Help! Key bill stuck in Senate committee. Divest for Darfur

[DesertRat]

Help Push Divestment Bill Through to Vote!
It's been two months since a crucial bill was introduced in the Senate that would empower states to fight the violence by divesting their pension funds. Two months is too long to sit on a bill this important -- lives are being lost every day!

Please join us in urging Senator Dodd to use his position as Chair of the Senate Banking Committee to make sure the Sudan Divestment Authorization Act comes to the Senate floor for a vote without further delays.

http://ga6.org/campaign/senatedivestment?rk=3pwIgiM11HRIE

[EFerrari]

1. K&R. Let's move!

:kick:

[DesertRat]

2. Thanks for helping to spread the word

:kick:

[EFerrari]

8. When I was in grad school, we struck the UC regents for divestment

in South Africa. It caused all kinds of grief, including secretly teaching our courses off campus.

But, it worked. :toast:

[DesertRat]

16. Excellent

:yourock:

[EFerrari]

20. Omigod, we got into so much trouble!

But, it worked. We forced them to pull the money. :shrug:

[DesertRat]

40. Sometimes that's what it takes

:thumbsup:

[EFerrari]

3. Kick

[atreides1]

4. Why has it stalled???

[DesertRat]

7. It's stuck in the Senate Banking Committee

I don't know why. But two months is far too long to sit on such an important bill!

[RB TexLa]

5. And for $20 you can put some money on the ground in the Sudan

and get a t-shirt to promote awareness. I'm on my second one, gave the first one away.

http://www.agreatergift.org/PromotionalMaterials/CRS/WorkofHumanHands/SudanUnisexT.aspx

[EFerrari]

6. Please don't forget to rec so more DUers can see.

:hi:

[babylonsister]

9. Signed and kick! Hopefully Dodd will get the message. nt

[EFerrari]

10. Thank you!

:hi:

[ClassWarrior]

11. K&R... and pick up "Instant Karma," to benefit Darfur.

Then new 2-disc CD with huge bands covering John Lennon songs. All proceeds, as far as I know, go to Darfur aid.

NGU.

[DesertRat]

14. Thanks! n/t

[EFerrari]

23. For us clueless ones, lol, what is the album? n/t

[DesertRat]

37. "Instant Karma" is a new John Lennon tribute album

The headline on "Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur," out today, is that dozens of well-known and semi-well-known musicians from across genres have banded together to release a double-disc tribute that raises awareness about the genocide in Sudan. (Proceeds will go to Amnesty International.)

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2007/06/12/re_imagining_john_lennon_1181615858/

[EFerrari]

38. Awesome!

lol! What a great idea!

[ClassWarrior]

57. Sorry, I wandered off...

LOL

I like REM's version of "Number 9 Dream." U2 does "Instant Karma," but I haven't heard that yet. I'm sure it's awesome. And the Postal Service does a song. I likes me some Postal Service.

NGU.

[EFerrari]

12. Contact info for Senator Dodd:

U.S. Senator Chris Dodd
448 Russell Building | Washington D.C., 20510
Tel: [phone] | Fax: [phone]

30 Lewis St Suite 101 | Hartford, CT 06103
Tel: [phone] —CT only
Fax: [phone]

[EFerrari]

13. I called the office and was put on hold before they got to me.

Don't know what that really means, but when I expressed my concern, the staff was cordial.

:kick:

[DesertRat]

15. Thanks! n/t

[EFerrari]

17. This bill can make a real difference. Pull the money and the violence

gets defunded.

We need one more vote here.

:kick:

[Robbien]

21. Recommended

It surprises me that Dodd is not moving on this when so many eyes in Hollywood are on Darfur. You would think this would be a slam dunk bill for anyone running for the WH.

[EFerrari]

22. I don't understand it. Maybe we are too stressed out and

it seems too remote?

But this is a small planet and thanks for your help. :hi:

[DesertRat]

41. I would think so too

Maybe he's so distracted with the immigration debate and running for president...Hopefully we can get the word out and put some pressure on Dodd and others on the committee to move this bill.

[fooj]

18. KandR

:kick:

[EFerrari]

19. Thank you, fooj.

:hi:

[Lerkfish]

24. kciked and recc'd

even though I can't spell "kicked" for some reason

[EFerrari]

25. Lol! Thnka you.

[Cleita]

26. K&R

:kick:

[EFerrari]

27. kick

[malta blue]

28. Done...k&r

[UTUSN]

29. Done!!1 n/t

[EFerrari]

32. Thank you, my friend.

:kick:

[sinkingfeeling]

30. Done. Thanks.

[EFerrari]

35. Thank you!

:kick:

[DesertRat]

44. Hope you'll spread the word.

:kick:

[Skidmore]

31. K&R

Crank those phones, folks.

