Hi everyone, the elections were great in a lot of ways, but of course we all know that the changes this country needs still aren’t going to happen without a continued struggle.  In fact, I’d say now is the best time to get involved because the political center of gravity has shifted and we finally have a chance to have our progressive voices heard!  Please check out this weeks’ events, and check down at the bottom of the message for a chance to discuss how people can respond to the upsetting passage of Proposition 8 in California.

(of course, I understand if some of you need a break!)

This week’s events:

Monday, November 10.  Today is the first day of Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week (HAW) at WashU, put on by the great campus group Alliance of Students Against Poverty.  You can get the full schedule of events for the week here.

Tuesday, Nov. 11. at 11 AM at the St. Louis Art Museum.  WashU Professor Angela Miller will be discussing “Blind Spots: Women and Minority Artists in Abstract Expressionism.”  Meet at the information center; more info is at this link.

Also Tuesday, The Multicultural Center at Webster University is sponsoring a panel on “International Humanitarian Law, Human Rights, and Armed Conflict.”  The event is from 6 to 7:30 in the Sunnen Lounge and you can RSVP at this link.

Also Tuesday, at 7 PM at UMSL at the Provencial House on campus, will be the campus’s Take Back the Night.  Here’s the message from one of the organizers:

“Join us as we march from the circle drive outside of Provencial House to the patio of the MSC in a show of support and solidarity for all those who have been victims of violence. Take Back the Night has inspired both women and men to confront a myriad of social ills, including rape, sexual violence, domestic violence, violence against children, and violence against women. The unifying theme throughout these diverse topics is the assertion that all human beings have the right to be free from violence, the right to be heard, and the right to reclaim those rights if they are violated. Upon arrival at the MSC we will have cocoa and cookies and allow survivors a chance to speak about their experiences.”

Wednesday, Nov 12 at 6 PM in the Anheuser-Busch Hall Cullenbine Classroom (room 305) at WashU, NARAL will be sponsoring a talk on how Missouri’s Legal System Fails Pregnant minors.  Details are here.

Also Wednesday, Faith Aloud, formerly the Missouri religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, is sponsoring a post-elecion debrief on “What Happened and What do we do now?”  The event starts at 7 PM at The Wine Press on 4436 Olive and you can RSVP at this link.

Thursday, Nov 13.  On the 25-year anniversary of the U.S. Catholic Bishop’s pastoral letter, “The Challenge of Peace,” SLU will be hosting a panel on that very topic.  It looks like a great lineup, so check out this link for more info.

Also Thursday. At the Schlafly branch library you can, listen and share resources and stories to strengthen awareness and education around Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender families in the St. Louis region.  This also has a great looking lineup; check it out here.

Also Thursday.  The St. Louis Chapter of the NORML will meet this Thursday, November 13, 2008 from 7:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. at the Indian Trails branch of the St. Louis County Library, located at 8400 Delport.  This obviously isn’t an issue you hear politicians talk about very much, especially in Missouri, but it is absolutely staggering when you see the statistics of how many people have been thrown in prison for something so trivial.

Also Thursday. The filmmaker will be in town to discuss the movie “USA vs Al-Arian”, a documentary about the terrorism trail of an accused South Florida professor who was placed in solitary confinement for over five years, despite the fact that no guilty verdict was ever returned from the jury.  You can find out more and RSVP here.

Friday, Nov 14.  St. Louis Rebuilding Together is hosting “ArtFix” at the Mad Art Gallery (2727 S 12th St.) from 7 PM to 11 PM.  The event is a fundraiser for a group that assists low-income homeowners with their home repairs.  Details here

Saturday, Nov. 15.  At 10 AM, starting in front of Brookings Hall at Washington University, will be the first annual “Miles for Mamba” event.  The event raises money for medication and food for malnourished children in Haiti, and you can find out more at the facebook page.

Also Saturday.  3 PM to 5:30 PM at the Carpenter Branch Library at 3309 South Grand, Veterans for Peace are hosing a Town Hall Meeting on “Life on the Edge of a Bubble: How Long Can We Hold On?”  that will focus on the current economic crises and the role of the “free market.”

Also Saturday, Public Tour Days at the Earthway’s Center; check it out here.

Sunday, Nov. 16. ROAR (Resources for Organized Animal Rescue) is hosting a fundraiser at Dressel’s Pub from 2 to 6 PM.  You can find out more at http://www.roarstl.org/ .

Also Sunday, another cool-looking fundraiser is going to be at BB’s Jazz Blues and Soups.  The event, “More Than Words,” will raise money for homeless veterans, and features the Bottoms Up Blues Gang, the Sins of the Pioneers , Tom Hall, Raw Earth (with the Aalim dancers), Tommy Holloran, and more.  Get the details at the IOW calendar.

Finally, I mentioned above that California passed Proposition 8 which banned same-sex marriage in the state.  On the discussion board and wall of our group, you can find a proposal for a protest outside of the Mormon Church in St. Louis, since the Mormon Church donated about $15 million dollars to pass Prop. 8.  This seems like a pretty dicey issue, and I personally am not in favor of protesting the church for a lot of reasons, but at the same time I think there is something very wrong with what happened in California.  I feel like we should have some response to Prop 8 in St. Louis (though, like I said, I don’t like the idea of protesting a church), so I’m hoping some good ideas will come out on the discussion boards.

Have a fun and meaningful week,

Adam