Tibetan Crackdown Demands an International Response

In the United States we take for granted freedoms and privileges which people around the world are struggling to attain for themselves. Among these freedoms is the right of assembly, the right to the exercise of free speech, the freedom of travel and the right to self-determination. These freedoms were hard won through the struggle for equal rights, which is continuing to this day.

These freedoms that we have are not perfect, and the history of our exercise in democracy is not perfect. A simple examination of the legacy of racism and slavery provides a clear example of the denial of these freedoms almost to this day. The treatment of native americans, immigrants, women, people of color and other minorities clearly illustrates that the rights and privileges enshrined in our constitution and body of law are not guaranteed, but must be fought for, often in the face of years or even decades of difficult, painful struggle. In spite of this analysis, the fact is that there is a path to self-determination and human rights. We as a nation are at our best when we are promoting human rights and basic democratic freedoms.

In March, there was an event that happened halfway around the world, which is beginning to awaken international consciousness. High on the plain of the Indian subcontinent on the tallest elevated plateau in the world on some of the most beautiful land on earth a deeply spiritual nation called Tibet asserted its right to freedom, to self determination, to autonomy and to basic democratic rights. Tibet has been an occupied nation for nearly half a century. Annexed by China during the reign of Mao, Tibet has suffered numerous and grievous human rights abuses during the occupation by China. Tens of thousands of Tibetans have been killed. Thousands have been jailed and disappeared. The government of Tibet has been sent into exile and the spiritual center of Tibet, the Dalai Lama, has lived in exile for most of his life.

Here in the United States we benefit to a large extent from our relations with China, and it is time for us to call in some favors. China has benefited from its economic relationship with the west, which is driving its economic rebirth and steps toward modernization and development. This growth is driven by cheap goods, massive industrialization, international trade agreements and economic liberalization. In spite of this economic liberalization, China is still riddled with the contradictions of centralized state control and the basic denial of human rights, which comes out of the framework of centralized state control.

In the United States we have a moral responsibility to speak out for the people who cannot speak for themselves. Right now, the people of Tibet are suffering terribly for wanting their basic human rights. They want to worship in a manner suitable to their culture. They want the freedom of assembly and the right to free speech. They want political autonomy from China. They want to live free from the fear of being tortured and imprisoned for expressing dissent. We have a responsibility to listen to these thousands of monks and ordinary citizens calling for freedom.

As a candidate for federal office, I would like to urge you to take steps to let China know that the people of Tibet deserve basic human rights. If China does not call off its troops, release prisoners who have been imprisoned simply for expressing their desire for freedom, reinstate the Dalai Lama as the cultural and spiritual leader of Tibet, and grant Tibet autonomy within China, then we will not buy products made in China.

I would encourage you to look at where the next cheap product you buy is made, and if it is made in China, then I would encourage you not to buy it, until China grants Tibet basic human rights. Additionally, as a federal candidate I support a boycott of official US participation in the 2008 Olympics. The people of Tibet have spoken, and it is time for us to listen. Through non-violent methods we have the tools and resources to pressure China to move into the twenty first century. China is enthusiastic to show the world her material progress. It is up to us to help nudge China toward democratic progress as well.

If you are in Nashville I would like to encourage you to attend a rally for human rights in Tibet this Sunday, March 30th at 1pm at the Nashville Courthouse. The rally, entitled “One Human Race,” is a response to recent reports of violence in Tibet that began on March 10th – a day known to Tibetans as Uprising Day, when the country revolted in 1959 against the Chinese invasion of 1950. News reports have suggested that the violence in Tibetan and Chinese provinces comes at a time when China is working expeditiously to portray a clean image for the upcoming summer Olympics in Beijing.

But the social unrest paints a different picture, calling the world’s attention to a brutal decades-long history of Chinese rule in Tibet, in which approximately 1.3 million Tibetans (1/5th of the population) have died due to violence and starvation. Nashville’s “One Human Race” rally will emphasize the need for basic human rights in Tibet, and a negotiated settlement between the Dalai Lama and Chinese leaders that will result in a meaningful autonomy for the Tibetan people. The rally will also call for dignity, justice and equality for all people in all lands.

