Canyon Country Zephyr page 18

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War and the Loss of Civil Rights

packrat7881@att.net

by Alison and Martin Murie

Back in 1997, civil rights attorney Lynne Stewart overstepped the limitations of a Special Administrative Procedure of the prison in which her client, Sheik Abdul Rahman, was serving a 100-year sentence. At the request of her client, she had issued a press release (not a press conference) so that the Sheikh could contact his family and comrades in Egypt.

She allowed word to get out to his followers in Egypt that he was out of the picture, and that they should not look to him for leadership. This infraction was considered in-signifcant by Janet Reno and the Justice Department under Clinton, and not pursued. However, fve years later, in the hysteria following 9/11 and hasty passage of the Patriot Act, Attorney General Ashcroft saw Stewart as a threat—a woman lawyer he could label as having “helped a terrorist.”

The Bush Justice Department indicted Stewart and succeeded in convicting her of providing material support to a terrorist. In addition to stripping her of her license to practice law, the prosecutors asked for a 30-year sentence, but the presiding judge, citing Stewart’s distinguished career in defending diffcult, unpopular & unremunerative cases, sentenced her to only 28 months. Greatly reduced as it was, even this sentence was outrageous in view of the nature of the infraction.

York. We had many a demonstration at Malone’s Veteran’s Park, which dates from the Civil War. Lynne and Ralph have in no sense aided terrorists. They are very intelligent and both work for worthy causes.

That this latest phase of the case

took place this summer,

under the Obama administration, is doubly shocking.

Obama has made no attempt to ameliorate

this denial of civil rights.

CHEERFUL NOTE

Five of us anti-war protesters joined the Fourth of July Parade in Yellow Springs. We were among the few pedestrians. Most celebrants were on floats. Some floats honked at us, wanting us to get out of the way. But you should have seen the hand-waving, the V hand signals, the cheers, the cameras brought into play. That came as a surprise to us. We get lots of honks and v-signs and thumbs up on Saturdays, but this was outspoken, unashamed cheering from the crowds that lined both sides of the main street. Yes, I know that Yellow Springs has a reputation for being excessively liberal, but surely the cat is out of the bag by now? The true origin of the wars that we have endured for 75 years is a ruling class that doesn’t give a rap for the casualties among our troops. At least, no one of them issues a public cry, sheds tears for death and the suicide rate among those returning. The citizens of other nations like Iraq and Afghanistan are considered by our rulers as beneath contempt--uncivilized.

We should let free our wrath, like Achilles, who fnally laid into Agamemnon in The Iliad, saying, “… I am weary of fighting.

The Bush Justice Department indicted Stewart

and succeeded in convicting her

of providing material support to a terrorist.

Now I am returning to Phthia, since it is much better

to go home again with my curved ships and I am not minded longer

to stay here dishonoured and put up with your wealth and your luxury.

This resonates today, doesn’t it? At the waning years of the Second World War against fascism, the United States was emerging as a new Empire. We are today experiencing the 75 long years of wars of empire, while unemployment reaches record levels, state and local budgets are strained, and “green-washing” is a joke, especially after the disaster in Copenhagen. Like Cassius Clay, better known as Muhammed Ali, we should just say “No.” “No,” Muhammed Ali said, “No, I am not going 10,000 miles to help murder kill and burn other people to simply help continue the domination of white slavemasters over dark people the world over. This is the day and age when such evil injustice must come to an end.

But, on appeal, the Second Circuit sent a message to the lower court judge, John Koeltl, that his sentence was “fawed,” because he had declined to determine whether Stewart committed perjury when she testifed at her trial. She testifed that she believed “she was effectively operating under a ‘bubble’, protecting her from prosecution when she issued the press release.” (1) Judge Koeltl caved in, and sentenced Lynne to 10 years in prison. For a diabetic with a history of cancer, this amounts to a life sentence, not to mention a grotesque miscarriage of justice.

That this latest phase of the case took place this summer, under the Obama administration, is doubly shocking. Obama has made no attempt to ameliorate this denial of civil rights.

