Technical problems!

Hey Indy Media Live listeners! we've had some issues getting the last shows online but the links are working now! download, listen, and let the revolution begin!

-Tim


05/31/2011

06/07/2011

AND THEN by Judy Chicago

And then all that has divided us will merge

And then compassion will be wedded to power

And then softness will come to a world that is harsh and unkind

And then both men and women will be gentle

And then both women and men will be strong

And then no person will be subject to another's will

And then all will be rich and free and varied

And then the greed of some will give way to the needs of many

And then all will share equally in the Earth's abundance

And then all will care for the sick and the weak and the old

And then all will nourish the young

And then will cherish life's creatures

And then all will live in harmony with one another and the Earth

And then everywhere will be called Eden once again.

Interfaith Council of Greater Richmond presents a Benefit Concert and Reception, April 28, 2011, from 7 - 8:30 PM, by the Virginia Benefit Chorale. This event is hosted by 2nd Baptist Church, 9614 River Road in Richmond.

For information on the Interfaith Council, go to their website www.icgr.org

For information on the Virginia Benefit Chorale, go to their website www.virginiabenefitchorale. org

Amy Burgman with Richmond Friends of Animals on Indy Media Live!

A member of an animal advocacy group called "Richmond Friends of Animals amy started getting involved with animal issues in college when she started volunteering at the local animals shelter.You can participate in a peaceful protest to educate the public about the circus too, for more information please visit http://richmondfriendsofanimals.org/




Kathy Kelly: Eyewitness to War Reports Back from Afghanistan



The ten-year long war in Afghanistan has replaced Vietnam as America's

"longest war." More than 40 Virginians have been killed in the conflict, and countless Afghan lives have been lost.



The Richmond community will have a rare opportunity on April 14th to hear first hand from a lifelong peace activist who is working closely with Afghan civilians in search of non-military solutions to end the war.



Kathy Kelly is co-director of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, (www.vcnv.org) a campaign to end U.S. military and economic warfare. She traveled to Afghanistan three times in 2010 with small delegations, intent on learning more about conditions faced by ordinary people in Afghanistan, a country afflicted by three decades of warfare. She will be returning from Afghanistan days before the forum. She will speak

about Afghanistan on Thursday, April 14, at 7pm. The event will be held at 5th Baptist Church, 1415 W. Cary Street, near VCU.



Kelly will discuss her observations about Afghan society and its

struggling economy, and the terrible impact of the war on its civilians. She will also describe her work with a group of young Afghans “the Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers” a group seeking to build bridges among young people in Afghanistan, and share her ideas about nonviolent alternatives to war and division in Afghanistan. Her presentation will be followed by a question and answer period.





The program is cosponsored by the Richmond Peace Education Center, Bon Air Presbyterian Church Peace Study Action Group, Midlothian Friends Meeting Peace and Social Action Committee, Pax Christi Richmond, Richmond Defenders for Freedom, Justice, and Equality, Richmond Friends Meeting, Richmond Mennonite Fellowship, and Wayside Center.



Free and open to the public. Free Parking www.rpec.org 232-1002.





The Church of the Holy Comforter (Episcopal) is located on the southeast corner of Monument Avenue and Staples Mill Rd 355-3251



Jesus on Trial in Virginia: Sentencing Christ to Death
Saturday, April 16 · 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
The audience will witness the sentencing phase of the trial of Christ and serve as the jury. The two attorneys, Mark Osler and Jeanne Bishop, will present their cases before William G. Broaddus, who will serve as judge, with witnesses drawn from the Gospels. The program will conclude with an audience question and answer session. This program will draw upon Mr. Osler’s book, Jesus on Death Row.

Jesus on Trial in Virginia: Sentencing Christ to Death
Sunday, April 17 · 10:00 am - 12:30 pm
After the 10 a.m. Palm Sunday service, Mark Osler and Jeanne Bishop will conclude their bookend Lenten programs with an Adult Forum for those interested in continuing the conversation.

Mark Osler is Professor of Law at the University of St. Thomas Law School in Minnesota. He is a former federal prosecutor, and a graduate of The College of William & Mary and Yale Law School.



Jeanne Bishop, a Board member of Murder Victims Families for Human Rights, is the sister of Nancy Bishop Langert, who was shot to death along with her husband and their unborn child in 1990. She is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and the Northwestern University School of Law. Ms. Bishop serves as assistant public defender in the Office of the Cook County Public Defender and is an adjunct professor at Northwestern University School of Law in the trial advocacy program

Kerri Hilliard with Rikki's Refuge on Indy Media Live!

http://rikkisrefuge.org/


Rikki's Refuge in Orange County, Virginia, is a 367 acre, no-kill, all species peaceful sanctuary supported solely by donations of kind and loving individuals. The refuge is home to over 1200 animals of over 20 different species, including but not limited to cats, dogs, sheep, goats, rabbits, pigs, emus, chickens, ducks, geese, a chukar, peacocks, and more. It is owned and operated by Life Unlimited of Virginia, Inc. an approved not-for profit Virginia Corporation and IRS tax code 501(c)(3) corporation as determined by the IRS. Federal Tax-ID number 54-1911042. A financial statement is available upon written request from the State Office of Consumer Affairs.

