| December 2004 |
| Sun |
Mon |
Tue |
Wed |
Thu |
Fri |
Sat |
|
|
|
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
|
12
|
13
|
14
|
15
|
16
|
17
|
18
|
|
19
|
20
|
21
|
22
|
23
|
24
|
25
|
|
26
|
27
|
28
|
29
|
30
|
31
|
|
Wednesday, December 29
DFQC Meet Up January 6 Covers George Lakoff and The Importance of Framing
by
Linda Thieman
on Wed 29 Dec 2004 04:38 PM CST
 DFQC Meet Up January 6 Covers George Lakoff and The Importance of Framing
A Message from Dr. Alta Price
Hi everyone!
I wanted
to invite you to the Democracy for America/Democracy for the Quad
Cities Meetup. This is one to invite all your friends to.
Who: All progressives interested in politics or political issues (not just Deaniacs)
When: Thursday, Jan. 6, 2005 at 7 pm
Where: Steel Workers Union Hall in Bettendorf (880 Devils Glen Rd)
RSVP: Not needed – just come (call me with questions)
We will
be showing the George Lakoff DVD on “framing” - which should be of
interest to a lot of people. And after watching the DVD, we will break
into small groups and practice “framing” our positions on a local
political issue (maybe the issue of how GLBT students are going to be protected in PV schools?)
Don't miss this opportunity to see the DVD. And invite your politician
and elected official friends. They need to start learning how to
"frame" issues to better connect with voters. At the end of this
message are a few words to the Meetup group from George Lakoff to
introduce the concept of "framing."
Alta Price
altaprice@mailblocks.com
421-1140 (work)
332-5051 (home)
A Word from George Lakoff: Setting the Frame for the January Meetup Workshop
 “There
is no escaping framing - it is how the human brain works. Framing is
more than finding “better” words. It is the way you think about the
world. Good framing reflects your values and your beliefs, and connects
them to issues in ways that have self-contained arguments built in. If
you are framing honestly, then the arguments will be ones that you
believe in.”
“Once a
frame is set, people no longer listen to facts that contradict it. The
facts just bounce off. Facts are important, but they come after the
frame, not instead of it.”
“Don’t
let the radical conservatives set the agenda. It is important that you
frame your own issues proactively – don’t just respond to their frames.
For example, you should talk about taxes as investments often, not just
in response to their view of taxes.”
“Don’t expect to convert anyone right away - it takes a while for people to get the ideas and new frames in their brains.”
“Framing
is not the same as messaging: it is a whole new way of thinking about
all the issues. Real training in reframing takes a long time. Tonight
is only the briefest of introductions, to whet your appetite for more.
There are many steps to reframing, but you can make the first step here
tonight.”
Monday, December 20
Bush Propaganda Machine Takes Aim at Social Security
by
Trish Nelson
on Mon 20 Dec 2004 09:26 AM CST
 Bush Propaganda Machine Takes Aim at Social Security
Brace yourself for more Orwellian doublespeak, sleight of hand, smoke
and mirrors and bald-faced lies, as the Bushies launch their public
relations campaign to drum up popular support for dismantling…er, I
mean privatizing, Social Security. Progressives have
another opportunity to watch helplessly as the Bushies continue
getting away with saying down is up and black is white. If all
goes according to plan, and with help from the compliant media, no one will notice what is being taken from
them in broad daylight.
Groups with friendly, politically-correct
sounding names such as For our Grandchildren, Alliance for Worker
Retirement Security, Women for Social Security Choice [get
it? women…choice…oh, they are shameless!] are all part of the
strategy to convince the country that we need to rid ourselves of that
dastardly program, Social Security. And to add insult to injury,
they call themselves grassroots organizations while receiving
funding from such groups as right-wing zealots, Club for Growth (the one
they’re willing to name)…Read on. Then write a letter to your
local newspaper.
Help reframe this issue for the asleep-at-the-wheel media by calling it
what it is. This is not about reform, updating, reshaping or overhaul:
this is an attempt to dismantle, undo, take down, rob, destroy, Social
Security, a government program that works.
New York Times
By Edmund L. Andrews
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16
- Introduced as a "single mom" from Iowa, Sandra Jaques was cool and
confident as she praised Bush's plan to partly replace Social
Security with private savings accounts.
But Ms.
