* The Peace Report
I’m not sure yet what I will do with JMBzine.com, if anything, but I will be posting monthly newsletters over at peacereport.org. Please check it out. Thanks! [...] edited by: Justin Tyme,
Oklahoma Editor
* The Peace Report
I’m not sure yet what I will do with JMBzine.com, if anything, but I will be posting monthly newsletters over at peacereport.org. Please check it out. Thanks! [...] 
Please also join our Facebook group [...] 
I’m not doing full-length blog posts for awhile but you are welcome to follow my twitter feed at twitter.com/jmbzinedotcom. [...] 
It appears that a denial of service attack has been launched against JMBzine.com, so for now my webhost has taken my website down.
I’ll post updates here once I find out more about what is going on. [...] 
Leo Church in his Class A's before trial
While in the Bell County jail, war-resister Travis Bishop met another inmate who also was mistreated by the U.S. Army, Leo Church.
Leo received 8 months jail, primarily because he put the safety and [...]
I wanted to update my regular readers on a change in my personal life.
I’m in the process of becoming a dual-member of the Oklahoma City Friends Meeting (the Quakers), while maintaining my membership and ministry work at Joy Mennonite Church.
It’s hard to begin in explaining this decision, but the short [...]
I saw this on Facebook on the group Interfaith worker Justice which I thought was worth sharing here:
Wall Street and City of London bank chiefs will be targeted this week at the launch of a new transatlantic campaign to reinstate historic usury laws restricting the interest rates charged by [...]
I’m changing up the theme as well as the content on JMBzine.com. Comments and critiques are welcomed.
Also, regular readers have the option of picking their own skin to view this website. Just click on the bar on the lower-left hand side of the page to access options.
Hope y’all like it.
[...]Cross-posted at: www.girightslawyer.com
This letter was written a few minutes before Afghan war resister Travis Bishop was shackeled and taken away after his court-martial at Fort Hood.
To everyone who still cares:
I can not say that a year in prison doesn’t scare me: I am terrified. I just cried in the [...]
Travis Bishop faces up to one year in prison for refusing to deploy to Afghanistan
Local activists plan to show support at his trial and at the gates of Fort Hood
Contact: James Branum, 405-476-5620 or 1-866-933-2769
Cynthia Thomas, 254-768-8300
BACKGROUND: The trial of conscientious objector and combat veteran Sergeant Travis [...]
Reprinted from: GIRightsLawyer.com
Statement written by Victor Agosto
to be read at tonight’s protest at the East Gate of Fort Hood
Thank you for being here this evening.
I have learned that nothing is more frightening to power than a direct and principled challenge to its authority. The truth is on our side [...]
Reprinted from: GIRightsLawyer.com
SOLDIER OF CONSCIENCE TO BE COURT-MARTIALED
SPC VICTOR AGOSTO REFUSES DEPLOYMENT
AND FACES INCARCERATION FROM ARMY
CONTACTS: James M. Branum 405-476-5620 or 866-933-2769 Cynthia Thomas 254-768-8300
SPC Victor Agosto, a Soldier stationed with 57th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, 69th Air Defense Artillery, Rear Detachment, [...]
Wanted to let regular readers know about the slight redesign of JMBzine.com. Two big changes are worth noting…
1. I’m pretty broke, so I’m doing some ads. I put them all on the left hand side of the page, so they can be easily ignored. I tried to pick a few [...]
The following letter is my response to this letter by Jim Schrag, Executive Director of Mennonite Church USA.
Dear Jim (cc: WDC Conference Minister),
I am writing regarding the letter you sent regarding Convention 2009.
I am the Minister of Peace & Justice at Joy Mennonite Church (Oklahoma City), but I [...]
Just wanted to let y’all know that my house hunt is over, as I have a new home (or I should say homes).
My main residence is a room I’m renting in rural Eastern Norman (in Norman city limits but I have a Noble mailing address). So far, I really [...]
Can someone out there in internet land send me a copy of the homosexual agenda? Surely one of you gays out there can send me a copy. (I’ve heard HOMOSEXUALS get a free copy when they come out of the closet, from the SECRET CONSPIRACY TO TURN YOUR KIDS GAY)
I’ve [...]
What I’m looking for: Looking for a room to rent (or an affordable studio or one bedroom apartment) in the OKC Metro area. Would prefer it be located within a couple of miles of either the OU campus area of Norman or the Paseo area of Oklahoma City.
The place must [...]
