Chicago Sun-Times
March 22, 2004

By Andrew Herrmann  Staff Reporter

Plan to Name Park after Anarchist Draws Fire

Bad blood between Chicago police and Lucy Parsons continues - 60 years after her death.

Parsons, a feisty mixed-race reformer who described police as "organized bandits" and "minions of the oppressing class," was an anarchist and wife of a man executed in connection with a cop killing in 1886.

The Chicago Park District is proposing to name a ppark for her on the Northwest Side as a recognition of her efforts on behalf of workers, women and African Americans.

The head of the Chicago police union is objecting, dismissing her as "a woman whose historic roots come from the defense of her husband."

In a letter to Park District board members, Mark P. Donohue, president of the local Fraternal Order of Police, said he is "disappointed and disheartened" over the nomination.

"Chicago's long and varied history has provided it with a depth of talent throughout the times,"  writes Donahue.  The Parsons pick  "lacks the depth and richness of the Chicago experience."

The proposed Lucy Elia Gonzales Parsons Park, at 4712 W. Belmont, is part of a larger city effort to recognize more women in a system where only 27 of 555 parks are named for females.

Parons' husband, Albert, was hanged Nov. 11, 1887, after being convicted, along with seven other men, in the death of Police Officer Mathias Degnan at the infamous Haymarket Riot in May of 1886.  The officer was killed in the explosion of a bomb likely hurled by one of the marchers who had gathered to hear Albert Parsons and others preach workers rights.  In all, eight police officers died from riot injuries, and 60 cops were injured.

Prosecutors were unable to link Albert Parsons, who advocated overthrow of the government, directly to the death of Degnan.  But jurors were convinced he helped instigate the incident at Des Plaines and Randolph on the Near West Side, said Mindy Spitzer, a Haymarket expert at the Chicago Historical Society.

At his trial, prosecutors offered vitriolic writings by Lucy Parsons, including a newspaper article titled "A Word to Tramps," in which she advised the underclass to "avail yourselves of those little methods of warfare which Science has placed in the hands of the poor man" - dynamite.  "Learn the use of explosives," she wrote, and "...you will become a power in this or any other land."

Historians generally conclude Albert Parsons was caught in the furor of the times, when big business and a budding labor movement were at often violent odds, with police officers serving as the army of what Lucy Parsons derided as "the boss class."

Her name was suggested by Chicago Parks historian Julia Bachrach, a parks spokesman said.  In the nominating papers, her anarchist past is noted and she is touted for her work as a union organizer.

"She wasn't named because she was Albert Parsons' wife,"  said parks spokesman Julian Green.  "Lucy Parsons promoted women's, labor and civil rights in Chicago.  She was highly regarded by Jane Addams and other social reformers."

Spiter said Parsons saw the "capitalist system as a very violent system,"  Though there is no evidence they called for violence at Haymarket, they had "encouraged people to attack the police," said Spitzer.
"Let the voice of the people be heard!"
last words of Albert Parsons on the gallows
21 March 2015 

The 3 Building Blocks of Mental Health

Meeting # 3,317 - mental health practitioner Dan Bader - programs includes powerpoint presentation

The speaker states: 'The presentation will discuss mental health from a public health/prevention point of view. Important aspects of emotion management and interpersonal/intrapersonal boundary-setting will be introduced. The connections among chronic emotional pain, human-need deficiencies, and socioeconomic variables will be highlighted."



This particular presentation has been given a vast number of times in the city to churches and community organizations, it is one of the better ones we have had.



14 March 2015 

What a Movement Means to Me

Meeting # 3,316 - AJ Segneri, of the Chicago Socialist Party, who says: "The premise of this is about what a movement really is (building a collective effort) versus what a movement means to most organizations (building an insular effort)."



7 March 2015

Fatal Remedy: A Novel

Meeting # 3,315 - Antonia Felix, A New York Times bestselling author, from Minneapolis, MN

Program includes a background video. A thriller inspired by the controversy over anti-depressant drug therapies for children, ethical and criminal issues in psychiatry and the power of Big Pharma, FATAL REMEDY is a chilling journey into the darkest corners of modern medicine. Author states that "my presentation is about the facts behind the novel that informs about the dark side of the pharmaceutical industry and criminal activity in psychiatry (a small percentage of psychiatrists are involved, but this is the most disciplined area of American medicine due to unethical and criminal behavior)."



​28 February 2015 

Move to Amend Workshop Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice

Meeting # 3,314 - Allan Lindrup, Karla Chew & Gene Horcher.- The workshop will cover what is in the Amendment and why, the process to amend the Constitution, and Move to Amend strategies and progress



14 February 2015 

Cult-Like Mythology in America

Meeting # 3,312 - Andy Anderson, from the Northwest Information Service in Palatine, IL, will provide an evening of discussion of how and why some Americans come to believe certain myths with a cult-like fervor and total resistance to any facts of evidence that dispute these myths, Particular attention will be presented on the methods used by the "mainstream media" to maintain Americans in a state of uninformed, misinformed cult-like adherence to certain myths that have no basis in reality. A very wide range of social, economic, and environmental problems can be rapidly solved if people put aside their present mythology and move forward with reality-based solutions. Extensive reality-based reference material will be provided throughout the evening for discussion. Cult-Like Beliefs in America: 1. Global warming is not real 2. Reaganomics is a good economic philosophy 3. More nucear power will provide "green" energy 4. George W. Buh was an excellent President ... and many others...



31 January 2015

9/11 and Revolution

Meeting # 3,310 - ​In this presentation historian Ted Aranda lays out the facts of the 9/11 events as well as the incident's wider political implications. He asks: "On September 11, 2001, the U.S. government murdered 3,000 perfectly innocent Americans in cold blood, and then diabolically proceeded to use this disguised homicidal act as the pretext to wage endless, utterly unjustified war, and to construct an Orwellian police/surveillance/military state. What are you going to do about it?"

See following video links for further background material. 

https://youtu.be/l0Q5eZhCPuc

https://youtu.be/4fvJ8nFa5Qk



24 January 2015 

FAiR Coalition / Allocation of Runways at Ohare and Midway

Meeting # 3,309 - Jac Charlier – seeks a real voice at O'Hare to secure an equitable distribution of takeoffs and landings, day and night, east and west, and using all existing runways including the diagonals. The FAiR Coalition seeks to replace the antiquated institutional practice so common in Chicago and Cook County with a democratic approach involving a modern assessment of the risks and rewards for both O'Hare AND our communities. www.fairchicago.org



17 January 2015 

Mayor 1%: Rahm Emanuel and the Rise of Chicago's 99%

Meeting #3,308 - Kari Lydersen, author, will speak on her book about Chicago politics, is a journalist who has covered labor, housing, immigration and other issues in Chicago for 17 years. She is co-director of the Social Justice New Nexus (www.sjnnchicago.org) at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.



10 January 2015

 CHANGE Illinois "Coalition for Honest and New Government Ethics"

​Meeting # 3,307 - Ryan Blitstein, CEO - "CHANGE Illinois is a coalition leading systemic political and government reform. CHANGE (the Coalition for Honest and New Government Ethics) includes a diverse group of civic, business, labor, professional, non-profit and philanthropic organizations that represent more than 2 million members. Guided by our Statement of Principles, the coalition addresses issues that currently undercut the viability of our democracy, including ballot access, competitive elections, increased citizen participation, government transparency, unethical lobbying and redistricting.



CHANGE launched in February 2009 as an informal broad-based coalition of groups and individuals intent on changing Illinois' culture of corruption. Our initiative resulted in the state’s first-ever law limiting campaign contributions. Since then, CHANGE has matured into a stand-alone, non-partisan organization that amplifies the efforts of our coalition members, and brings more innovative ideas into the reform movement.



Through public education, coalition-building, and policy development efforts, CHANGE engages Illinois residents in creating a government more transparent, accountable, and responsive to their needs. By reaching out to those whose voices have long been silent on governmental issues and providing a channel for their talents, vision, and influence, CHANGE has become a powerful coalition throughout the state. In the coming months, we will be setting forth an agenda of both immediate and long-term goals, including work on reforming Redistricting and Campaign Finance." http://www.changeil.org/



3 January 2015 

Good and Bad in Ayn Rand

Meeting #3,306 - David Ramsay Steele, author of "Orwell Your Orwell: A Worldview on the Slab" (forthcoming) Ayn Rand was a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She is known for her two best-selling novels, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism.



27 December 2014 

ChristMyths: Your Holiday Guide to Slogans vs. Reality 

Meetings 3,305 - Mike Flores challenges common beliefs, and challenges ideas accepted on social networks as reality, such as: Did our founding fathers really base our country on organized religion? Were unions instrumental in getting the minimum wage? Did unions bring us the 40 hour work week? Did feminism begin in the KKK? Did voting bring about abortion rights? Are Christians actually praying to the wrong guy? Which party supported civil rights? Happy Holidaze! A multi media presentation! 



20 December 2014

The Jesus Connection - for us Merry Gentlemen and Ladies

Meetings 3,304 - ​ Doug Baschiere will present his views on the existential question put by Jesus, Mary’s boy child born on Christmas Day, to his followers “Who do you say I AM?” during His earthly life.



​13 December 2014 

Who Makes Our Christmas Gifts, and Who Sells Them to Us? 

Meetings 3,303 - Charles Paidock will take a brief look at the commercialization of Christmas, followed by an overview of labor conditions in Asia (Apple, Disney, Mattel), with a look at the retail industry in the US (Walmart) – with recommendations for having an exploitation free holiday



6 December 2014

South Korea: Cutting - Edge Competitor or Cold War Captive?

Meetings 3,302 - Peter Pero will give us his observations on South Korea after his most recent trip there, complete with pictures and travelouge.



29 November 2014

The Achievements of President Correa's Ecuador and Evo Morales' Bolivia

Meetings 3,301 - Stanfield Smith observations on the presidents of those countries, with photographs taken on two trips. He recently traveled to those two countries and his report is on his extensive observations of the new "workers paradise." The United States according to him can learn some things from their good examples.



22 November 2014

The Future of Democracy

Meetings 3,300 - college regular Li-Ping Yuan returns, and says: "Democracy has had great success around the world in the past 238 years. However, are you satisfied with what's happening in DC, Springfield and City Hall? We just had the most expensive campaigns but lowest turnout for midterm elections. After election, elected officials are bound by parties and surrounded by lobbyists. Do they still have voters in their mind? Is this why 99% cannot win over the 1%?"



What's wrong with democracy? Let's talk about in on November 22nd.



He adds that: "Democracy depends on the communication technology. With the advance of communication technology, people had more information and became capable of and desirable to make decisions. Democracy is a system to let people to express opinions and make better decisions. However, the current political system is built on the last century's communication technologies. It can no longer satisfy new society needs with large amount of diverse issues and opinions. I would like to make a few suggestions to take advantage of new technologies, change old mindsets and solve some current political problems."



15 November 2014

The Reality of Human-Caused Climate Disruption: The Time to Act Is Now!

Meetings 3,299 - Energy-environmental activist Dennis Nelson responds to the climate deniers/delayers



INTRODUCTION: WHY AM I DOING THIS PRESENTATION?

I use "climate disruption" or "disruptive climate change," rather than "global warming" and merely "climate change." This is because my 'messaging' is still accurate, yet more dramatic, and better refers to what the adverse consequences are unless we take the necessary steps NOW to deal with it. HUMAN-CAUSED CLIMATE DISRUPTION IS PROBABLY THE MOST "DEFINING" ISSUE OF OUR TIME--IN DEFINING WHAT KIND OF SOCIETY (AND WORLD) WE ARE GOING TO HAVE, AND DEFINING HOW WE ARE GOING TO LIVE! On Saturday, September 27, 2014, a climate denier/delayer by the name of David Ramsay Steele did what I consider to be one of the most outrageous presentations given here at the College of Complexes. It was a compilation of one climate denier/delayer propaganda tactic after another. I thank the College (in particular, Tim Bolger) for giving me several extra minutes of "rebuttal time." I usually give only one major presentation here each year. However, I am here this evening because David's presentation deserves a full "rebuttal presentation." This is way too important an issue!



