Volume 6 Issue 23…Dedicated to the Dialogue on Race…June 13, 2003

By Arna Bontemps (1902-1973)

I have sown beside all waters in my day.

I planted deep within my heart the fear

that wind or fowl would take the grain away.

I planted safe against this stark, lean year.

I scatterd seed enough to plant the land

in rows from Canada to Mexico.

But for my reaping only what the hand

can hold at once is all that I can show.

Yet what I sowed and what the orchard yields

my brother's sons are gathering stalk and root,

small wonder then my children glean in fields

they have not sown, and feed on bitter fruit.

About Me: Author of 25 books of poetry, history, biography, fiction and anthologies, Bontemps was a major figure of the Harlem Renaissance. He served as head librarian at Fisk University (1969 -1972) and curator of the James Weldon Johnson Memorial Collection of Negro Arts and Letters at Yale University. (Sources: http://aalbc.com/authors/arna.htm and www.math.buffalo.edu/) Venue for an Artist Homepage

The Dark Knight-Batman/White Ninja/Zorro started summer camp on Tuesday. After a day of swimming, games, arts and crafts and other activities, the Dark One/Ninja/Zorro returned home a happy camper. When pressed for comments, he wearily remarked, "What can I say? I had fun!" Back to the Bat Cave

Reparations Preparations

Resolutions in support of H.R. 40, Congressman John Conyers' (D-MI) African-American Reparations Act, have been passed by the city councils in Berkeley, Oakland, Alameda County in the Bay Area and East Palo Alto, California, by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, as well as in legislative bodies in Chicago, IL and Dallas, TX. H.R. 40 calls for the establishment of a federal commission to study slavery, its legacy and make recommendations to Congress for repairs.

On Thursday, June 26, 2003, scholars will convene at the National Press Club, Holeman Lounge, from 12 Noon-3 PM, at 529 14th Street NW, Washington D.C., for a discussion on landmark slavery reparations lawsuits filed by descendants of enslaved Africans against blue-chip corporations. The meeting is entitled: Should Corporate America Pay?

Between March 26, 2002 and January 21, 2003, nine (9) lawsuits were filed against 17 corporations for slavery reparations. The defendants are companies from industries that include Banking, Insurance, Transportation and Tobacco. The plaintiffs are descendants of enslaved Africans who allege that the corporations have been unjustly enriched by their participation in crimes against humanity. The plaintiffs are asking that the companies create a humanitarian trust fund to address the economic, social, health and educational disparities slave descendants live under as a result of slavery.

The panel of scholars will help give clarity on issues addressed in the lawsuits including the legal history of slavery; the economic, social, and psychological impact of slavery on descendants of enslaved Africans and the precedence supporting reparations. For more information, contact Attorney Deadria C. Farmer-Paellmann at 917-365-3007. News You Use Homepage

Nuremberg: Foundation of ICC

"For nearly half a century -- almost as long as the United Nations has been in existence -- the General Assembly has recognized the need to establish such a court to prosecute and punish persons responsible for crimes such as genocide. Many thought . . . that the horrors of the Second World War -- the camps, the cruelty, the exterminations, the Holocaust -- could never happen again. And yet they have. In Cambodia, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Rwanda. Our time -- this decade even -- has shown us that man's capacity for evil knows no limits. Genocide . . . is now a word of our time, too, a heinous reality that calls for a historic response." -- Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General

Trials of high-ranking Nazi officials were held in Nuremberg, Germany. Convened by WW II victors - the USA, USSR, UK and France, the International Military Tribunals (IMT) began in November 1945 and lasted 11 months. Nearly two dozen Nazi officials were indicted and various German organizations and businesses were charged with aiding the Nazi war effort. The Nazis were accused of killing more than six million Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals and other minorities and destroying thousands of cities and towns. Some 5,000 low-level Nazis charged with war crimes were tried in separate trials in military courts from 1946 through 1949.

At Nuremberg, 11 Nazi officials were sentenced to death, three were acquitted and the rest were imprisoned. Ten men were hanged in November 1946. The accused included Rudolph Hess, Hermann Wilhelm Goering and Joachim von Ribbentrop. Imprisoned for war crimes, Hess was a Nazi leader and Adolf Hitler's deputy (1933-1936). Goering, a German political leader and Hitler's deputy (1939-1945), organized the storm troopers and Gestapo, and, as commander of the German Air Force, planned the aerial blitzkriegs. He died in prison, supposedly poisoning himself before his scheduled execution. German Nazi leader Ribbentrop, who helped plan the invasion of Poland, was hanged.

The Nazis were tried for crimes against peace, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Crimes against peace include planning and waging aggressive war. War crimes include murder or mistreatment of civilians or prisoners of war, killing of hostages, plunder of property, wanton destruction of communities, etc. Genocide, the extermination or enslavement of any civilian population before or during a war on political, racial or religious grounds is a crime against humanity.

