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Sunday, February 27
QC Library Patrons Favor Warning Signs About Patriot Act
by
Trish Nelson
on Sun 27 Feb 2005 07:49 AM CST
 QC Library Patrons Favor Warning Signs About Patriot Act
QC Times
By Tory Brecht
Bettendorf public library director Faye Clow faced what she called a
"terrible choice" recently when asked by the Quad-Cities chapter of the
Iowa Civil Liberties Union to put up warning signs near library
materials.
Specifically, the signs would warn about provisions of the USAPatriot
Act that would allow records of books and other materials borrowed by
patrons to be obtained by federal agents and forbidding librarians from
informing the borrowers if their records were being monitored.
"We have people lobbying on the national level against parts of the
Patriot Act," [Clow] said, referring to the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom.
"I think people should be aware," said Aaron Brinson, a 17-year-old
Pleasant Valley High School student. "They should know what they check
out can be looked at."
...Bettendorf's Dawn McKinney, 40, thinks it's important to raise
awareness. "People in general need to be made aware of how
much access the government has to their lives," she said. "It's a
little disturbing because I don't know who decides what is justifiable
cause to look at materials."
(click here to read the entire story)
 Click here to receive action alerts from Rapid Response - Iowa
Saturday, February 19
March is Social Security Month for Democracy for America as Bush Tries to Sell his "Plan"
by
Trish Nelson
on Sat 19 Feb 2005 11:39 AM CST
 March is Social Security Month for Democracy for America as Bush Tries to Sell his "Plan"
QC Times
It's
almost that time again...the March Democracy for America meet-up topic will
be Social Security, and Democracy for the Quad-Cities is all over it as Dr.
Alta Price reports they are already inviting local seniors to attend
and discuss the Bush "plan." Be sure to watch this space
for Caroline Vernon’s upcoming series honoring DFQC seniors - four of
their group’s “most loyal” attendees. Thanks Alta and DFQC for
the great idear!
By Ed Tibbetts
WASHINGTON, D.C. — [George W.] Bush tried Tuesday to assure older
Americans that any Social Security reform would not hit them in the
pocketbook, a message the White House hopes will resonate in places
such as Iowa where 1 in 6 people get benefits from the 70-year-old
government program.
Bush met
in the Oval Office with reporters from a half-dozen newspapers,
including the QUAD-CITY TIMES, based in states where there is a large
elderly population as he seeks to reform [dismantle] the Social Security program.
“Benefit
cuts is an interesting word,” Bush said. “Benefits are scheduled to
grow at a certain rate, and one of the, one of the suggestions, for
example ... was they grow at a, they grow, but not at a rate as fast as
projected. You can call it anything you want. I would call it an
adjustment to reality,” he said.
(click here to read the entire story).
To find or start a Democracy For America meet-up in your area, click here.
Sunday, February 13
KEEPING THE TORCH BURNING
by
Molly Regan
on Sun 13 Feb 2005 04:30 PM CST
 KEEPING THE TORCH BURNING
Normally my Sunday postings have to do with OUR PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT. Today, I would like to address a topic just as near and dear to my heart….. GOVERNOR HOWARD DEAN IS OUR NEW CHAIRMAN OF THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE…..
CHAIRMAN-GOVERNOR DEAN deserves this as no other person and his ORGANIZING EXPERTISE bears this out.
CHAIRMAN-GOVERNOR DEAN exemplifies COURAGE. He showed us this by creating DEMOCRACY FOR AMERICA after his bid for president came to a close.
CHAIRMAN-GOVERNOR DEAN will be our best TEACHER, LEADER & MENTOR all in one feisty, aggressive package.
These things are what many of us needed at a time when we knew something dramatic needed to be done.
Our growing pains will be less because of CHAIRMAN-GOVERNOR DEAN'S CONSISTENT ATTITUDE, BELIEFS AND IDEALS.
This picture of then GOVERNOR DEAN and me was taken in Muscatine, IOWA, on Labor Day, September 1st, 2003. It was the first time I had met him, and the first time he had met me.
I was holding in my hand a newspaper article on the front of the New York Times about him. I showed it to him and said it was an excellent article. He signed it for me and told me the young woman who had written it was also there that evening and I should ask her to do the same.
It was a magical, warm summer evening with a sliver of a moon hanging in the western sky as he appeared in the backyard of a couple's lovely Victorian home and began to inspire and awe us.
HE CONTINUES TO DO THE SAME…….DEAN ON! AND ON! AND ON!
In the words of President John F. Kennedy, THE TORCH HAS BEEN PASSED TO A NEW GENERATION… Yes, it has, to a new generation of PROGRESSIVES.
Monday, February 7
Action Alert: WQPT Fears So-Called "Moral Values" Voters, Won't Run Show Featuring Lesbians
by
Trish Nelson
on Mon 07 Feb 2005 05:01 AM CST
 Action Alert: WQPT Fears So-Called "Moral Values" Voters, Won't Run Show Featuring Lesbians
Submitted by Alta Price, Democracy for the Quad Cities
WQPT won't run 'Buster' episode featuring lesbians
Moline's
public television station, WQPT, has decided not to air an episode of a
children's show that implies two families have lesbian moms.
FAIR, a national media watch group, in an action alert on this issue writes:
[PBS
chief operating officer] Wayne Godwin went on to claim the episode
conflicted with PBS's purpose: "The presence of a couple headed by two
mothers would not be appropriate curricular purpose that PBS should
provide."
It's a
disturbing view for the COO of PBS to hold, particularly since public
television's mandate as set forth in the 1967 Carnegie Commission
Report is to "provide a voice for groups in the community that may
otherwise be unheard," to serve as "a forum for controversy and
debate," and to broadcast programs that "help us see America whole, in
all its diversity."
Take Action: Contact WQPT
E-mail: wqpt@bhc.edu
Call WQPT: 309/796-2424 or 800/747-2430
Fax: 309/796-2484
WQPT is
a great resource for our community. Susan McPeters has interviewed
every guest Quad Citians Affirming Diversity has brought into the
community in our efforts to help our community become more accepting of
gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) youth. But the media
hype about the power of the “moral values” voters has made some elected
officials, school board superintendents, and media folks afraid of
crossing the anti-gay crowd. The vast, tolerant, moral majority in the
Quad Cities needs to reassure WQPT that airing this program has the
support of the community.
Be
respectful. Assume they will change their mind. If you are a financial
supporter of WQPT, mention that. Do not threaten to stop contributing.
Point out that public TV is for everyone, including people who are gay,
lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT). We want our children to
understand and respect differences and learn to live in a multicultural
society. At a time when one in three gay teens is threatened with a
weapon while at school, we want to teach our children not to hate those
who are different.
For comments, more information, or questions contact:
Alta Price, Democracy for the Quad Cities.
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