8 November 2014

Why the Banks, Wall Street, and Corporations Will Be the Best Thing Back America 

Meeting # 3,298 - Tim Bolger, college regular, will tell why these much maligned institutions are absolutely essential, and how they will ultimately be the "salvation of America"



1 November 2014

The Origins of Free Markets From Imperialism to Neo-Liberalism

Meeting # 3,297 - College regular Sid Cohen describes the Origins of Free Markets, From Imperialism to Neo-Liberalism with his thoughts and ideasq



25 October 2014

RaceMan Answers: America's Toughest Questions on Race, Inequality & More

Meeting # 3,296 - author Lowell Thompson "not only says America's most avoided 4-letter word, but has a 'brand' new perspective on it. In RMA, Thompson shows the relationship between our nation's history of white-over-black supremacy, and its current extreme 'white-vs-white' inequality. You'll see how both problems are inextricably linked."



18 October 2014

Dorothy Day, Co-Founder of the Catholic Worker Movement 

Meeting # 3,295 - author Rosalie Riegle discusses her biography of a social activist who advocated the Catholic economic theory of distributism. Day "believed all states were inherently totalitarian," and was considered to be an anarchist and did not hesitate to use the term. In the 1930's she worked to establish the Catholic Worker Movement, a nonviolent, pacifist movement that continues to combine direct aid for the poor and homeless with nonviolent direct action on their behalf.



11 October 2014

Nancy Wade, Candidate for US Congress, Green Party 



28 September 2014

The End of the Global Warming Delusion

Meeting # 3,292 - David Ramsay Steele returns to dispute allegations of the Green community



13 September 2014 

Evidence Update on Events of 9-11

Meeting # 3,290 - L.P. Anderson, of the Northwest Information Service, will provide a comprehensive summary on how 13 years later, an enormous amount of published, peer-reviewed scientific evidence has emerged that indicates that every main point of the 9-11 story has been proven to be a hoax. The mainstream media promoted the hoax of an "attack on America by 19 crazed Muslims," while that same mainstream media began a coordinated black out, still in effect today, of all the evidence that shows the white-elephant, money-losing buildings of the World Trade Center were expertly demolished which pre-placed controlled demolition explosives. The bottom line: Muslims, Iraq and Afghanistan had absolutely nothing to do with the pre-planned demolition of the World Trade Center complex.



6 September 2014 

Ayn Rand Explained From Tyranny to Tea Party

Revised and Updated by Marsha Familaro Enright

Meeting # 3,2891 - Marsha Familaro Enright is President of the Reason, Individualism, Freedom Institute, which provides innovative seminars for high school and college students around the world. She has published articles related to Ayn Rand’s ideas in The Daily Caller, Journal of Ayn Rand Studies, Montessori Leadership, New Individualist, and Objectivity.



30 August 2014

How the KKK Grew to Have 5 Million Members

Meeting # 3,288 - Dale Laakman, author of the new book "For the Kingdom and the Power: The Big Money Swindle That Spread Hate Across America" tells how advertising, PR, and mass communications tactics were used to exploit fear in every corner of America, including the infiltration of Congress. 

Some other things that stand out about Laackman's book...

--It demonstrates the power of individuals (even relative unknowns) to affect the course of history

--It shows that important stories of the day can get lost to history and experts

--It shows how one person's curiosity (Dale Laackman's) can uncover such a story one piece at a time.

--It shows the tremendous power of the mass media and the related fields of PR and advertising to manipulate public behavior, esp. when fears and prejudices are involved.

--It shows how we often overlook the power of above communications tools and place accountability elsewhere.

--It shows parallels between the early 1920s and now.



23 August 2014 

CTBA - Center for Tax and Budget Accountability

Meeting # 3,287 - Ralph Martire, Executive Director, CTBA - Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, presented the topic, "social and economic justice through data-driven policy"

with emphasis on the Illinois General Fund.



16 August 2014 

The Actual Nature of Human Nature

Meeting # 3,286 – Bill Geraci will tell us: “Why do people act the way do? Tired of theories which don't work in the real world? Come hear Bill Geraci's answers to these eternal questions!



9 August 2014

George Orwell and Totalitarianism

Meeting # 3,285 - author David Ramsay Steele discusses his forthcoming book, "Orwell Your Orwell: A Worldview on the Slab," to be published next year by St Augustine's Press of South Bend, Indiana, It is a study of Orwell's ideas as a case study of the ideology of the 1930s left.



2 August 2014

The Myth of the 'Cold War'

Meeting # 3,284 - Librarian Daniel Weinberg will discuss the story of the USA post-WWII and the creation of the Cold War, and what will NATO do about Crimea and Ukraine, if anything?



26 July 2014

Ghetto Tour

Meetings # 3,283 - Take a "Ghetto Tour" with the Publisher of Chicago Street Journal "Chicago's Newest Media Voice." Ron Carter has been the publisher of South Street Journal on the south side for 19 years, and he says that "The Ghetto is not what you think it is." Come out and meet us at "The Chicago GALA" on 07.07.2014 as we launch a new city-wide voice. 

  http://issuu.com/ChicagoStreetJournal

Ron Carter has been the Publisher and Editor of South Street Journal since 1993. The bi-weekly publication influenced the social and economic agenda in the neighborhoods and institutions beyond the news to advocacy in the stories addressed. In Addition he is the founding chair of Black Wall Street Chicago since 2007. As chairman/lead organizer of business leaders under quarterly Summits as a means to short and with long-range agenda resolutions in sustaining and increasing businesses--using practical, innovative, and environment means from committees and board development to handle multiple priority projects simultaneously and meet established information on business development and sustainability.



Carter also served with the Chicago Area Project: Principle organizer in a variety of social and political directives to meet its objectives of organizing and representing public housing residents’ interest. 



He also served with the Chicago Defender and the The Greater Roseland Organization as a Community organizer to the Executive Director.



19 July 2014

Media Corruption, The 10 Most Blocked Out Stories of 2014

Meeting # 3,282 - college regular L.P. (Andy) Anderson of the Northwest Information Service

An updated summary of underreported stories from all new 2014 sources - what voters need to know to make a difference(e.g., the growing problem with global warming, financial and banking issues, the continuing debate about health care, an ongoing war on the middle class, the home foreclosure crisis, etc.)



12 July 2012

United Voters of America Seek Support for The American Voters Rights Act

Meeting # 3,281 - Dominick Palella, the founder of United Voters for America, will present ideas for transforming our oligarchy form of government into a true American democracy. He proposes the passage of The American Voter Rights Act (TAVRA), along with a method to identify candidates running for office and political organizations that may actually be worthy of your support. TAVRA is a comprehensive 21st century technological approach for giving voters unprecedented control over how our government is run. It’s only a few pages long, not hundreds filled with the usual loopholes written by corporate politician lackeys. It is designed to restructure our election system and closely monitor the conduct of those elected, appointed or contracted to perform a government service. It will create millions of new jobs for American citizens and reduce government waste and debt created by years of irresponsible conduct by lawmakers from Congress to local legislatures. Along with a discussion of TAVRA, new and alternative definitions of political language will be offered. This will expose the abject moral corruption and cowardice of nearly every member of our American legislatures and their executive leadership from the President down to the city council members of Chicago. Dominick is especially seeking challenging questions and arguments against his straightforward approach to government reform during the question and rebuttal times during the meeting. All are encouraged to visit his site and come prepared to make your challenges: unitedvotersforamerica.org



5 July 2014

Democracy for the USA: Anti-Election / DON'T VOTE Campaign 

Meeting # 3,280 - ​Ted Aranda - As the 2014 Congressional election approaches, Democracy for the USA will be running an anti-election DON'T VOTE! campaign. We will urge Americans NOT to play the plutocrats' dead-end game. In this CoC presentation Ted Aranda will explain the logic behind a DON'T VOTE! campaign as well as DUSA's radical program for actual democracy in the United States.



28 June 2014 

Economic and Social Changes in Cuba: Where is it Headed?" 

Meeting # 3,279 - Stanfield Smith reports on his recent trip as a member of a "Witness for Peace" delegation - with photos



21 June 2014

Mirror Image: Reflections on Being a Jewish Christian 

Meeting # 3,278 - Ronald Friedman, a VP of Toastmasters, will speak on "fleshing out the interesting perspectives of why a Jewish person 'can't be Jewish and believe in Jesus' but how that view has evolved within the Jewish community. A recent poll among Jews now finds a more accepting acknowledgment that us Jewish Christians are not as verboten as we once were." He will also touch on how a new hybrid of discrimination against Jewish Christians exists within the evangelical/Protestant church.



​14 June 2014

Whatever Happened to Wisdom? An Introduction to Sophology"

Meetings # 3,277 - Glenn Shipley, PhD (Philosophy)

Axioms of Sophology - An Outline



7 June 2014

Plans for a Medical Rights Amendment

Meeting # 3,276 - Aris F. Yanibas - to guarantee every America totally free health cae regardless of age, employment status, or previous medical history.



31 May 2014

The Fallacy (scam) of Renewables 

Meeting # 3,275 - College regular Tim Bolger will present evidence and arguments on:

"Why renewable energy like wind and solar will not cut our demand for fossil fuels nor will it be the "whole" solution, to why we need more than just renewables."



​24 May 2014 

Author David Ramsay Steele Critiques David Graeber and the Occupy Movement  

Meeting # 3,274 - Occupy David Graeber and why he is wrong! Author David Ramsay Steele Critiques the Leading Guru of the Occupy Wall Street Movement. He will get into why David Graeber is wrong about the immenent demise of capitalism, and point out the mistakes the the left has made since the 1930's in its assumptions about Capitalism.

And how harmful the anti-globalization left with its emphasis on climate change will leave the third world still impoverished. 



17 May 2014 

Jimmy Lee Tillman II, Candidate for the US Congress  

Meeting # 3,273 - Republican Candidate for the infamous seat lost by President Barack Obama in 2000, Mr. Tillman born and raised in the arms of Chicago's political scene brings tenacity and history to the table in this November's race. The son of notable Chicagoans Dr. Jimmy and Alderman Dorothy Tillman, Jimmy Lee is the founder of the Martin Luther King Republicans. A seat held for many years by Democrat Bobby L. Rush, Tillman said in his questionnaire with the Chicago Tribune that he hopes to have a chance to "be the first [Republican] to break the [Democrat] control on the black community."



10 May 2014 

Beyond the Event Horizon  

Meeting # 3,272 - Dr. Robert Holland - "In life, men and women pass through many phases, junctions, and doors, all leading to the same eventual destination: death. But what, if anything, lies beyond that inscrutable final boundary? In this modest survey, Robert Holland provides not a glimpse of the fabled afterlife but an exploration of a few of our most potent cultural narratives regarding what happens to the body and mind after death."



5 May 3 2014 

​The History and Philosophy of May Day

Meeting # 3,271 - Fred Mecklenburg of the News an Letters Committees. Speakes on the History and Philosophy of May Day



26 April 2014

Solutions to Ecological Problems that Threaten Our Health and Security!

Meetings # 3,270 - With April 22 being the 44th anniversary of "EARTH DAY" and April being "EARTH MONTH," energy/environmental/conservation activist Dennis Nelson will discuss what we can do to protect environmental and public health, and enhance economic and national/global security. "The Birds and the Bees": National/international population policies and IL sex education programs, empowering women, protecting our Honeybees (and other pollinators), and saving bird species (and populations). "Why We Should Reject 'Thorium: The Nuclear Power Boondoggle' for a Non-Nuclear, Non-Fossil-Fuel Energy Future."



April 2014

The Existence of God - by "The Skeptical Christian" 

Meeting # 3,269 - Kyle who says: "Many people assume that belief in God is based purely on blind faith. Best-selling books such as Richard Dawkins' "The God Delusion" and Christopher Hitchens' "God is Not Great" have aggressively argued that belief in God is irrational at best. From the academic standpoint, it appears that God may, indeed, be dead.



5 April 2014

The Coming Collapse of Russia / Ukrainian Crisis

Meeting # 3,267 - Meeting # 3,267 - political commentator Mike Flores, who states that: 

"Russia in an injured state trying to reclaim its glory days but facing corruption so deep rooted it is headed towards collapse. What will that mean for former colonies, the west, the young and the oppressed Muslim community? Believe it or not, Mike Flores proposed this talk BEFORE the Ukrainian crisis."



