Democracy for New Mexico

Guild Cinema Presents 'Veterans on Film' Series

From Albuquerque's Guild Cinema:

NOVEMBER 10-15: VETERANS ON FILM Series: For the week of Veterans Day, we present a five-film mini-series offering different looks at returning soldiers from WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam. From the changing relationships seen in THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES to the traumatized reactions of the men in TARGETS and A HATFUL OF RAIN, these films offer complex narratives where adjusting to civilian life is never easy, and ticker-tape parades are nowhere in sight.

Rather than approaching the series from a documentary perspective, we've chosen Hollywood films (and one from Britain) which depict fictional veterans from a variety of angles, all focusing on the sociological over the political. Thus, this series is based neither around hawks nor doves, but the lingering effects of war on the individual, the family, and the society at large. Two of the films in the series are getting extremely rare screenings (THE SMALL BACK ROOM and A HATFUL OF RAIN), and the programs of November 12-15 are two-for-one double features.

NOVEMBER 10 & 11 (SAT & SUN): 3:30, 7:00
THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES
Dir. William Wyler - 1946 - 172m
A monumental cinema classic, this multi-Oscar winning drama about three men, one from each branch of the armed forces, coming home after WWII resonates with honest emotion. In superlative performances, Dana Andrews, Fredric March and Harold Russell play the trio who meet on an airship, each headed home to different families, and a different nation, than they had left behind. Myrna Loy, Cathy O’Donnell, Virginia Mayo and Teresa Wright all shine as the women of the men’s past and present. Masterfully photographed by Gregg Toland (CITIZEN KANE, STAGECOACH), this understated drama has lost none of its power and relevance some 71 years after its release.

"It is seldom that there comes a motion picture which can be wholly and enthusiastically endorsed not only as superlative entertainment but as food for quiet and humanizing thought... In working out their solutions (the filmmakers) have achieved some of the most beautiful and inspiring demonstrations of human fortitude that we have had in films." - New York Times, 1946

NOVEMBER 12 & 13 (MON & TUE): 2-FOR-1 DOUBLE FEATURE!

I AM A FUGITIVE FROM A CHAIN GANG (4:45, 8:30)
Dir. Mervyn LeRoy - 1932 - 93m
WWI vet Paul Muni yearns for something beyond the dull desk job held for his return, but a wrong place-wrong time incident lands him on a vicious Southern chain gang - and into a hell worse than the battlefield he’d just left. This nail-bitingly suspenseful and tense drama was such a searing indictment of the chain gang system that it led to its eventual dismantling, and what makes it even more compelling is the fact that the story is true. The getaway scene through the swampland remains one of the great chases of cinema history.

RARE SCREENING - THE SMALL BACK ROOM (6:30)
Dirs. Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger - 1949 - 106m
UK - shown on digital video
One of the least-seen masterpieces of British film legends Powell and Pressburger stars David Farrar as Sammy, a troubled master bomb diffuser in WWII London who seems to be a ticking timebomb, himself. Kathleen Byron (BLACK NARCISSUS) co-stars as Sammy's clandestine lover, and their sensuous relationship plays out against a backdrop of mystery about Sammy’s wartime past and a crippling leg injury, and his battle with the bottle.

"Sammy, in David Farrar's brooding, psychotic performance, is a prototype anti-hero of a later decade, and the expression of his private hell brilliantly condenses the menace and dislocation of Lang's American films noirs, from MINISTRY OF FEAR to THE BIG HEAT...THE SMALL BACK ROOM also struck a very different note from the cosy unanimity of most British war films, long before it became fashionable to challenge such myths. The violence and implicit sexuality of the relationship between Sammy and Susan seems equally alien to the genteel naïvete that still dominated British films, apart from the licence granted to such passions in period melodrama." - British Film Institute

NOVEMBER 14 & 15 (WED & THU): 2-FOR-1 DOUBLE FEATURE!

TARGETS (4:45, 8:40)
Dir. Peter Bogdanovich - 1968 - 90m
An all-American boy-next-door (Bobby O’Kelly), fresh from Vietnam, calmly goes on a horrific rampage. An aging horror film star (Boris Karloff), tired of on-screen mayhem, decides to retire. Fate will bring them together, culminating in one of the screen’s most horrifying and memorable climaxes. Bogdanovich’s first feature (written with an uncredited Samuel Fuller), is a shocking low-budget parable, informed by a decade drawing to a tragic close.

RARE SCREENING - A HATFUL OF RAIN (6:30)
Dir. Fred Zinnemann - 1957 - 109m - Cinemascope
Based on the play by Michael V. Gazzo, the film follows the story of a veteran Korean War soldier who becomes addicted to morphine, leading to some of the most intense family dynamics of any 1950s film. The performances are uniformly first-rate, particularly Don Murray as the junkie husband and Oscar-nominated Anthony Franciosa as his brother. Tough screenplay by a then-blacklisted Carl Foreman, whose name was only added to the credits in 1998, 14 years after his death.

