November 2011 - Newpeople

November, 2011 NEWPEOPLE - 1

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PITTSBURGH’S PEACE AND JUSTICE NEWSPAPER

Published by the Thomas Merton Center VOL. 41 No. 9 November, 2011

Occupy Wall Street

-- Page 10

Occupy Pittsburgh

– Pages 7, 8, 9

Gun Loopholes Page 12

TMC works to build a consciousness of values and

to raise the moral questions involved in the issues

of war, poverty, racism, classism, economic justice,

oppression and environmental justice.

TMC engages people of diverse philosophies and

faiths who find common ground in the nonviolent

struggle to bring about a more peaceful and just

world.

OCCUPY

Photo by Lindy Hazel LaDue Coverage Begins on Page 7

By Frank Carr

On Thursday, November 3rd, the Thomas Merton

Center, at its annual dinner, will present the 2011

Thomas Merton award to global environmentalist,

ecofeminist and physicist Dr. Vandana Shiva at

the Sheraton Station Square on Pittsburgh‘s South

Side.

For thirty nine years the Thomas Merton Center

has been at the center of Pittsburgh‘s progressive

and activist communities. With hundreds of mem-

bers and thousands of supporters the Merton Cen-

ter has provided space, resources and inspiration

for those who work towards a more just, sustain-

able and humane world.

This year‘s winner joins a long and prestigious

list of people who have dedicated their lives to

others, to peace and to the future. Among those

who have won the award are journalist Amy

Goodman, host of Democracy Now! (2004), anti-

apartheid activist Allan Boesak (1986), Chil-

drens‘ Defense Fund founder Marian Wright

Edelman (1990), writer Studs Terkel (1998),

Professor Angela Davis (2006), anti-war activist

Cindy Sheehan (2007) and last year‘s winner,

linguist and activist Noam Chomsky.

Dr. Shiva, who has focused much of her recent

work on biotechnology and the patenting of life

forms, has been a strident critic of global corpora-

tions such as Monsanto, which specialized in ge-

netically modified, pesticide-resistant seeds. Continued on page 3

MERTON CENTER HONORS DR.VANDANA SHIVA

Pittsburgh, October 15th, 2011

2 - NEWPEOPLE November, 2011

IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE THOMAS MERTON CENTER 5129 PENN AVE., PITTSBURGH, PA 15224

Phone: 412-361-3022 — Fax: 412-361-0540 — Web: www.thomasmertoncenter.org

Editorial Collective

Mana Alibadi, Erica Augenstein, Frank Carr, Nicole Coast, Rob Conroy, Deyja Donohue, Michael Drohan, Russ Fedorka, Rory Henc, Steven Green, Charles McCollester, Ken-

neth Miller, Francine Porter, Jordana Rosenfeld, Molly Rush, Florence Wyand

TMC Staff, Volunteers and Interns

Viv Shaffer, Thomas Merton Center Coordinator

Roslyn Maholland, Bookkeeper / Mig Cole, Assistant Bookkeeper

Shirley Gleditsch, Manager, East End Community Thrift Store

Shawna Hammond, Manager, East End Community Thrift Store

Dolly Mason, Furniture Manager, East End Community Thrift Store

Corey Carrington, Public Ally

Jordana Rosenfeld, NewPeople Intern

TMC Board of Directors

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Mary Jo Guercio, Wanda Guthrie, Edward Kinley, Shawna Hammond, Jonah McAllister-Erickson, Charles McCollester, Diane McMahon,

Jibran Mushtaq, Francine Porter, Dominique Reed, Chadwick Rink, Molly Rush, Courtney Smith, Carole Wiedmann

STANDING COMMITTEES

Board Development Committee (Recruits board members, conducts board elections)

Building Committee Oversees maintenance of 5123-5129 Penn Ave.

Membership Committee Coordinates membership goals, activities, appeals, and communications

Editorial Collective Plans, produces and distributes The NewPeople

Finance Committee Ensures financial stability and accountability of TMC

Personnel Committee Oversees staff needs, evaluation, and policies

Technology Team Provides technical advice and assistance to TMC

Special Event Committees

Plan and oversee TMC fundraising events with board and staff

Anti-War Committee [email protected] www.pittsburghendthewar.org

Book‘Em (books to prisoners)

[email protected] www.thomasmertoncenter.org/bookem

CodePink (Women for Peace) [email protected], 412-389-3216

www.codepink4peace.org

Conscience 412-231-1581

www.consciencepgh.blogspot.com

Demilitarize Pittsburgh: War-Profiteering Edu-cation & Action Network

412-361-3022, [email protected] www.demilitarizepittsburgh.org

Diversity Footprint (art, justice, community)

[email protected]

East End Community Thrift Shop 412-361-6010, [email protected]

Economic Justice Committee [email protected]

Human Rights Coalition / Fed Up

(prisoner support and advocacy) 412-802-8575, [email protected] www.thomasmertoncenter.org/fedup

Fight for Lifers West 412-361-3022 to leave a message

[email protected] http://fightforliferswest.mysite.com

Food Not Bombs

[email protected] http://fnb-pgh.2ya.com

In Sisterhood: The Women’s Movement in Pgh 412-621-3252, [email protected]

Literacy for Ziguinchor 724-549-4933, [email protected]

Pittsburgh Anti-Sweatshop Community Alliance

412-867-9213

Pittsburgh Campaign for Democracy NOW!

412-422-5377, [email protected] www.pcdn.org

Pittsburgh Works! (labor history documentaries) [email protected]

Roots of Promise 724-327-2767, 412-596-0066 [email protected]

(Network of Spiritual Progressives) [email protected]

Pittsburgh Darfur Emergency Coalition [email protected]; www.pittsburghdarfur.org

Sustainable Living Project [email protected], 412-551-6957

Three Rivers Area Medics (TRAM) 412-641-9191 or [email protected]

Urban Arts Project

[email protected]

Pittsburgh Progressive Notebook

Call 412-301-3022 for more info

The Palestine Film Festival

Call 412-301-3022 for more info

Westmoreland Marcellus Citizens Group

Wanda Guthrie

724-327-2767

[email protected]

The Pittsburgh Totebag Project

Sue Kerr, 412-228-0216

P.O. Box 99204

Pittsburgh, Pa 15233

www.tote4pgh.org

The Africa Project 412-657-8513, [email protected]

www.africaproject.net

Allegheny Defense Project, Pgh Office 412-559-1364 www.alleghenydefense.org

Amnesty International [email protected] www.amnestypgh.org

Association of Pittsburgh Priests Molly 412-343-3027 [email protected]

The Big Idea Bookstore 412-OUR-HEAD, www.thebigideapgh.org

Black Voices for Peace Gail Austin 412-606-1408

Citizens for Global Solutions 412-471-7852 [email protected]

Citizens for Social Responsibility of Greater Johnstown

Larry Blalock, [email protected]

Haiti Solidarity Committee [email protected],

412-271-8414 www.thomasmertoncenter.org/hs

PA United for a Single-Payer Health Care (PUSH) www.healthcare4allPA.org Molly Rush [email protected]

Pittsburgh Area Pax Christi 412-761-4319

Pittsburgh Committee to Free Mumia 412-361-3022, [email protected]

Pittsburgh Cuba Coalition

412-563-1519 [email protected]

Pgh Independent Media Center [email protected] www.indypgh.org

Pgh North Anti-Racism Coalition 412-367-0383

Pgh North People for Peace 412-367-1049

Pgh Palestine Solidarity Committee [email protected] www.pittsburgh-psc.org

Raging Grannies 412-963-7163, [email protected]

www.pittsburghraginggrannies.homestead.com

Religion and Labor Coalition 412-361-4793 [email protected]

School of the Americas Watch of W. PA 412-371-9722, [email protected]

United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE)

412-471-8919 www.ueunion.org

Urban Bikers [email protected]

Veterans for Peace [email protected]

Voices for Animals [email protected]

1-877-321-4VFA

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)

Eva 412-963-7163 [email protected]

TMC AFFILIATES and FRIENDS

TMC MEMBERSHIPS These are organizations or coalitions in which TMC has formal membership, including payment of dues to and fulfillment of other agreed-upon responsibilities as an organizational member

Abolition 2000: W. Pa. Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons 724-339-2242 / [email protected]

Pennsylvanians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty

412-384-4310, [email protected]

TMC

HOURS of OPERATION

10 am — 3 pm

Monday-Friday

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In this Issue

Page 3 Molly Rush Honored by Governor

Page 5 Obituaries

Page 6 Human Rights News

Page 7 Occupy Pittsburgh

Page 10 Occupy Wall Street

Page 11 The School of the Americas

Page 14 Three Rivers Community Founda-tion’s Building Change Conver-gence

CONTACT INFORMATION

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Or [email protected]

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Events & Calendar Items ............. www.bit.ly/tmcevents


By Joyce Rothermel

Our own Molly Rush, co-founder and

current board member of the Thomas

Merton Center, was one of nine Distin-

guished Daughters recognized by Gover-

nor Tom Corbett on Wednesday, Oct.

19th at the Governor‘s Annual Awards

Luncheon in Harrisburg, PA.

