As can be seen from this May Day Flier, we are meeting for a rally and march at Judkins Park (St. Mary’s Church) at 611 20th Ave. South in Seattle at Noon,this Saturday, May 1st and will leave for Memorial Stadium at the Seattle Center at 12:30 P.M. where there will be a larger rally.

There will be cars hopefully with room for riders at 10 A.M. in Parking Lot C at Evergreen. There should be room for some riders. If you have a car that can take people please bring it. It is an important rally and demo., Peter

PRESIDENT OBAMA; YOU PROMISED AN IMMIGRATION REFORM WITH JUSTICE AND DIGNITY.  WE WANT IT NOW!!

On May 1st We Will March to Demand a Stop to the Repression of the Immigrant Community, for a Just Immigration Reform, Education, Health, Liberty and Decent Jobs for EVERYONE!

We Demand:

WA-IRAC

Immediate legalization for EVERYONE with a clear process so immigrants and their families can obtain a permanent status and a path to citizenship

Stop the separation of our families, the massive raids and deportations

No to E-Verify database and work audits, these are not the answer to reform

No to the privatizing of detention centers and investing in education instead for all our students

No to criminalization of  immigrants and their families; immigration is not a matter of security, it is a human right

WHAT: 10th Annual International Worker’s Day March and Rally. IMMIGRATION REFORM NOW! Rally and music to take place at the MEMORIAL STADIUM SEATTLE CENTER [305 Harrison Street, Seattle, WA  98109] upon arrival

WHEN: Saturday, May 1st at 12:00p.m.

WHERE: Gathering at Judkin’s Park [behind St. Mary’s Church – 611 20th Ave. S., Seattle, WA  98144]

Sponsoring Organizations: El Comité Pro-Reforma Migratoria y Justicia Social, Washington State Immigrant Rights Action Coalition (WA-IRAC), ACLU- WA, AFGE 3937, AFSC, Allyship, American Friends , CAGJ, CARW, Casa Latina, CISPES, Comité Salvadoreño, Consejo, El Centro de la Raza, Evergreen State College Labor Center, Hermanas, Latinos Transformando la Comunidad, LELO, LIUNA, Martin Luther King Jr. County Labor Council, MLK Jr. Anniversary Organizing Coalition, NAACP, OPEIU Local 8, Orgullo P’urepecha, Pinay sa Seattle, Pride at Work, Puget Sound Alliance for Retired Americans, PUSO, Radio Luz, Radio Rey, Radio Variedades 1540, SCCFT 1789, Seattle FOR, Seattle Solidarity, Seattle Solidarity Network, Seattle Urban League, SEIU Local 6, Teamsters 117, UAW 4121, Washington CAN!, Washington State Jobs with Justice, WFSE 304, WFTC, Witness for Peace NW, WWFOR

Yesterday, February 6th, we had a moving memorial for Howard Zinn. Sandy Yannone opened the event and Larry Mosqueda mc’ed most of it.  There were about 150 people there.

There were seven speakers who shared stories, reflections about Howard Zinn and his importance to them.  David Rovics closed with a few songs. KAOS recorded the event and you should be able to listen to it shortly.

Here is what I said, Peter

My Reflection on Howard Zinn

by Peter Bohmer,  February 6, 2010

Welcome!! Howard Zinn came to Olympia in 1993 and spoke to 1500 people over three days to audiences, big and small, at the United Churches, to union activists, and to an overflowing crowd in this very room. He spoke clearly about the lessons he drew from his study of history. For example, he said we might think the U.S. war against Vietnam was just a mistake or the First Gulf war was a mistake unless we saw the continual pattern of U.S. intervention and the countless wars waged by the U.S. throughout the Americas and other parts of the world—and in the westward expansion across this continent over the last 200 plus years, and the lies used to justify these continual wars planned by our leaders to benefit the elites.   Howard Zinn  helps us understand the systemic nature of these  immoral and unjust interventions by the U.S.  We have learned so much from him.

