Come to the Party!
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San Joaquin County's Alternative Newspaper PRICELESS connections Volume XXIV, Number 7 Published by the Peace & Justice Network since 1986 Aug/Sept 2006 SAVE THE August 6 Connections: 20 years & counting! DATES Commemoration of Hiroshima Come to the party! July 29 Let the mistake not You are heartily invited to come health Rally ........3 celebrate our first 20 years on Saturday, be repeated September 9th, from 1:00–5:00 pm at Oak Park (at California & Alpine in August 6 An interfaith commemoration (atheists welcome) of the U.S. atomic Stockton). bombings of Japan will be held at 6 PM Sunday evening, August 6 at Connections has been an hiroshima Central United Methodist Church, 3700 Pacific Avenue in Stockton. The service will be held on the outdoor plaza in front of the church, alternative to the mainstream remembered.... 1&6 and on the steps and lawn next to Pacific Avenue. news in our community Pastor Dave Bennett of the church will take part, as will Fr. John since August 1986. Through September 9 Armistead of the Catholic Cathedral, Rev. Charles Hasegawa of the the years, there have been many changes. In production, cut and Stockton Buddhist Temple, Rev. Rick Nafzinger of the Circle of the paste layout and the long drive to Galt have been replaced by a Connections 20th Feminine Divine, Rabbi Raphael Pazo of Lodi, and Imam Osman Zarif, fancy computer and email. Local reporting has intensified and Jr. The keynote speaker will be David Dionisi, author of the new book the quality and quantity of information available has increased American Hiroshima and co-founder of Freedom from War. Anniversary party! amazingly thanks to the internet. Live music will be provided by John Morearty on the Japanese bamboo flute, by soprano Renata Bricka, and by Rabbi Pazo on the What hasn't changed is the dedication of our all-volunteer staff, Tuesdays Scottish bagpipes. from the editors (Laurie Litman 1986–91, Marj Fries 1992–95, Please bring flowers in memory of the more than 200,000 people, Bruce Giudici 1996–2006), to the writers, ad reps, layout people, French Film Series mostly civilians, who died in the bombings, and in memory of those proofreaders, mailers, distributors, donors, and many others. on all sides killed in the Pacific in World War Two. As the Hiroshima .............. 18 & 20 We have provided news for 20 years, during which time the Memorial reads, “Let the mistake not be repeated.” mainstream media has become ever more concentrated and The event is co-sponsored by the Peace and Justice Network and 4th Thursday by Freedom from War. Information: Jim Walsh, 981-0544, or John powerful. Papers like Connections provide a desperately needed Morearty, 464-3326. alternative perspective to the corporate media. We offer the context Peace Vigils .. 5&19 to help you make sense of your daily news and resources to become truly informed and involved with the issues. Connections strives to keep you connected to the reality-based world. IN THIS Vigils for peace— So join us in honoring the hundreds of volunteers and loyal every 4th Tues & Thurs supporters who have made Connections possible all these years, ISSUE The Delta lawn vigil/demonstrations and spend an enjoyable day at the park. Food and refreshments are just north of Yokuts along Pacific will be provided; you are welcome to bring a side dish or beverage israel/palestine: Avenue, every fourth Thursday, 5- to share. There will be a brief program at 2:30. Please RSVP by 6:30 PM. The Cathedral vigils are at calling 467-4455 with the total in your party so we know how solutions .............. 3 Lincoln/Rose Streets, every fourth Tuesday at 7 PM sharp. July 25, many to expect. August 22 etc. All are welcome. See Bush v. Geneva ....4 calendar for details and contacts. Not in our name ..5 Peace & Justice Network Nonprofit Org. register voters ..7 of San Joaquin County U.S. Postage P.O. Box 4123 PAID propositions ....10 Stockton, CA 95204 Permit No. 488 209/467-4455 Stockton, CA Doolittles get rich ..........................11 From the editor Editor: Bruce Giudici, 786-3109; Hold onto your seats [email protected] Associate Editors: Bruce Giudici also insisting that the 3 strikes Internationally, hold onto your War & peace: John Morearty law needs no changes (despite seats. The chickens are coming Bruce Politics: Gary Barrington Giudici vacant What is it with this generation? the recent prison overcrowding home to roost, big time. Israel Environment: Layout: Laurie Litman Did we miss the lessons of is a direct result of this law and may have set off the powder keg ethics when growing up? Truly Proofreader: Debbie Cousyn the unsuccessful racist "war on —bombing Lebanon and Palestine these days, so the flags are waved, Ad Rep: Beth Luna, 931-4543 regrettable, for we now harvest drugs"). for a few kidnappings. That, and immigrants are scapegoated, and Distribution Coordinator: Doris the bounty of a system