved a step
forward and three steps back in political and
social reforms, people began to doubt not only
the ruling party’s ability and sincerity, but its
legitimacy as a government of the people, by
the people, for the people.
Not all things are dark.
Congratulations to China’s
unprecedented success in
improving massive numbers of
lives since its 1978 reform-and-
opening policy! (Really improved?
The answer may be “yes” while
measured by average income, and
“no” while measured by
distribution inequality.) But the
economic success deemed
unsustainable could in no way offset and justify
human mistreatment. This is not a zero-sum
game: gain of one thing means loss of
another. China’s unwillingness and/or inability
to shift its attention from making money for the
vested interests, to making life meaningful for
its people, reflect the authority’s devaluation of
an individual life and fundamental humanity. In
addition, the pervasive culture of short-
sightedness and quick results in the Chinese
system is crippling the emergence of this
hollow superpower. In my opinion, the above
devaluation, and culture, shouldn’t have been as
devastating as they are today if China was
deeply influenced by Christianity (or any major
religion), which, more or less, teaches altruism,
faith, compassion, abstinence, and eternal
afterlife over tangible worldly pleasures.
My last advice: China’s national image ads
in Times Square should not, at least not
exclusively, feature good people faking smiles
to the West as part of its propaganda. It should
also showcase (or lambaste as it wants) bad
guys: Ai Weiwei, Liu Xiaobo, GaoZhisheng,
Hu Jia, Tan Zuoren, Li Wangyang, Cheng
Guangcheng and see how the rest of the world
reacts (or does not react). Admirably, these
faithful pioneers are pushing the dictatorship in
a direction that may not be politically
impeccable, but most importantly, morally
justified to assure each human being’s dignity.
(Hey, boss, also inform us where these
expensive ads appear on the government
budget, and where to find this budget? Don’t
tell us this is another state secret.)
Every drop of blood shed and every minute
in prison are not in vain; they are for you and
for me. Perpetrators judgment is near; justice
must be done. The conscience of China living
and dead, inside and outside of the regime’s
seemingly robust walls, awaits the big day to
come.
Amen.
Nima now lives in the United States and can
be contacted at [email protected].
Speak Out, Never Sorry
Source: Creative
Commons
Twitter China
Jordan-Domestic Intelligence vs. Democracy by Fernando Bolles
Living as a reasonable citizen in republican
democracy, one of the most vexing frustrations
is being forced to exist side-by-side with
unending, visceral hypocrisy. To watch the news
or to read the newspaper is to be battered by
instances of those in government reneging on
promises, violating principles, and holding
themselves to a lower standard than what we
might imagine this nation—or any like it—was
founded upon. Whether it involves invading
sovereign nations or forcing them to prostrate
themselves to our will through economic means,
living in America too often means abetting
breaches of common-sense morality.
In nations founded upon equality, concern for
the well-being of their citizens, and the
encouraging of upward-mobility, there is no
greater slap in the face to those principles than
the maintenance of a pervasive intelligence
apparatus, operating against perceived enemies,
both foreign and domestic. In nation after
nation, the presence of such an apparatus
presents an immense temptation to suppress
political opposition and enforce a culture of
subservience and ideological homogeneity.
There are few clearer case studies of this than in
the Kingdom of Jordan.
Jordan prides itself on being a bastion of
moderation and modernity in the Middle East,
consistently doing its level best to demonstrate
commitment to democratic ideals and rising
above the tribal conflict saturating its neighbors.
In reality, however, these resolutions are
undermined by Jordan’s reliance on its
intelligence agency in running its affairs,
ensuring that no ideological minority grows too
powerful and that the country stays in lock-step
with the wishes of the Western world on whom
it is dependent.
In Jordan, much ado is made regarding the
openness of their democracy and their tolerance
for public protest, but, in truth, opposition
leaders and even the occasional bystander are
targeted by the shadowy intelligence agency that
has eyes in every government office and on
every street corner. The General Intelligence
Directorate, or mukhabarat, is an agency spoken
of in whispered tones and barely concealed
bitterness.
When religious extremists disrupt protests, it is
generally understood in Jordan that the
mukhabarat has organized the disturbance.
When government ministers go missing or
suddenly withdraw from office, everyone knows
who is responsible.
This author interviewed a male schoolteacher, a
young man living with his parents, who
breached Islamic taboo by getting an arm tattoo
of the band Slayer. When the man went to get
his passport renewed he was referred to the
mukhabarat, who accused him of being a
Satanist and beat him viciously before letting
him go.
There can be no true democratic equity when
state-sanctioned policing of thought and deed is
pervasive and endemic in the character of a
nation. Jordan and other nations like it have
come to rely on their respective intelligence
services as a crutch to keep order, when in the
long term they do something far worse:
undermine whatever cherished principles nations
wish to be steered by.
Fernando Bolles is a writer and activist living
in New York.
www.bbc.co.uk
March 2013 NEWPEOPLE - 7
Sweatshop News
by Jianyu Hou
It is no exaggeration to say that
every person in the world who enjoys
the convenience of an Apple electronic
device benefits from the drudgery of
Foxconn workers. The manual workers
in this world’s largest factory suffer
dehumanizing working and living
conditions, but luckily, at the end of
February 2013, after the Chinese Lunar
New Year, Foxconn will hold a new
union election that really represents the
rights of workers.
Foxconn is the most typical
sweatshop in China, the world’s
factory. After its first factory was
established in 1988 in Shenzhen, it
quickly grew to become the world’s
primary factory for electronic
devices. As of the end of 2012,
Foxconn has 31 factories and 1.2
million workers in mainland
China. The majority of its profit rests
upon the simple and mechanic manual
work. Now its main client is Apple
Company. In recent years, as the Apple
epidemic has exploded on a global
scale, Foxconn has been abusing
manual labor more severely in order to
gain more profit, which has led to a
series of tragedies.
In 2009, a video named Guard
in Beijing Foxconn Beating Workers
was published; in 2010, dozens of
workers around age twenty
intermittently committed suicide by
jumping from buildings; in 2012, at
Foxconn in Zhengzhou, more than
3,000 workers went on strike,
protesting the high
pressure work and
low salary; in
January of 2013, at
Foxconn in
Beijing, thousands
of workers held
another strike,
asking for annual
allowance and
salary increase.
There are
several reasons for
these tragedies:
One is the problem of the
management. For instance, the first rule
is unquestioning obedience from
workers, which is promised by
hierarchical and military management.
Any protest is violently suppressed by
guards. The basic monthly salary is
1550 Yuan, on which a worker can’t
maintain her basic living and must rely
on overtime pay. For workers enduring
longtime mental and physical pressure
that can’t be released through enough
rest and communication, any stimulus
might be the last straw.
The other reason is the
company culture. At the beginning of
the 2010 series of suicides, the Foxconn
higher-ups blamed the victims for their
fragile psychological quality: that they
didn't have the capability to work under
pressure. Workers seemed to accept
this explanation. The suicide victims’
sense of guilt for not finishing extra
tasks or earning more overtime pay
must have tortured them, as Foxconn
authorities would have it, considering
the victims teaching material by
negative example. The bosses
emphasized the importance of
eliminating negative thoughts about
working and doubts about the system in
place. This vicious mental circle was
broken by media advocating for public
concern and workers’ awakening.
The new election of a labor
union, aided by the Fair Labor
Association (FLA), will change the old
election process, which, they pointed
out, did not actually represent the
workers’ interest. This same problem
exists not only in Foxconn: in
mainland China, almost all of the labor
unions of the companies and
government agencies are controlled by
the management. For one thing, the
union budgets are distributed by the
management, which violates People’s
Republic of China (PRC) Labor Union
Law: “Membership dues mainly come
from members’ payment, the 2% of the
total workers salary, and the part of the
company’s volume of business. In case
the budget can’t be promised by the
company, the union has the right to sue
the company.”
But the company can prolong
the process from appeal to court
decision, and during this time the
company could find any excuse to fire
the union representatives. From the
personnel perspective, according to
PRC Labor Union Law: “The union
representatives should be engendered
by democratic election. The
administrators’ relatives should avoid
being the candidate.” But actually, the
representatives are appointed directly
by the management. Although Foxconn
and other companies violate the PRC
Labor Union Law, due to Chinese
citizens lacking the belief in and the
knowledge of the law since childhood,
they have almost acquiesced and
adapted to this social environment.
The new reformed election of
the Foxconn Labor Union will be a
milestone in the human rights history of
China mainland, since this is the first
time workers will elect their own union
representatives. The elections will be
held every five years, by ballot, without
any interruption from management.
My only concern is that this
union reform is being conducted by
international visitors, not Chinese. I
hope one day that Chinese citizens will
be able to fight for their own
democracy.
Jianyu Hou is a former intern at the
Thomas Merton Center and is
currently a religious affairs policy
analyst.
