Immigration and Civil Rights March Draws over 2,000!
Two thousand people gathered in Kiener Plaza on May 1, to demand just and fair federal immigrant reform legislation. It was one of a dozen of such rallies across the country, most scheduled weeks ago and made more dramatic by passage last week of a tough anti-immigrant law in Arizona.
The St. Louis Instead of War Coalition participated in various ways, from contributing to the organizing, assembling peace keepers and building puppetistas!
Check out the coverage:
Post-Dispatch
Globe Democrat
You Tube
RiverCity Examiner
Update from the People's Settlement!
The People's Settlement went well!
Make sure you are checking out our blog for a summary!
www.peoplessettlement.blogspot.com
Here's some great video of the Bank of America Action:
IOW and MORE: Change is Representing People
Instead of War and Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment organized a contingent outside of Obama's recent visit to St. Louis. We are finding more and more that our legislator's hands are tied because of corporations and privatization of our entire social service sector. We have hopes of creating an empowered people's movement that focuses, not on legislators but on the corporate ties that binds all of us.
Our messages included:
"No Job? Ask Wall St Why?" 
"No Healthcare? Ask Wall St. Why?"
"No Peace? Ask Wall St. Why?"
"No Justice? Ask Wall St. Why?"
"No Clean Air? Ask Wall St. Why?"
Many of us have worked hard on political campaigns and activist campaigns attempting to get legislators to listen to us. However, we feel the real issue is corporate power that is dividing us on every issue and blocking us from affecting real change from political figures. We hope our work can harness anger endemic in corporate control of politics, the economy and corporate personhood and serve as a rallying cry for similar actions across the nation and will allow are legislators to take greater risks if they know this is what the people are demanding!
Goodby, Melanie, and thank you!
Melanie Shouse, a tireless advocate for social justice and particularly health care reform, passed away after a long struggle with breast cancer.
We miss her sorely, and her fight continues.
Don't Quit Before the Finish Line
Melanie's March
Haiti Earthquake Response and Analysis
New: Haiti's Tragic History Is Entwined with the Story of America
What is Haiti owed? Two centuries of predatory debt burden
Jared Diamond differences between Haiti and Dominican Republic
How to Help Haiti, Today and Beyond - ColorLines analysis & suggestions
Haiti Action grassroots support
Peace Alliance links to aid groups
American Friends Service Committee peace and justice
CARE fighting the roots of poverty
Google resource page for Haiti Earthquake
Democracy Now news and context
Juan Cole Why Wall Street should tithe its bonuses to Haiti
Petition to credit card processors - waive ALL fees on charitable contributions!
Gaza Freedom March ends - read their declaration
Update: January 1, 2010: The members of the Gaza Freedom March ended their presence in Cairo by issuing a declaration intended to provide a way forward for ongoing worldwide action in support of Palestine. See http://palestine.ctsastl.org/
St. Louisans Hedy Epstein, J'Ann Allen, and Sandra Tamari were among the 1400 Gaza Freedom Marchers in Cairo.
More...
Tribute to MFSO Founders: Charley Richardson's Legacy
When Military Families Speak Out (MFSO) began in November, 2002, co-founders Charley Richardson and Nancy Lessin’s son was being deployed to Iraq. They shared with other military families a deep fear and worry about those who would be in harm’s way for no good reason. They also share your deep commitment to bringing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to an end.
With their leadership, vision and hard work, combined with the support and involvement of a growing number of military families, MFSO grew to a powerful organization of more than 4,000 members, speaking out to end the wars in Iraq and now Afghanistan. It is the largest organization of military families speaking out against wars in the history of the country. MFSO helped to change the definition of what it meant to "support the troops," as MFSO’s mantra "Support Our Troops – Bring Them Home NOW!" caught on across the country.
MFSO co-founders Charley Richardson and Nancy Lessin now face a very personal struggle. Charley has been battling an advanced, aggressive cancer and the prognosis is poor.
After working tirelessly to amplify the voices of military families in the larger movement to end the wars, this tragic personal situation is curtailing their continued leadership in the organization. Their need to pull back, combined with the economic recession, has put Military Families Speak Out in financial jeopardy.
In Charley's honor, MFSO is establishing the Charley Richardson Legacy Fund. And we need your help to make it a success. We have a donor who has committed to matching contributions dollar for dollar, up to $15,000.
This Fund will celebrate the work that he and Nancy have contributed to MFSO and will provide the core support for MFSO to continue building a movement to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The voice of military families opposing these wars makes a difference. Support Military Families Speak Out and build a legacy to honor Charley.
http://mfsotribute.org/
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