Many people know that the government-sponsored Janjaweed militia in Darfur, Sudan, has been committing genocide for more than five years. What is less known to individuals is how to take an active stand against this genocide, which has killed over 300,000 people and displaced more than 2 million civilians. How can Americans who live thousands of miles away from Africa make a difference for the Sudanese?
Divest Nebraska is a UNL registered student organization that is working with members of the Nebraska Unicameral to help end the genocide in Darfur. We are collaborating with Sen. Bill Avery, who introduced LB 140 this legislative session. LB 140 calls on the Nebraska Investment Council to divest its monetary holdings from targeted foreign companies that do business with the government of Sudan. The bill is designed to impose a maximal impact on the government of Sudan and a minimal impact on the civilians of Sudan. Twenty-seven states have already adopted Sudan divestment policies, including our neighbors Kansas, Iowa and Colorado. Now it is Nebraska’s turn to take a stand against investing our money in a genocidal regime.
U.S. companies have been prohibited from working in Sudan since the 1990s. However, the irony is that states such as Nebraska are still investing in foreign companies that work in Sudan. For example, the Chinese oil company PetroChina purchases oil from Sudan’s reserves. Sudan then spends 70 percent of this revenue on its military, which is supporting and executing the genocide. LB 140 would require the Nebraska Investment Council to follow the lead of responsible investors such as Berkshire Hathaway and the European Union, which have already divested from PetroChina.
The divestment movement is already making a tangible difference. In response to divestment, twelve companies have ceased or significantly changed their operations in Sudan. According to the Sudan Divestment Task Force, “many [of these twelve companies] have publicly cited divestment pressure or humanitarian concerns as reasons for changing their policies.” In addition, the Sudanese government has shown a propensity to bending to economic pressure in the past. Divestment, along with other tools such as diplomacy and the use of African Union forces, demonstrates the world will not stand back while human rights are violated on the extreme scale of genocide.
It is too late to stop the Cambodian genocide, the Holocaust or the genocide in Rwanda. Yet our generation does not have to watch silently as the cycle of genocide continues in Sudan. Nebraska has an opportunity and a responsibility to join a worldwide movement of Sudan divestment through LB 140. The voice of Nebraska citizens and the votes of Nebraska legislators can help Nebraska join the 27 other states and announce to the world that we are the land of the free and will not directly nor indirectly support genocide.
LB 140 will be heard by the Retirement Systems Committee on March 4 at noon. Please support Sudan divestment and LB 140 by contacting Sen. Dave Pankonin, the chairman of the Retirement Systems Committee at dpankonin@leg.ne.gov.
To find out more about UNL’s Divest Nebraska organization or ways you can become involved, visit DivestNebraska.org.
Stephanie Sutton, Sarah Beringer and Mikhaela Mullins are students at UNL and are the leaders of the UNL Divest Nebraska organization.
Support state bill to pull investments from Sudan
Published: Monday, March 2, 2009
Updated: Monday, March 2, 2009
A German doctor says, "that is nothing; we can take a lung out of one person, put it in another, and have him looking for work in four weeks."
The Russian doctor says, "in my country, medicine is so advanced that we can take half a heart out of one person, put it in another, and have them both looking for work in two weeks."
An American doctor, not to be outdone, says, "you guys are way behind. We recently took a man with no brains out of Illinois, put him in the White House, and now half the country is looking for work."
Senate Democrat Leader Harry Reid pulled a legislative hat trick yesterday. During debate on the Defense budget, Reid pulled an amendment concerning the F-22 fighter so he could attach “hate crimes” legislation to the Defense bill. The switch underscores just how committed the Democrats are to pushing the agenda of the homosexual rights movement. It also infuriated Senator John McCain, who said, “…the majority leader has made it clear that their highest priority … is a hate crimes bill – a hate crimes bill that has nothing to do whatsoever with defending this nation. …While we have young Americans fighting and dying in two wars, were going to take up the hate crimes bill because the majority leader thinks that’s more important, more important than legislation concerning the defense of this nation.”
