Looking for Freedom of Speech at a School Basketball Game so as to be Able to Engage in Educational Outreach on Toxic Chemical Exposure Minimization

I planned to attend the Colton-Pierrepont Central School District board meeting and hand out pamphlets on the subject of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) exposure minimization at the basketball game later the same evening. POPs are man-made chemicals that cause cancer, diabetes and heart disease. All animal fats are contaminated with POPs. These toxic chemicals accumulate in the bodies of people who consume foods that contain animal fats. The most significant action to minimize POPs exposure is minimizing consumption of animal fats.

In a show of good faith, I called Superintendent Joseph Kardash and left a voice-mail message stating my plans. After making a brief presentation on the subject of POPs exposure minimization for the School Board, I left the meeting room. Superintendent Kardash followed me out and warned me that I was not allowed to hand out any information at school events. I argued that this violated my freedom of speech and stated that I would hand out the pamphlets regardless of his opposition to this activity.

After talking the whole thing over with my brother, I decided to write Superintendent Kardash a letter requesting his permission to engage in educational outreach on POPs exposure minimization at school sporting events. I typed up the letter and went back to the school. Mr. Kardash was still there so I was able to hand deliver my letter.

I hope that he changes his mind and gives me permission to share knowledge about toxic chemical exposure minimization at the school. This certainly would be the right thing to do for the health of students and my sense of freedom. People should be allowed to speak freely at public school events that are open to the public. I feel that having no freedom of speech at school events is a bad situation certainly below the standard of how life should be in America. We should be free to speak at public events in public places.

8/31/13 Calendar Notice: Akwesasne/Massena Public Forum Leading to Actions on PCB Exposure

Akwesasne/Massena Public Forum Leading to Actions on PCB Exposure
Saturday, August 31, 2013 from 2-4 PM
Massena  Community Center, Conference Room
Massena, NY USA

The purpose of our forum is to build community involvement in actions
that address both past and ongoing PCB exposures.  Several actions
that have great merit follow:  (1) removal of the PCB contaminated
wastes of the Toxic Mound, an illegal hazardous waste landfill on the
GM Powertrain Superfund Site, (2) educational outreach on the subject
of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) exposure minimization, and (3)
creating a team of tutors for children experiencing learning
difficulties residing in the Town of Massena and on the Akwesasne
Reserve.

We will have a panel discussion and take input from anyone who wishes
to speak.  David O. Carpenter, MD, Director of the State University of
New York University at Albany Institute for Health and the Environment
will provide scientific expertise.  Dr. Carpenter will be joining us
via telephone connection.

By integrating scientific knowledge with community activism, we can
move forward with accomplishing the actions listed above.  Once we
have created a critical mass of public involvement, we will begin to
see strong progress toward fulfillment of our dreams for environmental
protection in the St. Lawrence River Valley.

7/13/13 News Release: US Constitution Missing from Massena “Justice”

US Constitution Missing from Massena “Justice”

On July 12, 2013, I faced a Trespass charge in the Massena Village
Court.  My defense strategy was based upon the most powerful law in
America, the US Constitution.  The First Amendments of the
Constitution guarantee our freedoms, including freedom of speech.  My
free speech can not be labelled as Trespass and stopped.

I was exercising my freedom of speech at the Massena Memorial Hospital
on the October day last year when hospital administrator Mark
Brouillette and Massena Police Chief Tim Currier teamed up to deny me
that freedom.  In the courtroom, my opponents were Andrew Botts an
assistant district attorney in the St. Lawrence County District
Attorney’s Office and Hon. James Crandall, Massena Village Justice.
None of these men give any consideration whatsoever to the protection
of free speech.  It is as if the Constitution does not exist in their
world.

Judge Crandall found me guilty of Trespass despite the fact that I
established beyond any reasonable doubt the lawfulness of my actions
in the Massena Memorial Hospital.  The US Constitution trumps all laws
and regulations in the United States.  Americans are free to say what
they want to say in government buildings so long as they do not
disrupt the work of the people employed in those buildings.  The
Massena Memorial Hospital is owned by the Town of Massena.  It is a
public building.  The Constitution guarantees me free speech there.  I
did not disrupt the work of Massena Memorial Hospital employees.
Nevertheless, Judge Crandall found me guilty of Trespass.

The Massena Police Department and the Massena Village Court serve the
purpose of maintaining the status quo in the Village of Massena.  When
a person in a position of authority, such as Mark Bouillette at
Massena Memorial Hospital wants to stop an environmental health
protection activist from educating Massena residents about the risk of
cancer, heart attack and diabetes that is imposed by PCB exposure and
the ongoing PCB exposures entailed in consumption of supermarket foods
containing animal fats, the police and the court are quick to join
forces with the authority figure.  None of them give a single thought
to the right of the activist to speak freely.

