Bosnia's food crisis fears : AOL Video feed

Help grant Brenden Foster's last wish

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 04:46:42 -0500

SEATTLE (KOMO4) -- It's mitten weather, and waiting in the cold for food is hard. Many more people need help, and some are reluctant to show their faces. But Rachelle Reith wants you to know just how hard it is out there for her and her boyfriend. "Since October he's run out of money, and he can't find work because nobody's hiring. And we're really trying," she said. A homeless man More.. named Mel said he knows what Reith is talking about. "I'm on social security," he said. But Mel said he's not even close to making ends meet. "Heck, no! I go to five food banks," he said. Reith and Mel are just two of 2,000 people Northwest Harvest feeds each day at the food bank. Half of those people are children and the elderly. And in the last two months, the need has soared. "If you stand at our door at our food bank, you are going to see yourself walk through that door in a short amount of time. They are your neighbors and they are my neighbors," said Shelley Rotondo, executive director of Northwest Harvest. They are people Brenden Foster wants to help. Brenden is just 11 years old, but has leukemia and is living on borrowed time. And during his last days, the Bothell boy made a dying wish to help the homeless. "I was coming back from one of my clinic appoints and I saw this big thing of homeless people, and then I thought I should just get them something," he said of the Nickelsville homeless encampment. Because Brenden was already too sick to leave his bed, volunteers passed out 200 homemade sandwiches on his behalf. "They're probably starving, so give them a chance," Brenden said. Brenden's heartfelt wish touched hearts worldwide of people from all walks of life. People from all over, from Saudi Arabia to South Carolina, have sent him heartfelt messages. A TV station in Los Angeles held a food drive in Brenden's honor. And many who live on the streets of Seattle without a TV or access to the Internet want to see what Brenden is doing. They, who can't even afford to feed themselves, wish they could help Brenden somehow. "He's changed so many lives for the better. We wish we could give him some strength to pull through it physically. It sounds like he's already a saint more or less, you know what I mean," said, a Jack Whelpley homeless man. "That little boy is remarkable and what he has done. He's caused an avalanche of love and support which has been fabulous to watch," said Rotondo. And now is your chance to help the homeless in Brenden's honor. KOMO News will be holding a food drive for Northwest Harvest and Food Lifeline. You can drop off food on Thursday, November 20th at Fred Meyer stores in Issaquah (6100 E Lake Sammamish Parkway SE), Federal Way (33702 21st Avenue SW) or Brenden's hometown of Bothell (21045 Bothell-Everett Hwy). If you can't make it in person, you can donate online by going to the Problem Solvers donation page and select "Brenden Foster Food Drive" from the donation options list. Donations to the family can be made to the "Brenden Foster Cancer Fund" at any Washington Mutual bank branch. Less..

