A Voice Goes Silent

Word comes today from About Face co-host Dennis Stout that the host station 1190 NovaM in Phoenix is shut down. "I went to cut the promo for next week's show and found a chain and padlock on the studio door."

The news is not surprising. The station, supposedly the flagship of a progressive successor to Air America, has gone through a business and operational meltdown. I don't know the details. They've been through several station managers in the past year. They fired Sean Ryan, the engineer who made us sound so good on About Face. Their signal was off the air for days during a studio relocation and has been erratic ever since.

Sic transit gloria media.

Radio News

This email arrived yesterday.

“About Face” has a new station. We are still with Nova M but Nova M has moved from 1480AM to 1190AM. We will no longer broadcast on 1480AM. Remember 1190AM at Sundays 3PM Mountain time. The web site is
www.1190novam.com. You can still enjoy your favorite Sunday show with Dennis and John. We will still cover interesting subjects to help the veterans, end the war, and bring sanity back to our country.

This Sunday, 28 December, Dennis and I will be discussing our new year resolutions and what changes we would like for the new year.

My resolution this year is to continue the vigil to help end the conflicts and occupation in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

I would like our government to focus more on peaceful aid to nations in distress and conflict. To move in a direction away from creating war and conflict and more in a direction of bringing peace and assistance to nations in conflict and distress. We have so many nations who are starving, suffering from AIDS, and lack the education to help bring themselves out on their plight. We need to take leadership around the world and help build schools, hospitals, teach framing, and educate the people. These peaceful actions would not only help end many conflicts bur restore the credibility and confidence in the United States.

I would like to see a much better system for helping our veterans in health care and benefits. Right now VA is so inept in their administration of Veterans Health care and benefits that we have over 200,00 veterans homeless on the streets any give day. We have over 600,000 waiting for VA action in request for benefits. The wait period for appointments are too long, over three months in many cases. The waiting period for action on request for benefits is over one year. This is unacceptable and need to be improved upon. Calls and letters to the new administration and your congressman should be a priority this year.

I pledge to continue to educate the public on these very important issues this coming year. What is your resolution and pledge? Please give us a call and let us know!

Listen to Dennis and John on “About Face” at 1190AM or www.1190novam.com every Sunday at 3PM Mountain Time. Call us at 1-800-989-1480. We are Arizona’s progressive talk radio! About Face is brought to you by the Veterans For Peace, Phoenix Chapter 75.

The change is probably toward the center of the dial but I'm sure not the political or moral center. I hear, too, that a new studio is involved, a more uptown location instead of the concrete bunker that was KPHX.

Even though I am no longer affiliated with the program, I listen when I can. Dennis, John and their guests address issues that are usually ignored by the mainstream. Sometimes I even call in.

Off to Work (!)

Today is the first day of my new job. Things may be quiet here for a while as I adjust to this new turn of events. I signed off as co-host of About Face yesterday. Here's what I said.

Today’s broadcast is my last as a co-host of About Face. I am leaving to take a full time position as a public policy research analys, a position that requires independence, non-partisanship and objective judgment. Although I believe that I can meet the position’s requirements and continue to actively support non-violence, economic justice and peace, a public role as a radio host may create an appearance of bias that could limit the credibility of my work. Because my new position offers a unique personal and professional opportunity, I am willing to accommodate myself to its requirements.

I make the change willingly but I will surely miss this microphone and the wonderful people who made it possible:
• my co-hosts Dennis and John who started this whole enterprise with their own ideas, initiative and money,
• Sean, the incredible engineer who makes it all happen every week.
• VFP Chapter 75
• KPHX radio and its sponsors
• You, our, loyal listeners

About Face has been more than a wonderful experience for me; it’s been fun, challenging, illuminating and personally satisfying. During the past two years, this program has brought you interesting guests and important information to challenge the collective amnesia and ignorance so prevalent in mainstream media. Working on this program opened doors for me that will never close. Today’s broadcast will not be my last. Expect me back on the air, somewhere, in some form at some time. This is too good to give up.

Leaving About Face does not change my adamant opposition to war and violence as an instrument of national policy. I will continue to petition my government for redress of this most serious grievance, this egregious violation of our national trust. I will continue to remind my fellow Americans about the dangers created by a permanent and growing militarization of our national life that serves big profits to unaccountable corporations while impoverishing Americans and destroying other nations. You bet I will keep speaking out.