The hospital is the perfect place to educate Massena residents about
minimizing the harm to health caused by past and ongoing exposures to
PCBs.  I tried for many months to speak with Mark Brouillette and
Zachary Chapman, Director of the North Country Veterans’ Clinic about
educating on the subjects addressed herein.  They refused to discuss
this.  After they gave me no satisfaction in my efforts to move
forward with public educational outreach on PCBs, I decided to go to
the hospital and hand out pamphlets describing the PCB exposure health
hazard.  This is what I did.

The founding fathers created the US Constitution to insure that
Americans were free to do what needed to be done to keep the country
vital and free.  I use my free speech to warn fellow citizens of the
harm that has been caused and continues to be caused by careless use
of chemicals by people with positions of power in corporations.  This
information is of critical importance to the health and happiness of
Americans.  The people need to know that the corporations have
poisoned the air, land and water of America and that in so doing they
have poisoned the people of America, causing much sickness and death.
Only when large numbers of Americans know this Truth will it be
possible to hold the corporations and their government allies
accountable.  The corporations and government must be held accountable
if we are to have a strong, healthy, just country.

I was doing the right thing handing out pamphlets about PCB exposure
and damage to health at the Massena Memorial Hospital.  The people
need this information.  The governmental public health entities will
not give the public this information because they are controlled by
the corporations that used the PCBs.  I plan to appeal the guilty
decision to County Court.  I am going to keep right on speaking freely
about PCBs and the other persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the
meats, fish, diary products and eggs purchased in the supermarkets.
Speaking freely about these things is an environmental revolution in
the making.  It is good that environmental revolution is taking shape
in the St. Lawrence River Valley of New York State.  Good people
taking action can save America.

7/12/13 Media Advisory: Warning Public of Ongoing PCB Exposure Trespass Trial in Massena Village Court

Warning Public of Ongoing PCB Exposure Trespass Trial in Massena Village Court

Friday, July 12, 2013, 2:00 PM

Massena Village Court, 60 Main Street, Massena, NY USA

I made a determined effort to obtain the opportunity to conduct
information tabling events at the North Country Veterans’ Clinic.  My
proposed subject was the health hazard constituted by the presence of
persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including PCBs, dioxins and
brominated flame retardants in the animal fat containing foods of the
mainstream food supply.  POPs are contaminants of all animal fats.
Veterans are likely to have received excess exposures to PCBs and
dioxins due to the fact that these substances are released into the
air when modern buildings and vehicles burn.  Fire is a frequent
accompaniment of warfare.  Additionally, many Viet Nam War veterans
were exposed to dioxin, as a result of aerial application of
herbicides, including Agent Orange.  Dioxin was formed in the
manufacture of 2,4,5-T, one of the main ingredients of the tactical
herbicides.

North Country Veterans’ Clinic administrators refused to discuss
educational outreach to minimize ongoing exposure to PCBs and dioxins.
Eventually, I learned that Massena Memorial Hospital was a public
institution.  I attempted to contact Mark Brouillette, Director of
Ancillary Affairs at the hospital.  Mr. Brouillette has a voice in
determining what is done at the North Country Veterans’ Clinic.  He
would not return my telephone calls.  After many months of trying to
communicate with these people, I decided that the time had come to
start conducting educational outreach at the Massena Memorial
Hospital.  When permission was being denied, it was my duty to go to
the hospital and exercise my freedom of speech concerning POPs
exposure minimization.

I stood in the main entrance lobby of the Massena Memorial Hospital
and spoke to patrons entering the facility, offering them a pamphlet
that explained the matters of POPs exposure, disease outcome and
exposure minimization.  After about half an hour, Mr. Brouillette came
down and introduced himself.  He requested that I go outdoors and
conduct my educational outreach on the public sidewalk off hospital
property.  I declined to do so.  Clients were driving into the
hospital parking lot and walking from there into the building.  I
would miss the opportunity to engage every one of them, if I were to
move to the public sidewalk.

Mr. Brouillette summoned the Village Police.  Police Chief Currier
attempted to convince me that the hospital was not a pubic place.  I
did not believe his complicated explanation.  Massena Memorial
Hospital is a public place and it is a good place to provide patrons
with information warning of the POPs exposure health hazard.

I am not guilty of Trespass.  The definition of Trespass is to remain
on a property with knowledge that it is unlawful to remain on that
property.  The US Constitution guarantees my right to freedom of
speech.  I had the right to speak to patrons of the Massena Memorial
Hospital about POPs exposure minimization.