Each year a limited number of Pennsyl-

vania women are named Distinguished

Daughters of Pennsylvania and honored

at the Governor‘s Residence. Represent-

ing the Governor was First Lady Susan

Corbett. Honorees are traditionally pre-

sented with medals and citations for their

achievements. The idea of honoring

women who have given distinguished

service through their professional careers

and/or voluntary service in Pennsylvania

was instituted under Governor James H.

Duff in October 1948.

The women proposed to receive this

honor must be nominated by non-profit

organizations within the Commonwealth

in recognition of outstanding accom-

plishments of state-wide or national im-

portance. Since the first group was

named in 1949, 467 women have been thus recog-

nized.

Attending the event with Molly were her husband

Bill, Shirley Gleditsch, long time friend and cur-

rent manager of the East End Community Thrift,

and Viv Shaffer, Office Coordinator, of the Tho-

mas Merton Center.

Also being recognized from western Pennsylvania

are Dr. Nancy J. Minshew (nominated by the Uni-

versity of Pittsburgh‘s School of Medicine, Dept.

of Psychiatry) and Annie Dillard, author

(nominated by the Ellis School), though now liv-

ing in Hillsboro, NC).

At the event, Molly noted: ―I can only accept this

honor in the name of so many great women who

have gone before me in the struggle for human

rights and the dignity of all persons, for economic

and social justice, for the rights of workers, for

excellent public services, including education,

and environmental protection.‖

Congratulations, Molly, Distinguished Daughter

of Pennsylvania!

Joyce Rothermel is a long time colleague and

friend of Molly Rush, having served on the

staff of the Merton Center with Molly from

1977-1987.

Molly Rush Named a Distinguished Daughter of PA

continued from page 1

She founded the Research Foundation for Sci-

ence, Technology and Ecology to research bio-

tech patenting and in 1991 founded Navdanya, a

movement in India to protect India‘s diversity of

plants and seeds.

Such technology has placed the food supply of

country‘s like India, and its long-term survival, at

risk. Dr. Shiva‘s stand against corporate for-profit

genetics has brought her into alignment with the

99%ers of the Occupy Wall Street movement

which has now gone global, including Pittsburgh.

Far from being another awards show, the Thomas

Merton Award dinner provides a comfortable

space for Pittsburgh's most forward thinking peo-

ple to gather and network. Last year‘s dinner fea-

tured a banner drop by the Veteran‘s for Peace,

displaying the ethic of the Center that the work

of building peace and justice is never done.

While those attending will enjoy an evening of

entertainment and Indian food, the dinner also

provides education, inspiration and communal

support for those who often only see each other at

police barricades or long meetings.

The Thomas Merton Center would like to thank

The Three Rivers Community Foundation, Carne-

gie Mellon University, The Heinz Endowments,

and the Service Employees International Union

for co-sponsoring this event.

Frank Carr is the editor of NewPeople

Dr. Vandana Shiva

Molly Rush, a Distinguished Daughter of PA

Association of Pittsburgh Priests Fall Speakers Series Welcomes

Final Speaker Nov. 14

The Association of Pittsburgh Priests will conclude its 2011 Fall Speakers Series on Monday, No-

vember 14, 2011 at 7:30 PM at the Kearns Spirituality Center in Allison Park with Edwina Gateley,

MA from Erie, Pennsylvania speaking on ―Knock, Knock, Who‘s There? All of Us‖: Exploring

our call to be faithful and prophetic in a broken and hurting world and church.

Ms. Gateley will speak from her own faith journey of discipleship, women in Scripture, justice,

mission, mysticism, and the Divine Feminine. She is a powerful speaker, advocate, writer, poet,

and mother. Ms. Gateley is also a theologian and HIV counselor.

Following her immigration from Manchester, England, and her studies at Chicago Theological Un-

ion, Ms. Gateley spent a year in a hermitage. She founded the Volunteer Missionary Movement in

England in 1969 after teaching and founding a school for girls in Uganda. In 1983, she founded

Genesis House in Chicago, offering hospitality and nurturing for women involved in prostitution.

For more information and to register, please call Sr. Mary Joan Coultas at 412-366-1124 or e-mail

her at [email protected] A donation of $15 is suggested. No reservations are necessary.

mailto:[email protected]


ADVERTISEMENT

By Molly Rush, Joyce Rothermel, & Carol Gon-

zalez

The Pittsburgh jazz community was treated to a

very special Jazz Vespers service honoring the

life of Dorothy Day (1897 – 1980) on Sunday,

October 9, at Emmanuel Episcopal Church on the

North Side. Jazz at Emmanuel, a monthly ecu-

menical jazz service currently celebrating its 23rd

year, is free and open to all and features some of

Pittsburgh‘s most talented jazz musicians. This

October‘s service, titled ―Love is the Measure,‖

presented a brief bio and excerpts from Dorothy

Day‘s writings on the nature of love and offered

those in attendance glimpses of how Dorothy‘s

understanding shaped her life-long dedication to

providing hospitality to the poor and homeless.

The appreciative audience of approximately 100

people were introduced to this ―saint of our

times,‖ and were also invited to hear Jim For-

est that same week.

If the weekend of October 14-15 is any indica-

tion, widespread interest in Dorothy Day contin-

ues, thirty-one years after her death.

On Friday evening, October 14th about 100 peo-

ple gathered at St George Cathedral in Oakland to

hear Jim Forest‘s fascinating story of Dorothy‘s

remarkable life, from bohemian young writer,

jailed with suffragists at the White House, to

founder of the Catholic Worker, the monthly

newspaper, and the houses of hospitality move-

ment.

On May Day in 1933 the first edition of The

Catholic Worker newspaper sold 2,500 at a penny

a copy. Soon after, in response to the Great De-

pression, she and Peter Maurin founded a house

of hospitality to feed, clothe and shelter the des-

perate poor. It was grounded in a firm belief in

the God-given dignity of every human person.

Until her death on November 29, 1980 she edited

the paper and dealt with the demands of hospital-

ity, all the while living nonviolently, protesting

injustice and war, and speaking out on behalf of

the poor, dispossessed, and exploited. Her last

arrest was in 1975 with the United Farm Workers

in California.

Today there are over 200 Catholic Worker com-

munities in the U.S., Australia, the United King-

dom, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland,

Mexico, New Zealand, and Sweden. No two are

alike, but all are committed to nonviolence, vol-

untary poverty, prayer, and hospitality for the

homeless, exiled, hungry, and forsaken. Many

members, like Dorothy, have been jailed for pro-

testing injustice, war, racism, and all forms of

violence.

On Friday afternoon, about 25 students and staff

at Carlow University attended a Meager Meal and

Conversation with Jim Forest. We‘re grateful to

J.T. Campbell, on staff at Carlow, who arranged

this opportunity to introduce young people to

Dorothy Day, truly a saint for our times.

On Saturday, October 15th, 48 people gathered

for a ―Day of Reflection‖ with Jim Forest at the

Mt. Nazareth Center of the Sisters of the Holy

Family. Among the attendees was Sr. Liguori

Rossner, co-founder and executive director of the

Jubilee Soup Kitchen in the Hill District in Pitts-

burgh. Jim‘s story telling style along with the

con-

templative setting and thoughtful sharing made

for a wonderful ―Day with Dorothy!‖ From open-

ing meditation on Psalm 119 to the closing prayer

we were encouraged to ―Breathe in love…breathe

out fear…‖ Especially insightful was the after-

noon session on the friendship between Thomas

Merton and Dorothy Day. Although they never

met in person, their confiding and consoling cor-

respondence over the years helped each of them

discern God‘s calling in their lives.

Thanks to John Detwiler & Henry Gonzalez,

there are video and audio recordings of Jim‘s re-

counting of her life. ―How to love, that is the

question,‖ Dorothy wrote in The Catholic

Worker. She answered that question by her life

and continues to invite us to do the same.

All is Grace: A Biography of Dorothy Day by Jim

Forest, published by Orbis Books, 2011. The

book has already gone into its second printing and

is available locally at Calvary Episcopal Book-

Dorothy Day Events a Success!

Carol Gonzales and Jim Forest on Jim‘s visit to

Pittsburgh

Photo by Henry Gonzales

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlands

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweden


Obituaries

By Michael Drohan

On September 29, Dan Bolef, Professor Emeritus of Physics at Washington University in St. Louis,

passed away peacefully at his residence in North Huntington. Dan was an ardent member and supporter

of the Thomas Merton Center since he came back to live in Western Pennsylvania in the late 1980s. He is

survived by his wife Regina Birchem, his brother Silas and three sons Terje, Larry and Richard. Dan had an extraordinarily rich life and contributed substantially to many areas of human endeavor. He

was what one can only describe as a true renaissance man with his career as a veteran of World War II,

nuclear physicist, social activist, conscientious objector counselor, consummate gardener, kind friend and father and above all a loving husband and partner to Regina.

Dan was the son of Jewish immigrants from Moldavia, his father leaving that country to avoid going into

the Czar‘s Army and, later, during World War I went underground refusing to fight in the US army since

he considered WWI an imperialist war. Dan was born in Philadelphia and spent some of his early forma-

tive years in the alternative Modern School of Stelton, NJ, of which Isadora Duncan was the patroness.

