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the new Freedom for Political Political Prisoners and Prisoners of war calendar is out. more info on the calendar and how to order it is available from the calendar committee (along with info about the groups that calendar sales benefit). and here’s several reasons why you should get this calendar today:
it’s happening for real. i just viewed about as much of the yahoo slideshow as i could without bawling.
i don’t think that in general we should have to get hitched to have this kind of recognition by the state, that’s all problematic in it’s own way. but i see this as a move towards real equality. we’ve still got a long way to go, but this feels like such a huge step. salud sf!
“for a more submissive, yuppie-firendly neighborhood, press 2.”
this week’s “We don’t care what the community thinks, we just want to make more money!” award goes to the fratboys and gals over at urban works real estate for trying to put in a new starbucks on 20th and division.
a lot of folks in the community just ain’t gonna have it. but of course that doesn’t surprise you, since there’s a global movement pressuring the anti-democratic earth-and-people hating chain store.
it’s no wonder that in those photos they all look like they gotta run to the bathroom. but seriously, i’m sure they’re perfeclty nice, polite people. but their platform for community destruction is seriously harshing my mellow. so get over to the nostarkbucks site, get the 411, and fax ‘em — early and often!
my previous links on this issue are now mostly broken. so here’s some new and better links highlighting how sadly common it still is for women to be harassed and/or discriminated against for exercising their basic right to breastfeed their child:
despite the successful events of mini-bike summer, the past week has not been a good one for cyclists in the county’s most bike-friendly town (as we’ve been named by the L.A.B. and bicycling magazine for several years running).
On the 21st, a 45 year old SE Portlander was killed while riding in a bike lane before dark, when a pickup driver hit him from behind and dragged his bike for nearly a mile. Then this past Wednesday around midnight, Lindsey Llaneza hit and killed two cyclists and severely wounded another. He was driving drunk and his license had been suspended for years. He’d been pulled over for DUI’s and other citations as recently as March, and yet, the cops and the courts saw no reason to make sure he wasn’t driving.
first, lemme just get this off my chest. don’t ever say any shit to me about bikes and cars needing to share the road. this kind of thing continues to happen, all the time, for many reasons, of course, but the chief reason is that the individuals who make our laws, and who define our culture and our political economy continue to prioritize the auto over all other methods transportation (not to mention peace, security, and a humane foreign policy agenda).
of course there have been many calls to push for Llaneza to be punished harshly. while i agree that he should be held accountable for his actions by the communities he has so deeply hurt, a prison sentence for him will do exactly nothing to deter other drivers from ignoring, neglecting, and hating cyclists. it’s not simply that i believe prisons are not the answer, indeed they are not. it’s also that bikes need to be asserted as a more important part of our cities than cars and trucks.
critical mass, of course, is a great way of making that happen. indymedia’s call for tonight’s mass asks us to come out to ensure this type of madness stops, and that we stop the cops from hassling the mass so much.
i didn’t go to the mass tonight. the indymedia call says that if we don’t come out, the cops have won. well, here’s the deal. i’m scared of the cops. by cops in 3 states, i’ve been beaten up, hospitalized, arrested, and harassed a great deal in the last 10 years. and tonight, as i read the news, and wound down from work, and considered going to critical mass, i realized i’m especially scared of the particular blend of my rage and the rage of the cops. i’m no good to any movement, and i can’t support any progressive issues if i’m locked up or injured.
so i’m taking a break from the big actions for now. we all need to recharge our batteries and take care not to burn out. instead, i’m doing some fund-raising work for the awesome new biking advocacy group, shift. and cleaning the garage and walking the dogs.
from a posting at the hipmama news pages, the story of a canadian mom who was targetted and harassed for trying to breastfeed her kid on a plane. the link there is busted, but the columnist did an interesting follow-up.
in the blender-settings for levels of radical direct-action organizing, i think we just jumped from grind to frappé - folks in the old home town haven’t just hit the streets, they’ve taken them over.
