Dear RN, Thank you, Mark, for the appeal below. I am secretary of a local environmental group so I am writing a letter (to City Attorney Mark Sidran, copied below after the appeal) on our stationary. On the envelope I'm putting (in red) "Cheri Honkala is a good citizen, not a criminal!" all the best, jan ************************************************ Date: Thu, 02 Mar 2000 09:45:35 -0600 To: •••@••.•••, •••@••.••• From: Mark Douglas Whitaker <•••@••.•••> Subject: Myth of the Welfare Queen Some of you will remember Cheri Honkala from *The Myth of the Welfare Queen*. Either way, check out http://www.libertynet.org/kwru/ (you'll also see a photo of Cheri getting arrested), read below, and then write a letter as suggested to help this dedicated activist. Thanks.---Dan [February 15, 2000]: Cheri Honkala was arrested on November 29, 1999 in Seattle, Washington. Cheri is the Director of the Kensington Welfare Rights Union and the National Spokesperson for the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign. The Kensington Welfare Rights Union (KWRU) is an organization of poor and homeless women, men and children who are fighting both to survive and to end poverty. The KWRU was named as one of the five most significant human rights efforts in the world by the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights. This year, the KWRU was awarded the Letelier-Moffet Human Rights Award. The Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign (PPEHRC) is made up of over 40 poor-led organizations from around the country who are fighting for economic human rights. The Campaign recently completed a 400 mile "March of the Americas," from Washington DC to the United Nations in New York City to protest poverty in the richest country in the world. (For more information, see http://www.kwru.org) Cheri has dedicated her life to building a massive movement to end poverty, led by the poor. Cheri has signed on to the case called "the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign vs. the United States." This case, filed at the Inter-American Commission of Organization of American States, attempts to hold the United States accountable for the economic human rights abuses being caused by downsizing, poverty and welfare reform in the US today. She has been organizing for over 15 years to insure that poor and homeless families are not hidden in America, and that the voices of the poor are heard. WHAT HAPPENED AND WHY Calling for human rights to be valued above corporate rights, Cheri Honkala was arrested on November 29, 1999 in Seattle Washington. Cheri was participating in the protests of the World Trade Organization. She is charged with obstruction for her non-violent attempt to speak out. All but a dozen of the over 500 cases related to the WTO events have since been thrown out of court, yet the District Attorney's Office is still pursuing Cheri's case. Cheri was offered a plea bargain that included 5 days in jail, $1000 fine, and a two-year gag order prohibiting her participation or involvement in demonstrations anywhere in the country. Cheri has turned down this attempt to silence her and deny her First Amendment rights. She is scheduled to stand trial on March 14th, 2000 in Seattle. WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT Right now, people throughout the country, including musicians, labor leaders, students, religious leaders, and lawyers are writing letters to the District Attorney's office in Seattle asking that Cheri Honkala's case be dropped. We ask that you do the same. Cheri's case number is 371901. Please address your letter to City Attorney Mark Sidran. Mail your letter to Municipal Building, 10th Floor, 600 4th Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98104, or fax to (206)684-8284. Also, please cc the KWRU Defense Committee at PO Box 50678, Philadelphia, PA 19132, (215)203-1950 FAX, •••@••.•••. Thank you for your support. ******************************************************************* Dear Mark Sidran, I recently learned that Seattle is pursuing charges against _Cheri Honkala_ (case # 371901). Other members of Enviro-clare and I urge you to drop all charges against Cheri Honkala. We believe her award-winning work as National Spokesperson for the Kensington Welfare Rights Union (KWRU) is vitally important. Sincerely, Jan Slakov c.c. by e-mail to other activists