Dying boy inspires goodwill in people near and far

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 03:24:28 -0500

BOTHELL, Wash. -- An 11-year-old boy's dying wish to feed the homeless has taken on a life of its own, sparking a movement to help the hungry nationwide. Doctors gave Brenden Foster two weeks to live. His time was up last Wednesday. "I should be gone in a week or so," he said last Friday. On Monday, groggy and medicated, Brenden was having a rough day. "Tired," he said, visibly we More.. ak. "(You) need some more medicine," said his mother, Wendy Foster, stroking his head. Leukemia halted the young life of Brenden, who once dreamed of becoming a marine photographer. Brenden has relapsed for the last time. There is no chemo, no more transfusions; just comfort medications. "I'm hoping I'm awake when he decides to pass because I want to make sure I'm holding him," Wendy later said. Brenden survived his leukemia long enough to witness his dying wish come true. Last Friday Brenden shared his last wish to feed the homeless. "I was coming back from one of my clinic appoints and I saw this big thing of homeless people, and then I thought I should just get them something," he said. Volunteers handed out 200 homemade sandwiches to the homeless to fulfill his wish. "They're probably starving, so give them a chance," he said. On Monday, Brenden could barely keep his eyes open as he watched a video of volunteers feeding Seattle's homeless on his behalf. Over the weekend, his wish went national on CNN. And KOMO News received phone calls from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Fort Wayne, Indiana. Clearly in pain, Brenden still managed to smile as he listened to stories about the phone calls and e-mails his story had inspired. His story touched many people from all walks of life, from families fighting cancer to men in the military. "I think it's great, all over the country..." Brenden said. "He made my dream come true. In my lifetime, I wanted to change the world and my son did that," said Wendy. "The world is such a beautiful place and (that became) evident the last 72 hours, and Brenden did that." Brenden has one more wish for the afterlife: become an angel who accomplishes even more in heaven than he did on Earth. "I don't need to worry about it until the time has come. So I don't bother think about it while I'm still alive; now," he said. How to help In Brenden's honor, KOMO News will be holding a food drive for Northwest Harvest and Food Lifeline. You can drop off food on Thursday, November 20th at Fred Meyer stores in Issaquah, Federal Way or Brenden's hometown of Bothell. If you can't make it in person, you can donate online by going to the Problem Solvers donation page and select "Brenden Foster Food Drive" from the donation options list. The family is struggling to cover the costs of Brenden's funeral. Donations to the "Brenden Foster Cancer Fund" can be made at any Washington Mutual bank branch. Less..

Breakfast on the Bridge

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 09:03:10 -0400

Sydney Harbour Bridge is transformed into a giant picnic ground for thousands to eat breakfast

Philippines : Hundreds Missing As Ferry Sinks.

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 08:20:00 -0400

Raw : Fears are growing for more than 700 people on board a ferry which has capsized in the central Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Fengshen. The ship has been out of radio contact for more than 24 hours and gale force winds are hampering rescue efforts. Officials on a nearby island have reported three survivors. They also said four bodies had been recovered. The Red Cross estimates More.. some 155 people have died across the country in floods and landslides caused by the storm. The Philippine President, Gloria Arroyo, has demanded an explanation as to why the ferry was allowed to leave port on Friday despite warnings that a typhoon was about to hit. "Why did you allow it to sail and why was there no ample warning? I want answers," she told civil defence and coast guard authorities during a briefing on the accident. The 23,824-tonne ferry, the Princess of the Stars, has a passenger capacity of 1,992. There is some confusion over the number of people on board. TIMELINE OF EVENTS Ferry leaves Manila on Friday 626 passengers and 121 crew on board Engines failed Saturday afternoon Radio contact lost soon afterwards Rescuers reach ship on Sunday afternoon The BBC's Michael Barker, in Manila, says that according to officials the ferry was carrying 626 passengers and 121 crew. However, local reports put the figure on board as high as 820. The vessel was en route to Cebu from Manila, and according to its owners, Sulpicio Lines, contact was lost at about 1230 (0430 GMT) on Saturday, Reuters reported. Coastguard officials said the ferry's engine failed on Saturday afternoon and that the vessel then ran aground several kilometres off Sibuyan, in Romblon province. Worried relatives have been gathering at the offices of Sulpicio Lines. One relative, Lina Salinas, said she had waved off her sister on the 22-hour voyage on Friday. "We knew it was signal number 1 (the first stage of typhoon alerts) at the time, but we were not really worried because it was not raining here at all," Lina Salinas was quoted by AFP news agency as saying. "But the ship should not been allowed to leave," she said. A spokesman for the company said the priority was the search and rescue of passengers and that there would be no talk of responsibility at present. The mayor of San Fernando, a coastal town in Sibuyan, said that four bodies were washed ashore on Sunday, including a man and a woman that had been tied together. Mayor Nanette Tansingco also told local radio that three survivors had been located. She said the upturned ferry could be seen from shore with its bow jutting out of the water. Burst river Typhoon Fengshen swept across the central Philippines on Saturday, leaving some 59 people dead and dozens more missing. Typhoon Fengshen brought heavy rains and flooding to Manila on Sunday In Iloilo, a central province, chief administrator Manuel Mejorada said most of the victims had been killed as a result of flooding caused by the storm. "Yesterday there was hardly any villages and communities which were not under water, and where the people were literally stranded on rooftops with no food and no water, and chilling in the cold. "Right now the floodwaters have receded, and we are shifting our efforts to bringing food, water, medicine and clothing," he told the BBC. At its peak, the storm was packing gusts of up to 93mph (150 km/h). It changed course on Sunday, hitting the capital Manila with heavy rainfall at dawn. Thousands of people across the country have been evacuated from their homes. Many roads are blocked and there are widespread power cuts. Less..

