MEETING NOTES FOR PEOPLE FOR PEACE, JUSTICE, AND HEALING
June 30, 2007

People for Peace, Justice and Healing met at 10:00 a.m. on June 30, 2007 at Associated Ministries. Present for check-in were Dorothy, Mark, Nancy, Karen K., Ray, Sheila, Kyle, Sallie S., and Colleen.

AGENDA

1. RESPONSE TO TACOMA WEEKLY LETTER? (Sallie S.)
A letter from Bill Johnston in the Tacoma Weekly (Jun. 28, 2007) accused demonstrators outside the Northwest Detention Center on Jun. 16 who supporting undocumented workers arrested in the Fresh Del Monte plant immigration sweep on Jun. 12, of lacking empathy for American workers without jobs and of sympathizing with "lawbreakers." A response is perhaps in order?

2. PUGET SOUND INTERFAITH YOUTH CAMP (Sallie S.)
The number of campers signed up is now up to 45, close to full. (The idea for the camp was born at a PPJH meeting in April 2005.) For more information, see the camp web site.

3. ETHNIC FEST, JULY 28 & 29 IN WRIGHT PARK (Sallie S.)
Sign-up for staffing table postponed till next week. Mark your calendar now, though.

4. AGUSTIN AGUAYO (Sallie S.)
Sallie distributed posters advertising Agustín Aguayo's appearance on Thurs., Jul. 12, at 7:30 p.m. (Aguayo was recently released from prison after being court-martialed subsequent to a denial by the U.S. Army of his application for conscientious-objector status and his refusal to redeploy to Iraq. For more on his case, see the web site of Courage to Resist. — His appearance is co-sponsored by People for Peace, Justice, and Healing and the South Sound Peace & Justice Center.

5. RELIABLE REPLACEMENT WARHEAD (Sallie S.)
On Thursday, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the FY2008 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill, a $32.27 billion measure to fund the Department of Energy and water programs carried out by the Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation. The bill was crafted by the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee, of which Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) is a member. Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility is working against the measure, because the Senate bill, in comparison to that of the House, adds greater funding to ongoing operations at Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories, and includes $66 million for development of a new hydrogen bomb, known as the Reliable Replacement Warhead. Call Sen. Murray's office to express your opposition: 253-572-3636 or 206-553-5545 or 202-224-2621. For more information, see here.

6. ELIZABETH DE LA VEGA BRIEFING (Mark, Sallie, S., Colleen)
On Mon., Jun. 25, PPJH co-sponsored a reading by Elizabeth de la Vega, author of U.S. v. George W. Bush et al. (Seven Stories Press, 2006). Good turnout (50-60). Important points: 1. Impeachment is not merely a practical cause, it also a principled one: the Bush administration's actions must not carry the weight of precedent. 2. Pursuing impeachment may produce unraveling, making it more feasible than generally thought. 3. The issue is so grave that there is a moral imperative to pursue it -- "a matter of life and death," Elizabeth de la Vega said.

7. MOVEON.ORG (Dorothy)
Dorothy reported on MoveOn.org's "virtual town hall on climate change," a.k.a. "party for the planet," on Saturday, July 7, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. There will be one in Tacoma; sign up here.

8. PALESTINE (Nancy)
Interested in ways to engage this important issue locally — divestment or sister city discussed.

9. ANTIWAR VIGIL ON FOURTH OF JULY (Ray)
Ray has registered an antiwar vigil at 30th and McCarver from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on the United for Peace and Justice web site. Mark will arrange to have some UFPPC antiwar signs there in the first hour, and will post and circulate some invitations/announcements. You're urged to come by and spend some time at the vigil — a perfect way to celebrate American freedoms meaningfully on the Fourth of July. For more information, Ray can be reached at 253-222-7894.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. Mark will lead a discussion after the 2:40 p.m. Sat. (Jun. 30) showing of "La Vie en rose" (2007), the biopic on Édith Piaf that opened this week at the Grand Cinema. (Mark).

2. UFPPC will begin its "Have They Lost Their Minds?" book discussion group on Mon., Jul. 2 at 7:00 p.m. at the Mandolin Cafe, 3923 S. 12th St., Tacoma. The series is inspired by Al Gore's The Assault on Reason (2007). For more information, see here. (Mark)

3. "Ten Questions for the Dalai Lama" showed briefly at the Grand Cinema -- recommended. (Karen K.)

4. "CHAOS Into Order," Lynn Di Nino's performance art piece, will be staged at 6th and Oakes on Sun., Jul. 8, from 11:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. More info here. (Mark)

5. Michael Moore's "Sicko" opens at the Grand Cinema this week. (Sheila)

Respectfully submitted,
Mark