Letter to the Editor by David Boje
Please Help the Peace Movement Grow by sending Letters to the Editor: e.g.
ROUND UP http://www.roundupnews.com/ SEARCH - Phone (505) 646-NEWS Fax (505) 646-7905 Put your Letter to Editor here http://www.roundupnews.com/main.cfm?include=submit
SUN-NEWS (Sun News site) - E-mail letter to letters@lcsun-news.com
BULLETIN - E-mail: bulletin@zianet.com Phone: (505)524-8061 Fax: (505)526-4621
Thanks David Boje, Ph.D.
I send letters to the editors of Las Cruces NM papers, and only the Bulletin has published one. On the plus side, the Round-Up did an excellent and balanced reporter piece on the Peace Rally on October 28th - See Press Coverage of Peace Aware
Subject : NMSU Seduced into Violating Election Law (Sept 2 2004)
Email : dboje@nmsu.edu
Letter : Cheerleading for Bush: NMSU Seduced into Violating Election Law
Cheerleaders and the directors of the NMSU Athletic department were seduced into crossing the line into illegal behavior regarding what a State (tax-supported) university can and cannot do in an election campaign.
The cheerleaders did not know they were manipulated by the Bush campaign into violating the charter of a tax-supported university. The director and assistant director of the Athletics Department did not know that the Bush rally organizers had requested NMSU cheerleaders to do one thing ("entertain the crowd until Bush arrives") then on the spot ask them to do something illegal ("cheerlead for Bush"). Diane Pierce said, "Had I know I would have never agreed."
The Bush campaign is well aware that once the momentum of the rally is under way, the Athletics Department, the University administration, and cheerleading squad can not hash out what the handlers are all about. Bush handlers lied to them all. This is not a matter of miscommunication; every campaign handler, every President knows that a tax-dollar supported institution may not cheerlead for a presidential candidate!
If this was an isolated case, then what is the big deal? It is not isolated. It has happened before in New Mexico; it has happened across the country. Visual images are manipulated to deceive viewers.
How to deconstruct visual imagery? We must pay attention to what is behind the scenes, what is "backstage." In New Mexico (May 12 2003), President Bush performed his Tax Cut theatre against a digitized stage backdrop with the message, "Helping Small Business;" people in ties were told to remove them, to make them appear more like small business folk (Boje, 2003 http://www.peaceaware.com/papers/Bush_Top_Gun.htm). As with the Aug 26 2004 Bush rally, a carefully screened audience by the party were certified to be enthusiastic supporters. When residents displayed protest, they were escorted out of both events.
America is spectacle-theatre, well-financed stagecraft, to enact power with handlers preparing scripts, choreographing the scenes, predetermining camera views, picking audience composition, and even dramatically costuming not only the President, but the spectators. This is what happened at NMSU. The cheerleaders were handled, choreographed to be props handing out Bush campaign literature, and then in a predetermined camera photo op, put in the Sun News the day after the event. The illusion created is that it is NMSU officially cheerleading for Bush's reelection. Only those behind the scenes, decode the stagecraft of statecraft: observing the handlers' trickery, their deception of NMSU, and the abduction of NMSU symbols and images for partisan for campaign publicity.
David Boje, NMSU professor
dboje@nmsu.edu peaceaware.com
646-2391
Sometimes the Sun-News does print our letters. Hope this will help bring this issue to the voters attention
HERE IT IS: Sun-News, Thursday Oct 30 2003 p. 10A: letters to the editor, titled "Civil Liberties" See http://peaceaware.com/documents/essays/Press_Release_10_23_03.pdf
You can print your own copy of the resolution and collect signatures - http://peaceaware.com/documents/essays/LC_Resoluton.pdf Goal 4,000 signatures
I express my thanks to the Sun-news for publishing my letter.
Professor Josefina (Lolina) Alvarez - Letter to editor-
David, Find below a copy of the Letter to the Editor I sent to The Round Up.
