Saturday’s Liars Convention was great fun and a very different way of protesting. I helped organize the event and I also played the part of Rob Bennett.
See photos of the Annual Liars Convention
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Activism, government corruption, iraq war, military, politics, Utah
A series of Stop the War events to demand a stop to the war and the lies and to remember those that have died as a result. These events are being held in solidarity with national actions on and around the 4th anniversary of the Iraq Invasion.
Saturday, March 17
3:00pm Liars Convention at the Federal Building Plaza
7:00pm Free Film Screening of Military Myths at Free Speech Zone (2144 South Highland Drive) At the Convention Plaza, particpants will:
In Recognition of the 4-year Anniversary of the Iraq War
Join your friends and neighbors in a call to end this war and bring our troops home
Saturday, March 17 from 1-3pm
Beginning & ending at the County Court House 199 N Main Street, Logan
There will be speakers & music at the courthouse after the march
Sponsored by: Cache Valley Peace Works, Logan Friends Meeting (Quakers), Mormons for Equality and Social Justice, People for Peace & Justice of Utah, Veterans for Peace
Contact: 792-3713 or loganpeace@hotmail.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday, March 18 ~ 2:00pm
Downtown Salt Lake City Library Auditorium
200 East 400 South
THE GROUND TRUTH stunned filmgoers at the 2006 Sundance and Nantucket Film Festivals. Hailed as “powerful” and “quietly unflinching,” Patricia Foulkrod’s searing documentary feature includes exclusive footage that will stir audiences. The filmmaker’s subjects are patriotic young Americans – ordinary men and women who heeded the call for military service in Iraq – as they experience recruitment and training, combat, homecoming, and the struggle to reintegrate with families and communities. The terrible conflict in Iraq, depicted with ferocious honesty in the film, is a prelude for the even more challenging battles fought by the soldiers returning home ? with personal demons, an uncomprehending public, and an indifferent government. As these battles take shape, each soldier becomes a new kind of hero, bearing witness and giving support to other veterans, and learning to fearlessly wield the most powerful weapon of all – the truth.
(Read more at The Ground Truth) Following the film there will be a roundtable discussion with all present on the film itself, the current state of affairs, and what we as citizens in Utah can do.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Monday, March 19
Listen to the PSA Dress in black and bring lumination (candle, flashlight- some candles provided).
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged afghanistan, anti-war, iraq, military, peace, politics, Utah
What’s the difference between grassroots organizing and “other” types of organizing?
Money.
When groups organize events, rallies, and protests, they usually solicit “sponsorship” from other organizations. I have a problem with the word “sponsorship” because it implies financial backing – a concept completely antithetical to grassroots organizing. Nonetheless, the groups with which I participate use that word even though we do not ask for money. Most groups I know of around the country also use “sponsorship” in the same vein as our groups. I prefer to use the words “participating organizations” or “endorsers”. I am going to try to be more aware of this as I continue my activist activities.
Recently I learned of a group organizing protests that has been soliciting funds from various groups and businesses. I learned that the group has a tiered level of sponsorship: Gold, Platinum, and Silver.
It seems to be that some organizing is going corporate and grassroots concepts are being tossed for the big bucks. Money is what gets the big names. Money is what gets the best advertising in the newspapers and radio ads.
But does money stop the war and occupation? In the end, when it is all said and done, what is it REALLY that makes/will make the difference and the most impact?
The Bushites and other corporate whores will not be stopped until there is an uprising BY THE PEOPLE. I’m talking direct action. People need to realize that all the money spent on rallies and protests, in the end, does not stop anything. At least so far. I have never seen any direct actions coming out of the rallies and events here. Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett are still supporting the war effort.
And now Hillary Clinton says she will continue the Iraq Occupation if elected president.
So sure, money buys things but so far hasn’t made a difference.
What happened to the concept of passing the hat, of doing grassroots fundraising? Are people really convinced that all the glamour and glitter of the big things money can buy will attract more people and, more importantly, get people inspired enough to do direct action? Are masses of people boycotting businesses, turning off their televisions, getting rid of their cars because of the corporate-type rallies?
No. People get their feel-goods by attending rallies in their crisis-driven mentalities but then crawl back into their comfortable lifestyles and do not, as a general rule, get out and get active.
I learned yesterday of a woman in Salt Lake who has never ever orgnanized anything in her life. But something snapped this time and she has organized a small, brief vigil for folks after work on Monday night. I wrote to her and told her way to go. This is what is needed – more folks taking on actions in small steps – with no money needed, just the power of the people.
It’s the grassroots that will make a difference. Not money.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Activism, anti-war, corporate politics, government corruption, peace, politics
Owner/Developer Craig Meachum is evicting local merchant tenants from their building in a matter of months. Meachum owns the building outright, yet claims it’s “his turn” since he supposedly has given these businesses “a break” (see article below). His “turn” for what? He not only owns that block, he also owns high rise buildings east of that block. This seems to me like the same old story – the rich getting richer at the expense of those who strive to build small, local-based community. So…….
SUPPORT THE BUY-COT OF SUGARHOUSE BUSINESSES!
Patronize the businesses that are being forced to move from historic Sugarhouse!
Beginning the first Saturday in April, the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month there will be a merchant festival until July when the businesses have to leave.
