Meet the Press

Roadway Swastika A Sign Of Intolerance In Harwich

Cape Cod Chronicle by William F. Galvin

HARWICH — A red swastika sprayed on a yellow sign that warns drivers to be cautious approaching the bike trail crossing along Route 39 is signaling concern for growing intolerance and hatred in this community.

The swastika appeared over the weekend and was removed on Monday morning. But the emotional stain of the act of hatred and intolerance remained on Monday night when residents came before selectmen seeking a community commitment to teach tolerance and acceptance.

“This disturbs me deeply and concerns me as well,” East Harwich resident Susan Leven told selectmen. “One can chalk it up to an act of ignorance and stupidity on the part of some kids. But somehow that doesn’t make me any less concerned about it.

“I wonder what this says about the supposedly quiet place we live in: I wonder if it is time to revisit the subject of tolerance as a community value? I wonder if this was the work of adults?

“This has made me think about many things--- mostly about the ability of something so ugly and hateful to find its way into a community that I thought would never be defaced by something so awful.”

Several people spoke before selectmen Monday night citing the need to teach tolerance in the community. They urged additional funding for guidance in the schools and more tolerance forums like the community-wide gatherings that were held in 2002.

“It’s all about the signs of the time,” John Bangert said. “Racism and hatred are alive on the Cape .”

Bangert spoke of an incident in the town of Sandwich on Sept.10 where a five-foot cross was burned on school grounds where children from New Orleans displaced by Hurricane Katrina were in attendance.

“Hatred is not new and when it rears its ugly head we have to stand against it,” Bangert said.

Bangert, a resident of Harwich for 35 years, has created a web site --- No Place for Hatred in Harwich --- and writes a blog speaking to the issues of hatred, intolerance and prejudice.

In response to the incident last weekend, Bangert stated in his blog: “Our Harwich community should be outraged every time an incident of hate is expressed, and our response should be heightened, as we raise our collective voices to say not in my name, not in my town, and by re-examining our conscience whenever our community is under attack. This self-hatred leads to community hatred and becomes very harmful.”

“I find this absolutely disgusting,” Police Chief William Mason said.

He told selectmen hatred is out there and it is evident in two 11-year-old girls who are singing with a neo-Nazi group and doing so with parental support for their activity. Mason said there was a television program about these girls last weekend.

The police chief also said there is a motorcycle club that uses the swastika as its emblem. Mason cautioned there are people in town who advocate these types of activities, but who also know their civil rights. It is a fine line before you cross into a hate crime, Mason said.

The chief promised his department would take strong action against the perpetrator of this hate crime. He said they will examine the defacing of the sign to see if it is similar to other known acts in town and the schools resources officers will keep an ear to the ground in hopes of picking up information about who is responsible.

“I believe in the heart of the people of Harwich this is an unacceptable act,” Selectman Donald Howell said. “Often today’s bully is tomorrow’s miscreant and it leads to mal-adjusted behavior. There has to be some way of coming together to address this.”

Leven cited the tolerance forums of a couple of years ago as a good place to start. Bangert agreed, he said it has to be a coalition, a whole community that stands together. Bangert said several businesses in town will be selling “Stop Racism & Hate” signs. He also said people should take a pledge, a simple affirmation to stand up against hate, intolerance and prejudice.

Bangert suggested the outward signs of hatred should not be sanitized, instead allowing people to see it, otherwise they will not believe it. But Mason disagreed with that concept, recommending the immediate removal.

“It’s a blight on the community to leave it up for one more second,” Mason said.

“The board of selectmen has to make a statement with this and go forward,” Howell said, “before events get larger and a group finds it acceptable.”

There was discussion of an Anti-Defamation League program that could be used in the churches and schools. Bangert said discussions have begun with church leaders and Rev. Terry Newberry was planning a meeting with clergy from area churches in the near future.

School Committee member Polly Hemstock said she has requested this issue be placed on the next agenda. Speaking as a private citizen, Hemstock said, she was appalled this happened in this community. She also cited the need to activate forums on tolerance held a few years ago and the teaching of tolerance in the schools.

Mary Cronin said elementary school counselors could provide early detection of students who are angry or neglected and who might grow up to do something like this. She also said in Orleans they are providing peer mediation programs to students and addressing bullying as part of that program. She said that is a resource the town cut back on and this is an issue that can be dealt with in the school system.

“All politics is local,” Bangert said, citing Dec. 10 as International Human Rights Day and suggesting the community come together at the community center to share in different cultures.

Selectman Peter Piekarski recommended this issue be placed on the board’s agenda and additional documentation provided for review beforehand. Selectmen agreed this was a disgusting act and that steps should be taken in town to prevent further incidents of hatred and intolerance.

The police chief said this is the first incident in town in about a year. Mason said last year a flyer was found along the bike trail identifying a white supremacy rally that was scheduled for West Harwich , but that never materialized.

“The best we can tell is it was a random act, a tasteless, degrading random act,” Mason said. “It’s not an organized hate group developing in Harwich.”

The police chief said his department does not have any leads. He called it a crime of opportunity and said he encourages anyone with information or leads to contact his department.

Dec. 1, 2005








Bike path sign is defaced

Harwich Oracle Wednesday, November 30, 2005
By Douglas Karlson dkarlson@cnc.com


Emotions ran high in town hall Monday night as residents and town officials talked about a swastika spray-painted on a Route 39 bike path sign.

Concerned residents don’t want the swastika to go unanswered, Harwich resident John Bangert told the board of selectmen. "Racism and hatred is alive on Cape Cod," Bangert said, citing a recent cross burning in Sandwich. He asked selectmen to take the lead in making a community statement in response to the swastika and said that he has recently launched a "No Place for Hate - Harwich" coalition.

The message should be that "we will not tolerate this symbol of hate in our town," added Harwich resident Sue Leven, who also is the town planner.

An emotional Leven told selectmen, "This disturbs me deeply and concerns me as well. One can chalk it up to an act of ignorance and stupidity on the part of some kids, but somehow that doesn’t make me any less concerned about it."

She called the symbol a threat to the minority groups who were exterminated by the Nazis. Bangert compared the recent rash of hate crimes to Kristallnacht, when Jewish businesses, homes and synagogues were ransacked and desecrated across Germany in 1938.

Saying he found the defamation "absolutely disgusting," Police Chief William Mason said the department was "squeezing sources" to find out who did it. In such cases, he said police usually look for similarities with other known vandals and reach out to young people for information through the school resource officers (see police blotter, Page 10).Selectman Don Howell said the graffiti "isn’t indicative of the community I know, and there’s only one way to show that, by banding together to make a statement."

Some ideas for confronting hate are in the works. Following the cross burning in Sandwich Sept. 5, Bangert said, he contacted chairman of the Harwich Board of Selectmen Ed McManus about taking action as a community. Bangert said the coalition, which is distributing "stop hate" signs at several locations around town, has a website at www.noplaceforhateharwich.blogspot.com.