Best,Lolina
__________________________As one of the peace activitists silently standing on the sidewalk at the
corner of Locust and University on Saturday afternoon, I watched in
disbelief when two NMSU police officers demanded identification
from my colleague Professor David Boje. When he refused, they handcuffed him
and took him to the NMSU police station. He was not read his rights. As I understand, he was
not allowed to call an attorney either. I felt scared and threatened by what I perceived
as a serious lack of good judgement on the part of the police officers. Not a
month had passed since the university community received a memo from President
Gouge calling us all to exercise tolerance and respect for each other's
opinions. I regret that members of the sorority Zeta Tau Alpha did not
see our law abiding presence in the spirit of that tolerance and
respect, but I regret much more that members of the NMSU police failed
to respond appropriately to the sorority's complaint.
I call for the NMSU police department, in cooperation with the Office of
the President, to conduct a full investigation into the actions of the police
officers.Josefina Alvarez
Professor of Mathematics
Boje's Letter sent to Roundup, Sun-News and Bulletin at 4Pm on Saturday April 12 2003
To: dboje@nmsu.edu
Subject: Feedback Confirmation was received from Sun-News
To: David Boje
This is to confirm that your feedback has been received.
Feedback for: Las Cruces Sun~News - NMSU Professor Arrested -Peace
The following is a comment or question for the editors or webmaster:
TITLE: NMSU Professor Arrested at Peace Vigil: My side of this story
Dear Editor,
Our scheduled PeaceAware.com Peace Vigil was conducted peacefully from 1PM
to 2PM at the southwest corner of University and Locust in Las Cruces.
We assembled in peace without megphones or loudspeakers, about 25 of us at
1PM.
At 1:15 PM four young ladies and an older woman, identifying themselves as
residents of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority demanded that we move our vigil to another
location. As co-organizer of PeaceAware, and member of the PeaceVigil
committee, I said "no, we are not making noise, we are not blocking
sidewalk traffic. It is our constitutional free speech right to assemble
here." The older lady, who never identified herself, said "the sidewalk is
university property." I said, "be that as it may, we are staying." As the
Delta Zeta sorority sisters (who never said their names) went toward the
house they indicated that they were for President Bush."
At 1:50 PM New Mexico Statue University Police officers Sergeant Juan
Ortega and officer Amy Billhymer pulled up in their squad car. They asked
who is the organizer, and I stepped forward. Sergeant Ortega asked that we
move off of university property. I replied, "we are on the sidewalk, we are
not on the grass. We are not violating any university policy."
The two NMSU officers went inside the sorority house.
At 1:57 PM (3 minutes before the end of the scheduled vigil), the two
officers returned to the sidewalk, and said we had to move. Sergeant Ortega
said "you are not allowed to assemble on university property." I informed
Sergeant Orteaga that two years ago New Mexico State University revised its
free speech policy, to wit, "we are authorized to assemble on the sidewalk
of the university as long as we do not block foot traffic and we do not use
a loud speaker." Our vigil was silent; our signs speak for us.
At 1:59 PM Sergeant Ortega demanded, "give me your ID." I said, "I am
advised by my ACLU attorney not to surrender anything to you, I now claim
my right to be silent." Officer Ortega said this constituted "resisting
arrest." I then said, "I am not resisting." At this point, I was
handcuffed and taken into the squad car, drivent to the university police
station.
For the next hour I was shackled with leg irons to a bench in a room with
the video and sound equipment running. Sergeant Ortega once again asked "I
want you to surrender your ID or give me your name and date of birth." I
replied, "I want an attorney before I speak to you or anyone, and I hereby
claim my constitutional right to be silent, which I now intend to do."
I meditated for an hour and at 3PM, Lieutenant Javier Diaz, said that I was
being released. I asked "am I being charged with anything?" His reply,
"have your attorney call me on Monday morning."
At the present time, I believe that I am within my rights to peacefully
assemble on the sidewalk on University Avenue. I am within my rights not to
submit to a search or the seizure of my belongings before I consult an
attorney.
I believe that handcuffing a university professor, and keeping him
leg-shackled in solitary confinement, for an hour without letting him make
a phone call to his attorney is over the top.
I will now reveal my name.
David M. Boje, Ph.D.
Professor of Management, CBAE
Co-organizer, PeaceAware.com
Thanks again for your feedback.
