Send a fax before September 13 to the Forest Service about its proposed off-road vehicle rule. The future of our National Forests and the values they represent are threatened by growing and uncontrolled use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), dirt bikes and other off-road vehicles (ORVs), also known as off-highway vehicles (OHVs). On July 7 the U.S. Forest Service announced plans to specify which roads and trails are open to off-highway vehicles. As written, the proposed rules will not protect our National Forests. Please ask the Forest Service to improve its proposed off-road vehicle rule, to better protect public lands and wildlife.

Click on the link below to quickly send a fax!
http://www.sierraclub.org/action/?alid=339&st=tact&rf=a00339b

In many of America's National Forests, off-road vehicles are able to drive almost anywhere. The Forest Service reports that more than 273,000 miles of roads and other routes are open to various off-road vehicles. In some forests, ATVs and dirt bikes can travel virtually without limit across hundreds of thousands -- even millions -- of acres. Our National Forests are threatened by growing and uncontrolled use of ATVs, dirt bikes and other off-road vehicles. Your comments can help ensure that meaningful regulations are adopted.

Remember, the comment period ends on September 13 and the Forest Service will not accept comments after that time.

Thank you for helping us protect the environment for future generations.

Sincerely,

Lillian Miller
Outreach Systems Manager


Informant: ItalysBadBoy

From: SSRI-Research

Date: Mon, 06 Sep 2004 15:33:29 -0000

Subject: [SSRI-Research] PLEASE SIGN - PETITION to stop mandatory screening for "mental illness" in the U.S.

Texans for Safe Education in Conjunction with Ablechild have Launched a Petition Drive in Response to the President's "New Freedom Commission" and Its Recommendations to "Screen" all U.S. Citizens for "Mental Illness."

Recently President Bush's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health (NFC) has initiated what we call a government sponsored "intrusion" program that would mandate all U.S. Citizens (to include every man, woman and child) to be "screened" for "mental illness."

To Read More on this Initiative and the Direct Threat on Our Privacy
and Health Click Here:

http://www.ablechild.org/declaration%20of%20refusal.aspx

We Strongly Urge You to Say NO to Mandatory Mental Health Screenings and Sign this Petition!

Thank You for taking a stand for freedom!

Texans for Safe Education
Ablechild.ORG



Informant: DitziSis


A DECLARATION OF REFUSAL TO COMPLY WITH ANY NEW FREEDOM COMMISSION MANDATE FOR UNIVERSAL MENTAL HEALTH SCREENING OF CHILDREN IN THE SCHOOLS

We, the undersigned, solemnly declare that we will not allow our children to be the subjects of any form of implementation of New Freedom Commission recommendations to screen our children for signs of "mental illness."

We are aware that the New Freedom Commission report states that "Schools are in a key position to identify mental health problems early, and to provide a link to appropriate services." We know that many of the New Freedom commissioners are linked directly or indirectly to the Texas Medical Algorithm Project (TMAP), which provides formulas recommending specific psychotropic drugs to treat various "mental illnesses." According to whistleblower reports, TMAP pushes an off-label drug marketing scheme that appears to skirt federal law. We know, therefore, that this commission's recommendations are intended to encourage an expansion of the fact that "appropriate services" in today's psychiatric world means psychotropic drugs, and that there are already an estimated 9-million school-age children on psychiatric drugs. We consider this to represent a tragic situation, and a clear and present danger to our children.

http://www.ablechild.org/declaration%20of%20refusal.aspx

From:
Aftermath News
Top Stories - September 10th, 2004

From: "The Liberty Committee" <kentsnyder@thelibertycommittee.org>

Subject: Mental-health screening of children

ACTION ALERT

September 7, 2004

The American tradition of parents deciding what is best for their children is, yet again, under attack. The pharmaceutical industry has convinced President Bush to support mandatory mental-health screening for every child in America, including preschool children, and the industry is now working to convince Congress as well. But mandatory screening alone is not what the pharmaceutical industry wants. The real payoff for the drug companies is the forced drugging of children that will result -- as we learned tragically with Ritalin -- even when parents refuse.

Congressman Ron Paul, an OB/GYN physician for over 30 years, is desperately trying to keep the drug companies, politicians and federal bureaucrats from becoming parents to your children. Dr. Paul will introduce on Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning (whenever the floor schedule allows) an amendment to the Labor, HHS, and Education Appropriations Act for FY 2005 that will withhold funds for this new federal mental-health-screening program. He will urge his congressional colleagues to support his effort in a letter to be distributed tomorrow morning.

Dr. Paul's letter says in part: "As you know, psychotropic drugs are increasingly prescribed for children who show nothing more than children's typical rambunctious behavior. Many children have suffered harmful effects from these drugs. Yet some parents have even been charged with child abuse for refusing to drug their children. The federal government should not promote national mental health screening programs that will force the use of these psychotropic drugs such as Ritalin."

