Present: Peter, Ellyn, Glenda Rae, Rey, Lois, Wanda, Galen
Old business
1. Approval of Minutes for November 11: The minutes were approved as corrected. Several typos were found, and the theme for MLK Day is "Rekindle the Dream", not "Fire up the Dream." Also, Peter had sent out both the Drone and Fracking drafts to the listserv, and got back several comments which he incorporated into the drafts and put them on the website under "issues."
2. Progress Reports
a. Topic of the Month: Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Ellyn is almost ready to put a draft out to the list serv.
b. Showing of Inequality for All: (Note that this Robert Reich film will also be shown at Debartolo Fine Arts Center on February 20.) The showing at the public library on November 14 was well attended with representatives from labor advocates to civic-oriented people, to peace advocates. We need a constitutional amendment that states that companies are not people. In the current climate, politicians are being bought. We need to close the loop holds in the tax law which allows corporations to avoid paying taxes. One criticism of the film is that it did not say what must be done to bring about more equality. In our discussion, we said that the real hope for change is in popular movements, not party politics. It only takes 3.5% of the population to bring about change. The Occupy movement is not dead in spite of FBI efforts. It will revive in the Spring.
c. Little Taste of Peace: Glenda Rae is getting this event under control. It will be held on Saturday, January 18, at First United Methodist Church in the Gathering Room. The two Amandas from the Y, along with Wanda, Ellyn, and Carolyn Maguire will check people in. Kevin will handle taking food from arriving folks and wheeling it on carts to the serving tables. The facilitators are ready to work with 11 groups of 10 seated in circles around the periphery of the room. There is an elevator for those who cannot manage steps and will have signs in it as to which button to push. Everyone else has to walk up to the ground floor and then down to the lower level.
d. MLK Day events: MPJC will have two tables for the price of one. Lois will coordinate one table which will be devoted to asking people to share their dream on paper to be shared with our elected representatives. Lois and Peter checked out a picture "Father's Love" of a father holding his child. She will set this upright on her table along with a picture of a mother with daughter, and another picture. Peter will rig up a backing for these pictures. Peter and Ellyn will bring the ingredients for a fake fire in the middle of the table using bike warning lights, cellophane, and kindling. On the other table we will have our usual MLK display with some leaflets. Rey will bring some literature we can use. Peter will arrange a stand for the bean poll.
Diane Freeland, a veteran who helped at the Veterans Resource Room the last two years, is going to have a table to welcome home veterans. She knows that MLK's message is peace and nonviolence, and will make sure the table has this theme, not glorifying war or recruiting warriors. The resource room has been discontinued this year due to lack of attendance last year.
e. Library Photo Display: This is up on the second floor of the library. The title is "Transformation." Lois missed the reception for those submitting pictures which was held earlier in the day of the meeting.
3. Treasurer's Report: Our bank total is $81.04 with $5.11 in petty cash. We spent $40 for the MLK Day table.
New Business
1. What do we (can we) do next? We incorporated this topic into other discussion
2. Topic of the Month: We decided to continue work on MPJC response to the Israeli-Palestinian situation. Ellyn will post a draft position in the next few days.
3. Other Topics and Issues: The Millionaints, who sponsored the "Inequality for All" film, are showing the film "We're Not Broke," Tuesday, January 28th, at 7pm at the River Park Library.
Logan Mehl-Laituri will speak at 6pm, February 6 at IUSB. He is an Iraq veteran who became a CO during his term of service. He recently spoke at Our Lady of the Road and has written several books. It would be worthwhile to display copies of his books on the MLK Day table.
Notre Dame Screenpeace film festival will be held at Debartolo February 6 (7pm), 7 and 8 (6:30pm and 9:30pm).
The Black History Month events will be listed in the MLK Day Booklet
4. Next meeting: Monday, February 10th, at 3pm at Peter and Ellyn's.