March 2006 - Issue 10

Local Community to Walk for Haiti

Date: Palm Sunday, April 9, 2006 Start: St Paul’s Roman Catholic Church, 29 Mt. Auburn St., Cambridge performance 1:30 PM walk begins 2 pm Distance: 3 miles

Lessons from the Past: Why We Need Black History Month

In the midst of natural disasters like hurricane Katrina, the recent tsunami and devastating mudslides, the world seems to be navigating pandemonium! People, at first glance, appear to come together to offer succor to one another during these times of crisis. Subsequently breaking apart once the disaster is perceived to be over.

Marijuana in Massachusetts— backward laws, and the highest prices in the US

According to the NORML website, www.norml.com, Massachusetts has the highest average price for an ounce of marijuana in the US, approximately $325. an ounce. Why are our marijuana prices so high?

Conviction of six animal rights activists: a blow to free speech and compassionate activism

On March 2, the Bush administration dealt yet another blow to the First Amendment, as the SHAC 7—SHAC stands for Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty—were found guilty of multiple federal felonies for advocating the closure of the notorious animal-testing lab Huntingdon Life Sciences. Now, all six activists face years in federal prison.

Green-Rainbow Party in Worcester, nominates candidates for Governor, Lt. Governor, Secretary, Treasurer, Auditor

Newcomers Ross, Van Horne, Fortune enter race joined by veterans Jill Stein and Jamie O’Keefe

Picariello is acquitted

On March 8, antiwar activist Richard Picariello won a two-year battle in Boston Municipal Court.

Young People's Project—Finding Our Folk tour

Cambridge Rindge and Latin students, with the Young People's Project and the Community Art Center's Teen Media Program,

Supporters plan Boston fundraiser as cops press charges vs. Somerville 5

The trial of the Somerville 5 has been postponed at the request of the defense. The trial for those to be tried as adults had been scheduled to begin on Monday, March 13 at Cambridge District Court. One of the defense attorneys is repotedly asking to be marked up for sometime in May.

International Women’s Day—March 8—1911-2006

The Socialist International, meeting in Copenhagen in 1910, established a Women's Day to honor the movement for women's rights and for universal suffrage

MIT-designed mini-surveillance coming to your neighborhood

Gillette is hiding tiny RFID [Radio Fequency ID] surveillance chips in the packaging of its shaving products. These spy tags can trigger photo taking of unsuspecting customers.

Anthony Galluccio—politics and real estate

Cambridge City Councilor Anthony Galluccio has an office on Mass. Avenue, a few blocks down from James Batmasian’s old real estate office. Not many years ago, James Batmasian ran his real estate operations from this office.

Will we be silenced any longer? No!

Excerpts from a speech by the 2006 Green-Rainbow candidate for Governor of the Commonwealth, Grace Ross, at the Party’s March 4 nominating convention in Worcester.

Civic engagement, not blind patriotism

Schools do not promote good citizenship through loyalty oaths. To be true to that conviction, I have decided that I must sit silently during the Pledge of Allegiance. I hope that my personal decision will spark a spirited debate.

Green-Rainbow Treasurer candidate will run again

In 2002, I ran for Treasurer of the Commonwealth as the nominee of the then Green Party.

Social control without due process— cops take lessons from the drug industry

Over a 2 1/2 year period, The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) received $11 million in funding from drug companies. This Washington-based lobbyist for the pharmaceutical industry claims to be a grass roots organization.

Magazine Beach—is this restoration, or development?

Several years ago a public meeting was held, or should I say staged, in the Auditorium at the Morse School, where we were informed of plans for the "restoration" of Magazine Beach.

Building emergency communities

Hello from St. Bernard's Parish, just outside New Orleans. I'm living in a tent city run by a new non-profit called Emergency Communities that serves about 1300 meals a day to the people who've returned to their town which was covered under about 20 feet of water for a week or two last fall.

Mad scientists go berserk

One of the top developments of 2005 is a kind of genetic engineering on steroids—a new field called "synthetic biology" in which scientists are setting out to create new forms of life that never existed before.

The oil in our own back yard

When I worked in the oil industry in West Africa, I bought into the economic development argument.

US gets a pass to pass more gas

Pumping methyl bromide gas into the soil is a cheap, effective way of killing practically anything that grows or crawls.

Palestine solidarity movement holds fifth annual Divestment Conference

Some 400 students and activists, including a good showing of Greens, attended the 5th annual Israel Divestment Conference at Georgetown University over the weekend of February 17-19.

Mass. labor notes

for links to the latest labor news from around the state, visit Jobs with Justice at www.massjwj.net

Black Men of Labor Social Club

from New Orleans march in a traditional "Second Line" or "Funeral Line," accompanied by the New orleans based band "The Hot 8." This is a traditional part of New Orleans culture. Through the tour they were able to perform/march with residents of the Baton Rouge FEMA park. Many residents commented on how music was a step toward healing. [photo: Betty Bastidas, Young People's Project)