Local Dems to celebrate season with Annual Holiday Feast
Linda Armacost
The La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club — with members from Allied Gardens, San Carlos, the College Area, Del Cerro, as well as the East County communities of La Mesa, Santee and Mt. Helix — will hear noted law professor and author Marjorie Cohn at their annual holiday meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 3. We meet at the La Mesa Community Center at 4975 Memorial Dr., just off of University Avenue in La Mesa. Guests are welcomed at all meetings.
As is our custom, we will have our Annual Club Holiday Party featuring freshly baked turkeys and ham, all the trimmings, and a multitude of sides and desserts. We start the meeting at 6 p.m. to have plenty of time to enjoy the food, the music and the camaraderie. We are pleased to welcome back wonderful flamenco guitarist Anthony Garcia, who will play for the group during our social hour.
Our meeting will be highlighted by Cohn, who recently released her fifth book, “Drones and Targeted Killing: Legal, Moral and Geo-political Issues.” Cohn is a professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, where she teaches criminal law and procedure, evidence, and international human rights law. A former president of the National Lawyers Guild, she is a representative to the executive council of the American Association of Jurists. Cohn is also the author of “Cowboy Republic,” “Rules of Disengagement,” “Cameras in the Courtroom” and “United States and Torture: Interrogation, Incarceration and Abuse.” She lectures throughout the world on human rights and U.S. foreign policy and the contradiction between the two. Cohn will have books available for signing and sale at the meeting.
Our members make a pledge every year to help others less fortunate in our community. This year, we are teaming up with the St. Vincent de Paul Society at Santa Sophia Catholic Church in Casa de Oro. Their outreach program serves the needs of more than 400 local families with an ongoing food pantry and other essential services. Members are encouraged to bring a collection of non-perishable foods and dry goods to our meeting.
The best items to donate are: pasta, rice, beans, canned vegetables, canned fruits, pasta sauce, peanut butter, boxed cereal, meal helpers, tuna, cake mix, and macaroni and cheese. Also valuable would be paper goods, tissues, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, shampoo, cleaning products and laundry detergent. So open up your pantry — and your heart — and help feed and nourish the needy this holiday season.
Finally, a big thank you is in order for state Sen. Marty Block, who enlightened and delighted our November gathering and told us the election results in California were something we could all be proud of. All statewide Democratic office holders were re-elected, as was our local assemblymember, Dr. Shirley Weber, and our local member of Congress, Susan Davis. Rep. Scott Peters was winning (and now has won) the hotly contested 52nd Congressional District race over Carl DeMaio. Marty also informed us about some of the significant and successful bills he had signed by Gov. Jerry Brown this year, including one making certain four-year degrees available at 16 community colleges in California. And lastly, he reminded us all that 2016 is two short years away!
—Linda Armacost is president of the La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club.
