JusticeVision
Democracy University Vol. 8
Gary Webb/Martha Honey/Ben Bagdikian/Michael Parenti
Dear Justicevision supporters and other friends: The 8th tape in the Democracy University video series is now ready. Topics include Media Censorship (Gary Webb and Ben Bagdikian), the CIA's role in the crack cocaine epidemic (Gary Webb, Martha Honey, and Dennis Bernstein), the corroboration of Crack/CIA links by the Justice Department (Webb), and a look at the causes and effects of the increasing concentration of wealth (Michael Parenti). Sound and picture quality are excellent throughout. Democracy University Volume 8 is available as a 6-hour VHS tape for a minimum donation of only $10 (only $7 by subscription - see below for how to subscribe), or as three 2-hour VHS tapes (for $25), or on 6 audiotapes (also $25). It contains the following four recent events (descriptions below are from the label): Democracy University Volume 8: [Part 1:] "DARK ALLIANCE: Crack Cocaine, the CIA, Contras, and the Censors," with Pulitzer Prize Winner Gary Webb, Dennis Bernstein, and Martha Honey. Berkeley, CA, 6/13/98, 1 hour 57 minutes; [Part 2:] "The CIA, Contras, Crack, and the Justice Department's Report," with Gary Webb, at Libros Revolucion, L.A., CA, 7/25/98, 2 hours 11 minutes. [Part 3:] "The Corporate Threat to Democracy: Censorship in the Newsroom'" with Ben Bagdikian, Dennis Bernstein, filmmakers Beth Sanders and Randy Baker, and Van Jones. Berkeley, CA, 6/25/98, 1 hour 30 minutes; Michael Parenti speaking at the National Independent Politics Summit, Oakland, CA, 6/12/98, 29 minutes, (untitled), on what he refers to as the "corporate duopoly." ****** Background Information of the Speakers (condensed from their on-tape introductions): Gary Webb: "... an investigative reporter for 19 years during which he won more than 30 journalism awards including the Pulitzer Prize. He is currently a consultant of the California State Legislature Taskforce on Government Oversight. He has produced a book [Dark Alliance], and I [i.e., the event's producer Bob Baldock] have read every word of it carefully, which is thrilling, horrifying, convincing, enlightening, infuriating, and very badly needed." Martha Honey: "Currently a Director at the Institute for Policy Studies. During the 1980s as a journalist based in Central America she investigated links between the CIA, the Nicaraguan Contra, and the cocaine cartels. She is author of 'Hostile Acts: U.S. Policies in Costa Rica in the 1980's,' an excellent book." Dennis Bernstein: "Investigative journalist, writer for The Nation, the Bay Guardian, and Covert Action Quarterly, producer and host of KPFA's Flashpoints show." Ben Bagdikian: Author of "Media Monopoly" and other books on corporatized media; "Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, scholar, teacher, author, activist, Dean Emeritus of the UC Grad. School of Journalism, and abiding mentor." Beth Sanders and Randy Baker: Producers of the documentary "Fear and Favor in the Newsroom" with Studs Terkel. [I have included the first 3 minutes of their documentary (with their permission) in DU8]. Van Jones: "Director of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights; board member of 'We Interrupt This Message' and 'Media Alliance.'" Michael Parenti: "Author of numerous books, the most recent three being 'Dirty Truths: reflections on politics, media, ideology, conspiracy, ethnic life, and class power,' a wealth of information; also, 'Black Shirts and Reds: Rational Fascism and the overthrow of Communism,' and the newest, 'America Beseiged.' Parenti holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Yale University, and has taught at the University of Vermont and at the City University of New York, Brooklyn. He has resided in Berkeley for the last 6 years. Background Notes: Gary Webb is known to most of us as the former San Jose Mercury reporter that wrote a series of articles connecting the CIA to the importation and distribution of crack cocaine in South Central Los Angeles. We have included two events with Webb because they complement each other; the first gives more of a historical setting, with corrobation of Webb's findings provided by the experiences of Bernstein and Honey. The second event occurred July 25, on the heals of the release of the Justice Department's report which provided vindication for Webb's series, despite the Mercury's retractions. Ben Bagdikian had some interesting and motivating things to say to aspiring journalists and documentary filmmakers, both during the event and in the followup conversations he had with myself and others. We were fortunate to have kept the camera running. Michael Parenti approximates Chomsky in clarity of insight while surpassing