He did his undergraduate studies at Penn State University in Physics and earned his Ph.D in Columbia

University, his thesis being on molecular beam research. His undergraduate studies were interrupted by

service in World War II. In his working career, Dan worked initially at Westinghouse Research Laboratories in Pittsburgh on ma-

sers and high-frequency ultrasonic techniques. As Westinghouse was moving closer and closer to re-

search for military purposes, Dan moved to academia and was invited to Washington University, St.

Louis as a tenured Professor where he established an extensive research program in nuclear acoustical

resonance, a field which he co-founded and was the main practitioner As Dan recognized that much of the research and development in the domain of nuclear physics was be-

ing co-opted by the nuclear weapon industry, he believed it was necessary for the scientific community

to educate the public about nuclear weapons, about the futility of building bomb shelters, and about the

catastrophic environmental consequences of nuclear weapons. He became then a vocal expert opponent of nuclear weapons and during the Vietnam war a counselor to

conscientious objectors in St. Louis. His courageous activism against war, weapons and social injustice –

often out of favor with administrators - was done in community with students, national activists and lo-

cal ‗peace centers‘. In his later years, Dan‘s social activism led him to getting involved in environmental

struggles on behalf of communities that had hazardous waste dumped in their neighborhoods as in Yukon, Westmoreland County. He also joined the struggle against the Klan and racism in rural Pennsyl-

vania.

Apart from his academic arena and his social activism, Dan had a keen interest in many other areas of

intellectual endeavor. In particular, he was a great student and admirer of Leo Tolstoy among others. In

addition he was an avid gardener and specialized in the production of asparagus, blue berries, raspberries

and persimmons. Above all, what is most memorable about Dan was his gentleness and tenderness as a

spouse and father. These qualities were also extended to his large array of friends and acquaintances.

Dan I. Bolef,

Ph.D,

June 10, 1921 –

September 29,

2011

By Charlie McCollester

It can‘t be easy to be an active Merton Center member in

McKean County – 126 miles distant and not a hotbed of activ-

ism. Joe Martin of Bradford PA didn‘t let that stop him. A

longtime member and Cornerstone sustainer, he would often

appear at the Center‘s major events.

Joe was unassuming but very dedicated. In August of last year

we traveled with Fr. Bernie Survil to a peace gathering in Oak-

ridge, Tennessee. where we protested the construction of a fa-

cility to build new nuclear weapons. As we rode along, I

learned a great deal from Joe and Bernie about mountaintop

removal in West Virginia, a practice which is destroying hun-

dreds of mountains and polluting streams.

Joe was a key opponent of widespread Marcellus Shale drilling

near his home, threatening both his and his neighbors‘ water

supply and health. Joe died at 64 following a brief illness. He

will be missed. Our condolences to his wife Diane.

Joe Martin, Rest in Peace

By Charlie McCollester

"Dave was a superb man whose generous spirit made him engage in many

causes both national and international. He was my colleague at Carnegie

Mellon University, and a friend and fellow activist in the Palestinian cause

with the Pittsburgh Palestine Solidarity Committee...Many will remember

Dave with admiration and gratitude." Brian Johnston, Emeritus, Carnegie

Mellon University

"Dave and I worked together on several campaigns, perhaps most impor-

tantly the effort to win a new trial for the former Black Panther Mumia Abu

-Jamal...and the court cases surrounding the murder of Johnny Gam-

mage...Dave was, in my view, the salt of the earth, the very essence of hu-

man decency. He was one of those rare people who gave everyone a most

precious gift: hope for the future." Marcus Rediker, Prof. of History, Uni-

versity of Pittsburgh.

Join in celebrating Dave's life and work for peace and justice and art

with friends, family, colleagues and comrades

3pm Sat. Nov. 5, 2011

Carnegie Library of Braddock

Dave Demarest


Human Rights

By Matt Aranda

Now that Alabama has reaffirmed its title as the

most racist state, with its KKK-style anti-

immigrant laws, some of our leaders in Harris-

burg are busy making similar laws.

True, illegal immigration is a problem and a

blotch on the Hollywood-inspired American im-

age and solutions must be found.

By ―illegal aliens‖, our politicians mean only

those brown-skinned Hispanics that harvest our

tomatoes and do other low paying, back-breaking

dangerous jobs that no self-respecting American

nor a blond illegal alien would do.

Unfortunately the general opinion is narrow

minded, ignoring the basic roots of this problem.

Plain and simple: one of the main causes of this

problem is the historical foreign policy that the

USA has followed in countries south of the bor-

der.

A couple of examples: Honduras and El Salva-

dor, two of the poorest countries in the hemi-

sphere, have had their economy and governments

very much controlled by big American corpora-

tions that use their lands to grow export crops.

During the Cold War the USA intensified its mili-

tary intervention, pouring arms and military aid to

both countries.

The result was armed violence thousands of peo-

ple killed. Many Salvadorians and Hondurans

fled and many came, illegally of course, to the

USA where agricultural corporations welcomed

them as a source of cheap labor. Their children,

who grew in extreme poverty, and were poorly

educated became the object of discrimination and

organized in gangs.

Guatemala has gone through the same process.

Following democratic principles, it elected a

president that promised to nationalize unused

lands held by fruit growers. This of course dis-

pleased the corporations and, obeying their de-

mands, the CIA quickly overthrew the president

and replaced him with a ruthless despot who

started mass killings of rebels and their suspected

supporters. It is estimated that more that 200,000

were killed, mostly innocent poor Mayan peas-

ants. Like Hondurans and Salvadorians, Guatema-

lans fled and many also came to the USA. More

cheap labor, more poverty and more gangs.

Situated right in our back yard, Mexico has felt

the full impact of the American Latin America

foreign policy. From the 19th century when com-

plying with our God-bestowed manifest destiny,

we invaded and took about 1/2 of its territory, to

the current American-armed and financed drug

war, Mexicans have been heavily influenced by

the dealings of wealthy corporations and not nec-

essarily in their favor.

By the turn of the 20th century, what was left of

Mexico, with the cooperation of Porfirio Diaz,

had become a very profitable American colony.

Slavery, which had

been abolished in the USA, was restored in a

more cruel and deadly form in Mexico to provide

the labor for the henequen, tobacco, sugar and

coffee plantations. Big profits also came from

oil, mining and finance. The bank of Mexico was

only Mexican by name.

What has this to do with the current illegal alien

problem? Lots. That situation still exists. We

know almost nothing about it because our ―free

press‖ doesn‘t like to talk about it. The press only

noticed the Salvadorian-Honduran affair when

our own thugs murdered four American nuns.

The welfare and education of the common people

have never been in the corporate agenda. The

resulting extreme poverty and ignorance compels

many to seek survival wherever there is a gleam

of hope.

These in short are the causes of illegal aliens.

And the attacks against them, like those by Con-

gressman Daryl Metcalfe (R-Cranberry‘), ―leave

or go to jail‖ are at best ignorant hypocrisy, ,and

because they are against very vulnerable people

without any means to retaliate, vicious and cow-

ardly.

Matt Aranda is a first-time writer for NewPeo-

ple. This is an opinion piece.

Anti-immigrant Laws Have Roots in Our History

By Bret Grote

On Tuesday, October 18, the Human

Rights Coalition and concerned members

of the public gathered outside of the City

Council building for a rally and press con-

ference to respond to the rape and torture

scandal emerging from the State Correc-

tional Institution (SCI) Pittsburgh, which

has been deemed by some as "Abu Ghraib

on the Allegheny."

New Voices Pennsylvania: Women of

Color for Reproductive Justice, the FO-

CUS on Women Campaign for Incarcer-

ated Women, the Pennsylvania Network

Against Torture, the Alliance for Police

Accountability, the American Civil Liber-

ties Union of Pennsylvania, the Formerly

Incarcerated and Convicted Peoples Move-

ment and the National Council for Urban

Peace and Justice were among the groups

co-sponsoring the event.

Members of the press were provided with

extensive packets containing hundreds of

documented reports of human rights viola-

tions, including physical and psychological

abuse, sexual harassment and violence,

warehousing of mentally ill people in soli-

tary confinement, retaliation against pris-

oners who speak out, widespread racism,

and other dehumanizing acts. The docu-

mentation is only a portion of what has

been reported to HRC, and includes exten-

sive reports from SCIs Greene, Fayette,

Dallas, Camp Hill, Huntingdon and others.

Advance copies of the documentation

may be obtained by emailing

[email protected]

While the Department of Corrections

(DOC) attempted to portray the arrest of

prison guard Harry Nicoletti on 92 counts

of rape and abuse of prisoners as proof that

it does not tolerate violence inside their

prisons, fundamental questions as to how

these atrocities could have gone on for two

years without detection remain unan-

swered.

Organizations participating in the action

are calling for the state legislature and the

Department of Justice to initiate sweeping

investigations into the Pennsylvania DOC

in order to hold prison officials account-

able for the culture of abuse and impunity

that exists within the state's prison system.

"When government employees are raping

and torturing people in their custody there

has been a fundamental breakdown in law

and order," said Shandre Delaney, an HRC

member whose son has been speaking out

against human rights violations from inside

PA prisons for years. "Warehousing and

abusing people does not make us safer, and

the violence inflicted on incarcerated peo-

ple comes back into the community with

them when they are released."

