loveliberate

Glad to hear that CG! If only critters could shoot back...

Thanks for the reply. I'm glad to see that you distinguish between self-defense and violence. Personally, I define violence as the act of initiating a violation of someone else, and self-defense as taking action to stop such a violation - 2 different things.

Thanks for the reply Will. I do not think that is necessary or desirable for the police to have a "monopoly on violence" or that it prevents "disorder". Realistically, the police do not have such a monopoly now and I'm not sure how they ever could, yet things seem to be fine...

Yeah, the land of "the" London bridge can definitely get toasty... Flagstaff is really nice - maybe my top pick of a place to live in AZ... I wish I'd known that you were out here - it would have been nice to meet ya. It's Portland's loss not to have ya, I'm sure. Boulder's a nice place - what made ya'll choose there and/or not here? Also, what happened with going to school? I'm not intending to be nosey by the way, just curious about why folks like/pick the places that they do.

That's something I've always wondered about. The same conservatives who spoke out so vehemently against Clinton, and condemned him for bombing military targets in Iraq and Afghanistan, are now 100% behind Bush starting all out wars in both places, overthrowing the governments of sovereign nations and getting a whole heck of a lot more of our soldiers (not to mention innocent civilians in both of those countries) killed in the process. Why is that? And going the other direction, it's worth realizing that many of the democrats, liberals & such who claim to be so opposed to the Bush & Co. attacks against our freedom, such as the PATRIOT act & similar "anti-terrorist" legislation, sure didn't raise much of a stink when Clinton & crew were pushing and passing similar crap....

Virtually everyone is on one or anouther of the gubbamint lists...

Compassionategirl, I agree with you fully. I'm undecided on the emoticon though...

Carbondale, eh? I hitchhiked through there many years ago & remember having some tasty falafel on the main street between downtown and the campus... I also stopped into the food co-op. That's all I recall though...

Hello & Welcome Michael! Interesting topic that you bring up... Personally, I've had almost the opposite experience by being on this & similar forums. While I dont consider or label myself / my politics as "left" (just please don't call me a "liberal"!), I realize most folks probably would and I assumed that most vegans would be fairly like-minded. Now, I'm realizing that besides being vegan, mostly "white" and largely from middle-class backgrounds - we tend to be a fairly diverse bunch... I don't think being vegan is or should be exclusive to any social or political group and I hope more and more folks from all backgrounds go vegan. What were the "anti-Israel, anti-Semitic slogans" you encountered? I assume you realize that not most folks who oppose Israel and/or it's government are not anti-Semitic, and that many are Jewish themselves? How do define "extreme left-wing types"? What do you mean by "pro-war" exactly? I'm happy to see anouther vegan identify themselves as "pro-gun" and that we at least we agree on that much! Though I prefer to say that I support our human right to armed self-defense, or that I'm pro-choice about the private ownership and use of guns... By the way, I was "raised" mostly in Texas myself and it's awesome to hear that there are so many Texan Vegans!

Hello & Welcome!

I'm with you here. Police should always have monopoly in vioence. And there is a big difference between shooting someone and bitchslap them. Hola, I'm curious, why do you feel that the police "should have a monopoly on violence"? Also, how do you define violence?

Topher, Best wishes on accomplishing your goals. I've never done mch in the gym but folks here and on the Vegan Fitness forum are inspiring me to give it more of a go. I noticed that it says you are in Lake Havasu City - what brings ya there? I've spent a bit of time in that area - it has some really beautiful nature. Have you finished with your training in NYC? And are ya still planning to move to Portland?

Hello & Welcome!

All, I want to respond to a lot of what's been posted recently but dont have time at the moment. For now, here's an update that I just noticed on Pdx Indymedia: Eric's First Vegan Meal author: [email protected] After over 100 days of incarceration Eric McDavid has finally received his first vegan meal. His first meal was 2 peanut butter sandwiches, vegetables cooked plain, plain rice, fruit,carrot sticks, and a salad! After weeks of sickness his health has finally started to improve. He was finally seen by a doctor as well(that did little other than take his blood and urine). He has received vegan food for the last few days but his lawyers are still working to get some garauntee that he will continue to be provided vegan food. He is doing much better now that he can finally eat. After months of struggle this is a big victory for Eric and his supporters. We will continue to monitor and report on the situation to help ensure that Eric continues to be given nutritious vegan food.

Thanks Robert - I'll try to make that! Is there a contact number or email that I can share with folks? All, If any of you will be participating in any of these Portland May Day events and want to meet up - please PM me or otherwise let me know.

