No More Prisons

From NC prison activist Bryan Proffitt

Tired of too many prisons and not enough schools?
Join young people, students, labor leaders, activists,
and educators at Youth Seeking Justice Now!, a
Southern regional conference for the progressive
reform of the criminal justice system. The conference
is the weekend of February 16-18 at North Carolina
State University in Raleigh, NC. We will organize,
educate, and strategize for solutions to solve the
problems that young people face with the criminal
justice system, all in a youth led space full of
hip-hop art and energy. All are welcome. For details
and registration information, go to
http://ncprisonconf.freeservers.com, email us at
ncprisonconf@hotmail.com, or call 919-832-7406

Sodexho-Marriot enslaves the underclass of America in it's prisons and makes thumb sandwiches.

I'm tired of getting graffiti hate mail! Please post it on the discussion boards instead of sending your venom to me! Thanks! -dj

Ashcroft Lied

Tan his hide!




This is some really comprehensive, non-hysterical information on the Ashcroft nomination.  Folks, Ashcroft is the leading edge of a really scary future.  Think about it for a minute, and try to find a moment in your busy day to make these phone calls.  All the info is right here for you. 


If you listen to the media reports on the Ashcroft nomination, you would
conclude that he emerged from four days of hearings without a scratch,
and will sail through his confirmation vote by the Senate.



We assure you - nothing could be further from the truth!




Here is just one indication: today, the New York Times joined us in
urging Senate Democrats to filibuster Ashcroft.



Sensing that the tide is turning against Ashcroft, Republicans on the
Judiciary Committee - led by anti-choice zealot Orrin Hatch - are trying
to force a quick vote to send Ashcroft's nomination to the full Senate.



But the Democrats have just submitted a list of detailed questions that
are crucial to consider before voting. Ashcroft will not have time to
answer these questions before Wednesday. Moreover, Ashcroft's answers are
bound to raise further questions, because his testimony has been full of
contradictions - and worse.



During the hearings, Senators were given important new information about
Ashcroft's extreme positions on the issues. And they were also exposed
directly to Ashcroft's repeated evasions and outright lies - yes, the
same actions that caused the Republican Congress (led prominently by
Ashcroft) to impeach our last elected President, Bill Clinton.



The Attorney General of the United States is the nation's chief law
enforcer, civil rights officer and government ethics watchdog. The
Attorney General should be someone who is distinguished by his or her
ethics, integrity, and impartiality. But as the hearings proved, John
Ashcroft meets NONE of these qualifications. He is a die-hard and
cutthroat partisan, a rabid ideologue, and - worst of all - a serial
liar.



In the final analysis, we believe the single most important reason
Ashcroft should be defeated is because of his lies, as we have documented
in detail at: http://ashcroftlied.com



1. John Ashcroft lied to the Senate about Judge Ronnie White when he
blocked his nomination to the Federal judiciary, and lied again to the
Senate about his reasons for doing so



2. John Ashcroft lied to the Senate about his reasons for opposing James
Hormel for Ambassador to Luxembourg



3. John Ashcroft lied to the Senate about his reasons for opposing David
Satcher for Surgeon General



4. John Ashcroft lied to the Senate four times about his role in
Missouri's school desegregation struggle



5. John Ashcroft lied to the American people when he said he didn't know
the teachings and practices of Bob Jones University



6. John Ashcroft lied to the people of Missouri about his misuse of his
government employees for his re-election campaigns



These lies were not simple misstatements of facts. They were calculated
lies, intended to punish individuals who disagreed with him on his core
ideological issues, namely opposition to abortion rights, gay rights, and
civil rights. John Ashcroft has no integrity - he will do anything to
defeat his chosen enemies.



With your help, we have been gathering feedback on the positions of the
50 Democratic Senators. At this point, here is how the votes look. If you
have a Democratic Senator or two, see where they stand - and take
appropriate action.



We cannot believe that any Democrats are even considering voting for
Ashcroft. The reasons for rejecting him are so overwhelming that there is
absolutely no reason why any Democrat should support him.



We have identified 12 Democrats who are solidly opposed to Ashcroft. They
should be thanked by their constituents.



All of the other Democrats - as well as the five pro-choice Republicans -
should be called EVERY DAY by their constituents. While they should be
urged to vote against Ashcroft on principle, they should also be
persuaded of the crucial POLITICAL reasons for voting against Ashcroft.



None of these Senators would have been elected - or will be re-elected -
without the support of key Democratic constituencies in their own states.
In particular, that means women, blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans,
Asian Americans, gays, environmentalists, gun control supporters,
liberals, and progressives. ALL of these groups are united in their solid
opposition to Ashcroft. It is time for these Senators to recognize and
honor their obligations to these groups.



If you are a local leader in one of these groups, please remind your
Senator of the important constituency you represent, and get your members
to make calls. If you know the leaders of these groups, make sure they
are making calls, and urging their members to do so.



If you see an * before a name, that means they are up for re-election in
2002. These individuals will need every ounce of support from progressive
activists, and should be especially responsive to our appeals. Similarly,
an ^ indicates a Senator who has been mentioned as a potential
Presidential candidate in 2004.



Ashcroft won - more info available at http://ashcroftlied.com.