E-mailed NPFHH for more information or to take the No Place for Hate Pledge here cut and paste it and have as many folks sign them and have them ready for our proclamination day!










November 30, 2005

Harwich reacts to Nazi symbol

By JASON KOLNOS
STAFF WRITER
HARWICH - Town Planner Susan Leven was deeply disturbed when she spotted a red swastika spray-painted on a sign near the bike path in Harwich Center Sunday.

''This has made me think about many things - mostly about the ability of something so ugly and hateful to find its way into a community that I thought would never be defaced by something so awful,'' Leven, speaking as a resident, told the selectmen Monday night.

Harwich police are investigating the incident. Police Chief William Mason said the culprit will be punished if caught.

Meanwhile, a new group lead by John Bangert - No Place for Hate - Harwich - is galvanizing the public to take a stand against racism and hate.

''Our community should be outraged every time an incident of hate is expressed and our response should be heightened,'' said Bangert, a longtime advocate for equality. ''We need to take a real stand on not erasing anyone's freedom.''

Bangert formed the No Place for Hate coalition last month. The group seeks to promote community awareness toward the goals of tolerance, acceptance and respect.

A cross-burning in Sandwich on Sept. 5 prompted Bangert to create the local group, sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League.

''The main issue is what is going to be our response to this?'' he said yesterday. ''It is our collective responsibility to say, 'What can we do about it?'''

At area businesses, including Sativa and Wild Oats Market in Harwich Port, Bangert and his group have disseminated pledge forms. Residents are being asked to sign the pledges, promising to refrain from hurtful speech or actions. The group has also printed red cardboard signs that read ''Stop Racism and Hate.''

The group's suggested school curriculum urges everything from more training for school counselors to establishing procedures for reporting hate-motivated crimes and setting school policies that indicate such behavior is not tolerated.

''I see this as a teachable moment, to refocus everyone's attention that this is happening here even though we might not have thought so,'' said Polly Hemstock, a member of the Harwich School Committee.

The school board intends to invite the coalition to a meeting, possibly as soon as Dec. 7.

Hemstock said the schools have a strong policy toward anti-discrimination, and the elementary school has recently set up a task force to take a look at bullying.

''This seems like a good time to look at our policies and procedures to make sure we are making a strong enough statement,'' she said.

Jason Kolnos can be reached at jkolnos@capecodonline.com.

capecoddersforhumanrights@gmail.com

Here Is Another Recent Harwich Hate Crime

Photo taken by Sue Leven 11/27/05

This is an e-mail which was sent to me on Sunday by Harwich Selectman, Edward Mc Manus and who is a No Place for Hate Harwich Steering Committee member. Bell Ringer!


This is from Sue Leven

"Greetings --

I was driving on Route 39 towards East Harwich this afternoon when I happened upon what is pictured in the attached photograph. For those of you that can't open the picture, it is a photo of a sign that is just before the bike path in Harwich Center.

There is a swastika spray painted in red on it.

This disturbs me deeply and concerns me as well. One can chalk it up to an act of ignorance and stupidity on the part of some kids, but somehow that doesn't make me any less concerned about it.

I wonder what this says about the supposedly quiet place we live in? I wonder if it is time to revisit the subject of tolerance as a community value? I wonder if this was the work of adults?

This has made me think about many things -- mostly about the ability of something so ugly and hateful to find its way into a community that I thought would never be defaced by something so awful.

Why have I sent this to you? Because you are (mostly) residents of Harwich, and should know that this happened in our community. Because some of you are also Jewish or gay or some other group that was the target of extermination by the Nazis, and should know that there are people capable of this kind of act on the Cape. Because I don't want you to drive by this without warning like I did (though I hope the sign will be removed before I go to work tomorrow morning).

I am planning to speak during the Open Forum at tomorrow night's Selectmen's meeting to express my concern about this symbol appearing within the borders of Harwich and ask how Harwich is going to let everyone who will listen know that we will not tolerate this kind of expression of hate in our town. Please join me tomorrow night if you feel the same way."

Opinion Page -Yes we do!

Thanks, Sue you certainly are not alone! Our whole Harwich community should be outraged every time a incident of hate is expressed, and our response should be heightened, as we raise our collective voices to say, Not In My Name! Not In My Town ! I agree that this is the perfect time for a re-examining our consciences whenever our community is under attack. Recently, we had a 5 foot cross burned out side the Forestdale Elementary School, the same school Hurricane Katrina survivors would attend. A Confederate flag was displayed on Queen Anne Road in October, and the rainbow flag outside the Chatham UU Meetinghouse is stolen monthly if not,weekly. This self-hatred, leads to community hatred, and becomes very harmful. We are seeing many suicides this time of year.

I wonder why our communitie's stop sign fails?



When we see a stop sign, it's must indicate STOP to our whole community, not to those who agree, but to all. When it becomes clear that it is safe to continue on in our right of way, in turn. This agreement should work 24 hours a day / 7 days a week. At 3:00 PM or 3:00 AM when we drive up to a stop sign we first must stop not because a police crusier in in the area, but rather because we should police ourselves. And we should do so because it is the right thing to do, it's the law we hold up for all. Is this not still sacred? "Oh well, I can go now, and spray this sign because nobody is here to see me." Is that what went through the mind of the individual or individuals who sprayed the hate symbol on the bright yellow bike path sign on Rt. 39 on Sunday? We are the body of our community, we need to respond. We have responded.

Hurricane Katrina has exposed us with this new and sad reality, that we must be our own first responders to our community security by countering hatred and violence. The action to call the police, the selectman, and the community was the right thing to do. The sign was gone by noon on Monday, thanks to the Harwich DPW.

Some think that we should hold our community to the same high standards which we say we believe in. I agree, let's see it work in Harwich!


We all come from diverse and various ethnic cultures, whether it be Arab, Irish, Japanese, Chinese, African, Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, or from whatever faiths or with no faith in any religion. We are all Americans.

Yet, when we don't hold others to the commonally accepted laws of the land, we all fail at community building.

Racial and social inequality must never be the standard of our community and it shall never go undisputed. There will be always be a response or our cultures may collide like that of the french-arabs recently abroad.

This is a time for peace, a pause for us to gain from this season of reflection, and to return to the poise of non-materialsm and to lift each other up. Not listening to hate radio or hate TV, or knock someone down to just to get to the limited number of discounted iPods on sale at the mauling mansions of commerce.

What is happening? What is our response?
Perhaps we should say no to racism and hate every chance it raise it's ugly outward signs in our community. This is a far better respose then putting a tri-color flag or ubiquitous ribbons on our auto's rear ends, it means we take and make a real stand on not erasing anyone's freedom.



UPCOMING COUNTY WIDE EVENTS

THE CAPE COD ANTI-DISCRIMINATION TASK FORCE

CORDIALLY INVITES YOU TO COME AND CELEBRATE!

