Civil & Human Rights

Draw the Line – Sign the Bill of Reproductive Rights

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

If we do not stand up and defend the reproductive rights of women, the pro-life forced birth movement will take those rights away and reduce women to second class citizens under the Constitution.

Uterus-stateWe just heard Rep. Paul Ryan say during the vice presidential debate this week that he and Willard "Mittens" Romney intend to put the fundamental constitutional rights of women to life, liberty and property to a referendum vote (disguised as a ban on abortion and most forms of contraceptives). Fundamental constitutional rights are not subject to a vote — that's what makes them fundamental constitutional rights. The minority is protected from tyranny by the majority.

A woman does not lose her constitutional rights to life, liberty and property at the moment of conception, reducing her to a second class citizen to her fertilized egg, and making her uterus "property of the state"  subject to regulation.

Romney-Ryan promises to stack the U.S. Supreme Court with conservative activist judges who will rubberstamp their actions. Take this threat seriously.

Occupy Tucson: Weekend events you won’t find in AZ Daily Star

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by Pamela Powers Hannley

It's October in Tucson. This means jam-packed weekends, full of exciting events.

This weekend is particularly busy, as is evidenced by the front page of today's Arizona Daily Star— a veritable advertisement for what's happening downtown.

Events not on the front page of the Star– Occupy Tucson's anniversary and Democracy Now's Amy Goodman– are as interesting as what is there. 

Yes, this is the weekend for umpteenth annual Tucson Meet Yourself, but those of you who were around and aware of Occupy Wall Street last October know that Tucson Meet Yourself weekend is also the anniversary of Occupy Tucson. 

It's not surprising that the Arizona Daily Star chose to ignore Occupy Tucson's anniversary festivities; they stood solidly with other corporate media outlets in trying to ignore the Occupy Wall Street movement last year.

Goodman's talk– which is also a KXCI fundraiser— is today, October 13, at 1 p.m. at the Fox Theater. This Tucson stop is part of her book tour. The Silenced Majority: Stories Of Uprisings, Occupations, Resistance and Hope shows how the work of ordinary people (aka The Silenced Majority) is pulling back the veil of corporate media and changing the world. Antigone Books will have books for sale at the event 

Check out a list of Occupy Tucson's weekend festivities, after the jump. 

President Obama designates the home of César Chávez as a national monument

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Posted  by AzBlueMeanie: President Obama on Monday designated the home of Latino labor leader César Chávez as a national monument, calling Chávez a hero who brought hope to millions of poor, disenfranchised farmworkers who otherwise might have remained "invisible" to much of the nation. César Chávez home a national monument: "Today, we celebrate César Chávez," … Read more

Celebrate the one-year anniversary of Occupy Tucson, Oct. 14 (video)

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by Pamela Powers Hannley

Sunday, October 14, Occupy Tucson will celebrate it's one year anniversary. Occupy Tucson was one of the longest-running encampments in the history of the Occupy Movement.

Although Occupy Tucson was a peaceful encampment, at one point, the Tucson Occupiers had received hundreds of tickets, primarily for breaking curfew at local parks– more tickets than any other Occupy group, except New York City. Some of those tickets are still winding their way through the court system, but most have been dismissed (including mine). 

Occupy Tucson may not be camping in the parks anymore, but the movement is far from dead. Occupy Tucson is housed in a small office in the historic YWCA on 5th Ave. You can find out more information by checking out their website and Facebook page. 

For a walk down memory lane, check out these videos of Occupy Tucson. After the jump is background information on the Occupy anniversary celebration (complete with a General Assembly, of course.)

 Organizing Occupy Tucson, Oct. 1, 2011

 Occupy Tucson General Assembly, October 9, 2011

 Day 1: Occupation of Tucson

 The Tucson Progressive gets a ticket at Occupy Tucson

El Tour de Rio Nuevo March, Tucson

Jobs with Justice, Occupy Tucson, and Union Workers march to save postal jobs


Arizona Unionists and Supporters Protest Proposed Anti-Labor Laws