“One Human Race” will gather together Nashville-area artists, activists, and educators to rally for religious and cultural freedom in Tibet and beyond. Speakers from various faith communities will unite together to share stories and poems by Tibetan exiles, and call for social justice. Activities will include meditation, prayer, information-exchange, art for kids and adults, dance and music. Parking will be available on the street and in the Courthouse garage (free on Sundays). This event is supported by Project Giving Justice, Tropic Heat Studios, Blue Moves Modern Dance Company, Homeless Power Project and members of the Nashville Peace Coalition and Peace and Justice Center.

Following the rally, THE CRY OF THE SNOW LION, a film about Tibet, will be shown on Sunday, March 30 at 7PM at Cafe Outloud, 1707 Church St., Nashville. The film will be followed by a discussion led by Ngawang Losel.

For more information:
http://www.myspace.com/onehumanracejustice, onehumanrace.justice@gmail.com, (615) 469-2584 (Office) or (615) 512-0161 (Dan Beck/cell)

Women Deserve the Right to Choose

By: Chris Lugo

The federally protected right for women to choose to have an abortion is facing the greatest threat to its continued existence since it was implemented in 1973. History shows that women's rights to the autonomy of their bodies and their right to privacy is fundamental to women's progress. States are attempting to do an end run around the federal government by passing anti-choice legislation in lieu of expectant Supreme Court decisions regarding federal protections for women. According to the Feminist Majority, nine states may have anti-abortion measures on the ballot this November. These so-called "personhood initiatives" threaten not only abortion, but also certain methods of birth control.

Last year the Freedom of Choice Act was introduced into the US Senate, this act states that it is the policy of the United States that every woman has the fundamental right to choose to bear a child, to terminate a pregnancy prior to fetal viability, or to terminate a pregnancy after fetal viability when necessary to protect the life or health of the woman. This is the type of legislation that is necessary in order to ensure that women's rights are protected in this society. With a politically stacked Supreme Court leaning toward invalidating Roe with decisions such as the abortion ban in Gonzales vs. Carhart, it is clear that the Supreme Court does not care about the health and safety of women.

This is why the federally protected right for women to choose must remain a federal right. This is why it matters who you elect to federal office. The current anti-woman policies have been the direct result of years of ideologically driven legislation dictated by neo-conservative ideology which is rooted in archaic principles regarding the role and status of women as child-bearers and homemakers. The recent anti-abortion ruling in Gonzales vs. Carhart already puts the health and safety of women at risk, and this is only the beginning if we do not elect representatives who will uphold the rights of women. The right to a safe and legal abortion is being chipped away and it is essential to act now to preserve women's rights and women's lives.

I believe that a woman's right to choose is a fundamental right of women, therefore, as a candidate I promise that I will work to do everything in my power to keep abortion safe and legal for all women, not just those in 'safe states' where abortion would be kept legal. Additionally, I will work to ensure that abortion remain a federal right, and that poor women have access to federal dollars in the event of need which is a right many women have not had access to for many years. I will also support affirmative action and equal opportunity for women at all levels of employment, both in government and in the private economy.

Vigil Marking the 4,000th US Soldier Killed in Iraq

Vigil Marking the 4,000th US Soldier Killed in Iraq

Nashville, TN: On Sunday, March 23rd the grim milestone of 4,000 US soldiers killed in Iraq was reached when four US soldiers were killed by an IED in Baghdad. In memory of this event I will be joining members of the Nashville Peace Coalition in front of the Federal Building on Monday, March 24th from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm to remember the all those killed in the war, including an estimated 89,000 Iraqis according to the website Iraq Body Count, although the truth is that no one knows exactly how many Iraqis have been killed and some estimates are as are as high as 600,000 to 1.1 million people.

