OK, I have done a little preliminary searching to try to confirm or dispel this story, and this is what I have so far:

It is alleged:
That on Tuesday, August 29th at 8:30 AM, a black Chevy Suburban SUV pulled up next to National Guardsman Alexander Powell, a black man, while he was walking on 138th toward a convenience store in Parkland WA. That the driver of the Chevy asked the National Guardsman "if he had seen action in Iraq." That the driver of this SUV and four other males, each wearing red hats, attacked Alexander Powell while one of the attackers, a white male, was armed with a handgun. The handgun was brandished but not fired during the attack. The men shouted "baby killer" at him, while they attacked him by kicking and punching him, according to Ed Troyer of the Pierce County Sheriff's Department. The driver wore a back tee shirt and jeans.

(Cobbled details from several AP story and KIRO TV accounts of the incident)

Olympia Copwatch Needs:

A Canon CA-560 (3171A002AA) AC Adapter for our new Mini-DV Video Camera.

This came to us without a power adapter to charge the batteries. If any deep pocketed saint out there would like to help get our video team back out on the street, you can follow the links and buy us one of these for $15 to $44 on ubid.com, amazon.com, or any other site you can find. The partnumbers are given above to let you find one any way you can - or even recognize the proper power supply in your bucket of discarded spares!

If you want to buy it locally, try Goodwill, or Batteries Plus on the Westside, near the Capital Mall.

We're not a non-profit organization for purposes of tax writeoffs, but then you didn't expect us to be dependent on the governments we're auditing, did you?

Keep in mind that if this camera has working digital outputs, you'll also be helping us get closer to the day that Oly Copwatch has a show on TCTV!

Of course, you can also donate mini-DV format tapes, blank preferred, so we can spend less on supplies. We currently spend $350 per year on Mini-DV tapes alone. (We don't tape over old tape, we archive all tapes we shoot and follow generally accepted cataloging techniques for all shot tape. This way we can find the evidence you need, when you need it!)

We also need a new still camera - which could be any 4 megapixel camera or better, or any SmartMedia 128MB chips so we can run our existing camera again.

Thanks!

Another school shooting in the news.

And we are still at war.

Sometimes people decry the supposed apathy of others when it comes to violence and war. Apathy surely is part of the story but not all. Many if not most of us are in outright shock.

We don't give ourselves or each other or other countries a break. Much less time to debrief and heal and develop some other way to exist.

Those of us who are anti-war, it is important that we remember to not lash out at each other, or anyone. Our world is indeed frustrating. But no one person knows it all, has all the answers. The person standing next to you looking spaced out might not be a "stupid sheep" or apathetic. They might very well be in absolute shock, still functioning, still walking and talking, possibly not even aware that they are in shock.

A friend once told me that she would welcome a chance to have PTSD, because it includes that word "post" and the opportunity to be "post" anything would be a luxury for her. As a member of a target group she isn't able to ever fully be done, over, recovered, safe.

Numbness and denial can all be part of response to trauma. I think our entire country is in shock and that our country unfortunately is also a large part of the global problem.

I know this is just a fanciful dream, but I wish we humans could take some time out from the daily grind of violence and war. A full day free would be a great start.

Maddy, our big friendly tabby, about nine years old, disappeared this weekend from our house near Lions Park.  The last time that chad360 & I can remember seeing her is sometime on Friday.  She's not prone to wandering; we've searched the blocks around the house with no luck.

(And yes, this is on top of his bike being stolen the week before.  We're both feeling a touch paranoid right now.)

Mike Wallace talks with Bob Woodward (remember him, he used to be this great journalist?) about his new book, State of Denial. Woodward perhaps may be getting some of his old thunder back. I can't help but think he just wants to sell books though.

Anyways, watch the interview at Crooks and Liars.

It's very, very interesting. The idea that Kissinger is one of Bush and Cheney's top advisors is maddening.

Port of Olympia Commission Accepts Applications for Upcoming Vacancy Qualified applicants are being sought by the Port of Olympia Commission to fill the position currently held by Commissioner Steve Pottle.

Pottle announced in July that he would be resigning his Commission post to take a job as Manager of Economic Development for Snohomish County. His resignation will be effective October 10, 2006. As required by state law, the selection of a new Commissioner to serve until the end of 2007 will be conducted in public. The appointee will be required by state law to run for election in 2007.

Port Commission Recruitment Process
* Commission Meeting Schedule & Televised Dates
* Next Port Commission Meeting Agenda * Past Commission Meeting Minutes
* Public Records Policy
 Comprehensive Plan, May 1995
* Comprehensive Plan (Executive Summary)
* Links to External Agencies
* Port History * IDRB Bonds
* Contact the Port of Olympia Commission

I have it on good authority that we may be lucky enough to have the company of stevenl at the BroHo tonight. Steven informs me that he is presently working on a new comic that is sure to have a special place in OlyBlog lore. We may have to make it into our foundational document -- our Constitution. So, come and meet the artist himself.

Also, there will be prizes for the first five OlyBloggers at the BroHo tonight -- a DVD of "Iraq for Sale" (I bought bulk).

See y'all there!

I'm wondering if anyone is interested in attending this conference in Tacoma. I have a conflict (teaching), or I would definitely be going. It would be super great to have an OlyBlog representative there, and someone who would be willing to report back about the conference. They are trying to get something like OlyBlog started up there, so you may get some questions about independent media in Olympia and OlyBlog in particular. Any bold citizen journalists interested in this? From the conference website:

Northwest Media Action

The Tahoma Progressive Media Conference will be bringing together producers of independent media with those of us who want to create new media sources in Pierce County and the greater South Sound area.