“We are going to make this a Wake instead of a Funeral” – Andy Fletcher of Orion’s Music
Here are links to recent articles and interviews:
http://www.kcpw.org/article/3147
Mar 12, 2007 by Lara Jones
Successful Small Biz Fall Victim to Redevelopment
http://www.kcpw.org/article/3149
Mar 13, 2007 by Lara Jones
(KCPW News) The Sugar House business district is experiencing another wave of redevelopment, which means small locally-owned businesses clustered at the intersection of 2100 South and 1100 East face expulsion as property owners and real estate investors take advantage of a hot economy. In the process, developer Craig Meacham says he’s been unfairly portrayed by the media as someone out to make a buck at the expense of small businesses:
“I’ve tried to be very fair and equitable with these tenants; many of these tenants have been there for an extended period of time at a reduced rate,” says Meacham. “I think that I’ve been more than fair with these tenants and if their business plan is going to work, they know by now. So I kind of feel that it’s my turn, frankly.”
Meacham has owned a stretch of buildings on the west side of 1100 East, south of 2100 South, for the last 15 years. He says he’s seen business go through several up and down cycles, and now is the right time to redevelop his property:
“We anticipate taking down this property – which is very old, very dilapidated and frankly needs to come down – and we want to replace it with something much nicer. It would be an office complex and some condominiums, and retail on the ground floor.”
Rents will be much higher, Meacham admits, meaning many current tenants won’t be able to afford it. He still needs to finalize construction plans and go through the city permitting process, but Meacham says he hopes to begin demolishing property by summer or fall of this year. As a result, many merchants are getting eviction notices.
Pennsylvania’s Rep. John Murtha has introduced legislation to end the Stop-Loss Policy which requires soldiers to extend their commitments to the military. But it’s hitting walls to support it – even amongst Utah’s Delegations.
Murtha, a Pennsylvania Democrat and Vietnam combat veteran, attached the stop-loss legislation to a host of other training, funding and deployment provisions he acknowledged were designed to bring an end to the war in Iraq.
That put the plan on the wrong side of many Republicans and made it a “nonstarter” with conservative Democrats such as Utah Rep. Jim Matheson.
The former Marine colonel is said to be reworking his pitch.
But many members of Congress – including Utah’s delegates – appear reluctant to support an end to the stop-loss scheme, even as a stand-alone issue.
Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Activism, government corruption, iraq war, military, politics, Utah
Claiming there were “other things that needed to be discussed”, producers of Sean Hannity’s “Hannity & Colmes,” show last Thursday made a last minute decision to calcen Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson appearance on the show to address the impeachment of George W. Bush.
Hannity has proposed flying to Salt Lake to debate Mayor Anderson sometime this spring.
Read Mayor Anerdson’s A Compelling Case for Impeachment of President George W. Bush
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Activism, bush regime, government corruption, politics, Utah
I participated in the first annual Salt Lake County Community of Peace Celebration yesterday, an initiative taken on my SL County’s Mayor Peter Corroon. A national initiative, SL County is the first county to fully implement the components of a Community of Peace. There were lots of awards given out and Gov. Huntsman gave an award to Mayor Corroon for taking the lead on this. The County Diversity Council, Created by Mayor Corroon, organized yesterday’s celebration.
The event was held at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center in West Valley.
Articles in the news on the Community of Peace Celebration.
Salt Lake County is officially designated nation’s first Community of Peace
Photos I took of the event:
Continue reading
They knew it was coming.
About a month ago the Craig Mecham of Mecham Management, owner of a building that houses the heart of Sugharhouse businesses, dropped off eviction notices to those businesses and then left town for two weeks. The area is being redevloped to allow for chain stores to barge their way in and 8 story high buildings to be built, changing the entire look and feel of Sugarhouse as we know it.
In the Deseret News articleSugar House shops forced out, Orion Music Store, Andy Fletcher, owner and other Sugarhouse business owners say this was inevitable and is devastating, but shop owners are facing the music: It’s time to move on. It is likely that some businesses will not be able to survive this change. Fletcher has indicated that Orion Music is facing an end to its business.
To that end, Fletcher has called for a “buy-cot” of these businesses.
“Rather than having a funeral for Sugar House and bemoaning the fact that it’s going away — because it is going away, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it now. The decisions have been made, and the wheels are in motion — I’m advocating a ‘buy-cot,”‘ Fletcher said. “We’re inviting the public to come down, and we’ll have live music and information available so that people understand not just what happened, but where people are moving. It’ll be a festival, not a funeral. “If people want to help, if they want to do something, they should come down and buy that CD they’ve been wanting. They should buy that cup of coffee or that Italian ice, or that card from Blue Boutique. Because if it’s not financially a possibility for these businesses to move, they’ll close. But if they have some money in their pocket, and they know that the people around them will support them when they move, I’d say that most of them will continue to look very hard at finding a solution.”
I spend a lot of time in that area since my friend and sister radical cheerleader owns the radical infoshop, Free Speech Zone there, where we have are practices and where I help organize film showings and other events. I’m still having a hard time knowing that in a matter of months we will no longer have that place to do these things. I really like Fletcher’s call to action to make a bad situation into a good one for the affected businesses.
Deanna Dee-Dee Taylor 