Date: Wed, 04 Jun 1997 19:25:24 -0400 From: Maggie Heineman Subject: Pennsylvania Expose (PAX) 6/1/97 Pennsylvania Expose (PAX) is the newsletter of the Pennsylvania Alliance for Democracy (PAD) It is available by email, as a fax, and on the web at http://www.libertynet.org/~exposepa/#web If you wish to receive the fax version of PAX or if you will volunteer to broadcast the fax version from yourcomputer, please send email to Joe Bordo. ============================================ Pennsylvania Expose (PAX) June 1, 1997 Issue 18 PAD Conference A Success -- By Clark Moeller, President -- Pennsylvania Alliance for Democracy -- moeller@epix.net The Pennsylvania Alliance for Democracy (PAD) conference was held in State College on May 3 and 4. According to the participants, it was a success. On their conference evaluation sheets, conferees wrote comments like "Make the next conference as good as this one" and "We need a longer conference next time." This was PAD's first conference. It was designed to pull together for the first time Pennsylvania progressive activists to forge a direction for dealing with the negative impact of the aggressive extreme right in Pennsylvania. The conference was advertised through written invitations to individuals and organizations which had been identified through PAD's network. Sixty four experienced, progressive activists attended the conference. They brought with them a high energy level and a sophisticated understanding of the issues. In addition to those who attended we identified scores more who could not come to the conference but who want to work on the issues PAD has defined in its mission and policies. These activists will become part of PAD's expanding state-wide network. Our key note speaker, Chip Berlet, is an expert on the extreme right. His speech was a big hit. As one listener said, "Chip understands the extreme right better than they understand themselves. And he has a sense of humor." Over the last year, an impressive database, Pennsylvania for All, has been under development by Bread and Roses Fund. Much of the data going into this computerized resource has been provided by PAD members. This database was showcased at the conference Saturday afternoon by Solutions for Progress. They did a masterful job of making interesting a subject that usually makes peoples' eyes glaze over. On the evaluation sheets their presentation got a 4.26 out of 5. The workshops all got high grades by those attending. The quality of these workshops was obvious the next morning when each reported on their suggestions for PAD. The overall level of discussion Sunday morning was very high. Many important ideas were offered that are now being included in a draft Plan of Work for 1997-98. The Religious Freedom Amendment: Threat To The First Amendment -- By Larry Frankel, Executive Director -- Pennsylvania ACLU -- aclulegis@aol.com Once again the divisive issue of school prayer is being raised in the halls of Congress. Once again, the ACLU stands ready to strongly oppose yet another effort to undermine the First Amendment and religious liberty. On May 8, 1997, Representative Ernest Istook, from Oklahoma, introduced his so-called "Religious Freedom Amendment." This proposal would specifically overturn decades of Supreme Court rulings and allow for organized prayer in our public schools. Representative Istook's Amendment, reads as follows: To secure the people's right to acknowledge God according to the dictates of conscience: The people's right to pray and to recognize their religious beliefs, heritage or traditions on public property, including schools, shall not be infringed. The government shall not require any person to join in prayer or other religious activities, initiate or designate school prayers, discriminate against any religion or deny equal access to a benefit on account of religion. The ACLU does not believe that the United States Constitution needs to be amended to promote religious freedom. In fact, we have learned from more than 200 years of experience, that this country already has a great tool for promoting religious freedom -- the First Amendment as it is was drafted by the founders of this country. On the day that the Istook amendment was introduced, Diann Rust- Tierney of our Washington Office observed: Americans enjoy a degree of religious freedom unknown in most of the rest of the world, and they take full advantage of it. The United States is home to more than 1,500 different religious bodies and 360,000 churches, synagogues and mosques... In truth, this proposed amendment is about permitting religious majorities to impose their beliefs and practices on minorities by using the public school as a proselytizing platform. Many of the members of Pennsylvania's Congressional delegation are inclined to support this proposed amendment. We recognize that we have our work cut out for us if we want to change some minds and votes in Congress. Therefore, we need your help over the next few weeks and months. We hope to put together diverse coalitions in every part of the state so that we can demonstrate to our legislators the breadth of opposition to this proposal. We must send a consistent message -- we cherish our religious freedom and we don't want any tinkering with the First Amendment. Here are ways you can help: 1. Personally communicate, by phone, letter, fax or E-mail, with your member of Congress and both of our Senators; 2. Urge your friends, neighbors and coworkers to also communicate their views to our elected officials in Washington; 3. Write letters to your local newspaper and call in to your local talk shows. We really need you to make sure that our view is out there in the arena of public opinion; 4. Be in touch with other groups in your area who might oppose this amendment. We can use your help in identifying our allies. 