The
Oak
Center
General Store
September
’04, #2
Hello
Fellow Travelers, Brothers and Sisters of Amazing Planet Earth!
In
this time of global crisis, when the need for prophetic vision and
inspiration is so great, it is difficult to write you without
launching into an immediate anti-Bush tirade.
The oppressive weight that we all feel as a result of the
disastrous hi-jacking of America by this gang of thieves, referred to
by the former editor of our moderately conservative regional newspaper
in a recent e-mail as “one of the most despicable regimes in the
history of this country,” leaves us struggling trying to find the
right words or tools to help put them out of our misery (and that of
the rest of the world as well). The
rising tide of nationalism and extremist religion blasting from the
loudspeakers of the corporate media’s public address system
intimidates, bully’s and terrorizes us.
Many of us feel much like the passengers in the planes
hi-jacked on 9/11 and used as a weapon against the “infidels”, the
“imperialist American beast," as we are called by similar religious
extremists on the other side. Our
nation has been hi-jacked and is being used as a weapon to
further the causes of a wealthy clique of bandits, destroying the
nation in the process. Terrorism
is not limited to hi-jackers of planes and suicide bombers.
Four years ago we stood by with mouths agasp, muttering while
these fanatics illicitly
took over our nation. The
opposition party (I hesitate to call them the Democratic Party and
opposition is quite a stretch) offered very little resistance.
The “transition team” as they were referred to by Mr. Bush
were an assault team dredged up from past attempts at dismantling our
democratic institutions. They
stormed in, looted its
coffers, allowing our great wealth to hemorrhage into off-shore bank
accounts and the pockets of the ultra-rich, gobbling up land and
resources and cannibalizing smaller companies and pension funds in a
feeding frenzy of the greedy. They
have plunged this nation into potential bankruptcy and gutted the
schools, the environmental protection agency, the
Bill of Rights, and all other instruments of the people designed to
monitor and protect the welfare of all our people,
down to the weakest. They
have created a Big Brother system in place of these humanitarian
institutions to contain and harass opponents, peace workers, labor,
independent agriculture, and environmentalists under the guise of
fighting terrorism. These
people used George Orwell’s 1984 as an instruction manual.
Big Lies, half-truths, constant war, constant fear.
They have surpassed Goebel’s skills in propaganda and mind
control during the rise and reign of Hitler in
Germany
, not due as much to intelligence obviously, but to the sheer weight
of the wealth and technology that has accumulated in their grasp.
They are masters at creating “push-buttons” to control
public opinion and have essentially created an American
religious-political cult that favors the wealthy and uses war and
repression as the first option. They
intentionally whapped the hornets’ nest and tell us now that we need
them to protect us from the bees.
America
is divided and full of fear and anger.
We face dangers more grave potentially than ever before—both
from within and without.
When
did it become acceptable for those who lead this nation to lie to and
manipulate its people and its legislators?
It did not! For a
democratic process to work, there is a listening and discussion
process that must be honest, sincere and open.
Lying and manipulation betray the very heart of democracy. Suppression
of dissent is anti-democratic. These people stole in with less than a
majority of the vote and listened to a minute portion of the special
interests who funded them and sought windfall hand-outs, contracts and
relief from the burden of supporting the infrastructure of this
nation. They
think nothing of taking our national guard whose duties are
protecting the homeland and helping in the event of national disasters
off American soil to guarantee their global domination and control of
the world’s oil whether in
Iraq
,
Saudi Arabia
,
Tajhikistan
,
Uzbekistan
,
Columbia
or
Venezuela
. They carry on covert
operations and lie about them, supporting coups, dictators, and human
rights abusing para-military groups.
They lie to get us into a war that destabilizes the whole world
and recruits millions of born-again
America
haters into the terrorist fold, not to mention destroying a
civilization and thousands of innocent lives in the process.
When Kerry supports the popular bi-partisan plan to allow the
importation of more affordable drugs from
Canada
, the FDA’s Lester Crawford tells the press that intelligence
information has revealed plans to attack Americans by contaminating
imported drugs. Investigation
revealed this was mis-information being used to terrorize the public
and sway public opinion away from policies, threatening big
Pharmaceuticals’ ability to gouge
America
’s sick and elderly. President
Bush opposes, as we might expect, any attempts to interrupt the
corporate feeding frenzy. As
many saw so graphically in Michael Moore’s, Farenheit
911, the “‘haves’ and the ‘have mores’” are not elites
in W’s simple mind, but his base.
They are the ones invited into the closed door rooms by Dick
and the rest of W’s
baby-sitters to write our health, education, energy, agricultural and
trade policy. Also
included in this private party are extremist ultra-conservative
think-tanks with “push button” control over well organized
“Fundamentalist” organizations.
Anyone who objects is placed on lists of the dis-loyal, treated
like lepers, and banned from the process.