29 March 2014

Move To Amend vs. The Enormous Influx of Money into Pollitics

Meeting # 3,266 - Jack Altschuler will make a "presentation focused on the influx of enormous sums of money into politics. We'll explore the strange path of Supreme Court decisions that allowed that to happen and the corrosive effect that has on democracy. Finally, we'll talk about today's efforts to bring better balance to campaign financing and to democracy. Jack Altschuler, leadership workshop and keynote speaker for Fully Alive Leadership©, will present Money, Politics and Democracy, focusing on: How we got here - A brief summary of legislation designed to reign in big money influence and the court ruling that trumped it all, giving corporations the same status as individual citizens. What we have now - Ever-increasing political power in the hands of corporations and a very few extremely wealthy individuals. That has given us contorted elections, national stagnation so that our problems get worse instead of being solved, and the undermining of trust in government and democracy itself. What we can do -- A summary of activities in Illinois, other states and the Congress to level the political playing field for all Americans.

NOTE: This issue has nothing to do with party affiliation or right versus left. This is strictly a non-partisan conversation about America."



Copyright 2014 by Jack Altschuler, all rights reserved. Used by permission. Reproduction and sharing are encouraged, providing proper attribution is given.



22 March 2014

Illinois Campaign for Political Reform

Meeting # 3,265 - David Melton , Executive Director, who states that: "I would anticipate covering the history of ICPR, the nature of the issues we focus on (campaign finance; ethics and transparency; and judicial elections, all at the sate and local level), as well as our views on those issues and what we are doing to promote reform on those issues." "The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform is a non-partisan public interest group that conducts research and advocates reforms to promote public participation in government, address the role of money in politics and encourage integrity, accountability, and transparency in government. ICPR is Illinois' leading advocate in the areas of campaign finance, government ethics, judicial selection, and voter education. ICPR has worked hard to maintain a bipartisan dialogue on how best to improve the processes of government and elections. ICPR was the first group in the nation to put state-level campaign finance reports into a searchable, on-line database. The group is frequently acknowledged by Illinois, national, and international media as key resource for Illinois politics and government. ICPR was founded by former U.S. Sen. Paul Simon and former Lt. Gov. Bob Kustra."



8 March 2014

Frack Free Illinois Presents Important Fracturing Legislation

Meeting # 3,263 - Dr.. Lora Chamberlain



Make Fracturing Safer:

1) Safeguard Illinoisans in the Active Earthquake Zones 

2) Protect Illinois from Radioactive Waste 

3) Fracturing Redefined, All Methods Should Comply with HFRA

4) Safeguard the Mahomet Aquifer 

5) Shield Illinoisans with Improved Setbacks

6) Flood Plains Are Unsafe for Fracturing 

7) Patients and the Medical Community Deserve Full Chemical 

Disclosure 

Make Fracturing Fair:

8) Allow Consent from All Local Jurisdictions, and

Create a Fair Permit Challenge Process 

9) End the Production Tax 2-Year "Give Away

10) Protect Illinois Taxpayers from Industry-Related Liability 

11) Safeguard Illinois' Property Owners from Industry Trespassing 

Protect Illinois from All of the Above

12) Ban Fracking and Enhanced Investigative Task Force

To contact us and for more info go to: www.facebook.com/FrackFreeIllinois or email see.legis@gmail.com



22 February 2014

Black America: Asking Ourselves the Tough Questions

​Meeting # 3,261 - Sonja Cassandra Perdue, Founder Chicago's Black Business Network, discusses her book: "Black America: Asking Ourselves The Tough Questions - 2010" is a formalized, five part "Q & A" session that begins in July 2010 and ends with the last publication in 2014. This series of books will challenge Black America to collectively engage in a dialogue that will initiate solutions to our collective concerns and issues. Armed with the knowledge that we are without limitations in spirit or mind, we march forward, together to fulfill the hopes and dreams of our people."



15 February 2014

"A Cultural Renewal Through Democracy" Chicago Socialist Party - Socialists Party USA

​Meeting # 3,260 - Aj Segneri, Secretary-Treasurer, states that: "In a time where elected officials are ruining our nation, the people need to see effective change. How? By creating a cultural renewal from the bottom up. Free schools, community gardens, creative spaces, and related activities to create social change that will also use democracy to help prevail."



8 February 2014

Project LEAP-Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

​for eliminating all prohibitions against drugs for adults

Meeting # 3,259 - Tony Ryan, 36 Years Veteran Police Officer coming from Denver, CO

"Tony Ryan sacrificed to protect and to serve. In his more than 36 years of continuous service as a Denver police officer, he endured getting stabbed in the hand and in the back, broken bones in a hand and a foot, a head wound requiring 18 stitches, and a gunshot wound to the chest. He took all of this willingly, though, believing the work he did to be honorable. However, one part of policing under our current system that he feels dishonors the Thin Blue Line is the "War on Drugs," which he labels "a total failure costing billions of dollars while making the problem worse and enriching drug dealers." What he finds perhaps even more distressing is what America's failed prohibitionist policy does to law enforcement itself. "Drug-enforcement activities are one of the highest sources of complaints against law enforcement. [The 'War on Drugs'] costs officers' lives and ruins careers through corruption and a myriad of other ills borne on drug-enforcement activity



During his career, Tony received numerous awards from the Denver Police Department, including the Medal of Honor, the Purple Heart, the Merit Award, and the Community Service Award. He was also named Footprinters Officer of the Year and received a Life Saving Award from the Denver Fire Department for using CPR to stabilize an ailing man until an ambulance arrived. He is now retired from law enforcement but continues to work to make our world a better place as a trained Red Cross volunteer and and for LEAP as a vocal opponent of the "War on Drugs."



1 February 2014

The Theory that Some People are Irrational is Mistaken, but Not Itself Irrational

Meeting # 3,258 - David Ramsay Steele, author, states that: "I will argue that everyone is, in fact, rational, and that "irrationality" is a mistaken (but not irrational) accusation. I will show that Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Nazis, and Communists, and yes, even people who believe in Global Warming, are rational (though mistaken). 



​25 January 2014

Occupy and Democracy for the USA

Meetings #3,257 - Ted Aranda, a former member of Occupy Chicago, analyzes what happened to this group and the movement, Occupy's relationship to democracy, and why he and a few other Occupiers have started a new organization called Democracy For The USA. 

Information:: DemocracyfortheUSA.org

This website contains the full-length book The Racket and the Answer, a couple shorter versions of this book, and several other documents (please see website intro). You are encouraged to download, print, copy, and distribute these documents as much as you wish. The basic message is encapsulated in the following formula:

THE PROBLEM: OLIGARCHY. THE SOLUTION: DEMOCRACY.



18 January 2014

GMO Food + Mandatory Labeling Organic Consumers Association - Chicago

Meetings #3,256 - Mike N, Durschmid and Joan Levin talk about why we should label food as organic, or Genetically Modified Organism, and why this labeling will help the consumer decide if he wants them or 



11 January 2014

Film Noir: When Film Told the Truth

Meeting # 3,255 - Mike Flores says: "What is film noir? It's a world of stark black and white, with characters whose morality is touched with grey. It was a genre that said just underneath the surface things were rotten and corrupt. Women with sexual power used it to destroy. Cops were on the take and didn't shy from torture. Where bribes and money destroyed the politicians.

Today, perhaps more than when our grandparents first saw these films, there is this disturbing feeling, that they told us the truth. Michael Flores presents clips, trailers and more while discussing the film noir genre, how it developed and how it still impacts pop culture."



2 January 2013

Building Community: How Working Together Builds Stronger Networks

Meeting # 3,203 - Aj Segneri, who says: "The premise of this presentation is how many community leaders and organizations focus on themselves, rather than grow their organization by thinking big picture. I have presented this topic in a number of places; such the 2012 Green Party Presidential Convention and Occupy Springfield (IL) teach-in."



19 January 2013

More Than Materialism

Meeting # 3,204 - Philosophy Prof. Robert LIchtenbert states that: "I will speak about how personal philosophy offers us many intangibles such as a truly ethical life, a sense of justice, appreciation of beauty, a search for the spiritual, enhanced free will and many others. I would talk about these in very specific ways to make them applicable to our daily lives. We all desperately need more than materialism. This is all that most people have today except for many people going by blind faith in God to give their lives more."



26 January 2013

EDM: Electronic Dance Music The Radical Transformation Going On In Music Today

Meeting # 3,205 - Michael Flores discusses the change in music that is transforming popular culture. Michael discusses the Electronic Dance Music scene and how its use of the internet, twitter, texting and downloading are transforming the industry. Often ignored by the press and radio just as psychedelic rock, rap and punk were, the sound is sweeping the nation. The DJ shows cause worry among the establishment and presents a political message by having all races, religions, gender preferences and beliefs dancing together. Mike will also play music of the EDM scene and selections from ELLIE GOULDING'S HALYCON album which is the first EDM concept album and signals a new direction for the scene. All without the help of the press or media.



16 february 2013

Are Things Done Poorly Because of Limited Thinking Ability or a Moral Lack?

Meeting # 3,208 - Are Things Done Poorly More Because of Limited Thinking Ability Than a Moral Lack? 

If So, What Can We Do About It? Author Margaret Goldstein explains.



23 February 2013

Industrial Hemp in Illinois

Meeting # 3,209 - Dan Linn, Executive Director, Illinois NORML (who could not make it was represented by an associate) - program to include a short documentary on a hemp museum in Polo Illinois thatcelebrates the regions patriotism through hemp farming during WWII.



2 March 2013

UN Agenda 21 + The Imposition of Communitarianism

Meeting # 3,210 - Diane Shapiro, GOP Ward Committeeman, says it is an "insidious, evil plan to destroy the West and our civilization was signed onto at Rio by GHW Bush in 1992 and enacted by WJ Clinton in 1993. It's real, it's scary and beyond Orwellian. You can get a quick primer on Agenda 21 via Rosa Koire's excellent book "Behind the Green Mask." It is a subject which is "hiding in plain sight."

Agenda 21 is being used to transition the world into a global totalitarian state designed to destroy the individual, create scarcity and make us vulnerable to control. Agenda 21 calls for people to be moved out of the rural areas and into the cities, living in high rise gulag-esque apartments. The middle class is now deemed "un-sustainable" and must fall far for "social equity." 

The United States is a signatory country to Agenda 21, but because Agenda 21 is not a treaty, the Senate was unable to hold a formal debate or vote on it, nor was it ratified in any way by the executive branch.



9 March 2013

The War on Freedom

Meeting # 3,211 - Richard Wark, who says: "In response to FOI requests, the FBI has released documents showing attacks on the Occupy movement to have been well coordinated efforts involving federal, state, and local levels of government along with the active participation of large banks. Combined with cases such as the Holy Land Five and local actions targeting Palestinian activists in Chicago, we have a clearly demonstrated effort to use the legal system to discourage citizens from engaging in peaceful protest of government actions. The talk will consider the implications of this program as well as approaches to countering it."



16 March 2013

PACO - Political Approaches to Co-Existence - Israel-Palestine

Meeting # 3,212 - Howard Cort - 'Paco' means 'peace' in Esperanto.

It is my conviction, based on a principle I learned from Arthur E. Morgan, first chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and a foremost social planner, that as wide a range of alternatives as possible should be examined before making decisions, particularly in cases of important public policy.

I started a research clearinghouse called Political Approaches to Co-existence, or PACO. 'Paco' means 'peace' in Esperanto. Howard Cort will speak on his research particularly on the Arab Israeli conflict.



23 March 2013

Why We Should Pay Attention to Birds: Beyond the Canary in the Coal Mine

Meeting # 3,213 - Lisa Rest, who says: "Basically I will go from a specialized how I got interested in birds and (and their reaction to human music) and how it's changed my life, to the more general (what birds have in common with us, what we are learning from them, and what our common future looks like) and why we should care."



30 March 2013

Let's Rebuild the Socialist Party in Chicago and the USA!

Meeting # 3,21 - Charley Earp talks about socialism and why the party is relevant today and why it is important to rebuild it.



6 April 2013

China and the No-Alphabet Hypothesis: How China Stagnated Lost the Race to Modernity

Meetings # 3,215 - Bill Fong says: "In a quick nutshell, China and the No-Alphabet Hypothesis makes a sweeping claim that China stagnated for 850 years, and lost the race to modernity, because China didn't have an alphabet. The gist of the No-Alphabet Hypothesis presents a surprising view of Chinese (and Western) cultural history. The reasoning is as follows:



* No alphabet means no mathematics. 

