Expressions From Ellen

by Ellen Finkelstein

“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.” – Mother Teresa

First the fiscal “cliff,” then” sequestration,” now budget extension. The gimmicks and machinations in the other Washington continue. The real meaning is the impact of rampant militarization and Pentagon spending on the lives of people in this Washington (and elsewhere). Organizing to empower people to share their stories and work together to make a difference was a goal behind the recent people’s forum (see page 2) in Seattle. WWFOR and allies will continue to work strategically to make a splash.

Olympia FOR’s Confronting the Climate Crisis Committee helped organize over 200 protesters on Feb 17 in solidarity with climate-justice protests held across the nation. A mock-up Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline fire-breathing Worm Monster was breathing flames onto the planet Earth. You can sign a petition urging Governor Jay Inslee to oppose the Keystone XL Pipeline and do everything in his power to curb greenhouse gas emissions: https://www.change.org/petitions/governor-inslee-please-address-the-climate-crisis. More than 400 signatures have been collected thus far.

While community organizing in Seattle has successfully stopped the police department from acquiring drones, there are bills in Olympia (and in many other states) that would “establish standards” about how drones should be used. While having protections from “warrantless surveillance” is a good thing, it is alarming that the increased use of drones seems to be a given in these discussions – both militarily and domestically. There is a coalition of people in the Pacific Northwest that is working on possible actions against the use of drones. (See No Drones NorthWest.) Did you know that 9% of the payroll of  Klickitat County WA is tied to the production of drones?

In a victory for those resisting the grand jury and their supporters, Matt Duran and Kteeo Olejnik were released from SeaTac Federal Detention Center on Feb 28 after being held for five months for refusing to testify before a Seattle grand jury investigating the anarchist movement. Their lawyers successfully argued that their confinement was punitive. Under the law, imprisonment for civil contempt is not supposed to punish witness but coerce them into testifying. A third resister, former PAT Maddy (Matt) Pfeiffer, has been held since late December, but has been moved from solitary to general population. Their release is a result of successful legal motions but can also be credited to ongoing pressure on Judge Jones and District Attorney Jenny Durkan to release the grand jury resisters.