If you think this action alert is about something that "can't happen here," think again. In 1995, the state of Texas launched the Texas Medication Algorithm Project. (WorldNetDaily.com, June 21, 2004)

The state of Illinois has also approved a mental health screening program. The Illinois legislature passed the Children's Mental Health Act of 2003 which will provide screening for "all children ages 0-18" and "ensure appropriate and culturally relevant assessment of your children's social and emotional development with the use of standardized tools." In addition, all pregnant women in Illinois are to be screened for depression.

Dr. Karen R. Effrem, another physician and leading opponent of mandatory screening recently stated, "Universal mental health screening and the drugging of children, as recommended by the New Freedom Commission [presidential commission], needs to be stopped so that many thousands if not millions of children will be saved from receiving stigmatizing diagnoses that would follow them for the rest of their lives. America's school children should not be medicated by expensive, ineffective, and dangerous medications based on vague and dubious diagnoses."

Dr. Effrem warns of the following:

1. Parental rights are unclear or non-existent under these screening
programs.

2. Parents are already being coerced to put their children on psychiatric medications and some children are dying because of it.

3. Mental health screening does not prevent suicide.

4. Mental health diagnoses are "subjective" and "social constructions" as admitted by the authors of the diagnostic manuals themselves.

5. Most psychiatric medications do not work in children.

6. The side effects of these medications in children are severe.

7. The untoward influence by the pharmaceutical industry, or at least the impropriety, is abundantly clear in two important aspects of this issue.

8. Merging screening with the academic standards required by No Child Left Behind, as is happening in Illinois, will lead to diagnosis for political reasons. School mental health and violence prevention programs funded by NCLB and government counterterrorism operations are already using such criteria as "homophobia" and "defenders of the US Constitution against federal government and the UN" to label school children and US citizens as mentally unstable and violent.

Texas first...Illinois second...and the rest of America to follow if we aren't successful within the next 24 to 36 hours. We'll be calling on House members' offices tomorrow asking for votes in favor of Dr. Paul's amendment to stop this forced, federal mental-health screening.

Join concerned citizens from Eagle Forum, Gun Owners of America, the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, Concerned Women of America, Freedom 21, the Alliance for Human Research Protection, and the International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology to get Dr. Paul's amendment passed.

One last note...if mental-health screening for every American child isn't bad enough, how about mandatory mental-health screening for every American adult? Yes, that's coming too. The final report of the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health states, "Both children and adults will be screened for mental illnesses during their routine physical exams."

Please help. Urge your U.S. representative to support the Paul amendment and ask family and friends to do the same. To send your message, go to
http://capwiz.com/liberty/issues/alert/?alertid=6333001&type=CO

After you've sent your message, forward to your family and friends the following page: http://www.thelibertycommittee.org/update09.07.04.htm

Kent Snyder
The Liberty Committee


Details of Dr. Effrem's Points:
http://edaction.org/2004/082704.htm

"Bush to screen population for mental illness" by WorldNetDaily.com
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=39078

Informant: Kathy

Link:
IL Children's Mental Health Plan gives legislators headache
http://www.illinoisleader.com/news/newsview.asp?c=18658


In case you are not familiar with this issue and what is at stake, please view the short ABC News video clip to learn of just one tragic outcome of what happened to a 12 year old girl.

Be sure to access the video from this online link:
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0904/171639.html

Bush To Impose Psychiatric Drug Regime

..."The TMAP medication guidelines were established in 1995 as an "expert consensus" based on the opinions of prescribers, rather than an analysis of scientific studies. The pharmaceutical companies who funded the scheme include Janssen Pharmaceutica, Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly, Astrazeneca, Pfizer, Novartis, Janssen-Ortho-McNeil, GlaxoSmithKline, Abbott, Bristol Myers Squibb, Wyeth-Ayerst and Forrest Laboratories.

The drugs recommended as "first line treatment", many of them with potentially deadly side effects, are patented expensive drugs produced by the sponsors of the guidelines: Risperdal, Zyprexa, Seroqual, Geodone, Depakote, Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa, Wellbutron, Zyban, Remeron, Serzone, Effexor, Buspar, Adderall and Prozac...."

"TMAP was extended to cover children, again by "expert consensus", and no doubt the Bush program for widespread testing in schools all over the US will find hundreds of thousands if not millions of new "customers" for the dangerous psychiatric drugs the scheme promotes."

http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/2004/06/23/bush_to_impose_psychiatric_drug_regime.htm


Most importantly, FORWARD THIS PETITION to others on your list and ask them to do the same.