[EFerrari]

36. Thank you, Skidmore.

:hi:

[IChing]

33. k&r n/t

[EFerrari]

34. Are there any other veterans of divestiture on this thread?

Jesse Jackson and many others came to speak at Cal during our strike to get our university to pull their investments in South Africa. I'll never forget that. Grad students struck and basically shut down most undergrad ed on campus until it was over. It wasn't easy and we caught a lot of flak, risked scholarships and grants and awards.

But it worked.

Anyone else remember that?

[malta blue]

42. We built a shanty town right in front of the library on October

of 1986 at Carleton College and it stayed there through the rest of the term. We slept out there and it was pretty frickin cold in Minnesota in November, but it worked!

[DesertRat]

43. Good for you!

We need that kind of passion on this issue. :toast:

[malta blue]

45. Part of me truly believes that the internet has

caused the decline of protests. People can rant away at their keyboards and get it out of their system. We should be taking to the streets too!

[DesertRat]

48. That's an interesting point

We took to the streets regularly when I was in college in the 70's. I don't see that kind of passion today. Maybe the internet has played a role.

[malta blue]

51. If there are so many opposed to the war as the polls suggest,

why aren't there protests everyday?

In my town, I go every Saturday and join about 15 others and protest the war. Sometimes I bring little MB with me, but lately there has been an older man who comes and yells obscenities at us, and so I choose not to subject my 8 year old to that. She loves to protest though - she has her own little songs and marches around with her signs...

More people really need to take it to the streets!

[EFerrari]

52. Imho, we do but the Noise Machine doesn't cover it.

And, they misreport attendance all the time.

But, yes! We need some help here!

[DesertRat]

54. I think it's because there is no draft

It doesn't touch most of the young people personally so they aren't fired up about it. Maybe little MB will help to lead the way for her generation. :)

[EFerrari]

55. I tend to think it works the other way. The net helps us organize

and network. But, that's just mho.

[EFerrari]

46. November in Minnesota?! Wow!

I remember being afraid for months that I would have to leave Berkeley (we were getting threatening letters -- about pulling our grants) but slogging through anyway because at some point, you have to stand up.

It did work. And we were able to move the international community on apartheid.

And that's why we need to support this bill. That's why we need to demand that this bill be taken out of a folder and put on the floor. In any way we can.

[malta blue]

47. I was blessed to be a 16 year old freshman with the complete

support of my parents. The worst they could have done to me was kick me out of school and I doubt they were going to do that. The trustee meetings were quite interesting. We made damned sure they knew we were there.

[EFerrari]

50. Every seminar I sat in was lectured to about how this wouldn't work.

And all my peers (and I) had to find a place off campus to teach.

It was a really terrible time in our department anyway, because people were so torn. We didn't want to bail on our students who'd worked SO HARD to get there; we didn't want to be complicit with apartheid.

Pulling the money works. It seems to be the shortest route to the best outcome.

Let's keep moving.

:kick:

[ClassWarrior]

58. Bless you for doing it, Kiddo!

I continue to be impressed by you.

And yes, I remember when y'all forced the national debate on this. Well done. Just shows to go ya that individual action CAN make a big difference.

Never Give Up, my friend.

[EFerrari]

59. And give up show business?

:rofl:

[ClassWarrior]

60. Who gave up show business?

:scritchin' me haid:

NGU.

[EFerrari]

39. kick

[DesertRat]

49. Kick!

[EFerrari]

53. kick for a good solution.

[EFerrari]

56. shameless kick

[Solly Mack]

61. K&R

[DesertRat]

62. kick

[otherlander]

63. K&R

[NNN0LHI]

64. Something needs to be done about this ASAP. Recommended n/t

[EFerrari]

65. Thank you.

:kick:

[DesertRat]

72. Thanks. Hope you'll help spread the word.

:thumbsup:

[uppityperson]

66. k&r for Humanity

[EFerrari]

67. Thank you, UP.

:)

[helderheid]

68. K & R!!

[DesertRat]

73. Thanks Helderheid!

:kick:

[EFerrari]

69. Look at this thread! 18 votes!

:woohoo:

Go, DU!

:woohoo:

[DesertRat]

70. Woohoo!

I hope that a lot of people signed the letter to Sen. Dodd too. :bounce:

[EFerrari]

71. And called!

:toast:

[UTUSN]

74. Kick- a-ronni-Kick-a-POO!!1 n/t

[EFerrari]

75. And kick!

[DesertRat]

76. kick!

[EFerrari]

77. kick

[JohnLocke]

78. K&R

[DesertRat]

79. morning kick!

[EFerrari]

80. kick

[NNN0LHI]

81. punt n/t

[DesertRat]

82. Thanks! LOL

[DesertRat]

83. Kick!

:kick: