Peace Party at Caras Park – September 20th

Dear Friends,
Recently I listened to a debate which centered on the question of the possibility of victory in Afghanistan. One issue of agreement was that there has been very little progress in recent years and at this time we may be headed in the wrong direction. After 8 years of war the best we can hope for now would be that the area does not return to a stronghold for terrorist camps. It seems to me that for every person we kill in the region we grow several more terrorist fueled by contempt for an occupying army. As history proves there is no possibility of peace while a foreign army resides in Afghanistan.
Right now there are many distractions in our lives; the economy, health care, and many more but none of these are as important as putting an end to foreign aggression. As Amy Goodman reminded us this spring we must continue to stand up to the madness. On Sept 20th the peace center will be holding its annual Party at Caras Park. Plan to join us for an evening with friends and fun with people who are working for peace.

Walter Honan, Coordinating Council member

Sweatshop Free Peace Symbols

Dear Friends in Peace,
I joined the JRPC Council three months ago. I was a bit apprehensive to write for the newsletter,
being so new to the Council, but Betsy encouraged me to write about a topic I brought up to the Council
last month. I am a fourth grade teacher at Lewis and Clark Elementary in Missoula. I work with another
teacher at L and C to take one hour each week to discuss various issues of peace with our students, as
well as work with them on projects in our classrooms that encourage peace, justice, and tolerance. The
students get very excited and involved in our projects and love working on peace issues. Often times,
when we have the kids draw their visions of peace, the peace symbol shows up in their drawings.
On the “onemillionpeacesigns.blogspot.com/2009/04/origin-of-peace-symbol” one woman wrote:
“Few symbols are as widely known and loved. The symbol was deliberately never copyrighted and can
be used freely for any purpose. Despite the possibility of exploitation, the free use of the peace symbol
is fitting as a symbol of freedom.” What I’ve noticed in the past year is the popularity of the peace
symbol and peace paraphernalia (shirts, necklaces, earrings, sweatshirts, shoelaces etc.) the kids like to
wear. The peace symbol turned 50 last year so that may explain the resurgence in its popularity. When
I ask them where they’ve gotten their “outfits” I most often get the response of Wal-Mart, Target, and
Clare’s Boutique. When I did a little internet research on companies that use foreign sweatshops to
produce their clothing, my suspicions were verified that Wal-Mart and Target were among them. While I
understand trends and the enthusiasm of young people to purchase clothing that is popular, I feel we
owe it to our younger generation to educate them about sweatshop labor and help them make good
choices when they make their purchases.
This year I plan to use some of our peace meetings to educate my students about sweatshop
labor. I will encourage them to explore their options when making “peace” clothing or accessory
purchases. Since the JRPC Store sells fantastic looking “fair-trade” peace items at wonderful prices, I’m
going to encourage my students to buy there. I love my students’ enthusiasm to wear such a simple yet
meaningful symbol, yet I feel it is my job to educate them so they aren’t just “wearing” the symbol but
“living” it as well.
Sincerely,
Jane McAllister
JRPC Council Member

Replace fear with hope

Fear. In the euphoria of January 20, 2009, I thought we had left it behind – that no longer would the weapon of fear be used to lead the masses. But it seems those who ruled before – not the Bush administration itself, but the big money, ultra-conservative forces behind it – are again frightening and inciting the masses. And again, the media repeats the lies and distorts the truth by simply headlining the negative, as exemplified by the coverage of President Obama’s event in Belgrade. But what frightens me most is that the huge effort to defeat any meaningful reform of our broken healthcare/health insurance system goes beyond this one issue. In the words of today’s Democracy Now! guest Rep. Raul Grijalva, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, “that fear is being fed by a very organized, well-financed effort to undermine not only healthcare reform, but to begin to undermine any ability for this administration to get anything done by questioning the legitimacy of the President and, more importantly, by questioning the legitimacy of anything that remotely looks like a change of direction in this country.” So, yes, this direction frightens me. Am I submitting to my inferior self? I think the key word in Mencken’s quote is “permanent emotion,” and that is what we can all resist. First, I believe I must replace my fear with hope, and then I must act to replace others’ fear with hope wherever I can. Let us try to understand and communicate with those who are afraid of change and the Obama administration and confront — with love, compassion, and truth — their fears. Let us not consider them inferior (permanently afraid); rather let us reduce “the unknown, the complex, the inexplicable” to alleviate their fear. That means we all need facts at our fingertips to dispute the misinformation that is flying around. We can’t just chuckle at and agree with Barney Frank’s remark that having a conversation with someone who repeats such “vile, contemptible, nonsense” is like “trying to argue with a dining room table.” I know from experience how painful it can be to try to discuss issues with good friends or family with whom we disagree, but we must do it! Fear can paralyze or activate. Are we, too, afraid? Too afraid to act?