Jaques is not any random single mother. She is the Iowa state director
of a conservative advocacy group, FreedomWorks, whose founders are Jack
F. Kemp, the former vice-presidential nominee, and Dick Armey, the
former House Republican leader.
[Another
advocate for private accounts] Leanne Abdnor said she had raised
start-up money from friends, whom she would not identify. She said the
group would wage a publicity campaign to counter groups that oppose
private accounts.
Support
for overhauling Social Security also comes from numerous self-described
grass-roots organizations: For Our Grandchildren, which employed Ms.
Jaques as a director in Iowa; SocialSecurityChoice.org, backed by
pro-business political groups like Club for Growth; and USANext, a
Virginia-based group run by Charles Jarvis, a former Reagan
administration official.
(click here to read the entire article)
Join your fellow Iowans in the fight to take back the media for ordinary citizens. Click here to join RapidResponse - Iowa.
Sunday, December 19
The Counterpoint: Sinclair Hypocritical in Support of Soldiers
by
Trish Nelson
on Sun 19 Dec 2004 07:19 AM CST
The Counterpoint: Sinclair Hypocritical in Support of Soldiers
The rational counter to "The Point," "The Counterpoint"
critiques and corrects the daily editorial by Sinclair Broadcasting's
corporate vice president, Mark Hyman, that is broadcast on all
Sinclair-owned television stations across the country.
by Iowa's Ted Remington
Mark Hyman has a good idea. No, that’s not a typo - he really
does. In his latest commentary, he points viewers to the website
Anysoldier.com, a site that helps folks here at home send letters and care
packages to men and women in the field in Iraq
and Afghanistan.
This is a good idea, and one that anybody, regardless of their position on the
preemptive invasion of Iraq
or the manner in which the war is being carried out, can get behind.
But it makes us wonder: why is it that Hyman and his friends
at Sinclair only speak on behalf of the troops when it serves their political
purposes? Why do they attempt to bask in the reflected glory of the men and
women on the ground, yet refused to honor those who had paid the ultimate price
by barring their stations from carrying an edition of Nightline that simply and
movingly honored those who have given the last full measure on behalf of their
country? Moreover, why does Hyman insist on labeling anyone who doesn’t voice
full-throated support for the war in Iraq a “friend of the terrorists” or
someone who “hates our troops” (as he’s said of Ted Koppel on numerous
occasions simply because the respected newsman thought it was about time those
who’ve been killed in Iraq received the honor and recognition they deserve)?
And why is it traitorous to point out ways in which Washington
policy makers have let down our troops.
This seems a particularly odd position for an arch
conservative like Hyman to take. After all, one of the cornerstones of
conservatism is a healthy skepticism of the federal government. Conservatives
warn us all the time that decision makers in Washington
are out of touch with the lives of those whom their decisions affect. But for
some reason, when it comes to the most important and awesome decision the
government can make, sending our young men and women into harm’s way, we’re
just supposed to go along with whatever those in power say and give them
unquestioned support (or at least keep our mouths shut). This doesn’t make
sense.
This is particularly true given the current war in Iraq.
There’s evidence aplenty that the bigwigs at the Pentagon and White House have
little understanding of the situation on the ground and are putting their own
political needs ahead of those of the troops. Rumsfeld’s cluelessness
concerning the lack of armor for Humvees is only one example. We now know that
despite being told it would take at least 250,000 soldiers to effectively
secure Iraq,
only half that were sent by Rumsfeld and Co., assuring the insurgency that’s
now killing our troops on a daily basis. Children of Republican insiders get
jobs “rebuilding” Iraq
despite having no experience, assuring the lack of progress in putting Iraq
back together (and again assuring that there will be plenty of disgruntled
Iraqis to swell the ranks of the insurgents).
Even the website Hyman directs viewers to reveals problems.
Not only are soldiers requesting home cooked goodies, music cds, and books (the
stuff you’d expect soldiers to ask for). They’re also asking for things like
soap, towels, flashlights, t-shirts, and other items that they should be
supplied with. Most ominiously, an LA-based police gear surplus supplier is one
of the sponsoring links of Anysoldier.com, and touts their supply of items like
body armor and pepper spray as things that can be sent to troops in the field.