Sincerely
Las Cruces Sun~News
Editor
The Sun News
Las Cruces, NM
Sir:
Christopher Schurtz's article 3-5-03 under the headline, "City Council
declines discussion on war" was fair and balanced but, more significantly,
did not appear until 24 hours AFTER the Albuquerque Journal had played the same
story as its off-lede on Page One, a factor that brings into question
the news judgment of those who determine what gets into our local paper.
Equally questionable judgment appears to have dicatated the editorial that appeared
the same day under the headline "War and Peace." It dismisses
as "grandstanding" the resolutions against the war and the so-called
Patriot Act that have been passed by nearly 100 local government bodies
in the United States.
As co-signers of the petition in Las Cruces, we must object to your cavalier
and wrongful characterization of these actions at the local level in communities
from coast to coast. They were taken because the local governing bodies
recognized that elected officials at higher levels -- up to the Oval Office
itself -- had failed their sworn obligations to uphold the Constitution of the
United States. The points at issue are absolutely fundamental to the rule
of law in this country, and citizens have an obligation to defend the Constitution
beginning at the very most basic level -- their local governments -- with one
of their most basic Constitutional rights, the right of petition.
There are at bottom only two issues of law and they are quite clear.
1. The authority to make war. It is vested by the Constitution solely
in the Congress. The Constitution does not allow the Congress to cede
that authority to the chief executive. In fact, the very opposite was the clear
intent of the framers, who represented colonists who had fled societies where
kings, emperors, sultans, despots or dictators had the sole right to take their
hapless minions into the horror of war. Madison, Jefferson, Franklin and
their colleagues in Philadelphia were determined that no individual should ever
have the power, in this new republic, to make war on his own whim or judgment.
Absent a Declaration of War on Iraq by the Congress of the United States, after
full, fair and free debate, sincere, patriotic citizens of the United States
have an obligation to oppose and resist any military operations against Iraq.
2. The Constitution is equally clear on the matter of amending, or rescinding
amendments to, the Constitution. The separate states of the union must
give assent, and the assent can only be given by vote of the people. Congress
alone cannot rescind the first ten amendments to the Constitution, the Bill
of Rights, no matter how many so-called Patriot Acts it passes. Such "acts"
are truly "grandstanding," dear editor, for in constitutional law
they have no validity. The Bill of Rights can be rescinded only by "We
the People," who did in fact "ordain and establish" the Constitution
in the first place. It is our Constitution, dear Editor, and only we can
change it and if Congress and the President and his Attorney General violate
it, it is our duty as citizens to oppose them.
As we do and will continue to do.
Sincerely,
Thomas E. and Lois G. Wark
Las Cruces
First Back ground to letter, then the letter
Sun News Photo Page A 4 Feb 16 2003 of Feb 15th Las Cruces - Peace In Park Event. The Caption reads "On Saturday, people gathered at Young Park, in Las Cruces, to demonstrate against war, like thousands across the country." Click here for Medium Size photo Click here for Large Size photo Note: The Sun-News did not carry a story of the Las Cruces event; they put the news coverage of 11 million people (they undercount and say thousands in photo caption) around the world asking for peace. The peace movement coverage is relegated to pages 3 and 4. Nothing on the front page about one the most major and important events? The photo next to the one above on Page A4, shows police tear gassing, tackling, then arresting peace marchers in Colorado Springs. The Sun News depicts Peace People as "demonstrators," as "people in "tie-dyes" and "dreadlocks." Sun News was sent a Press Release (Click Here) well before the Las Cruces event. The Sun News photographer showed up on his own, after hearing a report on his scanner. The Sun New is using a typical tactic of the mainstream conservative corporate media. First, they do not cover anything, then they juxtapose images of peace people next to law breakers, show them being harassed by police, then paint the entire peace movement as a bunch of hippies. Yet, those 200 who were there know that our March and Park event was peaceful, non-violent, even prayerful. We are young and old, of all races, and all hair styles.
|
| Send the Sun News a Letter to the Editor Feedback
for: Las Cruces Sun~News -TOPIC: 200 March on Lohman Ave and Attend Peace
in the Park event. Dear Editor, |
People from eight to eighty, of a dozen faiths
gather each Wednesday (4-6 PM) to light candles, wave signs, and say “No War.”