The White House, Pelosi and Reid are lying to you when they claim that if you have health insurance, Obamacare won’t effect you. Investor’s Business Daily just found a little landmine for those of you, including the self employed, who have individual health insurance policies. Yes you would be able to keep your policy BUT 1) You would not be able to change to a different individual policy, and 2) If you leave your company to work for yourself you wouldn’t be able to buy an individual plan from a non-government insurance company. The bottom line: No new private individual polices can be written once Obama starts his government insurance company. Welcome to the United States of Socialist America. By the way, the head of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office this morning told a Senate Committee that Obamacare would weaken the economy further and increase federal spending – the exact opposite of what the White House claims! Will the Obama socialists care about this info? Of course they won’t care. They intend to turn us into Europe ASAP. President Obama has brought hundreds of radicals to Washington D.C. but none more radical than John Holdren, our “science czar.” To say that Mr. Holdren’s beliefs are extreme is an understatement. You’ll be hard-pressed to hear about his radical philosophies from the mainstream media, but here are some of his past quotes, which shed some light on exactly what this man believes.
“There exists ample authority under which population growth could be regulated. It has been concluded that compulsory population-control laws, even including laws requiring compulsory abortion, could be sustained under the existing Constitution if the population crisis became sufficiently severe to endanger the society.” “Such a comprehensive Planetary Regime could control the development, administration, conservation, and distribution of all natural resources, renewable or non-renewable. The Planetary Regime might be given responsibility for determining the optimum population for the world and for each region and for arbitrating various countries shares within their regional limits.” “It is fair to conclude that under almost any assumptions, the supplies of crude petroleum and natural gas are severely limited. The bulk of energy likely to flow from these sources may have been tapped within the lifetime of many of the present population.”What’s even more disturbing is that these quotes were all written in a book he co-authored in 1971 titled “Energy: A Crisis in Power.” Almost 40 years later his reckless predictions regarding the U.S. population and availability of natural resources have not come to fruition, and yet this man is now the leading scientist in the United States. His call for a “Planetary Regime” is downright scary, but Barack Obama in all his wisdom believes this man is qualified for the job. Inform your friends and family about Mr. Holdren because common sense suggests that if Barack Obama appointed him, then he must share some of his philosophy.
United States
Of America
I am the flag of the United States of America.
My name is Old Glory.
I fly atop the world's tallest buildings.
I stand watch in America's halls of justice.
I fly majestically over institutions of learning.
I stand guard with power in the world.
Look up and see me.
I stand for peace, honor, truth and justice.
I stand for freedom.
I am confident.
I am arrogant.
I am proud.
When I am flown with my fellow banners,
My head is a little higher,
My colors a little truer.
I bow to no one!
I am recognized all over the world.
I am worshipped - I am saluted.
I am loved - I am revered.
I am respected - and I am feared.
I have fought in every battle of every war for more then 200 years. I was flown at Valley Forge, Gettysburg, Shiloh and Appomattox.
I was there at San Juan Hill, the trenches of France,
in the Argonne Forest, Anzio, Rome and the beaches of Normandy.
Guam, Okinawa, Korea and KheSan, Saigon, Vietnam know me.
I'm presently in the mountains of Afganistan and the hot and dusty deserts of Iraq and wherever freedom is needed.
I led my troops, I was dirty, battleworn and tired,
But my soldiers cheered me and I was proud.
I have been burned, torn and trampled on the streets of countries I have helped set free.
It does not hurt for I am invincible.
I have been soiled upon, burned, torn and trampled in the streets of my country.
And when it's done by those Whom I've served in battle - it hurts.
But I shall overcome - for I am strong.
I have slipped the bonds of Earth and stood watch over the uncharted frontiers of space from my vantage point on the moon.
I have borne silent witness to all of America's finest hours.
But my finest hours are yet to come.
When I am torn into strips and used as bandages for my wounded comrades on the battlefield,
When I am flown at half-mast to honor my soldier,
Or when I lie in the trembling arms of a grieving parent
at the grave of their fallen son or daughter,
I am proud.
WE ARE JUSTIN"S SHEEP
WE ARE THE SHEEP THAT JUSTIN LOVES
WE ARE JUSTIN"S SHEEPEXCREMENT INTERCOURSE, WE LOVE IT WHEN YOU TALK DIRTY JUSTIN
Greetings: Recently I have come to a realization: That government is not the solution to all problems; in fact it is often the source of many problems. That the best government is the government that governs least. That Americans have certain natural God-given rights mainly life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and that no one, including my self, has the right to infringe on these rights. That I believe in God. That Americans pay to much in taxes, are overregulated and that the government spends to much money. That some things, such as health care are best managed by the private sector. That global warming is a hoax. That capitalism and the free market system, despite its ups and downs, is still the best way for this country to grow and prosper. That this country has a right to grow and prosper. That not all the world's ill are the fault of the United States. That life is sacred and begins at birth. That----------------------
APRIL FOOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!