Re: [MAPC-policy] X's response

Re: [MAPC-policy] X's response

born-digital

email

yes

no

2001-10-31

All,

I'm very, very sorry I couldn't come to the meeting last night.  I had an
emergency at home that needed my immediate attention.

I gather there was some "vigorous debate" on the subject of the
resolution...

What are the plans?  Are we going to sit down with friendly alders to work
out the details?  I'm happy with the "weaker" version myself; though it
doesn't specifically mention the cessation of attacks, it is implied.

I'll be sure to be available whenever we need to consult with our alders.
Anything else I can do?

X

On Wednesday 31 October 2001 10:46 am, X wrote:

> From: X <X>
>
> >
> >The deadline for the next council meeting agenda is too soon for me to
> >consult with
> >my colleagues about this resolution.  I can bring it up at the caucus
> >meeting this
> >weekend.  While I prefer the first version, as it best represents my
> >beliefs, the
> >second version would be less of a bloodbath and more likely to pass on
the
> >council
> >floor.  The reality of this is that Berkely just passed a similar
> >resolution, in
> >which they received thousands of calls an e-mails, etc., blasting them
for
> >it.  The
> >State Journal recently had an editorial about it too.  Basically, the
> >concerns that
> >my fellow progressives will have will most likely be centered on the
> >McCarthyism that
> >is about and bound to ensue.  But does that mean they won't support
either
> >version? I
> >don't know.
> >X
> >
> >X wrote:
> > > Dear Mr. X:
> > >
> > >      I am writing as a member of the newly-formed Madison Area Peace
> > > Coalition (www.madpeace.org).  We are a citizen coalition of over
> > > thirty member organizations, representing over 5000 people in the
> > > Madison area. Madison Area Peace Coalition (MAPC) supports a
> > > non-violent response to
> >
> >the
> >
> > > attacks of 9/11.  Specifically, we advocate:
> > >
> > > (1) Peace and Justice, not War and Revenge
> > > (2) Protecting our Civil Liberties, and
> > > (3) Unity and Protection of Arab-Americans and Others in the wake of
> > > the attacks.
> > >
> > >          I am writing to request your assistance in introducing a
> >
> >resolution
> >
> > > to the Common Council endorsing some portion of our position.
> > >
> > >          Below is the draft our coalition has put together.  Below
that
> >
> >is a
> >
> > > weaker draft, in which only the next-to-last clause has been changed.
> > >
> > >          I just realized last night that we are bumping up against a
> > > deadline to get things on the agenda for the next Common Council
> >
> >Meeting.  I
> >
> > > would like to ask you whether you would be willing to sponsor either
of
> >
> >the
> >
> > > resolutions below.
> > >
> > >          I look forward to discussing this with you soon.
> > >
> > > Sincerely,
> > > X
> > >
> > > Policy Committee
> > > Madison Area Peace Coalition
> > > =====================================================================
> > >
> > > >A RESOLUTION regarding the urgent need to provide emergency
> >
> >humanitarian
> >
> > > >assistance and development assistance to civilians in Afghanistan,
> > > >including Afghan refugees in surrounding countries.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >WHEREAS,       a disastrous humanitarian crisis is underway, with an
> >
> >estimated
> >
> > > >7.5 million people in Afghanistan facing critical food shortage or
> >
> >outright
> >
> > > >starvation this winter; and
> > > >
> > > >WHEREAS,       70 percent of these people are women and children, and
> >
> >the UN
> >
> > > >estimates 400,000 children under five will likely die this year, an
> > > >increase of over 30 percent from last year; and
> > > >
> > > >WHEREAS,       food aid shipments have been disrupted because of U.S
> >
> >bombing in
> >
> > > >Afghanistan; and
> > > >
> > > >WHEREAS,       the aid agencies active in the region, including the
> >
> >Nobel
> >
> > > >laureate Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Oxfam International and the
> >
> >World
> >
> > > >Food Program have stated that the U.S. food
> > > >drops can not meet the increasing and urgent need for assistance; and
> > > >
> > > >WHEREAS,       Madison now participates directly and indirectly in
> > > > U.S.
> >
> >military
> >
> > > >efforts through many channels, including the federal taxes its
> > > > citizens pay, and through its citizens' participation in the armed
> > > > forces; and
> > > >
> > > >WHEREAS,       the Mayor and Common Council are appalled at the mass
> >
> >starvation
> >
> > > >that will result from these actions to which they are a party if the
> > > >situation is not speedily addressed; and
> > > >
> > > >WHEREAS,       The Mayor and Common Council deplore the dishonor such
> >
> >an outcome
> >
> > > >would be for the victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11th;
> > > >
> > > >NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Mayor and Common Council urge
> > > > a resolution to the situation that minimizes loss of life; and
> > > >
> > > >BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED
THAThttp://forward.state.wi.us:9000/oldpages/query.html?col=&ht=0&qp=&qs=&qc
=&pw=100%25&ws=0&la=en&qm=1&si=0&ct=1975010321
humanitarian concerns must now be a top
> > > >priority for U.S. policy toward Afghanistan, especially as there
> > > > exists
> >
> >a
> >
> > > >narrow window of opportunity for supplying food to the region's
> >
> >population
> >
> > > >before winter makes this difficult or impossible; and
> > > >
> > > >BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT Afghanistan's neighbors should
immediately
> > > >reopen their borders to allow for the safe passage of refugees, and
> > > > the U.S. and other members of the international community must be
> > > > prepared
> >
> >to
> >
> > > >contribute to the economic costs incurred by the flight of desperate
> >
> >Afghan
> >
> > > >civilians; and
> > > >
> > > >BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the United States must actively support
> > > > the work of various agencies to deliver assistance in Afghanistan,
> >