HRC, New Voices Pennsylvania, and the

Alliance on Police Accountability will also

be calling on the legislature to initiate an

immediate halt on planned prison construc-

tion. The DOC is planning to build three

more prisons at a time when many other

states are reducing their prison populations.

Human Rights Coalition-Fed Up! Chap-

ter

[email protected]

www.hrcoalition.org

Bret Grote is a law student at Pitt, a for-

mer board member of the TMC, and a

leader of FED UP!

FED UP! Denounces Prison Rape

To the Editor of The NewPeople:

I am a regular reader of The NewPeople, and I

am quite perturbed by the fact that you rarely, if

ever, publish letters to the editor! Do you have

something against freedom of expression? How

ironic that would be, given that you are a social

justice paper. In the future, I hope to see this

lack of reader input remedied.

Sincerely,

Angry Young Man

Dear Angry Young Man,

I would gladly publish ANY letter to the editor

were I to ever receive one! There is no letter too

angry, critical, or tersely worded I would not

print. Grammatically inaccurate letters, on the

other hand, are another story. If you have any

friends who would like to write to The NewPeo-

ple, have them send their letters to: newpeo-

[email protected] or

The NewPeople

c/o The Thomas Merton Center

5129 Penn Avenue

Pgh, PA 15224

Sincerely,

The NewPeople Editor

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=5qflbvcab&et=1108167095557&s=791&e=0016mZbTqbDKF0C5w6qKIpRHRdAPzRyogBtadiq-j5zWs5HYVr6tYcA21X1wISaXSaVQhGPNeCEo_SG1_TCEmN5-CsiNXtay4ee5wKPzE9rpKynMypyxgac7ybEaS89l0Anc7x3R_tWEgf7WGV8uuVSOuZeSSeYsAbBD6tFe3h2v7gBFY2J6aco6_bDYc0C_hc










http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=5qflbvcab&et=1108167095557&s=791&e=0016mZbTqbDKF09-hF8RLNYjxitZwE4sbQkvYBbQwF6ezfXuikT4dxt2XoThOKGRvAIWemWxPzQiazoX8T7eDnojVbD2nQUY9qVyWBqfAKbmfY=







Occupy Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh is OCCUPIED By Frank Carr

OCTOBER 15, 2011—On a windy, cloud-

streaked Saturday morning they came, gathering

to the music of Phat Man Dee at Pittsburgh‘s

Freedom Corner. As usual with Pittsburghers,

they came only just on time, causing a crowd of

dozens to swell into hundreds and then thousands.

They were coming to ―occupy‖ their hometown.

Like those in hundreds of cities across the nation

they have signed onto a movement begun in Sep-

tember in New York City.

They call themselves the 99%, and they came

with signs and voices assailing thirty years of cor-

porate hegemony over our economy, our national

politics, and our lives. They would march through

the city and break camp on an urban park owned

by the Bank of New York Mellon, next to the fi-

nancial giant‘s tower on Grant Street.

Gathered on that chilly morning they heard from

many, from a Pitt student who had been peppered

sprayed trying to enter her dorm during the G20

in 2009, from labor and community organizers,

and from a member of the 1%, those whose fami-

lies control more than forty percent of America‘s

wealth. ―I am a member of the 1%,‖ said a 1%er,

―But I am not blind to what is around me.‖

The 99% represent a movement that is crystal

clear to its participants: to hold those who have

wrecked our economy, environment, and democ-

racy accountable for their deeds. They are said to

have no leaders, yet it could also be said that each

of them leads. They practice an arduous

―horizontal democracy‖ of consensus decision

making and they practiced it that morning. Before

setting off on their march to Market Square they

adopted, by consensus, a statement of non-

violence and adopted the Statement of the People

of Color Working Group to stand against the ra-

cism that has helped for so long to decimate our

nation.

Then they marched with drums and chants and

signs. They were young, old, black and white.

Many brought their children and grandchildren.

Veterans for Peace marched with MarcellusPro-

test.org, with the United Steelworkers, with the

Communication Workers of America, with stu-

dents drowning in college debt and unemployed

teachers facing foreclosure.

They marched with joy and passion through a city

of vacant storefronts

and massive executive

towers, stopping in

front of the financial

institutions to assail

the power of wealth.

One could quote end-

lessly their reasons: a

lack of jobs, ecological

degradation, loopholes

that let corporations

saved by public bail-

outs continue to pay

their executives ob-

scene salaries. Yet

somehow the

―mainstream‖ media

says they have no de-

mands, no issues, no

―leaders.‖

In Market Square the overflowing crowd heard

more speakers. Not just USW President Leo Gi-

rardi but anyone who wanted to make a statement.

They practiced the ―vocal-relay‖ used in New

York where microphones are denied, asking for

―Mic Checks!‖ when they couldn‘t hear. This

practice slows speakers down. And it makes the

audience listen, concentrating on what is being

said and not just the show.

At 4 PM announcements were made that ―the per-

mit has expired.‖ It was time to camp, and no one

knew what to expect.

So they followed the drummers back up to Grant

Street, to Mellon Green, not knowing what would

happen. They had no permit to camp on the land

owned by their nemesis. They also knew that

Pittsburgh wanted no repeat of the violence that

plagued the G20 conference in 2009. Police pres-

ence was very light compared to then. Officers

were cordial and businesslike. When the march

left Market Square, police said it was cleaner than

before the march.

At Mellon Green they set up camp. And there

they remain at the present time. As we go to print,

more than seventy tents and almost two hundred

campers are embedded in the city‘s financial dis-

trict.

As in New York, they participate in almost daily

marches, pickets, and rallies. Protesting for good

jobs at Senator Pat Toomey‘s office one day and

picketing BNY Mellon the next. They live-stream

and hold a general assembly every day at 7 pm. In

the first few hours of the camp, they started re-

ceiving food donations, including pizza. And they

heard from a woman that the ground they were on

was sacred. ―On this site,‖ said a woman named

Lucy, ―In the nineteen tens, there was a building

on this site called Magee Center. It was the center

for those who opposed World War I, who stood

for peace. I move we rename this sacred ground

Magee Park.‖ They did by consensus.

And they are heckled by the people they are try-

ing to help, called lazy and stoners and hippies,

while they maintain their vigil against greed and

racism and homophobia and all the ills of our

time. Pictures tell the story, and the NewPeople

offers our best on the following pages.

Moshe Sherman

Photo by Frank Carr

The Occupation begins: October 15

Photo by Lindy Hazel LaDue


Photo by Frank Carr



Occupy Pittsburgh

Signs of the Times


Photo by Frank Carr

Photo by Frank Carr



Occupy Pittsburgh



A New York Story By Frank Carr

Zuccotti Park is a small space of concrete and

shrubbery one block south of Alexander Hamil-

ton's grave. And he might be rolling over in it.

Since September 17th, it has been the encamp-

ment of the Occupy Wall Street movement, which

is now global. Some fifteen hundred cities have

been ―occupied‖ by a diverse ―unaffiliated group

of citizens,‖ according to their release, determined

to hold the corporate world accountable for its

actions and misdeeds. They rechristened the park

with its original name, ―Liberty Plaza.‖

At first taken as a joke or a lark, the assembly has

become a serious crucible for citizen democracy

and coalition building. At first it seemed destined

to fail. Zuccotti park was not even the initial des-

tination (Wall Street itself, fortified since the 9/11

attacks) or the backup (nearby Bowling Green).

But the small square along Broadway has become

the symbol of citizens seeking to retake their de-

mocracy. As a popular sign says, ―I‘ll believe cor-

porations are people when Texas executes one;‖

the movement demands a realignment of power

throughout our system.

Derided by the conservative media, called anti-

Semites by radio entertainer Rush Limbaugh, told

they were out to ―Destroy New York City‘s econ-

omy,‖ by Billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg,

they persist. When they marched in solidarity

with those opposing the execution of Troy Davis,

they were pepper sprayed. When

they marched to Brooklyn, they

were arrested on the bridge road-

way, claiming they had been led

there by police. So they marched

on police headquarters. When

they marched in Time Square,

more were arrested. So they

marched on the District Attor-

ney‘s office. They persist.

They are diverse. They are Asian,

Black, Latino and White, female

and male. They are straight and

gay, socialist, green, democrat and

independent. They have embraced

organized labor and

been embraced back,

marching to support

postal workers, wel-

coming the Transit

Workers Union, the

Service Employees

International Union

(SEIU) and other un-

ions.

What they are is a

new society. Unable

to use microphones,

they have developed a vocal relay

system to pass along the words of

speakers. They have enough food to

help feed the homeless. They make

signs from the pizza boxes and have

pies sent to them from around the

globe, including from Tahrir Square

in Egypt. They have solar power for

their computers. And they remain.

As The NewPeople goes to press they

move towards the seventh week of

occupation. Tourists atop double

decker buses cheer them. When Wall

Street firms laid off 10,000 people

just a

week

or so ago,

many of those ana-

lysts and brokers

went to Liberty

Plaza, ―To justify

their fears,‖ said

one former stock

analyst to Time

Magazine.