Foxconn Labor Union Reform in China
Photo from Alternet
by Amirul Haque Amin
A rally organized by All
Party Garment Workers Unity, a
body of different garment workers
federations, was held on January 27
in front of the National Press Club in
Dhaka City to protest the killing of
garment workers in a fire in the
Smart Export Garments Ltd. factory
the day before.
Seven women, two of them
teenagers, were crushed to death as
workers raced to escape the
fire. Leaders of large numbers of
workers’ federations participated in
the rally, which was followed by a
procession through the streets of
Dhaka expressing condolence and
solidarity.
A five-point list of demands
from this All Party Garment Workers
Unity protest and rally was presented
to the government and to the
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers
and Exporters Association
(BGMEA):
1. The owner of Smart Export
Garments Ltd. should be
arrested immediately. 2. The families of all the dead
workers should be
compensated under “loss
of earnings” guidelines. 3. Advanced medical
treatment should be
provided to all injured
workers. They should
be paid adequate
compensation.
4. A safe workplace
should be ensured in all
garment
factories. Buyers,
business people, the government and
trade unions should come forward to
achieve this. 5. Job security should be given to all
workers In case the factory could
not be open, arrears wages and
allowances should be paid, including
highest compensation.
On February 1, the 12th
biannual Congress of the National
Garment Workers Federation
(NGWF) was held in Dhaka and
resolved to launch a movement in
the next two years to establish the
garment factory as a safe workplace
with factory-based unions, and to
introduce living wage for garment
workers, free trade union rights and
equal rights for woman
workers. More than 70 percent of
the workers at the Smart Exports
factory were young women.
Staff members from the
Institute for Global Labor & Human
Rights were able to enter the Smart
Exports factory after the fire and
found labels of major companies that
have adopted European Corporate
Codes of Conduct. In reality these
codes are rarely if ever implemented,
leaving Bangladesh’s garment
workers without legal rights, while
trapping them in misery.
It is long overdue for
Europe’s major garment labels to
stand up to guarantee that
Bangladesh’s nearly four million
garment workers finally have the
right to organize an independent
union and to bargain
collectively. The workers do not
need more codes of conduct. Rather,
they need and want their legal rights.
Merton Center Editorial Collective
Member Kenneth Miller has
provided us with this material from
NGWF president Amirul Haque
Amin and with information from
Charles Kernaghan of the Institute
for Global Human Rights.
Report from Bangladesh:
Yet Another Garment Factory Fire Kills Seven Young Women
Dhaka, Bangladesh, December 31, 2012. Demonstration by the National Garment Workers
Federation of Bangladesh . Amirul Haque Amin, NGWF president, holds the microphone.
8 - NEWPEOPLE March 2013
Women’s History Month
Continued from page 1
Once having escaped the conflict, they still may be
forced to exchange sex for survival and protection of
their children. During displacement, they also face a
growing threat of domestic violence.” -- from The
Forgotten Frontline: The Effects of War on Women, a
report by the International Rescue Committee.
Women and children make up 85% of the victims of
wars and occupations. As the men go off to fight, the
women are left to care for the children and the elderly.
Tens of thousands suffer from sexual violence, rape and
lack of access to lifesaving health care. Hundreds of
thousands of people have been displaced during the
wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and other Mid-Eastern
countries, as well as in Africa. Armed conflict increases
a woman's risk of becoming a victim of sexual violence.
Women have shown amazing resilience and courage
and strength to keep themselves and their families
together, and it is important to support them in their
struggle for survival.
Violence against women in war is also experienced
within the armed forces. In this country, according to the
Pentagon’s own Sexual Assault Prevention and
Response Office, in 2010 there were an estimated
19,000 cases of rape in the
military, a large majority of
which went unreported —
because the crime of rape is far
easier to endure than the
humiliation, shunning and
punishment that usually accompany its report. Women
raped or abused in the military often have to continue to
work with their abusers; if they speak up they will find
the burden of proof is on them, and in a male dominated
society proving the abuse or rape will be a challenging,
humiliating experience. Often reporting the rape or
abuse will have detrimental repercussions on their
careers.
On this Women’s International Day of Peace we will
be focusing on women and war and the need for
protections for women. The international community
realizes that a just and lasting world peace cannot be
achieved without full and equal participation of women
in matters of peace and security, since women are
disproportionately affected by armed conflict, rape and
domestic violence. The UN Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against
Women (CEDAW) was passed in 1979 and signed by
President Jimmy Carter, but the U.S. Senate has never
ratified it.
UN Security Council Resolution 1325 was adopted
in October 2000. It mandates participation of women in
all levels of decision making in conflict, post-conflict,
peacekeeping mission and conflict prevention. Each
country was tasked with developing a National Action
Plan (NAP). The U.S. released its NAP in December
2011, but it deals mostly with protection of women, not
access to decision making and prevention. President
Obama's new cabinet has no women members. We see
more hope for the Senate, where we have more women
senators than ever before. Now is the time for the U.S. to
ratify CEDAW by addressing this with our Senators. This
year as we celebrate International Women’s Day we need
to take up the work to address the impact of war on
women both as innocent victims of violence, rape and
displacement in the civilian population as well as the
impact of abuse within the armed forces, and work
towards empowerment and inclusion of women in
decision making.
International Women's
Day will be recognized with a
screening of the Academy
Award-winning film, The
Invisible War, about the abuse
of women in the military,
followed by a discussion and
Q & A. The event will be
held on Friday, March 8, at
7:00 pm at the Friends
Meeting House, 4836
Ellsworth Avenue in Oakland.
All are welcome to this free community building event.
Edith Bell is the coordinator of Women’s International
League for Peace and Freedom. Scilla Wahrhaftig is
the director of American Friends Service of PA.
International Women's Day A Call to Action — March 8
by Alexandra Oliver
“I’d like to see more men.” It might have seemed a
strange statement, coming from a bright, young, black
woman at an exhibition celebrating the women’s
movement, but it indicates something about the
movement’s accomplishments, about feminism and its
evolving status. These accomplishments are being written
into history and opened up for discussion in joint
exhibitions now on view at Indiana University of
Pennsylvania’s University Museum.
In Sisterhood traces the history of the women’s
movement in the Pittsburgh region from 1967 to 1989,
highlighting the enormous accomplishments of the
movement’s leadership and supporters, both regionally
and nationally. Across the hall, Bridge Builders explores
the encounter between the women’s and civil rights
movements. Black women both critiqued and forged
partnerships with the women’s movement, folding issues
of race and class into the fight for gender equality. But
describing what these exhibitions are about doesn’t go far
enough in explaining what they really are: a celebration
and affirmation, a historical performance, a social event,
an oral history, a critique, a question (or many) about the
future of women’s rights.
Remarkably, the installation at IUP is only the most
recent and largest of a run of no less than nine In
Sisterhood exhibitions, which in turn is merely the most
visible of a series of other efforts including 45 oral
histories recorded on digital video, to be donated to the
University of Pittsburgh archives.
At the center of all this activity is Patricia
Ulbrich, a retired sociologist, who extended
her research on race, gender and health into
community work. In 2002, while co-
founding the Women and Girls Foundation
of Southwest Pennsylvania (she also served
as president). Ulbrich learned there was no
written history of the vibrant women’s
movement in Pittsburgh. Ulbrich created the
In Sisterhood project to fill the historical
gap. Through its affiliation with the Thomas
Merton Center, In Sisterhood was awarded
a $45,000 regional grant from the Pittsburgh
250 Community Connections Initiative,
which was launched on Pittsburgh’s 250th
anniversary to promote pride and encourage civic
engagement in the region. Trained as a sociologist,
Ulbrich had never held a video camera or organized an
exhibition before, but she learned—with the help of a
professional team of multimedia artists.
One of these was Dino DeStefano, a sound designer
and talented photographer, who was commissioned to
create a series of portraits of the women who contributed
oral histories. These stand out as one of the highlights of
the show, offering a visually rich and sensuous
counterpoint to the many historical documents. Perhaps
more importantly, a counterpoint to our culture at large,
which is deficient when it comes to images of black,
middle aged elderly women, as well as women of
different sizes. DeStefano’s portraits are surprisingly
intimate (his sitters almost always look
back with a self-aware, intelligent gaze)
and achieve a satisfyingly complex and
dignified portrayal, rather than a merely
flattering one. He has met the challenge of
making technical perfection serve its
subject, not itself, so that individual
personalities shine through. I felt wiser
and more courageous after encountering
these women in their portraits. The wall
labels, which offered quotes drawn from
their oral histories, permitted them to
speak directly to the viewer.
The heterogeneity of the objects,
including banners, quilts and movement
buttons also make for an engaging
experience, showing the movement’s
sense of humor. One quilt was stitched
together from movement t-shirts (which, until recently
was functional), another, collectively produced by
Pittsburgh Action Against Rape, is a riot of texture and
color, inspirational and whimsical. The “Healing Tree” is
represented with leaves decorated with rainbows and
sparkles; it lies next to the logo of the School of Martial
Arts for Women, while a printed fabric path urging
women to Take Back the Night (in 1989) strikes an
urgent note.
