By Sonya Harvey
With the 2008 presidential election just around the corner, political activist groups are encouraging young people to get involved and demand change.
Ruta Maya Coffeehouse, 107 E. Martin, is hosting an evening of music, drinks and political activism with Spam the Senate, a grass-roots effort to educate young people about making their voices heard beginning at 7 p.m. Saturday. The event continues until 2 a.m.
At the coffeehouse, participants will be shown how to write to their elected leaders via lap tops and register to vote if they haven’t done so already.
Spam the Senate’s focus will be a grievance against Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who voted no on HB 6.
According to http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-6, HB 6 is an act to move the United States toward greater energy independence and security, to increase the production of clean, renewable fuels, to protect consumers from price gouging, and to increase the energy efficiency of products, buildings and vehicles.
It also is to promote research on and deploy greenhouse gas capture and storage options, and to improve the energy performance of the federal government, and for other purposes.
On the Spam the Senate Web site, the following statement was made: “We are spamming you because … We know we are addicted to oil and we will kill and be killed in the name of it. We know that our dependence on oil is also destroying Earth … our home. Stop the war. Stop our dependence. We demand change!”
On Jan. 18, HB 6 bill passed the House of Representatives 264-163 and on June 21, HB 6 passed the Senate 65-27.
Cornyn was born in Houston on Feb. 2, 1952, and was raised in San Antonio.
A graduate of Trinity University and St. Mary’s School of Law, Cornyn also earned a Master of Law degree from the University of Virginia Law School in 1995.
He was named the St. Mary’s Distinguished Law School Graduate in 1994 and a Trinity University Distinguished Alumnus in 2001.
In 2002, Cornyn was elected to the Senate.
On Saturday, activists will have the chance to state their opinion on the Iraq War and the environment by sending e-mails and encouraging others to contact Cornyn as well.
The overall goal of Spam the Senate is to encourage the youth of Texas to speak out against the Senate and voice their opinions through phone calls, e-mails and letters.
Music will be provided by members of 180 Grams, Six Guns, Pop Pistol, Treestump, Lotus Tribe, Davis, Make Your Own Maps, Scuba Steve vs. DJ Tech-neek, Koo Kid D vs. Ernest Gonzales, Donnie Dee and Electrochemists.
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/spamthesenate or call 223-6292.