Freeing Journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee Is AlterNet's Top Take Action Campaign of the Week

By Byard Duncan, AlterNet. Posted June 9, 2009.

V -- Help Stop the Spread of Nuclear Weapons

Earlier this year, President Barack Obama announced that he would take steps during his presidency to reduce the creation and proliferation of nuclear weapons. His words mark a change in presidential politics of late, which have not done much to address the issue.

Obama wants to negotiate a new arms-reduction treaty with Russia. He's also seeking Senate approval for a treaty that bans the testing of nuclear weapons. If approved, these measures could be the first of several important steps necessary to reduce the world's terrifying cache of nukes.

But Obama's initiatives are likely to meet resistance from hawks in the Senate. Please write today and urge your senators to work toward reducing the threat posed by nuclear weapons.

VI -- Health Care For America Now

With the likes of Rick Scott and Blue Cross Blue Shield turning on the pressure, we must keep on Obama to carry out his campaign promises about fixing our broken health care system.

Click here  to learn more about what you can do to help ensure that insurers don't defeat health care reform.

VII -- Ensure Equal Pay for Hard-Working American Women

It's 2009, and women who work full time are still only making 78 cents for every dollar men earn. It's even worse for women of color: African American women make only 63 cents, and Latinas get a measly 52 cents. What can you do to put this to an end?

Join the ACLU in supporting the Paycheck Fairness Act, which makes some much-needed tweaks to the Equal Pay Act. The House of Representatives has already passed this legislation. Now it's up to you to get the Senate to approve it, too. You can do it here.

VIII -- Slam Bill O'Reilly for His Jihad Against Dr. George Tiller

Dr. George Tiller, one of the few OB-GYNs in the country who performed late-term abortions despite threats to his safety, was brutally slain two weeks ago in an act of domestic terrorism. Scott Roeder has been detained for questioning, but while Roeder may have pulled the trigger, another participant in Tiller’s tragic death is still at large: Bill O'Reilly.

“Tiller the Baby Killer" -- that’s how time and time again on national television O'Reilly referred to Tiller, a man who worked within the confines of the law and was a legal medical practitioner. O'Reilly's rhetoric helped feed the hate that led to Tiller’s killing, and we believe that O'Reilly must take responsibility for his abhorred actions. That is why we urge you to join CREDO in telling O'Reilly that he should "take responsibility for creating an atmosphere in which the assassination of Dr. George Tiller comes as no surprise. And ask him to pledge to stop spreading the hateful rhetoric that encourages violence against doctors who provide reproductive health care for women."

IX -- We Must Be Fearless in Our Opposition to Proposition 8

The California Supreme Court has announced its deeply disappointing decision to uphold Proposition 8. We don’t have time to mourn the failure of the state court to restore marriage equality to California. It’s time to go on offense and be fearless in our fight for equality. Will you join the Courage Campaign and stand up for what you know is right?

X -- Help Battle the Bank Bullies

A New Way Forward, a citizen-action group created to pressure large national banks to play fair, will hold a series of events nationwide on June 10. In addition to teach-ins, protests and rallies, the group will screen its Economic Crisis 2009 video.

A New Way Forward formed in April 2008 as a "pact we're making as citizens to not continue to let Wall Street act like our masters. The point is winning the battle with the banks can change politics as usual."

If you have questions or are seeking more info, visit A New Way Forward's Web site.

See more stories tagged with: america, korea, china, obama, nuclear weapons, barack obama, bill richardson, kim jong il, hostage, laura ling, euna lee

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