I have participated in vigils to mark the milestone of every 1,000 US soldiers killed on three occasions since the start of the Iraqi occupation and have also helped to organize vigils and demonstrations to call for an end to the war in Iraq and a withdrawal of US armed forces. As a member of the Nashville Peace Coalition I recently participated in three events to mark the five year anniversary of the war in Iraq, including a protest on the visit of President Bush to Opryland on March 11th, a peace rally at Bicentennial Mall on March 15th and a street protest coordinated by Moveon.org on the actual anniversary of the start of the war on March 19th.

It is particularly sad that we have been so busy these past two weeks. I wish that our actions alone could bring an end to this war but it is going to take the concerted will of the Congress to reverse the terrible decision of the Bush administration to lead us to war. We must elect people who will speak out for peace and against war. As a candidate for federal office I support a federal level department of peace and nonviolence. I support a drastic reduction in the military budget and an immediate withdrawal of all US armed forces from Afghanistan and Iraq. It seems particularly sad that we have reached this milestone. I had hoped that it wouldn't come, but it has and I am going to be standing in front of the federal building to memorialize this occasion along with other concerned citizens of middle Tennessee.

I am proud to be a member of the Nashville Peace Coalition which has been working diligently for seven years to promote alternatives to violence, war and occupation. The peace coalition is made of representatives of Veterans for Peace, the Nashville Peace and Justice Center, Peace Roots Alliance as well as supporters of the Democratic party, the Green Party and members of various faith traditions all working together for peace. As a member of the Nashville Peace Coalition I will not be standing on the street on Monday to make a political statement. Instead I will be standing in vigil, remembering those who have been killed, both American and Iraqi and calling for congress to bring the troops home now.

Chris Lugo withdraws from Democratic Primary Race

Declares Intention to Run Independent or Green Party

Nashville, TN: US Senate candidate Chris Lugo has announced that he is withdrawing his candidacy from the democratic primary race August 7th in Tennessee and will instead run as an independent candidate or seek the Green Party nomination at their convention May 3rd in Nashville. Calling his campaign a referendum on the war, Lugo said that the democrats are sitting on the fence and he didn't think that continuing to run as a democrat would be a good fit for his campaign. "I am running for office because I want to end the war in Iraq. It is time to bring the troops home and acknowledge the terrible injustice that we have caused. It is time to stop rationalizing our wasteful military spending and abuse of the national trust in the name of a war that never should have happened. We have lost too many good people with no clear objective. We are basically repeating the mistakes of Vietnam."

Lugo said that after running as a democrat for three months his sense was that they are not ready to end the war. "Personally I think the democrats are in a better position to do some good than the republicans, but I don't think the democrats are ready yet to do the right thing. I had hoped that by running I might help push the dialogue on the peace issue, but the democrats didn't really seem to be interested. So I am going to go back to my roots as a progressive and seek the nomination of the green party which has a stronger position on the issue of peace and a generally more progressive platform all around."

According to a recent poll, about 47% of Americans say that the we should stay the course in Iraq, citing the need to stay and take care of the situation that has been created by ongoing US occupation. In contrast, Lugo feels that the troops should be withdrawn immediately. "I was listening to General Abizaid speak this week at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. He was talking about our need to protect America by being in Iraq. This is the basic problem. We are not protecting America by occupying Iraq. Iraq did not attack the United States. We attacked them. If anything we have made ourselves more insecure by occupying Iraq. We have created wounds that will take generations to heal. We have made enemies who will not forget us in their lifetime."

Citing a lack of interest in the peace issue within the democratic party, Lugo said that he was going in a different direction. "I am all for dialogue and debate on the issues, but it seems clear to me that the democratic party is not on board regarding this issue. For me the war is a moral issue of profound significance. I don't think that we can remain in Iraq and consider ourselves to be a moral nation or a righteous country. We have already violated international law and basic decency by attacking a country that was significantly weaker than us and occupying it with no clear mandate. I don't think the democratic party in Tennessee sees this issue the same way I do."

Lugo said that he wishes democratic front runner Bob Tuke all the best and looks forward to an opportunity to debate him and Lamar Alexander during the election season. "I have filed my papers as an independent candidate and will seek the Green Party nomination. I look forward to an opportunity to debate Tuke or Alexander on issues like universal single payer health care, bringing the troops home now, reducing the military budget, dismantling weapons of mass destruction or taking significant steps right now to reduce global warming. I think Tennesseans deserve the opportunity to hear from all the candidates and then cast their vote once they have made the most informed decisions possible."