* No mathematics means no science. 

* No science means no technology. 

* No technology means no progress. 

* No progress means stagnation 

* China stagnates for 850-plus years. 

* While the West catches up. 

* So . . . China stagnated and lost the race to modernity (to Europe) -- 

* Because China didn't have an alphabet! 



This then is the fast, oversimplified essence of the hypothesis - that basically, the lack of an alphabet made it simply impossible for China to invent modernity, to achieve it first on history's first go-around. So lacking an alphabet, China failed to become the modern world's first superpower. This then is the startling story of China and the No-Alphabet Hypothesis. This then is a linguistic interpretation of history, literally.



And then we move on to the next immediate follow-up story: How Modern China Finally Caught Up.



13 April 2013

Report on My Trip to North Korea

Meetings # 3,216 - activist Stanfield Smith talks about his recent trip to North Korea and shows some pictures and slides of his trip and gives his thoughts on the recent trip.



20 April 2013

Special Earth Day Program

Meetings # 3,217 - environmentalist Dennis Nelson of the Nuclear Energy Information Service will discuss:

Rejecting the Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline because it is a "climate catastrophe." 

Additional energy and climate policy recommendations for the Obama-Biden Administration's 2nd term.

Saying "NO" to all natural gas 'fracking' here in Illinois. 

Radioactive metal mixing is always a bad idea whose time has permanently passed. 

Bottled water should be banned in my favorite national park (Everglades NP in South Florida). 

My commemoration for the 50th anniversary of Rachel Carson's SILENT SPRING. 

Joining actress Jessica Alba in calling for stronger protections from toxic chemicals. 

(A human rights question is being included: Should the Boy Scouts of America include gay kids?)



27 April 2013

198 Methods of Protest and Persuasion

How to Engage in Conflict by Doing - or Refusing to Do - Certain Things Without Using Physical Violence.



Meeting # 3,218 - Tim Bolger et al speak on ideas advanced by Gene Sharp, who says that: and "Nonviolent action empowers population groups by giving them the means to resist oppression and injustice. While nonviolent forms of struggle do not kill, injure, or destroy, they undermine an opponent's social, economic, political, and military power by withholding and withdrawing the pillars of support required by an adversary to maintain its position and to achieve its goals. Rejection of a regime's legitimacy may weaken and destroy the loyalty and obedience of the population. Economic boycotts and strikes can disrupt a regime's economic power. Political noncooperation may nullify oppressive government policies. Disaffection and mutiny of troops facing nonviolent resisters can limit a regime's military might."



4 May 2013

Psychedelics as Medicine

Meeting # 3,219 - Bruce Sewick LCPC, RDDP, CADC, will speak on the therapeutic use of psychedelics to treat intractable conditions. Current research and future possibilities will be part of the discussion.



11 May 2013

Interstate Railway System

Meeting # 3,220 - Rob Burns, a former Green Party candidate for the US House, and PhD. student of political economy, says: "Eisenhower's original goal for the Interstate Highway System was completion in 10 years. Though it eventually took nearly 40 years, much of it was completed within only 15 years. And though the program eventually invested $450 billion (in today's dollars), it has been paid for entirely without federal subsidy: the entire federal investment was paid forthrough user fees (the federal vehicle fuel excise). Therefore an Interstate Railway System could follow that precedent. A ten year goal, uncompromising 220 mph speeds standards, $450 billion infederal investment, state and local partners adding additional funding and implementation input, and all paid for by user fees (passenger rail fares,freight charges, private freight hauler, and private passenger hauleraccess fees). Few today would express regret that we spent $450 billion onthe Interstate Highway System. Even fewer will regret in the future that we embarked on an Interstate Railway System today."



18 May 3013

Good and Bad in Psychotherapy

Meeting # 3,221 - Dr. David Ramsey Steele will explain why there are so many different schools of therapy (over a thousand!), why some of them are misguided and less helpful, while others are scientifically based and more helpful.

David Ramsay Steele is the author of From Marx to Mises (1992), Three Minute Therapy (with Michael Edelstein, 1997), Atheism Explained: From Folly to Philosophy (2008), and Therapy Breakthrough: Why Some Psychotherapies Work Better than Others (with Michael R. Edelstein and Richard Kujoth, 2013).

Speaker is working on his new book soon to be published:

"Therapy Breakthrough: Why Some Psychotherapies Work Better than Others," by Michael R. Edelstein, PhD, Richard Kujoth, Ed.D., and David Ramsay Steele, PhD



25 May 2013

Buddhist Peace Fellowship: Socially Engaged Buddhism

Meeting # 3,222 - Taigen Dan Leighton, Zen priest and teacher, academic, and author, founder and guiding teacher of Ancient Dragon Zen Gate meditation center in Chicago, 1922 W. Irving Park Rd.

Program will focus on: 

"What do Buddhist Practice and Teaching traditions have to offer contemporary social activists and progressives in how to sustain and develop effective approaches to social change?"



1 June 2013

Building Democracy Across Oceans: The Arab Spring in Egypt and Morrocco

Meetings # 3,223 - Maryam Judar, Community Lawyer at the Citizen Advocacy Center states that his presentaton, with powerpoint, will be "a conversation about democracy movements in Egypt and Morocco, based on the visit arranged through the U.S. Department of State Legislative Fellows Program.

"I returned from a two week visit to the countries and visited many non-governmental and governmental organizations, as well as religious institutions, and the Arab Spring was the main topic of the trip."



8 June 2013

An Evening of Global Solutions

Meetings # 3,224 - L.P. Anderson of the Northwest Information Service of Palatine, IL, will present several summaries of solutions to global problems of energy, environmental pollution, climate-change global warming, health care issues and sever others that are not covered by the mainstream media in the United States. Thousands of groups of people in many countries are busy implementing solutions that were considered "science fiction" just a few years ago.

If you are looking for opportunities to get involved in activities that can forge a brighter future for us all, come to the college on Saturday, June 8th, 2013, and exchange beneficial information with other like-minded individuals. Extensive literature will be provided after the presentation.



15 June 2013

Update on the Organized Labor Movement the Teamster Contract at UPS

Meetings # 3,225 - "Teamster Joe" Balkis returms to report on organizing efforts in the American workforce.

Bargaining between UPS and the Teamsters who represent 250,000 UPS workers is currently underway with both sides looking to complete the settlement before a July 31 contract expiration date. 

Since a 1997 strike by Teamsters against UPS, each new contract has been signed early in order to ensure no disruptions in service. In 2007, Teamsters took on major concessions despite UPS' record profits. Now, as both sides look to move forward, Teamsters have serious complaints about vague threats of retaliation and GPS surveillance.

UPS made $4.38 billion last year yet is demanding that workers pay an added $90 per week for their health premiums. Paul Trujillo, a part-time loader and alternate steward in Lexington, Kentucky, says that Healthcare is the major concern for most workers.

UPS drivers are also displeased with having almost every moment of their day under surveillance. Using GPS, touch-screens where customers sign for packages and "telematics" (200 sensors mounted on each truck), UPS can survey every second of a worker's day. They know how long it takes for a worker to get a signature and return to their vehicle and they know if a worker has hit their brakes too hard. 

If that's not draconian enough for you, fear not. UPS is rolling out a new system TDU calls "telematics on steroids." The new system will route and reroute drivers, stripping them of the decision-making process and turning them into virtual puppets. The never ending data and corresponding reports also give ammunition to managers looking to find a reason to complain about a worker.



22 June 2013

CReATE - Chicagoland Researchers and Advocates for Transformative Education

Meetings # 3,226 - CReATE is a network of over 100 professors from numerous Chicago-area universities who specialize in educational research and who work collectively to conduct, review, and distribute studies in order to promote public learning and dialogue about education issues, such as school closings. CReATE partners with educators, public interest groups, and community-based organizations. University-based scholars and educational workers are available for comment and discussion on topics raised at their blogspot and in their publications.



29 June 2013

Historical Highlights of the American Revolution

Meeting # 3,227 - Charles Paidock presents a colorful, eclectic look at the events which brought about our independence - powerpoint presentation with art works on topic, and photos by presenter.



6 July 2013

An Update on Gun Control Laws Nationwide and the Concealed Carry Law in Illinois

Meetings # 3,228 concerlaed carr advocate Bill Lee returns to update us on Gun Control Laws Nationwide and the Concealed Carry Law in Illinois



13 July 2013

Chicago Divests Campaign

Meetings # 3,229 - Daniel Kaplan, Chicago Divests Campaign Coordinator - a grassroots coalition of academics, shareholders,and concerned citizens across the Chicago area who are demanding that the TIAA-CREF, one of the largest retirement fund providers, divests from several corporations that profit from the illegal occupation of Palestine.



20 July 2013

Cold Case Files Organization

Meetings # 3,230 - Ish Finister - who states that: "Our vision is to assist private, local, state, and federal law enforcement authorities in pursuing or revisiting cold cases such as homicides, serial murders, child homicides, mysterious disappearances, and child abductions across the country, while also investigating into wrongful convictions. We will raise public awareness to these issues, in an attempt to emphasize the importance of the community's help in solving these cases. We will create alliances, gain information and find support.

There are thousands of unsolved crimes each year in the state of Illinois, and hundreds of thousands nationwide. The problem that this organization has been created to address is real, and not just a television show, it's about irreplaceable persons lives taking away in a act of violence. Currently there is no cure concerning this problem, but there are ways that we can combat the issues in hope to prevent future crimes. Action speaks louder then words."



27 July 2013

Sustainable Freedom and the American Future

Meetings # 3,231 - Paul Rescino looks at the book called "A Free People's Suicide: Sustainable Freedom and the American Future " by Oz Guiness. This is what reviewers have to say:

"With passion and urgency Os Guinness gives a sweeping historical account of America's past and her prospects for the future. He urges us to pay serious attention to a deeper understanding of freedom and makes a compelling case for why freedom requires virtue. Weaving together a wide-ranging knowledge of classical, constitutional and contemporary history, Guinness warns of America's decline but charts a course for America's renewal." 

"In a passionate work that blends historical-cultural analysis with moral exhortation, Os Guinness finds at the heart of America's culture wars something different than what many observers have seen. He identifies a 'freedom war,' a struggle over the very concept of freedom itself. As the Founders well understood, it is not enough for Americans to invoke endlessly the name of 'freedom' when they no longer agree as to what it means or what ends freedom is meant to serve. Guinness warns that freedom cannot long endure unless it is consecrated to purposes beyond itself. It is a warning worth heeding." 

"He essentially claims that Americans are at, or near, the endpoint of the virtue-vice continuum. He argues that Americans are closing in on "no virtue at all."



3 August 2013

Zakat Foundation of America

Meeting # 3,232 -- "a US-based, Muslim-run charity organization, ZF shows the inclusive beauty of Islam through programs that reach the destitute, of all faiths, both at home and abroad. Since its establishment in 2001, ZF has progressed from mostly offering immediate emergency aid and seasonal programs to a focus on severing the roots of poverty, utilizing Zakat and Sadaqa donations to develop long-term, sustainable solutions.

We believe that those whom God has granted wealth need to cleanse that wealth through charity, and those whom God has tried with loss are accorded a rightful share from the resources of the affluent.

Zakat Foundation of America accomplishes its mission by bringing immediate relief during and after disasters, building and supporting schools, orphanages and health clinics, supporting community development programs and micro-credit, providing Ramadan Iftars and food distribution, and providing fresh meat for Udhiya/Qurbani and Aqeeqah through the support of community-based initiatives."



10 August 2013

The Future of Education in Illinois

Meeting # 3,233 - Joshua Dwyer is the Director of Education Reform for the Illinois Policy Institute, where he develops and recommends solutions for the problems plaguing Illinois' education system. Previously, Joshua worked as an Adjunct Professor at Governors State University, where he taught public policy and law. Joshua earned his BA degree in Political Science, and his MA in public policy degree from the University of Chicago.

He writes that: "Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn proposed an increase of $900 million in teacher pensions, while calling for a cut of $400 million for classrooms and students. With less money going toward instruction, it is more important than ever to make sure that every education dollar is spent wisely.

Neighboring states Wisconsin and Indiana have already begun to change their education systems to empower parents, spur competition, encourage innovation, promote efficiency and improve student performance."



