Vol. XXXV, Number 2  February 2015
http://www.ThePortlandAlliance.org/2015/February

About Us | Subscribe | Contact Submission info | Volunteer
ThePortlandAlliance.org/police   PDX Police Updates
             Speaking Truth to Power Since 1981  Love   /   Courage   /   Dreams   /   Where do we go from here...~OO~   


Turn on music! at bottom:  Ray Charles, Leon Russell and Willie Nelson    thepeaceresource.wordpress.com/2015/01/31/thats-not-love-courage-wisdom-peace-justice-or-freedom/


 Accepting Submissions!
http://wordsmithcollection.blogspot.com/2013/06/accepting-submissions.html

Breaking News

Sarah Lazare, staff writer
A man comforts a wife of a killed civilian in shelling in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 30, 2015. (Photo: AP/Vadim Braydov)
Numerous civilians are reported dead and wounded Friday from heavy fighting in eastern Ukraine, as aid workers warn that the situation is growing increasingly dire for non-combatants—especially children—following the disintegration of a ceasefire between Ukraine and opponents of Kiev earlier this month. In one incident on Friday, a bomb hit a...
#BlackLivesMatter
Nadia Prupis, staff writer
New York Police Department commissioner Bill Bratton on Thursday unveiled plans...
Andrea Germanos, staff writer
In order to achieve fully normalized relations, the United States must return...

Drone Killing the Fifth Amendment: How to Build a Post-Constitutional America One Death at a Time

Read the Article at TomDispatch


Active Community,
Cartoons
, Cartoons by Shannon Wheeler, Clyde List, & Steve Amy

Commentary, Critiques,
Letters, and more
!


For Email Marketing you can trust

Arts & Culture
Visual Arts, Music,
Theatre,
Cartoons, Movies,
Books, Writing


Community Calendar

Local actions, events, rallies, etc.


Eyes Wide Shut!

by Yugen Fardan Rashad



By Norman Solomon

Mainstream Media
Distortion

Picture of Michael Munk Tribune Photo L. E. Baskow


Peter C. Little: Alliance Photographer


Buy Walidah's new book from Powells
by clicking on icon!

Email Newsletter icon, E-mail Newsletter icon, Email List icon, E-mail List icon
Join our FREE Email Mailing List
For Email Marketing you can trust

Jobs
theportlandalliance.org/jobs
Idealist Jobs Portal
theportlandalliance.org/idealist

Speaking
Truth to Power & Distressing Portland's Elites
Since 1981!

Navigation:
FrontPage / Activism /
BlogPortal / Calendar /
Ongoing Calendar Events
Donate / Flyer/
Pictures on Picasso:
picasaweb.google.com/
theportlandalliance
/
PDX Music /
Poster / Subscribe /
Place Ad / Ad Rates /
Online Ads /
Advertising /
Twitter / News! /
Previous Issues /
Blog/ Myspace /
Facebook1 / Facebook2
Waterfront Blues Fest
Alliance on YouTube:

youtube.com/theportlandallianceBlog/ Myspace /
Facebook1 / Facebook2
Waterfront Blues Fest
Alliance on YouTube:

youtube.com/theportlandalliance

Features:
Joe Anybody!
Active Community /
A Few Words /
Arts & Culture /
Book Reviews! /
Breaking News /
Cartoons / Steve Amy /
Too Much Coffee Man /
Community Calendar /
Cover The Real News! /

Fifth Monday LaborRadio!
Jobs / Labor History /
Letters / Music /
NewsBytes /
Poetry/
Mike Hastie Poetics

Progressive Directory /
Secret Society /
Viewpoints & Commentary

Columns:
William Beeman /
Ellen Brown /
Shamus Cooke /
Tom Engelhardt /

Tom H. Hastings theportlandalliance.org/hastings
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Salt and Terror in Afghanistan

by Kathy Kelly

In late January in a room in Kabul, Afghanistan, I joined several dozen people, working seamstresses, some college students, socially engaged teenagers and a few visiting internationals like myself, to discuss world hunger. Our emphasis was not exclusively on their own country’s worsening hunger problems. The Afghan Peace Volunteers, in whose home we were meeting, draw strength from looking beyond their own very real struggles.

Theresa Kennedy-Dupay
Kucinich /
Michael Munk /
Myers / Military Personnel
Cheating on tests!
William Reed /
Mark Schwebke /
Norman Solomon /
Vorpahl /
Lawrence S. Wittner


Partners: ACLU
AFD / AFL-CIO
Alliance for Democracy
AMA / Backspace
B-MediaCollective Bread&Roses /
CIO / CAUSA/
CLG / Code Pink
Common Dreams /
CWA / DIA /
Democracy Now /
First Unitarian Church
FSP /ISO /
Jobs w\ Justice /
KBOO /Labor Radio /
LGBTQ / MRG / Milagro /
Mobile T's Cover the News
Mosaic / Move-On /
NWLaborPress
Occupy /OEA /
Occupy PDX /
Oregon Peace & Justice /
Peace House
Peace worker /
PCASC / PPRC /
Right 2 Dream Too /