*Let me know if you plan on going to this - it would be great to meet some of you in person!* "Food Fight! Vegan Grocery" wrote: Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2006 10:06:44 -0700 Subject: FoodFight! refridgeration Benefit BBQ / Does this refrigerator make me look broke? Hi, Most of you probably know that Food Fight has been having some fridge/freezer issues in the last month or so. Chad and Emiko don't want to ask for help, but we love them and want to make their lives a little less stressful. While they are out of town this weekend we are having a barbeque at the store to raise some money to help them buy the new freezer they need. There have been lots of benefits lately, to help Josh and the Shac7, but maybe you can still come buy a bbq sandwich on Sunday so that the vegan chicken nuggets can have a new freezer to live in. The Details: Sunday April 30th 2pm-? at Food Fight Veggie Dog and a Drink $2.50 Bbq Seitan Sandwich and a Drink $3.00 Vegan French Dip and a Drink $3.00 The will also be some sides and Strawberry Shortcake for Dessert! Please come and help out our friends who keep us well fed and entertained. -Lisa (of Sweetpea), Dave (of Food Fight), John, and Brian(of Scapegoat Tattoo)

Thanks for spreading the word Robert! I definitely agree with you on networking - we're all in this together! I'd have been happy to spread the word on your potluck - please let me know about upcoming events. I'm always happy to email out info, put up flyers, etc. This time I would not have been able to make it but I'll definitely come down for one sometime! I'll bring my family and probably some friends too. Northwest - where's that? I live in Cascadia!

Here's 2 more events also happening on May Day here in Portland: 1. *From a flyer I found - why haven't I heard about this anywhere else?* "For Those Yet To Come" - 4th Annual Native Film Festival Native American Student and Community Center 7pm: 701 SW Jackson at Jackson and Broadway Monday May 1, 2006 Western Shosone Defense Project Speaker Carrie Dann 2. Mayday Party at IWW Hall For immediate release Contact: Ryan G. (IWW) 503-422-1780 Dan Denvir (PCASC) 971-227-3527 Abby Sewell (Back to Back Café) 503-464-6396 What: The last May Day celebration at the IWW Hall and Back to Back Cafe on Burnside Where: 616 E Burnside When: May 1st, 5:30 PM to late (after the May Day march downtown) Who: entertainment by Government Issue Orchestra, Vanessa Valsako and the Godless Moravians, speakers from the Industrial Workers of the World, the Back to Back Cafe, and the Portland Central American Solidarity Committee This May 1st will be the last May Day celebration for the Industrial Workers of the World and the Back to Back Café on East Burnside. After calling the location home for four years, the radical union and the worker-owned café are being forced to move on. The IWW is an independent, volunteer run labor union. It organizes in all industries using "direct unionism" tactics, educating workers to become organizers at their jobs and in their industries. The Back to Back Café is not run by the IWW but subleases a space from them. The cafe is owned by a collective of six workers and has served as an all ages music venue and a forum for meetings and classes as well as serving cheap vegetarian food, fair trade coffee, and microbrews. Also leasing an office from the IWW is the Portland Central America Solidarity Committee (PCASC), which is organizing immigrants' rights actions for this year's May Day. The storefront at 616 E Burnside, stood vacant for ten years before the IWW moved in and opened its union hall in 2002. The building was the property of local bar owner Jimmy Mak until fall of 2005, when it was sold. The new owners, who have plans to completely renovate the building, offered to buy the IWW out of its lease. Realizing that they would likely be booted anyway once their lease expired in 2008, the café and IWW decided to accept the offer. In the four years since 2002, Lower East Burnside has begun to change from Skid Row to a new trendy destination street for shoppers and barflies. There are still remnants of the old Burnside, however, especially the immigrant day laborers who wait for work on the corner of 6th and Burnside. The Back to Back's last day of business on Burnside will be May 14. The café will likely be reopening at a new location in Northeast Portland later this summer. The IWW plans to move into a new "worker center" space to be shared with the Portland Central America Solidarity Committee (PCASC) and other local working class organizations. Their intention is to create a permanent space for the radical left in Portland to meet, strategize, and strengthen the movement for workers' rights in Portland and beyond. May Day, the international workers' rights holiday, has always been a big day for the Wobblies (as the IWW is affectionately nicknamed). This year's celebration on Burnside, after the May Day march downtown will be the biggest yet, with speakers and music by Government Issue Orchestra and Vanessa Valsako and the Godless Moravians.