Rescue, Adoption, Lifelong Shelter. Rikki's Refuge provides homeless, abandoned and abused animals with a safe and loving place to stay. Very rarely one of our residents is adopted. Those who are not adopted receive a permanent home at Rikki's where they live out the remainder of their natural lives. We provide all animals with traditional, homeopathic, and holistic medical care. This medical care can extend the life of an animal by several years, and since we are a no-kill, lifetime facility, we can only accept animals when one dies of natural causes. We do not kill to make room for incoming animals. At this time we are full to capacity and care for our existing residents with all our resources. If you contact us for help with an animal, please be aware we can only supply resource information and behavior education at this time.

Spay/Neuter (Speuter) Education and Support. All animals are spayed or neutered before being adopted out. We educate individuals on the importance of spay/neuter and refer them to low-cost clinics. Spay/neuter (Speuter) clinics

Humane Education. Rikki's is developing educational programs and website material to promote a respect for all creatures, especially companion animals. We also participate in the Kind News program.

Maintaining the Biological Diversity of Virginia Flora and Fauna. Rikki's is preserving the habitats of a wealth of Virginian plants, trees, flowers, animals, birds, and reptiles. By ensuring that our woodlands will never be developed we are also protecting the rest stops of many kinds of migratory birds.

Safe Haven for Wildlife. Rikki's provides hundreds of acres of protected woodlands for native Virginia wildlife and supports the efforts of licensed wildlife rehabilitators.

NEWS

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/BUSINESS/03/24/japan.alternatives/index.html
(CNN) -- As Japan's earthquake and tsunami ripped through the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, the wind turbines at nearby Takine Ojiroi Wind Farm did what they were designed to do: They swayed, they stopped, and they electronically checked themselves.
"Except for one wind farm that was very close to the nuclear power plant, all our turbines were up and running after the quake," said Sean Sutton of Vestas, the world's largest manufacturer of electricity generating wind turbines.
"And we are able to remotely monitor the turbines that were down (stopped)," he said.
Last week, the share prices of renewable energy companies soared as much as 10%. Nuclear companies, meanwhile, tanked as China -- which has the world's largest commitment to nuclear power with 13 plants in operation and more than 27 in the pipeline -- announced it would suspend approval for new nuclear power projects.
Germany, too, has suspended its nuclear program and ordered seven older plants closed during the moratorium. At the same time, Berlin has boosted the size of the government's renewable energy fund from €300 million ($425 million) to €1 billion.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A call to actionby the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance
Pentagon Action for Peace and the Environment
APRIL 8 Pentagon around noon

PENTAGON ACTION FOR PEACE “DISARMAGEDDON”

The U.S. military is the entity most responsible for destabilizing our environment. There are innumerable reasons for this, including the exorbitant use of fossil fuels, depleted uranium weapons, worldwide transport of weapons and personnel, unlimited air travel, engagement in war and the possession, upkeep and transport of nuclear weapons.

• U.S. Wars rage on in Iraq and Afghanistan ($10 billion a month, according to Gen. Barry McCaffrey, causing immeasurable human suffering.

• U.S. drone bombs continue to kill innocent people in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and other places around the world.

• Our military spending is out of control while we have no money to meet basic human needs here in the U.S.

• Torture and illegal indefinite detentions continue in Guantanamo, Bagram, and other places around the world.

• The U.S. provides billions of dollars to countries which repress its citizens and neighbors, works closely with death squads in Columbia and Indonesia, trains Latin American soldiers, who have been involved in rampant human rights abuses, at the Western Hemispheric Institute for Security Cooperation, and has established AFRICOM, which will ensure more U.S. intervention on the continent of Africa.


We come together in solidarity to act in resistance against the activities of the U.S. military
To all who are sick of heart and conscience over these actions by our government, we call on you to join us at the Pentagon on April 8 for actions of nonviolent civil resistance as we take the risks of peacemaking.

Now is a time for dissent not despair; for deepened commitment to peace, not complacency with war; for strengthened resistance, not weakened resolve. In the spirit and discipline of Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Dorothy Day, and others, and for the sake of humanity, for the sake of peace and justice, and for the sake of Mother Earth we must act now.

TO PARTICIPATE, CONTACT:
joyfirst5@gmail.com

Russian Nuclear experts Natalia Manzurova and Dr. Nataliya Mironova on Indy Media Live!

