My Spartans just lost. Go Illinois!
Oppose John Bolton's Nomination to UN
On March 7, President Bush shocked the world by nominating John Bolton, who's dedicated his life to undermining the United Nations, to be our UN Ambassador. Bolton has made a career of ridiculing our work with other nations to achieve our goals. If Bolton is confirmed by the Senate, he will isolate America in the world, leaving us without partners to work with to keep us safe. In fact, 59 former American diplomats, from both Democratic and Republican administrations, have written a letter urging the Senate to oppose Bolton's nomination.
Throughout his career in the Departments of Justice and State and in his personal writings, John R. Bolton has repeatedly belittled international institutions and undermined global cooperation. Let Bolton tell you in his own words how he feels about the United Nations:
"If the UN secretary building in New York lost 10 stories, it wouldn't make a bit of difference."
"There is no such thing as the United Nations. There is an international community that occasionally can be led by the only real power left in the world and that is the United States when it suits our interest and we can get others to go along." (both from: 1994 Global Structures Convocation, Washington, DC.)
Bolton's nomination is a serious threat to America's time-honored tradition of working with other nations to solve global problems. His obvious and well-known contempt for global cooperation could prove disastrous to U.S. national security. Sign this petition today to tell your Senators to oppose Bolton's nomination to the United Nations. Please act now - confirmation hearings start on April 7th, just days away!
http://www.care2.com/go/z/22692
Urge Your Senators to Oppose the "Nuclear Option" Preventing Filibusters of Judicial Nominees
President Bush and Senate Republicans are stacking the federal courts with right-wing, anti-women's rights judges. But they are not satisfied. They want to prevent any meaningful opposition to these judges.
In an unprecedented abuse of power, Senate Republicans, led by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (TN), are outrageously attempting to change the rules of the Senate to prevent even these filibusters of judicial nominees.
Let us not be fooled. The real purpose of their so-called "nuclear option" is to make the Senate a rubber stamp for all judicial nominees, including Supreme Court nominees. Republicans want a free ride when it comes to stacking the Supreme Court with far-right, reactionary justices. That's why they are so intent on changing the rules before a Supreme Court resignation occurs.
Take action today! Send a message to your Senators urging them to vote "NO" on the "nuclear option.
http://capwiz.com/fmf1/issues/alert/?alertid=7327826
Don't Stand for "Abstinence-Only" Programs: Fight Back Today!
Thanks to "Professor" Bush, accurate sex-ed is being replaced by "abstinence-only" programs in our schools. Why is this such a problem for America's teens? These programs force teachers and schools to lie, deceive, and censor information from students. Teachers can't talk about birth control as a way to prevent pregnancy or STDs, and these programs include false and misleading information. Teaching abstinence is good. But teens also need to learn the truth when it comes to using birth control and avoiding STDs.
Worst of all, there is no proof that abstinence-only programs work. In fact, recent studies show that young people are less likely to use condoms when they do have sex for the first time because they don't think they will work.
Sen. Frank Lautenberg's Responsible Education About Life (REAL) Act is an alternative to "abstinence-only" programs and would give students REAL answers by establishing the first-ever federal sex-education program. The REAL Act would support programs that teach both abstinence AND contraception, and that are proven to reduce unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases among teens.
Send the letter at the link below to help pass the REAL Act and establish responsible sex-education programs.
http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/sexed/index2.html
Washington Mutual Unfair to Indian and U.S. Workers
Seattle-based Washington Mutual (WaMu) is the largest savings and loan institution in the United States, and is recognized as a leader in customer service and corporate social responsibility, as well as a being a very good place to work.
It was with this keen business sense that WaMu, like many of its peers, made an agreement in early 2004 to offshore some of its IT call center work. The idea was that about 35 outsourced staff could help troubleshoot WaMu's IT problems from the New Delhi offices of leading Indian outsourcer Wipro Spectramind.
However, according to former staff working on the contract, WaMu's mission statement to ensure that every human interaction is caring, courteous and respectful was not often in evidence in the Wipro's New Delhi offices, particularly to Wipro's employees working on the WaMu account.
Wipro Spectramind makes few bones about forcing staff to take on Western names. According to chief operating officer, Devashish Ghosh, employees working on several processes [contracts] are required to take on Western aliases.