5. Finally, do not hesitate to contact us in Philadelphia or Pittsburgh to let us know what you are doing and how we can help you. School Board Races Around The State Show Mixed Results --By Chuck Pascal --chuckp@americanteleport.com While results from around the state in school board races are still being compiled and analyzed, it appears that the right has made gains on several school boards, while progressives have retaken seats in several other districts. Progressives made significant gains in the Elizabethtown (Lancaster Co.), Wilkinsburg (Allegheny Co.), Council Rock (Bucks Co.), Boyertown (Berks Co.) and Central Dauphin (Dauphin Co.) school districts, retaking seats from right incumbents. Right candidates failed in attempts to take seats in the Pittsburgh and Fox Chapel School Districts. Progressives failed to take back a seat held by a right incumbent in the Pine-Richland School District. All of these districts are in Allegheny County. The right made gains in the North Allegheny and Plum School Districts in Allegheny County and the Greensburg- Salem and Norwin School Districts in Westmoreland County. In the Apollo-Ridge School District (Armstrong and Indiana Counties) two strong progressive incumbents were renominated, as was a right newcomer. In the Troy School District (Bradford Co.), progressive candidates captured two of the four seats on the ballot, defeating the right's leader on the board, who served as President. Many of these districts will have contests in November which will determine which side will make gains or take control of the board. Updates on school board races and on which districts will be decided in November will be posted to the PA-Expose E-mail list as information becomes available. If you have information about school board races in your area, please E-mail chuckp@americanteleport.com with details. ACLU of Pennsylvania Legislative Update -- By Pennsylvania ACLU -- aclulegis@aol.com A brief sampling of timely issues to serve as the basis for informed action: In Philadelphia: ***Video Tape Reveals Systemic Racial Bias in Judicial System Political maneuvering bred a civil liberties scandal in Philadelphia this April, when District Attorney Lynne Abraham released a racially biased training video starring Jack McMahon, her political opponent in this fall's election. In the film, McMahon advised new prosecutors to keep young African American women and African Americans "from low income areas" from serving on juries. The video, which was filmed when McMahon worked in the District Attorney's office, further instructed prosecutors that "in selecting blacks, you don't want the real educated ones..."and that the prosecutor's goal was not to get an impartial jury, but rather "to win." This is just the latest incident in a dismal series of racial controversies involving Philadelphia's District Attorney and the City's police officers. What You Can Do: One's race, sex, or class should have no bearing on the treatment one receives in the criminal justice system. Write your state legislators and request that they champion equal rights by investigating racial bias and persecutory misconduct in Pennsylvania's judicial system. Your letters can make a difference!!! In Harrisburg: ***State Plans to Tell Parents How to Dress Their Children Rather than struggle with complicated issues of school funding and education standards, legislators are once again attempting to pass a bill which would allow school districts to require children to wear school uniforms. Not only may school uniforms infringe on students' right to free expression, they may also place a serious economic burden on poor families. So far the proposed legislation includes no provisions for parents who either can't afford school uniforms or who wish to opt their children out the requirement for other reasons. What You Can Do: The American Civil Liberties Union does not believe it is appropriate for government officials to dictate how we dress our children. Write your State Senators and State Representatives and ask them to oppose House Bill 509 and any other legislation which would allow schools to require students to wear uniforms. Calendar June July 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 01 02 03 04 05 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 29 30 27 28 29 30 31 June 4, 1997 -- PROGRESSIVE VOICE AWARD BANQUET -- Laura Montgomery-Rutt -- lmrutt@lancnews.infi.net PLEASE PLAN TO COME to The Progressive Voice Award Banquet. It is June 4th in Lancaster, at the Eden Resort -- 6:30. Dinner at 7:00 Two PAD board members are speaking -- Carrie Gardner and Andrew Park. The topic is freedom of speech and intellectual freedom. It also looks like Stefan Presser, Legal Dir. of the ACLU of PA will be speaking as well!! Cost is $30, choice of entree is chicken penne or vegetarian lasagna. We are honoring Evelyn Lyons, Board Member of the Lancaster County Library, and the only one to stand up for the Library's window display honoring gay and lesbian authors, poets and artists. The Library pulled the display despite widespread protest from the Progressive Community. Please E-mail me with your RSVP! to lmrutt@lancnews.infi.net * * * Pennsylvania Expose Copyright (c) 1997 Pennsylvania Alliance for Democracy P.O. Box 366, Harrisburg PA 17108 President, Clark Moeller http://www.libertynet.org/~exposepa/ * * * Permission to reproduce, unaltered, in whole or in part, with copyright notice. * * * Editor Joanne Tosti-Vasey t23@email.psu.edu Design-Layout-Editing-Publishing Joseph Bordo starwalker@earthlink.net