Three Russian experts with firsthand experience of the Chernobyl reactor tragedy and other Russian radiological disasters have arrived in the U.S. for the start of a pre-arranged informational tour organized by Beyond Nuclear. The speakers – Chernobyl “liquidator” Natalia Manzurova; prominent anti-nuclear leader, Dr. Nataliya Mironova part of a national U.S. tour commemorating the 25th commemoration of the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe. The Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe began with the explosion at Chernobyl Unit 4 reactor on April 26, 1986, which then burned for ten days, lofting large amounts of hazardous radioactivity into the atmosphere. They plan to share their Chernobyl and experiences in light of the nuclear power and radioactive waste crisis now unfolding in Japan.
Natalia Manzurova is a survivor, involved directly in the Chernobyl “liquidation” process for five years, and today advocates for the rights of victims of radiation exposure internationally.

Natalia Manzurova was a lead engineer in cleaning up the consequences of the accident at Chernobyl atomic power station for over 5 years. Three years after returning from Chernobyl, her work as an engineer at a Russian nuclear facility was interrupted by a serious illness caused by radiation. In 1997 she organized the Chernobyl Union non-profit to defend the rights of the victims of radiation exposure. She also works at the Planet of Hope to advocate for the rights of people exposed to radiation, such as liquidators of radiation accidents and catastrophes, nuclear weapons test site workers, people living in radioactively contaminated areas, and workers in nuclear power and weapons facilities. Natalia is the author of numerous articles on radiation ecology, and she speaks at international scientific conferences and collaborates with international environmental and human rights organizations on radiation issues.

Dr. Nataliya Mironova is a prominent leader in the human rights and anti-nuclear environmental movements in Russia. She founded the Movement for Nuclear Safety and was one of the first organizers to press for government openness on pre-Chernobyl nuclear catastrophes. Through her work in regional Parliament, she made public information on the 500,000 victims affected by the activities of the first plutonium production in Russia and on the catastrophes in the Mayak plutonium production plant, including a 1957 radioactive waste explosion that contaminated a vast region with hazardous radioactivity. As a Member of the Supreme Environmental Council of the Russian State Parliament from 1997-2006, she organized broad public discussions for federal referendums on radioactive waste issues. In 2002, Nataliya won in the Supreme Court case against the Government of Russia to stop the import of 370 tons of Hungarian high-level radioactive waste for storage and reprocessing (plutonium extraction) in Russia. An author of several books and over 70 articles, she has examined the roots of nuclear weapons proliferation and the role of non-governmental organizations in abolishing Weapons of Mass Destruction, particularly nuclear weaponry. She advocates for public participation in governance to promote environmental justice and human rights.


Events!

- Kennel Improvement Project - Saturday April 2 BARKVA.ORG

New kennel panels and gates are on site for replacing all the old standard chain link kennels in the front room. Volunteers will be needed for many aspects of this activity.

The change out will occur at the same time the Saturday crew is cleaning so a lot of dogs will need to be temporarily occupied by attending the Short Pump adoption stand, long walks, play pens and temporary kenneling or crating.

Volunteers will be needed to help load the vehicles going to the adoption stand. Some folks might accompany the adoption team to assist at the stand.

Some workers will be asked to dismantle the old chain link kennels and move the salvageable panels to either the left side of the building or to the rear kennel. Panels that should be trashed will be moved down near the front gate.

Other workers will utilize a number of the salvaged panels to upgrade a number of deteriorating kennels in row 6 and 7. This too requires the temporary holding of the dogs in those kennels.

Yet others will be erecting the new kennels.
You can contact Bob Adams at robertcadams@verizon.net

Paul Gunter on Indy Media Live!

For more information please visit: http://www.beyondnuclear.org/


EVENTS!

Another Peaceful Anti-Fur Protest! www.richmondfriendsofanimals.org




Upcoming Event
Written by Laura
Monday, 14 March 2011 17:11
When: Saturday, March 26 • 12:00pm - 1:30pm
Where: 1515 North Parham Road, Richmond, VA

Millions of animals each year die for the vanity of fur. she will bring vegan cupcakes, so be there or be square!



Call your member of Congress @ (877) 264-4226

Then put on your party hat and join us at one of our birthday celebrations next week!

Richmond
Tuesday, March 22, 6:00 p.m - 8:00 p.m.
Forum, The Affordable Health Care Law: A Year Old and A Century in the Making
With Joanne Grossi, Regional Director of Health and Human Services, Dr. Mark Ryan and Jill Hanken of the Virginia Poverty Law Center
The General Assembly Building, Senate Room B, 910 Capitol Street
Richmond, VA 23219

Karen Davis, Andrea Miller and Tam "Talking Forrest" Evans on Indy Media Live!

The VA Dept. of Environmental Quality Office of Environmental Impact
Review will accept comments regarding environmental concerns
associated with Dominion's application to build a 3rd nuclear reactor at Lake Anna until March 18. This is an opportunity to speak out against North Anna Unit 3. Please send your emails to: Elirons@deq.virginia.gov


Here are a few good talking points:

1) There is insufficient water in the watershed to support a third
reactor given recurring drought cycles we've been experiencing in Central VA.