America
ns who become vocal and active for peace or environment have been
denied travel privileges, harassed by the IRS and otherwise
persecuted. When Bush or
other oligarchs come to town with their 700+ person entourage, the
local law enforcement personnel are taken from their duties and the
location becomes an armed camp. Fire
Departments and Road Maintenance Personnel are pressed into service to
create barriers around the invitation-only locations. Local police are
handed packets of profiles and pictures that not only include “known
terrorists” with Arabic sounding names but those of local lifelong
peace activists. The
local government gets the bill, and the local community is
further divided against itself.
The
terrorist alerts have been used for manipulation and the campaign
tactics of Carl Rove and company have told Americans they will be
terrorized if Kerry is elected. With
the Terminator on their convention stage telling us not to be
“girlie men,” it is obvious that they intend to exploit the fear
they have in large part created and portray themselves as our
protectors. We only have
to reflect on how much worse things have gotten since they started,
how much greater the threat of terror and how much more distrust and
disrespect there is for
America
world-wide. There are
enough suspicious circumstances in the Wellstone deaths and the
ignored warnings about 9/11 that their role as our protectors merits
some deeper investigation. The
only possibility for extricating
America
and the world from deepening crisis and conflict is to get rid of
those who plunged us into the abyss.
One must question if 9/11 would have happened if the Bush’s
and Cheney’s wouldn’t have been playing games with the Saudi’s,
Bin Ladens and the Kuwaitis’, and Wolfowitz hadn’t been playing
Zionist Israel’s cards through
US
policy. If Daddy Bush
wouldn’t have trumped up the first Gulf War to establish bases in
Saudi Arabia
, and Junior wouldn’t have started bombing
Iraq
the minute he took office, the situation may have been significantly
different. This regime
has been the best recruiting tool Al Quaida could have dreamed of.
The only hope for escaping this descending spiral of conflict
and darkness lies in us, as individuals and collectively, not dividing
from our neighbors but, instead standing courageously as witnesses for
the light, the truth. And
then taking steps to right the wrongs and repair the damage.
We can’t take four more years of this.
Kerry has been slow to show the courage, ideals or strength we
need to correct all that has gone wrong, and yet we must signal the
rest of the world that we, the American citizens with a thought
process and a conscience are taking charge again.
Even our Republican brethren must think things through and
acknowledge the dangers we now face due to these reckless policies.
Can truth and justice win in the elections coming?
These vandals have openly used mis-information and outright
lies. They have
tampere
d with the voting process. They
own the Big Media channels. They
have incredible amounts of money.
They have intimidated us into positions of constant compromise
and thus, candidate Kerry as the alternative.
Can we politely sit by hoping the light will shine through the
billowing smoke of this assault if we just go vote on Nov. 2nd?
Probably not. It
is going to take some in their face confrontation, open resistance and
widespread unity. These
people have demonstrated they are not nice and the challenge will be
to confront with dignity, compassion, and intelligence, but with
resolve that we will not accept any more.
This cult “religion” must be called on its pro-rich,
pro-war, pro-American theology. It
must be called by its name: Blasphemy.
Since when is the unborn fetus the only life necessary to
protect? What about the
already born and those with children of their own?
What about future generations and the pollution from excess
consumption and war? Inserting
democracy into
Iraq
or
Afghanistan
with thousands of tons of bombs, radioactive bullets and rockets
directed by troops insulated with Bullet-proof gear behind concrete
barriers is like doing heart surgery with a chain saw.
We can compile lists of all the brash and corrupt things that
have transpired to get us here and
gath
er the choir to repeat the chorus lamenting our misfortunes and
regrets, but to avert more disaster, we need to do more.
God could help out by quickly rapturing these people, but
that’s not likely. Maybe
I’m just an old hippie or someone who actually believes Jesus was
right….Love will bring peace. If
we want to see love reign in this world, then we must not let those
who hate rule us. Keep
your humor, sing songs of peace and resist by doing good honest work.
Build a real homeland security that feeds people, pays fair
wages and weans us from oil. Protect
our planet. Take back the
faith from those who cast dark shadows on it.
Help those who have been trampled on, we will need their help
on Nov. 2nd ….eviction day.
We’re giving 30 day notice now.
Spread the word.
Love
and Peace,
Maintenance
and Repair
Thanks
folks,
We
are grateful for all of you who have made donations so that we may
continue keeping folkforum going; wood gets purchased, repair happens,
bills get paid... THANK YOU! Joe, Jess, Josh, Laura, Steve, David
and Alice, Laura, Steve, Mark, Joe, Kathi, Kerry, Jeff, Courtney and
the gang, Todd, John, Sherry, Mark, Susan, Henry, Eric and Emma,
David, Paul, Trudi, Andrew, Pam, Anne, Rich, Mary,
Bill, Dawn, Dale, Joanne,
Moms and Dads, brothers and sisters, everyone--we love you and we
thank you all for your continual support.
NOTES
AND SISTER EVENTS…..
“When
you hear that we are ruled by those from the upper crust, remember
that crust is just a bunch of crumbs held together with a big wad of
dough.”
Utah
Phillips
¨
“
Po
liticians are like diapers. They
need to be changed often and for the same reason.”