Tim Hayward’s food fetish: urban bee keeping

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:24:18 -0400

Greyhound decapitation victim and suspect identified.

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:39:27 -0400

Photo of suspect: Vince Weiguang Li Victim myspace and facebook sites. http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=108390479 http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=22639421199&refurl=http%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fs.php%3Fq%3Dtim%2Bmclean%26init%3Dq%26k%3D200000010%26sf%3Dt Friends are describing the victim of a gruesome killing aboard a Winnipeg-bound Grey More.. hound bus as a bubbly young man who was returning home from working at a carnival in Edmonton. Tim McLean Jr., shown in a photograph from his MySpace page, was described by friends as a bubbly person loved by everyone. Police have not confirmed the identity of the man stabbed to death aboard a bus late Wednesday and beheaded, according to witness accounts, but friends have said it was Tim McLean Jr., 22, of Winnipeg. RCMP announced Friday morning that they have charged Vince Weiguang Li, 40, of Edmonton with second-degree murder. Li appeared for a hearing Friday at the Manitoba provincial court in Portage la Prairie around 10 a.m. CT without a lawyer and refused to speak to anyone. He shuffled into the courthouse under the weight of heavy leg shackles, with his eyes focused on the floor. His right hand was heavily bandaged and there was visible bruising on his face. The judge asked him twice whether he had a lawyer, but the accused just stared at the ground. When the judge asked whether Li was exercising his right to remain silent, he nodded his head. The Crown asked for a psychiatric assessment, but the judge said the accused must see legal aid about getting a lawyer before proceeding further. Li was remanded into custody until his next appearance on Tuesday. "It's early and I think the judge just wants to respect his rights to … speak to counsel, and he's giving him that opportunity," Crown prosecutor Larry Hodgson said outside court. "I don't think it will be very long that they'll allow him to do that." Hodgson said if Li doesn't get his own lawyer, the court could appoint one or the case could proceed anyway. Second-degree murder, under the Criminal Code, is generally unpremeditated murder. First-degree murder refers to a killing that is planned and deliberate, but also when death is caused by sexual assault, kidnapping, forcible confinement or hijacking an airplane. Li has no previous criminal record, RCMP said. 'He will always be in their hearts' In an e-mail to CBC News, friend Jossie Kehler wrote that McLean was loved by everyone, had a bubbly personality and was a ladies' man. "He has a lot of friends and they all are very upset he's gone, and they would like to say they miss him and he will always be in their hearts," she wrote. "People say no one's perfect, but Tim, he was," she wrote. "He did nothing bad to anyone." Vince Weiguang Li leaves the provincial court in Portage la Prairie, Man., on Friday. He has been charged in the beheading of a fellow passenger on a Greyhound bus and remained silent during his appearance in court. (Rob Swystun/Portage La Prairie Daily Graphic/Canadian Press) Hundreds of Facebook users flocked Friday to a tribute group titled RIP Tim McLean set up overnight to send their condolences to family and friends as well as express their shock at the grisly story that made international headlines. "RIP Tim McLean, You are loved and you will be missed dearly!" the site description read. Friends say McLean had taken a job with the Red River Exhibition and then went to work in Edmonton, but had decided to return home. On McLean's MySpace page, under the name JoKAwiLd, he describes himself as five-foot-five, weighing about 125 pounds. Witnesses intially described the attacker as a hulking man over six feet tall who appeared to weigh more than 200 pounds — but in court on Friday, Li appeared to be about five-foot-eight or -nine, with a stocky build. Father trying to reach wife McLean's father, Tim McLean Sr., told CBC News on Thursday night that he was in the process of trying to get confirmation from the police that his son was, in fact, the victim. He said he was also trying to reach his wife, who is on an Alaskan cruise until next week. Police officers spent Thursday examining the Greyhound bus where the attack took place. (CBC)The father said his son had sent him a text message around 7:30 p.m. as the bus was leaving Brandon, the last leg of its journey, to ask whether he could come home for the night. McLean Sr. told his son that of course he could come home. That was the last contact they had. The RCMP would not confirm reports the victim was beheaded, saying only that a stabbing took place around 8:30 p.m. CT on an eastbound Greyhound bus on the Trans-Canada Highway about 20 kilometres west of Portage la Prairie. An autopsy was scheduled for Friday at the Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre, and police were waiting for the results before deciding, with input from the family, whether to make the victim's name public. "The RCMP are mindful of the range of emotions being experienced by the family of the deceased over the loss of their loved one in such a horrific incident. Our thoughts are with them," the RCMP said in a statement. Victim sleeping when attack began Witnesses said the victim got on the bus in Edmonton, while his attacker came aboard in Brandon and sat away from the victim toward the front of the bus, they said. After a short cigarette break, however, the attacker moved his belongings and chose a seat beside the young man. Garnet Caton, who was sitting in the seat in front of the victim, said the young man was sleeping with his headphones on when he was attacked. Caton said he heard a "blood-curdling scream" and turned around to see the attacker holding a large hunting knife and repeatedly stabbing the victim. "He must have stabbed him 50 times or 60 times," said Caton, who jumped out of his seat when he realized what was happening and began ushering passengers to the front of the bus. Caton, the driver and a trucker who had stopped at the scene later boarded the vehicle to see whether the victim was still alive. At that point, Caton said, the suspect was beheading the victim. The attacker ran at them, Caton said, and they ran out of the bus, holding the door shut as he tried to slash at the trio. When the attacker tried to drive the bus away, the driver disabled the vehicle, Caton said. RCMP crisis negotiators communicated with the suspect for several hours while he was on the bus. Around 1:30 a.m., he attempted to jump from a bus window and was subdued and arrested, RCMP said. Less..