2) Lake temperatures have been recorded over 89 degrees F and up to
104 degrees F. Water in the Lake is used to cool the reactors and
Dominion treats a portion of the Lake as a waste heat treatment
facility. This is illegal under the Clean Water Act as the Lake is
"surface waters of the United States." Currently there is a lawsuit scheduled to be heard in the VA Supreme Court regarding this issue.
Why the hurry to permit a third reactor when the first two remain in
noncompliance of Federal legislation?


3) Downstream impacts on the North Anna, Pamunkey and York Rivers due to increased water use to cool a third reactor have not been studied.


4) State and federal agencies are allowing Dominion to apply for permits with a piecemeal approach. There is little or no coordination. The big picture is not addressed. At the least VDEQ should require a water management system that balances the water requirements of the Lake residents with those of communities and agricultural interests
downstream and which does not negatively impact downstream flora and
fauna.


6) Dominion switched to a Pressurized Water Reactor (from a Boiling Water Reactor) in its Construction and Operating License application last June. This change should require a new environmental assessment.


7) Finally, the earthquake in Japan and the resulting breach to the Fukushima nuclear reactor containment building, the possibility of meltdown and the continuing release of radioactivity is cause for alarm. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and VDEQ permits and certifications need to be put on hold until the environmental impacts associated with the Japanese reactor are evaluated and understood.


For more information, please contact Elena Day at (434) 296-2494.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hunting Bears!?



The public has another month to comment on proposed changes to hunting and trapping regulations, including the creation of a license to hunt bear.
The Board of Game and Inland Fisheries is proposing to establish a special license to hunt bears, which would cost $25 for residents and $150 for nonresidents.
The board also has proposed several other changes to hunting and trapping laws.
That public comment period runs through April 15.
Wildlife biologists with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries will host a series of public input meetings across the state.
Citizens also can find the proposals and comment on them at the department's website.
Revenue, Hunting and Trapping Regulations Public Input Meeting

Date: March 23, 2011
Time: 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Location: Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
4010 West Broad Street
Richmond,
Purpose: Accept public input regarding proposed increases in certain license fees, and proposed changes to hunting and trapping regulations for 2011-12
Staff Contact: Glen Askins, 804-829-6580, glen.askins@dgif.virginia.gov


www.dgif.virginia.gov/regulations/public-meetings/






Events!
Today at 5:30pm: Defend the Dream Rally at Monroe Park in front of the Landmark Theater (onenationpda.org)

Saturday, March 19
Pre-event briefing
8:30-10:30 am
St. Stephen’s Church, 1525 Newton Street NW (corner of 16th)

Rally
12:00 pm, Lafayette Park, H and 16th Streets NW
Speakers: Elliott Adams begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting Chantelle Bateman, Brian Becker, Medea Benjamin, Zachary Choate, Ryan Endicott, Ayesha Fleary, Chris Hedges, Kathy Kelly, Mike Malloy, Michael McPhearson, Caneisha Mills, Ralph Nader, Debra Sweet, Ann Wright, Kevin Zeese

Civil Resistance at the White House
1:00 pm

For more detailed information email stopthesewars@gmail.com.

Housing will be available Saturday night at St. Stephen’s Church, 1525 Newton Street NW (corner of 16th Street). You must leave the church by 7 am Sunday morning. Anyone staying at the church must be respectful of whatever else may be going on there at the time.

You will need a sleeping bag. There are no secure provisions for leaving belongings at St. Stephen’s. If you need to leave personal belongings somewhere, we will have a room at the Harrington Hotel for that. More details later.

Marlene Blackburn and Paige Collier on Indy Media Live!

For more information about the Richmond ferret rescue please visit
http://www.richmondferretrescueleague.org/Home.html


Va Governor Has Not Yet Signed Cruel Farm Animal Bills in to Law
VA SB 1026 and HB 1541 Would Legalize Total Cruelty to Farm Animals. The Gov. has not yet acted. Still Time to Call, email, fax Gov. McDonnell today to Voice your Opinion!
Contact Governor McDonnell ASAP through his website at:
http://www.governor.virginia.gov/AboutTheGovernor/contactGovernor.cfm.
Phone: (804) 786-2211. Fax: (804) 371-6351
Quick Background : Two bills were quietly pushed through the Virginia General Assembly and sent to Gov. Robert McDonnell for his signature. If enacted, the proposed legislation will effectively relieve farm animal owners (farmers and corporations) of all humane care obligations. It will be legal for owners to deprive their animals of food and water right up the point of “emaciation” and “dehydration.” Farm animal owners will be exempt from providing shelter for their animals in bad weather (“an act of God”) and will be legally permitted to hurt and neglect farm animals so long as the abuse is a “customary” farming practice. A Senate amendment that would have allowed for prosecution of a person for “depriving an agricultural animal of necessary food, drink, shelter or emergency veterinary treatment” was REJECTED!
At this writing, SB 1026 and HB 1541 are sitting on Gov. McDonnell’s desk for his signature. HELP STOP THAT SIGNATURE! Urge Gov. to VETO SB 1026 & HB 1541.
Note : On February 6, 2011, Virginia resident Marianne Roberts published a letter in The Daily Progress, “Bill weakens animal cruelty law,” and on February 7 The Daily Progress published an editorial, “Bill starves protections for animals.” These can be read at http://www2.dailyprogress.com/news/2011/feb/07/bill-starves-protections-animals-ar-824684/ and http://www2.dailyprogress.com/news/2011/feb/06/bill-weakens-animal-cruelty-law-ar-824697.
On February 24, 2011, UPC president Karen Davis published a letter in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, “New Bills Will Endanger Farm Animals”:
http://www.upc-online.org/whatsnew/110224bills_endanger.html




