NM-leftnright

The Significance of 11 11 11

from the New Mexico News Connection - A statewide news service for New Mexico
TAOS, N.M. - Beautification of the Taos Plaza takes on special significance this Veterans Day as the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps and the Sierra Club invite returned veterans and their families to be honored and to participate in a service project. According to the All Volunteer Force report and The Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom Veterans Survey, a significant number of veterans want to continue to serve even after they must leave the military because of injury or medical or family issues.  

Kristina Ortez, the southwest representative for the Mission Outdoors Program at the Sierra Club, says there's healing in nature.

"We found that service, and especially service outdoors, is something that can help our veterans heal. There's a lot of good evidence that shows that time spent outdoors being active in service helps reduce stress."

The All Volunteer Force report calls for America to change the national dialogue around returning veterans, and view them as important contributors to communities across America, not just challenges to address. As one veteran said, "We are not charity cases, we are assets."

Ortez says she hopes the 2011 Veterans Day of Ceremony and Service grows into an annual event.

"We've been working with the veterans' groups. But this service project is something that's a little bit different. What we're hoping is that this becomes a lasting legacy, that we connect them with the idea and the concept of serving outdoors and being outdoors in general."

A study conducted by The Rand Corporation in 2008 says more than 300,000 veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts suffer from PTSD. The vast majority of them continue to lead productive, meaningful lives.

The event at Taos Plaza is scheduled for Friday, November 11 from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. MST.
Renee Blake reporting, nmnc@newsservice.org 

Climate Change: A Threat to National Security?

New Mexico News Connection - A statewide news service for New Mexico
Melting ice caps, rising sea levels and endangered polar bears are among the most familiar potential threats of climate change. But America's national security might also be at stake, according to a group of high-ranking retired military officers. According to a dozen three- and four-star retired military officers, climate change is a serious US national security threat. Retired Vice Admiral Dennis McGinn says people in failed states like Afghanistan and Somalia often turn to extremism. He says weak nations can be pushed over the edge by natural disasters like floods, droughts or hurricanes, which some have linked to climate change,  "Imagine around the world fault lines along religious, ethnic, economic and political lines. Put a big magnifying glass on top of those fault lines, increase them in frequency and intensity, and that's what the climate change dynamic will do."

Some business executives and trade groups have disputed whether industrial activity is having an impact on the climate. McGinn says it's already causing important water problems in parts of central and south Asia. The Senate is now debating a bill on climate change. 

McGinn says the military is moving strongly towards energy conservation and alternative fuels. He says the Department of Defense wants to save money and protect the country from the possible security threat from our dependence on imported oil. He says one solution is domestic, renewable energy, "The Navy is investigating use of algae-based oils for ship and airborne use. In fact they're planning on flying a F-18 Super Hornet next year, using algae-based oil."  Studies are already underway to determine if the production of oil from algae is feasible in New Mexico.

The Air Force considered using airplane fuel made from coal. But McGinn says it didn't work because of cost and technical issues,  "The notion of coal to liquid, when you first take a look at it, seems appealing, but when you look at some of the technical difficulties in actually doing it, it's pretty much a non-starter."

Note: A report written by the CNA Military Advisory Board - which includes McGinn - is available at http://www.cna.org/nationalsecurity/climate/.

MoveOn: Obama Wins, the Big Loser is Hillary

My few predictions about the winners and losers of the  MoveOn Iraq Town Hall meetings Tuesday night were borne out.
Posted on NMFBIHOP

I predicted Richardson and Obama would do well and that Hillary would not do as well as among the general public (votes have to come from somewhere. Sorry Hillary.)

Sen. Barack Obama         28%         www.BarackObama.com
Sen. John Edwards         25%         www.JohnEdwards.com
Rep. Dennis Kucinich      17%         www.Kucinich.us
Gov. Bill Richardson      12%         www.RichardsonForPresident.com
Sen. Hillary Clinton      11%         www.HillaryClinton.com
Sen. Joe Biden            6%          www.JoeBiden.com
Sen. Chris Dodd           1%          www.ChrisDodd.com

In my previous post I said, "There was a feeling that if this was the first time MoveOn members were hearing Richardson,  they would have been impressed by his plain strong and easy to understand plan for Iraq.  His presentation should make his numbers look good - at least among MoveOn members. I might also expect Obama's numbers to look good. Perhaps Clinton's numbers may not look as good among MoveOn members as they do among the general population."

Candlelight vigil to End the War at Camino de los Artesanos NW in Albuquerque

About 50 people showed up to honor our troops and ask Bush to put an end to the war. Passersby honked frequently in agreement with the sentiment of the crowd. The assembled broke briefly to read stories from families of those killed in Iraq.