| continuing to be inspired, i’ve been reading up on what my old SF pals are doing, in their organizing efforts. Direct Action to Stop the War is calling for widespread noncooperation; Instead of going to work or school, we call on everyone to resist this war by participating in or supporting mass nonviolent direct action, particularly focused on the corporations, financial districts and other institutions involved in the war. there is thorough analysis, legal support, well organized affinity groups and a spokescouncil, direct action trainings and more. |  |
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so, the revolution may not be televised or motorized, but you can bet it will be full of gorgeous and commpelling detail, and rich with metaphor. this past week, i had the honor and pleasure of hanging with members of the beehive design collective. we organized an event for them to present their incredible new story-poster on plan columbia to an audience of about 30 here in p-town. they also had a very successful gig earlier in the day at the environmental middle school. their work, thier truly revolutionary vision, is changing the way i think about organizing and education. if you haven’t seen their stuff or you are not in a city where they are headed on tour, spend some time viewing their site, or contact them to find out how you can get involved. |
the slingshot organizers for the last couple of years have included essays in the back. last years was on anarchism and this years was on the struggle for liberation as part of everyday life. these essays were’nt on the web. until now. they are both now posted here. the first, What is Anarchy, besides looking at the many flavors of anarchism, breaks down the sham of democracy:
The very idea of a “capitalist democracy” is an oxymoron, since the minority, by virtue of their economic power, have the means to control the government structures and trump any results they dislike at the ballot box. This trump card can be in subtle ways — as where the economically powerful determine the questions open for debate in the media they own and contribute money to the campaign coffers of their chosen candidates who are then in a position to prevail with mass media persuasion — or less subtle ways — as where election results unfavorable to the economically powerful are simply annulled or unsympathetic governments ousted. While a capitalist “democracy” may have laws making all people “free” and “equal”, there can be no real freedom or equality where the majority must work for the minority or starve. |
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the second essay, Living Freedom Now! tackles — among other issues — burn-out in movement work:
Living liberation requires physical support as well as mental support and communication. It doesn’t only mean dropping out of the system, which can leave others, who aren’t as hip, with their nose to the corporate grindstone. There doesn’t need to be an ‘us vs. them’ delineation, “us” with the enlightened analysis vs. “them” who still seek fulfillment in a sexy fast car. Living liberation relies on broad community structures that empower everybody to keep energy and resources people-centered and in the community.
both are worth reading and passing along.
though i’ve never quite fit the lifestyle anarchism of some of the @ folx i know, i’ve long understood that as one who jibes with anarchist organizing princliples, the commies would sell us all out first. if you’re not sure what i’m blabbing about, then see the excellent flick Land and Freedom and read how other commies feel about the RCP. suffice to say that working alongside leninists and maoists, whenever my activism has necessitated it, has been either frustrating, boring, or rage-inducing, or all three. so i was struck with an oh-they’re-not-so-bad feeling when i saw this weeks ads. and these are just two among many great ones. the mercury has come unhinged, and it seems p-town is on fire this late winter. happy reading.
MC PUMA Tristan, I love you and miss you with all of my revolutionary heart. The Commie House yearns for your beautiful face. Please don’t run away forever.
SARAH W. IS HOT You are the eco-defender of my dreams. Us communists miss you over here on the other side of town. I send you a kiss and a revolutionary hug.
| a very enthusiastic determined young canvasser came to the door the other night. having canvassed myself a bunch of years back, i always feel bad for making up some excuse, like no money on hand, no time, the dogs etc etc… it gnawed at me, cuz i even told her i had canvassed. once i’d looked at the material, however, i realized these folks seem to be doing good work and on my way out for the night, i found her up the street and gave a donation. they are OregonAction and that work is on issues like Food Stamps, Living Wage, Affordable Housing, Fair Taxation, Precription Drugs (a member is pictured here in a campaign-building game), Health Care for All, and Immigrant Rights. |  |
if you are not familiar with the issue of resident work hours, here’s a very brief intro:
A true story: “I was operating post-call after being up for 36 hours. I was holding retractors when I literally fell asleep standing up and nearly face planted into wound. My upper arm hit the side of the bed and I woke up at that point and caught myself before I fell to the floor. I nearly put my face in the wound which would have contaminated the entire field and could have resulted in an infection for the patient.” - Anonymous orthopedic surgery resident from CA
and you could check out this fact sheet (and powerpoint presentations and more) put together by the med students association with nuggets like:
so, last year there was a flurry of activity around this issue. and at the moment i’m quite confused: the nice folks at the legislative resource center told me that both hr3236 and s2614 died on Dec 18 with the last congress. yes, lthe legislation meant to put a cap on work hours and instill some santiy in the field went to this committee and that subcommittee and then now they are no more. former. deceased. they also said that nothing on the issue has been re-introduced. yet the med student activists are still urging people to push on those bills. so something seems to be going on with the issue that is not readily apparent…
in the hospitals like the one my sweetie works at and those of our friends from med sku, now scattered around the country, programs are scrambling to try to limit work hours as if the boom will be lowered any day. um, sadly, it does not appear as though much of anything, let alone any boom lowering will happen any day soon.
do watch this space as i will post updates as i get them, perhaps there will be a ray of hope or even just some clarity
update: the american council for graduate medical education wrote guidelines to limit work hours, which will go into effect july 1 (they have a detailed and rather large pdf format FAQ on the issue as well). the legislative affairs director at AMSA says that is what is prompting many programs to reduce work hours at this point, but that they are continuing their activism in hopes that legislation will in fact be re-introduced in a matter of weeks.