This was a war that was planned for months and months in
advance. The number of troops involved is miniscule compared to World
War II, Korea,
or Vietnam. We
live in the richest nation in the history of the world. Yet our men and women
are still reduced to begging folks back home to supply them with basic
necessities. And people like Hyman have the gall to suggest anyone who
criticizes the war effort “hates our troops”? Shame, Mark, shame.
So send soldiers a letter, card, or even some body armor.
Whether you think the war is a good idea or not, the soldiers deserve support,
the kind of support their own Secretary of Defense and President aren’t giving
them. But also keep criticizing those who are making the decisions that put our
soldiers on the ground but don’t give them what they need to win. Point out
those who use “supporting the troops” as political cover for themselves, but
don’t follow through when it counts. And stay educated on what’s really going
on. Soldiers for the Truth.org is a site sponsored in part by David Hackworth, America’s
most decorated living veteran, and Operation Truth was started by a vet of the
current Iraq
war. They offer a true soldier’s eye view of what’s going on and the many ways
the administration and Pentagon are falling short in their duties to our men
and women in uniform. But of course, I’m sure Hyman would say that soldiers on
the ground who voice complaints about what’s going on, just like everyone who
voices the least bit of dissent, are just doing so because they “hate our
troops.”
And that’s The Counterpoint.
Mark Hyman
Join your fellow Iowans in the fight to take back the media for ordinary citizens. Click here to join RapidResponse - Iowa.
Saturday, December 18
Keep Corporate Bias off Local News: Take Back the Media from Sinclair Broadcasting
by
Trish Nelson
on Sat 18 Dec 2004 11:40 AM CST
 Keep Corporate Bias off Local News: Take Back the Media from Sinclair Broadcasting
MoveOn.Org, MediaMatters, Iowa Rapid Response
Please join us in the fight to take back our public airwaves from corporate special interests!
Before the election, we stopped Sinclair Broadcasting from
airing an anti-Kerry hit piece. Sinclair continues to interject partisan bias into local
evening news reaching 1 in 4 homes.
Every night, Sinclair vice president Mark Hyman broadcasts a
conservative rant - called "The Point" - which most of Sinclair's
62 stations are required to air during their local news. "The Point"
predictably attacks Democrats and progressives while praising George Bush. No
counterpoint is offered. This is an abuse of the public airwaves.
Our friends at Media Matters for America
are spearheading a campaign to demand balance on Sinclair's evening news by
telling Sinclair's advertisers about the partisanship they're supporting.
Can you contact Sinclair's local and national advertisers?
Click here to visit the new website, SinclairAction.com: You can tell advertisers how Sinclair's "The
Point" interjects partisan commentary into the evening news program they
sponsor, reflecting poorly on their product. We are not suggesting a boycott of
these advertisers. Rather, we are hoping these advertisers, as good corporate
citizens, will persuade Sinclair to include a counterpoint.
Sinclair's partisan bias is not new. In April, Sinclair
forbade its stations from airing an ABC Nightline special [The Fallen] honoring the 700
American soldiers killed in Iraq.
Explaining its decision, Sinclair declared: "We do not believe political
statements should be disguised as news content."
DEC 16th, 2004
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From Iowa Rapid Response: You can help in Iowa by contacting the following Iowa Sinclair Affiliates:
Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Dubuque: KGAN Channel 2
e-mail address: kgan@kgan.com
Ph. 800-642-6140 toll free or 319-395-9060
Ames, Des Moines: KDSM Fox 17
e-mail address: comments@kdsm17.com
Ph: 515-287-1717 or FAX: 515-287-0064
NOTE: Sinclair also has outsourcing agreements with stations that
aren’t on the list referenced below (e.g., KFXA and KFXB in Dubuque and
Cedar Rapids, Iowa). These stations also carry Sinclair
newscasts. You can e-mail KFXA/KFXB: fox2840@fox2840.com or
call 319-393-2800
If
you live in these broadcast areas, watch Mark Hyman tonight at the end
of the 10:00 news. We guarantee you will be moved to action!
Resources:
KGAN Advertisers
There are no KDSM advertisers up on the site yet. If you can identify some, click here to post.
For a complete list of Iowa newspapers, click here .
For a list of Sinclair owned and/or operated stations click here.
If you’re looking for some ideas for responding to “The Point,” visit "The Counterpoint"
Join your fellow Iowans in the fight to take back the media for ordinary citizens. Click here to join RapidResponse - Iowa.