I will be calling Zachary Chapman, Director of the North Country
Veterans’ Clinic and Mark Brouillette as witnesses.  It is my
intention to establish that these men had sought to deny me the
opportunity to speak freely at the North Country Veterans’ Clinic and
the Massena Memorial Hospital.  When they would not cooperate with
making arrangements for information tabling, I was perfectly justified
in going to the hospital and exercising my freedom of speech.  To do
otherwise would be to allow them to rob me of that freedom.

As the scientific facts of POPs exposure and disease outcome become
known to more and more people, it will become clear that the
governmental public health entities, including:  the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, the US Environmental Protection
Agency, the US Food and Drug Administration and the New York State
Department of Health have chosen to keep the public in the dark about
this avoidable health hazard.  It is my responsibility as a person
with expert knowledge in the subjects referred to herein to speak
freely concerning these matters so as to warn the public of the harm
caused by exposure to POPs and to give people the opportunity to
choose not to consume foods containing animal fats, thereby minimizing
their exposure to POPs.  The Constitution protects my right to act
upon this responsibility.  If there is justice in the Massena Village
Court, I will be found not guilty of Trespass.

5/1/13 News Release: Director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Writes to Congressman William Owens in Response to Question Concerning Minimization of Children’s Exposures to POPs

Director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Writes to Congressman William Owens in Response to Question Concerning Minimization of Children’s Exposures to POPs

Thomas Frieden, MD, Director Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) has written to Congressman William Owens in response to questions concerning educational outreach on the subjects of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) exposure and disease outcome.  Dr. Frieden describes several types of action that CDCP has taken and continues to take involving individual POPs and subclasses of POPs.  However, his letter makes no mention of action to warn the public of the POPs exposure health hazard.  He writes of work in progress on creating a document focusing on PCBs and another on dioxins.  Hopefully, these documents will provide warning of the dangerous exposures that consumers are receiving to these chemicals.  Nonetheless, these documents are not the documents that are needed to warn the public of the harm to health that is caused by the total POPs exposures entailed in consumption of animal fat containing foods available in the mainstream food supply, including:  meats, fish, dairy products and eggs.

The Truth is slowly coming out regarding the lack of use of scientific knowledge on the subjects of chemical exposure and disease outcome to protect public health.  The POPs exposure health hazard warning should have been provided to the public by no later than 2010 when the World Health Organization published, “Persistent Organic Pollutants:  Impact on Child Health”.  No such warning has yet been provided by any governmental public health entity.  The governmental public health entities are under the control of corporations in every nation.  It is the work of grassroots organizations that will lead the way in preventing disease via the provision of warnings of avoidable health hazards.

4-11-13 Letter from CDCP concerning POPs health hazard

4/19/13 Letter to Congressman William Owens Requesting Assistance with Countering EPA Deceptions on POPs

4/19/13

Hon. William Owens
US House of Representatives
Washington, DC USA
Transmitted by electronic mail

Dear Congressman Owens,

I am encountering a total lack of responsiveness from the US
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  The EPA has not responded to
numerous letters and telephone calls attempting to motivate revision
of the information that the agency provides on the subjects of
persistent organic pollutants (POPs) exposure and damages to health.
I have ccd your office on the letters sent to EPA.

I am particularly interested in seeing the EPA’s webpage on POPs
revised so as to bring it in line with the World Health Organization
report, “Persistent Organic Pollutants: Impact on Child Health”.  The
information that EPA is now providing serves to assure the public that
no significant health risk is imposed by the POPs exposures resultant
from consumption of mainstream food supply foods.  The WHO report
named above warns the public that harm is occurring at current levels
of food supply contamination.  The end result of these conflicting
messages is confusion.  EPA is not using scientific knowledge to
produce its information on POPs.  EPA presents information on POPs
that is designed to assure the public that the food supply is safe
despite the fact that it is not safe.  EPA does this because
corporations with financial interests in chemical sales and food sales
control EPA.

Can you provide some assistance in getting EPA to communicate?  Thank
you for your attention to this request.

joyous in Nature,

Donald L. Hassig

4/19/13 Letter to St. Lawrence County Policy Makers Concerning 2013 UNEP/WHO Report Titled “The State of the Science of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals”

4/19/13

Dear St. Lawrence County Policy Makers,

The United Nations Environment Programme and the World Health
Organization have recently published a report titled, “The State of
the Science of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals”.  The report presents
the scientific evidence, which is available on the subjects of
endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) exposure and damages to health
in wildlife and humans.  Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are
EDCs.  There are approximately 800 chemicals that act as endocrine
disruptors.  EDCs include BPA, fluoride, mercury, phthalates and all
of the POPs.  Due to the widespread and heavy exposures that nearly
everyone is having to EDCs, it is highly important that action on POPs
exposure minimization take place.  The matter of endocrine disruption
provides a strong impetus for POPs exposure minimization education.
Minimizing POPs exposure takes a large step toward reducing EDCs
exposure.

