Olympia BDS: Why Boycott, Why Divest
Olympia BDS presentation about their work to get the Olympia Food Co-op to boycott products from Israel. www.olympiabds.org/
These are some of the nighttime views from Madison Scenic. This is the view toward the West of parts of downtown Olympia.
It was about 10pm on Tuesday 27 July 2010, and a two day old full Moon was rising in the East.
Here's a slideshow. It's somewhat repetitive, but I think it's an impressive scene. I thought the hills in the West looked impressive, dark and mysterious, in the humid night air. It felt spooky seeing the Black Hills faintly illuminated through the city lit glow of the warm humid night air under the light of the full Moon.
Well over 100 people gathered to protest against Israel's recent attack on human right's activists. Several hundred people were attempting to escort a significant shipment of material humanitarian relief supplies, when Israeli commandos hi-jacked them under the cover of darkness in the early morning. Israel even went so far as to kill some of the human rights workers during their take-over of the ships.
Recently, in a commencement address at a military school (West Point,) President Obama said that while war is abhorrent, that it is also "necessary". I see it differently.
I believe that war is only necessary because the USA has policies of taking without asking. Policies and politics, a political economy, of territorial conquest - of resource acquisition at gun point - under the threat of violence.
I believe that war is not necessary for the legitimate security needs of the people of the USA, nor of anyone.
Instead, war is only necessary to defend what are essentially violent and destructive economic and political policies.
Another world is possible, a world of economic and ecological sustainability and justice, fairness and equity. A world where people treat each other well, and do not exploit each other. A respectful, peaceful, harmonious world where people do not put each other down, nor beat each other up.
Peace is possible!
In other news, there is some political art on display at Northern, an All Ages Venue in downtown Olympia, Washington. I think the art is really great. I recommend checking it out. Here's a short slideshow introduction to some of the works.
Saturday, May 8th, 2010
The Mural Speaks
On Saturday May 8th, dozens of leaves on the new Olympia Rafah Solidarity Mural Project were formally presented. Organizations and individuals from around the world have contributed art work for the leaves, which accompany the mural. During the event, many artists and organizations were on hand to present their leaves. Eventually, many of the leaves will be connected with associated audio explanatory statements.
Interesting about this photograph: my shadow is visible on the house in the lower right
center portion of the frame.
view larger
and larger again [7+ MB file]
Washington did not become a state until 1889. Washington was the 42nd state to become part of the United States.
In 1856, over 30 years prior to Washington becoming a state, the landscape around Olympia was very different than it is today, in 2010.
I imagine that the environment was much healthier back then, with great flocks of wild birds, and a bounteous feast accessible for harvest from the waters of the Salish Sea.
Olympia, Washington November 2007 Photo by Kay Schultz
Here I am talking to news reporters about the way police attacked peaceful protesters with chemical weapons, and also the anti-war/anti-imperialism civil resistance movement's need for legal support.