Guess what, each week more motorists are honking and waving their support. Peace
Vigils are happening in Silver City, Taos, and cities across America.
Every week at least once we hear someone say,
“This is like church for me.” This
is a form of worship, our way to not be silent. For many, it’s a place to pray
or meditate, sing or congregate. We respect all faiths and also people without
traditional religion. We stand up to speak for peace. I am David. I’m a vet.
When they sent me to Vietnam, I was silent; after all, I was no pacifist. But
now, before Homeland Security takes me away, I figure I best speak-out for peace.
I am Grace Ann, and I am David’s wife. Together, we write this letter to offer
our perspective on this critical issue.
We are in good company. Religious leaders
of all faiths, across the country, are speaking for peace.
We did some research Nationally, most religions (except Southern Baptists)
are officially against the war. The pope declared Iraq does not meet Catholic’s
test for “just war.” Jewish leaders are divided about pre-emptive strike. Quakers
and Jains are against all war. Presbyterian, Islam, Lutheran, Science of Mind,
and Latter Day Saints’ leaders, say “No Iraq war” (see www.PeaceAware.com for
info on religions for and against
Iraq war).
Local Quakers like Barclay Kuhn, Methodist
ministers Charles & Ruth Moorer, and Mesilla Valley Christian Churches’
Jeanne Knots are Las Cruses religious leaders attending Peace Vigils.
Moira Kanim has been visiting Las Cruces religious
leaders, asking, “Please sign a Peace and Civil Liberties resolution we are
placing before Las Cruces City Council.”
We invite Las Cruces religious leaders to be associated with peace. Martin
Luther King Jr. said, “In the end, we will remember not the words of
our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” We ask others in Las Cruces who
support the National Council of Churches to speak out for peace. Now is not
the time to be silent.
Martin Luther King also said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
We remember Gulf War I. Uranium 238
was used in munitions; 315 tons of radioactive waste polluted areas occupied
by 436,000 US troops (www.ngwrc.org),
and 185,780 US troops (36%) filed for disability.
We are not against those brave members of
the military who honor their commitments to our country. We pray for their safety,
as we pray for peace. We invite others to join us in actively promoting peace.
Pray with us. Sing with us. Speak with us. Then peace will have a chance.
Sincerely, David Boje and Grace Ann Rosile
Contact info
David M. Boje, Ph.D. and Grace Ann Rosile, Ph.D.
2831 Buena Vida Court
Las Cruces, New Mexico 88011
505-532-1693
dboje@nmsu.edu garosile@nmsu.edu
www.PeaceAware.com
We (over 100 people) organized and staged a festive and carnivalesque Teach-In Speak-Out for Peace 13-hour event at New Mexico State University on Monday (Oct28) See www.PeaceAware.com There were meditation moments, rock and punk band moments, and times where over 50 faculty and students spoke in open mic. The theme was how we need to find our inner peace awareness, in order to develop outer peace awareness. In this way we can move from the war machine of demonization to finding peace in the world.
The war machine demonizes one despot, in order to legitimate genocide (already 500,000 children starved or diseased to death by 12 years of sanctions). There is info about the growing Peace Movement in the US and what it means to develop Peace Awareness, and how to speak in peace. I am the first to admit that I am learning to find inner peace and peace in my Socratic dialogue; as an academic activist I am provocateur. Still, I believe you can not find peace through violence. Violence in any form feeds a cycle of violence. It takes peace aware within to grow peace aware throughout the land.
Is the Peace Movement being under-reported by the media in our community? For example, we reached over 600 people that day, but the Oct 29 Sun-News reported it as 80. The reporter took a count of one hour's attendance rather than counting all the different Las Cruces citizens and students who came, stayed an hour or so, and left. Each hour a new group of 50 to 100 came, as others moved on to classes and other life events. 50 to 80 is our average over the 13 hour marathon event. Therefore, our out reach was 600 rather than 80. 600 is for our Las Cruces community a significant manifestation of our growing Community of Peace.
