Today at 7:00pm – 8:30pm
First Church in Jamaica Plain Unitarian Universalist
6 Eliot St, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts 02130

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The Jamaica Plain Forum welcomes back Pulitzer Prize winner Chris Hedges, as he discusses what it takes to be a rebel in modern times.

Popular uprisings in the United States and around the world are inevitable in the face of environmental destruction and wealth polarization.

From South African activists who dedicated their lives to ending apartheid, to contemporary anti-fracking protests in Alberta, Canada, to whistleblowers in pursuit of transparency, Wages of Rebellion shows the cost of a life committed to speaking the truth and demanding justice. Hedges has penned an indispensable guide to rebellion.

Revolutions come in waves and cycles. We are again riding the crest of a revolutionary epic, much like 1848 or 1917, from the Arab Spring to movements against austerity in Greece to the Occupy movement. In Wages of Rebellion, Chris Hedges—who has chronicled the malaise and sickness of a society in terminal moral decline in his books Empire of Illusion and Death of the Liberal Class—investigates what social and psychological factors cause revolution, rebellion, and resistance. Drawing on an ambitious overview of prominent philosophers, historians, and literary figures he shows not only the harbingers of a coming crisis but also the nascent seeds of rebellion.

Chris Hedges is a columnist for Truthdig. A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, he spent nearly two decades as a foreign correspondent in Central America, the Middle East, Africa, and the Balkans, with fifteen years at the New York Times. He is the author of numerous bestselling books, including Empire of Illusion; Death of the Liberal Class; War is a Force that Gives Us Meaning; and Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt.

MEDIA ALERT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 9, 2013

PRESS RELEASE FOR THE “PASSMASSAMENDMENT BALLOT INITIATIVE”

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

The PassMassAmendment Ballot Initiative (www.PassMassAmendment.org), is a 3+ year process to ask Massachusetts voters to amend (clarify) the state Constitution to declare:

“Corporations Are Not People, Money Is Not Speech”

Late last year, we began the formal ballot initiative process with a meeting at the Attorney General’s office of the Commonwealth. On August 7, 2013, we filed our formal petition. Over the summer PassMassAmendment organized petition teams and allies to engage the public to gather 68,911 valid signatures this September 18th through November 20th.

Hundreds of PassMassAmendment petitioners have been gathering signatures around the state since September 18th, on street corners, in parking lots, in churches, and in meeting halls. Today, PassMassAmendment launches its “print-sign-mail” petition campaign to draw in voters! People who want to sign the petition can print, sign and mail the petition form to town clerks around the state for their signatures to count!

Once enough signatures are gathered, the Amendment will need 25% of two consecutive Legislative Sessions voting in favor, for it to be on the 2016 Ballot. The proposed amendment already has more than 20% of that support in the Legislature.

The formal language, and the legal discussion can be found at: www.PassMassAmendment.org.

Over the last century and more, the people have been losing their influence over our democratic process. We believe that the root of this issue is the corrupting influence of corporations and money on our political process. We have asked our legislators to rectify this. The “Clean Elections Law” passed in 1998 by a 2 to 1 majority by ballot initiative. But our legislators refused to fund it and ended it by voice vote. We have passed resolutions around the state asking our legislators to act to amend the US Constitution to rectify this.

They have not acted. As a result, we believe that it’s time for citizens to act. Absent of action by our legislators, we intend to amend (clarify) the Massachusetts Constitution ourselves.

Endorsed by:
U. S. Congressman Jim McGovern, State Reps: Cory Atkins, Ellen Story, Denise Provost, Timothy J. Toomey Jr, Sean Garballey, Jennifer Benson, Carl Sciortino, Jason Lewis, Harold Naughton, State Senators:Katherine Clark, Barry Finegold, Karen E. Spilka (Majority Whip) Other (in order of appearance): Noam Chomsky, Ironworkers Local 7, Occupy Winchester, Greater-Boston Chapter of the Green-Rainbow Party, The Somist Institute (led by Dr Carmine Gorga), Bill McKibben (Founder of 350.org), Cape Cod Move to Amend, Assabet River Valley Chapter of the Green Rainbow Party, Occupy Falmouth, Cathedral Church of St. Paul (Boston),
North Shore Move to Amend.

PRESS CONTACT: Terra Friedrichs 978 808 7173 terraf “at” compuserve dot.com