invested Haskell, 477-5166 Nationally, we borrow from the Iraq disaster, makes Iran a marriage is trumpeted to rally the in corruption, passing the buck Distribution Site: The Woodshed, Social Security to fund tax breaks mighty player in a region Bush easily deceived. For the rest of us, 630 N. Grant, 462-8834 and doing unto others before they for our richest 1%, and then thinks only needs a few elections regardless of party, we know what Distributors: Rosemary Atkinson, do unto you. It is a cancer that Reid Cerney, Eric Parfrey, Art Raab, cut any funding that benefits to “fix.” And they call us naive. The we see—and it has to change. As we must stop, even if we appear Derrick Shavers, John Whittock, and the bottom 99%. Spared from election talk is, of course, a ruse election day creeps up and set- many others unrealistic and idealistic to those cuts are homeland security and (the Palestinians had an election, for-life politicians get desperate, Community Calendar: vacant accustomed to the sewer in which 7th of each month (except "defense" (read: piggy banks for didn't they?); the objective of stay alert to what the Bush regime Deadline: our leaders thrive. To elaborate: Aug & Dec) well-connected politicians) and, of $3 gas and enough international orchestrates our Congress to Circulation: 10,000 Locally, we have arenas built course, the interest on the national unrest to keep it there is Bush's authorize. It could get scary. with neighborhood revitalization debt. The Bush regime crows “Mission Accomplished.” There is action stirring, though, ConneCtions is a monthly funds, while big box stores at a deficit below $300 billion The options before us today where ever you live. Join a voter publication of the Peace & Justice oozing sales tax dollars put local Network of San Joaquin County. (the fourth largest in history, but are all bad, especially given our registration drive, protest in the The views expressed in ConneCtions businesses out to pasture. Super less than their previous bloated experience with Bush who, in street, write, and speak. The worse it are those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the levees are constructed to protect estimate), while borrowing for his sixth year in office, has no gets, the more examples for change Lathrop only, putting those with Network. News, articles, letters the rich precludes any concept diplomatic success or experience we have. Use the information in and calendar items should be weaker levees at risk. Meanwhile, of a surplus in our lifetimes. to point to. Regardless, keeping Connections, and then hit the web sent to the Peace & Justice developers get rich in the flood Network, P.O. Box 4123, Stockton, Mismanagement such as this the polling numbers close enough for more alternative sources. It is a CA 95204. The editor reserves plain we tax payers will bail out has a name: fraud, and it is well to fix the vote on election day is great time for getting informed on the right of final decision on when the floods hit (remember copy. Call (209) 467-4455 for rewarded. Once the criminals in the Republican recipe for success the issues. Have a great summer. more information. PJN is on the New Orleans). And we have our the Bush regime are turned out internet: http://www.pjnsjc.org local politicians who shout loud one way or another, they will land and clear that we cannot open the in the private sector well-rewarded empty prison facility on Arch Road for 8 years of unprecedented Enough plutonium! to prisoners (because we have too larceny. much of that here already), while Nestled in the suburbs of your home or by "hitting the Livermore, just 50 miles from streets” with Tri-Valley CAREs. San Francisco, is one of the worlds To date, about 5,500 signatures ^ primary nuclear weapons labs— have been collected to stop Peace & Justice Network Feedback the Lawrence Livermore National Livermore Lab from increasing Laboratory. It’s the birthplace for its plutonium. Tri-Valley CAREs Board of Directors a new generation of nuclear bombs plans to collect 10,000 signatures, Co-Chairs: Laurie Litman/Christie How can Iowa float? on the waterfront on Saturday or Kelley and could soon be the home of up en route to stopping this dangerous Vice-Chairperson: Gary Barrington Editor, Sunday, it is deserted. to 3,080 pounds of plutonium. plan. In response to pressure, the Treasurer: Bruce Giudici Secretary: Bill McLaury Is anyone else feeling frustrated We are not a big tourist town, In November, 2005, a legal Dept. of Energy has announced Volunteer Coordinator: Maria about the idea of floating the and the last place I want to bring decision allowed Livermore Lab plans to remove all special nuclear Flumiani Members-at-large: John Morearty, battleship USS Iowa at the Port my grandchildren to entertain to double its plutonium limit from materials (including weapons grade Larry Pippin, Paula LeVeck, Beth Luna of Stockton? The City Council them is on a battle ship when I 1,540 to 3,080 pounds.