let’s revisit the question raised by last month’s post about burgerville. especially after responding to Jim Kunstler’s writings, i was somewhat fired up and wanting to further flesh out the question of whether and to what extent consumer choices can have the necessary impact on polluters and other purveyors of death culture. well, we need not go much further than Brian Tokar’s book Earth for Sale: Reclaiming Ecology in the Age of Corporate Greenwash. my suggestion: order the book. while you’re waiting for it to arrive, check out the intro, where his analysis cuts to the heart of the issue:
“Green consumerism” arrived on the scene during the lead-up to the 1990 Earth Day anniversary. It is based on the myth that environmental problems are largely the result of individual consumer choices, neglecting all the ways these choices are shaped and constrained by decisions made in corporate boardrooms, well beyond the reaches of public scrutiny. Corporate managers indeed make the vast majority of decisions about what is produced and how, seriously limiting individual choices and shaping patterns of consumption in countless unacknowledged ways.Green consumerism largely overlooks this reality, instead viewing all of life as one big shopping mall. If everyone is equally responsible for the destruction of the earth, the solution is merely to buy more natural and recycled products, and companies are more than willing to make such products available at a premium price. Not only does green consumerism dilute the challenge that an ecological ethic might pose to the very idea of a consumer society, but the corporate promotion of fashionable “green” products makes life more difficult for small, local producers of everything from organic food to hand-sewn clothing. Further, as “natural” products have become a niche market for those affluent enough to pay a premium, the goods available to everyone else are even shoddier and more toxic than before. In a highly individualistic, economically-driven society such as ours, green consumerism makes it possible for people to feel they are doing something for the earth without questioning the lifeways or the economic system that have indeed driven us to the brink of ecological collapse.
Thus three closely related phenomena—the absorption of the mainstream environmental movement by the political status-quo, the emergence of corporate environmentalism, and the proliferation of “ecological” products in the marketplace—have all helped fuel the perception of a declining popular commitment to environmental protection. Indeed, they have helped set the stage for today’s anti-environmental backlash. To better understand the backlash against environmentalism, and its considerable popularity among corporate managers and political operatives, will require a look at some unique and widely misrepresented economic realities.
the organizers in the bay area in the 1990’s who were urging us to “fuck corporate earth day!” had a lot of this in mind. so, with all that as a lens, the catalog from Real Goods arriving in our mailbox was that much more interesting. i’ve bought stuff from them before, all the while wondering what this purchase was really all about. but this catalog has a frontpiece by the founder, John Schaeffer, which while it didn’t make me want to scream “boycott!” or anything, just laid even more bare where they are coming from. JS says in his little missive to potential buyers,
Dear Customer, On June 8, 1978 Real Goods Trading Company was born. On the cusp of our 25th anniversary, as I reflect on the tremendous changes we have helped to engender in the world, I feel proud. But there’s still so much more we need to do to make our planet sustainable in the 21st century. That’s why I invite you to explore the pages that follow.
now, don’t get me wrong. i believe these folks mean well. as do some of the folks who started all those natural grocery places like the now anti-union and harsh-to-workers Nature’s. but there’s two things about this that twist my biscuit:
1. hey, instead of saying “explore the pages that follow” maybe you could just say, “buy our stuff!”
2. “tremendous changes we helped to engender…” ok, so exactly how are things so much better now than they were in 1978? less pollution? nope. less corruption? nope. better regulation? COUGHCOUGH!! um, nope. any real progress in terms the impact we can measurably expect ot have in the areas of animal rights, clearcutting, carcinogenic crap in our food, water, air, and packaging? don’t think so. an increase in the number of people buying “green” stuff and recycling isn’t necessarily related to these factors. take a look at jay’s and rachel’s for lots more info on those issues.
3. “so much more we need to do to make our planet sustainable in the 21st century” dude. who ever thought that the planet itself wasn’t sustainable. it’s pretty human-centered to think that we and we alone are responsible for whether or not the planet continues to spin. and as you may or may not have noticed, despite basically all life being wiped out multiple times, the planet keeps regenerating. a bumper sticker was made a while back echoing professor Paul Erlich’s take on this issue: “Nature Bats Last”. indeed, long after the last pair of green cotton flax seed aromatherapy spa booties are completely turned to dust [yes, after i was able to breathe again from laughing so hard at that, i found the link and they are real] and the last “healing voice - sacred sounds” compact disc has been fossilized, earth will freeze over, then thaw, then likely spawn some form of life. if we don’t make it, well, bummer.
not that i don’t think water filters and solar power etc are important and good and something i want to have, but let’s have some perspective, shall we? maybe those things would be available to all of us if we had a real democracy. what do you think?
