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8:00-8:01 Billboard:
The United States is “the greatest purveyor of violence
in the world today”: We hear from Rev. Martin Luther
King Jr.’s speak out against the Vietnam War on the
35th anniversary of his assassination and talk with the Rev.
James Lawson on MLK & war
We don’t do body counts” says Gen. Tommy Franks:
To counter the Pentagon’s refusal to track civilian
casualties we talk with the founders of iraqbodycount.net
Saying no to war: Stephen Funk becomes one of the country’s
first conscientious objectors since the Iraq invasion
Don’t fight in this illegal war: British MP George
Galloway explains why he is telling soldiers to resist orders
in Iraq
8:01-8:06 Headlines
8:06-8:07 One Minute Music Break
8:07-8:30 THE UNITED STATES IS “THE GREATEST PURVEYOR
OF VIOLENCE IN THE WORLD TODAY”: WE HEAR FROM REV. MARTIN
LUTHER KING JR.’S SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE VIETNAM WAR
ON THE 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS ASSASSINATION AND TALK WITH
THE REV. JAMES LAWSON ON MLK & WAR
It was 35 years ago today in Memphis, April 4 1968 when
the Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King was assassinated outside his
hotel room. Memorials are being held across the country this
weekend to commemorate King.
April 4 is the anniversary of another significant but lesser
known date in MLK’s life. It was on this date, in 1967,
exactly one year before he was killed, King appeared at Riverside
Church in New York City. He outlined why he opposed the Vietnam
War. It would become known as his “Beyond Vietnam”
address.
Today we will listen to another speech of King’s against
the Vietnam War given shortly after his Riverside Church address.
He would call the United States "the greatest purveyor
of violence in the world today” and note that “A
nation that continues year after year to spend more money
on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching
spiritual death.”
Tape: Rev. Martin Luther King
Well today in Harlem, the Riverside Church is celebrating
the anniversary of King’s “Beyond Vietnam”
speech with an anti-war funeral procession that will proceed
from Grant’s Tomb on 122nd Street down to Bryant Park
near Times Square.
Caskets will be carried to represent those who lose and
what is lost in war: one for everyone who has already died,
another for those who are not yet dead, one for the civilians
who die in the war, another for the loss of social betterment
programs because of war, another for combatants, one for international
laws that are ignored, another for the civil liberties, and
finally a casket for the children who live in a violence filled
world with fewer resources than needed.
On Saturday, the recently formed Black Solidarity Against
the War Coalition is also hosting a permitted march through
Harlem.
- Rev. James Lawson, president of the SCLC, Los Angeles
chapter and former mentor to Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Nellie Hester, organizer with Black Solidarity Against
the War Coalition
8:30-8:40 WE DON’T DO BODY COUNTS” SAYS GEN.
TOMMY FRANKS: TO COUNTER THE PENTAGON’S REFUSAL TO TRACK
CIVILIAN CASUALTIES WE TALK WITH THE FOUNDERS OF IRAQBODYCOUNT.NET
“We don’t do body counts”
That is the quote from Gen. Tommy Franks that appears at
the top of one of the most talked about news sites covering
the invasion of Iraq.
The site is Iraqbodycount.net.
It attempts to tally the total number of civilians killed
in the invasion. The site estimates between 574 and 733 Iraqi
civilians have died since the attack began.
We are joined today with the site’s founder.
- Hamit Dardagan, co-founder of the Iraq Body Count Project
from Turkey; grew up in UK.
Link: www.iraqbodycount.net
‘8:40-8:41One Minute Music Break
8:41-8:50 SAYING NO TO WAR: STEPHEN FUNK BECOMES ONE OF
THE COUNTRY’S FIRST CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS SINCE THE
IRAQ INVASION
Stephen Funk surrendered to military authorities on Tuesday
and declared himself a conscientious objector. The 20 year-old
Marine reservist had been on unauthorized absence for weeks
after refusing to report when called up to active duty.
The Marines have assigned him to desk duty in San Jose while
his case proceeds.
Funk enlisted last February when he was 19 and living on
his own for the first time. Since his training he has gone
to every major antiwar rally in the San Francisco Bay Area.
He is the first American conscientious objector from the
Iraq invasion.
We are joined now by Stephen Funk and his lawyer, Stephen
Collier.
- Stephen Funk, the 20 year-old Marine reservist in California
who declared himself a conscientious objector.
- Stephen Collier, lawyer for Stephen Funk the 20-year-old
Marine reservist in California who declared himself a conscientious
objector.
8:45-8:58 DON’T FIGHT IN THIS ILLEGAL WAR: BRITISH
MP GEORGE GALLOWAY EXPLAINS WHY HE IS TELLING SOLDIERS TO
RESIST ORDERS IN IRAQ
Two British soldiers have been sent home and may face disciplinary
action after objecting to the conduct of the Iraq invasion.
They were returned to Britain on the eve of the war when
they expressed concerns the offensive was in breach of the
UN charter and for protesting that the war is killing innocent
civilians.
The soldiers have been identified as a private and an air
technician from 16 Air Assault Brigade, a frontline unit that
has been engaged in heavy fighting in southern Iraq.
British authorities said the soldiers were ordered home
on "medical and/or compassionate grounds" but denied
the two had refused to fight.
Joining us now is Robert Norton-Taylor a journalist from
the Guardian who reported on the story.
- George Galloway, British Labor MP
- Richard Norton-Taylor, Guardian reporter who wrote article
about British soldiers being sent home after protesting
at civilian deaths.
8:58-8:59 Outro and Credit
9:00-9:01 Billboard:
“Perhaps your listeners do expect a 50-50 balance at
this stage over whether there ought to be a war or not, but
in my view it is just not the relevant question”: We
spend the hour with CNN’s Aaron Brown who discusses
the network’s coverage of the anti-war movement, the
sanitization of the war in Iraq and why he feels this is an
inappropriate time for reporters to ask questions about war.
9:01-9:08 Headlines
9:08-9:09 One Minute Music Break
9:09-9:20 AN HOUR WITH CNN’S AARON BROWN ON THE NETWORK’S
COVERAGE OF THE ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT, THE SANITIZATION OF THE
WAR IN IRAQ AND WHY HE FEELS THIS IS AN INAPPROPRIATE TIME
FOR REPORTERS TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT WAR.
We are joined now by Aaron Brown, CNN's lead anchor during
breaking news and special events as well as anchor of NewsNight
He worked previously, was as anchor of ABC's World News Tonight
Saturday and reported for World News Tonight with Peter Jennings,
Nightline and other ABC news broadcasts.
We are also joined by Steve Rendall, senior analysts at
Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting.
We spend the hour talking about coverage of the anti-war
movement, the sanitization of the war in Iraq and why Brown
feels this is an inappropriate time for reporters to ask questions
about war.
Full transcript coming soon….
Guest: Aaron Brown, CNN Newsnight
Guest: Steve Rendall , senior analyst at FAIR,
Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting
9:19-9:20 One Minute Music Break
9:20-9:40 AARON BROWN PT 2
9:40-9:41 One minute music break
9:41-9:58 AARON BROWN PT 3
9:58-9:59 Outro and Credits
For a copy of today’s program, call 1 (800) 881 2359.
Our website is www.democracynow.org.
Our email address is mail@democracynow.org.
Democracy Now! is produced by Kris Abrams, Mike Burke, Angie
Karran, Ana Nogueira and Elizabeth Press. Mike Di Filippo
is our music maestro and engineer.
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