May Day Demo and Rally In Seattle for Immigrant and Worker Rights

Reflections on Current Events

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

OMJP, Olympia Social Forum Meeting

Upcoming events

Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace (OMJP) will next meet   Wednesday, May, 12th  at 7 P.M.  at the Olympia Center, 222 N. Columbia.  We are working on a People’s Movement Assembly for  Saturday, May 8th at the Olympia Center.  The schedule is posted on our website, OMJP.

We will  discuss Olympia’s participation in the U.S. Social Forum at our next South Sound Social Forum Group meeting, Tuesday, May 4th at 6 P.M. at the CCBLA at Evergreen, 2nd floor, seminar 2, E wing.    You are very welcome to attend and participate.

Howard Zinn Celebration of Life Memorial

Reflections on Current Events

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!

Talk Given at Howard Zinn Memorial, February 6, 2010

talks, Talks

Talk given at Howard Zinn memorial, February 6th, 2010 at the Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA

Welcome!! Howard Zinn came to Olympia in November, 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…

Read full talk:
My Reflection on Howard Zinn

Howard Zinn Presente: In honor of Howard Zinn

Reflections on Current Events

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!

Rally in Support of Honduran and Haitian People

Reflections on Current Events, Upcoming events

Rally in Support of the People of Honduras and Haiti

Wednesday, January 27th, 6 P.M.

Percival Landing, 4th and Water, Olympia

For more info on what you can do,  call Peter Bohmer, 867-6431;  email, bohmerp@evergreen.edu,

This Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 there are two major protests in Honduras against the illegitimate inauguration as President of Porfirio Lobo and smaller protests throughout Latin America and the United States. In Olympia, we are rallying with our sisters and brothers in the Americas in support of the people of Honduras and Haiti.

Last June 28th, a military coup overthrew the democratically elected President of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya. No country in the world has recognized the government of the Honduran elites.  Working with the growing social movements in Honduras, Zelaya had raised the minimum wage, made education free, had joined the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA) and had called for a referendum on whether a new constitution should be written by the people beginning in 2010. For this, he was overthrown. The leaders of the military coup organized an election on November 29th, 2009 that the large majority of the population did not take part in and the major unions, student groups, community organizations and women’s groups boycotted. The protests in Honduras and ours in Olympia are calling for the non-recognition of  the government that will try to take power, today,  Jan. 27th; and for the restoration of Zelaya as President of Honduras in order to organize fair elections and  a referendum on whether there should be a popular assembly to propose  a new constitution.  Although victims of assassinations and major repression, the National Resistance Front of Honduras, which is organized throughout Honduras and consists of 40 organizations that are leading the protests there today, and  have organized protests of millions of Hondurans. We call for the end of repression against them.

A 7.0 magnitude earthquake has recently struck Haiti and put this country already in crisis into further turmoil. The people of Haiti have long been disadvantaged by extreme inequality, lack of available public services, exploitative neoliberal policies, and the U.S. sponsored coup government. The U.S. has sent 12,000 troops in response to the earthquake. We want to ensure these troops are there to support the people of Haiti and not there for permanent military occupation. We call for support of the Haitian people, by giving generously to groups such as Partners in Health, http://www.standwithhaiti.org/haiti, who are effectively delivering health care in an efficient and respectful manner.

Come join us this Wed. January 27th at  6 P.M. at Percival Landing, downtown Olympia!
We stand in solidarity with the people of Honduras and Haiti and their popular movements such as the National Resistance Front of Honduras.
We call for the U.S. to not recognize the illegal and illegitimate inauguration in Honduras of Porfirio Lobo and to not support it.

We call for the U.S. to close its large military base in Honduras, Palmerola.

We support the call by the National Resistance Front of Honduras for a Constitutional Assembly to restore and deepen democracy and economic and social justice there.

We call for much more U.S. government aid to go to the people of Haiti with no strings attached!