They,

we, the 99%, persist. They need no leaders or pro-

forma agendas because they are participating di-

rectly in the governance of their lives. They have

a library, a barber, medics, and a masseur. I spent

five days there. At first it seemed a cross between

a craft fair and a homeless camp. But the signs

were being made, not sold, and food was being

prepared for free and shirts were silk-screened for

free and people seemed happy to be standing up,

alive and in

dependent and HUMAN. In the end that is the

agenda.

Photo by Mike Havenar



Occupy Wall Street

The free library at Liberty Plaza

A free shave at Liberty Plaza. A masseur is also available

An afternoon at Occupy Wall Street


By Dan Kovalic

When I was 12 years old – at the time a devout

Catholic and Reaganite – I saw something on

television that had a profound effect on my life. It

was a 60 Minutes piece about El Salvador, and it

focused on the murder of Archbishop Romero and

the four Churchwomen, some of them American,

brutally raped and murdered there. What was

striking to me about the piece was its suggestion

that the forces behind these atrocities may well

have been those being sponsored by the United

States. As we now know, this was indeed the

case. And, it was this realization -- that the U.S.

was behind the persecution of the Church in El

Salvador, and as I came to know later, throughout

Latin America -- which changed how I viewed

the world and the U.S.‘s role in it.

Of course, Noam Chomsky, with his partner in

crime, Edward Herman, has been analyzing the

U.S. war on the Liberation Church in Latin Amer-

ica and the media‘s almost utter failure to cover it

for years. Chomsky, whose lone poster in his

MIT office is one with Archbishop Romero along

with the six (6) Jesuits killed in El Salvador in

1989, has pointed out quite recently that the mur-

der of these six Jesuits (with U.S. bullets) took

place very shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

That is, the murders took place as the Cold War –

the ostensible struggle between Capitalism and

Communism – was ending, leading to the conclu-

sion that the assault on the Church, and in particu-

lar Liberation Theology, had little or nothing to

do with the U.S.‘s proffered goal to eradicate

Communism. Rather, the goal was deeper and

more sinister – to wipe out the seeds of social jus-

tice itself in Latin America by wiping out radical

Christianity (that is, Christianity in a form closer

to its early roots before it became the official,

state religion of Rome). In other words, while

the U.S. tried to justify its war against Commu-

nism as a war against anti-Christian atheists, it

was in fact the U.S. that posed more of a threat to

true Christianity.

The U.S. has carried out this battle with the

sword, sponsoring forces which have carried out

the murder of literally hundreds of religious

(including priests, brothers, and sisters) through-

out Latin America while the Vatican, which

strayed from the roots of Christianity long ago,

has carried it out through ex-communications and

censure. Indeed, the U.S. Army School of the

Americas (SOA) has bragged on its website of

having successfully defeated Liberation Theology

as a force in Latin America. As Newsweek has

reported, ―when Honduran and Colombian sol-

diers go through the urban-combat exercise [at the

SOA] with blanks in their weapons, half the time

the village priest is killed or roughed up.‖ Sadly,

in Colombia, the forces are using live ammuni-

tion, and this year, have been hitting their target

with regularity.

Thus, as Colombia‘s paper of record, El Tiempo,

explained yesterday, six Catholic priests have

been killed in Colombia so far this year. Between

1984 and September of 2011, two bishops, 79

priests, eight men and women religious, and three

seminarians have been killed in Colombia alone.

For the most part, these victims have been advo-

cates for the poor and have been killed by right-

wing paramilitaries aligned with the Colombian

state and military – the largest recipient of U.S.

military aid in the region by far.

The most recent priest killed in Colombia was

Father Gualberto Arrieta Oviedo, pastor of Our

Lady of Carmen Capurgana (Choco), who was

killed by a machete to the head. Father Arrieta

Oviedo, as El Tiempo explains, ―was known for

his committed work with the poorest communi-

ties.‖ The Colombian Bishops Conference re-

acted to this latest murder by decrying the murder

of Catholic priests in Colombia and stressing ―the

courageous commitment of our priests with the

prophetic denunciation of injustice and the cause

of the poorest in the country.‖ Meanwhile, the

Vatican remains silent about these killings.

Of course, it is the ―prophetic denunciation of

injustice and the cause of the poorest‖ of the poor

which both the U.S. and Colombia would like to

see wiped out. It is this goal which is the real im-

petus for the U.S.‘s support of the Colombian

military to the tune of over $7 billion since 2000,

and for the Colombia Free Trade Agreement,

which President Obama is threatening to have

passed this Fall. Those dedicated to mission of

justice must oppose both these policies with the

fervor of those priests who risk their lives every

day in the lion‘s den which the U.S. and Colom-

bia have created for them.

Dan Kovalic is an attorney for United Steel

Workers and a member of the Thomas Merton

Center.

U.S. & Colombia Continue Attack on Liberation Church

By Michael Drohan

The School of the Americas Watch (SOAW) is

gearing up for its annual protest outside the gates

of Ft. Benning, Georgia where the School of the

Americas is housed. The protest will take place

from Friday November 18 to Sunday November

20. During this weekend, up to ten thousand ac-

tivists from around the country will come together

to protest what goes on in the School, which the

protesters dub the School of the Assassins. The

protest has been taking place annually since 1990

and was initiated by Rev. Roy Bourgeois. The

immediate stimulus for the protest was the murder

of six famous El Salvadoran Jesuit priests to-

gether with their housekeeper and her daughter in

1989. It was discovered that those who carried out

the murder had been graduates of the School of

the Americas and belonged to a commando unit

of the El Salvadoran Army named the Alcatal

Brigade.

Further investigation revealed that many of the

Latin American dictators and initiators of cam-

paigns of massacres from Mexico to Argentina

were trained in the School. Perhaps the most

damning thing about the School was the discov-

ery of a manual on torture which was used to train

those attending the School. In a very real sense,

the horrors of Abu Graib and the water-boarding

in Guantanamo are connected with the activities

of the School.

Those who run the School today say that all has

changed, and no training in torture now takes

place in the School. They assert that the training

is merely straight-forward military training with

an emphasis on human rights and respect for ci-

vilians. However, by their fruits shall we know

them. As of this writing, one of the candidates for

the Presidency of Guatemala is General Otto

Perez Molina, a graduate of the School. Molina in

the 1980s was directly involved in torture and

acts of genocide in the campaign against the in-

digenous Mayan population that brought up to

100,000 victims in its trail.

Also, in 2009 those who led the coup in Honduras

against President Manuel Zelaya were graduates

of the School. In 2007 the government of Costa

Rica under the Presidency of Oscar Arias decided

not to send any more candidates to the SOA be-

cause of the nature of the training. As a result the

U.S. threatened to cut off $1.2 million funds of

cooperation agreements and eventually succeeded

in getting Arias to reverse the decision. So, then

the SOA is still involved in nefarious practices

though its graduates. Above all, they are the ones

that the U.S government depends upon to make

the natural resources of the sub-continent safe for

U.S. access.

At the present moment, the U.S. economy is in

dire straits with unemployment at its highest level

since the Great Depression. Most of the States are

in serious debt and are threatened with the cutting

off of federal monies. The solution to this prob-

lem that many of the Governors have is to cut all

kinds of social and human services. Another way

to get out of the present economic mess is to re-

duce military spending, end the multiple wars in

which the USA is engaged, and close institutions

such as the SOA.

If you would like to join the movement to close

the SOA, our local chapter through the Thomas

Merton Center can facilitate your travel to Ft.

Benning. Many years ago, we sent down busloads

of people from Pittsburgh, but now we travel

through a sister group in Cleveland, Ohio. If in-

terested in going you can contact them directly

through the website www.IRTFcleveland.org or

by telephone 216-961-0003. The cost for the en-

tire weekend including travel and accommodation

is $199, but scholarships are available. Participa-

tion in this weekend will change your lives since

you will meet some of the bravest peacemakers

alive today in the U.S.

Michael Drohan is a political economist spe-

cializing in analysis of Third World economies

and a member of The Thomas Merton Cen-

ter‘s Board of Directors.

Close the School of the Americas


Local News

By Rob Conroy

Although supporters of the Thomas Merton Cen-

ter‘s ongoing fight for peace are familiar with the

toll of gun violence, a predictable majority of the

U.S. House of Representatives has once again

conveniently donned blinders provided by the

National Rifle Association (NRA). This time,

however, the consequences could be more deadly

than ever.

This time last year, investigators were still inves-

tigating the murder of Irving Santana, an unarmed

Philadelphia teenager who was shot 13 times.

One year later one piece of the puzzle is clear: the

shooter, Marqus Hill, took advantage of a loop-

hole in Pennsylvania‘s concealed carry law – an

unintentional gap in our reciprocity agreement

with Florida that allowed him to sidestep the

Pennsylvania authorities who had revoked his

permit – and the ruling of a state judge who had

denied his appeal to have it returned.

Since then, the state legislature has repeatedly

ignored reasonable suggestions – from sheriffs

who administer concealed carry permits, prosecu-

tors who seek justice for victims of shootings, and

police officers– to close the loophole that allowed

Hill to commit murder.