An 11-nation tribunal was set up in Tokyo to prosecute Japanese officials accused of WWII war crimes. Their atrocities included the Rape of Nanking, where Japanese soldiers were accused of slaughtering hundreds of thousands of civilians in Nanking, China (1937). Seven of the 28 Tokyo defendants were sentenced to death; the others received prison sentences.

The Nuremberg and Tokyo trials were the first organized attempts to apply principles of international law. Few such laws existed, so prosecutors established precedents to justify convictions. In 1950, the U.N. released the Nuremberg Principles, which have since been adopted into the legal systems of most countries. The cornerstone of international criminal law is the principle of individual criminal accountability - every person is responsible for his own acts.

The Nuremberg Trials and the Tokyo Tribunals are forerunners of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which came into being July 1, 2002. Headquartered in the Netherlands at The Hague, the ICC is an independent organization vested with the power to try individuals accused of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of "aggression." (Sources: www.newsahead.com/NewWNF/ICC.htm www.facts.com/icof/nurem.htm and www.un.org) History Homepage

"Afro-Descendant Minorities"

By alarkam@webtv.net

In March 2002, the UN Working Group On Minorities sponsored an historic meeting in La Ceiba, Honduras where Black scholars and activists from diverse Western Hemispheric nations conferred and chose the name "Afro-Descendant Minorities" to identify our people in our quest for Reparations and Restoration.

Countries represented at this conference included the USA, Panama, Nicaragua, Cuba, Chile, Honduras, Colombia, Guatemala and Uruguay. As a result of this crucial gathering the term "Afro-Descendant Minorities" is defined as peoples who: (1) were forcibly dispossessed of their homeland, Africa; (2) were transported to the Americas and Diaspora for the purpose of enslavement; (3) were subjected to slavery; (4) were subjected to forced mixed breeding and rape; (5) have experienced, through force, the loss of mother tongue, culture and religion; (6) and/or have experienced racial discrimination due to lost ties or partially lost ties to their original identity. The UN accepts this definition. Hood Notes Homepage

By John Burl Smith

Emblematic of "The Emperor's New Clothes," an incredulous world careened dumbfounded through the last 2 years. The "attacks" of 9-11 produced a kind of "Back to the Future" stasis, which turned back the clock to 1939. Poets for Peace recognized the evil represented by George W. Bush as the reincarnation of Adolf Hitler and sounded the alarm. Thousands of young and old peace-loving Americans joined an international coalition that oppose war, especially against poor defenseless people, such as those in Afghanistan.

Unilateralism (War of Words, The DISH Vol. 5 No 2) now dictates US policy. To date, no "weapons of mass destruction" have been found in Iraq and Bush's claim of an eminent threat has proven to be "a pretext for a war of aggression aimed at controlling Iraqi oil and other resources." Millions around the world answered Poets for Peace's call to speak out against Bush, but US media condemned us. Now that evidence shows we were right, US media are saying, "It does not matter." Recapitulating "Imperialism: Racism Uncloaked" (The DISH Vol. 5 No1), Poets for Peace remind the world that Adolf Hitler used a similar pretext to cover his naked aggression in the Sudetenland and Poland. America's occupation of Iraq is no less naked, but the US is trying to clothe its dirty deeds in heroic splendor.

A lie, no matter how small, is still a lie. The Bush administration has made hypocrisy a virtue. Not only did he lie to get support for the Iraq invasion, his "road map" of lies to bring peace to the Middle East leads to Iran as the next victim of his aggression.

Remember former President Bill Clinton? Republicans hounded him to the point of impeachment for "lying" about a private act with a consenting adult. Even though it is clear the Bush administration engineered another "Tonkin Gulf Resolution" by lying to Congress to get approval for war, Congress seems not to care that Bush's lies subverted the Constitution (Missing Weapons of Mass Destruction: Is Lying about the Reason for War an Impeachable Offense? by John Dean of www.Findlaw.com). Conservative Christians praise Bush for lying, insisting "the Commander-in-chief has the right to lie to Congress to protect vital national interest."

The International Criminal Court (ICC) was conceived to deal with people like Bush, especially when the UN refuses to investigate, hold hearings or make a statement regarding US naked aggression in Iraq. Given its actions and apparent intentions (Generals and Agitating WWII's Ashes, The DISH Vol. 5 No 36 & Vol. 5 No 37), it is clear the US has worked to undermine the court's authority. Are US media right in saying people do not care that Bush's lied to the international community?

Poets for Peace care and request everyone to speak out against the liars in Washington and London. Beginning July 4, 2003, we ask lovers of peace to write, email, fax, telephone or visit their elected representatives to demand hearings and condemnation of the campaign of deception conducted by the Bush administration to get congressional and UN support for the Iraq invasion. We will bomb Bush with truth until Washington, London, the UN and ICC indict the new Adolf Hitler. Other Essays by John Burl Smith

War Crimes and the US General

In May 2002, the US announced it would not ratify the treaty establishing the ICC, even though former president Bill Clinton signed it in 2000. The Bush administration opposed it on the grounds that it could be "an instrument of politicized justice" with the capacity to indict US citizens without prior US approval. Ironically, US opposition does not exempt US citizens from prosecution. Countries that ratify the treaty establishing the ICC have a seven-year exemption. Those nations that fail to ratify it will be subject to immediate prosecution; this includes the United States.