Forty years ago, many of us opposed the Vietnam War and thought we had succeeded when the war ended. But we were wrong. We only ended one adventure. We did not stop the Monster; we only changed its trajectory--to Central and South America, AfricaIraq, Afghanistan and now Iran. Maybe China and Russia in the future. I can assure you that the Monster is alive, well and still hungry.

This time we must stop the Monster once and for all. In that cause, I am with you to the end.

Thanks for listening.

Radio News

About Face is moving to Sunday afternoons at 3:00 pm Arizona and Pacific time, 6:00 pm eastern time. A paying customer bought our Saturday air time, so we get bumped to an unsold time slot. We are welfare airtime Veterans For Peace. Our first Sunday broadcast will be 20 July.

It's also the second anniversary for About Face. Pretty amazing for a program that has no sponsors other than the station itselfand its general sponsorship after our chapter couldn't continue paying for airtime. KPHX has been very supportive throughout. To mark the change in time and the advent of a third year on air, we are planning a program of progressive music that celebrates economic justice, universal brotherhood and speaks out against war and exploitation. Requirements are that lyrics be suitable for broadcast radio, understandable to a general audience and that the music, or spoken word, address issues in an intelligent if not necessarily respectful or reverential manner. Humor and satire are always welcome. We have about 40 minutes (give or take) so four minutes is about average time.

The music program will be my penultimate appearance as co-host on About Face. I begin a full-time job on 28 July. I will more easily meet the job requirements for non-partisanship, independence, objectivity and professionalism if I do not co-host an media program associated in some minds with activist politics. I can live with the limit for a while and I do not plan to give up radio entirely. About Face has shown me how much fun it can be and I love having a microphone. I'm pretty sure I can do a program based on my work as a veterans advocate once I pass the certification test, which comes up in about 10 days. In the meantime, I can also get some studio experience in both audio and video. If I get enough good music for the upcoming About Face and we get a good response, I will see about doing a few of those during the year. Possibilities always exist and I welcome change. Whatever regrets I have about leaving About Face will fade as new opportunities arise.

My last About Face program will be 27 July. Our guest is Dr. Larry Crook, president of the Thai-Burma Border Health Initiative. Larry is an old friend and accomplished photographer from Gallup NM where he was chief of internal medicine at the Indian Health Service hospital there. Since retiring he worked with Doctors Without Borders on the Thai-Burma border and has now created a non-profit to address the continuing health needs of the distressed population there. It's not exactly a veterans issue but we think it definitely speaks to peace.

Radio Notes

This week on About Face our Topic is "Artists in a Time of War". The idea comes from Howard Zinn's collection of essays under that title. Zinn believes that artists can transcend the conventional thought to point out truths but he also notes that they often serve the conventional thought as well. My co-host, Dennis, and I will offer up our ideas about art and war. We've both been to war and we've both done things arguably resembling art so we'll have plenty to say. I am inviting any others who have thoughts on the matter to listen and call in. The topic could easily be presented as role of the blogger in times of war but then we'd have to ask if we transcend anything? About Face will stream at 1480kphx.com this Saturday from 5:00 to 6:00 pm Eastern (2:00 to 3:00 pm Pacific) time.

An About Face First is that we actually have a schedule for the entire month of March. Usually we maybe get a couple weeks ahead but never an entire month. Next week we'll address the militarization of American society and the following week will be devoted to Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan that will be taking place in Washington, DC. On March 24 Howard Zinn will be our guest and we can ask him about artists, war and militarized societies.

Also on line (and maybe even on air by now) is GI Voice Radio, a community radio station broadcasting to the Fort Lewis and McChord Air Base just north of Olympia. This is a project of local IVAW members with help from regional activists. The format is a mix of music and alternative information that will assist service members and their families to making honorable choices the many difficult decisions they face. You can listen here or check out the website here.

Politicians' Games

Today's About Face continued last week's discussion of immigration and why we, as veterans think it important to make a statement about the violence and hostility that characterizes much of our national discussion about immigration. You may recall that last week Dennis spoke out against politicians who use racial hatred to divide Americans. We had some interesting and sometimes disturbing responses that tell me not all our listeners heard what we said about hate.