Honduran Labor Leader to Speak in Olympia

Reflections on Current Events, Upcoming events

Jose Luis Baquedano, Secretary General of the United Workers Federation of Honduras, will be speaking on the resistance by the labor and popular movements to the June 28th military coup that overthrew President Manuel Zelaya, and the current situation in Honduras.  Baquedano will be speaking on Friday, Jan 22nd at 12:30 at TESC. Lecture Hall 1;  and   on Saturday, January 23rd at 5 P.M. at the Olympia Unitarian Church, 2200 East End St., NW, Olympia.  For more information, see the flyer:

Honduran Labor Leader, Jose Luis Baquedano, in Olympia

Stop the Budget Cuts & Tuition Increases in Higher Ed

Reflections on Current Events, Upcoming events

WE CAN WIN!, SI SE PUEDE!–In today’s, January 7, 2010,  New York Times, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s chief of staff, Susan Kennedy said, “Those protests on the UC campuses were the tipping point. Our university system is going to get the support it deserves.” Kennedy made these comments immediately after Republican Governor, Schwarzenegger proposed a California Constitutional amendment, cutting spending  for California prisons and putting the money saved into higher education.  Right now, 11% of the California budget goes to prisons,  and only 7.5% goes to higher education.  Schwarzenegger proposed that at least 10% of the state budget go to California universities and colleges, and no more than 7% be used for prisons. This shows the value of the militant protest and the  student movement with faculty and staff and community support in California leading to the growing possibility  of  stopping  and reversing the budget cuts.

Unfortunately, Governor Schwarzenegger  is proposing to privatize more prisons rather than cut  the prison population.  Hopefully, this growing and important movement will continue to demand more money for and more access to quality and affordable higher education, while also demanding a reduction in the CA state prison inmate population which is  almost equal  in numbers to the entire population of the city of Tacoma. Let us in Washington State learn from our brothers and sisters in California and fight back! Let us also link the fight against budget cuts in higher educations to the fight against budget cuts for programs that benefit poor people and workers such as the Basic Health Plan.

Come here two leading activists  in this movement, Ali Tonak and Tim Simons, Wednesday., January 13th!

OCCUPY EVERYTHING!
Fighting Austerity on California Campuses

Wednesday January 13, 2010
The Evergreen State College, Seminar II, E1105 )

10:00am Presentation to Political Economy and Social Movements; Race, Class and Gender (all are welcome)*

1:30pm Public Presentation (also in Sem 2, E1105)

California is the tenth largest economy in the world and one of the states hardest hit by the current financial crisis. Although the effects of the crisis continue to be felt in real terms by those living in the state, there has been little to no resistance against the financial system responsible for the crisis and the concurrent austerity regime that is decimating social programs including public education.

The public universities of California have emerged as a possible front for confronting the restructuring that has arrived with the crisis. Faced with a 32% student fee increase, thousands of layoffs and pay cuts, students and workers have begun to organize on a mass scale to fight back. Amongst the repertoire of tactics, occupying buildings has shown to be one of the most effective, providing a fresh praxis for a new and contagious movement that has quickly spread across the state.

Come hear stories from this important struggle and watch video from some of the pivotal moments during the last months of 2009. We will focus on lessons learned and future strategies as well as provide space for discussion of possible connections with local organizing efforts connected with budget cuts and tuition increases at TESC.

Ali, a graduate student of environmental science at UC Berkeley, and Tim, a collective member of Inkworks Press, are both active participants in the California student/worker movement and are currently organizing in the Bay Area.

*Followed by a presentation from John Duda about the Wobblies’  Free Speech campaign in Spokane, WA in the early 20th Century

No to Escalation of the war in Afghanistan, End the U.S. War there!

Reflections on Current Events

Happy New Year!
From Peter Bohmer,
On Tuesday, December 1st, President Obama called for a serious escalation of the war in Afghanistan, 30,000 more U.S. troops. The additional cost will be at least 30 billion dollars a year, probably more.  More important is the destruction and death it will cause in Afghanistan. It will also mean more U.S. casualties, more PTSD, etc. This escalation is totally immoral and wrong and is not a step towards withdrawal as Obama  claimed.

We should call not only for no more troops to be sent to Afghanistan but for a total and speedy withdrawal of the 68,000 U.S. troops there.

The U.S. escalation is a good time for us to do a powerful  anti-war action. From every poll, the majority of the people of the U.S. oppose sending more troops to Afghanistan. It is time for a well organized, thought out and dramatic anti-war action.  and links the war to economic problems at home such as cutbacks in the state budget, unemployment, etc. Let us do some effective reaching out.

In solidarity, Peter Bohmer

my new web-page: http://blogs.evergreen.edu/bohmerp