Amnesty International Group 22 Pasadena/Caltech News
Volume XXVI Number 3, March 2018
UPCOMING EVENTS
Thursday, March 22, 7:30-9:00 PM. Monthly
Meeting. We meet at the Caltech Y, Tyson
House, 505 S. Wilson Ave., Pasadena. (This is
just south of the corner with San Pasqual.
Signs will be posted.) We will be putting
together our calendar of events, including
guest speakers and Amnesty videos, for the
coming year. Please join us! Refreshments
provided.
Tuesday, April 10, 7:30-9:00 PM. Letter
writing meeting at Caltech Athenaeum, corner
of Hill and California in Pasadena. This
informal gathering is a great way for
newcomers to get acquainted with Amnesty.
Sunday, April 15, 6:30 PM. Rights Readers
Human Rights Book Discussion Group. This
month we read "Divided We Stand: The
Battle Over Women's Rights and Family
Values That Polarized American Politics " by
Marjorie J. Spruill.
COORDINATOR'S CORNER
Hello all,
This is Joyce, substituting for Kathy. There are
lots of things going on, starting with our own
group's March 22 meeting. We plan on mapping
out events - speakers, videos from Amnesty
USA, topics for discussion - that we can have for
each monthly meeting in the future
March for Our Lives on Saturday, March 24.
General info on the Los Angeles march at
http://marchforourlivesla.com.
Email from AIUSA: There will be Amnesty
delegations participating in marches in the
following cities: Washington DC, New York
City, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, Oakland and Los
Angeles, Orange County, Colorado Springs,
Fort Collins, Dallas / Fort Worth, Minneapolis,
Columbus and Detroit. Please sign up to march
with us at
http://www.amnestyusa.org/marchforourlives
Save the Date! April 28, Amnesty
International's Southern California State
Meeting in downtown Los Angeles. Register at
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/amnesty-
international-southern-ca-state-meeting-tickets-
43494150174
Next Rights Readers Meeting
Sunday, April 15
6:30 PM
Vroman's Bookstore
695 E. Colorado Blvd
Pasadena
Divided We Stand
by
Marjorie J. Spruill
BOOK REVIEW
'Four Days That Changed the World': Unintended
Consequences of a Women's Rights Conference
By GILLIAN THOMAS, MARCH 6, 2017
[www.nytimes.com/2017/03/06/books/review/div
ided-we-stand-marjorie-j-spruill.html]
Among feminists, Donald Trump's election has
prompted unprecedented soul-searching about What
Went Wrong. The revelation that a majority of white
women helped put Trump over the top cut especially
deep. The initial mystery - how could women vote
for that man? - gave way to betrayal: How could
they do this to other women? Then, after some
KŸbler-Ross stages of grief, and a few million pink
pussy hats, came the questions: How to harness the
euphoric rage of the record-breaking women's
marches? How to make tangible progress, not merely
prevent further losses?
To answer these riddles requires understanding how
we got here, and Marjorie J. Spruill's "Divided We
Stand" offers a detailed if sometimes dense primer.
Spruill, a professor of women's, Southern and
modern American history at the University of South
Carolina, convincingly traces today's schisms to
events surrounding the National Women's
Conference, a four-day gathering in Houston in
November 1977. At the time, Ms. magazine called the
event - a federally funded initiative to identify a
national women's rights agenda - "Four Days That
Changed the World." So why is it that today, as
Gloria Steinem recently observed, the conference
"may take the prize as the most important event
nobody knows about"?
In Spruill's telling, the Houston conference was
world-changing, but not entirely for the reasons the
organizers had hoped. The event drew an estimated
20,000 activists, celebrities and other luminaries for a
raucous political-convention-cum-consciousness-
raising session. The delegates enacted 26 policy
resolutions calling not just for ratification of the
Equal Rights Amendment (then just three states shy
of the 38 needed) but a wide range of measures
including accessible child care, elimination of
discriminatory insurance and credit practices, reform
of divorce and rape laws, federal funding for
abortion and - most controversially - civil rights
for lesbians. Those "planks" later were bundled as a
National Plan of Action and presented to President
Jimmy Carter, amid much fanfare, in a report entitled
"The Spirit of Houston."
The conference had an unintended, equally
revolutionary consequence, though: the unleashing
of a women-led "family values" coalition that cast
feminism not just as erroneous policy but as moral
transgression. Led by Phyllis Schlafly, a small but
savvy coalition of foot soldiers mobilized against the
conference's aims. These activists found common
cause in their deep religiosity and opposition to
feminism's perceived diminishment of "real"
womanhood. And although their leadership denied
it, the group also had ties to white supremacists.