"...a tremendously taut and true description of human agony and shame, of solicitude and frustration and the piteousness of tangled love. And it is so directed by Mr. Zinnemann and acted by an excellent cast that every concept and nuance of the story is revealed. Make no mistake: this is a striking, sobering film." - New York Times, 1957

The Guild Cinema is located in the heart of the historic Nob Hill district of Albuquerque at 3405 Central Avenue NE, two blocks west of Carlisle on the north side of the street (Map). PARKING: We recommend parking north of the theater along Tulane (two doors west of the theater) or Campus, where there are no hourly restrictions. DO NOT park in the Red Wing Shoes parking lot - they will tow you. There are also meters along Central.

Iraq War Purple Heart Recipient Criticizes Rush Limbaugh for 'Phony Soldiers' Remark

In the not-letting-them-get-away-with-it department: VoteVets.org, the leading political group of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, is today launching a hard-hitting ad that directly takes on Rush Limbaugh for his contention that those who served in Iraq, but oppose the Bush administration's failed policies, are "phony soldiers." (See our previous post.)

The ad (video above) will air nationally Wednesday and Thursday on FOX News and CNN, and a radio version of the ad will air during the Rush Limbaugh Show in Washington, DC and in his home market of Palm Beach, Florida. The total amount of the ad buy is $60,000. A broadcast quality radio version of the ad will be posted at VoteVets.org later this afternoon.

The ad features Brian McGough of Washington, DC, who was wounded in action when he took shrapnel to his head as a result of an enemy explosive. McGough received the Purple Heart for his traumatic brain injury.

In the ad, McGough says, "More and more troops and veterans of Iraq believe George Bush's military policy has been a disaster...I am one of them. Rush Limbaugh called vets like me "phony soldiers" for telling the truth about Iraq. Rush, the shrapnel I took to my head was real. My traumatic brain injury was real. And, my belief that we are on the wrong course in Iraq is real. Until you have the guts to call me a "phony solider" to my face, stop telling lies about my service." Text then reads, "Tell Rush Limbaugh to stop insulting our troops and veterans. (800) 282-2882."

Jon Soltz, Iraq War Veteran and Chairman of VoteVets.org, said, "Maybe Rush Limbaugh and his ilk haven't heard, but there's a new sheriff in town - America's troops and veterans, who are not going to sit idle while people like Rush demean the service of those who oppose the President's failed policy in Iraq. Maybe Rush got away with smears like this in the past, but he's not going to on our watch. There's nothing phony about those who chose to wear the uniform and fight. And someone like Rush Limbaugh, who avoided service, is the one of the least qualified people on the face of the earth to pass judgment on us."

VoteVets.org is a pro-military organization committed to the destruction of terror networks around the world, with force when necessary. It represents the Voice of America's 21 Century Patriots - those who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. It primarily focuses on nonpartisan education and advocacy on behalf of troops, veterans and their families.

Click to donate to VoteVets to help them support the troops and oppose the escalation in Iraq.

Resolution Introduced in U.S. House
Meanwhile Rep. Mark Udall of Colorado has introduced a in the U.S. House condemning Rush for his nasty remarks. If we want to see this bill brought to a vote, we need to contact the Dem House leaders and Rep. Tom Udall (NM-03).

GI Rights & Iraq War Featured on Indy Media TV Tonight

From Indy Media TV:
Friday, September 21, 7-8 PM, Comcast Cable Channel 27 and at quote-unquote.org: GI Rights and the Iraq War. Indy Media TV welcomes Reber Boult, an attorney who has worked with GI war resisters since the Vietnam war; Jackie Thomason, from the National GI Rights Hotline; and Bruce Clark, Marine Veteran and father of a marine stationed 20 KM outside of Baghdad right now. Tune in and call in live: 346-1633.

UNM Grad Students Pass Bring the Troops Home Resolution

From the University of New Mexico’s Graduate & Professional Student Association (GPSA): On Saturday, September 7th, the UNM GPSA Council passed a resolution asking the US Congress to end the US occupation of Iraq. Citing concern for the wellbeing of US military service persons and the exorbitant costs of the war, the resolution calls for providing comprehensive health and higher educational assistance to returning troops.

The purpose of the resolution is to call attention to local student and community needs that are not being fully met due to the allocation of needed funds to the US military engagement in Iraq.

“The billions of dollars being squandered in Iraq could be much better spent making campus safer and more family friendly, and providing health care and affordable housing to students,” said GPSA President Joseph J. García. Noting the lack of diversity among the ranks of graduate and professional students, Mr. García said New Mexican’s tax money, instead of funding war, should “go towards more financial aid for aspiring graduate students from traditionally excluded backgrounds.”

Lending their support of the resolution at the meeting were State Senator Gerald Ortiz y Pino and City Councilor Isaac Benton. They spoke of the necessity for students and citizens to be heard on important issues, and described their efforts to express opposition to the US occupation of Iraq at the state legislature and city council.

The GPSA council is composed of graduate student representatives from departments across UNM—including the schools of law and medicine.

The GPSA Council will now send copies of the resolution to New Mexico’s congressional delegation, the Albuquerque City Council, the UNM Board of Regents, and the President of the United States of America.

For further information please call GPSA staffer Max Fitzpatrick at 850-4364 or 277-3803, or GPSA President Joseph J. García at 400-3802.

