MEETING NOTES FOR PEOPLE FOR PEACE, JUSTICE, AND HEALING

People for Peace, Justice and Healing met on September 4, 2010, at 10:00 a.m. at Associated Ministries. Present for check-in: Nancy, Kathleen, Sallie, Mark, Carl, Rob, Jeanine, Colleen, Sheila, and Susan.

AGENDA

1. ARLINGTON NORTHWEST: Nancy
Arlington Northwest: A Memorial to the Fallen began this morning and will continue tomorrow (Sun., Sept. 5) until 5:00 p.m. at Marine Park on Ruston Way, Tacoma, WA. From Veterans For Peace, Tacoma Chapter 134: "Markers are placed in the grass with the names of each soldier, date of death as well as his or her hometown." Help disassembling the memorial Sunday afternoon is most welcome. -- PPJH approved defraying some costs of this project.

2. DEATH PENALTY PROTEST: Sallie
A vigil against the death penalty will take place on Thurs., Sept. 9, 2010, from 8:30 p.m. till midnight at St. Leo's, South 13th & Yakima, Tacoma, WA. -- BACKGROUND from Brenda Collier: "The State of Washington has scheduled execution of Cal Brown for September 10th. This will be the first execution in [Washington] state in nine years, and it comes at a time when most states are turning away from the death penalty. We need to act now to try to stop this. -- The Washington Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (WCADP) webpage has more information and provides talking points for writing letters to people such as Governor Gregoire, Attorney General Rob McKenna, and King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg. -- Also, there will be vigils to be held around the state evening of September 9, before the execution, scheduled for just after midnight on September 10." -- For more background, see Scott Sunde, "Court rules that Brown, who raped, tortured, killed woman, can be executed," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, July 29, 2010.

3. OPT OUT: Nancy
Discussion of progress in making sure high school students are made aware of their right to opt out of military recruitment efforts.

4. AUGUST 29 PICNIC DEBRIEF (All)
The joint UFPPC-PPJH Potluck Picnic at the Fort Nisqually picnic site on Aug. 29, 2010, was universally judged a success.

INFORMED OPINION

1. FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE EXPOSURE OF THALIDOMIDE (Carl)
More than 10,000 children in 46 countries were born with birth defects caused by thalidomide in what has been called "one of the biggest medical tragedies of modern times." Carl Anderson writes about the role of Dr. Frances Kelsey in preventing the approval of thalidomide in the U.S., thus minimizing the impact of the drug on children here, in a recent entry on his GxP Perspectives blog: "The U.S. FDA is set to honor Dr. Frances Kelsey, a former medical reviewer who helped start the modern era of clinical trials 50 years ago. Dr. Kelsey prevented the approval of thalidomide in the United States because of concerns about peripheral neuropathy and the lack of testing on the drug’s safety. Among the drug’s proposed usages included treating morning sickness during pregnancy. It was unknown at the time that the drug would pass the placental barrier between a pregnant woman and the fetus. In Europe there were thousands of 'thalidomide babies' born with terrible birth defects, including phocomelia, that left the children with deformed limbs sometimes resembling a seal type flipper instead of an arm or leg. The tragedy led to the Kefauver-Harris Amendments to the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act and the requirement for 'adequate and well controlled trials' along with testing for safety."

2. END OF U.S. COMBAT MISSION IN IRAQ... NOT! (Mark)
UFPPC adopted a statement Thursday "On the End of the U.S. Combat Mission in Iraq." Combat units have been renamed "advise and assist brigades" to facilitate what the Wall Street Journal called a "major rebranding" of the U.S. mission in Iraq.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. PIERCE COUNTY ANNUAL AIDS WALK (Carl)
See the website: "Join us on Saturday, September 25th as we celebrate 19 years of raising funds and awareness for HIV/AIDS. The Pierce County AIDS Walk is a family friendly event to celebrate the commitment we have made as a community to end the AIDS epidemic, and to commemorate the lives that have been touched by HIV. -- Each year, over 2,000 Tacoma and Pierce County residents from all walks of life take to the streets in Downtown Tacoma to walk in support."

2. HAITI RELIEF BENEFIT CONCERT IN TACOMA (Susan)
Tacoma FOR will hold a benefit concert for Haiti relief featuring R. Mike Bloom on Sat., Sept. 25, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Hillside Community Church, 2508 S. 39th St., Tacoma, WA (behind Borders).

3. PIERCE COUNTY HUNGER WALK (Sallie)
UFPPC is promoting a "peace community" group participating in the Associated Ministries Pierce County Hunger Walk on Sunday, October 3, 2010 (1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.; walk starts at 2:00 p.m.), at Fort Steilacoom Park in Lakewood. Sallie passed out forms for people to use in recruiting support.

4. OLYMPIA FOR OFFERS 6-WEEK COURSE ON THE DEATH PENALTY (Colleen) Glen Anderson of Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation will facilitate a six-part study group on the death penalty beginning Mon., Sept. 20, 2010, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church, 540 School Street SE, Lacey, in the Tanglewilde neighborhood. Colleen Waterhouse will attend some of the sessions and can provide transportation.

Respectfully submitted,
Mark