Lebanon Shells Al-Qaida Militants

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 08:10:09 -0500

TRIPOLI, Lebanon - May 21, 2007 Lebanese troops pounded a Palestinian refugee camp with artillery and tank fire for a second day Monday, raising huge columns of smoke as they battled a militant group suspected of ties to al-Qaida in the worst violence since the end of the 1975-90 civil war. Nearly 50 combatants were killed in the first day of fighting Sunday, but it was not known how many civilians have been killed inside the Nahr el-Bared camp on the outskirts of the northern port city of Tripoli, the site of the heaviest battles. Palestinian officials in the camp reported at least nine civilians were killed Monday, along with 40 wounded. The figures could not be confirmed because emergency workers or security officials have not been able to get in. The State Department defended the Lebanese army, saying it was working in a "legitimate manner" against "provocations by violent extremists" operating in the camp. Black smoke engulfed the skies over the camp as fires raged and heavy gunfire and explosions rang out. The fierce fighting resumed after a brief truce that allowed the evacuation of 18 wounded civilians, according to Saleh Badran, an official with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. Lebanon was already in the midst of its worst political crisis between the Western-backed government and Hezbollah-led opposition since the end of the civil war. The battle was an unprecedented showdown between the Lebanese army and militant groups that have arisen in Lebanon's Palestinian refugee camps, which are home to tens of thousands of people living amid poverty and crime and which Lebanese troops are not allowed to enter. The troops were fighting a group called Fatah Islam, whose leader has said he is inspired by al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and was training militants for attacks in other countries. Lebanese officials have also accused Syria of using Fatah Islam to stir up trouble in Lebanon, a charge Damascus has denied. Lebanese officials said one of the men killed Sunday was a suspect in a failed German train bombing - another indication the camp had become a refuge for Fatah Islam militants planning attacks outside of Lebanon. In the past, others affiliated with the group in the camp have said they were aiming to send trained fighters into Iraq and the group's leader has been linked to al-Qaida in Iraq. Hundreds of Lebanese troops, backed by tanks and armored carriers, surrounded the refugee camp Monday. M-48 battle tanks unleashed their cannon fire on the camp, home to 30,000 Palestinian refugees. The militants fired mortars toward the troops at daybreak. An army officer at the front line said troops directed concentrated fire at buildings known to house militants. He said troops also had orders to strike hard at any target that returned fire. "Everything we know that they were present in has been targeted," he told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media. A spokesman for Fatah Islam, Abu Salim, warned that if the army bombardment did not stop, the militants would step up attacks by rockets and artillery "and would take the battle outside Tripoli." He did not elaborate. "It is a life-or-death battle. Their aim is to wipe out Fatah Islam. We will respond and we know how to respond," he told the AP. Earlier in the day, another refugee camp, Ein el-Hilweh in southern Lebanon, was tense after Lebanese troops surrounded it and armed militants went on alert. At least 27 soldiers and 20 militants were killed Sunday, Lebanese security officials said. But they did not know how many civilians had been killed in the camp because it is off-limits to their authority. Lebanon says it has no authority to enter the camps under understandings with the Palestinians that give the PLO the authority in the camps. But Lebanon also is believed to be leery of entering for fear that any such actions would cause widespread unrest, be very costly and could spark pan-Arab sympathy for the Palestinian refugees that would trigger a backlash against the country. The clashes were triggered Sunday when police raided suspected Fatah