protest!

today, oct. 19th, is the second iraq moratorium. find an event near you.

take the pledge: I hereby make a commitment that on the Third Friday of each and every month, I will break my daily routine and take some action, by myself or with others, to end the War in Iraq.

Your Flag Decal won't Get You into Heaven Anymore

Following up on R. Thelonius post, there is a movement beginning this fall to start a large scale protest against the war. The first one in New Jersey will be in Newark on August 25th at noon.

There is also a scheduled week long encampment in Washington at the Capitol ending in a large protest on September 29th. Organizers are calling it a "two month surge against the war." Psst...Do Something!

End This War

I doubt that anyone reading this blog can relate to the mindless automatons in the above cartoon (David Rees' "Get Your War On".) But we cannot ignore the fact that quite a large percentage of the population did buy into the Bush war machine propaganda. Sadly and incomprehensibly, people either buy into it now or, as the cartoon illustrates, are indifferent to the incredible crime this invasion and occupation was and continues to be that Bush's war drum keeps beating. You were right in 2002 and 2003 when you protested the war, you are right today to call for its end, but it won't amount to a hill of beans unless we keep the voices of truth alive and loud and end this fucking war.

Dispatches from Cascadia Vol. II

Critical Mass – the infamous impromptu street protests known for swarming the streets with leg muscle and blinking lights, enraging motorists, and occasionally clashing with the over reactive police -- has deflated in Portland, the city often dubbed “Bike City U.S.A.” For years, Critical Mass rides would draw 300 to 500 cyclists, from all walks of life. These rides became famous for their combination of celebration and activism, spiced with civil disobedience and a little bit of anarchy for good measure. At its apex, one 2003 ride drew more than 1,500 participants. But this year, things have slowed down, and the monthly rush-hour gatherings have struggled to top a dozen pedalers.

Some folks say they stopped participating in the 14-year-old ride because of what they see as draconian police patrols. But others questioned whether a protest against automobile dominance is needed any longer in a town widely considered the nation's most bike-friendly.

Personally, I think bike riders in Portland have found other outlets for their valuable creativity and awareness. So, instead of risking confrontation with an increasingly militarized, pepper spray wielding, stun gun firing Portland Police Department (the source of a future Dispatch from the Republic) more than 800 bicycling Cascadians took to the streets recently to participate in something far more productive and a whole lot more revealing: this year's World Naked Bike Ride through the streets of downtown Portland. Now that is Democracy in Action!

**submitted by my Cousin Marc, Portland, OR. (for more on his NW life, check out his blog, the wandering road.)