SUNDAY, MARCH 12 4 pm BUSBOYS AND POETS IN GEORGETOWN www.busboysandpoets.com

Whistleblower Bradley Manning’s Legal Defense Fundraiser featuring recording artists Emma’s Revolution, DOJ Whistleblower Jesselyn Raddack, Kevin Zeese of Bradley Manning Support Network, and Folk singer Perry King. This event will also feature a Silent Auction with all proceeds going to the Bradley Manning Legal Defense Fund (www.couragetoresist.org/x/content/view/858/122). In late May 2010, Private First Class Bradley Manning, stationed in Baghdad, was arrested, suspected of providing the “Collateral Murder” video to WikiLeaks. Bradley is a whistleblower. He has been in solitary confinement since June 2010. He has been charged with violating the Uniform Code of Military Justice, including eight criminal offenses and four non-criminal violations of Army regulations.

2021 14th St
NW DC 20009
(202) 387-7638

Noon Peace Rally at Lafayette Square and March on the White House

Washington, D.C.

DC on Saturday, March 19, 2011 for the Invasion of Iraq Anniversary. This is an annual event that has continued from the beginning of the war. It has been held in different locations and venues around Washington, DC. Veterans for Peace will be staging a peaceful sit-in at the White House to protest our continuing wars.


Speakers for this event:
Ralph Nader, Elliott Adams, Mike Ferner, Chris Hedges,
Caneisha Mills, and Ann Wright, among others.

Theme: Resist the War Machine! On the anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, as the occupation and U.S. war-making continue unabated, we call for another massive veteran-led civil resistance at the White House. Join us! Veterans For Peace and StopTheseWars.org ● StopTheseWars@gmail.com

Endorsed by (list in formation): ANSWER Coalition, CODEPINK, Courage to Resist, Delaware Valley Veterans for America, March Forward!, Movement for a Democratic Society, National Assembly, Peace Action, Peace Action Montgomery, Peace of the Action, Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Against the War, United for Peace and Justice, United National Antiwar Committee, Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Voices for Creative Nonviolence, War Crimes Times, War Resisters League, Washington Peace Center, Witness Against Torture, World Can’t Wait




Bring your pets inside when its cold!

Gary Francione on Indy Media Live!

Gary Francione is an American legal scholar. He is the Distinguished Professor of Law and Nicholas deB. Katzenbach Scholar of Law & Philosophy at Rutgers School of Law-Newark.

Francione is known for his work on animal rights theory, and was the first academic to teach it in an American law school. His work has focused on three issues: the property status of animals, the differences between animal rights and animal welfare, and a theory of animal rights based on sentience alone, rather than on any particular characteristics.

He is a pioneer of the abolitionist theory of animal rights, arguing that animal welfare regulation is theoretically and practically unsound, serving only to prolong the status of animals as property by making the public feel comfortable about using them. He argues that non-human animals require only one right: the right not to be regarded as property, and that the moral baseline of the abolitionist approach is veganism, the rejection of the use of all animal products. Francione accepts the tenets of Jainism, and particularly the Jaina doctrine of non-violence, or Ahimsa, linking it to veganism and animal rights. It is this belief in non-violence that makes him non-supportive of violent protest. Francione believes that animal rights can and should be achieved through non-violent direct action alone.




Announcements!


Noon Peace Rally at Lafayette Square and March on the White House

Location: Washington, D.C.

Theme: Resist the War Machine! On the anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, as the occupation and U.S. war-making continue unabated, we call for another massive veteran-led civil resistance at the White House. Join us! Veterans For Peace and StopTheseWars.org ● StopTheseWars@gmail.com

Saturday, March 19, 2011 for the Invasion of Iraq Anniversary. This is an annual event that has continued from the beginning of the war. Veterans for Peace will be staging a peaceful sit-in at the White House to protest our continuing wars. Please join us!

Speakers for this event:
Ralph Nader, Chris Hedges, Ann Wright, among others.

William Ferguson Reid and Andrea Miller on Indy Media Live!