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY


JOIN CITIZENS OF BARNSTABLE COUNTY’S 15 TOWNS
AS WE CELEBRATE THE RECENT ESTABLISHMENT OF
THE BARNSTABLE COUNTY HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION

WHEN: 10:00AM SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2005
WHAT: INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
WHERE: CAPE COD COMMUNITY COLLEGE
2nd FLOOR OF THE COMMONS BUILDING

CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST

PLEASE RSVP BY 7 DECEMBER 2005 TO HELP US TO KNOW HOW MANY
TO ANTICIPATE FOR THE CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST

TO RSVP: CALL 508-428-1616 OR EMAIL:
capeadtf@gmail.com


The important document, United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, which came to us in 1948, the year of
Ghandi's murder, 57 years ago last January. On Sunday, December 11th(*)we invite other Human Rights committees, Social Justice Committees, and church Social Concerns Committees to join us in Harwich. We shall have a reading from the Declaration of Human Rights, and perhaps do it each and every year.

Souper Sunday

It has been proposed that we should reclaim the bike trail with a march and vigil and then retreat to the Community Center Hot Soup from different cultures and fellowship with our own Beloved Community and those that whom also support a coming together time and healing time for wounded souls.

(*) the date should be on the 11th out of respect for the Sabbath Day (the Jewish Sabbath day of rest, called Shabbat in Hebrew, which begins on Friday evening and ends on Saturday evening.)

We should affirm the season's real greetings of "Peace on Earth and Good Will Toward All People." Young, old, fat, skinny, tall, small, black, white, all.

Now let's get to work on this. We also should remember that we soon will have a Barnstable County wide Human Rights Commission. There is more than enough human and civil rights works that can and will be done in the future. We just need you now! Are you in? To the folks of color offended by the cross burnings and to our Jewish sisters and brothers, we are sorry, and we are listening, and watching and are organizing!
This is the Blog-Editors Opinion only!



Here is an answer!




WHAT WE MUST DO FIRST !

To Build a community of tolerance, respect and acceptance in the Town of Harwich
To Promote individual responsibility for supporting diversity and eliminating prejudice and bias
To Promote community awareness and unity concerning the Coalition's goals

No Place for Hate Coalition - Harwich, MA

Select a Pledge Read it, then sign it today!
E-mail us a copy!



Resolution of Respect #1

I pledge from this day forward to do my best to combat prejudice and to stop those who, because of hate or ignorance, would hurt anyone or violate their civil rights.

I will try at all times to be aware of my own biases and seek to gain understanding of those who I perceive as being different from myself.

I will speak out against all forms of prejudice and discrimination.

I will reach out to support those who are targets of hate.

I will think about specific ways my community members can promote respect for people and create a prejudice-free zone.

I firmly believe that one person can make a difference and that no person can be an "innocent" bystander when it comes to opposing hate.

I recognize that respecting individual dignity, achieving equality and promoting intergroup harmony are the responsibilities of all people.

By signing this pledge, I commit myself to creating a Harwich community that is No Place for Hate!





Resolution of Respect #2

I pledge from this day onward to do my best to interrupt prejudice and to stop those whom, because of hate would hurt, harass or violate the civil right of anyone.

I will try at all times to be aware of my own biases against people who are different from myself.

I will ask questions about cultures, religions, and races that I don't understand. I will speak out against anyone who mocks, seeks to intimidate or actually hurts anyone of a different race, religion, ethnic group, or sexual orientation.

I will reach out to support those who are targets of harassment.

I will think about specific ways my community can promote respect for people and create a prejudice-free zone.

I firmly believe that one person can make A World of Difference and that no person can be an "innocent bystander" when it comes to opposing hate.

By signing this pledge, I recognize that for individual dignity, achieving equality, and opposing anti-Semitism, racism, ethnic bigotry, homophobia, or any other form of hatred is a non-negotiable responsibility of all people.




NOW WE CHOOSE THREE ACTIVITIES TO BUILD AROUND~

Our local Harwich NPFH committee chooses three activities from among the items listed below and completes them within the year.

1. Orientation
Create a school orientation program for students that addresses the needs of students of all backgrounds so that they feel welcome when joining the student body.

2. Discussion in Schools
Have teachers spend one full class period discussing anti-Semitism, racism, prejudice, stereotypes, scapegoating, discrimination, ethnocentrism, ableism, sexism, homophobia, and bias. Have all students sign a proclamation, to be displayed in a prominent place, declaring that they will actively challenge hate and bigotry in all forms.

3. A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE Institute

a. Schools:
Educators, administrators and staff at all primary and secondary schools take part in ADL's six-hour anti-bias and diversity training program.

b. Peer Training
Implement the anti-bias Peer Training Program in one of your schools.


4. A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE Day
Suspend regular classes for a day and invite community members and leaders to speak about and explore issues of diversity with students.

Next Stop - Big Brother! Rosa Parks, move over and meet Denver's Debbie Davis

Meet Deborah Davis. She's a 50 year-old mother of four who lives and works in Denver, Colorado. Her kids are all grown-up: her middle son is a soldier fighting in Iraq. She leads an ordinary, middle class life. You probably never would have heard of Deb Davis if it weren't for her belief in the U.S. Constitution.
Federal Public Transportation Pass

This is not America. When honest, law-abiding citizens can't commute to work on a city bus without a demand for their 'papers', something is very, very wrong.

One morning in late September 2005, Deb was riding the public bus to work. She was minding her own business, reading a book and planning for work, when a security guard got on this public bus and demanded that every passenger show their ID. Deb, having done nothing wrong, declined. The guard called in federal cops, and she was arrested and charged with federal criminal misdemeanors after refusing to show ID on demand.

On the 9th of December 2005, Deborah Davis will be arraigned in U.S. District Court in a case that will determine whether Deb and the rest of us live in a free society, or in a country where we must show "papers" whenever a cop demands them.

GET THE FACTS!

Wampanoag Elder's Speech Never Given at Plymouth Rock in 1970!

THE SUPPRESSED SPEECH OF WAMSUTTA (FRANK B. JAMES), WAMPANOAG ELDER

Three hundred fifty years after the Pilgrims began their invasion of the land of the Wampanoag, their "American" descendants planned an anniversary celebration. Still clinging to the white schoolbook myth of friendly relations between their forefathers and the Wampanoag, the anniversary planners thought it would be nice to have an Indian make an appreciative and complimentary speech at their state dinner. Frank James was asked to speak at the celebration. He accepted. The planners, however , asked to see his speech in advance of the occasion, and it turned out that Frank James' views — based on history rather than mythology — were not what the Pilgrims' descendants wanted to hear. Frank James refused to deliver a speech written by a public relations person. Frank James did not speak at the anniversary celebration. If he had spoken, this is what he would have said:

I speak to you as a man -- a Wampanoag Man. I am a proud man, proud of my ancestry, my accomplishments won by a strict parental direction ("You must succeed - your face is a different color in this small Cape Cod community!"). I am a product of poverty and discrimination from these two social and economic diseases. I, and my brothers and sisters, have painfully overcome, and to some extent we have earned the respect of our community. We are Indians first - but we are termed "good citizens." Sometimes we are arrogant but only because society has pressured us to be so.