Let's Bring the Troops Home Now

By: Chris Lugo

In a recent poll, a sobering 47% of Americans said that we should stay the course in Iraq, reasoning that now that our troops are there, we need to stay. Most responded by saying that if we pull out it will be a disaster for the Iraqi people. Americans feel this way in spite of the facts regarding the ongoing occupation of Iraq. The truth is that an overwhelming majority of Iraqis want Americans out of Iraq now. The security that we are providing in Iraq is mostly for our own service members. Most of the tax dollars that we spend on Iraqi security goes to protecting convoy lines, building and supplying military bases and paying for resources that we are expending funds on specifically because we are there.

March 19th marks the fifth anniversary of the ongoing occupation of Iraq. It has been nearly as long since president Bush stood on the deck of an aircraft carrier with the words 'mission accomplished' boldly printed on a banner behind him. Since that time nearly 4,000 Americans have died in Iraq and tens of thousands have been injured. No one knows exactly how many Iraqis have been killed. Some estimates are as low as 100,000 and some estimates are as high as 600,000 people. What we do know is that we have turned Iraq into a living hell where people get blown to bits while trying to go shopping, get shot by private contractors while driving down the street, get tortured by American military personnel after being caught up in security sweeps and watch neighbor kill neighbor over sectarian concerns bubbling from below the surface of extreme poverty, suffering and trauma.

The Iraqi war is a shameful war and one of the worst policy decisions of the contemporary era. As the United States teeters on the brink of depression and watches its currency value plummet we continue to waste our national treasury on a war that was based on the pretext of weapons of mass destruction that never existed. It is time for Americans to come to terms with the reality of what we have done. Those who supported the war and voted for it followed the foolish emotionalism generated by the current administration after the traumatic experience of the Sept. 11th attacks. It is time for us to admit that the war was really an act of vengeance, a blind lashing out at some Arab nation as retribution for the lives lost in 2001.

The Bush administration understood the pain and the anger of the American people, and chose to manipulate us for the economic advantage of a few private corporations who have received the lion's share of contracts worth hundreds of billions of dollars. The President has betrayed the trust of the American people, the armed services and the international community. Opposition to the continuation of the war has become a moral issue. Shortly after the American invasion of Iraq, in a rare admission of dissent in the American public, the President said you are either with the ‘us’ or you are with the terrorists. In hindsight, it is clear that Bush and his cronies are the ones who are at odds with the American people and the democratic traditions of this nation.

The Iraqi war will be remembered as the defining international conflict of the first decade of the 21st century. The verdict is already out on this occupation and we are the losers. We have lost our honor. We unilaterally attacked a nation which had not attacked us and had not declared war on us. We imprisoned their citizens and tortured them. We dropped bombs on their houses and murdered their children. We spent hundreds of billions of dollars and accepted the lies of our President and his administration. We have lost our soul as a nation. It is time to restore our fallen honor and reconcile ourselves to the evil that we have done out of fear and a desire for retribution. Only then can we begin to truly live up to the promise of what our nation can be. It is time to bring the troops home and end the occupation of Iraq.

Why Are we Importing European Nuclear Waste to Tennessee?

By: Chris Lugo

Why is the federal government considering allowing a private corporation to transport and process massive amounts of nuclear waste from Europe into Tennessee? The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering allowing the company called 'Energy Solutions' to ship in nuclear waste to burn, melt, transport and dump right here in Tennessee. Since when did Tennessee become a dumping ground for European nuclear waste? I oppose the NRC issuing a permit to this corporation to pollute our state. It is bad enough that we have our own nuclear waste to deal with from years of nuclear weapons production as well as nuclear power generation. The federal government doesn't even know what to do with its own nuclear waste. Taking in nuclear waste from Europe to dump in the United States is simply unacceptable.

