Most of the world was moved by Tank Man, the unknown rebel to the Chinese government’s violent crackdown on the student democracy movement in Tienanmen Square during the Spring of 1989.

But I was moved intensely enough write a poem that those who have seen my small body of work say is probably the best I’ve written. Anyway, I really identified with the man, since I was working then (much as now) as virtually a full time peace and justice activist. His solitary statement was a symbol of individual resistance, the importance of even just one person making a stand for what is right.

Today is the 20th anniversary of Tank Man’s stand. In some ways, it seems to me like much longer, but I also feel like it was not but a year or two ago. Most of those 20 years have not been particularly productive ones for me — but that’s another post. It’s a time to remember, and to be grateful that democracy continues to be sought and practiced more and more around the world, however imperfectly. Some of the students who were at Tienanmen Square 20 years ago even say that China itself has become better (an article in today’s Oklahoman quotes a man who now teaches as OSU), though there are many who would argue with that. There are protests taking place in cities around the world, to call for real change for the people in China.

The fact that China has blocked a lot of internet sites for the past week or so doesn’t indicate much improvement to me — except for the fact that the intrinsically democratic medium of the Internet is a bloody headache for tyrants to control. In my opinion, if the US really wanted to spread democracy around the globe, they would make broadband freely available via satellites to every spot on the globe.

Images of Tank Man are continuing to be newly revealed — enhancing our understanding of that moment — and art created. Because passion for and commitment to love, peace and human rights will always inspire.

So here’s my little contribution to the genre. I have only altered it from the version I produced in a few hours 20 years ago in that I removed Roman numerals over each stanza, which I now do not know why I thought was a good idea. It was previously published in the Palmetto Post, a newspaper of the Florida Green Party.

(I’ve posted the poem as an image, because I have not figured out yet how I want to publish my poetry, if at all, and would like to lessen the chance of it being used until that time. I would ask that if you want to share it, that you link to this post rather than download the image. Contact me for other arrangements. Thanks.)

With apologies for the last minute nature of this event, you are invited to join us to support an Oklahoma man who is one of the Iraq war resisters in Canada who is facing deportation. Let’s show support for one of our own.

[And please pass this info on if you have time in the short time frame.]

Date/time: 10-11 AM, 6/3/09
Place: Joy Mennonite Church, 504 NE 16th, Oklahoma City (just a few blocks south of Capitol on Lincoln)

There will be an event for Joshua in Toronto tomorrow, and we decided to do a solidarity event here in Oklahoma. Here’s details from the event organizer, James M. Branum, one of Joshua Key’s attorneys.

Josh grew up in Guthrie, Oklahoma. After joining the Army, he later deployed to Iraq where he had a horrific time (as detailed in his book “The Deserter’s Tale”).

He then came back to the US and while on leave, left his unit and hid out for some time before making his way to Canada.

Josh is now fighting it out in the court-system in Canada to get to stay and on June 3rd he will be facing one of the most significant fights of this struggle.

Our friends in Canada are holding a vigil tomorrow in Toronto outside the Immigration and Refugee Board while the hearing is taking place, so I would like for us to have a similar demonstration here.

So starting at 10 a.m., I’m asking participants to meet at the Peace Pole on the grounds of Joy Mennonite Church, We’ll have a time of quiet meditation and/or prayers (for those so inclined) and then we’ll walk a few blocks north to the state capitol, where we will deliver a statement in support of Joshua Key to the Governor’s office, the Republican and Democratic leaders of the state legislature and to the press.

Participants are welcome to bring small signs and banners for the walk but know that they probably won’t let you take them into the state capitol building.

And if you can’t come to the walk, please write a letter of encouragement to Josh and send it to:

Joshua Key
c/o Joy Mennonite Church
504 NE 16th St.
Oklahoma City, OK 73104

You can also email letters to me at girightslawyer@gmail.com

We’ll then forward the letters to Josh by way of his attorney in Canada.

Lastly, I’ll post more information soon on other ways we in Oklahoma can support Josh from a-far.

–*– end of message from James

On Sunday, March 22, Oklahoma City peace activists, veterans and military families marked the 6 year anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq War and occupation.

Several moving speeches were given, including by Gold Star fathers Warren Henthorn and John Scripsick, who lost their sons in Iraq. The Oklahoma Eyes Wide Open Exhibit was also on display, with 73 pairs of boots representing the Oklahomans who died in Iraq.

Here’s the speech by Veteran and conscientious objector Daniel Sandate, who now lives in OKC and is a peace activist and counter recruitment counselor.

(Sorry again for the shaky camera, haven’t got a tripod yet.)

Today is the anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq War, the night George W. Bush got on TV and told the American people that he was going to save us from Saddam Hussein’s plans to obliterate the US with his nuclear weapons and we had to stop him before he killed us all.

Let us not forget the lies we were told, the betrayal they represented, or the brave and selfless souls who (inadvertantly) gave their lives for those lies. Not to mention the over one million Iraqis who have died from our deeds and misdeeds.

And, unfortunately the losses continue. Just today came the news that another Oklahoma soldier was killed.

If you can, attend one of these local events to show your respect for all the tragic and senseless horror, and to continue the vigilance to end this war.

Iraq War 6th Year Memorials Planned in Oklahoma City

Two Oklahoma Fathers of Fallen Soldiers
Speak Out About Human Cost of War

The March 19, six-year anniversary of the start of the U.S. war in Iraq will be commemorated in Oklahoma City with memorial events, public vigils, and a silent memorial walk, according to planners. Peace House Director Nathaniel Batchelder said that the tone of events planned this year is more to seek higher wisdom to make the world less violent and more humane, and less to tell Washington, D.C., what to do.

Batchelder said, “We are hopeful that a new administration and Congress can resolve the Middle East conflicts with more diplomacy and less violence.”

