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Martin Luther King, Jr.: BEYOND VIETNAM: A TIME TO BREAK SILENCE

Posted on April 6, 2008 | Leave a comment
A friend of mine reminded me of this speech, in reflection of the anniversary of Dr. King’s death, April 4, 1968:

MARTIN LUTHER KING:
Forty-one years ago, April 4, Dr. Martin Luther King gave his most prophetic speech to an assemblage of Clergy and Laymen Concerned About  Vietnam, at  Riverside Church in New York City.
Forty years ago,  April 4, he was murdered.
The full text of that speech follows.

MLK: Beyond Vietnam–A Time to Break Silence

A year to the day before his assassination, King gave this speech at the Riverside Church in New York

Friday April 4th, 2008

Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, I need not pause to say how very delighted I am to be here tonight, and how very delighted I am to see you expressing your concern about the issues that will be discussed tonight by turning out in such large numbers. I also want to say that I consider it a great honor to share this program with Dr. Bennett, Dr. Commager, and Rabbi Heschel, some of the distinguished leaders and personalities of our nation. And of course it’s always good to come back to Riverside Church. Over the last eight years, I have had the privilege of preaching here almost every year in that period, and it is always a rich and rewarding experience to come to this great church and this great pulpit. I come to this magnificent house of worship tonight because my conscience leaves me no other choice. I join you in this meeting because I am in deepest agreement with the aims and work of the organization which has brought us together: Clergy and Laymen Concerned about Vietnam. The recent statements of your executive committee are the sentiments of my own heart, and I found myself in full accord when I read its opening lines: “A time comes when silence is betrayal.” And that time has come for us in relation to Vietnam.

The truth of these words is beyond doubt, but the mission to which they call us is a most difficult one. Even when pressed by the demands of inner truth, men do not easily assume the task of opposing their government’s policy, especially in time of war. Nor does the human spirit move without great difficulty against all the apathy of conformist thought within one’s own bosom and in the surrounding world. Moreover, when the issues at hand seem as perplexed as they often do in the case of this dreadful conflict, we are always on the verge of being mesmerized by uncertainty; but we must move on.

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Utah’s Rad Cheerleaders make it into Mike Palacek’s book!

Posted on April 6, 2008 | 1 comment

Pom Poms Not Bomb Bombs, Utah’s Radical Cheerleaders, have a photo included in Mike Palacek’s book THE ANTHOLOGY OF PEACE AND ACTIVISM (p. 94).  The Photo is from the September 24, 2005 Anti-War Rally in Salt Lake City.  I am the 2nd cheerleader from the left, after Radical Jenni, followed by Radica Shea, Radical Raphael and Radical Michelle.

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Halliburton poisoning US occupation forces in Iraq

Posted on April 2, 2008 | Leave a comment

This 4 minute video describes how Halliburton is poisoning the troops in Iraq through their water supply.

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Pacific Green Party peace slate

Posted on April 2, 2008 | Leave a comment

The Pacific Green Party of Oregon currently has a “peace slate” which includes candidates for 4 out of 5 congressional seats. All of these candidates have expressed their commitment to ending the war in Iraq, and none of those who are elected will be as vulnerable to the pressures to conform to the Democratic congressional leadership’s programs.

The candidates are:
John Olmsted, District 1
Tristan Mock, District 2
Mike Beilstein, District 4
Alex Polikoff, District 5

For more information on these candidates, see http://www.youtube.com/user/mikevanh.

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It’s Open Season on Wolves now

Posted on April 2, 2008 | Leave a comment

Thanks to the recent loss of federal protection under the Endangered Species Act, wolves are now “fair game”.  A wolf captured in Utah 6 years ago and being tracked was killed in Wyoming, according to the article in today’s Salt Lake Tribune.

The wolf was not causing trouble, nor did it have a record of having caused trouble, and was one of three wolves shot, two of them near an elk feeding ground.