Here is one of the stories written by the father of a Marine killed in action which was read at the gathering:

"My name is Calos Arredondo. I'm from Boston, born in Costa Rica. Myu son, Lance Corporal Alexander Arredondo, US Marines, was killed in action in the old city, Najaf, fighting against the forces of Mustada Al-Sadar. That happened on August 25th, 2004. He was attacked by a bullet. He was shot by a sniper into his temple, He died instantly. Alexander was going to turn 20 years old in twenty days. He was a good son, a very good brother and also her was very good citizen. He grew up believing it's not what the country can for you, it's what you can do for your country."

Should the US Withdraw? KRQE POLL Today

March 19 - Albuquerque

The Poll for today on KRQE.com (Channel 13) is 'Should the U.S. begin to withdraw from Iraq?
Have you voted?'

NM Youth Call for Military Withdrawal from Iraq & State Schools (with audio)

NEW MEXICO NEWS CONNECTION - A statewide news service for New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM - March 16, 2007 - Young New Mexicans will be marking the 4th anniversary of the Iraq invasion by speaking out against military recruitment in schools. A rally is planned for tomorrow (Saturday) morning at Albuquerque Civic Plaza, followed by a march to the offices of Senators Bingaman and Domenici, and a "Peace-a-polooza" event with live music and speakers at Robinson Park.

March 17 marks the 4th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, and a group of young New Mexicans are calling for a full military withdrawal - not only from Iraq, but from schools here at home. Rodrigo Rodriguez with the Southwest Organizing Project believes that's one place military recruiters don't belong, (click to listen  Rodriguez-SWOP031607a.mp3 ) "They need to stop targeting our young people in our schools. You know, we're not going to do it anymore, we're not going to fight for their causes. We want to fix our problems that we have here at home first."

A rally to protest the war is planned for tomorrow at 11 A-M in Albuquerque at Civic Plaza, followed by a march to the offices of Senators Bingaman and Domenici. In the afternoon, slam poets and other speakers will share their views on war and military recruitment at a "Peace-a-polooza" event at Robinson Park.    Rodrigo Rodriguez claims recruiters have a history of targeting minority and low-income students, (click to listen  RodriguezSWOP031607b.mp3 ) "You know we have a long history here of militarization with people of color going into the military here in New Mexico and you know with our long history of nuclear proliferation."  Military spokespeople have denied charges of racial targeting and say they only recruit with the permission of school principals and officials. Rodriguez says some local principals have become less interested in having recruiters in their schools.

NM Peace Activists Work to Create New State, Federal Offices

From the New Mexico News Connection
Santa Fe, NM - December 12, 2006 - A group of New Mexicans are working to integrate peacemaking into government at both the state and federal level. Legislation to create a cabinet-level Department of Peace has been drafted in Washington, and New Mexico activists are helping with the national effort.  Governor Richardson has said he will support a bill to create the nation's first state Office of Peace in New Mexico.  The state Peace Office would support programs that use restorative justice and nonviolent techniques to resolving conflict

Richard Mansbach is the state campaign coordinator for the proposed legislation. According to Mansbach,  "The national legislation will create an Academy of Peace. It will enable young people who wish to serve the country to work in this whole arena of non-violent solutions to conflict."   Mansbach says he's optimistic that a state bill modeled on the national proposal will make it through the legislature this winter and on to Governor Richardson's desk. According to Mansbach,  "It has a pretty good chance of passing. We could be the first state to actually have an Office of Peace, doing some of the same functions of coordinating and helping getting money channeled to some of these programs."

More information is available online at www.thepeacealliance.org and www.thedepartmentofpeacenm.org .

Los activistas crearán un Departamento de Paz a nivel estatal y federal

Santa Fe, NM - Diciembre 12, 2006 - Un grupo de residentes de New Mexico están trabajando para integrar un organismo de paz en el gobierno a nivel estatal y federal. La legislación para crear un Departamento de Paz se ha redactado en Washington, y el gobernador Richardson ha dicho que apoyará un proyecto de ley para crear Departamento de Paz a nivel estatal en New Mexico, el primero en toda la nación. El Departamento de Paz apoyaría los programas que usan la justicia restaurativa y las técnicas no-violentas para resolver conflictos.

Richard Mansbach es el coordinador de la campaña del estado para la propuesta de legislación, y dice "La legislación nacional creará una Academia de Paz, en la cual se capacitará a los jóvenes que quieran prestar servicio a la nación y darle soluciones de una manera no-violenta, a los conflictos."  Un proyecto de ley que creará un Departamento de Paz en New Mexico está planeado para presentarse ante la legislatura del estado, este enero que viene.  Mansbach dice que es optimista en cuanto al proyecto de ley, un prototipo del propuesto a nivel nacional que pasará primero a la legislatura del estado y luego a las manos del gobernador Richardson.  Mansbach dice, "Tiene muchas posibilidades de pasar. Pudiéramos ser el primer estado que verdaderamente tiene un Departamento de Paz, teniendo las mismas funciones tanto de coordinación como de obtener fondos monetarios dirigidos a programas de paz."

Más información en el Internet www.thepeacealliance.org y www.thedepartmentofpeacenm.org .