le

Date: Thu, 8 Sep 2005 14:30:58 -0500 (EST)
From: Complacent Nation <nation@complacent.org>
To: complacent@complacent.org
Subject: vs. Revelations


"An idea, to be suggestive, must come to the individual with
the force of Revelation."
- William James

For the past eight days we have been living loud at the
festival on fire that is Burning Man. Building a city of
art and decadence with 30,000 like minds feels like the
culmination of our counter culture community - a ritual for
the self inspired - a pilgrimage - a Revelation.

But 2,485 miles a true Revelation was rippling from the hell
that is New Orleans underwater. The headlines are unreal.
The destruction is catastrophic. The failure of the
authorities is absolute and unforgivable.

Now, as the water recedes we realize these Revelations:

Revelation I : New Orleans is a homicide.

This catastrophe is beyond a simple twist of fate; this
is a predicted and preventable cataclysm. Engineers, city
managers and journalists had warned specifically of the
dangers of not improving the levees of New Orleans. Instead
of heading this warning the Bush administration diverted
money and expertise to the wasted war in Iraq. The crime
here is beyond negligence it is mass murder.
Details: http://www.alternet.org/story/25114/


Revelation II : New Orleans is a harbinger.

This event stands with other recent preventable tragedies
including September 11th, the genocide in Darfur and the
Iraq War. Unless we impeach (and criminally prosecute) our
failed leadership we will be at the mercy of known cataclysms
to come (ie. another terrorist attack, the end of oil.)
Details: http://www.alternet.org/story/25175/


Revelation III : New Orleans is a victim of war.

National Guard troops should have been evacuating New
Orleans but instead are being slaughtered in Iraq. Federal
funds that are needed for the remaking of our native city
have been spent on unmaking a brutalized Baghdad. Now
the design comes full circle as Halliburton "bids" again
on rebuilding projects for a broken New Orleans.
Details: http://www.alternet.org/story/25107/

Revelation IV : You deserve to be fucking furious.

Revelation V : The fix is up to us.

This government is offering us nothing but contempt. We
must band together and marshall our own sweat blood and
money to help save the victims of katrina.

This Saturday, we are flying from New York City to Houston
Texas to help with the relief effort on the ground. We will
be sending further updates to this list with specific
information on what is needed where and how best to
alleviate the pain that has struck so many.

Below are various grassroots relief efforts that
need your support right now.

"It came home to me indelibly that I was never going to
change anything in America by walking around carrying a
sign. It was a great Revelation. It saved me a lot of
anxiety and a lot of wasted energy."
- Peter Coyote

________________________________

Community Labor United

It is time to give voice to the community - now a Diaspora -
hardest hit by the hurricane. TrueMajority is working with
Community Labor United(CLU), a coalition of community groups
that for nine years has worked in what are now the
hardest-hit neighborhoods of New Orleans.

The leaders of CLU have set up a People's Hurricane Fund
that will be directed and administered by New Orleans
evacuees.

Donate directly online at:
https://secure.truemajority.org/03/katrina

More information on the fund:
http://www.wbai.org/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=
6746

________________________________


The Direct Action Welfare Group

D.A.W.G. is a group comprised of current and former benefit
recipients and concerned individuals who come together to
share information and ideas and to advocate for each other,
their neighbors, and themselves. Through a unified voice people
living in poverty will be heard. Our purpose is to promote
social justice and to empower former and current public assistance
recipients and persons living in poverty by providing them
with the knowledge, and the tools to change their lives.

Details:
http://www.geocities.com/itsdadawg

Please help us help low-income families in New Orleans by
sending a contribution to DAWG's Welfare Rights Fund.
Donations are tax deductible.
Send a check payable to DAWG to:

WRO Fund
c/o DAWG
PO Box 20079
Charleston, WV 25362

________________________________


Direct Action To Bring Relief Supplies:

The Malcolm X Grassroots Movement is sponsoring a FOOD &
CLOTHING DRIVE! Our people in the South need our help. We
Cannot wait for or assume Red Cross will take care of our
People. There are thousands of refugees from New orleans in
HOUSTON, TX. Several large Black Churches have opened their
Doors to displaced people.

What we need today are: towels, sheets, diapers, water,
tooth brushes, tooth paste, soap, air mattresses, and cash
donations.

Bring All Donated Goods And Cash To:

The Malcolm X Grassroots Movement
388 Atlantic Avenue, 4th Fl.
Between Hoyt And Bond St.
(718) 254-8800


________________________________


New Orleans Benefit Party Friday:

REFUGEES FOR REFUGEES

Friday September 9, 2005
Alwan Center for the Arts
16 Beaver St @ Broadway
Way Down Town
6:30pm 'till much later
Donate: $20 ($10 low income)

Featuring: Gamal Chasten, Nigel Parry, Kathleen Chalfant, DJ
Rekha, Danny Shot, Tara Betts, Maysoon Zayid, Negin Farsad,
Una Osato, Henry Chalfant, Lemon, Denise de la Cruz,
Rashideh Ismaili, Bahia Munem, Rosa Clemente, DJ K-Salaam,
Rosemari Mealy, Christian Ericson, Omar Hammad, Kouross
Esmaeli, Zohra Saed

Hosted by Suheir Hammad
Special co-hosts: Kathy Engel & Mahdis Keshavarz

Monetary Donations will benefit the People's Hurricane Fund
Clothing Donations will be given to Malcolm X Grassroots
Movement

Directions:
Subway: 4,5 Bowling Green R,W Whitehall
2,3 Wall Street J,M Broad Street 1,9 South Ferry

________________________________

Revelations need not mean the end, it simply signifies
profound change.
____________________________________