One of the most compelling objects is a video
featuring interviews with pioneer black women who
integrated the Pittsburgh police force in 1976—a teaser
for the full-length documentary that Ulbrich still hopes to
produce. After contemplating the portraits and artifacts,
seeing the women come to life on film seemed both the
perfect conclusion and the kernel of a promising future
project.
The University Museum of Indiana University of
Pennsylvania is located in Sutton Hall,
1011 South Drive, Indiana, PA 15705.
Phone: 724-357-2397
Free admission. Hours: Tues., Wed., Fri. 2–6:30 p.m.,
Thurs. 12–7:30 p.m., Sat. 12–4 p.m. The exhibition runs
through March 16.
Alexandra Oliver is currently completing her
Ph.D. in art history at the University of
Pittsburgh. Her research concerns the
intersections between aesthetics and politics.
Pittsburgh's Women's Movement Celebrated at Indiana University of PA
photo courtesy In Sisterhood
photo by Donna Cashdollar
In Sisterhood and Bridge Builders
Exhibit, Opening Night
March 2013 NEWPEOPLE - 9
Anti-Drone Activism
by Connie Totera-
Hutchinson
As the debate about drone
warfare has been highlighted
in the past few weeks in the
mainstream media due to the
controversial confirmation
hearings of John Brennan for
CIA chief, Medea's book
about Drone Warfare is a
must read. It is a book
dedicated to the innocent
victims of drone warfare and
a guide to move the
process of debate and action
forward.
This is a 241 page book that
is well researched and easy to
read. It highlights the growing
menace of robotic warfare,
which is producing the
drones, where they are being
used, who is “piloting” these
unmanned planes, who are the
victims and what are the legal
and moral implications. It also
looks at what activists,
lawyers and scientists are
doing to ground the drones.
Medea Benjamin is a co-
founder of the peace group
CODEPINK and the
international human rights
organization Global
Exchange. She has been an
advocate for social justice for
more than thirty years. Ms
Benjamin was a recent
honoree at the Thomas
Merton Center's Award
Dinner in November of
2012. Ms. Benjamin knew in
2002 that she could never be
“lulled into thinking that high-
tech wars were somehow
more humane.” This is one of
the main issues in the current
debate
As President Obama was
being inaugurated on January
21, 2013, stating that he was
putting an end to perpetual
war, drones
were flying
over
Yemen
executing
“terrorists.” There is a
growing disconnect between
what is being articulated as
values and what is being done
in practice. Ms. Benjamin's
book is timely as a guide in
how to respond to this
incongruity. Instead of
stopping the “scourge of
war,” the military has simply
changed the tactics from
“boots on the ground to
assassins in the air.”
What is the problem with
drones anyway? Aren't they a
more efficient way of doing
war, as the administration
declares? The majority of
Americans are not opposed to
this practice, as many polls
have determined. The book
serves as a rebuttal of a recent
statement by Jay Carney, the
President's spokesperson, who
declared the use of drones as “
legal, ethical, and
wise.” (2.6.2013)
Drones are
nothing new in the
military. Ms.
Benjamin points out
that the technology
has existed for
decades, going back
to World War I. The
development of the
drone is traced in her
book from the
earliest use to
present day use. It
wasn't until 1999
that spy drones were
transformed into
“killer drones” in US
operations, although
the Israeli military
had been using them
for some time
longer.
After 2001, the use
of drones exploded “40-
fold.” In 2012, $3.9 billion
was spent on drones.
Many private companies
are making money from
these killing machines, as
people are suffering from
them. Capitalists profiting
from the Military Industrial
Complex at the expense of
others is nothing new.
Indeed it is a growth
market, especially after
2001, and as human
services are being slashed.
An estimate of $94 billion
will be spent within the
next 10 years on research
and development of drones.
US companies take the
lead, with General Atomics
in San Diego being one of
the them. They
manufacture the Predator
and the Reaper and are
believed to be the largest
manufacturer of drones in
the world. Aerovironment
is another company making
mini drones. Raytheon,
Lockheed Martin, Boeing,
Northrop Grumman, are all in
on the profits. In addition, and
not surprising, many other
countries are developing their
own drone warfare. This
“insane proliferation” leaves
us with “nightmare
possibilities,” as Barbara
Ehrenreich comments. It
raises the question of where
do we want our money and
our resources to go, toward
war, or peace?
As of October 2011, the US
has been operating 60 bases
for drones around the world,
including Africa, Ms.
Benjamin points out. In
addition there are many
classified and secretive
dealings utilizing drones
including the CIA , the Joint
Special Operations Command
( JSOC) , and private
contractors such as
Blackwater, according to Ms.
Benjamin. Citing the Bureau
of Investigative Journalism,
Ms. Benjamin writes that
between 2004-2011, the CIA
conducted over 300 drone
strikes in Pakistan, killing
some 2500 people. The JSOC
is even more secretive. And
all three of these agencies
have limited or no oversight.
The highest profile drone
strike was that of 3 Americans
killed in Yemen in 2011, all
without charges or
due process.
Senator Ron
Wyden asked
this question at
the recent CIA
confirmation
hearings:
: “Does a US
citizen have the
right to know
when their
government is going to kill
them?”
In addition, the drone arms
race is underway with many
countries already using drone
technology and developing
more. It Reminds one that war
is not over, but is just
changing into that
“nightmare.”
Connie Totera-
Hutchinson, LPC, CAC
is a Member of the Anti-
war Committee of the
Thomas Merton Center.
The TMC Anti-War Committee will coordinate with a national push in April to end drone warfare. If you would like to join us in the planning of this event, please attend our next meeting, which will take place on March 3, at 1:30 at the Thomas Merton Center.
the drone operator is sick
too much shooting at targets
windows used as faces
in the ground
what distant planet would zero in
and FIRE
that body’s moving
and it’s a real live crawling
boy
roger that
sickness of a building rocking
inside his cockpit
zeroing in with precision
great american heroes
puts the air in air power
the drone operator is sick
look at him
he has gone too long without
seeing for real, human
is target
he doesn’t recognize me, walks
right past
intense stares right through
what, this disease
he can’t see faces
the drone operator is sick
—Joshua Zelesnick
Joshua Zelesnick teaches composition and creative
writing at Duquesne University and at the University
of Pittsburgh. He's on the Volunteer Organizing
Committee of the Adjunct Faculty Association of the
United Steelworkers.
by David Swanson for
warisacrime.org
Nine opponents of killing
human beings with missiles shot
from drones were arrested on
Wednesday nonviolently
interfering with the drone kill
program (taken to include the
routine use of drones in
Afghanistan and Pakistan as well
as the targeted kill list) at Hancock
Air Base near Syracuse, NY.
The nine arrested for
disturbing the war were Matt
Ryan, Carmen Trotta, Nancy
Gowan, Bill Pickard, Bill Streit,
Jim Clune, Ellen Grady, Linda
Letender, and Mary Anne Grady
Flores.
Seen here is a sign they
displayed while blocking the gate.
Report and photo courtesy of
Ellen Grady, via Malachy
Kilbride, here's a list of 35 names
of people from across the country
who will be going to court at some
point for actions against the
drones. (Others, of course, already
have been to court and in some
cases are behind bars):
Dan Burgevin, Jim
Clune, Jack Gilroy,
Martha Hennessy, Bryan
Hynes, Ed Kinane, Rae
Kramer, Julienne
Oldfield, Mary Snyder,
Elliott Adams, Judy
Bello, Mark Colville,
Paul Frazier, Clare
Grady, Mary Ann Grady
-Flores, Andrea Levine,
Bonny Mahoney, Mike Perry,
James Ricks, Mark Scibilia-
Carver, Paki Weiland, John Heid,
David and Jan Hartsough, Sharon
Delgado, Jane Kesselman, Shirley
Osgood, Ann Wright, David
Barrows, JoAnn Lingle, Toby
Blome, Alli McCracken, Joan
Nicholson, Eve Tetaz, and
Jonathon Tucker.
Nine Brave People Arrested for Blocking Gate to Hancock Drone Murder Base in Upstate NY
Review of Medea Benjamin's Drone Warfare: Killing by Remote Control
10 - NEWPEOPLE March 2013
Local Alternative Energy Solar Panel Zoning Ordinance Adopted in Monroeville
by Wanda Guthrie
Monroeville is the first
municipality in our area to
adopt a Solar Panel Zoning
Ordinance.
The U.S. Department of
Energy has funded and
coordinated the SunShot
Initiative to make solar energy
cost competitive with other
forms of energy by the end of
the decade. Reducing the
installed cost of solar energy
systems by about 75% will
drive widespread, large-scale
adoption of this renewable
energy technology and restore
U.S. leadership in the global
clean energy race.