~Ethel MacDonald, JRPC Coordinating Council Member

Healing U.S. Health Care

Dear friends,

She had this sound advice earlier -”So how about in honor of the American solider you quit making things up”! We have other headlines that blare, “health care reform is on life support”. Some are shouting and jostling in town hall meetings to make their point. It seems socialism is an outcry to most solutions. Weather it is for economy, health care or other issues, Karl Marx is coming to town! We are loudly discussing health care with some “very creative” arguments from death panels to government intervention in your care. However, like private insurance policies, we cannot claim health care is an “existing condition” issue. It is also not clear why some argue health care reform is an Obama issue and not ours? He with the senators, congressmen, government employees and their families has the best healthcare. And they have you to thank for it! Twenty six percent of people in this country rely on taxpayer-supported health care and it will only increase with aging population. We have 9.4% unemployment today (compared to 4.9% in Dec 2007) and the uninsured (15%) numbers fluctuate wildly with the economy. Preventing coverage for existing condition or losing coverage is a constant threat. Most of us rely on our jobs for health insurance (53%). No wonder eighty percent of Americans want health care reform.

Our healthcare is indeed on life support with burgeoning costs and no real relation to better care. We spend 3 times more per person than most industrialized countries and our costs for healthcare eats up seventeen percent of GDP. So does the government really impede proper care or the private sector really serious in keeping your costs down? It seems the ones that are coming between you and proper health care reform are the pundits and politicians who seem to simplify complex issues or solutions with a strange chorus — “socialism”. If they mean “you have to earn it” and “everyone does not deserve health care”, then they are arguing our principles. Alternatively, if they are arguing free market solutions to reduce costs, this global market place will lean towards exporting or importing health care? For example our own medicines are much cheaper in Canada. If you want a hip or heart surgery, go to India or Mexico where the costs are less or provide visas to incoming medical professionals. They want us to believe in free market economy as a cure all. In reality our free market economy has examples like billions in agriculture subsidies to big agri-business, bloated defense expenses for cost plus contracts or bailout reckless behavior of big companies. Neither the government, nor the private enterprise has all the solutions. They both have drawbacks. Those scary interpretations of solutions need to be taken with a grain of salt. In the end “no reform” will mean paying more for less care.

We have what we build and we need to constantly work out the kinks. There are specific faults in health care or reform proposals, but no one claims it to be perfect either. People need to listen as well and come to an informed compromise. There is no, “either you are with me or against me” on this one. Health care reform is like any ad for a pill. They tell you how great it is in solving a problem, but side effects are a long list as well. Our initial goal should be to “fix it”, not “perfect it”. Let us start discussing great ideas from all sides. Between war, economy and health care we have many pills to swallow. And they are showing side effects, but there is no alternative to civil discourse. Civility and vigorous debate can happen at the same time. We need this more than ever.

Srini Mondava

Coordinating council Chair

Reducing/eradicating nuclear arsenals

Dear friends,

At 8:15 this morning a moment of silence was observed around the world in commemoration of the 64th year since the US bombed Hiroshima and later Nagasaki. The atom bombs we dropped in Japan ushered us into a new age of warfare where large scale destruction was not only possible, it was real. And it has remained an imminent threat. Many organizations and individuals have been working to rid the world of nuclear weapons since the realities unfolded in the 1940’s. And today for the first time in ten years, the Senate is again considering ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which failed to pass in 1999 because of fears that, without testing, we could neither maintain reliable weapons nor guarantee the compliance of other nations. Further, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, originally signed in 1982, and including nuclear weapons, will expire in December of this year, and talks are ongoing to negotiate a renewal and expansion of this treaty. Recent rejections of funding for the Reliable Replacement Warhead is another sign of hope.

