Move To Amend Tour: Overturn Citizens United

David Cobb, a fiery speaker and lifelong activist, is touring the country giving his talk “Creating Democracy & Challenging Corporate Rule.” This presentation is part history lesson and part heart-felt call-to-action!

A lifelong activist and the 2004 Green Party candidate for President, David Cobb is touring the country for Move to Amend, the national coalition of David Cobb, Move To Amendover 241,000 people and organizations whose goal is to amend the US Constitution to end corporate rule and legalize democracy.

Cobb tells the story of the American creation myth and the Constitution as it pertains to Corporate Personhood and illegitimate but legal corporate constitutional rights, followed by about an hour of facilitated discussion with Q and A.

The Move to Amend Tour will make two stops in South Carolina:

Tuesday, December 4:

  • Union Hall, International Longshorman Association Local 1422

1142 Morrison Dr, Charleston, South Carolina (map)
7:00pm until 9:00pm
RSVP, FaceBook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/541519515864287/

Wednesday, December 5:

  • UpCountry History Museum

25 Heritage Green Place, Greenville, South Carolina (map)
6:00pm until 8:00pm
RSVP, FaceBook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/382663948489225/
Both events are free and open to the general public, donations requested, no one turned away for lack of funds.

For more information, contact Sue at charlestongreens@gmail.com

Governor’s Hearing On New Nuclear Waste Brings Opposition From SC Activists

The Alliance for Nuclear Accountability, Conservation Voters of South Carolina, South Carolina Coastal Conservation League, the South Carolina Chapter of the Sierra Club, and the League of Women Voters of South Carolina all delivered testimony against the the shipment of hot nuclear waste for “reprocessing” at the Savannah River Site (SRS).

The hearing before the Governor’s Nuclear Advisory Council in Columbia, SC was prompted by backroom  “negotiations” about terms for bringing spent fuel to the DOE’s Savannah River Site.  Speaking to The State, the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability’s Tom Clements called for the secret talks to end:

The alliance’s Tom Clements said behind-the-scenes discussions now are occurring among state leaders to

Cleaning up the Cold War legacy: Speak out against plutonium in your own backyard

DOWNLOAD THIS FLYER: “Cleaning up the Cold War legacy:
Speak out against plutonium in your own backyard”. Alliance for Nuclear Accountability.

allow the disposal in exchange for some type of jobs initiative. He did not name anyone, but said “it’s time for those in on these discussions to reveal what they are up to” and tell the public.

A spokesperson for Governor Nikki Haley supports “processing” of spent fuel at the Savannah River Site.  That’s a thinly disguised term for reprocessing. 

Yucca Mountain in Nevada was once considered as a permanent storage site for all US nuclear waste, but the proposal was killed on scientific and political grounds.  Since the successful scuppering of the Yucca proposal,  politicians and the nuclear industry discuss “temporary” storage of nuclear waste at SRS.  But since there is no facility for permanently storing nuclear waste, storage in South Carolina would likely become permanent.  

The State article today continues:

Environmentalists said storing spent nuclear fuel could increase the cry for a reprocessing plant. Reprocessing is supposed to render used fuel available for reuse in commercial plants, but conservationists say it creates more waste and threatens the landscape.

“Our country stands at a nuclear waste crossroads,” the conservation league’s Ryan Black said. “The political failure to develop Yucca Mountain has only complicated this issue further. But Yucca’s demise should not dictate that South Carolina bear the burden, yet again, of our nation’s radioactive waste.”

Many thanks to Tom Clements for helping inform, organize, and publicize the resistance the public about the secret nuclear waste proposals.

Read the full article at The State here.

SC Faith Community to Hold Interfaith Prayer Vigils to Reflect on Anti-Immigrant Law, S.B. 20

South Carolina Greens Endorse Immigration Coalition Vigil Rallies

The Steering Committee of the South Carolina Green Party endorses the South Carolina Immigration Coalition’s call for rallies against the Anti-Immigrant Law, S.B. 20.   Please attend these rallies in Columbia, Charleston, Greenville and Spartanburg on Sunday, December 18 and the Unity & Peace Rally held in Charleston at Washington Park on Monday, December 19.   As we meet with other South Carolinians we will build a social movement which can achieve a solution to the nation’s crisis in immigration and citizenship.

MEDIA ADVISORY

Contact-Tammy Besherse- Tammy@scjustice.org

 

–Photo and Live News Shot Opportunity–

The SC Faith Community to Hold Interfaith Prayer Vigils across the State to Reflect on Anti-Immigrant Law, S.B. 20

Sunday, December 18, 2011

South Carolina faith leaders and the faith community will gather at prayer vigils across the state on Sunday, December 18, to call attention to a hearing the following day in U.S. District Court in Charleston, where the U.S. Department of Justice and several civil and human rights organizations are challenging the constitutionality of South Carolina’s anti-immigrant law, SB 20.

