I am writing because I feel our country has been held hostage for too long by the military-industrial complex and groups who want constant military escalation with other countries, to the detriment of our life and limb, economy and image. We need to project a softer and more cost-effective image of US power abroad.

Another war would be very hard on our country. If talks would work it would raise our standing in the world as a country not always using bombs to get our way. Watching Iran carefully for 6 months while we work toward a settlement is not too much to ask.

The challenges posed by these negotiations are great enough without burdening them with further, probably deal-breaking, conditions. The point is to avoid war AND keep Iran from having nuclear weapons, not to make a war more likely - which is what Cantor's resolution is likely to do.

There has never been a better opportunity to free Alan Gross from imprisonment in Havana. When laws and goals of two nations conflict, negotiation is the only realistic path, as undertaken regularly by the US, Israel and other countries that seek return of detained agents. Alan, Judy and two-thirds of the Senate have asked his employer, the Obama Administration, to take action on Alan's behalf. ****************** From an article in Florida's Sun Sentinel: Judy Gross is frustrated with the lack of help she feels she has not gotten from Washington. Gross said in a statement: "I am angry at the U.S. Government for its lack of response in working toward bringing Alan home. For four years, we have had meeting after meeting with the State Department, and the National Security Council. Each meeting ultimately ended the same way — with patronizing comments, with empty promises and ultimately with no action … The White House has refused to speak to me or Alan's legal team for four years. I didn't even qualify for a form letter one usually gets after writing to the President. "I do know that there are those in Congress with hatred so strong toward Cuba that they are willing to let Alan rot in prison. This way of thinking has failed to bring Alan home for four years and is a death sentence for Alan. … I urge all South Florida residents to send messages and meet with Senator Mark Rubio, CongresswomanDebbie Wasserman Schultz, Congresswoman Ilena Ros-Lethinen and Congressman Mario Dias-Balart. … We need to try something different or Alan will die in prison." ****************** From a letter to the President by sixty-six members of the US Senate: "We urge you to act expeditiously to take whatever steps are in the national interest to obtain his release, and we stand ready to support your Administration in pursuit of this worthy goal." ****************** The President needs broad support to overcome special interests that prefer Alan remain a symbol, separated from his family, if the means of his release does not accommodate hostility to their country of origin. For additional background, visit http://thehavananote.com/2013/12 /could_alan_gross_be_home_holidays and http://thehavananote.com/2013/12/do_it_mr_president_do_it

President Obama's administration has reached an interim nuclear deal with Iran which will prevent war and relieve any fears that Iran might build a nuclear weapon. The people of Massachusetts don't want more sanctions or war, they want diplomacy to succeed. We need Senators Markey and Warren to speak out in favor of diplomacy and against more sanctions.

We need to do something abut this in our country we need to make sure that our people reviser the best of treatment in Saudi Arabia as Saudis want to reviser from us in our country , and we need to be totally clear with the Saudi government and their people ,that we will not tolerant any level or kind of injustices to our people in there country, they will not get one single thing more in our country then we get in their country.