On Saturday, March 21, a memorial vigil with activists holding signs calling for peace in the Middle East, will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on the northeast corner of the intersection of Meridian Avenue and Northwest Expressway. The public is invited to bring signs expressing their own hopes for peace, Batchelder said.

On Sunday, March 22, a silent memorial walk will begin at 2 p.m., from Civic Center Park, downtown Oklahoma City, at 201 N. Walker. Speakers will set the tone of the walk, and the route will encircle the Murrah Building National Memorial and return to the park. “In Oklahoma City, we know that one bomb is too many,” Batchelder said. A display of boots symbolizing the deaths of U.S. troops in Iraq will be part of the event, provided by members of the American Friends Service Committee. Speakers include John Scripsick and Warren Henthorn, who both lost their sons in the Iraq war, Daniel Sandate, Iraq veteran and Reggie Cervantes, 9/11 rescue worker, from Yukon. Rev Lance Schmitz, of the First Nazarene Church of Oklahoma City, will lead attendees in a reading of the names of Oklahomans fallen in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

On the following Tuesday, March 24th, Oklahoma City Community College has events planned after students return from spring break. Call Steve Morrow, OCCC Advocates for Peace, at (405) 682-1611 x 7350 for more information.

The summer peace camps program offered by The Peace Education Institute is now in its third year of providing young people an opportunity to explore ideas and issues, to expand their knowledge of history, and to develop cooperative, community-building skills that will serve them throughout life.

* Peace Challenge Camp (for rising 5th & 6th graders) will be July 27-31.

This is a residential camp that takes place at St. Francis of the Woods Retreat Center in Coil, OK. It has a maximum enrolment of 16 students. The 5 day camp starts with a visit to the Oklahoma City Memorial Museum and then a trip to St. Francis of the Woods. The kids live in cabins of 4 campers, a teen helper and adult counselor. Throughout the weeks, they live and work together in this small team, including cooking and cleaning their home space. The curriculum focuses on non-violence as the preferred method for problem-solving. There is a lot of art and some team challenges that are scattered around the campus. Guest speakers include people who have experienced violence and have overcome the need for retribution and bitterness.

The cost of this camp is $200.00. Scholarship assistance is available.

* Peace Makers in Action (for rising 9-12 graders)

The High School Peace Camp is located at 3131 N. Penn Ave., Oklahoma City, OK. Monday-Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Vegetarian lunches are provided.

This summer, the youths will receive the full 20 hours of nonviolence training provided in the workshop entitled: “Creating a Culture of Peace: Nonviolence for Personal and Social Change.”

There is plenty of time for creativity in this camp. Bands form, photography groups emerge, etc.

The cost of this camp is $100. Scholarship assistance is available.

For details about the camps or to register, visit www.PeaceEducationInstitute.org, or call 405-204-6479.

Gah! I have so much to post, and time just flies by and I get so little done, especially here.

I have managed to keep fairly up to date with the calendar of progressive events in Central OK that I maintain, so if the front page of Peace Arena isn’t changing, that page may be. So visit it and see if there’s something coming up soon you want to attend.

I really need a graphic artist to be my BFF, because I would like to have a custom graphic for the calendar — something that other bloggers could stick in their sidebar to link to the calendar (not here, but on the Google page that is its real home).

Any reader with the ability and willingness to throw something together, please get in touch.

Seriously, who deserves that baby more than Pete Seeger, who has literally taught the world to sing, and created much harmony, tonal and otherwise.

The goal is to get the American Friends Service Committee, which is a rad outfit that won the prize in 1918 or so, to nominate him, because they are one of the few rad outfits that have won (I mean they gave one to Henry Kissinger, fer gawd’s sake), and only past winners can nominate others.

If you didn’t see the performance Seeger gave at the Inaugural last week with Bruce Springsteen, leading two million people in Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land,” please, stop right now and watch it. If that doesn’t inspire you to joy and doing good, and make you want to honor this man for his lifetime of service to humanity, nothing will.

Please note that the Nobel prize is given only to living people, and Pete is 89.

[This is one of several posts I have made about Pete Seeger. I guess I'll officially dub him with the small honor I can bestoy here: the first Peace Arena series.]

I did my first interview with my new Flip camera on Thursday, talking to Daniel Sandate, who was just released from Ft. Sill on Tuesday. He was accompanied by James M. Branum, “G.I. Rights Lawyer,” who was co-counsel for Sandate’s court martial at Ft. Carson, and of course whom I work with at Oklahoma Center for Conscience.

My raw footage has been cut into four parts and posted on Youtube by James. Here are the links:

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

If you want to support Iraq War resisters, you could do worse than to donate at GI Rights Lawyer, or, for tax detectability, to Oklahoma Center for Conscience, marking your check for “legal support” on the note line.

I learned a couple of things about using the camera. The main one is, I need a tripod! I’m not a fan of that style of wobbling the camera around for no good reason, but if you are, you’ll love my freshman effort. Overall, I’m pretty impressed with the Flip Ultra. For a cheap camera, it does a great job.

I hope to edit the footage down to 10 or 12 minutes when I have time.

I had two meetings today, have two paying (!) jobs on my plate, one of them with a tight deadline, and Mom is feeling better and want to get back to car shopping. So don’t be surprised if I don’t post much for the next few days — if I do, it probably means I’m procrastinating.

In the meantime, please peruse the Oklahoma City Progressive Events Calendar (covering the greater Metro area, including Norman), which I’ve been working hard to keep better updated this year. I make no claims that it’s comprehensive, but I’m putting as much on it as I can find and have time and sanity to keep up with.

Here’s the current list of events. If you have more time than I this coming week, you can surely find something to do. I’ll be tweeting and checking in at Facebook when I can.