In gratitude,

Jack Topel


Omega see also:
http://tinyurl.com/4lzo9

http://www.workingforchange.com/activism/action.cfm?itemid=17585


Informant: Mary Riley

Please Help Save Jackson Redwood Forest!

http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/leg04gov1

If you responded to my previous request, I thank you deeply. If not, please take a minute to help us end our five-year struggle to save Jackson Forest for our children.

Jackson State Forest is a public treasure -- 50,000 acres of beautiful redwood forest located within a few hours drive of San Francisco. We have a chance to remove permanently the threat of massive industrial logging of our public redwood forest!

Please write the governor asking him to sign SB 1648,
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/leg04gov1 the only forest protection bill to make it through the California legislature this year!

We've made it incredibly easy for you to help. We've prepared a letter that you can edit and send off with just a click. Learn more and send your letter now.

http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/leg04gov1

Don't let this opportunity to slip away. Thousands of us have been worked for five years and contributed over $300,000 to save this beautiful redwood forest for future generations. Until stopped by citizen lawsuits, the state was massively logging this public redwood forest, owned by you and me. The profits were used to subsidize the private timber industry.

The state is rushing to get back to logging Jackson State Forest using variations of clearcutting on half of the forest! Clean water, salmon, wildlife habitat, and recreation values will be largely disregarded.

We can prevent this from happening, but only if Governor Schwarzenegger signs the state forest reform bill. This is the chance we've been working for. Don't let it slip away through inaction. It will take you only a minute to learn more and send your letter. Please do it now.

http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/leg04gov1

Let's make sure the governor knows that the public is watching and wants his signature.

The reform bill would allow continued timber production in Jackson Forest, but only within the context of scientific research, maintenance and restoration of forest resources, recreation, education, and public enjoyment. Clearcutting would be effectively prohibited and old growth protected. This would be a huge step towards protecting our forest for future generations.

The California Department of Forestry has been making $10 million per year profits from industrial logging of Jackson Forest and strongly opposes the reform bill. They will urge the governor to veto it.

A coalition of environmental groups has set a goal of 5,000 letters to the governor by September 10. We've set this ambitious goal because we think it will take that amount of public outcry to get Schwarzenegger to go against his own agency. We still have a long way to go. Please help

http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/leg04gov1 .

Please forward this message to friends and family. We need every letter we can get.

Thank you for your help.

Yours truly,

Vince Taylor


Informant: Bob Nienhuis

From: American Lands Alliance

Date: August 31, 2004

Call Forest Service Chief Bosworth Today!

Tell Him You Want A Comment Extension & Public Hearings on the Repeal of the Roadless Rule.

As you know, the Forest Service is moving forward with efforts to repeal the Roadless Area Conservation Rule put in place by the Clinton administration in 2001.

This week we need to flood Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth's office with calls demanding a public comment period extension and a request for hearings across the country on the Forest Service's decision to repeal the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule.

The Bush administration claims that the reason they are making changes to the Roadless Rule is that the process used to establish the Rule under the Clinton administration was unfair to States and local governments, the comment period was not sufficient, and that it was a last minute process.

However, the Clinton administration spent three years on public dialogue and multiple public comment processes, which included an incredibly thorough assessment of roadless areas, extensive scientific analysis, over 600 public hearings nationwide, and comment periods in excess of those required. A record number of Americans wrote to the federal government - over 1.5 million -- and over 95% supported the Roadless Rule (to date, 2.5 million comments have been submitted in three different comment periods). Not by any stretch of the imagination can it accurately be characterized as a last-minute process.

In contrast, the Bush administration has not issued any scientific analysis justifying a change in the rule, has not issued a new Environmental Impact Statement justifying these changes, and has not held one public hearing. The Bush administration is only giving the public 60 days to comment on the decision to repeal the rule before it becomes final and has completely ignored the over 2.5 million comments advocating for strong roadless protection.

TAKE ACTION TODAY: Call Chief Bosworth at 202-205-1661 or -205-1195 and tell him that you want:

1. The roadless public comment period extended by at least 45 days

2. At least 600 public hearings held across the country (the same amount the Clinton administration held).


Informant: STRIDER

This is a link to a web site asking you to sign a petition to stop the dirty tricks and voter intimidation that the Republicans are pulling. If you agree, please sign and pass this request on to as many people as possible. Thanks in advance.

In Kindred Spirit,
Deb C


For your consideration:

The Republican National Convention kicked off in New York City just a few hours ago. As President Clinton said yesterday, "It's time for the Republicans to put on their compassionate face."

If you can handle the hypocrisy of it all, you'll see a parade of moderate Republican all-stars -- McCain and Giuliani tonight, Schwarzenegger tomorrow. Their rhetoric will be of patriotism and compassion, praising George Bush's "resolve" and "leadership" and reminding us all that we are a nation at war.