Now, instead of addressing this problem, Con-

gress is considering a Bill that will expand this

loophole to every other state in our nation. HR

822, introduced by Congressman Cliff Stearns (R-

Florida), would expand reciprocity for concealed

carry permits to all states. The proposed Bill—

which has already garnered more co-sponsors

than it needs to pass in the House--renders recip-

rocity obsolete.

Marqus Hill‘s PA permit was revoked in 2007

because of his involvement with a shooting. In

2008, after his appeal was denied, he attacked a

police officer in the courtroom. But none of that

information was available to the Florida Depart-

ment of Agriculture when they reviewed Hill‘s

application in 2009, and shortly after, mailed him

a concealed carry permit good for seven years,

with the address of his Philadelphia residence

printed on it.

Congress first considered this proposed change to

federal law in 2009 – before Hill had exposed the

deadly consequences of the Florida loophole. Af-

ter hearing the opposition and concern of hun-

dreds of Pennsylvania mayors and police chiefs,

former Senator Arlen Specter cast a decisive vote

against the amendment and blocked it from be-

coming law. Unfortunately for Pennsylvania and

our nation, Senator Robert Casey, (D-PA) voted

in favor, disregarding the recommendations of his

constituents and local law enforcement.

It was a mistake in 2009 when Congress first con-

sidered this Bill. Now that we have seen the

deadly consequences it is absolutely unconscion-

able that Congress would consider HR 822. This

affects all Pennsylvanians, but poses unique prob-

lems for law enforcement, who will face added

dangers as well as additional challenges in check-

ing the validity of concealed carry permits. In-

stead of pulling the rug out from beneath law en-

forcement, Congress should be giving them more

tools (like funds for a national background check

database that actually works) not fewer.

HR 822 makes it even harder for Pennsylvania

police to protect our communities. We are already

struggling with gun violence in our neighbor-

hoods and with enforcement of our flawed current

system. However, under the current system, we as

citizens can at least take theoretical comfort in the

fact that our state government has the ability to

determine which states have rigorous enough

standards for Pennsylvania to accept their con-

cealed carry permits. Ironically enough, HR 822

would remove the states authority and place it in

the hands of the Federal Government – a clear

violation of the states‘ rights arguments that the

NRA‘s political allies are so keen on brandishing

when it comes to federal labor standards and

other issues.

With more than 3,000 concealed carry permits

issued to Pennsylvania residents by Florida alone,

such incidents are bound to multiply. If Congress

passes HR 822, all states will automatically be

able to grant concealed carry permits to Pennsyl-

vania residents – despite the best efforts of Penn-

sylvania law enforcement to minimize the risk of

hidden, loaded guns, carried by known dangerous

people, in public spaces.

Since HR 822 is all but guaranteed to pass in the

House, it‘s up to Senators Toomey and (more im-

portantly) Casey to cast what will almost certainly

be decisive votes against it and protect the health

of both ordinary citizens and law enforcement

officers..

Rob Conroy is a member of the Thomas Mer-

ton Center’s Board of Directors and the West-

ern Pennsylvania Field Coordinator for Cease-

FirePA, a non-profit organization dedicated to

fighting violence caused by illegal firearms.

Please direct any questions to

[email protected].

Gun Loopholes Kill

By Frank Carr

On Friday, October 22, President Barack Obama

announced that all U.S. troops would leave Iraq

by the end of 2011, meeting the terms of a bilat-

eral agree-

ment

reached with

the Iraqi

government

which the

United

States has

been trying

to extend.

The United

States in-

vaded Iraq

in 2003. claiming that its ruler, Saddam Hussein,

possessed ―Weapons of mass destruction‖ and

was an imminent threat to nations in the region.

Then President George W. Bush pushed relent-

lessly for the conflict, as did his defense secre-

tary, Donald Rumsfeld, and then Vice-president

Dick Cheney.

Since its beginning, the Iraq War has drawn harsh

criticism from the American public, politicians,

and civic leaders. In the past week, the Pittsburgh

City Council passed a resolution demanding that

the government ―Bring the war dollars home‖ to

assuage our economic difficulties.

At least seven Congressional resolutions to bring

the troops home have been voted on and defeated

since 2007. To Republicans in the House only

―victory‖ in Iraq would suffice. Progressive De-

mocrats were unable

to pass more

―pacifist‖ resolu-

tions.

The troops are being

withdrawn not out of

high ideals, but be-

cause the United

States has failed to

convince the Iraqi

Government that

U.S. troops should

continue to receive

immunity from

criminal prosecution

for acts they may

commit in Iraq.

But the troops are

coming home, and

President Obama can

at long last say he

has fulfilled his campaign promise from 2008 to

―end the war in Iraq.‖ Already, his political op-

ponents are decrying the decision, saying it sim-

ply allows neighboring Iran to exert undue influ-

ence over Iraq. It is certain to be an issue in the

2012 U.S. Presidential election.

The War (in Iraq) is (almost) OVER

Russ Fedorka


Local News

By Corey Carrington

Upon graduating from Pittsburgh Public Schools

(PPS) five and a half years ago, I have to say that

the landscape of my childhood has severely

changed as I believe it has for many other PPS

graduates. Since 2006, the closing

and consolidation of PPS institu-

tions have evoked anger, confusion,

and frustration leading to many par-

ents taking their children out of

PPS. You may ask, how many

schools have been closed? That

number is difficult to pinpoint for a

number of reasons. While some

may say a school‘s closing is the

actual physical closing of the build-

ing, I would say it also means losing

the identity of what a school used to

be and who it had special meaning

to.

Over the past couple of years my elementary

school, Horace Mann, and middle school, Arthur

J. Rooney, have both been closed. Most recently,

as of the first week of October, there have been

discussions about the idea of closing my alma

mater, Perry Traditional Academy, and neighbor-

ing high school, David B. Oliver, and merging the

two into one North Side high school.

I‘m not alone in this experience. High schools on

the East Side of the city have taken a hit too.

Schenley High School graduated its last class in

May of this year after their students were moved

from their old building, due to asbestos, into what

was formerly Reizenstein Middle School and

which is now Pittsburgh Obama 6-12. Yes, it‘s

confusing to me, too. Peabody High School

closed in May after years

of low enrollment, and

Westinghouse has been

turned into two single gen-

der academies. Langley

High School on the West

End is also in talks about

closing.

There are many reasons

these schools are being

closed. Low enrollment,

low performance, deterio-

rating buildings, and fiscal

responsibility are just some reasons for the drastic

changes. They could be justified, but at what

cost? What I don‘t think a lot of people under-

stand are the cultural ramifications these closings

are having on our communities. If schools are

supposed to be chief assets of a community, what

is there left to be proud of once those schools are

gone?

However, in my opinion the biggest problem with

these school closings is the elephant in the room:

They are mostly African-American populated. All

I see the Pittsburgh Public School district doing is

confining certain populations to certain schools in

certain parts of the city.

Perry and Oliver would become one big North

Side black school. Peabody and Schenley stu-

dents, largely African-American, now become

students of Pittsburgh Obama, which is in a black

neighborhood. Langley students get dispersed all

over the city with no home school while the prob-

lems never really get fixed.

On the flipside, Brashear, Carrick, and All-

derdice, schools that serve significant Caucasian

populations, have been in no talks to be closed

and most likely will not be. Those schools also

have a record of performing well.

It makes me think about the vicious cycle of tax-

payers in low income neighborhoods producing

low performing schools that end up failing our

students in the end. I feel like PPS is trying to

cover a bullet wound with a band-aid and if some-

thing isn‘t done about the quality of education

and the achievement gap of our schools, we can

expect a repeat of these problems 30 years down

the road.

Corey Carrington is a recent graduate of Slippery

Rock University and a Public Ally with the Thomas

Merton Center. He enjoys writing/performing po-

etry under the pseudonym, Grits Capone and is

actively engaged in writing various blogs.

The Unconscious Segregation of Pittsburgh Public Schools

By Michael Drohan

A crowd of over 60 people gathered on October 6th, at

the Friends Meeting House, for a stimulating discus-

sion of ―Working-Class Literature‖ in the United

States. This was the second installment of First Thurs-

day Forums, what is billed as ―a monthly forum series

of ideas, politics and culture,‖ which has recently been

launched by the International Socialist Organization.

The October forum was organized around the notion

that U.S. workers have been singing, reciting, perform-

ing, telling stories, writing, and publishing for more

than three centuries. As diverse in race, gender, cul-

ture, and region as America's working class itself,

working-class literature embraces genres that include

fiction, poetry, drama, memoir, oratory, journalism,

letters, oral history, and songs – reflecting varieties of

work and struggle.

The forum was kicked off by a panel that in-

cluded Nick Coles, Paul LeBlanc, Alicia Williamson

and Robin Clark. Nick Coles is a Professor of Litera-

ture at the University of Pittsburgh and co-editor of the

Oxford University Press anthology American Working-

Class Literature. He drew attention to a remarkable

poem by U.S. Poet Laureate Philip Levine, who self-

identifies as a working-class poet, focusing on his

poem ―What Work Is‖ and emphasizing the centrality

of working-class life to the literature of the United

States. (See http://www.ibiblio.org/ipa/poems/levine/

what_work_is.php for Levine‘s poem.)