KUNM's Women's Focus on Veterans This Saturday

On Saturday, September 8, from 12 - 2 PM, Women's Focus on public radio KUNM 89.9 FM will feature Carol Boss  and Maria Santelli welcoming a panel of women veterans for a discussion of their experiences in their service to the US Military.  Also, learn how you can support local veterans and GIs in their work for peace and justice. You can also listen to a live stream . Questions? mjs1126@hotmail.com.

We Can't Make It Here Anymore: Labor Day Edition

The mood of the country this Labor Day seems ripe for a little James McMurtry. A house of cards collapsing in on itself because of crooked deals and unpayable debt. "Free" trade robber barons piling up their tax-free bloat. Criminals in the board rooms and government and K Street. We're entrenched in one corporate quagmire war, while another threatens as Bush plots ways to attack Iran. Oh, and here's what our Democratic "leaders" are saying about continuing funding for Iraq. Happy Labor Day 2007. Think I'll head to the mountains, for some grounding.

Register Now: GI Rights and Veteran Support Training for New Mexicans

From Maria Santelli: Saturday, September 22, 1-5 PM: GI Rights and Veteran Support Training for New Mexicans! Four and a half years into the war and occupation of Iraq, New Mexico is home to 24,000 Iraq Veterans and tens of thousands of active duty service members -- many of whom have been left behind by the US Government and want to work through their trauma by working for peace. (Remember the importance of GI resistance in ending the Vietnam War.) Let's strengthen our local support network and link New Mexico into the national GI Hotline so we can serve our local community directly and effectively. 

This can be intense but critically important work, so we are asking you to please register by calling Maria at 247-9694, by Wednesday, September 19. Extended two-day training option if there is enough interest. (PLEASE CALL TO REGISTER AND FOR LOCATION).

Guest Blog: Senator Domenici-How In Good Conscience Can You Do This To Our Men And Women In Uniform?

This is a guest blog from Bobby Muller, founder of Veterans for America:

Sen. Pete Domenici: I have a fundamental question for you -– a really simple basic question. One that every American should be asking themselves right now as you –- and the rest of our Senators –- get ready to return from your month-long break.

When the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said that our troops were at their breaking point, when the Department of Defense reported that our current deployment policies are compounding the wounds of war, causing mental health problems among our troops to skyrocket, and that one of the primary causes was our current policy of deploying troops back to Iraq and Afghanistan without adequate dwell time at home, why didn't you do something about it?

How can you not support a policy where soldiers are deployed for 15 months in Iraq and then receive at least equal time stationed stateside to rest, train, and then fight again?  (And at least three times that much at home if they are from the Guard or Reserve.)

Well guess what? You aren't alone. Back in July before you took your summer break, a lot of United States Senators voted against this fundamental act of fairness by voting against the Webb-Hagel Amendment. (Click here to see a press conference where I spoke up for this bill before the vote.)

What's shocking to me is that this amendment was sponsored by two veterans, one Democrat and one Republican, and it was a bill that unlike many in D.C. is incredibly simple and –- more importantly -- fair to our troops: At least one month stationed stateside for every month served in Iraq or Afghanistan.  It doesn't get any more basic or any more fair than that.

Here is the exact wording of the amendment in case you didn't carefully read it before you voted against it, and our troops.

July 11, 2007, Senate Roll Call Vote 241, HR 1585
The Webb amendment would mandate minimum intervals between deployments for troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. It would require active duty forces to be guaranteed as much time at home as they served while deployed. National Guard and reservists would be guaranteed three years at home between deployments.

Now if you're in New Mexico, and you're reading this -- I frankly don't care if you're a Democrat or Republican, blue or red. I'm asking you, American to American:

How in good conscience can you do this to our men and women in uniform?

Because when your Senators vote against our troops like this, you vote against them too.

But you get another chance.

So next week, when Senator Domenici and all of our elected officials return to Washington, guess what? There's going to be another dwell time bill waiting for them; this one has already passed in the House of Representatives.

This bill, the Tauscher bill (HR 3159), like the Webb-Hagel Amendment, offers our troops a fair deployment policy. I hope every single United States Senator votes for this bill. Shame on you, Senators, if you don't.

Editor's Notes:

This is a guest blog by Bobby Muller of Veterans for America. Veterans for America (VFA), formerly the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, is uniting a new generation of veterans with those from past wars to address the causes, conduct and consequences of war. Together, veterans offer a crucial perspective when addressing public and political concerns about war in the 21st century. Click here to read more about the mission of VFA.

In the U.S. House, Rep. Heather Wilson (NM-01) voted against the Tauscher bill, as did Rep. Steve Pearce (NM-02). Rep. Tom Udall (NM-03) voted for it. In the U.S. Senate, Sen. Pete Domenici voted against the Webb-Hagel Amendment while Sen. Jeff Bingaman voted for it. To contact them about their votes click here.

Guest blogs provide readers with an opportunity to express themselves on relevant political issues and may or may not represent our views. If you'd like to submit a post for consideration as a guest blog, contact me by clicking on the Email Me link on the upper left-hand corner of the page.