William Ferguson Reid (1925- ) was the first African American elected to the General Assembly in the twentieth century. A medical doctor and community leader in the city of Richmond, Reid was one of the founders of the Crusade for Voters, organized in 1955 and one of the most formidable political organizations in the state. It lobbied for voter registration among African Americans, conducted get-out-the-vote drives, and enabled Reid to win a seat in the House of Delegates from the city of Richmond in 1967 on his second try. Reid served three terms in the assembly. Afterward he was a regional medical officer for the United States Department of State. Reid was the only African American in the General Assembly when he took office in 1968. In 2000 there are fifteen.
Black History Month is a remembrance of the events in the history of the African diaspora. Since 1976, it is celebrated annually in the United States of America and Canada in February and the United Kingdom in the month of October. In the U.S., Black History Month is also referred to as African-American History Month.

Black History Month actually started as Negro History Week in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson. The goal of Black History Week was to educate the American people about African-Americans' cultural backgrounds and reputable achievements.







16 February 2011
Virginia Residents: Tell Governor NO to Proposed Farm Animal Cruelty Exemptions!
VA SB 1026 and HB 1541 Seek to Legalize Total Cruelty to Farm Animals. Don’t Let This Happen!
Two bills are being quietly pushed through the Virginia General Assembly that if signed into law by VA Governor Robert F. McDonnell will effectively relieve farm animal owners (farmers and corporations) of all humane care obligations. It will be legal for owners to deprive their animals of food and water right up the point of “emaciation” and “dehydration.” Farm animal owners will be exempt from providing shelter for their animals in bad weather (“an act of God”) and will be legally permitted to hurt and neglect farm animals so long as the abuse is a “customary” farming practice or claimed to be.
At this writing, SB 1026 and HB 1541 have been approved by committees in both chambers and are now in subcommittees. There is still time – limited time – to stop these bills from enactment into law in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Please act now!
What Should I Do?
If you are a Virginia resident, please contact your state legislators and Virginia Governor Robert F. McDonnell and urge them NOT to give final approval to this legislation. Even if these bills are approved by the VA General Assembly, the proposed legislation must be signed by Governor McDonnell to become law. He can choose to veto the legislation Urge him to veto the legislation if it comes to his desk.
Contact Governor McDonnell through his website at: http://www.governor.virginia.gov/AboutTheGovernor/contactGovernor.cfm.
To learn who your VA state legislators are and how to contact them, please click on http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/main?openform and follow the simple instructions.
For legislative history and updates on these bills, click on Bills & Resolutions at http://lis.virginia.gov/
If you have time, please contact your local news media in Virginia explaining why this law exempting farm animals from protection should not be enacted. Ask them to cover the issue. When contacting lawmakers and media, be sure to use your own words, and briefly and politely make your points. Always request a reply. Thank you for speaking up for millions of farm animals in Virginia.
United Poultry Concerns’ Letter to VA Governor Robert F. McDonnell:

February 16, 2011

Robert F. McDonnell
Governor of Virginia
Patrick Henry Building, 3rd Floor
Richmond, VA 23219
Dear Governor McDonnell:
I am writing to urge you please to veto Virginia Senate Bill 1026 and House Bill 1541 if and when these bills come to your desk in the form of proposed legislation for your signature. The proposed law seeks to reduce the level of care for Virginia’s farm animals to a level that would permit extreme cruelty without penalty to the owners of these animals.
SB 1026 and HB 1541 seek to amend the Code of Virginia relating to the care of agricultural animals by reducing current requirements to provide adequate food and water, to a provision that owners need only provide their animals with food and water sufficient “to prevent emaciation” and “to prevent dehydration.”
The proposed law seeks to weaken penalties from a Class 1 misdemeanor to a Class 4 penalty with a token $250 fine. Even this nominal penalty would be waived to allow an owner to withhold food, water and shelter from farm animals if such denials of basic sustenance and care were deemed “customarily withheld, restricted, or apportioned pursuant to a farming activity.” There is no definition or guidance here as to what might be “customary” and nothing to protect farm animals from hunger and thirst to the point of prolonged, pathological suffering resulting from legalized neglect and mistreatment. Please do not let this happen.
The proposed law amounts to total legal and moral abandonment of farm animals in the Commonwealth of Virginia. If SB 1026 and HB 1541 become law, there will be no standards of accountability whatsoever for owners of farm animals. It will be legal for them to starve their animals to the point of “emaciation” and to deprive them of water to the point of “dehydration.” Owners will have no responsibility to provide shelter for their animals. This is unacceptable.
Please do not sign this proposed legislation into law. It is being pushed through the Virginia legislature without being adequately addressed. Please do not authorize a law that would strip farm animals of all protections against cruelty and allow their owners to mistreat them with impunity. Thank you for your attention. I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Karen Davis, President
United Poultry Concerns
________________________________________
Note: On February 6, 2011, Virginia resident Marianne Roberts published a letter in The Daily Progress, “Bill weakens animal cruelty law,” and on February 7 The Daily Progress published an editorial, “Bill starves protections for animals.” These informative opinion pieces can be read at http://www2.dailyprogress.com/news/2011/feb/07/bill-starves-protections-animals-ar-824684/ and
http://www2.dailyprogress.com/news/2011/feb/06/bill-weakens-animal-cruelty-law-ar-824697/.