Saturday, December 11
Rapid Response Network: An American Conversation
by
Trish Nelson
on Sat 11 Dec 2004 10:06 PM CST
Rapid Response Network: An American Conversation
Progressive Democrats of America - www.pdamerica.org
"In our nation the people are sovereign, not the government. It is the
people, not the media or the financial system or mega-corporations or
the two political parties, who have the power to create change."
-
Governor Howard Dean
Rapid Response Network, first formed as a grassroots effort to advance
the campaign of Howard Dean, acts as "first responders" to media
coverage that contains factual inaccuracies or biased reporting. Since
its inception, nationwide membership has grown to approximately 2,500.
Rapid Response Network in its action alerts makes a simple request: We
want a debate in this country based on substance rather than form,
based on truth rather than misquotes, misrepresentations and outright
lies.
As the media increasingly speaks with one voice, Rapid Response,
at its heart, is a vehicle for insuring many voices are heard, for
engaging "We the People" in our democracy. The action alerts are the
product of a day's worth of discussion on our 52 Yahoo groups - state
coordinators talking to people in their states, in turn talking to the
other state coordinators, reading newspapers, identifying issues,
researching information and sharing resources. The reports we send out
are a phenomenal collaboration - an American conversation.
As RR members are consumers of publications across the country, our
efforts can play a critical role in insuring responsible, principled
journalistic efforts, thus allowing the public a more fair hearing of
progressive candidates and causes. The unique Rapid Response structure
provides the muscle of national resources and organization with the
effectiveness that can only be achieved by acting at a local level.
State RR groups can become powerful tools for supporting local and
state progressive candidates, providing a counterbalance to the
organizational strength of the GOP in smaller cities across America.
RR letter writers achieve victories on a daily basis all over America.
Rapid Response alerts have been picked up by Columbia Journalism Review
Campaign Desk, Buzzflash, and Democrats.com, among others. In the lead
up to the Iowa Caucuses, RR organized Iowa letter writers to correct a
misquote, resulting in a page 1 correction in the Des Moines Register.
Each day we focus large numbers of letter writers on the important
issues of our time, resulting in capable fact-based letters published
across America, from the tiniest hometown papers to the Washington Post
and New York Times.
Rapid Response letter writers have affected
television coverage as well - in one instance RR letters forced a
retraction of a misquote on CNN's American morning with the comment "we
heard from a lot of you on this one."
Speak up. Join Rapid Response. Five minutes of your time, multiplied by
all of us, yields powerful results. Just imagine the power of this
network if we were 10,000 or 100,000 people. Imagine 100 Rapid
Responders in every town in every state of this country. Imagine what
we could do.
With your help, we can grow to numbers of 100,000 strong who, together,
have the power to change the face of this country one media alert, one
letter, one phone call, one person at a time.
Here's how you can help:
• Join your state and the national RR group
• Spread the word--tell others about Rapid Response
• Volunteer as a state RR coordinator, researcher or a writer
Join your fellow Iowans in the fight to take back the media for ordinary citizens. Click here to join RapidResponse - Iowa.
Saturday, December 4
Help Take Back the Media
by
Trish Nelson
on Sat 04 Dec 2004 07:36 AM CST
Help Take Back the Media
Freepress.net
Dear Media Reformer,
We
get calls all the time from activists and concerned citizens around the
country who understand the crisis in our media system and come to us
with the question: "What can I do?" People ask about how to spread the
word about media reform and who in government they should call to speak
their mind.
To help,
we've compiled a Media Reform Activist Toolkit that provides
information, ideas, and resources for taking concrete actions for media
reform. These are ways to put your knowledge and energy to work.
We'll mail you a toolkit free of charge — as long as you promise to use it!
Click here to order your free toolkit today.
The Toolkit includes:
- Media Policy 101 booklet
- Media Reform Action Guide booklet
- "10 Things Big Media Don't Want You to Know" brochure
- "10 Questions about Media to Ask Every Candidate and Elected Official" brochure
-
Static-cling media reform 'Warning' stickers for newspaper boxes, TVs,
radios, bus stop ads and wherever your imagination takes you
- Bonus: The first 5,000 orders include a copy of our Mobilizing Media Reform DVD.
We hope these resources will help you bring your activism to the next level. Order your free toolkit today.
Onward,
Josh Silver
Executive Director
Free Press
|
|
