“Texas-Sized Mini-Tour”
Fall 2003
MEMPHIS / BIRMINGHAM / GAINESVILLE
From the looks of things, the workers at the new restaurant look pretty happy about the change themselves. The CIW sends out our heartfelt thanks and congratulations to all the U of Memphis students and community members who worked on the campaign for nearly two years. |
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As the sun set on our tour crew and the “Texas-Sized Taco Bell Truth Tour,” the crew piled into the van once more and returned to Immokalee… to news of the RFK Human Rights Award and recognition of their fight against moder-day slavery, to preparations for the upcoming march to Miami in November to call for trade policies that respect human rights, and to the non-stop organizing that will ultimately secure victory in the national Taco Bell boycott. Plans for the national action in February and March are in the works. Stay tuned to this site for announcements in the coming weeks! |
DALLAS/MEMPHIS
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Later that night, Memphis allies held a well-received screening of the social justice classic “Hunger Days,” the CIW documentary on the hunger strike at Taco Bell headquarters earlier this year. |
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Seems the ol’ corporate apple never falls far from the tree (or something like that…), as ChoicePoint, the alleged subverter of democracy, has two — count ’em two! — members of its Board of Directors in common with Yum Brands, the profiteer of farmworker poverty. So, the crew dropped the new Yum Board of Directors letter off to ChoicePoint’s kind receptionist, who promised to get it to Ms. Barbara Hill and Mr. Kenneth Langone, the board members in question. We fully expect a response any day now! |
** SPECIAL CORPORATE BONUS!** Just one day after posting this update, we got a call from the folks at ChoicePoint! They wanted to inform us that, in point of fact, their company wasn’t technically responsible for the outrageous subversion of democracy alleged in Greg Palast’s book, as they acquired DBT — the database company involved in the alleged removal of eligible voters from Florida’s rolls — shortly after DBT’s work with Katherine Harris was wrapped-up in 2000. Also, ChoicePoint relayed a request from the receptionist pictured receiving the letter in the original update that her picture be removed from the site, though it wasn’t legally necessary because she was in a public area in the shot. But, in the spirit of cooperation, we took her picture out and replaced it with the following link, where you can buy a copy of “The Best Democracy Money Can Buy” yourself and learn about how our president won the 2000 election! Next: Alabama and Gainesville, FL |
AUSTIN – Some Serious Action! – Part II
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And indeed it was… the action was distinguished by its art and banners, including a fine little tomato suit, some great FTAA banners (which we fully expect to see down here in Miami come November…), and our own critical mass bike entourage. |
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Next up: Dallas and Memphis |
DAY FIVE: AUSTIN AND SAN ANTONIO
PART I
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He was charged with Failure to Move Vehicle upon Becoming Informed Consumer… |
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Next: Part II of Day 5 in Austin/San Antonio |
DAY THREE/FOUR: HOUSTON AND AUSTIN
Check out this great editorial from Tuesday’s University of Texas Daily Texan Online
Little-known Texas fact: The Dallas Cowboys, winners of an NFL record five Super Bowls, hold their summer training camp at St. Edward’s University. |
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The rest of the Austin stay will be chronicled in updates to follow, but if the first day is any indication, it promises to be quite a fine time. |
The protest was a surprising success, as Lucas managed to turn this truck away (though not to convince them to abandon their fossil-fuel guzzling SUV…), and a worker from the Taco Bell itself stopped to ask about the protest. According to the protesters, the worker was more than sympathetic, saying, “Mientras maltratan a mi raza yo no voy a comer aqui” (“As long as their mistreating my people, I’m not going to eat here”). |
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Next; Austin Day 2-3! |
DAY TWO/THREE: NEW ORLEANS AND HOUSTON
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While we are in such an historic place, here’s a little bit of Louisiana history that I bet you didn’t know: 1803 is the year that the U.S. and France agreed on the Louisiana Purchase. While the Haitian struggle for independence was taking place, France was also fighting against England and other European powers in the Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon dreamed of a widespread French Empire. This included Haiti and other territories in North America, including Louisiana. He had even, at one time, considered attacking the United States itself. But by 1803, with the European wars not going the way he had hoped, he needed money. So when American representatives came calling, he agreed to give up Louisiana (all of it) for a big chunk of money. The Haitian Revolution contributed to the protection of America in three ways: * It convinced Napoleon to abandon his dream of an American Empire. * It made him desperate for money, making him sell the Louisiana Territory and abandon all claims to it (and any future plans of invading America). * It gave hope to enemies of France everywhere. For a certain time, at the beginning of the Napoleonic Wars, France’s Grand Army of the Republic seemed unbeatable. But England and other countries slowly turned the tide. The seemingly small victory of a half million slaves over the feared French soldiers in Haiti was an example of just how vulnerable French power really was to a determined, spirited freedom fighting force. Without either Louisiana or Haiti as a jumping-off point, France would never again have the opportunity to attack the United States. And for this, America has to thank Toussaint L’Overture and his determined fellow rebels, many of whom gave their lives in the name of freedom. |
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If you’d like to send the letter yourself, click here to download the PDF file of the letter. And of course, feel free to help copy and circulate the letter among your family and friends so they can send along a copy too! |
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Tomorrow — Day Two in Houston! |
DAY ONE: TALLAHASSEE
Well, after much anticipation, the Texas-Sized Truth Tour finally hit the road, and after a brief meeting in Tampa with the new president of the National Lawyers Guild (you never know when you might need a good lawyer…), the Truth Tour made its first official stop at the governor’s office in Tallahassee, where this historical marker got a much-needed updating from one of the tour members. For some reason, though, the governor’s staff closed up shop and headed home a little early on Friday, so the tour crew didn’t get a chance to meet with Governor Bush about the veritable epidemic of slavery cases making national headlines in his state. Didn’t matter much, though, because Governor Bush couldn’t fit the workers into his busy schedule, anyway, referring them and their concerns about slavery to the Sub-secretary of the Department of Business and Professional Blah, Blah, Blah…. |
“On the subject of private property rights and sovereign laws, Governor Bush said, ‘I don’t think you’re going to find a governor who is as committed to the bedrock principle of private property rights as this one here.’” That must be why the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association and the governor get along so well. Seems he always has time in his busy agenda for them — why he was the Keynote Speaker just last month when the FFVA met in their annual convention at the Ritz Carlton, Florida’s only four-star hotel, right here in Naples, and was a happy litte camper at their annual “Cracker Breakfast,” too. There’s a great photo of the governor at the Cracker Breakfast in the latest issue of “The Packer,” the agriculture trade weekly, reminding growers that our man Jeb is one of them, despite his Blue Blood heritage (can’t find the photo online, unfortunately…). |
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… a packed room of students and community activists at Florida State University. Following a screening of the CIW-produced video documenting the recent hunger strike outside Taco Bell headquarters, the tour members led a lively, interactive discussion of the growing national alliance for fundamental change in the way the fast-food industry does business. |
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