Taos Food Not Bombs has been feeding the community for several years. Our group provided food each week in The Taos Plaza and at the large protests outside the Taos home of former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.
After a break of more than a year Taos Food Not Bombs re-started with its celebration of Human Rights Day December 10, 2006 at the Bareiss Gallery. Food Not Bombs co-founder Keith McHenry talked about how Food Not Bombs started in Boston and how volunteers were arrested during the dedication of monument to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at U.N Plaza in San Francisco in 1995.
That year Amnesty International declared Food Not Bombs volunteers "Prisoner of Conscience" when they were getting arrested, beaten and tortured for defending the rights of the homeless. The evening started with two songs by Apollo who also told of how he volunteered with San Antonio, Texas Food Not Bombs. Local Taos artist and hand made tile maker Jill Rounds intoduced the two guests. Over 120 people attended the event. Volunteers with Action Coalition of Taos, Tierra Lucero andseveral other groups attended. The event was recorded by Kate with KRZA Radio, Robin of Cultural Energy and Richy filmed it for Taos Local Television Public Access Channel 2. That evening Taos activists proposed the idea of starting local chapters of Healthcare Not Warfare, Toas Food Not Lawns and a number of other projects. Peace activists from Santa Fe, Albuquerque and Las Vegas, New Mexico also attended the event. Plans are already being made to organize a New Mexico Food Not Bombs Gathering and start more groups to address the states problems. New Mexico has a number of challenges including hunger and a reliance on the Military for jobs.
Food Not Bombs is a global all volunteer movement collects food and shares it with the hungry and provides vegetarian meals at protests. The Food Not Bombs movement provided the only daily meals to the survivors of Katrina and fed the rescue workers after the World Trade Towers were hit on 9/11, yet the FBI has placed Food Not Bombs on the "Terrorist Watch List".
NEW MEXICO IS THE "HUNGRIEST" STATE IN AMERICA!!! In November 2006, the Food Assistance Nutrition Research Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture released a national study of hunger in America. The study showed that 16.5 percent of households in New Mexico repeatedly experienced "food insecurity" during the last three years, the highest rate in the nation. For more than a decade New Mexico has ranked among one of the five "hungriest" states, but in 2006 we have become number one in hunger. At the same time New Mexico will have a $720 million surplus but unless we orgaize it wont be used to end poverty. The federal government spends billions of dollars in New Mexico on the military yet our people go without food.
Our Democratic Senator Jeff Bingaman voted to increase military funding. Senator Jeff Bingaman's website proudly states "Bingaman also supported an amendment written by Senator Jack Reed to set aside $65.4 million for acquisition of new Predator UAVs. This will work to replace those lost abroad and ensure a steady production line into the future for the UAV our Special Operations forces rely on the most."
The Predator Drone is one of the most unethical weapons systems ever created. Many inncocent civilians are killed by Hellfire Missiles that appear to come out of no where but are infact fired by remote control from Predator Drones that are directed by a computer mouse in a military base often thousands of miles from the victims. Imagine how much more secure the people of New Mexico would be today had that $65.4 million been spent to help feed our communities? The Food Not Bombs movement in New Mexico is responding to this news by working to make New Mexico one of the best fed states in the country.Myspace Layouts