United Poultry Concerns is a nonprofit organization that promotes the compassionate and respectful treatment of domestic fowl.
Don't just switch from beef to chicken. Go Vegan.
www.UPC-online.org


Order Today: Prisoned Chickens, Poisoned Eggs: An Inside Look at the Modern Poultry Industry (2009 Revised Edition)

Courtney Jones and Chelsea Harnish on Indy Media Live!

Courtney Jones is the manager of grass roots organizing for Planned Parenthood of VA and Chelsea Harnish works with the Chesapeake climate action network
chesapeakeclimate.org



Whole Foods RECYCLES #5 plastic! 11173 West Broad Street Glen Allen Short Pump


The DEQ Public Hearing on a draft permit that will allow surface water impacts associated with the construction of a new nuclear reactor at North Anna. (This hearing is scheduled for Feb. 17 at 7:00 p.m. at the Louisa Middle School.)

- The NRC request for public comments on the final EIS for the new reactor at North Anna. (deadline March 9)
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Washington, DC 20555-0001
1-800-368-5642, 301-415-7000



HR3 – If you want your legeslators to know how you feel about this house bill, please call the congressional switchboard (202) 224-3121 or to learn more information please call (202) 730-9001

Clair Guthrie Gastanaga, Andrea Miller, Gena Boyle and Steve Northup on Indy Media Live!

Andrea Miller is Co-Chair of PDAVA and part of the PDA National Field team.

Steve Norhtup is the executive director for the Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. (steve@vadp.org)

Gena Boyle, an advocate for victims of sexual and domestic violence, joined our show today to talk about two important bills making their way through the General Assembly. The first are a set of bills that will improve access to protect orders for victims of dating violence, stalking and sexual assault. Currently, it is very difficult for non-family members experiencing violence to access these civil protections.

The second measure is one that will expand the Address Confidentiality Program, a program that helps victims of domestic violence relocate with a non-disclosed address. This is a program that is run through the Attorney General's office.

If you or someone you know needs help, there is a 24-hour hotline 1.800.838.8238. It is free and confidential.

the number of the protective order for dating is House Bill 2063/SB1222


ERA is an amendment to the U.S. Constitution first proposed in 1923, soon after the amendment providing for the right of American women to vote was adopted. Strong actions to achieve ratification of the ERA reached their height from 1972-1982, when 35 of the 38 required states had ratified. So, the ERA was not then ratified, but just slept. Until now!!!!! http://www.pdava.org/

Trieste Lockwood, Director of Interfaith Power & Light and Mary Rafferty the Grassroots Organizing Manager with the Sierra Club: Virginia Chapter!

Here is the quick story: Virginia Uranium, Inc, a Canadian owned company, is trying to repeal a nearly 30-year statewide ban on the mining of uranium, the milling of yellowcake, and the disposal of radioactive waste in Virginia. A proposed mine and mill in Pittsylvania County would generate over 28 million tons of mill tailings waste. This type of waste has been linked to increases in leukemia, kidney disease, and other severe health problems. Sounds gross, right? And this stuff has the potential to leak into the drinking water source for Southside communities and also Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk and many communities in North Carolina.

The National Academy of Sciences is holding a town hall in Richmond and will hear testimony from the public about lifting this ban. At the last event, paid uranium lobbyists came out in force and we know they will again so a group of 40 citizens from Southside Virginia are taking the day off of work and driving 4 hours to get their voice heard. Will you help amplify the voice of these concerned citizens whose community is at risk?

Here are the details of the event:

National Academy of Science Town Hall
Date: Monday, February 7, 2011
Time: 5:00 – 9:00pm
Location: Richmond Marriot (500 East Broad Street, Richmond)

Don’t let Virginia Uranium, Inc jeopardize our heritage, our health and our future. Join me on Monday February 7th to keep the ban on uranium mining and milling in Virginia.



Staff from the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance will be here next week to talk about legislation that is moving through the General Assembly that will improve access to protective orders for victims of dating violence, stalking and sexual assault. 42 states have passed laws allowing access to protective orders for victims of dating violence. The General Assembly is considering several bills this year that would ensure that victims of dating violence in Virginia would be eligible to petition for a protective order.

The first subcommittee hearing of these bills in the House of Delegates will take place this Wednesday afternoon. If you would like to call your legislator to indicate your support, visit http://legis.state.va.us/ to find contact information.

If you are listening today and you or someone you know needs help, please call the Virginia Family Violence and Sexual Assault hotline at 1.800.838.8238. The hotline staff is available 24 hours a day.


