Support Falun Gong

I think I need to contact the Chinese Chamber after reading this. I also want to wear an honorary Falun Gong t-shirt the day of the parade.

That Rose Pak chick sounds like a real bitch.

They get letters:

     To:  info@chineseparade.com

Subject:  Include Falun Gong in the parade!

I'll be damned if 'business interests' are going to dictate who 
gets to march in a parade in my city. This is still the U.S., 
and this is still San Francisco. Tell Ms. Pak to go ahead and 
try to move the parade to Oakland. I encourage her to try. 
She'll be out on her ass quicker than you can say 'Falun Gong'. 
Stand up for the rights of the powerless, not the powerful.

Where do I get my Falun Gong t-shirt?

And one to Daly, the guy on the board doing all the protesting:

     To: dalyweb@sfgov.org

Subject: where is Daly's email address?

Wanted to encourage him to continue to fight for Falun Gong's 
inclusion in the Chinese Parade...

And one to Ross Mirkarimi - a Green!

     To: Ross.Mirkarimi@sfgov.org

Subject:  support Falun Gong inclusion in SF Chinese Parade...

Hi Ross,

Would love to see a Green take a stand on this issue. It seems 
pretty straightforward.

Thanks.

And at least one to a major advertiser - Southwest Airlines - supporters of the oppression of Falun Gong. Southwest doesn't do email, apparently, so I called up their 'Public Relations/Media Relations' folks at 214-792-4847. My message was a little garbled, but it went something like:

Hi,

My name is Peter Smith. I called to register my...I guess it's not really a complaint...to register my displeasure that Southwest is supporting the Chinese Parade in San Francisco which is not allowing the Falun Gong group to march in the parade. I didn't think that Southwest would want to be a part of something like that.

Thank you very much!

I'm sure I'll do more on this later...

UPDATE: Southwest got back to me. Amazing. I think they thought I was a reporter or something. I'll call them back to clear things up, but that's cool that they called back.

UPDATE: More letters!

     To:  investorrelations@cingular.com

Subject:  Congress to subpoena Cingular over Falun Gong and Chinese Parade?

Has Cingular been subpoenaed to testify before Congress yet?

I'm just curious, since the internet companies have been invited to testify 
about the  China/censorship stuff.  I figured y'all might have a chance to 
go over this Chinese Parade/Falun Gong thing.

Thank you.

UPDATE: More letters! This one to Macy's/Federated via their online web form:

Comments:

I have added Macy's and Federated to the list of sponsors of the Chinese Parade who support banning Falun Gong from participating in the event. If you wish to be removed from this list, please contact me at your earliest convenience.

Thank you.

I just thought of something - this issue, believe it or not, is actually something that those crazy-ass wingnuts should be able to get behind, too. Can you imagine? The fuckin crazy wingnuts could actually do something to promote democracy instead of doing what they usually do - deter it. Amazing. Let's see if those lazy fucks will get off their asses. Fuckers.

UPDATE: SF supes vote to condemn persecution of Falun Gong
But resolution, passed 9-2, doesn't mention China by name It's a start.

And more articles:

Some Say China's Agenda Leads New Year Parades

Falun Gong dispute hangs over S.F. Chinese parade

Falun Gong debate hits Chinese New Year parade

UPDATE: Daly plays Falun Gong issue like a Stradivarius - I'm not sure why this article's title is so anti-Daly, but I only skimmed the article text, so can't comment yet either way on its substance. Not enough coverage out there yet, so I'm linking to it - good or bad.

UPDATE: (Incomplete) List of sponsors below. Please contact them any way you can and let them know that 'freedom of religion' is still something you very much believe in, and you don't want any form of religious discrimination in your beautiful city by the bay. The lists starts from the biggest sponsors down to the smallest.

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Southwest Airlines - http://www.southwest.com/
Public Relations/Media Relations 214-792-4847
(no email address or web form; call - they return calls!)

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Ford

website: http://www.ford.com/
Web form: https://secure.ford.com/en/support/emailUs.htm
Phone: 800-392-3673

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Cingular

website: http://www.cingular.com/
phone: 866-CINGULAR (1-866-246-4852)

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KTVU, Fox 2

website: http://www.ktvu.com/
email: diane.hayes-baldwin@ktvu.com.

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Wells Fargo

website: http://www.wellsfargo.com/
email: corpcsf@wellsfargo.com
web form: https://www.wellsfargo.com/contactus.jhtml

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AT&T
website: http://www.att.com/
John Britton
Phone: (415) 778-1350
Fax: (415) 543-0976

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Bank of America
web form: https://www.bankofamerica.com/contact/?lob=news&contact_returnto=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ebankofamerica%2Ecom%2Fcontact%2F%3Fstatecheck%3DCA
(or try this tinyurl: http://tinyurl.com/bpps2)

Pacific/Southwest Newsroom People:

Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada,
New Mexico, Oregon & Washington
Michael Chee, 213.621.7414

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Cathay Pacific

website: http://www.cathay-usa.com/
web form: http://www.cathaypacific.com/intl/contact/relations/0,,,00.html

Centralized Reservations Number:
1(800) 233-2742 (Local Toll Free)
F: 1-604-606-2928

----------------------------------------------

Comcast
http://www.comcast.com/
215-665-1700
California Market - Bay Area

Andrew C. Johnson
Vice President - Communications
925/973-7016
Andrew_c_johnson@cable.comcast.com
Area served: San Francisco Bay

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Harrah's
https://www.harrahs.com/CustomerService
TO contact Harrah's online, you have to give them your name - or, a name - and your email address - or, an email address if you want them to respond. I Sent this form to Harrah's:


----------------------------------------------


McDonald's
online form: http://www.mcdonalds.com/app_controller.custsat.custsat_form_marketing.html


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And I wrote a couple more briefs notes using the online forms I found above.

This one to Harrah's:

I don't believe it is right for the Chinese Parade to exclude from Falun Gong from marching in the parade. This is America, not China, and we still have some 'freedom of religion', and good company's like Harrah's should support the best of America.

I ask that you please ask Chinese Parade to allow Falun Gong to march in the parade. If they refuse, I would ask that Harrah's immediately pull your support - financial and otherwise - for the Chinese Parade.

Thank you very much.

This one went to McDonald's:

Please withdraw your support from the Chinese Parade in San Francisco, as they are not allowing Falun Gong to participate in the event.

Thank you.

Typos, spelling mistakes - blah. Can't we all just be excellent to one another?