In Pennsylvania,
PennFuture has collaborated
with the Department of
Environmental Protection, and
they have developed a model
ordinance and zoning code for
solar power installation on
homes and small businesses.
This was a year in the making
and is now available for all
municipalities to consider
with the hope that it will lower
barriers residents and
businesses face when looking
to install new systems.
PennFuture has involved 24
local governments in
Allegheny and Beaver
counties including Upper
Saint Clair, Pittsburgh, and
Monaca.
The model ordinance
breaks down many barriers to
installing a solar energy
system, including filing
multiple forms. PennFuture
Project Manager Sharon Pillar
said most Pennsylvania
municipalities have no
regulations for solar energy
systems.
"The municipalities don't
know really what to ask for or
how to regulate the systems,"
Pillar said on NPR
recently. "Sometimes [the
municipalities] are not
protecting themselves or their
residents, or in many cases
they're over-regulating and
asking for things that are
burdensome, particularly on
the permitting process."
Pillar said that because of
that, more time and money are
spent on installing a solar
energy system on homes and
businesses than is necessary.
Monroeville has already
adopted the model ordinance
and zoning codes, but the
group isn't stopping
there. Pillar said PennFuture
is now looking for a second
round of funding for SunShot
Rooftop Challenge #2.
"We're looking for
municipalities to participate in
that project to consider the
ordinances and the permitting
process, and also an online
permitting process that we're
looking at," Pillar said.
Wanda Guthrie is chair of
the Merton Center
Environmental Justice and
Education and Outreach
Committee and a member of
the TMC board.
Wind Power is Coming on Strong in Pennsylvania
by Titus North
Wind power is coming on strong in
Pennsylvania and across the United States.
Over 40% of the new electrical generating
capacity installed in the U.S. in 2012 was
wind-powered. This comes despite the gas
boom, which is being driven by
controversial hydraulic fracturing
(fracking) technology (Office of Energy
Projects Energy Infrastructure Update for
December 2012, http://www.ferc.gov).
Wind power has been the fastest-growing
source of new electric power generation
for several years now. In five states, wind
already represents more than 10% of
electricity generation, and that number is
set to grow (Annual report - American
Wind Energy Association). Here in
Pennsylvania, more and more consumers
are seeking wind electricity, and 1000
households (mostly in Pittsburgh) have
joined Citizen Power’s Green Energy
Collaborative in order to switch to a 100%
Pennsylvania wind plan offered by
TriEagle Energy. Due to the falling cost of
producing wind electricity, these
households actually SAVED money on
their electric bills by switching to wind.
So how important is wind power?
Consider the fact that America's largest
nuclear operator, Exelon, campaigned
vigorously against the extension of federal
wind production tax credits. Exelon CEO
Christopher Crane told the Chicago
Tribune that the rapid pace of subsidized
wind-generated electric power could
ultimately force it to shutter nuclear plants.
"What worries me is if we continue to
build an excessive amount of wind and
subsidize wind, the unintended
consequence could be that it leads to
shutting down plants."
In the wake of Fukushima, the shutting
down of nuclear plants should be one of
the intended consequences of building
more wind farms.
Mr. Crane seems to have forgotten that
the entire U.S. Department of Energy was
created primarily to subsidize the splitting
of atoms, both for power generation and
weapons production, and most of its
budget since its creation has gone towards
nuclear production, maintenance, and
clean-up. So there is more than just a little
bit of hypocrisy when a nuclear executive
complains about wind subsidies.
Of course, nuclear is not the only energy
source that receives subsidies and special
treatment from the government. Consider
the cost in terms of the military budget that
has been expended to preserve access to
overseas oil supplies. Consider the
exemptions from the Safe Drinking Water
Act and the Clean Water Act for hydraulic
fracturing enjoyed by Marcellus shale gas
producers. Consider the fact that the
government has been receiving below-
market prices for coal mined on Federal
lands for decades.
In terms of impact on the environment
and public health, there is no comparison
between wind on the one hand and nuclear
and fossil fuels on the other. Like all
human industrial activities, the generation
of electricity from wind has some impact,
but through design and siting
improvements these have become
negligible compared to other energy
resources. In the early 1990s, poorly
designed and sited turbines in California’s
Altamont Pass killed significant numbers
of large birds. However, the modern
turbines that have been constructed as part
of the ongoing wind boom are higher off
the ground, spin more slowly, and do not
provide nesting opportunities for birds.
The result is that now even the Audubon
Society “strongly supports properly-sited
wind power as a clean alternative energy
source that reduces the threat of global
warming” (policy.audubon.org).
Meanwhile, nuclear power has
created numerous ghost towns and no-go
zones around Chernobyl and Fukushima.
Frequent oil spills wreak havoc with
marine ecosystems. Fracking is creating
Los Angeles-style smog in rural drilling
areas. And regardless of what one might
think about the aesthetic qualities of wind
turbines on mountain ridges, mountain top
removal, which is rampant in near-by
West Virginia, permanently damages both
mountains and the valleys below.
Perhaps the most remarkable thing
about the rise of wind energy is that it
comes at the same time as the fracking
boom. Drilling companies have come
rushing into Pennsylvania in order to take
advantage of inadequate environmental
regulations and the absence of a severance
tax on natural gas production from
Marcellus Shale, with the result being a
natural gas glut that has driven down
electricity prices. The fact that in such an
environment there was actually more new
wind generation capacity than gas
generation capacity demonstrates the
economic viability of wind. Just think how
much faster wind and other viable sources
of renewable energy could come online if
it wasn’t for the all the favors that gas
drillers and the rest of the dirty energy
lobby weren’t extracting from our
politicians.
Titus North is the Executive Director of
Citizen Power, Inc. For more
information on Citizen Power’s Green
Energy Collaborative, visit http://
www.citizenpower.com/GEC/
The Thomas Merton Center is a proud consumer of TriEagle Energy.
courtesy Akiko Morrow
Source Creative Commons
March 2013 NEWPEOPLE - 11
Environmental Activism
Continued from Page 1 Of great concern is the location
of the proposed power plant one
and a half miles upwind from the
Geneva Marsh, Pennsylvania's
largest wetland and home to the
largest breeding population of
bald eagles. The Marsh is
designated an Important Birding
Area by the Audubon
Society. The water from the
Marsh flows into French Creek,
which has the greatest
biodiversity of any stream in
Pennsylvania and contains twenty
-five species of fresh water
mussels and over eighty species
of fish.
This power plant was initially
proposed for construction in the
city of Erie, but local opposition
stopped its development
there. Crawford County is one of
the poorest counties in
Pennsylvania, but citizens
in that area have organized
to stop the plant.
The local group, CARE,
has a website at:
www.stopburningtires.com
with detailed information about
the plant. Two area citizens,
Robert Concilus, M.D. and Leah
Humes, have appealed the DEP's
Air Quality Permit in the
Environmental Hearing
Board. Despite pro bono legal
counsel by Sandy Kelson, the
legal process is quite
expensive. A fundraising event is
planned for Meadville for March
13. Financial donations can be
given through the CARE website
or through Erie Peace and Justice,
26108 Crossingville Road,
Edinboro, PA 16412.
Bob Concilus works in Crawford
County as a physician. He is a
past president of the French
Creek Valley Conservancy, a
TMC member, and an appellant
challenging the Air Quality
Permit granted by the PA Dept.
of Protection for the plant.
Toxic Tire-Burning Plant in Crawford County
by Minghua He
On Feb. 17, Thomas Merton
Center members joined thousands of
others in Washington D.C. to fight
to stop the construction of the
Keystone XL pipeline from Canada.
Two buses were organized from
Pittsburgh to Washington D.C. and
left the University of Pittsburgh in
Oakland at 7 am. During the journey
we signed letters to President Obama
to express our objection to the KXL.
The Keystone XL Pipeline
Project is dangerous and expensive.
It would double our reliance on
Canada’s high carbon and
destructive tar sands oil and send it
for the first time in significant
volumes to refineries on the U.S.
Gulf Coast. The 1,179 mile pipeline
through the heart of America would
contaminate the Ogallala, Arbuckle-
Simpson, Antlers, and Carrizo-
Wilcox Aquifers. Everyone is
familiar with oil spills and their
devastation in coastal areas, but the
same damage often occurs on land.
At 11:15 am, we arrived in
Washington D.C. and gathered
together under the Washington
Monument. Some speakers inspired
the crowd to raise their voices in
unison opposing the pipeline.
Coming to the microphone were
many knowledgeable speakers
including Bill McKibben from
350.org, Sierra Club President
Allison Chin, Indigenous
Environmental Network organizer
Marty Cobenais, and Gulf Coast
activist Cherri Foytlin.
Approximately 35,000 people came
together for the rally. After the
assembly, people marched around
the White House. They chanted,
"Hey Obama, we don't want no
climate drama," and "Michelle
Obama, tell your man, stop that dirty
pipeline plan!"