Sisters of The Road
Street Roots / Skanner /
SocialistAlternative.org /
SocialistWorker.org /
The Nation / TruthOut /
The 99%
Urban League /
VFP / Voz
We Are Oregon

Whitefeather
Witness for Peace /

Topics: A-F
Arts & Culture /
AIPAC / Beatles /
Books /
Bradley Manning /
Cartoons /
Civil Rights / Coal /
Death Penalty /
Department of Home Security /
Drones /
Economic Justice /
Education /
Election 2012 /
Fascism /
Fair Trade / F-29 /
Environment /
Film / Fluoridation
Foreclosure /
Topics: G-R
Health Care / Homeless / Iraq
J-Street / Jill Stein /
Justice Party / Middle East /
Music /
National Security Administration
Occupy Blog / Peace /
Persian / Police /
Post Office / Quotes
Topics: S-Z
STRIKE! / Theatre /
The Pongo Fund /
Torture / TPP /
Tri-Met / Union /
Unionresource / VDay /
Viewpoints
Visual Arts
Voices in Action
War & Peace /
Women / Writing /
WritingResource
Yell




This is a volunteer gig. I’m a broad-based community organizer. I hope readers will understand our leadership team intends to be inclusive...  We’ll recruit mindful of folks’ passions.  Whether it’s fair wages, climate justice, immigration reform, campaign finance restructuring, or concerns over New Jim Crow’s school-to-prison pipelines that has turned out thousands to hear my sister Michelle Alexander. The Portland Chapter seeks influence it hasn’t had in a while. To do that, we’re going to need all hands on deck.

JoAnn Hardesty, new NAACP presidentJoAnn Hardesty gears up to galvanize
some new energy into the Portland
chapter of the NAACP, now it its
101st year of operation. One of her first moves to rebuild the organization is to recruit 101 new members in commemoration of the renowned organization’s tenure.

                           Photo provided by Joann Hardesty


see more of the story and part of the
inteview:http://www.ThePortlandAlliance.org/skanner


Mult. Co. Sheriff to preserve in-person visitations

by Street Roots Staff | 27 Jan 2015                                                         Photo by Steve Brase
http://news.streetroots.org/sites/default/files/Securus-Video%281%29.jpg
This Securus video visiting terminal is similar to the
terminals going into Multnomah County jails.
Multnomah County Sheriff Dan Staton says he will
continue in-person, “through the glass” visiting for
visitors to Multnomah County jails, bowing to pressure
from public concerns over replacing all visits with video kiosks.
rest of story:  http://www.ThePortlandAlliance.org/streetroots 

 Portland police officer resigned after testing positive for steroids
 

"A Portland police officer tested positive
for steroids during a random drug test last February and resigned last spring, months before the Police Review
Board unanimously recommended that he be fired, according to bureau documents released this month.

The officer is the second to have a drug test come back positive since the Police Bureau started random drug
testing in 2012. But the officer who resigned is the first
to do so after results showed evidence of steroids.

more information:   ThePortlandAlliance.org/police   Police Updates


This week marks the fifth anniversary of the death of Howard Zinn who is best known for his “People’s History of the United States” which looks at history from the bottom up, through the lenses of classism, racism and sexism.

Bill Bigelow writes about Zinn’s concerns about nationalism, American exceptionalism and militarism. Zinn said that patriotism does not mean blind obedience to government because that is “the definition of patriotism in a totalitarian state.”

1ziinquoteZinn believed it was essential for students to learn the true history of the US so that they could question and debate whether they want to stay on that same path. Those in power work to hide this true history and to foster obedience without questioning so that the machine of American empire continues to run.

We remember Zinn for the advice he gave activists a year before his death. When he was asked what should people be doing, he gave advice that is good no matter what the era:

  1. Go where you are not supposed to go;
  2. Say what you are not supposed to say; and
  3. Stay when they tell you to leave.
    for more:  http://www.ThePortlandAlliance.org/occupation

Really Walmart? 
Calling the police on your own workers.

2015 January 25
by admin

ishMeet Ismael Nunez, an 11 year associate who has been standing up for better working conditions at Walmart for it’s associates and customers. Understaffing in the store and associates earning a living wage are just some of the things Ismael has been speaking up about.

Recently, Ismael was disciplined for productivity despite being tasked to do the job of several people. What’s more, a manager called the police on Ismael and had him escorted from the store. Walmart managers at the Klamath Falls store wanted to send a clear message to workers: if you speak out, you will be disciplined.

Walmart should be rewarding hardworking associates like Ismael not calling the police on them.

more info at  The Walmart Portal at The Alliance
http://www.ThePortlandAlliance.org/walmart

 



PRESS RELEASE
RACE TALKS

The groundbreaking
"Community/Police Forums"
were developed to help improve
communication between the
Portland Police and the Public. 

To this end, RACE TALKS 2 is working in cooperation with the
Albina Ministerial Alliance and the Portland Police Bureau to
sponsor a series of Community-Police Forums.