everyone else in fervor. Though short (29 minutes with intro.) this June '98 speech was an excellent example of Parenti's ability to cut through the smoke and mirrors and take the progressive listener on a stimulating intellectual sleigh ride. Many of us will recall that Martha Honey's husband Tony Avirgon, also a journalist, was injured in the bombing of a press conference of a dissident Contra faction, and the work they did to try to bring light to what many still believe to be a White House connection to the bombing. How to order: All four events are available on a single 6-hour VHS videotape for a minimum donation of $10. Please order the tape by telephone or email, and send your donation (of $10 or more) after you receive the tape, in the envelope we will enclose with the tape for that purpose. Please leave your name, address, a phone number, and your email address, if you have one, and specify you are ordering DU8. If you plan on editing the videotapes for cable and would like to receive the videotapes in 2-hour mode VHS, or would like part or all of DU8 on audiotapes, tell us which of the three parts you would like ("parts" are indicated in the label text portion above). Send $10 minimum per part after you receive your order, or $25 minimum if you want all three parts (i.e., either on audiotapes or on three 2-hour mode videotapes). Become a Charter Subscriber and Save $3 per Tape off the Minimum Donation (6-hour mode edition only): It is not to late to become a "charter subscriber" and receive DU8 and future volumes of the Democracy University series at the special rate of only $7 (minimum donation) per tape. This means you will receive the numbered volumes (not the "special editions") automatically as soon as they become available to preview and either return or keep at the special $7 minimum donation rate (that figures out to only $1.17 per hour!). And you can cancel anytime. If I could make it any easier than that, I would. It is our intention to bring the subscription price down even further as our subscriber base expands (please help this happen!) so that people like Gary Webb that invest their lives and/or risk their wellbeing to uncover the facts will know that their efforts will not be wasted. I believe that the portability of video gives it the same potential to build movements that the printing press had prior to the invention of radio and TV. In the words of Ben Bagdikian: "Print is going to be around for a long time, but it ain't going to be like video." By having a subscriber base I hope to cut the time it takes to process orders so that I can expand and speed up our distribution without having to cut the number of important events I cover, and still have some time for my family when I am home (which has been pretty difficult lately). Your participation as a charter subscriber would be very helpful and greatly appreciated. To subscribe just type the word "subscribe" on your order and we will put you on the list. Similarly, the message "unsubscribe" will take you off. I will have no problem with you signing up just long enough to get the current tape for $7, as long as you take a look at it before you cancel. If you would like to subscribe but even $7 is prohibitive, I would suggest finding someone that would be willing to share the cost with you, or perhaps you would want to sell your tape when you are done with it. Even at $15 each they are not hard to sell. If you are looking for an income opportunity, you may even want to consider distributing our tapes to people you know. I want these tapes to be accessible to everyone, so if these suggestions don't help, let me know and I'll think of something else. When ordering, please specify whether you wish to subscribe to the series or would just like to order DU8. Also, I've got at least a hundred copies of the wonderful little book "Planethood" by Ken Keyes that I bought about 10 years ago but that are still in pretty good shape. Mention that you would like one and I'll be happy to send a free one with your tape order until they run out. Hope to hear from you! Best Wishes, Ralph Cole, organizer of Justicevision [email protected] (213) 747-6345; 1425 W. 12th St. #262, L.A., CA,90015FOOTNOTE: Before forwarding this letter to friends you may wish to add your name and address to the list below. Also, you may want to send a thank you, either a note or a small gift (like a dollar), to those who passed the information along to you. By remembering those who passed this message along to you in this manner, you will be helping this information to reach an ever-expanding audience. 1. Michael Stec, 2131 Westmount Rd NW, Calgary,AB, Canada T2N 3N3 2. 3. 4. 5.
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