CELEBRATE MAY DAY! International Workers Solidarity! Respect workers' rights! No human being is illegal! STOP the INS raids! We demand: - Legalization with a clear path to citizenship - Restoration of civil rights and liberties, end the Patriot Act - An end to free trade agreements like NAFTA and CAFTA that benefit corporations at the expense of workers Please Bring Food and Water The Legal Defense Hotline number is 503-234-4518. People should call and report if they witness an arrest or any police misconduct. It is suggested that you write the number on your body because many times people lose the flyer with that number (which will be passed out at the rally) but also they can be taken or thrown away if you're arrested. Place: Meet at the South Park Blocks (SW Park Ave and Mill) Time: Monday May 1 9:30am - Music, dance, and a play 11am - Rally Noon - March 3pm - more music & speeches 4pm - Rally The Coalition that organized these events include the following groups: American Friends Service Committee, Center for Intercultural Organizing, Freedom Socialist Party, Portland Anti-Imperialists, Portland Central America Solidarity Committee, Portland IWW, Portland Jobs with Justice, Radical Women, VOZ:Worker's Rights Education Project, and many more. Portland Workers Celebrate May Day!! Join the Great American Boycott of 2006 International Workers Solidarity • Respect Workers' Rights No Human Being is Illegal • Stop the ICE Raids Portland, Oregon (April 27, 2006) On Monday May 1st beginning at 10am, Portland immigrant rights, labor, environmental, religious, women's rights, indigenous rights, GLBTQ, and other community groups will gather at the South Park Blocks (SW Park and Mill) to celebrate International Workers' Day with music, theater, and speeches, culminating in a march which will begin at Noon. May Day is recognized around the world as a working class holiday, a day of solidarity between workers of all nationalities. The May Day events in Portland are being organized as part of the Great American Boycott of 2006/el Gran Paro Americano 2006. Nationwide, hundreds of thousands are expected to walk out of work and school in solidarity their fellow immigrant workers to demonstrate the invaluable contributions immigrants make to the economy of the United States and to demand an end to anti-immigrant legislation like the Sensenbrenner Bill (HR 4437). Criminalization is not the solution. We call for immigration policy that includes the following: Legalization with a clear path to citizenship, family reunification, and the restoration of civil rights and liberties. We ask each worker to access their situation and if at all possible join us that day. Certainly almost every one can join in economic solidarity and not buy anything that day. Consider this: • Immigrants contribute $7 billion in social security per year; • Immigrants contribute $25 billion more to the U.S. economy than they receive in healthcare and other social services; The Coalition that organized these events include the following groups: American Friends Service Committee, Center for Intercultural Organizing, Escuela Magdalena Mora, Freedom Socialist Party, Latino Network/La Red Latina, Portland Anti-Imperialists, Portland Central America Solidarity Committee, Portland IWW, Portland Jobs with Justice, Radical Women, VOZ:Worker's Rights Education Project, and many more.

Robert, Glad to hear that your trip and everything went well. I'm interested in hearing more about it if you care to share.

Sacco, Is there anything in particular that you would like to know about "america"?

FYI: From: Krysty Simons To: [email protected] Hello Everyone!!!! Spring is on it's way!! I have had many inquiries about raw potlucks lately. At first I remembered how my stomach would hurt after eating all those crazy raw recipes, and how I didn't like mixing socialization with unconscious eating. BUT then it came to me, it didn't have to be that way. I could have a potluck and make it any way I wanted it. So I am having weekly potlucks on Wednesdays at my house from 5:00 pm-9:00pm. It will be a RAW foods, WHOLE foods, ORGANIC foods, evening....no crazy recipes! Please bring food in it's unchanged lively state!!! Avocados, mango's, dates, apples, celery, lettuce, raw nuts, oranges, strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers....... Please only bring organic food, no raw chocolate please. Bring your own utensils, plates etc. This will be the beginning of many potlucks over the next three months until I move. They will be weekly, soon they will be on Sundays in a park with a hour of yoga and some meditation. My vision is to have a space together to share in the inspirations of life! I want to not only share the experience of lively food from the earth to enliven our cells but also explore the other elements that are necessary to live happy, healthy lives, such as the air we breath, the sunshine, play and exercise, emotional well being, spiritual balance, loving relationships, etc.... We can discuss the vision further at the potluck!! Bring your inspirations. Bring your inspirations and I will see you there!!! Kids welcome!! Bring a peice of poetry or a song to share if you wish! Where: 4523 E Amazon Dr Contact: 343-6552 When: Wednesday, 5pm-9pm. Much Love, Krysty ~-~-~-~-~~-~-~-~-~~-~-~-~-~~-~-~-~-~ EUGENE TRIBAL GATHERINGS meeting our basic need for tribe! http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/raw

Your political compass Economic Left/Right: -5.88 Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -7.44 -and- Your PERSONAL issues Score is 100%. Your ECONOMIC issues Score is 40%. = Dang cool AND really smart too!

I'm not sure how this doublepost happened - can someone remove it?

CollegeB, Funny that you should mention Manitou! I used to live there and it's one of the main places that pops in to my head when someone is talking about mountain towns. If I returned to Colorado, I'd definitely consider living there. Pueblo & Fort Collins are also high on my list. I generally prefer New Mexico though. It's less crowded, more affordable, more laid-back, down-to-earth, lots more Native & Mexicano culture, etc. Ps. Even though I'm a hippy, I'm still grateful that he's dead! (mostly kidding)