Paul Le Blanc, Professor of History at La Roche

College, drew from his recent book Work and Strug-

gle: Voices from U.S. Labor Radicalism to emphasize

the richness of US working class culture and literature.

During the 1880s, he stated, the daughter of Karl Marx

– Eleanor by name – and a socialist friend Edward

Eveling toured the United States for 15 weeks and

found over one hundred working class newspapers

being produced in the US. Further, they found that

capitalism was more raw in the US being unencum-

bered by previous socio-economic systems such as

feudalism. They were buoyed up by the consciousness

of the working class and the radical nature of their

demands. They were demanding social ownership and

democratic control over the major economic resources

and so while the terminology of socialism was alien to

them, their demands were socialist in nature.

Alicia Williamson, a University of Pittsburgh

doctoral student reported on her doctoral research into

a substantial number of socialist novels written during

the Progressive Era, that is, the period of 1900 to 1920,

when such then-sizeable organizations as the Socialist

Party of America and the Industrial Workers of the

World were playing a prominent role in U.S. politics

and cultural life. In general, she noted, the novelists

she has been studying were not (or did not consider

themselves to be) part of the working class, and so

tended to approach their subject matter as outsiders to

the labor movement and class struggle. Despite some

genuine strengths, she saw tendencies to either roman-

ticize workers or to treat them as uncouth primitives

who could be ―lifted up‖ with the socialist message.

All too often, their writings also revealed insensitivi-

ties to complex issues of race, ethnicity and gender.

This was in contrast to the vibrant 1930s writings –

pointed to in Le Blanc‘s remarks – produced by a ris-

ing wave of working-class writers from various racial

and ethnic backgrounds.

A dramatic challenge was offered in the contribu-

tion by Robin Clarke, herself a working-class poet and

a Lecturer, University of Pittsburgh. Connecting with

an upwelling of present-day writings from rebel poets

from society‘s exploited and oppressed layers, she

sharply posed the question of how legitimately

―working-class‖ the works of someone like Philip Le-

vine could be if they fail to challenge the social injus-

tices, economic inequalities, and imbalances of power

in today‘s world. To qualify as working class litera-

ture, in her opinion, its products had to be revolution-

ary in its demands and understanding.

A rich discussion followed the presentations. Profes-

sor Le Blanc maintained that he and all who sold their

labor were thereby ―working class‖ and were not just

speaking on behalf of the working class. On the other

hand, Professor Coles maintained that as a History

Professor enjoying a pleasant middle-class existence

would not consider himself ―working class‖. For him

working class indicated those who did physical labor

of a demanding nature, that is both boring and physi-

cally exhausting. Ms Clarke provided a statement by

Karl Marx which states ―a man who has no free time to

dispose of, whose whole lifetime, apart from the mere

physical interruptions of sleep, meals and so forth, is

absorbed by his labor for the capitalist, is less than a

beast of burden‖. Whether one‘s existence can be char-

acterized by these traits qualifies one as a member of

the working class or whether simply by having to sell

one‘s physical or mental labor is sufficient remained a

contested issue in the exchanges during the Forum.

Michael Drohan is a political economist spe-

cializing in analysis of Third World economies

and a member of The Thomas Merton Cen-

ter‘s Board of Directors.

Working Class Literature in the United States

http://www.ibiblio.org/ipa/poems/levine/what_work_is.php

http://www.ibiblio.org/ipa/poems/levine/what_work_is.php


By Scilla Warhaftig

―It was then that I saw a plane flying in the sky,

and realized it was a B-29. "It's a B-

29 plane!" I shouted, and climbed

onto the window to see the plane

better. As we were looking at the

plane it dropped the A-bomb, which

exploded 600 meters above the

ground. The house where we were

was 1.3 kilometers from ground

zero. ..When I came back to my

senses, I found myself lying on the

dirt under the window, inside the

house. My cousin was lying there

too. My aunt and sister Fumie, who

had been in the same room, were

blown farther, to the entrance area

of the house.‖

This is how Junko Kayashigne, a

survivor of the bombing of Hi-

roshima begins her story. She was

severely burned in the bombing and

her sister and many relatives died.

The American Friends Service Committee, PA

Program (AFSC-PA) brought Junko to Pittsburgh

on October 11th and 12th to speak at the Univer-

sity of Pittsburgh to area high school teachers,

students at CAPA, Creative and Performing Arts

High school, and as part of the Carnegie Mellon

University ―Two Weeks of Peace,‖ and Remem-

bering Hiroshima: Imagining Peace.

She went on to talk about the responsibility felt

by many Hibakusha, survivors of the bombings,

to tell their stories. ―Many of us Hibakusha do not

want to tell our stories of unhealed pain in our

minds and bodies. But we must tell the world

what has happened and what we have gone

through. Hibakusha are aged now, and there are

fewer and fewer of us who can tell you stories of

our experiences. We Hibakusha strongly hope for

a world where no one ever should experience the

pains that we have experienced. The only way to

achieve this is to abolish nuclear weapons. If we

cooperate with the people all over the world, it is

possible to make a peaceful world without nuclear

weapons.‖

As a junior and high school art teacher Junko Ka-

yashigne has created haunting paint-

ings of her experiences and memo-

ries of being an A-bomb survivor. ―I

wanted to depict the foolishness of

humans who attempt to solve prob-

lems with war and destruction. It is

hard for me to revisit and recount

my experience, but nuclear weapons

are still threatening our lives.‖

With the proliferation of nuclear

weapons and the nuclear melt-down

at Fukushima the message of the

dangers of nuclear power and weap-

ons becomes more imminent.

AFSC-PA is part of the group Re-

membering Hiroshima Imagining

Peace. This fall we undertook an

extensive number of events, art ex-

hibits, films, town hall meetings and films,

raising awareness of the threat of nuclear weap-

ons and nuclear power. Our final event this year

will be a talk by Lynnea Smith, an activist who is

working in banning uranium mining in the Na-

vaho Reservation. She will speak at CMU.

Scilla Warhaftig is a longtime member of the

Thomas Merton Center.

Hiroshima Survivor Speaks

Faces, a piece by Ms. Kayashigne

By Casey Capitolo

In the hottest social change event

of the season, the Three Rivers

Community Foundation Building

Change Convergence, the pro-

gressive community filled the

Heinz History Center October 13

-15. The first-ever gathering of

advocates for social change, and

organizations from across South-

western Pennsylvania opened

with a soul-wrenching but

calmly delivered address by re-

nowned Native American econo-

mist and environmentalist Wi-

nona LaDuke.

LaDuke began by stating the

obvious- we are all related, our

fates are intertwined, but we are

faced with the choice of ‗empire‘

versus connection. Her people‘s

prophecies have long seen two

divergent paths for humanity-

the scorched earth economics of

death or the ―greenway,‖ follow-

ing the laws of life and creation.

Her father summed it up for her

this way: ―I don‘t want to hear

your economics or philosophy if

you can‘t grow your own corn.‖

LaDuke‘s academic background

takes that simple truth further by

reminding us that the average

crop travels 1500 miles from

field to table, bringing along

with it a nightmare of petro-

chemicals, environmental de-

struction and dangerous, toxic

food.

This keynote address was only

one high point of the three-day,

open attendance conference on

social justice and change for the

10-county Southwestern Penn-

sylvania region. Events included

dozens of workshops, training

sessions, plenary sessions and

panel discussions. For the hun-

dreds of young people in atten-

dance, there was an Internship

Fair, entertainment, and a huge

Youth Leading Change event.

In the more than two year plan-

ning process leading to Building

Change, much effort was dedi-

cated to involving young people

in both the planning and carrying

out of the actual event.

With opportunities for network-

ing, the convergence included

community members and lead-

ers, human services providers

and small business owners, un-

ion members, grantmakers, film-

makers, artists, entertainers, me-

dia representatives, people from

all backgrounds and interests –

who share a common goal of

advancing social justice and

change in our region and world.

The Building Change Film Festi-

val and 7 Pathways to Change

Art showcased both traditional

and cutting-edge filmmaking

using controversial documentary

subjects and techniques. More

than 26 relevant social justice

films were screened over a five-

day span. Showings included an

interactive discussion between

filmmakers and audience to ex-

plore the message and impor-

tance of each movie/

documentary. The arts and enter-

tainment working group pro-

duced marvelously diverse and

stirring works that enhanced the

normal conference overload of

information with paintings, pho-

tography, music, dance and

more.

Three Rivers Community

Foundation, founded in 1989,

works to bring about social,

racial and economic justice for

Southwestern Pennsylvania

citizens. The foundation solic-

its, identifies and evaluates

projects that define and re-

solve community problems at a

grassroots level and makes

grants to organizations work-

ing on the ground for change.

TRCF raises funds from indi-

vidual donors and foundations.

Casey Capitolo is a TMC

Board Member.

LaDuke Keynotes Convergences for Change

5 reasons why Building

Change focused on the

young?

1. Governance: Politicians are making deci-

sions that youth will have to live with and, if

the young do not become active in the de-

mocratic process, their opinions will not be

heard.

2. War: Adults declare wars – young people

die in them and pay for these wars finan-

cially. Young people have the right to be

fully informed of the decisions that lead to

war, in order to influence those decisions

when they reach voting age.

