Notes from the Electronic Cottage 12/3/09

Producer/Host:  Jim Campbell

This program was first broadcast less than a week after the  9-11 attacks on the world trade center and the pentagon. Within days of those attacks, sweeping new so-called anti-terrorism laws were proposed and passed that dramatically reduced Americans civil liberties. Several provisions of one, the PATRIOT Act, are up for extension right now. One allows junior FBI officials, with no court order, to demand to see what books you’ve read, who you’ve written checks to, who the customers of your small business are, what ailments you’ve been treated for – and, by the way, no one is allowed to tell you this is going on?   And that is only one of the provisions up for grabs between now and the end of December.   As was the case back in 2001, if you have any thoughts on these PATRIOT Act provisions, now is the time to make them known to your congress people, and to your neighbors.

Although the specific bills mentioned in this re-broadcast did not pass exactly as initially proposed, all of the details mentioned in this broadcast have been implemented since then, and we are still living with them today.

Healthy Options 12/2/09

Producer/Host:  Rhonda Feiman

Topic: Veterans Helping Veterans Recover from the Experience of War

How can veterans help veteran’s organizations help vets with trauma?  What are some issues that vets face returning home?  How can people get more information?

Guests:
Rob Pfeiffer, founder of Veterans Helping Veterans, an organization offering individual counseling and group work, PTSD support and bodywork, for the treatment of trauma. 207-236-3777

Peter Green, Veteran of Vietnam; Carl Stoddard, Vietnam Era Veteran

Voices 12/01/09

Executive Producer/Host: Amy Browne

Audio recorded by Eric T. Olson, Edited by Amy Browne

Many of the people who were directly impacted by the recent vote to repeal marriage equality in Maine, were people too young to vote.  Some of them held a rally at Pickering Square in Bangor, on November 22nd to express their reaction to the outcome.   Note that you’ll hear a few of them refer to the “Whig and Courier”—that’s a restaurant in Bangor where many people who support same-sex marriage and the “No on 1” campaign, gathered on election night to watch the returns.  We start with one of the event’s organizers, Antonia Carroll, a junior at Bangor High School.

FMI: Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network: www.glsen.org; The Bridge Alliance, which works to connect a proud GLBTA Community  in the Greater Bangor Area: thebridgealliance.org