Breaking news: House majority leader Eric Cantor is working on a hawkish bill that would torpedo President Obama's interim agreement with Iran by setting unrealistic goals for the final deal. If he succeeds he’ll tie President Obama’s hands, destroy negotiations and edge us closer to another senseless conflict in the Middle East. This isn't a fringe bill - it's one that is gaining ground amongst Democratic members of the House and if we do nothing will become bipartisan*. We know diplomacy works - we've seen it in action over the last few weeks. The good news is we can squelch Eric Cantor’s plans by helping make sure our representatives do the right thing and support the President’s diplomatic efforts with Iran. We know that public pressure when it comes to foreign policy works - after all it was everyday people like you and me taking action that helped ensure that military action wasn’t on the table with Syria. Now we have a chance to not just fight back against a potential conflict - but to proactively build peace and diplomacy. This bill could hit the house floor as soon as next week. If we don't act now Congress could shatter the deal with Iran now and we would lose this once in a generation opportunity. The interim deal with Iran is a win for everyone - Iran has agreed to opening itself up to the potential of daily inspections and in turn the US has offered some relief from sanctions**. That’s why 64% of the American public, 100 rabbis and leading military and national security experts support the President’s diplomatic path with Iran***. By publicly pushing our representatives to do the right thing and support the President’s diplomatic path with Iran we show solidarity with everyday Iranians. A new poll released today showed that for many Iranians building democracy is their highest priority*. Notable activists have repeatedly said that the best way to support their work is by working towards diplomacy and the reduction of sanctions**. Diplomacy with Iran - is the best way for us to support change makers in Iran and in our national interest. Please sign this petition urging your representatives to back President Obama when it comes to Iran. *Fears mount that Dems will undermine White House on Iran. December 6, Washington Post blogs. *Cantor pushing for bill to define Iran deal, National Journal, December 3. **We have a deal with Iran, a good one. Slate. November 24. ***Americans support an Iran deal 2:1, Washington Post, November 20; 100-plus sign Rabbini call: “step by step towards shalom with Iran”, The Shalom center, November 24; Military and National Security Leaders Agree, American Security Project, November 26. *Iranians lukewarm on Rouhani, oppose Syria intervention, Logelog, December 6. **An Open Letter to President Hollande on the Geneva Talks, Iran Wire, November 20; Iranian

"The Dominican Republic’s highest court has taken away the citizenship rights of children of Haitian migrants born after 1929, meaning that more than 210,000 Dominican-born children of Haitian descent could be deported by next year. "-- From the article "Dominican Republic Revokes Citizenship for Haitian Children" by Esther Yu-Hsi Lee, Thinkprogress Sept. 30, 2013 edition.

Many Congressional Republicans have sharply attacked the historic agreement with Iran to curtail its nuclear program negotiated by President Obama, Secretary of State Kerry, and other members of the UN Security Council. Many leading Congressional Democrats, including Senator Feinstein (chair of the Senate intelligence committee), Sen. Levin (chair of the Senate armed services committee), Senator Boxer, Senator Durbin, and Senator Rockefeller have endorsed and defended the deal. But so far, Senator Elizabeth Warren, a leading progressive voice in the Senate, has not made a public statement about the deal. This is surprising because earlier this year, Senator Warren pushed strongly in the Senate to make sure that U.S. sanctions on Iran would support negotiations with Iran and not undermine them. Urge Senator Warren to add her voice to Congressional Democrats endorsing and defending President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry’s diplomacy with Iran. References: List of Congressional statements in favor of the deal: http://fcnl.org/issues/middle_east/members_of_congress_back_iran_deal/ Senator Warren’s statement in June: Video Release: Sen. Warren Stresses Importance of Structuring Iran Sanctions to Encourage Negotiation http://www.warren.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=144 UPDATE: Senator Warren endorsed the deal. Read about it here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/senator-elizabeth-warren-_b_4437313.html

Have you seen the INSANE things that opponents of US-Iran diplomacy have been saying? Representative Duncan Hunter (R-CA) - a sitting member of the House Armed Services committee - said today that the U.S. SHOULD NUKE IRAN. (View the video here: http://bit.ly/1aAbBYn) At a time when the U.S. and Iran have entered historic talks to achieve a peaceful resolution to PREVENT the threat of more nuclear weapons, Hunter opposes the talks and instead wants to start a nuclear war. Hunter says the nuclear military option must be on the table and should include a “massive aerial bombardment campaign” utilizing “tactical nuclear devices” to set Iran “back a decade or two or three.” The American people do not want war, we want our leaders to utilize the power of diplomacy to peacefully resolve the standoff with Iran. We cannot be silent when our elected leaders condone the use of nuclear weapons and the killing of thousands of innocent Iranians. Take a moment to send a strong message to Rep. Hunter that will resonate with all our elected officials.