Islam hideouts in several buildings in Tripoli, searching for men wanted in a recent bank robbery. A gunbattle erupted at one of the buildings between the group's fighters, and troops were called in to help the police. Militants then burst out of the nearby refugee camp, seizing Lebanese army positions, capturing two armored vehicles and ambushing troops. Lebanese troops later laid siege to the camp, where Fatah Islam militants were believed to be hiding. Fatah Islam is led by a Palestinian named Shaker al-Absi, who is wanted in three countries. He told The New York Times in March that he was trying to spread al-Qaida's ideology and was training fighters inside the camp for attacks on other countries. He would not specify which countries but expressed anger toward the United States. And he was sentenced to death earlier in absentia along with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq killed last summer by U.S. forces in Iraq, for the 2002 assassination of an American diplomat in Jordan. In a news conference in March, al-Absi denied he was sending fighters to Iraq. "Fighting in our homeland (Palestine) is more important," he said then. "We have no connection with any regime or organization on this earth. Our connection is with 'There is no God but God' (the slogan of Islam). We have come to raise it over the skies of Jerusalem." Al-Absi had been in custody in Syria until last fall but was released and set up his group in the camp, where he apparently found recruits, Lebanese officials said. Lebanon's national police commander, Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi, said Damascus was using Fatah Islam as a covert way to wreak havoc in the country. He denied Fatah Islam's al-Qaida links, saying it was a Syrian-bred group. "Perhaps there are some deluded people among them but they are not al-Qaida. This is imitation al-Qaida, a 'Made in Syria' one," he told the AP. Lebanese security officials said Fatah Islam has up to 100 members who come from Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia and Syria, as well as local sympathizers who belong to the conservative Salafi branch of Islam. The Lebanese Broadcasting Corp. TV station reported the dead militants included men from Bangladesh, Yemen and other Arab countries. Some wore explosive belts, security officials said. Officials identified the suspect in the failed German train bombing as Saddam El-Hajdib, the fourth-highest ranking official in the Fatah Islam group, an official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. El-Hajdib had been on trial in absentia in Lebanon in the failed German plot. It was unclear whether Lebanese authorities had known the whereabouts of El-Hajdib or al-Absi before the gunbattle first broke Sunday out in Tripoli. The State Department gave its support to the Lebanese army's battle with Fatah Islam. "This is a group that has been involved in violence to achieve whatever their stated objective may be," spokesman Sean McCormack said. McCormack declined to discuss whether the group may be tied to al-Qaida or other groups outside Lebanon. Asked about a possible Syrian link, McCormack said, "At this point I wouldn't draw that connection." In Monday's fighting, a driver for the AP, working with journalists at the scene, was injured when he was hit in the thigh by a bullet or shrapnel. He was being treated at a hospital and was expected to recover. Ahmed Methqal, a Muslim cleric in the camp, told Al-Jazeera that five civilians had been killed. "You can say there is a massacre going on in the camp of children and women who have nothing to do with Fatah Islam," he said. "They are targeting buildings, with people in them." Lebanon has struggled to defeat armed groups that control pockets of the country - especially inside the 12 Palestinian refugee camps housing 350,000 people. Some camps have become havens for Islamic militants accused of carrying out attacks in the country and of sending recruits to fight U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq. Palestinian officials from the moderate Fatah faction in the West Bank sought to distance themselves from Fatah Islam and urged Palestinian refugees in the camp to isolate the militant group.