It is with mixed emotion that I stand here to share my thoughts. This is a time of celebration for you - celebrating an anniversary of a beginning for the white man in America. A time of looking back, of reflection. It is with a heavy heart that I look back upon what happened to my People.

Even before the Pilgrims landed it was common practice for explorers to capture Indians, take them to Europe and sell them as slaves for 220 shillings apiece. The Pilgrims had hardly explored the shores of Cape Cod for four days before they had robbed the graves of my ancestors and stolen their corn and beans. Mourt's Relation describes a searching party of sixteen men. Mourt goes on to say that this party took as much of the Indians' winter provisions as they were able to carry.

Massasoit, the great Sachem of the Wampanoag, knew these facts, yet he and his People welcomed and befriended the settlers of the Plymouth Plantation. Perhaps he did this because his Tribe had been depleted by an epidemic. Or his knowledge of the harsh oncoming winter was the reason for his peaceful acceptance of these acts. This action by Massasoit was perhaps our biggest mistake. We, the Wampanoag, welcomed you, the white man, with open arms, little knowing that it was the beginning of the end; that before 50 years were to pass, the Wampanoag would no longer be a free people.

What happened in those short 50 years? What has happened in the last 300 years? History gives us facts and there were atrocities; there were broken promises - and most of these centered around land ownership. Among ourselves we understood that there were boundaries, but never before had we had to deal with fences and stone walls. But the white man had a need to prove his worth by the amount of land that he owned. Only ten years later, when the Puritans came, they treated the Wampanoag with even less kindness in converting the souls of the so-called "savages." Although the Puritans were harsh to members of their own society, the Indian was pressed between stone slabs and hanged as quickly as any other "witch."

And so down through the years there is record after record of Indian lands taken and, in token, reservations set up for him upon which to live. The Indian, having been stripped of his power, could only stand by and watch while the white man took his land and used it for his personal gain. This the Indian could not understand; for to him, land was survival, to farm, to hunt, to be enjoyed. It was not to be abused. We see incident after incident, where the white man sought to tame the "savage" and convert him to the Christian ways of life. The early Pilgrim settlers led the Indian to believe that if he did not behave, they would dig up the ground and unleash the great epidemic again.

The white man used the Indian's nautical skills and abilities. They let him be only a seaman -- but never a captain. Time and time again, in the white man's society, we Indians have been termed "low man on the totem pole."

Has the Wampanoag really disappeared? There is still an aura of mystery. We know there was an epidemic that took many Indian lives - some Wampanoags moved west and joined the Cherokee and Cheyenne. They were forced to move. Some even went north to Canada! Many Wampanoag put aside their Indian heritage and accepted the white man's way for their own survival. There are some Wampanoag who do not wish it known they are Indian for social or economic reasons.

What happened to those Wampanoags who chose to remain and live among the early settlers? What kind of existence did they live as "civilized" people? True, living was not as complex as life today, but they dealt with the confusion and the change. Honesty, trust, concern, pride, and politics wove themselves in and out of their [the Wampanoags'] daily living. Hence, he was termed crafty, cunning, rapacious, and dirty.

History wants us to believe that the Indian was a savage, illiterate, uncivilized animal. A history that was written by an organized, disciplined people, to expose us as an unorganized and undisciplined entity. Two distinctly different cultures met. One thought they must control life; the other believed life was to be enjoyed, because nature decreed it. Let us remember, the Indian is and was just as human as the white man. The Indian feels pain, gets hurt, and becomes defensive, has dreams, bears tragedy and failure, suffers from loneliness, needs to cry as well as laugh. He, too, is often misunderstood.

The white man in the presence of the Indian is still mystified by his uncanny ability to make him feel uncomfortable. This may be the image the white man has created of the Indian; his "savageness" has boomeranged and isn't a mystery; it is fear; fear of the Indian's temperament!

High on a hill, overlooking the famed Plymouth Rock, stands the statue of our great Sachem, Massasoit. Massasoit has stood there many years in silence. We the descendants of this great Sachem have been a silent people. The necessity of making a living in this materialistic society of the white man caused us to be silent. Today, I and many of my people are choosing to face the truth. We ARE Indians!

Although time has drained our culture, and our language is almost extinct, we the Wampanoags still walk the lands of Massachusetts. We may be fragmented, we may be confused. Many years have passed since we have been a people together. Our lands were invaded. We fought as hard to keep our land as you the whites did to take our land away from us. We were conquered, we became the American prisoners of war in many cases, and wards of the United States Government, until only recently.

Our spirit refuses to die. Yesterday we walked the woodland paths and sandy trails. Today we must walk the macadam highways and roads. We are uniting We're standing not in our wigwams but in your concrete tent. We stand tall and proud, and before too many moons pass we'll right the wrongs we have allowed to happen to us.

We forfeited our country. Our lands have fallen into the hands of the aggressor. We have allowed the white man to keep us on our knees. What has happened cannot be changed, but today we must work towards a more humane America, a more Indian America, where men and nature once again are important; where the Indian values of honor, truth, and brotherhood prevail.

You the white man are celebrating an anniversary. We the Wampanoags will help you celebrate in the concept of a beginning. It was the beginning of a new life for the Pilgrims. Now, 350 years later it is a beginning of a new determination for the original American: the American Indian.

There are some factors concerning the Wampanoags and other Indians across this vast nation. We now have 350 years of experience living amongst the white man. We can now speak his language. We can now think as a white man thinks. We can now compete with him for the top jobs. We're being heard; we are now being listened to. The important point is that along with these necessities of everyday living, we still have the spirit, we still have the unique culture, we still have the will and, most important of all, the determination to remain as Indians. We are determined, and our presence here this evening is living testimony that this is only the beginning of the American Indian, particularly the Wampanoag, to regain the position in this country that is rightfully ours.

Wamsutta

September 10, 1970

FEC: Bloggers qualify for press exemption

In a draft advisory opinion the Federal Election Commission has ruled that a blog, not owned by a political candidate or political party, still qualifies for the so-called press exemption from campaign finance laws.

The commission applied a two-pronged approach to determining whether the blog, Fired Up, qualified for the press exemption.

The first prong is “press entity status,” whether the blog is “both available to the general public and are the online equivalent of a newspaper, magazine, or other periodical publication as described in the Act and Commission regulations.” It found that Fired Up qualified, as it offered both news and editorial commentary.

The second prong is the ownership test, or whether the blog is “owned or controlled by any political party, political committee, or candidate.” Fired Up passed this test as well.

So it’s pretty clear that as long as you are offering news and opinion, and you aren’t owned or controlled by any particular political party, committee, or candidate, that the press exemption applies to you.

This reporter will now have press credentials! Bell Ringer!

Here is the story!
Bell Ringer!


