This Week on GR
by C. L. Cook
September 11th is a date that lives in infamy, but unlike FDR's incantation of the infamous December 7th, 1941 attack at Pearl Harbour, 9/11/2001 marks the successful stealth assault meant to destroy American democracy.So, it is fitting, in a perverse way, that one of America's most egregiously convicted political prisoners should be sent again to prison on September 11th 2012 in a case stitched up by the very authors responsible for undoing the Constitution and bringing Justice to ruin in the United States.
Former Governor of Alabama and democrat, Don Siegelman, political foe of friends of political fixer, Karl Rove made the long journey back to the Oakdale prison last week to serve out a five-plus year sentence for bribery, though the court acknowledges, Don Siegelman never received a single cent, or any tangential advantage in the matter at hand.
The re-sentencing marks the end of a six year fight by Siegelman to overturn his prior conviction, a conviction no fewer than 130 former Attorneys General have decried, but it's not an end to the era of "Bush League Justice."
Dana Siegelman is Don's daughter and the organizer behind a Presidential pardon campaign, petitioning Barack Obama to overturn the suspect court findings. Dana Siegelman in the first half.
And; it's huntin' season in British Columbia again, or so says the provincial government. The difference this year though is, ten First Nations bands within the Great Bear Rainforest have declared a ban on hunting both Black and Grizzly bears. These animals are annually preyed upon by trophy hunters, many of whom pay thousands of dollars to guide-outfitters for the curious privilege of destroying a wild animal. The Heiltsuk Nation is one of the Coastal First Nations Coalition behind the ban of which band councillor, Jessie Housty says;
"It's not a part of our culture to kill an animal for sport and hang them on a wall."
Kiff Archer is founder of the Central Coast Grizzly Patrol and BC-Coastal Bear & Wolf Patrol, an organization of volunteers working to protect bears and wolves in the Great Bear Rainforest from both local and fly-in hunters. Kiff lives in Bella Coola, and was adopted by Great Chief Qwatsinas and given the name Pakwani for the mountain overlooking the traditionally most highly populated bear area in the region - known by the killers of bears as "Bear Central."
Kiff Archer, standing tall for the bears of the Great Bear Rainforest in the second half.
And; Victoria Street Newz publisher and CFUV Radio broadcaster, Janine Bandcroft will be hear at the bottom of the hour to bring us up to speed with some of the things going on on the streets of our city, and beyond. But first, Dana Siegelman and appealing to common sense and justice in the Don Siegelman case.
Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Monday, 5-6pm Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, 104.3 cable, and on the internet at: http://cfuv.uvic.ca. He also serves as a contributing editor to the web news site, http://www.pacificfreepress.com. Check out the GR blog at: http://GorillaRadioBlog.blogspot.com