This march and rally were
amazing. It was good to take to the
streets, and to once again make it
clear: this pipeline is not a done deal,
and Americans don't want it. We
want clean, renewable energy, a
stable climate, and a real future. The
crowd was awesome, made up of
people of all ages from 28 states
across the country. Everybody was
fired up on this issue, including
thousands of people who couldn't be
there in person but joined us via live
stream.
It is
unforgettable for
me, a Chinese girl
who just arrived in
America last year.
Even though the
climate was really
freezing, I saw
people of different
ages walking and
chanting around
the White House.
They believe their
conviction and
actions can change
the government’s
decision and keep
the planet safe for
our descendants. The people on our
bus were mostly seniors. I was
amazed at their enthusiasm. In
China, the grandparents of their age
would be staying at home. Their
children wouldn’t let them take part
in such rigorous activities in the cold
weather. But this group of seniors
was so strong minded and the cold
weather didn’t stop them. I saw
students from different universities
participating there. They care about
the environment and the planet.
They let me
know that if
we put our
strength and
energy
together we
can make a
big
difference to
the world.
Fracking and Your Health
Public Health Perspectives
* What common health problems do residents experience?
* What are the sources of exposure?
* How can you reduce your exposure?
* What public health studies are being done?
Speakers: Nadia Steinzor - Earthworks Raina Rippel - SW PA Environmental Health Project Linda Headley - a resident of a Southwest Pennsylvania affected family Dr. Ralph Miranda - Greensburg Physician, Moderator
Where: Fred Rogers Center
Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, PA
When: Tuesday, March 19, 7:00 - 9:00 pm
Q and A will follow Free Admission
Sponsored by: Mountain Watershed Association
Westmoreland Marcellus Citizens' Group
D.C. Rally to Stop the KXL Pipeline: Two Experiences by Xinpei He
The Climate Rally on stopping KXL Pipelines
was a great experience for me as I had never joined
such an event before. I was impressed by people I
met during the rally and everything I saw that day.
“We can’t eat money and we can’t drink oil,” said
one of the speakers. Indeed, we should pay more
attention to climate change and green energy, as it is
necessary for us to consider our future. The
environment shouldn’t be a
sacrifice for economic
development, and we should
make an effort to inform
people about it. It is not easy,
but we have to do something.
There were various signs
which are interesting and
meaningful. In different ways,
people expressed their
feelings freely and creatively.
Meanwhile, people kept
coming up with different
slogans which are full of
power. I was really touched
by one: “Show me what
democracy looks like? This is
what democracy looks like!”
Then I said to myself, yes,
this is how people fight for their rights and lives!
We need to make our voices heard. Among the
people, there were seniors, middle-aged, young
people, children and even babies. There were people
from different states with diverse backgrounds.
Everyone can choose to make a difference,
regardless of their race, gender or age. I was inspired
a lot. Sometimes we keep silent because we are
afraid; sometimes we keep silent because we don’t
believe we can change something; sometimes we
keep silent because we are worried about what
others think about us. What we need is just to move
forward, even a tiny step.
Minghua He and
Xinpei He are both
interns at the
Thomas Merton
Center, and they are
both students at the
Graduate School of
Social Work at the
University of
Pittsburgh.
SAVE THE DATE FOR A
STATEWIDE RETREAT!
UNFRACKABLE: Coming Together After
Our Communities Come Apart
May 30, 2013,
Crystal Lake Camps,
Hughesville, PA
The arrival of the
natural gas industry in our
communities has brought
some benefits and it has
also brought disruptions in
our lives, our peace of
mind, our land, and our
relationships with our
neighbors.
How do we live with
the challenges that come at
us from without and the
fear, grief, and convulsion
we feel within our own
hearts?
This will be a weekend
to rest, rejuvenate, share
feelings with others,
explore creative, life-
affirming ways to live with
what’s happening and
experience friendships and
even joy in the process.
This is a time to take a
break from protest and
action and join with others
to revitalize ourselves and
celebrate our communities
and Earth.
Environmental Justice
Committee and
Radical Joy for Hard
Times member Joanne
Martin is available for
more info at
courtesy Joe Guthrie
courtesy Joe Guthrie
12 - NEWPEOPLE March 2013
by Dylan Rooke
Several years ago I played bass in a punk
band. We played in the rundown, east end of
Nashville, staying regularly at some dear friends’
community house. It had the usual aesthetic of
these types of communal ramshackle dwellings.
Hanging above the kitchen sink was a simple rag,
probably once used for some utilitarian purpose,
with a simple inscription sewn into it, “Everyone
wants a revolution, but no one wants to do the
dishes — Dorothy Day.” Who
was this person? Her simple
challenge struck my soul so
tenderly; I desired more of this
wisdom she had to share.
Back home, I began a
journey to find something out
about her and her life. I picked
up a $2 copy of Dorothy Day’s
autobiography, The Long
Loneliness, at Eljay’s Used
Books, then on the South Side.
The simple, frail figure
portrayed on the front cover
beckoned me to dive in
immediately - which doesn’t
happen often to this hesitating
reader. I grew up equating
reading with school – a
negative connotation for this
recovering, young punk.
With each page I was more
and more drawn into her story,
walking right along with her.
Her portrayals of the New York slums, May Day in
Union Square, and her journalism with the
Socialist papers spoke to my story, my struggle to
find myself, my ‘kick-against-the-pricks’ attitude
that was fueled by my love for punk and anything
against the status quo. I wished I’d been alive in
those stories, raging in the streets alongside
comrades, screaming at the corruption of a system
that imprisoned radicals demanding a new system
– for the people! My heart was there, thinking I
knew where the story was going. Then, the
character of Peter Maurin surprised me as it did
Dorothy.
She struggled with his foreign philosophy of
“Personalism” where revolution wasn’t about
picketing Washington for change. Revolution
didn’t wait to be handed to you with permission
from governing authorities. You had to ignite a
revolution, one person at a time, heart to heart.
“The best way to meet the man on the street is by
meeting the man on the street!” This was against
the top-down mentality of most radicals at that
time. It had a sort of offensive but refreshing sting
to it, and it got me thinking. The Catholic Worker
Movement was born out of this tension and the
love for the poor and the desire to stand in
solidarity with the oppressed for liberation. It drew
fresh breath into the hearts of many, who, like me,
desired the true gospel – one that stepped down
from the tiers of power and was among the poor --
of spirit, and of pocket.
The Jesus that Dorothy emulated spoke of a
new kingdom in his “Sermon on the Mount,” one
different than Empire, where liberation meant
serving one another, the poor, the outcast, where
the last become first and the first become last – an
almost paradoxical circle of jubilee-distribution of
value for all people.
I’d found the first of many “saints” in my life.
Despite my Charismatic Protestant upbringing, I
found that of my many spiritual heroes, a large
number are Roman Catholics. Of all the recent
saints I’ve come
across in my
ecumenical journey
of reconciliation,
Thomas Merton has
been my guide into a
renewed
understanding. He
stretched and
challenged me to the
core.
I’m a busybody, a go
-getter, always trying
to maximize my
productivity on
whatever project is
on my to-do list.
Dorothy’s work
spoke my language
of action, but it was
the partnership with
Merton that brought
balance to that action
– a balance I find I need to maintain the journey.
His words often echo when I find myself trying to
take on too much in some sort of messianic
complex: “To allow oneself to be carried away by
a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to
too many demands, to commit oneself to too many
projects, to want to help everyone in everything, is
to succumb to the violence of our times.”
It’s now a little over a year since we purchased
our humble little house in the historic
neighborhood of Hazelwood. Things are slower
than an earlier version of me would hope to see,
but I can celebrate the slow subversive work of
trying to create a new community. We call
ourselves the Greenway Community House of
Hospitality (thegreenwaycommunity.org). We
strive to live the tradition and example of the
Catholic Worker Movement. After volunteering
with some dear friends in Kansas City who
run the Cherith Brook Catholic Worker, I
knew this was the work I had to get my
hands calloused and dirty doing.
After all, if I wanted revolution, the
dishes need to be done. So, four to five of
us live together in a simple rhythm of
prayer, meals, shared resources, and
hospitality. Currently space is available for
two resident guests, with hopes that after
renovations we can double that capacity.
Already we’ve learned so much about our
own limits and healthy ways to build
consensus and make decisions together.
We‘ve failed, had hurt feelings, and have said
farewell to more than one housemate as we try to
learn from our mistakes. Yet, we can certainly
celebrate one year of this crazy little thing we do.
Life together is never easy, but I believe I can
honestly say it’s been worth every moment.
The alternative to this “filthy rotten system,” as
Dorothy called it, only finds its solution in love for
one another. This kind of love is not often found in
the systems and structures we’ve been handed. We
can’t wait for our hierarchies to fix the problems
for us; we’re the leaders we’ve been waiting for! I
believe we need to create and cultivate these spaces
where more than a Band-Aid is applied, where the
whole person in all our brokenness can be
embraced.