Born in 2000, the wolf was one of only two confirmed to live in Utah during the past 75 years. In 2002, it was caught in a trap near Morgan and taken back to Yellowstone National Park, where it rejoined the Druid Peak pack.
    The pack is perhaps the most famous of the wolves set free in the Northern Rocky Mountain gray wolf-recovery area, which in Utah includes a small area east of Interstates 84 and 15 and north of Interstate 80.
    The wolf delisting means the affected states – Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Utah – now manage the wolves.
    Camenzind said people knew the wolves had been hanging around the feeding ground. “On Friday, they went out and shot them,” he said.
    Wolf 253M “was a good wolf,” he said. “He covered thousands of miles and didn’t cause any trouble.”
    Wyoming’s wolf management plan considers wolves predators that can be killed for any reason across most of the state. Only a small area near Yellowstone is off-limits, though Cowboy State wildlife officials plan to allow restricted fall hunting in the remaining protected area for trophy animals.
    The Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance is one of several organizations that plan to file a lawsuit on April 28 against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over its delisting decision.

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Lights Out for Earth – TODAY

Posted on March 29, 2008 | Leave a comment

On March 29th, 2008 at 8pm local time Earth Hour will commence ALL AROUND THE WORLD.

Created to take a stand against the greatest threat our planet has ever faced, Earth Hour uses the simple action of turning off the lights for one hour to deliver a POWERFUL MESSAGE about the need for action on global warming.

Be part of making Earth Hour 2008 a huge, global success by telling your friends and family. Remember, every single light makes a statement and makes a difference.

Last year, on 31 March 2007, 2.2 million people and 2100 Sydney (Australia) businesses turned off their lights for one hour ? Earth Hour. This massive collective effort reduced Sydney?s energy consumption by 10.2% for one hour, which is the equivalent effect of taking 48,616 cars off the road for a year.

http://www.earthhour.org

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Growing grain for fuel and meat: There’s something wrong with this picture.

Posted on March 28, 2008 | Leave a comment

While people around the world are fighting and dying for food, 

From rice in Peru to miso in Japan, food prices are rising

Famine, farm prices and aid:  Food for thought

A Hungry World

2008: The year of global food crisis

we in the U.S. are promoting the growing crops for ethanol to make alternative fuel

Flooding, Food Shortages, Ethanol Boondoggle Good News for Agriculture
The world food market – it doesn’t make sense
Paying for biofuels in your supermarket

Until there is no longer world hunger, we need to give up on that idea.  If we have to make biofuel, the best way is to use sources that have already been used (like used cooking grease).  The best alternative right now also is to have more walkable communities where folks live and work, more bicycles, and better mass transportation.

and are continuing to grow meat for food which exacerbates the hunger problem.

What if livestock farmers gave up growing grain for feeding the livestock and grew it for people instead?  The reason I gave up eating meat was because I learned that  it takes more resources to grow food for meat per person than it does to grow food for people.  We could feed 7 -10 times more people per acre if we gave up eating meat.

Ironically, I found this article today:
Vegeterianism addresses many needs, problems

Put all of this together with Global Warming:
Scientists say world must adapt to warming

and we have a huger than huge mess in our grandchildren’s life times (right now it’s just “huge”).


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4,000th U.S. Soldier Death in Iraq Reported

Posted on March 24, 2008 | Leave a comment

4,000th death announced in today’s Utah papers – vigil will be Tuesday night, March 25th, 6pm

Since January, People for Peace and Justice of Utah has been announcing that when the news hits the papers that the 4,000th U.S. soldier has been killed in Iraq, we will hold a vigil the DAY AFTER that announcement in Utah papers.
That announcement was made today in the Utah papers and around the world:
Utah Papers
Salt Lake Tribune: US death toll in Iraq war hits 4,000
Deseret News: Green Zone in Iraq is hit hard
———————–
Around the World
Reuters: U.S. toll in Iraq hits 4,000
Aljazeera: US death toll in Iraq hits 4,000
Times Online: Roadside bomb takes American death toll in Iraq to 4,000
Bloomberg.com: Four U.S. Soldiers Die in Iraq; War Toll Is at 4,000
Los Angeles Times: U.S. toll in Iraq reaches 4,000