3. Poverty among young people, and particu-

larly young African Americans: Young peo-

ple in general, and those of color in particu-

lar, face daunting obstacles to obtaining af-

fordable, high-quality education and living

wage jobs and careers. This racial and eco-

nomic injustice is severely limiting the op-

tions and life opportunities for young people

in our society.

4. Debt: For the past three decades the United

States has amassed an almost inconceivable

national debt and the task of repaying this

debt will be left to the youth of today and

tomorrow.

5. The Environment: Exploding population

growth and selfish life choices of adults and

the actions of the industries that they operate

have created an unsafe, increasingly arid, and

heavily polluted world environment. Young

people will have to live with the conse-

quences of these decisions and will be tasked

with having to come up with viable solu-

tions.


Your Guide to Progressive News

~ TELEVISION ~

PCTV21 (COMCAST Channel 21/ VERIZON FIOS Channel 47)

PROGRESSIVE PGH NOTEBOOK (check www.pctv21.org for schedule) Internet=( www.progressivepghnotebook.blip.tv )

DEMOCRACY NOW= 8 AM: AJ STREAM=9 AM ; FAULTLINES=9:30 AM(W/Thom Hartmann, both are

on Free Speech TV)

CITY COUNCIL (COMCAST Channel 13 / Verizon FIOS Channel 44) Tuesdays Council Meetings; Wednesdays Standing Committees 10 AM

Repeated at 7 PM / Repeated Sat & Sundays 10 AM and 7 PM (www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/council Legislative Info Center

~ INTERNET RADIO ~

ITUNES click ―Radio‖, Double Click ―News/ Talk‖ , and Click ―KPTK 1090 PROGRESSIVE TALK= THOM HARTMANN NOON – 3 PM

(Check other programs on KPTK and ITUNES)

LYNN CULLEN MON-FRI= 10 AM www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws ~ LOCAL RADIO ~

East End Community Thrift Store 5123 Penn Avenue, Garfield

(a few doors down from TMC)

Come in today

Tuesday — Friday: 10 AM - 4 PM

Saturday: Noon - 4 PM

What you donate, what you buy

supports Garfield,

supports the Merton Center.

SUBMIT!

your stories, letters, poems, essays, cartoon, photos to the NEWPEOPLE or they may never find an audience! Please limit submissions to

600 words. Photos or art should be sent as JPEG or TIFF. Postage or articles may be mailed to The Thomas Merton Center, 5129 Penn

Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15224. Manuscripts will not be returned. All submissions become property of NEWPEOPLE, a publication of the

Thomas Merton Center of Pittsburgh, and may be edited.

ADVERTISING IS AVAILABLE. CONTACT [email protected]

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION IS OCTOBER 15TH THROUGH http://thomasmertoncenter.org/newpeople/submit-article/

WRCT 88.3 FM

DEMOCRACY NOW = 8 AM,

MON – FRI

RUST BELT RADIO = 6 PM on

MON, and 9 AM on TUES

FREE SPEECH RADIO = MON –

FRI, 5:30 PM

LAW AND DISORDER = 9 AM

MON

KDKA 1020 AM

“CHRIS MOORE” = SUN, 4 – 9

PM. CALL IN NUMBER 412-353-1254

WMMY 1360 AM

‖Dr Scott Shalaway, Birds & Na-

ture‖ = SUN, NOON – 2 PM

WKFB 770 AM

“UNION EDGE RADIO TALK” =

MON-FRI, NOON – 1 PM

WESA 90.5 FM,

MONDAY TO FRIDAY

BBC = 11PM—5AM

SATURDAY

BBC = MIDNIGHT—7AM

EARTH BEAT = 7AM

ALLEGHENY FRONT = 7:30 AM

SUNDAY



SUNDAYS ___________________________ Anti-War Committee meeting Every other Sunday 2:00pm - 3:30pm Merton Center, 5129 Penn Ave., Garfield Book 'Em Packing Day Meets every Sunday 4:00pm - 7:00pm Thomas Merton Center, 5129 Penn Avenue Join others sending requested books to pris-

oners. Bring a group. For more info call the Thomas Merton Center, 412.361.3022

Human Rights Letter-writing Salon Meets every Sunday 4:00pm - 6:00pm Kiva Han, 420 S Craig St Write letters to combat human rights abuses!

Meet local Amnesty International activists and other human rights enthusiasts, change the world, and have a grand old time.

MONDAYS ________________________ Weekly North Hills Weekly Peace Vigil 4:30pm-5:00pm In front of the Divine Providence Motherhouse, 9000 Babcock Blvd., Allison Park

Sponsored by the Pittsburgh North People for Peace & the Srs. of Divine Providence

WEDNESDAYS _______________________ Pittsburgh Darfur Emergency Coalition Meets the 1st Wednesday of every month

5:30pm - 7:00pm Squirrel Hill Carnegie Library 5801 Forbes Avenue Meeting Room B Write On! Letters for Prisoner's rights Meets every Wednesday 6:30pm – 9:00pm Merton Center, 5129 Penn Avenue, Garfield We need help answering our 60 letters a

month from people in prison dealing with abuse and neglect. Come and learn about people in prison while advocating for their rights! Info 412-361-3022

PUSH [Pennsylvanian United for Single Payer Healthcare]/Health Care for All PA Meets monthly on the second Wednesday 6:15 pm office, 2101 Murray Avenue, Squirrel Hill

All welcome Info: [email protected]

Pennsylvanians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (PADP) meeting Monthly on the first Wednesday 7:00pm - 8pm First Unitarian Church (Ellsworth/Morewood, Shadyside) For more information, call 412-384-4310. THURSDAYS _________________________ Green Party meeting First Thursday of the month 7:00pm - 9pm Citizen Power's offices, 2121 Murray Avenue in Squirrel Hill, second floor

SATURDAYS ________________________

Project to End Human Trafficking Volunteer signup 2nd Saturday of each month 10:00am - 12:00pm Campus of Carlow University Project to End Human Trafficking (PEHT)

offers FREE public volunteer/information. Please pre-register by the Wednesday be-fore via [email protected].

For more information check out our website www.endhumantrafficking.org

PEHT Information and Training Seminars Second Saturday of every month 12:00pm - 1:00pm Carlow University, Antonian Room #502,

RSVP by the Wednesday before to [email protected]

Open to the public. Peace Vigils to End the War Every Saturday, following locations & times

Regent Square Peace Vigil Corner of Forbes and Braddock 12:00pm - 1pm

*Black Voices for Peace Anti-War Protest Corner of Penn & Highland in East Liberty 1:00pm - 2:00 pm

Beaver County Peace Links Peace Vigil Beaver County Courthouse, 3rd Street

(Beaver) 1:00pm - 2pm

S O C I A L A C T I O N C A L E N D A R

~ November ~ Tuesday, November 1st ____________________

My People Film Series: The Untitled Black Lesbian Elder Project

7pm-8pm

Kelly Strayhorn Theater 5941 Penn Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15206

[email protected]

Thursday, November 3rd ____________________

The Thomas Merton Center Award Dinner

6:30pm-9pm

Sheraton Station Square, 300 West Station Square Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

[email protected]

Sunday, November 6th ____________________

Anti-War Committee Meeting

2:00pm

Mellon Green (Occupy Pittsburgh site)

Friday, November 11th ____________________

Lynnea Smith, Navajo Environmental Activist

1:00-2:30pm

McKenna Room, 2nd floor University Center , Carnegie Mellon University

Sunday, November 13th ____________________

Into Eternity (Film)

2:00-3:15

Harris Theater, Downtown

sponsored by Remembering Hiroshima

Monday, November 14th ____________________

Edwina Gateley speaks on being prophetic in a broken and hurting world

7:30pm

Kearns Spiritual Center 9000 Babcock Blvd Allison Park, PA 15101

Tuesday, November 15th____________________

My People Film Series: Zero Degrees of Seperation

7pm-9pm

Kelly Strayhorn Theater 5941 Penn Ave Pittsburgh PA 15206.

[email protected]

Wednesday, November 16th____________________

TMC Membership Committee Meeting

12:00pm

Thomas Merton Center 5129 Penn Avenue Pittsburgh, PA

Friday, November 18th ____________________

Initiative for Transgender Leadership Commencement Celebration

6:30-9:30pm

Union Project

801 N Negley Avenue Pittsburgh PA, 15206

Monday, November 21st____________________

Board of Thomas Merton Center Meeting

Potluck Dinner at 6:00, Meeting at 7:00pm

Thomas Merton Center 5129 Penn Avenue Pittsburgh, PA

Tuesday, November 22nd____________________

My People Film Series: Brother to Brother

7pm-9pm

Kelly Strayhorn Theater 5941 Penn Ave Pittsburgh PA 15206.

[email protected]

Thursday, December 1st____________________

David Zirin speaks on Power, Politics and American Sports 7:30 pm-9:30 pm

Friends Meeting House, 4836 Ellsworth Avenue Pittsburgh, PA

Clarification:

In last month‘s NewPeo-

ple, this photo was acci-

dentally omitted. Carole

Wiedmann is a retiring

board member. It‘s a

pleasure to see a good

woman standing up for

justice!


http://www.endhumantrafficking.org/



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