Please see our news release, which follows for more information on EDCs.

Thank you for your interest in using scientific knowledge to protect
public health.

joyous in Nature,

Donald L. Hassig
______________________________

________________________________________
News Release
4/19/13 For Immediate Release

Donald L. Hassig, Director
Cancer Action NY
315.262.2456
_________________________________________________________________________

UNEP and WHO Publish “The State of the Science of Endocrine Disrupting
Chemicals”

2013 United Nations Environment Programme – World Health Organization
Report, “The State of the Science of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals”

A report summary is available at the URL found below.
http://www.unep.org/pdf/EDCs_Summary_for_DMs%20_Jan24.pdf

The full report can be accessed at the following URL.
http://www.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/78101/1/9789241505031_eng.pdf

“Endocrine disruption is causing harm to the health of humans and
wildlife around the world.  In a landmark 2013 report, the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Health Organization
(WHO) have set forth the state of scientific knowledge on the subjects
of exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and damages to
health associated with exposures.  Persistent organic pollutants
(POPs) are a major group of EDCs.  Considering the widespread and
heavy exposures that people and animals are having to EDCs and the
serious damages to health associated with exposure to these chemicals,
it is of great health protection importance that POPs exposures be
reduced to an absolute minimum.”-Donald L. Hassig

Development from a single cell into a mature organism and reproduction
are critical parts of human and animal life.  Normal function of the
endocrine system is of critical importance in both arenas.  Three
areas of scientific knowledge serve as foundation for concerns over
EDCs: (1) the high incidence and increasing incidence of many
endocrine-related disorders in humans; (2) observations of
endocrine-related effects in wildlife populations; and (3) animal
studies demonstrating linkage between exposure to endocrine disruptors
and disease outcome.

“Approximately 800 chemicals are known or suspected EDCs.  The speed with which the increases in disease incidence have occurred in recent decades rules out genetic factors as the sole plausible explanation. Environmental and other non-genetic factors, including nutrition, age of mother, viral diseases and chemical exposures, are also at play, but are difficult to identify. Despite these difficulties, some associations have become apparent.   Wildlife populations have been affected by endocrine disruption, with negative impacts on growth and reproduction. These effects are widespread and have been due primarily to persistent organic pollutants (POPs).  Bans of these chemicals have reduced (wildlife) exposure and led to recovery of some (wildlife) populations.”-Joe DiGangi, International Persistent Organic Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN)

Organisms are more vulnerable to the harm imposed by exposure to EDCs
during critical windows of development:  gestation, infancy and
puberty.  The mother’s body burden of EDCs is of great significance to
the health of offspring due to exposures that take place within her
body and as a result of nursing.  POPs are contaminants of breast
milk, making this group of chemicals especially significant in health
of newborn and infants.

For more information, contact:

UNEP
Nick Nuttall, UNEP Spokesperson and Director of Communications (Nairobi) on Tel:
+41 79 596 5737 / +254 733 632 755 or Email: nick.nuttall@unep.org
Bryan Coll, UNEP Newsdesk (Nairobi), Tel: +254 20 762 3088 /+254 731
666 214, Email: unepnewsdesk@unep.org

WHO
Glenn Thomas, Communications Officer, Department of Communications, WHO, Tel:
+41 22 791 3983, Mobile: +41 79 509 0677 Email: thomasg@who.int
Nada Osseiran, Communications Officer, Public Health and Environment, WHO, Tel:
+41 22 791 4475, Mobile: +41 79 445 1624 Email: osseirann@who.int

4/18/13 News Release: Town of Russell Helps Residents Access WHO Report Recommending POPs Exposure Minimization for Children

Town of Russell Helps Residents Access WHO Report Recommending POPs Exposure Minimization for Children

http://www.russellny.org/

The Town of Russell now provides assistance to residents in accessing the 2010 World Health Organization (WHO) report, “Persistent Organic Pollutants:  Impact on Child Health”.  A PDF file for this report can be accessed from the town’s website.  This landmark WHO report recommends action to minimize the exposures that children around the world receive to persistent organic pollutants (POPs).  POPs are industrial chemicals that exhibit certain properties, which make them particularly dangerous to humans, including:  resistance to breakdown, solubility in fats and accumulation in the body.  POPs are contaminants of all animal fats.  POPs exposure has been found to cause chronic diseases including: cancer, diabetes and heart disease.  POPs are endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs).  Much harm to wildlife and human populations has been caused by POPs exposures.