According to a release from the Nuclear Information and Resource Service, EnergySolutions runs 2 commercial nuclear waste dumps in the US and incinerators, a metal melter and other "processing" facilities in Memphis and Oak Ridge, Tennessee. EnergySolutions is applying for a federal license to import 20,000 tons of radioactive waste into the US for processing including incineration, "recycling", transport and disposal. This nuclear waste from Italy would be burned, smelted, chopped up and process in Memphis and Oak Ridge, resulting in more radioactive emissions in those regions and creating more radioactive nuclear waste in Tennessee. Some of this waste could even be dumped in solid waste dumps in Tennessee.

Tennessee has a long history of resistance to becoming a nuclear dumping ground for private corporations. In Hartsville, Tennessee an organization called Louisiana Energy Services attempted to dump a uranium processing facility on that community in 2003. A grassroots organization called Citizens for Smart Choices organized a grassroots campaign to keep radioactive waste out of Hartsville and eventually won over the city council of Hartsville with a simple, common sense discussion about the environmental impact a uranium processing facility would have on the ecology of the region. In 2006, an organization coalesced in Johnson City, Tennessee to oppose the depleted uranium processing happening at Aerojet facilities in Irwin, Tennessee. For over twenty years, an organization called the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance has called for the cleaning up of the Oak Ridge bioregion, which has been severely impacted by the nuclear weapons complex facilities in the area.

I am opposed to any further nuclear waste processing in Tennessee. Tennesseans don't want nuclear waste polluting their water, air and soil. We want a healthy environment in which we can safely raise our families, grow our food, and enjoy the outdoors. We need to tell the federal government that Tennessee is not a dumping ground for European nuclear waste. Tennessee is rich in natural resources, and we need to preserve our bioregion for future generations. Radioactive nuclear waste contaminates everything - the air, the soil, the water, plants, animals and people. Why would anyone think that it is a good idea to import nuclear waste from a foreign country into Tennessee?

I urge Tennesseans to write to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to say NO to License Applications IW023 and XW013 which would permit the Energy Solutions corporation to transport and process nuclear waste in Tennessee, and to vote for candidates this fall that will look out for the long-term interests of environment. We only have one planet, and only one Tennessee. I think it is clear to voters who will support the real interests of the environment.


Mailing Address:
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Washington, DC 20555-0001
Toll free: 1-800-368-5642, From the DC area: 301-415-7000
TTD: 301-415-5575

Sample Letter Text: (Please feel free to copy or write your own)

U.S, Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Washington, D.C. 20555-0001

Dear Chairman Klien, (other commissioners: Gregory B. Jaczko; Peter B. Lyons)

This letter is to request that License Applications IW023 and XW013 be denied. These permits would allow a private corporation; Energy Solutions, Inc. to transport and process nuclear waste in Tennessee.

Tennessee is biologically diverse and rich in natural resources. Radioactive nuclear waste contaminates everything - the air, the soil, the water, plants, animals and people. I see no benefit to the people of Tennessee by allowing European or any other nuclear waste to be brought into our state to be processed and stored here.

Respectfully,

Your Name
Full Address

Families Deserve a Choice in Home Health Care Options

By: Chris Lugo

Americans want to be in the company of their loved ones in their final years. When a loved one is sick and in need of long term care in the last years of life, they almost always prefer to be at home and in the company of family. This is sometimes an option for family members, but sometimes it isn't possible because of financial considerations. Medicare covers some aspects of in-home health care through private duty nursing, registered social workers and personal health care attendants, but it generally does not pay for family members to stay home and care for their loved ones.

This is a situation which needs to be resolved as part of comprehensive medical care legislation restructuring. It is time for us to move to a single payer health care system to address the needs of some 47 million Americans without health insurance. It is time for us to move toward preventative medical care rather than urgent need expensive medical care for undiagnosed illness and it is time for us to look at in home health care options for family members who wish to remain home and their loved ones who wish to care for them.