Truckers May Deliberately Cause Gridlock over North American Union Merger

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 09:33:00 -0500

WASHINGTON -- A slowdown on the Capital Beltway is nothing unusual, but what is rare is when someone is deliberately causing the gridlock. A California-based group, opposed to a federal pilot program making it easier for a number of Mexican truck companies to make cross-country trips in the U.S., is threatening to make travel on the Capital Beltway a nightmare. Save America Fund is planning a three-day protest, urging truckers to form side-by-side convoys and circle the Capital Beltway right at the speed limit. The protest is set to run from Monday through Wednesday from early in the morning until 5 p.m. Maryland State Police are increasing patrols along the Beltway and are "prepared for anything, if something does materialize." Similar protests will be held nationwide. (Copyright 2007 by Metro Networks Communications Inc., A Westwood One Co.) WASHINGTON -- A slowdown on the Capital Beltway is nothing unusual, but what is rare is when someone is deliberately causing the gridlock. A California-based group, opposed to a federal pilot program making it easier for a number of Mexican truck companies to make cross-country trips in the U.S., is threatening to make travel on the Capital Beltway a nightmare. Save America Fund is planning a three-day protest, urging truckers to form side-by-side convoys and circle the Capital Beltway right at the speed limit. The protest is set to run from Monday through Wednesday from early in the morning until 5 p.m. Maryland State Police are increasing patrols along the Beltway and are "prepared for anything, if something does materialize." Similar protests will be held nationwide. http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=25&sid=1122486 CCW On-Target! Originally Inspired by Northpoint Tactical Teams (NPT) "He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation." -July 4, 1776- They have forgotten we are the ones that pick up their garbage and bring them food. Let Them Eat Garbage. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.saveamericafund.com/urgent.html Please join us in the TRUCKER'S "TRUCK OUT" BOYCOTT S T O P the Bush-Kennedy Plan to Give Trucker-Jobs to Mexican Drivers and Trucking Companies All 48 CONUS state legislature capital-buildings circled & shut down "Circle-the-Wagons Blockade Against Anarchy" National Capital U-Circled; Bumper-to-Bumper, Three-TrucksWide Monday Tuesday - Wednesday STARTING AT NOON ON APRIL 23, 24, 25 2007 at the FAIRUS Put Their Feet To The Fire Press Conference Rally NATIONAL TRUCKERS TRUCK OUT BOYCOTT: To protest President Bush and our elected officials plans, both state and federal, to allow tens of thousands of Mexican truckers onto Americas highways in the next 45 days. Mexican truckers will be allowed to cross our border without any restrictions regulating compliance to our United States Trucking rules, laws, and regulations. No educational requirements to speak fluent English, no weight or load restrictions, as their loads will not be under the same security scrutiny that our truckers' loads have to comply to, which opens the door to more drugs, terrorist, weapons and human smuggling, some with no liability or collision insurance in place, some truckers with no driver-licenses and many with criminal and DUI driving records, no background checks, bald-tires and their un-inspected, unsafe trucks and trailers that are not regulated to adhere to our strict safety regulations. This is a complete breakdown of the current United States federal and state trucking laws and regulations that govern our teamster truckers, independent trucking organizations, and mom-and-pop trucking families. Not only will American truckers lose their jobs, but American truckers and motorists become collateral damage in accidents guaranteed to occurkilling our citizens, destroying property, closing highways and tying up traffic in the process. This will work to destroy the truckers' livelihoods and