This post can be found here: GIRightslawyer.com: In memory of Bob Sperry
[...]Dear IVAW members and friends of IVAW,
I’m writing this as an interested outsider, in response to the recent number of IVAW members who have chosen to publicly leave the organisation and post their grievances online.
I’m not a veteran and hence not an IVAW member. I have though, done all I [...]
From: GIRightsLawyer.com:
WHO: PFC Cliff Cornell, a native of Mountain Home, Arkansas, who was recently deported from Canada after having fled there to avoid the illegal war in Iraq
WHAT: The U.S. Army has prosecuted PFC Cornell under a General Court-Martial. A hearing will be held to accept PCF Cornell’s guilty [...]
Most of my regular readers know that my decision to vote for Obama for President was a very hard decision. In Oklahoma we only had 3 choices — Obama, McCain or leaving it blank (we get no third party or write-in choices), so I was left with only two possible [...]
Watch the debate live right now at: CPAC.ca
My commentary can be read at: Twitter.com/jmbzinedotcom
[...]Daniel Sandate was the second known US war resister to be deported after having first fled to Canada. (I was his lead civilian legal defense attorney in his court-martial at Fort Carson) After having been convicted of desertion, he was sentenced to 8 months of confinement. He is now free [...]
From: Facebook.com: Protest homophobic actions by Grandfield, Oklahoma High School
Grandfield, OK high school teacher Debra Taylor was suspended and later forced to resign over her using the Laramie Project as part of her curriculum in her ethics class.
Meanwhile, the School’s superintendant Ed Turlington has been quoted in the press [...]
The People’s Forum: HR 875 The food police, criminalizing organic farming and the backyard gardener
Red flags I found and I am sure there are more………..
* Legally binds state [...]
PeaceArena.org: Hark! Good news - religions less popular
Rena’s article quotes from Huffington Post, but also saw this article discussed on today’s front page of USA Today
My conclusions are a different than Rena’s, but I admit my own bias as progressive ecunemical Christian is to see religion as [...]
From: GIRightsLawyer.com
I have a new version of the article I wrote on AWOL issues in the Army. (huge thanks go to Susan Bassein of the GI Rights Hotline for helping me update it, as well as the On Watch editorial board who helped improve it a great deal in [...]
Yesterday marked yet another sad day, in a long line of sad days in Oklahoma.
I was in the room and saw it with my own eyes as 10 of our state Senators voted against Randy Brogden’s bill to reform Oklahoma’s horridly undemocratic ballot access laws. I’m going to email [...]
DanzigUSA.blogspot.com: Wendell Berry Makes Public Statement on the Death Penalty
THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2009
Wendell Berry Makes Public Statement on the Death Penalty
Noted Kentucky author, philosopher and man-of-letters, Wendell Berry has authorized me to use the following statement of his position on the death penalty:
[Not to be altered in [...]
I’m excited to announce that members of Socialist Party USA are meeting today at 4:30 p.m. at Full Circle Books in Oklahoma City to discuss the formation of a local chapter for Oklahoma.
I have been a dues paying member for the last 2 years (also FYI, I [...]
Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging! [...] CNN: Israel prepares legal defense of soldiers
JERUSALEM (CNN) — Israel’s government on Sunday approved a measure that will give legal protection to its military officers if they are accused of war crimes during the Gaza incursion, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said.
“The state of Israel will completely back anyone that [...]
GIRightsLawyer.com: Links to 22 minute Youtube video, split into 4 parts
I also should mention that Daniel did his final time in the Army prison system at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. Even more crazy was the fact that he was released from prison only 15 minutes before Obama became President! (Daniel [...]
I won’t be blogging much in the next week or so as my client work has really ramped a bunch very quickly. I will be posting more regular comments on twitter though at www.twitter.com/jmbzinedotcom
[...]
I normally have a policy of not allowing JMBzine.com readers to post threatening messages in the comments (which I started after a few overly excited folks decided to post threats during the Sally Kern controversy), but I now have a reader who is directing threats at me.
I think likely [...]
From: Comment #307 - Rep. Sally Kern’s ugly anti-gay speech is made public on the internet (emphasis added is my own)
kaeboo@hotmail.com said… Rep. Kerns and her husband is absolutely right. We need to stamp out homosexuality indefinately. People’s bodies were designed for reproduction purposes under GOD’s standards because GOD [...]
Daniel Sandate is a client of mine who was convicted of desertion after fleeing to Canada to avoid a second Iraq war deployment.
