photo by Bethel (all rights reserved)

Olympia activists have been very prominent in recent protests against the revolving door of aggression between our government and Iraq. To update: several protestors and demonstrators have been arrested as a result of their attempts to stop the enabling function that public ports have for an illegal military action.

I support our troops and soldiers. I support the truth. Bush lied about the threat posed by Iraq. He lied in order to take the nation to war. The war is illegal and it debases humanity.

We have the power to stop the unnecessary sacrifice of our fellow Americans. We have the power to stop an act of aggression committed by our government.

Thank you to all those heroes who stand on the line in resistance to the militarization of society as our government plunges us into the darkness of aggression, and sacrifices young folk for the sake of a vision of global dominance.

Join PMR. We can stop the war.

The USNS Brittin arrived early on July 29 in the Port of Tacoma. This is a large medium speed roll-on, roll-off ship which last visited Olympia in November of 2007. You might recall some controversy over that visit. We do not yet know if it is bringing back the 4th/2nd Stryker Brigade, or the 864th Engineers.

Olympia PMR contingency is to meet at 3PM at Media Island to decide how to handle such a confirmed ship arrival. Media Island is at 816 Adams Street, in downtown Olympia.

A large convoy of Stryker vehicles was spotted (over an hour ago) traveling Southbound on I-5 in the vicinity of Federal Way. Any eyes on or near the Ports of Seattle and Everett - Please report. Is there a ship in port?

You're Invited.

Elegant food, great company, important cause.

The Twins Legal Defense Fund Presents: Food for Justice, a secret cafe benefiting local activists Katie and Patsy Hutchison.  

Saturday, June 28
We're open 5:00 to 10:00 pm
816 Rogers St. NW, across from the Westside Co-op
Bring your friends and family!

Katie and Patsy are being targeted for prosecution, alongside numerous other community members, for their efforts to stop military shipments at the Port of Olympia.  Funds raised will help cover legal expenses relating to their case.

Call for reservations, or just show up. 360-918-8665

See you there!

Click picture to enlarge.

At the link http://www.copwatch.zinelibrary.info/DOGO.JPG (and a little later, here) you will find a graphic of downtown Olympia.

There, in the graphic, are little white and red intersections. Red means trains, and Federal involvement. White means City of Olympia and local police involvement (if one is blocking these intersections).
It's your choice how you will treat pieces which land in either kind of intersection when the police surround them.

The hardest part of the game are the rules:
YOU write the rules. (It's harder than you think)
I only ask that you be realistic about how pieces move, where pieces "land" and how fast they can really move from place to place. If you actually use the rules of "go" you can just place the pieces down, never moving any of them, and every few turns see if a "Train" or "Convoy" of military vehicles can get into, or out of, the Port of Olympia (at the top) to one of six exits, marked in red along the bottom and sides.

Or, if you want to you can assume they are coming inbound from the exits, toward the Port.

Most important rule: HAVE FUN AND PLAY!

After punctually showing up for the Democratic Legislative District Caucus at Capital High School this morning only to find the doors locked and a message that said the Caucus will be in two weeks from now instead of today, I went downtown to get some coffee and hang out. I stopped at the usual location and chatted with a couple of old timers. We talked a little about the financial market, the Bear Stearns bail-out and the Port of Olympia.

The prevailing consensus was that the Bear Stearns bail-out was the wrong move, and that it would have been better to let the mortgage industry experience the consequences of faulty lending practices. We also talked about other politics, including about the Port of Olympia. $400,000 profits via a shipment to support an illegal occupation in Iraq. The Port makes a little profit while the rest of the community is sucked dry by federal government spending on an act of aggression [images from Iraq]. It's also good to see hints of the broad-base of opposition to an oppressive foreign policy of global dominance, militarism, and violence.

I would like to see the Port of Olympia embrace a mission that is life-sustaining, rather that one that is based in the model of growth based economics. The industrial growth based economic model is in the basic service of the financial bottom line without adequate and appropriate consideration of consequences to society and health, to side-effects and externalities, especially as they relate to future generations. I would like to see more green space at the Port, more focus on ecological remediation and commerce that is prerequisite on ecological / economic sustainability. For example, I have no problem with log-export, except as the logs might be sourced from environmentally destructive clear-cuts. Clear cuts are harmful to soil health, biological diversity, and overall forest health. Some amount of clear cuts might be okay, but even then are they aesthetically desirable? Considering an expanding human population and subsequent increased resource demands, where is the sustainability line on clear cutting?

Some ideas for changes in Port management/mission: It would be encouraging to see the Port take the lead on ecological reparations and remediation considering the current state of pollution in Budd Bay... Another idea is for sustainable and benign economic development: it would be great to have a focus on recreation, education, and local consumption: fishing, sailing and kayaking, imagine if we could swim in and eat from the waters of Budd Bay in 30 (or some amount of) years!

[On the flip side: Farmer's Market Open, Oly Photos slide show, and a short review of last night's Actors' Gang performance of George Orwell's 1984.]

Jeff Brigham:

"Olympia Police Officers Job Well Done! Thank You!"

Olympia Port Militarization (PMR) held a meeting this Sunday, March 2nd at the Olympia Free School, 610 Columbia St., Olympia. The meeting was scheduled for 4:30pm. I am going to leave any comments of mine till later and for now try to stick to the reporting part of this. During the meeting I refrained from making any comments or involving myself in the discussions.

I arrived at approximately 4:20pm. Two people were standing outside the Free School waiting for the person with the key. We were let in by a person next door to the Free School. The meeting started at 4:40pm with a facilitator talking with the participants and developing an agenda. Apparently there was no agenda prior to the meeting. Introductions were made. I introduced myself by name and stated that I was going to do an article for OlyBlog. I have always felt that if you are going to record or interview for publication, ethics require that the person(s) be told that. So everyone there knew that I was taking notes and would be reporting on this meeting. One person raised a question on whether they wanted reporting done on their meeting. This was discussed and the members decided to allow it. There were eleven members present.

A number of announcements were made for other “community” or “progressive” events. Drew Hendricks spoke of a presentation he will give concerning the INS and plans for the removal of illegal aliens, at 6:00pm on March 5th, Seminar 2 Bldg, room A1107, Evergreen College. Alison Bodine, who was recently banned from entry into Canada for two years, requested a speaker from Oly PMR for an event in Seattle. Drew Hendricks volunteered to speak at this event.

[via email]

The Longshore Caucus (like a Convention) adjourned today, Friday Feb. 8 but not before passing an antiwar resolution to shutdown all U.S. West Coast ports with a stop work meeting on May 1, 2008 for 8 hours to protest the Democrats' and Republicans' continuing to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The resolution from Local 10 encountered vigorous debate. In the end the overwhelming consensus to take dock action to stop the war prevailed. As the President of Local 34 Richard Cavalli stated this resolution follows ILWU Local 10 and 34's successful Labor Conference to Stop the War held in San Francisco Oct. 20, 2007, as reported in the ILWU's newspaper, The Dispatcher.

A question has been raised about bringing up this decision to the local Olympia ILWU chapter.