Alison and I and the other protesters in northern New York became good friends with Lynne and her partner, Ralph Poynter. They joined us at war protests in Malone, New

Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go ten thousand miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied simple human rights” (3)

www.peacetreecafe.com

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	www.packratnest.com War and the Loss of Civil Rights packrat7881@att.net by Alison and Martin Murie Back in 1997, civil rights attorney Lynne Stewart overstepped the limitations of a Special Administrative Procedure of the prison in which her client, Sheik Abdul Rahman, was serving a 100-year sentence. At the request of her client, she had issued a press release (not a press conference) so that the Sheikh could contact his family and comrades in Egypt. She allowed word to get out to his followers in Egypt that he was out of the picture, and that they should not look to him for leadership. This infraction was considered in-signifcant by Janet Reno and the Justice Department under Clinton, and not pursued. However, fve years later, in the hysteria following 9/11 and hasty passage of the Patriot Act, Attorney General Ashcroft saw Stewart as a threat—a woman lawyer he could label as having “helped a terrorist.” The Bush Justice Department indicted Stewart and succeeded in convicting her of providing material support to a terrorist. In addition to stripping her of her license to practice law, the prosecutors asked for a 30-year sentence, but the presiding judge, citing Stewart’s distinguished career in defending diffcult, unpopular & unremunerative cases, sentenced her to only 28 months. Greatly reduced as it was, even this sentence was outrageous in view of the nature of the infraction. York. We had many a demonstration at Malone’s Veteran’s Park, which dates from the Civil War. Lynne and Ralph have in no sense aided terrorists. They are very intelligent and both work for worthy causes. That this latest phase of the case took place this summer, under the Obama administration, is doubly shocking. Obama has made no attempt to ameliorate this denial of civil rights. CHEERFUL NOTE Back in 1997, civil rights attorney Lynne Stewart overstepped the limitations of a Special Administrative Procedure of the prison in which her client, Sheik Abdul Rahman, was serving a 100-year sentence. Five of us anti-war protesters joined the Fourth of July Parade in Yellow Springs. We were among the few pedestrians. Most celebrants were on floats. Some floats honked at us, wanting us to get out of the way. But you should have seen the hand-waving, the V hand signals, the cheers, the cameras brought into play. That came as a surprise to us. We get lots of honks and v-signs and thumbs up on Saturdays, but this was outspoken, unashamed cheering from the crowds that lined both sides of the main street. Yes, I know that Yellow Springs has a reputation for being excessively liberal, but surely the cat is out of the bag by now? The true origin of the wars that we have endured for 75 years is a ruling class that doesn’t give a rap for the casualties among our troops. At least, no one of them issues a public cry, sheds tears for death and the suicide rate among those returning. The citizens of other nations like Iraq and Afghanistan are considered by our rulers as beneath contempt--uncivilized. We should let free our wrath, like Achilles, who fnally laid into Agamemnon in The Iliad, saying, “… I am weary of fighting. The Bush Justice Department indicted Stewart and succeeded in convicting her of providing material support to a terrorist. Now I am returning to Phthia, since it is much better to go home again with my curved ships and I am not minded longer to stay here dishonoured and put up with your wealth and your luxury. This resonates today, doesn’t it? At the waning years of the Second World War against fascism, the United States was emerging as a new Empire. We are today experiencing the 75 long years of wars of empire, while unemployment reaches record levels, state and local budgets are strained, and “green-washing” is a joke, especially after the disaster in Copenhagen. Like Cassius Clay, better known as Muhammed Ali, we should just say “No.” “No,” Muhammed Ali said, “No, I am not going 10,000 miles to help murder kill and burn other people to simply help continue the domination of white slavemasters over dark people the world over. This is the day and age when such evil injustice must come to an end. But, on appeal, the Second Circuit sent a message to the lower court judge, John Koeltl, that his sentence was “fawed,” because he had declined to determine whether Stewart committed perjury when she testifed at her trial. She testifed that she believed “she was effectively operating under a ‘bubble’, protecting her from prosecution when she issued the press release.” (1) Judge Koeltl caved in, and sentenced Lynne to 10 years in prison. For a diabetic with a history of cancer, this amounts to a life sentence, not to mention a grotesque miscarriage of justice. That this latest phase of the case took place this summer, under the Obama administration, is doubly shocking. Obama has made no attempt to ameliorate this denial of civil rights. Alison and I and the other protesters in northern New York became good friends with Lynne and her partner, Ralph Poynter. They joined us at war protests in Malone, New Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go ten thousand miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied simple human rights” (3) www.peacetreecafe.com

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