Here are a few media accounts that tell his background:
Courage to Resist: Mentally ill soldier sentenced to 8 months in stockade
This is an update to an earlier blog post.
I have been reviewing the initial case documents in this case and I am stunned. I think the allegations are likely true, but if even 10% of the allegations are true, this is a horrible, horrible travesty that must be addressed.
The [...]
MarjorieCohn.com: Israel’s Collective Punishment of Gaza
. . . The targeting of civilians violates the Fourth Geneva Convention. Since the rockets fired from Gaza into Israel cannot distinguish between civilians and military targets, they are illegal. But Israel’s air and ground attack in Gaza violates Geneva in four ways. First, [...]
This post was edited to improve the grammar and to strengthen my arguments at 4:51 a.m.
NewsOK: Memo to Oklahoma City University attorney details gender issues (thanks to Workplace law prof blog for this link)
DiverseEducation.com/AP: OCU law professor alleges discrimination
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A law professor at Oklahoma [...]
This story was moved here: JMBzine.com: Time for change at OCU Law School
[...]I have posted a follow-up to this post in the comments. — Thus far Fox 25 News hasn’t put the video of their horribly biased and slanted piece about today’s protests as the capital, but I saw it on TV tonight and I gotta say it is a new low [...]
For my own memory and also to keep friends and supporters in the loop, I’m going to try to write monthly updates like this in the future.
My last few rather angry blog posts have been staring at me for the last few weeks, so I thought I should post a [...]
(be sure and scroll down to the bottom of the page linked above to watch the video)
The most disturbing thing from this video was this portion…
Popov blessing a group of soldiers about to go [...]
This is an update to my earlier post: JMBzine.com: Speak out against Michigan man being forced to undergo electroshock therapy against his will
The ELCA finally responded to the email I sent them over a month ago. (I guess they now feel the need to respond to this, after [...]
warning: this is an angry, bitter blog post and isn’t for the easily offended
This [...]
I’m a few days late in reporting on this, but it such huge news that I think it is better late than never…
Courage to Resist: AWOL Army resister applies for asylum in Germany
Military Counseling Network: André Shepherd seeks German asylum
Bellacio.org: Statement of André Shepherd at press-conference in [...]
Peacearena.org: 5 year blogiversary, or, my thanksgiving story
I started blogging on Thanksgiving weekend in 2003. I was inspired by an Oklahoma blog I started reading shortly after moving to the state in January. That blog: JMBzine and its owner is now a friend and colleague of mine in several [...]
NY Times: Walmart employee trampled to death
. . . Suddenly, witnesses and the police said, the doors shattered, and the shrieking mob surged through in a blind rush for holiday bargains. One worker, Jdimytai Damour, 34, was thrown back onto the black linoleum tiles and trampled in the stampede [...]
I got a real kick of how Adrian (btw, despite the spelling of her name,she’s a woman) described me in this story…
James M. Branum has a [...]
Mennonite Weekly Review: Goshen policy on anthem topic for debate
I’ve posted a comment on this story (which you can read by following the link above and scrolling past the story), but on further thought have decided to discuss this in more detail here. First, though, let’s look at Goshen [...]
I let my dues lapse in the Industrial Workers of the World shortly after finishing law school (partly due to poverty and partly due to not being sure if a lawyer could be a wobbly — in other words, is my place of relative privilege as an attorney something that makes [...]
I was sent this picture tonight via email. It means a great deal to me, as it gives some degree of tangible proof regarding the oral history in my family of our Cherokee roots. (my ancestors, like many, did not sign the Dawes rolls)
Disloyal Opposition: Yes, we can draft your ass (thanks to AJY for sending me this link)I would be ok with the option of service to one’s community in exchange for free college education, but not for some kind of massive “civil defense force.” This is not a good sign for [...]
I pulled this post because I was too angry when I wrote it.
The student in question was ignorant and thoughtless, but I still feel bad about besmirching his name on the internet where he’ll be labeled forever via google as a bigot.
Repeal the CA Ban on Marriage Equality [...]
Such a heart-breaking email to read, but the quote from Anne Lamott (in bold-type below) says it all. Dawn will still come. Prop 8 passed by such a small margin, so it is time to take this fight to the next level.
Prop. 8 was a direct blow against ALL [...]
“We are not as divided as our politics might suggest” - Barack Obama
[...]I’m doing running commentary on the election results at Twitter.com/jmbzinedotcom. Also be sure and check out PeaceRena.org’s (another okie blog) twitter commentary here.
