Activism Across America

On Election Day, as Americans consider whether to place Sarah Palin first in line to become President of the United States in the event that the elderly John McCain dies, they ought to consider the advice of Jeannette Lacey:

“We are the constituents who know what her actions have been, what her behavior has been … and we cannot tolerate that for the vice president of the United States.”

Lacey was the organizer of a protest by hundreds of residents of Juneau, Alaska. The protest was against Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, the Republican candidate for Vice President of the United States.

Sarah Palin had just been determined to have broken the law in her unethical abuse of power as Governor of Alaska, but the message of the demonstration was more general. Alaskans know that Sarah Palin is no reformer. She’s a corrupt, power-obsessed and vindictive politician who has put her own personal interests ahead of the interests of her constituents, over and over again.

America, we need to listen to the advice of these Alaskans. Sarah Palin has been a bad Governor for Alaska, and she would be a terrible choice for the White House in 2008.

Seen today at the convergence Goodman Avenue and East Avenue in Rochester, New York today: A determined anti-war protest, with demonstrators holding signs with slogans like Stop the War System on all four street corners.

Some people are trying to suggest that, simply because America’s wars have been going on for so long, there is no point in protesting against them any more. They call peace activists nuts for keeping up their efforts. I say that they’ve got it backwards. It is precisely because America’s Homeland Security wars have been going on so long, with so little success, that it is necessary to maintain protests against them.

Tomorrow, there are 79 different Iraq Moratorium protests taking place. People who participate in the Iraq Moratorium take the third Friday of each month to break their routine and take some form of action to build pressure to end the American military occupation of Iraq.

This month, the Idaho Peace Coalition is joining in the Iraq Moratorium, with a protest at the corner of 6th and State streets in Boise. The protest will take place from 4:30 to 5:30 PM. For more information, call Gwen at 433-9803.

Friday, May 16 is the 9th monthly Iraq Moratorium - a day for people across America to take some kind action to promote an end to the American miltary occupation of Iraq. This time, there are 79 different organizations taking part in the Iraq Moratorium.

One of those groups is in Huntington, West Virginia. At 7:00 in the evening, participants will meet at the corner of Hal Greer and 4th Avenue in Huntington for a rally against the fighting in Iraq. Black armbands of mourning and protest will be made available for participants.

They say it was an inside job.

No, not September 11. May 4, 2008.

Two days ago, somebody who was familiar with the mechanisms keeping wild seal lions trapped at the Bonneville Dam in captivity came and shot the animals to death. Who did it? The people who were supposed to be protecting the sea lions? Someone let in with a wink and a nod?

Yesterday, a protest against the slaughter of the sea lions was held at Bonneville Dam, on the border of Washington and Oregon. People from both states were there.

Thanks to Portland Indymedia for the news. They report: Environmental and animal rights activists are calling a boycott of NW Salmon until the Sea Lions are permanently safe from being killed and trapped.”

The sea lions had been trapped, and many had been urging their killing, because they were accused of being responsible for a sharp decline in salmon runs. Of course, sea lions have always feasted on salmon. It’s human activity on the rivers and in the oceans, not the sea lions, that’s changed.

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- State of Washington activist gear
- Oregon activist gear

Today, students in at least 55 schools across the state of "http://www.cafepress.com/irregularstates/168718">Indiana are taking place in the national Day of Silence protests. Those are the number of schools from which students have officially registered their intent to protest. It is expected that students from many other schools in Indiana will participate without registering.

Students participating in the protests will remain silent throughout the day of school, in symbolic recreation of the silence in which non-heterosexual students often experience intimidation and even physical attacks.

It’s a protest against intolerance, and a protest against bullying, and a protest against violence.

There are some right wing extremist groups that are trying to organize opposition to the protests. What a shame it is to see such people organizing in defense of bullies in Indiana’s schools.

To those students participating in today’s protests: Thank you, and keep quiet.

The Old Man’s Lavender World cites the Des Moines Register as reading that 43 high schools across Iowa will be participating in tomorrow’s Day of Silence protests.

At these protests, students will remain silent, except perhaps during class when directly asked to speak by their teachers for instructional purposes. Their silence will be in protest against bullies who attack and intimidate non-heterosexual students.

The protests aren’t just happening in Iowa, of course. They’re taking place across the United States, and in schools in Canada too.

There will be some who, not getting the message of the Day of Silence, will attempt to indimidate and attack students who are silent tomorrow. Chin up to those who keep the protest strong.

We hear your silence.

John McCain is coming to Pittsburgh today, and progressive activists will be there to meet him, and confront his campaign with a demonstration against McCain’s terrible right wing record. The focus of the protest will be against John McCain’s anti-choice politics, calling attention to McCain’s voting record against reasonable reproductive health. However, the protest will be a good opportunity to highlight McCain’s other significant compassion deficits: Pro-war, pro-torture, anti-health care, anti-freedom.

Here’s what you need to know to get to the protest:

Noon Today
Omni William Penn Hotel
530 William Penn Place
Pittsburgh

Signs will be provided, but if you’re feeling creative feel free to bring your own!

For more information, Contact Molly Johnson, at 412-434-8957 ext. 126

Thanks to Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania for organizing this protest. Additional thanks to 2 Political Junkies for spreading the word about this activist event.