"Divided We Stand" argues that the potency of these
advocates and their successors reshaped not just the
nation's gender politics, but the politics of the
Democratic and Republican Parties as well.
The Houston conference originated with a 1975
executive order issued by President Ford, charging a
National Commission on the Observance of
International Women's Year (thereafter known as the
I.W.Y. Commission) that would, as Ford put it,
"infuse the Declaration of Independence with new
meaning and promise for women here and around
the world." Later that year, Congress tasked the
commission with holding conferences in all 50 states
to elect the delegates.
The state conferences that convened in the summer of
1977 proved to be anything but unified, and
documenting that turmoil takes up much of Spruill's
attention. Members of the Schlafly coalition - which
called itself the I.W.Y. Citizens Review Committee, or
C.R.C. - doggedly attended each meeting,
disrupting the proceedings and attempting to win
inclusion among the representatives who would
travel to Houston.
In the end, few C.R.C. representatives were elected
among the more than 2,000 racially diverse delegates
who headed to the Houston Convention Center. So
Schlafly and her followers took another tack: They
organized a daylong Pro-Life, Pro-Family Rally
across town at the Astro Arena.
The chapters detailing these competing events are the
best in "Divided We Stand." The feminists'
conference was steeped in symbolism, starting with
the lighting of a "torch of freedom" in Seneca Falls,
N.Y. - site of the 1848 women's conference marking
the beginning of first-wave feminism - that over the
next six weeks was carried to Houston by a relay of
runners including icons like Billie Jean King.
Speakers included three first ladies - Rosalynn
Carter, Betty Ford and Lady Bird Johnson - as well
as Coretta Scott King, the Texas representative
Barbara Jordan, the anthropologist Margaret Mead,
and fiery political newcomers like Ann Richards and
Maxine Waters.
In contrast, the family values rally was as much a
religious revival as a political event. A sign placed
next to the podium said it all: "Women's Libbers,
E.R.A. LESBIANS, REPENT. Read the BIBLE while
YOUR [sic] ABLE." Many of the attendees - who
were nearly all white - were men. Among them was
the archconservative California representative Robert
Dornan, who exhorted the audience to let their
members of Congress know, as one attendee put it,
that "the great silent majority is on the move to take
the nation under God's guidance."
After Houston, that contingent was more successful
in making political inroads than its feminist
counterparts. The difference, as documented by
Spruill, was in its single-minded pursuit of those
power brokers Dornan had commended to it. Most
notably, it won over the Republican Party leadership.
At the time of the commission's formation,
Republicans were moderate when it came to
feminism; the 1976 party platform, for instance,
included support for the E.R.A. But by the 1980
presidential election, that had changed; the "family
values" coalition co-opted the party platform, won
conversions on abortion from Ronald Reagan and
George H.W. Bush, and propelled them - along
with numerous other state and federal candidates -
to victory.
In contrast, the Plan of Action landed with a thud on
President Carter's desk. A born-again Christian
uneasy with alienating religious conservatives,
Carter had inherited the conference initiative and
never threw his full weight behind it - and indeed,
had rebuffed organizers' entreaties to come to
Houston. Despite efforts by some White House staff
members, the plan never became a legislative
blueprint. With a wary White House that became
outright hostile after Reagan's election, a split
Congress and feminists' attention diverted to the
E.R.A. ratification effort - which failed when the
time for approval expired in 1982 - any hope of
implementing the plan stalled in the 1980s. The
Houston conference may have succeeded in
awakening countless women to feminism, but most
of its policy goals remain on the movement's to-do
lists.
These divergent narratives from 40 years ago offer
many lessons to those hoping to maintain the
momentum of the Jan.?21 women's marches. Two of
the most salient: Forge unity out of diversity and
hold elected officials accountable. Early signs show
that today's feminists are fast learners. The "unity
principles" issued by national march organizers
incorporated race, immigration status, gender
identity, sexual orientation, class and disability
within multiple resolutions, instead of segregating
them (as was the case with the Houston planks). A
next step: Strengthen alliances between the majority-
white marchers and the women of color who
mobilized against Trump (and before that, led the
Black Lives Matter movement). A second day of mass
action - a nationwide "women's strike" on March 8
- was an opportunity to show an even more united
front. Meanwhile, women were vocal participants in
the overflow crowds at congressional town halls held
during last month's recess, women-centric media are
educating readers about grass- roots activism and
thousands of women have begun preparing to run
for office.
