Stay Informed | Spread Truth | Act Daily Fact & Act #28 Thursday, October 17 1991* LMNOP - Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace http://lmno4p.org *This is 1991, right? Recession, war on Iraq, lower markets, low employment, low job creation, weak dollar, a "president" who is out of touch-- "It's the economy stupid" --with the people, lies and rumors being touted by politicians and the press as truth. +=+=+=+ ANALYSIS +=+=+=+ "(You) are my heroes." - Senator Robert C. Byrd "I have heard from tens of thousands of Americans Ð people from all across this country of ours Ð who have urged me to keep up the fight.Ê I am only one Senator from a small state, yet in the past week I have received nearly 20,000 telephone calls and nearly 50,000 e-mails supporting my position. I want all of those people across America who took the time to contact me to know how their words have heartened me and sustained me in my efforts to turn the tide of opinion in the Senate. They are my heroes, and I will never forget the remarkable courage and patriotism that reverberated in the fervor of their messages. As the apostle Paul said, "IÊ have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." There are Americans all across this country who have joined in spirit with me and a small band of like-minded Senators in fighting the good fight. We could stay here on the floor and continue to fight, and it is certainly a fight worth the effort.Ê But there is also a point at which it becomes time to accept reality and to regroup.Ê It is clear that we have lost the battle in the Senate, but we have not yet lost the war. The next front is the White House, and I urge all those people who are following this debate, and who have encouraged me in my efforts, to turn their attention to the President. Call him, write him, e-mail him.Ê Urge him to heed the Constitution and not short-circuit it by exercising the broad grant of authority that the Iraq resolution provides. In this debate, the American people seem to have a better understanding of the Constitution than those who are elected to represent them.Ê Perhaps it is that their understanding of the Constitution is not filtered through the prism of election year politics.Ê For whatever reason, I believe that the American people have a better understanding of what the Senate is about to do, a greater respect for the inherent powers of the Constitution, and a greater comprehension of the far-reaching consequences of this resolution than do most of their leaders. I thank my colleagues who have allowed me to express at length my reasons for opposing this resolution.Ê I thank those Senators who have stood with me, supported me, and encouraged me.Ê I thank those Senators who have engaged in thoughtful debate with me.Ê I do not believe that the Senate has given enough time or enough consideration to the question of handing the President unchecked authorityÊ to usurp the Constitution and declare war on Iraq.Ê But I accept the futility of continuing to fight on this front. I say to the people of America, to those who have encouraged me and others to uphold the principles of the Constitution, keep up the fight.Ê Keep fighting for what is right.Ê Let your voices be heard.Ê I will always listen to you, and I hope that the President will begin to listen to you.Ê May God bless you in your endeavors." Senate Remarks:Ê A Preordained Course of Action on Iraq United States Senator from West Virginia Robert C. Byrd http://byrd.senate.gov/byrd_newsroom/byrd_news_oct2002/rls_oct2002/rls_oct2002_3.html +=+=+=+ ACTION +=+=+=+ 1). Congratulate and thank Senator Robert Byrd senator_byrd@byrd.senate.gov 2). Congratulate and thank Representative Barbara Lee barbara.lee@mail.house.gov 3). Congratulate and thank Representative Nancy Pelosi sf.nancy@mail.house.gov 4). Express your disappointment with the increasingly Republican Senator Diane Feinstein http://congress.org/congressorg/webreturn/?url=http://feinstein.senate.gov 5). Write, call, email, fax, visit President George W. Bush president@whitehouse.gov Phone: (202) 456-1414 Fax: (202) 456-2461 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500 6). Democrats may wish to send a message by changing parties. Consider becoming a Green, Independent, or Libertarian Party Member http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/votereg1.html +=+=+=+ FACT +=+=+=+ Researchers found that the longer test subjects watched TV coverage of the Iraq war, the more they supported the war but the less informed they became. Pro-war couch potatoes were twice as likely as critics to claim (incorrectly) that Kuwait was a democracy; only 31% knew that Israel had an army of occupation in neighboring territories; only 3% were cognizant of Syria's occupation of Lebanon; only 2% recalled that Iraq's invasion of Kuwait had been prompted by Kuwait's lowering of oil prices and theft of oil drilled from wells in Iraqi territory. In the words of the researchers, "We discovered that the correlation between TV watching and knowledge was a negative one." Pull the Plug Isthmus, April 3, 1992 http://webwm.com/set/ +=+=+=+ RESOURCES +=+=+=+ Society for the Eradication of Television http://webwm.com/set +=+=+=+ DEFICIT WATCH +=+=+=+ From LMNOP's Stock Watch (http://lmno4p.org/stockwatch.htm#men) 10/15/2002 -$6,246,660,392,073.73 10/11/2002 -$6,239,556,841,863.96 (trillions) Day difference: $7,103,550,209.77 (billions) ***** Fuel economy is declining as global warming accelerates. Automobile and light truck fuel economy declined in 2001, reaching their lowest levels since 1980. Overall, average fuel economy levels have declined by 8% since reaching their peak in 1998. At the same time, 2001 was the second warmest year on record, and areas across the country are experiencing their worst droughts in decades. ***** Undernews http://www.prorev.com +=+=+=+ CALENDAR +=+=+=+ ***** TODAY, Thursday, October 17 ***** Ongoing: Non-violent tent-city at SF Federal Building http://lmno4p.org/actions.htm#bul ***** TOMORROW, Friday, October 18 ***** Ongoing: Non-violent tent-city at SF Federal Building http://lmno4p.org/actions.htm#bul Throughout the day, throughout the Bay "Bowling for Columbine" http://www.bowlingforcolumbine.com/ Showtimes http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&id=1808419749&cf=showtimes 12n-1p Berkeley Women in Black Vigil for Peace & Justice for the Palestinian Occupied Territories Bancroft & Telegraph 6-7p Fremont Peace Corner http://www.theargusonline.com/Stories/0,1413,83%257E1971%257E899708,00.html 6:30p Not in Our Name Nat'l Report Back http://www.notinourname.net/events.html 7-8:30p Town Hall Teach-In IRAQ: Stop Bush from Bombing 474 Valencia (between 15th and 16th) San Francisco http://sftownhall.org/calendar.php http://lmno4p.org/calendar.htm More in the Resources section at LMNOP http://lmno4p.org/resources.htm +=+=+=+=+ LMNOP http://lmno4p.org archives of Daily Fact & Acts: http://lmno4p.org/fa/ +=+=+=+=+