Though we shouldn’t delude ourselves by
thinking we can solve all the problems we see, let’s
begin taking steps together doing what we can for
the causes of justice, peace, and love. Plenty of
opportunities lie directly before us; greeting us in
small ordinary ways.
The balance of Dorothy and Merton invites us
to live a humble yet active journey that demands
giving and receiving, marching and sitting in
stillness, community and solitude. We can’t do this
alone, we need each other – a network of co-
conspirators willing to work with calloused hands,
but tender hearts.
Resistance is creating the alternatives, and like
Momma Teresa said, “Let us do small things with
great love.” Let’s get washing these dishes!
To learn more about the growing Pittsburgh
Catholic Worker Network, contact
[email protected]; for info
about the monthly Merton Study Circle, contact
Carol Gonzalez, [email protected] or facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/
groups/300631609998427/
Dylan Rooke currently serves as Building
Manger at Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community in
the South Side and as Peace Discernment
Organizer & National Committee Member of the
Presbyterian Peace Fellowship. He is an ordained
Presbyterian elder and currently resides as
Founder/ Care Taker at The Greenway
Community House of Hospitality - A Catholic
Worker expression in the neighborhood of
Hazelwood, Pittsburgh.
Faith in Practice
“Any act of war aimed indiscriminately at the destruction of entire cities or extensive areas along with their population is a crime against God and man himself (sic). It merits unequivocal and unhesitating condemnation. The unique hazard of modern warfare consists in this: it provides those who possess modern scientific weapons with a kind of occasion for perpetrating just such abominations; moreover, through a certain inexorable chain of events, it can catapult men (sic) into the most atrocious decisions. That such may never happen in the future, the bishops of the whole world gathered together, beg all men (sic), especially government officials and military leaders, to give unremitting thought to their tremendous responsibility before God and the entire human race.” --Vatican Council II, The Church in the Modern World, Chapter V, The Fostering of Peace and the Promotion of a Community of Nations.
Resistance is Creating the Alternative
Greenway Community
House of Hospitality
Source: Greenway Community
Active Nonviolence ... must unmask the contradiction of a society that is based on force. Unfortunately, the affluent industrial society, with all the freedom it presumes to offer its people, is a society that survives because it lives by systematic greed and a subtle violence that makes the affluent richer and the nonaffluent poorer. Those who practice nonviolence will almost of necessity find themselves at odds with such a society. At the same time they must beware lest their own values be subtly subverted by the disvalues so easily disseminated by a society dedicated to profit and motivated by greed. It was no accident that Merton continually urged followers of nonviolence to guard against the violence and the aggressiveness so easily hidden undetected in their own persons...I am forgetting the contemplative oneness that links me to brother and sister, to friend and enemy. Every time I let go of my aggressiveness and pettiness and act in genuine unconditional love, I am releasing a wonderful healing, purifying, unifying power that can bring peace and harmony to my own life and the lives of those with whom I live and work....More and more people are discovering nonviolence as a "creative, life-affirming way to resolve conflict, to overcome oppression, establish justice, protect the earth, and build democracy.
--William Shannon on Merton, Something of a Rebel: Thomas Merton, His Life and Works.
Association of Pittsburgh Priests
March 2013 NEWPEOPLE - 13
Faith and Activism
“What we would like to do is change the world...By crying out unceasingly for the rights of the workers, of the poor, of the destitute… We can throw our pebble in the pond and be confident that it’s ever-widening circle will reach around the world.”
—Dorothy Day, The Catholic Worker, June 1946
In concert with the Pittsburgh Catholic Worker
Network, the Merton Study Circle continues on
March 13, journeying together each second
Wednesday evening (7:00 pm) of the month at
Calvary Episcopal Church. Currently the group
is reading Paul Elie's extraordinary The Life You
Save May Be Your Own: An American
Pilgrimage which weaves together the lives and
work of Thomas Merton and Dorothy Day, as well
as Flannery O'Connor and Walker Percy. ALL are
WELCOME to participate!
Inspired by the contemplative peace activism
of Catholic Workers, in follow-up to the fall 2011
retreat with Jim Forest on Dorothy Day, and as part
of the 40th Anniversary year celebration, a Merton
Center Study Group formed in the spring of
2012 for contemplative conversation in together
reading the signs of the times. We also
explored Living with Wisdom - A Life of Thomas
Merton by Jim Forest and Conjectures of a Guilty
Bystander by Thomas Merton.
For more info, contact Carol Gonzalez
Merton Study Circle Meets Monthly
by R/B Mertz
For several decades, the Catholic
Church, one of the most powerful
institutions in the world, has thrown
her intellectual, political, and financial
weight behind the “defense of
traditional marriage” and the “fight
against abortion.” Catholic politicians,
priests and voters are made to conform
to these particular Catholic teachings
with the integrity of dogmatic
theologians, though they are not
similarly pressured to uphold the
Church’s stances on war, the death
penalty, worker’s rights, immigration,
or respect for the environment. As Pope
Benedict XVI steps down, amidst the
now ever-present sex-abuse scandal, it
seems time to examine the many ways
the Church has used her power, and to
call for a new age of political
Catholicism that is not only concerned
with abortion and gay marriage, but
also addresses the many other social
ills acknowledged by the Church, such
as war, poverty, violence against
women, and uncontrolled capitalism.
Evangelium Vitae, the most
authoritative Catholic document about
the value of human life, describes
abortion as “having characteristics
which make it particularly serious and
deplorable” while Vatican II describes
abortion as an “unspeakable
crime.” From these characterizations
come the Church’s stance on abortion,
that it can never be condoned by
church, state, or individual. For many
years the sin of abortion was
considered too grave to be forgiven in a
parish priest’s confessional. Women
were told that the sin of abortion had to
be absolved by a bishop. This becomes
particularly troubling when we
consider that many of the men charged
with absolving these women were
participating in or ignoring a pedophilia
cover-up of epic proportions.
The excuse given for the Church’s
cover up is that the understanding of
pedophila was different “then.” In other
words, they thought these men could
change, could be forgiven, could
redeem themselves. In other words,
there is a context for the pedophilia,
and the context had to be considered
before these men were punished or
removed from their offices. Often the
only reasoning behind why a particular
man was not removed from his
office was that his superior was
mercifully willing not to disrupt his
life. Unlike abortion, pedophilia is an
act that the Church will consider the
context of before rushing to judgment.
Last month, Pope Benedict
XVI announced his intention to retire
due to health issues, though this
decision is historically unprecedented.
Benedict acknowledges, with his
departure from the norm, that times
change. The popes of the Middle Ages
didn’t have to consider what would
happen if they had to go on life
support, and life expectations were
different then. The context becomes
important, and at times even the
Catholic Church makes the decision to
break precedent.
If precedents are to be broken, and
there is space to re-evaluate, perhaps
we should ask why the Church’s
political power seems so concentrated
on these two particular issues? Why are
some contexts so thoroughly
considered and not others? Why is so
much time and money spent trying to
make abortion and gay marriage illegal,
but not war or economic abuses? It is
always time to ask questions like these,
and to challenge ourselves and our
religious leaders to answer them
honestly, with the courage to admit,
always, that it is possible for a new way
to be better than the old one.
R/B Mertz has a degree in theology from
Franciscan University of Steubenville.
She lives in East Liberty with her wife and
teaches writing at Duquesne University
and Penn State New Kensington. Her
poems can be found online at
lifeandpoems.tumblr.com.
If the Pope Can Resign, the Church Can Promote Social Justice
washingtonpost.com
Your Holiness,
it is truly an honor. I have
(with all due respect to
Benedict XVI) been
anticipating your arrival for
the better part of a decade,
and there are a few things I
have been meaning to ask
you. You certainly come at a
crossroads in the history of
The Church. John Paul II had
a dynamic papacy, the main
legacy of which was his
(righteous) opposition to
Soviet communism.
Regardless of the other, less
savory, aspects of his papacy,
he is easily remembered as a
force for good. I hate to say
it, but Benedict XVI will be
remembered primarily for
being something of a
reactionary; for enforcing
social dogma in a time of
global change. And I get that;
it was sort of what anyone
expected. But his time as a
filler pope (again, no offense
to the faithful, but let’s be
realistic) is apparently done
with, and the new pontiff has
major issues to which he
must respond.
In the past few decades, there
have been new and
increasing challenges to the
dogma of the Catholic
Church. Since the Second
Vatican Council, the Catholic
world has changed rapidly.
Here in the United States,
purely papist Catholicism is
in its death knell. The most
recent major figure of
Catholicism in the U.S. was
Rick Santorum, who was
more of an outlet for
evangelical American
conservatism than the Pope,
whom he renounced for his
apparent environmentalism.
It is clear that the new
American Catholic Church,
especially given the fact that
it is soon to be largely
Hispanic, needs leadership
that understands the realities
of post-NAFTA, late
capitalist life. In our country,
we hope that you are as
understanding of
immigration as Jesus of
Nazareth might have been.
Issues regarding immigration
and tolerance thereof should
be at the forefront of Catholic
thought in the US, not to
mention healthcare reform
and living wages.
The new “frontier” for lack
of a better term, of the
Church, in the less developed
world, hinges on what we
call American social issues in
a very real way, particularly
in regard to birth control. In
places like Haiti and Chad,
the Church can no longer
oppose birth control in the
same breath as it does
abortion. There are many
places of dire need where
the birth rate is far too high,
and this is no longer
acceptable. If there is to be a
true Christian mission on
earth, we must recognize the
realities and limitations of
our planet earth. If the
Catholic Church will
disseminate the word of
Christ, it must care for the
world as he taught us.
Of course I recognize that the
papacy is a self-legitimating
institution, and that you are
the only decider of the rules.
But let’s be clear: there are
two routes that the Catholic
Church could go in the
coming decades,
transforming to meet the
need of the world, or
ignoring the need of the
world. The choice is yours,
Your Holiness.
Daniel Hanson is a 2012
graduate of the College of
Wooster in History and a
current student in Duquesne
University's Journalism and
Media Arts program. He is
an active member of the
Democratic Socialists of
America and the current
editor of theactivist.org.
An Open Letter To the Next Pope
14 - NEWPEOPLE March 2013
Community News
Scarlet tanagers, thrushes, warblers, hawks, spotted salamanders, skunk and possum, all the invisible insects—
the native shrubs, the wild flowers, all the trees cut down, the altered
light patterns, the shifting forest canopy,
all giving way for the gravel roads, the trucks and tankers and dust, hauling their chemical cocktails:
the methanol, the isopropyl alcohol, the ethylene glycon, the crystalline silica, and all the other toxins, according
to the Halliburton loophole, the industry
refuses to disclose, the toxins that cause
blurry vision, severe stomach cramps,
burning noses, swollen tongues, headaches, hair loss, ear pressure, horses that won’t leave the barn—
smell of sulphur, rotten egg, nail polish,
water burning out of faucets—
the heavy axles invading
across our farms, compacting the topsoil,
reducing plant growth, increasing
the runoff, the erosion like a fully-loaded
cement mixture hauling itself across a lawn
after a heavy rainfall, all the way to our watersheds: the Ohio, the Susquehanna, the Delaware, the Erie, the Genesee, the Potomac—
not to mention the 86, 000 miles of streams
and rivers, the 161, 445 acres of lakes, the 403, 924 acres of wetlands—
the drilling through aquifers, the potential for leakage, the uranium, the radioactive radon stored
in that black rock that is almost 400 million years old—
that shale that has survived from the Devonian age, that stone of shelled swimmers, like squids, of plant-like animals related to starfish called sea lilies,
that earth, that earth that once we contaminate, we can never reclaim, that earth
that when we frack, we frack ourselves.
The Fracking Poem —Philip Terman
Philip Terman is a professor of English at Clarion University and
co-director of the Chautauqua Writers' Festival.
We Are a Community of Activists
by Shawna Hammond
Saturday, April 27, marks the twentieth
year that the East End Community Thrift will
hold its annual fashion show, Affordable Chic.
Affordable Chic is the perfect example of what
Thrifty is all about, volunteering and
community involvement. The show has been
held at the East Liberty Presbyterian Church
for the past sixteen years. Thrifty’s volunteer
staff, customers, and women of Sojourner’s
House contribute their
time and energy by
modeling and
providing delicious
salads and desserts.
The Silent Auction includes gift certificates
from businesses in the Garfield community and
gift baskets created by long time Thrifty
supporter, Rose Evasovic. The Boutique table
offers special low priced items that the
volunteers spend all year collecting. Along with
long time supporter, Sandra Talley, musicians
David Boxley and
Samuel McGinnis
will be our musical
entertainment for the afternoon.
So, come join us on Saturday, April 27th at
ELPC from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm for a
wonderful afternoon of fashion and fun.
For ticket information contact: East End
Community Thrift at 412-361-6010. Or look
online at thomasmertoncenter.org
Shawna Hammond is the Assistant Manager of
the East End Community Thrift Store and
serves on the Thomas Merton Center’s board
of directors as Vice President.
Affordable Chic Fashion Show A Community Affair
Henrietta, our pig with flair, at a recent blockade to protect
Pennsylvania farms from fracking.
Photo courtesy of Wanda Guthrie.
March 2013 NEWPEOPLE - 15
Thomas Merton Center News
by Donna Hill
RESIST, Inc., which is a
national progressive foundation
located in Somerville,
Massachusetts, awarded Fight
For Lifers West (a project of the
Thomas Merton Center) an
award of $1, 500 to help us to
advocate for more humane and
effective laws for prisoners
serving life sentences in
Pennsylvania. We are very
excited to receive this grant from
RESIST and if anyone wishes to
contact Fight For Lifers West,
regarding this, please call or
write to President Donna Hill at
P.O. Box 4683, Pittsburgh, PA
15206; call 412-361-3022 or e-
mail:
RESIST began in 1967 in
support of draft resistance and in
opposition to the Vietnam War.
As the funder of the first resort
for hundreds of organizations,
RESIST’s small but timely grants
and loans are made to grassroots
engaged in activist organizing
and educational work for social
change. RESIST defines
organizing as collective action to
challenge the status quo, demand
changes in policy and practice,
and educate communities about
root causes and just solutions.
RESIST recognizes that there are
a variety of stages and strategies
that lead to community
organizing. Therefore, they
support strategies that build
community, encourage
collaborations with other
organizations, increase skills and/
or access to resources, and
produce leadership from the
constituency being most directly
affected. In fiscal year 2011,
RESIST gave over $342,000 to
130 organizations across the
country.
“Each year, RESIST funds
groups like Fight For Lifers
West, because their mission is to
support people who take a stand
about the issues that matter
today, whether it’s to resist
corporate globalization, promote
a woman’s right to choose, or
develop activist leaders,” says
Board Chair Miabi Chatterji.
“And we believe it’s especially
important to help grassroots
organizations that might be too
small or too local—or too
radical—for mainstream
foundations.”
If anyone wishes to contact
RESIST about a grant or to refer
someone they think may be
eligible for a grant, here is their
contact information:
RESIST, Inc.; 259 Elm St.;
Somerville, MA 02144; 617-623-
5110; [email protected]
Donna Hill is the president of
Fight For Lifers West.
Fight For Lifers West Receives Award Grant
Martin Sheen Coming April 13
Perhaps Sheen’s own words best describe his activism: “While acting is what I
do for a living, activism is what I do to stay alive.” Martin Sheen’s social justice
work has been a lifelong commitment. On multiple occasions he has been
encouraged to run for public office; in 2006 the Democratic Party contacted him
to run for an open senate seat in Ohio. On other occasions people have half-
jokingly asked him to turn his role as President Bartlet into reality.
For his lifetime of work and dedication to peace and social justice, Martin
Sheen will be honored by the Thomas Merton Center with the 2013 Merton
Award on April 13, from 5-8 p.m., at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall in
Oakland. All members, staff, volunteers, and friends of the TMC are invited to
join in the celebration of Martin Sheen and his lifetime of activism. If you or
someone you know is interested in being a part of the Merton Awards Reception,
you can find more information by visiting the TMC website
(thomasmertoncenter.org) or by emailing Diane McMahon at
Michael Deckebach is a junior at the University of Pittsburgh focusing on
history and religious studies. He is interning at TMC and chairs the Youth and
Student Outreach Committee.
Martin Sheen at Anti-war Protest
Source: Creative Commons
by Joyce Rothermel
Ed Brett has been a part of 29 of
the Thomas Merton Center's 40-
year history. Even before arriving
in Pittsburgh, Ed had learned of the
Merton Center from a former
Pittsburgher he knew in New
Mexico who encouraged him to get
to know us. Ed, his wife Donna,
and their two daughters moved to
Pittsburgh for Ed to begin teaching
in the History Department of La
Roche College in the North Hills.
Ed is now a professor emeritus,
having retired in 2012.
Not long after Ed joined the
Center, he and Donna became
active in the Center's Task Force on
Central America, sharing in its
leadership. This was a natural next
step for them because of a special
interest they have had in working to
change U.S. policy in Central
America. Ed’s involvement at the
Center has broadened to include
anti-war activism in which he has
taken part several times over the
past two decades. Most recently,
Ed has joined the efforts of
Pittsburgh North People for Peace.
In addition to teaching, Ed has
authored three books. The
first one he co-authored with
Donna, titled: “Murdered in
Central America.”
In it they tell of the lives of
U.S. Catholic and Protestant
missionaries who were killed
working with the poor there
and the impact that people of
faith have had on how we
now understand U.S. policy
toward these countries. Ed
and Donna received the
Christopher Award for their
book!