But perhaps the most auspicious sign came from the
Republican representative Dave Brat of Virginia: He
recently complained that "the women are in my grill
no matter where I go."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Marjorie J. Spruill teaches courses in women's
history, Southern history, and recent American
history at the University of South Carolina. She
is the editor or co-editor of several anthologies,
including ONE WOMAN, ONE VOTE and THE
SOUTH IN THE HISTORY OF THE NATION.
She is on the editorial board of the Journal of
American Studies, the journal of the British
Association for American Studies (BAAS). She
lives in South Carolina.
Security with Human Rights
By Robert Adams
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL ADS
REJECTED BY WMATA TO BE DISPLAYED
ACROSS WASHINGTON
02/26/2018
An ad campaign from Amnesty International
USA that was rejected by the Washington
Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA)
will be displayed across the city today and
tomorrow, calling on activists to join together
with the global human rights group in holding
world leaders to account.
The series of ads, which depict US President
Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir
Putin, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un,
warn that "a storm is brewing."
"We want to send a message to Washington -
there's a storm brewing and we're ready to
stand strong for human rights. Our world
leaders, including President Trump, need to
know that when human rights are denied,
Amnesty International and our supporters
won't be silent. We will continue to fight
injustice around the world and here at home,"
said Amnesty International USA executive
director, Margaret Huang.
On Monday and Tuesday this week the ads will
be displayed on a truck with LED video panels
as it drives through Washington, DC, stopping
at landmarks. It coincides with Amnesty
International USA's lobby day. More than 300 of
the group's activists will meet with their
members of Congress on Capitol Hill on
Monday to discuss crucial human rights issues,
including refugee protection, gun violence and
women's rights.
The ads were originally intended to run as a
teaser to the launch of Amnesty International's
annual report on the state of the world's human
rights, which launched last week in the US for
the first time in the organization's history. The
report highlights the growing importance of
activism in an era of "state-sponsored hate" in
which leaders are openly pushing hateful
rhetoric and policies that are undermining
human rights.
However, the ad campaign was rejected by
WMATA on the grounds that it violates its
policy against issue-oriented advertising.
Amnesty International USA rejects the notion
that these ads are political, given they focus on
human rights, which is a matter of international
law.
"It's deeply unfortunate that advocacy ads are
so notoriously hard to place in our nation's
capital - exactly the market where they're
needed the most. We're very disappointed with
WMATA's decision, but are determined to get
our message out to defend human rights both
here at home and around the world," said
Margaret Huang.
"The message of our ads is a simple one asking
people to join us in upholding human rights,
which is not and should not be a political or
partisan issue. World leaders are accountable to
their citizens and should respect their basic
human rights. It should not be controversial to
point out that this is their job."
DEATH PENALTY NEWS
By Stevi Carroll
OOOO Oklahoma
What is a state to do when the Corrections
Department can no longer get the drugs it needs
to put people to death? Oklahoma has a possible
solution - Nitrogen Gas.
In an interview with Scott Simon on NPR,
Fordham University law professor Deborah
Denno said that the OK state adopted nitrogen
gas with very little knowledge of this method of
execution and without having any physicians as
part of the decision making process. The
decision was made by two criminologists and a
political science professor.
According to Professor Denno, the most humane
method of execution is firing squad, but we also
consider it the most barbaric.
Of course, our 'real' problem for our present
procedure is that drug companies are no longer
willing to have their drugs used to kill people
intentionally.
March 16, 2018, the LA Times had an editorial
that stated "The fallback: 'nitrogen hypoxia,' in
which the condemned would be locked in a
sealed chamber and the air would be replaced
with nitrogen, sending the person to sleep and
then death. At least that's the theory. No one has
ever used the method, and there is no ethical
way of studying whether it would work or not.
In short, Oklahoma will be conducting human
death experiments."
The editorial goes on to say, "Yet isn't there
something ludicrous (and macabre) about trying
to dress death up so prettily?" as we attempt to
find a 'humane' way to execute human beings.
Along with this ludicrousness is that disturbing
reality that the condemned person may not be
guilty.