> >particularly
> >
> > > >through overland truck convoys, and support safe humanitarian access
> > > > to affected populations, in partnership with humanitarian agencies
in
> > > > quantities sufficient to alleviate a large scale humanitarian
> >
> >catastrophe;
> >
> > > >and
> > > >
> > > >BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the United States should contribute to
> >
> >efforts
> >
> > > >by the international community to provide long-term, sustainable
> > > >reconstruction and development assistance for the people of
> >
> >Afghanistan,
> >
> > > >including efforts to protect the basic human rights of women and
> >
> >children;
> >
> > > >and
> > > >
> > > >BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the United States should immediately stop
> > > >military action against Afghanistan because that is the main obstacle
> >
> >to
> >
> > > >addressing the humanitarian catastrophe there; and
> > > >
> > > >BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the people of Madison, in solidarity with
> >
> >the
> >
> > > >international community and in their capacity as citizens of the
> > > > United States, will consider the Government of the United States
> > > > responsible
> >
> >for
> >
> > > >both the direct consequences of its military actions in Afghanistan
> > > > and
> >
> >for
> >
> > > >the results of its indifference to the priority of humanitarian
> >
> >concerns in
> >
> > > >Afghanistan and the surrounding region.
> > > >
> > > >====================================================================
> > > >WEAKER VERSION (next-to-last clause has been changed)
> > > >
> > > >A RESOLUTION regarding the urgent need to provide emergency
> >
> >humanitarian
> >
> > > >assistance and development assistance to civilians in Afghanistan,
> > > >including Afghan refugees in surrounding countries.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >WHEREAS,       a disastrous humanitarian crisis is underway, with an
> >
> >estimated
> >
> > > >7.5 million people in Afghanistan facing critical food shortage or
> >
> >outright
> >
> > > >starvation this winter; and
> > > >
> > > >WHEREAS,       70 percent of these people are women and children, and
> >
> >the UN
> >
> > > >estimates 400,000 children under five will likely die this year, an
> > > >increase of over 30 percent from last year; and
> > > >
> > > >WHEREAS,       food aid shipments have been disrupted because of U.S
> >
> >bombing in
> >
> > > >Afghanistan; and
> > > >
> > > >WHEREAS,       the aid agencies active in the region, including the
> >
> >Nobel
> >
> > > >laureate Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Oxfam International and the
> >
> >World
> >
> > > >Food Program have stated that the U.S. food
> > > >drops can not meet the increasing and urgent need for assistance; and
> > > >
> > > >WHEREAS,       Madison now participates directly and indirectly in
> > > > U.S.
> >
> >military
> >
> > > >efforts through many channels, including the federal taxes its
> > > > citizens pay, and through its citizens' participation in the armed
> > > > forces; and
> > > >
> > > >WHEREAS,       the Mayor and Common Council are appalled at the mass
> >
> >starvation
> >
> > > >that will result from these actions to which they are a party if the
> > > >situation is not speedily addressed; and
> > > >
> > > >WHEREAS,       The Mayor and Common Council deplore the dishonor such
> >
> >an outcome
> >
> > > >would be for the victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11th;
> > > >
> > > >NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Mayor and Common Council urge
> > > > a resolution to the situation that minimizes loss of life; and
> > > >
> > > >BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT humanitarian concerns must now be a top
> > > >priority for U.S. policy toward Afghanistan, especially as there
> > > > exists
> >
> >a
> >
> > > >narrow window of opportunity for supplying food to the region's
> >
> >population
> >
> > > >before winter makes this difficult or impossible; and
> > > >
> > > >BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT Afghanistan's neighbors should
immediately
> > > >reopen their borders to allow for the safe passage of refugees, and
> > > > the U.S. and other members of the international community must be
> > > > prepared
> >
> >to
> >
> > > >contribute to the economic costs incurred by the flight of desperate
> >
> >Afghan
> >
> > > >civilians; and
> > > >
> > > >BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the United States must actively support
> > > > the work of various agencies to deliver assistance in Afghanistan,
> >
> >particularly
> >
> > > >through overland truck convoys, and support safe humanitarian access
> > > > to affected populations, in partnership with humanitarian agencies
in
> > > > quantities sufficient to alleviate a large scale humanitarian
> >
> >catastrophe;
> >
> > > >and
> > > >
> > > >BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the United States should contribute to
> >
> >efforts
> >
> > > >by the international community to provide long-term, sustainable
> > > >reconstruction and development assistance for the people of
> >
> >Afghanistan,
> >
> > > >including efforts to protect the basic human rights of women and
> >
> >children;
> >
> > > >and
> > > >
> > > >BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the United States should support
> > > > democratic processes in Afghanistan leading to a government which
> > > > represents all
> >
> >its
> >
> > > >people, including women.
> > > >
> > > >BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the people of Madison, in solidarity with
> >
> >the
> >
> > > >international community and in their capacity as citizens of the
> > > > United States, will consider the Government of the United States
> > > > responsible
> >
> >for
> >
> > > >both the direct consequences of its military actions in Afghanistan
> > > > and
> >
> >for
> >
> > > >the results of its indifference to the priority of humanitarian
> >
> >concerns in
> >
> > > >Afghanistan and the surrounding region.
> > >

Wednesday, October 31, 2001 11:26 AM

Re: [MAPC-policy] X's response