“The Town of Russell is taking a strong, leadership role in raising public awareness of the POPs exposure health hazard.  Former Town Board Member David Whitford deserves recognition for his efforts to create educational outreach on POPs exposure minimization.  Supervisor Robert Best and the members of the current Russell Town Board demonstrate their love of children, good health, good government and scientific knowledge by their work building POPs exposure minimization education.  It is truly wonderful knowing these good Americans.  I believe that the goodness in the American people will overcome all of the bad energies and actions of the greedy corporate people who are damaging our nation.  We live in an exciting time of great good change coming.”-Donald L. Hassig

4/18/13 News Release: Town of Lisbon Will Place Information on WHO Report Recommending POPs Exposure Minimization for Children on Town Website

Town of Lisbon Will Place Information on WHO Report Recommending POPs Exposure Minimization for Children on Town Website

On April 15, 2013, the Lisbon Town Board adopted a resolution that authorizes Supervisor James Armstrong to place information on the subject of the 2010 World Health Organization (WHO) report, “Persistent Organic Pollutants:  Impact on Child Health” on the town’s website.  This report recommends action to minimize the exposures that children around the world receive to persistent organic pollutants (POPs).  POPs are industrial chemicals that exhibit certain properties, which make them particularly dangerous to humans, including:  resistance to breakdown, solubility in fats and accumulation in the body.  POPs are contaminants of all animal fats.  POPs exposure has been found to cause cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

POPs are endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs).  Diseases associated with EDC exposure include breast cancer, prostate cancer, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).  WHO published a second landmark report in 2013, “The State of the Science of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals”.  Many of the human and wildlife diseases that are occurring at increasing rates have been associated with endocrine disruption.

POPs exposure minimization is of critical importance to the health of America’s children.  The most important step in minimizing children’s POPs exposure is making parents and those who provide food to children such as school lunch program personnel aware of the POPs exposure health hazard.

“Honor to the Lisbon Town Board and Supervisor Armstrong.  These good Americans have the best interests of children at heart.  They have demonstrated their willingness to help with bringing changes that will reduce the cancer problem in St. Lawrence County.  Local American government is good government.  Here in St. Lawrence County we are moving steadily ahead with using scientific knowledge to prevent cancer.  This is great!”-Donald L. Hassig

4/14/13 News Release: Cancer Action NY Begins Circulating Petition for Government Action to Warn Public of Avoidable Health Hazards

Cancer Action NY Begins Circulating Petition for Government Action to Warn Public of Avoidable Health Hazards

Over the course of years since the founding of Cancer Action NY in January 2000, the members of our organization have encountered overt hostility from governmental public health entities in response to our efforts to motivate these entities to take action to warn the public of avoidable health hazards. We have concluded that this hostility results from corporate control of government. We are determined to create government accountability in regards to these matters. So as to move forward with creating this accountability we are now circulating the following petition. If the governmental public health entities of the United States can be forced to come before the public in forum style meetings, it will be possible to hold these entities responsible for: (1) their failure to warn the public of avoidable health hazards; (2) their deliberate attempts to deceive the public about the role of industrial chemicals in the causation of cancer and other disease outcomes; and (3) choosing to allow corporations to determine what public health messages they will promote.

PETITION FOR GOVERNMENT ACTION TO WARN THE GENERAL PUBLIC OF AVOIDABLE CHEMICAL EXPOSURE HEALTH HAZARDS

We the undersigned are in agreement upon the following points.

1. Scientific knowledge supports the conclusion that exposures to certain groups of chemicals impose a substantial quantity of disease risk. Such groups of chemicals include: persistent organic pollutants (POPs), pollutants released by combustion of fossil fuels, and heavy metals.

2. The governmental public health entities at local, state and national levels of government have failed to warn the public of the existence of the avoidable health hazards constituted by the presence of the above named groups of chemicals in the environment and/or food supply.

3. This failure of the governmental public health system is caused by corporate control of government at the state and national levels.

We the undersigned petition all of the governmental public health entities including: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Environmental Health and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, the US Environmental Protection Agency, the US Food and Drug Administration, and the state and county public health departments to take action to warn the general public of the avoidable health hazards described above. We request that the public health entities listed above set about conducting a series of public forums on the subjects of chemical exposure and disease outcome. Additionally, we request that these governmental public health entities publish and disseminate health hazard advisories for the avoidable health hazards described herein.

NAME (PLEASE PRINT YOUR NAME)                                                                                                      ADDRESS