Critical Resistance and Incite! have issued a joint statement on Gender Violence and the Prison Industrial Complex:
We call on social justice movements concerned with ending violence in all its forms to: 1) Develop community-based responses to violence that do not rely on the criminal justice system AND which have mechanisms that ensure safety and accountability for survivors of sexual and domestic violence. Transformative practices emerging from local communities should be documented and disseminated to promote collective responses to violence.
read the whole statement here. CR has other excellent materials, which i’ll be linking to soon.
and while we’re on the subjuect, Incite! — Women of Color Against Violence has this “Myths and Facts” sheet which does a good job challenging what they see as the unrealistic portrayal of domestic violence in the movie Enough with Jennifer Lopez. And while i didn’t see the film, the distortions like this one are present in countless other movies:
MYTH #1: J. Lo would walk away a free woman after killing her batterer because “self-defense is not murder”. |
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besides adding the new category to the links section as well, i’ve set up 67 new links, yesterday and today. If you were able to make it to an action this weekend, i hope it was rockin. despite very boring chants and a long wait while organizers appeased the cops, portland went extremely well. well, except for this IMC person who was denied a press packet by liberal march organizers (read the comments for full story, it’s not as bad as it may sound, but still, get a grip people…) here’s some fabulous photos (click for larger):
 kid waving a Palestinian flag |
 sweet dog with cute sign |
 a couple of very creative protesters |
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while i was impressed by the essay on anarchism in the 2002 Organizer, the 2003 has an excellent piece called Living Liberation (which we’re trying to see if we can reprint here at AFSS). in preparation for today’s actions against war (more info here, here, here, and here), i thought it timely to excerpt and point you to this incisive piece by PBfloyd from the latest issue of the zine: |
If the only ripple effect of Bush’s war strategy was securing Republican control of the Congress, perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad. Whether Congress is controlled by Republicans or Democrats is essentially irrelevant since both stand for the same earth destroying, worker exploiting, world dominating policies.For our part, it’s crucial that we don’t lose sight of the real war while we’re opposing Bush’s manufactured war against Iraq. The real war is waged every day, receives little media coverage, and isn’t the subject of countless marches and rallies by well-meaning liberals: its the war of the powerful against the weak, the north against the south, industrialism against the earth, cold economic rationalism against life and freedom.
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a pal recently told me that the fast food chain burgerville [warning: flash-heavy site] was listed as a “green business” in the portland greenmap. turns out that it’s not, but with their “healthy alternatives” menu, their many local/regional ingredients, and their partnerships with groups like the humane society, it’s easy to see why someone would think so. |
so around the house and around the co-op, i’ve been having this argument with folks: yes, ok, more businesses behaving like that is better, and our support for BV can put pressure on the big ones like mcdonalds, which in turn can make even further reaching changes to the industry. but see, i’m not really looking for mcdonalds to change. mcdonald’s shouldn’t exist in the first place.
and here’s where the argument gets tricky. see, mcdonald’s does exist, and in a huge way. in our efforts for change, we have got to acknowledge that. but as we know from prison abolitionist work, it’s not very helpful or strategic or useful to talk only about “no more mcdonalds” or “no more prisons” in a way that specifically does not allow for and even integrate the “making mcdonald’s a bit better will indeed improve matters” or “longer chains and bigger cages is an important step on the road to freedom” arguments. part of the work then, i think, is about making lots of space for both pieces.
in some ways an even more important piece, i think, is acknowledging up front the real roles (as beneficial and destructive as they may be) that fast food burger joints (and for that matter, policing and prisons) play in the lives of every day working people who may or may not have the privelege/time/energy to debate these issues.
| so yes, it’s a yucky liberal practice to promote burgerville in such a way that doesn’t ultimately lead to “no more fast food cuz that’s the antithesis of a healthy culture and economy.” but at the same time, i think we need to meet people, work with them on changing society from where they are. and for some, that starts with switching from mcdonalds to burgerville as a possible first step on the road towards vegetaianism, itself a step on the road towards shutting down all such businesses, which is a step on the road to making radical shifts toward a community-based, community-controlled economy. |  |
the mcspotlight folks pose the questions themselves this way:
There is a much more fundamental problem than Big Macs and French Fries: capitalism. But what about anti-capitalist beliefs like socialism and anarchism? Is it possible to create a world run by ordinary people themselves, without multinationals and governments - a world based on sharing, freedom and respect for all life?
more on our environment and health and food links pages.