An examination of Fired Up's websites reveals that a primary function of the websites is to provide news and information to readers through Fired Up's commentary on, quotes from, summaries of, and hyperlinks to news articles appearing on other entities' websites and through Fired Up's original reporting. Fired Up retains editorial control over the content displayed on its websites, much as newspaper or magazine editors determine which news stories, commentaries, and editorials appear in their own publications. Roy Temple, acting on behalf of Fired Up, not only produces much of the content but also exercises day-to-day control over which stories are featured. Reader comments appearing on Fired Up's websites are similar to letters to the editor and do not alter the basic function of Fired Up.

According to the House report on the 1974 amendments to the Act, the press exception made plain Congress's intent that the Act would not "limit or burden in any way the first amendment freedoms of the press . . ." and would assure "the unfettered right of the newspapers, TV networks, and other media to cover and comment on political campaigns." . . .

Fired Up is a for-profit LLC and is not owned or controlled by any political party, political committee, or candidate. Given that Fired Up's operation of its websites is at the core of its activities as a press entity, its provision of news stories, commentary, and editorials on its websites falls within Fired Up's legitimate press function. Thus, because Fired Up is a press entity, and neither it nor its websites are owned or controlled by any political party, political committee, or candidate, the costs Fired Up incurs in covering or carrying a news story, commentary, or editorial on its websites are exempt from the definitions of "contribution" and "expenditure." The Commission notes that an entity otherwise eligible for the press exception would not lose its eligibility merely because of a lack of objectivity in a news story, commentary, or editorial, even if the news story, commentary, or editorial expressly advocates the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate for Federal office. See First General Counsel's Report, MUR 5440 (CBS Broadcasting, Inc.) ("Even seemingly biased stories or commentary by a press entity can fall within the media exemption.")



In addition, as part of its written request, Fired Up! noted that its sites would "endorse, expressly advocate, and urge readers to donate funds to the election of Democratic candidates for federal state, and local office." The FEC did not challenge this aspect of Fired Up's activities.

What This Means: Under the Commission's rules, "any person involved in a specific activity 'indistinguishable in all its material aspects'" from Fired Up! can rely upon this ruling unless Congress acts otherwise, and you can imagine what sites might feel better-protected today. Any such site engaged in news, commentary and editorial can continue in such activities without fear of falling into FEC filing requirements turning groups into political committees or incorporated sites into outlaws. [N.B. RedState.org has chosen to organize and file as a political committee, and is not directly affected by today's outcome.]

This is a tremendous victory for online free speech and will impact on the current debate in Congress. Kudos to Marc Elias and Brian Svoboda of the Perkins Coie law firm who are responsible, as well as the five FEC Commissioners who understood that neither the First Amendment, the statutes nor common sense could tolerate a different result.

Afghan poet dies after battering

A well-known Afghan poet and journalist has died from her injuries after being beaten, police say.

Officers found the body of Nadia Anjuman, 25, at her home in the western city of Herat.

A senior police officer said her husband had confessed to hitting her during a row.

Nadia Anjuman, a student at Herat university, had a first book of poetry printed this year. She was popular in Afghanistan and neighbouring Iran.

Police say the poet received a cut to her head. Blood she vomited may help determine the cause of death, the Pajhwok news agency reported.

It said her family had refused to allow doctors to carry out a post mortem.

Why No Place for Hate is in Development!

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Mrs. Rosa Park's example and life, showed all of us, that one person can make all the difference in our actions. So therefore, we dedicate this endeavor to the memory of Mrs. Rosa Parks, and the collective mentors for our era, Mahatma Gandhi, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Gospel of Nonviolence

The Meaning of Nonviolence

"Gandhi was inevitable. If humanity is to progress,
Gandhi is inescapable.
He lived, thought and acted,
inspired by the vision of humanity evolving toward
a world of peace and harmony.
We may ignore Gandhi at our own risk."
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Did Katrina Exposed Race & Class on Cape Cod?


I became outraged over the lack of concern for our own evacuees from New Orleans when they were welcomed by a 5 foot burning cross in the town of Sandwich on September 5th. Shame on Sandwich! Shame on Cape Cod! This may be seen as just a "prank", but pranks like the cross burnings, or Kristallnacht , our history tells us, left unchallenged, become hate crimes, now supported by the entire community! Nazi racial policy changed extensively in the years between 1933 and 1939. The Nazi Party became increasingly extreme in its treatment of the minorities of Germany, particularly Jews.





Between 1933 and 1934, Nazi policy was fairly moderate, not wishing to scare off voters or moderately-minded politicians. Jews had been disliked for years before, and the Nazi Party used this anger to gain votes. They blamed poverty, unemployment, and the loss of World War I all on the Jews. German woes were largely due to the effects of the Treaty of Versailles designed to secure the position of Britain and France as Europe's only imperial powers.

If you would like to donate money to help defray our cost and are willing to support this town based initiative, please do so here with PayPal.
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No Place for Hate Harwich ! Take the Pledge!

Two questions to share with your congregation or group in whatever way(s) you can:

Question # 1 If a Katrina-like situation occurred in your town, who would need the community's help?
Are there provisions for that help in your community's emergency plan?
Is there a plan?

Question # 2 If a Katrina-like situation, you needed to take food and water from a store, would you be described as someone taking care of your family in a crisis?
Or would you be described as a looter?
What might make the difference in how you are described?

A Shameful "Welcome" to Massachusetts: On Sept 5th 2005, a cross was burned at the entrance to the driveway of the school in Sandwich that would be attended by children from New Orleans. Although the local police chief said he didn't know of any reason for the burning other than race, the state police investigators didn't believe it was a hate crime. Since Governor Romney invited New Orleans folks here, (and is getting such favorable publicity out of it), perhaps he should also ask for an investigation of this incident. Perhaps we should search our own community's awareness, social conscience and hearts on this matter as well!


Not In My Town! - Not In My Name!



We have printed little hand held plastic stop signs. These can be used to get the point across in our own "community". These fans came out of the idea that we must be our own first responders to racism, hate, and fear. This campaign can be used with congregations, students, youth groups. 100 signs for each printing.
They come with handles and printed on one side they can be used to slide down the window rubber seal in your car, or to be displayed in your home and or business.


Please e-mail us if you want to purcahse any. Cost @ $4.00 Each!capecoddersforhumanrights@gmail.com or call (508) 432-9256

Stop Racism & Hate! Buy On-Line from here. Just tell me how many you want and email me your payment using the link below with PayPal.




Better yet support our local outlets. You may also buy STOP RACISM & HATE signs at the following progressive retail locations!

Harwich -Sativa Gifts, and
Wild Oats Market
509 Route 28
Harwich Port, MA 02646
508 430-2507



Ay!Caramba Cafe
703 Main St.
Harwich Center
(508)432-9800




Naked Earth (Rt. 6A next to Cumberland Farms)
2655 Main St
Brewster, MA 02631
(508) 896-5071

Orleans - The Earth House

Chatham - The Corner Store,
Rte. 137 & Queen Anne Rd. in South Chatham

Barnstable County Human Rights Commission Is Established

THE CAPE COD ANTI-DISCRIMINATION TASK FORCE


CORDIALLY INVITES YOU TO


COME AND CELEBRATE!


INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY


JOIN CITIZENS OF BARNSTABLE COUNTY’S 15 TOWNS

AS WE CELEBRATE THE RECENT ESTABLISHMENT OF

THE BARNSTABLE COUNTY HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION

WHEN: 10:00AM SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2005
WHAT: INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
WHERE: CAPE COD COMMUNITY COLLEGE
2nd FLOOR OF THE COMMONS BUILDING

CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST

PLEASE RSVP BY 7 DECEMBER 2005 TO HELP US TO KNOW HOW MANY
TO ANTICIPATE FOR THE CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST

TO RSVP: CALL 508-428-1616 OR EMAIL: capeadtf@gmail.com


HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION IS ESTABLISHED!

Draft Ordinance as Voted Unanimously by Government Operations Committee to recommend to the Full Assembly

Section 1: Policy of Barnstable County

It is the policy of Barnstable County to promote equal opportunity for all persons in Barnstable County regardless of race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, age, ancestry, sexual or affectional preference, marital, family or military status, source of income, neighborhood or disability where unlawful discrimination exists in housing, employment, education, public accommodations, Town and County services, insurance, banking, credit, and health care. Barnstable County will not tolerate retaliation or reprisal against persons exercising or supporting the exercise of equal opportunity rights.

Section 2: Establishment of Human Rights Commission, Membership, Term, Officers, Administration

There is hereby established a County office to be known as the Human Rights Commission of Barnstable County (hereinafter referred to as the Commission). The first year shall be the Human Rights "pilot year" for purposes of initial implementation of this ordinance and planning for full effectuation of its purposes; there shall be a review of the Commission at the end of this first year.

The Commission shall consist of seven (7) members to be (a) nominated by the Barnstable County Health and Human Services Advisory Council, and (b) appointed by the County Commissioners. The members of the Commission shall be residents of Barnstable County and, so far as practicable, shall be selected so as to provide Countywide, culturally and economically diverse representation.

The initial appointment terms of the members shall be as follows: Three (3) members for a term of three (3) years. Two (2) members for a term of two (2) years. Two (2) members for a term of one (1) year. Thereafter, each subsequent appointment to the Commission shall be for a term of three years.

No members of the Commission may serve for more than two (2) consecutive full terms. A member having served two (2) consecutive full terms must remain off the Commission for at least one (1) year before becoming eligible for reappointment. Appointments to unexpired terms shall not be counted as a full term for the person appointed. The members of the Commission shall serve without compensation.

The Commission shall meet each January to elect one (1) of its members as Chairperson and six (6) as Board Members, and to decide on a schedule of meetings for the year.

The Commission shall convene a fifteen (15)-member Town Representation Council consisting of a representative from each town in Bamstable County. The Towns' respective Boards of Selectmen or Town Councils may suggest representatives and the Commission may also seek suggestions for representatives from Town civic groups. The Town Representation Council's purpose shall be to serve as a liaison between the Towns and the Commission about matters relating to the elimination of discrimination and to advise the Commission about human rights and discrimination issues particular to the County's various communities. The Town Representation Council shall meet quarterly.

There shall be a Coordinator of the Commission.

The Commission may be structured within the Human Services Department for organizational purposes.

The Commission shall have available to it all the County Government resources and support available to other programs, offices, and departments that are structured as part of County Government.

Section 3: Functions, Duties, Powers

(a) To enlist the cooperation of racial, religious, ethnic, civic, fraternal, benevolent, and private and public agencies in eliminating unlawful discrimination by cultivating an atmosphere of mutual understanding and harmonious intergroup relationships.

(b) To initiate intake, information gathering, and assessments into the existence of unlawful discrimination or harassment, retaliation or reprisal. To resolve matters of unlawful discrimination, whenever possible, through mediation.

(c) To issue such publications and such results of informal assessments and research, as in the Commission's judgment, will tend to promote good will and to minimize or eliminate discrimination.

(d) To provide for community awareness of possible human rights violations and to promote understanding of diverse cultures through education and community action.

(e) To make recommendations to the Massachusetts Commission on Discrimination (MCAD) to improve access and support the promotion of human rights in Barnstable County.

(f) To keep the Commissioners and the Assembly of Delegates informed of Commission action, by periodic report upon request, and by means of an annual written summary of its work.

(g) To provide a forum at which the public is given an opportunity to discuss incidents of discrimination and to provide referrals, where appropriate, to the MCAD as well as other public and private organizations that in the Commission’s judgment will assist with resolving discrimination and human rights issues.

Section 5. Construction of Ordinance
The provisions of this ordinance shall be construed liberally for the accomplishment of the purposes thereof, and any ordinance inconsistent with any provision hereof shall not apply, but nothing contained in this Chapter shall be interpreted to contravene the General Laws of the Commonwealth.

Adopted on October 5, 2005 by the Assembly of Delegates at the meeting in the Wellfleet Free Library
Thomas Bernardo, Speaker

Then later formally approved by the Board of County Commissioners, October 12, 2005, at 10:15 a.m.
Mary LeClair
Lance Lambros
William Doherty
Commissioners

Up Coming Flu Vaccine Clinics for Harwich Area

Got your flu shot? Get it here!



Tier 1

* All children 6-23 months of age
* All persons 65 years of age and older
* Persons 2 – 64 years of age with medical conditions
* Residents of long-term care facilities
* Persons 6 months - 18 years of age who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy
* Women who will be pregnant during influenza season
* Household contacts and out-of-home caregivers of infants under 6 months of age
* Health care workers

Tier 2 (In settings where sufficient vaccine is available.)

* Caregivers and household contacts (including children) of persons in high-risk groups
* Healthy persons 50 – 64 years of age

Tier 3 (In settings where sufficient vaccine is available.)

* Healthy persons 2 – 49 years of age, including persons providing essential community services; students and other persons in institutional settings (e.g., dormitories); certain travelers; and anyone who wishes to reduce the likelihood of becoming ill with influenza

There are no restrictions on eligibility for live, attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV). This nasal spray vaccine can and should be given to healthy people 5-49 years of age.

For more information, please see the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) influenza website:

www.mass.gov/dph/flu

Note:

* Some clinics may charge a fee, even for Medicare beneficiaries.
* Some clinics may bill your health insurance plan, so please bring your health insurance card.
* Please wear short-sleeved clothing.
* All flu clinics are subject to change without notice.


Flu Clinics

A group of female high school students have a message for A&F: Stop degrading us!

Why you ask? Because lately their attitude tees have a bit TOO much anti-girl attitude for our tastes.

Here are some lines from recent A&F tees...

"With These Who Needs Brains..."

"I hope you can make more then I can spend..."

"Last night I had a nightmare I was a brunette.."



We would never let anyone exploit us, so why are we exploiting ourselves? They’ll stop making these t-shirts if we stop buying them.


We, as young women and girls, do not need to create extra division and competition between our ranks. By girlcotting these shirts, we not only create unity for a single project or battle, we create unity within the female community as a whole,

As girls, we can spend our dollars on more empowering, less racist and less sexist street ware.