My favorite story about his visit here in 1993 was when Howard spoke at Capital H.S. to a group of 100 high school students. After he finished discussing how the U.S. economic system was organized to meet the needs of the wealthy and the corporations and was stacked against workers, blacks, Latinos, Native Americans and immigrants a few students who were immigrants themselves challenged him. They said, Mr. Zinn, aren’t you destroying the American dream? He said in a totally respectful way if I told you the lottery was fixed would I be destroying your dream?  Howard  then said, we must replace this false American dream of upward mobility thorough hard work with one of a dream for building and working for a humane and equal society based on cooperation and concern for each other.

Howard Zinn contributed in so many important ways to creating an understanding of  U.S. history that put at the center the struggles of oppressed people for dignity, and for economic and social justice. His classic, A People’s History of the United States, has had a profound effect in this regard.  His brilliant first chapter changed millions of people’s understanding of the colonization of what is today, the United States, and the colonialists’ mass murder of indigenous people.   It is my favorite book.  I have given away 25 copies, usually to people who know from their experience something is terribly wrong with our society and want to learn more.

Howard was a very wise, courageous and humane person who relentlessly criticized our unjust capitalist system while believing in and giving us historical examples of individuals and movements who in ways big and small worked and struggled against all injustice and for an equal and participatory democratic society.  For example, he wrote about the courage and significance of the four students from North Carolina A and T  University who demanded to be served at a segregated Woolworth counter, 50 years ago this week and how this action also inspired so many others to sit-in. What is so valuable in  A People’s History of the United States is that it demonstrates both the systems of oppression that have been a continual part of U.S. history but  what is equally important, the continuing  resistance by oppressed people to their situation.

In language and analysis that was simple but not simplistic, radical but accessible, Howard Zinn’s anti-racism and anti-imperialism and his strong identification with working people stood out. So did his strong anti-war commitment and perspective.  He listened to and respected the non-elites, those usually omitted in the mainstream histories.  This was true in his writing, his talks and his personal life.

While motivated in his writings by his values of the dignity of all people and their right to self-determination, and by his belief in the centrality of ending poverty and all forms of oppression such as sexism and racism, and for peace and justice, Howard told the truth and did not exaggerate and omit facts that were uncomfortable to his perspective.  He also acted on them by participating in countless demonstrations and other forms of activism from the 1930’s until the present. I first met Howard when he was a major organizer of a sanctuary in 1968 at the Boston University Chapel for a brave GI resister, Ray Kroll, who refused to fight in Vietnam.

Based on Howard’s profound historical understanding of  U.S. history and his respect for people and his understanding of the obscene inequality and militarism that marks the United States today, Howard Zinn continued to have hope and believed that we, the people, of the United States, could and would transform this society from capitalism into some form of democratic socialism that lived in harmony with the rest of the world.  Our best memorial to Howard is to carry on the struggle for a world without hunger and poverty; where all human beings are valued equally and respected, where there is justice and peace– for us to work in ways small and big for this world. Howard never stopped doing this until he died. Let us continue on this path.

Howard Zinn aptly named his autobiography, “You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train”. We can all learn from this truly outstanding thinker, historian and inspirational human being. Howard Zinn presente!

Howard Zinn died January 27th, 2010.  He contributed in so many important ways to creating an understanding of  U.S. history that put at the center the struggles of oppressed people for dignity, and for economic and social justice. His classic, A People’s History of the United States, has had a profound effect in this regard.  In his brilliant first chapter, which has changed millions of people’s understanding of the colonization of what is today, the United States, and the colonialists mass murder of indigenous people,  Zinn wrote: “To emphasize the heroism of Columbus and his successors as navigators and discoverers, and to deemphasize their genocide, is not a technical necessity but an ideological choice.  It serves—unwittingly—to justify what was done. …  Even allowing for the imperfection of myths, it is enough to make us question for that time and ours, the excuse of progress in the annihilation of races, and the telling of history from the standpoint of the conquerors and leaders of Western civilization”.  It is my favorite book.  I have   given away about 25 copies as gifts over the last 25 years and used it in countless classes.