***Therefore*** Please make plans to attend our vigil on Tuesday, March 25th, 6pm, 100 State Street, on the sidewalk in front of the Federal Building in downtown Salt Lake city. Original Announcement: March 16, 2008: 4000th U.S. Solider death is fast approaching.
Listen to the psa Gather for a memorial vigil the day after the newspapers publish this grim milestone.
Sidewalk in front of Federal Building, 100 South State Street, SLC
Bring signs, battery candles, flashlights
Military Fatalities here

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Walkable Communities

Posted on March 22, 2008 | Leave a comment

I have been making a concentrated effort to use mass transportation as much as possible in recent years.  Tom and I have two cars that we try not to drive much.  During our work week in the winter time, we drive the 1.5 miles to the TRAX parking lot and take the train to our job 12 miles away (In the warmer weather we either walk or ride our bikes to the TRAX station or take the bus if it meets our schedule.).  At our place of work we keep our other car so that Tom can do the job related errands that require the use of a vehicle around the area where we work in uptown Salt Lake City.

As we were walking to the train yesterday after work we were talking about what Salt Lake City should do to change its downtown from a vehicle supported area to a pedestrian friendly area (When you walk, you realize how much dependency there is on vehicles and how vehicles are not friendly to pedestrians….).

All of downtown should be car-free.  Only buses and trains would be permitted downtown.  All parking decks downtown should be transformed into useable residential or commercial or office space.  Automobile users would park their vehicles in lots surrounding the city and take shuttles or trains into downtown.  (Better yet, as our train and bus system is improved and expanded to all areas of the valley, folks should be able to travel from their homes….).  Bicycles could be made available via rental fee for those choosing to transport themselves that way.  More people could then actually live and work in the downtown area.  For moving, designated times could be alloted after business hours for vehicles to move furniture and other items into buildings downtown.  Same thing for deliveries for businesses. 

With proper and efficient planning, this could work.

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Domestic Violence – The “Other” Victims

Posted on March 22, 2008 | Leave a comment
I have been learning a lot about domestic violence. Recently I became a “secondary victim” and have been able to get help through crisis counseling and just plain reading. Discussion Lists and Online Support groups also help.

I have a hard time finding much about adults as secondary victims – there seems to be a lot more information about children as secondary victims.

Here are some links I have found:

Parents and Loved Ones of Survivors

The Purple Ribbon Campaign to end Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Domestic Violence Support Group

How can I help a friend or family member who is being abused?

Don’t be afraid to let him or her know that you are concerned for their safety. Help your friend or family member recognize the abuse. Tell him or her you see what is going on and that you want to help. Help them recognize that what is happening is not “normal” and that they deserve a healthy, non-violent relationship.

Acknowledge that he or she is in a very difficult and scary situation. Let your friend or family member know that the abuse is not their fault. Reassure him or her that they are not alone and that there is help and support out there.

Be supportive. Listen to your friend or family member. Remember that it may be difficult for him or her to talk about the abuse. Let him or her know that you are available to help whenever they may need it. What they need most is someone who will believe and listen to them.

Be non-judgmental. Respect your friend or family member’s decisions. There are many reasons why victims stay in abusive relationships. He or she may leave and return to the relationship many times. Do not criticize his or her decisions or try to guilt them. He or she will need your support even more during those times.

Encourage him or her to participate in activities outside of the relationship with friends and family.

If he or she ends the relationship, continue to be supportive of them. Even though the relationship was abusive, your friend or family member may still feel sad and lonely once it is over. He or she will need time to mourn the loss of the relationship and will especially need your support at that time.

Help him or her to develop a safety plan.

Encourage him or her to talk to people who can provide help and guidance. Find a local domestic violence agency that provides counseling or support groups. Offer to go with him or her to talk to family and friends. If he or she has to go to the police, court or a lawyer, offer to go along for moral support.

Remember that you cannot “rescue” him or her. Although it is difficult to see someone you care about get hurt, ultimately the person getting hurt has to be the one to decide that they want to do something about it. It’s important for you to support him or her and help them find a way to safety and peace.

If you think your friend or family member may be abusive, click here to find out more.

Please call the 24-hour National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224 to discuss your concerns and questions.

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