futures as for many, this is all they have ever done. WE NEED YOU TO GET ON YOUR CB RADIOS AND START BROADCASTING TO EVERY TRUCKER AND CITIZEN IN THE NATION THAT WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT AT THIS RALLY. LET YOUR VOICES BE HEARD. LET'S STOP THE NAU AND NAFTA'S DENEGRATION OF OUR NATION, OUR SOVEREIGNTY, OUR CONSTITUTION, OUR RIGHTS AND OUR FREEDOMS. PLEASE JOIN US...WE NEED YOUR HELP NOW PLEASE CONTACT US @ FREEDOM@SAVEAMERICAFUND.ORG MOST RECENT CONVERSATION WITH FAIR JUST IN: FAIR IS IN FULL SUPPORT OF TRUCKER'S RALLY. Susan Tully, the National Field Director for FAIR has reassured me that FAIR is in full support of our Trucker's Rally protest and are very excited that we have united as a nation to bring the collective message of the American citizen to Washington and every capitol in our nation, that we want the NAU and NAFTA shut down, NO amnesty for aliens in our country illegally, and NO Mexican trucking companies, truckers and trucks in America. While FAIR has not participated in the organization of the Trucker's "Truck Out" Rally, they have been fully supportive of all our efforts to do so. LETS GO HAVE A GREAT AND SUCCESSFUL RALLY!!! posted 04/18/07 THINGS TO DO FOR THE TRUCKER'S RALLY IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO THE DAYS OF THE RALLY A SLOW ROLL ON THE BELTWAY ! Anyone coming to the Trucker's Rally protest in D.C. in an 18 wheeler, is reminded that we are ONLY allowed to protest on the Beltway around Capitol Hill. We are asking that you Slow Roll your trucks and all other vehicles, bumper to bumper, to form a protest Rally convoy around the D.C Beltway. You can do this all day, from early in the morning until 5 pm every afternoon, and hope you will choose to stay for all three days of the Rally. All state capitol buildings have a security perimeter around them that amounts to about a two block area around the entire building or buildings. We are asking that all truckers and other participants going to the capitol of the state you are in, to observe the security perimeter and proceed with your Slow Rolling Truck Out protest on the streets outside that security perimeter. The impact will still be the same, but we will not be in violation of any homeland security measures to protect our capitol buildings and the people inside. As long as we observe all laws and Homeland Security measures to protect our national and state capitols, there should be no reason for any one participating in the Truck Out Rally to have any problems the days of the rally. Stay in communication with each other through your CB radios and help guide eachother to the freeway exits and entrances and streets around the capitol buildings of the states you will be protesting at. Watch each other's backs and keep each other safe from making mistakes that could hurt the purpose of the rally. We must make sure to let all emergency vehicles, ambulances, police and other security vehicles through our rally lines. These vehicles must not be blocked from doing what they need to do. Also, about 25 funerals happen every day at Arlington National Cemetary, and we must make sure to allow the funeral cars, and those attending the funerals, to get through the Rally protest. I have asked that any cars attending funerals please put signs on their cars identifying them as participants in a funeral at the Arlington Cemetary. Please be especially mindful of ANY cars trying to get through the Rally lines, as these may be families burying their sons and daughters from Iraq. This is a non-partisan, non-prejudice, peaceful demonstration that will include every age, race, religion, and political preference. We want to be polite, but truthful, clear and educated about our reasons for the Trucker's Rally. No violence or foul language will be condoned. You can get angry, you can be loud, you can tell it like it is, you can point fingers, just do it with restraint and control. We are calling for every Rally protestor to exercise maturity and wisdom if you are confronted by pro-illegal demonstrators. PLEASE