But something far more important is going on behind the scenes this week. Republican strategists are planning a systematic campaign of voter intimidation and repression. It's something they freely admit is key to GOP victories in November.

This ghastly plan needs to be fought by each of us -- and everyone we can tell.

Ask 5 friends to join the fight for truth today.

http://actforvictory.org/act.php/home/petitions/intimidation

#109 WILD NORTHWEST, August 30, 2004

A Message from Northwest Ecosystem Alliance

Keeping the Northwest Wild

Bush Administration Seeks Broader Access for Off-Road Riders
National forests may be opened to more dirt bikes and four wheelers

The Bush administration has proposed new rules that would allow national forests to designate the majority of forest roads--including abandoned roads in sensitive areas and illegally created routes across wildlands--as new “ORV routes.” Under the proposal, most secondary roads in a national forest could be opened up to ORV traffic with limited public review or environmental analysis. The rule would also allow national forests to designate routes across wild forests--routes created by dirt bikes and four-wheelers, but not officially sanctioned by the government--as new routes.

Public comments are due September 13, 2004. Please send a message! Tell the Forest Service that you want:

* site-specific environmental analysis and public review of every new route proposed for ORV use,

* an immediate ban on ORVs outside of currently designated ORV trails and play areas and within roadless areas, and

* increased funding for monitoring and enforcement of ORV use on national forests.

To send an immediate email message, go to
http://www.ecosystem.org/action/index.html?MessageTemplateID=1.

Or send a letter or fax to:
Proposed Rules for Designated Routes and Areas for Motor Vehicle Use
c/o Content Analysis Team
PO Box 221150
Salt Lake City, UT 84122-1150
Email: trvman@fs.fed.us
Fax: (801) 517-1014

Background information: Scroll down on http://www.ecosystem.org/act/109.html for links to 1) an overview of the rule’s strengths and weaknesses and a legal analysis prepared by Wildlands CPR; 2) a copy of the draft rule in its entirety; and 3) a report on environmental impacts, law, and policy relating to ORV use on national forests.

As always, thank you for taking action to further help protect our national forests. Your response matters.

Erin Moore
Communications Coordinator
Northwest Ecosystem Alliance
1208 Bay St., Ste. 201
Bellingham, WA 98225
360.671.9950 ext. 24

Am 8. September: EU-Abstimmung über Gentechnik-Rückstände im Saatgut

Kurzfristig haben wir erfahren, dass die scheidende EU-Kommission unmittelbar vor ihrem Amtsende GVO-Verunreinigungen im Saatgut von Raps und Mais bis 0,3 Prozent durchsetzen möchte.

Sollen vor der Amtsübergabe noch in letzter Minute Fakten geschaffen werden? Vor zwei Monaten hat die dänische Landwirtschaftsministerin Mariann Fischer Boel im Agrarministerrat die Forderung nach Kennzeichnung von GVO-Verunreinigungen an der praktischen Nachweisgrenze von 0,1 Prozent gefordert. Dies fordert auch das Umweltinstitut München e.V. Ab 1. November wird Frau Boel die neue EU Kommissarin für Landwirtschaft sein.

Helfen Sie uns, eine Gentech-Verunreinigung im Saatgut zu verhindern und handeln Sie jetzt: Bitte schreiben Sie Briefe, Faxe oder E-Mails, die wir hier vorformuliert haben.

Die Kommission muss spüren, dass die Öffentlichkeit eine Verunreinigung des Saatgutes mit GVO nicht akzeptieren wird.
http://www.umweltinstitut.org/frames/all/m382.htm

Mit herzlichen Grüßen, Ihr

Hans Ulrich-Raithel, Dipl.- Ing. (FH)
Vorstand
Umweltinstitut München e.V.
Schwere-Reiter-Str. 35 / 1 b
D-80797 München
http://www.umweltinstitut.org
hu@umweltinstitut.org

Umweltinstitut München e.V. - Newsletter vom 30. August 2004

As the biotech industry retreats from Europe, countries in Asia and Africa are increasingly being targeted by the industry and its lobbyists with unprecedented backing from the US.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE FARMERS, CONSUMERS, AND CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS OF THAILAND.

Please send URGENT letters of protest over the Thai Prime Minister's proposal to capitulate to US/industry pressure and end Thailand's existing moratorium on GM crops. TIME IS VERY SHORT - the end of the moratorium is due to be approved at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday 31st August.

http://www.foei.org/cyberaction/gmthai.html

Please forward this message to your friends and colleagues and encourage them to get involved with this action, too. Thanks for your support.

The FoEI Web Team