Clearly, we are poised to move closer to a world without nuclear weapons. But closer is not there. The Quinnipiac University in CA recently polled US voters and found that 61% believe the US was right in bombing Japan at the end of WWII – only one in five believe it was a mistake. Support is weaker but not low among young voters, women, minorities and Democrats. Even given this, A University of Maryland poll found that 84 percent of Americans supported the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty’s requirement for total nuclear disarmament. We cannot remove the threat of nuclear war as long as post 9/11 fears spur the development of new weapons – including nuclear ones. And we cannot keep doing what we tell other countries they cannot do and expect a secure and peaceful world. As the Quinnipiac poll suggests, we will feel justified in using what is in our arsenal to respond to the threats we perceive around the world. In remembrance of those over 200 thousand who died 64 years ago this month at the hands of the world’s first nuclear bomb and the hundreds of thousands who died later and continued to suffer, let us educate ourselves about the issue and talk with our representatives. Friends Committee on National Legislation has some good background information and resources at www.fcnl.org/nuclear. Fold a crane, send it in a letter, engage in conversation and ask that we honor the memory of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by making real progress to the day when we can say for certain, never again.

In memory,

Betsy

What is a “Good War”?

Dear friends,

Sen. Feingold may not look like Jeannette Rankin, but he has taken a courageous step in her shadow. I applaud him for his lone vote against the Lieberman amendment to the defense authorization bill. He stood up against it because it would mean expanding troops in Afghanistan (See the article from The Nation in the “Of Interest” section below). And thanks to Congressman Jim McGovern who put forward HB 2404 demanding an exit strategy for Afghanistan.

While many sit by and pay little heed to what is happening in Afghanistan because it is “the good war” – justified and necessary, the conflict there becomes more and more deadly. And what is a good war? When is it necessary? Which deaths are necessary? For eight years, Afghanistan has taken a back seat to Iraq, and now to Michael Jackson’s funeral, our demands for universal health care, and even my own need to start planning for the peace party. But peace can never really take a back seat. And war – even one that some argue is necessary – never does solve problems.

There are no easy answers or quick solutions, but we must continue to ask the questions and work to understand the options. Thank you Senator Feingold and Representative McGovern for reminding us, like our beloved Ms. Rankin, that peace takes courage and perseverance…

Betsy

Music: An International Language

On Wednesday July 15th, Missoula welcomed the 22nd celebration of the International Choral Festival to our City. As many in our community, two JRPC Board members (Glenn and Kathy Wood; Rusty and Betsy Dague) opened their homes to our international visitors and served as guest ambassadors for this special occasion. For these few days in Missoula, representatives of our World community celebrated the spirit of international harmony, the very essence of what Jeanette Rankin envisioned and worked for in her lifetime.
Music is an international language. It is the language of hope and joy, of dreams met and unmet. The music of this Festival is a celebration of our diversity, our shared cultures and histories. For those fortunate enough to have attended, we heard in the voices of these remarkable Choirs the sound of what is possible among nations of goodwill. For all those involved in bringing life to the International Choral Festival, bravo!
While the International Choral Festival serves as a shining example of the better voices of our nature, Wednesday, July 15 also brought a sad reminder of work undone in the cause of peace. On that day in Grozny, Chechnya, a woman named Natalia Estemirova was kidnapped and assassinated. Natalia, a widowed mother of one, a history teacher, a correspondent for The Voice newspaper and highly respected peace advocate, was targeted for her advocacy. As with Neda the month before (Neda meaning ‘voice’ in Arabic) and Benazin the year before, Natalia gave her life in the struggle for justice. One can only imagine the courage of Natalia who confronted cowardice and oppression knowing the possible consequences.
In the voice of this remarkable woman, let us remember what remains to be accomplished among people of goodwill in the shared aspirations for peace and justice.
Gregory J. Roberts
Coordinating Council Member