I also very anxiously following the last-minute campaign news from twitter.com/NoOnProp8.
[...]Correction: I orginally stated that both of these events (the female ordination and the withdrawing of a gay man’s ministerial credentials) happed in the same conference *, but I was wrong. The confusion was because I saw the story about female ordination on the Franconia conference website, but the [...]
I’m voting yes on all of them. Here’s the details…
State Question 735: To allow a 100 percent disabled veteran an exemption from personal property taxes. - I’ll vote yes for this but wish that they did not require the veteran to have an honorable discharge to get the exemption. There [...]
This quite a year and regular readers will know that I have been anguished about the choices on several races. (just search the blog for “Obama” and “Andrew Rice” if you want to see this back story)
But, I have made my decisions. ..
President - Obama - This decision was [...]
Tuesday looks to be a crazy day and I expect the powers that be to use all of the dirty tricks in their arsenal to disenfranchise people (see Rachel Maddow’s commentary on the new poll tax (via Peacearena.org))
If you encounter any problems with voting, I would encourage to call [...]
This blog is participating in the . . .
1. California is such a massive state, and not only in population. It is also the financial and social leader of the nation. If California votes to enshrine ant-gay hate in their constitution, it will set a horrible precedent for [...]
National Guard Press release: Kid Rock, Earnhardt featured in Army Guard advertising campaign
The new “Warrior” campaign includes music from Kid Rock and features Dale Earnhardt Jr., the National Guard-sponsored NASCAR Sprint Cup driver. Over the next two months, the “Warrior” video will appear in more than 3,000 theaters and [...]
I’m sick and tired of seeing celebrity hacks use their talents for the sake of military recruiting and propaganda. Toby Keith has made a whole career of it (and yes Toby, I’m ashamed you’re from Oklahoma) but there are two other folks that I think are worthy of public ridicule.[...]
Tonight while mulling over a lot of things (see my prior post on this blog), I’ve come to the conclusion that I need another blog. I know, my regular readers will say, “you do this about every 6 months, either posting resolutions to be more positive or whatever. What’s new [...]
My trip home from Canada has been pro-longed by at least one day due to the need for more time to recover from a sprained ankle. (this post will be some personal thoughts, so if you just read the political stuff feel free to skip this post)
I initially thought I [...]
I found two pretty good artiles that discuss voting from a Mennonite perspective. The first takes a pretty radical position (but one that was pretty common during much of Anabaptist history), that of non-participation in secular government.
Anabaptist.org: Polls Apart — Why Believers Might Conscientiously Abstain from Voting - by John [...]
Just wanted to let y’all know I’ll be in Canada for the next few days. My cell phone will be turned off (because roaming minutes and text messags are 49 cents!) but I’ll be checking the voice mail on my toll-free number (1-866-933-ARMY) nightly and hopefully getting to check email [...]
This is from the Derek & Romaine’s show newsletter…
Join us tonight for a very special broadcast 10 Years Later: The Laramie Project, the lasting memory of Matthew Shepard. This two hour special will air tonight from 8-10pm ET/5-7pm PT. Narrated by Emmy winner Stockard Channing (NBC’s The Matthew Shepard Story) [...]
Alternet: “As More Troops Refuse to Deploy, Getting Conscientious Objector Status is an Uphill Battle” - by Sarah Lazare (October 8, 2008) (reprinted at CourageToResist.org)
Courage to Resist is raising money to help pay for Tony’s legal expenses. Please click [...]
US News & World Report: Bailout Gives Tax Credits to Bike Commuters, Electric Cars, Renewable Energy
Three new measures that will aid green consumers passed through Congress as part of the massive bailout bill last week. Here’s the rundown:
The Bicycle Commuter Act was added on to last week’s bailout bill [...]
I don’t have time (due to client needs) to write anything of worth on the issue of the giant Wall-Street bailout that is being considered, but I will say one really obvious thing…
$700,000,000,000 - Amount of money requested for the bailout (since we have a budget deficit though, the number [...]
Abortion rates have dropped steadily since the 1980s, from a peak of 29.3 abortions per 1,000 women in 1981 to 19.4 in [...]
I have added a new Videos section to JMBzine.com. It features mostly videos of myself (either being interviewed or doing trainings), but includes other videos of interest from other people.
Major thanks go to CSAction.org for videotaping and editing much of the contents in the video section.
[...]
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