Memorial Day 2013

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The price that has been paid to secure our way of life is unfathomable. The price that has been paid in the name of freedom is equally unmeasurable. The difference between the two is a number that we, the living, should constantly strive to reduce, to honor those who have paid with their lives, and those who will be asked to. ~ mrm

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Documentary Project Worth Backing

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" Every time it rains, I walk through war. 
I walk through fields of 17 year old boys 
crying for their mothers, 
tree-lines disintegrating from napalm. 
I can see the faces of everyone 
who I've ever been responsible for killing. 
Those images just flood my mind. 
Only after re-experiencing all of that 
can I come to the awareness 
that right now, it's just raining. "  
~ Claude Anshin Thomas

I watched this video from Kickstarter today which featured Claude Anshin Thomas and the above quote. This looks like a project worth financing.  His story sounds fascinating. I'll be reading his book very soon.

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The long nightmare is finally over.

Thanks for voting!

"The Bush Administration steps up its secret moves against Iran."

Preparing The Battlefield

By Seymour M. Hersh

29 June,2008

The New Yorker

The Bush Administration steps up its secret moves against Iran.

Dr. David Ray Griffin - 911 Truth Movement Author / Speaker

Today Kate and I went to hear Dr. David Ray Griffin talk in Monterey. He was speaking for the 9/11 Truth Movement. He has published 5 best-selling books since 2003. He presents, in thorough detail, the astounding inconsistencies and contradictions found in the official story of what happened on 9/11. If you've assumed that the official story from the government is true up until now, I suggest that you check out the links that I've included below.

Dr. David Ray Griffin will be speaking tomorrow night at the First Congregational Church, 900 High Street in Santa Cruz at 7:30pm. See him if you can!

Links:

http://www.ae911truth.org/
Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth

http://www.911truth.org/
911 Truth Movement Website

Palestinian Ambassador Afif Safieh at MIIS Today

I went (by bike, of course) to see Ambassador Afif Safieh's talk at MIIS today. He gave an extremely articulate presentation and made a number of excellent points about the Israeli-Palestinian situation. He quoted a phrase that I liked, so I'll reprint it here.

Antonio Gramsci, described the relationship between the intellectuals and the oppressed as a relationship between "those who think because they suffer and those who suffer because they think."

An Important Story from Iraq

Here is an important story in today's edition of The Times of London, about how one American soldier's efforts in Iraq have paid off.

Travis Patriquin was killed in Iraq in December, but his legacy lives on in Ramadi.

This article may influence your view of what is possible throughout Iraq with the right guidance.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article2358061.ece

You can also hear commentary on this article on today's episode of "The World" from PRI at:

http://www.theworld.org/wma.php?id=083107full

Court to Oversee Wiretap Program - USA Today

The following is from today's USA Today website:

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration said Wednesday that it will allow an independent court to oversee its controversial surveillance program in which the National Security Agency has electronically eavesdropped on Americans and others without obtaining court warrants.

It's about time...

Over 34,000 Civilians Died in Iraq Last Year

The following information comes from an article in this morning's New York Times by SABRINA TAVERNISE.

Iraqi Death Toll Exceeded 34,000 in '06, U.N. Says.

According to a UN report released yesterday, more than 34,000 Iraqi civilians were killed in violence last year, that is an average of 94 Iraqis died every day. About half the deaths occurred in the capital. A majority died from gunshot wounds, execution-style, killings that are a common method for both Sunni and Shiite death squads.

Most of the deaths are due to violence between Sunnis and Shiites, which was virtually unheard of in the early years of the war. Military commanders have acknowledged that they underestimated the seriousness of the sectarian killings, which took off after the bombing of a Shiite shrine in Samarra last year drew Shiites into the war. Up until then, Sunni militants had done most of the killing. Now, the capital is mired in violence, as the two groups fight over territory.

In the shootings, bodies surface days later in sewers and garbage dumps. The report said that most unidentified bodies were found in six neighborhoods of Baghdad, three Sunni — Dora, Rashidiya and Adhamiya — and three Shiite — Sadr City, New Baghdad and the hardscrabble slum of Shuala.

One result, described by the report, is a society in collapse. At least 470,094 Iraqis have fled their homes since February. The number of displaced Iraqis was the highest in the embattled Sunni province of Anbar, where 10,105 families fled, followed by Karbala in the south, Baghdad, and Dohuk in the north.

Iraqi government forces also suffered painful losses. The report cited an Interior Ministry figure of 12,000 Iraqi security forces killed, both the Army and the police, since 2003.

The report provided details on the outcomes of a number of mass kidnappings throughout the fall. The attacks seem to be a signature of Shiite militias.

Around 70 Iraqis, almost all Sunnis, are still missing after being kidnapped in November from the Ministry of Higher Education in downtown Baghdad. The attack took place on a day when teachers from the Sunni areas of Anbar, Salahuddin and Mosul were visiting.

The kidnappings have completely redrawn the composition of neighborhoods. Sinek, a wholesale market in the heart of Baghdad, once thoroughly mixed, is slowly emptying of Sunnis. Men in uniforms seized around 50 merchants on Dec. 2. About 29 were later released. All were Shiite.

Non-Violent Communication

Today I faced a situation at my school where I felt it was best to use some of the communication methods outlined in Non-Violent Communication (NVC). My girlfriend and I took the training almost 2 years ago, and it has been a wonderful tool that we share and use when we feel that it is needed. I've never been in a situation at work where I felt that the use of those NVC concepts was absolutely critical to the successful resolution of a particular conflict. That changed this afternoon.

It was satisfying to recognize the gravity of a serious situation, and to immediately understand the importance of giving both parties involved the assurance that they were being heard and that their feelings were being recognized. I concentrated on giving both parties an equal chance to talk about the problem, guiding the conversation through a maze of feelings and facts, while deflecting accusations and judgements based on assumptions about the other person's intentions or feelings. After the initial statements were made, I reflected back what I thought I had been told in the way of factual information, what I felt I might be sensing coming across on the emotional front, and summarized the needs, as I understood them, expressed by both individuals. I asked for feedback on my reflection, and received further clarification which was very helpful. In the end, both parties were able to voice a doable request, and I think that they each walked away satisfied with the situation, and with the direction they're taking in resolving a very serious issue.

Bravo to NVC! If anyone wants to know more, you can find information at:

a definition at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonviolent_Communication

and more information at:

http://www.nonviolentcommunication.com/aboutnvc/aboutnvc.htm

and:

http://www.cnvc.org/

Peace Meeting

Today I went to a potluck with members of the Aiken Peace. Most were local religious leaders and some were members of various organizations within the local community. It was interesting to observe the interaction amoungst those present and to see how the meeting played out. There were several events mentioned that I may chose to take part in - and I'll post more about those later. I met the local Imam and had the opportunity to visit his mosque and watch the men praying. This was a fascinating experience and I do want to write about that in depth. We talked for 3 hours about Islam and several of the tenets that distinguish it from other religions. Something that I'm discovering is that it is difficult to make time to write online when I'm actually doing all of the other things that I want to be doing. I think that that is a good sign, and I'm not going to worry too much about being as faithful to my internet writing as I am to my life in general. That seems to be good policy to me. Here is a song by Dave Lippman: The 12 Days of Bush-mas http://davelippman.com/Music/12_days_of_bush-mas.mp3 Current Mood: amused Current Music: The 12 Days Bush-mas, Dave Lippman