17 August 2013

World Future Society

Meeting # 3,234 - Robert F. Jene, Chicago Chapter - "The World Future Society is a nonprofit educational and scientific organization which investigates how social, economic and technological developments are shaping the future. It helps individuals, organizations, and communities observe, understand and respond to social change appropriately and investigates the benign effects of applying anticipatory thinking to society.

Through its magazine The Futurist, media, meetings, and dialogue among its members, it raises awareness of change and encourages development of creative solutions. The Society takes no official position on what the future may or should be like. Instead it provides a neutral forum for exploring possible, probable, and preferable futures. The World Future Society has members distributed world-wide in more than eighty countries."



24 August 2013

Why Immigration is a Mess and How to Resolve it?

Meeting # 3,235 -- Henryk A. Kowalczyk explains legislation he has drafted: 

- The free market system should govern immigration.

- The government should have no power to limit the freedom of Americans to hire foreigners.

- Commercial agencies should administer and control the flow of foreign workers, for profit.

- Rules governing migration of foreigners with the purpose of work or settlement in the U.S. should have incorporated provisions allowing government security agencies monitoring potential security threats.

See http://www.freedomofmigration.com/ for further information.



31 August 2013

Debate: Thorium MS Reactors - Solution to Global Warming or Just Another Nuclear Boondongle?

Meeting # 3,236 - John Kutsch, Director, T.E.A., Thorium Energy Alliance vs Andy Anderson, Northwest Information Service

Please note, this is the raw footage of this event, another edited one made for friendly for the youtube audience will be made available very soon.



7 September 2013

Andrew Nelson, Candidate for Mayor of Chicago

Meeting # 3,237 - Announces his discusses his bid for the office and will presents the basics of his platform, and political vision. Mr. Nelson, if elected, would identify the principals who are making money from the Chicago Parking Meters LLC, adjudicate the Eugene Wzorek's Shakman case involving the hiring and firing of city workers, and promote Linda Achor's expose of the "Death of the Justice System."



14 September 2013

Obama's New Energy Policy, Keystone Pipeline, Fracking, etc

Meeting # 3,238 - L.p. Anderson of the Northwest Information Service looks at the latest announcment in which Obama is intending to introduce a series of executive actions, which do not need Congress's approval to be made into law. These measures will reportedly include tighter regulation of coal-fired power plants, increased energy efficiency standards and the promotion of renewable energy on public lands.



21 Septembet 2013

Moe Shanfield talks about the Zimmerman Decision and Its Implications

Meeting # 3,239 -Moe Shanfield college regular talks about the Zimmerman decision and other varied topics including, Are Many Black Americans Now More Afraid of Getting Shot on the Street as a Result of the Zimmerman Decision?



28 September 2013

Mariyana Spyropoulos, Commissioner Metropolitan Water Reclamation District

Meeting # 3,240 - Mariyana Spyropoulos, Commissioner Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, gives a brief history and overview about what the Chicago Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. 

The commissioner tells us what happens to Chicago Wastewater, and it is quite a big project, Ms. Spyropoulos is the finance chairman for a 1.6 Billion dollar agency in cook county designed to provide services in the cleaning up of wastewater. 

Mention is made of the Big Dig project and the three overflow water reservoirs for catchment of storm water runoff after big storms. 

More information about the Reclamation District can be found at www.mwrd.org.



5 October 2013

Chicago Coalition to Shut Down Guantanamo

Meeting # 3,241 - "Under both Bush and Obama, the men at Guantanamo have been used by administration officials, lawmakers, lawyers, judges, and assorted pundits as pawns in a political game - still portrayed as the "worst of the worst" ...They have allowed the impression to remain that its inmates may be dangerous, even though only a few dozen, at most, of the 164 men still held have ever been subjected to allegations of involvement with terrorism. Eighty-four of them were cleared for release in January 2010 by the inter-agency Guantanamo Review Task Force that Obama established when he first took office...These men are still held in part because of legislation passed by fearful or cynical members of Congress, using Guantanamo to keep Americans scared, but also because Obama has been unwilling to spend political capital overcoming lawmakers' restrictions...In response to a prison-wide hunger strike that the prisoners began in February, and subsequent interest and outrage both at home and abroad, Obama promised to resume releasing prisoners from Guantanamo in a major speech on national security issues on May 23. Nearly four months later, however, just two men have been released."



12 October 2013

The Altruist Party Candidate for Chicago Mayor

Join the Democratic Renaissance: "Virtual Voting" is a Human Right

The Altruist Party Candidate for Chicago Mayor 

Meeting # 3,242 - The inevitable future of democracy will lead to voting through mobile technology. The Altruist Party (AP) intends to give this concept to 'The People' as a Human Right. The AP wants to know YOUR unique perspective and improvements to our founding concepts and 'Altruist Party Rights,' contributed during our U.S. Presidential campaign last year . Our 2015 Candidate for Chicago Mayor will be presenting the general format of our $0.00 campaign, our founding concepts and proposing how this same concept can be applied to the City of Chicago as a non-profit, NEW industry for Illinois citizens. 

For more information, please feel free to e-mail us: altruistparty2012@gmail.com 

READ (Timeline, bottom-up): https://www.facebook.com/pages/Altrui...

WATCH (Posts 1-13): http://www.youtube.com/user/AltruistP...

FOLLOW (Twitter; Tweets = Articles reviewed): @APAltruism @APCivilRights @APCommerce1 @APEducation1 @APEmployment @APEnvironment1 @APHealth1 @APImmigration @APInfrastructu1 @APInternationa1 @APNativeAmerica @APVeterans



26 October 2013

The ONE Organization to End Poverty + Disease

Meeting # 3,244 - Kyle Deming - "At ONE, we achieve change through advocacy. We hold world leaders to account for the commitments they've made to fight extreme poverty, and we campaign for better development policies, more effective aid and trade reform. We also support greater democracy, accountability and transparency to ensure policies to beat poverty are implemented effectively.

ONE works closely with policy experts, African leaders, and anti-poverty activists to mobilize public opinion in support of 

ested and proven methods for tackling poverty.

At ONE, we believe the fight against poverty is not about charity, but about justice and equality."

Knowledge is power: Learn the basics about the fight against global poverty and disease at http://www.one.org/us/issues/ Then take action at http://www.one.org/us/actnow/



2 November 2013

Expecting More From City Officials "We Can Do More!"

Meetings 3,245 - Marc Loveless - who is considering running for Chicago City Clerk whose campaign these is "We Can Do More!"



16 November 2013

Why Blacks Commit Acts of Violence Against Each Other -

The Intellectual and Esoteric Reasons

23 November 2013Meetings 3,247 - Michael Peterson - who has done considerable research and written some papers on the topic, and says the best research is his own mind.



23 November 2013

Who Needs Facts When You Have Conspiracy Theorists?

Meetings 3,248 - Dr. Cory Franklin, who says in a Chicago Tribune article: "The evidence is overwhelming that Lee Harvey Oswald killed JFK, and nearly as overwhelming that Oswald acted alone. However, history is never completely settled, and the conspiracy theorists are out and about. Many, motivated by profit or fame, are more eager to engage in ad hominem tactics than discuss facts. But some are honest and intelligent, and they deserve a hearing. How to separate them?"



30 November 2013

The Hidden History of Chicago Northside Neighborhoods

​Meeting 3,249 - Seasoned Chicago journalist of 43 years, and college regular, Patrick Butler will give us some highlights from his two books which have recently been published about the history of Chicago concerning accounts of colorful individuals and events, which he uncovered in writing his column and stories, and which aren't found in the more traditional accounts of our city.

Learn about the "Cowboy Mayor" of Chicago, a guy who kept Chicago from falling to the Confederacy, the "North Side's Benedict Arnold" who was apprehended during World War II, how Al Capone reportedly moved booze through a secret tunnel connecting the Green Mill and the Aragon Ballroom, and the "Burglar Cops" gang who operated our of the Summerdale police station.

His books are entitled: "The Hidden History of Ravenswood and Lake View," and "The Hidden History of Edgewater/Uptown."



7 December 2013

Out of Control: A 15-Year Battle Against Control Unit Prisons

​Meetings 3,250 - Author Nancy Kurshan presents in her book states:

"Introduction: The Committee to End the Marion Lockdown (CEML) was a movement organization that opposed control unit prisons in particular, and racism and oppression in general. It was founded in 1985 and came to a close in 2000. 

Over the course of those 15 years, CEML led and organized hundreds of educational programs and demonstrations in many parts of the country and tried to build a national movement against "end-of-the-line" prisons. Along the way the Committee wrote thousands of pages of educational and agitational literature and pioneered new ways of analyzing and fighting against this national quagmire that morphed into the proliferation of the "prison industrial complex.

I was one of the three founding members of CEML."



14 December 2013

An Update on the Ten Most Censored Subjects

Meeting # 3,251 - L.P. Andy Anderson of the Northwest Information Service presents an update the latest subjects which are not covered by the mass media.



7 January 2012

The Beverage that Changed the World

Meeting # 3,150 - How is it that a popular beverage has fermented revolution, caused the birth of the insurance industry, and even been blessed by the Pope? Tim Bolger shall speak on coffee, the good, the bad and, of course, the caffeine.



14 January 2012

Why We Need an Illinois State Bank

Meeting # 3,151 - Dr. Lora Chamberlain - http://www.illinoispublicbanking.org

Public Banks are ...

• Viable solutions to the present economic crises in US states.

• Potentially available to any-sized government or community able to meet the requirements for setting up a bank.

• Owned by the people of a state or community.

• Economically sustainable, because they operate transparently according to applicable banking regulations.

• Able to offset pressures for tax increases with returned credit income to the community.

• Ready sources of affordable credit for local governments, eliminating the need for large "rainy day" funds.

• Required to promote the public interest, as defined in their charters.

• Constitutional, as ruled by the U.S. Supreme Court.

... and are not

• Operated by politicians; rather, they are run by professional bankers.

• Boondoggles for bank executives; rather, their employees are salaried public servants (paid by the state, with a transparent pay structure) who would likely not earn bonuses, commissions or fees for generating loans.

• Speculative ventures that maximize profits in the short term, without regard to the long-term interests of the public.



21 January 2012

Why Ed Rios Believes in God

Meeting # 3,152 - long-time college regular Ed Rios returms to talk about religion



28 January 2012

America's Future Foundation

Meeting # 3,153 - Richard Lorenc, Chairman, Chicago Chapter, National Chapter Coordinator - America's Future Foundation was founded in 1995 by a group of young conservatives and libertarians in Washington, DC. Today, AFF is the premier non-profit nationwide network of leaders who will promote and defend free markets, limited government, individual liberty, and personal responsibility



4 February 2012

Plant Chicago: Farming for the Future A Net-Zero Energy Vertical Farm

Meeting # 3,153 - John Edel, Director - "Plant Chicago is a nonprofit dedicated to promoting sustainable food production, entrepreneurship, and building reuse through education, research and development. To this end, Plant Chicago is repurposing a 93,500 sq. ft. retired meatpacking facility, The Plant, into a net-zero energy vertical farm. A complex and highly interrelated system, one-third of The Plant will hold aquaponic growing systems and the other two-thirds will incubate sustainable food businesses by offering low rent, low energy costs, and a licensed shared kitchen. The Plant will create 125 jobs in Chicago's economically distressed Back of the Yards neighborhood -- but, remarkably, these jobs will require no fossil fuel use. Instead, The Plant will divert over 6,500 tons of food waste from landfills each year to meet all of its heat and power needs."



11 February 2012

An Evening of Solutions

Meeting # 3,154 - Lindson P. Anderson will present an entire evening of beneficial solutions to the problems facing middle-class Americans and their children as the United States heads toward the national election of 2012. We Will focus specifically on simple, easy to understand solutions to the problems facing children, relating to the pharmaceutical, chemical, educational and military industries. If you're tired of hearing people complain about problems, come hear an evening of solutions that could save trillions of dollars per year for the American middle class. All new state of the art materials for 2012!



18 February 2012

Debate: Obamacare, Medicare, and Social Security.. Time for Change and Solutions.