This is an option which can be structured as a win-win situation. If we do this right, family members can stay home to care for their loved ones without the threat of total loss of income. The burden on nursing home and long term care facilities can be reduced, thus passing on the savings in cost to the taxpayers, who are often times supplementing the costs of long term medical care in institutional settings through their tax dollars. Nursing home and institutional long term care is the most expensive and least desirable option for most individuals. All that we need to do is get smart about we pay for health care delivery in this country and think about ways to meet peoples needs where they are, rather than to meet the needs of Health Maintenance Organizations and their investors.

Family members who make the sacrifice to take care of loved ones are already doing most of the work. They are often times doing the cooking, the cleaning, the laundry, as well as providing transportation and much needed emotional support to the infirmed. If they can afford to make this sacrifice for their loved ones they deserve our respect and admiration. If they cannot afford to take care of them then they deserve our support.

In order to get the ball rolling an in home evaluation would be necessary from a nurse or social worker and certified by a doctor or attending physician. After an individual has been certified, monthly in-home reviews and quarterly clinical reviews would add safeguards to assure quality of care. When certification is supplemented by in home attendant care providers and private nursing attendants as needed, quality of care can be assured in most cases. It makes sense for Medicaid to pursue this cost saving option. Most family members prefer to stay at home in their final years of life and they prefer to be cared for by family members. Let's give them this common sense option.

Everyone Deserves the Right to Vote

By: Chris Lugo

The right to vote is a fundamental right which belongs to all Americans. Unfortunately the justice system has made it very difficult for some five million Americans who are no longer incarcerated but have previous felony convictions to exercise that right. This is an unreasonable limitation on the rights of those who have served their time and has an enormous impact on the national dialogue, limiting the rights of potential voters and skewing the results of elections.

One example of the impact of felony disenfranchisement is Florida in the 2000 elections. In addition to the thousands of voters who were illegally purged from the rolls, the butterfly ballots and general shenanigans involving the recount, thousands of potential voters were simply not allowed to vote because they had prior felony convictions. If there was ever a historical example of where voting matters, the presidential elections in Florida between Bush and Gore in 2000 are the example.

The issue of felony disenfranchisement is only one part of a corrupt system that is in vital need of overhaul and reform. According to James Austin, the president of the JFA institute and co-author of the report Unlocking America: Why and How to Reduce America's Prison Population, the criminal justice system is in need of "wholesale reform." Austin says that our resources are misspent, our punishments are too severe, and our sentences are too long. He says that the United States is "clearly overusing" the prison system and not using more beneficial alternative forms of correction.

On February 29th the Pew Center released a new report which estimates that one out of every one hundred Americans is currently incarcerated, and that this is the highest rate of incarceration in US history. The report went on to show that five states pay as much or more on jails as they do on schools.

Clearly our priorities are misguided and it is time to change things regarding how we deal with the issue of corrections. Fundamental to restoring civility and dignity to the national dialogue is restoring the right to vote for convicted felons. These men and women have served their time and paid the price that society requires for their infractions, and it is time to give them a second chance.

Limiting the right to vote only further punishes men and women who are working hard to become members of society in good standing; it affects the outcome of national and local elections and is an undue burden on the poor and minorities. It also has a deeper cost that cannot be measured. Restoring the right to vote doesn't just affect our basic democratic expression; it also has profound affects on that individual's sense of self and their sense of identity. It impacts on the sense of fairness and justice of the entire society. Common sense and morality calls us to address this injustice.

Now is the Time for a Department of Peace

By: Chris Lugo

America has lost her moral compass in the world. In the face of Hidatha, Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, people around the world are calling on the United States to cease and desist in Iraq. We are facing a grave moral crisis in this country. We have lost our way and it is time for us to return to the great democratic principles that are the true spirit of this nation. It is time for us as a nation to face up to the responsibilities we have. We must stop making war on people who have not attacked us. We must apologize to those we have harmed and make restitution and we must work internationally towards peace.