Oil Consumption

Dear friends,

We are past this presidency and dealing with his legacy, but who can forget Bushisms? We may get a second act with Palinisms! In any case this oilman has a point somewhere in there. According to Fortune, among the top 10 global 500 companies this year, 8 are from oil industry. The other two are Wal-Mart and Toyota Motor. Sectors like financial, manufacturing, technology, etc are relegated to the back. These oil companies are also the most profitable companies in the world and in a capitalist society that alone does not make an argument. So why should we care about this? For one, financial companies were the biggest and see how they turned out to be. Now many of the big ones survive on taxpayer support. To be fair, big oil companies survived all these years because of active help from nation states. An example is our constant naval presence in Persian Gulf (for decades) and their primary purpose is to protect oil drilling and shipping. You may argue oil is different because they produce something we need and our economy depends on it. Maybe we should focus on how they get and sell a barrel of oil. Similar to diamonds! We have heard terms like “blood diamonds” and “Kimberley process”. A typical diamond that adorns necklines travels from mines of Africa to cutting factories in India and to traders in Belgium. The process from mines to necklines goes through Kimberley process certification, so diamonds we buy are not from conflict zones or create hardship to the locals. We should know this because we buy 50% of world’s diamonds. Oil should have a similar process to designate “blood oil” or “conflict oil” and “good oil”. This process will help regulate or motivate oil producers and consumers. Some of our oil comes from conflict areas or places with human right issues but other countries like Norway or Canada are different. Take the example of Iran. We want to align with street protester today and demand fair elections, but we (with Britain and BP) also helped topple a popular (elected) government in the past. The result was a brutal regime of Shah and a big share of oil to us for couple of decades. You know the rest of story. Past sixty years of conflicts and aggressive actions to topple or support existing order is a result of our quest for “dependable” oil. If we had an “oil certification” process then, our leaders would have thought hard before interfering negatively. It could also automatically trigger a stop to buying under adverse conditions anywhere. Some would argue demanding “good oil” is hard and we need to deal with consumption. They are right on reducing consumption, but we will still use a lot. Prior to Kimberley process and regulation, “good diamonds” (if this term makes sense) were hard to find also. If there is enough support with oil consumers, their politicians, dictators, kings or sultans can work this out. We need to ask for it. Our president met with G8 leaders to discuss global economy and new global warming targets. If they also discussed how to certify oil and other natural resources before buying, majority of our present and future conflicts can be reduced. We need this more than ever. Tackling underlying issues will produce sustainable results for peace and justice. The alternative is to revisit 20th century issues in future.

Srini Mondava

Coordinating Council Chair

Replacing Missoula’s Peace Sign

Dear friends,
Last week we discovered that the peace sign in our park on Waterworks Hill had been torn down. We have received many expressions of sadness in response to its disappearance, a reminder of the passion for peace in Missoula. We also discovered that someone has stolen the signs we had marking the park entrances, and identifying the park as a gift to the community.

On Tuesday, about a dozen people hiked up to the park with sheets and towels — some even making multiple trips – to restore the peace sign. Initially we all had questions, thoughts of blame and even anger, but as we worked, the group reminded each other that those thoughts were not only not helpful – they were counter to what we were doing.

Acts of violence and vandalism are reported around the world. On the hill, we were reminded that our power lies in finding the small ways we each can respond by building peace. So we restored Missoula’s peace sign – in peace and forgiveness; We stand in solidarity with the people of Iran in the hopes of giving them the support and encouragement to protest another day; we write letters to our legislators and talk to our neighbors to give voice to our hopes. So let it continue to be – we teach peace, and peace teaches us. The expense of replacing the signs is a hardship for us as we struggle to make ends meet just as everyone else in this economy. But we will find a way.

We appreciate all of your thoughts and efforts.
With thanks and peace,
Betsy

Tyler Boudreau’s Bicycle Tour

Dear Friends,

This weekend our country will celebrate its 233rd “Independence Day” with fireworks and flag-waving. While there is much to celebrate in the birth of our nation and the ideals of liberty and freedom that are the foundation of our constitution, much of the celebrating has become an exercise in glorifying war – the songs, the rolling tanks and armored vehicles on parade, the military shows of strength and glory. War is unfortunately a part of our heritage as a nation, but there is so much more to celebrate, and rather than glorifying war, we must be realistic about its financial and human costs. I think of the indigenous Americans who were displaced by the “birth” of the US, the thousands killed in our wars, and all the veterans who carry the ghosts of war with them.

This weekend, Missoula will be hosting Tyler Boudreau as he rides through on his cross-country bicycle tour. Tyler is a 12-year Marine veteran and he has written an amazing book about his experience in Iraq, his insights into the realities of war and his personal journey coming to terms with those realities in an attempt to heal and rediscover himself. His bike tour, called “the other side” is about the journey veterans – and communities — go through in getting to the other side of healing. He hopes to connect with communities across the country to broaden the discourse and figure out how to re-integrate and strengthen our democracy. I’ve talked with him several times and am impressed by his ability to both love the Marine Corps for the training and camaraderie he was a part of while also seeing realistically the tragedy and destruction our service men and women have been forced to be part of in Iraq. I am saddened that the veteran groups in town are not willing to join me in welcoming him, because I believe his voice could serve as a bridge to understanding. His reality is a threat to their vision of war as glorious service and humbling sacrifice. But it is a reality we all must know – for it is as much a part of our nation’s heritage now as the flags waving on porches this weekend. If we are to truly honor our veterans and celebrate our nation, we must look clearly at all the versions of the story. I hope that many of you will join me at a potluck welcome on Saturday evening (see below) to pause and consider how and what we celebrate. I can promise a provocative discussion with a remarkable veteran.

In celebration and honor,

Betsy