25 February 2012

It's Time to Redistribute the Wealth and Reclaim Our Unalienable Rights

Meeting # 3,157 - Rob Burns says that it is "Time to redistribute the wealth and reclaim our unalienable rights. Path to Prosperity for US All (p2p4USA) is an initiative to strengthen ourconstitutional republic and greatly improve our economy by increasing therewards for hard work and ingenuity and drastically diminishing the rewards for rent-seeking, swindle, racketeering, and other get rich schemes (http://path2prosperity4all.us/). Primarily, p2p4USA accomplishes this by democratizing all corporate workplaces and ensuring all revenues from natural resources and monopoly resources accrue only to public treasuries: reducing both exploitation in production and taxation ofcommerce. Rob Burns is a former Green Party candidate for US House from Illinois and PhD. student of political economy.



3 March 2012

Vachel Lindsay: Poet, Tramp and Favorite Son of Illinois

Meeting # 3,158 - Lecture and reading by journalist/poet/folksinger Job Conger of Springfield, Illinois, author and publisher of Vachel Lindsay, Strange Gold, a concise biography and compendium of his poems and Lindsay lore.

Springfield, IL, is the birthplace and long-time home of American poet Vachel Lindsay (1879 - 1931, who became famous in the early part of the 20th Century for his unique style of poetry. He is considered the father of modern singing poetry, as he referred to it, in which verses are meant to be sung or chanted. His extensive correspondence with the poet Yeats details his intentions to revive the musical qualities in poetry as had been practiced by the ancient Greeks.

Because of his identity as a performance artist and his use of American Midwest themes, Lindsay became known in the 1910s as the "Prairie Troubador." For the final twenty years of his life, Lindsay was one of the best-known poets in America. His reputation was high enough to enable him to befriend, encourage, and mentor other poets, such as Langston Hughes and Sara Teasdale. 



10 March 2012

A Gazillion Important Labor History Anniversaries to Celebrate

Meetings # 3,159 - Larry Spivack, President, Illinois Labor History Society, speaks on the multitude of events which made the organized labor movement in the United States



17 March 2012

Move To Amend the Constitution to Overturn Citizens United

Meetings # 3,160 - Sharon Sanders sharsand@aol.com

"We have repeatedly held that leveling the playing field is not a legitimate government function," said Chief Justice John Roberts, who was joined by Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito in the majority opinion. In the dissent, Justice Elena Kagan argued that the law was "necessary to break the stranglehold of special interests on our system of government.



24 March 2012

Many Masks in the Marketplace

Meetings # 3,161 - Peter N. Pero, local author and educator, says: "In recent years, American business has reinvented itself in strange new ways. Learn how fast food, bookstores, apparel, advertising, and banking are reconfiguring their products and messages in order to attract new customers and capital



31 March 2012

LEAP Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

Meetings # 3,161 - LEAP is made up of current and former members of the law enforcement and criminal justice communities who are speaking out about the failures of our existing drug policies. Those policies have failed, and continue to fail, to effectively address the problems of drug abuse, especially the problems of juvenile drug use, the problems of addiction, and the problems of crime caused by the existence of a criminal black market in drugs.

LEAP maintains that "By continuing to fight the so-called "War on Drugs," the US government has worsened these problems of society instead of alleviating them. A system of regulation and control of these substances (by the government, replacing the current system of control by the black market) would be a less harmful, less costly, more ethical, and more effective public policy."

The speaker will be James E. Gierach, a former Assistant State's Attorney of Cook County, municipal attorney, Village prosecutor, and general practitioner. He was the youngest delegate elected to write Illinois' Constitution in 1970, a former candidate for Cook County State's Attorney and Illinois governor, raising drug policy and prison issues. One newspaper called him, "Illinois' premier conscientious objector to the war on drugs." Info: http://www.leap.cc/author/JamesE/



 7 April 2012

A Physical Theory of Peace

Meetings # 3,163 - Kurt Johnson, an independent scientist/researcher

The speaker says: "I have wrestled the problems of peace and social justice for several decades. I'm now prepared to present my findings and evidence that peace will not be impossible to achieve but we have been going it the wrong way. 

The solution will be developed through scientific processes. There are three principles of physics which can be observed moderating all viable and sustainable social systems and all homeostatic systems. The answer to the human desire to build a sustainable, viable and just society is to build social structures that conform to these three physical principles of social organization. The answer, in principle, is exactly the same as was applied to achieve human flight, another quest thought impossible for humans beings for ninety-nine percent of human history. We don't need to change human beings. We are not the problem. We need to change the world around us and we can just as we learned to change it in order to fly."



14 April 2012

Economic Imminent Collapse, What we Can And Cannot Do About It

Meeting # 3,164 - Andrew Robuck, an officer with the United Trainman's Union, UTU, Illinois Central Railroad, Matteson Division, who says there are two precipitating factors: overproduction and currency instabilities. His analysis is based on the careful study of Marxist and contemporary economics, and observations of historical capital movements.



28 April 2012

Why We Must Oppose the NATO / G8 Summits

Meetings # 3,166 - Anti-war and gay rights activist Andy Thayer outlines why NATO and G8, and the May summits themselves, should be opposed by most Chicagoans. Described in a recent Sun-Times cover story as a "gigantic pain in the butt for law enforcement" by retired Deputy Police Superintendent Jim Mauer, Thayer has a unique insight into the civil liberties challenges posed by the summits. 

What is NATO?

North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO is an alliance of 28 countries from North America and Europe, founded in 1949 with 12 original countries, dedicated to fulfilling the goals of the North Atlantic Treaty signed on April 4, 1949. This treaty established collective defense between its members, meaning �an attack against one or several members is an attack against all (http://www.nato.int/) and member states will practice mutual defense to any attack by an outside party. Its rival in the Cold War was the Warsaw Pact dominated by the USSR. Even after the fall of the USSR and eastern bloc communism, NATO continues to exist and be active. It provides cover for US involvement in countries like Afghanistan and Libya.

What is the G8?

Group of 8 or G8 is a group of the 8 richest countries, the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Russia, Germany, Japan, and Italy that meet once a year at a Summit. Created in 1975, it was originally made up of 6 countries; Canada joined in 1976 and Russia in 1998. They meet to set a shared agenda for economic and security matters related to their interests (http://www.g20-g8.com/).



5 May 2012

War Resisters League, Chicago Chapter

Meeting # 3,167 - Wade Hannon, who says: "We are in the midst of a time of great opportunity to bring about change in our world. This is a moment in which the theory and practice of nonviolence is needed. The only way we can build a egalitarian future is through the use action that is guided by an abhorrence of violence and a respect for our fellow human beings. We also have to be mindful of the fact that the ruling class is very well armed and dangerous and not give them any excuse to squash us."

Wade Hannon is a member of the War Resisters League and a pacifist since the age of 15. He recently moved to Chicago and lives on the southside. His most recent book is "Love and Revolution: Version 2.0"



12 May 2012

Is Super-String Theory a Theoretical Concept of God?

Meetings # 3,168 - Doug Baschiere says they are the same, and the scientists may have in fact inadvertently discovered the deity.



19 May 2012

America Can Reduce Its Oil Dependency

Meeting # 3,169 - Walter D. Collins Program Features Slideshow on Electric Transportation

Reducing oil dependency would bring a reduction in air-pollution and make America less vulnerable to enemies. America was able to beat the Axis during World War Two with rationing of food, gasoline, rubber and other goods. War War Two America took advantage of its electric and coal powered transportation. Can there be oil-free salvation for us today? Walter is doing an update of his excellent September 8, 2007 presentation illustrated with historic slides.



26 May 2012

What Ever Happened to Software Quality?

Meetings # 3,170 - Advances in the tools and technology for computer software development would lead us to expect that today's computerized systems are

- more reliable

- easier to maintain

- cheaper to develop

than computerized systems several decades ago. 

Alas, we're disappointed. Typical computer programmers of today are actually less aware of enlightened good practices than their predecessors of the 1970s.

Conrad Weisert will illustrate common shortcomings of modern computer systems and explain how the business and academic environments inhibit progress toward higher software quality.



2 June 2012

How To Rescue The Future / NAWAPA / Etc

Meeting # 3,171 - Ronald Bettig says that N.A.W.A.P.A. (North American Power and Water Alliance) is the concrete embodiment of the American credit system - the only project big enough, wide enough in scope, and immediately ready at hand to begin to build the future beyond the present collapse and related orchestrated world war - thermonuclear war, if we continue to pretend and sleep.

http://larouchepac.com/node/22355 (14:58 mins)

He adds that the following should be undertaken as well immediately:

1) Remove Barack Obama from the Presidency using either, a) the 25th Amendment, section 4, of the Constitution for mental and moral incompetence; and/or b) impeachment for serial violations of the U.S. Constitution. 

http://larouchepac.com/node/22393 (8:46 mins)

2) Ram the reinstatement of the 1933 FDR Glass-Steagall Act through both houses of Congress in emergency legislation. 

http://larouchepac.com/node/21592 (4:09 mins)

3) Establish the Hamilton Constitutional credit system, housed in a 3rd National Bank. It is obvious that there is not enough 'real wealth' in the present system to facilitate and sustain a recovery and development. The sound application of the American credit system is realized in the production of the future constructed NAWAPA. Our credit is our national ability to build NAWAPA. Our wealth is in our productive creativity.

Hamilton did not mean, and did not say, to extinguish the national debt it was necessary to make budget cuts, or simply increase taxes. 

http://larouchepac.com/node/22254 (36:15 mins)



9 June 2012

The Year of the Protester (and Other Progressive Thoughts)!

Meeting # 3,172 - TIME Magazine's "Person of the Year" (2011) was 'The Protester.' Dennis Nelson, a progressive social activist, presents his work and activities grouped under the following sub-headings:

The Carbon Side of Carbon-Free / Nuclear-Free

No Nukes: The Smart Choice

Fair Trade (Not Free Trade)

Solutions for Wildlife Conservation

How I Commemorated the 10th Anniversary of '9/11 and

Financial Solutions Relating to 'Occupy Wall Street / Chicago'



16 June 2012

Which Way Are We Moving: Capitalism, Social Democracy, or Socialism?

Meeting # 3,173 - college regular Sid Cohen, tells us: The Arch of History, Which Way Are We Moving, Capitalism, Social Democrary, or Socialism?



23 June 2012

The Truth About The Vietnam War

Meeting # 3,174 - College regular Bob Matter demolishes decades of lies, myths, and falsehoods propagated by the left about the U.S. involvement in Vietnam, and reveals the truth about why the Vietnam War was not only imperative, but worth the price paid in blood and treasure. Can you handle the truth?



30 June 2012

What is the 4th of July to a Wage Slave?

Meeting # 3,175 - Bro Joe Balkis of the Teamsters, aka John Brown, speaks on the conditions of employment in the US and the world.



7 July 2012

Regaining Land for Agriculture, Landmine Removal Machine

Meetings # 3,176 - "Two years ago, Gary Christ turned his attention to the anti-personnel land mine problem. He started with a 1947 Farmall Series H tractor on his family's Crystal Lake farm. Today, it's hard to recognize the old Farmall. A huge hoist system in front of the tractor lifts a steel-plated box into place with an electromagnet. The box holds more than 40 solid steel pegs, each about 1 feet long and 2 inches square, and each hanging from its own chain in the box. The total weight of the box and the pegs exceeds 1,000 pounds. A switch in the operator's protected seating area controls the magnet. When the switch is thrown, the magnet deactivates and drops the half-ton box. Because each peg hangs independently, every inch of the area covered by the 4-by-2-foot box is hit with enough force to activate a mine. This is important because the mines are barely bigger than a standard can of tuna, and most are buried in uneven jungle terrain.

DemineCambodia believes that developing a more efficient and less expensive demining method will enable Cambodians to regain agricultural land quicker than current methods. Once an area is demined, farmers can produce much needed food without the constant fear of landmines taking their limbs or their life."



14 July 2012

Thorium Powered Molten Salt Reactors

Meetings # 3,177 - John Kutsch, Director - an advocacy organization composed of engineers, scientists, and concerned citizens interested in reducing the costs of energy and protecting the health of the planet and the future of the human race - to educate the public on the need to create a working Thorium powered reactor.

"The world desperately needs sustainable, low carbon energy to address climate change while lifting people out of poverty. Thorium fuelled reactors, such as the Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) pioneered by the late Alvin Weinberg, could radically change perceptions of nuclear power leading to widespread deployment."