Ed’s second book, entitled:
“The U.S. Catholic Press in Central
America: from Cold War Anti-
Communism to Social Justice”
helped to change the outlook of the
U.S. Catholic Church on Central
America.
Most recently, a third book has
been published about the work of
the African American Catholic
Nuns of the Holy Family: “The
New Orleans Holy Family
Sisters: African American
Missionaries to the Garifuna of
Belize.” The Sisters worked with
the poorest of the poor and were the
first Catholic African American
order in the Church. The recurring
theme in all of Ed’s writings is
oppressed peoples’ struggle for
dignity.
In joining the Board this year,
Ed is now a part of the Membership
and the Youth Outreach
Committees. He hopes to help re-
engage former TMC members and
present the issues of the Center in
ways that will be perceived by less
than ‘radical’ people as reasonable!
We are fortunate to welcome Ed
Brett to the Board of the Thomas
Merton Center!
Joyce Rothermel is a member of
the Editorial Collective.
Meet New Board Member Ed Brett In Memoriam, Margaret McCoy
by Joyce Rothermel
Margaret S. McCoy passed
away in August 2012 at the age of
94. Margaret was a long time
member of the Friends Meeting
(Quakers) and lived a life
dedicated to education and
peace. She served on the boards of
Pittsburgh Peace Links and
Pittsburgh World Federalists. She
was active with Educators for
Social Responsibility. One of four
founding women of Sherwood
Oaks Retirement Community,
Margaret lived there for many
years, adding to the quality of life
of its residents and employees.
Joyce Rothermel is chair of the
TMC Membership Committee
and serves on the board of the
Thomas Merton Center.
16 - NEWPEOPLE March 2013
University of
Pittsburgh School
of Social Work -
Elijah Anderson
“The Iconic
Ghetto”
FREE LECTURE
12:00-1:30 pm
2017 Cathedral of
Learning,
University of Pgh,
PA 15213
March Activist Events
Become a Member of TMC!
__$15: Low Income/Student Membership
__$50: Individual Membership
__$100: Family Membership
__$75: Organization (below 25 members)
__$125: Organization (above 25 members)
Join at thomasmertoncenter.org/join-donate
or fill out the box and mail it in.
ONCE YOU BECOME A MEMBER,
YOU WILL RECEIVE THE NEW PEOPLE
IN THE MAIL!
TMC membership benefits include monthly
mailings of The New People to your home
or email account, weekly eblasts focusing
on peace and justice events in Pittsburgh,
and special invitations to membership activities.
You will belong to our nurturing community!
Name(s):
________________________________________
Organization (if applicable):__________________________
Address:________________________________
City: __________________ State: __________
Zip Code:_______________________________
Home Phone:____________________________
Cell Phone: _____________________________
Email:_________________________________
Be sure to choose your membership level.
Mail to: Thomas Merton Center, 5129 Penn Ave.,
Pittsburgh, PA 15224. You can also join online at
www.thomasmertoncenter.org.
Weekly Meetings
Monday Looking for a place to do your internship or
volunteer? Contact Diane at (412) 361-3022 or
email [email protected].
Tuesday International Socialist Organization Meetings
-meeting weekly at the Thomas Merton Ctr.
730-9:30 PM
Wednesday Fed-Up!
Write on-Letters for Prisoner Rights
7:00 PM—Thomas Merton Center
Thursday TMC often schedules potlucks on this evening.
Interested in having one on an issue that’s
important to you? Email [email protected]
Friday Looking for a place to volunteer on a regular basis?
Email [email protected].
Saturday Black Voices for Peace—Vigil to End War
1:00 pm—Corner of Penn & Highland Ave.
In East Liberty
Citizens for Peace Vigil, 12:00—1:00 pm,
Intersections of Forbes and Braddock Aves
Sunday Book’em—Books to Prisoners
(meets three Sundays a month)
Email: [email protected]
Anti-War Committee Mtg. every other week.
Economic Justice Committee Mtg. - varies
Environmental Justice Committee Mtg.—varies
Monthly Recurring Meetings
First Friday Action 1:30-3:00 pm Post Office
Grant and 7th Avenue, Downtown Pittsburgh
First and Third Wednesdays Darfur Coalition Meeting
7:00—9:00 pm—2121 Murray Avenue
Second Floor—Squirrel Hill
Contact: (412) 784-0256
Second Wednesdays PUSH Meeting
6:15—8:00 pm—2101 Murray Avenue
First Floor—Squirrel Hill
Contact: [email protected]
Second Mondays APP Meeting
7:00-9:00 pm
Epiphany Administration Center
Second Sundays Women In Black Monthly Peace Vigil
10:00—11:00 am
Ginger Hill Unitarian Universalist
Slippery Rock
First Thursdays Green Party Meeting
5:00—7:30 pm—Room C
Carnegie Library—Squirrel Hill
Third Sundays Fight for Lifers West
10 am to Noon—Crossroads Church
325 N. Highland Ave—East Liberty
Next Month Thomas Merton Award
13, 2013—Saturday
5:00 -8:00 pm
Soldiers & Sailors Hall
Esteemed Awardee: Martin Sheen
The New People is more than just an alternative
newspaper: it is a cornerstone organizational tool
for Pittsburgh’s activist community. The New
People, now in its 43rd volume has a current
distribution of 3500. We need the public’s help to
fund this activist publication.
Find out about our current fundraising campaign
designed to cover the costs of producing the paper
at http://tinyurl.com/aspb7gq. Please make a
donation to help strengthen this “free to the public”
progressive newspaper.
Please donate NOW!
Sunday Monday
Tuesday Thursday Friday 1 Wednesday Saturday 2
Martin Delany
10am-12pm
8pm-10pm
Hill House
Contemporary
Stations of the
Cross 7-9pm
Mercy Mother
House
Expose AIPAC
2013 March 2, 9am-
March 5, 10am
Join us in
Washington D.C.
for the 3rd annual
weekend gathering
to Expose AIPAC!
Bread for the
World Advocacy
Workshop
2:00-5:00 pm The Good Shepherd Lutheran Church,
4503 Old William
Penn Highway Monroeville 15146
3 4
5 7 8 6 9
Pennsylvanians for
Alternatives to the
Death Penalty
(PADP) meeting
7:00-8:00 pm
First Unitarian
Church (Ellsworth/Morewood,
Shadyside)
International
Women’s Day:
Call to Action
7:00-9:00 pm
Friends Meeting
House, 4836
Ellsworth Ave.
Oakland 15213
Project to End
Human Trafficking
Information &
Training Seminar
12:00-1:00 pm
Carlow University,
Antonian Room #502
Fourth River Free
Skool 2-8pm, First United Methodist
18th Annual
Empty Bowls
Dinner
2:00-6:00 pm
Rodef Shalom,
4905 Fifth Avenue,
Pittsburgh PA
15213 (Oakland)
10 11
W.O.M.I.N.
Meeting
7:30-8:30 pm
St. Peter's United
Church of
Christ, 18
Schubert St.,
Pittsburgh15212
12 14 15 13 16
In Sisterhood
Presents
The Women's
Movement in
Pittsburgh: 1960s
to Today
6-8 pm Heinz History
Center,
Strip District
Cost of War—
Price of Peace 7:00-9:00 pm
Mount St. Benedict
Monastery, 6101
East Lake Road,
Erie, PA
17 18
19 21 22 20 23
24 25
26 28 29 27 30
The 2013 Film
Series: A New
Economy (Triple
Divide (2012))
7:30—10:00 pm
Indiana Theater,
637 Philadelphia Street Indiana PA
15701
31
Dear Readers, It's been a pleasure meeting you and many writers, editors, and newsmakers since I started at the New People last
fall. I am the intern newspaper coordinator, a full-time undergraduate student. I get the mail, edit or find an editor for your
submissions, keep track of all the content throughout each month's production, and do my best to put the puzzle pieces together at
the end to produce the sixteen pages of layout you are now holding, with the help and guidance of the editorial collective (see
page 2) and Diane McMahon, a part-time TMC staff person working on the newspaper. I want The New People to grow. I want
more readers, more writers, more pages, more copies, wider distribution, more news. I want more attendees at political actions,
and a stronger community. I believe in a competitive independent media and the power of people. I want our collective voices to
be heard, and I want to push to include more voices that might not be heard otherwise. You can donate to The New People or
become a member of TMC at http://tinyurl.com/aspb7gq. Thanks and Solidarity, K. Briar Somerville
$200
$4000
Truth is
powerful
and it
prevails.
Sojourner
Truth
More at http://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Sojourner_Truth
"In the end antiblack,
antifemale, and all
forms of
discrimination are
equivalent to the
same thing - antihumanism."
-- Shirley
Chisholm
The woman who can
create her
own job is the woman
who will win
fame and fortune.
Amelia
Earhart
