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Sep

20

Update on 9/22 San Francisco anti-Iran protest


Earlier today, I posted an excerpt of this blog post which contained information about a coalition of individuals and groups in San Francisco who have scheduled a press conference, “to protest the Iranian nuclear threat and the appearance of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad scheduled next week at the United Nations.”  The information in the post goes on to say that certain speakers have been confirmed and one of the speakers they list is Ohio State Representative Josh Mandel.

I’ve been contacted by Rep. Mandel’s office and informed that he will not be in San Francisco for that event and is not speaking at that event and I appreciate being called and given that information.

In addition, I took issue with the information in the blog post that re-states Mandel’s role in Ohio pension divestment actions and asserts that he helped make divestment a requirement on the funds, despite there being no such requirement in Ohio law. I also took issue with Mandel being out of state given the news this week that our jobless rate has climbed to 7.4%.

To the extent the blog post is incorrect (that Mandel won’t be at the protest and that Ohio pension funds are not required to divest but are currently operating under a written agreement with Speaker of the Ohio House Jon Husted), I’ve urged Rep. Mandel’s office to please make contact with the blog author and get the item corrected since, as we know, the Internet has a life of its own once you start googling someone’s name.

What I didn’t ask but am checking on is whether Rep. Mandel is instead going to the New York rally called The Rally to Stop Iran (the one that Hillary Clinton was going to, then Sarah Palin was going to, then Clinton wasn’t and then Palin wasn’t). When I know, I’ll update.

Many thanks to Mandel’s office for contacting me – I’m sorry I forgot to follow up and ask about whether he’s going to NYC for the UN rally.

UPDATE: According to Rep. Mandel’s staff, he will not be at the UN rally either.  Thanks again for the assist.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 12:19 pm September 20th, 2008 in Foreign Affairs, OH17, Ohio, Politics, Voting 

Comments

4 Responses to “Update on 9/22 San Francisco anti-Iran protest”

  1. 1 Saint Michael Traveler on September 20th, 2008 12:29 pm

    Israeli Lobby to Destroy Iran Now

    The event is being organized once more by a coalition of American Jewish organizations, under the umbrella group the National Coalition to Stop Iran Now, or more appropriately, “Israeli Lobby to Destroy Iran Now”. The same type of rally was created last year when the President of Iran addressed the United Nations.
    These Israeli Lobby organizations are good at inciting fear, stirring up false hysteria. They used the same techniques prior to inciting Bush Administration to attack Iraq. They are using the same technique once more to create the illusion of fear from Iran.
    “Vice President Esfandiar Rahim Mashai said Iranians were friends of all people in the world – even Israelis published” reported by Haaretz.com, September 19, 2008. Further, it reported: “On Thursday, Ahmadinejad stood by Mashai again, saying Iran is not against Israelis, though he stopped short of calling them friends. We don’t have a problem with people. But in no way do we recognize the Zionist regime, he said.”
    Why Israeli Lobby would not worry about USA and create a rally in front of the USA Congress about the issues affecting this nation? I don’t find Iran to be the issue at this time. The issues for USA are poor economy, broken infrastructure, exported professional jobs, lack of medical insurance for many Americans, homelessness, and over burdened borrowing from other nations.

  2. 2 Oengus on September 20th, 2008 2:18 pm

    I would say that the future has alternative paths and that you can through your action bring about one of them?

    Series in motion, if this happen then this may happen or if we do this then this will results or not result based on our actions.

    Then you could say be careful what you believe is inevitable, because you may in fact bring it about.

    That’s the big issue and interesting how Iran timed its announcement.

    I believe in the big bang and pretty much the end comes with the same, this is end of day enactment a drama being acted out. Who wrote the drama…god?

    You may want the gun for protection and to hunt for food, but the books you will end up burning those for fuel.

    Do you think that the far right Muslims will respect a rally in the stereotype of a gay city? In a gay park, a proclaimed gay park? Do think the people that cover their bodies to suppress sexual desire will ever respect leather chaps and nipple rings? You do not just expect it you will demand it? Good luck with that approach.

  3. 3 Jill Miller Zimon on September 20th, 2008 2:34 pm

    St. Michael Traveler – thanks for the comment. I agree that all the things you list at the end of the comment are, indeed, problems facing Americans that I would like addressed. I don’t think Iran as a general matter that must always be considered should be off the table – I just think people are pushing it and wanting to apply the Bush Doctrine to it – trying to say that there’s enough evidence to support military action based on the existential threat – I don’t agree with that approach at this time.

  4. 4 Jill Miller Zimon on September 20th, 2008 2:37 pm

    Oengus I agree with most of what you say here, esp. the part about the coalition and what will its impact be.

    But more so, I’m really, really REALLY unhappy that MY local state rep. is taking time and money (whose? hopefully the SF groups I guess) to go to San Francisco in the middle of a financial crisis as well as increasingly high unemployment in Ohio – where is the attention to domestic issues and OHIO issues that the rep. promised/promises?

    That is the thing that really really irks me. The GOP is working to build up his rising star cred (and give him more foreign experience than Sarah Palin which indeed does have just by virtue of having been in the military) but building the foundation on the myth of his divestment legislation effort – which did NOT result in any Ohio law or requirements. Sigh. Whatever. I’ve voiced my concerns to Rep. Mandel before about his integrity and reputation. He has choices to make and he makes them. I’m just a constituent expressing my opinion about those choices – here and at the voting booth.

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