21 July 2012

Experts Predict a "Second Dip" Which Could Be Worse Than the First

Meetings # 3,178 - Geraldine Perry, Glenn Fritz and Steve Walsh, as advocates of the monetary philosophy of the American Monetary Institute, say: "As you know, many "experts" are now predicting a "second dip" which could be worse that the first. Bernancke himself suggested that a perfect storm has been set up which could cause catastrophic harm to our citizens and our economy (as if that hadn't been done already) by year's end. 

Yet, there is a solution. It's called Constitutional money, embodied perfectly in the NEED Act, which necessarily includes millions of good paying jobs and one-time citizen bonuses in order to keep the economy running -- all while paying down debt! We can't afford to wait for some magic pill or other miracle to arrive. We are nearing crisis mode."



28 July 2012

Majoritarianism and the Nature of the Political Left

Meetings # 3,179 - David Westling will speak on the subject of the nature of the political left. He states that since its inception, the political left has been saddled with a tension between its egalitarian and libertarian aspects. Majoritarianism has a tendency to influence the body politic in a direction fundamentally opposed to individual prerogatives. Our legal system is designed to defer to majorities while ostensibly protecting the concerns of the individual. In order to examine this state of affairs he will refer back to a now-obscure episode in the history of ideas, the Young Hegelian episode of 1840s Germany. Only by addressing the confusion embedded in the contradiction of the Left can we eradicate the threat corporatism is unleashing in increasingly potent forms.



4 August 2012

TIFs and Corporate Welfare in Chicago

Meeting # 3,180 -- Ben Joravsky, who began working as a freelance writer for the Chicago Reader in 1985 after specializing in investigative work for The Chicago Reporter. Throughout his career, Joravsky has worked to uncover information that wasn't readily available to the public so he could illuminate certain situations that were affecting the life of Chicagoans.



11 August 2012

Chicago International Social Change Film Festival

Meeeting # 3,181 - Emile Cambry, Jr. - The festival's mission is to encourage and support the work of independent filmmakers around the world, and to promote filmmaking as a valuable contribution to the understanding of social change. The festival is less an event and more a conduit between information and action - or rather, art and action. With the CISFF formed just this fall, its founders and collaborators are still in the initial stages of planning. The festival is tentatively planned for October 2012.



18 August 2012

The 2012 Story

Meetings # 3,182 - What is the Mayan Calendar, what are the Mayan predictions for the years 2011 - 2012, and why does this have relevance for Americans in 2012? Lindson P. Anderson of the Northwest Information Service of Palatine, IL, will provide a summary of some of the Mayan prophecies that have already been fulfilled by events in America leading up to the end of the current Mayan cycle on December 21, 2012. We should have a lively evening of discussion based on evidence in the book The 2012 Story, by John Major Jenkins, and other sources.



25 August 2012

The Essential Physics of Humanity

Meetings # 3,183 - Kurt Johnson says: "On April 7, I presented my argument that peace among human beings is possible and the solution to war, and our other social problems can be reached through the same scientific process used to achieve human flight and confront polio. I argued war is not inevitable due to the nature of human beings but a consequence of the failure to organize social systems that conform with the physical laws of social organization. We can identify and study successful systems at the level of physics and let our discovery of what causes their success be the foundational science upon which we rebuild our current failing social systems to create successful ones. The starting point for this conversation is human social experience is not a consequence of our nature but the nature of the social system in which human beings are organized. For this to be true there must be a fixed, universal and immutable nature of human beings that is a certain and predictable as the qualities of steel, the behavior of oxygen or the actions of a honeybee, such that we can predictably organize ourselves by physical law into a robust, cooperative community that does not break down into war and social crisis. In this hour I'll discuss our fixed and universal nature of human and show is not unique to us but to all populations organized in successful social systems. If you were not present for the April 7th presentation of A Scientific Theory of Peace I urge you to view it before attending."

See the following link for the April 7th Presentation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=milBtN...



1 September 2012

Finally, the Whole Truth About Black Chicago, What's Your B.C.I.Q?

Meeting # 3,184 - author Lowell Thompson of the new book African Americans in Chicago.

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

The story of black Chicago is so rich that few know it all. It began long before the city itself. "The first white man here was a black man," Potowatami natives reportedly said about Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, the brown-skinned man recognized as Chicago's first non-Indian settler. It's all here: from the site of DuSable's cabin--now smack-dab in the middle of Chicago's Magnificent Mile--to images of famous and infamous residents like boxers Jack Johnson, Muhammad Ali, and Joe Louis. Here are leaders and cultural touchstones like Jesse Binga's bank, Robert S. Abbott's Chicago Defender, legendary filmmaker Oscar Micheaux, Ida B. Wells, the Eighth Regiment, Jesse Jackson, Oprah, and much more . . . including a guy named Obama. Here is the black Chicago family album, of folks who made and never made the headlines, and pictures and stories of kinship and fellowship of African Americans leaving the violent, racist South and "goin' to Chicago" to find their piece of the American Dream. Chicago has been called the "Second City," but black Chicago is second to none.



8 September 2012

A Simplicity Revolution: Finding Happiness in the New Reality

Our speaker Sue Schell was not able to make it tonight, so we at the college did our best to "improvise" on the topic of Simplicity, Jeff Schramek, and Tim Bolger did an informal debate on "what is simplicity", Jeff talked about the upcoming economic catastrophe and how to prepare for it by some simple changes, Tim who does not believe such a thing will happen emphasized the materialism is not "the end game" but that simplicity can be found in ever increasing complexity, its the power of choice. 

It is simply simplexity.

More of an improvised debate, we at the college sometimes do have an entertaining evening, by being inspired. 

Hopefully Sue will be able to make it at a future airing.



15 Septembet 2012

Bookwallah (from Hindi and means "book peddler")

Meeting # 3,186 -- Seena Jacob, Founder - is a non-profit organization whose mission is to collect and distribute children's storybooks, set up libraries, and spread the joy of reading to children of orphanages and children's homes throughout the world. 

Bookwallah is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose vision is to transform the lives of children who have undergone hardship by sharing the gift of imagination. Our mission is to collect and distribute children's storybooks, set up libraries, and spread the joy of reading to children of orphanages and children's homes throughout the world. The origin of the name of the organization comes from the Hindi translation "bookwallah" which means "book peddler". We believe by opening a child's world to imagination and exploration, we can greatly improve their lives and the lives around them. We also believe that the magic of stories can help foster creativity and innovation within a society.



22 September 2012

Why Genetically Engineered Food is Dangerous

Meeting # 3,187 - Liane Casten says: "I plan to discuss this and other dangers now part of our food production so folks can understand what is really happening to our bodies and to our animals. GMOs are now being promoted by the USDA and pushed onto other countries with huge pressure. Monsanto is part of this; this company controls US ag decisions. I will also discuss what Monsanto does to farmers whose fields are contaminated through no fault of their own, with GM seeds. When GM corn fails and the weeds come back in greater force than ever, Dow Chemical has petitioned the USDA to use 2,4,-D, half the AGENT ORANGE FORMULA. That chemical contains dioxin, the most toxic chemical known to man and dangerous in parts per trillion."



29 September 2012

From the Success of Modern Democracy to See Our Future

Meeting # 3,188 - Li-Ping Yuan, who says: "From a historic view, democratic ideas have been around for thousands of years, not only in Greece but around the world (see Wikipedia). Why couldn't democratic systems be successful and sustainable until the last three hundred years. Then all the monarchies faded away and democracy prevailed. The answer, I think, is communication technology. Democracy requires a lot of communications, not just voting. Voters need to know what are the issues. Candidates need to communicate to voters about these issues and their solutions. Discussions and debates are needed between voters and candidates. These communication could not be realized until the newspaper became available. Later, telephone, radio, TV, and Internet certainly strengthen the fundamental of democracy. Any non-democratic or less democratic systems need to control communications in order to keep their system stable.

Communication brought down not only the monarchies, but also colonies. Military forces can no longer control people. War became less meaningful and will be useless if not already. These trends are clear, although there are some ups and downs. Some old culture still exists in current society to slow down the realization of full democracy and world peace. Two examples are loyalty and patriotism. Basically, loyalty and patriotism limit people's thinking and choice. They were needed behaviors in order to build big and strong countries prior to the communication era (before the newspaper available). However, they are part of road blocks for the advance of our world societies."



 6 October 2012

Why I believe Global Warming is a Hoax

Meeting # 3,189 - Will Barnes gives his thoughts on why Global warming is a hoax. 

(Videographers note: Due to traffic I arrived a half hour late so the taping of the program actually starts about 30 minutes into the presentation).



13 October 2012

The 2012 Elections: What Is Really At Stake?

Meeting # 3,190 - Ron Bettag says: "The only issue facing the population of the United States, and the world's population as well, is the immediate danger of thermonuclear war resulting from the aggressive, illegal posturing of British Empire puppet President Obama in Syria, and other areas, against nation-states, targeting specifically the Russians and the Chinese. A vote for Obama is a vote for thermonuclear war. "Unsurvivable" (35:46 min video documentary)

Regarding the Constitutional mandate that only U.S. Congress can legally declare war. HCR 107 sponsored by Congressman Walter Jones (R-NC)

Regarding Glass-Steagall, and NAWAPA XXI -The astonishing support for this bill now being discussed again everywhere, the disaster of it's removal completely in 1999, and its necessary reinstatement now before Congress in the form of HR1489. The political insight and muscle to effect this shift and legislation is addressed in "The End of Political Parties," LaRouche's address at his 90th Birthday Celebration September 9th. The use of the political party structure to take down Constitutional representative self-government. The Parties Are Over (59:41 min video)



20 October 2012

Nancy L. Wade, Green Party Candidate for 5th Congressional District

Meeting # 3,191 - Nancy L. Wade will give outline here views and those of the Green Party for her candidacy for the 5th Congressional District.

She will be assisted by Rob Sherman who is the Green Party Chairman for Cook County and will represent Jill Stein the Green Party Candidate for President of the United States.



27 October 2012

Presidential Election Debate: Obama vs. Romney

College Regulars Michael Brennen and Raj Patel debated at the College of Complexes for the Election. 

Videographers Note: The last hour of rebuttals was not recorded due to some power problems with the Camera, sorry folks, did not get the recording of the rebuttals this week.



3 November 2013

Century 16 Theater Shooting: Too Few Guns

Meetings # 3,196 - Andre J.W. Queen, Sr. of Illinois Carry http://www.illinoiscarry.com, and Bill Lee.

Andre Queen is the founder and Executive Director of Fidelity Investigative Training Academy, the largest private law enforcement training facility in Northeastern Illinois. Mr. Queen's background in law enforcement spans twenty-seven years, and includes both private and public law enforcement service. Mr. Queen's career began in private security, and he quickly rose through the ranks to become account manager, regional director and director of security and loss prevention for a private security corporation in Chicago. 

Mr. Queen is an NRA Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor, an NRA Civilian Firearms Instructor, a State of Illinois IDFPR-certified Firearms Instructor, a certified firearms instructor for the Concealed Carry Permit Courses for the States of Utah, Florida and Arizona, a certified TASER ECD Instructor, Weapons Retention Instrutor, Force-on-Force Simulation Training Instructor, Handcuffing Techniques Instructor, Certified Retail Investigator and a Defensive Tactics Instructor. 

Bill Lee, who advocates concealed carry, says: "Guns cross state lines. It doesn't matter where one gets the weapons of death. If "gun control" keeps guns out of the hands of criminals, why are there so many shootings in Chicago? The common factor of the mass murders in the last 20 years has been that they occurred in "gun free zones". I would contrast the shootings that succeeded with those that were thwarted by an armed citizen."



10 November 2012

The Cuba Connection

Meeting # 3,194 - As the result of his visit to Cuba this year, Peter Pero will offer a powerpoint presentation on social, economic and cultural conditions in one of the world's last communist nations. What can America learn from the country it loves to hate? For more info, visit http://www.chicagohistorystreets.com



17 November 2012

The Higgs Boson

Meeting # 3,195 - Matthew Lowry, who teach physics & astronomy at Lake Forest HS and the College of Lake County, says: "So the Large Hadron Collider got turned on a few years back, and -- despite the fear-mongering -- a black hole didn't destroy the planet. But what did happen is that physicists now think they have discovered a Higgs boson...so what is a Higgs boson? How does this discovery fit into the Standard Model of physics and other physics theories? And does the discovery of this so-called "God particle" mean that we have reached the end-of-physics? (Hint: the answer to that last question starts with "N") To learn more about these discoveries and where we might be heading in the future of physics, check out this lecture. Audience questions are encouraged!"