In May 2003, Iraqi civilians filed a complaint in Belgium accusing allied commander Gen. Tommy Franks and other U.S. military officials of war crimes in Iraq. The complaint accuses coalition forces of indiscriminately killing Iraqi civilians, bombing a marketplace in Baghdad that killed scores of civilians, shooting an ambulance, attacking a civilian bus with an "energy weapon" in the town of al-Hillah, killing at least 10 passengers, and failing to prevent the mass looting of Iraqi hospitals during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

With the US failure to locate any Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, its principle reason for war, the ICC may be the preferred venue for trying accused war criminals. The Belgian prosecutor's office will render its decision soon on the case against Gen. Franks and other US officials. The case could be dismissed or remanded to a US court. None of which forecloses the possibility of bringing war crimes cases against US officials in the ICC. (Source: www.washingtontimes.com) Politics Homepage

Disgruntled wants to know: Jews remember their holocaust and make sure the world never forgets. Yet, when it comes to the black holocaust, many Jews and Caucasians scream "forgive and forget." In May, Bush visited Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum in Poland, where Jews claim the Nazis exterminated 1.5 million prisoners. In the guest book, he wrote, "Never forget" and said: "These sites are sobering reminders of the power of evil and the need for people to resist evil." When will he recall the evil US holocaust against African slaves and address the ongoing oppression of their descendants?

Disgruntled feels: Typical! In an obvious ploy to stem the tide of criticism of the Bush administration tissue of lies about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice appeared on all the Sunday talk shows. This typical Karl Rove strategy is apparently based on the fallacious assumption that when credibility issues arise, "darkies speaking make them subside." Like good flunkies, Powell and Rice embellished the lies in a fruitless effort to plug a gaping credibility gap.

Disgruntled says: Sports commentators' claim that fans cheer for the underdog is not true when it comes to white fans and black tennis players. The French fans did Serena Williams a job in her semi-final loss to Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne. They were rude. It reminded me of another tournament in which she was booed by white American tennis fans. I never want to hear that silly cheering for the underdog crap again. More Disgruntled Moments

Email http://pnews.org When it comes out of the barrel it is already on fire. When depleted uranium (DU) burns through a target, between 40 and 70 percent of every penetrator turns into fragments, smoke, and uranium oxide dust. The dust, with particles as small as one micron, settles out on the ground and, studies show, can be carried by the wind as far as 25 miles away. These tiny particles can stick to hair and skin, and get swallowed or inhaled, where they lodge permanently in lungs. Recent research suggests that DU's chemical toxicity damages the brain. It also emits alpha and beta radiation, which can damage lungs, kidneys, and other soft tissues, especially the digestive tract.

Email www.boston.com The Globe Online with the headline "The Iraq war and America's oil addiction (4/11/2003). " I FLIPPED from the 131st replay of the toppling of Saddam Hussein's statue to catching five minutes of something other than war. What should there be roaring all across the ESPN screen but an auto race. How American! For months, Bush and his minions have told us Simple Simon critics that the war was not about the oil. Then you turn and see the glorification of vehicles that get as little as 2 miles per gallon of gasoline. The oil of Iraq belongs to the Iraqi people? We will know that when we see the Baghdad 500 and the Basra Grand Prix. President Bush, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Richard Meyers have all said in slight variations that Iraq's oil ''belongs to the people of Iraq.'' The most brazen of these claims came this week from Vice President Dick Cheney. Cheney said, "We have no interest in the oil.''

Email ImpeachSonOfaBush@yahoogroups.com Spacely's Sprockets - Meet George Bushson Stephen Hadley, a military adviser to Bush Sr., and lawyer who represents Lockheed Martin claims, "Space is going to be important. It has a great future in the military." And no doubt important for swelling Lockheed Martin's bank balance and those associated with it - like Lynn Cheney, the wife of U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney, who is a board member of Lockheed Martin.

Email delta@pnews.org Those who sell weapons to countries and groups were at one time called "merchants of death." It is a big business and everybody is in it. The U.S. is the largest merchant of death and sold chemicals, biological seed stock and weapons to Iraq for years. Iraq's declaration was censored and at least 100 companies were excised because it provided the evidence that Iraq obtained these materials from the US. But the U.S. didn't fool anyone and everyone now knows that if Iraq was ever guilty of using WMD, then the U.S. is also culpable for providing the means.

Email John Pilger "War Against Humanity - Bush and Blair's war crimes" Mirror (4-11-03): "There is something especially disgusting about the lurid propaganda coming from these PR-trained British officers, who have not a clue about Iraq and its people. They describe the liberation they are bringing from "the world's worst tyranny," as if anything, including death by cluster bomb or dysentery, is better than "life under Saddam." The inconvenient truth is that, according to UNICEF, the Ba'athists built the most modern health service in the Middle East." More Mailbox

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