PUT AMERICAN FLAGS ON ALL YOUR VEHICLES, picket signs in big bold letters, and messages or large posters, etc., on trucks and all other vehicles are encouraged. Please use discretion and NO FOUL LANGUAGE OR RACIST REMARKS. "Stop the Invasion", "STOP THE NORTH AMERICAN UNION". "NO North American Union", and "STOP NAFTA's Destruction of America", "WE WILL NOT GIVE UP OUR SOVEREIGNTY OR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA", "SAVE OUR CONSTITUTION, FREEDOMS, and SOVEREIGNTY." "NO FOREIGN TRUCKING COMPANIES IN AMERICA", "I WILL NOT LOOSE MY JOB TO A FOREIGN TRUCKER WITHOUT A FIGHT", "I AM FIGHTING G. W.'S CRIMINAL PLAN TO GIVE AWAY MY JOB". These are all fine to use, and you get the idea for signage. Be creative, USE YOUR OWN IDEAS, and go for it, we need to let America know why we are there. We are asking that anyone participating in the rally refrain from using any words or phrases in their posters, banners or signs that could be construed as "racist." We are asking all Truck Rally participants to come to the rally sites around the nation and hopefully be there to stay for all three days. If you can only give us one day, we are grateful for any time you can give to the effort. The rally hours will be from any time in the morning till 5 PM April 23, 24, 25, 2007. Stock up on food and water to take to the rally, and locate places you can go to the bathroom when you arrive at the sites. Locate rest stops, truck stops, hotels, etc you can stay at in the evenings if you are not close enough to drive home for the night. If you live close and can share your driveway or home, or bathroom and kitchen facilities to other protesters, we ask that you do so. Some people will be traveling long distances to get here. If you cannot come to the rally for all three days, but want to participate, we are asking that you still do what we are calling a "Slow Rolling Truck Out" on the DC Beltway, or around your own state capitol or on the freeways across the country. Just join in the rally that is happening for as long as you can participate, then break off to go on your way. Drive slowly around the capitol buildings, bumper to bumper with other truckers and cars, vans, busses, etc, joining in the rally, honk your horns and make sure you have American Flags, posters or banners on your trucks, cars, etc, telling everyone why you are there. If you cannot make it to the White House or the capitol of your state, but still want to participate, you can do "Slow Rolling Truck Outs" on the freeways and highways by forming a line of trucks, cars, etc. across all the lanes of the freeway, side by side, and driving the slowest speed allowed by law, backing up traffic behind you for miles. Once again, make sure you have banners on your trucks that talk about STOP THE NORTH AMERICAN UNION, and SAVE AMERICA NOW, SAVE OUR SOVEREIGNTY NOW, SAVE OUR CONSTITUTION NOW. A few have voiced their opinion about the Slow Roll Truck Out on our state highways and freeways, and have found this idea offensive, but in return I tell them, would they rather suffer the inconvenience of a protest for three days and some added freeway congestion, to prevent the NAU and our govt's criminal destruction of our country, or would they rather have it their way and watch our Constitution be destroyed, our sovereignty destroyed and every citizen in America enslaved to a fascist govt so they are not inconvenienced for three days? The Slow Roll on our freeways has been done before, very successfully, by We the People Constitutional Law Firm in New York. They did it to get legislation through the senate there. They backed up traffic for 35 miles the first day, and on the second day of their protest, some of the Senators and Congress members, headed up their protest and led the freeway convoy. They won their battle and Congress gave in. It's safe and very effective. The goal of the rally is to wake up the "still sleeping" part of America to what our government has been and is doing to destroy our nation and the lives of every legal citizen and legal immigrant.