ACTION ALERT UPDATE
Dear Members,
At this morning’s meeting of the Senate Courts of Justice Committee, Senator Obenshain's bill (SB 1200 – redefining what is commonly referred to as the “triggerman rule”) to extend the death penalty to accomplices in cases of murder in the commission of rape was carried over to the next meeting of the Committee, which is scheduled for 2 p.m. this Wednesday, February 2, in Senate Conference Room A.
The decision to carry over the bill was made on motion of Senator Saslaw to permit time to amend the bill to narrow the potential accomplices to whom the expansion would apply. Such an amendment would be an improvement on the broad expansion sought by the original bill. I believe a factor in the decision to attempt to narrow the bill was our opposition to the bill as drafted and the opposition of so many of you who contacted the Senators on the Committee and urged them to vote against it. Your opposition was concretely demonstrated at today’s meeting, when more than 30 of you came out to show your opposition to the bill. Thanks to all of you who took time out of your busy schedules to attend the meeting.
VADP will oppose the bill in its amended form. Particularly at this time of significant budgetary shortfalls, Virginia can ill afford the substantial additional costs that will be incurred by any expansion of the death penalty. Please contact the key Senators on the Committee and urge them to vote against the amended bill. See our Action Alert of last week for the names of these key senators and go to our website for their contact information: www.vadp.org.
With your help, each year we’ve been able to keep this legislation from becoming law. Let’s keep up the pressure and say NO to death penalty expansion in Virginia!
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at (804) 301-4920 or steve@vadp.org.
Sincerely,
Steve Northup, Executive Director


And remember! Tuesday, Feb 1st @4pm eastern time, repeated for night owls, at 1am!!!

http://www.oprah.com/showinfo/Oprah-and-378-Staffers-Go-Vegan-The-One-Week-Challenge

OPRAH AND 378 STAFFERS GO VEGAN: THE ONE-WEEK CHALLENGE

The challenge is on! No meat, no milk, no animal anything. Oprah and 378 Harpo

staffers go vegan for one week. Could you do it?





For more information, please contact
Mary Rafferty
Grassroots Organizing Manager
Sierra Club - Virginia Chapter

Email: Mary.rafferty@sierraclub.org
Office: (804) 225-9113 ext 105
Cell: (401) 862-8749

or

Trieste Lockwood
Director, Interfaith Power & Light
Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy
804-643-2474 ext. 123
Trieste@virginiainterfaithcenter.org

Tyla and Glen Besa from The Sierra Club: Virginia Chapter

To find out more about VA state legislation:
Legis.state.va.us
Google va general assembly
698-1500 (legislative info office) and ask “Who is my legislator?”


For more information about the VA chapter of Sierra Club
Sierra club: VA chapter 225-9113
http://virginia.sierraclub.org/foj/




last year, President Obama signed a one-year extension of PATRIOT Act provisions that did not include any additional civil liberties or privacy protections. In February 2011, the PATRIOT Act will once again be up for reauthorization. Now is the time to speak out against it.
Bill of Rights supporters are gathering in Washington on January 27, 2011, to bring our concerns about privacy and civil liberties to the halls of Congress.

Meeting at 9AM @ United Methodist Church 100 Maryland AVE NE DC 3 speakers then meetings with Congress persons followed by an afternoon debriefing. www.bordc.org



SUNDAY, JANUARY 30, 2011 AT 4:00 pm
The Richmond Youth Peace Project will present its sixth annual youth Educoncert, Generation Dream 2011, honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Two performances are scheduled this year. Generation Dream 2011 features youth performances from throughout metro Richmond, along with several adult professional artists. This uplifting 90-minute multi-cultural variety show is built around the themes of peace, nonviolence, and social justice.
Location: Richmond, Virginia
January 30th's performance is at VCU Singleton Performing Arts Center
February 4th's performance is at Richmond Public Library's Main Branch
Richmond Friends of Animals - vote against House Bill 1541 (or Senate Bill 1026 if you are writing to your Senator). This is a harmful bill that wouldsignificantly weaken current laws that were set up to protect animals from cruel treatment.



KEEP YOUR ANIMALS WARM!

Courtney Jones of Planned parenthood on Indy Media Live!

Courtney Jones is the manager of grassroots organizing for planned parenthood.

For more information, please contact Courtney Jones at (804-482-6132) or email at courtney.jones@ppfa.org


upcoming events!

-The Richmond Youth Peace Project will present its sixth annual educoncert, Generation dream 2011 honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the vcu singleton performing arts center and the Richmond Public Library. For more information about times and locations please visit (www.rpec.org)

snow day!

Hey loyal Indy Media Live listeners! We won't be on the air today due to the snow, but in the meantime please feel free to check out the new vegan recipe or try to help us get out of the snow here!

Thanks and be safe!
-Tim

BabySTOMP on Indy Media Live!

Listen to babySTOMP at:
http://www.myspace.com/babystomp

Or see them live at the camel (1621 W. Broad St. | Richmond, VA 23220) January 10th!