Democracy for New Mexico

May 4th DFNM Meetup Features Noted Activist Mark Rudd

Our next DFA-Democracy for New Mexico Meetup is set for Thursday, May 4th, at 7:00 PM at the First Unitarian Church at Carlisle and Comanche. To RSVP for the Meetup or to join our email listserve, visit our Meetup website.

Photo credit Tina Larkin, Daily Lobo

Our featured guest this month is noted political activist and TVI faculty member Mark Rudd (above). Mark will be leading a wide-ranging, interactive discussion on approaches to getting progressive nonvoters to the polls, immigration issues, the Iraq war and the threat of an Iran war. Check out Mark's bio below. By all accounts this should be a free-wheeling and compelling discussion. Don't miss it.

Coincidentally, May 4th is also the 36th anniversary of the killing of four students and the wounding of nine others at Kent State University by members of the National Guard during an anti-Vietnam protest. Unfortunately, the atmosphere in the U.S. appears to be in danger of coming full circle.

Our agenda also features shorter segments with Stephanie Gonzales (left), Democratic candidate for Secretary of State, and Geno Zamora (right), Democratic candidate for Attorney General, as well as our usual array of announcements  and information on opportunities for activism. Come on down for another evening of grassroots community and a lively discussion on the issues. Bring a friend.

Mark Rudd Bio:
Mark Rudd was the Chairman of the Columbia University chapter of Students for a Democratic Society in April, 1968, during the student rebellion there against the university's support for the war in Vietnam and its institutional racism. After being kicked out of Columbia, he helped found the Weatherman faction of SDS and was elected SDS' last National Secretary in July, 1969. He then made the disastrous decision to destroy SDS and found the Weather Underground; he was a federal fugitive from 1970 to 1977.

Mark has been living and working and organizing in Albuquerque since 1978. He was active with the Mt. Taylor Alliance, opposing uranium mining and waste dumping, in Native American solidarity movements such as supporting the Big Mountain elders on the Navajo Reservation, fighting against the arms race in the early eighties. He helped found the NM Construction Brigade to Nicaragua in 1985 and was active in the Central America Solidarity Movement. He was Board Chairman of the
Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice in the late eighties. 

He helped found the TVI Employees Federation, an AFT local union, and participated in a four-year organizing effort there; he continues as his local's COPE Co-chair.  He helped found the Alliance for Academic Freedom in 2003 to defend local teachers who had been dismissed or suspended for allowing anti-war expression.  He has been involved over the years in supporting the right of Palestinians to a state and opposing Israel's occupation of their territory.  He has been active
in environmental health organizing in his South Valley neighborhood and also in opposing the Mixed Waste Landfill at Kirtland Air Force Base.

He continues to write and speak about the history of the Vietnam anti-war movement and its relevance to today.

Thank You Steve Colbert

Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central's Colbert Report was the featured guest at Saturday's White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington and he went after Bush no holds barred. With Bush sitting a few seats down from the podium. Visit the new website Thank You Steve Colbert and you can watch excellent quality video of his performance in three parts. You can also express your appreciation to Steve for his in-your-face courage in confronting Bush.

Visit this post on Daily Kos for a complete transcript of Colbert's segment. You can currently watch the entire show on CSPAN's website, under Recent Programs, including Bush's segment, that featured a Bush impersonator that was funny (and tragic) to me in ways I don't think Dubya anticipated.

Call Your Senators This Week on Iraq War!

From Democrats.com Unity:
The Senate is expected to vote on $67 billion more for war this week, and to vote on amendments to that supplemental spending bill. Senator Bill Frist may seek to block some amendments from coming to a vote.

Call both of your senators and tell them you do not want one more dime spent on this war, that you do not want debate closed off by blocking amendments, and that you support the following amendments:

• Senator Joseph Biden's amendment to prevent this money being spent on the construction of permanent bases.
• Senator Robert Byrd's amendment stating that any request for funds for an ongoing military operation overseas, including operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, should be included in the annual budget of the President rather than using emergency supplemental appropriations bills that receive less scrutiny.
• Senator Russ Feingold's amendment requiring the redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq by December 31, 2006.

Call the Capitol switchboard tollfree at 888-818-6641 or at 202-224-3121.