So join us in our national girlcott effort to encourage A&F to stop selling these rags and instead start selling some more girl empowering wear.

This girlcott is being launched by an independent group of girls - The Allegheny County Girls as Grantmakers group - a diverse group of 23 girls from across the county. We represent different schools, neighborhoods, ethnic groups, religions, races, sexual orientation, athletic and academic interests - you name it - but what we have in common is an interest in making our world a better place for girls to grow and thrive.

Won't you join us?

We are asking girls throughout the country to do 3 things:

1) Stop shopping at A&F till they stop selling these tees and formally apologize to all of us for selling them in the first place.

2) Email a letter saying that you will be doing #1 to the A&F "Investor Relations" headquarters. Their email address is: investor_relations@abercrombie.com

3) Spread the word to other groovy girls you know.

You can also host your own press conference, contact your local media, write letters to your local press, etc.

It's as easy as that.


Signed, The Allegheny County Girls as Grantmakers

_________________________________________________________

Fighting Fitch: Group Starts "Girlcott" Against A&F T-Shirts
Jimmy Greenfield

With a few words on their T-shirts, Abercrombie & Fitch lets young women send a message: "Who needs a brain when you have these?"

A group of female high school students have a message for A&F: Stop degrading us.

The Allegheny County (Pa.) Girls have started a boycott--or girlcott, as they're calling it--of the retailer. The campaign, conceived three weeks ago during the group's monthly meeting, went national Tuesday morning on NBC's "Today" show.

"We're telling [girls] to think about the fact that they're being degraded," Emma Blackman-Mathis, the 16-year-old co-chair of the group, told RedEye on Tuesday. "We're all going to come together in this one effort to fight this message that we're getting from pop culture."

Abercrombie has been a lightning rod for criticism. In 2003, a catalog containing photos of topless women and bare-bottomed men provoked so much outrage that the company pulled the publication.

Last year, after the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team failed to win a gold medal, the company sold T-shirts with the phrase "L is for loser" next to a picture of a gymnast on the rings. Those shirts were pulled from the racks after USA Gymastics called for a boycott.

While Abercrombie backed down in those cases, it show no signs of doing so this time.

"Our clothing appeals to a wide variety of customers. These particular T-shirts have been very popular among adult women to whom they are marketed," a company spokesman said in a statement.

News of the girlcott hadn't reached Tawana Clark, 20, who was applying for a job at the Abercrombie & Fitch store in Water Tower Place on Tuesday. But she doesn't think the protest will work.

"I think it's only older people that have a problem with it," she said. "Teenagers don't have a problem with it."

Clark sees the shirts as funny, not offensive.

"It's not to be taken seriously," she said.

Kristine Campbell, 20, of Lincoln Park won't wear the T-shirts. Although she's not offended by them, she doesn't think much of girls who wear them.

"It tells me that they're shallow and that's all they care about," said Campbell, who was also applying for a job at A&F on Tuesday.

"There's not much substance to that person if you have to wear something like that."

The aim of the girlcott is to convince people that the T-shirts are offensive, but young people don't care if they are, according to David Krafft, senior vice president of Chicago-based Graziano, Krafft and Zale Advertising.

"You figure they're appealing to a younger audience demographic and (young people) are going to want go for brands that are more cutting edge, or viewed as more cutting edge," Krafft said. "So it's just going to be a benefit anyway to Abercrombie & Fitch."

The attention from this boycott is likely to help Abercrombie's image, and its audience will be attracted to the controversy, said Steve Bassill, president of Libertyville-based QDI strategies, a marketing consulting firm.

"That's been their whole strategy, isn't it, to be radical?" Bassill asked. "I think that's what we've seen for quite a while from them."

Krafft says the "Today" show appearance was tantamount to free advertising.

According to Chicago-based media company Starcom USA, a 30-second commercial on "Today" costs approximately $58,000.

The girlcott girls were on for several minutes. The girlcott almost is "playing into their hands," Bassill said.

Heather Arnett, adviser for the girls' group, said it doesn't matter if Abercrombie gets free advertising. They're already a giant as far as she's concerned. What matters is empowering young women, she said, who in turn serve as examples to other young women.

"A week ago, Katie Couric knew who Abercrombie & Fitch was, but she didn't know who Emma Blackman-Mathis was," Arnett said. "A bunch of teenage girls are being interviewed by national media about what they think. And that is the news."

Blackman-Mathis admits that, at first glance, the T-shirts are a little funny.

But the more she looked at them, the less amusing they were. She's still stunned to have appeared on national TV and is hopeful the message will reach young girls.

"Worst-case scenario, I just want girls to at least think about everything that they buy," Blackman-Mathis said. "Think about the message that it conveys to themselves and other people when they wear it."

Her best-case scenario?

"They would stand up and say something for themselves and for girls."

"Fear the person whom you hate." (Sayyidna Umar, Radi-Allahu anhu)

Here is an interesting Blog from France

Riots ring Paris after teen's deaths (Anti-Arab Racism)

Chirac appeals for calm as violence escalates in poor neighbourhoods

PARIS -- Miss972, as she called herself on an Internet blog, was overcome with grief.

"I didn't know you, but it hurts so much to lose someone and I will never be able to forget you," she wrote, posting her heartache to one of the dozens of French Internet blogs newly dedicated to two teenaged boys who have come to be known as "the angels of the ghetto."

The two boys were electrocuted in a gruesome accident in Clichy-sous-Bois, one of the grim, densely populated suburban slums ringing Paris. They apparently thought police were chasing them, although the police say they were not involved. A third teenager with them was seriously injured.

The deaths, a week ago today, have sparked a week of rioting that has spread to neighbouring cities, leaving a trail of tear-gas grenades, hundreds of burned cars and fire-blackened buildings in the worst urban violence France has seen for years.

The dead teenagers have been lionized as martyrs to police heavy-handedness, to racism and to decades of official neglect of the country's underclass of African and Arab immigrants.

Despite calls for calm by President Jacques Chirac and religious leaders, and a cordial meeting between Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin and the parents of the teenagers, the disturbances continued for a seventh consecutive night last night.

Youths went on the rampage in nine areas in poor suburbs ringing the French capital to the north and the east, setting alight about 40 cars, two buses and dumpsters, as well as causing damage to at least one school, a shopping centre and a police post, Reuters reported.

"Emotions must quiet down," Mr. Chirac told government ministers yesterday, a government spokesman reported. Hundreds of police were deployed to control the disturbances, with some units diverted from a soccer match.

The fiery images from the suburbs recalled earlier tragedies that roiled the immigrant communities, particularly the string of fires in dilapidated apartment buildings in Paris in August and September. The fires killed 24 people, all of them immigrants crammed into illegal housing who had been promised decent lodging for years.

"People are joining together to say we've had enough," a 22-year-old named Eric told Associated Press in Clichy-sous-Bois. Eric was born in France to Moroccan parents.