A dozen faculty at New Mexico State gave talks (that are going on our web site); that is real education, a pedagogy that deconstructs the rhetoric of the Spectacle of infotainment, and presents alternative 'Voices For Peace' (the name of both a campus and a community group). We were co-sponsored by 18 campus groups and 4 Las Cruces NM community groups. Our diversity was as postmodern and non-mainstream as can be. We are an alternative Voice to the dominant voice for revenge, fear, and hate.
The event stressed non-violent (Ahimsa) approaches, and gaining an understanding of how the war machine demonizes, and one needs to find alternative media to get at the Others' side of the story. For example, the Middle East dance troupe exhibited the beauty of an ancient culture; a female student from Iraq retold her experience of what it was like to be bombed in Dessert Fox, then rebuild her spirit and community; a young man told his story of moving his aging father out of their home because the economy does not support senior citizens, only war. We ended out happening with a candle light vigil and walk for peace. It means a great deal to me to be with people who are peaceful, when the drum of war calls us out. I hear a different drummer. Give Peace A Chance was one song we sang along our walk from Corbett to University Ave. It was a wonderful day.
We are forming meditation for Peace Awareness groups in our community. We plan to have more education, music, dance, and theatre events in Las Cruces. Our music groups and speakers are ready to Speak-Out where ever we are called to serve the Peace Movement.
We have posted items to help other communities form Ahimsa alternatives to war, and ways to begin to find inner peace at www.PeaceAware.com
Thanks for listening,
Namaste
David Boje,
Management Professor
New Mexico State University
Dear Editor:
As
the economy downslides, deficits skyrocket, and the magnitude of corporate thievery
is uncovered with the current administration implicated; with the public education
system crumbling, Social Security threatened, and the healthcare system a national
disgrace - the Bush administration has successfully distracted the American
public with a morally bankrupt, politically-timed plan to launch an unprovoked
attack on Iraq.
As George Bush waxes disingenuous about how much he cares
about the innocents of the world, and despises the evil-doers who would harm
them, perhaps he needs a reminder that hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis
have been killed as result of war and brutal sanctions.
One example is the destruction of civilian Iraqi infrastructure, including
water treatment and distribution systems, which was undertaken with full foreknowledge
of the consequences on innocent civilians.
Sanctions prevent importing chlorine for water treatment or any rebuilding. The result is the deaths of innocent Iraqis.
The administration should support inspections and work toward lifting
the sanctions that punish the innocent.
American
lives are precious, but they are not more precious than Palestinian lives or
Vietnamese lives or Nicaraguan lives.
And American grief is poignant, but it is not more poignant than Iraqi
grief or Chilean grief or Afghani grief.
Pain and loss transcend national boundaries, unfortunately it appears
that as a nation, our compassion ends there.
This value ranking of human life based on nationality, ethnicity, gender,
orientation or religious belief is a tragedy of massive proportion.
It is tragic that our government continues this policy of arrogance,
because there are millions of Americans who truly care about all beings and
their quality of life on Earth.
The
United States has pledged to abide by the UN charter. It is illegal for America to launch an unprovoked attack on
Iraq. Iraq is simply not capable
of attacking the US. It does have
the second largest oil reserve in the world, however.
I
feel empathy for Iraqi parents who want desperately to protect their children.
Now they wait with dread for bombs to start falling.
George Bush: if it were
your children, what would you do? Dick
Cheney: any room in that bunker
for some of the innocents of the world?
I
am extremely disappointed with this administration’s response to the terrorist
attacks. Instead of taking the
opportunity to reassess and reconnect with our true national mandates of liberty
and justice for all, this administration has shredded the Constitution.
What was a profound opportunity to show the world a way out of violence,
retribution and revenge, has become the opposite - an excuse to isolate, to
repudiate, and to threaten. And
to fatten the wallets of those who profit from war and imperialism.
I
hope the American people can stand up, speak out and dare to dissent.
It is our only chance to bring this nation back to its first principles
– democracy, human rights, and justice for all.
Because right now, under this administration, America is failing on all
of its true mandates.
Anne
Wing
Las
Cruces
==============================================
| To: peace@nmsu.edu
Subject: letter to the editor
December 29 2002 |