Events will be held monthly at different locations throughout the Portland area. 
Details will be posted on the RACE TALKS Facebook page and in our Social
Justice Alerts as they are scheduled. All events will follow the same timeline:


FREE Dinner @ 5:30 PM   Program: 6 - 9 PM   Jefferson High School Cafeteria
Tuesday, Feb.3, 2015     5210 N. Kerby Ave. between      N. Killingsworth & Alberta
                                        Portland, OR 97217


more info:   
http://www.ThePortlandAlliance.org/dontshoot
U.S. ground troops could be needed in Iraq: Chuck Hagel --Deployment would be in addition to 4,500 U.S. troops already in Iraq | 30 Jan 2015 | Outgoing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in an interview on Friday the United States might eventually need to send non-combat ground troops to Iraq to help turn back Islamic State forces. Hagel, who announced his resignation under pressure in November, told CNN all options must be considered in Iraq, including sending troops for non-combat roles such as gathering intelligence and locating Islamic State targets. Hagel's comments echoed testimony by General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to Congress last fall when he said U.S. troops might have to take a larger role on the ground in Iraq.
U.S. Appears Edging Toward Arming Ukraine's Military Forces, Officials Say | 1 Feb 2015 | Gen. Philip M. Breedlove now supports providing defensive weapons and equipment to Kiev's [Nazi] forces, and an array of administration and military officials appear to be edging toward that position, American officials said Sunday. President Obama has made no decisions on providing such lethal assistance. But after a series of striking reversals that Ukraine's forces have suffered in recent weeks, the Obama administration is taking a fresh look at the question of military assistance...Fueling the broader debate over policy is an independent report to be issued Monday by eight former senior American officials, who urge the United States to send $3 billion in defensive arms and equipment to Ukraine, including anti-armor missiles, reconnaissance drones, armored Humvees and radars that can determine the location of enemy rocket and artillery fire.

the rest of the story: The Portland Alliance Portal to: CLG Breaking News..

http://www.ThePortlandAlliance.org/CLG


Amanda Fritz with Harriet Tubman STEM familiesPortland City Commissioner Amanda Fritz, at left, chats with Jyothi Pulla, at right, and a group of students from the former Harriet Tubman STEM school, during a reception for the city's new Office of Equity and Diversity held in April, 2012. Fritz testified on the school's behalf before the Portland Public Schools board, as did State Sen. Chip Shields and Rep. Lew Frederick, but it was shut down anyway. Photo by Lisa Loving

 Portland City Commissioner Amanda Fritz announced this week she is running for a third term in office.

The former community organizer and registered nurse is the only official in office who was first elected through a publicly-funded campaign; that system was shut down by voters in 2010 by a margin of less than one percent.

 “I plan to keep doing what I said I would do when Portlanders elected me in 2008, and re-elected me in 2012—prioritizing basic services and spending taxpayers' money wisely,” she said Wednesday in a press statement. “I have been a consistent voice for fiscal responsibility, equity, community involvement, and common sense for the past six years.”
 

rest of the story:           http://www.ThePortlandAlliance.org/skanner


 The Invisible Man: Jeffrey Sterling, CIA Whistleblower
 

The Invisible Man: Jeffrey Sterling, CIA Whistleblower

  The mass media have suddenly discovered Jeffrey Sterling — after his conviction Monday afternoon as a CIA whistleblower.


The rest of the story:  Norman Solomon Portal http://www.theportlandalliance.org/solomon


http://www.ThePortlandAlliance.org/jobs
NW Alliance Jobs Page


http://www.ThePortlandAlliance.org/kucinich
Checkout The Kucinich Korner at The Alliance 


"People have only as much liberty as they have the intelligence to want
and the courage to take.” 
Emma Goldman


The right to rebellion is the right to seek a higher rule... GEORGE ELIOT

Help support local media!


And Checkout The Alliance Community Action Calendar http://www.ThePortlandAlliance.org/

ThePortlandAlliance.org/communitycalendar


AlternativeNewsResource.org/
Behind the Headlines... Oregon News Links


TPA Community Meetings: theportlandalliance.org/communitymeetings

Shannon Wheeler's Too Much Coffee Man Portal at The Portland Alliance
Too Much Coffee Man
http://wordsmithcollection.blogspot.com/2013/06/writing-creative-arts-cutting-edge-of.html



Love

Posted on by 

cropped-pinkkarylee.jpgLove matters…

Ancient times, artifacts, rituals and superstitions
protected us from angry gods demanding mysterious sacrifices.
But healing comes from the heart: we all seek peace.

Banners wave and shepherds tend their flocks,
but morals and righteousness
are about who we are and what we do…
And love speaks joy to me when the sun rises and sets.

Tim

Love is a weapon of Light, and it has the power to eradicate all forms of darkness.                                                                                    Picture by Karylee Harrison
That is the key. When we offer love even to our enemies,
we destroy their darkness and hatred…
What’s more, we cast out the darkness inside ourselves.”
― Yehuda Berg