24 November 2012

Social Organization Physics to Choose a Fair, Honest and Representative Government

Meetings # 3,196 - Kurt Johnson says:

"There is an argument that carries out every year in the American political scene on the reasons we cannot assemble an honest and truly representative government in the city, state or nation. Three almost inviolate givens that underly this argument as it plays out in public discourse are ( 1.) democracy with its electoral process is the finest form of government ever assembled, (2) the best we could ever hope for, and (3) any fault in our process is not within the governmental system we've designed but in the human race - the population that tries to make democracy work. As Winston Churchill so succinctly put it, 'the best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter.' The consensus is people are ignorant, idiots, ill-informed, incapable of rational decision-making, apathetic, easily duped, selfish, cursed with an inability to cooperate and otherwise incompetent, thus it is a series of human failures that results in the failure of democracy. It's the same old story; the fault is internal to us, not external. 

These arguments have it wrong. There is nothing human beings. We are perfectly suited to cooperate and live in safe, sane, equitable and sustainable social systems. Our failure to build an honest, just and representative government is explained by the system we've built to govern us and not explained in the least by the people governing and governed by the system. Democracy, at the level of physics, is no different than theocracy, communism, autocracy, monarchy, oligarchy or socialism or any other form of government currently in use on earth. The problem we face is we've not yet been able to conceive and build an actual, successful government no different than before 1903 we built many machines desiring to fly but were unable to build one that would actually fly. Past failure never converts to future success, and past failure is never proof that success cannot be attained. Success comes through a change of approach. 

There exist three physical laws of social organization that account for successful social systems. In this hour we'll review those physical laws, identify where democracy and the electoral process (and all other forms of government) violates those laws, We'll then build a theoretical framework for a government that would conform to the laws of social organization physics and deliver the results have people have always tried to attain through the governments we've built. It's all physics, not philosophy."



1 December 2012

The Realities of Global Warming and Climate Change

Meeting # 3,197 - Lindon P. Anderson , of the Northwest Information Service, which offers "Data Base Translations on Environment, Political and Social Issues into Basic English," will present the latest information coming out of NASA and hundreds of climate scientists from many countries.



8 December 2012

Jesus Made Me a Communist

Meeting # 3,198 - Charley Earp, who says: "My subject line is a title for a book I am writing about my journey from Pentecostal preacher's kid to my current avocation of philosopher, minister, and aspiring activist. Religion is one of my strong interests, especially how we might be able to transform the zeal some people have for it into an energy that can propel a social revolution. A left-wing version of the Tea Party."



15 December 2012

The Samizdat* Press of America Serious Political Zines

Meeting # 3,199 - @nthony Rayson says: The Democrats, Republicans, the mainstream press, the various religions, public education - even most of the Internet - have failed to genuinely educate people as to what is actually happening, what has happened and how we can actualize our humanity and become pro-active in forging positive relations with ourselves, those around us and developing useful tactics for dealing with our suffering world, which is rapidly swirling down the toilet - due to induced self-loathing, ignorance, apathy and various addictions, allowing for corporatist government to execute their marching rders to destroy, kill and oppress for profit. Yes, folks! Serious, real-time anarchist-driven free school education is what you need."



22 December 2012

A Simplicity Revolution: Our Lifestyles Can Afford Them or Not?

Meeting # 3,200 - author Sue Schell says: "Americans assumed perpetual economic growth was possible. Optimism had been a mainstay since the post-World War II days. Few of us expected the economic slowdown would be more than a pause. A Simplicity Revolution: Finding Happiness in the New Reality is a commentary on this American Boom and Bust decade and the "Corporatocracy," that caused it."



29 December 2012

College of Complexes Predictions for the Next 100 Years

Meeting # 3,201 - Tim Bolger and Charles Paidock present their findings, and present the results of a survey taken among the faculty and students of the college - with powerpoint presentation. Anyone, by the way, may send in their personal prediction(s) concerning changes in the world they think will take place whether these are societal, economic, geopolitical, scientific or cultural for compilation.



10 September 2011

Debate: 10th Anniversary of 9/11

Meeting # 3,135 -Lindson P. Anderson of the Northwest Information Service of Rolling Meadows, IL, says: "We will present overwhelming evidence from thousands of architects, engineers, pilots, firemen, medical professionals, government intelligence officials and military professionals who have proven beyond any doubt that 9-11 was an inside job. It's time for America to honor those who died on 9-11, open a new investigation and prosecute the corporate criminals who created 9-11 to be America's new Pearl Harbor."

William Lee, a 20 year veteran of the armed services overseas, says that: "My views are that it is irrefutable that Sept 11th happened according to the Government description, minus a few inconsequential errors. Any views to the contrary are nuts, and delusional."



5 November 2011

Money, Society, and You A Historical Approach

Meetings # 3,144 - Steven Walsh explains all about Money, Society, and You, and gives a remarkable historical approach about the subject.



19 November 2011

Email - What Is It? Where Did It Come From?

Meetings # 3,146 - Paul Recino - We all use email. It has become a part of our lives. Paul will take a took at what email is, where it came from, and how to use it. He will also discuss security issues involved with email.



26 November 2011

Ancient Aliens

Meetings # 3,146 - Eugene Crowley, Jr., authori of "Upside Down World: The Loss of the Sacred Cosmos," proposes that historical texts, archaeology and legends contain evidence of past human-extraterrestrial contact.



3 December 2011

Life, the Universe, and Everything (Sort Of...)

Meeting # 3,147 - Matt Lowry says that "In this talk you will learn about the basics of the big bang, evolution of the universe, and the status of modern cosmology, including as it relates to particle physics & the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. In addition, we will address some interesting speculations, such as questions regarding multiple universes, or multi-verse theory."

Program includes powerpoint presentation.



10 December 2011

The Public Check on Congress

Meeting # 3,148 - Bill Bridgman For the past ten years he has been associated with the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management and Northwestern University He says: "At some point in time, perhaps soon, we Americans will be willing to tinker with our constitutional system of checks and balances to make our government more responsive to the American citizenry. An excellent outcome would be the Public Check on Conress." http://publiccheckoncongress.com/



17 December 2011

Flight from the Sensorium

Meeting # 3,149 - Dr. Robert Holland: "Have we lost our grounding in the earthly sensuous? All human experience, including our intellectual life, arises out of the sensations of the flesh. Yet for millennia, people have denied the centrality of human embodiment, first by driving the locus of selfhood into the head and later by seeking to transcend the body through cybernetic augmentation or by projecting oneself onto a wholly imagined noncorporeal plane. Robert Holland explores the origins of this flight from the sensorium, its contemporary manifestations, and unanticipated implications."



16 October 2010

The 2016 Olympic Bid One Year Later - What We Should've Learned

Meetings # 3,090 - Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympics was shot down on October 2, 2009. What did we learn from the bid process? What did the bid tell us about Chicago politics and competing visions for economic progress? One year after that decision, Tom Tresser, one of the lead organizers for No Games Chicago (www.nogameschicago.org) will reveal behinds the scenes details of why activists from around the city came together to derail the bid, what happened when they went to the IOC's World HDQ in Switzerland and what happened when they went to Copenhagen.



23 October 2010

Candidate Night

Election Eve Open Candidates Forum

Meetings # 3,091- all Illinois candidates and campaigns have been invited to seek your vote 



30 October 2010

John Gaudette Progressive vs. Andy Martin Conservative

Citizen Action / Illinois

Fighting for the Progressive Agenda

Meetings # 3,092 - John Gaudette, Organizing Director, will speak on some of the campaigns of the state's largest public interest organization in the fight for social and economic justice. Current activities include health care (control costs and increase quality), jobs and a safety net (extend benefits), corporate dominance (hold them accountable), fair elections (publicly funded), and immigration (pass real reform now).

http://citizenaction-il.org 

October 30 Part 2

Andy Martin for Senate / Illinois Reform Party

"A Name You Can Trust"

A Leading Corruption Fighter in IL for Over 40 Years

Meetings # 3,092 - ABOUT ANDY: Andy Martin, who Chicago Public Radio calls a âboisterous Internet activist,â is the legendary New York and Chicago-based muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. He has over forty years of background in radio and television and is the dean of Illinois media and communications. He promotes his best-selling book, âObama: The Man Behind The Maskâ and his Internet movie "Obama: The Hawai'i years." Martin has been a leading corruption fighter in Illinois for over forty years. He is currently sponsoring www.AmericaisReadyforReform.com



20 November 2010

How the Militia Fits Into the 2nd Amendment and Gun Ownership

Meeting # 3,095 - Bill Lee takes on a topic which has generated considerable attention by elected officials



27 November 2010

Are Chicago's 3 New Wal-Mart Stores Good for the City?

Meeting # 3,096 - Michele Brock, of Michele Brock Enterprises, affirmative vs.Lindson (Andy) P. Anderson, negative.



4 December 2010

The Cuban Missile Crisis What Really Happened

Meeting @ 3097 - Michael Flores speaks on the Cuban Missile Crisis, What you think happened is not what really happened. Michael presents "the real story" of the cuban missle crisis. 



11 December 2010

Personal Ethics - Chicago Colloquium for a Philiosophy of Life

Meeting # 3098 - Prof. Robert Lichtenbert, college regular, and organizer of the Chicago Colloquium for a Philosophy of Life. Personal ethics is a new field. It tries to show us how an individual can be fully aware of the good in ones life for their own reasons. This path is best found by a person starting an urgent search for goodness as very problematic. Other topics in personal ethics include high moral standards, personal codes and duties. 


Upcoming Schedule of Speakers
College of Complexes
Weekly Free Speech Forum on social issues and current events​

April 4
The Rise and Fall of the Neoconservatives
College regular Don Richie speaks on the neoconservative movement in the United States - its origins, its rise to power, its eventual fall from grace, and its prospects for the future.

April 11
Dialectical Materialism: The Social, Physical and Biological Laws and Structure of Matter

April 18
Special Earth Day Speakers: Debate
What Kind of Energy Future Do We Want?" 
John Kutsch, Thorium Energy Alliance (TEA) vs. Dennis Nelson, Nuclear Energy Information Service (NEIS)

April 25
An Alternative Approach to a One-State of Israel/Palestine

May 2
Special May Day Program - Film
Cesar Chavez: History is Made One Step at a Time  
The film touches on several major nonviolent campaigns by the UFW: the Delano grape strike, the Salad Bowl strike, and the 1975 Modesto march
+ speaker from the UFW

May 9
European Chocolate: Nobody Knows the Truffles I’ve Seen
Discover what makes chocolate good—and good for you

May 16
9/11 Truth and Revolution: The Political Implications
​how the event was used to construct an Orwellian police/surveillance/military state “

May 23
Red Hollywood
Were There Communists in the Film Industry? 
with short clips to be shown

May 30
Automation and the 21st Century Workforce
47% of current jobs in the U.S. work force will be automated within the next computer generation, roughly by 2035

June 6,7​
Printer's Row Book Fair
visit our table and get a free book

June 6
Corrupt Illinois - Patronage, Cronyism and Criminality
Author ​Thomas J. Gradel - the most comprehensive account of corruption in our state ever published. It proposes cures, which will take decades to implement fully.

June 13
Chemtrails / GeoEngineering - Fantasy or Reality?
​speaker has over a thousand photos documenting her observations and research

June 20
The Root Causes and Solutions to World Problems (poverty, crime, etc.) 10 Significant Facts

June 27
Open
Contact the Program Coordinator Charles Paidock if you would like to speak at (312) 842-5036, (312) 714-7790 cell, cpaidock@hotmail.com

July 4
There is No Such Thing as On-Line Privacy:
When You Log On, So Do They

July 11
Meeting # 3,333
Three Things This Country Needs to Do
Open Invitation to All to Make a Brief Presentation

July 18
Good and Bad in Karl Marx
author David Ramsay Steele

July 25
Open

July 25
Bughouse Square Debates
Newberry Library, visit our table

Main Page
www.collegeofcomplexes.org

​All Meetings Open to the Public
Every Saturday at 6:00 PM
Hilltop Restaurant - dinner is optional
2800 W. Foster at California
Free Parking, 
#92 CTA Bus (from Jefferson Park Blue, Berwyn Red, L Line Stations)
$3 Tuition, dinner is optional