¨
Politics: from
the base “poly” meaning many, and ticks which are small blood
sucking insects.
¨
Wednesday Night
Film and Discussions:
¨
Starting Oct. 13th
at
7PM
, we will be showing a film
every other Wed. nite thru mid-December (with the exception of
Nov. 24—the eve before Thanksgiving).
The films will begin with documentaries in the following list
and evolve with input from interested participants:
A Force More Powerful:
a 6-Part series that highlights non-violent resistance and
non-cooperation movements thru history, beginning with civil rights in
the
US
and moving to Ghandi in India, So.
Africa
,
Denmark
during Nazi occupation, Solidarity in
Poland
, and finally, the struggle against the
US
installed tyrant in
Chile
, Pinochet. The
Party’s Over (2000 Election reflections), This is How
Democracy Looks are two other possible films we’ll show.
Join us every other Wed. nite here at the store at
7PM
—we’ll have the popcorn ready to go!
¨
At a recent forum in the Twin Cities, aid workers from
the metro region who have spent years working with health, housing,
and education projects in
Haiti
testified to the deterioration of human rights and general welfare of
the people of
Haiti
since the US supported coup there earlier this year.
Among the new leaders are documented human rights abusers,
world bank officials and corporate officials with special interests.
Schools have been closed and supporters of the ousted Aristide
persecuted. There is
still a grassroots, non-violent resistance movement in
Haiti
that needs continued support and attention from concerned people
everywhere. We as a
nation need to recognize the
World Court
, support it and adhere to International Law.
¨
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Frias announced early
this summer that the cultivation of genetically modified crops will be
prohibited on Venezuelan soil and ordered an end to plans by Monsanto
to plant up to 500,000 acres of transgenic soybeans in
Venezuela
. Chavez emphasized the
importance of food sovereignty and security as the basis of his
decision. The
US
government has been supportive of the coup attempt against Chavez and
aided the opposition to Chavez by Venezuelan upper class interests.
Chavez is popularly supported by
Venezuela
’s majority poor.
¨
Rochester
folks vigil at the corner of 2nd and Broadway on Tuesdays
from
4:30
to
5:15 PM
, starting again soon. Stay
posted.
¨
Red Wing folks vigil on Fridays
from
4:30
to
4:45 PM
at Rich Park. Check out the CARP,
a great local newspaper-pick up a copy here at
Oak
Center
!
¨
People for Peace
and Goodwill in
Northfield
,
MN
meet Thursday nites at the
Village
School
(
1100 Bollenbacher Ct.
) for conversation/education and every
Saturday at
noon
at
Bridge Square
for a 15 silent peace vigil. 130 people attended the vigil one fine
and chilly Saturday in January.
¨
Southeast MN
Alliance of Peacemakers has had a lull during the busy summer, but
is becoming active again to due to the stamina of some dedicated
individuals. Get involved
again. A lot of work to
do and much need for support either as members or active volunteers.
Membership is $5/year. Contact:
SEMINNAP@
aol.com
¨
Yes, we’re looking for clean plastic bags with handles
for the next Farmer’s Market season.
We have enough egg cartons at this time…thanks for reusing,
recycling, renewing~!
¨
We love volunteers to help out with concerts—before or
after clean-up, wood-cutting, running the store, etc.—join us and
help build community…call Susan at (507) 753-2080 or email at [email protected]
.
¨
Join Earthen Path Organic Farm CSA for the 2005
season—community supported agriculture, agriculture for and about
community and receive weekly boxes of veggies with optional eggs for
18-20 weeks—pick up a brochure at a concert or check out :www.oakcentergeneralstore.com
¨
Buy a few pounds or order a
portion of organic lamb, pasture raised beef, buffalo, poultry or pork
from your neighbors and help build homeland security by rebuilding a
strong local economy. No hormones,
antibiotics or GMOs. Here
at the
Oak
Center
General Store in our lovely upright display freezer.
(507) 753-2080 [email protected]
¨
“Be the
change you wish to see in the world.” Ghandi
¨
“We can
have democracy in this country or we can have great wealth
concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can’t have both.”
Louis
Brandeis
,
US
Supreme Court Justice, 1916-1939”
¨
To all you flag waving pro-war folks, we dedicate this
quote from Patrick Henry, “The greatest patriot is the one who
conserves the most soil.”
Volunteers—We
can’t do all these fine programs without the generous help from the
community that is folk forum…..Volunteers who lend a hand are truly
the lifeblood of folk forum and keep things going….smoothly.
We invite you to plug in prior to, during, or following
programs and concerts with a variety of tasks or during the week
helping with maintenance and repair or cutting and stacking firewood.
Be adventurous, meet interesting people with values and ideals
similar to your own, hear inspiring music, and have fun, because we
are….community. Contact
us if you are moved to help (507)753-2080 or [email protected]
Thanks!
Route 1,
Box 52BB
Oak Center
,
MN
55041
www.oakcentergeneralstore.com
[email protected]
507.753.2080
Store hours:
9 AM to 6PM
Monday thru Saturday
and some Sundays