I am asking you to sign this petition to urge President Obama, Secretary of State, John Kerry and others to do everything in their power to stop the destruction of Susya, a Palestinian village in the West Bank. Demolition orders are to be executed on December 24th, 2013. I lived in Israel for eight years and traveled throughout the West Bank including the village of Susya many times. I have witnessed first-hand the oppressive and inhumane conditions imposed on Palestinians by Israeli military occupation. The confiscation of Palestinian lands to make way for Jewish settlements, destruction of homes, violence against men, women and children, and other human rights violations are not only against International law, but all laws of human decency. The residents of Susya have submitted five different versions of a master plan to Israeli authorities in an attempt to remain on their ancestral lands. Every plan has been rejected for obvious political reasons. Mr. President, on behalf of peace-loving peoples everywhere, we urge you to use all necessary means immediately to stop the demolition of yet another Palestinian village and the displacement of its residents .

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a global trade agreement being secretly negotiated between the US and 12 Pacific Rim countries. Primarily written by former US Trade Representative Ron Kirk, 600 multinational corporations and industry trade groups, the TPP will affect nearly every aspect of Americans’ lives. If passed, it will undermine state, local and federal laws, including those governing food safety, environmental protection, internet freedom, worker rights, democratic sovereignty, healthcare and drug prices, and banking and finance regulation. If passed, the TPP will be a disaster for public health and safety, future sustainability of the world’s food supply and basic democratic principles. Although 600 corporate executives have the text of the agreement on their office computers, only one US Congressman Alan Grayson has seen the text. When asked why it was being negotiated in secret, Ron Kirk, the former US trade negotiator said, "Because if the people knew what was in it, it would never be passed." Billed as a "free trade" agreement, only five of the 29 chapters actually relate to trade. It is really a rigged trade agreement, a corporate power grab so massive that if implemented, it would represent a global corporate coup d'etat making corporations more powerful than governments. After viewing some of the text, Congressman Grayson said, "This agreement hands the sovereignty of our country over to corporate interests." It’s bad enough that Congress and the public have been shut out of these negotiations, while corporations are running the show. But even worse, the Obama Administration wants to ram the TPP through Congress using a Nixon-era process called Fast Track. On November 13, three-quarters of House Democrats sent a letter informing the President that they would oppose Fast Track procedures he has requested that would allow the TPP to circumvent ordinary Congressional review, amendment and debate procedures. “We will oppose Fast Track Trade Promotion Authority or any other mechanism delegating Congress’ constitutional authority over trade policy that continues to exclude us from having a meaningful role in the formative stages of trade agreements,” they wrote. On November 25, the day of President Obama's two high dollar fundraisers, a TPP protest rally was held in a Beverly Hills park with six speakers from labor, environmental, health and food safety organizations. Then 250 people marched to the site of the fundraiser. None of the commuters stuck in rush hour traffic who spoke to protesters had heard of the TPP. When it was explained to them, they were eager to take a flyer. While the Los Angeles Times sent a photographer and a single photo was published, not one of the seven reporters who were sent the press release chose to cover this event, including the two who were embedded with Obama. Further, there has been scant news reporting or editorial comment about the Trans-Pacific Partnership in LA's paper of record. Of the four pieces published in all the four years this agreement has been negotiated, there has not been one article that examines this trade deal in detail. Of the four pieces published, one was an Op Ed puff piece by Secretary of State John Kerry, who is bound to push the Obama Adminstration's agenda. The second piece was a letter to the editor in response from representatives from the Sierra Club and the Communications Workers of America. Another article was coverage of Commerce Secretary's recent trip to Mexico where she responded to questions about the TPP, statements which were left unchallenged by the reporter. Again the Secretary is bound to represent the White House view. And finally there was one lone letter to the editor opposing Fast Track. For an agreement that affects 40% of the world's economy and so many spheres of our lives, this lack of reportage is an egregious violation of the public trust. By its paucity of coverage, the LA Times is blatantly and knowingly neglecting its obligation to provide accurate, well researched and balanced news and opinion about vital government practices. This disregard for the responsibilities of journalism translates to corporate control of what the public may know, or more simply, censorship. The LA Times should abide by the implied social contract with its readers which dictates thorough and up to date journalism about significant local and world events. Times must recognize the importance of the TPP story and begin regular news coverage. The Times is also obligated to allow its readers to be heard by publishing editorial comment on the TPP. Background info on the Trans-Pacific Partnership: www.exposetheTPP.org www.flushtheTPP.org http://billmoyers.com/episode/full-show-the-top-secret-trade-deal-you-need-to-know-about/