Howard was a very wise and humane person who relentlessly criticized our unjust capitalist system while believing in and giving us historical examples of individuals and movements who in ways big and small worked and struggled against all injustice and for a just society.  In language and analysis that was simple but not simplistic, radical but accessible, Howard Zinn’s  anti-racism and anti-imperialism and his strong identification with working people stood out. So did his strong anti-war commitment and perspective.  He listened to and respected the non-elites, those usually omitted in the official histories.

While motivated in his writing by his value of the dignity of all people and their  right to self-determination,  and by his belief in the centrality of ending poverty and all forms of oppression such as sexism and racism, and for peace and justice, Howard told the truth and did not exaggerate and omit facts that were uncomfortable to his beliefs. He also acted on them by participating in countless demonstrations and other forms of activism from the 1930’s until the present.

Based on Howard’s profound historical understanding of the U.S. history and his respect for people and his understanding of the obscene inequality and militarism that marks the United States today, Howard Zinn continued to have hope and believed that we, the people, of the United States, could and would transform this society into some form of democratic socialism that lived in harmony with the rest of the world.

He aptly named his autobiography, “You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train“.  We can all learn from this truly outstanding thinker, historian and human being.  Howard Zinn presente!

There has been a discussion on a local blog, OlyBlog, whether we should support the current health care legislation even though it is flawed. This is what I posted. today, November 9, 2009.

With regards to the recent discussion on health-care, as we all know, the current health care system is dysfunctional—50 million uninsured, many millions more,  under-insured. Millions can’t afford insurance or get turned down for needed health-care. The profits of the pharmaceuticals, the health insurance companies are obscene as are salaries of top hospital officials, many doctors and other executives in this health for profit system.  In any good system, health care would be a human right and no one would get rich or profit of other people’s health needs. To me, in addition to single payer health care, it would include a greatly expanded system of public and free clinics that are public and/or non-profit but paid for by the government and financed by higher taxes on high income people.  It should cover immigrants, reproductive health including abortion, dental and vision care, mental health and modern as well as alternative medicine.

The bill that narrowly passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Saturday, November 6^th by five votes is clearly not that. This bill,  if it  became law,  would increase coverage for low income people by expanding Medicaid and provide some subsidies for insurance premiums for working class people and that is certainly positive. So are penalties for employers who do not provide health insurance although they should be larger. The requirement that insurance companies provide health insurance to those with prior conditions is a step in the right direction.  However, because of the very limited controls on what insurance companies will be able to charge and the limited public option,  it  will  keep health care insurance extremely expensive and unaffordable to many, and  lead to big increases in insurance company and pharmaceutical profits.

Olympia Single Payer Action (OSPA) took the position that we would oppose a bill that did not have the option for States to have a single payer plan, the Kucinich amendment. The reasoning was that only single payer has the possibility of providing affordable and quality health care for all. The question is how we get to single payer, which is a strategic and tactical question. It is imperative that we explain in easy to understand language the concept of a single payer system and that we advocate for and build a powerful movement for health care as a human right for all.  To advocate for less than this guarantees we will get less. Our main task should be  building a strong and growing movement. We have not done that yet. However, that 49% of the U.S. population, according to Phil Owen on OlyBlog, already support single payer is incredibly high, given the absence of this position in the mainstream media and by most politicians. I am sure it means far less than 49% are opposed to a single payer plan  as many are unsure or undecided.  It shows the potential of getting a large majority in favor of real health care reform.

Olympia Single Payer Action (OSPA) is focusing on building a movement for single payer with a possible state wide initiative in the not too distant future. Possibly, on the bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives 0n November 6^th, our position should have been slightly different than what it was:  that we, OSPA, would only support a bill that permitted States to have a single payer option. Will the current bill if passed be a step towards quality and affordable health care for all or will it foreclose the possibility of major and needed future reform?  I do not know.

Advocating for fundamental changes in health care and not supporting the bill that passed the House does not mean lack of concern for the poor. It means concluding that now  is a very good time, because health care reform is being debated, to make visible and advocate for and organize for quality health care as a basic right, and for  a system that could really improve health care for all but especially for poor people. Peter Bohmer