SB 20, signed into law in June, encourages racial profiling by allowing law enforcement to investigate the immigration status of anyone they pull over whom they suspect may be in the state illegally.

The prayer vigils will offer reflections on the scriptural support of immigrants, the moral dimensions of the immigration issue, and the real-life consequences of SB 20. The vigils will be held in Columbia, Charleston, Greenville, Spartanburg, and Hilton Head.

Organizers of the prayer vigils, led by the South Carolina Immigration Coalition, are calling on the U.S. District Court to overturn SB 20.  On Monday, December 19, a rally in opposition to SB 20 will start at Washington Square Park before the hearing and continue outside the U.S. District Courthouse during the hearing.

Charleston Interfaith Service

Who: South Carolina Faith leaders, organized by the South Carolina Immigration Coalition

What:  Interfaith SB 20 Prayer Vigil

When: Sunday, December 18, 6 pm

Where: Midland Park United Methodist Church (2301 Midland Park Road in North Charleston)

Columbia Interfaith Service

WhoSouth Carolina Faith leaders, organized by the South Carolina Immigration Coalition

What:  Interfaith walk and prayer vigil

When:  Sunday, December 18, 1:15 pm

Where: Gather at 1:15 pm at Zion Baptist Church (810 Washington Street, Columbia); Walk to the Statehouse at 1:30 pm for vigil

Greenville Interfaith Service

Who: South Carolina Faith leaders, organized by the South Carolina Immigration Coalition

What:  Interfaith SB 20 Prayer Vigil

When: Sunday, December 18, 6 pm

Where: Fall Park

Spartanburg Interfaith Service

Who: South Carolina Faith leaders, organized by the South Carolina Immigration Coalition

What:  Interfaith SB 20 Prayer Vigil

When: Sunday, December 18, 6 pm

Where: Morgan Square on East Main St.

 

Unity and Peace Rally

Who: South Carolinians who oppose SB 20, organized by the South Carolina Immigration Coalition

What:  Rally at Washington Square Park and demonstrate outside U.S. District Courthouse

When:  December 19, 9:00 am

Where:  Washington Square Park (78 Broad Street, Charleston); Walk over to U.S. District Courthouse (85 Broad Street, Charleston)

URL: http://www.sc-coalition.org/home

Occupy Columbia Wins In Federal Court

Occupy Columbia has won in Federal Court!

Article in The State:

Judge: Occupiers can stay at State House

Some limitations are OK, judge says, but says protesters can’t break rules if there are none

Occupy Columbia protesters can continue their around-the-clock demonstration on State House grounds, U.S. Judge Cameron McGowan Currie ruled today.

Currie told attorneys for South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley that if the state wants to regulate who uses the grounds – and how – then it should develop written rules.

Because the First Amendment’s free speech issues are involved, however, any rules would have to be strictly limited and applied equitably.

Read more: http://www.thestate.com/2011/12/14/2080001/judge-occupiers-can-stay-at-state.html#ixzz1gXBJmjoo

More announcements will be made throughout the day.   Check OC media for more breaking information.  We will post a transcript of the press conference when it becomes available.

Website: http://occupycolumbiasc.org

Livestream: http://occupycolumbiasc.org/livestream/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/occupycolumbia

More news reports [UPDATED]

Occupy Columbia, Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Together

Occupy Columbia, Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Together

Two Ways to Watch Occupy Columbia Live on the Web

WordPress won’t cooperate with hosting the livestream feed here, so travel over to these URLs to watch what is going on at the State House. Speakers are broadcast live, and rebroadcast during downtimes. Meetings and assemblies are broadcast live as well, giving you a taste of the cooperative and open way things are working.

Direct feed: http://occupycolumbiasc.org/livestream/

Rebroacast by The State (!): http://www.thestate.com/2011/10/18/2014150/live-video-occupy-columbia-protestors.html

Many pictures have been taken over the past week out there.  Here are a few dozen that have mostly appeared on the SC Green Party Facebook page, now reposted here for the world to see.

It is important to note that the Occupy events aren’t partisan.  They aren’t Democratic, Republican, Libertarian or Green events.  The Green Party of the US broadly supports the movement, as do other groups like the AFL-CIO.   It is evident from participating on the ground that the occupations are going to work in their own way.  Preexisting groups can be revitalized by the movement, or they can fight it, but they shouldn’t try to control it.