That is why I am supporting legislation to establish a Federal Level Department of Peace and Nonviolence. The primary function of a United States Department of Peace will be to research, articulate and facilitate nonviolent solutions to domestic and international conflict. The Department of Peace will facilitate the most cutting edge ways to wage peace. From nonviolent communication skills, to conflict resolution techniques and cultural relationship building, the Department of Peace will employ proven and effective strategies for diminishing violence in our country and in our world. As a member of the President’s cabinet, the Secretary of Peace will provide the President; the State Department; the Departments of Defense, Education and Justice with greatly expanded problem solving options. The Department of Peace will also provide support for state and local government to address issues of domestic violence.

The Department of Peace would research and analyze foreign policy and recommend to the President ways to address the root causes of war. A Peace Academy, on par with the Military Academies, would train civilian peacekeepers and the military in the latest nonviolent conflict resolution techniques and approaches. The Department would also provide expert advice to the President when diffusing or dealing with international crises.

Domestically, the Department would be responsible for developing new policies that address issues such as child abuse, domestic violence, gang violence, and cultural and racial violence. Statistics reveal that each year, medical expenses from domestic violence alone total at least $3 to $5 billion. Businesses forfeit another $100 million in lost wages, sick leave, absenteeism and non-productivity due to domestic violence. Teaching violence prevention and mediation to America’s school children is just one of the many ways a U.S. Department of Peace would reduce violence in our homes and schools.

The idea of a Department of Peace is not new. In fact it dates back to 1792 and it has been proposed numerous times over the course of this nation's history. Currently, no other federal agency or department looks at the root causes of violence or provides the President with counsel. There is an urgent need for a Department of Peace. Nuclear proliferation creates the critical need to interrupt the current cycles of violence internationally and domestically, criminal and domestic violence places intense financial pressures on the city, county and state government.

We need a Department of Peace in order to provide new, proactive approaches to violence reduction both domestically and internationally. Our traditional political problem solving methods focus primarily on addressing symptoms of violence, such as imprisonment for offenders and engagement in armed conflict. The United States should be as effective in addressing the sources of violence as we are in addressing its symptoms. A Department of Peace will reduce international and domestic violence, it will help to build peace making efforts among conflicting communities both here and abroad and it will support our military with complementary approaches to ending violence. Peace belongs to all of us, so let’s make it part of every aspect of our lives, including how we think, how we act, and how we govern.

Iranian Crisis Requires Diplomacy, Not Force

By; Chris Lugo

The United States has no justification for a first strike on Iran. With the recent revelations that Iran has not been engaged in active nuclear weapons development in the past four years it is imperative that the United States engage in international diplomacy with respect to the Iranian Government rather than pursuing a US generated international crisis. Our relationship with Iran is a situation which requires diplomacy and international cooperation, and not, as the Bush administration and the Republican Party seems to be speculating on, the use of unilateral force.

The international landscape has changed dramatically in the past five years, since September 11th of 2001. At the time, the United States had the empathy and compassion of the world. People around the world grieved with us as they saw our own innocent civilians die in the face of tragedy and unspeakable evil acts of aggression. Now the world community scowls as they see innocent Iraqi women and children die in the face of tragedy and acts of aggression. The global community has shifted its perspective and the United States has walked itself to the edge with the current foreign policy, rooted in unilateral aggression.

We have our own heroes and fallen dead to honor as thousands of Americans have died in service to this country in Iraq, but it is time to bring the remaining soldiers home and to refuse to take one step further down the myopic and misguided path that the war on terrorism has taken. The international community has spoken clearly on the subject of Iran, and the message is diplomacy. This is a message the current administration should heed. Americans are not ready for yet another Middle East war, especially with a country that will fight back with ten times the aggression that the Iraqi insurgency has displayed.

The United Nations is the best institution to monitor and implement the Safeguards Agreement with Iran, unilateral force will not work in this situation. It has not worked in Iraq and it will not work in Iran. Whether Iran does have a more extensive centrifuge enrichment than it currently admits is a matter for international diplomacy to resolve. The United States is on the edge, once again, and international opinion says to stay the course. Whether the current administration will allow international bodies to work as they are intended, remains to be seen. Americans have learned from Iraq, where there were no weapons of mass destruction and there was no support for Osama Bin Laden. Americans are tired of war, and talk of war; Americans want peace and security and the current administration's policies offer none.