The editorial ends with "There are no persuasive
arguments in favor of the death penalty, and a
menu of solid arguments against it. But it is
debates such as this - how best to kill someone
- that point up the inherent absurdity and
inhumanity of an act that, if committed by any
of us individually, would be a crime. No
government should have that power of life and
death over its citizens."
And yet the OK state now wants to use nitrogen
gas.
Donald Trump
One thing we know is that many Americans are
dying from opioids. Lives are being destroyed.
What is the solution? Mr. Trump knows what to
do: the death penalty for drug dealers. He may
have gotten this idea from Philippines President
Rodrigo Duterte. Apparently, Mr. Trump will let
us know what his plan for the opioid crisis is
within the next three weeks.
Stays of Execution
February
22 Doyle Lee Hamm AL
Execution called off by Department of
Corrections Commission Jeff Dunn close to
midnight on February 22, 2018 after execution
team reported it would be unable to set an IV
line before the death warrant expired.
23 Raghunandan Yandamuri PA
Stay granted by the U.S. District Court
for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on
January 16, 2018 to provide Yandamuri the
opportunity to pursue state and federal post-
conviction challenges that are available to all
criminal defendants.
March
9 Charles Ray Hicks PA
Stay granted by the Monroe County Court of
Common Pleas on February 12, 2018 to provide
Hicks the opportunity to state post-conviction
challenges that are available to all Pensylvania
criminal defendants.
14 Douglas Coley OH
Rescheduled for September 18, 2019 by
Gov. John Kasich on May 1, 2017*
14 Warren Henness OH
Rescheduled for February 13, 2019 by
Gov. John Kasich on September 1, 2017.^
¥
¥ On February 10, 2017, Ohio's Governor John R.
Kasich issued a statement revising the schedule for
eight upcoming executions. This revised schedule
is in response to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
Sixth Circuit's denial of a motion to stay
enforcement, pending appeal, of a federal
magistrate judge's order declaring Ohio's execution
procedures unconstitutional.
¥
^ On September 1, 2017, Ohio's Governor Kasich
issued a statement and an updated execution
schedule, which changed the execution dates for 19
of 26 condemned prisoners who had scheduled
dates between September 2017 and September 2020.
The execution schedule for these 26 prisoners now
extends through April 2022.
Executions
March
15 Michael Eggers* AL
Lethal Injection 3-drug (midazolam)
Years from sentence to execution = 15
15 Carlton Michael Gary GA
Lethal Injection 1-drug (Pentobarbital)
Years from sentence to execution = 31
- volunteer - an inmate who waived ordinary
appeals that remained at the time of his or her
execution
PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE
Narges Mohammadi
By Joyce Wolf
March 20, the first day of Spring, is Nowruz, the
Persian New Year holiday. The Amnesty Iran
team puts out an annual action to send Nowruz
greeting cards of support to seven Prisoner of
Conscience cases in Iran, one of which is Narges
Mohammadi.
Six of us attended the Group 22 letter-writing
meeting on March 13 and wrote Nowruz cards
for Narges. Pictured above are Paul, Cheryl,
Elena, Joyce, and Robert. (Photo by Stevi.)
Group 22 member Candy did not attend letter-
writing, but she emailed that she had written
and mailed cards to all seven cases of the
Nowruz action. Thank you, Candy - you
inspired me to sit down and write 6 more
Nowruz cards! Our group's total for the action is
19 cards, 7 of which are for Narges and 2 each to
the other 6 cases.
I don't think it's too late to participate! A copy of
the Nowruz action is on our website:
http://www.its.caltech.edu/~aigp22/POC-
Narges/Nowruz_action_2018.pdf
Next month, on April 21, it is likely that Narges
will once again mark her birthday in prison. We
hope to participate in an action for her on that
date. In the past two years, Alexi coordinated
international campaigns for Narges's birthday -
remember the exciting rally at UCLA in 2016?
And last year, all the beautiful daffodil-themed
images from around the world? (The name
Narges means daffodil.)
You can follow #FreeNarges on Twitter to join
in the worldwide efforts on her behalf.
GROUP 22 MARCH LETTER COUNT
UAs 10
Nowruz cards for POC Narges 7
Nowruz cards for other cases 12
Total 29
Amnesty International Group 22
The Caltech Y
Mail Code C1-128
Pasadena, CA 91125
www.its.caltech.edu/~aigp22/
http://rightsreaders.blogspot.com
Amnesty International's mission is to undertake research and action focused on
preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity,
freedom of conscience and expression, and freedom from discrimination, within the
context of its work to promote all human rights.