John Henry said this in response.

First, let Dennis, Mark and John wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. A wonderful Happy Holiday for those not into the Christian aspect of the holiday. We love you all and wish you the best. Salude, Amor Y Paz.

Last week Dennis, Mark and I jumped into the immigration theme that is the top topic across this country. We received mixed emotions and comments from the listening audience. We plan to continue this debate this week, 22 December.
We are not discussing who is undocumented or who is documented. Who is coming across the border is not a major concern of ours. It is the hatred that is being generated and the profiling that is being used against a race of people in the United States. The police are beginning to use profiling in stopping people of Hispanic origin just as they did with the Middle Eastern after 9/11 and they did with the blacks. This practice is generating hate and violence against the Hispanic people. I could hear that sentiment in some of the listeners voices. So I am going to rant a little about this subject today!

Recently a young undocumented Mexican crossing the border gave up his chances for freedom when he came across a mother and son who had encountered an accident. The mother eventually died from the accident, in the arms of an immigrant, but the son survived thanks to the Mexican who came into our country illegally. Yet, in the paper, people here wanted him arrested, incarcerated , and handed the worst of punishments because he was Mexican. This is an excellent example of inhumanity. There seems to be no compassion in our hearts for our neighbors who are trying to find a better opportunity for their families. An opportunity that they seek in our rich country. Just as we did to the blacks, we are trying to generate hate and bigotry against our Hispanic neighbors. This is inhumane!

One of our listeners stated we should not be going after the undocumented but rather going after the government of Mexico, demanding they raise the standard of living and create better paying jobs for their citizens. She suggested that the United States and other wealthy countries should work together with Mexico and other improvised countries to help curtail the government corruption and bring about better paying jobs and fair labor practices. I tend to agree but I do not see that happening in the near future. I think it would be best addressed by the United Nations because I cannot see our government cooperating with others on this problem. Canada is accepting many of the fleeing immigrants from our country and giving them a living allowance plus housing for up to one year or until they get a job. Our country is targeting the immigrant and spewing hate and bigotry. That is inhumane!

One caller asked us to give one example of how the vigilantes are spreading hate and violence while protecting the border. I googled that subject and came up with examples of pistol whipping, stripping and beating, unlawful detention, name calling and many more. I did not find any examples of compassion. That is inhumane!
I also found evidence of the vigilantes being linked to the White Supremacist movement in the United States. That is not hard to find. It is hard to understand how people can be duped by fear and bigotry, by a few, into taking violent action against another race of people after we have spent decades of trying to improve our bigoted feelings of oppression and hate against the black race. What is wrong with us? Do we ever learn from our past mistakes? That is inhumane!

I know there are many who will not agree with me on this issue. We, the United States, are asking these undocumented to join the military and place their lives on line for a country who wishes to continue to spew hate and oppression against them. The first Hispanic who lost his life in Iraq was recruited off the streets of Mexico. Yet, recently, we sent an undocumented high school student, member of JROTC and an ambition to join the service, to his death in a hospital in Mexico because it might cost the wonderful citizens of this country a few dollars to help him. That my friends, is a case of heartlessness. They can die in a war for us but cannot get a break to improve their education, or get a chance to better their lives, or complete an honest day of work in our wealthy country without being subjected to hate and bigotry. That is inhumane! Has our country grown beyond compassion, caring, hope, and helping others in need? I hope not!

My response:

Listen up, people. This discussion is about fearmongering and deception. It’s not about stolen jobs, falling wages, changing culture or sacred property rights. Those issues only come up if you take your eye off the ball: the politicians’ Terror War against the American people. Last week Dennis expressed his dismay about politicians using hatred to turn people against one another. Period. He did not advocate or endorse any immigration policy. He only asked that violence and hatred against other human beings cease. As a combat veteran, he knows where that leads.

What Dennis spoke about is how the politicians terrorizing Americans to prevent US from discovering and acting in our common interest. It’s the politicians’ age-old game of divide and rule. Much of our so-called immigration debate is nothing more than this year’s version of the distortions that led this country to invade Iraq and pursue a disastrous military occupation. After five years of failed war, countless deaths and vast expenditures, the politicians needed a new distraction, something to divert Americans’ attention from their leaders’ complete failure as stewards of the public interest.