"We live in ghettos," he added refusing to give his surname. "Everyone lives in fear."

Mr. de Villepin, delaying his planned departure for Canada, said the government would act firmly to re-establish order.

But he warned, "There is no miracle solution to the situation faced by these neighbourhoods."

Public officials have reacted with a mix of political name-calling and renewed promises to improve living conditions for France's poor. While state agencies hesitated, leaving the police to restore order with tear gas and raids, independent Muslim leaders from local mosques stepped in to organize peaceful demonstrations and to dispatch mediators into neighbourhoods to calm young people.

Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, who has all but declared his candidacy for president in the 2007 elections, has taken a hard line. Faced with smaller-scale outbreaks of violence in slum areas during the past few months, he railed against "riff-raff" and pledged "zero tolerance" for delinquents.

Azouz Begag, the feisty Minister for Equal Opportunities and a native of the suburban housing projects, has advocated a different approach, blaming the outbreak of violence on a persistent sense of disenfranchisement in the slums that is aggravated by the failure of the state to include minorities in the security forces.

He has called for a full public debate on France's policies for assimilating immigrants and overcoming discrimination. "After all," he said recently, "it's not uninteresting to see that two ministers do not see the same France."

Harwich Barefoot Boggie

Hey Everyone, here is an idea for Harwich, a Barefoot Boggie - it's just an idea we got from some Bay Area friends. It's an alternative to the club scene for dance lovers: a not-for-profit all-volunteer freestyle dance event that could happen a couple of times a month in the Lower Cape Region. These dances will be alcohol free, smoke free, and drug free, which keeps the focus on dancing. Dancers of all kinds attend, ranging from people who are serious about dance and want to expand their experience and learn from other dancers, to people who just want to get down in a fun, open atmosphere. No dance skills or partners are required!

Dance entry would be $5 adult, $2 teens, $2 seniors, and volunteers & kids 12 & under free).

Children must be accompanied by a responsible parent or guardian. No dogs, drugs, alcohol or smoking, please.

Our Barefoot Boogie will need some of the most excellent DJs on the Cape or from the New England who can spin an ever-changing array of music. At every event you'll hear a wide variety of music: R&B, World, Funk, Tribal, Hip Hop, Ambient, Latin, Reggae, House, African, Trance, Electronica, Disco, Rock, Techno, Drum & Bass, and pop favorites. The DJs should be constantly researching the hottest dance music being produced. If you love to dance, this is the place for you!

Here is a Watertown, MA group! All About Dance Friday
What is Dance Friday?

Dance Friday is an event where people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities can express themselves through movement to music. We offer an atmosphere of acceptance, friendship, and trust. We guide our freedom of Expression by a committed respect for the physical and psychological safety of others. Dance Friday is a community drawn together by a shared delight in dance and the recognition and respect for the value of life.

Why dance barefoot?

Dancing barefoot is safer - no crunching of toes by someone else's shoes. Barefoot is softer, gentler, and allows more free flowing forms of dance. (However, if you must wear shoes for health reasons, feel free to wear soft-soled dance shoes.) We have been Freestyle dancing since 1979.

What kind of music do you dance to?

All kinds of music! Our music makers' goal is to please everyone and keep the dance floor jumping. If there's something you'd like to hear, please suggest it. All the music is provided by volunteer DJ's. All are welcome to participate in providing music for the dance. DJ's must go through a training session on how to use the equipment and have their sets reviewed by an experienced DJ.
What is the "middle"?

The middle is a time for community members to make announcements. It is in the form of a circle with a facilitator. Dancers who wish to present something at the middle must either facilitate themselves or arrange with that evening's facilitator to do their presentation which could be a short performance or a short music set.


Why smoke and alcohol-free?

We want to foster a clean, aware, respectful and safe environment for all our dancers.

What should I wear?

Casual, comfortable clothing that you can easily move in.
Who oversees Dance Friday?

Dance Friday is sponsored by the Movement Collective, a non-profit organization that promotes dance activities and educates the community about the value of dance. Dance Friday is a volunteer-run co-operative, offering equal voice and governing power to each member. Everyone who attends Dance Friday is a member.
What is "Dance New England"?

Dance New England (DNE) is a consortium of dances similar to Dance Friday, primarily in New England, but with affiliated dances all across America, as well as around the world. For more information about starting this up contact them directly.

THIS IS A MUST SEE MOVIE!

All you do is click any langauge and watch this film.
This was sent to me by my friend Melinda Moon! :) Thanks MeMe :)

MAKE POVERTY HISTORY

On 15 September 2005, for the first time ever, the United Nations allowed an advocacy group to project a message of hope and activism on the side of the UN General Assembly Building. ONE: The Campaign to Make Poverty History, joining with the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) and UN Millennium Campaign, projected a giant white band, the international symbol of over 75 national campaigns against poverty worldwide, on the front of the UN General Assembly Building.

Cape Cod Civil Rights Leaders March on Boston in Memory of Rosa Parks and the 40th Anniversary of the Selma March in Alabama

Thousands gather to re-enact Martin Luther King's march in Boston. Along with them were a group of Cape Cod civil rights activist. Martin Luther King's Society leader and founder, Walter Barboza, along with his associate members, John & Joe Bangert, and NAACP Cape Cod leader John Reed were also present.

BROTHERS NOW! BROTHERS THEN!

The Bangert brothers basking in the late octoberian sun, stood chatting on the steps of First Church Roxbury, UU with the Kerry brothers John and Cameron, while waiting for the march to proceed. After the march ended Walter Barboza chatted with other civil right activist and veterans like Dr. Virgil Woods who helped organized the 1965 Boston march, and former mayoral candidate Mel King after finishing the 3 miles march to the Boston Common. Walter Barboza and Joe Bangert held a handmade 30 year old banner hooked rug with the image on MLK breaking his chains. This was presented to MLK Society years earlier in Atlanta while Barboza was working with the SCLC and the King Society in that city.

Local human rights organizer John Bangert was distributing hundreds of "Stop Racism & Hate", hand help stop signs along the march route from Roxbury to downtown Boston. This action was called to Retracing the Struggle, the legacy of the voting Rights Act of 1965, lead by Martin Luther King young associate Congressman John Lewis, Democrat from Atlanta, GA, and US Senator John Kerry, Democrat, MA. John Lewis had his head smashed in on the March on Selma, 40 years ago.


BOSTON--Hundreds are expected to gather in Boston this afternoon to re-enact a march that Martin Luther King led 40 years ago to protest school segregation in the city.

In April of 1965, King led marchers on a three-mile walk that ended with a rally on Boston Common. Later that year, the state Legislature passed a measure outlawing racially imbalances schools.

Today's march will be led by Congressman John Lewis of Georgia.

As chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Lewis was one of the most prominent figures of the civil rights movement during the 1960s.

The event starts at First Church in Roxbury and features speeches by Senator John Kerry, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick.

The march also is designed to commemorate the 40th anniversary of King's historic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, to protest voting restrictions for blacks.