The Wipro employees are alleging poor working conditions while working on the Washington Mutual account. This includes long hours with no breaks, firings and rough treatment from managers.
http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/wa_mu/
Support Islands Spirit Rising on Haida Gwaii
The controversy over Weyerhaeuser's mistreatment of First Nations and their rights has reached a boiling point. Hundreds of Island residents have begun "Islands Spirit Rising"-- effectively shutting down logging on the islands,
According to a statement issued by the Islands Spirit Rising, "Weyerhaeuser has shown no respect for the land, the culture, or the people who have worked for them. Weyerhaeuser has also shown no respect for its own word. In commitments made to the CHN, the communities and the people who work for them, five of the six commitments have been violated. Now the company is poised to sell its interests and in its final hours is attempting to strip all that it can from this land."
Support the people of Haida Gwaii--tell Weyerhaeuser that communities matter.
http://action.ran.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=25260&ms=IslandSpiritRising
Speak Up for the CU 34 Monkeys
The University of Colorado (CU) is holding thirty-four monkeys who were the subjects of cruel experiments - including archaic maternal deprivation studies - in the basement of a one hundred year old building that does not meet even the minimum U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) housing standards. These monkeys could be immediately transferred to a sanctuary that has already agreed to provide for their care, yet CU officials are demanding a $10,000 to $15,000 ransom for the release of each monkey.
http://ga0.org/campaign/CU34monkeys
Clear-thinking Republicans?
Will clear-thinking Republican Senators pull their party's leaders back from the brink? Or will they let slash-and-burn political tactics change the character of American democracy forever?
Within a matter of days, the Senate could face a truly momentous decision - one with consequences that will reverberate across America for decades to come.
Imagine a world in which every appointment to the federal judiciary is tightly controlled by an extreme element within one party. Imagine the kinds of judges that will sit on the federal bench - even on the Supreme Court -- if George W. Bush never needs a single Democratic vote.
Imagine the kind of decisions those judges will make on everything from civil rights to civil liberties to a woman's right to choose and family privacy.
Republican leaders in the Senate have done more than imagine. They're getting ready to force a Senate vote that would take a giant step towards creating that kind of America.
That's why, when Republican Senators return to Washington next Tuesday, the johnkerry.com community is planning to greet them with a powerful message in that morning's edition of USA Today.
When we run our ad on Tuesday, I want to report that hundreds of thousands of johnkerry.com activists from across the nation have expressed their personal support for its message. The larger that number, the more powerful our message will be.
Please let us know right now that we can count you among those who support our call for Republican Senators to stand on principle.
http://www.johnkerry.com/usatoday
Vote Against Bankruptcy Bill
Any day now, your Representative in Congress will vote on a hugely important Bankruptcy Bill (HR 685) that could literally change your life. The bill was written by credit card companies, which made $30 billion in profits in 2004, and are blinded by greed.
The bill will change current law to prevent many families from declaring bankruptcy under Chapter 7. Rather than being able to cancel some debts and make a difficult new start, families and individuals will be placed on long-term payment plans to credit card companies, companies that will take their houses, their cars, their child-support payments, and their paychecks.
If this bill becomes law, an unexpected medical expense or job loss could leave you in perpetual debt to these loan sharks.
Tell your congress member to vote against the "Debt Slavery" Bankruptcy Bill now!
http://capwiz.com/pdamerica/issues/alert/?alertid=7319731&type=CO
Please Speak for the Seals
The Canadian seal hunt is bigger now than it has been in 50 years. This year alone, the government is allowing the methodical slaughter of 319,500 helpless seals purely in the name of profit. Many more will die that go unaccounted for.
Sealers count on the fact you won't speak out against them. The biggest advantage sealers have in their favor is the lack of awareness by the rest of the world that one of nature's greatest wildlife spectacles is being systematically destroyed by a virtual killing machine.
That's why your voice is needed now more than ever to raise a public outcry, to show the Canadian Parliament that the rest of the world does care and will no longer stand for this cruel and senseless hunt against such an innocent creature. Your comments will be delivered to Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
http://www.stopthesealhunt.com/site/apps/ka/ct/contactcustom.asp?c=hmKYJeNVJtF&b=412891
These and over 325 other action alerts are archived at http://shetquaker.blog-city.com/