Immigrants are this season’s Beast, joining gays, militants, abortionists and that all-time favorite, the terrorist with his ticking time bomb. Immigrants are even better than terrorists for inciting fear. Immigrants, with and without legal documents, are everywhere in this country, visible to all the Americans who’ve seen good jobs move overseas and worry about their future, who see America at risk from the world. The Terrorists have only attacked a few times, overseas and not Americans, unless you count Iraqis in their homeland fighting foreign occupiers. But desperate Mexicans and other inhabitants of the Americas, seeking to escape dire circumstances in their homelands and earn a living where opportunity exists, are a constant reminder of the a dangerous world and the need for the Strong Daddy Protector. The swaggering figure in a flight suit who will somehow keep us all safe.

The politicians are only too happy to oblige our fears. They get votes and support for bigger budgets from Americans who are perpetually scared and uncertain. Our political leaders avoid the hard work of crafting real policy solutions to address difficult economic and social challenges. Divide and bamboozle works at any level, from George W. Bush and his sock puppets all the way down to the Joe Arpaio’s of this nation. Everybody and his dog has an opinion about immigrants and immigration, and far too much of that opinion is overtly and directly hostile to other human beings. Hatred is the evil spawn of our fear.

I grew up in the south during Jim Crow. I saw the hatred and violence. Later in life I saw learned how the capitalists, the banks and the white elites used racial division to keep blacks and poor whites from recognizing their common economic interests. Now we have a new underclass who are denied human rights and physically attacked so that the natural born native so-called Americans (who by the way, are not really native to this land) can somehow think they will be on the winning side of the increasing polarization of wealth created by economic and social policies that favor the few.

Politicians barking at immigrants will keep Americans from seeing their own economic peril until it’s too late. By then we’ll all have few good options, regardless of our legal status.

A permanent underclass is good only for the few who aren’t in danger of falling into it; nor is a permanent underclass good for the long term health of any society. Nor is increasing concentration of wealth. An economic system that creates a few winners and many more losers is inherently unstable, whether it be in a nation or the world. Karl Marx was right about that.

Immigration and economic relations among nations are national and international problems that requires effort, thought and goodwill from many national and international stakeholders. Exclusion, discrimination, hatred and violence are not even in the realm of solutions to economic displacement and its consequences. If you think undocumented immigration is a problem–and it is a significant economic and social challenge to America’s open society–then insist that Congress and the president do their job and create the required national and international solutions. Local laws, ordinances and restrictions aimed at any group are tragically beside the point and only serve to divide communities that should be seeking common interest.

But it all works for the politicians. They get elected. Their corporate buddies get rich and suppport the politicians , the rest of us get screwed. And some people become so scared that they must attack their fellow humans. That’s as foolish, pointless and just plain wrong as invading Iraq.

Callers today were very supportive. Maybe everybody else was already tuned out and we were preaching to the choir. Even so, I'm proud we took a stand in support of human dignity and brother and siserhood.

More and more I think of myself as a citizen of the world entitled to all of the human rights so eloquently declared by Thomas Paine in 1774 and adopted by the United Nations two centuries later. Nothing more. I also know that the exercise of those rights is only proper if I recognize the same rights in all others. The America that I love is that kind of nation.

Support This Troop!

Adam Kokesh has a blog, Sergeant Kokesh Goes to Washington, an account of the trials and activities of an anti-war veteran. Adam Kokesh is the inactive Marine reservist threatened with a downgraded discharge because wore his uniform in Operation First Casualty. I can't recommend it highly enough. His response to the offered plea agreement is an eloquent statement that shames the Marine bureaucracy in its attempts to silence a combat veteran. The photo of Sergeant Kokesh in full deployment regalia with flowers is a nice touch also. I already have a link to his organization, Iraq Veterans Against the War, and will add Sergeant Kokesh to my blogroll as well. In the meantime, tell every one you know.

Adam Kokesh will be my guest on this Sunday's About Face at 2:00 pm Eastern Time. Tune in at 1480 AM In the Large Amorphous Central Arizona Urban Area or on-line at 1480kphx.